1. Washington Nationals The Pick: Bryce Harper, C, Southern Nevada CC The Buzz: The Nationals make the obvious choice with Harper. Most thought he would be groomed as a long-term solution at catcher, but Bud Selig announced him as an outfielder. At only 17-years old, he is very athletic and his bat is his real gem - not his defense. 2. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pick: Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodland (Texas) High The Buzz: The No. 1 high school player in the country would have been the first high school righty taken No. 1 overall if it wasn't for Harper. The Pirates get a player who projects as a top of the rotation pitcher. He already has control of three pitches. 3. Baltimore Orioles The Pick: Manny Machado, SS, Miami (Fla.) Brito School The Buzz: Machado adds desperately needed middle infield help to the Orioles. Some have compared him to Alex Rodriguez - with similar size and plenty of pop. While the ARod comparisons may be a bit much, Machado does have a ton of upside. Now, can the O's sign him? 4. Kansas City Royals The Pick: Christian Colon, SS, Cal State Fullerton The Buzz: The Royals go with a very talented shortstop that can do it all. The organization is in need of talent and this was the most talented position player on the board. They stole him from the infield-poor Indians who pick No. 5. Signability is an issue here though. 5. Cleveland Indians The Pick: Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Ole Miss The Buzz: After missing out on both of the top shortstop prospects, the Tribe takes the most MLB-ready arm in the draft. He has control of two plus-pitches but will need to develop control of a solid change-up. Last season's No. 1 pick, Alex White, is already developing and now they have two power arms in the minors. 6. Arizona Diamondbacks The Pick: Barrett Loux, RHP, Texas A&M The Buzz: A real stunner as Loux shot up the draft board. Loux has a fastball and change-up at his disposal. Pitching in the Big XII is certainly an advantage in seeing top competition and the Diamondbacks have plenty of talented position players in their system. 7. New York Mets The Pick: Matt Harvey, RHP, North Carolina The Buzz: Harvey was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school but had a rough sophomore season at UNC. He rebounded nicely this season to go in the Top 10 of the draft. He can throw a ton of pitches and has a strong arm to go with it. 8. Houston Astros The Pick: Delino DeShields Jr., 2B, Norcross (Ga.) High The Buzz: For an organization that needs talent across the board, taking DeShields here is a bit of a stretch. He is a very solid athlete as the No. 29 overall ranked high school player with good speed. He is very similar to his father, but will have a lot to work on to get to the bigs. 9. San Diego Padres The Pick: Karsten Whitson, RHP, Chipley (Fla.) High The Buzz: Whitson was the No. 3 ranked high school player entering the draft and goes as the No. 4 high schooler. He already stands 6-foot-4 with room to add good mass as he develops. A mid-90s fastball is his best pitch with a good change-up. 10. Oakland Athletics The Pick: Micheal Choice, OF, Texas-Arlington The Buzz: The Athletics had been tied to many outfielders and they go with Choice. He is one of the best hitters in school history and played well for Team USA. He has a lot of natural ability and a good work ethic. 11. Toronto Blue Jays The Pick: Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech The Buzz: McGuire was one of the safest arms in the draft. He was the ace for the Yellow Jackets and could be the first player in the draft to make the major leagues. A winner that knows how to pitch, he doesn't overwhelm with one pitch but throws lots of strikes. 12. Cincinnati Reds The Pick: Yasmani Grandal, C, Miami The Buzz: Switch-hitting catcher picked a great year to have an offensive breakout. He rarely strikes out and still keeps his power. The defensive side is very good as well. He has a solid arm and fits nicely into the Reds system. If he signs, this is a great pick. 13. Chicago White Sox The Pick: Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast The Buzz: In the school's first year of Division I baseball, Sale was the headliner. He pounds the strike zone and challenges hitters. He has a smaller frame and may move into the bullpen as he gets into the majors. He was really good in the Cape Cod league as well - which boosted his stock. 14. Milwaukee Brewers The Pick: Dylan Covey, RHP, Pasadena (Calif.) Maranatha The Buzz: Covey is a workhorse and keeps his fastball in the 91-94 mph range. He has an MLB-ready curve and draws comparisons to Giants pitcher Matt Cain. Showing signs of faith with young pitchers, the Brew Crew could have a good one. 15. Texas Rangers - For Not Signing Matt Purke The Pick: Jake Skole, OF, Woodstock (Ga.) Blessed Trinity The Buzz: Skole had an injured ankle that slowed him this year. He will need to decide whether to sign and play baseball or go to college and play football. He is commited to Georgia Tech for both. He was the No. 76 rated high school player this season. 16. Chicago Cubs The Pick: Hayden Simpson, RHP, Southern Arkansas The Buzz: Simpson was the runner-up in the Division II player of the year race. He is a short in stature but can throw strikes, as he was 13-0 this season. This is another surprise pick at the top of the draft, but the Cubs have struck gold a few times with risky picks recently. 17. Tampa Bay Rays The Pick: Josh Sale, OF, Seattle (Wash.) Bishop Blancet The Buzz: Sale was the No. 5 overall high school prospect in the country. His bat is one of the best of anyone available - college included. His signability is in question and he could end up at Gonzaga. He most likely will end up at first base or evolve into a pure DH. 18. LA Angels of Anaheim - From Seattle for Chone Figgins The Pick: Kaleb Cowart, 3B/P, Adel (Ga.) Cook The Buzz: Cowart was the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year and has tremendous upside. He can pitch or play everyday in the field. But he also can go to Florida State and has been rumored with wanting $3.5 million to sign. 19. Houston Astros - From Detroit for Jose Valverde The Pick: Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Minooka (Ill.) High The Buzz: Another reach for the Astros but not nearly the reach that DeShields was. Foltynewicz has a heavy sinker and can run his fastball up to 96. At best, he can be similar to Brandon Webb but the Astros have bigger immediate needs to address. 20. Boston Red Sox - From Atlanta for Billy Wagner The Pick: Kolbrin Vitek, 2B, Ball State The Buzz: We had the Red Sox taking Kaleb Cowart here but with that plan out the window Vitek is a nice play. His draft shot up the boards lately and can really do a lot of things. He is an old-school type player not too dissimilar from Dustin Pedroia - playing above his skill set. 21. Minnesota Twins The Pick: Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio State The Buzz: He has one of the best change-ups in the draft, grading out as high as 70 on the 20-80 scale. He is a strike-thrower who pitches to contact. His raw stuff doesn't wow you, but he has enough command to keep his team in the game. A late-season hamstring injury is not reoccuring nor cause for much concern. 22. Texas Rangers The Pick: Kellin Deglan, C, Langley (British Columbia, Canada) R.E. Mountain The Buzz: The Rangers were pegged to go with a catcher early and they decided to go north of the border to do so. The contact hitter from British Columbia is commited to FIU, but is expected to sign. 23. Florida Marlins The Pick: Christian Yelich, OF, Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Westlake The Buzz: Projecting as a Casey Kotchman-type first baseman, Yelich has the tools to be a MLB player but will need to develop more power to go with his fluid stroke. He was drafted as an outfielder but that is to be determined. 24. San Francisco Giants The Pick: Gary Brown, CF, Cal State Fullerton The Buzz: Brown is a speedy top of the order outfielder who can pace a lineup. He is reminding many of Reggie Willits with his plus-speed and sneaky power. His defense has steadily improved, but his arm is more like Johnny Damon's than Ichiro's. 25. St. Louis Cardinals The Pick: Zack Cox, 2B/3B, Arkansas The Buzz: The draft eligible sophomore, Cox is a steal at No. 25 for the Cardinals. He has gap-to-gap power with solid contact. His power is probably not good enough to play 3B at the MLB level but would be more than adequate at 2B. 26. Colorado Rockies The Pick: Kyle Parker, OF, Clemson The Buzz: Parker led the Tigers with 19 home runs this season. He still has three more years of football eligibility at Clemson so his signability is an issue. The Rockies, however, have done well with quarterbacks coming to Denver - including Todd Helton and Seth Smith. 27. Philadelphia Phillies The Pick: Jesse Biddle, LHP, Philadelphia (Pa.) Germantown Friends The Buzz: The Phillies stay local with the lefty, Vittles. The Phillies have been able to develop pitchers of late and they will need to work with Biddle. His mechanics are raw, but he is 6-foot-6 and can throw the ball. 28. Los Angeles Dodgers The Pick: Zach Lee, RHP, McKinney (Texas) High The Buzz: Lee is one of the top rated two-sport prospects in the draft. He is committed to be a QB at LSU and may be tough to sign. The Dodgers love him as a pitcher but the franchise is not exactly spending money right now. 29. LA Angels of Anaheim - From Boston for John Lackey The Pick: Cam Bedrosian, RHP, Sharpsburg (Ga.) East Coweta The Buzz: Certainly learning some tricks of the trade from his Cy Young-winning father, Steve Bedrosian, the younger version can hit 96 on the gun and likes to push the pace on the hill with a quick delivery to the plate. 30. LA Angels of Anaheim The Pick: Chevez Clarke, OF, Marietta (Ga.) High The Buzz: The Angels have spent a bunch of time in Georgia this season, going back-to-back with Bedrosian. Clarke is a switch-hitter and with Jerry and Scott Hairston as cousins, he has the bloodlines as well. He may have been the best in Georgia this year, and that is a very high compliment. 31. Tampa Bay Rays - For Not Signing LeVon Washington The Pick: Justin O'Connor, SS/C/RHP, Muncie (Ind.) Cowan The Buzz: O'Connor went from unranked to No. 10 in the nation in the last month of evaluations. He can play multiple positions - and play them all well. He is very athletic and, depending on who you talk to, projects at multiple positions. His bat is solid but not spectacular. The Rays seem to like him as a catcher. 32. New York Yankees The Pick: Cito Culver, SS/OF, Rochester (N.Y.) West Irondequoit The Buzz: A player who stole the "stunner of the first round" cliche, Culver was not projected to be picked in the first four rounds, let alone in the first. His effort has come into question of late but his raw athletic ability is enough to wow you. The switch-hitter may not have the range to play SS but a move to CF is manageable. SUPPLIMENTAL FIRST ROUND PICKS 33. Houston Astros - For Jose Valverde The Pick: Michael Kvasnicka, 3B/C, Minnesota The Buzz: The Minnesota Gophers third base prospect has a good switch-hitting bat. He may slide to catcher despite the fact the Astros have one of the best catchers in the minors. 34. Toronto Blue Jays - For Marco Scutaro The Pick: Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Barstow (Calif.) High The Buzz: The Oregon commit was the No. 14 high school player entering the draft. Still growing into his body may have cost him a few mph with scouts' guns. His long legs and lean frame project well, and more power on his pitches should come over time. 35. Atlanta Braves - For Mike Gonzalez The Pick: Matt Lipka, SS, Frisco (Texas) McKinney The Buzz: Lipka's teammate Zach Lee was also selected in the first round. Lipka was ranked as No. 46 nationally entering the draft. He is a good contact hitter who has drawn comparisons to Orlando Hudson. 36. Boston Red Sox - For Jason Bay The Pick: Bryce Brentz, OF, Middle Tennessee State The Buzz: Brentz is an absolute steal for the Red Sox. He was projected as high as No. 10 but slid way down the board. He has a short compact swing that can hit for power and average. 37. LA Angels of Anaheim - John Lackey The Pick: Taylor Lindsay, SS, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain The Buzz: The Angels, with their first four picks, have taken four high school players. Lipka is the top player in the state of Arizona entering the draft. A move to 2B is likely in his future. 38. Toronto Blue Jays - For Not Signing James Paxton The Pick: Noah Syndergaard, RHP, Mansfield (Texas) Legacy The Buzz: The 6-foot-6 pitcher is commited to Dallas Baptist - the same school as Ben Zobrist. A risky pick that was not in the Top 100 players ranked by RivalsHigh. This is an upside-based pick. 39. Boston Red Sox - For Billy Wagner The Pick: Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, LSU The Buzz: One of the bigger players in the draft, Ranaudo checks in at a massive 6-foot-6, 230-plus pounds. With command of three pitches, he is a very solid prospect to get in the middle of the supplimental round. 40. LA Angels of Anaheim - For Chone Figgins The Pick: Ryan Bolden, OF, Madison (Miss.) Madison Central The Buzz: Bolden's draft plummeted this season as he went from one of the top players to the middle of the elite pack. He is a project that can really deliver if he is coached the right way. The Angels love to get high school players and teach them the Angels way. 41. Toronto Blue Jays - For Rod Barajas The Pick: Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, The Citadel The Buzz: Wojciechowski has a solid fastball, clocking in at 94 mph, but it lacks consistent movement and can come out of his hands very flat. He has an improved slider that can bail him out and is not afraid to go right after any hitter. He could move quickly through the minors and join the bullpen as a reliable setup-type pitcher. 42. Tampa Bay Rays - For Greg Zaun The Pick: Drew Vettleson, RHP/LHP/OF, Tracyton (Wash.) Central Kitsap The Buzz: While Vettleson can throw with both hands, his best asset is his hitting. He can make it as an everyday player in the outfield with his bat and not as a novelty act. He is committed to Oregon State and was ranked No. 91 by RivalsHigh. 43. Seattle Mariners - For Adrian Beltre The Pick: Taijuan Walker, RHP, Yucaipa (Calif.) High The Buzz: Walker is a raw pitcher who focused on basketball mostly. Walker won't turn 18 until mid-August but already has filthy stuff on the mound. A mid-90s fastball combined with a sharp slider and hard biting curve and tinkering with a high 80s cutter makes hitting against him a nightmare. 44. Detroit Tigers - For Brandon Lyon The Pick: Nick Catellanos, 3B, Davie (Fla.) Archbishop McCarthy The Buzz: Castellanos comes off the board late and the Tigers take a player who has said he wants a lot of money. Since the Tigers didn't have another early pick they can spend money to get one of the best 3B prospects in the draft. 45. Texas Rangers - For Marlon Byrd The Pick: Luke Jackson, RHP, SW Ranches (Fla.) Calvary Christian The Buzz: Jackson was slotted to be a third round pick so coming off the board this early may make him less likely to end up at Miami. He didn't start pitching until his freshman year of high school. 46. St. Louis Cardinals - For Mark DeRosa The Pick: Seth Blair, RHP, Arizona State The Buzz: Blair was the Friday night starter for the Sun Devils. Many people project his big arm as a closer and not as a starter in the long term. 47. Colorado Rockies - For Jason Marquis The Pick: Peter Tago, RHP, Dana Point (Calif.) Dana Hills The Buzz: Throwing from the 3/4 arm slot, Tago hits 93 mph with his fastball but looks effortless in his motion. His draft stock was rising as the evening approached. He was ranked No. 27 by RivalsHigh among high school prospects. 48. Detroit Tigers - For Fernando Rodney The Pick: Chance Ruffin, RHP, Texas The Buzz: His father, Bruce Ruffin, spent 12 years in the majors and now his son can try to match that as a closer. Surprising to see Ruffin come off the board before his teammate, Brandon Workman. 49. Texas Rangers - For Ivan Rodriguez The Pick: Mike Olt, 3B, UConn The Buzz: In a year that is down for corner infielders, the third baseman from UConn has a ton of power. He did well playing in the Cape Cod league and scouts think he can be a solid defensive infielder with some raw power. 50. St. Louis Cardinals - For Joel Pineiro The Pick: Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Henderson (Texas) High The Buzz: Long and lean, Jenkins can develop his body into a stronger, more complete package. His power-sinker is a very strong offering. He is a Baylor football commit and was ranked No. 11 in the RivalsHigh 100 baseball prospect rankings.
