MLB’s First-Year Player Draft is next month (June 8-10) and the various publications have started posting the first round of mock drafts.
Baseball America and FanGraphs both think if SS Alex Bregman from LSU is still available by the time the Cubs are on the clock, he won’t make it past the Cubs with the No. 9 pick. If Bregman slides to the seventh pick in the draft, the Red Sox are expected to take him and let the comps by the Boston media to Dustin Pedroia begin.
In his first mock draft of the spring, John Manuel thinks the Cubs will select Vanderbilt right hander Carson Fulmer. According to Kiley McDaniel, Fulmer is one of a “number of players” the Cubs have been connected to that Jason McLeod could take in this year’s draft.
According to Kiley McDaniel, the Cubs have been linked to college pitchers RHP Jon Harris, RHP Carson Fulmer and RHP Walker Buehler and high school bats OF Daz Cameron (Mike Cameron’s son), OF Kyle Tucker and OF Trenton Clark.
There is a strong buzz, according to McDaniel, the Cubs will select a bat in the first round and he’s been hearing the Cubs interest in Clark has “been around for a while.”
Kiley McDaniel has the Cubs selecting Trenton Clark, outfielder from Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the draft.
Trenton Clark is committed to Texas Tech. An injury and bad weather in north Texas cost him playing time this spring.
According to Keith Law, who ranked Clark as the 14th best player in the upcoming draft, Trenton Clark “was one of the best hitters on the circuit all of last summer.” Baseball America slotted Clark 12th in its draft rankings. According to Baseball America, Clark has a quick, compact, direct stroke with an exceptional feel for barreling up the baseball and a discerning eye at the plate. Clark has plus leadership skills in clubhouse and dugout.
Trenton Clark is 18 years old (Nov. 1, 1996) and is 6-foot, 200 pounds. Clark hits and bats from the left side.
Scouting Grades – ESPN
• Hitting: 40 (Present) – 60 (Future)
• Power: 40 (Present) – 50 (Future)
• Running Speed: 55 (Present) – 50 (Future)
• Fielding Range: 40 (Present) – 50 (Future)
• Arm Strength: 45 (Present) – 45 (Future)
Scouting Grades – MLB
Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55
According to multiple reports, Clark is one of the best prep hitters in the draft. He has an “unusual left-handed swing with a golf-style grip, but he makes repeated hard contact with his short-stroke and above average bat speed.”
Trenton Clark projects to hit for average power with a chance to stay in center field, “left field would be likely his fallback position.” Opinions vary with scouts Keith Law has talked to about Clark. Several think he could “hit in the middle of the order and play center field,” others Law has asked “see more of an above-average regular who likely has to more to a corner, and that corner will have to be left field because of lack of arm strength.” Law pointed out “there is a lot to like, but enough concerns to believe he is closer to a late-first round pick.”