Early 2021 Top Draft Prospects

[hoosiers]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2895880-2021-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-top-1st-round-baseball-prospects

Bleacher Report is not exactly a definitive source, but BA's list is behind a paywall and cbssports  has only listed the two Vandy pitchers as the top 2 guys.  That would be Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter - early favorites at the top of the 2021 board.  The top hitters right now include UFlorida OFer Jud Fabian and multiple HSers per the below.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2021-mlb-draft/summary?sort=-1,1&type=0&team=

The college SP crop looks strong again next year.

Setting up a lineup that includes Rutschman, Kjerstand and Fabian - to go with Mountcastle, Hays, Gumnar and the other guys drafted this year and maybe an international talent- could easily set the Os up for a cheap and incredibly productive offensive core by 2024/25.

Or pairing Rocker or Leiter with GrayRod and Hall (and perhaps a international talent) could be a similarly cheap and productive rotation around the same time frame.

 

[Spl51]

https://2080baseball.com/2020/06/21-names-to-know-for-the-2021-mlb-draft/

Rocker and Brady House are my guys right now.

[WalkWithElias]

If MLB and the union can't find an agreement and don't have a season this summer, do we default to the same draft order? 

[FlipTheBird]

7 hours ago, WalkWithElias said:

If MLB and the union can't find an agreement and don't have a season this summer, do we default to the same draft order? 

Unprecedented territory. The owners would have to work something out. Since the institution of the draft, there's never been a year where we just haven't had any baseball.

[OriolesMagic83]

4 hours ago, FlipTheBird said:

Unprecedented territory. The owners would have to work something out. Since the institution of the draft, there's never been a year where we just haven't had any baseball.

I believe its been 150 years since there wasn't any organized baseball.  There was still baseball during WW1 and WW2.  There is no excuse for there not to be baseball now.  There was baseball during the Spanish Flu too.

[El_Duderino]

I’m no scout, but Rocker seems like the clear 1.1 to me right now. 

[sevastras]

Here are the top 7 from BA:

• Orioles — Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt. ...
• Mariners — Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt. ...
• Tigers — Brady House, SS/RHP, Winder-Barrow HS, Winder, Ga. ...
• Marlins — Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami. ...
• Pirates — Matt McLain, SS, UCLA. ...
• Giants — Jud Fabian, OF, Florida. ...
• Royals — Jaden Hill, RHP, LSU

It will be interesting to see who signs and who doesnt from this draft as well.  Seniors from this year will have an extra year of NCAA eligibility and could elect to go that route rather than undrafted $20k and get their stock up.  A ton of high school kids may go to college, but it should be pretty easy to figure out who just wants to start playing pro.  I really hope there have been people on the phones non stop.  You could take a chance on 100 kids at $20k and maybe a couple rise to the top.  It isnt like great players havent come from outside the first 5 rounds.

[Number5]

14 minutes ago, sevastras said:

Here are the top 7 from BA:

• Orioles — Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt. ...
• Mariners — Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt. ...
• Tigers — Brady House, SS/RHP, Winder-Barrow HS, Winder, Ga. ...
• Marlins — Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami. ...
• Pirates — Matt McLain, SS, UCLA. ...
• Giants — Jud Fabian, OF, Florida. ...
• Royals — Jaden Hill, RHP, LSU

It will be interesting to see who signs and who doesnt from this draft as well.  Seniors from this year will have an extra year of NCAA eligibility and could elect to go that route rather than undrafted $20k and get their stock up.  A ton of high school kids may go to college, but it should be pretty easy to figure out who just wants to start playing pro.  I really hope there have been people on the phones non stop.  You could take a chance on 100 kids at $20k and maybe a couple rise to the top.  It isnt like great players havent come from outside the first 5 rounds.

If the draft order next year is determined in the standard way, I think we may have some real surprises in the order.  There are always teams that underperform and overperform, but this year, in particular, may have some strange results record-wise, due to the expected short season.  Winning and losing streaks will have a larger impact on the final results this year, IMO.

[MachoMachadoMan]

This is going to be one of the most difficult draft classes to evaluate because you lost this past spring and Cape Cod was canceled for the summer. All we're going to have to go on is whatever type of season we get next spring. Hope Sig and Elias have those analytics dialed in because it will be lots of projection based on very little performance data. 

[DocJJ]

Fubar for Kumar!!!   (Just like the Tigers had the "Tank for Tork" movement- lose enough games to get the consensus 1:1 guy).   

[FlipTheBird]

On 6/15/2020 at 6:59 AM, MachoMachadoMan said:

This is going to be one of the most difficult draft classes to evaluate because you lost this past spring and Cape Cod was canceled for the summer. All we're going to have to go on is whatever type of season we get next spring. Hope Sig and Elias have those analytics dialed in because it will be lots of projection based on very little performance data. 

Can’t be any harder than this year, where some of the top prospects didn’t play at all. It’s very reasonable to think we’ll get a College and high school season next year. Not guaranteed by any means but the odds are far better for baseball than the fall amateur sports.

[Greg Pappas]

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2021-mlb-draft/summary?sort=-1,1&type=0&pageitems=10000000000000&pagenum=0&team=

Quote 1        Jack Leiter          RHP    21.1    6' 1"    195    R    R    Vanderbilt 2        Kumar Rocker    RHP    21.5     6' 5"    250    R    R    Vanderbilt 3        Luke Leto            SS      18.3      6' 2"    190    L    R    Portage HS MI 4        Braylon Bishop   CF      18.1     6' 1"    180    L    L    Texarkana HS AR 5        Brady House      3B/P   18        6' 3"    200    R    R    Winder HS GA 6        Robby Martin     RF        21.8    6' 3"    200    L    R    Florida State 7        Jaden Hill           RHP    21.5     6' 4"    215    R    R    LSU 8        Alex Binelas       3B       21        6' 3"    210    L    R    Louisville 9        Matt McLain      2B      21.8      5' 10"  175    R    R    UCLA 10      Jud Fabian        CF      20.7       6' 1"    180    R    L    Florida

[Spl51]

Every time I watch Leiter, he looks like 1.1 to me over Rocker, but then I consider that he's 6' and mostly sits 89-92 and I get scared. No one seems to be able to get good contact on him even at that speed, obviously his spin metrics and extension must be elite.

[joelala]

 Braylon Bishop is my favorite player in this class. House I like but I worry that he’s already so physically developed. 
 

Bishop:

 

[higgybaby]

On 8/2/2020 at 12:11 PM, joelala said:

 Braylon Bishop is my favorite player in this class. House I like but I worry that he’s already so physically developed. 
 

Bishop:

 

What do you like about him?