The MLB draft is here! One year after the Minnesota Twins selected Royce Lewis with the first pick, the Detroit Tigers kick off the 2018 festivities. Most expect Auburn righty Casey Mize to go No. 1, but surprises are always in store. Follow along with the SI staff and the analysis of Dave Perkin, a retired scout who worked for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Baseball America.
1. Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP, 6' 3", 220 lbs., Auburn
The consensus choice to be the first overall selection in 2018, Mize has endured a series of nagging ailments in his career at Auburn, including elbow tightness. In the past, most 1–1 candidates have engendered little doubt or reservations among scouts; not so with Mize.
Mize tosses a 93–95 fastball, mixing in an 88–90 cutter, low 80’s curve and his “out” pitch, an 87–89 splitter. His 14:1 strikeout to walk ratio is phenomenal. That figure would be difficult to accomplish at the Little League distance of 46 feet.
Mechanics are another story. Mize’s current mechanics don’t negatively affect his command, but they do portend future injury. His stiff, awkward, toppling delivery finish is one concern. Of greater significance is Mize’s inability to counter rotate at the beginning of his delivery. That prevents him from achieving hip and shoulder separation-which is the key to pitching velocity and injury prevention, for it enables a hurler to get his body into the pitch and avoid isolating the arm.
2. San Francisco Giants: Joey Bart, C, 6' 3", 225 lbs., Georgia Tech
Almost every recent draft has featured a college catcher selected in the first 10 to 15 picks. Some succeed: Buster Posey, Matt Wieters; some do not: Jeff Clement. Bart is no doubt the top catching prospect available this year. He enjoyed a 2018 season that makes sabermetricians ecstatic: a .359 /.471 /.632 slash line.
Strong and athletic, Bart consistently displays a powerful arm, clocking POP (home to second) times in the 1.90 range—well above the big league average. He exhibits a relaxed, comfortable receiving style and soft hands.
The primary question with Bart is: Will he hit? (A scout’s hitting standards for backstops is substantially more relaxed than for, say, a corner IF or OF). To his credit, Bart has made intelligent adjustments: This season, he eliminated a long stride and instead utilized a moderate up and down leg lift—and the results were striking.
