By Cruz Serrano
With the baseball season in full swing, the Rule 4 draft is quickly approaching. Although it doesn’t get the same publicity (or viewership) as other major sports drafts, the MLB draft is one of the more interesting to dissect. Aside from the occasional phenom like Bryce Harper, there are very few times you can look at a draft class and say for sure that a player is going to make a huge impact on a franchise. Some people would even argue that it’s a crapshoot because it’s impossible to project how an 18 year old will develop, or how they will adjust to the major leagues. The scouts in baseball have to put in a lot more hard work, and they are often projecting how players will develop for years to come before they ever get a chance to make an impact at the major league level. If there is one theme to this draft class, it’s the abundance of middle infielders, and the lack of pitchers. Here are ten of the top players that will be drafted, with the abundance of middle infielders being heavily represented on my list. My list takes into account where I think the player will go and is not necessarily based on who I believe to be the best player.
Dansby Swanson (Photo: Steven Branscombe / USA TODAY Sports)
1. Dansby Swanson: SS, Vanderbilt
Swanson seems to have it all. A great defender at short to go with a great bat. Projects to hit for power, however, with that power comes the tendency to often swing and miss. He has great on base tendencies and certainly projects well as an above average everyday shortstop. Swanson has starred in the toughest collegiate baseball conference, and he seems to be on the fast track to the major leagues. Continue reading
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