Tennessee Baseball will have two first-round picks with two players selected in the first 21 picks of the MLB Draft on Sunday, according to the latest mock draft from MLB.com’s Jim Callis. Christian Moore is projected at No. 13 overall and Billy Amick is at No. 21.
Moore stuck at No. 13 to the Boston Red Sox, the same spot he landed in the previous MLB.com mock draft last week. Amick climbed 11 spots after being projected at No. 32 to the Baltimore Orioles last week.
Moore, on MLB’s 20-80 scouting scale, is a 55 overall, with 60 power, 50 run, 50 arm and 55 in the field. Well-above average to elite is a 70-80, 60 is above average, 50 is average and 40 is below average.
“If an unexpected surprise doesn’t slip to 12, the Red Sox figure to grab someone from a pool of a dozen or so guys in the second tier of college bats,” Callis wrote. “Leading contenders include Moore, (Cam) Smith, (Carson) Benge and (Ryan) Waldschmidt. This is probably the ceiling for Wake Forest third baseman/outfielder Seaver King, Louisiana State third baseman Tommy White and North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt.
“If Boston wants pitching, East Carolina right-hander Trey Yesavage would be the obvious choice.”
MLB.com has Amick as a 50 overall with 50 hit, 55 power, 40 run, 50 arm and 45 in the field.
“Still more college bats: (Vance) Honeycutt, (Seaver) King, Amick,” Callis wrote. “The Twins also could consider Louisiana high school right-hander William Schmidt and could try to float him down to their next selection at No. 33.”
Christian Moore set single-season Tennessee record with 34 home runs
Moore led Tennessee to its first national championship after hitting 34 home runs, a new program record, with 74 RBI. He hit .375, had a 1.248 OPS and .797 slugging percentage. Amick had 23 home runs, hitting .341 with a 1.174 OPS and .639 slugging percentage.
ESPN last week also had Moore at No. 12 to the Red Sox and had Amick at No. 32 to the Orioles.
Tennessee has had 36 players drafted during the Tony Vitello era, including four first-round picks.
Tennessee’s MLB Draft history during the Tony Vitello era
Right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander went No. 9 overall to the Colorado Rockies a year ago, one of eight Tennessee players drafted.
Outfielder Drew Gilbert and third baseman Jordan Beck were both first-round picks in 2022, when a Tennessee record 10 players were drafted. Gilbert went at No. 28 overall to the Houston Astros while Beck went No. 38 to the Rockies.
Seven players were drafted in 2021 and three players were picked in the 2020 draft, which was limited to five rounds during the COVID pandemic.
Left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet was the No. 11 overall pick to the Chicago White Sox in the 2020 MLB Draft and on Sunday was named to the MLB All-Star game. He the majors in strikeouts (146) in his first season as a starter.
Tennessee had eight players drafted in 2018 and 2019, with two players picked in 2018 and six selected in 2019.
Local Tennessee State
Most Popular
Comments / 0