/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46498072/USATSI_7317401.0.0.jpg)
I don't like doing mock drafts under normal conditions and conditions are even worse than normal this year. However, we did post one on Friday and we should do another to account for last-second rumors and innuendo.
So here it is. This will be totally wrong of course, especially since it bucks conventional wisdom on some picks. It will be wrong anyway, so why not be a little different, as long as there is some logic behind it.
1) Arizona Diamondbacks: Danbsy Swanson, SS, Vanderbilt: No change from Friday.
2) Houston Astros: Alex Bregman, SS, LSU: No change
3) Colorado Rockies: Tyler Jay, LHP, Illinois: No change
4) Texas Rangers: Brendan Rodgers, SS, Florida HS: No change
5) Houston Astros: Andrew Benintendi, OF, Arkansas: previously Kyle Tucker but I buy the rumors that Benintendi is an Astros target.
6) Minnesota Twins: Daz Cameron, OF, Georgia HS: No change, this depends on money, Cameron long linked here but lots of talk of bonus demands that could scotch this. But the way the top five fall could still result in this, IF the Twins are willing to meet the price. If they don't, Cameron could fall VERY far.
7) Boston Red Sox: Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt: No change.
8) Chicago White Sox: Dillon Tate, RHP UC Santa Barbara: No change.
9) Chicago Cubs: Ian Happ, OF, University of Cincinnati: Previously Walker Buehler, but John Manuel at Baseball America makes a great point that the Cubs will likely lean hitter.
10) Philadelphia Phillies: Tyler Stephenson, C, Georgia HS: No change.
11) Cincinnati Reds: Kyle Tucker, OF, Florida HS: Most logical landing spot if Tucker drops and Happ, Benintendi are off the board.
12) Miami Marlins: Trenton Clark, OF, Texas HS: No change.
13) Tampa Bay Rays: James Kaprielian, RHP, UCLA: previously Phil Bickford, but he is such an enigma I’m not comfortable slotting him that high now, no pun intended.
14) Atlanta Braves: Cornelius Randolph, INF, Georgia HS: previously Mike Nikorak, going to play contrarian over standard assumption that Braves want pitching in this spot.
15) Milwaukee Brewers: Chris Betts, C, California HS: No change.
16) New York Yankees: Jon Harris, RHP, Missouri State: previously Garrett Whitley but college pitcher rumors stronger.
17) Cleveland Indians: Walker Buehler, RHP, Vanderbilt: previously Benintendi, which was too low. Buehler seems a good fit here.
18) San Francisco Giants: Ashe Russell, RHP, Indiana HS: No change.
19) Pittsburgh Pirates: Mike Nikorak, RHP, Pennsylvania HS: previously Randolph.
20) Oakland Athletics: Kevin Newman, SS, University of Arizona: no change.
21) Kansas City Royals: Kolby Allard, LHP, California HS: no change.
22) Detroit Tigers: Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, University of Louisville: no change.
23) St. Louis Cardinals: Donny Everett, RHP, Tennessee HS: previously Kaprelian; Cards have not been afraid of the right high school pitchers recently.
24) Los Angeles Dodgers: Brady Aiken, LHP, IMG Academy: no change.
25) Baltimore Orioles: Phil Bickford, RHP, Southern Nevada: previously Harris. Bickford seems like the type of talented enigma that would interest the Orioles.
26) Los Angeles Angels: D.J. Stewart, OF, Florida State: no change.
27) Colorado Rockies (for Michael Cuddyer): Cody Ponce, RHP, Cal Poly Pomona: previously Nick Plummer, but makes sense for the Rockies to develop their own pitching.
28) Atlanta Braves (for Ervin Santana): Garrett Whitley, OF, New York HS: again, contrarian call here, the general assumption is Braves will pick high school pitching but they could use some impact bats, too, and Whitley’s ceiling is the highest remaining.
29) Toronto Blue Jays (for Melky Cabrera): Nick Plummer, OF, Michigan HS: previously Demi Orlmoloye, which was too high for him. Hard to see Plummer lower than this.
30) New York Yankees (for David Robinson): Nathan Kirby, LHP, Virginia: No change.
31) San Francisco Giants (for Pablo Sandoval): Christin Stewart, OF, Tennessee: No change.
32) Pittsburgh Pirates (for Russell Martin): Austin Smith, RHP, Florida HS: No change.
33) Kansas City Royals (for James Shields): Michael Matuella, RHP, Duke: No change.
34) Detroit Tigers (for Max Scherzer): Beau Burrows, RHP, Texas HS: Might not be tall enough for the Tigers though the arm strength fits here.
35) Los Angeles Dodgers (for Hanley Ramirez): Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Texas HS: previously Jacob Nix. Dodgers often like bloodline guys.
36) Baltimore Orioles (for Nelson Cruz): Chris Shaw, 1B, Boston College: no change.
37) Houston Astros (comp balance traded from Marlins): Juan Hillman, LHP, Florida HS: no change.
38) Colorado Rockies (comp balance): Richie Martin, SS, Florida: no change.
39) St. Louis Cardinals (cb): Austin Rei, C, University of Washington: no change.
40) Milwaukee Brewers (cb): Peter Lambert, RHP, California HS: no change
41) Atlanta Braves (cb traded from Padres): Jacob Nix, RHP, IMG Academy: previously Hayes, will finally call a pitcher here.
42) Cleveland Indians: Thomas Eshelman, RHP, Cal State Fullerton: no change.
Loading comments...