2012 MLB Draft Prospects: Highlighting the Biggest Round 1 Studs

Round 1 of the 2012 MLB Draft is chock full of stud players from every position around the diamond.

From the shortstop with a cannon arm and a powerful swing to the crafty left-handed pitcher to the outfielder with all the tools, day one of the draft had it all.

Follow along as we highlight Round 1’s biggest studs, and leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Carlos Correa: SS, 6’4”, 190

With the first pick in the 2012 first-year player draft, the Houston Astros made Correa the highest-drafted player ever to come out of Puerto Rican Baseball Academy.

Correa is a sure thing at short. His glove never fails and his arm is immaculate.

According to Perfect Game Showcase’s National Director of Scouting, David Rawnsley, Correa threw the ball to first base from short at 97 mph.

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“He threw 97 across the field. And yes, he throws the ball hard. You’re not going to flip it across the infield and have it go 97 miles per hour,” Rawnsley said. “But what was so impressive was his footwork. He had game footwork. I think his 97 came on one of his backhands, where he worked through the backhand and had his feet set and just came up and threw.”

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Not too shabby. More high praise from Rawnsley:

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“Carlos Correa’s performance at the world showcase during infield drills was as good as I’ve seen in my nine years of grading out players at Perfect Game showcases.”

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How Soon Can Correa Crack the Lineup?

Correa won’t be 18 until late September; however, with such great technique at shortstop and his big-time bat, he should be one of the first members of his draft class to find his way to the Show.

Twenty-seven-year-old Jed Lowrie is enjoying his first season seeing National League pitching. He’s batting a career-high .291 with a career-tying nine home runs and 23 runs batted in.

Lowrie spent the first four major league seasons of his career in Boston and never was able to crack the everyday lineup, but the Astros signed him to a one-year, $1.15 million deal to be their trial-basis shortstop, and he’s done well.

He has committed six errors in the field already, however.

My early projection for Correa is a major league debut in mid-2013. He will fly through the minor league ranks and take over the middle of the infield at Minute Maid Park. When he gets there, it’s his for a long, long time.

Mark Appel: RHP, 6’5”, 215

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a gem fall into their laps at No. 8 overall with Appel.

Appel features a fastball that can top out at 99 mph, but will usually average around 93-95. He gets good movement on his breaking ball, and uses it well to notch swing-and-miss strikeouts. His changeup seems good enough to fool hitters into swinging and missing as well.

In his three-year career at Stanford, Appel had an ERA of 3.10 in 267.1 innings. He struck out 239 batters and walked 74. Opponents batted .251, had an on-base percentage of .325 and slugged a miniscule .334 against the big righty.

It was originally thought that Appel would be on his way to Houston at No. 1. He slipped to the Bucs seven picks later, though, making everyone within the organization extremely happy (via Pirates.com).

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“We were very pleased that he was still sitting there when it was our selection,” said Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington. “We don’t know why [other teams] chose players over him; different teams have different interpretations of players.”

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How Soon Can Appel Join the Rotation?

Considering Pirates’ starters are currently No. 7 in the majors in ERA, one would think it will take Appel some time to reach the big club.

However, RHP Charlie Morton (2-6, 4.65 ERA) looks like a prime candidate to exit the rotation at some point in the near future.

While that may not mean Appel will fill his spot, he certainly will be considered, depending on when Morton is given the boot. Morton has a 5.06 career ERA and a career record that is 22 games under the .500 mark.

My early projection for Appel is a major league debut in late 2013, and he could potentially start the 2014 season in the Pirates’ rotation.

Mike Zunino: C, 6’2”, 220

The Seattle Mariners took Zunino with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.

This former Florida Gator is big and uses his body well to shield pitches in the dirt. He doesn’t possess the best arm in throwing out would-be base-stealers, but that can be improved as he works on ball transfer and release.

He has big power and could be a perennial .280-.290 hitter in the majors.

In his first two years at Florida, Zunino hit .341 with 28 HR and 108 RBI. As a junior, he hit .351 with 20 HR and 67 RBI, so you can see he’s a real threat with the bat.

Obviously these are just college numbers, but the kid can rake.

How Soon Can Zunino Crack the Lineup?

The Mariners traded talented young pitcher Michael Pineda to the Yankees for catcher Jesus Montero in January. At just 22 years old, Montero has a lot of room to grow into a star catcher in the American League.

He’s currently batting .259 and has seven HR and 27 RBI in 50 games played.

Montero possesses a lot of upside, both at the plate and behind it, and is just one year older than Zunino. If he realizes his potential, Montero could be one of Major League Baseball's premier catchers for the decade.

My early projection for Zunino is a major league debut in early 2015—with a different club. Montero will be around for a while in Seattle, and Zunino will be good trade material down the road when the Mariners need a starting pitcher. Montero is not currently the everyday starter at catcher—he splits time with John Jaso—but he will be eventually.

Lucas Giolito: RHP, 6’6”, 230

The Washington Nationals selected Giolito with the No. 16 pick in the draft.

This right-hander out of Harvard-Westlake HS in California has the ability to be great as a professional. His fastball has touched 100 mph, and he has an above-average curveball to compliment the heat.

Giolito was sure to be a top-three pick in this year’s draft, but a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow derailed that dream.

“When he’s 100 percent, he goes top three in this draft,” Nationals scouting director Kris Kline said. “It’s kind of a no-brainer.”

He’s worked hard to get back to full health, and looked good throwing for scouts before the draft.

As a junior, Giolito went 9-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 13 games. He struck out 78 batters in 70.1 innings and threw three complete game shutouts.

How Soon Can Giolito Join the Rotation?

Giolito will eventually join Stephen Strasburg in the Nationals’ rotation and create one heck of a one-two tandem at the top.

That could take longer than expected, however.

While he was able to avoid Tommy John surgery when the injury occurred, it’s not guaranteed he won’t need it later. Should the ligament cause him problems down the road and the surgery be required, he would miss significant time.

Strasburg underwent his own “TJ” procedure in the fall of 2010, and since returning he’s compiled a 7-2 record with a 2.12 ERA.

Not to say Giolito will be as good as Strasburg, or that he even needs Tommy John surgery. It is a distinct possibility, however, and is no-doubt in the minds of everyone within the Nationals’ organization.

My early projection for Giolito's major league debut is mid to late 2014, as long as he can avoid TJ surgery. Should he succumb to the knife, that date will be pushed back at least a calendar year.

D.J. Davis: OF, 6’1”, 180

Taken at No. 17 by the Toronto Blue Jays, Davis is now the future of the franchise in center field.

He might be the fastest player in the draft, and his defense benefits from that elite speed. He is able to run down any ball in the air from center, which will help him shoot through the minor league ranks.

He used his senior year at Stone County HS in Wiggins, Mississippi to prove to scouts he could hit as well as play defense.

It worked.

Davis hit .364 with six HR and 25 RBI in 26 games for Stone County, and the offensive surge sent him flying up draft boards.

How Soon Can Davis Crack the Lineup?

Colby Rasmus was traded to Toronto from St. Louis in a 2011 deadline deal.

So far he’s hit .204 with nine HR, 34 RBI and a .259 OBP through 88 games. Not exactly what the Blue Jays thought they were getting. But what would you expect from a career .248 hitter?

With his speed and defensive capabilities, Davis should move up in the organization fairly quickly. The only question is, can he hit at a consistent level as a pro?

My early projection for Davis is a major league debut in late 2014 as a September call-up. Struggling at the plate would set him back, so he has a lot of work to do.

Marcus Stroman: RHP, 5’9”, 185

Another first-round pick by the Blue Jays (No. 22 overall), Stroman was a starter at Duke University, but scouts see him as a short relief pitcher with big-time closer potential.

He features a fastball in the mid-90s and a swing-and-miss breaking ball that baffles hitters at times.

That’s all he will need as a closer for Toronto.

He can struggle with control at times, but for the most part is around the plate enough to be effective. Stroman has big upside as a closer in the big leagues, and he enters a perfect situation with the Blue Jays.

How Soon Will Stroman Get the Call?

It is my belief that Stroman will be the first player from this draft to make a major league roster.

I’m not alone in that thought, either. B/R Featured Columnist Rob Goldberg portrays the young fireballer as the first big league hopeful of his class to be called up as well.

Toronto has converted the second fewest save opportunities of all 30 clubs, and they are among the more needy franchises when talking closers. The team leader, Chris Janssen, has but five saves on the season.

The Blue Jays traded for closer Sergio Santos last December, but he's spent the better part of the year on the DL.

My early projection for Stroman is a major league debut in late 2012. Likely in September when the rosters expand to 40.