Draft 2012: Max Fried, Walker Weickel, Christian Walker, Mike Zunino

Max Fried, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), Pitcher, 6-4, L/L, UCLA The top high school lefthander in the draft, Fried's top pitch is his curveball, however he can also reach 94 on his fastball. He was 7-3 with 100 strikeouts in 69.2 innings pitched at Montclair Prep. Several mock drafts have Fried as the second high school pitcher chosen and the fourth pitcher overall. Expect Fried to go among the Top 10 selections. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/-8V2A0MeEeGkPgAmVebEWg/maxpreps-top-10-mlb-draft-prospects.htm  

Walker Weickel — 6’-6”, RHP, Olympia HS (FL)  With his long frame and pitching over the top, Weickel’s delivery is downhill and deceptive. His fastball hits 94 mph and should generate more velocity as he matures. With both his low-70s curveball and low-80s change-up projecting as plus pitches, he is one of the top arms in the draft. Another standout performer at the Pan Am Championships, he went 2-0 0.66 ERA with 12 K/2 BB over 13.1 innings for gold medal winning Team USA. Could find his way in the top-10 with another strong senior season. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

1B Christian Walker School: South Carolina  Cl.: Junior, Ht.: 6-0, Wt.: 220  Hometown.: Limerick, Pa. High school: Kennedy-Kenrick  Walker’s stock as a prospect continues to rise, but his status as a college baseball player has been excellent for the past couple of seasons. Walker is a solid defender at first base and has a consistent bat. In 2011, Walker hit .358 with 10 home runs and 62 RBIs. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6498

We continue the countdown today at number 2 with Florida junior catcher Mike Zunino. The 6’2 220 pound backstop from Cape Coral, Florida attended Mariner High School playing under Steve Larsen. As a senior, he hit .464 with 43 hits, 37 RBI, 12 home runs and nine doubles while leading the team to the district title. He was selected by Oakland Athletics in the 30th round but decided to attend Florida. Zunino’s freshman season saw him play in 52 games (51 behind the plate) while hitting .267 with 41 RBI, 31 runs, nine homers and seven doubles. He was selected to Baseball America’s Freshman All-American Team and was a member of the SEC’s All-Freshman Team http://ht.ly/1h12Zz