'The Draft Room' - Mack’s Mock Draft v1.0

 

An anonymous poster asked me to put together my first mock. Don’t confuse this with the compilation mocks I do each month. They average all the mocks online and tell you where each player is falling in line that way.

This is me saying picking who I think are the top players, in the order I think they come out as “the best player available”.

We play no favorites here, though it’s tempting when it comes to the Mets.

I’m using the win-loss records at end of day 8-22 as the draft order

Lastly, we have an interview with Kevin Ziomek coming up at noon and quickie scouting reports on five prospects every two hours (don't forget to come back to the Mock Draft and participate in the comment section all day.

With that said, here goes.

1.    Houston Astros – OF – Austin Meadows – Grayson H.S. (GA.) – It is impossible to consider anyone other than Chipper, err… 6-3, 200-pound Austin as the first pick overall.  Last year, he went .390, 4-HR, 28-RBI, and 19-SB. He dropped playing football (punter), but remains committed to Clemson, a school he might visit someday to buy some blue cheese. Has an 87 arm from the outfield and 89 on the mound. 6.31-60. 

     2.    Chicago Cubs – RHSP – Clinton Hollon – Woodford H.S. (KY) – It’s always safer to pick a college starter that has always proved they can handle the pressure, but the overall talent in this draft is dominated the first day coming out of the high schools. IMO, Hollon is the best out there. His fastball comes in at 90-94 (hits 96-97), with a greatly improved 82 slider, and an more exciting 78 changeup. ¾ arm slot, verbally committed to Kentucky. 

     3.    Colorado Rockies – RHSP -  Ryan Stanek – Arkansas - Stanek is the real deal and will stop the flood of high schoolers being picked first. He was a 3^rd round pick (Seattle) in 2010, but passed and has run up impressive stats for Arkansas. His fastball sits 91-95, but does touch 97. There’s also a plus 81-83 curve and he’s one + pitch away from a front starter.  

     4.    Minnesota Twins – C – Jeremy Martinez – Mater Dei H.S. (CA) – This school keeps turning them out; in fact, there might be another player I writer about before the day is up. Martinez is the top catcher in the draft. In fact, he might be the best defensive catcher (pop time 1.87) in 10-years. The right body (5-11, 187), and he has the tools to hit. He just has to develop them. 

     5.      Cleveland Indians – RHSP – Mark Appel – Stanford – Don’t worry. We’ll get back to the high school kids soon, but Cleveland just won’t pass on Appel. It’s going to cost them, but they will get a projected SP1-2 pitcher that could end the year easily in AA.

    
     6.      San Diego Padres – SS – Oscar Mercado – Gaither H.S. (FL) - .370/.461/.506 as a junior, the 6-2, 175 senior is a vacuum cleaner at short. Projects out as a 5-tool player, but it will take some time.




 

    7.    Miami Dolphins – 3B/1B – Kris Bryant – San Diego – I’ve got Bryant lower than he might go. He has the talent and projectability to even go as the first pick overall. 6-5, 215 big dog with projectable 30+ HR power. Needs to beef up and work on plate discipline. Occasional Dave Kingman comparison.

 

    8.    Kansas City Royals – LHSP – Sean Manaea – Indiana State – Manea shined in the summer games and passed Stephen Gonsalves as the top lefty in the draft. Just owned the Cape Cod League (5-1, 1.22, 51.2-IP, 85-K). Easily could go higher.

    9.    Toronto Blue Jays – 3B – Trey Williams – College of the Canyons (CA.) – Williams was one of the top hitting prospects in the 2012 draft, sent all the signs that he wouldn’t sign, was drafted by St. Louis in the 11^th round, passed on signing, signed with Pepperdine, unsigned with Pepperdine, and signed with some place called the College of the Canyons (this guy sounds like trouble) . I thought that was the name of a cheap wine. Anyway, who cares, he’s a big time hitter and freshman eligible.

 

(Note to Mets fans… there are a bunch of excellent pitching prospects still on the board at this point… LHP Stephen Gonsalves, and RHPs Karsten Whitsen, Bobby Wahl, and Ryne Stanek… but, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I’m committed to picked in the order of “best player available” at the time of the pick) 

     10.                      New York Mets – OF – Austin Wilson – Stanford – Wilson is the top college outfielder in the nation. 6-5, 245… was offered a ton of cash in 2010 by St. Louis, but passed. 2012 at Stanford was considered a ‘slump’: .285/.389/.493, 10-HR, 53-RBI, 221-AB, only 44-K, 24-BB. Projects to a 30-100 guy throughout his career. 

    11.                      Philadelphia Phillies – OF-RHSP – Scott Frazier – Pepperdine (note - I might have this kid a too low... frankly, I knew very little about him until he exploded on us this summer). Some, including one of our readers here, have him as the number one player in next June's draft. We need to keep an eye on him.  

     12.                      Milwaukee Brewers – C-1B Zach Collins – American Heritage H.S. (FL) - Zach is a 6-5, 220 behometh that is projected to end up at 1B. 7.08-60... 78-C-to-2B, 1.94 Pop... there's really big power here and whoever drafts this kid gets a projected 30+ home run hitter. Still uncommitted, so we all know what that means :)  

  13.                      Boston Red Sox – RHSP – Dylan Covey – San Diego - Covey is a personal favorite of mine and I'd gladly welcome him as a Met. 2012: 17-G, 6-3, 3.32, 81.1-IP, but only 50-Ks and 43-BB. Highly recruited out of high school. Drafted 14th overall in 2010 by Milwaukee. I look for a big 2012-2013 from Dylan. 

 

  

   14.                      Seattle Mariners – RHSP – Bobby Wahl - Mississippi -

  Bobby is a 6-3, 200 pound righty Friday starter with a 2011-201 stat line of: 7-4, 2.55, 99.0-IP, 104-K. Repertoire includes 92-93 FB that hits 95, an 82-84 slider and a 78-80 changeup. Wahl could step right into AA and his own which makes him particularly attractive to small market teams.

  15.                      Arizona Diamondbacks – C – Reese McGuire – Kentwood H.S. (Wash) -

    another of the great crop of high school catchers this year, McGuire is also known fro his defensive abilities; however, has projectable pop to all fields. Could wind up at 3B. 83mph to 2^nd, 1.84 pop time, 0.69 0-60. Committed to San Diego. 

16.                      Los Angeles Angels – LHSP Stephen Gonsalves – Cathedral Catholic H.S. (CA) -

 

17.                      Los Angeles Dodgers – 1B – Dominic Ficociello - Arkansas

 

18.                      Baltimore Orioles – RHSP – Adam Plutko - UCLA

 

19.                      Pittsburgh Pirates – RHSP – A.J. Vanegas - Stanford

 

20.                      Detroit Tigers – C – Logan Koch – South Mecklenburg H.S. (NC)

 

21.                      St. Louis Cardinals – RHSP Cheyne Bickel – Dwyer H.S. (FL)

 

22.                      Oakland Athletics – LHSP Kevin Ziomek - Vnderbilt

 

23.                      Tampa Bay Rays – LHSP – A.J. Puk – Washington H.S. (AL)

 

24.                      San Francisco Giants – C – Chris Okey – Eustis H.S. (FL)

 

25.                      Chicago White Sox – RHSP – Tom Windle - Minnesota

 

26.                      Atlanta Braves – RHSP –RHSP Karsten Whitson -Florida -

 

27.                      Washington Nationals – 3B – Cavan Biggio – St. Thomas H.S.

 

28.                      Texas Rangers – RHSP – Ryan Deeter - UCLA

 

29.                      New York Yankees – RHSP – Jonathan Crawford -

 

30.                      Cincinnati Reds – OF – Brian Ragira - Stanford