This is for the real draft, not the Talksox draft. One of my favorite parts of the baseball season that doesn't involve the actual playing of the game. Here are my projections.
1. Washington Nationals: Steven Strasburg is the obvious #1 pick for Washington. 102 MPH fastball, could be a front of the rotation starter right now, etc...you've heard it all. The rest of the draft is where the questions are at.
2. Seattle Mariners: For #2 I think Dustin Ackley goes to Seattle. His TJ surgery may be a worry, but he's probably the best hitter in the draft. At UNC as a 1B/OF he hit .417 with a 1.301 OPS. For anyone interested, here is an interview.
3. San Diego Padres: I think the Padres play it relatively safe and go with Alex White. They've had some poor drafts recently, highlighted by the Matt Bush pick. White spent three years at UNC at is relatively polished. Donovan Tate was a guy I considered here, but he's a signability risk, so I don't think he'd go this high.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: Rumor has it that the Pirates are looking at high school prospects for this draft. That, along with their organizational need for some serious pitching, leads me to Zach Wheeler. He has a low-mid 90s fastball and he already has solid mechanics for a HSer.
5. Baltimore Orioles: I'm going with Grant Green. He was the consensus 3 pick before his poor season this year. However, the Orioles are in need of a guy like him, and they're usually not afraid to deal with Boras clients. One of the reasons Green is going this high is because of hitter scarcity in the draft.
I'll post more later.