Rankings will be continuously updated between now and the weekend before the 2012 MLB Draft.
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Catcher Prospect Rankings
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft First Base Prospect Rankings
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Second Base Prospect Rankings
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Third Base Prospect Rankings
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Shortstop Prospect Rankings
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
RHP Lucas Giolito (Harvard-Westlake HS, California): broke out by throwing 91-94 FB, peak 96-97, but found himself sitting 96-98 by late last summer; stays 93-96 like he’s just having a catch, hitting 97-98 with whispers of even higher (100); will take a little off the FB (92-94) at times to increase the movement; evolution of his breaking ball has been fun to watch: what started as a good 77-82 CB, slowly firmed up to steadier 80-82 and is now a plus-plus pitch at 82-84, hitting 86; he commands his CB exceptionally well for a prep arm; CB has come and gone from appearance to appearance, so there is still some inconsistency with the pitch that needs to be addressed; turned an average 82-84 straight CU into a much improved pitch (his arm action mimics his FB much better now) that he relies on heavily; consistently pitches low in the zone with all three pitches; some reports claim he throws two distinct breaking balls, but I’ve only personally seen him throw a CB, not a SL – confusion could stem from older reports of a 79-83 SL that flashes plus-plus, but I think that’s just misidentification of the CB; easy, repeatable delivery; broad shouldered and not afraid to throw inside to anybody; Giolito in a word: fearless; has been compared to Josh Johnson, a pitcher I once used as a comparison for Jameson Taillon – I was a big fan of Taillon then, and I am an even bigger fan of Giolito, the 2012 MLB Draft’s best prospect, now; 6-6, 230 pounds
LHP Max Fried (Harvard-Westlake HS, California): fastball velocity and sharpness of his breaking ball have been Fried’s big bugaboo’s all spring; generally speaking, he’ll sit comfortably in the upper-80s, but he has also been clocked at a steady 87-92 FB; his most recent outing found him at 92-95; long story short: getting a “true” idea of Fried’s current velocity is a fool’s errand – projecting where he’ll be once he starts pitching every fifth day with professional coaching is how pro scouting staff’s make their money; with his delivery, build, and flashes of present velocity, it is easy to imagine him sitting 88-93 and occasionally hitting 95 (i.e. Cole Hamels velocity); FB has good movement and natural sink at any velocity; really good 71-78 CB with plus upside that he leans on heavily; like FB, curve comes in at a wide range of velocities, but is most often in the harder 74-79 range; some (like me) think he might actually intentionally mix up his curves – a softer, loopier one in the lower-70s and the sharper, swing and miss plus one in the upper-70s; his best curves have gorgeous shape and huge break; the breaker can be inconsistent, but flashes plus-plus; good emerging 78-84 CU that also flashes plus; besides fluctuating velocity, there is some concern about his command of offspeed stuff and difficulty repeating his mechanics – I think the mechanical issues will work themselves out (elite athleticism will do that), but, if not, good coaching should get him there; great athlete with a plus hit tool and legit raw power; great pickoff move and a plus defender; this is the time of year for overly enthusiastic hyperbolic commentary, so let’s not fight it: Fried has the potential for three plus pitches, is arguably the best athlete/hitter in this year’s prep pitching class, and has the frame, understanding of the game, and drive to become a legitimate big league number one; 6-4, 175 pounds
RHP Lance McCullers (Jesuit HS, Florida): once sat 91-94 FB, peak 97-98, but now lives in the mid- to upper-90s (95-97 and only falls back to 92-94 as needed and has been rumored to hit 100; when he sits low- to mid-90s, keeps the ball down and hits his spots, he’s tough to beat; anyway you want to parse the radar readings, his fastball velocity ranks among the easiest you’ll see out of a prep arm; holds velocity really well, never dips below 90-91 with fastball; got a deserved bad reputation for throwing too many “bad” (i.e. hittable) strikes, especially with the fastball, but has improved a great deal with his command throughout the spring, improvements must still be made in this area, but he’s much better; shows an above-average to plus 83-87 SL (have heard unconfirmed rumors this pitch has hit 91), but more consistent and better long-term offspeed pitch is good 79-86 kCB (best at 80-82) that flashes plus; commands CB really well; plus-plus upside with CB; emerging CU that is now very good and surprisingly consistent 82-88 pitch; I believe he has plus upside with CU, but could still be in minority; I also think the Kyle Drabek comp makes sense in a lot of ways (mostly draft positioning, stature, two-way status, and spike curveball), but prefer McCullers breaking ball as a more consistently reliable plus secondary offering; command and mechanics were the biggest issues coming into the year, and it is fair to say that McCullers has answered both multiple times over this spring; no questions about his athleticism, which leads me to believe any existing issues about his mechanics will be ironed out in time; with two plus pitches already (FB and kCB) and a potential third above-average or better offering (CU), McCullers is a first round arm and potential big league starting pitcher; 6-2, 200 pounds
Duke JR RHP Marcus Stroman: 90-93 FB, 95-98 peak; also has sat at higher velocities all game, consistently at 93-97 in some starts; rumors of even higher peaks (99-100); tight plus 79-85 SL with plus command, peaking at 86-87; when ahead in count, SL is deadly; slowly rolled out 82-84 CU in 2012, pitch improved greatly as season progressed – most call it above-average, some a grade higher; 87-91 cutter; important to remember that he is relatively new to pitching full-time, so his arm is fresh; there is some concern about lefthanders getting too good a look at him due to his arm slot, but righties struggle against him mightily; when he isn’t striking guys out, he’s getting ground balls; holds velocity deep into starts despite 5-9, 180 pound frame
2011: 13.01 K/9 | 64.1 IP
2012: 13.39 K/9 | 2.25 BB/9 | 1.79 FIP | 84 IP
RHP Walker Buehler (Henry Clay HS, Kentucky): classic case of a plus pitchability arm who one day wakes up to big league quality stuff; his upper-80s FB (91-92 peak) has jumped to a steady 90-94, peaking 95-96; best offsped pitch is an above-average 76-78 CB with plus upside, one of the best of its kind in the class – even more effective when he throws it a little harder (78-82); third pitch is a straight CU with tumble that at times is his best offering; hardly going out on a limb, but Buehler is one of my favorite prep arms in this year’s class: smarts, three big league pitches, and repeatable mechanics all add up to a potential quality big league starter; 6-1, 165 pounds
LHP Hunter Virant (Camarillo HS, California): like Max Fried, fastball sits mostly upper-80s (87-89, later 88-91), but ranges from 86-92, 93-94 peak with good natural sink; plus FB command; loads of FB movement; rapidly improving 75-80 CU with great arm action; excellent pitch with FB arm action, good deception, plus command, and above-average downward movement; inconsistent 77-81 SL; good 70-76 CB that is better when thrown harder, gets in trouble when he aims it; CB has plus upside and is already an above-average, if inconsistent, pitch; relatively new to pitching, but shows a great deal of early aptitude for it; lots of upside in terms of body and lack of time on mound developing bad habits; will battle Kyle Twomey for top spot on what seems like an annual list of projectable California prep lefthanders; 6-3, 180 pounds
LHP Kyle Twomey (El Dorado HS, California): 86-90 FB, 91-92 peak; good CU that I like a lot, but admit needs work; good 71-76 CB, sometimes slower at 69-71; 85 cutter; good deception in delivery; crafty and projectable, Twomey is one of the draft’s highest upside arms; 6-4, 170 pounds
RHP Ty Buttrey (Providence HS, North Carolina): once sat 87-91 FB hitting 92, but pumped up to consistent 90-94, hitting 95-96 by early spring; two-seam FB stays 90-92 – pitch is a certifiable bat breaker; two-seam, four-seam, and cut (87-89) FBs all move a ton, making Buttrey one of this class’ premier groundball pitchers; emerging CU that he still doesn’t fully believe in, but pitch improved significantly in last six months – now sits 81-85 with plus upside (arm action is there), but it will take time and practice; 76-79 kCB with above-average upside that he’ll sometimes throw harder (low-80s), pretty impressive pitch when the velocity is up but remains inconsistent pitch to pitch; good athlete; some concern about late spring velocity loss (dipped back down to last summer’s upper-80s, 90-91 peak) and advanced age for his class; when a team saw Buttrey will determine how high he goes – on his best day, he’s a clear first day talent; when his fastball is slower and flatter, he’s just a guy; 6-5, 210 pounds
RHP Trey Killian (Mountain Home HS, Arkansas): 86-91 FB, 92-93 peak; 72-76 CB with plus upside; 76-82 SL; both breaking balls have firmed up and are now on higher range, both are legit future average or better pitches; 79-81 CU; delivery needs tweaking; impressive control for a young arm; strong present stuff and still easy to dream on more; 6-4, 180 pounds
RHP Nick Travieso (Archbishop McCarthy HS, Florida): 90-94 FB, 96-97 peak with rumors as high as 99; FB moves a ton, especially when he takes some off (90-92), so it is really hard to square up on; works low in zone with FB; command is iffy, too many hittable strikes; really encouraged by quick progression of good 80-87 SL that has plus upside; for being relatively new to throwing anything but a fastball, he commands his SL really well; new 82 CU – have also heard he’ll throw a hard CU (87-88) with decent tumble, but haven’t seen it yet; whatever you think of the CU, it is such a raw offering that it could go in any number of ways, positively or negatively; has been tagged with the “throws like a reliever” stigma, but I don’t see it; there are enough questions about Travieso (starter or reliever, improved yet still very inconsistent slider, no firsthand look by majority of scouts that says much on whether or not his nascent change will work against live bats) that I’d understand teams that move him off their day one draft boards, but arm strength and the ability to spin a breaking ball (at least some of the time) are worth investing some money in; 6-3, 215 pounds
RHP Kieran Lovegrove (Mission Viejo HS, California): 88-92 FB, 93-94 peak; 79-81 CU, up to 82-84 in recent viewings – have heard unconfirmed rumblings that he favors the splitter grip for his change; true plus low-80s SL (80-85) that is more of a big breaker than a sharp breaker, but an excellent potential second pitch either way; great athlete; good deception in delivery; blessed with lots of arm strength, so could see velocity numbers jump as he fills out; maintains velocity well; if you take the approach that the draft is more than simply adding talent, but also a means of hiring new employees to represent your multi-million dollar brand, then Lovegrove is an ideal fit – he’s plenty talented, and, more importantly, projectable enough to justify an early pick, and, while I’m not typically the guy heading up the intangibles (!) bandwagon, he’s exactly the kind of young man you feel good about bringing into your organization; 6-4, 180 pounds
RHP Ty Hensley (Santa Fe HS, Oklahoma): 88-93 FB, 94-95 peak; velocity has been up at times, sitting 92-95, peaking 97-98; good FB command; really good 74-79 CB with plus upside that he relies on heavily; emerging 79-82 CU; 84-86 SL that he has difficult commanding; strong hitter; two potential plus pitches and a big league frame are a great start, but he’ll have to continue developing a third pitch, likely his nascent change, going forward; as is, he has first day stuff; 6-5, 220 pounds
RHP Walker Weickel (Olympia HS, Florida): last year sat 89-91 FB with sink, 92 peak; by the summer of 2011, his stock was up and he was throwing 90-93, 94-95 peak FB; by mid-summer he was back 89-93 FB; has bounced between low (87-90) and high (92-95) all spring, most recently on the low side; good FB command; multiple theories about his fluctuating velocity include fatigue, early peaking arm from age standpoint, and too much emphasis placed on developing cutter, so pro teams will have to have done their homework before taking a chance; good to plus 70-76 CB, but still inconsistent especially when he overthrows it; in the minority in thinking his CB is best when thrown slower at 69-71, but I understand the concerns about how a pitch like that will hold up against pro hitters; good deception in delivery; if you’re buying Weickel, and I am, you’re buying an above-average fastball, above-average curve, and an above-average change, all tied together with a deceptive delivery, plus makeup, and excellent command across the board; 6-6, 200 pounds
RHP Grayson Long (Barbers Hill HS, Texas): 88-91 FB, 93 peak; good 80 CU; 75-77 CB with upside; SL with plus upside, but still a really inconsistent pitch; delivery ready for the pros; similar prospect to Walker Weickel in many ways, for better or worse; love his FB – command and movement make it a plus pitch even without big present velocity; has fallen off in the eyes of many this spring, but the long-term value is still very high; 6-6, 190 pounds
Florida JR LHP Brian Johnson: really good athlete whom I actually prefer at first base; as a position player, he has a plus arm and plus power; the majority, however, understandably prefers him on mound; if actually forced to choose, I’d start him on the mound while keeping him informed (no pressure!) that a switch back to first base could be in the cards in case his four-pitch mix lets him down; 88-92 FB, 93-94 peak; good 73-78 CB that flashes plus; 80-83 CU needs polish, but has improved a great deal in 2011 and is now a good pitch; emerging 81-85 SL that comes and goes; clean mechanics; very polished, high degree of pitchability; 6-4, 225 pounds
2011: 8.70 K/9 | 79.2 IP
2012: 7.75 K/9 | 1.66 BB/9 | 4.53 FIP | 65 IP
2011: .328/.402/.490 – 22 BB/34 K – 192 AB
2012: .344/.386/.541 – 8 BB/17 K – 122 AB
Miami JR RHP EJ Encinosa: had him originally with a 87-91 FB with sink, 94 high school peak but hadn’t seen it in a while, instead peaking at 91-92; once committed to bullpen, velocity shot back up – now sits 94-95, and has hit 98 in 2012; no matter the velocity, the fastball remains an excellent pitch – very consistent plus-plus sink; plus low-80s SL; good, but inconsistent CU; reliever all the way (and likely not a closer), but a good one all the same; 6-4, 235 pounds
2011: 7.74 K/9 | 86 IP
2012: 13.30 K/9 | 3.63 BB/9 | 2.84 FIP | 22.1 IP
Louisville rJR RHP Justin Amlung: 88-91 FB, 93-94 peak; good sink on FB; good 78-82 SL; good 80-82 CU; also shows 75-78 CB; everything down in zone; smart pitcher; good deception; Brady Rodgers often gets the comp, but I see Amlung as this year’s version of a poor man’s Mike Leake; 6-0, 180 pounds
2011: 7.03 K/9 | 105 IP
2012: 9.17 K/9 | 1.79 BB/9 | 3.76 FIP | 90.1 IP
Wake Forest JR LHP Tim Cooney: 87-90 FB, 92-93 peak; FB more consistently in upper range of velocity in 2012 (89-92); had pitchability reputation coming into year, but FB command wasn’t sharp enough to really warrant the label – now it is; much improved 84-87 cutter is a really good pitch; good CU; good CB that comes and goes; good is the operative word with Cooney, a really well-rounded, smart pitcher who gets without a plus pitch by skillfully mixing four pitches for strikes out of deceptive arm slot; could be a back end starter in time; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: 8.85 K/9 | 98.2 IP
2012: 8.61 K/9 | 3.66 BB/9 | 2.86 FIP | 83.2 IP
Louisville JR RHP Matt Koch: sits 90-92, 93-95 peak FB; promising 79-83 SL; 75 CB; 83 CU flashes plus; leans on FB/SL combo more as the SL has matured into above-average pitch; up to 94-95 FB much more consistently in 2012, new peak of 97 out of bullpen; good athlete; I was down on Koch coming into the year, but he’s really grown on me – I think he has the stuff to start in the pros; 6-3, 205 pounds
2011: 6.28 K/9 | 67.2 IP
2012: 9.12 K/9 | 2.81 BB/9 | 3.30 FIP | 25.2 IP
LHP Tyler Pike (Winter Haven HS, Florida): 87-90 FB, 92-93 peak, but has dipped as low as 85 in some starts; 70-74 CB, up to 77-80 and more effective now; plus 77-83 CU that could stand to be more consistent game to game; good overall command with chance for more; plus deception; plus pitchability; occasional average 67-69 CB; not much development left, but as solid lefty who knows how to pitch could find a home as a back of the rotation starter in time; 6-1, 185 pounds
RHP Felipe Perez (Fairmont Prep HS, California): 88-91 FB that really moves, 92-93 peak; plus FB movement; good 74-78 CB; CU has plus upside; 79-80 SL; 6-3, 195 pounds
South Florida SR LHP Andrew Barbosa: 87-91 FB, 93 peak; good 79-80 CU; flashes plus 75 CB; the most likely potential pro starting pitcher to come out of USF’s intriguing, hard throwing 2012 draft class; 6-8, 235 pounds
2012: 11.33 K/9 | 2.17 BB/9 | 2.53 FIP | 78.2 IP
South Carolina rJR RHP Matt Price: normally I start by writing about the fastball, but I really, really like his low-80s SL (82-84) so that gets top billing; also throws a softer CB; 89-92 FB, up to 94 out of bullpen; had strange, brief peak of mid- to upper-90s during brief stretch in 2011, but more of a low-90s guy; solid third pitch in 79-81 CU; experiment as starting pitcher went more or less as expected (i.e. not great), but Price has recaptured his magic in the bullpen; he’s more of an all-time great college pitcher than an exciting pro prospect, but he’s not just a college guy, either – there’s a big league bullpen out there that could surely use a competitor like Price; 6-2, 215 pounds
2011: 12.05 K/9 | 59 IP
2012: 10.09 K/9 | 3.88 BB/9 | 3.30 FIP | 58 IP
North Carolina JR RHP Michael Morin: at his best, he sits 88-92 FB, but can crank it up to 95 in the bullpen; velocity has dropped to upper-80s this spring – could be injury, could be fatigue, could be increased emphasis on establishing two-seamer; bread and butter has been and will always be plus to plus-plus CU, one of college baseball’s best singular pitches; average SL that has improved a great deal since high school; good athlete; despite the loss in velocity, I remain a believer in Morin’s solid middle relief (or better) upside; 6-4, 200 pounds
2011: 9.98 K/9 | 64 IP
2012: 8.46 K/9 | 3.02 BB/9 | 3.81 FIP | 44.2 IP
Clemson JR RHP Kevin Brady: for too long threw a too straight 90-92 FB that touched 94-96, but much improved late life in 2012; good FB command; above-average, but inconsistent 80-83 SL; once flashed plus CB, but ditched pitch for a long stretch before going back to it early in 2012; nondescript CU has gotten better, but is average at best pitch; debate over whether or not he fits best as starter or reliever professionally – health concerns and a lack of a developed third pitch seem to point towards the bullpen, though perhaps the switch comes later rather than sooner; 6-3, 220 pounds
2011: 13.50 K/9 | 23.1 IP
2012: 9.00 K/9 | 3.26 BB/9 | 4.02 FIP | 58 IP
RHP Brady Lail (Bingham HS, Utah): 86-90 FB, 92 peak; good athlete; good 74-77 kCB; very good command, especially on breaking ball; shows CU, but still a raw third pitch; 6-3, 180 pounds
Texas A&M SR RHP Ross Stripling: at his best he has sat 89-94 FB with sink, but most recently has been clocked closer to 86-88, 91-92 peak; plus 74-78 CB that is one of the best of its kind in college ball; average 76-80 CU that he can throw for strikes, but doesn’t get many swings and misses on; CU has been up to 83 on occasion, but is more effective in upper-70s; plus FB command; good athlete; plus control; 6-3, 190 pounds
2011: 8.52 K/9 | 125.2 IP
2012: 8.83 K/9 | 1.22 BB/9 | 3.67 FIP | 103 IP
Tennessee JR RHP Zack Godley: 85-91 FB; good cutter; improved 78-82 CU; good 73-78 CB; shows an occasional SL; one of the many smart, command-oriented, offspeed reliant righthanders found in the draft each year with back of the rotation and/or middle relief upside; 6-3, 235 pounds
2011: 9.84 K/9 in 32 IP
2012: 7.13 K/9 | 2.24 BB/9 | 3.92 FIP | 64.1 IP
North Carolina JR LHP RC Orlan: 88-92 FB; above-average 87 cutter; good, but inconsistent CB; good low-80s SL; stuff isn’t dominant, but Orlan’s value comes in being able to throw any one of his effective offerings in almost any count; limited ceiling prospect, but could settle in nicely as lefty specialist; 6-0, 200 pounds
2011: 12.32 K/9 | 19 IP
2012: 10.65 K/9 | 1.65 BB/9 | 3.37 FIP | 49 IP
Clemson JR RHP Scott Firth: heavy 88-92 FB, 93-95 peak; plus CU; really good CB; solid mid-80s SL that flashes plus, but is consistent; command a major issue; control comes and goes, really hampers his overall effectiveness; good coaching could help him take off as he has the raw stuff to start in pro ball; 6-0, 170 pounds
2011: 7.20 K/9 | 50 IP
2012: 8.65 K/9 | 5.48 BB/9 | 3.91 FIP | 42.2 IP
Tennessee JR RHP Drew Steckenrider: like fellow SEC standout Brian Johnson, Steckenrider is a two-way prospect that I’d rather personally see with a bat; in both cases, however, I understand why the majority prefers to make each young man a pitcher; as a position player, I think his plus raw power, plus arm strength, and average speed (i.e. good enough for outfield corner) could make him a potential starter in time; as a pitcher, he sits low-90s, 93-97 peak in relief; his fastball runs 87-92 as starter; average 79-85 CU; iffy control; lots of untapped upside and a fresh arm; 6-5, 205 pounds
2011: 10.58 K/9 | 32.1 IP
2012: 10.99 K/9 | 5.15 BB/9 | 3.31 FIP | 64.2 IP
Clemson JR RHP Dominic Leone: 88-92 FB, 93-94 peak; good to plus CU; quality CB; clean mechanics; command needs work; has everything on paper to succeed at next level, but was hit around in 2012; 6-0, 200 pounds
2011: 10.42 K/9 | 65.2 IP
2012: 7.45 K/9 | 3.99 BB/9 | 5.05 FIP | 67.2 IP
South Florida rSO RHP Austin Adams: 92-95 FB; flashes plus 85-87 SL, also called hard CB but I’m fairly certain it is a slider – either way, it’s a pro breaking ball when he commands it; one of many from USF staff that could make it as a reliever; 6-2, 190 pounds
2012: 11.74 K/9 | 3.13 BB/9 | 2.89 FIP | 23 IP
South Carolina JR RHP Ethan Carter: sits 88-92, 93 FB peak; good SL with cutter action; really talented arm who has never had the chance to show it at college level; has made mistakes in past, but appears to have straightened himself out enough to get a look; 6-5, 200 pounds
2012: 9.00 K/9 | 1.80 BB/9 | 2.89 FIP | 10 IP
Louisville SR RHP Derek Self: 88-91 FB, 92-94 peak; two above-average secondary pitches in a good CU and good 79-80 SL; big fan of the 87-88 cutter that he’s found great success with this year; 6-3, 210 pounds
2011: 4.16 K/9 | 75.2 IP
2012: 6.26 K/9 | 1.65 BB/9 | 3.53 FIP | 27.1 IP
Miami JR RHP Eric Whaley: 87-91 FB with sink, 92-93 peak; excellent splitter that works as CU; good SL; shows CB; good command; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: 8.39 K/9 | 93.1 IP
2012: 6.27 K/9 | 2.09 BB/9 | 4.04 FIP | 60.1 IP
Miami JR LHP Steven Ewing: 86-90 FB; good CB; relies very heavily on SL; shows CU; 6-2, 225 pounds
2011: 9.93 K/9 | 74.1 IP
2012: 9.34 K/9 | 3.03 BB/9 | 3.26 FIP | 71.1 IP
North Carolina JR RHP Cody Penny: 94 peak FB; potential plus kCB; also has shown CU and SL; has flashed good stuff and been productive when on mound, just hasn’t thrown enough innings to give scouts a real feel for how good he can be; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: 10.69 K/9 | 16 IP
2012: 10.57 K/9 | 3.52 BB/9 | 3.68 FIP | 15.1 IP
South Florida rSO RHP Ray Delphey: 90-93 FB; good SL; 5-10, 200 pounds
2012: 9.77 K/9 | 3.45 BB/9 | 4.02 FIP | 15.2 IP
Texas SR LHP Sam Stafford: missed 2012 season due to shoulder surgery; when healthy, sat 90-93 with FB, peak 94-96; effective breaking ball often identified as 80-82 SL but also called power CB; 83-85 CU; big FB command issues, but velocity and breaking ball kept him an early round prospect; obvious question will be his long-term health prognosis, so no telling where different teams will stack him on their boards, if they include him at all; could make a team look really smart, but could just as easily never pitch effectively again; 6-4, 190 pounds
2011: 10.40 K/9 | 81.1 IP
Utah JR RHP Zach Adams: 89-93 FB, 95-96 peak, but incredibly inconsistent pitch due to fluctuating velocity (sometimes will top out only at 90-91) and command that comes and goes; good but inconsistent 81 SL; arm strength reliever with a lot to answer for after ineffective junior season; 6-4, 205 pounds
2011: 10.80 K/9 | 30 IP
2012: 3.38 K/9 | 5.63 BB/9 | 4.22 FIP | 8 IP
East Carolina JR RHP Jharel Cotton: 88-92 FB, 93-94 peak; CU and SL both flash plus, so there is some starter upside if everything comes together in pro ball; inconsistent command; Miami Dade CC transfer; status as short righthander (5-11, 200 pounds) generates some doubt, but some scouts will argue for Cotton as a bulldog-type who competes every night, citing his victories in his first 8 decisions of 2012
2012: 8.41 K/9 | 2.31 BB/9 | 3.79 FIP | 66.1 IP
North Carolina State rSO RHP Anthony Tzamtzis: strong armed former infielder who was a very good fielder, so his athleticism is top notch; 89-92 FB; 73-77 CB; 84 CU; has really improved throughout course of year as he has devoted himself to pitching; case in point: up to 95 peak late in season while also showing a really strong 82-84 SL; continues to also show mid-70s CB and mid-80s change; fresh arm; repertoire and athleticism make him well-suited for starting; 6-1, 190 pounds
2012: 9.74 K/9 | 4.78 BB/9 | 3.96 FIP | 52.2 IP
Creighton JR LHP Ty Blach: 89-91 FB, 92-94 peak; good CU that has improved in last calendar year; attacks hitters on the inner-half and is a renowned strike thrower; low-80s SL flashes plus; good overall command; has the three pitches to start and above-average velocity from the left side, but lack of draft year domination at the college level is a tad disconcerting; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: 8.91 K/9 | 102 IP
2012: 6.46 K/9 | 2.41 BB/9 | 4.13 FIP | 93.1 IP
USC Sumter JC SO RHP Tyler Smith: 90-93 FB, 95 peak, but gets too straight to fool professional bats; secondary stuff needs work; 6-3, 205 pounds
TCU rJR RHP Kaleb Merck: 88-91, 92 FB peak; once up to 96 with FB in (spring ’10), but arm troubles (Tommy John surgery) have knocked him down to 90-92 at his best; as his arm has bounced back, his command has improved a great deal; overall, really strong command of three-pitch mix; above-average mid-70s CB that gets as high as 80, little bit of a hybrid breaking ball; good CU; Merck’s return to health has been a good story, but his ceiling (middle relief) is somewhat limited unless he recaptures some of his pre-injury heat; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: 11.94 K/9 | 4.67 BB/9 | 2.63 FIP | 17.1 IP
North Carolina State JR RHP Chris Overman: 87-91 FB; plus splitter; good SL; plus command; middle relief possibility; strong summer experiences including outstanding run in Cape Cod League; 6-2, 225 pounds
2011: 8.63 K/9 | 49 IP
2012: 11.20 K/9 | 3.95 BB/9 | 3.24 FIP | 27.1 IP
Florida State JR RHP Robert Benincasa: 89-92 FB, 93 peak; good SL; good splitter used as CU that he learned from Mark Appel; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: 7.16 K/9 | 32.2 IP
2012: 13.65 K/9 | 1.48 BB/9 | 2.38 FIP | 30.1 IP
North Carolina State JR RHP Ethan Ogburn: 88-91 FB; good CB; 6-4, 200 pounds
2011: 7.30 K/9 | 61.2 IP
2012: 8.03 K/9 | 1.94 BB/9 | 3.93 FIP | 65 IP
South Carolina SR LHP Michael Roth: 85-88 FB on his best days; above-average to plus 79-80 CU that he leans on heavily; can mix in occasional SL and 75-77 CB; really good command; just funky and productive enough to have an outside shot as a lefthanded specialist out of the bullpen, but curious whether or not his splits bear this out; 6-1, 210 pounds
2011: 7.32 K/9 | 145 IP
2012: 7.00 K/9 | 2.37 BB/9 | 4.10 FIP | 79.2 IP
South Carolina JR RHP Colby Holmes: remember seeing him upper-80s FB with room for more coming out of high school; slowly up to consistent 88-91 FB by 2011; similar velocity in 2012, but now peaking at 93; good 80-81 CU with sink, comes out of arm clean; average at best 83-85 SL; also shows occasional CB; fairly standard middle relief prospect with the chance he could start in the low minors; 5-11, 200 pounds
2011: 8.54 K/9 | 85.1 IP
2012: 7.96 K/9 | 2.08 BB/9 | 4.90 FIP | 52 IP
North Carolina JR RHP Chris Munnelly: 88-91 FB; above-average CU; good breaking ball; plus command; has enough diversity in stuff to continue starting in pro ball, but disappointing junior year could steer him back to college; 6-2, 190 pounds
2011: 7.81 K/9 | 70.1 IP
2012: 4.66 K/9 | 5.05 BB/9 | 4.22 FIP | 46.1 IP
Miami SR LHP Eric Erickson: 88-90 FB; CB; CU; 6-0, 190 pounds
2012: 7.34 K/9 | 1.07 BB/9 | 3.70 FIP | 76 IP
Houston rSR RHP Jared Ray: 90-92 FB, 93-95 peak; above-average 78-83 SL, flashes plus; have also heard SL at 86, but unconfirmed and, based on the source, somewhat dubious; iffy 81 CU; two strong pitches makes him a potential middle reliever, but he’ll have to move quick (turned 23 this past February); encouraged to see a return to health and effectiveness in 2012, despite high ERA (6.42 as of 5/15/12); 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: 4.74 K/9 | 24.2 IP
2012: 7.74 K/9 | 3.59 BB/9 | 3.00 FIP | 47.2 IP
Wake Forest JR LHP Brian Holmes: pitchability lefthander who leans on 86-88 FB with above-average sink; could have a little more on fastball in future; good CU; shows SL; overall, has a four-pitch mix that he commands well; better college arm than professional prospect, but has put up impressive strikeout totals without hot fastball; 6-3, 205 pounds
2011: 9.13 K/9 | 69 IP
2012: 9.09 K/9 | 5.25 BB/9 | 2.83 FIP | 70.1 IP
North Carolina State JR RHP Ryan Wilkins: 86-91 FB; good splitter; average SL; junior college transfer who did a nice job in first year with NC State; 6-2, 220 pounds
2012: 9.35 K/9 | 3.12 BB/9 | 3.96 FIP | 34.2 IP
Florida State SR RHP Hunter Scantling: 87-90 FB, 91 peak; emerging SL that is still too inconsistent an offering; average CU; good athlete for his size; speaking of his size, Scantling’s physical stature has long been enticing for scouts who have waited for his talent to catch up – at this point in his development, I think it is fairly safe to say that what you see is what you get with Scantling; 6-8, 270 pounds
2011: 7.82 K/9 | 58.2 IP
2012: 7.52 K/9 | 2.43 BB/9 | 4.89 FIP | 40.2 IP
South Florida rSR RHP Derrick Stultz: 93-94 peak FB; 6-3, 190 pounds
2012: 6.36 K/9 | 2.52 BB/9 | 4.92 FIP | 75 IP
Miami JR RHP Eric Nedeljkovic: good sinking FB, 92 peak; good SL; 6-0, 175 pounds
2012: 7.08 K/9 | 2.66 BB/9 | 3.16 FIP | 20.1 IP
Texas Tech rJR LHP Rusty Shellhorn: 87-91 FB; good 71-72 CB; shows 80 CU; good overall command of all three pitches; unconventional frame (5-9, 185 pounds) to go with unconventional name, but decent enough numbers (below) to potentially warrant some lefthanded relief attention
2012: 8.18 K/9 | 2.29 BB/9 | 4.74 FIP | 55 IP
South Carolina JR LHP Tyler Webb: 87-90 FB, 92 peak; improving CU; 6-6, 225 pounds
2011: 7.50 K/9 | 36 IP
2012: 9.34 K/9 | 2.02 BB/9 | 3.10 FIP | 35.2 IP
South Carolina JR LHP Nolan Belcher: 87-91 FB; average 74 CB; missed 2011 season with torn UCL; on the smaller side at 5-8, 155 pounds
2012: 10.59 K/9 | 3.76 BB/9 | 5.27 FIP | 26.1 IP
San Diego State JR RHP Travis Pitcher: 87-90 FB; knows how to pitch; good overall command of three-pitch mix; name is a tad too on the nose for a true 80 grade, but it is a good one; 6-4, 200 pounds
2012: 7.90 K/9 | 6.61 BB/9 | 3.32 FIP | 49 IP
Wake Forest rJR RHP Daniel Marrs: at his best has sat 92-94 FB, peaked at 97, but injuries have left his velocity all over the place; good splitter that works as CU; solid two-seam action; shows SL; still on the long road back as he recovers from labrum surgery – has pitched just over 20 innings in last two seasons; when I saw him in high school he reminded me of Jarred Cosart; major control issues; uncertain health status makes his draft day pretty simple: if a team likes his medicals, he’ll be drafted; 6-3, 215 pounds
2011: 4.30 K/9 | 14.2 IP
2012: 7.94 K/9 | 6.35 BB/9 | 2.83 FIP | 5.2 IP
Wake Forest JR RHP Justin Van Grouw: 92 peak; plus SL; ugly year-to-year ERAs, but size and two above-average pitches could get him drafted; 6-7, 225 pounds
2011: 6.10 K/9 | 41.1 IP
2012: 6.63 K/9 | 2.68 BB/9 | 3.17 FIP | 57 IP
Wake Forest SR RHP Michael Dimock: 90-91 FB; near plus SL; shows occasional average CU; wish he threw a little bit harder because his slider is a legit big league pitch; reminds me a little bit of former Virginia reliever and current Reds farmhand Kevin Arico; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: 9.85 K/9 in 53 IP
2012: 8.60 K/9 | 3.82 BB/9 | 2.84 FIP | 37.2 IP
Louisville SR RHP Travis Tingle: 88-92 FB; 6-5, 210 pounds
2011: 7.60 K/9 | 45 IP
2012: 7.58 K/9 | 2.53 BB/9 | 4.12 FIP | 57 IP
Louisville SO RHP Chad Green: 88-92 FB; 6-4, 215 pounds
2011: 5.14 K/9 | 42 IP
2012: 9.16 K/9 | 4.34 BB/9 | 3.92 FIP | 37.1 IP
Wake Forest JR LHP Niko Spezial: low-90s peak; iffy command; hasn’t lived up to expectations in three years so far, but lefties with velocity often get recognized; 6-3, 230 pounds
2011: 5.93 K/9 in 30.1 IP
2012: 5.91 K/9 | 5.48 BB/9 | 3.56 FIP | 21.1 IP
Clemson SR RHP David Haselden: hard to square up on his FB; plus CU that he uses a ton; 6-4, 240 pounds
2011: 6.10 K/9 | 76.2 IP
2012: 6.81 K/9 | 2.58 BB/9 | 4.12 FIP | 38.1 IP
Clemson rSO RHP Mike Kent: 91 peak FB; CB with above-average potential; 78-80 SL with above-average potential; appreciate a young pitcher who can throw two breaking balls, but pro ball doesn’t often look too kindly on short righthanders with short fastballs; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: 5.20 K/9 | 1.73 BB/9 | 4.40 FIP | 36.1 IP
Tennessee JR RHP Nicholas Blount: low-90s FB; CU; good SL; kicked off team in late April 2012 – you need to be really talented to overcome certain off-the-field trouble, and I’m not quite sure Blount, an unquestionably solid arm, quite qualifies; 6-6, 210 pounds
2011: 4.15 K/9 in 47.2 IP
2012: 5.04 K/9 | 1.81 BB/9 | 4.46 FIP | 44.2 IP
South Carolina JR LHP Adam Westmoreland: 88-91 FB, had been 92-93 pre-injury; good CB; emerging CU; Tommy John survivor; very large human at 6-5, 265 pounds
2011: 7.08 K/9 | 34.1 IP
2012: 6.14 K/9 | 1.64 BB/9 | 4.36 FIP | 22 IP
Clemson rJR LHP Joseph Moorefield: throws hard (low-90s FB), but hasn’t pitched enough; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: 5.87 K/9 | 15.1 IP
2012: 13.50 K/9 | 2.70 BB/9 | 4.44 FIP | 6.2 IP
Louisville JR RHP Andy Flett: 91-93 FB; good command; sharp mid-70s CB; CU; has only pitched 2.2 innings in 2012; 6-7, 220 pounds
2011: 6.45 K/9 | 22.1 IP
Clemson JR RHP Jonathan Meyer: FB with good sink; inconsistent SL, but really good when on; long shot who is likely to return to Clemson for one last shot; 6-1, 175 pounds
2011: 8.87 K/9 | 68 IP
2012: 5.87 K/9 | 2.35 BB/9 | 4.35 FIP | 53.2 IP
Florida State SR LHP Brian Busch: average CB; good command; deception in delivery; control issues in 2012 aren’t a good sign for a pitcher with no margin for error; 6-2, 240 pounds
2011: 6.71 K/9 | 63 IP
2012: 7.99 K/9 | 6.08 BB/9 | 3.74 FIP | 23.2 IP
South Carolina SR LHP Logan Munson: 90-92 FB; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: 9.45 K/9 | 2.70 BB/9 | 4.44 FIP | 6.2 IP
Florida State SR RHP Mack Waugh: well-traveled older prospect (already 24) who has overcome multiple arm injuries; upper-80s FB; CB; CU; 6-2, 185 pounds
2011: 7.55 K/9 | 39.1 IP
2012: 7.20 K/9 | 3.60 BB/9 | 3.35 FIP | 25 IP
North Carolina State rSR RHP Gary Gillheeney: low-90s FB back in high school helped get him drafted; arrived on campus with considerable hype; in five years at NC State, has only throw 1.2 total innings; almost certainly not healthy enough to continue playing, but worth a spot here at the end in recognition of his natural gifts and the perseverance he has shown battling back over the years; 6-5, 230 pounds
Stats updated: 5/2/12
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
Georgia Southern JR OF Victor Roache: raw, but talented; plus athlete; plus raw power; a hair over average speed; average arm; willing to wait for his pitch and drive it; has had his swing doubted at every level, but has hit everywhere he’s been; much will be known about Roache’s medicals based on his draft position as his broken wrist is a concern going forward – if he goes on the first day, as expected, we can assume everything checked out more or less fine, but if he falls then the question about his long-term prognosis will be out there; his final position on this board is subject to change pending any news on his health, but Roache’s impact bat is one of the draft’s most overscrutinized and thus, in my opinion, underrated bright spots; 6-1, 225 pounds
2011: .309/.426/.743 – 38 BB/41 K – 230 AB
2012: .412/.600/.765 – 7 BB/1 K – 17 AB – 0/0 SB
Walters State (TN) CC SO OF Marcus Davis: from elite high school recruit to a stretch of injuries and ineffectiveness to finally putting up outstanding numbers in 2012; great approach to hitting, very smart ballplayer; below-average arm; plus runner; change in swing mechanics have helped unlock power; not a great defender, so likely limited to LF or even 1B as a professional; comparable to Adam Brett Walker in a lot of ways; 6-2, 215 pounds
2012: .440/.514/.766 – 31 BB – 218 AB – 14/16 SB
Florida State SR OF James Ramsey: you’ll read lots of averages in his reports, which might not excite many, but those are actually a testament to the hard work he has put in since arriving on campus – Ramsey has come as far as any college player that I can remember in recent memory; above-average hit tool; average at best defender; average range; average at best speed; average arm; average power; was always considered a LF only professionally, but his range has improved a great deal in 2012 – can now play a decent enough CF to play there in a pinch; gets good jumps despite not having blazing speed; there were some rumors that he could be tried at 2B professionally, but I’m not sure the team that drafts him will want to mess with his bat that way; he now uses the whole field so much better than when I last saw him (100% pull-heavy) that he looks like a new player; still unsure of his pro ceiling, but I think his bat is good enough to find him a role in some capacity; 6-0, 200 pounds
2011: .372/453/.600 – 33 BB/49 K – 250 AB
2012: .388/.531/.712 – 47 BB/29 K – 170 AB – 7/11 SB
Chipola (FL) JC SO OF Andrew Toles: plus speed; plus arm; plus range in CF; kicked off team at Tennessee, but has rebounded nicely both on and off the field at junior college; easy player to like because his path to the big leagues is clear – he’s a defensive dynamo who can really run with enough pop to help keep his on-base abilities evolving over time; the popular comp (Michael Bourn) seems like a really fitting one; 5-10, 185 pounds
2011 (at Tennessee): .260/.286/.353 – 4 BB/22 K – 204 AB
2012: .367/.430/.554 – 18 BB – 166 AB – 29/36 SB
Rice rJR OF Jeremy Rathjen: above-average speed, power, and arm all give him the look and feel of a starting big league RF if he puts it all together; had reputation of being too aggressive at plate — mostly from being too jumpy early in counts, swinging at pitchers’ pitches — but has worked hard at Rice to hone his plate discipline; good defensive feel; coming off ACL injury, but you wouldn’t know it from breakout season; have heard comps to fellow native Texans Hunter Pence and Brad Hawpe; in a lean year for college bats, Rathjen stands out as one of the few potential starting-caliber players with All-Star upside; 6-5, 200 pounds
2011: .311/.368/.443 – 6 BB/8 K – 61 AB
2012: .349/.449/.570 – 31 BB/18 K – 186 AB – 6/7 SB
Texas JR OF Jonathan Walsh: advanced approach; strong arm; above-average power; big league bat speed; profiles as type of player with the chance to be a better pro hitter than he showed in college – raw physical tools have outpaced his production thus far; outside chance he’ll be announced at catcher, his high school position, on draft day – if that’s the case, expect said announcement to have come way before than many national outlets are currently predicting; from 2009: tremendous athlete with questionable defense behind the plate who is a prime candidate for a position switch; best speed in the catching class; advanced bat with ML-approach should and raw power wins him a place in my heart; I’ve heard a Jayson Werth comp that is just crazy enough for me to buy Walsh as a worthwhile high round draft pick; Texas commit; 6-3, 220 pounds
2011: .280/.375/.429 – 26 BB/34 K – 189 AB
2012: .328/.386/.527 – 17 BB/27 K – 186 AB – 11/11 SB
Jacksonville JR OF Adam Brett Walker: plus power upside; popular John Mayberry Jr. comps, especially in terms of frame makes a lot of sense; I’ll take the minority view and state that I think he has the chops to be an average RF as pro, but acknowledge that he could be very good defensively at 1B; average at best speed, but not for long as his body fills out; swing isn’t as long as you’d think and he’s a more refined ballplayer than often given credit; average hit tool; average at best arm; I think Walker gets an unfair reputation as a hulking all or nothing slugger who will have to hit 30+ homers to have any kind of long-term value; with a score of 45s/50s across the board, Walker’s game is relatively well-rounded – though, of course, it is still his power that will make him a potential big league regular or not; 6-5, 225 pounds;
2011: .401/.481/.661 – 36 BB/61 K – 242 AB
2012: .348/.432/.586 – 30 BB/46 K – 210 AB – 19/20 SB
Georgia Tech JR OF Brandon Thomas: above-average to plus speed; power upside largely untapped; really great athlete – if there’s one thing about his game that stands out, it is his athleticism; average hit tool with average power upside; good CF range; good enough arm, but far from special – not strong, but accurate; perfect world ceiling that a scout threw out: Andre Ethier; I think of him as a slightly lesser version of Barrett Barnes; 6-3, 205 pounds
2011: .322/.434/.449 – 38 BB/40 K – 205 AB
2012: .360/.481/.548 – 32 BB/38 K – 186 AB – 13/18 SB
Howard JC (TX) SO OF Dexter Kjerstad: plus speed; good raw power; transfer from Texas; lots of untapped talent – has begun to flash tools more consistently to the point where he’s a certifiable draft sleeper; 6-1, 210 pounds
2012: .329/.426/.659 – 10 BB – 85 AB – 10/11 SB
Vanderbilt JR OF Connor Harrell: one of few college prospects in class with real five-tool potential, but has never been able to put it all together as amateur; really good defender in corner; also capable of playing an average CF; strong arm; above-average raw power; plus speed; big question for me remains approach at plate – not too many players are talented enough to get away with his kind of BB/K numbers; 6-3, 215 pounds
2011: .299/.367/.513 – 15 BB/43 K – 197 AB
2012: .265/.388/.477 – 17 BB/38 K – 132 AB – 3/4 SB
Kentucky JR OF Brian Adams: plus-plus runner; plus athlete, arguably the best in this entire class; plus raw power; average arm; has the elite-level tools of a blue chip prep prospect, but the lack of attention paid to his baseball career (he’s a former football guy) puts him way behind where he should be developmentally; so much is talked about the scouting side of prospecting baseball talent, but Adams success or failure as a pro will be determined by the player development staff of whatever team takes the chance on him; circumstances and, let’s be frank, luck play a huge part in the outcome of any player subject to the draft – if it’s the right team with the right staff that selects him then he could really take off, but if it isn’t a good fit then we’ll look back and wonder what might have been; 6-4, 220 pounds
2011: .288/.373/.416 – 11 BB/40 K – 125 AB
2012: .227/.277/.341 – 3 BB/17 K – 44 AB – 1/2 SB
Gonzaga SR OF Royce Bolinger: plus professional RF-ready arm; above-average defender; average speed that gets pretty good when underway; big raw power with a swing that allows him to use it; arm is strong enough (95 peak off mound) that he could be tried on mound down the line; good athlete; has struggled to hit over the years, but big senior season has some thinking something has finally clicked at the plate; others put less stock in 200 senior at bats – I’d defer to area scouts on him, and would be happy to take him earlier than current industry consensus if the local guys fought for him; great instincts in outfield, can play CF in a pinch despite lack of prototypical CF foot speed – this gives him added value as potential power hitting fourth outfielder/platoon bat; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: .293/.317/.408 – 8 BB/31 K – 191 AB
2012: .417/.471/.652 – 18 BB/19 K – 204 AB – 3/5 SB
College of Charleston SR OF Marty Gantt: gap power with the wheels (above-average to plus speed) to leg out extra base hits; strong arm that profiles in any outfield spot; good, instinctual defender who isn’t afraid to get dirty chasing down fly balls; five words sum him up best: just knows how to hit; some guys have a knack for consistently barreling up – Gantt hits like he was born to do it; the splash of cold water comes when remembering that he’s an experienced college senior and a bit of a tweener from an offensive standpoint, but there’s no reason he can’t at least make it as a high level backup/platoon bat if he gets a few breaks along the way; 6-1, 180 pounds
2011: .333/.474/.511 – 56 BB/38 K – 237 AB
2012: .373/.484/.632 – 38 BB/30 K – 201 AB – 25/32 SB
Central Florida JR OF Ronnie Richardson: plus athlete; plus arm; plus runner; potential for some sneaky pop – he’s got really quick wrists and uses his lower body better than most; plus defensive tools in CF; generally viewed as a really good college player with little chance to amount to much professionally due to lack of physicality (he’s 5-6, 170 pounds), questionable swing mechanics, and, in turn, a hit tool that leaves most unimpressed, but, I don’t care – I’ve loved Richardson since he stepped on campus and will continue to tout him as a potential big leaguer who can run, defend, throw, and, thanks to a smaller than normal strike zone, really get on base
2011: .329/.456/.439 – 37 BB/42 K – 237 AB
2012: .299/.470/.508 – 36 BB/20 K – 187 AB – 21/28 SB
Virginia JR OF Reed Gragnani: good present gap power, could start knocking some over the fence in time; intriguing tools across the board, but hasn’t really been on the field enough to make the kind of impact many, myself included, thought he’d make on the college game; can also moonlight as a capable infielder – depending on how highly teams view his bat, it wouldn’t shock me to see a team move him back to either SS, 2B, or 3B; haven’t heard any indication one way or another about which way he is leaning heading into the draft, but Gragnani strikes me as the kind of player who could either really take off in pro ball or increase his draft stock by leaps and bounds with a huge, healthy senior season; 6-0, 175 pounds
2011: .287/.406/.353 – 20 BB/14 K – 136 AB
2012: .391/.447/.420 – 2 BB/10 K – 69 AB – 0/1 SB
Salt Lake (UT) CC SO OF Braden Anderson: plus-plus speed; strong arm; CF range; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .394/.492/.631 – 27 BB – 160 AB – 23/26 SB
Jacksonville JR OF Dan Gulbransen: good bat speed; fantastic approach to hitting – watching him work deep counts, spit on pitchers’ strikes, and driving his pitch to the gap is a lot of fun; approach remains consistent with each at bat, no matter the situation; playable range in CF, but average speed, arm, and power upside makes him a bit of a tweener on the whole; I like Gulbransen more than most – he’s a high floor, fourth outfielder-type with the chance for more; 5-11, 205 pounds
2011: .361/.486/.533 – 51 BB/21 K – 227 AB
2012: .324/.416/.478 – 30 BB/21 K – 207 AB – 5/8 SB
Hawaii JR OF Breland Almadova: true plus (70) speed; very good defensive tools (range, athleticism, instincts), definite CF range; have heard conflicting reports on arm, ranging from “weak” to “arm is an asset” – looked strong and accurate to me, and it has more fans than detractors from what I’ve heard; enough power to gaps to keep pitchers honest; great athlete with the ceiling of a leadoff hitting centerfielder and the more likely floor of reserve outfielder who can run and catch; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .356/.451/.492 – 31 BB/42 K – 191 AB
2012: .310/.422/.411 – 27 BB/34 K – 158 AB – 9/13 SB
Vanderbilt JR OF Michael Yastrzemski: reminds me of opposite version of college teammate Connor Harrell; well-rounded set of tools, but nothing that stands out as plus; good defender in all three outfield spots; above-average speed; nice lefthanded swing that is built for line drives, not much loft or extension keeps him from hitting for big power; strong, accurate arm; uses whole field well as hitter; the type of player who grows on you with time; 5-11, 175 pounds
2011: .304/.433/.387 – 45 BB/41 K – 230 AB
2012: .291/.404/.411 – 24 BB/24 K – 175 AB – 5/7 SB
College of Charleston rSO OF Daniel Aldrich: good to plus raw power who puts together some monumental BPs and carries some, though not all, of it over to game action; his ultra-aggressive approach is what could be his undoing – the savvier pitchers in pro ball, armed with more detailed scouting reports, will know how to exploit the holes in his swing; poor arm keeps him stuck in LF; as a LF only, he’ll have to mash like he has a college guy in the pros to survive; with his raw power he’ll have a chance, especially if he makes the right swing adjustments and works to improve his two-strike approach; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: .351/.403/.743 – 18 BB/58 K – 222 AB
2012: .301/.394/.596 – 26 BB/47 K – 183 AB – 3/4 SB
Coastal Carolina SR OF Daniel Bowman: impressive plus raw power; strong enough arm for RF; decent speed; previously too much of a hacker with far too many empty swings, but toned down his aggression in a positive way this year; has a reputation, fair or not, as mistake hitter; carrying tool is his power upside which, if nothing else, gives him the edge over a fair number of mid-round college position players looking for work; 6-1, 210 pounds
2011: .281/.343/.512 – 18 BB/42 K – 242 AB
2012: .395/.479/.580 – 25 BB/27 K – 200 AB – 12/15 SB
Florida State JC at Jacksonville SO OF Terrell Joyce: good speed; can be too aggressive on both base paths and at plate; super raw; considered signable within first ten rounds – after that, his commitment to Virginia Tech will come into play; can also play infield corners, though unsure how well he defends at third; 6-3, 225 pounds
2012: .436/.503/.725 – 23 BB – 149 AB – 8/11 SB
Hawaii SR OF Collin Bennett: strong history with wood; good athlete; average at best in CF, above-average in corner; above-average arm, enough for RF; patient approach at plate, will wait for something to drive; defensive versatility could get him drafted, as he can also play a decent 3B; 6-1, 205 pounds
2011: .354/.424/.429 – 17 BB/29 K – 161 AB
2012: .381/.489/.456 – 24 BB/24 K – 147 AB – 4/8 SB
Santa Fe (FL) CC SO OF Trey Griffin: above-average speed; great athlete; still believe the bat will come on, but gets less likely with each passing year; like Stewart Ijames, Griffin has been a long-time favorite whom I’ve always looked at as a potential regular big league player – his progress has stagnated, so we’re left wondering what might have been if he had given pro ball an earlier shot; 6-3, 210 pounds
2012: .311/.413/.473 – 15 BB/27 K – 167 AB – 10/14 SB
Santa Fe (FL) CC FR OF Mallex Smith: plus-plus speed; interesting pop, but needs to put on some muscle; good approach, but could stand to be more patient and take on his role as a potential leadoff hitter; raw, but talented; 5-10, 175 pounds
2012: .380/.466/.540 – 16 BB/30 K – 163 AB – 31/37 SB
Salt Lake (UT) CC SO OF Dominque Taylor: plus speed; some power upside; average at best arm; very raw bat, but intrigued by hit tool; CF range; 6-0, 190 pounds
2012: .335/.413/.466 – 12 BB – 161 AB – 27/30 SB
James Madison rSO OF Johnny Bladel: ranked 17th on my pre-season list – that might just go down as a miss on my end; above-average to plus speed; gap power; great approach; good defensive CF; plus arm; will have to answer for his suspension from the team, but by all accounts the incident was more youthful indiscretion than long-term concern; status as redshirt-sophomore combined with down season will make him a tough sign, but I still believe in him and will be first in line pumping him up on a 2013 draft list if it comes to it; 6-0, 175 pounds
2011: .336/.460/.493 – 42 BB/47 K – 211 AB
2012: .263/.432/.326 – 26 BB/19 K – 95 AB – 7/9 SB
Georgia Tech SO OF Kyle Wren: plus-plus speed; good CF range; ideal leadoff approach; needs to put on some weight and start driving some balls to keep pitchers honest in pro ball; considered a difficult sign, so wouldn’t be a surprise to see him drop and then return to Georgia Tech for another season; 5-10, 165 pounds
2011: .355/.429/.464 – 32 BB/30 K – 265 AB
2012: .272/.370/.386 – 33 BB/24 K – 228 AB – 17/23 SB
Virginia Tech rJR OF Andrew Rash: plus to plus-plus righthanded power, some of the best of its kind in this year’s college class; for all that power and his excellent bat speed, the results have fallen off in a big way after his breakout redshirt-sophomore season; above-average arm; average speed and good instincts help him get by in CF, but profiles best in RF at next level; power will be his carrying tool, so if a team believes that he’ll enough long balls to make up for the overall deficiencies in his offensive game then I think he’ll go high enough to sign; 6-0, 200 pounds
2011: .330/.414/.696 – 19 BB/49 K – 191 AB
2012: .267/.330/.444 – 9 BB/38 K – 187 AB – 7/9 SB
South Carolina SR OF Adam Matthews: plus speed; great athlete; good defender; good bat speed; shows big raw power during BP, but hasn’t come together during games; strong arm; super raw for a college product; more tools than production still, but could be late bloomer; 6-2, 210 pounds
2011: .264/.372/.391 – 17 BB/21 K – 110 AB
2012: .219/.306/.311 – 17 BB/34 K – 151 AB – 2/4 SB
Azusa Pacific (CA) SR OF Brent Warren: plus runner; good range in CF; above-average power potential, but the process of going from upside to reality has been more drawn out than you’d like to see; good athlete; high profile recruit and Oregon State transfer; even as a four-year college player Warren has untapped potential to his game – he can run, defend, and there’s still enough power yet to be unearthed to make him an interesting upside play; 6-3, 180 pounds
2012: .339/.411/.551 – 25 BB/44 K – 245 AB – 9/12 SB
Dallas Baptist rJR OF Boomer Collins: good RF arm; average speed, but good instincts helps it play up; average power upside; well-rounded backup outfielder type; Nebraska transfer; 5-11, 200 pounds
2012: .305/.419/.542 – 37 BB/43 K – 203 AB – 15/18 SB
Riverside CC (CA) FR OF Ryan Garvey: average speed; average arm, probably enough for RF; above-average power upside; strong hit tool; may or may not have the athleticism long-term to stay in outfield, but has experience at first; originally enrolled at USC, but wound up having disappointing year at junior college instead; believed to be much more signable this year; 6-0, 190 pounds
2012: .266/.325/.367 – 8 BB/23 K – 139 AB – 4/5 SB
Colorado Mesa SR OF Jeff Popick: good raw power, still largely untapped; good approach; average arm; average speed; 6-4, 200 pounds
2012: .424/.524/.663 – 31 BB/16 K – 184 AB – 8/11 SB
Florida International JR OF Jabari Henry: good arm capable of holding it down in RF; average speed; enough range for CF, but might be best in corner; big raw power, but a long way away from tapping in; 6-1, 200 pounds;
2011: .246/.390/.482 – 43 BB/61 K – 195 AB
2012: .301/.423/.566 – 35 BB/48 K – 173 AB – 4/6 SB
Virginia Tech rSO OF Tyler Horan: intriguing power upside; can get too aggressive at plate, for better or worse; good athlete; average speed; good in a corner; plus throwing arm; 6-2, 225 pounds
2011: .396/.434/.771 – 2 BB/11 K – 48 AB
2012: .277/.398/.580 – 28 BB/44 K – 188 AB – 7/9 SB
East Tennessee State SR OF Matthew Scruggs: quick bat; good athlete; swings from heels, but with power lacking in college class could get a look late – too many empty swings for me personally; have heard it argued that he is not just a bat (solid defender in corner) though it is still clear what tool will make or break him; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .266/.356/.450 – 24 BB/62 K – 218 AB
2012: .244/.332/.549 – 21 BB/64 K – 193 AB – 8/10 SB
Duke SR OF Will Piwnica-Worms: good arm; gap power; good defender in corner; good speed; no carrying tool, but well-rounded overall; inability to play solid enough CF — he’s not bad there, but couldn’t do it full-time — may keep him from fulfilling backup outfielder upside; Piwnica-Worms has some pretty serious fans who strongly believe that he is a future big league player – as of now, I think they are seeing something I’m not, but the strong, persistent love for him out from the people who have seen him every weekend is something to keep in the back of your mind; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .274/.342/.401 – 13 BB/39 K – 197 AB
2012: .312/.431/.538 – 25 BB/27 K – 173 AB – 4/6 SB
Florida International SR OF Pablo Bermudez: could play CF as pro, but iffy arm might keep him in LF; very raw for a college senior; power/speed combo with speed developed but power not yet full realized; can get too aggressive at times; inside-out swing limits his power ceiling – good pro coaching could go a long way; 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .382/.497/.532 – 52 BB/48 K – 233 AB
2012: .310/.418/.433 – 37 BB/49 K – 203 AB – 12/18 SB
Middle Tennessee State SR OF Justin Guidry: plus speed; gap power; quick bat; strong arm; plus CU as a lefthanded pitcher (6.07 K/9 in 26.2 IP in 2011), but didn’t see any time on the mound in 2012;
2011: .332/.380/.453 – 12 BB/27 K – 232 AB
2012: .358/.418/.480 – 18 BB/21 K – 229 AB – 11/14 SB
Florida International JR OF Nathan Burns: good athlete; plus arm; plus speed; too many swings and misses, but has the size, athleticism, and defensive tools to intrigue; 6-4, 200 pounds
2012: .304/.405/.493 – 36 BB/47 K – 207 AB – 9/13 SB
Santa Fe (FL) CC SO OF Drew Doty: 5-10, 175 pounds
2012: .365/.447/.500 – 18 BB/9 K – 148 AB – 13/14 SB
Central Florida JR OF Jeramy Matos: some of the best, and most underrated, raw power in college class; average hit tool with a swing that works for him; very strong; has improved flexibility and athleticism since high school days; raw, under the radar talent, but enough power to get a look; 6-2, 210 pounds
2012: .301/.389/.530 – 10 BB/33 K – 83 AB – 5/6 SB
UNLV JR OF Brandon Bayardi: good power upside; LF only; 6-2, 210 pounds
2011: .282/.394/.515 – 22 BB/47 K – 163 AB
2012: .328/.437/.514 – 28 BB/34 K – 183 AB – 9/12 SB
Texas State SR OF Jeff McVaney: average hit tool that some like a touch more, but that’s the high point of his game; power slightly below-average; average arm not quite as strong as you’d think coming from a decent pitching prospect; solid defender in corner, but stretched in CF; no true carrying tool, but could turn him in as solid org guy who could hang on just long enough to get a chance; 6-2, 210 pounds
2011: .307/.420/.471 – 35 BB/36 K – 238 AB
2012: .299/.358/.495 – 13 BB/34 K – 194 AB – 13/16 SB
Rice SR OF Michael Fuda: good gap power; plus speed that questionable base running instincts somewhat negate; good, versatile defender; strong arm; great athlete; plus OF range; has all of the non-hit tools you like to see, but doesn’t profile as a high-average guy and his approach at the plate is far below acceptable levels; 6-0, 190 pounds
2011: .261/.348/.304 – 19 BB/37 K – 161 AB
2012: .310/.341/.481 – 9 BB/49 K – 210 AB – 7/9 SB
St. Cloud State JR OF Brian Hansen: plus range in CF; good arm; little power upside, but can put it in the gaps when ahead in the count; good hit tool; 6-3, 200 pounds
2012: .344/.449/.591 – 33 BB/27 K – 215 AB – 11/13 SB
Charlotte rSR OF Shane Brown: leadoff hitter profile – strong approach, high contact skills, and great strike zone judgment; plus speed; 5-11, 160 pounds
2011: .299/.448/.358 – 16 BB/9 K – 67 AB
2012: .365/.445/.432 – 25 BB/12 K – 192 AB – 31/33 SB
Wichita State rSO OF Micah Green: good athlete; plus speed; plus raw power; super duper raw across the board, but has the tools to get noticed; lack of playing time made scouting him difficult this spring, so another year of college might be best for all involved; 6-2, 215 pounds
2011: .241/.311/.317 – 12 BB/34 K – 145 AB
2012: .315/.361/.449 – 4 BB/21 K – 89 AB – 4/5 SB
Gonzaga JR OF Billy Moon: great athlete with speed and instincts to show CF range; like teammate Royce Bolinger, has the plus arm strength to potentially be tried on mound professionally (2012 stats: 5.92 K/9 | 0.95 BB/9 | 4.54 FIP | 38 IP); thought his sophomore season was a precursor to a breakout junior year, but things haven’t gone according to plan at plate; likely will head into 2013 as one of those senior signs with subpar college production that has way more tools than you’d expect; 5-10, 185 pounds
2011: .358/.410/.492 – 14 BB/22 K – 193 AB
2012: .234/.280/.299 – 8 BB/20 K – 107 AB – 2/3 SB
Morehead State SR OF Andrew Deeds: good athlete; strong arm; good speed; has made steady progress as hitter to the point where he is now a definite maybe on draft day; experience at third base could make him more attractive
2011: .283/.371/.473 – 19 BB/26 K – 184 AB
2012: .323/.393/.483 – 15 BB/16 K – 201 AB – 13/21 SB
North Carolina State JR OF Tarran Senay: plus raw power; iffy arm; below-average speed, but an underrated athlete and defender; still probably locked in as a professional LF; looked his best during his freshman year, but hasn’t been able to recapture that form since – any team considering drafting him will be banking on the talent he flashed earlier in his career; 6-0, 220 pounds
2011: .271/.401/.388 – 26 BB/38 K – 129 AB
2012: .224/.315/.417 – 18 BB/41 K – 156 AB – 1/2 SB
Jacksonville State SR OF Kyle Bluestein: good speed; picks his spots on bases well; plus arm, more than enough for RF; good range in corner; interesting power upside that scouts believe they haven’t really seen in game action yet, at least not with any consistency; still has too much swing and miss in his offensive game, but better tools than your typical late-round senior sign; 6-3, 205 pounds
2011: .333/.400/.597 – 17 BB/42 K – 159 AB
2012: .314/.386/.498 – 18 BB/47 K – 207 AB – 7/7 SB
Louisville SR OF Stewart Ijames: I always look back on guys like Mike Trout and Christian Yelich as some of my biggest draft misses, but of the guys I really advocated for who haven’t panned out the poster boy is probably Ijames; I’ll stubbornly stand by his bat speed and power upside, but admit defeat when it comes to his plate discipline, which has declined since his eye-opening redshirt-sophomore season; decent speed; strong arm; 6-1, 215 pounds
2011: .247/.327/.454 – 24 BB/45 K – 227 AB
2012: .261/.354/.486 – 30 BB/40 K – 218 AB – 6/8 SB
Orange Coast CC (CA) FR OF Boog Powell: patient, high-contact approach well-suited for leadoff role; plus speed; plus CF range; above-average arm; 5-11, 170 pounds
2012: .398/.432/.435 – 11 BB/10 K – 191 AB – 8/14 SB
Arkansas JR OF Matt Vinson: five-tool ceiling, but maddeningly inconsistent across board; plate discipline in 2012 was strangely a bright spot; big raw power; good defender; strong arm; has the physical gifts to go a long way in professional baseball, but his well below-average college track record may keep him from getting a shot just yet; some rawness was expected, but not so much that he’d be unable to hit his weight; 6-2, 210 pounds
2011: .221/.310/.390 – 10 BB/27 K – 77 AB
2012: .205/.382/.282 – 23 BB/23 K – 78 AB – 1/4 SB
South Alabama JR OF Nolan Earley: gap power that has increased with added bulk; above-average speed; above-average arm; good range in corner, can handle CF when he has to; no standout tool, but well-rounded skill set could make him valuable backup in time; 6-0, 190 pounds
2011: .312/.403/.434 – 28 BB/22 K – 221 AB
2012: .310/.410/.463 – 31 BB/30 K – 203 AB – 5/8 SB
Arkansas State JR OF Michael Faulkner: plus speed helps him excel in CF (plus range) and on the base paths; weak arm; little power upside; 5-11, 160 pounds
2011: .322/.400/.401 – 31 BB/22 K – 227 AB
2012: .295/.369/.343 – 24 BB/19 K – 207 AB – 38/39 SB
Campbell SR OF Jim Brennaman: leadoff profile; great approach; one of three outfielders in Campbell lineup with above-average or better CF range and speed; I began the year liking Brennaman the least of the three, but his continued discipline at the plate, speed, and defense make him a viable late-round senior sign fifth outfielder/pinch runner/defensive replacement type
2011: .316/.488/.449 – 24 BB/30 K – 158 AB
2012: .271/.448/.399 – 37 BB/36 K – 188 AB – 28/30 AB
North Carolina JR OF Chaz Frank: above-average speed; line drive swing; leadoff profile; could be very good defender once he improves jumps – have heard he’s not quite strong enough to handle CF defensively; strong arm; good approach; strong hit tool; limited power; LF only in pros, but a solid one; I’d bet on a return to Chapel Hill in 2013, but that’s only on an educated hunch; 5-10, 160 pounds
2011: .296/.431/.370 – 46 BB/30 K – 230 AB
2012: .284/.420/.383 – 40 BB/28 K – 201 AB – 14/18 SB
South Florida rJR OF Alex Mendez: plus speed, but still figuring out how best to use it; above-average bat speed; easy CF range; strong arm – threw 90-93 as lefty in HS; Tommy John survivor; had major offers coming out of high school, so there’s not much questioning his physical gifts; 5-7, 175 pounds
2011: .298/.343/.383 – 6 BB/13 K – 94 AB
2012: .289/.393/.378 – 23 BB/27 K – 201 AB – 6/9 SB
Bethune-Cookman JR OF David Lee: above-average raw power; strong arm; enough range for CF; too many swings and misses; has rebounded from ugly sophomore year to put up respectable numbers in 2012; might need another productive year to get drafted; 6-3, 225 pounds
2011: .163/.333/.204 – 12 BB/21 K – 49 AB
2012: .286/.413/.411 – 35 BB/49 K – 192 AB – 12/17 SB
Florida Gulf Coast rSR OF Ryan Gebhart: good bat speed; very good defender; above-average speed; Missouri transfer; above-average arm; good range in CF; gap power; questionable hit tool; story of his career has been unfulfilled promise – there’s no guarantee he’ll get the chance to live up to said promise as a professional; 6-1, 180 pounds
2012: .285/.410/.380 – 36 BB/54 K – 200 AB – 8/11 SB
Coastal Carolina JR OF Ted Blackman: high profile transfer from Miami did pretty much was expected out of him this year; came into year known as a prospect who fit the leadoff hitter profile well, and his patient approach backed it up; has more pop to the gaps than he delivered in 2012; doesn’t fit the leadoff profile all the way, as his speed is far closer to average than plus; still has the instincts to play CF, but the lack of foot speed may eventually push him to corner; if that’s the case, then his iffy arm will hurt him as he doesn’t really throw well enough for RF; if he can increase his speed a bit, prove to scouts he can handle center, and show a little more pop, then he could be in the mid-round senior sign mix next year; 6-0, 190 pounds
2012: .270/.401/.311 – 27 BB/29 K – 148 AB – 11/17 SB
Campbell JR OF Ben McQuown: very good speed; very good range in CF; smart base runner; sneaky pop; will probably have to come back and try it again next year after decent junior season; true claim to fame may be being one of five different “McQ’s” in Division I baseball: he joins McQuillan, McQuaig, McQueen, and McQuail; 5-10, 175 pounds
2012: .300/.382/.358 – 21 BB/23 K – 190 AB – 23/26 SB
South Florida rSR OF Todd Brazeal: scouts have long been intrigued by his hit tool, but long swing has resulted in too many swings and misses and not enough consistent contact; strong enough arm for OF, might even be moved to 3B professionally; one of the draft’s most highly regarded individuals in terms of makeup, if you’re into that sort of thing; 6-3, 225 pounds
2011: .273/.383/.402 – 25 BB/51 K – 194 AB
2012: .243/.354/.345 – 23 BB/32 K – 148 AB – 2/2 SB
Northwest Florida State JC SO OF Patrick McGavin: good raw power; showed below-average bat speed this year; decent athlete; strong arm with experience on the mound – scouts divided on whether or not he fits best in field or as a pitcher; Alabama transfer who was once a highly sought after high school recruit; 6-3, 200 pounds
2012: .226/.282/.398 – 8 BB – 93 AB – 0/1 SB
Dallas Baptist SR OF Landon Anderson: plus runner; very smart on base paths; good range in CF; 5-11, 175 pounds
2011: .292/.365/.456 – 22 BB/23 K – 250 AB
2012: .262/.343/.351 – 24 BB/26 K – 202 AB – 12/18 SB
North Dakota State SR OF Nick Anderson: good runner with average raw power
2012: .289/.358/.476 – 12 BB/30 K – 166 AB – 5/9 SB
Austin Peay State JR OF Cody Hudson: good speed
2011: .247/.364/.412 – 23 BB/42 K – 182 AB
2012: .284/.372/.456 – 21 BB/30 K – 169 AB – 19/25 SB
UNLV SR OF Marvin Campbell: good power upside; has always looked the part with a pro frame of 6-5, 235 pounds, but never really put it all together
2012: .222/.347/.381 – 9 BB/13 K – 63 AB – 0/0 SB
UNLV SR OF Trevor Kirk:
2011: .275/.357/.329 – 22 BB/33 K – 207 AB
2012: .311/.382/.446 – 15 BB/28 K – 193 AB – 5/7 SB
Fresno State SR OF Kenny Wise:
2011: .302/.373/.547 – 17 BB/36 K – 159 AB
2012: .320/.400/.453 – 12 BB/25 K – 128 AB – 0/0 SB
San Jose State JR OF Nick Schulz: average speed; plus arm; too many swings and misses; bat hasn’t come around as hoped; enough tools to have a chance as senior sign in 2013; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: .273/.345/.299 – 7 BB/10 K – 77 AB
2012: .252/.366/.378 – 17 BB/18 K – 127 AB – 3/7 SB
Rice rJR OF Ryan Lewis: surprisingly good range in corner; patient, quiet approach; average speed; good athlete; not really enough there with bat – little power, average speed, and uninspiring hit tool make him an almost certain candidate to return to school in 2013; 6-3, 215 pounds
2011: .275/.393/.368 – 28 BB/26 K – 171 AB
2012: .248/.371/.350 – 22 BB/21 K – 137 AB – 4/6 SB
Oral Roberts SR OF Brandon King: interesting power upside and an above-average approach, but his disappointing senior year, especially in the power department, may have torpedoed any chance he had of getting drafted this June
2011: .314/.415/.511 – 34 BB/31 K – 229 AB
2012: .247/.371/.335 – 31 BB/25 K – 182 AB – 0/1 SB
Virginia rSO OF Colin Harrington: long shot to be drafted as unheralded redshirt sophomore, but has put up solid numbers whenever he’s had the opportunity to crack Virginia’s talented everyday lineup; tools aren’t overwhelming, but defensive versatility (can also play some infield) and good approach make him one to keep on eye on going forward; 5-10, 190 pounds
2011: .373/.467/.471 – 3 BB/6 K – 51 AB
2012: .320/.418/.401 – 18 BB/13 K – 147 AB – 2/8 SB
Bryant JR OF Kevin Brown: lots of averages or close to averages in his scouting reports, but that’s not such a bad thing when you consider how good big league average really is; average hit tool; average speed; average power; what hurts Brown’s prospect stock is his defense – he’s a LF only in the pros without the big bat to start; four years of above-average college production could give him a shot in pro ball; 6-0, 200 pounds
2011: .279/.345/.468 – 14 BB/22 K – 201 AB
2012: .281/.350/.515 – 21 BB/21 K – 196 AB – 9/14 SB
Georgia Tech SR OF Jarrett Didrick: all speculation on my end, as Didrick spent 2012 as a pitcher only; from a tools standpoint, he has shown promise as a speedy, plus defender with the arm strength you’d expect from a denizen of the mound; he also has ample raw power, but untapped potential is the name of the game with Didrick, the man with 25 total at bats in four years at Georgia Tech; 6-1, 190 pounds
Dixie State (UT) JR OF Garrett Nash: like many players on the list from this point on, Nash has plus speed and some degree of untapped upside, but such poor on-field production that his pro future is cloudy at best; once a big recruit, but hasn’t been able to recapture any high school magic since transferring out of Oregon State; 5-9, 180 pounds
2011 (at Oregon State): .217/.325/.349 – 12 BB/34 K – 106 AB
2012: .287/.373/.397 – 18 BB/26 K – 174 AB – 7/10 SB
Lynn (FL) JR OF Kamm Washington: like many players on the list from this point on, Washington has plus speed and some degree of untapped upside, but such poor on-field production that his pro future is cloudy at best; once a big recruit, but hasn’t been able to recapture any high school magic since transferring out of Florida; 5-9, 180 pounds
2012: .177/.292/.242 – 7 BB/24 K – 62 AB – 3/3 SB
Coastal Carolina JR OF Bryce Dial: big raw power and a strong throwing arm, but the numbers below tell the story on Dial’s past season
2012: .129/.229/.290 – 3 BB/11 K – 31 AB – 2/3 SB
Winthrop SR OF Chas Crane: great approach; average power; has experience at 3B, but lacks range to play it at next level; average speed; average arm; 6-0, 200 pounds;
2011: .280/.415/.338 – 45 BB/46 K – 207 AB
2012: .280/.399/.406 – 27 BB/29 K – 143 AB – 3/3 SB
East Tennessee State JR OF Andrew Green: good athlete; above-average speed; strong arm; good approach; will need a big senior year to get noticed as a corner outfielder (RF) without corner outfielder power; 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .282/.349/.359 – 14 BB/23 K – 195 AB
2012: .260/.363/.361 – 17 BB/18 K – 208 AB – 22/30 SB
Campbell SR OF Erick Gaylord: listed as one of my pre-season FAVORITES (yes, I really mark them by using ALL CAPS) and this was after coming off a horrific junior year (below); unfortunately, for both Erick and myself, the faith I placed in his tools wasn’t enough; those enticing tools include legitimate plus CF range, plus arm strength, a patient whole-fields approach to hitting, above-average to plus speed, and way more physical strength then you’d expect from such a punchless hitter; he’s no longer an official FAVORITE, but I wish him well in all his post-graduate endeavors all the same; 5-10, 180 pounds
2011: .177/.271/.306 – 4 BB/19 K – 62 AB
2012: .237/.361/.288 – 8 BB/12 K – 59 AB – 9/13 SB
San Jose State JR OF Andrew Rodriguez: plus speed with plus range in CF, but hasn’t been able to stay on field enough to show anything with bat
2011: .230/.460/.230 – 20 BB/13 K – 61 AB
2012: .200/.314/.300 – 3 BB/11 K – 30 AB – 3/5 SB
Austin Peay State SR OF Michael Blanchard: plus speed
2011: .291/.404/.407 – 29 BB/46 K – 189 AB
2012: .276/.382/.374 – 33 BB/50 K – 203 AB – 14/18 SB
Georgia Southern JR OF Scooter Williams: guys who go by Scooter tend to be on the speedier side and Williams is no exception
2012: .274/.413/.355 – 35 BB/44 K – 186 AB – 20/23 SB
Stetson SR OF Spencer Theisen: another player with leadoff-type skills at the plate; liked him as a sneaky 2012 breakout candidate, but performance actually went backwards; has some really good at bats and shows some surprising pop, but has never been able to put it together with any semblance of consistency; 5-11, 175 pounds
2011: .297/.371/.379 – 19 BB/31 K – 232 AB
2012: .261/.302/.305 – 14 BB/39 K – 203 AB – 10/12 SB
Wichita State rSR OF Kevin Hall: plus speed, but repeatedly unsuccessful in attempts to steal first
2011: .254/.368/.355 – 39 BB/56 K – 256 AB
2012: .257/.315/.311 – 11 BB/34 K – 148 AB – 18/26 SB
Elon SR OF Jake Luce: plus speed and a good college hitter, but not much more to see here
2011: .277/.382/.416 – 26 BB/32 K – 173 AB
2012: .308/.346/.462 – 9 BB/31 K – 169 AB – 4/11 SB
Elon JR OF Niko Fraser: had a tip from an Elon grad that Fraser was a good ballplayer ready for a breakout junior season, so I included him in my notes and jotted down his stats from last year – he gets included due to my “waste not, want not” principle of not wanting to do any work that doesn’t see the light of day
2011: .300/.413/.395 – 26 BB/26 K – 190 AB
2012: .236/.317/.301 – 6 BB/15 K – 123 AB – 10/11 SB
Oral Roberts JR OF Kevin Cho: good arm, good speed, good defender, but not yet a good enough hitter
2012: .242/.340/.274 – 27 BB/24 K – 186 AB – 8/10 SB
Monmouth SR OF Josh Boyd: plus speed and a good defender in CF, but the hit tool and approach aren’t strong enough for the pros; reminder on Boyd and any player without a real pro future on these lists, especially for anybody who thinks I’m being mean by saying somebody won’t play pro ball: the guy was a four-year starter for a Division I program who is better at baseball than 99.999% of general population; 6-1, 165 pounds
2012: .244/.317/.330 – 16 BB/42 K – 197 AB – 12/14 SB
North Dakota JR OF Riley Beck: plus speed and probably a nice guy, but not much beyond that; does have interesting tools and athleticism (aforementioned speed, good range in corner and playable in CF, above-average arm), so could get a look next year as a mid-round senior sign; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .240/.291/.253 – 8 BB/45 K – 146 AB – 13/13 SB
Stats updated: 5/2/12
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
Virginia JR SS Chris Taylor: plus arm strength; very athletic; steady defender capable of making majority of plays on balls hit at or near him while also pulling off the occasional highlight reel stop and throw; profiles best as leadoff hitter (if he has enough pop to maintain on-base skills) or seventh/eighth hitter in a better lineup; I think his speed has been exaggerated by some outlets, but it is still comfortably above-average; has some power to gaps, but likely never a double-digit HR power guy in big leagues; relatively high floor (utility guy) prospect with the enticing ceiling of everyday shortstop – I tend to err on the side of caution with respect to his upside, but still think he has such a well-rounded skill set that the odds of him reaching the highest levels of pro ball are all but assured; 6-0, 175 pounds
2011: .326/.407/.428 – 29 BB/43 K – 285 AB
2012: .302/.396/.484 – 32 BB/33 K – 215 AB – 11/13 SB
SS AJ Simcox (Faragut HS, Tennessee): excellent range, especially to his left; strong arm; gap power; needs to add bulk and has the frame to do it; advanced hit tool; reminds me of a last year’s top prep from Tennessee Nick Delmonico a bit; average speed, maybe a tad more; he can definitely stay at shortstop, so if you buy the bat, and I do, he’s a keeper; 6-3, 170 pounds
Central Florida JR SS Darnell Sweeney: plus athlete; very good runner; plus defensive tools; strong arm; interesting potential as leadoff hitter, but lack of power development is somewhat concerning; range is well above-average; defensive upside makes him a scout favorite; 6-0, 165 pounds
2011: .304/.384/.417 – 32 BB/40 K – 240 AB
2012: .250/.360/.356 – 33 BB/28 K – 188 AB – 16/23 SB
LSU SR SS Austin Nola: above-average arm; very good defender – one of the few college shortstops expected to have little difficulty sticking at the position professionally; slightly above-average speed; gap power; it may be a stretch to peg Nola as a future starting big league shortstop, but he has the range, actions, and hands to play the position defensively at the next level with at least the prospect of having just enough bat to make it; jumped 17 rounds from high school to junior season (48th to 31st round) – in good position to make at least another 17 round jump in his senior season (31st to 14th round); 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .301/.385/.418 – 29 BB/34 K – 196 AB
2012: .311/.432/.453 – 38 BB/25 K – 190 AB – 2/3 SB
Southeast Missouri State SR SS Kenton Parmley: plus arm; good defender; another player who has put up consistent strong collegiate numbers who deserves a shot in pro ball despite not being super toolsy; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .300/.366/.449 – 24 BB/31 K – 227 AB
2012: .344/.424/.537 – 25 BB/23 K – 227 AB – 12/15 SB
Wake Forest JR SS Pat Blair: steady glove; average arm; some sneaky pop to the gaps, but power isn’t his game; great approach and little power likely adds up to a utility infielder ceiling, but Blair’s consistent year-to-year performances and average tools outside of the batter’s box give some indication he may just reach it; 5-10, 180 pounds
2011: .275/.453/.410 – 55 BB/39 K – 178 AB
2012: .292/.424/.394 – 48 BB/29 K – 216 AB – 23/27 SB
Texas-Pan American JR SS Angel Ibanez: strong hit tool – not a ton of power, but makes a ton of contact and controls the strike zone well; good speed; above-average arm; smart base runner; good athlete; can handle SS, but has shown defensive versatility to make utility future easy to see; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: .344/.386/.489 – 13 BB/13 K – 221 AB
2012: .305/.341/.414 – 10 BB/15 K – 203 AB – 12/15 SB
Dallas Baptist SR SS Joel Hutter: steady defender with the chance to stick at SS; enough speed and pop to warrant late-round consideration; 6-1, 210 pounds
2011: .251/.353/.403 – 33 BB/34 K – 231 AB
2012: .283/.349/.475 – 20 BB/31 K – 219 AB – 7/8 SB
Cal State Fullerton JR SS Richy Pedroza: very strong defender; good range; strong arm; great bunter; plus speed, but doesn’t utilize it on the base paths like he could; can play all over the infield; makes good use of his small strike zone; 5-6, 140 pounds
2011: .319/.383/.393 – 14 BB/20 K – 163 AB
2012: .346/.425/.401 – 21 BB/9 K – 162 AB – 1/2 SB
Central Arizona JC SO SS Jorge Flores: plus defensive ability alone makes him a prospect of note; contract-oriented, leadoff approach but hit tool isn’t particularly loud; smart on bases, but not really a burner (speed more good than great); 5-6, 160 pounds
2012: .286/.387/.411 – 19 BB – 192 AB – 27/35 SB
High Point JR SS Willie Medina: good defender with soft hands and plus range; good athlete; plus speed; leadoff approach who doesn’t try to do too much at plate; 5-10, 170 pounds
2012: .324/.388/.391 – 17 BB/24 K – 179 AB – 17/23 SB
Southern Utah SR SS Bo Cuthbertson: strong hit tool; solid pop; average speed; average arm; might be best-suited for 2B in the long run, but can hang at SS for now; 5-9, 185 pounds
2011: .391/.457/.630 – 26 BB/34 K – 192 AB
2012: .257/.372/.426 – 36 BB/56 K – 183 AB – 11/19 SB
Embry-Riddle (FL) SR SS Ben Kline: steady defender; just enough hit tool to have some hope at utility future; slightly above-average speed; came to Florida after stopping first in Nebraska and Creighton; 6-3, 200 pounds
2012: .340/.396/.449 – 15 BB/21 K – 247 AB – 16/17 SB
Vanguard (CA) JR SS David Kiriakos: good speed; good approach; good arm; steady defender; Cal State Fullerton transfer; 5-11, 170 pounds
2012: .317/.439/.437 – 15 BB/13 K – 126 AB – 6/10 SB
Austin Peay State JR SS Reed Harper: average speed; steady defender; strong arm; good range; some pop; 6-2, 185 pounds
2011: .288/.328/.428 – 13 BB/26 K – 222 AB
2012: .290/.345/.403 – 19 BB/29 K – 231 AB – 8/12 SB
Tennessee SR SS Zach Osborne: a fielder so good that you don’t mind the fact that he makes so many outs with such little power at the college level, but projecting the bat to anything that will get him out of the lower-minors is generous at this point; 5-8, 170 pounds
2011: .318/.372/.392 – 13 BB/16 K – 176 AB
2012: .242/.311/.288 – 18 BB/11 K – 198 AB – 8/9 SB
Arkansas rSR SS Tim Carver: similar to teammate and double-play partner Bo Bigham in that both are solid, high character college guys with little professional upside; gets in trouble trying to do too much at the plate at times; good speed; steady defender; 6-0, 185 pounds
2011: .226/.303/.266 – 17 BB/18 K – 177 AB
2012: .303/.343/.390 – 9 BB/24 K – 218 AB – 14/24 SB
Stetson JR SS Ryan Lashley: plus runner who doesn’t get on base enough right now to utilize it; strong arm that plays well on left side – has played all over infield; more power potential than your typical middle infielder, but will need to return to school to show it; 6-0, 185 pounds
2011: .255/.318/.332 – 20 BB/35 K – 184 AB
2012: .232/.276/.328 – 8 BB/21 K – 125 AB – 1/1 SB
Stats updated: 5/2/12
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
Clemson JR 3B Richie Shaffer: really good defender at first, but more average on a good day at third; plus raw power to all fields; plus raw arm strength (has hit 94 off mound), above-average in total after accuracy is factored in; made outstanding recovery from broken hamate bone, minimal power loss; good athlete; average runner; not entirely convinced he’s a third baseman forever, but believe he can play either 3B or a corner OF spot through his first big league (six year) contract; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: .333/.459/.613 – 47 BB/50 K – 222 AB
2012: .373/.504/.643 – 50 BB/37 K – 185 AB – 5/6 SB
3B Joey Gallo (Bishop Gorman HS, Nevada): plus raw power from left side; good athlete; plus arm; no problem against quality arms, has hit both high velocity and big league quality breaking balls; similar to Richie Shaffer defensively – both have plus arms and enough athleticism to play third base for a bit before transitioning to right field; some prefer him on mound (88-93 FB; 94-98 peak with some of the easiest velocity of any prep in recent memory; good 74-76 CB; mid-80s CU; 77-81 SL needs work), but his kind of power is hard to pass up; not a perfect comp, but there’s some Kris Bryant to his game; really want to move him up over Richie Shaffer for the top spot, and for some organizations I think he’s worth the risk, but the relative safety of the college bat pushes Shaffer just ahead; 6-5, 220 pounds; L/R
Arkansas JR 3B Matt Reynolds: line drive machine who lacks present strength and swing plane for big power, but makes up for it with consistent hard contact all over the field; above-average speed that plays up on bases; outstanding defender with a strong arm and enough athletic ability to play up the middle at times; could even be tried at catcher, though I think a more likely conversion would be to 2B – could even be tried as an everyday SS if a team is feeling especially frisky; I think a player in-between Kyle Seager and Chase Headley is a realistic ceiling for Reynolds – some speed, some pop, but lots of value tied up in defense and on-base ability; 6-1, 200 pounds;
2011: .238/.360/.347 – 34 BB/40 K – 202 AB
2012: .332/.449/.510 – 39 BB/25 K – 196 AB – 13/18 SB
Southeast Missouri State rSR 3B Trenton Moses: stronger hit tool than given credit for – he’s more than just an over-aged college slugger, though his experience and physical maturation advantages over current college competition should not be dismissed; patient approach, understands pitchers; well above-average raw power; much debate about defensive future, but think he is just athletic enough with just enough arm and just steady enough hands and actions to stick for a few years; if I thought he could hold his own as a corner outfielder, I’d feel a lot better about his future as a potential four-corners (1B/3B/LF/RF) utility guy; as it is, you could do a lot worse with a mid-round pick than to take an advanced college bat like this; 6-3, 230 pounds
2011: .384/.493/.661 – 28 BB/22 K – 177 AB
2012: .410/.531/.761 – 37 BB/31 K – 188 AB – 3/3 SB
St. Mary’s JR 3B Patrick Wisdom: solid speed; good defender; plus arm; very strong; plus power upside, big scouting community divide on hit tool; some speculation he could be tried behind plate, but I think his upside as a league average offensive and defensive third baseman shouldn’t be messed with; 6-2, 215 pounds
2011: .361/.432/.567 – 23 BB/41 K – 208 AB
2012: .277/.402/.463 – 35 BB/40 K – 177 AB – 3/5 SB
Louisburg (NC) JC rSO 3B Steve Nyisztor: plus athlete; has played SS in the past, but, despite showing better than expected actions at the spot, profiles best as 3B as pro; plus arm; plus defensive tools, but still erratic in footwork, which has led to inconsistent throws; gap power at present, above-average raw power; good speed; teams will have to really have a clear idea of who he is as a person before investing a top ten round pick on him; has the chance to be a big league starter at third base or perhaps an offensively-minded infield backup; 6-4, 200 pounds
2012: .349/.435/.446 – 22 BB – 186 AB – 22/27 SB
Concordia (MN) SR 3B Bryan Lippincott: strong hit tool; good athlete; could profile as four-corner (1B/3B/LF/RF) type defensively if he doesn’t stay at the hot corner; plus arm; great approach; get really high marks for makeup and preparedness; has put up consistently great numbers and not exactly a slouch in the tools department – he’s a certifiable draft sleeper; 6-4, 210 pounds
2012: .494/.594/.864 – 28 BB/15 K – 154 AB – 9/12 SB
Spartanburg Methodist (SC) JC FR 3B Bruce Caldwell: gap power; strong arm; good athlete; currently at SS; tough to choice between the ultra-productive Caldwell and the more projectable Codey McElroy – the two prospects are very different, but close in overall value; 5-10, 185 pounds
2012: .434/.516/.823 – 32 BB/17 K – 198 AB – 12/15 SB
Eastern Oklahoma State JC FR 3B Codey McElroy: strong arm; good defensive tools, currently at SS; interesting upside with bat, especially in power department – easy to dream on his power coming around with a long, lean 6-6, 215 pound frame
2012: .280/.394/.474 – 33 BB – 175 AB – 4/4 SB
Louisburg SO 3B Zach Houchins: strong hit tool; strong arm; power upside; quick bat; love his approach; uses whole field well and hits consistent line drives; overshadowed somewhat by bigger name teammate Steve Nyisztor, but no secret that some scouts have come away from seeing both play preferring the less-heralded Houchins; like Nyisztor, Houchins will have to answer questions from pro teams about his off-field actions
2012: .394/.471/.587 – 26 BB – 218 AB – 16/18 SB
Seward County (KS) JC SO 3B Jake Barrios: arm and range both fit nicely at SS presently, but likely 3B in long run as his body fills out; big power upside dating back to his LSU recruitment; 6-3, 200 pounds
2012: .354/.398/.460 – 9 BB/14 K – 198 AB – 2/3 SB
East Carolina JR 3B John Wooten: intriguing offensive tools including significant raw power; despite being viewed by some as a first baseman only, has displayed good range at third in limited looks; has the four-corners defensive versatility (1B/3B/LF/RF) that will help him get chances in pro ball; gets bonus points for strong wood bad showings in the past; one of those prospects that makes doing this fun – Wooten hasn’t gotten much, if any, national love, but area guys sure seem to like him and so do I; 6-4, 210 pounds
2011: .298/.369/.392 – 25 BB/52 K – 245 AB
2012: .324/.388/.488 – 21 BB/20 K – 207 AB – 2/5 SB
Memphis SR 3B Jacob Wilson: plus defender; plus arm; not a ton of raw power, but breakout senior season is getting him such well-earned attention; decent runner; 5-11, 190 pounds
2011: .276/.379/.419 – 34 BB/33 K – 217 AB
2012: .306/.390/.606 – 25 BB/21 K – 180 AB – 5/11 SB
North Carolina State JR 3B Danny Canela: has experience behind the plate, but I’m not sure he’s strong enough back there to be a consistent viable option professionally – if I’m wrong, that’s great news for Canela’s prospect stock; at third, he’s a good enough defender who plays the position as you’d expect a part-time catcher would (i.e. often steady, never spectacular); interesting power potential; quick bat; great arm is biggest defensive asset; 6-0, 210 pounds
2011: .267/.349/.443 – 17 BB/26 K – 131 AB
2012: .339/.448/.522 – 38 BB/30 K – 180 AB – 0/0 SB
Florida State SR 3B Sherman Johnson: patient approach that I love, but positivity that once surrounded hit tool has disappeared; above-average defensive tools; plus defender at 3B; can also play 2B and maybe some SS; strong hit tool; huge power drop from sophomore year numbers (2010) to junior and senior season stats (below) with new bats; good arm that will play around infield; Johnson was once a favorite, and his secondary skills remain strong, but below-average stick and power don’t help his cause
2011: .261/.422/.349 – 63 BB/47 K – 238 AB
2012: .256/.434/.356 – 55 BB/28 K – 180 AB – 4/5 SB
Nebraska JR 3B Chad Christensen: steady glove; average arm; converted OF who is currently at SS, so versatility could be his ticket to advancing through minor league system; 6-3, 200 pounds
2012: .317/.379/.510 – 17 BB/31 K – 202 AB – 8/9 SB
Texas Pan-American SR 3B Vincent Mejia (2012): underrated hit tool; great approach showed why I think he is worth a late pick – even as his average dipped in 2012, his on-base percentage remained above-average; average power upside, currently almost entirely to gaps; below-average speed; similar player to Trenton Moses, but not quite as much power upside or physical strength; 6-0, 215 pounds
2011: .337/.455/.479 – 38 BB/36 K – 190 AB
2012: .240/.384/.420 – 33 BB/19 K – 150 AB – 2/4 SB
Central Florida JR 3B Chris Taladay: versatile defender who can also play spot duty behind plate and in corner outfield spots; big freshman season set the bar unrealistically high for his future play, but solid skill set and decent approach — not to mention the previously mentioned defensive versatility — give him some late round hope; 6-1, 215 pounds
2012: .315/.357/.405 – 13 BB/21 K – 222 AB – 1/1 SB
North Carolina SR 3B Andrew Ciencin: uses whole field well; gap power; versatile defender who has plenty of experience on right side of infield; 6-0, 210 pounds
2011: .257/.327/.369 – 22 BB/29 K – 241 AB
2012: .266/.374/.405 – 30 BB/13 K – 173 AB – 4/5 SB
Oklahoma State SR 3B Mark Ginther: favorite coming into the season who I can’t help but judge through the lens of the lofty, and perhaps unfair, expectations I had for him as a senior; best tool has always been his plus throwing arm; only average bat speed makes him a guess hitter more often than not; swing added too much length in what turned out to be an unsuccessful attempt to sell out for power; despite struggling with the bat, his arm strength, athleticism, and all-around defensive tools (hands, reactions, range) all fit in nicely on a professional diamond; he’ll never hit for a high average with his swing, but a team that believes he can run into a few more fastballs and mistake breaking pitches might give him a chance to impress at the lower levels; unlikely but not impossible he can exceed last year’s draft standing (14th round), but there could be a team that trusts his tools and can look past the down year to take him earlier than his numbers suggest (i.e. I expect him to get selected higher than some of the names above him on this list); 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: .301/.348/.530 – 17 BB/33 K – 236 AB
2012: .258/.311/.387 – 13 BB/30 K – 217 AB – 0/2 SB
Elon SR 3B Garrett Koster: college shortstop who profiles best at 3B due to his plus arm and big raw power; good speed and smart base runner; hit tool and approach both need a ton of refinement, but his power and defensive tools are intriguing; 6-2, 185 pounds
2011: .223/.333/.432 – 19 BB/51 K – 139 AB
2012: .256/.361/.543 – 22 BB/61 K – 164 AB – 11/11 SB
Kansas SR 3B Zac Elgie: above-average raw power; finally has sold me on his defense being acceptable at third, though I think he could be a plus defender at first base, his best position; more than a dead-pull hitter – Elgie uses the whole field well, and sprays line drives when at his best; shows just enough professional grade tools that you want to like him more than his numbers probably deserve – you need louder tools than he has when your approach is below-average; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .282/.326/.485 – 10 BB/36 K – 202 AB
2012: .264/.341/.451 – 15 BB/31 K – 144 AB – 3/4 SB
Cal State Northridge rJR 3B Adam Barry: good athlete; below-average speed; strong; unrefined baseball skills; might fit better behind plate professionally; not a ton of raw power; former football player; 6-0, 215 pounds
2011: .275/.328/.331 – 6 BB/16 K – 160 AB
2012: .270/.359/.365 – 19 BB/12 K – 137 AB – 3/3 SB
Central Arkansas SR 3B Blake Roberts: good defensive tools; strong arm; above-average speed for big man; good approach to hitting – uses whole field well; has enough in the way of tools to appear interesting and his size (6-6, 225 pounds) makes him stand out when you see him, but inability to put it all together at the college level makes him a long shot to be drafted, even late
2011: .243/.325/.364 – 6 BB/23 K – 107 AB
2012: .243/.343/.466 – 21 BB/36 K – 148 AB – 0/1 SB
Florida Atlantic JR 3B Kyle Newton: average or better power bat, but will have to cut way down on swings and misses if he wants to get a chance at professional baseball next summer
2012: .286/.345/.427 – 18 BB/49 K – 206 AB - 2/3 SB
Oral Roberts JR 3B Nathan Goro: gets a spot on the list for once being a much more highly regarded prospect (showed big raw power in high school, got drafted late in 2009, had recent transfer offers from Missouri State, Missouri, Baylor, and TCU, etc.), but has completely fallen apart at the plate; good defensive tools; Wichita State and Jefferson JC transfer; could resurface on lists next year if he can rediscover his stroke as senior in 2013; 6-0, 180 pounds
2012: .193/.254/.255 – 13 BB/45 K – 192 AB – 9/15 AB
Western Kentucky SR 3B Casey Dykes: better bat speed than you’d think based off his college numbers; above-average arm strength and accuracy; good defender; strong enough, but swing and pitch recognition issues have led to limited power production – without any thump in his bat, getting in the lineup as a third baseman will be very tough; lack of foot speed and agility will keep him from playing up the middle; gets the mention here for his hard work throughout his college career, but not a viable pro prospect; 5-11, 200 pounds
2011: .276/.369/.319 – 27 BB/29 K – 210 AB
2012: .280/.348/.376 – 21 BB/26 K – 218 AB – 0/2 SB
Oklahoma JR 3B Garrett Carey: plays big league quality defense with an arm to match, but even prime Adrian Beltre defense can’t get a guy drafted after a year like Carey had (below); 6-1, 210 pounds
2012: .192/.270/.228 – 12 BB/32 K – 167 AB – 2/2 AB
SO 3B Josh Anderson: played freshman season at Yavapai JC (AZ), but not listed on roster in 2012; very strong; plus raw power; plus arm; good defensive tools; solid approach to hitting; FAVORITE, but haven’t been able to find any updated information about him for 2012 so prospect status is in limbo; 6-0, 220 pounds
Stats updated: 5/2/12
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
Virginia JR 2B Stephen Bruno: good defender with plus range and plus arm – could be good enough to play shortstop professionally, though that’s currently the minority opinion; I’m in said minority, but put him with the 2B group (he could be a plus defender with more reps at 3B, by the way) to hedge my bets; above-average speed; plenty of pop; Bruno is one of my favorite players from this year’s college class – he’s a natural born hitter with emerging power and a good idea of the strike zone who rarely gets cheated during an at bat; if he doesn’t settle in as an everyday player anywhere, he has the high floor of a quality big league utility infielder; 5-9, 165 pounds
2012: .403/.456/.611 – 14 BB/20 K – 211 AB – 11/14 SB
California JR 2B Tony Renda: gifted pure hitter who was once considered a butcher in the field, but has improved a tremendous amount to the point that he is now considered at least average; will make all the plays hit at him, but range is nothing to brag about; has worked really hard to improve all-around, so makeup is not a question; now steady enough defensively to stick up the middle, though he’ll have to continue working as he progresses through minors – it’s admittedly a stretch, but I’ve heard his defense/desire to improve his defense (not great/off the charts) combination compared to a young Chase Utley, a player who few believed would ever be average at 2B but worked and worked until one day becoming one of the top defenders in the game in his prime; average at worst speed, has been timed slightly better; if his power comes as some expect, he could have enough bat to play LF; reminds me a little bit of last year’s favorite Tommy La Stella, but higher national profile will get him off board earlier; 5-10, 180 pounds
2011: .358/.392/.464 – 14 BB/27 K – 265 AB
2012: .382/.461/.534 – 21 BB/11 K – 178 AB – 11/14 SB
Arizona State JR 2B Joey DeMichele: decent speed; for the longest time he was a man without a position, but settled in as the kind of second baseman who makes plays on balls hit him and not much more; his plus hit tool is one of the best in his class; above-average power with the chance to hit 15+ homers professionally; 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .368/.415/.648 – 15 BB/26 K – 193 AB
2012: .337/.411/.558 – 20 BB/26 K – 190 AB – 10/13 SB
Stanford JR 2B Kenny Diekroeger: plus-plus athlete, one of the best of the college class; very quick bat; gap power; advanced approach that has come unglued since freshman season; average or better speed; average defensive tools – hands work, average arm for 3B; can play a solid 3B and a passable SS, but best fit 2B long-term; average or better power projection; has added needed strength this past spring; undeniable that swing needs fixing; any selection of Diekroeger will be done by a team who believes they can undo some of the damage done by the Stanford coaching staff; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: 302/.367/.373 – 20 BB/34 K – 225 AB
2012: .307/.368/.425 – 15 BB/35 K – 179 AB – 2/4 SB
2B Max Schrock (Cardinal Gibbons HS, North Carolina): line drive approach; really solid defensively; strong South Carolina commitment; nice pop for middle infielder; won’t wow with speed or arm average at best speed, average at best arm; hate to resort to the cliché, but he’s a ballplayer – no crazy tools, not a premium athlete, not always aesthetically pleasing watching him play, but will do the things that help you win games…and, yeah, he can hit, too; 5-9, 180 pounds
Florida State JR 2B Devon Travis: plus athlete; excellent defensive tools, inconsistent performance – still has a strong arm and above-average range; plus speed; leadoff approach; rave reviews this past fall, but hasn’t translated to the knockout junior season that many expected; 5-9, 180 pounds
2011: .338/.467/.532 – 48 BB/30 K – 231 AB
2012: .328/.396/.495 – 20 BB/32 K – 192 AB – 7/8 SB
Georgia Southern SR 2B Eric Phillips: solid all-around skill set with no obvious weaknesses to his game; versatile defender who can step in and play a fine SS in a pinch, also has experience at 3B and could also be tried in OF; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: .375/.452/.498 – 29 BB/20 K – 251 AB
2012: .379/.450/.548 – 24 BB/15 K – 219 AB – 27/31 SB
Pepperdine JR 2B Joe Sever: good speed; above-average pop; inconsistent defender, but has improved; has made a concerted effort to improve his approach (shorter to ball, more selective early in counts, better two-strike discipline) and the numbers bear it out; underrated prospect, but, like many on the list, will have to answer questions about defensive viability on the left side of the infield down the line
2011: .298/.359/.447 – 13 BB/45 K – 208 AB
2012: .431/.498/.584 – 22 BB/19 K – 197 AB – 9/9 SB
Rice JR 2B Michael Ratterree: above-average raw power, though it is currently mostly to gaps; average runner; versatile defender with extensive experience in the outfield; question that has followed him for years goes back to his defense – he may or may not stick in infield long-term; for me, his actual defense (hands, actions, range) all work well at second, but it is the accuracy of his arm that will make or break him; smart hitter; good athlete; stronger than most middle infield prospects; 6-1, 195 pounds
2011: .335/.397/.492 – 23 BB/42 K – 260 AB
2012: .269/.403/.456 – 35 BB/28 K – 160 AB – 5/6 SB
North Carolina JR 2B Tommy Coyle: above-average speed; good athlete; line drive swing; steady enough at SS that he can play there at times, but better fit at 2B; some pop, but more of a slap hitter at this point – when he gets ahead, he’s fine, but his two-strike approach needs work; 5-9, 170 pounds
2011: .326/.429/.433 – 43 BB/24 K – 270 AB
2012: .226/.341/.317 – 34 BB/27 K – 208 AB – 13/14 SB
Missouri State SR 2B Kevin Medrano: above-average speed; power upside is limited; fringy arm suited for 2B – the inability to play on the left side limits his utility future; good range; plus bat speed helps him make consistent hard contact; 6-1, 160 pounds
2011: .340/.393/.398 – 21 BB/14 K – 206 AB
2012: .330/.385/.410 – 17 BB/23 K – 200 AB – 11/16 SB
Santa Fe (FL) CC SO 2B Shane Kennedy: has always hit, but uptick in power has scouts wondering how strong his Clemson commitment really is – as his body has filled out, the power has come; defensive versatility and experience at all four infield positions is a point in his favor; part of me thinks he’s a legitimate draft sleeper right now while part of me wants to see what he can do in the ACC first; 6-2, 190 pounds
2012: .364/.486/.647 – 29 BB/42 K – 173 AB – 21/22 SB
Eastern Kentucky SR 2B Richie Rodriguez: solid defender; credited for having a tremendous approach and the numbers (below) bear it out; average speed, but uses it well; not the toolsiest player in college ball, but production warrants a look on draft day; 5-10, 180 pounds
2012: .330/.429/.616 – 32 BB/12 K – 203 AB – 12/14 SB
Dallas Baptist JR 2B Austin Elkins: good athlete; above-average speed; surprising pop for his size, but quick wrists and good pitch recognition helps him drive any type of pitch, hard or soft; interesting prospect on a team full of underrated players; 5-11, 185 pounds
2012: .298/.392/.522 – 26 BB/25 K – 205 AB – 7/10 SB
Western Carolina SR 2B Ross Heffley: still love his approach and think his hit tool is underrated by many; 5-8, 185 pounds; from 2011: My notes on Heffley always come back to two simple words: good hitter. Ask anybody about Heffley and those will be the first two words out of their mouths. His other tools may not compare to the bat, and there are some unanswered questions about his ability to play anywhere but second base, but many think he’ll continue to be a good hitter, at least through the low minors.
2011: .389/.457/.611 – 30 BB/22 K – 229 AB
2012: .314/.408/.465 – 34 BB/13 K – 226 AB – 16/18 SB
Appalachian State JR 2B Hector Crespo: so many prospects get labeled as having “plus speed” (I’m guilty of this as well), but wind up finishing the season barely scraping double-digits in stolen bases – Crespo is a burner who backs it up on the field; works deep counts, not afraid to hit with two strikes; underrated prospect with at least one big league tool, could have a second if you buy into his defense (haven’t heard much either way there); 5-10, 175 pounds
2011: .295/.412/.379 – 38 BB/29 K – 190 AB
2012: .275/.393/.372 – 39 BB/38 K – 207 AB – 30/32 SB
LSU SR 2B Tyler Hanover: way more pop than you’d expect from a hitter his size; very good defender; can play around infield, including an above-average 3B and a playable SS; above-average speed; makes consistent hard contact to the point where you start to believe he may just hang around long enough in the minors to eventually break through; 5-6, 160 pounds
2011: .316/.414/.342 – 33 BB/16 K – 193 AB
2012: .301/.385/.383 – 22 BB/24 K – 193 AB – 2/6 SB
Texas SR 2B Jordan Etier: good speed; above-average defender; can also play an average SS; despite disciplinary incident off-field, no questions about his on-field makeup; 5-11, 180 pounds
2011: .260/.333/.377 – 15 BB/32 K – 215 AB
2012: .288/.378/.411 – 19 BB/26 K – 146 AB – 8/10 SB
Central Florida SR 2B Travis Shreve: good speed; good defender; handles the bat really well; limited power
2011: .327/.387/.399 – 14 BB/28 K – 223 AB
2012: .345/.407/.420 – 10 BB/18 K – 174 AB – 14/22 SB
Gonzaga SR 2B Alex Stanford: one of the prettier swings in the college game; can hit it to all fields; good speed; needs to improve defensively and tighten up approach; has a chance to go late to a team that buys the bat and can be patient as he figures it out in the field
2012: .311/.370/.427 – 6 BB/26 K – 164 AB – 8/12 SB
UC Irvine SR 2B Tommy Reyes: no standout tool, but pesky hitter who finds a way to get on base at a consistently high clip
2011: .301/.414/.364 – 28 BB/35 K – 173 AB
2012: .277/.411/.390 – 28 BB/23 K – 141 AB – 7/8 SB
New Mexico State JR 2B Parker Hipp: raw totals are inflated by home park, but park/schedule adjusted numbers still show his tremendous plate discipline; getting him into pro ball may help him go back to a less power-oriented swing; solid glove
2011: .272/.407/.396 – 38 BB/17 K – 169 AB
2012: .246/.413/.324 – 49 BB/25 K – 179 AB – 4/6 SB
Virginia SR 2B Keith Werman: regular readers of the site know that I’m not easily impressed with players often labeled “scrappy,” “gritty,” or “gamers,” but even a cynical black-hearted monster of a man like me can appreciate and respect the way Werman plays the game; his strengths are fairly straight forward: he’s a plus defender who has experience all over the diamond (including both SS and C), he can run pretty well, and he knows how to tire a pitcher out; he’s also undersized (5-7, 150 pounds) with little to no power, and a swing that sometimes gets him in trouble; all in all, he’s an easy player to root for but one of the draft’s longest of long shots to make it in pro ball
2011: .239/.385/.264 – 33 BB/25 K – 197 AB
2012: .310/.425/.366 – 29 BB/19 K – 142 AB – 5/8 SB
Florida Southern SR 2B Cory Jensen: great approach; average at best speed; good baseball player with no weak tool, but also no strong tool to set him apart; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .335/.409/.473 – 20 BB/14 K – 167 AB – 5/5 SB
Santa Fe (FL) CC rSO 2B Jacob Tillotson: plus arm that is enough for left side of infield if his drafting team thinks he has the athleticism for it; not an overall toolsy player, but has good track record of production
2012: .282/.431/.379 – 25 BB/43 K – 174 AB
Richmond rJR 2B Adam McConnell: good defender; good speed; can also play SS and 3B, so there’s at least a glimmer of a utility future here; area scouts who have seen him often vouch for him as a solid mid-round pick; 6-0, 190 pounds
2012: .251/.346/.327 – 22 BB/30 K – 199 AB – 12/17 SB
South Carolina JR 2B Chase Vergason:
2012: .253/.396/.354 – 14 BB/12 K – 79 AB – 0/0 SB
Maryland SR 2B Ryan Holland: expected to hit from Day 1 at Maryland as an advanced junior college bat, but has never quite lived up to lofty expectations offensively; has remained a steady defender – good at 2B, decent at 3B and SS; 6-0, 180 pounds
2011: .282/.392/.397 – 28 BB/50 K – 174 AB
2012: .242/.385/.343 – 17 BB/27 K – 99 AB – 1/3 SB
Stetson rSR 2B Robert Crews: no carrying tool, but strong college track record and decent approach
2011: .356/.414/.456 – 23 BB/52 K – 250 AB
2012: .325/.400/.409 – 24 BB/30 K – 203 AB – 7/10 SB
Georgia Tech JR 2B Sam Dove: above-average speed; steady defender
2011: .322/.411/.368 – 21 BB/32 K – 171 AB
2012: .333/.400/.421 – 25 BB/41 K – 228 AB – 12/13 SB
Texas State SR 2B Tyler Sibley: collapse at the plate undermines his solid all-around skill set; strong hit tool; great approach; steady glove; can also play OF
2011: .324/.417/.461 – 37 BB/19 K – 256 AB
2012: .227/.332/.299 – 27 BB/14 K – 194 AB – 14/21 SB
Stephen F. Austin State JR 2B Freddy Villalobos: free swinger with decent pop by middle infield standards; average at best defender; 6-0, 190 pounds
2012: .335/.379/.453 – 6 BB/30 K – 179 AB – 3/6 SB
Georgia Tech SR 2B Conner Winn: good runner; good defender; can play both 3B and SS; disappointing season has submarined draft stock
2012: .180/.271/.230 – 8 BB/12 K – 61 AB – 4/5 SB
TCU JR 2B Josh Gonzales: plus speed; steady defender; will have to try it again in 2013 after lost 2012 season
2012: .216/.341/.216 – 7 BB/10 K – 37 AB – 0/0 SB
Wake Forest JR 2B Mark Rhine: good natural feel for hitting; little power; good speed; strong arm; will likely have to try again as a senior sign in need of a bigger 2013 season after uninspiring start to college career; 6-1, 185 pounds
2011: .180/.276/.210 – 7 BB/15 K – 100 AB
2012: .267/.339/.333 – 15 BB/20 K – 165 AB – 4/6 SB
Arkansas SR 2B Bo Bigham: smart base runner with decent speed; good athlete; steady defender; capable of playing around the diamond (3B and OF); has a good head on his shoulders, but likely not enough bat to stick; 5-10, 185 pounds
2011: .283/.349/.359 – 19 BB/35 K – 237 AB
2012: .270/.319/.328 – 10 BB/25 K – 174 AB – 7/10 SB
Louisiana-Monroe SR 2B Caleb Clowers: disciplined hitter, but not strong enough in any one area to break into pro ball
2011: .278/.339/.370 – 19 BB/21 K – 216 AB
2012: .279/.343/.320 – 20 BB/19 K – 219 AB – 9/12 SB
Vanderbilt SR 2B Riley Reynolds: strong glove, no stick; 6-1, 190 pounds
2011: .343/.398/.386 – 13 BB/23 K – 166 AB
2012: .214/.235/.306 – 3 BB/14 K – 98 AB – 2/2 SB
Stats updated: 5/2/12
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
Florida State JR 1B Jayce Boyd: long believed to have plus power upside in bat, but still developing; plus to plus-plus fielder; uncanny how gifted a natural hitter he is; well-earned reputation as more of a hitter than slugger, a distinction that could scare some teams off when projecting a first base bat; similar prospect in some ways to Christian Walker, but better physical projection, defense, athleticism, and power ceiling give him edge; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: .351/.433/.563 – 38 BB/31 K – 245 AB
2012: .383/.448/.523 – 24 BB/19 K – 193 AB – 8/8 SB
South Carolina JR 1B Christian Walker: power potential though still mostly to gaps, but driving it the alleys consistently enough that the overall power package might play despite the lack of home run pop; still a somewhat shaky defender, but has improved over years; like Jayce Boyd, Walker is a gifted natural hitter with a potential plus hit tool; can be too passive, but I appreciate patience, especially when it comes from a smart place (i.e. as the main power source in the Gamecocks lineup Walker knows he is being pitched around, so he’s not taking the bait and rolling over on soft junk away); far from a slam dunk future starting big league first baseman, but could be good value as a potential stopgap/platoon prospect later in the draft than his production warrants; 6-1, 220 pounds
2011: .347/.433/.539 – 38 BB/28 K – 271 AB
2012: .343/.473/.556 – 38 BB/16 K – 178 AB – 1/2 SB
Florida SR 1B Preston Tucker: plus power; good approach; stronger than you’d think hit tool; dead-pull hitter when it comes to hitting the ball out, but has shown increased ability to go the other way to the gaps and for singles; surprisingly competent corner outfielder, though likely will only see time in a spot other than first base in case of emergency in pro ball; his doubters raise fair points against him (bad body, limited projection, 1.5 tool player) but all he’s done now for years is hit – the bar for starting big league first basemen is sky high and, even though I’m a big fan, I don’t think Tucker quite meets the standard, but he’s earned the chance to get selected in the top ten rounds and sink or swim in pro ball; as a high profile slugger on one of college baseball’s most talented, and thus most heavily scouted, teams, Tucker has been talked about way too much to be called a sleeper, but he’s still worth mentioning as a potentially undervalued pick heading into the draft; 6-0, 220 pounds
2011: .329/.403/.584 – 30 BB/27 K – 286 AB
2012: .353/.437/.651 – 30 BB/24 K – 218 AB – 3/5 SB
Baylor JR 1B Max Muncy: line drive machine; solid power upside that has been upgraded as he’s added strength (15 pounds); average speed; good defender; great approach; athletic enough that he might work at 2B or OF, though now that he’s bulked up some a potential position switch might not be necessary/possible; Muncy won’t ever hit 30+ professional homers in a season, but could put together an overall package of skills (defense, speed, plate discipline) that make him a potential big league starter in time; 6-0, 205 pounds
2011: .308/.421/.498 – 39 BB/34 K – 227 AB
2012: .311/.421/.476 – 38 BB/24 K – 206 AB – 7/11 SB
1B Austin Dean (Klein Collins HS, Texas): very interesting hit tool; good power; good athlete; below-average arm strength; average speed; 6-1, 185 pounds
Washington State rJR 1B Taylor Ard: plus raw power; decent enough athlete who is underrated in this area by many; advanced approach; similar in some ways to Preston Tucker in that both players have been on the map for years and discounted as viable prospects for just as long, but just keep getting on base and hitting for power; 6-2, 225 pounds
2011: .316/.393/.551 – 19 BB/24 K – 196 AB
2012: .325/.402/.569 – 22 BB/20 K – 209 AB – 3/3 SB
Wichita State rJR 1B Johnny Coy: very quick bat; plus athlete; good speed for his size; strong arm; plus raw power potential, but has yet to really tap into it, strong 2012 season notwithstanding; too aggressive at plate, swings at too many bad balls with way too many swings and misses; a long shot to ever fulfill his once lofty promise, but the fact that he once had such promise is also what makes him so damn enticing still; life is too complicated to ever say a player should or shouldn’t have signed a pro contract from the outside looking in, but one has to wonder what type of career Coy could have had if he devoted himself full-time to professional ball out of high school; 6-7, 225 pounds
2011: .274/.344/.421 – 25 BB/52 K – 259 AB
2012: .335/.414/.553 – 31 BB/44 K – 206 AB – 0/0 SB
Southern Illinois rJR 1B Chris Serritella: despite longish swing, still shows good bat speed capable of hitting big velocity; when everything is working, his swing is one of the prettiest in amateur ball; plus power potential; above-average defender; strong arm; slow even by first baseman standards; strong hit tool; heard a scout compare him developmentally to current Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt during his college days; recovered from broken hamate injury with little to no apparent loss in power; like almost every other player on this list, the road to a starting first base job is paved with obstacles – you never want to rule out players with his kind of raw power, but the most likely positive outcome is a bench bat/platoon player; 6-3, 200 pounds
2012: .384/.460/.653 – 33 BB/47 K – 216 AB – 3/3 SB
Florida JR 1B Vickash Ramjit: one of the draft’s most underrated power sources – he hasn’t had the at bats to generate much draft discussion, but he’s made good use of his time on the field, showing plus power upside at the plate; good defender at first; like his teammate Preston Tucker, Ramjit can also play decent defense in the outfield corners; 6-5, 230 pounds
2011: .408/.451/.513 – 5 BB/13 K – 76 AB
2012: .313/.370/.510 – 9 BB/16 K – 96 AB – 2/4 SB
North Carolina JR 1B Cody Stubbs: good approach; love the easy power; can also hold his own in a corner outfield spot; has been on the scouting radar for years, first in high school, then Tennessee, then junior college, and finally in Chapel Hill, so those who have been fans have surely seen him enough to keep liking him, despite his disappointing junior season; full name: Roland Campbell Stubbs IV; 6-4, 215 pounds
2012: .256/.347/.398 – 24 BB/41 K – 211 AB – 6/7 SB
Birmingham-Southern JR 1B Bruce Maxwell: Division III superstar who put up video game numbers (below) in 2012; bat alone makes him a prospect; has hit since first day on campus; wasn’t alone in putting up big numbers on team, but its all relative – his year was in a different stratosphere compared to teammates; 6-3, 230 pounds
2012: .471/.619/.928 – 59 BB/11 K – 153 AB – 4/4 SB
Jacksonville State SR 1B Ben Waldrip: big raw power; average arm; no other standout tools beyond bat – average at best glove, not particularly agile around bag, slow, but he can really hit; 6-6, 245 pounds
2011: .333/.404/.536 – 17 BB/35 K – 192 AB
2012: .318/.399/.662 – 20 BB/28 K – 201 AB – 1/2 SB
Azusa Pacific (CA) SR 1B Jordan Leyland: plus raw power; strong frame; has battled wrist injuries that have sapped power production in past; UC Irvine transfer; huge 2012 numbers must be viewed in proper context (team combined to hit .323/.400/.514 on season), but good bloodlines, experience, and power will get him drafted; 6-4, 235 pounds
2012: .419/.509/.802 – 41 BB/31 K – 222 AB – 8/10 SB
Kennesaw State SR 1B Andy Chriscaden: big power; too many swings and misses; not a great overall approach to hitting, but no questioning the power; decent speed; average at best glove; one of many bat-only (power-only, really) first base prospects in this year’s senior college class – where he goes will be determined on drafting team preference and/or an organizational need to get a power bat into the system as quick as possible; 6-4, 220 pounds
2011: .318/.402/.619 – 33 BB/48 K – 223 AB
2012: .338/.390/.605 – 18 BB/37 K – 195 AB – 0/0 SB
Louisville JR 1B Zak Wasserman: big raw power; long swing; strong arm; drills mistakes, but not sure how he’ll hold up when meatballs are fewer and farther in between; 6-6, 215 pounds
2011: .204/.292/.269 – 9 BB/14 K – 93 AB
2012: .301/.387/.472 – 12 BB/22 K – 123 AB – 1/1 SB
Texas State SR 1B Casey Kalenkosky: big raw power; could be tried behind plate once again in pros after college experiment flopped; slow; strong arm; not a great defender at 1B; will have to answer questions about big dip in production from junior to senior seasons; 6-0, 200 pounds
2011: .314/.396/.637 – 28 BB/49 K – 245 AB
2012: .235/.324/.432 – 24 BB/30 K – 183 AB – 0/1 SB
Utah Valley SR 1B Goose Kallunki: uses obvious physical strength to his advantage at plate, muscling balls out that other hitters might not be so lucky on; average arm; might just be athletic enough to play LF, but hardly an asset defensively in either spot; besides being a bat-only prospect, biggest concern is discrepancy between junior and senior statistics (below) – he made adjustments in the offseason, but also far to ask how much of his improvement was just a byproduct of beating up on younger competition; one of the draft’s few legit 80 names; 6-5, 240 pounds
2011: .243/.302/.333 – 20 BB/22 K – 222 AB
2012: .326/.394/.568 – 19 BB/25 K – 190 AB – 1/2 SB
St. Mary’s SR 1B Troy Channing: above-average raw power; lots of swings and misses, but, despite high career strikeout totals, a fairly patient, well-disciplined hitter; solid defender at first who has gotten a lot better over the years; not a body with much projection; looked like a potential statistical darling after first two college seasons, but numbers fell off a cliff from end of sophomore year onward; haven’t heard any recent reports on arm strength, but am intrigued with the idea of a potential conversion to catching; 6-0, 215 pounds
2011: .274/.368/.438 – 25 BB/50 K – 201 AB
2012: .413/.467/.569 – 8 BB/21 K – 109 AB – 0/2 SB
Georgia Tech SR 1B Jake Davies: above-average raw power to all fields who has emerged as a solid college middle of the order bat over the years; reminiscent of a slightly more talented version of Virginia 1B Jared King; also profiles as a pitchability lefthander with an upper-80s FB, good SL, emerging CU, and occasional CB; 6-0, 225 pounds
2011: .360/.432/.500 – 31 BB/45 K – 222 AB
2012: .329/.404/.533 – 25 BB/19 K – 210 AB – 0/1 SB
Arizona State SR 1B Abe Ruiz: good present power – can really hammer average fastballs, but has big trouble with anything else; average defender; has hit for nice power in three out of four college seasons, but questionable hit tool and substandard approach leave much to be desired; 6-3, 240 pounds
2012: .302/.389/.598 – 22 BB/30 K – 189 AB – 0/0 SB
Texas A&M SR 1B Jacob House: average at best power, mostly to gaps; plus defender; 6-3, 190 pounds
2011: .298/.352/.404 – 24 BB/41 K – 272 AB
2012: .303/.372/.471 – 19 BB/30 K – 208 AB – 10/13 SB
Arkansas SR 1B Sam Bates: decent lefthanded pop; can also play in the outfield corners; one of the stronger players in senior class; 6-5, 230 pounds
2011: .237/.352/.339 – 11 BB/20 K – 59 AB
2012: .242/.340/.435 – 17 BB/32 K – 124 AB – 3/3 SB
Virginia rJR 1B Jared King: good organizational depth for a team in need of a professional-quality hitter with a patient approach and solid punch at the lower levels; 6-0, 205 pounds
2011: .339/.430/.479 – 25 BB/46 K – 165 AB
2012: .306/.457/.503 – 49 BB/37 K – 183 AB – 13/19 SB
Coastal Carolina rSR 1B Rich Witten: good defender at first; can also play passably at both 3B and C; will be 24 about a month after the draft; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .309/.388/.472 – 24 BB/28 K – 233 AB
2012: .342/.444/.467 – 29 BB/18 K – 184 AB – 8/11 SB
Longwood JR 1B Justin Lacy: too many empty swings, but can give it a ride when he makes contact; has actually improved in that area (contact) in 2012; good defender with soft hands and at least an average arm; experienced player who has started from Day 1 on campus and shown well during summer wood bat leagues; looks like a solid org bat with a better than even chance he’ll return to school in 2013; 6-2, 215 pounds
2011: .309/.354/.470 – 10 BB/29 K – 181 AB
2012: .370/.458/.532 – 24 BB/34 K – 173 AB – 0/0 SB
Oklahoma JR 1B Drew Harrison: limited at bats in 2012, but has shown significant raw power before; 6-4, 255 pounds
Embry-Riddle (FL) rJR 1B Matt Skipper: plus raw power; great approach to hitting, very patient; holes in swing; slow; poor present defender, but athletic enough to be average if allowed to continue to get reps and figure it out; once peaked at mid-90s with FB as RHP, but Tommy John had him out for all of 2011 and his return to the mound is still in question; after down season (below) at the plate, a return to pitching may be his only hope in professional baseball; 6-9, 250 pounds
2012: .236/.364/.319 – 12 BB/14 K – 72 AB – 0/0 SB
Northwestern SR 1B Paul Snieder: interesting power upside; skilled defender; plus arm that is good enough for him to have some experience on the mound; cratered out from a performance perspective in 2012 after a strong 2011 season, so he’ll have to home that a team picking late had an area guy who saw him on his best days in ’11; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .330/.417/.500 – 26 BB/36 K – 176 AB
2012: .222/.309/.335 – 27 BB/50 K – 212 AB – 0/1 SB
UC Irvine SR 1B Jordan Fox: steady stream of line drives makes him an entertaining college hitter to watch; good defender; has the bat control and high contact rate to hit second, but that’s not exactly what pro teams want out of their first baseman; teams often don’t put too much stock in first base prospects who measure up at 5-9, 160 pounds
2011: .333/.411/.382 – 12 BB/6 K – 186 AB
2012: .318/.400/.410 – 13 BB/17 K – 195 AB – 10/14 SB
Valparaiso rSR 1B Will Hagel: excellent defender, but bat is too light to make it as a first baseman in professional baseball; 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .303/.350/.398 – 18 BB/30 K – 201 AB
2012: .293/.363/.392 – 24 BB/26 K – 222 AB – 0/1 SB
Alcorn State SR 1B Eduardo Gonzalez: more hitter than slugger, despite being a physically imposing presence; power upside is currently limited due to swing; 6-3, 210 pounds
2011: .289/.365/.431 – 22 BB/18 K – 218 AB
2012: .274/.333/.456 – 14 BB/24 K – 215 AB – 7/9 SB
Kansas SR 1B Chris Manship: wild swinger who hasn’t shown the in-game power to warrant such a poor approach; included mostly because he has experience behind plate, so the ever so slight possibility that a team will want to bring him in for his potential defensive versatility exists; also worth noting he has hit better with wood in the past, but, again, his undisciplined approach doesn’t help him profile as a legit prospect in any way with the bat; 6-2, 225 pounds
2011: .241/.312/.339 – 11 BB/37 K – 112 AB
2012: .262/.313/.377 – 7 BB/31 K – 122 AB – 0/1 SB
Wofford SR 1B Konstantine Diamaduros: promising hit tool, but hasn’t produced; has played some OF, but likely limited to 1B professionally; slow but smart runner; iffy arm; smart man: favorite listed TV show is “Workaholics”; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .332/.382/.415 – 18 BB/22 K – 217 AB
2012: .237/.308/.384 – 20 BB/35 K – 211 AB – 6/9 SB
Stats updated: 5/14/12
Rankings are fluid and highly subject to change. Additions to player notes will be made as necessary. Statistics will be updated periodically.
Florida JR C Mike Zunino: legitimate plus raw power, but expected to be above-average in-game professionally as length in swing could cause some issues on high velocity arms; plus arm strength; good athlete for his height and weight; plus defensive tools behind plate, surprisingly mobile; calling card is his power, but underrated as a natural hitter; value comes on field, obviously, but added bonus of being a take charge leader is nice for the position; more than just a flashy strong arm, also really accurate; swing can get too long at times which could expose him against good breaking balls going forward; also gets bonus points for calling own pitches; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .398/.469/.720 – 34 BB/49 K – 264 AB)
2012: .361/.418/.699 – 20 BB/29 K – 183 AB – 8/9 SB
Purdue JR C Kevin Plawecki: tremendous approach, as good as any hitter in this year’s college class; still a raw defender, but above-average tools are there; average arm, but it plays up due to much improved footwork and a quick release; good athlete; above-average hit tool; hits consistent line drives and makes a ton of contact; like the power, but others aren’t solid his swing will allow for much more than gap power – I think there’s 20 homer upside here; there was some question heading into the year, but will definitely stick behind plate; uses the whole field well as a hitter; high marks for all things intangible; given the choice between Zunino in the first or Plawecki later, I’d wait it out and grab Purdue’s backstop who might have more long-term upside; 6-2, 210 pounds
2011: .336/.425/.431 – 18 BB/10 K – 211 AB
2012: .411/.492/.629 – 24 BB/8 K – 202 AB – 3/5 SB
Kentucky JR C Luke Maile: good bat speed; big raw power; good arm; raw defensively; good athlete with room to grow into his body a little more; strong track record hitting against high velocity arms in SEC and summer league; lack of experience as backstop is worrisome, but has the tools to be a competent defender going forward; not quite enough bat to play first (at least as a starter), nor is he athletic enough to play anywhere but C/1B, so his future hinges on his ability to defend – I tend to think most questions of position switches at the amateur level tend to be answered in an unfavorable way sooner rather than later, but for some reason I’m less likely to move a prospect off catcher than any other position; long story short: Maile is a good enough defender with the chance to hit like an everyday player behind the plate; 6-3, 210 pounds
2011: .288/.369/.531 – 19 BB/47 K – 177 AB
2012: .319/.434/.545 – 31 BB/27 K – 191 AB – 9/11 SB
TCU JR C Josh Elander: plus power potential; above-average arm strength but it plays up even more due to quick release; footwork behind plate still needs work; above-average foot speed; physically mature and very strong; one of the best overall tool sets of any college prospect, but Elander is no different from many other prospects of this archetype – with great tools often comes a high degree of rawness; I believe he’ll have no problems sticking behind the plate, and think he has a chance to be a starting caliber catcher; could follow the Eli Marrero career path if his defense continues to lag behind his bat; 6-0, 205 pounds
2011: .374/.461/.573 – 28 BB/35 K – 171 AB
2012: .371/.490/.587 – 34 BB/32 K – 167 AB – 11/18 SB
Oklahoma City JR C Dane Phillips: has seen time in RF as well as behind the plate; average arm strength; above-average power upside, but better hit tool; slow, but, hey, he’s a catcher, right?; I’ve long been on record in believing in Phillips sticking behind the plate long-term, citing his progress year-to-year rather than his current ability; well known as a well-traveled man: transferred from OK State to Arkansas, where he was ruled ineligible, before landing at NAIA school Oklahoma City; tools are there to be a big league starting catcher; 6-1, 200 pounds
2012 (at Oklahoma State): .351/.404/.535 – 21 BB/50 K – 245 AB
2012: .417/.508/.779 – 32 BB/31 K – 204 AB – 2/4 SB
C Steve Bean (Rockwall HS, Texas): best known for his plus arm and outstanding defensive tools, though he is still growing into the position defensively; good athlete; decent runner for a catcher, but not exactly fleet of foot in the grand scheme of things; interesting power upside that some scouts insist on and others don’t buy into; not just strong, but baseball strong – he’s built well, and he knows how to use it to his advantage on the diamond; prep catchers always carry risk, but Bean’s defensive upside negates some of it – I’m not as sold on the bat as others; 6-2, 190 pounds
Oregon SO C Aaron Jones: has improved enough defensively that I have no doubt that he’ll stick; strong arm and more than athletic enough to play RF if he has to; interesting hit tool with above-average power upside; average speed; has intriguing track record with wood bats and a swing that should translate well to pro ball; some catchers are born, others made – Jones is one of the many 2012 prospects (Elander, Trahan, Sabol, Phillips) that fall in the latter category, but he has the tools to develop into a solid defender and an above-average hitter for the position; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .289/.388/.384 – 26 BB/39 K – 211 AB
2012: .320/.395/.522 – 20 BB/34 K – 178 AB – 5/9 SB
Washington JR C Chase Anselment: above-average arm; good approach; above-average power; like so many others in this class, Anselment has seen extensive time at a position other than catcher – in his case, he’s played a lot of RF for the Huskies; the high rate of failure for prep catchers has me thinking that the smart way to do it is to sit back and poach the one-time high school stars who do their developing in college – Mike Zunino is Exhibit A, but Anselment, Andrew Susac, Jonathan Walsh, and Dane Phillips all qualify; notes from Anselment’s prep days: “not known for his defensive talent, but should be middle of the order impact bat if he enrolls at school as expected; could be better suited as a big armed RF; Washington commit with plenty of projection left in his game”; 6-0, 210 pounds
2011: .270/.376/.421 – 21 BB/32 K – 159 AB
2012: .375/.444/.518 – 14 BB/17 K – 112 AB – 0/2 SB
Orange Coast CC SO C Stefan Sabol: premium athlete; plus arm strength, but sloppy throwing motion hinders utilization; plus raw power that hasn’t quite manifested yet in-game; potential above-average to plus hit tool, swing works with plenty of bat speed; transfer from Oregon; recovering from hamate injury; also has experience at 3B and in OF; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011 (at Oregon): .270/.388/.365 – 23 BB/28 K – 126 AB
2012: .250/.473/.359 – 26 BB/18 K – 64 AB
UCLA JR C Tyler Heineman: mature approach to hitting, simply doesn’t waste at bats; strong defensive tools, already a steady defender behind plate; above-average to plus arm, strong and accurate; good agility behind plate, underrated athlete; far from a big bat, but should always hit enough to get by; breakout junior season has stock on the rise; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .382/.491/.466 – 19 BB/9 K – 131 AB
North Carolina SR C Jacob Stallings: outstanding defender; plus arm; big favorite last year who has scuffled some with the bat this year, but remains a potential backup catcher due to his great makeup, patience at the plate, and defensive ability
2011: .305/.419/.446 – 47 BB/38 K – 233 AB
2012: .268/.381/.421 – 30 BB/35 K – 183 AB – 3/4 SB
Kennesaw State JR C Ronnie Freeman: very strong hit tool, a rarity for a backstop; above-average raw power, currently wears out the gaps; average at best arm, but makes up for it by being an instinctive, smart catcher; can get too aggressive at plate, which I think negates a big strength, but have been told coaches prefer him expanding his zone in order to look for something he can drive (i.e. it is alright to sacrifice some patience for power); good enough defender, but hardly a standout – his bat will carry him as an offense-first backstop; 6-1, 190 pounds
2011: .401/.496/.631 – 38 BB/30 K – 217 AB
2012: .344/.421/.462 – 23 BB/31 K – 186 AB
Indiana State JR C Jeremy Lucas: good athlete; improved defender; mature approach; pre-season all-caps FAVORITE despite a midwestern source (a close friend who won’t mind me calling him out here) who told me Lucas was a “solid college catcher, nothing more”; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .339/.428/.469 – 27 BB/19 K – 177 AB
2012: .363/.459/.571 – 30 BB/20 K – 212 AB – 5/6 SB
Nebraska JR C Richard Stock: plus arm; plus raw power; good athlete; has gone from USC to LA Pierce JC to Nebraska; value comes as catcher, so if he is forced to play predominantly first base then he’s in trouble; notes from Stock’s prep days: “has elicited Fred McGriff comps with his setup and swing; in a class of ridiculously hard throwers, Stock’s arm is on the short list of the strongest; gets sloppy behind plate due to overreliance on his pure arm strength; sloth-level speed; unfairly graded down because of struggles of his older brother, Robert”; 6-2, 185 pounds
2012: .338/.367/.515 – 7 BB/15 K – 198 AB – 1/2 SB
Stetson JR C Sam Kimmel: really good athlete with the potential to be a plus defender behind plate; above-average arm strength that could lead to plus pop times as he cleans up his footwork; impressive speed for a catcher; draft lists like this are full of personal biases and Kimmel’s higher than you’d think placement shows one of mine: I value athletic, defensive catchers in a big way, and Kimmel is one of college’s best; 6-0, 180 pounds
2012: .346/.435/.427 – 31 BB/30 K – 211 AB – 9/14 SB
Samford SR C Brandon Miller: good present power; strong arm; good athlete; reminiscent of Dane Phillips when it comes to his defense – has seen time in the OF, where many think he profiles best as a pro, but I’d keep running him out behind the plate until he shows he can’t do it; 6-1, 210 pounds
2011: .270/.382/.582 – 33 BB/50 K – 196 AB
2012: .287/.375/.619 – 31 BB/47 K – 223 AB – 0/3 SB
Sacramento State rSR C Derrick Chung: really good athlete; strong arm; excellent mobility behind plate; converted infielder who has taken to catching well; retains above-average speed, but catching could beat that down over time; leadoff profile as hitter – patient approach, good plate coverage, unafraid of deep counts, line drive swing that leads to consistent hard contact; age (24 in February) works against him; 5-10, 170 pounds
2011: .282/.426/.385 – 38 BB/33 K – 195 AB
2012: .400/.463/.518 – 15 BB/13 K – 170 AB
Notre Dame JR C Joe Hudson: excellent defender with plus big league upside; plus arm strength and accuracy; some power upside; too many swings and misses, but improved performance with the bat in 2012, especially in the power department, helps him profile as a potential backup; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .239/.322/.325 – 17 BB/19 K – 163 AB
2012: .330/.434/.500 – 22 BB/30 K – 188 AB – 3/4 SB
Baylor SR C Josh Ludy: above-average present power, strong, compact build; has improved in two major areas this spring – first, his questionable glove now has a chance to be average with continued work, and second, his hit tool, previously below-average, has improved just enough to put his power to use thanks to a cleaned up swing; strong arm; good approach; not sure he has the defensive chops to work as a backup, but power and physical strength are intriguing; 5-10, 210 pounds
2011: .268/.346/.371 – 20 BB/38 K – 205 AB
2012: .342/.427/.553 – 25 BB/36 K – 190 AB – 1/1 SB
Elon JR C Alex Swim: good defender; plus arm; love his approach; good runner for a catcher; has the swing, weight shift, and pitch recognition to hit for more power than he’s shown, but still needs to put on some muscle to turn some gappers into home runs; 6-0, 185 pounds
2011: .275/.312/.352 – 12 BB/11 K – 236 AB
2012: .357/.400/.449 – 19 BB/11 K – 227 AB – 6/9 SB
California SR C Chadd Krist: average or better power; inconsistent defender, but good enough when engaged in game; not sure about arm strength, as it sometimes plays average and sometimes is lacking; 5-11, 200 pounds
2011: .318/.398/.475 – 30 BB/37 K – 236 AB
2012: .302/.330/.444 – 6 BB/12 K – 169 AB
San Diego JR C Dillon Haupt: plus arm strength; good first year of Division I ball, but could really take off with another year of experience; 6-5, 225 pounds
2012: .287/.396/.467 – 22 BB/29 K – 167 AB – 3/4 SB
LSU-Eunice SO C Stuart Turner: very good defender; strong arm; only slightly below-average speed underway (impressive for a catcher, especially one his size), but smart on bases; has shown a quality approach, especially with two strikes; 6-2, 220 pounds
2012: .323/.452/.515 – 36 BB/20 K – 167 AB – 3/8 SB
Jacksonville State SR C Sam Eberle: decent defender who might fit best at 3B in pro ball; good athlete; strong; good runner for either defensive spot; bat could be above-average if allowed to catch at next level, but he’ll have to improve footwork and speed of release; 6-1, 220 pounds
2011: .340/.396/.526 – 22 BB/32 K – 247 AB
2012: .352/.462/.571 – 36 BB/21 K – 196 AB – 2/2 SB
Appalachian State JR C Tyler Tewell: has seen lots of time in outfield where he is a well above-average defender, but strong arm and athleticism fit really well behind the plate in the long run; reminds me of Elon’s Alex Swim, especially in how both players are good enough all-around to advance through minors even if they have to move off catcher; 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .237/.292/.340 – 6 BB/14 K – 97 AB
2012: .330/.405/.503 – 18 BB/18 K – 197 AB – 4/6 SB
Duke JR C Jeff Kremer: solid defensively; great approach at plate; lack of power limits offensive upside
2011: .357/.472/.452 – 41 BB/27 K – 199 AB
2012: .300/.413/.380 – 19 BB/22 K – 150 AB – 1/2 SB
Rice SR C Craig Manuel: plus defender; strong hit tool; really good athlete; absence of power is a problem, especially as he begins to rise professionally and face better pitchers more likely to challenge him with strikes, but strong enough in areas that pro teams like (approach, situational hitting, defense) that he has an outside chance at becoming a backup catcher if he is willing to wait around in the minors; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .320/.432/.371 – 30 BB/8 K – 175 AB
2012: .274/.368/.356 – 16 BB/9 K – 146 AB – 0/0 SB
Utah JR C Parker Morin: strong arm; has experience calling his own pitches; like Dillon Haupt, could really take off as a senior sign in 2013 if pro teams don’t think he’s quite ready this June; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .322/.354/.424 – 11 BB/25 K – 205 AB – 1/3 SB
Virginia Tech rSO C Chad Morgan: seen as a potential breakout candidate coming into the year due to his big power upside, plus arm, and well above-average defensive tools, but hasn’t put it together as expected; bat was/is a major question mark – tools are great, but the number one question for any young player has been/will forever be “can he hit?”; almost as sure a 2013 college returnee as there is in this class; 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .237/.333/.360 – 16 BB/34 K – 139 AB
2012: .184/.263/.255 – 9 BB/18 K – 98 AB – 0/1 SB
Kentucky SR C Michael Williams: above-average raw power, but doesn’t make enough consistent contact to make it worthwhile; will make his mark in pro ball on the strength of his well above-average defense and plus-plus arm strength – defense is so good that he has instant backup catcher upside; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .270/.326/.454 – 11 BB/32 K – 174 AB
2012: .285/.364/.376 – 20 BB/40 K – 186 AB – 0/1 SB
Oklahoma City rSR C Chad Carman: plus defender who defends well enough to warrant late-round consideration as potential backup catching option; age (23 as of May 9) works against him, but still could be of value to a team in need of a quality, professional presence to work with young pitching in low-minors; 5-10, 185 pounds
2012: .391/.433/.641 – 14 BB/12 K – 220 AB – 2/3 SB
Dixie State (UT) SR C Joe Andrade: come into year with reputation as a good defender with questionable upside at the plate; his impressive 2012 season (below) may not have provided answers to all of his critics, but the strong showing may have been enough to get him drafted; 5-11, 180 pounds
2012: .330/.396/.483 – 16 BB/15 K – 176 AB – 0/1 SB
Central Arizona JC SO C Matt Jones: above-average raw power; 6-0, 175 pounds
2012: .375/.451/.526 – 17 BB – 152 AB – 3/3 SB
Clemson SR C Phil Pohl: turns 22 one month after pro career hopefully begins – it could be me, but that’s a surprise (would have guessed at least late-30s) as it feels like he’s been in school forever; steady, “professional” college player who could have a good impact on a young low-minors club despite not having a real shot at ever reaching the highest levels of professional ball; 5-11, 215 pounds
2011: .351/.409/.504 – 18 BB/27 K – 228 AB
2012: .309/.381/.466 – 17 BB/34 K – 223 AB – 2/5 SB
Oral Roberts JR C Bennett Pickar: potential plus defender; some power potential, but hasn’t really shown it yet; bat is below-average, but defense could be enough to push him into contention for a backup role somewhere down the line; 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: .193/.309/.280 – 22 BB/40 K – 150 AB
2012: .299/.416/.374 – 31 BB/41 K – 174 AB – 0/0 SB
Florida Gulf Coast JR C Mike Reeves: untapped power; improved defender; personal favorite who I think needs more reps behind the plate – think his learning on the job approach to defense may have led to some bat lag; down 2012 season makes it likely he’ll have to return for another crack at it next year; 6-1, 210 pounds
2011: .331/.423/.440 – 28 BB/24 K – 175 AB
2012: .271/.387/.288 – 30 BB/24 K – 170 AB – 0/1 SB
Oregon rSR C Brett Hambright: good defender; strong arm; mature approach; weak bat; 6-0, 215 pounds
2011: .290/.395/.304 – 10 BB/10 K – 69 AB
2012: .258/.375/.297 – 20 BB/20 K – 128 AB – 1/2 SB
Arizona State JR C Max Rossiter: good defensive reputation, but reports of inconsistent performances behind plate this spring ; strong enough arm has been similarly inconsistent; bat doesn’t stand out, but makes consistent contact; 5-11, 185 pounds
2012: .312/.356/.394 – 7 BB/12 K – 109 AB
Kansas SR C James Stanfield: mature approach to hitting; good catch and throw guy, emphasis on the throw; converted infielder who is still raw in finer points of catching, but athletic enough to become average or better at position; might not hit enough to get the chance; 5-11, 185 pounds
2011: .307/.378/.439 – 10 BB/13 K – 114 AB
2012: .285/.369/.328 – 15 BB/15 K – 137 AB – 1/2 SB
Dallas Baptist JR C Duncan McAlpine: good approach; good defender; average but accurate arm; some power upside; hit tool has been a big letdown and will almost certainly keep him a college man for another season; 5-10, 190 pounds
2011: .224/.322/.362 – 25 BB/43 K – 174 AB
2012: .215/.333/.364 – 34 BB/48 K – 195 AB – 1/4 SB
Louisiana Tech rSO C Kyle Arnsberg: good athlete; above-average defender; Arizona State transfer who spent time at McLennan (TX) JC; 6-4, 215 pounds
2012: .222/.376/.296 – 18 BB/20 K – 81 AB – 1/2 SB
UC Irvine SR C Ronnie Shaeffer: average arm; above-average defender; intriguing bat that needs polish; 6-2, 195 pounds
2011: .274/.326/.317 – 15 BB/33 K – 208 AB
2012: .147/.268/.147 – 6 BB/3 K – 34 AB – 0/0 SB
Wake Forest JR C Brett Armour: fine athlete for a catcher with average or better speed for the position; also possesses a strong, accurate arm; looks like a pro catcher based on his defense – I really like his actions behind plate where his athleticism shines through; durable player with a track record of hitting with wood, but issues with bat make him a senior sign hopeful for 2013; 6-2, 185 pounds
2011: .197/.300/.274 – 19 BB/41 K – 157 AB
2012: .228/.279/.361 – 10 BB/34 K – 158 AB – 3/4 SB
Florida Southern rSR C Austin Chubb: plus defender; average arm; reminds me of a lesser version of Chad Carman – not quite as adept a hitter or a defender, but still a potentially useful late-round low-minors catcher worth a look; 6-2, 215 pounds
2012: .291/.339/.539 – 8 BB/27 K – 165 AB – 0/0 SB
Charlotte rSR C Ross Steedley: really good college player who takes on more responsible than your typical amateur catcher – e.g. calls his own games; falls into the category of “org catcher you want catching your young prospect arms in A-ball”; 6-0, 200 pounds
2011: .316/.357/.418 – 8 BB/21 K – 158 AB
2012: .294/.351/.485 – 3 BB/10 K – 68 AB – 0/0 SB
Kansas SR C Alex DeLeon: above-average raw power; decent at best defender; really inaccurate arm, throws go all over; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .309/.400/.546 – 12 BB/26 K – 97 AB
2012: .260/.347/.390 – 18 BB/25 K – 146 AB – 0/1 SB
Vanderbilt rSR C Drew Fann: included mostly because I just wanted to share his line (below) – if I told you there was a college catcher with pro size and quality defense who got on base 50% of the time he came to the plate, even in a small sample size, you’d be intrigued, right?; 6-4, 205 pounds
2012: .091/.500/.136 – 10 BB/10 K – 22 AB – 0/0 SB
Stats updated: 5/2/12
I’ve been thinking long and hard — note my general absence of late, and the lack of quality posts over the past few weeks — about the best way to share the information that I’ve accrued over the past 18 months on 2012 MLB Draft prospects, and, with less than four full weeks until the draft’s first day, I’m finally ready to submit my plan for the next month with my beautiful, adoring public. I’m feeling as much pressure as somebody who runs a free, infrequently read, one-man operation of a baseball draft website can feel because all kinds of pesky life commitments keep getting in the way of me getting some quality time working on the site. I don’t want the hard work of the last year and a half to go to waste simply because I don’t have a few extra hours each day to do exactly what I want to do with the site, so it is time to improvise.
At some point this week, a new page will go up on the site. The page will serve as an index of all of the 2012 Draft rankings that I’ve put together (largely behind the scenes) thus far. It will look a little something like this…
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Catcher Prospect Rankings
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft First Base Prospect Rankings
(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Second Base Prospect Rankings
…but with two major differences: 1) the titles above will all be hyperlinked to the pages that actually contain the rankings, and 2) there will be rankings for every position on the diamond. I’m still debating on whether or not I want to differentiate between college and high school lists, but at this point I’m inclined to throw every player together and let the chips fall where they may. This may be hard to imagine for now, but it will make a lot more sense by the end of the week.
For the first few days after the links go live, the rankings will look like a total mess. That’s by design, believe it or not. I really liked the way Rotoworld’s Josh Norris organized his 2012 NFL Draft coverage using a constantly evolving public Google document, and I think this site could use some of that same forward thinking. Rankings are fluid, and it is silly to continue to pretend otherwise. Note the word “Ongoing” at the start of each ranking. By adding names and information as I have the time, the site should be continuously refreshed with new information each and every day between now and the day before the draft. It may not appear that much is going on, as “new” posts won’t be popping up on the main page like before, but the links in the index will be constantly updated as new players are added.
One last important consideration that I can’t believe has taken me this long to get to: the rankings won’t just be a name and a number. This rankings will have a little more meat than previous lists on this site. That’s one of the things that makes me happiest about this plan. Instead of writing up paragraphs on each player in the top twenty (like last year), I can now go deeper with ranking guys by focusing on far easier to write and organize random player notes. In addition to the basic biographical information about each player, I’ll include as much from my personal scouting database — I don’t mean for that to sound fancy in any way; it’s just a Word doc that I use to jot down any random player note that comes to mind — as necessary along the way. Statistical information will also be provided whenever possible. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about (stats are current as of 5/2):
Florida JR C Mike Zunino: legitimate plus raw power, but expected to be above-average in-game professionally as length in swing could cause some issues on high velocity arms; plus arm strength; good athlete for his height and weight; plus defensive tools behind plate, surprisingly mobile; calling card is his power, but underrated as a natural hitter; value comes on field, obviously, but added bonus of being a take charge leader is nice for the position; more than just a flashy strong arm, also really accurate; swing can get too long at times which could expose him against good breaking balls going forward; also gets bonus points for calling own pitches; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .398/.469/.720 – 34 BB/49 K – 264 AB
2012: .365/.418/.713 – 17 BB/25 K – 167 AB
That quick blurb on Zunino may be all I wind up writing about the guy between now and draft day. Or maybe something will come up that will make me want to go back and add something new. Again, we’re stressing the ever-evolving idea of player evaluation here. The idea behind including notes on each player is to quickly sum up a prospect’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as (hopefully) sharing a general view of what kind of player we’re talking about. I’ll be sure to send out updates when player information is revised or rankings are changed. Updates will also be provided after I go through and get the most current statistics for each player.
*****
In all honesty, I’m not 100% sure this is going to work. I do, however, think the opportunity to approach draft coverage in a slightly different manner is worth the risk. I suppose in that way, I’m confident this will “work.” Sure, it won’t work in an increased traffic to the site kind of way — I’m 99.99% sure this approach will submarine any chance I had of increasing the number of eyeballs who come here, but I’ve come to accept and appreciate that covering the draft like I do only appeals to a very small subset of the baseball loving world — but if I can get as much information out as humanly possible between now and June 4, then this will have worked.
This was originally going to be a Random Draft Thoughts post, but I’ve gone a little off the deep end with discussing one of my favorite 2012 draft prospects that we’ll step back and let the spotlight stay on him for the time being. Minor site announcement will be up in the next few days, so be on the lookout for that. Until then, let’s talk short righties…
Marcus Stroman and Lance McCullers can and should start professionally at the onset of their respective careers. That in and of itself isn’t particularly noteworthy — the pro-Stroman faction is growing with each passing day — so I’m happy to go a step further and state that I think both pitchers will thrive in the rotation as pros. I’ll stay off the soapbox and avoid discussing the unfounded majority views that certain players can’t work as starters because of their height/weight (malarkey!) and/or “reliever arm action” (I’m willing to entertain this thought, but, as I’ve always said, if the pitcher can repeat his delivery consistently, I don’t care how he looks throwing the ball), and I’ll instead choose to focus on the many things each guy does well. I feel like Stroman has been talked to death already (short version: plus fastball, plus slider, above-average change, holds velocity, gets ground balls, destroys righties, struggles against lefties), so lets focus on (the also widely discussed, but whatever) McCullers.
McCullers has a plus fastball that gets high marks for both its easy, late game velocity and much improved command. To wit, the young righthander had a a brief spell of “Mark Appel disease” last summer when he threw far too many hittable strikes, but has recovered to refine his pitch sequencing (I always give credit to young pitchers for this as their right of last refusal on the mound remains the last line of defense before a pitch is thrown…it may not happen a ton, but few things are more amusing when a star high schooler shakes off a sign that has been relayed to the catcher by the manager), establish his fastball in pitchers’ locations earlier in the count, and, most importantly, fine tune his secondary stuff to the point that he’ll now throw either his secondary or tertiary pitches in any count.
Hey, speaking of McCullers’ secondary pitch, his 79-84 spike curve is a true plus offering with outstanding shape and much improved command. I’m always impressed to see any pitcher, let alone a high school guy, throw knuckle curves with any kind of consistency. It took McCullers some adjustment time, but when the light when on with that pitch, his overall game really took off. I’m also completely on board with his mid-80s changeup. One of the downsides of being such a dominant prep pitcher is only really needing to rely on one or two plus offerings. McCullers hasn’t busted out the change in game action as often as some might feel comfortable with before slapping on a future 60 grade, but he’s shown enough in bullpens that I’m happy to go there. It doesn’t hurt that he’s showing it off more and more with each outing, of course. Smart kid.
So we’re left with a young righthander with two clear plus pitches and a third with the potential to be above-average or better in time. I know this isn’t exactly a revolutionary concept here, but, come on, this kid is a starting pitching all the way at this point. Enough people around the game now believe the same thing, so maybe I’m arguing against nobody here. I hope that’s the case because I’d really like to see what McCullers could do as a pro starting pitcher. How early will a team want to pull the trigger on actually drafting McCullers? To answer that, let’s take a look at his peer group. After Lucas Giolito, a pitcher with a few questions to answer himself, which righthanded prep arm has separated himself from the rest of the pack? Without yet giving away my personal preference list, I’d venture Zach Eflin, Walker Weickel, Nick Travieso, Mitchell Traver, Ty Buttrey, Shane Watson, Chase DeJong, Duane Underwood, JO Berrios, and Ty Hensley all warrant some consideration for ranking at such lofty heights. Is there one name that stands out above all the rest? The trio of Florida guys that kick the last group off all probably have the best shot to go second after Giolito (yes, I’m being stubborn on Weickel), but the field is truly wide open. Not sure where any of this leaves us with respect to McCullers, but it does give a nice segue into the aforementioned site announcement at the start of this rant. Stay tuned for that…
