Introduction to the 2010 Draft

MLB's amateur draft is only a few weeks away and while the A's front office has been studying the landscape for over a year now, I'm just now making myself familiar with some of the players that will be drafted.  Here's a quick rundown on the 2010 draft.

• The A's have the 10th overall pick in the draft.  They neither gained nor lost compensatory picks for free agent signings, so will have one pick in each round of the draft.
• There's some guy named Bryce Harper that's supposed to be pretty good...
• After Harper, the next best player is probably Jameson Taillon, a high school pitcher out of Texas.  The best high school position player is probably Manny Machado, a shortstop from Florida.  Neither of these players will be available when the A's pick.
• There are a number of college pitchers who will likely be drafted in the top ten.  The names to watch are Drew Pomeranz (Mississippi), Anthony Ranaudo (LSU), Deck Mcguire (Georgia Tech), and Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast).  Pomeranz could be drafted as high as #2 overall and will certainly be gone by the time the A's pick.  It's also unlikely that Sale will be available.  Ranauado could drop because of injury concerns as could Mcguire because of differing opinions about his ceiling.
• The best high school pitchers after Tallion are Dylan Covey from Pasadena, Karsten Whitsen, from Florida, and AJ Cole, also from Florida.  These pitchers could go anywhere from fifth overall to twentieth, so one or more of these guys may be available to the A's at ten.
• The first four-year college player taken will probably be Yasmani Grandal (Miami (FL)).  Grandal is a good defensive catcher, but probably a worse offensive prospect than Buster Posey was two years ago.  Grandal could go as high as fourth or as low as the middle of the first round, so he may or may not be available when the A's pick.
• After Grandal, the best college hitters are third baseman Zach Cox (Arkansas), shortstop Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton), and right fielder Michael Choice (University of Texas-Arlington).  At least one of these players, and perhaps all three, will be on the board at 10.
• The pickins are a bit slim in the high school crop of hitters.  Machado may very well be the only prep hitter drafted in the top ten this year.  Third baseman Nick Castellanos of Florida and outfielders Josh Sale of Washington and Austin Wilson of North Hollywood are the other high school hitters who could go early in the first round.
• John Sickels at Minor League Ball has a pretty good rundown of the top draft prospects.  Info on the top college pitchers can be found here, here, here, and here.  Info for the top high school pitchers can be found here and here.  Info for the best college hitters can be found here and here.  And info for the best high school hitters can be found here and here.