Draft 13 – Wesley Jones, Cody Thomas, Nick Longhi, Kent Emanuel, Mark Appel

Wesley Jones, SS, Redan HS (GA) - A very good all-around athlete, the 6’-2” right-hander has a strong enough arm (89 mph) and speed (6.90/60) to remain at shortstop. He makes consistent contact and has a very good approach at the plate with developing power. Over his last 10 games, he is hitting .483 with three doubles, two home runs, 18 RBI and has stolen nine bases. He has drawn five walks to just one strikeout for a .615 OBP/.793 SLG. Committed to Georgia. LINK

Cody Thomas, OF, Heritage HS (TX) - The 6’-5”, 220-pound left-handed hitter is most likely going to Oklahoma where he should be the next great Sooner quarterback. However, if a team can woo him away from school with a big enough bonus, they might have a ridiculous talent on their hands. Enormous power and a very good approach at the plate, Thomas is also a very good athlete with surprising speed for his size. He has been absolutely destroying the baseball this season, hitting .487 over 39 games with 16 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs, 54 RBI and has stolen 15 bases. He has also drawn 27 walks for a .592 OBP/1.060 SLG. LINK

Nick Longhi, Venice (Venice, Fla.) - Longhi has helped Venice rank among the top teams in the country this year. Versatile enough to also pitch and play in the outfield, Longhi is a strong defender at first base and possesses a strong arm. Also reportedly has enough power to hit to each field. Will likely go somewhere in the first 10 rounds. LINK

Tar Heel junior Kent Emanuel received ACC Pitcher of the Year honors.  Emanuel, who recently joined Moran in being named a semifinalist for the 2013 Dick Howser Award, owns a 9-3 record and a 2.28 ERA. Emanuel’s 102.2 innings pitched leads all ACC pitchers, and he is currently tied for the league lead in wins. The Woodstock, Ga., native owns a three-year record of 26-8 as a collegiate pitcher. Emanuel is the third UNC student-athlete to earn ACC Pitcher of the Year honors since the award was established in 2005. LINK

Mark Appel, P, Stanford 0% - Hear me out here. I DO think he will sign. The question is when and how. There is a question about how much leverage Appel has. I'd be scared to take him because he has too much leverage. Whatever team takes him will rely on him for their entire draft. He has no deadline to sign while everyone else that they take will, other than college seniors. That means you can't go over slot with any other picks, because you don't know where your budget is. LINK

Draft 13 – Matt McPhearson, Kris Bryant, DJ Snelton, Carlos Salazar, Mark Appel

Matt McPhearson, OF, Riverdale Baptist HS (MD) - The 6’-0” left-hander has plus/plus speed and should develop at least gap power with a chance for more. He has very good bat speed and an advanced approach at the plate. Over 17 games this season, he has stolen 20 bases while battling a nagging hamstring injury. He has also posted a .603 OBP, drawing 14 walks to six strikeouts. His speed is his best asset, however, and he has the defensive skill set to remain in centerfield and be a table-setter on offense. If he is available when the Cubs pick at 41, he could be a nice sign as the Cubs don’t have much depth at leadoff-type burners in their system. Committed to Miami. link

Dan Kirby‏ @DanMKirby

San Diego 3B Kris Bryant has more HR (22) and BB (55) than the Minnesota Twins (16 HR, 54 BB) ... in far less at-bats.

Any reports in DJ Snelton and where he could be drafted?  - Jim Callis: I think Snelton, a Minnesota LHP, he’ll go in the 5th-10th round range. He strained his elbow and got a late start to the season, but he’s a 6-foot-7 lefty who gets good extension in his delivery. He can touch 95 mph, throws a decent slider and changeup. Scouts don’t love his arm action. link

Carlos Salazar, RHP, Kerman HS (CA) - Salazar put on quite the show Friday, allowing just one hit over seven shutout innings. He also struck out a career-high 19 batters and didn’t issue a walk. He now has 44 K/3 BB over his last 20 innings and, for the season, has yet to allow a run over 62 innings with 123 K/21 BB and just 16 hits allowed. The 6’-3” right-hander has a plus fastball that sits in the 91-93 range with late life. The most impressive thing about him, however, may be his continued work on his command. After allowing 6.4 BB/9 as a junior, he has cut that number down to 2.9 this season. Committed to Fresno State. link

 

Mark Appel has been here before. The Stanford ace was the potential top pick a year ago, but he ended up sliding to the Pirates at No. 8. He opted to return to school for his senior year and has arguably been the most consistent performer in this year's Draft class. After his win against Arizona State on Friday, he's 8-3 with a 1.56 ERA in 11 starts. In 86 1/3 innings, he has held opponents to a .195 batting average while allowing just 15 walks and striking out 106. link

Draft 13 – Adam Plutko, Brian Navarreto, Kris Bryant, Mark Appel, Akeem Bostick

Adam Plutko, RHP, UCLA - Over his last three starts, the 6’-3” right-hander has tossed 21 scoreless innings, allowing just eight hits. He has also struck out 22 to eight walks over that span. Over 10 starts, he now has a 2.34 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 53 K/18 BB over 65.1 innings. He features an 88-92 mph fastball, a low-80s change that looks plus at times and an upper-70s curveball with nice tailing action.  link

Brian Navarreto, Arlington Country Day HS (FL) - Playing for the same high school as Cubs top prospect Javier Baez, the 6’-4”, 220-pound Navarreto also shares the same fiery personality. A very good defensive catcher, Navarreto has a lot of offensive potential due to his size. He has a very strong, accurate arm with a quick release and has great footwork behind the plate due to his above-average athleticism — he has been clocked at 6.88 in the 60. He hit .512 as a junior with 16 doubles and 12 home runs, showing raw power from the right side. Not as polished as Okey or Martinez, he may have the higher ceiling of the two, but there may be some make up concerns as he recently punched a player in the face during a bench-clearing brawl. Committed to Jacksonville. link

With each retelling, the tale of Kris Bryant’s mammoth home run becomes more Ruthian and Bunyanesque. The ball either cleared the 80-foot light tower in left field at the University of San Diego’s Fowler Park, or was at least even with them before sailing deep into the drizzly, foggy night, probably landing on the football practice field down the hill. Whether it went 500 or 600 feet depends, again, on who was speaking. link

Mark Appel (RHP, Stanford University) - Information: 6’5″, 215 pounds, turns 22 in July, previously selected 1st round (8th overall) by Pirates in 2012 and 15th round by Tigers in 2009. 2013 Stats: 7-3, 1.49 ERA, 10.6 K/9, 1.6 BB/9, and 4 CG in 10 starts and 78.2 IP = Scouting Overview: Appel took a huge risk last summer, declining $3.8MM from the Pittsburgh Pirates after they selected him 8th overall to return to Stanford for his senior season. Appel had been a favorite to go first overall to the Astros last year, but they had instead decided on shortstop Carlos Correa, sending Appel into free-fall thanks to his bonus demands. Bud Selig finally called his name when the Pirates’ selection came around, but Appel refused to accept anything less than the $4.8MM Correa received and he could not agree to terms with Pittsburgh link

Akeem Bostick has plenty of options when it comes to the next step in his athletic career.  The West Florence pitcher draws a large number of Major League scouts every time he takes the hill for the Knights.  With the MLB Amateur Draft coming up this June, Bostick has all the bases covered when it comes to options.  Bostick is expected to be a high selection in the draft link

Draft 13 – Mark Appel, Matthew Krook, Denton Keys, Vince Ceriale, Riley Unroe

Draft 13 – Mark Appel, Matthew Krook, Denton Keys, Vince Ceriale, Riley Unroe

Dan Kirby ‏@DanMKirby 

Mark Appel last 8: 1.38 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 81 K/10 BB over 65.1 IP. Jonathan Gray last 7: 0.49 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, 72 K/6 BB over 55 IP.

        St. Ignatius HS (CA) LHP Matthew Krook: 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 10 K/2 BB. Now has 40 K/14 BB over 24 IP (15 K/9)

        Rye HS (CO) LHP Denton Keys had an off day today: 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 12 K/1 BB. Now has 56 K/4 BB, 4 H, 0 ER over 22 IP (22.9 K/9)

PA: '13 Vince Ceriale pitches (CG, 5 H, 0 BB, 10 K), hits (2-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB) Shipley School to 9-2 win over Friends Select

Riley Unroe, SS, Desert Ridge HS (AZ) - With the defensive abilities to stick at shortstop, including plus speed and a strong arm, the 6’-1” switch-hitter is seeing his stock soar. His bat, however, remains his best tool. Over 29 games for one of the best programs in the country, he is hitting .565 with 14 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and has driven in 59 runs. He has drawn 16 walks to just four strikeouts for a .642 OBP/1.200 SLG. He has also added 22 stolen bases. With his speed, advanced approach at the plate, above-average bat speed and ability to remain at shortstop, his name will be heard early in the 2013 MLB draft. Committed to USC.  link

Draft 13 – Rob Kaminsky, Akeem Bostick, Bobby Wahl, Mark Appel, Adam Plutko

Rob Kaminsky, St. Joseph HS (NJ) - Kaminsky hasn’t had a lot of opportunities this season to show off what he can do — such is the life of a baseball player in the northeast. He has, however, made the best of his three starts, including tossing a no-hitter on April 2, the seventh of his career. He now has 38 strikeouts and has allowed just five hits over 19 innings. He features a low/mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball that some have called the best they have ever seen at the prep level. He also adds an upper-70s change-up that has plus potential. He has a lot of deception in his delivery, which is a testament to his seven no-hitters.  link

Akeem Bostick is a 6’5 185lb RHP from South Carolina. He plays for West Florence as not only a baseball player but as a top WR as well. Here’s a rather unique fun fact he’s also committed to 2 schools Georgia Southern the former home of recent 2012 Draftee Victor Roache of the Brewers and Spartenburg Methodist College which would be a Junior College. Why more prospects don’t do this is beyond me personally and I’m sure there’s a very logical reason to do it and not to do it but for me to have every single door available come draft day is a great idea. He can go to school for 1 year or get a degree from Southern as well as play football and baseball. It’s a great negotiation tactic come draft day and all business aside it really does offer you the chance to take any avenue you feel is best which is always what I’d recommend. link

Kendall Rogers ‏@KendallRogersPG

RHP Bobby Wahl w/ a great outing, striking out eight, allowing 3 H in a CG shutout road win over Tennessee

RHP Mark Appel struck out six, walked two and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in 6 2/3 IP in a 4-3 win over Arizona

UCLA RHP Adam Plutko struck out eight and tossed seven shutout innings on the road in a 1-0 win over Oregon. Pretty impressive outing.

Draft 13 – Nick Hurtado, Mark Appel, Kevin Ziomek, FGCU, Kupitka vs Emanuel

This is really sad news.

Corona High School standout 2010 prospect, LHP Nick Hurtado, passed away last night from complications stemming from his 2010 diagnosis of a cancerous tumor found in his left knee.

-Right now, there is no one in the baseball world questioning #4 Stanford (7-2, 0-0) RHP Mark Appel’s decision to not sign last year with Pittsburgh and come back for his senior year. Last night, Appel throw a three-hit complete game shutout against #25 Texas (6-3, 0-0), 2-0. This raised his last two-game stat line to an amazing 18-IP, 1-ER, 6-H, 25-K, 2-BB. Witnesses said that he was in total command of his three pitches and showed a much more aggressive approach to the plate. He has easily vaulted himself back into the top RHP in the draft, maybe the number one pick overall.

-Pitching performance of the Friday Night has to go out to #3 Vanderbilt’s (10-1, 0-0) RP Kevin Ziomek, who simply overwhelmed Illinois-Chicago (3-4, 0-0). The stat line was crazy: 9.0-IP, CG, 0-R, 1-H, 15-K, 3-BB. This makes for 33 strikeouts in 22 innings this season, 26 of which cam in his last two outings (The weekend starter team of Ziomek, Phillip Pfeifer, and Tyler Beede are now 7-0, giving up 5-ER in 48.0-IP, while striking out 62).

-My Cinderella team, #27 Florida Gulf Coast (6-2, 0-0) won again Friday, beating unranked Manhattan (0-4, 0-0), 6-2. It was junior Ricky Knapp that stepped up again, who had a no-hitter through 4.1 and finished an eight inning outing with 7-Ks, 0-ER, and 3-H. His season ERA is now 0.78 with 16-K and 2-BB in 23-IP. Remember, this is a team that has already swept Florida in a series and may not be tested for quite a while.

The featured game Friday night was #1 North Carolina (8-0, 0-0) visiting #12 Rice (6-3, 0-0). It also featured two future projected first round starters,  the Tar Heels’ junior LHP Kent Emanuel (7.0-IP, 1-ER, 8-H, 5-K, 1-BB) and the Owls junior RHP Austin Kubitza (6.2-IP, 1-ER, 4-H, 9-K, 2-BB). The edge went o Kubitza, though the victory went to Emaneul, 2-1.

2-9-13 – Zac Ryan, Mark Appel, Aaron Hill, DePo on Omar,

VP of Development /Scouting for NYM Paul Depodesta - on Zach Wheeler - "he made huge strides with his CH and being more efficient last yr"

You’ll start seeing posts this month from Adrean H.S.(IN) RHP Zac Ryan who will begin his senior year this month. My buddies over at www.bigleaguefutures.net have him going into this season in the 8-10^th round range, though his verbal commitment to Georgia Tech will weigh heavy on decision day. Ryan has agreed to take us through his senior season so we can all get the feel for what it’s like to be in this position.

Ross Clark asked: Mack, will the inability of the Pirates to sign Mark Appel last year cause him to fall or is he just too good to pass on for the top teams?

Mack – Hey Ross. I don’t think so. First thing first, I don’t think Appel wanted to tie himself down for seven years with the Pirates. I found it surprising that he turned down this kind of money, especially since the new system controls the highs and lows a team can offer you now as a bonus.

In addition, like most front leaders, they fall behind new names that have had big summers in travel and showcase leagues. These have become the true test of prospects. They’re not back in school playing in a weak conference or a small county and the team you’re up against tends to stocked with prospects also. Arkansas’ RHP Ryne Stanek, Indiana State LHP Sean Manaea, Loganvile HS (GA) OF Clint Frazier, and Grayson HS (GA) OF Austin Meadows are just getting all the press now.

Appel is still the best right hand throwing pitcher in college baseball. There are General Manager’s in the 8-12 pick range that would give a kidney to have him fall this low.

We’ll see how things fall after this season ends.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed 2B Aaron Hill to a three-year, $35 million contract extension.

Hill had a big year in 2012:  - .302/.360/.522 with 26 home runs, but $11.3mil a year?

Teams are starting to realize they need to lock up their young talent, a la Jon Niese, early so, in the long run, it turns out the be a good deal.

Zone went into yesterday with a past 2012 salary of $75mil, and $82mil+ on the books for 2013, including $5.5mil for Hill.

Don’t be surprised that both Ruben Tejada and Ike Davis go down this path soon.

One other thing… the Diamondbacks now have both 2B and 3B (Martin Prado) signed up long term. Now all they have to do is figure out which one of their top SS prospects (Didi Gegorius, Chris Owings Nick Ahmed) come up and play in 2014.

Andy Martino‏ - @MartinoNYDN

Heard DePodesta on w Duquette and Ferrin, and thought it classy that he went out of way to praise Minaya regime for Tejada, Harvey, Kirk etc. He said farm system was in better shape than people gave credit for, and was right.

          DePo didn’t have to say this. Everybody loves to blame Omar for everything, but when Mets historians look back in 50 years, he’ll come off as one of the progressive General Managers that improved the team he inherited. 


Still looking for new active writers for the 2013 season. Please contact me at: macksmets@gmail.com .

2013 Draft-Notes - Sean Manaea , Brandon Pierce, Mark Appel, Nick Ciuffo, Taylor Sparks

Indiana State junior lefthanded pitcher Sean Manaea has made the full transformation from a little known freshman a couple of seasons ago into one of college baseball's elite starting pitchers and MLB draft prospects. Perhaps we should've seen this coming. Manaea wasn't a highly recruited lefty out of high school, only ranked as one of the top 1,000 national prospects to watch. But he made a huge statement the summer of 2011 when he was the top prospects at the Prospect League, a summer collegiate level. There, he topped out at 93 and attracted plenty of eyeballs for his sophomore season with ISU this past spring. PG

RHP Brandon Pierce, Nebraska -- Pierce entered the spring with some high hopes with the Huskers, but control issues plagued him at times. Pierce put together a very good summer season, making nine appearances and having a 2.45 ERA in 44 innings. He also struck out 30 and walked 15, while teams hit him at a .229 clip. PG

Mark Appel RHP Stanford- I am just not a huge fan of Appel but the arm is full of projection. He commands the zone well with plenty of action from a 3 pitch mix. He finished 2012 with a 10-2 record and a 2.56 e.r.a in 123 IP with 130 K and 30 walks. pinetarpress

Nick Ciuffo  C  Charleston, S.C. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 200. B/T: L/R.  Ciuffo is one of the most complete catchers in the 2013 class. He is an advanced receiver with a feel for the game and has a strong, accurate arm. His lefthanded swing is quick and clean. He uses the whole field and flashes some power to the pull side. He is verbally committed to South Carolina.

Taylor Sparks, 3b/of, Wenatchee (So., UC Irvine): In high school and as a freshman at UC Irvine, Sparks' performance lagged behind his impressive tools, but he may have narrowed the gap this summer after hitting .388/.448/.709 over 134 at-bats, ranking second in the league in batting average and first in home runs with nine. Sparks has a brawny, 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame and power is his best tool. He won the league's home run derby at the all-star game and hit a few balls nearly 450 feet. He has a compact swing but his brute strength allows him to occasionally mis-hit balls and still muscle them through the infield for hits.. http://ht.ly/1m4q1n

The Newport Gulls clinched the New England Collegiate League championship on Aug. 11. Some 10 days later, that title has resulted in an unofficial national championship. http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2012/08/newport-gulls-finish-season-at-no-1.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Patrick Ebert‏ -  Congrats to Indiana State LHP Sean Manaea, our 2012 PG summer collegiate POY

2013 Draft-Notes - Dominic Tiberi, Walter Wijas, Mark Appel, Corey Simpson, Cape Cod Results

Dominic Tiberi, OF, Dublin Coffman HS, Class of 2013 - 6-foot, 189-pound outfield prospect. Registered a 6.87 60-yard dash. From the outfield, the lefty uses long arm action through a high ¾ arm slot. Reaches a top velocity of 79 mph. Shows athletic actions in the field. At the plate, he hits from the right side. Uses a slightly open stance with a short stride. Uses a short, compact swing. Can be a little stiff at times, but generates solid contact with pull power. PBR

Walter Wijas, RHP, Hyannis Harbor Hawks (Kansas) - Reliever mechanics with effort. Long in back arm action and hitters get a good look at the ball early. Primary FB is a 2 seam with strong run and sink. 86-89. Shallow, power cut SL 77 that he showed some confidence in. CU had good drop 84. Kept the ball down well. BB

Player:  Mark Appel -  Position:  RHP   School:  Stanford   Date of Birth:  /15/1991  Height/Weight:  6’5/210  Bats/Throws:  R/R  2013 Class:  Senior  Drafted:  2012, 1st Rd, Pirates  Drafted:  2009, 15th Rd, Tigers Scouting Report: For the report, go to: BLF

Corey Simpson  a 6-foot-3, 220-pound righthanded slugger, stole the show at Blair Field in the first day of one of the premier events on the summer amateur circuit. In four trips to the plate, he went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, leading the Rangers (representing Texas and Louisiana) to a come-from-behind 5-4 win against the Reds (the Four Corners and Hawaii).A first baseman/catcher committed to Houston, Simpson lined a sacrifice fly to center field in the first inning, then drove a fastball into the right-center gap for an RBI double in the third. But he saved his best for last, crushing a towering two-run homer to dead-center on an 89 mph fastball from Ryan Castellani in the eighth. Even college players swinging metal bats seldom hit home runs in spacious Blair Field—to any part of the park—so Simpson's majestic shot to center field with wood drew plenty of oohs and ahhs. http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2012/08/area-code-games-notebook-day-one/  

Kendall Rogers‏ - TAMU commit  Kohl Stewart 92-93 early, 86-87 slider, 85 Chg. Everything hard…

David Rawnsley‏ - RHP Derek Beauprex  - 90-92 in 1st IP, 75 CB, HBP/BB to start but settled down nicely… Sweeny (TX) C/1B Corey Simpson very impressive, 2B to RCF, plus bat speed, very athletic for 6-3/220… reason why I don't like stats for low-level prospects is because how good of a season they are having is irrelevant. Scouts could care less if a player is hitting .350 at Low-A. Scouting is about projecting, not evaluating the current product… Hawaii OF Marcus Doi turns around 91 mph … RHP Casey Shane FB to LF, 101 mph off the bat. Very good hitting prospect… Marcus Doi continues to rake, 3B to RCF, 102 off the bat, serious bat speed.

Aaron Fitt‏ -  SS Eric Garza, a TCU recruit, has made strong 1st impression with speed, athleticism, base running, defense. Brilliant diving play up middle

Todd Gold‏ -  Impressive showing from 2013 RHP Kohl Stewart (Houston, TX). 3 shutout innings, allowed just 1 hit. FB up to 94, nasty SL, promising CH  

In perhaps the most exciting game of the season, featuring 5 lead changes, a homerun record and a dramatic 9th inning blast, the Wareham Gatemen outlasted the Falmouth Commodores; winning 9-8 in the final regular season matchup between the two Western Division rivals  - for all the results - http://www.gatemen.org/

2013 Draft-Notes – Dan Slania, Blake Hickman, Nick Burdi, Mark Appel, Jordan Pacheco

Penn State facing loss of bowl/s and scholarships, but not so-called death penalty

Michael Conforto‏ -  Been a blast on this USA baseball team met so many great guys. Can't wait to compete against them next year

Marco Gonzales‏ -  What a truly life changing experience this has been. Made life long friends, had the time of our lives and won some ball games

Trevor Williams‏ -  USA Baseball its been real and a blessing! Going home with the bronze medal. Cant wait to be home and start training for ASU & Omaha 2013

Colton Plaia‏ -  A dream come true playing for #TeamUSA. Met some great guys. Wish them all the best of luck from here on. Can't wait to play some of them

Ryne Stanek‏ -  It's been a fun summer with this group of guys met good people, made memories, experienced some cool places playing baseball

USA win bronze medal with win over The Netherlands - Marco Gonzales 8.0-IP, 1-R, 6-H, 9-K… DJ Peterson - - 2-4 - Austin Cousino -  1-3, double, BB

Frankie Piliere‏ -  Dan Slania, closer for Cotuit showing a power fastball with big life. Up to 96 so far, sitting 93-95

Nathan Winfrey, a SS from Liberty HS, has committed to Wichita State

 Blake Hickman -  I'm glad I'm going to the University of Iowa for school and for baseball, this is going to be a fun 3 years hopefully get a Big Ten title every year and making history. I thank God for the people in my corner who helped me throughout my life with everything with out y'all i dont know where i would be today. I'm Blessed to have those people and I won't let them down. God Bless! 

Chatham released Pepperdine Jr RHP Scott Frazier & Louisville Soph RHP Nick Burdi

Mark Appel‏ -  Thanks to Pirates for drafting me, their fans, my friends and family for showing support and Stanford for 3 great years! Ready for 1more! So excited to see what God has in store for me in this next chapter in life! Cardinal for 1 more year! 

Jordan Pacheco (Victoria--UTSA) is now 5-1 this summer after picking up the win. He pitched seven shutout innings, allowed just four hits and fanned 8 in his outing.

Draft Notes 5-31-12 – Kevin Gausman, Corey Seager, Tom Murphy, Mark Appel

Kevin Gausman

Kevin Gausman has been through this before. But this time, he's much more prepared, both physically and mentally.  Gausman was a fairly highly regarded prospect as a Colorado high schooler in 2010. But he was a fastball pitcher with poor command, below-average secondary stuff and a rail-thin build. In addition, a commitment to Louisiana State and the fact he'd be eligible for the Draft again in two years made it almost certain that he'd go on to college.

Corey Seager

Corey Seager, 3B, Northwest Cabarrus HS (NC) - Class: HS Senior -  Hometown: Kannapolis, North Carolina   Height/Weight: 6-4/190   Born: April 27, 1994  Seager is the younger brother of Kyle Seager, who is in the midst of a breakout season with the Seattle Mariners. Like his older brother, Corey, has the perfect combination of polish and impressive raw talent.

Kevin Goldstein –

Q - What is the main factor between Carlos Correa and Devin Marrero in your opinion?

A - WAY better hit/power.

                         

Tom Murphy  

The bar for being a productive catcher in the major leagues is low. It's not low in that it's still very, very hard to play baseball at that high a level, but it's lower for catchers than for lots of other positions. Which is why you can re-calibrate expectations for catchers. A guy who profiles with average power at other positions becomes above-average for a catcher. The flip side of that is that a guy who has to move off the position can go from being a great prospect to an average one with one small switch in positions. Why is this relevant? Because Tom Murphy could be one of the best catchers in the draft, but he's not really one of the best hitters. He's got good power, but may not be able to make great contact consistently in the majors. He's good defensively, and has a good chance at sticking with catching in the future.

Mark Appel  

4. Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford - Who he is: There are three big college arms in this draft, and Appel is generally seen as the best. He certainly passes the sniff test, due to a 6-foot-5 power frame and a 93-95 mph fastball that can touch 98. His breaking ball is a bit of a hybrid, but is effective and misses plenty of bats, and his changeup is average. He's excellent, but for some, he lacks the wow factor of a potential 1-1 pick. One scout commented, “The parts are greater than the sum,” as he can be surprisingly hittable at times. Draft skinny: Currently the favorite to go No. 1 to Houston, but not yet a lock. He should get through the minors quickly, but he's also the top prospect being advised by Scott Boras, and teams are unsure as to what those negotiations will be like under the new rules.