Top Baseball Players Likely to Make their Pro Debut in 2018
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With summer finally behind us, it’s time to start looking ahead to the 2018 baseball season. And with every season comes the promise of youth, so here are some of our top picks for Major League Baseball’s top draft prospects for next year’s draft.
Understanding that, with Halloween barely on the horizon, there’s still plenty of time for injuries to derail projections and new blood to rise up and change everything, below you’ll find a brief introduction to ten of our ‘Ones to Watch’:
- Brady Singer (RHP) Reaching speeds of almost 100 miles per hour, you do not want to be on the receiving end of one of Brady Singer’s fastballs. His part in Florida’s 2017 College World Series Championship has given him all the experience he needs to take center stage in the 2018 season.
- Seth Beer (1B) Seth Beer is a controversial addition to our top rankings, but that’s precisely what makes his future so exciting. His weakness definitely comes in with his defensive play, but his sheer strength as a hitter makes him an impressive offensive pick. This year has seen him hit .298/.478/.606 which is pretty good in itself, but the fact that he was the first freshman to win the Dick Howser Trophy is even more of a reason why you should keep Seth Beer firmly in your sights.
- Kumar Rocker (RHP) Sports fans might have spotted that Kumar Rocker is the son of the former NFL player Tracy Rocker. He’s still only 17 years old, but already Kumar Rocker stands 6’4” tall and weighs in at 240 pounds. This, combined with his aggressive slider, makes him a machine on the field and a force to be reckoned with. Let’s hope this doesn’t lead him to peak too soon.
- Casey Mize (RHP) Casey Mize doesn’t quite have the same intense speeds as Brady Singer or the same insane slider as Kumar Rocker, but what he does have is experience. He’s taken on some of the best baseball players in the world as part of Team USA, but with this he runs the risk of finding himself out due to fatigue or injury.
- Brice Turang (SS) Brice Turing doesn’t stun quite as readily as the likes of Seth Beer and Kumar Rocker, but at 6’0” tall and just 165 pounds, his power leaves a lot to be desired.
- Jarred Kelenic (OF) Defensive, accurate and powerful are the three words that best describe Wisconsin-born Jarred Kelenic. Pitching at 92 miles per hour, Kelenic looks set to make the under 18 national team, firmly positioning him as one of the sport’s rising talents. He runs the 60 in 6.61 – not as fast as some of the lighter weight players – but his athletic build and fluid movements more than make up for this. He’s listed as an outfielder because of his
- Joe Gray Jr. (OF) Put the world’s best baseball bats into his hands and this right hand hitter can generate high speeds and plenty of power. However, Joe Gray Jr’s real strengths lie in the outfield. His defensive play has caught the eye of many scouts who have picked him out not only as the best up-and-coming player from Mississippi, but also as one of the best outfield prospects of the year.
- Ethan Hankins (RHP) From his first step out onto the field, Ethan Hankins is guaranteed to catch your eye: at 6’7” tall he commands the field. This guy has a devastating fastball that hits 96 miles per hour, making dominating a game look effortless. His control allows him to change up speeds and tactics on a whim, so when he combines this with one of his deadly fastballs, it’s not uncommon for the hitter to be left wondering what the hell just happened.
- Nick Madrigal (2B) Don’t let Nick Madrigal’s small 5’7”, 161 pound frame put you off: his slugging percentage is .585, putting him top of the table on the Oregon Beavers. Combining control, accuracy and fast twitch hitting, he is perfectly built to be the next big, little second baseman.
- Nolan Gorman (SS) As another left-handed hitter, we’re excited to see what Nolan Gorman can do when he steps out to third. Currently at shortstop, he has the size move over, and the control and ease of movement that should translate to plus mark him out as a good defensive player, but don’t let that fool you. Gorman is a 7.12 runner, proving that he’s not afraid to pull a few surprises out the bag – keeping the opposing team on their toes and the fans entertained.
Adam Eyal
