2019 Draft Review: Los Angeles Angels

First five rounds: Will Wilson (1-15), Kyren Paris (2-55), Jack Kochanowicz (3-92), Erik Rivera (4-121), Garrett Stallings (5-151)

Also notable: Zach Peek (6-181), Kyle Brnovich (8-241), Zach Linginfelter (9-271), Spencer Jones (31-931)

It was a pitching-heavy draft for the Angels, because after taking position players with three of their first four picks, they went on a run of 16 pitchers in 17 selections from the fifth through the 21st rounds. There are a lot of back-end rotation types in that range with reliever risk, though I would expect at least one or two of Garrett Stallings, Zach Peek, Davis Daniel, Kyle Brnovich, and Zach Linginfelter to break through as a starter. Back at the top of the draft, they picked up a couple of athletic infielders who play above their size, and overslot third rounder Jack Kochanowicz has some very high upside on the mound.

1-15: SS Will Wilson (North Carolina State, my rank: 16)

The Angels are getting an impact player on both sides of the ball here with Will Wilson. Wilson, who grew up outside of Charlotte in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, had a huge year for NC State by slashing .335/.425/.661 with 16 home runs and a 46/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games, showing a wide ranging skill set that will play at the next level. He's listed at 6' and 185 pounds, though even that seems a little rich for me because he's pretty slight when it comes to size. However, he plays above that size because he generates a ton of torque in his right handed swing, producing plenty of pull side power while also showing the ability to spray hard line drives anywhere around the field. His plate discipline is average, as he shows some swing and miss in his aggressive approach, but he also has made some progress with his pitch selection and I don't think it will be an issue in pro ball. Defensively, he's athletic and has the chance to stick at shortstop with his strong-enough arm, but he's not the quickest and I think his skill set is just a bit stretched there. If he moves over to second base, where I think his skill set is a better match, he should be an above average to plus defender there. Overall, he reminds me somewhat of Dustin Pedroia due to his size (though he's slightly taller), swing, and defense, and I think his numbers could be similar, just with a little more power and with a slightly lower on-base percentage. Also working in Wilson's favor is his age, as he doesn't turn 21 until later in July. He signed for $3.4 million, which was $490,000 below slot, and he is slashing .222/.333/.500 with a home run and more walks (three) than strikeouts (two) in his first five games at rookie-level Orem.

2-55: SS Kyren Paris (Freedom HS [CA], my rank: 49)

The Angels must know what kind of player they were looking for, because Paris is a similar player to Wilson. He's listed similarly at 6' and 165 pounds, and he's built similarly slight. He doesn't have quite as much power at this point as he is much more comfortable spraying line drives around the field, and his smooth right handed swing is well suited for that. He finds the barrel easily and should have no trouble posting solid on-base percentages, and if he fills out a little more, he could hit around 15 home runs per season. Defensively, he's more likely than Wilson to stick at shortstop as he shows a strong arm and natural feel for the position, and his above average speed helps him on both sides of the ball. Additionally, the Oakley, California native (between the East Bay and Central Valley) doesn't turn 18 until November, which makes him one of the youngest players in the entire draft, and his game is very advanced for his age. Overall, the best word to describe Paris' game is "smooth," and he'll hope to add more impact as he grows and matures. He signed away from a Cal-Berkeley commitment for $1.4 million, which was $90,000 above slot.

3-92: RHP Jack Kochanowicz (Harriton HS [PA], my rank: 69)

Using the money they saved on Wilson (plus a little extra), the Angels went overslot here to grab one of the second-tier high school pitchers in the third round. The Philadelphia-area native is 6'6" and gets great extension and angle on the ball, which makes his stuff plays up. His fastball sits in the low 90's and he adds a good curveball that gets some swings and misses, and it's easy to see him adding a little more power as he fills out and gets some pro coaching under his belt. Like most high school pitchers, he needs to work on his changeup and get a bit more consistent with his command, but neither are red flags at this point and his development should be fairly straightforward. Guys like this work out often and can turn into mid-rotation starters or better, but they also flop often and either get hurt or see their command fall apart or something. So, Kochanowicz could really become anything. Committed to Virginia, he signed for $1.25 million, which was $612,400 above slot.

4-121: OF Erik Rivera (Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, unranked)

A two-way player from Puerto Rico, Erik Rivera drew significant interest as a 6'2" lefty who could sit in the low 90's at times. However, the Angels selected him in the fourth round as a outfielder, and they're hoping he can ride his big raw power to a successful major league career. Rivera generates a ton of torque, loft, and whip from a big left handed swing, but with that violent process comes a tendency for his head to fly out and plenty of swing and miss. Those concerns are serious enough that scouts aren't sure that he'll be able to get to his raw power regularly in pro ball, and he'll probably have to tone down his swing a bit in order to make more contact. Defensively, he's not the fastest guy on the field but he has plenty of arm strength and should be able to play a solid right field. It took $597,500, which was $123,800 above slot, to sign him away from a Florida International University commitment, and he's slashing .167/.375/.250 with six strikeouts to three walks over his first five games in the complex-level Arizona League.

5-151: RHP Garrett Stallings (Tennessee, unranked)

Garrett Stallings doesn't have the highest upside in the world, but he's an advanced arm who really knows how to pitch. The 6'2" righty from Virginia's Hampton Roads area had his best college season this year, posting a 3.33 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and a 106/16 strikeout to walk ratio over 102.2 innings for Tennessee. He also had an exceptional, albeit brief, run through the Cape Cod League in which he posted a 2.50 ERA while striking out 21 and walking none over 18 innings, and his 3.76 in-conference ERA in the SEC was solid as well. Stallings only sits around 90 with his fastball, but he mixes in three solid offspeed pitches nicely and hitters never seem to have their balance against him. He also throws plenty of strikes, so while the margin for error for a guy like Stallings is small, he should be able to make it work. He projects as a #4 or #5 starter and signed for $312,500, which was $41,200 below slot.

6-181: RHP Zach Peek (Winthrop, unranked)

For the second straight pick, the Angels took a college starter who originally grew up in Virginia. Zach Peek, from the Lynchburg area, looks like a pitcher with a 6'3" frame, a three pitch mix, and a clean delivery. He was up and down as a junior, posting a 4.02 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 91/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 87 innings, though that ERA was inflated by a very rough start against Florida early in the season. Peek sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a decent curveball and a solid changeup, and he mixes all three pitches well enough to keep hitters off balance. He's skinny and can add a little more weight, so getting him on a pro conditioning program and helping him get more consistent with that curveball could make him a back-end starter. He signed for $267,800, which was $2,500 below slot.

8-241: RHP Kyle Brnovich (Elon, unranked)

Mariners' first rounder George Kirby may have been the best prospect in the Elon rotation this year, but it was Kyle Brnovich who won the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year Award and who started on Friday nights. Brnovich's award winning sophomore season saw him post a 1.71 ERA and a 147/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 105 innings, but he took a step back this year and finished with a 3.66 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a 110/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 86 innings. His fastball only sits around 90 but he adds in a devastating breaking ball, one that I've seen classified as both a slider and as a knuckle curve. Either way, he can change the shape of it and it can function as two different pitches at times, but it will continue to be a true out pitch in pro ball. However, his changeup isn't anything special and his delivery features some effort, which has caused his command to come and go. When he's holding the strike zone effectively, he looks like a future #4 starter, but when he loses it, he looks more like a reliever. Given the effort in his delivery and his one good pitch, he's probably a reliever anyways, where his fastball could sit in the low 90's and help his breaking ball be more effective, but there is still a chance he could make it as a starter with a few adjustments. The Atlanta-area native signed for $168,700, which was $2,500 below slot.

9-271: RHP Zach Linginfelter (Tennessee, unranked)

The Angels' scouting corps must have had a heavy presence at weekend games in Knoxville, because five rounds after taking Friday night starter Garrett Stallings, they grabbed Saturday starter Zach Linginfelter. Linginfelter, however, is a very different pitcher from Stallings, and he finished a rollercoaster junior year with a 5.64 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a 71/27 strikeout to walk ratio over 68.2 innings, including a 7.87 ERA in conference. He has a power arm that fires low to mid 90's fastballs, and that power arm got him drafted not only out of high school in Sevierville, Tennessee in 2016, but again as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2018. He also adds an inconsistent slider and changeup that help him miss tons of bats when he's on but which can also flatten out, though he also struggles to tie it all together because his mechanics are inconsistent and he struggles to spot his pitches. At 6'5" and 220 pounds, he has a big league body and should be durable enough to start, but it remains to be seen whether he can ever get consistent enough, with everything, to do so. He already turned 22 in April, so he's the age of a college senior rather than a junior, and his most likely long term destination is the bullpen. He signed for $150,800, which was $2,500 below slot.

31-931: OF Spencer Jones (La Costa Canyon HS [CA], my rank: 59)
The top two-way player in the 2019 draft class by far, Spencer Jones was a good spring away from being a first round pick as either a hitter or a pitcher, but a fractured elbow ended his season early on. With a Vanderbilt commitment in hand, he was already going to be a tough sign, and the injury made it even less likely he would be coaxed away from school. He fell to the 31st round, where his hometown (-ish) Angels picked him on the off chance he would change his mind, but even if there was a glimmer of hope for a massive overslot deal at that point, Vanderbilt went ahead and won the National Championship and probably dealt the final blow to Jones' chances of starting his pro career now. The Carlsbad, California native (near San Diego) stands 6'7" and has plenty of room to add good weight, and at this point he's all projection without much track record. On the mound, he sits in the low 90's with his fastball and should add more velocity down the road, and his curveball is already a very good pitch. However, he hasn't proven much beyond that fastball/curveball combination and he's very much a wild card when it comes to pitching. There is no less certainty for him at the plate, where he shows above average power from a whippy swing with loft. There are swing and miss questions there, mostly stemming from his lack of a track record, so you have to dream in order to project him down the road as a hitter. He'll get it figured out at Vanderbilt, where hopes to turn into the next Brendan McKay, though that seems just a bit rich.

2019 Draft Review: Arizona Diamondbacks

First five rounds: Corbin Carroll (1-16), Blake Walston (1-26), Brennan Malone (1-33), Drey Jameson (1-34), Ryne Nelson (2-56), Tommy Henry (CBB-74), Dominic Fletcher (CBB-75), Tristin English (3-93), Glenallen Hill Jr. (4-122), Conor Grammes (5-152)
Also notable: Avery Short (12-362), Jerrion Ealy (31-932)

The Diamondbacks had an extra first round pick after failing to sign last year's first rounder Matt McLain, picked up a pair of compensation picks for losing Patrick Corbin to the Nationals and A.J. Pollock to the Dodgers, earned a competitive balance pick through the lottery, and obtained an additional competitive balance pick in the trade that sent Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis. In all, that gave Arizona four of the first 34 picks and eight of the first 93, enabling them to play around with their massive bonus pool and bring on a ton of talent. They went underslot with five of those picks (potentially six if Tommy Henry signs underslot) and used their massive savings to reel in overslot picks in Glenallen Hill Jr. and Avery Short later in the draft, and they may not be done as they still have a few hundred thousand dollars left in that bonus pool. Overall, this massive influx of talent featured five consecutive pitchers after first rounder Corbin Carroll, a personal favorite of mine, there were so many picks that I didn't even get a chance to write about guys like seventh rounder Spencer Brickhouse, a power hitter from East Carolina, or 24th rounder Dylan Eskew, a high-upside high schooler from Tampa.

1-16: OF Corbin Carroll (Lakeside HS [WA], my rank: 8)
With their first of eight million or so picks this year, the Diamondbacks started it off strong and took a player I really like. Carroll is an outfielder from Seattle whose short stature, skinny frame, and lack of present power are no problem when you consider the rest of the package. Listed at 5'10" and 165 pounds, Carroll has exceptional feel for the barrel, so much so that he can actually hit for close to average power if he wants to and he still won't have to worry about too much swing and miss. He also uses his speed and instincts to play very good defense in center field, and that speed plays up on the bases too. On top of it all, he's reported to have a fantastic work ethic, and he should move quicker than most high school players. Carroll's ultimate projection is that of a high on-base, high stolen base, leadoff type of hitter who can also hit 10-15 home runs per season, maybe more if he fills out a little bit. He signed away from UCLA at slot for $3.75 million and is slashing .316/.316/.368 with a stolen base and six strikeouts over his first five games in the complex-level Arizona League.

1-26: LHP Blake Walston (New Hanover HS [NC], my rank: 42)
The Diamondbacks went underslot here, and perhaps no underslot signing at this point in the draft could have given them as much upside as Blake Walston. The Wilmington, North Carolina left hander is 6'4" and has an ideal pitchers' frame, albeit without much man strength on it yet. He sits in the low 90's when he's at his best, but his velocity fluctuates a lot and he is usually down somewhere in the 80's later in games. His curveball can also be a true plus pitch at its best, and even when it loses power and gets loopy, it still has good shape and he should have no trouble refining it into a consistent out pitch. Walston also adds a slider and a changeup to round out his four pitch arsenal, and his command is fairly advanced for his age, especially given how inconsistent his stuff can be. Walston will need some work on his mechanics, but ultimately getting on a pro conditioning program will hopefully help him get that fastball velocity up and get more power on his breaking balls, so he has ace upside. As a bonus, Walston is fairly young for the class and only turned 18 at the end of June. He signed for $2.45 million, which was $200,000 below slot and which kept him from attending NC State.

1-33: RHP Brennan Malone (IMG Academy [FL], my rank: 19)
After going underslot with Walston, I thought it would take an overslot deal to sign Malone away from a UNC commitment here, but they surprisingly got him at slot. Malone moved from Charlotte, North Carolina between his junior and senior seasons to attend the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and it helped him get more consistent with his stuff. The 6'3" righty now sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and gets good movement on it, and he adds a pair of breaking balls and a changeup. His curveball was his out pitch before this season and it can look plus at its best but often flattens out, but this year he added a slider which has become his new out pitch and which is much more consistent. His command has also improved from shaky to average, and his athleticism has helped him along the way. Malone, like Walston, has a high ceiling as a frontline starter, but he has less work to do to get there as he can already hold his velocity through games. However, I think Walston's ceiling is just a bit higher. Malone signed at slot for $2.2 million.

1-34: RHP Drey Jameson (Ball State, my rank: 50)
With their first college pick, the Diamondbacks went underslot and selected a high upside, high risk pitcher in Drey Jameson. The six foot right hander who grew up outside of Indianapolis is a draft-eligible sophomore, but he's very old for the class and would actually be on the older side for a college junior because he turns 22 in August. Jameson improved on his up and down freshman season to post a 3.24 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 146/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 91.2 innings this year. Not only is Jameson fairly short for a pitcher at six feet tall, he also weighs in at just 165 pounds and likely won't add too much more. Still, he has a live arm that produces a mid 90's fastball and a pair of good breaking balls, and he has the arm strength to maintain his stuff and velocity deep into games. That stuff enabled him to miss a ton of bats in the relatively weak Mid-America Conference, and he should continue to miss bats in pro ball. However, his command tends to come and go, and with a high effort delivery at his size, there are reliever questions. Optimists can look at the arm strength and stuff and project him as a potential mid-rotation starter, but pessimists would argue that his size won't hold up when he moves from the every-seventh-day college schedule to the every-fifth-day pro schedule, forcing him to the bullpen. Still, he could be nasty as a reliever. Jameson signed for $1.4 million, which was $750,000 below slot.

2-56: RHP Ryne Nelson (Oregon, my rank: 72)
Another college pitcher with a premium fastball, another underslot signing. Nelson was a two-way player for Oregon as a freshman and a sophomore, but he became a pitcher-only in the Cape Cod League (2.65 ERA, 26/9 K/BB in 17 IP) and continued with that as a junior this year in Eugene. After that strong showing on the Cape, it was an up and down year for the Las Vegas-area native as he split time between the rotation and the bullpen and finished with a 4.29 ERA, a 1.55 WHIP, and a 104/41 strikeout to walk ratio over 65 innings. Nelson's biggest strength is his mid to upper 90's fastball, which he was able to blow past Pac-12 hitters at a frightening rate this year, and he also adds a good slider that can get its share of swings and misses. However, he lacks much of a changeup and his command is very mediocre this year, so he ended up getting hit harder when he fell behind in the count or when he left balls over the plate. On one hand, he's fairly new to pitching and didn't focus exclusively on it until this year, and his athleticism could help him transition to the rotation and become successful there as he gets more refined. On the other, he's a college reliever who didn't get great results this year, and that's a tough hole to climb out of. His lack of command likely pushes him to the bullpen long term, but we'll see how he progresses. The 6'3" righty signed for $1.1 million, which was $180,000 below slot.

CBB-74: LHP Tommy Henry (Michigan, my rank: 75)
One of the centerpieces of Michigan's surprise run to the College World Series Finals, Tommy Henry has a live arm but has been up and down this spring. After posting a 3.09 ERA and a 77/26 strikeout to walk ratio as a sophomore, he came back this year with a 3.27 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 135/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 124 innings for the Wolverines, a heavy workload which will probably limit his pro innings this year once he signs. Henry is a 6'3" lefty from just outside Kalamazoo, Michigan, and he has looked very good at his best. He tossed 23 shutout innings with a 34/2 strikeout to walk ratio over his first three starts against SUNY Binghamton, The Citadel, and Cal State Northridge, then stepped up against a fearsome UCLA lineup in his next start and struck out ten over six innings. However, he put up an unsightly 6.50 ERA and a 42/15 strikeout to walk ratio in 45.2 innings in conference play, making it look like he just got lucky in that UCLA start. Then he confused us again by averaging eight innings per start in the NCAA Tournament and striking out 31 to just three walks over 31.2 innings (though three of those four starts came after the draft). When he's on, he sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a solid slider and an advanced changeup with good command, but during that run through the Big 10 as well as previously in his career, he sat closer to 90, his stuff flattened out a bit, and his command regressed from above average to average. Pre-draft, I wasn't sold on Henry because I didn't like the idea of drafting someone on Day One just due to a month of good pitching early in the season, but his very good post-draft performance has me more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I might have ranked him ten spots higher if I re-did them today. Henry projects as a back-end starter if he can get to where he has been at his best more consistently, though he could be a #3 if he not only gets there but takes a step forward. However, pitching like he did in the middle of the season will get him bumped to the bullpen, and his early birthday (he turns 22 in July) doesn't help him. He hasn't signed because his season ended less than a week ago, and slot value is $844,200.

CBB-75: OF Dominic Fletcher (Arkansas, my rank: 102)
Fletcher, like Henry, is a bit of an enigma, but for different reasons. The younger brother of Angels infielder David Fletcher, Dominic has performed well at Arkansas despite lacking standout tools. Fletcher had his best year in 2019, when he slashed .313/.385/.528 with eleven home runs and a 54/28 strikeout to walk ratio, and that included a .305/.346/.500 run through SEC play. The Southern California native is only 5'9" and he doesn't show much raw power, but he got to what little power he has frequently at Arkansas and against high level pitching. However, for a 5'9" kid who needs to find the barrel consistently to make an impact, his plate discipline isn't great and that was especially apparent in SEC play, where he struck out 30 times (22.1%) to just six walks. If he wants his approach to work in pro ball, he'll need to get more selective and find pitches he can drive. Defensively, it's a similar story as Fletcher lacks speed but uses his instincts to get to a lot of fly balls in the outfield. He could be playable in center field, but left field would be the better overall fit and he could excel there. Overall, he projects as a fourth outfielder with some power and a decent on-base percentage. He signed for $700,000, which was $131,100 below slot, and he is slashing .300/.364/.400 with a double and a walk over his first three games at Class A Kane County.

3-93: 1B Tristin English (Georgia Tech, unranked)
A two-way player at Georgia Tech, English drew some interest as a right handed reliever as he posted a 3.70 ERA and a 20/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 24.1 innings as the Yellow Jackets' closer this year, doing so with a low 90's fastball and a couple of solid breaking balls. However, his future lies as a hitter after he slashed .346/.427/.710 with 18 home runs and a 30/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games, also leading the ACC by a wide margin with 21 hit by pitches (Florida State's Matheu Nelson was second with 17). The Central Georgia native also slashed .300/.366/.510 with five home runs and a 15/6 strikeout to walk ratio over 32 games on the Cape, and with his 6'3" frame, it's easy to see his power playing up at the next level. He'll need to get a little more patient at the plate to start drawing some more walks, but he has 20-25 home run upside with decent on-base percentages if he can transition to pro ball well. Working against him is his age, as he's a college senior who already turned 22 in May, but seniors have succeeded before. Defensively, he's playable in either corner outfield spot and has done a good job at first base, so while the pressure will still be on his bat, he at least provides some moderate value in the field. He signed for $500,000, which was $127,900 below slot, and he picked up one single in four at bats in his first game with short-season Hillsboro.

4-122: SS Glenallen Hill Jr. (Santa Cruz HS [CA], my rank: 127)
After five straight college picks, the Diamondbacks went back to the high school side and took Glenallen Hill Jr., son of 13 year major leaguer Glenallen Hill who was mostly a fourth outfielder in the 1990's. Junior played his high school ball out in Santa Cruz, which I imagine isn't the worst place to grow up, and he shows a very interesting skills package despite only standing 5'9", which makes him the fourth "little guy" that the Diamondbacks drafted. The switch hitter has plenty of bat speed in both of his swings and shows good loft from the right side, helping him hit for average power despite his size. He doesn't make the most consistent contact, and that will definitely be something to work on in pro ball, but finding the barrel a little bit more will help him become a true threat at the plate. Defensively, he was drafted as a shortstop but will likely have to move to center field, where he can use his plus speed to become an above average defender once he gets more reps. Hill is raw and needs a lot of work, but he has high upside if he can make the necessary adjustments and become a faster Willie Calhoun. He signed for $850,000, which was $381,000 above slot, and he's slashing .185/.214/.370 with a home run, three stolen bases, and a 12/1 strikeout to walk ratio over his first seven games with Corbin Carroll in the Arizona League.

5-152: RHP Conor Grammes (Xavier, unranked)
Grammes, like English, was a two way player in college with draft aspirations both ways, but he ended up being selected as a pitcher. He came to Xavier without much fanfare, as he managed to walk on to the team after emailing the coach. I played against him in high school and while he was a good shortstop at McLean in Northern Virginia, he didn't stand out on the field as much as you would expect from a future fifth rounder, so the progress he has made with the Musketeers is remarkable. Grammes put up fantastic numbers over three years as a hitter for Xavier, slashing .334/.396/.513 with 25 home runs in 168 games. He also posted a 3.95 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and a 79/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 68 innings as a starting pitcher this year, and that's what he'll be doing in the Arizona farm system. Grammes sat in the mid 90's as a starter but when he transitions to relief in pro ball, he should be able to sit in the upper 90's with his big fastball. However, given that he is new to pitching and has been a two-way player as well, his fastball is just about his only weapon at this point. His slider is inconsistent and can flatten out, and his command is well below average because he throws from a high-effort delivery. Now that he is giving up hitting, focusing on his slider and command will be his priorities, and he could turn himself into a set-up man at the big league level. He signed for $300,000, which was $50,300 below slot.

12-362: LHP Avery Short (Southport HS [IN], my rank: 111)
The D-Backs built up a bunch of savings with their early picks, and while some of that went to signing Glenallen Hill Jr. away from Arizona State, and even bigger chunk went to grabbing Indianapolis-area high schooler Avery Short in the twelfth round. Short is only 18, but he looks like a college pitcher because his pitchability is so advanced. He sits in the high 80's with his fringy fastball and can occasionally bump it into the low 90's, but he adds a good curveball and slider that can generate swings and misses already in addition to a changeup. He also has very advanced command for his age and mixes his pitches effectively, so he should be able to move more quickly than the typical high school arm. The 6'2" lefty could add some velocity once he gets on a pro conditioning program, and just a little more velocity is all he needs if he wants to be a back-end starter in the majors, if not more, so long as he maintains his command. If Short can improve not just his velocity but his secondary pitches as well, he could be a mid-rotation starter. It took $922,500 to sign him away from Louisville, which counts for $797,500 against Arizona's bonus pool.

31-932: OF Jerrion Ealy (Jackson Prep HS [MS], my rank: 65)
Signability was a concern with Ealy, and evidently his asking price was too high for teams to match and he'll end up at Ole Miss. The Diamondbacks actually have a few hundred thousand left in their bonus pool and could offer him upwards of $500,000, but even that seems a little light to draw him away from school and that money will probably go elsewhere, such as to 16th rounder Brock Jones, a lefty with a nice curveball or to 24th rounder Dylan Eskew, a live armed righty with some upside who ranked 119th on my list. Ealy is arguably the best athlete in the class as he is also a five star running back recruit and will play both sports at Ole Miss. He's following the trend of short draftees and stands just 5'10", but he's built like a tank and packs a lot of strength into his shorter frame. The Carthage, Mississippi native who attended high school an hour away in Jackson had first round hopes coming into the season, but a poor senior season dropped his stock to more of a second round talent. He hits for power but his swing mechanics are very raw and need a lot of work, which caused him to perform poorly this spring against mediocre Mississippi high school competition. His top of the scale athleticism plays very well in center field, where he figures to be a plus defender with a strong arm, as well as on the bases, where he should use his speed to steal plenty of bases. Getting those swing mechanics ironed out will be the biggest challenge for Ealy, but if he can do it, he could be a five tool player at the major league level. We'll just have to wait a few years to let him play for the Rebels.

2019 Draft Review: Washington Nationals

First five rounds: Jackson Rutledge (1-17), Drew Mendoza (3-94), Matt Cronin (4-123), Tyler Dyson (5-153)
Also notable: Jackson Cluff (6-183), Jeremy Ydens (8-243), Kevin Strohschein (21-633), Bryce Osmond (35-1053), Trei Cruz (37-1113)

The Nationals lost their second round pick and their extra fourth round compensation pick (for Bryce Harper) after signing Patrick Corbin, but they still managed to put together a very talented draft class that leaned on college and junior college players, as they waited until the 23rd round to pop a high schooler. Aside from sticking to the college side, there is no overriding theme in this class, as three of their first four picks were pitchers but they still grabbed their share of hitters. I'm a big fan of the Jackson Rutledge selection in the first round and I think he can be a true-impact pitcher in Washington, and grabbing Matt Cronin at slot in the fourth round was a good move as well.

1-17: RHP Jackson Rutledge (San Jacinto JC, my rank: 14)
Since taking Anthony Rendon sixth overall in 2011, the Nationals took a pitcher with their first pick in five of seven drafts from 2012-2018 and made it six of eight drafts by grabbing Rutledge in 2019. Rutledge was a highly regarded draft prospect out of a St. Louis high school in 2017, but the lanky righty elected to attend Arkansas instead, where he missed a lot of time with a hip injury and ultimately decided to transfer to San Jacinto Community College in Houston for his sophomore season. As it turned out, it was the best decision he could have made, as he posted a 0.87 ERA, a matching 0.87 WHIP, and a 134/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 82.2 innings as he utterly dominated Texas JuCo hitters. He finally figured out his 6'8" frame and used it to toss mid 90's fastballs and a pair of breaking balls that can both be plus at times. He still needs to work on his changeup, but the fact that he already has two above average breaking balls in a slider and a curveball will buy him some time on that front. He also needs to get more consistent with his command, which is expected for a 6'8" pitcher who turned 20 during the season, but overall, he's only a couple of improvements away from being a #1 or #2 starter. Even if his command never quite gets up to average, he could still be a solid #3 or #4 starter or a power reliever. The Nationals will probably take it slow with him, but with his combination of velocity and stuff, he should be a real impact pitcher down the road. He signed for $3.45 million, which was $160,000 below slot.

3-94: 3B Drew Mendoza (Florida State, my rank: 63)
Mendoza was considered a fringe-first round pick coming out of high school outside of Orlando in 2016 and ranked 27th on my list, but he was unsignable and instead packed it up for Florida State. He's been up and down but has generally improved throughout his time there, though after three years, he didn't make quite the progress some evaluators were hoping for. This year, he slashed .308/.471/.594 with 16 home runs and a 72/70 strikeout to walk ratio over 65 games against fairly tough competition, and a few things about the numbers immediately jump out to you. Firstly, he hits for plenty of power, though the 6'5", 230 pound slugger uses more strength than bat speed to generate that power. He also strikes out a ton, 24.2% of the time this year, which will make it tougher for him to get to that power in pro ball. On the plus side, he has a patient approach and walked in 23.6% of his plate appearances, with those 70 walks finishing second in all of Division I to only Adley Rutschman's 76. So, when you put the package together, you get a big, strong slugger who performed in the ACC with power and a high on-base percentage, but strikeouts and a lack of bat speed draw him down and make him a risky profile. At best, that means he could hit 25-30 home runs annually with low batting averages but enough walks to make up for that, though he has significant risk of ending up a platoon bat. Defensively, he's just decent at third base and may have to move to first base if he slows down at all with age. He signed for $800,000, which was $181,800 above slot.

4-123: LHP Matt Cronin (Arkansas, my rank: 96)
After going for somewhat of a wild card in Drew Mendoza, the Nationals picked up a pretty safe bet in Matt Cronin, a reliever for Arkansas who has a pretty clear path ahead of him. The 6'3" lefty from near Pensacola had a good year out of the Razorback bullpen, posting a 1.86 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 42/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 29 innings. Cronin sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, which generates high spin rates, and gets plenty of swings and misses with his plus curveball, though he lacks a changeup at this point and as a reliever, he may not need one. He also struggles with command, and while he's not "wild," per se, he's not one of those guys that can spot his pitches where he wants them consistently. That limits his ceiling and makes his outlook more that of a set-up man than a closer, though being a lefty certainly boosts his stock. Overall, look for Cronin to move quickly and be a solid left handed arm in the Nationals bullpen soon, though for those wondering, I doubt he'd be ready to help out this year after Arkansas' run to the College World Series. He signed at slot for $464,500.

5-153: RHP Tyler Dyson (Florida, my rank: 133)
Like Cronin, Tyler Dyson has a reliever outlook, but while Cronin has clear strengths and weaknesses and doesn't have too much variance in his potential outcomes, Dyson is just the opposite. The Bradenton, Florida native (the Nats' third straight Florida native selected) was up and down over his first two seasons at Florida, but a strong run through the Cape Cod League (2.37 ERA, 23/9 K/BB in 19 IP) put him on the fringes of the first round discussion coming into the spring. If he could have built off his Cape success with a strong junior season in the Gators rotation, he could have pushed himself towards the middle of the first round, but his stuff regressed and he was bumped out of the rotation. Dyson finished with a 4.95 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, and a 34/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 43.2 innings, hardly a stat line that will catch anyone's eye, and he fell to the fifth round. Now with the Nationals, Dyson has an opportunity to build himself back up with pro coaching. He sits in the mid 90's with his straight fastball and flashed a plus slider on the Cape, but the slider regressed during the season and without much of a changeup or movement on the fastball, his velocity played down and ultimately led to his struggles. Like Cronin, his command is a little below average, and he likely heads to the bullpen. However, if the Nationals can get his slider working again and help him develop a changeup, he has a shot to be a back-end starter, and if not, he pitched well in relief as a freshman at Florida (3.23 ERA, 47/10 K/BB). He signed for $500,000, which was $153,200 above slot.

6-183: SS Jackson Cluff (Brigham Young, unranked)
Cluff is listed as a sophomore, but his two-year Mormon mission means he turned 22 in December and is the age of a college senior. The Boise-area native had a triumphant return to the field this season, slashing .327/.458/.518 with four home runs and a 39/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 53 games. He features some bat wrap and not much power, but his quick hands make up for the bat wrap and help him spray line drives and extra base hits around the field, while his strong plate discipline makes him a consistent hitter. He's solid defensively and should stick at shortstop, taking some pressure off his bat, and he has some speed and baserunning instincts that allowed him to go 12-12 in stolen base attempts this year. Overall, he projects as a fast-moving utility infielder. He signed for $200,000, which was $66,000 below slot, and he's slashing a respectable .269/.424/.308 with seven strikeouts to five walks over his first eight games at Class A Hagerstown.

8-243: OF Jeremy Ydens (UCLA, unranked)
Because Ydens (pronounced eye-dens I believe) missed most of 2019 with a broken finger, the Nationals could be getting a top-five rounds talent here in the eighth. The Silicon Valley native slashed .350/.421/.558 as a sophomore at UCLA in 2018 before going on to slash .304/.347/.432 with three home runs and a 29/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 36 games on the Cape, but in just 23 games around the broken finger in 2019, he slashed .273/.354/.443 with three home runs and a 24/8 strikeout to walk ratio. He has a clean swing from the right side that produces moderate power but which is more focused on driving balls into the gaps, which helps him build up large numbers of extra base hits. His plate discipline is only so-so and he struck out in 19.5% of his plate appearances in his healthy sophomore season before jumping to 23.8% around the injury this year, so pro ball might be a bit of a transition for him, but if he can make that jump while regaining his sophomore/Cape Cod League form, he could be a solid fourth outfielder or even a decent regular at his best. He signed at slot for $169,500, and so far he has one hit in seven at bats over his first two games at short season Auburn.

21-633: OF Kevin Strohschein (Tennessee Tech, unranked)
Going off raw numbers alone, perhaps no player has produced more offense over the last five seasons as Tennessee Tech's Kevin Strohschein. He had his best season as a freshman in 2016 when he slashed .393/.447/.707 with 15 home runs, then followed that up with a .292/.351/.511 line and 14 home runs as a sophomore before slashing .375/.433/.650 with 18 home runs as the centerpiece to Tennessee Tech's insane 2018 lineup that made a run all the way to the Austin Super Regional (college baseball's equivalent of the Sweet 16). As a senior this year, the Atlanta-area native slashed .382/.447/.691 with 15 home runs and a 45/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 54 games, finishing his career with an unreal stat line: 62 home runs, 246 RBI, .359/.418/.636 line in 234 games. Now, he lasted until the 21st round because unfortunately, his game is more suited for the college level than for pro baseball. Strohschein played at Tennessee Tech, a hitter-friendly stadium in a hitter-friendly conference, and the Ohio Valley Conference isn't the toughest competition out there anyways. He has plenty of power, but he may struggle to get to it in pro ball because of his so-so plate discipline, and his defense is just average and he's coming off Tommy John surgery. He has a chance to hit his way up as a fourth or fifth outfielder, but don't expect a starting outfielder here in the 21st round, though he is young for a college senior with a July birthday. He signed for $10,000 and has three singles in twelve at bats over his first three games in the complex-level Gulf Coast League.

35-1053: RHP Bryce Osmond (Jenks HS [OK], my rank: 53)
Osmond was easily the best prospect in the state of Oklahoma this year, but his high asking price knocked him down from a potential Day One selection to the 35th round. Since the Nationals don't have enough money left in their bonus pool to go over slot and sign him away from Oklahoma State, we'll see more of what Osmond can do for the Cowboys, not the Nationals, and we'll check back in on him in 2022. The Tulsa-area native has a premium arm that fires low 90's fastballs and a good slider from a projectable 6'3" frame, but he's raw at the moment and tends to lose his velocity as the game goes on. With that projectable body, though, some added strength could go a long ways into helping him hold that velocity and add more power to his slider, which gives him high upside. Like most high schoolers, he needs to work on his changeup and get more consistent with his command, though neither is a red flag at this point. Three good years in Stillwater, or at least a good junior season, could push him into the first round in 2022.

37-1113: SS Trei Cruz (Rice, unranked)
Cruz probably isn't signing either, as his talent level put him in Day Two discussion, and he slashed .305/.393/.519 with nine home runs and a 54/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 58 games as a draft-eligible sophomore at Rice this season. The Houston native turns 21 in July, making him just barely old enough to be drafted this year, and he shows a broad skill set that helps him impact the game in a variety of ways. Cruz has some power and sprays line drives around the field, and while his strikeout rates are a bit high, he's done a good job of getting on base for the Owls. There is a lot of hand movement before his swing, so cutting down on that may help him cut down his strikeouts. He played shortstop this year, but he's so-so there and will likely move over to second base in pro ball, where he should be above average. Cruz is the son of Jose Cruz Jr., who played twelve years in the majors and had his best success with the Blue Jays from 1997-2002, and the grandson of Jose Cruz, who played nineteen years in the majors, mostly with the Astros in the 1970's and 1980's.

2019 Draft Review: Pittsburgh Pirates

First five rounds: Quinn Priester (1-18), Sammy Siani (CBA-37), Matt Gorski (2-57), Jared Triolo (CBB-72), Matt Fraizer (3-95), J.C. Flowers (4-124), Grant Ford (5-154)
Also notable: Blake Sabol (7-214), Ethan Paul (9-274)

The Pirates took a couple of high-upside high schoolers at the start of the draft, then took ten straight college players as they followed the general trend in this year's draft. Interestingly, all of the college players they took early on actually come with risk/reward profiles that are more similar to high schoolers, so it looks like they really targeted upside overall in this draft. Given that they had competitive balance picks in both the A and B rounds and therefore five of the first 95 picks, I actually find their draft class to be a bit light, but we'll see how these upside guys turn out down the road.

1-18: RHP Quinn Priester (Cary-Grove HS [IL], my rank: 20)
The Pirates seem to like high school pitchers, and they grabbed another in Quinn Priester. The Chicago-area native entered the spring looking more like a comp round or early second round pick, but he pitched extremely well despite the nasty Chicago weather and pushed himself up boards. Most high school pitchers are much more "thrower" than "pitcher," but Priester is very much the latter, as he reportedly taught himself to pitch by watching YouTube rather than using a pitching coach. The results of his efforts are a low to mid 90's fastball and a very good curveball with solid command, though his changeup is still coming along. Given how much progress he made on his own, it's very easy to envision him taking another step forward with pro instruction, especially on the changeup and command fronts, and he even seems like the guy who could add a slider down the road. At 6'3", Priester is very athletic and does a very good job of getting his legs into his delivery to create velocity, and all together he is one of the more "starterish" high school pitchers in this draft. Priester has work to do, but he has a high ceiling and his feel for the game will help him make the most of his talent. He signed for $3.4 million, which was $80,000 below slot and diverted him away from a TCU commitment.

CBB-37: OF Sammy Siani (Penn Charter HS [PA], my rank: 48)
Siani hails from Pennsylvania, but he's not exactly a hometown player because he comes from the other end of the state in Philadelphia. His older brother, Mike, is currently at Class A Dayton in the Reds organization, though Sammy beat him by 72 picks after Mike signed over slot as a fourth rounder in 2018. Sammy is only 5'11" but he uses his smooth, uppercut swing to generate average power despite his size, and that should grow as he fills out his frame. That power also comes with an advanced hit tool, as Siani can make consistent hard contact from the left side of the plate and could be an all-around contributor at the plate. He's pretty fast and while he probably won't stick in center field, he should be a solid right fielder that produces some positive value out there. Overall, he projects for 15-20 home runs annually with solid on-base percentages, though as a 5'11" high schooler, he comes with his share of risk. It took $2.15 million, or $150,000 over slot, to sign him away from a Duke commitment, then he picked up two hits in ten at bats while striking out four times in his first two games the complex level Gulf Coast League.

2-57: OF Matt Gorski (Indiana, my rank: 137)
As you can tell by my ranking, I find this to be a questionable pick. Despite being a college junior, Gorski actually comes more with the risk/reward profile of a high school player. After a big sophomore season where he slashed .356/.404/.554 at Indiana, he regressed this year and dropped to .271/.374/.498 with 12 home runs, 18 stolen bases, and a 62/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. The Indianapolis native comes with plenty of tools, as he shows power and stole 57 bases over three years in Bloomington, also adding in a strong arm. However, his mechanics tend to break down at times and you have to question his feel for the game, as he regularly plays below his tools. He has a long swing and still needs to add some loft to it to get to his power more regularly, but the 6'4" slugger struck out in 23.7% of his plate appearances this year and his hit tool is fringy as is. Because he's 6'4" and has both power and speed, he still retains his high upside at 21 years old, but he'll need some work. At best, Gorski could hit 20-25 home runs per season with mediocre on-base percentages and solid outfield defense, but he comes with more risk than the typical college hitter. He signed for $1 million, which was $240,000 below slot, and has two hits in fourteen at bats with seven strikeouts over his first four games at short season West Virginia, adding three walks.

CBB-72: 3B Jared Triolo (Houston, unranked)
Triolo is a fairly average player all around, but he's interesting and has some upside. In 2019, he slashed .332/.420/.512 with seven home runs and a 30/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games for the University of Houston, and that came on the heels of a solid .276/.364/.423 run through the Cape Cod League. The Austin-area native shows good feel for the barrel to go along with strong plate discipline, though his power is slightly below average at this point because his swing is more geared towards line drives. His swing may be fine as is, and that would lead to solid on-base percentages along with ten or so home runs a season, but some adjustments could help him tap the power in his 6'3" frame and get him up to 15-20 home runs annually. He's a solid-average defender at third base, and overall he projects as a fringe-regular who may more likely end up as a part time starter at the major league level. However, if he takes well to mechanical changes, he has the hitting aptitude to turn himself into a solid regular. He signed for $868,200, or $2,500 below slot, and he's slashing .217/.269/.522 with a home run and a 4/2 strikeout to walk ratio through his first six games at West Virginia.

3-95: OF Matt Fraizer (Arizona, unranked)
The Arizona Wildcats may have finished fifth in a tough Pac-12 this year with just a 15-14 in-conference record, but in the third round of the draft, Matt Fraizer was already the third Wildcat hitter drafted after Cameron Cannon (#43, Red Sox) and Nick Quintana (#47, Tigers). Fraizer slashed just .266/.352/.359 as a sophomore in 2018 then dropped to .165/.240/.187 over 31 games on the Cape, but he came out of the gate a different hitter in 2019. In March, the Fresno, California native was slashing .412/.452/.565 with a home run and a 6/6 strikeout to walk ratio through 19 games, but he broke his hand and that marked the end of his season. The Pirates obviously liked what they saw in those 19 games, and they'll hope that the breakout was for real. Fraizer has a quick, line drive swing that can spray balls around the park, and at 6'3", he should be able to tap some power at the next level. He's also fast, allowing him to impact the game in yet another way, and that makes him a solid center fielder. Given Fraizer's lack of a track record, he comes with more risk than the typical college player, but he also has a high ceiling and this pick could turn into a steal if that breakout truly was for real. He signed for $525,500, which was $85,800 below slot.

4-124: RHP J.C. Flowers (Florida State, unranked)
Flowers was both Florida State's starting center fielder and its closer, and although he slashed .268/.374/.500 with eleven home runs as a hitter this year, the Pirates look like they prefer him as a pitcher. The Jacksonville native had actually never pitched at the collegiate level prior to this season, as he broke his jaw as a sophomore and decided to take to pitching after his subsequent struggles. On the mound this year, he posted a 1.66 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and a 20/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 21.2 innings, also saving eleven games. He's a 6'3" righty without the typical velocity you'd like from college relievers, sitting in the low 90's, but he adds a solid hard slider and a present changeup despite being new to pitching. You'd typically think a pitcher like this would be confined to relief, but by taking him the fourth round, the Pirates must be taking into account his inexperience and his athleticism and concluding that he has a good chance to start. For now, he looks more like a back-end starter, but he definitely has the chance for more if he takes well to starting. Slot value is $460,000 and he has not signed yet.

5-154: RHP Grant Ford (Nevada, unranked)
Well, Grant Ford went unranked on both the MLB Pipeline top 200 and the Baseball America 500, and YouTube has no video on him since high school, so I'll admit I don't know much about him and I'll do my best here. He's a 6'1" righty from San Jose who posted a 2.76 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a 51/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 45.2 innings for Nevada, a massive improvement over his poor 2018 season. Video from high school shows long arm action with a riding fastball, a solid changeup, and a fringy breaking ball, though he has historically struggled with his command at Nevada and seemed like he finally figured out the strike zone in 2019. He's likely a reliever at the next level and he signed for $422,500, which was $79,100 above slot, then allowed three runs over 1.2 innings in his first appearance at West Virginia.

7-214: OF Blake Sabol (Southern California, unranked)
Blake Sabol is a very talented player who hasn't quite gotten it together during his time at Southern California, and as a junior he slashed just .268/.346/.368 with three home runs and a 40/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. However, he showed what he can really do with a white hot run through the Cape Cod League over the summer, where he slashed .340/.445/.573 with seven home runs and a 21/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 37 games. Like Gorski and Triolo, he's a big guy at 6'4" but hasn't quite tapped his power as much as he should, as his mechanics get out of whack at times and he'll need a lot of refinement. There's a high ceiling here as a starting outfielder, but as a college junior, he has to make the adjustments quicker than a high schooler would. He signed for $247,500, which was $41,000 above slot, and he is slashing .227/.370/.364 with a 4/4 strikeout to walk ratio over six games at West Virginia.

9-274: SS Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt, unranked)
If you're watching the College World Series like I am as I write this, you've probably heard Ethan Paul's name as Vanderbilt's senior shortstop and three hitter. This year, he was a key cog in the Vandy offens, slashing .311/.382/.495 with nine home runs and a 64/31 strikeout to walk ratio through 70 games coming into the last game of the season. He's average across the board, showing some contact ability, mediocre but present power, and some speed. Defensively, he probably won't stick at shortstop but he'll be able to handle second base just fine, and he ultimately projects as a utility infielder. Slot value is $152,300, but as a senior who will be 23 in August, it will take less than that for him to sign.

2019 Draft Review: St. Louis Cardinals

First five rounds: Zack Thompson (1-19), Trejyn Fletcher (2-58), Tony Locey (3-96), Andre Pallante (4-125), Connor Thomas (5-155)
Also notable: Pedro Pages (6-185), Jack Ralston (7-215), Alex McFarlane (25-755), Chris Newell (37-1115)

The Cardinals typically draft well, and this year was no different. They went pitching-heavy and college-heavy, taking eight pitchers with their first eleven picks and ten college players in those first eleven picks. This will replenish the pitching depth in what is currently a hitter-heavy system, as the underperformance of many of the system's better pitchers may leave Johan Oviedo, who you probably haven't heard of, as their pre-draft top pitching prospect. That's now easily Zack Thompson, and guys like Tony Locey and Andre Pallante add more depth as potential future #4 starters. Because they were able to get Thompson for $360,000 below slot, they were able to go over slot on three high schoolers and a JuCo bat on day three, helping add even more depth with this class. However, spending $400,000 against their bonus pool on those four guys will make it nearly impossible for them to sign highly regarded 25th rounder Alex McFarlane or 37th rounder Chris Newell.

1-19: LHP Zack Thompson (Kentucky, my rank: 18)
Thompson was projected to go closer to the 11-14 range, and while I wasn't quite that high on him, this is good value for the Cardinals at #19 overall, especially given that he signed for a discount. After an injury-slowed sophomore season where he posted a 4.94 ERA and a 42/20 strikeout to walk ratio, he bounced back for a huge 2019 in which he posted a 2.40 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 130/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 90 innings, including a 2.27 ERA and a 93/27 strikeout to walk ratio in the gauntlet of SEC play. Thompson is a 6'3" lefty from just outside of Muncie, Indiana armed with four good pitches, including a low 90's fastball, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup, all of which he uses to miss bats and keep hitters off balance. His command isn't pinpoint but it was a little better this year and he could easily end up becoming a mid-rotation starter, though I have a hard time seeing him become more than that because while he has a slew of good pitches, nothing stands out as a true plus. Thompson signed for $3 million, which was $360,000 below slot.

2-58: OF Trejyn Fletcher (Deering HS [ME], my rank: 79)
This move is very risky for the Cardinals, especially considering the fact that Fletcher required an overslot bonus. Fletcher is from Portland, Maine, but attended the Trinity-Pawling School in New York for his first two years of high school before transferring back to Deering High School back in Portland for his junior season. However, he was set to turn 18 in April and was therefore very old for a high school junior, so he re-classified to an age-appropriate senior in March. Because he's coming from way off the beaten prospect path in Maine and scouting directors thought they had another year to evaluate him anyways, that drove a mad rush to the far north as teams scrambled to evaluate him. As you would expect, Fletcher is extremely raw, but he's an exceptional athlete who shows power and speed to dream on. His swing needs a lot of mechanical tweaks, as he doesn't get much extension at all, but the bat is quick and produces nice raw power. His hit tool is also completely unproven, as he didn't hit particularly well in summer ball and Maine high school competition isn't exactly the toughest. Defensively, he's an asset in center field with his speed and arm strength, though he has to work on the mental/instincts portion of his game out there. Fletcher has a long, long way to go, but if all goes well, the Cardinals could turn him into an all-around impact player with power, speed, and good defense, and that's why they spent $1.5 million ($290,000 above slot) to sign him away from a strong Vanderbilt commitment.

3-96: RHP Tony Locey (Georgia, my rank: 120)
Last time, I wrote about the Mariners taking Georgia starter Tim Elliott in the fourth round, this time, I'll write about the Cardinals taking Georgia starter Tony Locey in the third round, and next year, I'll likely write about somebody taking Georgia starter Emerson Hancock in the first round and Georgia starter Cole Wilcox somewhere on Day One. Anyways, Locey has improved every year in Athens after posting a 6.38 ERA as a freshman and a 4.28 mark as a sophomore, this year going 11-2 with a 2.53 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and a 97/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 89 innings. He's a big guy at 6'3", 240 pounds, and he uses a mid 90's fastball that can reach higher to miss bats. He also adds a slider, a curveball, and a changeup, though the slider is the only secondary offering that will have any effectiveness in pro ball at this point. He also has fringy command, so the Cardinals will have a couple of things for him to work on if he wants to remain a starter. If he can sharpen either the curve or the changeup, he has a chance to make it as a #5 starter, and if he can sharpen both or just one plus his command, he could be a #3 or a #4 guy. However, as it stands, he carries reliever risk and could wind up as a fastball/slider bullpen guy who blows hitters away with an upper 90's fastball. One thing working in his favor is his age, as he is young for a junior and doesn't turn 21 until July. The Warner Robbins, Georgia native signed at slot for $604,800.

4-125: RHP Andre Pallante (UC Irvine, unranked)
I'm a one man crew, so I wasn't able to get to Pallante before the draft, but if I had, I think I would have ranked him above Locey. The Southern California native posted a 2.68 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and an 89/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 94 innings this year, albeit with a pitcher-friendly home park at UC Irvine. He's a smaller guy at six feet tall and has long arm action, but he's athletic and throws plenty of strikes. Stuff-wise, he sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds three secondary pitches, though none stand out as plus. Still, he has exhibited solid pitchability and if the Cardinals can tone down his delivery just a little bit, he could easily have above average command. There's definitely reliever risk due to his lack of size, but he has some upside and could be a #3 or #4 starter. He's also very young for a college junior, not turning 21 until September, which helps his case. Pallante signed at slot for $455,600.

5-155: LHP Connor Thomas (Georgia Tech, unranked)
Two rounds after taking a South Georgia native in Georgia's Tony Locey, the Cardinals grabbed another South Georgian in Connor Thomas, who travelled from rural Tift County up to the big city at Georgia Tech. However, while Locey is a 6'3" power pitcher armed with a big fastball, Thomas is just about the opposite. This year, the 5'11" lefty posted a 3.11 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 103/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 113 innings, and I think the numbers tell the story. Thomas only sits in the upper 80's with his fastball, but he adds a very good slider and changeup and commands all three pitches exceptionally well from a low three quarters arm slot. As a little lefty without velocity, Thomas will have very little margin of error, but he might be just fine in that case because of that command and secondary stuff. At a skinny 5'11", he's unlikely to add too much more velocity, but if the Cardinals can get him up a tick or two to sit around 90, he could be a successful #4 or #5 starter. Otherwise, he could be a command-minded reliever. He signed at slot for $340,000.

6-185: C Pedro Pages (Florida Atlantic, unranked)
The Cardinals went for a back-up catcher here, grabbing Pedro Pages out of FAU. He's gotten better with the bat every year after slashing .243/.366/.383 as a freshman and .309/.368/.436 as a sophomore, this year slashing .310/.423/.438 with six home runs and a 45/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games for the Owls. He's a good defender with a very strong arm, which means that he'll stick back there and that will take pressure off his bat. At the plate, he can produce some pull power from a swing with plenty of torque, but it doesn't show up in games all that often and he's more of an all-around average hitter. He's patient at the plate and draws a lot of walks, boosting his profile, and he projects more as a backup catcher rather than as Yadier Molina's full-time heir to the position. The Miami native signed for $250,000, which was $11,600 below slot, and he collected five hits (including two doubles) in his first nine at bats at short season State College, also adding two walks.

7-215: RHP Jack Ralston (UCLA, unranked)
While Rangers second rounder Ryan Garcia got most of the attention as UCLA's ace, it was actually Jack Ralston who led the #1 regular season team in the country in innings pitched. He came out of nowhere this year, too, as he redshirted his true freshman season in 2016, did not pitch during his redshirt-freshman season in 2017, then posted a 6.44 ERA and an 18/14 strikeout to walk ratio during his redshirt-sophomore season in 2018. Still, he was talented enough to earn a stint in the Cape Cod League, where he had a 7.11 ERA and walked six batters over 6.1 innings. However, everything clicked and then some in 2019, as the 6'6" righty posted a 2.66 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 110/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 101.1 innings, including a 2.21 ERA in conference play in a tough Pac-12. He's a fastball/curveball guy with the former sitting in the low 90's and the latter being a true plus pitch, though he lacks much of a changeup. His command improved significantly this year and is now closer to average, though he still has a lot of moving parts and long arm action in his delivery. Realistically, he's probably a fastball/curveball reliever that could be very effective in short stints, though he has plenty of arm strength and projectability and the Cardinals could conceivably help him succeed as a #3 or #4 starter if a) he improves his changeup and b) he maintains the strides he has made with his command. Ralston is young for his class so despite being in his fourth year at UCLA, he doesn't turn 22 until August. He signed at slot for $204,800.

25-755: RHP Alex McFarlane (Habersham Central HS [GA], my rank: 114)
McFarlane was talented enough to go in the top five rounds, but signability away from his Miami commitment knocked him down to the 25th. He grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but moved to the mountains of Northeast Georgia for his senior year of high school. McFarlane is a 6'3" righty with variable fastball velocity, sitting in the low 90's at his best but dipping to the high 80's both late in games and late in the season. His slider flashes plus at times but also lacks consistency, and he has a changeup that needs work. He is extremely athletic and has a quick arm, but he needs to get more efficient with his delivery and that in turn could help him add more power to his stuff. McFarlane, like many high schoolers, comes with a high ceiling and a low floor, and we'll likely find out more about that in Coral Gables over the next three seasons.

37-1115: OF Chris Newell (Malvern Prep HS [PA], my rank: 89)
Like McFarlane, Newell could have been a top five round or even top three round pick, but signability away from Virginia caused him to fall to the 37th. Newell is an athletic outfielder from the Philadelphia area with plenty of tools. He has an uppercut swing that produces above average power from a 6'2" frame, though he has some questions about his hit tool that will need to be addressed at the next level, which will likely be the ACC. He also has some speed and should be able to handle center field, taking some pressure off his bat. He and McFarlane will face each other in ACC play over the next three years and will be eligible again in 2022.

2019 Draft Review: Seattle Mariners

First five rounds: George Kirby (1-20), Brandon Williamson (2-59), Isaiah Campbell (CBB-76), Levi Stoudt (3-97), Tim Elliott (4-126), Austin Shenton (5-156)
Also notable: Michael Limoncelli (6-186), Adam Macko (7-216), Carter Bins (11-336)

The Mariners went pitching heavy in this draft, selecting arms with each of their first five picks and eight of their first nine. Some of them, like George Kirby and Isaiah Campbell, I really liked, though others, like Brandon Williamson, I found more questionable. Regardless, the Mariners rebuilt what was an extremely shallow group of pitchers prior to the drafting of Logan Gilbert and trade for Jordan Sheffield last year (with Gilbert and Sheffield moving in opposite directions on prospect charts since then). Interestingly, the Mariners, who are Major League Baseball's northernmost team, went heavy on northern players this year despite highly-drafted players traditionally coming from more southerly areas. In order, their picks originally grew up in: New York, Minnesota, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Washington, New York, and Alberta. Lastly, I want to make a quick mention of them drafting two players from North Greenville University in South Carolina with fantastic baseball names: Kipp Rollings in the 24th round and Utah Jones in the 29th round.

1-20: RHP George Kirby (Elon, my rank: 17)
I really like this pick. George Kirby put up a great sophomore season against mediocre competition at Elon last year with a 2.89 ERA and a 96/27 strikeout to walk ratio, then got better this season by posting a 2.75 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP, and an absurd 107/6 strikeout to walk ratio over 88 innings, again against Elon's mediocre competition. He was also exceptional as a reliever in the elite Cape Cod League posting a 1.38 ERA and a 24/1 strikeout to walk ratio over 13 innings. Scouts look for "starter traits" when scouting pitchers, those being such things as durability, projectability, command, stuff, depth of arsenal, ability to repeat delivery, etc. Well, in a draft class that was really short on pitching at the very top, Kirby exhibits more starter traits than just about anyone else. He controls the strike zone exceptionally well (that's how you end up with almost 18 strikeouts for every walk), but unlike most command/control types, the Westchester County (NYC suburbs) native has good stuff to boot. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds both a good curveball and a good slider as well as a changeup, and at a sturdy 6'3", he's both durable and projectable. While his stuff doesn't jump off the page, it's legitimate and plays up because of his command. In a game becoming ever more dependent on the three true outcomes (strikeouts, walks, and home runs), Kirby will fit right in because in 88 innings he struck out 107, walked six, and allowed three home runs. That whole profile gives him the ceiling of a #2 starter in an Aaron Nola sense, and he comes without much risk just because he has very few holes in his game. He signed for $3.24 million, right at slot.

2-59: LHP Brandon Williamson (Texas Christian, my rank: 104)
While I really liked the Kirby pick, I think this one is a bit riskier. The 6'6" lefty transferred from Northern Iowa Area Community College to TCU this year, then posted a 4.19 ERA, a 1.53 WHIP, and an 89/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 77.1 innings. Williamson, from the small town of Sherburn, Minnesota, has a lot of the building blocks for future success but has not put it together yet. The phrase "6'6" lefty" make scouts drool, and when he's going right, Williamson sits in the low to mid 90's with a good slider as well as a curve and a changeup from an easy, repeatable delivery, but both his command and the quality of his stuff can be inconsistent. If the Mariners can help iron out whatever is keeping him from being his best every inning, they might have a mid rotation starter on their hands, but he has a lot of work to do for a college pitcher selected in this range. He signed for $925,000, which was $265,000 below slot.

CBB-76: RHP Isaiah Campbell (Arkansas, my rank: 36)
Make that two out of three picks here that I really, really like. Just as Williamson was considered a potential top five rounds pick in 2018, when Williamson was a sophomore at NIACC and Campbell was a junior at Arkansas. However, after posting a 4.26 ERA and a 75/29 strikeout to walk ratio in 2018, Campbell elected to return to Fayetteville for his senior season, a decision made easier because with an August birthday, he was young for his class. The decision paid off because he went 12-1 and dropped his ERA to 2.13 while posting a 0.92 WHIP and a 125/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 118.1 innings against tough competition, a result of his vastly improved command. Born in Portugal, the Kansas City native is a 6'4" right hander that sits in the mid 90's with his fastball, which he gets good downhill plane on due to his high arm slot. He also adds a good slider that gets swings and misses, though his curveball and changeup still have some catching up to do. His command was an issue last year, but because of his huge improvement there, he now has a better shot at sticking in the rotation and could be a mid-rotation guy. I like the upside here even though he turns 22 in August. He hasn't signed yet, with slot value at $818,200.

3-97: RHP Levi Stoudt (Lehigh, my rank: 134)
Levi Stoudt is an interesting prospect, one who comes with a few holes in his game but who also can look like a legitimate starting pitcher at others. His ERA has gone up significantly over his three seasons at Lehigh, starting at 2.34 as a freshman before jumping to 3.03 as a sophomore, and this year he posted a 3.53 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 69/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 63.2 innings against mediocre competition. He also survived the Cape Cod League, where he put up a 4.26 ERA and a 26/16 strikeout to walk ratio in 25.1 innings. Stoudt comes in with some arm strength, showing a low 90's fastball that can move into the mid 90's at times, though his secondaries are more inconsistent. His changeup is his best, as it shows some drop and can miss bats, and his slider flashes good shape but can flatten out. He also has a curveball that can look average at times but that can also get loopy. Some question his size at 6'1" and the fact that he never threw more than 65 innings in a season at Lehigh, but he has an athletic delivery and has average command. The Eastern Pennsylvania native has the upside of a #3 or a #4 starter, though he needs to get more consistent with all of his secondaries and prove his durability. Slot value is $599,100 and he has not signed yet.

4-126: RHP Tim Elliott (Georgia, unranked)
Elliott didn't pitch a whole heck of a lot over his first two seasons at Georgia, but the Bulldogs turned him loose in the rotation this year – one of the best rotations in college baseball that also included Cardinals' third rounder Tony Locey and potential 2020 first rounders Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox – and he posted a 2.38 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and a 72/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 75.2 innings. Elliott has fairly similar stuff to Stoudt, starting with a low 90's fastball and adding a good changeup as well as a slider and a curveball, neither of which are swing and miss pitches at this point. He also has average command, so he's not a control artist but he's also not wild. Hailing from the outskirts of the Atlanta suburbs, Elliott is 6'1" like Stoudt and while his big junior season at Georgia make him the more proven commodity, his delivery has a lot of moving parts in contrast to Stoudt's easy, athletic delivery. Elliott probably has less upside but he has a chance at being a #4 or a #5 starter. He signed for $400,000, which was $51,800 below slot, and he has thrown four shutout innings over his first two appearances at short season Everett, striking out six while allowing only three baserunners.

5-156: 3B Austin Shenton (Florida International, unranked)
After taking five straight pitchers, the Mariners pivoted to a bat in the fifth round, grabbing FIU third baseman Austin Shenton. Shenton opened eyes with an excellent .349/.450/.490 run through the Cape Cod League that also included four home runs and a 33/25 strikeout to walk ratio, though he started slowly this season for FIU before heating up as the season wore on. In the end, his .330/.425/.513 line with seven home runs and a 38/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 53 games looked pretty good but was not quite up to expectations against Conference-USA pitching. Despite a swing that includes a deep hand load and a bit of an upward angle on his swing, he's actually hit over power and held a reasonably low 16.3% strikeout rate this season. The strong run through the Cape Cod League helps project him for high averages and some walks to give him strong on-base percentages, though he'll likely never hit more than 10-15 home runs per season at his best. His defense is also questionable, as he is just adequate at third base and may be forced to another position. Overall, he profiles as a bat-first bench player. Interestingly, despite playing at FIU, Shenton is from the Seattle area, making this a homecoming for him. He signed at slot for $336,600 and is slashing .231/.333/.269 with eight strikeouts to one walk over his first seven games at Everett.

6-186: RHP Michael Limoncelli (Horseheads HS [NY], my rank: 103)
Limoncelli's profile is pretty straightforward; he's a cold weather arm from Upstate New York with two potential plus pitches who is old for his class and is recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 6'2" righty sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a very good two-plane curveball, both of which he can command. Cold weather arms like Limoncelli, who grew up an hour west of Binghamton, typically have less development under their belts due to less outside practice and are therefore given the benefit of the doubt when being compared against players from places like Florida and Texas, though the fact that Limoncelli already turned 19 in May probably takes some of that slack away from him. He has a ton of upside and could be a mid-rotation starter, but he also comes with a lot of risk given that he won't get into professional games until he's 20 years old next spring or summer. Slot value is $259,400, but it may take more than that to buy him out of his Coastal Carolina commitment.

7-216: LHP Adam Macko (Vauxhall Academy [AB], unranked)
A round after popping Limoncelli from Upstate New York, the Mariners went for an even colder-weather arm in Adam Macko, who grew up west of Edmonton, Alberta but attended the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball in rural Vauxhall, Alberta. That's cold. Anyways, Macko does not throw hard – his fastball rarely scrapes 90 – but the 6' lefty has excellent feel to spot all of his pitches, including his offspeeds, around the zone. Those offspeeds are just average for now, as he shows feel to spin a curveball with good shape but without much power as well as a decent changeup. He has a lot of work to do if he wants to crack a major league rotation, but if he can maintain this command, he should be able to succeed by simply bumping his fastball from the 86-89 range to the 88-92 range and sharpening his secondaries a little, obviously easier said than done. The Mariners are hoping that getting him off the windswept Northern Plains will help. Slot value is $203,400, and he has a commitment to Purdue that he has not yet been signed away from.

11-336: C Carter Bins (Fresno State, my rank: 113)
Bins was talented enough to go in the top five rounds, but signability pushed him here to the eleventh, where he signed for a fifth round bonus of $350,000. He's a defense-first catcher who slashed .301/.372/.526 as a sophomore at Fresno State before dropping to .280/.385/.427 with six home runs and a 48/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games this year. He shows some loft in his swing but the bat speed is just average, so his power will likely be mostly to the pull side, but he does have a track record for hitting the ball hard. His real calling card is his defense, as he is an all-around asset behind the plate that will not only stick back there but provide positive value without much of a doubt. If he can hit at all, he'll land a back-up job at the major league level, and if he can start to generate a little more power while maintaining his on-base percentage, he could conceivably wind up a starter. However, the bat has a bit of a ways to go if he does indeed plan to end up starting. The Fairfield, California native's $350,000 bonus counts for $225,000 against the Mariners' bonus pool, but their savings on Williamson and Elliott as well as tenth rounder Kyle Hill help them absorb that. Through five games with Elliott and Shenton at Everett, he's slashing .211/.318/.211 with ten strikeouts to three walks.

2019 Draft Review: Tampa Bay Rays

First five rounds: Greg Jones (1-22), J.J. Goss (CBA-36), Seth Johnson (CBA-40), John Doxakis (2-61), Shane Sasaki (3-99), Graeme Stinson (4-128), Ben Brecht (5-158)
Also notable: Nathan Wiles (8-248), Cam Shepherd (20-608)

The Rays had four of the first 61 picks and used them to their advantage, hauling in a pitching-heavy class that saw them take six arms in a span of seven picks between their first competitive balance pick and the sixth round. After getting a potential leadoff man in Greg Jones, they grabbed a couple of high-upside arms in J.J. Goss and Seth Johnson before pivoting back to mostly safety arms like John Doxakis, Ben Brecht, Colby White, and Nathan Wiles. It's a really talented class and I think the Rays will get a lot of impact out of it with a potential leadoff man, two potential impact starters, and a lot of guys who could fill out the back of the rotation.

1-22: SS Greg Jones (UNC Wilmington, my rank: 38)
More of a third rounder early in the season, Jones pushed himself up boards with a strong sophomore season and looked like a second rounder for much of the spring, then made a mad rush at the end and landed here at the 22nd pick. After hitting a respectable .278/.412/.370 as a freshman in 2018, the Raleigh-area native got better and better throughout his draft-eligible sophomore season and finished with a .341/.491/.543 slash line, five home runs, 42 stolen bases, and a 44/55 strikeout to walk ratio over 63 games. Though he's a sophomore, Jones turned 21 back in March, making him the age of a typical junior, but he also hit like much more than the typical junior so it all evens out. He's exceptionally fast, as evidenced by those 42 stolen bases this year as well as 20 in 37 Cape Cod League games (where he slashed a respectable .259/.374/.353). He's also a very patient hitter, as evidenced by his 18.9% walk rate this year (as well as 15% on the Cape), and that patience becomes even more valuable because more walks gives him more chances to deploy his speed on the bases. He doesn't hit for a ton of power, though he's a skinny 6'2" and could eventually grow into enough to keep pitchers honest, but his real calling card will be his ability to spray line drives from gap to gap and let his wheels do the rest. He has the potential to turn into a true leadoff hitter with high on-base percentages and game-changing speed. Defensively, he's just decent at shortstop and some evaluators believe he would be better off moving to center field, where his speed could make him very valuable. Jones signed at slot for $3.03 million and is 4-8 with a double and a stolen base over his first two games at short season Hudson Valley.

CBA-36: RHP J.J. Goss (Cypress Ranch HS [TX], my rank: 24)
I really like this pick, as J.J. Goss has the chance to be a true impact starter. The 6'3" righty from the Houston suburbs checks all the boxes as a high school pitcher, showing a low to mid 90's fastball, a very good slider, and a good changeup, all of which he can command fairly well. He has room to fill out that 6'3" frame and add velocity, and his fluid delivery and whippy arm bode well for both adding velocity and continuing to improve his command. Even though nothing stands out as a true plus for him, he's very well rounded for a high school pitcher and could be a #2 starter. The Rays do extremely well with these kinds of pitchers, so I'd expect Goss to rise up prospect rankings throughout his time in the Tampa system. They managed to sign him at slot for just $2.05 million, which surprised me given his Texas A&M commitment and that pick #36 is a little lower than some projected him to go.

CBA-40: RHP Seth Johnson (Campbell, my rank: 30)
Johnson may be a college pitcher, but his profile is more similar to most high school pitchers given his risk, upside, lack of track record, and even age to a point. Johnson is a 6'1" righty who began his college career as an unheralded shortstop Louisburg College in Northern North Carolina, but some impressive bullpen sessions and a grand total of six innings on the mound led to Campbell, a Division I school off I-95 in Buies Creek, taking a chance on him as a pitcher. His statistics showed mixed results as he posted a 4.61 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and an 81/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 66.1 innings against mediocre competition, but if you watched him pitch, you would know why he went from a nobody to a competitive balance draft pick. The Charlotte-area native sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a full array of secondary pitches, none of which are consistent but all of which can look very good at their best. While nobody would mistake him for Greg Maddux, Johnson already throws his fair share of strikes, and his smooth, low-effort delivery bode well for improving that command. To top it all off, Johnson is very young for a college junior and doesn't turn 21 until August, so he's not as old as most college projects, which typically fall farther in the draft. Johnson hasn't gotten results yet, but his ability to turn himself into a real pitcher that flashes premium stuff with athleticism and some command virtually overnight has the Rays betting that he'll continue on this rapid upward trajectory in pro ball. He's far from a sure thing, though, and while his ceiling puts him as a #2 or #3 starter, a lot can go wrong along the way. Johnson signed for $1.72 million, $140,000 below slot.

2-61: RHP John Doxakis (Texas A&M, my rank: 47)
The Rays went and grabbed another college pitcher in the second round, but Doxakis is very different from Johnson. He had a fantastic season statistically, posting a 2.06 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and a 115/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 104.2 innings against a tough schedule, including a 2.23 ERA and a 62/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 64.2 innings in SEC play, where he faced some of college baseball's best lineups. The Houston native is 6'4" but actually sits around 90 with his fastball, instead relying on his above average slider, good command, and deceptive delivery to keep hitters off balance. With that average stuff, it's hard to project him as anything more than a back-end starter in pro ball, but his feel for pitching as well as his projectability with a skinny 6'4" frame give the Rays hope that he can add some velocity and get past that. Doxakis also has a bit of a funky delivery that might push other pitchers with similar skill sets to the bullpen, but he has the feel for pitching and the makeup to avoid that, at least in most potential outcomes. He signed for $1.13 million, right at slot.

3-99: OF Shane Sasaki (Iolani HS [HI], unranked)
Sasaki is a raw high school outfielder from Honolulu, one with a good all around game but also plenty of risk. Sasaki is a skinny six footer but generates some power with a big swing from the right side, as the torque and loft he generates could give him some pull side home runs. However, he probably won't ever hit more than 15-20 home runs per season in a best case scenario, so contact will also have to be a part of his game. It's questionable right now, and the length of his swing doesn't help ease those questions. Defensively, he uses his speed to be an above average center fielder, so all the pressure won't be on his bat. Obviously, the Rays believe they can make the power play up while maintaining his contact ability, and they're hoping to have gotten a solid every day player with this pick. Slot value is $587,400, but he has not signed yet.

4-128: LHP Graeme Stinson (Duke, my rank: 74)
Very few players saw their draft stock nosedive quite like Stinson's did in 2019. After posting a 1.89 ERA and a 98/19 strikeout to walk ratio as a sophomore reliever in 2018, he struck out twelve over five shutout innings in his one Cape Cod League start and positioned himself as a potential top ten pick if he could prove he could hang as a starter. Long story short, he didn't. The Atlanta native lasted just five starts before a hamstring injury ended his season with a 4.58 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 26/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 19.2 innings. Stinson is a 6'5" lefty who can sit in the low to mid 90's with his fastball when healthy while adding one of the best sliders in the draft class, one that could probably miss major league bats today. The Rays may give him another shot as a starter, but he'll have to get a few things done to stay there. He'll have to continue to develop his changeup and he'll have to prove his durability. Many scouts are worried that the hamstring injury was not an isolated incident, as he checks in at 250 pounds and doesn't have the strongest frame. Even if he's forced to the bullpen, his fastball/slider combination could prove lethal if he's healthy, and I think gambling on the upside was a great move by the Rays here. He signed for $440,400, which was actually $2,500 below slot.

5-158: LHP Ben Brecht (UC Santa Barbara, my rank: 123)
Despite being a tall college left handed pitcher like Stinson, Brecht actually shares very little with the man drafted a round before him. The 6'7" lefty from the Chicago suburbs had a fairly unremarkable season for UC Santa Barbara, posting a 4.10 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and a 101/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 90 innings. Despite his height, he's more about command and control as his fastball sits just a hair over 90 and his offspeeds do more to keep hitters off balance than to really miss bats. However, he uses his height to get good angle on his pitches, and when you combine that with his feel for pitching and command, he can really control the strike zone like a pro. The Rays are banking on that pitchability aspect and will hope that his stuff and velocity can take the small step forward they need to get him into the back end of a major league rotation. He signed for $297,500, which comes in $32,600 below slot.

8-248: RHP Nathan Wiles (Oklahoma, unranked)
In the eighth round, the Rays grabbed a generic right handed college pitcher out of Oklahoma in Nathan Wiles. This year, he posted a 4.40 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and an 83/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 94 innings for the Sooners, though nine earned runs in his last start inflated his ERA by almost a run. The Kansas City-area native sits around 90 with his fastball and adds a decent slider and a changeup, with his command sticking out more than anything else. He's durable at 6'4" and with his strong track record of throwing strikes, the Rays will hope to sharpen his stuff a little bit and get him into the back end of the rotation, though he has a bit more work to do than Brecht. He signed for $162,900, which was $2,500 below slot.

20-608: SS Cam Shepherd (Georgia, unranked)
I'm not sure if Shepherd is going to sign here after what was a disappointing junior season for Georgia. He came to Athens as a highly regarded recruit who ranked #118 on my 2016 draft list then slashed .307/.354/.452 as a true freshman, but his line dropped to .244/.357/.385 as a sophomore then this year he hit just .231/.333/.386 with eight home runs and a 51/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 63 games. That line was dragged down by an awful .185/.244/.315 line through SEC play, further putting into question whether the Atlanta native can hit higher level pitching. It's his hit tool that stands out for him offensively, and he draws plenty of walks to boost his on-base percentage, but with below average power, Shepherd has a lot to prove at the plate. Fortunately, he's a good defender and may be able to stick at shortstop, otherwise he'll make a very good second baseman.

2019 Draft Review: Colorado Rockies

First five rounds: Michael Toglia (1-23), Aaron Schunk (2-62), Karl Kauffmann (CBB-77), Jacob Wallace (3-100), Brenton Doyle (4-129), Will Etheridge (5-159)
Also notable: Jared Horn (7-219), Isaac Collins (9-279), Fineas Del-Bonta Smith (22-669), Hayden Dunhurst (37-1119)

The Rockies went exclusively to the college side in this draft, selecting college players with their first thirty picks before taking nine high schoolers with their final ten picks. How much first rounder Michael Toglia signs for will change everything, but for now, they're sitting a combined $102,700 below slot and may go after some of those high schoolers with over slot bonuses. Back at the early part of the draft, the Rockies grabbed two big bats in Toglia and Aaron Schunk before pivoting to pitching, selecting arms with six of their next seven picks. As an exclusively collegiate draft class, at least for the first 29 rounds plus a competitive balance pick, this draft prioritizes quick-to-the-majors talent over risky upside plays, and aside from Toglia and fourth rounder Brenton Doyle, their early picks actually prioritize safety and speed of development even when compared to other college players. That means that aside from Toglia and perhaps Schunk, there likely won't be much true-impact talent here, but the group as a whole should move quickly and we could start to see names from this draft class make the majors as soon as 2020 and 2021.

1-23: 1B Michael Toglia (UCLA, my rank: 54)
If it were any other team picking Toglia at #23, I wouldn't be a huge fan, but he'll fit really well in the thin air in Colorado. Toglia had a huge sophomore season at UCLA (11 HR, .336/.449/.588), then after starting slowly as a junior, heated up as the season went on and finished with 17 home runs, a .314/.392/.624 line, and a 65/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 63 games. He has a ton of raw pop from both sides of the plate, using his 6'5" frame and simple swing to muscle balls out of the park. However, he does have swing and miss questions, as his 65 strikeouts actually led his team and added up to a 23.4% rate, up from 21.2% as a sophomore. He also holds a .224/.313/.412 slash line with 13 home runs and a 77/29 strikeout to walk ratio (22.6% K-rate) over 71 Cape Cod League games between two seasons, showing some power but not much else there. Back on the bright side, Toglia is very young for a college junior and won't turn 21 until August, and when you combine that with the fact that switch hitters sometimes take a bit longer to develop, all the questions about his hit tool don't look quite as bad. In Toglia, the Rockies are getting a power hitter who will hit some moonshots in Coors Field, with strikeout concerns as well as the pressure that being a first baseman puts on his bat weighing down his profile a bit until and if he can prove himself. With Coors helping his numbers, he could hit 30+ home runs annually at his ceiling with middling on-base percentages. The Tacoma, Washington-area native has not signed yet, but slot value is $2.93 million and it likely won't cost more than that for him to put pen to paper.

2-62: 3B Aaron Schunk (Georgia, my rank: 80)
Schunk, like Toglia, had a bit of a late-season surge that really bumped up his stock. By ranking him 80th, I had him significantly higher than MLB Pipeline (#92) and Baseball America (#117), and I honestly like this pick at #62. Schunk was known as a contact hitter for much of his career, especially after slashing .299/.340/.411 as a sophomore at Georgia and starting his junior season with more of a bump in on-base percentage than power, but that changed recently. With the Bulldogs' season complete, Schunk finished with 15 home runs, a .339/.373/.604 slash line, and a 29/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games, and that's a profile that can play up, too. The Atlanta native always had whip in his swing but added loft this year, and with his strikeout rate only going up from 10.5% to 11.5%, the new approach to hitting shouldn't slow his hit tool down at all in pro ball. He makes extremely easy contact from the right side, but that does impact his walk rate, as he walked in just 5.5% of his plate appearances this year and his on-base percentage will be very dependent on his batting average. Defensively, he's a good-fielding third baseman with a strong arm that also helped him post a 2.49 ERA as Georgia's closer this year, so he will be an easy net-positive there as well. Aside from the walk rate, the only real knock on Schunk's game is his age, as he's a full year older than Toglia and will turn 22 in July. He signed right at slot value for $1.1 million and is 1-8 with a pair of strikeouts in his first two games for Boise in the short-season Northwest League.

CBB-77: RHP Karl Kauffmann (Michigan, my rank: 118)
Karl Kauffmann is your generic second-tier big conference starter, as he has had plenty of success at Michigan with average stuff. This year, he has a 2.66 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and a 104/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 121.2 innings through his first College World Series start, recently holding a very good UCLA lineup that included two Day One picks (and two potential future Day One picks) to two runs on six baserunners over 8.1 innings in super regionals. The 6'2" Detroit-area native throws a low 90's fastball that's tough to square up due to its run and sink, adding a pretty good slider and changeup that will, in their current state, most likely keep hitters honest more than they'll miss bats. He has a smooth delivery that doesn't include much effort and he seems to swing his stride leg out before he releases the ball, which I just find interesting. I'm not sure if the Rockies could get a little more velocity out of him if they tinkered with that, but they're probably better off leaving it as is. Slot value is $805,600, and I doubt it will take more than that to sign him.

3-100: RHP Jacob Wallace (Connecticut, my rank: 106)
Wallace was exceptional as UConn's closer this year, posting a 0.73 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP, and a 56/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 37 innings and punctuating the season by striking out twelve of the last fifteen batters he faced over five perfect innings in two NCAA regional appearances against a good Oklahoma State offense. He also starred in the Cape Cod League, striking out 25 and walking just five over 13.2 shutout innings against that elite competition. The Northern Massachusetts native sits in the mid to upper 90's with his fastball and adds a slider that is a true swing and miss pitch at its best, though it can soften up at times. His command isn't pinpoint but it's good enough, and he has closer upside if he can get more consistent with that slider. Like Toglia, he doesn't turn 21 until August, making him young for a college junior and giving him a little extra time to refine his game. He signed at slot for $581,600.

4-129: OF Brenton Doyle (Shepherd, unranked)
The Rockies went off the beaten path a little bit by taking Doyle out of Shepherd University, a Division II school in Shepherdstown, West Virginia near Martinsburg. Because of that, he's a bit hard to get a read on, but it's hard to argue with a .392/.502/.758 slash line and far more walks (42) than strikeouts (22). He's a big guy at 6'3" and shows plus raw power, and the Rockies are hoping that his low strikeout rate at Shepherd (9.5%) helps ease the transition from DII to pro ball, where he could hopefully use his strength to get to his power consistently. He's also faster than your typical physical power hitter and has a strong arm, giving him the potential to impact the game in every facet. It's risky given that he's not proven against good pitching, but he has high upside for a college hitter in this range. The Warrenton, Virginia native signed for $500,000, which was $61,300 above slot.

5-159: RHP Will Ethridge (Mississippi, unranked)
After taking Ryan Rolison in the first round last year, the Rockies went back to Ole Miss to grab his former rotation mate, Will Ethridge. While he's not as flashy and lacks the upside of Rolison, Ethridge has been a steady hand in the Rebels rotation this year, posting a 3.39 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 73/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 93 innings. The Atlanta native is a big guy at 6'5" and 240 pounds, and with solid command of three pitches, he has the chance to be a #4 or #5 starter. However, with those three pitches being a low 90's fastball, a decent slider that can get loopy at times, and a changeup that gets swings and misses at times, so the current package won't be quite enough to get him to the majors, and certainly not enough to succeed at Coors. However, he's just a little bit of positive trend away from being that back-end starter, so the Rockies will take those chances and hope for the best. Slot value is $327,200.

7-219: RHP Jared Horn (California, unranked)
Usually one guy in every write up has had a "wild ride," but perhaps nobody I've written about has had to go through what Jared Horn has gone through. A top prospect out of high school in Napa, California who ranked 32nd on my 2016 draft list, Horn instead opted to attend the University of California, making him the second highest ranked player to get to campus after #27 Drew Mendoza. He had an up and down freshman season, but during the fall of his freshman year, a drunk driver crashed into the car he was driving, killing his father, uncle, brother, and cousin and leaving him as the only survivor (you can read more here). While dealing with the very toughest of circumstances, Horn struggled through his sophomore season with a 6.15 ERA. After an appendectomy forced him out of the first month of his junior season this year, he had almost completely fallen off of draft radars. However, when he returned in March, he looked like the guy he was in high school; he posted a 2.06 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 62/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 74.1 innings, including a string of four straight 8+ inning starts against Washington State, Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon. He's 6'4" and throws a low 90's fastball with some run as well as a big breaking curveball, a decent slider, and an emerging changeup. His command improved from mediocre in 2017-2018 to solid average in 2019, though he does throw with some effort. Overall, Horn will need to sharpen his secondary stuff a little bit and prove that he can handle a pro workload, but he has more upside than Ethridge and could be a #3 or #4 starter if he continues on this trajectory. He signed for $198,500, right at slot, and doesn't turn 21 until July, making him young for his class.

9-279: 2B Isaac Collins (Creighton, unranked)
The Rockies went for a utility man in the ninth round, taking Isaac Collins out of Creighton. The Minneapolis-area native had a good junior season, slashing .293/.366/.479 with six home runs and a 42/27 strikeout to walk ratio, also adding 13 stolen bases in 54 games. He also slashed .308/.381/.367 over 38 games on the Cape, showing that his bat does have some impact. Collins has a quick, uppercut swing that reminds me a little bit of a left handed Dustin Pedroia, and as a 5'9" second baseman, the comparison makes sense. None of his tools are as loud as Pedroia's and he won't be nearly the same caliber player, but Collins could carve out a role as a speedy utility infielder with the ability to handle the bat, especially in Coors Field. He signed for $150,500, right at slot, and is slashing .235/.222/.294 with a 5/0 strikeout to walk ratio across his first four games with Schunk at Boise.

22-669: RHP Fineas Del Bonta-Smith (San Jose State, unranked)
I know nothing about Fineas Del Bonta-Smith other than he had a 4.85 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP, and a 31/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 29.2 innings at San Jose State this year and that he's from Soquel, California, but man, what a name.

37-1119: C Hayden Dunhurst (Pearl River HS [MS], my rank: 110)
As a potential third round pick based on talent alone, Dunhurst probably won't sign here, and he'll instead wind up at Ole Miss and replace Cooper Johnson, who himself was a highly rated draft prospect as a high schooler, behind the plate in Oxford. Dunhurst is a stocky, strong, 5'11" catcher from Southern Mississippi near the Louisiana line who hits for plenty of power, but he's raw around most of his game. Despite a strong arm, he's not nearly the defender that Johnson is, but he's trending in the right direction and should be able to stick behind the plate. At the plate, he has the aforementioned power, but he hasn't proven that he can get to it consistently and we'll have to watch how he fares against tough SEC pitching. He has upside, but like most high school catchers, he has plenty of risk too.