Kian Davies' 2-Round Mock Draft

The Paper Cup has begun and this means it is time for draft season! Finally, after what will be a month tomorrow morning, the draft is drawing close. Some prospects have dropped off the Discord, but many have stuck around and have seen their stocks increase exponentially. Dingers have been hit in and shutout innings have been thrown in college baseball, and we are ready to see who is the cream of the crop!

Round 1

Pick 1 - Chicago Cubs - Tara Dactyl (P)

The biggest tragedy of this extended postseason wait is that it gave Oscar Vinegrette enough time to decide on a new name. Out went his beautiful name. In has come the awful concoction of 'Tara Dactyl,' a name that made me not want to add him to the mock draft at all.

But I have to keep my own sorrows aside. Dactyl (shudder) is an active player with undeniable talent. His first college game saw him shut out the Hofstra Pride 3-0, awarding him the Player of the Game. On top of this, he showed he had pop with a home run in the MLR Elimination Game. Bad name or not, Dactyl is #1-overall material whether we like it or not, and the Cubs would be smart not to pass him up.

Pick 2 - New York Mets - Dart Ragusa (1B)

Perhaps one of the most active prospects in the league is Dart Ragusa. Whether it be in the NPR or College Baseball, Ragusa has worked up the reputation of an active player with some pop. Possessing hits and RBIs across multiple competitions, he is definitely one of the safest clubhouse presences in the draft pool. Not to mention, I hear he is a Mets fan.

Pick 3 - Miami Marlins - Dauod Mata (P)

Mata's 1-0 shutout while pitching for Miami University put him on the map of scouts everywhere. Now seen as a round-one player, there's no better place than his university's home city-- with the Miami Marlins. With strong pitching depth in this year's draft, the Marlins would be smart to pounce on one of the year's most exciting prospects, and it doesn't hurt that he's rather active on Discord.

Pick 4 - Kansas City Royals - Mike Ikenberry (C)

Perhaps the GM with the best view of this year's prospect pool is college baseball commissioner Zack Andersen, who took the job as Royals GM in the midst of a postseason battle with the Phillies. Andersen knows these prospects more than anyone, and Ikenberry should be on his radar by now. Though his college baseball career started with a mediocre performance, his 5 total RBI in the NPR (including 4 in one game) makes him one of the most powerful hitters in the draft. Combine this with a Discord presence, and Ikenberry looks to be a piece to build around.

Pick 5 - New York Yankees - Charles Magnus (P)

I am mainly using Cafardo as a source while editing around some picks. Magnus is active enough and enough of a veteran to be an ideal pick for the Yankees. This is paired with the fact that Tequila Sunrise and Magnus were teammates at one point, which makes this a solid prediction.

Round 2

Pick 6 - New York Yankees - Reimer Gonzalez (SS)

Reimer Gonzalez has taken a while to make an offensive impact in offseason games, but a recent home run has boosted his draft stock considerably. Considered one of the most active prospects on Discord, Reimer has everything: Pop, Personality, and a Sweet Name. I can't help but see that ruined by a Yankees jersey. A 1-2 punch of Lane and Gonzalez would be an amazing grab for Tequila Sunrise, the young Yankees GM, and it could establish them a competitor in a tough AL East.

Pick 7 - Kansas City Royals - Jerry Jingles (RF)

A recent 2-hit performance in the NPR has bolstered Jingle's rising draft stock. The extra-base focused outfielder has continued to rise on GM radars, and for good reason. He is active and knows how to hit, which could be great for Andersen's core. It'd be dangerous to go two rounds without a pitcher, but Andersen has a strong standing in the MLR community and could convince one of the many free agent pitchers in the league. Also, with a stronger pitcher pool than the previous draft, this is looking less dangerous than it used to be.

Pick 8 - Miami Marlins - Jocko Jones (2B)

Jocko Jones is probably one of the most active prospects in the league, with 200+ messages in his first few days. Many have compared this to draft busts Aych Imtiyaz and Clipper Charge, who were nowhere to be found after a few weeks, but Jones has shown himself resilient in the face of these comparisons. He's shown himself able to get on base, and paired with Mata would make a great core for the Marlins.

Pick 9 - New York Mets - Alvin Lockheart (P)

It has been reported that the Mets and Lockheart have talked before. The mysterious prospect has not had the most media time as of late, but he is still considered a fantastic prospect with experience beyond his years (or months). Lockheart would be an amazing grab in the second round, and a very possible grab for New York.

Pick 10 - Chicago Cubs - Rich Mahogany (CF)

Formerly known as Jeffy Jefferson, Rich Mahogany has come out swinging with plenty of hits in his offseason games. In almost all his games he has racked at least one, and has popped up considerably in Discord discussions. Mahogany is second round talent who could even find himself in the first five picks, and the Cubs would do well to claim him.

Pick 11 - Colorado Rockies - Harry Peritestes (3B)

The Rockies are balanced, and it's hard to pick for them when every position is so strong. I don't know how many of Colorado's players are transferring to the 2018-19 season roster, but I know there has been some talk about Steel Pipe Simpson electing free agency. Harry Peritestes can do three things for a roster without Simpson: He can fill the depth at LF lost with the player's departure, can fill the Discord activity lost from the player (kind of), and most importantly, continues the Colorado player tradition of penis-based names. Seems like a good deal for Jack Alpha.

Pick 12 - San Diego Padres - Filib Al'anhar Jr. (P)

The Padres need pitching. Their staff was one of the worst of 2017-18, and they would benefit from an active pitcher. Al'anhar has shown flashes of great activity, combined with a knack for good backstories and roleplaying. This could mark a good replacement for activity lost to multiple GM promotions, though the Padres will need to dip into free agency. 

Pick 13 - Houston Astros - Valeria Lisova (P)

After the departure of Con Copper from the MLR, Houston needs a replacement. Lisova requires a bit of polish, but the southpaw has been active and has shown glimpses of greatness. In a lot of ways Lisova reminds me of Con Copper, and could make decent fill for the Astros' rotation.

Pick 14 - Toronto Blue Jays - Filet-Mignon Jackson (SS)

After the departure of Lane Drew, the Blue Jays need a shortstop to fill his place. In comes Jackson, the most active player remaining in the position. Jackson needs some polish as a hitter, but the Paper Cup contending Blue Jays scouting could shape him up well-- and contribute an interesting personality to that dynamic roster. 

Pick 15 - Philadelphia Phillies - Jericho Caulfield (2B)

The Phillies will have some infield holes after cleaning their roster this offseason. One of their most shallow positions will be at second base. Jericho Caulfield has seen question marks over his production in offseason games, but his Discord activity is among the best of the prospects. With scouting prowess, Burdwell will look to replace activity lost from the departure of Zack Andersen, and Caulfield could substitute well. 

Pick 16 - Arizona Diamondbacks - Josh Gordon (CF)

Arizona has lost good players this offseason, including Charles Magnus and Tsar Zaar. They could go about replacing either, but Josh Gordon fits their lefty batter criteria. Arizona GM Doc Jaam also has history managing Gordon at Hofstra, which could make him a good fit on the Diamondbacks.