With the draft less than a week away, we’re continuing our discussion of  some of the more advanced amateur prospects — guys who’ll be popping up on your fantasy radars within the next year or two.  Last week we went over Marcus Stroman, Richie Shaffer, and Kyle Zimmer.  You can read that post here.  Today, three more draft prospects:

Mark Appel | RHP, Stanford

At 6-5, 215, Appel sure looks like a future frontline starter.  A combination of size and athleticism allows him to generate mid-90′s velocity with a seemingly effortless delivery.  His fastball typically sits 92-95, and he counters with a hard slider and a work-in-progress change.  The consensus on Appel is that, given his  outstanding athleticism, the secondary stuff will develop nicely (and quickly) in the minors, allowing his plus fastball to play as an even deadlier weapon — he’s been knocked around at times during his collegiate career when facing more advanced lineups who sit on the straight four-seamer.   Even so, Appel looks like the safest option among the elite college arms, and there’s a very good chance that Jeff Luhnow and the Astros will take him at #1.