MLB Mock Draft, Version 2.1

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

With the draft just over one month away, a second look at the upcoming MLB draft is in order.

Before we get started with this MLB mock draft, a few things:
– These are the selections of the writer, based on discussions with scouts and team officials in the game. However, they are not to be viewed as a prediction, but an idea of the direction a team could go in the given scenario presented.
– Players moving up or down is not necessarily an indication of a player's stock rising or falling. The player is assigned based on a fit, and sometimes that can mean a player moves 10 or more spots in the draft.

1. Minnesota Twins

Brendan McKay

1B/LHP, University of Louisville

The Twins are still heavily considering a number of options at 1-1, including McKay, Greene, Wright, Smith, Faedo, and a number of others as well. McKay continues to put up near video game numbers this season with the spotlight heavily on him since day one of the season. His ceiling might not be that of some, but there are those who believe he's a future major leaguer either off the mound or as a 1B.

2. Cincinnati Reds

Jordon Adell

OF, Ballard HS (KY)

While the Reds are known for their interest in college players, they also were very interested in shortstop Delvin Perez as an option at #2 overall last year before a positive PED test caused him to fall in the draft. The team is heavily in on McKay, and if Greene is going to say he will not be signing with Cincinnati, the team could pivot to arguably the best athlete in the entire draft. On top of that, Adell comes from the Reds' backyard, going to high school in nearby Kentucky.

3. San Diego Padres

Hunter Greene

RHP/SS, Notre Dame HS (CA)

Padres GM A.J. Preller is going to target the absolute highest ceiling that he can possibly get, and having it be arguably the best overall talent in the draft from their own back yard would be a home run selection. Greene is a guy with an electric arm off the mound and enough bat to be a top 15 pick as well. The Padres could be patient with their star young player, allowing him to choose between hitting or pitching and taking time as they know they are in a long-term rebuild.

4. Tampa Bay Rays

Kyle Wright

RHP, Vanderbilt University

This is becoming more and more likely the floor for Wright. As he continues to put forth tremendous performances for Vanderbilt after a rough opening to his 2017, Wright has regained his status among the elite in the class, and he could very well end up #1 overall.

5. Atlanta Braves

MacKenzie Gore

LHP, Whiteville HS (NC)

It is getting to be near certain early that McKay, Greene, and Wright are etched into the top 5 selections, but all three very likely will be off the board before the Braves select, so they will be in a position of reacting to who is left on the board at #5. Gore is a definite Braves interest as a guy who is one of the most athletic players in the entire draft and is a very talented young lefty.Next: Picks 6-10

6. Oakland Athletics

Pavin Smith

1B, University of Virginia

Smith is in legit consideration for the Twins at #1 due to just how elite his bat is at the collegiate level this season. Smith is incredibly difficult to strike out, and he has very good control through the zone. While he doesn't show big power now, he's got the bat speed and physical power to project as a guy who could provide high average and 20+ home runs as a quick mover through the system. This is beginning to look like a floor for Smith as well, as he could go #1, #2, #4, or #6 for sure.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks

Royce Lewis

IF/OF, JSerra Catholic HS (CA)

The Diamondbacks love a raw athlete, and there may not be more raw athleticism in the draft this season than Lewis. He is a guy who has struggled compared to what some were expecting out of him this spring, but he does have a ton of talent that should play up the middle, whether that's at SS, 2B, or CF in the end with his elite speed and power potential to go with it.

8. Philadelphia Phillies

Nick Pratto

1B, Huntington Beach HS (CA)

Pratto is a guy who has been getting a ton of buzz lately from scouts, some who view him as the absolute safest bat in the entire draft. While he's only played 1B this season, much of that has been attributed to his team focusing on his arm and not wanting to get him hurt defensively by playing any more demanding a position defensively. Multiple scouts I've talked with have asserted that Pratto would handle a corner outfield spot very well, and his elite contact skills will certainly play no matter what position he's playing.

9. Milwaukee Brewers

J.B. Bukauskas

RHP, University of North Carolina

With a number of teams seemingly backing off of Bukauskas because of his smaller stature, the Brewers would love to see him fall to this spot as he fits a development model they've worked with frequently as far as his raw stuff is concerned. Bukauskas certainly has the ability to develop as an elite reliever if he cannot start, as his best two pitches may be the best two-pitch mix of anyone in the draft.

10. Los Angeles Angels

Alex Faedo

RHP, University of Florida

On a team with multiple pitchers that were picked in the first two rounds of the draft last season at Florida, Faedo was the guy most scouts raved about after sitting on a series for the Gators. He's not put together the same level of season this year, but for the Angels, his college experience and possible double-plus slider along with a plus fastball will be enough to slot here.Next: Picks 11-15

11. Chicago White Sox

Austin Beck

OF, North Davidson HS (NC)

The White Sox acquired a number of arms this offseason in their major trades, and from all accounts, in deals they've proposed that haven't happened, they continue to target arms. So why do we not have an arm going here? Simply put, Beck is just that good. He is an elite athlete that would be a top 5 guy most likely if he had not blown out his ACL and missed much of his junior season. He's fully healthy now, per report, but he's still getting back the feel after having that extended time off, so some of his results haven't been as pretty this spring, causing some teams to back off of him.

12. Pittsburgh Pirates

Shane Baz

RHP, Concordia Lutheran HS (TX)

Baz is a guy who keeps getting more and more buzz, with even the Twins considering him at #1 (though likely in a financial deal). Baz manipulates his fastball, using a four-seam, two-seam, and cutter, along with a slider and a curve. His depth of arsenal is very attractive to future teams, as is his athleticism on the mound.

13. Miami Marlins

Jeren Kendall

OF, Vanderbilt University

Kendall was widely considered the best college bat coming into the season, and now he very well may be passed by at least Smith, if not Haseley as well by the time draft day comes around. Kendall is a very impressive physical specimen, but he also have some severe swing and mess.

14. Kansas City Royals

Adam Haseley

OF, University of Virginia

Haseley has been leaping forward this spring with his performance and as scouts have seen the improvement in his pitch recognition. Some have talked about Haseley as a possibility to leapfrog even his teammate Smith and be the first college bat selected in the draft.

15. Houston Astros

Seth Romero

LHP, University of Houston

Romero has had off-field issues this spring that have led to a suspension from his team that was just recently lifted. While he has dropped from a possible top-10 or even top-5 selection due to those off-field red flags, Romero's high level of talent as the likely best stuff of any lefty in the draft class, high school or college, will keep him in the teens at least.Next: Picks 16-20

16. New York Yankees

Griffin Canning

RHP, University of California at Los Angeles

Canning has been one of the best performing starters this spring with some pop up performance in velocity and break of his pitches, and that fits the profile that the Yankees have had excellent success with recently. Canning does have a deeper arsenal of pitches, but he's been compared positively to fellow UCLA alum and current Yankee prospect James Kaprielian.

17. Seattle Mariners

David Peterson

LHP, University of Oregon

In the 2017 season, Oregon's Peterson has probably improved his draft stock as much as any player in the country in this year's college class. He was a likely 3rd round candidate before the season, but he's shown polish on his pitches with improved velocity and a perfect big frame for a starter at 6'6″ and 240ish pounds.

18. Detroit Tigers

Sam Carlson

RHP, Burnsville HS (MN)

Minnesota's high school season began later than most, so Carlson was off the radar for many early on, but he's climbed fast in the eyes of many scouts, and it'd not surprise at all if he was a guy who rose into the early part of the round the way that Ian Anderson did with a late surge of performance in 2016.

19. San Francisco Giants

DL Hall

LHP, Valdosta HS (GA)

The Giants typically like their collegiate picks early, but they once took a high school lefty that's worked out well for the organization after he led the organization to three World Series titles. While Hall has nowhere near the build of a Bumgarner, he has all the natural boxes of a successful lefty without the elite ceiling, though he has a fairly high floor and could move quickly for a high school left-hander.

20. New York Mets

Jake Burger

3B, Missouri State University

Burger has been the college hitter that has made the biggest impression on scouts this spring with his impressive improvement in strike zone recognition this spring with still-present power. He has some work to do on his pitch recognition and his defensive instincts, but the raw skills are certainly there. The Mets could use the likely quick-moving bat.Next: Picks 21-25

21. Baltimore Orioles

Logan Warmoth

SS, University of North Carolina

The Orioles have been looking for middle infield depth in their organization for some time, and Warmoth is arguably the best middle infield prospect in the high school or college class that projects to stay in the infield and up the middle. While he may not project to major offensive numbers, he'll be a consistent hitter with good zone judgement.

22. Toronto Blue Jays

Keston Hiura

IF/OF, University of California at Irvine

Hiura would be selected 10+ picks higher if he was healthy enough to throw this spring with a lot of similarities at the plate to Ian Happ when Happ was coming out of Cincinnati. Hiura before his elbow injury was a guy who could have projected at 2B, 3B, or either corner outfield spot with a proficient bat. The Blue Jays will likely give Hiura the time to have surgery on his elbow and heal before coming out in 2018 and very probably moving quickly through their system.

23. Los Angeles Dodgers

Heliot Ramos

OF, Leadership Christian Academy HS (PR)

Ramos has been one of the biggest variance players this spring as some teams see him as a guy who could creep as high as the top 10, and others don't have him as a first round guy simply due to his lack of polish. Ramos is one of the youngest players in this entire draft class, and with just one pick in the first round, the Dodgers will likely go for the highest ceiling player in this role.

24. Boston Red Sox

Alex Lange

RHP, Louisiana State University

Lange is a guy that some have referred to as Alec Hansen-lite this year as he had top-10 projection entering the season but has struggled with control – not the same level of stuff or struggle as Hansen in 2016, but that's the comparison. Lange has excellent stuff when he's on, matching up with any pitcher in this draft class, and the Red Sox would love his raw stuff at this point in the draft.

25. Washington Nationals

Matt Sauer

RHP, Ernest Righetti HS (CA)

The Nationals will have multiple opportunities to go to their wheelhouse of the Tommy John surgery pitcher in the first few rounds. Last year's selection Jesus Luzardo was a 3rd round pick, and there will be a few guys at that range for the team to pursue if they choose not to go after a higher-level guy like Clarke Schmidt. Sauer is a guy gaining ground as his projectable frame has already begun to add velocity, seeing some reports of mid-90s after working around 90-92 over the showcase circuit.Next: Picks 26-30

26. Texas Rangers

Bubba Thompson

OF, McGill-Thoolen Catholic HS (AL)

Thompson is a two-sport elite athlete that had legit D1 interest in college football as an athletic quarterback that accounted for over 40 touchdowns in his senior season. He entertained two-sport offers from some SEC schools to play both football and baseball, which speaks to his athleticism. The Rangers love to pursue athleticism, and there's not much more athletic in this draft than Thompson, plus how can you argue with a match up of a Texas team and a guy named Bubba?!

27. Chicago Cubs

Brendon Little

LHP, State Junior College of Florida

Many expect that every draft of the Cubs will be a college hitter, in spite of evidence to the contrary. In fact, without the Astros making the decision for them, the Cubs were heavily split in-house over whether to take Mark Appel or Kris Bryant. In Little, they get a pitcher who has a ton of projection yet has shown impressive performance thus far, with discussion as possibly the top lefty in the draft class in pure stuff.

28. Toronto Blue Jays

Brian Miller

OF, University of North Carolina

The Blue Jays tend to like to take what would be gauged as "sabermetric" picks, and while Miller isn't a pedigree monster, the former walk-on has put up a very good season, showing improved power and defense along with present zone recognition and speed to allow him to play as a very solid pick late in the first.

29. Texas Rangers

Trevor Rogers

LHP, Carlsbad HS (NM)

This pick could end up being a college player as the Rangers balance the money they'd have to shell out for Thompson, but if they can make it work, pairing Thompson and Rogers would be a home run at the top of the draft. Rogers seems to miss heavy press like many of the prep pitchers of his same caliber, but scouts certainly know about his skills from the left side and his projectable 6'6″ frame as well.

30. Chicago Cubs

Mark Vientos

3B, American Heritage HS (FL)

Vientos seems to be falling, and that would play right into the hands of a team like the Cubs, who would put Vientos' skills to use. Multiple sources have viewed Vientos as one of the two-three best pure hitters in the entire class, with his future defensive position being the only question. After struggles this spring, especially on the defensive end, Vientos has raised even more questions on that front, but many view him as a future high-end defensive third baseman and passable shortstop. Versatility defensively could actually play well for the Cubs system.Next: Picks 31-36

31. Tampa Bay Rays

Hagen Danner

RHP/C, Huntington Beach HS (CA)

Danner is a guy that is tough to place. Teams love the performance he's had this spring on the mound and give him a back end of the first round grade as a pitcher. Other teams loved him as a catcher and projectable infielder in the showcase circuit last summer and had a late first round/early second round grade on him there. The combination of both could actually move him up significantly as this was similar conversation to what Josh Lowe had going on last year before the draft, and he ended up with the Rays at 13. Really, it was coincidence that I told a Josh Lowe story on the Rays pick, I swear.

32. Cincinnati Reds

Tanner Houck

RHP, University of Missouri

Houck is a guy who was considered among the top arms in the draft coming into the season, but a tick drop in his velocity plus some issues in location with his secondary stuff has led to him plummeting on some teams' boards. The Reds would love to end that drop here.

33. Oakland Athletics

Hans Crouse

RHP, Dana Hills HS (CA)

After taking multiple college pitchers high in 2016, the A's will have a chance in this scenario to grab arguably the best college bat in the entire draft along with a local pitcher who just seems to keep popping up in the recaps of major showcase events due to his performances against the best HS hitters. With a "bulldog mentality" on the mound, Crouse is a guy who works with a fastball that doesn't ever sit still along with secondary stuff that is still a work in progress, but his attitude and attacking mentality on the mound has been his highest-graded attribute this spring

34. Milwaukee Brewers

Nick Allen

SS, Francis Parker School (CA)

Allen could end up rising much higher than this as the top HS player projected to stay at SS is much like the top-rated quarterback in the NFL draft – they tend to get picked ahead of where they are graded. The San Diego native has elite defensive skills along with raw offensive skills that some say could translate to a bit of power along with plus speed in a compact frame.

35. Minnesota Twins

Blayne Enlow

RHP, St. Amant HS (LA)

Two mock drafts, twice I've had the Twins selecting a two-way player with #1 and a HS righty with #35. Enlow has one of the best curve balls in the entire draft, and he offers up a fastball that can range into the mid-90s at peak velocity as well.

36. Miami Marlins

Wil Crowe

RHP, University of South Carolina

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Drop a note in the comments!