Cleveland Sports Forum

Baseball America projected Draft first round For the G's

23. Guardians — Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic

This pick would be reminiscent of the Chase DeLauter selection a year ago, as Schanuel is a small school hitter with an exceptional track record of performance, bat-to-ball skills and raw power. He’s not the same athlete as DeLauter was, and his tools aren’t quite as loud, but he’s also leading the country with a 1.512 OPS with terrific plate discipline numbers. He has a 22.4% walk rate and 6% strikeout rate. Model-heavy teams should be all over this one.

Not exactly the draft, but the International signings are being reported. Cleveland signed:

Welbyn Francisca
Guardians SS
Notes:

Born: May 17, 2006. Ht: 5-10. Wt: 175. B-T: B-R. Country: Dominican Republic

Cleveland’s biggest bonus this year went to Dominican shortstop Welbyn Francisca, who signed for $1.375 million. Francisca, 16, is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, having grown from a smaller stature player who stood out early in the scouting process for his hitting ability. Francisca isn’t tall, but he is physically well developed for his age, adding significant strength over the last couple of years, with big bat speed from both sides of the plate. Francisca has a rhythmic swing with good hand-eye coordination and the ability to manipulate the barrel well to make a lot of contact. He takes an aggressive swing but typically is able to maintain his balance to produce a high contact rate in games. It has been a hit-over-power profile for Francisca, but with his bat speed, added strength and ability to drive the ball for hard contact in the air, there could be a good amount of slugging to go with his hit tool. A lot of scouts viewed Francisca as a future second baseman. There’s still a chance that happens, but his defensive progress gives him a better chance to stick at shortstop. He’s an athletic shortstop with solid-average speed and an above-average arm. He can get too quick at times and is still learning to slow the game down at shortstop, but he moves his feet well laterally and has good defensive actions for his age.

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Guardians
Yerlin Luis
Guardians OF
Notes:

Born: Sept. 9, 2005. Ht: 5-9. Wt: 155. B-T: B-R. Country: Dominican Republic

The Guardians have collected switch-hitters from Latin America in recent years. Luis, who signed at 17 for $850,000, is a switch-hitter who stood out as an amateur for his feel for hitting from both sides of the plate, particularly from the left side where he has a compact, efficient swing. He’s 5-foot-9, 155 pounds with flashes of average raw power already. It’s a mix of hitting ability and power, though the hit tool has stood out the most so far. He’s a solid-average runner with a strong arm who should get a chance to develop in center field.

47
Guardians
Jose Marcano
Guardians SS
Notes:

Born: Oct. 3, 2005. Ht: 5-10. Wt: 160. B-T: L-R. Country: Venezuela

Marcano is an $800,000 signing at 17 who showed a high-contact bat from the left side. He’s 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with a sound stroke, putting together consistent quality at-bats to perform well in games with good bat-to-ball skills and line drives spread around the field with gap power. Marcano doesn’t have the quick-twitch explosiveness that some teams prefer at shortstop, so some scouts thought he might end up at second base, but he has good hands with an average arm and a chance to stick at the position.

Once (25 yrs ago) had a Mets scout tell me they didn't recommend drafting players smaller than 6 ft.

No wonder these guys have no power.

George Valers 5-10 we hope is an exception to the rule

Lots of 5'8 guys say they're 5'10.

equivalent of the draft: here's an analysis of the Guardians' international signings
[almost entirely position players; lots of these guys are short and lightweight, but recall that they are all 16 or 17 years old; don't know about you but I grew about 2 inches after I went off to college]

The Guardians international signings from the past half decade or so are starting to bubble up to the major league club, led by shortstop Brayan Rocchio and outfielder George Valera from their 2017 class. Shortstop Angel Martinez is another top 10 prospect in the organization who reached Double-A last year as a 20-year-old, while the lower levels remain full of intriguing breakout candidates. One of the biggest breakout players in the minors is shortstop/third baseman Junior Caminero, a Guardians signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2019 who raked in the Dominican Summer League in 2021 before Cleveland traded him to the Rays after the season.

Top Of The Class

Cleveland’s biggest bonus this year went to Dominican shortstop Welbyn Francisca, who signed for $1.375 million. Francisca, 16, is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, having grown from a smaller stature player who stood out early in the scouting process for his hitting ability. Francisca isn’t tall, but he is physically well developed for his age, adding significant strength over the last couple of years, with big bat speed from both sides of the plate. Francisca has a rhythmic swing with good hand-eye coordination and the ability to manipulate the barrel well to make a lot of contact. He takes an aggressive swing but typically is able to maintain his balance to produce a high contact rate in games. It has been a hit-over-power profile for Francisca, but with his bat speed, added strength and ability to drive the ball for hard contact in the air, there could be a good amount of slugging to go with his hit tool. A lot of scouts viewed Francisca as a future second baseman. There’s still a chance that happens, but his defensive progress gives him a better chance to stick at shortstop. He’s an athletic shortstop with solid-average speed and an above-average arm. He can get too quick at times and is still learning to slow the game down at shortstop, but he moves his feet well laterally and has good defensive actions for his age.

Names To Know

Yerlin Luis, OF, Dominican Republic: The Guardians have collected switch-hitters from Latin America in recent years. Luis, who signed at 17 for $850,000, is a switch-hitter who stood out as an amateur for his feel for hitting from both sides of the plate, particularly from the left side where he has a compact, efficient swing. He’s 5-foot-9, 155 pounds with flashes of average raw power already. It’s a mix of hitting ability and power, though the hit tool has stood out the most so far. He’s a solid-average runner with a strong arm who should get a chance to develop in center field.

Jose Marcano, SS, Venezuela: Marcano is an $800,000 signing at 17 who showed a high-contact bat from the left side. He’s 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with a sound stroke, putting together consistent quality at-bats to perform well in games with good bat-to-ball skills and line drives spread around the field with gap power. Marcano doesn’t have the quick-twitch explosiveness that some teams prefer at shortstop, so some scouts thought he might end up at second base, but he has good hands with an average arm and a chance to stick at the position.

Luis Merejo, 3B, Dominican Republic: Merejo was born in Port St. Lucie, Fla. and grew up in the area before moving to the Dominican Republic to train and eventually sign with the Guardians for $340,000. He’s 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, showing big power for 16 from the right side of the plate. Merejo has some unorthodox components to his swing, something that will be tested against more advanced pitching, but as an amateur he generally found a way to make it work for him against live pitching, with a chance to develop plus raw power once he fills out.

Jose Pirela, OF, Venezuela: Pirela, 17, has more physical upside than a lot of Guardians international signings, with an intriguing mix of potential power and speed. He’s 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. It’s a long, lean build with some strength now and a lot more that could come with how much room he still has to fill out. Signed for $320,000, Pirela is able to generate impressive pop for his age from the left side without having to sell out his swing to get to that power. He’s a plus runner too, giving him a chance to play center field, though as he packs on more weight it’s possible his speed backs up and he could migrate to a corner.

Juan Frances, OF, Venezuela: Another $320,000 signing for the Guardians, Frances is 17 with a smaller, skinny build at 5-foot-9, 150 pounds. Getting stronger will be important for Frances, but he’s already a plus runner who has the speed, athleticism and defensive instincts that should allow him to play a premium position in center field. He’s a switch-hitter whose swing can get long from both sides, but he showed good timing at the plate and generally performed well in games before signing, spraying line drives around the field.

Jonathan Martinez, SS, Dominican Republic: Martinez is another member of the Guardians international class who was born in Florida but trained in the Dominican Republic before signing for $300,000. He’s 16 until Aug. 16, so he’s one of the youngest players in the class, narrowly making the cutoff to be eligible to sign this year by just a few weeks. He moves around well at shortstop, where he has quick feet and soft hands, projecting to stick in the middle infield with a chance at shortstop. He’s a switch-hitter with good bat-to-ball skills, though at 5-foot-9, 130 pounds, he will need to get stronger to do more damage on contact.

Yaikel Mijares, SS, Venezuela: A $275,000 signing, Mijares is another switch-hitting shortstop with good bat control stemming from a sound swing and a good approach at the plate for 17. At 5-foot-9, 145 pounds, Mijares doesn’t project to be a big power threat, with a hit-over-power profile. He’s a high baseball IQ player who has the glovework and actions to stick in the dirt with the arm strength for the left side of the infield. His first-step quickness might ultimately push him to third or second base, but he should get a chance to develop at shortstop.

Pablo Arosemena, C, Panama: Arosemena signed for $275,000, the top bonus so far this year for a player from Panama. He’s 5-foot-8, 155 pounds and projects to stick behind the plate with solid catch-and-throw skills for 17 and an above-average arm. He has a simple swing from the right side with flashes of pull power.

Heribert Silva, OF, Venezuela: A lefthanded outfielder signed for $250,000, Silva has some wiry strength in his 5-foot-9, 150-pound frame with good contact skills. Silva, 17, recognizes spin well, has a good eye for the strike zone and has a direct swing. With his all-fields approach, he has the foundation for good on-base skills with gap power. He’s not a burner, but he will develop in center field with average speed and arm strength.

Jonathan Taveras, SS, Dominican Republic: Taveras signed for $175,000 and fits the mold of many Guardians signings as a switch-hitting shortstop who won’t blow away scouts with his tools but makes a lot of contact against live pitching. He’s 5-foot-8, 145 pounds at 17 with a low swing-and-miss rate, spraying line drives around the park with occasional doubles pop. Taveras is a shortstop for now, with some scouts expecting he might eventually land at second base.

Jhorvic Abreus, SS, Venezuela: Abreus is another smaller-framed, switch-hitting shortstop in Cleveland’s international class. Signed for $125,000, Abreus, 17, is 5-foot-7, 145 pounds with a good swing from both sides of the plate that produces a high contact rate in games, albeit without much power yet. Abreus is more skills than raw tools, with hands that work in the dirt, possibly at second base long term.

Sleeper Watch

Dominican righthander Raudy Rivera was a relatively later signing given the speed of the international market, landing a $10,000 deal in April. He’s 18 with a strong 5-foot-10 frame and a fast arm that has delivered a fastball up to 95 mph, pairing it with a hard slider with more upside once he refines the shape and action on that pitch.

One other pitcher to keep an eye on is Yatner Crisostomo, another $10,000 signing from the Dominican Republic. Crisostomo technically is from the previous year’s class, though he didn’t sign until August, so he’s going to make his pro debut this year in the Dominican Summer League. He’s 5-foot-11 at 19 with a fastball that was touching 92 mph when he signed and now sits in the low 90s with the ability to reach 95. The early returns have been good, with a lot of strikes from his low arm slot that enhances his deception, and he pairs it with a slider he shows good feel to spin as well.

Draft in a month; a new mock draft from BA suggests, maybe,

23. Guardians — Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS, Dover, Fla.

Nimmala could be off the board long before this selection, but he checks a lot of boxes for the sort of player that Cleveland targets and it has reportedly been heavy on him this spring. He’s one of the youngest players in the class and also has more power upside than many of the prep hitters Cleveland has targeted in recent years.

We sure could finally use a SS

Keith Law’s 2023 MLB Mock Draft 2.0: First round changes as intel increases closer to draft
Keith Law
Jun 20, 2023

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Now we’re just 19 days from the 2023 MLB Draft, or at least the first day thereof, which will take place in Seattle on the evening of July 9. There are, as usual, a lot more rumors out there about which teams are on which players. I don’t pretend to have any more clarity at the first pick and I don’t think we will know for sure until shortly before the draft begins. The Pirates will probably consider different players and their bonus demands, and decide whether they want to go with the best player or try to save to draft additional first-round talents when they pick again.
1. Pittsburgh Pirates – Dylan Crews, OF, LSU

I’m sticking with this one, not because I think it’s a mortal lock, but because any other name here would be a straight-up guess. We all know they’ve looked at Crews, Paul Skenes, Wyatt Langford, and Max Clark at the very least, and none of those would truly be a surprise, although my instinct says they won’t go with a pitcher when there are several equivalent position players available. It could also just come down to money, as the Pirates’ draft from 2021, where they went under slot with Henry Davis to sign three high-ceiling high school guys, looks really strong right now.
2. Washington Nationals – Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU

I think this is Skenes or Crews. If Crews is here, I believe the Nats would just take him; Mike Rizzo didn’t pass on Strasburg or Harper in their drafts, and took Anthony Rendon, who came into his draft year as the likely No. 1 pick before hurting his shoulder, in 2011. Crews is this year’s version of that, the consensus top prospect, on everyone’s radar for three years, and someone who could impact the big-league club very quickly.

3. Detroit Tigers – Max Clark, OF, Franklin (Ind.) Community High

This is where we could start to see some sort of shake-up; the Tigers are certainly on Crews or Skenes, and Langford as well, but I’ve heard them with Clark, Walker Jenkins, and even a little with Kyle Teel, although that last one might be more about drafting for need than going best player available (BPA).
4. Texas Rangers – Walker Jenkins, South Brunswick High (Southport, N.C.)

I’m betting this is Jenkins or Clark. If both are here, I’m not 100 percent sure which way they’d go. Then the question becomes whether they can shave enough to go way over slot with their next pick, which isn’t until the fourth round, just like last year.
5. Minnesota Twins – Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida

Same story as last time around, where folks expect the Twins to go college over high school, so names like Kyle Teel and Jacob Gonzalez come up, although if they’re really that driven to go for a college bat, shouldn’t we be hearing names like Matt Shaw and Tommy Troy who’ve performed and have excellent batted-ball data too?
6. Oakland A’s – Kyle Teel, C, Virginia

I’ve heard they prefer a hitter, which would probably be Teel or one of that big ol’ group of college infielders, including Gonzalez, Jacob Wilson, Shaw, and Troy. I know they’ve scouted Noble Meyer pretty heavily, though.
7. Cincinnati Reds – Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest

I keep hearing this is Teel, Lowder, or Chase Dollander. I don’t think they’d do Meyer here, although they’ve also seen him a lot.
8. Kansas City Royals – Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton (Texas) High

I’ve heard this one a ton recently, even though a high school catcher in the top 10 is a pretty risky move. I’ve also heard the Royals with Wilson, Gonzalez, and Meyer.
9. Colorado Rockies – Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee

Word is the Rockies would probably take the best college pitcher available here, which could be Dollander, Lowder, maybe even Joe Whitman if you really value the lefthandedness. They’d love Walker Jenkins and they’re in on Meyer.
10. Miami Marlins – Noble Meyer, RHP, Jesuit High (Portland, Ore.)

Meyer’s market is weird — he’s got interest from 6 through 10, but it seems like below this he might not be in play until 15 or even until closer to 20, so the Marlins could try to use that as leverage to get him under slot if he gets to this pick, arguing that if he doesn’t sign here, he’ll get much less somewhere else. That’s a bit speculative because it assumes no team in the 11-15ish range is lying in the weeds on him, but that’s how the board looks right now. I’ve heard the Marlins absolutely all over the place, including interest in Shaw, Teel, and Colin Houck.
11. Los Angeles Angels – Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt

The Angels have been linked a lot to some high school bats like Houck and Eldridge, but some folks think they’ll take a college hitter to try to get help to the majors sooner, which could be Bradfield, one of the best defenders in the class, or Brayden Taylor.
12. Arizona Diamondbacks – Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU

Arizona’s been linked to Houck and a group of those college bats who will probably fly off the board in the 11-15 range, like Taylor, Shaw, and Tommy Troy.
13. Chicago Cubs – Colin Houck, SS, Parkview High (Lilburn, Ga.)

Houck and Aidan Miller apparently had great workouts for the Cubs recently, adding their names to a mix that also includes that same college hitter group, notably Shaw and Troy.
14. Boston Red Sox – Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland

Shaw is one of the best hitters in the college class, with hard contact and power, but needs to play somewhere other than shortstop. He’s one of many college bats I’ve heard linked to Boston, along with Troy and Taylor, all of whom are good batted-ball data guys as well as hitters scouts believe will continue to hit in pro ball.
15. Chicago White Sox – Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami

The White Sox have been linked heavily to Morales and Taylor in the last few weeks, with a heavy presence at TCU’s regional and a strong workout with Morales after that.
16. San Francisco Giants – Walker Martin, SS, Eaton (Co.) High

This link has come up at least three different times for me in the last week, as the Giants have been heavy at Martin’s games and seem to be the high mark for the 19-year-old. If they end up going college instead, they’d be on Bradfield or Gonzalez.
17. Baltimore Orioles – Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest High (Dover, Fla.)

This seems like the floor for the 17-year-old Nimmala, who is one of the draft’s youngest players and has shown strong exit velocities, two things the Orioles definitely value in the draft. I’ve heard them on Bryce Eldridge, another big EV guy, and I think they’d be a player for Brock Wilken if those high school bats were gone. As usual, no word around them taking a pitcher in the first.
18. Milwaukee Brewers – Tommy Troy, SS/3B, Stanford

There are too many good college bats in the first round this year and not enough landing spots for them in the top 15, so three or four are going to end up in the second half of the round and the teams that land them will be over the moon. I could see Troy, Gonzalez, or maybe even Shaw getting here.
19. Tampa Bay Rays – Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi

It seems like Gonzalez is in the mix for a lot of teams but perhaps nobody’s top choice above this, which might make him a victim of that surfeit of good college bats. Taylor or Wilken would fit here, with Wilken making a very big late push starting in the ACC tournament to overcome questions about his so-so performance in the regular season.
20. Toronto Blue Jays – Aidan Miller, 3B, JW Mitchell High (Trinity, Fla.)

Miller had a rough spring due to a broken hamate bone but has had some strong workouts for clubs this month now that he’s recovered. I also think the Blue Jays represent a floor for several of those college bats who might slip out of the top 15 because of the crowded class, so maybe they go after a Wilken or Gonzalez.
21. St. Louis Cardinals – Kevin McGonigle, SS, Monsignor Bonner High (Drexel Hill, Pa.)

I know the Cardinals were one of the few teams still on McGonigle late in his season, and the Cardinals have certainly had more success with high school hitters in the first round (Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Dylan Carlson) than other categories of players.
22. Seattle Mariners – Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic

The logic here is the same, as folks expect Seattle to mix up the players they take here and with their two extra picks right after the first round proper ends, probably with one college bat and then a couple of high school guys. Schanuel doesn’t have the positional value or athleticism of the college hitters I’ve got going ahead of him, but he is the only guy who could argue his on-field performance was close to Crews’ this spring.
23. Cleveland Guardians – Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon

I have heard Wilson going in the top 10, maybe to Minnesota or Kansas City, and I may be introducing some of my own bias here as I don’t think Wilson lines up very well against many of those other college hitters, nearly all of whom hit the ball harder than he does. Cleveland loves hitters who rarely punch out, and they’d probably be in the mix for Schanuel and Wilken as well.
24. Atlanta Braves – Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest

This is more about opportunism, as Wilken would be great value at the spot. In a draft that’s very heavy on position players, I’d be a little surprised if Atlanta took a pitcher, given that their farm system right now is basically three pitchers in a trenchcoat.
25. San Diego Padres – Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, James Madison High (Vienna, Va.)

When in doubt, look for the highest-upside guy left on the board, at least where A.J. Preller & company are concerned. I’m betting that’s a high school hitter, although I think it’ll be a guy with tools/upside like Eldridge, Dillon Head, or even a tough sign like Roch Cholowsky, rather than a more polished player with a lower ceiling like McGonigle or Colt Emerson.
26. New York Yankees – Sammy Stafura, SS, Walter Panas High (Cortlandt, N.Y.)

The Yanks have been very heavy at Stafura’s games this spring and they’re linked to him as strongly as any team picking after the Giants is linked to any one player. I’ve also heard them on Tai Peete and Eldridge.
27. Philadelphia Phillies – Joe Whitman, LHP, Kent State

The Phillies have gone high school in the first round in each of the last three years, but I would bet they’d be more inclined to go college at this point after a World Series run last year, as the team needs help in the shorter term, whether it’s from prospects reaching the majors or becoming trade pieces. Whitman is the only lefty I have going in the first round, which would be the latest ever for the first left-handed pitcher to come off the board.
28. Houston Astros – Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida

Waldrep’s got one of the best pitches in the draft in his splitter, but he hasn’t had the results to match, so he’s clearly sliding. I’ve heard the Astros are hoping Eldridge gets to them.
29. Seattle Mariners – Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) Community High
30. Seattle Mariners – Tai Peete, SS, Trinity Christian High (Sharpsburg, Ga.)

Two more high school names I’ve heard with the Mariners, although, to be fair, they’re going to be linked to just about every high school hitter who might be a first-round talent, because they have the picks and the money to go after those guys.

Myles Naylor !

haven't seen where he projects to be picked; I'll take a look at BA

BA projects a different SS

23. Guardians — Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS, Dover, Fla.

Nimmala could be off the board long before this selection, but he checks a lot of boxes for the sort of player that Cleveland targets and it has reportedly been heavy on him this spring. He’s one of the youngest players in the class and also has more power upside than many of the prep hitters Cleveland has targeted in recent years.

Myles looks a 2nd round pick

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Myles Naylor
St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS, Mississauga, Ont. SS
Notes:

HT: 6-2 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R
Commit/Drafted: Texas Tech
Age At Draft: 18.2
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Tools: Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 40. Field: 45. Arm: 50.

The Naylor household has produced plenty of baseball talent, with both Josh and Bo being selected in the first round out of high school in 2015 and 2018, respectively. Myles is the youngest brother of the trio, and perhaps unsurprisingly brings an impressive bat to the table. Josh had some of the most impressive power in the 2015 draft class, while Bo was viewed as one of the best pure hitters in 2018. Myles seems to fall right in the middle of the two, with both impressive bat speed and raw power, with solid hitting chops to go with it. He showed impressive gap power at the 2022 Area Code Games and has the strength to drive extra-base hits even without flush contact, but could improve his pitch recognition. At times he’ll get out in front and pull off on breaking stuff specifically. Naylor is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound infielder who has a chance to stick at third base, but ultimately could wind up as a corner outfielder. He’s a below-average runner but appears to have the offensive chops to profile nicely even at the bottom of the defensive spectrum. Naylor is committed to Texas Tech and like most Canadian prospects is on the younger side for the class, not turning 18 until April 2023.

I dont believe he will make it to the 2nd round pick of Cleveland. If available why would you wait ? The hardest thing to predict is the desire to be more than just a major league player but a star. First round picks have not panned out. SS with good bat speed and power. I am all in.