2012 Draft – Taylore Cherry, Wyatt Mathisen, Cody Poteet, Mark Appel

27. Taylore Cherry — 6’-9”, RHP, Vandalia Butler HS (OH)  Cherry can get his fastball up to 98 mph thanks, in most part, to his 6’-9” frame. His delivery is easy and fluid, and he looks like he could pitch a doubleheader without tiring. Went 6-1 with a 1.38 ERA and 94 K over 56 innings as a junior, earning him Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the state of Ohio. Both his curve and change-up look to be above-average pitches at the major-league level, and his durability is something all teams will covet. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class  7. Wyatt Mathisen, C, Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas)  Mathisen could shoot up the draft boards with a strong senior season after impressing on the summer circuit. His arm strength grades as above average and scouts raved about his accuracy. He offers quick wrists and a sound approach at the plate. There's raw power there, too, but Mathisen's draft stock will be tied to both his bat and his future behind the dish. This Texas Longhorns commit could be considered as early as the second round in June’s draft.

Cody Poteet, 6’-1”, RHP, Christian HS (CA) The Padres have one of the better farm systems in baseball, pitching depth being their best asset. Poteet is seen as undersized by some scouts, but his arm strength leaves little concern. He can crank his fastball up to 96 mph, and his hard mid-70s curve is one of the best in the country. His change-up is still developing but is very deceptive at times and projects to an above-average offering. He has an easy delivery and is very aggressive on the mound, attacking hitters with superb command. He keeps the ball down, showing good signs of a  ground-ball pitcher. Has been a member of Team USA since he was 14.  http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/2012-mlb-mock-draft-3-0-now-with-supplemental-picks/16253/

Mark Appel / Stanford / RHP: Appel is getting some strong early consideration for the top pick in the draft. The Stanford right-hander played an abbreviated Cape season as he pitched out of the bullpen for the Team USA Collegiate National Team. Appel had impressed me when pitching for Team USA so I was excited to watch him pitch again. I caught him at his best for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox on July 27th. Appel gave up 3 runs in a losing effort, but hit 98 mph and struck 12 batters in 6 IP while walking none. He is a big, athletic kid with a free and easy delivery. With about a billion scouts in attendance (+/- five scouts) Appel showed a tremendous slider that features both strong horizontal and vertical break. He threw strikes in the lower half of the zone with his fastball and his change up also had its moments. Hitters were overmatched all day and Appel racked up swings and misses on all his pitches. Appel had an up and down year overall but more days like this could see him in an Astros uniform in July. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720