This week on the MLBPipeline Podcast, host Tim McMaster and resident prospect gurus Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo discuss the All-Draft Prospects team, the best two-way players in the Draft's history and the most recent mock Draft. The following is a transcript of a segment from this week's episode of the Pipeline Podcast.
McMaster: I want to finish things up with a real mock Draft here. We'll look at the top five picks, because Jonathan's coming out with the latest mock Draft on MLBPipeline.com. And it starts the same as Jim's from a week ago, and that's interesting, because Kyle Wright seems to be kind of solidifying and holding his spot at No. 1 to the Twins. Hunter Greene No. 2. After that, things get a little interesting.
Callis: I'll ask (Jonathan) a question: How certain are you that Kyle Wright goes first pick?
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Mayo: I'm not certain whatsoever.
McMaster: So, not solidifying...
Mayo: It is, in what we're doing. I think we would both agree that teams behind the Twins feel more certain that the Twins are taking Kyle Wright. I don't think there's inside information. I think that's just trying to get a sense of who's in their front office, the kinds of decision-making. The Twins, outside of Shane Baz, who was on that group of seven, have not taken anybody off the list. I can correct myself from last week: MacKenzie Gore is still in their conversation -- although if I were a betting man, I would not say that MacKenzie Gore will go 1-1.
But I do feel a little more certain that if Hunter Greene does not go No. 1, the Reds are going to take Hunter Greene. That might be the only "certainty" that I can find right now, and that's not even 100 percent.
Callis: I would agree with all that. I think the Twins, A) don't have to make a decision now. It behooves them not to make a decision and play these guys off each other a little bit to try to maybe get the bonus down. I've said this a bunch of times: I think probably the most certain pick -- I wouldn't say it's 100 percent in stone -- but I don't think the Twins are gonna take Hunter Greene No. 1, and I think the Reds would definitely take him at No. 2.
Of all the picks, we both have this. I think we've had Greene at No. 2 for a few weeks. I think that might be the most certain pick right now.
Mayo: I threw Greene at No. 1 just to explain what it would look like.
Callis: Right, I got you. But I think that might be the most certain pick in the top five. Again, not 100 percent, but if I had to say, OK, one of these picks, set in stone, bet your life on it, I'd say Greene to the Reds.
Mayo: Definitely, I think that's fair.
McMaster: And then 3, just to round it out, because 3 is where things could start to change from there. I know MacKenzie Gore is who you had, Jim, going No. 3 a week ago. And I know (Jonathan) you'd take him No. 1, I think, if you were the one picking, but you're going now in the new mock with Royce Lewis at 3.
Mayo: Yeah, and I could have easily gone with MacKenzie Gore. I think the Padres will be in react mode.
Callis: Because they want Hunter Greene.
Mayo: They would love Hunter Greene. If he's not gonna get there, and we don't think he will, then do they want to go with the high-upside player? If that's the case, it's Gore as a pitcher or Lewis as a position player. I don't think they've completely said, "Well, we wouldn't take Brendan McKay if he's there."
Callis: I just don't see (McKay) as an A.J. Preller type of guy.
Mayo: But was Cal Quantrill? Because he was hurt?...
Callis: No, I just think -- not a knock on Brendan McKay, but I just think of A.J. Preller, when he was with the Rangers signing international guys, of taking...
Mayo: Risks.
Callis: High-upside guys. And Brendan McKay has a lot of upside -- but I think Brendan McKay, when you're talking about him at the top of the Draft, what puts him there is the upside, but he's got the highest floor of any of these guys. And to me, I see the Padres going for more of a higher ceiling than Brendan McKay.
Mayo: I don't disagree with that at all. In the end I just sort of flipped. Jim ended up having Lewis drop down a little bit further, and he had (Adam) Haseley going 5 last week and I had Haseley going 8 when all was said and done. So I basically, in effect, flipped Lewis back up to 3 and then put Gore back in the Braves' spot, which is a distinct possibility.
McMaster: Hey, we're getting closer. We're going to be able to stop doing mocks and actually see what happens.
Mayo: 2018 mocks.
McMaster: Two weeks. Two weeks from now. We've gotta wait 'til the Draft ends.
Callis: Well (Jonathan's) always working on that story on Day 3 of the Draft, when we're here kind of on standby in case we need to step in and fill some dead air on Day 3 of the Draft. Jonathan's usually working on his top prospects for the following year's Draft.
Mayo: With a blindfold and a dartboard.
McMaster: They usually at least make it to your December Top 50.
Mayo: My last year's list was actually solid. Usually by the time we get to this time of year, I'm like, "Who are these guys?" But most of them are still hanging around the top of the Draft boards.
Callis: That'll be on a Wednesday, June 14. So we can get done with the Draft, podcast, and we can talk about that subject then.
McMaster: Sure. Let's do it. Tune in in a couple of weeks.
Mayo: I'll be in a coma.