First Round Mock

1. TB - TIM BECKHAM, SS (GEORGIA HS)

BECKHAM, ALVAREZ AND POSEY SEEM TO BE THE CONSENSUS TOP 3 PLAYERS. I'VE READ THAT BECKHAM IS AT THE TOP OF THE RAYS BOARD AND IT MAKES SENSE, WITH THE POTENTIAL OF HIM BEING A BJ UPTON TYPE OF HITTER THAT CAN ACTUALLY STICK AT SS.

2. PIT - BUSTER POSEY, C (FLORIDA STATE)

MAYBE THE SURPRISE PLAYER OF THE DRAFT, POSEY HAS PUT TOGETHER A TREMENDOUS JUNIOR SEASON AND VAULTED HIS DRAFT STATUS TO A LOCK TO BE A TOP 10 PICK. AFTER THE DAN MOSKOS DISASTER LAST YEAR, THE BUCS GET A TOP PROSPECT AND DON'T HAVE TO BREAK THE BANK IN THE PROCESS.

3. KC - PEDRO ALVAREZ, 3B (VANDERBILT)

THE ROYALS HAVE SELECTED BORAS CLIENTS WITH TWO OF THEIR LAST THREE PICKS AND BOTH OF THEM HAVE BEEN LEFT-HANDED HITTERS WHO PROFILE AS THIRD BASEMEN. HOWEVER, THE POTENTIAL OF HAVING ALEX GORDON, BILLY BUTLER, MIKE MOUSTAKAS AND PEDRO ALVAREZ IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR ORDER IS TOO GOOD FOR KC TO PASS UP.

4. BAL - BRIAN MATUSZ, LHP (SAN DIEGO)

THE ORIOLES' LAST THREE FIRST ROUND SIGNEES HAVE BEEN HITTERS, SO PETER ANGELOS MAY PUSH FOR A PITCHER HERE. MATUSZ IS A VERY SAFE PICK AND A GREAT REPLACEMENT FOR ERIK BEDARD.

5. SF - GORDON BECKHAM, SS (GEORGIA)

THE GIANTS USED THEIR FIRST TWO PICKS ON PREP PITCHERS LAST JUNE AND CURRENTLY HAVE MATT CAIN AND TIM LINCECUM AT THE TOP OF THEIR ROTATION, SO MORE HITTING IS NEEDED FOR THEIR SYSTEM. EVEN IF HE CAN'T STAY AT SHORT, GORDON COULD BE A POWER-HITTING 2B.

6. FLA - KYLE SKIPWORTH, C (CALIFORNIA HS)

THE MARLINS TOOK 4 HITTERS FROM CALIFORNIA TO START LAST YEAR'S DRAFT, SO WHY STOP THERE? SKIPWORTH HAS BEEN COMPARED TO JOE MAUER AS AN ATHLETIC AND OFFENSIVE-MINDED CATCHING PROSPECT, AND WHILE MAUER WAS MORE POLISHED, SKIPWORTH HAS MORE POWER POTENTIAL.

7. CIN - AARON CROW, RHP (MISSOURI)

ONCE SEEN AS THE TOP PICK IN THE DRAFT, AFTER OVER 40 CONSECUTIVE SCORELESS INNINGS, CROW HAS DROPPED BACK DOWN TO EARTH AND OUT OF THE TOP 5 FOR SOME TEAMS. THE REDS JUMP ON THE CHANCE TO GET ANOTHER TOP PITCHER TO ADD TO THEIR YOUNG STABLE OF EDINSON VOLQUEZ, JOHNNY CUETO AND HOMER BAILEY.

8. CHW - JUSTIN SMOAK, 1B (SOUTH CAROLINA)

I WAS TEMPTED TO GO WITH GUYS LIKE ERIC HOSMER OR KYLE SKIPWORTH HERE, BUT ONE MUST KEEP IN MIND THE FACT THAT KENNY WILLIAMS DOESN'T DEAL WITH SCOTT BORAS. SMOAK ISN'T A REACH BY ANY MEANS THOUGH, AS HE PROFILES TO BE A MIDDLE OF THE ORDER MASHER.

9. WSH - ZACH COLLIER, OF (CALIFORNIA HS)

COLLIER HAS SEEN HIS STOCK SOAR THIS SPRING AFTER TAKING FELLOW CA PREP PROSPECT AARON HICKS DEEP IN FRONT OF A HOARD OF SCOUTS. THE NATS HAVE MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO IMPROVE THEIR DRAFTING AND MIKE RIZZO COULD SEE COLLIER AS ANOTHER CARLOS GONZALEZ.

10. HOU – SHOOTER HUNT, RHP (TULANE)

IMAGINE A GUY NAMED SHOOTER PITCHING IN HOUSTON. IT JUST SOUNDS RIGHT, DOESN'T IT? THE ASTROS DESPERATELY NEED TO REBUILD THEIR FARM SYSTEM AND HUNT GIVES THEM AN ELITE POWER ARM TO START THE HEALING. HE'LL NEED TO GET THE WALKS DOWN BUT THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.

11. TEX - ERIC HOSMER, 1B (FLORIDA HS)

THE RANGERS WERE BUSY LAST YEAR, PICKING 7 TIMES IN THE FIRST THREE ROUNDS. AND NOW THEY TAKE A KID WHO COULD MAKE THEM FORGET ABOUT MARK TEIXIERA. HOSMER IS ONE OF THE BETTER PREP POWER HITTERS TO COME OUT OF THE DRAFT IN THE PAST FEW YEARS AND SHOULD REACH THE MAJORS QUICKLY.

12. OAK - YONDER ALONSO, 1B (MIAMI)

I HAD PREDICTED THIS PICK MONTHS AGO AND AM SURPRISED THAT I'M PREDICTING IT NOW, AS I THOUGHT ALONSO WOULD BE OFF THE BOARD BY NOW. BUT BILLY BEANE LUCKS OUT AND GETS THE GREEK GOD OF WALKS PART DEUX. I ACTUALLY LIKEN HIM TO A BIGGER DARIC BARTON.

13. STL - CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH, LHP (EASTERN KENTUCKY)

IT'S ODD THAT A FEW YEARS AFTER GETTING MARK MULDER IN A TRADE, THE CARDS COULD BE GETTING THE SECOND COMING OF BARRY ZITO THROUGH THE DRAFT. FRIEDRICH PLAYS AGAINST QUESTIONABLE COMPETITION BUT HE DID ENOUGH IN THE CAPE COD LEAGUE LAST YEAR TO PROVE HE'S A FIRST ROUNDER.

14. MIN - CASEY KELLY, SS (FLORIDA HS)

THE TWINS SURPRISED MANY BY TAKING PREP OF BEN REVERE WITH THEIR FIRST PICK LAST YEAR. BUT IN 2008, THE TWINS WILL TAKE A CONSENSUS FIRST ROUNDER IN KELLY. NOT ONLY DOES CASEY HAVE A MAJOR LEAGUE READY GLOVE, HE ALSO PITCHES AND HAS A FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP TO TENNESSEE. FOCUSING SOLELY ON HITTING SHOULD UNLEASH HIS REAL POTENTIAL WITHIN A FEW YEARS.

15. LAD – TIM MELVILLE, RHP (MISSOURI HS)

COMING INTO THE SPRING, MELVILLE WAS REGARDED AS A SUREFIRE TOP 10 PICK, GOING AS HIGH AS THIRD OVERALL TO HIS HOMETOWN CLUB. A SLOW START AND DECREASED VELOCITY CAUSED HIS STOCK TO DROP AND THE DODGERS WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO DRAFT HIM.

16. MIL - JOSH FIELDS, RHP (GEORGIA)

THE BREWERS HAVE ASSEMBLED AN EXCELLENT GROUP OF YOUNG HITTERS ON THEIR MAJOR LEAGUE CLUB, BUT THEY STILL HAVE A WEAKNESS IN THEIR PITCHING STAFF. SIGNING ERIC GAGNE WAS SUPPOSED TO SOLVE THEIR BULLPEN ISSUES BUT HE'S BEEN ERRATIC. THE BREWERS MAY FEEL THAT GETTING A COLLEGE CLOSER WHO CAN HELP SOONER RATHER THAN LATER WOULD BE PREFERABLE OVER A GUY WHO MIGHT TAKE 5 YEARS TO DEVELOP.

17. TOR - BRETT WALLACE, 1B/3B (ARIZONA STATE)

THE SABERMETRICALLY INCLINED BLUE JAYS LOVE DRAFTING COLLEGE PLAYERS AND POLISHED HITTERS. WALLACE FITS BOTH CRITERIA AND RESEMBLES THEIR 2006 FIRST ROUNDER TRAVIS SNIDER.

18. NYM (FROM ATL) - JASON CASTRO, C (STANFORD)

THE METS FILL AN ORGANIZATIONAL NEED WITH CASTRO, WHO HAS IMPROVED HIS DRAFT STOCK IMMENSELY THIS SPRING BY ADDING OFFENSE TO HIS OVERALL PACKAGE.

19. CHC – AARON HICKS, OF/RHP (CALIFORNIA HS)

THE CUBS NEVER SHY AWAY FROM ATHLETES AND HICKS FITS THE BILL. THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHETHER THE CUBBIES WILL USE HIM AS A CENTERFIELDER OR ON THE MOUND.

20. SEA - JAKE ODORIZZI, RHP (ILLINOIS HS)

ODORIZZI WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RISERS IN THE PREP CLASS, AS HIS FASTBALL REGULARLY TOUCHED THE LOW 90S AND HE SPUN A QUALITY BREAKING BALL.

21. DET – ANDREW CASHNER, RHP (TEXAS CHRISTIAN)

WITH BORAS CLIENTS LIKE HOSMER AND ALVAREZ STAYING IN THE TOP 10, THE TIGERS WILL TRY TO FILL AN IMMEDIATE NEED IN THE PEN WITH CASHNER.

22. NYM - ETHAN MARTIN, RHP (GEORGIA HS)

COMING INTO THE SEASON, MARTIN SEEMED LIKE A SURE-BET TO BE AN EARLY ROUND PICK AS A POWER HITTING 3B. NOW HE'S SEEN AS A FIRST ROUND PICK AS A PITCHER.

23. SD - TYLER LADENDORF, SS (TEXAS JC)

THE PADRES HAVE PLENTY OF POLISHED BATS IN THEIR SYSTEM, BUT LADENDORF OFFERS 5 TOOL POTENTIAL FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE INFIELD.

24. PHI - ANTHONY HEWITT, UTIL (NEW YORK HS)

HEWITT DIDN'T COME INTO THE SEASON AS A FIRST ROUND PICK, BUT HIS OVERWHELMING ATHLETICISM IS ENOUGH TO GET HIM A LOOK IN THE TOP 30.

25. COL – LANCE LYNN, RHP (MISSISSIPPI)

A HOT START COOLED QUICKLY AS LYNN DIDN'T DOMINATE AS MUCH AS HE COULD HAVE. STILL, THE BIG RIGHTY WAS CONSISTENTLY TOUGH AND THE ROCKIES COULD ALWAYS USE MORE PITCHING.

26. ARI - RYAN PERRY, RHP (ARIZONA)

THE D BACKS SEEM PRETTY MUCH SET HITTING-WISE, SO THEY DRAFT THE HARD THROWING PERRY AND HE COULD FOLLOW THE SAME PATH AS MAX SCHERZER.

27. MIN (FROM LAA) – BRETT LAWRIE, SS (CANADIAN HS)

LAWRIE HAS ATHLETICISM AND HITTING TOOLS TO SPARE, BUT HIS ULTIMATE POSITION IS UP IN THE AIR. THE TWINS COULD USE HIM AS A SS OR 3B.

28. NYY – IKE DAVIS, 1B/OF (ARIZONA STATE)

THE YANKEES HAVE TONS OF RHP'S AND SOME GOOD ATHLETIC HITTING PROSPECTS. BUT THEY LACK POLISHED HITTERS AND SOUTHPAWS. LOOK FOR THEM TO GRAB ONE HERE.

29. CLE – BRYAN PRICE, RHP (RICE)

THE INDIANS HAVE ASSEMBLED AN IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF YOUNG HITTERS, BUT THEY NEED HELP ON THE MOUND. PRICE OFFERS A GOOD OPTION EITHER AS A STARTER OR RELIEVER.

30. BOS – REESE HAVENS, SS (SOUTH CAROLINA)

THE RED SOX HAVE BEEN ON HIM ALL YEAR AND SHOULD END UP WITH HIM. THERE'S QUESTION ABOUT HIS ABILITY TO PLAY SS AS A PRO, BUT HIS BAT WILL CARRY HIM TO THE MAJORS.