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The MLB draft starts today, and while it's unclear who the White Sox will pick at No. 10, the top of the draft seems to be coalescing.
Lil Jimmy provided five in-depth draft profiles for the guys most strongly linked to the Sox during the run-up to today:
- Corey Ray, OF, Louisville
- Gavin Lux, SS, Indian Trail Academy, Wisc.
- Blake Rutherford, CF, Chaminade Prep (H.S.), Calif.
- Zach Collins, C, Miami
- Braxton Garrett, LHP, Florence (H.S.), Ala.
But thanks to some late movement, we might not have covered all of them. So here's a survey of seven other guys who have been tied to the Sox throughout the mock-draft process, either at No. 10 or No. 26, with information gleaned from sources like Baseball America and MLB.com.
Let's hope we got 'em all. If not, hey, a surprise!
Pitchers
Justin Dunn, RHP, Boston College. The 6-foot-2-inch righty jumped from the Eagles' bullpen to rotation with surprising results, holding a mid-90s fastball multiple times through an order with a slider, curve and feel for a change. In a weak year for college pitchers -- Florida lefty A.J. Puk is the only one routinely projected to go in the top 10 -- he might be the second one selected thanks to some serious helium, and the White Sox' affinity for college pitchers is known.
Dakota Hudson, RHP, Mississippi State. Another candidate for the second collegiate pitcher taken, Hudson is a taller (6'5") fastball-slider guy with plenty of action on both pitches, but less command, which might be attributable to a career high in innings. He crossed the 100-inning mark for the Bulldogs after throwing just 33 over his first two seasons.
Ian Anderson, RHP, Shenendehowa (H.S.), Clifton Park, N.Y. The Capital Region righty took a while to get up to speed thanks to pneumonia, oblique strain and typical spring weather upstate. I saw him throw a shutout while sitting 90-93 and only going to a curveball, but he struck out 16 a week later with his full arsenal.
TJ. Zeuch, RHP, Pittsburgh. He's a 6-foot-7 righty with projectability who uses his height for a steep angle, and he throws 92-94 with good control. He should be able to get grounders, but he doesn't have the dynamic breaking stuff of the collegiate righties above him.
Eric Lauer, LHP, Kent State. Baseball America has insisted upon Lauer as a candidate for the Sox at No. 26 because he's the quintessential college lefty, with a fastball in the low 90s and a four-pitch mix that he used to post a 0.69 ERA over 104 innings this year.
Robert Tyler, RHP, Georgia. He's the hardest-throwing of the projected first-round collegiate starters, featuring a high-90s fastball and changeup, but he has yet to find a breaking ball he likes. Throw in some durability concerns, and he might be destined for the bullpen.
Zach Burdi, RHP, Louisville. Like me, he's a product of Downers Grove South. Unlike me, he can hit 100 on the gun. He's been used as Louisville's closer, but his frame (6'3" and 210 pounds) and arsenal (plus slider, makings of a good changeup) make a jump to the rotation possible, although his control may limit him.
Position players
Matt Thaiss, C, Virginia. In a thin crop of catchers, Thaiss stands out for his hitting ability, showing plate discipline and a line-drive approach from the left side. He has the arm for catcher, but the outlets question his blocking and receiving, even more than they do with Collins.
Delvin Perez, SS, International Baseball Academy (Ceiba, P.R.). Previously the top-rated shortstop in the draft, a reported positive PED test has knocked him down to the bottom of the first round in mock drafts. He's been too highly regarded to think he could slide to the Sox at any point before, and there are no indications the Sox could select him now, but his slide could make it harder for the Sox to get one of their preferred position players (Ray and/or Lux).