2012 Draft: Baseball Prospectus’ Mock Draft

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus published his mock draft today, and you don’t need a subscription to read it. It’s free for all. He has the Astros selecting prep outfielder Byron Buxton first overall despite reports from yesterday saying they are expected to take Stanford right-hander Mark Appel. KG says his asking price may have become an issue.

Goldstein has the Yankees selecting one of Appel’s teammates with their first selection (#30 overall), third baseman/outfielder Stephen Piscotty. He says they remain interested in high school arms — specifically Lucas Sims and Walker Weickel — but have been connected to college bats most recently, specifically Piscotty. He’s one of the few players who haven’t been ruined by the “Stanford Swing,” a rigid approach the coaching staff implements that results in soft contact the other way. Piscotty has the strength to hit 20+ homers a year and is defensively strong enough to remain at the hot corner or slide to right field if necessary.