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2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Memphis
JR OF/1B Jake Little (2015)
SR C/1B Carter White (2015)
SR 1B/3B Tucker Tubbs (2015)
rSR OF Kane Barrow (2015)
SR C Nate Rupiper (2015)
rJR SS Jake Overbey (2015)
SR RHP Dylan Toscano (2015)
rJR RHP Craig Caufield (2015)
JR LHP Colin Lee (2015)
SR LHP Caleb Wallingford (2015)
SO RHP Trevor Sutton (2016)
SO RHP Nolan Blackwood (2016)
SO OF Darien Tubbs (2016)
Thanks Memphis for your crappy stats layout on your official team website. You turned me back on to The Baseball Cube, which does an excellent job of tracking college stats. I was lost without College Splits this past year, but knowing that I can at least lean on The Baseball Cube in the offseason makes me feel a lot better going forward. Also, thanks Memphis for having a pretty darn interesting team this year, especially on the mound. SRs RHP Dylan Toscano and LHP Caleb Wallingford are both large men (6-5, 200 and 6-4, 200, respectively) with really impressive track records when healthy. rJR RHP Craig Caulfield isn’t quite as big (6-3, 210), but he’s right there with them stuff-wise. That’s a really strong trio of arms for any program, so good work by Memphis here.
If SR 1B/3B Tucker Tubbs can rediscover his lost power stroke, he’s got a chance to get popped as a potential four-corners minor league bench bat. SR C/1B Carter White is worth a follow as a backstop with a good idea of the strike zone. JR OF/1B Jake Little has flashed enough power and speed to consider a draftable talent with a good junior season. rJR SS Jake Overbey is the most talented player on the roster, so it should go without saying there are many in and around the Memphis program eagerly anticipating his debut for the Tigers. Overbey, the Ole Miss transfer, is an incredibly athletic baseball player with the defensive tools to play up the middle professionally. He’s had a long layoff between steady at bats so there’s really no telling how he’ll perform at the plate, but the upside is fascinating.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Houston
JR OF Kyle Survance (2015)
rJR OF Ashford Fulmer (2015)
SR OF Michael Pyeatt (2015)
JR 3B/1B Justin Montemayor (2015)
JR 2B Josh Vidales (2015)
JR C Ian Rice (2015)
JR RHP Patrick Weigel (2015)
SR RHP Aaron Garza (2015)
JR RHP Jacob Lemoine (2015)
SR RHP David Longville (2015)
SR RHP Jared Robinson (2015)
SR LHP Matt Locus (2015)
JR RHP Bubba Maxwell (2015)
SO 3B Connor Hollis (2016)
SO RHP Andrew Lantrip (2016)
SO RHP Marshall Kasowski (2016)
SO 3B Jordan Strading (2016)
FR INF Connor Wong (2017)
Houston returns three outfielders who all could get a shot at the pros come June. JR OF Kyle Survance is the best of the trio. His power is limited, but his speed and defense should keep him employed for at least a few years. If it clicks for him, it’s a big league skill set. rJR OF Ashford Fulmer is the most confounding player of the three. You could argue for his tools over Survance’s (very close call there, though I’m admittedly lower on Survance than most), but his average or better raw power hasn’t shown up in games yet while his overly aggressive approach leaves something to be desired. What SR OF Michael Pyeatt lacks in raw tools, he almost makes up for in baseball IQ. I have no feel on how teams currently feel about him — if they have a strong emotion on him either way — but he strikes me as the classic undersized battler who will grind out at bats and play beyond his physical limitations. I’d rank them as I discussed them (Survance, Fulmer, Pyeatt, with decent-sized gaps between each), but all three are draftable talents.
JR 3B/1B Justin Montemayor certainly looks the part, but, like Fulmer, he’s a young hitter who has been too aggressive at the plate for his own good to this point. I wish JR 2B Josh Vidales had even a little bit of power (.327 and .306 slugging the past two seasons) because his approach (88 BB/51 K career), defense (plus) and speed (26/34 SB career, not a burner but picks his spots really well) all rate high enough to be an entertaining prospect to follow professionally. The fact that he’s currently seen as a second base or bust (though, again, he’s fantastic there) defensive prospect works against him, though I wonder — I honestly don’t know — if that’s something he can change minds about this spring. If he could be trusted on the left side of the infield, then we’re talking a strong potential utility future, even without the power. For all his flaws, I’d still want him to be a member of my organization.
All of those players are established big time college baseball players; the fewest number of career at bats for any one of them is still over 300. The Cougar hitter I think has the best chance to be a quality pro (or at least the 1a to Survance’s 1b), however, is a guy without the same kind of major college track record. I’m sky high on JR C Ian Rice, a transfer by way of Chipola who can really, really hit. If he shows enough behind the plate to convince teams he’s a catcher long-term (as I do), there’s no telling how high he could rise by June. It’s just a hair too early to start stacking up prospects by position, but I’m very sure Rice will wind up higher on my board at that spot than anywhere else on the internet.
The two biggest arms on the staff belong to JR RHPs Jacob Lemoine and Patrick Weigel. The imposing pair combine big fastballs (both 88-94, peaking up near 96/97) with big frames (6-5, 220 for Lemoine and 6-6, 220 for Weigel). Lemoine’s big strength is his hard mid-80s slider, an average or better pitch at present with the chance to be a consistent plus offering in time. Weigel’s big weakness is his control. He walked over 7 batters per nine in his one year of big conference college ball at Pacific before upping that number to over one batter per inning at Oxnard CC last year. That’s scary. Even at his best, like last season when he struck out 12.39 batters per nine in 61 innings, he’s what could charitably be called “effectively wild.” In a way, Weigel is a tiny bit like the pitching version of Rice. Both are largely unproven talents with serious upside. We’ll have to wait and see as to how far along the well-traveled Weigel’s command and control (both need work) have developed, but the raw stuff is top two round quality. Lemoine is a more proven commodity after having spent two seasons putting up numbers ranging from solid (2013) to very good (2014) right here at Houston. If he takes that next step in terms of performance, it’s no stretch to envision him as a mid- to late-first round pick, especially if teams look at him as a starting pitcher going forward. I think his rapidly improving changeup and strong ground ball tendencies (allegedly…I have yet to check the numbers myself, but I will) give him a better than average shot at remaining in the rotation professionally. Both players have the potential to go very high this June, something that should come as no surprise in a sport that will always value power arms and power bats above most else.
SR RHP Aaron Garza is an excellent college pitcher who may not miss enough bats to be anything more than an excellent college pitcher. His consistent success at this level is pretty damn impressive considering said inability to miss bats (he’s gone from K/9’s of 6ish to 5ish to 4ish over the past three seasons, not exactly an inspiring trend) and his stuff is at least a little intriguing (CB, SL, and CU can all be throw for strikes AND flash above-average or better on any given day), so maybe he’s a whole is greater than the sum of parts kind of pitcher. The short fastball (mid- to upper-80s, 90 peak) is going to be held against him, but his secondaries, command, size (6-4, 200) and continued mastery of college competition against all logical odds demands some attention. Every year I do my best to track GB% for certain pitchers, and Garza could be a good candidate for this year’s exercise. I’m not sure what else we can attribute to his consistent run of success without being able to strike people out. Even his biggest fan wouldn’t call him a serious top five round pitching prospect, but he’s a fascinating player all the same. I know little to nothing about SR RHP Jared Robinson and JR RHP Bubba Maxwell, but the pair combined to strike out almost a batter per inning last season (61 K in 71.2 IP) with good control and shiny ERA’s. Both are undersized righthanded pitchers, so who knows what the future holds. SO RHP Marshall Kasowski is one to watch for the class of 2016.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – East Carolina
JR C Luke Lowery (2015)
JR OF Garrett Brooks (2015)
SR SS/2B Hunter Allen (2015)
rJR RHP David Lucroy (2015)
SR LHP/OF Reid Love (2015)
SO 1B/LHP Bryce Harman (2016)
SO RHP/INF Davis Kirkpatrick (2016)
SO LHP Jacob Wolfe (2016)
SO SS Kirk Morgan (2016)
SO 2B/SS Charlie Yorgen (2016)
SO C Eric Tyler (2016)
It’s amazing that JR C Luke Lowery can be considered a prospect at all with swing-and-miss in his game. Through two seasons at East Carolina the burly catcher has managed to have two productive offseason seasons (.304/.347/.489 and .287/.321/.400) while striking out 6.5 times per every walk (12 BB/78 K). If his largely successful first two collegiate years doesn’t underscore the importance of power, then I’m not sure what other proof is necessary. The approach is still concerning enough for me that I can’t overlook it (and I have some doubts about his glove as well), but teams that dig the long ball could be swayed by his above-average to plus raw power, physicality, and underrated athleticism. JR OF Garrett Brooks could be on the verge of something, but after two highly underwhelming seasons I’m no longer sure what that something will look like. He’s got pro-caliber tools packed into his strong 5-9, 200 pound frame, but the results so far haven’t been pretty. SR SS/2B Hunter Allen lacks Brooks’ physical gifts, but a better present hit tool, solid approach, and steady glove could make him a sneaky late senior sign.
SR LHP Reid Love is a good athlete with enough fastball (88-91) to do good things (3.02 ERA in 80.1 IP last year), but he’ll have to miss more bats (4.48 K/9) to become a real draft threat. rJR RHP David Lucroy has a long draft history, so this season is hardly a make-or-break campaign for him. It is, however, a prime opportunity to flash the kind of big arm (often up to mid-90s, has touched 97/98 in past) that has made him famous as an amateur. His impressive first season (10.45 K/9) is likely still on the minds of those who saw him, and a return to that level (rather than the 5.77 K/9 of last year) should make him a premium (top ten to fifteen round) selection.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Cincinnati
JR 2B/OF Ian Happ (2015)
JR C Woody Wallace (2015)
JR 1B Devin Wenzel (2015)
JR 2B Forrest Perron (2015)
JR RHP Mitch Patishall (2015)
rJR RHP Bryan Chenoweth (2015)
SR RHP Ryan Atkinson (2015)
rSO LHP Colton Cleary (2015)
SO RHP Andrew Zellner (2016)
SO INF Connor McVey (2016)
A switch-hitting Michael Brantley with the chance to stick in the dirt. That’s one of the ways JR OF/2B Ian Happ was described to me recently. I like it. Happ is a really well-rounded player with no tool worse than average who is quick, strong, and athletic. He controls the strike zone well (career 79 BB/67 K), swipes bags at a high success rate (44 SB at 81% success), and has exposure to a variety of different positions on the diamond. That last point is a little bit of a spin job by me, but I think he’s a talented enough player to figure things out defensively at whatever spot his pro teams wishes to play him. That’s the biggest — only? — question surrounding Happ’s game. A guy with the upside to hit .280+ with strong on-base skills, pop to hit double-digit homers regularly (20ish as a ceiling?), and the speed to swipe 25+ bases every season through his prime strikes me as a very valuable offensive player at any position on the diamond. I’d trot him out at second base for as long as possible because I think he’s got the hands, instincts, and athleticism to stay up the middle. If that doesn’t work, my next stop for him would be center. Others think he could work at third, an outfield corner (why there and not center doesn’t make sense to me, but what do I know), or even shortstop if given enough reps. That kind of positional versatility (or uncertainty if you’re the negative sort) brings to mind a fairly obvious comp: Ben Zobrist. Zobrist’s unusual place in today’s game — players capable of playing well at so many different defensive spots are a rarity, plus he’s a really late-bloomer who has exceeded even the loftiest expectations scouts may have once had for him — make him a hard player to comp anybody to, but here we are. Feel free to stick with Brantley as a possible outcome if you find Zobrist objectionable.
I have used a Zobrist comp before, by the way. It was back in 2010 when I compared West Virginia 2B Jedd Gyorko to the Tampa Bay star. Not my best work. I’ve also used a Zobrist comp (kind of) in a personal email, which I’ll share a snippet of here because, well, why not…
.318/.429/.458
.322/.407/.474
Bottom is [Tommy] La Stella. Top is Ben Zobrist. Minor league numbers, of course. We’re just talking hitting here; Zobrist blows La Stella away in every other area of the game. I’m not crazy enough to predict La Stella has that same kind of offensive career — and, even if he does, his glove may submarine his value low enough that you’d never feel great about him as an everyday player — but I think he’ll be solid enough that the Braves wind up regretting this one.
Anyway.
Outside of Happ there isn’t much for scouts to key in on when they visit campus. That’s a bummer because I like when a star like Happ can bring scouts in and then a less-heralded player gets noticed along the way; you hear that old story a lot in recruiting circles where a star HS talent winds up having a relatively unknown teammate outpace everybody once scouts really key in on him. The good news is I’m far from the final word on this subject. One of the players listed — or even somebody off the board altogether at this point — could rise up and give scouts something to think about this spring. The best prospect I can currently offer is JR Mitch Patishall, an undersized righthander coming off a year of 6.71 ERA ball in 55 innings. Cincinnati: come for Ian Happ, stay for…more Ian Happ!
Running 2015 MLB Draft Prospect Follow Lists (Week Three: Completed ACC – UNC and Louisville)
North Carolina and Louisville remain the last two teams in the conference to submit Fall 2014 rosters, but the rest of the ACC is up to date. That means the list you see below is as complete as possible to this point. Changes from last week include adding players from Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, as well as subtracting players from Maryland, a school I completely forgot left the conference. Getting old stinks.
C
- Duke rSR C Mike Rosenfeld
- Miami SR C Garrett Kennedy
1B
- Boston College JR 1B/OF Chris Shaw
- Florida State rSR 1B Chris Marconcini
- Georgia Tech SR 1B/C AJ Murray
- Georgia Tech rSO 1B Cole Miller
- Virginia Tech SR 1B/RHP Brendon Hayden
2B
- Virginia JR 2B/3B John LaPrise
- Georgia Tech SR 2B/SS Thomas Smith
- North Carolina State SR 2B/3B Logan Ratledge
SS
- Clemson JR SS/3B Tyler Krieger
- Virginia SO SS/3B Daniel Pinero
- Notre Dame JR SS Lane Richards
3B
- Miami JR 3B/1B David Thompson
- Miami JR 3B/OF George Iskenderian
- Georgia Tech JR 3B/SS Matt Gonzalez
OF
- Florida State JR OF DJ Stewart
- Virginia JR OF Joe McCarthy
- Clemson JR OF Steven Duggar
- Virginia Tech rSO OF Saige Jenco
- Pittsburgh SR OF Boo Vazquez
- Georgia Tech rJR OF Dan Spingola
- Clemson SR OF Tyler Slaton
- North Carolina State SR OF Jake Fincher
- Wake Forest rSR OF Kevin Jordan
P
- Duke JR RHP Michael Matuella
- Virginia JR LHP Nathan Kirby
- Clemson JR LHP Matthew Crownover
- Miami rJR LHP Andrew Suarez
- Virginia JR RHP Josh Sborz
- Clemson JR RHP Clate Schmidt
- Florida State JR LHP Alex Diese
- Duke JR RHP/SS Kenny Koplove
- Clemson JR LHP Zack Erwin
- Virginia JR LHP Brandon Waddell
- Clemson rSO RHP Wales Toney
- Florida State JR RHP/OF Jameis Winston
- Duke SR RHP Andrew Istler
- Duke rSO RHP James Marvel
- Florida State SR LHP Bryant Holtmann
- Clemson rJR RHP Patrick Andrews
- Florida State rJR RHP Mike Compton
- North Carolina State JR LHP Brad Stone
- Miami JR LHP Thomas Woodrey
- Wake Forest JR RHP/C Garrett Kelly
- Wake Forest SR RHP Matt Pirro
- Notre Dame rSR RHP Cristian Torres
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Virginia Tech
rSO OF Saige Jenco (2015)
SR 2B/SS Alex Perez (2015)
rSR OF Kyle Wernicki (2015)
rJR OF Logan Bible (2015)
SR 1B/RHP Brendon Hayden (2015)
rSO 1B/LHP Phil Sciretta (2015)
SR LHP/1B Sean Keselica (2015)
rSO LHP Kit Scheetz (2015)
rJR LHP Jon Woodcock (2015)
SO RHP Luke Scherzer (2016)
SO SS Ricky Surum (2016)
SO RHP Aaron McGarity (2016)
SO 3B Ryan Tufts (2016)
SO OF/LHP Tom Stoffel (2016)
SO 3B/OF Miguel Ceballos (2016)
FR C Joe Freiday (2017)
This year’s Virginia Tech roster is one of the reasons I enjoy following college baseball prospects. Quite simply, there’s not much on this roster worth getting worked about. There are a few worthwhile 2015 follows like SR 1B/RHP Brendon Hayden, who has sandwiched two pretty good years around a dismal sophomore season and has interesting power in his 6-5, 210 pound frame, and SR LHP/1B Sean Keselica, another valuable two-way talent who who has a good arm (87-92 FB, good breaking ball) but has been inconsistent on the mound.
Even still, it would be easy to call it a down year (draft-wise) for the program and move on to the next team, perhaps returning next year if SO SS Ricky Surum starts hitting as expected or SO RHP Aaron McGarity has another solid season. Moving on, however, would led you to miss one of college baseball’s most overlooked talents. rSO OF Saige Jenco is a really good ballplayer. His plus to plus-plus speed is a game-changing tool, and, best of all, his understanding of how and when to utilize his special gift helps it play up even more. It’s rare to find a young player who knows what kind of player he truly is; the ability to play within yourself is so often overlooked by those scouring the nation for potential pros, but it can be the difference between a guy who gets by and a guy who gets the most out of his ability. Jenco knows how and when to use his speed to every advantage possible. From running down mistakes in the outfield, swiping bags at a solid rate, working deep counts and driving pitchers to frustration (40 BB/23 K), to knowing adopting the swing and approach of a power hitter would lead to ruin, Jenco fully understands and appreciates his strengths and weaknesses. While it’s true the lack of present power is a significant weakness (.032 ISO is mind-boggling low), Jenco’s strengths remain more interesting than what he can’t do well. A career along the lines of Ben Revere, Juan Pierre, Dee Gordon, or Craig Gentry, who had an ISO of just .087 in his junior year at Arkansas before returning for a senior season that helped him show off enough of a power spike (.167 ISO) to get drafted as a $10,000 senior sign, is on the table with continued growth.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Virginia
JR OF Joe McCarthy (2015)
JR 2B/3B John LaPrise (2015)
SO SS/3B Daniel Pinero (2015)
SR 3B Kenny Towns (2015)
JR C/RHP Robbie Coman (2015)
JR LHP Brandon Waddell (2015)
JR LHP Nathan Kirby (2015)
JR RHP Josh Sborz (2015)
JR LHP David Rosenberger (2015)
SO RHP Connor Jones (2016)
SO C Matt Thaiss (2016)
SO RHP Jack Roberts (2016)
SO RHP Alec Bettinger (2016)
FR 2B Jack Gerstenmaier (2017)
FR 1B/RHP Pavin Smith (2017)
FR RHP Derek Casey (2017)
FR RHP Tommy Doyle (2017)
FR OF/LHP Adam Haseley (2017)
FR LHP Bennett Sousa (2017)
FR 3B Charlie Cody (2017)
FR C/2B Justin Novak (2017)
FR OF Christian Lowry (2017):
FR INF/OF Ernie Clement (2017)
Virginia has spoiled us all when we look at the talent above and think “yeah, it’s good but I’m just not feeling blown away.” That was my initial reaction to seeing the team laid out like this, but then you start doing the math. We’ve got a super athletic corner outfielder with a plus approach and strong hit tool (JR OF Joe McCarthy), a 6-5, 210 pound defensively gifted middle infielder (SO SS/3B Daniel Pinero), a crafty lefty with a plus curve who struck out almost a batter an inning his last healthy season (JR LHP Brandon Waddell), and a power-armed potential professional closer who lives in the mid-90s with three average or better secondaries including a hard cut-SL that could be a major weapon in time (JR RHP Josh Sborz). Then there’s JR LHP Nathan Kirby. All he’s done since getting to Virginia is a) strike out a batter an inning while consistently shutting down some of the stronger lineups in the country each week, b) see his stuff tick up to where he’s now hitting 94/95 with a knuckle curve at 76-84 that is unhittable when on, and c) retain his always above-average or better athleticism and command. He also had that no-hitter with 18 strikeouts against Pittsburgh last season, a performance so dominating he now has his own Wikipedia page. I am far too lazy to do a comprehensive list of all 2015 college draft prospects with Wikipedia pages, so you’ll just have to buy that the only ones I found in my two minutes of research are Kirby, Alex Bregman, Carson Fulmer, and Phil Bickford, though I suppose once Brady Aiken is officially enrolled at a junior college he can be added to the mix. Add those players to a potential first round pick in Kirby (who could be joined in the first by McCarthy, it should be noted) and you’ve got yet another talented Virginia squad. What else is new?
Kirby fascinates me not only because he’s achieved my dream of someday being important enough to warrant a Wikipedia entry but also because I really don’t have a firm grasp on what he is nor what he will be. I mean, I think he’s a high-floor future big league starting pitcher, but I’m not quite sure how high I’m willing to go with his ceiling. Perhaps I’m waiting to see more out of the changeup, a pitch that, as mentioned, seems to get a little better looking every time out. I got a comp from an area guy who has seen Kirby pitch more than 99.99% of human beings on the planet who actually compared him to a lefthanded Ian Kennedy, but with the caveat that his changeup still had some improvement left to truly “earn” such a comp. In terms of repertoire only (future performance as well, I suppose), I see some Alex Wood in Kirby. That comes with the big difference of Kirby’s Danny Hultzen style delivery replacing Wood’s painful looking arm action. Hultzen, the most logical comparison, doesn’t really work because of their flip-flopped stuff (Hultzen had the plus change and emerging breaking ball, Kirby is the other way around) but it’s not the craziest thing in the world. It’s yet another imperfect comp — a familiar refrain if you’ve been paying attention — but of all the recent first round lefties you’ll read about below, I think the closest comp at the same developmental stage is Andrew Heaney.
That leads into the other reason why Kirby fascinates me so. College lefties are weird. College lefthanded pitchers have had a surprisingly (to me) spotty track record since I’ve started this site up in 2009. If we take a look back through the years, you’ll see what I mean. Off the top, let’s be clear that Carlos Rodon is a separate animal altogether. I haven’t written a ton about him because this was a quiet last year for me on the site, but he’s not a guy I’m willing to compare to any other young arm at this point. He’s a man on the mound, and trying to shoehorn him into this discussion would be fruitless. Last year we also saw Kyle Freeland, Sean Newcomb, and Brandon Finnegan off the board in the first fifteen picks. Marco Gonzales went 19th in 2013 while Sean Manaea fell to 34th overall albeit for unique (injury, bonus demands) circumstances. Heaney (9th overall) and Brian Johnson (31st) were first round picks in 2012. Hultzen, Jed Bradley, Chris Reed, Tyler Anderson, Sean Gilmartin, Andrew Chafin, and Grayson Garvin all went in what we now know as a highly disappointing first round (for lefthanded college pitchers, at least) in 2011. Drew Pomeranz and Chris Sale were both popped early in 2010. Mike Minor was the only real first round college lefty in 2009, but a run of ill-advised southpaws saw Rex Brothers (fine, he’s good), Aaron Miller, James Paxton (good, but unsigned), Mike Belfiore, Matt Bashore, and Tyler Kehrer all taken within the top fifty overall picks in the sandwich round.
We’ll leave the two most recent drafts alone because we need at least a little bit of time before rushing to crazy conclusions. So far, however, Rodon, Finnegan, and Gonzales all look good, as each guy is expected to play an important role in the big leagues at some point in 2015. Heaney, Johnson, and Paxton are all still probably too young to say, but each guy has done enough that I think we can call them successes at this point. Pomeranz appears to finally have something cooking with Oakland. Minor is an easy win. Brothers is a maybe, but I’ll be generous and say he’s shown enough at his best to be a positive. I guess that Chris Sale guy is pretty good, too. Not counting 2014 and 2013, that’s seven happy endings from the past four first and supplemental first rounds. On the downside, I count eight pitchers (Bradley, Reed, Anderson, Gilmartin, Miller, Belfiore, Bashore, Kehrer) that have disappointed, and that’s at least partly generous in some respects (still giving time to Hultzen, Chafin, Garvin). For the record, it’s really painful for me to call anybody a disappointment, but I’m trying to be as objective as I can here. I still have plenty of hope for Bradley, Anderson, and maybe even Reed to be average or better big leaguers. Anyway, by draft standards, even when taking into account we’re talking first round picks, that’s not necessarily a devastatingly low number of successes, but college pitching really should be a spot where you have a higher hit rate.
Anyway, diversion aside, I think a Kennedy, Wood, or Heaney type career path is well within reach for Kirby at this point. On the highest of high ends is a ceiling reminiscent of none other than Cliff Lee. We’re talking young Cliff Lee (i.e. before the plus command), so don’t think I’m 100% crazy (just 75% or so). Maybe you can bump that figure up a little higher, as I’ve previously compared two draft prospects (both righties, go figure) to Lee in the past: Chris Stratton (still love him, but whoops) and Trevor Bauer. That last comp remains one worth watching, I think. Bauer hit the big leagues before Lee, so we can’t do a straight age comparison but here’s a rough comparison by innings…
Lee: 7.9 K/9 – 4.1 BB/9 – 90 ERA+ – 241.2 IP
Bauer: 8.3 K/9 – 4.3 BB/9 – 85 ERA+ – 186.1 IP
We can’t finish up writing about Virginia by referencing two players with no connections to the program. That’s my stilted attempt at a transition to a quick discussion of the “other” UVA 2015 draft-eligible players and the many interesting Cavalier underclassmen. SR 3B Kenny Towns (steady glove, has flashed at times with the bat), JR C Robbie Coman (strong arm, good approach), and JR LHP David Rosenberger are all solid college role players that could sneak into the late round mix with bigger than anticipated seasons. The battery of SO RHP Connor Jones and SO C Matt Thaiss could both find themselves as first round picks in a year. SO RHP Alex Bettinger really impressed as a freshman (32 K in 36.2 IP) despite a less than stellar fastball. There are plenty of potential impact players in the freshman class, most notably 3B Charlie Cody, LHP Bennett Sousa, 1B/RHP Pavin Smith, and 2B Jack Gerstenmaier.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Pittsburgh
SR OF Boo Vazquez (2015)
SR 1B Eric Hess (2015)
SR SS/2B Matt Johnson (2015)
SR RHP Hobie Harris (2015)
SO RHP Sam Mersing (2016)
SO RHP TJ Zeuch (2016)
FR 3B/SS Charles LeBlanc (2017)
Sometimes laziness can work to one’s benefit. If I had written similar college previews last year, I’m quite sure I would have championed SR OF Boo Vazquez as a breakout player to watch and a potential sleeper top ten round pick. He’s a big, strong corner outfielder (6-4, 215) with serious raw power, a strong arm, and decent speed. If I had written this last year, I would have been all-in after a .312/.405/.412 park/schedule adjusted season with more walks (27) than strikeouts (22) in 199 AB, all signs of growth after a really strong freshman year. Last year, however, Vazquez saw his number take a hit against the board. His still respectable .246/.312/.400 is nowhere near bad enough to have me jumping off the bandwagon, especially considering the consistency of which he’s shown his tools over his three years in school, so maybe my laziness isn’t as useful a virtue as I’d like to think. Perhaps my stubbornness — once I like a player, it takes an awful lot for me to turn on him — is the bigger flaw at work here. Vazquez’s relative struggles when many (like me) expected him to take off did play a part in dimming his draft prospects, but not so much that anybody is counting him out. There’s still time for him to turn it back around. The tools remain and the makeup gets high grades from all those who know him well. His composite raw college numbers (.302/.381/.427 with 64 BB and 78 K in 553 AB) are another point in his favor. Add it all up and you still have a prospect worthy of top fifteen round consideration. If anything, the decision to return to school could help his draft profile — though likely not his wallet — if a team hones in on him as an affordable senior sign target in rounds eight, nine, or ten. He’s Pittsburgh’s best 2015 prospect by a long shot and arguably one of the top ten returning bats in the conference. I can’t put him above DJ Stewart, Joe McCarthy, or Skye Bolt in the completely unimportant and entirely in my head All-Prospect ACC team, but he’s on the cusp.
(Did I start writing this with the premise that I overrated Vazquez coming into last year in mind? Yes. Did I wind up convincing myself in the process of writing the preceding paragraph that the expected breakout for Vazquez that didn’t come last year — when I was spared the public forum of predicting said unfulfilled breakout — might actually come this year, consequently opening myself up to the very same public ridicule (as if anybody really cared what I wrote, but let’s pretend) I avoided last year? Yes. I’m not a smart man.)
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Notre Dame
rSR RHP Cristian Torres (2015)
SR RHP Scott Kerrigan (2015)
JR RHP David Hearne (2015)
JR LHP Michael Hearne (2015)
JR LHP/OF Zac Kutsulis (2015)
SR 3B Phil Mosey (2015)
SR OF/1B Ryan Bull (2015)
SR OF Mac Hudgins (2015)
SR OF Blaise Lezynski (2015)
SR OF Conor Biggio (2015)
JR SS Lane Richards (2015)
JR C/OF Ricky Sanchez (2015)
SO RHP Ryan Smoyer (2016)
SO 2B/SS Kyle Fiala (2016)
SO 3B/2B Cavan Biggio (2016)
SO C Ryan Lidge (2016)
FR RHP Peter Solomon (2017)
FR RHP Brad Bass (2017)
FR RHP Brandon Bielak (2017)
FR LHP Sean Guenther (2017)
The strength of the 2015 Notre Dame team from a draft perspective is in the pitching. There are no locks to be selected this June, but the odds are better we see an arm go off the board than a bat. Nobody jumps out due to performance — SR RHP Scott Kerrigan and JR LHP Michael Hearne both had shiny ERAs, but middling at best peripherals — but there are a handful of arms who can run it up to the low-90s (rSR RHP Cristian Torres, JR RHP Nick McCarty, JR RHP David Hearne), a significant enough velocity benchmark that gives you a second look from most area guys. Torres (6-6, 215) and Kerrigan (6-7, 215) offer tantalizing size, and JR Zac Katsulis, who I list as a LHP but has seen more time in the outfield of late, brings serious athleticism to the mound. I’d put the over/under on all Notre Dame players being selected this June at 1.5 and still probably pick the under, but it’s not a team completely devoid of worthwhile follows. Let’s check in on how the offense stacks up.
JR SS Lane Richards does good things defensively, but hasn’t shown enough as a hitter yet to warrant serious draft consideration. SR OF/1B Ryan Bull has flashed some decent power in the past, enough that if a team thought he could catch again he could get picked late. SR OF Conor Biggio has a chance to be picked late because of his famous last name, especially if the analytical Houston front office has a sudden moment of sentimentality on draft day. The two best bats on the Notre Dame squad are guys we’ll have to wait another year to get into the pros. SO 2B/SS Kyle Fiala grows on you the more you see him. He held his own as a freshman and could be in line for a breakthrough sophomore campaign. I also expect big things (bigger, really) out of SO 3B/2B Cavan Biggio (one of the smartest, most naturally gifted young hitters I’ve seen up close), which should be unsurprising considering how much I liked him in high school (42nd ranked prospect that year, sandwiched between Ryan Boldt and Billy McKinney). It’s obviously early yet, but FR RHP Peter Solomon looks like the most intriguing young arm to track.
Running 2015 MLB Draft Prospect Follow Lists (Week Two)
The original is here. The latest is below. The title says it all.
Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, and North Carolina State have been added to Boston College, Clemson, Duke, and Florida State. Still waiting on North Carolina to post a real roster online, so we’ll keep skipping them and move on to Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Virginia Tech for next week.
C
- Maryland JR C Kevin Martir
- Duke rSR C Mike Rosenfeld
- Miami SR C Garrett Kennedy
1B
- Boston College JR 1B/OF Chris Shaw
- Florida State rSR 1B Chris Marconcini
- Georgia Tech SR 1B/C AJ Murray
- Georgia Tech rSO 1B Cole Miller
2B
- Maryland rSO 2B Brandon Lowe
- Georgia Tech SR 2B/SS Thomas Smith
- North Carolina State SR 2B/3B Logan Ratledge
SS
- Clemson JR SS/3B Tyler Krieger
3B
- Miami JR 3B/1B David Thompson
- Maryland JR 3B Jose Cuas
- Miami JR 3B/OF George Iskenderian
- Georgia Tech JR 3B/SS Matt Gonzalez
OF
- Florida State JR OF DJ Stewart
- Clemson JR OF Steven Duggar
- Georgia Tech rJR OF Dan Spingola
- Clemson SR OF Tyler Slaton
- North Carolina State SR OF Jake Fincher
P
- Duke JR RHP Michael Matuella
- Clemson JR LHP Matthew Crownover
- Miami rJR LHP Andrew Suarez
- Clemson JR RHP Clate Schmidt
- Florida State JR LHP Alex Diese
- Duke JR RHP Kenny Koplove
- Maryland JR LHP Alex Robinson
- Maryland JR LHP Jake Dorssner
- Clemson JR LHP Zack Erwin
- Clemson rSO RHP Wales Toney
- Florida State JR RHP/OF Jameis Winston
- Duke SR RHP Andrew Istler
- Duke rSO RHP James Marvel
- Maryland JR RHP Kevin Mooney
- Maryland JR RHP Jared Price
- Florida State SR LHP Bryant Holtmann
- Maryland rJR LHP Zach Morris
- Clemson rJR RHP Patrick Andrews
- Florida State rJR RHP Mike Compton
- North Carolina State JR LHP Brad Stone
- Miami JR LHP Thomas Woodrey
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – North Carolina State
JR RHP Curt Britt (2015)
JR RHP Jon Olczak (2015)
rJR LHP Travis Orwig (2015)
JR RHP Karl Keglovits (2015)
JR LHP Brad Stone (2015)
rSO RHP Johnny Piedmonte (2015)
SR OF Jake Fincher (2015)
SR OF Bubby Riley (2015)
SR 2B/3B Logan Ratledge (2015)
SR 1B/OF Jake Armstrong (2015)
JR C Chance Shepard (2015)
SO RHP Cory Wilder (2016)
SO 3B Andrew Knizner (2016)
SO OF Garrett Suggs (2016)
SO 1B Preston Palmeiro (2016)
SO RHP Joe O’Donnell (2016)
SO LHP Ryan Williamson (2016)
SO LHP Cody Beckman (2016)
FR RHP/INF Tommy DeJuneas (2017)
FR RHP Evan Mendoza (2017)
FR OF Storm Edwards (2017)
Carlos Rodon and Trea Turner aren’t walking through that door.
Just one year after being the center of the college baseball world, North Carolina State returns a really thin group of 2015 draft prospects. JR LHP Brad Stone seems poised to take over the mantle as top pitching prospect, but, no knock against him, his stuff (upper-80s heat, usable change, pair of interesting breaking balls) is many steps down from Rodon on his worst day. He’s still the best of what’s around, and an arm worthy of serious draft consideration going forward. There’s also JR RHP Jon Olczak (low-90s FB) as a potential middle reliever to watch. One of the big stories to follow this spring for this team will be the return to health of a trio of talented arms that could help boost the team back into contention. rJR LHP Travis Orwig (88-92, good mid-70s CB), JR RHP Karl Keglovits (strong name, large human, sinkers all day), and rSO RHP Johnny Piedmonte (6-8, 240 mountain of a man with plus arm strength) all bring something worth tracking to the table. So the cupboard isn’t totally bare, but we’re down to saltines and leftover duck sauce packets. If even two of those arms coming back from injury has a big year and the projectable Stone continues to grow as a pitcher and Olczak responds to an increased role…you just never know. When you’re hungry enough a saltine/duck sauce sandwich can taste pretty good. Or so I’ve heard.
If I have the nerve to call the pitching thin, then what does that make NC State’s hitting? There are a ton of seniors returning hoping that one final push will get them a shot at pro ball. I hold some hope that SR OF Bubby Riley (speed, CF range, some pop) can recapture what got him so much early buzz last season, but his disappointing 2014 (.200/.340/.261 in 115 AB) tempers a good bit of the old enthusiasm. SR 2B Logan Ratledge could still have some appeal as a potential late-round senior sign utility infielder, but it’ll take an area guy sure he can play shortstop professionally to make that dream happen. My favorite prospect on the team is SR OF Jake Fincher. I really believed a breakout year was in store for him last season, but things never got on track. He’s a great thrower who can really run, and his positional versatility — how many guys can say they’ve logged time at C, SS, and CF? — make him a really fun super-sub to project going forward. Alas, all those virtues will go unloved if he doesn’t get his bat going. Check his career stats to date (first two seasons are park/schedule adjusted)…
2012: .295/.352/.400 – 19 BB/35 K – 17/24 SB – 210 AB
2013: .317/.406/.358 – 34 BB/40 K – 15/21 SB – 265 AB
2014: .267/.342/.317 – 19 BB/53 K – 12/13 SB – 202 AB
The gains made from his freshman season to his sophomore year — trading some pop for a more disciplined approach — are what encouraged me the most from a strictly performance-based standpoint going into last year. Needless to say, he went backward in that area in a big way last season. I’m not as optimistic about a return to his sophomore season numbers as I’d like to be, which bums me out. Fincher is a really entertaining player to watch when he’s right. One can only hope he can put together a strong final season for both his sake and the watchability of the NC State lineup.
1/19/15 EDIT
Hadn’t realized this at the time, but JR RHP Curt Britt is now on the Wolfpack roster and eligible to play right away after transferring from South Carolina. He’s a good one and arguably the team’s top 2015 draft arm.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Miami
JR 3B/1B David Thompson (2015)
JR 3B/OF George Iskenderian (2015)
SR C Garrett Kennedy (2015)
rSO 1B/OF Chris Barr (2015)
JR OF Ricky Eusebio (2015)
JR SS/RHP Brandon Lopez (2015)
rJR LHP Andrew Suarez (2015)
JR LHP Thomas Woodrey (2015)
JR RHP Enrique Sosa (2015)
SO 1B/C Zack Collins (2016)
SO OF Willie Abreu (2016)
SO RHP/1B Derik Beauprez (2016)
SO OF Jacob Heyward (2016)
SO LHP Danny Garcia (2016)
SO RHP Bryan Garcia (2016)
SO SS Sebastian Diaz (2016)
SO INF Johnny Ruiz (2016)
SO RHP Cooper Hammond (2016)
rFR RHP Andy Honiotes (2016)
FR OF Carl Chester (2017)
FR OF Justin Smith (2017)
FR LHP Michael Mediavilla (2017)
FR RHP Jesse Lepore (2017)
FR RHP Keven Pimentel (2017)
FR LHP Luke Spangler (2017)
FR RHP Devin Meyer (2017)
I have zero rooting interest when it comes to college baseball, but isn’t it nice when Miami is stocked with talent? There’s something about having those traditional powers of your youth remain a constant that just make you feel better about everything. My earliest baseball memories go back to 1992, the very same year that Miami began a stretch of seven College World Series appearances in eight years and twelve in seventeen years. I’m sure there’s some obvious underlying point there, but we’ll save the therapy session for another day. The strength of this year’s team appears to be found in the potential of the underclassmen dotted throughout the roster, but there’s still some players of note ready for June 2015 to quickly get here. Outside assessments of his raw talent, physical abilities, and professional baseball projection aside, JR 3B/1B David Thompson is a really easy person to root for. Hey, I said I don’t root for teams, but I certainly root for players. I’ve not once heard a negative word uttered about his makeup, both on-field and off, and the hard work and perseverance he’s demonstrated in repeatedly battling back from injuries, including remaking his swing after tearing his right labrum in high school, are a testament to his desire to make it no matter the cost. The fact that he went down from surgery to correct complications from thoracic outlet syndrome in late March of last year only to come back to finish the season by mid-May (he even had a huge hit in their Regional matchup against Texas Tech) tells you a lot about his will to compete. Through all the ups and downs physically, his upside on the diamond remains fully intact from his HS days — I had him ranked as the 56th best overall prospect back then — and a big draft season is very much in play if he can stay healthy throughout the year. The bat will play at the next level (above-average raw power, plenty of bat speed, physically strong, plus athleticism, knows how to use the whole field), so the biggest unknown going into this season is where he’ll eventually call home on the defensive side. I’ve liked his chances to stick at third since his prep days; failing that, I’d prioritize a home in the outfield (he’s not known for his speed, but the athleticism and arm strength should make him at least average in a corner) over going to first, where, overall loss of defensive value aside, at least he’s shown significant upside. His strong showing at the end of the summer on the Cape is an encouraging way to get back into the grind of college ball, though he did appear to sacrifice some patience at the plate for power down the stretch. If he can find a way to marry his two existences — college (approach: 35 BB/45 K in his career) and Cape (power) — in this upcoming season (like in his healthy freshman season), Thompson should find himself off the board early this June.
I’m more excited than I probably should be to see what JR 3B/OF George Iskenderian will do on the big stage this year. I tend to overrate the big program (South Carolina) to junior college (Indian River) back to big program (Miami, obviously) prospects (there are more of these guys than you’d think), so I’m trying to tone it down with Iskenderian. I believe there’s power in his bat that hasn’t really shown up yet and his defensive upside at third base intrigues me. He didn’t exactly tear it up at the juco level, so he’s a wait-and-see guy for me right now. That’s me at my tempered enthusiastic best. SR C Garrett Kennedy was a massive sleeper catcher of mine last year, but fell off big time (.290/.430/.395 to .231/.336/.308) and now has to hit his way back into late-round draft consideration as a senior. JR SS Brandon Lopez has been nothing if not consistent (.249/.330/.271 in year one, .233/.320/.275 in year two), but without any semblance of power he looks more like a senior sign type than a worthwhile junior draft. His defense is good enough that that projection could change in a hurry if he shows any kind of improvement with the stick in 2015.
JR LHP Andrew Suarez has the raw stuff to find himself selected once again in the top two rounds this June, but the peripherals leave something to be desired after two seasons (6.33 K/9 in 2013, 7.16 K/9 in 2014). Still, he’s a rapidly improving arm (especially his changeup) who throws a pair of quality breaking balls and can hit 94/95 from the left side. His control has also been really good and he’s been a workhorse for the Hurricanes after labrum surgery (believed to be as minor as a shoulder surgery can get, for what it’s worth) two years ago. He’s a reasonable ceiling (mid-rotation starting pitcher) prospect with a high floor (if healthy, he’s at least a quick-moving reliever). It’s a profile that’s really easy to like, but fairly difficult to love. JR LHP Thomas Woodrey reminds me some of a lefty version of Florida State pitcher Mike Compton: fastball doesn’t blow you away, but good secondaries and deception in the delivery make them both fun crafty college arms to watch. JR RHP Enrique Sosa does not remind me of Mike Compton at all. Sosa throws hard, but all over the place. Control issues and slight build (5-10, 180) aside, he’s a big enough arm to track this spring.
Impact players are coming in the form of SO 1B/C Zack Collins (listed as only a catcher on the Miami website, for what it’s worth), SO OF Willie Abreu, SO RHPs Derik Beauprez and Bryan Garcia, FR OFs Carl Chester and Justin Smith, and your freshman pitcher of choice (I’ll say LHP Michael Mediavilla and RHP Keven Pimentel for now). Collins’ monster freshman season has me reevaluating so much of what I thought I knew about college hitters. I see his line (.298/.427/.556 with 42 BB/47 K in 205 AB) and my first instinct is to nitpick it. That’s insane! In the pre-BBCOR era, you might be able to get away with parsing those numbers and finding some tiny things to get on him about, but in today’s offensive landscape those numbers are as close to perfection as any reasonable human being could expect to see out of a freshman. Player development is rarely linear, but if Collins can stay on or close to the path he’s started, he’s going to an unholy terror by the time the 2016 draft rolls around. Here’s a quick look at what the college hitters taken in the first dozen picks in the BBCOR era (and Collins) did as freshmen (ranked in order of statistical goodness according to me)…
Kris Bryant: .365/.482/.599 – 33 BB/55 K – 197 AB
Michael Conforto: .349/.437/.601 – 24 BB/37 K – 218 AB
Colin Moran: .335/.442/.540 – 47 BB/33 K – 248 AB
ZACK COLLINS: .298/.427/.556 – 42 BB/47 K – 205 AB
Kyle Schwarber: .300/.390/.513 – 30 BB/24 K – 230 AB
Casey Gillaspie: .274/.378/.442 – 34 BB/43 K – 215 AB
DJ Peterson: .317/.377/.545 – 15 BB/52 K – 246 AB
Hunter Dozier: .315/.363/.467 – 12 BB/34 K – 197 AB
Max Pentecost: .277/.364/.393 – 21 BB/32 K – 191 AB
I’d say Collins stacks up pretty darn well at this point. Looking at this list also helps me feel better about their being a touch too much swing-and-miss in Collins’ game (see previous heretofore ignored inclination to nitpick). It is also another data point in favor of that popular and so logical it can’t be ignored comparison between Collins and fellow “catcher” Kyle Schwarber. Baseball America also threw out a Mark Teixeira comp, which is damn intriguing. I won’t include Teixeira’s freshmen numbers because that was back in the toy bat years, but from a scouting standpoint it’s a comp that makes a good bit of sense. Fine, you’ve twisted my arm. Here are Teixeira’s freshmen numbers: .387/.478/.640 with 39 BB and 27 K in 225 AB. Damn. The comp to Schwarber really works well; so much so, in fact, that I think using some of Schwarber’s old comps can work for Collins as well. My favorite of those for Collins are a lefty Paul Konerko and, my favorite of the favorites, Travis Hafner. I like that one a lot. Heck, I like Collins a lot. Heck again, I like this Miami team a lot. I have no insight as to what the Hurricanes are planning on doing with their 1-9 this season, but the fact you could send out a lineup with Kennedy, Barr, Diaz, Lopez, Thompson, Iskenderian, Chester, Abreu, and Collins on a daily basis if you wanted to is pretty fun to think about from a prospect standpoint. Put Suarez on the mound and that’s a fine looking team of prospects.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Maryland
JR LHP Jake Drossner (2015)
JR LHP Alex Robinson (2015)
JR RHP Kevin Mooney (2015)
JR RHP Jared Price (2015)
rJR LHP Zach Morris (2015)
SR RHP Bobby Ruse (2015)
JR OF/LHP LaMonte Wade (2015)
JR 3B Jose Cuas (2015)
JR C Kevin Martir (2015)
rSO 2B Brandon Lowe (2015)
JR OF Anthony Papio (2015)
SO C/1B Nick Cieri (2016)
SO RHP Mike Shawaryn (2016)
SO LHP Tayler Stiles (2016)
FR C Justin Morris (2017)
FR LHP Willie Rios (2017)
FR 2B/SS Andrew Bechtold (2017)
FR OF Zach Jancarski (2017)
FR SS Kevin Smith (2017)
FR RHP Taylor Bloom (2017)
FR RHP Tyler Brandon (2017)
FR OF Kengo Kawahara (2017)
FR RHP Brian Shaffer (2017)
FR OF Jamal Wade (2017)
FR LHP Jack Piekos (2017)
So, Maryland is kind of stacked, huh? How about that? I’m excited by a future that includes SO C/1B Nick Cieri’s bat (less so his glove…), SO RHP Mike Shawaryn’s pro-ready changeup, FR C Justin Morris getting the chance to catch his older brother again, FR LHP Willie Rios making sub-6 foot pitchers proud, and FR OF Zach Jancarski running balls down in center. The present doesn’t look half-bad, either. Maryland’s pitching in particular stands out. Most, if not all, of their top current arms will wind up as relievers in professional ball, but the fact that they have upwards of five 2015 arms who look like safe bets to be selected in June speaks volumes about the quality of talent that has been pumped into the school in recent years. JRs LHP Jake Drossner and RHP Kevin Mooney have the best shot at starting in pro ball. Drossner throws two offspeed pitches for strikes (mid-70s CB, low-80s CU) and Mooney has the stuff to garner groundball outs (FB with sink, CB with plus upside) yet may not have quite the changeup he’ll need to escape the pen as a pro. JRs LHP Alex Robinson (96 peak) and RHP Jared Price (95 peak) have the most raw arm strength, but both have some serious control issues to work out before taking the next step. On sheer upside alone, a pretty easy case could be made that they are the top two 2015 arms on the roster; I’ll take Robinson if forced to pick. rJR LHP Zach Morris rounds out the group as another physical strong-armed future reliever with below-average present control.
I hope giving some love to the pitching staff doesn’t make it seem like the Terps are light on hitting. They are not. JR OF LaMonte Wade is a power spike away — which, based on his swing/frame/HS days is well within reach — from being a really intriguing 2015 draft prospect. As it is, he’s still a guy who can throw, run a little, and work deep counts. JR 3B Jose Cuas reminds me a little bit of Matt Gonzalez of Georgia Tech: both players have the tools to be regulars at the hot corner, especially defensively, but still have some growing to do on the offensive side. Cuas is the toolsier of the two, though both flash big league ability at times. I stuck a sophomore season comparison between the two ACC 3B after this paragraph, if you’re into that sort of thing. JR C Kevin Martir has almost the opposite problem as Cuas: his bat is way ahead of his glove at the present moment, which is not necessarily an ideal situation for a catcher to be in. I’ve heard some really good things about JR OF Anthony Papio, but his breakthrough — been far more solid than spectacular — has yet to occur.
MG: 314/.358/.416 – 20 BB/55 K – 9/17 SB – 255 AB
JC: .279/.333/.417 – 14 BB/49 K – 3/5 SB – 204 AB
I think Cuas and Wade are future pros with little doubt, but there’s one Maryland hitter that I’d take over both. It should come as no shock to any long-time reader that rSO 2B Brandon Lowe is my kind of ballplayer. His physical tools skew closer to average than not (glove, arm, speed, raw power), but the man has a knack for consistent hard contact that can’t be taught. He also has a tremendous batting eye that often puts him in good hitting counts. It’s a really tough profile to get too excited about — offensive second basemen who can’t really run are not typically seen as prospects by anybody — but I believe in the bat (.348/.464/.464 with 34 BB/20 K in 181 AB last year) enough to think he’s got a real chance to make it. He’s obviously not the best position player prospect in the ACC this year, but he’s definitely my favorite.
2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Georgia Tech
SR 1B/C AJ Murray (2015)
rJR OF Dan Spingola (2015)
JR 3B/SS Matt Gonzalez (2015)
rSO 1B Cole Miller (2015)
SR 2B/SS Thomas Smith (2015)
JR LHP/OF Jonathan King (2015)
SR RHP Cole Pitts (2015)
SO OF Ryan Peurifoy (2016)
SO RHP Zac Ryan (2016)
SO C Arden Pabst (2016)
SO OF Keenan Innis (2016)
SO 3B/RHP Brandon Gold (2016)
SO LHP Ben Parr (2016)
SO INF Connor Justus (2016)
FR OF/1B Kel Johnson (2017)
FR LHP Daniel Gooden (2017)
This is the first team I’ve profiled that doesn’t have a strong built-in hook to work off of. For a below-average, lazy writer such as myself, this is an unwelcome turn of events. There are a few “maybes” scattered throughout the roster, but no one player that truly captures the imagination. I had hoped SR 1B AJ Murray could be that guy once upon a time, but the move off of catcher and good but not great college career has him more in the late round, organizational player mix at this point. rJR OF Dan Spingola can run, defend, and throw, plus he’s flashed enough power (.319/.384/.451 in 257 AB last year) to put himself in the draft mix. rSO Cole Miller has the frame and approach of a potential draft pick, but the jury is still out as to what kind of college player he’ll be. I like SR 2B/SS Thomas Smith (all he does is hit) more than just about anybody outside of his immediate circle of friends and family, but he’s still a limited overall player with an uphill battle to get noticed by more influential people than I come June. The biggest name in the group is JR 3B/SS Matt Gonzalez. Gonzalez has all the tools to be a potential regular third baseman at the big league level one day, but still needs ample polish to start turning said tools into skills. He’s a super safe bet to be the first — and maybe only — Yellow Jacket off the board this June. His stiffest challenger right now is either Murray, Spingola, or, if his debut season goes as planned, Miller, though one can’t rule out either JR LHP Jonathan King (crafty lefty who leans on a low-80s change) or SR RHP Cole Pitts (good size, decent track record, coming off Tommy John surgery) stepping in as the next man up.
Sophomore position players Ryan Peurifoy (outfielder with a plus arm) and Arden Pabst (well-rounded catcher who is very reliable defensively) show promise, and SO RHP Zac Ryan (88-92 FB) did good things last year (29 K/16 BB in 30.2 IP). FR OF/1B Kel Johnson, better known as Hunter Pence’s body double, could also make some noise in the coming years.
The Baseball Draft Report 