| TAMPA BAY |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
High School |
Hometown |
Commitment |
B’date |
| 383 |
Jason McEachern |
RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
3-Jun |
165 |
St. Stephens |
Hickory, N.C. |
Wingate (N.C.) |
10/12/1990 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: With most of the top North
Carolina high school players either underperforming this spring or heavily
committed to college—in what is a thin crop, anyway—scouts went digging for new
talent and unearthed a potential gem in McEachern, a gangly righthander who
popped up all of a sudden throwing 93 mph. McEachern attends the same high
school as athletic outfielder Brian Litwin, who hit .467 this spring and might
have been a top prospect for this year’s draft himself had he not been so
intent on attending college at Duke. McEachern threw just 84-87 mph last fall
and committed at the time to Division II Wingate (N.C.) University as no
Division I school came calling. With an 89-93 mph fastball, the making of a
solid breaking ball and a loose, easy arm action, McEachern came so far so fast
this spring that area scouts soon began speculating that he could be the first
North Carolina high school player drafted. Another new name that began making
the rounds in a flurry in the weeks leading up to the draft was another
6-foot-3 righthander also reportedly throwing 93, Alan Webster of MicMichael
High in rural Mayodan.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| PITTSBURGH |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
High School |
Hometown |
Commitment |
B’date |
| 384 |
Seth Gardner |
OF |
Sr. |
R-R |
4-Jun |
190 |
Highland Park |
Dallas |
Arkansas |
7/7/1989 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Gardner flew below the radar
much of the spring because most scouts considered him unsignable. But his
tools—specifically his above-average speed and emerging power—and long, lanky
frame, along with his superior athletic ability eventually won over scouts.
Gardner began tipping the scales in his favor last fall as an all-state wide
receiver for the Texas 4-A Division II runner-up football team when he hauled
in 21 touchdown receptions, then led Highland Park to a school-record 35 wins
this spring on the baseball diamond while hitting .416-10-51. All his tools are
very projectable.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| KANSAS CITY |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
Junior College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 385 |
John Flanagan |
LHP |
Fr. |
L-L |
5-Jun |
205 |
Southwestern Illinois |
Belleville, Ill. |
White Sox ’07 (30) |
6/15/1988 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Flanagan lost just two games in
his prep career at Belleville West High, but elected to pass up an offer from
the home-state White Sox in the 2007 draft for an opportunity to pitch at
Panola (Texas) JC as a freshman. That experiment lasted just a semester before
Flanagan decided to move back closer to home, and responded this spring with a
5-5, 1.89 record with 85 strikeouts in 85 innings at Southwestern Illinois JC.
While his fastball was only in the 86-90 mph range, it was an improvement from
high school when Flanagan often worked at 83 mph. With his 6-foot-5 frame and
easy arm action, there’s the potential for him to throw much harder in the
future.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| BALTIMORE |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
High School |
Hometown |
Commitment |
B’date |
| 386 |
Corey Thomas |
3B/RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
3-Jun |
205 |
Middleton |
Tampa |
South Florida |
9/23/1988 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Scouts from around the
country got to see Thomas play as a junior alongside 2007 supplemental
first-rounder Nevin Griffith at Tampa’s Middleton High. If they didn’t notice
him then, they certainly did at the 2007 World Wood Bat Association summer
championship in Marietta, Ga., where Thomas was named the Most Valuable Player
while playing for the champion Chet Lemon’s Juice team. Despite his 6-foot-3,
205-pound build, Thomas is a 6.9 runner in the 60 with outstanding power
potential. He also regularly throws 90-91 mph off the mound and some scouts may
like him just as much as a righthanded pitcher, although Thomas’ athleticism
would be a waste on the mound. Thomas is also a standout on the basketball
court during the winter.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Thomas has had a strong spring, in
some respects, but it doesn’t seem to have significantly changed his draft
status. There continues to be a split on him as to whether he is a future
pitcher or player, as Thomas was up to 92 mph frequently. One thing on scouts’
minds is that Thomas is a very old high school senior. He turns 20 during the
fall and thus has more “present” tools and less projection in his future.—DR |
| |
| SAN FRANCISCO |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
Junior College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 387 |
Juan Carlos Perez |
OF |
Fr. |
R-R |
11-May |
185 |
Western Oklahoma |
Bronx, N.Y. |
Never drafted |
11/13/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Perez was an unlikely candidate
to shatter the national junior college Division II single-season home run and
RBI records as a freshman as he didn’t play organized baseball after graduating
from New York’s DeWitt Clinton High in 2006. He bounced around for a couple of
years, with most of his action coming in a New York men’s league. He originally
came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic on a tourist visa and overstayed
the deadline—casting into doubt his ability to obtain a working visa needed to
play professional baseball, though his paperwork is reportedly in the system.
Through connections, Perez ended up at Western Oklahoma last fall as a package
deal with a much-better known New York player, outfielder/lefthander Danny
Almonte—of Little League infamy. Though Almonte had all the hype and went on to
hit a respectable .497-14-77 this season while also winning seven games, Perez
established from the start that he had special ability and he went on to hit
.465-37-102 with 29 stolen bases this season, closing to within one of the
all-time junior college home run record of 38, set in 1999 by Division I
Seminole State (Okla.) catcher Kade Johnson. Perez had a chance to break the
record at the Junior College Division II World Series, but he failed to homer
in both games as Western Oklahoma (52-12) went out in two straight. Though many
of his home runs this season were wind-aided, as were many of Western
Oklahoma’s 145, Perez has legitimate hitting mechanics with an extremely quick
bat and lift in a compact swing. He looks like a strong safety in a medium,
well-proportioned athletic frame and is an above-average runner. The remainder
of his tools also play, though his arm in center field is fringy average. His
draft status will remain up in the air so long as he is unable to resolve his
visa status.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| FLORIDA |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
High School |
Hometown |
Commitment |
B’date |
| 388 |
Danny Pertusati |
2B/OF |
Sr. |
R-R |
Jun-00 |
185 |
Damien |
La Verne, Calif. |
Cal Baptist |
4/27/1990 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Though he was the quarterback on
his high school football team, has decent athletic ability and hit .512 with
eight homers and 14 steals in 15 attempts this spring, most scouts consider
Pertusati a marginal prospect and not ready for the daily grind of pro ball. He
spent much of this season as a high school senior in center field, but has the
actions to play in the middle infield and will likely end up at second base.
He’s an average runner but may get the bat knocked out of his hands initially
if he makes the immediate jump to pro ball.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| CINCINNATI |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
Junior College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 389 |
Blaine Howell |
LHP |
So. |
L-L |
Jun-00 |
215 |
Pensacola |
Asheville, N.C. |
Devil Rays ’06 (25) |
10/2/1988 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Howell ended up at Pensacola JC
in a round-about way and made a significant contribution to the school’s surge
this season to the No. 1 ranking in the state—and nation—though Pensacola
failed to win the state title, losing to two-time champion Chipola in the
semi-finals. A North Carolina high school product, Howell attended Brigham
Young as a freshman. He left school last summer with the intent of going on a
two-year Mormon mission, but elected not to go when his father became ill and
subsequently passed away. By then it was too late to go on his mission—and too
late to return to BYU as his scholarship had been re-allocated and he couldn’t
afford to return to school there as a walk-on. Left with the potential of
having nowhere to play in 2008, Howell contacted Pensacola coach Bill Hamilton,
whose in-laws live across the street in Asheville from Howell’s grandparents.
Hamilton had tried unsuccessfully to recruit Howell out of high school. Though
not overly projectable at a stocky 6-feet and 215 pounds, Howell still is the
best professional prospect on the Pensacola roster as he can deliver an 89-92
mph with a solid sharp, late curveball. He was 8-0, 3.86 in the regular season
and had 78 strikeouts in 63 innings. He projects as a situational lefthander in
the role of journeyman big league lefthander Aaron Fultz.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| CHICAGO-AL |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 390 |
Dexter Carter |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-Jun |
198 |
Old Dominion |
Chesapeake, Va. |
Rangers ’05 (12) |
2/5/1987 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: A 12th-round pick of the Texas
Rangers in the 2005 draft, Carter—and not teammates Dan Hudson (No. 4 above) or
Anthony Shawler (No. 8 above)—was the more heavily-scouted high school player
in Virginia’s rich Tidewater area when all three came out together. Carter’s
game, however, has not progressed at nearly the same rate. Like many tall,
lanky pitchers, Carter has had his share of growing pains and suffers from poor
mechanics. He has a quick, extremely live arm with a 91-93 mph fastball that
will reach 96 and a sharp breaking ball that can be a put-away pitch when it’s
on, but he only flashes his above-average stuff and his command is often
non-existent. He was used as a midweek starter and in weekend relief as both a
sophomore and junior, and went 3-4, 8.76 this spring while walking 33 and
striking out 35 in 37 innings. A team would have to take a flier on his arm for
him to go as early as the 12th-15th rounds.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| WASHINGTON |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 391 |
Blake Stouffer |
2B |
Sr. |
R-R |
1-Jun |
185 |
Texas A&M |
San Antonio, Texas |
Reds ’07 (4) |
10/11/1985 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Stouffer had an
All-American junior season at Texas A&M, hitting .398-12-85 and leading the
nation in RBIs. It led to his being drafted in the fourth round by the
Cincinnati Reds, but just as surprising as his breakout season was after two
years of mediocrity with the Aggies was his decision to turn down a reported
$200,000 offer from the Reds and return to Texas A&M for his senior year.
He ranks as the highest-drafted player from 2007 to return to college—just
ahead of the celebrated Kyle Russell, the nation’s home run leader who returned
to Texas. Oddly, Blake’s father Blair also turned down a fourth-round offer
from the Chicago Cubs in 1972 to attend the University of Texas. Stouffer is a
tweener in the minds of many scouts, which makes it difficult to pin down his
true value. He played shortstop in high school and still tells scouts that he
thinks of himself as a shortstop. He never has had a defined position and split
his time during the 2007 season between first base, third base and the
outfield. He’s been used at a new position this spring, second base, and
appeared to settle in there nicely defensively but was very slow with the bat
to start the 2008 season. He’s mainly a line-drive, gap-to-gap hitter with
quickness in his hands and occasional pull-side power. Stouffer has run a
6.6-second 60 for scouts and stole 22 bases last season, but most don’t see him
as a speed player who is ideally suited for the middle of the field. They are
equally challenged to see Stouffer having the kind of power associated with a
corner player. But the bottom line is Stouffer is a ball player; his dad played
professionally and scouts really appreciate his skills and the way he plays the
game. His versatility enhances his overall value.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Stouffer’s decision to bypass
fourth-round money appears to have backfired from a draft point of view,
although he was able to play an important role in the surprising success of
Texas A&M this spring. Stouffer didn’t hit with anywhere the consistency or
power he showed as a junior (.260-5-34 during the regular season). On the plus
side, his defense at second base matured and his range stood out at times.—DAVID
RAWNSLEY |
| |
| HOUSTON |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
Junior College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 392 |
Kyle Godfrey |
RHP |
So. |
R-R |
4-Jun |
185 |
Hiwassee (Tenn.) |
Blue Ridge, Ga. |
Never drafted |
2/6/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Scouts didn’t get to see Godfrey
make his final scheduled start of the 2008 season as his team was disqualified
from the Tennessee junior college state tournament because of the use of an
ineligible player. The best they could do was work out Godfrey in scheduled
bullpen sessions leading up to the draft. Godfrey is a curiosity piece among
scouts as he has a live arm with a fastball that has been clocked up to 95-96
mph, but is a 22-year-old junior college sophomore with a limited track record.
He didn’t play baseball for two years after graduating from a Georgia high
school. Not only did he not win on a consistent basis this season at the junior
college level, producing just a 2-7 record, but he was hit hard at times as his
breaking stuff was inconsistent. He only flashed the big sweeping slider that
was a dominant pitch in the fall. No. 1-ranked Walters State JC has numerous
players who should be drafted in the middle rounds, but none is projected to go
as early as Godfrey, who committed to Tennessee’s Lee University, an NAIA
power, because he did not have the grades to pursue Division I college options.—ALLAN
SIMPSON |
| |
| TEXAS |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
Junior College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 393 |
Ed Koncel |
SS |
So. |
R-R |
3-Jun |
195 |
Joliet (Ill.) |
Joliet, Ill. |
Never drafted |
7/29/1988 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Koncel led his Joliet CC team to
the championship game of the Junior College Division III World Series both
years he was with the program. The Wolves finished second in 2007 with a
school-record 47 wins, with Koncel hitting .311-4-43. He stepped up his
offensive output to .373-9-63, leading his team in homers and RBIs, as Joliet
won the national title in 2008. Koncel has the upside to be an offensive force
as a shortstop, but his big frame may be better suited for third base. Along
with righthander Dillon Roark (12-1, 1.06), the outstanding pitcher at the
D-III World Series, Koncel committed to Division II Augusta State (Ga.) in
2009.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| OAKLAND |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 394 |
Daniel Thomas |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
2-Jun |
195 |
South Florida |
Tampa |
Cardinals ’07 (44) |
2/10/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Thomas has good size and
arm strength, throws free and easy, and has flashed some of the best stuff in
the Florida college ranks. But he has been injury-prone throughout his high
school and college career. After having surgery to remove a bone spur in his
right elbow in July 2006, he opened the 2007 season quickly for South Florida,
going 2-1, 1.27 in his first five starts. He was getting significant attention
from the scouting community for touching 93-94 mph while showing improvement
with an 81-85 mph slider with hard, late action. He went down with a shoulder
injury, however, did not pitch again last spring or even in the summer as he
underwent shoulder surgery in May. He was granted a red-shirt season and
returned in 2008 as South Florida’s potential ace. Thomas also missed his
senior season in high school after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but his
latest injuries were not related to his previous surgery. In addition to his
fastball and slider, he also has a 79-84 mph changeup and 79-81 mph downer
curve in his repertoire. He has no mechanical flaws and is generally around the
plate with his pitches but needs to sharpen his command while remaining
injury-free.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Thomas managed to stay healthy
this spring while going 2-3, 4.03 with 47 strikeouts in 45 innings (through
mid-May). He was treated with kid gloves and his appearances were carefully
managed, something that is obviously unrealistic to maintain in pro ball, but
it was a positive step to keep him healthy. Scouts rave about Thomas’ raw stuff
as he’s consistently in the 93-95 mph range with a nasty slider. They also are
universally scared by his medical background. It wouldn’t be surprising to see
a team take a stab at Thomas fairly high, maybe even on the first day (top five
rounds).—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| ST. LOUIS |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 395 |
Mitch Harris |
RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
4-Jun |
215 |
Navy |
Mt. Holly, N.C. |
Braves ’07 (24) |
11/7/1985 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Harris was drafted in the
24th round last June by the Atlanta Braves—even though they knew his chances of
leaving Navy before his four-year commitment to the academy was complete, were
considered remote. He has remained heavily committed to completing his academic
obligation to the Naval Academy, and would have been forced to repay his
scholarship—a figure upwards of $100,000—if he was to leave a year early. The
Braves were nonetheless impressed with his 90-95 mph fastball, hard slider and
changeup, which enabled Harris to post an 8-5, 2.14 record in 2007, along with
119 strikeouts in 88 innings. He didn’t pitch quite as well last summer for
Bourne in the Cape Cod League, going 1-3, 3.94 with 25 strikeouts in 30 innings
as he struggled to command his off-speed stuff. Still, the Braves checked out
all the financial obstacles to signing Harris and didn’t rule out a deal
getting done right up until the Aug. 15 signing deadline. Even after his senior
year, Harris will have commitments to fulfill to the Naval Academy but they
will be much less restrictive then and he is expected to raise his draft
profile into the top five rounds—possibly even into the top 2-3 rounds after
his fastball was a steady 93-94 mph in fall practice. His off-the-charts makeup
is one of his many selling points.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Harris’ 2008 season got off on the
wrong foot as he sustained a shoulder separation in a pre-season scrimmage,
when he tripped over the first-base bag while running out a home run and landed
awkwardly on his right shoulder. He was unable to pitch the first several weeks
of the season and made only seven starts overall, going 2-2, 3.50 with 10 walks
and 37 strikeouts in 36 innings. He quickly regained the velocity on his
fastball at 91-92 mph, touching 93, but his command and secondary pitches were
slower to respond. He also wasn’t the presence at the plate that he was a year
ago when he topped Navy in home runs. He hit .267-6-24 this year, but all
interest in him going forward is on the mound. Just what that future might be
is clouded as the Naval department had yet to make a conclusive determination
whether Harris would have to fulfill his full obligation to the Navy, or be
able to serve the bulk of his commitment on reserve duty, enabling him to play
professional baseball in the short term, which would only marginally impact his
draft status. A decision was expected to be made just before the draft.—AS |
| |
| MINNESOTA |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 396 |
Michael Harrington |
OF |
Sr. |
L-R |
1-Jun |
195 |
Charleston |
Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Orioles ’07 (38) |
10/6/1985 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Harrington did not hit for
average like he did in 2007, when he hit .366 with 13 homers, but he more than
made up for his .313 average this season by slamming a national-best 26 home
runs in the regular season. His best tool, by far, is his loft power and he
should have plenty of appeal as a senior sign in this year’s draft on the basis
of the one tool, though he has some length to his swing. He runs adequately at
6.9 seconds in the 60, but is limited defensively to either first base or left
field.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| LOS ANGELES-NL |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
Junior College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 397 |
Lenell McGee |
OF/SS |
So. |
R-R |
2-Jun |
205 |
Oakton (Ill.) CC |
South Chicago |
Astros ’06 (26) |
8/10/1988 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: A 26th-round draft pick out of
Chicago’s Mt. Carmel High in 2006, McGee was expected to make an immediate
impact at the junior college level as a freshman at Illinois’ John A. Logan JC.
But he was kicked off the team just prior to the 2007 season, and struggled to
regain his form when he transferred to Oakton CC. He made a breakthrough at the
plate this spring by hitting .360-5-25 with 11 stolen bases in 18 attempts. He
continued to play both center field and shortstop, but it’s unclear what his
best position is. His best tool is his arm, but he’s not an especially good
runner, has a lot of movement in his bat and approach to hitting, and has
limited power.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| MILWAUKEE |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 398 |
Rob Wooten |
RHP |
5/Sr. |
R-R |
1-Jun |
210 |
North Carolina |
Fremont, N.C. |
Never drafted |
7/21/1985 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Wooten, a fifth-year senior,
made little or no progress in his first three years for the Tar Heels as missed
the 2004 season while undergoing shoulder surgery and worked in only 21 innings
combined the next two years while rehabbing. But he made huge strides in a
set-up role as a junior in 2007, leading NCAA Division I with a school-record
47 appearances while going 6-1, 2.35 with 58 strikeouts in 54 innings. Though
he went undrafted, Wooten was heavily in demand last summer after 1-0, 1.77
with 32 strikeouts in 20 innings for Chatham in the Cape Cod League. Rather
than sign a free-agent deal, though, Wooten had a chance to become the Tar
Heels closer as a senior and elected to return for his final year at Carolina
and went 6-2, 1.80 with four saves and 67 strikeouts in 55 innings. He also
walked just 15 while allowing just 35 hits. While not overpowering with a
fastball in the 89-91 mph range, topping at 92, Wooten throws consistent
strikes with an excellent slider and effective splitter he uses for a changeup.—ALLAN
SIMPSON |
| |
| TORONTO |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 399 |
Matt Daly |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
11-May |
185 |
Hawaii |
Yorba Linda, Calif. |
Never drafted |
8/14/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Daly was winless at 0-4
when he pitched the first no-hitter of the 2007 Cape Cod League season on July
25 in a 4-1 win over Wareham. Most impressive was that he recorded the final
out of the game with his eighth strikeout on a fastball recorded at 95 mph.
Overall, he went 1-4, 4.25 on the season with 47 strikeouts in 42 innings. At
Hawaii in 2007, Daly went 5-2, 3.38 with 80 strikeouts in 75 innings while
being used primarily in relief. In 25 appearances, he made only seven starts.
Hawaii’s plan has been to use him as its Friday starter in 2008. Daly has a
quick, powerful arm but a max-effort delivery in a small, stubby body, which
may impact his ability to be a starter over the long haul. He has good upper
body strength and a sturdy lower half but gets little downhill plane on his
pitches. He has good stuff, however, with a fastball normally in the 91-94 mph
range, a slider and curveball. He is a bulldog competitor with a closer
mentality and impressive poise. He is adept at finding a hitter’s weakness.
Scouts are concerned about a pronounced head snap at the start of his delivery
but it does not appear to impair his ability to throw strikes—though his
fastball command wavers at times.--ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Daly did little to help himself in
the draft this spring as he went 5-5, 5.31 with two saves while alternating
between the rotation and bullpen. He was wildly inconsistent, showing
dominating stuff at times but little feel for pitching in other appearances.
Most disturbing were his 65 walks in 81 innings—a factor of a pronounced head
jerk in his maximum-effort delivery that impacted his control. But he also
flashed the ability to throw four pitches for strikes, on occasion, including
his fastball which peaked at 96 mph but was more commonly in the low 90s. He
gets little movement on the pitch, however, and with his small frame must keep
it down in the zone to survive as his pitches otherwise arrive at the plate on
a flat plane as he’s a sub-six-footer. Though he has the repertoire to start,
he appears best suited to close in the future because he has the tough,
hard-nosed mentality desired in the role and can pump his fastball to the
mid-90s consistently in short bursts.—AS |
| |
| ATLANTA |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
Junior College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 400 |
Travis Adair |
SS |
So. |
L-R |
10-May |
175 |
Cleve. State (Tenn.) |
Woodruff, S.C. |
Never drafted |
12/23/1987 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Adair is the son of Texas
Rangers minor league pitching coordinator Rick Adair, yet is well-schooled in
all phases of his offensive game. He batted .406-10-55 this spring, leading his
team in all three categories, showed the ability to hit to all fields and had
solid plate discipline with a 32-18 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He has surprising
power from the left side for a player his size, and runs well. He projects as
an offensive second baseman. Adair originally attended South Carolina out of
high school, but transferred to Cleveland State at the semester break and hit
.387 with 51 RBIs as a freshman. If the draft doesn’t intercede, he’ll move on
to play at Tennessee as a junior.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| CHICAGO-NL |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 401 |
Tony Campana |
OF |
Sr. |
L-L |
8-May |
155 |
Cincinnati |
Springboro, Ohio |
Never drafted |
5/30/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Campana has one
exceptional tool: game-changing speed. He ran a league-best 6.31 seconds in the
60 at the Great Lakes League all-star game last summer, and led the league with
24 stolen bases. He also stole 60 bases, second in the nation, during his
junior year at Cincinnati. Like big leaguer Juan Pierre, he makes good contact
as primarily a slap hitter. He doesn’t offer much power (only seven extra-base
hits in 2007), but he can work counts and take a walk. He will also drop a bunt
in his leadoff role, but his upside at the plate is limited as he is so small
that he struggles to get the ball out of the infield on the fly. He hit
.349-0-11 on the summer, earning Great Lakes League all-star honors. Campana
was the league’s best base stealer, even as he was caught stealing a
league-high nine times. His speed also plays well in center field but his arm
is considered just adequate.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): With Campana, it’s all about
speed. He was the same player this spring that he’s always been. He stole a
team-best 44 bases in 55 attempts, while hitting .338-1-28. His bat will limit
him. He shows a better swing and a more patient approach to hitting in BP, but
rarely brings those qualities into games. He’s jumpy at the plate and is prone
to chasing pitches. Campana plays exceptionally hard, a trait that endears him
to scouts. As a senior sign, he could sneak into the top10 rounds.—AS |
| |
| SEATTLE |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 402 |
Ryan Royster |
OF |
5/Sr. |
L-L |
1-Jun |
180 |
UC Davis |
Sacramento, Calif. |
Indians ’07 (44) |
10/13/1985 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Royster, the nephew of 16-year
major leaguer Jerry Royster, has always had raw talent but it never translated
to success on the field until this season. As a fifth-year senior, he finally
became a baseball player. Royster hit .336-10-37, leading UC Davis to its
first-ever appearance in NCAA regional play by topping the Aggies in homers,
runs (63) and stolen bases (13). He hit with power to all fields, showed
patience at the plate and superior plate discipline than at any time in his
college career. He’s always been an above-average runner and was clocked this
year in the 60 in 6.68 seconds. His speed is an asset in center field. Royster
enrolled at UC Davis as a young 17-year-old and red-shirted as a freshman. He
played sparingly his next two years and was still not a regular as a
fourth-year junior, when he hit .286 with 17 RBIs and 10 steals—but even then
his talent was starting to show through as he was drafted by the Indians.—ALLAN
SIMPSON |
| |
| DETROIT |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 403 |
Jared Gayhart |
OF/RHP |
Jr. |
L-R |
3-Jun |
195 |
Rice |
Katy, Texas |
Never drafted |
10/29/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Gayhart is a legitimate
two-way talent. Though he has played considerably more in right field than as a
pitcher in his two seasons at Rice, scouts say he has more upside on the mound
than as a position player at the pro level. In the rare opportunities when he
has pitched, his fastball has been a steady 88-91 mph and tops at 93. He also
has the makings of an above-average curveball. His long, loose, athletic body
is also well-suited to becoming a full-time pitcher. A year ago, he went 0-1,
2.16 while appearing in just eight innings. Though he was in line to become
Rice’s closer this season coming out of fall practice, he was being used only
sporadically to start the 2008 season. He hit .339-4-42 a year ago, earning
regular duty in right field only as Rice began conference play. Success seems
to follow Gayhart. As a high school quarterback, he led his team to the Texas
5-A football championship. He also played in the Junior College World Series as
a college freshman at San Jacinto JC and in last year’s College World Series.—ALLAN
SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Gayhart had a carbon-copy junior
season to his sophomore campaign, both at the plate (.324-6-42, 45 BB) and on
the mound—pitching just enough and successfully enough (2-0, 1.59 in four
outings) to keep teasing scouts.—DR |
| |
| NEW YORK-NL |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 404 |
Scott Shaw |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
5-Jun |
230 |
Illinois |
Gurnee, Ill. |
Never drafted |
8/3/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Shaw and Bradley’s Collin
Brennan (No. 26 below) had parallel 2008 seasons, and are very similar as
pitching prospects. Shaw has a big league body and a big arm. He’s capable of
throwing 92-93 mph early in games and will show a nice changeup and workable
slider as well. But Shaw doesn’t pitch confidently and left too many pitches in
the middle of the plate this season. His 4-4, 7.83 season wasn’t materially
different than his performance as a sophomore. Scouts will likely let Shaw
return for a senior season to try to figure out how to use his stuff, but they
can’t ignore his raw talent.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| SAN DIEGO |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 405 |
Erik Davis |
RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
4-Jun |
200 |
Stanford |
Mountain View, Calif. |
Rangers ’07 (21) |
10/8/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Davis was a pleasant surprise
for the Cardinal this spring and a key reason for the team’s resurgent season
after No. 1 starter Jeremy Bleich was sidelined with an elbow injury. With a
week remaining in the regular season, Davis was 7-2, 4.00, and his seven wins
matched his victory total for his first three seasons combined. He also had all
four of Stanford’s complete games, achieved in consecutive starts in Pacific-10
Conference play. Davis was a mainstay on Team USA youth teams and an Aflac
All-American out of high school, and pitched well out of the Stanford bullpen
as a freshman, but saw his stuff and command fade the past two seasons. This
spring he had a solid three-pitch mix that he used aggressively in the strike
zone. His fastball touched 91-92 mph and his changeup and curve were both major
league-average offerings at times. More than anything, his confidence returned.
Davis doesn’t project like he did out of high school four years ago, when he
was a potential top 100 pick overall, but he should be one of the more
attractive senior-sign pitchers in the country.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| PHILADELPHIA |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 406 |
B.J. Rosenberg |
RHP |
5/Sr. |
R-R |
2-Jun |
210 |
Louisville |
Vine Grove, Ky. |
Never drafted |
9/17/1985 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: For the second straight year,
Louisville has a fifth-year senior righthander, previously undrafted, who took
off in a closer role to emerge as a legitimate early-round pick. In 2007,
Trystan Magnuson came out of nowhere to become a supplemental first-round
selection of the Toronto Blue Jays. Rosenberg, who missed the 2007 season with
labrum surgery, is following a similar path. He began the 2008 season in the
Cardinals rotation, but got hit hard in the role and didn’t blossom until being
installed as a closer. He was lights-out with a fastball in the 93-95 mph
range, that even reached 97 as Louisville won the Big East Conference
tournament. His 83-84 mph slider was a dominant second pitch, especially when
thrown early in the count. His low three-quarters arm angle made him difficult
to square up, and he threw consistent strikes with both his offerings while
keeping hitters honest with an occasional changeup. His overall 5-4, 4.08
record, along with nine saves and 62 strikeouts in 53 innings, don’t begin to
do justice to his dominance over the latter half of the 2008 season.—ALLAN
SIMPSON |
| |
| COLORADO |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 407 |
Erik Wetzel |
2B |
Jr. |
R-R |
1-Jun |
180 |
Fresno State |
Chino, Calif. |
Never drafted |
12/25/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Northern California had more
than its share of impressive college second basemen for this year’s draft with
the likes of Stanford’s Cord Phelps, San Francisco’s Joey Railey and
California’s Josh Satin, but none may have been as valuable to his team as
Wetzel. He topped Fresno State’s surprising College World Series-bound team
with 90 runs and 101 hits, while batting .361-6-36 and drawing 40 walks. His
offensive production became so vital to his team’s success that he was moved
from the leadoff spot, where his strike-zone discipline and superior
base-running skills are most evident, to the No. 3 hole in the Fresno State
lineup. He’s an adequate, dependable defender at second base and well-suited
for the position defensively. Wetzel topped the Bulldogs with a .361 average in
2007, but his power didn’t begin to evolve until this season after he homered
just twice overall in his first two college seasons.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| ARIZONA |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 408 |
Ollie Linton |
OF |
Jr. |
L-L |
9-May |
165 |
UC Irvine |
Winnetka, Calif. |
Never drafted |
4/7/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Pound for pound, Linton is one
of the best players in the country. He may have no equal as a defensive center
fielder and it’s possible that no one runs the bases any better. He’s
undersized, raising questions about strength and durability, but he excels at
the short game and understands what his limitations are. A clone of the
Dodgers’ Juan Pierre, he has legit speed, uses the whole field and is a true
leadoff hitter. He was a catalyst atop the UCI batting order this spring,
hitting .330-3-33 with 35 stolen bases in 42 attempts with a week remaining in
the regular season. On the flip side, Linton has little power and a
below-average arm may relegate him to left field.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| |
| LOS ANGELES-AL |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 409 |
Michael Kohn |
RHP/1B |
Sr. |
R-R |
1-Jun |
203 |
Charleston |
Camden, S.C. |
Never drafted |
6/26/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Kohn is a power-hitting
first baseman who has always been blessed with an unusually strong arm. Though
he had not pitched in college—in two years at USC Upstate or last year after
transferring to Charleston—he elected to give pitching a try in the fall after
going undrafted last June. He not only popped a 96 mph fastball but an
above-average breaking ball. Almost overnight, he became a legitimate pitching
prospect in the eyes of scouts and, in the process, earned an opportunity to be
the Cougars closer this season. Through his team’s first 18 games, however, he
had yet to make a pitching appearance. But he was a terror at the plate,
hitting eight homers and driving in 35 runs. He’d almost duplicated his home
run and RBI totals as a junior, when he hit .312-9-42. It remains to be seen
how scouts will view Kohn in June if he continues to hit as he has and doesn’t
make a pitching appearance in a live game.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Kohn didn’t make his first
pitching appearance of the 2008 season until mid-April as he was shut down by a
subscapular bruise in his pitching arm. Dr. James Andrews, the noted Tommy John
surgery specialist, examined Kohn and prescribed several weeks of rest.
Unfortunately, Kohn worked in only 11 innings spread over 12 appearances once
he did start pitching, giving scouts a limited opportunity to see him work off
the mound. He went 0-1, 0.84 with three saves and nine walks and 12 strikeouts.
He did touch 94 mph with an easy arm action, but did not figure out a breaking
ball to complement his big fastball. Kohn also hit .316-10-51 in predominantly
a DH role. It’s unlikely a team will take a run at Kohn prior to the 10th or
12th rounds because he didn’t work enough innings to establish a comfort
level..—AS |
| |
| NEW YORK-AL |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 410 |
Jack Rye |
OF |
Sr. |
L-L |
1-Jun |
200 |
Florida State |
Irvine, Calif. |
Giants ’07 (46) |
3/8/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Rye, who went to high school in
California, has been a starter in right field for Florida State since the
beginning of his freshman year. A lefthanded hitter, he hit .372-10-61 as a
junior in 2007 and hit a career-high 12 home runs as a sophomore. He missed the
early part of this season recovering from a broken right thumb and his power
was affected, although it began to return more consistently in May. Through the
middle of the month, he was hitting .420-6-41 in 46 games. Equally impressive
was his 39-23 walk-to-strikeout ratio and .529 on-base percentage. Still, Rye’s
smooth lefthanded swing and proven power track record paint him as a solid
senior sign type of draft. He’s limited on defense and will likely play left
field at the pro level.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| CLEVELAND |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 411 |
Adam Abraham |
3B/RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
Jun-00 |
200 |
Michigan |
Grosse Pointe, Mich. |
Marlins ’05 (34) |
3/27/1987 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Abraham’s Michigan
teammate Zach Putnam is the nation’s premier two-way college talent, but
Abraham has gone both ways himself in his three years at Michigan. He earned
all-Big 10 Conference honors both his first two seasons—as a DH in 2006 for
hitting .304-6-31; as a third baseman in 2007 for hitting .320-5-45 and
committing just five errors. He made 35 appearances on the mound between the
two seasons, all but one in relief, and he won 10 games overall while saving
five more. He has continued to play two roles this season. Abraham has pro
appeal at both positions, but likely will go out as a third baseman. He has a
solid bat, but is considered more of a line-drive hitter than a power hitter.
The ball jumps off his bat and he has strength in a slight uppercut swing.
Though he has committed just a handful of errors at the hot corner in his
career at Michigan, he has slow feet, lacks defensive savvy and often plays
himself into bad hops. But his arm strength, which can reach 93 mph on the
mound but is a more steady 89-90, obviously plays. It is strong and accurate
across the diamond. He is not a base-stealing threat, but his speed plays well
enough underway. If he were to devote all his energy to pitching, he might be
ideally suited to close. He was a top-notch defense prospect for two years in
Canada’s Junior A Ontario Hockey League and has the gritty, aggressive mindset
needed to close.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Abraham had a solid spring,
finishing second on the Wolverines in hitting at .352-7-52, but didn’t advance
his prospect status in any area and regressed in a few. One scout compared him
to fellow Big 10 third baseman Nate Hanson at Minnesota, and the comp seems
like a valid one. Abraham is a front-foot hitter with a line-drive swing, good
bat speed and gap power. It’s difficult, though, to project him to hit with the
kind of power that pro teams look for in a third baseman. He struggled in the
field this spring, making 15 errors while continuing to show limited range.
Abraham also saw very limited time on the mound, appearing in only five games
(8 innings).—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| BOSTON |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
High School |
Hometown |
Commitment |
B’date |
| 412 |
Tyler Wilson |
RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
5-Jun |
200 |
Armuchee |
Rome, Ga. |
Kennesaw State |
12/24/1989 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): There are two “Tyler
Wilsons” of significance in the 2008 prospect class, both righthanded pitchers.
This is the 6-foot-5, 200-pound model from Rome, not the 6-3, 180-pound version
from Greenwood, Ark., who has committed to play football at Arkansas. Along
with great length and tons of physical projection, Wilson already throws in the
low 90s, with some reports higher than that. He also has a quality upper-70s
curveball. The two pitches enabled him to post an 8-2, 0.64 record as a junior.
Wilson is a very good multi-sport athlete in his own right. He excels on the
basketball court in addition to the baseball field. He hasn’t been exposed to
as many scouts as most young prospects in Georgia and could be a surprise this
spring as some scouts get their first serious looks at him.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Wilson was outstanding at times
this spring, throwing two no-hitters and leading his high school team to their
first state playoff berth in 14 years.—DR |
| |