Draft 2012: Byron Buxton, Devon Travis, Wilfredo Rodriguez, Christian Walker

3. Byron Buxton, OF, BR/TR, Appling County HS, Baxley, GA - Prior to each year's draft, baseball publications and websites shower the term "five plus-tools" on numerous prospects. In reality, a player who possesses five plus-tools is extremely rare. Buxton is an exception. Swift and graceful, he races down the line in a blazing 3.93 seconds. Buxton's exceptional speed and promising arm combine to make him an outstanding defensive centerfielder. Blessed with a loose, whippy swing, Buxton projects to hit for both average and power as he fills into his lanky, 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/highschool/02/13/baseball.top.10.prospects/index.html#ixzz1mJYi8Rky  

Florida State JR 2B Devon Travis - Travis does everything well. Great athlete, excellent defensive instincts, plus speed, strong arm, and a pro-ready leadoff approach to hitting. I think his upside is that of a viable big league starter at second. The biggest concern I have comes down to what worries me about any second base prospect: in the event his bat isn’t strong enough to handle regular at bats, can he add value at any other position on the diamond? Florida State’s infield is excellent, so there hasn’t been the need to try Travis at anywhere besides second. If he can hold down the fort on the left side of the infield, his overall stock is upgraded due to the boost in his projected floor (utility infielder).  http://baseballdraftreport.com/

10. Wilfredo Rodriguez, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (Gurabo, Puerto Rico) - Rodriguez has good feet, running many 60s in under seven seconds, which is good for a catcher. He has good arm strength, is very accurate and his footwork is also solid. His swing is simple and produces line drives, but he does bar his front arm and has a difficult time with good pitches on the outer half. He's signed on at Seminole State College. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1148/stryker-trahan-is-nation%E2%80%99s-best-backstop

There were some lean moments in the middle of the season when Christian Walker struggled to get on base. He wasn’t striking out, though, but a few skeptics wanted to see Nick Ebert back in the lineup. Tanner had none of that and Walker’s average began to climb again against Ole Miss. He finished the season as the team’s third-leading hitter with a .327 average and nine home runs. The biggest of those nine came in Myrtle Beach in the Super Regional against Coastal Carolina. The blast, which traveled out of the stadium, helped propel the Gamecocks to the College World Series and eventually the first of two national titles. http://southcarolina.247sports.com/Article/Surpassing-Expectations-61859