With the 2017 MLB Draft complete and the Braves picks all signed, save for something surprising, the 2018 draft has now moved closer to teams minds. That’s because the summer showcase circuit for top prep players, and college summer leagues- such as the Cape Cod League, are just getting started.
This is our first piece for the 2018 draft and will just discuss names of the top prospects, 20 of them in all. Since the draft is close to a year out and there is a lot of baseball to be played in that time, there are not going to be any rankings at this time.
It’s important to note that these are just 20 names at the top of the class as everything stands right now. There are plenty of other good prospects out there who could end up on this list by the time the draft rolls around. Guys like MacKenzie Gore and Austin Beck, a pair of the first six guys drafted this year, would have been no where near this list at this time a year ago since they didn’t truly emerge until later in the process. On the other hand a guy favored to be the top overall pick at this time two years ago was former Oklahoma right hander Alec Hansen, and his struggles after that summer actually dropped him out of the first round all together.
So while these guys are the 20 guys I am most comfortable with as first rounders right now, nothing is set in stone this early. However I do feel comfortable with the majority of these guys being ranked in the Top 50 prospects next spring. I included an extra 10 guys as honorable mention just because they didn’t miss the list by much and that takes us to 30 guys- enough to fill the first round.
First a couple questions that you may have:
How good is the 2018 Draft overall? On a whole it looks stronger than the 2017 Draft. I’m not ready to say with confidence this early just how good the draft is, but it does appear to be stronger than 2017.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the 2018 Draft? The prep class is loaded, particularly with pitching but there are some top prep hitters as well. The college pitchers look quite a bit better than the 2017 crop, especially at the top as there are a number of guys better than the top college arm group(outside of Kyle Wright who I had on a different tier than the McKay/Wright/Bukauskas group). The college bat group also looks significantly better and includes potential impact middle of the order types, though there are some defensive concerns.
How good is the class within the state of Georgia? The prep class is absolutely loaded. It’s too early to make this a definitive statement, but it could potentially go down as an all-time great prep class for the state. The college group isn’t quite up to par with both Georgia and Georgia Tech a little down, but it will definitely be better than the 2017 college crop from the state.
Are there any good bloodline guys? There are though only three got mentioned here, Kentucky OF Tristan Pompey- brother of Blue Jays Dalton Pompey and two of the potential #1 pick prospects Kumar Rocker, son of former NFL player Tracy Rocker and Brice Turang, son of former MLB outfielder Brian Turang. Padres 1B Josh Naylor’s brother Noah Naylor and Pirates OF Austin Meadows’ brother Parker Meadows are among the Top 100 type prospects right now. New York Jets QB Christian Hackenberg’s brother Adam Hackenberg is arguably one of the best prospects in Virginia. And of course Duke OF Griffin Conine is Jeff Conine’s son.
Are there any names from the 2017 draft to keep in mind? Yes. Stanford RHP Tristan Beck was a possible Top 10 pick before missing the entire year with injury and with health could rebuild his stock. He is arguably one of the Top 20 talents, but I chose to leave him off the below list since he’s been recently discussed and his health issue do cloud his stock. Arkansas RHP Blaine Knight is another guy likely to be ranked high after making my Top 100 this year with a #50 ranking. Knight was sophomore eligible and fell in the draft because he stated his wish to return to school next year. That’s it for now but it’s not out of the question a college guy returns surprisingly(Kyle Funkhouser did this just a couple of years ago) or a top prep player ends up taking the JUCO route.
Top 20 Names to Remember
These guys are in alphabetical order.
Luken Baker, 1B/RHP, TCU
Luken Baker was a first round prospect a few years ago but teams backed off him when he made it clear he was headed to school. I only had him ranked #68 overall out of high school because it was known that he was headed to Fort Worth. He’s a big kid at 6’4” and 240, and the former two way player was dominant in 10 starts last year(1.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) before giving it up this year to hit full time. His numbers are slightly down at the plate this year but overall fairly similar, and the big first baseman combines big power with solid approach. Of course he’s likely a first baseman only as a bat, and right handed hitting and throwing first basemen is a tough profile- but the power is significant enough for him to be a middle of the order type of bat.
Will Banfield, C/RHP, Georgia HS
Will Banfield regularly catches travel teammates Kumar Rocker and Ethan Hankins, and like his teammates he is committed to play in college at Vandy. Banfield has the tools to be a standout defensive catcher, as well as one with real offensive tools including impressive power- but prep catchers are historically tough to get right in the first round and that could potentially hurt him. However there’s more to it than his catching, as he’s capable of hitting 94 MPH off the mound with his fastball. He’s going to be drafted as a catcher, but that fallback option could help soften the risk of taking a prep catcher high.
Austin Becker, RHP, Ohio HS
Yet another Vandy commit, Austin Becker is a projectable 6’6” 180 pound right hander from a cold weather state. Becker can touch as high as 94 MPH right now and comes with advanced command of a three pitch arsenal, as well as a plan to attack hitters. Becker is a kid who has big upside because of his combination of present stuff, pitchability, and projection.
Seth Beer, OF, Clemson
Seth Beer is a popular name among the Braves fanbase for the top of the draft in 2018. The Clemson star skipped his senior season of high school to enroll early and post a .369/.535/.700 slash line with 13 doubles and 18 homers- not bad for a kid who should have been playing his senior year in high school at the time. His sophomore numbers were down this year, but a still impressive .298/.478/.606 with 17 doubles and 16 homers. He’s also got an impressive 126/62 walk to strikeout rate in his two years. After not being eligible for a draft previously by enrolling in school early, the middle of the order thumper will be a high pick. Scouts don’t question the power and there are only a few questions with his bat, but his defensive home is a question mark. There is some thought that he isn’t likely to stick in the outfield longterm, which means he is more of a first base/DH type of player. The bat profiles as a potential middle of the order bat, and he could be the best college power bat to enter the draft since Kris Bryant.
Elijah Cabell, OF, Florida HS
If you want a five tool outfielder, Elijah Cabell fits the bill. The LSU commit has big power and bat speed, but an even bigger throwing arm. He’s a guy with good barrel to ball skills and a solid approach as well, so hitting for both average and power looks possible for him. His speed helps on the bases and in the outfield, though there is some thought that he could get a look at third base.
Triston Casas, 3B, Florida HS
It looked like Triston Casas was going to be a high pick in the 2019 draft, but he reclassified into the 2018 class this past spring. He’s been on the radar forever after a long track record of performance in big events as well as playing for a top high school program, so that reclassification won’t hurt him. He’s the son of a former multi-sport athlete at Florida International, and while his defensive home is a bit of a question mark as he not be able to stick at third longterm and would need to move to first base, scouts still love his bat. That’s because Casas has absolutely huge raw power that he’s able to tap into, and the Miami commit may be the best power hitter in this prep class.
Slade Cecconi, RHP, Florida HS
Slade Cecconi would not have made this list if it was done 10 days ago, but he jumped from Top 100 type prospect into the Top 20 after a huge performance at the Perfect Game Nationals. The Miami commit hit 97 MPH with his fastball with both life and command, showed off a potentially plus slider, and a promising curve with depth. That’s not even mentioning having a fourth pitch in his change. That’s the profile of a potential top of the rotation starter, and why one weekend moved him up towards the top of the class considering he was already a significant name.
Carlos Cortes, OF, South Carolina
I was a big fan of Carlos Cortes last year as an impressive pure hitter, and the sophomore eligible player will likely be a first round pick after dropping last year due to questions surrounding size, defense, and then signability. In addition to his hitting ability he showed more power than expected in his year at South Carolina, but Cortes is just 5’8” and has some defensive concerns as an undersized kid who could either end up at second base or in left field where he played with the Gamecocks. Still a freshman year in the SEC where he posted a slash line of .286/.368/.565 with 12 homers and 22 walks to 27 strikeouts to go with a promising 2016 summer in the Florida Collegiate League should be enough to satisfy some of the concerns teams had with him in 2016. I loved Cortes’ ability last year and ranked him as the #2 second base prospect in the draft, just behind Nick Quintana(who could be a first rounder in 2019) and one spot ahead of Bo Bichette.
Nolan Gorman, SS, Arizona HS
Nolan Gorman can just flat out hit and very consistently makes hard contact in addition to having real power potential. He’s athletic, though he isn’t a plus runner and his body should push him over to third base when he fills out- but he projects to have solid range there and comes with a cannon of an infield arm. The Arizona commit has a chance to hit for average as well as power.
Joe Gray Jr., OF, Mississippi HS
Joe Gray Jr. is an electrifying five tool talent. He’s got power, speed, glove, arm, and possibly the hit tool as well- I’m sold on the first four tools now but will want to watch how he hits top pitching this summer. As impressive as his power is the thing that really stood out to me last week at the Perfect Game Nationals was the great diving catch he made in right field where he just popped right back up and threw a laser to the plate. While that play didn’t effect his overall stock to me, that was just a wow type of play. One thing he needs to overcome is history, as teams have a bit of a hangup with Mississippi prep hitters in the early rounds as they have an awful success rate historically-DJ Davis, Blake Anderson, Ryan Bolden, David Renfroe, Wendell Fairley, and Derry Hammond all busted versus success from just Billy Hamilton(who probably wouldn’t succeed with the bat if not for his 80 grade speed) as picks in the first three rounds who signed in the past 20 years(Austin Riley, Ti’Quan Forbes, Bobby Bradley, Anthony Alford are still TBD). I think Gray can help put some of that to bed this summer, but it could cost him a bit if there are any lingering questions.
Ethan Hankins, RHP, Georgia HS
As good as Kumar Rocker is, the Georgia prep pitcher with the most upside might be the extremely projectable Ethan Hankins. Like Rocker, he is a Vandy commit, but the 6’6” 200 pound Hankins already hits 96 MPH with a promising slider and change. There’s no telling how much more velocity is to come when he fills in that large frame, but it’s not hard to see him moving himself into the Top 5 in the draft when it’s all over.
Jarred Kelenic, OF, Wisconsin HS
Jarred Kelenic may be the best prep bat in the 2018 class, or at least he’s in the mix for it. He’s not huge at 6’1” and he comes from a state that doesn’t produce a ton of talent, but the Louisville commit has impressed on the national stage. Kelenic does it all- he’s got plus speed, a good glove, a huge arm, plus power, and the ability to make consistent hard contact.
Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida
Florida’s other 2018 arm is overshadowed by the higher profile Brady Singer, not to mention 2017 first rounder Alex Faedo. However Jackson Kowar has pitched at a high level and has Top 10 potential on his own with his mid to upper 90s fastball. If he’s able to more consistently tighten up his command next year, he could elevate his stock even more. Like Singer, I ranked Kowar at #70 in the draft out of high school and he has done nothing to hurt his stock since.
Nick Madrigal, 2B, Oregon State
Nick Madrigal plays short for the Beavers but fits in best at second base to me. Similar to Jose Altuve and Ozzie Albies at 5’7” and 145 pounds, Madrigal is an excellent pure hitter- potentially the best hit tool in the draft in a few years. He’s got a .358/.414/.499 slash line in his 411 at bats over two years of college with 36 walks and just 27 strikeouts- just 13.5 per year or once every 15.2 at bats. He’s got a total of 29 doubles, seven triples, and five homers, though the power ticked up this year with 18 doubles and four homers. He’s also 23-27 in steals. A smart hitter with great plate discipline and instincts on the bases, he’s also got very good gap power even though the home run won’t be a big part of his game- I think he may have better gap power than Albies, though he isn’t the same caliber of runner and relies on his instincts to help his speed play up. I had Madrigal ranked #122 out of high school.
Konnor Pilkington, LHP, Mississippi State
A bit of a late bloomer, Konnor Pilkington wasn’t one of the 70 left handed pitchers I watched before the 2015 MLB Draft. He came to Mississippi State and really impressed as a freshman going 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA across 14 games, including 11 starts. Then he went to the Cape Cod League and in his seven games, including six starts, he pitched to a 1.37 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP. After that he moved to a more prominent role in the Bulldogs rotation as a sophomore and went 8-5 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.14 WHIP as he racked up 111 strikeouts in 108 innings- though he did walk 47 batters. Most impressive was the fact he allowed just 76 hits, of 6.3 per nine innings. It’s been an impressive rise for a kid who was an afterthought three years ago to now be a potential Top 10 draft pick thanks to reaching 95 MPH from the left side to go with solid pitches in his curve and change.
Tristan Pompey, OF, Kentucky
The brother of Blue Jays outfield “prospect” Dalton Pompey(I use quotation marks because he has passed rookie eligibility), Tristan Pompey may be the better prospect. The Kentucky outfielder was a kid I considered a sleeper and ranked as the #115 draft prospect out of high school in Canada in 2015- playing for the same Canadian Junior National Team as Mike Soroka and Josh Naylor, he headed to school. There are some similarities with the brothers, as they are both great athletes and switch hitters, but Tristan is 6’4” 195 while Dalton is 6’1” 170 and that size difference shows up with Tristan having more power than his brother. Pompey had an up and down freshman year with the Wildcats before a breakout this year, hitting .361/.464/.541, 18 doubles, 10 homers, and 9 steals with 46 walks and 56 strikeouts. He’s not quite the same athlete that his brother is, but with more power I think he’s got more upside than Dalton had.
Kumar Rocker, RHP, Georgia HS
Arguably the best high school prospect as things stand today is Georgia’s own Kumar Rocker. I say as things stand today because the Vandy commit has an advantage over his peers in that he physically matured early. He’s already 6’4” and 240 pounds and doesn’t have much remaning projection, but that doesn’t matter as much when you can already hit 98 MPH now with a hard slider and some feel for the change. Then add in that he could develop solid command and has the bloodlines of his father playing in the NFL, and it’s easy to see why he’s a top pick candidate.
Kendall Logan Simmons, SS, Georgia HS
Kendall Logan Simmons is an athletic five tool shortstop with enough pure talent that in almost any other year would find himself ranked as the top draft prospect in the state. This year I would consider him behind Rocker, Hankins, and Banfield and with guys like Luke Bartnicki and Cole Wilcox not far behind- just to speak to how absurd the talent in the state is for 2018. Simmons is a solid fielder with a huge arm and a good, athletic, projectable 6’3” frame. The Georgia Tech commit is also very promising with the bat, and should be a great all around prospect.
Brady Singer, RHP, Florida
If Rocker is the top prep prospect, Brady Singer is the college equivalent. He was a second round pick and my #53 draft prospect out of high school but chose school, and really broke out in the Gators rotation this year. He’s long been highly thought of, and his mix of current stuff, projection, and performance track record could push him as high as the top overall pick.
Brice Turang, SS, California HS
The son of former MLB outfielder Brian Turang, Brice Turang is the guy picked as the #1 overall pick in Jim Callis’s early 2018 mock draft on MLB.com. The piece has a scout giving him a comparison to Christian Yelich with more speed and the ability to play shortstop. Yelich isn’t a bad comp as Turang is an impressive all around player with the ability to hit, has some pop, is a very instinctual player who can run, and plays a premium position, making Turang a potential top pick.
Honorable Mention
Luke Bartnicki, LHP, Georgia HS
Colton Eastman, RHP, CSU Fullerton
Mason Denaburg, RHP/C, Florida HS
Jordan Groshans, RHP/SS, Texas HS
Sean Hjelle, RHP, Kentucky
Jonathan India, 3B, Florida
Adam Kloffenstein, RHP, Texas HS
Cal Raleigh, C, Florida State
Mike Siani, OF, Pennsylvania HS
Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia HS