Matt McDonnell MLB Mock Draft - 14 January 2012

Matt McDonnell
1. Mark Appel 2. Lance McCullers 3. Devin Marrero 4. Jake Barrett 5. Lucas Giolito
Sat, 01/14/2012
Round 1
1Houston Astros 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesHoustonMark AppelPStanford
As of now there does not seem to be a clear-cut number one pick, but Appel makes sense for the Astros. At 6'5 he is a big, strong pitcher who has the mold to develop into a power pitcher at the next level. He has good command and already K's a lot of batters, striking out 86 batters in 110.1 innings in his 17 starts. He mixes up his pitches well, and will continue to develop an already potent repertoire. 
2Minnesota Twins 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesMinnesotaLance McCullersPHigh School
At 6'2 and still in HS, MCDullers  has a powerful arm, reportedly being clocked as high as 100  MPH. He is committed to Florida, but he has a ton of potential and is worthy of this pick. His fastball typically is thrown between 94-97 MPH, which he mixes with a good power curve and a changeup. He has a chance to be a dominate pitcher in the bigs, with three plus pitches.  When the Twins were playoff contenders they had a great pitching staff, and will look to acquire their ace of the future with this selection.
3Seattle Mariners 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSeattleDeven MarreroSSArizona State
Shortstops are at a premium in the major leagues, as they are tough to come by. Marrero is a stud defensively and a good young hitter. He has a strong arm and excellent range. He is a contact hitter and shown flashes of good discipline at the plate. He projects to be a plus shortstop at the next level and gives Seattle a cornerstone to build their franchise, that is not a pitcher.  
4Baltimore Orioles 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesBaltimoreJake BarrettPArizona State
Barrett is a fine looking pitcher prospect and the second Sun Devil taken in a row. At 6'3 he has the build to become a powerful pitcher at the next level. He has a plus fastball that dances around making hitter whiff, which is his go to pitch. He mixes his fastball with a decent and developing curveball. 
5Kansas City Royals 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesKansas CityLucas GiolitoPHigh School
The Royals have a talent deep farm system, much of which should break into the big leagues in the next two to four years. This puts the Royals in the position to not need a player who must play  to make a impact right away. They have time to wait and develop this prospect in hopes for a future ace. Giolito is the newest member of one of baseball's richest minor league systems.
6Chicago Cubs 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesChicago CubsKevin GausmanPLSU
The Cubs made a big splash when they hired Theo Epstein as their president of baseball operations. Epstein knows that to cure the curse he needs to build around pitching. Gausman is the top pitcher on the board at this point and has the tools to develop into an ace. He is one of the best pitchers in collegiate ball, and looks to be the new gem of the Cubs farm system.
7San Diego Padres 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSan DiegoNick WilliamsOFHigh School
Williams is one of the nation’s elite high school players. He is a good athlete and has a good glove. He has a strong accurate arm and good range. As a hitter he has shown good discipline and flashes of power. In Williams the Padres get a highly touted high school prospect who will help to replenish their farm system.
8Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesPittsburghKenny DiekroegerSSStanford
The Pirates have some good young pitchers and a cornerpiece in Andrew McCuthen. Diekroeger provides them with a future shortstop who has a good bat. He has decent pop in his bat as well. He is an all around player who should be a successful pro. There are some questions about if he can remain at shortstop, as some people project him as an outfield. Either way the Pirates get a talented player who they can continue to build around.
9Miami Marlins 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesMiamiVictor Roache1B/OFGeorgia Southern
The newly named Miami Marlins went on a spending spree during the free agency frenzy with building blocks in ace Josh Johnson, outfielder Mike Stanton, newly acquired shortstop Jose Reyes, and as for now stud Hanley Rameriez. Although they have a talented young player at first in Gaby Sanchez, they can have the option of moving Roache to the outfield to compliment him with Stanton. Whatever they decide, Miami looks to have a bright present and future.
10Colorado Rockies 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesColoradoTrey Williams3BHigh School
The Rockies have a stud shortstop and centerfielder and could take a pitcher at this spot. However, Williams is a very intriguing young prospect who projects to be a stud third baseman. He can cement the Rockies left side of the infield in the future and make their already potent lineup even more dangerous. He can hit for average and power and fields his position well.
11Oakland Athletics 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesOaklandMax FriedPHigh School
The A's have a few young prospects who can hit the ball, so now is the time to reload their rotation. When the A's had their most success they did so through great drafting and pitching. Fried is a high school lefty who projects to be an excellent big leaguer. He throws a good fastball, a great curve, and a solid changeup. He mixes them up well to keep batters off balance and dominate games.
12New York Mets 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesNew York MetsCarlos CorreaSSHigh School
The Mets lost Reyes to the free agency market and will be looking for his replacement for the future. Look no further than Carlos Correa, still a young prospect, as he is just in high school. As he develops, he could be the new future of the Mets. 
13Chicago White Sox 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesChicago White SoxWalker WeickelPHigh School
The White Sox have a lot of needs, especially with their pitching staff. Pitchers are tough to come by, and Weickel gives them a possible ace for the future. With his big frame and a fluid delivery, he has a plus fastball and looks to be durable.
14Cincinnati Reds 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesCincinnatiMichael WachaPTexas A&M
The Reds have an explosive offense and some good young arms. But as anyone in baseball knows, you can never have enough young arms because you never know what is going to happen. Wacha uses a deceptive changeup, but still needs to develop his fastball more. He has the making of a future top of the rotation guy.
15Cleveland Indians 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesClevelandDavid DahlOFHigh School
The Indians need to stockpile talent, so taking the best hitter on the board makes sense. Dahl can develop into an excellent outfielder and can help Cleveland continue to develop talent in their farm system. He is a big left handed bat and could be a 5 tool player at the next level, as he has shown flashes of power, posses good bat speed, and good arm strength.
16Washington Nationals 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesWashingtonMatt SmoralPHigh School
The Nationals are not use to drafting this low, after having back to back number one overall selections. They should continue to stockpile arms and Smoral has projections of being a top of the rotation guy in the future.
17Toronto Bluejays 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesTorontoStryker TrahanCHigh School
The Blue Jays are a team lost in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, so they should select the top player on the board. Trahan is a long way off to being a pro, but is the best catcher in this year’s draft. He has a strong arm and a good bat. Good catchers are becoming more and more difficult to find so this selection has even more value.
18Los Angeles Dodgers 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesL.A. DodgersSteve NyisztorSS/2BRutgers
The Dodgers are a team in turmoil and will likely take the top prospect on the board. He has a good glove, speed, and bat. With Dee Gordon already at short the Dodgers will likely move him to second. With this selection they cement the middle of their infield and can focus elsewhere for the rest of the draft.
19St. Louis Cardinals 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSt. Louis (from LAA)Gavin CecchiniSSHigh School
The Cardinals get this selection for losing Albert Pujols, and have a chance to select a young shortstop. Cecchini gives the Red Birds a new gem in their farm system and should develop into a very good shortstop in the future. He has a good bat and is an excellent athlete, and it shows on the field as he has excellent range and a good arm. 
20San Francisco Giants 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSan FranciscoByron BuxtonOFHigh School
The Giants have a great rotation and bullpen. What they lack is offense, so taking the best hitter makes sense for them. Obviously Buxton, as just a high school prospect, is a ways out of breaking into the majors. However, the Giants should look to collect as many bats in the farm system as possible. Buxton has the potential to be an excellent outfielder for San Francisco someday.
21Atlanta Braves 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesAtlantaRio Ruiz3BHigh School
The Braves have lots of young arms so they should look to add some hitters in the farm system. They have some good young pieces in right fielder Jason Hayward and first baseman Freddie Freeman. Adding Ruiz to the mix gives the Braves a possibility of having a scary young infield, as Ruiz is a good hitter and a fine defensive player as well.
22Toronto Bluejays 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesToronto (Comp.)Joey GalloP/1BHigh School
The Blue Jays took their catcher of the future with their first selection in the first round, and now can add their ace of the future in Gallo. The best aspect of Gallo's game is that he is a two way prospect. He is a hard throwing righty, but also has a good glove and a great bat. He can hit for average and for power, so it is up to Toronto where they want to project him. Either way, the Blue Jays have a pair of talented young prospects in their farm system. 
23St. Louis Cardinals 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSt. LouisMitchell TraverPHigh School
With the Cardinals second selection they can bolster their farm system with a quality arm. Traver is a young pitching prospect with an intimidating stature, standing 6'7. He has the makings to be a power pitcher and an excellent starter in the majors. His arm should continue to get stronger as he grows older, but still hits the mid 90's with his fastball. He throws a slider and a changeup to mix things up and keep batters honest, but needs to develop those two pitches more.
24Boston Red Sox 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesBostonBrian JohnsonP/1BFlorida 
The Red Sox had a down year, thanks in large part to their pitching falling apart. Brain Johnson is a big left handed pitcher who projects to be a good pro prospect. He could also play first base, but his futures looks brighter on the hill. He gives Boston a quality arm in their farm system, and hopefully can help out their rotation in a few years. 
25Tampa Bay Rays 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesTampa BayLucas SimsPHigh School
The Rays have made themselves relevant by harvesting lots of talent in their farm system. Sims is their newest gem. He is a good young prospect and has all the tools to develop into a top end of the rotation guy. The Rays continue to develop their talent so they can compete in the difficult AL East. The more pitchers the better, as the Rays can continue to play small market spoiler.
26Arizona Diamondbacks 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesArizonaCourtney HawkinsOF/PHigh School
The D'backs depleted part of their farm system to acquire Trevor Cahill so they will need to obtain some quality bats in this draft to help retool. Hawkins is a raw prospect who could develop into a plus outfielder in the majors.
27Detroit Tigers 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesDetroitTy HensleyPHigh School
The Tigers won the AL Central division last season, thanks to CY Young and MVP Justin Verlander. The Tigers will still need to continue to breed quality pitchers to continue their success. Hensley helps them stockpile arms for the future.  He has the makings of a very good and dominate pitcher in the majors as long as he continues to progress as a player.
28Milwaukee Brewers 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesMilwaukeeLewis BrinsonOFHigh School
The Brewers won the NL Central for the first time ever, thanks to basically going all in and trading away the farm. Last year they selected two top pitchers and this year they need to have another strong draft. Brinson gives the Brewers a good young bat in their system. The Brewers will be able to shift Hart to first, when they inevitably lose Fielder, if Brinson can pan out for them.
29Texas Rangers 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesTexasFreddy AvisPHigh School
The Rangers came within a strike of winning the World Series last year. They then lost their ace in CJ Wilson during free agency. They have a lot of talented young hitters, but will need more arms to stay competitive. Avis has plus stuff and a live arm. He has a chance to be a number one or two pitcher as he continues to develop as a prospect.
30New York Yankees 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesN.Y. YankeesAlbert AlmoraOFHigh School
The Yankees are one of baseball's most dominate teams. They are a team that can afford to take the best available player in each years draft, as they do not need to wait for guys to develop with their huge payroll. Almora gives the Yankees a talented outfield prospect, who can field his position and hits the ball well. He will give the Yankees options if he progresses as expected.
31Boston Red Sox 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesBoston (from PHI)Duane UnderwoodPHigh School
The Red Sox know they need to continue to arm themselves with as many pitchers as they can, so having another young arm in their system helps. Underwood has the stuff to develop into a formidable starter, as the Red Sox stake their claim in baseball's arm race.
Supplemental Round 1
32Minnesota Twins 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesMinnesotaAddison RussellSSHigh School
The Twins drafted possible the most talented prospect with their first round selection so now they can focus on adding some fielders into their system. Addison Russell gives the Twins a young and upcoming shortstop who can make his mark in the majors in the future. 
33San Diego Padres 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSan DiegoJosh ElanderCTCU
The Padres continue to build their position players in this year’s draft. Elander is a guy who can make an impact sooner rather than later. He has a powerful bat and hits for a high average. He also possesses good speed, especially for a catcher. He should be on the fast track to be the Padres next catcher.  
34Oakland Athletics 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesOaklandTaylore CherryPHigh School
The A's will continue to load up with young arms. Cherry has his concerns, but he gives the A's another guy who could develop into a solid pitcher in their future. The A's will continue to develop their farm system and harvest young pitchers that can make an impact on their franchise someday. 
35New York Mets 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesNew York MetsClate SchmidtPHigh School
The Mets filled their void at shortstop with their first pick, now with their supplemental choice they can focus on revamping their rotation. Schmidt is a good prospect with a lot of upside and will help the Mets bolster up their farm system.
36St. Louis Cardinals 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSt. LouisJesse WinkerOFHigh School
So far the Cardinals have added a shortstop and a pitching prospect, this selection gives them a chance to add another bat. Winker has a chance to be a plus outfielder. He has shown he has a good bat and could develop into a good power hitter in the future. 
37Boston Red Sox 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesBostonCarson Kelly3BHigh School
As the Red Sox have added pitchers with their first few selections, they can focus on adding a bat to their system. Kelly is a young infield prospect who could develop into a solid starter in the future. He can be the newest prospect and the gem of the Red Sox position players.
38Texas Rangers 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesTexasHunter VirantPHigh School
The Rangers know the importance of pitching, so they will be looking to stockpile as many young, quality arms as they can. Virant has a tremendous amount of upside and could turn into a fine pitcher at the major league level.
39Houston Astros 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesHoustonAdam Brett WalkerOFJacksonville
The Astros need as much help as they can get. Walker projects to be a first baseman in the majors. He has great size and a powerful swing. He will need time to adjust from the outfield to first base though. But he will certainly excel as a hitter in the show.
40Minnesota Twins 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesMinnesotaAnthony AlfordOFHigh School
This is the Twins third selection in the first 40 choices, so they certainly have a chance to harvest some top young talent. Alford gives the Twins a good outfield prospect to move through their ranks. This is an important draft to the Twins, so expect them to take a plethora of different prospects to bolster their minor league system.
41Chicago Cubs 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesChicago CubsNathan KirbyPHigh School
Theo Epstein knows what it takes to build a winner, and it all starts with pitching. The Cubs will continue to load up on pitching talent throughout this draft. Their first pick they used on a player who is just a few years out of making his debut in the majors. Kirby has a chance of being a talented pitcher, but will need time to develop and fine tune his skills.
42San Diego Padres 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSan DiegoNolan SanburnPArkansas
The Padres have taken position players with their earlier selections, so now they know they need to address their future pitching staff to replace Matt Latos. Sanburn is a successful collegiate pitcher and should be on the fast track to the majors.
43Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesPittsburghBranden KlinePVirginia
The Pirates took a shortstop with their first selection, so know they need to take a stab into the deep pool of pitching talent. Kline is already a collegiate level pitcher so the Pirates do not have to wait as long developing a high school prospect. 
44Colorado Rockies 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesColoradoAlex Bregman2BHigh School
The Rockies continue to stockpile infield talent. Bregamn gives them a chance to start to solidify the right side of their infield. He is also the best player on the board, as there has been a run of pitchers in the recent picks.
45Oakland Athletics 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesOaklandCorey Oswalt3BHigh School
This is Oakland’s third selection, and with their first two they took two pitchers, so now they can build their position players. They have a few young bats up and coming, but not at third. Oswalt gives the A's a young player who can make an impact in their future as a great hitter in the middle of their order.
46Chicago White Sox 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesChicago White SoxTyler NaquinOFTexas A&M
With this selection the Sox get a young left handed hitter who could be an above average hitter. He does not hit for much power, but as a doubles hitter has shown tremendous gap to gap power, so it’s not unreasonable to believe he could turn into a decent power hitter. He has a lot of upside so the White Sox should have high hopes for him.
47Cincinnati Reds 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesCincinnatiNolan FontanaSSFlorida
The Red's helped replenished their farm system by taking  a pitcher with their first selection. Now they can focus on developing an already potent lineup and getting better defensively. From a defense only standpoint, Fontana is the best there is in this year’s class. In today's day and age, having a great defensive shortstop is mandatory, and hitting is an added bonus. That being said, Fontana has a great chance to be a successful shortstop in the majors. If he develops his bat, he could be an even better if his bat turns out to be noteworthy in the show.
48Toronto Bluejays 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesTorontoChris TaylorSSVirginia
The Blue Jays continue to snipe great young talent in this year’s draft, as this is their third selection and they still have another two selections looming. They have selected a pitcher and a catcher, and now can develop a cornerstone for their infield. Shortstops are not easy to find, and the Blue Jays can now invest in the young Taylor.
49Los Angeles Dodgers 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesL.A. DodgersTaylor RogersPKentucky

The Dodgers selected a position player with their first pick, so now they can focus on the future of their pitching staff. Rogers is a left handed workhorse, who is capable of dominating opponents. His fastball sits in the low 90’s but he baffles hitters with his off speed stuff, and freeze’s them with pinpoint command. As a freshman he went 35 consecutive innings without issuing a free pass. He has a bright future, and still may add some velocity to his fastball as he becomes stronger. 

50St. Louis Cardinals 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesSt. LouisStephen Piscotty1BStanford
This is the pick that everyone has been waiting for. After losing their stud in Pujols,  this is the pick where the Cardinals groom their future replacement. Obviously Piscotty is not the short term answer but does provide them a viable option in the future. There will be tons of pressure on him to follow up one of the best hitters of all time.
51Toronto Bluejays 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesTorontoCorey Seager3BHigh School
The Blue Jay's continue to add as much talent as they can in this draft. They have already selected a player at catcher, pitcher (who could move to first) shortstop and now third. The more highly touted prospects a team has the better. Seager, although just in high school, has a chance to develop into an outstanding player at the hot corner.
52Toronto Bluejays 2012 MLB Mock Draft College Baseball Draft ProfilesTorontoAlec RashPHigh School
As tempting as it may be to select another position player, the smarter move would be to take a second pitcher. This is the fifth player the Blue Jays have been able to select in the first 52 positions. He is the second pitcher of what the Blue Jay's hope to one day be their core nucleus. He has the tools to develop into a top end of the rotation type pitcher someday.