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Yankees Go For Ty Hensley



The Yankees have a farm system loaded with position players at the lower levels. They were expected to seek lefthanded pitching this spring, but Oklahoma prep righthander Ty Hensley was too attractive for them to pass on at No. 30.

Hensley has baseball bloodlines and has a fastball that has touched 97, helping him rank No. 23 on the BA 500. He also has a plus curveball that might be a better pitch than his fastball. He'll need some time to add some polish and improve his command but he has more than just big stuff. He's bilingual (he speaks Spanish) and scouts like his work ethic and makeup.

We have Hensley video here.



Rangers Take Lewis Brinson



With the 29th-overall pick, the Rangers went off the board a little bit, snatching up outfielder Lewis Brinson from Coral Springs (Fla.) High.

At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, Brinson has a body that draws comparisons to Cameron Maybin. His long levers give him the ability to cover a lot of ground in center field and intriguing power potential, but he's still raw at the plate.

Click here to see video of Brinson from last summer at the Under Armour All-American Game.


Brewers Take Victor Roache



The Brewers took Georgia Southern outfielder Victor Roache with their second first-round pick, at No. 28 overall.

Roache missed most of the season with a broken left wrist, a serious injury that kept him out of the season after March. Roache hit 30 home runs in 2011, the first college hitter at Division I to hit 30 since 2003. He did it in the first year of the weaker BBCOR bats. We had more on his injury here.

Roache's other tools are solid, not spectacular, so all his value is in the bat. If healthy, the Brewers got perhaps the best college power bat in the draft.


Brewers Take Clint Coulter



With the 27th-overall pick, the Brewers chose catcher Clint Coulter from Union High in Camas, Wash.

Coulter has tremendous strength in his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. A former state wrestling champ, Coulter has big-time righthanded power. He'll need some work to remain behind the plate, but has excellent work ethic and leadership on the field.

Coulter was rumored before the draft to have a deal in place with the Brewers and is not expected to honor his commitment to Arizona State.



Diamondbacks Select Stryker Trahan



The Diamondbacks went for physical high school athlete Stryker Trahan with the 26th overall selection.

Trahan has a big offensive ceiling with above-average power potential and plenty of strength in his 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame. Trahan's power comes from powerful hands, wrists and forearms. He's probably going to have to loosen up a bit down the line to stay behind the plate, though. Some scouts believe he has a shot to catch, but others filed him away as a right fielder this spring thanks to his average speed and plus arm.

Video of Trahan can be found here.


Rays Take Richie Shaffer



With the 25th-overall pick, the Rays picked Clemson third baseman Richie Shaffer. Shaffer is the best all-around college bat in the draft and provides good value for Tampa Bay. He's blocked at third base by Evan Longoria, but that position is going to be a work in progress for him anyway and he could move to right field.

From a lean, 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame, Shaffer has big-time power that hasn't been affected by college baseball's less-potent bats. He also hits for average, succeeding even against premium velocity, and can use the whole field.

Here is video of Richie Shaffer facing Duke righthander Marcus Stroman this spring.


Red Sox Take Deven Marrero



The Red Sox have two first-round picks, and with the first at No. 24, they went for a shortstop from Arizona State.

That worked out well for the Red Sox in 2004 with Dustin Pedroia, and they hope it works again with Deven Marrero. The Red Sox scout South Florida heavily and liked Marrero at American Heritage High in 2009, and take him again after back-to-back sub-.800 OPS seasons at Arizona State.

However, Marrero hit with wood in two summers with Cotuit in the Cape Cod League and also with USA Baseball's college national team. He also has smooth infield actions and above-average defensive ability. His power will be below-average, but if he hits, he'll be a regular thanks to his glove.

We'll have a feature on Marrero's long road to pro ball from a troubled high school background shortly on BaseballAmerica.com.


Cardinals Take James Ramsey



With the 23rd-overall pick (and their second in the first round), the Cardinals pick Florida State senior James Ramsey.

Ramsey has a solid left-handed bat and hit .385/.520/.683 this season. He has some speed and could play center field or second base. His tools grade out as average to slightly above and he's a good all-around player, but none of his tools jump off the page.

As a senior, Ramsey will likely sign for a deal below the slot value of $1.775 for this pick.



Toronto Makes Marcus Stroman Duke’s First First-Rounder



Duke has had plenty of first-round picks in basketball, but 5-foot-9 righthander Marcus Stroman became the school's first first-rounder in the June MLB draft. The Blue Jays made it happen with the No. 22 overall selection—their second first-round selection, following prep outfielder D.J. Davis at No. 17 overall.

Stroman jumped into first-round consideration last summer when he struck out 17 of the 25 batters he faced with USA Baseball's college national team as the closer. Then he performed consistently all spring for a poor Duke team, ranking second in the nation in strikeouts (136, behind Andrew Heaney's 140) and third in strikeouts per nine innings.

Stroman gets strikeouts both with his fastball, which sits 92-94 mph, and he has added a changeup and cutter in the last year as he evolved from an infielder/closer into a starter. He always has had his wipeout slider that can make hitters look silly. He should be one of the fastest players to the majors in this year's class, and some scouts think he can start. But they all know he can be a big league reliever in short order.


Braves Take Luke Sims



With the 21st overall pick in the draft, the Braves went with the hometown kid and selected righthander Luke Sims from Brookwood High in Snellville, Ga.

Sims has an athletic build and throws his fastball in the 90-93 mph range, topping out at 97. He shows a power breaking ball that is his best secondary offering and has an excellent track record of success on the high school showcase circuit and during his high school career.


Giants Take Chris Stratton



The Giants have a strong reputation for drafting pitchers in the first round and getting them to the big leagues. Now they hope Mississippi State righthander Chris Stratton can join a recent lineage that includes current San Francisco starters Matt Cain (2002), Tim Lincecum (2006) and Madison Bumgarner (2007).

Stratton excelled this spring for the Bulldogs and edged out LSU's Kevin Gausman, the No. 4 overall pick tonight, as Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year. His stuff isn't quite as firm, with a fastball that usually sits 92-93 mph but touches the mid-90s. His breaking stuff sets him apart; he throws both a slider and a curveball, and both can be above-average, with the slider getting higher grades.

While he doesn't have a 70 pitch, Stratton has lots of 55s and 60s as well as a fairly fresh arm. He fits right in for vice president of player personnel Dick Tidrow, who has overseen the Giants' pitcher development for 16 years.


Cardinals Take Michael Wacha



With the 19th-overall pick in the draft, the Cardinals went with Texas A&M righthander Michael Wacha.

Wacha is one of the most polished pitchers in this year's class and is a great value at No. 19, as we had him rated as the 11th-best player in the draft.

Standing 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds, Wacha has an above-average fastball and the best changeup in this year's class. His slider is still developing but shows flashes of being a plus pitch. He pounds the zone with all of his pitches and works at a fast pace.

Wacha joins teammate Tyler Naquin in the first round and gives the Aggies a pair of first round picks for the first time since 1993.


Dodgers Take Corey Seager



The Dodgers have hit the Carolinas hard in recent years, relying on scout Lon Joyce for players such as Allen Webster, Jerry Sands, Jake Lemmerman and James Baldwin III, among others in their system.

They went back to the Carolinas for this year's first-rounder, selecting suburban Charlotte, N.C., infielder Corey Seager. The Northwest Cabarrus High alum is the younger brother of Mariners infielder Kyle Seager and has similar pure hitting ability while projecting to hit for more power and a better frame. Seager has a chance to play shortstop as a pro but likely slides to third base and has the pop to fit the profile. He has a smooth, powerful swing, and the consensus was he'd have to go out in the first round to keep him from attending South Carolina.


Blue Jays Take D.J. Davis



With the 17th-overall pick, the Blue Jays selected outfielder D.J. Davis from Stone High in Wiggins, Miss.

Davis' father, Wayne, played in the Blue Jays minor league system from 1985-1988.

D.J. is a speedy lefthanded hitter with four potential plus tools. His arm is his only below-average tool right now. Click here to see video of Davis from last fall.


Nationals Snap Up Lucas Giolito



The Nationals have not been afraid to spend money in the draft, and they will have to if they intend to land their 2012 first-round pick.

Righthander Lucas Giolito entered the spring as the top high school pitcher on the board, but he hasn't pitched since March due to a sprained ligament in his elbow. The Nationals were unafraid and selected him 16th overall, getting potentially a top talent who fell due to injury. The same thing happened last year with first-rounder Anthony Rendon, the Rice infielder who already has been hurt again this spring.

Their bonus pool ranks 23rd out of the 30 teams at roughly $4.4 million. Giolito, whose fastball touched 100 mph this spring, is committed to UCLA and gives Harvard-Westlake High a pair of first-round picks, joining No. 7 overall pick Max Fried. They are the first pair of prep pitcher teammates to go in the first round since 2002 (Scott Kazmir, Clint Everts).

Giolito is throwing off flat ground but hasn't thrown off a mound since March. Giolito has incredible upside but obvious red flags due to health and signability, making this a gutsy pick for the Nationals.


Indians Pick Tyler Naquin



With the 15th-overall pick, the Indians passed on college righthanders to take Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin.

Naquin is the best pure hitter in this year's class, with a lefthanded swing that has evoked comparisons to Will Clark. He has a line drive approach and goes to the opposite field with authority. Naquin is a plus runner, though it isn't clear how well he'll be able to handle center field since he mostly played right field for the Aggies.

Naquin doesn't project to hit for a lot of home run power, but should hit plenty of doubles and has the best arm strength in this year's draft.


Reds Take Nick Travieso



The Reds were linked to many players throughout the latest mock drafts but wound up taking a late-rising high school pitcher: Miami area prep Nick Travieso out of Archbishop McCarthy High.

Travieso was mostly a relief pitcher and hitter until his senior season, when he emerged as one of the top starters in the state of Florida. Now he winds up being the top Florida prep pitcher drafted—ahead of Lance McCullers, Walker Weickel and Zach Eflin.

Travieso improved as the season went on, adding pitchability to his plus stuff. He ranked 40th on the BA 500 thanks to his power repertoire but moved up to No. 30 on BA's updated Top 50. He's running his fastball up to 98 mph at times this spring and has a slider that earns "wipeout" descriptions. "He's a piece of clay," an area scout said late in May. "He used to be just all fastballs, but now he's learning to use his secondary stuff, and he's learning how to repeat his delivery.

"He didn't start throwing his breaking ball until last year. Now he's touching 86 mph with his slider, and he's getting better life on his two-seamer as well."


White Sox Take Courtney Hawkins



With the 13th-overall pick the White Sox selected high school outfielder Courtney Hawkins from Carroll High in Corpus Christi, Texas. This is the first time the White Sox have gone with a high school player in the first round since 2001.

Hawkins stands 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. He's a freak athlete who fits the power-hitting right field profile to a T. He shows excellent power potential and a strong arm, as he's also been up to 95 mph off the mound. Hawkins is playing in the Texas high school semi-finals this week.

The highlight of my spring was Hawkins doing a backflip at USA Baseball's National High School Invitation. Watch the video here.


Mets Take Gavin Cecchini



Gavin Cecchini was on hand for the draft in Secausus, N.J. He won't have to go far for his introductory press conference, as the Mets took him 12th overall.

Cecchini has good tools, but that's not what wows scouts. Cecchini has solid offensive ability, and some scouts consider him more of a bottom-of-the-lineup hitter. He makes consistent contact and is an above-average runner, but his strength is his defensive ability at short, baseball instincts and overall ease of play. He can make shortstop look easy and has plenty of arm strength and accuracy.

Baseball America's video of Cecchini is here.


Athletics Take Addison Russell



With the 11th-overall pick, the Oakland Athletics selected high school shortstop Addison Russell from Pace (Fla.) High.

Russell has been a top high school prospect for years. He played in the Under Armour All-America game before his junior year of high school and then in all the showcase circuit's top events last summer.

Russell lost at least 20 pounds from where he played on the showcase circuit to tighten up his body and give him a better chance to remain in the middle of the diamond. Even if he has to move to third base, however, Russell has the bat and power potential to make it work at third base.



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  • The Draft Blog is a source of frequent updates about the draft and the top prospects eligible for the draft. If you have questions or comments you can e-mail them to draftblog@baseballamerica.com.

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