2012 MLB Mock Draft: Pitching Prospects Sure to Disappoint

A good pitching staff lays the foundation for a successful franchise. It takes a lot of pressure off a team's hitters and gives them a chance to win every game, even if they aren't swinging the bats well for an extended stretch.

Finding reliable pitching prospects in the draft isn't easy, though. Scouts are often wowed by a young starter's fastball, but it takes a lot more than that to become successful in the majors, which leads to a high rate of mistakes on draft day.

Here's a complete mock draft of the opening round, featuring three pitchers who will struggle to live up to the hype that goes along with being a first-round pick, making them more likely to disappoint.

1. Houston Astros (56-106): Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford

After a successful career at Stanford, Appel has established himself as the best prospect in the class and should become Houston's ace in a few years.

2. Minnesota Twins (63-99): Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU

Gausman doesn't check in far behind Appel. He already has all the basic tools to lead a staff, but must focus on improving his inconsistent control.

3. Seattle Mariners (67-95): Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County High School (Ga.)

Right now, Buxton is a prototypical leadoff hitter with great speed. As he begins to fill out, he will become a complete player.

4. Baltimore Orioles (69-93): Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy

Even though Correa still has plenty of room to improve, his potential makes him one of the draft's most intriguing options.

5. Kansas City Royals (71-91): Mike Zunino, C, Florida

It's tough to find catching prospects with as much raw power as Zunino. Getting offensive production from that position is always a plus.

6. Chicago Cubs (71-91): Albert Almora, OF, Mater Academy HS (Fla.)

The Cubs must start building a deep minor-league system if they are going to turn things around. Almora would be a good piece to start with.

7. San Diego Padres (71-91): Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (Calif.)

Assuming Giolito doesn't have an setbacks as he works his way back to 100 percent from an elbow injury, he should be a top-10 pick.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90): Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State

Even though it's taken longer than fans in Pittsburgh would have liked, the Pirates are finally turning things around. Marrero is another key player for the future.

9. Miami Marlins (72-90): Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francisco

Zimmer has a great power fastball and has really improved his curveball. He would benefit from another off-speed pitch, though.

10. Colorado Rockies (73-89): Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (Calif.)

Playing in a park like Coors Field, nobody could blame the Rockies if they took a pitcher in the first round every year. Fried has a lot of upside.

11. Oakland Athletics (74-88): Courtney Hawkins, RF, Carroll HS (Texas)

Hawkins has good power and a nice arm, which sets him up to become a corner outfielder at the next level. A lot of room to grow, as well.

12. New York Mets (77-85): Gavin Cecchini, SS, Barbe HS (La.)

Even though Cecchini still has a long way to go before he will be considered ready for the big club, he has a bright future.

13. Chicago White Sox (79-83): Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson

The best thing about Shaffer is his tremendous power. There are some other holes in his game that will need to get filled, but he's too good to let slide any farther.

14. Cincinnati Reds (79-83): Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State

Few players have helped their stock more than Stratton, who might end up cracking the top five before draft day finally arrives.

15. Cleveland Indians (80-82): Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke

As a reliever, Stroman should reach the majors before most of his fellow draftees, making him a wise choice in the middle of Round 1.

16. Washington Nationals (80-81): Andrew Heaney, LHP, Oklahoma State

The Nationals have nice group of starting pitchers. That should allow Heaney to take his time developing before filling a rotation spot.

17. Toronto Blue Jays (81-81): Matt Smoral, LHP, Solon HS (Ohio)

Smoral still lacks a pitch that can put hitters away on a regular basis, but his combination of fastball and changeup is enough to make the top 20.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers (82-79): Lance McCullers, RHP, Jesuit HS (Fla.)

McCullers has a great fastball that has caught the eye of scouts, but his lack on control is a big concern. Whenever a pitcher can fire it to the plate in the mid-to-upper 90s, they tend to rely too heavily on that pitch.

Unfortunately, without control to know where the pitch is going, it's extremely difficult to develop any type of consistency. And command isn't something a pitcher can learn overnight. It takes refined mechanics and a more comprehensive approach.

The other issue with McCullers would be his lack of other pitches. He has a good slider, but it's not a dominant pitch to put hitters away with and he hasn't developed a reliable third pitch. All things the Dodgers would have to consider before taking him.

19. *St. Louis Cardinals (90-72): Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M

A good season for Texas A&M has helped Wacha confirm his status as a first-round pick and he could continue to rise.

20. San Francisco Giants (86-76): D.J. Davis, OF, Stone HS (Miss.)

Davis has the speed to become a terrific leadoff hitter if his other skills progress during his time in the minor leagues. Definitely worth a chance here.

21. Atlanta Braves (89-73): Joey Gallo, 3B/RHP, Bishop Gorman HS (Nev.)

The one thing that immediately stands out about Gallo is his pop. As long as he eliminates some holes in his swing, he'll be a good middle-of-the-order slugger.

22. **Toronto Blue Jays (81-81): Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo HS (Calif.)

Virant already has a nice base of pitches to build from. The key will be turning one into an out pitch he can go to in big moments.

23. St. Louis Cardinals (90-72): Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood HS (Ga.)

The biggest worry when it comes to Sims is that he'll be a "tweener" prospect. Right now, he doesn't have the repertoire necessary to survive as a starter, but isn't enough of a power pitcher to become a successful closer, either.

He's only coming out of high school, so there's still time for him to become a more complete pitcher. That said, any team that does take a chance on him early will be hoping he finds his niche and settles in pretty quickly.

Whether the decision is made to make him a starter or reliever, the franchise needs to stick with it. Switching back and forth will only further stunt his development and increase the chances he never makes it to the bigs.

24. Boston Red Sox (90-72): Carson Kelly, RHP/3B, Westview HS (Ore.)

Another player who has excelled at two positions, Kelly's arm makes him a likely candidate to begin his career as a pitcher.

25. Tampa Bay Rays (91-71): Nolan Fontana, SS, Florida

Fontana has a wide range of skills that would seem to make him a perfect fit for the Rays system. Has already shown good plate discipline.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68): Pierce Johnson, RHP, Missouri State

A reliable fastball limits the downside on selecting Johnson. He'll need to develop his other pitches to reach ace status, however.

27. ***Milwaukee Brewers (96-66): Stephen Piscotty, 3B, Stanford

Piscotty has a good chance to outplay his draft slot if his doubles power eventually turns into more home runs like it should.

28. Milwaukee Brewers (96-66): Addison Russell, SS, Pace HS (Fla.)

Russell slides down the board a bit because the shortstop position has a lot of depth this year. That means he provides a lot of value at this point.

29. Texas Rangers (96-66): Zach Eflin, RHP, Hagerty HS (Fla.)

Even though Eflin's stock has been on the rise, he still has plenty of question marks about his ability to become a truly elite pitching prospect. Most notably, he doesn't have one reliable pitch he can always fall back on when he's struggling.

For most pitchers, it's the fastball. Others prefer the change. Regardless, a starter must have at least one pitch he can utilize to get out of jams when his stuff isn't at its best. Eflin is still working toward finding and developing that pitch.

Luckily, the Rangers have build a strong enough foundation that they can afford to take a flier on him with hopes he figures things out over time. He does have plenty of upside, but he's far from a sure thing on the mound.

30. New York Yankees (97-65): Clint Coulter, C, Union HS (Wash.)

Unlike many teams, the Yankees can afford to take a raw prospect like Coulter and let him develop in the minors for an extended period.

31. ****Boston Red Sox (90-72): Corey Seager, 3B, Northwest Carrabus HS (N.C.)

The Red Sox will likely lean toward taking the best player available at this point. Seager is a good defender with good offensive potential.

Draft pick notes:

*Compensation from Los Angeles Angels for Albert Pujols

**Compensation for failing to sign 2011 first-round pick Tyler Beede

***Compensation from Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder

****Compensation from Philadelphia Phillies for Jonathan Papelbon