2016 MLB Mock Draft: Early Predictions for Top 1st-Round Baseball Prospects

With 10 rounds in the books for the 2015 MLB draft, we figured it's as good a time as any to start looking ahead to the 2016 draft class. Obviously, we don't know the exact order of selection, because the current major league season hasn't even hit the July 13-16 All-Star break as of yet.

However, we can reference the standings as a guide. The draft order in this mock is based on the standings as of the close of play on June 9.

The 2016 draft class is expected to be stacked with power arms, and two of them will likely be the first players taken next June. Just below the table is a look at two of the best pitching prospects and one stud outfielder.

Pick	Team	Player	Pos	Height	Weight	School
1	Philadelphia Phillies	Alec Hansen	RHP	6'7"	235	Oklahoma
2	Milwaukee Brewers	Riley Pint	RHP	6'4"	195	St. Thomas Aquinas High School (KS)
3	Oakland Athletics	Blake Rutherford	OF	6'3"	190	Chaminade College Preparatory (CA)
4	Miami Marlins	Robert Tyler	RHP	6'4"	217	Georgia
5	Seattle Mariners	A.J. Puk	LHP	6'7"	225	Florida
6	Cincinnati Reds	Austin Bergner	RHP	6'4"	195	Windermere Prep (FL)
7	Boston Red Sox	Connor Jones	RHP	6'3"	200	Virginia
8	Arizona Diamondbacks	Nick Banks	OF	6'0"	200	Texas A&M
9	Baltimore Orioles	Chris Okey	C	5'11"	195	Clemson
10	Colorado Rockies	Matt Krook	LHP	6'3"	205	Oregon
11	Cleveland Indians	Jason Groome	LHP	6'6"	180	IMG Academy (FL)
12	Chicago White Sox	Bobby Dalbec	3B	6'4"	219	Arizona
13	Atlanta Braves	Braxton Garrett	LHP	6'3"	190	Florence High School (AL)
14	San Diego Padres	Logan Shore	RHP	6'2"	215	Florida
15	Los Angeles Angels	Jordan Sheffield	RHP	6'0"	185	Vanderbilt
16	Toronto Blue Jays	Dane Dunning	RHP	6'3"	190	Florida
17	Washington Nationals	Willie Abreu	OF	6'4"	225	Miami (FL)
18	New York Mets	Alex Speas	RHP	6'4"	180	McEachern High School (GA)
19	Detroit Tigers	Matt Crohan	LHP	6'4"	200	Winthrop
20	Tampa Bay Rays	Corey Ray	OF	5'11"	185	Louisville
21	Texas Rangers	Cal Quantrill	RHP	6'3"	185	Stanford
22	Pittsburgh Pirates	Wil Crowe	RHP	6'2"	240	South Carolina
23	Chicago Cubs	Brad Debo	C	6'1"	210	Orange High School (NC)
24	San Francisco Giants	Jake Fraley	OF	6'0"	183	LSU
25	Houston Astros	Jared Poche	LHP	6'1"	207	LSU
26	New York Yankees	Drew Mendoza	SS	6'4"	195	Lake Minneola High School (FL)
27	Minnesota Twins	Ryan Boldt	OF	6'2"	212	Nebraska
28	Los Angeles Dodgers	Zach Jackson	RHP	6'4"	215	Arkansas
29	Kansas City Royals	Jeff Belge	LHP	6'4"	235	Henninger High School (NY)
30	St. Louis Cardinals	Nolan Williams	SS	6'1"	190	Home Schooled (KS)

Alec Hansen: 6'7", 235 pounds, RHP, Oklahoma

Of all the highly touted pitchers set to be selected in 2016, none is more impressive than Alec Hansen. The Oklahoma Sooners standout is a rangy 6'7", and per Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs, Hansen can hit 99 mph with his fastball. McDaniel also compared Hansen to the Texas Rangers' 2015 first-round pick, Dillon Tate.

McDaniel said:

"He basically has the same stuff as Dillon Tate (94-97, touch 99 mph, 65 or so slider, 55 or so changeup) but is 6'7" 235 pounds (Tate is 6'1" 190 pounds) and is getting his first extended look as a starter as a sophomore (Tate made his first collegiate start this spring, as a junior)."

Hansen has shown the ability to be a major strikeout pitcher through two years with the Sooners.

Per the Baseball Cube, Hansen fanned 53 in 37 innings pitched over the past two seasons. His ERA during that time is a bit high at 4.14 and his WHIP is even less efficient at 1.70, but he's just 20 years old and has shown steady improvement since his freshman season.

By this time next year, barring any injury setbacks or unexpected slumps, Hansen should have solidified himself as the top prospect in the 2016 draft.

A.J. Puk: 6'7", 225 pounds, LHP, Florida

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

A.J. Puk isn't just a top-notch pitching prospect—he's also solid with the bat. He's believed to have some pop from the left side of the plate, but his future will likely be on the mound. Puk's fastball can hit 98 mph, per FanGraphs, but he hasn't had as much experience on the mound due to his potential as a hitter.

That could wind up being a good thing, as his arm will have likely undergone less wear and tear. In a day and age when pitcher health is such a big concern, a lesser workload could be a plus. 

Puk does come with some character and maturity concerns. In April, he and a teammate were arrested for climbing a crane at a construction site. Yeah, that happened.

It could easily be dismissed as a silly, young-adult stunt, but he'll undoubtedly have to answer some questions about it once he meets with potential suitors.

Blake Rutherford: 6'3", 190 pounds, OF, Chaminade Prep HS (CA)

Of all the hitters I've seen in the 2016 class, Blake Rutherford is the most impressive. As a high schooler, he's already 6'3", 190 pounds. He'll likely fill out to around 210-215 pounds of muscle by the time he's in a team's organization for two or three years.

Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times raved about Rutherford's hitting prowess earlier this year. Sondheimer wrote: "Pitchers are going to have to figure out how to get out junior outfielder Blake Rutherford of Chaminade. He hits fastballs, he hits curveballs, he hits anything."

Rutherford also runs like the wind. He has stolen 22 bases in just 63 games. He also hit .435 as a junior and played a sparkling centerfield. He only hit four home runs, but with his frame, there's reason to believe he has serious power potential, as well.

Teams that miss out on the top arms or covet a hitter more than a hurler will be locked in on Rutherford.