D-backs prepare for MLB Draft
Add to that new signing bonus rules, with teams having a cap to stay within when it comes to draft picks in the top 10 rounds, and the predictability of the draft becomes that much more difficult to decipher.
Just as an example of how volatile trying to place the players at the top of the Class of 2012 with teams happens to be, the Arizona Diamondbacks have been pegged with plenty of choices with the 26th pick in the first round. In fact, in six different mock drafts posted on various websites and blogs, there are six different choices headed the D-backs' way.
And oddly enough, none of the first-round mock drafts included one position the D-backs need an impact player in to develop and be ready when the time comes - catcher. If there is a main focus for Arizona in this draft, it will be on up-the-middle players, especially backstops and middle infielders.
The first round of the MLB Draft will begin on Monday at 5 p.m. MT, and will be shown on the MLB Network and online at MLB.com. Days 2 and 3 can be followed on MLB.com, with Rounds 2-15 slated to be completed on Tuesday, and rounds 16-40 to take place on Wednesday. Fans can also follow along with the draft on the Missoula Osprey page on Facebook, and through the team's official blog, Bird Droppings, where all of the picks by the D-backs will be featured.
Pitching is one thing the D-backs have successfully drafted in abundance over the past three drafts, and the same should be expected when the draft comes to a close Wednesday afternoon. However, there also may be more of an emphasis on corner outfielders, corner infielders and depth behind the plate.
There's an abundance of talent on the mound available, with a mix of college and high school prospects that are first-round worthy. However, there is no one player who is a standout find on the bump - no one like a Trevor Bauer, or an Archie Bradley. The arms the D-backs could be taking a strong look at are high-schoolers Hunter Virant, a left-hander, and right-handed pitchers Zach Eflin and Lucas Sims; as well as college pitcher Pierce Johnson.
Johnson, from Missouri State, is a power pitcher, and would fit right in with the likes of Bauer, Bradley and Tyler Skaggs. Johnson has also exhibited good control, and is a solid choice if he's still on the board at that time.
Virant, Eflin and Sims would all be projects with plenty of upside. Virant, out of Camarillo High School in California, is projected by some as a middle-of-the-rotation type pitcher, as long as his velocity improves. Sims, from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Ga., may be the most prepared of the three, with three above-average or better pitches, and could be a steal that late in the first round. Eflin, from Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Fla., has started to develop physically, which has added plenty of pop to his fastball, with plenty of room for growth as a pitcher.
Potentially, the safe pick could be outfielder Tyler Naquin, out of Texas A&M. An underrated hitter, Naquin is considered by some to have the best outfield arm in the country. Through 58 games, he is hitting .384 with 15 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 46 RBI and 21 stolen bases.
There are three other intriguing selections that draft experts are calling in the direction of the D-backs - first baseman/outfielder Victor Roache out of Georgia Southern, high-school infield/pitcher Joey Gallo, and high-school catcher Stryker Trahan.
Roache could be considered a bit of a wild-card, only because he was limited to just six games this past spring due to a broken wrist which was surgically repaired. The plus side, of course, is the pop in the bat. Roache led the country in home runs in 2011, swatting 30 round trippers. His power to all fields and his ability to adjust his approach at the plate are also key attributes which may land him in the D-backs system, if he is still available. Roache has been tabbed as high as the 17th pick in some mock drafts.
Gallo, out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, has a power-hitter frame, at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and could be a big-time run producer down the road. Gallo also does possess a strong arm, and could eventually make the move to pitching if things don't work for him on the position player front.
Trahan possesses raw tools behind the plate, but his production at the plate this past spring has soured some teams on his ability. However, with the ability to defend the position, Trahan has a chance to be considered as a late first-round talent. Most mock drafts have him headed to Milwaukee - two picks following the D-backs.
The Osprey open their 2012 season at Billings on June 18, then return home for their Opening Weekend at home against Great Falls on June 22-24. Tickets for all Osprey games are now available at the MSO Hub Box Office, by phone at (406) 543-3300 and online at MissoulaOsprey.com.