Mack’s Sunday Draft Report – 5-8-16 –

Good morning.

It was a busy week for new mock drafts.

Both ‘CraigLamb’ and ‘Simply’ updated theirs and ‘Leroy 201962’ and ‘m2nks’added their first of the season.

A few generalizations on the ups and downs during the mock season.

Players that have fallen include RHP Jeff Belge, RHP Alec Hansen, 3B Bobby Dalbec, and OF Willie Abreu.

Some players rising include RHP Dakota Hudson, IF Alex Kirloff, and OF Buddy Reed.

There are a few new players in the mix, but the cream is definitely rising to the top. There are eight players that have separated themselves as the top eight in the draft, led by Jason Groome, who currently has been picked #1 in all of the last 10 mock drafts.

The top eight are:

1.     LHP      Jason Groome    Barnegat HS (NJ)

2.     RHP      Riley Pint           St. Thomas Aquinas HS (KS)

3.     SS          Delvin Perez       Intl. Baseball Academy (PR)

4.     OF         Corey Ray           Louisville

5.     OF         Blake Rutherford    Charminade HS (CA)

6.     OF         Kyle Lewis          Mercer

7.     IF           Nick Senzel         Tennessee

8.     LHP      A.J. Puk              Florida

The next nine could all go anywhere between the 9^th to 18^th pick, depending upon how each team has them ranked on their charts. They are:

          #9     RHP           Connor Jones               Virginia

          #10   OF              Mickey Moniak            La Costa Canyon HS (CA)

          #11   OF              Will Benson                  Westminster Schools (GA)

          #12   RHP           Alec Hansen                 Oklahoma

          #13   IF               Nolan Jones                  Holy Ghost Prep (PA)

          #14   IF               Josh Lowe                     Pope HS (GA)

          #15   OF              Buddy Reed                 Florida

          #16   OF              Bryan Reynolds           Vanderbilt

          #17   RHP           Kevin Gowdy               Barbara HS (CA)

And what are the next two picks which includes the Mets at #19?

          #18   OF              Nick Banks                   Texas A and M

          #19   RHP           Ian Anderson               Shenendohowa HS (NY)

Anderson would be an interesting first pick by the Mets because he’s a local boy out of Rexford, New York, in Saratoga County (near Schenectady).

Perfect Game clocked his fastball up to 95 and said that he had a ‘very high ceiling, fun to watch him pitch’.

There are reports out of New Jersey (NJ.com) that odds on favorite first pick overall choice, LHP Jason Groome, will not be picked by the team that plays around 60 miles away from where Groom pitches. The Phillies are showing interest in the other big LHP in the draft, A,J. Puk and, in fact, MLB Pipeline also released their latest mock draft this week and both Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis have Puk as the number one pick overall. Mayo picked Groome 3^rd while Callis dropped him to 8^th.