Here is my second edition of my 2016 MLB Draft.
1. Philadelphia Phillies- 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- Kyle Lewis, Outfielder, Mercer: Lewis appears to have moved to number one on the Braves' board and would be the ideal blend of talent at a position of need. If Lewis is off the board, the Braves will likely go best player available with Riley Pint or Jason Groome.
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- Delvin Perez, Shortstop, International Baseball Academy Ceiba (PR): A long-rumored selection, Perez adds tremendous upside to the organization. The Brewers lack top-end pitching talent, making Pint and Groome attractive options as well.
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- Corey Ray, Outfielder, Louisville: If Ray drops this farm I don't see the Marlins passing him up, whether Riley Pint is still available at this spot or not because Ray has a lot of potential.
8. San Diego Padres- Riley Pint, Pitcher, Saint Thomas Aquinas HS (KS): In my previous mock draft, I started that I cannot see Pint fall past seven. Well, now I have him past seven and the Padres would gladly take Pint at eight.
9. Detroit Tigers- Braxton Garrett, Pitcher, Florence HS (ALA): The Tigers could use some young arms in their farm system after some of them have either have been traded or already in the big leagues with the team. Garrett has some upside and I believe Detroit would take him here assuming Riley Pint doesn't drop this far.
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- Matt Manning, Pitcher, Sheldon High School (CAL): Manning would be an interesting selection here for the Mariners, who are a rumored destination for him and Manning does have some upside and would be a fine selection for a team who can use young pitching in their farm system.
12. Boston Red Sox- Justin Dunn, Pitcher, Boston College: Red Sox like to go after college players, and with the top college bats all gone, they chose to go with the local college pitcher who has risen to the top of the college ranks with a strong spring.
13. Tampa Bay Rays- Ian Anderson, Pitcher, Shenendehowa HS (NY): 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- Josh Lowe, Third Baseman, Pope HS (GA): Indians seem to like high school bats and Lowe's been picking up a lot of momentum. Lowe's name has been appearing all over the draft and he could go anywhere from nine spots higher to 10 spots lower.
15. Minnesota Twins- Dakota Hudson, Pitcher, Mississippi State: Hudson finished the season strong and offers the best combination of floor and ceiling of any arm available at this point in the draft.
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- Zack Burdi, Pitcher, Louisville: Armed with a 100 mph fastball, there are those who feel he could jump straight to the majors as a bullpen arm down the stretch. For those with more patience, he may be able to transition to the rotation. Either way, he's going to go early for a college reliever.
18. New York Yankees- Will Craig, Third Baseman, Wake Forest: Rumor is that the Yankees are going away from the prep arms and looking for a college bat. Craig bring a big bat from the right side, and could help the Yankees in the corners where they're aging.
19. New York Mets- Matt Thais, Catcher, Virginia: With Craig gone, the Mets turn to Thaiss, another advanced college bat with a strong likelihood of ending up at first base as a pro.
20. Los Angeles Dodgers- Cody Sedlock, Pitcher, Illinois: The Dodgers had a tough first round last year and hope to bounce back this year. They seem to be favoring the college arms and Sedlock is a good one without a lot of mileage on his arm.
21. Toronto Blue Jays- 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.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates- Zach Collins, Catcher, Miami (FL): Collins' bat will profile just fine at the big league level and whether he can stick behind the plate remains to be seen. Collins would provide catching depth in the Pirates's farm system.
23. Saint Louis Cardinals- Eric Lauer, Pitcher, Kent State: The Cards can use some arms in their farm system and Lauer would be a fine pick here. Lauer is one of the top lefties in this draft class.
Compensation Round A
24. San Diego Padres- 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.
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- TJ Zeuch, Pitcher, Pittsburgh: The White Sox are rumored to be looking at college guys in the first round and after getting a bat earlier go for an arm here. Eric Lauer the left-handed pitcher from Kent State may be the pick, but if Zeuch drops this far the White Sox probably won't bypass him.
27. Baltimore Orioles- Nolan Jones, Third Baseman, Holy Ghost Prep (PA): Jones could go earlier than this, but as a local prospect, Jones' power potential is too much for the O's to pass on.
28. Washington Nationals- Cal Quantrill, Pitcher, Stanford: Quantrill 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.
29. 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.
30. Texas Rangers- 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.
31. New York Mets- Bryan Reynolds, Outfielder, Vanderbilt: With the run on high-school bats, Reynolds is the best player on the board at this point. One of the safer picks this year, Reynolds has average or better tools across the board and can likely stick in CF early in his career.
32. Los Angeles Dodgers- Connor Jones, Pitcher, Virginia: Jones is a polished pitcher out of college and he would be a very good pick for the Dodgers.
33. 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.
34. Saint Louis Cardinals- Chris Okey, Catcher, Clemson: Okey is perhaps underrated as one of the few college backstops who will definitely stay behind the plate.
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