The 2013 MLB Entry Draft is about to get underway (Round 1 and 2, 7:00 p.m E.T) but before teams take turns in picking their future All-Star sluggers and ace hurlers, let's take a closer look at this year's top prospects.
After finishing with the worst record in baseball last season, the Houston Astros will enter the halls of Studio 42 of MLB Network in Secauscus, New Jersey with the no.1 overall pick in this year's draft.
Although there are plenty of quality young players available in Thursday's selection night, Stanford Cardinal starting pitcher Mark Appel and Oklahoma Sooners hurler Jonathan Gray emerged as the consensus top-two amateur prospects up for grabs.
Appel, the NCBWA's Pitcher of the Year Award winner, has been on the radar of MLB teams since last year. He was projected first overall pick in the 2012 MLB Entry Draft, but rejected a $6 million signing bonus offer from the Astros, who also held the no.1 pick that year.
Appel was eventually selected 8th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, however, the young pitcher did not sign a contract as he decided to return to Stanford for his senior season.
Meanwhile, Grey has also been a staple name in the MLB Entry Draft for quite some time now. He was taken in the 13th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2010 Draft and 10th round by the New York Yankees in 2011.
Gray's draft stock skyrocketed dramatically this year, when he led Oklahoma to the 2013 Big 12 Conference Baseball Tournament title for the first time since 1997. Gray, who went 6-1 with a 1.19 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 60 1/3 innings, was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.
The Astros and Chicago Cubs, who holds the second overall pick, have scouted the 21-year old pitcher who even draws comparison from 7-time CY Young winner Roger Clemens.
MLB Network will have a live coverage of the first two rounds while MLB.com will pick up the rest of the live coverage.
MLB Draft Schedule
Thursday
6:00 p.m. ET - MLB Draft Preview
7:00 p.m. ET - Rounds 1 and 2 (The Top 73 Picks) - MLB Network
Friday
12:30 p.m. ET - Preview of Rounds 3-10
1:00 p.m. ET - Rounds 3-10
Saturday
1:00 p.m. ET - Rounds 11-40 2013 MLB Draft stream
Watch MLB Draft Coverage (Draft Tracker) - Click here