Some new draft rankings are out today. I did my Draft Prospects Rundown earlier, and will be doing a more detailed post on all of the top candidates tonight. For now, let’s take a look at the links, along with a poll to see who you would select first overall if the draft was today…
–Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus has a free article about the battle for the top prospect status in the draft. He also lists his top 20 draft prospects, and surprisingly has Dylan Bundy first overall. Check out my write up on Bundy from yesterday. Interesting note from the article, some say Bundy is better than Jameson Taillon.
–Conor Glassey of Baseball America also has a free article, taking a look at how this is the best draft class in years. The article includes quotes from Pirates’ scouting director Greg Smith.
–Jim Callis of Baseball America held a Q&A, which featured a lot of draft talk. He started off by addressing the high demands by Dylan Bundy (who is asking for a 6 year/$30 M major league deal), and Archie Bradley (who is asking for a 5 year, $20 M major league deal).
Callis also mentions that, as far as third base prospects go, Anthony Rendon would rank ahead of Pedro Alvarez and Mike Moustakas. Callis says that Rendon projects as a .300 hitter with 25 homers a year and above average defense, and puts him third on the list of third base prospects since 2000, behind only Evan Longoria and David Wright.
–Baseball America also released their updated top 60 rankings (which falls one short of the #61 pick the Pirates have to start the second round). They still have Rendon first, followed by Gerrit Cole, Danny Hultzen, Trevor Bauer, and Dylan Bundy to round out the top five.
So who would you take if the draft was today? The field has gone from one person (Rendon) to two people (Rendon, Cole), to being wide open. Given all of the choices, who is your number one pick?
[polldaddy poll=5057593]
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Why isn’t Trevor Bauer getting any love for #1 ? He’s blowing Cole out
of the water, putting up much better results, isn’t throwing 150 pitches
a start, and profiles similar to Lincecum. What is wrong with that?! I
can’t see why people discounting him on his size or mechanics (i.e.
Lincecum) as a reason against him being #1 .
Why isn’t Trevor Bauer getting any love for #1 ? He’s blowing Cole out of the water, putting up much better results, isn’t throwing 150 pitches a start, and profiles similar to Lincecum. What is wrong with that?! I can’t see why people discounting him on his size or mechanics (i.e. Lincecum) as a reason against him being #1 .
I want Cole, someone who could be in majors in less than a year that has front of the rotation stuff.
I still like Rendon. If Bauer was 6’4″ I’d like him a lot more. Any chance teams are so afraid of Bundy or Bradley that they slip to 61? I doubt it but wtf. I think in a draft that’s supposedly so deep the 61st pick is by far more intriguing . The 1st pick is gonna be a top ranked talent regardless but if someone can slip the 2nd rd can be a goldmine guy.
I would rank them as follows:
1. Rendon
2. Bundy
3. Cole
4. Starling
5. Lindor
6. Hultzen
7. Bauer
Rendon is still the clear cut winner in my opinion for #1 overall. He is a solid all around player and his numbers are suffering because of the new crappy bats, the injury, and him getting zero good pitches to swing at. Bundy scares me because of the arm abuse in HS. The same goes for Cole and he’s had some bad outings lately. I like Starling’s potential like just about anybody does. Hultzen is pretty low on my list because he has mediocre velocity and his numbers haven’t been out of this world #1 overall type numbers. He can locate well, yeah, but most pitchers are taught that in the low minors. Don’t get me wrong, location is important. But, it can definiteyl be learned. Sort of like what we are hoping happens with Allie.
ive actually seen Hultzen pitch in person twice this year; I live only an hour away from the Univ. of VA… a lefty who can touch mid 90s and sits around 92, with very very good control… hes a very very good pitcher…
i wouldnt call that mediocre velocity. youre just comparing him to Bundy who can get it up to 99 and Cole up to 98.
im not saying to draft Hultzen, im just defending his abilities. hes a very good hitter too, btw.
I think Starling. He seems like a Brycer Harper talent. He will be a tough sign but we’d get next years 2nd pick as compensation. Everyone else is not a clear cut 5 tool talent.
Yea in high school. Everyone hits .500 in high school ball
no offense, but starling is no bryce harper. the only semi recent prospect that you could compare to harper would be josh hamilton: truly special players. bubba starling? i would say a level below those two.