Just as he did during my first mock draft, Auburn's Casey Mize appears at the No. 1 spot in our current edition. But as we near the two-week mark from draft day, buzz around how the rest of the first round will play out is starting to pick up.
Please remember that this is not a ranking of player abilities or values (here is my most recent ranking of the players in this class), but rather a best guess as to which player each team might take in this scenario, based on the best information I could glean from industry sources right now.
1. Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn
Yes, money could always be a factor, but if Mize's medicals hold up, there isn't a better option for the Tigers at 1-1. If Detroit does cut a deal, it could be with prep lefty Matthew Liberatore.
2. San Francisco Giants: Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech
I've heard the Giants' mix includes Bart, Brady Singer, Alec Bohm and Liberatore for this pick. They might simply see which of those players will cut the best deal with them, allowing them to go over slot at pick 45. I've heard Nick Madrigal is out here.
3. Philadelphia Phillies: Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State
It sounds like this is probably Bohm or Bart. I've heard Madrigal and Travis Swaggerty are out here.
4. Chicago White Sox: Nick Madrigal, SS, Oregon State
Any of the three players ahead could go here if they fall. I haven't heard the White Sox on prep guys at this pick.
5. Cincinnati Reds: Brady Singer, RHP, Florida
This is where it starts to open up a little bit. I've heard the Reds associated with Madrigal, Swaggerty, Bohm and, of course, with Bart or Mize if either gets here (and I doubt either does today), and even with Liberatore and Noah Naylor.
6. New York Mets: Jonathan India, 3B, Florida
In this scenario, I think they would be choosing between India and Swaggerty and perhaps one other player. If Bart or Bohm were to slip here, either would be the pick.
7. San Diego Padres: Carter Stewart, RHP, Eau Gallie HS (Melbourne, Florida)
I've heard them with prep arms, shockingly -- Stewart, Liberatore and Ryan Weathers (Padres general manager A.J. Preller saw Weathers when I did). I wonder if they could cut a deal with Ethan Hankins here, too, if the medicals check out, as they did with Cal Quantrill two years ago -- but that year they had extra first-round picks.
8. Atlanta Braves: Nolan Gorman, 3B, Sandra Day O'Connor HS (Peoria, Arizona)
I hear this connection quite a bit, without much discussion of alternatives (yet).
9. Oakland Athletics: Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama
If Madrigal or India got here, either would be the pick. I've heard the A's a little with Gorman as well.
10. Pittsburgh Pirates: Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Central Heights HS (Nacogdoches, Texas)
It's all prep arms with the Pirates right now -- Rodriguez, Stewart and Liberatore in particular.
11. Baltimore Orioles: Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge HS (Peoria, Arizona)
I'd heard them more with college arms (Ryan Rolison, Logan Gilbert, Shane McClanahan, maybe Jackson Kowar) before this, but I think the possibility of Liberatore getting to 11 wasn't high enough before now to make that a viable rumor.
12. Toronto Blue Jays: Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson
Hearing more college arms with Toronto than anything else, although I think the Jays could be in on some prep bats like Naylor or Jarred Kelenic, and of course any of those college bats I have going ahead.
13. Miami Marlins: Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida
The latest word around town is that Gary Denbo, the new VP of player development and scouting in Miami, has a lot of influence on this call, and was lukewarm on Oregon State outfielder Trevor Larnach, whom I had the Marlins taking in the previous mock.
14. Seattle Mariners: Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha (Wisconsin) West HS
This comes with a caveat: GM Jerry DiPoto has never taken a high school player with a first-round pick, not in Anaheim and not in Seattle. However, Rolison is the one college player I've heard linked to Seattle who isn't going before this pick in this projection, which leaves the Mariners with a bunch of prep options, of which Kelenic is the best.
15. Texas Rangers: Ryan Weathers, LHP, Loretto (Tennessee) HS
Don't have a heart attack and die from this surprise, but I hear the Rangers are on a bunch of athletic high school players, including Weathers, Kelenic, Jordyn Adams and the various Georgia prep arms.
16. Tampa Bay Rays: Connor Scott, OF, Plant HS (Tampa, Florida)
All prep outfielders here, including Scott, Alek Thomas and Adams.
17. Los Angeles Angels: Ryan Rolison, LHP, Ole Miss
I've mostly heard them with college pitching, with one or two prep outfielders like Scott in the mix.
18. Kansas City Royals: Jordan Groshans, 3B, Magnolia (Texas) HS
This connection came up a few times in the past week; previously the Royals had been linked to all of the prep bats in this range of the draft, including Scott, Adams, Thomas and Kelenic.
19. St. Louis Cardinals: Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida
Kowar seems likely to go in this range in the draft, with the Cards seen more on arms than bats so far.
20. Minnesota Twins: Cole Winn, RHP, Orange Lutheran (California) HS
The Twins are big on deliveries when it comes to pitchers, and Winn's is one of the best in the draft; he's also one of the only prep arms who looks like he could move a little more quickly through the low minors, along with Weathers.
21. Milwaukee Brewers: Cole Wilcox, RHP, Heritage HS (Ringgold, Georgia)
Best player available here, in the truest sense -- I've heard them on all sorts of players.
22. Colorado Rockies: J.T. Ginn, RHP, Brandon (Mississippi) HS
Power arms here, mostly, although I did hear the Rockies linked to Georgia prep catcher Anthony Seigler as well.
23. New York Yankees: Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope HS (Cary, North Carolina)
If Adams will sign and forego college football (he's a North Carolina commit), he could go as high as 16, but the Yankees have been the most strongly connected to him lately; signing him might require that they go under slot at pick 61.
24. Chicago Cubs: Noah Naylor, C/INF, St. Joan of Arc HS (Mississauga, Ontario)
Naylor is the most divisive player I've had on these mocks; when I circulate rough drafts, he's the name most cited as someone scouts/directors don't think goes in the first round. I don't think he's a catcher in the long run but I think he's a good enough hitter and athlete with enough teams interested that he'll go no worse than the comp round, and maybe inside of 20.
25. Arizona Diamondbacks: Matt McLain, INF, Beckman HS (Tustin, California)
Nothing new here since last mock; he could also be their guy for pick 39 instead.
26. Boston Red Sox: Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (Corona, California)
Also nothing new here, although I expect the Red Sox to be opportunistic if the right guy "falls" and they can go a little over for a premium talent.
27. Washington Nationals: Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Watkinsville, Georgia)
I could see the Nats taking Rocker, Ginn or Hankins; Rocker certainly fits their preferences in many ways, not least as a very well-known name who is sliding due to a slightly off spring but with nothing seriously wrong.
28. Houston Astros: Nick Schnell, OF, Roncalli HS (Indianapolis)
Schnell is the new hotness, going from a bit of an afterthought among cold-weather prep bats to someone seen as a lock to go in the first round, a power-speed center fielder who has hit a bunch of homers in front of the right people lately.
29. Cleveland Indians: Anthony Seigler, C, Cartersville (Georgia) HS
Cleveland's mostly been linked to prep bats. Seigler has seen his stock rise this spring and I think he'll go somewhere in the 20s.
30. Los Angeles Dodgers: Alek Thomas, OF, Mount Carmel HS (Chicago)
Thomas is in the mix for a lot of teams looking at all of the prep outfielders in the class. He helped himself with a good showing at NHSI in March; the Dodgers have been connected to all of those high school bats mentioned earlier, notably Thomas, Scott and Schnell.