There's been much debate over how the new collective bargaining agreement affects the draft, both in terms of how teams approach their picks and how players get paid. But the one aspect of the new rules that nobody is complaining about is how the new system -- which has a signing deadline in mid-July as opposed to mid-August -- gets draft picks playing professional baseball much sooner.
In previous years, a large number of first-round picks would not even make their pro debuts until the following year. This year, many prospects selected in the 2012 draft have gotten significant playing time at various minor league levels.
Here are 10 players selected early in the 2012 draft who already have moved the needle on their prospect stock since signing earlier this summer.
Mike Zunino, C, Seattle Mariners
2012 draft: No. 3 overall