The MLB draft started on Monday with the first 2 rounds having already been selected. Here is a recap on the top names selected in this year’s draft and a few quick thoughts on the players selected and how relevant they are for your fantasy leagues! Note that we plan to spread out the process into 3 days, with 10 teams at a time being discussed so stay tuned over the next two days to hear more about your favorite team if I didn’t cover them today. Let’s start!
1. Detroit Tigers:
Casey Mize (SP, 1st Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2020
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Splitter: 70 | Control: 60 | Overall: 60
Parker Meadows (OF, 44th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm 55 | Field 55 | Overall: 60
The Tigers surprised no one by selecting Casey Mize 1st overall, and he looks to be one of the better college pitchers in recent memory with 3 plus pitches highlighted by a 70-grade splitter along with plus command. He’s dominated SEC which is the toughest conference in the NCAA, and posted a super impressive 140 strikeouts against 10 walks in 102.2 innings pitched this year with a 3.07 ERA. The Tigers selected Parker Meadows out of high school in the 2nd round who is the younger brother of Pirates OFer Austin Meadows, and he is a nice upside pick offering plus raw power and plus speed. Mize should be in the conversation for the top pick in dynasty prospect drafts this year, and therefore should be on radars in all dynasty leagues.
Joey Bart (C, 2nd Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Arm 60 | Field 55 | Overall: 55
Sean Hjelle (SP, 45th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50
The Giants selected an heir apparent to Buster Posey at Catcher with the #2 overall pick, Joey Bart out of Georgia Tech. A power hitting catcher that hit .359/.471/.632 with 16 HRs in the ACC with plus defense is certainly intriguing for both real life and fantasy baseball. Note that he has some swing and miss to his game as he his K rate for the season sits at 20.59%. The Giants also selected an actual 6 foot 11 giant of a pitcher in Sean Hjelle in the 2nd round who played at Kentucky in the SEC. Hjelle has a nice fastball/curveball combo plus 2 other average pitches that should allow him to remain a starter long term. Selecting two proven college performers should have Giants fans pleased. Fantasy wise, Bart will be interesting to monitor as a potential power-hitting Catcher, but note that catching prospects are volatile and often take a long time to reach their potential so he would be a longer-term option for dynasty leagues.
Alec Bohm (3B, 3rd Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2020
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 35 | Arm 50 | Field 45 | Overall: 55
The Phillies selected Alec Bohm 3rd overall out of Wichita State, and he’s known as a power bat with above-average bat to ball skills and a quality approach. Bohm batted .330/.436/.625 with 16 HRs and 9 SBs in 224 ABs and supported that with an impressive 14.66% walk rate along with a 10.53% strikeout rate. His bat will have to carry him to the majors as he’s not particularly fast or amazing defensively, but he has the power and contact skills to be a good middle of the order type bat that moves fairly quickly and that makes him very fantasy relevant.
Nick Madrigal (2B/SS, 3rd Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2019
Grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm 50 | Field 55 | Overall: 55
Steele Walker (OF, 46th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm 45 | Field 50 | Overall: 50
The White Sox were in a position to select the best player that fell to them and were happy to find that perhaps the best pure hitter in the draft was available at the #4 pick. They selected Nick Madrigal our of Oregon State who is an elite contact hitter with plus speed and a potential table setter for the future at the top of the White Sox lineup. Madrigal has hit .395/.459/.563 with 2 HRs and 9 SBs in 119 ABs this year. He’s struck out at just a 3.7% rate to date and has walked at an 8.9% clip which shows he has a strong approach and batting eye along with the elite contact skills. His contact skills make him one of the safer picks for dynasty leagues, and his plus speed gives him some SB upside that could turn him into a valuable player in the mold of a Whit Merrifield/Jean Segura type. The White Sox also added Steele Walker in the 2nd round who is a proven hitter with a lot of success in college and added more power to his game this year making him a potential value pick, particularly in dynasty leagues that use points scoring.
5. Cincinnati Reds:
Jonathan India (3B, 5th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2020
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm 55 | Field 55 | Overall: 55
Lyon Richardson (SP, 47th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2023
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Josiah Gray (SP, 72nd Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45
The Reds selected the breakout college performer of the year in Jonathan India who is a SS/3rd baseman out of Florida. India has hit .362/.502/.723 this year with 17 HRs and 11 SBs which is crazy impressive in the SEC. He’s walked as often as he’s struck out (18.88% for both), and ranked 4th in the NCAA in OPS among those with at least 130 PAs. His combination of contact, patience, power, and speed should make India one of the top options for dynasty league prospect drafts in all formats. The Reds selected Lyon Richardson in the 2nd round who is a projectable high school arm that has mid-upper 90’s velocity. They also selected Josiah Gray with the 72nd overall pick, who has a live arm and flashes a plus slider. He dominated in division II so there are questions about the quality of competition for him and how his game will translate to the professional ranks.
6. New York Mets:
Jarred Kelenic (OF, 6th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm 60 | Field 50 | Overall: 55
Simeon Woods-Richardson (SP, 48th Overall, 17 years old)
ETA: 2023
Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
The Mets selected what many believe to be the top high school bat in this year’s draft class in Jarred Kelenic. He is now the highest drafted HS player out of the state of Wisconsin. He’s a well-rounded prospect that has performed for years, and his combination of plus hit tool and above-average raw power give him a chance to be a 25 HR hitter with a solid batting average in the future in the big leagues. Depending on his performance as a professional, he could become one of the more valuable players fantasy wise from this draft class as he has all 5 tools. None of them are true standout tools though and that gives some pause to his upside in fantasy. Simeon Woods-Richardson was a bit of a surprise in the 2nd round, but he’s projectable and on the very young side of the high-school class so perhaps there is some upside potential to be unlocked going forward.
7. San Diego Padres:
Ryan Weathers (SP, 7th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55
Xavier Edwards (2B, 38th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 70 | Arm 50 | Field 60 | Overall: 50
Grant Little (OF, 74nd Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm 45 | Field 55 | Overall: 45
The Padres selection of Ryan Weathers (son of 19-year MLB veteran David Weathers) is a good example of an under-slot selection that allowed the Padres to take a chance on grabbing a higher upside pick in the 2nd which they did by selecting Xavier Edwards. Weathers doesn’t offer the highest upside among the HS pitching class, but many scouts suggest his floor may be the highest with a 3 pitch mix that all project to above-average and a repeatable delivery that has scouts projecting above-average command. Xavier Edwards is one of the fastest players in the draft, I’ve seen some 80 grades dropped on his speed, and he has been a proven hitter in high school at big events showing good contact skills and a nice approach along the way too. He doesn’t project for much power at all, but he may not need to with his contact and speed skills while playing up the middle defensively. The Padres also selected Grant Little out of Texas Tech who hit .380 this year with 12 HRs and 9 SBs and struck out just 11.57% of the time in 216 ABs. All have some potential fantasy wise, with Edwards offering the highest upside due to his speed.
8. Atlanta Braves:
Carter Stewart (SP, 8th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 65 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
Greyson Jenista (OF, 49th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm 55 | Field 50 | Overall: 50
The Braves were able to select perhaps the top high-school pitching prospect in this year’s draft class in Carter Stewart. He’s a projectable 6 foot 6 pitcher that has mid-upper 90’s velocity on his fastball, and also owns perhaps the best breaking ball in the entire draft in a hammer curveball that is known for its elite spin-rate (around 3,000 RPM’s which would be top 5 in the majors this year). His changeup lags behind, but if he can improve that to an average pitch, we could be looking at an elite pitcher. The upside is high, and even if the changeup doesn’t come along well, there’s always a chance he could be a quality bullpen arm. The Braves also selected Greyson Jenista out of Wichita State (teammate of Alec Bohm) in the 2nd round who put together a nice college career including winning the prestigious Cape Cod League MVP this past summer. Both players have fantasy relevance, and both should be monitored in all dynasty formats.
Kyler Murray (OF, 9th Overall, 20 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Arm 40 | Field 55 | Overall: 50
Jameson Hannah (OF, 50th Overall, 20 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm 40 | Field 55 | Overall: 50
Jeremy Eierman (SS, 70th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm 65 | Field 50 | Overall: 50
The Athletics surprised a lot of people by selecting one of the higher upside players in the draft in Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma. Murray is a two-sport athlete, also playing backup Quarterback at Oklahoma, and yet he rose up draft rankings after a strong season on the diamond in which he hit .296/.398/.556 with 10 HRs and 10 SBs. He does have a fair bit of swing and miss in his game with a 24.8% strikeout rate this year, but his 12.4% walk rate helps him get on base lots which helps give him opportunities to use his plus-plus speed. He is expected to play football again this fall before committing to baseball full-time. His skillset is very fantasy friendly and that gives him a high ceiling, but note that his contact skills make him a lower floor type of player. The A’s also selected Jameson Hannah and Jeremy Eierman who are both strong college performers, Hannah offering contact and speed with a bit of power, and Eierman offering power/speed out of the SS position. Murray and Eierman are interesting fantasy wise due to their power/speed combos.
10. Pittsburgh Pirates:
Travis Swaggerty (OF, 10th Overall, 20 years old)
ETA: 2020
Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm 55 | Field 55 | Overall: 55
Gunnar Hoglund (SP, 36th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2023
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Braxton Ashcraft (SP, 51st Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
The Pirates were happy to find that Travis Swaggerty of South Alabama fell to them as he offered one of the best combinations of tools and polish among the college hitting class this year. Swaggerty hit .296/.455/.526 this year with 13 HRs and 9 SBs in 213 ABs. He supported that line with a crazy 19.49 walk rate and a 13.72 strikeout rate. He often receives Brett Gardner comparisons, except Swaggerty has more power at this point in his their careers. The combo of contact skills and patience with power and speed makes Swaggerty one of the more intriguing fantasy options out of this year’s MLB draft class for dynasty leagues, and he should be among the top 5 picks in most prospect drafts. The Pirates also selected 2 pitchers later in the draft, Gunnar Hoglund and Braxton Ashcroft who are both very projectable right-handed pitchers out of high-school.
Check back tomorrow for teams that selected 11-20!
Definition
Scouting grades have been a staple of MLB.com’s prospect coverage for years, and they generally match how clubs grade players as well.
Players are graded on a 20-80 scale: 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. When discussing prospects, the most important number is the future overall grade, an all-encompassing number on the 20-80 scale that signifies what each player is projected to ultimately be in the big leagues.
The SEC is not the toughest conference in baseball – not enough to matter at least. In football, yeah sure it is, but this ain’t football. Every year players get overdrafted on the myth that the SEC is a super baseball conference – it isn’t and it never has been. Football and baseball are very fundamentally different in terms of talent – everyone has to play football, but the most talented kids don’t go to college in baseball – there are no super conferences or even super teams in college baseball. Some conferences are weaker and stronger than others, but it isn’t like other sports. Even if the SEC was the best conference, it should just be considered a major conference. For my money, the best teams of all-time are Arizona, Arizona St, Cal State Fullerton, Florida St, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma St, Stanford, USC and Texas. I would argue that the Pac 12 is the best baseball conference year-in-year-out. Being a standout in the SEC doesn’t mean much statistically and people make the mistake of thinking it does. I think you are paying too much attention to conferences. I think JuCo and DII stats should be discredited, but other than that I don’t think there is a lot there.
I agree that baseball conferences matter less in baseball than say football but in terms of conference RPI, the SEC is ranked at the top for 2018:
http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2018/conferencerpi
I appreciate the detailed response though and think you make a lot of valid points.
When do you think Carter Stewart makes the leap? I had him as the top raw talent pitcher in the draft personally.