TTF Baseball - Mock v4.0 (2 rounds)

1. Houston Astros — Carlos Rodon, LHP, North Carolina State 

I don’t see any reason to remove Rodon from the top spot until he gives reason to. The 6’-3”, 240 pound southpaw has everything you want in an ace. After a sensational sophomore season in which he posted a 2.99 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 184 K/45 BB over 132.1 innings, he dominated for Collegiate Team USA, going 3-0 with 21 K/4 BB over 17 shutout innings, allowing just five hits. With guys like Mark Appel, Lance McCullers and Mike Foltynewicz already in their system, the Astros can continue to build on an impressive future rotation. 

2. Miami Marlins — Alex Jackson, C/OF, Rancho Bernardo HS (CA)

With four picks in the top 42, I can see the Marlins gambling a bit here and going with the prep bat over a guy like Jeff Hoffman — whom many have going at this spot. One of the more polished prep players in the 2014 MLB draft, Jackson is a 6’-2”, 200 pound right-hander with excellent bat speed and tremendous power to all fields. While he has the goods to at least be given a shot behind the plate, most believe he will end up in a corner outfield spot where his plus arm and bat would play well. Committed to Oregon.

3. Chicago Whit Sox — Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina 

Since Kenny Williams took over in 2000, the White Sox have selected a college player in the first round 13 of 17 times. Eight of those have been pitchers. He would have his pick of a couple here but I say he would go with Hoffman, a 6’-4”, 200 pound right-hander who has been rocketing up draft boards since dominating the Cape Cod League. Over 24.1 innings, he had 33 K/5 BB and allowed 20 hits for Hyannis. His fastball can touch 98 mph, and both his curveball and change-up are solid offerings, and getting better. Over 15 starts as a sophomore, he had a 3.20 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 84 K/39 BB over 109.2 innings. His 7.2 innings-per-start show the kind of stamina he has, and he maintains velocity deep in games. A strong showing his junior season could propel him in talks for the number-one spot. 

4. Chicago Cubs — Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt

This fall, the 6’-4”, 210 pound right-hander allowed just three runs on three hits over 14 innings. He also struck out 23 batters without walking a single one. Adjustments have been made in his release point and Beede is now due for a monstrous junior season for the ‘Dores. As a sophomore, he set a school record with 14 wins and posted a 2.32 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 103 K/63 BB over 101 innings. He allowed just 64 hits, holding batters to a .187 average. His four-seam fastball can touch 97 mph and sits in the 93-94 range. His two-seamer was sitting 91-92 mph this fall and had Wiffle ball movement on it, often resembling a change-up to batters. His curveball is a knee-buckler with 12-6 action, sitting in the low 80s. His change-up has great deception and was also rated plus by scouts this fall.

5. Minnesota Twins — Tyler Kolek, RHP, Sheppard HS (TX)

I really like Kolek here. The 6’-5”, 240 pound right-hander is a power arm whose fastball can touch triple digits. I saw him at Wrigley Field for the Under Armour AA game and he was hitting the mid 90s with ease. He can get wild with it at times but the arm strength is there already. He does show a good feel for a slider that has plus potential but needs work on refining his secondaries. Has been timed at 4.8 in the 40, so he shows very good athleticism for his size. Lots of upside here. Committed to TCU.

6. Seattle Mariners — Trea Turner, SS, North Carolina State

Arguably my favorite player in the 2014 MLB draft, the 6’-1” right-hander is a burner who gets on base and plays great defense at a premium position. Some have questioned his hit tool but all he has done is hit for a high average with great strikeout/walk ratios. Over 56 games as a sophomore, he hit .368/.455/.553 with 30 stolen bases and drew 38 walks to just 30 strikeouts. He also hit seven home runs, showing developing power. As a freshman, he led the nation in stolen bases with 57 and was only thrown out four times. He was slowed by an ankle injury over the summer, which might have led to some dropping him in their rankings, but he is fully healed now and should be one of the most exciting players in college this year again. 

7. Philadelphia Phillies — Jacob Gatewood, SS/3B, Clovis HS (CA)

While the power is massive and obviously his calling card, the 6’-5” right-hander also has a plus arm and is athletic enough to hold down the hot corner. He may not steal many bases, but he won’t have to with the power he has. Another kid I saw at Wrigley, he was depositing balls out of the park with such ease, it’s scary to imagine him in a couple of years. He won basically all of the home run derbys over the summer and is a high-character kid. A future left side of J.P. Crawford and Gatewood should make Phillies fans very happy. Committed to USC. 

8. Colorado Rockies — Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville HS (GA)

The latest in a long line of studs out of the state of Georgia, Gettys is a 6’-2”, 200 pound right-hander who has silly talent. His arm has been clocked at 100 mph from the outfield, he can run a 6.4/60 and his plus/plus speed shows up on the base paths as he swiped 38 bases over 32 games as a junior. The power is also there, and I saw him hit a shot to dead center field that went halfway up the bleachers at Wrigley. Some have questioned his tool a bit as he didn’t have a great showing at summer events, but with him focusing more on hitting than pitching this season, I fully expect him to squash those doubts. Committed to Georgia. 

9. Toronto Blue Jays — Brady Aiken, LHP, Cathedral Catholic HS (CA)

The Blue Jays have been burned twice in the last three years by prep pitchers in the first round of the draft so they might shy away from another one. Having said that, I like Aiken at this spot. Maybe the most polished prep pitcher available, the 6’-4” southpaw is an alumni of Team USA Baseball and was the winning pitcher in the gold-medal game against Japan in the World Cup Championship in Taiwan, allowing just one run over seven innings while striking out 10. His fastball sits in the low 90s, and both his curveball and change-up are above-average offerings with still room for more. He has great control of his pitches and dominated at The Tournament of Stars, striking out seven over three scoreless innings. Still has projection left and room for more velocity. Committed to UCLA. 

10. New York Mets — Sean Newcomb, LHP, Hartford

The 6’-5”, 240 pound southpaw was among the leaders in K/9 with a 11.5 mark this season thanks to a fastball that can touch 95 mph. Over 13 starts, he had a 3.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 92 K/37 BB over 72 innings while holding hitters to a .213 batting average. With increased improvement of his command, as well as secondary stuff, he should be a big name to watch next year.

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