2016 MLB Draft Prospects: Ranking the Top Sleeper at Every Position

The 2016 MLB draft is rapidly approaching, as the three-day event begins on June 9.

There's been plenty of talk about who the Philadelphia Phillies might grab with the No. 1 overall pick, and most baseball fans are well-acquainted with this year's crop of projected first-round picks, but there's a full 40 rounds worth of picks to be made.

Hitting on your first-round selection is paramount, but finding value in the rounds to come is equally important as teams look to bolster their farm system with the next late-round steal.

What follows is a look at one sleeper at each position in this year's draft class, with the focus being on players who likely won't be selected in the first round but are capable of making a first-round impact down the line.

Included along with the specifics for each prospect is a look at where they rank among the Baseball America Top 500.

Catcher

Mark Ylen/Associated Press

Player: Logan Ice

DOB: May 27, 1995 (Age: 20)

Height/Weight: 5'11", 191 lbs

Bats/Throws: S/R

School: Oregon State

Previously Drafted: Never

BA Top 500 Rank: 67

Prospect Overview

One of the 15 finalists for the Johnny Bench Award, which goes to the top college catcher in the nation, Logan Ice has boosted his draft stock considerably with a strong junior season.

Baseball America offered the following scouting report:

"

A switch-hitter, Ice has athleticism and agility for the position in his compact 5-foot-11, 191-pound frame and a short swing from both sides. He's learned his strike zone, draws walks and barrels up pitches that catch too much of the plate.

He battles pitchers at the plate, then helps them behind it, blocking balls well, improving his receiving and adding quickness to his transfer, helping his average arm produce pop times right around 2.0 seconds. He’s accurate as well and had thrown out 48 percent of opposing base stealers over three seasons.

"

The Oregon State starter as a true freshman posted a .673 OPS in his debut with the Beavers and raised that to .793 as a sophomore.

After holding his own in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, he's broken out in a big way this season with a .335/.459/.614 line that includes 13 doubles, five triples, seven home runs, 39 RBI and 41 runs scored.

He's also improved his receiving skills considerably, and unlike top college catchers Zack Collins (Miami) and Matt Thaiss (Virginia)—who are expected to go in the first round—there's no question whether Ice will stick behind the plate as a pro.

College backstops are always in demand, and Ice could wind up being a steal if he slips out of the first couple of rounds.

First Baseman

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Player: Carmen Benedetti

DOB: Oct. 29, 1994 (Age: 21)

Height/Weight: 6'2", 225 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/L

School: Michigan

Previously Drafted: Never

BA Top 500 Rank: 248

Prospect Overview

A preseason first-team All-American at first base, Carmen Benedetti entered his junior season as one of the best two-way players in the nation and top prospects in the Big Ten Conference.

As a sophomore, Benedetti hit .352/.418/.541 with 25 doubles, five home runs and 71 RBI, with more walks (28) than strikeouts (22).

He also made 18 appearances out of the back of the bullpen, saving three games and posting a 1.84 ERA, 1.159 WHIP and 14.1 K/9.

Here's what BaseballDraftReport.com had to say about Benedetti:

"

I’ve likened him to Brian Johnson more than once, and I think he’s shown enough as a position player to get a shot in the field first.

The raw power might not scream slam dunk future big league regular at first base, but the overall offensive and defensive profile could make him an above-average regular for a long time.

"

It's been much of the same from Benedetti this spring, which is both a good and a bad thing.

He's hit .332/.472/.500 with 18 doubles and 32 RBI at the plate, while posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.227 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 in 16 appearances out of the bullpen.

However, he's hit just three home runs and a lack of power from a player who will be limited to first base or right field hurts his value. He's a polished hitter, though, and one who has a chance to surprise at the next level.

Second Baseman

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Player: Carlos Cortes

DOB: June 30, 1997 (Age: 18)

Height/Weight: 5'8", 185 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/S

School: Lake Howell High School (Florida)

College Commitment: South Carolina

BA Top 500 Rank: 126

Prospect Overview

Forrest Wall went No. 35 overall in the 2014 draft despite being a high school bat limited to second base defensively.

Carlos Cortes won't go quite that high, but he has a chance to surprise some people despite his own defensive limitations.

Interestingly enough, Cortes attends Lake Howell High School, which is roughly 10 miles east of Orangewood Christian, where Wall attended.

Cortes has spent some time behind the plate and in left field, the latter of which could wind up being his position as a pro if he doesn't continue to improve with the glove at second, but regardless it's his bat that will carry him.

Here's what MLB.com had to say about Cortes:

"

Cortes might be the best high school hitter in the state of Florida. He consistently barrels the ball up, doing so against top notch competition over the summer as well as during his senior season. He has surprising pop considering his 5-foot-8 frame. That frame is fairly thick, however, and Cortes doesn't run particularly well.

He may not have the range or the hands to stick at second base, the position he plays more often than not. He has seen time in the outfield and he's also been giving catching a try to try and find a defensive home.

"

Despite his below-average measurables and lack of a clear-cut position, Cortes has succeeded against high-level competition on the showcase circuit.

He's someone who could easily outperform his draft position if he does in fact fall out of the first two rounds.

Third Baseman

Brian Brownfield/Menlo Athletics

Player: Lucas Erceg

DOB: May 1, 1995 (Age: 21)

Height/Weight: 6'2", 200 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/R

School: Menlo College

Previously Drafted: Never

BA Top 500 Rank: 76

Prospect Overview

After seeing limited action as a freshman at the University of California, Lucas Erceg was one of the breakout college bats of 2015.

He posted a .303/.357/.502 line with 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 42 RBI to earn All-Pac-12 first-team honors and put himself squarely on the MLB draft radar.

However, academic issues left him ineligible for his junior season and he was transferred to Menlo College as a result.

Playing against lower-level competition made it harder to evaluate Erceg this spring, but he's shown enough offensive potential that he could wind up being one of the top hitters in this class when all is said and done.

MLB.com provided this scouting profile:

"

The left-handed hitter reminds some of a young Chase Utley in terms of body type. There is some pop in his bat as he reached double-digits in home runs as a sophomore and had easily surpassed that with Menlo in 2016.

At times, he's looked like a middle of the order corner bat, while there are other instances where he hasn't been as consistent and figuring out how his bat will play is more difficult while watching him against NAIA competition. He is athletic and should be able to stay at third, with a strong arm that fires 93-94 mph fastballs as Menlo's closer.

"

Erceg is hitting .308/.351/.639 with 15 doubles, 20 home runs and 56 RBI in 227 at-bats this spring at Menlo, and he should be the first NAIA player off the board.

However, he could have potentially set himself up to be a first-round pick with another strong season at Cal, so consider him to be a bit under the radar at this point.

Shortstop

Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

Player: CJ Chatham

DOB: Dec. 22, 1994 (Age: 21)

Height/Weight: 6'4", 185 lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: Florida Atlantic

Previously Drafted: Never

BA Top 500 Rank: 109

Prospect Overview

Five college shortstops were selected in the first round last June.

Dansby Swanson (Vanderbilt) and Alex Bregman (LSU) were the first two players off the board, followed by Kevin Newman (Arizona, No. 19 overall), Richie Martin (Florida, No. 20 overall) and Kyle Holder (San Diego, No. 30 overall).

This year, the college middle infield crop is significantly weaker, especially if likely top-10 pick Nick Senzel winds up moving to third base as a pro.

University of San Diego junior Bryson Brigman is the only other college shortstop ranked inside the top 100 by Baseball America at No. 81, and most view him as a second baseman at the next level.

So that leaves us with rarely mentioned CJ Chatham as perhaps the top college shortstop in the nation who actually profiles to stay at the position long term.

MLB.com confirmed as much in its scouting report:

"

There is a group of college middle infielders, all more or less in the same area on Draft boards. Most look destined for a move to the right side of second base. Chatham, enjoying a stellar year at Florida Atlantic, is one who should be able to stay at shortstop.

At the plate, Chatham has a limited profile. He makes consistent contact and has a solid approach, but doesn't have more than occasional doubles power. He's an average runner who isn't a base-stealing threat, but moves well enough to have solid range at the premium position, even with his 6-foot-4 frame. He has enough arm to stay at short long-term as well.

"

Chatham was a preseason third-team All-American after hitting .335/.361/.496 as a sophomore at Florida Atlantic, and he's backed it up with an even better junior season.

He's currently batting .373/.439/.578 and leading the nationally ranked Owls in hits (84), doubles (17), triples (four) and runs scored (47), while ranking second in home runs (seven) and RBI (47).

Outfielder

Credit: David McGregor

Player: Brandon Marsh

DOB: Dec. 18, 1997 (Age: 18)

Height/Weight: 6'4", 210 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/R

School: Buford High School (Georgia)

College Commitment: Kennesaw State

BA Top 500 Rank: 59

Prospect Overview

Brandon Marsh has as much helium as any high school prospect in the nation, so his days of qualifying as a sleeper may be quickly coming to an end.

In fact, Baseball America mentioned him as someone the Texas Rangers could be targeting with the No. 30 overall pick in the first round in its latest mock draft.

For now, though, he's still not getting as much attention as fellow prep outfielders like Mickey Moniak, Blake Rutherford and Alex Kirilloff, who all look like locks for the first round.

Here's what Baseball America had to say about Marsh while moving him up to the No. 59 spot in the last draft prospect rankings:

"

His measurable tools are loud; he is a plus runner with a bazooka for an arm. Some evaluators are all in on Marsh, believing in his ability to hit. He has line drive ability, and is content to line the ball into the gaps and allow his speed to play around the basepaths.

The way the ball comes off his bat leads some scouts to project power in his future thanks in part to a physical 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame and present strength from a player who was a strong football player at Buford High. Some evaluators compare him to Colby Rasmus, a similarly tooled up left-handed-hitting outfielder Georgia’s prep ranks.

"

If he slips out of the first round, he has a chance to be the biggest steal of the draft.

Right-Handed Pitcher

Player: Matthias Dietz

DOB: Sept. 30, 1995 (Age: 20)

Height/Weight: 6'6", 220 lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: John A. Logan College (Illinois)

Previously Drafted: 2015 (29th round, SF)

College Commitment: TCU

BA Top 500 Rank: 96

Prospect Overview

Unlike Phil Bickford last year and Tim Anderson in 2013, right-hander Matthias Dietz is not getting much national attention despite being the consensus top JUCO player in this year's draft class.

That could be due to the fact that his emergence as a legitimate Day 1 prospect has come as something of a surprise after an offseason growth spurt.

Baseball America went into detail in its predraft scouting report:

"

Dietz was already a big right-hander as a freshman at Logan, but when Dietz returned for fall ball before his sophomore season he had grown an inch and a half and added 10-15 pounds of good weight. The growth spurt turned an intriguing arm into a dominant one, as Dietz went from sitting 91-93 mph to 91-96.

The increased arm speed has also helped sharpen Dietz's slider and his changeup has improved as well-he ranked among national junior college leaders in strikeouts and wins. Both his secondary offerings need continued refinement, but his slider has a chance to be at least average.

"

Dietz was 4-4 with a 3.13 ERA, 1.244 WHIP and 8.2 K/9 in six starts and nine relief appearances as a freshman at John A. Logan College, and he was taken in the 29th round by the San Francisco Giants last June, more for his projectability than his on-field results.

As you would expect, his uptick in stuff has led to significantly better results this spring.

He's gone 12-1 with a 1.22 ERA, 0.747 WHIP and a 11/117 BB/K ratio in 103 innings of work, and as he continues to refine his improved stuff he should keep trending upward.

Left-Handed Pitcher

Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Player: Ben Bowden

DOB: Oct. 21, 1994 (Age: 21)

Height/Weight: 6'4", 225 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/L

School: Vanderbilt

Previously Drafted: Never

BA Top 500 Rank: 78

Prospect Overview

It's not often that a Vanderbilt pitcher flies under the radar, but left-hander Ben Bowden has managed to do just that while being overshadowed by teammate Jordan Sheffield.

After throwing just 10.1 innings as a freshman, he became an integral part of the team's bullpen last year when he made 26 appearances, saved two games and posted a 2.89 ERA, 1.232 WHIP and 11.8 K/9.

He followed that up with a dominant performance in the Cape Cod Baseball League, as he tossed 17.1 scoreless innings and allowed just five hits and eight walks while striking out 31.

Bowden's scouting report, courtesy of Baseball America:

"

Well-built, physically-imposing left handers don't exactly grow on trees, and there aren't too many of them out there with the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Bowden's deep track record and potent three-pitch repertoire.

His fastball sits at 93-94 and he shows promise with his changeup and slider, with some scouts grading his slider as a plus pitch. Bowden began this season in Vanderbilt’s weekend rotation, but his stuff was not as sharp in that role, with his heater checking in at 90-92, though evaluators aren't sure whether that was a result of him not being able to handle a starter's workload or if he simply wasn't in mid-season form yet.

"

Bowden pitched to a 4.68 ERA with 10.8 K/9 in five starts to begin his junior season, before returning to the bullpen, where he's since saved 10 games with a 2.02 ERA and 14.1 K/9 in 18 appearances.

His potential as a starter makes him one of the most intriguing arms of the class, while his floor as a late-inning reliever also makes him one of the safest picks of 2016.

Sheffield will be the first Vanderbilt arm off the board, but don't be surprised if Bowden beats him to the majors and carves out a terrific MLB career in his own right.

All college stats courtesy of The Baseball Cube or NJCAA.org, unless otherwise noted, and current through Sunday, May 22.