What a whirlwind the first two days of the MLB Draft have been. There was plenty of talent left on the board going into Monday and some teams really capitalized, deepening their talent infusion.
There are no winners or losers in the draft. That is an exercise in futility and a disservice to the players themselves. We must offer these guys the opportunity to develop and prove themselves. That said, a few teams have really stood out for bringing in exemplary talent both in quality and quantity.
Player (Prospects Live Rank)
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
Henry Davis (No. 3)
Anthony Solometo (No. 34)
Lonnie White Jr. (No. 35)
Bubba Chandler (No. 21)
Owen Kellington (Unranked)
Jackson Glenn (No. 238)
Mike Jarvis (Unranked)
Wyatt Hendrie (No. 559)
Sean Sullivan (No. 335)
Luke Brown (No. 278)
Justin Meis (No. 549)
This conversation can’t start with any other team than the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ben Cherington and Co.™ really made a statement to the league this weekend, flexing their bonus pool and leveraging their creativity. Henry Davis has been one of our favorites players in this class and represented a Top 3 talent to our draft team. The Pirates brought in four Top 35 talents, as well as seven Top 300 players. Luke Brown represents one of our team’s favorite sleepers and Meis has really burst onto the scene late here in the Cape season.
The Pirates grabbed four anchors in this class that will represent Top 10 prospects in their organization and staples in what we expect to be a future contender in the not-too-distant future.
2. Cincinnati Reds
Matt McLain (No. 11)
Jay Allen (No. 38)
Mat Nelson (No. 57)
Andrew Abbott (No. 55)
Jose Torres (No. 85)
Ruben Ibarra (Unranked)
Thomas Farr (No. 214)
Justice Thompson (No. 59)
Kevin Abel (No. 132)
Hunter Parks (No. 209)
Jack Rogers (No. 346)
Donovan Benoit (Unranked)
The Reds’ draft is dripping with upside and fun. Cincy, with the exception of the Pirates is the most valuable draft thus far as represented by our rankings. They’re the only team to select six different Top 100 prospects, and the only team to select nine different players inside our Top 225.
Where do you even begin? McLain may be viewed as “safe”, but he’s a definitive big leaguer smattered with tools and athleticism all over his profile. Allen has really surged this spring and is now one of the more tantalizing, physical centerfield prospects in this class. Nelson is one of the more exciting power bats in the class, and a catcher no less. Abbott is one of the safer bets to contribute at the big league level and should move quickly. He has some Ryan Yarbrough traits in his profile. If the Reds can develop Abel into an arm that throws more strikes, the upside is considerable. He possesses a plus-plus changeup, as well as a data-friendly fastball. Thompson is a gazelle in centerfield and if the bat clicks at the highest level the whole package reminds some scouts of “Byron Buxton Lite”. Torres has carrying tools on the dirt, Parks is one of our favorite JUCO arms in the entire country and Farr is likely a big league contributor out of the bullpen. This class is just loaded with potential impact talent.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Andrew Painter (No. 25)
Ethan Wilson (No. 32)
Jordan Viers (No. 600)
Micah Ottenbreit (No. 155)
Griff McGarry (No. 267)
Jose Pena (No. 225)
Christian McGowan (No. 223)
Gavin Ruffcorn (Unranked)
Gavin Tonkel (Unranked)
Logan Cerny (No. 116)
For our money, the Phillies really cleaned up in this draft. Philadelphia nabbed six different players inside our Top 225 including two Top 35 guys. Pairing Andrew Painter with Mick Abel, the Phils have a future 1-2 hammer combo to dream on. Wilson is a safe bet to become a big league bat. Ottenbreit had massive helium for our team and two of our evaluators had Top 100 grades on him. Pena is a hyper-projectable arm who also had a Top 100 vote on our team. Cerny is a team-favorite and possesses drool-worthy tools. McGarry has been awfully inconsistent, but the stuff is real and if he’s limited to a bullpen role, he could be really, really good.
There’s a ton to like about this class. It features a scintillating balance of upside, floor, athleticism and stuff.
4. Cleveland Indians
Gavin Williams (No. 14)
Doug Nikhazy (No. 44)
Tommy Mace (No. 42)
Jake Fox (No. 229)
Ryan Webb (No. 77)
Tanner Bibee (No. 224)
Aaron Davenport (Unranked)
Jack Leftwich (No. 167)
Rodney Boone (No. 226)
Will Dion (Unranked)
Franco Aleman (No. 338)
We love what Cleveland elected to do with their draft capital this year. It’s an arm-rich crop of guys with varying skillsets. Gavin Williams is a fairly optimized arm with age and experience on his size. He should move quickly and projects to potentially offer three different plus pitches. Nikhazy is the type of arm and competitor that will always get more out of his stuff than others could. He’s data-friendly and Cleveland should have fun with that. Mace has feel for five different pitches, though he needs some clean up in terms of pitch design and sequencing. That’s something the Indians could quite well. Webb was a first/second round pick for most of our staff until he got hurt, and we love the attitude that kid brings. Boone could be a real unicorn in this league if he adds some velocity. It’s a plus changeup that flashes plus-plus with solid pitch shape throughout the rest of his arsenal. Bibee, Leftwich, Aleman and Dion all offer a different look and have had stellar moments this season.
Finally, Jake Fox is a guy a lot of scouts have rallied behind. He’s a hit-over-power lefty stick who’s hit tool is considered a potential plus offering once he fully matures. He’s probably a second baseman at the big league level, but this is just the type of kid the Indians love to mold into the best version of himself. Fantastic fit.
We’ll have more and more coverage regarding this draft and these players as the hours and days move forward.