Draft 2012: - Nick Williams, Kenny Diekroeger, Keon Barnum, David Dahl, Joe Sciafani

9-1-11: - http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com - Nick Williams, Ball HS, Galveston TX, 6'2 190, L/L, smooth hitting CF with very good actions and discipline as a hitter and fielder, ave to abv ave arm strength, room to fill out and get stronger, ran 4.2 from LH side, has power to alleys, definite top 5 for 2012 to follow.

9-29-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/9/28/2455532/all-questions-answered-thread#comments - Kenny Diekroeger - I saw quite a bit of him this year. He started the year showing a nice line drive inducing swing but that eventually devolved into a much less impressive offensive player. Defensively, he showed decent enough range, but his actions were pretty rough and I wasn’t impressed with his arm. I don’t see him sticking at SS, and I’m not sure if 3B is viable given his arm strength.

10-1-11: - http://www.tampabay.com/hometeam/blog/king-1b-keon-barnum-commits-miami/1100  - / King first baseman Keon Barnum, one of the Tampa Bay area's top senior baseball players, has verbally committed to the University of Miami. Barnum, who is also one of the area's top Class of 2012 MLB Draft prospects, committed to the 'Canes Thursday night after returning from a trip to Coral Gables last weekend.

10-1-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/10/01/david-dahl-2012-draft-profile  - David Dahl has above average tools across the board and can play the game.  Even after missing time during the summer due to illness, Dahl remains highly ranked by every scouting service. Dahl is advanced offensively, with a balanced level swing and quick hands.  He has good bat speed and makes consistent contact.  A line drive hitter, Dahl should add more home runs as he matures.  He is aggressive on the bases, and, with his 6.5 spped, always a threat to steal. Dahl is one of the top defensive outfielders eligible for the 2012 draft.  He complements his speed with a legitimate plus arm. When draft day arrives, Dahl is likely to be one of the first 20 names off the board.

10-3-11: - http://ht.ly/1eXiUB - (Joe) Sclafani made an immediate impact into the Dartmouth Big Green lineup as a freshman as he appeared in 44 games hitting .339 with two homers and 35 RBI. At the midseason point of the season, he was moved up to the leadoff role for the Big Green. He ended up hitting .350 at the top of the order with 46 runs and 28 RBIs leading the squad to a 25-7 record when he led off. He was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and named First Team All-Ivy League at shortstop. Joe played the summer of 2009 in the NYCBL with the Amstredam Mohawks. Things didn’t go exactly as played with him struggling at the plate hitting .212 with two homers and 18 RBI in 35 games. He did walk 20 times while striking out on only eight times in 99 at bats.

Draft 2012: - Blake Brown, Nick Williams, Thomas Sickling, Lucas Giolito, Jameis Winston

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Blake Brown, Missouri, 6’1 185, R/R, runs well and aggressive as hitter, strikes out a lot, needs to shorten swing and utilize his speed, throws ok and shows good range in OF.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update  - 5. Kansas City Royals Nick Williams Outfielder Ball High School Texas Williams reminds me of Albert Pujols. The Royals love high school prospects and have such a deep farm system of prospects that they can practically take the best high school player available. Right now that would be Nick Williams.

9-12-11: - http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/09/top-20-position-players-in-florida.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - In the six-team Florida Collegiate Summer League this summer, the Sanford River Rats downed the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs to earn them the title of FCSL Champions. Individually, there were at least 25 position players that turned in great seasons. Unfortunately, I had to narrow the list down to the top 20.- 3. Thomas Sicking INF Leesburg—UTPA - Thomas is 6-1/170 pounds and hails from Ellenton, FL. He was 2nd in the league with a .396 batting average. He scored 23 runs, drove in 12 and hit 4 doubles for the Lightning. The speedy infielder also stole 10 bases this summer. During late June, Thomas had a 9-game hitting streak in which he scored 10 runs for Leesburg.

9-13-11: - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2011/09/baseball-lucas-giolito-tabbed-top-pitcher-in-nation.html  - Perfect Game has come out with its rankings of top pitchers, and No. 1 in the nation is Lucas Giolito, the senior at Studio City Harvard-Westlake. Giolito, a UCLA commit, is going to get plenty of attention this fall. Mark down Jan. 28 on your calendar. That's the day JSerra and Bishop Amat are scheduled to come to Harvard-Westlake's O'Malley Field to play as part of a three-game set that should draw pro scouts en masse.

5-2-11: - (Jameis Winston) is top 10 prospects for some based on potential and closer to 100 for others based on pro readiness. He has the potential to be a top draft pick but he is raw right now. Two sport stars are typically more raw than single sport stars, but the athleticism that he offers could allow him to vault up in the draft if someone sees him as a star, especially a team that could get him to commit solely to baseball. I don't have a set ranking for 2012 yet, but I would say he would be between 30th and 40th in the prep ranks for me. He is playing well this season batting .475 with 4 HR's in 40 AB. He generates a lot of power at the plate with his long, lean frame. He projects as a potential 5 tool CF with time and polish. On the mound, he has a mid to upper 80's fastball and curveball that flashes signs of an above average pitch. He could be an interesting two-way player at FSU, but I think his future is in center field. Taking on playing QB, CF and pitching at FSU might be too much for one player but with his skills, I can't say that he couldn't do it.

2012 Draft: - Mason Katz, Tyler Naquin, Nick Williams, Lance McCullers, Keon Barnum

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Mason Katz, LSU, 5’11 190, R/R, scrappy hitter with decent running ability, throws well enough to play any OF position, ability to make contact as a hitter is his strength and plays hard. 8-12 round type guy.

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Tyler Naquin, Texas A&M, 6’2 175, L/L, string bean with solid arm strength, ability to hit and with occ HR power, as he matures could add more HR frequency, right now more of a contact hitter, who tends to reach for pitches with his aggressiveness.

9-1-11: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/08/31/2012-mlb-draft-top-prospects  - Nick Williams, OF, Galveston Ball HS, TX - Williams features a compact swing with a plane conducive - to covering the outer half well but has quick enough hands to still burn on the inner-half. Williams has plus power and a good amount of loft in his swing. You could make a good argument as to what is more projectable, Williams' body or his swing. Currently, he keeps his front side closed longer than needed, and doesn't open up into contact as much as he could, though he can occasionally get caught in between and pull off with his front side. In time, he could learn how to clear his front side to let his back side fully drive through, which, not coincidentally, is when things would get really entertaining. Clearing his hands from 'hiding' behind his front shoulder might help him get even quicker on the inner half as well. Oh, did we mention he's 6-foot-3' 190 pounds and has room to add 20 pounds without forcing himself to re-learn how to run with the additional weight? Williams is a plus runner with at least an average arm. He has current strength and figures to add plenty more. If you see anyone laying any Griffey comps on this kid, go ahead and laugh them out of the room. However, calling Williams a 'tool shed' certainly won't get you laughed at. Factual statements have a tendency to get treated with respect.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update  - 3. Minnesota Twins Lance McCullers Jr. Pitcher Tampa Jesuit High School Florida Even though were beginning to see pitchers like Mark Appel and Lucas Giolito slowly separate themselves as the #1 and #2 overall prospects at this point, Lance McCullers Jr. is still a top 3 overall talent. You would be a fool to dismiss what Lance brings to the table in terms of pitching potential down the road.

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Keon Barnum, King HS, Tampa FL, 6’4 220, L/L, strong lefty swing with power to RF, arm strength and runs well once underway, 4.3 on grounders, has made some improvements to pitch selection as hitter, still developing. One of better Florida Kids to watch in 2012.