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2015 MLB Draft – Top 100 D1 College First Base Prospects

4 Jun 2015 4:00 PM / Leave a comment

1. Boston College JR 1B/OF Chris Shaw: easy plus raw power; above-average hit tool; surprisingly short stroke for a power hitter with long-ish levers; holes in swing; good enough defender; strong; above-average arm; smart hitter; slow; have heard Harold Baines, Torii Hunter, and Steve Garvey as hitter comparisons; PG comps: Garrett Anderson (hitter), Casey Gillaspie, Chris Davis; reminds me most personally of Ike Davis/Carlos Pena; 6-4, 250 pounds

2013: .183/.286/.323 – 18 BB/32 K – 0/0 SB – 164 AB
2014: .329/.393/.502 – 21 BB/38 K – 1/3 SB – 207 AB
2015: .319/.411/.611 – 20 BB/26 K – 0/0 SB – 144 AB

2. South Carolina SR 1B Kyle Martin: good athlete; good arm; above-average to plus raw power; steady glove; lefty Steven Pearce comp; 6-1, 240 pounds

2013: .275/.363/.375 – 11 BB/10 K – 1/1 SB – 80 AB
2014: .336/.389/.443 – 22 BB/28 K – 2/3 SB – 244 AB
2015: .350/.455/.635 – 39 BB/27 K – 11/12 SB – 203 AB

3. Nevada SR 1B/3B Austin Byler: really like his approach; questionable defender; impressive raw power, at least average and likely above-average to plus; average hit tool; average or better speed; numbers inflated by environment, but production is still eye-opening; interesting spectrum of comps from Mark Reynolds to Tyler Colvin; 6-3, 225 pounds

2012: .258/.381/.387 – 18 BB/32 K – 4/5 SB – 163 AB
2013: .330/.410/.549 – 18 BB/47 K – 3/5 SB – 182 AB
2014: .326/.420/.624 – 23 BB/48 K – 7/11 SB – 221 AB
2015: .328/.507/.652 – 54 BB/57 K – 9/12 SB – 198 AB

4. Canisius SR 1B/3B Connor Panas: average or better hit tool; power upside; good speed; others like him a lot more at third, so might be able to stick there and should at least begin career there; 5-11, 215 pounds

2012: .262/.378/.352 – 18 BB/17 K – 1/4 SB – 122 AB
2013: .309/.439/.400 – 27 BB/19 K – 6/7 SB – 165 AB
2014: .362/.443/.574 – 26 BB/36 K – 16/19 SB – 188 AB
2015: .372/.472/.632 – 33 BB/39 K – 19/24 SB – 247 AB

5. Illinois SR 1B David Kerian: good athlete; HS shortstop who maintains a lot of the actions of a middle infielder at first base; comparable scouting history to Chris Paul (Cal); 6-3, 200 pounds

2013: .282/.363/.359 – 25 BB/34 K – 23/28 SB – 195 AB
2014: .280/.384/.404 – 31 BB/39 K – 9/13 SB – 193 AB
2015: .366/.452/.644 – 31 BB/25 K – 9/12 SB – 194 AB

6. Nevada JR 1B/OF Ryan Howell: quick bat; has played 2B this season; hit at every stop; could be versatile enough glove to have some utility upside; Oregon State transfer; 6-1, 210 pounds

2014*: .292/.464/.571 – 35 BB/25 K – 5/9 SB – 154 AB
2015: .312/.421/.642 – 36 BB/51 K – 1/2 SB – 215 AB

7. Michigan State SR 1B Ryan Krill: either the light bulb has finally gone off or it’s a senior year mirage, I lean towards the former; above-average to plus raw power; much improved approach to hitting this year, letting natural strength lead into power rather than forcing the issue; 6-4, 235 pounds

2012: .304/.396/.393 – 21 BB/24 K – 0/1 SB – 191 AB
2013: .283/.332/.366 – 14 BB/26 K – 0/1 SB – 191 AB
2014: .234/.322/.356 – 24 BB/36 K – 2/2 SB – 205 AB
2015: .351/.439/.615 – 27 BB/30 K – 1/4 SB – 205 AB

8. Vanderbilt rJR 1B Zander Wiel: plus raw power; strong; gets lost in shuffle of other Vandy stars, but knows how to hit; 6-3, 215 pounds

2013: .293/.396/.537 – 10 BB/10 K – 0/0 SB – 82 AB
2014: .260/.378/.409 – 34 BB/49 K – 13/17 SB – 235 AB
2015: .320/.412/.563 – 31 BB/49 K – 12/15 SB – 231 AB

9. Memphis SR 1B/3B Tucker Tubbs: strong; average at best at 3B; also plays some OF; runs better than most at his position; intriguing power upside; 6-4, 200 pounds

2012: .244/.313/.378 – 10 BB/14 K – 3/4 SB – 82 AB
2013: .327/.401/.427 – 19 BB/33 K – 2/7 SB – 211 AB
2014: .244/.360/.366 – 28 BB/31 K – 3/4 SB – 172 AB
2015: .305/.393/.601 – 26 BB/27 K – 7/8 SB – 223 AB

10. Central Florida SR 1B/OF James Vasquez: average hit tool; patient approach; average power, maybe a bit more; good glove; slow; didn’t have the monster senior season expected, but still does enough well as a hitter to get an honest shot in pro ball; FAVORITE; 6-0, 220 pounds

2012: .276/.397/.296 – 19 BB/14 K – 0/1 SB – 98 AB
2013: .252/.368/.443 – 30 BB/46 K – 2/4 SB – 210 AB
2014: .340/.445/.519 – 30 BB/20 K – 206 AB
2015: .276/.351/.424 – 18 BB/33 K – 0/0 SB – 217 AB

11. Richmond rSO 1B Matt Dacey: plus raw power; decent glove; Michigan transfer; 6-3, 210 pounds

2014: .269/.348/.503 – 24 BB/44 K – 2/5 SB – 197 AB
2015: .313/.424/.652 – 35 BB/49 K – 5/5 SB – 198 AB

12. Houston JR 1B Chris Iriart: plus power upside; will swing and miss, but he is what he is as a hitter; 6-2, 230 pounds

2014*: .316/.375/.550 – 12 BB/32 K – 2/2 SB – 171 AB
2015: .307/.427/.580 – 28 BB/64 K – 1/3 SB – 212 AB

13. Nevada SR 1B/LHP Kewby Meyer: above-average raw power; good arm; slow; has also played OF; 6-0, 190 pounds

2012: .302/.347/.385 – 14 BB/20 K – 1/6 SB – 182 AB
2013: .286/.327/.390 – 12 BB/19 K – 2/5 SB – 182 AB
2014: .328/.384/.490 – 22 BB/11 K – 6/7 SB – 247 AB
2015: .343/.385/.542 – 15 BB/16 K – 8/12 SB – 236 AB

14. Mississippi SR 1B/C Sikes Orvis: strong arm; intriguing bat; steady glove; 6-2, 220 pounds

2012: .232/.317/.321 – 6 BB/10 K – 0/0 SB – 56 AB
2013: .243/.333/.325 – 20 BB/29 K – 0/3 SB – 169 AB
2014: .294/.397/.540 – 37 BB/48 K – 1/1 SB – 235 AB
2015: .267/.395/.600 – 39 BB/55 K – 1/2 SB – 195 AB

15. Morehead State SR 1B Kane Sweeney: underrated power upside; patient approach; 6-3, 210 pounds

2013: .289/.401/.396 – 32 BB/51 K – 4/9 SB – 197 AB
2014: .309/.423/.509 – 42 BB/54 K – 0/3 SB – 230 AB
2015: .353/.482/.626 – 53 BB/48 K – 1/1 SB – 235 AB

16. St. Mary’s SR 1B/LHP Collin Ferguson: good approach; interesting power upside; good defender; 6-3, 215 pounds

2012: .342/.395/.467 – 15 BB/35 K – 1/1 SB – 184 AB
2013: .298/.360/.449 – 17 BB/48 K – 2/2 SB – 205 AB
2014: .256/.335/.367 – 27 BB/36 K – 3/6 SB – 207 AB
2015: .337/.463/.577 – 43 BB/47 K – 6/10 SB – 208 AB

17. Ohio SR 1B Jake Madsen: great approach; pretty swing; power beginning to show; slow afoot; average or better hit tool and patience; can square up any pitch type or velocity; plus defender; may not have the pop for every team, but deserves a chance to hit in the pros; 6-2, 215 pounds

2012: .317/.376/.385 – 20 BB/15 K – 1/2 SB – 221 AB
2013: .299/.351/.403 – 17 BB/19 K – 6/7 SB – 221 AB
2014: .322/.387/.365 – 21 BB/19 K – 1/2 SB – 208 AB
2015: .319/.382/.463 – 24 BB/17 K – 0/2 SB – 216 AB

18. UCLA SR 1B/3B Chris Keck: average raw power; above-average arm; only one productive year, but area guys swear by the bat; 6-2, 190 pounds

2012: .293/.354/.366 – 4 BB/7 K – 0/0 SB – 41 AB
2013: .186/.314/.300 – 14 BB/10 K – 0/0 SB – 70 AB
2014: .215/.301/.280 – 7 BB/22 K – 1/2 SB – 107 AB
2015: .306/.395/.505 – 30 BB/26 K – 0/2 SB – 216 AB

19. Maine SR 1B/LHP Scott Heath: power upside; FAVORITE; 88-91 FB; good SL; good CU; 6-0, 185 pounds

2012: .299/.382/.435 – 20 BB/17 K – 3/5 SB – 147 AB
2013: .266/.301/.338 – 8 BB/26 K – 2/4 SB – 154 AB
2014: .361/.422/.555 – 13 BB/19 K – 0/0 SB – 155 AB
2015: .308/.399/.478 – 30 BB/23 K – 4/5 SB – 201 AB

2014: 6.66 K/9 – 3.24 BB/9 – 50 IP – 4.86 ERA
2015: 7.05 K/9 – 2.93 BB/9 – 83 IP – 4.23 ERA

20. Florida State rSR 1B Chris Marconcini: plus raw power; good approach; average defender; long been a fan of how he handles at bats, but power dip is a bit concerning; Duke transfer; 6-5, 230 pounds

2011: .301/.404/.490 – 24 BB/38 K – 206 AB
2013: .316/.409/.579 – 28 BB/39 K – 8/10 SB – 190 AB
2014: .252/.341/.435 – 28 BB/38 K – 7/9 SB – 230 AB
2015: .228/.418/.447 – 35 BB/30 K – 1/2 SB – 123 AB

21. Oregon State JR 1B Gabe Clark: power upside; 6-1, 225 pounds

2013: .161/.278/.258 – 4 BB/11 K – 0/0 SB – 31 AB
2014: .280/.374/.376 – 20 BB/27 K – 0/0 SB – 157 AB
2015: .241/.356/.500 – 17 BB/28 K – 1/1 SB – 112 AB

22. Georgia Tech SR 1B/C AJ Murray: big raw power; strong arm; great athlete; good speed; questionable defender; 6-1, 210 pounds

2013: .270/.369/.399 – 32 BB/52 K – 4/4 SB – 233 AB
2014: .283/.376/.426 – 24 BB/52 K – 7/11 SB – 223 AB
2015: .279/.366/.582 – 26 BB/54 K – 1/2 SB – 208 AB

23. Florida Gulf Coast JR 1B Nick Rivera: strong and powerful swinger; 5-10, 200 pounds

2013: .297/.403/.508 – 31 BB/37 K – 0/1 SB – 195 AB
2014: .330/.437/.525 – 37 BB/24 K – 0/2 SB – 221 AB
2015: .347/.458/.608 – 40 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 199 AB

24. Jacksonville JR 1B/OF Connor Marabell: good approach; power upside; quick bat; 6-0, 180 pounds

2014: .371/.440/.539 – 24 BB/19 K – 9/9 SB – 178 AB
2015: .326/.386/.498 – 25 BB/31 K – 7/9 SB – 227 AB

25. Virginia Tech SR 1B/RHP Brendon Hayden: power upside; 90 FB; 6-5, 210 pounds

2012: .336/.393/.466 – 11 BB/28 K – 1/2 SB – 131 AB
2013: .193/.274/.299 – 21 BB/43 K – 2/3 SB – 197 AB
2014: .302/.407/.497 – 31 BB/49 K – 2/3 SB – 199 AB
2015: .307/.389/.542 – 28 BB/40 K – 1/1 SB – 212 AB

26. Texas Tech JR 1B/LHP Eric Gutierrez: power upside; 5-10, 205 pounds (2013: .230/.363/.393 – 22 BB/39 K – 1/1 SB – 191 AB) (2014: .302/.399/.539 – 26 BB/27 K – 0/1 SB – 245 AB) (2015: .315/.444/.443 – 39 BB/26 K – 2/2 SB – 203 AB)

27. Kansas State rSR 1B/LHP Shane Conlon: plus glove; average speed; power upside; 6-0, 180 pounds (2011: 6.38 K/9 | 36.2 IP) (2011: .161/.242/.179 – 6 BB/6 K – 56 AB) (2013: .329/.422/.490 – 26 BB/29 K – 18/22 SB – 249 AB) (2014: .296/.367/.376 – 14 BB/21 K – 8/12 SB – 189 AB) (2015: .291/.384/.408 – 24 BB/18 K – 10/14 SB – 196 AB)

28. Georgia JR 1B Daniel Nichols: power upside; 6-3, 200 pounds (2013: .237/.342/.326 – 18 BB/26 K – 0/0 SB – 135 AB) (2014: .260/.367/.347 – 19 BB/36 K – 1/1 SB – 150 AB) (2015: .296/.370/.475 – 20 BB/34 K – 1/1 SB – 162 AB)

29. Liberty SR 1B/RHP Alex Close: above-average to plus power; like his approach; solid glove at 1B; can catch in case of emergency; has also played 3B; strong arm; slow; 6-3, 220 pounds (2012: .300/.345/.560 – 13 BB/36 K – 3/4 SB – 207 AB) (2013: .237/.320/.330 – 28 BB/58 K – 1/1 SB – 224 AB) (2014: .323/.370/.512 – 17 BB/46 K – 3/3 SB – 217 AB) (2015: .342/.422/.516 – 28 BB/55 K – 1/4 SB – 219 AB) (2015: 10.64 K/9 – 3.99 BB/9 – 20.1 IP – 2.21 ERA)

30. Quinnipiac SR 1B Vincent Guglietti: power upside; 6-5, 220 pounds (2012: .237/.316/.295 – 18 BB/18 K – 0/1 SB – 156 AB) (2013: .269/.318/.388 – 13 BB/45 K – 2/2 SB – 201 AB) (2014: .341/.404/.503 – 18 BB/25 K – 2/3 SB – 185 AB) (2015: .330/.414/.589 – 27 BB/24 K – 4/4 SB – 197 AB)

31. North Carolina Greensboro SR 1B Aaron Wright: power upside; average speed; 6-2, 220 pounds (2014: .254/.304/.333 – 2 BB/19 K – 0/0 SB – 63 AB) (2015: .324/.425/.648 – 28 BB/52 K – 0/1 SB – 179 AB)

32. Jacksonville State JR 1B Paschal Petrongolo: power upside; 6-1, 210 pounds (2013: .270/.378/.447 – 25 BB/37 K – 2/2 SB – 141 AB) (2014: .328/.398/.534 – 23 BB/64 K – 0/1 SB – 232 AB) (2015: .368/.451/.556 – 34 BB/61 K – 1/3 SB – 223 AB)

33. Connecticut SR 1B/OF Blake Davey: above-average raw power; good approach; 6-4, 235 pounds (2014: .313/.452/.512 – 30 BB/53 K – 8/15 SB – 201 AB) (2015: .300/.379/.477 – 20 BB/54 K – 11/14 SB – 220 AB)

34. Miami rSO 1B/OF Chris Barr: really good defender; smart hitter; good runner; 6-1, 200 pounds (2013: .226/.364/.252 – 23 BB/19 K – 7/10 SB – 115 AB) (2015: .321/.423/.440 – 24 BB/35 K – 10/10 SB – 168 AB)

35. Mississippi State rSR 1B Wes Rea: strong; big raw power; really good glove; 6-5, 275 pounds (2012: .244/.349/.381 – 24 BB/60 K – 0/2 SB – 197 AB) (2013: .296/.393/.464 – 26 BB/45 K – 0/0 SB – 196 AB) (2014: .245/.351/.365 – 29 BB/55 K – 1/1 SB – 200 AB) (2015: .287/.454/.471 – 40 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 157 AB)

36. Texas A&M JR 1B/RHP Hunter Melton: power upside; can also play 3B; 87-90 FB; 6-2, 225 pounds (2013: .288/.354/.492 – 10 BB/29 K – 0/0 SB – 118 AB) (2015: .319/.412/.531 – 24 BB/41 K – 0/1 SB – 160 AB)

37. San Francisco SR 1B/3B Brendan Hendriks: really intrigued by his hit tool, could be complete hitter in time; power upside; has seen some time at 2B; good athlete; others love him, but approach is a big red flag to me; 6-2, 200 pounds (2012: .319/.381/.370 – 9 BB/21 K – 0/1 SB – 119 AB) (2013: .190/.261/.215 – 11 BB/37 K – 0/0 SB – 158 AB) (2014: .287/.321/.493 – 11 BB/40 K – 0/0 SB – 209 AB) (2015: .290/.361/.449 – 19 BB/44 K – 3/7 SB – 214 AB)

38. Creighton rJR 1B Reagan Fowler: strong hit tool; good glove; 6-2, 200 pounds (2013: .295/.446/.362 – 33 BB/21 K – 3/4 SB – 149 AB) (2014: .362/.464/.481 – 26 BB/25 K – 9/14 SB – 185 AB) (2015: .319/.404/.384 – 23 BB/23 K – 1/2 SB – 185 AB)

39. East Tennessee State JR 1B/C Kevin Phillips: 6-3, 210 pounds (2014: .261/.335/.379 – 15 BB/19 K – 3/4 SB – 153 AB) (2015: .323/.395/.561 – 27 BB/25 K – 3/3 SB – 223 AB)

40. Oregon JR 1B/OF Phillipe Craig-St. Louis: strong hit tool; 6-0, 200 pounds (2015: .294/.383/.382 – 29 BB/30 K – 4/6 SB – 204 AB)

41. Lipscomb SR 1B/RHP Griffin Moore: above-average raw power; good hit tool; great approach; steady defender; plus arm strength; sticking with him despite lost year of development in 2015; 95 peak FB velocity back in the day; FAVORITE; 6-4, 220 pounds (2012: .226/.308/.285 – 15 BB/28 K – 1/1 SB – 137 AB) (2013: .205/.375/.313 – 29 BB/29 K – 1/1 SB – 112 AB) (2014: .299/.415/.414 – 17 BB/24 K – 4/6 SB – 87 AB)

42. Rice JR 1B/RHP Connor Tekyl: power upside; good defensive tools; 6-3, 190 pounds (2013: .248/.315/.266 – 11 BB/11 K – 0/1 SB – 109 AB) (2014: .259/.352/.281 – 21 BB/24 K – 1/2 SB – 135 AB) (2015: .308/.378/.411 – 23 BB/24 K – 1/1 SB – 214 AB)

43. Michigan State SR 1B/C Blaise Salter: strong hit tool; plus raw power; quick bat; good athlete; average or better glove; FAVORITE; 6-5, 250 pounds (2012: .288/.351/.515 – 4 BB/12 K – 1/1 SB – 66 AB) (2013: .337/.398/.497 – 14 BB/30 K – 1/1 SB – 181 AB) (2014: .317/.375/.484 – 17 BB/27 K – 0/2 SB – 221 AB) (2015: .268/.339/.409 – 13 BB/37 K – 0/0 SB – 220 AB)

44. Southern Mississippi JR 1B/SS Tim Lynch: 6-2, 215 pounds (2014: .256/.382/.312 – 32 BB/25 K – 1/3 SB – 199 AB) (2015: .313/.400/.510 – 23 BB/23 K – 0/1 SB – 192 AB)

45. Canisius JR 1B/OF Brett Siddall: above-average raw power; above-average arm; could hang in an outfield corner, but best at first; 6-2, 200 pounds (2013: .302/.379/.411 – 8 BB/22 K – 5/8 SB – 129 AB) (2014: .333/.416/.488 – 16 BB/23 K – 2/6 SB – 168 AB) (2015: .341/.390/.590 – 18 BB/32 K – 6/7 SB – 249 AB)

46. Dartmouth JR 1B Joe Purritano: strong hit tool; power upside; average at best arm; 6-1, 200 pounds (2013: .324/.405/.574 – 13 BB/16 K – 0/1 SB – 108 AB) (2014: .265/.355/.397 – 17 BB/20 K – 2/4 SB – 136 AB) (2015: .277/.355/.500 – 19 BB/31 K – 2/3 SB – 148 AB)

47. Tulane SR 1B/3B Tyler Wilson: great approach; mature hitter; 5-11, 215 pounds (2014: .077/.143/.115 – 2 BB/4 K – 0/0 SB – 26 AB) (2015: .272/.324/.360 – 11 BB/28 K – 0/0 SB – 136 AB)

48. Auburn JR 1B/OF Dylan Smith: plus raw power; average speed; 6-3, 215 pounds

49. Portland rSR 1B/OF Turner Gill: good raw power; streaky guess hitter; average arm; slow; 6-3, 215 pounds (2011: .348/.408/.500 – 20 BB/33 K – 184 AB) (2012: .341/.418/.508 – 23 BB/25 K – 2/2 SB – 185 AB) (2013: .222/.250/.259 – 1 BB/6 K – 0/0 SB – 27 AB) (2014: .234/.323/.308 – 24 BB/35 K – 3/4 SB – 201 AB) (2015: .294/.386/.495 – 25 BB/29 K – 1/6 SB – 194 AB)

50. Western Carolina SR 1B/LHP Jacob Hoyle: good defender; strong arm; power upside; 88 peak; 6-2, 250 pounds (2012: .281/.338/.416 – 16 BB/41 K – 2/2 SB – 185 AB) (2013: .296/.356/.526 – 16 BB/52 K – 1/1 SB – 213 AB) (2014: .332/.393/.570 – 19 BB/47 K – 6/6 SB – 223 AB) (2015: .372/.391/.628 – 0 BB/12 K – 0/0 SB – 43 AB)

51. Towson SR 1B/3B Brendan Butler: good approach; good athlete; above-average to plus speed; average to above-average arm; some see power coming, others think this is it; has experience in OF; opinions on tools all over the place; 6-2, 210 pounds (2012: .269/.391/.330 – 19 BB/23 K – 14/19 SB – 182 AB) (2013: .264/.339/.410 – 23 BB/33 K – 12/18 SB – 227 AB) (2014: .264/.382/.371 – 24 BB/18 K – 6/8 SB – 140 AB) (2015: .247/.365/.340 – 36 BB/19 K – 11/16 SB – 194 AB)

52. Gonzaga JR 1B/RHP Taylor Jones: 85-89 FB; up and down CB; good athlete; FAVORITE; 6-7, 225 pounds (2013: 10.06 K/9 | 5.82 BB/9 | 3.65 FIP | 17 IP) (2014: 6.29 K/9 – 4.07 BB/9 – 72 IP – 4.68 ERA) (2015: .358/.414/.545 – 10 BB/16 K – 0/0 SB – 134 AB)

53. Saint Louis SR 1B Mike Vigliarolo: good athlete; power upside; 6-1, 225 pounds (2012: .291/.357/.437 – 19 BB/27 K – 0/0 SB – 158 AB) (2013: .349/.381/.537 – 13 BB/32 K – 9/11 SB – 255 AB) (2014: .328/.368/.496 – 14 BB/30 K – 13/19 SB – 232 AB) (2015: .332/.383/.438 – 15 BB/25 K – 4/6 SB – 226 AB)

54. Florida Atlantic rSO 1B Esteban Puerta: 6-1, 200 pounds (2014: .276/.345/.371 – 11 BB/17 K – 0/0 SB – 105 AB) (2015: .308/.438/.483 – 34 BB/31 K – 1/3 SB – 172 AB)

55. North Carolina Greensboro SR 1B/OF Eric Kalbfleisch: good hit tool; average speed; average arm; 6-3, 210 pounds (2013: .294/.347/.477 – 16 BB/34 K – 4/5 SB – 197 AB) (2014: .317/.382/.508 – 14 BB/16 K – 1/1 SB – 126 AB) (2015: .348/.403/.503 – 15 BB/38 K – 3/4 SB – 187 AB)

56. Jacksonville State JR 1B Tyler Gamble: 6-1, 220 pounds (2014: .286/.410/.460 – 31 BB/34 K – 3/4 SB – 161 AB) (2015: .270/.421/.405 – 53 BB/40 K – 7/7 SB – 200 AB)

57. UNC Wilmington SR 1B Corey Dick: 6-0, 250 pounds (2012: .313/.406/.520 – 25 BB/44 K – 0/1 SB – 179 AB) (2013: .310/.399/.508 – 27 BB/30 K – 0/1 SB – 197 AB) (2014: .315/.386/.429 – 22 BB/23 K – 1/2 SB – 184 AB) (2015: .331/.434/.525 – 28 BB/22 K – 0/3 SB – 160 AB)

58. Ohio State JR 1B/OF Zach Ratcliff: 6-5, 210 pounds (2014: .232/.262/.313 – 4 BB/24 K – 0/0 SB – 99 AB) (2015: .286/.344/.536 – 5 BB/12 K – 0/0 SB – 56 AB)

59. Texas A&M SR 1B/OF GR Hinsley: good glove; gap power; good approach; 6-2, 220 pounds (2015: .209/.433/.326 – 14 BB/6 K – 0/0 SB – 43 AB)

60. NC State SR 1B/OF Jake Armstrong: above-average speed; 6-2, 190 pounds (2013: .273/.450/.377 – 32 BB/44 K – 7/7 SB – 154 AB) (2014: .229/.374/.343 – 20 BB/52 K – 5/10 SB – 140 AB) (2015: .228/.316/.404 – 13 BB/45 K – 2/4 SB – 136 AB)

61. Louisville JR 1B/3B Dan Rosenbaum: steady defender; wears the gaps out; average speed; average or better raw power; 6-1, 210 pounds (2013: .258/.288/.344 – 5 BB/19 K – 1/2 SB – 93 AB) (2014: .295/.396/.411 – 17 BB/29 K – 3/5 SB – 129 AB) (2015: .246/.353/.342 – 14 BB/28 K – 1/3 SB – 114 AB)

62. Central Michigan rSR 1B Cody Leichman: good raw power; good natural hitter; good defender; 6-3, 235 pounds (2013: .335/.414/.438 – 16 BB/44 K – 6/6 SB – 176 AB) (2014: .315/.390/.493 – 21 BB/33 K – 4/5 SB – 213 AB) (2015: .221/.362/.288 – 20 BB/28 K – 1/2 SB – 104 AB)

63. UC Davis rSR 1B/3B Nick Lynch: 6-1, 200 pounds (2012: .329/.415/.483 – 13 BB/23 K – 0/2 SB – 149 AB) (2013: .371/.453/.453 – 8 BB/25 K – 2/4 SB – 170 AB) (2015: .361/.452/.558 – 21 BB/28 K – 6/13 SB – 208 AB)

64. North Florida rSR 1B Ryan Roberson: 5-9, 215 pounds (2015: .347/.390/.532 – 13 BB/13 K – 1/1 SB – 222 AB)

65. Marist SR 1B/OF Steve Laurino: 6-3, 220 pounds (2013: .378/.417/.480 – 9 BB/26 K – 2/3 SB – 127 AB) (2014: .299/.413/.359 – 23 BB/25 K – 8/14 SB – 167 AB) (2015: .358/.442/.561 – 23 BB/32 K – 5/8 SB – 187 AB)

66. Central Michigan JR 1B Zack Fields: big raw power; old Victor Roache comp; hasn’t put it together; 6-5, 265 pounds (2013: .190/.288/.389 – 16 BB/43 K – 0/0 SB – 126 AB) (2014: .248/.298/.381 – 7 BB/37 K – 0/0 SB – 105 AB) (2015: .175/.242/.300 – 7 BB/20 K – 1/1 SB – 80 AB)

67. Eastern Kentucky JR 1B/3B Mandy Alvarez: power upside; 6-1, 215 pounds (2015: .319/.371/.565 – 17 BB/29 K – 1/4 SB – 207 AB)

68. Wichita State JR 1B/C Ryan Tinkham: 6-5, 210 pounds (2015: .333/.446/.576 – 32 BB/42 K – 7/9 SB – 210 AB)

69. Missouri State JR 1B/OF Spencer Johnson: 6-4, 215 pounds (2013: .295/.392/.402 – 18 BB/26 K – 7/7 SB – 122 AB) (2014: .265/.347/.478 – 23 BB/48 K – 3/8 SB – 185 AB) (2015: .316/.450/.508 – 40 BB/52 K – 1/2 SB – 193 AB)

70. Northeastern rJR 1B Rob Fonseca: power upside; can also play some OF and 3B; slow; good arm; 6-2, 200 pounds (2012: .317/.360/.550 – 11 BB/44 K – 2/3 SB – 180 AB) (2013: .350/.395/.525 – 17 BB/50 K – 1/2 SB – 217 AB) (2015: .274/.376/.581 – 25 BB/44 K – 1/2 SB – 179 AB)

71. Southern Illinois Edwardsville SR 1B Alec Saikal: intriguing power and size mix; 6-7, 240 pounds (2014: .306/.372/.427 – 22 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 206 AB) (2015: .308/.364/.508 – 20 BB/29 K – 0/2 SB – 195 AB)

72. Southeast Missouri State JR 1B/OF Ryan Rippee: plus power upside; will swing and miss; 6-6, 230 pounds (2013*: .336/.415/.533 – 17 BB/25 K – 4/4 SB – 152 AB) (2014*: .274/.353/.458 – 19 BB/38 K – 4/6 SB – 168 AB) (2015: .299/.373/.551 – 29 BB/60 K – 4/6 SB – 234 AB)

73. Savannah State SR 1B Charles Sikes: power upside; 6-2, 185 pounds (2014: .358/.416/.592 – 20 BB/36 K – 1/2 SB – 201 AB) (2015: .321/.410/.521 – 26 BB/39 K – 0/1 SB – 190 AB)

74. Connecticut JR 1B Bobby Melley: 6-3, 235 pounds (2013: .308/.393/.367 – 25 BB/31 K – 0/0 SB – 240 AB) (2014: .359/.475/.502 – 31 BB/19 K – 2/2 SB – 209 AB) (2015: .315/.401/.408 – 32 BB/30 K – 0/0 SB – 238 AB)

75. Connecticut JR 1B Joe DeRoche-Duffin: 6-0, 250 pounds (2015: .271/.416/.541 – 30 BB/51 K – 2/3 SB – 170 AB)

76. Nevada JR 1B/OF Bryce Greager: 6-1, 200 pounds (2014: .257/.350/.400 – 8 BB/22 K – 0/0 SB – 70 AB) (2015: .355/.459/.552 – 29 BB/46 K – 2/6 SB – 183 AB)

77. Georgia SR 1B/LHP Jared Walsh: 6-0, 215 pounds (2012: .157/.254/.235 – 6 BB/18 K – 0/0 SB – 51 AB) (2013: .303/.326/.434 – 6 BB/32 K – 0/1 SB – 175 AB) (2013: 10.27 K/9 | 6.69 BB/9 | 2.78 FIP | 37.2 IP) (2014: .188/.345/.217 – 15 BB/8 K – 0/0 SB – 69 AB) (2014: 7 K/9 – 6.00 BB/9 – 9 IP – 6.00 ERA) (2015: .306/.365/.462 – 13 BB/22 K – 0/0 SB – 173 AB)

78. Central Michigan JR 1B/3B Zarley Zalewski: 6-3, 185 pounds (2013: .265/.357/.340 – 16 BB/26 K – 1/1 SB – 147 AB) (2014: .351/.425/.468 – 18 BB/47 K – 0/0 SB – 222 AB) (2015: .374/.463/.483 – 30 BB/39 K – 5/9 SB – 203 AB)

79. Pepperdine JR 1B Brad Anderson: plus raw power; 6-4, 200 pounds (2014: .282/.348/.409 – 25 BB/50 K – 1/1 SB – 220 AB) (2015: .276/.369/.457 – 28 BB/55 K – 0/0 SB – 210 AB)

80. St. John’s SR 1B Matt Harris: 6-0, 210 pounds (2014: .285/.380/.435 – 21 BB/39 K – 5/7 SB – 207 AB) (2015: .335/.426/.489 – 21 BB/37 K – 6/9 SB – 176 AB)

81. Eastern Michigan JR 1B/3B Mitchell McGeein: 6-1, 210 pounds (2014: .242/.345/.387 – 17 BB/25 K – 1/3 SB – 124 AB) (2015: .277/.352/.515 – 24 BB/47 K – 4/4 SB – 206 AB)

82. Villanova JR 1B/RHP Max Beermann: 6-7, 225 pounds (2013: 5.40 K/9 | 7.43 BB/9 | 4.51 FIP | 13.1 IP) (2013: .208/.312/.409 – 10 BB/48 K – 1/1 SB – 149 AB) (2014: .304/.423/.492 – 24 BB/56 K – 1/1 SB – 181 AB) (2015: .280/.348/.490 – 16 BB/45 K – 1/1 SB – 200 AB) (2015: 10.07 K/9 – 3.15 BB/9 – 14.1 IP – 5.02 ERA)

83. Stephen F. Austin State JR 1B Kyle Thornell: 6-2, 185 pounds (2014: .256/.374/.496 – 16 BB/35 K – 0/2 SB – 133 AB) (2015: .301/.412/.524 – 20 BB/48 K – 3/6 SB – 166 AB)

84. Seton Hall SR 1B/OF Sal Annunziata: above-average raw power; quick bat; good approach; decent speed; solid defender; good athlete; has also played C; 5-11, 200 pounds (2012: .295/.369/.422 – 11 BB/39 K – 2/2 SB – 173 AB) (2013: .347/.403/.526 – 19 BB/30 K – 7/9 SB – 213 AB) (2014: .330/.393/.503 – 12 BB/38 K – 1/3 SB – 197 AB) (2015: .258/.317/.425 – 14 BB/41 K – 1/1 SB – 186 AB)

85. James Madison rSO 1B/3B Brett Johnson: 6-5, 225 pounds (2015: .274/.344/.488 – 17 BB/22 K – 2/3 SB – 164 AB)

86. Washington rJR 1B/OF Branden Berry: 6-4, 230 pounds (2012: .328/.406/.427 – 14 BB/35 K – 0/0 SB – 192 AB) (2014: .262/.340/.335 – 16 BB/36 K – 2/3 SB – 164 AB) (2015: .269/.372/.421 – 18 BB/44 K – 4/5 SB – 197 AB)

87. Kennesaw State rSR 1B/OF Chris McGowan: 6-1, 215 pounds (2012: .249/.314/.395 – 18 BB/55 K – 2/6 SB – 205 AB) (2013: .256/.392/.357 – 43 BB/31 K – 3/5 SB – 199 AB) (2014: .272/.340/.379 – 23 BB/43 K – 2/3 SB – 224 AB) (2015: .272/.387/.408 – 33 BB/27 K – 4/5 SB – 184 AB)

88. Marshall rSR 1B TJ Diffenderfer: 6-5, 240 pounds (2014: .258/.339/.417 – 19 BB/29 K – 0/1 SB – 151 AB) (2015: .291/.396/.430 – 28 BB/31 K – 1/2 SB – 172 AB)

89. Dallas Baptist JR 1B/3B Trooper Reynolds: strong bat; 5-10, 225 pounds (2014*: .318/.405/.441 – 23 BB/32 K – 3/5 SB – 179 AB) (2015: .275/.346/.456 – 20 BB/30 K – 0/0 SB – 160 AB)

90. Grand Canyon rJR 1B/OF Rouric Bridgewater: plus raw power; slow; Arizona State transfer; 6-1, 220 pounds (2012: .269/.291/.442 – 2 BB/11 K – 1/1 SB – 52 AB) (2013: .194/.275/.350 – 3 BB/10 K – 0/0 SB – 36 AB) (2015: .269/.333/.370 – 11 BB/19 K – 2/3 SB – 108 AB)

91. Illinois State SR 1B/OF Mason Snyder: 6-0, 210 pounds (2015: .303/.421/.467 – 30 BB/34 K – 0/0 SB – 195 AB)

92. Xavier SR 1B/OF Joe Forney: 6-4, 230 pounds (2013: .313/.378/.352 – 15 BB/33 K – 6/7 SB – 182 AB) (2014: .282/.349/.351 – 17 BB/39 K – 7/9 SB – 248 AB) (2015: .279/.384/.400 – 28 BB/36 K – 7/9 SB – 190 AB)

93. Oregon JR 1B Brandon Cuddy: 6-2, 215 pounds (2015: .255/.351/.401 – 23 BB/46 K – 2/2 SB – 192 AB)

94. Baylor JR 1B Mitch Price: 6-3, 240 pounds (2014: .258/.390/.379 – 11 BB/13 K – 0/0 SB – 66 AB) (2015: .278/.357/.405 – 11 BB/24 K – 0/0 SB – 126 AB)

95. Charleston Southern SR 1B/LHP Chase Shelton: strong arm; can also play OF; 6-5, 230 pounds (2012: .307/.367/.444 – 9 BB/14 K – 5/6 SB – 189 AB) (2013: .297/.349/.385 – 13 BB/27 K – 2/4 SB – 195 AB) (2013: 5.16 K/9 | 4.76 BB/9 | 3.71 FIP | 22.2 IP) (2014: .348/.408/.480 – 19 BB/15 K – 3/4 SB – 221 AB) (2015: .302/.366/.367 – 20 BB/20 K – 6/8 SB – 215 AB)

96. Alabama A&M SR 1B Jordan Friend: 6-3, 200 pounds (2015: .342/.433/.618 – 23 BB/36 K – 2/3 SB – 152 AB)

97. BYU SR 1B/3B Dillon Robinson: 6-3, 215 pounds (2014: .369/.405/.463 – 11 BB/28 K – 0/0 SB – 149 AB) (2015: .371/.453/.550 – 29 BB/45 K – 1/1 SB – 202 AB)

98. Prairie View A&M JR 1B Angel Avalos: 5-11 (2015: .359/.446/.551 – 9 BB/13 K – 0/0 SB – 78 AB)

99. Wofford SR 1B/OF James Plaistad: 6-2, 200 pounds (2014: .250/.317/.420 – 15 BB/30 K – 8/11 SB – 200 AB) (2015: .346/.434/.557 – 37 BB/56 K – 11/13 SB – 228 AB)

100. Norfolk State rSR 1B Ryan Kilmon: 6-4, 200 pounds (2015: .325/.444/.496 – 22 BB/30 K – 8/13 SB – 123 AB)

*****

Samford JR 1B Alex Lee: 6-1, 200 pounds (2015: .343/.425/.575 – 26 BB/47 K – 3/4 SB – 207 AB)

Wofford SR 1B Conor Clancey: 6-3, 220 pounds (2014: .230/.335/.377 – 19 BB/46 K – 4/5 SB – 183 AB) (2015: .326/.376/.593 – 15 BB/39 K – 9/11 SB – 221 AB)

Manhattan JR 1B/OF Christian Santisteban: 6-2, 215 pounds (2013: .268/.375/.464 – 23 BB/28 K – 1/2 SB – 138 AB) (2014: .314/.389/.446 – 15 BB/30 K – 1/2 SB – 175 AB) (2015: .301/.399/.449 – 27 BB/33 K – 1/1 SB – 176 AB)

Florida A&M SR 1B Ryan Kennedy: 6-3, 200 pounds (2014: .303/.401/.449 – 28 BB/38 K – 1/1 SB – 198 AB) (2015: .266/.382/.426 – 30 BB/27 K – 1/1 SB – 169 AB)

St. Peter’s SR 1B/OF Chris Hugg: 6-4, 230 pounds (2014: .292/.348/.452 – 12 BB/35 K – 4/6 SB – 168 AB) (2015: .312/.390/.474 – 19 BB/35 K – 6/9 SB – 173 AB)

Yale SR 1B Eric Hsieh: 6-0, 175 pounds (2015: .370/.491/.415 – 26 BB/13 K – 7/8 SB – 135 AB)

Purdue rJR 1B/LHP Kyle Wood: 90 FB; 6-0, 220 pounds (2013: .266/.397/.429 – 20 BB/36 K – 3/5 SB – 154 AB) (2013: 5.67 K/9 | 5.67 BB/9 | 3.55 FIP | 27 IP) (2014: .302/.390/.414 – 11 BB/33 K – 4/4 SB – 169 AB) (2014: 9.72 K/9 – 5.40 BB/9 – 16.2 IP – 11.88 ERA) (2015: .326/.421/.487 – 23 BB/47 K – 1/1 SB – 193 AB)

Alabama A&M JR 1B Dylan Payne: 6-3, 250 pounds (2015: .321/.406/.488 – 10 BB/17 K – 1/1 SB – 84 AB)

Southeastern Louisiana SR 1B/2B Kevin Carr: 5-10, 190 pounds (2014: .290/.410/.319 – 10 BB/22 K – 1/2 SB – 69 AB) (2015: .336/.424/.468 – 19 BB/31 K – 0/1 SB – 220 AB)

Texas-San Antonio JR 1B/3B Geonte Jackson: good defensive tools; good athlete; LSU transfer; 6-1, 200 pounds (2015: .298/.361/.363 – 20 BB/39 K – 6/11 SB – 215 AB)

Harvard SR 1B/2B Jake McGuiggan: 6-2, 200 pounds (2015: .347/.362/.504 – 3 BB/13 K – 3/3 SB – 121 AB)

Rider SR 1B/OF Justin Thomas: 6-4, 215 pounds (2014: .341/.402/.492 – 19 BB/28 K – 2/3 SB – 179 AB) (2015: .304/.386/.443 – 19 BB/29 K – 6/7 SB – 194 AB)

Ohio JR 1B John Adryan: 6-3, 215 pounds (2014: .282/.345/.374 – 10 BB/36 K – 0/4 SB – 174 AB) (2015: .292/.372/.427 – 24 BB/30 K – 1/2 SB – 178 AB)

Long Island-Brooklyn rSO 1B/RHP Mark Hernandez: 6-2, 200 pounds (2014: .302/.370/.354 – 17 BB/27 K – 9/9 SB – 189 AB) (2015: .253/.315/.434 – 16 BB/29 K – 5/7 SB – 182 AB)

Jackson State SR 1B Tilur Smith: power upside; strong; quick bat; 6-2, 230 pounds (2014: .331/.436/.521 – 18 BB/43 K – 5/8 SB – 169 AB) (2015: .266/.369/.388 – 20 BB/37 K – 6/8 SB – 188 AB)

Fort Wayne JR 1B Kendall Whitman: power upside; 6-1, 200 pounds (2015: .288/.409/.435 – 22 BB/46 K – 2/2 SB – 191 AB)

Northwestern JR 1B/OF Zach Jones: 6-1, 200 pounds (2014: .315/.345/.370 – 8 BB/21 K – 162 AB) (2015: .321/.374/.436 – 17 BB/30 K – 0/0 SB – 218 AB)

Utah Valley State JR 1B Mark Krueger: power upside; 6-5, 225 pounds (2013: .245/.300/.354 – 13 BB/49 K – 4/6 SB – 192 AB) (2014: .306/.366/.466 – 20 BB/47 K – 4/5 SB – 219 AB) (2015: .290/.390/.410 – 34 BB/45 K – 5/6 SB – 200 AB)

Mississippi Valley State SR 1B Brady McBride: 6-3, 255 pounds (2015: .322/.380/.421 – 12 BB/24 K – 3/4 SB – 152 AB)

William & Mary rSR 1B Willie Shaw: good approach; 6-3, 200 pounds (2013: .293/.396/.380 – 40 BB/32 K – 4/5 SB – 229 AB) (2015: .282/.386/.400 – 26 BB/36 K – 5/6 SB – 195 AB)

North Dakota SR 1B Ryan Reese: 6-0, 200 pounds (2013: .283/.387/.414 – 11 BB/24 K – 3/4 SB – 99 AB) (2014: .314/.442/.352 – 18 BB/16 K – 2/2 SB – 105 AB) (2015: .290/.412/.439 – 27 BB/34 K – 6/6 SB – 155 AB)

Kennesaw State SR 1B Colin Bennett: 6-3, 235 pounds (2014: .333/.472/.439 – 13 BB/13 K – 1/1 SB – 57 AB) (2015: .250/.373/.442 – 20 BB/30 K – 0/0 SB – 104 AB)

Texas-Arlington SR 1B Levi Scott: power upside; 6-4, 240 pounds (2014: .303/.347/.411 – 12 BB/37 K – 0/1 SB – 185 AB) (2015: .327/.374/.493 – 19 BB/37 K – 1/1 SB – 211 AB)

Western Kentucky SR 1B Ryan Church: power upside; 6-2 (2014: .306/.366/.445 – 21 BB/38 K – 7/10 SB – 229 AB) (2015: .284/.340/.445 – 18 BB/29 K – 6/10 SB – 211 AB)

Dayton SR 1B AJ Ryan: 6-3, 215 pounds (2013: .167/.258/.175 – 8 BB/21 K – 0/2 SB – 114 AB) (2014: .338/.400/.506 – 16 BB/21 K – 2/5 SB – 160 AB) (2015: .265/.342/.450 – 19 BB/33 K – 1/2 SB – 200 AB)

Troy SR 1B Trevin Hall: 6-2, 180 pounds (2014: .263/.343/.457 – 13 BB/57 K – 8/9 SB – 175 AB) (2015: .331/.385/.478 – 13 BB/30 K – 6/12 SB – 157 AB)

Southern Mississippi SR 1B/C Matt Durst: 5-10, 225 pounds (2014: .277/.340/.413 – 19 BB/40 K – 0/2 SB – 213 AB) (2015: .314/.354/.454 – 13 BB/31 K – 0/1 SB – 207 AB)

Maine JR 1B Brenden Geary: 6-1, 200 pounds (2015: .280/.378/.416 – 13 BB/22 K – 4/5 SB – 125 AB)

Dallas Baptist rSR 1B Chane Lynch: 6-5, 200 pounds (2015: .270/.346/.400 – 21 BB/30 K – 2/2 SB – 200 AB)

Columbia rJR 1B Nick Maguire: above-average power; above-average speed; 6-3, 230 pounds (2014: .265/.354/.400 – 19 BB/25 K – 0/0 SB – 155 AB) (2015: .235/.296/.429 – 12 BB/43 K – 1/1 SB – 170 AB)

New Mexico State JR 1B Joseph Koerper: 6-5, 235 pounds (2014: .288/.377/.348 – 20 BB/32 K – 4/4 SB – 132 AB) (2015: .316/.375/.424 – 15 BB/34 K – 0/1 SB – 177 AB)

Hofstra rJR 1B Ryan Donovan: power upside; 6-4, 210 pounds (2014: .260/.370/.519 – 13 BB/26 K – 3/4 SB – 77 AB) (2015: .234/.348/.416 – 10 BB/23 K – 1/2 SB – 77 AB)

Louisiana SR 1B/3B Greg Davis: 6-0, 225 pounds (2014: .314/.388/.500 – 12 BB/13 K – 6/6 SB – 86 AB) (2015: .257/.330/.408 – 24 BB/30 K – 6/6 SB – 245 AB)

Santa Clara SR 1B/OF TJ Braff: 6-4, 200 pounds (2014: .309/.358/.402 – 6 BB/23 K – 0/2 SB – 97 AB) (2015: .270/.339/.423 – 13 BB/37 K – 2/7 SB – 196 AB)

Louisiana Tech SR 1B Taylor Nichols: 6-3, 200 pounds (2015: .288/.361/.406 – 12 BB/28 K – 2/4 SB – 160 AB)

Fairfield JR 1B Brendan Tracy: good glove; 6-1, 200 pounds (2014: .260/.340/.366 – 16 BB/26 K – 1/1 SB – 123 AB) (2015: .287/.339/.440 – 10 BB/33 K – 0/1 SB – 150 AB)

Indiana State rSO 1B Hunter Owen: 6-0, 175 pounds (2015: .344/.400/.542 – 5 BB/19 K – 96 AB)

Penn SR 1B Matt McKinnon: 6-2, 220 pounds (2015: .333/.402/.491 – 8 BB/28 K – 0/0 SB – 114 AB)

Texas State rSR 1B/RHP David Paiz: 6-2, 200 pounds (2015: .275/.374/.408 – 34 BB/45 K – 0/0 SB – 218 AB)

La Salle SR 1B/RHP Mark Williams: power upside; 6-6, 240 pounds (2013: .288/.364/.442 – 6 BB/27 K – 2/2 SB – 156 AB) (2014: .275/.365/.458 – 18 BB/18 K – 1/1 SB – 153 AB) (2014: .275/.365/.458 – 18 BB/18 K – 1/1 SB – 153 AB) (2015: 5.35 K/9 – 2.68 BB/9 – 37 IP – 2.92 ERA) (2015: .305/.366/.481 – 9 BB/31 K – 1/1 SB – 210 AB)

Campbell SR 1B/OF Kyle Leady: 6-2, 200 pounds (2014: .238/.335/.292 – 13 BB/19 K – 5/7 SB – 130 AB) (2015: .336/.397/.472 – 8 BB/27 K – 14/18 SB – 214 AB)

Louisiana-Monroe JR 1B Danny Springer: 6-6, 240 pounds (2015: .271/.317/.508 – 10 BB/44 K – 5/5 SB – 181 AB)

Sam Houston State SR 1B Jake MacWilliam: 6-3, 185 pounds (2014: .277/.379/.362 – 7 BB/7 K – 0/0 SB – 47 AB) (2015: .378/.412/.483 – 8 BB/28 K – 1/2 SB – 143 AB)

Sam Houston State JR 1B Spence Rahm: 6-5, 240 pounds (2015: .295/.369/.427 – 21 BB/58 K – 5/6 SB – 234 AB)

Radford SR 1B/3B Hunter Higgerson: 6-3, 200 pounds (2014: .280/.355/.469 – 19 BB/33 K – 4/6 SB – 211 AB) (2015: .269/.323/.458 – 15 BB/45 K – 6/9 SB – 227 AB)

McNeese State JR 1B Connor Crane: 6-3, 210 pounds (2015: .272/.340/.443 – 16 BB/53 K – 12/14 SB – 235 AB)

Cal State Bakersfield SR 1B Soloman Williams: 6-7, 220 pounds (2014: .293/.343/.492 – 14 BB/47 K – 1/1 SB – 181 AB) (2015: .278/.382/.367 – 27 BB/54 K – 0/0 SB – 169 AB)

Fordham SR 1B Jordan Gajdos: 6-5, 210 pounds (2015: .328/.388/.426 – 5 BB/18 K – 2/4 SB – 61 AB)

Lipscomb SR 1B/RHP Tyson Ashcraft: 90 FB; 6-3, 225 pounds (2013: .280/.351/.411 – 14 BB/47 K – 3/4 SB – 175 AB) (2014: .249/.347/.402 – 19 BB/69 K – 3/4 SB – 189 AB) (2014: 5.40 K/9 – 3.60 BB/9 – 15 IP – 5.40 ERA) (2015: .276/.374/.409 – 14 BB/36 K – 3/5 SB – 127 AB)

Coppin State JR 1B/OF George Dragon: strong hit tool; 6-0, 210 pounds (2015: .295/.362/.370 – 15 BB/28 K – 0/1 SB – 146 AB)

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Site Update…and Random ACC Notes

27 May 2015 4:00 PM / 2 Comments on Site Update…and Random ACC Notes

I’m 41% finished with updating my college database. Without context that sounds neither good nor bad, but it’s something. Putting together the database is a long, tedious process that I start off enjoying (that first 10% flies by!), come to hate as the monotony and pointlessness of the whole endeavor sets in (this is reserved for those last thoughts as I drift to bed each night), begin to enjoy again after getting a weird rush of adrenaline that defies reason (every percentage point closer pumps me up…the human brain is weird), all before getting to the annual slog once I’m through doing all the big-time conferences until that one night when there’s no turning back in the work where I catch myself staying up well past my bedtime as I update players in the SWAC wondering how my life has come to this. What kills me about the whole thing is that every waking minute I’m not updating the database feels like a wasted opportunity. That’s sick. I need help. Any and all of those pesky non-essential yet obviously essential day-to-day tasks like eating, showering, commuting to/from work, and sleeping just get in the way of getting this whole thing over with. It shouldn’t be something to endure because I’m choosing to do it at no financial gain, but I’m human and sometimes combing through old box scores and obsessively checking my phone to hear back from somebody and finding old game recaps that I’ve saved since February but never got around to read feels like a silly way to spend one’s energy. But then, finally, it’s done and I’m happy and I get a million mean comments and emails and I’m still happy but in a different “haters gonna hate” kind of way and then the draft comes and goes and I go to sleep for the rest of June.

I broke my finger at around this time last year and it made updating the site nearly impossible for a few weeks — what would normally take me hours would have taken me days, and this info is time-sensitive after all — so I choose to embrace the craziness of the next few days and be thankful I’m in a position to have enough free time to pursue a hobby that I enjoy this much. I really hope that everybody else can get even a fraction of the enjoyment from reading that I do from putting this information together. Drafts really are the best, once you get past how arbitrary and anti-employee they are. I’m morally bankrupt, so I’m good to go.

The reason for those two paragraphs is to say that I’ll be pretty quiet with daily posts until that update is complete. My current personal deadline is by the end of this week. The dream is to wake up on June 1, one week before draft day, with all of my information and notes as finalized as humanly possible. That’ll give me the full week to roll out my final rankings and player notes. I’ll still respond to comments/emails and update the non-D1 player lists, so don’t take the absence of daily content as me falling off the face of the earth. I’m still here and willing to chat, so drop me a line whenever. I’ll probably also chime back in at some point with the updated list for high school outfielders (still working on that) and a great big thing on high school pitching that is just so massive I can’t even process how to relay the intel. It might just be me throwing down my notes on the page and leaving it up to you to decide from there. That could be fun. We’ll see.

(Seconds after scheduling this post, I remembered this. One of the reasons for writing this was to pose a question that has bugged me for months: who is the draft’s second best high school pitching prospect? I like Kolby Allard a ton, so he’s my number one. Don’t think I’m budging on that in the next two weeks. After that I’ve got nothing. Nikorak is probably the consensus choice, I like Hooper way more than most (saw him on his best days, I guess…though I’m not sure I like him $4 million worth), and Everett/Burrows/Russell all have really good cases. Is it crazy to pump up one of the projection righthanders all the way up to the second spot? I’m thinking somebody like Chandler Day, Jackson Kowar, Triston McKenzie, Tristan Beck, or Brady Singer here. I don’t think I’d look at a ranking with any of those guys in the top three and automatically dismiss it. Not nearly enough has been mentioned about how crazy this year’s HS pitching class is. There is no consensus. It’s going to be chaos. I can’t wait. Except, you know, if I was drafting I’d do just that: wait. Think of the quality of arm that could be had in the second, third, or even fourth rounds.)

Now for some actual (non-parenthetical) baseball talk. I haven’t looked at a single draft ranking other than my own rough drafts, but I think I consume enough college/draft content on the whole to have some feel for where the consensus seems to lean. Keep that in mind when I talk about underrated or overrated players. I don’t literally no where players are rated elsewhere, so I’m kind of arguing against a strawmaw each time. I think I’m a bit more informed than most who rant and rave about imaginary points of view, but that’s up to you to decide.

Anyway, since I loathe going meta with site updates without providing any additional content while I’m bitching and whining about how hard life running a draft website for fun is, here are a few scattered thoughts about a few draft prospects from a few college teams. We’re hitting Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Louisville today. These teams were chosen for the ultra-scientific reason that they are literally the first six teams that I have in my Word document. I’d love to do these for every single college team (and with a little more depth, too), but that’s just not feasible between now and June 8. I mean, the goal for today was to get a paragraph going for every team in the ACC, but I couldn’t even do that before tiring out. This will have to do for now…

Chris Shaw is really good. I keep going back and forth with whether or not he’s better than Casey Gillaspie. My gut feel was yes, but my more measured take was not quite. I’m not sure what that means, if anything. I remain weirdly into Blake Butera as a late-round senior that could hang around pro ball a few years based on his glove, approach, and makeup. There are also a host of interesting late-round relief types like John Gorman, Jeff Burke, Jesse Adams, and John Nicklas that I’d give draftable grades to.

Clemson’s top guys are all not talked about for my liking. Steven Duggar, Tyler Krieger, and the top of their rotation (Matthew Crownover and Zack Erwin) are all fine players. I get the reasons for the relative quiet for each — Duggar is a tools guy who some tired of waiting on, Krieger is swallowed up by the weird and wonderful (and out of nowhere…seriously, it’s been years since we’ve seen an American group of legitimate future big league shortstops all enter pro ball at once) college shortstop class that surrounds him, and the two lefties are both low-velocity arms compared to comparable pro prospect peers — but each player has big league ability. Eli White is another intriguing draft name for Clemson that I’m not sure many realize is a draft-eligible sophomore this season.

Like everybody else, I have no idea what to make of Michael Matuella right now. I’ve heard (and made) a lot of the comparisons to previously injured amateur arms that were still drafted high in the first round, but I don’t think any truly fit. Matuella is a favorite, obviously, but the injury and the lack of a track record make him a very scary (and unique) selection if you’re considering him in the draft’s first dozen picks. After that point, I think the gamble makes a lot more sense. A good 2015 MLB Draft prop bet would be which side accumulates more career WAR: Matuella or the rest of the current Duke roster eligible to be picked this year. Sarkis Ohanian (nasty cutter) and Andrew Istler (will throw any pitch in any count) are two of the better non-closing relievers out there, plus Kenny Koplove has the stuff, athleticism, and funky arm action to miss bats at the highest level. I’d still take Matuella over three relievers and a collection of other parts, but it’s not crazy to go with the latter package considering the boom/bust nature of Matuella’s future.

I’ve mentioned a lot of comps for DJ Stewart in the past, so I’ll just throw out a “Matt Olson level production” comparison I got on him recently and leave it at that. I believe in that bat and the rankings will reflect that. After Stewart there is a pretty steep drop in terms of prospect quality on the Florida State roster. Chris Marconcini is probably my second favorite hitter on the Seminoles. Mike Compton, who I love watching, is more of a great college starter than a viable pro prospect, but he does enough well (movement, deception, command) that a team that prioritizes those things, as well as certain performance indicators, could give him an honest shot. I know he’s not going to get the chance to play pro ball, but I’d be surprised if Jameis Winston isn’t drafted at some point. Though I’m on record of believing in him as a real prospect, I think the novelty factor is why he’ll wind up being taken late.

Matt Gonzalez was never a favorite of mine, but it’s still a bummer to see him struggle in his first draft-eligible season at Georgia Tech. The tools are solid and the glove is legit, but without major changes to his approach I’m not sure he’s worth burning an early pick on.

I’ve written about why Kyle Funkhouser intrigues me the way he does before, though I still will likely remain the low man on him as he enters pro ball. The narrative on him was kind of weird this spring as he was kind of the guy we all thought he was coming into the year, but the spin — and I was guilty of doing some of this myself — was that he was answering some of the pre-season questions about his game. I worried about his command, control, and third pitch coming into the season, and I still have worries about each of those areas today.

ACC 2015 MLB Draft All-Prospect Teams

20 Apr 2015 8:00 AM / Leave a comment

We’ve finally made it to the ACC, the last remaining division one baseball conference to get the draft “preview” treatment. Below you’ll find my “preseason” all-prospect teams for the conference as well as links (with brief commentary where applicable) to team previews for eleven of the fourteen teams in the ACC. I’d like to do quick write-ups for the three remaining teams (Louisville, North Carolina, Wake Forest) in the coming days (perhaps all at once in a post for tomorrow) because I’m a completist by nature.

Keep in mind that the preseason teams you see below were more or less decided on coming into the season. I made a few minor tweaks, especially on the pitching side (mostly the second team). The one glaring oddity on this list is John LaPrise hanging on to a first team spot despite missing almost the entire season so far, but there weren’t any alternatives that jumped off the page (senior sign Logan Ratledge makes the strongest case) so I let it stand. The outfield was an unexpected mess to figure out outside of the top four names. Talk about a top heavy position. I didn’t rank the pitchers yet within each team, so don’t take the Matuella, Kirby, and Funkhouser 1-2-3 as where I currently see them falling. I need to think on that a bit more.

First Team

North Carolina JR C Korey Dunbar
Boston College JR 1B Chris Shaw
Virginia JR 2B John LaPrise
Clemson JR SS Tyler Krieger
Miami JR 3B David Thompson
Florida State JR OF DJ Stewart
North Carolina JR OF Skye Bolt
Virginia JR OF Joe McCarthy

Duke JR RHP Michael Matuella
Virginia JR LHP Nathan Kirby
Louisville JR RHP Kyle Funkhouser
Miami rJR LHP Andrew Suarez
Clemson JR LHP Matthew Crownover

Second Team

Miami SR C Garrett Kennedy
Florida State rSR 1B Chris Marconcini
North Carolina State SR 2B Logan Ratledge
Virginia SO SS Daniel Pinero
Miami JR 3B George Iskenderian
Clemson JR OF Steven Duggar
Georgia Tech rJR OF Dan Spingola
North Carolina State SR OF Jake Fincher

Clemson JR LHP Zack Erwin
Virginia JR RHP Josh Sborz
North Carolina SR RHP Benton Moss
Duke JR RHP/SS Kenny Koplove
North Carolina State rSO RHP Johnny Piedmonte

*****

Boston College

Includes comparing Chris Shaw to Ike Davis and Carlos Pena…

Clemson 

Does not include me comparing Matthew Crownover to Adam Morgan, so let me do that right here, right now. As somebody still holding out hope that Morgan can be a league average-ish big league starter, that’s a compliment.

Duke

Includes me comparing Michael Matuella tp Zack Wheeler and Kyle Gibson (and definitely NOT Roy Halladay…)

Florida State

Includes comparing DJ Stewart to Matt Stairs, Billy Butler, Jeremy Giambi, and Carlos Santana…

Georgia Tech

Really nice college team, but nobody that moves the needle much for me as a pro prospect at the moment…

Miami 

Includes some thoughts on their top bat (with apologies to SR C Garrett Kennedy, a guy I considered a sleeper last year who disappointed but has come back with a vengeance as an unstoppable force in the Hurricanes lineup and is now one of this class’s finest potential senior signs) and their top arm, both of which I’ve excerpted below to save you the trouble of clicking through…

Through all the ups and downs physically, his [David Thompson] 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.

…

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.

North Carolina State

Includes an homage to Rick Pitino, which I stand by but admit could be a little harsh looking back on things. SR 2B/3B Logan Ratledge and rSO RHP Johnny Piedmonte aren’t Trea Turner and Carlos Rodon, but they aren’t half-bad, either.

Notre Dame

Waiting on next year for 2B/3B Cavan Biggio…

(Also, a good college team like Georgia Tech. Not loaded with 2015 talent, but getting the job done all the same. That’s worth mentioning even as a cold-hearted fan of the pro game only…)

Pittsburgh

Waiting on next year for RHP TJ Zeuch…

(Not a very good college team like GT and ND, but not every team can be a winning team, right?)

Virginia 

I’m a little bit back and forth with LHP Nathan Kirby yet, though I think the recent overreaction to his below-average (for him) velocity and all-around stuff that can (maybe) be explained away (to a point) due to his recently diagnosed strained lat was a bit much. I still view him as a high-floor, TBD ceiling prospect worthy of the top half of the first round conversation.

Virginia Tech

rSO OF Saige Jenco’s year hasn’t gone quite the way I was hoping, but SR 2B/SS Alex Perez, SR 1B/RHP Brendon Hayden, and SR LHP/1B Sean Keselica have all done their part to pick up the slack.

Big 12 2015 MLB Draft All-Prospect Team

19 Mar 2015 8:00 AM / 1 Comment on Big 12 2015 MLB Draft All-Prospect Team

Oklahoma JR C Chris Shaw
Texas Tech JR 1B Eric Gutierrez
Kansas JR 2B Colby Wright
Texas JR SS CJ Hinojosa
Oklahoma JR 3B Kolbey Carpenter
Texas JR OF Ben Johnson
Texas Tech JR OF Tyler Neslony
Kansas State SR OF Max Brown

Texas Christian JR LHP Alex Young
Texas Christian JR RHP Riley Ferrell
Texas Christian rSO RHP Mitchell Traver
Oklahoma rJR LHP Adam Choplick
Texas SR RHP Parker French

I normally start with the hitters here because I’m a creature of habit bound by my small-minded attempt at maintaining some semblance of consistent order in an otherwise chaotic world. Today we’re breaking that habit not because of personal growth, but simply because the pitching in the Big 12, most notably at TCU, is worth talking about. I’m way late to the party, I know, but the collection of arms they have in Fort Worth is something to be celebrated.

Oklahoma rJR LHP Adam Choplick is a 6-8, 260 pound lefthander who can reach the mid-90s and for whatever reason very little has been written about him nationally. My contribution to help remedy that: he’s really good. I’d love to know more about Texas SR RHP Parker French’s batted ball data. He has some serious worm-killing stuff (88-94 FB with sink, 97 peak; good 78-84 CU with sink; good mid-80s cut-SL) and has succeeded over the years without striking out a ton of hitters. That last bit is a tad worrisome because pro hitters are not college hitters, but if he can be a 60% groundball guy in the pros then who knows.

Oklahoma State is loaded in its own right with draft-eligible pitchers. rJR RHP/OF Conor Costello has the depth of stuff to start and the athleticism to repeat his delivery through long outings. He’s also a decent enough hitter that letting him start in the National League could lead to some fun at bats. JR RHP Koda Glover uses a 92-95 MPH fastball and intriguing offspeed stuff (no, that’s not just that code that I need more info on him…except I do, which must be an incredible coincidence) to miss bats at a high rate. SO RHP Trey Cobb comes from a star-studded Oklahoma high school class with a sinker/slider mix that should keep him employed for a long time. SR RHP Jon Perrin could be a good bang for your buck as a potential fifth starter/middle relief type available on the cheap come drat day.

I’ve written all that (and my brief note on Choplick, can’t forget that beauty) while totally forgetting I’ve covered Kansas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State already. So, read those if you want more on any of those schools. I think we’ve waited long enough to finally get to the main event that is Texas Christian University. They might not be able to match Vanderbilt in terms of pure ceiling (Buehler and Fulmer are tough to beat), but their balance of star power, hard throwers, polished veterans, and Preston Morrison (he gets his own category) is special.

I think you almost need to find a rare three-headed coin to determine the best pitcher from TCU (and thus the best in the conference) between JR LHP Alex Young, JR RHP Riley Ferrell, and rSO RHP Mitchell Traver. All three guys fit nice neat little archetypes, so they make for a fun and relatively easy group to discuss. Young is the sure-fire starter going forward with a legit classic four-pitch mix (FB, CU, CB, SL), average overall command (above-average FB command, which is nice) and solid athleticism/size. He’s also put up numbers since day one on campus (8.41 K/9 in 2013, 8.37 K/9 in 2014), so there’s not too much need to project some kind of crazy unrealistic future where he turns into something that he’s not. The delta between his ceiling and floor is a tiny one as at his best he’s probably a mid-rotation workhorse and at his worst he figures to be a fifth starter/bullpen weapon. He’d fit in as a really swell second or third pick for a team that would prefer to reach for the stars with their first rounder. He has to be on the short list as one of the “safest” draft prospects or “quickest movers” to the big leagues. Ferrell is the future back end of the bullpen stalwart with closer upside. Like Young (and most big-time college relief prospects) Ferrell has a small gap between his dream scenario (elite closer) and his most likely scenario (good reliever who gets to the big leagues in a hurry). Also like Young, Ferrell’s track record at TCU is impeccable; with a trail of missed bats lying in his wake (11.02 K/9 in 2013, 13.90 K/9 in 2014, 14.50 K/9 so far this year), what you see is what you get. At his best he’s in the upper-90s with the heat and a plus mid-80s slider as the putaway pitch; at his less than best (like, say, on the second half of a back-to-back), his fastball sits low-90s with a slider that flashes but doesn’t have quite the same shape. I think he likely will fall in somewhere between last year’s top two relievers, Nick Burdi (pick 46) and Michael Cederoth (pick 79), were drafted last year. That seems fair for now. Traver is the wild card. His health has held up so far this year and his stuff has been as advertised. If you can’t get excited for a 6-7, 250 pound capable of hitting the mid-90s (90-94, 96 peak) with a plus mid-80s slider and a usable changeup who is finally healthy after missing the better part of two seasons with arm injuries (Tommy John back in 2013 did a number on him), then you’re reading the wrong site. I’ve gotten an interesting range of comps for Traver including a solid starter (Gil Meche), a quality reliever (Nick Masset), and a personal favorite of mine that will go down as a starting member of the what could have been team (Dustin McGowan). I like to occasionally look a comparison cousins, my lame turn of phrase for two prospects connected by being once compared to the same player. The only other time I’ve used a Dustin McGowan comp was when it was mentioned to me last year as a possible outcome for Tyler Kolek. That’s…interesting.

Those are the top names at TCU, but far from the only ones. SO LHP Tyler Alexander is a potential back of the rotation starter who has good stuff with excellent command. rSO RHP Brian Trieglaff can get it up to 94, SR LHP Travis Evans throws three pitches for strikes (including a good breaking ball), and rSR RHP Trey Teakell is an outstanding senior sign with the size (6-5, 175), repertoire (87-92 FB, low-80s CU, upper-70s CB, hard splitter), and, big shocker, sterling track record to warrant top ten round consideration. Finally we get to SR RHP Preston Morrison, college baseball’s weirdest pitcher. Morrison gets results with a mid-80s fastball with serious sink and a variety of offspeed offerings (72-74 CB, 69-74 SL, 76-81 CU) that comes in from a funky sidearm but not quite sidearm angle. I rule nothing out when it comes to Morrison’s pro future, though I think a middle relief ceiling as a guy who gives hitters a totally different look from most big league relievers feels like a fair best case scenario right now.

I’m still holding out hope that we see Oklahoma JR C Chris Shaw get going on the big stage, especially after the tremendous power displays he put on after relatively slow starts the past two seasons in junior college. Truthfully, the question as to whether or not he’ll hit for power isn’t a debate; Shaw’s success or failure going forward will be determined by the adjustments in approach he is able to make. He’s always been a touch too aggressive for his own good, but his power could mask some of the deficiencies he’s shown at lower-levels. More experienced arms will keep exploiting the holes in his approach unless he makes some changes. The power alone still makes him a high follow, but much of the optimism I felt in January has eroded under the rocky shores of reality.

I won’t move Shaw off the top spot out of a combination of wanting to keep these lists consistent with my pre-season thoughts and the prospect of him still having high-level power at the next level, but one of the two Cowboys right behind him would give him a run for his money in a revised ranking. I wish SR C/OF Gage Green was more of a sure thing to stay behind the plate because his offensive game has shown a lot of growth over the years. I also really like SR C Bryan Case, the much better glove of the two, though he’s a tough player to fairly judge due to his lack of playing time. When given a chance to play he’s hit, so I think there’s something there. After a bit more thought, I’d say that Oklahoma JR C Anthony Hermelyn would also be right up there near the top of this list in a re-ranking. His hit tool is interesting, he has a strong defensive profile with no doubts about his arm strength (been clocked as high as 94 MPH off the mound), and his plate discipline is trending in the right direction. All in all, not a bad group of catchers

Texas Tech JR 1B/LHP Eric Gutierrez is one of my favorite power hitters in a class desperately in need of some good ones. Some teams might be turned off than his less than ideal frame (5-10, 205), but so long as he keeps mashing he has a better than average shot to hear his name called in a signable range this June. Kansas State rSR 1B/LHP Shane Conlon has always intrigued me due to his reasonable power upside, average speed, and plus glove. It’s a a fun profile and one I hope we get a chance to keep following in pro ball.

Kansas JR 2B/SS Colby Wright has been a baseball magnet this season (11 HBP in 65 official AB!). I liked his pop, patience, and glove combination coming into the year, and nothing has moved me off that as of yet. I think he’s the best of a lackluster group of Big 12 second basemen. At shortstop it’s still Texas JR SS/3B CJ Hinojosa’s top spot to lose. Much has been written on these very pages already about Hinojosa, so I’ll spare you any needless rehashing and just leave you with my Marco Scuatro comp and call it a day. Almost. We’re now far enough along with the season (20 games in already, time flies), so it’s silly for me to keep pretending that these are strictly previews and not, at least in part, ongoing assessments. The rankings are more or less unchanged from where I stood pre-season, but I do try to pepper the commentary with some updates where applicable. Hinojosa’s slow start (.197/.337/.310) is notable, though it’s a) only 71 AB, and b) not as bad when you look at some underlying numbers (most notably 14 BB/11 K). I’m a little bit concerned and would consider dropping him in future overall prospect rankings, but he still is a good prospect with top five round upside.

Texas Tech rSO SS/2B Cory Raley could be a fascinating utility player prospect with the chance for more. He has the ability to be really good at second and playable at short with enough speed, athleticism, and size to buy him time as he figures out how to hit. So far so good as hitter for Raley this winter, so consider me sufficiently intrigued at what now appears to be a lower than deserved ranking. I also have to mention TCU rJR SS Keaton Jones, a player so good with the glove that he’ll get drafted almost no matter what he does at the plate this spring. The fact that he’s more than holding his own as a hitter for the first time collegiately is icing on the mid-round cake. I’m glad I went with Oklahoma JR 3B Kolbey Carpenter as the conference’s top third baseman. He impressed all those I talked to last spring with his power upside and steady glove, so it’s nice to see him off to a hot start this season. Like second base, however, it’s worth noting that he’s the best of a very thin group of potential future pros. That in no way detracts from his underrated play, of course. I have a good intuitive feeling about Carpenter as a draft prospect.

The outfield is where things get really interesting in the Big 12. I know I say this about so many prospects that it probably renders the distinction meaningless, but Texas JR OF Ben Johnson has to be one of this year’s draft’s most fascinating prospects. Johnson’s name has come up over and over again so far this season as a tooled-up prospect finally turning into a deeply skilled player. Or so I thought. All of the chatter over Johnson excited me because I had assumed he was finally doing the things that he’ll need to do to be a better pro. Full disclosure: I haven’t gotten any updates about him this season (since the fall) from anybody I know who has seen him and (I’M NOT A SCOUT) I’ve only personally seen him twice this year on the tube. So I’m not working with all the needed info to make any overarching statements that should be taken as fact. I’m just theorizing that maybe college analysts (and perhaps certain pro scouting staffs that weigh projection significantly ahead of production [they aren’t wrong for this, by the way]) are getting a little ahead of themselves in proclaiming this to be the start of Johnson’s ascension to day one of the 2015 MLB Draft. Johnson has been absolutely phenomenal this season by most every measure: .432/.463/.659 is damn good work in 88 at bats. Maybe he’s made adjustments as a hitter that the public will hear about as some of the best prospect writers begin doing some digging. Maybe (hopefully) I’ll hear something from one of my contacts sooner rather than later that brings some good news on his outburst. Until then, however, I think Ben Johnson is just doing Ben Johnson things. I won’t say that I anticipated this kind of start, but his numbers aren’t out of line with what you’d expect from a player with his kind of tools at the college level. It’s not crazy to say that he, like about a dozen or so players in this and every class, is too physically gifted for the college game. Johnson is a pro-level glove in center with an average or better arm, average or better raw power, and, most interestingly, the kind of jaw-dropping athleticism and game-changing speed that puts the whole package over the top.

Again, Johnson is putting up a ridiculous .432/.463/.659 line so far this year. That’s really great. With only 2 walks to 12 strikeouts, however, I’m not sure how all his considerable offensive gifts will continue to play as he climbs the ladder. For all the positives he brings to the table he still looks like a very high potential pick since athletes like him often provide value well beyond what they do at the plate (running, defending, you get it). That relatively high floor makes Johnson extra appealing; using a supplemental first, second, or third round pick on him is not likely to completely blow up in your face simply because he’s almost too damn athletic to do nothing. On the off chance he puts it together, watch out. If that paragraph reads like I’m hedging my bets on him, then you’re on the right track.

Hot start or not, I still lump Johnson in with fellow toolsy outfield peers like Florida JR OF Harrison Bader and Clemson JR OF Steven Duggar for the moment. Just because those guys rank 5-6-7 (further down if you consider any of Ian Happ, Richie Martin, or BC’s Chris Shaw outfielders) on my “current” (as current as anything draft-related can be that’s three weeks old) college outfield list does not mean I view them as ordinary, mid-round prospects. I didn’t write nearly enough about last year’s draft than I would have liked, but I’ll say this without the benefit of hindsight (not that a few weeks of pro ball should change anybody’s mind about anybody): I’d take this year’s toolsy outfielders above any college outfielder from last year with the exception of Michael Conforto, Bradley Zimmer, Mike Papi, and maybe (if he’s really an OF, which I’m still unsure of) Connor Joe. That’s above last year’s 37th overall pick, Derek Fisher, for what it’s worth.

In other non-Ben Johnson Big 12 outfield news, Texas Tech JR OF Tyler Neslony’s positive approach and power upside make him a strong bat worth knowing. His plate discipline has backed up a bit since last year here in the early going, so almost all caveats with such players apply. Same with Kansas State SR OF Max Brown, a rare senior sign that doubles as one of the draft’s finer physical specimens. The 6-5, 200 pound plus runner showed well in limited at bats last year, but, stop me if you’ve heard this before, his approach at the plate needs significant work. A crazy argument could be made that he might be the most valuable draft property of the three already mentioned Big 12 outfielders based solely on his talent (below Johnson to be sure, but he’s no slouch), projected round (no idea, but I’d be surprised if it was all that high), and potential bonus demands (no leverage).

The only draft-eligible outfielder listed below having an above-average season by my measures – I mean, Johnson clearly is and I’m being way too hard on him so pay no mind to the only part – is Oklahoma JR OF Craig Aikin, an above-average runner and glove with an interesting leadoff approach to hitting. Since we scratched the “only” from the previous sentence allow me to also recognize TCU SR OF Cody Jones as having a fine start to his 2015 season. He’s an even more interesting senior sign with his blazing speed, plus CF range, strong arm, and very selective approach. I don’t see enough power out of him to profile as more than a backup, but you could do worse when looking for a future speed and defense fourth or fifth outfielder.

2015 MLB Draft Talent – Hitting 

  1. Texas JR SS/3B CJ Hinojosa
  2. Texas JR OF Ben Johnson
  3. Texas Tech JR OF Tyler Neslony
  4. Kansas State SR OF Max Brown
  5. Oklahoma JR C Chris Shaw
  6. Oklahoma JR OF Hunter Haley
  7. Kansas SR OF/RHP Dakota Smith
  8. Oklahoma State JR SS/2B Donnie Walton
  9. Texas Tech JR 1B/LHP Eric Gutierrez
  10. Kansas rJR OF Steve Goldstein
  11. Kansas SR OF Connor McKay
  12. Oklahoma State SR C/OF Gage Green
  13. Oklahoma State SR C Bryan Case
  14. Kansas JR 2B/SS Colby Wright
  15. Texas Tech SR SS Tim Proudfoot
  16. Texas Christian SR OF Cody Jones
  17. Oklahoma JR 3B Kolbey Carpenter
  18. Oklahoma JR OF Craig Aikin
  19. Texas Christian JR OF Nolan Brown
  20. Texas SR OF Collin Shaw
  21. Texas Christian SR 3B/2B Derek Odell
  22. Kansas State rSR 1B/LHP Shane Conlon
  23. Oklahoma JR C/RHP Anthony Hermelyn
  24. Kansas State SR 2B/OF Carter Yagi
  25. Oklahoma State SR 2B/OF Tim Arakawa
  26. Texas SR 2B Brooks Marlow
  27. Kansas SR 2B/SS Justin Protacio
  28. Texas Tech rSO SS/2B Cory Raley
  29. Texas Christian JR 2B Garrett Crain
  30. Kansas rJR OF Joe Moroney
  31. Texas Tech JR C Kholton Sanchez
  32. Texas Tech JR C Tyler Floyd
  33. Baylor JR 1B Mitch Price
  34. Texas Tech SR 2B Bryant Burleson

2015 MLB Draft Talent – Pitching

  1. Texas Christian JR LHP Alex Young
  2. Texas Christian JR RHP Riley Ferrell
  3. Texas Christian rSO RHP Mitchell Traver
  4. Oklahoma rJR LHP Adam Choplick
  5. Texas SR RHP Parker French
  6. Texas Tech JR RHP Matt Withrow
  7. Oklahoma State rJR RHP/OF Conor Costello
  8. Baylor SR RHP Austin Stone
  9. Oklahoma State JR RHP Koda Glover
  10. Oklahoma State SO RHP Trey Cobb
  11. Texas Christian SO LHP Tyler Alexander
  12. Texas Christian rSO RHP Brian Triegflaff
  13. Texas Christian SR LHP Travis Evans
  14. Texas Christian rSR RHP Trey Teakell
  15. Texas rSR RHP Ty Marlow
  16. Oklahoma JR LHP/1B Jacob Evans
  17. Kansas JR RHP Hayden Edwards
  18. Oklahoma JR RHP Blake Rogers
  19. Oklahoma State SR RHP Jon Perrin
  20. Baylor rSR LHP Brad Kuntz
  21. Texas Tech JR RHP/OF Quinn Carpenter
  22. Kansas State rJR RHP Nate Williams
  23. Oklahoma rSR RHP Robert Tasin
  24. Baylor rJR RHP Ryan Smith
  25. Texas JR RHP Chad Hollingsworth
  26. Texas Tech SR RHP Dominic Moreno
  27. Texas JR LHP Travis Duke
  28. Oklahoma JR RHP RHP Corey Copping
  29. Texas Christian SR RHP Preston Morrison
  30. Kansas State rSO RHP Nate Griep
  31. Oklahoma State rSR LHP Tyler Nurdin
  32. Kansas State JR RHP Levi MaVorhis
  33. Kansas State rSO RHP Colton Kalmus
  34. Oklahoma State JR LHP Alex Hackerott
  35. Texas JR LHP Ty Culbreth
  36. Texas Tech SR LHP Cameron Smith
  37. Texas Tech SR RHP Corey Taylor
  38. West Virginia JR RHP Jeff Hardy
  39. Texas Tech JR RHP Dalton Brown
  40. Baylor SR RHP Sean Spicer
  41. Kansas State rSO RHP Blake McFadden
  42. Oklahoma JR LHP Jeffrey Curran
  43. West Virginia rJR LHP Ross Vance

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

Running 2015 MLB Draft Prospect Follow Lists

5 Dec 2014 12:00 PM / 1 Comment on Running 2015 MLB Draft Prospect Follow Lists

I thought this would be a fun way of finishing off each week and organizing the walls of text I keep throwing up from Monday to Thursday. This list is not nearly as comprehensive as the follow lists I’ve made in previous years nor is it as long as the list I keep internally, but I’m trying to be a little be more selective about whom we’re calling “prospects” in order to keep things a bit tidier around here. That leaves a few borderline draftable talents out for now, but I’ll be more inclusive on future lists as we get closer to June. You might think it would make more sense to do it the other way. My response to that is…yeah, you’re probably right. I might expand it in the next edition, at least with the position players.

Boston College, Clemson, Duke, and Florida State are the only schools with players listed at this time. Four more teams will be added each Friday for as long as we can keep up this pace. Next four teams are Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, and North Carolina State. It would be North Carolina, but they are the last remaining holdout in the ACC who have yet to post their 2014/2015 roster. Happens every year with them. Not cool.

C

  1. Duke rSR C Mike Rosenfeld: 5-10, 185 pounds (2012: .329/.403/.476 – 16 BB/48 K – 170 AB – 7/8 SB) (2013: .377/.451/.525 – 8 BB/9 K – 2/3 SB – 61 AB) (2014: .268/.396/.335 – 32 BB/42 K – 7 – 11/SB – 194 AB)

1B

  1. Boston College JR 1B/OF Chris Shaw: 6-4, 250 pounds (2013: .183/.286/.323 – 18 BB/32 K – 0/0 SB – 164 AB) (2014: .329/.393/.502 – 21 BB/38 K – 1/3 SB – 207 AB)
  2. Florida State rSR 1B Chris Marconcini: 6-5, 230 pounds (2011: .301/.404/.490 – 24 BB/38 K – 206 AB) (2013: .316/.409/.579 – 28 BB/39 K – 8/10 SB – 190 AB) (2014: .252/.341/.435 – 28 BB/38 K – 7/9 SB – 230 AB)

2B

SS

  1. Clemson JR SS/3B Tyler Krieger: 6-1, 170 pounds (2013: .266/.360/.321 – 29 BB/29 K – 9/15 SB – 218 AB) (2014: .338/.410/.447 – 25 BB/24 K – 19/24 SB – 219 AB)

3B

OF

  1. Florida State JR OF DJ Stewart: 6-0, 230 pounds (2013: .360/.469/.551 – 40 BB/38 K – 8/12 SB – 225 AB) (2014: .351/.472/.557 – 40 BB/30 K – 4/5 SB – 194 AB)
  2. Clemson JR OF Steven Duggar: 6-2, 200 pounds (2013: .308/.368/.392 – 24 BB/39 K – 16/23 SB – 250 AB) (2014: .294/.368/.378 – 27 BB/51 K – 25/28 SB – 238 AB)
  3. Clemson SR OF Tyler Slaton: 5-7, 200 pounds (2012: .208/.377/.226 – 13 BB/16 K – 6/6 SB – 53 AB) (2013: .269/.375/.306 – 24 BB/32 K – 6/9 SB – 160 AB) (2014: .274/.391/.373 – 42 BB/34 K – 11/17 SB – 241 AB)

P

  1. Duke JR RHP Michael Matuella: 6-6, 220 pounds (2013: 4.53 K/9 | 2.03 BB/9 | 3.95 FIP | 57.2 IP) (2014: 69 K/15 BB – 58.1 IP – 2.78 ERA)
  2. Clemson JR LHP Matthew Crownover: 6-0, 200 pounds (2013: 6.04 K/9 | 2.06 BB/9 | 4.55 FIP | 70 IP) (2014: 2.90 ERA – 90 K/20 BB – 99.1 IP)
  3. Clemson JR RHP Clate Schmidt: 6-2, 180 pounds (2013: 4.20 K/9 | 4.04 BB/9 | 4.66 FIP | 55.2 IP) (2014: 3.68 ERA – 53 K/28 K – 66 IP)
  4. Florida State JR LHP Alex Diese: 6-3, 200 pounds
  5. Duke JR RHP Kenny Koplove: 6-2, 170 pounds (2013: .314/.341/.379 – 7 BB/24 K – 2/3 SB – 153 AB) (2014: .191/.243/.224 – 14 BB/41 K – 2/2 SB – 183 AB)
  6. Clemson JR LHP Zack Erwin: 6-5, 200 pounds (2013: 5.10 K/9 | 2.85 BB/9 | 4.39 FIP | 60 IP) (2014: 4.21 ERA – 62 K/28 BB – 72.2 IP)
  7. Clemson rSO RHP Wales Toney: 6-2, 210 pounds
  8. Florida State JR RHP/OF Jameis Winston: 6-4, 220 pounds (2013: .227/.374/.336 – 23 BB/32 K – 2/4 SB – 119 AB) (2013: 7.33 K/9 | 3.67 BB/9 | 3.66 FIP | 27 IP) (2014: 31 K/7 BB – 33.1 IP – 1.08 ERA)
  9. Duke SR RHP Andrew Istler: 5-11, 180 pounds (2012: 6.23 K/9 | 1.56 BB/9 | 3.44 FIP | 52 IP) (2013: 8.20 K/9 | 2.89 BB/9 | 3.52 FIP | 37.1 IP) (2014: 59 K/24 BB – 76 IP – 2.84 ERA)
  10. Duke rSO RHP James Marvel: 6-3, 200 pounds (2013: 4.93 K/9 | 3.21 BB/9 | 4.23 FIP | 42 IP) (2014: 16 K/8 BB – 25.1 IP – 1.78 ERA)
  11. Florida State SR LHP Bryant Holtmann: 6-5, 200 pounds (2012: 6.39 K/9 | 2.84 BB/9 | 3.88 FIP | 25.1 IP) (2013: 6.00 K/9 | 4.50 BB/9 | 4.20 FIP | 36 IP) (2014: 29 K/12 BB – 36.2 IP – 3.68 ERA)
  12. Clemson rJR RHP Patrick Andrews: 6-4, 225 pounds (2012: 8.28 K/9 | 4.30 BB/9 | 3.70 FIP | 29.1 IP) (2013: 6.21 K/9 | 2.39 BB/9 | 3.87 FIP | 37.2 IP)
  13. Florida State rJR RHP Mike Compton: 6-2, 200 pounds (2012: 6.73 K/9 | 2.57 BB/9 | 4.36 FIP | 91 IP) (2014: 50 K/19 BB – 83.2 IP – 3.23 ERA)

2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Boston College

1 Dec 2014 11:00 AM / 4 Comments on 2015 MLB Draft Prospects – Boston College

Hey, all. It’s that time of year. We’re doing team-by-team college prospect previews for as long as I have the sanity to keep rolling ‘em out. Feel free to request a team/conference and I’ll put it at the top of the list. Also, as always, don’t hesitate to tell me how wrong I am in the comments or via email (robozga@gmail.com)…

JR 1B/OF Chris Shaw (2015)
JR SS Joe Cronin (2015)
SR 2B/SS Blake Butera (2015)
SR RHP John Gorman (2015)
SR LHP Nick Poore (2015)
JR RHP Jeff Burke (2015)
JR LHP Jesse Adams (2015)
SO RHP Justin Dunn (2016)
SO RHP Mike King (2016)
SO SS/3B Johnny Adams (2016)

JR 1B/OF Chris Shaw is the big draw here. In terms of 2015 draft prospects, you could actually call him the only draw at the present moment. I like both SR 2B/SS Blake Butera and JR SS Joe Cronin a little bit, and the two of them should be good college table-setters for Shaw, but the BC lineup on the whole isn’t exactly stacked, especially by ACC standards. There are some interesting pitchers to monitor including strong senior sign candidate RHP John Gorman and statistical favorite JR LHP Jesse Adams, but the best two arms on the staff from where I’m sitting are both 2016 prospects (SO RHPs Justin Dunn [huge fan of his] and Mike King).

So, back to Shaw. The raw power is up there with any other player in this class. It’s shown up in the numbers (.329/.393/.502 last season at BC and a 30 HR full season pace on the Cape) and in games/BP. He’s big and strong and has a knack for hitting the ball hard. The power alone will get him drafted in the top five rounds without worry. Those who have fully bought in have touted him as a first round caliber prospect. I’m personally conflicted on Shaw as a draft prospect as I really, really like what I’ve seen with my eyes (beautiful swing that somehow manages to be both compact and powerful all at once with really quick hands and unusual looseness for a big man), but the overly aggressive approach at the plate (21 BB/38 K last season followed by a worse 13 BB/37 K ratio on the Cape) is a major red flag going forward. The fake scout in me can see a breakthrough coming in that area thanks to said components for an above-average hit tool, significant plate coverage, and his well-earned reputation as being a student of hitting, but, at the same time, I’ve got a reputation as a “numbers don’t lie” internet writer to uphold. I’d hate to hedge and say I’m waiting on him flipping his BB/K numbers around before pumping him up as a potential top two round pick with big league regular upside, but I think that’s where I’m at right now. I’d love to know what College Splits has on him when it comes to his performance against Friday night starters to date.

Now for the fun part. As a high-profile draft prospect, Shaw has garnered all kinds of interesting player comps over the past few months. Perfect Game has thrown out Garrett Anderson (as a hitter), Casey Gillaspie, and Chris Davis as comparable players for various reasons. I’ve personally heard a pair of “classic” player comps that I found neat: Harold Baines and Steve Garvey. The one modern hitting comp I’ve heard is Torii Hunter, which I kind of like because it speaks to Shaw’s ability as a hitter first and a slugger second. His swing at 2:07 in this clip is what I keep coming back to when I think of that, though I realize cross-handedness hitter comparisons are doomed from the start. That’s the stroke of a hitter who just happens to be strong and hit for power and not necessarily a power hitter’s mighty hack. Finally, two of my own (and therefore, my favorite) comps: first, a comp so logical that I’m stunned it hasn’t been made yet. I lived in Boston for a few years, so I can tell you firsthand how tricky (but not impossible) it is to see quality amateur baseball on a consistent basis in the frigid winter months early in the college season. The stories that I heard from older scouts in the area who talked often about Carlos Pena playing at Northeastern line up quite nicely with what I’ve seen, read, and heard about Shaw. For the record, here is each guy’s sophomore season line…

.309/.398/.600 – 26 BB/34 K – 175 AB
.329/.393/.502 – 21 BB/38 K – 207 AB

Top is Pena, bottom is Shaw. Not perfect, but not crazy different, either. My favorite comp, however, has nothing to do with geography. Check out these sophomore seasons…

.346/.400/.532 – 26 BB/39 K – 231 AB
.329/.393/.502 – 21 BB/38 K – 207 AB

Bottom is Shaw once again. The top is a guy who BA said the following about pre-draft: “struggled with wood in the Cape in 2007″…”excellent raw power”… “above-average at first base”… “plus arm”…”below-average speed.” I’d knock Shaw a grade lower in all non-bat grades across the board (average glove, above-average arm, slow), but for the most part it checks out. The player in question is the newest member of the Oakland Athletics and former first round pick (18th overall) Ike Davis. That seems like Shaw’s draft ceiling and it just might be his most realistic professional outcome.