2011 IPI Site Mock Draft

Could the Indians land Bubba Starling?

(Photo: AP)

We recently conducted a mock draft of the 2011 MLB Draft via the site message boards.  Each of the 33 picks in the first round were randomly distributed to five people and the mock draft was conducted over the past week.

Thanks to Andrew Zajac, Jellis, Geronimo, Rocky5, and HomeAwayFromHome (Homer) on the boards for contributing.  The results from their mock draft and their comments after each pick follow:

1. Pittsburgh Pirates (Andrew): Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA

There is no clear front runner to go first overall and the Pirates are still going back and forth on this pick to this day. You could make a very strong case for Anthony Rendon here and it's also a very realistic possibility, but Cole is a little more of a safer pick. He has a big arm and front of the rotation potential. Cole and Tallion could anchor the front of the Pirates rotation for years to come.

2. Seattle Mariners (Homer): Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA

The Mariners farm system is lacking depth, and while Hultzen and Rendon are tempting, Bauer is a polished likeness of Tim Lincecum. Bauer should move through the system quickly and combine with Felix and Pineda for a dominant pitching staff in Seattle.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks (Jellis): Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice

Last year teams said they would take him over Harper. He had a down year and got hurt, and now he slides a bit. Zona would consider Hultzen in normal circumstances, but if you are taking BPA then Rendon is impossible to pass on. He should be an all star right away once he hits the majors.

4. Baltimore Orioles (Geronimo): Danny Hultzen, LHP, University of Virginia

Hultzen's dominating performance in 2011 is a continuation of his career at Virginia. He has great stuff! Hultzen has a fastball that sits in the mid-90′s, a deceptive changeup that batters haven't been able to figured out, and both a slider & curveball. Put this stuff together with great command of all four pitches and a mature mound presence and the O's have a perfect compliment to their young and talented pitching rotation. Hultzen won't spend much time in the minors. He has a baseball IQ that rivals just about any player that is draft eligible.

5. Kansas City Royals (Homer): Alex Meyer, RHP, University of Kentucky

The Royals are tempted by Dylan Bundy but want an arm that can impact the starting rotation soon.  Bundy could be a quick mover but his salary demands shy the Royals away. Meyer has been a force in recent starts and features a 100 MPH fastball. Meyer has great size at 6'9 220 and should continue to develop quickly.  Meyer had mononucleosis last year but has fully recovered and is a prospect on the rise.

6. Washington Nationals (Andrew): Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech

Bradley is a guy who can get to the majors rather quick and be a work horse in the rotation. Some teams might be slightly scared away because of bonus demands, but I don't see too much of a concern. He projects as a #2/#3 starter with the Nats.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks (Rocky): Dylan Bundy, RHP, Owasso High School (OK)

And with that, thanks to jellis and myself, the Diamondbacks get the best position player prospect and the best pitching prospect in the entire draft. I expect the Diamondbacks front office to be contacting us with job offers tomorrow.

8. Cleveland Indians (Geronimo): Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner Edgerton HS (KS)

While concerns exist over his signability, he is arguably the best player and top position player in this entire draft, and that includes young & newly converted 2B Anthony Rendon. There is nothing he can't do on the baseball field. His combination of speed, power, arm strength, and bat to ball skills cannot be overlooked. His commitment to play football at Nebraska will drive his price tag up, but who cares as he has the goods and will look great with Chief Wahoo on his sleeve.

9. Chicago Cubs (Jellis): Fransisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy (FL)

He is a try shortstop and that is a value position. Unlike many other shortstops he won't have to move off the position. The Cubs need to add long term value and at this point they get the top shortstop and the top position player still in this draft.

10. San Diego Padres (Homer): George Springer, OF, UConn

Springer is a true five tool guy that has struggled but also recovered and adapted. Springer should move quickly and be a nice add to the outfield in two to three years. He's a good upside, good return type of pick. He should move quickly through the system with his tools and good polish.

11. Houston Astros (Andrew): Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Texas

Jungmann is a workhorse and has arguably been one of the best collegiate pitchers all season. The Astros really could go either way for a pitcher, whether it be a collegiate pitcher or high school pitcher; however, a Texas kid who could rise through the ranks quickly might just be too hard to pass up. Jungmann possesses good to great velocity on his fastball and also has two secondary pitches which he's polished this season. The other possibilities with this pick could be Matt Barnes or Taylor Guerrieri.

12. Milwaukee Brewers (Homer): Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS (OK)

Bradley is a big time prep arm who could really have ace type stuff in the very near future.  He is one of three to four prep arms I consider to have ace potential, and in a draft not as deep as this one he would likely have gone top five. This kid is that good as he really brings the heat (95 MPH) and has the making of four pitches. His size 6'4 225 doesn't hurt either. Look for this kid to really come on for the Brew Crew.  Zack Grienke who?  Bradley is a stud and in three to four years should be pitching at the major league level at a high level. I actually wouldn't mind seeing the Tribe pick him, but in this case the Brewers are the lucky ones.

13. New York Mets (Andrew): Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Spring Valley HS (SC)

The Mets love big name pitchers and Guerrieri is one of the best high school arms available. He has the possibility of being a top ten pick, so the Mets would leap for joy if he fell this far. He has an above average fastball that has been clocked as high as 97 MPH and a plus curve, but really lacks a third go to pitch. Some scouts have seen him mix in a changeup and cutter, but hasn't had the need to use them much. George Springer, Brandon Nimmo, and Sonny Gray are also potential picks here.

14. Florida Marlins (Rocky): Mikie Mahtook, OF, LSU

Archie Bradley would have been the obvious pick here but he's gone. The Marlins go BPA.  As a side note, not that it has any bearing on this exercise, Josh Bell reportedly told scouts that he wasn't signing and would go to school. We'll see.

15. Milwaukee Brewers (Jellis): Matt Barnes Sp UCONN

He will be a top ten pick, so this was easy. He is peaking at the right time, and a bonus for any cold weather team is to draft a cold weather arm. He has performed well on the bigger stages pitching for Team USA. Lots of potential still left in his arm.

16. Los Angeles Dodgers (Homer): Andrew Susac, C, Oregon St.

Susac is a great defensive catcher and decent bat. He should be a quick mover and sign for slot type money. Catcher isn't a deep position in this draft but Susac could offer a quick return and easy signing for the financially distressed Dodgers. Catcher is a premier position and a great value pick.

17. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Homer): Jose Fernandez, RHP, Alonso HS (FL)

Originally from Cuba this kid can bring it. I really think he could be a front of the rotation type ace power arm as at 19 he is hitting 98 MPH to go along with moxie, a solid mix of pitches, and confidence. He believes he can pitch in the majors and so do I, but he needs time to develop.  I believe three to four years tops and he will one day stand on a major league mound. He's a great story and better potential. With some good coaching and a good mentor the sky is the limit with Fernandez. I expect to see him mowing batters down quickly.

18. Oakland A's (Geromino): Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt

Sonny Gray was originally considered for the top ten in the draft. With the advent of the freak Tim Lincecum, smallish right-handed pitchers are no longer viewed negatively. Gray is one of the top college arms. In his years at Vandy he has truly improved his domination of his opponents and in the current season been nearly un-hittable. A .181 batting average against and a fastball that sits in the 92-94 MPH range along with a devastating curves make him a perfect fit for the A's in this draft.

19. Boston Red Sox (Rocky): Blake Swihart, C, Cleveland HS (NM)

He is going to be expensive to pry away from the University of Texas, but the Red Sox can afford it. He is an incredible bat at a premium position with tons of upside.

20. Colorado Rockies (Jellis): Javier Baez, SS, Jesuit Prep (FL)

Baez has a lot of power in his bat, and has been linked as high to the Indians at 8th. He will take some work, and there are concerns about attitude, but the swing is very good and the power is legit. He will move to 3B and has the ability to hit for plus power, which means home run leading potential in Colorado.

21. Toronto Blue Jays (Andrew): Josh Bell, OF, Dallas Jesuit High School (TX)

This was one of the most difficult decisions to make. If Jose Fernandez was on the board, I would have pulled the trigger and would have left Bell on the board. Bell recently sent a letter to teams not to select him because he won't sign. However, Bell is a Boras client and if the right amount of money is thrown his way, I believe he'll sign. The Blue Jays are in a position where they need to take the best players available and they're going to be willing to spend the money. Bell is one of the better high school hitters in the draft who projects as a left fielder at the next level and has an explosive bat. It's a risky pick for the Jays who need a lot of help, but the potential reward outweighs the risk.

22. St. Louis Cardinals (Geronimo): Matt Purke, LHP, TCU

Concerns about his health have to be considered, but so does the talent. The bad news: Purke has bursitis. The good news: the Cardinals see him as a mitigatable risk/highest reward player on the board. When healthy he is the best player on the board and certainly worthy of this pick. His combination of a 94 MPH fastball, slider and change from the left side is pretty impressive. The Cardinals are not averse to working through any issues, including tough negotiations in signing draft picks.

23. Washington Nationals (Rocky): Brandon Nimmo, OF, Cheyenne East HS (WY)

Nimmo has huge talent with present playing skills and the upside to be Mike Trout 2.0. This was a tough one for the Nats as they had six guys on their list for this pick.

24. Tampa Bay Rays (Andrew): C.J. Cron, 1B, Utah

The Rays have a number of different ways they can go with a number of different high draft picks at their disposal. At least one of those picks will be what some to be consider a risky pick, but with this one, it's more of a safe pick. Cron possesses good, raw power who has the potential to hit 30 home runs a season. There are some injury concerns that come with Cron, but I'm willing to bet the Rays will overlook them if Cron falls into their lap. Another possibility here includes Kolten Wong.

25. San Diego Padres (Geromino): Henry Owens, LHP, Edison HS (CA)

Henry Owens is a Beach Bum West Coaster who will take his tall and lanky left-handed frame ( 6’7″ and 200 lbs) as well as a high-80′s to low-90′s fastball, a very serviceable changeup and a wipeout curveball to the Padres organization. Owens is committed to the University of Miami, but that can change knowing he'll be home on the west coast to start his ML career. With good professional coaching and added weight and muscle, Owens’ effortless delivery should help him maintain a repeatable delivery and add about four or five ticks to his already strong fastball.

26. Boston Red Sox (Rocky): Kyle Crick, RHP, Sherman HS (TX)

Crick is a big, hard throwing right-handed pitcher (up to 95 MPH) who also has a kick ass slider. He has pitched five games of one or less hits allowed this year. I've read that the Red Sox have people watching every start. He's got major helium and should be picked right about here. This is usually a place where the Red Sox would grab some high profile college starting pitcher who had dropped due to signability. However, my astute fellow mockers have left the cupboard empty except for Anderson, who I don't like.

27. Cincinnati Reds (Jellis): Cory Spangenberg, OF, Indian River College (FL)

I am a big fan as he could be the ideal center field and lead off guy. He is one of the fastest players in the draft and has excellent bat speed. He played shortstop in college but teams project him at third base or outfield.  Either way he is a very interesting bat for this late whose bat and speed both project as plus tools. As a bonus, the Reds are a team that tends to go slot and take college guys, both of which this pick fills.

28. Atlanta Braves (Geronimo): Travis Harrison, 3B/OF, Tustin HS (CA)

In this year's draft he is "The Natural". At 6’2" and 215 lbs he is fully grown, very strong and athletic. He has excellent speed, is fundamentally sound and possesses maturity beyond his years. While he may not start his baseball career as the most dangerous hitter coming out as a draft eligible high schooler, Harrison might eventually become the most offensively-gifted player in this high school class and that includes hot prospect Derek Bubba Starling. He has an advanced approach at the plate with tremendous bat speed. In the field, he has soft, quick hands (a la Omar Vizquel), exceptionally quick feet and a howitzer-like arm that comes with a laser guidance system. He just makes everything on the field look easy because it is for him.

29. San Francisco Giants (Rocky): Kolten Wong, 2B, University of Hawaii

I really like this kid. He is a gifted player, good fielder at second base, excellent base runner, and has an advanced hitting approach. He should fly through the minor leagues. He was MVP in the Cape Cod League hitting .341 with 3 HR, 11 RBI and 22 stolen bases. He would be a great table setter for the Giants. A perfect fit.

30. Minnesota Twins (Jellis): Joe Ross, RHP, Bishop O'Dowd HS (CA)

It seems that little brothers are often better than their older brothers, and such is the case with Ross who is the younger brother of A's rookie Tyson Ross. This is high praise as Tyson was a top five spec for Oakland this year. Joe has three nice looking pitches, and great athleticism that runs in the family. He throws mid 90's and could be a front of the line pitcher.

31. Tampa Rays (Andrew): Johnny Eierman, SS, Warsaw High School (MO)

Eierman possesses a lot of potential, but is still very raw as a prospect. He projects as a third baseman or corner outfielder at the next level due to a lack of range at short. He still needs to work on his consistency at the plate and refining some tools, but Eierman has a ton of upside and also has a lot of raw power. He's the kind of guy the Rays may target and take a risk on.

32. Tampa Rays (Homer): Chris Reed, LHP, Stanford

This is a bit high by some accounts, however others feel he could slip into the late first round. The Rays have ten picks in the first round and sandwich round. They are not likely to sign all the players they draft and may well choose to "bank" a couple picks for next year. Reed would likely be easier to sign and is a talented pitcher. Add to that the fact he is a lefty and a junior at Stanford and he should be signable and help add another arm to the Rays system.

33. Texas Rangers (Jellis): Levi Micheal, SS, UNC

Another bat for me, but another guy I am shocked to see on the board. A legit shortstop who will stay there and played at a good program. He has a solid glove, good stick, nice eye, and decent speed. He is a guy who on draft day will go in the top 20. I double checked to make sure he was on the board, so an easy pick for the Rangers.  He might cost a little more to sign this late, but you get an advanced college bat who would make an ideal two-hitter down the road.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

Posted in: 2011 Draft