MLB.com’s draft expert Jonathan Mayo takes a stab at projecting the first round of the First-Year Player Draft. Here is his latest guess at what might go down next week. Draft projections are always a crap shoot but it seems we as baseball fans love something to argue over so they serve a purpose.
In Mayo’s projected draft, it is definitely pitcher oriented. North Carolina’s Dustin Ackley is the only non-pitcher listed in the top fifteen. Ackley plays first and outfield.
Arizona State hurler Mike Leake would have been an interesting top pick if only because there have been three other ASU #1 picks in the history of the MLB draft. There are no other schools who have more than one top picks in the draft. Leake is upping his stock with his performance in the NCAA Regionals but…
… it seems the consensus so far that righty Stephen Strasburg from San Diego State is the favorite for Washington Nationals’ pick.
Eric Arnett pitching in the Big Ten Tournament
Big Ten fans should note that Indiana University pitcher Eric Arnett places #15 on Mayo’s projection. As someone who saw Arnett more than a couple times this year and witnessed him mow down the opposition during the Big Ten Tournament, Mayo’s confidence in him is not misplaced. A little off topic but Arnett, by the way, is twittering now.
Some breaking news… Kyle Gibson a right-handed pitcher from Missouri who is/was a potential #1 pick, has suffered a setback. He’ll be sidelined for a couple of weeks with a stress fracture in his right forearm following his last outing. Gibson pitched shutout ball in his last two starts spanning 14 innings.
Time will tell if this will affect his position in the draft.