2012 MLB Draft Results: Analyzing Biggest Surprises of Round 1

There are still plenty of rounds to go in the 2012 MLB draft, but with the first round in the books, there is already plenty to discuss. Many of the picks went as expected, but there is no question that there were several shocking risers and fallers that may be talked about for years depending upon how their respective careers play out.

Regardless of what we think we know heading into essentially every major sports draft, there are always quite a few decisions that leave us scratching our heads. It will take several years before we know whether the picks were good ones or not, but until then all we can do is speculate.

Here is a breakdown of the biggest surprises from Monday's first round, complete with analysis on all the most shocking picks.

Carlos Correa Goes No. 1 to Astros

The general thought heading into the draft was that the Houston Astros would decide between outfielder Byron Buxton and pitcher Mark Appel as the top pick. There were some rumors that Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa might sneak into that spot, but few believed it would happen.

The Astros succeeded in shocking the baseball world, however, when they took the 17-year-old developmental prospect No. 1 overall.

Correa has a ton of talent and great size at 6'3", but because of how young he is, he still has a lot of growing to do in essentially every facet of the game. Both Buxton and Appel seemed more likely to make it to the MLB in a shorter amount of time, but perhaps that doesn't matter to Houston.

If Correa is ultimately the best player in the draft, then the Astros made the right call regardless of when he is ready.

Mark Appel Falls to Pirates at No. 8

When both the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins passed on Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with the first two picks in the draft, it was certainly somewhat of a surprise.

When the next five teams did the same exact thing, though, it was almost unfathomable.

Appel may not have been as dominant as some of the high schoolers who went ahead of him, but at 6'5" with a blistering fastball, there is a lot to like about the polished righty.

At some point, his value became too great to pass up, and that prompted the Pittsburgh Pirates to nab him at No. 8. With Gerrit Cole already in the fold, the Bucs had a future ace in the hole, but if Appel develops as expected, he and Cole could form one of the most feared pitching duos in the league a few years from now.

Even the suspicions of the draft's top seven teams are correct and Appel doesn't become a star, you can't blame the Pirates for jumping on the talented hurler when they did.

Richie Shaffer Drops to Rays at No. 25

There is no question that there were some differing opinions regarding several prospects ahead of the draft, and one of the more controversial ones was Clemson third baseman Richie Shaffer.

It's possible that Shaffer could have the most powerful bat in the draft, and because of that, he was viewed as a possible top-10 pick. At the same time, Shaffer has some holes in his swing that could cause him to become a feast-or-famine player at the next level.

Shaffer also is questionable in the field and may not be able to man the hot corner over the long term. Even with a few question marks in tow, it came as a huge surprise when the Tampa Bay Rays were able to snag him at No. 25.

The Rays are a team that generally lacks power, particularly with Evan Longoria injured. Provided Shaffer's power translates to the MLB, the Rays may have succeeded in getting the steal of the draft.

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