As we pass the midway point of the spring season, about six weeks from the 2019 MLB Draft, the 2019 PBR Draft Board gets an update. While there are a couple names in the mix for the No. 1 pick, there is little evidence to show it shouldn’t be C Adley Rutschman (Oregon State). Holding fast to that No. 1 spot, the switch-hitting catcher was hitting .413 through 34 games 12 home runs, 40 RBIs and a 45-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The top three spots remain intact with SS Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville Heritage HS, TX) and 1B Andrew Vaughn (California) at Nos. 2 and 3 respectively. With Witt part of a loaded lineup and typically leading off, pitchers have been forced to challenge him and he has answered the bell, flirting with .600 for a time and having more than half of his hits going for extra bases. Vaughn is also living up to expectations with his bat, hitting .364 through 31 games with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.

Checking in at No. 4 is OF Corbin Carroll (Lakeside School, WA), a UCLA recruit with plus-plus speed, a compact left-handed stroke and sneaky pop. OF J.J. Bleday (Vanderbilt) made a jump from the late teens to No. 5. He is doing damage with his left-handed stroke, hitting .364 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs. Rounding out the top 10 are SS C.J. Abrams (Blessed Trinity Catholic HS, GA), LHP Nick Lodolo (Texas Christian), OF Hunter Bishop (Arizona State), OF Riley Greene (Hagerty HS, FL) and RHP Matt Allan (Seminole HS, FL).

A few prospects made significant jumps from the previous list, which only went 100 deep. We highlighted a few in the latest Hotlist. RHP Noah Song (Navy) now sits at No. 21. A team that drafts him will have to wait for him to fulfill his military service, but that seems like a reasonable price to pay for an athletic righty with a low- to mid-90s fastball and wipeout slider. RHP Josh Wolf (St. Thomas HS, TX) has also been electric this spring and jumps to No. 27, putting him squarely in the pack of big Texas arms with aspirations of being draft on Day 1.

The PBR Draft Board—a ranking of the top draft-eligible prospects—isn’t meant to predict the order in which players will be drafted. Signability makes that much too cloudy. Rather, this is how the class stacks up based on looks by Prep Baseball Report’s staff covering the college, junior college and high school levels, as well as conferring with members of the major league scouting and college communities.

RANK	NAME	POS	SCHOOL
1	Adley Rutschman	C	Oregon State
2	Bobby Witt Jr.	SS	Colleyville Heritage (HS)
3	Andrew Vaughn	1B	California
4	Corbin Carroll	OF	Lakeside (HS)
5	JJ Bleday	OF	Vanderbilt
6	C.J. Abrams	SS	Blessed Trinity Catholic (HS)
7	Nick Lodolo	LHP	Texas Christian
8	Hunter Bishop	OF	Arizona State
9	Riley Greene	OF	Hagerty (HS)
10	Matt Allan	RHP	Seminole (HS)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PBR DRAFT BOARD

 

 

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