Get to know the top 20 MLB Draft prospects
With the 2017 Draft fast approaching (June 12-14 on MLB Network and MLB.com), we take a closer look at the top prospects in this year's class.
Below you'll find profiles on each of the top 20 players on our Top 200 Draft Prospects list.
1. Hunter Greene, RHP/SS, Notre Dame (Calif.) HS
Greene could become the first high school pitcher ever selected No. 1 overall in the Draft. Considered by many to be the second coming of Dwight Gooden, the right-hander has hit 102 mph with his fastball. He's a two-way player with raw power potential at the plate, but will likely be drafted at or near the top of the class as a pitcher.
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2. Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Louisville
Considered by some evaluators to have the best bat in the Draft, McKay is a two-way player that could be drafted as a pitcher or hitter, potentially as high as No. 1 overall. The ACC Player of the Year is a consensus top-10 pick either way, the first player regarded that highly since Dave Winfield in 1973.
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Top 20 Draft Prospects profiles
3. Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt
Wright is considered by many to be the best right-handed pitcher in this Draft class, with a fastball that can touch 97 mph and strong secondary offerings. Following in the footsteps of seven Vanderbilt pitchers to be top-10 selections in the past 10 Drafts -- led by David Price going first overall in 2007 -- Wright could go as high as No. 1 overall.
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4. MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Whiteville (N.C.) HS
Gore's fastball velocity increased from the lower to upper 90s from his junior to senior year, and he struck out 132 batters in 63 1/3 innings last season. He has an improving curveball in his secondary repertoire, and his deceptive delivery adds to his effectiveness.
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5. Royce Lewis, SS/OF, JSerra Catholic (Calif.) HS
Lewis finds the barrel on his contact often, and with his speed can be a menace on the basepaths. There are questions about his arm strength at shortstop, which means he could be moved to the outfield as a professional.
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6. Jeren Kendall, OF, Vanderbilt
Kendall is thought to have the best all-around tools of any player in this year's Draft class, with true five-tool potential. He led the collegiate national team in hits, extra-base hits and steals last summer, and has drawn comparisons to Jacoby Ellsbury, but with a stronger arm.
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7. J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, North Carolina
Bukauskas was named the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, with two plus-plus pitches in his arsenal: a mid-90s sinking fastball and a mid-80s slider with tilt. He showcased the most electric arm on the collegiate national team last summer, and profiles as a reliever in the big leagues.
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8. Pavin Smith, 1B, Virginia
A very tough out, Smith hits for high average and increased his power in his junior season at Virginia. His soft hands at first base also make him an attractive option for teams looking for a strong defensive corner infielder.
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9. Austin Beck, CF, North Davidson (NC) HS
Beck returned after missing the showcase circuit due to a torn ACL, and transformed himself into a projected top-10 pick in this year's Draft. He could be a 25-homer/25-steal player in the Majors if he reaches his full potential.
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10. Adam Haseley, OF, Virginia
Haseley had a breakout junior season with Virginia, leading to him being named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist. He hit .390 with 30 extra-base hits compared to just 21 strikeouts in 223 at-bats for the Cavaliers, and profiles as a left fielder at the professional level.
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11. Alex Faedo, RHP, Florida
With a fastball and slider that each have the potential to reach 70 on the grading scale, Faedo already possesses the stuff of a Major League starter. The righty is almost all the way back from arthroscopic knee surgery and is known as a pitcher who pounds the strike zone with his fastball, setting up plenty of chases out of the zone with his wipeout breaking ball.
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12. Shane Baz, RHP, Concordia Lutheran (Tx.) HS
Baz can put on a show in batting practice with his impressive power, but he'll be going off the board early as a pitching prospect. His four-seamer can touch up to 98 mph and pairs nicely with an 84- to 88-mph cutter that he can also take some heat off to make it a slider. The tall Texan can also spin a curveball or lay in a changeup, giving him arguably the deepest arsenal from the mound in this year's Draft.
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13. Nick Pratto, 1B, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS
Pratto was a standout both on the mound and in the field at first base at Huntington, but teams will focus on him as a hitter in the Draft. The left-hander can hit for average and showed improved pop in his senior year.
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14. D.L. Hall, LHP, Valdosta (Ga.) HS
Hall's build and live arm evoke comparisons to Scott Kazmir when he burst onto the Major League scene. Hall isn't a big pitcher at 6 foot and 190 pounds, but his high-spin curveball has a chance to make hitters feel overwhelmed all the same.
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15. Sam Carlson, RHP, Burnsville (Minn.) HS
Carlson is aiming to become the first Minnesota high school pitcher ever taken in the opening round of the Draft, and the increased velocity he showed this spring has impressed scouts. Carlson's fastball can now sit comfortably between 93-97 mph, and can also fill the strike zone with a combination sliders and changeups that he feels comfortable with.
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16. Jake Burger, 3B, Missouri State
Burger's collegiate resume certainly speaks for itself after he finished second in NCAA Division I with 21 home runs in 2016 and paced the Missouri Valley Conference in all triple-crown categories this spring. Burger isn't the most graceful player, but one scout compared him to Hunter Pence for his ability to get the job done in less than pretty fashion.
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17. Griffin Canning, RHP, UCLA
Canning looks to be next in the Bruins' recent string of quality starting pitchers, from Trevor Bauer to Gerrit Cole to James Kaprielian. Canning's changeup is his best pitch, complementing a low-90s fastball and mix of sliders and curves that each have the potential to be Major League average.
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18. Evan White, 1B, Kentucky
White bats right-handed and throws left-handed, and his weakest tool might be his power. Not a typical profile for a first-base prospect. But White can go gap-to-gap with a level swing all the same, and has a chance to be one of the more athletic first basemen in the Majors.
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19. David Peterson, LHP, Oregon
Peterson turned heads with a 20-strikeout effort against Arizona State on April 20, giving those outside Eugene a glimpse of the potential of his fastball-slider combination. Standing at a sturdy 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Peterson has taken the work ethic he learned as the son of a thoroughbred trainer and applied it toward a tough mindset on the mound.
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20. Tanner Houck, RHP, Missouri
Houck possesses one of the best fastballs in this year's Draft, not only for its mid-90s velocity but its ability to sink and miss bats. He'll have to improve his secondary pitches to augment that heater, but the righty has shown the ability to throw strikes despite a funky three-quarter arm slot.
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