MLB Draft the weekend is there, two days before the first round. The various potential national experts are coming hot with their fictitious final drafts.

Kiley McDaniel at ESPN in the third version of his draft to the Dodgers taking Wake forest pitcher Ryan Cusick in the first round. We presented Cusick in May.

Of Keith Law’s last draft at Athletic, we have a new player to discover. He has the Dodgers drafted Andrew Painter, a pitcher from Calvary Christian High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“The Dodgers showed no fear of taking up rising, high-value guns in high school, although these guys might not sign (JT Ginn),” The law wrote. “Painter was supposed to be a pick in the middle of the first lap and was better after a tough start to spring. “

Since taking on both sports star Zach Lee in 2010, the Dodgers have selected 15 players in the first round of the last 10 draft. Only two were high school pitchers – Grant Holmes in 2014 and JT Ginn in 2018. Ginn didn’t sign, choosing Mississippi State rather.

In his fictitious draft to ESPN, McDaniel wrote: “Colorado preparation RHP Alec Willis is also tied to the Dodgers in a later pick.” The Dodgers’ next pick after the first round is ranked 101st, the last pick of the third round.

As for Painter, he’s the second-highest-rated draft prospect we’ve seen linked to the Dodgers, behind only Ole Miss right-hander Gunnar Hoglund, whose 2021 season was cut short by Tommy John’s surgery. Painter is ranked between 15th and 24th on the various prospect lists.

MLB pipeline rated the 6’7 Painter as prospect # 18 in this project:

There are high school pitchers who get a lot of attention because of huge raw stuff, and there are prep arms that have an advanced feel for pitching. When the two come together in a perspective, there is a chance for something special. Painter has shown this exciting combination of raw materials and throwing feel at a number of demo events over the summer to establish himself as one of the top high school pitchers in the 2021 Draft Class. He did nothing to dampen those expectations, removing 54% of the hitters he faced in his senior year en route to the Gatorade State High School Player of the Year honors.

Painter pitched for USA Baseball at the 2015 WBSC U-15 World Cup in Panama, and was part of the national team development program thereafter.

“Painter’s fastball speed soared throughout the summer of 2020, and he wrapped the session 94-97 in his last short demo outing,” wrote Eric Longenhagen to FanGraphs, which ranked Painter 21st. “It has three other locations: a mid-80s shift, a mid-70s curve, and a mid-80s slider that has a horizontal, cutting action right now, but which Painter has a good feel for. side of the arms. “

Painter has a college engagement at the University of Florida.