Stanford right-hander Mark Appel has been cementing his status as the best player in the 2012 MLB draft class. He's getting favorable comparisons to Justin Verlander.
↵The question will be how much he costs and whether he can stay healthy this season at Stanford. If those two things come in line and he maintains this level of performance, Appel would make a pretty good pick for Houston.
↵The other benefit to a guy like Appel is that he could team with George Springer to move quickly through the system and arrive with the Singleton/Cosart/Santana group of players.
↵Of course, there are guys like Trey Wiliams that make a lot of sense, being that Houston could use an impact bat in the lineup, especially at third base. But, with the division they're moving into, pitching may be a better bet than a bat right now.
↵There's a lot of time between now and the June draft. Guys will drop and rise throughout the year. After all, Anthony Rendon was the lock at this time last year and Gerritt Cole wasn't even a consideration. So, anything is possible, but as we inch closer to the season, those prospects are starting to fall in line.
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