2014 MLB Draft: An Early Look

[KingKat]

Yeah teams do that kind of pointless garbage all the time.

 

Getting drafted makes the sons of coaches and former players qualify for athletic scholarships that they wouldn't get otherwise. Just a way of gaming the NCAA although it's strictly for the profit of individuals associated with the team rather than for the team itself.

Edited October 21, 2013 by KingKat

[ace3113]

PG's Cape Cod Report

 

Cape Cod League prospect reports

 

It was business as usual on the Cape in 2013, another year, another stellar crop of future high round draft selections. There are at least a dozen players from around the league that could find themselves among the first 30 players taken in the 2014 MLB Draft, and many more with the same hopes for the 2015 draft.

 

The offensive explosion and barrage of home runs in 2012 proved to thankfully be an anomaly, as the league acted swiftly to rectify what was a very real juiced ball situation a year ago. Pitchers, as they historically always have on the Cape, took back control of the league. There were widespread instances of outstanding pitching performances on a day-to-day basis, and for the second year in a row, the Hyannis Harbor Hawks laid claim to the league’s undoubted top pitching prospect. In 2012, Sean Manaea took the league by storm, and in 2013, it was ECU’s Jeff Hoffman returning to Hyannis for a 4 start engagement in July.

 

Despite the deflated offensive statistics, the Cape was still home to a bevy of high level offensive prospects as well. Max Pentecost’s MVP campaign was one of the best ever by a catcher on the Cape, and underclassman like Ian Happ gave us a taste of players the league will feature in 2014. When you look up and down this list, you could actually make the case that 2013 was one of the league’s deepest crops of offensive talent in recent memory.

 

Something the Cape will always benefit from is a player’s simple desire to play there. If they’ve played there as a freshman, there’s usually a desire to return. One of the best stories from around the league this summer centers around Indiana catcher, Kyle Schwarber. The slugger spent a large chunk of the summer with the Team USA Collegiate National Team, and when his run there ended, the logical move would have been for him to pack his bags and head for home. Instead, Schwarber plotted a direct path for Cape Cod to join the Wareham Gatemen.

 

Wareham suffered through a trying season in 2013, losing a number of their star players to everything for innings limits to illness for large portions or the entire summer. The Gatemen owned, far and away, the league’s worst record upon Schwarber’s arrival on July 25th and had nothing tangible to play for. But, Schwarber, without hesitation, returned to them anyway after enjoying his 2012 experience in the league and with the Wareham coaching staff.

 

A similar story could be told for Jeff Hoffman, who opted against a spot on Team USA in favor of a return stint on the Cape following a positive experience in Hyannis as a freshman. The Cape Cod League is not just good at attracting the nation’s best players, but it gives them the player experience that brings them back. And, that’s a credit to the coaches, and the league as a whole. Even if it is for limited engagements, players like Schwarber, Brandon Finnegan, and Hoffman, make time on their schedules for playing on the Cape.

 

Those limited engagements do create a revolving door of players at times, however. And, what Cape League teams did as well or better in 2013 than any year in recent memory was continue to bring in quality players, just as they lost players to inning limits or injuries.

 

Take one look at the league champion, Cotuit Kettleers and you’ll get an idea of the work it takes to keep a team viable in this competitive league. All told, 27 different pitchers took the mound for Cotuit in 2013, and 26 different position players had at least one at-bat. The ability of these teams to continue to roll out the highest level of talent, even while being exceptionally accommodating to the wishes of college programs when it comes to player limitations, is just one of many reasons the Cape is still very much on the top of the summer collegiate heap.

 

No. 1 Prospect, 2012 (per PG CrossChecker): Sean Manaea, lhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks (Indiana State)

First 2012 Player Selected, 2013 Draft: Colin Moran, 3b, Bourne Braves (UNC; Marlins/1st round, 6th overall)

 

Most Valuable Player: Max Pentecost, c, Bourne Braves (Kennesaw State)

Outstanding Pitcher: Lukas Schiraldi, rhp, Chatham Anglers (Texas)

Top Prospect (as selected by league): Jeff Hoffman, rhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks (East Carolina)

 

BATTING LEADERS

 

Batting Average: Kevin Newman, mif, Falmouth Commodores (.375)

Slugging Percentage: Dylan Davis, of, Falmouth Commodores (.567)

On-Base Average: Derek Fisher, of, Harwich Mariners (.453)

Home Runs: Casey Gillaspie, 1b, Falmouth Commodores (8)

RBIs: Rhys Hoskins, of, Falmouth Commodores (37)

Stolen Bases: Scott Heineman, of, Brewster Whitecaps (24)

 

PITCHING LEADERS

 

Wins: 4 tied at 5

ERA: Lukas Schiraldi, rhp, Chatham Anglers (1.20)

Saves: Matt Troupe, rhp, Orleans Firebirds (11)

Strikeouts: Kyle Freeland, lhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks (79)

 

BEST TOOLS

 

Best Athlete: 1. Tanner English, of, Harwich Mariners; 2. Brian Anderson, of, Hyannis Harbor Hawks; 3. Rhett Wiseman, of, Cotuit Kettleers; 4. Greg Allen, of, Orleans Firebirds; 5. Jake Fincher, of, Cotuit Kettleers

 

Best Hitter: 1. Derek Fisher, of, Harwich Mariners; 2. Kyle Schwarber, c/1b, Wareham Gatemen; 3. Max Pentecost, c, Bourne Braves; 4. Ian Happ, 2b, Harwich Mariners; 5. Brad Zimmer, of, Cotuit Kettleers

 

Best Power: 1. Kyle Schwarber, c/1b, Wareham Gatemen; 2. Casey Gillaspie, 1b, Falmouth Commodores; 3. Kevin Cron, 1b, Falmouth Commodores; 4. Yale Rosen, 1b, Cotuit Kettleers; 5. Dylan Davis, of, Falmouth Commodores

 

Fastest Base Runner: 1. Aaron Barbosa, of, Harwich Mariners; 2. Greg Allen, of, San Diego State; 3. Tanner English, of, Harwich Mariners; 4. Landon Curry, of, Hyannis Harbor Hawks; 5. Ian Happ, 2b, Harwich Mariners

 

Best Defensive Player:

 

CATCHER - Will Remillard, Cotuit Kettleers

INFIELDER - Alex Blandino, ss, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

OUTFIELDER - Greg Allen, of, Orleans Firebirds

 

Best Arm:

 

CATCHER - Will Remillard, Cotuit Kettleers

INFIELDER - Alex Blandino, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

OUTFIELDER - Tanner English, Harwich Mariners

 

Best Velocity: 1. Jeff Hoffman, rhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks; 2. Mason McCullough, rhp, Harwich Mariners; 3. Dylan Davis, rhp, Falmouth Commodores; 4. Sam Coonrod, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox; 5. Brandon Finnegan, lhp, Falmouth Commodore

 

Best Breaking Ball/Off-Speed:

 

CURVEBALL - 1. Jeff Hoffman, rhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks; 2. Chandler Shepherd, rhp, Harwich Mariners; 3. Dillon Peters, lhp, Harwich Mariners

 

SLIDER - 1. Kyle Freeland, lhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks; Brandon Finnegan, lhp, Falmouth Commodores; 3. Erick Fedde, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

 

CHANGEUP - 1. Chris Ellis, rhp, Cotuit Kettleers; 2. Jeff Hoffman, rhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks; 3. Jaron Long, rhp, Bourne Braves

 

Best Command: 1. Dillon Peters, lhp, Harwich Mariners; 2. Kyle Freeland, lhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks; 3. Jaron Long, rhp, Bourne Braves

 

 

TOP 100 PROSPECTS

 

1. JEFF HOFFMAN, rhp, Hyannis Harbor Hawks (East Carolina, JR in 2014)

 

If you had to plot a graph of Jeff Hoffman’s career in the last three years, you might notice a very steep slope in the upward direction. Hoffman defines the term late bloomer, as he was noted as a draftable talent until very late in his high school career. There were scouts and teams laying in the weeds on his blossoming talent at that time, but it’s hard to think that many could have projected what he’d become less than three years later. What Hoffman is now is a bonafide candidate not just to become a first rounder next June, but to potentially be the first player taken in the MLB Draft. Hoffman made a coincidentally extravagant and highly anticipated 2013 Cape debut on the 4th of July for Hyannis in front of an enormous holiday crowd and a packed house of scouting directors and crosscheckers. Six dominant innings later, it was clear how much the 6-4 righthander had progressed. After a hiccup in which his command betrayed him and a talented Falmouth lineup made him pay for it, Hoffman finished his summer with two electric outings against Orleans and Chatham, his stuff seeming to improve with each outing. In those final two outings, Hoffman lived consistently between 94-97 mph, topping routinely at 98, showing big late two-seam action when down in the zone. It’s difficult to peg one pitch as Hoffman’s best, but it would be difficult to argue with his curveball, which is a 65 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale, and has hard, late 11-5 action at 80-84 mph. Perhaps the biggest difference for him, though, was the changeup, which now flashed above average potential. Thrown between 85-88 mph, Hoffman drops his arm action ever so slightly on this pitch, but it shows good fading actions and he located it very well against lefty batters. He proved willing to throw first pitch changeups, or even go back to back, and then finish hitters with his explosive fastball. In terms of his delivery and arm action, there’s nothing to worry about there for Hoffman. It’s a clean, repeatable, athletic delivery with possibly unmatched arm speed in the draft class. He’ll need to be careful of tipping his changeup, but other than simply being consistent, you’d be hard pressed to find physical glaring weaknesses in Hoffman’s game. And, his thin, young build also leads many scouts to believe that he is still just scratching the surface of his front of the rotation potential.

 

2. MAX PENTECOST, c, Bourne Braves (Kennesaw State, JR in 2014)

 

You’d be hard pressed to find a better summer by a catcher in the history of the Cape Cod Baseball League than the one Pentecost had in 2013. The league’s most consistent offensive force, Pentecost compiled a .346 average and hit 6 home runs in 130 AB. On July 10th in an extra inning contest, Pentecost reached base 7 times in as many at-bats, going 5-5 with 2 home runs, 2 walks and a drag bunt base hit. He was disciplined and consistently put together quality at-bats night after night. And, as that drag bunt might indicate, the 6-1/190 backstop is also a step above average runner down the line. Pentecost also appears to now be well beyond the injury issues that contributed to him not signing with the Texas Rangers as a 7th round pick out of high school. He’s made tremendous strides behind the plate and had one of the league’s best throwing arms. His reputation should not just be as an offensive catcher - his defensive will not be an issue for him at the next level. Pentecost has also gotten significantly stronger in the past year, adding more power to his game, after hitting just 3 home runs in 2013 at Kennesaw State. Scouts love to talk about his outstanding hand speed at the plate, and how easily the ball jumps off his bat. His relaxed, balanced approach as well as that good bat speed should allow him to be a high average professional hitter with 20 home run type power.

 

3. BRANDON FINNEGAN, lhp, Falmouth Commodores (TCU, JR in 2014)

 

The Commodores knew they weren’t going to get a full summer of Finnegan, but were more than happy to take two starts of him before he suited up for Team USA. To no one’s surprise, Finnegan’s stuff did not disappoint. He threw only 7 1/3 innings for Falmouth, but struck out 10 batters in that span while walking only 2. His fastball worked consistently at 93-95 mph, and we know he is capable of consistently hitting upwards of 97-98 mph. His plus breaking ball is a true swing and miss offering - and, the only real knock against Finnegan is his size. At 5-11/184, he doesn’t have the typical size of a big league starter, but all of the others traits are there. He pitches aggressively, has an intense mound demeanor, and clearly has two knockout pitches to miss bats at the next level.

[ace3113]

I've been musing about the players available in the 2014 draft and whether we should go high school or college with our picks or one of each. The strength of the 2014 draft class is said to be it's high school pitching class, and if you're going to go with the best player available mantra, logic suggests you should go with the strength of the draft. There are a few college players however that I really like around 9 and 11. I think they have a case for being the best available talent at the slot and give us the added benefit of being more advanced (and thus closer to helping) than their high school counterparts. I look at how well Marcus Stroman has played for us so far, and how quickly he has advanced, and also regretfully at Michael Wacha, who has rocketed unexpectedly through the Cardinals' system and is helping them right now. Neither of them are lacking in upside, and both didn't have to take 4-6 years to develop. This isn't a gripe about DJ Davis, whose future is still unknown. I know Wacha wasn't high on my list of potential draft candidates in 2011 (Stroman was), but in retrospect, he's almost exactly what we need right now. A big young hard throwing workhorse starter with the potential to pitch anywhere from the 2 or 3 hole in the rotation someday. With that said I want to take a look at some of the college players who are ranked around where we would be picking to see if they are worthy of being taken over a high school player similarly ranked in 2014.

 

Right now I would argue the best high school pitchers likely to be available at our picks would be: Brady Aiken (LHP), Touki Toussaint (RHP), Grant Holmes (RHP). In my opinion, none of these pitchers' upsides are so vast compared to their college counterparts that you can ignore things like stage of development, proximity to majors, proximity to ceiling. I think the following college pitchers would provide the Jays with both a high level talent worthy of being drafted that high and a player that is capable of helping sooner rather than later.

 

Brandon Finnegan, LHP, 5'11 184, TCU, NCAA

 

(CAPE 2013) 2gs 1-0 3.68era 7.1ip 6h 2bb 10so

(USA 2013) 4gs 3-1 1.14era 23.2ip 11h 10bb 23so

(TCU 2013) 15gs 0-8 2cg 3.18era 79.1ip 74h 35bb 86so

(TCU 2012) 11gs 4-5 3.47era 62.1ip 51h 30bb 56so

 

 

If you liked Marcus Stroman then you'll love this guy. Finnegan is about 6 inches bigger than "Stro," throws just as hard if not harder (96mph to break the first hitter's bat, then 98 on the outside corner to strike the guy out in the video), has a wipeout slider, and oh yeah, he throws from the left side. Like Stroman, size is a slight concern. Finnegan's delivery also has some slight funk to it, which creates deception, but causes some scouts to wonder if he might eventually have to move to the bullpen. He has the upside of a very good number 2 starter or a shutdown closer and should be one of the fastest players in his draft class to make his major league debut. It's hard to watch him and not think Scott Kazmir. A lefty who can throw in the upper 90s consistently with a devastating slider should go early come draft day, and I hope it's to the Jays.

 

Michael Cederoth, RHP, 6'6 210, San Diego, NCAA

 

(SD 2013)15gs 3-9 4.25era 95.1ip 72h 48bb 109so

(SD 2012) 11gs 4-4 4.14era 67.1ip 57h 48bb 62so

 

 

If you prefer to shop big and tall then Cederoth might be more your cup of tea. He's got the ideal pitchers size and build (think Roy Halladay), and outstanding natural arm-strength. Cederoth has been compared to former Aztecs star Stephen Strasburg for his ability to light up radar guns and hold his velocity deep into games. Cederoth throws consistently in the mid to upper 90s and will touch triple-digits a few times every start. His slider shows flashes of being a plus pitch, but lacks consistency. At it's best it has tight spin with a sharp break, but at times it can be soft and lack firmness. His fastball command is pretty good for a guy who throws so hard, but it can still get better. There are concerns about Cederoth's delivery, which involves a short armed release, as well as an upright finish. His fastball also seems to be straighter and easier to make contact with than I like. Regardless, only a little bit has to go right for Cederoth to rocket up the draftboard and not be available at either of our picks. If his command of his fastball and slider show even a slight uptick, he could go within top 5 picks, as he has the look and stuff of a number one or two starter.

Edited October 23, 2013 by ace3113

[ace3113]

Tyler Beede, RHP, 6'4 215, Vanderbilt, NCAA

 

(USA 2013) 5ap 3gs 1-1 6.59era 13.2ip 9h 13bb 10so

(VB 2013) 17gs14-1 2.32era 101ip 64h 63bb 103so

(VB 2012) 11gs 1-5 4.52era 71.2ip 78h 32bb 68so

 

 

I'm sure all Blue Jays fans remember the artist formerly known as Young Beedah from the 2011 draft, he did after all write a song about the experience. Blue Jays fans shouldn't be too upset about the fact that he ultimately didn't sign for the reported 2.5mm he was offered as they used the compensation pick they received the following year to take the aforementioned Marcus Stroman. If the Jays and their fans can get over their hard feelings, and if Beede can sign the necessary waiver to allow us to draft him while also improving his overall command this could be a good match three years in the making. Beede has three plus pitches that he can sometimes throw for strikes and sometimes not. His fastball will sit 91-94 and can get up to 97mph, and his changeup and slider can induce swings and misses from both righties and lefties. If his ability to hit a strikezone improves unlike his ability to hit a beat, you're looking at least a number three starter, maybe more, with a Clay Bucholz type of upside.

Edited October 23, 2013 by ace3113

[ace3113]

Now moving on to the position players. This one gets a little bit trickier as the players on the high school side have much higher potential than their college counterparts, and have the added advantage of playing premium positions. The position players likely to be around at 9 and 11 are: Michael Gettys (OF), Nick Gordon (SS), and Derek Hill (OF). Hill and Gettys are potential five tool centerfielders and Gordon is a strong defensive shortstop with a very projectable bat. The trade off would be that the college players I will list have more advanced and polished bats and approaches, and are much closer to their ceiling and are thus relatively safer bets to perform professionally than the high school players here.

 

Kyle Schwarber, C/RF, 6'0 235, L/R, Indiana, NCAA

 

(USA 2013) 78ab .308/.396/.436 1hr 16rbi 7(2b) 11bb 17so 3sb 0cs

(CAPE 2012) 201ab .333 10hr 43rbi 13(2b) 2(3b) 27bb 40so 7sb

(IND 2013) 235ab .376/.468/.674 18hr 54rbi 10(2b) 1(3b) 42bb 30so 4sb 3cs

(IND 2012) 230ab .300/.390/.513 8hr 47rbi 15(2b) 5(3b) 30bb 24so 9sb 3cs

 

 

It has been a while since the Jays have had a high level hitting prospect in their system. Travis D'Arnaud was a very good hitter, for a catcher, but much of his value came from his ability to field a premium position. We probably have to go as far back as Travis Snider and Adam Lind, to find two prospects who were regarded primarily for their bats over other considerations. Right now the Jays system is full of raw toolsy athletes who may or may not hit, and many of whom are at least 4-5 years away from helping. Schwarber would be the anti-thesis to this, an advanced bat who may not have standout physical tools, but who just continues to perform at the highest levels. Schwarber has hit everywhere he has played; Team USA, the Cape Cod League, and with the Hoosiers. Jays fans have been decrying for years the lack of an impact bat in the system and Schwarber could well be that guy. He has a great eye at the plate and a great approach from the left side. While some question his ability to hit for power at the next level, he finished second in the NCAA to Kris Bryant in 2013 with 18 homeruns and swatted 10 homeruns in the wood bat Cape Cod league for good measure. While the batters box is Schwarber's best position he's not a bat only player. He's fairly athletic and has a very strong arm currently playing catcher for his college team and for Team USA. Even if he cannot stick at the position long term, he has enough mobility to play right field, where his bat should profile just fine. In short order he could fill the Jays need in leftfield, or even DH, when Adam Lind's contract expires.

 

Max Pentecost, C, 6'2 191. R/R, Kennesaw State

 

(CAPE 2013) 140ab .336 6hr 29rbi 7(2b) 16bb 22so 5sb

(KS 2013) 212ab .302/.374/.410 3hr 30rbi 14(2b) 22bb 27so 4sb 0cs

(KS 2012) 191ab .277/.364/.393 23rbi 16(2b) 3(3b) 21bb 32so 4sb 0cs

 

 

Pentecost is another player I think could be a great fit for the Jays, though probably not at pick 9 and 11 at this point. He's a catcher, which we desperately need, and he can hit and get on base, which we desperately need. I know you never draft for need, but short of hiring someone to take out JPA's knees, this seems like the most reasonable solution to me. Pentecost is athletic with a very strong arm and not only does he figure to stay at catcher long term (yes please), but he projects to be a very good defensive player. Not only that, but the MVP of the 2013 Cape Cod League, has some hitting chops as well, with outstanding bat speed, plus raw power, and a solid feel for hitting. His game is very reminiscent of Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who the Blue Jays' staff is said to be quite enamoured by, so it wouldn't surprise me if Penetecost were to find himself on the team's radar at some point, perhaps in the second round.

Edited October 23, 2013 by ace3113

[ace3113]

Toussaint Wows Evaluators At Jupiter

 

JUPITER, Fla.—Day One of the Perfect Game/World Wood Bat Association World Championships featured several of the top 2014 high school arms, and because of a smaller slate of games on Thursday (22 vs. more than 50), many of them were seen by many eyes.

 

• During the day’s final time slot, four games played at adjacent fields featured several of the class’ premier arms. On one field, Touki Toussaint (Coral Springs Christian Academy, Coral Springs, Fla.) took the hill for the Atlanta Blue Jays, facing off with Brian Gonzalez (Archbishop McCarthy HS, Miramar, Fla.) and the South Florida Elite Squad. Toussaint featured similar stuff to what he’s delivered since creating headlines in Jupiter a year ago when he showed off a fastball up to 97 and devastating curveball.

 

This year, the athletic righthander showed off a 91-94 mph fastball, peaking at 95, while predominantly mixing in his plus curveball at 74-77. At its best, Toussaint’s wrinkle earned audible praise from the typically tight-lipped scouting community.

 

The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder also threw an 85-86 changeup with deceptive arm speed, as well as an 84 mph slider. Compared to other national showcase events, Toussaint threw more strikes, though he was not always fine. His body and arm seemed to be working in better sync, allowing him to repeat his delivery. After getting squeezed on some close pitches, however, he had some wildness and ran up his pitch count, forcing his exit after two innings.

 

• On the opposite side of the rubber, Gonzalez threw three innings from a high three-quarter arm slot, creating good downhill angle on his 87-91 mph heater. He kept lefthanders off balance with a 74-76 curveball, as well as righthanders with his 79-80 changeup. Gonzalez’s changeup featured fastball arm speed and was a swing-and-miss offering when buried down in the zone.

 

• In relief of Toussaint was righthander Kevin Steen (Oak Ridge, Tenn., HS) who threw three sterling innings, primarily with his fastball. At 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, Steen has a long, loose, projectable body and whippy arm, allowing his fastball to sit 90-91 mph in his first inning. Though his fastball eventually settled in the 87-89 range, his late life allowed him to carve through the Elite’s lineup, racking up six swing-and-misses and two strikeouts in his final inning. Steen commanded the zone, thanks to his athletic, repeatable delivery and fluid arm action, and also showed a 74-77 curveball with 10-5 shape.

 

• The tournament’s first pool play time slot also put power arms on display with Grant Holmes (Conway, S.C. HS) and Alex Verdugo (Sahuaro HS, Tucson) throwing on opposite sides of the Marlins complex. Holmes, a strong-bodied righthander playing with the Evoshield Canes, worked between 91-93, peaking at 96 with two strikes on a hitter once, with excellent late life. He created lots of weak contact off the hands of righthanded hitters, and showed he could spot to both corners of the plate. He also spun a hard, late-breaking 80-81 curveball from his three-quarter slot.

 

Meanwhile Verdugo, a lefthander with the Texas Scout Team Yankees who recently threw at the Arizona Fall Classic, worked between 89-92 with heavy run. He showed four pitches, and after a number of defensive misplays, struggled with his control.

 

The Arizona State-commit, who also batted fourth for the Yankees, had two face-offs with Braxton Davidson (Arden, N.C.), one of the top prep power bats. In their first meeting, Verdugo started the lefthanded slugger with a knee-buckling 76 mph curveball to get ahead 0-1. He then threw a low-and-in changeup at 82 that Davidson took for strike two before narrowly missing the outside corner with a 92 mph fastball. Verdugo threw his next three pitches out of the zone—a 78 mph slider, 92 fastball, and 74 curveball—to walk him.

 

In round two, Verdugo struck out Davidson on a combination of fastballs and curveballs, finishing him swinging on a pretty 74 mph breaker.

 

• Among the day’s other standouts were a pair of Syracuse Sports Zoners, shortstop Isan Diaz (Springfield, Mass.) and righthander Jake Nelson (Hopkinton, N.H.). Diaz, a known commodity after the showcase circuit, showed plus bat speed from the left side, the ability to shoot offspeed pitches the other way, instinctive baserunning jumps and steady actions in the middle infield.

 

Nelson was a lesser-known commodity heading into Jupiter but was the first arm of the day to garner attention. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder sat at 90 mph with very clean mechanics through his two innings. He worked in a 77 mph slider and threw strikes.

 

• Righthander Spencer Adams (Cleveland, Ga.), pitching for Team Elite, worked two innings in his start, showing the same feel for four pitches that made him an interest of scouts all summer. The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder sat between 89-91, peaking at 93 once, while also using a cutter-like slider at 85-87, curveball at 76-77 with two-plane action, and lesser-used changeup at 84.

 

• Among Team Elite’s hitters, third baseman Montrell Marshall (Snellville, Ga.) showed well on Day One, hitting several balls with authority on a line, including a line drive triple just short of the center-field warning track. Marshall has a projectable 6-foot-5, 200-pound build and looks the part at third, where he moves well and has plenty of arm strength.

[ace3113]

Jupiter: Day 1 Notes

 

JUPITER, FLA.–The largest scouting event of the year, the 15th annual WWBA World Championship hosted by Perfect Game, began Thursday. Hundreds of scouts and college coaches flocked to Jupiter, Fla., and the Roger Dean Sports Complex to see 85 of the best travel teams in the country play at the 13-field complex. Roger Dean Stadium is the spring training home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, as well as home to two Florida State League affiliates.

 

Thursday began with two consolation games in the first two time slots of the day (10:30 AM and 12:30 PM). Scouts went scrambling in the third game of the day when a late addition to the Syracuse Sports Zone roster who was not on the printed rosters entered the game throwing 87-91 mph, touching 92 on some guns.

 

Hazelton (Pa.) High righthander Sal Biasi, who sat 89-91 in his first inning, struck out five over three innings against one walk and one hit while allowing one run in a 4-1 victory over the D’Backs Team British Columbia.

 

Attending the event was a last-minute opportunity for the 18-year-old righthander.

 

“The guy who put our team together saw me pitch last weekend, came to my dad and said that I needed to be on the team,” Biasi. “We just booked our flight two days ago.”

 

Listed at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Biasi, exclusively a middle infielder growing up, didn’t begin pitching until this summer.

 

“We were messing around over the summer and my coach brought me in to close for two innings, then I started to get more innings,” Biasi said.

 

Biasi committed to play baseball at Penn State this summer.

 

“I never knew I was going to play baseball in college to begin with until this summer because I didn’t play a lot of travel ball,” Biasi said. “I was talking to a lot of Division I basketball schools and didn’t focus on baseball until the summer, which is when things came together for me for college.”

 

The athletic Biasi has a quick arm and throws from a three-quarters slot. Biasi has both a two- and four-seam fastball but primarily used his two-seamer. He often worked away from righthanded hitters.

 

“I like to throw the two-seamer on the outside corner to run it back on the plate,” Biasi.

 

His mid-70s breaking ball showed some shape but was understandably inconsistent considering his inexperience on the mound.

 

“My breaking ball has gotten a lot better,” Biasi said. “My coach Mike Zwanch is a pitching coach at Scranton University where I live and we have been working on adding a power curve.”

 

A point guard, Biasi will play basketball in the months ahead and his strong showing on the first day of the event likely placed him on scouts’ follow lists for the spring.

 

Biasi relieved another interesting Syracuse Sports Zone righthander, Jake Nelson from Hopkinton (N.H.) High who sat 87-90 and touched 91 over two innings. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound long-limbed Nelson’s fastball played up because of his downhill plane from his arm slot above three-quarters, movement (sink and armside run) down in the zone and ability to consistently throw strikes, although his delivery had effort and his arm action had some length and stiffness.

 

Nelson, who will be 17 on draft day, had a 74-78 mph slider that showed tight rotation and break toward the higher end of that velocity range. He also showed a low-80s changeup but largely pitched off his fastball.

 

–Despite his youth, one of the top arms of the day was a member of the 2016 class, 16-year-old sophomore righthander Austin Bergner (West Orange High, Windermere, Fla.), who retired all six hitters he faced, striking out two.

 

The long, loose and rangy 6-foot-3, 170-pound Bergner has an ideal pitcher’s frame with a lean lower half and substantial physical projection remaining. He sat 88-91 mph with his fastball from a compact, whip-like arm action and arm slot a tick below three-quarters.

 

“My arm action is something we have worked on,” Bergner said. “I don’t want to have long, loopy arm action. As tall as I am most people think I would but playing shortstop helps with having a quick, shorter arm action.”

 

The ball jumps out of his hand as he creates behind head deception and hides the ball well with a high glove extension. Using a full windup from the far third-base side of the rubber, Bergner pounded the strike zone and got ahead of hitters. He showed good feel for a low-70s breaking ball with good shape and occasionally tight rotation, but was inconsistent.

 

“My curveball didn’t feel as on point as it usually is,” Bergner said. “I kept on burying it. I felt like I was rushing it and trying to hide it from the hitter instead of just trying to throw it like I normally do.”

 

But the offering has tantalizing potential. Bergner mixed in an occasional changeup in the 80-81 mph range.

 

After his outing, Bergner, a diligent worker, performed a series of postgame workouts and abdominal exercises, which is a rare scene on the showcase circuit when pitchers sometimes leave their game completely after their innings are complete.

 

Bergner shows potential as a shortstop with aptitude for the bat.

 

“If I am lucky enough to go pro I would prefer to go pitching,” Bergner said. “Right now I want to go to college as a two-way player. But I know that pitching is my strongest part of my game but I want to keep on hitting until the bat is taken out of my hand.”

 

Bergner is currently uncommitted and has yet to go on any visits to schools.

 

–St. Louis Pirates/Mets Scout Team righthander Anthony Herron Jr. (Affton High, St. Louis, Mo.) sat 88-89 mph with a deep repertoire over his two and two thirds innings, during which he struck out three against one hit. The 6-foot-2, 197-pound Herron has a solid build with a physical lower half, athleticism and strength through throughout his upper body. The ball comes out of his hand easy and he gets downhill plane. Herron showed a 74-77 mph curveball, 78-81 slider with three-quarter tilt and a 78-79 mph splitter, a seldom seen offering in a high school pitcher, with a hard bottom that generated numerous swings and misses that was an intriguing offering.

 

–Less than a week after a strong showing at the Florida Diamond Club, when he touched 95 mph, righthander Cre Finfrock (Martin County High Jensen Beach, Fla.) touched 96 and sat 91-94 during his two innings. The athletic 5-foot-10, 166-pound Finfrock has athleticism, a quick arm and hides the ball well with a compact arm action. A Central Florida commit, Finfrock can have above-average fastball movement at its best as the ball jumps out of his hand with deception and he has a high-70s breaking ball that flashes average or better.

[ace3113]

Man, this kid is going to be a good player. I just having a feeling about him. Really smart and mature kid, and he has ridiculous stuff.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2013 by ace3113

[ace3113]

Draft content from KLAW.

Brian (Hickory)

Was physical projection the only thing keeping Kolek from ranking higher?

 

Klaw (1:47 PM)

Secondary isn't great. He's good, but not as athletic or complete as guys like Holmes.

 

Rave (Hackensack)

There was a TankforTrea movement in some corner of Metland. Is he worth it to justify giving up on Tejada and Cecchini?

 

Klaw (1:51 PM)

Turner? He's not that kind of prospect. Someone's scouting the stat lines.

[ace3113]

Scout put up their list for the top 142 prep prospects for 2014

 

Pos High School Commit

 

1. Tyler Kolek RHP Shepherd (TX) TCU

2. Alex Jackson C/RF Rancho Bernardo (CA) Oregon

3. Braxton Davidson 1B T.C. Roberson (NC) North Carolina

4. Michael Gettys CF/P Gainesville (GA) Georgia

5. Grant Holmes RHP Conway (SC) Florida

6. Luis Ortiz RHP Sanger (CA) None

7. Nick Gordon SS/P Olympia (FL) Florida State

8. Forrest Wall 2B Orangewood Christ. (FL) North Carolina

9. Derek Hill CF Elk Grove (CA) Oregon

10. Cobi Johnson RHP Mitchell (FL) Florida State

11. Kodi Medeiros LHP Waiakea (HI) Pepperdine

12. Alex Verdugo OF/P Sahuaro (AZ) Arizona State

13. Sean Bouchard 3B Cathedral Catholic (CA) UCLA

14. Ti'quan Forbes SS Columbia (MS) Ole Miss

15. Sean Reid-Foley RHP Sandalwood (FL) Florida State

16. Mac Marshall LHP Parkview (GA) LSU

17. Justus Sheffield LHP Tullahoma (TN) Vanderbilt

18. Keaton McKinney RHP Ankeny (IA) Arkansas

19. Scott Blewett RHP Charles W. Baker (NY) St. John's

20. Jakson Reetz C Norris (NE) Nebraska

21. Stone Garrett CF George Ranch (TX) Rice

22. Michael Chavis 3B Sprayberry (GA) Clemson

23. Turner Larkins RHP Martin (TX) Texas A&M

24. Touki Toussaint RHP Coral Springs Christ. (FL) Vanderbilt

25. Jacob Gatewood SS Clovis (CA) USC

26. Lane Thomas CF Bearden (TN) Tennessee

27. Devon Fisher C Western Branch (VA) Virginia

28. Marcus Wilson CF Serra (CA) Arizona State

29. Travis Jones OF Atascocita (TX) Texas

30. Adam Haseley CF/P First Academy (FL) Virginia

31. Keith Weisenberg RHP Osceola (FL) Stanford

32. J.J. Schwarz C Palm Beach Gardens (FL) Florida

33. Zach Shannon RF/P Anderson (OH) Ohio State

34. Spencer Adams RHP White County (GA) Georgia

35. Brady Aiken LHP Cathedral Catholic (CA) UCLA

36. Milton Ramos SS American Heritage (FL) FAU

37. Jeren Kendall CF Holmen (WI) Vanderbilt

38. Slade Heggen C Loyola Sacred Heart (MT) Oregon

39. Dylan Cease RHP Milton (GA) Vanderbilt

40. Evan Skoug C LIbertyville (IL) TCU

41. Jake Godfrey RHP Providence Catholic (IL) Notre Dame

42. Chase Vallot C St. Thomas More (LA) Mississippi St.

43. D.J. Peters LF Glendora (CA) Fullerton

44. Blake Bivens RHP George Washington (VA) Liberty

45. Jack Flaherty 3B Harvard Westlake (CA) North Carolina

46. Clay Casey OF Olive Branch (TN) Ole Miss

47. Gareth Morgan LF Vaughn Road (CN) NR

48. Justin Smith RF Bartram Trail (FL) Miami

49. Mitch Hart RHP Granite Bay (CA) USC

50. Tim Susnara C St. Francis (CA) Oregon

51. Roberto Gonzalez OF University (FL) None

52. Carl Chester CF Lake Brantley (FL) Miami

53. Ryan Castellani RHP Brophy Prep (AZ) Arizona State

54. Alex Faedo RHP Alonso (FL) Florida

55. Bryce Carter C Cascia Hall (OK) Stanford

56. Trenton Kemp CF Buchanan (CA) Fresno State

57. Todd Isaacs CF American Heritage (FL) None

58. Raphael Ramirez CF Pace Academy (GA) N.C. State

59. Austin Murphy OF Episcopal (FL) None

60. Josh Morgan SS Orange Lutheran (CA) UCLA

61. Connor Wong SS Pearland (TX) Houston

62. Trace Loehr 2B Putnam (OR) Oregon State

63. Jake Jarvis 3B/P Klein Collins (TX) Texas A&M

64. Michael Kopech RHP Mount Pleasant (TX) Arizona

65. Tommy Doyle RHP Flint Hill (VA) Virginia

66. Tylor Megill RHP Los Alamitos (CA) Loyola Mrymt

67. Braden Webb RHP Owasso (OK) South Carolina

68. Foster Griffin LHP First Academy (FL) Ole Miss

69. Joey Gatto RHP St. Augustine (NJ) North Carolina

70. Weston Davis RHP Manatee (FL) Florida

71. Benito Santiago C Coral Springs Christ. (FL) Tennessee

72. Shane Mardirosian 2B Martin Luther King (CA) Santa Barbara

73. Luke Dykstra SS Westlake (CA) Hawaii

74. Greg Deichmann 3B Brother Martin (LA) LSU

75. Monte Harrison CF Lee's Summit West (MO) Nebraska

76. Kyle Marsh RHP Spruce Creek (FL) UCF

77. Tate Blackman 2B Lake Brantley (FL) Ole Miss

78. Cole Tucker SS Mountain Pointe (AZ) Arizona

79. Scott Hurst CF Bishop Amat (CA) Fullerton

80. Liam Sabino SS Blair Academy (NJ) Vanderbilt

81. Cameron Varga RHP Cincinnati Hills Chr. (OH) North Carolina

82. David Peterson LHP Regis Jesuit (CO) Oregon

83. Gage Burland RHP East Valley (WA) Gonzaga

84. Drew Lugbauer C Arlington (NY) Michigan

85. Simeon Lucas C Grant Community (IL) Illinois State

86. Bryan Dobzanski RHP Delsea Regional (NJ) Louisville

87. Reese Cooley CF Fleming Island (FL) Chipola JC (FL)

88. Justin Bellinger 1B St. Sebastian's (MA) Duke

89. Anfernee Seymour CF American Heritage (FL) None

90. Montrell Marshall 3B South Gwinnett (GA) Auburn

91. Brandon Murray RHP Hobart (IN) South Carolina

92. Erik Manoah RHP South Dade (FL) FIU

93. Derek Casey RHP Hanover (VA) Virginia

94. Alex Destino LHP North Bumcombe (NC) South Carolina

95. Brad Bass RHP Lincoln-Way Central (IL) Notre Dame

96. Marvin Gorgas RHP East Hampton (CT) Connecticut

97. Ryan Lillard SS Urbandale (IA) Kansas State

98. Kel Johnson LF Home School (GA) Georgia Tech

99. Daniel Gooden LHP Griffin (GA) Georgia Tech

100. Micah Miniard RHP Boyle County (KY) West. Kentucky

101. Andrew Karp RHP West Orange (FL) Florida State

102. Brendan Spagnuolo RHP Chaminade (NY) Vanderbilt

103. Austin DeCarr RHP Xaverian Brothers (MA) Clemson

104. Carson Sands LHP North Florida Christ. (FL) Florida State

105. Kevin Williams CF American (FL) Kansas State

106. Grant Hockin RHP Damien (CA) UCLA

107. Alexis Pantojas SS PR Baseball Academy Alabama State

108. Tristan Gray SS Elkins (TX) Rice

109. Taylor Lane 3B IMG Academy (FL) Florida

110. Bryce Montes De Oca RHP Lawrence (KS) Missouri

111. Isan Diaz 2B Springfield Central (MA) Vanderbilt

112. Justin Twine 2B Hemphill (TX) TCU

113. Jonathan Ducoff 3B Kingwood Park (TX) Baylor

114. Dylan Busby SS Sarasota (FL) UCF

115. Jesse Lepore RHP Trinity Catholic (FL) Miami

116. K.J. Harrison C Punahou (HI) Oregon State

117. Branden Kelliher RHP Lake Stevens (WA) Oregon

118. Christian Hicks SS Bolles (FL) Florida

119. Luke Bonfield LF IMG Academy (FL) Arkansas

120. Troy Stokes CF Calvert Hall (MD) Maryland

121. Kevin Bryant CF Wade Hampton (SC) Clemson

122. Matt Railey CF North Florida Christ. (FL) Florida State

123. Joe Gillette 3B Scotts Valley (CA) Oregon State

124. Gerard Hernandez 1B Pinnacle (AZ) None

125. Bobby Bradley 3B Harrison Central (MS) LSU

126. Handsome Monica C St. Paul's (LA) Arizona

127. Ryder Ryan 3B North Mecklenburg (NC) North Carolina

128. Gabriel Gonzalez RHP Arbor View (NV) None

129. Parker Joe Robinson RHP Serra (CA) Texas

130. Garrett Fulenchek RHP Howe (TX) Dallas Baptist

131. Cre Finfrock RHP Martin County (FL) UCF

132. John Wesley Ray RHP Christian Brothers (TN) Ole Miss

133. Dale Burdick SS Summit (TN) Mississippi St.

134. Jared Walker 3B McEachern (GA) Kennesaw St.

135. Zach Sullivan OF Corning East (NY) Stony Brook

136. Darius Day CF Simeon (IL) Arizona

137. Jacob Nix RHP Los Alamitos (CA) UCLA

138. Tyler Schimpf RHP Capital Christian (CA) Texas

139. Kevin Steen RHP Oak Ridge (TN) Tennessee

140. Devin Smeltzer LHP Bishop Eustace (NJ) Fla. Gulf Coast

141. Ryan Ralston RHP Blue Valley West (KS) None

142. Brigham Hill RHP Nacogdoches (TX) Texas A&M

[ace3113]

Canadian Baseball Network's top Canadian Prospects for 2014:

 

1. Gareth Morgan OF R/R 6' 3"

195lbs North York, Ont. Ontario Blue Jays/Canadian Junior National Team

 

What they’re saying: HR, 3 RBIs vs. Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team ... 2 H vs. Texas Sun Devils ... Doubled vs. Rays Scout Team at Jupiter ... 5 hits, 3 doubles (.227), 5 Ks on FLA trip ... .182 (2-for-11), 6 RBIs at Tournament 12 ... Ran 6.7 60 ... Longest BP drive at Rogers Centre, deep into 2nd deck ... .333 (7-for-21) 2 HRs, 7 RBIs at 18U World Cup in Taiwan ... 450 foot HR vs Australia ... 2-for-33 (.061) in Australia, 19 Ks Other lists: 28th on Perfect Game top 500 High School list, down from 23rd ... 18th on Allan Simpson's top 200

 

2 Mitchell Bigras 1B-LHP L/L 6' 5"

186lbs Sarnia, Ont. Great Lake Canadians/Canadian Junior National Team

 

What they are saying: 2 hits, double, RBI vs. New Jersey PG at Jupiter ... 1-for-11 at T12 6 BB, 2 Ks at T12 ... Compared to John Olerud by Sandy Alomar ... 0 BB, 3 Ks in Taiwan ... 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, .225 ERA ... 2-for-15 in Australia 1 RBI, 8 Ks ... 1 BB, 0 Ks in 2 IPs ... Swing sometimes long ... Long, lean, hitting machine On other lists:

 

3 Zachary Pop RHP R/R 6' 4"

222lbs Brampton, Ont. Toronto Mets/Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team/Canadian Junior National Team

 

What they are saying: 85-89 MPH, touched 90 vs. GBG Marucci ... 3 Ks, 2 IP, fastball at 89-90 MPH at Jupiter... Best HS FB at T12 (92 MPH) ... 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 Ks ... Makings of a good slider ... FB 91 MPH and “showed good life" at Connorvale Bureau camp ... 86-88 MPH at Feb. MLB bureau camp... Impressed in Fort Myers (4 IP, 0 R, 8 Ks) ... Showed good curve and slider with depth .... Has 3/4 arm slot, long loose action On other lists:

 

4 Kurt Horne LHP L/L 6' 5"

200lbs Sooke BC Langley Blaze/Canadian Junior National Team

 

What they are saying: 6 Ks in 4 IP Mid-Atlantic Rookies ... 43 of 61 pitches (70%) for Ks, 80-86 MPH ... 2 BB, 1 K in 6.1 IP in FLA ... Breaking ball showed that it needs work in FLA ... 84-87 MPH ... 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 Ks at T12 ... 87 MPH in Seattle at MLB Bureau camp On other lists:

 

5 Brock Dykxhoorn RHP L/L 6’ 8”

242lbs Goderich, Ont. Central Arizona College

 

What they’re saying: Transfer from West Virginia University ... Drafted in 20th round by Reds ('12) On other lists: ...

 

6 Ben Onyshko LHP L/R 6' 2"

195lbs Winnipeg, Man. Vauxhall Academy/Canadian Junior National Team

 

What they are saying: 1 BB, 2 Ks, in 4 IP ... 5 H, 0 R, best arm on FLA trip ... Stetson, NC State in the hunt ... 1 BB, 9 Ks in 4 IPs at T12 ... 83-87 MPH, "changed speeds very well." ... 7 straight Ks and 8 of 9 ... Plenty of schools in pursuit ... 4 BB, 9 Ks in 9 IPs in Australia, 88mph ... Led Canada Games with 20 Ks, with 20 ... No-no vs. N.S. On other lists:

 

7 Charles Leblanc INF R/R 6' 4"

200lbs Laval, Que. Academy Baseball Canada/Ohio Warhawks/Canadian Junior National Team

 

What they’re saying: 3 hits in FLA, 2 Ks in 17 plate appearance on FLA trip ... .214 (3-for-14) 3 RBIs at T12 ... Two-run HR vs. BC in Canada Games ... Drafted by Brewers in '13 (32nd round) On other lists:

 

8 Mitchell Robinson 3B-C R/R 6' 2

200lbs Cloverdale, BC Langley Blaze/Dbacks Team BC/Canadian Junior National Team/C-Florida International

 

What they are saying: 2 hits, RBI vs. Mid Atlantic Rookies in Jupiter ... 3 Hits on FLA trip ... .143 (2-for-14) two doubles ... Impressed with drive off top of LF fence .... Good arm strength ... Has shown good bad speed On other lists: 323rd on PG top 500 list (down from 287th)

 

9 Cole Peragine SS R/S 6' 1"

170lbs Belle Ewart, Ont. Stony Brook University/Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

 

What they are saying: All-Star honours on Cape ... 5 Ds, 2 T, HR, 19 RBIs ... .289 in 54 games ... .348 SLG, .377 OBA, .725 OPS ... Rare Canuck MID INF ... 8 Es in 270 chances On other lists: 205th on Allan Simpson's PG top 300 combined list

 

10 Alex Calbick 3B R/L 6' 0"

190lbs Burnaby, BC University of Maine/Bellingham Bells

 

What others are saying: Bounced back from disappointing college season (.280, 2 HRs, 33 RBIs) to win West Coast batting title (.384) ... Earned POY honours At Maine .419 SLG, .364 OBA, .783 OPS in 56 games ... On other lists: Ranked 10 on Baseball Ameica's top 10 prospects in West Coast summer league ... PG's Summer College First Team All-American honours

[GD]

Scout put up their list for the top 142 prep prospects for 2014

 

A 1B prospect ranked third eh? Can he play anywhere else?

[ace3113]

A 1B prospect ranked third eh? Can he play anywhere else?

 

Outfield apparently. I think Davidson's good. Best high school hitter in the draft. But I don't think he's top 3 good. He's like the Dominic Smith Jr. of this draft, maybe with slightly more present power.

 

My top 10 personally would be:

 

1. Tyler Kolek

2. Alex Jackson

3. Grant Holmes

4. Brady Aiken

5. Luis Ortiz

6. Kodi Meideiros

7. Scott Blewett

8. Alex Verdugo

9. Michael Gettys

10. Derek Hill

[TheHurl]

Gareth Morgan commits to North Carolina State University

 

shouldn't be a big enough commit to walk away from first round money. Besides does he really want to play with this...

 

http://youtu.be/yLuI7Ov-r84

[GD]

why did i click on that

[ace3113]

shouldn't be a big enough commit to walk away from first round money. Besides does he really want to play with this...

 

http://youtu.be/yLuI7Ov-r84

 

I don't think he goes in the first round though, unless he really comes on in the spring. He's been very underwhelming thus far. I see him signing though. Probably as a second or third rounder based on reputation alone.

[TheHurl]

I don't think he goes in the first round though, unless he really comes on in the spring. He's been very underwhelming thus far. I see him signing though. Probably as a second or third rounder based on reputation alone.

 

Got to say that I haven't paid much attention, especially since I went back to school but I just looked it up and Allan Simpson (PG) has him ranked 103 now and he's dropped out of BA's top 50 too. Don't know if Simpson's ranking are premium or not but looks like he updated two weeks ago

 

RK Player POS YR B-T HT WT School Hometown ST Last Drafted Commitment

1 Carlos Rodon LHP JR L-L 6-3 235 North Carolina State Holly Springs NC Brewers '11 (16)

2 Jeff Hoffman RHP JR R-R 6-4 190 East Carolina Latham NY Never drafted

3 Nick Burdi RHP JR R-R 6-3 220 Louisville Downers Grove IL Twins '11 (24)

4 Trea Turner SS JR R-R 6-1 170 North Carolina State Lake Worth FL Pirates '11 (20)

5 Tyler Beede RHP JR R-R 6-4 215 Vanderbilt Auburn MA Blue Jays '11 (1)

6 Tyler Kolek RHP SR R-R 6-5 230 Shepherd Shepherd TX Texas Christian

7 Brandon Finnegan LHP JR L-L 5-11 185 Texas Christian Fort Worth TX Rangers '11 (45)

8 Michael Gettys OF/RHP SR R-R 6-2 205 Gainesville Gainesville GA Georgia

9 Alex Jackson C/OF SR R-R 6-2 215 Rancho Bernardo Escondido CA Oregon

10 Michael Cederoth RHP JR R-R 6-6 210 San Diego State Spring Valley CA Diamondbacks '11 (41)

11 Nicholas Gordon SS/RHP SR L-R 6-2 170 Olympia Windermere FL Florida State

12 Max Pentecost C JR R-R 6-2 190 Kennesaw State Winder GA Rangers '11 (7)

13 Kodi Medeiros LHP SR L-L 6-0 180 Waiakea Hilo HI Pepperdine

14 Derek Fisher OF JR L-R 6-3 210 Virginia Rexmont PA Rangers '11 (6)

15 Michael Conforto OF JR L-R 6-2 215 Oregon State Redmond WA Never drafted

16 Grant Holmes RHP SR L-R 6-2 210 Conway Conway SC Florida

17 Sean Newcomb LHP JR R-L 6-5 245 Hartford Middleboro MA Never drafted

18 Kyle Schwarber C/OF JR L-R 6-0 230 Indiana Middletown OH Never drafted

19 Sean Reid-Foley RHP SR R-R 6-3 210 Sandalwood Jacksonville FL Florida State

20 Luis Ortiz RHP SR R-R 6-3 220 Sanger Sanger CA Fresno State

21 Bradley Zimmer OF JR L-R 6-5 205 San Francisco San Diego CA Cubs '11 (23)

22 Jacob Gatewood SS SR R-R 6-5 190 Clovis Clovis CA Southern California

23 Touki Toussaint RHP SR R-R 6-2 195 Coral Springs Charter Coral Springs FL Miami

24 Aaron Nola RHP JR R-R 6-2 185 Louisiana State Baton Rouge LA Blue Jays '11 (22)

25 Braxton Davidson 1B/OF SR L-L 6-3 215 T.C. Roberson Arden NC North Carolina

26 Michael Chavis 3B SR R-R 6-0 185 Sprayberry Marietta GA Clemson

27 Matt Chapman 3B/SS JR R-R 6-2 215 Cal State Fullerton Trabuco Canyon CA Never drafted

28 Luke Weaver RHP JR R-R 6-2 170 Florida State DeLand FL Blue Jays '11 (19)

29 Cobi Johnson RHP SR R-R 6-4 180 J.W. Mitchell New Port Richey FL Florida State

30 Kyle Freeland LHP JR L-L 6-4 190 Evansville Denver CO Phillies '11 (35)

31 Dylan Cease RHP SR R-R 6-2 180 Milton Milton GA Vanderbilt

32 Chris Ellis RHP JR L-R 6-5 205 Mississippi Birmingham AL Dodgers '11 (50)

33 Erick Fedde RHP JR R-R 6-4 170 Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas NV Padres '11 (24)

34 Scott Blewett RHP SR R-R 6-6 210 Baker Baldwinsville NY St. John's

35 Alex Verdugo LHP/OF SR L-L 6-1 190 Sahuaro Tucson AZ Arizona State

36 Jace Fry LHP JR L-L 6-0 195 Oregon State Beaverton OR Athletics '11 (9)

37 Jack Flaherty 3B SR R-R 6-4 210 Harvard-Westlake Burbank CA North Carolina

38 Daniel Mengden C/RHP JR R-R 6-1 215 Texas A&M Houston TX Never drafted

39 Greg Deichmann SS SR L-R 6-2 185 Brother Martin Metairie LA Louisiana State

40 Taylor Sparks 3B JR R-R 6-4 220 UC Irvine Bellflower CA Indians '11 (24)

41 Brian Anderson OF/3B JR R-R 6-3 185 Arkansas Edmond OK Twins '11 (20)

42 Brady Aiken LHP SR L-L 6-3 210 Cathedral Catholic Jamul CA UCLA

43 Alex Blandino 3B/SS JR L-R 6-0 190 Stanford Mountain View CA Athletics '11 (38)

44 Chad Sobotka RHP JR R-R 6-6 195 USC Upstate Sarasota FL Never drafted

45 Dylan Davis OF/RHP JR R-R 6-0 215 Oregon State Redmond WA Never drafted

46 Parker French RHP JR L-R 6-2 210 Texas Dripping Springs TX Never drafted

47 Cameron Varga RHP/SS SR R-R 6-3 205 Cincinnati Christian Academy West Chester OH North Carolina

48 Marcus Wilson OF SR R-R 6-3 175 J Serra Los Angeles CA Arizona State

49 Matt Imhof LHP JR L-L 6-5 230 Cal Poly Fremont CA Never drafted

50 Justus Sheffield LHP SR L-L 6-2 195 Tullahoma Tullahoma TN Vanderbilt

51 Mac Marshall LHP SR R-L 6-2 180 Parkview Lilburn GA Louisiana State

52 Karsten Whitson RHP JR R-R 6-4 220 Florida Chipley FL Nationals '13 (37)

53 Ti'quan Forbes SS/RHP SR R-R 6-4 170 Columbia Columbia MS Mississippi

54 Casey Gillaspie 1B/OF JR B-L 6-4 230 Wichita State Omaha NE Never drafted

55 Zack Shannon RHP SR R-R 6-3 220 Anderson Cincinnati OH Ohio State

56 Aramis Garcia C JR R-R 6-2 200 Florida International Pembroke Pines FL Cardinals '11 (20)

57 Dillon Peters LHP JR L-L 5-11 200 Texas Fishers IN Indians '11 (20)

58 Sam Coonrod RHP/OF JR R-R 6-2 205 Southern Illinois Carrolton IL Never drafted

59 Brandon Downes OF JR R-R 6-3 200 Virginia South Plainfield NJ Red Sox '11 (43)

60 Robbie Dickey RHP SO R-R 6-3 205 Blinn (Texas) Austin TX Never drafted Texas State

61 Derek Hill OF SR R-R 6-2 180 Elk Grove Sacramento CA Oregon

62 Kevin Cron 1B JR R-R 6-5 260 Texas Christian Phoenix AZ Mariners '11 (3)

63 Foster Griffin LHP SR R-L 6-5 190 First Academy Orlando FL Mississippi

64 Keith Weisenberg RHP SR R-R 6-4 185 Osceola Seminole FL Stanford

65 Josh Dezse RHP/1B JR R-R 6-5 225 Ohio State Powell OH Yankees '10 (28)

66 James Norwood RHP JR R-R 6-2 200 St. Louis New York NY Never drafted

67 Jake Cosart RHP/OF FR R-R 6-2 210 Seminole State (Fla.) League City TX Never drafted

68 Joey Pankake SS JR R-R 6-1 200 South Carolina Easley SC Rangers '11 (42)

69 Grayson Greiner C JR R-R 6-5 220 South Carolina Lexington SC Never drafted

70 Zech Lemond RHP JR R-R 6-4 195 Rice Houston TX Pirates '11 (50)

71 Forrest Wall SS SR L-R 6-0 180 Orangewood Christian Winter Park FL North Carolina

72 A.J. Vanegas RHP SR R-R 6-3 215 Stanford Alameda CA Athletics '13 (19)

73 A.J. Reed LHP/1B JR L-L 6-2 255 Kentucky Terre Haute IN Mets '11 (25)

74 Jakson Reetz C/RHP SR R-R 6-1 195 Norris Hickman NE Nebraska

75 J.D. Davis 1B/RHP JR R-R 6-3 215 Cal State Fullerton Elk Grove CA Rays '11 (5)

76 John Curtiss RHP SO R-R 6-4 200 Texas Southlake TX Rockies '11 (30)

77 Mike Papi OF/1B JR L-R 6-3 210 Virginia Tunkhannock PA Angels '11 (30)

78 Jon Littell OF SR R-R 6-4 190 Stillwater Stillwater OK Oklahoma State

79 Spencer Turnbull RHP JR R-R 6-3 220 Alabama Madison AL Never drafted

80 Justin Smith OF SR R-R 6-2 200 Bartram Trail St. John's FL Miami

81 Ashton Perritt OF/RHP JR R-R 6-4 195 Liberty Whiteland IN Never drafted

82 Patrick Weigel RHP SO R-R 6-6 210 Oxnard (Calif.) Camarillo CA Never drafted Houston

83 Greg Allen OF JR B-R 6-0 170 San Diego State Chula Vista CA Never drafted

84 Nick Howard 3B/RHP JR R-R 6-3 215 Virginia Olney MD Never drafted

85 Michael Kopech RHP SR R-R 6-4 195 Mt. Pleasant Mt. Pleasant TX Arizona

86 Jake Reed RHP JR R-R 6-2 190 Oregon La Mesa CA White Sox '11 (40)

87 Milton Ramos SS SR R-R 6-0 150 Florida Christian Hialeah Gardens FL Florida Atlantic

88 Sean Bouchard 3B SR R-R 6-3 190 Cathedral Catholic San Diego CA UCLA

89 Kel Johnson OF SR R-R 6-4 215 (home schooled) Palmetto GA Georgia Tech

90 Ben Smith LHP JR L-L 6-3 195 Coastal Carolina Wichita Falls TX Never drafted

91 Austin Byler 3B JR L-R 6-3 225 Nevada Peoria AZ Never drafted

92 Stone Garrett OF SR R-R 6-2 200 George Ranch Sugar Land TX Rice

93 Mason McCullough RHP JR R-R 6-4 225 North Carolina Shelby NC Never drafted

94 Keaton McKinney RHP/1B SR R-R 6-5 220 Ankeny Ankeny IA Arkansas

95 Jordan Foley RHP JR R-R 6-3 215 Central Michigan The Colony TX Yankees '11 (26)

96 Jordan Luplow OF JR R-R 6-1 190 Fresno State Clovis CA Never drafted

97 Shane Benes SS SR R-R 6-3 200 Westminster Christian St. Louis MO Missouri

98 Alex Destino LHP SR L-L 6-3 210 North Buncombe Weaverville NC South Carolina

99 Jorge Perez RHP JR R-R 6-2 205 Grand Canyon (Ariz.) Downey CA Never drafted

100 David Peterson LHP SR L-L 6-6 220 Regis Jesuit Denver CO Oregon

101 Trenton Kemp OF SR R-R 6-2 185 Buchanan Clovis CA Fresno State

102 Daniel Gossett RHP JR R-R 6-1 185 Clemson Lyman SC Red Sox '11 (16)

103 Gareth Morgan OF SR R-R 6-4 210 North Toronto Collegiate Toronto ON

[TheHurl]

of note two more ex Jays draft picks have jumped into Simpson's top 50. Joining Beede (#4), Nola (#24), Weaver (#28) are Prigatano (#155) and last year's 11th rounder Heyman (#180)

[ace3113]

I'm surprised Finnegan is ranked so high. I really like him as a prospect, I just didn't think anyone else liked him as much as me. It's kind of how I felt with Stroman a while back. This guy is going to be pretty good health permitting. I hope we take him with one of our picks. Other guys I like from that list:

 

 

RK Player POS YR B-T HT WT School Hometown ST Last Drafted Commitment

1 Carlos Rodon LHP JR L-L 6-3 235 North Carolina State Holly Springs NC Brewers '11 (16)

2 Jeff Hoffman RHP JR R-R 6-4 190 East Carolina Latham NY Never drafted

3 Nick Burdi RHP JR R-R 6-3 220 Louisville Downers Grove IL Twins '11 (24)

4 Trea Turner SS JR R-R 6-1 170 North Carolina State Lake Worth FL Pirates '11 (20)

5 Tyler Beede RHP JR R-R 6-4 215 Vanderbilt Auburn MA Blue Jays '11 (1)

6 Tyler Kolek RHP SR R-R 6-5 230 Shepherd Shepherd TX Texas Christian

7 Brandon Finnegan LHP JR L-L 5-11 185 Texas Christian Fort Worth TX Rangers '11 (45)

8 Michael Gettys OF/RHP SR R-R 6-2 205 Gainesville Gainesville GA Georgia

9 Alex Jackson C/OF SR R-R 6-2 215 Rancho Bernardo Escondido CA Oregon

10 Michael Cederoth RHP JR R-R 6-6 210 San Diego State Spring Valley CA Diamondbacks '11 (41)

11 Nicholas Gordon SS/RHP SR L-R 6-2 170 Olympia Windermere FL Florida State

12 Max Pentecost C JR R-R 6-2 190 Kennesaw State Winder GA Rangers '11 (7)

13 Kodi Medeiros LHP SR L-L 6-0 180 Waiakea Hilo HI Pepperdine

14 Derek Fisher OF JR L-R 6-3 210 Virginia Rexmont PA Rangers '11 (6)

15 Michael Conforto OF JR L-R 6-2 215 Oregon State Redmond WA Never drafted

16 Grant Holmes RHP SR L-R 6-2 210 Conway Conway SC Florida

17 Sean Newcomb LHP JR R-L 6-5 245 Hartford Middleboro MA Never drafted

18 Kyle Schwarber C/OF JR L-R 6-0 230 Indiana Middletown OH Never drafted

19 Sean Reid-Foley RHP SR R-R 6-3 210 Sandalwood Jacksonville FL Florida State

20 Luis Ortiz RHP SR R-R 6-3 220 Sanger Sanger CA Fresno State

21 Bradley Zimmer OF JR L-R 6-5 205 San Francisco San Diego CA Cubs '11 (23)

22 Jacob Gatewood SS SR R-R 6-5 190 Clovis Clovis CA Southern California

23 Touki Toussaint RHP SR R-R 6-2 195 Coral Springs Charter Coral Springs FL Miami

24 Aaron Nola RHP JR R-R 6-2 185 Louisiana State Baton Rouge LA Blue Jays '11 (22)

25 Braxton Davidson 1B/OF SR L-L 6-3 215 T.C. Roberson Arden NC North Carolina

26 Michael Chavis 3B SR R-R 6-0 185 Sprayberry Marietta GA Clemson

27 Matt Chapman 3B/SS JR R-R 6-2 215 Cal State Fullerton Trabuco Canyon CA Never drafted

28 Luke Weaver RHP JR R-R 6-2 170 Florida State DeLand FL Blue Jays '11 (19)

29 Cobi Johnson RHP SR R-R 6-4 180 J.W. Mitchell New Port Richey FL Florida State

30 Kyle Freeland LHP JR L-L 6-4 190 Evansville Denver CO Phillies '11 (35)

31 Dylan Cease RHP SR R-R 6-2 180 Milton Milton GA Vanderbilt

32 Chris Ellis RHP JR L-R 6-5 205 Mississippi Birmingham AL Dodgers '11 (50)

33 Erick Fedde RHP JR R-R 6-4 170 Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas NV Padres '11 (24)

34 Scott Blewett RHP SR R-R 6-6 210 Baker Baldwinsville NY St. John's

35 Alex Verdugo LHP/OF SR L-L 6-1 190 Sahuaro Tucson AZ Arizona State

36 Jace Fry LHP JR L-L 6-0 195 Oregon State Beaverton OR Athletics '11 (9)

37 Jack Flaherty 3B SR R-R 6-4 210 Harvard-Westlake Burbank CA North Carolina

38 Daniel Mengden C/RHP JR R-R 6-1 215 Texas A&M Houston TX Never drafted

39 Greg Deichmann SS SR L-R 6-2 185 Brother Martin Metairie LA Louisiana State

40 Taylor Sparks 3B JR R-R 6-4 220 UC Irvine Bellflower CA Indians '11 (24)

41 Brian Anderson OF/3B JR R-R 6-3 185 Arkansas Edmond OK Twins '11 (20)

42 Brady Aiken LHP SR L-L 6-3 210 Cathedral Catholic Jamul CA UCLA

43 Alex Blandino 3B/SS JR L-R 6-0 190 Stanford Mountain View CA Athletics '11 (38)

44 Chad Sobotka RHP JR R-R 6-6 195 USC Upstate Sarasota FL Never drafted

45 Dylan Davis OF/RHP JR R-R 6-0 215 Oregon State Redmond WA Never drafted

46 Parker French RHP JR L-R 6-2 210 Texas Dripping Springs TX Never drafted

47 Cameron Varga RHP/SS SR R-R 6-3 205 Cincinnati Christian Academy West Chester OH North Carolina

48 Marcus Wilson OF SR R-R 6-3 175 J Serra Los Angeles CA Arizona State

49 Matt Imhof LHP JR L-L 6-5 230 Cal Poly Fremont CA Never drafted

50 Justus Sheffield LHP SR L-L 6-2 195 Tullahoma Tullahoma TN Vanderbilt

51 Mac Marshall LHP SR R-L 6-2 180 Parkview Lilburn GA Louisiana State

52 Karsten Whitson RHP JR R-R 6-4 220 Florida Chipley FL Nationals '13 (37)

53 Ti'quan Forbes SS/RHP SR R-R 6-4 170 Columbia Columbia MS Mississippi

54 Casey Gillaspie 1B/OF JR B-L 6-4 230 Wichita State Omaha NE Never drafted

55 Zack Shannon RHP SR R-R 6-3 220 Anderson Cincinnati OH Ohio State

56 Aramis Garcia C JR R-R 6-2 200 Florida International Pembroke Pines FL Cardinals '11 (20)

57 Dillon Peters LHP JR L-L 5-11 200 Texas Fishers IN Indians '11 (20)

58 Sam Coonrod RHP/OF JR R-R 6-2 205 Southern Illinois Carrolton IL Never drafted

59 Brandon Downes OF JR R-R 6-3 200 Virginia South Plainfield NJ Red Sox '11 (43)

60 Robbie Dickey RHP SO R-R 6-3 205 Blinn (Texas) Austin TX Never drafted Texas State

61 Derek Hill OF SR R-R 6-2 180 Elk Grove Sacramento CA Oregon

62 Kevin Cron 1B JR R-R 6-5 260 Texas Christian Phoenix AZ Mariners '11 (3)

63 Foster Griffin LHP SR R-L 6-5 190 First Academy Orlando FL Mississippi

64 Keith Weisenberg RHP SR R-R 6-4 185 Osceola Seminole FL Stanford

65 Josh Dezse RHP/1B JR R-R 6-5 225 Ohio State Powell OH Yankees '10 (28)

66 James Norwood RHP JR R-R 6-2 200 St. Louis New York NY Never drafted

67 Jake Cosart RHP/OF FR R-R 6-2 210 Seminole State (Fla.) League City TX Never drafted

68 Joey Pankake SS JR R-R 6-1 200 South Carolina Easley SC Rangers '11 (42)

69 Grayson Greiner C JR R-R 6-5 220 South Carolina Lexington SC Never drafted

70 Zech Lemond RHP JR R-R 6-4 195 Rice Houston TX Pirates '11 (50)

71 Forrest Wall SS SR L-R 6-0 180 Orangewood Christian Winter Park FL North Carolina

72 A.J. Vanegas RHP SR R-R 6-3 215 Stanford Alameda CA Athletics '13 (19)

73 A.J. Reed LHP/1B JR L-L 6-2 255 Kentucky Terre Haute IN Mets '11 (25)

74 Jakson Reetz C/RHP SR R-R 6-1 195 Norris Hickman NE Nebraska75 J.D. Davis 1B/RHP JR R-R 6-3 215 Cal State Fullerton Elk Grove CA Rays '11 (5)

76 John Curtiss RHP SO R-R 6-4 200 Texas Southlake TX Rockies '11 (30)

77 Mike Papi OF/1B JR L-R 6-3 210 Virginia Tunkhannock PA Angels '11 (30)

78 Jon Littell OF SR R-R 6-4 190 Stillwater Stillwater OK Oklahoma State

79 Spencer Turnbull RHP JR R-R 6-3 220 Alabama Madison AL Never drafted

80 Justin Smith OF SR R-R 6-2 200 Bartram Trail St. John's FL Miami

81 Ashton Perritt OF/RHP JR R-R 6-4 195 Liberty Whiteland IN Never drafted

82 Patrick Weigel RHP SO R-R 6-6 210 Oxnard (Calif.) Camarillo CA Never drafted Houston

83 Greg Allen OF JR B-R 6-0 170 San Diego State Chula Vista CA Never drafted

84 Nick Howard 3B/RHP JR R-R 6-3 215 Virginia Olney MD Never drafted

85 Michael Kopech RHP SR R-R 6-4 195 Mt. Pleasant Mt. Pleasant TX Arizona

86 Jake Reed RHP JR R-R 6-2 190 Oregon La Mesa CA White Sox '11 (40)

87 Milton Ramos SS SR R-R 6-0 150 Florida Christian Hialeah Gardens FL Florida Atlantic

88 Sean Bouchard 3B SR R-R 6-3 190 Cathedral Catholic San Diego CA UCLA

89 Kel Johnson OF SR R-R 6-4 215 (home schooled) Palmetto GA Georgia Tech

90 Ben Smith LHP JR L-L 6-3 195 Coastal Carolina Wichita Falls TX Never drafted

91 Austin Byler 3B JR L-R 6-3 225 Nevada Peoria AZ Never drafted

92 Stone Garrett OF SR R-R 6-2 200 George Ranch Sugar Land TX Rice

93 Mason McCullough RHP JR R-R 6-4 225 North Carolina Shelby NC Never drafted

94 Keaton McKinney RHP/1B SR R-R 6-5 220 Ankeny Ankeny IA Arkansas

95 Jordan Foley RHP JR R-R 6-3 215 Central Michigan The Colony TX Yankees '11 (26)

96 Jordan Luplow OF JR R-R 6-1 190 Fresno State Clovis CA Never drafted

97 Shane Benes SS SR R-R 6-3 200 Westminster Christian St. Louis MO Missouri

98 Alex Destino LHP SR L-L 6-3 210 North Buncombe Weaverville NC South Carolina

99 Jorge Perez RHP JR R-R 6-2 205 Grand Canyon (Ariz.) Downey CA Never drafted

100 David Peterson LHP SR L-L 6-6 220 Regis Jesuit Denver CO Oregon

101 Trenton Kemp OF SR R-R 6-2 185 Buchanan Clovis CA Fresno State

102 Daniel Gossett RHP JR R-R 6-1 185 Clemson Lyman SC Red Sox '11 (16)

103 Gareth Morgan OF SR R-R 6-4 210 North Toronto Collegiate Toronto ON

[ace3113]

I can't really criticize the Jays as I too questioned Crawford's hit tool.

 

Tyler Schofield (Philadelphia)

 

What potential does JP Crawford have? Need something to look forward to because this season will be abysmal.

 

Klaw (12:30 PM)

 

Star. Ceiling is very high.

[ace3113]

Mayos Friday inbox.

 

He answered my question about Luis Ortiz, lol

 

Nice. I wish I had known. I would have loved to ask him about Brandon Finnegan and Brady Aiken, two players I really like.

 

Mayo and Callis also tried their hand at an early top ten mock two days ago. I'd love Kolek, but I'd rather have Aiken over Toussaint as it stands now.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/callis-mayo-take-first-crack-at-top-10-2014-draft-picks?ymd=20131204&content_id=64384888&vkey=news_mlb

 

Our First-Year Player Draft experts, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, take their first crack at projecting how the top 10 selections in 2014 will unfold:

 

1. Astros

 

Callis: Carlos Rodon, LHP, North Carolina State -- Best college lefty since David Price (2007). Biggest front-runner for No. 1 overall pick since Bryce Harper ('10).

 

Mayo: Rodon -- About as no-brainer as it can be at this point. It'd be more of a surprise if he didn't go No. 1.

 

2. Marlins

 

Callis: Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina -- Could challenge Rodon for top selection. Has similar fastball and better changeup and command.

 

Mayo: Alex Jackson, C/OF, Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego -- The top high school player in the class, and Miami hasn't shied away from taking exciting young bats (see Yelich, Christian).

 

3. White Sox

 

Callis: Tyler Kolek, RHP, Shepherd (Texas) HS -- White Sox love high-ceiling players, and Kolek has a huge one with a fastball that already reaches 99 mph.

 

Mayo: Hoffman -- The White Sox like their athletes, but they also like big, strong starting pitching. After Rodon, Hoffman is the best in the class.

 

4. Cubs

 

Callis: Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt -- Cubs almost certainly will take a pitcher after spending last two top-six choices on bats, though Beede must refine his command.

 

Mayo: Trea Turner, SS, North Carolina State -- How about a future left side of the infield featuring Kris Bryant, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 Draft, and Turner, a leadoff type with 80 speed?

 

5. Twins

 

Callis: Jackson -- With Joe Mauer moving to first base, Jackson would be a nice fit; Minnesota also could use his power.

 

Mayo: Beede -- A former first-round pick back in 2011, look for Beede to answer questions about his command this spring and be among the top college arms taken in June.

 

6. Mariners

 

Callis: Turner -- Seattle has young middle infielders, but Turner's speed/bat/defense combo will be too much to ignore.

 

Mayo: Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis (Calif.) HS -- The power is more than legit, but there are some questions about the hit tool ... not enough to keep him out of Top 10 consideration.

 

7. Phillies

 

Callis: Gatewood -- Philadelphia isn't afraid to gamble on upside; could opt for Gatewood's massive power or Michael Gettys' all-around package.

 

Mayo: Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville (Ga.) HS -- The Phils have taken a high schooler with their first pick in each of the last six Drafts. They seem to like toolsy position players and Gettys fits that description perfectly.

 

8. Rockies

 

Callis: Gettys -- Has the best collection of tools in this Draft class; could go higher if he answers questions about his bat.

 

Mayo: Aaron Nola, RHP, LSU -- After nabbing Jonathan Gray at No. 3 in 2013, adding Nola could give them a very nice 1-2 punch that could get to Coors Field in a hurry.

 

9. Blue Jays

 

Callis: Touki Toussaint, RHP, Coral Springs (Fla.) Christian Academy -- After failing to sign Phil Bickford in 2013, Toronto lands another high school righty with devastating stuff.

 

Mayo: Kolek -- It might be too easy to give the Blue Jays the top high-ceiling high school arm available, but they don't shy away from rolling the dice in that fashion.

 

10. Mets

 

Callis: Brady Aiken, LHP, Central Catholic HS (San Diego) -- New York's last three first-rounders have been hitters, so the ultra-polished Aiken would make a lot of sense.

 

Mayo: Derek Fisher, OF, Virginia -- After going the high school position player route in the first round for the last three Drafts, maybe the Mets go for a more advanced player. If not a pitcher, then a bat like Fisher, relying on the fact that UVA bats tend to perform better in the pro game.

[flafson]

Nice kid, MLB has him at number 16 right now.

[RIPEXPOS]

I'm hoping we land the best pitcher that slides to us at #9, and then grab Nick Gordon at #11.

 

Just off the tape I've watched of Gordon, I think he has a chance to be special. Crazy athletic SS with an absolute CANON. Plus he's very projectable with the bat with quick hands and 6'2" frame already. He's a much superior prospect to his brother, and I think he slides because of Dee's mediocrity.

[Frenchsoup]

I'm hoping we land the best pitcher that slides to us at #9, and then grab Nick Gordon at #11.

 

Just off the tape I've watched of Gordon, I think he has a chance to be special. Crazy athletic SS with an absolute CANON. Plus he's very projectable with the bat with quick hands and 6'2" frame already. He's a much superior prospect to his brother, and I think he slides because of Dee's mediocrity.

 

Forbes is another nice project able shortstop who hits in games and has solid d not sure he deserves to go in the top half of the draft though.

[RIPEXPOS]

How do you guys think the players we will have a chance to draft at 9 and 11 compare to Stroman and Sanchez? Do you think they'd rank ahead of Stroman and Sanchez, right with Stroman and Sanchez, or behind Stroman and Sanchez?

[Abomination]

How do you guys think the players we will have a chance to draft at 9 and 11 compare to Stroman and Sanchez? Do you think they'd rank ahead of Stroman and Sanchez, right with Stroman and Sanchez, or behind Stroman and Sanchez?

 

I don't like the ranking systems putting new draftees high immediately, unless it's an incredible talent guy like a Rodon, Harper, Strasberg, etc. At least one of the two guys should end up being a well above average big-leaguer though.

[RIPEXPOS]

From what I understand, it's supposed to be a very strong class, and that some of the guys in 9-11 range would be top 5-7 guys most years. I think we have a chance to add 2 fantastic prospects.

[ace3113]

I don't think it's stronger than any other class, it's just deeper. Meaning the quality of the prospects will run deep into the 3rd and 4th rounds.

 

This is my opinion as well. I like a lot of names in the 2nd and 3rd round this year as well.

[ace3113]

Where does Sean Reid-Foley project to go and what do you think of him? I like what I have read about him

 

Right now he's probable in the 20-30 range. He's got good now stuff (low 90s fastball up to 94, wipeout slider), but his consistency and command waver, and he doesn't have a whole lot of projection left. I like him though. Kind of reminds me of Gavin Floyd with a slider instead of a curve.

[Captain Adama]

Just my two cents, the Jays should take Gettys or Davidson with one of their top two picks.

 

Davidson's got a great swing, with some serious power to boot.