2013 MLB Mock Draft: Latest Projections for Baseball's Best Prospects

If you think the NFL draft is long, try tuning in for the MLB draft and its 40 rounds of selections.

While it may seem like a drawn-out process with very little intrigue, there are plenty of reasons to take interest in what happens in the first-year draft. Considering the talent of the 2013 class, we’re likely to see several prospects make their way to the Show in the next few years.

But that’s not the norm for most prospects, some of whom will never have an opportunity to play at the big league level. The MLB draft is all about building for the future, and there’s some inherent intrigue in that process.

Whether because of blockbuster trades or MLB rosters depleted of talent, top prospects’ names are always thrown about during the season. Minor league players are the foundation of every team’s future, and we’ll take a look at some of those future building blocks in this mock draft.

1. Houston Astros: Jonathan Gray, RHP, Oklahoma

At 6’4” and 240 pounds, Oklahoma’s Jonathan Gray is a massive righty with huge potential that goes far beyond his high-90s fastball and overpowering slider.

But on top of his potential, Gray is also a pro-ready prospect who won’t need much time for development in the minors. Given Houston’s rebuild, however, there’s a good chance he doesn’t make his debut in the Show for a few years.

If the Astros are in no hurry to find an immediate big league starter, why not take a chance on the player with the most potential of anyone in this class?

2. Chicago Cubs: Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford

Mark Appel is part of a trio of players being widely regarded as a potential No. 1 overall pick. But given Houston’s rebuilding efforts and the fact that Appel spent four years in college, the Astros probably wouldn’t want to relegate him to an extended stint in the minors.

That said, Chicago doesn’t have the same mentality when it comes to the future of the team. The Cubs want to win now, and the hard-throwing righty can help them do that.

3. Colorado Rockies: Kris Bryant, 3B/OF, San Diego

There simply isn’t a better hitter in this draft than San Diego’s Kris Bryant. The 6’5”, 225-pound slugger hit .340 this season with 31 home runs—16th-most in college baseball history. If the top two pitchers are already off the board (as expected), look for Colorado to draft the best offensive player available.

4. Minnesota Twins: Clint Frazier, OF, Loganville High School (Georgia)

The “five-tool player” label is used far too often when referring to MLB prospects, but Clint Frazier deserves the distinction.

The 6’1”, 190-pound outfielder needs some time to grow—both physically and as a baseball player—but the Twins are known for that kind of development with their early round prospects. He may not be ready for the bigs in the next two years, but he’ll be a tremendous player when he is.

5. Cleveland Indians: Kohl Stewart, RHP, St. Pius X High School (Texas)

The Indians haven’t have much luck in recent years with drafting their own top-tier pitching talent. Most of the big league roster is laden with transplants acquired in exchange for top talent and skilled position players at the minor league level.

But if a player like Kohl Stewart is still available, this might be the year that changes. He’s the best high school right-hander in the country, and he’ll go a long way toward adding considerable talent to a farm system often thin in that area.

6. Miami Marlins: Colin Moran, 3B, North Carolina

Colin Moran has actually been lauded as a potential top-three pick, but it’s unlikely he leaps over Gray, Appel or Bryant for that honor. More likely, the third baseman will come off the board somewhere in the second half of the top 10.

The biggest problem with Moran (who happens to be one of the most consistent and disciplined hitters in the draft) is his limited ceiling. He hasn’t shown much power at this stage of his career, and teams may shy away from him as a result.

7. Boston Red Sox: Braden Shipley, RHP, Nevada

Braden Shipley isn’t quite as polished as the pitching prospects ahead of him, but he does have an above-average arm with a lot less wear and tear. Boston may opt for a bat in this position, but with Moran, Frazier and Bryant already off the board, it seems unlikely it would pass on Shipley’s upside.

8. Kansas City Royals: Austin Meadows, OF, Grayson High School (Georgia)

There isn’t an area in which Meadows doesn’t have big potential. He’s a five-tool player who still needs a little polish, but Kansas City has never been a team to shy away from those types of high-upside projects.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Reese McGuire, C, Kentwood High School (Washington)

Top-10 position players are typically expected to have close to pro-ready offensive ability—something Reese McGuire lacks coming out of Kentwood High School.

However, he’s also the best defensive catcher to come out of the draft in the last two seasons, and he’ll give the Pirates a tremendous opportunity to select a player who really only needs development in one area.

10. Toronto Blue Jays: Trey Ball, LHP, Chrysler High School (Indiana)

Trey Ball may be the most versatile player in this entire draft class. Athleticism is a trait often overused in regard to prospects, but there’s no denying Ball’s elite athletic ability.

His best position is on the rubber, but he has the speed, range, hitting ability and arm to play nearly anywhere in the outfield as well. That versatility could work for or against him, but there’s a good chance a team like Toronto falls in love with it in the top 10.

11. New York Mets: Aaron Judge, OF, Fresno State

Big power hitters are always intriguing prospects in the early first round. At 6’7” and 255 pounds, Aaron Judge has a hefty swing with the pop to be a 30-plus home run hitter at the MLB level. That swing is also extremely long and will need some tweaking, but there’s no denying the damage he can do with his current set.

12. Seattle Mariners: Ryne Stanek, RHP, Arkansas

Ryne Stanek has tons of arm talent and a lot less control. That lack of command led to an inconsistent season at Arkansas, but thankfully for both Stanek and the Mariners, that’s an issue that can be fixed with some good coaching and a little time in the minors.

13. San Diego Padres: J.P. Crawford, SS, Lakewood High School (California)

J.P. Crawford may not see big league action for a few years, but he’s athletic enough to do so at the shortstop position. With good range, a plus arm and a balanced approach at the plate, he doesn’t ooze potential, but he has enough to be a top-15 pick.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates: D.J. Peterson, 1B, New Mexico

Lack of MLB range will likely force D.J. Peterson to slide over to first base early in his career, but it remains to be seen how much pop he can provide against top-shelf pitching.

The New Mexico product doesn’t have plus power at this point. In fact, he doesn’t look like the kind of player who will ever be a 30-home run guy. But when it comes to pure hitting ability, it’s hard to find more than a couple players better suited for an early debut in the Show.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts

Alex Gonzalez isn’t the high-upside pitching prospect Arizona found in Trevor Bauer, but that may be a good thing considering the Diamondbacks’ decision to cut ties with him rather quickly.

What Gonzalez brings to the table is a deadly combination of a low-to-mid-90s fastball, a hard slider and a wicked cutter. He won’t impress in any one area, but the Oral Roberts standout has a good mix of pitches that suggests he could be an early call-up at the next level.

16. Philadelphia Phillies: Hunter Renfroe, OF, Mississippi State

Hunter Renfroe is easily one of the top five bats in this class, but he’s not exactly a contact hitter.

The Mississippi State product hit just .252 last season and strikes out far too often. That said, he already has a solid swing and really only needs to work on his plate discipline. With plus power and good speed, he’ll be a welcomed addition to any team in the middle of the first round.

17. Chicago White Sox: Dominic Smith, 1B, Serra High School (California)

Smith doesn’t have tremendous power, but he makes up for it with a smooth swing and excellent defensive abilities. He has a good arm and enough range to be an above-average defensive first baseman at the MLB level.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers: Marco Gonzalez, LHP, Gonzaga

Power pitchers command the most attention in the first round, though Marco Gonzalez might buck that trend this year.

The Gonzaga product has tremendous control of his stuff, despite barely hitting 90 with his fastball. He knows how to work the plate and approach the position as a chess match between pitcher and hitter—a characteristic that defines some of baseball’s best.

19. St. Louis Cardinals: Austin Wilson, OF, Stanford

Power-hitting center fielders aren’t as rare as they used to be, but there certainly isn’t a ton to speak of in this class. Austin Wilson is easily the best, and that particular aptitude will likely land him in the top 20.

The Stanford standout has good range and a big arm—both necessities for the position. But given his power and average straight-line speed, it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see Wilson move to right field in the minors.

20. Detroit Tigers: Chris Anderson, RHP, Jacksonville

Another big-armed righty with good velocity, Chris Anderson won’t have a problem finding a home in the first round this year. He needs to add to his pitch variety and develop better command of his mid-90s fastball, but he’s not many years removed from a potential big league career.

21. Tampa Bay Rays: Tim Anderson, SS, East Central CC

Tampa Bay may be looking for a bat or a power arm here, but Tim Anderson may be too good to pass up at No. 21.

Anderson doesn’t have a ton of pop in his bat (typical of prep shortstops), but he does have excellent range and a big arm.

22. Baltimore Orioles: Eric Jagielo, 3B, Notre Dame

Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo is a bit of an in-between prospect. He’s above average defensively for the position and has decent pop in his bat, but he doesn’t fit the mold of your prototypical corner infielder.

That said, there isn’t a lot Jagielo doesn’t do at least in an average fashion, and that’s typically a pretty good indicator of a late-first-round talent.

23. Texas Rangers: Nick Ciuffo, C, Lexington High School (South Carolina)

There are few catchers in this class with a better defensive skill set behind the plate. He doesn’t have a cannon arm, but he does slide and block well and does a good job doing everything you would expect an MLB backstop to do.

Paired with good power and very few glaring holes in his offensive game, Ciuffo is virtually assured a late-second-round selection.

24. Oakland Athletics: Ian Clarkin, LHP, James Madison High School (California)

Larkin has good velocity for a lefty and the breaking stuff you wouldn’t expect from a guy who can hit 93 or 94 on the gun. He may need some mechanical tweaks at the minor league level, but it’s hard to find a lefty with his mix of velocity, command and devastating breaking stuff.

25. San Francisco Giants: Josh Hart, OF, Parkview High School (Georgia)

Athleticism and speed are Josh Hart’s defining characteristics, though he definitely needs work at the plate. He isn’t a bad hitter, but Hart has very little pop to speak of and needs to get better at using his lower body to get into pitches.

Still, his athletic skill set will make the prep product an intriguing center field prospect for teams selecting in the 20s.

26. New York Yankees: Michael Lorenzen, OF, Cal-State Fullerton

The term “projectable” is often used to describe a player who doesn’t excel in any one particular area but has the potential to develop into just about anything given the right coaching. That description fits for Michael Lorenzen.

A product of baseball powerhouse Cal-State Fullerton, the two-way player saw action in the outfield and off the mound, notching 16 saves last season. But given his solid hitting ability and his limited sample size on the rubber, there’s a good chance he ends up in the outfield in the minor and major league ranks.

27. Cincinnati Reds: Phil Bickford, RHP, Oaks Christian High School (California)

Overpowering right-handed pitchers aren’t all that uncommon coming out of the prep ranks. Like many before him, Phil Bickford has velocity in spades, but he lacks the command and breaking stuff to warrant an earlier selection in the first round. He still needs a lot of development in the minor league ranks.

28. St. Louis Cardinals: Travis Demeritte, SS, Winder-Barrow High School (Georgia)

The word “potential” is often frowned upon in the early portion of the first round. Not so in the late-20s, however.

Sometimes projecting future talent is a wise decision at the tail end of the first round. By this point in the draft, surefire big leaguers are few and far between, and Demeritte has as much raw potential as any infielder in this class.

29. Tampa Bay Rays: Sean Manaea, LHP, Indiana State

It wasn’t long ago Sean Manaea was being grouped in with Gray and Appel atop the pitching ranks in this class. But injuries and inconsistency (as well as noticeable drop in velocity last season) may ultimately force the lefty into the latter portion of the first round, far removed from top-five talk.

30. Texas Rangers:  Devin Williams, RHP, Hazelwood High School (Missouri)

By the end of the first round, velocity and command are the two biggest factors that determine which pitchers come off the board. Devin Williams needs to develop a couple off-speed pitches and fix some mechanical flaws, but he has the arm to warrant a pick here.

31. Atlanta Braves: Hunter Harvey, RHP, Bandys High School (North Carolina)

Hunter Harvey has some mechanical flaws that limit his velocity at times, but his delivery has worked for him at the high school level. With a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a big, breaking, two-strike curveball, he has the foundation for a solid professional career. But like many late-first-round picks, he’ll need some development at the minor league level.

32. New York Yankees: Billy McKinney, OF, Plano West Senior High School (Texas)

Billy McKinney doesn’t have a lot of plus tools—save for his hitting ability. He isn’t all that fast and doesn’t possess the strongest arm, but he has the potential to be a .300 hitter with 25-plus home run power at the next level.

33. New York Yankees: Jon Denney, C, Yukon High School (Oklahoma)

Jon Denney may not remain at the catcher position as his career progresses due to his defensive struggles, but he’s a strong hitter with a smooth, compact swing and plenty of power.