D-Backs Mock Draft Round Up: 5/31
MLB Draft July 14th
I love the Friday Opening Day of the NCAA Baseball Tourney. We have wall to wall high stakes college baseball all day ending with UofA vs GCU later tonight. While I’m extremely mad ESPN+’s Squeeze Play (NCAA tourney RedZone style coverage) is not working, I’m currently watching LSU vs Wofford and LSU is stacked with MLB Draft prospects. That has sparked my draft interest and this post.
The Arizona Diamondbacks first isn’t until 29, but they also pick 31 (via Corbin Carroll winning ROY) and pick 35 (via Competitive Balance A random selection). Most mock drafts go through pick 39 as it is all considered the 1st round. The Diamondbacks having 3 1st round picks is a big deal due to the MLB Draft format. Since your entire draft pool shares a total $$$ amount, the Diamondbacks will have extra flexibility in the draft to take players with a higher asking price. For example, despite the Diamondbacks going to the World Series and picking 29th, they actually have the 10th biggest spending pool ($12,662,000). In comparison, the Rangers with pick 30 have a $6,997,900 spending pool.
This will be a really fun & interesting draft for Mike Hazen, so here is who the mocks have the Diamondbacks selecting:
ESPN - Kiley McDaniel (5/29)
1-29 - Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
Kiley McDaniel is my favorite MLB Draft expert/analyst. His mock only went to pick 30, but he provided a list of additional players they like in 29-31-35 range:
Wyatt Sanford, Carter Johnson, Kellon Lindsey, Luke Dickerson, William Schmidt and Ryan Sloan + they really like Theo Gillen (2B, Westlake (Texas) HS.)
As for Culpepper, 6 foot 185 ibs SS, MLB Pipeline says he can stay at SS but be an elite defensive 3B, high contact approach, flat swing limits power. Feels like a high floor player to me, has done well in wood bat summer leagues too.
MLB Pipeline - Jonathon Mayo (5/30)
1-29 - Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky
Jonathon Mayo is my 2nd favorite MLB Draft expert/analyst. His mock only went to pick 30 too. Waldschmidt Happens??? He’s had a huge 1.141 OPS, 13 HR and 23 SB season, RH bat. I will say after looking at all these mock drafts, 29 feels high for him. Mayo does note he has a lot of helium right now in his draft stock, but the Diamondbacks could take a cheaper college bat and then 2 more expensive HS/younger college players. (cheaper doesn’t mean worse, just means college kids sign for less because they have little leverage vs a HS kid weighing college ball in the NIL era too).
Sidenote- MLB pipeline has really stepped up their draft coverage, player profiles, a lot of good info over there.
Baseball America - Carlos Collazo (5/31)
1-29 - Tommy White, 3B, LSU
This would be a really fun pick for the Diamondbacks as Tommy White has been a college baseball star for years. White has 75 career HR in 3 years at LSU with an insane .720. Unlike future KBO slugger Ivan Melendez and his 35% K rate, White has a small career 14.6% K rate in college that was 12.8% this year.
Super Star Series - Joe Doyle (5/28)
1-29 Ryan Sloan, RHP, HS (IL)
Joe Doyle is another great Twitter follow and prospects/draft analyst. He notes that the Diamondbacks have cast a wide net of targets with 3 picks obviously, but Ryan Sloan is as high as 15 boards, but HS pitchers do fall. Doyle has the Diamondbacks staying aggressive and scooping up high upside HS arms.
1-31 Braylon Doughty, RHP, HS (CA)
1-35 Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State
Jordan is extremely toolsy with plus speed, power and arm strength, will stay in CF, has hit 17 HR’s this year, but 77 K’s this season scares me a little.
The 4 mock drafts above are the ones I put the most weight into as those are 4 amazing baseball writers who are plugged in. Here are some other mock drafts from writers I just don’t know as well:
Bleacher Report - Joel Reuter (5/30)
Flo Baseball - Joe Harrington (5/28)
1-29 Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee
Moore has had a massive 28 HR season and has posted an OPS over 1.000 in all 3 college seasons. Mostly a 2B, he’s played some SS and LF too. Hits the ball hard consistently, I really like Moore and will keep an eye on him during the tourney.
My Mock MLB Draft (5/20)
1-29 Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest
I love this website so much. This was the OG Mock Draft website, and they’re still killing it. They have been positing mock drafts since at least 2007, only use old logos, have player profiles from multiple analyst. As for Hartle, he is a big 6’5 LHP which certainty will intrigue Mike Hazen (Henry/Walston mold). Wake Forest has become a pitching factory the last couple years.
As we get closer to draft day, more mocks will pop up. Enjoy watching a weekend of chaotic college baseball everybody!
-Goldy Happens
(Photo Credit of Kaelen Culpepper: Big 12 Baseball Tournament / Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/GettyImages)