Gavin Kelly Projected Lower Than Expected in Way-Too-Early 2027 MLB Mock Draft

It was a remarkable season for West Virginia's sophomore catcher/second baseman Gavin Kelly, who had a breakout year, hitting .382 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI.

Kelly ended the year as an All-American at both positions while also being named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. At this point, it feels like there is a consensus that Kelly will be selected inside the top 10 of next year's MLB Draft, but there is some conflict as to how early he will go.

Perfect Game released its way-too-early mock draft on Monday and has him projected to go 7th overall to the Detroit Tigers.

Perfect Game's Projected Top 10 Picks

No. 1: (LAA) SS Brendan Lawson, Florida
No. 2: (KC) SS Dylan Seward, Norco (HS)
No. 3: (COL) OF Landon Hairston, Arizona State
No. 4: (NYM) SS Carter Hadnot, Aquinas (HS)
No. 5: (A’s) LHP Connor Salerno, Sun Valley (HS)
No. 6: (CIN) LHP Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State
No. 7: (DET) C/OF Gavin Kelly, West Virginia
No. 8: (BAL) SS Chase Fuller, Lincoln (HS)
No. 9: (TOR) LHP Dylan Volantis, Texas
No. 10: (SF) Dax Whitney, Oregon State

How high can Gavin Kelly climb before next summer?

It’s 100% possible that Kelly could end up being the first player taken in next year‘s draft. There are already some baseball analysts who believe he is worthy of that honor, and assuming he puts together another stellar campaign in 2027, he will certainly be in that conversation for whoever wins the draft lottery.

It is rare for a catcher to hit for average, hit for power, and also be able to play another position at a high level like Kelly can. There may be some organizations that believe he would be better suited as a middle infielder, which would save some wear and tear on his knees, allowing him to be a prolific hitter for a longer period of time.

Regardless of where he lands positionally, there is little to no doubt that he will continue to hit at a high level and quickly rise through the minor-league ranks, very much like JJ Wetherholt did with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Although Kelly hit 19 homers this past season, much of that came in the last month and a half or so of the season. If that power surge carries into the start of next year, he could put up some crazy power totals.

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