MLB Draft Recap: Part 2

(Photo by /Icon Sportswire)

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 tomorrow to hear more about your favorite team if I didn’t cover them today. Let’s start!

11. Baltimore Orioles:

The Orioles had a few of the higher profile high-school pitchers fall to them at pick 11, yet they went ahead and selected Grayson Rodriguez who was ranked around the 20’s which made it somewhat of a surprise pick. He was a late riser on the back of a big frame and a 4 pitch arsenal that all projects to average, and is also known as a higher spin rate guy. The Orioles also selected Grenier with a competitive balance selection and he’s known as a plus defending SS that is expected to stay there long term. He hit .335/.420/.477 this year for Oregon State with 4 HRs and 8 SBs in 218 ABs while striking out at a 15.99% clip. Neither player is likely too valuable for dynasty leagues at this point, but Rodriguez has potential and how he performs early as a professional will dictate his hype.

12. Toronto Blue Jays:

The Blue Jays were connected to Groshans very late in the draft process, and sure enough, they selected him earlier than expected in what is thought to be an under-slot deal to allow the team to target more upside talent later in the draft. Groshans is a well-rounded prospect with plus raw power projection and has received some Corey Seager comps in that he’s a bigger high-school SS with similar tool grades to Seager when he came out of high-school. Expect the Blue Jays to take their time with developing Groshans as the infield depth within the organization is pretty high in the minors. The Jays also selected Griffin Conine in the 2nd round and he continues the trend of the organization selecting legacy players (think Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Kody Clemens). Conine is one of the more interesting power bats in the college class, struggling with strikeouts early in the year but finishing strong to hit .277/.402/.585 with 15 HRs in 195 ABs for the season. His contact issues are real (25.52% K rate this year) but he was better in 2017 (16.79 K%) and has the kind of raw power that you desire in all fantasy leagues. He could be a quicker moving left-handed power bat if he proves capable of hitting professional pitching. Both players are potentially very interesting fantasy-wise, but neither is an elite option at this point and should be considered secondary options in fantasy leagues until they prove otherwise.

13. Miami Marlins:

The Marlins had a very interesting 1st day of the MLB draft, targeting a lot of high upside high-school talent. Connor Scott is the prize as a potential 5-tool CFer with above-average raw power and plenty of stolen base prowess thanks to his double-plus speed. He’s hit over power now, but most project the power to come when he fills in his lanky 6 foot 4, 180 lbs frame. Johnson was selected in the 2nd round and he offers another 5 tool toolbox that you can dream on at the SS position. And finally, the Marlins selected Will Banfield in the Competitive balance round who will try to buck the poor success rate of high-school catchers. Banfield is known as a good defender with a great throwing arm, and also has some above-average raw power already and could be an asset fantasy wise if he develops well. Scott is the guy I am high on for dynasty leagues with his combo of contact, power, and speed, and think he’s worth a 1st round pick in prospect drafts for his upside.

14. Seattle Mariners:

The Mariners selected Logan Gilbert in the 1st round who is a high-level college performer that has the chance to move quickly as a mid-rotation sort of pitcher. Gilbert has put up a 2.53 ERA this year for Stetson University (where Corey Kluber and Jacob DeGrom went to school) including 157 strikeouts against just 23 walks in 107 innings pitched. The Mariners also selected a CF prospect out of Lousiville in the 2nd round by the name of Josh Stowers who is known for his plus speed and a strong eye at the plate. Stowers his .343/.471/.564 with 8 HRs and 33 SBs in 204 ABs. Gilbert is the more interesting fantasy prospect with his dominance in college, but he played in a weaker conference and will have to answer quality of competition concerns as a professional. Stowers could be a nice sleeper in deeper dynasty leagues if his speed translates to the professional ranks!

15. Texas Rangers:

Cole Winn (SP, 15th Overall, 18 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

The Rangers have generally been a team that focuses on tools and upside in the draft, and they were fortunate to find that one of the top high-school pitchers fell to them at 15 in Cole Winn. Winn is one of the more advanced high-school pitchers in the class with 3 pitches that all project to average or better plus a clean and repeatable delivery that leads scouts to suggest he will have consistent command. He could be one of the faster moving high-school pitchers from this draft class. The Rangers also selected Owen White in the 2nd round who looks like one of the more promising arms that were not rated as a consensus 1st rounder. White has shown a nice 4 pitch mix and all 4 four project to above-average or better at peak. Both pitchers would be longer-term investments for dynasty leagues, but both have significant upside and could become solid values in the future.

16. Tampa Bay Rays:

Shane McClanahan (SP, 31st Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 45 | Overall: 55

Tanner Dodson (SP, 71st Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

The Rays got perhaps the steal of the 1st round in having the top left-handed high-school pitcher Matt Liberatore fall to them at 16. Liberatore was ranked as a top 5 overall prospect by multiple publications on the back of a 4-pitch mix that all project to above-average, plus advanced feel and command. The Rays selected another intriguing left-handed pitcher in the compensation round in Shane McClanahan out of UCF who has perhaps the best stuff of any pitcher in the draft with an upper 90’s fastball, a plus changeup with great depth, and a competent slider. The question marks that surround him are based on his control which has been a major problem with a 5.66 BB/9 this year in 76 innings pitched. The Rays also selected Nick Schnell in the competitive balance round who was a later riser up draft boards and has received some Austin Meadows comps. In the 2nd round, the Rays selected Frank Tyler out of Florida Atlantic who has a solid floor as a SS prospect out of college after hitting .315/.459/.586 with 13 HRs and 3 SBs in 222 ABs. And finally, the Rays also had a competitive balance selection and used it on Tanner Dodson who profiles as a two-way player capable on the mound and in the OF. Fantasy wise, all of Liberatore, McClanahan, and Schnell are very interesting fantasy-wise with Liberatore being perhaps one of the safer high-school arms in this class, McClanahan offering tremendous upside if he can figure out his control, and Schnell offering contact/power/speed upside. All have the potential to be 1st round picks in prospect drafts IMO depending on your risk tolerance.

17. Los Angeles Angels:

The Angels continue to focus on high-end tools in the draft as they selected one of the toolsiest players in this draft in Jordyn Adams out of high-school. Adams who also plays football made a name for himself with a standout performance at one of the highest profile high-school events, NHSI. He offers at least double plus speed, and a solid feel to hit plus some untapped power potential in a powerful 6 foot 2, 175 lbs frame. The Angels also selected Jeremiah Jackson in the 2nd round who has a solid hit tool and manages the strike zone well but lacks standout tools for fantasy purposes. Jordyn Adams is the key guy for dynasty leagues, as his combo of speed and power is very interesting and if he can prove he can hit professional pitching, he could see a similar type of rise as Taylor Trammell of the Reds who has a similar frame and skill set.

18. Kansas City Royals:

Brady Singer (SP, 18th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2020
Grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

Jackson Kowar (SP, 33rd Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55

Kris Bubic (SP, 40th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2021
Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Jonathan Bowlan (SP, 58th Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2022
Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

The Royals were the benefactors of multiple highly ranked prospects falling and were able to select 5 college performers including 2 Florida Gators with their first two selections. Brady Singer fell to 18th overall, and he was considered one of the better college pitchers in the draft with a strong 3 pitch mix and above-average command. Singer posted a 2.25 ERA this with 92 strikeouts against 18 walks in 88 innings pitched. He should move fairly quickly! Jackson Kowar and Daniel Lynch were the Royals selections in the compensation round that they received for losing Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain. Both are strong college performers with quality repertoires and should move fairly quickly. The Royals used their competitive balance selection on Kyle Bubic out of Stanford who is a lefty with one of the better changeups in the draft. He notably posted a 10.49 K/9 this year in the Pac 12. In the 2nd round, the Royals selected Jonathan Bowlan out of Memphis who can reach the mid-upper 90’s and has a wipeout slider that is a strong out pitch for him. All have a chance to be fantasy relevant, with Singer offering perhaps the most name value which likely makes him a 1st round pick in most dynasty league prospect drafts. Bubic and Bowlan I think are quality sleepers for prospect drafts in deeper leagues due to quality out pitches giving them some strikeout upside.

19. St. Louis Cardinals:

Griffin Roberts (SP, 43rd Overall, 21 years old)
ETA: 2020
Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

The Cardinals similar to the Royals were benefactors in higher ranked talent falling to their picks, and they were happy to scoop up Nolan Gorman who has perhaps the most raw power in the draft. There are some questions on the quality of Gorman’s hit tool and his future defensive home, but his power is undeniable and he’s got a good looking swing so there are reasons to believe in his upside both in real life and in dynasty leagues. The Cardinals selected Griffin Roberts with the 43rd overall pick and he’s interesting because he has perhaps the best slider in the draft and that could make him a successful high-leverage reliever in short order if the Cardinals decide that is how they want to utilize him. Roberts notably posted a 12.10 K/9 this year for Wake Forest. With the 75th overall pick, the Cardinals were happy to find one fo the more interesting college power bats available in Luken Baker. Baker, unfortunately, has had his last two seasons cut short with injury but he has tons of raw power yet stays in control at the plate helping to maintain quality contact rates and strong plate discipline metrics. All of the Cardinals draft selections could become fantasy relevant, but all carry some risk too.

20. Minnesota Twins:

The Twins selected one of the better power bats in the draft class in the 1st round in Trevor Larnach out of Oregon State. Larnach hit .324/.447/.637 this year with 17 HRs and 3 SBs in 204 ABs. He’s got plenty of raw power with most reports suggesting 65-grade, and he broke out this year by tapping into it far more while maintaining a strong approach that includes plenty of walks. There may be some contact concerns as his 19.76% K rate is a little high, but most think he can be a middle of the order bat in fairly short order. The Twins also selected a college catcher in Ryan Jeffers in the 2nd round which was a considered a reach since he didn’t make the top 200 on MLB.com’s rankings and landed at 295 on Baseball America’s rankings. He’s been an excellent hitter in college though with an NCAA career line of .326/449/.627. Both are interesting college bats with a track record of high-level performance, but Larnach is clearly the more intriguing fantasy talent having achieved his success in a higher level conference and he should be in the conversation for a 1st round pick in most dynasty league prospect drafts.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the final 3rd of the MLB Draft recap!

2 responses to “MLB Draft Recap: Part 2”

Ryan says:

June 6, 2018 at 3:36 PM

Who would your top 2 picks be in a dynasty H2H points league? That’s the question I’m facing for my team. The league tends to chase pitching so Mize is locked in as one of them. I’m mainly torn between Bohm, Stewart and Liberatore for the other pick. I’m not strongly considering Madrigal as he sounds like someone who would be more of an asset in roto formats with his plus speed.

Love Bohm’s mix of power and hit but a move to 1B would put extra pressure on the bat to deliver… it wouldn’t be the worst thing for my team since 1B is a black hole and I don’t have any prospects there. I’m hoping Riley is my long-term 3B, but even if he is, the league has a utility slot for someone else.

Stewart’s FB/CB mix is enticing but you need to project the third pitch and the prep righties are usually an especially risky group. Liberatore perhaps has a broader arsenal but his fastball hasn’t held the velocity it showed early this spring. Tough call…….

- Adam Garland says:
  
  June 9, 2018 at 11:56 AM
  
  Good question and not an easy one to answer! I think you’re right in having Mize at the top of your list given your format. He’s also one of the better and more advanced college pitching prospects to come through the draft in recent memory so I’d feel good about him being one of the two picks for sure. For the second pick, I would consider Bohm, Madrigal, and Stewart IMO. You highlighted the reasons why Bohm is interesting, and I’m a fan due to his combination of 70 raw power and above-average contact skills (strikes out very infrequently for someone with his raw power) and along with patience. That combo plays very well in a points league! Madrigal I think you’re underrating somewhat as I think his skills play well in a points league due to his elite contact rate. He’s on base a ton and rarely strikes-out, and when you add in plus speed and you have the look of a starting caliber 2B that gets to the majors quickly. Stewart would be the upside play imo, as his fastball/curveball combination is special and gives him perhaps the highest upside of any pitcher in the draft. For example, Mitch Keller of the Pirates organization has a similar repertoire, and Stewart’s is a level above imo. I would probably rank them Bohm > Stewart > Madrigal given your format and team needs.

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

MLB Draft Recap: Part 2

Adam Garland

2 responses to “MLB Draft Recap: Part 2”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply