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

(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Outfielder Prospect Rankings

(Ongoing) 2012 MLB Draft Pitcher Prospect Rankings

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 peak; plus FB movement; good 74-78 CB; 79 SL; 6-3, 190 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

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; 6-2, 215 pounds

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

Rice rJR OF Jeremy Rathjen (2012): 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 a 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

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

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

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

Stats updated: 5/2/12

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

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

Stats updated: 5/2/12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stats updated: 5/2/12

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; 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stats updated: 5/14/12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 AB0

Stats updated: 5/2/12

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.

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…