2014 MLB Draft: An Early Look

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Grant Holmes

Position: RHP

Height: 6-2

Weight: 200

Bats/Throws: L-R

Birthdate: March 22, 1996

High School: Conway

City, State: Conway, S.C.

Travel Team: EvoShield Canes

Commitment: Florida

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

While there is a deep and very talented group of high school pitchers in the Class of 2014, few if any have shown the consistency and durability of Grant Holmes leading up to this spring high school season.Not only are Holmes performances consistently dominating, as one would expect out of a pitcher of his caliber, but the Perfect Game All-American’s stuff hardly changes from start to start, something few pitchers at any level can claim.Holmes bumped his fastball up to 97 mph at the All-American Classic, an environment that invites spiking fastball velocities as each pitcher generally only throws one inning. But in WWBA tournaments pitching for the EvoShield Canes for the last year, he’s almost always in the 92-94 range, touching 95 when he wants it, with his fastball. The pitch gets heavy sinking life when down in the zone, making it almost impossible for a hitter to lift the ball even if he gets the barrel out and down to it in time. If there is a present fault with Holmes fastball, it’s that it lacks deception at times. His arm action in back is long and shows the ball and Holmes has a tendency to pitch up in the zone with his fastball, where it straightens out.There is no real present fault to Holmes breaking ball. The pitch has caused much discussion among the Perfect Game scouts as to whether to label it a curveball or a slider and one is sure to hear it, irrelevantly, called both between now and the draft. We call it a curveball despite its low-80s velocity and frequent big sweeping shape, as Holmes distinctly comes over the ball on release like a standard curveball and will even throw it occasionally with a more of a downer 11-to-5 shape and similar depth. In fact, if Holmes learns to vary that break with intent and command, it will become a true elite level pitch. It’s close right now and when paired with the heavy 94 mph fastball, and gives Holmes two plus pitches he throws for strikes.Holmes does throw a changeup in team events, although not at showcases, and it is still understandably a developing pitch in the mid-80s.The durability factor is just as noteworthy as Holmes' consistency. Holmes has a very strong 6-foot-2, 200-pound build, although the listed height might be stretching it out a bit. He gets lots of his power and velocity from a low effort delivery that uses his strong hips and legs very well. This certainly contributes to the consistency of his stuff but also has led to Holmes consistently taking the ball and throwing four to five inning starts for the Canes during the summer and fall. Those longer stretched out starts are games that scouts want to see more than the shorter two or three inning outings that many top prospect level pitchers throw during the same time of year.Holmes threw twice at the Perfect Game 17u World Series in the sweltering 110 degree heat in Arizona and won both a ring for the champion Canes and the trophy for the event’s Most Valuable Pitcher. He threw six innings, striking out 16 hitters while only allowing two hits and walking three batters. This scout saw him throw at five events last summer and fall and it was easily his most impressive performance.When the Canes also won the WWBA World Championship, Holmes repeated his July routine under the bright lights of Jupiter, throwing two dominating innings on Thursday and four solid innings during a start early in the playoffs.When the legion of scouting directors and cross-checkers travel to Conway, South Carolina this spring, it would be almost shocking if they didn’t see 92-94, touching 95-96 mph heat, with a plus low-80s breaking ball. And they will probably see a complete game victory as well – Holmes was 6-1, 0.40 with 88 strikeouts in 52 innings last spring. He profiles as a high innings, durable No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the future.Of course, those who know the Holmes family aren’t surprised by the consistency at all. Holmes' brother Colby pitched for the two-time NCAA champion South Carolina Gamecocks for four years and is now in the Atlanta Braves system. He went 7-3, 3.69 as a sophomore, 7-2, 3.05 as a junior and 5-2, 3.76 as a senior. That’s about as consistent as it gets.It runs in the family.

 

-PG

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Nicholas Gordon

Position: SS/RHP

Height: 6-2

Weight: 170

Bats/Throws: L-R

Birthdate: Oct. 24, 1995

High School: Olympia

City, State: Windermere, Fla.

Travel Team: FTB Chandler

Commitment: Florida State

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

There is an element of the baseball community that says once a player has the attention of the scouts, has his national ranking and has his college commitment, there really isn’t any reason for him to hustle around and play at national level events.Fortunately that is a very small element in the game at this level. The reality is that baseball is a game of repetitions and learning, and the only way you get better is by playing as often as possible against players of your talent level or better.No player in the 2014 class has ascribed as enthusiastically and completely, and benefited as much, to the 'play as much as you can' path than Nicholas Gordon.Gordon has played in at least 24 Perfect Game events, starting at the 2010 Perfect Game/East Cobb 14/15u Championship and continuing on through the 2014 World Showcase in early January. He’s also played in numerous other national level events such as the Area Code Games and the East Coast Pro Showcase. The pinnacle of last summer occurred when he received the Jackie Robinson Award as part of the Perfect Game All-American Classic, honoring not only his success on the baseball field, but the high merits of his character.Maybe the only time he’s been known to pass on an opportunity to play was last summer when he declined to play at the Tournament of Stars as part of the selection process for the USA 18u National Team. The story in the scouting community was that Gordon’s mother, Yolanda, wasn’t wild about him spending two weeks of school time traveling in Taiwan and South Korea.When a scout gets to see a player play that much over a four-year period of development it becomes a huge advantage to the player – if his tools, skills and character are up to it.Gordon’s tools and skills are most obvious on defense. While his running speed is probably only a 55 on the pro scouting scale – he ran 6.69, 6.68 and 6.65 in his three sixty’s in 2013 – he is exceptionally athletic and quick in his actions and will have easy plus to plus/plus range. His raw arm strength is peerless and is at the top of the grading scale. He has a tendency to lay back on routine ground balls and get them between hops, but that is a learned skill that he will grow out of with repetitions and a faster game.When the game gets faster is when Gordon’s defensive instincts and creativity really shine. He’s one of the rare players one watches closely on defense because you never know when he might make a spectacular play.My personal favorite was when he was playing second base at the PG National Showcase last June. With a runner on first, the batter rolled a ground ball up the middle that looked like a base hit. Gordon slid across the dirt cutout at second base to spear the ball, tagged the second base bag with his glove in same motion as fielding the ball, then effortlessly popped up and threw to first to complete the double play by 20 feet. It looked so simple and yet was so difficult and unique.I turned to the scout next to me and said, “who in the big leagues makes that play?”Observing Gordon’s evolution as a hitter has been a huge benefit of seeing him so often. He’s always had a fundamentally sound swing that keeps the barrel inside the ball for a long time and works the ball to the middle of the field and to the left-center field gap. It’s not a dissimilar overall approach than a bigger Joe Mauer had at the same age.When he weighed 150 pounds, Gordon just concentrated on getting the barrel out and squaring the ball up. As he’s got stronger the ball is coming off the barrel harder and going up the gap instead of just over the shortstop’s head, and he’s learning what pitches he can turn on and drive to the pull side.At the World Showcase a couple of weeks ago it was obvious that Gordon was stronger in the upper body and his bat speed and strength at contact reflected that. The defining swing was when he took an 86 mph fastball from a lefthander and calmly drove it about 30 feet over the left fielder’s head. It was not something he could probably have done a year before.But it might be with the character aspect that seeing Gordon around the ballpark and at the field so much has benefited scouts the most. There is no player in the 2014 class whose self-identity and actions are more centered around being a baseball player than Nicholas Gordon. Yes, it is easier when your father played in the Major Leagues for over 20 years. But that is only a first step.Gordon has played for FTB and their head coach Jered Goodwin in the summers and fall for over two years. Goodwin isn’t shy about discussing Gordon and very little of it has to do with his tools.“Nick is like a little brother to me. We are past the coach-player relationship. He is as genuine of a kid as I have ever been around. There is zero entitlement, he wants to work hard and build his own road. Nick is a leader on the field and off of it and the hard work and competitiveness is contagious to the people around him. He can run, field, hit, has a great arm and is developing power.“However, his best tool may be his character. Nick is the biggest fan of all his teammates and truly wants them to do well. When you have a leader like that it makes it so easy for an entire team to produce big numbers and wins. With everything that Nick brings to the table you could start to build a franchise around him. People just want to be around this kid.”Of course, no discussion of Gordon would be complete without breaking down his potential on the mound. It’s noteworthy that Goodwin says that Gordon and his father love to compete and trash talk and the two most common and heated topics are who's better at basketball and who has a better curveball.Any 18 year old who can argue with conviction that he has a better curveball than Tom “Flash” Gordon is saying something.There is no question that Gordon has first round potential on the mound. Even before his recent strength/weight gains, he was capable of getting his fastball up to 94 mph with great downhill plane and without too much effort. His upper-70s hammer is indeed a potential plus big league pitch, and it would just be a matter of more innings before his changeup and command advanced to the same level. There are plenty of national level scouts who feel this way and dream of Gordon focusing on the mound.I once asked Flash what he thought about the whole shortstop versus pitcher question. After pointing out that he, too, had been a primary shortstop back in high school in Avon Park, Fla. in the mid-80s, he answered with a laugh.“Oh no. Nick thinks he’s a shortstop and I think he’s a shortstop. That’s what he’s going to play.”

 

-PG

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Braxton Davidson

Position: 1B/OF

Height: 6-3

Weight: 220

Bats/Throws: L-L

Birthdate: June 18, 1996

High School: T.C. Roberson

City, State: Arden, N.C.

Travel Team: Dirtbags

Commitment: North Carolina

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

Braxton Davidson became the third player in 10 years from T.C. Roberson High School in Asheville, North Carolina to be named a Perfect Game All-American. He joined speedy center fielder Cameron Maybin (2004) and slick fielding shortstop Justin Jackson (2006) in that honor, and both went on to become first round draft picks.Davidson also projects to be a first round draft choice but with a totally different tool set than the other two middle of the field athletes. A strong case can be made that Davidson, who is a corner outfielder and first baseman, is the best all-around hitter in the 2014 class, combining enormous power, a well-developed hit tool and the ability to take pitches and reach base.He also appears to be the most feared and respected hitter in the class judging by how he is treated by opposing pitchers and coaches.Davidson was already a well-known prospect coming into last summer, especially after he blasted a home run at the 2012 East Coast Professional Showcase as an underclassman. He showed his power right away to begin the summer at the Perfect Game National Showcase, blasting two balls into the Metrodome upper deck during batting practice and showing the same type of bat speed and strength in games.Immediately following the National Showcase, Davidson had his defining moment as a prospect. Playing in his home state of North Carolina at the Tournament of Stars, Davidson hit three home runs, including two in one game, the second of which was perhaps the longest home run ever hit on the summer prospect circuit.The main field at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary has a four-lane toll road, Highway 540, that runs approximately 160-180 feet beyond the right field fence. It’s one of those things that you look at as a frequent visitor to baseball fields and make the mental checkmark “that isn’t in play.”Davidson’s titanic blast very distinctly hit cement out of a direct sight line from the stands and bounded 25-30 feet up in the air as a ball can only do off cement. The only thing between the property line and the toll road that is visible is dirt and brush. The only thing it possibly could have landed on was the road, which is approximately 500 feet away.Whether a young hitter who literally just turned 17 years old a couple days previously can hit a baseball that far with a wood bat is open to question. But that’s what appeared to happen to this and other observers.It was very obvious at the East Coast Professional Showcase six weeks later that the pitchers were approaching Davidson differently than any other hitter. He saw a steady supply of breaking balls and pitches off the outside corner and he quickly made the adjustment, working the middle of the field for a number of clean singles before finally getting a ball to drive up the right-center field gap the last day.One thing that was obvious from that event was that Davidson’s ground balls got through the infield faster than anyone else’s, much in the same way that other top hitters such as Clint Frazier or Dan Vogelbach picked up hits at the same age. The ball just comes off their barrels harder and faster.It was the same story in October at the WWBA World Championship. Hitting clean-up for a Dirtbags team that had ample pitching and defense but not much offense, Davidson walked eight times in four games. The only pitcher who challenged him was top prospect southpaw Alex Verdugo from Arizona, who was throwing 92 with a nasty curveball at the time.As a hitter, Davidson has some swing-and-miss in his approach, and is will try to pull outside pitches that he should be lining to left-center field, although he has shown the ability at times to recognize those pitches and adjust his swing accordingly. But anything middle half in on Davidson is in his power zone. He hits from a very spread stance with limited shift, much like Albert Pujols, and like Pujols, he has the ability to do that with his strength and path to the ball.What defensive position Davidson eventually lands at is to be determined, although he certainly would have more value if he can stay at a corner outfield position. Speed would be the potential drawback in the outfield, as Davidson is a 7.1 to 7.3 runner in the sixty. His arm strength is solid Major League average and he does reach the upper-80s off the mound from the left side as a pitcher. If Davidson does end up at first base, he has outstanding actions at that position and should be an above average defender.But with Davidson’s overall profile, all that really matters is weather he hits or not. And Davidson has shown every indication up to this point that he can evolve into a middle of the line-up run producer at the Major League level.

 

-PG

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Kodi Medeiros

Position: LHP

Height: 6-0

Weight: 185

Bats/Throws: L-L

Birthdate: May 25, 1996

High School: Waiakea

City, State: Hilo, Hawaii

Travel Team: Big Island/Ohio Warhawks

Commitment: Pepperdine

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

Kodi Medeiros is different, which is not something that makes scouts comfortable.He’s not different physically, except that his arms seem a bit long for his 6-foot, 185-pound frame. Being from Hawaii is a bit unusual, but it’s not like he makes his home in Alaska or rural Vermont. That he’s thrown only eight total innings at national level events in his career doesn’t separate him and is actually more than some recent first round picks. He comes from a normal, hard working two-parent family.What makes Medeiros different is the way that he throws a baseball and what the baseball does after it leaves his hand.Perfect Game found out about Medeiros shortly before the 2013 National Showcase from a source who had played in the Major Leagues and was familiar with his talents, which had never been showcased off the Islands. That source has obvious credibility with Perfect Game going forward.Adding to Medeiros' mystique is that he was the very first pitcher to take the mound at the start of the National Showcase. Scouts are still getting settled and finishing up their social niceties with their peers at that point before starting to bear down.Then all of a sudden a totally unknown lefthander is on the mound throwing 94 mph from a distinctly non-standard arm slot with a slider that defied the laws of physics. That got everyone’s attention very quickly.The first thing that marks Medeiros as different is his arm action and arm slot. As mentioned, his arms appear long for his height (he actually looks bigger than listed as well, a rarity among prospects), and he’s very loose and whippy coming through. Medeiros’ arm slot isn’t consistent yet but most of the time it is low-three quarters extended, sometimes dropping down a bit lower to almost sidearm, but coming up to mid-three quarters at other times.Medeiros gets his velocity easily and the ball comes out of his hand with little resistance, as if it were coming out of a sling shot. He gets tremendous running and sinking life on his fastball, even at 92-94 mph, so much that it will be a challenge for him at times to command it when hunting corners.Where Medeiros really separates himself from what scouts expect to see is with the depth, shape and bite on his 79-82 mph slider. One would naturally expect a breaking ball released from a low three quarters slot to have a sweeping shape to it, as it is very hard to get above the ball and create downward spin from that angle. Medeiros’ slider not only has two-plane shape to it, it has wicked depth and bite. Many sliders are referred to as having “lane changing” shape to them by scouts, indicating a short break off the barrel as if it were a car changing lanes at 80 mph. Perfect Game scout Todd Gold referred to Medeiros' slider as “taking a hard right turn” in his National Showcase notes.Perhaps the best moment of the broadcast of the Perfect Game All-American Classic was when analyst Eric Byrnes, an 11-year Major League veteran, first saw Medeiros’ slider. Although he’d been prompted on what he was about to see off the air, his first words were “What was that? That pitch should be illegal.”Medeiros also flashes a changeup that has the same type of life as his fastball and with ideal arm speed. It definitely has a chance to be a third plus pitch for him.A final factor that scouts will be sure to consider as they try to evaluate Medeiros and fit him into a previously unknown slot in their scouting experience is that he is a high level athlete who would be a potential draft as a lefthanded hitting outfielder with impressive power. In fact, one cross-checker was overheard at the Area Code Games saying “I’m not so sure if Medeiros threw righthanded I might not like him just as much as a position player.” He should have the physical aptitude to make delivery adjustments and add consistency.A veteran scout once told me that there are only four things a pitcher can make a baseball do: go fast, go slower, break down to the right and break down to the left. Once a pitcher has mastered the ability to do that and throw the ball near where he wants it to go, he’s going to be very, very successful.Medeiros can do all four of those things already at a very high and almost unique level for his age. He is indeed different.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Jacob Gatewood

Position: SS

Height: 6-5

Weight: 190

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Sept. 25, 1995

High School: Clovis

City, State: Clovis, Calif.

Travel Team: San Diego Show

Commitment: Southern California

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

A common method of generalizing a prospect’s potential at the big league level is to describe him using the floor and ceiling method. A high floor player, for instance, is one whose polish and present skills ensure him success even if he doesn’t develop much more. A high ceiling player has the physical tools to become a true standout if everything goes well, an All-Star caliber player.A high ceiling position prospect is usually associated with one of two things; either a player whose bat could become truly elite level or a premium position talent whose bat is well above average at the position.Fresno area shortstop Jacob Gatewood combines those two elements of a high ceiling prospect. He has enormous power potential at the plate. And he also has the athletic ability to potentially stay in the middle of the infield at shortstop. Major League shortstops who hit 25-plus home runs a year are in very short supply.The best thing that may have happened to Gatewood for scouts last summer was that everyone got to see what a graceful athlete he is at shortstop defensively. He is nominally listed at 6-foot-5, but doesn’t appear that tall in person and would be well advised to list himself at a shorter height so as to not prejudice scouts against staying at shortstop due to his size. But Gatewood has a more narrow and lanky frame than a Carlos Correa or Corey Seager type shortstop and doesn’t necessarily project to add the 20-25 pounds that many 17-year olds will add over their next four to six years.Gatewood has the smooth, gliding low effort actions that you want to see in a young shortstop, soft hands, and a quick and efficient release that stays compact and short. He has big arm strength when called upon but plays more frequently working through the ball with an almost Latin style approach.Gatewood received plenty of national attention for winning the “Junior Division” of the MLB Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game in July, but in retrospect it might not have been the best thing for his game. There has never been any question that he has elite level power potential dating back to the 430-foot home run he blasted at the Area Code Games as an underclassman in 2012. He gets tremendous leverage and extension at contact with natural loft in his righthanded swing. Gatewood is the type of hitter if he does fill out in a Giancarlo Stanton type of way will have foul line to foul line power.But over the course of last summer and fall, Gatewood consistently showed two types of swings. His early count swing starts with high hands and an exaggerated high back elbow. The length that swing approach naturally creates was further disadvantaged by Gatewood consistently getting a late start towards the ball with his lower half. The combination of the two frequently left Gatewood behind 88 mph plus fastballs.His second swing showed good awareness in making adjustments but wasn’t executed well. When behind in the count, Gatewood would shorten his swing approach and start his swing much earlier, too early in most cases. He was frequently out on his front side reaching for pitches, most often behind in the count off-speed offerings and fastballs on the outside half, and as a result had an over-abundance of weak ground balls to second base.The fact that Gatewood hit .320-4-31, a comparatively low batting average and home run total for a player of his tools, adds to the concern about his hit tool.Just as was the case in the Draft Focus profile on Nick Gordon– a player with a much higher floor but realistically a lower ceiling than Gatewood – it warrants mentioning that Gatewood has top round potential on the mound. He threw against fellow Fresno area top prospect, 2013 righthander Carlos Salazar in a heavily cross-checked matchup last spring, and more than one high level scout left that game with the opinion that Gatewood, who was 5-1, 2.02 on the mound as a junior, was just as good a prospect on the mound. He’s reportedly been clocked up to 95 mph with a nasty curveball, but has always said he has no interest in pitching outside of high school.Many scouts love the high ceiling prospects and pay less attention to the floors than others. Those are the scouts that are going to take the package described above and rank it with the very best high school players in the 2014 class.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Sean Reid-Foley

Position: RHP

Height: 6-3

Weight: 208

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Aug. 30, 1995

High School: Sandalwood

City, State: Jacksonville, Fla.

Travel Team: FTB Chandler

Commitment: Florida State

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

There are six pitchers in the top 10 in the Perfect Game 2014 class rankings. Five of them are easily distinguishable at first glance and have unique backgrounds.One looks like a defensive end, throws in the upper-90s and has to schedule his summer around when he has to be home to bale hay. That would be Tyler Kolek.Another is from Haiti, just took up a baseball as a teenager and looks and throws like Dwight Gooden. That would be Touki Toussaint.The lefty of the group is from Hawaii and throws pitches that defy the laws of physics. Kodi Medeiros, of course.The fourth has big poofy hair and a smiling personality except when he’s on the mound, plus a brother who has two College World Series rings. Grant Holmes.The fifth is the big young Hispanic kid from the single parent family and tough Central Valley background with a Major League slider. Luis OrtizThen you have righthander Sean Reid-Foley, a normal looking kid from a middle class family in middle of the road Jacksonvile, Fla. who throws normal, albeit high quality, pitches.The irony is that description fits perfectly with what Reid-Foley does on the mound and what his projected Major League role would be if everything comes together for him over the next decade. He projects as a workhorse middle of the rotation starter on a winning team, similar to pitchers like Matt Cain, Jordan Zimmerman or James Shields – the type who can go out and make 34 starts, throw 200 plus innings per year and win 13-15 games annually.Reid-Foley has a large, well-proportioned build with slopping shoulders and the room to firm up and get stronger as he matures. He has an aggressive delivery with a big stride out front that sometimes causes him to get off balance and loose direction and occasionally leads to minor command issues. Reid-Foley has shown the ability to make in-game adjustments to his mechanics, however, and slow himself down getting out front. His arm action is clean and very fast.His fastball regularly sits in the 91-93 range and will top out at 94-95, which is above average, but in this class of hard throwers it doesn’t separate him from his peers. What is the separator for Reid-Foley is the life and movement he gets on his fastball. Trolling through the scouting notes in the Perfect Game data base on Reid-Foley, one finds references to literally all the different movement a fastball can have: “cuts fastball occasionally,” “big running life,” “good sink at the plate,” “can ride ball up over hitters hands.” When Reid-Foley learns to harness his ability to make the ball do different things, it will be that movement more than his pure velocity that will get Major League hitters out.Reid-Foley’s second potential plus pitch is a low to mid-80s slider that gets very tight spin and a hard biting break and lots of two-plane depth. It gets so much depth at times that it is tempting to label it a curveball at its lower velocities and could lead a pitching coach in the future to attempt to create a second breaking ball from what he has now.Reid-Foley’s changeup is a work in progress that he uses only on occasion at present.When Reid-Foley’s delivery is in sync and balance and he’s pounding the strike zone he’s shown he can over-match the highest level hitters. He struck out all six hitters he faced at the Perfect Game National Showcase and threw two very quick innings at Jupiter with four strikeouts. He put on a similar performance at the East Coast Professional Showcase and threw a crisp 11-pitch outing at the Perfect Game All-American Classic.After going 6-3, 1.00 in 60 innings last spring (33 walks, 117 strikeouts), Reid-Foley has got off to a solid start this spring. He threw three no-hit innings in Sandalwood’s first game on Tuesday, February 4, topping out at 94 mph in front of a group of scouts estimated to be in the 65 to 75 range.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Michael Chavis

Position: 3B

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Aug. 11, 1995

High School: Sprayberry

City, State: Marietta, Ga.

Travel Team: East Cobb Braves

Commitment: Clemson

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

Note to the scouts who will see Michael Chavis play this spring, which should constitute just about all the cross-checkers and scouting directions in the country:This young man has always played third base at showcases and for the East Cobb Braves at dozens of summer and fall events, but he has middle infield tools. Evaluate him as a potential second baseman or even shortstop.Chavis’ offensive potential has always been his highest profile tool and is the reason that he is currently ranked as the 12th best prospect in the 2014 class by Perfect Game. But his defensive play at third base has improved tremendously over the past 12 months as his overall athleticism has improved. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon last summer for a Perfect Game staff member to quietly note “you know, Chavis is a better athlete than I’ve given him credit for.”At 5-foot-11 and a well-muscled 190 pounds, Chavis doesn’t look like a prototype third baseman. His size and athleticism give him outstanding first-step quickness to both sides and he’s very capable of making the diving play and popping up and making the throw. His raw arm strength grades out as fringy plus on the Major League scouting scale.All those attributes would play very, very well at second base at the professional level, should Chavis bypass a scholarship to Clemson and sign this summer. The kind of offensive production that Chavis projects would have much more value at that position than at third base.Ironically, there is some close to home precedent for a future move by Chavis. The East Cobb Braves previous third baseman, Texas Rangers 2013 first round pick Travis Demeritte, is being developed as a shortstop by the Rangers. He was considered the top defensive third baseman nationally in the 2013 class and scouts did identify him as a professional shortstop candidate. In fact, Chavis was frequently relegated to the outfield as an underclassman for the Braves in deference to Demeritte.It was as an underclassman that Chavis righthanded bat speed and surprising power first began to be noticed. It was hard to not notice when a physically unimposing athlete coming off his sophomore season all of a sudden began dominating national level events above his age group. Chavis hit home runs at five WWBA or BCS events in the summer of 2012 and finished with a total of 13 home runs at those events.During the next year, Chavis shaped his body, added lots of lean muscle mass and improved his tools across the board. He ran a 6.68 60-yard dash at the Perfect Game National Showcase last June and threw 90 mph in infield drills and began to be noticed for his all-around game and athleticism, not just for his bat.His progression led to him being selected to partipate in the 2013 PG All-American Classic, where he claimed the Rawlings Home Run Challenge held at Fowler Park on the University of San Diego's campus.Chavis’ righthanded swing is very quick and simple, yet explosive at contact. He hits from a fairly tall and slightly open stance and has a very short stride and shift with his feet into contact. The key to his swing and power lies in his use of his hips, which are very quick and powerful, and his thighs to drive his swing. His sequencing to his upper body is outstanding and his swing smooth and fast with great extension and lift through contact. It’s a pro-style swing that’s going to need very little in terms of adjustments at the next level.If Chavis has a fault as a hitter it’s in his aggressiveness at the plate. He’s in attack mode at all times and will expand the zone and get behind in counts as a result. Challenging him with a first pitch fastball is probably not in a pitcher’s best plan of attack.Chavis’ aggressiveness and overall approach to the game, along with his increased athleticism, is a primary reason that he moved quickly up both the Perfect Game rankings and in the eyes of the professional scouts. He’s a very high motor player is goes full speed every minute on the field.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Touki Toussaint

Position: RHP

Height: 6-2

Weight: 195

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: June 20, 1996

High School: Coral Springs Christian Academy

City, State: Coral Springs, Fla.

Travel Team: Atlanta Blue Jays

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

If players were ranked on a combination of their colorful and unique backgrounds along with their own outgoing personalities, Touki Toussaint would probably rank No. 1 in the 2014 class. Much has already been written about him being from Haiti and not taking up baseball, and that on a dare from a friend, until his early teens. There are more stories to be written as well, perhaps by enterprising journalists when he reaches the big leagues.Suffice to say that Toussaint is alone in the 2014 class in that he has ascended to one name status, like a Brazilian soccer star. He is known everywhere in the baseball community simply as “Touki.”Of course, the reason why Toussaint will likely be drafted in the first round in June, maybe very high in the first round, is not because he’s Touki but because he has some of the nastiest raw stuff thrown by a high school pitcher in the last generation.Toussaint’s fastball has touched as high as 97 mph at Perfect Game events, and reportedly peaked at 98 mph at other venues, but has settled in consistently in the 92-94 range topping regularly at 96 over the last year, including in his first appearance this spring. Toussaint’s fastball velocity plays up because of its hard and often unpredictable life at the plate, and he gets an exceptional number of swing and misses on the pitch, even for someone throwing in that velocity range.But for as good as Toussaint’s fastball is, it’s his secondary pitches that set him apart. The scariest part for hitters is that Toussaint appears to be modifying and adding to his repertoire, as befits someone who is still relatively new to the game.Toussaint’s signature pitch has always been his curveball. His original deuce was a low- to mid-70s pitch that was almost unique in that it was thrown 18-20 mph slower than his fastball. Most quality curveballs are 12-14 mph slower than a pitcher’s fastball and sometimes even less. The vast majority of curveballs thrown 18-20 mph slower are bad to mediocre pitches, with the difference in velocity accounted for by a slower arm or a poor release.The only top level curveball I can remember personally that resembled Toussaint’s was thrown by the late Darryl Kile. Kile, who was a converted first baseman and not originally a pitcher in a different way than the soccer playing Toussaint wasn’t a pitcher, threw a soft curveball that came at the hitter like a helicopter, then turned into an F-18 and dove hard at the catcher. The visual effect from the stands is profound – from the right hand batter’s box it must be scary. It really looks like the pitch picks up speed when it bites.Late last summer and fall, Toussaint began to throw a different curveball in the 79-81 mph range, more what one would call a regular curveball, except most regular pitchers can't throw a curveball that hard or with that much spin and depth.Toussaint’s other addition last summer was a pitch that’s been variously described as both a cutter and a changeup and probably even a slider by others. The pitch comes in at 85-87 mph and acts effectively as a changeup, only with occasional big life running away from righthanded hitters.A nit-picking scout or coach might point out that Toussaint has no pitch that moves away from lefthanded hitters at the moment and managers are going to stack line-ups with lefties at the higher levels against him to avoid the unlikelihood of a righthander squaring up his curveballs. But with the high level aptitude that Toussaint has shown in developing his other off-speed pitches, it’s only a matter of time and coaching before he has that pitch as well.All of Toussaint’s strengths and all of his flaws have been on display at the WWBA World Championships for the Atlanta Blue Jays the past two Octobers. In 2012 he started two games, throwing three innings in each outing and topping out at 97 mph with just his slower curveball as a secondary pitch. He struck out the full complement of 18 hitters in those six innings.Last October Toussaint only started one game, as the Blue Jays did not advance in the playoffs as they had the year before. He was only able to go two innings, as his pitch count reached the mid-50s quickly. In those two innings, Toussaint walked five hitters and struck out seven.In eight innings over two years facing some of the best players in the country, throwing in a pressure packed environment in front of hundreds of scouts, Toussaint allowed one hit and struck out 25 hitters.The obvious present issue with Toussaint is that his command comes and goes from batter to batter. Part of his walk issues are simply that his stuff is too difficult to hit in fair territory. Toussaint is a well above average athlete and his delivery contains no major flaws or excessive effort that would easily explain his command issues. They seem to be as much a product of his inexperience, as he will be cruising along in dominant mode, then unravel quickly, seemingly unable to make a quick mental or mechanical adjustment to get back into the strike zone until he’s thrown 8-12 errant pitches.A veteran scouting director, with over 20 years of cross checking and directing experience, took me aside in Jupiter and shared the following with me:“As a scouting director you have to account for what your General Manager and your player development staff are looking for in prospects, especially first rounders. My team wants high ceiling players, players with superstar potential. If I was able to draft Touki, the staff would go crazy thinking about his potential. He’s exactly what my organization is looking for. I could care less about the command issues. I just want that athlete, that arm and those pitches.”

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Alex Verdugo

Position: OF/LHP

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats/Throws: L-L

Birthdate: May 15, 1996

High School: Sahuaro

City, State: Tucson, Ariz.

Travel Team: Prospects National Team

Commitment: Arizona State

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

The thought first struck me over two decades ago, why wouldn’t a professional team take a player with legitimate two-way talent as a hitter and lefthanded pitcher and develop him on both sides of the ball? Players like Mark Kotsay, John Olerud and Todd Helton were entering pro ball as position players after extremely successful college careers on the mound and there was never any thought to letting them continue to pitch in a reduced role.It seemed like a waste of a potential asset.Over the last two decades most Major League pitching staffs have become even more and more specialized than they were in early 1990s. The term LOOGY was coined by long-time analyst John Sickels and stands for “Lefty One Out Guy” with Jesse Orosco being the ultimate example of the breed. It doesn’t hurt the popularity of the LOOGY role that the St. Louis Cardinals often had a 13-man pitching staff last year with a pair of LOOGYs in young fireballer Reid Siegrist and older soft tosser Randy Choate. Success breeds imitation.It should be noted that wondering why a team doesn’t dual develop a righthanded thrower doesn’t enter into the equation. I wouldn’t expect Nicholas Gordon or Michael Gettys, to cite two very talented righthanded throwing two-way prospects in the 2014 class, to be developed on both sides of the ball. There just isn’t the perceived need for specialty righthanded relievers at the Major League level as there is for southpaws.Not every lefthanded throwing dual position prospect is an ideal candidate. For instance, 2013 Red Sox first round pick Trey Ball would not have been a candidate, in my opinion, as he was neither physically mature nor polished enough on the mound to fully develop as a pitcher without extensive innings that wouldn’t be available if he was a full-time center fielder.Which brings us to Arizona high school two-way standout Alex Verdugo.Verdugo would appear to be the perfect candidate for a dual development program. Three and half months before the draft scouts are likely split 50/50 as to what his better professional position would be, center/right field or strong arm southpaw pitcher. According to scouts, Verdugo himself has said he would prefer to play every day, not an uncommon nor difficult to understand thought for a young player.The Tucson native has been extremely consistent performing in both roles at Sahuaro High School and does so regularly during the summer and fall as well. In fact, few high school players play as much baseball throughout the year as Verdugo, who didn’t take the usual down time that many elite level high school prospects take in the fall and winter before their all-important senior years. He’s kept both hitting and pitching at a high level pretty much year round.Verdugo was a starting pitcher from the first week of his freshman year and has thrown 65, 61 and 66 innings the last three springs. He went 10-2, 1.29 in those 66 innings as a junior, walking 29 batters and striking out 130. He’s shown the same consistency and usage as a hitter, starting immediately as a freshman and posting three straight springs with a .450 plus batting average and over 30 RBI. He hit .484-7-40 with nine doubles, seven triples, 24 stolen bases and 25 walks with only three strikeouts as a junior.On the mound, Verdugo has three quality pitches and would normally project as a starter. His fastball works in the 89-92 mph range and will occasionally touch higher with good consistent movement. Scouts likely predict an uptick in velocity should he be used only as a pitcher. Verdugo’s best pitch is a 78 mph curveball that has both power velocity and a sharp bite with big 1-to-7 depth. It’s a strikeout pitch against even elite level hitters, as Perfect Game All-American Braxton Davidson found out in Jupiter last October.Verdugo also has shown a comfort level in throwing a changeup that will get both cutting and fading action at times to righthanded hittersVerdugo’s athleticism and aggressive approach to the game really come out as a position player, though. He has some of the best bat speed in the 2014 class and makes very loud contact to all fields. As a solid average runner who busts it hard out of the box and hits to the gaps, Verdugo is going to accumulate a well above average number of doubles and triples in addition to using his strength occasionally lift the ball out of the park. Not surprisingly he shows an easy plus arm from the outfield and has a chance to stay in center field due to his speed and athleticism, although he needs to improve his concentration and jumps on fly balls at times. His defensive tools would be a big plus in right field.

 

If one were to ever consider developing a two-way player, the criteria would have to include the following:

 

• Left handed.

• Physically mature with a history of performing both roles simultaneously at a high level.

• Has the bat and tools to play at a non-premium defensive position for substitution purposes.

• A present LOOGY qualified breaking ball to use against lefthanded hitters.Verdugo has all those qualities.It’s never going to happen.

 

Team executives will worry about a pitching injury derailing hitting development time and the potential for sharing development time stunting both areas. They’ll worry about the Major League manager having no idea how to use such a player since the dual role hasn’t existed before in modern professional baseball. Umpires and MLB purists wouldn’t like the site of a team’s right fielder tossing a ball with the bullpen catcher between hitters.But it is fun to think about.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Greg Deichmann

Position: IF

Height: 6-2

Weight: 185

Bats/Throws: L-R

Birthdate: May 31, 1995

High School: Brother Martin

City, State: Metairie, La.

Travel Team: Marucci Elite

Commitment: Louisiana State

Projected Draft Round: 1S-2

 

The key as a scout with Greg Deichmann, after watching him for three years, is to concentrate on the things that he does very well instead of the things that he doesn’t do well yet. I don’t believe that everyone in the scouting community has done that with the lefthanded hitting Louisiana infielder, however.Deichmann currently ranks 19th in the Perfect Game Class of 2014 rankings, and has been higher, before every righthanded pitching prospect in the upper echelons of the class decided to start throwing 95 plus mph late in the summer and into the fall. We’ve seen Deichmann play as much as any player in the class, as he’s attended numerous major PG showcases, participated in three WWBA World Championships, done the major non-Perfect Game summer circuit events and played in the 2013 Perfect Game All-American Classic. The notes in the PG database would fill up a story length page such as this.But to talk to scouts in the Louisiana/Texas area, Deichmann is acknowledged as a top tier player, “but there really isn’t much buzz and anticipation on him yet,” according to one scout consulted recently. USA Baseball didn’t choose him to go to the final tryouts after the Tournament of Stars for the 18U National Team. Other draft oriented web sites frequently have him ranked much lower than Perfect Game does.So what’s happening here?First, let’s review Deichmann’s strengths as a baseball player.When he first started to play at major events in 2011 and 2012, Deichmann was a slender 6-foot, 175-pounder without muscle definition. Because the ball came off the bat surprisingly hard, there were some immediate comparisons to Chase Utley, who set home run records in high school despite weighing in at maybe 165 pounds. But over the last year, Deichmann has grown to a chiseled and strong 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with some more room to grow. He’s going to have a prototypical Major League body.Deichmann has solid average running speed and raw arm strength on the Major League grading scale. He’s ran the 60-yard dash as well as 6.7 seconds and has the arm and athleticism to play in the infield at the top levels of the game. Neither is a flashy, plus tool, but neither will stop him from playing.Front and center among Deichmann’s strengths as a prospect is the way the ball comes off the barrel when he squares it up. Quite simply, no one in the 2014 class hits the ball louder and harder when everything comes together than Deichmann. His line drive off the 408-foot sign in straight away center field at the Metrodome at the 2013 PG National Showcase stands out, as does his upper deck batting practice shot at the 2012 PG National Underclass Showcase at the same venue. But this is contact that has been repeated over and over through the last three years against the highest level pitching. Much of that contact has been from left-center field to right-center field, pretty much right where you want to see a young hitter drive the ball.Then there are, of course, some areas that do not count as strengths, yet. Two, in fact.The first is that Deichmann is inconsistent with his swing approach and especially with his timing at the plate. He has a rhythm based swing with a medium deep hand load and a hard move to his front side with lots of hip/core drive. When the timing and upper half/lower half is out of sync, the result is an empty at-bat. It isn’t uncommon to watch him play twice in a day in a tournament and watch him go 0-for-4 with a couple of strikeouts and a rollover ground ball, then come back the next game and hit four missiles as if he was hitting off a tee.The other is that Deichmann plays mostly shortstop at present but he’s not going to be a professional shortstop. He doesn’t have the actions and overall tools for the position. If he could play second base at a Major League average level, his offensive potential could make him an elite level player. If he outgrows second base physically, there is no reason at all that he can’t be a very solid defensive third baseman. But that defensive uncertainty seems to have made some scouts a bit hesitant in their overall evaluations.A good comp for Deichmann right now might be Kelly Johnson, who went 38th overall to the Braves out of a Texas high school in 2000 and has carved out a nice big league career as a lefthanded hitting infielder with some power and some swing-and-miss tendencies.But another player with a bit different tool set also comes to mind. Deichmann is signed with nearby Louisiana State and is a good student from an educated family, so the possibility of his going to school is realistic. The Tigers Alex Bregman, who might be the early favorite to go first overall in the 2015 draft, has been a player who scouts have undervalued in the past in large part due to the focus on his negatives (size, lack of distinct position, average athletic ability) than on his positives (incredible hitter, elite ability to play the game and perform).If Deichman were to get to LSU, watch out. The ability to hit the ball as hard as Deichmann can from the left side coupled with the tools to play in the infield defensively will make scouts wish they had been more aggressive on him out of high school.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Dylan Cease

Position: RHP

Height: 6-2

Weight: 180

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Dec. 28, 1995

High School: Milton

City, State: Milton, Ga.

Travel Team: Team Elite

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Projected Draft Round: 1-1S

 

Perfect Game All-American righthander Dylan Cease comes from a particular grouping of top pitching prospects known as the “Former Middle Infielders.” While that would be a horrible name for a band, it is a fitting way to describe a significant portion of each year’s top righthanded pitching prospects.A quick look down the first round/first round compensation draft lists for the past few years gives us a very talented handful of names: Jose Berrios (Twins), Jason Hursh (Braves), Lance McCullers (Astros), Aaron Sanchez (Blue Jays), Braden Shipley (Diamondbacks), Marcus Stroman (Blue Jays) and Taijuan Walker (Mariners).A similar glance at recent Perfect Game All-American rosters reveals more of the same: Ricardo Jacquez, Dillon Maples, Brett Morales, Clate Schmidt, Lucas Sims and Cameron Varga.Along with the obvious arm strength that a shortstop brings from the middle of the infield to the mound, another big positive of the position switch is that shortstops are often the best athletes on the field. That athleticism on the mound is a constant with Cease and all of the pitchers listed above.Another constant, of course, is that their abilities on the mound eventually passed over the ability to hit a baseball.Cease has the prototypical middle infielder’s build at a slender 6-foot-2, 180-pound listed size. His build at 17 years old is virtually identical to that of Shipley or Schmidt. He’ll likely fill out a bit as he matures, but he has a naturally slender and athletic frame.Cease’s athleticism is evident in his pitching mechanics. He has a timing intensive delivery with a big leg raise and hip turn along with a slight hesitation as he starts coming forward that allows his lower half to come around on time and generate plenty of power from his core and hips. His arm circle is clean and fast and it comes through from a high three-quarters slot that creates outstanding downhill angle to the plate.When everything is in sync it enables Cease to throw and maintain elite level velocities with little effort and stress. It was very impressive to watch Cease at the Perfect Game National Showcase last June warm up effortlessly at 95 mph. It’s a check point on every good scout’s list to watch the velocity and effort that a pitcher warms up at in his early innings, not that one will often see a pitcher getting loose in the mid-90s. Cease eventually topped out at 97 mph in the Metrodome that day.When Cease does get out of sync it’s when the timing of the little hesitation gets off and he pulls off his front side and his head early, causing his arm to rush to get through. This happened at the East Coast Professional Showcase in early August. Cease’s first inning might have been the best inning he threw all summer, sitting at 94-96 mph with outstanding life and overpowering hitters. Before the second inning, a light but annoying rain began to fall and it threw Cease off just enough that his next two innings were a struggle, especially with command.Overall, Cease’s combination of sustainable mid-90s velocity, ideal downhill plane and outstanding hard running life make his fastball one of the top such pitches in the hard throwing 2014 high school class. Tyler Kolek throws harder but doesn’t have nearly the same type of life. Grant Holmes can match Cease’s velocity numbers and flash plus life but doesn’t have the plane to his pitches that Cease does. Touki Toussaint can match the plane and the life but does not stay as consistent with the velocity yet.The reason that those three righthanders are ranked higher than Cease in the Perfect Game class rankings at present – Cease checks in at No. 14 – is the quality of their secondary pitches. Cease’s changeup, which he could use more frequently, is a solid offering in the 80-82 mph range and is a pitch that he will get outs with at the college and/or professional level.His curveball, however, is presently a below average pitch and will need some fundamental adjustments to improve. Cease tends to drop his elbow and cast the pitch instead of getting out front with it, although he will flash some quality spin when he throws it at his hardest velocities, around 75-76 mph. There is nothing in Cease’s arm action or delivery that will prohibit him from learning a quality breaking ball, he just hasn’t yet, and until scouts see it, they can’t give him credit for it.Early reports out of Georgia this spring on Cease have been outstanding, with him topping out at 97 mph and throwing easy and loose. His athleticism and outstanding fastball will get him into the top 40-50 picks in June regardless of any other considerations. If his curveball takes a significant step forward, his eventual slot could be much higher than that.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Jakson Reetz

Position: C

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Jan. 3, 1996

High School: Norris

City, State: Hickman, Neb.

Travel Team: Marucci Elite

Commitment: Nebraska

Projected Draft Round: 2

 

Unraveling all the different aspects of Jakson Reetz as a prospect is like peeling back layers of an onion. A red onion, of course, in acknowledgement of Reetz’ Nebraska Cornhusker roots.Nebraska high school baseball has rarely featured top prospects and is not heavily scouted. The last Nebraska high school prospect to sign in the top ten rounds was righthanded pitcher Buddy Carlyle in the second round in 1996. Lefthander Logan Ehlers famously turned down an $800,000 deadline offer by the Blue Jays after being an eighth rounder in 2010.Kansas City Royals Gold Glove outfielder Alex Gordon, the state’s top player of the last generation, was not drafted out of high school in 2002, although he was a well-known prospect with a firm commitment to his hometown Huskers.Only the top two levels of Nebraska interscholastic sports, Class A and B, play high school baseball and Reetz plays at the smaller Class B level. Ehlers did as well. Norris High School, where Reetz plays, is located 22 miles due south of downtown Lincoln in an area that was formally a rolling farm country but is increasingly seeing urban sprawl on the edges of the state capital.So lest one get the idea that Reetz is a rural Nebraska hayseed, that’s not the case. Reetz’s father, Andy, is the General Manager at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln where numerous Nebraska coaches, including head baseball coach Darin Erstad, are members. Andy Reetz also played outside linebacker for the Nebraska football team from 1990 to 1992, although his time playing under Tom Osborne didn’t overlap with Erstad, who played football only in 1994.Like many top athletes at small schools, Reetz plays football (quarterback) and basketball in addition to baseball. So not only does he play against a relatively low level of competition in high school baseball, he plays other sports six to seven months of the year.The irony of Reetz’ multi-layered background as a small school Nebraska three-sport athlete is that he is one of the best performers in the 2014 class and perhaps its most versatile prospect.Reetz was named the Most Valuable Player at the Perfect Game All-American Classic after going 2-for-4 with a double, a pair of RBI and three stolen bases in the West’s 8-6 victory. He moved from San Diego to the USA National 18u Team, where he hit .345-1-5 with four doubles and eight runs scored on that gold medal winning team, including driving in the tying run and scoring the winning run in the USA’s semifinal game in the World Championships in South Korea.That type of game performance has pretty much been the norm for Reetz across top level events all last summer. That ability to speed up his game so quickly and effortlessly, both offensively and defensively, may be the most impressive part of his overall prospect package.Reetz is a primary catcher and has all the tools to stay behind the plate for a long time. He’s quick and agile with a quick release and an accurate and strong throwing arm. The one part of his defensive package behind that plate that is understandably behind the others is simply in receiving the ball with top level pitchers on the mound.But Reetz also has the athleticism to play all over the field. He’s a low-90s thrower on the mound with an upper-70s slurve and would probably be a two-way performer at Nebraska should he go to college. He’s also played third base and the corner outfield spots at different times last summer, and as a 6.9 runner with his arm strength he could probably fill in at the middle of the field spots for a while as well. That versatility and athleticism will help scouts in their evaluations this spring.So in summary from a scouting perspective, you have a small school Upper Midwest multi-sport athlete with a short spring schedule against mediocre competition who will be playing out of position (pitching) most of the time but who has an impressive performance record against top level competition. Plus, he’ll have one of the most interesting signability scenarios around with his family’s Nebraska Cornhusker background.Welcome to the Red Onion.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Justus Sheffield

Position: LHP

Height: 6-2

Weight: 195

Bats/Throws: L-L

Birthdate: May 13, 1996

High School: Tullahoma

City, State: Tullahoma, Tenn.

Travel Team: Knights Baseball/Ohio Warhawks

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Projected Draft Round: 1S-2

 

While the large number of mid- to upper-90s righthanded pitchers have received more attention than the southpaws in the 2014 high school class, that doesn’t mean that the lefthanders don’t have a strong group of prospects, too. None of them may have the true plus to plus/plus fastball that a Tyler Kolek or a Grant Holmes throws on a regular basis, but the seven southpaws in the Perfect Game Top 50 all get into the low-90s comfortably and top out generally at 94 mph.What differentiates all seven from most of their righthanded peers is that all have polished secondary pitches and advanced pitchability for their ages.And none of the six – which also includes Kodi Medeiros, Mac Marshall, Foster Griffin, Brady Aiken, Alex Verdugo and Alex Destino – has a true four-pitch mix or has improved his pitchability more in the last year than Tennessee’s Justus Sheffield.Sheffield has been well known in the scouting world for some time, initially as the young brother of 2012 Perfect Game All-American Jordan Sheffield. Jordan was one of those hard throwing righthanders mentioned above, with a fastball that topped out at 98 mph at the 2012 WWBA World Championship. The older Sheffield unfortunately underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, missing most of his senior year and forcing him to redshirt at Vanderbilt this season.Jordan’s injury passed the torch on to his younger brother and Justus responded well. Also armed with a scholarship to Vanderbilt – both Sheffield brothers are A students – Justus went 10-2, 1.28 as a junior at Tullahoma High School, striking out 124 hitters in 71 innings while also hitting over .400 as an outfielder. Sheffield then stood out on the summer circuit, making the USA National 18u team and eventually starting in the world championships against Cuba, and then followed in his brothers footsteps as a Perfect Game All-American. Both outs that he recorded in the 2013 Perfect Game All-American Classic came via the strike out.The most intriguing part of Sheffield’s summer was his development as a pitcher. He came right out at the Perfect Game National Showcase in mid-June and established that he had four distinct and usable pitches with a 90-94 mph fastball, a low-80s slider, a 75-78 mph curveball and a low-80s change up. Few teenage pitchers are able to throw both a true curveball and a true slider that are intentionally and distinctly different, but Sheffield did during that two-inning outing and continued to do so the rest of the summer. Here are his notes from the PG National:Three-quarters arm slot, fast loose arm, clean arm stroke, tips CB with hook in back, FB has life, lives on Glove Side, grooved delivery allows him to locate to 3 places (up on AS, down middle and low to GS), good downhill plane, not as online as brother but mechanics are sound, good AS on CH, very high level raw stuff and athletic, needs some work on deception/pitchability, quick downer life on CB 1-7 w/ hard spin, hard SL, big time upside, 1.77 stretch.Sheffield’s next outing was at the Tournament of Stars in Cary, N.C. He threw around 60 pitches in his five innings of work and again showed his ability and willingness to mix pitches and locations. It was one of the more impressive pitching performances during the 2013 summer circuit.Although Sheffield’s pitching mechanics are sound his next step is learning to repeat them better. He is an above average athlete for a pitcher, and his strong, well-proportioned 6-foot-2, 195-pound build is mature, so his projection as a pitcher revolves more around mechanics and pitches rather than anything physical. Sheffield has some energy to his delivery and will vary his release slots on different pitches, along with subtly changing his arm action in back on some pitches, as noted above. None of these are yellow flag issues, just areas that as a young pitcher Sheffield needs to improve. The overall stuff and repertoire are well established.How scouts evaluate and rank the 2014 high school lefthanders will be interesting to see play out. Medeiros has the single nastiest pitch in his slider and almost a unique deception to his pitches, but is also the least well known to the scouting community. Aiken and Griffin are the most projectable, with Aiken, Sheffield and Marshall all having advanced present pitchability. Verdugo and Destino have the stuff consistent with the others but scouts still have to figure out their status as two-way talents.And Sheffield may be the most complete talent of the group.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Jeff Hoffman

Position: RHP

Height: 6-4

Weight: 192

Bats/Throws: B-R

Birthdate: Jan. 8, 1993

College: East Carolina

Hometown: Latham, N.Y.

Previously Drafted: Never drafted

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

While Carlos Rodon has been the name everyone seemingly has known since he arrived on campus at NC State, and he’s been the player most have dubbed the future No. 1 pick in the 2014 class, a new contender in that race emerged in a big way last summer. In fact, he’s the only player in the 2014 draft class that can currently and legitimately challenge Rodon for that lofty title of “best prospect in the class.” And, while Hoffman has ground to make up, and a breakout summer he has to follow up on, make no mistake that he will be under the same microscope as the highly touted Wolfpack southpaw throughout this spring.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 not 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.When first we saw Hoffman on a major stage, he was lighting up radar guns at the 2012 Cape Cod League All-Star game in Harwich. Known mainly as a power armed freshman out of ECU for scouts to keep an eye on, he introduced himself in a big way, touching 96 mph and flashing that sharp breaking ball for which he’s come to be known. It was a turning point of summer, as Hoffman posted a 2.40 ERA in 30 innings of work for Hyannis.The native of Latham, New York had that big summer as well as a strong freshman season at East Carolina to build off of headed into his 2013 season. And, he wasted no time to ascending to the role of staff ace for the Pirates. The 6-foot-4, 192 pound righthander logged 109 2/3 innings, posting a 3.20 ERA in that span, while striking out 84 and walking 39.A little stronger, a little more mature, and whole lot more experienced, Hoffman returned to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in 2013 for another go around in the Cape League. His stint would be a very scheduled one, as there was a wise plan to control his innings. Hoffman opted against a stint with Team USA, and his strategy to showcase his talents on the Cape appear to have paid off. Hoffman made a coincidentally extravagant and highly anticipated 2013 Cape Cod debut on the Fourth of July for Hyannis in front of an enormous holiday crowd and a packed house of scouting directors and cross-checkers. Six dominant innings later, it was clear how much the big righthander had progressed from just the year before.After a hiccup in which his command betrayed him, and a talented Falmouth lineup made him pay for it, Hoffman finished off his summer with two electric outings against Orleans and Chatham, with his stuff seemingly to improving 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-to-5 action at 80-84 mph. There have been some early reports of inconsistency with this pitch in the early going this spring, however, and that did happen from time to time on the Cape as well. But, when it’s right, it’s a knockout big league breaking ball.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 action 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.That build is another big check mark in Hoffman’s favor. People like to talk about how scouts weigh athleticism with position players in their evaluation, but they also like to see it in pitchers as well. Long and lanky doesn’t always equal projectable, sometimes it just equates to awkward and gawky. And, that lends itself to an inability to repeat a delivery or improve. Hoffman lives at the opposite end of that spectrum. He’s a plus athlete who could have excelled in a number of sports and is only going to get stronger with maturity. In fact, we’ve seen proof of this on the basketball court (VIDEO).Hoffman will live in the pressure cooker throughout this spring. What he has going for him right now is a lack of a significant injury history and that he’s remained active through the last two summers. The key for him, given that he was not a widely renowned commodity coming to campus us a freshman, is exposure, and showing scouts he can accumulate the track record that warrants a first overall selection.Last year, entering the favorite to go No. 1 overall was Mark Appel, and his main challenger was shaping up to be Indiana State’s Sean Manaea. But, Manaea failed to reproduce his electrifying summer performance from the Cape and injuries also contributed to his eventual inability to challenge Appel for that mantle. So far, there seems to be no such issues for Hoffman – as two starts into his spring season he’s shown the exact level of dominant, front of the rotation stuff he showcased last summer for Hyannis. If anything, early word indicates that his changeup has continued to develop and now flashes true plus potential.The reality, however, is that whether Hoffman has a chance to unseat Carlos Rodon is the only question about his draft status. Barring an injury, it’s difficult to fathom a scenario in which the flame throwing righty ends up beyond the top three to five picks of the draft.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Derek Fisher

Position: OF

Height: 6-3

Weight: 210

Bats/Throws: L-R

Birthdate: Aug. 21, 1993

College: Virginia

Hometown: Rexmont, Pa.

Previously Drafted: Rangers '11 (6)

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

In previous installments of our Draft Focus series, we’ve talked about the highly valued currency of lefthanded power bats. Well, Derek Fisher is pretty good living and walking proof of how highly valued a lefthanded bat can be, especially if they add some speed and athleticism to the table as well. Fisher has been coveted by professional scouts for a number of years now, dating back to his high school days, and the main impetus behind that has been his smooth, compact and effortless lefthanded stroke. And all he has done since arriving on campus at Virginia is continue to prove talent evaluators very right.Rolling back the clock to 2011, as he is today, Fisher was one of the most sought after hitters in the country. He was ranked 16th in the high school class by Perfect Game in our final draft rankings, a class which has ended up already yielding a big league superstar in Marlins’ ace, Jose Fernandez and some of baseball’s top prospects in Javier Baez and Archie Bradley, among others. But, what was clear early on with Fisher is that he had himself strongly set on going to college. The Texas Rangers made a run at him in the sixth round of the draft, but he ultimately opted against their offer to attend school at the University of Virginia.And, the Rexmont, Pennsylvania native wasted absolutely no time in rebuilding his case for the draft a few years down the road in his freshman season, proving to be a consistent and dangerous contributor in the Cavaliers’ lineup. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound outfielder put up an incredibly impressive freshman slash line of .288/.375/.507, and blasted seven home runs along the way. Although the swing-and-miss was an issue for Fisher then, the plate discipline certainly outweighed that at such an early stage in his development.Fisher followed his strong freshman season with a nearly identical season in 2013. Of course, some had hoped for him to take the next step and put even larger numbers, but they would have to settle for .293/.405/.483 with seven home runs from Fisher. Again, it would be his superb plate discipline that stood out and he did show flashes of above average future power potential. And, following these two solid seasons, Fisher was considered by nearly everyone who saw him as one of the elite handful of college hitters in the 2014 draft class. Following a trip to the Cape League to play for the Harwich Mariners, that reputation would only continue to grow.If you’re looking for the owner of the sweetest swing on the Cape in 2013, look no further than Derek Fisher. It’s a compact, powerful swing with exceptional lower half balance and a swing that allows Fisher to let pitches track deep in the zone. Fisher did not homer on the Cape, which really seems to be more of an aberration than anything to actually be concerned about, but he was among the league leaders with his .333 batting average. And, again his lack of home runs, considering what he can show in batting practice and what he’s done at Virginia, appears to be no more than a blip on the radar screen.If you’re watching Fisher take a round of batting practice, pay extra close attention to the way the ball behaves off his bat compared to others in his particular hitting group. That’s when you’ll spot what scouts have been so fascinated with over the years. He looks like a hitter swinging at about 75 percent effort, and yet you’ll see him bounce a ball of the left-center field fence when working on hitting line drives the other way with what looks like a flick of the wrists. The ball just exits his bat very differently from even other top college hitters. Not that this is Fisher’s comparison (it isn’t), but this is the trait that has made Robinson Cano an elite level player in the big leagues. And, it’s why most scouts are firm believers that not only does Fisher have the potential to be a disciplined .300 hitter, but also a player that will develop 25 home run power.Fisher is capable of showing above average big league raw power in batting practice and he clearly has the bat speed and strength. A likely left fielder at the next level, Fisher does have plus speed, but will mostly be carried on the strength of his bat. He does not have a strong throwing arm, but has also worked hard and has improved his routes to the ball. Scouts will be very tuned in to Fisher in the spring to see if he can make an adjustment in his approach and tap into more of that power in game action. But, either way he can make a compelling case for the title of best pure hitter in the 2014 draft class, coming on the heels off his strong summer.Track record is something that will come up in draft war rooms when discussing Derek Fisher. To put it simply, he he has a history of hitting. Wherever he plays, he hits and yet has always seemed to have that feeling of more untapped potential. And, that’s a nice combination to have if you’re a hitter with professional aspirations. Swings that look like Fisher’s don’t last long in the draft, especially when scouts believe he’s going to continue to get better and add more power. Fisher is unlikely to last beyond the first 15-20 picks when June rolls around.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Carlos Rodon

Position: LHP

Height: 6-3

Weight: 234

Bats/Throws: L-L

Birthdate: Dec. 10, 1992

College: NC State

Hometown: Holly Springs, N.C.

Previously Drafted: Brewers '11 (16)

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

It’s good to be the king, and right now Carlos Rodon holds that title in the 2014 MLB Draft class. He has and will continue to have others nipping at his heels, namely Jeff Hoffman at ECU, but at this moment he is the man to beat for the top spot. But, that perch does not come without its more negative aspects. Rodon has been a known commodity for many years now, and as much as he’s lauded for his ability, he’s also been placed squarely under the microscope, as any potential No. 1 overall selection should be.It’s simple reality, Carlos Rodon is judged differently than most of the prospects we break down in this draft class. When we prod at his weaknesses, it’s not to try to decide whether he can pitch in the big leagues. Any potential injury aside, he could probably do that tomorrow with some degree of success. The only standard he’s judged against is whether he can be a frontline starter in the majors and if there may be a single player who can surpass him in this crop.In other words, if it looks like there is a magnifying glass put to every small blemish in Rodon’s game, that’s because there is one. And he should take that as a compliment.Evaluating him against the most difficult of scales, there are real issues to consider with Carlos Rodon when looking at him as a potential No. 1 overall selection. What Carlos has working in his favor has been that when the lights have shined the brightest, he’s put his best foot forward. People remember his nationally televised outings in which he pitched in dominant fashion during NC State’s College World Series run in 2013. He hit 96 mph or better in each of his nine innings of work in his complete game Omaha effort, and things like that stick in scouts’ memories.But, upon closer examination, Rodon did have his hiccups in 2013, and some of those very same issues have cropped up this spring. At his best, Rodon lives between 93-96 mph, touching numbers as high as 97-98 mph. But, there were days last spring, and days early this spring where that velocity has fluctuated. He has dipped to 89-92 mph at times during the middle innings of outings, but in many of those games he has also been able to regain some of that velocity in the late innings.Something that never seems to leave Rodon, however, is his devastating slider, which many scouts have dropped an 80 grade on, the highest grade available. It’s a consistent and ever present weapon for him, and it’s the main reason that he could get big league hitters out right at this very moment. The big lefty’s slider lives in the 85-87 mph range, and reaches as high as 89 mph. It has curveball type depth, but breaks devastatingly late on its way to the plate. Whether the batters are lefthanded or righthanded, it can be a nearly unhittable offering when he’s locating and setting it up with his fastball.When Rodon has run into trouble, it’s mainly when he is forced to rely to heavily on his slider and he becomes predictable. It happened in an outing I attended last March when Rodon squared off against Maryland. His velocity had dipped and he was having difficulty keeping his fastball down in the zone. So, he turned to his slider at an incredibly high rate. This is something he can do at the college level and survive on the strength of that slider, but he’ll be waited out by professional hitters.Early in outings, Rodon never needs much more than his two plus offerings in his fastball and slider. But, in middle innings, you’ll frequently see his changeup slowly sprinkled into the mix. It’s a pitch he’ll need to continue to develop, but there’s also not any real reason to believe this will be a problem for him. He simply hasn’t needed it that much at the college level, once the necessity is there we should see the development of it speed up significantly. Right now he throws it anywhere between 77-83 mph. While it flashes potential, it’s certainly an offering he’ll need to acquire a higher comfort level with at the professional level.Ultimately, however, the questions about Rodon probably won’t be “stuff” related. While his delivery is compact and repeatable, there’s also an arm heaviness to his delivery that scouts like to point to. He’s also run into some back issues in the past. The simple reality is when you are being considered for the kind of money handed out to first overall picks these little issues have to be looked at as big issues. None of us can say for sure that Rodon has any kind of injury risk, but the questions will be raised. Are his dips in velocity his way of conserving stamina or a real issue? And, whether his left arm will hold up is pure guess work at this point, as it is with most pitchers. But, such is life under the No. 1 prospect microscope.A former 16th round pick out of high school by the Milwaukee Brewers, Rodon’s resume is a sparkling one from top to bottom. He was the first freshman to be crowned ACC Pitcher of the Year in the history of the conference. And, his 184 strikeouts in 132 innings were a staggering feat in his sophomore season. In the last decade, only the likes of Stephen Strasburg, David Price, Tim Lincecum, Jered Weaver, and Trevor Bauer have had more in a single season. And, his 1.20 ERA in postseason play in 2013 is just a cherry on top of that resume.In other words, unlike most of the players we profile, there is really no debate about the merits of this 6-foot-3, 234-pound southpaw. If he’s healthy, he will be an electric talent at the professional level. That only leaves the nitpicking that goes along with deciding if you want a player as the top pick in the nation. That will be the position the Houston Astros find themselves in come June.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Ti'Quan Forbes

Position: SS

Height: 6-4

Weight: 177

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Aug. 26, 1996

High School: Columbia

City, State: Columbia, Miss.

Travel Team: Texas Sun Devils

Commitment: Mississippi

Projected Draft Round: 1S-2

 

There is no doubt that Ti’Quan Forbes is the type of player who some scouts love to dream on. His 6-foot-4, 177-pound build is loose and graceful with lots of quick-twitch fibers in both his lower half and his hands. He doesn’t have any visually obvious physical strength, but he will show physical strength on the baseball field and especially in the batter’s box. Plus, he’s perhaps the youngest top prospect in the 2014 class and won’t turn 18 years old until late August.Of course, there will be an ample slice of more conservative scouts who will point to some of these same factors, such as the youth, the lack of present strength, the hard to define future build and position dynamic, and look toward more polished and mature players as the more desirable prospect.This could make Forbes draft stock one of the most volatile and hard to pin down of any top high school prospect leading up to the June Draft. Perfect Game currently has the Ole Miss signee ranked No. 22 in the 2014 high school class.The irony of the above generalization is that usually a prospect with Forbes' profile stands out in workouts and less likely to do so in game action. The opposite is the case with Forbes. Unless he is running a 6.56 60-yard dash as he did at the Perfect Game National Showcase last June he doesn’t shine in workouts compared to some of his prospect peers. Forbes doesn’t drop huge bombs in batting practice or fire 90 plus mph lasers across the infield in drills. His game polish would look perfectly at home on a high school field in Orange County, California, however.Offensively, Forbes is a righthanded hitter with a big, slow leg raise trigger to start his swing. He usually gets his foot down in time to start his swing, often a problem with young hitters, but starts from an open stance and doesn’t always get back on-line with the pitcher consistently. Forbes’ size and long levers aren’t the issue they are with some taller hitters, as he has a short and quick hand path to the ball and has shown neither a swing-and-miss tendency nor a problem getting the barrel out on plus velocity fastballs.Forbes hit .391-6-39 in high school last spring, walking only nine times and striking out only seven times. Those aren’t surprising numbers to observers who watched him frequently over the course of last summer and saw his contact ability. While he will show pull power occasionally in batting practice, Forbes' game approach is very much gap-to-gap and he has shown an advanced ability to drive pitches on the outside half to the opposite field. That speaks well to his future ability to become an all-around hitter.Defensively, Forbes has very smooth and balanced actions at shortstop, with soft and quick hands that make plays look effortless. He has some Latin flair to his defensive game that will come out from time to time, which is almost as much of a testament to his obvious enjoyment of the game as much as his physical ability.The one question about Forbes defensive future isn’t so much his potential to outgrow shortstop but with how his arm strength develops. Forbes has a quick release on throws and can throw from multiple angles while on the move, but his arm grades out as just MLB average in terms of raw strength. Forbes can play all over the field athletically, especially if one likes to imagine a 6-foot-4, 190-pound big league second baseman. Center field has been another future position mentioned, although that would seem to be a waste of Forbes' hands and balance in the infield.It would surprise no one on the Perfect Game staff if Forbes name started to be thrown about in the middle of the first round later this spring. It also wouldn't surprise anyone if teams got a bit shy as the draft approached and saw Forbes as a second round pick. Whichever team does end up with the Perfect Game All-American will be getting a fun and potentially high ceiling talent to develop.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Brady Aiken

Position: LHP

Height: 6-4

Weight: 205

Bats/Throws: L-L

Birthdate: Aug. 16, 1996

High School: Cathedral Catholic

City, State: Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.

Travel Team: San Diego Show

Commitment: UCLA

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

There are few, if any 2014 grads who own a longer or more impressive prospect resume than Brady Aiken. He made his first appearance on the national stage in the summer of 2011, after finishing his freshman year at Cathedral Catholic high school in northern San Diego. Aiken didn't make the varsity roster that year despite having spent the previous summer as a member of the USA Baseball's 14u National Team in 2010. Cathedral Catholic's pitching staffs have featured an embarrassment of riches in recent years. In 2011 the Dons sent lefties to the mound for 119 1/3 innings between 2010 PG All-American Daniel Camarena and eventual 2012 Perfect Game All-American selection Stephen Gonsalves. By the time Aiken made his varsity debut for nationally ranked Cathedral Catholic in 2012 he had already made a verbal commitment to UCLA, won a WWBA National Championship and threw 4 1/3 shutout innings in international competition. In fact, the first varsity sport Aiken played was football, serving as the backup quarterback for Cathedral Catholic in the fall of 2011 before giving up football to focus on baseball full-time.History has proven that to be a wise decision. Aiken wasn't just a two-sport athlete as an underclassman, he was, and technically still is a two-way player on the diamond, as he often plays right field when he isn't on the mound. After his breakout debut on the national tournament circuit in 2011 the following was written of Aiken in the 2011 Impact Players from Marietta article:"In Aiken's first season playing at PG events he starred with the East Cobb Astros 14u powerhouse, playing a key role in their title run at the 14u tournament, their run to the semis in the 15u and yet another deep playoff run that included a first round bye in the 16u. Aiken is already a high level two-way prospect, who not only excites scouts with his low-mid 80s fastball (up to 85) and his 70 mph curveball which shows the makings of a quality second offering, but the bat is impressive as well. Aiken showed power potential and good present bat speed, but as a 6’ 2” lefty with a quick projectable arm his potential power bat from the left side may ultimately be icing on the cake for a high level LHP prospect. Aiken looks like he could develop into a high level prospect at either position.With the 2014 MLB Draft just under 35 months away there is no great urgency to figure out which one is his future just yet."Aiken would go on to hit .403 as a sophomore at Cathedral Catholic in addition to striking out 69 batters to 19 walks over 47 2/3 innings. But his continued development on the mound made it obvious that pitching was to become his full-time trade. That development rate has helped him not only keep pace with the other top lefthanded pitching prospects in the 2014 class, but it may separate himself from the pack as the spring progresses. As of the summer of 2013 the title of top lefthanded pitching prospect in the 2014 class was hotly contested. Hawaiian Kodi Medeiros showed the most electric stuff of the group, Georgia's Mac Marshall touched 94 at the PG National Showcase and consistently showed a quality changeup, two-way standout Alex Verdugo made a case of his own and Tennessee's Justus Sheffield out-dueled Aiken (very slightly) in a head-to-head matchup at the 18u Team USA Trials. It remains to be seen how his continued development will affect his standing amongst that strong group, but Aiken has done his part and his combination of stuff and track record is impressive. Aiken checks every box that evaluators look for in a pitching prospect with a clean arm action, a well controlled delivery, ideal size, advanced command, prospect grade velocity, the ability to manipulate spin on the baseball, a consistently improving changeup and a feel for pitching. He didn't excel in any one particular area until his latest velocity increase, but offered the most balanced profile among the group of lefthanders. This balance and polish is even more unusual given that Aiken is one of the youngest players in the 2014 class and won't turn 18 until two months after the draft.What is interesting about Aiken's progress is that at least in terms of raw velocity, he has shown tiered increases each off-season and then maintained the same range throughout the season without significant range fluctuation from one outing to the next. In the summer of 2011 he typically worked in the 80-83 mph range and peaked at 85. In 2012 that range increased to 84-88, and in 2013 he topped out at 93 mph while generally working within the 88-92 range. With this in mind it should come as no surprise that in his first two outings in 2014 he has shown a similar increase in velocity, and has begun to reach the mid-90s. While any pitcher with such an extensive track record has almost assuredly struggled through stretches, there is no public record of it ever occurring for Aiken. The only flaw in his numbers are the walk rates he posted prior to 2013. Overall, between WWBA national tournaments, international competition and in high school ball, Aiken has unofficially thrown 122 2/3 innings, allowing 77 hits and 63 walks (1.14 WHIP), while striking out 189 (3:1 K/BB ratio) and allowed 22 earned runs (1.26 ERA). A look through his notes reveals that his command matured from year to year along with the velocity increases, and the numbers support it as well. In 2013 Aiken cut his walk rate significantly, by nearly 20 percent, while maintaining his strikeout rate and allowing fewer hits. His success hasn't been strictly personal either, as Aiken has played on his share of championship teams. He was the winning pitcher in the Gold Medal game for Team USA in 2013 at the 18u World Cup, he pitched Cathedral Catholic into the CIF championship as a sophomore in 2012 and won his playoff start for the San Diego Show in the 17u WWBA National Championship. His significant track record of success also led to him starting the 2013 Perfect Game All-American Classic for the West squad.While he has heavy competition to be the first high school lefthander selected, Aiken has a chance of becoming just that.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Grayson Greiner

Position: CHeight: 6-5

Weight: 220

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Oct. 11, 1992

College: South Carolina

Hometown: Columbia, S.C.

Previously Drafted: Never drafted

Projected Draft Round: 2-3

 

Grayson Greiner, despite his honors and accolades, has the feel of a player who has had to prove himself time and time again at every level. When you are 6-foot-5 and are a catcher, that’s bound to happen. And, when you’re a long, rangy hitter, questions of swing length also will and have come up for Greiner. But, to his credit, he’s answered the questions about his game seemingly at every turn. He’s produced against the fiercest competition in the nation in the SEC and handled a talented pitching staff expertly along the way.Greiner may not have been the polished overall package in high school that he is today, but he showed a tremendous amount of upside. Despite his long, and quite frankly not prototypical catcher’s build, his compact catching actions were something that stood out even then. Coming off his 2010 appearance at the East Coast Pro Showcase, Perfect Game’s Vice President of Player Personnel and Scouting, David Rawnsley, gave Greiner high marks for his work behind the plate, saying “the 6-foot-4 Greiner has very compact catching actions for any receiver, let alone one his height, and has an exceptionally accurate throwing arm that eliminated a number of runners.”The questions back then mostly surrounded Greiner’s bat more than anything else, which probably comes as a surprise for someone of his physical stature. Scouts noted that his swing got long at times, but he also did show good barrel accuracy and command of the strike zone. Coming out of Blythewood High School in South Carolina, Greiner finished his prep career as the 112th ranked prospect in the PG 2011 class rankings. It was also clear he was intent on attending South Carolina, and three years later it’s looking like it was the right choice.The 6-foot-5, 200-pound backstop was immediately recognized for his presence behind the plate during his freshman season for the Gamecocks. Although he hit just .222 in 194 at-bats, Greiner was still asked to play for the 2012 Collegiate National Team, a true testament to how highly his defense and throwing arm were thought of. Greiner did hit six home runs and 13 doubles that season, however, showing that despite some struggles, he did have above average power potential in his righthanded stroke. Greiner was sidelined by a knee injury that kept him from competing with Team USA, but still did put himself squarely on the scouting radar with his solid freshman season.Growing into a leadership role for the always talented South Carolina squad, Greiner enjoyed a more consistent offensive season as a sophomore. He posted a .298 batting average, slugged four home runs and added ten doubles. And, surprisingly, he also swiped five bases during his 57 games. This time, Greiner was able to enjoy his Team USA honor, as he was once again selected to play for the squad during the summer.One of the defensive anchors for the USA team, Greiner posted solid offensive numbers as well. In 51 at-bats against an assortment of international opponents, Greiner hit .255 with one home run and a .367 on-base percentage.Following a strong fall in which the South Carolina coaching staff reportedly came away highly impressed with Greiner’s offensive development, perhaps it should not come as a surprise that so far he’s enjoyed a fantastic and breakout spring here in 2014. And, in doing so, he could be radically redefining his stock as a draft prospect. Through his first 65 at-bats, the righty swinging catcher is hitting a robust .354 with a three home runs and a lofty .449 on-base percentage.This type of performance, if he can remotely sustain it, quite simply just changes the way scouts will have to view Greiner. Looking closer at his tools, he has a clear cut plus throwing arm and is as consistently accurate with his throws as any backstop in the nation. And, he’s kept himself so agile and compact behind the plate that we rarely even hear the questions about his size for the position come up anymore. He has a big league catcher’s instincts, smarts and leadership qualities as well. But now he’s carrying some of that big league average power potential that he’s had for some time into game action. His approach has also improved, as his knowledge of the strike zone has continued to benefit him throughout his college career.We talk a lot about what type of commodities are highly valued in the scouting world, and of course catchers are always near the top of that list. Catchers with serious questions about their defensive abilities are often drafted fairly high anyway, merely on the off-chance that they might figure it out behind the plate. There’s a distinct scarcity of quality in this department.Grayson Greiner brings no such defensive question marks with him. And, the number of questions about his bat seem to be evaporating by the day this spring. He’s still a defensive minded player, but his improvements at the plate give him a real chance to be a big league regular. With that in mind, that type of player does usually get beyond the first 50 picks in the draft.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Chase Vallot

Position: C

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Aug. 21, 1996

High School: St. Thomas More

City, State: Youngsville, La.

Travel Team: Marucci Elite

Commitment: Mississippi State

Projected Draft Round: 2-3

 

Chase Vallot entered last summer as a relative unknown on the national scouting stage but with a definite buzz preceding his appearance at the Perfect Game National Showcase in mid-June. The Louisiana native had hit .365-12-32 for St. Thomas More High School during the spring and word was spreading about his prodigious power and bat speed.He showed that power and bat speed and more in Minneapolis, taking a 10/10 batting practice on the Perfect Game grading scale, winning the Rawlings Home Run Challenge and showing plus/plus raw arm strength, along with a 1.87 best pop time, during catching drills. Vallot even ran a 7.03 second 60-yard dash and was timed in 4.29 home to first from the right side to showcase above average speed for a catcher.He was an easy choice in a very crowded catching field for a spot in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.Vallot continued to shine, especially with the bat, the rest of the summer. He played in both the 16u and 17u WWBA National Championships for Marucci Elite – highlighting the fact that he is one of the youngest high school top prospects in the 2014 class with an August 21, 1996 birthday that will enable him to play most of this summer at 17 years old. Vallot was also one of the most dominant hitters at the East Coast Professional Showcase and hit well in San Diego at the All-American Classic.Vallot’s offensive tools and potential would stand out at any position, but are particularly noteworthy for a player who plays a premium defensive position. He hits from a spread stance with a bit of knee flex and a rock back/move forward shift through contact with a very limited stride. He has a little elbow tuck timer, but his approach and swing path are very simple and compact and he stays directional through contact well. Vallot has very quick hands to go with his overall strength and generates outstanding bat speed through the zone with very loud contact when he squares the ball up. Most of his contact is to the pull side, with the left-center field gap being the most common spot for his hard line drives to land.A catcher with Vallot’s level of offensive potential is a rare prospect. And that is where the questions begin. Is Vallot a catcher at the next level?Scouts in Louisiana have an obvious recent comparison for Vallot in the Arizona Diamondbacks 2012 first round pick Stryker Trahan. Trahan, who attended high school only 15 miles from Vallot in a Lafayette suburb, is a lefthanded hitter, but was a similarly built athlete with high level offensive tools but unrefined ability behind the plate. Trahan caught for two years in the Diamondbacks system, hitting very well, but he continued to struggle defensively and as a result was switched to left field this spring.In the simple and easy to evaluate areas of catching Vallot has no problems. He has top of the grading scale arm strength to go with a good lower body life and overall athleticism. He plays consistently hard and is an intelligent kid with good grades and a feel for the game.As a scout one is left wondering how much of the defensive areas that Vallot needs to work on are due to a lack of coaching and experience. He sets up too high behind the plate and tends to stab at balls when receiving, especially balls low in the strike zone. His footwork on throws is also inconsistent.Vallot’s stock as a potential offensive force has solidified and even gone up in early spring play, as he performed very well in front of large crowds of national level scouts in late February and early March. He’s at the point offensively, just as Trahan was two years ago, where those abilities almost guaranteed to put him in the top two-three rounds regardless of how scouts evaluate his defensive future.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Trea Turner

Position: SS

Height: 6-1

Weight: 171

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: June 30, 1993

College: NC State

Hometown: Lake Worth, Fla.

Previously Drafted: Pirates '11 (20)

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

If you’d like to get an idea of just how highly valued shortstops are, just take a look at Deven Marrero in the 2012 draft. By most accounts, Marrero had a disappointing junior season at Arizona State University, but the Red Sox still took him with the 24th overall pick in the first round. There were very serious doubts about his ability to swing the bat at the next level, but the fact that none of those doubts existed about his ability at shortstop was the reason he was still a first round draft pick. So, let’s this serve as a preface to discussing Trea Turner, who has more mild questions about his bat, and is a plus defender at the position.The questions about Turner’s bat are somewhat new. Until last summer, he made a name for himself at N.C. State primarily on the strength of his gaudy and surprisingly potent offensive numbers for the Wolfpack. Turner was a late bloomer coming out high school, as he had some catching up to do at least physically. He did, however, get some late attention – the Pittsburgh Pirates made an under the radar run at signing him as a 20th round draft pick in 2011.The first two years of college baseball were stellar ones from Turner. The 6-foot-1, Lake Worth, Florida native was an instant triple threat his freshman season, making a name for himself in the field, at the plate, and on the base paths. Turner led the nation with 57 stolen bases in 61 attempts, a truly staggering statistic especially when you consider that he at one point swiped 29 bags in a row. And, for a player mostly known for his speed and slick fielding – he played third base as a freshman – Turner had a dynamic spring at the plate. He hit .336 in 63 games, and also swatted five home runs and 13 doubles along the way.Things only got better for Turner during his sophomore season, as he slid over to his natural position at shortstop. He led the team with his .368 batting average and swiped 30 bases despite missing 11 games due to injury. And, with these gaudy numbers accumulated over two seasons, it seemed only natural that Turner would continue to flourish when he was selected to play for the Collegiate National Team that summer.That success did not continue, though, as Turner had his share of struggles at the plate with Team USA, and some scouts speculated that his spring ankle injury was still looming over his performance and hindering him in some ways. Whatever the reason was, it led to some questions about Turner’s long-term offensive upside that have followed him into this spring.Numbers wise, Turner is doing his thing so far this year. He’s hit four home runs through his first 27 games and has stolen nine bases. Yet, questions still persist from scouts. And, before seeing him over the last two weeks, my natural question was why? I’ve had very little doubt about Turner’s bat in past viewings of him. He’s a superb off-speed hitter, and he keeps his hands back on breaking pitches exceptionally well. There have always been ways to get him out inside, but he stays within the zone well and has a flat, compact line drive swing. But, make a mistake and he has enough bat speed and life in his barrel to take a pitch out of the park.To make that whole approach work, however, takes good balance and a steady lower half. That lower half has looked just a little bit different this spring. Turner has gotten on his front foot at times and gotten a little spread out during his stride.If this spring is your longest and most prominent view of Turner, or most of your looks were at a potentially hampered Turner with Team USA, it’s only natural to have some doubts about his offensive upside. For now, however, this has the feel of a temporary problem. The issue is mechanical in nature, and his physical tools, including his bat speed, look just fine.Turner is a 65 or 70 runner on the 20-80 scale, although some have graded him as high as an 80. He has a tick above average throwing arm at shortstop, and his hands and range appear to be a constant in his game.Look around the country. Can you find another player you can be fairly confident can play shortstop at the big league level and provide something offensively? You’d be hard pressed to find a good one outside of Trea Turner, and that’s the case in most draft classes. And, that’s also the reason why it’s going to be very difficult for Turner to slide beyond the top 20 picks, regardless of what issues scouts may have with his bat for the remainder of this spring.He’s a defensively capable big league shortstop right now, and if he can get his lower half more consistently back underneath him, he still has more than enough offensive firepower to put himself back into the picture in the top seven to 10 picks. Turner seems to have a knack for outplaying people’s expectations of him, and that stems from a well noted work ethic. As for the swing issues he’s run into this spring, you can be quite sure he’s already in the midst of trying to address them.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Nick Burdi

Position: RHP

Height: 6-4

Weight: 215

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Jan. 19, 1993

College: Louisville

Hometown: Downers Grove, Ill.

Previously Drafted: Twins '11 (24)

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

There a handful of players in each draft class that are highly identifiable with one particular tool or trait. Kyle Schwarber is known for his lefthanded power, while Carlos Rodon is known for his wipeout slider. Then, there is Louisville righthander, Nick Burdi, who arguably has the most talked about fastball in the 2014 draft class. But, there are also a lot of variables to consider with Burdi, including the fact that he’s a closer. The question is going to be just how high a team is going to be willing to take a college closer, balancing the fact that he also reaches 102 mph.We’ve profiled some late bloomers in the college ranks during this series, but Nick Burdi is definitely not one of those. Burdi was the 34th ranked prospect in the 2011 high school class, as ranked by Perfect Game at the time. His signature moment as a prep player out of Downers Grove South High School in Illinois may have come in Jupiter in 2010, as his velocity spiked to 94-96 mph and he showed a plus, late breaking slider at 91 mph. While there were some of the same question marks about Burdi back then as there are now, it was pretty clear that he had a very special right arm.What was also made clear was that Burdi had a strong inclination toward going to college, and despite being picked in the 24th round of the 2011 draft by the Minnesota Twins, he ended up opting to pitch at Louisville instead. As explosive as his stuff was in high school, some questioned his arm action and how it would hold up for him long term. Going to college would and has given him the opportunity to quiet some of those doubts.Burdi’s freshman year had some rough patches to say the least. In fact, he was quite far from the unhittable end of the game force we’ve come to know him in the last two years. Opposing batters hit a robust .301 against the 6-foot-4 righthander, as he allowed 28 hits and 10 walks in 22 2/3 innings of work. And, for a pitcher with his high octane stuff, he only struck out 14 batters.There was a turning point for Burdi, however, or at least there appeared to be. Despite the rocky freshman season, Burdi was sent to the Cape Cod League to pitch for the Chatham Anglers. And, after a bit of a rocky start there, Burdi finished his summer with a string of strong outings in which he struck out 11 batters in 5 1/3 innings pitched. He was now missing bats the way scouts and Louisville coaches expected he could, and he seemed to carry that momentum into his sophomore season.2013 could be described as an all out eruption from Burdi, as he went from high upside power arm to the best closer in the nation for Louisville. The turnaround was dramatic, as he posted a minuscule 0.76 ERA in 29 appearances out of the bullpen. And, in 35 2/3 innings of work, he fanned 62 batters and held hitters to a .192 batting average. In talking to scouts who saw Burdi, it seemed that the major difference was the command of his breaking ball.So far in 2014, it’s been the same old story for Burdi. As of April 3, he has yet to allow an earned run and the reports of him hitting triple digits with his fastball still roll in frequently. He lives mostly between 96-98 mph, but there have been a number of days where he’s pitched closer to 98-100 mph, and he’s hit as high as 102 mph in the past. As far as present velocity is concerned, Burdi is unmatched in this draft class. And, his 87-89 mph slider reaches as high as 91 mph, and it also one of the best breaking balls in the class. It’s true elite level closer’s repertoire at the big league level. His arm action is indeed violent, however, and scouts will have to weigh whether they feel he can sustain this type of raw stuff for the long haul.You’d be hard pressed to find a scout that doesn’t think Nick Burdi is going to pitch in the big leagues and achieve that status rather quickly. What his draft status instead comes down to is where you value him for what he is. With his delivery and approach to pitching, closing appears to be his long-term home. There is a precedent for college closers being drafted in the first round and the results have been mixed with some notable negatives – such as Craig Hansen – but it’s difficult to draw any real conclusions regarding the merit of making such a move.It’s going to come down to organizational need and whether a team thinks Burdi can be more than just a short-term bolt of lightning out of the bullpen. To take him among the top 10-20 overall picks, you have to believe he’s an organization changer, similar to what Craig Kimbrel has meant for the Atlanta Braves in the last couple years. This is a strong enough draft class to make that the necessary line of thinking to pull the trigger on such a move. Regardless of what you’re philosophy is on the matter though, it’s hard to envision Burdi making it beyond the first 30 picks.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Monte Harrison

Position: OF

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Bats/Throws: R-R

Birthdate: Aug. 10, 1995

High School: Lee's Summit West

City, State: Lee's Summit, Mo.

Travel Team: Marucci Elite

Commitment: Nebraska

Projected Draft Round: 2

 

If the Perfect Game 2014 Top 500 list was the equivalent of an entire high school senior class and published a yearbook, Missouri three-sport standout and Perfect Game All-American Monte Harrison would probably win two of the class awards.He’d be a shoe-in for the Class Clown. Harrison has an ultra high energy smiling personality that is always turned on full volume. His antics bouncing between dugouts and teams at the PG All-American Classic was a constant that made his teammates, seemingly from both the East and West squads, shake their heads in wonderment.More importantly, he would be the leading contender for Best Athlete.Defining athleticism in that context isn’t easy. Michael Gettys has been compared to Mike Trout as an athlete and it doesn’t get much better than that. Bryan Dobzanski is perhaps the best wrestler in New Jersey state history, excels in football and throws 94 mph. Jon Littell is another three-sport standout who can play all over a football field both offensively and defensively. Jakson Reetz fits the same description as Littell and can play all the positions on the baseball field at a high level.Harrison’s often spectacular performance at all three major sports would give him the nod, however.He doesn’t get as much attention for his abilities on the basketball court as he does on baseball or football fields, but that doesn’t take away from his athletic achievements on the hardwood. Harrison led Lee's Summit West High School to a 27-4 record and a third-place finish in the state tournament this year, averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He’s also a finalist for the award given to the top basketball player in the greater Kansas City Metro area. Check out this video of Harrison before a game this winter.Harrison is also a national level wide receiver prospect and is listed as a four-star recruit by most recruiting services. He caught 60 passes for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns last fall and also ran for 12 touchdowns on only 32 carries. Lee's Summit West went 13-1 on the season and was listed at 22nd in the country in the final MaxPreps rankings.Harrison is signed with Nebraska to play both baseball and football. The Cornhusker football team is thin at wide receiver as a walk-on is currently listed at No. 1 on the depth chart to replace two-year starter Quincy Enumwa, a likely NFL draft pick next month. So, Harrison would have a real shot at competing for a starting position as a true freshman.But while being a four-star football recruit is an impressive ranking, it doesn’t measure up to being the 43rd ranked baseball player in the 2014 Perfect Game class rankings or a Perfect Game All-American. So it is relatively easy to claim that baseball is indeed Harrison’s top sport.Harrison’s overall athleticism at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds stands out on the baseball field as well. He ran the 60-yard dash at the Perfect Game National in 6.65 seconds. His speed will probably play at Major League average as he matures, which ironically is not a high value resume item for someone with a football wide receiver resume, but is still a valuable baseball tool. Unlike many football players, Harrison’s arm strength is a major weapon and ranks only second to Gettys' cannon in the class, and paints him as a plus future defensive right fielder.Given how much time Harrison spends at other sports, it’s understandable that his swing is the most undeveloped part of his baseball package. But very notably, Harrison maxed out his baseball opportunities last summer, playing in multiple WWBA events with the Marucci Elite and even going to the Sunshine South showcase in addition to the PG National, Area Codes Games and the PG All-American Classic.It was clear that Harrison wanted to play as much baseball as possible to make up for lost time and the results were obvious to any scout who followed him over a 10 week period. At the beginning of June Harrison showed raw bat speed and strength at contact but lacked flow and timing to his swing and was inconsistent with his mechanics and balance. He had no batting practice routine and even tried to switch-hit at the Sunshine South without any success.But by August the game was slowing down for Harrison and he was much more consistent with his at-bats and his approach. His front side would still leak out early at times, but even at those times he was able to keep the barrel in the zone long enough to make hard contact to the opposite field. But the top level pitchers who overmatched him early in the summer were now facing a player who was going to battle and have a quality at-bat.A very notable thing about Harrison as a hitter who plays limited amounts of baseball is that he has consistently shown a high level of hand/eye coordination and barrel control. He doesn’t have much swing-and-miss in his results and can get the barrel to the ball consistently. It’s just a matter of the timing and balance and mechanics coming together consistently to produce hard contact with all his quick-twitch strength behind it.Harrison’s final playoff basketball game was on March 21 so he’s barely had a chance to play baseball yet this spring, although scouts are already tracking him and making their way to the Kansas City area. If last summer’s lesson is repeated, they better plan on going back in mid-May as well after the class of 2014’s best athlete gets his swing in shape.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

Brandon Finnegan

Position: LHP

Height: 5-11

Weight: 184

Bats/Throws: L-L

Birthdate: April 14, 1993

College: Texas Christian

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

Previously Drafted: Rangers '11 (45)

Projected Draft Round: 1

 

Texas Christian lefthander Brandon Finnegan is a great lesson that first scouting impressions should not always be lasting scouting impressions.The Fort Worth native appeared in one Perfect Game event while at Southwest High School, the 2009 South Top Prospect Showcase in McKinney, Texas, in early August , 2009. Finnegan was registered as a primary pitcher at the showcase just before the start of his junior year but was a two-way talent who ended up being an all-state outfielder during his senior year.It is impossible to know what is going on in a 16 year olds life and mind at any one time, especially in a two-day weekend snapshot. It’s relatively easy to evaluate physical tools and baseball skills once one has the experience, but there is no way of really knowing what is inside a teenager’s mind without a much broader exposure to him. That is why good scouts and college coaches spend lots of time talking to a player’s high school and travel team coaches and why those coaches who have a reputation as straight shooters are so valued in the scouting community.Suffice to say, I have never seen a player in 12 years with Perfect Game that wanted to be on the field less than Brandon Finnegan did on August 15-16, 2009. He managed to top out at 90 mph from the mound and take an 8+/9 type batting practice on the PG grading scale, so it was very obvious that he high level physical talent. But he also warmed up on the mound soft tossing in the 60s, hit a ground ball to second base in the game and walked almost directly back to the dugout and generally acted like a root canal was a wonderful alternative to playing baseball that weekend.When Finnegan signed with TCU I found it interesting given my previous experience with him. And I’ve followed him more closely than most college players since I’ve remained curious about who the real Brandon Finnegan is since that South Top Prospect Showcase.My initial reaction when Finnegan went an unfathomable 0-8, 3.18 with TCU last year was to think that this was just a manifestation of what I’d seen myself; a pitcher with plenty of talent but without the edge to his game and the personality to win. That was tempered by the reality that TCU was a horrible offensive team in 2013 and gave Finnegan 2.75 runs per game on average in support. Finnegan actually allowed 3 runs or less in 12 of his 16 starts. I couldn’t help but be impressed by the reports on Finnegan’s raw stuff or his invitation to play for the USA National Collegiate Team despite his record.So when I had a chance to watch Finnegan start against the vaunted Cuban National Team in Omaha on July 19, 2013, I was excited on many levels. I watched all the USA players and saw middle infielders Trea Turner (NC State) and Alex Bregman (Louisiana State) play particularly well in a 1-0 USA victory. But I really bore down hard on Finnegan, especially watching his body language and how his teammates treated him.On the field, Finnegan was simply outstanding. He threw seven shutout innings against a lineup loaded with Major League aged players with extensive international experience, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out eight hitters. His fastball was mostly in the 94-96 mph range and topped out at 98 in counts when he most needed it. Finnegan’s changeup was a surprisingly effective pitch that he used with confidence, and while his mid-80s slider wasn’t consistent, it flashed plus life and depth at times. His command was good, not great, but when he needed to make a big pitch he made it every time. He worked fast and his defense was on top of their game behind him.I also watched him just as intently in between pitches and in between innings and was thrilled by what I saw. Finnegan was a tightly wound ball of controlled intensity, showing focus and the ability to make adjustments on the mound and a high, but healthy, level of positive emotion when needed. A couple of times after a getting a big third out he ran off the mound looking to the USA third base dugout yelling encouragement to his teammates. When he came off the mound after retiring the final hitter after his seventh and final inning, his teammates all came out of the dugout to congratulate him with same intense emotion that Finnegan had been showing.It was pretty obvious for that one game that Finnegan was both a very intense competitor and a highly valued and respected teammate to go along with his big league tool set. It wasn’t possible to put on a more impressive performance, especially in the context of the thoughts I brought into the game.Finnegan isn’t a polished product as a college junior in an Aaron Nola sense or even related to Carlos Rodon or Tyler Beede. He has effort to his delivery and goes through periods of command problems due to that. He had a well below average curveball in high school, and his slider, while it flashes quality, still appears to be on the upward development path. And while he is a plus athlete and is a lefthander, where it matters less, he’s still 5-foot-11.But Finnegan’s present three-pitch arsenal is plus present Major League level and that doesn’t come along often on a southpaw. Given his ever increasing dominance (5-2, 1.60 ERA, 80 strikeouts in 50 innings so far this spring with a .179 opponent batting average) and the intensity and focus on the mound that he showed last summer, that’s a sure-fire first round combination, potentially the upper half of the first round.

 

-PG

[ace3113]

I'll post more when I don't have this bloody headache. lol

[Angrioter]

Canadian players

http://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/draft-list/2015/

[ace3113]

[ace3113]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/colle...undup-week-11/

 

College Draft Prospect Stat Roundup Week 11

 

The home stretch of regular season in college baseball is here and the top starters in the country will likely have just three more starts before conference tournaments begin. Here is an injury-update-highlighted edition of the college stat roundup.

 

• Although Texas Christian lefthander Brandon Finnegan was removed from the third inning of his Friday start with shoulder soreness, he is expected to make his next start.

 

• East Carolina righthander Jeff Hoffman was shut down for 8-10 days, coach Billy Godwin announced Thursday.

 

“He said that he had mild arm soreness Thursday in his bullpen,” Godwin said. “We had the team orthopedic look at him. We are erring on the side of caution here and you can understand why. We just felt that 8-10 days would be good for him to have off.”

 

Hoffman was coming off his best start of the season in which he struck out 16. He is likely to make his next start on May 9 at Southern Mississippi and will have one more regular season start at home against Texas-Arlington.

 

• Portland lefthander Travis Radke has pitched sparingly this spring after missing most of the second half of last year with an elbow strain. He returned to game action for the first time in more than a month and the second time in two months, striking out three of the five hitters he faced in 1 1/3 innings out of the bullpen against San Francisco, his fifth appearance of the season. Radke was an impact freshman, averaging nearly a strikeout per inning with a 2.9 strikeout-walk ratio. The 6-foot-4, 200- pound Radke has a strong, physical build with a chance for above-average control and at least an average changeup. Radke’s fastball sat in the high 80s with downhill plane and run before his injury.

 

• Virginia outfielder Derek Fisher played this weekend in his first full series after missing six weeks because of a broken hamate. Fisher had three doubles on Friday against Florida State, including one off righthander Luke Weaver. The lefthanded hitter with plus speed had three multi-hit games in his first four games back.

 

• North Carolina State lefthander Carlos Rodon struck out a season-high 15 of the 34 hitters he faced (44 percent) against Georgia Tech.

[Angrioter]

bob elliott ‏@elliottbaseball 1m

Jays scouting Tucson HS LHP Alex Verdugo FB low 90s good breaking ball Outstanding at PG WS and Area Codes 20th by @PerfectGameUSA #bluejays

 

f*** high School arms

[Frenchsoup]

This is what I have on Verdugo

 

Alex Verdugo, lhp/of, Sahuaro HS, Tucson, Ariz.:*He’s a legitimate prospect both ways thanks to his feel for hitting, and a smooth delivery with a fastball up to 93 mph on the mound.

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.

 

Get some pitchers that can throw strikes please.....