This is the hot-stove league for the devout. Baseball’s amateur draft is about the long-term direction, not immediate gratification. You just don’t know what you’re going to get. These guys may become household names in five years. So there’s no prime-time slot (NBA), no weekend theater (NFL) and little second-guessing. That, too, comes later. Catch the first round on ESPN2 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. Impress your friends the next day with the skinny on Mike Moustakas.
NAMES WORTH KNOWING IN THURSDAY’S BASEBALL DRAFT
David Price (right)
Think of Derek Jeter on the mound. He’s a solid citizen blessed with a strong left arm and good instincts, with the whole package better than any of the tools. He handled the pressure of being the top-rated prospect throughout his junior season at Vanderbilt.
Mike Moustakas
This California high schooler blasted 24 homers and hit .577 this season, but those weren’t his most impressive numbers. How about 28 walks and two strikeouts? He has a plus-plus arm, as the scouts say, but there’s a question about whether he’s quick enough to play third basse. A left-handed hitter, he’s committed to USC and represented by Scott Boras, so he won’t be easy to sign.
Josh Vitters
Before being upstaged by Moustakas, the right-handed-hitting Vitters had been expected to be the first high school position player taken. He’s considered only average defensively at third base, but scouts believe the California prep has enough power to play the outfield or first.
Matt Wieters
A switch-hitting catcher with power, he’s going to make some scouting director happy, most likely Baltimore’s. He has proved he can hit, and some scouts compare him defensively to Charles Johnson and Joe Mauer. The Georgia Tech star could come to the big leagues quickly for a team needing catching help.
Rick Porcello
Like Wieters, the right-handed pitcher from West Orange, N.J., could be looking for a bigger deal than the Cubs gave Mark Prior out of USC. He probably has the second-best arm in the draft.
Jarrod Parker
Undersized right-handers often are overlooked, but Parker’s 98–m.p.h. fastball has gotten him noticed. One scout compared the Indiana high schooler to a mirror image of Tampa Bay’s Scott Kazmir. Parker is 10-0 with an 0.13 ERA, allowing only 15 hits while striking out 96 in 52 innings. If the Cubs are afraid to negotiate with Boras over Moustakas, they’ll take Parker or Vitters.
Michael Main
A talented two-way player from Deland (Fla.) High School, Main has been on the White Sox’s radar all season. He threw 96 m.p.h. recently, and most teams project him as a pitcher. But Main’s bat is also highly regarded. He’s unlikely to make it down to the Sox at No. 25.
Casey Weathers
Chad Cordero showed how quickly college relievers can have an impact in the big leagues, which plays into the hands of Vanderbilt’s closer. The White Sox want to land someone with more upside, but Weathers could help their beleaguered bullpen in 2008, if not ’07. He throws 96 with a hard slider.
Sean Doolittle
The Cubs did a good job to land the unheralded Tyler Colvin from Clemson last year. Baseball America reports rumors that they could make Doolittle, a first baseman and left-handed pitcher from Virginia, this year’s Colvin. Doolittle seems like a huge reach for the first round but could be the Cubs’ choice at No. 48 overall. He’s a patient hitter who projects to hit more for average than power.
Casey Crosby
Most scouts rank the left-hander from Kaneland High as the top prospect in Illinois. Baseball America ranks him 43rd nationally. He scored 19 touchdowns as a receiver last fall and is throwing in the low 90s since he shot up to 6-5. He is raw, but scouts are intrigued to see how high his velocity will increase.
PHIL ROGERS’ MOCK DRAFT
1. LHP David Price, Vanderbilt
Held top-rated status all season.
2. LHP Ross Detwiler, Missouri State
Best alternative to hard-to-sign Rick Porcello.
3. 3B-1B Mike Moustakas, Chatsworth (Calif.) High
Advanced hitter, great arm, top high school player in draft.
4. 3B Josh Vitters, Cypress (Calif.) High
Could go to the Cubs if Moustakas doesn’t.
5. C Matt Wieters, Georgia Tech
Orioles covet Wieters enough to face Scott Boras delay game.
6. RHP Phillippe Aumont, Versant (Gatineau, Quebec) High
Mysterious 6-7 power package.
7. 3B-1B Beau Mills, Lewis-Clark (Idaho) State
Fresno State transfer who fits Brewer model.
8. RHP Jarrod Parker, Norwell (Ind.) High
Tremendous velocity despite unassuming build.
9. LHP Daniel Moskos, Clemson
Safe pick who could move fast, especially as a reliever.
10. OF Jason Heyward, Henry County (Ga.) High
Braves would love for him to slide to 14.
11. 3B Matt Dominguez, Chatsworth (Calif.) High
Started year ranked higher than Moustakas and Vitters.
12. C Devin Mesoraco, Punxsutawney (Pa.) High
Solid all-around package at premium position.
13. LHP Madison Bumgarner, South Caldwell (N.C.) High
Indians love kids with good arms.
14. LHP Josh Smoker, Calhoun (Ga.) High
Almost certain to take a Georgia player.
15. RHP Blake Beavan, Irving (Texas) High
139 strikeouts, four walks this season.
16. RHP Matt Harvey, Fitch (Conn.) High
Young gun shares New England roots with GM J.P. Ricciardi. (from Texas)
17. 1B Matt LaPorta, Florida
College senior with big-time power; could slide to compensation round. (from Houston)
18. RHP Rick Porcello, Seton Hall (N.J.) Prep
Top high school pitcher, could slide because of signability questions.
19. RHP-OF Michael Main, DeLand (Fla.) High
White Sox will pick him if he’s still there for them.
20. OF Julio Borbon, Tennessee
Could develop into a Johnny Damon-style player. (from Boston)
21. 3B Brad Suttle, Texas
Switch-hitter who is expected to hit for a high average.
22. OF Michael Burgess, Hillsborough (Fla.) High
High-ceiling, big-risk prospect who could fall to White Sox. (from Dodgers)
23. LHP Nick Schmidt, Arkansas
Workhorse with strong college credentials.
24. 3B Kevin Ahrens, Memorial (Texas) High
Switch-hitter who generates Chipper Jones comparisons. (from Angels)
25. RHP Casey Weathers, Vanderbilt
Sox can’t pass on fastball-slider combo that could play in big-league bullpen pronto.
26. OF Kyle Russell, Texas
Power still a calling card despite mixed reviews with scouts.
27. RHP Andrew Brackman, North Carolina State
Health questions cause him to fall out of the top 10, but he could be a steal this late.
28. SS Pete Kozma, Owasso (Okla.) High
Twins love shortstops, and he’s the best in a weak draft at the position.
29. 2B Nick Noonan, Parker (Calf.) High
Pure hitter from the left side, could go to hometown Padres. (from Mets)
30. LHP Brett Cecil, Maryland
They will take a pitcher and would love it if Porcello slid all the way to them.
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ON THE INTERNET: For a look at some local high school and college prospects, go to chicagotribune.com/localdraft
