Jeremy Nygaard

Matt Shaw is a middle infield prospect from Maryland. He possesses a very solid bat that projects to be above-average in both the “hit” and “power” categories. On the most recent Consensus Big Board update, Shaw checked in at 14th overall. Image courtesy of Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen Over the next two weeks, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Brewers could take with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Who is He? Matt Shaw started at shortstop for the past two years for Maryland after splitting time between second base and third base as a freshman. He’s demonstrated quite a bit of power for the Terrapins the last two seasons and posted career numbers in the 2023 season with 90 hits, 20 doubles, 24 home runs, 80 runs scored, 69 runs driven in, a .341 batting average, .445 on-base percentage, and .697 slugging percentage. It goes without saying that his 1.142 OPS was also a career-high. He also posted more walks (43) than strikeouts (42). This all came on the heels of being named the Cape Cod League MVP in the summer of 2022 with a slash line of .360/.432/.574 (1.006). That certainly helped teams take notice and he continued to improve his stock with his 2023 season. Why the Brewers Will Draft Him The Brewers seem to be narrowing in on college hitters in the first round. Matt Shaw has been one of the more impressive college bats over the previous year who may be available when the Brewers are on the clock. He may not have come into the season with the same accolades as Jacob Gonzalez. He may not have put up the numbers that Tommy Troy has. He doesn't have the speed of Enrique Bradfield. Or be as well known as Brayden Taylor. But if you’re looking for the complete package of production, potential and positional value, Shaw could rise to the top. He also has above-average speed, which is another positive as teams are attempting to steal bases at such a high rate. Why the Brewers Won't Draft HimAs mentioned above, there are a number of potential college hitters in the same general area as Shaw. That’s not to mention the other demographics of players who could potentially be available too. Shaw doesn’t do anything that is going to set himself apart from the entire group. He’s a solid option for any team, for sure. But if you’re looking for something specific - power, speed, whatever it is - there is probably going to be a better option. What do you think of Matt Shaw as a prospect? How would you feel about him being the Brewers pick at 18th overall? Join the discussion in the comments. Previous Draft Articles and ProfilesHurston Waldrep Aidan Miller Brayden Taylor Yohandy Morales Enrique Bradfield, JrTommy TroyNolan SchanuelNygaard Mock Draft v.2Consensus Big Board Profiles: 26-50Consensus Big Board Profiles: 1-25 View full article

Aidan Miller is a prep third baseman from the Sunshine State, but is committed to play college ball for Arkansas. Miller possesses both the bat--including above-average power--and the arm to successfully man the hot corner. Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas_USA TODAY Sports Over these final few days before it all happens, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Brewers could take with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Today, it's an infielder who would take a good amount of money to sign, but who could turn out to a difference-making corner infielder. Who is He? Aidan Miller is the younger brother of Jackson Miller, a catcher in the Reds system who was drafted in the second round of the 2020 COVID-shortened draft. Currently ranked 17th on the Consensus Big Board, Aidan suffered a hamate injury this season and missed the majority of his final high school campaign. He impressed enough scouts last summer, though, to stay in first-round consideration despite the setback. He was the MVP of the All-American Game last Auguat, and was gaining steam as a potential top-10 selection before the hand injury. Why the Brewers Will Draft Him Miller has the type of bat you dream about. Swinging from the right side, he generates easy power underpinned by strong exit velocities. His overall hit tool projects to be at least average, as well. For all intents and purposes, Miller is your prototypical third-base prospect. There is no such thing as having too many excellent hitters in your lineup, and Miller could provide excellent value to the Brewers because of his injury and teams not being able to get a sustained look at him over the course of the spring to inspire the requisite confidence for first-round investment. It’s entirely possible that Miller would have cemented himself as a top-10 pick, had he just been healthy enough to compete. Why the Brewers Won't Draft Him First and foremost, the Brewers tend to lean heavily toward college hitters over prep hitters. Most indications are that the Brewers are expected to stick to the college hitter demographic again in the first round this year. Additionally, the value of this potential first-round pick is almost entirely tied to his bat. While most scouts believe Miller will be able to stick at third base (at least early in his career), there are others who question the body enough to think that he’s destined to be a first baseman. He’s listed as 6’ 2”, 205 pounds, and nothing is too concerning about that, but he appears to have a frame that might outgrow those dimensions. At this point in his career, he would be more likely to get reps at shortstop than first base. But that will become a different story by the time he starts knocking on the big-league door. Miller also has already turned 19, which doesn’t look as good in data-driven models. Older prospects get dinged. And it’s hard to ignore his lack of a senior season to round out and update the evaluation. Regardless of how much the Brewers (or any team) has seen Miller, they’ve seen him a lot less over the last four months than they would have seen a healthy high-school prospect. What do you think of Miller as a prospect? How would you feel about him being the Brewers' pick at 18th overall? Join the discussion in the comments. Previous Draft Articles and ProfilesBrayden TaylorYohandy Morales Enrique Bradfield, JrTommy TroyNolan SchanuelNygaard Mock Draft v.2Consensus Big Board Profiles: 26-50Consensus Big Board Profiles: 1-25 View full article

The Brewers preferred demographic is college hitters and they're likely going to be fortunate that they'll have a few to choose from. Let's take a look at some of the names and player profiles. View full video

Yohandy Morales is a third baseman from the University of Miami who is currently 27th on the Consensus Big Board. Morales is an example of a player who likely ended up in college due to the COVID-shortened 2020 MLB Draft and helps make this one of the strongest and deepest drafts in recent memory. It sounds as though the Brewers want to draft from the college hitter demographic. Could this be a match? Image courtesy of Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Over the next two weeks, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Brewers could take with the 18th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Who is He? Yohandy Morales is a big (6' 4'", 225 lb) third baseman from Miami. His best tool is his above-average power and strong arm. Morales used to play shortstop. Between that and his measurements, Morales has been compared to Carlos Correa. The depth of this draft will cause Morales to go in the back half of the first round. Why the Brewers Will Draft Him As mentioned, the Brewers have shown a preference to draft a college hitter with their first-round pick and if it's a powerful bat you're valuing, Yohandy Morales would be an excellent choice. In three years at Miami, Morales has hit 49 home runs and even though scouts don't project him to be an above-average hitter, he hit .408 in his junior season. Over 240 at-bats, Morales had 98 hits, including 13 doubles and 20 home runs. He put up impressive data with exit velocities as well. Morales walked 30 times and struck out 55 times. A .408/.475./713 (1.187) slash line in one of the toughest conferences in the country is certainly enough to catch your eye. Additionally, Morales will give you at least average defense at the hot corner and has a powerful arm that will play over the long term. Why the Brewers Won’t Draft Him There are a lot of potential college hitters and, specifically, infielders that could go to the Brewers at pick 18. You can get similar offensive profiles with the upside of potentially getting a shortstop by looking elsewhere. And there's way too much swing-and-miss for Morales. Morales hasn't played shortstop since one game in the summer of 2021 in the Cape Cod League. It was in that wood-bat league where Morales went 10-for-55, failed to hit a home run, struck out more than twice as many times as we walked, and stumbled to a .544 OPS. Obviously, that's a very small sample size, but how players do in summer leagues is something that teams tend to look at. Moving even further down the defensive spectrum, there are scouts who believe that Morales may have to move to the outfield. In a deep draft, with a lot of options, does Morales do anything well enough to set himself apart from others who the Brewers may consider? What do you think of Yohandy Morales as a prospect? How would you feel about him being the Brewers' pick at 18 overall? Join the discussion in the comments. View full article

We are only nine days away from the beginning of the 2023 MLB draft and will finally start to get answers to the many questions that are being asked. Will the Pirates take Crews first overall? Do the "top five" all go in the top five? Which team will make the first big shocking pick? Will any team play the money game and try to push another player to a later pick? It's been about a month since my first attempt at a mock draft and Jamie Cameron and I also tried a dual mock draft last week. There will be one final mock draft the day before the draft begins. Without further talk about how much fun mock drafts are to both do and pick apart, here is version 2.0: 1.) Pirates – Dylan Crews , OF, LSU - We’ve legitimately reached a point in time where Paul Skenes is the more popular choice for the Pirates. Sure, Skenes is more than deserving and there are rumors that Scott Boras is doing his best to push Crews to Washington. But when it comes down to it, Crews is the best prospect and the Pirates should take the best prospect. Previous: no change 2.) Nationals – Paul Skenes , RHP, LSU - While it’s a possibility that Skenes goes first and also possible that the Pirates go with someone different, the Nationals will take Crews if he’s available and Skenes if Crews is gone. In the scenario, Skenes becomes the best Nationals pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg. Previous: no change 3.) Tigers – Wyatt Langford , OF, Florida - Wyatt Langford should be a 1-1 candidate, but is overshadowed by Crews. Wyatt Langford is a future all-start and a player Tigers fans will love. Previous: Walker Jenkins 4.) Rangers - Walker Jenkins, OF, North Carolina prep - Rumors have it that the Rangers are most focused on Jenkins and Max Clark. We’ll lean toward Jenkins as the Rangers have worked very closely with his agency in the recent past. Previous: Wyatt Langford 5.) Twins – Kyle Teel , C, Virginia - Ok, I’ll bite. The Twins don’t seem to believe as strongly in the “this is a five-man draft” as the media seems to. Recent reports suggest that the Twins prefer Max Clark to Jenkins and would take Clark here, but not Jenkins. But earlier reports suggest they aren’t super high on Clark either. Most rumors point towards college hitters over prep hitters. Jacob Gonzalez is a popular name, but Kyle Teel comes from the same tier (not the first) and also provides the organization with their best-catching prospect since Joe Mauer. Previous: Max Clark 6.) A’s – Jacob Wilson , SS, Grand Canyon - Too early to take Wilson in my opinion, but this is a connection that’s been made in multiple places. Nothing that the A’s do will surprise me. Previous: Enrique Bradfield 7.) Reds – Rhett Lowder , RHP, Wake Forest - Cincinnati could definitely end Max Clark’s fall, but the chance to add Lowder to an up-and-coming team wins. Aside from Skenes, Lowder might have the best chance to be the first from this draft class to debut in the big leagues. Previous: Kyle Teel 8.) Royals - Thomas White, LHP, Massachusetts prep - Looking at previous drafts, the Royals lead the league in making selections that make me raise my eyebrows. And, most recently, it is because they take a left-handed pitcher way too early. This isn’t White’s fault, he’s the best lefty available. Previous: Rhett Lowder 9.) Rockies – Hurston Waldrep , RHP, Florida - The best chance for the Rockies to add pitching is through the draft, even though I felt like this would be a great place to end Clark’s slide. Previous: Chase Dollander 10.) Marlins – Max Clark, OF, Indiana prep - The slide had to end somewhere and the Marlins are in a great position to add the best prospect on the board and put a centerfielder in center field. Previous: Jacob Gonzalez 11.) Angels – Jacob Gonzalez , SS, Mississippi - Gonzalez has been slipping on (media) boards and the preseason Top 5 pick finds himself out of the Top 10. Previous: Jacob Wilson 12.) Diamondbacks – Chase Dollander , RHP, Tennessee - Who knows where Dollander ends up. He could be the second pitcher off the board. He could be the 6th or 7th if prep pitchers start to go. His stuff is off the charts… he just couldn’t put it all together this season. Previous: Arjun Nimmala 13.) Cubs – Arjun Nimmala, SS, Florida prep - There are a plethora of infielders who could go here, but the Cubs pass up the college hitters for a prep one. Previous: Tommy Troy 14.) Red Sox – Matt Shaw , SS, Maryland - There’s going to be a run on infielders in the middle of the first round and it’s going to be heavy with college guys. Previous: Colin Houck 15.) White Sox – Tommy Troy , SS, Stanford - Probably would have gone with any of the top four college arms here, but they were all gone. So the infield run continues. Previous: Hurston Waldrep 16.) Giants– Enrique Bradfield Jr. , OF, Vanderbilt - Bradfield will go to someone who recognizes speed as the new market inefficiency. I’m not sure it’s the Giants, but he can’t slide forever. Previous: Bryce Eldridge 17.) Orioles – Colin Houck, SS, Georgia prep - I actually really like the idea of the Orioles taking Noble Meyer. But when it comes down to it, the Orioles have had success with upside prep bats and Houck represents that demographic well. Previous: Noble Meyer 18.) Brewers - Brayden Taylor , 3B, TCU - Taylor is one of many college bats that could be considered here. Previous: Matt Shaw 19.) Rays – Noble Meyer, RHP, Oregon prep - Nothing makes more sense than the Rays selecting my favorite prep pitcher. Previous: Thomas White 20.) Blue Jays – Chase Davis , OF, Arizona Previous: Brayden Taylor 21.) Cardinals – Aidan Miller, 3B, Florida prep Previous: Kevin McGonigle 22.) Mariners – Nolan Schanuel , 1B, Florida Atlantic Previous: Blake Mitchell 23.) Guardians – Colt Emerson, SS, Ohio prep Previous: Jack Hurley 24.) Braves – Dillon Head, OF, Illinois prep Previous: Brock Wilken 25.) Padres - Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, Virginia prep Previous: Aidan Miller 26.) Yankees – Sammy Stafura, SS, New York prep Previous: George Lombard Jr. 27.) Phillies – Charlee Soto, RHP, Florida prep Previous: Colt Emerson 28.) Astros - Jack Hurley , OF, Virginia Tech Previous: Chase Davis 29.) Mariners – Blake Mitchell, C, Texas prep Previous: Nolan Schanuel 30.) Mariners – Kevin McGonigle, SS, Pennsylvania prep Previous: Colton Ledbetter What do you think? Who goes too high? Who goes too low? Post your own mock in your blog! View full article

Nolan Schanuel is one of the best collegiate hitters in the entire country. He's moved up draft boards with a fantastic college season, but seems to have plateaued on draft lists just outside the Top 20. You may wonder why--with a bat like his--he isn't higher on boards. You can read the answer within. Image courtesy of JC Ridley/OwlPix.com Over the next two weeks, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Brewers could take with the 18th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Who is He? Nolan Ryan Schanuel is an aptly-named baseball player, but this Nolan stands out because of the damage he can do with a bat in his hands. Currently sitting at 29th on the Consensus Board, Schanuel will have his name called for the first time after spending three years raking for Florida Atlantic. He went undrafted out of high school. Why the Brewers Will Draft Him Almost every player projected to be a first baseman is going to get pushed right out of the first half of the first round. Obviously, Brewers fans will remember drafting Brewers great Prince Fielder seventh overall in 2002 and great trade chip Matt LaPorta at the same spot in 2007. But, overall, most first basemen get knocked down team's boards because all of their value is tied up in their bat, as they're already on the bottom rung of the defensive spectrum. Schanuel's bat is special and that's why he will be in the conversation for those teams drafting in the back half of the first round. In three college seasons, Schanuel has drawn 138 walks while only striking out 57 times (including 71 walks and 14 strikeouts in 2023). Guys with that kind of handle on the strike zone don't often produce significant power when they do hit; Schanuel does. Of his 46 career long balls, 19 came in 2023 which helped support a .868 slugging percentage. Beyond that, he's put up excellent exit velocities. Stat-, eye- and analytic-driven teams should all come to the same conclusion: Dude can rake. Also... would the manager appreciate the set-up in the box? Why the Brewers Won’t Draft Him As mentioned, Schanuel is a first baseman and teams usually just look past them in the first round. And when they don't, they should. The last handful of first basemen drafted in the first round: Aaron Sabato (2020), Michael Toglia and Andrew Vaughn (2019) and Pavin Smith and Evan White (2016) have been disappointing at best, and relatively gross if we're being honest. That's no knock on Schanuel, who could certainly buck the trend. But it is a trend, and teams have learned to allocate their assets better when it comes to making their first pick of the draft. In 155 plate appearances in the wood-bat Cape Cod League last summer, Schanuel batted .200, struck out and walked 24 times each and provided very little power (one home run, .272 SLG). So it's happened before - albeit in a 36-game sample. But if it happens again, there's no defensive value to speak of. That's quite a gamble... yet an easier one to take at 18 than, say, 7. What do you think of Nolan Schanuel as a prospect? How would you feel about him being the Brewers pick at 18 overall? Join the discussion in the comments. View full article

The latest mock featured here is a dual mock draft done by Jamie Cameron and me. We alternated back and forth for the Top 39 selections in the upcoming draft. Our inaugural attempt was met with minimal success. We didn't strike out, though; you can check it out for yourself here. Additionally, you'll notice an uptick in draft coverage beginning Monday with potential draftees' profiles. 1. Pirates (JN) - Dylan Crews, OF, LSU Crews is simply too good to consider playing money games with any other prospect. Slam-dunk, open-and-shut. Crews to the Pirates and straight to the Top 10 prospects in all of baseball. 2. Nationals (JC) - Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU Skenes is the best pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg. He’s had a historical season and represents an incredibly rare opportunity to draft an ace. Mike Rizzo likely won’t pass up the chance to draft a generational pitching talent. 3. Tigers (JN) - Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida If it wasn’t for the giant shadow that Crews casts, Langford would have a great shot to hear his name called first overall. A boon for the Tigers. Langford will immediately be their #1 prospect. 4. Rangers (JC) - Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick HS, NC The Rangers, who don’t have a ton of financial flexibility coming into this draft, have been all over Jenkins this spring. Jenkins and Clark form an impressive prep tandem at the top of this class. It’s simply a matter of what your preferred profile is. 5. Twins (JN) - Max Clark, OF, Franklin HS, IN All indications suggest the Twins aren’t going to simply take whoever remains from the “top 5,” but Clark is the top prospect available and, aside from overthinking it, should be a relatively easy choice for the Twins. 6. Athletics (JC) - Kyle Teel, C, Virginia The Athletics are surely hoping one of the consensus top-five drops to them at six. That’s not what happens in this scenario, so they target someone from the next group of college bats. Teel showed development in all aspects of his game this spring. A left-handed hitting catcher with a great offensive profile is hard to find. 7. Reds (JN) - Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest After going pitch-for-pitch with Paul Skenes, Lowder has elevated his profile enough to the point where he seems like the definite second college pitcher off the board and a Top 10 pick. 8. Royals (JC) - Arjen Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS, FL The Royals are miles away from competing and have shown a propensity to the highly productive prep shortstop demographic in the past. Nimmala fits the dual profile of ‘incredible tools with a high ceiling’. The Royals have time to let him develop. 9. Rockies (JN) - Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida The Rockies went the college pitching route last year when it didn’t seem like the obvious move. Fortunately, even after seeing two college pitchers come off the board early, they still have a choice between Waldrep and Dollander. 10. Marlins (JC) - Chase Davis, OF, Arizona I think Davis will be this year’s Kumar Rocker. The Marlins have a stable of excellent young starting pitching talent but have struggled to develop bats. Davis is one of the best upside plays in the draft, with underlying numbers that rival Crews and Langford. 11. Angels (JN) - Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland After hitting on Zach Neto last year, the Angels are focused on college hitters. Enrique Bradfield is another name to consider, but Shaw can be a quick-moving hitter who become Neto’s double-play partner in the near future. 12. Diamondbacks (JC) - Aidan Miller, 3B, Mitchell HS, FL Miller has been ‘out of sight out of mind’ a little this spring due to injury, but he’s one of the most physical, highest-upside preps in the class. An injury-free Miller would easily have been a top-ten pick in this loaded draft class. 13. Cubs (JN) - Colin Houck, SS, Parkview HS, FL Would be a natural stopping point for Dollander’s fall or a place to consider Noble Meyer. But all indications are that the Cubs are focused on a hitter. Shaw and Miller may both be higher on their board, but Houck is an excellent consolation prize. 14. Red Sox (JC) - Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee The slide stops here. It’s hard to predict where Dollander will end up after an uneven 2023, but the middle of the first feels like the floor. He’s shown front-of-the-rotation potential and lots of the buzz on his 2023 season has been that his issues are mechanical. This pick could end up a steal. 15. White Sox (JN) - Enrique Bradfield, OF, Vanderbilt Bradfield hasn’t been linked to the White Sox much, but the value of an 80-grade runner and defender is too much to pass up at this point in the first round. 16. Giants (JC) - Tommy Troy, 2B, Stanford Troy is the eighth overall player on the Consensus Board, so this is both a value play and a logical fit. The Giants have been linked to college bats all spring, and Troy has a solid all-around profile and a high floor. 17. Orioles (JN) - Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, James Madison HS, VA The Orioles are loaded and can take somewhat of a gamble on a potential two-way player in Eldridge. There’s a lot of smoke behind this pairing. 18. Brewers (JC) - Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi Once a consensus top-five prospect in the class, Gonzalez’s stock has been hurt by a 2023 season in which Ole Miss failed to qualify for the postseason and his power production was down from 2022. There’s a ton to like here, excellent bat-to-ball skills and a good approach. This is great value at 18. 19. Rays (JN) - Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU Taylor’s stock was much higher before the season, then fell off… before rebounding after a strong close to this season. He may be off the board by this point, but the Rays are getting great value if he drops to them. 20. Blue Jays (JC) - Noble Meyer, Jesuit HS, OR The Blue Jays have been linked with both prep and college players. After drafting Brandon Barriera with their first pick in 2023, they land comfortably the best prep arm in the 2023 class. Meyer has nasty stuff and a ton of upside. 21. Cardinals (JN) - Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic The Cardinals have been a giant disappointment this season and maybe be sellers at the deadline. Schanuel isn’t going to help immediately but may be the first baseman of the future in the post-Goldy era… which is coming sooner than anyone expected. 22. Mariners (JC) - Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon The Mariners control the latter end of the first round, with 3 picks in quick succession. Wilson is a unique talent with elite bat-to-ball skills (he struck out 12 times over two seasons for Grand Canyon). The Mariners are another team that has developed pitching well but needs more bats in the system and Wilson is great value here. 23. Guardians (JN) - Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy, MA Whenever I have to choose for Cleveland, I look for a pitcher I would want my favorite team to pick. There wasn’t a great college option in my opinion, so I was torn between White and Charlee Soto. When in doubt, go with the southpaw. 24. Braves (JC) - George Lombard Jr, 3B, Gulliver Prep HS, FL The Braves have been linked to a bunch of prep hitters. Lombard is one of the best of the bunch. He should develop excellent power and stick at a corner infield spot. 25. Padres (JN) - Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton HS, TX There is no high-profile injured pitcher to take, so it’s the highest-upside hitter. Mitchell could go much higher; Preller will stop the fall. 26. Yankees (JC) - Kevin McGonigle, SS, Monsignor Bonner HS, PA The Yankees have been linked with all kinds of players this spring, particularly prep hitters. This is a sweet spot in the draft for that demographic. Lombard and Walker Martin would also be good fits here. McGonigle has a great hit tool to build on. 27. Phillies (JN) - Charlee Soto, RHP, Reborn Christian HS, FL Philadelphia always seems to have pitchers fall into their laps. I’m not sure which pitcher they prefer of the next wave available, but Soto has the potential to be very good. 28. Astros (JC) - Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest The Astros went with a good value college hitter in 2022 with Stillwater’s Drew Gilbert. Wilken has had an outstanding 2023, matching his power output with newfound patience at the plate. He’s a great fit coming from an analytically friendly college program. 29. Mariners (JN) Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick - Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor HS, IL Wanted to pair Seattle with a tumbling prep pitcher with their added picks and money, but sniped myself with White and Soto. Head is the top prep still available. Competitive Balance Round A 30. Mariners (JC) - Walker Martin, SS, Eaton HS, CO The Mariners have a huge bonus pool available and are in a position to pick back-to-back from the prep-rich bats portion of the draft. Martin is an incredibly talented shortstop prospect who developed prodigious power in 2022. 31. Rays (JN) - Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami Doubling up on college third basemen may seem redundant, but it’s the Rays and they have a special way of going about things. 32. Mets (JC) - Roch Cholowsky, SS, Chandler HS, AZ The hard luck Mets finally got a pick. Cholowsky is an impressive two-sport athlete who might be a tough sign away from UCLA. He does everything in the infield well and put up some gaudy numbers at the combine. 33. Brewers (JN) - Steven Echavarria, RHP, Millburn HS, NJ There are a number of arms that could come off the board in this range and finding the right prep pitcher is going to be very dependent on price tags. The Brewers would have to keep Echavarria from a Florida commitment, but there is a high upside here. 34. Twins (JC) - Colton Ledbetter, OF, Mississippi State A strong floored college bat makes sense for the Twins at 34. Ledbetter has an elite approach at the plate and burgeoning power after transferring to the SEC in 2023. He has some of the best analytical markers of any college bat in the class. 35. Marlins (JN) - Cole Carrigg, C/SS/OF, San Diego State The Marlins are reaping the benefits of having hitters without defined (or - you could argue - strong) defensive positions. Carrigg had a strong combine and can provide both a bat and strong defense at multiple positions. 36. Dodgers (JC) - Sammy Stafura, SS, Walter Panas HS, NY Stafura is a helium cold-weather shortstop who does everything well. He’s gone from anonymous to a borderline first-round prospect in a matter of months and the Dodgers' player development is second to none. 37. Tigers (JN) - Travis Sykora, RHP, Round Rock HS, TX Sykora is a big, strapping, explosive pitcher with enormous upside. Allowed to pick a safe pick in Langford earlier, the Tigers can take a big swing with the young Texan. 38. Reds (JC) - Joe Whitman, LHP, Kent State Whitman is another prospect who has zoomed up draft boards in the late spring. After struggling at Purdue he transferred to Kent State and dominated before a promising start on the Cape. Hard-throwing left-handed college pitchers are a sought-after demographic and Whitman has overtaken Hunter Owen as the best in the class. 39. Athletics (JN) - Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech After drafting Teel in the first round, the A’s get another strong college bat (among other tools as well) in Hurley. He has had success in front of big crowds - something he’ll hopefully get to play in front of again someday. What do you think of our mock draft of the first round? Who will get more selections correct? Which picks are most wrong? Discuss in the COMMENTS today. View full article

This will be the final installment in the #PersonalCheeseball series as we look at five pitchers who should expect to be off the board in the Top 10 rounds. Could any of these five pitchers exceed expectations and lead a rotation in the future? The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. It’s pretty amazing that 10 of the 12 top active pitchers in career bWAR were first-round draft picks. Clayton Kershaw (7th overall), Justin Verlander (2nd), Zack Greinke (6th), Max Scherzer (11th), Cole Hamels (still active? Hmmm; 17th), Adam Wainwright (29th), Chris Sale (13th), Madison Bumgarner (10th), Gerrit Cole (1st) and Stephen Strasburg (1st) all went in the first round. Amazingly, all but two went in the top 13 picks. A vast majority of the elite pitchers in the game today never even had the opportunity to be drafted by most teams. There are only two others - Corey Kluber (4th round) and Jacob deGrom (9th round) - who are outliers to that trend. When teams draft a pitcher (or any player really) on the second day of the draft, they’d love to find someone who will eventually contribute at the big league level. Most don’t. And very few become stars at the major league level. But that doesn’t means teams don’t try. Today, we’ll look at five pitchers expected to go either late on Day 1 or on Day 2. Will any of them make a major league impact? That’s a question we won’t be able to answer for many years. Charlee Soto, Florida prep (committed to Central Florida): Soto has been trending up, so much so that he’s likely to be drafted on the first day, if not the first round. A long, young dude with a big arm, it’s easy to dream about Soto being at the front of a rotation in the future. Soto could be a prime candidate to “fall” to a team who just happens to have some extra money banked up. Zander Mueth, Illinois prep (committed to Mississippi): It would be easy to say many of the same things about Mueth, who is also a big, young right-hander with electric stuff. Mueth trends a little lower as he battles control, but should hear his name called early on Day 2. At some point after that, he’d likely honor his college commitment and re-enter the 2026 draft. Sean Sullivan, Wake Forest: Sullivan will be pitching in the upcoming College World Series, so the lefty still has some time to make an impact on his draft stock. His stuff doesn’t jump out at you, but his results do as he has a K/9 of over 15 on the season. Some may consider him the best college lefty in the draft, while others don’t have him in the Top 100. For my money, he’d be a steal if he falls to the fourth round. Connor O’Halloran, Michigan: Another lefty who doesn’t have eye-popping stuff, but gets results, O’Halloran will probably come off the board during the second half of Day 2. I think there might be more in the tank, though, and with the right development, you could see a mid-rotation starter. And if not, he’s a serviceable bullpen arm. Lebarron Johnson, Texas: Johnson has the ideal pitcher build and a repertoire to support it. His mid-to-high 90s fastball works well with his low-90s slider. But there are enough other question marks to push Johnson to the second day. Some team is going to hope to develop him into a starter, knowing that even if that doesn’t pan out, the fastball/slider combo is playable. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave it in the comments! View full article

We’ve covered all the positions in this series, so we’re going to circle back and look at three under-the-radar outfielders as well as two outfielders that are very much on the radar. The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. Chase Davis, Arizona: Davis being projected as a late first-round pick or comp round pick is baffling to me. He put up ridiculous numbers with in-game power while walking more than he struck out. Even the behind-the-curtain numbers are really good. He may be a victim of a strong draft, but if a team gets him after #20 it will be an absolute steal. Duce Robinson, Arizona prep (committed to USC): But it’s a lot more complicated than that. Robinson isn’t committed to playing baseball at USC. He’s going to be a Trojan tight end. But he does sound committed to playing pro baseball… too. Whatever team drafts him - if he signs - will only have Robinson from spring training through July. He’ll then spend the rest of the year being a college football player. He hasn’t played a ton of baseball, but when he has he’s impressed. There’s certainly enough there for a team to take a risk, because there’s high-reward upside. Wyatt Langford, Florida: Langford is clearly an on-the-radar player in this draft. But probably underrated in that everything he does is in the shadow of Dylan Crews. This is an extremely strong draft and in a normal year, Langford has a strong debate to go first overall. There’s been so much talk about Crews and Paul Skenes that Langford hasn’t gotten the pub he deserves. Unfortunately, he’s probably gone before your favorite team drafts at #18. Over the past twenty years, teams have tried to find value in skills that other teams don’t. It was the basis for Moneyball. It’s been analytic-driven, for sure. From on-base percentage to exit velocities and spin rates. I suggested many years ago that I thought speed and stolen bases would become the next “market deficiency.” It hasn’t come to full fruition yet, but we’ve seen an uptick in teams stealing bases and I expect that trend to continue. Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt: I’ve written about Bradfield a few times and for good reason. He offers 80 speed and can be the catalyst for the next trendy idea to take the league by storm: super speed. Bradfield is not a power/speed combination player, so there will be plenty of opportunities to steal second (and third) base… assuming he can reach base. He’s a better-fielding version of Billy Hamilton as a floor and even as he ages - and Hamilton has - his speed should be a weapon for a long time. Tampa Bay has stolen 14 more bases than any other team, but doesn’t draft until nineteenth overall. I expect Bradfield to be long gone by then. I think the A’s (#6) and Reds (#7) to the Diamondbacks (#12) are the sweet spot for Bradfield. Zyhir Hope, Virginia prep (committed to North Carolina): Hope has elite speed. But the rest is, well… a lot of hope. I’d imagine teams are trying to get Hope in for private workouts to get a better gauge on him as a player and if someone believes enough in the bat, they may be willing to buy him out of what’s expected to be a strong commitment to the Tar Heels. Next week will be the final installment of the series. We’ll look at some pitchers who have raised their stock. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article

After taking a week off of the Personal Cheeseball series to post our first mock draft of the season, we’re back to look at some first basemen. Drafting a first baseman - especially early - can be one of the most polarizing decisions in all of sports. It’s not that it never works out. It’s that it almost never works out. Prince Fielder (7th overall in 2002) is an exception. Adrian Gonzalez (1st overall in 2000) is an exception. Beyond that, it’s been pretty brutal. Matt LaPorta, the 7th overall pick in 2007, was a complete bust. Eric Hosmer (3rd overall in 2008) helped the Royals win a ring in 2015, but has always been attached to a terrible contract since. Michael Aubrey, Justin Smoak, Allan Dykstra are other examples of first-round busts. The latest wave of Spencer Torkelson and Andrew Vaughn, who went 1st and 3rd overall, has been disappointing so far. When the bat doesn’t play as expected, what’s left? Well, maybe that has teams viewing players differently. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite first basemen this year. -- The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” We’ve covered almost every position so far in this series. And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. Tre’ Morgan, LSU: If you’ve watched any LSU baseball this year, you’ve definitely noticed Morgan. And that’s probably because of the long curly bleached-blonde hair that can’t be contained by his hat. He’s also nothing like a typical first baseman. He’s sleek and athletic and likely has the ability to play other places around the diamond. There isn’t the power in the bat to play first, but he’s so good defensively that it works. It will be very interesting to see where he’s deployed at the professional level. Morgan probably comes off the board early on Day 2. Nolan Schanuel, Florida Atlantic: Schanuel will be the first pure first baseman to get drafted, but will he sneak into Round 1? At this point, it appears so. Schanuel profiles as more of an all-around hitter than power hitter despite putting up good power numbers. Teams that buy into analytics will appreciate him and his ability to put up impressive exit velocities. Brock Vradenburg, Michigan State: Vradenburg is sort of the opposite of Schanuel. He’s not going to be put up silly exit velocities, but his almost 1.300 OPS this season is an indication of how much power he has in his bat and his ability to work the zone. Vradenburg will likely go in the middle third of the second day. Drew Williamson, Alabama: The back half of the second day is going to be littered with seniors and that almost assuredly is where Williamson goes. He’ll save the signing team six figures and in return they’ll get a powerful first baseman who has a good eye and the potential to be more than organizational filler. He won’t have time on his side as he’ll make his pro debut as a 23-year-old, but there is potential here. Sam Harris, Iowa prep (committed to Duke): Harris will likely make it to campus and be a high pick in three years. He’s got the power profile and depending on how he develops may be able to spend some time in the outfield. If a team can bank up some money to throw at an early Day 3 pick, Harris would be a good option. Next week we will look at some more outfielders who didn’t make the first list. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article

The first mock of the season was posted earlier. Here are some additional thoughts as to why players went where they did. View full video

Shaw would be a good value at #18, in my opinion. Miller would be a good pick, but I went college route because the Brewers have done that the last four years.