No. 22
Detroit Tigers: Maddox Moloney, SS, Oregon
Baseball
The Detroit Tigers had a great 2025 season, but there are
always positions to improve upon and for Detroit, some middle infield help
could be just the trick.
Maddox Moloney may cash in at just above the Top 40
prospects, but with good reason. The Oregon Duck is a standout for the team as
he concluded the 2025 season with a .309 average. Through his 56 games, he
posted 15 home runs and 45 RBIs out of the box.
In the field, he is just as good. Moloney slotted 81
putouts, 118 assists and just six errors to end the 2025 season with a .971
fielding percentage.
Tyler Bell SS, Kentucky
6' 1" 190
DRAFTED - 2024, CB-Bth (66) - TB
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 |
Field: 55 | Overall: 55
The highest unsigned pick in the 2024 Draft, Bell went 66th
overall to the Rays as a supplemental second-rounder out of an Illinois high
school. He opted to attend Kentucky, where he was the Wildcats' best player as
a freshman and became their first member of the U.S. collegiate national team
since Zack Thompson in 2018. He's one of the top sophomore-eligible prospects
for 2026 and on track to become the school's first first-rounder since Thompson
in 2019.
A switch-hitter, Bell is proficient from both sides of the
plate. He has the bat speed and strength to generate 20 homers per season once
he learns to lift balls in the air more consistently. He has a decent approach
at the plate but can get too passive at times and has trouble staying back on
changeups.
Bell has all of the ingredients to play a solid shortstop.
He has average speed but a quick first step, smooth actions, reliable hands and
a strong arm capable of making throws from any angle necessary. His defensive
instincts and athleticism would allow him to play almost anywhere on the
diamond if he ends up in a utility role.
Liam Peterson RHP Florida
(Calvary Christian HS, FL, 2023)
"After a rough season as a freshman in the SEC (6.18
ERA) Peterson improved to post a 4.28 ERA in 69.1 innings with 32 walks and 96
strikeouts in 2025. An average athlete, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthander sat
94-97 with his fastball for the CNT, but ran it up to 99 this past spring.
However, like DeCaro the pitch plays below its velocity as it’s pretty true.
His mid-80s slider had plus action and some swing/miss when he lands it in the
zone and his 84-88 mph changeup is currently his third pitch. Peterson made one
appearance against Japan, allowing two hits, but no runs. Certainly a day one
prospect for 2026, Peterson has less present stuff than fellow SEC arm Riley
Quick who was selected 36th overall by the Twins this summer." – David
Seifert, USA Baseball CNT Trials (July 2025)
No. 17 Houston Astros: Will
Brick, C, Christian Brothers
The Houston Astros come in at pick 17 in this 2026 mock
draft. There are several positions the Astros could look towards, but some
depth behind the plate is definitely a priority that should be focused on.
The Astros could take the young talent in Will Brick off the
board. At just 17-years-old, the Mississippi State commit is only going to grow
and could thrive under the veteran leadership of the Astros minor leagues and
Yainer Diaz who is already behind the plate.
Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M
Grahovac played in 67 games as a true freshman, slashing .298/.390/.597 with 23
homers. After head coach Jim Schlossnagle left for Texas, Grahovac entered the
transfer portal, but ultimately decided to stay at Texas A&M. Power is the
third baseman’s calling card. He has comfortably plus exit velocities and lifts
the ball with ease, allowing him to utilize all of that thump. There are
question marks when it comes to the rest of his profile, however. He doesn’t
have the bat-to-ball skills to get away with chasing as much as he does (an
issue that showed up in his 29% strikeout rate last year), and his swing gets
long, contributing to his whiff problems. Defensively, Grahovac has
above-average arm strength, but is below average everywhere else. He’s limited
range-wise and his hands are below average. He makes a nice play here and
there, but considering his frame and current skills, it feels more likely than
not that he will have to shift to either first base or a corner outfield spot.
If Grahovac dials in his approach and can cut his whiff rate by just a couple
percentage points, he’ll be selected in the top half of the first round in
2026.
1.26 Gavin Grahovac 3B Texas A&M
1 comment:
Didn’t we pick a Gavin in the first round once? Didn’t work out so well.
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