It’s another year and another draft during All Star week, this time in Seattle. While I loved the draft in June, the extra month does give evaluators more time to see the players – with some collegians even playing in the Cape Cod League to assuage any questions scouts may have, This year’s class is unique and you have probably heard why – there are FIVE number one overall talents available for the taking. Five teams really hit the lottery during the first lottery and are bound to walk away with some premier talent. However, the draft remains strong in a number of areas – primarily hitting and especially hitting at the high school ranks in my view. The pitching isn’t as strong as usual – especially in college and prep arms are always talented. I won’t go as far as some have and say this is the best draft in more than a decade but there are certainly still a lot of good players to be had and these are just some of my favorite ones.
Paul Skenes – It is hard to believe that he was playing for the Air Force last season and not someone many people knew about only a year ago when he may be the best college pitcher I have ever seen come out in every draft. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be an ace and in short order, potentially the first callup from his class sometime next season. I call him Paul Bunyan due to his frame and sheer strength. His fastball is elite in every way but the slider is nothing to joke about either. In some ways, professional ball might be easier for him.
Wyatt Langford – A lot of people would be surprised if he went before Dylan Crews but I am telling you not to be. They are more comparable as five tool players than people think and I would go as far to say that he might be more talented and have the higher ceiling. I see him as a center fielder and this is someone who could probably play anywhere with his freakish athleticism. It’s hard to believe he couldn’t get on the field as a freshman but he took the first chance he got and ran with it as a sophomore and junior. He is faster and has more power.
Dylan Crews – Crews was always supposed to be here as a top pick and touted high schooler. No one may have dominated the SEC like he has in his three seasons and there is little doubt he is easily the safest player in his class and also somehow the one with the highest ceiling. He doesn’t strike out, which was not always the case, and makes consistent, hard contact but I see him as a corner outfielder who resembles MVP Andrew McCutchen during peak years. He takes walks and does not force the issue, leading to less homers this year but no matter.
Walker Jenkins – This kid might be one of the most polished prep bats I can remember. Everything about him screams that he is an advanced player and he will move very quickly. Everyone has nothing but good things to say about his character and other intangibles and I expect to fill out even more physically. If he can somehow stay in center field, he could be one of the best players in baseball but even if he can’t, I still expect him to be an All Star regular.
Max Clark – Max is the best athletic and most athletically gifted player in the draft with a lot of moxy. He wants to the best and he will let you know it as quite the confident youngster. You love how he uses his hands and the whole field but also that he can turn his power on or off. There are no questions defensively or about him being able to stay up the middle. He has game-changing speed and is a showman who rises for big moments kinda like Corbin Carroll.
Arjun Nimmala – Arjun deserves to be in the same conversation and mentioned in the same breath as Jenkins and Clark. Yes, there are more questions with his foot tool but he has both beat in the pop department and plays the more valuable position as a shortstop. He is history making with his Indian American background and one of the youngest players in this class with plus, plus power. I see a more powerful Carlos Correa in here if he is properly developed.
Noble Meyer – Without a doubt the best high school righty this year, Meyer is not getting the love he deserves. This is likely due to skepticism teams and scouts have on high school arms but he produces some of the easiest velocity you will see. He throws as good a fastball and as consistently hard as I’ve seen as well as mechanically efficient a delivery as Zack Wheeler. The ingredients for a good changeup are there as Meyer throws it with the same arm speed.
Thomas White – I get it. Prep lefties are risky and we’ve all been burned before but Thomas is different. From the Northeast, he was not gotten nearly the buzz as one would think when they see 97 MPH coming out of his left hand. As a rule of thumb, if Vanderbilt likes a pitcher, I do too and there is a lot to like here. He is going to be a monster physically and a curveball that he just snaps. The body control in his delivery is truly something to marvel at and I have.
Chase Dollander – Perhaps the biggest disappointment in college baseball, Dollander undoubtedly took a step back, appearing to have lost all feel for his once dominant slider. Why that happened, I am not sure but if he just got back to using his old grip, it may come back. If that happens, the team who takes him – even if it’s in the top 10, may get the steal of the draft. There’s a reason he was ahead of Rhett Lowder and others, reminding me of Jacob deGrom.
Rhett Lowder – I am not as high as some others on him being a number one starter but the owner of the best changeup in the class deserves to be around here and in the range he’ll go. He rarely walks batters and is in control of his game and mixing pitches however he needs to. Lowder can become a fine groundball pitcher and pitched in a hitter’s friendly Wake Forest park. He won’t be as overpowering in the pros but is as sure a bet there is to be a two starter.
Colin Houck – A multisport athlete, Houck has some of the highest potential in the draft. He is quiet at the plate, without a lot of moving parts, which is generally not the case for guys who don’t play baseball full time. If he can stick at shortstop, it would be great but the bat would be fine at third base too. His gap to gap swing is one of my favorites this year with Aiden Miller.
Blake Mitchell – Mitchell has all the ingredients to be a special player but being a high school catcher comes with a risk a lot of teams don’t want to take. Indeed, Kyle Teel is far safer and looked like Mitchell when he was in high school so that’s another option. Mitchell has him beat with a plus arm at the same age behind the plate (he can pitch) and smooth hitting approach.
Bryce Eldridge – Speaking of players who can hit and pitch, there is no one better at both than Bryce. He’s a giant and while most see him as a hitter, don’t discount his ability on the mound. He does not look 18 or like a high schooler and is quite polished in both areas, which leads some to doubt the upside. The potential for light tower power is there but with 3 plus pitches.
Walker Martin – Another prep bat, Martin is from Colorado where not a lot of players are drafted. He seems to be getting grossly underrated due to being from there but that doesn’t make sense because there is a world of potential here. Gunnar Henderson potential, in fact. He is also a heck of a football player as well if you want to know how good an athlete he is.
Colt Emerson – Ohio has also not produced many top players but Emerson is a shortstop right now who can generate more pop than he is given credit for. He has a powerful left hand swing and could be one of the best second basemen in baseball if he has to ultimately move there. It’s hit over power right now but I think there is more to be unlocked for someone who isn’t 18.
Chase Davis – Speaking of players not getting a lot of buzz, Davis may be president of the fan club. Davis is a dead ringer for Carlos Gonzalez, even though he insists he doesn’t copy him. Their stance and swing are identical as is their confidence in their abilities. Davis is a great kid and improved as much as any college player this year in terms of his overall hitting approach.
Brayden Taylor – Like Davis, Brayden’s a college bat but a moldable one who’s still improving. He has a knack for pulling the ball which enabled him to hit a lot of homers at the expense of his batting average, although the analytically inclined are quick to note he ran into bad luck. He can play around the infield which obviously makes him tremendously more valuable too.
Matt Shaw – Shaw is a gamer. He should not be able to hit for the power that he does with his frame and I prefer him to someone like Tommy Troy who is less likely to stay at shortstop but looks to be a Ty France type. Shaw, however, is like Brayden Taylor as he can move around. The power is for real as is his hitting ability and you know he will get the most out of his talent.
The Draftnik 