Tomase: Sox could pick from these prospects in 2021 Draft
A week ago, the Red Sox briefly owned the worst record in baseball. Since then, the Pirates and Rangers have surpassed them. It should be clear at this point that no one is going to out-tank Pittsburgh.
In any event, if commissioner Rob Manfred declines to alter the draft order -- and that is a big if -- the Red Sox as of today would pick third in the 2021 draft. If the draft order is determined via a combination of this year's record and last year's, the Red Sox would likely pick somewhere from 10th to 15th.
Either way, that's quite a fall from grace for a team that's only two years removed from one of the most dominant seasons in baseball history. While we've already made clear our disdain for a big-market club tanking its way to the top pick in just 60 games, it's not like the Red Sox should decline the opportunity if it's presented.
And that leads to an obvious question: if the Red Sox do indeed pick in the top five, whom should they take? Here are five of the best prospects.
He's No. 1 on pretty much everyone's list for a reason. Vanderbilt's ace throws 99 mph with a plus slider, and there's no need to project him physically, because he's already 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds. He comes by his size honestly -- his dad, Tracy Rocker, won the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy as an Auburn defensive linemen in 1988 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Rocker has already excelled on the biggest stage, throwing a 19-strikeout no-hitter of Duke while being named Most Outstanding Player at the 2019 College World Series. He went 12-5 with a 3.25 ERA as a freshman, striking out over 10 batters per nine innings.
He also benefits from a strong program, because the recent track record of Vandy starters in the big leagues is impressive, from David Price to Sonny Gray to Mike Minor to Walker Buehler.
The pandemic deprived Commodores fans of seeing the best 1-2 combo in the nation, because next on the list is another son of a former pro.
In this case, it's former All-Star left-hander Al Leiter. Jack Leiter stands six feet and 195 pounds, which makes him a tad undersized, but scouts love his feel and varied arsenal, which includes a 95-mph fastball, plus curveball, slider, and changeup.
The Yankees selected Leiter in the 20th round coming out of high school, but he spurned them for college and went 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in three starts. Some experts believe Leiter's advanced polish makes him the more intriguing pick at No. 1. Either way, the early consensus is that either Rocker or Leiter will go first.
Of course, a lot can happen between now and the draft next July. Assuming there is some return to normalcy in the spring, there will be showcases, and House is the high school hitter to watch.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder reminds scouts of Kris Bryant, who also already looked the part of a big leaguer as a Las Vegas high schooler before spending a year at the University of San Diego and going second overall to the Cubs in the 2013 draft.
House hit .653 as a junior and possesses elite bat speed and arm strength. He throws 96 mph as a pitcher and has been clocked at 95 mph from shortstop, which puts him in the top one-third of one percent of all high schoolers, according to Perfect Game.
He boasts legit power potential, and even if his size moves him off shortstop, he could be an impact bat at third base.
Baseball loves youth, and that even applies to the draft. Fabian skipped his senior year of high school and a shot at being a first-round pick to enroll at Florida in February of 2019, starting 54 games as a freshman and batting .232 with seven home runs and a team-leading 28 walks.
He then really opened eyes in Bourne that summer, hitting .290 with six homers and becoming the youngest All-Star in Cape League history at only 18. Already a prime draft prospect, that performance made him a potential top-five pick.
Fabian boasts solid tools across the board, with his high walk rate suggesting an advanced understanding of the zone that should translate to higher averages as he matures. Still only 19 years old, he oozes potential.
McLain has already been selected in the first round once, spurning a $2.6 million offer from the Diamondbacks in 2018 after being selected 25th overall in order to enroll at UCLA. He struggled in his transition to college, hitting .203 as a freshman, but he didn't need long to find his stride.
He was a Cape League All-Star last summer before exploding as a sophomore this year, hitting .397 with three homers and a 1.043 OPS in 13 games before the season was halted.
At only 5-10, 170, McLain isn't physically imposing, but he's developing more power than expected, and he's considered athletic enough to remain at a position up the middle, whether it's shortstop or center field. Like Fabian, he has five-tool potential.
