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The Tampa Bay Rays have come out with their best foot forward this season. Going into Wednesday's games, they sit in second place in the AL East with a 43-33 record, three games behind the New York Yankees.
But while they try to close the gap in the division, the front office is starting to really game-plan for the draft. They have been awarded the No. 2 pick, which is the highest they have drafted since getting the first overall pick back in 2008.
It will come down to who the Chicago White Sox decide to draft first, and mocks have been all over the place over the last few weeks with which way the South Siders are leaning.
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As explained earlier, the Rays' pick will come down to who the White Sox take first. But in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, he believes Tampa Bay will end up taking Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey.
"The Rays have such a long-standing need for a franchise catcher, they have to seriously start considering drafting Lackey, who is by no means a reach at No. 2 overall. He hit .397/.519//.772 with 20 home runs, 15 steals and more walks than strikeouts this spring, and he has the athleticism to develop into a quality defensive backstop."
The Rays have a big-league need at the position, as neither Nick Fortes nor Hunter Feduccia has run away with the job.
Lackey has a great bat, and his swing plays to all sides of the field. He gets consistent contact and rarely misses fastballs. He's also an extremely patient hitter, which helps him get into counts where he can sit on fastballs.
On top of that, he has the speed to steal a few bases and is agile behind the plate. He also has a strong arm that is pretty accurate, making him a great pick at No. 2 for a team in need of a franchise backstop.
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