2014 MLB Draft: An Early Look

[GD]

I'd be very happy with it. No complaints whatsoever.

 

Zimmer would be good too, so would Conforto. Freeland and Pentecost would work. And Jackson/Gordon are must grabs if they're on the board at any time.

 

Shaping up to be a good draft.

[ace3113]

Not a fan of Turner's swing or bat, but if we pick him, I'll be rooting against myself hoping that I'm wrong. It's just such an ugly, ugly swing. Kill it with fire.

[Angrioter]

 

Nick Howard

A Sunday starter as a sophomore and a two-way player throughout his career at Virginia, Howard settled in as the Cavaliers' closer in 2014. A team that thinks he might have the profile to go back to starting might take him in the early rounds.

 

As a starter, both at Virginia and in the Cape Cod League, Howard would throw his fastball in the 90-93 mph range, occasionally touching 94. In short relief, he's been up to 95-97 and touching 98 mph. His mid-80s slider has tilt and bite when it's good, but it can get slurvy at times.

 

He doesn't use his changeup much, and it's the development of that third pitch, along with refined fastball command -- he has a tendency to be up in the zone -- that will determine if he can start at the next level. Howard is very athletic, and there's the chance he can take the leap forward that many two-way players do when they give up hitting.

[GD]

Doubt both of those. McDaniel is good but I strongly doubt both.

[Angrioter]

Scout.com’s Kiley McDaniel tweets that the Blue Jays could reach and select Virginia righty Nick Howard as high as No. 11, while several other teams in the teens are kicking the tires on Howard. That would be quite the reach in comparison to the rankings of Howard by MLB.com (No. 75) and Law (No. 59). Baseball America is more bullish on Howard, ranking him 25th among draft prospects.

 

Drew Storen?

[Caper]

It would be funny if the Jays in an effort to keep costs down, draft 2 college seniors at 9 and 11. Then signs both for $1000

[Angrioter]

The 2014 draft is an important one for the Toronto Blue Jays, who own the ninth pick by virtue of their train-wreck last season, and the 11th selection thanks to their inability to sign Phil Bickford, last year’s first-rounder. The slot values for the two selections – $3,080,800 for No. 9; $2,888,300 for No. 11 – help provide the Blue Jays a total draft pool of $9,458,500 to work with, offering ample room for creativity with their picks. Sportsnet asked general manager Alex Anthopoulos about the club’s approach.

 

Q: With two first-round picks, are you looking to spend big on high-end talent early or are you considering spreading the money around to accumulate multiple assets?

A: “We don’t have a set strategy. You’re talking about diversifying your portfolio, we’re not sitting there saying let’s take one high-schooler, one college, two high-school, two college – it’s irrelevant. It’s strictly best player available. Part of the analysis is risk, ultimately all these guys have risk, but how much risk are you willing to take on? That factors. I’d say a big part of refining our process is maybe we’re starting to examine the level of risk we’re willing to take.”

Q: How so?

A: “Just anything. More risk, most likely, more reward, and we may just modify it slightly. It doesn’t mean we’ll be risk-averse, but maybe not take the same level of risk. We’re just trying to balance it out a little bit more as we’re going through it. That’s not to say we’re not looking for talent, upside, all that kind of stuff. We’re trying to balance it.”

Q: What are the strengths you see in this draft class?

A: “There’s a ton of high school arms. It’s light in position players, very, very light relative to the arms in the draft. There’s a ton hard high-school throwers, there’s a lot of velocity. My focus really has been on Round 1 because obviously 9 and 11 are so high. Really when you try to take a step back and look at the percentage of dollars spent in Round 1 compared to the others, that truly should be the percentage of time spent doing the work seeing the players.”

 

Q: In 2011 you drafted left-hander Tyler Beede 21st overall but couldn’t sign him, and now he’s projected to again be a first-round choice near where you pick. Did he sign a consent to reselect card, and would you consider drafting him again?

A: “He signed it and is eligible to be reselected by us. We’d have no issue at all, that’s in the past. Like we said at the time, we weren’t able to come to terms, we wished him luck, he’s had an unbelievable college career, he’s done well, it’s worked out well for him, he’s still pegged to be a good draft pick. We think it worked out for us as well. We got Marcus Stroman with the (compensation) pick for him, we’re very happy with Marcus as well.”

 

Q: You also didn’t sign Bickford last year. Is failing to sign a first-round pick twice in three years a mistake on your end?

A: “That’s sometime a misnomer. You now have the flexibility to walk away from the player because of the ability to get the pick back. It’s a conscious choice. We have the ability to sign all these players, we have the resources to sign all these players, but knowing you can get the pick back minus one (spot), it gives you that option. That was part of the new CBA and that was an advantage to the clubs. Sure we wanted to sign Tyler, it didn’t work out, but we knew that there would be a pick the following year, and we would most likely be happy. We got Stroman and we’re thrilled with him.”

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/anthopoulos-no-issue-at-all-with-beede/

[ace3113]

Good news guys, I've agreed to be drafted by the Jays with their first round pick in exchange for a hot dog. Woot! #payrollparameters

[ace3113]

Interesting.

 

Silverback38 (VA): If you were to guess, who is next year's Hunter Harvey….a player that gets drafted later but explodes the following year?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Michael Kopech

[TheHurl]

Law's chat is going on right now

 

 

Kyle (Visalia)

 

 

 

At this point, what do you think the odds are that someone other than Aiken go 1/1?

 

Klaw (2:05 PM)

 

 

 

Maybe 40% Aiken, 30% Rodon, 30% Alex Jackson? Those are the only three names they're on, and I might be overweighting Jackson a little.

 

 

Nick (Chicago)

 

 

 

Is that any validity to the rumor that the Astros would snag Nick Gordon #1? If so, how would the next 3 picks play out?

 

Klaw (2:05 PM)

 

 

 

No validity, sorry.

 

 

Tyler Beede (Nashville)

 

 

 

I saw your mock draft and you have me falling out of the first round. Last time I checked I am still a 6' 4" righty with a plus fastball and change. And my K/BB is better than last year. I'm sure a team will take me in the first round...right?

 

Klaw (2:06 PM)

 

 

 

In a draft full of RH with power arms, most of whom throw more strikes than Beede does and don't have the same makeup concerns, I don't think it's a lock that "you" go in the first round.

 

 

James (NY)

 

 

 

Why would Brady Aiken's "adivosr" advise him to take a below slot deal with the Astros when he is one of the few elite guys in the draft?

 

Klaw (2:06 PM)

 

 

 

Because below-slot at 1 might be more than his best alternative - say, slot at 4.

 

 

John (VA)

 

 

 

Any chance Jacob Gatewood or Monte Harrison is there for the Red Sox at 26?

 

Klaw (2:08 PM)

 

 

 

Yes, but I don't know that they take either of them.

 

 

Justin (TN)

 

 

 

How many Vanderbilt signees do not make it to campus in the fall?

 

Klaw (2:09 PM)

 

 

 

Don't think Sheffield, Touki, or Cease get there (and rumor is Sheffield's older brother Jordan might transfer out to a JC). Waiting to see on Kendall.

[TheHurl]

Frank (Chicago)

 

 

 

What's the word on the elbow surgery Kyle Freeland had a few years ago? Does he have a clean bill of health now?

 

Klaw (2:09 PM)

 

 

 

I know some teams flunked him this year, and some cleared him, so it's just a matter of each team's doctor's opinion. And I wouldn't take the fact that anyone flunked him as definitive - a couple of teams flunked Scherzer in the draft too.

 

 

Jesse (Minneapolis)

 

 

 

What's the lowest and highest Hoffman goes?

 

Klaw (2:12 PM)

 

 

 

I think highest is 4. Lowest could be sandwich round to a team with extra picks - Houston would probably do cartwheels, although Luhnow's glasses would fall off so maybe not.

 

 

Jason (Cleveland)

 

 

 

Keith great list really liked it. Just a couple of questions. Was T. Walker excluded because of playing time or has he just fallen that far? Also was wondering how close was Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows to making the list?

 

Klaw (2:13 PM)

 

 

 

Walker was excluded because he needs to drastically change his delivery. Glasnow slipped because the reports on his command are worse this year. Meadows hasn't even played this year so I didn't have any reason to race him up the board like that.

 

 

Jay (PA)

 

 

 

No Bundy in your updated Top 25? Obviously the injury/surgery are the big question but Giolito also made the list. Is being a year ahead, surgery-wise what sets the two apart?

 

Klaw (2:14 PM)

 

 

 

One guy is pitching in games, the other isn't. We've seen Giolito's stuff is back. We won't know for sure on Bundy until he's on a mound.

 

 

JL (Vancouver)

 

 

 

Are the Jays really after Touki? From what you are hearing, are they planning to take a prep pitcher and college fielder?

 

Klaw (2:15 PM)

 

 

 

I just know they want guys with upside. Anthopoulos did go see Trea Turner at the ACC tournament (for a day - color me surprised Avent still has his job after the season they had), so he's somewhere in their mix. I have had them with Hoffman and Touki, both very high-upside selections. I don't see them taking anyone who's "safe" with a low ceiling.

[KingKat]

Good news guys, I've agreed to be drafted by the Jays with their first round pick in exchange for a hot dog. Woot! #payrollparameters

 

Should have held out for a least a frankfurter.

[ace3113]

Should have held out for a least a frankfurter.

 

I was paraphrasing the kid the Jays drafted two years ago as a Senior sign for 5,000, who said he would have signed for a hot dog. I forget his name now.

[Angrioter]

Top-200 MLB.com

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/index.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_players

[KingKat]

I was paraphrasing the kid the Jays drafted two years ago as a Senior sign for 5,000, who said he would have signed for a hot dog. I forget his name now.

 

Awesome.

[ace3113]

Top-200 MLB.com

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/index.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_players

 

This is the first time I can ever remember MLB.com getting up to 200 prospects for a draft. So glad Jim Callis is there now.

[ace3113]

Nick from BP is putting in some serious work answering people's draft questions.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/chat/chat.php?chatId=1164

 

A few of note so far:

 

Patrick (ABQ): Who do you prefer from a fantasy standpoint long-term: Jacob Gatewood or Ti'quan Forbes? Thanks, Nick!

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Forbes. Gatewood gives you big power upside, but there is immense risk -- like "Will he reach Double A?" risk. Forbes is a stud, very young for the class and he more than held his own against top competition. Athleticism and actions to stay up the middle and a broad frame that's already starting to hang additional muscle. Go get him.

 

msimotes (Kalamazoo): Any chance Beede falls to the Cubs with their second overall pick?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Sure. The wildcard there is Beede's asking price. I was on hand for the Beede/Nola matchup when his draft stock was at its apex, and walked away with the same concerns I had last summer -- the stuff was top shelf but its held together with chewing gum and toothpicks. I'm not sure his best fit won't be as a shutdown closer. He could be absolutely nasty in that role.

 

Matt (NJ): Grant Holmes seems to be ranked 5-10 in most public sources, but generally going 10-20ish in draft projections. Is this a case of the industry liking him less than publications or a consensus top guy falling because many teams like him 2nd or 3rd best when their pick comes up? Do you see him as having #2 SP upside?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: When we ran our "Whom Would You Draft?" series at BP I picked for the Twins and grabbed Holmes at five overall (http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=23506). I think he suffers some because he doesn't look the part of big power arm, and there is effort in his delivery. But you can't argue with the power stuff, and he was generally sharp this spring. #2 upside is possible, sure. I might prefer him to Kolek if given the choice.

 

Adam (Chicago): If the Cubs go pitcher at 4, and Ti'quan Forbes is there at 45, would they bite? Would he even still be there? I like his age/tools combo - could he have that bad prep state + late birthday stigma that caused Trout to fall?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: I don't see any way Forbes falls out of the supplemental-first round. He'd be a great get in the second round, but more likely he's off the board somewhere in the first thirty picks.

 

AMetsGuy (NYC): How much do you think the Mets are posturing due to being sandwiched by the two Blue Jays picks?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: I think you are spot on. The Jays love projectable young upside arms and will have some decisions to make as far as which players they target with their first and second picks. The Astros are in a similar situation with the Marlins jumping Houston's 2nd and 3rd picks (which limits Houston's ability to leverage those opportunities).

 

edwardarthur (Illinois): Best hit tools in the draft?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Michael Chavis, Forrest Wall, Nick Gordon

 

Silverback38 (VA): If you were to guess, who is next year's Hunter Harvey….a player that gets drafted later but explodes the following year?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Michael Kopech

 

Victor (Dumfries): Michael Chavis is getting a lot of publicity lately? What kind of ceiling does he have?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: All star calibre offensive producer with solid defense at third base (outside shot at second base).

 

Jackson (Calif.): Better major league hitter when it's all said an done? Conforto, Schwarber, Reed, or Gillaspie?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Schwarber

 

Jason (NY): Who has the best curveball and highest pure ceiling for a pitcher in the draft? I'd be inclined to go Touki for both.

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: I'll co-sign.

 

Jake (NC): Can Trea Turner be effective in pro-ball with that swing, or does it need a complete overall by the team that's drafting him?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: I think he'll need to simplify things and focus on putting the ball on the ground and working away. Closer to overhaul than working with what he has.

 

Tim (Ottawa): Can you give us your quick report on Michael Kopech please? Do you think the team drafting him will have to significantly alter his mechanics + delivery?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Projectable frame with athletic, firm build. Good candidate for jump in stuff. Fastball lively and up to mid-90s from a tough angle. Curve and change both flash plus. Quirky mechanics lead to inconsistent command and execution. One of largest gaps in class between present and potential profile.

 

JoeRandom (San Jose): Favorite wild card bat in the draft? High risk but with immense ceiling. Jacob Gatewood?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Monte Harrison. If it develops, he could be a monster.

 

Jackson (Calif.): Better major league hitter when it's all said an done? Conforto, Schwarber, Reed, or Gillaspie?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: Schwarber

 

Jay Triano (BC): Can you give us an idea of what kind of slash line and production scouts who like Trea Turner might believe he's capable of at the next level. Would .275/.350/.380 with single digit home runs and 20-30 steals be a fair expectation if he meets his upside?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: I think it's possible, but the on-base delta seems high to me. I can't see him scaring big league arms enough to draw that many walks.

 

Bryan (MO.): Closest MLB comparable to Monte Harrison? Is Andrew McCutchen-lite fair?

 

Pre-Draft Chat with Nick J. Faleris: I think that's setting the bar high, but Harrison has the potential to impact the game across his full skill set, for sure.

[TwistedLogic]

http://sbb.scout.com/story/1407185-2014-mlb-draft-mock-v2-0?s=381

 

Kiley McDaniel's knewest mock. He goes Turner/Toussaint like everyone else and also mentions that Toussaint might already have a deal in place with the Jays, but apparently Nick f***ing Howard is a possibility at 11 now, as a reach/underslot deal. I'm going to keyboard-rage pretty hard if they do that. Also says that #11 is Hoffman's floor (if he gets that far), so apparently teams aren't as afraid of his TJS as we were hoping.

[imsorry4beatinU]

This is awesome!

 

Holy s*** it is. Jim Callis changes everything for MLB

[z3r0s]

Not glowing reports on Turner. Pretty much what Ace has been saying... hoping we stay away.

[Angrioter]

Not glowing reports on Turner. Pretty much what Ace has been saying... hoping we stay away.

 

Trea don't like me. Billy H 2.0

[imsorry4beatinU]

A combo of

 

Grant Holmes/ Jeff Hoffman

 

Kyle Schwarber/ Jeff Hoffman

 

with picks 9 and 11 would be great imo

[Frenchsoup]

Honestly I'd be happy with anything but Trea and Touissant

[ace3113]

I think people should be prepared for the fact that there might be a good chance we take Turner. I don't like the pick personally but I'm hoping he proves me wrong anyway if we do pick him.

[ace3113]

Some scouting reports and rankings of note from BA.

 

King's guys:

 

199. DJ Peters, OF/1B, Glendora (Calif.) HS

 

Peters stands out for his 6-foot-4, 214-pound frame and big-time power potential. A big name from the showcase circuit, his stock has dropped due to poor performance this spring. Peters has plus or better raw power in his righthanded swing, which is fairly stiff and can get long, raising swing-and-miss concerns and drawing Dave Kingman comparisons. Questions about his hit tool could make him fall into the back half of the top 10 rounds, though scouts expect some club to sign him away from a Cal State Fullerton commitment. Peters plays center field for his high school team but is no better than a 45 runner. He does not have great defensive instincts and profiles better at a corner, where his 55 arm will play. He is a good athlete for his size, but scout scouts have expressed concerns about his aptitude.

245. Stone Garrett, OF, George Ranch HS, Sugarland, Texas

 

Strong and physically developed at 6-foot-3, 202 pounds, Garrett looks the part of a pro corner outfielder, drawing comparisons to Glenn Braggs. He’s committed to Rice and most scouts expect him to be a productive player for the Owls. He had a chance to go out in the first five rounds this spring but just didn’t hit with enough authority for scouts. He’s fairly stiff and mechanical with his swing, which hinders his raw power, and in his defensive actions, as he’s played mostly left field this spring. He’s an above-average runner, though his 6.47-second time over 60 yards at a Perfect Game showcase last summer appears to be an outlier.

 

Guys with late helium:

 

119. Justin Steele, LHP, George County HS, Lucedale, Miss.

 

Most of the premium high school players selected out of Mississippi tend to be athletic position players, but Steele could buck that trend. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has a lean, athletic build with room to get stronger. He comes from an athletic family, as his brother played college baseball and his father played football at Alabama. Justin jumped onto the national scene by running his fastball up to 93 mph and sitting in the low 90s at East Coast Pro last summer, before his velocity fell to the 85-87 mph range. This spring he has shown similar peaks and inconsistency. At his best early in games, Steele can sit in the low 90s and touch 95. His fastball plays up because he hides the ball well, has a quick arm and has the potential for plus life with sink and run. His velocity regularly falls to 85-87 later in outings, however. His secondary stuff remains behind his fastball. Although he doesn’t use it frequently in game action, Steele's changeup shows potential and is ahead of his breaking ball, a slow, looping curveball that needs a lot of work. But he has thrown strikes this year and his athleticism allows scouts to project average control. He broke his left wrist last summer and had a screw inserted to repair it, adding to the complicated calculation teams will have to make about his value.

 

137. Justin Twine, SS/OF, Falls City (Texas) HS

 

Twine is the best athlete in the state of Texas this year and offers an intriguing package of tools. An explosive runner, he qualified for the state track championships in the 100 and 400 meters, after setting the gridiron ablaze in the fall. As a running quarterback, Twine rushed for more than 500 yards in a game, the third-highest single-game total in Texas history. He combined for more than 4,000 all-purpose yards and 94 touchdowns in his last two seasons and received scholarships offers from several Big 12 schools before committing to Texas Christian for baseball. At a powerful 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, Twine is built like a running back and has drawn physical comparisons to Howie Kendrick. A team drafting Twine is betting on his tools because he has been tough to gauge this spring against subpar competition. He is at least 65 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale and has posted home-to-first times close to four seconds flat. He has above-average bat speed and a quick stroke, but his bat needs development and there are questions about his ability to hit secondary stuff. He has a track record of swinging and missing on the showcase circuit. His strength and bat speed could give him average power, though his present power is mostly to the gaps. A high school shortstop, Twine's hands and actions will likely push him off the position. He has an average arm and could move to second base or center field.

 

175. Roy Morales, C, Colegio Angel David HS, Rio Piedras, P.R.

 

Morales, who was eligible for the 2013 draft was not selected, is repeating his senior year after suffering a broken wrist. Puerto Rico is a breeding ground for strong catch-and-throw backstops and Morales is next in that pipeline and will likely be one of the first Puerto Rican players selected this year. He is relatively new to the position, having moved from third base, and has a carrying tool in a strong, accurate arm. He is still learning the finer points of the position but has shown the hands and athleticism to receive and remain behind the plate. The 6-foot-1, 207-pounder has a strong, durable body, and his natural strength and bat speed give him the potential for at least average power. He will likely be a below-average hitter, with some length to his pull-oriented stroke. He is a well below-average runner. Morales has a fallback on the mound with arm strength that has touched the low 90s.

 

Two late-ranked players I've liked in the past:

 

377. Trevor MeGill, RHP, Loyola Marymount

 

Megill stepped right into LMU’s weekend rotation as a freshman in 2012 and showed flashes of promise, finishing with a 3.57 ERA. He took a step forward a sophomore, going 3-3, 2.73 before going down with Tommy John surgery after eight outings. He missed the 2014 season but started throwing bullpen sessions down the stretch, causing scouts to sniff around a bit. Like younger brother Tylor, Megill stands out for his size; when healthy, the 6-foot-8 righty works downhill with a lively 89-92 mph fastball that has bumped 94, with a sharp downer curve and a quality changeup. He has shown solid feel for pitching and command, and his upside is significant, but he comes with risk, and he is believed to be a tough sign. Megill is slated to return to action this summer in the Cape Cod League, and a team could draft him and follow him in the Cape for a few weeks, then make a run at him before the signing deadline.

 

413. Trenton Kemp, OF, Buchanan HS, Clovis, Calif.

 

Kemp is a workout fiend and could show well in pre-draft workouts thanks to his physicality and athleticism. He’s busted out 38-inch vertical leaps and breathtaking 60 times (6.4 seconds) in workouts, as well as 4.0-second times to first base in games. He’s also had trouble with hamstring injuries this spring, removing himself from games and not always running his best. Kemp has tape-measure raw power but inconsistent performance and effort this spring. He has shown aptitude with an improved swing, spreading out at the plate to achieve better balance. A Fresno State signee, Kemp carries significant risk but high reward.

[ace3113]

Just checking out MLB.com's top 200 and this guy def stood out based on his reports, footage.

 

Ryan Castellani

Rank: 131

Brophy Prep (Ariz.), Senior

Height: 6'4", Weight: 190

Position: RHP

DOB: 4/1/1996

Bats: R, Throws: R

Commitment: Arizona State

 

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

 

A relative veteran of the amateur showcase circuit, Castellani has been a prospect for quite some time. With his size and stuff, he has the chance to make an even bigger name for himself at the next level.

 

Castellani has room to add strength to his 6-foot-4 frame, and that might allow him to add to his fastball that often touches 93 mph and features a ton of heavy sink. Both his changeup and his breaking ball have the chance to be at least Major League average. He has a good feel for pitching overall and has improved his command thanks to some refinement to his delivery.

 

Castellani may not light up radar guns to the extent some of this year's Draft prospects do, but his ground-ball ability, feel for pitching and room for growth still make him very intriguing.

[TwistedLogic]

What about him did you like?

 

Read the report he posted, lol. Strong command, good feel for pitching, good delivery, good ceiling on his pitches, very projectable frame, "veteran" of the showcase circuit despite being only 18.

[TwistedLogic]

I'm kinda scared that the Mets are trolling with the whole "we want a bat thing". I'm afraid that the Jays might actually be smart enough to go after Hoffman, and that the Mets might end up stealing him away.

[ace3113]

What about him did you like?

 

It's kind of stupid actually, but the first thing I noticed was that his delivery looked exactly like Roy Halladay's. I'm not sure if he was a fan and tried to emulate Doc or something, but it was pretty cool. His delivery looks for balanced and fluid. If you watch full inning clips you can see that he repeats his mechanics perfectly almost every time. In terms of other stuff, physically he looks the part. Big, lean, projectable build. The ideal pitchers build really. Pitches off his fastball which has both tremendous vertical and horizontal movement, but it's movement that he look like he can control (unlike Sanchez). Locates his pitches to both sides. Likes to pitch inside against leftys, and the pitch has some natural cut to his glove side, and bore to arm side. It looked painful to foul a ball off him cause of where on the barrel the ball moved to. He's going to be able to get outs with his fastball period. His other pitches are still developing, but the curveball shows flashes of at least being an average to slightly above average pitch. It's not very firm yet. With his arm slot and the natural tail on his pitches to his arm side, I can see him developing a pretty good changeup, though I haven't actually seen him throw one. He's going to be a pitch to contact guy though.

 

Also check out Tanner Houck and Gavin LaValley if you guys get the chance. I liked what I saw from them too.

[ace3113]

Ace, what do you think of Cre Finfrock?

 

He's a familiar name that I remember reading about from the PG National. He was one of the notable arms there according to Perfect Game, but I don't really know much about him other than that. What have you heard or seen? I'll look up what BA has on him and post it.