Article: Twins Daily 2019 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospects: 1-10

[Andrew Thares]

Well we have made it, here are the top 10 prospects available in the 2019 MLB Draft. The top 10 is very interesting this year as it features just one pitcher. The rest of the class is loaded at the top with position players, specifically shortstops and outfielders. Additionally, the player I have ranked at the top of the board could be one of the best prospects to enter the draft in the last five years.10. Bryson Stott | UNLV | Pos: SS | B/T: L/R | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 195 | Age: 21

 

Previously Drafted: Never

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 60 Power: 50 Run: 50 Arm: 55 Field: 55 Overall: 55

 

Bryson Stott is an interesting prospect because there are a couple of small question marks that could cause his draft stock to swing wildly on draft night. The first question is about Stott’s ability to stay at short. While it’s believed he can, if MLB teams don’t see that in his future he could slide dramatically as a third base prospect.

 

The second, and bigger, question for Stott is what will he be able to develop in terms of power. Scott is an excellent on-base threat as he hits well for both average and has a great eye at the plate, resulting in a .461 OBP over the last two seasons. The encouraging part for Stott from the power department is that he has improved each season going from one home run as a freshman, to four home runs as a sophomore, and now ten home runs in his junior season.

 

If you remember back to the 2017 draft, this was the exact same question around Adam Haseley, who progressed in the power department during his career at Virginia in the same way that Stott has at UNLV. Now two years later, Haseley has progressed all the way to AAA, and has hit at every level along the way.

 

9. Matthew Allen | Seminole HS (FL) | Pos: RHP | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 205 | Age: 18

 

Commitment: Florida

 

Scouting Grades

Fastball: 60 Curveball: 65 Changeup: 55 Control: 55 Overall: 55

 

It’s hard to believe that the highest ranked pitcher on the board comes in at number nine, but here we are. I flirted with the idea of moving Allen higher up in my rankings because I find it hard to believe that each of the first eight teams in the draft would all pass up on adding a pitcher, but at the end of the day I don’t think Allen deserves to be ranked higher than any of the eight position players I have ranked ahead of him.

 

What I think makes Allen special enough to be the highest ranked pitcher in the draft is his combination of elite stuff and refined ability that allows me to project him as a future front of the rotation starter. His fastball will sit in the mid-90’s without needing much effort in his delivery to produce that power. Allen follows that up with a filthy 12-6 curveball, that might just develop into his best pitch. Finally, Allen also features a better changeup than you typically see from high school power pitchers.

 

One thing that I could see causing Allen to fall in the draft is a high asking price for his signing bonus. This is typically the case for high school pitchers, as they tend to outprice themselves. If he were to fall, Allen has a strong backup plan in his commitment to the University of Florida, which has been a hotbed for producing first round pitching talent in recent years.

 

 

8. Riley Greene | Hagerty HS (FL) | Pos: OF | B/T: L/L | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 185 | Age: 18

 

Committed: Florida

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 65 Power: 55 Run: 50 Arm: 50 Field: 50 Overall: 55

 

Riley Greene has been one of the names that has been circling the ranks for a couple of years now. With the success that he has had on the national level, Greene is widely considered to be one of the best, if not the best, all-around prep hitters in the class.

 

The best way I can describe Greene is he is a pure hitter. His swing from the left side of the plate is a thing of beauty. He has the ability to drive the ball all over the field, and it has helped him be successful against many of the most talented high school arms in the country. Greene also generates a sneaky amount of bat speed that could help him develop his power numbers as he continues to grow.

 

Defensively, I think Greene is limited to playing a corner outfield position. Some scouts might think he could stay in center, but I don’t think it is in the cards. Greene has a decent arm, and if he gets stronger could potentially play right field, but if not, I think he projects better as a left fielder with a great bat.

 

7. Corbin Carroll | Lakeside HS (WA) | Pos: OF | B/T: L/L | Height: 5’10” | Weight: 165 | Age: 18

 

Commitment: UCLA

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 65 Power: 45 Run: 70 Arm: 50 Field: 60 Overall: 55

 

Some people look at Corbin Carroll’s small frame and think there isn’t much upside to his game offensively, but for me, when I’m looking at high school outfielders the first thing I look for is their all-around athletic ability, and that is something Carroll has plenty of.

 

With his plus-plus speed, and great glove in center, Carroll might just be the best defensive center fielder in the draft. While excellent route running is an important factor, if you look at all the best defensive center fielders in the majors you will notice they all have something in common, speed. By drafting Carroll, at bare minimum you know you are taking a guy who can provide a lot of value with his glove alone, and I don’t think I need to tell Twins fans how valuable that can be.

 

With the bat, Carroll isn’t quite at the same level as Riley Green from a power standpoint, but he is every bit the pure hitter. Carroll has an excellent all fields approach, along with a good eye at the plate that give him the potential to be a high OBP guy.

 

 

6. Hunter Bishop | Arizona State | Pos: OF | B/T: L/R | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 210 | Age: 20

 

Previously Drafted: 24th Round, 2016 (SD)

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 55 Power: 65 Run: 55 Arm: 50 Field: 50 Overall: 55

 

While athleticism might be the most important trait I look for in a high school outfielder, for college outfielders it is the bat that I am most keen on. The reason for this is they have had three more years to develop physically, and prove themselves against higher level pitching. For Hunter Bishop, those three years are exactly what he needed to get to that point to show everyone how great of a hitter he is.

 

Bishop’s first two seasons with the Sun Devils were pretty shaky. He was a solid hitter as a freshman, and then took a step back as a sophomore. However, this spring he has looked like an all new hitter. The power finally came, as Bishop has smacked 22 home runs to go along with 15 doubles and 4 triples in just 54 games. Bishop’s .765 slugging percentage is tied with another player still to come on this list for the sixth best in Division 1 baseball this year.

 

Defensively there is still a question mark around where Bishop will end up. He currently plays a pretty good center field at Arizona State, which leads some to believe he can stick there despite his size. Personally, I think Bishop is destined to be a corner outfielder but give his ability with the bat that is just fine.

 

5. J.J. Bleday | Vanderbilt | Pos: OF | B/T: L/L | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 205 | Age: 21

 

Previously Drafted: 39th Round, 2016 (SD)

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 60 Power: 60 Run: 45 Arm: 55 Field: 50 Overall: 55

 

I teased that there was another college hitter on this list who is tied with Hunter Bishop in slugging percentage, well J.J. Bleday is not him, as his .752 slugging percentage is ranked right behind Bishop’s in eighth place, and leads all hitters in the SEC by .126 points.

 

Like Bishop, Bleday has shot up the draft rankings with his power breakout this spring. Between his freshman and sophomore year’s Bleday had just six home runs combined. So far this spring, Bleday has hit a Division 1 leading 26 home runs. Unlike Bishop, though, Bleday had shown that he was an excellent all-around hitter in this past as he had a 1.005 OPS in his sophomore season and followed that up with a .874 OPS in the Cape Cod League last summer.

 

In the outfield, Bleday profiles as a corner outfielder. He isn’t the fastest of runners, and with the emphasis being placed on more speed in the outfield across the major leagues, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day Bleday has to move to first base. For now, however, Bleday still has a decent shot of staying in right field given his above-average arm.

 

4. Andrew Vaughn | Cal | Pos: 1B | B/T: R/R | Height: 6’0” | Weight: 215 | Age: 21

 

Previously Drafted: Never

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 65 Power: 60 Run: 30 Arm: 50 Field: 50 Overall: 55

 

If you haven’t already, please go take a look at the numbers 2018 Golden Spikes Award winner Andrew Vaughn has put up in his three years at Cal. No really, go look, I will be here waiting for you when you return. Okay good, you’re back. Now that you have looked at his stats, I won’t waste your time telling you about his career .378/.498/.695 slash line and 50 career home runs to just 74 strikeouts all while playing in the PAC-12. It would be easy for me to do that, but I’m not gonna, because you deserve more than that.

 

When you look at him, Vaughn doesn’t strike you as the big and tall power hitting first baseman that you have come to expect. However, that won’t slow Vaughn and his bat speed down. His swing is both compact and powerful, which is what allows him to hit all those dingers while not being all that susceptible.

 

Vaughn has the bat to be considered for the top pick in the draft, it is the fact that he is limited defensively that knocks him down a peg. As we have seen in recent years, the value for power hitting 1B/DH types has fallen quite a bit as the increased focus on defensive metrics and positional flexibility has become so much more important.

 

 

3. C.J. Abrams | Blessed Trinity Catholic HS (GA) | Pos: SS | B/T: L/R | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 175 | Age: 18

 

Commitment: Alabama

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 55 Power: 45 Run: 75 Arm: 55 Field: 55 Overall: 55

 

C.J. Abrams is one of those rare athletic talents that any organization would love to add to their farm system. He has tremendous speed that will help him contribute both defensively and on the base paths. This kind of raw athletic ability usually only comes around once every couple of years, so when the opportunity is there, it makes sense to take it.

 

With the bat, Abrams has extremely quick hands that help generate better bat speed than you would expect from someone his size. This will help him as he adjusts to better pitching at the higher levels, and if all else fails, he is pretty good at laying a bunt down and beating it out for a hit (yes I am aware of what I just said).

 

It remains to be seen if Abrams can remain at shortstop at the professional level. He has the plus range to play the position, but he is still very raw with the fundamentals of playing short. However, if all else fails Abrams would make an excellent center fielder, which he has already proven he can do last summer.

 

2. Bobby Witt Jr. | Colleyville Heritage HS (TX) | Pos: SS | B/T: R/R | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 185 | Age: 18

 

Commitment: Oklahoma

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 55 Power: 55 Run: 55 Arm: 65 Field: 60 Overall: 60

 

While it is fair to say that most of the players in the top 10 could go in any order, I think it is probably somewhat safe to assume that Bobby Witt Jr. should go with the number two pick in the draft. At least, that is how I would pick it, without question.

 

For me what establishes Witt as the second-best player in the draft is his excellent defensive ability at short, combined with a bat that could make Witt a plus hitter for both average and power. He also has great awareness of the strike zone, and doesn’t chase too many pitches outside the zone.

 

When taking groundballs at short, Witt already looks like a refined professional at the position. He moves effortlessly to get to the ball, and he gets set with excellent mechanics. He has also shown of the ability to throw with both power and accuracy from multiple different arm angles, a skill that is needed at that position.

 

1. Adley Rutschman | Oregon State | Pos: C | B/T: S/R | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 215 | Age: 21

 

Previously Drafted: 40th Round, 2016 (SEA)

 

Scouting Grades

Hit: 65 Power: 60 Run: 40 Arm: 60 Field: 60 Overall: 65

 

While Casey Mize was also the consensus number one pick in last year’s draft, I think it is safe to say that it is even more the case for Adley Rutschman this year. Had Rutschman been available in last years draft, I think he would have gone ahead of Mize, and now a year later Rutschman has only improved his stock. As a catching prospect, I would rank Rutschman right up there with how Buster Posey and Joe Mauer were thought of when they were entering the draft process.

 

Now, that is not a guarantee Rutschman will ever be Mauer or Posey, but given his potential both behind and beside the plate, he certainly has the potential to reach that level. I teased earlier about a college hitter being tied with Hunter Lee with a .765 slugging percentage, well Rutschman is that guy, and let me remined you yet again he is a catcher.

 

Behind the plate, Rutschman has a cannon for an arm that lets him mow down runners. Rutschman is a very good athlete, which helps him with his agility, a very underrated skill for a catcher. I wouldn’t quite put him at the same defensive level as Shae Langeliers, but Rutschman could still one day become a Gold Glove-caliber catcher if he reaches his full potential.

 

 

Rest of the 2019 MLB Draft Top 50

Twins Daily 2019 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 11-20

Twins Daily 2019 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 21-30

Twins Daily 2019 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 31-40

Twins Daily 2019 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 41-50

 

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[AlwaysinModeration]

Lets hope Rutschman falls to 13.

 

Thanks for doing this series, look forward to seeing whom the Twins nab. My wildly uninformed guess (yet slightly better informed now) is Jung or Carroll.

[TheMatt]

Would you say Bleday is similar to what Rooker was?

[rdehring]

Good chance that one or two of this Top 10 will fall to the Twins at #13.  Will they take him?  

[Aerodeliria]

Thanks for posting the video. I confess that after reading the teaser, I skipped 2-9. What was impressive to me was the bat control Adley Rutschman displayed in the video. It's rare to see a switch hitting catcher, but he drove the ball to all fields from both sides of the plate. I doubt any team would pass him up regardless of projected needs.

[MMMordabito]

The last couple years, the Twins have saved money in the first round to pay above slot in the later rounds for high schoolers.  I wonder if they would consider the opposite this year if Allan is sitting there at 13. Pay above slot early and then draft cheaper prospects later.

[gunnarthor]

 

Good chance that one or two of this Top 10 will fall to the Twins at #13.  Will they take him?  

Stott has fallen in a few mocks I've seen. He, Allen and Carroll seem the most likely to slip to 13. I don't think any of the other seven will. Riley Greene won't get to us but I wish he would.

[Mike Sixel]

The last couple years, the Twins have saved money in the first round to pay above slot in the later rounds for high schoolers. I wonder if they would consider the opposite this year if Allan is sitting there at 13. Pay above slot early and then draft cheaper prospects later.

They didn't need to save money the Lewis year, they could have signed everyone later.... That said, save money if you can.

[Dman]

I have no idea what the Twins will do this year.  After the first ten picks or so though the next 30 players are pretty much rated the same so it just depends on how teams have those players ranked on their board.  So we should be able to get two really good players and then some players that hopefully we can develop.

 

I don't think this is a great year to save a ton of money early on if it means taking a lessor player.  There are so many teams above us that can cut deals that it might be hard to find a deal anyway.  If they can do it and still get the player then great but I wouldn't let that factor in a ton this year.

 

There are going to be good players at 13 and the Twins will be one of the first teams to pick from the second tier of talent. I hope they make the right choice.