2017 MLB Mock Draft: Predictions for This Year's Elite Prospects

The 2017 Major League Baseball draft is about providing hope to all 30 teams for the future, even though a lot of them are also focused on the present and trying to make a playoff push in 2017. 

Having the draft take place midway through the season does offer fans a chance to see what direction the farm system will be heading. There are going to be many changes to the prospect pipeline before many of these players arrive in the big leagues, but that feeling of hope is what makes this event so unique. 

As part of our latest mock draft, here are the predictions for what to expect in the first round on June 12. 

2017 MLB Mock Draft

1. Minnesota Twins: Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt

2. Cincinnati Reds: Hunter Greene, RHP/SS, Notre Dame HS (CA)

3. San Diego Padres: Royce Lewis, SS/OF, JSerra Catholic HS (CA)

4. Tampa Bay Rays: Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Louisville

5. Atlanta Braves: MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Whiteville HS (NC)

6. Oakland Athletics: Austin Beck, OF, North Davidson HS (NC)

7. Arizona Diamondbacks: Pavin Smith, 1B, Virginia

8. Philadelphia Phillies: Adam Haseley, OF, Virginia

9. Milwaukee Brewers: Jordon Adell, OF, Ballard HS (KY)

10. Los Angeles Angels: Griffin Canning, RHP, UCLA

11. Chicago White Sox: Jeren Kendall, OF, Vanderbilt

12. Pittsburgh Pirates: Shane Baz, RHP, Concordia Lutheran HS (TX)

13. Miami Marlins: David Peterson, LHP, Oregon

14. Kansas City Royals: Trevor Rogers, LHP, Carlsbad HS (NM)

15. Houston Astros: J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, North Carolina

16. New York Yankees: D.L. Hall, LHP, Valdosta HS (GA)

17. Seattle Mariners: Jake Burger, 3B, Missouri State

18. Detroit Tigers: Alex Faedo, RHP, Florida

19. San Francisco Giants: Evan White, 1B, Kentucky

20. New York Mets: Nate Pearson, RHP, Central Florida Junior College

21. Baltimore Orioles: Logan Warmoth, SS, North Carolina

22. Toronto Blue Jays: Keston Hiura, 2B/OF, UC Irvine

23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Bubba Thompson, OF, McGill-Toolen HS (AL)

24. Boston Red Sox: Seth Romero, LHP, Houston

25. Washington Nationals: Alex Lange, RHP, LSU

26. Texas Rangers: Tanner Houck, RHP, Missouri

27. Chicago Cubs: Nick Allen, SS, Parker HS (CA)

28. Toronto Blue Jays: Matt Sauer, RHP, Righetti HS (CA)

29. Texas Rangers: Hans Crouse, RHP, Dana Hills HS (CA)

30. Chicago Cubs: Sam Carlson, RHP, Burnsville HS (CA)

Top Pick: Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Notre Dame High School right-handed pitcher/shortstop Hunter Greene is generally regarded as the best player in the 2017 class, ranking No. 1 on MLB.com's top 200 list. 

Despite Greene's lofty status, the Minnesota Twins don't appear likely to make history by making him the first right-handed high school pitcher to be taken No. 1 overall. 

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo projects the Twins to take Vanderbilt righty Kyle Wright with the first pick, though he also notes there are multiple players still in play. 

"The Twins continue to look at a number of candidates, with Wright seeming to be the front-runner among those handicapping from behind," Mayo wrote. "[Greene], Brendan McKay, Royce Lewis, MacKenzie Gore and Pavin Smith are all still in the conversation."

The Twins could be skittish about drafting a prep pitcher with such a high pick since their last one hasn't worked out well. Kohl Stewart, who went fourth overall in 2013, walked 63 hitters in 143.2 innings last year and is currently on the disabled list in Double-A. 

Fairly or not, Minnesota may want to go a safer route with the top pick. That's not to say Wright isn't worthy of his spot as a potential No. 1 player. The Vanderbilt star has a workhorse frame at 6'4" and 220 pounds, per the school's athletic website, with a fastball that will touch 97 mph. 

There's still a lot of evaluation to be done by Minnesota's scouting department over the next two days, but Wright appears to be the name to beat for the first pick. 

Top Talent: Hunter Greene, RHP/SS, Notre Dame HS (CA)

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With Wright off the board at No. 1, the Cincinnati Reds have the luxury of taking the best overall player in the draft at No. 2. 

Greene has garnered more mainstream press than a typical top pick in the MLB draft. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in April, with Lee Jenkins writing a dazzling profile of why the California prep star can be the star the sport needs:

"Greene is African-American, arriving at a time when baseball grapples with a dearth of African-American players. At six he started wearing Jackie Robinson's number 42. At seven he talked with Dan Rather for a piece on AXS-TV about race and his chosen sport. At 13 he won an essay-writing contest that earned him a meeting with Robinson's daughter, Sharon."

One team official told Jenkins trying to figure out how best to deploy Greene on the field, as a pitcher or shortstop, is its own kind of dilemma.

"It's a no-brainer, right?" says the official. "The guy sits in the upper 90s, throws breaking balls for strikes and fields the position like no other. He's pick-and-play. That's the conventional thinking. But I just don't know if this is the time for conventional thinking. What if Hunter Greene is the freak?"

It will be hard to resist the temptation to put Greene on the mound. In April, ESPN's Keith Law noted during Greene's final game as a pitcher this season that he "didn't get a fastball reading under 94 in his seven innings of work."

For a 17-year-old to hold that kind of velocity over seven innings speaks volumes about his arm talent and conditioning. Greene is also a tremendous athlete, as would be expected for a player with the potential to play shortstop in pro ball. 

Draft-Day Question Mark: Keston Hiura, 2B/OF, UC Irvine

In a draft that does have some intriguing college hitters at the top, including Louisville's Brendan McKay and Virginia's Pavin Smith, UC Irvine's Keston Hiura could be a bargain for teams late in the first round. 

There's a notable drawback for any team interested in Hiura. He's had a lingering elbow injury that limited him to DH duty most of the season, though he was able to play in all 56 games for UC Irvine and hit a robust .442/.567/.693. 

MLB.com's scouting report noted there are some area scouts who think Hiura will eventually need Tommy John surgery, but it also offers this word on his hitting skills:

"Hiura has hit everywhere he's been, including all three years at Irvine and a strong performance for Team USA this past summer. He has a short stroke with a ton of bat speed. There's been a little more swing and miss to his game this spring, perhaps pressing a tiny bit trying to show how good of a hitter he is to offset any defensive concerns. Even so, he's hit for a high average and shows at least average in-game power, with the ball coming off of his bat differently than most."

Hiura is a difficult player to pin down because of his elbow problem and lack of a true defensive position. The good news for him is his offensive capability will make it so a team finds a spot for him because hitters will always be in the lineup. 

Even if Hiura ends up missing a large chunk of time due to surgery, it's different trying to come back as a hitter than a pitcher. He will need to make up that lost development time, but the upside as a potential late first-round pick will make him worth the risk.