The Major League Baseball draft gets underway July 9 in Seattle. The three-day event opens with Rounds 1 and 2 on Sunday, 3 through 10 on Monday and 11 through 20 on Tuesday.
MaxPreps takes a look at the top five high school players at six positions in the days leading up to the draft. The preview continues today with catchers. This is MaxPreps' look at high school players who could be drafted:
June 28: Left-handed pitchersJune 29: Right-handed pitchersToday: Catchers
July 5: Middle infielders
July 5: Corner infielders
July 7: Outfielders
A likely late first-round pick in the MLB Draft, Blake Mitchell batted .452 during Sinton's 37-4 campaign with 15 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBI. (Photo: Jim Parker)
1. Blake Mitchell, Sinton (Texas), 6-1, 200
The consensus among scouts and mock draft experts has Mitchell pegged as the top high school catcher in the country. Exactly where he'll be drafted is another matter. SB Nation points out in a review of Mitchell that high school catchers are a much bigger gamble than college catchers. Thus teams might be unwilling to take Mitchell with a high first-round pick. Mitchell has been a solid hitter at the prep level with decent power, however scouts note that Mitchell will have to shore up his swing in order to advance to the next level. He batted .452 during Sinton's 37-4 campaign with 15 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBI. He'll likely go toward the end of the first round.
2. Raffaele Velazquez, Huntington Beach (Calif.), 6-2, 215
Perfect Game has Velazquez ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2023 — right behind Mitchell at No. 8. He won the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Game and scouts like his discipline at the plate. His power potential makes him an interesting prospect, regardless of whether he sticks at catcher or moves to first base. He hit .402 with six home runs for the National High School Invitational champions. A possible second-round selection.
3. Zion Rose, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 6-1, 210
His tremendous athletic ability could tempt teams to draft him at a position other than catcher, however Rose has indicated in interviews that he would like to stick at catcher as long as possible. The Chicago native transferred from Brother Rice to IMG Academy for his senior season. He finished the season as the team leader in runs with 38 while batting .395 with 26 RBI, nine doubles, four triples and four home runs. His quickness and agility behind the plate are exceptional and he has a strong enough arm to play the position at the next level, according to Perfect Game. A possible second-round pick.
4. Ryder Helfrick, Clayton Valley Charter (Concord, Calif.), 6-1, 200
The Perfect Game All-American game MVP has strong mechanics behind the plate with plus arm strength. Helfrick improved his power at the plate, going from no home runs as a junior to five this year. He also batted .510 with 24 RBI. Likely an early pick on the second day of the draft.
5. Alex Sosa, Viera (Fla.), 6-1, 195
Sosa was a catalyst for a Viera team that reached the Florida Class 6A championship game. He possesses strong mechanics with a quick release, according to Perfect Game. He also has a sound approach at the plate as he walked 31 times in 106 plate appearances with a .471 batting average and 13 strikeouts. He showed some power with nine doubles and three home runs. Will likely go in the middle of the second day of the draft.
