This week saw the MLB partake in one of the most under-publicized events of the baseball season: the MLB draft. Among the players drafted this year are some of the stars of the future? Who has star-potential and what teams picked a bust? I’ve got you covered because, in the information age we live in, knowing players before they reach the majors is essential to success in fantasy baseball. Without further ado, my player analysis from this Thursday’s first round:

1. Tampa Bay Rays: Tim Beckham, SS, Griffin (Ga.) HS

Tim Beckham is perhaps the best talent in this years draft. He has five-tool potential and projects to be an eventual 2 or 3 hitter. He has a good, but not great, glove at SS, but a position switch to 3B, 2B, or CF would make him a plus glove. He has shown flashes of power which should become more consistent as he becomes older. He's an extremely polished hitter for a high schooler and one of the bright spots of a mediocre draft class.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt

Alvarez is one of the top power-hitting prospects in the draft this year. He turned down a high six-figure offer in the 2005 draft. He has a very quick bat and plus power to all fields. However, he has had trouble with left-handed hitters. In the field, Alvarez has an above-average arm at third, but may end up at first by the middle of his career. The biggest problem is his agent, Scott Boras.

3. Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer, 1B, American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.

Eric Hosmer has a tremendous amount of power for a high school player. He struggles with inside pitches, but otherwise is an extremely complete hitter who hits for average as well as power. Hosmer could play right field, but projects as a plus glove at first base where he'll likely play in the majors. He touches 94 with a fastball in relief, but won't be used there. He's the top pure high school hitter in the draft, but is also demanding a lot of money.

4. Baltimore Orioles: Brian Matusz, LHP, San Diego

Brian Matusz is an unconventional high round pick which will scare some teams away. Unlike Crow he has an average fastball and great breaking stuff. Due to this, he could have injury trouble down the road. Matusz's delivery is rough with jerky movements, but that's what keeps him alive. I'd be scared to draft him. Despite all of this, he's an elite pitcher in this draft and projects as a number 2 start in the bigs.

5. San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey, C, Florida State

Posey is a converted infielder who has now found success behind the plate. Posey is a plus defender behind the plate and has good offensive talent as well. Together, they form one of the top talents in the draft. He doesn't project to hit for great power, but catchers rarely do. He has the upside of a number 2 or 3 hitter and is an extremely safe pick. He'll hit for a ton of doubles and a good average. 15-20 homeruns seems possible as well. Overall, his defense and good offense prospects make him a good bet to start in the majors for a long time.

6. Florida Marlins: Kyle Skipworth, C, Patriot HS, Rubidoux, Calif.

Skipworth is pretty big for a catcher, but with size comes some power. Skipworth is solid from the left side of the plate hitting for both average and power. Defensively, Skipworth has a strong arm but his accuracy and blocking skills are below par. Scouts believe that over time his defense will improve. As a catcher, his speed is naturally lacking.

7. Cincinnati Reds: Yonder Alonso, 1B, Miami

Alonso has shown great hitting ability with potential to hit 30 home runs in the big leagues some day. Alonso brings a big frame to the table, which slows down his speed but helps out his defense and power potential. The one thing slowing Alonso down is his weakness against left handed pitching.

8. Chicago White Sox: Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia

Gordon Beckham's approach at the plate is a bit unconventional. He has good raw power for a small player and he has a solid approach at the plate. His defense, however, is good. He has a great feel for the game and good instincts at short stop. He has slightly limited range, but the pluses far outweigh the negatives and he should be able to stay at shortstop in the majors. He's very polished, but likely won't develop extremely farther than he already is. He'll eventually be a top of the order hitter with solid defense.

9. Washington Nationals: Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri

Aaron Crow can touch 97 on occasion. He usually sits in the 90 to 94 range with okay secondary stuff. If his secondary stuff can develop a little bit, he could become a number 2 pitcher in the major leagues. His mechanics are solid but not spectacular. With a little work he can become very good. Overall, he's a great power pitcher and arguably the best pitcher in the draft.

10. Houston Astros: Jason Castro, C, Stanford

Jason Castro has a smooth swing and makes contact a lot. He has good bat speed and should hit for average at the major league level. However, his hitting mechanics lend themselves to his lower power totals. If he adjusted his swing, he'd likely loose the average so they probably won't tinker with it in the minors. He plays average to slightly above average in all facets of his defense and has a great chance of making the majors, at the very least as a backup. Unless, he can develop more power, he probably won't ever be an all-star, but he can be a major league average starting backstop.

11. Texas Rangers: Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina

Justin Smoak is a switch hitting first baseman with a ton of power. He has good patience at the plate and good defense as well. It's a stretch to compare him to any player in the majors already. He's unique in that he has a ton of power from both sides of the plate and good defense as well. It's hard to compare him to a switch-hitting Albert Pujols, but that's how good he could be. In the field, he has a below average arm, but he'll be limited to first base anyhow.

12. Oakland Athletics: Jemile Weeks, 2B, Miami

If you know anything about Rickie Weeks (MIL) you know a lot about Jemile. Jemile is a speedy switch-hitter with a quick bat. He also has a better glove at second than his brother. Jemile's main problem is he wants to hit for power and it's evident in his swing. He'd be much better off trying to hit doubles than homeruns. He'll likely fix his approach in the minors and become a top of the order hitter in the majors.

13. St. Louis Cardinals: Brett Wallace, 1B, Arizona State

Brett Wallace might be the best pure hitter in the draft. He has a good swing and pitch recognition with good pull power as well. Wallace is a below average third baseman and might have to move to first base. Even at first, his bat is good enough that he can be a solid full-time player at the major league level.

14. Minnesota Twins: Aaron Hicks, OF, Wilson HS, Long Beach

Hicks has shown flashes of major league power, but currently is more of a gap hitter. Both his defense and speed are a big plus to Hicks’ stock. Hicks’ pitched in high school as well throwing in the 90’s which proves that his arm is strong enough to handle the outfield.

15. Los Angeles Dodgers: Ethan Martin, RHP, Stephens County HS, Toccoa, Ga.

Martin brings a tremendous low to mid 90’s mph four seam fastball with movement to the table. He often uses his hard curve as his strikeout pitch against both right and left handed batters. Martin may only weight 195 pounds but he is a big strong pitcher that is very competitive. One downside to Martin is his goofy windup, which some believe will need to be fixed in order for him to have success in the majors.

16. Milwaukee Brewers: Brett Lawrie, 3B/C, Brookswood SS, Langley, B.C.

Brett Lawrie should make plenty of contact at the big league level and hit for average to above-average power, but he doesn't really have a position to play in the field. He could end up an offensive second baseman, but his bat doesn't play well enough at a corner infield spot. He currently plays catcher, but won't stay there. Solid bat, bad defense make a risky prospect.

17. Toronto Blue Jays: David Cooper, 1B, California

David Cooper has a smooth swing and some raw power, but has been largely overshadowed by other excellent infield power bats. He projects as a bottom of the order hitter who hits for more doubles than homeruns. He's a good defensive first baseman, but not good enough to move elsewhere. Overall, Cooper should turn into an everday player with a good average and limited power production.

18. New York Mets: Ike Davis, 1B, Arizona State

Ike Davis has excellent raw power, but struggles making contact with the ball because of poor plate mechanics. He could easily hit 30 homeruns in the majors if he can make more contact with the ball. Davis will need more work at firstbase, but has the raw talent to succeed there. Davis also pitches between 92 and 94 MPH, but his secondary pitches are lacking and he'll go pro as a position player.

19. Chicago Cubs: Andrew Cashner, RHP, Texas Christian

Andrew Cashner has an electric fastball which tops out around 98 MPH and a hard slider. Those two pitchs make him one of, if not the best reliever in the draft. He has a good build for a pitcher and could be used as a starter because he has three pitchs. However, his dominance as a relief pitcher will likely cause him to stay in relief and become a dominant closer.

20. Seattle Mariners: Joshua Fields, RHP, Georgia

Fields has been touted as a dominant closer that could be working for a team out of their major league bullpen by the end of 2008. Some reports have his velocity topping out at 97, but many others have only seen him hit 95. Fields has a strong closers mentality and has shown the ability to pitch on a day-to-day basis.

21. Detroit Tigers: Ryan Perry, RHP, Arizona

Ryan Perry has some of the best stuff of all of the closers in the draft; however, he often locates his pitches too high in the zone which makes him hitable. Perry has good raw stuff, but won't make it as moer than a setup man if he can't work lower in the zone. If he can, he could become a good closer.

22. New York Mets: Reese Havens, SS, South Carolina

Havens is a mediocre shortstop who may be moved to a different position in the minors; however, his bat plays very well at short. He should have average power and a good average. He does struggle against left handed pitching, but this is largely due to his approach at the plate which can be tinkered with in the minors. Overall, Havens is a bottom of the order major league player.

23. San Diego Padres: Allan Dykstra, 1B, Wake Forest

Allan Dykstra is a power hitting first-baseman whose defensive ability is limited. His bat might not even play at first-base in the long run and he may end up a DH. Overall, Dykstra is a decent prospect with good power potential, but he lacks a true niche in the field.

24. Philadelphia Phillies: Anthony Hewitt, SS, Salisbury (Conn.) School

Anthony Hewitt has plus defense potential in the outfield and offensive upside. He could end up a five-tool player who bats in the middle of the lineup. He currently plays SS, but will almost cetainly move to the outfield. Additionally, his offensive approach needs work. Hewitt has a ton of potential, but also needs a ton of work. He's committed to Vanderbilt and is expected to be hard to sign. A little time in college ball might do him well anyhow.

25. Colorado Rockies: Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky

Friedrich’s fastball ranges between 88 and 92 mph, however his curveball can drop as low as 72 mph. His fastball and curve are his two best pitches, however, he compliments them with a changeup and cutter like pitch. His control is below par, but his stuff makes up for it. This strong throwing lefty could be a promising starter in the future, who some have compared to Joe Saunders.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks: Daniel Schlereth, LHP, Arizona

Daniel Schlereth has a great fastball and breaking ball and honestly could be in the majors this year. However, his mechanics are sub-par and he's already had Tommy John surgery as a result. Schlereth will always have injury concerns but will likely pan out as a dominant left-handed specialist or set-up man in the majors.

27. Minnesota Twins: Carlos Gutierrez, RHP, Miami

Gutierrez was a huge surprise this early in the draft. He has some injury concerns and has already had Tommy John surgery. He has good movement on his fastball and a decent slider that can develop. He can get guys out and could get to the majors quickly, but this pick was a big reach.

28. New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole, RHP, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran HS

Gerrit Cole is the best high school pitcher in the draft. He has a great fastball in the high-90s. However, his motion is a little unorthodox and his breaking ball is mediocre. Cole is commited to UCLA and signed with Boras so there are certainly signability issues. Minus the signability, he is one of the best arms in the draft.

29. Cleveland Indians: Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, Pitt (N.C.) CC

Chisenhall is another big reach. He went to South Carolina before moving to community college. He has talent but has had off-field problems which is why he was forced to move to community college. He has first round talent, but the off-field problems are why he has been rated so lowly. This is a risky pick, but one that could pay big dividends.

30. Boston Red Sox: Casey Kelly, SS, Sarasota (Fla.) HS

Kelly has experience at both shortstop and from the mound, as well as at quarterback. If he can prove his hitting ability to be for real, he could blossom into an excellent baseball player. Kelly is strong defensively and has decent speed. His pitching abilities are above average, but he has little experience on the mound. The one big downside of Kelly is that he has a two-sport offer on the table from the University of Tennessee, and could go either way at this point.


If you’re interested in reading more about the draft, we covered the first round live over at Major League Report and the transcript from that event is available here. Does this group include the next fantasy-stud? Only time will tell, but at the least, this list will give you a place to begin.