Last year, I compared Florida, Texas, and California to see which state could produce the best draft team, and this year I'm going to take it a step further by doing the whole country. I'm not going to create a Wyoming all star team, but I will go region by region to see who's producing the most talent. It should be fun. Side note, for eligibility I will be using a player's hometown, not where they currently play. So for example, Jack Leiter belongs to the Northeast, not the Western South. I also took some liberty on positions to get the best players onto teams. Rankings shown on my board.
Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC)
Average rank: 28.1
C: #3 Henry Davis (Bedford, NY)
1B: #36 James Wood (Olney, MD)
2B: #57 Cody Morissette (Exeter, NH)
SS: #63 Jose Torres (Baltimore, MD)
3B: #30 Joe Mack (Williamsville, NY)
LF: #32 Lonnie White Jr. (Malvern, PA)
CF: #7 Sal Frelick (Lexington, MA)
RF: #13 Benny Montgomery (Lewisberry, PA)
DH: #23 Joshua Baez (Brookline, MA)
SP: #1 Jack Leiter (Summit, NJ)
SP: #11 Will Bednar (Valencia, PA)
SP: #24 Chase Petty (Linwood, NJ)
SP: #27 Anthony Solometo (Pennsauken, NJ)
SP: #48 Frank Mozzicato (Manchester, CT)
RHR: #28 Ryan Cusick (Sudbury, MA)
LHR: #46 Matt Mikulski (Mohegan Lake, NY)
Honorable mentions: #54 RHP Peter Heubeck (Baltimore, MD), #72 SS Jackson Merrill (Severna Park, MD), #79 RHP Steven Hajjar (North Andover, MA), #80 LHP Joe Rock (Aliquippa, PA), #82 OF Jackson Linn (Cambridge, MA), #92 RHP Mason Black (Archbald, PA), #96 RHP Sean Burke (Sutton, MA)
Usually, the Northeast lags behind some of the other regions, but not this year, where it is by far the strongest. Every rostered player came from the top 63 prospects on my board, while every pitcher came from the top 48. The rotation is especially fearsome with what you could argue are the top two college pitchers in the country in Vanderbilt's Jack Leiter and Mississippi State's Will Bednar, as well as three of the top high school pitchers out there in Chase Petty (Jersey Shore), Anthony Solometo (Philadelphia area), and Frank Mozzicato (Hartford area). We had an influx of outfielders and I had to move IMG's James Wood to first base, but it's a really dynamic offense that combines power (Wood, Boston's Joshua Baez, Louisville's Henry Davis) with speed (Harrisburg's Benny Montgomery, Philadelphia's Lonnie White, Boston College's Sal Frelick). Overall, with an average rank of 28.1, this is the top group in the country by a wide margin over the Eastern South (53.8). Maybe I should have cut off the Mid-Atlantic to give the other regions a chance.
Midwest/Plains (OH, IN, MI, IL, WI, MN, IA, MO, KS, NE, SD, ND)
Average rank: 80.5
C: #106 Ian Moller (Dubuque, IA)
1B: #64 Alex Binelas (Oak Creek, WI)
2B: #129 Noah Miller (Fredonia, WI)
SS: #49 Alex Mooney (Bloomfield, MI)
3B: #21 Colson Montgomery (Huntington, IN)
LF: #113 Tyler McDonough (Liberty Twp, OH)
CF: #38 Christian Franklin (Overland Park, KS)
RF: #108 Chase Mason (Viborg, SD)
DH: #90 Carter Jensen (Kansas City, MO)
SP: #19 Sam Bachman (Fishers, IN)
SP: #50 Ben Kudrna (Overland Park, KS)
SP: #58 McCade Brown (Normal, IL)
SP: #111 Brody Brecht (Ankeny, IA)
SP: #121 Luke Albright (Fishers, IN)
RHR: #67 Spencer Schwellenbach (Saginaw, MI)
LHR: #144 Seth Lonsway (Celina, OH)
Honorable mentions: #131 RHP Chayce McDermott (Anderson, IN), #138 SS Cal Conley (Mount Carmel, OH), #140 LHP Evan Shawver (Amherst, OH), #154 RHP Tanner Kohlhepp (Eau Claire, WI), #166 LHP Drew Gray (Belleville, IL), #170 1B Niko Kavadas (Granger, IN)
The Midwest and Plains are usually not as productive as the warmer areas of the country, but in combining them, we have a pretty strong team. They have a bona fide first rounder both in the lineup and on the mound in southern Indiana star Colson Montgomery and Miami of Ohio's Sam Bachman. Beyond them, there's a ton of untapped upside on the mound in Indiana's McCade Brown, Nebraska's Spencer Schwellenbach, and Des Moines-area super athlete Brody Brecht, while southeastern Wisconsin prep Noah Miller has some big fans in the area. The most interesting is Chase Mason, who comes from the tiny southeastern South Dakota town of Viborg and brings massive raw power, but has not been tested against any kind of advanced pitching. Additionally, if this were a real team, Schwellenbach could help out in the infield.
Eastern South (VA, WV, NC, SC, GA)
Average rank: 53.8
C: #14 Harry Ford (Kennesaw, GA)
1B: #4 Brady House (Winder, GA)
2B: #41 Ryan Bliss (LaGrange, GA)
SS: #5 Kahlil Watson (Wake Forest, NC)
3B: #93 Ryan Spikes (Lilburn, GA)
LF: #62 James Triantos (Great Falls, VA)
CF: #29 Will Taylor (Irmo, SC)
RF: #177 Logan Cerny (Lilburn, GA)
DH: #42 Connor Norby (Kernersville, NC)
SP: #10 Kumar Rocker (Athens, GA)
SP: #17 Gavin Williams (Fayetteville, NC)
SP: #34 Bubba Chandler (Bogart, GA)
SP: #78 Ryan Webb (Roswell, GA)
SP: #99 Jonathan Cannon (Alpharetta, GA)
RHR: #94 Bryce McGowan (Cary, NC)
LHR: #61 Andrew Abbott (Republican Grove, VA)
Honorable mentions: #125 SS Michael Braswell (Smyrna, GA), #135 LHP Carter Holton (Savannah, GA), #148 Austin Love (Salisbury, NC), #158 RHP Dylan Ross (Statesboro, GA), #169 RHP Austin Vernon (Raleigh, NC), #173 SS Peyton Green (Cary, NC)
Anchored by the baseball hotbed that is the Atlanta metro area, this is a very top-heavy team with five names in the top twenty prospects. I also had to get a bit creative with the positions since it's absolutely loaded with infielders, forcing me to push north Georgia superstar Brady House to first base, DC-area riser James Triantos to the outfield, and East Carolina second baseman Connor Norby to a DH role. It also forced me to remove #125 Michael Braswell from the Atlanta area in favor of fellow ATL-er #177 Logan Cerny. This is a team with a ton of upside, while Georgia's Ryan Webb makes for an interesting sleeper.
Western South (AL, MS, TN, KY, MO, AR, LA)
Average rank: 78.4
C: #110 Hunter Goodman (Arlington, TN)
1B: #70 Cooper Kinney (Chattanooga, TN)
2B: #117 Peyton Wilson (Hoover, AL)
SS: #16 Trey Sweeney (Louisville, KY)
3B: #25 Peyton Stovall (Haughton, LA)
LF: #53 Daylen Lile (Louisville, KY)
CF: #119 Braylon Bishop (Texarkana, AR)
RF: #71 Braden Montgomery (Madison, MS)
DH: #33 Ethan Wilson (Andalusia, AL)
SP: #31 Jordan Wicks (Conway, AR)
SP: #75 Jaden Hill (Ashdown, AR)
SP: #84 Chase Burns (Hendersonville, TN)
SP: #102 Landon Marceaux (Destrehan, LA)
SP: #139 Richard Fitts (Helena, AL)
RHR: #122 James Peyton Smith (Cross Plains, TN)
LHR: #88 Maddux Bruns (Mobile, AL)
Honorable mentions: #123 John Rhodes (Soddy Daisy, TN), #136 OF Reed Trimble (Brandon, MS), #146 LHP Christian MacLeod (Huntsville, AL), #150 OF Camden Hayslip (Lebanon, TN), #155 OF Tanner Allen (Mobile, AL), #165 SS Jake Rucker (Greenbrier, TN)
The Western South technically has a decent average rank of 78.4, but to me it looks extremely patched together. It's led by a couple of stud infielders in Eastern Illinois' Trey Sweeney and Shreveport-area prep Peyton Stovall, but overall defense looks to be a weakness with Texarkana's Braylon Bishop the only above average glove. On the mound, they get a stable ace in Kansas State's Jordan Wicks, but every single arm behind him in the rotation (aside from LSU ace Landon Marceaux) comes with significant relief questions, as do the two relievers. LSU's Jaden Hill, Mobile prep Maddux Bruns, and Nashville-area preps Chase Burns and James Peyton Smith can throw serious gas, giving some upside.
Florida
Average rank: 80.3.
C: #40 Matheu Nelson (Largo, FL)
1B: #87 Nathan Hickey (Jacksonville, FL)
2B: #179 Max Ferguson (Jacksonville, FL)
SS: #193 Alex Ulloa (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
3B: #127 Tommy White (St. Petersburg, FL)
LF: #77 Michael Robertson (Venice, FL)
CF: #22 Jud Fabian (Ocala, FL)
RF: #60 Jay Allen (Fort Pierce, FL)
DH: #56 Adrian Del Castillo (Miami, FL)
SP: #12 Gunnar Hoglund (Hudson, FL)
SP: #26 Andrew Painter (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
SP: #43 Tommy Mace (Lutz, FL)
SP: #52 Doug Nikhazy (Windermere, FL)
SP: #73 Jackson Baumeister (Jacksonville, FL)
RHR: #74 Irving Carter (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
LHR: #164 Jac Caglianone (Tampa, FL)
Honorable mentions: #97 OF Justice Thompson (Tampa), #107 C Luca Tresh (Safety Harbor), #109 OF Isaiah Thomas (Palm Beach Gardens), #133 OF Robby Martin (Tampa), #141 RHP Brandon Neely (Port Orange), #160 C Rene Lastres (Fort Lauderdale), #161 OF Ty Evans (Lakeland), #172 RHP Jose Pena (Tampa)
I mentioned that the Western South felt "patched together," and now I'll note that Florida is extremely unbalanced. They're absolutely loaded in the rotation, with a high likelihood that all five starters go in the first two rounds. The outfield is filled with studs as well, with all three looking to go in the top two rounds and bringing great defense. That star-studded outfield pushed some really good players to the honorable mention section. Then we also have a ton of catching, with the big three Florida schools all sending representatives in Florida State's Matheu Nelson, Florida's Nathan Hickey, and Miami's Adrian Del Castillo, while NC State's Luca Tresh and south Florida high schooler Rene Lastres being pushed to the bench. The only place Florida lacks depth is in the infield, with Tennessee second baseman Max Ferguson, south Florida prep Alex Ulloa, and IMG stud Tommy White likely to drop out of the top one hundred picks.
Texoma (TX, OK)
Average rank: 117.3
C: UR Braxton Fulford (Lubbock, TX)
1B: UR Will Frizzell (Rockwall, TX)
2B: #137 Cameron Cauley (Mont Belvieu, TX)
SS: #6 Jordan Lawlar (Irving, TX)
3B: #47 Izaac Pacheco (Friendswood, TX)
LF: UR Seth Stephenson (Buda, TX)
CF: #15 Colton Cowser (Cypress, TX)
RF: UR Dru Baker (Tomball, TX)
DH: #196 Ivan Melendez (El Paso, TX)
SP: #8 Jackson Jobe (Oklahoma City, OK)
SP: #18 Ty Madden (Cypress, TX)
SP: #68 Dylan Smith (Stafford, TX)
SP: #69 Caedmon Parker (The Woodlands, TX)
SP: #124 Logan Henderson (Katy, TX)
RHR: #89 Bryce Miller (New Braunfels, TX)
LHR: #100 Hagen Smith (Bullard, TX)
Honorable mentions: #130 RHP Eric Hammond (Keller, TX), #159 RHP Chad Dallas (Orange, TX), #175 RHP Christian McGowan (Bokchito, OK), #184 RHP Brandon Birdsell (Willis, TX), #188 RHP Kevin Kopps (Sugar Land, TX), #189 Wyatt Olds (McLoud, OK)
In this case, I gave unranked players a value of 250, and because there were four, Texoma has the second highest average rank at 117.3. As usual, it's a pitching hotbed, led by two potential top ten picks in Oklahoma City prep Jackson Jobe and Texas Longhorn ace Ty Madden. Behind those guys, there's a lot of variation in the types of arms on this staff, but they all have interesting upside, and behind them, there's a ton of depth in the honorable mentions section. The offense is led by likely top five pick Jordan Lawlar, a DFW prep, and Sam Houston State's Colton Cowser, another likely top twenty pick, but it goes downhill quickly from there, especially after Houston-area prep Izaac Pacheco.
West Minus CA (NM, AZ, CO, UT, NV, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, AK, HI)
Average rank: 124.1
C: UR Casey Opitz (Centennial, CO)
1B: #98 Kyle Manzardo (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
2B: #230 Jace Avina (Sparks, NV)
SS: UR Drew Swift (Chandler, AZ)
3B: #51 Wes Kath (Scottsdale, AZ)
LF: #85 Malakhi Knight (Marysville, WA)
CF: #126 Thomas DiLandri (Las Vegas, NV)
RF: #44 Tyler Whitaker (Las Vegas, NV)
DH: #35 Aaron Zavala (Keizer, OR)
SP: #59 Dominic Hamel (Chandler, AZ)
SP: #86 Ky Bush (Ogden, UT)
SP: #103 Andrew Walling (Longview, WA)
SP: #105 Chase Silseth (Farmington, NM)
SP: #151 Tanner McDougal (Las Vegas, NV)
RHR: #157 Cale Lansville, (Highlands Ranch, CO)
LHR: #156 Brock Selvidge (Chandler, AZ)
Honorable mentions: #178 RHP Max Debiec (Seattle, WA), #180 RHP Alec Willis (Aurora, CO), #236 RHP Riley Cornelio (Monument, CO), #240 LHP Larson Kindreich (Central Pointe, OR), UR RHP Willie Weiss (Portland, OR)
This team of the West is interesting, because despite two unranked players and an average rank above 100, it feels balanced. There are no superstars, but almost every hitter in the lineup can hurt you and Arkansas catcher Casey Opitz and Arizona State shortstop Drew Swift make up for their light bats with standout gloves. Oregon outfielder Aaron Zavala is one of my favorite players in the draft, combining a disciplined approach with untapped raw power. We have a similar story on the mound, with no true studs but a deep rotation and a pair of high-upside high school arms in the bullpen.
California
Average rank: 81.3
C: #239 Noah Cardenas (Saugus, CA)
1B: #112 JT Schwartz (Newport Beach, CA)
2B: #9 Matt McLain (Tustin, CA)
SS: #2 Marcelo Mayer (Chula Vista, CA)
3B: #39 Carson Williams (San Diego, CA)
LF: #37 Max Muncy (Thousand Oaks, CA)
CF: #132 Eddie Saldivar (Fresno, CA)
RF: #65 Ryan Holgate (Davis, CA)
DH: #55 Cody Schrier (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
SP: #21 Gage Jump (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
SP: #66 Michael McGreevy (San Clemente, CA)
SP: #81 Robert Gasser (El Dorado Hills, CA)
SP: #91 Brendan Beck (Corona, CA)
SP: #114 Kevin Abel (San Diego, CA)
RHR: #104 Griff McGarry (Portola Valley, CA)
LHR: #134 Ricky Tiedemann (Lakewood, CA)
Honorable mentions: #83 SS Davis Diaz (Lafayette), #142 RHP Eric Silva (Laguna Hills), #143 OF Tyree Reed (Vacaville), #145 3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Pleasant Hill), #149 LHP Rodney Boone (Orange), #153 2B Roc Riggio (Thousand Oaks)
California landed the most players on my draft list of any single state, and on its own it created a team that could compete with just about any in this article except perhaps the Northeast and the Eastern South. Led by the top high school player in the country, the San Diego-area's Marcelo Mayer, this team is loaded on the infield with five who could potentially go in the top fifty picks. Because of that, I had to move Orange County star Cody Schrier to DH and bump Thousand Oaks' Max Muncy and Fresno's Eddie Saldivar to the outfield, while also moving Contra Costa County riser Davis Diaz into the honorable mention section. While it lacks star power, the pitching staff is strong as well, led by possible first rounders in Orange County's Gage Jump and UC Santa Barbara's Michael McGreevy. There's also some interesting upside in the bullpen, where Virginia's Griff McGarry shows unreal stuff and possibly improving command and Golden West JC's Ricky Tiedemann has plenty of projection remaining at a young age.
Comparing the Four
Average rank overall:
1. Northeast (28.1)
2. Eastern South (53.8)
3. Western South (78.4)
4. Midwest/Plains (80.5)
5. Florida (80.3)
6. California (81.3)
7. Texoma (117.3)
8. West Minus CA (124.1)
Average rank lineup
1. Northeast (29.3)
2. Eastern South (51.9)
3. Western South (68.2)
4. California (76.6)
5. Midwest/Plains (79.8)
6. Florida (93.4)
7. West Minus CA (129.9)
8. Texoma (155.7)
Average rank pitching:
1. Northeast (26.4)
2. Eastern South (56.1)
3. Florida (63.4)
4. Texoma (68.0)
5. Midwest/Plains (81.4)
6. California (87.3)
7. Western South (91.6)
8. West Minus CA (116.7)
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