Content: Reports written by Jim Callis, Aaron Fitt, Conor Glassey, John Manuel and Nathan Rode.

101. Mitch Nay, 3b, Hamilton HS, Chandler, Ariz.

Nay started the year slowly, and scouts said he was trying to put his team on his back and pressing at the plate. He struggled offensively and defensively before turning things around in the weeks leading up to the draft. He has been flying up draft boards and could even sneak into the back half of the first round. Nay has a good frame at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds and shows above-average power potential, as well as a plus arm. Some scouts wonder how much Nay will hit for average, though he did make adjustments this season when he realized pitchers were throwing him a steady diet of curveballs and changeups. He’ll have to work to stay at third base, but could handle a move to right field because of his arm strength. Nay moves well laterally but has below-average speed. He’s part of a loaded Arizona State recruiting class, but Nay is unlikely to wind up on campus.

102. Andrew Toles, of, Chipola (Fla.) JC

Toles was part of the deep Georgia prep class of 2010 and . . .

Content: Reports written by Jim Callis, Aaron Fitt, Conor Glassey, John Manuel and Nathan Rode.

126. Alex Young, lhp, Carmel Catholic HS, Mundelein, Ill.

Young is the top prospect in Illinois, but he may not be the first player selected from the state because of signability questions. A team could select him as early as the third round, but that may not be high enough to lure him away from a Texas Christian commitment. After three years with the Horned Frogs, he could go even higher because he’s a projectable lefthander who’s just starting to figure things out on the mound. His fastball ranges from 87-91 mph and has touched 93 in workouts. The projection and athleticism in his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame hint at more velocity. With large hands and long fingers, he also shows aptitude for spinning a curveball. Young needs to improve his fastball life, curveball consistency and overall command, as well as a developing a changeup. But all of the ingredients are there.

127. Timmy Lopes, 2b, Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif.

For years, Lopes was overshadowed by his high-profile older brother Christian, who wound up signing for an $800,000 bonus as the Blue Jays’ seventh-round pick last . . .

Content: Reports written by Jim Callis, Aaron Fitt, Conor Glassey, John Manuel and Nathan Rode.

151. Josh Schubert, of, Calhoun (Ga.) HS

Schubert is in the process of legally changing his last name from the current McAdams. By any name, he’s one of the toolsier preps hitters in Georgia, a high-risk, high-reward player with significant upside. He’s 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, and he runs well for his size, a tick above-average now, though he will wind up a fringy or below-average runner as he fills out. Otherwise, it’s not hard to project on Schubert, a righthanded hitter who flashes plus raw power when he makes consistent contact. He’ll likely wind up on a corner, and his strong arm makes right field a logical future location. Teams that believe in Schubert’s bat have to believe he’ll refine a raw approach at the plate, relying in part on his impressive batting-practice displays. He committed late to High Point, and scouts consider him signable, which may get him to get picked in the first two rounds even though the scouting consensus appears to peg him as a third- to fifth-round talent.

152. Steven Okert, lhp, Oklahoma

The Brewers drafted Okert after each of his two . . .

Content: Reports written by Jim Callis, Aaron Fitt, Conor Glassey, John Manuel and Nathan Rode.

176. Edgardo Rivera, of, Inzarry de Puig HS, Toa Baja, P.R.

Rivera was essentially an unknown before playing in Puerto Rico’s Excellence Tournament in May. He cemented himself as one of the island’s top prospects there and reminded some scouts of 2009 first rounder Reymond Fuentes. Rivera isn’t as polished, but he has similar tools, beginning with premium speed. Rivera is at least a 70 runner on the 20-80 scale and some scouts give him 80 grades. He lacks instincts in the outfield but has the speed to make up for bad jumps or reads. His arm is fringe-average but projects to be average or better with pro instruction and a throwing program. At the plate, Rivera has a short swing from the left side of the plate and the ball jumps off his bat. Power won’t be a part of Rivera’s game and he’ll likely need two years in short-season ball, but he could be an average hitter. Because Rivera came on so late, teams might not have seen enough of him to take him in the first five rounds, but his tools are hard . . .

Content: . . .

Content:

One of the most significant provisions of the new draft
rules will be the prescribed bonuses for every pick in the
first 10 rounds. Major League Baseball had tried for years to curb draft
spending with recommended bonuses, but those proved ineffective with no penalties to back them up. With a punitive tax and the possibility of
losing picks in future drafts behind the numbers now, teams are expected to
stick to them much more closely.

The numbers build off the bonus set for the No. 1 pick,
which is $7.2 million this year. Every pick from 2-338 is expressed as a
percentage of the No. 1 pick, down to $125,000 for the final picks of the 10th
round. A team’s total budget for the first 10 rounds is the sum of the numbers
for all of its picks, so teams that have extra picks and early picks have more
money to spend. The Twins have the highest budget this year, with the second
overall pick as well as extra picks.

Teams can spread the money among their picks in the top 10
rounds in different ways so long as they stay under the total budget. For
example, the Astros . . .

Content: BAXLEY, GA.—To see the best high school position player for the 2011 draft, scouts had to go to Gardner, Kan., to see outfielder Bubba Starling. While not a baseball hotbed, Gardner was a relatively easy trip, as it’s about 30 miles from downtown Kansas City.

Baxley, Ga., on the other hand, is much more remote. A Deep South town, population 4,509, Baxley is bisected by U.S. 341 about 100 miles southwest of Savannah, Ga., a 30-minute drive from the middle of nowhere. The nearest major airport is two hours south—in Jacksonville, Fla. The nearest lodging is at least 15 miles away.

Ask any scout, though, and they’ll tell you the trip is worth every bit of effort. Appling County High outfielder Byron Buxton is arguably the best player available in the 2012 draft, and when scouts describe him they draw comparisons to Matt Kemp, B.J. and Justin Upton and others.

“This guy is better than (Pirates outfielder Andrew) McCutchen,” a National League crosschecker says. “He’s probably the best player I’ve scouted.”

Through 88 at-bats this season, Buxton was hitting .545/.649/.852 with 51 runs, 22 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 32 attempts. He had struck out just three times and . . .

Content:
See Also: Video of Correa taking BP at the Excellence Tournament

CAGUAS, P.R. —  When shortstop Carlos Correa first transferred to the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy three years ago, there wasn’t any fanfare or hype involved. Coming from Raham Baptist Academy, there was little reason to believe Correa may soon become his country’s most prized draft pick.

“When he came to us, he was a lanky kid, a little bit raw,” said Puerto Rico Baseball Academy coach Carlos Berroa, who also serves as a Marlins scout. “He had some tools with him, but needed to refine them and obviously he’s done that really well.”

Now, Correa looks like a surefire top 10 pick and will likely become the highest-drafted player ever out of Puerto Rico. That label is currently held by catcher Ramon Castro, who was picked 17th overall by the Astros in 1994, three months before Correa was born.

A graceful athlete standing 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Correa can do it all on the field.

“He’s got a whole package of tools,” Berroa said. “He’s a guy who’s going to hit, he’s got power, he has a gun for an arm, he’s got excellent actions and hands. Perhaps his . . .

Content: One of the most significant provisions of the new draft rules is the creation of prescribed bonuses for every pick in the first 10 rounds. Major League Baseball had tried for years to curb draft spending with recommended bonus amounts, but those proved ineffective with no real punishment to back them up. With a punitive tax and the possibility of losing picks in future drafts behind the numbers now, teams are expected to stick to them much more closely.

The numbers build off the bonus set for the No. 1 pick, which is $7.2 million this year. Every pick from 2-338 is expressed as a percentage of the No. 1 pick, down to $125,000 for the final picks of the 10th round. A team’s total budget for the first 10 rounds is the sum of the numbers for all of its picks, so teams that have extra picks and early picks have more money to spend. The Twins have the highest budget this year, with the second overall pick as well as extra picks.

Teams can spread the money among their picks in the top 10 rounds in different ways so long as they stay under the total budget. For . . .

Content: During the spring, we use Draft Tracker to spotlight players with momentum in the draft. Earlier this year for example, we wrote about Texas prep catcher Steve Bean, UCLA outfielder Jeff Gelalich, Mississippi high school outfielder D.J. Davis, Xavier converted pitcher Seth Willoughby and Washington high school righthander Mitchell Gueller, among others.

While Draft Tracker is usually a subscriber-only feature, here is a sneak peek for everyone at five players who will be among our Nos. 101-200 prospects:

Mitch Nay, 3b, Hamilton HS, Chandler, Ariz.

Nay started the year slowly. Scouts said he was pressing, trying to put his team on his back and trying too hard at the plate. He struggled offensively and defensively early in the year, but really turned things on over the last month.

“He’s flying up draft boards,” one scout said. “He’s a really good kid with a high ceiling to him. It’ll be interesting to see how he does at teams’ workouts because he hasn’t seen a lot of good competition out here.”

Nay has a good frame at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. Arizona State’s recruiting class is loaded for next year, but Nay is unlikely to wind up on campus, as he could . . .