2012 Nats Picks: Rounds 26-40

26 – OF Skye Bolt, Georgia HS

Probably the coolest name in the draft (no offense to Brock Dykxhoorn), Bolt is just what he sounds like: a speedster. His game is incredibly raw, and it would likely help his development greatly to say no to the Nationals and head off to UNC (which he’ll undoubtedly do anyways). While he’s fast, his speed-related game is not that great; he’s a poor base-runner and takes questionable routes in center field. The fact that he switch hits is always a positive, but he has little present or useful power at this point. If everything breaks right for him at North Carolina, he could turn into a Brian Goodwin-type of prospect, but he needs to refine his game greatly between now and the 2015 draft. #214 in Baseball America’s top 500.
@skyebolt20

27 – RHP Cody Poteet, California HS

Another guy that could benefit from 3 years in college, Poteet throws the ball hard and has a surprisingly polished changeup for a prep pitcher. The UCLA signee throws both a curveball and a slider, but needs to work hard to control both breaking balls. His fastball, while relatively fast for a high schooler (touches 94-95) lacks movement and will be average at best at higher levels. Poteet, like Bolt and Avis, can come back  in the 2015 as first round picks if they learn how to correct their flaws, but I think Poteet has a higher probability of becoming polished than Bolt. #189 in Baseball America’s top 500

28 – SS Hunter Bailey, Oklahoma St

Another senior and another up the middle player. Bailey hit .275/.380/.324 in his senior year for Oklahoma State with 32 BB and 30 K. He has very little power, but is said to have a slick glove. The son of former Dodgers farmhand Chuck Bailey.
@huntergbailey

29 – RHP L.J. Hollins, Chipola JC

The submarining JC righty went 10-4 with a 3.67 ERA in his 2 year career at Chipola JC. He improved across the board from 2011 (6.28 ERA, 25 BB/24 K in 38 and 2/3 IP) to 2012 (2.35 ERA, 27 BB/64 K in 76 and 2/3 IP). He was originally signed to pitch at Southern Miss, but changed his mind and ended up at Chipola JC for unknown reasons.
@LJprettyboy21 (inactive since last September)

30 – LHP R.C. Orlan, North Carolina

Orlan isn’t going to become more than a LOOGY, but he’s excellent in that role. He’s got 2 solid pitches in his deceptive fastball and slurvy slider that can help him get lefties out with ease and is improving with his cutter and curveball. This year at UNC, the Deep Run HS (Glen Allen VA) native had a 2.01 ERA and more than 6 strikeouts per every walk. In the Cape Cod league last summer, he threw 19 innings of 2.84 ERA ball, striking out 23 while allowing 11 walks and 11 hits. Fell to the 30th round after sustaining an arm injury on June 3rd; Baseball America writer Nathan Rode opined that he was an expected top 15 round pick before the injury. #425 in Baseball America’s top 500.

31 – RHP Mike Boyden, Maryland

After struggling through a year at George Washington, a year at Northwest Shoals CC and his junior year at Maryland, Boyden blossomed as a senior in 2012. He finished the season with a 3.35 ERA and maintained his 1 strikeout per inning pace from 2011 while dropping his BB/9 from 8 to 4.2. The La Plata native isn’t a fireballer, but finds a way to overmatch batters anyways.

32 – LHP Mike Mudron, Cal State San Bernadino

Mudron isn’t a flamethrower either, but gets by with good control and offspeed pitches. He went 6-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 59 innings pitched, striking out 53 while walking 47 (and throwing 14 wild pitches). Mudron appears to be tough to hit (44 hits allowed in those 59 innings) and even tougher to hit the ball hard off of (0 HR, 7 extra base hits allowed), so he’s still salvageable as a pitcher despite the poor command.

33 – 2B Mike McQuillan, Iowa

The all-time leader in singles in Iowa history hit over .329 in all four of his seasons, finishing his career with a .345/.440/.444 triple slash (.354/.489/.438 his senior year). Improved his base stealing (22 for 38 in his first 3 years, 14 for 18 this year) and fielding (.959 career fielding percentage, .977 his senior year) throughout his time at Iowa. Another Northwoods League guy, McQuillan hit .286/.395/.403 in the wooden bat summer league last year with an impressive 34 BB to 31 K and 12 stolen bases in 15 opportunities. He’s not a super small guy at 5’11”, 175 and is good enough across the board to keep moving up as his stats allow.
@MikeQMcQuillan

34 – 2B Jake Jeffries, California HS

The son of former big leaguer Gregg Jeffries is a pretty refined hitter as high schoolers go. The switch-hitting infielder (listed as a 2B in the draft but played 3B in high school) was recruited by San Diego State, UCLA, USC and Pepperdine before settling on Cal State Fullerton. His commitment to Fullerton won’t be easy to buy out, so we shouldn’t expect to see him in the organization unless the Nats redraft him in 2015.

35 – LHP Cory Bafidis, Texas Wesleyan

Bafidis pitched at Midland College in 2010 and Texas Tech in 2011 and attended Texas Wesleyan in 2012. In 2010 for Midland, he threw 16 and 2/3 innings, gave up 15 earned runs and 27 hits, striking out 11 and walking 17. His 2011 season for the Red Raiders wasn’t much better, as he only threw 2 total innings across 6 games, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits with 2 BB and 3 K’s. I can’t find anywhere what limited him to 18 and 2/3 innings over the last 3 years, so he’ll be a great mystery to me.

36 – C Max Ungar, Maryland HS

The Bethesda high schooler (Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School) is pretty big for a catcher (6’3” 195 lbs) and appears to be committed to Denison University. Interesting note – The campus of CESJDS is named after the Ted and Annette Lerner, according to the Jewish Daily Forward.

37 – LHP Tyler Watson, Texas HS
The list of Georgetown High's all-time great pitchers is pretty impressive, including 2011 Brewers first round pick Taylor Jungmann. Watson, armed with an 87 mph fastball and some tricky offspeed stuff, is a long-term project that needs to add size and velocity. He's a better pitcher than a thrower at this point, and with advanced stuff (albeit unlikely for him to add it) he could be a true prospect. His dad, Gene Watson, is a scouting coordinator with the Kansas City Royals and he's committed to pitch for Kansas next year. College is the best fit for his development, so he'll almost certainly end up at Kansas.
@tylerwatson8

38 – RHP Jared Messer, Malone
Messer's stuff isn't going to blow you away (tops out around 91 MPH, but he has very good command and a solid grasp on how to pitch. In 14 starts and 84 innings, Messer went 9-4 with a 1.50 ERA, 8 complete games and 3 shutouts. His 68 H and 15 BB allowed make his WHIP impressively land just under 1.00 and he struck out almost 1 batter per inning. Messer is only the third Malone player to ever be drafted.

39 – C Mitchell Williams, Georgia HS
Hit .400 with 4 HR and 19 RBI at Coosa HS this season. Signed to play at the Marion Military Institute, a JC in Alabama, so he could be signable.

40 – OF Ricky Gutierrez, Florida HS
The son of former Chicago Cub Ricky Gutierrez and a 2 start UConn football recruit as a WR, Gutierrez will almost certainly bypass the Nationals and head to sunny, warm Connecticut (wait, what?). You have to assume he's fast since he's playing DI football, but I can't find anything else on his other tools.
Ricky Gutierrez, SR's twitter: @RGutie