Thanks again to Wachto for dropping the link to Keith Law’s next mock draft in the comments of my post yesterday, giving me some fuel for my post this afternoon. Here’s the mock, it is insider only. After the jump, let’s take a look at who he mocks to the Cardinals and the other names he drops that we haven’t covered already.

#19 St. Louis Cardinals
Stryker Trahan, C, Acadiana H.S. (Lafayette, La.)

I think they take Stratton if he gets here. Have heard them on every premium high school bat — including Dahl, Davis, Cecchini and Addison Russell — as well as Piscotty and Hensley. Trahan, who had a poor spring, could be a bargain here since he has a real chance to hit, and with power.

#23 St. Louis Cardinals
Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo (Calif.) H.S.

At 6-3 and 172, Virant is very projectable, and looks like the kind of guy who could really add some velocity in pro ball. Rahier is also a possibility here, as well as the names I listed at No. 19.

Old Names:

Stryker Trahan – I have touched on Trahan previously here, as has azru here in a longer post.  We are both big fans.

Gavin Cecchini, Stephen Piscotty, DJ Davis – All three were covered in my previous coverage of Keith Law’s initial mock draft.

New Names:

Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State – Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus has this to say:

Who he is: A polished pitcher with a three-pitch mix, with his low 90s fastball, slider and changeup all earning average-to-plus grades and playing up due to his ability to locate. He’s seen as an is-what-he-is type without much projection, and at nearly 22 years old, his age is an issue.

David Dahl, CF, Oak Mountain H.S. (Birmingham, Ala.) - (Video already sporting the Cardinals jersey.)  Now via ESPN HS Blog:

Dahl brings plenty of other skills to the table as well. He’s got a cannon for an arm (he’s been clocked at 95 mph throwing from the outfield), incredible range in center and is a terror on the basepaths. His total package of skills is similar to that of his favorite player, Boston Red Sox star Jacoby Ellsbury.

Dahl ran an official 60-yard dash time of 6.49 seconds at the Perfect Game National Showcase last June. By comparison, the average major leaguer runs the 60 in around 6.8 seconds.

Ty Hensley, RHP, Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe H.S. - (Video) And here’s Goldstein again:

Oklahoma has become a hotbed for high school power arms, and Hensley is this year’s version. His six-foot-five power build has drawn comparisons to a young Mark Appel, and his low-to-mid 90s fastball and power curve are both plus offerings. He’s still more of a thrower than a pitcher; he needs to throw more strikes and find a changeup.

Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo (Calif.) H.S. - Purple Haze has written about him previously.  Also, here’s the red baron from Viva El Birdos: ”Best name among all the pitchers. Left-handed. Love the delivery. He hasn’t really done much to improve his draft stock this spring, but he’s still my personal favourite.”  Here’s a good video of his mechanics, just needs to sort out his pants and jersey, he looks like he’s in his pajamas going to a slumber party.

Tanner Rahier, SS, Palm Desert (Calif.) H.S. - If you can get past all the ads and terrible music, here’s a video of Rahier running, fielding and hitting. He’s got a good stroke.  Here’s the ESPN HS Blog:

Rahier is a strong-bodied shortstop at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds and seems to be filling out in his frame. In the field he has a very strong, accurate arm and moves very well for his build. … He has a solid line drive approach at the plate with current pull power.

The million-dollar question is if he will be able to stay at shortstop. The bat will play at either short or third base, but it seems that time will tell if he will grow out of short. This past February at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., the Scouting Bureau had him slated to work out as a third baseman, so the conversation of a position switch it out there.

Here’s my full preference list (so far):
Stryker Trahan – HS C
Addison Russell – HS SS
Lucas Sims – HS RHP
Hunter Virant – HS LHP
Joey Gallo – HS 1B
Ty Hensley – HS RHP
David Dahl – HS CF
DJ Davis – HS CF
Chris Stratton – College RHP
Richie Shaffer – College 3B
Stephen Piscotty – College 3B
Tanner Rahier – HS SS
Gavin Cecchini – HS SS

What’s yours?

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 31st, 2012 at 12:00 pm and is filed under 2012 MLB Draft, MLB Draft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.