BOOTH: Final Mock Draft

The MLB Draft is here. If I were sitting in a draft room trying to project what happens on draft day, below is how I believe the board unfolds.

Here is Mock Draft 1.0.

On to my final mock.

At the top, I still have Vahn Lackey and Grady Emerson as the clear top two players. I believe either one could go first overall, and whichever doesn’t will likely go second. That’s how closely I view the two.

One name generating significant momentum is Tyler Bell. I’ve heard enough over the last several days that I wouldn’t be surprised to see him jump into the No. 3 overall spot. To me, he fits the Twins exceptionally well. He’s exactly the type of player Minnesota has historically valued, and I think there’s a realistic chance they work out a deal there that also gives them flexibility later in the draft.

That pushes Roch Cholowsky into an interesting position. While he’s been viewed by many as the consensus No. 1 player in the class, I don’t necessarily see him going first overall. If he gets to San Francisco, in the words I’ve heard recently, “he’s hard to pass on at 4.” I don’t know that the Giants necessarily expect him to be available, but if he reaches No. 4, I believe he’d be difficult for them to let slide by.

Jackson Flora is an excellent fit for Pittsburgh. The Pirates have built one of the better collections of young pitching in baseball, and Flora fits their model as another arm with a chance to move quickly through the system and contribute in the major leagues.

Jacob Lombard fits Kansas City’s profile exceptionally well. Brian Bridges, Tom McNamara, and that scouting department have consistently shown an affinity for Florida high school players. Lombard combines upside with a strong résumé and matches the type of player the Royals have targeted over the years.

Drew Burress remains one of the premier college performers in the class. The question evaluators continue to wrestle with is how his offensive game ultimately translates with wood bats over a full professional season. Even with those questions, the production is impossible to ignore.

Mason Edwards is exactly the type of polished college left-hander that fits where the Athletics are as an organization. He’s a fast mover with a chance to reach the big leagues sooner rather than later.

Eric Booth Jr. represents another high-upside selection. The athleticism, projection, and developmental ceiling fit what organizations drafting in that range are often looking to acquire.

Gio Rojas continues to fit comfortably in the upper portion of the draft as clubs search for premium left-handed pitching.

One pairing I particularly like is Ace Reese with the Angels at No. 12. It fits the profile they’ve drafted before while also aligning with the philosophies of Tim McIlvaine, Ray Montgomery, Matt Swanson, and now John Mozeliak as that baseball operations group continues to evolve.

I have Justin LeBron slipping slightly from where some industry boards project him, but still landing in an outstanding situation with Miami. As a Miami native, there’s a natural homecoming element, and the Marlins have historically trusted strong baseball résumés, even if the underlying analytical models aren’t quite as enthusiastic as other clubs’.

From that point forward, the draft becomes much more fluid. Clubs increasingly shift toward best player available, while balancing bonus pool strategy, organizational preference, and player-specific evaluations.

One storyline I’ll be watching closely is Cole Prosek at No. 25. I currently have him landing with Milwaukee. Originally from Wisconsin, Prosek would return home to an organization where Brewers coach Matt Erickson has longstanding ties to his family; he’s his uncle. Add in former high school teammate Cooper Pratt, who has already reached the major leagues with the Brewers organization, and it becomes one of the more compelling stories of the first round, a hometown fit that makes baseball sense while creating one of the better feel-good moments of draft night.

As always, this isn’t a prediction of who I think is the most talented player in the class. It’s an exercise in projecting how clubs marry talent, signability, organizational philosophy, analytics, scouting conviction, and roster construction into one decision. Once the first few names come off the board, the rest of the first round will evolve quickly, and there will undoubtedly be surprises.

That’s what makes draft day one of the most fascinating days on the baseball calendar.

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Jeremy Booth

Jeremy Booth is the Founder and CEO of PROGRAM 15 and the President of Baseball Operations for The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series. He serves as a baseball analyst for CBS TV KHOU 11 in Houston and is the Co-Host of the Extra Bases Podcast. In addition, Jeremy is a Front Office Insider at ESPN 97.5, and his first book, Inside the Mind of a Scout, was released in 2023. As a scout, Jeremy has consulted in the player development and scouting departments for MLB organizations, including the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Seattle Mariners, where he signed players who went on to claim major exposure and professional success.

Latest posts by Jeremy Booth (see all)

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