Lookout Landing - MLB Draft Preview 2018Mariners baseball support group meets here, Tuesdays and all the other days too.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50775/ll-fav.png2019-06-04T15:21:14-07:00http://www.lookoutlanding.com/rss/stream/169814292019-06-04T15:21:14-07:002019-06-04T15:21:14-07:00That’s Salvatore! Mariners take FSU SS Mike Salvatore in the 9th round
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<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nL92R7LosZSCAo0rCAAQ5RyRG_8=/0x8:3966x2652/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63949941/461033927.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>this is Renegade, the Florida State Seminoles’ non-problematic mascot | Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A senior sign saves money but also offers some upside</p> <p id="UejDza">The Mariners took just their second infielder of the day in the ninth round with SS Mike Salvatore out of Florida State, alma mater of 2018 third-rounder Cal Raleigh. A senior sign, Salvatore should free up some signing money for the prep arms the Mariners took in the sixth and seventh rounds. Salvatore was selected in the 19th round out of high school in the 2015 draft, but opted to attend a JUCO before transferring to FSU.</p>
<p id="g7deZ6">Salvatore put himself on the draft radar after a strong summer on the Cape that he carried into a career-best season at FSU, slashing .341/.430/.549. Salvatore has a quick, line-drive swing that can occasionally result in some pop: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Salvatore slams a homer out to left field to bring in 2 runs for the Noles!<br><br>T7 | Maine 3, FSU 14 <a href="https://t.co/dGntYCTWP9">pic.twitter.com/dGntYCTWP9</a></p>— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FSUBaseball/status/1096864232266780673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2019</a>
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<p id="i9RVZd">He’s a tough at-bat who will foul off a lot of pitches and is very hard to strike out, and makes a lot of contact. Able to play all over the infield, Salvatore’s floor is a utility infielder if the bat doesn’t carry over into pro ball. He’s an above-average shortstop. </p>
<p id="L1wrjl">Learn a little more about Salvatore here:</p>
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https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2019/6/4/18652824/thats-salvatore-mariners-take-fsu-ss-mike-salvatore-in-the-9th-roundKate Preusser2018-06-05T11:32:02-07:002018-06-05T11:32:02-07:00Mariners select Missouri’s LHP Michael Plassmeyer in the fourth round
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<figcaption>there are no pictures of Missouri Tiger Michael Plassmeyer in the photo tool, so here is a picture of a baby tiger | Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A command/control lefty who projects to move quickly in the system</p> <p id="15bD5P">After taking a catcher in the previous round, the <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a> went back to the college ranks again, this time taking 6’2” lefty Michael Plassmeyer from Missouri. This isn’t the first time the Mariners have taken a Tiger pitcher—RHP <span>Reggie McClain</span>, currently with Modesto, is also a Mizzou grad. </p>
<p id="v0HTBk">Plassmeyer is a fairly under-the-radar choice; his two rotation-mates, TJ Sikkema and Bryce Montes De Oca, are arguably both bigger names. But it was Plassmeyer who blossomed this year, posting a 3.05 ERA over 90+ innings of work with an incredible 103:17 K:BB ratio. Plassmeyer isn’t a power pitcher—his fastball will sit in the high 80s and maybe touch 92 or 93—but his elite skill is an ability to locate. His teammate notes his pitches are so accurate he can “hit a gnat’s ass.” </p>
<p id="ydazDy">After a sophomore slump where he struggled to the point of losing his rotation spot, Plassmeyer came back determined this year. <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/20180418/missouri-pitcher-plassmeyer-sees-draft-stock-skyrocket">He spent the off-season training with his brother at P3 Academy in St. Louis, Mariners bullpen coach Brian DeLunas’s facility</a>, and returned to Mizzou with some extra velo on his fastball. That, plus a new grip on his curveball, helped skyrocket Plassmeyer’s draft stock.</p>
<p id="dI9wAL">Here’s some video of him throwing: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Michael Plassmeyer was lights out for <a href="https://twitter.com/MizzouBaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MizzouBaseball</a> today, picking up 6 strikeouts on his way to a complete game shutout <a href="https://twitter.com/23SportsMUTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@23SportsMUTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/3aqNs9B82s">pic.twitter.com/3aqNs9B82s</a></p>— Jacob Lang (@jacoblang_) <a href="https://twitter.com/jacoblang_/status/982724698919391233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2018</a>
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https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/6/5/17430602/mariners-select-missouris-lhp-michael-plassmeyer-in-the-fourth-roundKate Preusser2018-06-05T08:00:01-07:002018-06-05T08:00:01-07:00Draft-Eligible D-II Prospects, 2018
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<figcaption>Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Taking a look at some lesser-known names</p> <p id="ugCE7M">So far we’ve covered the draft-eligible players from the major conferences in some depth; as we press into these later days of the draft, we’ll take a look at a few Division II players worth knowing. Each year, between 30-50 D-II players are drafted, and the <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a> usually account for at least a few of those picks. Last year they took Austin Hutchison out of Mt. Olive, Connor Hoover out of North Georgia, and Ryan Garcia from Point Loma Nazarene University; most notably, big-league reliever <span>Dan Altavilla</span> is a product of Mercyhurst University. Generally, teams tend to draft arms out of D-II schools more than bats, although last year the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> took Bligh Madris as an exception to that rule (and also a personal favorite of Kate’s, who introduced her to Palauan baseball). Here, we profile just a few of the names that have gotten a little draft buzz or stood out to us in our research. We’ve divided the picks up by region, which has involved a lot of googling of where Augustana College is, anyway.</p>
<p id="AQ5qRU">Note: we had originally profiled Josiah Gray, from Le Moyne and largely considered the best arm in D-II, but he was a Day One selection, going to the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> in the second round at pick 72.</p>
<h2 id="I4HYhk">Mid-Atlantic/Northeast:</h2>
<p id="O3Ujna"><strong>RHP Chris Vallimont, Mercyhurst University</strong></p>
<p id="wM1fWP">Mercyhurst University has been a factory for draftworthy pitching as of late, and this year is no exception. The Lakers boast the DII strikeout leader for the 2018 season in RHP Chris Vallimont, who ran a rate of 16.5 K/9 on his way to becoming the school’s all time single season strikeout leader with 147. The overpowering right-hander proved to be more than just a flamethrower, as he demonstrated enough control to limit the free passes to just 2.8 BB/9. The 6’5” 235lb hurler follows in the footsteps of MU alum <span>Dan Altavilla</span> in being a student of Driveline, and it’s paid off, as he appears to have a good shot to be the first DII guy off the board. Other draftable arms from Mercyhurst include junior righty <strong>Russell Lamovec</strong>, who struck out 66 batters in 48 innings of work this year with a sub-3 ERA, and junior lefty <strong>Matt Minnick</strong>, who garnered a ton of preseason accolades coming into 2017 before suffering an injury. He’ll most likely take this as a get-right year and be drafted next year as a senior. Senior catcher <strong>Drew Delsignore</strong> is also one to watch here; he’ll likely get a bump in visibility as scouts have been out to see the pitchers.</p>
<p id="6JSCeZ"><strong>1B/3B Jared Melone, West Chester University </strong></p>
<p id="rk8z6R">The accolades stacked up this year for the 6’1” righty: ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-American, CCA Second Team All-American, NCBWA Second Team All-American, PSAC East Athlete of the Year, ECAC Player of the Year, D2CAA All-Atlantic Player of the Year, NCBWA All-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, First Team All-PSAC, NCBWA First Team All-Region, CCA All-Atlantic First Team, First Team All-ECAC, ABCA/Rawlings All-Region. I guess that’s what happens when you lead all of D-II in batting average (.469) with double-digit HRs and doubles for a Bondsian slugging percentage of .743. And it’s not like he was beating up on weak competition; West Chester plays in a fairly tough PSAC with Millersville and powerhouse Mercyhurst. Unfortunately, I can’t find any video of him other than <a href="https://twitter.com/UofDWayne/status/868577632471961602">this very faraway shot</a> of him hitting a grand slam last year. </p>
<p id="6LUejQ"><strong>SS Alec Craig, Chestnut Hill College</strong></p>
<p id="MGcD5Y">A year after leading the Griffins in runs, hits, and stolen bases, Craig led this year’s squad in hitting (.403), on-base percentage (.520), slugging (.698), walks (38), and stolen bases, more than doubling last year’s total with 47 in 44 games. His 47 swiped bags led all of D-II, and he was caught just <em>once</em>. Here’s a video of him on...well I’m not exactly sure what...but skip to 2:40 to listen to the young man talk shop.</p>
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<p id="2iISAC">He’s a bit undersized, but as we saw on day one of the draft, if a guy can hit, teams will take a shot on them regardless of size. </p>
<p id="49EpBe"><strong>LHP Dan Wirchansky, Pace University</strong></p>
<p id="LzE5QG">The NCAA D-II ERA king threw up a 0.71 ERA and 0.57 WHIP through 51.0 innings for the Setters in 2018. The highlight of his season came back on March 4 vs. Dominican when he fanned 16 in a perfect game, one of three complete games he threw on the season. The southpaw also managed to hold opposing hitters to a .140 average on the season while walking just 0.9 BB/9 and posting a sterling 11.1 K/9. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pace University Junior Dan Wirchansky with an opening day perfect game. 16k’s vs Dominican <a href="https://t.co/QoF3BFKvuW">pic.twitter.com/QoF3BFKvuW</a></p>— STEVE Cashman (@daddycash69) <a href="https://twitter.com/daddycash69/status/970405959121108993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a>
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<p id="C9jZcT"><strong>Giovanni Dingcong, OF, St. Thomas Aquinas</strong></p>
<p id="lSAB8F">After a breakout performance last year, Dingcong wasn’t able to replicate his double-digit homer season, and continued to strike out at an alarming clip. That being said, when he does make contact, he can absolutely obliterate baseballs. Look at this mammoth tater: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check out this monster home run by Giovanni Dingcong in Friday's 7-5 victory over LIU Post. The ball went over the scoreboard, across the road & into the field behind Palisades Credit Union Park. Estimated Distance: 525-530 Feet.<a href="https://t.co/zaxRQman5h">https://t.co/zaxRQman5h</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SCTop10?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SCTop10</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCAATop10?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCAATop10</a></p>— STAC Spartans (@STACSpartans) <a href="https://twitter.com/STACSpartans/status/993285743551246337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2018</a>
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<p id="5KgaVg">He’s also a legit corner outfielder with a <a href="https://twitter.com/WarehamGatemen/status/895436418461433856">strong arm</a> who takes solid routes and <a href="https://twitter.com/STACBaseball/status/985269979812630528">plays with a little bit of swag</a>. The senior is well-worth a flier in the later rounds of the draft, and I just feel like baseball NEEDS Giovanni Dingcong. I’d rather watch him than Tebow, that’s for sure.</p>
<p id="J7bAmf"><strong>Frank Moscatiello, St. Thomas Aquinas</strong></p>
<p id="168pYw">Moscatiello was the pitcher throwing a CGSO saved by Dingcong’s leaping catch above. In 80 innings this year, he struck out 78 while walking 46 with a 2.69 ERA. The senior righty is just 5’9”, but his fastball sits in the low 90s and can get up to 94, thanks to a strong, muscular frame that is <span>Altavilla</span>-esque.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">D-II pitcher Frank Moscatiello (<a href="https://twitter.com/STACBaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@STACBaseball</a>) gets Vaughn swinging with a 92 mph fastball. High of 94: <a href="https://t.co/wzqldEvlUK">pic.twitter.com/wzqldEvlUK</a></p>— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) <a href="https://twitter.com/McFarland_Shawn/status/884945038400249856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2017</a>
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<p id="FhGZbY"><strong>Eli Nabholz, RHP, Millersville</strong></p>
<p id="IiZDrY">I wrote up Nabholz <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2017/5/22/15677680/2017-mlb-draft-the-mariners-and-division-ii-pitchers-atlantic-region-mercyhurst-matt-minnick">last year</a> and noted that while the junior had strong strikeout numbers (93 Ks in 78 innings pitched), his walk rate wasn’t sterling and as someone who works with a low-90s fastball, he had to improve that. This year the 6’6” righty isn’t striking batters out at quite the same clip (92 Ks in just over 90 IP), but he’s cut down his walks rate while shaving almost a full run off his ERA. </p>
<h2 id="Co8hMX">Southeast:</h2>
<p id="kuSf4A"><strong>Jake Anchia, C, Nova Southeastern</strong></p>
<p id="QNH1Ku">Baseball America calls him the best defensive catcher available in D-II baseball, and he also happens to have a penchant for hitting dingers: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The new NSU home run KING!<br><br>➡️ Jake Anchia ⬅️ <a href="https://t.co/k2QCBcPVns">pic.twitter.com/k2QCBcPVns</a></p>— NSU Baseball (@NSU_Baseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSU_Baseball/status/979533442978340865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2018</a>
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<p id="pHBDvw"><strong>RHP David Lebron, University of Tampa </strong></p>
<p id="N1zoju">Tampa has a history of producing solid D-II arms and Lebron fits that mold. At 5’11”, Lebron might not seem like an imposing figure, but if you’ve been missing former Mariners prospect and strikeout king J.P. Sears, the other Lebron might be your new pet prospect. As a sophomore he ran a K/9 of over 10 over 90+ innings while issuing just 27 free passes for an ERA around 2.5; this year, he’s punched all those numbers up some, running a K/9 of almost 13 while dropping his ERA closer to 2. He earned First-Team All-America and South Region Pitcher of the Year awards for his work this year. Another interesting arm at Tampa is <strong>Cole Aker</strong>, a 6’2” UNC transfer. The hard-throwing righty can hit mid-90s and pairs that with a 76-78 curve. He has big strikeout numbers, with 9.2 K/9 in 46 IP, and the control issues that plagued him at UNC seem to have regressed, as he’s gotten his walks down to just 23 in 46 IP.</p>
<p id="s8HDcs"><strong>1B Zack Shannon, Delta State University</strong></p>
<p id="RLS0fL">Delta State 1B Zack Shannon might not hear his name called until day two—or perhaps even day three of the draft this year, but he’s surrounded by plenty of day one company as one of 25 finalists for this year’s Golden Spikes Award. The JUCO transfer set a school record by belting 31 home runs in 2018, and added 93 RBI on to his .406/.504/.955 batting line, but those numbers look a whole lot better considering the right handed hitter showed off good plate discipline as well, running a 35:27 BB:SO rate. While most of those numbers will likely fall when he’s facing more advanced pitching, the slugger demonstrated enough bat-to-ball skills to draw interest from big league scouts and should be the first D-II position player off the board.</p>
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<p id="II6e1O"><strong>Luke Cureton, Belmont Abbey</strong></p>
<p id="38HBqf">The power-hitting senior outfielder led D-II baseball in doubles (24) and knocked double-digit home runs en route to being named Conference Carolinas Player of the Year.</p>
<p id="Ve51aW"><strong>Charlie Hecht, Georgia College</strong></p>
<p id="tGviXG">Hecht is an interesting player—he’s the career strikeout leader at Georgia College and an NCBWA All-American (and first team All-Academic), but his long-term goal is to work for an MLB team in baseball operations. After graduation, the senior is planning to become a grad assistant for the athletics program while working on his Master’s in Business Administration. </p>
<h2 id="kNbhOA">Midwest:</h2>
<p id="ArL8R1"><strong>Tyler Jandron, Northwood University</strong></p>
<p id="vF05sj">I wrote up Tyler last year, back when the best footage I could find of him was him pitching off a makeshift wooden mound in an ice rink. Midwestern prospects, bless them. A finalist for the 2017 <span>Brett Tomko</span> award and the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year both last year and this year, and winner of the ABCA/Rawlings Midwest Pitcher of the Year this year, maybe this will be the draft someone takes a chance on the 6’2” lefty who has posted incredibly consistent numbers over both his junior and senior seasons. (Apparently the Pirates had him out for a predraft workout recently.)</p>
<p id="o7yHOa"><strong>Grant Wolfram, LHP, Davenport</strong></p>
<p id="KpRQEV">Wolfram is a 6’7” lefty, which is appealing enough in its own right, but he struck out 95 in 69 IP this year. He’s sold out a little for strikeouts—last year he had 100 Ks in 93 innings—with a resulting spike in ERA as he works in the zone more, but there are a lot of raw tools here to develop. If he doesn’t get selected this year, he could be an excellent senior signing next year, especially if he can find a happy balance between his big K numbers and allowing runners on base.</p>
<p id="25dRTZ"><strong>Drake McNamara, OF, Southern Indiana</strong></p>
<p id="WoOZQ0">In a one-week span this spring, McNamara had 18 ABs, during which he collected 10 hits, eight of them home runs. Always a strong hitter, McNamara hit a different level this year, with 17 HRs, 25 2Bs, and 3 3Bs for a Bonds-ian slugging percentage of .743. He was named the Midwest Region player of the year in addition to a First-Team All-American. McNamara isn’t the biggest guy, but he has a quick, efficient load that translates to excellent bat speed. Even with a metal bat, the thump is impressive: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/USIBaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USIBaseball</a> Drake McNamara sets the USI all-time career HR record with 32 overall and his 6th of the weekend. Eagles are tied in GM 2, 5-5. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoUSIEagles?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoUSIEagles</a> <a href="https://t.co/FbMJNOpmal">pic.twitter.com/FbMJNOpmal</a></p>— USI Athletics (@USIAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/USIAthletics/status/993251259208687616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2018</a>
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<p id="9eHVM7"><strong>Jacob Blank, Augustana</strong></p>
<p id="ZBUdml">Jacob Blank is my (Kate) favorite D-II prospect this year. The all-time strikeout leader for Augustana, Blank was also the NCBWA D-II Pitcher of the Year for 2017. He’s followed that up in 2018 with K:BB ratio of 100:11 with an ERA of 1.98 over 72 IP. Blank has basically won every award there is to win, and carried Augustana to a D-II championship this year. The pitching program at Augustana is sneaky good; Mark Moriarty, the pitching coach there, is a Driveline affiliate who was instrumental in getting a Rapsodo machine to help his pitching staff, and posted this cool image of Blank’s high-spin slider: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Figured I would start sharing what our pitchers have been working on since we got all of this technology. <a href="https://twitter.com/jacob_blank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jacob_blank</a> saw with the high speed camera and <a href="https://twitter.com/rapsodo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapsodo</a> that his slider is indeed filthy. <a href="https://t.co/Ou1M4GsnFe">pic.twitter.com/Ou1M4GsnFe</a></p>— Mark Moriarty (@MarkMo12) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkMo12/status/961026682714054656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a>
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<p id="Ixovqa"><a href="https://twitter.com/KDLTSports/status/853441944168652804">Here’s a link to a no-hitter Blank threw last year</a>; his breaking stuff has a really sharp bite. Honestly I’d be happy with them drafting Blank and hiring Moriarty as a pitching coach for one of the affiliates. Clinton isn’t that far...</p>
<p id="X03WX4"><strong>Dalton Roach, Minnesota State</strong></p>
<p id="8EY1Dl">The 2017 Brett Tomko Award winner hasn’t been able to replicate his success as much this year, posting an ERA twice that of his sterling 1.56 from last year. He also collected 128 strikeouts last year in 86 IP; this year, both his strikeout ratio and innings pitched numbers fell, to 86 strikeouts in 71 innings. The good news is his walk rate has remained mostly consistent, but it’s hard to wonder if there wasn’t some injury issue plaguing him this year.</p>
<h2 id="Cd2N1e">Southwest:</h2>
<p id="dUDbkz"><strong>1B Luis Amaro, West Texas A&M</strong></p>
<p id="nJCuq0">West Texas A&M Luis Amaro may not have a standout hit tool for the DII level, but an advanced approach at the plate that led to a nationwide best 55 walks combined with a .329 batting average to prop up a .492 OBP. That type of discipline is something the Mariners have made no secret in trying to instill top to bottom in their organization, so using a late pick on a guy who already has a strong grasp of the C the Z philosophy makes a lot of sense.</p>
<h2 id="iNfbay">Western:</h2>
<p id="oYhTxM"><strong>James Smith III, OF, Central Washington </strong></p>
<p id="PfnEO1">GNAC’s Player of the Year and CWU’s Male Team Leader of the Year, Smitty Three Sticks posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage this year while batting .386. and knocking double-digit home runs along with 20 doubles. He doesn’t strike out a lot and takes plenty of walks.</p>
<p id="vhli7X"><strong>C Mikey Gangwish, Colorado School of Mines</strong></p>
<p id="TVmB6w">So apparently that’s a real school. Gangwish, who I personally think is a sleeper for this year’s edition of the All-Name Team, might prove to be a diamond in the rough for whichever team excavates the lefty-swinging catcher/mechanical engineer. In addition to slashing .373/.443/.825 and belting 24 homers, the junior backstop has received accolades for his work behind the dish as well, receiving numerous accolades for his defense over the past two seasons. The Mariners just recently showed an organizational value in having a left-handed hitting catcher to compliment the more common right-handed backstops, and Gangwish likely wouldn’t require a huge investment in the way of draft capital. His 17:38 BB:SO rate may raise some concerns about his offense, but he should have his defense to fall back on even if he does prove to have some swing and miss in his game.</p>
<p id="jCq7X9"><strong>Kyle Leahy, Colorado Mesa</strong></p>
<p id="apWbMa">Like Mercyhurst, Colorado Mesa is a D-II powerhouse for pitching. It starts with the 6’5” Leahy, who had an outstanding 2017, going 13-0 with a 1.41 ERA and 96 strikeouts to 13 walks in 108 innings. He hasn’t been quite that electric this year, with a 7-2 record and a much more pedestrian 85:17 K:BB ratio in 86 innings. He’s also a smart cookie, posting the highest GPA on the team. Other draftable names at Colorado Mesa include <strong>J.R. McDermott</strong>, a six-foot righty who excelled on the Cape with a 2.80 ERA and 25 Ks in 23 innings; and bullpen arm <strong>Jake Mielock</strong>. </p>
<p id="4wzKsT"><strong>Justin Montgomery, Cal Baptist</strong></p>
<p id="EvPN2K">The 6’6” righty was an All-Star on the Cape this past summer, which should have offered him enough exposure to hear his name called somewhere late on Day Two or early on Day Three of the draft. Montgomery is mostly in the low 90s with his fastball with a mid-80s slider, and profiles best as a relief arm, with 64 strikeouts over 48 innings pitched this season. Even at 6’6”, Montgomery looks like he could bulk up some, and could develop into a power arm in the bullpen with the right coaching.</p>
<p id="MPPylw"><strong>RHP Hugh Smith, Whitworth</strong></p>
<p id="VIwimF">So this is kind of cheating, as Smith is actually a DIII player, but if <a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/division-iii-pitcher-grows-into-draft-prospect/">Baseball America deems him worthy of writing up</a>, I suppose he’s worth mentioning here. The Sammamish native has had a crazy path to being what BA calls a “candidate to be drafted early on day two” of the draft that almost didn’t happen. Following his senior year of high school ball, Smith wasn’t given the opportunity to play baseball anywhere, and intended to attend University of Washington to study biophysics when he was noticed by then-Assistant Coach at Whitworth C.J. Perry. Between his junior year of high school and his junior year at Whitworth, the Skyline High School graduate gained a whopping 20mph on his heater, topping out at 97mph this past season. He also experienced a late growth spurt, shooting up eight inches and 70 pounds, now standing 6’11” 235lb. He currently lives on a three pitch mix consisting of his fastball, slider, and change that he used to post a minuscule 1.66 ERA this season for the Pirates. Perhaps most importantly, Smith has grown up right in the Mariners’ backyard, attending high school in Seattle and college in Spokane, Washington, meaning the M’s should be well aware of this intriguing prospect.</p>
https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/6/5/17397208/draft-eligible-d-ii-prospects-2018Ben ThoenKate Preusser2018-06-04T09:00:02-07:002018-06-04T09:00:02-07:002018 MLB Draft: How to watch the Mariners select the newest members of the organization
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<figcaption>who will it beeeeee now [jazz saxophone] | Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It’s the baseball nerd high holidays, y’all</p> <p id="T5IB1B">Happy <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a> Day! This is a truly wonderful day, because if, like me, you love promise and potential and watching kids’ dreams come true, you love the draft! And if you for some reason do not love joy and happiness, you should also be happy, because this marks the last week we will be blitzing you with draft coverage. This should be a particularly fun draft because outside of a top few choices, there’s almost no consensus about who will go when. I’m extremely curious about what the <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a> will do with their picks, as we’re still early in the Dipoto Draft era, and while there’s a developing pattern of first round polished collegiate bat/second round HS player/arms arms and MORE arms, it’s also possible things go completely wonky-bananas.</p>
<p id="jcAKiW">Here is everything you need to know to follow the draft yourself!</p>
<ul>
<li id="DwOMD3">Here’s a link to the <a href="http://m.mlb.com/draft/2018/order">draft order</a> for this year. The Mariners pick at 14, 54, 90, 118, and on and on until things become like that tweet about the sun getting bigger.</li>
<li id="l6U5jz">Draft coverage begins at 3 PM on MLB Network, and the draft itself starts at 4 PM Pacific time, because everything exists to please our overlords in the East. You can also follow online if you’re at work, which you are because it starts during the workday for us, at <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a>.</li>
<li id="ObBBRC">Only the first round and the first Competitive Balance round are televised; the second round and the second CB round will only be on <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a>.</li>
<li id="PSFjEX">Day Two of the draft, Rounds 3-10, are only on MLB.com; the preview show starts at 9:30 AM PT and the draft itself at 10 AM PT.</li>
<li id="1rAFw2">Day Three of the draft, Rounds 11-on, are only on <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a>, and the draft begins at 9 AM PT.</li>
</ul>
<p id="ZYYlow">The Mariners have a total of $7,555,200 to spend on draft signing bonuses. That’s the second-highest amount in the AL West, although well-short of the 9.5MM-plus the A’s have to spend, but actually ranks in the bottom third of budgets, mostly because they don’t have any compensation picks or competitive balance picks. You can find out more about how money gets allotted <a href="https://www.mlb.com/mariners/news/2018-mlb-draft-bonus-pools-pick-values/c-269930084">here</a>.</p>
<p id="rdK6Wf">If you’re following via Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBDraftTracker"><strong>@MLBDraftTracker</strong></a><strong> </strong>will list all the picks. For analysis, anyone from the Baseball America team, <a href="https://twitter.com/JonathanMayo?lang=en">@JonathanMayo</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcallismlb?lang=en">Jim Callis</a> are all good follows.</p>
<p id="CPhlOi">We’ll have live draft threads for you to talk about the picks, as well as some capsule summaries of each player selected as the draft goes on. If you want to get up to speed with some of our draft coverage, search the “<a href="http://www.lookoutlanding.com/seattle-mariners-draft"><strong>Seattle Mariners Draft</strong></a>” section on the site. So far we’ve covered past drafts, a positional breakdown of the depth at the farm, looked at some targets from most of the major college conferences, and reported on some of the players mock drafts have us taking.</p>
<p id="Neu6Y7">Happy Draft Day!</p>
https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/6/4/17424114/2018-mlb-draft-how-to-watch-the-mariners-first-round-pickKate Preusser2018-06-04T08:00:02-07:002018-06-04T08:00:02-07:00SB Nation Team Sites Mock Draft, 2018
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<p>Consulting the oracle for each of SB Nation’s team brands yields some surprising and not-so-surprising results</p> <p id="WkQnT0">The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB draft</a> kicks off today at 4 PM PT/7 PM ET. This draft is a little different than other years in that while the talent pool is wide, there’s no clear-cut hierarchy of consensus top picks as there have been in other years. As later mock drafts have come out, we’ve seen some consistency in the names in the top 5, if not the order (Mize/Bart/Singer/Madrigal and some combination of Cole Winn/Alec Bohm/Jonathan India filling out the last spot). This year’s draft is complicated, too, by the presence of so much outstanding right-handed prep pitching, notoriously a draft category that GMs approach with caution due to high variance in outcomes. We polled our SB Nation affiliates for each team site to get a sense of what direction they felt the teams they cover closely might go in, regardless of what national draft-talkers might think.</p>
<h2 id="jLpvJX">1. <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> - RHP Casey Mize, Auburn</h2>
<p id="jsNwcx">Despite my staff’s best attempts to turn this mock draft upside down and select Nick Madrigal or Joey Bart, Mize is the smart, safe pick here. The Tigers will almost surely take the right-hander come draft day, and for good reason. He has a mature four-pitch mix that he commands well, with a lethal splitter that should be a true out-pitch at the professional level. He has allayed concerns about his durability with a full season in Auburn’s rotation, and has dominated his SEC competition like few pitchers in recent memory. That he was atop mock drafts for nearly the entire cycle is no accident. Mize is this year’s top prospect, and the likely No. 1 pick. </p>
<p id="c8aQxx"><em>-Rob Rogacki, Bless You Boys</em></p>
<h2 id="RJ95Ct">2. <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> - RHP Brady Singer, Florida</h2>
<p id="074x2i">Everyone says it’ll be Joey Bart here because the Giants will want a succession plan in place for Buster Posey. Thing is, Posey wants to catch for as long as his body is able, <span>Brandon Belt</span> is a better first baseman than left fielder, and every level of the organization is starved for pitching. Singer has a higher floor than a high school pitcher and could contribute quickly. Bart might not develop in time to save front office people’s jobs. Also, Singer reminds me a little bit of <span>Matt Cain</span>, and as much as the Giants swear they’ve gone cold turkey on old school scouting, I think they still might be tempted by a player who simply has “the look”.</p>
<p id="DUYSgz">-<em>Bryan Murphy, McCovey Chronicles</em></p>
<h2 id="T3mT14">3. <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Philadelphia Phillies</a> - 3B Alec Bohm, Wichita State</h2>
<p id="KtKGFK">Almost every rumor points the Phillies to Bohm here and third basemen taken top 10 have a really, really good track record.</p>
<p id="1Rb1rK"><em>-Dan Cormican, The Good Phight</em></p>
<h2 id="NQUUl9">4. <a href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">Chicago White Sox</a> - C Joey Bart, Georgia Tech</h2>
<p id="Nv2vv0">There is organizational need at both infield and catcher, and everyone in the world points to the White Sox taking Nick Madrigal, but with Joey Bart falling to No. 4, the pick here is Bart. The White Sox have some catchers in their system making noise — particularly Seby Zavala and Zack Collins at Double-A Birmingham — but it’s almost exclusively with the bat. An easy argument can be made that the White Sox have <em>zero </em>future MLB catchers on the farm. Bart has as good or better offensive tools <em>and </em>can actually field the position. As a polished Georgia Tech/SEC product, the hope is that Bart can move through the system quickly enough to be a factor for the White Sox once their window opens in 2020.</p>
<p id="QLd50m">-<em>Brett Ballantini, South Side Sox</em></p>
<h2 id="J4zcKc">5. <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Cincinnati Reds</a> - 2B Nick Madrigal, Oregon State</h2>
<p id="N8NWXV">Nick Madrigal doesn’t exactly fit a “need” in the Reds organization, as they’re surprisingly deep in the middle infield, both on their current roster and down on the farm. He does check off a few boxes for the Reds front office, though, as seemingly the “Best Player Available” at this point in the draft and an advanced college bat that should move quickly through the minor leagues. The Reds plan, insofar as they have one, is to contend sooner rather than later. Madrigal’s advanced plate discipline, athleticism, and plus glove work should go a long way to help realize that version of the Reds future. The Reds’ last high pick, middle infield, advanced college bat (2016’s number two overall pick Nick Senzel) should arrive in Cincinnati any time now. Adding Madrigal to the system (especially if one of those two can end up playing a passable or better SS) makes the top of the Reds lineup very interesting in the near future.</p>
<p id="UBLuie"><em>-Derek Grimes, Red Reporter</em></p>
<h2 id="B4jyuN">6. <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a> - RHP Matthew Liberatore, Mountain Ridge HS (AZ)</h2>
<p id="3vNJeO">Liberatore is the top left-hander available, because of what he currently throws and how he projects to develop. There is always risk with high school players, but because of Liberatore’s high pitching IQ, his floor might be higher than most. The Mets have a history of developing frontline pitching, and Liberatore has the stuff needed to be the next great Mets pitcher.</p>
<p id="jbGUh8"><em>-Steve Sypa, Amazin’ Avenue</em></p>
<h2 id="wLtc98">7. <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> - LHP Ryan Weathers, Loretto HS (TN)</h2>
<p id="1dyyRL">AJ Preller and his scouting staff don’t care about organizational need, they care about potential ceiling, especially at the top of the draft. Weathers is a surprise early pick because the Padres are going after an under-slot value to spread the wealth later in the draft… but they’ll have to pay him enough to break him away from his commitment to Vanderbilt. As a lefty prep arm, he’ll surely draw comparisons to the team’s top pick from last year, MacKenzie Gore. Weathers doesn’t have the electric stuff or eye-popping numbers that Gore posted, but he has the frame to build around an athletically sound delivery, a polished repertoire with command that’s rarely seen at his level, and the makeup to execute a game plan and properly deploy his arsenal. The son of 19-year MLB veteran <span>David Weathers</span>, he will join Fernando Tatis Jr. and Cal Quantrill as Padres prospects with MLB pedigree. That gives him a higher floor than most high school pitchers and a ceiling somewhere near the front of an MLB rotation. <a href="https://www.minorleagueball.com/2018/5/28/17399440/2018-mlb-draft-ryan-weathers-lhp-loretto-tennessee">Random note: he’s John Sickels’ favorite prep arm in the draft.</a> Random negative note: <a href="https://www.mlbdailydish.com/2018/5/31/17407778/mlb-draft-2018-q-a-draft-pick-ryan-weathers">he’s a Dodgers fan</a>. That’s okay, we can fix that. A college arm or bat might move quicker through the system, but the organization isn’t going to target a contention window. We’re trying to build sustainable growth through waves of “hot talent lava.” </p>
<p id="GsIIdC">-<em>Roy Thomasson, Gaslamp Ball</em></p>
<h2 id="QYckxd">8. <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> - RHP Carter Stewart, Eau Gallie HS (FL)</h2>
<p id="YI8P9v">The current prevailing wisdom is that the Braves are likely to select power hitting prep third baseman Nolan Gorman and we certainly wouldn’t be unhappy to see him, Oregon State outfielder Trevor Larnach, or prep RHP Cole Winn here. However, Stewart possesses a Trackman-breaking curveball to go along with a very live fastball that makes us marvel at his ceiling as a pitcher. It is certainly a close call with the players available, but Stewart is our pick here. </p>
<p id="Nq4SeX">- <em>Eric</em> <em>Cole</em>, <em>Talking</em> <em>Chop</em></p>
<h2 id="N66YGj">9. <a href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Oakland Athletics</a> - SS Xavier Edwards, N. Broward Prep (FL)</h2>
<p id="33KYUo">Switch-hitter with an all-fields approach, Edwards possesses at least 70 grade speed and is a base-stealing threat. With quick hands, quick feet, and good hand-eye coordination, Edwards has the athleticism and instincts to stay up the middle, be it at SS or 2B. Power will never be a big part of his game, but he’ll add at least 15 pounds with maturity and be able to reach the gaps with regularity. Most projections have him falling out of the Top 20, where a $3 million or lower slot signing bonus might not be enough to buy him out of his Vanderbilt commitment, but I think the A’s will be able to go a little under-slot and sign him for $4 - $4.5 million.</p>
<p id="MPADr3"><em>-Nathan Thompson, Athletics Nation</em></p>
<h2 id="rjORZM">10. <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pittsburgh Pirates</a> - RHP Cole Winn, Orange Lutheran HS (CA)</h2>
<p id="YKy44T">The Pirates have been linked to prep arms in multiple mock drafts and Winn’s strong spring has put him in competition with Liberatore as one of the best prep arms in the draft. With three potential plus pitches, a projectable frame, and mechanics praised by scouts as clean and repeatable, there’s a chance Winn, who moved from Colorado to California in order to be seen by more scouts, could go even higher than this.</p>
<p id="yQQLhH"><em>-Kate Preusser</em></p>
<h2 id="1nl3Iz">11. <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Baltimore Orioles</a> - 3B Jonathan India, Florida</h2>
<p id="rHuOlQ">My SB Nation compatriots ahead of me have drafted all of the prep arms who seem to excite the mainstream prospect writers of the baseball world, leaving a board of position players, some of whom I am surprised are still here: India, Travis Swaggerty, Nolan Gorman, Jarred Kelenic. I feel like the speaker in Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” except there are four roads diverging instead of two. Though I may be telling this with a sigh ages hence, I’ve gone with India, whose potential is summed up thus by the Fangraphs team: “India offers clubs a high probability, 2 to 3 win, everyday third baseman.” Sign me up.</p>
<p id="a3dbJJ">-<em>Mark Brown, Camden Chat</em></p>
<h2 id="0rd0qw">12. <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> - LHP Shane McClanahan, South Florida</h2>
<p id="7anKXp">The Blue Jays’ top prospects, at the moment, are mostly hitters, so I figured first pick they would go with a pitcher. McClanahan is a hard-throwing lefty who has hit 100, but will sit mid to high 90s, who also has a good changeup and a slider that sounds more like a work in progress. He’s a strike-thrower, with 117 strikeouts in 71.1 innings pitched. McClanahan had Tommy John a couple years ago, so health is a minor concern, and he needs to work on his control, but there seems to be a lot of upside in his 6’2”/190 frame. McClanahan will be 22 next April, and hopefully can hit the floor running and not be too far behind Vlad Jr, Bo Bichette and the other Juniors in the Jays system getting to the majors. </p>
<p id="o36rsC"><em>-Tom Dakers, Bluebird Banter</em></p>
<h2 id="eLYqLT">13. <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> - RHP Kumar Rocker, North Oconee HS (GA)</h2>
<p id="PG4IB5">Miami’s farm system has built up more starting pitching depth than at any other point in recent memory (largely via trade). But none of those prospects—none of the healthy ones, at least—profile as a top-of-the-rotation stud. The Marlins successfully convinced another Vanderbilt commit, outfielder Thomas Jones (third round, 2016), to turn pro out of high school. It’s worth the risk to try the same approach on Rocker, who has the strong build, easy delivery and filthy repertoire to dominate.</p>
<p id="DpZUfi">-<em>Ely Sussman, Fish Stripes</em></p>
<h2 id="zQ3sJa">14. <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Seattle Mariners</a> - OF Jarred Kelenic, Waukesha HS (WI)</h2>
<p id="0mOFsR">Seattle has a tendency to go with college players, but if Kelenic is available here, he’s too good to pass up. A five-tool player who was once predicted to go in the top five, a weather-shortened season and a slow start dinged Kelenic’s draft stock. However, he’s the kind of impact player a depleted Mariners system desperately needs with his elite bat-to-ball skills, speed, and overall athleticism, and has been universally praised for his work ethic and makeup, a good fit for an organization that puts a premium on strong character.</p>
<p id="a0h3zH">-<em>Kate Preusser and John Trupin, Lookout Landing</em></p>
<h2 id="Cbkem5">15. <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> - OF Connor Scott, Plant HS (FL)</h2>
<p id="yX9V2T">The Rangers generally prefer high-ceiling prep players with their premium picks, and have a particular fondness for toolsy athletes from the Southeast. The Rangers have been linked to two-way North Carolina high schooler Jordyn Adams, as well as hard-throwing high school RHPs Grayson Rodriguez and Ethan Hankins, all of whom are still on the board. But the choice here is Connor Scott, a Tampa, Florida high school outfielder who has prompted comparisons to fellow Plant HS grad Kyle Tucker. He’s big, toolsy, and is seen as having a pretty decent chance of sticking in center field. </p>
<p id="4HO5lO"><em>-Adam J. Morris, Lone Star Ball</em></p>
<h2 id="kVZBZL">16. <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a> - CF Travis Swaggerty, South Alabama</h2>
<p id="jHfqMF">With three extra picks on the first day of the draft, the Rays have been heavily linked to high school talent in mock drafts. However, the chance to draft one of the top college hitters with the No. 16 pick is too good of an opportunity to pass up. Baseball America named him the No. 2 prospect on last summer’s USA Baseball collegiate team behind Nick Madrigal, and he had a solid spring with South Alabama. Thanks to his athleticism, he’ll stick in center field as a professional. At the plate, he has the patience to hit at the top of the lineup, and he also has some power potential.</p>
<p id="Eny7zw"><em>-Scott Grauer, DRaysBay</em></p>
<h2 id="Zd7P3S">17. <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a> - LHP Ryan Rolison, Ole Miss</h2>
<p id="WSl3yx">The Angels’ system is thin on top-shelf arms, especially left-handed ones, and a fast-moving collegiate could be a good balance to last year’s first-round choice, high-impact prepster OF Jo Adell. Rolison has a four-pitch mix, including a plus curveball and a fastball that doesn’t overwhelm with velocity but can occasionally play up to the mid-90s. He’s got two other pitches, a slider and a promising-looking changeup, that will be the difference between him developing into a middle of the rotation pitcher and a top of the rotation pitcher. There’s a possibility the Angels roll the dice here and go for one of the high-ceiling prep arms still available, but a polished college lefty feels like a solid choice.</p>
<p id="M8fZiG"><em>-Kate Preusser</em></p>
<h2 id="dQ0oXX">18. <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Kansas City Royals</a> - OF Trevor Larnach, Oregon State</h2>
<p id="6lGLtH">Given the option between what the Royals will do and what <em>I </em>would do, the answers will be very diverged. The Royals like raw players, and I do as well with the right player, but I also think that perhaps organizations can overrate their ability to convert tools into product. The Royals would likely take a high school pitcher here (Cole Wilcox, Mason Denaburg), but I’d rather lean on a hitter given the present choice of players left in this exercise. My preference came down between prep 3B Nolan Gorman (who if on draft day was still available at this pick means something went very wrong for him) and college outfielder Trevor Larnach. I’m going to chose the latter. While I like Gorman and his immense raw power, I think Larnach offers similar raw power, a better present hit tool, and he dominated a competitive PAC-12. Yes, Gorman currently has the better defensive position, but the difference between third base and a corner position isn’t that extreme from a positional adjustment standpoint and certainly isn’t enough to fill the gap for me of a good college hitter vs. a raw high school one.</p>
<p id="xMMVEK">-<em>Shaun Newkirk, Royals Review</em></p>
<h2 id="f4pzQK">19. <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">St. Louis Cardinals</a> - RHP Logan Gilbert, Stetson</h2>
<p id="3TPWL8">Let me preface this by acknowledging that it was definitely a surprise to see Nolan Gorman still on the board as we approach the tail end of the first round. I probably speak for the majority of participants in this mock draft when I say that I didn’t expect him to plummet this far, particularly given the interest the Braves have expressed in him at eighth overall. There is no denying Gorman’s power—especially for a Cardinals farm system that lacks much excitement when it comes to infield prospects—but I felt an obligation to add some realism to this pick. The Cardinals are no strangers to picking in the back half of round one, having selected their fair share of college arms (see: <span>Michael Wacha</span>, <span>Marco Gonzales</span>, <span>Luke Weaver</span>, Dakota Hudson) in recent years. Enter Logan Gilbert, a 6-6, 225 pound right-hander with good athleticism and a clean, repeatable delivery. Gilbert was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore in 2017 in addition to a dominant Cape Cod League showing last summer that drew the attention of scouts, including a rave review from Viva El Birdos’ resident prospect guru A.E. Schafer in a<a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2018/1/17/16898406/2018-draft-preview-part-one-early-favourites-pitching-edition-cardinals-mlb-amateur"> January prospect report</a>. Granted, that occurred before Gilbert’s fastball velocity dipped a few ticks into the low-90s early this spring where it previously sat in the mid-90s and touched 96-97 mph on the radar gun. Be it from an injury, excessive pitch counts, or an unknown combination of factors, we can only speculate as to the cause of this velocity decline, although the fastball began to regain some life towards the end of the season. Whether you are buying his late-spring velo resurgence or not, 2018 has been Gilbert’s best season yet, posting a 37.7% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate over 100 innings. He possesses plus command and throws a curveball, slider, and changeup–each of which receive around a 50 or 55 grade on the 20-80 scale depending on which scout you ask, with the latter two off-speed pitches generally garnering more praise–to complement his heater. Evaluations of his ceiling can vary a little based on one’s perception of the stuff he displayed as a junior this year, but at the very least Gilbert projects for a fairly quick track to the big leagues as a solid rotation piece with pretty good upside to boot.</p>
<p id="DKnS7g"><em>-Tyler Kinzy, Viva El Birdos</em></p>
<h2 id="jG4T8m">20. <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> - RHP Jackson Kowar, University of Florida</h2>
<p id="llAy3y">I think the Twins’ draft strategy is to draft one of Winn, Weathers, Gilbert, or Kowar if available, or a prep shortstop if not. That said, the team no longer has a Compensatory Round or third round pick, so there is an outside chance they try to get cute and save some money to spread around.</p>
<p id="C9GzXt"><em>-Kyle Edelbrock, Twinkie Town </em></p>
<h2 id="9Eb4uQ">21. <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Milwaukee Brewers</a> - OF Nick Schnell, Roncalli HS (Indiana)</h2>
<p id="jPrKnA">Schnell is the prototypical pick under the Stearns organization. He’s a potential five-tool outfielder who can play anywhere in the outfield. Eventually, he will likely be stuck to the corners as he gains muscle and loses speed. He’s a high-ceiling draftee, who will also likely save the Brewers a few dollars when it comes time to sign.</p>
<p id="6mr9wF"><em>-Brad Ford, Brew Crew Ball</em></p>
<h2 id="8zYRAk">22. <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Colorado Rockies</a> - C Anthony Seigler, Cartersville HS (Georgia)</h2>
<p id="YBqdnq">Truthfully, even if the Rockies weren’t so strongly connected to Seigler, I’d be tempted to make him the pick here just because he is such an intriguing player. Immensely talented, Seigler is a switch-hitting catcher as well as a left-handed starting pitcher and right-handed closer. Most feel that his future is behind the plate, where he has a sub-1.8 second pop time and a strong right arm to control the running game. He has a compact swing that covers the entire field in line drives from both sides which is the perfect batting profile for the massive outfield in the park that he will eventually call home. </p>
<p id="9JlyHX"><em>-Ryan Schoppe, Purple Row</em></p>
<h2 id="Rh5s6a">23. <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a> - RHP Grayson Rodriguez, Central Heights HS (TX)</h2>
<p id="mDquEv">If you believe what all the mock drafts are saying, the Yankees are going to take shortstop Brice Turang in the first round. Despite Turang’s pedigree, I would prefer them avoid his downward trajectory over the last year, and instead go with someone going in the right direction. That someone is Grayson Rodriguez. The organization has plenty of right-handed pitching, but that doesn’t mean they can’t grab one more if he’s the right guy. Rodriguez is trending in the right direction as a big man who recently discovered more velocity, has four potential MLB pitches, throws strikes, and provides more than enough deception with his pitches. It would be difficult for the Yankees to find a better pick if Grayson Rodriguez is still available.</p>
<p id="tOq0Np"><em>-Jason Cohen, Pinstripe Alley</em></p>
<h2 id="JLgS5D">24. <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Chicago Cubs</a> - 1B Triston Casas, American Heritage HS (Florida)</h2>
<p id="DrZYAB">There’s too much smoke to not buy at least a little fire here. The Cubs sent brass to see Casas against Mason Denaburg recently. I don’t think it was to see Denaburg. Casas’ timeline fits well to replace <span>Anthony Rizzo</span>, and would provide some much needed pop in the Cubs’ pipeline. This isn’t an ideal match, as Casas has little defensive versatility long-term. However, the pop at first base for his cost-controlled seasons would be a nice payoff at 24. If a few of the college bats they’d preferred would have lasted, they’d have made sense here. I almost pulled the trigger on Greyson Jenista, but the Cubs are more likely linked to Casas.</p>
<p id="4gg4BL"><em>-Tim Huwe, Bleed Cubbie Blue</em></p>
<h2 id="8WRGz4">25. <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> - SS Nico Hoerner, Stanford</h2>
<p id="cTiACQ">Arizona has been vaguely linked to Hoerner in the illuminati-like rumblings of the draft chatter. The polished junior also makes sense from a need standpoint, as the Diamondbacks have cashed in <span>Jean Segura</span>, <span>Brandon Drury</span>, and some minor leaguers for other needs in the past two years, and the middle infield depth needs some rebuilding. He might not have the glove for SS long term, but could still pan out at 2B with his bat. Truthfully, he probably could play for the Diamondbacks right now since their offense was so crap in May. </p>
<p id="a5YZ9v"><em>-Charlie Gebow, AZ Snakepit</em></p>
<h2 id="qWHwxy">26. <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Boston Red Sox</a> - SS Brice Turang, Santiago HS (California)</h2>
<p id="CsxpFL">The Red Sox need just about whatever help they can get after trades and promotions have decimated their farm system in recent seasons. Most mocks have had them connected to college players, but everyone has indicated that Boston will take whatever impact talent falls to them, regardless of age or position. They just need bodies. The one name that seems to be popping up for them everywhere is Turang, who was seen as a potential 1-1 player at this time last year. If he falls this far, it seems unlikely they will pass on this kind of athletic, up-the-middle player. It is exactly the kind of prospect they’ve been great at developing over the last decade or so, and they desperately need to develop another big-time prospect.</p>
<p id="TROpjA"><em>-Matt Collins, Over the Monster</em></p>
<h2 id="OdLIi1">27. <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> - RHP Cole Wilcox, Heritage HS (Georgia)</h2>
<p id="yeWwEf">Nearly every mock draft has the Nats matching up with high school righty Mason Denaburg due to a shoulder injury and Washington’s history of drafting players who saw their stock drop because of things such as surgeries or character issues. However, Mike Rizzo and Co. also have a history of taking the biggest name left on the board, and as far as this mock draft goes, that would be Cole Wilcox. A 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound starter who can touch 98 on the radar gun and already boasts three plus pitches in his arsenal, Wilcox has the tools to move quickly through any farm system. His mechanics are a little funky and that could pose an injury risk down the line, but the Nats would be getting a steal if he falls to them at No. 27.</p>
<p id="gm3CbZ"><em>-Matt Weyrich, Federal Baseball</em></p>
<h2 id="Hsv6w0">28. <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Houston Astros</a> - C Noah Naylor, St. Joan of Arc HS (Mississauga, ON)</h2>
<p id="lVrbOo">While many see the Houston Astros selecting a prep outfielder with their first round pick, selecting Noah Naylor would fill a positional need at catcher. If the Astros were to select Naylor, they would be getting a solid defensive catcher with a great arm and plenty of power potential as a left-handed hitter. Naylor has already showcased his raw power on the big stage, as he won the High School Home Run Derby at the 2017 All Star Game. Naylor would certainly be more of a lottery ticket for Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, but the architect of the 2017 World Series champs does have a history of selecting catchers in the early rounds.</p>
<p id="34lVmB"><em>-Issa Cook, Crawfish Boxes</em></p>
<h2 id="rlAJhS">29. <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Cleveland Indians</a> - 3B Nolan Gorman, Sandra Day O’Connor HS (AZ)</h2>
<p id="NlvwoX">If Gorman slips to 29, I have no doubt in my mind that the Indians will snap him up eagerly. Going with a high school player is in-character for the Indians, as, in the last 5 years, 53% of their picks in the first 5 rounds have been high schoolers. This pick would go against one trend, as the Tribe has picked an outfielder or pitcher first since 2011, but seeing as the team has the most money available of any team picking 19-30, just getting the best available player will be the goal. There are questions as to whether Gorman can stay at the hot corner, but even if he moves to an outfield spot or first base, Gorman will play because of his bat. Praised universally for his raw power and advanced bat, which would immediately slot him in as #99 in Fangraphs’ prospect rankings (that’s prospect, not draft, rankings), Gorman would be an absolute slam dunk for Cleveland. Besides having ample funds available for draft picks, the Indians also possess three of the top 41 picks, which could give them flexibility to choose under-slot college players at 35 and 41 in order to save money to sign Gorman.</p>
<p id="KiV9Dg"><em>-Chris Davies, Let’s Go Tribe</em></p>
<h3 id="WGiPTn">30. Los Angeles Dodgers - RHP Ethan Hankins, Forsyth Central HS (GA)</h3>
<p id="UMf1K5">In the Andrew Friedman/Billy Gasparino era of Dodgers’ drafts, Los Angeles has generally practiced “catch a falling collegian.” In this scenario, it doesn’t quite happen, so I instead have the Dodgers gambling on one of the higher ceiling prepsters in Ethan Hankins. As Los Angeles proved with <span>Walker Buehler</span> (and now are reaping the rewards), they are willing to overlook some spring struggles if a track record is there, and Hankins’ stellar summer showcase circuit suggests that he has frontline potential. He will need some mechanical fine tuning with the development staff, as well as refinement and/or picking up a breaking ball (the summer circuit slider would be my choice given his arm slot), but you can’t teach this type of natural arm talent. Hankins is a Vanderbilt commit and the Dodgers have the lowest bonus allotment, but given first round money, the hope is they could work him in with future cost savings selections on day two. </p>
<p id="CxCraD"><em>-David Hood, True Blue LA </em></p>
https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/6/4/17424052/sb-nation-team-sites-mock-draft-2018Kate Preusser2018-05-30T11:54:39-07:002018-05-30T11:54:39-07:002018 MLB Draft-Eligible Prospects: The PAC-12
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<img alt="NCAA Baseball: College World Series-LSU vs Oregon State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ysH8fcZvwVgLPdtcQFauw6HOsbM=/0x0:3758x2505/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59898823/usa_today_10121595.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Getting you ready for the MLB draft conference-by-conference</p> <p id="4FuBfO">The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB draft</a> is less than a week away. We’ve been working our way dutifully through all the major conferences, previewing some of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-baseball">college baseball</a> talent that’s out there, and it’s finally time for us to look at the conference in our own backyard: the Pac-12. Last year, twenty-one Pac-12 players were taken in the first two rounds of the draft, but none of them were selected by the <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a>, despite multiple outlets mocking Oregon LHP David Peterson to Seattle. The Mariners waited all the way until the 33rd round before they snagged Stanford pitcher Chris Castellanos. There’s still Pac-12 talent represented in the M’s system—the most obvious example is Washington alum Braden Bishop—but it’s curious the Mariners haven’t been more active in a conference that is regarded as one of the stronger in college baseball, full of Northwest natives.</p>
<h3 id="iwfarX">Arizona</h3>
<p id="EhbAb3">The Wildcats boast two potential early-rounds selections in juniors <strong>Alfonso Rivas</strong> (1B) and <strong>Cesar Salazar</strong> (C). Salazar plays the more premium position, but Rivas has the higher slash line, at 342/.425/.529. Senior outfielder/utilityman <strong>Cal Stevenson</strong> is also a potential option; he’s got some speed and can steal bases, and is praised for his leadership. For arms, <strong>Cody Deason</strong> is the big name after a breakout performance in the Cape Cod League last year. The 6’3” righty has a big, strong frame and posted a 2.87 over 90+ innings for the Wildcats, and pitched at least six innings in all but two of his appearances. </p>
<p id="EZ9BtN">Here’s Rivas hitting a ginormous dinger: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Make it 6-2! <br><br>Alfonso Rivas lands one on the roof of the batting cages in right to push Arizona's lead back to 4 runs with a solo shot!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BearDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BearDown</a> <a href="https://t.co/UXc03TRBcK">pic.twitter.com/UXc03TRBcK</a></p>— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArizonaBaseball/status/999866993078517761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="xjOtX2">Arizona State</h3>
<p id="K863jx">Sadly, the best Sun Devils are not yet draft-eligible, including power-hitting freak with the least power-hitting name Spencer Torkelson, and overall freak athlete Hunter Bishop, older brother of Mariners prospect Braden Bishop. However, there’s still plenty of options on ASU’s roster. Catcher <strong>Lyle Lin</strong>, drafted by the Mariners out of high school in 2016 (making him the first Taiwanese-born player ever drafted, which is cool), is only a sophomore but is draft-eligible, and is an excellent defensive catcher in addition to bringing a solid hit tool. <strong>Connor Higgins</strong> was the lone Sun Devil taken in last year’s draft by the <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>, as a draft-eligible sophomore, but the 6’5” lefty opted to return to school, where he’s been holding down the closer duties for ASU. Things haven’t gone as well for him this year, with an ERA north of 6, so the junior might opt for another year of school. Outfielder <strong>Gage Canning</strong> is not the tallest player, but he has an eye-popping 11 triples to go along with 9 homers and 17 doubles. MLB Pipeline has him around the top 100 prospects available in the draft. Here he is showcasing both the big power in his bat and the footspeed that had him leading the NCAA in triples: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> LEADS. THE. NATION. <br><br>Gage Canning leads the NCAA with 9 triples!<a href="https://t.co/4GougRp1bm">pic.twitter.com/4GougRp1bm</a></p>— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSunDevils/status/981369900743536640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="7XrLhB">Cal</h3>
<p id="zYZ9jF">The best player at Cal is Golden Spikes Award nominee Andrew Vaughn, who would give Nick Madrigal a run for best bat in the conference but is sadly only a sophomore. The best draft-eligible player at Cal is <strong>Tanner Dodson</strong>, a two-way player who owns a career 3.74 ERA and a career BA of .312. This year Cal has used him more as an outfielder/position player than as a pitcher, but he was equally impressive as a two-way player in the Cape this past summer.</p>
<h3 id="RkzEsh">UCLA</h3>
<p id="ZGZ7yu">UCLA’s pitching staff has a lot of great arms that are unfortunately injured. 6’8” lefty (drooool) <strong>Justin Hooper</strong> had a standout performance on the Cape this past summer but hasn’t thrown this year; righty <strong>Kyle Molnar</strong>, who Baseball America tabs as having the best changeup in the conference, had TJ last year and a setback in his recovery this year and didn’t pitch this season; and righty <strong>Jon Olsen</strong> had his appendix out in January, right before the start of the season, and then took a line drive to the face, fracturing bones in his face, and also missed a good portion of the season. That’s a lot of crummy luck, but at least Olsen was able to come back and collect 28 Ks in 28 innings pitched. Olsen might not qualify for a redshirt season and decide to turn pro if he’s drafted, but my guess is all three return to try to push UCLA a little further up the conference standings after finishing fourth in the Pac-12 this year.</p>
<h3 id="lhKiGx">USC</h3>
<p id="7qb0uF">USC is a little light on draft prospects, but it does feature the delightfully-named <strong>Lars Nootbar</strong>, a 6’3” outfielder who didn’t have his best year offensively but can occasionally get into one, like so: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lars Nootbar come up BIG for <a href="https://twitter.com/USC_Baseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USC_Baseball</a> with a solo shot to give the Trojans the lead for the <a href="https://twitter.com/OpusBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OpusBank</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/12Best?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#12Best</a> moment. <a href="https://t.co/Vv8TohoMZ6">pic.twitter.com/Vv8TohoMZ6</a></p>— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/973009130318307328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="q9efkn">Oregon</h3>
<p id="ztaINz">As was the case last year, Oregon’s top draft prospect this year is a pitcher, righty <strong>Matt Mercer</strong>. Mercer isn’t the tallest pitcher, at just 6’1”, but Baseball America named him the preseason 52nd best prospect in the draft, the fourth-best in the Pac-12, and tabs his fastball as the best in the conference. He impressed in the Cape Cod League this past summer but has struggled to replicate that success this year. However, with a four-pitch mix including a mid-90s fastball and a plus changeup, he’s an intriguing talent, especially if he falls into the third round or so.</p>
<h3 id="xZUFAR">Oregon State</h3>
<p id="6uQTT5">Hit wizard and defensive superstar <strong>Nick Madrigal </strong>will be long gone by the time the Mariners pick at 14, but several outlets see the Mariners taking outfielder <strong>Trevor Larnach</strong> at 14. Larnach isn’t as athletic as the Mariners like their prospects, though, is limited to a corner outfield spot, and strikes out more than the Mariners purport to value, so I confess to not seeing a complete overlap, although I would prefer his light-tower power to other college outfielders the Mariners have been linked to. Shortstop <strong>Cadyn Grenier</strong> makes up the best middle infield in college baseball alongside Madrigal; he’s a lock to stick at the position and is having the best offensive season of his OSU career. Senior <strong>Michael Gretler</strong> (and Bonney Lake native) will have been drafted three times once he hears his name this spring; he plays 3B for the Beavers, a position that’s perilously thin across the Mariners system, but can play all over the infield. He’s hit a career-high 7 home runs this season. <strong>Steven Kwan</strong> is the Beavs’ leadoff hitter, and has struck out an astounding 13 times all season while drawing 46 walks. Like many of his teammates, he’s also posting career-high numbers, and he walks up to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” after hearing it in a CVS because “it makes me feel good, all loosey-goosey.”</p>
<p id="VjVJDO">There are questions about whether or not LHP <strong>Luke Heimlich</strong> will be drafted after the story broke last year that prior to coming to Oregon State, he pled guilty to sexual assault of a minor. It’s a complicated story <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2017/06/luke_heimlich_sex_crime_surfac.html">about which</a> <a href="https://portlandtribune.com/pt/12-sports/385703-274945-penalties-paid-heimlich-ready-to-return-for-beavers-baseball">much has</a> <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/05/16/luke-heimlich-oregon-state">been written</a>, and it remains to be seen if Heimlich will be taken in the first round (talent-wise, he is undeniably a first-round caliber pitcher), a later round, or not at all. While not replicating the outstanding numbers of his 2017 season, when he posted an ERA of 0.76, Heimlich has pitched well in 2018, with a 2.34 ERA and a K:BB ratio of 139:21.</p>
<h3 id="r5ikbx">Stanford</h3>
<p id="f1PddY">Stanford boasts two pitchers who each have a legitimate shot at being Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year: LHP <strong>Kris Bubic</strong> and RHP <strong>Tristan Beck</strong>. Beck is a solid match for what Seattle seems to prize in pitchers: his fastball sits in the low-90s and his putaway pitch is a devastating changeup, and he’s more known for control and command than for overpowering batters. He’ll probably be a late first-round pick, though, and taking him at 14 would be a big reach. Lefty Kris Bubic might be a more attainable option; he also has a low-90s fastball paired with a changeup and curve, and pitching from 6’3”, he’s able to work low in the zone and get plenty of groundball outs. According to Baseball America, he has the best control in the conference. Position player-wise, shortstop <strong>Nico Hoerner</strong> has an excellent idea of the zone, striking out just two times more than he walked this season, and while he doesn’t have a ton of power, his hit tool is plus. He’s also showed an ability to hit with a wood bat, as an All-Star on the Cape this past summer.</p>
<h3 id="8VYEb2">Washington</h3>
<p id="9lV401">Washington was one of the surprises of the conference this year, playing well enough to earn a bid to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/a/march-madness-2018-ncaa-tournament">NCAA tournament</a>. The pitching staff is anchored by junior righty <strong>Joe Demers</strong>, who threw the first perfect game in Washington program history this year. His fastball sits in the low 90s but he can touch mid-90s with it, and with a big, strong body (6’2”/230) might profile as a power reliever if he can hit that consistently, especially paired with his swing-and-miss slider. A large part of Washington’s success has been the excellent play of its defensive infield, anchored by senior shortstop (and Puyallup native) <strong>Levi Jordan</strong>, who’s having his best offensive season with seven home runs, more than he hit in his previous three years combined. Jordan’s double play partner<strong> A.J. Graffanino</strong> is also enjoying his best offensive season, although in limited action; Baseball America named him the best defensive infielder in the conference. Enormous human/occasional first baseman <strong>Joe Wainhouse</strong> is a Kent native who is listed at 6’6”/250, but looks to be taller and bigger than that. After a slow start, the Great Wainbino knocked 14 homers on the season for a slugging percentage near .600. He strikes out a ton, but since he spent last year pitching, there’s plenty to dream on here.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">VIDEO: B3 - Joe Wainhouse mashes his 14th home run and picks up his 50th RBI. He's on a tear in May with 8 HRs and 22 RBI. <a href="https://t.co/wGG75AiGb4">pic.twitter.com/wGG75AiGb4</a></p>— Washington Baseball (@UW_Baseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/UW_Baseball/status/999846833072496645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="gOSU0G">Washington State</h3>
<p id="RLgVaX">Senior <strong>Scotty Sunitsch</strong> is a lefty who threw a no-hitter this year, earning national Pitcher of the Week honors. He posted a 74:27 K:BB ratio this season in 80-plus innings with a career-best 3.74 ERA. Sunitsch works with a low-90s fastball and a sweeping slider and throws baseballs with his left hand, making him an excellent replacement for former Washington State pitcher Joe Pistorese, recently released by the organization. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">27 outs > 0 hits.<br><br>Scotty Sunitsch throws the 25th no-hitter in <a href="https://twitter.com/Cougbaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cougbaseball</a> history! <br><br>Here's how it went down, roll the ⤵️. <a href="https://t.co/uJsydmmsLl">pic.twitter.com/uJsydmmsLl</a></p>— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/983130742703013888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="imCLY7">Utah</h3>
<p id="MZCNWo">Two years removed from a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/pac-12-championship">Pac-12 championship</a>, Utah finds themselves in the cellar of the conference and in some trouble with the NCAA for “impermissible coaching activity.” The program is on probation for a year and the head coach is suspended for the first 14 games of next season. Things aren’t so great for the Utes, but they have plenty of young talent to rebuild around, if things are a little thin as far as draftable talent this year. One interesting names is community college transfer, junior <strong>Erick Migueles, </strong>who has a knack for clutch hitting, with 36 RBI in 49 games, and shows some pop in his bat: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">MIGUELES. AGAIN <a href="https://twitter.com/utahbaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UtahBaseball</a> takes the lead with his three-run jack! <a href="https://t.co/I03Kz240X6">pic.twitter.com/I03Kz240X6</a></p>— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1000504248679870464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2018</a>
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https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/5/30/17408112/2018-mlb-draft-eligible-prospects-the-pac-12-oregon-state-washington-madrigal-canningKate Preusser2018-05-26T09:00:01-07:002018-05-26T09:00:01-07:002018 MLB Draft-Eligible Prospects: The Big West Conference
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZW7eaHrSpFXrE3rUbO4eEVtXptE=/33x0:660x418/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59821979/201702019_0014_sr.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Colton Eastman | Cal State Fullerton</figcaption>
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<p>Getting you ready for the MLB draft conference-by-conference</p> <p id="4FuBfO">Keeping up with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-baseball">college baseball</a> can be overwhelming, but pays major dividends during the draft when you get to become Extremely Outraged when a guy you have decided is your favorite player in the entire draft gets picked after some other chump. A while ago, John, Ben and I did a mock draft of our first-round favorites, which you can read <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/1/22/16908546/mariners-had-every-first-round-pick-2018-mlb-draft-1-6-hankins-liberatore-singer-scouting-report">here</a>. That draft wound up being heavy on high school talent, which reflects how deep the talent pool is at the prep level this year, especially for arms. It’s good to know what’s available at the college level, however, especially since the Mariners have shown somewhat of a tendency to favor college-experienced players. Leading up to the draft, we’ll focus on covering some of the college talent available from each conference. Not all of these guys will be first-day selections, and several will have their fortunes ebb and flow over the grind of the college baseball season, but ideally this will give you some names to look out for in June as well as some players to get invested in during the long march to Omaha.</p>
<p id="BcxHzS">We’re starting with the top-ranked conferences and working our way down from there. This week we look at the Big West conference, where the Mariners have been active under GM Jerry Dipoto. The Mariners snagged an entire battery out of Long Beach State last year with RHP Darren McCaughan and C David Banuelos, since traded to the Twins, and dipped into the conference again for LHP Orlando Razo from UC Davis. Mike Marjama and former Mariner Boog Powell, while not drafted by the Mariners initially, are also former Dirtbags, and our own Good Boy Mitch Haniger hails from Cal Poly (Go Mustangs).</p>
<h3 id="Iyw41f">Cal Poly</h3>
<p id="yzHsFW"><strong>Alex McKenna</strong> is the big name here and in this conference overall, a plus athlete and a power threat Baseball America tabs as the #2 prospect in the conference and their preseason player of the year. The toolsy outfielder also gets high marks for character and leadership, making him an ideal match for the Mariners, but after a highly productive senior season, might find himself a late first-round pick, caught after the Mariners pick but before the pendulum swings around again for their next pick. More attainably, catcher <strong>Nick Meyer</strong>, Baseball America’s #4 pick in the conference, has always been a strong defensive catcher, but a renewed patience at the plate this year has seen his strikeouts plummet as his average has shot up. Shortstop <strong>Kyle Marinconz</strong> is built a little like Jean Segura and has been hitting like him too, without the power but with a much better walk rate.</p>
<h3 id="uLX2GX">Cal State Fullerton</h3>
<p id="zGPmnB">The premiere arm in the conference belongs to <strong>Colton Eastman</strong>, Baseball America’s Pitcher of the Year for the conference and the #1 preseason prospect. Eastman pounds the zone with a 93 mph or better fastball, a plus changeup and a developing curveball. Eastman isn’t Fullerton’s only weapon on the pitching staff, however; <strong>Andrew Quezada</strong> possesses a mid-to-upper 90s fastball, but needs development to miss more bats. <strong>Brett Conine</strong>, BA’s #6 prospect in the conference, has dazzled scouts at times with a mid-90s fastball, and other times sat in the high 80s/low 90s. RHP <strong>Blake Workman</strong> says he models his career after former Mariner and namesake of the award for the best pitcher in D2 baseball, Brett Tomko (the inaugural award being won by the M’s own Dan Altavilla). With 58 Ks in 49 innings against just 15 walks, it seems like Workman takes the comparison to heart. On the offensive side, outfielder <strong>Ruben Cardenas</strong> was drafted by the Marlins out of high school in the 37th round but chose to attend school, where he’s shown good speed on the bases.</p>
<h3 id="aM4eyN">Cal State Northridge</h3>
<p id="frSzKj">CSUN is still home to catcher <strong>Trevor Casanova</strong>, drafted by the Mariners in the 14th round last year, but who elected to stay at school. Casanova has been named a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, so it was probably smart of him to stay at school and see if he could get a little more paid. There are a couple more interesting players here like <strong>Nolan Bumstead</strong> (!) or <strong>Justin Toerner</strong>, but I must direct your attention to one large son in particular. <strong>Albee Weiss</strong> doesn’t have a name you’d expect from a power hitter, but the senior righty is a huge source of raw power and has already knocked 18 HRs this year. Have a look at the size of this lad: </p>
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<p id="OoHnth">Albee (sorry, absolute units are only allowed to be called by their first names) is in a tough place defensively, as he’s a backup catcher to Casanova and mostly DHs, because duh, dingers. That might push him down in the draft but look, my dude has a chest like one of those ice machines outside of a convenience store, and he would be incredibly fun to watch mash dingers all summer long in Everett. Also, he prides himself on being a creative person—his brothers all work in Hollywood—and he’s a film major who’s working on a screenplay about a baseball player. DRAFT ALBEE.</p>
<h3 id="zSCh7d">Hawaii</h3>
<p id="leDbP1">Despite temperate climes, Hawaii isn’t known as a hotbed of baseball talent—the list of MLBers from the Aloha State isn’t particularly long, although it does feature talents like Shane Victorino, the Wong brothers (Kolten and Kean, who hasn’t yet made the majors yet), and Rangers breakout player Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Even fewer have come out of the University of Hawaii, although the Mariners’ own backup catcher, David Freitas, is an alum. RHP <strong>Jackson Rees</strong>, a JUCO transfer, is on his first healthy year after missing the previous seasons due to injury. His numbers are a little dampened by that but he’s got the prototypical pitcher’s body at 6’5”, and has been the beneficiary of an arm slot change that’s helped his fastball velocity jump up to 93. He’s also got a power sinker and a cut slider. Catcher <strong>Kekai Rios</strong> had a strong summer on the Cape and is following that up with a monster junior year, including a hitting streak that set a school record. Rios doesn’t have a ton of power but the hit tool is crazy; he reminds me a little of Eric Filia, working from a solid base, protecting the plate, and walking almost as much as he strikes out. RF <strong>Adam Fogel </strong>doesn’t look huge, but he’s been one of the Rainbow Warriors’ biggest bats this year, tying Kolten Wong’s record for most HRs in a single season. Right-handed hitters at Hawaii who show power are especially impressive because there’s a hard crosswind they have to fight to their pull side.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Adam Fogel the for his 7th HR of the season, most for any <a href="https://twitter.com/HawaiiBaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HawaiiBaseball</a> player since <a href="https://twitter.com/KoltenWong?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KoltenWong</a> had 7 in 2011 (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/specsportshi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@specsportshi</a>).<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBows?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoBows</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BWCBaseball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BWCBaseball</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBig?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBig</a> ⚾️ <a href="https://t.co/iJ18YHuXdW">pic.twitter.com/iJ18YHuXdW</a></p>— Big West Baseball (@BigWestBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigWestBaseball/status/998392467610202112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2018</a>
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<p id="4EYcno">Also, his nickname is “Google” because apparently he’s a know-it-all and a bit of a sass bucket. I love him. Any of these players could hear their names called on Day Three.</p>
<h3 id="PtVzpn">Long Beach State</h3>
<p id="pINbDx">The top prospect here according to Baseball America is 2B <strong>Jarren Duran</strong>, whose speed some scouts have hung a 70 on. A conversion to CF isn’t out of the question. He’s basically there already: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ICYMI, Jarren Duran over the shoulder for <a href="https://twitter.com/LBDirtbags?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LBDirtbags</a> Friday night!<br><br>Dirtbags at <a href="https://twitter.com/UCR_Baseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UCR_Baseball</a> in Game 2 on WatchESPN with <a href="https://twitter.com/TrentRushSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrentRushSports</a> and Kennard Jones, 6pm PT.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBeach?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoBeach</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BWCBaseball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BWCBaseball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBig?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBig</a> ⚾️ <a href="https://t.co/dpmE70ncsv">pic.twitter.com/dpmE70ncsv</a></p>— Big West Baseball (@BigWestBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigWestBaseball/status/992839468330565633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2018</a>
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<p id="vU8NCP">The 6’2” lefty showed well on the Cape this past summer, and packs some punch in his bat that’s extended by his ability to turn singles into doubles. His speed also translates into elite stolen base numbers; he reminds me of a post-swing-change Ian Miller. Senior shortstop <strong>Laine Huffman</strong> sustained a shoulder injury that put him out for the season back in February; he’ll probably redshirt and return for another year. The Dirtbags also have several intriguing pitchers: <strong>Eli Villalobos</strong> is a converted catcher who’s new to pitching and a project, but shows some promise, and closer <strong>Chris Rivera</strong> is also draft-eligible. Lefty <strong>Clayton Andrews</strong> is my personal favorite, though: standing just 5’6”, Andrews just gets it done with some plus breaking stuff and an ability to locate low in the zone, earning Conference Pitcher of the Week honors three weeks in a row. He has over 100 strikeouts to just 17 walks in 90 IP so far this season. And if that’s not enough, he’s a two-way player who’s batting over .300 and plays outfield on the days he’s not pitching. The Dodgers took him in the 40th round last year but he opted to return to school; perhaps they’ll chase their two-way player again this year.</p>
<h3 id="3J3taF">UC Santa Barbara</h3>
<p id="SlxJVe">Junior RHP <strong>Noah Davis</strong> was listed as Baseball America’s #3 prospect in the conference before TJ ended his season. Infielder <strong>Clay Fisher</strong> is also a TJ survivor; in his first year of working his way back from the procedure he’s posted even better numbers than in his first three seasons.<strong> Tommy Jew</strong> is a center fielder with plus speed and tools who can also play infield and profiles as a potential super-utility player, although it would sure be a shame to lose out on plays like this: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SCTop10?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SCTop10</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GauchoPride?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GauchoPride</a><br><br>RT <a href="https://twitter.com/ChanceDickmanTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChanceDickmanTV</a>: .<a href="https://twitter.com/UCSB_Baseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UCSB_Baseball</a>’s Tommy Jew (<a href="https://twitter.com/_tj2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_tj2</a>) with FULL extension! Heckuva grab! <a href="https://t.co/s6tgRrYUEU">pic.twitter.com/s6tgRrYUEU</a></p>— Big West Baseball (@BigWestBaseball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigWestBaseball/status/998375354623512582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="RlUc46">UC Davis/UC Irvine/UC Riverside</h3>
<p id="iwfarX">These schools are a little less talent-rich than their conference-mates. UC Riverside’s <strong>Hazahel Quijada</strong> played for the Corvallis Knights this summer, where he held down a relief role, same as he does for the Highlanders. His teammate <strong>Trenton Toplikar</strong> has moved into a starting role this season where he’s excelled; as a RS sophomore, Toplikar will probably look to stay on for another season and improve his draft stock. UC Davis’s <strong>Ryan Anderson</strong> is posting his best numbers yet as a junior and can play anywhere on the diamond.</p>
https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/5/26/17379264/2018-mlb-draft-eligible-prospects-the-big-west-conferenceKate Preusser2018-05-22T14:00:01-07:002018-05-22T14:00:01-07:00Keith Law mocks prep OF Jarred Kelenic to Mariners
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<p>If he actually falls this far, yes PLEASE</p> <p id="8YW648">Ah, early spring. Graduation season, prom season, and most importantly, mock draft season. As we get closer to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB draft</a> (June 4-6), we will keep you up on which players major media outlets are projecting to the <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a>. One giant caveat: this front office, while presenting an air of transparency, has shown a tendency to keep things very close to the vest. I still remember having to abandon my Thanksgiving pie-making halfway through in order to cover the Hanigura (TM Ben Thoen) trade. People will say things like “the Mariners have been linked to college players!” and perhaps that’s true, but it could just as easily not be true! I will say that fast-moving collegiates make sense for a system that’s been thinned by trades, although if the team feels the best player available to them is a prepster, that certainly won’t deter them. </p>
<p id="wkbVfZ">That seems to be the tack Keith Law is taking in his most recent <a href="http://insider.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/23522324/keith-law-2018-mock-draft-20">mock draft</a>, released this past Thursday, in which he mocks Wisconsin HS outfielder Jarred Kelenic to the Mariners. In his writeup, Law explains that he’s heard the Mariners linked to every college player he’d already assigned to other teams save for Ole Miss lefty Ryan Rolison, <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/1/25/16922450/mariners-first-round-pick-2018-mlb-draft-picks-19-24-beer-carter-stewart-pipkin-scouting-reports">who John took with the 21st overall selection when we did a mock first round back in January</a>, and is a very solid, but perhaps not game-changing, player. Therefore, as Law explains: </p>
<blockquote><p id="AaoSKf">This comes with a caveat: GM Jerry DiPoto [<em>sic</em>] has never taken a high school player with a first-round pick, not in Anaheim and not in Seattle. However, Rolison is the one college player I’ve heard linked to Seattle who isn’t going before this pick in this projection, which leaves the Mariners with a bunch of prep options, of which Kelenic is the best.</p></blockquote>
<p id="v9IaQ0">So it sort of feels like he’s assigning Kelenic to the Mariners because he’s too good to get past pick 14, but not because there’s any particular philosophical overlap between the Mariners and Kelenic. However, there might be a good fit other than “best player available.”</p>
<p id="ihkkso">Kelenic’s draft trajectory has been an odd one; he first appeared on my radar last August after the Perfect Game All-American Classic. Kelenic drew a fair amount of praise then, but maybe not as much as he would have in a year that wasn’t so stacked with outstanding prep arms. <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2017/8/24/16171990/standouts-from-the-perfect-game-all-american-classic-2017">Here’s what I wrote about Kelenic then</a> (click the link for the full writeup and a .gif of him making an outstanding catch): </p>
<blockquote><p id="gxkduJ">Kelenic is my pet of this class. He is the king of tools: he can steal bases, flashing plus speed, and he has a cannon for an arm. He can hit, with good, quick hands and a sweet left-handed swing...He’s also a genuinely nice-seeming, humble kid from Wisconsin whose sweet, affable personality really came through in his pre-game interviews. He won the “Fearless Player” award at the PG luncheon.</p></blockquote>
<p id="AgM1vf">After a strong summer with Team USA, by January, the draft buzz was sufficient to the point where <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/1/23/16912496/mariners-every-pick-in-first-round-of-the-2018-draft-picks-7-12-madrigal-mize-kowar-scouting-report">John took him tenth in our mock draft</a>, and I considered him at seven, if not for the fact that my foolish draftmates left Nick Madrigal right there for me, like fools. Aside from his mess of physical tools, Kelenic meets the high-character component that the Mariners have been emphasizing recently. While he is technically a prep prospect, he graduated high school a semester early so he could spend the rest of his year training, and his family has been instrumental in building top-flight baseball facilities in chilly Wisconsin where he’s trained alongside the likes of J.J. Watt. Kelenic’s family has contributed so much to the development of Midwestern baseball, and his talent is such that <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F356223%2F2018%2F05%2F16%2Fthe-search-for-no-1-wisconsins-jarred-kelenic-is-an-mlb-draft-dark-horse-charging-down-an-unusual-path%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lookoutlanding.com%2F2018%2F5%2F22%2F17375508%2Fmlb-draft-2018-keith-law-mocks-prep-of-jarred-kelenic-to-mariners-lol-no-but-sure-please" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">it’s not outlandish to imagine the Tigers taking him first overall.</a> (In fact, a group of the Tigers’ FO members led by GM Al Avila <a href="https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/997986902388170752">recently went to see him play.</a>) All of this makes it curious that Law would mock him to the Mariners all the way at 14.</p>
<p id="TGRWdT">However, <a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/poor-weather-limits-looks-for-cold-weather-draft-prospects/">as JJ Cooper from Baseball America has written</a>, Kelenic’s strong Midwestern roots are part blessing and part curse. The particularly punishing weather in the Midwest this year slowed down the baseball calendar, with the season not really getting underway until late April, well after the warm weather baseball hotbeds like California and Florida were already finishing their seasons. A cold start to his season may have knocked Kelenic back a little in the eyes of some scouts, already wary of picks from the Great White North: </p>
<blockquote><p id="wQmlfP">“Kelenic had a couple of hitless games in front of significant numbers of scouts and upper-level front office types in his first games of the season.For someone like Turang, that would be a minor setback. For Kelenic, he has very little time to reinforce the notion that he’s worthy of an early first-round pick.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="8RlcCL">I personally think Kelenic will be gone well before the Mariners pick, but if other teams are frightened off by a prep prospect from a cold-weather state—something the Mariners clearly aren’t, hello Sam Carlson—Kelenic will almost certainly be the best player available, if he’s there. I just don’t think he will be. </p>
https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2018/5/22/17375508/mlb-draft-2018-keith-law-mocks-prep-of-jarred-kelenic-to-mariners-lol-no-but-sure-pleaseKate Preusser