Mocking together the first few rounds of the draft for the Guardians
With the MLB Draft Combine and the College World Series just wrapping up, we are nearing ever closer to the day that every MLB front office will be hot and active as ever.
The MLB Draft isn’t as grandiose as those of the NFL or NBA, but it is still one of the most entertaining parts of the MLB season for me.
Even though the Guardians hold their draft position late in each round, there are always going to be some hidden gems deep within the draft board. And my intentions are to reveal some of them for you readers.
That being said, I am going to mock together for the first four picks for the Guardians, based on Draft rankings by Baseball America and other mocks from various sites.
Round 1 — 27th Overall
Slater De Brun | OF | B/T: L/L | 5’9” 180 lbs. | Summit HS, Bend, OR.
Overall: 55 | Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 65 | Field: 60 | Arm: 50
I wrote about Slater as one of my three favorite targets to draft in December after the Guardians received their pick at 27. And after the Spring baseball season panned out, he seems like the most realistic pick for Cleveland.
Although many mocks don’t have him falling to the Guardians, it is very close, as most don’t have him going more than two picks before them. He is also ranked 30th by Baseball America among draft prospects on their most recent rankings.
Nevertheless, he is a guy who is for sure to get taken in the first round due to his ability on the field. Speaking plainly, de Brun would be a darling for the Cleveland Guardians’ desired archetype.
He has an affinity for contact, speed and fielding. He is also a prep prospect, and has a lot of time to grow into his body a bit more and develop some pop, despite his short stature.
Unless de Brun has a massive growth spurt, he won’t end up being an outfielder with light tower power. But with his ability to impact the ball, he could play up a bit in terms of power. He is overall a toolsy prospect with good IQ, which is always what the Guards are looking for.
Round 2 — 64th Overall
Landon Harmon | RHP | 18 yo. | B/T: R/R | 6’5”, 180 lbs. | East Union HS, Blue Springs, MS.
Overall: 55 | Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
I’m not sure how long this guy would stay on the draft board, but going just by his arsenal and control, he seems like a an immediate yes if the Guardians had the chance to take him at 64.
Harmon’s frame is very similar to Triston McKenzie: tall and lanky. I would love to see him gain more weight as he progresses as a prospect, but even now he is showing massive promise.
At 18 years old, Landon is touching 98 with his fastball, and is at least average in every other pitch and his control.
But going back to his fastball, if he continues to show good command over it, it can develop into a nightmarish pitch for hitters.
Why? Well, because if you’re touching 98, as a high school senior, he can realistically add an extra one or two more miles per hour if he can gain a few extra pounds.
But not only will the velo be scary for hitters, his tall stature and long wingspan allow Harmon’s fastball to deliver at a steep angle. This is going to make it harder for hitters to get their bat under or on the same plane as the ball’s trajectory. Not to mention the extension he gets that could make a 98 MPH fastball look even faster to hitters.
Competitive Balance Round B — 66th and 70th Overall
Gavin Turley | OF | 21 yo. | B/T: R/R | 6’2”, 200 lbs. | Oregon State
Overall: 50 | Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60
Gavin Turley is yet another prospect out of the all-too-familiar Oregon State Beavers ballclub. A teammate with Guardians’ 2024 first overall pick Travis Bazzana, Gavin can be a power supply if he pans out well.
With plus power and a good fielding profile, the lack of contact can be ignored in this pick. The pop is obviously there, so I think Cleveland should take a chance on Turley and have him hone his contact ability as he develops in the minors.
Henry Godbout | 2B | 21 yo. | B/T: R/R | 6’1”, 185 lbs. | Virginia
Overall: 45 | Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
Just to preface, I’m not entirely sure about this pick. The Guardians don’t always target many middle infielders, they tend to sign them in the international free agent market. However, I think Henry Godbout does fit the mold that the Guardians have for a middle infielder.
He does show good contact skills that can probably play better than his actual projection. His contact rates were in the low 90s in 2024, and he made contact with fastballs 95% of the time. He has an average glove, and can be a serviceable second baseman for the Guards.
There are a lot of names to consider in the days ahead, so be sure to follow us here for more mock drafts and prospect analysis in the weeks ahead!