2018 MLB Draft: First Round results

Here are the results of the 2018 MLB draft. We will have a brief summary of each pick. Here’s the first round; the supplemental, compensation, and second rounds will have their own article.

1) Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn University: The best pitcher in college baseball this year, Mize can get up to 97 MPH with his fastball, offers a wide variety of secondary pitches, and has ridiculous command with a 140/10 K/BB in 103 innings this spring. He’s extremely polished and won’t need long in the minors. Full profile here.

2) San Francisco Giants: Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech: Very solid defensive catcher and he can hit, too, batting .359/.471/.632 with 16 homers this spring; he’s always shown power but he’s improved his strike zone judgment and polished his defense. Like Mize, Bart won’t need much time in the minors and can make a rapid impact. Full profile here.

3) Philadelphia Phillies: Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State: Another dominant college bat, Bohm mashed college pitching at a .339/.436/.625 clip. He’s a big guy at 6-5, 240 but is a good overall athlete with improved defense and plus power to go with enhanced strike zone judgment. Full profile here.

4) Chicago White Sox: Nick Madrigal, INF, Oregon State: After missing the early part of the season with a wrist injury, Madrigal came back to hit .395/.459/.563. He may be just 5-7 but his combination of speed, strike zone judgment, and surprising power is legitimate. His makeup is excellent and like the college players ahead of him, he won’t need long in the minors. Full profile here.

5) Cincinnati Reds: Jonathan India, 3B, University of Florida: Another college dominator, India broke through in ‘18 with a .362/.507/.723 line, showing exceptional plate discipline and improved power. He can run and field as well and might be the most complete infielder in the draft. So far this class is very college-dominated but with no shortage of athleticism or upside. Full profile here.

6) New York Mets: Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha, Wisconsin: The first high school player in the draft and highest-drafted high schooler from Wisconsin, Kelenic features a broad set of tools with an unusually polished hitting approach for a cold-weather player. Most observers considered him the most advanced high school bat in the draft. Full profile here.

7) San Diego Padres: Ryan Weathers, LHP, Loretto, Tennessee: Son of former major league pitcher David Weathers, Ryan is very polished for a high school arm but has no shortage of stuff with a low/mid-90s fastball and an advanced curve/change combination. Full profile here.

8) Atlanta Braves Carter Stewart, RHP, Melbourne, Florida: Top high school right-hander in the draft with a mid/upper-90s fastball and a terrific curve; he fits perfectly into the Braves pitching development schema. He’s a Mississippi State commit but certainly signable here. Full profile here.

9) Oakland Athletics Kyler Murray, OF, University of Oklahoma: The first real surprise in the draft, Murray is better-known as a college quarterback but hit .298/.396/.558 with 10 homers and 10 steals for the Sooners this spring. His athletic tools are exceptional but scouts weren’t totally sold on his skills until recently. He may need more time than the other college bats due to contact concerns but his upside is superb.

10) Pittsburgh Pirates: Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama: Swaggerty has a left-handed bat, a good feel for the strike zone, and the best overall athletic tool set of any college outfielder not named Kyler Murray. He hit .296/.455/.526 this spring with 13 homers and 54 walks. Full profile here.

11) Baltimore Orioles Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Nacogoches, Texas: Rodriguez took a large step forward this spring with physical conditioning, stuff, and command; he can get up to 98 and projects to have good off-speed stuff as well; he could be an excellent workhorse starter with no shortage of upside. Full profile here.

12) Toronto Blue Jays Jordan Groshans, SS, Magnolia, Texas: He has power but has refined his approach this spring, shooting up draft boards over the last week; his speed and arm would play in the infield and his makeup is highly-respected; University of Kansas commit but certainly signable here. Full profile here.

13) Miami Marlins: Connor Scott, OF, Tampa, Florida: Owner of a very broad spread of tools, notably 70-grade speed, a shot at good power, and impressive strike zone judgment and feel for hitting. He can field, too. University of Florida commit but certainly signable here. Full profile here.

14) Seattle Mariners Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson University: An excellent performer, with a 2.52 ERA in 100 innings and an outstanding 143/20 K/BB; his stuff was a bit up-and-down-and-up again this spring but at his best he gets into the mid-90s with plus secondaries; he’s proven he can win even without his best stuff. Full profile here.

15) Texas Rangers: Cole Winn, RHP, Orange, California: The best high school pitcher on the West Coast, Winn can get up to 96, throws advanced breaking stuff, and works the strike zone with all of his pitches. He is originally from Colorado but moved to California to increase his exposure. The plan worked. Committed to Mississippi State. Full profile here.

16) Tampa Bay Rays Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Phoenix, Arizona: Regarded by many experts as the top high school pitcher in the draft and certainly the top lefty, Liberatore’s fastball is a bit inconsistent but he can hit 95-96 at his best, while mixing in an impressive curveball and change-up; he could be a real steal here. He is a University of Arizona commit. Full profile here.

17) Los Angeles Angels Jordyn Adams, OF, Cary, North Carolina: A superb athlete, Adams shot up draft boards in the last few weeks after being seen mainly as a football player; he has 80-grade speed but showed surprisingly hitting polish and power potential over the last two months; he has a two-sport scholarship to North Carolina but the feel now is that he’s committed to baseball long-term. Smart man, baseball is better. Full profile here.

18) Kansas City Royals: Brady Singer, RHP, University of Florida: Singer was projected as a top-five pick pre-season and had an excellent spring, going 10-1, 2.25 with a 92/18 K/BB; can hit the mid-90s and has a plus slider; he also throws strikes; he’ll need to sharpen up a change-up to start but has the aptitude to do so; with a proven track record he is a great value here. Full profile here.

19) St. Louis Cardinals Nolan Gorman, 3B, North Phoenix, Arizona: Gorman can brutalize pitching with enormous left-handed power; he could easily have been a top ten pick; he has the arm for third base and has a decent shot to stick there at least short-term; there are some contact concerns but the upside is huge. He is a University of Arizona commit. Full profile here.

20) Minnesota Twins: Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State University: Larnach mashed college pitching at a .324/.447/.637 clip with 17 homers; he has pure hitting skills, too, and is not a mere brute-force slugger; also features very good plate discipline and a solid throwing arm; Full profile here.

21) Milwaukee Brewers Brice Turang, SS, Corona, California: A candidate to go 1-1 six months ago, Turang slipped down draft boards although his basic scouting report hasn’t changed much: he has a very good chance to stick at shortstop, has plus speed, good pure hitting skills from the left side, and a proven track record. The main issue is long-term power projection but he’s still a fine value here. He is committed to LSU. Full profile here.

22) Colorado Rockies: Ryan Rolison, LHP, University of Mississippi: Although inconsistent this spring, Rolison posted a 3.79 ERA in 90 innings with a 107/42 K/BB; he features a low-90s fastball with a plus curve and flashes a strong change-up; we have two reports, one here and another here.

23) New York Yankees Anthony Seigler, C, Cartersville, Georgia: An ambidextrous catcher, and a switch-hitter, Seigler is a balanced prospect with fine defensive ability with a good arm and mobility; he’s got a shot at hitting for power as well and his overall athleticism can’t be underestimated. University of Florida commit. Full profile here.

24) Chicago Cubs: Nico Hoerner, SS, Stanford University: Hoerner hit .349/.396/.498 this spring and tore up the Cape Cod League in 2017, hitting .300/.356/.456 with wood; he is a contact hitter at this point but I think there’s some not-completely-tapped pop there given the summer record and there’s a non-zero chance he can stay at short.

25) Arizona Diamondbacks: Matt McLain, SS, Irvine, California: Committed to UCLA, McLain has solid across-the-board tools with a chance to stick at shortstop; as a hitter he projects gap power with very good speed; he should be signable at this point in the draft.

26) Boston Red Sox: Triston Casas, 3B-1B, Plantation, Florida: Power is the name of the game here, 70-grade with a shot at being a 30+ home run hitter; he’s probably not a third baseman long-term but even at first base this projects as an impact power bat even with some contact issues; he is a University of Miami commit. Full profile here.

27) Washington Nationals Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island, Florida: “High-ceiling pitcher with some injury worries” has become a stereotype for the Nationals; Denaburg had some biceps soreness this spring but when healthy can hit 97 MPH with impressive overall athleticism; he pitched well late and could be a bargain here; he’s another University of Florida commit. Full profile here.

28) Houston Astros: Seth Beer, 1B-OF, Clemson University: Beer was a devastating hitter for three seasons including a .316/.471/.656 line with 20 homers, 52 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 209 at-bats; his power and plate discipline are real but questions about defense and contact at the highest levels dropped him here; he could be a real bargain especially for an American League team. Full profile here.

29) Cleveland Indians: Noah Naylor, C, Mississauga, Ontario: brother of Padres prospect Josh Naylor, Noah is a better pure hitter and athlete than his sibling; he’s got a shot at being a catcher and may be a more balanced prospect than his brother, possibly moving to third base if catching doesn’t work out. He is a Texas A&M commit. Full profile here.

30) Los Angeles Dodgers J.T. Ginn, RHP, Brandon, Mississippi: Committed to Mississippi State University, Ginn can hit reportedly hit 99 MPH and shows a plus slider; he fell to this spot due to concerns that he may be a reliever long-term, but finding premium arm strength in the 30th spot is good value.