2012 MLB Mock Draft: Studs to Watch for on Draft Night

As the weather continues to heat up on the diamond and the races in the divisions become defined, it’s already the end of May and almost time to introduce young talent to the MLB.

That’s right, the 2012 First-Year Player Draft is just around the corner (June 4^th-June 6^th) and this season the Houston Astros possess the first pick of the draft after they finished with a 56-106 record last year.

There are some exciting young faces near the top of the mock draft lists around the league as we close in on the draft. Among the top five draftees is an outfielder with huge power (who is ranked first in a number of mock drafts) and a competent and strong backstop.

Check out a list of the top five MLB minor league studs you have to check out next week because they will have a great impact on the game in the near future.

1. Byron Buxton, Appling County, GA

This young stud seems to be on the minds of every major league club out there and it’s reported that the Astros will have a very tough decision come draft day next Thursday; it’s a no-brainer, Byron Buxton is the real deal.

It seems reminiscent of last season with Bryce Harper and back in 2010 with phenom Stephen Strasburg. There has been almost as much hype surrounding Buxton as there was with these two previous studs.

Buxton is a five-tool athlete, who not only can chase down balls in the gaps, but he can throw a 99 MPH consistently off the mound. However, he enters the draft as an outfielder and will most likely be taken for his prowess at the dish.

Currently, Buxton is dominating at the high school level; the 18-year-old attends Appling County High School in Baxley, GA and is hitting at a very lofty .545 batting clip and has an unthinkable .649 on-base percentage.

Not to mention, he has scored 51 times already on the young season. He has smashed a couple of home runs, driven in 22 RBI and has racked up 15 doubles. Buxton has a great eye at the plate as has only struck out three times on the year.

As I mentioned, Buxton is a five-tool athlete, and speed is definitely near the top of the list. He has swiped 31 of 32 bases.

On the mound, he has performed just as well. In 46.1 innings pitched, he sports a 6-0 record with a miniscule 1.66 ERA and has struck out 93 opponents. Obviously, he has dominated the competition, and so has Appling County, as they are 27-1 on the year.

Harper and Strasburg were both shoe-ins for the Nationals, and it seems as if the Astros will most likely choose Buxton first in this year’s draft, and rightfully so.

2. Mark Appel, Stanford University

The next four studs are not in any particular order because there really is not a uniform order in which baseball critics think they will go. I have chosen RHP Mark Appel to be taken second because the Twins are in dyer need of pitching help.

Appel is a junior at Stanford University and is one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, as he has been named Baseball America’s top prospect list for Team USA, and he was the number two prospect on other future MLB stars' lists.

The right-hander out of Houston, TX is 8-8 with a 3.76 ERA over his two seasons with Stanford; he has tossed 148.1 innings of work, yielded 158 base hits, struck out 112 and walked 48. Opponents are batting .282 against him in his two years with the club.

Appel’s statistics might not be the most impressive around, but he has the tools to be a great pitcher at the major league level.

His ability to reach 100 MHP on the gun, and 94-96 MHP with his four-seam fastball consistently is tough to duplicate. Not only can he hurl a fastball, he features a two-seam fastball (92-94), a sharp slider (82-84) and a nasty change-up (81-83).

There are not too many college pitchers around who have four impressive pitches in their arsenal. Plus, he can throw any pitch at any time in the count, and has great control.

So yes, he does not have the best stats around college, but there is definitely a great deal of potential out there and the Twins need help on the mound. I think he would be a nice fit there.

3. Mark Zunino, the University of Florida

The first-year draft is usually loaded with top pitching prospects ready to make their mark in the majors, however, this season, there seems to be a couple of position players who might go before and have more of an impact than the hurlers.

Top catching prospect Mike Zunino out of the University of Florida is definitely one of those possibilities; it has been reported that he is up there with the Mike Piazza’s and Paul Lo Duca’s of catching at a young age.

Usually, I do not use other quotes from articles, however, this one speaks for itself. "He's the best catcher in the country. I think that will be shown, obviously, when the Draft comes around," O'Sullivan said. "Tremendous player. Tremendous kid. Great work ethic. Great leader. He's the total package." (Courtesy of Adam Berry's article).

It is obvious that there is something very special about this young athlete; he is predicted to go anywhere from 1^st to 4^th or 5^th in the draft next week.

In his first season with the Florida Gators in 2010, the 18-year-old batted .267 in 55 games and he collected 47 base hits including nine long balls and 41 RBI as a freshman.

The now-junior broke out last season in his sophomore year as he put together one of the best seasons in the history of the university.

Zunino batted at a lofty .371 clip as he collected 98 base hits in 264 at-bats. He smashed 19 home runs and drove in 67 RBI along with 25 doubles and 75 runs scored. He was named an All-American and the SEC Player of the year in 2011.

Not only did he win those two honors, Zunino earned many other awards and was recognized by numerous baseball institutions and praised for his breakout performance.

He has proved he is a power threat, but Zunino is also one of the best catchers in the last ten seasons (quote) to come out of the minor leagues. He is agile, quick and has a great home from the backstop.

He could be the total package behind the dish; the only question will be how fast will he learn how to call games and work well with a starting rotation at the major league level.

4. Kevin Gausman, LSU

This young stud is just a sophomore at LSU this season and is already making buzz around the nation with his superb freshman season in 2011.

RHP Kevin Gausman stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 185 lbs, tall and slender, which reminds me of the Phillies’ Cole Hamels. He throws very hard, as he has been known to reach 100 MHP, and consistently throws in the mid-90s.

In his first season with the Tigers, he started 14 games and earned a 5-6 record with a very respectable 3.51 ERA. He tossed 89.2 innings, struck out 86 opponents and issued 23 walks on the year.

However, over his final four outings of the year, he posted a 3-1 record with a 1.17 ERA, as he walked five and struck out 32 in 30.2 innings of work. Gausman was named freshman of the week two times in May of ’11, and was named to the USA Collegiate National Team last summer.

He made two starts and tossed 8.2 innings, allowing two earned runs, three walks and nine strike outs. Baseball America named him their 4^th overall prospect last season.

Gausman is just a sophomore in college, but has the potential to be a very strong and dominant starting pitcher at the major league level. He is projected to go anywhere between 3^rd and 6^th. 

5. Carlos Correa, PR Baseball Academy

The Puerto Rican-born Carlos Correa is the top shortstop prospect in the draft and is another potential five-tool player, although not as likely as Bruxton.

He is a great defender in the field, is quick and agile and has one of the strongest arms from the shortstop position. It was reported that he clocked up to 97 MHP on a throw for a routine ground ball out to first base in practice drills.

Correa has drawn comparisons from scouts around baseball as the next Alex Rodriguez. He is built like the Yankee slugger at the same age. Correa is only 17-years-old and is 6’4’’ and still growing. He is going to be a powerful, hard-throwing, speedy threat out there at shortstop.

He has a quick bat and strong bat speed. He can handle the bat as he can adjust when the pitch is on the inside corner and pull his hands in or he can extend to reach the outside edge. Correa has displayed the ability to hit the long ball, but how many is unknown.

Unfortunately, there are not any available stats for this young stud, all we have to go on is what the scouts have told us. They seem to think he is going to be a great major league player as he possesses the major characteristics of an up-and-coming athletic star.

Here are a couple of mock drafts in preparation for next week's event. Baseball America and MLB Mock Draft

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