Cleveland Indians: Final 2018 MLB Mock Draft Roundup

MLB Draft Day is upon us! Tonight, the Cleveland Indians will be making four selections, beginning with the 29th overall pick. Who do the experts think they will take?

The MLB Draft experts have been contacting every scout they know in order to find out what teams are thinking ahead of tonight’s draft. Some are able to draw conclusions from these conversations, while others merely make educated guesses.

There is very little certainty in the MLB Draft. There isn’t any certainty that a team’s selection will turn out to be very good, and there isn’t any certainty which player, outside the top one or two picks, teams will take.

The buzz on the Indians is reportedly about hitters, specifically outfielders, but there are a couple of pitchers, catchers, and infielders that could be catching their eye as well.

Our first mock draft roundup included a variety of possible selections for the Cleveland Indians. Now that we are just hours away from the beginning of the MLB Draft, these projections figure to be much more accurate in their potential targets. No one knows anything for sure, but we know more than we did before.

With that, here are the results from all of the mock drafts circulating the Internet.

CBS Sports

Xavier Edwards, SS, North Broward (FL) HS

Edwards is one of the fastest players in the draft and there is a ton of upside with him. He plays tremendous defense and makes a lot of contact as a switch hitter at the top of the lineup. With a small frame, Edwards doesn’t have much power, and signing him away from his Vanderbilt commitment will be tough. This is where the Tribe’s unusually large bonus pool comes into play, so players like Edwards can be signed.

Fangraphs

Greyson Jenista, OF, Wichita State

Jenista’s name is a new one to mock drafts for the Cleveland Indians. Originally thought to be more of a second rounder, his strong performance later in the college season has boosted his draft stock. A lefty hitter, Jenista has a lot of tools, including a strong arm and above average power.

Jenista has hit over .300 in each of this three years at Wichita State and has 18 homers over the past two years.

Bleacher Report

Greyson Jenista, OF, Wichita State

There’s that name again. Jenista is apparently gaining some steam. According to scouting reports, Jenista has a line drive approach at the plate but his 6’4″ frame gives him plenty of raw power to tap into. If Jenista makes it into the first round, he would join his teammate Alec Bohm, who figures to go in the top 10 picks.

Fantasy Pros

Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Central Heights (TX) HS

It seems like every year there is one big Texas prep pitcher that garners first round consideration. This year, it’s Grayson Rodriguez. The 6’5″ righty can hit 98 MPH on the gun and has a four pitch arsenal. Earlier reports indicated the Indians could be waiting for one of the top prep pitchers to fall and move on to polished hitters if none of those pitchers are there.

Rodriguez figures to be one of those arms the Tribe is targeting, and if he’s available in this scenario, he would make an excellent pick.

AZ Central

Cole Wilcox, RHP, Heritage (GA) HS

Wilcox is in that group of high school pitchers that the Cleveland Indians reportedly want to select from. It just depends on which one of them, if any, fall to the Tribe at 29 overall. Fantasy Pros believes Rodriguez will fall, while AZ Central thinks it will be Wilcox.

He has a big frame, standing at 6’5″, like Rodriguez, and has three plus pitches in his arsenal. Wilcox will be able to stay in the starting rotation.

MLB Pipeline – Jonathan Mayo

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Ethan Hankins, RHP, Forsyth Central (GA) HS

Hankins could fall down the board due to the shoulder issue he had this spring. But he was able to return to the mound prior to the draft, so he could be in play, and a potential steal if he stays healthy.

MLB Pipeline – Jim Callis

Xavier Edwards, SS, North Broward (FL) HS

Edwards name has also been mentioned a lot with the Indians. Callis believes they will look for a high school hitter, and Edwards or one of the group of outfielders might fit here as well.

This would make three straight high school hitters with the first pick for the Indians.

MyMLBDraft.com

Mike Siani, OF, William Penn Charter (PA) HS

Siani has two carrying tools. He has a tremendous throwing arm, and he has top flight speed. Those tools make him one of the best defensive outfielders in this year’s draft. His offense, however, is still a work in progress. As a prep player, Siani isn’t expected to be a polished player, but offense gets a player to the big leagues faster than defense does.

He can stick in center field, but the big question with Siani is: Will he hit?

The Big Lead

Noah Naylor, C, St. Joan of Arc (Ont.) HS

Naylor has been an oft-connected name to the Cleveland Indians in mock drafts. He has big power at the plate and has a strong throwing arm behind it. Those are two things the Indians covet in their players.

He may not stick behind the plate, similar to current top prospect Francisco Mejia. He has a great bat, but his defensive agility isn’t all there. Things can change in the minor leagues, but the bat is what teams are excited about with this kid.

The Sporting News

Tristan Beck, RHP, Stanford

A college pitcher, Beck has been connected to the Indians in several mock drafts because of his ability to move quickly through a minor league system and help out this Tribe pitching staff. But all the buzz I’ve heard connects the Indians to either hitters, or high school pitchers. We’ll find out soon enough who was right, but Beck does make some sense based on his strong performance this season.

Perfect Game

Alek Thomas, OF, Mount Carmel (Ill.) HS

Thomas’ name has also been mentioned a bunch with the Cleveland Indians. He fits the profile they are reportedly looking for as an athletic high school hitter. He’s worked his way into the first round conversation, and he might be the pick if he’s still on the board at 29 overall.

Thomas is working with three above average tools. He hits for a high average, has really good speed, and is a strong defender in the outfield. His arm strength isn’t very good and his power might just be average. But Thomas is an all around athlete, which the Indians will like.

Beyond the Box Score

Jordan Groshans, 3B, Magnolia (TX) HS

Groshans is one of the better all-around prep hitters and appears to be a jack of all trades, lacking any big weakness in his game. He has big raw power that will only grow as he goes through a minor league system. With his smart approach at the plate, Groshans could be one of the more polished hitters in this class, especially for a high school player.

DraftSite.com

Tristan Beck, RHP, Stanford

Beck’s name shows up again with the Cleveland Indians. He’s seen as a late-first round, early second round selection and the Indians may feel like grabbing him here instead of risking the Tampa Bay Rays or Kansas City Royals taking a polished college pitcher between the Tribe’s two picks.

Next: The Indians need to nail this year's Draft

With any luck for these mock drafters, the Cleveland Indians will select one of these players that they have predicted in the 2018 MLB Draft.