Mack - Final Mock - 1st Round

 

Good morning.

 

The 2021 MLB Draft will be July 11-13^th.

 

My thoughts change hourly on this and the College World Series has given me a tremendous amout of new visuals on some of the top college juniors eligible for this draft.

 

I can only approach this two ways…

 

One, as a baseball junkie, picks 1-9 must be objective and I can only predict who I thing is the “best available” on the board.

 

And two, as a Mets prospect writer, I will be subjective and pick the best player that currently fits into our talent pool.

 

I will also list five players that I feel should be considered by the Mets to be picked over my choice at 1.10.

 

So, here goes.

 

1.1 - Pittsburgh: Boy, this is a tough one. The experts have all piled on the shortstop train and have dropped both Vanderbilt starters out of the mix, and yet, here I sit watching every World Series game and pitching is the dominant factor in most of the wins.

 

Well, not me. Pitching wins games these days and injuries to starters are growing each year they play these games. The saying “you can’t have enough pitching” rings more true each season.

 

Lastly, it’s tough to pick one Vandy starter ahead of the other, but I have to go with the guy I feel will be around ten years from now, still pitching strong, even though he pitched badly in Game 3 Wednesday night against Mississippi State. I blame that on a short rest, not a lack of talent.

 

Pick: Kumar Rocker RHP Vanderbilt

 

 

1.2 - Texas There are two great pitchers in this great, far more talented than any of the rest of the names on the board. The unique thing is they are both on the same team that participated this year in the finals of the College World Series.

 

There are a lot of tremendous field players whose names will be called on Day One, especially some of the five talented shortstops we’ll be talking about shortly, but if I’m a major league General Manager participating this year, I simply could not pass on this future superstar in major league baseball.

 

Pick: Jack Leiter RHP Vanderbilt

 

 

1.3 - Detroit  We begin our march of the prospect shortstops with what I feel, right now, is the best out there.

 

This player, through May, batted .437 through 25 games. He had 13 home runs, 40 RBIs and 39 runs scored. In 103 plate appearances, which includes 25 walks, he had struck out just three times. And he had 16 stolen bases.

 

More importantly, he is rumored to be up for settling for an under-slot bonus, which helps any team during the draft (especially Pittsbugh, by my guess they will go Rocker with the 1.1 pick).

 

A sure fire future star.

 

Pick: Marcelo Mayer SS Eastlake HS (CA)

 

 

1.4 - Boston Next up, the guy that was the favorite shortstop for most of the mock season and still the 1.1 pick on many of the mockers. I only rank him and Mayer 1.3 and 1.4 because I went pitcher first. There are the two top field players in the draft.

 

Through May, he slashed .425/.552/.713 and has been a leader on both sides of the field. His bat speed is impressive for a hitter his age, as is his blend of speed and defense.

 

Can hit. Can field. Power arm. A little of all.

 

 

Pick: Jordan Lawler SS

 

1.5 - Baltimore - We are going to put a pause on picking shortstops, but we will be back at it as soon as…

 

The next guy may be the best power hitter in the draft.

 

Final stat line: 2021 stat line - 50-games, 184-AB, .370, .663-slug, 15-HR

 

He also is projected to stick behind the plate, a critical plus at draft time. There simply isn’t that many star catchers in baseball and this guy looks up to the task.

 

Pick: Henry Davis C -

 

 

1.6 - Arizona - Time to get back to shortstops.

 

This guy is another of the top prep shortstops available in this draft. Through 5-20, he has a career batting average of .475 in 58 games, and he racked up 52 hits, 48 runs scored, 12 doubles, six triples and six home runs while batting .578 in his last full season in 2019 as a sophomore.

 

He also has all the tools in the field making him a true 5-tool prospect.

 

Rising more every day in the mocks.

 

 

Pick: Khalil Wilson SS Wake Forest HS (NC)

 

 

1.7 - Kansas City And now we come to the next of the “Big 5 Shortstops” in this draft. And… still another preppy.

 

This guy is easily considers the top prep shortstop bat in this draft. Hits for average and power and plays short well enough that most project him to stick there. Plays a mean third and is a pretty decent pitcher too.

 

Needs to cut back on the missing bats thing, but still, someone will be very happy to have him in their “House”.

 

 

Pick: Brady House SS Winder-Barrow HS (GA)

 

 

1.8 - Colorado - And now for the top outfielder in this draft.

 

A college bat, first, here’s this years stat line: 48-games, 185-AB, .359, .559-Slug%, 6-HR, only 28-Ks.

 

Though undersized hitter (listed at 5-foot-9) he still has elite contact rates, a quick bat, and high-end athleticism.Very impressive low strikeout rate.

 

And, as the movie Moneyball says… “because he gets on base”.

 

Not a future home run leader but this guy could steal a batting title or two.

 

 

Pick: Sal Frelick OF Boston College

 

 

1.9 - LA Angels - And here’s the last “Big 5 Shortstops”.

 

May be the best all around shortstop in this draft. Also plays third. Managed to hit .333 in a season where he broke his thumb.

 

2021 Stat line: 47-G, 183-AB, .333, .579-slug%, 9-HR

 

Only knock was his inconsistency in college, but he ended where he was originally projected… a top prospect.

 

 

Pick: Matt McLain SS

 

 

1.10 - Mets So… we are down to the home team.

 

I told you going in that this pick would be subjective and my choice for the Mets would be a starting pitcher.

 

I have many to pick from here and three come to mind (are all righties):

 

Ty Madden Texas 3-3, 3.71, 53.1-IP, 60-K

Sam Bachman Miami 4-4, 1.81, 59.2-IP, 93-K

Jackson Jobe Heritage Hall HS

 

Anyone of these guys could go in this slot or even picked earlier, but I would pick another.

 

Like Madden and Bachman, he’s a college junior. I could immediately place him in St. Lucie and start him off next season in Brooklyn. But in this case he just set the all time record for strikeouts in the College World Seres.

 

His outstanding stat line this year was:

 

Final 2021 stat line - 19-G, 16-ST, 9-1, 3.12, 92.1-IP, 139-K, only 26-BB

 

And he did this pitching in the toughest division in college, the SEC.

 

If you caught the final game on Wednsday night, you would have seen his outstanding command of his 3-pitch + combo… mid-90 fastball, slider, and curve.

 

This would be my choice at 1.10: 

 

Pick: Will Bednar RHP

 

 

So, that’s it. I left a bunch of qualty players on the board, like the three righties I mentioned earlier, cather Harry Ford, and outfielders Colton Cowser and James Wood, but Bednar is, by far, my choice.

 

Thoughts?

Click here for the full list of Mack's MLB Draft Scouting Reports.