The next set of high school and college baseball stars are set to become professionals starting this Sunday, as the MLB Draft takes place.
The MLB Draft is made up of 20 rounds that spans over three days, making it one of the longest processes in professional sports.
There is plenty of talent in the draft this year with a lot of discussions about who should be taken first overall, but that decision is up to the Guardians.
Cleveland has been going back and forth on this pick for a while now, but rumors are saying the Guardians have landed on Travis Bazzana. The Oregon State infielder is a native of Australia and tore it up this season as he hit .407 with a ridiculous 1.479 OPS. His raw power and durability make him an ideal top pick.
With a hitter-friendly ballpark as their home field, it makes sense to take possibly the best hitter in the draft. Charlie Condon took college baseball by storm this season with a record-breaking 37 home runs in 60 games. Along with that, he also hit .433 with a 1.565 OPS.
The Rockies need pitching, and what better way to solve that problem by drafting one of the best pitchers in the entire draft, Chase Burnes. The Tennessee transfer started 16 games for Wake Forest this season and was 10-1 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a .175 batting average allowed. He would quickly solve their pitching prospects problem.
If you watched the College Baseball World Series, you would have noticed that Braden Montgomery was not on the field. That’s because he broke his ankle in the Super Regionals and may have slid down a few spots. But still, Montgomery has speed and plenty of power as he launched 27 home runs this season.
The Shohei Ohtani of College Baseball is taking his talents to the big leagues. Jac Caglianone has been the heart and soul of the Gators team the last few seasons and, this past year, he hit .419 with a 1.419 OPS while also pitching over 70 innings and limiting hitters to a .225 batting average on the mound. Expect for Caglianone to focus on hitting once he gets to the pros.
Wake Forest had a lot of pro-ready players this season, and Nick Kurtz was one of them. We could see the Royals also opting for a pitcher in this spot, but since Kurtz had a .531 OBP and a 1.294 OPS this season, he’s hard to pass up.
Possibly the best left-handed pitcher in all of College Baseball this past season was Hagen Smith. The lefty posted a 9-2 record with a 2.04 ERA, but that’s not even the most impressive part. He recorded 161 strikeouts in 84 innings and limited hitters to a .144 batting average.
JJ Wetherholt’s name has been thrown around in the top five plenty of times, but the West Virginia shortstop played in only 36 games this season and hit .331 with a 1.061 OPS. He’s got the talent, but his injury history could deter teams.
The Pirates hit the lottery with their first round pick last season - Paul Skenes - considering he’s already an All-Star, and they’re hoping they can do it again with Bryce Rainer, a shortstop from Harvard-Westlake (CA). The 19-year-old looks fully developed with excellent speed and raw athleticism, so he could eventually pair well with Oneil Cruz up the middle.
The Nats are unlikely to want to go down the high school route again and may play it safer with the selection of James Tibbs III from Florida State. The outfielder hit .363 this past season and has incredible bat-to-ball skills which makes him an ideal choice for the Nationals.
Detroit is still a bit away from contending for a World Series, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they choose another high school star. The 18-year-old was committed to LSU but appears to want to go straight to the pros, and who can blame him since he has elite speed and a phenomenal arm. Once the hitting comes, he could be a star.
This could be a perfect fit for the Red Sox. They have a top five farm system and Christian Moore might make it top three. The New York native just earned a national title for Tennessee after hitting .375 with a stunning 34 home runs, so he’s going to be talked about a lot on Sunday.
If Trey Yesavage is still available at this point, the Giants will need to take him. The ECU ace made 15 starts and posted a 2.03 ERA with a 0.87 WHIP, while limiting hitters to a .154 batting average. His strikeout numbers and elite command could sway the Giants into this pick.
At just 17-years-old, Cam Caminiti is the definition of potential. The LSU commit has an elite fastball with plenty of offspeed pitches to choose from, so if the Cubs play their cards right, they could have Caminiti in the Majors by the time he’s 20.
15. Seattle Mariners - Jurrangelo Cijntje, BHP (Mississippi State)
16. Miami Marlins - Seaver King, 3B/OF (Wake Forest)
17. Milwaukee Brewers - Cam Smith, 3B (Florida State)
18. Tampa Bay Rays - Ryan Waldschmidt, OF (Kentucky)
19. New York Mets - Vance Honeycutt, OF (North Carolina)
20. Toronto Blue Jays - William Schmidt, RHP (Catholic HS, La.)
21. Minnesota Twins - Carson Benge, OF (Oklahoma State)
22. Baltimore Orioles - Kellon Lindsey, SS (Hardee HS, Wauchula, Fla.)
23. Los Angeles Dodgers - Brody Brecht, RHP (Iowa)
24. Atlanta Braves - Theo Gillen, SS/2B (Westlake HS)
25. San Diego Padres - Ryan Sloan, RHP (York Community HS, Elmhurst, Ill.)
26. New York Yankees - Carter Johnson, SS (Oxford HS, Ala.)
27. Philadelphia Phillies - Tommy White, 3B (LSU)
28. Houston Astros - Malcolm Moore, C (Stanford)
29. Arizona Diamondbacks - Tyson Lewis, SS (Millard West HS, Omaha, Neb.)
30. Texas Rangers - Walker Janek, C (Sam Houston)