Top 50 Prospects for 2012 Draft - March Edition

[TuckerBlair89]

http://orioles-nation.com/2012/03/26/to ... h-edition/

Thanks to Don for Putting this together. Excellent.

I am really curious to see what happens to Giolito and Roache.
Giolito is getting all the hype, but Roache could shift the draft just as much.

[docjj]

I've seen a few of these guys. I'm no scout, but a few guys stand out to me. I would love Giolito to fall to 4. His injury is not serious. I don't think this will happen however.

Dahl looks like the real deal me. He seems very fast, shows a strong accurate arm, and really hammered the ball at the plate.

Fried did not pitch well his past two games and looked quite hittable. Someone I talked to said his fastball only reached 91 miles an hour and had difficulty with his command. I heard his stock has slid recently. On the other hand, Weickel looked awesome.

Buxton looks the part, but hasn't really faced good competition. In addition the Orioles do not have a good track record of developing tools athletes.

[Old Sneakers]

Good right up in the article. The depressing thing here is that the Orioles pick 4th and then 65th.

Can you blame the front office for looking at international talent? I don't. It would take 50 years if you pinned all hopes to the draft.

Edit had to add more as I woke up pessimistic

The Lucas Giolito injury really screws things up for the team and makes the top of the draft even thinner. That aside I would rank the top 7 this way (Reserving the right to change my mind 3 to 5 times between now and the draft).

Mark Appel, RHP
Byron Buxton, OF
Mike Zunino, C
Kevin Gausman, RHP
Max Fried, LHP
David Dahl, OF
Kyle Zimmer, RHP

Clearly, I am no scout. I just enjoy playing armchair Draft Czar. That said I value Pitching and depth up the middle (SS, 2B and CF). With pitching I typically like guys that are tall with 4 pitches like Appel. This year appears thin on that though near the top. At the plate I love players that produce runs. That above all else is why I am so high on Byron Buxton as he profiles to become just that.

Players I am not particularly high on include Deven Marrero and Walker Weickel. With Marrero it's the "Pure Defense" tag. That may not be fair, as defense counts also. However, teams need complete players and that is what I favor. Walker Weckel doesn't have that impressive velocity that you look for with the 4th overall pick. Velocity is not as important as movement. However, with advanced hitters I've always thought it's best to have a guy that can tinker with his velocity after he's gone through the order a few times. Perhaps it's unfair, I just don't think it's enough to warrant the 4th overall pick.

If the Orioles get Appel, Buxton or Gausman I will be ecstatic come draft day! Appel and Gausman have the tools I love and Buxton just looks to be in that mold that the team never seems to get. Zunino is deserving as well but I am biased as we already have Matt Weiters and it's not a position the organization is hurting at.

[docjj]

Don't write off Giolito. He was garnering a lot of support for the number 1 overall pick. His injury is not serious. He has a plus-plus fastball, and 2 decent secondary pitches. If he somehow fell to #4 and the O's picked him, they would have an outstanding 1-2 combo with Bundy.

[TuckerBlair89]

Don't write off Giolito. He was garnering a lot of support for the number 1 overall pick. His injury is not serious. He has a plus-plus fastball, and 2 decent secondary pitches. If he somehow fell to #4 and the O's picked him, they would have an outstanding 1-2 combo with Bundy.

which is pretty much what I hope happens!

[CSPitt17130]

Don't write off Giolito. He was garnering a lot of support for the number 1 overall pick. His injury is not serious. He has a plus-plus fastball, and 2 decent secondary pitches. If he somehow fell to #4 and the O's picked him, they would have an outstanding 1-2 combo with Bundy.

All I want at #4 is an elite talent. Appel and Buxton are definitely at that level. Giolito was before the injury and I'm hoping he can return to that early enough that he becomes an option at #4 or slides another elite talent down to the O's at #4 if he's selected earlier. Zimmer, I think, is the closest at this point to reaching that elite level or at least being selected in the top 3 to push one of Appel, Buxton, or Giolito to #4.

[Don]

If I had to put my finger on let's say the top ten logical choices, it would be within the following at this time.

Appel, Zimmer, Buxton, Dahl, Zunino, Gausman, Correa, Giolito, Trahan, Fried


If I could say two real dark horses that could start to emerge:

Hawkins or Almora

[Rising O's]

Lucas Giolito
Kyle Zimmer
Kevin Gausman
Max Fried

I'm almost ready to choose one of these guys at #4 for the Orioles. I will follow them, posting whatever articles and videos I can find. It's just a fun exercise and I have done it for the past two years, ultimately choosing the players I picked for the O's correctly. Giolito may be a boring pick though given that he may not pitch at all before the draft so that may play into my ultimate decision.

[CSPitt17130]

Lucas Giolito
Kyle Zimmer
Kevin Gausman
Max Fried

I'm almost ready to choose one of these guys at #4 for the Orioles. I will follow them, posting whatever articles and videos I can find. It's just a fun exercise and I have done it for the past two years, ultimately choosing the players I picked for the O's correctly. Giolito may be a boring pick though given that he may not pitch at all before the draft so that may play into my ultimate decision.

Are Appel, Buxton, and Zunino not listed because you don't think they'll be available?

[ofahn]

Are Appel, Buxton, and Zunino not listed because you don't think they'll be available?

I don't mean to speak for Rising O's, but that would be my guess.

[CSPitt17130]

I don't mean to speak for Rising O's, but that would be my guess.

I think it's very likely that at least one of them is still available at #4.

[Rising O's]

Its a mix of things. Of those 3 I would say Appel and Zunino will be gone. Buxton is more of a question mark for me, great potential, maybe the highest risk. I really like the upside of the 4 pitchers I listed with the stuff they have now.

[CSPitt17130]

Its a mix of things. Of those 3 I would say Appel and Zunino will be gone. Buxton is more of a question mark for me, great potential, maybe the highest risk. I really like the upside of the 4 pitchers I listed with the stuff they have now.

So you think the O's should pass on Buxton if he falls to #4? The guy at least half of the writers have said should go #1?

[Rising O's]

There would be no fun in it for me to choose a consensus #1 player, and choose him because he might be there at #4. Who the Orioles ultimately take is obviously up to them and as a fan I support our new player.

However I do make my lists based upon what I have read and seen on video and who might be available, who I think in my own uninformed opinion will end up being the better player or for whom I have a preference. But since I will not have the latest information, especially in regards to HS players, I may end up keeping a player off of my short list, in this case Buxton. Who knows, I could read something in the next two-three weeks that will change my mind, its still early yet.