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At the end of January, TCB's staff put together a preliminary draft board for the 2013 MLB Draft. Now that the high school and college seasons are underway and our scouting has begun in earnest, things are starting to shake out and the board is seeing some changes.
The top six remain the same names, but with different positioning:
| 1 (1) | Sean Manaea (LHP, Indiana State University) |
| Manaea, who was undrafted out of high school, has seen his stock skyrocket after a dominating performance in last summer's Cape Cod League. He followed up a modest, if not solid, sophomore season (3.34 ERA in 17 starts, 115 Ks in 105 innings) with a 1.22 ERA in eight Cape League starts, with 85 Ks in 57.1 innings. His 85 Ks broke the Cape single-year record. Manaea's numbers have certainly helped him reach the top of the board, but his projectability is a huge plus, as well. At 6'4" and a little over 200 lbs., Manaea has the size and frame that you look for in a future ace. The real kicker, though: He's a lefty who sits roughly around the mid-90s with his fastball and has some knee-bending breaking stuff, especially to left-handed hitters. (leistomania409) | |
| 2 (3) | Mark Appel (RHP, Stanford University) |
| From a scouting perspective, there's a lot to like about Appel. His arsenal includes a mid-90s fastball that can touch 99 at times, a changeup that has plus potential, and a slider that may very well be his best pitch, all while possessing sound mechanics and a huge pitcher's frame. On the flip side, up to this point he's lacked consistency with his location, movement with his fastball and change, and the overall dominating results that you would expect from a pitcher with his repertoire. If he can take another step forward this year in those regards, he should once again be considered going 1.1, with the wildcard being signability, even with the apparent lack of leverage. (conroestro) | |
| 3 (5) | Clint Frazier (OF, Georgia HS) |
| Austin Meadows may be viewed as the top prep outfielder in the draft as of now, but expect his counterpart, Clint Frazier, to give him a run for his money this season, especially since there are fewer question marks regarding Frazier's bat. Frazier is a hard-nosed five-tool outfielder with a great arm, and a swing that generates a ton of bat speed. Some of the critiques at this point are that he relies on his wrists and doesn't use his lower body enough at this point, and that he has a developed frame that could cause him to move off of center field should he add more weight in the future. His stock could easily rise with a solid senior season this year. (conroestro) | |
| 4 (4) | Austin Meadows (OF, Georgia HS) |
| The outfielder from Georgia is one of the most-hyped prospects in the draft at this point. That's because he blew away the workout circuit last summer, running fast and hitting the ball hard. Smooth left-handed stroke with some good power potential. At 6'3", 200 lbs., he may have some room to grow in his frame. Opinions on his future potential are mixed, though, with questions around his bat and whether he'll ever develop an elite future skill. (David Coleman) | |
| 5 (6) | Ryne Stanek (RHP, University of Arkansas) |
| A tall, lean pitcher that has some projection and needs some work on his mechanics. He works his fastball in the low-to-mid-90s, but his best pitch is a slider that comes in around the mid-80s and grades out as a plus. he also throws a changeup that runs in on right-handed hitters, but it is only an average pitch right now. (subber10) | |
| 6 (2) | Kris Bryant (1B/3B/OF, University of San Diego) |
| Bryant has a premium right-handed bat, without a premium position. He has power to all fields, and hits to all fields to go with a patient approach. He has the arm for third base, but as he continues to grow into his lanky 6'5" frame, he may need to move to first base or a corner outfield position. (subber10) | |
| 7 (NR) | Colin Moran (1B/3B, University of North Carolina) |
| Moran's uncle, B.J. Surhoff, was a #1 overall pick in 1985 by the Brewers, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree. There are some questions about Moran's ability to stick at third base, but none about his bat. He led UNC in average, OBP, and SLG in his sophomore season, 2012, and he should be a very good contact hitter in the pros. His power may take a little longer to arrive, as it does with many young players. He doesn't have a sky-high ceiling, but should become a major league regular easily, particularly if he can improve his footwork enough to stay at third. (Anthony Boyer) | |
| 8 (NR) | Reese McGuire (C, Washington HS) |
| A defensive stalwart behind the dish, McGuire combines a strong, accurate arm with the athleticism to become a truly elite defender. His swing is short and compact, and he generates a ton of bat speed with it. The skills are all there for him to develop into an excellent catcher, both at the plate and behind it. The maturation process for high school catchers is immense, but McGuire looks good enough at the plate that his bat should play even if he doesn't stick behind the dish. However, there's no reason to suspect at this time that he won't be able to more than hold his own defensively. (Anthony Boyer) | |
| 9 (NR) | Jon Denney (C, Oklahoma HS) |
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A high school backstop with an extremely high ceiling, Denney could become this year's Carlos Correa. All he's done is continually wow scouts at national and international showcases. One of the stars of the Perfect Game 2013 World Showcase, where his glove and bat were continually praised. Polished defensively, with a strong, accurate arm and great footwork. His hitting mechanics don't have a lot of moving parts - a short swing with lift and power. (Anthony Boyer) |
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| 10 (NR) | Trevor Williams (RHP, Arizona State University) |
| The knock on Williams has always been his unwillingness to avoid contact, but in his first 3 starts this season, he's gone 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and struck out 21 batters in 21 innings, walking just 3. Consider that he struck out just 59 batters in 110 innings in 2012. With a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s and a nice repertoire of offspeed pitches, his floor is probably as a bottom of the rotation starter, but if he can continue to strike batters out as he moves into Pac-12 play, his future starts to look a lot better. (Anthony Boyer) |
Dropped out: Austin Wilson, Kohl Stewart, Justin Williams, Chris Rivera