2021 Draft Thread

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA says the Cubs have the 22nd pick, CBS has them with the 21st

 

*The rest of this post is nonsense*

 

I would like any of these 5 players:

 

Braylon Bishop

Izaac Pacheco

Christian MacLeod

Steve Hajjar

Carter Holton

 

Would guess maybe Bishop, Pacheco, and one of the college arms are there while Holton might go in the top 15 picks as the top HS P. If you want crazy comps, and who doesn't - Jim Edmonds, Jim Thome, Mark Buerhle, Andy Pettitte, Cliff Lee. Throw Eddie Murray in for Braden Montgomery. These purported ceilings are only possible if drafted by the Cubs

 

It’s the 21st pick. BA included Houston’s forfeited pick in their draft order.

 

(This assumes they’ll go with 2020 record for their 2021 draft order.)

 

MLB confirmed today that they’ll be going with reverse 2020 standings. The Cubs will pick 21st.

[Hrubes20]

^^ Sweet

 

---

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/live-looks/2020/10/6/live-looks-future-stars-series-international-week-recap

 

Aidan Stewart, SS Next Level Academy (AL) | Missouri Commit | Ht: 6’5 Wt: 200 | H/T: S/R

 

It’s not often you see a middle infield prospect with the build of Tristan McKenzie. Aidan Stewart a 2021 shortstop out of Alabama breaks the mold. The switch-hitting Missouri commit is glove over bat at the moment. He made some smooth plays in the field and shows solid infield actions and movements.

 

At the plate he’s more advanced from the left side than the right, showing the ability to shoot the gaps from the left, but generating predominantly groundball contact from the right. Due to his long levers his swing will get long and it’s a somewhat linear bat path. Often gets caught off balance and too heavily onto his front foot. There is some projection left in the frame and he can flash average power on his best contact.

 

Not like a badass prospect but it's not often you see 6'5" switch hitting SSs at any level

 

-------

 

 

This guy is Zobrist's newphew, a LHH MIF with a recently attained DBU commit, maybe a poachable non-first recruit

 

Seems unlikely to me. His dad is the head coach of DBU, where he is signed to play.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The PG Staff had a mock draft: https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=18907&src=hmrep

 

Jud Fabian went 1.1 over Kumar Rocker.

 

21. Chicago Cubs | Jackson Jobe, RHP, Heritage Hall (Okla.) | (2/50) Jon Childress, LHP, Texas A&M

A great athlete that has made a full transition to the mound, Jackson Jobe has now become one of the nation’s premier arms and lands himself in the first round in this mock to the Cubs. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he looks the part with the athleticism as a sub-7.0 runner and secondary shortstop to control the limbs well, but it’s the mid-90s fastball and what may be regarded as the best slider in the class that garners this much helium. Jon Childress gives the Cubs a former Perfect Game All-American, and premier prep talent a couple years ago, as their second-round pick from College Station. The long and projectable left-hander works in the low-90s with great angle at release while showing feel for a firm cutter and an even better slider with big potential. -Tyler Russo

 

Sakowski’s Take: Jobe earns rave reviews for both the evaluation and the metrics of his stuff on the mound, highlighted by a slider that flashes 70 mph at times. He’s got tremendous upside with that combination of stuff and athleticism, while Childress, a Tommy John survivor, represents another potential upside play at pick 50. Childress has the upside to go higher if he performs in the SEC this spring, but pick 50 looks like a good spot right now based on fall intel.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Watson is at 16. First I've read about "volatile on-field behavior," though my guess is it's connected to the various comments about some showmanship when he hits the ball hard that's been in tweets and blog reports all year:

 

Longehagen had similar comments about his on-field behavior in the Fangraphs draft board you posted a few posts ago.

 

ETA: Max Ferguson would be a steal at 42 (BA has him in the 40s too).

[Named After Maddux]

Prospects Live updated their board to a top 350:

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/lists/2020/12/22/2021-mlb-draft-top-350-prospects

 

Much more college heavy up top with only 6 HSers in the top 20, Watson at 18

 

"Fun" article looking at the HS reports of next year's top college prospects:

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/2021-college-draft-prospects-who-were-high-school-prospects

 

I’m glad to see Thatcher Hurd start to make his way up boards. I’ve got him in the 30s in my internal list. Big spin rate guy and an athletic delivery. He’s new to full time pitching so there’s less mileage on the arm. I think some model-friendly team is going to take him relatively early.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA’s first mock draft: https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/mlb-mock-draft/

 

1. Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt

2. Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami

3. Jordan Lawler, SS, Dallas Jesuit HS (TX)

4. Marcelo Mayer, SS, Eastlake HS (Chula Vista, CA)

5. Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt

6. Matt McLain, SS, UCLA

7. Jud Fabian, OF, Florida

8. James Wood, OF, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)

9. Alex Binelas, 3B, Louisville

10. Jaden Hill, RHP, LSU

 

21. Cubs: Henry Davis, C, Louisville

Notes:

Collegiate catchers are a demographic that routinely gets pushed up the board, as teams have to navigate the extreme risk inherent with prep backstops. Because of that, Davis is positioned well heading into 2021 after improving his hitting ability in two years with Louisville. Davis was known for his massive arm strength out of high school, but questions about his bat allowed him to reach campus, where he has been a .303/.381/.463 hitter with 21 walks to 22 strikeouts.

 

 

Like Louisville, the Cubs do an excellent job developing hitters. Davis and Binelas would give Louisville two first-round hitters for the second time in the program’s history, with the duo joining Corey Ray (5) and Will Smith (32) in a 2016 class that also produced RHP Zack Burdi from the program.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

 

[CubinNY]

3. Luke Leto, SS, Portage Central HS (MI) - 45

 

Any chance this kid is still around when the Cubs pick? Portage Central was a big rival in high school.

[UK]

3. Luke Leto, SS, Portage Central HS (MI) - 45

 

Any chance this kid is still around when the Cubs pick? Portage Central was a big rival in high school.

 

Very doubtful.

[Fruity1010]

Remember this name....Devin Futrell. LHP 2021 Was 90-93 in his 1st outing of the year. Huge upside with a 4 pitch mix

[Tim]

Remember this name....Devin Futrell. LHP 2021 Was 90-93 in his 1st outing of the year. Huge upside with a 4 pitch mix

Fruity...Futrell...Fruity...Futrell...

 

Hi Devin! Or is it Devin's dad? Brother?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

So Jack Leiter is now working 96-100 (if the TV gun is to be believed) which was definitely not something he could do last year.

[Bertz]

 

I'm already looking forward to the inevitable article debating whether Rocker/Leiter is a better 1-2 than Cole/Bauer.

[Bertz]

So Jack Leiter is now working 96-100 (if the TV gun is to be believed) which was definitely not something he could do last year.

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The 21st ranked player for FanGraphs' update, Jordan Wicks, had a big opening night:

 

 

He'd be a good pick at 21, but also don't know he gets there. Changeup is his outpitch

 

So did a future steal for someone hopefully Cubs:

 

Wicks showed a solid three-pitch mix including a fastball that averaged around 93 mph in the early frames, his standout changeup and a reliable breaking ball.

 

Wicks was 89-91 last year so that’s nice.

 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2021-mlb-draft-stock-watch-first-round-college-pitching-prospects/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

 

Gunnar Hoglund is working 93-96 which is a slight velocity bump. Kiley has him 8th overall.

 

I’m getting the impression 2022 draft pick Elijah Green might the best prep prospect since Bryce Harper. Kiley said HS junior Elijah Green would be the first pick overall this year if he was eligible and BA and FG are also huge fans.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[toonsterwu]

A bit off the radar due to his struggles so far in his first two years, but I'm quietly optimistic that Mike Vasil is putting it together. Curious if the stuff holds up, but if the stuff and command holds up, I wouldn't be stunned if he forced his way back into the first. Those are big if's, though. Looking real good right now. Wouldn't be surprised if he were eventually moved to the Friday slot at some point this year.

[Bertz]

 

I forget where I saw it (a recent Longenhagen Chat?), but It sounds like his exit velocities are kind of ridiculous too. That'd be a fun as hell profile to add. And as loaded as the system is at catcher, there's room in the pipeline in between Amaya and Hearn.

 

That said, fun college hitters always get pushed up the board as we get closer to draft day, so even though he looks to go in our range now I doubt that'll be true by July.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

I forget where I saw it (a recent Longenhagen Chat?), but It sounds like his exit velocities are kind of ridiculous too. That'd be a fun as hell profile to add. And as loaded as the system is at catcher, there's room in the pipeline in between Amaya and Hearn.

 

That said, fun college hitters always get pushed up the board as we get closer to draft day, so even though he looks to go in our range now I doubt that'll be true by July.

 

And college catchers get pushed up too so I think it's more likely Davis will be in the top 10 than available for the Cubs.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://twitter.com/kevin_goldstein/status/1369326943741612032?s=21

 

https://twitter.com/kevin_goldstein/status/1369327379982729225?s=21

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Sign me up:

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/mlb-draft/2021/3/16/2021-mlb-mock-draft-30

 

21) Harry Ford, C, North Cobb HS

 

It’s very hard to walk away from watching Harry Ford and not be impressed with the all-around skill set out of the North Cobb backstop. Explosive out of the crouch with a near-plus arm and legitimate potential to stick behind the plate, Ford gets high marks all over the diamond. But the real key to his ceiling will be the bat. Ford has shown more in-game power than nearly any prep player in the country over the last calendar year against some of the best arms in the country. A low hand-slot setup, Ford utilizes some of the best bat speed in the 2021 class with almost zero unnecessary bat wrap. Ford could end up in a number of spots including second base, third bases or even centerfield at the next level. Chicago took prep shortstop Ed Howard in the first round of the 2020 Draft, then proceeded to go on a run of acquiring young, toolsy, high-upside talent, and I don’t see a better option available here at no 21. - Ian

 

Despite the lack of success of first round prep catchers, I really liked that pick. That said, I'd be pretty interested in moving him off catcher given his athleticism and speed.

[OleMissCub]

Leiter’s kid just threw a no-hitter against South Carolina. 16k’s with 1 walk. The walk was to the first batter of the game.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

You’d think a Cub fan would let Ford or Wood drop to the Cubs in his mock!