Major League Baseball

2015 MLB Draft: An Idiosyncratic Preview

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:27 a.m. ET

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Even as someone who has loved the MLB Draft since before the days when you could Google for scouting reports on all 1,200 picks, I’ll admit that the actual coverage and pre-coverage of the event can be a bit mundane. You read the mocks, you see the top 8,000 players listed on various draft boards, you parse changes to those draft boards that are sometimes so minute – Rank: 940; Previous: 942 – as to be totally pointless, you read about team needs and debates over whether those teams should draft for need, and whether anything actually counts as need when these picks are two to six years from the majors anyway. All this coverage certainly has a purpose, and the draft’s popularity seems to grow every year, but for the average fan, it’s easy to understand why this is boring nerd stuff.

That being said, once you get past the boring nerd stuff, you can get to the fun. No, the MLB draft isn’t anything close to riveting television — they don’t even bother to air the second and third days on a network dedicated to nothing but baseball news — but if you know some of the storylines, and get past the monotony of out-of-context highlights and commercial breaks asking you to buy baseball cards of the players who were just drafted, it can be, dare I say, entertaining. Better than reruns of JAG, anyway. 

Here’s an important (if unconventional) “best of” list to use while following the 2015 draft.

Best prospect with two first names: Dillon Tate, RHP, UC Santa Barbara (4th overall, Texas Rangers)
Believe it or not, this was a very competitive competition; if I would have cheated and included Brendan Rodgers—who is the best prospect in the entire draft—he would have taken the prize over Tate, Kyle Tucker, John Harris, Tyler Jay, Trenton Clark, and others. But Tate wins because of his two potential plus-plus pitches and solid-average command, and because, despite his somewhat diminutive stature, he should be able to start in the majors. One does wonder how good the stuff would be if the name was Tate Dillon, however.

Prospects who will make you wonder where your youth went: Dazmon Cameron, OF, Eagle’s Landing HS (Ga.); Mariano Rivera III, RHP, Iona
Another close, albeit somewhat depressing category. As you likely are aware by now, Cameron is the son of former all-star center fielder Mike Cameron—and yes, that should make you feel old (unless you haven’t  heard of Cameron, which should make you feel young). The newer Cameron is a player who doesn’t have a standout tool, but might have four that are solid-average when it is all said and done, and he should be able to stick in center field (though he’s nowhere near the outfielder his dad was).

Rivera just retired two years ago, so the fact that his son is eligible for the draft for the third time is somewhat amazing. The son of the greatest closer ever has taken a major step forward this year, sitting 92-95 in some outings with an above-average slider. No, he doesn’t throw The Cutter.

Oh, and next year Craig Biggio’s son Cavan will go in the first two rounds. You’ve been warned.

Best glasses on a hurler: Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt (8th overall, Chicago White Sox)
When Fulmer is on the mound, you notice a lot of things. You’ll see two plus pitches, you’ll see a delivery that even toned down is going a mile a minute, and you’ll see as much enthusiasm for pitching as any hurler in the class. But the first thing you should notice is the glasses. Not since Ben Weber have we seen a hurler rock glasses like this. It is a bifocal paradise. Just look!

Oh, and then watch a fastball that has as much movement as any I’ve covered.

Prospect that you could see pulling a Brandon Finnegan in 2015: Tyler Jay, LHP, Illinois (6th overall, Minnesota Twins)
The most tangible thing that could keep this from happening is that he’s rumored to go to Colorado, and I think I feel safe in saying that the Rockies probably aren’t going to make a run in October.

If Jay does go to a team with postseason ambitions like the Cubs, Red Sox or, yes, the Twins, Jay has a chance to become a contributor to a big-league team this season. Like Finnegan, the left-hander has two out pitches in a 93-95 mph fastball and hard slider with tilt, and he’ll show an above-average curveball to keep hitters off those pitches as well. Despite pitching predominantly out of the bullpen this year, most believe he’ll be a starter. But if a team were to do what Kansas City did with Finnegan, it could pay a not insubstantial dividend.

Best name that will be called Monday: Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Louisville
There are many contenders, but at the end of the day, you can’t beat a name like Kyle Funkhouser. First, it contains the word funk; arguably the most important word you can include in any great name—not including the words prohibited in first-grade classrooms. Second, the name loosely translates in an unknown language to house of funk. Third, it’s the last name of one of the most underrated characters from one of the most underrated sitcoms of the 21st century. Even if you’re not a fan of that show, I’d say that’s pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Best name that will be called Tuesday: Skye Bolt, OF, UNC
Parents, if you want your kid to be an athlete, name your child Skye Bolt. No, it does not matter if your last name is Goldstein or Higgins or Funkhouser (sorry Kyle), your child’s name shall be Skye Bolt, and he or she shall be glorious. There’s actually a chance he’ll be drafted late on day one, and I’d say that we have to give at least 37 percent credit to the fact that his name is Skye Bolt.

Best name that might not be called at all: Sati Santa Cruz, RHP, Sahuarita HS (Ariz.)
Because Sati Santa Cruz.

Prospect with the most aesthetically pleasing swing: Kyle Tucker, OF Plant HS (Fla.) (5th overall, Houston Astros)
Some compare Tucker’s swing to Darryl Strawberry’s. Some compare it to Ken Griffey, Jr. Others have gone so far as to compare it to Ted Williams. Personally, I don’t do comps, but I will agree that although there’s some length into hand movement, it’s a gorgeous swing to watch, as you can see here.

Pretty, isn’t it? With an ability to hit to all fields and the likelihood that he’ll add some power, Tucker has as much offensive potential as any prep bat in this year’s class other than Brendan Rodgers.

Prospect that everyone’s in love with, and you’ll probably fall in love too: Alex Bregman, SS, LSU (2nd overall, Houston Astros)  
Do you like your baseball players hard-nosed with a passion for winning? You’ll love Alex Bregman. Do you like your players to be personable and give great interviews? You’ll love Alex Bregman. Do you like middle-infielders with a potential plus hit tool, sneaky power and enough speed and smarts on the bases to steal 20 to 30 bases a year? You’ll love Alex Bregman. Just look at this video of how intense he is; not in a game, but just taking infield!

There are certainly prospects with more upside — and that whole “what position are you going to play” thing is certainly a complication — but no matter where he plays, you’re going to fall in love with Alex Bregman.

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