ESPN's Keith Law has come out with his Top 100 Prospects for the upcoming 2012 Major League Baseball draft(technically the Rule IV draft). The Kansas City Royals will draft a few of these guys, including one at the No. 5 overall selection, but one name to watch that could be taken early is pitcher Pierce Johnson of Missouri State. Law lists him at No. 59 overall on his top 100.
Johnson is a 6-3 junior righthander from Colorado was recently praised as a likely first round selection by Baseball America's Jim Callis. This came before an unfortunate injury that took him out for a couple of games. Callis writes:
Missouri State righthander Pierce Johnson had pitched himself into the first round of the 2012 draft before leaving a March 30 start against Dallas Baptist after just three innings. He missed his next two starts with what was diagnosed as a forearm strain, putting his draft status in question. When he finally returned to the mound Sunday against Wichita State, he provided the answers scouts wanted to see.
It will be interesting to see where Johnson lands. Perhaps he'll even fall to the Royals in the second or third rounds.