10 Early Flops of the 2015 MLB Draft Class

Mariano Rivera III is just one of the high-profile members of the 2015 MLB draft class who has already learned that playing in the minor leagues can be extremely unforgiving.

While the son of the Sandman has been an early flop in his first summer in the Washington Nationals system, the key word here is "early." After all, in the process of climbing to the bigs, nearly every blue-chip farmhand struggles at some point along the way.

The 10 prospects who populate this list aren't necessarily doomed, they just so happened to hit that rough patch in the first few months since the June 8 draft. Rivera and Tyler Jay are two of the most prominent pitchers who made the cut, but there's also room for an array of position players who simply can't buy a hit.

Bryce Denton, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals

Draft Position: Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round (No. 66 pick)

Age: 18

Current Minor League Level: Rookie League

2015 Stats: 31 G, .174 AVG, .235 OBP, .211 SLG, .446 OPS, 1 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 8 BB, 22 K

What's Gone Wrong

Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round, Bryce Denton couldn't have had his draft-day experience scripted any better.

"They're my favorite team, and I just couldn't see a better opportunity future-wise," Denton told Michael Murphy of the Tennessean.

But Denton has lost the script since taking the field for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals. In 31 games, the 18-year-old is hitting .174 with a .446 OPS.

As you can see in the video above, Denton has a smooth swing and fast hands, but he's demonstrated next to no pop in his first stint as a professional. As a third baseman, hitting for power is part of the job description. In 109 at-bats, Denton has totaled just two extra-base hits (a double and a home run).

Tyler Jay, LHP, Minnesota Twins

Associated Press

Draft Position: Selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round (No. 6 pick)

Age: 21

Current Minor League Level: High-A

2015 Stats: 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 12 G, 11.1 IP, 10 R, 8 ER, 16 H, 6 BB, 14 K

What's Gone Wrong

The No. 6 overall selection in June, Tyler Jay is the highest-drafted player to hit this list.

The Minnesota Twins are taking an aggressive approach with Jay, challenging the lefty by sending him to the High-A Florida State League to begin his career.

"I know it's not an easy road to get to the majors," Jay said, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, after inking a deal with the Twins earlier this summer. "You've got a lot of work to do. So it's just kind of the beginning for me. So I'm just going to keep that mentality."

Unfortunately for Jay, he hasn't been fooling many High-A hitters in his first go-around as a professional. While pitching out of the bullpen, Jay has piled up a 6.35 ERA, and the opposition is swinging at a clip of .314 against him.

One positive sign for Jay is that he's still been producing lots strikeouts, as he's totaled 14 K's in 11.1 frames. 

Kyle Holder, SS, New York Yankees

Draft Position: Selected by the New York Yankees in the first round (No. 30 pick)

Age: 21

Current Minor League Level: Short Season

2015 Stats: 42 G, .193 AVG, .263 OBP, .216 SLG, .479 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 3 SB, 15 BB, 25 K

What's Gone Wrong

Make no mistake about it—Kyle Holder can pick it at shortstop. Just ask Patrick Osborn, his manager with the Staten Island Yankees.

"We've seen the guy play defense. It's pretty special," Osborn told Robert M. Pimpsner of Pinstriped Prospects.

While his glove has stood out, there's been nothing special about his bat. Holder clocks in with a .193 average and just three extra-base hits in 42 games for Staten Island. Holder's quiet start at the plate isn't exactly a surprise.

As Pimpsner noted, New York's decision to draft Holder with the No. 30 overall pick wasn't a popular one because the shortstop had drawn comparisons to current Yankee Brendan Ryan. For his part, Holder is shutting out the noise.

"I don't even look at that stuff," he said. "People say what they want."

The best way to cut out the criticism is for Holder to start delivering at the plate.

Mike Nikorak, RHP, Colorado Rockies

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Draft Position: Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the first round (No. 27 pick)

Age: 18

Current Minor League Level: Rookie League

2015 Stats: 0-2, 11.00 ERA, 4 G, 4 GS, 9 IP, 14 R, 11 ER, 15 H, 1 HR, 12 BB, 6 K

What's Gone Wrong

Mike Nikorak has all sorts of potential. That's why the Colorado Rockies snagged the right-handed pitcher with the No. 27 pick in the 2015 draft and why he already checks in as the No. 96 prospect in the game, per MLB.com.

But in his introduction to the minor leagues, that potential hasn't been translating into results.

The fundamental issue for the 6'5" starter is that he can't find the strike zone. In four starts for the Grand Junction Rockies, Nikorak has dished out 12 free passes in nine innings of work. As a result, the 18-year-old is sporting an 11.00 ERA in the Pioneer League.

Command is often one of the last skills a pitching prospect masters, and the results won't be impressive for Nikorak until he can consistently stay in the zone—even if he has a heater that hits 97 mph on the radar gun, according to MLB.com.

Mitch Hansen, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Draft Position: Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round (No. 67 pick)

Age: 19

Current Minor League Level: Rookie League

2015 Stats: 34 G, .193 AVG, .260 OBP, .269 SLG, .528 OPS, 3 2B, 3 3B, 13 RBI, 4 SB, 10 BB, 41 K

What's Gone Wrong

Billy Gasparino, the Los Angeles Dodgers' director of amateur scouting, has high hopes for Mitch Hansen, the club's second-round pick.

"He's a corner outfielder. He's a five-tool player," Gasparino said, according to Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com. "He's 6'4", more of a lean 195-200. We think he's going to grow and be even bigger."

Gasparino is right. The 19-year-old definitely has some growing to do. While playing for the Arizona League Dodgers, the left-handed hitter has posted a .193 average and collected just six extra-base hits in 34 games.

It's possible that the power will come later for the outfielder. The most troubling part of the season for Hansen is his tendency to swing and miss. In 119 at-bats, Hansen has already piled up 41 punchouts.

Jacob Nix, RHP, San Diego Padres

Draft Position: Selected by the San Diego Padres in the third round (No. 86 pick)

Age: 19

Current Minor League Level: Rookie League

2015 Stats: 0-2, 9.31 ERA, 5 G, GS, 9.2 IP, 13 R, 10 ER, 15 H, 1 HR, 6 BB, 10 K

What's Gone Wrong

Jacob Nix has endured a rough start to his life as a professional pitcher. Selected by the San Diego Padres in the third round of this year's draft, Nix has served up 15 hits in 9.2 innings of work during his first five outings for the club's Arizona Rookie League squad.

Nix is the owner of an unsightly 9.31 ERA, but he has the maturity to overcome his early struggles in the low minors.

Last year, the Houston Astros drafted Nix in the fifth round and planned to sign him to an over-slot deal for $1.5 million, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today explained. But Houston had to pull that offer after the Brady Aiken fiasco resulted in the team no longer having extra funds available.

Nix dealt with the bad news with aplomb, and he headed off to the IMG Academy to improve his game.

"Last year, to be quite honest, I didn't know how to pitch," Nix told Nightengale. "I just threw hard. That was the best part of my down time, learning how to pitch."

Based on the off-field mess that Nix has already navigated, there's good reason to think he'll turn around his slow start for the Pads.

Blake Perkins, OF, Washington Nationals

Draft Position: Selected by the Washington Nationals in the second round (No. 69 pick)

Age: 18

Current Minor League Level: Rookie League

2015 Stats: 38 G, .221 AVG, .290 OBP, .287 SLG, .577 OPS, 5 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 4 SB, 12 BB, 26 K

What's Gone Wrong

Blake Perkins' transition to the professional ranks has been anything but seamless.

The Washington Nationals nabbed the athletic outfielder in the second round after he enjoyed a monster senior season at Verrado High School in Arizona. As Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post noted, Perkins posted a .461 average and .966 slugging percentage.

Meanwhile, in his first season in the Nats minor league system, Perkins is sporting a .221 average and a .287 slugging percentage.

According to Janes, scouting director Kris Kline said Perkins has the potential to become as good as Austin Jackson, the current center fielder for the Seattle Mariners. The potential might be there, but Perkins has plenty of work ahead of him before he can even think about reaching Jackson's level.

Jon Harris, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

Draft Position: Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (No. 29 pick)

Age: 21

Current Minor League Level: Low-A

2015 Stats: 0-3, 5.74 ERA, 9 G, 8 GS, 26.2 IP, 19 R, 17 ER, 32 H, 1 HR, 17 BB, 24 K

What's Gone Wrong

As Jon Harris has already learned, there's a big difference between the Missouri Valley Conference and the Northwest League.

During his junior season at Missouri State, the right-hander reeled off a 2.45 ERA and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings, prompting the Toronto Blue Jays to tab him with the No. 29 pick in the draft. While pitching for the Blue Jays' Low-A affiliate, Harris hasn't come close to matching his lofty collegiate numbers.

In his first nine outings for the Vancouver Canadians, Harris has recorded a 0-3 record with a 5.74 ERA. Harris has been pitching out of the stretch all summer, as he's allowed 32 hits and handed out 17 walks in 26.2 innings.

While his early results have been underwhelming, the 21-year-old has actually moved up on Toronto's list of top prospects. With the departures of Jeff Hoffman and Daniel Norris in summer blockbusters, Harris is now the No. 1-rated pitcher in the farm system and the team's No. 2 overall prospect (behind Dalton Pompey), according to MLB.com.

Kevin Newman, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates

Draft Position: Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round (No. 19 pick)

Age: 22

Current Minor League Level: Single-A

2015 Stats: 41 G, .221 AVG, .280 OBP, .326 SLG, .605 OPS, 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 7 SB, 11 BB, 24 K

What's Gone Wrong

Kevin Newman's first summer in the minors hasn't been a total bust, as the shortstop has clubbed 10 doubles in 41 games. Still, his overall numbers—especially his .221 average—are underwhelming, considering his impressive resume.

Newman was a .337 hitter in three seasons at the University of Arizona, and he became the first player to snag the Cape Cod League batting title in back-to-back seasons, as noted by Chuck McGill of the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Even though Newman hasn't lived up to the hype, Brian Esposito, his manager with the West Virginia Power, isn't pressing the panic button yet.

“It’s a small sample size so far,” Esposito told McGill. “This is all new to the kid. You’ve got a lot of emotions going into it, and you’re trying to impress. There’s a lot of things going on in his mind right now, but from the looks of it, he fits right in with our clubhouse."

Newman's track record suggests he should be fitting right in at the plate in short order.

Mariano Rivera III, RHP, Washington Nationals

Draft Position: Selected by the Washington Nationals in the fourth round (No. 134 pick)

Age: 21

Current Minor League Level: Short Season

2015 Stats: 0-1, 6.55 ERA, 11 G, 3 GS, 22 IP, 23 R, 16 ER, 39 H, 1 HR, 2 BB, 17 K

What's Gone Wrong

After spending nearly all of his time as a starter at Iona College, Mariano Rivera III has been pitching primarily in relief in his first season in the Washington Nationals' minor league setup.

When the son of the New York Yankees' legendary closer first took the mound for the Auburn Doubledays back on June 23, the stadium staff played his dad's old intro song "Enter Sandman."

"I knew they were going to try to mess around with me, so I was almost anticipating [the song], but I didn't think they would do it," Rivera told Kelsie Heneghan of MiLB.com. "But they did it, and it's their way of having fun."

Rivera has locked up three saves in three tries for the Doubledays, but he's been far from perfect in the New York-Penn League. The most alarming part of Rivera's stat line isn't that he's compiled a 6.55 ERA, but rather he's given up 39 hits in 22 frames.

So far, the opposition has swung at a clip of .351 against the 21-year-old.

Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, MiLB.com and TheBaseballCube.com. All videos courtesy of YouTube.

If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.