MLB Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Predictions for Most Coveted Baseball Prospects

The 2015 MLB draft is set to kick off Monday as teams attempt to hunt down prospects who can become franchise cornerstones. That's a tricky task in any league but especially in baseball, where most of the players drafted are still years away from making an impact in the big leagues.

While this year's class doesn't feature a standout No. 1 overall prospect, it does have a good amount of depth, especially on the pitching side. That's good news for teams drafting outside the top 10, as they should still get a promising prospect to add to their system.

With that in mind, let's check out one possible draft scenario with a mock draft of the first round.

Round 1 Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Arizona Diamondbacks	Dansby Swanson, SS, Vanderbilt
2	Houston Astros	Dillon Tate, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
3	Colorado Rockies	Brendan Rodgers, SS, Lake Mary HS (Fla.)
4	Texas Rangers	Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt
5	Houston Astros	Kyle Tucker, OF, Plant HS (Fla.)
6	Minnesota Twins	Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Louisville
7	Boston Red Sox	Trenton Clark, OF, Richland HS (Texas)
8	Chicago White Sox	Alex Bregman, SS, LSU
9	Chicago Cubs	Jon Harris, RHP, Missouri State
10	Philadelphia Phillies	Walker Buehler, RHP, Vanderbilt
11	Cincinnati Reds	Daz Cameron, OF, Eagle's Landing Christian Acad. (Ga.)
12	Miami Marlins	Tyler Jay, LHP, Illinois
13	Tampa Bay Rays	Ashe Russell, RHP, Cathedral HS (Ind.)
14	Atlanta Braves	Andrew Benintendi, OF, Arkansas
15	Milwaukee Brewers	Mike Nikorak, RHP, Stroudsburg HS (Pa.)
16	New York Yankees	Kolby Allard, LHP, San Clemente HS (Calif.)
17	Cleveland Indians	Cornelius Randolph, SS, Griffin HS (Ga.)
18	San Francisco Giants	Ian Happ, OF, Cincinnati
19	Pittsburgh Pirates	Tyler Stephenson, C, Kennesaw Mountain HS (Ga.)
20	Oakland Athletics	Garrett Whitley, OF, Niskayuna HS (N.Y.)
21	Kansas City Royals	Cody Ponce, RHP, Cal Poly Pomona
22	Detroit Tigers	Justin Hooper, LHP, De La Salle HS (Calif.)
23	St. Louis Cardinals	Phil Bickford, RHP, CC of Southern Nevada
24	Los Angeles Dodgers	Chris Betts, C, Wilson HS (Calif.)
25	Baltimore Orioles	Donny Everett, RHP, Clarksville HS (Tenn.)
26	Los Angeles Angels	James Kaprielian, RHP, UCLA

As mentioned, this is a draft class with plenty of pitching depth. There are a lot of talented arms available, and not much separates them at this stage of their careers. It comes down to projecting which ones are the best long-term bets.

One facet of that debate is whether it's better to go with a college prospect who has more seasoning or a high school star with more upside. Front offices either make the right decision and get a potential ace or guess wrong and end up with a player who may never reach the majors.

Let's examine the first three pitchers off the board in this mock draft.

Top Pitching Prospects

2. Houston Astros: Dillon Tate, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

Tate possesses a terrific arm that can touch the upper 90s with his fastball. His slider is also a plus pitch capable of putting a lot of hitters away. The question is whether his changeup can make enough progress for him to become a top-end starter.

It really takes three pitches to have consistent success as a starter in the big leagues. His changeup doesn't have to become a vital piece of his arsenal, but it must be present to keep hitters honest. It's surely something his new organization will have him work on extensively over the next few years.

While he's not afraid to attack the strike zone, his command still needs some work. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic notes the right-hander also carries himself well on the mound, which is something he's worked on.

"I'm just a really quiet person (off the field)," Tate said. "You kind of have to change it up when you're playing in a big game. That's what kind of protects you up on the mound—the confidence and intensity and authority when you're up there. You don't want to get pushed around by anyone."

The Astros already feature a strong system led by prized shortstop Carlos Correa, recently called up to the majors. Adding Tate would be another key step for a team that decided to accept some losing seasons to do a full rebuild. It's an effort that's going to pay off in the long run.

4. Texas Rangers: Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt

Fulmer was a crucial stabilizing force for Vanderbilt each of the past two seasons. He's another pitcher with an outstanding fastball and can work off that with a curveball or changeup. He needs to become more consistent with those secondary offerings, though.

One thing that stands out about him is his unique, compact delivery. It's something that can catch hitters off guard if they haven't seen him before. He's been able to repeat it, and it doesn't put any extra stress on his arm, so the style shouldn't impact his stock.

He's on the small side and could benefit from bulking up a bit to better handle the wear and tear that comes with pitching an MLB season. That said, Aaron Fitt of D1Baseball.com explained what you're going to get when he's clicking on all cylinders:

The Rangers could use some fast-tracked rotation help. While Fulmer won't be able to help right away, he's as close to MLB-ready as any starting prospect in the class. That's an advantage in a class where the margin between the top pitchers is small.

6. Minnesota Twins: Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Louisville

Funkhouser is a perfect example of the close nature of the draft class. His stock has risen and fallen with the tides over the past year. He's a streaky pitcher, and, in turn, his stock has at times pushed toward the top five while also sometimes slipping toward the back half of Round 1.

He may have the most well-rounded group of pitches at this stage. What he hasn't showcased is one dominant pitch, whether it be the fastball or an off-speed offering, that he can go to in key spots. That's vital as he begins to climb toward the majors.

That said, he's still got plenty of upside. If a team feels it can help him become a little more consistent, he definitely has top-10 value. Jared Stillman of ESPN Nashville remains bullish about the starter's long-term potential:

The Twins are enjoying solid seasons from the likes of Mike Pelfrey and Kyle Gibson. Whether their success is sustainable over the long haul with such low strikeout rates is up for debate. Adding a piece like Funkhouser, who can help a couple of years down the line, would be a wise move.