2019 MLB Draft: The Best Tools In This Year's Class
The 2019 MLB Draft is just a few weeks away and teams are already finalizing their draft boards, putting the finishing touches on a year’s worth of scouting work.
We’ve already posted out first full mock draft of the year, and will be following that up with a second projecting shortly. But in the meantime we put together our list of the best individual tools in this year’s draft.
Best hitter:
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, Cal
Andrew Vaughn was the rare sophomore to win the Golden Spikes Award in 2018, and that’s all thanks to his bat. The Cal first baseman mashed 23 home runs and hit .402 during his second collegiate season, vaulting him to the top of his draft class. He’s kept up the momentum this season, hitting .385 with 15 home runs, and a 1.267 OPS.
Aside from barreling up balls to all fields, the right-handed Vaughn also has a great approach at the plate. He has a .539 on-base percentage and 53 walks against just 30 strikeouts. Despite being just 6′ and 210 pounds, Vaughn has power to all fields thanks to a strong swing.
Vaughn is the best pure hitter in this draft and should be taken in the first few picks despite being a first baseman only.
Honorable mention: Riley Greene, Hagerty High School (FL); Adley Rutschman, Oregon State
Best control:
George Kirby, RHP, Elon
George Kirby has great stuff, but his best attribute is clearly his ability to pound the strike zone. Elon’s best pitcher put up some absurd numbers this season, going 8-2 with a 2.75 ERA, but it was his 0.90 WHIP and 107 strikeouts against just six walks in 88.1 innings that were impressive. You read that right, six walks.
At 6’4″ and 200 pounds, Kirby boasts a fastball that can reach the mid-90s, a nice curveball, a slider that could develop into a plus pitch and the makings of a solid changeup. But his ability to hit the zone with his fastball consistently is his calling card.
Kirby’s balance and ability as a strike-thrower will almost certainly get him taken in the first round.
Honorable mention: Jack Leiter, Delbarton High School (NJ); John Doxakis, Texas A&M
Best power:
Mike Toglia, UCLA
Mike Toglia has his issues, but power isn’t one of them. The power the switch hitter has grades out as a 70 on the 20 to 80 scouting scale. At 6’5″ and 220 pounds, he’s likely still got some more projection left.
Toglia is currently hitting .316 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI, with a .617 slugging percentage for the top-ranked UCLA Bruins. The worry for the first baseman is his hit tool, as he struggles to make consistent contact (he has 55 strikeouts this season). The fact that he’s a good defender at first and could move to a corner outfield spot means Toglia could be drafted at the back end of the first round if a team is convinced he’ll make consistent contact. But his power is his calling card. It’s the best in the draft.
Honorable mention: Hunter Bishop, Arizona State; Rece Hinds, IMG Academy (FL); Brett Baty, Lake Travis High School (TX)
Best runner:
Greg Jones, SS, UNC-Wilmington
Greg Jones is silly fast. The sophomore-eligible shortstop boasts elite speed that puts him at the top of this class in the category. His wheels are so good that he’s likely to be selected in the first two rounds, despite not having another elite tool.
Jones has 39 stolen bases in 48 attempts this season, and the switch-hitter is slashing .337/.487/.545. He’s gotten on base a ton this year which should make him appealing as a leadoff option. He’s almost certain to move off shortstop and end up in center field down the road. His game-changing speed will be worth the risk for someone in the first few rounds.
Honorable mention: C.J. Abrams, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School (GA); Maurice Hampton, Memphis University High School (TN)
Best arm:
Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor
It’s a little odd that a catcher has the best fielding arm in this draft, but I didn’t think twice about putting Shea Langeliers here. The kid has an absolute cannon behind the dish.
Langeliers is the best fielding catcher in the draft and it’s not even close. His arm separates him from the other solid backstops in his class.
Langeliers has dropped a bit in most draft projections because of a hamate bone break in his left hand and how it has impacted his offense. But he’s a solid hitter with some pop. His defense and that fantastic arm are his true calling cards.
Honorable mention: Yordys Valdes, McArthur High School (FL); Bobby Witt Jr., Colleyville Heritage High School (TX); Matt Wallner, Southern Mississippi
Best fielder:
Nasim Nunez, SS, Collins Hill High School (GA)
Nasim Nunez is the rare high school shortstop who will absolutely be sticking at the position in the future. Despite being just 5’9″ and 155 pounds, Nunez is an elite shortstop and will be one of the best in the minor leagues the minute he signs a professional contract.
Nunez’s bat is the big question mark, as he has shown very little power. He makes a decent amount of contact as a switch-hitter and runs well, so he profiles as a classic leadoff-type. If a team thinks he’ll hit, he’ll be signed away from his commitment to Clemson.
Honorable mention: Shea Langeliers, Baylor; Yordys Valdes, McArthur High School (FL)
Best fastball:
Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia Premier Academy
In a weak year for prep pitching, Daniel Espino might have the best pure stuff in the class. But what separates him from his peers is an upper-90s fastball that can top 100 mph. He’s the hardest thrower in this class, prep or college.
While he’s listed at 6’2″ and 200 pounds, Espino looks smaller than that, meaning there’s likely not more velocity to come. But that shouldn’t matter, he’s already hitting 100 mph. He has a really nice slider, a decent curveball and has dabbled with a changeup. The main knock on Espino is the long arm action in his delivery.
While he’s not widely regarded as the top prep pitcher in his class, his elite heater has him jumping up draft boards and will likely have him ticketed for the first round.
Honorable mention: Ryne Nelson, Oregon; Jackson Rutledge, San Jacinto Junior College; Alek Manoah, West Virginia
Best curveball:
Matt Cronin, LHP, Arkansas
This spot likely would have gone to Carter Stewart, whose spin rate on his curveball was insane, but obviously he’s no longer part of the draft class after signing to play in Japan. Instead, Matt Cronin moves into this slot, thanks to the curve he brings out of the bullpen for Arkansas.
Cronin is likely to be the first reliever selected in the 2019 draft, thanks to his combination of a mid-90s fastball and his devastating curve that also has incredible spin rates. At 6’2″ and 200 pounds, Cronin gets fantastic leverage out of a clean, over-the-top delivery from the left side.
He finished this season with a 2.13 ERA in 21 appearances, with 11 saves and 39 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. Opponents hit just .161 against him. The only concern is his control, as he did walk 14 batters in those 25.1 innings. If he can locate better, he has a chance to close at the next level.
Honorable mention: Quinn Priester, Cary-Grove High School (IL); Josh Wolf, St. Thomas High School (TX) Matt Allan, Seminole High School (FL)
Best slider:
Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto Junior College (TX)
The top junior college player in this class, Jackson Rutledge has what is easily the best slider in the draft. It’s a wicked, wipeout slider that works in the upper-80s and bites hard across the zone. At 6’8″ and 250 pounds, he gets tremendous leverage on the pitch from his right-handed windup.
Rutledge complements his slider with one of the draft’s best fastballs, that can reach 99 mph and a decent curveball. He transferred to San Jacinto from Arkansas after pitching in just 12 games as a freshman. In 13 appearances this season, Rutledge has gone 9-2 with a 0.87 ERA and 134 strikeouts against just eight walks in 82.2 innings.
He has some of the best pure stuff in the 2019 draft and should hear his name called quickly as a result.
Honorable mention: Graeme Stinson, Duke
Best changeup:
Ryan Pepiot, RHP, Butler
Ryan Pepiot has continued to get better over his three collegiate seasons and his stuff has continued to develop. He now boasts the best changeup in this year’s draft class, a devastating low-80s offering that he can locate well. He pairs it with a low-90s fastball and two average breaking options with a slider and a curveball.
Pepiot has is 6’3″ and 205 pounds, with a little room for projection left. He hasn’t gotten the best results this year, posting a 4-4 record with a 3.92 ERA and 126 strikeouts against 44 walks in 78 innings.
The changeup will be his calling card and he should expect to go in the first five rounds.
Honorable mention: Tommy Henry, Michigan