/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49621861/usa-today-8631059.0.jpg)
Check out our latest 2016 MLB mock draft here.
With the draft now less than a month away, it's time for Purple Row's second mock draft of the year.
Once again, I've partnered up with mattrob for this mock though we took a different approach to how we did the draft. Last time we each shared our first 10 picks of the draft side by side. This time, we alternated picks and mocked the entire first round including compensation and competitive balance picks. As a bonus, we decided to mock the first four picks of the second round as well to include the Rockies third overall selection.
I won a Google coin flip so I made the first overall pick and all of the odd-numbered picks while mattrob made all of the even picks. We did discuss all three of the Rockies' picks and made a consensus selection on them, though we both had a similar list of players for those picks.
We did try to match teams with prospects based upon rumored connections, historic trends and any other information we could gather. Because of that, this is not a listing of the top 45 prospects in baseball in order, or even a complete list of the top 45 prospects.
Must Read
Without further ado, here are the picks:
First Round
1. Philadelphia Phillies
A.J. Puk, LHP, Florida
There's still no clear-cut No. 1 pick in this draft and the Phillies have been linked to a lot of different guys, but it always seems to come back to Puk, who has been getting better as the season has progressed.
2. Cincinnati Reds
Nick Senzel, IF, Tennessee
While Kyle Lewis has seen his power fade in the second half, Senzel just keeps hitting. He's also answered some defensive questions, spending time at shortstop and acquitting himself well.
3. Atlanta Braves
Mickey Moniak, OF, La Costa Canyon HS
Braves pick the the highest ceiling bat in the draft to augment their already pitching-rich farm system.
4. Colorado Rockies
Riley Pint, RHP, St Thomas Aquinas HS
The Rockies take the best arm in the draft. Pint has made major strides with his delivery, command and changeup this spring and his arrow continues to point up.
5. Milwaukee Brewers
Delvin Perez, SS, International Baseball Academy, Puerto Rico
Brewers new scouting director has a history of favoring lots of upside and tools, and Perez matches that description pretty easily. High risk, but potentially high reward.
6. Oakland Athletics
Blake Rutherford, OF, Chaminade HS
Zack Collins and Corey Ray are very much in play here, but the A's ultimately settle on the upside of Rutherford's bat. He's showing more power as the season has progressed, and has a higher floor than most high school prospects.
7. Miami Marlins
Jason Groome, LHP, Barnegat HS
The fall continues for some of the top college bats as the Marlins go with the best pitcher available. At this point, there might be some serious signability issues for Groome, but the Marlins need some upside in their system in the worst way possible.
8. San Diego Padres
Cal Quantrill, RHP, Stanford
With the top high school talent off the board, the Padres look to cut a deal with Quantrill, a former 1-1 candidate who sat out this season due to Tommy John surgery. He has been throwing bullpen sessions and the Padres may be looking to save money for their two comp picks.
9. Detroit Tigers
Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer
Lewis' drop off in power the past few weeks spurred the fall, but the Tigers can't pass up on that potential power in a possible center fielder.
10. Chicago White Sox
Corey Ray, OF, Louisville
The White Sox benefit from the run on prep talent and jump at the chance to grab a potential fast-rising impact bat in Ray.
11. Seattle Mariners
Zack Collins, C, Miami
At this point, Collins is no longer the underslot pick many think he might be earlier in the first round, Now, he's the best bat available and the Mariners like to draft bats in the opening round.
12. Boston Red Sox
Dakota Hudson, RHP, Mississippi State
With Collins coming off the board immediately in front of them, the Red Sox turn to Hudson, whose strong spring has solidified his spot in the top 20.
13. Tampa Bay Rays
Matt Manning, RHP, Sheldon HS
The Rays have a great track record of developing pitchers and Manning fits their type nicely. Big athletic pitcher with a live arm that will be unstoppable once the Ray teach him how to throw a consistent change.
14. Cleveland Indians
Braxton Garrett, LHP, Florence HS
Garrett's strong spring and plus curve have pushed him up draft boards. He's the top talent available for an organization with a history of drafting prep talent.
15. Minnesota Twins
Joey Wentz, LHP, Shawnee Mission East HS
The Twins need more pitching in their system and Wentz is an intriguing 6'5" left-handed prep pitcher. Wentz has had one of the best springs for a high school pitcher which has shot him up into the first round.
16. Anaheim Angels
TJ Zeuch, RHP, Pittsburgh
The Angels desperately need an infusion of talent around Mike Trout and a college arm makes sense here. Zeuch's 6'7" frame and fastball give him the edge over Connor Jones.
17. Houston Astros
Connor Jones, RHP, Virginia
Jones is safe college arm whose polish should fit in nicely in the Astros system that hasn't drafted this late since 2009. His sinking fastball should fit in nicely at Minute Maid ballpark.
18. New York Yankees
Ian Anderson, RHP, Shenendohowah HS
Anderson has an advanced feel and command for a prep arm. His wiry frame and cold weather roots makes it easy to project him adding to his already low-mid 90's fastball.
19. New York Mets
Buddy Reed, OF, Florida
The Mets are wanting some college bats to help supplement their lineup soon and Reed is the best one left that doesn't have concerns about where he'll eventually play.
20. Los Angeles Dodgers
Josh Lowe, 3B, Pope HS
The depth of their system allows the Dodgers to gamble on Lowe's power bat. There's some swing and miss here, but he always has a fallback plan on the mound, with his mid-90's fastball.
21. Toronto Blue Jays
Jordan Sheffield, RHP, Vanderbilt
Sheffield has had a strong spring demonstrating some solid command. The biggest knock on him currently is his size, drawing comparisons to Marcus Stroman, the 22nd overall pick by the Jays in 2012.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
Taylor Trammell, OF, Mount Paran Christian School
Trammell's an athletic center fielder with plus speed. He would fit well in the Pirates' organization, which has a propensity for accumulating up the middle talent.
23. St Louis Cardinals
Cody Sedlock, RHP, Illinois
The Cardinals like to draft pitchers early (well that and third baseman). The current feeling is that they are leaning towards college arms at this point and pick up Sedlock who has lower mileage on his arm but good results this year.
Compensation Picks
24. San Diego Padres
Nolan Jones, SS/3b, Holy Ghost Prep
After selecting Quantril at No. 8, the Padres target upside at No. 24. Jones has seen his power surge after being introduced to the weight room and has a chance of sticking at short.
25. San Diego Padres
Forest Whitley, RHP, Alamo Heights HS
The Padres continue to reap the benefits of going underslot with Quantrill and pick up a top prep arm whose signability may have scared some other teams off. The Padres, however, should have the bonus room to make it work.
26. Chicago White Sox
Jared Horn, RHP, Vintage HS
After landing Ray at No. 10, the White Sox look to the prep ranks to add to their stable of young arms. Horn has potential as a power arm and has been a late riser.
27. Baltimore Orioles
Will Craig, 3B, Wake Forest
Craig is probably more of a first baseman than a third baseman, but the Orioles have a recent track record of betting on bats and not worrying as much about the athleticism, and Craig has a very good bat.
28. Washington Nationals
Zack Burdi, RHP, Louisville
Burdi has pitched out of the pen, but with a 100 mph fastball and above average secondary offerings, many feel he could be a successful starter. The Nationals gamble on the ceiling, but the reliever profile provides a high floor that they make take advantage of this year.
29. Washington Nationals
Kevin Gowdy, RHP, Santa Barbara HS
After going high floor on their first pick, the Nationals go for a higher risk pick. Gowdy is the best prep pitcher from California and has a nice upside.
30. Texas Rangers
Will Benson, OF, The Westminster Schools
The Rangers have had success with raw, toolsy outfielders and Benson has premium tools. The gamble is that the hit tool allows the raw power to play.
31. New York Mets
Matt Thaiss, C, Virginia
The Mets pick up their second college bat in the first round. If Thaiss ends up staying behind the plate, this is a great pickup for them. If not the bat is still good enough for a future first baseman.
32. Los Angeles Dodgers
Justin Dunn, RHP, Boston College
The Dodgers turn to a college arm with their second selection and Dunn's mid-90s fastball provides plenty of upside as a middle of the rotation arm.
33. St Louis Cardinals
Drew Mendoza, 3B, Lake Mineolla HS
As mentioned earlier, the Cardinals like drafting third baseman in the first round of the draft (three in the first round since 2010) and then moving them around the diamond. Mendoza has a strong enough arm to stay at third if he can clean up his footwork. His strong left-handed bat also profiles extremely well.
34. St Louis Cardinals
Alex Speas, RHP, McEachern HS
The Cardinals have a history of developing arms and Speas gives them the raw tools to build a front-line starter, assuming he finds consistency in his delivery.
Competitive Balance Round A
35. Cincinnati Reds
Robert Tyler, RHP, Georgia
Cincinnati kicks off the competitive balance rounds with what they hope is a fast rising starting pitcher for their rotation to complement the bat they took earlier. Tyler has a fastball that is already MLB quality if he improves his command.
36. Los Angeles Dodgers
Alec Hansen, RHP, Oklahoma
The slide is over for Hansen. The Dodgers have the depth to bet on Hansen's arm and the time to develop him. The top-of-rotation potential is still there, despite this season's struggles.
37. Oakland Athletics
Anthony Kay, LHP, Connecticut
Kay is the prototypical college left-handed pitcher with polish. He already has a solid three-pitch mix with control. The ceiling isn't as high as a lot of the guys drafted in front of him but the floor is high and he should reach it really quick
38. Colorado Rockies
Alex Kiriloff, OF, Plum HS
Kiriloff is the best available bat at this point and could easily go 20 spots higher. He's played first base in high school, but with his speed, plus arm and power bat, he's a likely right fielder going forward. The Rockies have a track record of taking prep infielders in this range, so keep an eye on Gavin Lux or Carter Kieboom as well.
39. Arizona Diamondbacks
Gavin Lux, SS Indian Trail Academy
Another side effect of the Diamondbacks offseason is that this is their first pick in the draft and they need to get talent back in their system. Lux is a left-handed shortstop who most scouts think will stay at short and be above average across the board.
40. Atlanta Braves
Joe Rizzo, 3b, Oakton HS
This is something of a luxury pick for the Braves, who take a chance on Rizzo's bat, despite questions around his ultimate defensive position. Rizzo may end up at first, or even catcher, if he can't stick at third, but the bat plays.
41. Pittsburgh Pirates
Eric Lauer, LHP, Kent State
The Pirates like ground ball pitchers, and Lauer fits that bill to a tee. Good four-pitch mix with downhill plane and one of the higher floors in the draft.
Second Round
42. Philadelphia Phillies
Jeff Belge, LHP, Henninger HS
With the top tier of middle infield prospects now gone, the Phillies grab another left-handed pitcher, this time from the high school ranks. Belge is a local product who has missed time with an eye injury, but has shown a mid-90's fastball at times and has been linked to the Phillies.
43. Cincinnati Reds
Kyle Muller, LHP, Jesuit College Prep
After two college picks, the Reds go to the high school ranks and grab a pitcher that already has the prototypical 6'5, 230 pound frame that you want in a starting pitcher. Though Muller can hit the ball as well, however the mound is his path forward. He has also struck out 24 batters in a row this prep season and that is a noteworthy feat at any level.
44. Atlanta Braves
Bryan Reynolds, OF, Vanderbilt
The Braves continue adding bats with the advanced Reynolds. He's a safe bat, though doesn't have the ceiling of others if he can't stick in CF.
45. Colorado Rockies
Carter Kieboom, 3B, Walton HS
Rockies continue their trend of going after the best high school talent and ceiling available and pick up a young infielder that can actually switch pitch, though that will probably never happen at the professional level for him. Kieboom has a quick right-handed swing and natural loft that should allow him to profile well at either corner infield spot.