Author: rfagan@sportingnews.com (Ryan Fagan)

The first round of the MLB Draft begins at 6 ET Thursday. Here’s who Sporting News projects at No. 1 and the top five baseball prospects.

With the MLB Draft just two days away, here’s our final mock draft.

At this point in the 2016 season, a return to the postseason doesn’t look good.

The 23-year-old outfielder, batting leadoff, hit five homers in back-to-back games in Baltimore last week.

As contenders look for potential midseason trade acquisitions, they’ll first look to out-of-contention teams like the Braves and Reds. Here’s a look at who’s available.

The Braves have already fired Fredi Gonzalez this year. Which manager might be next in line?

The non-waiver trade deadline is still many weeks away, but it’s never too early to look at which teams will be busy as August 1 approaches.

The outfield could be Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Bryce Harper … and the rest of the team is just as good.

Expect the Red Sox, Royals, Blue Jays, White Sox and Mariners to be active before the MLB trade deadline.

The biggest deals might happen closer to the trade deadline, but don’t be surprised to see a couple of impact moves in the next couple weeks.