2012 MLB Draft Predictions: Projecting Top 5 Southpaw Pitchers to Be Selected

Everyone needs southpaws.

The 2012 MLB Draft class is loaded with talent that will one day lay claim to a major league ball park mound near you. A nice chunk of those pitchers are lefties. Here are the top five south paws that will hear their names called in the first round.

5. Hunter Virant, High School

Hunter will take his talents to UCLA next season.

Virant is raw, but his top-notch potential will force baseball teams to take a long hard look at him in the first round. His fast ball is weak right now, but he’s only 18 years old so once Virant gets his man strength, he should be fine. His location and delivery are strong enough to motivate a club to roll the dice on him early.

This past April he threw a no-hitter showing his upside. 

4. Brian Johnson, Florida

At 6’3”, 225 pounds, Johnson is a force on the mound. He has four pitches that he’s capable of striking out a batter with in his arsenal. Johnson will be attractive to National League teams in particular because his batting ability is impressive.

He earned All-SEC honors this season recording a seven wins on the year and an ERA of 3.67. In the batters box, he hit .318 with five home runs and 3 RBIs.

3. Matt Smoral, High School

A stress fracture that Smoral suffered in spring ball will hurt his stock, but that also sets a squad up to draft a steal. At 6’8”, 220 pounds, no one is questioning his physical ability. Like his height, his ceiling is through the roof.

His fastball/slider combination screams big-league ace. Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune reported that he's an option for the Chicago White Sox at No. 13.

2. Andrew Heaney, Oklahoma State

Heaney possesses exceptional pitchability for a lefty. There aren’t many pitchers with a better three-pitch combination than the Cowboy junior. He was a potential first-round pick straight out of high school until concerns about signing him caused a draft day fall.

In 2011, he appeared in 20 games for OK-State making nine starts. Heaney finished tied for the team lead in wins with seven.

1. Max Fried, High School

The 6’4” Fried is without a doubt the No. 1 south paw pitcher in the 2012 draft class.

His fast ball has the speed to fry batters with a fastball that reaches speeds up to the mid-90s. His go-to pitch is his deadline curve ball which is arguably the most effective in the draft.

Expect Fried to go off the board in the top 10 picks. According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, he could even sneak into the top five.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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