2019 MLB Mock Draft: Second Edition

Here is my second edition of my 2019 MLB Mock Draft.

1. Baltimore Orioles- Adley Rutschman, Catcher, Oregon State: Rutschman is the heavy favorite to go first overall according to many people in the industry. He would immediately become the Orioles catcher of the future and he could get to the big leagues faster than a lot of folks due to his switch hitting ability and he provides a lot of power.

2. Kansas City Royals- Bobby Witt Jr., Shortstop, Colleyville Heritage HS (Texas): The Royals are a team that wants top tier talent to build around and in their system. Enter Witt, who is a five-tool prospect that hits for a ton of power and projects to be a shortstop long term would immediately become the Royals top prospect.

3. Chicago White Sox- Andrew Vaughn, First Baseman, California: The White Sox have options with this choice. They decide to go with the highly touted first baseman in Vaughn. He is arguably the best all-around hitter in this draft and he would be a fine long term replacement for Jose Abreu, if they choose to move on from him.

4. Miami Marlins- J. J. Bleday, Outfielder, Vanderbilt: The Marlins are a team that lacks college position players in their system. Bleday is someone that scouts thought had some power to go with his bat and he's displayed it this year in college. The front office apparently love Bleday although shortstop CJ Abrams can't be ruled out either.

5. Detroit Tigers- Riley Greene, Outfielder, Hagerty HS (Florida): Greene is the best high school hitter in this draft and the Tigers snag him here. They could go with a college hitter here, but they settle on Greene here, who is a below average defensive player that could end up a longterm DH.

6. San Diego Padres- CJ Abrams, Shortstop, Blessed Trinity HS (California): The Padres are getting a steal here with Abrams falling to them at six and he's someone I had slotted third to Chicago two weeks ago. He is one of the best hitters and athletes in this draft. If it doesn't work out for him as a middle infielder, than he could work out in center field.

7. Cincinnati Reds- Nick Lodolo, LHP, TCU: The Reds have a farm system that's loaded with hitters and high school pitchers, but it lacks collegiate arms. Lodolo is the first pitcher taken off the board as he's the best pitcher in the draft and he's someone that has three good pitches.

8. Texas Rangers- Hunter Bishop, Outfielder, Arizona State: The Rangers system lacks college hitters and they take one here in Bishop. The Orioles apparently like him too, but taking him number one overall is a bit of a stretch. Bishop is somebody who's stock has risen from the start of the season to put him in this position.

9. Atlanta Braves (compensation pick)- Corbin Carroll, Outfielder, Lakwood HS (California): The Braves have options here with this selection. Carroll is somebody that can rake and makes great contact with a nice left-handed swing, has a ton of speed that works on offense and defense.

10. San Francisco Giants- Bryson Stott, Shortstop, UNLV: The Giants have options here and they tend to go with the highly touted shortstop in Stott. He is the best college infielder in the draft class and he projects to be an impact hitter with enough defense to stick at short.

11. Toronto Blue Jays- Alek Manoah, RHP, West Virginia: The Jays are a team that needs more pitching as they have some young great hitters. Manoah is the best college righty pitcher in the draft and he's somebody that has improved his walk rate from last year to this year.

12. New York Mets- Zach Thompson, LHP, Kentucky: Many folks are linking Thompson to the Mets and it would be a solid draft choice here. If it weren't for injury concerns, he'd go in the top ten of this draft, but he has put together a great season.

13. Minnesota Twins- Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto (Texas): The Twins will almost likely take one of the highly touted college arms if one of them falls to them, but here I have them taking Rutledge. He's shown high velocity and is an analytics darling and that's something the Twins would like.

14. Philadelphia Phillies- Josh Jung, Third Baseman, Texas Tech: Jung is somebody that was thought out to be a top ten or even top five pick prior to this season. He's having a down season, but is still producing solid numbers and he's worth a first round choice due to his past success.

15. Los Angeles Angels- Matthew Allan, RHP, Seminole HS (Florida): The Angels have drafted a lot of position players in the first round the past few seasons, but this time around they take a high school arm in Allan. Scouts love his curveball and his fastball, but if he falls far, he may be heading to college rather than the pros.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks- Quinn Priester, RHP, Cary-Grove HS (Illinois): The Diamondbacks are a team that Matthew Allan falls to them, but instead they go with another high school righty. Priester is somebody that is one of the fastest risers of the spring and has a great curveball.

17. Washington Nationals- Shea Langeliers, Catcher, Baylor: If it weren't for Adley Rutschman, Langeliers would have been the best catcher in this draft. He doesn't have Rutschman's offensive upside, but he's one of the best defensive catchers of the last decade and is hitting better this spring despite a broken hamate that sidelined him for just three weeks.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates- Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson: The Pirates are a team that's taken chances on high school guys a ton the past few years. Here, they take the college position player in Davidson who is a switch-hitting shortstop that plays good defense and runs the bases well too.

19. St. Louis Cardinals- George Kirby, RHP, Elon: The lack of college arms that are first round worthy will push guys like Kirby up the draft boards. He is someone that is a great strike thrower and he lead the country in strikeout-walk ratio to back it up.

20. Seattle Mariners- Will Wilson, Shortstop/Second Baseman, North Carolina State: Wilson is solid across the board, with a nice swing, decent pop and the arm and quickness to potentially land at short long-term. He has below-average speed, which means he may wind up at second, but he’ll likely hit.

21. Atlanta Braves- Brennan Malone, RHP, IMG Academy (Florida): The Braves go with a high school arm with their second first round choice. Malone is somebody that displays four good pitches and I wouldn't rule out him going ninth to the Braves or between 10 and 15.

22. Tampa Bay Rays- Michael Busch, First Baseman/Outfielder, North Carolina: Busch is someone that is very polished and mature as a hitter, but he doesn't have a clear position. He hits for a ton of power and many folks he's a first baseman long term.

23. Colorado Rockies- Kameron Misner, Outfielder, Missouri: Misner is the college prospect with the best tools package among college position players. He has a good lefty swing and significant power potential, plus he draws praise for his makeup and worth ethic, but there are lingering concerns about his ability to make consistent contact at the upper levels.

24. Cleveland Indians- Brett Baty, Third Baseman, Lake Travis HS (Texas): Baty is somebody with tremendous upside and possibly could go higher than this. Some scouts believe he's the best high school hitter and not Riley Greene as he's also shown to hit for average and power. There are teams that won't touch him in the first round because of his age while others don't think he'll last 20 picks.

25. Los Angeles Dodgers- Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia Premier Academy: With the first of two first round picks, the Dodgers go with a high school righty with a ton of upside in Espino. He offers plenty of good pitches and has big velocity and spin rate.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks (compensation pick)- Seth Johnson, RHP, Campbell: Johnson was a shortstop without much of a bat before transferring to Campbell, where he was moved to the mound full-time. He needs a lot of work because of his relative inexperience on the mound, but if he has one of the liveliest arms in the draft.

27. Chicago Cubs- Kody Hoese, Third Baseman, Tulane: The Cubs would love a college arm to fall to them, but they settle here on Hoese. He made some swing changes in summer ball last year that unlocked his natural strength and turned him into a big time power threat.

28. Milwaukee Brewers- Rece Hinds, Third Baseman, IMG Academy (Florida): The Brewers have hit on a some of high school hitters the past few years (Keston Hiura being the most recent). Hinds has as much raw power as anyone in the Draft, although there are swing-and-miss concerns too.

29. Oakland Athletics- Hunter Barco, LHP, Bolles School-San Jose (Florida): Barco is arguably the best lefty high school arm in this draft. His fastball sits in the mid-90s with movement, he owns a good, but inconsistent slider and a solid changeup.

30. New York Yankees- Tyler Callihan, Third Baseman, Providence HS (Florida): Callihan profiles similar to Brett Bady due to his being old for the high school class. He is someone else that's worth a first round pick due to the fact he can flat out hit.

31. Los Angeles Dodgers (compensation pick)- Maurice Hampton, Outfielder, Memphis University HS (Tennessee): Hampton is somebody that's committed to playing both baseball and football at LSU, and it would take a big offer from someone to pry him away from college to play pro-ball. If he refines his tools in center field, he could be a 25-25 guy.

32. Houston Astros- J. J. Goss, RHP, Cypress Ranch HS (Texas): The Astros have hit jackpot on high school pitching of late (latest example Forrest Whitley). Goss is somebody that has similar raw tools to Whitley and he has a great curveball and slider and would slide right in to the Astros collection of good young pitching prospects.