Fun with PFN's Mock Draft Simulator....What if the Bengals Decided to Traded Down From the #1 Overall Draft Pick?

PFN put out their mock draft today, so I decided to test it out.  For fun, I decided to see what would happen if I traded down from the number one overall pick.  In real life, the Cincinnati Bengals seem poised to take LSU's quarterback Joe Burrow at the top.  For this simulator, I wondered what would happen if the Bengals traded down.

In this exercise,

The Cincinnati Bengals traded:

The 1st overall pick

To the Miami Dolphins for:

The 5th overall pick
The 18th overall pick
The 26th overall pick
The 39th overall pick
The 56th overall pick
The 141st overall pick
The 246th overall pick.

In summary, the Bengals in this simulation were able to get 3 1st Round picks, 2 2nd Round picks, a 5th round pick, and a 7th round selection.

Now that I had the 5th overall pick instead of having the top pick, I anticipated picking either the next best available player, or another quarterback.  The player I wanted was Clemson's multi-positional, athletic unicorn, Isaiah Simmons, who is also technically listed as a strongside linebacker.  He weighs over 240 pounds, runs a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, can cover running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, and he actually played as a slot corner, safety, linebacker, and pass rusher in college.  Hence, with his resume, he sounded like football's version of Zion Williamson.

Unfortunately, he got taken the pick before at #4 by the New York Giants.  In case if you were wondering, both Ohio State's players, defensive end Chase Young went #2, and cornerback Jeff Okudah went third overall.  Also, Miami in this simulation took Joe Burrow at number one.

I was tempted to flip the fifth pick to move down, but then I would be left with a very realistic possibility of not coming away with an elite talent in this draft.  So with that in mind, I decided to take Alabama's quaterback, Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick.  Though he is currently injured, he is a very talented player that also has helped his team win a national title.  From there, my strategy was to give him everything he needs and build up the offense to its fullest capabilities to help him reach his full potential.

With the 2nd first round pick that I acquired from Miami, I took Georgia's offensive tackle, Andrew Thomas.  He is a left tackle that was rated as one of the best players on the board, and he can protect Tua's blindside.  Now as a tidbit, Tua is a left hander, so he will then may have to flip over to right tackle, but with the idea in mind, Thomas could then be that elite lineman to block top edge rushers to keep Tua upright.

With the 3rd first round pick came in, but there was no obvious choice, so I traded down, knowing I had the first overall pick of the second round.  From here, I made a trade with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Cincinnati Bengals traded:

The 26th overall pick

To the Atlanta Falcons for:

The 47th overall pick
The 78th overall pick
The 119th overall pick

Essentially, the Bengals couped up a 2nd round pick, a 3rd round pick, and a 4th round pick in return for trading the 26th overall selection.  Atlanta used this to take LSU's cornerback, Kristian Fulton.

With the 33rd overall pick, I took Michigan's center, Cesar Ruiz to give Tua another offensive lineman to protect him, but this time from the interior.

From the trade with Miami, I now had the 39th overall pick, and I opted to make a value pick in selecting Wisconsin's running back, Jonathan Taylor to give the Bengals a runner that can also make the play-action work.

I now also had the 47th overall pick from the Atlanta trade, and I decided to give Tua a big-play receiver to throw to.  Here, I decided to select Colorado's wide receiver, Laviska Shenault Jr.  He's regarded as a very talented receiver when healthy, but has had injuries in the past, but is regarded to have a high upside.  Then to protect against the risk of taking Shenault, I took another receiver with my next pick (56th overall), and I took Clemson's Tee Higgins.

So, then with the first pick in the 3rd round, I went with another receiver to give Tua more options, and took Kentucky's Lynn Bowden, a slot receiver that can excel in the return game, and can potentially provide some explosive plays.

With the 78th overall pick, I went with another value pick, and took Georgia's offensive tackle, Isaiah Wilson.  He's projected as a mauling, powerful run blocker that can play right tackle.  With Tua, he might play left tackle, but also has the ability to move inside to guard.

In the 4th round, I opted to take Purdue's tight end, Brycen Hopkins with the 107th pick.  He's  projected to be a pass-catching tight end that can make plays downfield.  With the next 4th round pick, I opted to take a defensive player instead, as the defense finally had to be addressed.  So at 119, I took Utah's safety, Terrell Burgess.  He's described as a safety whose versatility could allow him to play other positions.

In the 5th round, I took Penn State's defensive tackle, Robert Windsor at 141, as he's described as an extremely high-motor player that makes plays.  With the other 5th round pick, I opted to take a chance on the upside of taking LSU's tight end, Thaddeus Moss.  He came on this year and played well, and he also happens to be the son of NFL Hall of Famer, and former Minnesota Vikings great, Randy Moss.

In the 6th round, I opted to take Kansas' offensive tackle, Hakeem Adeniji at pick number 180.  I wanted more options to protect Tua, and he has a profile that could allow him to play multiple positions.

In the 7th round, I opted to select Temple's outside linebacker, Chapelle Russell at 215.  He was rated as a productive college player that is capable of making plays at the NFL level.  I also realized that I still had yet another pick in this round at 246, and I decided to take a pass-rushing specialist in Syracuse's defensive end, Kendall Coleman.

So here is the full list of players I drafted for the Cincinnati Bengals in this simulation:

Mock draft simulation courtesy of profootballnetwork.com

Here were the two trades I made in this simulation:

Mock draft simulation courtesy of profootballnetwork.com

Mock draft simulation courtesy of profootballnetwork.com

In all, if you count that second trade as part of the first one, then that means that I essentially turned Joe Burrow into Tua Tagovailoa and 8 other players, which included another 1st round pick, 3 2nd round picks, a 3rd round pick, a 4th, a 5th, and a 7th.  So I started this draft with 7 picks, and with the two trades, I ended up making 15 selections in total.

All in all, it was a fun exercise.  Even though, I'm absolutely certain that the Cincinnati Bengals will not go about the draft in this way, it was fun for me to see what if they did.  I enjoyed making trades and selections on this website, and I will be interested to see if these players will fare well in the NFL over the years.

Thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed this.  You can follow me on Twitter @AlanLuSTL. 

Also, if you want to try this simulator, here is the link: https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mockdraft/

Projected Version of the 2020 NCAA Tournament in an Alternate Reality

Today, I decided to fill out a bracket through printyourbrackets.com, as I made my own tournament field, as this would be my version of how events would have played out if the 2020 NCAA Tournament had kept going and were not cancelled due to the coronavirus.

Here were the teams that I chose, using the info on kenpom.com:

Bracket courtesy of printyourbrackets.com

My top overall seed was Kansas, and my 1 seeds were: Kansas, Gonzaga, Dayton, and Florida State.

My last 4 In were: Stanford, Mississippi State, Richmond, and Wichita State.

My Last 4 Out were: Arkansas, Xavier, NC State, and Northern Iowa.


Alternate Reality Version of the 2020 NCAA Tournament

Here is how I simmed it, and how things may have gone down in this alternate version:

Bracket courtesy of printyourbrackets.com

The Play-in games were: (11) Mississippi State vs. Stanford, and (16) Prairie View A&M vs. (16) NC Central.

So here, the Final 4 Teams ended up being: Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga, and San Diego State.

So here is some of the stuff that happened in this version that I made today as of March 16th.

In the play-in games, Stanford managed to defeat Mississippi State in a thrilling overtime win due to the strong play of Tyrell Terry, but Reggie Perry played very well in his team's narrow defeat.  NC Central managed to pull off the upset over Prairie View A&M to face off against 1-seeded Kansas, where they ended up getting blown out in their next match.

Kansas was the favorite to win the tournament, but surprisingly, they ended up getting upended in a close defeat to Arizona, as the Jayhawks turned the ball over down the stretch, and Nico Mannion was able to lead the Wildcats to a thrilling victory.  San Diego State managed to get to the title game due to the strong play of Malachi Flynn and nearly won it all, but Arizona managed to win the title due to having a strong and talented team top to bottom, and due to the strong play of Nico Mannion, Josh Green, and Zeke Nnaji.

In Alan Lu's version of how the 2020 NCAA Tournament may have went down, Arizona is your champion, and your M.O.P. (Most Oustanding Player) is:  NICO MANNION!

Nico Mannion in this alternate reality is your 2020 NCAA Tournament MOP.
(Photo: Rick Scuteri/Associated Press, Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.)

Alan Lu's Alternate reality All 2020 NCAA Tournament Team:
C Udoka Azubuike, Kansas
F Obi Toppin, Dayton
F Isaac Okoro, Auburn
G Malachi Flynn, San Diego State
G Nico Mannion, Arizona

Alan Lu's Alternate reality All2020 NCAA Tournament 2nd Team:
C Zeke Nnaji, Arizona
F Jordan Bruner, Yale
F Killian Tillie, Gonzaga
G Josh Green, Arizona
G Kamar Baldwin, Butler

Of course, you can always decide to make your own version and come up with your own champion instead.  Thank you for reading, and you can follow me on twitter @AlanLuSTL. 

(All of the events described above are purely fictional and for your own entertainment.)

Thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker and Uncut Gems

So, I had planned to have written this up in late December after having been in St. Louis, but I didn't save the Uncut Gems part of writing this up, so I had to re-write that whole section from memory, so that one may not be as good as it would have been had I remembered to hit the save button.  Anyways, here is the lost write-up that would've taken place on December 27th, 2019.

by Alan Lu

.........................

This has been a really interesting week in watching movies at the theaters.  On Friday, I went to AMC to see Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and I also saw Uncut Gems on the night of Christmas.  Tonally, they seem to be two totally different movies.  The Rise of Skywalker is a fun, action-packed dramatic film that everyone can enjoy, and there were plenty of nostalgic moments, for better or worse.  Uncut Gems is more of a gritty, crime drama that details the exploits of a degenerate gambler in 2012 that attempts to settle his massive debts despite being in big trouble with the wrong people.  More specifically, Howard Ratner (played by Adam Sandler) is in trouble with his brother-in-law, who is also a loan shark, and Ratner at every turn drives right past the most convenient route to safety in order to go for the big score.  As where The Rise of Skywalker, the good guys win, and the bad guys lose, Uncut Gems is more of a character piece whose ending is jolting, if not unwholly surprising.

There are proponents and detractors from viewers that saw both of these movies, Uncut Gems seems to be more of a critical darling, and The Rise of Skywalker seems to be liked much more so by fans.  If you’re a fan of Rian Johnson’s controversial Star Wars film, The Last Jedi, you will certainly have bones to pick in the latest installment.  Simultaneously, there are a lot of heart-warming moments that have brought joy to filmgoers, which is definitely a plus.  For Uncut Gems, the main character doesn’t win, and the filmmakers ensure that he doesn’t.  It’s more of a sordid tale of a man whose exploits to win big seem to go wrong at every turn, even when he seems to pull off a miraculous victory.

The theater going experience to watching The Rise of Skywalker was surprisingly fun,
but the plot points didn't seem to add up or make much sense.
(Photo: Disney/Lucasfilm.)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Things That Worked Well:

Rey and Kylo Ren’s relationship worked well, as their connection and bond allowed the film to play to its strengths.  There was always some sort of tension between them, as they were either fighting with or alongside each other throughout these movies, and through after fighting with Rey (Daisy Ridley), after she told him that she would’ve gone with him if he had fought for the good guys gave Kylo Ren/Ben Solo the epiphany to ditch the First Order for good, and to help Rey.  Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) decided to become Ben Solo once again, and the actors’ strong performances was a testament to their ability to translate their acting, fighting ability, and chemistry to the big screen.

Nostalgia. It’s fun seeing old characters come back in this film, as Han Solo came back as a vision to Ben Solo, which provided a tear-jerking, father and son moment, and Lando Calrissian was solid as an old, renegade rebel that provided wisdom and assistance to the Resistance.  Seeing Luke Skywalker one last time was fun to watch, as he provided more wisdom to Rey to help guide her through her journey.  Plus, it was fun to watch Chewbacca and General Leia Organa be in one last Star Wars movie before their characters rode off into their respective sunsets.

It has a happy ending that can be enjoyed by all or most Star Wars fans.  The 9^th movie brought a conclusion to the epic battles between the Resistance and the First Order, and it’s a joyous moment to see the good guys win at the end of this trilogy.

This film really brings out the 12-year old in you that just wants a fun, action-packed, but heartwarming movie.  While there were plot points that seemed to be hard to fathom and illogical, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a fun movie to watch when you turn off your thinking caps.

Things That Didn’t Work Well:

The plot didn’t always make sense.  They brought Palpatine back from the dead and they never truly seemed to explain how he survived the fall from Vader that happened in the 6^th movie, but he seemed to be inexplicably brought back somehow.  Maybe his Sith powers kept him alive, or maybe he grabbed ahold of something somewhere, but his return for the 9^th movie seemed to be all too convenient a way to transform Ben Solo/Kylo Ren into being a redeemable character.

Hux’s Spy Angle.  In The Force Awakens, General Hux gave a grandiose, fascist speech that was bone-chilling, as he helped carry out destructive orders that destroyed multiple planets.  Sure, he was Kylo Ren’s rival, as he and Kylo Ren were fighting to be the number two to Snoke in the 7^th movie, and he took a disliking to Kylo Ren claiming the throne in the eighth movie.  But Hux’s sudden transformation to help the rebels felt contrived and forced.  He had a tremendous thirst and lust for power in the seventh movie, yet his move to be a spy for the Rebels doesn’t seem to be a logical step for him.  He wanted to see Kylo Ren fail, but surely, he would’ve thought against being a spy, as that move ended up costing him his life.

The Chewbacca "death" fake out scene was pretty baffling.  In Rey's battle with Kylo Ren, they were dueling while using light sabers when suddenly lightning shoots out of Rey's hands which struck a ship that had apparently been carrying Chewbacca on it.  Realizing that Chewbacca was likely on that ship, she goes into hysterics and wails in despair.  Only that Chewbacca was not on that ship, but was on a different one!  Exactly how, we don't really know for sure, maybe he teleported magically, but the angle of faking Chewbacca's death was unnecessary at best, and puzzling at worst, but it did at least give me some relief that Chewbacca lived to fight another day.

The random appearance of Dominic Monaghan.  He’s been in popular TV shows and movies, such as Lost, but that he received an extended cameo role didn’t really seem to move the plot forward or make much sense, combined with the fact that Lupita Nyong’o and Rose Tico barely received lines in the ninth movie.

They didn’t really give Rose Tico or Maz Kanata anything to do in the Rise of Skywalker.  Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o) was teased as a major player in the Force Awakens, as she was Han Solo’s friend, was a beholder of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, and gave pearls of wisdom in that movie.  There was mention that maybe she even might have been a force-sensitive lightsaber wielding type of hero, but we never really got to see that.  Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) had an important role in The Last Jedi, as she teamed up with Finn (John Boyega) to find a codebreaker, and they fought together in that movie.  But in the 9^th movie, Rose Tico barely had any lines, and she was sidelined for most of the film.

Keri Russell didn’t have enough to do in this film.  Her character, Zorii Bliss was an old friend of Poe, and she mainly seemed to be in the movie to hang out and fight alongside Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), as well as to tell viewers that Poe and Zorii used to be in a relationship together.   Knowing full well that Keri Russell can act and fight as seen in the critically acclaimed TV show, The Americans, it’s a shame that she didn’t get more to do in The Rise of Skywalker.

The LGBT moment was quite forgettable, to the point where it sort of seemed like a throwaway scene.  Shippers of Finn and Poe were probably disappointed that they didn’t romantically end up together, and the LGBT moment was very brief, as there was a brief lesbian kiss between two side characters shortly before the cutaway.    But that moment was so brief, that Disney didn’t have to cut out much of their content in order to show their movie in Singapore.

Overall:

I’ll admit, I thought I would have written a lot on what works well, and in considerable detail, considering that I actually enjoyed this film when I saw this film last Friday.  The good parts of this film are that it’s fun, and it brings the kid out in you, as it is a fun, entertaining popcorn movie.  However, the plot didn’t always make sense, and more specifically, they made no attempt to explain how they brought Palpatine back from the dead.  Still, Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker is a fairly enjoyable film, despite some questionable plot points.

Score: 3/5

Grade: C+/Above Average

Uncut Gems was a riveting tale of a degenerate gambler who tries to resolve
his gambling debts once for all, but keeps pushing his limits in a bid to go for the big score.
(Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems (A24), photo courtesy of National Review.)

 Uncut Gems

Things That Work Well:

There were very good performances all-around, more specifically from Julia Fox and Kevin Garnett.  Kevin Garnett is very believable in playing a superstitious, celebrity superstar basketball player that gets drawn in by the lure of the opal, to the point where he gets hypnotized into believing that it helps him play better in the playoffs.  Each scene between him and Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) keeps you on your toes, and while you’re never really sure why he’s in Ratner’s store, you’re rooting for KG to play well in the playoffs.  Julia Fox really gives a layered look into her character, Julia.  Though she doesn’t have a traditional relationship with Howard, she really humanizes her character by giving some depth, and through her ups and downs, she truly cared for him by sticking with him and following his crazy scheme all the way to the end.  LaKeith Stanfield and Mike Francesa were solid as well, Francesa was very convincing as a bookie that he makes you forget that he’s a famous sports radio talk show host in real life, and Stanfield’s Demany showed the intricacies of his dealings with his chaotic boss all the while trying to get famous people into their store.

Adam Sandler was fairly solid in this movie as Howard Ratner.  You’re not sure if you’re supposed to root for Howard Ratner, and he does some pretty despicable things in this film, but he has this charm that makes you root for him in the final act, if only to have him settle his debt with his loan shark, brother-in-law, Arno, so that he doesn’t meet a grisly end.

This movie worked well thematically.  The Safdie brothers didn’t seem interested in giving Howard Ratner a happy ending, and it works here, as it’s a movie about a compulsive, degenerate gambler that’s always looking for a big score.  Yet he seems to avoid the ramp to safety at every turn, and his tremendously risky set of plays ended up costing him at the end, even when he appeared to have pulled off a miraculous victory.  The end of Howard Ratner’s journey was truly a gut punch, though when you think about it, it may have been a fairly likely end for him, as he ended up in massive debts with the wrong people, and he kept putting things off to try to make a bigger splash with his bets.

Things That Didn’t Work Well:

The introduction was ambitious, if anything, as we see Ethopians hard at work trying to extract the jewel in a mine cave that leads to a huge fight amongst them and outsiders, and it seems evident that the opal Howard Ratner will receive may be the equivalent to a blood diamond.  But there was a dizzying light show stemming from a look at the gem, followed by a look into Howard Ratner’s colon, and the dizzying set of lights and the strange decision to directly show the inside of Ratner’s colon can be off-putting enough to offset the intriguing introduction of the mine caves in Ethopia.

Should Howard Ratner have gotten a happy ending?  We know his character is a compulsive, degenerate gambler, but the movie seems to show that he actually seems to be kind of good at betting, at least in the scenes that he is in.  On the other hand, his seeming lack of morals and ethics, combined with doubling and tripling down on his bets rather than choosing to settle them probably have put him in a huge hole that he could never really get out of in the end.

Overall:

Uncut Gems is a compelling film that details the exploits of a gambler who runs a jewelry store, and his attempts to settle his debts with his loan shark, brother-in-law, all while running into some good luck by meeting Kevin Garnett at his shop.  This movie does not have a happy ending for Howard, but it seems to provide one for some of the other characters.  Overall, it’s a film that builds layers upon interesting characters.

Score: 3.5/5

Grade: B/Good

The 100 Most Ready Baseball Prospects For The 2020 MLB Season

Let me preface by saying, this isn't exactly a list of players that will have the most upside throughout their entire careers.  For that, you can visit other information sites like Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, or MLB Pipeline.  I will freely admit, that this may be a more unconventional approach, as I am basically taking what I've learned in basketball and have decided to take that sort of methodology to rating prospects to baseball.  It probably won't be perfect, but hopefully you'll deem this a respectable approach when you finish reading what I've crafted together.

So basically, this is a list I created of prospects that can contribute now, and also could project well down the road.  I looked at MLB Pipeline's 2019 prospects list from each team, and rated organizational prospects that were ranked that excelled in either AA, AAA, and/or in the majors.  Since they excluded players that were from the Japanese or the Korean leagues, I did not include them in this list, since it would probably be hard to find out who amongst them signed with major league teams that would technically be rookies, and they would more or less be international free agents.

So for the prospects that played in leagues that were below AA or did not play at that level in 2019, I did not include them (with the exception of Tampa Bay Rays' shortstop prospect, Wander Franco, who has been considered to be the top prospect in baseball, and other top prospects that were rated in the top 10 by other sites).  Therefore, judging by the criteria of readiness and long-term major-league potential benefit, this list will look considerably different from what you're used to.  Don't fret if it looks strange, you don't have to worry, the author of this article will not even bother to post it on any other social media means (unless if it for some reason receives tremendous praise from the baseball community, then I would do it as an encore).

Top 100
First thirty players will get write-ups.

Luis Robert has a strong likelihood to have a very good 2020 MLB season for the Chicago White Sox.
(Photo: Off The Bench, via James Weisser's article.)

1. Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox

2019 (AAA): .297 AVG, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 7 SB, .341 OBP, .634 SLG, .974 OPS
2019 (AA): .314 AVG, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 21 SB, .362 OBP, .518 SLG, .880 OPS
Expected 2020 Level: Majors
Expected Role: Starting Right Fielder
Age: Turns 23 in early August

Luis Robert is a masher who has very good power, and also is a solid baserunner, and he could be the likely Rookie of the Year winner in the American League in 2020.  He played very well in both AA and AAA, and he could be due to win the right field job for the Chicago White Sox, as his tremendous ability to mash, combined with his solid ability to hit and run could make him a stellar major league outfielder for years to come.

Dodgers' middle infielder, Gavin Lux, could be primed for a big season in 2020.
(Photo: Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press, via The OC Register.)

2. Gavin Lux, SS/2B, Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 (MLB): .240 AVG, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 2 SB, .305 OBP, .400 SLG, .705 OPS
2019 (AAA): .392 AVG, 13 HR, 39 RBI, 3 SB, .478 OBP, .719 SLG, 1.197 OPS
2018 (AA): .313 AVG, 13 HR, 37 RBI, 7 SB, .375 OBP, .521 SLG, .896 OPS
Expected 2020 Level: Majors
Expected Role: Starting Second Basemen
Age: 22

Gavin Lux is a very good hitter that played really well in the minors last year, and also is a good fielder.  He possesses above average power, as he was able to hit 28 home runs in three different stops last year.  He also received some playing time in the majors, and some fans feel that he could ascend to be one of the best infielders in baseball.  He's a strong contender to win the NL Rookie of the Year award, and he could end up being a very good major league player for many years.

Dylan Carlson could be due for a breakout season in the majors in 2020.
(Photo: Frank Ramirez/The Cardinal Nation.)

3. Dylan Carlson, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

2019 (AAA): .361 AVG, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 2 SB, .418 OBP, .681 SLG, 1.098 OPS
2019 (AA): .281 AVG, 21 HR, 59 RBI, 18 SB, .364 OBP, .518 SLG, .882 OPS
Expected 2020 Level: Majors
Expected Role: Starting Outfielder
Age: 21

Dylan Carlson is a tremendously gifted hitter that had an excellent 2019 season, as he zoomed up the minors by hitting really well in AA and AAA.  He might spend the first few months in AAA possibly due to service time, but he also could be the opening day starter in April.  He has quickly ascended to be the Cardinals' definitive best prospect, and he may be the best rookie that no one has been talking enough about.

Brendan McKay pitches and he hits, in 2020, he could do just about everything for the Rays.
(Photo: Nick Wass/The Associated Press, via Spectrum News.)

4. Brendan McKay, LHP/DH, Tampa Bay Rays

2019 (MLB as a pitcher): 2-4, 5.14 ERA, 49 IP, 9.7 H9, 1.5 HR9, 2.9 BB, 10.3 K9
2019 (AAA as a pitcher): 3-0, 0.84 ERA, 32 IP, 4.8 H9, 0.3 HR, 2.5 BB9, 11.3 K9

2019 (MLB as a hitter): .200 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .273 OBP, .500 SLG, .773 OPS
2019 (AAA as a hitter): .239 AVG, 5 HR, 11 RBI, .346 OBP, .493 SLG, .839 OPS

Expected Level: Majors
Expected Role: Starting Pitcher/Part-Time DH
Age: 24

McKay is in the unique position of being a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher that has the stuff to pitch in a rotation or out of the bullpen, and he also is a power hitter that can also line up as the team's DH when he is not on the mound.  There have been a growing number of prospects that can both hit and pitch, and he is the latest to come along in this trend.  McKay could be a very useful player in both roles, and his versatility has the Rays excited, as he could excel both as a hitter and as a pitcher.

5. Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Oakland A's

2019 (MLB): 0-0, 1.50 ERA, 12 IP, 3.8 H9, 0.8 HR9, 2.3 BB9, 12.0 K9
2019 (AAA): 1-1, 3.19 ERA, 31 IP, 8.4 H9, 0.9 HR9, 2.3 BB9, 9.9 K9

Expected Level: Majors
Expected Role: Bullpen
Age: 22

Luzardo is a left-handed pitcher that boasts having three very good pitches, as he has a strong fastball that can reach the high 90s at its peak, and he also has a solid changeup and curveball.  There are concerns about his injury history as he's had Tommy John surgery in the past, but Luzardo could be very effective out of the bullpen, and could potentially transition to be a starter if his manager can effectively manage his arm.

6. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles

2019 (A-): .325 AVG, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 0 SB, .413 OBP, .481 SLG, .894 OPS
2019 (NCAA): .411 AVG, 17 HR, 58 RBI, 0 SB, .575 OBP, .751 SLG, 1.327 OPS

Expected Level: AA
Expected Role: Starting Catcher
Age: 22

Admittedly, Rutschman being in the top 10 of this list may raise the most eyebrows, as he actually did not reach AA or AAA last year.  Still, he was the number one overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft, and college fans may compare him to Buster Posey, so if he were called up to the majors in 2020, there may be a decent chance that Rutschman could at least fill a backup role.  His projection is based more on his upside and the chance that his tremendous production in college could potentially immediately translate to higher levels.  Most likely, Rutschman plays well in AA, and the Orioles could zoom him up the ranks, and he might be in Baltimore by September or earlier.

7. Casey Mize, RHP, Detroit Tigers

2019 (AA): 6-3, 3.20 ERA, 78.2 IP, 7.9 H9, 0.6 HR9, 2.1 BB9, 8.7 K9

Expected Level: AAA
Expected Role: Starting Pitcher
Age: Turns 23 in May

Mize was the number one overall pick of the 2018 draft, and he is a starter that boasts having three very solid pitches, as he has a tremendous splitter, as well as a very good fastball and slider offering.  He's had durability and injury issues in the past, but he managed to stay relatively healthy in 2019.  The Tigers have taken it slow with him, and there's a good chance that they may choose to do so again by starting him off in AAA, but Mize definitely has the talent to zoom up to the majors this year, and he could develop into being a top of the line ace of the staff for the Tigers.

8. Nate Pearson, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

2019 (AAA): 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 18 IP, 6.0 H9, 1.0 HR9, 1.5 BB9, 7.5 K9
2019 (AA): 1-4, 2.59 ERA, 62.2 IP, 5.9 H9, 0.6 HR9, 3.0 BB9, 9.9 K9

Expected Level: AAA
Expected Role: Starting Pitcher
Age: Turns 24 in August

Pearson is a tall, flame-thrower that can routinely hit triple digits, as he boasts having an electric fastball, but he also has a good slider and curveball, as well as a capable changeup pitch, and he has a very good four-pitch mix that he can use in his arsenal.  He's dealt with injuries in the past, but he's shown that he can succeed at the higher levels of the minors, and he could be ready to zoom up to the majors.  The Blue Jays could definitely use an arm like that in their bullpen, and Pearson has the stuff to excel as a starter or as a reliever in the majors.

9. Cristian Pache, OF, Atlanta Braves

2019 (AAA): .274 AVG, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .337 OBP, .411 SLG, .747 OPS
2019 (AA): .278 AVG, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 8 SB, .340 OBP, .474 SLG, .815 OPS

Expected Level: AAA
Expected Role: Starting Centerfielder
Age: 21

Pache is a really good defensive outfielder that can also really run, and he also hit well in AA.  He'll need to show more pop in his bat, but he has the ability to get Gold Gloves in center field in the future.  If he were called up this season, Pache could at the very least be a solid defensive player for the Braves this year, and he could end up being a terrific player for them down the road.

10. Sean Murphy, C, Oakland A's

2019 (MLB): .245 AVG, 4 HR, 8 RBI, .333 OBP, .569 SLG, .899 OPS
2019 (AAA): .308 AVG, 10 HR, 30 RBI, .386 OBP, .625 SLG, 1.011 OPS

Murphy is a solid catcher that defends well, and he also can mash balls over the fence, as he's hit well both in the majors and in AAA, and he projects to be a very good fielder at his position in the majors.  Even though he's on the older side for a prospect, his resume suggests that he could be a very good player right away, and at the least could develop into being a solid catcher in the majors.

Expected Level: Majors
Expected Role: Starting Catcher
Age: 25


11, Jarred Kelenic, OF, Seattle Mariners

Solid hitter that played well in AA, and could project into being a very good corner outfielder in the majors.

12. Matt Manning, RHP, Detroit Tigers

Tall, 6-6 righty that has a good three pitch mix and pitched well in AA, and he has a very good fastball and curveball, and he has the talent to be a really good pitcher in the majors.

13. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B, Baltimore Orioles

He is a masher that can hit a lot of home runs, and he hit very well in AAA, but he may be limited to playing at first base.  Still, he could project into being a good player right away, and he could be a solid DH for the Orioles at a minimum.

14. Brendan Rodgers, INF, Colorado Rockies

Very good hitter and fielder that played very well in AAA, but struggled when called up to the majors last year.  Scouts also have minor concerns about his foot speed, but the more important thing is showing that he can hit big league pitching, but he could be a solid starter if he can do so.  Also was the third overall pick of the 2015 draft.

15. Carter Kieboom, SS/2B, Washington Nationals

Solid all-around infielder that played very well in AAA, but really struggled when initially called up to the majors.  Will need to bounce back to hit well in the big leagues, but has the talent to be an everyday player if he can do so.

16. Drew Waters, OF, Atlanta Braves

Young, speedy outfielder that defends very well and hit well in AA, but there are concerns about the lack of pop in his bat.  Could be a versatile outfielder that could help his team's fielding at the big league level.

17. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Power pitcher that has two solid pitches as he has a good fastball and curveball, and he pitched well in AAA, but really struggled initially in the majors.  Has a hard fastball and gets plenty of movement on his pitches.  Will need to bounce back to show he can hang in the big leagues, but potentially be a solid starter if he can.

18. Evan White, 1B, Seattle Mariners

He is a very good fielding first baseman that hit the ball well in AA, and he also hit 18 homers at that level.  His strong defense and ability to hit the ball could allow him to thrive and have a long major league career in the big leagues.

19. Brady Singer, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Tall, righty that pitched well in AA, and boasts having a solid three-pitch mix in which he has a good fastball and slider.  He was one of the best draft prospects in 2018 before unexpectedly sliding to being 18th overall.  Solid all-around pitcher that will likely start the season in AAA, and has the stuff to be a solid, middle of the rotation pitcher in the majors.

20. Dustin May, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

He's a tall righty that has pitched well wherever he seems to go, and he can start or come out of the bullpen.  May has a very good four pitch mix that includes having a solid fastball, curveball, and cutter.  He could pitch right away for the Dodgers to help their bullpen, and he also has the stuff to be a starter for them in the majors.

21. Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Cleveland Indians

He pitched really well for the Texas Rangers last year when he was up in the majors, and then was traded along with Delino Deshields to Cleveland for Corey Kluberand cash in a blockbuster trade. Clase is a solid reliever that boasts having an electric fastball, and projects to be a very good bullpen arm in the big leagues.  Unfortunately, he recently got injured, and will be shelved for at least several months.  He's pitched 23 1/3 very good innings in the big leagues, so there's high hopes that he can continue to pitch well if he can come back fully healthy.

22. Nolan Jones, 3B, Cleveland Indians

Nolan Jones is a good hitter and fielder that hit well in AA, and he will probably start the season in  AAA.  He has the talent to be an everyday third baseman for the Indians, and while he may spend most of the year in AAA this season, the future is bright for him, as he could end up being a very good player for them down the road.

23. Nick Madrigal, 2B, Chicago White Sox

He is a very good hitter and fielder, and the former 4th overall pick of the 2018 draft hit very well in both AA and AAA.  Madrigal split time across three minor league levels, and there may be a fair chance that Chicago may have him repeat the AAA level to prove that he can hit very well there, but when he comes to the majors, Madrigal could be a solid player in the big leagues.

24. Wander Franco, SS, Tampa Bay Rays

Many people have Wander Franco as their top prospect in baseball.  He's a terrific talent that in several years could develop into being a very good player in the majors and then be headed towards having a terrific career.  Right now though, he's a 19-year old infielder whose highest level he's reached is A+ ball, and he will probably not be in the majors for the 2020 season, as the Rays will probably have him in AA for almost the entire season.

25. Logan Gilbert, RHP, Seattle Mariners

He is a tall righty that boasts having a solid, four-pitch mix, and he also pitched well in AA last season.  Most likely, he will probably be in AAA to start the season, but Gilbert has the stuff to excel as a middle of the rotation type of starter for the Mariners down the road.

26. MacKenzie Gore, LHP, San Diego Padres

The talented lefty has a very good, four-pitch mix, and the 3rd overall pick of the 2017 draft is a power pitcher that has pitched fairly well in AA.  He will probably be asked to repeat that level as he spent most of last season in A+ ball, and he will need to show better control and command of his stuff.  Still, he has strong stuff, and he has the talent to excel in the big leagues someday.  And at a minimum, he has the talent to step into a bullpen in the majors if they needed to call upon him this season.

27. Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels

He's a solid all-around outfielder that can play all three positions, but has dealt with some injuries in his career.  He hit well in AA, but struggled offensively in AAA.  Most likely, he will be asked to repeat AAA as he will have to show that he can hit tougher pitching, but his strong tools could enable him to carve out a role in the majors in the future.

28. Nick Solak, 2B/OF, Texas Rangers

Solak is a very good hitter that has hit very well in both AAA and in the majors, and he also runs well.  Also, according to Baseball-Reference, they still count him as a rookie, so he will be on this list.  He had a .894 OPS in AAA, hit 27 homers for two different teams at that level, and he also had an .884 OPS for the Texas Rangers in the majors.  Solak is already 25, so there may be a good chance he may be close to reaching his peak, as he could be the classic what you see is what you get sort of player, but he could be one of the best rookies in the majors this year, as he could potentially be the AL's version of Tommy Edman for the 2020 season.

29. Jeter Downs, SS, Boston Red Sox

He's a solid, all-around infielder that hit the ball extremely well in AA albeit in limited at-bats, and he nearly had a 20 homer, 20 stolen bases type of season in A+ ball.  Boston may have him repeat AA-ball again, but Downs is a talented player that has a bright future ahead of him.

I'm going out on a limb to say that Kyle Lewis will have a good season in the majors in 2020,
as he has the talent to be a 25-30 home run hitter this year.
(Photo: Gene J. Puskar/The Associated Press, via The Seattle Times.)

30. Kyle Lewis, OF, Seattle Mariners

This may be a bit of a surprise that I have Lewis this high, but he's smashed 6 home runs for the Mariners, and he was the 11th overall pick of the 2016 draft where he was rated then to be one of the best in the draft pool, so the talent is there for Lewis.  There's a job opening available for him as he will compete to try to be their starting right fielder, and Lewis could be due for a big, breakout season this year.

31. Edwin Rios, 3B/1B/C, Los Angeles Dodgers
32. Domingo Leyba, 2B/SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
33. Jorge Mateo, SS/2B, Oakland A's
34. Kevin Padlo, 3B/1B, Tampa Bay Rays
35. Edward Cabrera, RHP, Miami Marlins
36. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Detroit Tigers
37. Josiah Gray, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
38. Monte Harrison, OF, Miami Marlins
39. Michael Kopech, RHP, Chicago White Sox
40. Sixto Sanchez, RHP, Miami Marlins
41. Austin Hays, OF, Baltimore Orioles
42. Michel Baez, RHP, San Diego Padres
43. Nick Gordon, SS/2B, Minnesota Twins
44. Luis Patino, RHP, San Diego Padres
45. A.J. Puk, LHP, Oakland A's
46. Joey Bart, C, San Francisco Giants
47. Tony Gonsolin, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
48. Randy Arozarena, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
49. Reese McGuire, C, Toronto Blue Jays
50. Sam Hilliard, OF, Colorado Rockies
51. Kevin Cron, 1B/3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
52. Kevin Ginkel, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
53. Jose Urquidy, RHP, Houston Astros
54. Danny Mendick, INF, Chicago White Sox
55. Andy Young, INF, Arizona Diamondbacks
56. Brent Rooker, OF/1B, Minnesota Twins
57. Jake Cronenworth, SS/RHP, San Diego Padres
58. Justin Dunn, RHP, Seattle Mariners

59. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates

60. Triston McKenzie, RHP, Cleveland Indians
61. Brusdar Graterol, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
62. Daulton Varsho, C, Arizona Diamondbacks
63. Jazz Chisholm, SS, Miami Marlins
64. Mauricio Dubon, SS/2B, San Francisco Giants
65. Abraham Toro, 3B/2B, Houston Astros
66. Junior Fernandez, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
67. Logan Webb, RHP, San Francisco Giants
68. Edmundo Sosa, SS/2B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals
69. James Karinchak, RHP, Cleveland Indians
70. Jose De Leon, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
71. Jonah Heim, C, Oakland A's
72. Cristian Javier, RHP, Houston Astros
73. Daniel Johnson, OF, Cleveland Indians
74. Bobby Dalbec, 3B/1B, Boston Red Sox
75. Rylan Bannon, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles
76. Luis Barrera, OF, Oakland A's
77. Zac Lowther, LHP, Baltimore Orioles
78. Cory Abbott, RHP, Chicago Cubs
79. Tyler Ivey, RHP, Houston Astros
80. Steven Fuentes, RHP, Washington Nationals
81. Kody Whitley, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
82. Deivi Garcia, RHP, New York Yankees
83. Triston Casas, 1B/3B, Boston Red Sox

84. Andres Gimenez, SS, New York Mets

85. Brandon Marsh, OF, Los Angeles Angels

86. Jackson Kowar, RHP, Kansas City Royals
87. Bryan Abreu, RHP, Houston Astros
88. Nick Nelson, RHP, New York Yankees

89. Alec Bohm, 3B/1B, Philadelphia Phillies

90. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
91. Nico Hoerner, SS, Chicago Cubs
92. Robel Garcia,  3B/2B, Chicago Cubs
93. Yonathan Daza, OF, Colorado Rockies
94. Alex Kirilloff, OF/1B, Minnesota Twins
95. Spencer Howard, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
96. Jonathan India, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
97. Hunter Greene, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
98. Sheldon Neuse, C, Oakland A's
99. Andrew Knizner, C, St. Louis Cardinals
100. Joel Kuhnel, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

So in total, there was a tally of 5 players from Arizona, 2 from Atlanta, 6 from Baltimore, 3 from Boston, 3 from the Cubs, 4 from the White Sox, 4 from Cincinnati, 5 from Cleveland, 3 from Colorado, 3 from Detroit, 5 from Houston, 2 from Kansas City, 2 from the Angels, 6 from the Dodgers, 4 from Miami, 3 from Minnesota, 1 from the Mets, 2 from the Yankees, 7 from Oakland, 2 from Philadelphia, 2 from Pittsburgh, 4 from San Diego, 5 from Seattle, 3 from San Francisco, 5 from St. Louis, 4 from Tampa Bay, 1 from Texas, 2 from Toronto, and 2 from Washington's organization that are on this list.

Every team except Milwaukee was represented on this list.  On my list, Baltimore and the Los Angeles Dodgers had the most prospects in the prospect readiness for the majors list, and Milwaukee had the fewest players on this list.

On MLB Pipeline's top 100, Miami and Tampa Bay had the most prospects on their list, and the Los Angeles Angels and the Milwaukee Brewers had the fewest players on their list.

Overall, here is my 2020 Organizational System Rankings:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Tampa Bay Rays

3. Miami Marlins

4. Seattle Mariners

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

6. Baltimore Orioles
7. Oakland A's
8. San Diego Padres
9. Chicago White Sox
10. St. Louis Cardinals
11. Cleveland Indians
12. Atlanta Braves
13. Detroit Tigers
14. Minnesota Twins
15. San Francisco Giants
16. Cincinnati Reds
17. Houston Astros
18. Pittsburgh Pirates
19. Kansas City Royals
20. New York Yankees
21. Philadelphia Phillies
22. Colorado Rockies
23. Chicago Cubs
24. Boston Red Sox
25. Texas Rangers
26. New York Mets
27. Toronto Blue Jays
28. Washington Nationals
30. Milwaukee Brewers

The above list was compiled by totaling up the number of prospects on my list, and on the 2019 MLB Pipeline list at the end of that season, and averaging the two to see who had the most, and tie-breakers were awarded to teams with the better long-term prospects, or in this case, players who rated higher on MLB Pipeline's list.  The second tie-breaker was which teams had players that tended to rank higher on that particular list.  Therefore, this method serves as a way to gauge which teams have the best prospects for both now and for the future.

2020 Rookie of the Year Predictions:

AL Rookie of the Year: Luis Robert, RF, Chicago White Sox
NL Rookie of the Year: Gavin Lux, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers, as I'm predicting him to barely edge out Dylan Carlson in a close, entertaining and fun rookie of the year race.

Thanks for reading this list.  I'm sure you're probably wondering about a few other players, so you may have some......

Other Questions:

Why not.........?
Bobby Witt Jr., Royce Lewis, Alek Thomas, Vidal Brujan, Nolan Gorman, Matthew Liberatore, Miguel Amaya, or Seth Beer?

They're really good long-term prospects, and those guys could be really solid major leaguers in 2023, but they're too far away from the majors right now, and those players project to spend all of the 2020 season in the minors this season.   As for trade value, a player like Bobby Witt Jr. packaged in a deal may be more likely to help a team be closer to trade for Nolan Arenado than a player like Reese McGuire, but in terms of major-league readiness, McGuire is more likely to be able to help a major-league team specifically for the 2020 season, as where Witt clearly would have a lot more long-term potential for the future.

Keep in mind this does NOT take trade value into account.  If it did, a lot of the prospects that played in A+ ball or lower that were ranked higher by other sites would've been much higher on this list, but aren't nearly as high here due to their lack of readiness for the 2020 MLB season.  Also, I don't really watch minor league baseball, so I'm relying on statistics and info from MLB pipeline to rate these players accordingly.

As for trade value purposes, I'm fairly certain that the lists of Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and Baseball Prospectus would likely be better towards gauging actual trade interest and trade value from MLB teams.  Anyways, hope you liked reading the top 100 most ready players for the majors (that were also ranked in the 2019 MLB Pipeline organizational rankings), and thank you for reading.

If you liked this article, you can follow me on Twitter at @AlanLuSTL.