DRAFT NOTEBOOK (May 18)
BY Jerry Ford, Perfect Game
2006 High School Lefties Are Talented and Plentiful
The word in scouting circles is that this year’s draft is light on position players and rich in pitching talent. While the first few picks don’t seem as obvious as years past, the number of quality arms is a big plus. Perhaps 2006 could go on record as one of the best years ever for high school lefties. We have been fortunate enough to see almost all of the top HS left-handers who are eligible for the June draft and it’s a strong and very large group.
At the very top of the LHP list you’ll see names like Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson and Kasey Kiker. Everyone seems to be glued in on those three. However, the next 30 to 50 top lefties are all very interesting and many could end up being selected in the first 5 rounds.
There are some excellent draft prospects who were not really household names on a national scale entering the season. A couple to keep an eye on during the upcoming draft include Chris Manno a 6-2 lefty from Xaverian HS in Brooklyn and Clayton Tanner another 6-2 lefty from DeLaSalle HS in Clayton, CA. Also, Glenn Gibson 6-4 lefty from Center Moriches HS, NY. and son of former Big League pitcher Paul Gibson, is starting to realize some of his sky high projection a bit earlier than expected. Gavin Brooks is a lefty from Rancho Buena Vista, Vista, CA. who we thought would be a sure first round candidate before being injured. Brooks has returned strong and he’s back in the 90s and he can really pitch.
If the draft doesn’t get these pitchers it will be interesting to see what happens three years from now, when these and a few others not mentioned below are dominating college baseball. 2006 (the year of High School lefties) could turn into 2009 (the year of College lefties) Unfortunately, no one will remember this claim in three years. Maybe that’s a good thing! The list below should create an interesting scorecard for the draft.
Here is a list of many of the top 2006 high school LHPs.
Some of the Nation's Top 2006 High School Lefties
|
Player |
High School |
Hometown |
St |
College Commitment |
|
Brett Anderson |
Stillwater
|
Stillwater
|
OK |
Oklahoma State
|
|
Clayton Kershaw |
Highland Park
|
Dallas
|
TX |
Texas A&M |
|
Kasey Kiker |
Russell County
|
Phenix City
|
AL
|
South Alabama
|
|
Kyler Burke |
Ooltewah |
Chattanooga
|
TN |
Vanderbilt |
|
Jeffrey Locke |
Kennett |
Conway
|
NH |
|
|
Ryan Morris |
South Mecklenburg
|
Charlotte
|
NC |
Clemson |
|
Carmine Giardina |
Durant |
Valrico |
FL |
Texas
|
|
Robert Fish |
AB Miller |
Fontana
|
CA |
|
|
Andrew Oliver |
Vermillion |
Vermillion |
OH |
Oklahoma State
|
|
Steven Evarts |
Robinson |
Tampa
|
FL |
|
|
Zach Britton |
Weatherford |
Weatherford |
TX |
Texas A & M |
|
Brandon Belt |
Hudson
|
Lufkin
|
TX |
Texas
|
|
Jarred Holloway |
Russellville |
Russellville |
AR |
Mississippi State
|
|
Chad Rodgers |
Walsh Jesuit |
Stow
|
OH |
Kent State
|
|
Matt Fairel |
Winter Haven
|
Winter Haven
|
FL |
Florida State
|
|
Gavin Brooks |
Rancho Buena Vista |
Vista
|
CA |
UCLA |
|
James Gillheeney |
Bishop Hendricken |
Johnston
|
RI |
NC State |
|
Matthew Petiton |
Garden City |
Garden City |
NY |
North Carolina
|
|
Taylor Hammack |
Angleton |
Angleton |
TX |
Texas
|
|
Del Howell |
American Christian Acad. |
Northport |
AL
|
Alabama
|
|
Glenn Gibson |
Center Moriches |
Center Moriches |
NY |
Central Florida
|
|
Clayton Tanner |
DeLaSalle |
Clayton |
CA |
Pepperdine |
|
Christopher Manno |
Xaverian |
Brooklyn
|
NY |
Duke |
|
Kevin Chapman |
Westminster
|
Margate
|
FL |
Florida
|
|
Bryan Morgado |
Florida Christian |
Miami
|
FL |
Tennessee
|
|
Justin Marks |
Owensboro Catholic |
Owensboro
|
KY |
Louisville
|
|
Mike Minor |
Forrest |
Lewisburg |
TN |
Vanderbilt |
|
Cam Nobles |
Jackson
|
Mill Creek |
WA |
Washington
|
|
Justin Edwards |
Olympia
|
Orlando
|
FL |
Georgia
|
|
Nicholas Hernandez |
Hialeah
|
Hialeah
|
Fl |
Tennessee
|
|
Alex McRee |
Chestatee |
Gainesville
|
GA |
Georgia
|
|
Neal Davis |
Catonsville
|
Baltimore
|
MD |
Virginia
|
|
Anthony Butler |
Oak Creek
|
Oak Creek
|
WI |
Arkansas
|
|
Matthew Zoltak |
Plymouth Whitemarsh |
Philadelphia
|
PA |
Clemson |
|
Chris Armstrong |
Owasso |
Owasso |
OK |
Oklahoma State
|
|
J.D. Reichenbach |
Central Bucks East |
Doylestown |
PA |
Elon |
|
Blake Dean |
Crestview |
Crestview |
FL |
LSU |
|
Kevin Angelle |
Bridge City
|
Orange
|
TX |
Texas A&M |
|
Andy Oros |
Jesuit |
Roseville
|
CA |
California
|
|
Scott Limbocker |
Blue Valley North |
Overland Park
|
KS |
Arkansas
|
|
Sean Ray |
Kellam |
Virginia Beach
|
VA |
Auburn
|
|
Walter Marciel |
Iolani |
Kailua
|
HI |
|
|
Garrett Johnson |
Orme School of Arizona |
Mayer |
AZ |
|
|
Joe Hatasaki |
Mountain View
|
Mountain View
|
CA |
Arizona State
|
|
Tyler Robertson |
Bella Vista |
Citrus Heights
|
CA |
|
|
Mario Hollands |
El Cerrito
|
El Cerrito
|
CA |
UC Santa Barbara |
|
Justin Earls |
Collins Hill |
Lawrenceville |
GA |
Georgia
|
|
Derrick Lowery |
Scotland
|
Laurinburg |
NC |
|
|
Martevious Young |
Benjamin Russell |
Alexander City
|
AL
|
|
|
Richie Goodenow |
Overton |
Nashville
|
TN |
Vanderbilt |
|
Matt Davis |
Opelika
|
Opelika
|
AL
|
Auburn
|
|
Jeremy Gould |
Bellaire |
Houston
|
TX |
Duke |
|
Jeff Lorick |
Chattahoochee
|
Duluth
|
GA |
Virginia
|
|
Eric Erickson |
Sarasota
|
Sarasota
|
FL |
Miami
|
|
Spencer Arroyo |
East Union
|
Manteca
|
CA |
|
|
Kyle Clayton |
Cleveland
|
Cleveland
|
TN |
Kennesaw State
|
|
Robert Catapano |
Farragut |
Knoxville
|
TN |
North Carolina
|
|
Evan Fields |
Cabrillo |
Lompoc
|
CA |
Chico State
|
|
Tanner Chitwood |
Sulphur
|
Sulphur
|
OK |
Oklahoma
|
|
Michael Heard |
Montgomery
|
Montgomery
|
TX |
Texas A&M |
|
Blaine Howell |
AC Reynolds |
Asheville
|
NC |
BYU |
|
Scott Thorson |
Pine Ridge |
Deltona |
FL |
Florida State
|