Round 1, Picks 21-30 Breakdown
21. San Francisco Giants, Colton Hock, RHP (Stanford)
Hock had a very good season out of the pen in 2016, posting a 2.03 ERA over 57 2/3 innings. Hock followed that up with a solid Cape Cod outing, putting up a 3.44 ERA in 36 2/3 innings. The Stanford righty also started six games.
22. New York Mets, Pavin Smith, 1B (Virginia)
Smith was on Baseball America’s Freshman All-American Second Team in 2015. The 1B/OF has hit a slash of .317/.390/.488 with 15 home runs and 101 RBIs in his two seasons at Virginia. Smith has a solid plate approach and one of the best bats in the class, but he is limited defensively and can only play first base or a corner outfield spot.
23. Baltimore Orioles, Ricardo De La Torre, SS (Puerto Rico Baseball Academy)
De La Torre is a quick twitch athlete and has all the makings of a major league shortstop. He has five-tool potential with his arm strength being his top tool right now. He has a line drive approach at the plate and should develop power as he matures.
24. Toronto Blue Jays, D.L. Hall, LHP (Houston County HS, Georgia)
Hall is the best prep lefty in this draft class and has a ton of potential. He has an above average fastball with a plus potential curveball.
25. Los Angeles Dodgers, Cole Turney, OF (William B. Travis HS, Texas)
Turney is a speedy outfielder with an above average arm and power potential. The lefty could be a sleeper in the draft.
26. Boston Red Sox, Alex Lange, RHP (LSU)
Lange had a great Freshman year at LSU, posting a 1.97 ERA in 114 innings, but he struggled at times during his sophomore campaign. He finished the 2016 season with a 3.79 ERA in 111 2/3 innings. Lange possesses a plus fastball and curveball. His curveball is nasty and is definitely his best pitch. Lange has struck out 10.19 batters per nine innings in his two seasons at LSU.
27. Cleveland Indians, Royce Lewis, SS (J Serra HS, California)
There are plenty of talented shortstops in the 2017 draft, and Lewis is no different. He’s a quick-twitch athlete with a great baseball IQ. He has plus speed and is an above average defender, who can play multiple positions. He is a very good contact hitter and has a sound approach at the plate.
28. Washington Nationals, K.J. Harrison, C (Oregon State)
Harrison is known for his ability to hit, but the Oregon State catcher struggled during his sophomore campaign, hitting .265/.381/.525. He has a slash of .288/.391/.526 to go with 20 home runs and 107 RBIs in his two seasons of college ball. Harrison struggles defensively and most scouts don’t think he’ll remain behind the plate long term. The Hawaii native is one of the younger college prospects and won’t turn 21 until August 2017.
29. Texas Rangers, Kyle Hurt, RHP (Torrey Pines HS, California)
Hurt is a strikeout pitcher, who has a solid fastball that will set anywhere between 93-95 MPH. He also has a nasty changeup and an above average curveball.
30. Chicago Cubs, Justin Farmer, OF (Riverview HS, Florida)
Farmer is one of the more athletic players in the draft class. He flashes plus speed to go with an above average glove and arm. The ball jumps off his bat and he shows signs of above average power potential. High upside player and could climb to the top of a lot of draft boards in the spring.
