Just identify the next Babe Ruth and that is who the Cubs will be drafting.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

BA is just one list. Other sites have him ranked higher.

After the first 4-5, I tend to not put much stock into amateur lists.

As far as I heard, Jon Harris has worked his way up in the rankings / has been impressive, and other pitchers haven't been living up to expectations. Additionally, many arms in the draft have questions as to whether they will be able to start or not...many pitchers this year are small. Jon Harris doesn't have those questions.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

You can watch him pitch against Arkansas on Friday.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Well we know Kenny has his eye on Kyler Murray the top H.S. quarterback in this years draft.

Best power :Chris Shaw 1B Boston College HS Josh Naylorfrom Canada.
Best hit tool Benintendi

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After the Swanson and Brendan Rodgers it;s a real free for all... the ranks change almost daily at BP< BA, MLB Piplekine and other places.... no real studs lots of good players bit no standouts...

Cubs seem to have been going best college bat in the first round... but a guy like Tyler Jay could be a late season call up as a LOOGY....

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JC of Southern Nevada RHP Phil Bickford tested positive for marijuana in his MLB Draft drug test.

Someone told me Bickford was the dumbest person he's ever met so I'm a little impressed he figured out how to use a lighter.

Lots of mock drafts flying round with the "experts" making their best guesses. I may make my best guesses a little later. I hate this class and I just want this draft to be over. I think the Sox will take the best college pitcher on the board. Either Tate, Fulmer, Buehler and possibly the Funk Man. I think the Cubs will take one of the HS outfielders either Garrett Whitley or Trent Clark with Ian Happ being an outside possibility. I think the Brewers will also take a college pitcher. The best remaining of Funk, Kaprelian, Harris (ick) and Ponce. I think the Cards will go with a college SS or college pitcher. Kevin Newman (probably gone), Richie Martin or Kyle Holder. If they go the college pitcher route it could be Ponce, Alex Young, Nathan Kirby or Phil Bickford (though very doubtful).

Sox will choose a SS.

Cubs will pick Tyler Jay or DJ Stewart.

The SS's and Jay will be gone. The Cubs could go Stewart as a money saver. I do think someone up top is going to make a money saver pick if not a few teams. May as well in this draft.

They may take Benintendi, as well.

They could. Benintendi is a tough one to figure out. He's undersized and doesn't have elite speed so he's not a lock to stay in CF and I'm not sure if his power will translate to the pro game so can he play a corner? On the other hand he has a strong arm, above average speed and he can flat out hit. I can't think of any major leaguers who fit that profile.

Andrew McCutchen

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

McCutchen is a plus plus runner and there was never a doubt he could stay in CF.

I do not think the Cubs care too much about defense in the OF.

It's not just about defense. Any move away from the middle of the field puts more pressure on his bat to produce. Do you want a corner outfielder who will hit 10 home runs a year? That's fine for a centerfielder but you need much more production out of a corner spot and I doubt Benintendi will be a power hitter at the major league level.

kyle tucker??

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

He has good speed as evidenced by the number of stolen bases he has, and I have seen him in the outfield enough to say he can cover some pretty good ground out there.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

He's definitely interesting. I think he's gone by the time the Chicago teams pick. Either 5 to Houston or 7 to Boston.

He reminds me of a Jacoby Elsbury type player.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Again Ellsbury is a tough comp because of the speed thing. You know I like Benintendi but he looks like a tweener and that's a lot of risk for a top 10 pick.

CF is wide open for the Cubs. Almora and any one else are really nothing more than 4th or 5th OFs at this point. Corners are looking jammed with Bryant, Schwarber, and Soler. If Benintendi can hit at the major league level (with or without power) and can cover ground out there, I say he is worth it.

Cubs could underslot him, too and take a flier on a few TJ victims in the following rounds.

Teams should never draft for need with a first round pick. Get the best talent in your organization by drafting the best available player.

Benintendi is a redshirt sophomore so there is absolutely no way he takes an under slot deal. If he doesn't get his number he can go back to school for his junior year and still have his leverage.

I'm not saying the Cubs draft a CF because they do not have one, I was just saying there would be no need for him to move off CF to a corner spot so his lack of MLB power wouldn't be an issue for the Cubs.

Draft rumors have Benintendi going either 5 to Astros or 7 to Red Sox. So this is probably a mute point.

I get what you're saying I just don't think you play a fringy average defender in the middle of the field.

Hell in this draft he could go #1.

Keyser, What time does this thing start and what site will you be following it on?

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Host of the weekly "We Fish ASA" podcast
Weekly columnist for the Northwest Herald
Bi-monthly columnist for Illinois Outdoor News magazine
Former host of The Outdoors Experience on WIND and The Great Outdoors on CLTV
http://www.wefishasa.com

If I'm home I'll watch it on the MLB Network. Their coverage starts at 6PM. If I'm at a game (it's supposed to rain tonight) I'll follow it on MLB Draft Tracker or someone on Twitter. Probably Callis or some BA guy.

When does Aikens go in this draft?

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Where is Aikens in his comeback?
He got hurt almost immediately after last year's draft, didn't he?
When he got picked, a lot of people thought he'd pitch in the majors before the end of last season.

_________________
Host of the weekly "We Fish ASA" podcast
Weekly columnist for the Northwest Herald
Bi-monthly columnist for Illinois Outdoor News magazine
Former host of The Outdoors Experience on WIND and The Great Outdoors on CLTV
http://www.wefishasa.com

I think he goes in the first round. The Dodgers at 24 seems like a likely landing spot but if a team thinks his medicals don't look too bad he could go earlier. Kansas City at 21 or the Yankees at 16 are possibilities. I don't think he goes in the top half but again anything in this draft is possible.

Like I said I think there will be a money saver up top that will jack everything up but here is my best guesses:

1. Arizona: Dansby Swanson SS Vanderbilt
2. Houston: Alex Bregman SS LSU
3. Colorado: Tyler Jay LHP Illinois
4. Texas: Brendan Rodgers SS Lake Mary HS
5. Houston: Carson Fulmer RHP Vanderbilt
6. Minnesota: Kyle Tucker OF Gulf Coast HS
7. Boston: Andrew Benintendi OF Arkansas
8. Chicago WS: Dillon Tate RHP UC Santa Barbara
9. Chicago Cubs: Garrett Whitley OF Niskayuna HS
10. Philadelphia:Tyler Stephenson C Mountain HS
11. Cincinnati: Trent Clark OF North Richland Hills HS
12. Miami: James Kaprelian RHP UCLA
13. Tampa Bay: Walker Buehler RHP Vanderbilt
14. Atlanta: Ian Happ 2B Cincinnati
15. Milwaukee: Kyle Funkhouser RHP Louisville
16. NY Yankees: Cornelius Randolf 3B Griffin HS
17. Cleveland: Ashe Russell RHP Cathedral HS
18. San Fran: Kolby Allard LHP San Clemente HS
19. Pittsburgh: Jon Harris RHP Missouri St
20. Oakland: Kevin Newman SS Arizona
21. Kansas City: Cody Ponce RHP Cal Poly
22. Detroit: Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B Concordia Lutheran HS
23. St Louis: Richie Martin SS Florida
24. LA Dodgers: Brady Aiken LHP IMG Academy
25. Baltimore: Chris Betts C Woodrow Wilson HS
26. LA Angels: Justin Hooper LHP De La Salle HS