Back in late April, Matt and I worked up a Mock Draft of the first round. It took us some time to finish, but as promised we kept going through the end of the supplemental round. You can find the results below the fold.
2012 MOCK DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ROUND by Matt Garrioch and John Sickels
32) Minnesota Twins (Matt): The pick of Levi Michael last year reinforced the fact that the Twins have lacked infield prospects. Well, they lack depth in arms as well, but they do have another later supplemental pick. A player that takes good at-bats, makes good contact and is an up the middle talent would be a good fit. That player is Nolan Fontana, SS, Florida.
33) San Diego Padres (John): I have the Padres taking Marcus Strohman in the first round. Some hitting to balance that pick would be nice, and the Padres may be looking to save some money here and avoid anyone who wants something over slot. We'll go with Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin, a polished talent with a solid bat and defensive ability, some leavening for risky-but-talented players like Donovan Tate and Rey Fuentes already in the system. Tyler Naquin, OF, Texas A&M.
34) Oakland A's (Matt): The A's already have the best college lefty in the draft with Andrew Heaney but I see them taking a pitcher here if Chris Beck is still on the board. Naquin was my preference if still here but Beck is a really good consolation at this spot. Chris Beck, RHP, Georgia Southern
35) New York Mets (John): The Mets could use a catching prospect, and there's an intriguing home-state talent available here with University of Buffalo backstop Tom Murphy. He has considerable power, a good measure of athleticism, and has made progress with his defense this year. Tom Murphy, C, University of Buffalo
36) St. Louis Cardinals (Matt): The Cardinals already have a solid SS and a high school arm in this draft. With the compensation pick for Pujols, it would be nice to get someone with big offensive upside. While Joey Gallo is available and probably has the best power bat still on the board, taking someone with a more well rounded package could help the Cardinals. Nick Williams, OF, Texas HS.
37) Boston Red Sox (John): So far we have the Red Sox drafting a high school slugger and a high school pitcher. Let's move over to the college ranks and provide some balance, with Mississippi State right-hander Chris Stratton. He's shooting up draft boards due to superior command of four pitches, including a low-90s fastball, a nasty slider, and a solid curve and change. Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State.
38) Milwaukee Brewers (Matt): The Brewers tend to be pitcher heavy in drafting. With Piscotty and Ramsey in the first round already, we better get them a pitcher or they will feel like something is wrong. Adrian Sampson could be an option as the Bellevue CC righty is moving up draft boards. Brady Rodgers is also a good arm but doesn't quite have the stuff for a supplemental pick. The best talent still on the board is Clate Schmidt, RHP, Georgia HS
39) Texas Rangers (John): I have the Rangers picking a high school arm in the first round, so we'll switch over to the positional side with this pick. Texas is one of the more tool-oriented teams and a recent riser up draft boards is Louisiana prep Kolby Copeland, a good athlete with an excellent bat. Kolby Copeland, OF, Louisiana HS.
40) Philadelphia Phillies (Matt): This is one of the easier picks because Lewis Brinson is the most toolsy, athletic, high ceiling player available. Given their past history, this seems like an obvious Phillies choice. Jameis Winston could be a pick here as well but I really think he is going to FSU to play football and baseball. Lewis Brinson, OF, Florida HS
41) Houston Astros (John): The Astros are also relatively tool-oriented and seem to like up-the-middle options. California prep infielder Tanner Rahier's stock is rising quickly; he has a chance to remain at shortstop defensively and scouts are quite confident in his bat. Even if he moves to 3B, he would fill a need for the Astros and isn't an overdraft in this spot. He could easily go 10-15 spots earlier. Tanner Rahier, SS, California HS.
42) Minnesota Twins (Matt): The Twins now have two college hitters in the draft and they need a lot of pitching help. Brady Rodgers, Adrian Sampson or a handful of other college arms could be options here but I think the best talent on the board here is Lucas Sims, RHP, Georgia HS.
43) Chicago Cubs (John): One of the most interesting players available this year is a relative unknown from Alaska, right-hander Dylan Baker, who is having a breakthrough season for Western Nevada College. Baker throws very hard, has made huge progress with his command, and is the best junior college player available this year. It is hard to see him falling much further than this, and the Cubs need live arms. Dylan Baker, RHP, Western Nevada.
44) San Diego Padres (Matt): I have seen several places that the Padres should be looking at shortstop. Correa went one spot in front of them at the top of the draft but there is still a couple solid shortstops on the board. Addison Russel has worked his way back into contention for the supplemental round but the Padres should take the smoothest prep shortstop in the draft. Jesmuel Valentin-Diaz, SS, Puerto Rico HS
45) Pittsburgh Pirates (John): JVD is not a name I expected to see off the board in the supplemental round, but it isn't impossible given the need to buy him out of Louisiana State. We have Appel going to the Pirates in the first round, and we know they love pitching, but Miami catcher Pete O'Brien is still on the board and he could end up being the solid offensive/defensive prospect that Tony Sanchez hasn't develop into. If they want to go with pitching, Puerto Rican right-hander J.O. Berrios seems like a Pirates-like pick, while Appel's Stanford teammate Brett Mooneyham also seems plausible. J.O. Berrios, RHP, Puerto Rico HS.
46) Colorado Rockies (Matt): Taking Dahl with their first pick, I would have thought one of the better high school arms would still be available here but not really. We are deep enough this is getting very difficult as there are about 30 guys who could go here. One player that has looked good this spring after cutting weight and getting in better shape is Addison Russel, SS, Florida HS. Now that it's more likely for him to stick at SS, he is a valuable pick in this range.
47) Oakland Athletics (John): Yeah, once you get this far into a Mock, it is all guesswork, particularly in a wide-open draft class like this one. We have Oakland picking up a pair of college pitchers so far, but they need some hitting in the system and I think that's the direction to look now. Pete O'Brien seems like a sound pick in this spot, being affordable as a senior but with considerable upside on both offense and defense. Pete O'Brien, C, University of Miami.
48) Chicago White Sox (Matt): The White Sox took a superior athlete in Stryker Trahan earlier. I think they will go the college route here. Travis Jankowski, Damien Magnifico, Martin Agosta could be options. JT Chargois and Jake Barrett could be impact bullpen arms that could move fast. I think a player that could be the best of that group with mid 90's heat and a plus slider is Austin Maddox, RHP, Florida.
49) Cincinnati Reds (John): We have the Reds going with high school slugger Courtney Hawkins in the first round. On the balance theory I'll switch to pitching here. Missouri State right-hander Pierce Johnson seems like a good choice. His track record is a bit erratic but he touches the mid-90s and has a nasty slider and solid changeup. Pierce Johnson, RHP, Missouri State
50) Toronto Blue Jays (Matt): The Jays have been high school heavy but that is fine. They are taking players from the strength of the draft and considering they have two more supplemental picks after this, they will get another very good haul of talent. There are still several very good prep hitters on the board. Joey Gallo, who may have the best power bat in the draft as well as one of the better arms, is available. There is also an elite athlete with great all-around skill who has slipped due to a blood clot that caused him to miss part of the year. He may be one of the better players in this draft when all is said and done, though. Rio Ruiz, 3B, California HS
51) Los Angeles Dodgers (John): The Dodgers often prefer high school pitching, and Kyle Twomey, a prep from Placentia, California, is moving up the lists into the supplemental range. He's uber-projectable at 6-4, 175, has shown improved velocity this spring to go with strong pitchability. Kyle Twomey, LHP, California HS.
52) St. Louis Cardinals (Matt): After taking Marrero, Hensley and Nick Williams so far, I think taking a guy that shouldn't command a huge bonus would be a good pick here. The top seniors on the board are Preston Tucker and Sam Stafford. I don't see either of those as good picks here. Maybe taking a junior that wasn't a lock for the supplemental round but has that kind of talent would be good. Barrett Barnes, OF, Texas Tech, has a very intriguing power/speed combination and will take some walks, too.
53) Texas Rangers (John): We have a high school arm and a high school bat so far. I will go back to the prep ranks for another arm and select a home-state product, Mitchell Traver, who has a live arm and an intimidating 6-7, 245 pound body. He's somewhat raw and has to be bought out of Texas Christian, but should be signable in the supplemental round range. Mitchell Traver, RHP, Texas HS.
54) Philadelphia Phillies (Matt): With many of the toolsy prep guys that should go this high off the board, I will look a little outside the box and look at the college ranks. Brandon Thomas, OF, Georgia Tech, is one of the best athletes in this years draft. He just needs to add some game power and he could be an above average CF.
55) San Diego Padres (John): So far we have the Padres going with a college pitcher, a college outfielder, and a high school infielder. We shall go with a perfect balance of types and snag Georgia prep right-hander Duane Underwood, a fine athlete with a mid-90s fastball who should be signable away from the Georgia Bulldogs in this spot. Duane Underwood, RHP, Georgia HS.
56) Chicago Cubs (Matt): The Cubs have Carlos Correa and Dylan Baker in this mock so far. With the new regime in charge, I'm not sure what their plan of attack will be. One thing I know is that in the past, polished college bats have been a target as well as high upside prep products. Travis Jankowski and Joey Gallo represent those two categories. I think Travis Jankowski, OF, Stony Brook is the better choice here.
57) Cincinnati Reds (John): We keep considering 3B-1B-RHP Joey Gallo and keep not picking him, but I'll finally pull the trigger here. I will draft him as a third baseman, with the idea that he can move to first base if defense is a problem, and that he can move to the mound if there are any issues with his bat. His power is among the best in the draft class this year. Joey Gallo, 3B, Nevada HS.
58) Toronto Blue Jays (Matt): With two of the next three picks, I could see the Jays using this spot for some financial maneuvering. I'm not sure how they would play it but maybe drafting a guy with a low financial demand to sign a couple later picks above their alotted number. That being said, they have already taken three high school players, so a player like Brady Rodgers, RHP, Arizona State, wouldn't be a complete shock.
59) St. Louis Cardinals (John): So far we have a college infielder, a college outfielder, a high school outfielder, and a high school pitcher. How's that for balance? A college pitcher seems logical but catching is a weak point in the system and there's a fine college bat available here with Dane Phillips, C, Oklahoma City University standing out for both his offensive and defensive potential.
60) Toronto Blue Jays (Matt): The Jays took a college pitcher two picks ago after hitting the prep ranks with their first three picks. Lets round it off with another prep bat. Avery Romero could be a good fit here but I'll go with Jesse Winker, OF, Florida HS
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