2012 MLB Mock Draft: Studs Who Will Be Future All-Stars

Lost in the shuffle of the madness that was Opening Day in Japan and Opening Day in the United States is the fact that we are only two months away from the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. 

While this year's class does not have the one star to build around, like Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper, it does have better depth than it appeared there would be at the start of the high school and college seasons. 

Unlike most other drafts, the MLB draft is based around projections years down the road instead of what will happen now, so we will tell you which players you need to keep an eye on in future All-Star games. 

Here is our first MLB Mock Draft, with a special emphasis on the players who will be the best in this class. 

1. Houston Astros: Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (Ga.)

Buxton is the best all-around player in this draft class. He boasts five-tool potential, similar to Bubba Starling last year. 

The Astros' farm system is still not where it needs to be considering the state of the big league club, but they are moving in the right direction. 

They need to find that one young stud who can be the new face of the franchise. Buxton is going to need a lot of time to develop, but when he hits his peak, look out. Five-tool center fielders don't come around very often, so you have to hop on the bandwagon when they are available. 

2. Minnesota Twins: Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford

Appel's stuff is terrific, particularly the mid-90s fastball, but the results rarely match because he elevates the ball due to a near-three-quarters delivery. 

3. Seattle Mariners: Mike Zunino, C, Florida

Zunino is the best catching prospect in this class, with the ability to hit for average with some power and a good throwing arm behind the plate. 

4. Baltimore Orioles: Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (Calif.)

There was some concern about Giolito's stock earlier this season, after it was announced he would miss six weeks with a strained ulnar collateral ligament—the one that usually leads to Tommy John surgery.

Nothing was torn and he is still the best pitching prospect available. The Orioles will be more than happy to see him on the board with the No. 4 pick. 

He has the size, arm strength and simple delivery to be a No. 1 starter in the big leagues. Unlike Dylan Bundy, the team's top pick last year who was one of the most polished high school arms ever, he will need at least three years in the minors before he is ready. 

5. Kansas City Royals: Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU

The Royals love high-upside players. For a college pitcher, Gausman is not as refined as you would like, but his stuff has the potential to be dominant. 

ESPN's Keith Law wrote that Gausman is a "wild card starter" because of his big fastball, but he needs to find a breaking pitch. 

6. Chicago Cubs: Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (Calif.)

Fried is the best left-handed starter in this class, and could go even higher than No. 6, depending on what happens with Giolito's arm over the next two months. 

Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer would love to have Fried as the anchor of the Cubs rotation in five years. 

7. San Diego Padres: Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy

Shortstops who can hit for average and power, steal bases and make all the plays with the glove are steals at this point in the draft. 

Correa certainly looks like he can do all that right now, but there is some concern that he will eventually outgrow the position. He is already listed at 6'4", 190 pounds. If he adds more muscle as he fills out, he could lose a step or two. 

As long as he stays in the middle of the field, he is going to be an MVP contender.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates: Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M

Wacha would fit right in with Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon at the top of a soon-to-be-loaded Pirates rotation, though he has to find an off-speed pitch besides his changeup. 

9. Miami Marlins: Walker Weickel, RHP, Olympia HS (Fla.)

The Marlins need to make a splash with this pick to get more high-upside talent in their system. Weickel's low-90s fastball and big frame make him a potential top-of-the-rotation star in the big leagues. 

10. Colorado Rockies: Stephen Piscotty, 3B, Stanford

The Rockies love athletic hitters, and Piscotty certainly fits that mold. Plus, he could end up playing first base, giving the franchise a built-in replacement for Todd Helton very soon. 

11. Oakland A's: Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francisco

The A's love college players. Zimmer has a mid-90s fastball and has proven to be back to full speed after some injury problems in February. 

12. New York Mets: Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State

Once one of the top players in this class, Marrero has taken a step back this year because he doesn't make enough consistent contact. 

13. Chicago White Sox: Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke

Honestly, the White Sox just want to draft a low-upside college player they can put on their roster as soon as possible. That is a big reason they are in such dire straits right now. 

14. Cincinnati Reds: Joey Gallo, 3B, Bishop Gorman HS (Nev.)

One element that has been missing from the draft up to this point is power. Gallo boasts a lot of it, projecting to hit a lot of home runs if he is able to cure his contact problems. 

15. Cleveland Indians: Gavin Cecchini, IF, Barbe HS (La.)

The Indians have to rebuild their system with players who offer more upside and less low-ceiling college guys. 

Cecchini would make a great complement to last year's top two picks Francisco Lindor and Dillon Howard. He has a very good hit tool, with power and speed to go along with it. 

An underrated athlete, Cecchini looks like he could be a shortstop in the big leagues, though he can move to second if needed. 

16. Washington Nationals: Zach Eflin, RHP, Hagerty HS (Fla.)

Despite not picking in the top 10, the Nationals are going to get one of the draft's best and most projectable talents. 

Eflin has a workhorse build already, at 6'5", 200 pounds, and the stuff should soon catch up to that frame. 

17. Toronto Blue Jays: Mitch Nay, 3B/OF, Hamilton HS (Ariz.)

Alex Anthopoulos is quickly becoming one of the best general managers in baseball, if he isn't already, and his insistence on projectable high school players has worked wonders on the Blue Jays' farm system. 

Nay has tremendous power potential and is good enough to work counts in his favor to keep his average respectable. 

18. Los Angeles Dodgers: Stryker Trahan, C, Acadiana HS (La.)

A young, athletic catcher who can hit and has the potential to be an above-average defensive player behind the plate could be the shot in the arm the stagnant Dodgers farm system needs. 

It is going to be a while before you see results, but Trahan should be well worth the wait for a franchise that is going to get back to the glory days under new ownership.

19. St. Louis Cardinals (via LAA)*: David Dahl, CF, Oak Mountain HS (Ala.)

Dahl is a lesser version of Buxton. He has all five tools in his arsenal, though he is not as athletic as Buxton. 

20. San Francisco Giants: Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson

Shaffer's bat speed and power potential have made him a first-round pick. The fact that he is athletic enough to play third base makes him a good bet to keep moving up.

21. Atlanta Braves: Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State

Stratton would continue the Braves' trend of drafting low-risk college pitchers. Fortunately, he has better stuff than Mike Minor or Sean Gilmartin did when they were taken. 

22. Toronto Blue Jays**: Jesse Winker, OF, Olympia HS (Fla.)

Winker's calling card is his ability to make hard, consistent contact. He projects to hit for above-average power and a high batting average. 

23. St. Louis Cardinals: Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood HS (Ga.)

The Cardinals know how to take good young pitchers and turn them into something more, to which Shelby Miller can attest. 

Sims already has two potential swing-and-miss pitches with his low-90s fastball and curveball. He is going to need a lot of help figuring out his command, but you can say that about virtually every high school pitcher ever taken. 

Considering the Cardinals' track record of success, don't be shocked to see Sims hit his ceiling in the big leagues. 

24. Boston Red Sox: Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo HS (Calif.)

Virant's making a lot of noise right now with a lot of projection left in his lanky frame. The Red Sox would love to figure out a way to make him part of their system. 

25. Tampa Bay Rays: Matthew Smoral, LHP, Solon HS (Ohio)

As if the Rays need another big left-handed starter to plug into their rotation someday, Smoral has the size, stuff and projection to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. 

26. Arizona Diamondbacks: Keon Barnum, 1B, King HS (Fla.)

Barnum is a fairly one-dimensional player, with his defense not being a strong suit. But his bat is so good that it would be a shock to see him slip out of the first round. 

He has some of the best raw power for a high school player in this class, and is smart enough to work the count and take walks if he doesn't get something to drive. 

27. Milwaukee Brewers***: Addison Russell, SS, Pace HS (Fla.)

His body will not likely let him stay at shortstop, but he has good power potential in his stocky frame. 

28. Milwaukee Brewers: Nolan Fontana, SS, Florida

Fontana doesn't have much upside left in him after playing at one of the best baseball programs in the country, but he is a good defensive player with instincts beyond his years and a disciplined approach at the plate. 

29. Texas Rangers: Albert Almora, OF, Mater Academy HS (Fla.)

Almora is virtually all projection right now, though he has shown good power in his swing already. 

30. New York Yankees: Clint Coulter, C, Union HS (Wash.)

The Yankees have one of the most intriguing farm systems, especially at the lower levels of the minors right now. Coulter will only add to that mix, with his disciplined approach at the plate and strong throwing arm behind it. 

If Coulter is able to stay behind the plate—he is already 6'3", 215 pounds—he could turn into an MVP candidate. But there could be some concern that he will eventually get too big to handle that role everyday without sacrificing something from his bat. 

31. Boston Red Sox****: Christian Walker, 1B, South Carolina

Walker is a bat-only prospect, with good bat speed and the discipline to hit for average, as well as power. He could end up being a very good designated hitter in the American League. 

*Compensation for Los Angeles signing Albert Pujols

**Compensation for failing to sign 2011 First-Round Pick Tyler Beede

***Compensation for Detroit signing Prince Fielder

****Compensation for Philadelphia signing Jonathan Papelbon

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