Taking a look at some early mock drafts...

[ChaosLex]

Draft#:1

Washington

Stephen Strasburg

Ht/Wt: 6-4/230 lbs

Position:RHP

Drafted From:San Diego State

Draft#:2

Seattle

Dustin Ackley

Ht/Wt: 6-1/190 lbs

Position:CF/1B

Drafted From:UNC

Draft#:3

San Diego

Donovan Tate

Ht/Wt: 6-3/200 lbs

Position:CF

Drafted From:Cartersville HS (GA)

Draft#:4

Pittsburgh

Aaron Crow

Ht/Wt: 6-2/205 lbs

Position:RHP

Drafted From:Fort Worth Cats

Draft#:5

Baltimore

Zach Wheeler

Ht/Wt: 6-4/180 lbs

Position:RHP

Drafted From:East Paulding HS (Ga.)

Draft#:6

San Francisco

Tyler Matzek

Ht/Wt: 6-3/210 lbs

Position:LHP

Drafted From:Capistrano Valley HS (Calif.)

Draft#:7

Atlanta

Shelby Miller

Ht/Wt: 6-4/215 lbs

Position:RHP

Drafted From:Brownwood HS (Tex.)

Draft#:8

Cincinnati

Tanner Scheppers

Ht/Wt: 6-4/200 lbs

Position:RHP

Drafted From:Fresno State

Draft#:9

Detroit

Jacob Turner

Ht/Wt: 6-4/205 lbs

Position:RHP

Drafted From:Westminster Christian Academy (Mo.)

Draft#:10*

Washington

Chad Jenkins

Ht/Wt: 6-4/225 lbs

Position:RHP

Drafted From:Kennesaw State

http://www.mymlbdraft.com/MLB-Mock-Draft-2009

1 Stephen Strasbourg RHP San Diego State WAS

2 Dustin Ackley OF/1B North Carolina State SEA

3 Aaron Crow RHP Ft. Worth Cats SDP

4 Tanner Scheppers RHP St. Paul Saints PIT

Washington and Seattle will simply take the best players available. If I would be able to put the Rays at a specific position in the draft I would definitely have put them at the two! I would have even said that they should draft Ackley over Strasbourg with the first pick because of two reasons: 1st: MONEY (25 mio. or more for a draftee, even Strasbourg?), 2nd: Hitters are safer bets than pitchers!

I think the Padres and Pirates will go the a bit cheaper route but still with legit talent (but not the Tony Sanchez's of the world). Crow and Scheppers shouldn't be THAT expensive at the 3 and 4 and they both have at least the same upside as any other pitcher not named Strasbourg, while Scheppers injury risk scares me a bit.

5 Tyler Matzek LHP Capistrano Valley HS BAL

6 Donovan Tate OF Cartersville HS SFG

7 Zach Wheeler RHP East Paulding HS ATL

8 Jacob Turner RHP Westminster Christian Academy CIN

9 Matt Purke LHP Klein HS DET

These 5 picks (5-9) are all taken as the best talent available. All of them - maybe with the exception of Zach Wheeler - will be very expensive, but Baltimore, San Francisco and especially Detroit don`t shy away from that. I'm somehow glad that the Rays don't pick in this area as prep pitchers are always the most gambles, but this are the best players available here!

10 Mike Trout OF Milville HS WAS

11 Alex White RHP North Carolina State U. COL

12 Grant Green SS USC KAN

13 Kyle Gibson RHP Missouri OAK

14 Shelby Miller RHP Brownwood HS TEX

15 Mike Leake RHP Arizona State U. CLE

Mike Trout is not as expensive as Alex White or Grant Green, but has ton of upside --> good match for Washington here! The Rockies prefer college players and Alex White is the surest bet here. Grant Green was linked to the Royals heavily (So .. He is not there because of me as I still don't like him that high as he has tons of question marks). Kyle Gibson has recently had problems with his arm. He would have been my selection for the Pirates, otherwise. The A's will be glad if he falls to them. Shelby Miller fits in the high upside prep arm policy of the Rangers and Cleveland simply takes the best player available with Mike Leake!

http://mvn.com/theraysparty/2009/06/the-rays-party-mock-draft.html

1 Washington Nationals Stephen Strasburg, RHP

2 Seattle Mariners Dustin Ackley, CF/1B

3 San Diego Padres Donovan Tate, CF

4 Pittsburgh Pirates Aaron Crow, RHP

5 Baltimore Orioles Tyler Matzek, LHP

6 San Francisco Giants Tanner Scheppers, RHP

7 Atlanta Braves Zach Wheeler, RHP

8 Cincinnati Reds Alex White, RHP

9 Detroit Tigers Shelby Miller, RHP

10 Washington Nationals Jacob Turner, RHP

http://birdswatcher.com/2009/06/06/mlb-2009-mock-draft/

1 Nationals Stephen Strasburg RHP NCAA

2 Mariners Dustin Ackley 1B NCAA

3 Padres Mike Minor LHP NCAA

4 Pirates Kyle Gibson RHP NCAA

5 Orioles Aaron Crow RHP Independent

6 Giants Zack Wheeler RHP High School

7 Braves Tyler Matzek LHP High School

8 Reds Tanner Scheppers RHP Independent

9 Tigers Jacob Turner RHP High School

10 Nationals Chad Jenkins RHP NCAA

http://www.5tooltalk.com/mockdraft.html

1) Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State

2) Mariners: Dustin Ackley, OF, North Carolina

3) Padres: Aaron Crow, RHP, Fort Worth Cats

4) Pirates: Tyler Matzek, LHP, California HS

5) Orioles: Zach Wheeler, RHP, Georgia HS

6) Giants: Jacob Turner, RHP, Missouri HS

7) Braves: Alex White, RHP, North Carolina

8) Reds: Mike Leake, RHP, Arizona State

9) Tigers: Grant Green, SS, USC

10) Nationals: Chad Jenkins, RHP, Kennesaw State

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/6/6/900982/mock-draft-first-round

1. Washington Nationals – Stephen Strasburg – RHP – San Diego State

2. Seattle Mariners – Dustin Ackley – 1B/OF – North Carolina

3. San Diego Padres – Donovan Tate – OF – Cartersville HS, GA

4. Pittsburgh Pirates – Aaron Crow – RHP – Missouri/Indy League

5. Baltimore Orioles – Zach Wheeler – RHP – East Paulding HS, GA

6. San Francisco Giants - Tanner Scheppers – RHP – Fresno St./Indy League

7. Atlanta Braves – Tyler Matzek – LHP – Capistrano Valley HS, CA

8. Cincinnati Reds - Shelby Miller – RHP – Brownwood HS, TX

9. Detroit Tigers - Jacob Turner – RHP – Westminster Christian Academy HS, MO

10. Washington Nationals - Chad Jenkins – RHP – Kennesaw St.

http://classic17.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/mlb-mock-draft/

[ChaosLex]

1. Washington Nationals – Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State (RHP) Junior

2. Seattle Mariners- Dustin Ackley, UNC (1B/CF)

3. San Diego Padres- Aaron Crow, Fort Worth Cats (RHP)

4. Pittsburgh Pirates- Donovan Tate, Cartersville HS (OF)

5. Baltimore Orioles- Tyler Matzek, Capistrano Valley HS (LHP)

6. San Fransisco Giants- Alex White, UNC (RHP)

7. Atlanta Braves- Tanner Scheppers, Fresno State (RHP)

8. Cincinnati Reds- Kyle Gibson, Missouri (RHP)

9. Detroit Tigers- Jacob Turner, Westminster Christian Academy HS (RHP)

10. *Washington Nationals- Grant Green, USC (SS)

http://flagrantfouls.com/2009/06/mlb-mock-draft-30-final-mock/

1st Overall - The Washington Nationals

Stephen Strasburg (RHP), San Diego State

Previous Mock: Same

Strasburg has remained at the top of the draft for the entire season and has posted one of the greatest pitching seasons in college baseball. Strasburg has a strong pitchers build, with a fastball that sits in the high 90’s, touching 100 on occasions. His fastball has good movement on it as well. He keeps his velocity deep into games, and his command is solid. He also has two other quality pitches in his changeup and his slider. He has great command over his stuff and has a great mound presence. However, there are some red flags coming up on Strasburg recently, mainly in his mechanics and pitching motion. Driveline Mechanics did a study on Strasburg, and found his mechanics to be troubling. The comparison that they came up with was of Mark Prior, which isn’t a great comp to pull up. They predict that he’ll probably lose velocity in time, and eventually have to have a major shoulder injury. Overall, he could probably start now in the majors and would likely begin the season in the Nationals rotation in 2010 after they’ve delayed his free agency. The Nationals have all but said he’s there guy, so now the negotiations with Scott Boras figure to be the fodder for columnists talking about the greed of MLB Draft, as opposed to the NFL Draft (even though the contract of Matthew Stafford alone will dwarf the combined amount Texas, Boston, and Both New York Teams will spend on the draft.)

2nd Overall - The Seattle Mariners

Dustin Ackley (CF/1B), North Carolina

Previous Mock: Alex White (RHP), North Carolina

Ackley is all but a lock as the second overall pick, as he’s been by far the best hitter in college baseball. Ackley has got excellent plate discipline and speed, all the while showing some considerable power this season. The major question with Ackley was whether or not he was capable of playing centerfield, as he was recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Those questions were answered as Ackley began appearing in center at the end of the year, where he showed the range and speed to play center. His arm should be average, though reports are that it wasn’t much to begin with. He would be a 20/20 guy as a left fielder, but a borderline star in center field.

3rd Overall - The San Diego Padres

Donovan Tate (CF), Georgia High School

Previous Mock: Dustin Ackley (CF/1B), North Carolina

There has been a lot of smoke in terms of Tate going to San Diego, due to San Diego lacking impact talent and the fact that Grady Fuson is very much enamored with Tate’s potential. Tate has all the tools to be a five tool talent in centerfield. He’s got great speed, great power potential and superb athleticism. Many believe that he could become a superstar centerfielder, the likes of which the Pirates have never had before. There are three large problems with Tate. The first is that he’s extremely raw, and thus has a lot of risk. Second, his agent is Scott Boras, who reportedly wants Tate to have a huge contract. Lastly, he’s committed to North Carolina, not only to baseball, but also to play football, giving him more leverage. The other option here could be San Diego deciding to pick Aaron Crow, who could rise quickly through the system Tentatively, we’ll go with Tate, who would give the Padres not only a high ceiling talent, but if they fail to sign him, would allow for them to have two first round picks next year.

4th Overall - The Pittsburgh Pirates

Tony Sanchez ©, Boston College

Previous Mock: Aaron Crow (RHP), Fort Worth Cats

According to John Perlotto, it looks like the Pirates may wind up punting on this pick, though for a different reason than past Pirates drafts. The Pirates may try to save some money on their first round pick this year in order to offer more of a bonus to Miguel Sano, the top international talent from the Dominican. Right now, it looks like the Pirates will be taking Tony Sanchez, from what buzz is being tossed about by Keith Law. In my opinion, that would be an incredible overdraft. Sanchez is a solid defender with great power potential, and the ability to take a walk. However, he also won’t hit for a high average and will probably strike out quite a bit. In other words, consider him similar to Mike Napoli. At the very worst, Sanchez would make an excellent backup. Which is NOT what you want with the fourth overall pick, but the Pirates are up to something and are likely pooling their resources for something bigger, be it the international market or some slot busting in the lower rounds.

5th Overall - The Baltimore Orioles

Aaron Crow (RHP), Fort Worth Cats

Previous Mock: Donovan Tate (CF), Georgia High School

The big winner would be the Orioles, who in this scenario benefit from the Pirates’ thriftiness and get one of the top arms in this draft not named Strasburg. Crow showed some rust early on, but has come on as of late, and shown that his stuff is still there. I’ve used to think that his delivery makes him a ticking time bomb, but he does repeat the delivery well. The success of pitchers like Tim Lincecum has made it a bit easier to take a shot on guys with unusual deliveries. Crow has great stuff. He throws a fastball with good movement that clocks in the high 90’s. He couples it with a bastard slider and a changeup that rates around average. He pounds the strike zone, but his command is a bit off because of his funky delivery. Still, the tools are there for him to be a potential big leaguer, possibly a good two, or even a one if the changeup and command improve. This is a borderline steal here.

6th Overall - The San Francisco Giants

Grant Green (SS), USC

Previous Mock: Tyler Matzek (LHP), California High School

The Giants have been connected with several prep arms, but reportedly, they prefer a bat, being connected with Tim Wheeler. That’s a bit of an overdraft, but with Grant Green still on the board, and still regarded to be the second best positional player, why not slide him here. As a hitter, Green shows a good swing, some power, and average plate discipline. His fielding has been the real concern, as Green has at times shown the potential of being a excellent defender with good range and soft hands. However, he’s also shown he can be god-awful this season, which creates further questions to his stock. He’s a capable athlete, and it’s possible he could transition to centerfield. However, there is risk to that, and that hasn’t been the Padres M.O. this season. Since there is considerable smoke here from Keith Law and Baseball America, I’m going with the Green pick here, though if I really had to make a choice here, I personally would pick one of the college starters.

7th Overall - The Atlanta Braves

Zach Wheeler (RHP), Georgia High School

Previous Mock: Same

Zack Wheeler is a power pitcher that ranks among the elite of the prep pitchers in this draft. Wheeler throws in he low 90’s, touching 96 at times, with good life. He has a curveball that is a plus pitch. He also has a changeup, but it’s crude and needs work. He’s got some kink to his delivery, but he repeats it well and could be smoothed over a bit to make it work. However, he’s got projection and his delivery really isn’t all that bad. All in all, he could be an excellent pitcher in time. It’s a toss up between Miller, Matzek and Wheeler here. I’ll say that the Braves go with the local kid here, though this could go either way.

8th Overall - The Cincinnati Reds

Tyler Matzek (LHP), California High School

Previous Mock: Shelby Miller (RHP), Texas High School

At this point, the Reds are probably doing backflips at this point. Matzek is arguably the top prep pitcher in the draft, interchangeable with Shelby Miller or Zach Wheeler. At six three, he shows lots of projection, but already has three pitches that project to be above average pitches. He throws around 92, and has touched 98 several times in the past couple of weeks, all while mixing in a curveball that is a borderline plus pitch. He also shows a solid slider and an idea of a changeup. Overall, he’s a solid young pitcher that is fairly polished and should rise rather quickly. This is the lowest I expect him to go.

9th Overall - The Detroit Tigers

Jacob Turner (RHP), Missouri High School

Previous Mock: Tanner Scheppers (RHP), St. Paul Saints

This is a tough pick to decide on, as the Tigers need to decide if they are going to continue trying to contend with their current group or blowing it up and starting over. The Tigers typically favor power prospects, so the choice is narrowed here to the top college starter left (White), the top independent arm (Tanner Scheppers), and the top two remaining prep prospects, Shelby Miller and Jacob Turner. In my opinion, the Tigers will probably go with Turner, who has been touching 98 on his fastball in his most recent outings. He’s got the power frame to support the fastball, and also has a curveball and a changeup that project to be above average. He’s got solid command and a nice, easy delivery. If they really want to continue possible ideas of contention, they’ll probably pop Scheppers, though Scheppers hasn’t pitched enough to make me comfortable picking him here.

10th Overall - The Washington Nationals (Compensation For Aaron Crow)

Chad Jenkins (RHP), Kennesaw State

Previous Mock: Kyle Gibson (RHP), Missouri

There’s also been a lot of smoke signals stating not only that the Nats might go signability, but they are looking for someone close to the majors. A lot of those signals, in particular Keith Law, have fingered Jenkins as that guy. Jenkins is a guy built like a barrel that throws a sinker that clocks in the low 90’s. He couples it with a good slider and a changeup that is straight as an arrow. He’s a bit raw and there is some kink to his delivery, due to his working at a smaller school. However, he could be a middle of the rotation horse that could be durable as hell. If he gets popped here, he’ll likely sign quickly, with the Nationals hoping to fast track him for him to combine with Jordan Zimmerman and Strasburg.

http://morisato.realsportsbloggers.com/

[waroriole]

http://flagrantfouls.com/2009/06/mlb-mock-draft-30-final-mock/

http://morisato.realsportsbloggers.com/

I love the description of Crow's slider.

[QBsILLEST1]

This is the first place Ive read that said Zack Wheeler will take a lot of money to sign, I know he is probably committed to college, but I still had never heard it would take much to pry him away. Maybe the guy who did the mock was getting Wheeler mixed up with Turner, I definately used to.....

[PaulFolk]

Lex, thanks for putting so much effort into this. I didn't realize there were so many mock drafts out there. It's very helpful to have them all compiled into one place.

[ChaosLex]

Lex, thanks for putting so much effort into this. I didn't realize there were so many mock drafts out there. It's very helpful to have them all compiled into one place.

It was my pleasure, Paul.

[ChaosLex]

Speaking of the draft, is it only on the MLB Network? Or will ESPN and/or ESPN2 also have coverage?

I don't get the MLB Network, so I'm a little worried.

[LookinUp]

Speaking of the draft, is it only on the MLB Network? Or will ESPN and/or ESPN2 also have coverage?

I don't get the MLB Network, so I'm a little worried.

It's on ESPN.