12/30/11

Draft 2012: - Kevin Gausman, Nick Williams, Alex Bregman, Tony Bucciferro


12-2-11: - http://mlbdraftcountdown.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/2012-mlb-mock-draft-updated-top-15-with-final-mlb-standings - 13) Chicago White Sox: Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU  The White Sox have some of the worst starting pitching depth in baseball, arguably the worst. As such, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see them go after a premium arm in the upcoming 2012 draft. LSU right-hander Kevin Gausman has the potential to be a top 10 pick in 2012, thanks not only to his velocity and developing secondary pitches, but also to his very prototypical pitcher’s body. At 6’4 and 185 pounds, he still has plenty of room to add some more weight (increasing his durability and stamina). Another season of pitching in college baseball’s toughest conference should give him all the seasoning he needs to make the jump to pro ball.

http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-high-school-position-players/#more-602 3. Nick Williams / OF / Galveston Ball HS (LA): The word “raw” gets thrown out there for a lot of high-school athletes, but at this point it’d be harder to find a more raw player than Williams. The left-handed hitting outfielder has outstanding speed and arm-strength, with raw power and a short, compact swing, but that hasn’t necessarily shown up in games. If you’re looking for a high risk, high reward talent, Nick Williams is your man.

Alex Bregman is a player who Baseball America called “scrappy” and who has been praised for his leadership and intangibles. Sounds like a Rays player already! Bregman also happens to be a very good prospect. Bregman has a swift, fluid swing that he uses to spray line drives all over the field. But one he’s ahead in the count or in situations when his team needs a home run, Bregman often uses a longer stroke that he uses to hit for good power, especially for a player his size. That stroke especially comes into play because Bregman has a good eye and is very good at working the count.With his beautiful swing and great plate discipline, it’s hard to imagine him not being a .300 hitter with a .370 OBP in the big leagues, and he seems like a 15-20 homer threat as well. Bregman was a shortstop most of his high school career before recently being converted to catcher. One of the reasons he was converted was that he’s pretty slow, averaging a 6.9 in the 60 (think a tick under 4.6 in the 40). He does have good reflexes, leading scouts to believe that he could survive defensively at second base as a pro, but there’s no chance he’ll be a shortstop. As a catcher, Bregman has good motions, but his arm is average at best. Bregman seems like he has the tools to be a solid defensive catcher, but he’ll never throw out too many attempted basestealers. http://rayscoloredglasses.com/2011/12/21/taking-an-early-look-at-the-catchers-in-the-2012-mlb-draft-part-1

 We continue the countdown today at number 34 with Michigan State senior RHP Tony Bucciferro. The Joliet, Illinois native attended Minooka Community High School. His high school career saw him go 21-1 with an ERA of 1.50 in two years on the varsity squad. As a freshman in 2009, he went a respectable 5-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 71.0 innings of work. He struck out a team-high 61 while walking just 12 while being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. In his sophomore season in 2010, he became the Spartans number 3 starter going 7-5 with a 5.08 ERA while having a team high two shutouts. Tony was second on the team and 10th in the conference with 88.2 innings pitched, which also ranked 10th most in an MSU single-season.  http://ht.ly/1gl4u9

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