The first round of the annual MLB Amateur Draft kicks off Monday night, June 4, at 7 pm eastern. Below, you’ll find a recap of each National League club’s first round picks from the past four years, as well as an overall grade and comments on noticeable trends. I’ve also included some notes and thoughts on the names being linked to each club for the 2012 draft. I looked at the American League teams on Friday.

Atlanta Braves
2008: DNP
2009: Mike Minor, LHP, College
2010: DNP
2011: Sean Gilmartin, LHP, College
Grade: C-

Atlanta has gone for college arms in the first round recently and could look at college righty Pierce Johnson. College third baseman Stephen Piscotty is another name I’ve heard. There are rumblings that they could be looking at Georgia natives Victor Roache, a college outfielder who would go much higher if he had not been hurt, and Lucas Sims, a prep right-hander. College outfielder Mitch Haniger keeps popping up for Atlanta too but would be an over-draft.

Read the rest of this entry »

The first round of the annual MLB Amateur Draft kicks off Monday night, June 4, at 7 pm eastern. Below, you’ll find a recap of each American League club’s first round picks from the past four years, as well as an overall grade and comments on noticeable trends. I’ve also included some notes and thoughts on the names being linked to each club for the 2012 draft.

New York Yankees
2008: Gerrit Cole, RHP, Prep (Did Not Sign)
2009: Slade Heathcott, OF, Prep
2010: Cito Culver, SS, Prep
2011: DNP
Grade: C-

New York picks at the end of the first round in 2012 so it’s hard to know exactly who might fall to them but history tells us that they’ll likely be leaning towards taking a prep player. The system could use some arms and the organization is known to be fond of Mitch Gueller. The organization is constantly fighting an uphill battle with low draft slots but New York scouts are quite savvy so I know some high-ceiling talent will be found.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jesse Biddle, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Current Level: A+
2012 Top 15 Prospects Ranking: 2nd
Current Value: On the Rise

Biddle continues to make big strides in his development. The 20-year-old southpaw is close to overtaking Trevor May as the best pitcher in the system – if he hasn’t already. Biddle has made 10 high-A starts but he hasn’t allowed more than two runs in his last seven appearances. He’s struck out 27 in his last four games. The lefty’s control remains inconsistent but it’s much improved over last year at low-A (4.47 to 3.22 BB/9). With 35 A-ball appearances under his belt since the beginning of 2011, Biddle is probably ready for a promotion to double-A and he has the ceiling of a No. 2 or 3 starter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Major League Baseball’s 2012 amateur draft is less than a week away. The first round is scheduled for June 4, beginning at 7 p.m. EST, and the next 39 rounds will be on June 5 (rounds two through 15) and June 6 (rounds 16 through 40), beginning at noon EST on both days.

The draft will be interesting for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the overall talent is considered one of the weakest in recent memory; second, new rules have been implemented by MLB in an effort to control draft spending. Among many other changes, each team will be given a pool of money to spend (based on the number and position of their picks) and penalties can be assessed for exceeding the “recommended” funds.

Because teams are limited by the amount of money they can spend, you’re likely to see a lot of good prep players, who are not consensus first-round talents, head to college because they won’t be able to sign above-slot deals after being selected later in the draft, like in the past. As well, junior college enrollement could skyrocket because that route allows players to re-enter the draft after just one year, rather than wait three seasons with the four-year college route.

Below is my take on the first round selections. It is not a guess of what teams will do; it’s a ranking of what I would do if I were running the draft war room for each team. I drafted without considering each club’s willingness to spend money on the draft, and I looked to take who I considered the best player available — based on scouting reports, word of mouth and first-hand observation.

Read the rest of this entry »

Trevor Bauer, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Current Level: AAA
2012 Top 15 Prospects Ranking: 1st
Current Value: Near MLB Ready

Bauer, 21, has been every bit as good as advertised. The third overall draft pick out of UCLA in 2011, the right-hander has reached triple-A in his first full pro season. Bauer began the year in double-A but was promoted after just eight starts. He struck out 60 batters and allowed just 33 hits in 48.1 innings of work. He’s made two starts in triple-A and has whiffed another 24 batters in 19.0 innings of work. Bauer’s advanced feel for pitching and diverse repertoire should allow him to develop into a No. 1 or 2 starter for the Diamondbacks; improved control is his biggest need right now. He could give Arizona’s starting rotation a boost in the second half of 2012 and should take a regular turn in the rotation beginning in 2013.

Read the rest of this entry »

A.J. Cole, RHP, Oakland Athletics
Current Level: A
2012 Top 15 Prospects Ranking: 3rd (Washington)
Current Value: Diminished

After a successful 2011 season in low-A ball, Cole was one of the prospects packaged up in a deal between Washington and Oakland that saw Gio Gonzalez head to the Nationals. Cole, a 20-year-old starting pitcher, was originally assigned to high-A ball to start the 2012 season but he’s since been moved back down to low-A, where he spent the ’11 season. The right-hander posted a 7.82 ERA in 38.0 innings in the California League. He walked just 10 batters but allowed 60 hits and seven home runs. In his first start back in low-A, Cole gave up eight runs (five earned) on 12 hits in 5.0 innings. Clearly the struggles in Stockton messed with his head so it may be some time before he irons out his game. Despite the hiccup in his career, Cole remains healthy and has a high ceiling. He’s just going to need a little longer to develop than expected.

Read the rest of this entry »

Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Current Level: A+
2012 Top 15 Prospects Ranking: 1st
Current Value: Stock is Rising

The first overall pick of the 2011 amateur draft, Cole did not pitch after signing his first pro contract and he came out of the gate a little rusty in 2012. After allowing 13 runs in his first four starts of the year he’s given up just four runs in his last five starts in high-A ball. In total, he’s allowed 32 hits and just 13 walks in 45.0 innings. He’s also struck out a large number of batters (46) while inducing above-average ground-ball rates. Cole has a big, strong frame capable of handling a large workload and he has the ceiling of a No. 1 or 2 starter. It wouldn’t be a stretch to expect a mid-season promotion to double-A and a major league debut some time in 2013. Cole is truly ace material and he’s the type of young pitcher that Pittsburgh has been trying to develop for years.

Read the rest of this entry »

Xander Bogaerts, SS/3B, Boston Red Sox
Current Level: A+
2012 Top 15 Prospects Ranking: 1st
Current Value: Star-in-the-making

Bogaerts lept into the hearts of prospect watchers (and diehard Boston fans) last season when he took the full-season South Atlantic League by storm and produced a wRC+ of 120 despite his relative lack of experience. Bogaerts, still just 19, is now leaving his impression on the high-A Carolina League. Although he’s currently hitting .278, Bogaerts’ power display is down from last year (.249 to .137 ISO) but he’s a better all-around hitter; his walk rate has increased more than 1% over last year and his strikeout rate has dropped almost 6% to 18.6%. He’s still playing at an above-average level for his league with a wRC+ of 117. The Aruba native’s ceiling remains huge and he’s eventually going to tap back into his above-average raw power.

Read the rest of this entry »

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies
Current Level: AA
2012 Top 15 Prospects Ranking: 1st
Current Value: Star-in-the-Making

It’s not even June but the Rockies are fading fast from the playoff picture. The hot corner has been a gaping hole and the organization’s top prospect just happens to be a third baseman. Unfortunately, Arenado is not exactly forcing the club’s hand to promote him. He’s currently hitting .303 in double-A but his OPS is just .788 as he’s not exactly getting on-base at a huge rate and he’s just hitting for OK power. Never one to take a huge number of walks, his rate is down to just 5.6 BB% this year after topping out at 8.1% in 2011. His strikeout rate is still good at 14.0 K% but it’s up to the highest mark of his career and 5% higher than last season. Arenado, 21, has 13 doubles but just three home runs after slugging 20 last year; his power, as witnessed by his ISO rate, has dipped each of the past few seasons from .212 to .190 to .137. After a breakout 2011 season in the California League and then an even better performance in the Arizona Fall League (.388/.423/.636 in 121 AB), the organization was probably hoping for a little bit more from Arenado and it looks like he won’t be ready before 2013.

Read the rest of this entry »

The St. Louis Cardinals’ playoff hunt took a huge hit with the loss of veteran first baseman Lance Berkman to a possible torn ACL. The injury could end his 2012 season – and possibly his career. Most clubs would be left scrambling for a veteran trade replacement – especially after also losing a perennial all-star like Albert Pujols in the off-season – but the Cardinals have one of the Top 3 first base prospects in the game.

Along with the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo and Houston’s Jonathan Singleton, triple-A first baseman Matt Adams has the potential to be an impact bat at the big league level. Prior to the season I ranked Adams as the organization’s eighth-best prospect in the system but left him off the Top 100 prospects list.

Read the rest of this entry »