Mack's Mock Draft - v3.0 - Pick 1.4 - RHP Dylan Lesko

 

 

Dylan Lesko  

RHP     6-3     170     Buford HS 

https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=20474&s=03 - 

Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford HS 

To much anticipation, the right-hander made his first start of the year on a chilly Friday night. As always, Lesko provided another stellar outing as the top prep arm in the country continues to add to his draft stock. The fastball never dipped below 91 mph and he pounded the mitt in the mid-90s while topping out at 95 mph. Yes, we have a bevy of arms in the 90s in today’s world of prep baseball, but very few make it look as easy as Lesko does. Not to mention the plus command of all three pitches. He didn’t go to the secondaries often, as they weren’t needed. We saw just one breaking ball in the mid-70s showing sharp bite with it being taken for a strike. The changeup was also shown just a few times but as usual, it was as good as it gets, the best pitch of the outing being a nasty 3-2 count changeup to get a solid bat to swing over it as he walked off the field with swagger. Lesko went 2 1/3 innings and struck out five while doing so without giving up a hit or walk. No doubt this is special talent and will be interesting to see how the spring unfolds. Either way, the Vanderbilt commit will likely hear his name called in the first round of the draft coming up here in a few months. Oh and to add to the lore, he tripled two times at the dish during the action.

 

2-11-22 - https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-draft-prospects-2022-ranking-top-50-players-in-the-class-with-termarr-johnson-at-no-1/?s=03 - 

10. Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford HS (GA) 

Lesko, a Vanderbilt commit, might end up being the first prep arm off the board. He has a starter's frame and delivery, as well as a fastball that sits in the mid-90s with riding life. Lesko's changeup tends to receive high marks from evaluators, though one scout voiced concerns that it, along with his curveball, featured too much velocity separation from his heater. (A similar complaint was filed against Jharel Cotton, whose career had stalled before 2021.) One source who works in player development expressed confidence that pitchers like Lesko could be taught how to throw their pitches harder. An organization that agrees could take Lesko earlier than this.

 

2-10-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-mlb-mock-draft-version-10/?s=03 - 

Baseball America 2022 MLB Mock Draft Version 1.0 

7. Cubs — Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford (Ga.) HS 

Scout’s take: The Cubs look to add more pitching depth with Lesko, the best pitcher in the draft. It’s tempting to take the lefthanded college bats of DeLauter, Gavin Cross, or Brock Jones over a high school righty, but I don’t think you pass up Lesko and his type of stuff. He possesses the rare combo of a plus-plus fastball, plus curveball, and plus plus changeup to go with an exceptionally smooth delivery and ability to command all three pitches. Lesko makes it look easy at the age of 18, and fills up the zone. Gatorade national player of the year as a junior?  Let’s not overthink this one. 

Carlos’ take: Yeah, I am not sure what the criticism of Lesko is beyond the fact that he is a high school righthander. At the moment the top pitching prospect in baseball—Orioles righthander Grayson Rodriguez—came from that demographic as well, so it’s not like you never hit on it. It’s such an impressive overall tool set, track record of performance, body, delivery and arm stroke. His changeup is one of the best changeups I’ve seen from a prep arm and he has the fastball life and feel for spin you want to see as well. At this point it’s hard to see another arm in this class coming off the board before Lesko does. He’s ahead of where Jackson Jobe was sitting on boards at the same time last year as well—I wonder what his true ceiling in the draft is going to be. 

 

2-4-22 - https://www.maxpreps.com/news/AixjPJrhdE2_ZvQlE7haTQ/high-school-baseball-georgia-trio-tops-10-mlb-draft-prospects.html - 

Top 10 Draft Prospects 

4. Dylan Lesko, Buford (Ga.), RHP 

While Lesko hasn't been tabbed as a potential overall No. 1 pick, he's considered the top high school pitcher in the draft. The MaxPreps Junior Player of the Year last year, Lesko consistently throws in the mid-90s and has strong command of a curve and changeup. The right-hander also figures to add weight and strength to his 6-foot-3 frame and add even more mph to his fastball.

 

1-15-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2022-mlb-draft-top-100-prospects/ - 

7 Dylan Lesko 

Buford (Ga.) HS RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Vanderbilt

Age At Draft: 18.9 

Lesko has been paving his way as the top pitching prospect in the 2022 class for years now. He was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2021 as an underclassman and last spring with Buford High in Georgia, posted a 0.35 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 60 innings. He has been equally dominant on the travel ball and showcase circuits throughout his high school career with three pitches that get plus projections and outstanding fastball and changeup command. Lesko has regularly been in the mid-90s and has touched 97 mph, with an ease on the mound that one scout described as “poetry in motion.” He spots the fastball to both sides of the plate and has outstanding feel for a low-80s changeup that is undoubtedly his best secondary currently. The pitch is arguably the best changeup in the class—high school or college—and has earned 70-grade projections thanks to his ability to locate it and generate whiffs. He will throw it in any count, to batters on either side of the plate and still finds success while doubling and tripling up on the pitch. Lesko’s curveball was less consistent than either his fastball or changeup last summer, but it’s a high-spin offering (2700-3000 rpm) that varies in shape but at its best shows depth and hard finish. Lesko is a standout athlete who fields his position well and is an impressive defensive shortstop in his own right, with a lean, projectable 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. The only knock on Lesko is that he’s a high school righthander and teams are skeptical of that demographic. He’s committed to Vanderbilt, but as the top pitching prospect in the 2022 class, it would be surprising to see him get to campus. His track record as a prep pitcher is simply exceptional. 

 

1-6-22 - Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB 

Buford RHP Dylan Lesko could be the first pitcher off the board this July. It's a fantastic frame, a fastball up to 99 and real feel for 4 pitches. We have Lesko a Top 10 pick.

 

1-5-21 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-mock-draft - Prospect Live Mock Draft 1.0 

7. Chicago Cubs

Dylan Lesko, Right-Handed Pitcher, Buford 

The Cubs are an impossibly difficult club to predict. On one hand, Carter Hawkins helped build a long competitive run in Cleveland through the prep ranks. He jumped for Daniel Espino back in 2019, and Lesko could be Chicago’s first crown jewel in that same bucket. On the other, if the Cubs do land a nine-figure star this offseason, their competitive window is obviously much more in the immediacy than it is in a long rebuild. The Cubs’ system is certainly light, so any number of players make sense here. Our guess is Lesko in this circumstance, but you’d have to imagine the Cubs would think long and hard about guys like Brooks Lee, Daniel Susac, Jacob Berry and others still on the board depending on where they view themselves in 2023 and 2024.

 

12-30-21 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2021/12/29/2022-mlb-draft-top-300-prospects -

 8. Dylan Lesko

Right-Handed Pitcher, Buford HS 

Everything comes awfully easy to Lesko on the mound. He’s considered one of the more polished arms in the class featuring an easy, fluid delivery with a four-pitch mix. Lesko’s mechanics are simple and repeatable. It’s effortless velocity without the violence or head whack that can derail a young pitcher’s career down the road. Lesko really gets into his lower half and shows exquisite efficiency down the bump. It’s a high three-quarters delivery. The heater has been up to 99, but more comfortably sits 93-96 most nights. Changeup is his best secondary, thrown with plenty of intent featuring fading action into the back foot of righties and darting away from lefties. He has a slider and a curveball, both of which flash plus at times with big spin rates and advanced command. He has very good feel of all four pitches and is more than willing to sequence backwards. Some believe Lesko represents the best prep pitching prospect the MLB Draft has seen since Hunter Greene or MacKenzie Gore.