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Here’s how the MLB Draft is going to shake out this year (probably)

By Justin Buckhanan

Omaha, NE - JUNE 27: Catcher Adley Rutschman #35 of the Oregon State Beavers singles in the first inning against the Arkansas Razorbacks during game two of the College World Series Championship Series on June 27, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
Omaha, NE - JUNE 27: Catcher Adley Rutschman #35 of the Oregon State Beavers singles in the first inning against the Arkansas Razorbacks during game two of the College World Series Championship Series on June 27, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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WINSTON-SALEM, NC – JUNE 02: West Virginia’s Alek Manoah. The West Virginia University Mountaineers played the University of Maryland Terrapins on June 2, 2017, at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, NC in NCAA Division I College Baseball Tournament Winston-Salem Regional Game 1. West Virginia won the game 9-1. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – JUNE 02: West Virginia’s Alek Manoah. The West Virginia University Mountaineers played the University of Maryland Terrapins on June 2, 2017, at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, NC in NCAA Division I College Baseball Tournament Winston-Salem Regional Game 1. West Virginia won the game 9-1. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

11. Toronto — Alek Manoah RHP West Virginia

While this draft is loaded with great young hitters, the pitching is very thin, generally. Manoah is one of a handful of college pitchers expected to go in the first round. Manoah is something of a hybrid of Rutledge and Lodolo. He’s a righty with great size (6-6, 260 pounds) and didn’t really take off until his junior season. In fact, his numbers are almost identical to Lodolo. The obvious difference is that Manoah is a righty, making him a little less valuable.

12. New York Mets — Matthew Allan RHP Seminole HS (Florida)

Allan comes with a lot of risk from a signing standpoint. He’s committed to play for the University of Florida already and supposedly has a high price tag to buy him out of the commitment ($4 million signing bonus). He possesses a 95-mph fastball and size (6-3, 210) to make it look easy. The Mets have plenty of history with taking high school pitchers and they have the money to sign him if they like.

13. Minnesota — Josh Jung 3B Texas Tech

Jung started hitting when he was a sophomore and hasn’t stopped this season. While there was some regression in his game this season, it wasn’t substantial enough to worry about. He is considered another good plug-and-play prospect, although with not a very high ceiling. With the Twins going through the likes of Miguel Sano and Marwin Gonzalez at third base this season, the Twins would like to find a long-term solution.

14. Philadelphia — Bryson Stott SS UNLV

Like Jung, Stott started hitting as a sophomore and kept it up as a junior. He’s hit .360 in the two seasons combined and became more selective as a junior as he increased his on-base percentage from .442 to .486. He also has an OPS of 1.085 this year after being at .998 as a sophomore. Some of his doubles from a year ago turned into home runs this season, but he still doesn’t project to hit more than 15 dingers a year in the majors, if he’s lucky.

15. Los Angeles Angels — George Kirby RHP Elon

Of all the pitchers projected in the first round, Kirby has the longest sustained run of success beginning with his sophomore season. That said, the competition he has faced hasn’t been the strongest of the college guys. He made his biggest jump from his freshman to his sophomore season and then made steady improvement on his numbers across the board this year. As for the Angels, they could use just about anything to improve their minor league system, which lacks depth.

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