Weymo's Draft Analysis: Part II

Also see:
Expert Draft Analysis (Seriously!): Part I (The Top Collegians)

In his second installment, Weymo takes a look at the high school prospects as well as a few dark horses for the Giants pick.

Tim Beckham SS Griffin HS (GA)

The only possessor of the mythical five tools, Beckham is probably the best overall player available this year. With every team looking for that sparkplug at the top of the lineup who can get on base, swipe a bag and hit for power, it will be a difficult decision for any team to pass on this kid – and not many will. If he falls out of the top three picks, it would be a surprise that the Orioles - desperate for a face-of-the-franchise type player - would be happy to take advantage of. If he falls beyond that, well, Hasan will probably need a diaper.

Beckham comes from a region that has been producing major league talent at an impressive rate and only injury would prevent him from joining that group. More Hanley Ramirez than Jose Reyes – which is kind of like comparing Scarlett Johansson to Megan Fox (bonus points to Hasan if he posts pictures of these two beauties) (Ed's Note: Done and done) - Beckham should climb the ladder fairly quickly if he is willing to listen and learn. In a draft loaded with talent, this kid is the cream of the crop.

Eric Hosmer 1B American Heritage HS (FL)

Among his peers, Hosmer probably identifies most with David Archuleta in this year's college-loaded crop of talented first basemen. I realize my credibility probably just went out the window with the American Idol reference, but whatever, I've got a girlfriend who never misses an episode. What's your excuse? Hosmer isn't a great power hitter right now, but he is big (6'4") and possibly still growing and his swing is well-developed enough to allow him to hit for a high average while the strength develops on the farm.

T h e o n e m a j o r k n o c k o n h i m i s t h a t h e i s e x t r e m e l y s l o w. I've heard baseball guys say "You can't teach fast, but you can fix slow." This obviously isn't always true, as witnessed by Molina, Bengie and McCann, Brian, but if a team is going to invest a first round pick and a hefty signing bonus on a guy you can bet they'll have a coach/roving instructor dedicated to improving his foot-speed – at least for 90 feet.

Hosmer is a good fit for a team that is set at first base at the Major League level for the next five or six years and can afford to stash him away and let him marinate in the minors.

Yonder Alonso 1B Miami

Surprise, surprise, it's another collegiate first baseman projected to go in the top half of the first round. If Smoak is the number 1 college first baseman, Alonso is 1a. The lefty projects as a 30-35 home run guy, but he's going to have to learn to pull the ball more consistently, as the majority of his power is currently concentrated toward left and left-center. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; it shows he's a disciplined, smart hitter who will sacrifice the long ball for the opportunity to get an extra look at a pitcher's offering. When I saw Penn State play Miami in Coral Gables, he put on a power display, going 4-4 with two doubles and a tater.

He's adequate defensively, but first base has always been the place to hide good hitters/average defenders ever since little league – incidentally I was neither, so they strapped the tools on me and stuck me behind the plate. He'll be a middle-of-the-order hitter for most teams and should rise quickly. Once Hosmer and Smoak are gone, Alonso should be ready to answer his phone, perhaps as high as #6 to the hometown Fish.

Kyle Skipworth C Patriot HS (CA)

A potential franchise catcher in five or six years, Skipworth possesses a good stroke from the left side and a big frame that should allow him to develop into a durable 6'2" 220lb., which is what most GMs would describe as the ideal backstop size. He's demonstrated power to all fields and has drawn comparisons to Brian McCann offensively.

Behind the dish, he's an average defender with a plus arm. With some seasoning, he'll at least become an average receiver whose bat will overshadow whatever shortcomings he may bring with him (not unlike McCann). Those of us in DC may be hearing a lot about Kyle since the entire Nats front office has flown to the left coast to see him up close and personal.

Aaron Crow RHP Missouri

Cook is a classic hard throwing righty with an intimidating mound presence and un-hittable off-speed stuff. He's big (6'3") and has avoided health problems thus far. He's been nothing short of dominating in college, finishing his career with an unblemished record of 13-0, a 2.35 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 107 innings. He's almost assuredly a top ten pick and will go to whichever team decides to pass on one of the many talented offensive players ahead of him.

Crow is the second Tiger to be fast-tracked for the Show in the last few years and like Max Scherzer, it shouldn't take Crow long to get the call. Arguably the top collegiate arm in the draft, but Brian Matusz may go before him to a team looking to stock their system with a lefty arm.

And finally, two guys that are getting some late play as the proverbial (signable) rabbit Brian Sabean may pull from his a-, er, hat, at 5...

Brett Wallace and Ike Davis 1B & 1B/OF Arizona State

I had the opportunity to see the two Sun Devils play as freshmen when I traveled to Tempe with Penn State for a three-game set at one of the most beautiful venues for a college baseball game that I've seen.

In that weekend sweep in 2006, Davis and Wallace went a combined 9-17 with 8 RBI, 2 doubles and 2 home runs. (I should point out that Davis didn't have as much luck on the mound in his game 2 start, giving up 5 earned runs in 1.2 innings.) Neither of them have stopped hitting since then, and they are finishing off their collegiate careers in style, hitting .414 (Wallace) and .394 (Davis) with a combined 37 home runs and 154 (!) runs knocked in – and counting. (ASU takes on Fresno State in the Tempe Super Regional this weekend in front of ESPN's cameras – ESPNU on Saturday and the Deuce on Sunday and Monday.) So they've obviously got quite an offensive resume which should get them both off the draft board before the end of the first round.

Wallace will almost surely go first, possibly as the third or fourth first basemen chosen (behind Justin Smoak, Eric Hosmer and Yonder Alonso) and Davis could get snatched up by a team looking for a corner outfielder/first baseman in the 20-30 range, although nobody would be surprised if he climbs into the 10-20 range. Wallace has been referred to by numerous scouting sites as "the best hitter in the draft" but he's got an unusual body build that has some teams wondering what he'll look like in five years. It's almost as if gravity has played a cruel trick on him, with all of the mass in his upper body suddenly dropping below his waist at some point in his life. While most guys would welcome this transfer of weight to specific areas, it makes Wallace appear like he is wearing 10 pairs of sweatpants under his uniform.

Both of these guys project as power bats, with Wallace getting the nod as the better contact hitter, due to Davis' wide-ish stance which sometimes makes it difficult to adjust to off-speed offerings. There's really not much to dislike about either of these guys, however, and both are solid middle-of-the-order bats.

*On a personal note, if you ever get a chance to visit Tempe to see a game, do it, you won't be disappointed. The weather is always perfect and the vista is unmatched. (Except of course for PSU's state-of-the-art new digs overlooking picturesque Mt. Nittany, but I may be a little bit biased…)

Check back tomorrow (D-Day) morning for the final installment in which Weymo reveals his mock draft and final thoughts.

Don't worry folks, I'll have it up in plenty of time for the actual draft, scheduled to begin at 11AM PST.