The First Mock Draft of the Hot Stove League

Big Innings is proud to present the first Mock Draft of the off season. These picks are just guesstimates but are based on careful passing consideration of each team's needs and past tendencies. I have done a great amount of very little research on what is available in the draft, so, as always, you can don't rely on me.

As a bonus this year, I will extend the first round and name the first 20 picks.

1. Rafael Devers, Nads - Devers is the best young talent in the draft, and he fits a position where the Nads have a glaring need, which is, well... anywhere.

2. Avisail Garcia, Killer Bees - This is the going to be the year of drafting former cuts, and Avisail is the first. Cut by the Tweeners following the 2015 season, he went undrafted in 2016 and 2017. So then, of course, the 26-year old Venezuelan finally met and exceeded expectations.

3. Shohei Ohtani, SuperGoofs - The versatile and talented 23-year old from Japan is going somewhere in the first round. The rewards could be great. It's just a question of who will take the risk.

4.  Trey Mancini, Inmates - Mancini had a breakout year with Baltimore, hitting .293 with 24 homers in 543 at bats. His only drawback is his poor defense, but in Waco, that has never seemed to matter.

5. Tommy Pham, Tweeners - Another recent cut, Pham was a member of the Wahoos in 2016. He also continues a diversified NASOMA Draft. Pham was born in the US, but is the first player of Vietnamese heritage to the play in MLB.

6. Eddie Rosario, Drillers - And the cuts just keep on coming. Rosario is an interesting one. He was an Inmate in 2016 before he was traded to the Goofs. The Goofs then traded him to the FFTs, who cut him, drafted him back in the 2017 Lightning Round, then cut him again. Now he's back in a big way, going to a team in need of corner outfielders.

7. Austin Barnes, Bohl Weevils - A rarity in this draft, Barnes is not a former cut. In fact, he is carded for the first time. He had a great year with the Dodgers, and can catch as well as be a backup at 2b and 3b.

8. Chris Taylor, FFTs - Another Dodger. It's a run on Dodgers! And what's not to like? Taylor hit .288 with 21 homers and 17 steals in 515 at bats while playing 5 positions.

9. Chase Anderson, DVs - At some point, teams have to break down and start drafting what most of us need: starting pitching. The problem is, there isn't a lot of quality starting pitching in the draft, and the best of the lot is not very different than the 6th or 7th best. The DVs dive in first.

10. Zack Godley, Mavs - Oh hell, the DVs started a run on pitchers. When was the last time the DVs started a trend? My guess is the fidget spinner, which was originally going to be called the Bean Flicker.

11. Brad Peacock, Rhinos - Peacock doesn't fit the typical Rhino pick, mostly because he makes sense. The right hander can start and relieve, has 132 innings, and is especially tough on RH hitters, which is perfect for the Rhino Park. But... he turns 30 in January; that's AARP in Rhino years.

12. Tucker Barnhart, Inmates - Barnhart spent the 2016 season with the Buckeyes before being traded to the Sidewinders, who cut him after the 2017 draft. The switch-hitting catcher had a fine 2017, naturally, and is projected to be a c-1(-3).

13. Jhoulys Chacin, Fungoes - Chacin has been around awhile and will turn 30 in January. He was taken in the 2017 Lightning Round by the Tweeners before being cut. After a rocky early career, he finally blossomed last year in San Diego. His 180 innings will be just what the doctor ordered for the Fungi. (And he can throw TWO complete games in a playoff series!)

14. Jordan Montgomery, Mavs- The run on starting pitchers continues. Montgomery is the Yankee lefty; 155 solid innings and one of the better prospects among the pitchers.

15. Rhys Hoskins, Buckeyes - If nothing else, the Buckeyes will pound the shit outta the ball. That's how they won 115 games last year. Hoskins can certainly do that. Ryan Zimmerman is a possibility, too. He has lots more ABs, and the Buckeyes won't care about the age difference, but Hoskins can play 1b and LF. Zimmerman can only play 1b. By the way, Zimmerman was another 2017 double cut, being axed by the Fungoes after several years on the team, then getting taken in the Lightning Round by the Tweeners before being cut again.

16. Luis Castillo, Tweeners - Castillo is yet another SP with first round credentials. His only flaw is having fewer than 100 innings, but the Cincinnati youngster might be the best SP prospect of the bunch.

17. Alex Cobb, Killer Bees - Cobb had a 3.66 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 179 innings last year in Tampa. He's another one that has been up before. Last year, he was a Lightning Round pick by the Warpigs before getting cut. Jose Urena is another possibility here; the SP quality drops off mightily after that.

18. Alcides Escobar, Nads - The Nads have had some shitty luck with shortstops recently, so it's nice that a ss-1 with 599 ABs is sitting there waiting on him in the 2nd round. Grab him while you can, brother. Escobar, by the way, was a Rhino in 2016 before being cut following the 2017 draft.

19. Martin Maldonado, SuperGoofs - The American League's Gold Glove winning catcher, Maldonado brings much needed defensive help to the Goofs.

20. Chad Green, Inmates - The HEAD INMATE reaches out for the first true reliever. The relief pitcher draft pool is fairly deep again this year, but there are no top-of-the-draft, elite kind of guys. Green is the best of the bunch, and the Inmates are in the perfect spot to take him with their third pick of the first 20.