Although it takes a while for top baseball prospects to become household names, every franchise is looking for a brighter future through the MLB draft.
Unlike the NBA or NFL draft, where players are expected to contribute right away, those taken in the baseball draft—whether they come from high school or college—often need seasoning in the minors. Still, there are plenty of players available with tons of upside on the mound, in the field or at the plate.
With 50 rounds, you can expect a lot of misses, but here is a look at the top prospects along with info to follow the full event.
All rounds available to watch online at MLB.com.
Top Players to Watch
Dansby Swanson, SS, Vanderbilt
The biggest surprise with Dansby Swanson at this point is that he isn’t already a professional hitter. The shortstop has dominated the college ranks this season, hitting .348 with 14 home runs during the regular season.
If Vanderbilt makes a run at the College World Series, you can be certain Swanson will have a lot to do with it. In the opening round of the NCAA tournament, he drove in the go-ahead run against Indiana and then made this defensive play:
Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball summed up his scouting report in this tweet:
Swanson is truly a jack-of-all-trades type of player who does a little bit of everything well. He has a good approach at the plate and is someone managers will simply want on their team.
Although there might be other prospects with more upside, Swanson is probably the safest pick in the class.
Brendan Rodgers, SS, Lake Mary High School
After a couple of decades in which shortstops were all of a sudden hitting for power, this skill is rarely seen from middle infielders anymore. Brendan Rodgers can be the exception with his great strength at the plate and the skill to drive the ball consistently.
With his strong arm, he also should be able to stick at shortstop, which is often a major question mark for players of his age.
Despite the talent, Rodgers is apparently quite at ease in every situation. One scout described the young player’s personality as a plus, according Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com (via USA Today):
He’s one of the easiest guys I’ve ever scouted. Yeah, you have doubts he’ll hit or have power, like you do with any high school player, but when he goes out there and that’s all he does, it’s kind of like, “Don’t trick yourself.”
He’s a pretty cool customer when it comes to big situations. That stands out when you watch him play on the big stage. He takes everything in stride, doesn’t ever seem overwhelmed or overmatched.
Considering how many players are unable to handle the pressure that comes with being a top pick, Rodgers seems perfectly capable of succeeding at the next level. If he lives up to his ability, he can be a game-changer in the majors.
Dillon Tate, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
There is some debate over who is the best pitcher in the class, but Dillon Tate might have that honor locked up.
The UC Santa Barbara star went from being a dominant closer as a sophomore to an ace starter as a junior, finishing the year with a 2.26 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 103.1 innings.
Although he is still relatively raw, he already has two very good pitches with his fastball and slider. Even if he doesn’t develop anything else, Tate could succeed in the majors in the back of the bullpen.
Still, there is a good chance the pitcher continues to improve based on his mindset, as his Team USA coach Steve Rodriguez explained, per Piecoro:
He’s a young man who is constantly looking to get better. He was always talking about different grips, talking about different situations. “What do you throw here? What you throw there?” … That’s pretty impressive. For those type of athletic kids to have more questions than answers is pretty fun to coach.
Combining talent with a will to get better is a good bet to become a superstar in the future.
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