Just a few very quick notes on a select number of interesting round two choices. More to come later…

Washington Nationals – San Diego LHP Sammy Solis

First, the quick Sammy Solis (#3 on my list of ’10 lefthanded pitchers) scouting report…

90-92 FB pre-injury, now sitting more regularly 87-89, but pitch maintains serious late life through zone; plus 77-78 CU; excellent 71-75 CB when on; 76-78 mystery pitch that has been identified as either a harder CB with bite or the beginnings of a SL; coming back from ruptured disc in back; 6-5, 228 pounds; (4.07 FIP; 9.88 K/9; 2.09 BB/9)

Absolute home run of a selection, I think. Good enough FB, plus CU, and CB that flashes well above-average at times all packed into a durable frame with relatively low college mileage on his arm. Easy to start dreaming about a Nationals rotation of Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Sammy Solis at the top and a lineup featuring Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Derek Norris, with Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa consistently catching the ball up the middle…

Pittsburgh Pirates – St. Edward HS (OH) RHP Stetson Allie

I suppose the question as to whether or not the Pirates were going to play it safe or keep gambling on mid- to late-round prep pitching has been answered for now. I ignored too many red flags with Allie (iffy secondary stuff and poor control) in my final draft ranking and if I could do it all over again I would have had him slotted much lower. As it stands, he’s not a bad gamble here in the top of the second.

Tampa Bay Rays – Georgia Tech 3B Derek Dietrich

Boston Red Sox – Texas RHP Brandon Workman

I know I’m jumping ahead a bit, but this excites me. Tampa and Boston continue to just absolute kill it through the first two rounds. Derek Dietrich and Brandon Workman are two of my favorite college prospects. I like Dietrich’s relatively low floor as a potential starting big league third baseman and I love Workman’s front of the rotation stuff, as outlined in this handy dandy scouting report:

Texas JR RHP Brandon Workman: low-90s FB with serious sink, peak 95-97; plus high-70s CB; sinking CU with legit promise; usable low-80s SL; two biggest issues out of high school (mechanics and poor control) both ironed out after three years in Austin; 6-5, 225 pounds (4.30 FIP; 9.43 K/9; 1.89 BB/9)

Workman was #2 on my list of ’10 righthanded pitchers, for what it’s worth. I wonder if Tampa thinks a) Dietrich can stick at short next to Longoria b) handle second base professionally, or c) they were in a position to draft a quality bat and figured it never hurts to stockpile assets, position be damned. I lean towards that last option, but who knows…

I missed terribly on Andrelton Simmons, it appears. Never in a million years would I have slapped a second round grade or higher grade on him, but Atlanta clearly valued his defense highly enough to roll the dice he’ll bat will wake up someday.

I’m skipping ahead to do my annual Phillies shadow draft. Here’s what I would have done if given their allotment of picks…

Philadelphia Phillies Shadow Draft

1.27 – Harvard Westlake HS (CA) OF Austin Wilson
2.77 – Oviedo HS (FL) RHP AJ Cole
3.108 – San Diego JR RHP Kyle Blair
4.141 – Florida State JR OF Tyler Holt
5.171 –  Tattnall Square HS (GA) RHP DeAndre Smelter
6.201 – San Diego JR 3B Victor Sanchez
7.231 – Barbe HS (LA) 3B Garin Cecchini
8.261 – Archbishop Mitty HS (CA) SS James Roberts
9.291 – Vanderbilt JR C Curt Casali
10. 321 – Louisville SO OF Stewart Ijames

Wilson and Cole at the time are meant to act as insurance for one another. In a perfect world, both would be signed and in uniform within a few weeks, but, knowing full well both are major signability concerns, I’d live with getting one to sign on the dotted line. I know I’m way higher on both than just about anybody else, but I think landing either gives you a legitimate top half of the first round talent with your first pick. I’m sure there is more to say about this and much more, but it’s time to go watch Mike Stanton play baseball.