Mack - Draft Thoughts - Bubba Chandler, Simon Juan, Dylan Crews, Draft Atlanta, Leiter vs. Bednar

 

Good morning.

 

The best quarterback in the 2021 MLB draft is a kid named Bubba Chandler. That’s right, he’s a QB, but more important than that to you baseball draft nerds, he’s one hell of a pitcher as well.

 

It’s very seldom that a baseball prospects gets by me, but this once has. It’s even more embarrassing that he is heavily favorite to play both baseball and football for my favorite school, Clemson.

 

The Madison County HS senior is consistenly throwing 95 mph fastballs and some mockers have him as a second or late first round pick this year.

 

It’s going to take a lot to sign this kid, especially since he has been offerred the opportunity to stand behind the center of the team coached by his idol, Dabo Sweeney.

 

The favorite to be the top International player that the Mets sign is 14^th ranked, Dominican outfielder, Simon Juan.

 

Juan, who is born in… wait for it… 2005, is 6-2/165 RHH, but is expected to bulk up the next two years in both the DSL camp and team.

 

He has been traing woth former major leaguer Rafael Furcal. Excellent power and speed with an explosive first step. Currently playing center. Good bat speed and already drives the ball with impact.

Projected to develop more power.

 

Look for an estimates $2mil bonus here.

You need to start following someone named Dylan Crews.

 

You might remember last June when he removed himself from the 2020 draft, turning a blind eye to a signing bonus that would have been around $2mil. Instead, he signed to play for LSU and, as a freshman, he is tearing up the NCAA.

 

The 6-0/203 infield/outfielder, through 4-23, lads the team in batting average (.353), OPS (1.100), hits (49), slugging percentage (.633), on base percentage (.467), and is tied with teammate Gavis Dugas, with 10 home runs.

 

He’s a freshman doing this in the SEC.

 

This is your future 1.1 pick in the 2023 draft.

 I didn’t have an answer for a question regarding this upcoming draft, so I reached out to an expert.

 

Lastly, I have switched my draft logo to one that predominantly shows that the draft will be in Atlanta this year. Or is it?

 

I asked JJ Cooper, Senior Editor of Baseball America and he told me, no, the draft was directly tied into the All-Star game and it too has been moved out of Georgia.

 

Oh well… so much for that five hour drive.

The first real pitching battle came April 24^th when Vanderbilt faced off against Mississippi State. The Commodor’s ace, Jack Leiter, went up against State’s ace, Will Bednar and most money was on the ‘son of Al’ to continue his pitching dominance this season.

 

Didn’t happen.

 

Mississippi State tagged Leiter with four runs (three earned) in five innings, handing him his forst loss of the season (against seven wins).