I'm a big fan of Almora's as well. Another one I really like is the H.S. lefty Max Fried.

Haha, you can even ask Metro this - I'm like Fried's biggest fan. Haven't really mentioned him on here because I think he's pretty much a lock to be a top 10 pick, unfortunately for us.

The two other top-tier high school lefties, Matt Smoral and Hunter Virant, are more realistic though. Virant may even have an outside shot at being available at 35. Virant doesn't have spectacular present velocity but his changeup is fantastic and his body offers a lot of projection. Smoral is huge and has an above average fastball/slider combo right now.

Wood, Heaney, and Johnson are probably the top trio of college lefties right now, but none of them would be a consideration for me at 12 right now. I like Wood the most out of that trio. Vandy's Sam Selman is someone to keep an eye on; one of the BA guys said he heard Selman was throwing 90-94 and touching 96 lately. Stanford's Brett Mooneyham is another college lefty with a good arm.

Virant at 12 would be terrible value

I didn't say I would take him there, just that he and Smoral have a realistic chance of being available (especially Virant, he isn't going before us) while Fried, in all likelihood, doesn't. Like I said, I'd hope Virant falls to 35. I'm sure I like him more than you do, but yes, you can do better than him at 12.

He's a decent "gamble" at 35 but at 12 I'm hoping we shoot for someone better than that.

Guys that are at least SOMEWHAT realistic that I like at 12...


Zimmer, Gausman, Stroman (of course), Almora, Fried, Giolito, Eflin

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Kyle Zimmer I was really hoping for, but he's went from late 1st to the top 3-4 picks in the past couple of months. Nice one to mention Eflin there Metro as he's the biggest helium guy for BA and is rated 16th right at the moment for them. Not sure about KLaw, maybe, NMig do you where Eflin is rated presently by him. As for Perfect Game I am not sure where they have him rated.

Metro, I am taking that you believe Stroman would be able to handle starting at the pro level. I see that even though he's around 5'9 he has been maintaining the velocity for 6 plus innings. But do you think there are question marks about doing that every fifth day.

Eflin is someone I like quite a bit too; great size and 2 good present pitches in his fastball and changeup. Law believes if he scraps his knuckle-curve for a traditional slider or curve, he'll have #2 starter or more potential. He ranked him 15th, one spot ahead of Wacha.

Kiley McDaniel saw Eflin a week ago, here is a brief note from him:

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I definitely see why you think highly of Fried. He's been sitting low 90's lately, with an above average curve, at least average change up, and projectability.

I'm not sure about Smoral right at the moment for even 35 as Conor Glassey was reporting he's got carolina blue on his cast. So my thoughts are he might be a pretty tough sign if your not picking him at 12. I don't mind Virant, and I think he should be available at 35, but I like some other candidates at that position. Heaney looks to be going in the 20's; Wood and Selman I think would be available at 71 or 75; Mooneyham off the top of my head would be fine at 35, and Mooneyham's been throwing with basically the same velocity as Selman this spring.

I'm just going by what the "experts" are saying.... but he was throwing 96 in the 7th inning last start or the start before. He's short but he's also pretty sturdy and Keith Law mentioned how he exudes an unusual confidence that he is going to beat you. I love Stroman and I think he's going to be a starter. Plus FB, both a hard slurve and a slider improving change... hitters have a .391 OPS vs. him through 8 starts. 85 k's in 58 innings, hasn't allowed a HR. He's got charisma to be a huge star, the stuff to be a huge star. Law commented on April 7th that he would now grade Stroman's changeup as "above average". Huge fan and I'd love the pick. I'm not saying I'd be upset with one of these other options but I think Stroman is the real deal and will be in the bigs in a rotation by early 2014.

Stroman is a lot like Sonny Gray but with a better changeup than Gray had last spring. I was a big fan of Gray's last draft (I wanted him at 13), so likewise, I do like Stroman a lot. He's definitely on the short list of players we should consider at 12.

Fried and Eflin are the 2 guys on the top of my board right now. Eflin already has an above average fastball and change and a supposedly nasty demeanor on the mound. The anti-Pelfrey if you will.

What's above average fastball??? We need bats any we should be looking at????