Written by Greg Fertel | 28 May 2009

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As part of the MVN Network, Greg and I were asked to participate in the MLB Outsider Mock draft which you can find here. Our pick isn't up just quite yet but we'll spill the beans anyway.

In the highly improbable Outsider mock draft we chose Mike Trout with the 29th selection.


Mike Trout is a HS outfielder from New Jersey, Millville for you Jerseysians (?) out there, and in our best available scenario, we thought he was the best fit. Here's why.

Trout has been one of the fastest risers in the draft so far, rocketing up the boards as the weather warms and he has a chance to show off for scouts. A toosly 6'1" 190 LB outfielder, Trout plays with a lot of athleticism and is just learning to switch hit.

From the right side he already has a fairly advanced approach, hitting for some power and showing good discipline this season. He's got speed and should swipe a decent amount of bases and his wheels also engender the fairly good range he's displayed in CF. He's not necessarily fast with his first step but once he gets up to full steam he can really move. A former pitcher (he's hit 90 on the gun) his arm from center is an unknown but his pitching past should alleviate some concerns about that.

His build is a bit stocky and as some have noted he more closely resembles a college half back than an MLB centerfielder. His work ethic and attitude have been widely lauded by scouts and teams that like to see the enthusiasm and dedication from prospects he's displayed- he's been terrific with notifying teams when he is playing and where- and in work outs has gone above and beyond to make sure everyone in attendance gets a good look at him.

The thing that really attracted us to him was his upside- he has all the tools to be a great outfielder and his new found switch hitting ability only adds to his value. The attitude and make up that you hear a lot with him also didn't hurt, but in the end we were looking for an impact position player and decided Trout was our man.

Who else was around? Well at the time we were considering Jared Mitchell from LSU and AJ Pollack of Norte Dame, both outfielders. We felt that Trout was ahead of these guys, although it was particularly close with Mitchell. In the end, Mitchell has too many question marks for us beyond his speed and we thought Trout had more upside and was a few years younger. Pollack didn't have the power potential that either Trout or Mitchell has and that was a knock for us although he may have the best approach at the plate of the three at this point.

There were some surprising pitchers still available that we were shocked to see there, including James Paxton of Kentucky, Eric Arnett of Indiana Chad Jenkins of Kennesaw State and Andy Oliver of Oklahoma State.

We passed on them only because we'd most like to see another positional impact player in the Yankee system. Will the Yankees feel that way on June 9th? Who knows? But there were plenty of good options for us in this mock, and we thought Trout would be a nice fit.


As for the real draft, I doubt Trout will be available at 29. The further spring progresses the further he rises it seems and I'm not sure many teams would be able to pass him up. He has not to this point been linked to a gigantic bonus demand so he would be appeasing for any number of teams around #20.

I do think Mitchell and Pollack have a chance to be there though and depending on who slides to the Yankees, they could be interesting choices as well.

We'll have more to come in the next few days, and we should have up our list of who we DO think will be available at 29. We're also working on a draft board and our own mock draft as we get closer to June 9^th. Additionally we'll be taking a glance at our current prospects and how they've performed this month. 

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