2021 MLB Draft Review: Cincinnati Reds

Full list of draftees

I really like this Reds' class, and I had a lot of fun writing about it. They had a ton of early picks due to losing Trevor Bauer as well as winning a CBA pick for small market teams, meaning they got to select three times in the first 35. All three of those picks were hitters, and in fact they took bats with five of their first six picks before pivoting towards arms in the later rounds. Performance was a big focus here and they were not scared of older players, and by the end of September, seven of their first nine picks will have turned 22 and Matheu Nelson will be approaching 23. I really liked a lot of these picks, with first rounder Matt McLain being my favorite even though it took a huge over slot bonus to get him. In the later rounds, I really liked taking a chance on super-athlete Justice Thompson in the sixth round.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-17: SS Matt McLain, UCLA. My rank: #9.
Matt McLain has had a very well-documented amateur career, and it began and ended with a first round selection. Originally thought of as more of a second rounder for the 2018 draft at Beckman High School in California, he rode a hot spring to a back-of-the-first round selection by the Diamondbacks, only to turn them down when they couldn't meet his bonus demands. His freshman season at UCLA was a forgettable one, as he hit just .203/.276/.355 over 61 games, but he's been trending back up ever since. After a hot .397/.422/.621 start to his 2020, he raked his way through summer ball and rode a strong second half to a .333/.434/.579 line, nine home runs, and an even 34/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 47 games this spring. The stats aren't a mirage, either, as he really has done a lot to improve his game. He came into Westwood as an undersized, aggressive hitter who lacked much impact, but learned to barrel the ball better as a sophomore. Then this spring, he came out with a much more disciplined approach and stopped chasing as often as he had in the past, and at the same time started impacting the ball significantly more. That led to me flipping from being relatively low on him coming into the season (he ranked as low as #23 on my board in early April) to becoming a big proponent of his upside. The Southern California native now profiles for above average power despite his skinny 5'11" frame, with plenty of twitchy strength and athleticism that he has learned to engage in his quick right handed swing. I'm less worried about the swing and miss now, and I think he has a shot at .350+ on-base percentages to go with 15-25 home runs per season. A plus runner, he can stretch for extra bases with regularity, though he didn't steal that often at UCLA and only came away with 16 career stolen bases in 121 games. His athleticism helps him a lot at shortstop, but to this point he relies on that athleticism to get the job done and he doesn't quite have the quick, smooth actions of a guy like third rounder Jose Torres. The industry is split on whether he'll stick, especially considering his inconsistency from game to game, but the Reds likely think he will and believe they can help channel that athleticism into more consistent defense there. The bat would profile great at shortstop, but he will still hit plenty enough to profile as a regular at third base. McLain signed this time for $4.63 million, which was just over one million above slot value.

1C-30: OF Jay Allen, John Carroll Catholic HS [FL]. My rank: #60.
The industry has been relatively split on Jay Allen, but he had a lot of fans and it looks like the Reds were one of them. Allen is a three sport star who had a chance to play football at Florida and has also shown potential on the basketball court, but his future has clearly been in baseball and the Reds solidified that with this pick. He has a powerful 6'3" frame that produces above average raw power for now and could get to plus with some mechanical tweaks, and he's trending in the right direction with his bat anyways. He's honed his approach at the plate significantly and wasn't quite so much of a free swinger this spring as he had been in the past, and he did a better job of repeating his A swing rather than getting out in front or chasing. As you might expect from a Division I-caliber quarterback and talented basketball player, the Fort Pierce, Florida native is a supreme athlete, but he didn't quite show his top speed this spring, the only tool that regressed for him. Proponents such as the Reds believe that could have to do with the grind of switching between three sports, and that focusing on one sport and one set of skills will get him back to showing those plus wheels. Additionally, the fact that he has shown this much potential in baseball despite not completely focusing on it is impressive in its own right, and Cincinnati also thinks that he could be in for a huge breakout once he gets into their development system. Allen has plenty of ceiling, but there's a long way to go. He signed for $2.4 million, which was about $30,000 above slot value.

CBA-35: C Matheu Nelson, Florida State. My rank: #40.
We'll ignore the fact that this is about the worst way you can spell Matthew and just focus on the fact that Matheu Nelson is a fantastic player. He was eligible as a sophomore last year due to being a full year older than most of his high school graduating class (similar to Jack Leiter and Colson Montgomery), but didn't garner enough interest to be seriously considered in the shortened draft. That changed this year when he absolutely torched ACC pitching to the tune of 23 home runs, a .330/.436/.773 slash line, and a 58/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 53 games, enough to bring home ACC Player of the Year honors. He doesn't have huge physical tools, but simply found the barrel time and time and time again this spring with a quick, simple right handed swing. At first, evaluators were waiting for pitchers to adjust to his breakout, but he just kept hitting and hitting and hitting to the point where he just forced his name up boards. There is some swing and miss in the Tampa-area native's game (24.5% this year), but it didn't hamper him in the slightest against strong ACC pitching this spring and I'm inclined to believe it won't be an issue at the next level either. Behind the plate, he plays with a ton of energy and should be at least average, so it's not just a bat-first profile where people think he may have to move off the position. He's a fun one to watch no doubt, and has the ceiling of an every day catcher who hits for power and gets on base, which there are not a lot of right now. Because he's already 22 and a half, there is a bit of a lower floor given the swing and miss, and if it does crop up in pro ball, he should be at least a platoon guy or a power hitting backup. Nelson signed right at slot value for $2.1 million.

2-53: LHP Andrew Abbott, Virginia. My rank: #61.
Andrew Abbott, like Matheu Nelson, was undrafted last year, but he was very much on the radar after three strong seasons in the UVA bullpen. He transitioned to starting this year and unlike many other relievers-turned-starters, he had tremendous success, putting up a 2.87 ERA and a 162/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 106.2 innings, the 162 strikeouts leading all non-Vanderbilt arms by 19. Abbott's stuff held firm during the transition, and he shows a low 90's fastball, a plus hammer curveball, and an improved changeup that's now solidly an average pitch. After showing inconsistent command out of the bullpen, he filled up the strike zone as a starter and effectively worked all three pitches to his spots. He has a bit of a crossfire delivery that puts angle on his pitches, especially adding to his curveball's depth. Additionally, teams love his work ethic and demeanor on the mound, as the southern Virginia native loves to go to war with the opponent and relishes pressure and competition. Still, I do have some minor concerns over his ability to stick in the rotation. In my looks, his low 90's fastball dipped into the upper 80's later in his starts, and he's not the most physical at a skinny six feet tall. I will say though that the progress he made with that changeup and command do give him a better shot, though he did turn 22 in June. He signed for $1.3 million, which was about $70,000 below slot value.

3-89: SS Jose Torres, North Carolina State. My rank: #63.
This is another pick I really like. Jose Torres has long stood out for his defense at shortstop, then surprised evaluators by coming out and hitting .333/.369/.533 over the shortened season. His numbers held up over a full season this year, slashing .289/.343/.533 with ten home runs and a 39/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 52 games. He shows great bat to ball skills both in and out of the zone, which helps him keep his strikeouts down despite a very aggressive approach. There's some power in his rangy 6' frame that he is learning to tap, giving him the chance to be a multifaceted hitter. The defense remains his calling card, as the Dominican (by way of Baltimore) shows great range and a very strong arm with the ability to execute routine plays in addition to tough ones. He'll certainly stick at shortstop despite fringy speed, and if both hit enough to warrant a starting job, he could be the one to push first rounder Matt McLain off of shortstop. When you have a plus defender like that at a premium position, you'll take any offense you can get, and Torres provides that. If he can get a little more patient at the plate and add a little strength, he has the chance to pop 10-15 home runs or more per season while showing relatively high, batting average-driven on-base percentages. If he remains a hyper-aggressive hitter like he is now, the contact skills and defense should be enough to make him a useful utility infielder. Torres signed for $622,500, which was $45,400 below slot value.

4-119: 1B Ruben Ibarra, San Jose State. Unranked.
I haven't confirmed this, but Ruben Ibarra might have been the heaviest player drafted this year at a massive 6'5", 290 pounds. As you'd expect, he's an absolute slugger and hit .381/.503/.850 with 14 home runs and a 24/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 35 games this spring. Ibarra's power doesn't come from elite bat speed or an ultra-optimized kinetic chain, rather, he simply wallops baseballs into oblivion with huge strength that doesn't require an overly complicated swing. The Watsonville, California native also shows strong plate discipline and draws a ton of walks without swinging and missing too much, something you don't always see from these brute force sluggers. As you might expect though, he will be limited to first base at best in pro ball. Ibarra likely profiles as a platoon or bench bat who can provide some thump, though hitters find playing time and he's a hitter. He signed for $172,500, which was $310,500 below slot value, and went 0-2 in his first game in the ACL. 

5-150: RHP Thomas Farr, South Carolina. My rank: #181.
Thomas Farr began his career at Northwest Florida State then transferred to South Carolina, where a strong but shortened junior season (1.72 ERA, 14/5 K/BB) put him on the map for the 2020 draft. He probably would have needed a few more rounds than the five there ended up being to feel like he had a good shot at being drafted, but he didn't need them this year and went in the fifth round after posting a 3.87 ERA and a 90/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 83.2 innings. Farr brings power stuff from the right side with a low to mid 90's fastball that can get up to 97, and it gets on you quick. His power curve is his best secondary and flashes plus with hard bite, and he adds a more ordinary slider and changeup as well. Strong and durable, the 6' righty is generally around the strike zone but can be prone to walk some guys here and there, partially owing to a relatively high effort delivery with some late head whack. To me, the Atlanta-area native probably fits in the bullpen due to the lack of a third above average pitch, the fringy command, and the delivery, in addition to the fact that he turned 22 in April, but he could be very good there when he gets to focus on just the fastball and slider. If Cincinnati does go that round, I could see him working his way through the minors relatively quickly. Farr signed for $297,500, which was $59,600 below slot value.

6-180: OF Justice Thompson, North Carolina. My rank: #97.
Here is another pick I really like. Justice Thompson wasn't the most famous name on the Florida JUCO circuit when he was at Northwest Florida State (where he was teammates with Farr in 2019), then did not stand out at UNC's fall practices in 2020. However, he thrust himself into the national spotlight in his first ACC game on February 25th, ironically against Reds second round pick Andrew Abbott and the UVA Cavaliers. He doubled in his first at bat, then dropped down a bunt single in his second, stole second base, and came back around for his third at bat with a home run, all against Abbott. Thompson brought his glove, too, making a couple of great catches. He eventually cooled down and finished the season at .304/.386/.444 with seven home runs and a 67/25 strikeout to walk ratio, still strong numbers against a tough ACC schedule. The Tampa native stands out first for his supreme athleticism, as he's an easy plus runner that can (and did) wreak havoc on both sides of the ball. There's plenty of raw power in his 6'4" frame as well, though his simple, line drive-oriented swing doesn't always help him tap it. He hits the ball plenty hard, so some slight tweaks could help him tap it more consistently in pro ball. One drawback with Thompson is plate discipline, as he can get aggressive and has a long history of swinging through both hittable and unhittable pitches, though that didn't seem to bite him this year with his .304/.380/.449 ACC-only slash line nearly mirroring his .304/.386/.444 overall line. Working in his favor is age, as he only turned 21 three days before the draft and has plenty of time to figure out who he is as a ballplayer. There's plenty of ceiling here, especially by sixth round standards, if the Reds can unlock it. He signed for $250,000, which was $22,500 below slot value.

7-210: RHP Kevin Abel, Oregon State. My rank: #114.
Kevin Abel has been around a long time, and by now most know his story. He rose to stardom as a true freshman in 2018, when he put Oregon State on his shoulders and looked like the best pitcher on the planet carving his way through the NCAA Tournament, finishing it off with a complete game shutout of Arkansas to deliver the CWS trophy to Corvallis. His path to the Reds in the seventh round of 2021 since then, however, has been anything but straight. Abel lasted just three starts in 2019 before going down with Tommy John surgery, then the pandemic ended the 2020 season when he was nearing the end of his rehab. He still earned some buzz in the third to fifth round range for the 2020 draft, but no team was quite comfortable enough to meet his asking price. Healthy in 2021, he looked like a different pitcher. After showing a low 90's fastball, a big, loopy curveball, and a plus changeup with solid average command as a freshman, he saw that fastball dip into the upper 80's this year but ironically he tightened up the curveball and retained the strong changeup. The command was also a full grade worse from 2018, and he finished an up and down season with a 3.62 ERA and a 109/61 strikeout to walk ratio over 82 innings. It's a really weird profile in that teams don't often covet sub-90 fastballs with fringy command, especially when the man throwing them is already 22 and lacks projection, but of course Abel is a special case after having thrown a combined 16.1 innings over the previous two seasons. The 6'1" righty still missed a ton of bats by sequencing his pitches effectively in addition to the fact that his secondary stuff is, to put it simply, really good, in fact better than it was in 2018. The Reds will hope their pro development system can get Abel's command back to average or perhaps a tick better, and helping him build up enough strength to get that fastball on the right side of 90 will be important as well. If he can do both, then the Reds found a legitimate major league starter in the seventh round, though failure to do one will push him to the bullpen. Fortunately, the San Diego native has never been one to shy away from pressure and proved it by pitching at his best under the bright College World Series lights at 19 years old. He signed for $172,500, which was $40,800 below slot value, though he likely won't move as quickly as most 22 year olds.

11-330: RHP Shawn Guilliams, Central Florida JC. Unranked.
Shawn Guilliams trended up all spring long, but the Reds are hoping they're still buying low on a very talented arm. Growing up between Ocala and Orlando, he didn't receive a ton of interest in high school, but his stuff all ticked up at the College of Central Florida and he put together a 2.41 ERA and a 49/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 33.2 innings. Guilliams now sits comfortably in the low 90's and got up to 95-96 at times, adding a plus curveball with late bite as well as a newer slider and changeup. All of his stuff is extremely high spin, with the curveball popping the 3,000 RPM line and the fastball regularly sitting above 2,500. Previously showing a high effort delivery in high school, the 6'1" righty has cleaned up his delivery a bit and showed close to average command, which at 18 years old in JUCO ball is impressive. There's still some work to be done but all of the puzzle pieces are there, and had the Reds not swooped in first, he could have turned into a monster and a high draft pick at Florida, where he was committed. Guilliams, who only just turned 19 in June, instead signed for $272,500, of which $147,500 counts against the Reds' bonus pool.

2021 MLB Draft: Ten Options for the Nationals at pick #11 (final update)

The draft is almost here, so I'll be updating this story one more time. The Nationals pick at #11 and have been almost exclusively tied to arms, so that will be the focus here, but I do see three to four bats that could make sense if the Nationals want to buck some trends (and make me happy). 

First, I'll give my opinion on who I think the Nationals should draft. There are six players who I would give virtually no chance of reaching the Nationals, and those are high school shortstops Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar, Brady House, and Kahlil Watson, in addition to Vanderbilt righthander Jack Leiter and Louisville catcher Henry Davis. If one of those falls to #11, the Nationals should 100% snatch one up if the signing bonus is remotely reasonable. There's also Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker, who is very unlikely to be available at #11, but he seems to have at least a sliver of a chance of getting down there and I absolutely don't see the Nationals passing him up if he's available. I'd go for it in that case as well. Jackson Jobe seems to be in the same boat, but prep righthanders tend to slide in the draft and if he's available with a remotely reasonable signing bonus, again I think the Nationals should pounce. In the event that all eight are gone, which is likely, there are two college bats I think the Nationals should focus on. I'd take Boston College outfielder Sal Frelick out of the remaining players, and if he's gone along with the other eight, I'd go with UCLA shortstop Matt McLain. Then in the unlikely scenario that those are the top ten picks, I'm a bit lost because I think there's a slight break in the quality of players, so I would either pick Will Bednar or just grab Gunnar Hoglund, sign him below slot, then overspend at pick #47. Below is what would be my board if I were the Nationals picking at #11, not what I think their board is, color coded by how likely they are to be available. Red is definitely not, orange is probably not, yellow is 50-50, and green is most likely.

Marcelo Mayer, Jack Leiter, Henry Davis, Brady House, Kahlil Watson, Kumar Rocker, Jackson Jobe, Sal Frelick, Matt McLain, Will Bednar, Gunnar Hoglund

Without further introduction, here are the ten players I think the Nationals are most likely to end up with at #11, ordered by likelihood. I'm not a reporter, so these are more just guesses than anything else. Slot value is just over $4.54 million and the Nationals' overall bonus pool for their top ten rounds is $8.77 million.

1. RHP Jackson Jobe, Heritage Hall HS, OK
As I said in the previous paragraph, I don't think Jackson Jobe will make it out of the top ten, as he's getting interest as high as #3 to the Tigers. However, in the event that he does, I can absolutely see Mike Rizzo smashing Jobe's name into the keyboard or doing whatever he does to make his picks with extra zeal. The Oklahoma City product is relatively new to pitching, but his name has been rocketing up boards ever since his dominant summer a year ago. His fastball is now sitting comfortably in the low to mid 90's and has touched 98, but that's not his main weapon. Jobe's slider is arguably the best breaking ball in the entire high school class, coming in with absurd spin rates that cause it to shoot down and away from righties or into lefties at the last second. That feel for spin translates to his curveball, which is a distinct and above average pitch in its own right, and he possesses one of the better changeups in the high school class as well. Together with a clean delivery and notable athleticism, he consistently deals strikes and really has all the ingredients to be an impact starting pitcher. Aside from his demographic, that of an inherently risky high school righthander, Jobe only has one thing working against him – age. He'll turn 19 a few weeks after the draft, making him one of the older players in the class, but everything else is so good that that should not be a factor. He'll likely demand an enormous signing bonus, probably the highest on this list of ten, to keep from attending Mississippi, where he'll be draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2023.

2. RHP Ty Madden, Texas
2021 stats: 7-5, 2.45 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 137/44 K/BB in 113.2 IP.
While he is getting some looks in the back of the top ten and could end up in Colorado at #8 or Los Angeles at #9, there is a very good shot that Ty Madden is available for the Nationals at #11. The unquestioned ace of the most complete pitching staff in the country (sorry, Vanderbilt), Madden is everything the Nationals love – a big, durable, consistent performer who has the look of a mid-rotation starter. He combines arm strength with pitchability, creating the type of pitcher that does not grow on trees. Madden's fastball comes in with low to mid 90's velocity, getting up to 99 at times early in games, and he adds a potentially plus slider that plays very well off his fastball. His changeup can be a bit inconsistent, but when it's on, it gives him a third potentially above average pitch, which will help him pitch deep into games. He commands all three pitches very well, pounding the bottom of the strike zone and missing bats in bunches. If there's anything to nitpick with the Houston-area native, it's something called his VAA, or vertical approach angle. Because the 6'3" righty comes from such a high release point, everything he throws has significant downward plane, which plays very well around hitters knees and below. However, he has gotten hit harder when he leaves pitches up, and in today's launch angle-conscious game that has more hitters going for high VBA's – vertical barrel angles, – it will be especially difficult for him to be effective in that part of the zone in pro ball. Fortunately, his command means that he won't miss his spots often, and his velocity gives him some margin for error.

3. RHP Sam Bachman, Miami [OH]
2021 stats: 4-4, 1.81 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 93/17 K/BB in 59.2 IP.
Sam Bachman's draft outlook is probably about the same as Madden's with some teams interested in the back of the top ten but a good chance of reaching #11. If both he and Madden are available for the Nationals, it will be an interesting decision for Rizzo, as both pitchers seem to fit his models but for very different reasons. While Madden is durable and consistent, Bachman is more of a power arm that comes with significant durability questions, but we know Rizzo has never been one to shy away from injured or potentially-injury prone arms. Bachman's raw stuff is elite, perhaps the best in the entire class outside of the Vanderbilt duo of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. The 6'1" righty deals regularly in the mid 90's with his fastball and has touched as high as 101, but it's not just the velocity that makes it a special pitch. He also comes from an extremely low release point while still maintaining a three quarters arm slot, putting tremendous ride on the pitch that makes it play exceptionally well up in the zone. And with his velocity, even when he misses over the plate, it's tough to square up. Bachman also adds a plus slider that breaks late and tight, playing well off the fastball. As with Madden, his changeup has been a bit less consistent, but it too flashes above average and like Madden, he could have three plus pitches at the major league level. While he doesn't quite parallel the Longhorn ace in the command arena, his ability to hit his spots is trending upwards and he fills up the strike zone very consistently, setting himself apart from other data-friendly power arms. The drawback here is durability, as the Indianapolis-area native throws with considerable effort and some evaluators don't like his arm action. Additionally, he missed a few weeks this spring with arm soreness and I don't think he ever threw 100 pitches in a game, so he comes with considerable relief risk even if the pure stuff and command fit in the rotation. Personally, I'd pull the trigger on Bachman before Madden, but I'm not sure about Rizzo.

4. SS Matt McLain, UCLA
2021 stats: 9 HR, .333/.434/.579, 9 SB, 34/34 K/BB in 47 games.
Jackson Jobe, Ty Madden, and Sam Bachman seem like the clear frontrunners to me, so after those three this list definitely becomes guesswork. If the Nationals were to pass on an arm and pick up a bat, UCLA shortstop Matt McLain seems like the most likely bet to me. He was extremely well regarded coming out of his Los Angeles-area high school, but surprisingly turned down the Diamondbacks after being drafted 25th overall in 2018. His time at UCLA has been up and down, but there have been more ups and than downs and he was on a tear before going down with a broken thumb in May, then picked up where he left off in a brief return. Though he's just 5'11" and skinny at that, he has always possessed great feel to hit and has learned to drive the ball more and more consistently throughout his time in Los Angeles, now projecting for at least average power. He also tightened up the strike zone in 2021, aiding projections for a plus hit tool, and his plus speed enables him to be a factor on the basepaths. The jury is still out on whether he can stick at shortstop long term, as he has the athleticism to profile there but his feel for the spot has been inconsistent. Either way, he profiles as a plus defender at second base, so you're getting significant value on the defensive side to go along with his top-of-the-lineup offensive upside. Personally, I'd prefer McLain over both Madden and Bachman.

5. RHP Will Bednar, Mississippi State
2021 stats: 9-1, 3.12 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 139/26 K/BB in 92.1 IP.
When I first started working on this list, I didn't include Will Bednar, despite the fact that I personally would have considered him at #11 if I were picking. However, after dominating at the College World Series and allowing no hits in the final game, he seems to be much more of a realistic target for Mike Rizzo and co. Bednar has been trending straight up since he landed in Starkville with a 2.93 ERA and a 37% strikeout rate (162 in 107.2 innings) against top competition, and he can attack hitters in a lot of ways. His main weapon is a low to mid 90's fastball that can hit 96-97 early in games but usually settles into the 91-94 range, playing up because it has tremendous riding life that plays extremely well up in the zone. He adds a plus slider with extreme horizontal sweep, then can go to an average curve and changeup that he uses significantly less often. While the Pittsburgh-area native doesn't have pinpoint command, he generally fills up the strike zone and has gotten better at locating his pitches to all four quadrants even as his stuff has leapt forward. He has a durable 6'2" frame and looks the part of a #2 starter.

6. OF Sal Frelick, Boston College
2021 stats: 6 HR, .359/.443/.559, 13 SB, 28/27 K/BB in 48 games.
Sal Frelick's draft stock is in a similar place to McLain's, if perhaps a tick better, and I would prefer Frelick if both he and McLain were available. In fact, among the players with any significant chance to reach the Nationals at pick #11, Frelick is the one I want. He elevated his profile this year by coming out of the gate hot when most other first round bats stumbled, and he maintained the hot hitting to finish the season hitting .359/.443/.559 with just a 12.3% strikeout rate. Undersized at 5'9", he's an elite athlete that plays with a ton of energy, giving him the ability to impact the game in numerous ways. He makes a ton of contact with plus bat to ball skills and excellent adjustability in his left handed swing that helps him find the barrel even against tough pitches, and when he gets one over the plate, he has enough power to make you pay. The Boston-area native is a plus runner that will gladly steal a base or two and will stick in center field, though some have toyed with trying him at second base. Personally, I'd just leave him at center and let him run wild. If the Nationals drafted him, he would immediately become the most dynamic player in their system.

7. RHP Gunnar Hoglund, Mississippi
2021 stats: 4-2, 2.87 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 96/17 K/BB in 62.2 IP.
#11 overall might be a bit early to nab a pitcher fresh off spring Tommy John surgery, but Mike Rizzo has never shied away from injured pitchers early in the draft and depending on who's available here, I wouldn't mind the pick either. Aside from a healthy right arm, Gunnar Hoglund has everything you look for in a starting pitching prospect – velocity, two offspeed pitches, command, a clean delivery, consistent performance, and an upward trajectory. His fastball previously sat effortlessly around 90, but the 6'4" righty added some juice in 2021 and ticked up to about 92-94, touching as high as 97 early in games. After mostly pitching off his fastball early in his career, he began to lean more on an improved slider in 2021 that touched the upper 80's, getting consistently above average grades. And as the season moved on, he began incorporating a surprisingly good changeup more and more, giving him three above average pitches to work with. On top of all of that, he has regularly been noted as having some of the best command in the class, easily locating all of his pitches where he wants them. There are no weaknesses in this profile and given that Tommy John is becoming more and more of a regularity, the Tampa-area native could present Rizzo with a really interesting discount option. From there, Mike can overspend at pick #47, perhaps on a high school arm like Frank Mozzicato, Ben Kudrna, or Maddux Bruns, though I would personally prefer Mozzicato or Kudrna to Bruns (and I'd prefer a high school bat over all three of them, though I doubt Rizzo would go that route).

8. OF Colton Cowser, Sam Houston State
2021 stats: 16 HR, .374/.490/.680, 17 SB, 32/42 K/BB in 55 games.
Fun fact, Colton Cowser was actually teammates with Ty Madden at Cypress Ranch High School in the Houston suburbs, and they were actually the third and fourth best prospects on that team at the time behind 2019 draftees JJ Goss (Rays, 36th overall) and Matthew Thompson (White Sox, 45th overall). He's been on a tear since late March, once homering four times in two games and another time going deep in five consecutive games, all while pushing his on-base percentage close to .500. Evaluators have long been waiting for him to grow into his 6'3" frame and start tapping his power, and he showed this year he has a chance to be average in that regard. Cowser is also an excellent contact hitter who consistently puts together professional at bats, showing that with significantly more walks (42) than strikeouts (32) in 2021. Though he wasn't facing the toughest competition in the Southland Conference, he did perform well with the US Collegiate National Team back in 2019, so evaluators are very comfortable with his offensive profile. He's also an above average runner who can swipe a base and be a net-positive in the outfield, where he projects as a fringy centerfielder or an above average corner guy. Cowser profiles as a potential leadoff guy who can hit 15-20 home runs per season for the Nationals down the line.

9. RHP Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
2021 stats: 14-4, 2.73 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 179/39 K/BB in 122 IP.
I think it's highly unlikely Kumar Rocker makes it all the way to the Nationals. There has been some talk of him going as high as fifth overall to the Orioles, while the Diamondbacks at #6 and the Royals at #7 have shown interest as well. But if the chips fall that way and Rocker gets out of the top ten, I absolutely do not see Mike Rizzo letting him go any further. At this point, we all know the book on Kumar. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's deep into games, with his extension making the pitch play up. Rocker's slider is one of the best pitches in college baseball when he's commanding it, making even advanced hitters look like absolute fools. He throws a cutter that has a chance to be an above average pitch and while he has shown a changeup in the past, he didn't use it much in 2021 and it wasn't particularly effective when he broke it out late in the season. Rocker has also been noted as a control-over-command pitcher throughout his career, one who has no trouble filling up the strike zone or eliciting chases but who struggles to hit spots within the zone. Regardless, his exceptional track record in the SEC and strong makeup that enables him to step up when the lights shine the brightest will not be lost on scouting directors come draft day, and the stuff is so good that he can afford merely average command in pro ball and still succeed. If the command steps up from 50 to 55, he'll be an ace.

10. RHP Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian HS, FL
Eleventh overall feels a touch too early to grab Andrew Painter, but Mike Rizzo loves himself a high school pitcher and if Jackson Jobe is off the board, he could come into consideration. Painter entered the spring as the top pitching prospect in the high school class, but a combination of a loud spring from Jobe and a slow start for Painter changed that. He turned it around as the season went on, helping most traditional evaluators feel comfortable that he is still the second best. Painter is a huge, 6'6" righthander that combines physical projection with present stuff and pitchability. His fastball gets up to 95-96 without much effort, and he holds the low 90's deep into games. The South Florida product adds a pair of distinct, above average breaking balls, while his changeup is more advanced than that of most high school pitchers. He commands everything well, giving him an extremely well-rounded profile at a young age that reminds some of Mick Abel a year ago, albeit with less glowing numbers on the analytic side. The reason Painter might belong closer to the back of the first round is just that, the analytics, as some see a more traditional arsenal that doesn't stand out in today's game of high spin rates. Personally, I see Gage Jump and Chase Petty as the second and third best high school pitchers in the class, but my guess is the Nationals have Painter as #2 behind Jobe. He'll likely be an expensive sign with a Florida commitment, but at #11, I don't see him going above slot value.

Potential Second Round Targets

I mentioned a few times that the Nationals might elect to save some money early on with a pick like Gunnar Hoglund or Gavin Williams, or perhaps even on any number of other players on this list not named Jobe or Rocker (albeit less), and that would enable them to go after an expensive high schooler in the second round at pick #47. Knowing the Nationals, that would likely be a high school pitcher. Some options there:

LHP Frank Mozzicato, East Catholic HS, CT
Mozzicato has been flying up boards late in the spring once the Connecticut high school season finally got started, absolutely dominating his Hartford-area competition with a low 90's fastball and one of the best curveballs in the high school class. He's young for the class and has projection remaining in his 6'3" frame, but that projection is important considering he only tops out at 93 as of now. He's a UConn recruit.

RHP Ben Kudrna, Blue Valley Southwest HS, KS
Kudrna hasn't burst onto the scene quite like Mozzicato, but he's been quietly sliding up boards for a long time now. His fastball has ticked up into the mid 90's and he fills up the strike zone with an above average slider and changeup, all from a clean, repeatable delivery. The Kansas City-area product doesn't quite have the bat-missing stuff to project as an ace, but he has a higher floor than most high school pitchers. He's committed to LSU.

LHP Maddux Bruns, UMS-Wright Prep HS, AL
Named after Greg Maddux, this 6'2" lefty has a bit of a different profile. The Mobile native has huge raw stuff, led by a fastball that has reportedly touches the upper 90's, as well as a plus curveball and an above average slider. It's power, power, power, but at this point he has extremely inconsistent command that can be anywhere from average to non-playable. Bruns is one day shy of a full year older than Mozzicato, so he's already 19 and will be draft-eligible after two years at Mississippi State if he gets there. I would prefer both Mozzicato and Kudrna heavily to Bruns.

This is an extremely deep class of high school bats, so there will undoubtedly be numerous available at #47 that really shouldn't be there. They'll be very expensive at this point and will require an above-slot bonus, but if the Nationals save money at pick #11, they should be able to get one. I think it's much more likely they go for a pitcher, but I would really like one of the bats.

SS Max Muncy, Thousand Oaks HS, CA
No, not that Max Muncy. This Muncy (no relation) really stands out for his feel for the game, and even if he's not the most athletic player in the class, he understands his body and maximizes the production he gets out of his 6'1" frame. He has a chance to be a very well-rounded player who could improve quickly with pro coaching and conditioning. He's committed to Arkansas.

3B Wes Kath, Desert Mountain HS, AZ
Kath has been trending up this spring as one of the most well-rounded bats in the West. He combines a strong feel to hit with impressive raw power in his sturdy, 6'3" frame, giving him the chance for both high on-base percentages and high slugging percentages. He has the arm for third base and may be able to stick there. Kath is an Arizona State commit.

SS James Triantos, James Madison HS, VA
Okay, pick #47 might be just a little bit rich for James Triantos, but we have to include the local kid. Oh yeah, and he plays at my alma mater and I used to take batting practice in his backyard, so while I haven't seen him hit since he was in middle school, I'm following this one pretty closely. Triantos has absolutely ripped the cover off the ball this spring, helping lead Madison High School in Vienna to its first state championship since 2015, a team which I was on. He produces great leverage through the zone that gives him power to all fields, and he simply hasn't swung and missed this spring, either. He's probably a third baseman long term and while he's a UNC commit, signability likely won't be an issue this early.

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)

2021 MLB Draft: Ten Options for the Nationals at pick #11 (April update)

Back in February, before the season started, I highlighted ten players I could see the Nationals taking with the eleventh overall pick. Now in April, a lot has changed, so I'll spare the introduction that can be found in the original article and hop right into it. With nearly three months to go, a lot can and will still change, but here is where things stand now. Ranking on my most recent top 75 in parentheses.

RHP Ty Madden, Texas (#11)
2019-2020: 7-1, 2.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 63/28 K/BB in 67.1 IP.
2021: 4-1, 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 57/18 K/BB in 53.1 IP.
As I mentioned last time, this one really fits with the Nationals' drafting style. Ty Madden is your traditional, tall, consistent right hander with no glaring flaws to his game. His low to mid 90's fastball has topped out at 99 this spring, and he commands it well to both sides of the plate. He adds a slider that is usually at least average and flashes plus, as well as a consistently above average changeup. Combine three at least above average pitches with consistent command and a durable frame, and you have a prototypical starting pitcher. As he's continued to stay healthy and pound the strike zone, worries have faded over his slightly funky arm action that features some stab in the back, and instead focus on the "old school" steep plane on his pitches. Coming from straight over the top, his VAA (vertical approach angle) is difficult to lift with a traditional hitting approach, but won't miss as many bats as a flatter, Jack Leiter-esque fastball. Still, with an excellent spring that has featured seven consecutive starts of at least six innings and no more than two runs or three walks, he's as safe a bet as anybody in this draft to become a mid-rotation starter, something the Nationals would love.

RHP Gunnar Hoglund, Mississippi (#8)
2019-2020: 6-3, 4.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 90/18 K/BB in 91.1 IP.
2021: 3-1, 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 78/16 K/BB in 49 IP.
Gunnar Hoglund was in the "other possibilities" section of this list last time, but a bump in velocity puts him squarely in the conversation for Washington at pick #11, if he even makes it out of the top ten. Despite touching 96 in high school, Hoglund was generally around 90 throughout his first two years at Ole Miss, instead focusing deploying his plus command. He threw an average slider that flashed above average, as well as a seldom-used changeup, but mostly pitched off that fastball by dotting it right where he wanted it. Even though we knew he had more velocity in the tank, it was still a back-of-the-first-round profile until he proved it. Well, in 2021, he proved it. I was at Globe Life Field in Arlington to catch his start against Texas Tech, where he came out throwing 94-95 in the first inning and now two months later, he hasn't looked back. Holding that same plus command, Hoglund is regularly in the low to mid 90's nowadays with an effortless delivery that screams durability. His slider has taken a big step forward and is regularly above average, flashing plus, and it's topping out around 87-88, which was the lower end of his fastball velocity a year ago. He's also broken out that changeup more often and it's looking like a solidly above average pitch as well. At this point, I would prefer the Nationals draft Hoglund to Madden, but he might not even make it this far if he keeps pitching like this.

RHP Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt (#3)
2019-2020: 14-6, 3.06 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 142/29 K/BB in 114.2 IP.
2021: 7-1, 1.88 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 73/14 K/BB in 48 IP.
Wait, what? Isn't Kumar Rocker supposed to be a candidate at 1-1? Well, his stock his slipping just a little bit right now. If the draft were today, he wouldn't make it to the Nationals at pick #11, but the draft is not today and he might be trending in that direction. For most of his time at Vanderbilt, the big righty has sat in the mid 90's with his fastball and touched 97-98 at the high end, but over his past few starts, that velocity has dipped pretty significantly into the low 90's. When you're talking about the very top of the draft, where teams are making potentially franchise-altering decisions, that's a big deal. There are teams wondering whether it's health related, fatigue related, or what, but he's going to want to answer that question definitively before July. Still, we're talking about a kid with great extension and a flat VAA (remember Madden had a steep VAA) that makes his fastball play above its velocity, and while his command is not pinpoint, he's been very consistent about landing the pitch for strikes (though the quality of those strikes has been nitpicked). He also adds arguably the best breaking ball in the class, an elite slider that crushes souls and could get big league hitters out right now. Rocker hasn't used his changeup as much, but it does flash above average. If his velocity comes back before the draft, it's highly unlikely he's available to the Nationals at pick #11, but continued fluctuations coupled with fastball command questions (i.e., hitting spots) could push him outside the top ten. So long as he stays healthy and nothing drastic happens, I see the Nationals as a potential floor for him.

SS Matt McLain, UCLA (#23)
2019-2020: 7 HR, .244/.306/.411, 7 SB, 77/21 K/BB in 74 games.
2021: 6 HR, .314/.411/.542, 4 SB, 20/19 K/BB in 29 games.
I mentioned Matt McLain as an option for the Nationals back in February, and after a relatively slow start to the season, he was trending away from this list. However, he's now picked up a hit in sixteen of his last seventeen games and at one point hit four home runs in four games against Washington and Stanford, pushing his name back into consideration here just outside the top ten. McLain has no one flashy tool, but is instead what you call a "gamer" – the kid can just play. Despite standing a skinny 5'11", his athleticism and strong feel for the barrel have enabled him to tap more and more power throughout his amateur career, and that power showed up with wood bats as well in an exceptional turn through the California Collegiate League over the summer. He has reduced the swing and miss in his game as well, dropping his strikeout rate from 25.7% as a freshman to 20.3% as a sophomore and 14.2% this year as a junior. Meanwhile, his walk rate climbed from 6.8% and 6.3% over his first two years to 13.5% this year. A strong athlete, he is also a plus runner and has an outside chance at sticking at shortstop, though his feel to play the position at a major league level is questionable and he might fit better at second or third base. Overall, we're talking about a kid who can impact a baseball game in a lot of ways, and for a traditional team like the Nationals, a 15-20 home run bat with relatively high batting averages and an infield glove sounds like a fit. An August birthday makes him relatively old for the class, and that turns off some teams, but the Nationals did pop fellow August baby Cade Cavalli in the first round last year.

OF Colton Cowser, Sam Houston State (#28)
2019-2020: 8 HR, .339/.436/.554, 14 SB, 38/34 K/BB in 70 games.
2021: 12 HR, .351/.486/.730, 9 SB, 23/24 K/BB in 31 games.
Colton Cowser, like his alliterative counterpart Matt McLain, was featured on this list back in February, and he's on a similar, if more extreme, trajectory. Cowser was excellent as a freshman (.361/.450/.602) but never really got going in his shortened sophomore season (.255/.379/.364), then got off to a slow start in 2021 that caused many in the industry (myself included) to sour on him a bit. I actually dropped him as low as #41 at one point. However, he clubbed four home runs in two games against Northwestern State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to bust out of that slump in a big way, then later homered in five consecutive games against Central Arkansas, Texas A&M, and New Orleans. Now that he's hot again, there is a lot to like in this profile. Ty Madden's high school teammate has a very strong feel for hitting, something he showed on a national stage with the US Collegiate National Team back in 2019. He has a flat left handed swing that is more geared for line drives than fly balls, but he finds that barrel extremely frequently against the so-so Southland Conference pitching he faces at Sam Houston State. With a wiry 6'3" frame, it's easy to see him tacking on a bit more power, though he will need to tinker with his swing to get there consistently against pro pitching. Cowser, like McLain, is a plus runner, though as an outfielder he's working to prove he can stick in center field. In a year without many viable college bats, a guy like Cowser who can impact the game in a lot of ways sticks out.

OF Sal Frelick, Boston College (#12)
2019-2020: 6 HR, .332/.428/.486, 25 SB, 22/33 K/BB in 54 games.
2021: 5 HR, .360/.438/.576, 8 SB, 15/16 K/BB in 30 games.
Here's a new name. Coming into the season, Sal Frelick was an interesting back-of-the-first-round type who could impact the game in a lot of ways (that's three straight players I've used that verbiage for) but didn't necessarily stick out. Halfway through the season, boy does he stick out as arguably the second best college position player out there (at this point, there's probably no catching Henry Davis). The Massachusetts native has been blasting the ball around the field with ferocity this season, finding the barrel extremely consistently with elite bat to ball skills and wiry strength. In the past, he's often sold out for contact by putting bad (but successful) swings on bad pitches, and this year he's doing more damage and getting his "A" swing off more often. Described as a "ridiculous athlete," he plays a great center field with plus speed and could even fit at second base if needed. Some teams might be scared off by the size in this part of the draft, but that would be foolish and Frelick has every chance to become an impact, every day center fielder with 15-20 home run power (perhaps more), high on-base percentages, and plenty of stolen bases. Between McLain and Cowser, Frelick is probably the least likely to still be on the board when the Nationals pick.

RHP Jackson Jobe, Heritage Hall HS [OK] (#16)
This might be a bit of a reach unless they under slot him, but I do want to include a couple of high school pitchers for a team that has a history with them (see Mason Denaburg, Lucas Giolito). Jackson Jobe is an extremely interesting pitcher out of the Oklahoma City high school ranks, and could give the Nationals a second straight first round Okie pitcher after Tulsa-native and Sooner star Cade Cavalli last year. Relatively new to pitching, the 6'2" righty was better prospect as a hitter until a huge summer on the showcase circuit as a pitcher last year. He has a fastball that sits in the low to mid 90's in short stints and gets up to 95-96, but the real story is his slider. While Kumar Rocker has the best breaking ball in the college class, Jobe's slider is the best in the high school class with ridiculous spin rates well north of 3000 RPM's. Its bite is late, it's tight, and it's just a wicked pitch overall. He also adds a curveball and a changeup that flash above average, and by staying healthy and filling up the strike zone this spring, he has added confidence that he'll stick in the rotation. Jobe is old for the class and will turn 19 slightly after the draft, but even if that did bother the Nationals, the fact that he's relatively new to pitching should offset it. He is committed to Ole Miss but in the top half of the first round, I don't expect him to be too expensive.

RHP Bubba Chandler, North Oconee HS [GA] (#29)
Same deal as Jackson Jobe here – this would probably be a reach unless he signed well below slot, but the Nationals aren't afraid of high school pitchers and Bubba Chandler seems like a guy they would like. Pitching at Kumar Rocker's alma mater near Athens, Georgia, Chandler is a ridiculous athlete who is actually committed to Clemson to play quarterback as well. If you follow college football at all, you know the enormity of that distinction – kid's a stud. Heading into the spring, it seemed unlikely that his projected second to fourth round draft range would deter him away from Dabo Swinney's program, but he's had some of the most helium of any high schooler in the country this spring. Does that push him all the way up to the Nationals at pick #11? Probably not, but we can still discuss it. Chandler is a 6'3" righty with a fastball that has leapt into the mid 90's, touching 97, and his command has held solid as well. He adds a sharp curveball that looks like one of the best breakers in the class at its best, a new slider that brings a more horizontal look, and a changeup that is quickly becoming a weapon in its own right. Combine that with obviously immense athleticism and you have a very, very interesting arm to buy early in the draft. That Clemson commitment will make him very expensive if he were picked closer to the back of the first round, but here at the eleventh pick you could probably under slot him.

SS Kahlil Watson, Wake Forest HS [NC] (#7)
We'll finish up with a couple of bats. While Bubba Chandler might be a reach here, Kahlil Watson might not even make it to pick #11 with the way he's trending. If he is available, the Nationals would be smart to snatch him up. Though Raleigh-Durham is Braves country in reality, his hometown of Wake Forest, NC is technically closer to Washington than it is to Atlanta and I'll call that a hometown pick. Watson is a loud player in every sense of the word, but the first thing you notice is his swing. He generates tremendous torque from the left side with a vicious uppercut, giving him plus raw power despite a smaller 5'9" frame. Despite the ferocity of his swing, it's a controlled operation and he's made consistent contact both on the showcase circuit and this spring in North Carolina. Watson also showcases plus speed that makes him a threat on the bases, and combined with his strong arm makes him a good bet to stick at shortstop. A high-energy player that is fun to watch on the diamond, he has face-of-the-franchise upside if he reaches it. For now, he's probably just outside that top tier of high school hitters (Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar, Brady House) just due to a hit tool that's more average than above average, but he could very well be gone anyways in the top ten. He's committed to NC State and will be expensive.

OF James Wood, IMG Academy [FL] (#9)
This one would really be a hometown pick, as James Wood grew up in Olney, Maryland, about twenty miles due north of Nationals Park. He attends the famed IMG Academy down in Florida along with numerous other 2021 and 2022 draft prospects, where he's actually their second best draft prospect behind 2022's Elijah Green. Wood is a towering 6'6" slugger who can absolutely punish a baseball when he connects, but the separating factor is actually his hit tool. He makes surprisingly easy contact for a hitter so big and so strong, identifying balls and strikes well against elite competition. That makes him all the more dangerous and has earned him comparisons to Zac Veen, who went ninth overall to the Rockies last year, though Wood has more present power. He's an easygoing kid who plays the game with an ultra-low heartbeat, somewhat the opposite of Kahlil Watson above him on this list, letting his play do the talking. For now, he's a good athlete as well who can actually handle center field, but he'll likely slow down as he ages and right field is probably the best fit with his cannon arm. Wood has true middle-of-the-order upside as a kid who could hit 30+ home runs per season with high on-base percentages. Committed to Mississippi State, he will likely be an expensive sign.

A few other possibilities
RHP McCade Brown, Indiana
OF Christian Franklin, Arkansas
C Luca Tresh, North Carolina State
RHP Chase Petty, Mainland Regional HS [NJ]
C Harry Ford, North Cobb HS [GA]

Updates on those mentioned last time

RHP Richard Fitts, Auburn (#43): 0-3, 7.71 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 16/6 K/BB in 18.2 IP.
Fitts had a chance to pitch himself into top ten consideration with a strong spring, but instead he lost his rotation spot at Auburn as he's proven more hittable than expected despite filling up the strike zone relatively well. Analytics-driven teams will still like his high spin fastball and pair of nice secondaries, but because he hasn't proven he can start, he figures to go closer to the back of the first round at best.

LHP Steven Hajjar, Michigan (#56): 1-0, 2.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 42/10 K/BB in 35.1 IP.
It's been a much stronger season for Hajjar than for Fitts, but Hajjar was a long shot two months ago and hasn't taken the step forward he needed. His velocity is still relatively fringy around 90, peaking into the low 90's, which isn't enough this early in the draft. He has promising secondaries and has thrown more consistent strikes in 2021, so he'll still be a strong option in the second round, perhaps even for the Nationals at pick #47.

RHP Jaden Hill, Louisiana State (#37): 2-3, 6.67 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 25/12 K/BB in 29.2 IP.
It's been an unfortunate season for Jaden Hill at every step of the way. A potential top five pick coming into the season, concerns started to crop up when his slider proved more inconsistent than expected and he failed to miss as many bats with his fastball as some scouts had hoped. Then on April 2nd in a highly touted matchup against potential first overall pick Jack Leiter, he walked off the field holding his elbow and ended up needing Tommy John surgery. It is truly remarkable how Jaden Hill has transformed himself as a pitcher over three years in Baton Rouge, but now with two season-ending injuries in three years and no consistent track record of starting, it's really hard to project him as a long term starter in the big leagues. I don't think the Nationals would bite at #11, but if he slipped to #47 in the second round, I could see them paying him well above slot to sign.

3B Alex Binelas, Louisville (#40): 7 HR, .231/.319/.496, 2 SB, 30/12 K/BB in 30 games.
It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Alex Binelas. After taking the ACC by storm as a freshman (.291/.383/.612), he played just two games a sophomore due to a broken hand. Healthy in 2021, he struggled mightily out of the gate with just one hit in his first six games against relatively weak competition. He's since shown glimpses of the star he was as a freshman, including a four game stretch against NC State, Western Kentucky, and Notre Dame in which he went 9-15 with three home runs, but overall he just hasn't been able to recover the stock he lost with those early season struggles. Combine that with a move to first base for Louisville, and he fits closer to the back of the first round at best right now.

RHP Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian HS [FL] (#26)
I considered including Andrew Painter on this list again this time around, but ultimately I opted for the two prep arms trending up (Jackson Jobe and Bubba Chandler) rather than one trending down. Painter's stock isn't crashing, per se, but he's no longer the consensus top pitcher in the class after a spring where his command has been a bit shakier than before and he's been hit a little harder. There's still a lot to like in a 6'6" right hander who can hit the mid 90's, adds a full arsenal, and shows well above average command at times, but not at pick #11. He could be an option for the Nationals at pick #47 if they want to sign him way above slot. He's committed to Florida and will want first round money no matter what.

SS Brady House, Winder-Barrow HS [GA] (#5)
Unlike the other names that I included last time but didn't this time, Brady House isn't slipping. Instead, he's continued to wow evaluators with his huge tool set and I think it's highly unlikely he gets to the Nationals at pick #11 unless his signing bonus demands are outrageous. If House goes out and lights up the pre-draft showcases like I expect him to, we'll see him go well within the top ten picks.

2021 MLB Draft: Ten early options for the Nationals at pick #11

The Nationals will pick eleventh overall in this year's draft, the highest they've picked since selecting Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon sixth overall in 2011. Rendon was the fourth in an extremely successful run of first round picks, including Stephen Strasburg (1st overall, 2009), Drew Storen (10th overall, 2009), and Bryce Harper (1st overall, 2010). Since Rendon, the Nationals have not had overwhelming success in the first round, with perhaps Erick Fedde (18th overall, 2014) and Carter Kieboom (28th overall, 2016) being the only ones to make any kind of impact on the big league club so far. Lucas Giolito (16th overall, 2012) has become a star, but with the White Sox.

Recent first round picks:
2020: RHP Cade Cavalli, Oklahoma (22nd overall)
2019: RHP Jackson Rutledge, San Jacinto CC (17th overall)
2018: RHP Mason Denaburg, Merritt Island HS, FL (27th overall)
2017: LHP Seth Romero, Houston (25th overall)
2016: SS Carter Kieboom, Walton HS, GA (28th overall)

There's a clear trend with the Nationals, a more traditional organization that likes big college pitchers and isn't afraid of a little injury history. Cavalli, Denaburg, Fedde, Giolito, and Rendon all had significant injury history when the Nationals drafted then, and Romero was healthy but saw his stock drop due to serious off-field makeup concerns. To this point, Kieboom has been a moderate success, and the jury is still out on Romero, Rutledge, and Cavalli. Meanwhile, Denaburg has been limited to just 20.1 innings with a 7.52 ERA in complex ball, and while at 21 years old he still has a chance to reclaim his prospect status, that one may end up being a bust. Now, a lot will definitely change between February and July, but heading into the spring season, here are ten names for Nationals fans to track.

RHP Ty Madden, Texas
2019-2020: 7-1, 2.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 63/28 K/BB in 67.1 IP.
This one fits the Nationals' drafting style to a tee. First, we can look at the relatively meaningless geographic parallels, as the Houston-area native follows Houston picks Rendon, Romero, and Rutledge, and would also give the Nationals a second consecutive Big 12 arm after Cavalli. More importantly, Ty Madden is a very traditional 6'3" college righty except for a bit of a funky arm action, something I'd suspect only further endears him to an organization not afraid of injuries. Madden sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, getting up to 96-97 in games and topping out around 99 in bullpen sessions, putting fairly unique downward angle and run on the ball that makes it difficult to lift. He adds a relatively inconsistent slider that is usually at least average but can flash true plus, and his changeup has been a more stable offering for him that plays consistently above average and flashes plus as well. His command has come along nicely, walking just four of 97 batters in 2020 (a 4.1% rate, down from 13% in 2019), though the Nationals' brass will want to see him hold that command over a full season. If things break right for him and he stays healthy (or perhaps even if he doesn't), I'm sure the Nationals will take a very hard look at the potential #2 starter.

RHP Richard Fitts, Auburn
2019-2020: 6-3, 4.88 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 63/22 K/BB in 75.2 IP.
Richard Fitts has a little bit more to prove than Madden, having pitched mostly out of the bullpen so far at Auburn, but he has a chance to don the Curly W as well. Another big, 6'3" righty, Fitts impressed evaluators at fall practice in 2020 and pushed his way from a second or third round projection to a legitimate first round contender. In the fall, he worked in a starting role where his fastball began consistently hitting the mid 90's, playing up due to the tough crossfire angle he puts on the ball. The Birmingham-area native adds a downer slider and an above average splitter, and he lands all three pitches for strikes consistently. He looked the part of a future mid-rotation starter in the fall, and if he can hold that profile in the spring, a traditional organization like the Nationals could pounce very early. Watch to see if his velocity and command hold.

LHP Steven Hajjar, Michigan
2020: 3-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 24/11 K/BB in 20 IP.
Like Fitts, Steven Hajjar has a lot to prove in 2021, but he has the chance to establish himself as a prototypical college lefty ace. Currently on the fringes of the first round conversation, Hajjar has thrown just twenty innings in his college career due to a 2019 ACL tear and the 2020 shutdown. 6'5" left handed pitchers will grab the attention of scouts traditional and progressive alike, and that's why teams love his upside. His fastball sits in the low 90's when he's on, while his slider and changeup both flash plus as well. However, we're yet to see any kind of proven consistency, especially considering the Massachusetts native's stuff was down a bit in the fall, his fastball occasionally dipping into the upper 80's and his secondary pitches flattening out. Given that, the fact that he's very young for the class (won't turn 21 until August) really helps his case, and scouts believe that his youth only adds to his upside. If Hajjar comes out this spring holding more consistent fastball velocity and taking a step forward with his command, which is presently below average, he could fly off the board. From there, it would be easy to project plus stuff and an impact starter ceiling on him.

RHP Jaden Hill, Louisiana State
2019-2020: 1-0, 0.83 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 28/8 K/BB in 21.2 IP.
Jaden Hill, like Hajjar, has barely been on the mound in NCAA play, but that's about where the similarities start and end. While Hajjar is from the Boston suburbs, Hill hails from Ashdown, a small Arkansas town near Texarkana. And while Hajjar might fit more in the early second round if the draft were today, Hill is already firmly in the top ten discussion. The big, 6'4" righty is a former high school quarterback armed with a fastball that has touched the upper 90's in short stints, and his secondary pitches are well ahead of Hajjar's as well. The slider flashes double plus at its best, rendering hitters completely helpless as it dives all the way across the plate, and his changeup has long been a weapon in its own right since his high school days. He recently added a cutter as well, giving him a four pitch arsenal that makes him one of the toughest at bats in college baseball. On top of it all, he's actually proven to be a solid strike thrower, something that usually isn't the case with that kind of elite stuff. Of course, the injury issues are the biggest concern here, as elbow soreness and collarbone surgery (stemming from a high school football injury) kept him off the mound for much of 2019 and the shutdown stopped him in 2020. For that reason, he has not been able to prove his stuff or command can hold over a full season, and it gives him a wide range of outcomes. If Hill comes out and stays healthy for a full season, with his stuff looking as sharp in June as it did in February, there is no chance he makes it to the Nationals at pick #11 – he could legitimately be gone in the first five picks in that case. If his stuff dips early in the season and doesn't come back, then the Nationals might pass on him. But if the stuff stays sharp and he deals with continued nagging injuries, he could perfectly fit the Nationals' draft strategy of targeting high upside starting pitchers with injury concerns. In fact, it really wouldn't be too dissimilar a pick to Cavalli last year.

SS Matt McLain, UCLA
2019-2020: 7 HR, .244/.306/.411, 7 SB, 77/21 K/BB in 74 games.
As far as traditional bats go, Matt McLain is right at the top of the list. A first round pick out of a Los Angeles-area high school in 2018, McLain didn't sign with the Diamondbacks and instead headed to UCLA, where he struggled to a .203/.276/.355 line as a freshman. However, his stock has since recovered and more, with a hot start to the 2020 season (.397/.422/.621) and an even hotter run through summer ball (.436/.536/.773). McLain is a bit undersized at 5'11", but has exceptional feel for the barrel that enables him to spray line drives around the field and could end up giving him 15-20 home run power in time. Though he makes very easy contact most of the time, he can expand the zone against breaking balls and that leads to some minor strikeout concerns. Unless he makes a dramatic shift in his aggressive approach, McLain will likely never draw a ton of walks, but he should hit for a high enough batting average to put up strong on-base percentages. A premium athlete, his plus speed helps him on both sides of the ball and should keep him at shortstop in the long run. Improved plate discipline in 2021 could have him off the board before the Nationals have a chance to make a selection, but his present profile fits right into the Nationals' drafting philosophy.

3B Alex Binelas, Louisville
2019-2020: 14 HR, .286/.376/.596, 3 SB, 50/27 K/BB in 61 games.
If the Nationals decide to go with a college bat, Alex Binelas makes just as much sense as Matt McLain. While he wasn't nearly as famous as McLain at Oak Creek High School in the Milwaukee suburbs, his massive freshman season (14 HR, .291/.383/.612) rocketed him into the national spotlight, but a hand injury in the second game of his sophomore season means that freshman season is all we have to go off of. Binelas brings a lightning quick left handed swing that produces plus raw and game power, sending balls over the fence or to the gaps with consistent triple digit exit velocities. Despite its explosiveness, that swing can get choppy at times, leading to some swing and miss (19.8% K rate as a freshman). It's not a major concern at this point considering he was a freshman in the ACC, but it's something he'll have to cut down on in his junior year, especially in conference play. If he does, he might already be off the board before the Nationals pick at #11, but positional questions could work in Washington's favor if they cause him to slip a little. A third baseman at Louisville, his cannon arm gives him a chance to stick over there, but he's a somewhat choppy defender and might be stretched in the shifting era. The upside in his bat is so great that teams in the top ten picks might be willing to risk a move to first base, but continued swing and miss questions could keep him around for the Nats.

OF Colton Cowser, Sam Houston State
2019-2020: 8 HR, .339/.436/.554, 14 SB, 38/34 K/BB in 70 games.
Another traditional bat for the Nationals to consider is Colton Cowser, who was actually teammates with Ty Madden at Cypress Ranch High School in the Houston suburbs (in addition to top 2019 picks JJ Goss and Matthew Thompson). Cowser might have been the fourth best prospect on that team when he graduated, but he had a massive freshman season (.361/.450/.602) and landed on the US Collegiate National Team. Despite an unspectacular sophomore season (.255/.379/.364), he remains one of the top bats in the college class with premium leadoff potential. Cowser is a true plus hitter, showing a combination of excellent knowledge of the strike zone with excellent bat to ball skills, which he proved with the US CNT. For now, his swing is geared more for line drives than fly balls, but evaluators see his athletic 6'3" frame and think that he could grow into average power, perhaps more if he starts trying to lift the ball. With plus speed and the ability to stick in center field, he may not need to do so in order to become an impact player at the big league level. If Cowser hits in 2021 like he did in 2019, he could fit right in with the Nationals at pick #11.

RHP Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian HS [FL]
We've hammered home the point that the Nationals are traditional and love pitching, and Andrew Painter fits that to a tee. The Fort Lauderdale native has an extremely projectable 6'6" frame with a full, well rounded arsenal that he can command. Painter's fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, topping out around 95-96 without much effort, but promising more as he fills out his frame. He spins a downer curveball and a more lateral slider, both of which are consistently at least average while flashing above average regularly. With an above average changeup as well, Painter can attack you in a variety of ways. His extremely easy delivery enables him to hit spots as well as anyone in the high school class, and it also raises his floor considerably. Many scouts have likened him to Mick Abel, the first high school pitcher taken in 2020, who lasted until the Phillies at pick #15. It would probably take Painter stepping forward with one of his breaking balls to get the Nationals to bite on him over a guy like Madden or McLain, but if he does, he has as good a chance to land in Washington as anywhere else. The one thing that might hold the Nationals back is Mason Denaburg, their most recent first round high school pitcher, who has struggled to stay healthy since going 27th overall in 2018. Painter won't come cheap, either, holding a commitment to Florida.

RHP Jackson Jobe, Heritage Hall HS [OK]
Right now, Painter is the top high school pitcher in the country, but a lot can change before July. Jackson Jobe was known as more of a hitter a year ago, but a loud summer rocketed him into the first round as a right handed pitcher. The 6'2" convert to pitching already sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, topping out around 95-96 just like Painter, but his secondary pitches are ahead of his counterpart. His slider is one of the best breaking balls in the class, coming in with immense spin rates and tight, late bite. His curveball and changeup both flash above average as well, and he's an athletic kid that fills up the strike zone. Given that he's still new to pitching, Jobe could continue to rise with a strong spring and more consistency, with the potential to become a legitimate big league starting pitcher. If he does, the Nationals could bite as early as pick #11, though one drawback is age, with the Oklahoma City native set to turn 19 in July. Committed to Ole Miss, he'll be draft eligible as a sophomore, which could raise his asking price further.

SS Brady House, Winder-Barrow HS [GA]
We'll round it out with the most famous name in the prep class, shortstop Brady House. Scouts have been excitedly waiting for the Georgian to become draft eligible, as he brings a long track record of hitting against premium pitching. However, House's 2020 summer was just a bit more inconsistent than some scouts had hoped for, and a combination of that and prospect fatigue have allowed Jordan Lawlar, Marcelo Mayer, and perhaps even James Wood to overtake him in the prep bat rankings. Still, House brings a lot to the table. He shows easy plus raw power from the right side, power which he tapped consistently in games going back to when he was an underclassman. At times in 2020, his swing got out of whack as he tried to show off his pop and it came at the expense of his hit tool. The pure hitting ability is there if House trusts himself, and if he proves his summer was just a little blip, he might be gone before the Nationals pick. House is also a solid athlete with a chance to stick at shortstop with some hard work, but most scouts see him sliding over to third base and focusing on his big bat. Additionally, with a June birthday, he's relatively young for the class. Hailing from just outside the Atlanta suburbs, House has a commitment to Tennessee in hand, so if he slips too far past the Nationals with an uneven senior season, he could pull a Dylan Crews and head to school.

A few other possibilities
RHP Gunnar Hoglund, Mississippi
RHP Mason Black, Lehigh
OF Jud Fabian, Florida
SS Khalil Watson, Wake Forest HS [NC]
OF James Wood, IMG Academy [FL]

2021 MLB Draft: Ten preseason picks for first overall

Some years, you have a clear first overall pick. Going back, that was the case in the past three drafts, when we saw Auburn's Casey Mize, Oregon State's Adley Rutschman, and Arizona State's Spencer Torkelson cruise to the 1-1 slot. As we head into the 2021 season, we have a frontrunner in Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker, but he's far from a slam dunk and there are numerous players that could catch him. A lot can and will change between now and July 11th, but for now, here are ten names with a chance to land in Pittsburgh at first overall.

The Frontrunner: RHP Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt
One of the top recruits to make it to campus in 2018, Kumar Rocker has only elevated his profile in the time since. Through 27 appearances (19 starts), he has 14-6 with a 3.06 ERA and a 142/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 114.2 innings against Vanderbilt's tough schedule, including a nineteen strikeout no-hitter of Duke in the 2019 Nashville Super Regional. The Georgian is an imposing figure at a listed 6'4", 255 pounds, and he brings the stuff to match. Rocker's fastball sits in the mid 90's and touches 99, and he adds in a plus-plus slider with devastating late bite and a well above average changeup with great sink. His command isn't pinpoint, but he fills up the strike zone consistently. His delivery has a few extra moving parts, but it's fluid and he repeats it extremely well. At this point, Rocker emphatically checks all the boxes you want to see at the top of the draft: high-end velocity, a true putaway pitch, a third potential plus pitch, durability, and track record. If we want to nitpick, which you have to at the top of the draft, he doesn't get a ton of swings and misses on his fastball and could be susceptible to the long ball in the majors.
What he needs to do to go first overall: Rocker is in the driver's seat, so he mostly needs to just maintain. That means staying healthy (obviously), continuing to fill up the strike zone, and continuing to miss bats at the ridiculous pace he has in the past. If he wants to truly separate from the pack, getting more whiffs on that fastball would be nice, as would advancing his command (ability to hit spots) to above average to match that above average control (ability to throw strikes).

Quietly Dominant: RHP Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
Though Kumar Rocker is currently the favorite to go first overall, there are some who think he's the second best pitcher on his own team. Jack Leiter, like Rocker, arrived on campus as one of the top recruits in the country, and he turned heads by firing five innings of one hit ball against Evansville in his first college game. However, because he was a full year older than his graduating class, he's eligible as a sophomore and will turn 21 in April. While Rocker stands out for his stuff while showing strong pitchability, Leiter is the opposite in that he stands out for his pitchability while also showing strong stuff. On the shorter side at six feet tall, his fastball sits in the low 90's but plays up due to his elite ability to release the ball out front, giving him a combination of great extension and a very low (i.e. good) release height. He flips in a curveball in the 70's that already has the depth, and it could be a plus pitch if he continues to put more power behind it. There's a relatively new slider that flashes above average and could be plus in time, while his changeup plays average. Combine that with above average command and plus overall feel for pitching, and you have the building blocks of a big league starter who will stick around for a long time.
What he needs to do to go first overall: Leiter does have some work. Since he didn't graduate high school until he was well past his 19th birthday, he's only gotten to throw 15.2 innings in college so far. While nobody doubts his ability, he has to go out and prove it against Vanderbilt's SEC schedule. Leiter's lack of elite velocity (both on his fastball and his secondaries) might also turn off some evaluators, but he reportedly hit 97 with his fastball in fall practice and getting more consistently into the mid 90's this spring (he was more 90-94 as a freshman) could give him the final bump.

Leading the High School Class: SS Jordan Lawlar, Jesuit HS [TX]
Two years ago, a high school shortstop from the Dallas-Fort Worth Mid-Cities went second overall to the Kansas City Royals, and now Irving native Jordan Lawlar finds his stock at a similar level to Southlake native Bobby Witt Jr. Hailing from the same Jesuit High School program that produced Josh Bell, Kyle Muller, and golfer Jordan Spieth, Lawlar stands at the top of a strong class of high school bats. He stands out first and foremost for his strong feel for the game, making heads up plays consistently on both sides of the ball. He shows a clean swing from the right side, producing plenty of hard, line drive contact against the top arms in the class with ease. Much more than just a slap hitter, the 6'2" teenager has been growing into some legitimate power and now projects for 15-20 home runs per season, perhaps even more, to go along with those high on-base percentages. He's also one of the better defenders in the class and will stick at shortstop, making his bat look even better, and his plus speed means that you'd be hard pressed to find a hole in his game. The only knock on Lawlar at this point is his age, as a July birthday means he'll already be 19 on draft day. The rest of his profile is so strong, though, that it's hard to hold that against him.
What he needs to do to go first overall: He's so close, so the answer is not much other than maintain. Tapping his power more consistently while continuing to get on base at a high clip would certainly help, as it's the only place he doesn't grade out as true plus. Otherwise, if the Vanderbilt commit continues to steal the show this spring like he did over the summer, he's right there.

Right Behind Lawlar: SS Marcelo Mayer, Eastlake HS [CA]
While Jordan Lawlar has but some narrow daylight between himself and the rest of the high school class, Marcelo Mayer is right on his heels. Mayer, like Lawlar, comes from a powerhouse program, with suburban San Diego's Eastlake High School having produced Adrian Gonzalez, Casey Schmitt, and Keoni Cavaco. Also like Lawlar, he has great feel for the game and an easy plus hit tool, but comes with perhaps even more power projection due to an explosive, but clean, left handed swing and a projectable 6'3" frame. He's also an even better shortstop than Lawlar, but lacks his counterpart's plus speed on the bases. Personally, I like Mayer's ceiling even better than I do Lawlar's, with a real possibility of 25 home runs per season with high on-base percentages and potential Gold Glove defense at a premium position.
What he needs to do to go first overall: Mayer needs to tap his power in games. He's done so occasionally, but while he has the lead over Lawlar in terms of power projection, Lawlar has tapped his more consistently to this point. By closing the gap between his present and projected power, Mayer can help scouts feel more confident he'll tap his massive ceiling. Given that the Southern California commit already possesses exceptional feel for the barrel, nobody's all that concerned anyways.

Tools and Track Record: OF Jud Fabian, Florida
Jud Fabian graduated high school a year early and got to campus at Florida just before his 18th birthday, and now he won't turn 21 until multiple months after the draft. After a respectable freshman campaign (.232/.353/.411), Fabian broke out as a sophomore (.294/.407/.603, 5 HR in 17 games) and now has a pair of strong summers in the Cape Cod League and Florida Collegiate League under his belt. Listed at 6'2", he packs above average raw power into his athletic frame and taps it consistently in games due to his strong plate discipline. He's also an above average runner with the chance to stick in center field, meaning he can impact the game in as many ways as anybody in this class. If there's one concern for the Ocala native, it's the pure bat to ball skills, as he has some minor swing and miss concerns in the zone despite good pitch recognition and selection.
What he needs to do to go first overall: For me personally, cutting down on swing and miss in the zone would be a big plus. It's not something I'm particularly concerned about, but it brings what could be a 55 or 60 hit tool based on his plate discipline down to more of a 50. That could help him really showcase his power, and with all the walks he draws and his ability to steal bases and play up the middle, we could have a pretty complete ballplayer in that case that would be hard to turn down.

Loud Stuff, Quiet Track Record: RHP Jaden Hill, Louisiana State
Pitch for pitch, Kumar Rocker might not have the best stuff in this class – that may very well be LSU's Jaden Hill. Hailing from a small town outside Texarkana, Hill was another big recruit who has seen his stuff improve considerably in Baton Rouge. Originally a fastball/changeup pitcher, he touched the upper 90's in his few short stints in game action and still shows plus potential with his changeup. The difference between now and three years ago, however, is his slider, which has improved from a fringy offering to a true plus pitch that flashes plus-plus. The Arkansas native is also working on a cutter that flashes above average, rounding out his arsenal. Hill has never had trouble throwing strikes and now that his quarterback career is through, the 6'4", 235 pounder looks the part of a durable starter as well.
What he needs to do to go first overall: In one sentence, he needs his stuff to be just as loud at the end of the season as it is at the start. Injuries as a freshman plus the coronavirus shutdown have limited him to 21.2 innings, mostly as a reliever, so he simply has not proven that his stuff can hold up over long stretches. To this point, Hill has done nothing to prove he can't be a front of the rotation type, so he just needs to prove he can.

The Pure Bat: C Adrian Del Castillo, Miami
The title says it all here – there isn't a more professional hitter in this class than Adrian Del Castillo. The Miami native is a career .336/.430/.571 hitter for the Hurricanes with 14 home runs and significantly more walks (43) than strikeouts (32), showing the calm, confident, mature hitting ability that few can rival. Though he's just 5'11" and stockily built at that, he possesses above average raw power that he taps consistently in games to go along with his plus hit tool. Del Castillo's short-to-it, long-through-it swing is perfectly geared for putting barrel to baseball, combining with his plus plate discipline to help him execute as consistently as anyone. On defense, there are more question marks. He carries over his feel for the game behind the plate, showing good fundamentals and an accurate arm, but he lacks the athleticism and explosiveness you'd like to see in a catching prospect. He's working hard to improve back there, but it's far from a guarantee at this point.
What he needs to do to go first overall: As far as the bat goes, he just has to maintain. However, there needs to be improvement in the glove. If Del Castillo has to move off catcher, 5'11" is a little short for first base and his below average speed and unspectacular arm would limit him to a mediocre left field. If he can get a little smoother behind the plate, showing better ability to get down and block balls in the dirt/put a little more power on his throws, scouts can be more confident they won't have to accept a defensive liability at 1B/LF. Honestly, if he proves he can stick behind the plate this spring, consider Adrian Del Castillo a top-three candidate to go first overall.

The Former First Rounder: SS Matt McLain, UCLA
While Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter had first round pedigree coming out of high school, Matt McLain was actually drafted 25th overall in 2018, but did not sign with the Diamondbacks. His freshman season was disappointing (.203/.276/.355), but since the calendar flipped to 2020, McLain has seen his stock explode. He hit .397/.422/.621 in thirteen games as a sophomore, then a ridiculous .436/.536/.773 with seven home runs over the summer in the California Collegiate League. The Los Angeles-area native appears slight in stature at 5'11", but he's an explosive athlete that churns out plus run times and hits for more power than you'd expect. His quick right handed swing enables him to make plenty of hard contact, also helping that power play up to average so far, with the chance to get to above average. He can be a bit choppy at shortstop but overall projects to stick there with a strong arm and plenty of speed. McLain's main drawback is a susceptibility to offspeed stuff, part of an overall aggressive approach that can limit his on-base percentages.
What he needs to do to go first overall: McLain will always be projected as a hit-over-power guy, so in order to make his way to the very top of the class, he'll naturally need to prove that hit tool is rock-solid. To do that, he'll need to lay off breaking balls out of the zone in 2021, and overall bring his walk rate up considerably. That walk rate is 6.7% for his career, so we'd really like to see something in the double digits in 2021 with a reduction in the strikeout rate.

The Next Texas Horse: RHP Ty Madden, Texas
Ty Madden has been trending up ever since his high school days in the Houston suburbs, where he was teammates with JJ Goss (Rays, comp round 2019), Matthew Thompson (White Sox, second round 2019), and Colton Cowser (Sam Houston State, likely first round 2021). Madden had a 3.40 ERA and a 37/24 strikeout to walk ratio in 42.1 innings as a freshman, then ramped that up to a 1.80 ERA and a 26/4 strikeout to walk ratio in 25 innings as a sophomore. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, topping out around 96-97 in games and as high as 99 in fall practice, and the pitch plays up further due to the tough angle and run he puts on it. His slider has been relatively inconsistent, shortening up at times but showing true plus at others. Madden also possesses one of the better changeups in the class, an above average pitch that is more consistent than his slider. His command has steadily improved and he has no trouble filling up the strike zone nowadays, and while some stabbing motion in the back of his delivery and a funky arm path worry some scouts, he has been durable to this point.
What he needs to do to go first overall: There aren't any giant leaps that need to be made. Rather, incremental improvements in various parts of his game could do the trick for the 6'3" right hander. Maintaining his low to mid 90's fastball over a full season, getting a little more consistent with that slider, and refining his command just a touch would all help. There's really not much to dislike in Madden's game, so he just needs to continue to prove it.

The Sleeper: RHP Ryan Cusick, Wake Forest
I don't think Ryan Cusick is one of the ten most likely players to go first overall, but it's not impossible and it's really fun to think about. Hailing from the same Connecticut boarding school, the Avon Old Farms School, that produced George Springer and 2020 Orioles second rounder Hudson Haskin, Cusick's 5.63 ERA and 98/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 88 innings highlight the up and down nature of his career in Winston-Salem. The Boston-area native has a wicked fastball that can touch 97-98 in games with great ride that makes it tough to square up, though he can dip into the low 90's fairly frequently. His slider flashes true plus, perhaps even plus-plus, but frequently flattens out into a below average pitch. He also throws an average changeup and can flip in a slurvy curveball. His command has been wildly inconsistent, from fringe average as a freshman to well below average as a sophomore (18 walks in 22.1 innings) and back to fringe average in summer ball. Cusick reaches his velocity pretty easily, and he's gotten more coordinated with his lanky 6'6" frame and explosive stuff.
What he needs to do to go first overall: A lot. Cusick took a big step forward with an exceptional summer in the Coastal Plain League (1.14 ERA, 40/9 K/BB), but he needs to continue to prove himself in the spring. The Pirates won't consider him unless he gets close to average command on a consistent basis, and his slider needs to take that last step forward and stop flattening out. That's all easier said than done, but if the draft were held to day, I don't think Cusick would be a factor in the top half of the first round.

Honorable Mentions

3B Alex Binelas, Louisville: Binelas had as loud of a freshman season as you can have (14 HR, .291/.383/.612), showing as explosive of a bat as any in the class. His lightning quick swing gives him massive raw power and elite exit velocities, while his strong feel for the barrel enables him to tap that power consistently in games. His swing can be a bit rigid, as can his actions at third base, so he lacks the up the middle projection you usually see with the first overall pick. The Milwaukee-area native also lacks the plus hit tool that Spencer Torkelson had, so for that reason, it's hard to envision a path to the very top of the draft.

SS Brady House, Winder-Barrow HS [GA]: The most famous name in the high school class coming into the summer, House hasn't faltered so much as players like Jordan Lawlar and Marcelo Mayer have simply outperformed him. Coming from just outside the Atlanta suburbs, he shows plus raw power that he has consistently tapped in games against top competition. His hit tool has been more inconsistent, as he goes through stretches where he is completely unfazed by velocity and high-end breaking stuff, but at others he shows a bit more swing and miss than you'd like. The 6'3" shortstop's right handed swing could use a little fine tuning, as it's simple and explosive when he stays within himself but can get out of whack at times, and he'll need to learn to add loft regardless. House has a chance to stick at shortstop, but he might outgrow the position and move to third base.

OF James Wood, IMG Academy [FL]: Wood has been one of the fastest risers in the class as he's proven his hit tool more and more. Growing up on the Maryland side of the DC suburbs, he transferred to the famous IMG Academy outside Tampa and it's paying off. The 6'6" giant has a very laid back playing style, showing up in a calm demeanor and a patient approach at the plate. When he swings, though, he unleashes huge raw power that comes from a combination of loft, strength, and extension in his left handed swing. He possesses a keen eye at the plate and won't chase bad pitches, though he can get himself into deep counts and swing and miss from there occasionally. An above average runner for now, he has a chance to stick in center field and could be a plus defender in right.

RHP Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian HS [FL]
No high school right handed pitcher has ever gone first overall, and while that's unlikely to change in 2021, it's hard to find anything wrong with Andrew Painter. He's a towering 6'6" righty with a low to mid 90's fastball that tops out around 95-96, with that projectable frame promising more velocity. He adds a pair of good breaking balls in a downer curveball and a more lateral slider, neither of which is a true plus pitch but both of which are consistently at least average and flash above average. His changeup is the same story, playing at least average consistently and flashing above. Unlike most high school pitchers with his build, he's a polished strike thrower with an easy, simple delivery, making him the complete package at a young age. The next step, aside from staying healthy, will be refining at least one of his breaking balls into a plus pitch.

RHP Richard Fitts, Auburn
Fitts was one of the fall's biggest risers, pushing himself from a fringe-day one arm to a true first round talent. Mostly a swingman over his first two years at Auburn, the Birmingham-area native sat around 90 with his fastball and showed promise with his secondaries and command as a reliever. He earned a starting role over the summer and in the fall, where his fastball actually ticked up into the low to mid 90's, playing up due to the tough angle he puts on his pitches. His downer slider and nice splitter both flash above average, and as he did as a reliever, he throws strikes with all three pitches. With a durable 6'3" frame, he has all the starter traits necessary to project in the rotation long term, and he just needs to go out and prove it this spring.