2012 MLB Draft Grades: Grading the Top 3 Shortstops Taken in Round 1

Shortstops can be hard to come by in the MLB draft. High school shortstops are considered even more precious diamonds in the rough.

Three out of the top 12 teams chose to draft high school shortstops. The Houston Astros went against the grain and selected 17-year-old Carlos Correa out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, the Oakland Athletics took Addison Russell out of Pace High School in Florida and the New York Mets grabbed Gavin Cecchini from Barbe High School in Louisiana.

Here are the grades for those three picks.

Houston Astros Select Carlos Correa No. 1 Overall

This one came as a surprise pick, as many people thought that the Astros would go with the low-risk right-handed pitcher out of Stanford, Mark Appel.

Correa is an intriguing pick because of his age and size. He stands at 6'4" and weighs 190 pounds, a number that will surely climb once he begins a big league workout regimen.

The Astros know that one day they are going to get a guy who can hit for power and average in Correa, but it may not be for quite some time.

He's just 17 years old, which makes him a baby in MLB years, but you wouldn't know it by looking at his frame. He's a muscular 190, and he uses that strength to generate pull power that teams are going to fear in the future.

His speed is average, but what he lacks in that department, he compensates for in the field.

Correa already has a rocket arm, which will probably become even better with time. While his range is average, remember that he's only 17: Once he gets a better feel for the position, he'll be a monster in the field.

By the time he's in his mid-20s, he might be deemed too big to play shortstop in the majors, so a move to third base isn't out of the question.

His scouting report says that he is an extremely hard worker that possesses great baseball instincts. I don't know if there's a better combination than physical gifts, work ethic and instinct.

This may not have been the best pick for the Astros, seeing as Correa won't get a call-up for a couple of years, but planning for the future is a good decision for Houston.

They aren't going anywhere in the next few years.

Draft Grade: A-

Oakland Athletics Select Addison Russell No. 11 Overall

It's too early to tell if Russell will be a shortstop or a third baseman in the majors, but he knows where he wants to stay. Russell lost 25 pounds last offseason because he wanted a better chance to stay at his natural position.

The A's have been stuck in mediocrity or worse for the better part of the last decade, so the fact that they drafted a potentially game-changing bat should bode well for them in terms of both public relations and on-field success.

Russell, who turned 18 in January, is going to bring a lot of power to a future A's team, as his pull power is just as impressive as nearly any player in the entire draft—at any position.

He didn't hit for average much in his high school career, but that should change when he improves his plate discipline and gets more experience against professional pitching.

He has a quick bat, which is one of the main reasons why he was so highly touted heading into this draft, but his performance with wood bats was average at best.

He has a lot of room to improve, but the general consensus is that he will rely on his athleticism to do so.

The dilemma in the field most likely won't prove to be much of a dilemma at all, as he's going to put on weight again once he starts lifting and training every day. His shoulders are just naturally big, and there's not much that he can do about that.

He has good range at short, as well as an above-average arm. Even if a move to third base is imminent, he'll only benefit from it, as he has the quickness to be one of the best fielding third basemen when all is said and done.

Draft Grade: B+

New York Mets Select Gavin Cecchini No. 12 Overall

The third team that caught shortstop fever, the Mets are looking for their shortstop of the future after the departure of Jose Reyes, and they're hoping that Cecchini can be that guy.

The oldest of these three shortstops, Cecchini has a December birthday, meaning that he'll be 19 by the end of the year.

He's the brother of Boston Red Sox minor league third basemen Garin Cecchini, and he surely hopes to continue the family baseball pedigree.

Cecchini figures to be more of a stalwart in the field than a force at the plate, although his arm and range are a notch below those of Jose Reyes.

His speed is nowhere near that of the former Mets base stealer, but Cecchini will still prove to be above average in that area.

At the plate, he has a quick bat that prevents him from falling behind against most pitchers and impressive hand-eye coordination that keeps him from swinging above or below the pitch. He's going to be a scrappy hitter in the majors and could wind up somewhere in between Dustin Pedroia (less power) and Daniel Murphy (lower average).

Whichever side he eventually leans toward will depend on his work ethic and commitment to the game.

He's going to be a line-drive and doubles hitter above all else, as he doesn't have the size or the swing to put the ball over the fence 25-30 times a year.

He's never going to be a bona-fide star, but he's the safest choice of the top three players taken at the position.

Draft Grade: B+