The Rockies added two more power arms to join Jon Gray
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Braves (A+)
I’m not alone in my thinking here. The general consensus is that the Braves won the draft. They may well be pathetic this season, but watch out in three or four seasons. With the farm team they already have, plus the speculative signing of 16-year-old phenom shortstop, Kevin Maitan, and now a great draft class, highlighted by Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz and Kyle Muller, the Braves might just have the strongest future of any team in baseball not named the Cubs or Red Sox. At pick No. 3, they appeared to have reached for a high school pitching prospect out of New York, but it later became clear that the move was to save money in their budget so they could pay up to sign Wentz and Muller away from their college commitments.
Cardinals (A+)
There was plenty of debate as to whether the Cardinals made an ethical decision by drafting Delvin Perez with the No. 23 pick just days after he tested positive for PEDs. There was no debate, however, over whether he was a spectacular value at the pick. With or without the PEDs, Perez is clearly a top-ten, and perhaps top-five talent in this draft, and for an organization like the Cardinals, who haven’t picked in the top 10 in this millennium, they had to pull the trigger. Add in that Dakota Hudson fell from the top 10 in some mock drafts all the way to the Cardinals’ No. 34 pick and that Connor Jones, who MLB.com ranked No. 21 before the draft, fell all the way to 76, and the Cardinals clearly hit it out of the ballpark.
Red Sox (A-)
Boston managed to land Jason Groome, the No. 1 overall prospect in the draft, at No. 12 after teams passed over him for signability issues. Then, they added Bobby Dalbec in the fifth round, who has more raw power than anyone in the draft class. He has yet to put it together in games, but if he isn’t able to after a few years of development, the Red Sox could opt to turn Dalbec into a big league pitcher. If the Red Sox are able to sign Groome away from Chipola College, their draft grade will jump to an A+. If not, they get the No. 13 pick in next season’s loaded draft class as compensation, but I would drop their grade to a B-.
Rockies (A-)
Riley Pint and Robert Tyler might not be too pleased that the Rockies drafted them because pitchers go to die in Coors, but for the Rockies to add two more power arms is a special feat. Riley Pint throws a 101 MPH fastball and could still add another tick or two as he grows and develops. Tyler is 6’8″ and can reach 99 MPH on his sinking fastball. He wasn’t as dominant for Georgia this year as many expected and he does have some injury concerns in his history, but the talent and potential is undeniable. Then, Colorado added Willie Abreu in the sixth. It was once speculated that Abreu would be a top-five pick out of high school, but he opted for college instead and hasn’t developed as quickly as expected. The point is, he has talent to be an all-star if the Rockies can develop him, and I’m sure hitting in Coors would go a long way.
White Sox (B+)
I will say that I am not fond of Zack Collins, who they drafted 10th overall, because I don’t think he can stick behind the plate. Yes, he could be an eventual 25 homerun hitter with a strong batting eye, but so could their fourth round pick, Jameson Fisher, who led the nation with a .558 on-base percentage and was 11th with a .716 slugging percentage. The difference between the two is that Collins currently plays catcher. Either way, they landed two heavy hitters along with the only impact player in the draft and the college pitcher with the highest upside. Zack Burdi could help Chicago’s bullpen during the playoff stretch this season and some think he could eventually become a starting pitcher. Alec Hansen is oozing with potential but needs more refining than most.
Padres (B+)
Giants (B+)
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Tigers (B)
Mariners (B)
Nationals (B)
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Blue Jays (B-)
A’s (B-)
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Yankees (C+)
Phillies (C+)
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Brewers (C)
Mets (C)
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Reds (C-)
Astros (C-)
Marlins (C-)
Twins (C-)
Pirates (C-)
Rays (C-)
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Dodgers (D+)
Rangers (D+)
Royals (D+)
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Indians (D)
Cubs (D)
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Diamondbacks (D-)
Orioles (D-)
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Angels (F)
Who were the biggest steals of the draft?
1. Jason Groome (LHP, BOS, No. 12)
2. Delvin Perez (SS, STL, No. 23)
3. Blake Rutherford (OF, NYY, No. 18)
4. Kyle Lewis (OF, SEA, No. 11)
5. Nick Banks (OF, WAS, No. 124)
6. Alec Hansen (RHP, CHW, No. 49)
7. Dakota Hudson (RHP, STL, No. 34)
8. Buddy Reed (OF, SD, No. 48)
9. Kyle Serrano (RHP, MIL, No. 1191)
10. Robert Tyler (RHP, COL, No. 38)
Who were the biggest reaches of the draft?
1. Hudson Sanchez (SS, SD, No. 24)
2. Will Smith (C, LAD, No. 32)
3. Nick Lodolo (LHP, PIT, No. 41)
4. Nick Senzel (3B, CIN, No. 2)
5. Lucas Erceg (3B, MIL, No. 46)
