2013 Minor League Ball Community Mock Draft Results: NL Central

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs
2) Jonathan Gray, RHP, Oklahoma
41) Chris Okey, C, Florida HS
75) Casey Shane, RHP, Texas HS
108) Kyle Crockett, LHP, Virginia
COMMENT: The Cubs get their future ace in Gray, then a future part of the battery with a promising high school catcher in Okey. Strike-throwing Crockett could be part of a major league bullpen very quickly. Shane is a good slot at 75 on talent, but he has a Texas A&M commitment and would be a first-round candidate in three years if he went to school. Okey and Gray won't come cheap, so it would probably be necessary to adopt the "cheap senior" strategy in subsequent rounds. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Cincinnati Reds
27) Aaron Judge, OF, Fresno State University
38) Oscar Mercado, SS, Florida HS
67) Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP, Seminole State JC
104) Sam Moll, LHP, University of Memphis
135) Matthew McPhearson, OF, Maryland HS

COMMENT: Very well-balanced use of picks. Judge has some risk but also more upside than the average college hitter. Mercado's stock slumped due to poor hitting but his glove stands out and he's young. Stankiewicz could be a huge bargain at 67, Moll may be short at 5-11 but he gets people out. McPhearson has a tremendous ceiling but presents a signability risk at 135. If he signs, this is a strong group in my view. Maybe Mercado signs cheap and frees up some cash for MMP.

Milwaukee Brewers
54) Blake Taylor, LHP, California HS
72) Mike Lorenzen, OF, Cal State Fullerton
90) Michael O'Neill, OF, University of Michigan
122) Christian Arroyo, SS, Florida HS
COMMENT: Taylor is rather raw with his secondary pitches and command but has been getting some late buzz due to his size and delivery. He'll need time, but is moldable. Lorenzen is one of the best athletes in the college ranks and could move to pitching if hitting proves problematic. O'Neill has bloodlines (Paul's nephew) and athleticism but didn't have a great spring, knocking his stock a little. Arroyo's bat is considered quite promising but he faces a positional switch due to lack of speed.

Pittsburgh Pirates
9) Reese McGuire, C, Washington HS
14) Chris Anderson, RHP, Jacksonville
51) Connor Jones, RHP, Virginia HS
87) Ryon Healy, 1B, University of Oregon
119) Akeem Bostick, RHP, South Carolina HS
COMMENT: I like the balance here. McGuire has the terrific glove and most consider him a solid hitter as well. Anderson at 14 is a slight overdraft, but if you can get him to a below-slot bonus, that frees up money for Connor Jones, who is a big signability risk but has first round talent. Healy has huge power but questions about his pure hitting skills keep him out of the first two rounds. Bostick is raw but very athletic, super-projectable, and reportedly signable.

St. Louis Cardinals
19) Phil Bickford, RHP, California HS
28) Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts
57) Ryan Boldt, OF, Minnesota HS
93) Myles Smith, RHP, Lee University
125) Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Scottsdale CC
COMMENT: Seems Cardinalesque to me. Bickford has one of the best arms in the draft and might develop along Shelby Miller lines. Alex Gonzalez has been shooting up boards and seems exactly like the kind of "good talent, great performance" college guy the Cards like to pick up. Boldt fits at 57 on talent but he missed most of the spring for various reasons; is he signable there? Smith and Tarpley have consistency issues but plenty of arm strength.