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MLB.com: FSU’s Posey projected as No. 1 pick

• Major League Baseball insider Jonathon Mayo predicts on MLB.com that former Lee County and current FSU baseball star Buster Posey will likely be the first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in the June 5 first-year draft.

Danny Aller

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In an ideal world for Lee County native Buster Posey, on June 6 his No. 4-ranked Florida State Seminoles will be playing at home in the NCAA Super Regionals for a chance to clinch a spot in the College World Series for the first time since 2000.

And if everything goes as planned, he’ll be taking the field as the No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick.

At least, that’s what one Major League Baseball expert predicted Wednesday on the league’s official Web site, MLB.com, saying Posey — unless the Tampa Bay Rays have a last-second change of heart — should be taken by the Florida expansion franchise with the top selection in the June 5 first-year draft.

“It appears the Rays have narrowed it to five names for the top pick ... : Posey, the FSU backstop who's had a tremendous year with the bat to move himself into consideration; Georgia high school shortstop (from Griffin) Tim Beckham, who's got tools galore and can stay at short; Pedro Alvarez, the Vanderbilt third baseman who's among the most polished hitters in the Draft; Brian Matusz, the lefty ace for the University of San Diego; and Southern California high school catcher Kyle Skipworth,” Mayo wrote, then added that at the end of the day, “I believe... that it'll be between Posey and Beckham.”

Mayo, who admitted that while it was nearly impossible to predict the draft, he felt that as things stood now,

“... this week, I'll go with what's been the hottest rumor as the Rays get a good hitter who can catch.”

And that would be Posey, a junior, who told The Herald on Wednesday that the MLB.com report “was humbling to be considered for that position,” but that “the most important thing right now is to finish the season strong.”

Thanks to Posey, the Seminoles (44-8) are currently doing just that, riding a wave of recent wins that included a sweep of Savannah State last week in which the Leesburg native — who leads FSU in batting average (.469), hits (91), runs (72), RBI (66) and homers (16) —made school history by playing all nine positions on the field in each inning of the game.

And while Posey made national headlines for that particular feat earlier in the week, the latest story about the former Trojans star was one he admits was some of the best news he could’ve heard outside of helping the Seminoles get back to the CWS.

“(The draft) is obviously always in the back of your mind,” said Posey, who was not eligible to be drafted as a sophomore because he was 20 years old and MLB rules state that every player in the first-year draft must be 21 years of age or older. “But right now, my goal is to get us to Omaha (Neb.).”

Undoubtedly, however, another goal of Posey’s has been to be perched where he is right now — with less than three weeks before major league teams make their selections.

“It’s all very exciting — this is his ultimate goal,” said Buster’s mother, Tracy, on Wednesday after she heard the news of her son’s projected status as the No. 1 overall pick, adding the Rays would be a popular choice among the Posey household. “We’d like to see him stay in the east side of the country, but we’ll be happy whereever he ends up as long as he’s comfortable with it.”

Should Mayo’s prediction prove true about Posey — who is a two-time Johnny Bench Award Watch List nominee, despite never having played the position of catcher before college — it would make him the first Southwest Georgia baseball star to receive such an honor.

“I'm not afraid to say it: I think (Buster is) the best college baseball player in the country,” FSU assistant coach Mike Martin Jr. told The Herald during an April interview for a story about Posey and his younger brother Jack, who is a freshman for FSU.

Yet, just because Posey is being touted as high in the draft as he is, doesn’t necessarily mean he’s mentally checked out of Tallahassee just yet.

When asked if he didn’t get drafted as high as he would like — or felt he deserved — would be return to school for his senior season, Posey replied: “It would matter where I was selected and what kind of deal I was offered, and if it was fair. I wouldn’t say that no matter where I was selected, however, I’m leaving for (the majors).”

Posey then paused before adding, “But I would like to start my professional career.”

Tracy says that while education has always been the top priority for all her kids, she knows that given the kind of work ethic Buster has — should he decide the time was right — she has no concerns about him finishing his undergraduate degree.

“Education is important to us and it’s important to Buster, but he’s the kind of kid who’s so motivated that I wouldn’t be surprised if he finished his degree up in the first offseason,” Traci said. “That’s just the way he works.”

If FSU still is alive for NCAA Super Regionals in early June, the Seminoles will be hosting at Dick Howser Stadium on June 6, meaning there are no plans right now for a big, blowout draft party in Leesburg.

After all, said Posey, “best case scenario is that when the selections are made, I won’t be at home — I’ll be in Tallahassee, practicing for our game the next day, and trying to help us get back to Omaha.”

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