FINAL Mock Draft Round Up
MLB Draft is now just DAYS away!
We’re here! This Sunday night is Day 1 of the MLB Draft. The Arizona Diamondbacks have 3 picks at the end of the 1st round via their normal 1st, Carroll winning ROY & competitive balance drawing. I wrote about what that means for the Diamondbacks, what teams in similar situations have done in the past and why this is a massive advantage with the current Draft rules which all can be read at this link.
Let’s dive right into it, here’s the FINAL Mock Draft Round Up for the Diamondbacks.
Keith Law - The Athletic (7/11)
1-29 Kyle DeBarge, SS, Louisiana-Lafayette
Keith only did the top 30 picks, but he did list a couple other names he’s heard connected to the Diamondbacks such as high school outfielder Slade Caldwell (Law noted he doesn’t think Caldwell falls to 29) and Virginia’s Griff O’Ferrall (He’s been tied to the Diamondbacks by other mocks prior too).
As for Kyle DeBarge, he was the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2024 smoking 21 HR with 1.117 OPS. A loophole draft eligible sophomore is just 20 years old too. I could see the Diamondbacks taking a college middle infielder, then 2 pricier higher upside players with the other 2 picks with the presumed “savings”. MLB Pipeline has DeBarge ranked in the 60’s, but playing in the smaller conference and having just 1 full college season definitely hurts his perceived stock since a lot of people just havent seen him.
ESPN - Kiley McDaniel (6/19)
1-29 - Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State
1-31 - Griff O'Ferrall, SS, Virginia
1-35 - Wyatt Sanford, SS, Independence (Texas) HS
2-64 - Luke Dickerson, SS, Morris Knolls (N.J.) HS
Previous mock on 5/29, top 30 picks only, 1-29 - Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State.
Kiley hasn’t given a 3.0 final mock yet, but here is his last one. Kiley’s the main ESPN Draft guy and does a phenomenal job, maybe my favorite prospects/draft guy right now.
MLB Pipeline has Walter Janek ranked 22nd overall, and C #1. Unlike most 1st round “catchers”, Janek is truly a catcher and will stay there in pro ball. Hitting 30 HR over the last 2 seasons (115 G) and slashing .364/.476/.709 which is good for a 1.185 OPS, Janek’s an intriguing option at 29 for an organization that doesn’t have a ton of C prospect depth outside of Adrian Del Castillo’s breakout 2024.
Mike Hazen loves the University of Virginia college picks (McCarthy, Pavin & Jack Hurley last year just to name a few), next is Griff O’Ferrall, a 6’1 SS #41 on MLB Pipeline’s board. Solid tools across the board, just a great ball player first. I do think the Diamondbacks take 1 college bat and 2 HS players here though.
Sanford is one of the best HS defensive players in all of the draft, but you’d need to sign him away from Texas A&M. Ranked #35 by MLB Pipeline. Kiley notes Dickerson would be an underslot signing. Other names to watch were Culpepper and HS SS/OF Kellon Lindsey and Theo Gillen, who he has gone in the 20’s.
Pitchers Kiley as the Diamondbacks tied to are William Schmidt and/or Ryan Sloan. I’m a huge Ryan Sloan fan.
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. Kiley now has him going 22nd to the Orioles after his massive NCAA tourney postseason. Culpepper reminds me of Kevin Newman with more power upside, especially if he avoids the Pirates ruining his swing like what happen to Newman….
Baseball America - Carlos Collazo (7/1)
1-29 Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State
1-31 Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee HS, Wauchula, Fla.
1-35 Dasan Hill, LHP, Grapevine (Texas) HS
The only change in this mock update is HS LHP Dasan Hill is projected at 35 instead of HS SS Tyson Lewis. There are 2 top college catchers in Stanford’s Malcolm Moore & Sam Houston State’s Walker Janek. Moore is a LH hitting C that may have to move off the position if he doesn’t make strides behind the dish, where Janek like mentioned before is a sure thing stick at catcher guy.
I love this mock because the 1 college guy, 2 HS guys makes a lot of sense here. Often top HS players fall because of their commitments to college and leverage, but with the Diamondbacks having a massive bonus pool with the extra 1’s, they can pay up for it.
I’m a big Kellon Lindsay guy. Watching the MLB Draft Combine, he looks exactly like Trea Turner. Tall, skinny, fast SS. Lindsay is said to have max 80 grade speed which is insane, HS QB, great athlete, massive upside. As for Dasan Hill, the 6’5 Texan LHP obviously fits prior Tommy Henry, Blake Walston type early picks and hopefully will have more “stuff” than them down the line as he grows into his body (just 165 ibs rn).
Jonathon Mayo - MLB Pipeline (7/4)
1-29 Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford
1-31 Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee Senior HS, Fla.
1-35 Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City HS, Okla.
See a trend forming? College bat, HS SS, HS pitcher. The LHP fits the mold too, Lindsay I will add plays SS right now but easily has the tools to be a great CF too. Mayo has Janek going 30th, Collazo had them flipped in his mock above.
These 4 mock drafts in my opinion are far and away the best mock drafts out there. Law, McDaniel, Collazo, Mayo kill it every year and should be on your short list of follows.
I’m going to drop my own mock draft this weekend too, so make sure your subscribed to get it emailed to you when it drops!
-Goldy Happens