PBR Draft 100 Update
May 9, 2017
By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor
The 2017 Major League Baseball Draft is less than six weeks away and there has been plenty of movement in the high school class, reflected in the latest update to the PBR Draft 100.
The PBR Draft 100 ranks the top high school prospects eligible for the upcoming draft, including players outside of Prep Baseball Report’s coverage area of 35 states. This list is compiled after months of seeing games across the country and conversations with scouts and college recruiters.
Holding on at No. 1 is RHP/SS Hunter Greene (Notre Dame HS, CA). The UCLA recruit is a strong candidate to be the first overall pick and has touched triple digits this spring. Interestingly, he is no longer pitching this spring. Citing his development plan, he will only throw bullpens while continuing to play shortstop and hit for his high school team.
One of the biggest revelations this spring sits at No. 2 in LHP MacKenzie Gore (Whiteville HS, NC). Gore was ranked in the top 25 in the fall thanks to his projectable frame and athleticism, but he got stronger over the winter and made a jump this spring, routinely sitting in the low 90s while showing three offspeed pitches that all show the potential to be average offerings in the future. The East Carolina recruit attracted large crowds of scouts from the start of the season and is likely to be a top five pick in June.
At No. 3 is SS Royce Lewis (JSerra HS, CA). A UC Irvine recruit, he has struggled with the bat some this spring, but still possesses a toolset that excites scouts. While he may not stick at shortstop, he has the speed to play center field and offers power from the right side of the plate.
RHP Shane Baz (Concordia Lutheran HS, TX) is No. 4 and established himself as the top right-hander outside of Greene this spring. He has a strong frame and runs his fastball into the mid 90s while showing a hard breaking ball. He is committed to Texas Christian.
No. 5 is LHP Trevor Rogers (Carlsbad HS, NM). The 6-foot-6, 185-pounder has a long frame, but his athleticism allows him to keep his delivery under control. He has an easy, loose delivery that produces a low-90s fastball.
Rounding out the top 10 are 1B Nick Pratto (Huntington Beach HS, CA), LHP D.L. Hall (Valdosta HS, GA), RHP Blayne Enlow (St. Amant HS, LA), OF Austin Beck (North Davidson HS, NC) and OF Heliot Ramos (Leadership Christian Academy, PR).
Beck is one of the biggest risers and joined the top 10. A North Carolina recruit, he tore his ACL in the state playoffs last season and subsequently missed the summer and fall seasons. He quickly climbed boards this spring when he showed he was healthy and had a few plus tools to offer. He’s an above-average runner and has a plus arm in the outfield to go with plus power. Missing last summer and fall creates questions about his ability to perform against better competition, but teams with top 10 picks have still heavily attended his games.
Another big riser is RHP Matt Tabor (Milton Academy, MA). The Elon recruit has always shown the ability to pitch, but added size has helped his fastball tick up. He was a clear standout at the Super 60 in February and has only gained attention from there, sitting in the low 90s and running his fastball up to 96 mph.
You won’t find RHP Joe Boyle (North Oldham HS, KY) on this list, though he’s certainly worthy of inclusion on talent. Boyle removed himself from the draft with a letter to Major League Baseball and will attend Notre Dame. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder has an electric arsenal with a low-90s fastball and sharp curveball. He gets out of sync with his long limbs, hampering his control, but his stuff and upside would have garnered first-round consideration this spring.
A Look At The Top 10
| Rank |
Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Commitment |
| 1 | Hunter Greene | CA | Notre Dame | 2017 | RHP | UCLA |
| 2 | Mackenzie Gore | NC | Whiteville | 2017 | LHP | East Carolina |
| 3 | Royce Lewis | CA | JSerra | 2017 | SS | UC Irvine |
| 4 | Shane Baz | TX | Concordia Lutheran | 2017 | RHP | Texas Christian |
| 5 | Trevor Rogers | NM | Carlsbad | 2017 | LHP | Texas Tech |
| 6 | Nick Pratto | CA | Huntington Beach | 2017 | 1B | Southern California |
| 7 | D.L. Hall | GA | Valdosta | 2017 | LHP | Florida State |
| 8 | Blayne Enlow | LA | St Amant | 2017 | RHP | Louisiana State |
| 9 | Austin Beck | NC | North Davidson | 2017 | OF | North Carolina |
| 10 | Heliot Ramos | PR | Leadership Christian Academy | 2017 | OF | Florida International |