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In response to
"I rarely ask this, but can someone with ESPN Insider C&P this article for me? Thanks. -- (link)"
by
nubby
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Here ya go...
Posted by
Krusty (aka krustylu)
Jan 25 '12, 15:13
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Interest in baseball's amateur draft has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade. The event was once an outpost solely for the hard-core, but thanks to great coverage -- including a national television audience -- even many casual fans can name their team's first-round pick from this past June and maybe even a big bonus baby from the later rounds.
Believe it or not, there was a time when the draft was a secret. With MLB fearing the college game would use the draft as a free recruiting tool, lists were once kept shrouded until a player signed. With 1,530 players selected in the 2011, there are still plenty of secrets to be uncovered.
Here are 10 players, not taken in the first round or given a greatly over-slot bonus, who are poised to break out in 2012 and become familiar to fans everywhere.
Carter Capps, RHP, Seattle Mariners
The 121st overall pick and only supplemental third-round pick, Carter converted to pitching at Division II powerhouse Mt. Olive in North Carolina and turned himself into a significant pro prospect.
At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Capps certainly looks the part, and he backs it up with a low-to-mid 90s fastball that he complements with a potentially plus slider. Because he's so new to the craft, he still looks like a catcher who is trying to pitch, but he missed bats in his pro debut (21 strikeouts in 18 innings for low Class A Clinton) and could move quickly if swtiched to a bullpen role.
Bobby Crocker, OF, Oakland Athletics
Crocker's numbers at Cal Poly don't jump out at you. While his .339 batting average led the Mustangs in 2011, it's not in the range one expects from elite players. What Crocker does have, and what made him a fourth-round pick, is athleticism.
At a muscular 6-3, 220 pounds, he's built like an NFL safety and has above-average raw power that he's yet to tap into, as well as some speed. A .322/.367/.441 line in the New York-Penn league has some hoping that he's just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.
Matt Duran, OF, New York Yankees
While it's not exactly a baseball hotbed, the Yankees do scout their local area intensely, and a quick drive up I-95 allowed them to find Duran at New Rochelle (N.Y.) High School, selecting him in the fourth round.
He had an impressive debut in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, batting .301/.365/.506 in 23 games, and the pressure will be on his bat throughout his career, as he's stocky, slow and already labeled by many as a bat-only prospect -- albeit with a potentially impressive bat.
Desmond Henry, OF, Texas Rangers
Speed is always at a premium in any draft, and straight out of Compton comes Henry, the Rangers' fourth-round pick. Not only can he fly, he also has strength and some potential for some power down the road.
His tools were worthy of the first round, but there are some big questions about his hitting ability and a .140 batting average in 57 at-bats in the rookie-level Arizona League did little to alleviate those concerns. He's not ready for a full-season league, but four months of spring training could lead to big things come June, when the short-season circuits begin play.
Williams Jerez, OF, Boston Red Sox
A Dominican native who came to the United States as a teenager, Jerez played his high school baseball at the same school in New York as Yankees pitching prospect Dellin Betances. And while the Yankees had interest in Jerez, the Red Sox surprised the industry when they selected him earlier than expected with the 81st overall pick.
A pure tools bet, Jerez is a long-limbed, fast-twitch athlete with above-average speed and the potential for power once he fills out. He's a risky player who could take a long time to develop, but if he puts it together, look out.
Jorge Lopez, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are rebuilding their system after emptying it out to acquire Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, and the 2011 draft was a step in the right direction. While much of the attention was paid to their two first-round college pitchers (Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley), Lopez has as much potential as any of them, although he's further away and much riskier.
His body screams projection, and the 18-year-old from Puerto Rico should gain some velocity on what is currently a low-90s fastball to go with what is already one of the best curveballs in the system.
Cory Mazzoni, RHP, New York Mets
A second-round pick after a solid career at NC State, Mazzoni has already garnered the attention of some Mets fans by allowing just two runs while striking out 18 in 13 innings across two levels in his pro debut.
Those numbers came in short stints after a heavy college workload, and he'll return to starting in 2012, equipped with a fastball and slider that both rate as above average. His early success has some tempted to see if he could move quickly as a reliever, but for now, that's a backup plan.
Anthony Meo, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Meo made headlines last May at Coastal Carolina when he threw a no-hitter against Radford in the Big South tournament, and many thought he could slide into the first round last June. Arizona was pleasantly surprised to see him still on the board when its second-round pick arrived. At 6-2, 185 pounds, he's not the most physical of pitchers, but he does have above-average velocity and command and a good breaking ball.
That combination could have him moving quickly through the Arizona system, even if his upside is a bit limited.
Jeff Soptic, RHP, Chicago White Sox
While the White Sox have tried to address the worst system in baseball with some offseason trades, they do have some hope coming from their most recent draft, including Soptic, a third-round pick who reportedly touched 100 mph during a game last spring at Johnson County CC in Overland Park, Kan.
Triple-digit fastballs usually mean seven-figure bonuses, but Soptic is far from a finished product, as his slider needs work, even for him to become a successful reliever. Still, much like how you can't teach height in the NBA, you can't teach velocity, and Soptic has that building block covered.
Dillon Thomas, OF, Colorado Rockies
Scouts had trouble wrapping their heads around Thomas this spring. Nothing about him is pretty, including his swing, but he was a huge performer on the highly competitive Houston high school circuit. After being taken in the fourth round of the draft, he hit .328/.361/.414 in 15 games for Casper in the rookie-level Pioneer League.
He doesn't run well, he's limited defensively, but the hit tool is the one that trumps all, and Thomas has it.
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