The Major League Baseball draft is set to get 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 starts with left-handed pitchers. The rest of the schedule is as follows:
June 29: Right-handed pitchers
June 30: Catchers
July 5: Middle Infielders
July 5: Corner Infielders
July 7: Outfielders
Thomas White of Phillips Academy could be the top high school left-handed pitcher taken in the upcoming MLB Draft. White can hit 98 mph with his fastball and also has command of a curve and change. (Photo: Susan Shaye)
1. Thomas White, Phillips Academy (Andover, Mass.), 6-5, 210
The New England Baseball Journal calls White one of the greatest prospects in the history of the region. With an easy delivery, White can hit 98 mph with his fastball. He also has a curve that hits in the low 80s along with a change-up in the 70s. According to Boston.com, White has 165 strikeouts in 75 innings over the past two seasons while allowing 20 hits. White could be the first high school pitcher chosen and will definitely be the top lefty prep to come off the board. Mock drafts have White going in the lower third of the first round.
2. Cam Johnson, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 6-5, 240
He allowed just three runs total in 27 innings this year while leading the Ascenders to a 25-0 record and a MaxPreps National Championship. Johnson posted a 6-0 record with a 0.78 ERA and 43 strikeouts. He has a plus-fastball that tops out at 98 to go with a slider that can be intimidating with this three-quarter arm-slot delivery, according to Baseball Prospect Journal. Johnson ranks as the No. 2 left-handed pitcher by Perfect Game and could go in the second round.
3. Alex Clemmey, Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, R.I.), 6-6, 210
Rhode Island has produced four first-round prep players, but Clemmey could add to the list. Ranked as the 15th best prospect in the country by Perfect Game, Clemmey has experience against tough competition after playing for Team USA 18U last year. He has one of the top fastballs in the nation, hitting 99 this year and regularly sitting at 98. He also has a strong slider with a sharp break, according to MLB Draft expert Brian Recca. He had 98 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched for the Hawks. A likely second-round pick.
4. Ethan McElvain, Nolensville (Tenn.), 6-4, 210
Committed to Vanderbilt, McElvain is the top-rated prospect out of Tennessee by Perfect Game. He posted a 6-0 record with 89 strikeouts and a 0.95 ERA in 44.1 innings this year while earning all-state honors. His best pitch is a fastball that ranges from 90-93 mph. Can also throw a curve in the low 80s. Probably falls to the second day of the draft.
5. Hunter Dietz, Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.), 6-6, 230
Calvary Christian could potentially have three pitchers drafted with Dietz showing the most improvement over his high school career. He's developed a fastball that hits 94 and he also uses his slider as his strikeout pitch. He posted a 9-0 record with a 1.47 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 57 innings this year. Could come off the board early in the second day.
