Skip to main content
jump to navigation
The Official Website of Minor League Baseball
RED CROSS: Okloahoma City Relief - Donate Now
Below is an advertisement.
Correa makes history as top Draft pick
Astros take Puerto Rican player; Appel falls to Pirates at No. 8
By David Heck / Special to MLB.com
06/05/2012 12:44 AM ET
Stanford righty Mark Appel was selected eighth overall by the Pirates.
Stanford righty Mark Appel was selected eighth overall by the Pirates. (Paul Sakuma/AP)
Unlike the past several years, there was no consensus No. 1 overall pick coming into the 2012 Draft. The honor could have gone to any of a handful of players, but in the end, the Astros selected Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa.

The 17-year-old has the size (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) and athleticism that it will take to play shortstop at the highest level. He's got power potential with the bat, as well, which is why Houston made him the highest pick ever to come out of the Puerto Rican Baseball Academy.

"I feel so excited to be the No. 1 pick," Correa told MLB Network. "I'm proud to be here and I'm excited. This means a lot -- I have been working hard."

The Twins followed by taking toolsy high school outfielder Byron Buxton, who impressed last summer at a number of showcases. Then the Mariners selected Mike Zunino, a player who has the chance be a strong everyday catcher.

Stanford hurler Mark Appel, who was reportedly in the mix to be No. 1 overall, fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the No. 8 spot. Though signability could be an issue for the right-hander, that was also the case last year with Josh Bell, whom the Pirates drafted in the second round and gave a $5 million signing bonus. Teams, however, will be subject to spending caps for the first time this season.

The Padres selected left-hander Max Fried seventh overall out of Harvard-Westlake High School, and the Nationals took teammate Lucas Giolito at No. 16. The two pitchers are the first high-school teammates to go in the first round since Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez were both selected out of Chatsworth High School in 2007.

Gavin Cecchini, brother of Red Sox prospect Garin Cecchini, went to the Mets at pick No. 12. He is said to be even faster than his sibling, who has 19 steals in 50 games for the Class A Greenville Drive this year.

The highlight of the first round might have been when Courtney Hawkins, the White Sox's pick at No. 13, showed off his athleticism by completing a standing backflip. What did general manager Kenny Williams think about his draftee's impressive display?

"He said no more flips," Hawkins told MLB Network.

Left-hander Brian Johnson of the University of Florida was taken by the Red Sox at No. 31, joining college teammate Zunino in the first round. Texas A&M also landed a pair of players in the opening round, as outfielder Tyler Naquin was taken by the Indians at No. 15 and right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha went to the Cardinals four picks later.

After Oklahoma saw prep hurlers Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley go in the top seven picks last year, the state produced another first-rounder in righty Ty Hensley, whom the Yankees took with the 30th overall selection.

2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft picks at a glance:

First Round
Pick Player Team School
1 Carlos Correa, SS Houston Astros Puerto Rico BB Academy
2 Byron Buxton, OF Minnesota Twins Appling County (Ga.) HS
3 Mike Zunino, C Seattle Mariners University of Florida
4 Kevin Gausman, RHP Baltimore Orioles Louisiana State
5 Kyle Zimmer, RHP Kansas City Royals University of San Francisco
6 Albert Almora, OF Chicago Cubs Mater Academy Charter School (Fla.)
7 Max Fried, LHP San Diego Padres Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) HS
8 Mark Appel, RHP Pittsburgh Pirates Stanford
9 Andrew Heaney, LHP Miami Marlins Oklahoma State
10 David Dahl, OF Colorado Rockies Oak Mountain (Ala.) HS
11 Addison Russell, SS Oakland A's Pace (Fla.) HS
12 Gavin Cecchini, SS New York Mets Barbe (La.) HS
13 Courtney Hawkins, OF Chicago White Sox Carroll (Texas) HS
14 Nick Travieso, RHP Cincinnati Reds Archbishop McCarthy (Fla.) HS
15 Tyler Naquin, OF Cleveland Indians Texas A&M
16 Lucas Giolito, RHP Washington Nationals Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) HS
17 D.J. Davis, OF Toronto Blue Jays Stone County (Miss.) HS
18 Corey Seager, SS Los Angeles Dodgers Stone County (N.C.) HS
19 Michael Wacha, RHP St. Louis Cardinals Texas A&M
20 Chris Stratton, RHP San Francisco Giants Mississippi State
21 Lucas Sims, RHP Atlanta Braves Brookwood (Ga.) HS
22 Marcus Stroman, RHP Toronto Blue Jays Duke
23 James Ramsey, OF St. Louis Cardinals Florida State
24 Deven Marrero, SS Boston Red Sox Arizona State
25 Richie Shaffer, 3B Tampa Bay Rays Clemson
26 Stryker Trahan, C Arizona D-backs Acadiana (La.) HS
27 Clint Coulter, C Milwaukee Brewers Union (Wash.) HS
28 Victor Roache, OF Milwaukee Brewers Georgia Southern
29 Lewis Brinson, OF Texas Rangers Coral Springs (Fla.) HS
30 Ty Hensley, RHP New York Yankees Edmond Santa Fe (Okla.) HS
31 Brian Johnson, LHP Boston Red Sox University of Florida
Compensation Round A
Pick Player Team School
32 Jose Berrios, RHP Minnesota Twins Papa Juan XXIII HS (P.R.)
33 Zach Eflin, RHP San Diego Padres Hagerty (Fla.) HS
34 Daniel Robertson, SS Oakland A's Upland (Calif.) HS
35 Kevin Plawecki, C New York Mets Purdue
36 Stephen Piscotty, 3B St. Louis Cardinals Stanford
37 Pat Light, RHP Boston Red Sox Monmouth University
38 Mitch Haniger, OF Milwaukee Brewers Cal Poly
39 Joey Gallo, 3B Texas Rangers Bishop Gorman (Nev.) HS
40 Shane Watson, RHP Philadelphia Phillies Lakewood (Calif.) HS
41 Lance McCullers, RHP Houston Astros Jesuit (Fla.) HS
42 Luke Bard, RHP Minnesota Twins Georgia Tech
43 Pierce Johnson, RHP Chicago Cubs Missouri State
44 Travis Jankowski, OF San Diego Padres SUNY Stony Brook
45 Barrett Barnes, OF Pittsburhg Pirates Texas Tech
46 Eddie Butler, RHP Colorado Rockies Radfurd University
47 Matt Olson, 1B Oakland A's Parkview (Ga.) HS
48 Keon Barnum, 1B Chicago White Sox King (Fla.) HS
49 Jesse Winker, OF Cincinnati Reds Olympia (Fla.) HS
50 Matt Smoral, LHP Toronto Blue Jays Solon (Ohio) HS
51 Jesmuel Valentin, SS Los Angeles Dodgers Puerto Rico BB Academy
52 Patrick Wisdom, 3B St. Louis Cardinals St. Marys
53 Collin Wiles, RHP Texas Rangers Blue Valley West (Kan.) HS
54 Mitch Gueller, RHP Philadelphia Phillies W. F. West (Wash.) HS
55 Walker Weickel, RHP San Diego Padres Olympia (Fla.) HS
56 Paul Blackburn, RHP Chicago Cubs Heritage (Calif.) HS
57 Jeff Gelalich, OF Cincinnati Reds UCLA
58 Mitch Nay, 3B Toronto Blue Jays Hamilton (Ariz.) HS
59 Steve Bean, C St. Louis Cardinals Rockwall (Texas) HS
60 Tyler Gonzales, RHP Toronto Blue Jays James Madison (Texas) HS

David Heck is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
MiLB.com Comments
Today on MiLB.com

Poll