Jonathan Mayo’s new MLB Mock Draft has the Pittsburgh Pirates taking UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole with the first overall pick. This comes as no surprise coming from Mayo, who recently ranked Cole the No. 1 overall prospect in the draft.
There are questions regarding his recent performance, but the power stuff is still there, and he’s got a good track record. The Pirates are still looking at Anthony Rendon and Danny Hultzen in the college ranks, as well as discussing high schoolers Dylan Bundy, Bubba Starling and perhaps even Archie Bradley.
You can read plenty about Cole elsewhere in this storystream, but Bradley is a new addition to the list of potential first-overall picks. Here’s Mayo’s writeup on him, from his MLB Draft database. Bradley is a projectable high-school arm from Oklahoma who sounds like exactly the sort of player I would want my team to take in the middle or end of the first round. But with the first overall pick? No thanks. I’d much rather have either Cole or a hitter, like Anthony Rendon or Bubba Starling. Mayo ranked Bradley the No. 12 prospect in the draft a few days ago.
Mayo has Dylan Bundy going at No. 2 to the Mariners, Danny Hultzen going at No. 3 to the Diamondbacks, and Rendon going at No. 4 to the Orioles.