Tonight’s the night – after a couple of years of intense hype, Stephen Strasburg makes his Major League debut. On Stubhub, there’s a ticket to the game going for $575, despite the fact that the 27-31 Nationals are hosting the 23-34 Pirates. People want to see what the hype is all about, and whether this kid is as good as he’s been built up to be.

I expect him to pitch well. The Pirates aren’t a good baseball team, and Strasburg has legitimate top shelf stuff. As long as he can overcome nerves and throw strikes, he should be fine. My one piece of advice, however, will not to be read too much into tonight’s performance, no matter how well he does.

As a matter of reference, here are the 14 pitchers who have posted a Game Score of over 80 in their Major League Debut since 1980.

Steve Woodard: 91
Jimmy Jones: 90
Pedro Astacio: 87
Mark Brownson: 85
Jeff Pico: 85
Danny Cox: 84
Mike Remlinger: 82
Johnny Cueto: 81
Kirk Rueter: 81
Jason Jennings: 81
Jeff Russell: 81
Kevin Morton: 81
Chris Waters: 80
Bob Milacki: 80

That is not exactly a list of Hall Of Famers. In fact, it’s a less impressive list that the guys who have absolutely bombed in the big league debut. It’s a long list, so we won’t go through the whole thing, but here are a few of the names of pitchers who have posted a game score of 20 or below in their first game:

Steve Avery (9), Tom Glavine (13), Matt Garza (14), Jake Westbrook (15), Jon Garland (15), Jason Hammel (18), and Ervin Santana (20)

Those guys were all disasters in their first tastes of the big leagues, but have gone on to much bigger and better things. And that group blows the “announce their presence with authority” guys out of the water in terms of career value.

Strasburg may be fantastic tonight, or he may be terrible. It will be interesting to watch either way, but in the end, it won’t mean anything. It’s one start. It might be his big chance to make a good first impression, but if he falls on his face, he’ll be in good company.

The draft is all about dreaming on skills. You can bet that with every selection in yesterday’s first round, there was a scouting director and an area scout conjuring up the type of player their draftee could become. I thought it might be a fun exercise — especially given the pessimism that my draft history series provided — to look at who they might have been thinking of. I’m not projecting these futures, and would note the comparisons are rudimentary. But if we’re ever going to skew rose-colored, it should be today.

1. Bryce Harper, RF, Washington Nationals
Skills they love: Big left-handed power, big arm.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: It’s not my comparison, but Larry Walker’s performance in right field is a good benchmark. I’d also point to the peaks of Shawn Green and David Justice as jumping off points.

2. Jameson Taillon, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Skills they love: Pitcher’s body, strikeout potential.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: How about Andy Benes‘ first 6 seasons, and Chris Carpenter’s second 6 seasons?

3. Manny Machado, SS/3B, Baltimore Orioles
Skills they love: Fluid swing, power potential, natural athleticism.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: No one could rightfully be hoping for Alex Rodriguez production, but how about Matt Williams? Same height, third overall pick, started at shortstop.

4. Christian Colon, SS/2B, Kansas City Royals
Skills they love: Bat control, will stay up middle, little pop.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: 2003-2004 Mark Loretta. He hit .325/.382/.469, with a 112/107 BB/K ratio in 1360 plate appearances. Only not for just two seasons.

5. Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Cleveland Indians
Skills they love: Easy velocity, snap-dragon curveball, workhorse.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: One of the Indians’ own — Chuck Finley, with a little better command. No easy comparison with this profile.

6. Barret Loux, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Skills they love: Pitcher’s build, very good changeup.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: Jason Schmidt, who only threw a breaking ball 10% of the time from 2003-2006, but managed 20 WAR over that time frame.

7. Matt Harvey, RHP, New York Mets
Skills they love: Big frame, big fastball, potential four-pitch mix.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: This is a fairly common pitcher, but I think if you put Matt Garza and Kevin Millwood in a blender, they might make what the Mets want from Harvey.

8. Delino DeShields Jr., CF, Houston Astros
Skills they love: Plus-plus speed, good defensive potential, leadoff stuff.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: It’s pretty hard to lock down, but I’ll throw three players out there: Chuck Knoblauch, Eric Young or Chad Curtis.

9. Karsten Whitson, RHP, San Diego Padres
Skills they love: Very good slider, projectable velocity.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: I think Jeremy Bonderman and Matt Clement are pretty accurate representations of slider-four seam guys that have had success.

10. Michael Choice, OF, Oakland Athletics
Skills they love: Big, raw power, good patience, solid defense.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: Danny Tartabull on the athletic side, Greg Vaughn on the unathletic side.

11. Deck McGuire, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Skills they love: Innings-Eater Frame, Commanded 4-pitch mix.
They’ll be hoping for production that looks like: We can probably do better than John Lackey, so I’ll throw Scott Sanderson out there.

12. Yasmani Grandal, C, Cincinnati Reds
Skills they love: Good defender, switch-hitter can hit home run.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Perfect world? 1988-1996, Mickey Tettleton posted a 128 OPS+, and wasn’t the defender Grandal could be.

13. Chris Sale, LHP, Chicago White Sox
Skills they love: Projectable, throws strikes, death on left-handed hitters.
They’ll be hoping for production like: The best optimistic comparison available is probably Mark Mulder, who has a similar pitch arsenal, and similarly good command.

14. Dylan Covey, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Skills they love: Good fastball movement, power curve.
They’ll be hoping for production like: The most optimistic of hopes would be Chad Billingsley.

15. Jake Skole, OF, Texas Rangers
Skills they love: Hard-nosed, five-tool potential.
They’ll be hoping for production like: The easy comparison, which has already been made, is Grady Sizemore. I’d throw out Ray Lankford or maybe Steve Finley into the discussion, too, but we’re really skewing optimistic.

16. Hayden Simpson, RHP, Chicago Cubs
Skills they love: Good fastball velocity, two working breaking balls.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Scouting Director Tim Wilken already likened Simpson to Tim Lincecum or Roy Oswalt, so he did our work for us. Whatever he says.

17. Josh Sale, LF/RF, Tampa Bay Rays
Skills they love: Big-time power bat, good corner outfield profile.
They’ll be hoping for production like: How about another former 17th overall pick that slugged lefty, threw right-handed, and wasn’t very tall: Jeromy Burnitz? The Rays would hope for longer career, though.

18. Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Los Angeles Angels
Skills they love: Power switch-hitting bat with a canon at third base.
They’ll be hoping for production like: We won’t have a long history of powerful, switch-hitting third basemen, and since Cowart is from Georgia, the easy comp has been resorted to: Chipper. We’re pretty limited to him or Bobby Bonilla.

19. Mike Foltyniewicz, RHP, Houston Astros
Skills they love: Good fastball movement, clean mechanics.
They’ll be hoping for production like: We don’t have a ton to identify Foltyniewicz from, but I think you’d be looking at a groundballer with length and a good changeup: Scott Erickson, maybe?

20. Kolbrin Vitek, 2B/3B/CF, Boston Red Sox
Skills they love: Pure bat, good speed/arm combination.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Vitek is sort of an odd duck, so this one wasn’t easy. I would say the perfect world expectations start at 1995-2000 Jeff Cirillo (113 OPS+), and only go north from there.

21. Alex Wimmers, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Skills they love: Solid command, plus-plus change, three ready pitches.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Pat Hentgen had the right mix of size, command, and home run tendencies I was looking for in a Wimmers comparison.

22. Kellin Deglan, C, Texas Rangers
Skills they love: Will stick behind plate, projection in left-handed bat.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Not a lot to go off with his offensive profile, so it’s hard to know if they are thinking Darren Daulton or A.J. Pierzynski. Maybe our best option is Brian McCann?

23. Christian Yelich, 1B, Florida Marlins
Skills they love: Pretty left-handed swing.
They’ll be hoping for production like: This is a player where the comps sort of write themselves: we’ve heard John Olerud and Mark Grace. We’d have to throw in Kent Hrbek and Sean Casey, too.

24. Gary Brown, CF, San Francisco Giants
Skills they love: Plus-plus speed, great bat control.
They’ll be hoping for production like: We talked in yesterday’s chat about how unique the Giants would need Brown to be given his walk rate, but the team has to hope he learns some patience and becomes Cesar Cedeno-like.

25. Zack Cox, 2B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals
Skills they love: Pure bat, has some power in it.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Cox is another guy whose value could be all over the place, but if you want perfect world, the Cardinals are probably thinking Robinson Cano with patience.

26. Kyle Parker, RF, Colorado Rockies
Skills they love: Strength and big-time power.
They’ll be hoping for production like: The list looks very similar to Michael Choice, given the short stature, the big strength and the unavoidable strikeouts. I’d add in Jesse Barfield to the list of comps given on Choice.

27. Jesse Biddle, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Skills they love: Big projectable frame, good changeup.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Big, tall lefty with a good changeup? You have to think Frank Viola, right?

28. Zach Lee, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Skills they love: He won’t sign.
They’ll be hoping for production like: I’m sure the Dodgers wish the best for him as a quarterback at LSU.

29. Cam Bedrosian, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Skills they love: Good fastball/slider combination, attacks on the mound.
They’ll be hoping for production like: I’m guessing even more than his father, because the Angels are planning on keeping Bedrosian as a starter. A guy like Juan Guzman, in his good years, is a possibility.

30. Chevez Clarke, CF, Los Angeles Angels
Skills they love: Fast-twitch, switch-hitter in center.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Probably hoping for something like Chone Figgins, although a Brian McRae type might be the more realistic hope.

31. Justin O’Conner, C, Tampa Bay Rays
Skills they love: Athletic, big arm, big power potential.
They’ll be hoping for production like: On the high side, you’d love him to develop the patience and become Gene Tenace, but Terry Steinbach and his Midwest connections seem apt.

32. Cito Culver, SS, New York Yankees
Skills they love: Switch-hitter that could stay at shortstop.
They’ll be hoping for production like: Tony Fernandez had the speed and gap power combination that the Yankees love about Culver.

Ever seen Celebrity Rehab ? Basically, a bunch of former stars try to clean up their lives and stay on the straight and narrow path. Recently, the Pittsburgh Pirates have employed a similar strategy with erstwhile top prospects. The Bucs scooped up four former top 100 farm talents (as rated by Baseball America) from other organizations, hoping the players could reclaim some semblance of their previous glory. Here’s a look at how those players are performing.

Ronny Cedeno, SS
#94 prospect prior to 2006
Acquired: July 2009 from Seattle Mariners

Originally a Cubs prospect signed out of Venezuela back in 1999, Cedeno showed some offensive promise at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. After a 2005 season in which Cedeno raked at Iowa (355/.403/.518) and made his be league debut, BA said that he had “proven that he could be more than a glove man.”

Suffice it to say, his bat hasn’t translated to the highest level — in 1,550 career plate appearances, Cedeno has a .273 wOBA and a 61 wRC+. BA also said that he lacked plate patience, and that part of the scouting report was dead on. Cedeno’s outside swing rate in the majors tops 35 percent.

Despite a .281 wOBA and a 71 wRC+, Cedeno hasn’t been a total liability in 2010. He has 0.7 Wins Above Replacement, on the strength of a +16.2 UZR/150 at shortstop. However, Ronny’s career UZR/150 at the position is -1.3. The 27-year-old will need to keep playing stellar defense to make up for his Adam Everett-esque lumber.

Jeff Clement, 1B
#33 prospect prior to 2006, #62 pre-2007, #42 pre-2008
Acquired: July 2009 from Seattle Mariners

The third overall pick in the 2005 draft, Clement was a highly-coveted talent as a lefty-swinging, power hitting catcher. Unfortunately, he tumbled down the defensive spectrum due to unflattering scouting reports and knee problems. Now, Clement’s strictly a first baseman. He last strapped on the catcher’s gear in 2009, and that was just for 16 games.

Though he managed a decent .279/.368/.492 line in over 1,500 PA at the Triple-A level, Clement has a .283 wOBA and a 72 wRC+ in 380 career trips to the plate in the majors. CHONE and ZiPS both gave the former USC star a .350 wOBA projection for the 2010 season, but he has a ghastly .237 wOBA so far. A .213 batting average on balls in play hasn’t helped, but Clement is hacking at 31.4 percent of off-the-plate pitches, walking 4.4 percent and whiffing 26.8 percent. Considering the position that he now plays, he has -0.7 WAR on the season.

Clement has found himself on the bench more often as of late, with Pittsburgh turning to either Garrett Jones or Bobby Crosby (speaking of former prospects..) at first base. Now 26, Clement is in serious danger of being written off as a viable starter in the majors. His rest-of-season ZiPS projects a .334 wOBA — that’s just not useful from a first baseman.

Andy LaRoche, 3B
#74 prospect prior to 2005, #19 pre-2006 and 2007, #31 pre-2008
Acquired: July 2008 from Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s not entirely fair to lump LaRoche in with the other guys on this list. First, he wasn’t really picked up as a reclamation project — LaRoche was perhaps the prime prospect acquired by the Pirates in the three-team Jason Bay/Manny Ramirez proceedings. Also, the former Dodgers prospect was a relatively productive starter last season, with 2.6 WAR.

However, it’s fair to say that LaRoche has fallen short of expectations in 2010. He was essentially a league-average hitter in ’09 (.324 wOBA, 97 wRC+), but the 26-year-old has a .291 wOBA and a 77 wRC+ this year. He displayed mild power last season, with a .143 ISO, but LaRoche has a .096 mark in 2010. Pop ups have been a problem (21.3 IF/FB%, nearly three times the MLB average). Couple that hitting with a poor UZR/150 rating (-13.9), and you have a sub-replacement-level showing: -0.3 WAR.

LaRoche should improve at the plate (.324 rest-of-season ZiPS wOBA), and he rated quite well defensively last season. Overall, his career UZR/150 at third is +0.6. There’s nothing wrong with a guy who projects as roughly an average starter, particularly when he has several years of team control remaining. But the Pirates were probably looking for a little more, and LaRoche’s long-term defensive home becomes unclear if Pedro Alvarez begins his big league career at third base.

Lastings Milledge, LF
#86 prospect prior to 2004, #11 pre-2005, #9 pre-2006
Acquired: June 2009 from Washington Nationals

Formerly the pride of the New York Mets’ player development program, Milledge has since passed through Washington and is now floundering in Pittsburgh. BA once thought that Lastings would help anchor the lineup in Queens along with Wright, Reyes and Beltran. Instead, Milledge has a career .315 wOBA and a 91 wRC+.

The 25-year-old has been even worse as of late: a .308 wOBA during a 2009 season in which he suffered a broken finger and a .292 wOBA in 2010. He’s doing a slightly better job of working the count this season (nine percent walk rate, though that includes two intentionals), but his power is MIA: a .078 ISO. Milledge is chopping the ball into the grass (51 GB%) and popping up (17.4 IF/FB%) often. He’s got -0.2 WAR on the season.

Milledge’s rest-of-season ZiPS calls for a .320 wOBA. He has been around an average corner outfielder (career +1.6 UZR/150) after a disastrous stint in center field for the Nationals, so he projects as a below-average starter at this point.

So, there you have it: four players once celebrated as franchise pillars combining for -0.5 WAR. Top-rated position players provide the most production in the aggregate, but these four haven’t lived up to the billing. With perhaps the exception of LaRoche, it’s not looking good for this quartet of underachievers.

It’s just been that kind of a season for Chad Qualls. He still has a 92+ MPH fastball, and he still has a biting 86 MPH slider. He’s still inducing over 50% ground balls. He’s walking fewer than three batters per nine innings and his 9.15 K/9 is a career high.

Despite all of this, Chad Qualls’s ERA was at 6.86 entering last night’s appearance against the Atlanta Braves.

Qualls had been the baseball embodiment of Murphy’s Law this season. Entering last night’s game, his excellent peripherals had his FIP at 3.97 and his xFIP at 3.23. When we look at some of the luck indicating statistics, we see where the disaster has originated. His HR/FB rate was sitting at 16.7%, but that’s not terribly surprising given a 13.5% career rate. After that, things start getting ridiculous. Qualls had only managed to strand 54.9% of baserunners. Despite a typical batted ball profile – 19.4 LD%, 53.7% FB, 26.9 GB% – his BABIP was a lofty .441.

Interestingly enough, last night’s appearance, a save in a 7-4 Diamondbacks victory was an outing in which Qualls threw only 11 of his 27 pitches for strikes and walked the bases loaded. He only managed to escape due to two ground outs, including a double play ball off the bat of Yunel Escobar to end the game. Perhaps this is the beginning of some regression for Qualls. The two ground outs lowered his BABIP all the way to .429. His LOB% skyrocketed to 58.7% after stranding the bases loaded.

Despite this outing, Qualls has still had terrible results this season. Whether it’s the 19 runs allowed in just over 20 innings, or the four blown saves, or the equal number of shutdowns and meltdowns (6 each), or the -1.59 total WPA. He was on the verge of yet another meltdown last night. The fact that Qualls still has excellent peripherals likely offers little consolation to Diamondbacks fans, who have seen their team utterly waste one of the league’s highest octane offenses because of a bullpen that can’t shut the door. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, this is just one of the issues that a team faces when attempting to build a bullpen: even when you do everything right, it can all still go horribly wrong.

Talk about a pair of unlikely walk champions.

George Kottaras entered the season entrenched as the Milwaukee Brewers’ backup catcher. The Brewers had signed Gregg Zaun during the off-season, and his whose ability to switch hit canceled out Kottaras’ left-handed bat. Zaun recently went down with a torn labrum and in the meanwhile Kottaras has filled in beyond admirably. In a little over 100 plate appearances, he’s walked roughly a quarter of the time – something that’s simply unheard of.

Kottaras is hitting for power that he hasn’t flashed since hitting 22 home runs for Pawtucket in 2008 – blasting five long ones with an ISO more than .100 points over league average. Truly the only knock on Kottaras to date has been his inability to handle the running game – he’s let 22 of 26 thieves swipe successfully. When one writes that Kottaras is unlikely to continue this performance, it’s not an insult; instead it’s a statement made of disbelief at Kottaras’ .390-plus wOBA in light of a BABIP in the low-.200s. That’s insanity.

The real question is whether Kottaras will break the 100-walk mark down the stretch – something only 16 full-time catchers have done during a season – or if by then he’ll be bored walking like Uncle Pennybags.

Speaking of radical happenings, John Jaso opened the season in Triple-A and yet there he was on the first weekend of June leading off while being the Rays’ designated hitter. Jaso the batter has always passed the smell tests, unlike Jaso the catcher. He’s worked hard on improving his catching game, but there are still some kinks when it comes to receiving the ball.

The most ridiculous aspect about Jaso’s game also involves walks – namely, his 1.8 walk-to-strikeout ratio, thanks to Jaso walking in more than 15% of his plate appearances. Why is that statistic notable? Because, since the 1990s, Joe Mauer has been the gold standard for catchers with impressive walk-to-strikeout ratios; in fact, his 2008, 2006, and 2009 seasons rank as the top three during that timeframe, and yet Mauer’s career high is 1.68, well below Jaso’s mark.

Jaso is doing his best Mike Scioscia impression and should knock Dioner Navarro off the roster when Jason Bartlett returns from the disabled list. Jaso is unlikely to continue hitting this well, but he walked 12% of the time in Triple-A last season and walked around 15% of the time during his Double-A stint. Unlike some other minor league walk hogs, like say A.J. Ellis, he’s not without other offensive skills. He can put the bat on the ball and doesn’t appear to be the typical catcher with legs made of lead.

It seems highly unlikely either will continue to perform like this, but hey, who saw Kottaras or Jaso being worthy of such praise three months ago?

Some inside baseball on our draft preparation here at FanGraphs — Marc Hulet and I split up a bunch of names before the draft, and wrote snippets on them that you saw appear live as the picks happened tonight. However, we were left with a bunch of names that weren’t taken. I don’t want those to go to waste, so here they are — reference away as they are picked on Tuesday.

Stetson Allie | RHP | Ohio HS
A draft standard, Allie gets the label of the draft’s hardest thrower, showing three digits on radar guns at more than one showcase last summer. Allie is big without a ton of projection left, but he’s very athletic, and would be talked about as a power hitting prospect if not for the fastball. The question, as it does for pitchers of his ilk, comes down to control and command, and Allie doesn’t have much of either right now. If he makes the Major Leagues, it will be as a reliever, with his career outcomes varying as wide as Colt Griffin and Jonathan Broxton. (Bryan Smith)

Zach Alvord | SS/2B | Georgia HS
Alvord has one of the hardest, most violent swings in this draft, but with raw power and a middle infield pedigree, he has teams interested. Most believe he will move to second base at the next level, as he has never offered speed equivalent to his high school shortstop peers. He’s a bona fide project, but bat speed like his cannot be taught. Alvord is committed to Auburn University. (Bryan Smith)

Chad Bettis | RHP | Texas Tech University
Bettis has bounced around during his time at TTU and has pitched as both a starter and a reliever. The right-hander sits in the mid-90s as a reliever and could produce above-average ground-ball rates as a pro. Bettis also features a good slider and a change-up, although he needs to work on his command and he could also stand to incorporate his legs more during his delivery. He could move quickly through the minors as a reliever, but he could also develop into a solid No. 3 starter. (Marc Hulet)

Kris Bryant | 3B | Nevada HS
Apparently Nevada sluggers just have more power, as behind Bryce Harper, Bryant offers some of the bigger raw power in this draft. Some have labeled him a Batting Practice Hitter, meaning that he’s more likely to put on a show before the game than during it. He’s very thin and very wiry, so there is no question that more strength is on the way. With it, he’ll be tried out at third base after playing shortstop at Bonanza High School. If he were to make good on his commitment to University of San Diego, Bryant would be an early favorite to lead the nation in home runs in 2013. (Bryan Smith)

Yordy Cabrera | SS | Florida HS
A prep two-way player, Cabrera is 19-year-old senior. His father is a former professional baseball player and a current minor league manager, so the young infielder has spent a lot of time around the game, which should help him early on in his career as he adjusts to pro ball. Cabrera has a very strong arm and good actions at shortstop. Offensively, he’s a mistake hitter with raw power who struggles against breaking balls. Cabrera is committed to the University of Miami. (Marc Hulet)

A.J. Cole | RHP | Florida HS
Another talented Florida high schooler committed to Miami, Cole could probably benefit from three years in college. He’s been a mixed bag this spring, at times touching 95 mph with a good breaking ball, at times resorting to a one-pitch guy that tops at 92 mph. He’s very skinny for a 6-foot-5 frame, so he’ll add weight and probably consistency down the road. Has some of the highest potential, and one of the longest development schedules in this draft. (Bryan Smith)

Derek Dietrich | SS | Georgia Tech
The grandson of long-time Pittsburgh Pirates coach and scout Steve Demeter, Dietrich didn’t see his bonus demands met in the 2007 draft, when the Houston Astros drafted him in the third round. Dietrich instead went to Georgia Tech, where he starred for three seasons, hitting at least 10 home runs each year, while playing shortstop everyday in a tough conference. He doesn’t have the range for shortstop, and scouts question whether he will have the power with a wood bat to play third base. Ultimately, his future value likely hinges on how well he takes to second base down the road. (Bryan Smith)

Brett Eibner | RHP/OF | University of Arkansas
It would be a surprise if Eibner isn’t announced as a pitcher when he’s drafted, but he’s clinging to the hope that the outfield is his future. He’s athletic enough to succeed in center field, but there’s a lot of swing-and-miss in his bat. On the mound, he offers a lot of fluidity, and has touched 94 mph with his fastball. You’ll see a plus slider on occasion, but he’s never really needed to throw a changeup. (Bryan Smith)

Dave Filak | RHP | SUNY-Oneonta
Filak walked on to this small Division III program, and has almost no history of facing elite competition. But he’s 6-foot-5, has touched 95 mph, and offers a curveball that hitters at his level could not touch. He’ll have to assuage concerns about the health of his elbow, as he missed a start with elbow soreness this spring. The team that believes in their own development staff could definitely take a chance on Filak, who offers all the potential coaches need to mold a Major Leaguer. (Bryan Smith)

Kevin Gausman | RHP | Colorado HS
One of the better prospects to come from his state in some time, Gausman is the type that excites the area scouts more than the crosscheckers and scouting directors. He was hit hard this spring because he relies on just his fastball, as a team would essentially have to start from the beginning with him on secondary stuff. However, he’s wiry and athletic, and has a very fluid delivery. Many believe Louisiana State University would be his best option. (Bryan Smith)

Micah Gibbs | C | Louisiana State
There aren’t a ton of top catching prospects in the upper portion of the draft, so Gibbs could get popped earlier than expected as a result of that fact. Defensively, he’s an above-average catcher with an average arm. Offensively, he’s improved with the bat but has had to sacrifice some power. Gibbs clears his hips too, as well, which could be robbing him of power. He’s not expected to be a great offensive catcher, but he should be a solid all-around contributor. (Marc Hulet)

Reggie Golden | OF | Alabama HS
Golden is another fast riser that has been mentioned in first round consideration. The raw, but athletic outfielder flashes all five tools and speed is a big part of his game right now but he’s expected to slow down as his body matures. Golden also has good bat speed and a very strong arm, which is tailor-made for right-field. He’ll have to watch his conditioning, as he’s already 210 lbs on a 5’10” frame and he has a thick lower half. He’s committed to the University of Alabama. (Marc Hulet)

Justin Grimm | RHP | University of Georgia
Grimm is one of those college pitchers whose results have never mirrored his talent. He has a good pitcher’s frame and a low-to-mid-90s fastball. Unfortunately, he pitches up in the zone too much and lacks movement on his heater. He also has a curveball and a change-up. Grimm does a nice job of staying tall in his delivery but there is effort to his arm action. His command, as a result, comes and goes. Grimm was originally drafted out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round. (Marc Hulet)

Jedd Gyorko | SS | University of West Virginia
Gyorko is a good-hit, no-field shortstop who is expect to move immediately to second, third or left field in pro ball. He’s expected to hit for a good average with gap power. Gyorko has a good eye at the plate and shouldn’t strike out too much, but he needs to make some adjustments in his awkward stance to help with pitches on the inner half of the plate. (Marc Hulet)

Jesse Hahn | RHP | Virginia Tech University
Hahn is a hard-throwing pitcher, whose fastball sits in the low 90s and can touch the mid 90s. He also features a good slider, curveball (He changes his arm angle on this pitch), and change-up. There are some health concerns about Hahn’s elbow and he underwent an MRI earlier in the spring. Due to his past health concerns and a lack of consistent command, Hahn could be best-suited to bullpen work in pro ball. (Marc Hulet)

Jake Hernandez | C | California HS
Committed to play for former Major League catcher Chad Kreuter at the University of Southern California, Hernandez already possesses the defensive skills to succeed at an elite level. He’s athletic and fundamentally sound behind the plate, and gets the ball to second base quickly. Many have been quick to put the future back-up label on Hernandez, as his offensive skills significantly lag behind his defense. (Bryan Smith)

Leon Landry | OF | Louisiana State University
Already a SportsCenter staple due to an amazing defensive highlight reel, Landry has a history of making big plays in big games. However, he’s wildly inconsistent, and was benched for stretches of LSU’s title run last season. The problem is a pull happy approach, and he just isn’t the home run hitter he believes himself to be. While capable of great plays in the outfield, he draws criticism for bad reads on standard plays. (Bryan Smith)

Marcus Littlewood | SS | Utah HS
There are no agreements to be found about Littlewood’s ultimate potential, as he offers a lot left to project with the bat, and a defensive profile that gives him that “tweener” label. He has good footwork and instincts up the middle, but scouts are concerned that his size (6-foot-3) and his lack of raw speed suggest a position change down the road. That would be unfortunate, because the one point of agreement seems to be that he’ll never hit for much power. He is committed to play at the University of San Diego. (Bryan Smith)

Kevin Munson | RHP | James Madison
Recruited to James Madison as a catcher, Munson was converted upon arrival, so credit goes to his coaching staff. Munson grabbed hold of the closer role as a freshman, and never let it go, striking out 171 batters in 134 innings over his career. He has really refined a plus slider that is just death on right-handed hitters, and he’s a good bet to succeed in that role in the Major Leagues. The question will come down to command, as Munson won’t get as many hitters to chase in the pro’s. (Bryan Smith)

Griffin Murphy | LHP | California HS
Murphy has seen his value increase as the draft approaches. He’s not over-powering but he has an average fastball with velocity between 88-92 mph. He also has a plus curveball and a change-up. Murphy’s shoulder tends to fly open at times. He’s committed to the University of San Diego. (Marc Hulet)

James Paxton | LHP | Independent Baseball League
A native Canadian and a Scott Boras client, Paxton failed to sign with the Blue Jays as the 37th overall pick of the ’09 draft. The lefty then lost his college eligibility and failed to pitch during what would have been his senior year of college. Paxton did throw a few innings in an independent baseball league prior to the draft in an effort to boost his draft stock. When he’s sharp, he has a mid-to-high-90s fastball, a plus curveball and a raw change-up. (Marc Hulet)

Jacob Petricka | RHP | Indiana State University
Petricka could move somewhat quickly through the minors if continues to flash above-average velocity on his heater. The right-hander could move even quicker if he’s converted to the ‘pen by a team that wants him to focus on his fastball-breaking ball mix. Petricka was drafted by the Yankees last season as a draft-eligible sophomore but turned them down; it looks like a smart move, as he’ll be taken much sooner than the 34th round. (Marc Hulet)

Rob Rasmussen | LHP | UCLA
An under-sized lefty, Rasmussen is a competitor who isn’t afraid to pound the strike zone with solid stuff. He features an 88-92 mph fastball, curveball, slider, and change-up. He shows good control but mechanical issues can lead to slips in his command. He was a solid prospect as a prep pitcher but he slid to the Dodgers in the 27th round due to signability concerns. (Marc Hulet)

Mel Rojas Jr. | OF | Wabash Community College
Son of the reliever that pitched in 525 Major League games, Rojas actually didn’t inherit a great deal of arm strength from his father. However, he got plenty of athletic genes, and projects to cover a lot of ground in center field. Skinny and 6-foot-3, Rojas will add strength, but the question is whether he has enough loft on his swing to hit for power. The team that drafts him will have the onus of adding patience to his game at the next level, as he’s succeeded without it up to now. (Bryan Smith)

Austin Wates | OF | Virginia Tech
Wates has a nice-and-easy swing that he uses to center the ball very well, he didn’t even strike out often as an everyday freshman in the ACC. Two years later, he’s still making plenty of contact, and the power is just now coming around. He’ll never hit for a ton of it, but he won’t have to, hitting for a high average. Wates was 48-for-57 in his career on the basepaths, but still needs to translate that speed to range in the outfield. His arm is the only tool that rates below average. (Bryan Smith)

Austin Wilson | OF | California HS
Wilson is an intriguing prospect but he’s also committed to Stanford University; it could take a very hefty cheque to swing his loyalties. The outfield is raw and could take some time to develop but he displays four- or five-tool potential with good speed, power and a strong arm. Like many young hitters, Wilson struggles with breaking balls. Defensively, he needs to quicken the transfer on his throws from the outfield. Wilson will probably need a large number of at-bats in the minors before he’s ready for The Show. He’s a true high risk, high reward player. (Marc Hulet)

Brandon Workman | RHP | University of Texas
Workman is a starter with four solid pitches, including a low-90s fastball, plus curveball, cutter, and change-up. The right-hander has good movement on his pitches and solid control. Workman is a little stiff in his delivery. He was originally drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies but turned them down as a third-round pick. (Marc Hulet)

While we’re chatting away down below, you can follow along as we update this post and offer some commentary on a pick by pick basis.

1. Washington Nationals – Bryce Harper | C/OF | College of Southern Nevada

Credit is due to both Rich Lederer and Tom Verducci for introducing Harper to the blogosphere and world, respectively, very early in his prep career, paving the way for him to become one of the most hyped prospects in draft history. It seemed a gimmick when Harper opted to skip his final two years of high school to join his brother Bryan at the College of Southern Nevada, but he was ready: slugging .442/.524/.986 in one of the nation’s hardest junior college conferences. Harper has 80 raw power on the 20-80 scouting scale, and a 70 arm that will likely lend a move from catcher to right field. Harper is represented by Scott Boras, and is likely to set a draft record with the contract he signs. (Bryan Smith)

2. Pittsburgh Pirates – Jameson Taillon | RHP | Texas HS

Touted as the best high school pitching prospect since Josh Beckett, Taillon’s stuff outpaced his results this spring. However, listed at 6-foot-7, and sporting a fastball that reaches 97 mph, any team would love to get their pitching instructors working on building their next ace. Taillon might have to pick a breaking ball at the next level, and it will probably be a hard slider that sits around 85 mph. He’s an intelligent pitcher that has embraced the idea of throwing a changeup, but in high school, showed it more in bullpens than during games. Stuff like this usually doesn’t miss, but the team that drafts him must be ready to refine his arm. (Bryan Smith)

3. Baltimore Orioles – Manny Machado | SS | Florida HS

Probably the best Miami-area high school prospect since Alex Rodriguez, Machado has been plagued by that lofty comparison for about a year. While no one is ready to project 600 home run power, he’s a sure-fire bet to add muscle and pop in the minor leagues. Machado offers a canon of an arm, so if he grows too big for the middle infield, both third base and right field should be natural fits. After dominating the summer showcase series last summer, Machado grabbed hold of the top high school hitter label, and never let it go this spring. (Bryan Smith)

4. Kansas City Royals – Christian Colon | SS | Cal State Fullerton

One of the top shortstop prospects in the game, Colon is likely to move to second base in professional baseball due to limits with both his range and arm strength, although he has pretty quick hands. Offensively, he swings with a clear upper cut in his stroke at times, which could cause him some issues against better pitching. In college, though, he exhibited the ability to make consistent contact and rarely struck out. Colon was originally selected out of high school by San Diego in the 10th round of the 2007 draft. (Marc Hulet)

5. Cleveland Indians – Drew Pomeranz | LHP | University of Mississippi

The top college pitcher in the draft, Pomeranz has solid fastball velocity for a lefty. The southpaw has a good three-pitch mix – 89-94 mph fastball, curveball, change-up – but his control is still a work in progress. He has a fairly smooth delivery. Pomeranz was previously selected out of high school by the Texas Rangers in the 12th round of the 2007 draft. (Marc Hulet)

6. Arizona Diamondbacks – Barret Loux | RHP | Texas A&M

One of Division I’s top recruits three years ago, Loux was inconsistent for his first two seasons, before transforming into the ace the Aggies needed this season. He’s your typical tall-and-fall big righty, with little tempo in his delivery, but a ton of arm speed on his 92-94 mph fastball. He maintains the arm speed on a very good changeup that has been his best pitch this spring, helping to shut down left-handed hitters. He’ll need work refining a breaking ball, as neither his slider or curveball made much headway in three years at college. (Bryan Smith)

7. New York Mets – Matt Harvey | RHP | University of North Carolina

Entering the 2007 draft, the top three prep pitchers were Rick Porcello, Jarrod Parker, and Matt Harvey. Both Porcello and Parker signed as first-round picks but Harvey slid to the third round (Los Angeles Angels) due to signability concerns and ended up heading off to the University of North Carolina. Harvey had an up-and-down career in college but has looked good this season. He has mid-90s velocity, a sharp slider, and and a developing change-up but his command and control both need work; he could stand to have a cleaner finish to his arm action. If he cannot improve in that area, Harvey could end up at the back of a big league bullpen. (Marc Hulet)

8. Houston Astros – Delino DeShields Jr. | OF | Georgia HS

Like his father (who is a former first round pick of the Expos), DeShields’ game is built around plus-plus speed. Unlike a lot of young speedsters, though, he’s not a fast-twitch player and he’s filled out pretty well already. Offensively, there are some questions about his potential with the stick but he has good bat speed; he just needs better pitch recognition. He’s committed to Louisiana State University, but is expected to be drafted in the first round. (Marc Hulet)

9. San Diego Padres – Karsten Whitson | RHP | Florida HS

Whitson has a fastball that can hit the mid-90s but his slider is one of the best in the draft. The right-hander is athletic (He was a good prep basketball player) and fields his position well. He has a quick, short arm action. Whitson, who has been on the prospect circuit for quite some time, is committed to the University of Florida. (Marc Hulet)

10. Oakland Athletics – Michael Choice | OF | University of Texas-Arlington

As the draft neared, there were a number of teams with top draft picks dreaming on Choice’s plus power potential. He’s been a three true outcome hitter in college with lots of home runs, walks, and strikeouts. Like a lot of young hitters, Choice needs to avoid the natural tendency to try and pull everything; he has excellent bat speed that could easily produce opposite-field blasts. A center-fielder in college, he should be able to stick there but he has the power to play either outfield corner. (Marc Hulet)

11. Toronto Blue Jays – Deck McGuire | RHP | Georgia Tech

It’s not often for a pitcher to pair such size (6-foot-6, 220 pounds) with such pitchability, but McGuire is a rare breed. Capable of throwing four pitches in any count, he’ll go as high as scouts believe in pitches 2-4. We know his fastball will work at the next level, and while it’s not explosive, commanding 92 mph isn’t bad. He trusts his change up, and flashes a plus slider, so it will probably be his curveball that gets scrapped. (Bryan Smith)

12. Cincinnati Reds – Yasmani Grandal | C | University of Miami

It’s easy to see why Grandal is attractive to a number of teams picking in the first half of the first round of the 2010 draft. He’s a switch-hitting catcher with solid offensive and defensive skills (although his arm strength is a little below average). Grandal has displayed the ability to hit for a good average and also has some pop. He has yet to thicken up in his lower half but he’s not a great base runner. After a modest senior year of high school, he slid to the 27th round when teams became leery on his signability. The Red Sox tried to get an above-slot deal done by Grandal ultimately headed to Miami. (Marc Hulet)

13. Chicago White Sox – Chris Sale | LHP | Florida Gulf Coast University

The 6’6” southpaw is not a hard thrower and his fastball tops out around 90 mph. However, he commands it very well and its movement makes it a plus pitch for him. His change-up is also considered a plus pitch, but he’s still working to command his slider on a regular basis. Sale has good deception in his delivery to right-handers. He was originally drafted out of high school in the 21st round by the Colorado Rockies. (Marc Hulet)

14. Milwaukee Brewers – Dylan Covey | RHP | California HS

Covey doesn’t have the same explosive ceiling as some of the other first-round arms, in part because he’s already filled out, but he has advanced skills that could help him move quickly through the minors. The right-hander has a low-90s fastball and good slider. His repertoire also includes a curveball and a change-up. Covey’s delivery is fairly smooth. As the draft approached, his value had slipped a bit. Covey is committed to the University of San Diego. (Marc Hulet)

15. Texas Rangers – Jake Skole | OF | Georgia HS

Skole was an overdraft by the Rangers with a pick that was not protected. The outfielder had a lot of helium as the draft approached, as a number of teams were eyeing him for the supplemental round. Like a lot of young players, Skole needs to work on his pitch recognition but he projects to have good power and should slot in at a corner outfield spot. He’s committed to Georgia Tech to also play football, so the Rangers obviously have something worked out here and can spread out his draft bonus. (Marc Hulet)

16. Chicago Cubs – Hayden Simpson | RHP | Southern Arkansas

The only guy on earth who knows anything about Simpson is Jim Callis, and unfortunately, he doesn’t work for us.

17. Tampa Bay Rays – Josh Sale | OF | Seattle HS
Sale receives a lot of comparisons to Toronto’s Travis Snider but the ‘10 draft pick has better bat speed, which helps him to show plus, raw power. Like many young hitters, Sale struggles with breaking balls but he’s considered a hard worker and should improve quickly in pro ball. He’s committed to Gonzaga University but could be one of the first prep bats off the board. (Marc Hulet)

18. Anaheim Angels – Kaleb Cowart | RHP/SS | Georgia HS

It will be important to take note of Cowart’s announced position, as teams seem to still be debating his best future path. On the mound, he succeeds with an essentially one-pitch arsenal, a low-to-mid 90s fastball with good movement. At the plate, he’s a switch-hitter that most believe will move to third base. He certainly has the arm for the position, and his bat has plenty of untapped power. Cowart has been said to prefer playing everyday, but won’t necessarily attend Florida State University if that preference is not met. (Bryan Smith)

19. Houston Astros – Mike Foltynewicz | RHP | Illinois HS

Foltynewicz is a hard-throwing right-hander that can touch the mid-90s with his heater, and he also has a good change-up. Both his slider and his curve ball are developing. He’s committed to the University of Texas. (Marc Hulet)

20. Boston Red Sox – Kolbrin Vitek | 2B/3B/OF | Ball State University

Vitek was a two-way player at Ball State, occupying a regular spot in the Cardinals rotation, and impressed scouts there with a 185/48 strikeout-to-walk ratio over a little more than 200 innings. But no one is likely to take the bat out of Vitek’s hands, as he seems to hit at every stop. He has been an awkward fit defensively, but with good raw speed, many teams think he will be a good fit in center field. (Bryan Smith)

21. Minnesota Twins – Alex Wimmers | RHP | Ohio State

Handed the title of the most Major League ready of the draft prospects, Wimmers is likely to move quickly through the minor leagues. However, he doesn’t have the command or guile of Mike Leake, so he should be penciled in for 2012 rather than 2011. He does have better raw stuff, probably, with the best changeup in the draft. Given his ability to backdoor a plus curveball, left-handed hitters have no chance, and when he shows the confidence to throw the change to RHH’s, they shouldn’t either. His velocity has ebbed and flowed a bit throughout his career, but it should be consistently 91-94 when he’s done filling out. (Bryan Smith)

22. Texas Rangers – Kellin Deglan | C | British Columbia HS

One of the top Canadians, Deglan has surpassed a couple other Canuck prospects this season and could be the first name called from the country (although James Paxton is in play, too). Defensively, he’s a good receiver with a strong arm. It’s his bat that has question marks surrounding it. His left-handed swing gets long at times but he does possess good power potential if he can learn to make consistent contact. (Marc Hulet)

23. Florida Marlins – Christian Yelich | 1B/OF | California HS

Yelich possesses the prettiest swing in the entire draft, a smooth left-handed stroke with very good bat speed. He hasn’t filled out his 6-foot-4, 190 pound frame, so scouts believe that the doubles he will show in the low minors will become home runs as he rises up the ladder. However, while he is quick enough to handle a corner outfield spot, Yelich has one of the ugliest throwing motions you will see from a first-round draft prospect. In all likelihood, he will be relegated to first base, where he’s likely to lead the position in steals down the road. (Bryan Smith)

24. San Francisco Giants -Gary Brown | OF | Cal State Fullerton

Brown has perhaps the best speed in the draft. That allows him to project as a plus defender in center field despite an average arm. Offensively, there are a lot of questions about his hitting ability. As a speedster, he needs to do a better job of talking walks so that he can take advantage of his plus-plus speed. The team that selects Brown will no doubt instruct its coaches to quiet his lower half; he has far too much movementin his feet and will need to develop a better timing mechanism. His body resembles a young Aaron Hill, which includes shorter legs, and he could lose some speed as he fills out. He was originally drafted in the 12th round by the A’s out of high school. (Marc Hulet)

25. St. Louis Cardinals -Zack Cox | 3B/2B | University of Arkansas

A draft-eligible infielder, Cox certainly experienced the Tale of Two Seasons. As a freshman, he flew up the draft radar by showing big-time power, hitting 28 extra bases in 181 at-bats in the SEC. Scouts were worried, however, if his 58 strikeouts was a sign that he’d never make enough contact to succeed. Flash forward a year later, and Cox has a ISO of just .179, but has just 34 strikeouts in more than 260 plate appearances. In separate seasons, he’s generated plus reports in both the hitting and power columns, so if a team believes he’ll meld both skills together, Cox could be the first college hitter selected. (Bryan Smith)

26. Colorado Rockies – Kyle Parker | OF | Clemson University

There aren’t a ton of college outfielders with high ceilings, so Parker is a bit of a rarity in the 2010 draft. Clemson’s starting quarterback, he’s considered a tough sign. He has good, raw power and projects to be a pro left fielder due to his average arm. (Marc Hulet)

27. Philadelphia Phillies – Jesse Biddle | LHP | Pennsylvania HS

Biddle is a big 6-foot-6 lefty, and one of the better cold state pitchers available in this draft. Like a lot of guys that come from colder states, he doesn’t yet have a great feeling for a breaking ball, tossing his curveball just a slow 70 mph. But his feeling for a changeup is actually fairly advanced, and his low 90s velocity is very good for a lefty.

28. Los Angeles Dodgers – Zach Lee | RHP | Texas HS

A top quarterback prospect from Texas, it will clearly take a lot ($$$) to sway Lee away from his commitment to Louisiana State University. A team drafting Lee in the first round will have to have a pretty good feel on his signability. Lee has a three pitch repertoire that includes a low-90s fastball, slider, and change-up. His arm slot tends to wander at times. Thanks to his focus on the football field, the right-hander is still raw but he does display solid control for his age. (Marc Hulet)

29. Anaheim Angels – Cam Bedrosian | RHP | Georgia HS

The son of former closer Steve Bedrosian, who won the NL Cy Young in the late ’80s, this young right-hander is a projected starter. Bedrosian is on the short side at just 6’0” but he has a good low-90s fastball that can touch the mid-90s and has good, late life. He also features three other pitches (curve, slider, change) but none of them rate as more than average right now. He’s committed to Louisiana State, but is considered signable. (Marc Hulet)

30. Anaheim Angels – Chevez Clarke | OF | Georgia HS

One of the draft’s most talented, and inconsistent, performers. Clarke’s most worrisome note is found in Keith Law’s write-up of him, “…he’s an undisciplined hitter whom I’ve seen struggle to square balls up well even in [batting practice]…” While that is clearly a bad sign, Clarke will tease people by showing all five tools in some games. He is committed to Georgia Tech, but most believe a team tempted by his ability will sign him away from the Yellow Jackets. (Bryan Smith)

31. Tampa Bay Rays – Justin O’Conner | C/RHP | Indiana HS

O’Conner is an intriguing two-way prep player who spent time on the left side of the infield before settling behind the plate. O’Conner attracted scouts with a low-to-mid-90s fastball and good curveball but he’s also displayed above-average power. Clearly, there is work to be done on his raw defensive skills given the limited time he’s had behind the dish. He lacks accuracy with his strong throws from behind the plate. If he can hit for a solid average – and some scouts have their doubts – O’Conner could be a real find. He is committed to the University of Arkansas. (Marc Hulet)

32. New York Yankees – Cito Culver | SS | New York HS

33. Houston Astros – Mike Kvasnicka | C/OF | University of Minnesota

The Big Ten’s best offensive prospect is a player whose value is strictly tied to his perceived ability to catch. Kvasnicka didn’t get behind the plate often in three years at Minnesota, but scouts believe his footwork and arm strength will be sufficient. At the plate, he’s a switch-hitter with gap power that scouts believe still has a good deal of projection. He drastically reduced his strikeout rate and upped his walk rate between his sophomore and junior seasons. Kvasnicka’s father Jay was an eighth-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 1988, reaching Triple-A before flaming out. (Bryan Smith)

34. Toronto Blue Jays – Aaron Sanchez | RHP | California HS

Sanchez is considered a bit of a project with a good, low-90s fastball and curveball, but he lacks a third pitch. He has a very long stride and almost launches himself off the rubber, which could be contributing to his control issues. He’s committed to the University of Oregon. (Marc Hulet)

35. Atlanta Braves – Mike Lipka | SS | Texas HS

36. Boston Red Sox – Bryce Brentz | OF | Middle Tennessee State

Plagued by a stress fracture in his ankle this spring, Brentz didn’t dominate in his final season at MTSU like scouts thought he might. He’s a smart hitter with an easy swing, and he has the strength to hit for a good amount of power. Scouts like his potential in right field, given that he was a good reliever with the Blue Raiders in his career. (Bryan Smith)

37. Anaheim Angels – Taylor Lindsey | SS | Arizona HS

38. Toronto Blue Jays – Noah Syndergaard | RHP | Texas HS

39. Boston Red Sox – Anthony Ranaudo | RHP | Louisiana State

Talked about as a potential #1 overall pick before Harper joined this draft class, Ranaudo has had the worst spring possible. After he was slowed by shoulder stiffness as a freshman, Ranaudo missed part of the early season with a minor elbow injury in the spring. His size on the mound is daunting, and he gets good tilt on his fastball. The strength of his game is a really good curveball, but its consistency comes and goes. The team that drafts him will need a good explanation for why anyone so talented can post a 7.32 ERA in his draft year. (Bryan Smith)

40. Anaheim Angels – Ryan Bolden | OF | Mississippi HS

41. Toronto Blue Jays – Asher Wojciechowski | RHP | The Citadel

Wojciechowski currently leads Division I in both innings pitched (125.2) and strikeouts (155), which is a bit of a double-edged sword: on the one hand, he’s a proven workhorse. On the other, he has a lot of mileage on his arm. The team that drafts him would be well advised to give him some well-earned rest, and begin refining his slider and changeup in the fall. Some are calling him a future reliever, because while the fastball already plays, it might only be his slider that ever becomes a usable secondary offering. (Bryan Smith)

42. Tampa Bay Rays – Drew Vettleson | OF | Washington HS

43. Seattle Mariners – Taijuan Walker | RHP | California HS

44. Detroit Tigers – Nick Castellanos | SS/3B | Florida HS

Castellanos is a smart hitter that has shown the ability to hit to all fields, and has the body type of a future power hitter. It’s unlikely that a team will even bother having him play shortstop, his natural position, at the next level — Castellanos is a third baseman through and through. Marked up for his make-up, Castellanos impressed this spring by showing up stronger, and began convincing more and more scouts that his power will play professionally. It’s unlikely the University of Miami will see Castellanos reach Coral Gables. (Bryan Smith)

45. Texas Rangers – Luke Jackson | RHP | Florida HS

46. St. Louis Cardinals – Seth Blair | RHP | Arizona State University

Blair has a solid fastball that can touch 97 mph but it sits more comfortable (and consistently) in the 91-94 mph range. His repertoire also includes a good curveball and change-up. Blair has to potential to induce a solid number of ground balls and he’s’ even toyed with a cutter that could develop into a useful pitch under the right pitching coach. He has a tendency to be a little wild and throw a lot of pitches, so he needs to work at being more efficient. Blair was a solid draft prospect out of high school but signability concerns (Boras) caused the right-hander to slide to the end of the ’07 draft where Oakland took a flyer on him. (Marc Hulet)

47. Colorado Rockies – Peter Tago | RHP | California HS

Tago has a good pitcher’s frame and he has an easy, fluid throwing motion, which could help him avoid injury. his fastball sits in the low-90s and he also has a good curveball and needs to develop a change-up. Tago’s fastball and breaking ball both have good late movement through the zone. He’s committed to Cal State Fullerton. (Marc Hulet)

48. Detroit Tigers – Chance Ruffin | RHP | University of Texas

Another player with an MLB pedigree, Ruffin’s father Bruce pitched for 12 MLB seasons and spent time as both a starter and a reliever. The younger Ruffin projects as a reliever, although he did spend time in the starting rotation earlier on in his college career. He has a low-90s fastball, a plus slider and a curveball; his control might improve if he stood taller over the rubber. (Marc Hulet)

49. Texas Rangers – Mike Olt | 3B | UConn

50. St. Louis Cardinals – Tyrell Jenkins | RHP | Texas HS

A tough sign, Jenkins has been linked to the first round with the New York Yankees. He’s committed to Baylor University and is a quality football quarterback prospect. As a pitcher, the right-hander has a good low-to-mid 90s fastball but none of his secondary pitches – slider, curve, change – are overly developed. He’s a project with a high ceiling but some effort in his delivery. (Marc Hulet)

Want to watch the 2010 MLB draft with a collection of smart people? Join us at 7 pm for a draft chat featuring our in house prospect guys Bryan Smith, Marc Hulet, and Erik Manning, as well as special guests Will Kimmey (in studio college baseball analyst for ESPN, formerly of Baseball America) and Jeff Sackmann (of collegesplits.com).

Give Omar Minaya credit: he’s the best when it comes to signing left-handed relievers with the last name Takahashi. Last season, after the Blue Jays released him, the Mets pounced on Ken Takahashi. He would wind up throwing more than 25 innings out of the pen and generally performed well. Well, that Takahashi is gone, but the Mets added Hisanori Takahashi in his place.

No, they didn’t give Hisanori the same number in order to preserve those surplus replica jerseys and it’s for the best. Hisanori has already thrown 42 innings for the Mets this season and he’s now a member of the Metropolitans’ rotation. The promotion came after 26 innings in the pen; during that stretch Takahashi struck out 33 batters, allowed a single home run, and walked 14 – a total that is deceiving because five of those walks were of the intentional variety – good for a FIP under 2.7.

As one would expect, Takahashi has not continued to strike out more than 11 batters per nine innings pitched as a starter. In fact his strikeout rate sat just under seven per nine entering yesterday; his walk ratio, now unburdened by occasional over managing, sits at a positively cuddle-worthy 1.69 per nine. Takahashi held a 4.21 xFIP entering his start against the Florida Marlins with the main point of conflict being his home run rate. Naturally he allowed two homers, giving him three in 21 starter innings.

Even after those homers, Takahashi’s starter FIP is just north of 4.00. Takahashi very well could be one of those relievers able to translate his skill set into a worthwhile starting performance. Even if his arsenal – which features a high-80s fastball, a loopy high-60s curve, and his sinker-change-up combination of an outpitch known as the shuuto – lacks in sexiness and top-end velocity, he seems to make up for it with the ability to place each pitch wherever he wants.

It’s just amazing that the same guy who gives Alex Cora a contract worth a few million and a vesting option in a non-existent market can take less money and find bargains like either Takahashi.

Carlos Silva continued his improbable run today with yet another solid performance, this time a seven inning, one run outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Silva struck out five and only walked one batter while inducing 10 ground balls in 20 balls in play, continuing from the template that made him a successful pitcher in 2004, 2005, and 2007: no walks and a healthy dose of ground balls.

Today’s start was yet another example in just how different Carlos Silva is pitching now compared to the rest of his career. Of course, the results have been much, much better this year than in the rrecent past, but instead I’m referring to how he is using his pitches.

Silva threw 102 pitches in today’s start, 55 of which were classified by Brooks Baseball’s Pitch F/X Tool as either fastballs or sinkers. Both pitches have very similar spin, movement, and velocity, so I think it would be fair to denote all 55 as “fastballs.” With that clarified, 53.9% of Silva’s pitches today were fastballs, well in line with his 57% fastball rate this season. That’s a stark change from the rest of his career. Silva never had a fastball rate lower than 68% entering this season, and in four separate seasons he used his fastball over 80% of the time, including his disastrous 2009 season.

It’s not terribly surprising, then, that his strikeouts have risen to above 6 K/9. Even with below average secondary stuff, the addition of more changeups and sliders is certain to increase the amount of whiffs. This change is likely the agent behind a nearly 3 point jump in swinging strike rate from his career mark. In particular, it’s his changeup which has been fantastic this season. It has been a strike over 70% of the time, and even though it’s nothing special in terms of whiff rate (12.4% vs. 12.63% average), it still manages to get outs, as the pitch had a +8.8 pitch type linear weights value entering play today. Brooks Baseball had it as excellent once again today, with a +2.2 mark.

It certainly appears that a big part of Silva’s rebirth can be attributed to this change in pitching style. Given Silva’s poor fastball, never breaking an average velocity of 92 since his rookie season, it’s surprising that it took this long to move away from it. Regardless, this shift has once again made Silva a major league pitcher. I would expect Silva’s numbers to fall a little as hitters begin to adjust to this new style, but as long as Silva continues to avoid walks and strike out more batters than ever, he will continue to enjoy success at the major league level.