Crawfish Boxes Mock Draft 2014

Over the last way too long, myself and the rest of the draft team have been making mock draft selections for all the MLB clubs through the first pick of the second round. Our selections were based on our opinions, the drafting strategies of MLB teams, and dart throwing.

1. Houston Astros- Brady Aiken, LHP, Cathedral Catholic HS (CA)- We considered the highly-touted left arm of one Carlos Rodon, but ultimately we decided to pass up on his track record of success, instead choosing to shock the world with the younger left arm of Brady Aiken. Big-bodied pitcher with elite velocity, a devastating breaking ball, and what Baseball America called "the best pure arm in the draft." He'll slot in nicely alongside some of the other young arms in the organization, and gives huge upside at the No. 1 pick. - Anthony Boyer

2. Miami Marlins- Tyler Kolek, RHP, Shepherd HS (TX)- With the second overall pick the Marlins select Tyler Kolek, RHP from Shepherd HS. He looks a bit like Jose Fernandez on the mound, and his fastball is hands down the best in the country right now. His slider flashes plus, and he has smooth mechanics and a great pitcher's body. He fits the Marlins MO of selecting prep players in the first round, and is worthy of the selection here at 1.2. - kyuss94

3. Chicago White Sox- Carlos Rodon, LHP, NC State- Tim, David and I select Carlos Rodon, a LHP from N.C. State with the White Sox pick at 1.3. He's a power lefty with a plus fastball, a plus-plus slider, and secondary pitches that work as well. He's got a workhorse frame and a very solid delivery. He has dominated college hitters for the last three years, and looks to keep it up in our system. We are delighted that he dropped this far, and will fast-track him to the majors to help our team because of his polish. Alex Jackson was a possibility, but Rodon easily the BPA, he was our selection. - Alex Goodwin

4. Chicago Cubs- Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt- Lots of directions we could go with the Cubs. Matt Dorey is kind of an unknown quantity, but I've got to think he's college-heavy after coaching at Washington State and Mount Hood JC, plus the Alaska and West Coast collegiate leagues.

After taking the best college hitter last year in Bryant, I think they'll look to add a complementary arm to the system this year, and with Rodon off the board, we're going to go with Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt. - Anthony Boyer

5. Minnesota Twins- Nick Gordon, SS, Olympia HS (FL)- The Twins tend to lean the direction of high school players in the high rounds, And though Alex Jackson is the best pure bat in the class, Gordon has the tools to be a star. He has a plus hit tool, speed, soft hands and some gap to gap power. He has the potential to be the best player in a great baseball family. - kyuss94

6. Seattle Mariners- Alex Jackson, C/OF/IF, Rancho Bernardo HS (CA)- We're going to go with Alex Jackson for the Mariners. While there is still a glut of starting pitching available (we considered Hartford lefty Sean Newcomb) none of it stood out enough to make us pass on what we considered the BPA in Jackson. A catcher with five above-average tools, he presented the package and the ability to produce that the Mariners still haven't found in Zunino and Montero. - Alex Goodwin

7. Philadelphia Phillies- Grant Holmes, RHP, Conway HS (GA)- The Phillies are big on prep players and take the high-upside Holmes here with the top high school bats off the board. He can touch triple digits with the fastball which will be too enticing for the Phillies to pass up. - leistomania

8. Colorado Rockies- Bradley Zimmer, OF, USF- Rockies select University of San Francisco outfielder, Bradley Zimmer. Colorado has some nice arms in the system as well as infield prospects. Zimmer gives them a potential corner outfield power bat which is something they need and if his power is going to translate, Coors Field is the most likely place. - Subber10

9. Toronto Blue Jays- Aaron Nola, LHP, LSU- The Blue Jays select Aaron Nola, RHP from LSU. He may be small-ish, but he has incredible control and insane stats. He may be the most MLB-ready pitcher in this draft. The Blue Jays like RHPs, and he was easily the best of the lot available-also, of the three best college pitchers available at this pick, he's faced easily the toughest competition. In fact, they picked him in the 22nd round a few years back, so getting a second chance at him has to feel good. - Alex Goodwin

10. New York Mets- Trea Turner, SS, NC State- We went back and forth between Jacob Gatewood and Trea Turner... Gatewood feels more like a Mets pick - toolsy prep guy with power to plug alongside Dom Smith - but ultimately we chose to go with Turner.

A fast riser with speed and pop, he also happens to fill an organizational need. He could be at Citi Field quickly enough to plug a hole and keep them afloat in a competitive division. - Anthony Boyer

11. Toronto Blue Jays- Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (CA)- We select Jacob Gatewood for the Blue Jays with the 11th pick. He has an extremely high ceiling, especially in the power category. Unlike the high-floor selection of Aaron Nola, Gatewood is a true boom-or-bust player. He could be the next Tulo, and with the Jays probably needing a shortstop in a few years, combined with their frequent selections of HS players in the past, we felt this is the pick they would make. - Alex Goodwin

12. Milwaukee Brewers- Michael Conforto, OF, Oregon State- Brewers take Michael Conforto, an OFer from Oregon St. The system needs talent. He's the arguably the best bat on the board with an ability to hit and hit with power to support his corner OF position. Not really an arm available that fits the organizations pitching philosophy and higher arm slots. The best case scenario for them would be for Aaron Nola to fall to this spot, but that didn't happen in this mock. - Subber10

13. San Diego Padres- Kyle Freeland, LHP, Evansville- Padres take LHP Kyle Freeland out of Evansville. Freeland is surely the BPA at this point; he's had a huge ascent up rankings, highlighted by his #5 spot on Baseball America's rankings that were released today. We think the Padres are looking for that top of the rotation pitching prospect. They have some nice arms but there's no one with TOR potential outside of Fried, who is still a few years alway. Freeland can miss bats and the Padres should be ecstatic to get this kind of pitching talent at 1.13. - leistomania

14. San Francisco Giants- Max Pentecost, C, Kennesaw State- For the Giants, we're picking Max Pentecost, C, Kennesaw State. The Giants are more pitching heavy in the farm right now, and may eventually want to move Buster Posey off of C. Also, Pentecost, currently hitting .419 with more walks than strikeouts and a healthy dose of extra base hits, may be the best prospect on the board here. - kyuss94

15. Los Angeles Angels- Sean Newcomb, LHP, Hartford- The Angels take Sean Newcomb with their pick. He's a huge college lefty, who's already shown he can harness his potential, which is high enough as it is. He has some control issues, but none we don't believe we can fix. The Angels need pitching more than anything, and Newcomb was sitting available at 1.15. With a lack of first-rounders in the last two drafts, impact talent is a must, and that is what we believe Newcomb can be. - Alex Goodwin

16. Arizona Diamondbacks- Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina- The Diamondbacks are going to select Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina University. Even with Tommy John surgery, 1-16 is a great place to nab a top five-caliber pitcher. Kevin Towers is sometimes a bit of a wildcard, but with Braden Shipley and Aaron Blair in the system from 2013's draft, we feel like we have the ability to be patient during Hoffman's recovery, and come out smelling like roses when he re-gains his form. - Anthony Boyer

17. Kansas City Royals- Touki Toussaint, RHP, Coral Springs Christian Academy (FL)- The Kansas City Royals select Florida HS RHP, Touki Toussaint. When it comes to the Royals and prospects, tools and upside reign supreme and Touki provides that. We considered HS outfielders, Monte Harrison and Derek Hill, as well with this pick, but felt Touki was a better pick. If he can improve his control/command, Touki could be a very exciting pitcher at the major league level with his electric stuff. - Subber10

18. Washington Nationals- Kyle Schwarber, C/1B/OF, Indiana- We're going with Kyle Schwarber, C/1B from Indiana. He's got his hitting potential, and if he can stay at catcher, that's great. - Alex Goodwin

19. Cincinnatti Reds- Brandon Finnegan, LHP, TCU- We discussed a few other options here, namely local prep prospect Cameron Varga, but ultimately we didn't think that his question marks would be appealing to Walt Jocketty. We ended up with Finnegan as the BPA. He's had a really solid season at TCU, He gives us a nice left-handed arm in our system. - Anthony Boyer

20. Tampa Bay Rays- Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Wichita State- The Rays are going with Casey Gillaspie, 1B out of Wichita State U. Gillaspie is a switch hitter with identical, gorgeous swings from both sides of the plate. He can hit for contact, power and be a heart of the order hitter who posts high OBP. I've compared him to Lance Berkman in the past. - kyuss94

21. Cleveland Indians- Erick Fedde, RHP, UNLV- The Indians are taking Erick Fedde, the righty from UNLV, with their pick. We think he's great value, even though he's had Tommy John's. His potential is enough to outweigh the risk. - Alex Goodwin

22. Los Angeles Dodgers- Marcus Wilson, OF, Junipero Serra HS (CA)- It's kind of amazing that there's so little top-end prep talent from California this year, but Wilson is a guy right in the Dodgers' backyard with tremendous tools. Ned Colletti can make a splash here, and this is a pretty good way to do it - by grabbing the local boy with good tools and a lot of room to fill in on his big frame. He dominated the Southern California Invitational, he's a 70-grade runner with a plus arm and hit/power tools at least above average. - Anthony Boyer

23. Detroit Tigers- Monte Harrison, OF, Lee's Summit West HS (MO)- Tigers select Monte Harrison, OF Missouri HS. They went very heavy on college pitching last year, and have been pretty heavy on the college side last few years. That said, they don't fear prep bats (i.e. Castellanos). Monte Harrison is a good talent and presents good value at this point in the draft. - Subber10

24. Pittsburgh Pirates- Sean Reid-Foley, RHP, Sandalwood HS (FL)- We're going with Sean Reid-Foley, RHP out of the Jacksonville area. He can run it up to 95, and has a slider and curve that both flash plus. He's an incredible value here, and the Pirates love their prep arms. He'd be another worthy investment for the Buc-o's. - kyuss94

25. Oakland Athletics- Derek Hill, CF, Elk Grove HS (CA)- Oakland selects OF Derek Hill from Elk Grove HS in California. The A's have had success with prep bats in Addison Russell and Billy McKinney the last twodrafts. Hill is a project but I think the A's success recently with prep players make sense here, and they would love to get Hill's athleticism in the organization. If the bat develops he could be a very promising player. - leistomania

26. Boston Red Sox- Derek Fisher, OF, Virginia- A supreme athlete with huge tools across the board, Fisher is a top 5 talent who just hasn't put it together yet. The Red Sox have taken college players with late first round picks in the past, and Fisher fits their style and fills an organizational need - kyuss94

27. St. Louis Cardinals- Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville HS (GA)- The Cardinals alternate between tools prospects and safer players, and they may be due to go with the upside play. There's no better option than Michael Gettys in that category, who has 4 tool potential with plus-plus speed and arm tools.

28. Kansas City Royals- A.J. Reed, 1B, Kentucky- Royals select Kentucky LHP/1B AJ Reed. Reed is a rare athlete that excels on the mound and at the plate. He has monstrous power but is limited defensively. He's also the top starter for Kentucky and works 88-92 with an average curve. Royals love athletic players, and even though he's not capable in the field, he has multiple talents on the diamond and will entice the Royals. - Subber10

29. Cincinnati Reds- Cameron Varga, RHP, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (OH)- A 6'5", 205-lb. prep righty from the Cincinnati area, Varga showed excellent control for a high schooler, especially when you consider that he was a conversion from shortstop, and he's still learning how to pitch. A transfer from IMG Academy in Florida, with a mid-nineties fastball (with room for added velocity,) upper-70s curve with good shape, and solid changeup... and he's right in the Reds' backyard. - Anthony Boyer

30. Texas Rangers- Braxton Davidson, 1B/OF, TC Roberson HS (NC)- The Rangers select Braxton Davidson. He has arguably just as good a pure bat as future top 5 pick Alex Jackson, but lacks defensive value. He could be a middle of the order hitter, though, meaning the stick will play anywhere. - kyuss94

31. Cleveland Indians- Michael Chavis, 3B/2B, Sprayberry HS (GA)- Chavis has fallen a bit, and we see him not only as the BPA, but as someone who fits the Indians profile nicely. He has explosive power, winning the PG Rawlings Home Run Challenge in San Diego last year, and it comes with a nice hit tool, as well. We're pleasantly surprised to find him still on the board. We'll take the Josh Donaldson comps all the way to the bank. - Anthony Boyer

32. Atlanta Braves- Luke Weaver, RHP, Florida State- Weaver gives the Braves another polished arm to add to their system. They've had recent issues with pitchers going under the knife and may need to add some arms to replace them if they don't come back healthy. They have a history of taking arms, so this fits their philosophy. - Subber10

33. Boston Red Sox- Mike Papi, OF/1B, Virginia- When picking toward the end of the first round, Sawdaye has overwhelmingly tended to go with college players, and we think Papi's bat makes him the BPA right now. Basically a younger version of Nick Swisher, Papi shows really nice plate discipline for someone who flashes his power, and we're going to try him in the outfield at first, understanding that he may end up at first base. 20-25 home runs a season, solid hit tool and elite plate discipline. We're all in.- Anthony Boyer

34. St. Louis Cardinals- Alex Blandino, IF, Stanford- Blandino provides good plate discipline as indicated by his 1:1 walk to strikeout ratio, both around 10%. He has had his Cape Cod power show up and posted 11 home runs this year showing that he has future above average raw power. He also hits for a good average. He moved to 3B this year from shortstop and has the tools to fit there as a pro.- Subber10

35. Colorado Rockies- Luis Ortiz, RHP, Sanger HS (CA)- Ortiz has the size and athleticism that the Rockies crave, and shows dynamic stuff with a mid-90s fastball and potential plus curve. He's one of the top prep arms in the class in terms of upside and is a good value here for the Rockies. -kyuss94

36. Miami Marlins- Kodi Medeiros, LHP, Waiakea HS (HI)- Medeiros has an unconvential 70 fastball, and also has a hard slider that flashes plus. His command is a concern but nobody gets more movement on all of their offerings their Medeiros does. He represents a good value here, and though he's a bit of a wild card, his upside is through the roof. - kyuss94

37. Houston Astros- Forrest Wall, IF, Orangewood Christian HS (FL) - An outstanding prep middle infield prospect who provides good value here, as he's projected by many to go already be off the board by this pick. We discussed Monte Harrison, but concerns over his hit tool make him a little too much of a project for us in the first round.

38. Cleveland Indians- Nick Burdi, RHRP, Louisville- With Erick Fedde at 21st overall and Michael Chavis in the comp round, we're looking to save a little money here, and we think we can do that with a college reliever. We were sort of looking for this year's Dace Kime, and who better to fill that spot than Kime's college and Cape Cod League teammate, Burdi?

39. Pittsburgh Pirates- JB Bukauskas, RHP, Stone Bridge HS (VA)- A signability risk with a huge arm is a great option here for Pittsburgh with their recently acquired pick. -kyuss94

40. Kansas City Royals- Nick Howard, RHP, Virginia- The other top college reliever this year, Howard will likely take the Nick Maronde path and get a look as a starter in the pros. - kyuss94

41. Milwaukee Brewers- Matt Imhof, LHP, Cal Poly- With his devilish fastball movement, size, and length, Imhof fits the Brewers' philosophy and is slotted in an appropriate range at 41st overall. - kyuss94

42. Houston Astros- Jake Stinnett, RHP, Maryland- A breakout senior for the Terrapins in 2014, Stinnett has easy #3 starter potential on the back of his fastball/curveball combo, reminiscent of Brewers righty Jimmy Nelson - kyuss94