2016 MLB Draft: Red Sox picking Mickey Moniak in Keith Law's third mock

Keith Law's third mock draft is out, and it comes with a surprising name indeed: Mickey Moniak, a center fielder from La Costa Canyon High School who Law mentions could go as high as first overall depending on Philadelphia's temperament.

Landing Moniak, to be sure, would be big for a Red Sox team drafting 12th. The grandson of a one-time Red Sox signee, Moniak brings an excellent glove to center (where he's very much expected to stay) along with a bat that grades out to as high as a 70 depending on who you ask. He has pretty much everything but big power, and even in that department he's not a complete slouch.

In fact, Moniak looks so impressive for a mid-round pick that I'm pretty convinced this isn't going to happen. He does say that the Rockies might take him fourth--that's where he had Moniak going in his second draft--but also says they've got some fixation on drafting a pitcher even if they do like the young center fielder quite a bit. Law has previously mentioned that four is, realistically, Moniak's ceiling in the draft, and expectations that team A, B, or C are looking for arms or to go lower-value and spread their bonus pool out could let him fall closer to Boston's territory, but it seems a bit much to have him make it all the way down to the Red Sox.

If he does, fantastic! The Red Sox can afford to draft extremely talented prep players and wait a while for them to make it through the minor leagues. If he doesn't, though, Law still has the Red Sox pegged on a couple of familiar names in Miami catcher Zack Collins and infielder Nolan Jones out of Pennsylvania. Right now, it seems like the situation is that the Red Sox expect someone to fall based on teams with specific needs and preferences both in terms of position and signing bonus reaching for a player or two, and then grabbing whichever one does