Fifth Avenue Forum

1. Jordan Lawlar (19.0), SS, Jesuit HS (Texas), Vanderbilt commit, 55 FV

Lawlar is a little old for his prep class, but that's about the only mark against him. He's above average in all aspects and scouts mention similarities to Carlos Correa (bigger, righty-hitting shortstop with above-average tools) or Derek Jeter (all-fields approach, instincts). There isn't a 70-grade tool and Lawlar doesn't project as a superstar, but the last true shortstops with this kind of upside in the draft were Bobby Witt Jr. in 2019 and Dansby Swanson (maybe Alex Bregman) in 2015 -- all of whom were No. 1 or No. 2 overall picks.

You'd have to go back to Correa in 2012 or Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez in 2011 for true shortstops in the draft who were obviously more talented than Lawlar. Other 55 FV shortstops already in the minors are my No. 31 overall prospect Jazz Chisholm (Marlins) and No. 39 Geraldo Perdomo (D-backs).

2. Jack Leiter (21.2), RHP, Vanderbilt, 50 FV

There was a growing consensus to rank Leiter (son of Al) above Rocker in the fall, and that's now the consensus view after they've each made their first start of the season. Leiter works in the mid-90s, has an easy plus curveball and possesses the command, plan and execution you'd want to see given his power and mostly vertically oriented arsenal.

3. Kumar Rocker (21.6), RHP, Vanderbilt, 50 FV

You might be surprised to see Rocker here, but he has been largely the same since the summer after his junior year of high school. That's not a bad thing, since that means sitting in the mid-90s (up to 98 mph) with a plus slider, usable changeup and solid control, but scouts want to see more precision in his command and execution.