MLB Draft 2012: Biggest Winners from 1st Round

Mariners, Pirates and Red Sox fans should be grinning ear-to-ear with the results of the first round. They came out like bandits. 

The Baseball draft is about much more than the first round. To have a successful draft, teams have to score quality picks in numerous rounds, and the success of any draft can't truly be measured for years down the road. 

However, we can judge these picks based on need and value, and in that criteria, here are the biggest first-round winners. 

Seattle Mariners

No. 3: Mike Zunino, C, Florida

This was a widely popular selection for the Mariners in mock drafts. And while they didn't make a steal on value, they still get a big win here. 

This fills a huge need for the M's. Unlike many catchers selected near the top of the draft, there is no doubting Zunino's ability to handle the position in the pros. He is a very good defensive player, and he has the temperament and leadership to handle a pitching staff. 

This is huge for the Mariners, who have a ton of young pitching talent, and play in a pitcher-friendly park. The Mariners do not currently have a catcher that fills this role. 

Zunino is also a solid hitter and will not be a liability at the plate. 

Pittsburgh Pirates

No. 8: Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford

It was a shock that Appel fell all the way to No. 8. Many people had him projected going No. 1 overall, and you'd be hard pressed to find a mock where he was not the first player going off the board. 

Three pitchers were drafted before Appel, but the Pirates are not complaining. They now have the rights to the most pro-ready pitcher, with as high a ceiling as anyone. 

Appel has a high-90s fastball and already owns two plus secondary pitches. Combine this with a solid build and a smooth delivery, and you have a pitching prospect that is as close to a sure thing that you will find. 

Pittsburgh now has the possibility of sporting a rotation featuring Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Mark Appel. That's pretty impressive. 

Boston Red Sox

No. 24: Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State

Marrero is another prospect that slid much further than anticipated. He was a top-10 selection in plenty of mocks and a top-20 in almost all of them. 

The Red Sox got tremendous value here. Marrero is a great defensive shortstop. He could step onto a big league diamond tomorrow and he'd instantly be one of the better defensive players in the game. 

He needs work at the plate, but he has shown flashes. Even if his bat does not develop, he is good enough with the glove to be an every day player. 

The Red Sox already have a player like this with Jose Iglesias, but they can always trade one of them. The value they received here was well worth it.