THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Draft  | Mock Draft | 5/23/2019

2019 MLB Mock Draft Version 3

Photo: Adley Rutschman (Scobel Wiggins)

Mock Draft Version 1 | Mock Draft Version 2 MLB Draft Preview Index

Our third projection of the 2019 MLB Draft, Brian Sakowski and Vinnie Cervino alternate picks once again combining player-to-team rumors as well as making educated pairings based on team preferences and recent drafting history among other factors.


1. Baltimore Orioles | Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State
The usual whispers surround the 1:1 pick as we get close to the draft, with rumors of potential underslots and the like. It’s still believed that the pick will be Rutschman, who has the makings of a franchise-cornerstone type of catcher.


2. Kansas City Royals | Bobby Witt Jr, SS, Colleyville Heritage HS (Texas)
Nothing has changed with the Royals mindset as they’re all locked in on Bobby Witt Jr should everything shake out as it’s predicted with Baltimore. Should the Orioles decide to go a different route than picking Rutschman then there’s reason to believe that Kansas City would have a much more difficult selection.


3. Chicago White Sox | CJ Abrams, ss, Blessed Trinity HS (Ga.)
Nothing is decided yet in most war rooms across the country, and this pick surely isn’t settled yet either, but some recent chatter states that the Sox are thinking heavily about Abrams here over presumed favorite Andrew Vaughn.


4. Miami Marlins | JJ Bleday, OF, Vanderbilt
The Miami Marlins scouting department have been all over the SEC Player of the Year as even Derek Jeter himself has been in to see the lefthanded slugger. Miami’s new scouting director DJ Svihlik coached at Vanderbilt before arriving in Miami and coached Bleday; CJ Abrams and Riley Greene would also be in play here.



5. Detroit Tigers | Andrew Vaughn, 1b, California
The Tigers are on bats, seemingly with a preference of the college bat variety. They’re believed to be high on Bleday and Vaughn along with Riley Greene, and in this scenario would likely be ecstatic if Vaughn were to fall, as he’s the top college bat in the class.
 

6. San Diego Padres | Riley Greene, OF, Hagerty HS (Fla.)
Greene is the best prep bat in the class and AJ Preller has demonstrated how much he loves upside prep picks with the Padres’ first-round selections. Greene has undeniable upside with the legitimate possibility for a plus hit tool and game power. This would also be the floor for Georgia prep shortstop CJ Abrams at this point.


7. Cincinnati Reds | Nick Lodolo, LHP, TCU
The Reds seem to have a preference for arms at this pick, provided something crazy doesn’t happen ahead of them. While the college pitching crop has jockeyed back and forth for the top spot, TCU’s Lodolo seems to have the edge there right now.



8. Texas Rangers | Hunter Bishop, OF, Arizona State
Texas is another team that loves athleticism and the pick remains the same with the Rangers grabbing Bishop at No. 8. The Rangers would love to see Abrams get to them though it’s extremely unlikely at this point and Corbin Carroll would be in play here too. Some teams below this are in on Bishop as well including the Braves at No. 9.



9. Atlanta Braves | Shea Langeliers, c, Baylor
Langeliers’ draft stock has seemingly bounced all the way back up to where it was in the preseason, as he’s established that he’s healthy after a hand injury early on. The Braves seem to be tied mostly to bats, but with Bishop gone this may be the guy for them.

 

10. San Francisco Giants | Bryson Stott, SS, UNLV
Stott has kept his stock steadily afloat and the Giants have identified the UNLV shortstop as one of their targets at 10. If the Giants were looking to go another route besides Storr they would be looking at college arms and would likely have their choice between Alek Manoah, Jackson Rutledge, Zack Thompson and George Kirby.



11. Toronto Blue Jays | Jackson Rutledge, rhp, San Jacinto (JC)
The Blue Jays are believed to prefer arms at this spot, and they’d have their pick with the exception of Lodolo in this scenario. They did pretty well with a gigantic JUCO righthander with triple-digit heat a few years ago in Nate Pearson, so why not go back to that well here with Jackson Rutledge?



12. New York Mets | Alek Manoah, RHP, West Vrginia
There’s a chance that Manoah goes in the top 10 but we have the Mets taking one of the top college arms on the board. If the Mets don’t decide to go pitching here they’ve been all over prep outfielder Corbin Carroll and he could be a fit here at 12.


13. Minnesota Twins | Zack Thompson, LHP, Kentucky
The Twins are seemingly known to prefer college pitching, and in this projection they get one of the best in the country in Thompson, who some even may prefer to the rest of the pitching class in 2019.



14. Philadelphia Phillies | Gunnar Henderson, SS, John T Morgan Academy (Ala.)
Henderson is an athletic prospect who’s been steadily rising throughout the spring and the Phillies have been heavily scouting Henderson. With multiple front office and directors in to see him, Henderson is likely to be in play in the teens and the Phillies are enamored with him.



15. Los Angeles Angels | Matthew Allan, rhp, Seminole HS (Fla.)
The Angels haven’t shied away from high-upside prep talent in recent years, taking Jordyn Adams and Jordon Adell in back-to-back years, and they can get another premium talent in Allan here, considered by many to be the top prep arm in the class.



16. Arizona Diamondbacks | Corbin Carroll, OF, Lakeside HS (Wash.)
There’s a good chance that Carroll is gone before this but the Diamondbacks are going to be able to potentially overslot Carroll at 16 with their large bonus pool. They’re going to be creative with their picks and will likely take a mix of high-end prep talent on Day 1.



17. Washington Nationals | George Kirby, rhp, Elon
Kirby’s range seems to be somewhat all over the place, though he’s most likely to come off the board somewhere in the top 20 for sure. This is a good spot for him with Washington, who may prefer college arms.

 

18. Pittsburgh Pirates | Quinn Priester, RHP, Cary-Grove Community School (Ill.)
The Pirates like taking upside picks and they’ve been heavily linked to Priester, though there is thinking that Priester could go even higher and be the first prep arm off the board. The Pirates have also taken a variety of talent early in past drafts and a college bat could be an option here if they fall.


19. St. Louis Cardinals | Brennan Malone, rhp, IMG Academy (Fla.)
This could definitely be a spot for Kirby or Priester if they’re available, but since they’re not in this scenario the Cardinals go with Malone, who has been among the top pitchers in the class for several years now.
 

20. Seattle Mariners | Anthony Volpe, SS, Delbarton (N.J.)
Volpe has been heavily linked to the Mariners since he went on a tear at the National High School Invitational. Volpe is a well-rounded prospect who could command a high price tag, however, the Mariners could also grab a college bat if they fall.


21. Atlanta Braves | Brett Baty, 3b, Lake Travis HS (Texas)
There’s a chance that Baty will end up a first baseman long term, but his offensive profile is among the best in the country with an advanced hit tool from the left side to go with plus raw power, which could get even better eventually as well.


22. Tampa Bay Rays | JJ Goss, RHP, Cypress Ranch HS (Texas)
The Rays are another organization, like the Diamondbacks, with a multitude of picks in the first two rounds and could really get creative with their selections. They’ll grab one of the top prep righthanders on the board with Goss.


23. Colorado Rockies | Josh Jung, 3b, Texas Tech
Jung’s ceiling is seemingly a fair bit higher than this pick, with several of the teams reportedly on hitters being interested in Jung. In this projection he falls to Colorado, who is believed to be on hitters as well.


24. Cleveland Indians | Michael Busch, 1B, North Carolina
Busch is likely to go higher than this but Cleveland has been linked to Busch, who is one of the more productive hitters in the draft. He’s a good fit here at 24 but the Indians have been linked to other players too such as Volpe, who would be a target if he’s still on the board at this point.


25. Los Angeles Dodgers | Logan Davidson, ss, Clemson
Davidson’s stock is a bit speculative right now, as it differs depending on who you ask. It’s hard to imagine he makes it this far as a shortstop with plus pop from both sides of the plate, and the Dodgers could see this as a steal.
 

26. Arizona Diamondbacks | Kody Hoese, 3B, Tulane
Hoese has been an arrow-up prospect for at least the past month and he will likely be in play starting in the teens. He’s really impressed high-level evaluators as of late and his torrid finish to the season as his draft stock steadily rising throughout May.


27. Chicago Cubs | Will Wilson, ss, North Carolina State
This could be a spot for Espino, who we have going one pick later, as well as Hoese, who goes one pick before. Chicago seems to be in a wait-and-see mode with no real preference set, but they always seem ready to grab a college bat who can hit.


28. Milwaukee Brewers | Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia Premier Academy
There’s likely to be a run on prep pitchers towards the end of the first round and the Brewers will pick up Espino before the end of the first round. He possesses the best stuff in the entire draft class and if the Brewers don’t grab Espino the other prep arms available here would be Jack Leiter, Josh Wolf, and Kendall Williams.


29. Oakland Athletics | Keoni Cavaco, 3b, Eastlake HS (Calif.)
Cavaco’s stock is seemingly as high as the early 20s and as late as the 40s, depending on the ask, but he’s viewed as quality upside play regardless of the “when,” and has tantalizing ability with bat speed, raw power and defensive actions. 


30. New York Yankees | Jack Leiter, RHP, Delbarton (N.J.)
Leiter could be one of the tougher signs in the entire class but there’s reason to believe that the Yankees would want to sign Leiter with their first pick. He’s closing out the year strong, working into the upper-90s at times with a plus curveball and good strikes. 


31. Los Angeles Dodgers | Josh Wolf, rhp, St. Thomas HS (Texas)
Having taken Logan Davidson with their first pick in this mock, the Dodgers pair the college bat with a prep arm in Wolf whose arm speed, projection and hammer breaking ball have pushed him way up the board this spring.


32. Houston Astros | Greg Jones, SS, UNC Wilmington
Jones has seen his stock both fall and rise during this draft process and as we near the draft Jones is gaining some helium. The Astros like the athleticism and twitch of Jones and he could sneak his way back into the end of the first round.


33. Arizona Diamondbacks | Hunter Barco, lhp, The Bolles School (Fla.)
Arizona is a fascinating team to try and mock given how many picks they have, and with them going bat-bat with their first two picks, it felt right for them to go for a high-upside prep arm here in Barco, who has flashed power stuff from a nasty low lefthanded slot.


34. Arizona Diamondbacks | Matthew Lugo, SS, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (Puerto Rico)
Lugo is a pretty solid bet to go on Day 1 of the draft and he will be in play starting in the back end of the first round. He’s young for the grade with good athleticism and more of a projection piece throughout but he has enough tools to work himself into a Major League regular at his peak.


35. Miami Marlins | Kendall Williams, rhp, IMG Academy (Fla.)
With the Marlins taking Bleday with their first pick, pairing them with an upside prep arm in the comp round feels right. Williams is solidly in the day one discussion as a highly projectable righthander with a full arsenal of four pitches that have all at least flashed above average.

 
36. Tampa Bay Rays | Kameron Misner, OF, Missouri 
The Rays have scooped up a couple of draft fallers in the past few drafts and Misner would fit that mold as he went from a potential top 10 pick to fringe first-rounder. The tools are still very loud and the Rays have shown they are willing to take the draft faller like Matthew Liberatore a year ago.

 
37. Pittsburgh Pirates | Ethan Small, lhp, Mississippi State
The Pirates took Priester with their first pick, and could look to a high school bat here with several interesting ones available. Instead they take Ethan Small from Mississippi State, where he’s been arguably college baseball’s most dominant starter.


38. New York Yankees | Tyler Callihan, 3B, Providence HS (Fla.)
Callihan has been linked to the Yankees, who love his lefthanded stroke and power, even as early as 30, but he’ll come off the board here with their comp round selection. He’s an ultra-physical lefthanded hitter with a good hit/power combination.


39. Minnesota Twins | Seth Johnson, rhp, Campbell
The Twins got one of the top pitchers in the draft early with Thompson from Kentucky and the value of that pick could make them swing for upside here with Johnson, whose athleticism and arm talent is extreme but whose experience and feel on the mound is not yet.


40. Tampa Bay Rays | Brooks Lee, SS, San Luis Obispo HS (Calif.)
With the selection of Lee the Rays now have two prep shortstops and a college outfielder with their first three picks. Lee and San Diegan Keoni Cavaco are likely to be the first two prep Californians off the board and Lee offers the chance to stick at short with the potential to hit from both sides.


41. Texas Rangers | Nasim Nunez, ss, Collins Hill HS (Ga.)
The Rangers have always been about upside and tools and they took one of the highest-upside players early on with Bishop. They could think similarly here with Nunez, whose ceiling is vast but whose floor, thanks to his sterling defensive play, is also relatively high.




Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 2/26/2026

PG Draft: Early Season Underclass Performers

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 RHP Dax Whitney, Oregon State (‘27 elig.) Whitney may not just be the best arm in next year’s class, he may be the best arm in the entire country right now. The right-handed sits 98 mph with the heater and has been up to 100 mph. Both the slider and curveball are plus offerings that he spins extremely well. Whitney will mix in a quality Gavin changeup that sits in the upper-80’s and has also introduced a new cutter. All the pitches come from the exact same release point and jump out of the hand. He...
High School | General | 2/27/2026

HS Showdown Scout Notes: Day 1

Tyler Russo
Article Image
High School Showdown Event Page | High School Showdown Preview ‘27 1B Frank Thomas (FL) goes liftoff once again for 2nd HR, again in the L on L. Leveraging w/ such easy juice. #PGShowdown @IMGABaseball @Florida_PG https://t.co/BgWiDyMiMo pic.twitter.com/IC6sdAkhmT — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 26, 2026 Frank Thomas III (2027, Sarasota, Fl.) was all over a breaking ball in the first inning of an IMG Academy offensive explosion, making it back-to-back-to-back homers to start the game. He did not turn back from there, homering on two more occasions. The ball explodes off the barrel with low effort strength and he showed the ability to manipulate the barrel to lift with authority. Thomas III is built strong and physical and he is just beginning to tap into that huge power upside. He showed no issues handling left on left matchups, with his first two homers coming...
High School | General | 2/26/2026

PGHS Showdown: Academies Scout Notes

AJ Denny
Article Image
Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) going WAY out to right. Rhythmic approach and smooth swing get into big time power. #Mountaineers commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/qyDaIPxIol — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) First live look at the left-handed hitting West Virgina commit. The power is real, launched two long homers in game action this weekend. Easy mover with very clean path with sky high offensive ceiling if he continues to show like this. Swing is built for power and lofted pull side impacts.    CJ Alfano (‘26 NY) long PS bomb this morning. Just leaning on everything that’s thrown over the heart. #WVU commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/4lGnhOEyrl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Cj Alfano (‘26 NY)Just an impossible out throughout the weekend....
High School | General | 2/27/2026

SoCal High School Notebook: Feb. 27

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
5 K's over 4 hitless innings of work for Jared Grindlinger (2026), making first start as member of the 2026 class. 92-94 t95 w/ the FB, SL 80-83, CH 81-83, CB 77/78. Efficient outing, 50 pitches, 39 strikes. #PGHS @PG_scouting @PG_Draft @HBHS_basebll @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/y7jwX1oPyB — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) February 25, 2026 Jared Grindlinger, LHP, Huntington Beach High School (2026) Gringlinger’s first start as a member of the 2026 class was a good one… 4 innings of no hit ball with 5 strikeouts.  Ran the fastball to 95, lived 92-94, throwing a ton of strikes.  50 pitches on the day, 39 strikes, pretty much landing all four pitches in the zone.  Went to the slider early and often, quadrupling up on the slide piece to the first hitter of the game. The slider shows late lateral action with some vert, living 80-83.  Used...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/25/2026

Perfect Game Softball 16U Winter Elite Showcase

Dave Durbala
Article Image
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball 16u Winter Elite Showcase, February 20-22, 2026. Twenty-Four teams arrived in Springfield for the opportunity to showcase some of the best talent in the midwest. After 3 pool play games,  the field was split and seeded into either the Platinum or Gold Division to begin bracket play.  With several highly sought after young arms on display, it was Indiana Magic Gold 16U Carroll and Indiana Magic Gold 14U National making it into the Platinum Division Championship, and through a mutual agreement, they decided to end the tournament as Co-Champions. In the Gold Division, it was Gts 16u Elite-Gonzalez with a 7-2 win over Cedar Rapids Blue Devils 14u, to earn the championship. Below are some of the players that played their way onto the top performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from both the Platinum and Gold Divisions. Earning the...
College | Recruiting | 2/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: Feb. 25

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
A few weeks into the season and the shape of the national picture is starting to emerge (slightly, let’s get too silly about early results). Some preseason favorites are humming exactly as advertised, a few dark horses are pawing at the gate, and a handful of early contenders are discovering that February optimism and March reality are not always the same thing. Across DII, DIII and the NAIA, pitching staffs are setting the tone, offenses are either detonating or recalibrating, and the Top 25 is already beginning to feel less theoretical and more earned.   DII UT Tyler is performing as predicted with a 12-2 start that includes a series win at Angelo State. The Patriots’ offense has not exactly been knocking the cover off the ball, but the pitching staff has been stingy, holding opponents to a .228 batting average.  They have not faced a ranked opponent yet, but...
Juco | Rankings | 2/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: February 25

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another strong week for many of the top teams in junior college baseball. Walters State put together another undefeated weak and sticks in the top spot for the 3rd consecutive ranking. Chipola on the strength of a 20-1 start has established themselves early as one of top teams in the country. Johnson County put together a 2nd consecutive undefeated week and moves into the top 5 with a 15-1 overall record. They will play 4 games against #22 Iowa Western this week who is also coming off an undefeated week. Fresno City (15-0) and Midland (13-0) are two undefeated programs to begin 2026. They have gone from not in the preseason top 25 to the top 15 in our rankings in less than a month. And welcome to the PG Juco Top 25 Cloud County (KS) who debuts at #23 and is coming off a huge 3 game sweep on the road in Texas of a previous top 10 program in our rankings. Plenty of good matchups ahead this...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/24/2026

Perfect Game Softball February Frenzy

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game February Frenzy, February 20-22, 2026.  Twenty-two teams, representing five states, rolled into town for the opportunity to compete in this pool play, then into bracket play, with four games guaranteed,  in both a 14u and 18u division. Taking home top honors in the 14u division was Midwest Sluggers 11, who held off a late charge by the Black Dragons , winning 7-5. In the 18u division, it was Nebraska Gold 319 Berning topping Iowa Gold Prospects 4-0, avenging a pool play opening, 1-0 loss. Below are some of the players that played their way onto our Top Performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from the championship bracket in each age division. 14U Division Earning the 14u division MVP award was Presley Perkins (2030 Taylor Ridge, IL) who although is listed as a switch hitting OF, was only observed hitting from the left side for tournament...
High School | General | 2/25/2026

High School Showdown Preview

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
We’re only about 24 hours away from the 14th PG High School Showdown and as we get closer to one of the premier events on the high school schedule, we look ahead to what we’ll see in Hoover. The teams and players are what make this event special along with the environment with scouts packing the stands for this event. As with every year we’ve run this event, there are sure to be names called in the upcoming MLB Draft along with big time contributors at the college level. This year’s field is loaded with five teams ranked inside the Preseason High School Top-50, headlined by a trio of top-10 teams in No. 8 South Walton (FL), No. 9 Blessed Trinity (GA), and No. 10 IMG Academy (FL). Rounding out the list of top-50 teams are No. 34 Parkview (GA) and No. 43 Hoover (AL), along with plenty of other teams that will challenge for state championships in their respective...
Juco | Story | 2/27/2026

JUCO Notebook: February 27

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
An extended look at Carson Bailey (@mccbaseball1 )…. https://t.co/TltEl9M31H pic.twitter.com/24Lv8q73Yb — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 7, 2026 Carson Bailey (2024, Richardson, Texas) worked up to 97 with his fastball out the gate and lived 95-96 throughout his short burst outing. Fastball got up to 2500 RPM showing subtle tail at times. It plays firm and gets in on hitters quick. Locates fastball well at times. He went to a change in the 85-88 range as his bread and butter secondary killing spin with good dive. Change produced 5 whiffs. He also mixed in a slider in the 80-85 getting upwards of 2500 RPM with it. Slider tight and sharp when around it. Also flashed a curve at 79. Bailey stands in at 6-foot-3 from a deceptive delivery that creates tough angles for hitters. He should be a big follow throughout the Spring with plenty of draft buzz surrounding him. He is...
Loading more articles...