Byron Buxton, Appling County
(Baxley, Ga.), Outfield, 6-1, R/R, Georgia The only position player to get any
consideration as the No. 1 pick so far among the mock drafts, Buxton's stock
has risen considerably since last season. Regarded as a five-tool outfielder
with great speed and a strong arm, he is also an outstanding all-around
athlete, making the Georgia AA All-State Team as a defensive back. Most drafts
have Buxton going among the top five picks. He is the top outfielder on the
board and he will likely be the first or second position player chosen overall.
http://www.maxpreps.com/news/-8V2A0MeEeGkPgAmVebEWg/maxpreps-top-10-mlb-draft-prospects.htm
Trey Williams —
6’-1”, 3B, Valencia HS (CA) Williams is one of the best hitters in the draft,
regardless of age. Has exceptional bat speed which allows the ball to jump off
his bat. Tremendous power to all fields, he was once walked with the bases
loaded as a sophomore. In 182 at bats over the last two seasons, he has hit 19
home runs, rarely getting a pitch to hit. Also a standout defensively at third
where his strong arm and footwork will allow him to stay at the position in the
major leagues. Without many holes to his game, he falls under the “can’t miss”
category and is regarded as one of the safest picks in the draft. His father,
Eddie Williams, played 10 season in the major leagues and was the fourth
overall pick by the Mets in 1983. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/
2B LJ Mazzilli School:
Connecticut Cl.: Junior, Ht.: 6-1, Wt.: 190 Hometown.: Greenwich, Conn. High school: IMG
Pendleton School Mazzilli was hampered
at times last season with an injury, but enters 2012 with a full head of steam
and high expectations. The talented two-bagger is a solid defender and has a
good bat. In 2011, he batted .338 with 23 doubles, three home runs and 32 RBIs.
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6498
Chris Taylor is
a shortstop with a strong arm and he can be moved around the field to play
either third as well as in the outfield. He has a very solid arm for a
shortstop, but can use another year in college to help develop the batting
portion of his game. He had 41 strike outs and 77 hits in 256 at bats for last
season. His OBP for 2011 was .378 and he is also fast enough to get a stolen
base. He had 10 in the 2011 season. Draft Projection: Taylor can go in the top
three rounds of this draft and be a good young impact player for a team needing
a shortstop or a third baseman with a strong arm. He's not a well know player,
so he can most likely go past three rounds ending up as a valuable steal in the
draft. http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/3165
Lucas Sims — 6’-2”, RHP,
Brookwood HS (GA) - Sims has one of the liveliest arms in the draft. His
fastball can touch 98 mph, and his 12-6 hammer curve can be filthy at times.
His change-up is still developing and his control needs to be more consistent
but his potential will land him in the first round. Went 4-1 with a 2.38 ERA
with 52 strikeouts over 32 innings as a junior in 2011. Has a bulldog mentality
on the mound, attacking hitters without fear. Could be a dynamite closer down
the road. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/
Victor Roache /
Georgia Southern / OF: Roache’s game is about power and bat speed. He has rare amounts of those two qualities and that
allows him to launch some majestic home runs. He is still a fairly raw prospect
for a college junior but that has both positives and negatives. Roache wasn’t
heavily recruited out of high school and he hasn’t gotten much exposure to high
quality instruction. So he has perhaps more upside and growth left in his game
than you’d expect for someone this age. Roache actually improved (particularly
some polish in his swing mechanics) from the time I saw him earlier in the
summer to when I attended games later in the season. My biggest concern with
Roache is where his body ends up. He’s already a thick 6-1 at 225 lbs with a
large lower half. While he’s fairly athletic for that size now, he’s already in
an outfield corner and will have to stay on top of his body. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720
We continue the countdown today at number 10 with
junior RHP Kurt Heyer from Arizona. He is 6’2
and 196 pounds from Huntington Beach California and attended Edison High School
where he played under Steve Lambright. As a senior, he had an 11-3 record with
a 0.84 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 100 innings bringing the team to the CIF
Championship game against Capistrano Valley. He picked up several awards
including being named All-CIF First Team, 2009 EA Sports Second Team
All-American and a league Pitcher of the Year. He decided to attend college at
Arizona where he made an immediate impact on the Wildcats program becoming the
team’s Friday night starter. He made 17 appearances (16 starts) as he had a 7-4
record with a team low 3.26 ERA in 102.0 innings. He ended up striking out 109
batters while walking only 29. Batters also struggled against him as they only
hit .255. He was named to the Pac-10 All-League team while being named an
All-American from Baseball America. He was also named a Freshman All-American
by Collegiate Baseball. http://ht.ly/1gPrUJ
Seth Mejias-Bream:
7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Seth Mejias-Bream, Arizona, 6’2 205, R/R, solid hitter, puts the ball in play, has strength for HR power once he learns to lift the ball to LF alley, playable arm, 45, and glove 45, runs fair, 4.4 runner at best straight away.
Fernelys Sanchez:
8-15-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/8/14/2362719/2011-under-armour-all-america-game-top-10-prospects - 2011 Under Armour All America Game Top 10 Prospects - 9. Fernelys Sanchez 2012 OF 6'3 192 New York, NY George Washington - Sanchez got hit in the back to end the game but did very much to impress me in the game. He is very fast, top of the scale speed. He has a very good arm and has a projectable bat. He could be the best prospect in this game if he fulfills his potential.
Kayden Porter:
8-15-11: - http://www.draftsite.com/article/High-School-Names-to-Know/94 - Kayden Porter –RHP/1B - HT – 6’5’’ WT – 240 LBS Spanish fork HS (UT) -Porter is ridiculously built for a high school kid and an impressive athlete. On the mound he uses his intimidating presence to blast mid 90’s heat. But his real potential may lie at the plate. This summer Porter was invited to compete at the Triple A All-Star game homerun derby and he didn’t just do it for a story. In the first round he blasted 13 bombs and hit one 474 feet; eventually he would make it all the way to the finals falling short but he showed what he could do. His performance got everyone so amped up that one publication asked if he was the next Bryce Harper. He used a metal bat in the event but the talent is true and he has shown himself as someone to watch.
Travis Jankowski
8-17-11: - http://collegebaseball360.com/2011/08/16/jankowski-named-cape-cod-baseball-mvp - - Bourne’s General Manager Mike Carrier said thankfully Jankowski scored a chance on the Cape because a former Brave’s assistant was working with Jankowski at Stony Brook. When current field manager, Harvey Shapiro, started calling around looking for good players, he found the 6-2, 190 pound outfielder. The ballplayer from Lancaster, Penn., played well from start to finish. The numbers do not lie. He was made a Cape League All-Star for the Western Division because of it. Jankowski finished one of the top ten hitters and base stealers in the league. He batted .326 with 22 RBIs, 60 hits, 35 runs and a .444 OBP.
Lucas Sims:
7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Lucas Sims, Brookwood HS, Lawrenceville GA, 6’2 195, strong bodied righty with arm strength, ran fb up to 92, most were 89-90, some middle in life, most were straight and hittable from H 3/4 slot, crosses body, showed bite on slide/cb piece that still in development stage, control was ok, some ability to develop at the next level.
Cameron Strickland:
6-30-11: - http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=268 - Cameron Strickland, OF/C, 2013, Knoxville, TN - Diamond - Simcox (Midwest Team) - The 6'2/175 pound Strickland is well put-together and has an outstanding frame for added weight and strength gains. Strickland couples a live arm, with near-plus speed and a knack for hitting. Strickland has outstanding experience on big stages playing for a loaded powerhouse high school like Farragut, and playing up at the 18U level during summer ball in the leadoff spot for Diamond-Simcox based out of Tennessee.
Adam Westmoreland:
6-20-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series#/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series/page/9 - After Walker, there is a significant drop-off in talent, but one of the guys who will be the most intriguing to keep an eye on is 6'7", 270-pound LHP Adam Westmoreland. Westmoreland was South Carolina’s Mr. Baseball back in 2008 and was drafted by the Dodgers in the 35th-round that same year. After a solid freshman campaign, Westmoreland tore his elbow ligament in his pitching arm just before the 2010 season began. He missed the entire season after having Tommy John surgery and was forced to redshirt. He struggled when he finally did get back on the mound this season, posting a 5.77 ERA in 11 games, nine of which were starts. He pitched only 34.1 innings and had some issues with his command, posting a 26:18 K:BB ratio. He also hit three batters and issued two more wild pitches.
Marcus Stroman:
7-9-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6002 - Marcus Stroman, RHP/IF, Duke - Entering the day recording 16 of the 20 outs via strikeout, Stroman was arguably the most exciting player on the Collegiate National Team. He generates unusual 93-94 mph velocity for a 5-foot-9, 175-pound athlete that also has served as an infielder at both the high school and college levels. His nasty low-80s slider is also a plus pitch, and after he was named the ACC Freshman of the Year for Duke in 2010, he went on to be named a Cape All-Star last summer by recording 11 saves in 11 chances for the Orleans Firebirds. Stroman earned high praise at the 2008 National Showcase for his five-tool potential and electric arm on the mound, and received MVP honors for Team USA in the series against Team Japan.
Lucas Giolito:
7-11-11: - http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com/ - At 6'7" Lucas Giolito has projectability written all over him. When you see that he already reaches 96 MPH with his fastball and has room to add on 25-30 pounds to his frame, you understand why he is considered one of the top prep prospects for the 2012 Draft. Giolito has a smooth delivery and has taken great strides in repeating it. He also features a power 12-6 curveball that has plus potential and an improving change that features depth and could also be a plus pitch. His command could use some work and he could incorporate his lower half more to help maintain his mechanics. He threw a no-hitter in the spring and it will be interesting to see how he fares with Team USA 18U squad in the fall. No 2012 prep pitcher has more upside than Lucas Giolito and he is definitely one of the top follows over the next year.
Lucas Sims:
7-11-11 via Twitter: - PerfectGameUSA - Perfect Game USA - 2012 RHP Lucas Sims(GA) up to 94 mph in first innings at 17U #wwba
Michael Wacha:
6-20-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series#/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series/page/7 - It might seem like A&M is the biggest surprise team, aside from maybe Cal, to make it into the final field of eight, but when you take into account the fact that they have arguably the top 2012 draft prospect in RHP Michael Wacha, it doesn’t seem that odd after all. What’s even harder to comprehend is how major league teams could have missed on Wacha when he was coming out of high school. He went undrafted, despite having an ideal frame (6'6", 180 lbs) and great athleticism (three-year letter-winner in basketball). It’s not likely that teams will miss on him in 2012, when he’s projected to be a first-round pick and potentially a top-10 selection.
Lucas Giolito:
7-5-11: - http://diamondscapescouting.com/articles_2011_summercircuit_prospectclassic_07042011.html - Lucas Giolito (rhp, Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City, Calif.) broke out last summer with a high velo showing at the Area Code Games and has maintained momentum through the start of this summer scouting season. The physical righty followed two strong Tournament of Stars showings with a scoreless inning against the USA Collegiate Team, sitting 93-95 mph with life and dropping a hard 80-82 mph 12-to-6 curve into the mix. Giolito is still working to repeat his mechanics, keeping things slow and deliberate while ticking off his checkpoints. While he will still hit patches where he struggles to command, he is generally keeping a consistent arm slot and release point. Giolito profiles as one of the top follows for next year's draft, and possesses the frame and stuff to draw top five overall interest.
Lucas Sims:
7-5-11 via twitter: - PerfectGameUSA Perfect Game USA - '12 RHP Lucas Sims sitting 93-95 mph with his fastball at 18U WWBA http://t.co/ah6XVMo
Victor Roache:
7-6-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/07/05/july-5th-cape-cod-baseball-league-recap/#more-37170 Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) went 3-3 with three runs scored, three RBI, and a solo homer as he led the Kettleers to a 11-2 victory over the Bourne Braves.
Nick Williams:
7-4-11: - http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com/2011/07/nick-williams-draft-profile.html - Williams has drawn numerous comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr. and Daryl Strawberry thanks to his potential for five plus to plus-plus tools. He burst onto the scene after his sophomore season when he hit four home runs in one game at the WWBA 16-and-under National Championship Tournament, all on off-speed pitches. He also was the 2010 Power Showcase runner-up as he displayed his plus-plus raw power to all fields. Williams keeps his hands back nicely with good hand-eye coordination and should be a .300 hitter at the next level. With plus speed and an arm that can reach 90 MPH from the outfield, Williams is an athlete that GM's can dream on. If he can put it all together Nick Williams has the potential to be one of the elite players in the Major Leagues.
