40)
| Player: J.J. Goss | Position(s): RHP | |||
| School (ST): Cypress Ranch (TX) | Grade: High School | |||
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 185 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: A projectable body makes it easy to believe Goss will end up sitting in the mid-90s rather than just touching it like he does currently. He gets solid leg drive although the arm spends a long time behind his body before getting into his 3/4 arm slot. He has a slider that has real drop and run which could play plus and has shown the ability to spot a change as well. He should be a starter at the pro level with his upside dependent upon his ability to clean up some minor mechanical flaws and how the fastball improves as he adds size. | ||||
39)
| Player: Nasim Nunez | Position(s): SS | |||
| School (ST): Collins Hill (GA) | Grade: High School | |||
| Bats: Switch | Throws: Right | Height: 5’9” | Weight: 155 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: Maybe the best defensive player in this draft, Nunez is a sure thing to stick at a premium defensive position. He has great fluidity around the bag, turns his hips incredibly well, and can make any throw at a variety of arm angles. The question will be how much he can hit. There will likely never be much power, and the contact is currently a question as he has a long bat path. If he can clean that up and prove he can hit for average this Spring, look for Nunez to leap into the first round. If the bat doesn’t come around, there is a good chance he ends up making it to campus at Clemson. | ||||
38)
| Player: Brooks Lee | Position(s): SS | |||
| School (ST): San Luis Obispo (CA) | Grade: High School | |||
| Bats: Switch | Throws: Right | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 180 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: Committed to play for his father at Cal Poly, there is a good chance Lee doesn’t make it to campus. He really broke out at Area Codes, he plays solid defense that could have him stick at short, although he may have to move off to second. At the plate, his swing should not lead to a lot of contact but it does and has against top competition. His body drifts out over his front foot and the swing is mostly upper body. Staying more balanced and getting his hips into his swing should allow for power to develop from both sides of the plate. | ||||
37)
| Player: Dominic Fletcher | Position(s): OF | |||
| School (ST): Arkansas | Grade: Junior | |||
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 5’10” | Weight: 185 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: I am higher on Fletcher than most, but I believe he can improve the bat-to-ball skill. He drifts out over his front foot leaving him off balance too often but, even when off balance, he can hit the ball a long way. He has an impressive knack for the game, often getting excellent reads on the ball in the outfield and a better base-runner than his speed would suggest. He has a strong arm and will stick in right, but he could fill in at times in center should a team be desperate. | ||||
36)
| Player: Hunter Barco | Position(s): LHP | |||
| School (ST): The Boles School (FL) | Grade: High School | |||
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 212 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: The showcase circuit was not kind to Barco, going from one of the premier names to one that is riddled with questions. He has a three-pitch mix with his split-change being the weakest of the three. He entered the summer with a mid-90s fastball but showed it in the low-90s instead. Add to that a slider that is sharp but inconsistent and there is plenty of upside. He pitches from a very low 3/4 slot that has led to some control issues. If he is back in the mid-90s and shows a better feel for his pitches this Spring, he can solidify himself as a first rounder, but if he continues to struggle his stock will certainly take a big hit. | ||||
35)
| Player: Matthew Lugo | Position(s): SS | |||
| School (ST): Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (PR) | Grade: High School | |||
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 185 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: The more tape I see of Lugo, the more I like him and think I may be too low on him. He has a larger leg kick at the plate than I typically like, but he demonstrates great balance and timing. He has a bat plane that allows him to hit line drives that will develop into real home run power, although he is mostly a pull hitter currently. There is a chance he outgrows short and has to move to third, but he will be given every opportunity to stick up the middle. | ||||
34)
| Player: Alek Manoah | Position(s): RHP | |||
| School (ST): West Virginia | Grade: Junior | |||
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’6” | Weight: 260 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: As big a body as there is in this year’s draft, Manoah has flirted with triple digits out of the bullpen but is expected to be given the opportunity to start at West Virginia this season. He led the Cape in strikeouts over the summer where his fastball didn’t show much down-tick in velocity in the rotation. He comes out of a low 3/4 slot and has some effort to his delivery, but he can get the slider to really run at the feet of lefties. His change and consistency in delivery need to improve to stay a starter, but he has a high floor or a late inning reliever at the pro level. | ||||
33)
| Player: Greg Jones | Position(s): SS | |||
| School (ST): UNC-Wilmington | Grade: Sophomore | |||
| Bats: Switch | Throws: Right | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 170 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: The toolsy Jones will stick up the middle, although there are questions as to whether that will be at short or in center. He has a big swing that does not produce as much power as the bat speed would lead you to believe, but he can run into some long balls especially from the right side. He is raw for a collegiate bat but playing in a non-power conference has allowed his pure athleticism to carry him thus far. With some polish, he can turn into a player who vastly outperforms his expected draft position, somewhere well behind where I have him ranked here. | ||||
32)
| Player: Tyler Dyson | Position(s): RHP | |||
| School (ST): Florida | Grade: Junior | |||
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 225 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: Opening the season as a Sunday starter last season was certainly no slight considering it was Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar ahead of him. I don’t see the upside in Dyson that I have seen in the recent run of Gator pitchers, as I am not completely sold on him as a starter. He was slowed by a shoulder issue last season, so he will have to prove he is healthy and he can keep his stuff consistent this season as it seemed to dissipate as he got deeper into outings. He has a low 3/4 slot with some inconsistent arm action and is still working on making his change a consistent third offering. All that said, he still have a big fastball and potentially plus slider, so there is plenty of upside. | ||||
31)
| Player: Nick Lodolo | Position(s): LHP | |||
| School (ST): TCU | Grade: Junior | |||
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6’6” | Weight: 185 lbs. | |
| Quick Report: Lodolo has already been selected high, 41st overall by the Pirates in 2016, he is looking to improve on that this year. Despite being a high pick and starting right from the jump with TCU, his numbers haven’t been dominant and he is still a projectable player rather than one with track record. He has a fastball that regularly touches the mid-90s with a good downhill plane and some sink to it. His change does not create the velo difference you typically want, but it has good movement and flashes plus. He can also get a curve over, but it is definitely a work in progress. He is still very long and lean, with more velocity a possibility and a strong season could catapult him into the top half of the first round. | ||||
THREE QUARTER SLOT 
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