With the 2019 MLB Draft now less than two weeks out, we thought it was time to start looking at each position and the top players who will be available there in this class. We have started at first base, are continuing today with third base, and will continue with the rest of the infield, including catchers, before moving to the outfield, then left and right handed pitchers in separate pieces.
Note that these pieces will not all be equal, as there are just so many more guys at certain positions that deserve to be talked about(outfield, right handed pitchers), while you have other spots where the depth is not very strong behind the top guys(first base, second base).
It’s also worth noting that if a player you are expecting to see is not listed at a particular position, they could be listed at another position. One example of this is at first base, where Michael Busch will be found- rather than the outfield.
This third base crop is very interesting this year. Although it lacks a true top of the draft talent and there are a lot of guys coming off either a down spring, or questions about their hit tool or future defensive home, this is a class filled with intriguing players.
The Top 10 Guys:
1.Josh Jung, Texas Tech
Coming into the spring Josh Jung was seen as a potential Top 5 overall pick, but he started the spring slowly and hasn’t hit with the power you’d have expected from him. That’s caused a player once thought to be unlikely to be around for the Braves at nine to being a guy who has a legitimate shot of being there for the Braves at 21.
Like most of his Texas Tech teammates Jung enjoyed a huge 2018 season, hitting .392/.491/.639 with 17 doubles, six triples, 12 homers, and 39 walks to 32 strikeouts. Like the rest of his team, he hasn’t been quite as productive this spring, especially in terms of power. Jung has hit .333/.471/.597 with 20 doubles, a triple, nine homers, and 46 walks to 34 strikeouts this spring.
Jung is a plus hitter who has the potential for plus power in game, but will need to unlock that to maximize his potential. Jung is a former high school shortstop who has extremely mixed reviews of his defense and position at third, with some believing in his glove at third and others seeing a first baseman.
Jung is the type of bat that the Braves could really be interested in with the 21st pick in the draft, a guy who has a strong hit tool, power potential, and a track record for success.
2.Kody Hoese, Tulane
The biggest college popup prospect this spring is Tulane third baseman Kody Hoese. Hoese did nothing as a freshman, and very little as a sophomore before emerging as a guy who was until very recently tied for the national lead in home runs.
Last year Hoese hit .291/.368/.435 with 13 doubles, two triples, five homers, and 21 walks to 33 strikeouts. This year the breakout happened and Hoese is hitting .392/.487/.789 with 19 doubles, 23 homers, and 38 walks to 30 strikeouts. This follows a slight power surge at the New England Collegiate League last summer, where Hoese added seven homers in 38 games for a .493 slugging percentage, giving some flashes of what might be to come.
Hoese has the bat and power along with plate discipline to be an impact player. The question with him is whether his two years of very limited production in a league that’s not the strongest competition in the NCAA can just be overlooked. Hoese is a guy who could be in play for the 21st pick, as he really checks the boxes of a guy you would want for third base.
3.Tyler Callihan, Florida HS
Tyler Callihan may be the best prep hitter in the class, in terms of hit tool. He’s got a plus hit tool and plus power, to go with a track record for success on a big stage. He is consistent with the bat and seems to always make good, solid contact. That’s all you can ask for with a prep bat.
The question that comes with him is his future defensive home. He’s not the biggest guy at 6’1”, and has a slightly stocky build already, so there are questions about his slightly below athleticism as he matures. There are real questions on whether he can stick at third, and his main alternative would be second base. Some are even willing to give him a shot at catcher, where he has shown an aptitude in limited looks.
For many evaluating the draft there isn’t much that separates Callihan, Baty, Hinds, and Cavaco, but I personally give Callihan the edge because I think his bat plays the best at the next level.
4.Brett Baty, Texas HS
The prep bat really attracting attention this spring is Brett Baty out of Texas. Baty is the guy with a potentially plus hit tool and plus power with the physical size and frame you would want from your ideal cleanup hitter. He’s even improved his once well below average defense to the point where he has a real shot of sticking at third for a big league team.
So why isn’t he rated higher? That’s because Baty is much older than a normal prep prospect, as he’s closer to his 20th birthday than his 19th and he’s nearly two calendar years older than the youngest players in the draft. That advanced age and physical, mature frame going up against high school players gives him an edge that most don’t have. While the competition he plays is definitely strong, the physical advantages he has over them also can’t be overlooked to me...but at the same time you can see why some teams like his as a possible Top 10 pick.
5.Rece Hinds, Florida HS
The best power in this prep class belongs to Rece Hinds. The 6’4”. 210 pound LSU commitment has future 80 grade power in his bat- the kind of power that makes fans drool with the shows he can put on in batting practice. That’s not the only double plus tool in his bag either, as his arm is also a 70 grade.
Hinds has some flaws though. The biggest is that the hit tool is a major question mark, ans he’s got plenty of swing and miss. Strikeouts will always be an issue for him, but you can live with that as long as he makes just enough contact to tap into that 80 grade power.
Hinds could be a candidate for 21 because of his power and the ability to hit 40 homers, but because of the questions around him I don’t think he’s a guy that would be the pick there.
6.Keoni Cavaco, California HS
The high school player that has risen from basically no where this spring is Keoni Cavaco. Cavaco started his ascent last fall, but wasn’t anywhere near the Top 300 at the start of the spring. However his loud all around tools have had him shoot up the board. Cavaco has huge power and a huge arm with plenty of athleticism. He also runs well and defends well.
Cavaco has some questions about his hit tool as the one real question on him. I myself am not the most optimistic on his hit tool, which is why I have him at the bottom of this tier of four top prep bats. I have seen too much swing and miss in him against high school competition to feel confident that he maxes out his immense potential.
7.Drew Mendoza, Florida State
Drew Mendoza has been highly thought of for years at this point. He was considered to be one of the very best high school players in the 2016 draft to make it to college due to his strong commitment to Florida State. Mendoza stepped on campus and started to produce from the day he arrived, as one would expect from a player of his profile.
Mendoza hit a combined 17 homers with an OPS between .931 and .934 in his freshman and sophomore seasons, but this year broke out to go from good player to star. This spring he is hitting .303/.478/.595 with eight doubles, two triples, 14 homers, and 62 walks to his 62 strikeouts.
As a big power hitter who will draw plenty of walks, there is real value in Mendoza if you can overlook his negatives. The strikeouts are his biggest flaw, as the 62 this year is a 25% rate, and he also figures to be below average in the field as he matures. In addition Mendoza has a mixed record of success with the wood bat. He really struggled in the Cape after his freshman season, posting a .438 OPS and one homer in 82 at bats, but was better last year to the point he put up a .713 OPS, but with just two homers in 69 at bats.
8.Joshua Rivera, Florida HS
A guy who is slightly under the radar to some on this list is Florida prep third baseman Joshua Rivera, who went to IMG Academy this spring. Rivera is a good athlete, very strong fielder, and guy with promising raw power even though he is a guy who will need to make some adjustments to really tap into that in game power.
Rivera is a guy with such good tools across the board that I see a very promising prospect, the kind of guy that does a little bit of everything with the bat, in the field, and even on the bases. He won’t be a first rounder, but he’s got the ability to come off the board on Day Two of the draft very early for a team who believes in his ceiling.
9.Davis Wendzel, Baylor
Davis Wendzel is an interesting prospect. A former teammate of Royce Lewis in high school, playing against the best high school competition in the country, to a guy who has walked into Baylor and produced since day one with real consistency. Wendzel brings average tools across the board, and the versatility to play almost anywhere defensively. Add to that the fact he’s worked himself into being a nearly average runner, and there are a lot of things to like about Wendzel.
After posting nearly identical lines in his freshman and sophomore years, .301/.428/.539 with seven doubles, two triples, eight homers and 30 walks to 22 strikeouts, then .310/.435/.532 with 22 doubles, a triple, eight homers, and 39 walks to 40 strikeouts, Wendzel has taken the next step this spring. This spring he has hit .385/.500/.647 with 17 doubles, eight homers, and 27 walks to 32 strikeouts. He appeared in the Cape last summer and hit .236/.346/.385 with three homers in 161 at bats.
Wendzel is a plus hitter, a guy who makes hard contact and takes good at bats, drawing walks and limiting strikeouts. He hasn’t shown a ton of power to this point, but he’s got plenty of gap power with a chance to develop more over the fence power. He’s also an above average defender at third base, and has the ability to be a Swiss Army knife for a team. I personally think that although Wendzel has the ability to become a starter, he would be especially intriguing as a super utility man- ala Ben Zobrist.
10.Cade Doughty, Louisiana HS
One of the most well rounded players in the prep players in the class, essentially making him the prep version of Wendzel. Doughty has no plus tools, which may hurt his draft stock a bit, but he’s also got no holes in his game.
Doughty has the ability to play a number of positions defensively and has even some ability to pitch, even though most see his future with the bat. The biggest issue with Doughty is nothing is a carrying tool, so a team may be hesitant to buy him out of his college commitment to in-state LSU.
10 More Names to Watch:
11.Aaron Schunk, Georgia
12.Nick Quintana, Arizona
13.Edouard Julien, Auburn
14.Brandon Lewis, UC Irvine
15.Austin Shenton, Florida International
16.Ryan Kriedler, UCLA
17.Jared Triolo, Houston
18.Seth Gray, Wright State
19.Carter Aldrete, Arizona State
20.Vaughn Grissom, Florida HS
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