2016 MLB Mock Draft: 1st Edition

Here is my first edition of my 2016 MLB Mock Draft.

1. Philadelphia Phillies- AJ Puk, Pitcher, Florida: The prevailing thinking has long been that Puk was the guy the Phils wanted to be the clear-cut choice at No. 1. One start doesn't make a decision, but his dominance in the SEC tournament against LSU could be all Philadelphia needed to cement a decision. High school lefty Jason Groome isn't out of the discussion and there are still bats -- Mickey Moniak on the high school front and Kyle Lewis from the college ranks are the main names mentioned -- still in play.

2. Cincinnati Reds- Nick Senzel, Third Baseman, Tennessee: Perhaps the most advanced bat in this Draft class, Senzel has closed strongly, swinging a hot bat as the Draft rapidly approaches. The Reds would have interest in Puk should the Phils go elsewhere, while Lewis and Puerto Rican high schooler Delvin Perez are still possibilities.

3. Atlanta Braves- Corey Ray, Outfielder, Louisville: The closer the draft approaches, the more the talk shifts to college players, even though the Braves want upside and this draft offers two impact preps in Riley Pint and Jason Groome, both of whom the Braves have scouted extensively. Instead, they are said to be headed for a signable college bat such as Louisville’s Corey Ray, who has plenty of impact potential.

4. Colorado Rockies- Jason Groome, Pitcher, Barnegat HS (NJ): Groome has an exciting combination of stuff, ceiling and feel for pitching, but there is inherent risk in taking a high school pitcher, and the last time the Rockies went the prep southpaw route in the first round, they selected Tyler Matzek. Moniak is mentioned often in this spot, too.

5. Milwaukee Brewers- Kyle Lewis, Outfielder, Mercer: Lewis could end up in the top four, but he might just be too good to pass up here at five. Milwaukee could use pitching here too.

6. Oakland Athletics- Mickey Moniak, Outfielder, LA Costa Canyon HS (CAL): If Senzel got to this spot, he likely wouldn't go any further. There seems to be interest in Groome as well. And before you dismiss the idea of the A's taking a high school bat, remember they took Addison Russell and Billy McKinney in back-to-back years in the first round.

7. Miami Marlins- Riley Pint, Pitcher, Saint Thomas Aquinas HS (KS): I can't see Pint dropping passed seven. The Marlins usually do well in drafting bats, but Pint would be too good to pass up here.

8. San Diego Padres- Matt Manning, Pitcher, Sheldon High School (CAL): The Padres are a rumored destination for Manning and it makes some sense because the Padres could use some young arms in their farm system.

9. Detroit Tigers- Delvin Perez, Shortstop, International Baseball Academy, Ceiba (PR): The Tigers could use some infield prospects after trading some away in years past and Perez has a ton of tools to be a great player.

10. Chicago White Sox- Blake Rutherford, Outfielder, Chaminade Prep High School (CAL): Without a big college arm to take here, either, and with the White Sox highly unlikely to go the prep arm route, it's time to look at bats. It appears they covet Rutherford over the other hitters available in this scenario, and it was reported that White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams was on hand to see Rutherford turn on a quality fastball and hit a deep home run.

11. Seattle Mariners- Justin Dunn, Pitcher, Boston College: The college pitcher class remains unsettled in terms of order, but Boston College righthander Justin Dunn has as much helium as anyone. If the Eagles get an at-large bid, his final start will be heavily scrutinized by teams in this range of he draft, and the Mariners have the most interest in the quick-armed former closer who’s as loose, free and easy as any pitcher in the class.

12. Boston Red Sox- Zach Collins, Catcher, Miami (FL): Collins' bat will profile just fine at the big league level. Whether he can stick behind the plate remains to be seen, but if the Red Sox take him here, you bet they'll give him every chance at showing he can.

13. Tampa Bay Rays- Dakota Hudson, Pitcher, Mississippi State: The Rays have been linked to high school bats like Josh Lowe. But with the slow development of past prep picks in the system, there could be pressure to go the advanced route. After scuffling for a bit, he righted the ship at the end, restoring his stock.

14. Cleveland Indians- Ian Anderson, Pitcher, Shenendehowa HS (NY): The board is falling the Indians way in this scenario, as they’ve been aggressive with prep players in recent years and could have several prep options here. Manning has as much upside as any NorCal prep pitcher since 1997 Indians first-rounder CC Sabathia but also has a reported $4-5 million price tag. Anderson also is considered a tough sign but has a lower price tag than Manning.

15. Minnesota Twins- Braxton Garrett, Pitcher, Florence HS (ALA): The Twins have done a great job the last few seasons in the draft and Garrett would be a great selection here for Minnesota.

16. Los Angeles Angels- Alex Kirilloff, Outfielder, Plum HS (PA): While the Angels desperately need players that could help soon in Anaheim, especially on the mound, they’ve been tied to high school hitters for the last month, with numerous reports of GM Billy Eppler hitting the trail to get extra eyes on prep hitters in Georgia and the Southeast, but sticking with the Northeast makes sense for a team that struck gold with Mike Trout seven years ago.

17. Houston Astros- Cody Sedlock, Pitcher, Illinois: College pitching tends to float upwards, and Sedlock has pitched well moving into the rotation this year, earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors. There could be interest in the top high school arms still available at this point as well.

18. New York Yankees- Matt Thais, Catcher, Virginia: New York’s success with pitchers has been well-documented. We’ve always tied them in with pitchers this spring, but word this week is that was inaccurate, and the focus has been on finding a college bat such as Virginia’s Matt Thaiss or Wake Forest’s Will Craig. Thaiss’ defense is shy but teams are very comfortable with his bat in the middle of the first round, and his game-tying homer Thursday at the ACC tournament showed his easy power again.

19. New York Mets- Will Craig, Third Baseman, Wake Forest: This is another one of those "player tied to team so often you can't ignore it" scenarios. The Mets would like a college bat and Craig could be the best one available here.

20. Los Angeles Dodgers- Jordan Sheffield, Pitcher, Vanderbilt: There are some concerns with his size and his past Tommy John surgery, but it's hard to deny his stuff and the success he had at Vanderbilt this year.

21. Toronto Blue Jays- Taylor Trammell, Outfielder, Mount Paran Christian School (GA): The Blue Jays might go high-upside pitcher if someone like Manning were around. Instead, a toolsy outfielder like Trammell, who had some initial helium that has slowed down a bit now, is the choice.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates- Nolan Jones, Third Baseman, Holy Ghost Prep (PA): Jones' name pops up with a few teams up a bit higher, and there was some talk the Pirates were leaning arm, but the eastern Pennsylvania prepster's pure bat might be too good to pass up.

23. Saint Louis Cardinals- TJ Zeuch, Pitcher, Pittsburgh: The 6-foot-7 right-hander was touching 96-97 mph with a ton of life and sink throughout his ACC season. The breaking ball has come in and out, but he's shown glimpses, and Michael Wacha didn't have much of a breaking ball, either.

24. San Diego Padres- Cal Quantrill, Pitcher, Stanford: This is another oft-mentioned rumor, that the Padres will make a deal with Quantrill, who could've been a top third of the first-round pick had he not required Tommy John surgery in 2015. He didn't return the mound this season, but he did work out for a select number of teams.

25. San Diego Padres- Gavin Lux, Shortstop, Indian Trail Academy (WIS): Lux is gaining some steam, and his name has popped up in the top half of the first round, as he's swung a very good bat and continued to prove that he can play shortstop long-term.

26. Chicago White Sox- Eric Lauer, Pitcher, Kent State: The industry expects the White Sox to stick with college performers in the first round, and they were in heavy at the Mid-American Conference tournament to see two of the draft’s top lefties, Lauer and fast-rising Western Michigan’s Keegan Akin, who’s trending up toward the second round.

27. Baltimore Orioles- Robert Tyler, Pitcher, Georgia: The Orioles could absolutely use some young pitching for their farm system and Tyler would be a good fit.

28. Washington Nationals- Drew Mendoza, Third Baseman, Lake Minneola HS (FLA): His strong commitment to Florida State sounds like it will require an above-pick-value deal, but the Nats do have a pair of picks in the first round to play with.

29. Washington Nationals- Jesus Luzardo, Pitcher, M Stoneman Douglas HS (FLA): Luzardo needed Tommy John surgery this spring and there was talk about a $1.5 million price tag, but that's under pick value here and would actually give the Nats wiggle room to get a deal with Mendoza done.

30. Texas Rangers- Josh Lowe, Third Baseman, Pope HS (GA): Lowe's name has come up all over the top half of the first round, so he could be gone, but it did seem like his steam was fading a bit. The Rangers do like young bats with tools, and Lowe fits that description.

31. New York Mets- Chris Okey, Catcher, Clemson: Two college hitters for the Mets in the first round? Why not, with Okey perhaps underrated as one of the few college backstops who will definitely stay behind the plate.

32. Los Angeles Dodgers- Will Benson, Outfielder, The Westminster Schools (GA): After getting the college arm with their first pick, they go for raw tools and upside in Benson, who could be a dynamic right fielder in the future.

33. Saint Louis Cardinals- Buddy Reed, Outfielder, Florida: A college player with raw tools is hard to find, but that's who Reed is. His tools will be hard to pass up at this point, even if his performance was uneven this season.

34. Saint Louis Cardinals- Alec Hensen, Pitcher, Oklahoma: Hansen was once considered a top-of-the-Draft candidate before suffering through a rough junior campaign. But he has one of the biggest arms in the Draft, struck out 17 over his past two starts and could be a gamble worth taking at the end of the round.