MLB Draft 2012: Power Hitters Who Will Get Picked in the Top 10

Major League Baseball’s upcoming draft will feature hitters with elite power.

These players will be some of the first to get picked and they will eventually terrorize pitchers in the pros. 

Here are four players capable of cracking any pitch out of the park. 

Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (GA)

Buxton is capable of doing a whole lot more than power hitting, but he still has the ability to go deep very often.

Albert Chen of SI.com claims that Buxton hit a ball all the way to the top row of the bleachers at Wrigley Field.

Buxton has unlimited potential but will likely need to spend a few seasons in the minors before he is ready for the majors. 

With the right coaching, he will be a five-tool player with exceptional power.

Mike Zunino, C, Florida

Zunino is considered by many to be the best hitter in college baseball.

He hit well for the Gators this year and has cracked 16 home runs while batting .323.

His hitting talents earned him SEC Player of the Year honors in 2011, and they will almost certainly help him get drafted in the top-ten or earlier.

He is solid defensively as a catcher, but Zunino’s bat is what will make him money going forward.

Albert Almora, OF, Mater Academy Charter (FL)

Albert Almora hit a ridiculous .606 during his senior year of high school. He hit just six home runs, but his ESPN draft profile is confident that he has the power to go deep in the pros. 

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His hands get very deep to maximize power and his bat speed and direct bat path allow him to get to the ball quickly and create backspin. These elements, along with his wiry strength and explosive hips, help Almora create surprising power for his size that could produce 20-25 home runs annually, if not more.

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He has great mechanics for a prep prospect and this should speed up his path to the Major Leagues.

Almora is going to be a feared hitter on the MLB scene soon enough. 

Courtney Hawkins, OF, Carrol High School (TX)

At 6’2” and 210 pounds, Hawkins has the stature of a prototypical power hitter. 

He has skills as well as the look, and he hit .412 while smashing 11 home runs his senior year. His performance earned him the Texas Player of the Year award.

He already hits the ball with a ton of power and after a few years in the minors, he will have the plate discipline to maximize his talent.

Hawkins is yet another player from this draft class that will be hitting home runs in the majors very shortly.