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2013 MLB Draft: Top 20 High School First Base Prospects
1. If your favorite player is missing, then chances are a lot higher it was a copy/paste fail and not my complete and utter lack of baseball knowledge. I mean, sure, it could still be the latter, but if there’s somebody obvious that I’ve ignored, please give a gentle reminder in the comments or via email (robozga at gmail dot com). It’s also possible I mentally shifted a guy’s position in my head, so don’t rule out your player suddenly popping up on another position list.
2. Players designated as FAVORITEs were given that tag prior to the season, or, in some cases, upon enrolling in college. In other words, just because a guy is a FAVORITE doesn’t mean he’s automatically guaranteed a high placement on the list. I’m stubborn about which players I like, true, but I’m also quite cognizant of the fact prospect status is fluid.
3. Final opinions are all mine, but information has been culled from a variety of sources. Like anybody likely reading this site, I’m an avid follower of all things Baseball America and Perfect Game. Seriously, if you are into the draft/prospects at all, I highly recommend getting subscriptions to both sites. I also have a small but trustworthy network of friends in the game I occasionally call upon for information on prospects, especially those off the beaten path. Consider the little scouting notes section on each player a synthesis on what I’ve read, heard, and seen about each player. I’m in no way an expert and literally nothing I write, positively or negatively, influences what pro teams actually do on draft day. I’m just a baseball loving guy who has taken a hobby way, way, way too far.
4. I’m happy to answer any and all questions I can over email or in the comments. Also, for the sake of my already waning sanity, I didn’t include everything I had on every player — you’ll see some blank spots sprinkled throughout — so please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s something about a specific guy you want answered.
5. There’s a little more science in scouting college prospects than when it comes to evaluating high school guys. This is all art and totally up to interpretation. The rankings are rankings because they are…rankings (I say it every year, but next year I want to do tiers), but that doesn’t mean Prospect #3 is leaps and bounds better than Prospect #15. I’m not trying to preempt any criticism of the list or anything, just getting it out there that nothing I write should be taken as more than the semi-educated opinions of what some weird guy on the internet thinks about a bunch of ballplayers. Cool? Cool. Here we go…
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1. 1B Dominic Smith (Serra HS, California): really, really good hitter; good approach; plus power; average speed; might be stuck at 1B (instead of RF), where he’s easily plus; popular and logical Jonathan Singleton comp; good athlete; all he does is hit, special ability with bat; 90-92 FB; PG Todd Helton comp, also have heard Adrian Gonzalez; has experimented behind plate, not seriously but showed impressive willingness to play anywhere; love his swing; plus arm; can hit it anywhere; great patience; young for his class unique plus hit/plus glove first baseman; polled many who have seen him often and got a variety of interesting comps including lefty Edgar Martinez, shorter Olerud, pre-steroid Palmeiro, Keith Hernande, Jim Edmonds, Mattingly, Wally Joyner, Mark Grace, and Will Clark; favorable comps don’t guarantee success, but…nice list; FAVORITE; 6-1, 200 pounds
2. 1B Rowdy Tellez (Elk Grove HS, California): plus raw power; very strong; limited to first base; average arm; runs well for size; love his approach; as much a hitter as a slugger; FAVORITE; 6-4, 230 pounds
3. 1B/C Zack Collins (American Heritage HS, Florida): impressive bat speed; good approach; really advanced bat, close to best in class; above-average to plus raw power; really good at 1B; might be athletic enough for corner OF; much improved defender behind plate; Mike Napoli comp by me; FAVORITE; 6-3, 215 pounds
4. 1B/LHP Cody Bellinger (Hamilton HS, Arizona): plus glove; well above-average raw power, but haven’t seen much of it yet; strong hit tool; can run and throw a bit; good athlete; good pitch recognition; 85-88 FB; PG Christian Yelich comp; BA Adam LaRoche comp; FAVORITE; 6-3, 170 pounds
5. 1B/LHP Nick Longhi (Venice HS, Florida): absolutely punishes baseballs, saw him with one of the loudest BPs I can remember; legit plus-plus bat speed; ball explodes off his bat; younger than classmates; plus raw power; FAVORITE; might be able to hang in LF; natural born hitter; big power; not much arm; slow; 85-90 FB; plus CB; 6-2, 210 pounds
6. 1B/LHP Bryce Harman (Lloyd C. Bird HS, Virginia): big power upside; exciting hit tool; 86-88 FB, 90 peak; 76 SL; 6-6, 210 pounds
7. 1B Pete Alonso (Plant HS, Florida): plus defender; intriguing power, can hit it the other way; strong arm; decent speed; raw power beginning to manifest, doing it off of good pitching; 6-3, 215 pounds
8. 1B Jake Bauers (Marina HS, California): very big raw power, above-average at least; really like his hit tool, naturally gifted bat; popular Daric Barton as hitter comp, most famously by BA; slow; poor arm; average at best glove; 6-1, 200 pounds
9. 1B/LHP Joe Dudek (Christian Brothers Academy, New Jersey): great approach; plus power; plus bat speed; hitter first, power second; 87 peak; FAVORITE
10. 1B/3B Ian Hagenmiller (Palm Beach Central HS, Florida): plus arm; interesting power upside, plus for some more like above-average for me; can definitely hit; solid defensive tools; FAVORITE; 6-1, 210 pounds
11. 1B/RHP Derik Beauprez (Cherry Creek HS, Colorado): above-average raw power; good athlete; good defender; stuff down enough this spring, that I’d try him as hitter first; at his best is 88-92 FB, 93 peak; good 70-76 CB; good 77 CU; 6-5, 220 pounds
12. 1B/C Corey Simpson (Sweeny HS, Texas): really quick bat; great athlete; big power upside; questionable defender behind plate; has plenty of power, but not clear he’ll hit enough; 6-3, 220 pounds
13. 1B David Denson (South Hills HS, California): big raw power; good athlete for his size; patient approach; average arm; average at best glove; 6-4, 240 pounds
14. 1B Ben Rodriguez (Desert Mountain HS, Arizona): big raw power; good athlete; 6-5, 220 pounds
15. 1B Tyler Green (Williamsville North HS, New York): good defender; good approach, uses whole field well; 6-6, 225 pounds
16. 1B/OF Joe Corrigan (Harvard-Westlake HS, California): good approach; average athlete; strong hit tool
17. 1B Drew Bridges (Carthage HS, Missouri): average or better hit tool; some power upside; below-average speed; average arm; BA comp: Brett Wallace; 6-4, 220 pounds
18. 1B Manny Ramirez (IMG Academy, Florida): interesting power upside; slow; decent bloodlines; 6-4, 215 pounds
19. 1B/OF Michael Hoard (Salpointe Catholic HS, Arizona): strong hit tool; 6-0, 185 pounds
20. 1B William King (Anacortes HS, Washington): good athlete; 6-4, 200 pounds
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And one more for good measure…
21. 1B Brandon Brosher (Springstead HS, Florida): interesting raw power
2013 MLB Draft: Top 100 College First Base Prospects
1. Stats are park/schedule adjusted from College Splits. I dug around for stats for all junior college and non-Division I players; those numbers are obviously as is, i.e. not park/schedule adjusted.
2. If your favorite player is missing, then chances are a lot higher it was a copy/paste fail and not my complete and utter lack of baseball knowledge. I mean, sure, it could still be the latter, but if there’s somebody obvious that I’ve ignored, please give a gentle reminder in the comments or via email (robozga at gmail dot com). It’s also possible I mentally shifted a guy’s position in my head, so don’t rule out your player suddenly popping up on another position list.
3. Players designated as FAVORITEs were given that tag prior to the season, or, in some cases, upon enrolling in college. In other words, just because a guy is a FAVORITE doesn’t mean he’s automatically guaranteed a high placement on the list. I’m stubborn about which players I like, true, but I’m also quite cognizant of the fact prospect status is fluid.
4. Final opinions are all mine, but information has been culled from a variety of sources. Like anybody likely reading this site, I’m an avid follower of all things Baseball America and Perfect Game. Seriously, if you are into the draft/prospects at all, I highly recommend getting subscriptions to both sites. I also have a small but trustworthy network of friends in the game I occasionally call upon for information on prospects, especially those off the beaten path. Consider the little scouting notes section on each player a synthesis on what I’ve read, heard, and seen about each player. I’m in no way an expert and literally nothing I write, positively or negatively, influences what pro teams actually do on draft day. I’m just a baseball loving guy who has taken a hobby way, way, way too far.
5. I’m happy to answer any and all questions I can over email or in the comments. Also, for the sake of my already waning sanity, I didn’t include everything I had on every player — you’ll see some blank spots sprinkled throughout — so please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s something about a specific guy you want answered.
***
The one thing that may stand out off the top in my first base rankings is the conservative placement of many players otherwise known as 1B/3B/OF. There are some that believe in Peterson at either 3B or LF, Jagielo at the same two spots, and Palka in RF. Those people aren’t wrong per se, but I tend to always err on the side of caution when it comes to a defensively questionable amateur player’s professional position, especially if said amateur has enough bat to serve as a carrying tool. Peterson, Jagielo, and Palka aren’t exactly Alonso, Smoak, and Wallace as draft prospects — funny how that turned out, by the way — but they all should be able to hit enough to become league average or better big league first basemen in time.
After those first three I think you’re looking at value picks the rest of the way. I wouldn’t love Healy in the second or even third round, but if he falls down to five or later? Sign me up. Same goes for Mancini, Ragira, and Yezzo anywhere in that round five to ten range. Taking shots on bat-first guys in those rounds has always been a favorite draft practice of mine. All things being equal you’d rather have a toolsy, athletic prospect perched atop the defensive chain (C/SS/CF), but those guys aren’t always hanging around in the middle rounds waiting to be signed easily. Bringing in a handful of guys you know can hit in every draft seems like a smart idea as well. Drafting is such an inexact science/art that you can’t point to any one player as the model prospect for a given strategy, but I’m going to do it anyway. The Diamondbacks drafted the tenth college first baseman off the board in 2008 with pick 246 in the eighth round. Paul Goldschmidt could never hit another ball hard for the rest of his career — spoiler: that won’t happen — and they would still have gotten tremendous value for the pick. Heck, move up a few rounds and you’ll find Brandon Belt to the Giants in the fifth. There are equal and opposite examples that knock down the argument a bit — still waiting on AJ Kirby-Jones to hit — but too often college first basemen are knocked unfairly as throwaway picks outside of the first few rounds. There will always be a need for guys who can hit. These guys can hit.
1B
1. New Mexico JR 1B/OF DJ Peterson: legitimately exciting power upside, plus to plus-plus raw; average at best defender at third, fits much better at 1B; special hand speed as hitter; below-average speed has improved, I’d call it average now; mature approach; above-average arm; sticking with my Billy Butler comp; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .285/.350/.488 – 16 BB/49 K – 246 AB
2012: .367/.446/.645 – 34 BB/29 K – 1/2 SB – 248 AB
2013: .364/.486/.744 – 43 BB/28 K – 5/6 SB – 195 AB
2. Notre Dame JR 1B/OF Eric Jagielo: quick bat; good approach; below-average arm; plus power upside, plus-plus for some; average or better hit tool; some think he can hang at 3B, could be average there in time but I prefer him at first; PG Jim Thome comp; 6-3, 215 pounds
2011: .269/.358/.418 – 26 BB/29 K – 201 AB
2012: .301/.392/.533 – 28 BB/33 K – 4/8 SB – 229 AB
2013: .412/.519/.670 – 32 BB/29 K – 2/5 SB – 182 AB
3. Georgia Tech JR 1B/OF Daniel Palka: plus-plus raw power; gifted natural hitter; plus arm; will always strike out too much, but power makes it worth it; might have the athleticism for a corner outfield spot, but best at first; 90 peak FB; FAVORITE; 6-2, 225 pounds
2011: .310/.389/.586 – 22 BB/67 K – 232 AB
2012: .303/.382/.550 – 18 BB/47 K – 6/7 SB – 238 AB
2013: .374/.473/.705 – 30 BB/54 K – 4/4 SB – 212 AB
4. Oregon JR 1B/3B Ryon Healy: advanced hit tool; smart hitter; plus raw power; below-average speed; was once a questionable defender at first, but now quite good; doesn’t get cheated; one time 95 peak FB; Longoria and Rolen comps out of HS; 6-5, 215 pounds
2011: .344/.396/.541 – 9 BB/20 K – 122 AB
2012: .352/.415/.466 – 24 BB/43 K – 3/5 SB – 253 AB
2013: .395/.466/.673 – 27 BB/21 K – 5/7 SB – 205 AB
5. Notre Dame JR 1B Trey Mancini: plus raw power, uses it well thanks to present strength and swing geared towards deep flies; patient approach, willing to take until he gets a pitch to drive; good athlete for his size; good enough defender; main issues are too many swings and misses and 1B or bust defensive future; 6-5, 225 pounds
2011: .328/.390/.582 – 19 BB/36 K – 189 AB
2012: .312/.391/.540 – 22 BB/36 K – 202 AB
2013: .415/.457/.632 – 21 BB/20 K – 2/2 SB – 212 AB
6. Stanford JR 1B Brian Ragira: really strong hit tool; well above-average raw power, but hasn’t manifested much at all just yet; almost all power to gaps presently; average arm; average speed, maybe a touch less; really underrated athlete; really good defender at 1B; makes the most sense at RF or 3B if he can handle either spot; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: .333/.377/.469 – 15 BB/44 K – 213 AB
2012: .337/.394/.460 – 19 BB/45 K – 3/5 SB – 251 AB
2013: .354/.410/.541 – 13 BB/21 K – 4/5 SB – 209 AB
7. Delaware JR 1B/3B Jimmy Yezzo: above-average raw power; improved defensively at 3B, but still a 1B in the pros where he should be at least average; like his compact swing a lot; uses the whole field, goes with pitch; big opposite field power; slow; average at best arm; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .326/.372/.513 – 16 BB/22 K – 0/0 SB – 187 AB
2013: .397/.443/.705 – 20 BB/29 K – 1/1 SB – 224 AB
8. Vanderbilt JR 1B/OF Conrad Gregor: above-average power upside; plus defender at first, pretty good in outfield; average speed once he gets a full head of steam; good arm, but slow release; very strong hit tool; great approach; physically strong; smart hitter, but still chases too many bad balls; plus bat speed; can get pull happy; pretty swing; that raw power is still there, but has been slow to manifest; FAVORITE; 6-3, 220 pounds
2011: .365/.471/.488 – 34 BB/28 K – 170 AB
2012: .336/.452/.472 – 44 BB/38 K – 11/11 SB – 229 AB
2013: .308/.449/.418 – 50 BB/21 K – 19/21 SB – 182 AB
9. South Alabama JR 1B/LHP Jordan Patterson: good athlete; surprising speed; above-average power upside; plus glove at first; can get him to chase; might work in OF; strong arm; mid- to high-80s FB, now up to 89-92, 93 peak; good SL; 6-4, 200 pounds
2011: .270/.382/.384 – 23 BB/41 K – 211 AB
2012: .313/.421/.498 – 24 BB/44 K – 2/3 SB – 217 AB
2013: .380/.511/.563 – 40 BB/30 K – 4/6 SB – 208 AB
10. North Carolina SR 1B Cody Stubbs: good approach; love the easy power; can fake it in the OF, but really good at first; 6-4, 215 pounds
2012: .240/.335/.369 – 28 BB/46 K – 6/7 SB – 233 AB
2013: .388/.472/.627 – 31 BB/31 K – 4/6 SB – 209 AB
11. Oklahoma JR 1B/OF Matt Oberste: strong hit tool; average or better power upside; touch below-average speed; strong; good athlete; 6-2, 210 pounds
2012: .288/.397/.480 – 14 BB/25 K – 6/7 SB – 125 AB
2013: .359/.440/.607 – 19 BB/27 K – 9/13 SB – 206 AB
12. Longview CC FR 1B/OF Brandon Dulin: physically strong; strong arm; good defender; average speed; well above-average power upside; might be able to hang in LF; 6-3, 230 pounds
2013: .378/.449/.756 – 19 BB/25 K – 4/5 SB – 156 AB
13. Wake Forest rJR 1B/LHP Matt Conway: plus power upside; solid approach; underrated hit tool; 6-7, 240 pounds
2011: .272/.361/.451 – 27 BB/31 K – 195 AB
2013: .383/.435/.543 – 18 BB/19 K – 4/4 SB – 188 AB
2013: 7.88 K/9 | 2.17 BB/9 | 4.79 FIP | 45.2 IP
14. Duke rSO 1B Chris Marconcini: missed 2012 season recovering from torn ACL; good raw power; solid defender; 6-5, 230 pounds
2011: .301/.404/.490 – 24 BB/38 K – 206 AB
2013: .326/.420/.611 – 29 BB/39 K – 8/10 SB – 190 AB
15. East Carolina JR 1B Chase McDonald: like his approach; well above-average raw power; average at best defender; super slow; bat will carry him; little righthanded Preston Tucker vibe; 6-4, 260 pounds
2011: .314/.398/.436 – 24 BB/29 K – 188 AB
2012: .283/.339/.395 – 13 BB/18 K – 0/0 SB – 152 AB
2013: .318/.410/.574 – 28 BB/30 K – 0/0 SB – 176 AB
16. Auburn SR 1B Garrett Cooper: plus defender; 6-6, 225 pounds
2012: .324/.422/.462 – 18 BB/29 K – 1/1 SB – 173 AB
2013: .387/.511/.586 – 38 BB/29 K – 1/1 SB – 186 AB
17. Oregon State SR 1B Danny Hayes: natural hitter; doubles power with chance for more; has also seen time at 3B, but 1B in the pros; give him a lot of credit for playing through torn labrum in shoulder; 6-4, 210 pounds
2011: .286/.423/.443 – 32 BB/34 K – 140 AB
2012: .316/.467/.553 – 33 BB/21 K – 0/1 SB – 114 AB
2013: .293/.393/.437 – 28 BB/20 K – 2/2 SB – 167 AB
18. Elon JR 1B/C Ryan Kinsella: above-average power; decent athlete; 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .254/.373/.437 – 24 BB/32 K – 142 AB
2012: .311/.410/.495 – 34 BB/48 K – 0/0 SB – 212 AB
2013: .343/.431/.727 – 31 BB/47 K – 7/8 SB – 216 AB
19. East Tennessee State JR 1B/LHP Clint Freeman: strong arm; interesting power; good athlete; 6-2, 200 pounds
2012: .338/.380/.505 – 14 BB/24 K – 1/2 SB – 222 AB
2013: .335/.398/.595 – 25 BB/31 K – 2/4 SB – 215 AB
2012: 5.23 K/9 | 1.96 BB/9 | 4.20 FIP | 41.1 IP
2013: 7.89 K/9 | 2.45 BB/9 | 4.20 FIP | 51.1 IP
20. Louisiana-Lafayette JR 1B/3B Chase Compton: really strong hit tool; great approach; power is coming; much debate about his defense – some think good enough for 3B, others think even 1B is a stretch; think he’s playable at first, at worst; strong; FAVORITE; 6-2, 210 pounds
2012: .354/.427/.487 – 23 BB/29 K – 2/4 SB – 195 AB
2013: .317/460/.513 – 27 BB/21 K – 1/4 SB – 122 AB
21. Montgomery CC-Germantown SO 1B Jake Taylor: interesting power; average glove; 6-4, 230 pounds
2013: .392/.446/.777 – 15 BB/17 K – 2 SB – 166 AB
22. Shoreline (WA) CC SO 1B Kainol Ahsing-Kaahanui: quick bat; big raw power; good approach; average speed; 6-4, 240 pounds
2013: .363/432/.493 – 18 BB/15 K – 3/8 SB – 146 AB
23. UC Santa Barbara rSO 1B Tyler Kuresa: plus raw power; slow; very good defender, plus upside; loud tools, but production has been more good than great; Oregon transfer; 6-4, 225 pounds
2013: .313/.366/.466 – 12 BB/30 K – 1/5 SB – 208 AB
24. Maryland JR 1B Tim Kiene: big power upside, plus for some; poor defender; too aggressive at plate; needs to play; 6-4, 245 pounds
2011: .279/.306/.404 – 5 BB/22 K – 136 AB
2012: .255/.361/.428 – 17 BB/37 K – 1/2 SB – 145 AB
2013: .280/.429/.440 – 4 BB/4 K – 0/0 SB – 25 AB
25. Oklahoma State JR 1B/RHP Tanner Krietemeier: was once a really good defensive CF, has transitioned well to first; good speed; plus arm; intrigued by bat; Nebraska transfer; 6-2, 200 pounds
2013: .362/.440/.507 – 26 BB/35 K – 6/7 SB – 207 AB
26. Virginia rSR 1B Jared King: good organizational depth for a team in need of a professional-quality hitter with a patient approach and solid punch at the lower levels; good speed; 6-0, 205 pounds
2011: .339/.430/.479 – 25 BB/46 K – 165 AB
2012: .306/.457/.503 – 49 BB/37 K – 13/19 SB – 183 AB
2013: .332/.425/.438 – 36 BB/48 K – 8/10 SB – 208 AB
27. Tennessee JR 1B/OF Scott Price: 6-3, 215 pounds
2013: .366/.432/.464 – 21 BB/20 K – 4/10 SB – 183 AB
28. Florida SR 1B Vickash Ramjit: good defender; can also hold his own in OF; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: .408/.451/.513 – 5 BB/13 K – 76 AB
2012: .305/.361/.469 – 11 BB/19 K – 3/5 SB – 128 AB
2013: .332/.389/.431 – 16 BB/19 K – 1/4 SB – 202 AB
29. North Carolina State SR 1B/OF Tarran Senay: plus raw power; iffy arm; slow; underrated athlete; really good glove at 1B; 6-1, 220 pounds
2011: .271/.401/.388 – 26 BB/38 K – 129 AB
2012: .222/.327/.415 – 21 BB/48 K – 2/3 SB – 171 AB
2013: .318/.384/.493 – 24 BB/41 K – 3/5 SB – 211 AB
30. St. Anselm SR 1B Rob Kelly: good approach; big raw power; strong; strong arm; 6-2, 200 pounds
2013: .310/.447/.519 – 49 BB/29 K – 1/2 SB – 210 AB
31. Troy SR 1B/3B Logan Pierce :6-1, 215 pounds
2012: .327/.433/.478 – 43 BB/28 K – 0/0 SB – 226 AB
2013: .375/.475/.602 – 41 BB/18 K – 2/2 SB – 216 AB
32. Cal State Los Angeles rSR 1B James Wharton: improved defender; strong
2013: .311/.415/.584 – 30 BB/35 K – 6 SB – 209 AB
33. Stanford SR 1B/OF Justin Ringo:6-1, 200 pounds
2013: .346/.423/.514 – 22 BB/22 K – 8/8 SB – 185 AB
34. Washington State rJR 1B/3B Adam Nelubowich: pretty swing; average raw power; quick bat; average speed; average defender; might be able to stick at 3B, potentially some OF; 6-2, 185 pounds
2011: .221/.265/.312 – 3 BB/18 K – 77 AB
2012: .243/.300/.365 – 13 BB/33 K – 3/4 SB – 181 AB
2013: .291/.341/.429 – 12 BB/33 K – 2/3 SB – 196 AB
35. Canada JC SO 1B Steven Knudson: big power; quick bat; lots of swing and miss; big man
2013: .303/.395/.531 – 19 BB/29 K – 2/4 SB – 145 AB
36. West Virginia JR 1B Ryan McBroom: interesting bat speed and power; average speed; 6-3, 220 pounds
2011: .223/.286/.331 – 9 BB/26 K – 130 AB
2012: .273/.349/.410 – 18 BB/25 K – 3/4 SB – 205 AB
2013: .262/.317/.500 – 12 BB/34 K – 5/7 SB – 206 AB
37. Cal State Fullerton rSR 1B/OF Carlos Lopez: interesting power potential, but more of a line drive guy; professional hitter who could hit a single first thing in the morning; average speed that plays up, though knee injuries have sapped him of some speed and athleticism; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .329/.389/.468 – 16 BB/11 K – 158 AB
2012: .321/.409/.422 – 33 BB/21 K – 7/8 SB – 218 AB
2013: .348/.415/.478 – 20 BB/19 K – 14/17 SB – 207 AB
38. Kansas SR 1B/C Alex DeLeon: big power; decent at best defender; inaccurate arm; 6-2, 230 pounds
2011: .309/.400/.546 – 12 BB/26 K – 97 AB
2012: .261/.349/.386 – 19 BB/28 K – 0/1 SB – 153 AB
2013: .344/.424/.589 – 19 BB/32 K – 4/4 SB – 180 AB
39. Long Beach State JR 1B/OF Ino Patron: 5-11, 190 pounds
2011: .324/.407/.426 – 19 BB/24 K – 188 AB
2012: .321/.417/.389 – 29 BB/14 K – 0/4 SB – 190 AB
2013: .365/.423/.528 – 18 BB/17 K – 1/3 SB – 197 AB
40. Hawaii JR 1B Marc Flores: 6-4, 225 pounds
2013: .362/.439/.520 – 19 BB/24 K – 2/3 SB – 152 AB
41. Presbyterian JR 1B/C Brad Zebedis: strong hit tool; good defender at first; average at best arm; reminds me a little bit of Eric Arce; slow; strong; 6-1, 215 pounds
2011: .425/.492/.717 – 16 BB/22 K – 212 AB
2012: .270/.335/.434 – 12 BB/30 K – 1/1 SB – 159 AB
2013: .321/.379/.448 – 20 BB/24 K – 3/5 SB – 212 AB
42. Wichita State rSR 1B Johnny Coy: quick wrists; really good athlete; above-average speed underway; strong arm; big raw power potential even after all the years and struggles; too aggressive; way too many swings and misses; 6-7, 225 pounds
2011: .274/.344/.421 – 25 BB/52 K – 259 AB
2012: .330/.404/.537 – 31 BB/51 K – 0/0 SB – 227 AB
2013: .250/.299/.333 – 13 BB/45 K – 0/0 SB – 192 AB
43. North Carolina A&T SR 1B Kelvin Freeman: 6-4, 235 pounds
2011: .304/.351/.505 – 13 BB/30 K – 194 AB
2012: .319/.369/.417 – 15 BB/39 K – 4/6 SB – 216 AB
2013: .352/.432/.694 – 26 BB/39 K – 14/15 SB – 193 AB
44. Tampa JR 1B/OF Mike Danner: strong hit tool; can get too aggressive; good speed; chance to play LF in pros; 5-10, 185 pounds
2013: .356/.459/.545 – 35 BB/24 K – 13/17 SB – 191 AB
45. Kent State SR 1B/3B George Roberts: big power; free swinger; above-average arm strength; short swing; hasn’t played much 3B, but could be good there; 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .360/.388/.545 – 16 BB/50 K – 2/3 SB – 264 AB
2013: .353/.466/.507 – 26 BB/21 K – 9/11 SB – 150 AB
46. Marist SR 1B Mike Orefice: 5-10, 190 pounds
2011: .289/.420/.402 – 40 BB/31 K – 194 AB
2012: .351/.456/.515 – 26 BB/20 K – 0/1 SB – 171 AB
2013: .392/.496/.527 – 38 BB/18 K – 1/1 SB – 186 AB
47. Canisius JR 1B Jimmy Luppens: 5-11, 245 pounds
2012: .320/.380/.477 – 13 BB/28 K – 5/5 SB – 153 AB
2013: .383/.474/.533 – 16 BB/16 K – 3/6 SB – 180 AB
48. Southeast Missouri State JR 1B Matt Tellor: above-average power; average at best defensive upside; short to ball, nice swing; cleaned up approach last summer, but still expands the zone too often; 6-5, 210 pounds
2013: .329/.373/.532 – 15 BB/47 K – 3/3 SB – 216 AB
49. New Mexico State rJR 1B/OF Tanner Rust: great athlete; plus arm; good speed; power upside is there, but not yet tapped into; could play RF in pros, but might also stick at either 3B or C with coaching; unique college 1B with chance to make it as utility guy; 6-3, 215 pounds
2012: .236/.360/.333 – 24 BB/28 K – 0/0 SB – 144 AB
2013: .275/.389/.410 – 33 BB/38 K – 8/10 SB – 200 AB
50. Grand Valley State JR 1B Giancarlo Brugnoni: really big power; patient approach; below-average defender across the board (hands, feet, reactions), but has improved a bit; 6-3, 225 pounds
2013: .317/.414/.647 – 24 BB/48 K – 6/6 SB – 167 AB
51. Western Carolina SR 1B Tyler White: 5-11, 235 pounds
2011: .269/.374/.345 – 20 BB/27 K – 197 AB
2012: .321/.417/.401 – 29 BB/21 K – 3/9 SB – 212 AB
2013: .361/.420/.630 – 17 BB/25 K – 3/5 SB – 238 AB
52. Mercer JR 1B Nick Backlund: 6-1, 225 pounds
2012: .341/.437/.592 – 33 BB/37 K – 3/4 SB – 223 AB
2013: .314/.419/.578 – 33 BB/46 K – 0/0 SB – 223 AB
53. Charlotte JR 1B Justin Seager: 6-2, 200 pounds
2012: .221/.359/.359 – 15 BB/25 K – 0/1 SB – 131 AB
2013: .368/.461/.515 – 30 BB/26 K – 5/6 SB – 204 AB
54. High Point SR 1B/OF Ryan Retz: 6-0, 215 pounds
2011: .279/.339/.445 – 10 BB/40 K – 229 AB
2012: .294/.349/.396 – 14 BB/27 K – 7/9 SB – 235 AB
2013: .369/.455/.528 – 26 BB/22 K – 0/3 SB – 214 AB
2011: 7.04 K/9 | 23 IP
2012: 5.40 K/9 | 2.14 BB/9 | 4.95 FIP | 80 IP
55. Niagara rSR 1B Ryan McCauley: 6-5, 225 pounds
2012: .378/.429/.714 – 18 BB/33 K – 0/0 SB – 185 AB
2013: .361/.464/.544 – 27 BB/37 K – 3/4 SB – 180 AB
56. Tennessee Tech JR 1B Zach Stephens: 6-0, 225 pounds
2012: .328/.444/.623 – 29 BB/52 K – 0/0 SB – 204 AB
2013: .336/.441/.626 – 37 BB/68 K – 0/0 SB – 214 AB
57. Butler SR 1B Jimmy Risi: 5-11, 215 pounds
2012: .244/.375/.481 – 24 BB/42 K – 1/3 SB – 156 AB
2013: .357/.447/.620 – 21 BB/42 K – 3/4 SB – 171 AB
58. Georgia Southern SR 1B TD Davis: 6-4, 235 pounds
2012: .299/.370/.431 – 21 BB/43 K – 7/8 SB – 211 AB
2013: .306/.387/.550 – 28 BB/56 K – 3/3 SB – 209 AB
59. Lee SR 1B/OF Corey Davis: well above-average raw power; strong arm; above-average speed; way too aggressive; more talent than most potential late round picks, but still very raw; 6-3, 235 pounds
2013: .357/.416/.590 – 19 BB/54 K – 24/27 SB – 210 AB
60. Lewis-Clark State SR 1B Eric Peterson: good athlete; Washington transfer; 6-5, 215 pounds
2013: .402/.508/.660 – 16 BB/18 K – 0/0 SB – 97 AB
61. Eastern Michigan JR 1B Adam Sonabend
2013: .380/.466/.480 – 27 BB/31 K – 3/6 SB – 200 AB
62. UAB SR 1B John Frost: 6-1, 185 pounds
2012: .276/.357/.346 – 21 BB/40 K – 1/2 SB – 214 AB
2013: .341/.410/.477 – 24 BB/26 K – 10/13 SB – 214 AB
63. Dallas Baptist JR 1B Chane Lynch: 6-4, 200 pounds
2013: .279/.364/.538 – 12 BB/24 K – 1/2 SB – 104 AB
64. Eastern Michigan JR 1B Lee Longo: 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .341/.377/.507 – 6 BB/25 K – 138 AB
2012: .318/.379/.427 – 18 BB/39 K – 0/1 SB – 192 AB
2013: .332/.405/.541 – 17 BB/36 K – 1/2 SB – 205 AB
65. Texas State JR 1B Austin O’Neal: 6-4, 220 pounds
2013: .321/.390/.500 – 12 BB/20 K – 0/0 SB – 106 AB
66. Alabama JR 1B Austen Smith
2011: .324/.411/.479 – 24 BB/36 K – 219 AB
2012: .247/.321/.360 – 16 BB/41 K – 3/6 SB – 150 AB
2013: .303/.373/.467 – 21 BB/45 K – 3/4 SB – 195 AB
67. South Carolina rJR 1B Brison Celek: power upside but hasn’t come to fruition; 6-0, 225 pounds
2013: .304/.409/.392 – 13 BB/15 K – 0/0 SB – 79 AB
68. UC Davis rSO 1B Nick Lynch: 6-1, 200 pounds
2012: .329/.415/.483 – 13 BB/23 K – 0/2 SB – 149 AB
2013: .416/.490/.506 – 8 BB/25 K – 2/4 SB – 166 AB
69. Pacific rSO 1B/LHP Erik Lockwood: gap power presently, but more there; mid-80s FB; good CB; CU; 6-3, 190 pounds
2012: .339/.400/.424 – 12 BB/26 K – 2/3 SB – 165 AB
2013: .320/.386/.409 – 14 BB/33 K – 0/2 SB – 181 AB
70. South Florida SR 1B/OF Jimmy Falla: 6-2, 215 pounds
2012: .293/.356/.398 – 14 BB/42 K – 3/4 SB – 181 AB
2013: .317/.393/.439 – 27 BB/40 K – 8/9 SB – 221 AB
71. Pepperdine SR 1B Sam Meyer: 6-4, 235 pounds
2012: .305/.373/.429 – 22 BB/41 K – 1/2 SB – 203 AB
2013: .289/.376/.458 – 19 BB/29 K – 0/0 SB – 190 AB
72. California rJR 1B Devon Rodriguez: 6-1, 215 pounds
2011: .300/.363/.433 – 13 BB/26 K – 233 AB
2013: .309/.343/.452 – 11 BB/28 K – 0/0 SB – 217 AB
73. Minnesota rJR 1B/OF Dan Olinger: pretty swing; gap power; good approach; no standout tool, but no clear weakness; 6-2, 190 pounds
2011: .284/.354/.353 – 9 BB/11 K – 102 AB
2012: .348/.401/.418 – 13 BB/18 K – 7/10 SB – 201 AB
2013: .296/.370/.370 – 12 BB/14 K – 7/9 SB – 162 AB
74. Louisville SR 1B/LHP Zak Wasserman: raw power remains, but too long swing keeps him inconsistent; 6-6, 240 pounds
2011: .204/.292/.269 – 9 BB/14 K – 93 AB
2012: .291/.372/.456 – 15 BB/26 K – 1/1 SB – 158 AB
2013: .230/.322/.291 – 14 BB/24 K – 1/2 SB – 148 AB
75. Marshall SR 1B Nathan Gomez: some power upside, but more hitter than slugger; really good defender; 6-3, 200 pounds
2011: .252/.384/.387 – 24 BB/32 K – 119 AB
2012: .320/.414/.447 – 29 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 206 AB
2013: .275/.354/.358 – 23 BB/35 K – 0/4 SB – 193 AB
76. Bethune-Cookman JR 1B/LHP Anthony Stokes: above-average power; 6-3, 225 pounds
2012: .242/.320/.478 – 17 BB/33 K – 2/2 SB – 157 AB
2013: .298/.348/.482 – 11 BB/25 K – 0/0 SB – 168 AB
77. South Carolina Upstate SR 1B/C Trey Richardson: 6-2, 210 pounds
2011: .273/.361/.378 – 21 BB/46 K – 209 AB
2012: .247/.317/.386 – 16 BB/41 K – 0/0 SB – 166 AB
2013: .309/.381/.515 – 21 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 194 AB
78. Dartmouth JR 1B Dustin Selzer: 6-3, 220 pounds
2012: .324/.414/.535 – 19 BB/17 K – 0/1 SB – 142 AB
2013: .290/.392/.428 – 20 BB/23 K – 0/0 SB – 138 AB
79. Northern Illinois JR 1B Jeff Zimmerman: good approach, smart hitter; plus defender; 6-3, 220 pounds
2011: .307/.382/.516 – 23 BB/64 K – 215 AB
2012: .262/.342/.410 – 15 BB/45 K – 3/3 SB – 195 AB
2013: .338/.395/.452 – 18 BB/25 K – 5/7 SB – 210 AB
80. Florida Atlantic SR 1B/OF Mark Nelson: 6-2, 200 pounds
2012: .271/.369/.410 – 33 BB/25 K – 1/1 SB – 210 AB
2013: .288/.406/.452 – 33 BB/32 K – 0/1 SB – 177 AB
81. Florida Gulf Coast rSR 1B Brooks Beisner: Auburn transfer
2013: .380/.456/.537 – 21 BB/37 K – 1/2 SB – 216 AB
82. South Alabama SR 1B Dustin Dalken: 6-6, 233 pounds
2012: .259/.357/.367 – 17 BB/40 K – 1/1 SB – 147 AB
2013: .358/.433/.586 – 17 BB/45 K – 2/3 SB – 162 AB
83. Miami (Ohio) SR 1B Kevin Bower: above-average power; strong; average at best defender; 6-4, 215 pounds
2011: .255/.305/.356 – 12 BB/41 K – 149 AB
2012: .348/.416/.467 – 27 BB/37 K – 0/1 SB – 210 AB
2013: .323/.400/.448 – 20 BB/39 K – 2/3 SB – 192 AB
84. Bradley JR 1B Greg Partyka: 6-3, 235 pounds
2012: .282/.346/.485 – 19 BB/46 K – 0/0 SB – 206 AB
2013: .331/.421/.494 – 23 BB/44 K – 0/1 SB – 172 AB
85. Western Carolina JR 1B/C Adam Martin: some contact issues; average at best arm; good power; 6-2, 235 pounds
2011: .269/.368/.448 – 16 BB/35 K – 134 AB
2012: .257/.357/.414 – 25 BB/39 K – 2/4 SB – 191 AB
2013: .281/.394/.516 – 16 BB/31 K – 0/0 SB – 128 AB
86. Dartmouth SR 1B Ennis Coble: 5-11, 170 pounds
2011: .340/.417/.490 – 14 BB/18 K – 147 AB
2012: .311/.419/.356 – 15 BB/17 K – 3/10 SB – 135 AB
2013: .325/.401/.457 – 13 BB/11 K – 10/10 SB – 151 AB
87. Stony Brook JR 1B/LHP Kevin Courtney: 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .273/.343/.397 – 9 BB/33 K – 121 AB
2012: .264/.376/.408 – 24 BB/39 K – 1/5 SB – 174 AB
2013: .237/.386/.432 – 33 BB/39 K – 2/2 SB – 169 AB
88. San Jose State JR 1B Matt Carroll: quick bat; solid defender; untapped power upside; 6-6, 235 pounds
2012: .222/.364/.267 – 6 BB/9 K – 0/2 SB – 45 AB
2013: .373/.405/.483 – 10 BB/35 K – 5/8 SB – 201 AB
89. Illinois State SR 1B Kyle Stanton: 6-2, 220 pounds
2013: .357/.443/.500 – 30 BB/46 K – 4/5 SB – 196 AB
90. Penn SR 1B Spencer Branigan: average raw power; good defender; 6-5, 235 pounds
2011: .280/.362/.512 – 10 BB/28 K – 125 AB
2012: .234/.331/.379 – 16 BB/33 K – 2/2 SB – 145 AB
2013: .315/.393/.413 – 18 BB/27 K – 0/1 SB – 143 AB
91. Prairie View A&M JR 1B Dominiq Harris: 6-0, 210 pounds
2012: .285/.331/.412 – 9 BB/26 K – 2/2 SB – 165 AB
2013: .302/.362/.497 – 19 BB/36 K – 3/3 SB – 189 AB
92. Samford JR 1B/OF Caleb Bryson: quick bat; above-average power; average at best speed; 6-1, 200 pounds
2013: .271/.367/.452 – 25 BB/51 K – 3/4 SB – 188 AB
93. North Carolina Greensboro SR 1B Lloyd Enzor: 6-3, 215 pounds
2012: .274/.308/.413 – 9 BB/33 K – 0/0 SB – 208 AB
2013: .293/.375/.476 – 26 BB/49 K – 0/2 SB – 208 AB
94. Fairfield SR 1B Anthony Hajjar
2011: .223/.289/.266 – 8 BB/18 K – 139 AB
2012: .317/.376/.401 – 15 BB/27 K – 2/2 SB – 202 AB
2013: .304/.371/.418 – 13 BB/11 K – 5/6 SB – 184 AB
95. Belmont SR 1B/OF Judah Akers: 6-2, 200 pounds
2011: .312/.384/.466 – 20 BB/39 K – 189 AB
2012: .340/.380/.465 – 13 BB/40 K – 6/9 SB – 241 AB
2013: .312/.408/.537 – 23 BB/39 K – 2/5 SB – 205 AB
96. Southern Illinois Edwardsville SR 1B Joel Greatting: 6-1, 200 pounds
2011: .312/.386/.445 – 12 BB/24 K – 173 AB
2012: .328/.429/.529 – 22 BB/31 K – 0/2 SB – 204 AB
2013: .356/.471/.539 – 23 BB/35 K – 1/4 SB – 180 AB
97. Central Connecticut State SR 1B Tyler McIntyre: 6-4, 220 pounds
2012: .267/.323/.488 – 14 BB/37 K – 0/0 SB – 172 AB
2013: .330/.417/.508 – 28 BB/49 K – 0/2 SB – 185 AB
98. Navy JR 1B Kash Manzelli: 6-3, 210 pounds
2012: .277/.361/.377 – 15 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 159 AB
2013: .361/.431/.450 – 17 BB/29 K – 1/1 SB – 191 AB
99. Northern Colorado JR 1B/LHP Nick Miller: 6-4, 200 pounds
2013: .309/.375/.469 – 18 BB/24 K – 2/5 SB – 175 AB
100. Lamar SR 1B Brad Picha: good approach; plus defender; 6-2, 220 pounds
2013: .319/.376/.423 – 18 BB/38 K – 4/4 SB – 213 AB
***
And because I can’t help myself, here are 22 extra players to keep tabs on for draft day and beyond…
101. Air Force JR 1B Seth Kline: 6-1, 225 pounds
2012: .271/.400/.415 – 25 BB/29 K – 1/2 SB – 118 AB
2013: .314/.399/.422 – 25 BB/39 K – 6/7 SB – 185 AB
102. Longwood SR 1B Justin Lacy: too many swings and misses; good power; good defender; 6-2, 220 pounds
2011: .309/.354/.470 – 10 BB/29 K – 181 AB
2012: .370/.458/.532 – 24 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 173 AB
2013: .307/.331/.429 – 7 BB/27 K – 0/0 SB – 163 AB
103. Buffalo SR 1B/3B Alex Baldock: 6-3, 215 pounds
2011: .320/.410/.490 – 20 BB/29 K – 194 AB
2012: .294/.405/.486 – 15 BB/20 K – 1/2 SB – 109 AB
2013: .259/.327/.420 – 15 BB/32 K – 0/0 SB – 174 AB
104. Central Michigan rSO 1B Cody Leichman: above-average raw power; good natural hitter; good defender; 6-3, 220 pounds
2013: .347/.428/.437 – 16 BB/41 K – 6/6 SB – 167 AB
105. Stephen F. Austin State rJR 1B Max Lamantia: 6-4, 230 pounds
2012: .367/.448/.567 – 17 BB/29 K – 1/1 SB – 120 AB
2013: .290/.353/.459 – 17 BB/44 K – 4/5 SB – 183 AB
106. Old Dominion JR 1B Joey Burney: 6-3, 210 pounds
2011: .243/.283/.453 – 6 BB/29 K – 148 AB
2012: .255/.325/.431 – 8 BB/18 K – 0/2 SB – 137 AB
2013: .287/.385/.426 – 15 BB/23 K – 1/2 SB – 129 AB
107. Old Dominion SR 1B Austin McGowan: 6-0, 200 pounds
2012: .254/.346/.351 – 15 BB/18 K – 0/2 SB – 114 AB
2013: .264/.355/.406 – 16 BB/12 K – 0/0 SB – 106 AB
108. Jacksonville JR 1B Brady North: 6-3, 225 pounds
2013: .265/.365/.413 – 31 BB/41 K – 0/1 SB – 196 AB
109. St. Bonaventure SR 1B Austin Ingraham: 6-2, 215 pounds
2012: .243/.340/.370 – 28 BB/28 K – 3/3 SB – 173 AB
2013: .298/.365/.404 – 20 BB/23 K – 7/9 SB – 178 AB
110. Murray State SR 1B Mike Kozlowski: 5-11, 215 pounds
2012: .297/.371/.410 – 23 BB/38 K – 0/1 SB – 222 AB
2013: .285/.369/.425 – 23 BB/36 K – 0/1 SB – 221 AB
111. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi SR 1B/RHP Jonathan Gonzales: 6-0, 250 pounds
2012: .293/.364/.477 – 15 BB/34 K – 2/4 SB – 174 AB
2013: .311/.349/.453 – 10 BB/26 K – 1/2 SB – 212 AB
112. Wofford rJR 1B Seth Neely: Clemson transfer; 5-10, 200 pounds
2013: .338/.387/.380 – 16 BB/38 K – 17/23 SB – 216 AB
113. Tennessee-Martin SR 1B Wade Collins: 6-4, 215 pounds
2012: .241/.365/.379 – 14 BB/31 K – 0/0 SB – 87 AB
2013: .322/.391/.496 – 12 BB/40 K – 2/3 SB – 121 AB
114. Southern Mississippi SR 1B Blake Brown: average power; strong; 6-5, 225 pounds
2012: .260/.374/.438 – 30 BB/63 K – 1/2 SB – 192 AB
2013: .250/.327/.448 – 15 BB/49 K – 2/2 SB – 192 AB
115. Hofstra SR 1B Jared Hammer: 6-1, 235 pounds
2011: .328/.399/.403 – 10 BB/12 K – 134 AB
2012: .324/.436/.441 – 39 BB/20 K – 12/14 SB – 213 AB
2013: .265/.380/.354 – 29 BB/29 K – 5/7 SB – 189 AB
116. Toledo SR 1B Matt Delewski: 6-0, 180 pounds
2011: .266/.324/.362 – 16 BB/17 K – 188 AB
2012: .301/.344/.364 – 10 BB/22 K – 2/4 SB – 173 AB
2013: .345/.380/.399 – 10 BB/20 K – 4/7 SB – 223 AB
117. San Jose State JR 1B/OF Matt Lopez: 5-11, 200 pounds
2012: .296/.444/.383 – 23 BB/13 K – 2/4 SB – 115 AB
2013: .283/.403/.313 – 19 BB/15 K – 1/3 SB – 99 AB
118. Kent State SR 1B/C Jason Bagoly: average power; strong arm; not a good catcher, but can fake it; built like a bull; 6-3, 235 pounds
2011: .237/.308/.342 – 10 BB/31 K – 114 AB
2012: .277/.333/.468 – 6 BB/21 K – 0/1 SB – 94 AB
2013: .264/.349/.349 – 14 BB/38 K – 0/0 SB – 129 AB
119. Sacramento State SR 1B Clay Cederquist: interesting upside with bat; above-average raw power; good defender; has been tried in OF, but not successfully; missed 2013 season; 6-3, 190 pounds
2012: .337/.355/.391 – 5 BB/20 K – 0/0 SB – 184 AB
120. Valparaiso SR 1B John Loeffler: 6-1, 200 pounds
2012: .274/.393/.393 – 32 BB/28 K – 0/1 SB – 201 AB
2013: .286/.404/.360 – 28 BB/32 K – 2/2 SB – 175 AB
121. Pacific SR 1B Tyger Pederson: can also play 2B; 6-0, 185 pounds
2012: .270/.379/.315 – 18 BB/16 K – 2/5 SB – 111 AB
2013: .287/.343/.363 – 15 BB/28 K – 3/7 SB – 157 AB
122. Coastal Carolina SR 1B/OF Alex Buccilli: patient approach; not much power; not a great defender; famous for bizarre swing mechanics and setup; 5-8, 180 pounds
2012: .318/.432/.422 – 36 BB/15 K – 10/10 SB – 192 AB
2013: .276/.428/.337 – 35 BB/22 K – 6/8 SB – 163 AB
College First Basemen to Know
I hate having to preface posts with little updates about my life away from the site, but I ultimately prefer going this route than having to live with the guilt of not updating for multiple days on end. Last week’s excuse was a grad school paper hanging over my head; no sooner did that fifteen-page pile of words get turned in did I come down with a rare and not so beautiful case of double pink eye (love my job, but the threat of maladies like that are a clear downside). I’m not really the type to “get sick” and “stop working,” but, damn, it turns out your eyes are really important when it comes to keeping up with most day-to-day activities. Time spent working on a few projects for the site turned into time sitting around doing nothing but holding a warm compress to my face.
To make life a little simpler for me while I catch up, here’s a quick and dirty list of college first basemen that have caught my eye thus far. Same rules for the catching list last week apply: the list only includes players from the conferences I’ve profiled so far. That would be the Big 10, SEC, ACC, Big East, Ivy, Mountain West, WCC, Sun Belt, Pac 12, WAC, Conference USA, Missouri Valley, and Big 12.
I do promise to have any recent comment or email responded to by the end of the day on Wednesday.
- New Mexico JR 1B DJ Peterson
- Notre Dame JR 1B Eric Jagielo
- Oregon JR 1B Ryon Healy
- Notre Dame JR 1B Trey Mancini
- Georgia Tech JR 1B Daniel Palka
- South Alabama JR 1B Jordan Patterson
- Vanderbilt JR 1B Conrad Gregor
- Oregon State SR 1B Danny Hayes
- Louisiana-Lafayette JR 1B Chase Compton
- Washington State rJR 1B Adam Nelubowich
- Cincinnati JR 1B Justin Glass
- Wichita State rSR 1B Johnny Coy
- Portland JR 1B Turner Gill
- East Carolina JR 1B Chase McDonald
- Florida SR 1B Vickash Ramjit
- Marshall SR 1B Nathan Gomez
- Rice JR 1B Michael Aquino
- Louisville SR 1B Zak Wasserman
- North Carolina SR 1B Cody Stubbs
- Duke rSO 1B Chris Marconcini
- Wake Forest rJR 1B Matt Conway
- Maryland JR 1B Tim Kiene
- Virginia rSR 1B Jared King
- Auburn SR 1B Garrett Cooper
- Sacramento State SR 1B Clay Cederquist
- Dartmouth JR 1B Dustin Selzer
Projecting the First Round: MLB Draft 2013 First Base Prospects
“Locks”
1B: Dominic Smith (1)
The downside to any high school player destined for first base professionally is immense. Without speed, athleticism, and, most importantly, a defensive positional advantage over your peers, it is a really tough climb from high school standout to big league star. Going from beating up on prep pitching to knowing your future is on the line with every plate appearance isn’t for everybody. The margin of error for bat-first prospects is so small that it is really difficult to find a legitimate first round “lock” amateur first baseman in any given year. Enter Dominic Smith.
I recently spoke to one of Smith’s biggest fans in the scouting community who told me, all developmental caveats understood, Smith’s realistic big league floor is Adam LaRoche. That’s crazy, right? LaRoche as a potential floor? I’ve never been first in line for the Adam LaRoche fan club or anything, but he’s had a pretty darn good career all things considered. In addition to LaRoche, I’ve also independently heard Larry Walker and the non-2001 version of Luis Gonzalez mentioned, though in each instance the players discussed were only done so in terms of ceiling. Popular industry comps (ceiling, again) include Todd Helton and Adrian Gonzalez, both (I believe) from members of the excellent staff at Perfect Game. Love comps, hate comps, have no strong feelings either way towards comps…those names mentioned speak to what those in the business think about Smith’s upside with the stick. The comparison I’d make — you know, if I was the type who enjoyed making comps — is Justin Morneau, give or take an inch or two. One last mystery comp that I think you may hear again between now and June:
- “bat speed to spare”
- “as much raw power as anyone in the draft”
- “power ranges to all fields”
- “approach at the plate is advanced”
- “solid defender with athleticism”
- “well above-average arm”
- “regularly touching 95 mph off the mound”
- “could be an above-average defender”
- “tools to be an all-star first baseman”
You can quibble some with the power (mystery guy had a touch more raw power in high school), defense (advantage Smith), and maximum velocity (Smith’s top reading is 92 so far), but I think most of those scouting blurbs could have been pulled directly from a scouting report of Smith. Our mystery comp is none other than Eric Hosmer, the third overall pick back in 2008. Excerpts were taken from Baseball America, where the full report can be found at here (for subscribers).
Definite Maybes
1B: Nick Longhi, Rowdy Tellez, Zack Collins, DJ Peterson (4)
*****
Smith isn’t alone when it comes to intriguing high school first base prospects. The hype on Nick Longhi has subsided some in recent months, but not for anything that will hurt his eventual draft stock. I had somebody in the know refer to him as “Dominic Smith without the big arm,” a fitting comp for a player who had scouts literally oohing and ahhing when last I saw him. Longhi seems quite underrated thus far — out of sight, out of mind — but that could just be me being way off base on yet another high school guy who impressed me a ton in person. Just below him you have Rowdy Tellez (arguably the best raw power of his class), Zack Collins (reminds me of a bigger, more athletic Mike Napoli), and Corey Simpson (like Collins, he also catches). You could keep going down the list and, if you’re a charitable soul, give an outside chance of one of the following big bats breaking through this spring: Bryce Harman, Joe Dudek, KJ Woods, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger. All in all, a pretty solid group of high school first base prospects.
I don’t think there is much to be excited about in the way of college first base prospects, at least in terms of early round candidates who project as everyday ballplayers. The list below isn’t necessarily made up of the best prospects (like I would know anyway, right?), but rather the ones that jumped out to me as being especially intriguing follows as we head into the season. Peterson has the best shot of the group of cracking the first round – I could see some teams buying into him as a smaller, yet no less powerful version of CJ Cron, the 17th overall pick in 2011. I’d have Palka (huge raw power, gifted natural hitter, plus arm) just behind him, though Palka’s in more of a make or break situation than Peterson this year when it comes to plate discipline and overall approach to hitting (i.e. the stuff he presently gets away with in college won’t work in the pros). The Notre Dame lineup, led by their sluggers Jagielo and Mancini, should be a lot of fun to watch this year. I think both guys will keep mashing in 2013, so no less than 30 combined homers is what I’m hoping to see.
- Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech)
- Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame)
- Trey Mancini (Notre Dame)
- Ryon Healy (Oregon State)
- Chase McDonald (East Carolina)
- Nathan Gomez (Marshall)
- DJ Peterson (New Mexico)
- Chase Compton (Louisiana-Lafayette)
- Brad Zebedis (Presbyterian)
- Esteban Gomez (St. Thomas)