Draft 2012: Lance McCullers, Tom Murphy, Michael Roth, Lucas Giolito

Lance McCullers — 6’-2”, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL) McCullers has been a hot commodity since hitting 96 mph on the radar gun as a sophomore. Son of the former major leaguer with the same name, he has an electric arm and one of the most powerful arms in the draft. His fastball hits 97 mph with ease. He also has a knee-buckling curve to go along with a plus-slider. Has a feel and poise for the game not seen in many players his age. Also an outstanding hitter but the mound is where he belongs. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

Tom Murphy opened eyes with a strong 2011 season that earned him the Mid-America Conference Player of the Year Award and continued impressing over the summer with an All-Star summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Murphy has a short compact swing with plus raw power.  He also shows good speed for a catcher, recording a 60 time of 6.75 over the summer. His defense is not gold glove quality, but Murphy is solid behind the plate.  He has a slightly above average arm and he has consistent 1.9 pop times. In addition to his skills on the field, Murphy is known for good work ethic and makeup.   He is likely to be chosen in the 2nd or 3rd round of the 2012 MLB Draft. http://mlbdraftguide.com/

We continue the countdown today at number 4 with South Carolina senior LHP Michael Roth. The Greer, South Carolina native attended Riverside High School. He was a member of several teams including 2006 & 2008 South Carolina AAA All-State team, 2006 & 2007 Louisville Slugger High School All-American, 2006 South Carolina AAA Player of the Year, and a 2008 Rawlings Preseason third team All-American. As a freshman in 2009, he made 16 appearances (two starts) while going 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 32 innings of work. He held opponents to a .254 batting average against while striking out 28 batters while walking 13 batters http://ht.ly/1gXFxV

1. Lucas Giolito, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)  - Giolito, a UCLA recruit, is the top prep arm in the class and could land in the top five come June. His arsenal features a plus fastball that brushes the mid-90s, and the velocity comes easy. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1051/top-10-class-of-2012-right-handed-pitchers