Mock Draft Discussion Picks 1-20

[Stotle]

The first 2/3rds of the 1st Mock Draft have been completed. Here are the results:

1. TAM (McNulty) -- Beckham, T. (Griffin HS (GA), SS

2. PIT (Markpolis) -- Alvarez, P. (Vanderbilt), 3b

3. KAN (Greg) -- Crow, A. (Missouri), SP

4. BAL (Pete) -- Matusz, B. (San Diego), SP

5. SFN (Stotle) -- Posey, B. (Florida State), C

6. FLA (Furry) -- Hosmer, E. (American Heritage HS (FL)), 1b

7. CIN (AllStar) -- Beckham, G. (Georgia), SS

8. CHA (McNulty) -- Smoak, J. (South Carolina), 1b

9. WAS (Markpolis) -- Skipworth, K. (Patriot HS (CA)), C

10. HOU (Greg) -- Hunt, S. (Tulane), SP

11. TEX (PeteCanes) -- Alonso, Y. (Miami (FL)), 1b/DH

12. OAK (Stotle) -- Scheppers, T. (Fresno State), SP

13. STL (Furry) -- Martinez, H. (Braddock HS(FL)), 3b

14. MIN (AllStar) -- Melville, T. (Hunt HS(MO)), SP

15. LAN (McNulty) -- Hicks, A. (Wilson HS (CA)), OF/SP

16. MIL (Markpolis) -- Fields, J. (Georgia), RP

17. TOR (Greg) -- Wallace, B. (Arizona State), 1b/OF/DH

18. NYN (PeteCanes) -- Cole, G. (Lutheran HS (CA)), SP

19. CHN (Stotle) -- Friedrich, C. (Eastern Kentucky), SP

20. SEA (Furry) -- Meyer, A. (Greensburg HS(IN)), SP

Quick Hits:

Biggest Reach:

Harold Martinez, #12 STL -- Martinez has fallen off most teams' draft board and likely would have been available for STL to take with their second pick (1S-9, 39th overall)

Biggest Surprise:

Florida taking Hosmer, and his accompanying price tag. Hosmer could be the best bat in the draft, and he will expect to be paid accordingly.

Best Value:

Tim Melville, #14 MIN -- Projected by many to be the top HS arm in the draft and a potential top 10 pick, Melville falls to MIN as the fifth SP taken, overall.

Top Remaining Positional Prospects:

Ethan Martin (Stephens County HS (GA)), SP/3b

Jemile Weeks (Miami (FL)), 2b

Dennis Raben (Miami (FL)), OF

Top Remaining Pitching Prospects:

Ethan Martin (Stephens County HS (GA)), SP/3b

Brett Hunter (Pepperdine), SP

Kyle Lobstein (Coconino HS (AZ)), SP

With that, I open the discussion to the Board. Thoughts on the top 20 picks? Hopefully there is enough interesting discussion to keep us busy for a day or two. I'll schedule the final 10 picks for Monday evening and will post one last discussion thread once the draft is completed. Any questions on the players drafted? Feel free to ask the people who made the selections. I'll post some questions I have later.

Good job on the first 20, all.

[McNulty]

We never got Greg's comments about him taking Brett Wallace. I'd be curious to hear his logic there, especially considering the glut of players that are of his ilk.

[furryburres]

The first 2/3rds of the 1st Mock Draft have been completed. Here are the results:

1. TAM (McNulty) -- Beckham, T. (Griffin HS (GA), SS

2. PIT (Markpolis) -- Alvarez, P. (Vanderbilt), 3b

3. KAN (Greg) -- Crow, A. (Missouri), SP

4. BAL (Pete) -- Matusz, B. (San Diego), SP

5. SFN (Stotle) -- Posey, B. (Florida State), C

6. FLA (Furry) -- Hosmer, E. (American Heritage HS (FL)), 1b

7. CIN (AllStar) -- Beckham, G. (Georgia), SS

8. CHA (McNulty) -- Smoak, J. (South Carolina), 1b

9. WAS (Markpolis) -- Skipworth, K. (Patriot HS (CA)), C

10. HOU (Greg) -- Hunt, S. (Tulane), SP

11. TEX (PeteCanes) -- Alonso, Y. (Miami (FL)), 1b/DH

12. OAK (Stotle) -- Scheppers, T. (Fresno State), SP

13. STL (Furry) -- Martinez, H. (Braddock HS(FL)), 3b

14. MIN (AllStar) -- Melville, T. (Hunt HS(MO)), SP

15. LAN (McNulty) -- Hicks, A. (Wilson HS (CA)), OF/SP

16. MIL (Markpolis) -- Fields, J. (Georgia), RP

17. TOR (Greg) -- Wallace, B. (Arizona State), 1b/OF/DH

18. NYN (PeteCanes) -- Cole, G. (Lutheran HS (CA)), SP

19. CHN (Stotle) -- Friedrich, C. (Eastern Kentucky), SP

20. SEA (Furry) -- Meyer, A. (Greensburg HS(IN)), SP

Quick Hits:

Biggest Reach:

Harold Martinez, #12 STL -- Martinez has fallen off most teams' draft board and likely would have been available for STL to take with their second pick (1S-9, 39th overall)

Biggest Surprise:

Florida taking Hosmer, and his accompanying price tag. Hosmer could be the best bat in the draft, and he will expect to be paid accordingly.

Best Value:

Tim Melville, #14 MIN -- Projected by many to be the top HS arm in the draft and a potential top 10 pick, Melville falls to MIN as the fifth SP taken, overall.

Top Remaining Positional Prospects:

Ethan Martin (Stephens County HS (GA)), SP/3b

Jemile Weeks (Miami (FL)), 2b

Dennis Raben (Miami (FL)), OF

Top Remaining Pitching Prospects:

Ethan Martin (Stephens County HS (GA)), SP/3b

Brett Hunter (Pepperdine), SP

Kyle Lobstein (Coconino HS (AZ)), SP

With that, I open the discussion to the Board. Thoughts on the top 20 picks? Hopefully there is enough interesting discussion to keep us busy for a day or two. I'll schedule the final 10 picks for Monday evening and will post one last discussion thread once the draft is completed. Any questions on the players drafted? Feel free to ask the people who made the selections. I'll post some questions I have later.

Good job on the first 20, all.

His potential goes through the roof, and I didn't want to waste the possibilities.

[Greg Pappas]

We never got Greg's comments about him taking Brett Wallace. I'd be curious to hear his logic there, especially considering the glut of players that are of his ilk.

Apologies to all, but I'm on vacation at my sister's, in Wisconsin, and the internet is archaically slow.

My ability to post is somewhat hindered.

My comments must be kept brief, but to the point. Brett Wallace is, at #17, the best player available for the Blue Jays. He fits a need for a 1B, and a strong lefty bat. Wallace projects to be an outstanding ML hitter, offering all the skills to be a quality bat for years to come. He hits for average, power and can take a walk. Think an .865+ OPS 1B, with adequate defense, althoughhis defense is less than desired. He should be one of those guys that commentators refer to as a "professional hitter".

[McNulty]

Apologies to all, but I'm on vacation at my sister's, in Wisconsin, and the internet is archaically slow.

My ability to post is somewhat hindered.

My comments must be kept brief, but to the point. Brett Wallace is, at #17, the best player available for the Blue Jays. He fits a need for a 1B, and a strong lefty bat. Wallace projects to be an outstanding ML hitter, offering all the skills to be a quality bat for years to come. He hits for average, power and can take a walk. Think an .865+ OPS 1B, with adequate defense, althoughhis defense is less than desired. He should be one of those guys that commentators refer to as a "professional hitter".

Sorry to hear about the internet connection, but the reason I asked was because I think some people don't believe he's going to put up big power numbers, which brings into question actually taking a first baseman who's power ceiling isn't all that great.

Personally, I'd rather have David Cooper or the ridiculously big Allan Dykstra.

[allstar1579]

Sorry to hear about the internet connection, but the reason I asked was because I think some people don't believe he's going to put up big power numbers, which brings into question actually taking a first baseman who's power ceiling isn't all that great.

Personally, I'd rather have David Cooper or the ridiculously big Allan Dykstra.

I've also seen predictions that Wallace is a 40HR talent. It's always hard to say when drafting someone because power is something that usually still has to develop in draft prospects.

[Stotle]

His potential goes through the roof, and I didn't want to waste the possibilities.

Eh, but the point is really that he's dropped out of most teams top 50. I think it's unlikely (as of today) that he's gone by pick 39. That means STL could have picked safer at 12 and still ended up with Martinez. It also forces you to give him more money that his performance warrants.

Just my take.

[Greg Pappas]

Sorry to hear about the internet connection, but the reason I asked was because I think some people don't believe he's going to put up big power numbers, which brings into question actually taking a first baseman who's power ceiling isn't all that great.

Personally, I'd rather have David Cooper or the ridiculously big Allan Dykstra.

Wallace has tremendous power and is putting up big power numbers at Arizona State, so any previous concerns about translating his power into production should be alleviated. All indications are that he'll hit and hit with power. His defense is a concern, but his bat can play with just about anyone in the draft. Time will tell of course, but I'm just going by what the most reputable sites have opined.

I love Cooper, and was debating between him and Wallace... but I'm so-so on Dykstra's ability to hit for average. Both good players though.