Appel continues to prove why he is the safest and most polished pick in this draft. He is 6-1 with a 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 81 K/20 BB over 79 innings on the season. His 7.9 innings-per-start show the kind of workhorse he will be at the next level. His effortless delivery, coupled with his large frame (6’-5”, 220 pounds), allows him to go deep into games. His fastball reaches the upper-90s with ease and he has a plus swing-and-miss slider, an above-average change-up with late fade and will also mix in a cutter. His size, repertoire and mound presence is very similar to Justin Verlander.
2. Minnesota Twins – Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (GA)
The Twins can go with a player, who despite his age, has very few holes to his game. The 6’-1”, 180-pound right-hander has often drawn comparisons to Justin Upton because of his all-around play. He is hitting .566 this season with 14 doubles, 46 runs, 18 RBI and a .663 OBP over 24 games batting form the leadoff spot. He is a perfect 28-for-28 in stolen base attempts and has struck out just once. The power is there already despite having hit only one home run this season. He simply isn’t getting anything to hit from opposing pitchers but has been patient enough to take what they are giving him without chasing balls away. He is also a dominant pitcher as he has struck out 78 batters over 39 innings.
3. Seattle Mariners – Mike Zunino, C, Florida
This seems like a perfect destination for Zunino, a 6’-3”, 225-pound right-hander who excels on both sides of the field. With the Mariners having some of the top pitching prospects in baseball in Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, Zunino would give them a great signal caller and a strong defensive presence behind the plate. He also can hit the tar out of a baseball, something the Mariners always seem to need. He was named the SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore last season, hitting .371 with 19 home runs and 67 RBI. Over 44 games this season, he is hitting .335 with 18 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBI for one of the top teams in the nation. Should be a quick riser to the show and a clubhouse leader from day one.
4. Baltimore Orioles – Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)
The Orioles are the surprise of the young baseball season so far, and with an excited fan base growing, the organization can add to that by selecting the player with the highest ceiling in this draft. Giolito is a 6’-6”, 220-pound right-hander whose fastball can reach triple-digits. His curveball and slider are already above-average pitches with plus potential. He also mixes in a change-up and split-finger to keep hitters off balance. The injury to his elbow isn’t serious, and he is being shut down merely as a precaution. A future rotation with Dylan Bundy and Giolito at the top could change the landscape of the AL East and help bring Baltimore back to it’s prominence of the 1970s and early ’80s.
5. Kansas City Royals – Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francisco
The Royals can add the best available pitcher in Zimmer, a 6’-3”, 225-pound flamethrower who is still relatively new to pitching. A converted infielder who never pitched in high school, he has become one of the best power/control pitchers in the country. Through 11 starts, he has a 2.71 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 85 K/13 BB over 76.1 innings for the Dons. His fastball can reach 98 mph and he has been clocked at 94 mph deep into games, showing great durability. Zimmer also features a power curve that projects to a wipe-out pitch at the next level. His slider is above average, his change-up is still developing, and he has excellent command of all four pitches. Huge upside.
6. Chicago Cubs – Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU
The Cubs need all kind of help. Their offense has many holes, but with young prospects like Javier Baez, Daniel Vogelbach, Anthony Rizzo, Brett Jackson, Matthew Szczur, among others, the bats are on their way. Their depth of pitching in the minors, however, is shockingly bad. Aside from Dillon Maples, who has yet to begin his pro career, and Nick Struck, Trey McNutt and Ben Wells, the starting pitching is sparse. Gausman would give them a frontline starter who should be a quick riser to the majors. At 6’-5” and 200 pounds, he uses his size, and upper-90s fastball to blow away hitters, while also having great control of his pitches. His change-up has late, fading action and should be an above-average pitch, while his breaking ball is still developing.
7. San Diego Padres – Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)
The Padres could always use a bat but would be hard pressed to pass on the best left-hander available in the draft. Fried, a teammate of Giolito, has shown the ability to be a leader and put a team on his back in the absence of his star teammate as Harvard-Westlake is currently the number-five ranked team in the country by ESPN. He is 6-1 on the season with 83 strikeouts over 50.1 innings and has held opponents to a .162 batting average. His fastball can hit 94 mph with late sink, his change-up projects to plus and his curveball is arguably the best in the draft, regardless of class.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates – Walker Weickel, RHP, Olympia HS (FL)
The 6’-6”, right-hander is 10-0 on the season with a 1.47 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 55 innings for the number-one ranked team in the country by ESPN. His delivery is downhill and deceptive with his fastball touching 94 mph and his low-70s curveball and low-80s change-up both project to plus offerings. He is a big game pitcher who went 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 12 K/2 BB over 13.1 innings for gold-medal winning U18 Team USA at the Pan Am Championships this past fall. With top prospects Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon both pitching like future aces this season, Weickel would give them another power arm at the top of their rotation in a few years.
9. Miami Marlins – Lance McCullers, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL)
In his 11th start of the season, McCullers finally allowed an earned run. He is now 11-0 and sports a 0.12 ERA over 58.1 innings with 107 K/18 BB while only allowing 16 hits. His fastball has been legendary since he hit 96 mph on the radar gun as a sophomore, and it currently can touch triple-digits. The one knock on him coming into this season was his command. Over his first three years, he had walked 50 batters over 77 innings for a 5.9 walk per nine inning ratio. His 2.8 walks per nine innings this year show the improvements he has made in that area. Along with his fastball, he also features a knee-buckling curveball and a slider that projects to plus. He has a feel and poise for the game not seen in many players his age, which could be in the genes as his father, Lance McCullers, was a seven-year major league veteran.
10. Colorado Rockies – Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (PR)
Correa is a defensive whiz at shortstop, but his size (6’-4”, 190 pounds) may force a move to third base. A line-drive hitter with extremely quick wrists, many believe his doubles will turn into home runs as he fills out. An exciting player whose potential is sky high. Is committed to Vanderbilt, which is always a tough sign.
11. Oakland Athletics – Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State
Billy Beane hasn’t selected a high school player in the first round in over a decade. He doesn’t take many risks and landing the best defensive shortstop in the draft here would be as safe a pick there is. Marrero, a 6’-1”, 200-pound right-hander was the Pac-10 defensive Player of the Year last season and is on track to claim the award again this season. He can also handle the bat and set an ASU record by hitting .397 his freshman season to go along with 43 RBI. This season, he is hitting .280 with six doubles, four triples, three home runs, 23 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He has a great approach at the plate as he has only struck out 66 times over 536 career at-bats.
12. New York Mets – David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (AL)
Dahl is one of the purest hitters in the draft, as well as one of the most gifted athletes. The 6’-2” left-hander’s game reminds some of the Angels’ Mike Trout. As a junior at Oak Mountain High, Dahl batted .449 with 18 doubles, three triples and two home runs while driving in 29 runs. He struck out only 10 times in 118 at bats, posted a .703 slugging percentage, .493 on-base percentage and hit .488 with runners in scoring position. He then joined U18 Team USA and hit .364 with 11 runs, nine RBI and seven stolen bases batting leadoff, while also playing flawless defense for the gold medal winners. More power will come as he matures, and he has one of the highest ceilings in the draft
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