2021 MLB Draft Review: Oakland Athletics

Full list of draftees

For the second straight year, the A's grabbed a prep hitter out of California in the back of the first round, but from there it was virtually all college with Puerto Rican prep pitcher Eduardo Rivera (eleventh round) representing the only other high schooler in the haul. There was no one big overslot signing here, as Oakland instead opted to spread its money around pretty evenly and grab a couple of moderately overslot college players in the middle of day two. It was a little more hitter-heavy on days one and two and a little more pitcher-heavy on day three, but ultimately the A's picked up a diverse variety of players and didn't really stick to one demographic, aside from mainly college guys. They also took a lot of guys that I'm a little extra interested to see how they turn out, including first rounder Max Muncy, third rounder Mason Miller, fourth rounder Denzel Clarke, and ninth rounder Shane McGuire.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-25: SS Max Muncy, Thousand Oaks HS [CA]. My rank: #37.
We've probably all heard multiple times by now that this isn't the Dodgers' Max Muncy and he shares no relation, even though he did grow up in the Los Angeles suburbs. I've been interested in the younger Max Muncy throughout the whole draft cycle, and I wasn't surprised to see him rising towards the end of the spring. He has plenty of room to grow into his rangy 6'1" frame, and while he might not be the most athletic kid in the class, he uses his body very well and gets the most out of it, which will bode well for him as he grows and adds strength. Muncy shows great feel for the barrel from the right side, with plenty of plate coverage and the ability to do damage to all parts of the park, which again is something that he'll only get better at as he gets stronger. Defensively, there's a split camp as to whether he's athletic enough to handle shortstop, but I see enough arm strength to make it work as an above average third baseman and the A's likely think he'll stick at shortstop outright. Overall, Muncy may not have one standout tool that most first rounders show, but I like the overall package a lot and I think he'll grow into his game nicely. It took $2.85 million to sign him away from an Arkansas commitment, which was about $110,000 above slot value.

2-60: 3B Zack Gelof, Virginia. My rank: #101.
The industry was a bit split on Zack Gelof, who has been a bit more inconsistent than the typical Virginia draft prospect. He was off to a hot start in 2020, slashing .349/.469/.746 when the season shut down, but got off to a slow start in 2021 before righting the ship later on and finishing at .312/.393/.485 with nine home runs and a 40/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 63 games. Those who have watched Gelof regularly see all of the offensive tools to succeed, but not necessarily at the same time. There's above average raw power in his 6'3" frame, which he has shown the ability to tap despite playing at a pitcher-friendly home park. The Delaware native also has shown a disciplined approach that has enabled high on-base percentages in Charlottesville and makes him an all-around asset at the plate. To this point, though, he hasn't quite shown both at the same time. He can hit for power, but when he does, it often comes with some moderate swing and miss. On the other hand, when he's focused on making contact and putting the ball in play, sometimes he can hit for less impact. The A's likely believe that's partly due to that power-suppressing home park, and once he gets into more neutral environments in pro ball, he'll put it all together. The Coliseum may be similar to Davenport Field in Charlottesville, but at least he won't experience the same drop-off as other hitters. Gelof signed for slot value at $1.16 million.

3-97: RHP Mason Miller, Gardner-Webb. My rank: #128.
Mason Miller is a really interesting one. He was lightly recruited out of his Pittsburgh-area high school and began his college career at Division III Waynesburg University, where he was a non-factor over his first two seasons before being diagnosed with Type I diabetes and taking a step forward as a junior in 2019. He transferred to Gardner-Webb after graduating and has continued to build his stock, finishing with a 3.30 ERA and a 121/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 92.2 innings. Miller is a power arm that comfortably sits in the mid 90's and touched 99 at the combine, coming in with a low release point and high spin that give his fastball a very flat plane up in the zone. The 6'5" righty adds an above average slider as well that is his main secondary, while his changeup is his clear third pitch. Miller fills up the strike zone and has the frame and stuff to project as a starter at the next level. Working against him is age, as he'll turn 23 in August, but the A's are buying into the incredibly steep, upward trajectory he's on and think he'll continue to improve in their system. If the changeup doesn't come along or the command doesn't make the transition, his fastball/slider combination could be deadly out of the bullpen. Miller signed at slot value for $599,100.

4-127: OF Denzel Clarke, Cal State Northridge. My rank: #115.
In the fourth round, the A's came back to the west coast and brought on one of the best athletes in the class. The son of an olympic heptathlete and a cousin of Josh and Bo Naylor, Denzel Clarke has combined that athleticism with performance by slashing .341/.464/.615 with eleven home runs, twenty stolen bases, and a 65/31 strikeout to walk ratio in 53 games over the last two seasons. There's plus raw power in his 6'5" frame, and he has been tapping it more and more consistently in games. He's also a plus runner that can make an impact on both sides of the ball, giving him the chance to stick in center field in the long run. The hit tool is a bit less proven, as Clarke struck out at a 23% clip against decent Big West pitching this year, and some evaluators noted that most of his damage came against lower quality arms and he struggled against better stuff. Still, others will note that the Toronto-area native is absolutely trending in the right direction with his approach, and getting him into a pro development system to continue that trend could bring big results. The A's are betting on Clarke's considerable ceiling this year and think that he could be the type to burst into pro ball and take a lot of people by surprise. He signed for $700,000, which was about $252,600 above slot value and the equivalent to mid-third round money.

5-158: C CJ Rodriguez, Vanderbilt. Unranked.
CJ Rodriguez's ascent to stardom came relatively quickly. He played in twelve games in the shortened 2020 season, but became Vanderbilt's starting catcher in 2021 and produced, slashing .249/.393/.378 with five home runs and an excellent 19/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 58 games. Rodriguez is not a flashy player – rather, he uses his high baseball IQ and good knowledge of his own game to contribute quietly. While the 5'10" backstop doesn't have a ton of power, he finds the barrel consistently with a simple right handed stroke and manages the strike zone superbly, which will make the transition to pro pitching much easier for him. Behind the plate, he's a quiet leader with plenty of big game experience, and has deftly handled famous arms like Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, Christian Little, and Patrick Reilly. Again, that experience with first round stuff will come in handy in pro ball. The Los Angeles-area native also has a strong arm that plays up due to his quick release and strong instincts. To me, it's a pretty clear backup catcher profile, but if he can tack on a little bit of power he could manage as a glove-first regular. He signed for $400,000, which was about $69,900 above slot value.

6-188: RHP Grant Holman, California. My rank: #167.
Grant Holman entered campus in Berkeley as a two-way player, and he actually slashed .264/.348/.414 with five home runs over his first two seasons. However, he dropped hitting during the pandemic and came back to campus in the fall of 2020 as a pitcher-only, and his stuff took a boost. The fastball touched 97 and sat in the mid 90's in fall practice, and his secondaries looked a bit sharper as well. After sitting out the first month of the regular season with biceps problems, he came out and had a solid but unspectacular spring with a 3.83 ERA and a 46/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 47 innings. The stuff looked good, but he didn't quite build the fall like some scouts had hoped. The huge, 6'6" righty gets great lower half extension down the mound, then releases from high off the ground to put steep downhill plane on his pitches. He gets nice life on his fastball, though it should be noted that today, low release heights with flat approach angles are more in style. Behind that big fastball is a full array of secondaries, all of which are a work in progress. His slider is probably his best, flashing above average at times, though it and his curveball can get loopy at times. The changeup is fringe-average for now, while his command can flash average but is inconsistent. He's more of a traditional starting pitching prospect in that his pitch and delivery data don't uncover any high spin rates or the like, but the A's are buying into his frame, arm strength, age (he just turned 21 at the end of May), and the fact that he just gave up hitting last year. The San Diego-area product signed for $375,000, which was $119,700 above slot value.

9-278: C Shane McGuire, San Diego. Unranked.
This is a really interesting one for me. Shane McGuire improved every year at San Diego, jumping from .287/.417/.362 as a freshman in 2018 to .325/.444/.401 as a sophomore and .469/.561/.688 in his pandemic-shortened junior season. That didn't quite carry over to 2021, where he hit a quieter but still respectable .278/.389/.483 with a career high six home runs and a 14/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 45 games. The younger brother of Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire, Shane stands out first and foremost for his exceptional bat to ball skills, which have led to just a 10.9% strikeout rate over four years at San Diego and a minuscule 6.5% rate in 2021. He shows some easy pop in his 6' frame and slight uppercut swing, but he tends to get on top of balls and hits a lot of low line drives, which led to hitting just one home run in each of his first three seasons. The Seattle-area native is a bit choppy behind the plate, but shows off a strong arm that will keep him back there for now and possibly for good once robot umpires show up. Though he's a bit older as a fourth year player who turned 22 in April, I think there's more upside here than you might expect, as some swing tweaks could help him tap more power in pro ball and his plate discipline will enable him to make the most of it. He signed for $100,000, which was $50,800 below slot value.

14-428: OF Jonny Butler, North Carolina State. Unranked.
Jonny Butler spent his freshman season at Heartland JC in Illinois, then transferred to NC State and improved every year. In 2021, Butler was one of the best hitters in the ACC, slashing .376/.452/.663 with 14 home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 45/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 52 games against a tough schedule, anchoring a Wolfpack lineup that made a deep Omaha run only cut short by a COVID outbreak. Butler brings a very interesting bat with a left handed swing that's long through the zone but still manages to put plenty of loft on the baseball, enabling him to handle and do damage against premium arms. In fact, he was one of just five players to homer off of Golden Spikes winner Kevin Kopps this year. There's at least average power in the tank as he manipulates the barrel well and hits the ball hard. He's an average runner who probably profiles as a left fielder in the long run, so the bat will have to carry him, and he's a fourth year guy who turned 22 in February. Still, I really like this pick in the fourteenth round, where he signed for $125,000.

2021 MLB Draft: A Hometown Pick for Every AL/NL West Team

I'm personally just as interested in maps as I am in the MLB Draft, so naturally I really like it when players go to their hometown team. Seeing Ryan Zimmerman (Virginia Beach, VA) on the Nationals, Justin Turner (Lakewood, CA) on the Dodgers, Joe Musgrove (La Mesa, CA) on the Padres, etc. makes me happy. Last year, the Cubs drafted Chicago native Ed Howard in the first round, which I thought was really cool. Obviously, picking the hometown guy usually plays a negligible part in the selection process, but it's still fun to think about. So, if teams were drafting to make me happy, what hometown players could they target early in the draft? Note, I'll usually think in terms of the first pick if possible, but if necessary I'll find targets for the second or third pick (especially in the "other options" section). This is the final of three articles, as I previously wrote on the AL and NL East as well as the AL and NL Central. Note this is NOT a mock draft – it's just for fun and I don't actually think many of these will happen. They're just fun to think about.

Arizona Diamondbacks: 3B Wes Kath, Desert Mountain HS, Scottsdale, AZ
Usually, Phoenix and its suburbs are a hotspot for talent, with notable recent first round Arizonans including Nick Gonzales (New Mexico via Vail), Matthew Liberatore (Glendale), and Nolan Gorman (Phoenix). This year, no Arizonans figure to be in play at pick #6, and probably not at #42 either, but when the Diamondbacks loop back at pick #67 in the second competitive balance round, Wes Kath could be a great option if he's not already off the board. The Scottsdale native is a slugging corner infielder who can really smoke the baseball from the left side, a product of the strength and leverage in his 6'3" frame. Unlike most power hitters his age, he also shows a strong hit tool and feel for the barrel, so he should have no problem tapping his power in pro ball. In fact, for much of his prep career, that hit tool has been ahead of his power, which is saying something given his powerful 6'3" frame and high exit velocities. Kath is committed to head south on 101 to college at Arizona State, so the Diamondbacks would only need to divert him a couple of miles west to downtown.
Other Options: LHP Brock Selvidge (Hamilton HS, Chandler, AZ), RHP Dominic Hamel (Dallas Baptist via Chandler, AZ), RHP Chase Silseth (Arizona via Farmington, NM), OF Donta Williams (Arizona via Las Vegas, NV), SS Channy Ortiz (Grand Canyon via Phoenix, AZ)

Colorado Rockies: C Casey Opitz, Arkansas (hometown: Centennial, CO)
Neither Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, nor Wyoming has a baseball team, so unless elite prospects want to play at Northern Colorado or Air Force, they have to leave the region to chase their Division I dreams. One of those kids was Casey Opitz, who graduated from Heritage High School in Centennial before embarking across the plains to Arkansas. There, he has blossomed into Pitching Ninja's favorite catcher due to his high energy playing style behind the plate. Opitz indeed is one of the better defensive catchers in the college game, showing great mobility behind the plate, a strong arm, and perhaps most importantly, all of the leadership qualities you look for in a seasoned backstop. In an organization like Colorado, where you're often pitching in hitter-friendly environments that can be discouraging, that's even more important. Opitz's bat isn't as special as his glove, as he shows strong plate discipline but for the most part has lacked impact. Additionally, he'll turn 23 shortly after the draft, which combined with the fringy bat gives him a pretty clear backup projection. Opitz probably won't be in play on Day One, but once the Rockies loop back around for their fourth round pick at #109, he could start to make sense anywhere between there and maybe pick #200ish in the seventh round.
Other options: RHP Chase Silseth (Arizoan via Farmington, NM), RHP Riley Cornelio (Texas Christian via Monument, CO), RHP Cale Lansville (Thunder Ridge HS, Highlands Ranch, CO), RHP/1B Sam Ireland (Minnesota via Highlands Ranch, CO), 2B Cooper Bowman (Louisville via Rapid City, SD)

Houston Astros: RHP Caedmon Parker (The Woodlands Christian HS, The Woodlands, TX)
The Astros don't pick until #87 this year after the sign stealing scandal, which almost certainly puts them out of the running for top local products like Ty Madden (Texas via Cypress), Colton Cowser (Sam Houston State via Cypress) and Izaac Pacheco (Friendswood), and possibly Dylan Smith (Alabama via Stafford) as well. Still, Southeast Texas is so rich with prospects that we still have plenty of options to choose from. Last year, the Astros went above slot value to bring in a falling high school pitcher in Alex Santos with the 72nd pick, and they could do the same thing with Caedmon Parker this year. I'm personally a big fan of Parker, an athletic 6'4" righty who also plays wide receiver at The Woodlands Christian High School. His fastball velocity has been inconsistent, sitting in the upper 80's on some days and touching 95 on others, but given his athleticism, springy delivery, and room to add a ton of good weight, I can easily see him sitting at the upper end of that velocity band or higher in the future. He adds a curveball, slider, and changeup that are all developing, but he spins the ball well and I can see at least one if not two or three of those pitches becoming above average to plus down the road. Additionally, Parker fills up the strike zone very consistently, which is usually not the case with these long-term, projectability types. And lastly, because he's young for the class with a June birthday, he has that much more time to develop. Parker is committed to TCU and even though he'll likely be an expensive sign this year, I think he'll be significantly more expensive in three years.
Other options: RHP Dylan Smith (Alabama via Stafford, TX), SS Cameron Cauley (Barbers Hill HS, Mont Belvieu, TX), RHP Bryce Miller (Texas A&M via New Braunfels, TX), RHP Landon Marceaux (Louisiana State via Destrehan, LA), RHP Brandon Birdsell (Texas A&M via Willis, TX)

Los Angeles Angels: SS Matt McLain, UCLA (hometown: Tustin, CA)
I feel comfortable splitting up the two Los Angeles teams despite combining the two New York and Chicago teams (plus the Bay Area teams lower down on this list), with plenty of space separating Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium. For the Angels, we'll go with UCLA star Matt McLain, even if pick #9 might be just a little rich for him at this point. McLain was a stud at Beckman High School in northern Irvine, and the Diamondbacks tried to pry him out of Southern California by drafting him 25th overall. However, he didn't sign, and proceeded to post a disappointing freshman season up in Westwood (.203/.276/.355), but has been trending back up ever since. The Tustin native was red hot when the season shut down in 2020, then continued his hot hitting ways over the summer. After getting out of the gates a little slow in 2021, he's back to his usual ways lately and if he continues on this path, he very well could be an option at pick #9. McLain is a smaller guy at 5'11", but he's an elite athlete who packs a lot of strength into his lean frame and could profile for average or even above average power. He also finds the barrel very consistently with a quick right handed stroke, with plus speed that makes him a weapon on the bases. He has the athleticism for shortstop but his feel for the position is so-so, so keeping him at the premium position might require a little bit of development. Working slightly against him is age, as he'll turn 22 slightly after the draft.
Other options: LHP Gage Jump (JSerra Catholic HS, San Juan Capistrano, CA), SS Cody Schrier (JSerra HS), RHP Michael McGreevy (UC Santa Barbara via San Clemente, CA), 1B JT Schwartz (UCLA via Newport Beach, CA), RHP Troy Melton (San Diego State via Anaheim, CA)

Los Angeles Dodgers: SS Max Muncy, Thousand Oaks HS, Thousand Oaks, CA
Now wouldn't this be funny? Max Muncy is indeed not related to the current Dodger of the same name, but is currently waiting right there for the team just forty miles to the northwest across the Ventura County line. I originally thought about giving the Dodgers Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) star Thatcher Hurd at the 29th pick, but given how small their bonus pool will be without a second round pick, I'm not sure they can afford him. Likewise, not having that second round pick means they won't pick again until #101, so there's a good chance Muncy is off the board by then as well unless he slides due to signing bonus demands. However, the idea of the Dodgers picking up another Max Muncy was too interesting not to talk about. He's a feel-over-tools guy who can just flat out play, showing few weaknesses in his profile. Muncy has a nice 6'1" frame with long levers that help him put nice leverage into his right handed swing, giving him a chance at above average power. While his swing mechanics can be inconsistent in the box, he shows enough feel for the barrel to profile as at least an average hitter if not above average, which pairs nicely with that emerging power. Defensively, he doesn't quite have the range or athleticism for shortstop, but he has the chance to be an above average third baseman if he moves over there. With a lot of building blocks to work with, the Dodgers could sign him above slot in the third round to keep him away from Arkansas, but if he's snatched up earlier (he likely will be), they can just draft his Thousand Oaks teammate, second baseman Roc Riggio.
Other options: 2B Roc Riggio (Thousand Oaks HS, Thousand Oaks, CA), RHP Thatcher Hurd (Mira Costa HS, Manhattan Beach, CA), RHP Sean Sullivan (California via Woodland Hills, CA), C Noah Cardenas (UCLA via Saugus, CA), RHP Jesse Bergin (UCLA via Los Angeles, CA)

Oakland Athletics/San Francisco Giants
Hitter: OF Tyree Reed, American Canyon HS, American Canyon, CA
Unlike Los Angeles, I decided to combine Oakland and San Francisco into one Bay Area "hometown" because there isn't quite enough talent on the San Francisco side of the Bay and they share the Central Valley/Sacramento area anyways. For the hitter, we'll go with American Canyon star Tyree Reed, who is a fairly polarizing prospect due to his lack of exposure. He didn't attend many events over the summer and underwhelmed in his limited looks, but scouts with more history with Reed have seen him do great things on the baseball field. A skinny 6'2", he can show off one of the better left handed swings in the class, a quick, leveraged stroke that will help him hit for above average power down the line. For now, he needs to add strength in order to produce that power, but he does have strong plate discipline that should allow him to tap it once it comes. Reed is also a plus runner who has the chance to be a standout defender in center field, only adding to his value. The lack of a track record means he won't be in play for the Giants at pick #14 and might be a bit of a stretch for the A's at pick #25, but if he's still around for the Giants at #50 or the A's at #60, he could make a lot of sense. American Canyon, by the way, is just north of Vallejo on the way up to Napa. He's committed to Oregon State and could command a large bonus.
Other options: OF Ryan Holgate (Arizona via Davis, CA), SS Davis Diaz (Acalanes HS, Lafayette, CA), OF Braiden Ward (Washington via Merced, CA), 3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Oklahoma State via Pleasant Hill, CA), 2B Darren Baker (California via Granite Bay, CA)
Pitcher: RHP Trenton Denholm (UC Irvine via El Dorado Hills, CA)
Honestly, this spot was up for grabs between three pitchers from the same high school, Oak Ridge High School in the Sacramento suburb of El Dorado Hills. Though Houston ace Robert Gasser has seen his name trend up lately, I decided to go with UC Irvine star Trenton Denholm over Gasser and Texas lefty Pete Hansen because Denholm was the only one to stay in state for school while the other two headed to the Lone Star State. Denholm was actually eligible last year, but he went undrafted and because he was extremely young for a college junior last year, he's still age-appropriate for this year's draft. He won't overpower you, but he will out-compete you and that's led to one of the better statistical track records in this year's draft. The 5'11" righty dominated for two summers in the elite Cape Cod League, not allowing an earned run in 32.2 innings, and he held a 1.90 ERA over 123.1 innings at UCI from 2019-2020. Denholm gets it done with a modest fastball that sits around 90, getting up to 93 at his best, adding a slider and curveball that can miss bats. His best pitch is a plus changeup that makes the rest of his arsenal play up, and he ties it all together with strong command and a bulldog-like mentality on the mound, going right after hitters. He's been a bit more inconsistent in 2021, alternating brilliant starts against Hawai'i and UC San Diego with rough ones against Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly. His proponents will point to his makeup and long track record of results, but detractors will look at his size and lack of velocity and point Denholm to the bullpen. Regardless, the 21 year old will come into play in the third round if a team wants to sign him below slot, but otherwise, more likely in the fourth or fifth round.
Other options: LHP Robert Gasser (Houston via El Dorado Hills, CA), LHP Pete Hansen (Texas via El Dorado Hills, CA), RHP Cullen Kafka (Oregon via Walnut Creek, CA), RHP Anthony Susac (Jesuit HS, Carmichael, CA), RHP Alex Williams (Stanford via Castro Valley, CA)

San Diego Padres: RHP Grant Holman, California (hometown: Chula Vista, CA)
The Padres, perhaps more than any other team, love to take high-ceiling high school talent at the top of the draft, and this year, there's an absolute stud right in their backyard at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista. In my opinion, Eastlake's Marcelo Mayer is the best high school player in the draft, and the Padres would absolutely love to get him in their system, but unfortunately (or fortunately) they don't pick until #27 this year. Mayer is likely to go in the top five picks, so we'll shift our focus to another Eastlake alum, California star Grant Holman. Holman is a two-way star who hit .264/.348/.414 over his first two years in Berkeley, but gave up hitting this year to focus on pitching and the results have been great. His fastball has ticked up into the mid 90's at times and has touched 97, and he puts nice life on the ball with his 6'6" frame. The big right hander, who clocks in at 250 pounds, also adds a full array of secondary pitches, with the slider being the one to take a step forward this year. He's been moving up boards all spring, so the Padres could jump onto the train heading in the right direction and look to develop the rest of his arsenal. He throws plenty of strikes and has that big, durable frame, giving him the upside of an impact starting pitcher. The Chula Vista native would probably be a bit of a stretch at pick #27 unless he takes off at the end of the season, but he could be in play when the Padres come back around at pick #62 and again at #71. Of course, I fully expect them to target high school talent, but Mayer is the only Day One high school prospect I've come across so far.
Other options: RHP Kevin Abel (Oregon State via San Diego, CA), RHP Braden Olthoff (Tulane via Oceanside, CA), RHP Mason Pelio (Boston College via San Diego, CA), RHP Nick Nastrini (UCLA via San Diego, CA), RHP Carson Seymour (Kansas State via Temecula, CA)

Seattle Mariners: OF Malakhi Knight, Marysville-Getchell HS, Marysville, WA
No PNW players will be in play when the Mariners select at pick #12, but a couple of local high school products will be over their next couple of picks. We'll look at outfielder Malakhi Knight, who stars at Marysville-Getchell High School at the northern tip of the Seattle suburbs. The Marysville native shows off a powerful right handed swing that generates plenty of loft and leverage from a strong 6'3" frame, though it can get a bit grooved and out of whack at times. He also shows solid feel for the strike zone that should enable him to tap more and more power as he grows into it, though scouts are looking for a bit more consistency at this point. Knight will also be an asset in the outfield, where his at least above average speed could play in center field and his strong arm will be a net-positive in right field. To top it all off, "Malakhi Knight" is in my opinion the coolest name in a prep class that also includes Roc Riggio, Lorenzo Carrier, and Vytas Valincius. Knight is committed to Oregon State and makes sense for the Mariners at pick #48.
Other options: RHP Max Debiec (O'Dea Catholic HS, Seattle, WA), 1B Kyle Manzardo (Washington State via Coeur d'Alene, ID), C Shane McGuire (San Diego via Kent, WA), RHP Willie Weiss (Michigan via Portland, OR), RHP Jake Pfennigs (Oregon State via Post Falls, ID)

Texas Rangers: SS Jordan Lawlar, Jesuit HS, Dallas, TX
We'll end with probably the easiest pick to make here. Not only is Lawlar the most likely Metroplex product to end up with the Rangers this year, he might be the most likely player period. A native of Irving, Lawlar attends arguably the best baseball program in the region, Jesuit High School in North Dallas, and he's separated himself as arguably the top high school player in the country. Personally, I'm just a bit higher on San Diego high schooler Marcelo Mayer, but that's neither here nor there. Lawlar stands out first for his combination of exceptional athleticism and exceptional feel for the game, often looking like he's just on a different level from others on the baseball field with him. He brings great feel for the barrel that enables him to spray hard line drives all around the field against advanced pitching, with burgeoning power in his lean 6'2" frame. On the other side of the ball, he shows great range and a strong arm at shortstop that could make him an impact defender with a little more consistency. A plus runner, Lawlar wreaks havoc on the bases but is a smart baserunner who knows when to be aggressive without making boneheaded mistakes. There's really a lot, a lot to like with Lawlar, which is why numerous mock drafts have projected him to the Rangers at #2 overall. Really, the only flaws his detractors will point to are age, as he'll turn 19 in July, and power that plays closer to average than plus.
Other options: RHP Eric Hammond (Keller HS, Keller, TX), RHP Ryan Johnson (Red Oak HS, Red Oak, TX), LHP Jonathan Childress (Texas A&M via Forney, TX), RHP Rawley Hector (Anna HS, Anna, TX), LHP Hagen Smith (Bullard HS, Bullard, TX)