The Major League Baseball Draft gets underway Sunday with the Cleveland Guardians getting things started with the No. 1 overall pick. Ahead of the draft, MaxPreps is breaking down the top high school players at each position and where they might be selected during the three-day event.
After breaking down the
top pitchers earlier this week, we continue our position-by-position breakdown today with the catchers and infielders and then wrap things up Friday with the top outfielders.
Ratings are based on
MLB.com's Top 250 player evaluations.
Cade Arrambide earned MaxPreps All-America honors this spring after batting .412 with 35 RBI, 14 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs, leading Tomball to the Class 6A state championship in Texas. (Photo: Robbie Rakestraw)
Don't expect to see any high school catchers selected on the first day of the draft as their are only eight prep backstops ranked among the Top 250 players overall. Arrambide is the top prep choice thanks to a very impressive arm. He also has some power as he hit 12 home runs this year. Speed is regarded as a bit of a shortcoming. A possible fourth-round selection.
2. Anderson French, Red Land (Lewisberry, Pa.)
Only Arrambide has a better arm than French. The Pennsylvania backstop may be a little better on the defensive side than Arrambide, but he doesn't quite have the same power-hitting ability. Expect French to go by the fifth round.
3. Hunter Carns , First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Carns has plenty of speed, which is rare for a high school catcher. He also can hit for power and average, although his arm might not match that of Arrambide and French. A potential fifth or sixth-round draft pick.
4. Burke Mabeus, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
One of the bigger catchers in the draft at 6-foot-3, Mabeus has shown good power at the plate. He has a solid arm and can play solid defense behind the plate. Look for him to go by the end of the sixth round.
5. Nick Montgomery, Cypress (Calif.)
Another big catcher, Montgomery is 6-4 but displayed enough speed to steal 21 bases this year. He also has patience at the plate with over 30 walks. A solid arm and above average power but he doesn't hit as well for average. Possible seventh-round pick.
