MISSOURI

2007 FOLLOW LIST  

OVERVIEW:Missouri’s overall talent base for 2007 is helped by including former University of Missouri righthander Max Scherzer, who actually pitched for the Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association this May before signing a lucrative major league deal with the Diamondbacks just before the signing deadline.

Even if he’d gone back into the draft, Scherzer might not have been the top Missouri player drafted, with that honor potentially going to Missouri State lefthander Ross Detwiler, who is a potential top 10 pick. Missouri State (formally Southeast Missouri) also featured a first-rounder last year in righthander Brett Sinkbeil and should have another pitcher, righthander Scott Carroll, drafted in the first five rounds.

 

Missouri ’s high school class has some talented players with righthander Nick Tepesch, who has received extensive attention this spring, and outfielder David Stewart as the highest potential signees. The biggest beneficiary of Missouri’s high school talent this year will be the University of Missouri, which has signed a strong recruiting class from both Missouri and neighboring Illinois . Missouri has some excellent prospects in the pipeline for the next two years (righthander Dean Crow in 2008, outfielder Austin Senne and righthander Kyle Gibson in 2009), and if this recruiting class, which includes Tepesch, shows up close to whole, the Tigers excellent 2007 season could repeat itself for the rest of the decade at least.

 

STRENGTH: High-end pitching prospects.

WEAKNESS: Depth of signable high school prospects.

OVERALL RATING (1-to-5 scale): 3.

 

Best Out-of-State Prospect, Missouri Connection: Nick Schmidt, lhp, U. of Arkansas (Attended high school in High Ridge).

Top 2008 Prospect: Tim Melville, rhp, Wentzville HS.

 

Highest Pick, Draft History: Roy Branch, rhp, Beaumont HS, St. Louis (1971, Royals/1^st round, 5^th pick).

Highest Pick, 2006 Draft: Max Scherzer, rhp, U. of Missouri (Diamondbacks/1^st round; 11^th pick).

 

Best College Team: Missouri .
Best Junior College Team: Jefferson JC.
Best High School Team: Blue Springs HS.

 

TOP 25 PROSPECTS / By David Rawnsley

 

GROUPS (College, Junior College, High School)

      1   High-round draft (Rounds 1-3)

      2   Mid-round draft (Rounds 4-10)

      3   Late-round draft (Rounds 11-25)

      4   Chance draft / Player to follow

 

*Draft-and-follow; eligible to sign before 2007 draft

 

GROUP ONE

Rank  Player                                  Pos.       Yr     B-T      HT     WT     School                              Hometown                 Drafted/(Commit) B’date

     1.   Ross Detwiler                     LHP      Jr.     R-L     6-4     180     Missouri State U.            Wentzville                   Never Drafted   3-6-86

SCOUTING REPORT: Detwiler has put himself in position to be among the top 10 players picked, besting his 2006 teammate Brett Sinkbeil, who went 19^th overall in the 2006 draft. Detwiler went 4-5, 2.22 with 110 strikeouts in 89 innings this spring, perhaps a disappointing year in terms of won-loss record for 23-34 Missouri State , but he did everything scouts wanted to see. Detwiler is a thin, loose 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds and was basically the same size as a junior in high school, so projecting him isn’t necessarily valid. His velocity has come on from the 87-90 mph he threw when he was 17, however.  Detwiler has a whippy arm action from a high three-quarters release point and throws a fastball in the 92-94 range and a very sharp upper 70s curveball with 12-6 type of break at times. His changeup is a promising pitch, too. Detwiler throws strikes with all his pitches, has a clean injury history and finished the season strong before leaving his last start with a broken finger nail. There’s nothing on his resume to keep clubs from taking him in the top half of the first round.