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2015 MLB Mock Draft: Final Mock 3 Rounds

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Round 1 Picks 1-26

The 2015 MLB Draft is the year of the shortstop. How many shortstops crack the top 10 of our MLB Mock Draft.

Posted By: Chris Ransom Last Updated: June, 8, 2015

Arizona Diamondbacks: Dansby Swanson, SS, Vanderbilt

Arizona has one big need at shortstop. You can make a case for either Brendan Rodgers or Dansby Swanson. Swanson has the versatility to play anywhere at infield whether it third base, shortstop, second base, or first base. Swanson also got hot in the SEC Tournament and has hit more home runs than Rodgers.
Houston Astros: Brendan Rodgers, SS, Lake Mary HS (FL)

Houston already took Carlos Correa to be their shortstop of the future. Rodgers has the versatility to play anywhere in the infield just like Swanson. He can start out at shortstop in AA and AAA. Once Rodgers gets to Houston he may have to play a different position in the infield if Correa does well, but Houston can worry about that later.

Brendan Rodgers will be a Astro if the Diamondbacks don't take him. In two seasons at Lake Mary High School he posted a .397 batting average as a junior and then posted a .360 batting average as a senior.

Previous Pick: Carson Fulmer, P, Vanderbilt
Colorado Rockies: Tyler Jay, P, Illinois

The Colorado Rockies should boost their bullpen here. Tyler Jay has back-to-back seasons of 10 saves in 2014 and 2015. The Rockies could also consider guys like Dillon Tate and Carson Fulmer here.

Tyler Jay is the top relief pitcher in this draft. He is not as heralded as the other closers projected to go in round 1, but he's more durable than those pitchers. He showed MLB teams everything you look for in an All Star set up pitcher that can compliment a closer. When you see Tyler Jay you are reminded a little of Jason Grilli who thrives as a set up pitcher, but has shown flashes of greatness as a closer as well.

Jay will be the first pitcher taken because teams see the upside for him to develop into a starter. Worst case scenario you got an MLB All Star at set-up pitcher which was where Jay played in college. Best case scenario, Jay blossoms into a #3 starting pitcher in a rotation.

Previous Pick: Dillon Tate, P, UC Santa Barbara
Texas Rangers: Daz Cameron, CF, Eagles Landing HS (GA)

At 6-1 185 lbs, Daz Cameron may be a complete 5 tool player at the center fielder position. His .405 batting average and 19 RBIs make him a stud. Also had 7 stolen bases, throws a ball with power and accuracy, and displays exceptional skills for a center fielder.

Cameron may not be a home run hitter only having 3 home runs. That will come with time if he bulks up. The guy has a tremendous baseball IQ and reminds me a little of Kenny Lofton.

> Previous Pick: Brendan Rodgers, SS, Lake Mary HS (FL)
Houston Astros: Carson Fulmer, P, Vanderbilt

Houston adds a pitcher with their second pick. The Astros showed a lot of interest in Carson Fulmer. Houston would grab Fulmer in a heartbeat if he slipped to #5.

Previous Pick: Daz Cameron, CF, Eagles Landing HS (GA)
Minnesota Twins: Kyle Tucker, LF, Plant HS (FL)

Minnesota usually goes for high school prospects. They already have centerfielder Byron Buxton, pitcher Kohl Stewart, and shortstop Nick Gordon.

Kyle Tucker has the versatility to play anywhere in the outfield at left field, center field, or right field. Has a cannon for an arm with precise accuracy when throwing the ball for outs. This guy also has a 1.000 fielding percentage in high school.

Tucker's one weakness is that he relies on his line drives to get hits. Minnesota will have to help him add more upper body strength so he can develop into a home run hitter.
Boston Red Sox: Andrew Benintendi, CF, Arkansas

Andrew Benintendi is one of the most complete bats in this draft. He has a .412 batting average, 17 home runs, 49 RBI's and 20 stolen bases. If he returned to school for his junior season he'd be the front runner to be the #1 pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. Benintendi plans on declaring following his sophomore redshirt season.

You cannot fault Benintendi for doing this. Andrew Benintendi called into the Paul Finnebaum show on the SEC Network and really boosted his stock by giving himself more exposure. Boston loves Benintendi, and he won't get past this pick.

Previous Pick: Kyle Funkhouser, P, Louisville
Chicago White Sox: Dillon Tate, P, U.C. Irvine

The Chicago White Sox will take Dillon Tate here. Tate makes too much sense for the White Sox as he displays 3 plus pitches with his fastball, curveball, and slider.

Previous Pick: Walker Buehler, P, Vanderbilt
Chicago Cubs: Joe Harris, P, Missouri State

Joe Harris is one of the best college pitchers left in this draft. The Cubs have to add a starting pitcher to their rotation at some point before round 2.

Jon Lester could still step up down the stretch. As of right now, he's pitching like an overpaid player. Harris has emerged as a top 10 pick with his 6-1 record and 2.08 ERA.
Philadelphia Phillies: Alex Bregman, SS, LSU

Philadelphia needs a new shortstop. Losing Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers was a huge blow. Luckily for the Phillies Alex Bregman out of LSU is the top player on the board.

In Bregman had a .316 batting average, 16 doubles, 6 home runs, and 12 stolen bases. You could be getting another Adrian Gonzalez at some point.

This season in 2015, Bregman has improved on those numbers with a .337 batting average, 21 doubles, 8 home runs, and 28 stolen bases. Bregman also has 41 RBI's and is my third best overall prospect after both Brendan Rodgers and Dansby Swanson.
Cincinnati Reds: Ian Happ, RF, Cincinnati

Cincinnati needs a right fielder on their MLB team. Hometown Bearcat Ian Happ is a match made in heaven for the Reds.

Ian Happ can play second base or a corner outfield spot which would likely be right field since that corner spot is closer to second base.

If you are a Reds fan you want the Reds to take a guy like Happ because Happ had a .322 batting average in back-to-back seasons. He had 25 stolen bases as a freshman and 19 as a sophomore. His cannon arm and exceptional fielding make him guy to keep an eye on. Can hit home runs, line drives, grounders, or bunts. Happ has all the tools to make Reds fans happy.

Happ continues to put the Cincinnati Bearcats on the map in 2015. So far this season he has a .370 batting average, 13 home runs, and 39 RBI's. His 10 stolen bases may be less than usual, but you have to love the fact that Happ is cultivating his game as a home run hitter.

Before playing at Cincinnati, Happ went to Mt. Lebanon HS in Pittsburgh PA. Funny story about Mt. Lebanon is I almost moved to Mt. Lebanon before ending up at North Allegheny.
Miami Marlins: Nick Plummer, CF, Brother Rice HS (MI)

The Marlins have the luxury of taking the best player available with all the young and upcoming talent on the roster. A lot of MLB Draft experts believe Plummer is a top 10 talent now with his emergence in 2015.

Plummer is very versatile. He played left fielder as a sophomore in 2013, right fielder as a junior in 2014, and finally made the transition to center fielder in 2015. That versatility will get Plummer picked in the top 15 and possibly have him sneaking into the top 10.
Tampa Bay Rays: Kolby Allard, P, San Clemente HS (CA)

Kolby Allard has a good 95 mph fastball. Allard would be a top 10 pick if it wasn't for a back injury he suffered in March. Either way, Allard should still end up going in the top 15.
Atlanta Braves: Ashe Russell, P, Cathedral HS (IN)

The Braves will need another pitcher to develop in their farm system. Ashe Russell has a fastball that clocks in around 95 miles per hour. He may not have the size you want. Russell reminds me of Jared Weaver on the Angels and looks like a pitcher you want to develop and keep an eye on. I know the Braves have some solid starters, but they could really use a guy like Weaver in their rotation and Ashe Russell is a player that resembles Weaver coming out of high school.
Milwaukee Brewers: Mike Nikorak, P, Stroudsburg HS (PA)

Mike Nikorak is the top pitcher left in the 2015 MLB Draft with his 6-5 205 lb frame. Nikorak could go in the top 5, but he could just as easily fall to this pick.

Nikorak has 2 MLB pitches with his fastball and curveball. He also addressed questions involving his pitching accuracy this summer at Showcase Games which is why he will go in the top 20.
New York Yankees: Kyle Funkhouser, P, Louisville

The Yankees need a pitcher that they can groom to eventually replace C.C. Sabbathia. Kyle Funkhouser is a reach if you take him in the top 10, but he could be a steal if you draft him outside of the top 15 picks.

Previous Pick: Phil Bickford, P, Southern Nevada CC (JUCO)
Cleveland Indians: Nathan Kirby, P, Virginia

Cleveland gets another pitcher here. Kirby pitched 113.1 innings and has a 2.06 ERA with the Cavaliers in 2014. Kirby gets a lot of batters to swing and miss averaging around 10 strikeouts per game.

Nathan Kirby suffered a left leg tear that sidelined him for 6 to 8 weeks in April. Despite rushing Kirby back he's still 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA. Kirby is no longer a top 10 talent, but provides incredible value for the Indians here.
San Francisco Giants: Kevin Newman, SS, Arizona

The Giants could use another shortstop in their system. Kevin Newman out of Arizona is one of the best shortstops in College baseball. Newman started all 55 games in his first two seasons with the Wildcats putting any durability questions scouts might have to immediate rest.

So far in 2015, he's played 48 games. His batting average has improved from .304 in 2014 to .367. He's also improved his stolen bases from 13 stolen bases to 19 stolen bases. Kevin Newman is a top 20 talent, and an excellent player if you cannot land Rodgers, Swanson, or Bregman at shortstop.
Pittsburgh Pirates: D.J. Stewart, LF, Florida State

The Pittsburgh Pirates don't need an outfielder, but D.J. Stewart is a top 20 pick. Florida State left fielder D.J. Stewart is the top college bat left in round 1.

Stewart posted a .364 batting average, 25 doubles, and 5 home runs as a freshman. As a sophomore Stewart had a .351 batting average, 19 doubles, and 7 home runs as a sophomore.

In 2015, his batting average has dropped to .327. He has hit 12 home runs this season though so Stewart's home run hitting has improved each season.

The Pirates may be loaded at outfield. Still, when a guy with three consecutive seasons with a batting average of .320 or higher comes along, you cannot pass on that player.

Previous Pick: Tyler Jay, P, Illinois
Oakland Athletics: Michael Matuella, P, Duke

Michael Matuella is a closer that is got consideration to be the top pick in June until Tommy John's Surgery in April 2015. The 6-foot-6 230-pound closer is an excellent relief pitcher that can play long reliever, middle reliever, set up, or closer. Oakland needs a guy to boost their bullpen.

Matuella can make this bullpen awesome if he recovers. He has a 93 mile per hour fastball that can go up to 97 miles per hour if you warm him up in the bullpen. Also has a 12-6 curve that goes up from 79 to 82 mph if you warm him up in the pen. Also has an 83 mph slider that goes up to 86 mph when you warm him up. Finally he has an 87 mph changeup that can go up to 89 mph.

While you would like to see more accuracy and less speed on his changeup, this is an outstanding prospect who can be seasoned in the minors. Matuella may want more money than he is asking for, but with Tommy John's Surgery, he lost a lot of value with his draft stock which means he will have to take the offer that Oakland gives him.
Kansas City Royals: Trenton Clark, CF, Richland HS (TX)

The Royals have the luxury of taking the best player available with all the young and upcoming talent on the roster. A lot of MLB Draft experts believe Clark is a top 15 talent because of his batting average along with the fact that he went 10 for 10 when stealing bases.

Lots of teams are set at center fielder which is the biggest reason I had Clark falling. The Royals have the luxury of taking the best player available so there is no reason for them to pass on Clark here.
Detroit Tigers: Garrett Whitley, CF, Niskayuna HS (NY)

Detroit could use another centerfielder. The Tigers get the top player on the board. One could argue that Whitley is a steal at this point.
St. Louis Cardinals: Brady Aiken, P, Yavapai CC (JUCO)

The top pick in the 2014 MLB Draft slips to St. Louis here. Aiken had Tommy John Surgery in 2015 which is the biggest reason why he slips here. The Cardinals have the luxury of taking Aiken, developing him, and hoping he becomes a premium pitcher once again. This seems something that the Cardinals would do only to look like geniuses once again.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Chris Betts, C, Long Beach Wilson HS (CA)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the luxury of taking the best player available. Chris Betts is the only catcher worth taking in the first round of this years MLB Draft.
Baltimore Orioles: Walker Buehler, P, Vanderbilt

Walker Buehler was a top 10 prospect. Some poor pitching has caused him to fall a round. Buehler can start out with the Bowie Bay Sox in AA before working his way up to the Orioles' farm system.

Previous Pick: Cody Ponce, P, Cal Poly Pomona
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim: Phil Bickford, P, Southern Nevada CC (JUCO)

Phil Bickford is a first round talent. The Angels are getting a steal by adding Bickford here to wrap up the first round.

Previous Pick: James Kaprielian, P, UCLA