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2018 Draft Prospect Profile: Noah Naylor

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Noah Naylor | C/3B

Background
Naylor, 18, attends St. Joan of Arc High School in Ontario. He is the younger brother of Padres prospect Josh Naylor, the 12th overall pick in the 2015 draft. Naylor is committed to Texas A&M.

Scouting Report
Noah is a different type of prospect than older brother. Josh is a big-bodied (5-foot-11 and 250 lbs.) first baseman whose best tool is his left-handed power. Noah is a left-handed hitter as well, though he is listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 lbs., and his offensive game is built around contact and the innate ability to get the fat part of the bat on the ball. He does have raw power, but is still learning how to use it in games. Naylor is a good athlete with a rocket arm, and while he’s rough around the edges now, he has the tools to remain behind the plate long-term. He’s also played some third base as an amateur and that could be a fallback option. The perfect world scenario here is a left-handed hitting catcher who hits for average and power, and provides some value with the glove as well.

Miscellany
Baseball America (subs. req’d) and Keith Law (subs. req’d) rank Naylor as the 20th and 21st best prospect in the draft class, respectively. MLB.com has him 32nd. The Yankees hold the 23rd overall pick. If Naylor goes in the first round, which is likely, it will be because the team believes he’ll be able to catch long-term. The Yankees have developed several big league catchers in recent years (Gary Sanchez, Austin Romine, Francisco Cervelli, John Ryan Murphy, etc.), and given his lefty bat and raw power, Naylor seems like the ideal project for the player development folks.

2018 Draft Prospect Profile: Nick Schnell

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Nick Schnell | OF

Background
The 18-year-old Schnell attends Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, where he plays both baseball and basketball. He’s committed to Louisville and will be the first player ever drafted out of his high school.

Scouting Report
Few players in the draft class have improved their stock as much as Schnell over the last few months. He was great on the showcase circuit last summer and he’s impressed in limited time this spring — the high school season starts late in Indianapolis — with his ability and willingness to spray the ball to all fields from the left side of the plate. Schnell’s power is mostly into the gaps rather than over the fence right now, though there is room to fill out his 6-foot-2 and 180 lb. frame, so he projects to add pop as he matures. Add in good speed and a sound approach, and Schnell’s offensive potential is rather exciting. In the field, he has range and good instincts, which makes him a quality defensive center fielder. Even if he has to move a corner down the road, his arm is plenty strong enough for right field.

Miscellany
The latest rankings have Schnell outside the first round, though he’s climbing draft boards, and right now he’s projected to go in the back half of the first round. Baseball America ranks him as the 34th best prospect in the draft class while MLB.com ranks him 47th. Keith Law (subs. req’d) does not have Schnell among his top 50 draft prospects. The Yankees hold the 23rd overall pick. They’ve been connected to bats more than anything this spring, and Schnell fits their usual profile as a toolsy left-handed hitter at an up-the-middle position.

2018 Draft Prospect Profile: Kumar Rocker

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Kumar Rocker | RHP

Background
The 18-year-old Rocker is the son of former Redskins defensive lineman Tracy Rocker, and he attends North Oconee High School outside Athens, Georgia. He plays both baseball and football, and is committed to Vanderbilt.

Scouting Report
At 6-foot-5 and 250 lbs., Rocker is built very much like the son of a former defensive lineman. He’s a monster on the mound, and his fastball sits 93-95 mph and has touched 98 mph. His hard mid-80s slider is a wipeout pitch and one of the best breaking balls in the draft class. Both the fastball and slider have posted high spin rates in summer showcase events at big league parks. Rocker doesn’t have much of a changeup, which isn’t unusual for a top high school pitcher. His delivery has some effort but he’s athletic and generally locates well.

Miscellany
The various scouting publications all rank Kumar as a top half of the first round prospect in their latest rankings. Keith Law (subs. req’d) ranks him as the 12th best prospect in the draft class, Baseball America ranks him 13th, and MLB.com ranks him 14th. The Yankees hold the 23rd overall pick. Rocker has been connected to the Yankees in a few mock drafts this spring, though it seemed more like speculation than legitimate interest. Either way, Rocker is one of the top prep pitchers in the draft, and he’s a physically huge power pitcher, and the Yankees love those guys.

2018 Draft: Latest mock drafts from ESPN, Baseball America, and MLB.com

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The 2018 amateur draft is only two weeks away now. The three-day event begins Monday, June 4th, and of course MLB Network will broadcast the first night of action. The Yankees hold the 23rd overall pick this season. Here are the latest mock drafts. (Here’s my mock draft for CBS, if you’re interested.)

Keith Law’s mock draft v2.0

In his second mock draft (subs. req’d), Keith Law has the Tigers selecting Auburn RHP Casey Mize with the first overall pick. That is no surprise at this point. Mize is the overwhelming favorite to go first overall this year. Here is Law’s mock pick for the Yankees:

23. New York Yankees: Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope HS (Cary, North Carolina)
If Adams will sign and forego college football (he’s a North Carolina commit), he could go as high as 16, but the Yankees have been the most strongly connected to him lately; signing him might require that they go under slot at pick 61.

The Yankees have been connected to bats all spring and Adams is one of the most intriguing position players in the draft class. He’s a premium athlete and a top wide receiver recruit who will likely require a large bonus to turn pro. The Yankees have not been shy about buying kids away from other sports (Austin Jackson and Andrew Brackman from basketball, Austin Aune from football, etc.), though those were the wild west days before bonus pools.

Baseball America mock draft v3.0

Baseball America posted their latest mock draft late last week, and, not surprisingly, they have Mize going to Tigers with the top pick. Their mock pick for the Yankees is the same as their previous mock drafts:

1B Triston Casas, American Heritage School, Plantation, Fla. 1B
New York has plenty of pitching depth in its system and has done a nice job of developing homegrown power hitters recently. Imagining Casas’ lefthanded power in Yankee Stadium is exciting.

Here is my profile of Casas. The Yankees are an analytics organization and Casas has posted some insane exit velocities during showcase events, though he is a first baseman, and the history of high school first basemen taken in the first round is pretty ugly. Still, Casas has serious thump, and the Yankees have been connected to bats all spring, so he fits.

MLB.com mock draft v4.0

Jonathan Mayo took the reins of MLB.com’s mock draft this week, and he too has the Tigers taking Mize with the No. 1 pick. Interestingly enough, he says there’s some thought Detroit could instead target a college bat. First time this spring someone has suggested a player other than Mize could go first overall. Anyway, here is the Yankees’ mock pick:

23. Yankees: Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Ga.)
Rocker wasn’t as sharp late in the spring, and he was outpitched by Cole Wilcox in a key matchup, but he still has a premium heater and potentially plus-slider to go along with size and athleticism.

Not the first time Rocker has been mocked to the Yankees this spring, though this seems more like speculation than a true “the Yankees have interest in him” connection. If the Yankees do go with a pitcher though, Rocker is as good a bet as anyone given his power stuff and high spin rates. The Yankees love dudes like that.

2018 Draft Prospect Profile: Mike Siani

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Mike Siani | OF

Background
The 18-year-old Siani attends William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia and is committed to Virginia. He’s only played six games so far this spring because of inclement weather, and because the prep season starts late in general in the Northeast.

Scouting Report
At 6-foot-1 and 180 lbs., Siani looks the part of a future big leaguer, and right now he stands out most for his center field defense. He’s a great athlete with above-average speed, and his outfield instincts allow that speed to play up in center. Add in a very strong arm — Siani has been up to 94 mph off the mound — and you’ve got a no-doubt long-term center fielder and potential Gold Glover. At the plate, the left-handed swinging Siani has good power, but mostly employs a slash-and-dash approach that allows him to use his speed. Once he reaches base, he’s a threat to steal as well. Siani has performed well against elite competition during showcase events, though he has not faced great competition as an amateur overall. It’s worth noting Siani has drawn praise for his worth ethic and high energy play.

Miscellany
Siani’s pre-draft rankings vary quite a bit. Keith Law (subs. req’d) ranks him as the 23rd best prospect in the draft class while MLB.com has him 35th. Baseball America ranks him 52nd. The Yankees hold the 23rd overall selection. For what it’s worth, Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen said the Yankees are in on Siani in their latest mock draft. Many clubs have refocused their Northeast scouting coverage after Mike Trout slipped through the cracks, so while Siani has not played much this spring, I’m sure he’ll have plenty of eyes on him in the coming weeks.

2018 Draft Prospect Profile: Grant Lavigne

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Grant Lavigne | 1B

Background
The 18-year-old Lavigne attends Bedford High School outside Manchester, New Hampshire. He’s hitting .621/.807/1.413 with six homers and way more walks (24) than strikeouts (three) through 14 games this spring. Lavigne is committed to Wake Forrest.

Scouting Report
At 6-foot-4 and 230 lbs., Lavigne looks the part of a power-hitting first baseman. He’s a lefty swinger with significant raw power and sneaky good contact ability. Lavigne also knows the strike zone well, so he projects as a big power/high on-base hitter who doesn’t strike out as much as you’d expect. In the field, Lavigne runs well and is a good athlete, good enough that he can also play left field. His arm is below average and his weakest tool. The biggest knocks against Lavigne are 1) the likelihood that he’s a first baseman long-term, and 2) the fact he hasn’t faced good competition as an amateur.

Miscellany
In their latest rankings MLB.com pegs Lavigne as the 98th best prospect in the draft class while Baseball America ranks him 124th. Keith Law (subs. req’d) did not have Lavigne among his top 100 draft prospects. The Yankees hold the 23rd (first round), 61st (second round), and 97th (third round) overall picks. For what it’s worth, Kiley McDaniel hears the Yankees are “heavy” on Lavigne, “more for their 2nd pick but possible underslot at their first pick.” The underslot thing could be a fallback plan should their top targets be off the board when their first rounder rolls around, similar to Clarke Schmidt last year.

2018 Draft: Latest FanGraphs and MLB.com mock drafts

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We are less than three weeks away from the 2018 amateur draft, which begins Monday, June 4th. The Yankees hold the 23rd overall pick this year. Here are the latest mock drafts for your perusal.

FanGraphs mock draft v2.0

Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen posted their second mock draft of the spring earlier this week — their first mock draft covered only the top ten picks — and, of course, they have Auburn RHP Casey Mize going first overall to the Tigers. Mize is the consensus No. 1 pick right now. Here is their mock pick for the Yankees:

23. N.Y. Yankees – Xavier Edwards, 2B, North Broward Prep HS (FL)
Like Oakland, the Yankees keep an open mind with high picks but likely aren’t looking for a high-school pitcher here unless one of the better prep arms falls here for some reason. Edwards is in play at a number of picks higher than this one and has the electrifying 80-grade speed to play everyday in Yankee Stadium. Pennsylvania prep CF Mike Siani has also been mentioned here.

As is often the case, the information in the blurb is more interesting than the mock pick itself. That the Yankees “likely aren’t looking for a high-school pitcher” in the first round jibes with previous reports about them wanting a bat. Edwards (and Siani) fit their usual draft target profile as toolsy up-the-middle guys with high-end athleticism. Sounds like a position player is the most likely outcome right now (which of course means they’ll take a pitcher.)

MLB.com’s mock draft v3.0

Once again, it is Jim Callis’ turn to take the wheels of MLB.com’s mock draft. (Callis and Jonathan Mayo alternate weeks with the mock draft.) Callis has Mize going to the Tigers with the No. 1 pick. Here is his mock selection for the Yankees:

23. Yankees: Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (Corona, Calif.)
Right after the 2017 Draft ended, we projected Turang as this year’s possible No. 1 overall selection. That won’t happen because he’s not hitting well, but the son of former big leaguer Brian Turang is still a lock to stay at shortstop with speed and bat-to-ball skills.

Here is my write-up on Turang. He’s another up-the-middle athlete with tools and, as an added bonus, he’s a Southern California kid. Scouting director Damon Oppenheimer has a known affinity for SoCal prospects. At one point Turang was considered the top high school prospect in the draft. His stock has slipped through, and if the Yankees are still enamored with the tools, they could grab him and try to get him back to where he was last year.