Kohl Stewart has taken over top spot from Clint Frazier, Austin Meadows.
The Major League Baseball Draft is a week away with the first round set to begin Thursday with the Houston Astros making the first pick.
Mock drafts are plentiful leading up to the draft with most experts predicting anywhere from 13 to 15 high school players being selected in the first round.
One of the changes from mock drafts selected prior to the spring season is the rise of Kohl Stewart of St. Pius X (Houston), who has risen to the No. 1 spot among high school players. Previously occupied by either Clint Frazier of Loganville or Austin Meadows of Grayson, the No. 1 spot now goes to Stewart, a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher who has committed to play football at Texas A&M.
While most mock drafts list three college players at the top of the draft, Stewart was named as the top high school player selected in 10 of the 15 drafts we surveyed for this list. Frazier was No. 1 in two of the drafts while Meadows was No. 1 in three.
Following is a list of the Top 25 high school players for the 2013 MLB Draft based on a compilation of 15 recent mock drafts.
Top 25 High School Players for the MLB Draft1. Kohl Stewart, St. Pius X (Houston), RHP
Projection: Top 5 selection
Kohl Stewart has shot up the draft boards, and may be the top high school player selected in the 2013 MLB Draft.
Photo by Kenneth Toso
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2. Clint Frazier, Loganville (Ga.), OF
Projection: Top 10 selection
Clint Frazier is seen as the top high school position player in the draft on some mock drafts.
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
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3. Austin Meadows, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), OF
Projection: Top 10 selection
Austin Meadows is listed as the top high school player in the draft according to three projections.
Photo by Dennis Carter
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4. Reese McGuire, Kentwood (Covington, Wash.), C
Projection: Mid-first round
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5. Trey Ball, New Castle (Ind.), LHP
Projection: Mid-first round
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6. Dominic Smith, Serra (Gardena, Calif.), 1B
Projection: Mid-first round
Dominic Smith helped lead Serra to the Southern Section Division 3 title.
Photo by Louis Lopez
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7. J.P. Crawford, Lakewood (Calif.), SS
Projection: Late first round
J.P. Crawford hit .452 with 10 doubles this season for Lakewood.
Photo by Heston Quan
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8. Ian Clarkin, Madison (San Diego), LHP
Projection: Late first round
Ian Clarkin went 9-2 with a 0.95 ERA for Madison this season.
Photo by Kirt Winter
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9. Phillip Bickford, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), RHP
Projection: Late first round
Phillip Bickford and his 97-mph fastball are expected to be selected in the late first round of the draft.
Photo by Heston Quan
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10. Jon Denney, Yukon (Okla.), C
Projection: Late first round/supplemental round
Jon Denney is expected to be the second high school catcher taken in the 2013 MLB draft.
File photo by Kevin French
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11. Hunter Harvey, Bandys (Catawba, N.C.), RHP
Projection: Late first round/supplemental round
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12. Nick Ciuffo, Lexington (S.C.), C
Projection: Late first round/supplemental round
Nick Ciuffo hit .507 with four home runs and 25 RBIs for Lexington this season.
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
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13. Rob Kaminsky, St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), LHP
Projection: Late first round/supplemental round
Rob Kaminsky is 8-0 with a 0.14 ERA for St. Joseph Regional this season.
Photo by Daniel Coppola
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14. Billy McKinney, Plano West (Texas), OF
Projection: Supplemental round/early second round
Billy McKinney hit .372 for Plano West this season.
Photo by Oladipo Awowale
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15. Matt Krook, St. Ignatius (San Francisco), LHP
Projection: Supplemental round/early second round
Matt Krook is expected to be drafted in the supplemental to early second round.
Photo by Ernie Abrea
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16. Kyle Serrano, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), RHP
Projection: Early second round
Kyle Serrano was a leader on the mound for Farragut this season.
File photo by Dan Browning
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17. Devin Williams, Hazelwood West (Mo.), RHP
Projection: Early second round
Devin Williams helped lead Hazelwood West to a 22-5 record.
Photo by Mark Guthrel
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18. Ryan Boldt, Red Wing (Minn.), OF
Projection: Mid-second round
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19. Dustin Peterson, Gilbert (Ariz.), SS
Projection: Mid-second round
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20. Oscar Mercado, Gaither (Tampa, Fla.), SS
Projection: Mid-second round
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21. Carlos Salazar, Kerman (Calif.), RHP
Projection: Late second round
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22. Jacob Brentz, Parkway South (Manchester, Mo.), LHP
Projection: Late second round
Jacob Brentz was a pitcher and outfielder for Parkway South as a junior but did not play high school ball this season.
File photo by Mark Guthrel
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23. Andy McGuire, Madison (Vienna, Va.), SS
Projection: Late second round
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24. Travis Demeritte, Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.), 3B
Projection: Late second round
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25. Matthew McPhearson, Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), OF
Projection: Late second round
Matthew McPhearson hit .479 with 29 steals in 32 attempts this season for Riverdale Baptist.
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
