Yankees 2019 Draft Preview: Mock draft roundup

The 2019 MLB Draft kicks off on Monday night, which means our draft preview series draws to a close. We covered a few of the notable mock drafts to date, but now we’re putting them all together for easy access. This aggregated mock draft features all the big names, including MLB Pipeline, Keith Law, FanGraphs, Perfect Game, and Baseball America.

While there still figures to be a mad dash of last-minute mock drafts between now and Monday, this roundup should give you a solid head start. You will walk away with a good idea about who the Yankees may select in the first round.

The Yankees have been connected to a number of infielders leading up to the draft, and this table puts that into context. Seven of the 10 candidates on the list play an infield position. Consider the breakdown:

Third Base: Tyler Callihan, Kody Hoese, Rece Hinds
Shortstop: Anthony Volpe, Gunnar Henderson, Brooks Lee
First Base: Michael Toglia

Hinds, 18, has 60-grade power. In fact, he might be the most intriguing power threat in the entire draft. An only decent hit tool (45-grade) and so-so defense, however, hurt his draft stock. The Yankees could take a gamble on him, similar to how they did with Aaron Judge back in 2013.

Lee makes sense as a Yankees target for a few reasons. He’s a switch-hitter, has potential at the plate, and is a polished defender. That he’s a California kid is even more telling; that’s Damon Oppenheimer’s wheelhouse. As for Toglia, he’s a first baseman out of UCLA. Another big power batter, the Yankees could select him and look to tap further into his hitting ability.

Misner represents the lone outfielder in the aggregate mock draft, and I profiled him earlier this week. He checks a lot of the Yankees’ boxes as a left-handed hitter with a good eye for the strike zone. Misner struggled against SEC competition, and that has his draft stock falling towards the Yankees’ range.

Finally, when it comes to pitchers, the Yankees have been linked to Jack Leiter from the get-go. The problem, however, is signability. The right-hander has a strong Vanderbilt commitment, and I don’t know if the team can pry him loose. The Yankees have a deep bonus pool and could offer him an over-slot payment, but they may not even want to risk it. Kirby, a right-handed pitcher out of Elon University, will probably come off the board well before the Yankees take the podium. You can read our take on them here.

Do these mock drafts help clue you in to the Yankees’ thinking? Think you figured out the team’s plan of attack? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!