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This is a discussion on Knight's draft prospect information within the SCEA Sports - MLB Rosters forums.
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05-05-2009, 01:58 PM
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#11 (permalink) |
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Re: Knight's draft prospect information
Here's a link for some scouting reports for the first 1o players on the list with pictures: I'll also post the information.
http://www.mlb-draft.com/Top-Prospects-2009.php The Top Prospects for the 2009 Draft Key: *=lefty, #=switch-hitter LH=left handed, RH=right handed, SP=starting pitcher, RP=relief pitcher ( - ) is their age at the time of the 2009 Draft #1... Stephen Strasburg, RHSP, San Diego State, 07/20/88 (20), 6-5/220  08/14/08 Kevin Goldstein, Baseball Prospectus 08/23/08 Thomas Boswell, Washington Post 08/14/08 Dave Sheinin, Washington Post 06/10/08 USCTrojans31 Blog 09/06/08 Wikipedia entry XX/XX/08 NBCOlympics.com 06/20/08 Joshua Robinson, The New York Times 08/26/08 Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune Youtube Video from 02/25/08 Statistics Year Team Age G GS CG SH IP ERA H BB SO BB9 K9 WHIP 2007 SD State Aztecs 18 25 0 0 0 37.0 2.43 18 15 47 3.65 11.43 0.89 2008 SD State Aztecs 19 13 13 4 2 97.1 1.57 61 16 133 1.48 12.30 0.79 2009 SD State Aztecs 20 Not since Mark Prior has there been this kind of buzz about an amateur pitcher. Strasburg is a rare triple-digit-reaching starter, though he typically fires it in from 95-97mph. There aren't many men that can legitimately throw 100 mph, but nearly all of them are relievers. Besides the great fastball, Stephen also employs an outstanding slider, good command and poise, clean mechanics, and a knack for pitching big in big games. These attributes have teams at the top of the draft salivating. Like Prior, Strasburg is now a former Olympian, and pitched great in his limited chances. More to come... /Greg Pappas / #2... Grant Green, SS, USC, 09/27/87 (21), 6-3/180 Green on the Web: 08/31/08 RightFieldFog.blogspot.com 08/09/08 CapeCodBaseball.org 08-08-08 Jesse Burkhart, Baseball America 08-25-08 Jim Callis, Baseball America  Video- Not as yet. Statistics Year Team Age G AB R HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS 2007 USC Trojans 19 56 228 42 2 24 6/10 25 51 .316 .388 .491 .881 2008 USC Trojans 20 50 205 46 9 46 10/14 15 35 .390 .438 .644 1.082 2009 USC Trojans 21 The excitement is building for the USC shortstop, as comparisons to Troy Tulowitzki and Evan Longoria have begun to circulate. The toolsy Green may eventually attain their lofty status', but for now he needs to continue to show improvement, carrying over a great run in the Cape Cod Summer League. At 6-3/180, Green is a tall and athletic SS, and though a shade on the thin side, he'll add weight/strength as he matures. Grant turned on the scouts during his freshman campaign, eliciting Freshman All-American honors, and then he really turned it up a notch this past year (sophomore season), when he hit .390, with 9 HR's, 46 RBI and 10 SB's, all in 205 AB's. Green has very good range and a good arm and should stay at SS for many years to come, but he'll need to do better than the subpar 17 errors in 41 games this summer. However, in my brief chat with his Cape Cod (Chatham A's) manager, John Schiffner, I was told that the grounds are rough and that Green was getting to a lot of balls that most SS's couldn't. Schiffner compares the right-handed hitting Green to Evan Longoria, whom he also managed, and loves the kid. A move to third down the road is not out of the question, as he adds weight and loses range. Green has good power potential and a good eye at the plate, and a big help to his accolades rest in his stellar performance in the wood bat Cape this past summer, where he hit .348, with 6 HR's, 21 RBI, went 10/13 in SB's, walked 28 times, struck out 38, and had a line of .348/.451/.547/.998, all in 161 AB's. If Green carries over his efforts from the Cape, and has the year everyone thinks he is capable of, then he is on his way to being taken in the first few selections in the 2009 draft. /Greg Pappas / #3... Aaron Crow, RHSP, Fort Worth Cats, 11/11/86 (22), 6-2/205 Crow on the Web: 02-21-08 Ben Badler, BaseballAmerica.com 03-28-08 Kiley McDaniel, Saberscouting.com 06-05-08 Baseball-Intellect.com 06-05-08 BaseballAmerica.com 08/14/08 Ricky Treon, Star-Telegram.com xx-xx-08 Web.MinorLeagueBaseball.com Youtube Video from 03/27/08 Statistics Year Team Age G GS CG SH IP ERA H BB SO BB9 K9 WHIP 2006 Missouri Tigers 19 19 13 1 0 77.2 4.06 94 20 60 2.32 6.95 1.47 2007 Missouri Tigers 20 18 18 2 0 117.2 3.60 109 33 90 2.52 6.88 1.21 2008 Missouri Tigers 21 15 15 4 4 107.1 2.35 85 38 127 3.19 10.65 1.15 2009 Fort Worth Cats 22 Aaron Crow will be re-entering the draft after failing to sign with the Washington Nationals after they selected him with the 9th pick in the 2008 Draft. He signed with the independent league Fort Worth Cats and impressed in just a few appearances before the season ended. Crow has the stuff of a ML ace, going right after hitters with his bulldog mentality, while incorporating three potentially plus pitches. Aaron won the Roger Clemens Award for his efforts in leading Missouri during the '08 season. He went undefeated at 13-0, had four shutouts and four complete games, and finished the season with 107.1 IP, a 2.35 ERA, 38 BB's, 127 K's and a 1.15 WHIP. The Kansas native throws a low to mid-90's fastball, touching 96-97, a good hard slider that comes in around 87, and a change that shows real promise. Aaron has good poise and control, especially with his fastball, but is still working on being more consistent with his secondary offerings. Crow does have an odd little flip of his wrist during his windup, bringing to mind Rick Sutcliffe, and while it concerns some scouts, it hasn't affected Crow in the least. Crow was considered a candidate to go #1 overall and for some reason fell down to #9 on draft day. He has the makings of a front of the rotation starter and holds his velocity deep into games. Some have compared him to a young AJ Burnett, while others think he'll be a bit better. Time will tell, and his Fort Worth Cats stint should help to bring scouts to a more unilateral prognosis over his capabilities, and a top-five selection in the '09 Draft is a real possibility. /Greg Pappas / #4... Alex White, RHSP, North Carolina, 08/29/88 (20), 6-3/195 White on the Web: 07-10-08 USCTrojans31 Blog 06-30-08 J.P. Giglio, NewsObserver.com Blogs Youtube Video from 11/30/06 [HS Game] Statistics Year Team Age G GS CG SH IP ERA H BB SO BB9 K9 WHIP 2007 UNC Tar Heels 18 19 18 0 0 98.1 4.94 100 48 83 4.39 7.60 1.51 2008 UNC Tar Heels 19 20 15 1 0 101.2 2.83 78 42 113 3.72 10.00 1.18 2009 UNC Tar Heels 20 Alex White has the makings of a strong front of the rotation ML starter. A well regarded HS'er who elected to go to UNC instead, the now 20-year-old played his sophomore season at just 19, and helped lead his team to the College World Series. At 6' 3" and 195 pounds, he has a good pitcher's frame, repeatable mechanics and poise that belies his age. As he matures, he should add weight, and may add a tick or two to an already good fastball, which he throws in the low 90's, toughing 95-96 when he rears back for that little extra. While his fastball is impressive, it's the sink on it that causes hitters nightmares. With such a great sinker, comparisons to Brandon Webb were inevitable. The Greenville, NC native has very good secondary stuff. He throws an occasional split-fingered FB, a plus slider, and feel for a developing change-up. While he gets compared to Mr. Webb, Alex grew up an Atlanta Braves fan, and he chose one of the very best pitchers of any era to try to emulate... Greg Maddux. So not only is Alex very talented, he's wise to boot. White comes into his junior year with visions of another CWS, and a likely top ten choice in the '09 Draft awaiting him. He'll continue to build on an impressive sophomore year, in which he tallied 101.2 IP, gave up 78 hits, walked 42, struck out 113, posted an ERA of 2.83 and a WHIP of 1.18. Be afraid college baseball... be very afraid. =P /Greg Pappas / #5... *Dustin Ackley, 1B/OF, UNC, 2/26/88 (21), 6-1/185 Ackley on the Web: 06-22-08 tarheelblue.cstv.com (Season Stats) 07-01-08 USCTrojans31 Blog 06-29-08 MetalBatBaseball.blogspot.com Youtube Video from 05/31/07 Statistics Year Team Age G AB R HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS 2007 UNC Tar Heels 19 73 296 70 10 74 11/14 30 21 .402 .448 .591 1.039 2008 UNC Tar Heels 20 68 278 82 7 51 19/25 53 27 .417 .503 .597 1.100 2009 UNC Tar Heels 21 Utley. Gwynn. Damon. These are the names most often mentioned when discussing the offensive talent that oozes from the lefty-swinging Ackley. His stance reminds one of Johnny Damon, he hits like Tony Gwynn as far as average and plate discipline, and has many projected him out to become another Chase Utley overall. Think .320+ BA, 20+ HR power, 20+ SB ability via above-average speed, and excellent defensive skills... and that gives you an idea of how highly touted of a player the NC native is. Another player that comes to mind is Nick Markakis. The youngster has an ongoing issue that has to be considered when discussing his capabilities, and that is his right elbow/Tommy John surgery that Dr. James Andrews performed this past July. Ackley throws with his right arm, and the injury has bothered him for sometime, forcing a move to 1B to save the arm some wear and tear. Ackley is normally an outfielder, but took quite well to 1B, and may wind up sticking there. There are some who see him as a 2B'man, but most see an eventual return to the outfield. His recovery is expected to be full, but one never knows the implications... long term. One thing is for sure, the kid can hit, and he's a gamer. Another positive is his affinity for wood bats, as he was crushing his fellow collegians in the highly regarded Cape Cod Summer League before having his surgery; to the tune of .415/.586/.707/1.293 in 12 games (41 AB's) for the Harwich Mariners. Small sample size, but the scouts all see it... he can flat out rake. At North Carolina, Ackley stood out, even among his fellow Tar Heel mates, of which six were taken in the draft. In 2007, Ackley had a truly stellar freshman campaign, in which he hit a remarkable .402 in 296 AB's, with 10 HR's, drove in 74 runs, walked 30 times and struck out merely 21 times, all while stealing 11 bases in 13 tries. His line (BA/OBP/SLG/OPS) read .402/.448/.591/1.039... as a freshman! This past year, the sophomore improved to hitting .417 in 278 AB's, hit 7 HR's, drove in 51 runs, walked 53 times, struck out 27, and swiped 19 of 25 bases. He committed 1 error for the season, with a .998 fielding %. Ackley's final line read .417/.503/.597/1.100. Here's hoping the young man recovers fully and gets to display his exciting skill-set once again, and sets himself up as a high first-round selection. /Greg Pappas . #6... *Tyler Matzek, LHSP, H.S. (CA), 10/19/90 (18), 6-3/185  xx-xx-08 AflacAllAmerican2008.com 08-12-08 BigLeagueFutures.com 07-16-08 SaberScouting.com Youtube Video from 08/15/08 Tyler Matzek is a polished hard-throwing lefty starter from Capistrano Valley HS in California, and one that is drawing comparisons to the first pitcher selected in last year's draft (by Baltimore at #4) -- Brian Matusz. Arguably the top rated high school prospect for the 2009 draft, Matzek has tremendous poise and an easily-repeatable and almost effortless delivery. Much like the former San Diego Toreros ace -Matusz- Tyler has potentially four quality ML offerings. Tyler's fastball sits at 90-92, and can touch 94 when he needs to muscle up, and he'll occasionally throw it with three varied grips. As good as his fastball is, it's the command of it, as well as the strong secondary pitches that have scouts excited. He has a nasty curve, more sweeping than one that drops straight down, and it normally comes in around the mid-70's. He also incorporates a solid slider and a change that shows real promise as a plus pitch that comes in currently about ten miles an hour slower than his fastball... just as it should be. If Matzek continues his development, he easily could go as high as #2 overall. His ranking at #6 is very preliminary. /Greg Pappas . #7... Kyle Gibson, RHSP, Missouri, 10/23/87 (21), 6-6/195 Gibson on the Web: 03-25-08 Frankie Piliere, Saberscouting.com 06-04-08 Sam Miles, ColumbiaMissourian.com Youtube Video from 03/24/08 Statistics Year Team Age G GS CG SH IP ERA H BB SO BB9 K9 WHIP 2007 Missouri Tigers 19 28 2 0 0 67.2 4.12 62 19 77 2.53 10.24 1.20 2008 Missouri Tigers 20 19 12 2 0 86.2 3.84 86 23 96 2.39 9.97 1.26 2009 Missouri Tigers 21 Kyle Gibson's best attribute may just be one that is yet to come. Gibson, at 6' 6" and 195 lbs is built more like an Olympic swimmer than a professional RHP, but after this coming June, that is just what he will be. With his slight frame, scouts project that with some additional weight gain he could add as much as 5 MPH to his fastball which currently sits between 88-91 MPH. Kyle Gibson also boasts a change up he throws 79-81 MPH, and his best pitch, a Slider that sits at 80-83 with a hard bite and is considered a legitimate strikeout pitch. Kyle's role has changed much since his Freshman year, he had 28 appearances and was primarily used as the closer earning seven saves and striking out 77 in 67.2 IP. In his second season at Mizzou, Kyle started 12 games and relieved in seven, winning 9 games, recording 2 complete games and 2 saves. With Aaron Crow garnering most of the prime starts, Gibson often faced a team's second best pitchers, so this upcoming season should give a good indication of his intangibles when facing other teams' best players. Gibson's mechanics are smooth, but relies mostly on arm speed and he doesn't push off with his legs enough yet, but no real injury risks are obvious. Currently projected to be a #2 starter, Gibson's body type is perfect for a pitcher and still has room to grow. Gibson is currently receiving comparisons to a young Mark Prior or John Lackey. /Jeremy Strain . #8... *Matthew Purke, LHSP, H.S. (TX), 07/17/90 (18), 6-3/170 Arguably the #1 HS player in the draft, with scouts fairly split between he and fellow lefty Tyler Matzek. More to come. . #9... Donovan Tate, OF, H.S. (GA), 09/27/90 (18), 6-3/200 Donovan Tate on the Web: 09-03-08 Matt Blood, BaseballAmerica.com 03-16-08 Erik McKinney, WeAreSC.com 06-19-08 Matt Blood,BaseballAmerica.com Video... Not as yet Donovan Tate has the pedigree, his father Lars was a RB in the NFL, he is the best prep position prospect in the draft, and it seems the only thing that will stop him from being a top 10 draft pick next June is himself. Donovan has offers from more than one national power school to be a two-sport star in college, leading the way is USC, with a few SEC schools also offering scholarships for both sports. Tate also plays Safety in football and is one of the country's top recruits in that sport as well. Tate is unquestionably a five-tool prospect, as his 7 HR and 9 SB to go with his .410 AVG his Junior year will attest. Tate runs a 4.4 40 yard dash and a 6.3 60 yard dash, so the speed is for real, but there is some question as to whether he will be able to consistently make contact with the advanced pitching prospects. Scouted last year on two consecutive days he followed up a 3-3 day just short of hitting for the cycle with an 0-4 day having trouble specifically with mid-70's curveballs. He has great instincts for Center Field and covers a lot of ground defensively. Donovan has said that his scholarship offers will not necessarily impact his decision to sign with a MLB team if he is drafted, but has also said that wherever spot he gets drafted to will not impact his decision either. This is all especially confusing when you add to the situation that he had said he would not play football his senior year in order to concentrate on baseball, but then when the season started, he changed his mind and played anyway, this may have something to do with Coach Pete Carroll calling to offer him a football scholarship to USC to go with the baseball scholarship he was already offered. /Jeremy Strain Last edited by mrs844224; 05-05-2009 at 02:02 PM. |
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05-05-2009, 02:14 PM
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#12 (permalink) |
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Re: Knight's draft prospect information
I'll be spending today providing some scouting reports. Here's one for the top 5 HS prospects, and I'll follow with reports for the rest of the HS prospects.
ntroducing (Some Of) The SaberScouting High School Hot 30 July 16th, 2008 · 20 Comments By Kiley McDaniel We’re a little over a month past the 2008 draft and, if you think like we think, you can’t help but demand early rankings for the 2009 draft. You’re sick, but don’t worry, we’ve been talking to our scouting contacts, and we’re here for you. I’ll be unveiling our top 30 high school players this week—the first five from that list will be unveiled in  this article—and we’ll be using the same approach and style of content we had for the 2008 draft, but this time with a full year of momentum behind it.We’ll soon follow with the balance of the high school list, a college list, in-person Cape Cod League updates from Frankie, and we will keep these lists updated continually, with links on the top of the site, and we’ll publish full update posts as soon as we get a hearty enough batch of updates to warrant a post. As for the 2009 crop of high school talent, it is definitely early, but it appears to be a solid group. The top-end prep talent falls in between the extremes of the past two drafts: the relatively weak 2008 draft (9 first-rounders), following a superior crop of elite talents in 2007 (17 first-rounders, 11 of the top 18 picks). The headliners of the 2009 class are a pair of power lefties: Texas-bred Matt Purke and southern California hurler Tyler Matzek. Another storyline is the extremely strong prep catching ranks, led by Florida prep talent Austin Maddox (pictured right), with six backstops in the Hot 30, and five in the top 20. There’s also a tooled-up, dual-sport centerfielder with pro bloodlines in Georgia prep standout CF Donavan Tate, son of former-NFL running back Lars Tate, top football recruit, and owner of plus tools across the board. In short (and you thought I couldn’t do that!), there’s a little bit for everyone, and I’ll include some graphics to spruce things up so long as no one says “market inefficiency” or “Moneyball” in the comments. Come on in and devour the obscenely early and irresponsible projections in a first look at the top 5 of the SaberScouting High School Hot 30, all after the jump… Until I get some of my videos up of a few of these top guys from the Hot 30, these players are largely mysteries to you, the reader, despite all the information we’re reporting. Well, don’t worry, all of these top 5 players, and over half of our top 30 will be at the AFLAC All-American game on August 9th, at 3 PM Eastern on Fox Sports Net. Click here to see the full rosters and learn more about the event. A note about the rankings: at this point, the top four players are all tightly packed and you could really put them in any order. Not to say Jacob Turner is chopped liver, but the top four players have separated themselves from the pack thus far. This top 30 is populated mostly of players that are showcase regulars, as they are the ones that have been seen most often. So, when the full list comes out, you’ll see lots of California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas players, and almost no one that hasn’t been to some kind of showcase this summer; that’s just the way it is with scouts focusing almost exclusively on seniors this past spring. Some players that go high in the draft (like 34th overall pick in the ‘08 draft, Zach Collier) don’t go to showcases at all and the only time it hurts them is in very early rankings such as these. Early apologies to such players.  Matzek was relatively little known entering showcase season, but has been at every major event and has been the biggest riser, as most of our top 10-15 were known elite players before their showcase performances.  Baseball America’s Dave Perkin compared Matzek (subscriber only) to the Royals sandwich pick (36th overall) in the recent 2008 draft, Mike Montgomery, and Perkin is certainly onto something there, with a lot of similarities between these two projectable, three-pitch, southern California lefties. That being said, Matzek is this high on the list (and at the top of some insider’s lists) because he has a notch better stuff, with three pitches that project for above-average, without lacking command or projectability. Matzek works at 89-92, touching 94 with a heavy fastball and mixing in a knockout mid-70s curveball. His curveball is a two-plane bender that is regularly above-average now with a chance to be a plus pitch. He also mixes in solid slider and shows feel for a changeup that flashes above-average. He’s projectable and athletic with a clean arm and simple delivery, throwing from a classic high 3/4 arm angle. That allows Matzek to work both sides of the plate effectively, pounding the zone with advanced feel. He’s got four pitches and command that project for average or better; there’s just a lot to like. One insider said Matzek reminded him of another lefty: the 4th overall pick of the 2008 draft, former U. San Diego hurler and Orioles draftee, Brian Matusz. One scout that saw Matzek at the Perfect Game National showcase in Minneapolis said, “if his breaking ball develops like you hope, he could be Clayton Kershaw.” That might sound a bit optimistic, and that I’m using too many comparisons, but considering how under-the-radar Kershaw was entering his senior year, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched (Matzek photo: Perfect Game)   I’ve talked about Maddox a few times on the site, both in the 2009 draft preview on the podcast (near the end) and in a review of the Sarasota Classic. I’ve been able to see Maddox a handful of times during his junior season, including seeing his team win the state championship in Sarasota, and he brings his full toolbox to the yard every time out. I also have some video I’ll post soon.  Maddox’s stance (check the above picture for an idea) and swing are reminiscent of Mark McGwire due to his powerful, leveraged, yet compact right-handed stroke with serious bat speed. Maddox just squares balls up, hitting over .500 this year against top competition, and has flashed his plus-plus raw power in every game I’ve seen him play. The scouting community, who largely ignore juniors during the regular season, saw this power when Maddox hit multiple homers over 400 feet with wood bats in recent national showcases. That being said, Maddox is the top position player on this list because of his defensive tools. He consistently uses his plus-plus howitzer to register pop times under 1.85 and has been under 1.80, while hitting 95 on the mound. He also has what I, and a few scouts I’ve talked to, feel is already big league average receiving and blocking skills. Maddox is also a hard worker that gets high marks for his makeup; he’s committed to Florida. The only real question with Maddox is if his already extra-large frame will be able to stay agile enough to remain behind the plate. Some may knock his team’s schedule, as they are in the smallest classification (1A) in the state and play some cream puff teams, but intentionally schedule almost every other game against top competition, and Maddox is a showcase veteran that can hit with wood. A scout familiar with Maddox sums it up: “We have him as a top follow and I see a Mike Piazza package, except with a cannon behind the plate.”  As you might expect from a top player on this list, Purke has all the classic things you look for in a pitching prospect. He’s the next in a seemingly never-ending line of physical, aggressive power arms from the Lonestar State, hitting 94 in a recent showcase.  Working with a clean arm and near effortless delivery from a 3/4 arm angle, Purke pounds the zone with three solid pitches, good command, and an aggressive approach. He owns a present solid-average fastball that sits at 90-92 with some late life, but has hit 94 and projects to add a few ticks as his slim frame bulks up. Purke throws a two-plane slider with good tilt and late bite to gets funny swings from high school hitters now, and projects as an out-pitch. He also mixes in a solid changeup, though only sparingly as he relies heavily on his fastball/slider combination.As for the downside, like many young power pitchers, he can lose his mechanics at times, and like many frequent showcase attendees, his velocity, breaking ball, and feel can vary from appearance to appearancde due to fatigue; but that’s about all. Those aren’t huge concerns, and clearly doesn’t effect scouts perception of him: “He’s a projectable, velocity left-hander with a hard slider and just blows hitters away at these showcases. I’m a big fan.” It’s easy to slap a Scott Kazmir comparison on him, given the similarities (skinny Texas prep lefty with a power fastball-slider combo), but Kazmir was a dominating showcase legend that Purke hasn’t yet proven to be, though he has shown flashes and is the class of this year’s pitching crop along with Matzek. (Purke photo: Perfect Game)  If you’re reading about the draft this early, you like tools, and if you want a suggestion for a new James Bond villain, let me suggest Donavan Tate as Tools Galore. He compares favorably to the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft, the Twins’ Aaron Hicks, as a centerfielder, both for his pros and cons.  Tate is the son of former NFL running back Lars Tate and is a top football recruit, with Rivals.com ranking him as the 86th best recruit in the nation. To get an idea of his athleticism, Rivals lists Tate as an “athlete” for football purposes (no set projected college position, generally the most athletic guys on the field) and among the “athletes,” (again, the most athletic football players in the country), Tate was named the most athletic. Tate uses his plus-plus arm (hit 95 from the outfield—that’s with no mound involved) and true 80 speed (6.3 to 6.4 in the 60-yard) to quarterback his high school team, and uses his 6′3, 200 frame to deliver big hits as a safety. Michigan and Georgia want him as a QB, while USC and Florida like him as a safety. So, he’s got a little bit of talent. As far as baseball-specific skills, his speed and arm obviously play in center where he’s a developing defender that should be plus or more as a center fielder in time. Tate shows plus raw power and squares pitches up consistently when he makes contact. The problem, as with the aforementioned Hicks, is if he will make enough contact, as Tate has rough plate discipline. In showcases, Tate produces, but not without some cause for concern. To put some numbers behind this general scouting consensus, BA’s Matt Blood reports that Tate slugged two HRs, a triple, and two doubles in 19 at-bats at the Tournament of Stars, but struck out six times with only one walk. Blood adds that one day, Tate made contact on seven of ten swings, while the next day he whiffed on six of seven swings. That performance makes for an impressive line of .316/.350/.842, considering Tate is a high school junior using wood bats against top pitching; but almost any toolshed first-round bust has put up that kind of performance, so what did we really learn? Tate’s hitability will be a situation to monitor throughout the spring, but it will be something you can only learn about after talking to multiple scouts or after multiple viewings, and even then it will likely be heavily debated within each organization. Let the debate begin. (Tate photo: Rivals.com)  Turner has been on the radar screen for some time as a top arm for the 2009 draft, as a proven showcase veteran, and he did nothing to change that standing in the recent national showcases.  Owner of a prototypical power right-hander’s frame, Turner attacks hitters with three solid pitches, including a 90-94 mph fastball with solid sink. Turner’s velocity comes from a high 3/4 arm angle, and sneaks up on hitters due to a compact delivery and easy arm action. Turner follows his above-average fastball with an above-average overhand curveball that can get slurvy with two-plane break. He also mixes in a solid changeup that shows some potential along with an aggressive approach to pitching, and solid command, made possible by Turner’s easy delivery. There are a fair amount of scouts on the Jacob Turner bandwagon, as his lower-risk profile and outstanding showcase performances have some putting him ahead of Purke and even Matzek. There’s also definite symmetry between Turner and the 2008 draft’s top Missouri prep arm, Tim Melville. Both are big-framed right-handers with three quality pitches, good feel, and a chance to be above-average to plus across the board. Melville is a little more projectable and athletic, but they have similar stuff, command, and lengthy showcase track records (Tuner photo: Perfect Game). |
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05-05-2009, 02:27 PM
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#13 (permalink) |
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Re: Knight's draft prospect information
6. Max Stassi, C
School & Hometown: Yuba City HS; Yuba City, CA Specs: 5′10, 190, Bats R, Throws R Skinny:A polished, all-around backstop that lacks the frame and power scouts look for behind the plate, but shows solid gap pop, an above-average bat, and is an above-average defender with a plus arm. Stassi has really raised his profile on the showcase circuit into a legitimate top 2 rounder. UCLA commit. SPOTLIGHT PROSPECT 7. Mychal Givens, RHP/SS School & Hometown: Plant HS; Tampa, FL Specs: 6′1, 190, Bats R, Throws R Scouting Report: Givens is a bit of a conundrum to scouts at this admittedly very early juncture of the  draft process. You can take a look at some video I took of Givens and what I thought of him from my first two looks. I originally compared him to current Jays prospect and former prep shortstop Justin Jackson. He’s an athletic and heady leader, a very good defender, and has a solid stroke with a little pop. I just didn’t see enough size/projection (looks in person like 5′10, 175), power, or consistent hitability to project him as a first round pick, but realized that his track record, makeup, and performance give him upward mobility on draft boards.What I saw at the end of his junior season still seems to be the rap on Givens for most scouts, as he’s got all the makings of a top pick, but lacks a standout bat. Don’t get me wrong, that could still be a seven figure package in the sandwich round, like Jackson was, but others feel Givens is all projection at the plate and more of a third round pick as a shortstop and prefer him on the mound. I discounted Givens’ long-term mound prospects in my earlier look, but it turns out he was fatigued when I saw him and has raised him arm angle a bit as well. At the PG National showcase, he was up to 94 while flashing an above-average slider and changeup from a low 3/4 arm angle; similar to what I saw, but showing improvement across the board. As it stands now, there’s a slight lean from the people I’ve talked to for Givens to stay on the mound, but his progess on the mound and at the plate should be an interesting draft storyline to monitor. 8. Luke Bailey, C School & Hometown: Troup HS; LaGrange, GA Specs: 6′0, 195, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Yet another big-time prep catcher has huge raw power, solid receiving skills, and an above-average arm. Bailey is ranked lower than Maddox and Stassi because doesn’t have the same kind of hitability, but he’s in the discussion as the best in a very deep crop of catchers. 9. Zach Wheeler, RHP School & Hometown: East Paulding HS; Dallas, GA Specs: 6′4, 180, Bats S, Throws R Skinny: Pitched at 90-93 at the PG National Showcase and showed good command of three pitches. As the height/weight suggests, Wheeler has a good amount of projection left, and with good stuff, good command, and an easy motion, he has all the makings of a top prospect. 10. LeVon Washington, CF/2B School & Hometown: Buchholz HS; Gainesville, FL Specs: 5′10, 170, Bats L, Throws R Skinny: Washington put up a 6.21 60-yard in front of hundreds of top-level eyeballs at the PG National Showcase and I pause to call his speed 80 because he’s a full grade or two off the scale. Split the difference and call it 85 speed. He’s polished on the basepaths but a little raw in the field and at the plate with solid pop, but Washington’s wheels cover a multitude of sins, both on offense and defense. He plays shortstop for his high school team and has an above-average arm, but he’s normally a centerfielder at showcases and has tried his hand at second base as well, which elicits obvious Luis Castillo comparisons. Check out a recent BA profile for more about Washington. Florida commit. 11. Chad Thompson, RHP School & Hometown: El Toro HS; Trabuco Canyon, CA Specs: 6′8, 215, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: The position and height tells most of the story here, as Thompson is a towering right-hander with good downward plane that has hit 94. He’s still raw, but has a clean arm and smooth delivery; if he can clean up the secondary pitches and command, he should shoot up draft boards. 12. Chris Jenkins, RHP School & Hometown: Westfield HS; Westfield, NJ Specs: 6′7, 225, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Our next towering right-hander hails from New Jersey and has showed some dirty stuff at times. He obviously has the body and downward plane scouts are looking for and was up to 97 last spring and has topped out at 94 on the showcase circuit. He shows a hard slider that could be an out-pitch and has a clean arm, but his stuff varies from appearance to appearance and one insider said that he’s the, “worst athlete I’ve ever seen.” That being said, bigger guys take longer to come around and Jenkins could really take a step forward in the spring. 13. Bobby Borchering, 3B School & Hometown: Bishop Verot HS; Alva, FL Specs: 6′4, 190, Bats B, Throws R Skinny: Borchering has also been covered on SaberScouting in the past and has an intriguing set of tools and projection. He currently plays third base and has an above-average arm, but Borchering’s frame has a lot of projection left and that may ultimately force a move to first base as he fills out. He profiles well there, as he’s got a smooth swing from both sides with advanced hitability from both sides, plus power that already shows up in games, a showcase track record, and solid athleticism. Florida commit. 14. Jonathan Singleton, 1B School & Hometown: Millikan HS; Long Beach, CA Specs: 6′2, 220, Bats L, Throws L Skinny: Singleton is a big, left-handed, power-hitting first baseman that put on a show at the PG National Showcase HR Derby, winning he contest while hitting a number of balls in the upper deck at the MetroDome. Singleton has also shown some solid hitability and athleticism, but make no mistake; his lefty power is his calling card and his meal ticket. 15. David Nick, SS School & Hometown: Cypress HS; Cypress, CA Specs: 6′2, 175, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Nick isn’t a toolbox like many highly-regarded prep shortstops, he’s more of a solid all-around player with polish, but he’s got some upside too. From a projectable 6′2 frame, Nick shows a very good bat with gap power and high-level defense. Scouts love his makeup, all-out style, and how the game comes easily to him. UCLA commit. 16. Jacob Morris, CF School & Hometown: Coppell HS; Coppell, TX Specs: 6′3, 195, Bats B, Throws R Skinny: Morris is a tooled-up switch-hitter ones scout called an, “antelope,” that can play anywhere on the field, but that has kept him from finding a defensive home. He has the potential to be ranked higher come next June if he can show a better approach, as he struggled to make contact, particularly from the left side, on the showcase circuit. It appears his plus tools will play the best, and quickest, in center field, as a sort of poor man’s Donavan Tate. 17. Andrew Susac, C School & Hometown: Jesuit HS; Roseville, CA Specs: 6′1, 190, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Susac heads up the second tier of what is shaping up to be an outstanding prep catching class. He has shown an above-average arm and at least average defense along with above-average raw power, a package that many piqued the interest of many scouts. Susac also shows an ability to hit with wood against elite pitching, but his bat lacks polish and he lacks the big-time tools of the backstops ahead of him. He projects as a top three rounds prospect. Oregon State commit. 18. Scooter Gennett, SS/RHP School & Hometown: Sarasota HS; Sarasota, FL Specs: 5′10, 170, Bats L, Throws R Skinny: Gennett is the heir apparent to Casey Kelly’s spot as starting shortstop and ace for the powerhouse Sarasota Sailors. Gennett has three pitches he can throw for strikes including a low 90’s fastball but has a future as a hitter in the middle of the diamond. It’s not clear yet if he’s a long-term shortstop, second base, or center fielder, but his tools will play almost anywhere. Scooter (his given name is Ryan) swings a mean left-handed bat with surprising pull power for his size and a solid approach. He has good makeup and all-around baseball instincts with quick feet and an above-average arm. Florida State commit. 19. Jacob Marisnick, CF School & Hometown: Riverside Poly HS; Riverside, CA Specs: 6′4, 200, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Marisnick is a big athlete from southern California with some serious tools that is still rough around the edges. He has above-average speed in a 6′4, 200 pound frame that can play in center field for now with an above-average arm. His bat from the right side impresses at times and his power approach is projectable as an above-average big league regular and first round pick if his hitability and pitch selection can progress. Scouts dream on his projectable, near ideal frame and also on his flashes of big power and hitability in BP sessions. 20. Keyvius Sampson, RHP School & Hometown: Forest HS; Ocala, FL Specs: 6′1, 180, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Sampson was being touted as an athletic center field prospect during his junior season, but now is being considered primarily as a polished right-hander. Sampson carries himself like a pro and commands his 90-92 mph fastball to both sides of the plate. He also has a particularly smooth delivery with easy velocity and plus athleticism. Sampson’s secondary stuff and size come up a little short and that limits his upside, but he’s got just about everything else going for him. 21. Matthew Moynihan, CF School & Hometown: Cathedral Catholic HS; San Diego, CA Specs: 6′2, 205, Bats L, Throws, R Skinny: Moynihan frequently gets comparisons to fellow SoCal toolsy outfielder Jacob Marisnick for their centerfield tools and wide skillset. Moynihan is a plus runner and above-average defender in center with an average arm. He also swings a solid, consistent bat from the left side and his strong, 6′2, 205 pound frame figures to show more game power in time. 22. Brooks Pounders, 1B/RHP School & Hometown: Temecula Valley HS; Temecula, CA Specs: 6′5, 220, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Pounders is a well-known two-way prospect with pro potential as both a hitter and pitcher. On the mound, he’s been working from 88-92 with an above-average slider and curve. As a hitter, he has dropped some serious bombs on the showcase circuit in the past few months. While he’s athletic for his size, Pounders’ body is a little soft, he lacks some feel on the mound, and can get pull-happy at the plate. Scouts tend to prefer his power bat over his solid stuff on the mound. Southern Cal commit. 23. Daniel Tuttle, RHP School & Hometown: Randleman HS; Randleman, NC Specs: 6′2, 185, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Tuttle is another solid right-handed pitching prospect that has impressed scouts during showcase season. He works at 90-92 and has been up to 93 with a clean arm and solid command. Tuttle also uses a quality curveball but has a head tilt that is unconventional and worries some, despite solid mechanics otherwise. Tuttle also has limited height and bulk, but does have projection remaining. 24. Beau Wright, LHP School & Hometown: Los Alamitos HS; Los Alamitos, CA Specs: 6′2, 205, Bats L, Throws L Skinny: Wright is a solid left-hander from southern California that has been blowing away high school hitters at recent showcases with solid stuff and advanced command. Wright works at 89-92 mph with a big-breaking curveball and good feel for his craft. At this level, he doesn’t need much more than that, but he’ll need to continue to make progress to find his way into the top two rounds come June. 25. Mike Zunino, C School & Hometown: Mariner HS; Cape Coral, FL Specs: 6′2, 185, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Zunino has been known for some time as a top catching prospect for his advanced catch-and-throw skills and instincts along with his bloodlines: his father is an southern Florida area scout. Many still question Zunino’s long-term hitability, but everyone likes his makeup, showcase track record, professional frame, solid pop, and above-average defensive tools. Florida commit. 26. Matt Davidson, 3B School & Hometown: Yucaipa HS, Yucaipa, CA Specs: 6′3, 210, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Davidson is a southern California power/power prospect with 90+ mph velocity on the mound and thump in his bat at a corner position. He has a sturdy, solid frame that creates big power but will limit him to a corner position, possibly catcher. Davidson is a better prospect as a high-ceiling power bat, despite some questions about his general athleticism and present ability to make contact against top competition. Southern Cal commit. 27. Madison Younginer, RHP School & Hometown: Mauldin HS; Simpsonville, SC Specs: 6′3, 190, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Younginer is a very projectable right-handed power arm. He’s been working at 91-94, with a hammer curve at 75-78, both above-average offerings when he commands them. That’s the problem, though: Younginer has some trouble harnessing his stuff. His pure stuff, relatively calm mechanics, clean arm action, and projectable frame all bode well for his future. 28. Matt Hobgood, RHP School & Hometown: Norco HS; Norco, CA Specs: 6′4, 245, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Hobgood caught scouts’ attention at recent showcases in similar fashion to Younginer: with big stuff and a lack of contol. Hobgood has worked from 91-95, depending on whether he’s working with a power sinker or trying to top out a four-seamer for the radar guns. With either approach, he hasn’t been hitting spots too often and had trouble locating his offspeed pitches. There’s a lack of feel, some effort in the delivery, and some softness in his body, but the pure power stuff and workhorse frame are there. 29. Chad Kettler, 2B/3B School & Hometown: Coppell HS; Coppell, TX Specs: 6′1, 190, Bats B, Throws R Skinny: Kettler is a versatile infielder with an impressive switch-hitting stroke. He plays shortstop currently, but won’t stick there long-term due to below-average speed. Second base is the best profile as he has solid defensive actions and plenty of arm for any position. Kettler’s meal ticket is his hitting ability from both sides, and while he has some pop, his frame limits more than average power. There may be some questions about Kettler’s ultimate position, but he’s on the list because he can hit, he can play the infield, and he’s an instinctual baseball rat. 30. Deven Marrero, SS School & Hometown: American Heritage HS; Davie, FL Specs: 6′0, 160, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Marrero is the younger brother of Nationals top prospect and former 1st rounder Chris Marrero. He also plays for 2008 High School National Champions American Heritage High. With that kind of pedigree and background, along with a gamer style and solid makeup, you can see what there is to like about Marrero. That being said, he lacks bulk and doesn’t have a standout bat, along with no more than average speed. He looks to most scouts right now like a good college player with rock solid intangibles. That type of player’s draft fortunes depends on his bonus demands, but he looks a lot like a guy that will go in the top three rounds after a solid three years in college. Bonus Prospects Richard Stock, CMatt Graham, RHP School & Hometown: Oak Ridge HS; Spring, TX Specs: 6′3, 195, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: Graham was one of the top five prep prospects in this class just a few months ago, as the next star pupil from guru Ron Wolforth’s academy that has already produced Scott Kazmir. Since then, he finished his junior season and pitched in some early showcases and his normal low-to-mid 90’s heater was in the 85-88 mph range and his stuff was down across the board. He doesn’t appear to be hurt, because he’s still pitching and visually looks fine. It may just be dead arm or something he needs to work through, and no one really knows what to make of him right now. If Graham can regain his prior form, he would jump into the top 5. School & Hometown: Agoura HS; Agoura Hills, CA Specs: 6′3, 185, Bats L, Throws R Skinny: Richard is the brother of current USC catcher and former high school showcase legend Robert Stock. Entering the season, much was known about Robert, and almost nothing about Richard. The younger brother has recently come on the scene and has caught some eyes. Accounts on his talent are few and far between at this point, but BA’s Dave Perkin is securely in the optimistic camp. Watch out for him to possibly shoot up this list in short order. This is the scouting report for the rest of the HS top 30. |
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05-05-2009, 03:15 PM
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Pro
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Re: Knight's draft prospect information
Pre-season Top 30 Draft Prospects A good way to kick off the 2009 draft blog is with my first top 30 prospect list. This should be my last top 30, though. I'm planning to increase it to 50 for the next one in April then maybe 70-80 for the final one right before the draft in June. One thing I'd like to point out about the rankings is the mlb comparison. The comparison is pretty much who I think each prospect could be if they answer the questions they need to answer and reach their potential. Some guys further down the list may be compared to better big leaguers than players higher up the list. The main reason for that would be because the player higher up the list has fewer questions to answer and is little more likely to reach his potential. With that said, here is the list: 1) Stephen Strasburg-RHP-San Diego State -Was there ever a doubt? Strasburg is following in the footsteps of Mark Prior and David Price as absolute stud college pitchers. Some have concerns about Strasburg’s arm action sighting that it’s very similar to Prior’s. It is something to monitor but it would be hard to move him from the top spot. Strasburg throws in the 94-98 range consistently hitting as high as 101. He also has a very nice slurvy breaking ball that he commands well. *MLB Comparison: Josh Beckett 2) Donovan Tate-OF-Georgia HS -Tate only went 1 for 4 in the AFLAC all star game but he looked like he was locked in, in each AB. He was not overpowered or fooled by any of the pitches being thrown at him by some of high school’s best arms. Tate is a filled out 5 tool stud and could be ready to do damage in the pros immediately. I love his balanced approach at the plate and oh by the way, he ran a 6.34, 60 and has run his fastball up to 91 MPH. WOW! *MLB comparison: Vladimir Guerrero 3) Grant Green-SS-USC -Green was an absolutely beast in the Cape Cod league last summer hitting .348 with 6 HRs. However, he did make 17 errors in 41 games. This was surprisingly poor defensive performance from a guy who only made 9 errors in 50 games his sophomore year at USC. Green will try to prove anyone that questions his defensive ability at SS wrong this coming season. In the process he should only continue to make people believe in his bat. *MLB comparison: Bigger Stephen Drew, maybe Evan Longoria 4) Alex White-RHP-UNC -This is a close one between White and Crow. Both pitchers have great 91-95 MPH fastball that have plus movement and also a wipeout slider that is difficult to hit for any hitter. What pushes White ahead a little is that he has cleaner mechanics, is a year younger and a little bigger. Being able to consistently control his stuff is one of the few things White needs to work on in 2009. *MLB comparison: Justin Verlander 5) Aaron Crow-RHP-Fort Worth -It will be interesting to see how Crow does in the Independent League. I’m sure Missouri would have liked to have him back in a rotation with Kyle Gibson but scouts have said before that getting good results is more impressive in the Indy Leagues against more experienced hitters than in college baseball. Crow, when he is on, and he is usually on, is one of the most dominant pitchers in this draft class. His fastball features great movement and his slider is filthy. One thing that Crow is better at than Alex White is consistently pounding the strike zone. *MLB Comparison: Matt Garza 6) Matt Purke-LHP-Texas HS -Purke has the most electric repertoire in the high school class and perhaps the second best overall behind only Strasburg. His only downside is that his command might be a little bit of a concern but it’s not a big one. Purke is a fearless competitor that is capable of blowing away hitters at anytime and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was the 2nd player taken in the draft. Personally, though, I’d go with the similar two-pitch studs but from the college ranks in White and Crow. *MLB Comparison: Scott Kazmir 7) Dustin Ackley-1B/OF-UNC -There isn’t a better pure hitter in this draft than Dustin Ackley. Questions about where he fits best on the diamond and potential power are what have scouts questioning his value. If a team is looking to get a top notch hitter capable of hitting .300 with good patience, Ackley would be a good pick. *MLB comparison: Kevin Youkilis 8) Tyler Matzek-LHP-California HS -Deciding who the top arm is in the high school class is a tough decision. Purke probably has the best arm but Matzek is maybe more of a complete package. He features a 4 pitch mix that he can throw for strikes, good size and good mechanics. It will be interesting to see who goes first in the draft between Matzek and Purke but more than likely it will be Purke. *MLB Comparison: Cliff Lee/Oakland Mark Mulder 9) Jacob Turner-RHP-Missouri HS -Turner has all the makings of a future #2-3 starter. He stands 6’4” throwing low 90s with good movement and command as well as a strong curveball and a very good changeup. Turner seems very polished for a high schooler and it might not take him long to climb the minor league ladder. *MLB comparison: James Shields 10) Kyle Gibson-RHP-Mizzou -Gibson is a great prospect that won’t blow you away with overwhelming stuff. He’s a lanky kid with 3 pitches that can be anywhere from average to above average at anytime. His fastball has good arm side run and comes in at about 89-92 consisently. His cutter is a good pitch that he commands really well and his slider seems more like a looser cutter rather than a wipeout, strikeout pitch, but it is very good. Overall he’s a pretty polished righty. *MLB Comparison: Adam Wainwright (good slider instead of curveball) 11) Zach Wheeler-RHP-Georgia HS -There is just something about Wheeler that makes me say “this kid is going to be a stud.” Perhaps it is the perfect pitchers build, maybe it’s the consistent 90-93 MPH fastball that touches 95, it could also be a plus, sharp curveball. There is plenty to like about Wheeler who should be a top 15 pick in June. *MLB comparison: Jeremy Guthrie 12) Mike Minor-LHP-Vanderbilt -Minor is reminiscent of Vanderbilt alum Jeremy Sowers in that he is very refined and has a good arsenal of pitches. Where Minor has Sowers beat is in size and velocity. Sowers sat in the 86-89 range while Minor sits more around 88-91 touching 92-93. A team looking for a potential #3 starter that can fly through the minors and be in the majors by 2011 would be very interested in Minor. *MLB comparison: Paul Maholm 13) Mychal Givens-SS-Florida HS -Givens is like the Aaron Hicks of this draft. A lot of teams might want to draft the kid as a pitcher but he might just work out better in the field. He’s a pretty good defender with plus range, good actions and as you probably guessed a plus arm. At the plate, Givens is raw. Not Matt Bush raw but more like Justin Jackson raw. Given time, Givens could become a tremendous, exciting prospect at shortstop. On the hill, he needs to improve his offspeed offerings a little. His fastball is a plus pitch already as it can touch 97-98 MPH *MLB comparison: Rafael Furcal 14) Andy Oliver-LHP-Oklahoma State -The question that Oliver will need to answer this year is can he throw his breaking ball and/or changeup with consistency? He already has a top 5-10 fastball sitting 91-94 MPH with good tailing action. He has flashed a plus breaking ball in the past but throwing it whenever he wants will be the rocket that shoots him up the list. He could also benefit from throwing his fastball for more strikes as his control tends to waver a bit, but the breaking ball is probably of more concern to scouts. *MLB comparison: John Danks 15) Kentrail Davis-OF-Tennessee -Davis is just a sophomore but he is going to be eligible for the 2009 draft because of his age. His size won’t wow you but his tools more than likely will. Despite being 5’9”, Davis has the chance to be a 20-30 HR hitter. He also has the chance to be a .300 hitter, though, that might be better known with a 2nd year of college ball. Everyone draws the comparison to Kirby Puckett because of their comparable size and hitting ability but I’ll try a different one just for the sake of being different. Either way he compares to some pretty good ball players. *MLB comparison: Curtis Granderson but smaller 16) Shelby Miller-RHP-Texas HS -I have not seen Miller so I’m going off a few reports from newspapers and a late October HS tourney in Florida in which Miller impressed. The Texas A&M recruit hit 94 MPH and showed two premium offspeed pitches. Miller throws with smooth mechanics and has good command of all of his pitches. There is a chance he could climb into the top ten by the time the draft rolls around. *MLB comparison: Zack Greinke 17) Matt Davidson-3B-California HS -There aren’t many players in the high school class, even the entire draft class, that match Davidson’s power potential. However, he isn’t an all or nothing kind of hitter. He stays balanced at the plate and drives the ball all around. Defensively, he has made significant strides at 3rd base and he should be able to do more than just hold his own at the hot corner. *MLB comparison: Troy Glaus, perhaps David Wright? 18) Austin Maddox-C-Texas HS -A big catcher that swings a big bat and has a big arm. That may be the best way to describe Maddox. At the plate, he is capable of hitting bombs and on the mound he can touch 95-96. Some of the other factors that make him a great prospect(because plus power and a 95 mph arm doesn’t do it of course): solid defensively as he frames pitches well and can obviously gun down runners and he also has the makings of a plus power curveball. The big question is at 6’3”, 210-220, will Maddox be too big to catch? *MLB comparison: Geovany Soto with a better arm 19) Keyvius Sampson-RHP-Florida HS -A player that could climb a lot of lists during the spring is Keyvius Sampson. Not many looked better than this kid at the AFLAC game. He combines smooth mechanics with a 90-93 MPH fastball and a plus, slow curveball. The ease of his delivery might lead to increased velocity in coming years. Sampson is a very exciting young pitcher with a bright future. Commanding his fastball in the zone will be one of the few things that he needs to work on in the coming years. *MLB comparison: Javier Vasquez 20) Kendal Volz-RHP-Baylor -Volz is a big guy with good stuff. He features a strong sinker that touches 94-95 but sits closer to 89-92 consistently and he backs it up with a pair of solid-average offspeed pitches. He hasn’t gotten the best results at Baylor so far but this could be the year he breaks out. Volz would benefit from refining his offspeed stuff as his fastball is first round caliber. After a great showing in Team USA’s bullpen over the summer (14 INN, 6 H, 0.00 ERA), some think he might be better off coming out of the pen. *MLB comparison: Joe Blanton/Ricky Nolasco 21) Alex Wilson-RHP-Texas A&M -Reports are saying that he got knocked around in the fall but he isn’t far removed from Tommy John surgery. He’s running his fastball back up to 97-98 with a good slider so just give him time. Wilson could probably be lower on the list but he has a good chance to climb up as the season goes on. I’ll just put him here for now. He has the potential to be a major steal and a possible #2-3 starter in the future. But he has some work to do. *MLB comparison: AJ Burnett 22) Jason Stoffel-CL-Arizona -The only remaining member of Arizona’s monster trio of relievers might just be the best. Stoffel doesn’t throw as hard as his former teammates but he has the best command and a plus curveball that gives him a great 1-2 combo in the 9th inning. *MLB comparison: Joakim Soria 23) Luke Bailey-C-Georgia HS -Another catcher with good power potential at the plate. Bailey isn’t as good all-around as Maddox but what he could possibly offer offensively makes him a very intriguing prospect. Behind the plate, Bailey has few shortcomings as well. *MLB Comparison: Michael Barrett 24) Robbie Shields-SS-Florida Southern -Being from a D-2 school, Shields doesn’t have the opportunity to hit against the best competition. However, he got the opportunity to show scouts he can hit 90 MPH fastballs and sharp breaking balls in the Cape Cod league and he took advantage of it. He hit .349 with 2 HR against some of college baseball’s best pitchers. Some question his ability to stay at shortstop but he has a strong arm and smooth actions which suggest he might be able to stay there. *MLB comparison: JJ Hardy 25) DJ LeMahieu-SS-LSU -LeMahieu is another draft eligible sophomore due to age and much like Kentrail Davis, this kid can hit. He provides plenty of power already but his 6’3” frame hints that there could be more. Defensively, he can play shortstop well enough but his size may force him off the position. Another strong year and the Tigers shortstop could rise in the rankings. *MLB comparison: Jhonny Peralta 26) Bryan Morgado-LHP-Tennessee -Another survivor of Tommy John surgery, Morgado saw only improvement in his ability after returning to 100% last year. A nice frame, a 90-93 MPH fastball and a potentially plus curveball make this lefty a very good looking prospect. Improving command of his stuff will be something he needs to work on in 2009 but getting further away from surgery should help. *MLB comparison: Randy Wolf 27) Ben Tootle-CL-Jacksonville State -I don’t know terribly much about Ben Tootle other than he throws gas. About 94-97 consistently to be exact. And he throws it in the strike zone. And he mixes in a pretty good downward curveball as well. Tootle dominated in the Cape Cod league last summer as Falmouth’s closer and that is likely where his future is. His numbers as a starter with Jacksonville State were not bad but not what you’d expect from a potential 1st rounder in Ohio Valley Conference ball (87 hits allowed in 86 innings with 79 Ks). Tootle is this year’s Ryan Perry. *MLB comparison: JJ Putz 28) Mike Leake-RHP-Arizona State -Leake is like the Zach Putnam of this draft. He features a very nice sinker in the 88-92 range and compliments it with a trio of average offspeed pitches, though his breaker can be above average at times. I’m not sure if his potential is better than a back end guy, though, and I worry that Pat Murphy is going to run him out to the mound until his arm falls off seeing as how he is one of the few ASU pitchers that is good. *MLB comparison: Jake Westbrook 29) Brian Goodwin-OF-California HS -Goodwin reminds me a lot of Rangers 2007 supp. 1st rounder Julio Borbon. Borbon came out of college but both are speedy, leadoff hitting types. Goodwin doesn’t have very much power potential but he sprays the ball around well and will play good defense, more than likely in CF. Goodwin shot up draft boards, if he wasn’t up high already, after winning the MVP of the AFLAC game. He really seems to have that slap hit to the opposite field down already just like the man I’m gonna compare him to. *MLB comparison: Kenny Lofton 30) Ryan Jackson-SS-Miami(FL) It will be interesting to see how Jackson does in a lineup without Alonso, Tekotte and Weeks. He hit .360 last year but it had to be nice always hitting with guys on base. Still, many believed Jackson was just a very raw prospect coming out of high school and that 3 years of college ball would turn him into a 1st rounder. So far, those people are looking correct. Jackson is a good gap to gap hitter with some possible power potential in his 6’3”, 180 frame. Defensively, he is one of the best at shortstop in this class. *MLB comparison: Yuniesky Betancourt |
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05-06-2009, 02:27 AM
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#17 (permalink) |
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Commitment to Excellence
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Re: Knight's draft prospect information
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05-06-2009, 02:52 AM
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#18 (permalink) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Re: Knight's draft prospect information
I just keep a pencil and paper handy and not the players and the teams...then go in an edit them later. I would LOVE it if they let you edit the incoming draft class. M.K. Knight165
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All gave some. Some gave all. 343 |
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05-06-2009, 03:20 AM
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#20 (permalink) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All Star
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Re: Knight's draft prospect information
I'm sorry, I should have been clearer...I was talking about being able to edit before the draft... AWESOME...awesome stuff here. I hope guys use it in the Full Minors with their franchises. This is some GOOD info! Thank you guys.. M.K. Knight16
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All gave some. Some gave all. 343 |
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