http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2008team.php?team=1012


Round Overall Player        Position  School             State   Bonus


  1      9    Aaron Crow        RHP   Missouri           Mo.

In three years, Crow has gone from an undrafted high school senior to the
best righthander in the 2008 draft, thanks largely to the best fastball
package available. Other pitchers may throw harder, but no one can match the
combination of Crow's velocity (92-96 mph with a peak of 98), hard sink,
command and ability to maintain his fastball. He also has a plus slider,
though he tends to rely on it too much. His changeup can become a solid third
pitch, but he has had little use for it in college. He has control and
command, keeping the ball down and throwing strikes to both sides of the
plate. If there's a quibble, it's Crow's delivery, which has some effort but
is cleaner than it was coming out of high school. Some teams wonder if his
mechanics and size (generously listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds) might make
him more of a closer than a frontline starter. Crow led the Cape Cod League
with a 0.67 ERA last summer and was the No. 1 prospect in the league. He
threw 43 consecutive scoreless innings early this spring, and was tied for
the D-I lead with 11 wins. He wasn't as sharp after the streak and was pulled
from a start with back spasms, but he solidified his place at the top of the
first round.



  2     55    Destin Hood        OF   St. Paul's         Ala.    $1,100,000
                                      Episcopal HS,
                                      Mobile, Ala.

Hood showed his raw power and lightning-quick bat speed when he tied for the
home run derby title at the Aflac Classic last fall. Raw and electric are two
words scouts use to describe Hood. He has four raw tools but each with
above-average projection. An exceptional athlete with a combination of
strength and speed, Hood is signed to play football (wide receiver) and
baseball at Alabama. At the plate, Hood has bat speed and raw power to rival
anyone in this draft class, but his hit tool is currently lacking as he often
swings and misses. A shortstop in high school, Hood will most definitely be
moved to the outfield due to his below-average arm strength. He is a plus
runner, and although his instincts are under-developed, could be an average
defender in the future. The team that drafts Hood will believe in his ability
to eventually hit. Upon reaching high ceiling, Hood projects as a middle of
the order impact bat.


  3     87    Danny Espinosa     SS   Long Beach State   Calif.  $525,000

Espinosa is one of the most distinctive players in college baseball with his
strong, mature build and slightly bowlegged "egg beater" running style. Long
praised by scouts for his work ethic and hustling style of play, Espinosa
gets maximum results out of average tools. One scout compared him to former
Cal State Fullerton infielder Justin Turner, though with a bit more
athleticism. Defensively, his range is fair and his glove work is unorthodox,
but he does possess a strong arm. While he handled shortstop well for Team
USA last summer, Espinosa is not a pure shortstop and may be better suited to
second base or as a utility player. His intelligent and aggressive
baserunning masks raw speed that is only average. A switch-hitter, Espinosa
has always been stronger from his natural right side, but improved from the
left this year. He takes a wicked cut at anything close, and when he squares
a pitch up he can produce screaming drives to all fields. Most scouts want to
see more plate discipline and patience from Espinosa, who's considered a
streak hitter. His lack of overwhelming tools will keep him out of the first
two rounds, but he has a lot of attributes scouts love, including the knack
to make those around him better.


  4     121   Graham Hicks      LHP   Jenkins HS,        Fla.    $475,000
                                      Lakeland, Fla.

Lefthander Graham Hicks significantly improved his draft stock with an
impressive performance at the Florida high school all-star game. Hicks showed
a fastball up to 92 mph and plus pitchability with his curveball and changeup
as well. All three are average pitches at worst with potential to improve.
Hicks is a projectable 6-foot-5, 170 pounds with room to add strength and
velocity to his fastball.


  5     151   Adrian Nieto       C    American Heritage  Fla.    $376,000
                                      HS, Plantation,
                                      Fla.

A Cuban refugee, Nieto came to America as an 8-year-old and started catching
not long after. A teammate of Hosmer since he was 11, the two have made
pitchers' lives miserable for years. An Aflac All-American in the fall, Nieto
is thought to be the best switch-hitting catching prospect in the country.
Nieto is blessed with an above-average arm and has good instincts behind the
plate. There are concerns with his receiving and blocking skills and whether
or not he will be able to stay behind the plate is still to be determined.
Regardless of position, he will be an offensive player. With power to all
fields from both sides of the plate, Nieto has a good feel for hitting. At
times, his approach at the plate needs refinement as he can be fooled or
caught chasing. At 6 feet and 200 pounds, Nieto is more athletic than he
looks and he runs and moves well for a catcher. Nieto plays the game with an
ego and a swagger that should carry him to the big leagues. He is signed to
play baseball at South Florida in the fall.


  6     181   Paul Demny        RHP   Blinn (Texas) JC   Texas   $110,000

Demny looks the part of a prospect, as he has a strong 6-foot-3, 218-pound
frame and can touch 94 mph with his fastball. He doesn't hold his velocity
for more than a couple of innings, however, and pitches at 87-90 mph. His
breaking ball is slurvy, and both his changeup and command are in the
developmental stages.


  7     211   Dan Killian        C    Kellogg (Mich.) CC Mich.   $100,000


  8     241   Ricardo Pecina    LHP   San Diego          Calif.  $100,000


  9     271   J.R. Higley        1B   Sacramento CC      Calif.  $150,000

A first baseman drawing interest is Loyola Marymount transfer J.R. Higley,
who played this season at Sacramento City College. He has a solid hit tool
and more athleticism than the average first baseman, as he went to Loyola
Marymount as a shorstop.


  10    301   Tom Milone        LHP   Southern           Calif.  $65,000
                                      California

USC's top pitcher for the draft, righthander Tommy Milone, had a solid season
working with first-year Trojans pitching coach Tom House, and did a better
job of keeping his fringe-average stuff down. He gave up just four homers all
year and struck out a batter an inning while lacking a plus pitch.


  11    331   Marcus Jones       OF   North Carolina     N.C.    $150,000
                                      State

Marcus Jones is an intriguing prospect in center field for N.C. State. With a
prototypical athlete's body, Jones runs well and looks the part on the
baseball field. Defensively, Jones is an above-average defender with an
average arm. The question is whether he'll hit enough at the professional
level. Jones has good plate coverage and the ability to hit for power, and he
has room to add strength.


  12    361   Will Atwood       LHP   South Carolina     S.C.


  13    391   Blake Stouffer     2B   Texas A&M          Texas

Blake Stouffer, was a fourth-round pick of the Reds in 2007, when he led NCAA
Division I with 85 RBIs. Scouts saw him as a switch-hitter with gap power and
solid speed, and the big knock on him was that he didn't profile well
defensively at any position. After negotiations soured with Cincinnati,
Stouffer came back for his senior season and proved he could handle second
base well enough to play there in pro ball. But his offensive performance
regressed, and he's unlikely to get the $200,000 the Reds reportedly offered
him a year ago.


  14    421   Louis Coleman     RHP   Louisiana State    La.

Righthander Louis Coleman went from starting on Friday nights for LSU as a
freshman to struggling out of the bullpen as a sophomore. Tigers coaches had
him pitch from a sidearm slot by the end of the 2007 season, but it didn't
help. Coleman raised his arm angle back up to three-quarters this spring and
has been a dynamic long reliever, pitching from 89-93 mph with run and sink
on his fastball. His slider also is improved, and he never had much trouble
throwing strikes.


  15    451   J.P. Ramirez       OF   Canyon HS, New     Texas   $1,000,000
                                      Braunfels, Texas

Ramirez is arguably the best hitter among Texas' draft prospects this year—
high school or college. He performed well all along the showcase circuit and
batter .395 for the U.S. junior national team last summer. Employing a smooth
lefthanded stroke, he smokes line drives from gap to gap. However, Ramirez'
true value and his signability remain subjects of debate. He may be a tweener
by pro standards. He's not big (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) and lacks the raw
power that clubs want in a corner outfielder, while his fringy speed will
prevent him form playing center field. His arm likely will relegate him to
left field. Two different scouts compared him to David Dellucci. As much as
Ramirez' hitting ability and his makeup draw praise, teams are unlikely to
meet his top-two-rounds asking price to prevent him from attending Tulane.


  16    481   Tyler Moore        1B   Mississippi State  Miss.


  17    511   Jose Lozada        SS   Bethune-Cookman    Fla.


  18    541   Bobby Hansen      LHP   Lewis-Palmer HS,   Colo.   $142,500
                                      Monument, Colo.


  19    571   Steve Lombardozzi  SS   St. Petersburg     Fla.
                                      (Fla.) JC


  20    601   Nick Akins         OF   Riverside (Calif.) Calif.
                                      CC

Riverside CC's Nick Akins' tools compare with any player in the nation, with
a chiseled 6-foot-2, 212-pound build that would make a bodybuilder insecure.
His raw bat speed is the equal of any draft-eligible player in the nation,
and he hit 13 home runs this spring. Akins has always had a frustrating
inability to hit offspeed and breaking stuff down in the zone, however, often
chasing those pitches. After starting the 2008 season strong, he slumped to
end the year. He's raw defensively and fits best at second base or left
field. He's still showing the effects of missing the last year of his prep
career in a well-chronicled on-field incident that got him kicked off his
high school team.


  21    631   Michael Guerrero   OF   Mississippi        Miss.

Guerrero has athletic ability in the outfield and a chance to hit with
occasional power at the professional level.


  22    661   Chris Curran       2B   Miami-Dade CC      Fla.


  23    691   Derrick Phillips   OF   Westminster        Mo.
                                      Christian Academy,
                                      St. Louis


  24    721   Chris Kelley      RHP   Rice               Texas


  25    751   Austin Garrett    LHP   College of         S.C.
                                      Charleston


  26    781   Cory Mazzoni      RHP   Seneca Valley HS,  Pa.
                                      Harmony, Pa.

Mazzoni has a clean, loose arm action and a good breaking ball, though it
still needs work. He also has feel for a changeup. Mazzoni runs his fastball
up to 92 despite his 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame.


  27    811   Chris Solis        C    Incarnate Word     Texas
                                      (Texas)


  28    841   Nick Arata         SS   Florida Atlantic   Fla.


  29    871   Chris Heston      RHP   Seminole (Fla.) CC Fla.


  30    901   Casey Whitmer     RHP   Texas              Texas


  31    931   Bryan Harper      LHP   Las Vegas HS       Nev.

Cal State Northridge signee Bryan Harper at times showed three average to
plus pitches. His fastball sat at 87-89 mph and bumped some 90s while showing
plus potential with his slider. He also has feel for a changeup, and at
6-foot-5, 185 pounds, there's room for him to add strength and velocity. He
may eventually be known as Bryce Harper's brother, as his freshman sibling
may have been the state's top player this year, at age 14.


  32    961   Scott Silverstein LHP   St. John's HS,     D.C.
                                      Washington D.C.

If not for a midseason arm injury, Scott Silverstein likely would have been
in the Top 200. After experiencing stiffness in the back of his shoulder,
Silverstein was ordered to rest and didn't pitch for most of this season.
When healthy, the lefthander pitches in the low 90s with a projectable
breaking ball and advanced changeup. Due to the injury, Silverstein will
likely be at Virginia next fall.


  33    991   Billy Cather      OF    Maine              Maine

Maine's Billy Cather is an exceptional defensive center fielder with
above-average speed that plays on the basepaths (he stole 15 bases in 19
attempts this spring). He lacks strength at the plate, but one scout said he
could play center field in the majors right away.


  34   1021   Brian Pruitt      OF    Stetson            Fla.


  35   1051   Clayton Dill     LHP    Missouri Baptist   Mo.


  36   1081   John Lambert     LHP    Santa Fe (Fla.) CC Fla.


  37   1111   Casey Selsor     LHP    Reagan HS,         Texas
                                      San Antonio


  38   1141   Ronnie Labrie     3B    Lynchburg (Va.)    Va.

  39   1171   James Keithley    SS    Texas-San Antonio  Texas


  40   1201   Avery Barnes      OF    Florida            Fla.


  41   1231   Mike Rayl        LHP    Palm Beach         Fla.
                                      (Fla.) CC


  42   1261   Naoya Washiya     OF    JC of the Desert   Calif.
                                      (Calif.)


  43   1291   Anthony Meo      RHP    Cranston (R.I.)    R.I.
                                      West HS

Cranston (R.I.) West righthander Anthony Meo flashes 91-92 mph velocity from
a low-three-quarters arm slot that lends his fastball some movement. But he
throws across his body and lacks secondary stuff, and he'll probably wind up
at Coastal Carolina in the fall.


  44   1321   J.P. Padron       1B    Rice               Texas


  45   1350   Colin Rooney      SS    Saddleback         Calif.
                                      (Calif.) CC


  46   1378   Robbie Brantly    C     Chaparral HS,      Ariz.
                                      Scottsdale, Ariz


  47   1405   Anthony Coletti  LHP    South Broward HS,  Fla.
                                      Hollywood, Fla.


  48   1432   Alex Dickerson    OF    Poway (Calif.) HS  Calif.


  49   1459   B.J. Zimmerman    OF    Osceola HS,        Fla.
                                      Kissimmee, Fla.


  50   1486   Fernando Frias    OF    Washington HS,     N.Y.
                                      New York