MLB Draft 2015: New names for White Sox in mock drafts

Last week, Illinois lefty Tyler Jay's stock rose high enough to be considered a favorite to land with the White Sox in a majority of the major mock drafts.

Jay's stock keeps rising, though, partially because other collegiate pitchers are faltering. Some prognosticators think Jay will be taken well before the Sox get to choose with the eighth overall pick.

In Jay's place, we have a few favorite.

Keith Law: Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt

Last week: n/a

In his first mock draft of the season, Keith Law provides two names. One of them is Jay, but Law instead gives the edge to the 5-foot-11-inch Vanderbilt starter:

The White Sox appear to be highest on Fulmer and Tyler Jay, either of whom could pitch in a major league bullpen this fall. I've been told Fulmer doesn't get past here.

Jay instead lands with Cincinnati at No. 11, where Law against criticizes Illinois' decision to use Jay as a closer instead as a starter. He's been rather vehement about this point, saying Jay could've been selected No. 1 overall if he were in the Illini rotation. But... hold that thought.

Baseball America: Fulmer

Last week: Jay

In John Manuel's draft, Fulmer is more of a consolation prize because he has Jay going -- you guessed it -- first overall. Beyond Fulmer, Manuel suggests the rare position player as well:

All the natural selections for the White Sox no longer make sense, because Jay will be off the board and eight is suddenly too high to take Kyle Funkhouser. They have seen Fulmer at his best and are believed to be in on him if he’s available, which he is in this scenario. It would not be a surprise, however, if the White Sox tried to address their glaring need for catching by drafting Stephenson, the consensus top backstop on the board.

Seattle selected a high school catcher, Alex Jackson, with the No. 6 pick overall. He hit .157/.240/.240 at A-ball Clinton until this week, when the Mariners pulled him back to extended spring training, saying they were shutting him down because of a shoulder issue.

MLB.com: Jon Harris, RHP, Missouri State

Last week: Jay

Friend of the podcast Jim Callis says the White Sox won't be able to select Jay (taken at No. 3) or Fulmer (No. 5) with the eighth pick, forcing them to go with Plan C:

Chris Sale (2010) and Carlos Rodon (2014) are the White Sox's two best first-rounders in the past decade, and they're on the hunt for more college pitching. They'll probably opt for Fulmer, Jay, Harris or Buehler, in that order.

Buehler is Walker Buehler, Fulmer's Vanderbilt teammate, who goes to the Phillies two picks later.