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It's the final weekend before the real 2015 MLB draft, but these are far from the last mock drafts you'll read.
The names have narrowed for the White Sox at No. 8, with Vanderbilt righty Carson Fulmer and Gaucho righty Dillon Tate considered the most likely, and sometimes even when Tyler Jay is available.
Baseball America: Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt
Last week: Dillon Tate, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
John Manuel offered up a surprise last week when he decided to assign Tate to the White Sox at No. 8, even though Tate had never fallen that far.
This time around, he goes back to the previous week's choice of Fulmer ... but with a twist, as Tate is still on the board:
These Sox would have an interesting choice to make here between Fulmer if he’s available, and Tate. They’ve done their due diligence on Tate of late. Tate’s stock has fallen, and it seems like his floor is at No. 9 with the Cubs. If he falls past the Phillies—which seems very unlikely—then he could slide for a bit, because teams after pick 10 stopped checking in on Tate long ago.
Indeed, Manuel has the Phillies taking Tate. Manuel says the Red Sox could prevent the White Sox from getting Fulmer if someone takes LSU shortstop Alex Bregman before them.
Keith Law: Fulmer
Law rolls with Fulmer for the third straight week, with nothing new to report otherwise:
Analysis: I've heard Fulmer and Jay placed here the most, with James Kaprielian and Missouri State right-handed pitcher Jon Harris also on their short list.
The one item of note: He says the Red Sox would prefer a bat to an arm, and has them picking Arkansas outfielder Andrew Benintendi since Bregman is off the board.
MLB.com: Tate
Last week: Jon Harris, RHP, Missouri State
John Manuel isn't on an island anymore, as Friend of the Podcast Jim Callis backs him up on Tate's stock:
It's no secret that the White Sox covet college arms here. Tate didn't figure to last this long a month ago, but his stuff faded down the stretch in his first season as a college starter. If the big three all go before No. 8, Chicago would likely take Missouri State right-hander Jon Harris.
He has Fulmer going to the Red Sox, and Illinois lefty Tyler Jay going to the Twins at No. 6. The top three picks are shortstops.
FanGraphs: Fulmer
Kiley McDaniel offers a partial mock for the first 11 picks, and his rationale for the White Sox remains the same:
I’ve heard that the White Sox prefer Fulmer to Jay (as do I, further proving the White Sox have good taste in pitchers) and all spring they’ve been tied to those two, with some chance neither gets here — although, in this scenario, they both do. I’m not sure who their third option is if all three college arms fail to get here (I haven’t heard them tied to one bat), but most assume it’s Jon Harris.
Indeed, Jay goes to the Cubs at No. 9, with the Rockies taking Brendan Rogers at No. 3, and the Twins going with Daz Cameron at No. 6.
Others
*John Sickels has the Sox picking Tate, since Fulmer and Jay are off the board at their most popular destinations.
*Christopher Crawford at Baseball Prospectus ties the Sox to Fulmer, although it stresses that mock drafts are essentially pointless all the while.