3 top list of likely No. 1 picks.(Sports) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: DENNIS WASZAK JR.

By Dennis Waszak Jr.

The Associated Press

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays know exactly who they want to select with the No. 1 pick in the baseball draft.

Their top choice is Vanderbilt lefthander David Price. And Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters. And California high school third baseman Josh Vitters.

'I wish we had the first three picks in the draft,' Devil Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison said. 'I'd like to have all three of these guys.'

And so would every other major league team. All three are considered can't-miss prospects in a draft filled with outstanding talent.

'I think it's deep,' said Kansas City scouting director Deric Ladnier, whose team selects second today. 'There are probably more high school players as a pool, quality high school players, than there are college players.'

Baseball fans will be able to watch the first round of the draft on television for the first time . The opening round will be broadcast on ESPN2 from the event's site at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., and the network will provide analysis of other picks from subsequent rounds. In previous years, the draft was held exclusively by conference call.

Tampa Bay will pick No. 1 for the third time , and first since selecting outfielder Delmon Young in 2003.

'The biggest thing for us is we're going to take who we believe to be the best player in the country,' said Andrew Friedman, the Devil Rays' executive vice president of baseball operations. 'From that, we're going to try to sign him and get him into our system and get our player development folks on the same page and try to accomplish the things that we want them to accomplish.'

The Royals will pick after the Devil Rays, marking the third straight year they've had one of the first two selections.

'We're just looking at the best player,' said Ladnier, echoing Tampa Bay's strategy. 'We just want to take the best player we feel like is the best fit, the best talent, and go from there.'

The Chicago Cubs pick third, followed by Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, Milwaukee, Colorado, Arizona and San Francisco to round out the first 10.

Price has made scouts drool since his freshman year at Vanderbilt and he was the best pitcher in the nation this season as a junior. Many believe Tampa Bay will take the dominant 6-foot-5, 215-pound lefty with the first pick, and the Devil Rays certainly sound as though they'd like to have him in their rotation.

'We just think that he has everything we're looking for in a front-line major league starter,' Harrison said. 'He's big, he's strong, he's athletic, he's lefthanded. He has two-plus pitches and we believe that the changeup is not far behind.'

Others who could go in the first 30 picks include: Missouri State's Ross Detwiler, Clemson's Daniel Moskos, Rice's Joe Savery and Arkansas' Nick Schmidt.

If the Devil Rays opt for a position player, Wieters might be their guy. The 6-foot-5 switch-hitting catcher is considered an outstanding defender with a strong, accurate arm.

Vitters also excites teams with his compact, powerful swing. He hit .360 with nine HRs and 29 RBIs for Cypress High School - despite missing two weeks with pneumonia.

Other players who could go early: New Jersey high school righthander Rick Porcello, Lewis-Clark State third baseman Beau Mills, California high school infielder Mike Moustakas, Canadian righty Phillippe Aumont and North Carolina State righthander Andrew Brackman.

CAPTION(S):

dave martin [bar] the associated press

Many believe Tampa Bay will take 6-foot-5, 215-pound lefthander David Price with the first pick in today's major league draft.