Georgia's baseball team was rocked by the March 6 collision between the club's top player, left fielder Zach Cone, and center fielder Jonathan Taylor. Cone returned to action, but Taylor had to be carried off the field, broke his neck in the collision and was left partially paralyzed.

Monday, the Rangers drafted Cone in the supplemental first round, 37th overall. Then they drafted Taylor on Wednesday in the 33rd round, a move scouting director Kip Fagg described as "the right thing to do."

“We would have drafted him either way, regardless of any other circumstances involving his injury or Zach’s draft status," Fagg said. "Our area scout in Georgia, Ryan Coe, has had a relationship with Johnathan since he was a high school player. The club has always liked his passion and ability as a player.

“A few weeks ago, myself and a couple other members of our department visited Zach Cone in Georgia in the course of normal pre-draft activity.  We presented Zach with a Rangers jersey for Johnathan that had been signed by the entire club, and asked if Zach could deliver it to his teammate. As an organization, I think all of us are always trying to do the right thing in any situation. Taking Johnathan in the draft today, it was something we felt was right.” [...] Continue Reading »

The most intriguing pick of this round range goes to Toronto's 29th-round pick, Brigham Young's Taylor Cole. A 6-foot-1, 180-pound righthander, Cole ranked No. 79 on BA's Top 200 back in 2007, when he was a star at shortstop and pitcher for Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman High. Cole's combination of arm strength and athleticism was attractive to scouts, but they had a hard time getting a read on his signability and willingness to delay his Mormon mission trip. After a year at CC of Southern Nevada, Cole took his mission trip, spending two years away from baseball completely while working in Toronto.

He returned to front BYU's rotation this spring, going 5-5, 2.95 with just 67 strikeouts in 93 innings. His fastball still touched 94 mph early but he lost velocity as the year went on. He actually was drafted six spots after Cougars righty Matthews Neil, who has profile size at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds but who's also 24. [...] Continue Reading »

No surprise that the most intriguing pick of this round range came in the 22nd round. That's where the Reds drafted Las Vegas area lefthander Amir Garrett, better known for his basketball prowess. He's signed to play at St. John's, and ESPN.com recruiting analyst Dave Telep has him at No. 97 on his Top 100 list of high school seniors. We've written about the 6-foot-6 lefthander's baseball workouts in Draft Tracker and, after speaking to Garrett, in this column. The Reds are expected to make a serious run at signing him.

Elsewhere in this range:

• Round 21: Seattle snagged Seton Hall ace Joe DiRocco, a senior who went 8-2, 1.97 this season in leading the Pirates to the Big East conference championship. He commands a 90-91 mph fastball and decent secondary stuff . . . The Athletics popped Arizona State football player Brandon Magee, who was profiled in the same draft tracker as Garrett. He's a physical 5-foot-11, 230-pounder with plus raw power and speed who hasn't gotten tremendous baseball exposure, as he has just three hits in 29 career at-bats . . . The Rockies drafted Fresno State first baseman Jordan Ribera, who led the nation in home runs in 2010. Of course, that was before the BBCOR bats. Ribera eventually adjusted this season but hit .240 with eight homers this year after batting .343 with 27 jacks in 2010 . . . The Giants drafted Southern California righthander Andrew Triggs, a Tommy John surgery alumnus who had a big fall in 2009 and vaulted onto Baseball America's College Top 100 in our 2010 Early Draft Preview. An uneven redshirt sophomore season (2-7, 3.95) led Triggs, a 24th-round pick last year, back to school for 2011. He performed better, cutting his walk rate and going 5-4, 3.67 while holding his fringe-average fastball velocity deeper into games. He has good sink on his fastball and also throws a curveball and changeup . . . The Phillies took a tough sign with the last pick of the round in catcher Riley Moore out of Santa Barbara's San Marcos High. No. 150 on our Top 200, Moore has a plus arm, solid athleticism and advanced receiving skills for his age.

[...] Continue Reading »

• The Mariners seem to be loading up on catchers and could have gotten a good one with 16th-round pick Jack Marder out of Oregon. Marder is a former infielder that is new to catching, but he's an above-average athlete with soft hands and a strong throwing arm. He did not hit well this year, but there's more in his bat and some scouts believed the offensive struggles were because he was tired out from getting used to catching and the fact that he has diabetes.

• Lefthanders with the stuff and athleticism of Carlos Rodon from Holly Springs (N.C.)  High typically don't last until the 16th round, but that's where the Brewers were able to get him this year. Rodon had an inconsistent spring, but at his best he shows an 88-92 mph fastball and flashes of above-average secondary offerings. Watch video of Rodon here.

• St. Francis High in Mountain View, Calif. was one of the best high school teams in the country this year. The team featured Tyler Goeddel at third base, who was drafted in the supplemental first round by the Rays. Playing on the same team as a top pick can have its benefits and that's exactly what happened for St. Francis first baseman Richard Prigatano, who went in the 16th round to the Blue Jays. After batting .182/.273/.269 in just 22 at-bats last year, he worked hard to get into better shape and now has a muscular, 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. Scouts started to take notice when he hit a home run off Joe Ross early in the season. Prigatano profiles as an above-average hitter with well above-average power potential that could handle a move to the outfield.

• The Red Sox grabbed Liberty righthander Blake Forslund in the 17th round. Forslund pitched at 92-95 mph in the fall, but inexperience and a knee injury made for a disappointing spring.

• The Padres were aggressive for the first 30 rounds and took Missouri righthander Matt Stites in the 17th round. Stites is listed at 6 feet and 181 pounds but succeeds with quality stuff, using his quick-twitch athleticism and fast arm to consistently pitch at 90-93 mph and peak at 95.

• The Nationals took a chance on Biloxi (Miss.) High  righthander Hawtin Buchanan in the 19th round and he'll likely be a tough sign away from Mississippi. He has a huge, 6-foot-8, 230-pound frame and got his fastball up to 95 this spring, though his secondary stuff is still a work in progress.

• The Indians snagged Indiana high school lefthander Dillon Peters in the 20th round. Peters' fastball runs from 90-94 mph and he also throws a hard curveball, but he's undersized at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, pitches with a lot of effort and will be a tough sign away from Texas.

• The Phillies' 20th-rounder, San Francisco outfielder Pete Lavin, performed very well with the new bats, hitting .347/.424/.492 this year as a senior and comparaes favorably to Gonzaga's Drew Heid, a ninth-round pick by the Angels last year.

Highlights from rounds 11 to 15:

• The Cubs took the son of one of their former shortstops, Shawon Dunston in the 11th round. He didn't have a consistent performance this spring and figures to fulfill his commitment to Vanderbilt, but Dunston is a raw outfielder with plus speed. A lefthanded hitter, he could develop gap power and hit for average.

• The Mets' 11th round pick, righthander Christian Montgomery, flashed stuff last summer that had him among the top prep arms in the country. But he had a very inconsistent spring and scouts were scared off by his makeup. If he doesn't sign, he'll head to Chipola (Fla.) JC.

• The Marlins took Georgia Tech shortstop Jacob Esch in the 11th round, but as a righthander. He has a strong arm and touched 95 mph in the fall while sitting 89-91 this spring. [...] Continue Reading »

• Stephen Tarpley showed good stuff as a lefthander, but was putting out a big price tag and it's unlikely the Indians, who picked him in the eighth round, can steer him away from his Southern California commitment.

• Dustin Houle mostly plays third base for the Canadian Junior National Team, but I wrote in his pre-draft scouting report that he would likely transition to catcher as a pro, and that's exactly where he was drafted, in the eighth round by the Brewers.

• Most Northern California scouts loved San Jose State lefthander Roberto Padilla, who was the eighth-round pick by the Rockies. Padilla has average stuff, but finds a way to win with his pinpoint control and bulldog mentality on the mound.

• The Red Sox popped another premium athlete with high upside by getting Mississippi high school outfielder Senquez Golson. Golson plays at the alma mater of Terrell Buckley, a former NFL defensive back who also played outfield at Florida State, and Buckley has worked with him throughout his high school career. Golson is also a two-sport athlete and has a football scholarship to Mississippi. Golson is an electric athlete with plus-plus speed (4.0 seconds flat to first base), present strength, broad shoulders and physical ability to burn.

• Pittsburgh picked a lot of pitchers last year that slipped a little bit and it seems they're taking the same approach this year by grabbing Alabama prep righthander Clay Holmes to kick off the ninth round. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, he has present strength in his frame and in his arm, with an above-average fastball at 90-93 mph. He holds his velocity better at some times than others, typical of a high school pitcher, and has shown the ability to stay tall in his delivery and throw downhill.

• It's not often a player is drafted out of Germany, but that's exactly what the Mariners did in the ninth round by taking Cavan Cohoes out of Patch High. Cohoes was draft-eligible because he was playing on an American Military Base. Baseball America will have more on Cohoes soon.

• The Cardinals got a hometown player with their 10th round pick in outfielder Lance Jeffries. Baseball America readers first got to read about Jeffries last August, when he stood out at USA Baseball's Breakthrough Series. Multiple area scouts say outfielder Lance Jeffries' strong, compact frame and tools remind them of former Braves all-star Ron Gant. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder generates impressive bat speed from the right side of the plate, and he has plus speed and center-field range to go with solid arm strength.
 

Mariners: Virginia 3B Steven Proscia. Solid performer on college baseball's No. 2 team, solid power and arm strength are his best tools.

Diamondbacks: Montana HS OF Ben Roberts. He's a rare prospect from Montana. Boise State wanted him as a wide receiver, and he's a quality athlete with very raw tools. 

Nationals: Notre Dame RHP Brian Dupra. One of the draft's better senior signs, he finally had success at Notre Dame this year. His fastball sits at 90-92 mph and reaches 95, and his slider has improved.

Cubs: California HS 1B Trevor Gretzky. The son of the Great One was thought to be bound for San Diego State, but that might change after he got drafted this high. Power is his best tool, but the rest of his game needs a lot of work.

Athletics: South Dakota State RHP Blake Treinen. He's a rare prospect from South Dakota. His fastball sits at 92-94 mph and touches 97, and he shows flashes of a plus slider. He'll probably be fast-tracked as a reliever.

Tigers: Wichita State LHP Brian Flynn. Huge-bodied (6-8, 239 pounds) lefthander who touches 95, a description that always attracts scouts. He's not very consistent, but his improved slider increases hope that he can figure it out. Draft-eligible sophomore.

Blue Jays: California HS 2B Christian Lopes. He looked like a first-rounder early in his high career, but his tools haven't developed as hoped. Instead of becoming a multitooled shortstop, he's more of an offensive second baseman.

Cardinals: Kansas State OF Nick Martini. An OBP machine who reached base in an NCAA Division I-record 93 straight games, he has a nice lefty swing and solid speed. His bat is his only plus tool.

Red Sox: Kansas HS LHP Cody Kukuk. He's a projection lefty who's a long ways from being a finished product, but he already touches 93 mph and shows the makings of a hard slider.

Padres: Ohio HS RHP Matt Wisler. Easily the top high school prospect in Ohio, he has shown a low-90s fastball and promising breaking stuff.

Rangers: Georgia HS C Max Pentecost. He had Tommy John surgery in April, but he's a catcher with offensive potential and athleticism. 

Giants: Pittsburgh RHP Raymond Black. He can hit 97 mph and flash a plus slider, but he has had limited success. Relief prospect.

Rays: Gonzaga LHP Ryan Carpenter. He went backwards after a strong summer in the Cape Cod League. At his best, he's a four-pitch guy with an 89-92 mph fastball.

Phillies: Yavapai (Ariz.) JC RHP Kenny Giles. He hasn't pitched a lot, but his fastball creeps up to 99 and he also has a high-80s slider and a splitter. Relief prospect.

HITTERS
54. Matt Dean, 3b, The Colony (Texas) HS

?83. Tyler Greene, ss, West Boca Raton (Fla.) HS

85. Tyler Gibson, of, Stratford Academy, Macon, Ga.

124. Billy Flamion, of, Central Catholic HS, Modesto, Calif.

131. Taylor Sparks, 3b, St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.

138. Daniel Camarena, lhp/of, Cathedral Catholic HS, San Diego

146. Jason Coats, of, Texas Christian

148. Dante Flores, 2b, St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.

149. Aaron Brown, of/lhp, Chatsworth (Calif) HS

150. Riley Moore, c, San Marcos HS, Santa Barbara, Calif.

165. Garrett Buechele, 3b, Oklahoma

166. Cody Stubbs, 1b/3b/ Walters State (Tenn.) JC

167. Preston Tucker, of/1b, Florida

168. Phillip Evans, 2b, La Costa Canyon HS, Carlsbad, Calif.

185. Chris Mariscal, ss, Clovis North HS, Fresno

194. Nick Rickles, c, Stetson?196. Richard Prigatano, of, St. Francis HS, Mountain View, Calif.

PITCHERS
?46. Dillon Maples, rhp, Pinecrest HS, Southern Pines, N.C.

91. Burch Smith, rhp, Oklahoma

104. Dillon Peters, lhp, Cathedral HS, Indianapolis

111. Colton Murray, rhp, Kansas

113. Navery Moore, rhp, Vanderbilt

128. Jake Reed, rhp, Helix Charter HS, La Mesa, Calif.

132. John Curtiss, rhp, Carroll HS, Southlake, Texas

134. Nick Burdi, rhp, Downers Grove (Ill.) South HS

137. Hawtin Buchanan, rhp, Biloxi (Miss.) HS

139. Kody Watts, rhp, Skyview HS, Vancouver, Wash.

163. Aaron Nola, rhp, Catholic HS, Baton Rouge

169. Michael Cederoth, rhp, Steele Canyon Hs, Spring Valley, Calif.

170. Pat Connaughton, rhp, St. John's Prep, Danvers, Mass.

178. Matt Stites, rhp, Missouri

189. Ricky Jacquez, rhp, Franklin HS, El Paso

192. Cole Wiper, rhp, Newport HS, Bellevue, Wash.

195. Jesus Valdez, rhp, Oxnard (Calif.) CC

198. Carlos Rodon, lhp, Holly Springs (N.C.) HS

199. Chris Lamb, lhp, Davidson

?200. Amir Garrett, lhp, Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev.

Diamondbacks: South Carolina RHP Matt Price. Closer on last year's College World Series champions has seen his velocity drop to 91-92 mph this year, but has compensated with his slider and continues to succeed. 

Orioles: Tennessee HS 3B Nicky Delmonico, No. 88 on BA Top 100. Scouts like his body (6-3/215), bat and arm strength, but a back injury affected his senior season. There's some talk of making him a catcher, but he's also a good athlete with the bat to play elsewhere. His brother Tony is in the Dodgers system, and his father Rod coached Tennessee for 17 years.

Indians: Stephen F. Austin State OF Bryson Miles. Draws Kirby Puckett comps for his 6-foot, 235-pound build and put up big numbers after transferring from Weatherford (Texas) JC, including an NCAA Division I-leading 53 steals. Profiles as a left fielder with intriguing power and speed. [...] Continue Reading »

• With catcher being one of the weakest positions in the Mariners' farm system, the team went with back-to-back backstops with John Hicks in the fourth round and Florida high schooler Tyler Marlette in the fifth round. Marlette has some raw power, a good arm and the makeup teams look for in catchers.

• The Cubs went with Arizona prep righthander Tayler Scott, one of the most interesting stories in the draft. Scott moved to the United States from South Africa a few years ago and is also a standout soccer player. He's an above-average runner and has a fastball in the 90-93 mph range with a promising curveball. Scott is committed to Arizona.

• Marlins scouting director Stan Meek is from Oklahoma and loves getting hometown arms. Righthander Mason Hope shows promise with his 90-92 mph fastball and could add velocity in the future. His curveball is a wipeout pitch at times and it just shows how deep the state is when Hope was the fifth prep arm gone in the state.

• Several interesting middle infielders went in the 5th round, including Texas shortstop Brandon Loy to Detroit, Texas Christian shortstop Taylor Featherston to the Rockies, Tennessee high school shortstop Mookie Betts to Boston and Louisville second baseman Ryan Wright to the Reds.

• The Blue Jays are taking some chances on pitchers with injuries. After taking Texas A&M righthander John Stilson, they took Massachusetts prep lefthander Andrew Chin, who needed Tommy John surgery earlier this year.

• The Cardinals love groundball pitchers and that's exactly what they're getting in Oregon State righthander Sam Gaviglio. He can reach back for 90 mph on occasion, but mostly sits in the 86-89 mph range. He gets tremendous sink on his fastball, but can still command the pitch and he lives in the bottom half of the strike zone. The movement makes Gaviglio a groundball machine and he mixes in an above-average changeup and a good slider. He mostly uses the changeup against righthanded batters and the slider against lefties, so the pitches break in toward their hands. He changes speeds well on his offspeed stuff, adding and subtracting to always keep hitters guessing. Gaviglio has a lot of moxie and is a smart pitcher that controls the running game well.

• The Yankees picked Colorado high school catcher Greg Bird in the fifth round, but Bird is a longshot to remain at catcher. He has power from the left side of the plate, but mostly played first base for his high school team this spring. The Yankees have been reaching for a lot of corner bats so far in this draft.

HITTERS

54. Matt Dean, 3b, The Colony (Texas) HS
66. Derek Fisher, of, Cedar Crest HS, Lebanon, Pa.
83. Tyler Greene, ss, West Boca Raton (Fla.) HS
85. Tyler Gibson, of, Stratford Academy, Macon, Ga.
87. Kyle Gaedele, of, Valparaiso
88. Nick Delmonico, c/3b, Farragut HS, Knoxville
107. Senquez Golson, of, Pascagoula (Miss) HS
115. Dusty Robinson, of, Fresno State
124. Billy Flamion, of, Central Catholic HS, Modesto, Calif.
131. Taylor Sparks, 3b, St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.
138. Daniel Camarena, lhp/of, Cathedral Catholic HS, San Diego
143. Bryson Myles, of, Stephen F. Austin State
144. Steven Proscia, 3b, Virginia
146. Jason Coats, of, Texas Christian
148. Dante Flores, 2b, St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.
149. Aaron Brown, of/lhp, Chatsworth (Calif) HS
150. Riley Moore, c, San Marcos HS, Santa Barbara, Calif.
165. Garrett Buechele, 3b, Oklahoma
166. Cody Stubbs, 1b/3b/ Walters State (Tenn.) JC
167. Preston Tucker, of/1b, Florida
168. Phillip Evans, 2b, La Costa Canyon HS, Carlsbad, Calif.
172. Nick Martini, of, Kansas State
180. Christian Lopes, 2b, Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif.
181. Johnny Ruettiger, of, Arizona State
182. Jake Cave, lhp/of, Kecoughtan HS, Hampton, Va.
185. Chris Mariscal, ss, Clovis North HS, Fresno
194. Nick Rickles, c, Stetson
196. Richard Prigatano, of, St. Francis HS, Mountain View, Calif.

PITCHERS

43. Kyle Winkler, rhp, Texas Christian
46. Dillon Maples, rhp, Pinecrest HS, Southern Pines, N.C.
62. Charlie Lowell, lhp, Wichita State
91. Burch Smith, rhp, Oklahoma
100. Logan Verrett, rhp, Baylor
104. Dillon Peters, lhp, Cathedral HS, Indianapolis
111. Colton Murray, rhp, Kansas
113. Navery Moore, rhp, Vanderbilt
114. Brooks Pinckard, rhp, Baylor
128. Jake Reed, rhp, Helix Charter HS, La Mesa, Calif.
132. John Curtiss, rhp, Carroll HS, Southlake, Texas
134. Nick Burdi, rhp, Downers Grove (Ill.) South HS
137. Hawtin Buchanan, rhp, Biloxi (Miss.) HS
139. Kody Watts, rhp, Skyview HS, Vancouver, Wash.
140. Clay Holmes, rhp, Slocomb (Ala.) HS
141. Matt Price, rhp, South Carolina
154. Cody Kukuk, lhp, Free State HS, Lawrence, Kan.
155. Andrew Suarez, lhp, Columbus HS, Miami
158. Carson Smith, rhp, T exas State
161. Cole Green, rhp, Texas
163. Aaron Nola, rhp, Catholic HS, Baton Rouge
169. Michael Cederoth, rhp, Steele Canyon Hs, Spring Valley, Calif.
170. Pat Connaughton, rhp, St. John's Prep, Danvers, Mass.
171. Ian Gardeck, rhp, Angelina (Texas) JC
173. Taylor Hill, rhp, Vanderbilt
177. David Goforth, rhp, Mississippi
178. Matt Stites, rhp, Missouri
189. Ricky Jacquez, rhp, Franklin HS, El Paso
190. Blake Treinen, rhp, South Dakota State
191. Brian Flynn, lhp, Wichita State
192. Cole Wiper, rhp, Newport HS, Bellevue, Wash.
195. Jesus Valdez, rhp, Oxnard (Calif.) CC
198. Carlos Rodon, lhp, Holly Springs (N.C.) HS
199. Chris Lamb, lhp, Davidson
200. Amir Garrett, lhp, Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev.

122. Pirates: Texas HS RHP Colten Brewer. Made a late push up boards. Works 87-91 mph fastball with sink. Touches 93 and figures to add velocity when he fills out 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame.

123. Mariners: Virginia C John Hicks. Live bodied athlete with gap power. Questions about chance of staying behind the plate, but doesn't have a lot of experience back there. Arm average at best.

124. Diamondbacks: Kansas State RHP Evan Marshall. Back of the bullpen arm where his stuff plays up. 93-94 mph fastball and plus slider. Some effort out of 6-foot-1, 207-pound frame.

125. Orioles: Arizona RHP Kyle Simon. Big frame at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. Lots of sink to fastball and feel for pitching. Touches 93, but works 86-89. Also throws mid-80s cutter.

126. Royals: Florida HS RHP Kyle Smith. Generously listed at 6-feet but an athletic righthander with good stuff. Sits 88-92 but has touched 95 this spring. Good feel for a breaking ball and pitches with a swagger. [...] Continue Reading »

For a list of Round Three, check our free Draft Database. Here's a quick summary of the round's highlights; for more go to my Twitter feed.

• The Nationals made the big pick of the round with the sixth selection, taking Texas Christian lefthander Matt Purke. BA's 2010 Freshman of the Year when he went 16-0, 3.02 with 142 strikeouts in 116 innings, Purke was never quite right in 2011. He didn't pitch last summer or fall and wasn't able to recapture his '10 form in 2011. Purke's fastball hit the mid-90s last year and sat at average this year, and his stuff across the board was down, plus he missed time with arm issues. He was an unsigned first-rounder in 2009 and might be the toughest sign in this draft, considering he agreed to a $6 million deal in '09 before it was vetoed by the commissioner's office. He won't sign cheap as an eligible sophomore, but he's an exciting pick for the Nationals, who in the third round get a player who was a potential 1/1 selection back in January. [...] Continue Reading »

61. Pirates: Texas HS OF Josh Bell. Best high school hitter in draft, No. 15 on BA Top 200, but has a very strong commitment to Texas and may be impossible to sign. Upside makes this a worthwhile gamble.

62. Mariners: Clemson SS Brad Miller. Very good bat for a middle infielder but inconsistent defense means he likely moves to shortstop.

63. Diamondbacks: Coastal Carolina RHP Anthony Meo. Closer stuff with a fastball up to 96 and a hard slider.

64. Orioles: Vanderbilt 3B Jason Esposito. One-time projected first-rounder slipped because of inconsistent year with the bat, has good all-around tools for a third baseman.

65. Royals: Pennsylvania HS C Cam Gallagher. Has the tools to be an all-around catcher, brother of Dodgers farmhand Austin.

[...] Continue Reading »

Gerrit Cole had some time to prepare his reaction to becoming the first overall pick in the 2011 draft. Word filtered out early Monday that the Pirates would take Cole with the top choice, and the club called him about a half-hour before the start of the draft to notify him officially.

There was a little more suspense for Cole's UCLA teammate, fellow junior righthander Trevor Bauer. But Cole was ready when commissioner Bud Selig announced that the Diamondbacks had taken Bauer with the third overall selection.

"I gave him a call right after he got picked," Cole said. "We were both ecstatic—just kind of (exchanged) congratulations back and forth, really. I had a little more time to think about the conversation than he did, and that kind of jumped on him pretty quick. So there wasn't really a lot of substance because I think we're both pretty much speechless."

"I think he probably had my number ready and hit 'call,' " Bauer said, "because the call came in a couple seconds after the pick was announced."

The two Bruins matured together in three years at UCLA, and so did their relationship—which was once a bit rocky, as Bauer confided back in January. They drove each other and made each other better, and Monday they became the first pair of college teammates to be drafted among the top three picks since Arizona State's Bob Horner and Hubie Brooks in 1978. [...] Continue Reading »

From a talent basis, outfielder Josh Bell and lefthander Daniel Norris are both first-round talents. But their asking price ensured that they are the two highest-rated players left undrafted heading into the second day of the MLB Draft.

Bell (No. 15) and Norris (No. 16) both fell because of their perceived asking prices. Bell sent a letter to MLB teams telling him that he was planning to attend Texas and did not want to be drafted. Norris is a Clemson recruit.

The story is somewhat similar for catcher Austin Hedges (No. 28). Hedges is an excellent defensive catcher, but he's also a pretty firm UCLA commitment. Oregon State catcher Andrew Susac (30) is coming off of a broken hamate bone, but he has returned to game action recently.

Righthander Dillon Howard (31) is an Arkansas commitment. Lefthander Matt Purke (32) fell because he's missed part of the season with a shoulder injury. Texas A&M RHP Josh Stilson (23) and RHP Kyle Winkler (43) are facing injury questions that explain their falls. [...] Continue Reading »

The Rays concluded day one of the draft by taking Oakland Tech (Calif.) outfielder James Harris. Harris narrowly missed making Baseball America's Top 200 list, but ranked as the top player outside the Top 200 in our Northern California rankings. Harris should be very signable for the Rays, as he's yet to commit to a college. He's raw and may need two years in Rookie ball, but he has huge upside. Harris is an explosive athlete. He is a well above-average runner, with a 37-inch vertical leap, and can fly on the bases and in center field. He has below-average arm strength, but enough for center field. A righthanded hitter, Harris is  patient at the plate, trying to get on base any way possible, and some scouts wonder if he's actually too passive. He also shows some raw power.

With their second to last pick of the first night, the Rays took lefthander Grayson Garvin out of Vanderbilt. Garvin took a step forward this year with a low-to-mid-90s fastball, but questions persist about his secondary stuff.

McNeese State shortstop Jace Peterson is one of the top two-sport athletes in the draft, going 58th-overall to the Padres. A 6-foot-1, 200 pounder, he's a cornerback for McNeese State's football team. At shortstop, he's a physical, speedy lefthanded hitter with present strength, well above-average speed and a polished approach for a two-sport athlete.

The Blue Jays rolled the dice with the 57th overall pick by selecting righthander Kevin Comer. He has two plus pitches in his fastball and curveball, but had an inconsistent spring and scouts felt he was focused on heading to Vanderbilt in the fall.