If you read last week’s MLB Draft Preview Part 1, you’re familiar with what we’re doing here. If you didn’t, then why didn’t you? I will be previewing some of the more interesting but lesser-known draft prospects for this coming weekend’s draft but by no means is this a mock draft. In last week’s piece, we covered a bunch of prospects likely to go in the top-half of the first round and this week we’ll go over a few more for the first round and then some other ones that could go in the second and third rounds that are interesting from a fantasy perspective. Just like in all other sport’s drafts, there will be a lot of players drafted who are all-around solid players in reality but have little fantasy value either because of their skillset or their potential role for the team drafting them.
I will be updating my top-250 prospects list for next week’s prospect report and you’ll likely see some of the top picks scattered throughout the rankings. If you’d like to see the draft order, check out the image at the beginning of last week’s preview.
Colson Montgomery, 3B Southridge HS (IN) - Montgomery is a two-sport star that’s actually focusing on baseball perhaps later than he should’ve as he played basketball for a while as well. The skills though are more promising for him in baseball with above-average power, arm, and hit tools that he’ll utilize at the hot corner. The lefty-hitting, future third baseman, does tend to get a little too pull happy at times the power plays better when it’s gap-to-gap rather than pure pull. A pretty reasonable comp is Justin Turner or Corey Seager who had similar size and skills at the same stage.
Ryan Cusick, RHP Wake Forest - Cusick has continued to improve each year at Wake Forest after having a rough freshman year. He’s been clocked anywhere from 94 to 102 on his late riding fastball which is clearly his best pitch and grades at 70 on the 20-80 scale. Cusick does utilize a four-pitch mix with a 55-grade curveball, an average slider and a changeup to round out the mix which all sit in and around the 80s in terms of velocity. The release point has been the toughest thing for Cusick to nail down consistently and that’s led to too many balls being thrown while simultaneously leading college baseball in K/9 at 13.9. If he wants to remain a starter in the pro ranks he’ll need to cut down on the balls and refine the control otherwise he’s dialed into a high-leverage bullpen role.
Joshua Baez, OF Dexter Southfield HS (MA) - A double-plus arm and the best raw power in the draft class overall is what really has the scouts intrigued by Baez. While the hit tool leaves something to be desired right now, it’s mainly due to him trying to overswing rather than simply relying on the bat speed and raw power that’s already present. If he can refine his approach and simplify his swing, he could be the steal of the early rounds as a guy who has enough speed to post 15 steals and 30 or more homers a year while playing a great defensive right field.
Peyton Stovall, 2B Haughton HS (LA) - The second base listing is likely a better descriptor for him than his current high school position of shortstop is long term. The one thing that’s for sure is that he’s in possession of perhaps the best pure swing in the draft, college or prep prospect included. The 60-grade hit tool from the lefty-hitting, righty-fielding middle infielder is what really has the scouts excited and it’s flashed even better than that at times as well. Stovall should have at least average pop as he continues to develop but the speed will likely remain below-average at best which is what will likely force his move to the right side of second base.
Frank Mozzicato, LHP East Catholic HS (CT) - Mozzicato has been a guy that’s risen up the draft boards because of his ability to work on and improve his stuff throughout the last year and a half to two years. Prior to this school year, the velocity was subpar, even for a lefty, but after going to a performance program, he’s added 3-5 mph to his sitting velocity and seven miles per hour to his top end. Pairing a low-90s fastball with an absolute gem of a curveball and piling in the strikes has really shot him up draft boards. He still needs a better third, and potentially fourth pitch, to really be a threat for a rotation spot but the 6’3”, 175-pound southpaw certainly has the makings of a solid starting prospect.
Gage Jump, LHP JSerra Catholic HS (CA) - Aside from having one of the best names in the draft class, Jump has some good stuff and a knowledge of how to pitch that makes him a better prospect than the outright stuff would. As with most lefties, the velocity isn’t off the charts as it’s more in the 92 range but the ability to place it where he wants to gets it to play up in terms of scouting grades. In an interesting twist, his two breaking pitches are actually his two best offerings with the curveball being better than the slider. The changeup plays nicely with his fastball and has some nice fade to it. The higher arm slot helps add break and plane to his breaking pitches but currently, the best thing for him right now is for him to continue to physically mature from his 5’10” and 175-pound frame. That will add some velo but also more movement to his stuff and potentially move him further into a rotation from a number four starter type to a number three starter.
Maddux Bruns, LHP UMS-Wright HS (AL) - To paraphrase Bull Durham:
“He walked 18.”...“He struck out 18.”...”In addition, he hit the sportswriters, the public-address announcer, the mascot — twice — ...This guy’s got some serious s(tuff).”
Bruns is an arm talent that reminds me of Dylan Cease, or Nuke Laloosh, from a stuff and risk standpoint. The stuff is outstanding with two plus-pitches, an above-average third offering, and a fourth pitch that’s at least MLB-average, however, the control has been a major concern for him. As in, he’s been prone to airmailing balls to home and having to be removed early from showcase appearances. The fastball has topped out at 97 previously but sits more comfortably in the mid-90s while the second plus-pitch is his slider with two-plane break and mid-80s velo. The curveball is a true 12-to-6 pitch that sits in the mid-70s range and would be a true plus-pitch if he showed that he was more comfortable throwing it. The changeup is about 10-15 mph slower than the fastball with nice deception to it but he doesn’t use it often in games right now. Dylan Cease was a prospect with an electric arm and a need to figure out how to control it, just like Bruns is. If Bruns can figure out the control issues, which aren’t uncommon amongst prep arms with this much velo, he has the stuff to be a frontline starter. However, if he doesn’t learn to improve his control, Bruns has electric-reliever-type written all over him.
Brody Brecht, RHP Ankeny HS (IA) - Brecht is one of the more interesting draft prospects because his road to being a potential first-round pick has taken him through three sports. He’s also a three-star wide receiver recruit for Iowa’s football program and he ran track in 2020 rather than pitch because it wasn’t an official season. In his senior year, and with one shot to prove his draft stock, he looked like a first-rounder on the mound with two different plus pitches and a third at least average offering. The fastball sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 occasionally. The slider is the second plus-pitch, working in the mid-80s while late movement can make the ball dart as it gets to home plate. His curveball, the third pitch in his arsenal, is a distinct, separate, breaking pitch that’s a tad slower in the upper-70s and has been a tad inconsistent with its break from time to time. He gets comps to Jeff Samardzija due to his pitching and wide receiver combo past but Brecht has more upside than Samardzija did at this same point and that could see Brecht go as early as the mid-first-round.
Kyle Manzardo, 1B Washington State - First base is about as shallow as positions come in the prospect world, so it’s important to make note of an interesting one in the draft class. Manzardo is a lefty-hitting first baseman who’s been an everyday player since his freshman year in the Pac-12 and that experience has paid dividends in refining his skills. Offensively, he comes with above-average hit and power tools that work to all fields well and also plays up with his mature approach at the plate. Defensively he will be limited to first base, or perhaps DH if taken by an AL team, but Manzardo does profile as at least an average defender there. Don’t be surprised to see him go late first or early second round in the draft and he’s got the tools to be a fast-mover through any system he goes to in pro ball.
Isaiah Thomas, OF Vanderbilt - Vandy has long been an MLB pipeline and this year will be no different as Thomas put his name squarely into the early-round conversation with his showing this year. He possesses four above-average tools with the only one that’s between below-average and average is the hit tool. At 6’3” and 210 pounds, the outfielder, who played right field for Vanderbilt but should play center in the pro ranks, has the frame to generate above-average power from the right side of the dish. When all is said and done he should be a guy with easy 20-20 capabilities who hits about .260 and plays a solid center field defensively.