http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2009team.php?team=1012

Round Overall Player Position School State Bonus

1 1 Stephen Strasburg RHP San Diego State Calif.

In the history of the draft, no prospect has received as much predraft hype
and publicity as Strasburg—and the attention is warranted. His combination
of stuff, pitching savvy and command make him a once-in-a-generation
phenomenon. Between spreads in national magazines, television features and
glowing articles in major newspapers, Strasburg has had a stunning junior
season for the Aztecs. A relatively low-profile recruit, he has improved by
leaps and bounds both physically and mentally as a college player. He closed
as a freshman and BA ranked him as the New England Collegiate League's No. 1
prospect in 2007, and he emerged as a dominant starter in 2008, highlighted
by a 23-strikeout effort against Utah. He pitched both for USA Baseball's
college national team and then on the Olympic team last summer, the lone
amateur ever to win a spot on a pro Team USA roster. He lost to Cuba in the
Olympic semifinal, and that's the last time he has lost a game. His 2009
statistics defy belief for a player competing at the major college level.
After a no-hitter against Air Force, he was 11-0, 1.24, with 164 strikeouts
against 17 walks in 87 innings. He had allowed just 48 hits this season, for
a .161 opponent average. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Strasburg grabs your
attention first with his sensational raw velocity. In his first start of the
season, his first six pitches registered 98-99 mph, and he touched 100 and
101 later in the season. Of course, raw velocity is no guarantee of major
league success, but Strasburg has much more than that. His hard, slurvy
curveball is an 81-82 mph hitter's nightmare. Not since Tim Lincecum has one
hurler had both the best fastball and the best curve in the same draft.
Represented by Scott Boras Corp., Strasburg will no doubt engage in
protracted negotiations, and predraft rumors indicated his demands could go
as high as $50 million or that he could try a side trip to Japan to make
himself a free agent. Barring something unforeseen, though, he will likely
sign right at the Aug. 15 deadline and should command a guarantee in the $12
million-$15 million range. There's no doubt that Strasburg is the best
college pitching prospect since Mark Prior came out of Southern California in
2001. Prior's career illustrates that no amateur pitcher is guaranteed
long-term professional success, but Strasburg is the closest to a sure thing
that scouts have ever seen. Major league organizations may not see a prospect
like Strasburg for another 20 or 30 years, so the Nationals will not let him
pass with the No. 1 pick.

1 10 Drew Storen RHP Stanford Calif. $1,600,000

Storen was considered one of the more polished high school pitchers available
in the 2007 draft, which makes sense since he was 19. He instantly settled in
as the closer and helped the Cardinal reach the 2008 College World Series.
The eligible sophomore has been one of the few bright spots for a
disappointing '09 Stanford club. Storen has been one of the team's few
consistent performers, thanks to his ability to throw quality strikes. He
pumps his fastball in the 92-94 mph range and regularly touches 95-96. His
fastball has decent life, and his biggest difficulty has been locating it.
When he misses, he misses up, leaving him a bit homer prone. While he throws
a decent changeup, it's rare, and his power slider is his best secondary
pitch, giving him a second plus offering. Storen challenges hitters and isn't
afraid to pitch inside. He has a good chance to be the first college closer
drafted, potentially in the supplemental or second round. While many eligible
sophomores at academic institutions such as Stanford can be tough signs,
Storen, whose father Mark Patrick is a radio talk show host who worked on XM
Radio's Home Plate baseball channel, will be 22 in August and has little left
to prove in college.


2 50 Jeff Kobernus 2B California Calif.

Kobernus is one of the most versatile players in the nation. His athletic and
still projectable 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame fits almost anywhere on the
diamond, and indeed he has played several positions during his career at Cal.
He played second base this season, overcoming a sluggish start to bat
.351/.385/.563 with eight home runs in a disappointing season for the Golden
Bears. With above average speed, Kobernus stole 17 bases this spring, giving
him 41 for his career. Defensively, Kobernus displays fine range, with
excellent hands and playmaking ability. He will make careless errors, as with
many young infielders, but his arm and glove grade out to solid-average.
Primarily a line drive hitter, Kobernus shows an advanced approach, utilizing
the entire field and intelligently looking to go with the pitch when needed.
He will flash occasional power, but his forte is gap-to-gap line drives.
While Kobernus does not have overwhelming tools in any one area, he is an
athletic and well-rounded player who has the potential to fill any number of
roles as a professional. Look for the organization that drafts him to start
him out as a second baseman, with a move to third possible if he fills out
his frame more.


3 81 Trevor Holder RHP Georgia Ga.

Holder was a 10th-round pick last season and should go in about the same
range this June. He allowed 19 home runs in 92 innings as he failed to
harness his improved velocity. Holder's fastball touched 95 and sat in the
91-94 mph range for much of the spring, but it's straight as an arrow at that
speed, and hitters seemed to be running to the bat rack rather than being
intimidated by the velocity. He has more movement when he throws it 88-91
mph, setting up a solid slurvy breaking ball and fringy changeup. Reliever
Jeff Walters has a pro body at 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, and pro pitches with a
90-92 mph fastball and solid-average slider. A 30th-round pick last year out
of St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC, his changeup has its moments and could help him
start in pro ball. He lacks command of his stuff, and no pitch or trait
separates him from the pack.


4 112 A.J. Morris RHP Kansas State Kan.

Morris has been one of the biggest surprises of the college season, ranking
second in NCAA Division I in wins (11) and third in ERA (1.67) entering the
final week of the regular season. He handed Arizona State's Mike Leake his
only loss of the season, and would have dealt Missouri's Kyle Gibson a defeat
if Kansas State's bullpen hadn't blown a lead for him. It has been a far cry
from his 4-4, 6.04 performance as a sophomore. Morris has dominated with just
two pitches, a 90-91 mph fastball that tops out at 94 and a solid slider. He
locates both with precision, usually on the corners and at the knees, and his
command allows them both to play above their average grades. Morris is
throwing from a lower arm slot this year, giving him more lateral life on his
pitches, and he has scrapped an ineffective curveball. Hitters have trouble
picking up his pitches. He also has added 15 pounds and now carries 200 on
his 6-foot-2 frame. Morris hasn't needed a changeup and some area scouts say
they haven't even see him throw one while warming up between innings. His
emergence began in the West Coast League last summer, and some clubs tried to
sign him as a free agent after he went undrafted last June as a
sophomore-eligible. Some scouts worry about his size, arm action and lack of
a third pitch, but a team that believes heavily in performance could take him
early in the second round.


5 142 Miguel Pena LHP La Joya HS, Mission, Texas Texas

Miguel Pena appeals to scouts because he's a three-pitch lefty who's
projectable and signable. He has a lot of room to add strength to his
6-foot-2, 160-pound frame, and he uses a loose, easy delivery to throw an
86-88 mph fastball with good life. He also spins a curveball better and has
more feel for a changeup than most high school pitchers. He has committed to
San Jacinto JC.


6 172 Michael Taylor SS Wesminster Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Fla.


7 202 Dean Weaver RHP Georgia Ga.

Weaver struggled badly as a starter earlier in his college career but started
unlocking his talent in the New England Collegiate League in 2007. The league
also featured Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 prospect, and probable 2009
first-rounder A.J. Pollock of Notre Dame. Weaver doesn't figure to go in the
first round, but he should be the second player picked from Georgia after
first baseman Rich Poythress. He was better suited to the setup role he
filled last season in front of Joshua Fields, as he uses a three-quarters arm
slot to fire a pair of plus pitches that nonetheless aren't strikeout
pitches. Weaver throws strikes with a two-seamer that varies in velocity. At
times he runs it up to 96 and pitches at 92-94 mph; in other appearances, he
sits in the upper 80s. His slider can be a plus pitch at times as well, with
solid tilt. He gets plenty of ground balls and has given up just seven home
runs in 118 career innings. Weaver has flashed a changeup, and his 6-foot-4,
211-pound frame could possibly handle the load of starting if he ever got
another shot at it. He figures into the fourth-to-sixth round range this
June.


8 232 Roberto Perez SS Dorado (P.R.) Academy

Teams are split on where Roberto Perez will end up. Some teams prefer the
6-foot-1, 175-pound righthander on the mound, some see him at shortstop and
others would like him to move to third base or even behind the plate. Lauded
for his makeup and work ethic, Perez has been working hard to improve his
defense and hitting. He wants to stay at shortstop, where he's quick to the
ball and has a plus arm, but his actions are a bit mechanical and he doesn't
have great hands. Perez has a high-energy, all-or-nothing swing and has
focused on staying back and learning how to go the other way. Battling a
stomach virus that had him running to the bathroom between innings, he still
led the Excellence Tournament in hitting. On the mound, he's been clocked as
high as 92 mph. Perez will continue to play both ways if he winds up at
Oklahoma State.


9 262 Taylor Jordan RHP Brevard (Fla.) CC Fla.


10 292 Paul Applebee LHP UC Riverside Calif.

Applebee is the prototypical crafty lefthander, moving his 86 mph fastball
around the strike zone and keeping hitters off-balance with an excellent
curveball and changeup. He doesn't miss many bats, but Applebee doesn't give
up a lot of solid contact either. After a solid summer in the Cape Cod
League, Applebee went 10-2, 3.74 this spring. His track record and ability to
keep the ball in the ballpark (five homers allowed in 89 innings) could make
him the second Highlander drafted, after closer Joe Kelly.


11 322 Justin Bloxom OF Kansas State Kan.

12 352 Nathan Karns RHP Texas Tech Texas

13 382 Pat Lehman RHP George Washington  D.C.

14 412 Naoya Washiya OF JC of the Desert (Calif.) Calif.

15 442 Corey Davis 1B Coffee HS, Douglas, Ga. Ga.

16 472 Sean Nicol SS San Diego Calif.

17 502 Chad Jenkins LHP Cecil (Md.) CC Md.

18 532 Marcus Stroman SS Patchogue-Medford (N.Y.) HS N.Y.

19 562 Frank Corolla RHP Houston Texas

20 592 Jake Walker 3B Concordia Chicago Ill.

21 622 Mitchell Clegg LHP Massachusetts Mass.

22 652 Daniel Rosenuam LHP Xavier Ohio

23 682 Kyle Breautt SS Northville (Mich.) HS Mich.


24 712 Dustin Crane RHP Snead State (Ala.) CC Ala.

Righthander Dustin Crane, a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder at Snead State CC, hit 95
mph with his fastball and sat at 91-92. A fourth-year sophomore, Crane turns
23 in August, having missed time due to 2007 Tommy John surgery. He throws a
curveball, slider and changeup as well.


25 742 Matt Ridings RHP Western Kentucky Ky.

26 772 Gianison Boekhoudt SS Carroll HS, Southlake, Texas Texas

27 802 Brandon King RHP Martinsburg (W.Va.) HS W.Va.

28 832 Matt Swynenberg RHP Black Hawk (Iowa) JC Iowa

29 862 Evan Bronson LHP Trinity (Texas) Texas

30 892 Rob Wort RHP Jefferson (Mo.) JC Mo.

31 922 J.J. Sferra OF Nevada-Las Vegas Nev.

32 952 Kyle Morrison RHP Wagner N.Y.

33 982 Nick De Santiago C Hays HS, Kyle, Texas Texas

34 1012 Shane McCatty RHP Oakland (Mich.) Mich.

35 1042 Jacob Morris OF Coppell (Texas) HS Texas

36 1072 Joshua Miller LHP O'Connor HS, Helotes, Texas Texas

37 1102 Josh Elander C Round Rock (Texas) HS Texas

38 1132 Chris Manno LHP Duke N.C.

39 1162 Kyle Martin RHP St. Michael's Academy, Austin Texas

40 1192 Joseph Hughes RHP McMichael HS, Mayodan, N.C. N.C.

41 1222 Dane Opel OF Edwardsville (Ill.) HS Ill.

42 1252 Daniel Cropper RHP UNC Wilmington N.C.


43 1282 Cohl Walla RHP Lake Travis HS, Austin, Texas Texas

Walla earned all-state honors at wide receiver as Lake Travis won the Texas
4-A state football title in the fall of 2007, catching 68 passes for 1,072
yards and 13 touchdowns. He hasn't played football since, skipping his senior
season on the gridiron to focus on baseball. That decision should prove to be
wise, though questionable signability could drop him out of the early rounds
this June and make him more of a prime draft prospect for 2012. Walla is an
extremely athletic 6-foot-4, 170-pounder with the room to add plenty of
muscle. He's wiry strong and shows raw power with an easy righthanded swing,
but he hasn't hit as well as a senior as he did as a junior. Walla has
above-average speed and plays a solid center field. He even offers arm
strength, as he has shown an 88-91 mph fastball and flashed a hammer
curveball on the mound. He's more of a thrower than a pitcher, however, and
scouts prefer him as a position player. Walla verbally committed to Texas
Christian before changing his mind and opting for Texas. He may not be
signable outside of the first two rounds, but his talent fits more in the
fourth- to sixth-round area for now.

44 1312 Hoby Milner LHP Paschal HS, Fort Worth, Texas Texas

Milner's father Brian is the only high school position player in the draft
era who began his pro career in the major leagues. Brian fell to the Blue
Jays in the seventh round of the 1978 draft because he had a scholarship to
play baseball and football at Arizona State, but signed for a then-club
record $150,000. He went for 4-for-9 in two big league games before heading
to the minors, where injuries destroyed his career. Milner looks like the son
of a former big leaguer, as he has clean, repeatable mechanics that allow him
to command his pitches with ease. He throws a consistent 87-90 mph fastball
with little effort, and it's easy to envision him adding velocity as he packs
more strength on his skinny 6-foot-2, 155-pound frame. Milner's second pitch
is a quality curveball, though he sometimes gets under it. With his aptitude,
he should be able to develop a reliable changeup. The biggest caveat scouts
have with Milner is that he got knocked around on the showcase circuit last
summer and hasn't dominated lesser competition in high school. Unlike his
father, he probably won't sign out of high school because his mother is
adamant that he20follow through on a University of Texas scholarship.
Milner's talent could fit him as high as the third or fourth round, but it
may take a seven-figure bonus to sign him.

45 1342 Michael Ratterree SS Memorial HS, Houston Texas

46 1372 Seth Greene RHP Deep Run HS, Glen Allen, Va. Va.

47 1402 Darius Rudoph 2B Snead State (Ala.) CC Ala.

48 1432 Zach Duggert C Ball State Ind.

49 1462 Jose Sermo OF Ileana de Gracia HS, Vega Alta, P.R.

50 1492 Alvin Hines OF Pelham (Ala.) HS Ala.