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Running 2015 MLB Draft Prospect Follow Lists (Week Two)

12 Dec 2014 9:00 AM / Leave a comment

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

  1. Maryland JR C Kevin Martir
  2. Duke rSR C Mike Rosenfeld
  3. Miami SR C Garrett Kennedy

1B

  1. Boston College JR 1B/OF Chris Shaw
  2. Florida State rSR 1B Chris Marconcini
  3. Georgia Tech SR 1B/C AJ Murray
  4. Georgia Tech rSO 1B Cole Miller

2B

  1. Maryland rSO 2B Brandon Lowe
  2. Georgia Tech SR 2B/SS Thomas Smith
  3. North Carolina State SR 2B/3B Logan Ratledge

SS

  1. Clemson JR SS/3B Tyler Krieger

3B

  1. Miami JR 3B/1B David Thompson
  2. Maryland JR 3B Jose Cuas
  3. Miami JR 3B/OF George Iskenderian
  4. Georgia Tech JR 3B/SS Matt Gonzalez

OF

  1. Florida State JR OF DJ Stewart
  2. Clemson JR OF Steven Duggar
  3. Georgia Tech rJR OF Dan Spingola
  4. Clemson SR OF Tyler Slaton
  5. North Carolina State SR OF Jake Fincher

P

  1. Duke JR RHP Michael Matuella
  2. Clemson JR LHP Matthew Crownover
  3. Miami rJR LHP Andrew Suarez
  4. Clemson JR RHP Clate Schmidt
  5. Florida State JR LHP Alex Diese
  6. Duke JR RHP Kenny Koplove
  7. Maryland JR LHP Alex Robinson
  8. Maryland JR LHP Jake Dorssner
  9. Clemson JR LHP Zack Erwin
  10. Clemson rSO RHP Wales Toney
  11. Florida State JR RHP/OF Jameis Winston
  12. Duke SR RHP Andrew Istler
  13. Duke rSO RHP James Marvel
  14. Maryland JR RHP Kevin Mooney
  15. Maryland JR RHP Jared Price
  16. Florida State SR LHP Bryant Holtmann
  17. Maryland rJR LHP Zach Morris
  18. Clemson rJR RHP Patrick Andrews
  19. Florida State rJR RHP Mike Compton
  20. North Carolina State JR LHP Brad Stone
  21. Miami JR LHP Thomas Woodrey
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2012 MLB Draft: All-ACC Prospect Team (Position Players)

23 Jun 2011 5:05 PM / 1 Comment on 2012 MLB Draft: All-ACC Prospect Team (Position Players)

Somebody just asked me who my favorite 2012 MLB Draft prospects at each position across the ACC were last night. Alright, that’s a total lie…but here they are anyway:

Virginia Tech SO C Chad Morgan | .237/.333/.360 – 16 BB/34 K – 139 AB

Morgan was a favorite heading into 2011 because of his big power upside, plus arm strength, and well above-average defensive skills. His sophomore year numbers don’t exactly scream early round candidate heading into 2012, but the big tools remain.

Florida State SO 1B Jayce Boyd | .339/.423/.519 – 36 BB/30 K – 233 AB

Despite the change in bats, Boyd put up a nearly identical stat line in 2011 (2010 numbers: .341/.413/.528 – 28 BB/36 K – 214 AB) with the biggest exception being his improved plate discipline. The most difficult players to project – for me, anyway – are the prospects who are destined for bat-first positions (i.e. first base and corner outfield) because the margin for error is so slight. Boyd has a bat I believe in. Watching him hit reminds you of the difference between a good power hitter and a good hitter who hits for power. Boyd is squarely in the latter category; his plus raw power and outstanding collegiate production are byproducts of his special hit tool. I’d caution against thinking that his likely inability to stick at third base at the next level equates to below-average athleticism and negative defensive value. Yeah, it’s true that he may be too stiff to man the hot corner professionally, but his solid athleticism, soft hands, and great baseball instincts make him a plus defender at first base.

Florida State SO 2B Devon Travis | .336/.462/.523 – 43 BB/28 K – 5/9 SB – 220 AB

Travis will head into the 2012 season duking it out with North Carolina’s Tommy Coyle for the honor of first second baseman picked out of the ACC. I like the rising Florida State junior to be the first off the board because of his exciting mix of future tools and current skills. As his 2011 hitting line shows, his bat fits well as a potential pro leadoff hitter, offering that almost ideal blend of patience and little man (5-9, 180 pounds) pop. He has also shown above-average speed along with plus defensive tools at second, though his on-field output in both areas (only 10 steals in two years and up and down performances in the field) has been inconsistent to date.

Virginia SO SS Stephen Bruno | .240/.269/.320 – 0 BB/7 K – 0/1 SB – 25 AB

I wrote about Bruno a bit back in the day…

FR SS Stephen Bruno (2012) was one of the rarest of the rare coming out of high school – a prep player actually expected to stay at shortstop as a pro. We always hear about how pretty much every worthwhile big leaguer was the star shortstop/pitcher of his high school team, but it never registered how often these players were forced to move off the position after signing that first pro deal. I mean, Jim Thome was a shortstop in high school* because, let’s be honest, that’s just where you put the best athlete at that level. I remember watching Billy Rowell play shortstop in high school. He positioned himself about 3 steps out on the outfield grass, basically admitting to all in attendance he had no range and instead relying exclusively on his rocket arm to gun people down at first. Rowell wasn’t a pro prospect as a shortstop, but he played shortstop on his high school team because, quite simply, if he didn’t, then who would? Bruno was a top ten round talent in 2009 who fell to the Yankees in the 26th round due to a very strong commitment to Virginia. He’ll stick at shortstop throughout his career due to his plus range, slightly above-average speed, and Speedy Gonzalez quick hands. He has flashed present power, launching a couple of 450 bombs his senior year of school, but lacks the overall strength to do it on a consistent basis. That last point may not seem like a huge deal for a middle infield prospect, but it does speak to the general concerns about Bruno’s future. Some players are projects based on the development of their tools, an area that Bruno grades out fairly well across the board (in addition to the aforementioned defensive skills, he has a 55 arm), but other players are projects based on their physical development. That’s where Bruno is at right now. He has worked his tail off to improve in each of the five tools (most notably speed and arm strength), but it’ll be the way is body fills out (keeping in mind he is 5-9, 165) that will make him into either a first round caliber guy or not.

It really is a shame that an injured hamstring has held back Bruno in 2011 because, when healthy, he can really, really play. He should get his chance next season, though it remains to be seen if he’ll get the opportunity to unseat the incumbent Chris Taylor or have to put his strong arm and good athleticism to use elsewhere on the diamond. As good as Taylor has been at short for the Cavaliers, I think Bruno’s defensive upside is even higher.

North Carolina State SO 3B Danny Canela | .267/.349/.443 – 17 BB/26 K – 131 AB

This may be a little bit of a cheat seeing how Canela’s likeliest defensive home at the next level is probably behind the plate, but a little bit of creative licensing gets him the job at the hot corner on our list. He is probably talented enough to play at least average defense at either position, but his, shall we say, “compact” 5-10, 230 pound frame gives him the look of a future pro backstop. Canela’s signature tool is probably his raw arm strength – no surprise considering his two defensive positions – but his quick bat and power upside are nearly as appealing positives.

Georgia Tech SO OF Brandon Thomas | .322/.434/.449 – 38 BB/40 K – 20/23 SB – 205 AB

It’s easy to see why Thomas has drawn favorably comparisons (by me) to former Georgia Tech outfielders Charlie Blackmon and Danny Payne. A quick rundown of his biggest positives: above-average range in a corner spot, an arm strong enough for right field, good speed that he knows how to use, gap power with a chance for more, excellent athleticism, and a pro ready body (6-3, 205 pounds). It can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint a good prospect a year ahead of the draft, but tools like that combined with really strong production at an outstanding college program make this whole prognostication thing a lot easier.

North Carolina State SO OF Tarran Senay | .271/.401/.388 – 26 BB/38 K – 0/1 SB – 129 AB

Senay is probably the least toolsy of the outfielders listed, so the “bat or bust” risk factor typified by future first basemen/left fielders is magnified. Injuries knocked his numbers down in 2011 (check his freshman season line: .304/.456/.571 – 28 BB/29 K – 112 AB), but the plus raw power keeps him squarely on the 2012 draft map.

Virginia SO OF Reed Gragnani | .293/.410/.361 – 19 BB/13 K – 1/3 SB – 133 AB

A little bit of Gragnani appreciation written by me (though with too much information lifted from here…I feel bad about that, so sorry Mr. Kolenich…I’ve gotten better at attributing sources since then) prior to his freshman year…

FR SS Reed Gragnani (2012) is yet another talented young prospect expected to see significant time in a loaded Virginia infield. His game right now revolves largely around his well above-average speed, excellent athleticism, and impressive range up the middle, but he is no slouch with the bat either. Early comps include Brian Roberts (if he develops as is) and Ryan Zimmerman (if he bulks up and gains power). Gragnani’s brother, Robbie, grew four inches during his college tenure at Virginia Commonwealth, so that Ryan Zimmerman developmental path isn’t totally out of the question. That’s not to say that the only thing standing in the way between Gragnani and future big league All-Star status is a couple of inches and some muscle, but he’s a good player with high round talent all the same.

I still believe in Gragnani as a middle infielder, but also think he has the tools to play a mean center field if given the chance. I also still believe in his bat. While it is true that his power hasn’t come on like many (myself included) had hoped, he still has the chance to hit for a high average and gap power at the next level.

2010 MLB Draft: ACC Shortstops

22 Mar 2010 4:04 AM / 2 Comments on 2010 MLB Draft: ACC Shortstops

I’ve started to make some prospect rankings lists, but am realizing that there are some really tight competitions in certain conferences and position groups. Last night I was rolling along as I put together a list of the best 2010 draft eligible position players in the ACC until I hit a roadblock at around the tenth spot. There were four shortstops on my shortlist that hadn’t been included, so I figured, hey, why not tease that ranking out a bit to see how the four players ranked head to head to head to head?

Virginia Tech JR SS Tim Smalling
Height, Weight: 6-3, 207
Birth Date: 10/14/87 (Age-22 season)

FR – .288/.389/.397 (21 BB/27 K; 1-4 SB)
SO – .250/.309/.442 (17 BB/61 K; 6-8 SB)
JR – (transferred in from Arkansas; sat out 2009 season)
rJR – .436/.482/.667 (5 BB/7 K; 2-3 SB)

Smalling is, perhaps somewhat ironically, the biggest of the four shortstops on our list. It’s ironic because his name has “small” in it. Clever observation, right? Anyway, that size (6-3, 207) and a strong arm make him look like a player capable of playing third professionally, but his skill set is still far better suited for shortstop. Good footwork and soft hands should keep him up the middle going forward, but that aforementioned potential for defensive versatility should help him in his cause for playing time at the next level. It may be a little strange to see a player like Smalling, a guy with a reputation as being more than a little hacktastic, atop this list, but his combined hit/power tools top that of any other draft-eligible middle infielder in the conference. Admittedly, Smalling’s plate discipline doesn’t look all that promising when judging solely by the numbers above, but scouts have given him high grades in his pitch recognition so far in 2010. He’s done a much better job at laying off balls he knows he can’t do much with (note the drop of strikeouts so far) and hammering pitches in his happy fun-time hitting zone (hard to argue with his power indicators thus far). Smalling’s total package of above-average offensive and defensive skills could get him into the top 5 rounds this June.

Duke JR SS Jake Lemmerman
Height, Weight: 6-2, 185
Birth Date: 5/4/89 (Age-21 season)

FR – .283/.353/.373 (15 BB/24 K; 5-7 SB)
SO – .287/.355/.448 (20 BB/32 K; 13-16 SB)
JR – .293/.391/.520 (11 BB/14 K; 4-5 SB)

Lemmerman, the youngest and best defensive player of our quartet, is a good runner (22-28 career SB) with enough untapped potential with the bat to legitimately claim an everyday role professionally someday. Lemmerman is already a plus defender with quick hands, above-average range, and an uncanny knack for turning the double play. If his strong offensive start to 2010 is for real, as many believe, he could hear his name called anywhere between rounds 5 through 8 on draft day. The renewed interest in defense should help Lemmerman as much as just about any player in this year’s college class.

Virginia SR SS Tyler Cannon
Height, Weight: 6-0, 205
Birth Date: 8/30/87 (Age-22 season)

FR – .279/.350/.354 (20 BB/46 K; 8-12 SB)
SO – .252/.324/.345 (23 BB/45 K; 14-17 SB)
JR – .351/.451/.489 (35 BB/41 K; 17-19 SB)
SR – .368/.442/.566 (10 BB/12 K; 0-2 SB)

Cannon is solid in all phases of the game, but lacks fluidity on defense at any one given position. Between his lack of a true defensive home and his steady, but unspectacular bat, he has many believing his professional role will be that of a super-sub capable of playing literally every position on the diamond, including catcher. I’ve compared him to current big league utility infielder Eric Bruntlett (who hit .342/.463/.485 with more walks than strikeouts for Stanford in his third and final year as a college player) in the past, a resemblance many first think of as an insult, but one I consider to be a compliment. Cannon is a proven versatile defender at the college level who, as previously mentioned, doesn’t really have any glaring deficiencies in his tool set, minus a lack of long ball power.

It seems that the majority of area scouts like Cannon better than I do, so it really wouldn’t be a shock to see Cannon go first out of the players listed. I’ll stick to my guns and insist on liking the guys listed above due largely to their greater probability of sticking at shortstop professionally, but I can see how Cannon would be a player who would grow on you with repeated viewings. After all, my “insulting” comp Bruntlett went in the 9th round back in 2000. That seems like the area of the draft that Cannon’s final projection will likely be in June.

Florida State SR SS Stephen Cardullo
Height, Weight: 6-0, 200
Birth Date: 8/31/87 (Age-22 season)

FR – .273/.308/.545 (1 BB/2 K; 0-0 SB; limited at bats)
SO – .387/.473/.613 (11 BB/14 K; 2-3 SB; limited at bats)
JR – .376/.476/.612 (45 BB/46 K; 20-24 SB)
SR – .324/.449/.437 (13 BB/13 K; 5-5 SB)

Cardullo’s defense is arguably the weakest of this bunch, but his junior year numbers are simply too wonderful to be ignored. Those numbers are made all the more impressive when you consider Cardullo started with Florida state as a walk-on who only earned 73 at bats through the end of sophomore year. The junior year breakout came completely out of nowhere, but Cardullo has managed to maintain some of the gains (largely those made in his mature, discipline approach at the plate) while still showing just enough of the gap power to keep scouts believing he has enough pop to spend a 15th to 20th round pick on him. I liken him to a less acclaimed version of former teammate Tony Delmonico, 2008 6th round pick of the Dodgers. Delmonico has seen time behind the plate and on the right side of the infield in the minors so far, a path that could be the best hope for Cardullo (who already has some college experience at both first and second) to follow if he wants to someday crack a big league roster. Without sounding too much like a broken record, defensive value through versatility will be a large part of what gets any of the above players to the big leagues. Steady defense at all five defensive spots + professional approach taken to every at bat + gap power + average speed = potential big league utility player.

2010 College Baseball Week Four – ACC Edition

16 Mar 2010 4:40 AM / Leave a comment

Another day, another conference. Let’s take a journey up and down the coast to see who did what in the ACC this past weekend…

Virginia

Friday: JR OF Dan Grovatt (Virginia): 4-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, K
Friday: SO LHP Danny Hultzen (Virginia): 6 IP 2 H 0 ER 0 BB 6 K
Friday: JR RHP Tyler Wilson (Virginia): 2 IP 0 H 0 ER 0 BB 4 K
Friday: JR RHP Kevin Arico (Virginia): 1 IP 1 H 0 ER 0 BB 1 K
Saturday: SR SS Tyler Cannon (Virginia): 2-4, 2 BB, RBI, R, K
Saturday: JR RHP Robert Morey (Virginia): 5 IP 7 H 3 ER 3 BB 6 K
Sunday: JR OF Dan Grovatt (Virginia): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI
Sunday: JR RHP Cody Winiarski (Virginia): 3.2 IP 7 H 4 ER 1 BB 3 K
Sunday: JR RHP Tyler Wilson (Virginia): 2 IP 1 H 2 ER 1 BB 1 K

The season is still impossibly young, but Cody Winiarski has been one of my bigger prospect disappointments. Big things were expected out of the junior college transfer with a low-90s fastball and power slider, but his performances thus far can charitably be called inconsistent. Virginia’ s staff is so deep that he may actually be another bad start or two from getting leapfrogged in the rotation. Speaking of Virginia pitching, it’ll be very interesting to see where Danny Hultzen, the Cavaliers’ ace who is no danger of being leapfrogged anytime soon, fits alongside some of the other big name college pitchers in the 2011 Draft. Comparisons with former Virginia LHP/1B Sean Doolittle are inevitable, but, having seen both players in person, I’d take Hultzen on the mound over Doolittle at the plate.

Florida State

Friday: SO LHP Sean Gilmartin (Florida State): 6 IP 11 H 4 ER 3 BB 6 K
Saturday: FR 2B Justin Gonzalez (Florida State): 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Saturday: JR LHP John Gast (Florida State): 4 IP 5 H 2 ER 2 BB 5 K
Saturday: SO LHP Brian Busch (Florida State): 3 IP 4 H 1 ER 0 BB 2 K
Sunday: FR 1B Jayce Boyd (Florida State): 3-4, 3B, R, RBI
Sunday: JR OF/RHP Mike McGee (Florida State): 3-4, HR 2 RBI, 2 R and 1.2 IP 0 H 0 ER 0 BB 2 K
Sunday: JR RHP Geoff Parker (Florida State): 5.2 IP 7 H 6 ER 3 BB 6 K 94-95 peak FB

I mentioned Northwestern’s SO 1B/RHP Paul Snieder as one of my favorite two-way players in the nation in yesterday’s post, so it’s only right that I spotlight another standout Swiss Army knife. Mike McGee currently has an OPS approaching 1.100 and an ERA (through 7.2 IP) at 0.00. His mature beyond his years approach at the plate make him a better hitting prospect in my mind, but he could get docked by some scouts as a tweener outfielder without a singular standout tool. I get all that, but still believe that he’s the kind of player who has the right blend of talent and temperament to succeed as a minor leaguer.

Wake Forest

Friday: SO RHP Michael Dimock (Wake Forest): 6.1 IP 11 H 5 ER 0 BB 4 K
Saturday: SO 1B/LHP Austin Stadler (Wake Forest): 3-5, R, K
Saturday: JR CF Steven Brooks (Wake Forest): 4-5, 2B, SB, RBI, K
Sunday: SO 1B/LHP Austin Stadler (Wake Forest): 5.2 IP 4 H 2 ER 4 BB 6 K

Stadler is another two-way player who I like better at the plate than on the mound. His stuff grades out as average even by college lefty standards, although there is certainly room for growth with his mid- to upper-80s fastball if he ever gets the chance to solely concentrate on his pitching. Though just a sophomore, Stadler faces a time crunch to start performing because his lack of foot speed confines him to first base defensively. His best tool is his power, but he’ll have to start showing it off in-game if he wants to be taken seriously as a prospect.

Georgia Tech

Friday: JR RHP Deck McGuire (Georgia Tech): 9 IP 3 H 1 ER 2 BB 8 K
Saturday: JR 2B Thomas Nichols (Georgia Tech): 1-2, 3 BB, 2 RBI, R
Saturday: SO 3B Matt Skole (Georgia Tech): 3-4, HR, 2B, 2 BB, 3 RBI, 4 R
Saturday: SR 1B Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech): 3-5, 2B, BB, SB, 3 R
Saturday: JR RHP Brandon Cumpton (Georgia Tech): 4 IP 10 H 5 ER 0 BB 3 K
Sunday: SR 1B Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech): 1-1, HR, 2 BB, 3 RBI, R
Sunday: FR RHP Buck Farmer (Georgia Tech): 4 IP 2 H 0 ER 0 BB 3 K
Sunday: SO LHP Jed Bradley (Georgia Tech): 5 IP 6 H 4 ER 2 BB 3 K

McGuire ups his gem to start ration to an even 4:4 so far on the season with his complete game on Friday. Anthony Ranaudo left the door open and Deck McGuire has waltzed right through. If he’s not the top college righthanded pitcher on the board, who is? The only competition I see for him right now (and this can all change in a week, mind you) also pitches in the conference; he’ll get his turn further down the page. Meanwhile, Matt Skole continues to hit his way into 2011 first day pick consideration, Tony Plagman begins to make noise as a decent college first base alternative in a very weak year for the position, and Thomas Nichols comes out of nowhere (sort of) to emerge as a legit 2010 draft middle infield draft candidate.

North Carolina

Friday: JR OF Ben Bunting (North Carolina): 3-5, 2B, BB, HBP, 4 R
Friday: FR OF Brian Goodwin (North Carolina): 4-4, HR, 2B, 2 BB, 4 RBI, 4 R
Friday: JR RHP Matt Harvey (North Carolina): 5 IP 7 H 3 ER 4 BB 3 K
Saturday: JR OF Ben Bunting (North Carolina): 2-4, BB, HBP, 3 R, K
Saturday: FR 2B Tommy Coyle (North Carolina): 3-5, 2 2B, SB, HBP, 2 RBI, R
Saturday: SO 3B Levi Michael (North Carolina): 3-5, 2B, BB, SB, 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Saturday: FR LHP RC Orlan (North Carolina): 2.2 IP 2 H 0 ER 0 BB 2 K
Saturday: JR RHP Patrick Johnson (North Carolina): 3.2 IP 6 H 6 ER 2 BB 3 K
Sunday: JR RHP Colin Bates (North Carolina): 6.2 IP 7 H 2 ER 1 BB 3 K

You can’t see me right now, but I’m literally sitting here with my mouth open, hands on my head, and a stupider than usual look on my face. I would have bet good money I don’t have that Brian Goodwin, outstanding prospect that he clearly was and is, would struggle his first few weeks as he transitioned to playing big-time collegiate baseball. His .345/.458/.638 line so far is stunning, not just for his excellent power production (sooner than I thought), but also for his unreal early season pitch selectivity (12 BB to 8 K).

Duke

Friday: SO OF Will Piwnica-Worms (Duke): 4-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R, K
Saturday: JR SS Jake Lemmerman (Duke): 3-6, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, K
Saturday: SO OF Will Piwnica-Worms (Duke): 3-4, HR, 3B, BB, 3 RBI, 3 R
Saturday: SO LHP Eric Pfisterer (Duke): 4.1 IP 7 H 4 ER 1 BB 4 K
Saturday: SR LHP Chris Manno (Duke): 1.2 IP 3 H 0 ER 3 BB 1 K
Saturday: FR RHP Marcus Stroman (Duke): 3 IP 6 H 5 ER 1 BB 3 K
Sunday: JR RHP Dennis O’Grady (Duke): 6 IP 7 H 3 ER 0 BB 4 K
Sunday: SO RHP Ben Grisz (Duke): 3 IP 1 H 0 ER 1 BB 2 K

I still need to finalize some of my college positional rankings, but I’m starting to think Jake Lemmerman may sneak up higher on the SS list than I ever thought possible heading into the year. My early reports on him, both from firsthand observation and through the grapevine, all indicated that his future was as an all-defense/above-average speed/minimal offense type of player. Then somebody casually mentioned they liked his bat more than most, citing untapped power potential in his 6-2, 185 pound frame. It’s early yet, but so far that little birdie has proved prophetic. Lemmerman is a quality player who will solidify his spot in the first ten rounds if he keeps up his current level of performance.

Miami

Friday: JR C Yasmani Grandal (Miami): 2-4, 2B
Friday: JR LHP Chris Hernandez (Miami): 6 IP 5 H 1 ER 2 BB 5 K
Saturday: SR RHP Jason Santana (Miami): 6 IP 5 H 1 ER 2 BB 8 K
Sunday: JR C Yasmani Grandal (Miami): 4-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R
Sunday: JR LHP Eric Erickson (Miami): 4 IP 3 H 3 ER 0 BB 4 K
Sunday: SO LHP Daniel Miranda (Miami): 3 IP 3 H 0 ER 0 BB 4 K

Grandal’s impressive weekend aside, something just doesn’t sit right with the combination of “Yasmani Grandal” and “first round” in my head. I know I shouldn’t put as much stock in little instinctual hunches like that, but I just can’t help myself sometimes. Or maybe I just like hiding behind the illusion of an unexplained hunch when I don’t really feel like explaining the rock solid logic behind the conclusion. Either way.

Boston College

Friday: JR LHP Pat Dean (Boston College): 8 IP 6 H 0 ER 1 BB 9 K in win over Miami
Saturday: JR OF Robbie Anston (Boston College): 2-3, 2B, BB, R
Saturday: JR RHP Kevin Moran (Boston College): 4 IP 7 H 6 ER 5 BB 2 K
Sunday: SO RHP Mike Dennhardt (Boston College): 5 IP 11 H 4 ER 2 BB 4 K

Anston is an underrated 2010 outfielder with good gap power and strong baseball instincts. I wish I had more confident reports about his defense in center because the ability to play above-average defense up the middle would really give his prospect stock the shot in the arm it needs. Moran and Dennhardt both have electric arms (Moran has hit 96 MPH with his fastball, Dennhardt sits 90-93), but each has been awful so far. If they turn it around, Boston College will have itself one of the finest weekend starting staffs in all of college baseball.

Virginia Tech

Friday: JR 1B Austin Wates (Virginia Tech): 2-4, 2B, K
Friday: SR C Anthony Sosnoskie (Virginia Tech): 0-4, K, 7/8 stealing bases off of him
Saturday: SR OF/C Steve Domecus (Virginia Tech): 3-5, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R good arm, decent defender, good athlete, power potential; strong hit tool
Saturday: SR C Anthony Sosnoskie (Virginia Tech): 3-5, 2B, 2 R
Saturday: JR RHP Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech): 7.1 IP 2 H 0 ER 3 BB 9 K
Sunday: SO RHP Mathew Price (Virginia Tech): 8 IP 8 H 4 ER 2 BB 6 K

Nice to see Sosnoskie redeem himself on Saturday after a Friday night performance I’m sure he’d like to forget. Hahn is striking out just under a batter each inning and doing it while also getting 78% of his batted ball outs on the ground. That combination of strikeouts and groundballs could get Hahn in the running for first college righthander off the board. Watch your back, Deck.

Maryland

Friday: JR RHP Brett Harman (Maryland): 8 IP 7 H 0 ER 3 BB 5 K
Sunday: SO RHP Sander Beck (Maryland): 5 IP 5 H 2 ER 5 BB 4 K

Harman was excellent on Friday thanks to his upper-80s fastball and decent slider/changeup offspeed duo. Beck was as successful on Sunday, but has a slightly more talented arm. He is capable of dialing it up to 92 with his heater and his curve has the potential to be an above-average big league pitch in time.

North Carolina State

Saturday: SO 3B Andrew Ciencin (North Carolina State): 6-9, 2B, HBP, 2 RBI, 3 R, K in doubleheader
Saturday: JR C Chris Schaeffer (North Carolina State): 3-4, 2 HR, HBP, 4 RBI, R in doubleheader
Saturday: SR OF Kyle Wilson (North Carolina State): 5-8, 2 R, 2 SB, K in doubleheader plus athlete; versatile defender; can play center; above-average speed; questions about bat
Saturday: SO RHP Cory Mazzoni (North Carolina State): 3.1 IP 7 H 8 ER 3 BB 4 K 88-91 FB, touching 92; SL; CB; CU; 6-1, 170 pounds
Saturday: JR RHP Jake Buchanan (North Carolina State): 5.1 IP 5 H 4 ER 5 BB 3 K 87-90 FB; 74-77 near plus CB; nice 76-80 SL; very good 76-79 CU; impressive shown on Cape; 6-0, 205 pounds
Sunday: FR RHP Felix Roque (North Carolina State): 2.1 IP 4 H 1 ER 2 BB 2 K

Chris Schaeffer has been a revelation in the early going for the Wolfpack, hitting a robust .462/.588/.795 (8 BB/1 K) through 39 at bats. Combine that production with personal 2011 favorite Pratt Maynard (.389/.522/.593) and you’ve got yourself one heck of a catching tandem. Mazzoni and Buchanan are similar pitchers in that both get by without overpowering fastballs. Mazzoni’s is better velocity-wise (topping out at 92), but Buchanan has one of the most complete set of secondary pitches in all of college baseball. It’s possible that all three of his offspeed pitches (curve, slider, change) will grade out as average big league pitches or better before the close of the season.

Clemson

Saturday: FR 1B Richie Shaffer (Clemson): 5-10, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 3 K in doubleheader
Saturday: SO SS Brad Miller (Clemson): 3-7, HR, 3B, 3 BB, SB, 6 RBI, 3 R, 3 K in doubleheader
Saturday: SR OF Wilson Boyd (Clemson): 3-8, HR, 2 BB, 3 R, 5 RBI, K in doubleheader
Saturday: JR OF Kyle Parker (Clemson): 3-7, HR, 3 BB, SB, 2 RBI, 6 R, 2 K in doubleheader
Saturday: SO LHP/OF Will Lamb (Clemson): 4 IP 3 H 2 ER 3 BB 2 K
Saturday: FR RHP Dominic Leone (Clemson): 3 IP 2 H 0 ER 0 BB 6 K
Saturday: JR LHP Casey Harman (Clemson): 6 IP 5 H 2 ER 2 BB 3 K
Sunday: JR OF Jeff Schaus (Clemson): 1-3, 2 BB, 3 RBI
Sunday: SO RHP Scott Weismann (Clemson): 6 IP 4 H 3 ER 3 BB 5 K

Clemson boasts one of the deepest, most talented 1-9 lineups in all of college baseball. The way they can mix-and-match different outfielders in and out of the lineup is a thing of beauty. Jeff Schaus and Kyle Parker (who might just be my favorite college position player to watch these days) are as good a 1-2 punch of outfield talent that I can think of off the top of my head. Parker-Grovatt of Virginia are pretty good together. I’m sure there are others that’ll come to me in the next few days as we continue this tour around the conferences. Leone put his 93 MPH fastball to good use in striking out six of nine batters in his dominating relief outing on Saturday.