Prospects1500 #2EarlyMiLBMock Draft – Episode II

Episode II: Rounds 10-19

The middle rounds of the #2EarlyMiLBMock draft have been punctuated with future Top 100’s, hidden treasures, and high upside across the board. These picks have been instrumental in defining the rosters of the 12 managers, as they are filling the following positions in a startup dynasty style: 2 C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, 5 OF, 2 UTIL, 10 P and 5 bench players. Make sure to check out the writeup of Episode I: Rounds 1-9 by Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame) here, and follow along with the draft on the Google draft spreadsheet. Let’s jump into the middle round picks.

10th Round:

Scott on his selection of Ronaldo Hernandez, C, TBR: I’m really happy with some of the value I’ve gotten in these middle rounds. In a 2 catcher draft landing Ronaldo Hernandez (10th rd) and MJ Melendez (12th rd) has to be considered good quality, especially with the talent level of those two.

Ben on his selection of Luis Patino, RHP, SDP: I waited until Round 8 and Pick 90 to grab Justus Sheffield, and almost grabbed Patino at that spot. I really like all of the arms in this round, and think Patino has a future as a number 2 starter with a dynamite, advanced arm and feel for pitching. He’s a good second arm to build around in this format.

11th Round: 

Ryan on his selection of Oneil Cruz, SS, PIT: Rounds 11 through 20 brought me much higher ceilings than floors. One of those high ceilings that I have fallen for is Oneil Cruz.  I became a Cruz fan the first time I read about him, because I mean, who doesn’t love a 6’6” shortstop. I then got even more excited when he was traded to Pittsburgh last year. I just hoped he continued to improve and make it to double A so I would have a shot to see him play. After 2018 he left no doubt that I’d have that opportunity and likely much more.  With the 5 above average tools and huge power potential, Cruz put it all together, slashing .286/.343/.488 with double digit homers and steals.  Allowing Cruz to stand out for more reasons than his height.

Ben on his selection of Elehuris Montero, 3B, STL: I also considered Hudson Potts (who went in Round 13, Pick 150), and Jordan Groshans (who I picked in Round 16, Pick 186) for my 3B position, but I like Montero the best of the bunch. Montero has been tagged as the “best Cardinals prospect since Albert Pujols/Oscar Taveras,” and that makes me pay attention. He slashed a blistering .315/.371/.504 en route to the Midwest League MVP award.

Matt on his selection of Bubba Thompson, OF, TEX: [Thompson] spent the year in Low A turning his athleticism into baseball skills. He had 32 steals and hit the ball over the fence 8 times as well in 332 AB. Hope he can keep improving, could be special if he improves contact skills.

13th Round:

Matt on his selection of Jeter Downs, SS, CIN: Looking back at my round 13 might have some pangs of regret. Took Jeter Downs, while I like his speed, there are some questions about his arm, and hit tool. If i had a mulligan I think I’d take Hudson Potts or Philly SS Luis Garcia taken shortly afterwards.

14th Round:

Tony on his selection of Jhailyn Ortiz, OF, PHI: As the draft went on and I loaded up on pitching early, I know I needed to grab more power and I didn’t have to think too long when I saw Jhailyn Ortiz was still available at pick 159 in round 14.  He struggled a little bit with injuries this past year but turned it on as the season went by.  Has massive power potential and could be part of a solid lineup when he hits the majors.  He joined Alec Bohm as part of my future Phillies foundation.

Matt on his selection of William Contreras, C, ATL: [Contreras] broke out in 2018, and I think I got one of the last of the good catching prospects in the mock.

Stoffer on his selection of Monte Harrison, OF, MIA: Monte Harrison is someone I targeted at the beginning of the draft.  I felt that as he does have a tendency to strike out a lot which adversely effects his OBP his other tools are  incredibly impressive.  I estimate at the highest level it would be reasonable to expect him to be a 20/20 guy.  Couple of my other Of targets went earlier such as Gigliotti and Ortiz making it clear at round 15 I had to act and couldn’t be happier to add Harrison to Marsh and Swaggerty.

Andy on his selection of Franklin Perez, RHP, DET: Heading into the 2018 season, Tigers right-hander Franklin Perez was a consensus top 50 prospect in all of baseball. He has command of a solid four-pitch mix, with most scouts projecting at least two plus offerings in his curveball and his changeup. However, multiple injuries made 2018 a lost season for Perez, and I was happy to snatch him up at pick No. 174 (15.7) in the mock draft. Losing a season to an arm injury is nothing to ignore, but Perez is going to be just 21 for all of next season, and he’s already made several appearances at Double-A. I’m more than happy to get a player whose floor is described as a No. 3 starter in the 15th round.

Michael on his selection of Peter Lambert, RHP, COL: Peter Lambert, 6-feet, 2-inch, 185-pound right-handed starting pitcher in the Colorado Rockies system, was my 16.2 (182nd overall) pick in the Prospects1500 minor league prospects draft. Lambert was 8-2 with a 2.23 ERA at AA Hartford in 2018, earning a quick promotion to AAA Albuquerque, where he was less successful (2-5, 5.04 ERA, 31 strikeouts in 55.1 innings) in a hitter-friendly league. He has four solid pitches and, at age 21, the 2015 second-round pick by the Rockies figures to fit into the big-league rotation in 2020.

Ben on his selection of Jordan Groshans, 3B/SS, TOR: Groshans probably got the most buzz from followers on Twitter of all of my picks so far. Groshans was a steal for me at this point. The development will take some time, but Groshans was easily one of the best bats from this year’s draft. Expect him to go in the middle of the first round of FYPD’s right after the top names are off the board.

Matt on his selection of Ryan Noda, 1B, TOR: Ryan Noda was the pick in the 16th round. Maybe a reach to some, a 22 year old in Low A last year isn’t normally the type of player I go for. But, I like him. He can rake, he can take a walk and has huge HR potential.

17th Round:

Matt on his selection of Cal Mitchell, OF, PIT: Round 17 brought me Calvin Mitchell. He was an advanced bat coming out of the draft, and has been as advertised so far. I don’t like player comps but they’re sooo fun and I want to sneak in a reference…I see Garret Anderson like BA and power.

18th Round:

Matt on his selection of Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, BAL: In the 18th round I got my 5th SP Grayson Rodriguez. I’m not a guy who even likes drafting pitching prospects they are so risky, but getting the 11th overall player taken in the 2018 FYPD is a huge value. He’s a huge kid, with a great fastball and potential for great secondary pitches.

19th Round:

Matt on his selection of Antonio Cabello, OF, NYY: He had great success in the GCL as a 17 year old. I love taking international free agents who’s teams bring them stateside as 17 year olds. Shows the team value them as assets, and trust to challenge them with aggressive assignments. I like my draft so far, looking forward to get some deep gems in the final 10 rounds!

Ben on his selection of Spencer Howard, RHP, PHI: Howard has always been an intriguing arm for me. A college reliever, converted to a starter in professional ball, Howard found success this season pitching in full season A ball. Howard has big K stuff and took steps forward with the development of his secondaries, as he struck out 147 in 112 IP. He capped off his season with a postseason no hitter, and should be a sure riser heading into 2019.
Make sure to keep following along with the last rounds of the draft, and follow every pick with the hashtag #2EarlyMiLBMock. The Google draft spreadsheet of every pick, and every manager’s roster, is posted here. Thanks for following along.

Featured Image of Corey Ray – via Brewers on Twitter

Ben Wilson

Ben is an Assistant Editor and also covers the Red Sox and Dynasty/Fantasy baseball content for Prospects1500. He also runs the #2EarlyMiLBMock, an annual prospect-only mock draft, for the Prospects1500 website. Ben is an experienced fantasy baseball player and is a deep league dynasty specialist. He has also contributed at FantraxHQ, RotoFanatic, and retired blogs Real McCoy Minors and Notes from the Sally. Follow Ben on Twitter @TBDubbs11.

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