This year's MLB Draft is different from many others because there is no clear-cut No. 1 overall pick. There's a good amount of depth, but it's anyone's best guess as to what the Washington Nationals will do at the start of the festivities, especially after they fired GM Mike Rizzo.
The draft might not have the star power that others have, but it does have a lot of intrigue just because nobody seems to have a clue as to what's going to happen. With that in mind, here's a look at what experts are predicting will go down in Atlanta on Sunday night.
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MLB draft rankings: What the experts think
Again, this is one of the most interesting drafts in recent memory because nobody has a clue as to what's going to go down, and there isn't a clear-cut No. 1 overall pick. Here's a look at FanSided's top 15 players in this year's draft and how experts from several sites including Baseball America ($), MLB Pipeline, and The Athletic ($), would rank these players.
Player | Position | FS Ranking | BA Ranking | MLB Pipeline Ranking | The Athletic's Ranking | Composite Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ethan Holliday | SS/3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
Kade Anderson | LHP | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2.75 |
Aiva Arquette | SS | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4.5 |
Eli Willits | SS | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5.0 |
Seth Hernandez | RHP | 5 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 7.75 |
Jamie Arnold | LHP | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5.5 |
Liam Doyle | LHP | 7 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 6.25 |
Ike Irish | C/OF | 8 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 9.25 |
Billy Carlson | SS | 9 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 9.0 |
Kyson Witherspoon | RHP | 10 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9.0 |
JoJo Parker | SS | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10.0 |
Steele Hall | SS | 12 | 15 | 12 | 36 | 18.75 |
Tyler Bremner | RHP | 13 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 14.5 |
Kayson Cunningham | SS | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13.75 |
Marek Houston | SS | 15 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 15.75 |
Where will Ethan Holliday end up?
This is a question most are wondering about ahead of the MLB Draft. Ethan Holliday, the brother of former No. 1 overall pick Jackson and son of multi-time All-Star Matt, has been projected to go No. 1 overall for much of the year by most outlets, but given all that's going on with the Nationals, that might not end up happening.
I still think there's a chance that the Nationals take Holliday, the player who I believe is the best in this class, but with a new regime in place, it would make a lot of sense for the Nationals to take the best college prospect available, Kade Anderson, given he's at a position of need for them and profiles as a fast riser through the minor leagues.
With that in mind, I have Holliday falling into the Colorado Rockies' laps at No. 4 overall. The Rockies have the good fortune of picking behind the Los Angeles Angels, a team that's made it a habit of prioritizing the most MLB-ready talent, and the Seattle Mariners, a pitching-rich organization. Holliday ending up in Colorado would be a bit of a feel-good story since Matt was a star there for years, but the Rockies aren't exactly a premier organization right now.
First-round sleepers and surprises: Keep an eye on Gage Wood
Gage Wood missed time with a shoulder injury, and his command has been iffy at times, but his stuff is simply ridiculous. We saw that in the College World Series when he threw a no-hitter, striking out 19 batters and allowing just one base runner on a hit-by-pitch. When he's locating, he's really tough to hit. He's going to have to develop another pitch to go along with his fastball and curveball, but there's a lot to like here for a pitcher who is projected by many to go in the back-half in the first round.
Another sleeper worth keeping an eye on is Gavin Fien. His stock fell a bit after a rough spring, but he began the year as one of the top prep bats in this year's class. His potential is extremely high, and it wouldn't be shocking to see a team take a chance on him in the middle of the first round.
Which teams are in best position to win the MLB Draft?
The Baltimore Orioles feel like an easy pick to win the MLB Draft. They don't pick until No. 19 overall, but they have four selections in the first 37 picks and the largest bonus pool of any team in the draft. They can take several studs, quickly replenishing their farm system, which has weakened in recent years.
As boring as this is, my other winner is the Colorado Rockies because of how I predict the board will fall. I believe Ethan Holliday is the best player in this year's draft, and I have the Rockies taking him at No. 4. It simply doesn't get much better than that.