MLB mock draft roundup, version 1.0

The MLB First Year player draft is coming soon. This year has really been all about two players - Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews - the two players likely to 1.1 and 1.2 in the draft in some order. Being on the same team, it would be the first time in history players from the same college team went one-two in the draft if it does happen, but the chances of that being the Phillies making the pick are zero thanks to picks not being allowed to be traded (which is still very, very stupid).

With that in mind, let’s take a lap around the interwebs to see what people believe the Phillies are going to do when they are suddenly on the clock. They have the 27th pick in the draft this year, so if you plan on watching it live, you’ll be up late.

MLB.com - Chase Davis, OF - Arizona

Davis gets mentioned as high as the mid-teens and needs a home, so we’re stashing him here. A high school arm (White, right-hander Charlee Soto) or bat (Eldridge, Stafura, Lombard) in the first round would fit their recent modus operandi.

ESPN - George Lombard, Jr., SS - high school

The Phillies like to take a swing on prep players with their first pick — to solid results of late — and Lombard figures to go in this area. He has the highest universal approval rating of the remaining prep infielders.

CBS Sports - Kevin McGonigle, SS - high school

McGonigle is not the same super-high-upside type the Phillies have targeted in the first round in recent years (Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, etc.), though he’s a very polished player with as good a chance to be a big leaguer as any high school player in the draft. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a local Philadelphia kid either. If the Phillies want to take a bigger swing, high school infielder George Lombard Sr. would be the way to go given who’s still available in our mock draft. Lombard’s father, George Sr., is currently the Tigers bench coach.

Fox Sports - Thomas White, LHP - high school

White feels like a left-handed version of Andrew Painter in many respects, as each was famous for years as one of their class’ top arms leading up to what was a disappointing spring showing as a senior. It’s possible some other team would pounce on White before he got to this point, but I’ll stick him with Philly for this mock if only for the Painter parallels combined with the organization’s willingness to bet on high-school arms at the top of the draft.

The Athletic - Charlee Soto, RHP - high school

Scouting Report: Soto has some of the best pure stuff in this draft class, with three pitches in his fastball, slider and split-changeup that can all show plus, along with a delivery he should be able to repeat for command. He’s been up to 98 mph with some riding life to the four-seamer, while the split-change has the sort of hard fading action you expect from that pitch and shows good separation and deception. His slider is more of a power slurve with a break almost straight down, but he seems to throw it for strikes and gets late bite on the pitch. He’s also one of the youngest pitchers in the draft, turning 18 at the end of August, and already is 6-foot-5 and listed at 210 pounds. Scouts found him difficult to see this spring as he’d often go two weeks between outings, and his command wasn’t where it was last summer on the showcase circuit. He’s as risky as any high school arm, but this stuff rivals that of White’s for the best among all prep pitchers this year.