MLB Draft Day 1 Recap

Overview:

Yesterday marked Day 1 of the Rule 4 MLB amateur entry draft.  The draft started at 7 P.M. and by the end of the night, the first round and first supplemental round saw their conclusion.  The Pirates had two picks out of the first 60 selections that were made yesterday, number #8 overall and #45 overall.  The first pick was the Pirates natural selection in the first round due to last year's record while the second pick was compensation for losing Ryan Doumit to the Twins.  With that #8 selection, the Pirates picked Stanford pitcher Mark Appel.  The #45 selection was used to nab Texas Tech outfielder Barrett Barnes.

MLB Mock Draft 2.0

It's almost here.  The Draft is upon us.  Here's my final mock draft.





#1 - Houston Astros
Kyle Zimmer

Position: P
School: San Francisco
Throws: R; Bats: R
Measurables: 6'3, 210
DOB: 09/13/1991

The Astros are going through a transition time.  They have a new general manager and will be moving from the National League Central to the American League East.  Luckily, they have the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft to help restock an improving farm system.  Unlike some years – notably 2009 and 2010 – there is no clear best player in this year’s draft.  With the door wide open, pitcher Kyle Zimmer has all the qualifications to step through that opening.  Standing at 6’4 and weighing 220 lbs, Zimmer has prototypical size.  Zimmer is also an excellent athlete.  On the mound, Zimmer can bring premium heat, with a fastball that sits in the mid 90’s and can touch 99.  A curveball that is almost as good compliments the heater and Zimmer rounds out his arsenal with a potential plus changeup.  As a total product, Zimmer offers a very good floor and very good upside, which is a good combination to procure with the #1 overall pick.

Early MLB Draft Big Board

For more on the 2012 MLB Draft click here.

Earlier, I posted my early 2012 MLB mock draft.The thing about a mock draft is it doesn't accurately portray the author's ranking of draft-eligible talent.  My mock draft was no different, as I tried mto predict how the draft would actually pan out based on several factors, including organizational philosophies and consensus talent perception.  To explain that last bit, I offer an example involving ASU SS Deven Marrero.  MLB.com has him as their #3 draft prospect and for me he barely fits inside my top 10.  Speaking of top 10, that's what I'll be posting including brief reasoning of 'why' for each player.

Early MLB Mock Draft

For more on the 2012 MLB Draft click here.

Update: Click here for my "Big Board" featuring my personal top 10 draft prospects.

The first edition of my MLB mock draft for 2012.  I will produce a few more editions over the next several months leading up to June so check back for more.  Also, check out this link for more on the MLB draft 2012. I tried to make this mock draft as realistic as possible.  To do so, I strove to avoid a mistake that I often see in mock draft and that frustrates me.  Most mock drafts focus on specific holes on the major league squad (which is better) and base the list off of that that.  I believe teams rarely, if ever, do that in actual drafts, and so instead I'll be trying to formulate my mock draft based upon organizational philosophy and the general shape of a farm system, with a major focus on best player available. I also did not put an emphasis on the effect the new CBA will have on college vs. high school players being drafted.  I think that effect will be minimal in the first round.