2013 MLB Mock Draft: Best Value for Each Team in the 1st Round

With the 2013 MLB draft just hours away, teams are set to stock their farm system for years to come by selecting the top prospects around the country.

This year's class isn't short on quality players, as plenty of stud pitchers and potential All-Stars will be available. With struggling teams hoping to land players that will turn their fortunes around, plenty of intrigue surrounds the first round.

Here's a look at all 33 first-round selections and which players would represent the best value at each spot. Note: Highlighted selections in italics.

1. Houston Astros: Jonathan Gray, RHP, Oklahoma

Many believe that Stanford righty Mark Appel will be the pick here. He's the most polished pitcher in the draft and is nearly MLB ready. However, Gray has the bigger upside of the two and a fastball that can hit triple-digits when he needs it to.

The Astros system is already chock-full of exciting position players, including last year's No. 1 selection, SS Carlos Carrea. With this selection, they can now add a future ace that could be the cornerstone of the rotation for years to come.

2. Chicago Cubs: Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford

If Appel isn't taken by the Astros, he won't have to wait long. The Chicago Cubs would love to have him.  

In Appel, the Cubs would be adding an electric arm that could crack the rotation within a year. At 22 years old, he's much more seasoned than many of the prospects in the draft, and he is a perfect candidate to be fast-tracked to the Bigs.

After rejecting a $3.8 million offer after being drafted by the Pirates last season, Appel may come with a hefty price tag, but the Cubs aren't in a position to let that stop them from taking him here.

3. Colorado Rockies: Kris Bryant, 3B/OF, San Diego

With the two best pitching prospects off the board, the Rockies will have the opportunity to grab the best bat in the class at No. 3.

Bryant led the nation with 31 home runs this year and has the kind of power that could make him a star at Coors Field. With recent call-up Nolan Arenado looking like a future stud at third base himself, Bryant's ability to play the outfield still makes him a viable selection for the Rockies.

At 21 years old with high production at the collegiate level, Bryant will be a contributor sooner rather than later. The Rockies would be finding great value by making him the third overall pick.

4. Minnesota Twins: Kohl Stewart, RHP, St. Pius HS (Texas)

Stewart represents the best of the high school arms in this year's class and would immediately join Kyle Gibson and Alex Meyer as a supremely talented right-hander in the Twins' system.

He is a superb athlete with a football scholarship from Texas A&M on the table, but making millions of dollars right out of high school could convince him to stick to playing baseball.

5. Cleveland Indians: Colin Moran, 3B, North Carolina

Even though the Tribe would be missing out on the most powerful bat in Bryant, Colin Moran is still an excellent choice here.

ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) has Moran going to the Astros with the No. 1 overall selection, and his prediction isn't all that far-fetched. Moran can hit with the best of them and is a slick fielder at the hot corner.

Should Moran fall all the way to No. 5, the Indians would be getting a great value. Third basemen that are as Major League-ready as Moran don't come along very often, and the Indians could be getting a quick return by scooping up the Tar Heel here.

6. Miami Marlins: Braden Shipley, RHP, Nevada

Shipley isn't Gray or Appel, but he's close. He's only been pitching full-time at Nevada for two seasons, after spending most of his early career at shortstop.

He posted a 9-4 record with a 2.20 ERA and 8.1 K/9 rate in 2012, and he followed that up with a 7-3 season in 2013 to go along with a 2.77 ERA and 8.6 K/9. In other words, he has crazy good potential and little to no wear and tear on his arm.

7. Boston Red Sox: Clint Frazier, OF, Loganville HS (Ga.)

Thanks to a fairly deep farm system that has a good balance of position players and pitchers, the Red Sox can afford to take the patient approach here and draft based on upside. A left-handed bat with plenty of raw skills to be developed, Frazier is worth the risk for Boston.

8. Kansas City Royals: Austin Meadows, OF, Grayson HS (Ga.)

The Royals have plenty of live arms in the system. What they need is an impact bat, especially with the departure of former top-prospect Wil Myers in the James Shields trade. Meadows would give them a strong bat in the outfield to complement the bevy of pitchers that are already in the system.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Ryne Stanek, RHP, Arkansas

The Pirates were given this pick after failing to sign Mark Appel in last year's draft.

Here they find another college right-hander with great stuff. He may not be quite on Appel's level just yet, but he's much more likely to sign with the team.

10. Toronto Blue Jays: J.P. Crawford, SS, Lakewood HS (Calif.)

The Blue Jays are absolutely stacked when it comes to pitching. What they don't have in their arsenal are many infielders with a ton of upside.

That will change if they take J.P. Crawford here. He has the skill set to remain at shortstop throughout his career, and he can hit to all fields at the plate.

11. New York Mets: Dominic Smith, 1B/OF, Serra HS (Calif.)

There isn't much power in the Mets system right now, and Smith could be the perfect choice to remedy that situation. He's just coming out of high school, but he's displayed good pop in his swing and could develop into a power bat at first base or in the outfield.

12. Seattle Mariners: Reese McGuire, C, Kentwood HS (Wash.)

If McGuire falls this far, the Mariners should be racing to get this pick in. Athletic catchers like McGuire don't come along every day, and he certainly fits the bill. Coming out of high school he will need time to develop, but his arm strength is already great.

His .559 on-base percentage that he posted during his senior season shows that he's already a mature hitter and that he has the right mindset to develop his offense to match his defense.

13. San Diego Padres: Austin Wilson, OF, Stanford

The Padres can address a pressing need in the system while getting decent value here. At 6'5" and 245 pounds, Wilson has the perfect frame to become a feared slugger for the Padres. Considering his college experience, he could move up the ranks much faster than the high school players the Padres usually draft in the first round.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates: Trey Ball, LHP/OF, New Castle Chrysler HS (IN)

With an established college pitcher in Stanek in tow, the Pirates can really go for broke here with a pick that could turn out to provide a great return.

Ball is considered a stellar prospect, both as a pitcher and as an outfielder. But at 6'6", it would be surprising if he didn't turn out to be used on the mound. With Stanek and Ball both coming in, the Pirates would be bolstering their pitching depth in a big way.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Hunter Renfroe, OF, Mississippi State

The Diamondbacks are frighteningly short on offensive prospects, especially in the outfield. That makes Renfroe the perfect fit here. His numbers at the plate were off the charts for the Bulldogs this season, as he posted a .352 average with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. 

16. Philadelphia Phillies: 1B/3B D.J. Peterson, New Mexico

The Phillies system doesn't have much depth at any particular position so they are really in a position to just go with the best prospect available at pick No. 16. In this case, that would be Peterson. He can play either corner in the infield and possesses nice power at the plate.

17. Chicago White Sox: Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts

The White Sox add another talented young arm to their system here in Gonzalez. After three years at Oral Roberts, he's a candidate to be fast tracked to the Bigs. He's a fairly safe pick with the stuff to succeed in the bullpen if he doesn't crack the rotation.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers: Aaron Judge, OF, Fresno State

Outfield may not be a position of need for the Dodgers right now, but Judge needs seasoning before heading to the majors anyway. At 6'7" and 255 pounds, he's a massive outfielder with great power potential. If he is given time to develop, he could become a stud.

19. St. Louis Cardinals: Sean Manaea, LHP, Indiana State

The rich get richer here, as the Cardinals add yet another promising arm to their system. St. Louis already boasts quite a few right-handers with potential, but Manaea could be their best left-handed pitcher in the system within a year of being drafted.

With a fastball that can hit 96 mph on the gun and a nasty slurve, Manaea has the stuff to make an impact. Selecting a player that can address one of the few shallow spots in the Cardinals system is a great value pick for them at No. 17.

20. Detroit Tigers: Hunter Harvey, RHP, Bandys HS (NC)

Considering that the Tigers haven't had a first-round selection since 2010, they're in a position to gamble here. Harvey isn't the most polished pitcher available, but he has a mid-90s fastball and a curve ball with good movement. As he grows into his 6'3" frame, his velocity should get even better.

21. Tampa Bay Rays: Nick Ciuffo, C, Lexington HS (SC)

Though McGuire is a better all-around prospect, Ciuffo challenges him for the title of catcher with the most offensive potential. He hit .507 with 25 RBI in 33 games this season and has good power for the position.

22. Baltimore Orioles: Tim Anderson, SS/OF, East Central HS (MS)

While Adrian Marin's presence in the system makes taking a shortstop a bit of a reach, Anderson is too athletic to pass up at this point. With 41 stolen bases last season, he's a future threat on the basepaths and could always be put in the outfield, if necessary.

23. Texas Rangers: Ian Clarkin, LHP, James Madison HS (CA)

With two first-round picks, the Rangers can afford to take a little gamble here. Clarkin may opt to play college baseball with San Diego, but he would be a high-upside pitching prospect if the Rangers can convince him to sign.

24. Oakland Athletics: Marco Gonzales, LHP, Gonzaga

Gonzales is one of the safest picks in this draft. He doesn't rely on an overpowering heater and can get batters out with his changeup. He won't set the league on fire, but the Athletics would be ensuring that they will get a return on their investment with the polished Gonzales. He boasted a 2.80 ERA for the Bulldogs this season.

25. San Francisco Giants: Chris Anderson, RHP, Jacksonville

Sure, the Giants have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to pitching, but adding just one more great arm won't hurt. Anderson has a ton of potential and could wind up being one of the top pitchers in the draft. His fastball and slider both have great velocity, and endurance remains the only question.

26. New York Yankees: Jonathon Crawford, RHP, Florida

The Yankees have three first-round choices this year, which makes them a candidate to take risks. However, they also lack a ton of pitching prospects that can be counted on to contribute in the near future, so the team needs to focus on hurlers that are more pro-ready.

Crawford fits the bill. He has spent two years at Florida and just tossed the seventh no-hitter in NCAA tourney history against Bethune Cookman.

27. Cincinnati Reds: Jon Denney, C, Yukon HS (OK)

Denney is another strong catching prospect in a class that is unusually deep at the position. The Reds will be taking on a project here, but he has the potential to be a top-flight talent, both offensively and defensively.

28. St. Louis Cardinals: Phillip Ervin, OF, Samford

After grabbing a pitcher with their first pick, the Cardinals add a little defense here. Ervin is an exceptional athlete that will excel on the basepaths and out in the field.

29. Tampa Bay Rays: Eric Jagielo, 3B/OF, Notre Dame

The Rays system is pretty well stocked at just about every position. Here they add even more depth at third base with a player that could even go to the outfield, if necessary. He hit .388 with nine home runs and 53 RBI in 56 games this year.

30. Texas Rangers: Ryan Eades, RHP, LSU

The Rangers go to the pitching well once more here, this time adding a fairly safe pick in Ryan Eades. The righty from LSU showed great command with the Tigers and could contribute fairly early.

31. Atlanta Braves: Billy McKinney, 1B/OF, Plano West HS (TX) 

The Braves system is pretty much set in terms of pitching, but the team could use some upside offensively. McKinney displays great power, even as a prep prospect. He's a TCU commit but should sign if taken in the first round. The Braves get a potential power threat late in the first round with McKinney.

32. New York Yankees: Phil Bickford, RHP, Oaks Christian HS (CA)

The Yankees add yet another promising long-term pitching option in Bickford. The prep star can already hit 96 mph on the gun. A few years of seasoning and he could be the next great power-pitcher in pinstripes.

33. New York Yankees: Oscar Mercado, SS, Gaither HS (FL)

It's hard to imagine that the Yankees would spend all three of their first-round selections on pitching, so they go defense here. Mercado has great range and looks like a true shortstop. He's not so bad at the plate either and should develop into a good contact hitter there.