10 things to know about the Top 11 Draft prospects
The 2019 MLB Draft starts Monday, with Round 1 beginning 7 p.m. ET.
Who will the Orioles take No. 1 overall? And who might come off the board next? MLB.com has you covered with profiles of MLB Pipeline's Top 11 Draft prospects.
Here are 10 things to know about each of those 11 players:
1. Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State
Rutschman helped the Beavers win the 2018 College World Series and captured the tournament¡¯s Most Outstanding Player award after collecting a CWS-record 17 hits and driving in 13 runs. He tallied three hits and drove in two during Oregon State¡¯s title-clinching win over the University of Arkansas. Oh, and he holds the Oregon high school record for longest field goal with a 63-yarder. 10 things to know ?
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Colleyville Heritage (Texas) HS
If the name sounds familiar, it should -- the Rangers took Witt¡¯s father, Bobby Sr., with the third overall pick out of the University of Oklahoma in the 1985 Draft, and he went on to pitch 16 seasons in the big leagues. Witt Jr. may very well get picked higher than his dad did. 10 things to know ?
3. Andrew Vaughn, 1B, California
Vaughn capped his stellar sophomore season (.402 average, .819 slugging percentage) by winning USA Baseball¡¯s Golden Spikes Award, given to the best amateur baseball player in the country. He was the first Cal player to win the prestigious award and, as one of four finalists this year, could become the first ever two-time recipient. He's also looking to be the first player from his high school (Maria Carrillo (Calif.) HS) to make the big leagues. 10 things to know ?
4. CJ Abrams, SS, Blessed Trinity Catholic (Ga.) HS
Abrams is fast -- really fast. Perfect Game clocked him at 6.29 seconds in the 60-yard dash, and he¡¯s also been timed from home-to-first in less than four seconds (an elite benchmark for MLB players) on a routine basis. His arm is equally fast when he's making throws on the infield, clocked as high as 91 mph (2 mph shy of the highest mark so far this MLB season). 10 things to know ?
5. JJ Bleday, OF, Vanderbilt
A star in the Cape Cod league last summer, Bleday found his power stroke this past season as a junior, leading NCAA Division I with 25 homers while still maintaining a .328 average and 448 OBP. He was honored as the SEC Player of the Year. 10 things to know ?
6. Riley Greene, OF, Hagerty (Fla.) HS
Greene starred for the USA Baseball 18U National Team that won gold at the 2018 Pan-American Championships last fall, playing alongside fellow top high school Draft prospects like Bobby Witt Jr. -- the two of them even hit back-to-back homers in one of the games. He's looking to go higher in the draft than Zach Eflin, also a Hagerty alum, whom the Pirates selected 33rd in 2012. 10 things to know ?
7. Hunter Bishop, OF, Arizona State
Bishop's older brother Braden -- Braden is 25, Hunter is 20 -- is a rookie outfielder for the Mariners. He made his MLB debut in the Japan Series this March, and is ranked Seattle's No. 11 prospect. Braden is more of a speedy, contact-hitting, glove-first outfielder, while Hunter has the home run power. 10 things to know ?
8. Nick Lodolo, LHP, Texas Christian
Lodolo is the top pitching prospect in this year's Draft. The 21-year-old southpaw stands 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds, with an easy delivery from a three-quarters arm slot. His fastball sits around 90-94 mph with sink and can reach 96, and he also throws a tight slider and a changeup with good action. This won't be his first draft experience, as he was drafted while taking prom pictures in 2016. 10 things to know ?
9. Bryson Stott, SS, UNLV
As a junior this year, Stott led UNLV in batting average (.361), on-base percentage (.489), slugging percentage (.615), OPS (1.104), hits (74), home runs (10), runs scored (61) and stolen bases (15) during the regular season. Those are pretty good numbers. He also puts ranch dressing on his ice cream ... which doesn't sound good. 10 things to know ?
10. Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor
Langeliers is renowned for his defensive prowess behind the plate, and he was the 2018 Rawlings/ABCA Gold Glove recipient as the best defensive catcher in college baseball. Other notable catchers to earn that honor in recent years include Buster Posey (2008), Yasmani Grandal (2010) and two players who recently made their MLB debuts, Garrett Stubbs (2015) and Will Smith (2016). 10 things to know ?
11. Alek Manoah, RHP, West Virginia
Manoah, a Miami native with four Cuban grandparents, enters the 2019 NCAA Tournament Regionals with an 9-3 record and a 1.85 ERA in his 15 starts, including two shutouts. His 135 strikeouts rank fifth among Division 1 pitchers. He was named the unanimous Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. 10 things to know ?