2012 Draft: - Top 25 Third Basemen in Draft

1)      Trey Williams –

6-11-10: -

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb  Trey Williams, 3B, Valencia HS, Calif.: The son of former first-round pick Eddie Williams is a strong right-handed hitter with legitimate power potential.

Ranked #5 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation  http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

6-10-11 from http://www.draftsite.com/mlb/mock-draft/2012 - 4  Kansas City Trey Williams 3rd   Valencia High School (CA) 6' 1" 210

6-11-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks#/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks/page/11     - (Trey) Williams had some pretty big shoes to fill this past season. He took over shortstop duties from 2011 draftee Christian Lopes, who transferred to Edison High. Williams never missed a beat, however, and had a stellar season. It was his sophomore season, however, that gave birth to the "legend of Trey Williams," as the Los Angeles Daily News called it. It all began on April 30th, in a game against Valencia's arch-rival. Williams had blistered them for five home runs in the previous two games, so with the bases loaded and a four-run lead, rival West Ranch decided to intentionally walk Williams, giving up one run instead of facing the risk of giving up four. The result of the "legend" is that Williams is now widely considered the top high school hitter available in the 2012 draft class. So much of the love for him stems from his physicality. At 6'2" and 205 pounds, he has the body of a guy who could be playing pro ball right now. His coach, Jared Snyder, had this to say about Williams: "He's just a free, caring, humble, hard-working kid, so focused with the all intangibles, and he's so good with kids, and that's what makes him so spectacular—the way he handles kids and approaches them. My 5-year-old daughter has a newspaper picture of him taped up, and my 7-year-old son idolizes him. I try to teach my son how to hit, and he says he wants Trey to show him instead. I'm dead serious." Rival coach Casey Burrill offered this: "He hit six home runs against us in three games, what would you do? You must be nuts if you think we're going to let it happen again. Trey Williams will not see a pitch from West Ranch this season. He has a chance to be the best major leaguer ever to come out of the Santa Clarita Valley. He has all five tools. He's missing nothing." Williams has a commitment to Pepperdine, but not too many guys eschew the MLB draft for Pepperdine—especially when a multi-million dollar signing bonus is calling.

7-9-11: - http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com   -  The son of former first-round pick Ed Williams, Trey is a true 5-tool player at 3rd Base. He is as physically gifted a baseball player as there is and he compliments it with a great hitting approach at the plate. He already has a plus hit tool and shows monster power to all fields. Williams hit a towering opposite field home run in game action at PG National and he should have no trouble adjusting to wood bats as a pro. He has average speed but has quick reactions in the field and grades out as plus at the hot corner with at the very least an above-average arm. I believe he has the upside of a more athletic Mark Texeira when he was drafted and the Pepperdine commit should be drafted within the top 10 picks of the 2012 draft

7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com - 6. Oakland Athletics Trey Williams 3B Valencia High School California Oakland has a top 5 team ERA.  Now the A’s just need to get some bats in their farm system.  Oakland needs a long term shortstop and Trey Williams may be the future for the Oakland Athletics at 3rd base.

2)      Joey Gallo –

6-24-10: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com/2010/06/sneak-peak-2012-high-school-top-ten.html  -  After watching the Junior National Showcase at Tropicana Field. Here is my top ten list for the class of 2012. - 5. Joey Gallo- 3B/RHP, Bishop Gorman HS

Ranked #13 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation  http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

6-10-11 from http://www.draftsite.com/mlb/mock-draft/2012 - 15  Cincinnati Joey Gallo 3rd   Bishop Gorman High School (NV) 6' 5" 205

6-21-11: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/high-school/2011/06/fulmer-shows-big-arm-at-tos-day-one - - Joey Gallo of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas, seems to be coming around with the bat and showed off his strength by using an inside-out swing to hit a ball to the warning track. He also made a couple of nice plays at third base ranging to his left and starting a double play.

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman HS, Las Vegas, NV 6’4 200 L/R, has pop in his bat, long swing with alley power to RF & LF, needs to shorten swing and get better plate discipline, ML arm strength, also pitches, has adequate fielding skills to stick at 1b in pro ball. Long term project.

8-16-11: - http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com  -  Joey Gallo is one of the premier prep bats in the 2012 draft class out of Bishop Gorman High in Nevada. He is an imposing figure at the plate with a left-handed swing that provides easy power to all fields. He has a smooth swing and puts on fireworks displays when he takes batting practice. Joey's new highlight of his career was when he hit a home run that traveled 442 feet at the Perfect Game All-American Classic that earned him MVP honors. It was the longest homer ever at the All-American Classic and the 10th longest homer ever hit at the Padres' Petco Park. Gallo also shows solid actions at 3rd Base and is very athletic for a guy his size. He has a plus arm that fires bullets across the diamond. That arm is also helpful on the mound where he is consistently in the low 90's with his fastball and tops out at 94. Gallo also has the makings of an above-average curveball and decent change-up. He can struggle with quality off speed offerings at times while batting although the bat does stay through the zone long in his swing and he should become more adept at hitting secondary offerings at the next level. I consider Gallo to be a better position prospect right now, although some teams may see his big body and 94 MPH fastball and want to put him on the hill.

3)      Rio Ruiz –

6-24-10: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com/2010/06/sneak-peak-2012-high-school-top-ten.html  -  After watching the Junior National Showcase at Tropicana Field. Here is my top ten list for the class of 2012. - 10. Rio Ruiz- 3B, Bishop Amat HS

Ranked #23 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation  http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

6-10-11 from http://www.draftsite.com/mlb/mock-draft/2012 - 25  Milwaukee Rio Ruiz 3rd   Bishop Amat Memorial High School (CA) 6' 2" 200

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Rio Ruiz, Bishop Amat HS, Covina CA, 6’2 195 L/R, smooth hitter with alley power, sound hitting approach and discipline, ML arm strength and good actions with glove to his left, runs well once underway, not a burner, but may steal a base on occasion, could be a 1-3 rounder in 2012.

8-12-11: - http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=290 - Other position players I have been interested in were Rio Ruiz and he once again showed that he can hit and is going to hit.  He hit a ball that looked to be a sure home run to right field but at Blair Field, that was just a BFO... Blair Field Out.  Almost any other park in America and it was a home run.  I see pro hitter written all over Ruiz. 

8-25-11: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com - This summer I went to the National Showcase, Prospect Classic, and the Under Armour All-American Game. Here is my updated top 50 HS prospects. - 16. Rio Ruiz- OF, Bishop Amat HS

4)      David Thompson –

Ranked #70 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation  http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

6-10-11 from http://www.draftsite.com/mlb/mock-draft/2012 - 7  San Diego David Thompson 3rd   Westminster Christian School (FL)  

5)      Jayce Boyd:

6)      Cory Oswalt:

Ranked #58 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation  http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

7)      Cody Regis –

Ranked #82 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation  http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

8)      Fernando Perez –

Ranked #93 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation  http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

9)      Jake Lamb –

Ranked #102 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation - http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

10)   Patrick Wisdom –

Ranked #124 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation - http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

11)   Carson Kelly –

Ranked #129 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation - http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

12)   Dylan LaVelle –

Ranked #160 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation - http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

13)   Micah Johnson –

Ranked #182 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation - http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

14)   Willie Schwanke –

Ranked #183 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation - http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

15)   Cade Kreuter

Ranked #193 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation - http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft

16)   Danny Canela

6-23-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com - North Carolina State SO 3B Danny Canela | .267/.349/.443 – 17 BB/26 K – 131 AB - This may be a little bit of a cheat seeing how Canela’s likeliest defensive home at the next level is probably behind the plate, but a little bit of creative licensing gets him the job at the hot corner on our list. He is probably talented enough to play at least average defense at either position, but his, shall we say, “compact” 5-10, 230 pound frame gives him the look of a future pro backstop. Canela’s signature tool is probably his raw arm strength – no surprise considering his two defensive positions – but his quick bat and power upside are nearly as appealing positives.

17)   Wes Tranckino:

7-1-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/06/30/wes-tranckino-2012-draft-profile - Player:  Wes Tranckino  Position:  3B  School:  Edmond Memorial HS, OK  Date Of Birth:  7/31/1993  Height/Weight:  6’2/195  Bats/Throws:  R/R  Class Of:  2012   Scouting Report: Wes Tranckino is one of the top high school hitters in Oklahoma.  Tranckino has a smooth swing with good bat speed.  He makes solid contact and has power to all fields. Tranckino is a solid defender at third.  He moves well and has good hands

18)   Matt Reynolds:

7-9-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6002 - Matt Reynolds, 3B, Arkansas - Reynolds didn't enjoy the season that his teammate Dominic Ficociello did at the University of Arkansas statistically, but he still proved to be plenty productive at the plate. For Team USA, he showed good actions at third base with a strong arm, and making a nice charging, bare-handed play against Team Japan. Reynolds also showed good bat speed at the plate, drilling a long single to right-center in the first game played on Friday.

19)   Janzen Witte:

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Janzen Witte, TCU, 6’1 195, R/R, quick bat with occ HR power, throws well, good glove to left and runs well once underway. Comes to play!

20)   JJ Altobelli:

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - JJ Altobelli, Oregon, 6’1 190, R/R, good bloodlines, good hitting approach, contact guy with occ power the other way, throws well, ave ML arm with carry and good insincts as fielder. 4-7 round type guy.

21)   Jake Miller:

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Jake Miller, Baylor, 6’2 185, R/R, good build and strength, solid ML arm, shows solid bat speed with occ power to LF alley, 13-20 round type guy.

22)   Seth Mejias-Bream:

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Seth Mejias-Bream, Arizona, 6’2 205, R/R, solid hitter, puts the ball in play, has strength for HR power once he learns to lift the ball to LF alley, playable arm, 45, and glove 45, runs fair, 4.4 runner at best straight away.

23)   Mitch Delfino:

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Mitch Delfino, Cal, 6’3 210, R/R, strong player with average HR power, 15 type HR power, throws well, goes to either side of glove well enough to stick at 3B or move to 1b in future. 8-12 type round draft.

24)   JT Chargois:

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - JT Chargois, Rice, 6’3 200, S/R, strong hitter with contact ability to hit 280 at ML level, occ power to LF alley, goes the other way, could be a surprise for 2012 as he’s made adjustments with new bats and appears to handle the wood bat well. Throws well enough to stick at 3b or play 1b, both positions he’s played in college.

25)   Daniel Robertson:

8-12-11: - http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=290 - I think in time 3rd baseman Daniel Robertson (6'0" 185, R/R, Upland, CA) will develop into a pro 3rd baseman but that likely will happen during his college years.  Robertson has the tools to be a plus defender and he has enough talent with the bat to suggest he can hit for some average and some power, enough to project him as an everyday 3rd baseman at the pro level.  He just tends to lack consistency.