Baseball America - New Mock Draft

1. ASTROS

Jackson’s power barrage has thrust him into the conversation for the top three selections. It’s unlikely the Astros take him at No. 1, however, and then move him from behind the plate to right field or third base. They’re expected to choose between two of the many lefthanders with upside in this draft, North Carolina State’s Carlos Rodon and San Diego prep Brady Aiken. Rodon has more upside thanks to his top-shelf slider, but as one crosschecker put it, “Aiken does it easier and throws a lot more strikes. He may not have the same present stuff, but he’s more consistent, and his stuff is plenty good. He just does so many things well.”

Industry opinion appears to favor Aiken as the top prospect in the draft, and he’s the rare high school player with a long-enough track record to earn the No. 1 selection. But Rodon’s trend lines continue to point in the right direction, and the Astros’ big league struggles likely bring pressure to speed up the rebuilding process in Houston. Rodon’s talent is worthy of the No. 1 pick, and so is the buzz factor he would bring.

Projected Pick: LHP Carlos Rodon

---

2. MARLINS: Ownership would jump on Rodon if the Marlins get the chance, even if he’s not the first choice of their scouting department. Prep arms Aiken and righthander Tyler Kolek, as well as Jackson, are said to top their board. Several scouting directors have said they believe Jackson’s likely position switch would drive him down the board, but he also has the draft’s best bat. He has the most usable power in the class as well as one of its best hit tools, and he has enough experience in the outfield to move quickly.

Projected Pick: C/OF Alex Jackson

---

3. WHITE SOX: Chicago would like a shot at Jackson, and may still get it, but this scenario would leave the polished Aiken falling in their lap.

Projected Pick: LHP Brady Aiken

---

4. CUBS: Here’s where it gets interesting. The Cubs want a college pitcher, but Rodon is unlikely to fall this far, leaving Kolek and his 100 mph fastball staring them in the face. Kolek is such an outlier, however, that teams aren’t sure what to make of him. It’s not only his velocity and height (6-foot-5), but at 250 pounds he’d be the biggest high school pitcher ever drafted in the first round by weight, bigger than Indians 1998 first-rounder C.C. Sabathia (who was listed at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds when drafted) and even Orioles 2009 first-rounder Matt Hobgood (listed at 6-5, 245).Kolek’s extreme velocity, at a time when every other hard-throwing prep pitcher, it seems, is having Tommy John surgery, further complicates matters.Kolek’s unique combination appears to be dropping him down boards. The same is true of Finnegan, who was projected in this slot last time. The Cubs still prefer a college pitcher, and Evansville’s Kyle Freeland has been burning up boards with his stellar season. The tall lefty is in play this high and won’t get out of the first 10 picks if he doesn’t falter down the stretch.

Projected Pick: LHP Kyle Freeland

---

5. TWINS: The Twins have done their due diligence on the top prep arms, and their emphasis on finding velocity in recent drafts could lead them to Kolek. But they’ve also done a lot of work on Gordon, whose middle-of-the-diamond athleticism is too much to turn down.

Projected Pick: SS Nick Gordon

---

6. MARINERS: As we wrote last week, Conforto is an intriguing local option here for the Mariners. The organization’s pressing need for pitching, however, which is heightened by the loss of 2011 first-rounder Danny Hultzen to shoulder surgery, means a fast-moving college pitching target makes more sense. No college arm other than Rodon will move more quickly than Louisiana State’s Aaron Nola.

Projected Pick: RHP Aaron Nola

---

7. PHILLIES: Early reports had the Phillies honing in on Fresno prep shortstop Jacob Gatewood, but reports of Gatewood’s poor spring persist. He could fall out of the first round completely at this point due to a significant lack of contact. Philadelphia would love for Jackson or Gordon to fall this far but will have to settle in this scenario for Kolek, the hardest-throwing amateur in draft history.

Projected Pick: RHP Tyler Kolek

---

8. ROCKIES: The Rockies prefer the college route historically and have interesting options here. Turner will start to come into play in this range, and his top-of-the-scale speed would play well in center field at Coors Field, or he could stay at shortstop if Troy Tulowitzki needs to move. They are more likely to opt for a college arm, either one of the injured pitchers or Hartford lefthander Sean Newcomb, whose durable body and plus fastball could allow him to complement rising Rockies arms Eddie Butler and 2013 first-round pick Jonathan Gray.

Projected Pick: LHP Sean Newcomb

---

9. BLUE JAYS: If the Jays want a college position player, Turner appears to be their man thanks to his speed. They’re also in heavily on Miami prep righthander Touki Toussaint, who has the tantalizing upside the organization craves. The Mets aren’t likely to take Toussaint, so the Jays could wait to take him with their second pick (11th overall). It’s possible Toronto could go with Hoffman and Toussaint and wind up with two of the draft’s top arms when healthy, but would be an extremely risky approach.

Projected Pick: SS Trea Turner

---

10. METS: The Mets are in on the top college bats. Oregon State’s Conforto is hitting at a .393/.545/.632 clip and fits the bill for an organization looking for power.

Projected Pick: OF Michael Conforto the rest of the draft....  http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/2014-draft-preview-rodon-remains-atop-mock-draft-2-0/