Draft: From A Rays Blog Perspective:

Rounds 2-4 Candidates

Obviously at this point these are just guys I like and not anyone the Rays have been tied to. This list doesn't include Dane Williams and David Holmberg, the two I took in John Sickels' community mock draft.

RHP Jake Barrett,

Arizona HS: Barrett is big(6'4" 230) with a heavy, power fastball to match. He throws a curveball that he controls well, although he'll need to learn a changeup. His mechanics aren't the greatest and will probably need cleaning up as a pro.

OF Max Walla,

New Mexico HS: Walla's one of the "underscouted" types I like, although he's getting mentioned as underrated so much he might not be anymore. He doesn't have the size that teams covet, but he can hit and he can do it with power.

LHP Robbie Erlin,

California HS: Erlin is the pitching equivalent of Walla. He's small(5'11" 170) but he can pitch. He throws 89-92 to both sides of the plate with a curve he can throw for strikes. The Rays took an undersized pitcher in the 4th round back in 2005: Jeremy Hellickson.

LHP Steve Matz,

New York HS: Matz is probably the top pitching prospect in the northeast, so I'll let my northeast bias show through here. He works in the low-90s but has turned it up top 94 MPH at times. His offspeed stuff needs work.

RHP Pierce Johnson,

Colorado HS: Johnson missed two months of the season with a broken hand, but when he was healthy he was throwing 92-93 with solid offspeed stuff and great mechanics. He's 6'2" and 165 pounds so there's room to grow yet.