Predictions Time

[Greg Pappas]

Rays - T. Beckham

Pirates - Alvarez

Royals - Smoak

Orioles - Matusz

The Royals take Smoak ahead of us because like us they need help at 1B and Smoak is more ML ready than Hosmer...

Very real possibility.

[McNulty]

I'm not going to rehash all the possibles for the top 5, because you've all hit on them pretty well, but I think I'm going to go ahead and guarantee that the Marlins will take Skipworth. Kevin Goldstein is with me on this one.

[birdsncrabs]

My take...

1 Rays> Buster Posey, C, Florida State

2 Pirates> Tim Beckham, H.S. SS, (GA)

3 Royals> Pedro Alvarez, 3B/1B, Vanderbilt

4 Orioles> Brian Matusz, LHSP, San Diego

[RVAbird]

Here goes...

1 Rays > Buster Posey, C, Florida State

2 Pirates > *Pedro Alvarez, 3B/1B, Vanderbilt

3 Royals > Tim Beckham, H.S. SS, (GA)

4 Orioles > #Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina

5 Giants > Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia

6 Marlins > *Kyle Skipworth, H.S. C, (CA)

7 Reds > *Brian Matusz, LHSP, San Diego

8 White Sox > *Eric Hosmer, H.S. 1B, (FL)

9 Nationals > Aaron Crow, RHSP, Missouri

10 Astros > Shooter Hunt, RHSP, Tulane

...that was hard. I could easily see T. Beckham going 1st, the Royals taking Hosmer or Smoak, the Orioles taking Matusz, and any or all of that completely changing 5-10. I can't wait until tomorrow!

[Stotle]

I'll take a shot

1. Posey

2. Alvarez

3. Hosmer

4. T-Bex

5. Smoak

6. Skipworth

7. Crow

8. Beckham

9. Alonso

10. Matusz

I don't know enough about the draft boards of the 30 teams, so I'll just put who I'd like to get and think will be around for 2-5:

2. James Darnell (3B) University of South Carolina -- potential five-tool 3B that should hit for power. Could be all-star with improved plate discipline (easier said than done).

2. Anthony Hewitt (OF/SS) Salisbury School (Conn.) -- probably will end up in the OF. Great power potential and terrific skill set. Type of player I like to grab before they get to college (he's a good student so it may be tough to sign him)

3. Jordan Danks (OF) University of Texas -- Best collegiate athlete in the draft; if he finds his power stroke he will be a steal.

3. Cody Satterwhite (SP) University of Mississippi -- great stuff; good pitchability. I think he has #2 upside though #3/#4 is probably more likely. Love his approach -- good frame, should not be able to shoulder an ML workload.

4. David Adams (2B) University of Virginia -- Potential 1st round talent with down year; good bet in the field and has a professional approach at the plate. Worth a flier, to me.

4. Anthony Capra (SP) Wichita State University -- Good arsenal and command. Only one year starting; I think he is being undervalued.

5. Mark Sobolewski (3B) University of Miami (FL) -- pay him late first round money if need be -- clean-up hitter in one of the best offenses in the country. Advanced approach at the plate. Pray Miami wins the title to give him one less reason to return (he is only a soph.)

5. Brian Humphries (OF) Granite Hills High School (Calif.) -- give him a little extra to keep him away from Pepperdine. Plus speed and shaky defense with potential plus-power. I think he ends up a top talent in three years if he heads to Pepperdine.

[McNulty]

1 Rays > Buster Posey, C, Florida State

2 Pirates > *Pedro Alvarez, 3B/1B, Vanderbilt

3 Royals > *Eric Hosmer, H.S. 1B, (FL)

4 Orioles > Tim Beckham, H.S. SS, (GA)

5 Giants > #Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina

6 Marlins > *Kyle Skipworth, H.S. C, (CA)

7 Reds > Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia

8 White Sox > Yonder Alonso, 1B, Miami

9 Nationals > *Brian Matusz, LHSP, San Diego

10 Astros > Aaron Crow, RHSP, Missouri

Didn't see anyone with this exact scenario so I'm throwing it out there.

[PlumOriole]

I'll go with

1. Tampa - Posey

2. Pittsburgh - Alvarez

3. KC - Hosmer

4. Baltimore - T. Beckham

TBex is a good choice if he is still there but taking a HS player this high makes me nervous and I really don't want to wait 5 years for ML results. I'd probably feel better if KC took TBex and we took Smoak but this is how I see things playing out. If Matusz is the 4th pick, Stotle and Gregg have pointed out some very interesting field prospects for the later rounds that would excite me if they became Orioles.

[LookinUp]

I have two predictions. First, there's no way that Pitt and KC both pass on Alvarez. Second, Milwaukee will take Tanner Scheppers with one of their supplemental picks, if he even makes it that far.

[eb45]

Think:

1. Tampa Bay: Buster Posey, C, Florida St.

2. Pittsburgh: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt

3. Kansas City: Tim Beckham, SS, Georgia HS

4. Baltimore: Brian Matusz, SP, San Diego

Hope (realistically):

1. Tampa Bay: Buster Posey, C, Florida St.

2. Pittsburgh: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt

3. Kansas City: Brian Matusz, SP, San Diego

4. Baltimore: Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina

Dread:

1. Tampa Bay: Buster Posey, C, Florida St.

2. Pittsburgh: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt

3. Kansas City: Brian Matusz, SP, San Diego

4. Baltimore: Tim Beckham, SS, Georgia HS

[Greg Pappas]

I'll go with

1. Tampa - Posey

2. Pittsburgh - Alvarez

3. KC - Hosmer

4. Baltimore - T. Beckham

TBex is a good choice if he is still there but taking a HS player this high makes me nervous and I really don't want to wait 5 years for ML results. I'd probably feel better if KC took TBex and we took Smoak but this is how I see things playing out. If Matusz is the 4th pick, Stotle and Gregg have pointed out some very interesting field prospects for the later rounds that would excite me if they became Orioles.

Quite a few believe that those 1st three are exactly how the draft will play out... yet they insist Matusz is ours. It will cause quite the stir if TBeck is passed over in this scenario.

[JTrea81]

Quite a few believe that those 1st three are exactly how the draft will play out... yet they insist Matusz is ours. It will cause quite the stir if TBeck is passed over in this scenario.

Jordan's been bitten twice now with 1st round high school bats in Snyder and Rowell that haven't been worth their draft spot and/or aren't moving as quick as they should. He was rewarded with Wieters a polished college bat just like Smoak. You've got to wonder if that will play into his draft.

Also if we do draft Smoak instead of Beckham, the Orioles can use him as an excuse to bow out of the Teixeira sweepstakes if the bidding gets too high. If he's there I think we'll draft Smoak. He just makes too much sense.

[bej6789]

1. Rays - Buster Posey

2. Pirates - Pedro Alvarez

3. Royals - Eric Hosmer

4. Orioles - Tim Beckham

[hoosiers]

I will go with the following:

1) TB - Posey

2) Pitt - Alvarez

3) KC - TBeck

4) Balt - Matusz

Names I like for the second round include projectable HS pitchers Stovall and Lintz (I doubt Jordan pops a HS pitcher in round 2 though) and Chris Carpenter - Kent State RHP.

Third round - Zach Cone HS OFer, Brad Hand HS LHP and Bobby Bundy HS RHP

[SevisonJN]

1 Rays > Buster Posey, C, Florida State

2 Pirates > *Pedro Alvarez, 3B/1B, Vanderbilt

3 Royals > Brian Matusz P, San Diego

4 Orioles > Tim Beckham, H.S SS

5 Giants > Justin Smoak, IB South Carolina

6 Marlins > *Eric Hosmer, H.S. 1B, (FL)

7 Reds > Aaron Crow, RHSP, Missouri*

8 White Sox > Gordon Beckham SS Georgia

9 Nationals > Kyle Skipworth, C California

10 Astros > Christian Friedrich P

[ELC]

I'll go with the more far out prediction that if they don't pick Smoak they're going hard after Teixeira.