Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Auburn’s Mize, UF’s Singer among best in draft
NEW YORK — Casey Mize has dazzled scouts for months with his impressive arsenal of pitches.
The tantalizingly talented Auburn right-hander could find himself leading off the Major League Baseball draft tonight, with the Detroit Tigers ready to go on the clock with the No. 1 pick.
While Mize has long been the favorite to be the top selection, he’s not necessarily the type of no-doubt, sure-thing prospect Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Bryce Harper (2010) were considered in their draft years. Florida righty Brady Singer and Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart are also possibilities to have their names called first by Commissioner Rob Manfred at MLB Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
For the Tigers, it’s the first time they have the No. 1 pick since they took Rice pitcher Matt Anderson in 1997.
“I don’t know if there’s a can’t-miss,” Tigers general manager Al Avila recently told reporters. “From draft to draft, you try to say, ‘Who’s that can’t-miss?’ There’s been plenty of can’tmisses that have missed, as you all know, in the history of the draft, but there are good players in this draft.”
Here are some of the top players eligible for the draft (with position, school, age, height, weight and college class):
JOEY BART
C, Georgia Tech, 21, 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, junior.
The Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year led the conference in hitting with a .359 average and topped the Yellow Jackets with a .632 slugging percentage, 79 hits, 16 home runs, 55 runs scored and a .471 on-base percentage. Bart had a 16-game hitting streak this season and has terrific power potential at the next level.
ALEC BOHM
3B, Wichita State, 21, 6-5, 240, junior.
Bohm is one of the top offensive players in the draft, hitting .339 with 16 homers — the most by a Wichita State player since 2004 — and 55 RBIs with 14 doubles and 39 walks. He also showed a knack for hitting in the clutch by setting a school record with three grand slams this year.
NOLAN GORMAN
3B, O’Connor H.S. (Arizona), 18, 6-1, 210.
Gorman has made scouts drool with his raw power that has been on display while winning high school home run derbies around the country. MLB.com rated him the No. 1 power hitter among all players in the draft, prep or college.
ETHAN HANKINS
RHP, Forsyth Central H.S. (Georgia), 18, 6-6, 200.
Hankins has a blazing fastball that reaches 98 mph at times and some consider it the best in the draft. He missed a month with tightness in a muscle in his shoulder that affected his overall effectiveness and dropped him out of the discussion for the No. 1 overall pick.
JONATHAN INDIA
3B, Florida, 21, 6-1, 185, junior.
India has been an offensive force for the defending College World Series champions, hitting .364 with 18 homers and 45 RBIs through Saturday’s NCAA Tournament regional games. He’s the 12th player in school history to post 20 or more homers, 100 or more RBIs and 30 or more stolen bases in his career.
CASEY MIZE
RHP, Auburn, 21, 6-3, 220, junior.
The likely No. 1 overall pick went undrafted out of high school three years ago, developing into a potential big league ace while in college. Mize has the mound combination that makes scouts drool — and batters consistently miss. He’s got solid command of four pitches, including a fastball that hovers in the mid-90s. But it’s his outstanding command and wicked splitter/ changeup — possibly the best in the draft — that push him to the top of most teams’ wish lists.
BRADY SINGER
RHP, Florida, 21, 6-5, 180, junior.
The Gators ace has been in the discussion since last year to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft with his mid-90s fastball and solid slider. A slow start and recent hamstring issue, combined with a terrific year by Auburn’s Casey Mize, likely have the Florida righty instead going within the top five selections.