Community Mock Draft Commentary: American League Central
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
1) Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech
2) Jacob Petricka, RHP, Indiana State University
3) Jacoby Jones, SS, Richton HS, Mississippi
3S) Adam Plutko, RHP, Glendora HS, Upland, CA
COMMENT: I think the White Sox would be happy if McGuire fell to them; he's polished but has enough physical ability to avoid turning out like Lance Broadway or Kyle McCulloch. Petricka has a great arm but is too raw for the first round; the Sox would have to polish him up but the upside is considerable. I think Jones is an intriguing player and potentially a bargain in the third round, based on talent. But he also has Scott Boras links and a Louisiana State scholarship as leverage: it would probably take supplemental money to sign him, and I don't know if the White Sox would do that. Plutko has a very live arm but is somewhat erratic and also has signability issues.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
1) Nick Castellanos, 3B, Archbishop McCarthy HS, Davie, FL
2) Levon Washington, OF, Chipola JC
3) Nick Tepesch, RHP, University of Missouri
COMMENT: Castellanos has a big price tag to buy him out of college and isn't commonly linked in the top ten; most people think the Indians will go with a college player who will sign for slot. But he does have a highly-promising bat, and would certainly provide an upside boost to the system if they could get it done financially. Washington is all over draft boards after his erratic spring. Tepesch has been a bit disappointing in college, but has enough natural talent to warrant going in the third round. This trio has risk but there is also a lot of upside here, if the money would work out.
DETROIT TIGERS
1S) Jedd Gyorko, INF, West Virginia University
1S) Kevin Gausman, RHP, Grandview HS, Colorado
2) DeAndre Smelter, RHP, Tatnall Square Academy, Macon, Georgia
3) Todd Cunningham, OF, Jacksonville State University
COMMENT: Interesting mixture here. You have a pair of strong college bats in Gyorko and Cunningham. The latter in particular could be a bargain if he can live up to the potential that made him a possible first round pick three months ago. Gausman and Smelter seem like the kind of high-upside athletic pitchers that the Tigers prefer, though both (particularly Smelter) would likely move slowly through the system. The draft is logical and fits Detroit's historical patterns.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
1) Yasmani Grandal, C, University of Miami-Florida
2) A.J. Vanegas, RHP, Redwood Christian HS, San Lorenzo, CA
3) Jason Adam, RHP, Blue Valley North HS, Overland Park, KS
COMMENT: Grandal is expected to go in exactly this spot on Monday. Both Vanegas and Adam strike me as potential Royals picks: Adam is a local kid with a live arm, something the Royals are definitely interested in based on the last two years of drafting ,while Vanegas is an impressive prep with serious signability questions, something the Royals have not shied away from. This draft looks plausable if Vanegas is truly signable away from Stanford.
MINNESOTA TWINS
1) Brandon Workman, RHP, University of Texas
2) Matt Lipka, SS, McKinney HS, Frisco, Texas
3) Kellen Sweeney, SS, Jefferson HS, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
COMMENT: This also looks a lot like a Twins draft: a college pitcher and two athletic high school kids. With Wimmers off the board in the mock draft, Workman seems like a logical second choice, projecting as a workhorse type. Lipka has special speed and athleticism, while Sweeney is an upper-Midwest kid with a surprisingly polished bat. This looks very realistic to me.