The last couple of years at SoSH we have been starting Draft threads several weeks before the draft. The information in these threads is thrown altogether at once, and it can be hard to consume. I am hoping that with this thread, we will be able to track players throughout the college and high school seasons. This will eventually be moved over to the main board once the Amateur Draft approaches. While the Draft is still months away, here are some college players to keep an eye on.


Stats for the top C, 1B/DH, and 3B.

Statsfor top 2B and SS

Stats for the top OF

Stats for the top SP

Stats for the top RP

5/28 Draft Board

Red=Moving Up Blue= Moving Down Black= Staying Even

1. Andrew Miller Profile
2. Brad Lincoln Profile
3. Evan Longoria Profile
4. Tim Lincecum Profile
5. Brandon Morrow Profile
6. Greg Reynolds Profile
7. Kyle Drabek Profile
8. Chris Marrero Profile
9. Clayton Kershaw Profile
10. Billy Rowell Profile
11. Drew Stubbs Profile
12. Max Scherzer Profile
13. Wes Hodges Profile
14. Hank Conger Profile
15. Kyle McCulloch
16. Matt Latos Profile
17. Colton Willems Profile
18. Brett Anderson
19. Daniel Bard
20. Joba Chamberlain Profile
21. Cody Johnson Profile
22. Matt Antonelli Profile
23. Max Sapp Profile
24. Jeremy Jeffress Profile
25. Matt Laporta Profile
26. Ian Kennedy Profile
27. Jordan Walden ProfileProfile
28. Kasey Kiker Profile
29. Brett Sinkbeil
30. Chris Parmelee Profile


I will add each prospect profile to this post as I compile them in this thread.

Each profile will be updated throughout the season with stats, news, articles, and committments.

Matt Antonelli, 3B, Wake Forest 1/24

Dellin Betances, RHP, High School (NY) 1/25

Emmanuel Burriss, SS, Kent State 4/4

Joba Chamberlain, RHP, Nebraska 5/28

Hank Conger, C, High School (California) 2/22

Kyle Drabek, RHP, High School (TX) 2/13

Blair Erickson, RHP/Closer, Cal-Irvine 2/24

Chris Errecart, LF, Cal 2/11

Wes Hodges, 3B, Georgia Tech 2/4

Jon Jay, CF, University of Miami 2/15

Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, High School (VA) 4/1

Cody Johnson, OF, High School (FL) 3/2

Ian Kennedy, RHP, USC 2/10

Clayton Kershaw, LHP, HS (TX) 4/12

Kasey Kiker, LHP, High School (Al) 4/30

Matt Laporta, 1B, University of Florida 5/3

Matt Latos, RHP, High School (FL) (2/10)

Wade Leblanc, LHP, Alabama 2/26

Marcus Lemon, SS/2B, High School (FL) 3/1

Brad Lincoln, RHP/DH, University of Houston 2/13

Tim Lincecum, RHP, Washington Huskies 2/18

Evan Longoria, 3B/SS, Long Beach State Dirtbags/49ers 2/19

Chris Marrero, 3B, High School (FL) 2/1

Mike McBryde, RHP/OF, Florida Atlantic 1/24

Andrew Miller, LHP, University of North Carolina 4/20

Brandon Morrow, RHP, Cal 4/14

Garrett Olson, SS, Franklin Pierce College 3/31

Jeremy Papelbon, LHP, North Florida 3/17

Chris Parmelee, 1B/OF, High School (CA) 5/15

David Qualben, LHP, Pace University 2/14

Greg Reynolds, RHP, Stanford 2/11

Derrick Robinson, OF, High School (FL) 1/31

Shane Robinson, CF, Florida State 2/13

Josh Rodriguez, SS, Rice Owls 2/4

Billy Rowell, SS/3B, High School (NJ) 2/6

Max Sapp, C, High School (Fl) 4/28

Max Scherzer, RHP, Missouri 1/28

Scott Sizemore, 2B, VCU 1/25

Drew Stubbs, CF, University of Texas 3/26

NEW Matt Sulentic, 2B/OF, High School (TX) 5/29

Jordan Walden, RHP, High School (TX) 4/23

Sean Watson, RHP/Closer, Tennessee 2/5

Colton Willems, RHP, High School (Fl) 4/29

Jeff Locke - Kennett High School - Conway, NH

A small lefty that sits in the low 90's and gets by on that even though he can throw off-speed stuff. Dominated my roommate's American Leagion team this summer on the mound and at the plate. MLB teams were ever present at his games (Sox, Marlins, Braves from what I saw).

He has a big mouth cousin who was always at his games and you can view his posts on various boards around the web if you Google. He says the Braves have already told him they would take him in the first few rounds.

I'm not completely sure, but I believe BA is wrong about Jim Negrych batting righty. He is listed on the Harwich Mariners site as batting left-handed, and I have read that before as well.

Here are some useful links to following 2006 high schoolers and college players. The top two are college-focused, the last two are high-school focused, and brewerfan.net covers both. There are obviously other useful sites, it's just that these are a few faves of mine early on in the year to visit:

http://www.boydsworld.com/
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/index.html
http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewDraftArchive.do?draftId=4
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/leagu...teur/index.html
http://www.perfectgame.org/

Get To Know: Mike McBryde

Who Am I? I am an outfield and closer for Florida Atlantic.

What are my vitals? 6'2", 190 lbs, 03/20/85

What Is My Background? I was born in North Palm Beach, Florida. After my senior year of high school, I was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 38th round of the 2003 Amateur Draft.

What do you need to know about me? Although I started my career at FAU exclusively as a position player, I have developed into a power closer. In the 2006 Baseball America College Preview, I was voted to be the Best Athlete, Best Defensive Outfielder, have the Best Outfield Arm, and Best Fastball in the Atlantic Sun League. I was also voted the best draft prospect for 2006.

Last year at FAU, I hit .370/.408/.487, and stole 35 bases in 39 attempts. As a closer, I struck out 49 while walking 12 in 37.2 IP. I finished the year with an ERA of 3.11. This past summer in the Cape Cod League, I batted .258/.385/.337, with 9 stolen bases in 11 attempts. While I only pitched 2 innings, I made them count, giving up zero runs while striking out 2. My offense has been called enigmatic at this point. I do not have much power, but I am athletic and can hit for average. As a pitcher, my best pitch right now is my mid-90's fastball. Because I am such a good athlete, people have compared me to Clay Buchholz, the 2005 Red Sox draftee. He also made the transition from the field to the mound when he entered professional baseball.

MLB Comparison- Chris Ray

Projected Pick- 2nd-3rd Round

2006 YTD Stats- 10 AB, .300/.300/.500, 2 2B
2.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 5/1 K/BB

OUT FOR SEASON WITH TORN HAMSTRING

2005 Florida Atlantic Stats
2005 Bourne Braves Stats (CCL)

Get To Know: Matt Antonelli

Who Am I?: I play 3B for Wake Forest and I am 2nd team pre-season All-American as voted by Baseball America.

Vital Stats 6'0", 198 lbs, 4/08/85

What is my background?: I am a Peabody, MA. I was named Massachusetts athlete of the year in football, and runner up in baseball.

What do you need to know about me? I hit .332/.475/.509 in 2005 with a 57/38 BB/K ratio. I hit .267/.361/.330 in the pitching friendly Cape Cod League. When taken into account the league batting lines, my CCL line matches my line at Wake Forest fairly consistently. While I still need to add more pop to stick as a 3rd basemen, I am already equipped with one of the best batting eyes in the country. What's worrying is that my .509 slugging % was accomplished in one of the best offensive environments in the ACC. If I pushes my slugging % over .600 this year, the Sox would be lucky to have me slip to their first pick at 27.

MLB Comparison- Garrett Atkins

2006 YTD Stats- 219 AB's, .333/.439/.584, 39/24 BB/K, 11 HR, 15/18 SB/SA

Projected Pick- Mid 1st

2005 Wake Forest Stats
2005 Falmouth Commodores Stats (CCL)

C- Brian Jeroloman, Florida -Brother of current Sox farmhand/catcher?

by the way keep up those great profiles Templeusox. Terrific info.

Thanks!!

Yep, Brian is Chuck's younger bro.

Some other interesting family lines in this draft, Ron Johnson's son Chris is a draft-eligible sophomore 3B from Stetson, a good hitter and one that made my watch list before I even knew he had a relation. Apparently Kentucky 2B John Shelby's dad works as a coach in the Sox system somewhere, and one of the top college catching prospects, Chad Tracy, is Jim's son. There are probably some other connections out there, and undoubtedly a lot of sons of ex-MLBers, but that's all I could think of now.

This is my list of college players that I'll be updating and keeping a close eye on during the 2006 season. I included guys like Miller, Scherzer, Kennedy, Bard, and Stubbs, even though they won't make it to the Sox, because I just wanted to. I broke it up by positions, and almost all of these players are juniors in college, except for the section at the end of interesting draft-eligible sophomores to watch, and I will add a section of seniors to watch soon as well. Also, the order of the players by position is my attempt to preliminarily rank these guys, though it's tougher with the pitchers, so don't put too much into it, as we're 6 months away from the draft, and their junior seasons haven't even started yet. For now, I've only included stats for players, it's enough work as it is, and no real detailed individual scouting reports, but I may add them at some point on as the season drags on.

The first parenthesized stats are from the 2005 college season, and italicised stats are from the 2005 summer league season, and the players' prospect ranking in that league, if they had one, according to Baseball America. Just some reminders, the Cape Cod League is a very tough league for hitters, because they are facing the best competition in the nation, but the hitters are at a severe disadvantage with using wood bats. And the Team USA members face a mixed level of competition, ranging from international teams to other summer league all-star teams, but generally its another easier pitching league, but not as tough for hitters as the Cape Cod league, though this could be because of the good depth of pitching and the lack of top talent in positional prospects this year. But overall, like scaffolds has said, this draft doesn't look as promising as the '05 draft. That's not to say this draft is a horrible draft, it does have its strengths, but it seems the top-level talent isn't as deep as last year. Anyway, here it is:

(This is still a work in progress, I have to add a lot more people that you’ll see at the bottom, and I am going to switch a lot of the rankings around, especially with the sophomores and pitchers, but that’ll come after I get everyone up there in time. Oh yeah, I also should mention it's easy to tell I'm more critical of hitters, and that I have a lot more pitchers on this list, which undoubtedly means I'll leave off some guys who will have good years in 2006 or go high in the draft, I'll try to work on this problem as well)

Catchers
I'll be watching the top 4 catchers closely. Ambort, Tracy (Jim's son), and Newton all have pretty good power and good BB/K rates for the most part, and it's tough to choose my early favorite of the bunch, any could have a breakout year. While there is no one close to Jeff Clement in this class, catcher seems to be a position of decent depth this year. Jeroloman (Chuck's brother) has the advantage of playing in the SEC and for Team USA, after beating out Tracy and Ambort for a spot on the national team, and has a great walk rate, as well as what looks like good tools and defense behind the plate, though with a suspect bat. Along with Abruzzo and Newton, they seem to be the more defensive-oriented of the bunch, but I don't want to short-change Tracy or Ambort, as I don't know as much about them. Also, Still performed very well with wood on the Cape, but is probably more of a DH or 1B, and 2006 with NC State will be big for him, and Abruzzo needs to improve after declining from his freshman season, but he strikes out very little for a power hitter, and has hit well with wood.

Brian Jeroloman - C, Florida - 6'0", 190, L/R - (.298/.432/.440, 74/248, 11 2B, 8 HR, 50/42 BB/K, .989 F%, 47% runners thrown out, 9 passed balls) (Team USA: .179/.319/.256, 7/39, 3 2B, 7/8 BB/K, threw out 3 of 5 runners)

Chad Tracy - C, Pepperdine - 6'3", 185, R/R - (.367/.428/.609, 94/256, 22 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 28/30 BB/K, .990 F%, 33% runners thrown out, 2 passed balls) [88 park factor] (Alaska League: .333/.377/.522, 23/69, 6 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 5/8 BB/K)

Michael Ambort - C, Lamar - 6'1", 215, S/R - (.336/.414/.654, 73/217, 15 2B, 18 HR, 21/24 BB/K, .987 F%, 26% runners thrown out, 7 passed balls) [88 park factor] (Cape Cod: .255/.321/.353, 13/51, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4/14 BB/K)

Jordan Newton - C, Western Kentucky - 6'0", 190, R/R - (.329/.422/.620, 71/216, 20 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 30/47 BB/K, .982 F%, 22% runners thrown out, 5 passed balls) (NECBL 2004: .302/.399/.579, 38/126, 9 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 17/38 BB/K)

Jon Still - C/1B/DH, North Carolina State - 6'2", 205, R/R - (stats from Stetson: .305/.389/.452, 73/239, 11 2B, 8 HR, 32/37 BB/K, .983 F%, 20% runners thrown out, 2 passed balls) (Cape Cod: .316/.412/.443, 50/158, 5 2B, 5 HR, 25/36 BB/K)

Jordan Abruzzo - C/DH, San Diego - 6'2", 230, S/R - (.279/.328/.471, 67/240, 14 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 18/18 BB/K, .996 F%, 35% runners thrown out, 4 passed balls) (Cape Cod: .269/.325/.393, 39/145, 9 2B, 3 HR, 7/27 BB/K)

First Basemen/DH
There looks to be some good hitters available at this position at the top, with great power hitters like LaPorta, Morris, Errecart (listed as an OF), and Hamilton, who also is a great pure hitter. LaPorta and Hamilton top the list right now, because Morris and D'Alessio need to improve on their contact rates, as they were both pushing 50% K rates on the Cape, and were not that much better with aluminum, but Morris will be drafted high because of his power and frame. Bates is an intriguing hitter, he hit very well with wood and aluminum, with great plate discipline, wherever he went, but was not signed after being drafted in the 8th round in 2005. He could be a great option for a senior sign.

Matt LaPorta - 1B, Florida - 6'1", 215, R/R - (.328/.438/.698, 87/265, 16 2B, 2 3B, 26 HR, 44/65 BB/K, .987 F%) (Team USA: .259/.323/.552, 15/58, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 4/19 BB/K)

Mark Hamilton - 1B, Tulane - 6'4", 212, L/L - (.318/.452/.599, 50/157, 11 2B, 11 HR, 29/29 BB/K, .990 F%) (Cape Cod: .272/.408/.465, 31/114, 4 2B, 6 HR, 21/19 BB/K, #10 prospect)

Aaron Bates - 1B, North Carolina State, RS Jr - 6'2", 226, R/R - (.425/.523/.678, 91/214, 16 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 37/27 BB/K, .987 F%) (Cape Cod: .333/.446/.457, 35/105, 4 2B, 3 HR, 18/26 BB/K, won home run derby, #27 prospect) (drafted in 8th round of 2005 draft, asking price too high)

Josh Morris - 1B, Georgia - 6'5", 230, R/R - (.273/.405/.541, 53/194, 14 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 37/57 BB/K, .994 F%) [81 park factor] (Cape Cod: .220/.272/.362, 31/141, 2 2B, 6 HR, 8/58 BB/K)

Andy D'Alessio - 1B, Clemson - 6'3", 210, L/R - (.276/.366/.567, 58/210, 14 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 29/61 BB/K, .987 F%) (Cape Cod: .254/.369/.321, 34/134, 6 2B, 1 HR, 24/59 BB/K)

Charlie Yarbrough - 1B, Eastern Kentucky - 6'6", 250, R/R - (stats from Longwood: .301/.352/.584, 50/166, 8 2B, 13 HR, 9/33 BB/K, .967 F%) (Great Lakes League: .330/.411/.670, 36/109, 7 2B, 10 HR, 15/20 BB/K, #3 prospect)

Chris Carlson - 1B/DH, New Mexico - 6'4", 225, R/R - (.395/.478/.764, 87/220, 24 2B, 6 3B, 15 HR, 38/32 BB/K, .903 F%) [147 park factor]

Second Basemen
The most interesting options at 2B are the top 4 hitters. Davis I like for his good all-around game, great defense, and ability to hit with wood, and is a proven college hitter in the SEC. He seems like he's just good at every aspect of the game. Sizemore is also kind of like that, he's got a good, quick stroke, and is a nice defender with soft hands at 2B, with good plate discipline and some power. Negrych is an average fielder and runner, but he's got a good powerful left-handed stroke (some think he's good for 15-20 HRs in the MLB per year) for his size and for a 2B, and he walks a good amount. Campbell, like Negrych, is an average defender and runner, but has a smooth line-drive spraying stroke that has translated well to wood, without the power that aluminum has provided him. Overall there are some solid players in this group of second basemen. Huffman is a sleeper, he is versatile and athletic (he's the backup QB for TCU).

Adam Davis - 2B, Florida - 5'9", 185, S/R - (.306/.395/.486, 90/294, 15 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 40/46 BB/K, 24/30 SB, .954 F%) (Team USA: .313/.405/.418, 21/67, 5 2B, 1 3B, 11/15 BB/K, 3 SB)

Scott Sizemore - 2B, Virginia Commonwealth - 6'0", 180, R/R - (.364/.464/.673, 78/214, 24 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 37/23 BB/K, 19/21 SB, .947 F%) (Cape Cod: .303/.380/.382, 46/152, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 18/29 BB/K, 9 SB, played 3B, #24 prospect)

Jim Negrych - 2B, Pittsburgh - 5'10", 180, S/R - (.349/.471/.694, 65/186, 14 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 44/37 BB/K, 11/13 SB, .935 F%) (Cape Cod: .224/.333/.420, 32/143, 6 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 21/40 BB/K, 10 SB)

Chris Campbell - 2B, College of Charleston - 5'10", 185, R/R - (.379/.421/.625, 102/269, 21 2B, 15 HR, 22/27 BB/K, .967 F%) (Coastal Plain League: .321/.371/.398, 40/123, 6 2B, 1 HR, 11/15 BB/K, #6 prospect)

John Shelby - 2B, Kentucky - 5'11", 185, R/R - (.344/.373/.558, 77/224, 10 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 11/37 BB/K, 23/29 SB, ? F%) (Cape Cod: .177/.224/.253, 14/79, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3/27 BB/K, 5/10 SB, played in OF)

Chad Huffman - INF/OF, TCU - 6'1", 200, R/R - (.353/.437/.573, 85/241, 13 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 27/27 BB/K, .967 F%) (Cape Cod: .262/.416/.402, 32/122, 5 2B, 4 HR, 20/30 BB/K, played in OF)

Keoni Ruth - 2B, San Diego - 5'10", 187, R/R - (.338/.380/.431, 73/216, 14 2B, 2 HR, 13/12 BB/K, 9/13 SB, .954 F%) (Cape Cod: .204/.258/.282, 29/142, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10/19 B

Shortstops
This is a big weakness of the draft. Not only is there a lack of top hitters in the college ranks, but there are really no first-rounder shortstops. There are also concerns that Hilligoss, Ford, and Donald, who was a premium SS prospect going into the 2003 draft but hasn't improved much since, may have to move due to various problems with their defense. Rodriguez, Davis, and Hilligoss look like the best options here, and 3B Evan Longoria also can play a bit of SS, but will also play 3B or 2B in the pros. Both Rodriguez and Davis play at great programs, and have great reputations as hard-playing, good defensive shortstops, with good experience with Team USA as well. Rodriguez has the better power, and looks like the better athlete, so I've put him atop my preliminary list. But the next two are so close I could easily put Hilligoss above Davis. Also I'm not as much of a fan of Donald as BA is.

Josh Rodriguez - SS, Rice - 6'0", 180, R/R - (.345/.411/.555, 82/238, 11 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 21/39 BB/K, 9/10 SB, .974 F%) (Team USA: .326/.453/.419, 14/43, 1 2B, 1 HR, 8/14 BB/K)

Blake Davis - SS, Cal State Fullerton - 5'11", 165, L/R - (.325/.384/.481, 69/212, 11 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 16/32 BB/K, 17/19 SB, .957 F%) (Team USA: .275/.339/.353, 14/51, 2 3B, 4/8 BB/K)

Jason Donald - SS, Arizona - 6'1", 200, R/R - (.2
88/.398/.473, 64/222, 16 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 22/51 BB/K, .917 F%) [114 park factor] (Cape Cod: .272/.352/.346, 22/81, 4 2B, 1 3B, 7/27 BB/K, #25 prospect)

Mitch Hilligoss - SS/3B, Purdue - 6'1", 205, L/R - (.404/.429/.535, 92/228, 16 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 8/18 BB/K, 25/28 SB, .967 F%) (CICL: .342/.426/.521, 65/190, 15 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 28/29 BB/K, 21/24 SB , #7 prospect)

Shelby Ford - 2B/SS/3B, Oklahoma State - 6'3", 180, S/R - (stats from TCU: .370/.479/.578, 78/211, 17 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 28/35 BB/K, 12/15 SB, .916 F%) (Cape Cod: .261/.341/.430, 37/142, 6 2B, 6 HR, 9/26 BB/K, 8 SB, played mostly 2B)

Jay Heafner - SS/3B, Davidson, Sr - 5'10", 175, R/R - (.448/.533/.700, 91/203, 18 2B, 11 HR, 36/27 BB/K, 13/16 SB, .944 F%) - undrafted as junior, cheap senior sign, played 3B last year, will play short this year, has cannon for arm

Third Basemen
3B looks like a strong position this year in the college level, with Hodges, Antonelli, and Longoria leading the pack, and Coghlan also looks like a good player. These third basemen all are great athletes with great swings at the top of this list, all with great potential with the bat and athleticism to handle the hot corner. Longoria, Hodges, and Antonelli will all go pretty high, and it's possible they could reach the Sox, but we all know a ton can change in 6 months. Longoria may play a lot at shortstop for the Dirtbags, but scouts say his range won't keep him there in the pros, and that he fits better at 3B. Also, scouts believe Antonelli is athletic enough that he could play most positions on the diamond, including CF. Coghlan seems like the sleeper of this list. He plays strong defense, has great plate discipline, has hit very well with wood, has a good stroke, in a pitcher's park in a very tough conference, like the other three top players, but has fringy power. Pruitt was a highly heralded recruit coming into Stetson, and has hit well with wood and has great plate discipline, but needs his power to develop. He'll be an interesting one to watch in '06.

Evan Longoria - 3B, Long Beach State - 6'2", 185, R/R - (.320/.368/.421, 73/228, 8 2B, 5 HR, 14/41 BB/K, 10/11 SB, .952 F%) [80 park factor] (Cape Cod: .299/.331/.500, 49/164, 7 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 7/30 BB/K, #3 prospect)

Wes Hodges - 3B, Georgia Tech - 6'1", 198, R/R - (.397/.466/.566, 106/267, 18 2B, 9 HR, 28/35 BB/K, .924 F%) (Team USA: .309/.387/.400, 17/55, 5 2B, 7/16 BB/K)

Matt Antonelli - 3B, Wake Forest - 6'0", 198, R/R - (.332/.475/.509, 77/232, 22 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 57/38 BB/K, 13/17 SB, .892 F%) (Cape Cod: .267/.361/.330, 47/176, 8 2B, 1 HR, 22/41 BB/K, 8 SB, #17 prospect)

Chris Coghlan - 3B, Ole Miss - 6'1", 195, L/R - (.363/.430/.516, 99/273, 22 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 28/22 BB/K, .920 F%) [81 park factor] (Cape Cod: .346/.430/.431, 45/130, 5 2B, 2 HR, 17/15 BB/K, #12 prospect)

Braedyn Pruitt - 3B, Stetson - 6'2", 185, L/R - (.328/.431/.502, 75/229, 17 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 36/27 BB/K, .942 F%) (Cape Cod: .287/.393/.393, 35/122, 11 2B, 1 3B, 17/14 BB/K)

Jared McGuire - 3B, Boston College - 6'1", 190, R/R - (.397/.454/.559, 81/204, 9 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 12/18 BB/K, 27/29 SB, .878 F%) [86 park factor] (Alaska League: .191/.258/.287, 22/115, 5 2B, 2 HR, 7/8 BB/K)

Outfielders
Stubbs should go very, very high in the draft, and after him there are some quality centerfielders that could make their way to the Sox, but again we're 6 months away. Robinson's great speed, range, plate discipline, and stroke with surprising power could be a good option to slip because of size concerns, and there are more good OF options that should be around when the Sox have their group of picks like they did last year. Jay and Curtis are good hitters with plate discipline and speed that roam CF with great range and arm strength, and play hard, but Curtis has more power. Cal's pair of corner outfielders Boesch and Errecart, are great hitters with great power potential, while other solid players like Team USA's Mense, and Presley, who performed well in the Cape, make out this list. Basham's a good hitter who is constrained to LF, and I put Bashelor on this list because he is a extremely speedy centerfielder with a good arm and some pop, has a good line-drive stroke to all fields, and could be a good tablesetter with speed and defense.

Drew Stubbs - CF, Texas - 6'4", 200, R/R - (.311/.384/.527, 88/283, 20 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 32/71 BB/K, 32/38 SB, .994 F%, 2 assists) (Team USA: .304/.385/.370, 14/46, 3 2B, 6/14 BB/K)

Shane Robinson - CF, Florida State - 5'9", 165, R/R - (.427/.532/.605, 122/286, 25 2B, 4 2B, 6 HR, 57/28 BB/K, 49/58 SB, .994 F%, 3 assists) (Team USA: .296/.328/.519, 16/54, 5 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3/9 BB/K, 5 SB)

Colin Curtis - CF, Arizona State - 6'2", 200, L/L - (.342/.442/.427, 89/260, 14 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 44/37 BB/K, 17/24 SB, .972 F%, 2 assists) (Cape Cod: .323/.437/.384, 32/99, 6 2B, 16/15 BB/K, 11 SB, #23 prospect)

Brennan Boesch - CF, California - 6'6, 210, L/L - (.355/.436/.567, 77/217, 21 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 26/27 BB/K, .982 F%, 5 assists)

Jon Jay - CF, Miami (FL) - 6'0", 200, L/L - (.408/.490/.531, 86/211, 17 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 29/26 BB/K, 13/20 SB, .978 F%, 2 assists) (Team USA: .262/.352/.311, 16/61, 1 2B, 1 3B, 8/11 BB/K, 7 SB)

Chris Errecart - LF, California - 6'1", 210, R/L - (.298/.355/.462, 71/238, 15 2B, 8 HR, 16/38 BB/K, .983 F%) (Cape Cod: .303/.375/.556, 30/99, 5 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 10/19 BB/K, #4 prospect)

Hunter Mense - OF, Missouri - 5'11", 185, L/L - (.327/.440/.473, 67/205, 17 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 31/33 BB/K, 10/12 SB, .958 F%, 2 assists) (Team USA: .259/.355/.426, 14/54, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 6/10 BB/K, 3 SB)

Alex Presley - CF, Ole Miss - 5'11", 180, L/L - (.302/.342/.424, 42/139, 9 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6/30 BB/K, .951 F%, 2 assists) [81 park factor] (Cape Cod: .341/.442/.388, 44/129, 3 2B, 1 HR, 20/29 BB/K)

Ryan Basham - LF, Michigan State - 5'9", 180, L/R - (.358/.450/.547, 68/190, 12 2B, 8 HR, 28/23 BB/K, .980 F%, 3 assists) (CICL: .409/.500/.643, 70/171, 18 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 30/20 BB/K, #3 prospect)

Shane Buschini - RF, San Diego - 6'4", 225, L/L - (.352/.450/.538, 70/199, 17 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 36/46 BB/K, 15/23 SB, .983 F%, 3 assists)

Kevin Koski - CF, Southern Illinois - 5'10", 175, L/L - (.380/.450/.446, 92/242, 12 2B, 2 3B, 25/13 BB/K, 15/23 SB, .980 F%, 3 assists) (Cape Cod: .235/.323/.287, 27/115, 6 2B, 13/18 BB/K) 35 game hitting streak still active

Will Bashelor - CF, Dartmouth - 6'0", 180, R/R - (.352/.421/.547, 45/128, 13 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 12/23 BB/K, 30/33 SB, .988 F%, 3 assists) [81 park factor] (NECBL: .382/.481/.618, 34/89, 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 12/22 BB/K, 21/23 SB, #6 prospect)

Starting Pitchers
There's a lot to explain about the starting pitchers in this class and why I ranked certain ones over others, etc., but in my opinion there are certain groupings of pitchers. From Miller to Bard, there are the blue-chippers that won't be around to see the 10th pick on draft day, and there is the great combination of Buck, Lincoln, Hughes, Reynolds, and Chamberlain that look to be mid- to late-first rounders, and McCulloch near there as well. He and Nickerson may attract attention, as they performed well in college and for Team USA, with good command and stuff, but some scouts are skeptical of Nickerson's stuff, while his stats are great. After that, it's kind of a free-for-all, and rankings don't mean much at all with them at this point, so I just wrote a bit about each prospect.

Andrew Miller - starter, LHP, UNC - 6'6", 210, R/L - (2.98 ERA, 8-4, 16 GS, 96.2 IP, 78 H, 104/52 K/BB, 4 HR, 15 XBH, .230 BAA) (Cape Cod: 1.65 ERA, 49.0 IP, 22 H, 66/23 K/BB, #1 prospect)

Ian Kennedy - starter, RHP, USC - 6'0", 195, R/R - (2.54 ERA, 12-3, 17 GS, 117.0 IP, 85 H, 158/38 K/BB, 6 HR, 22 XBH, .201 BAA) (Team USA: 2.80 ERA, 28.0 IP, 11 H, 35/10 K/BB)

Max Scherzer - starter, RHP, Missouri - 6'2", 200, R/R - (1.86 ERA, 9-4, 16 GS, 106.1 IP, 59 H, 131/41 K/BB, 3 HR, 9 XBH, .163 BAA) (Team USA: 2.70 ERA, 20.0 IP, 22 H, 24/2 K/BB)

Daniel Bard - starter, RHP, UNC - 6'4", 200, R/R - (4.22 ERA, 7-5, 16 GS, 89.2 IP, 73 H, 77/43 K/BB, 8 HR, 20 XBH, .219 BAA) (Cape Cod: 1.25 ERA, 65.0 IP, 42 H, 82/20 K/BB, #2 prospect)

Brandon Morrow - relief/start, RHP, California - 6'3", 185, R/R - (9.35 ERA, 10G/5GS, 25.0 IP, 32 H, 25/20 K/BB, 3 HR, 10 XBH, .308 BAA) (Cape Cod: 1.84 ERA, 14 GF, 14.2 IP, 13 H, 24/9 K/BB, 0 HR, used as closer, #5 prospect) Cal's 2006 ace struggled with control problems as sophomore, but sits high-90s with fastball and also uses a filthy mid-80s split.

Joba Chamberlain - starter, RHP, Nebraska - 6'3", 225, R/R - (2.81 ERA, 10-2, 18 GS, 118.2 IP, 91 H, 130/33 K/BB, 7 HR, 25 XBH, .218 BAA) (MINK League: 1.59 ERA, 5-0, 6 GS, 45.1 IP, 32 H, 63/13 K/BB, 2 HR, .195 BAA)

Brad Lincoln - starter, RHP/1B, Houston - 6'0", 200, L/R - (4.76 ERA, 4-7, 16 GS, 102.0 IP, 124 H, 106/25 K/BB, 12 HR, 34 XBH, .298 BAA) (Cape Cod: 1.32 ERA, 54.2 IP, 39 H, 56/10 K/BB, 0 HR, #6 prospect)

Dallas Buck - starter, RHP, Oregon State - 6'3", 210, R/R - (2.09 ERA, 12-1, 18 GS, 129.0 IP, 90 H, 118/51 K/BB, 3 HR, 13 XBH, .194 BAA) (Cape Cod: 3.86 ERA, 32.2 IP, 24 H, 38/7 K/BB, #7 prospect)

Jared Hughes - starter, RHP, Long Beach State - 6'7", 235, R/R - (2.83 ERA, 8-3, 14 GS, 89.0 IP, 67 H, 87/23 K/BB, 3 HR, 17 XBH, .212 BAA) [80 park factor] (Cape Cod: 1.62 ERA, 50.0 IP, 37 H, 54/11 K/BB, #18 prospect)

Greg Reynolds - starter/relief, RHP, Stanford - 6'7", 230, R/R - (5.06 ERA, 22G/5GS, 51.1 IP, 51 H, 51/17 K/BB, 4 HR, 16 XBH, .260 BAA) (Cape Cod: 1.70 ERA, 53.0 IP, 36 H, 34/15 K/BB, #8 prospect)

Kyle McCulloch - starter, RHP, Texas - 6'3", 180, R/R - (2.92 ERA, 12-4, 23 GS, 138.2 IP, 137 H, 99/45 K/BB, 6 HR, 25 XBH, .267 BAA) (Team USA: 1.44 ERA, 25.0 IP, 20 H, 22/3 K/BB)

Jonah Nickerson - starter, RHP, Oregon State - 6'1", 195, R/R - (2.13 ERA, 9-2, 18 GS, 110.0 IP, 88 H, 114/29 K/BB, 5 HR, 21 XBH, .211 BAA) (Team USA: 2.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 14 H, 23/7 K/BB)

Wade LeBlanc - starter, LHP, Alabama - 6'3", 180, L/L - (4.08 ERA, 5-5, 13 GS, 88.0 IP, 77 H, 108/28 K/BB, 8 HR, 33 XBH, .231 BAA) [86 park factor] (Cape Cod: 3.08 ERA, 41.1 IP, 41 H, 42/15 K/BB) Lefty with good numbers, frame, and fastball came highly regarded, could have breakout year in 2006 for the Tide.

Keith Weiser - starter, LHP, Miami (OH) - 6'2", 195, R/L - (2.73 ERA, 10-0, 15 GS, 105.1 IP, 99 H, 85/20 K/BB, 6 HR, 19 XBH, .243 BAA) Lefty with good command and great pitchability and experience, polish, has good change to go along with fastball topping around 90.

Justin Masterson - starter/relief, RHP, San Diego State - 6'6", 235, R/R - transfer from D-II Bethel (Ind.) (Cape Cod: 1.15 ERA, 10 SV, 31.1 IP, 19 H, 39/9 K/BB, #11 prospect) Transfer should attract much attention with big frame, 93-94 sinker and hard slider. Whether he profiles as a starter or reliever is what I'd like to know.

Gary Daley - starter, RHP, Cal Poly - 6'3", 200, R/R - (4.74 ERA, 6-2, 17 GS, 89.1 IP, 82 H, 59/39 K/BB, 3 HR, 11 XBH, .247 BAA) (Alaska League: 1.69 ERA, 8 GS, 53.1 IP, 35 H, 51/28 K/BB, 1 HR, #2 prospect) Has great stuff, 93-96 sinking FB, with power slider, but command an issue. Could skyrocket up draft lists if he improves it.

David Huff - starter, LHP, UCLA - 6'2", 210, S/L - (2005 stats with Cypress JC: 3.24 ERA, 4-2, 91 Ks in 86 IP) (Cape Cod: 1.46 ERA, 37.0 IP, 27 H, 49/4 K/BB) Lefty with good frame draft-eligible last year, has fastball sitting high-80s with good movement, and has great command and control of curve and fantastic changeup, one scout likened to Trevor Hoffman's. Great numbers to date, interesting to watch in '06 as UCLA's ace.

Tim Gustafson - start/relief, RHP, Georgia Tech - 6'2", 196, R/R - (3.33 ERA, 28G/3GS, 70.1 IP, 66 H, 62/29 K/BB, 8 HR, 17 XBH, .243 BAA) (Cape Cod: 2.11 ERA, 47.0 IP, 28 H, 44/11 K/BB, #20 prospect) Athletic Yellow Jacket has 91-94 fastball with power slider, reliever or starter?

Tyler Chambliss - starter/relief, RHP, Florida State - 5'10", 175, R/R - (2.06 ERA, 15 SV, 52.1 IP, 36 H, 73/23 K/BB, 2 HR, 3 XBH, .196 BAA) (Cape Cod: 5.14 ERA, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 8/4 K/BB) Best curveball in ACC, nose-to-toes. Good K numbers, only 3 XBH, hard to hit, walk rate not bad with 3+ K/BB. Will start for Seminoles in 2006.

John Gaub - starter/relief, LHP, Minnesota - 6'2", 215, L?/L - (2.08 ERA, 7 SV, 39.0 IP, 24 H, 65/17 K/BB, 2 HR, 4 XBH, .176 BAA) Lefty with great numbers has good fastball, consistently low-90s, plus slider. Will start for Golden Gophers in 2006.

Robert Woodard - starter/relief, RHP, UNC - 6'2", 175, R/R - (2.11 ERA, 8-0, 23G/11GS, 98.1 IP, 82 H, 79/19 K/BB, 2 HR, 19 XBH, .222 BAA) (Cape Cod: 2.53 ERA, 46.1 IP, 42 H, 26/4 K/BB, worked as starter) Starter with good command and control, keeps ball in park, not much else on him.

Tim Bascom - starter, RHP, Central Florida - 6'2", 195, R/R - (3.10 ERA, 10-2, 16 GS, 113.1 IP, 103 H, 113/29 K/BB, 9 HR, 30 XBH, .246 BAA) Don't know much about him, but was team's best pitcher, great numbers, would like to find out about his stuff.

Nate Boman - starter, LHP, San Diego - 5'11", 180, L/L - (2.28 ERA, 5-1, 7 GS, 47.1 IP, 33 H, 53/14 K/BB, 1 HR, 5 XBH, .190 BAA) - 2005 season ended early with shoulder injury, had surgery on a slightly torn labrum in right, non-pitching shoulder, will be back to pitch in 2006.

George Kontos - starter, RHP, Northwestern - 6'3", 215, R/R - (5.43 ERA, 5-4, 13 GS, 68.0 IP, 69 H, 55/31 K/BB, 7 HR, 18 XBH, .262 BAA) (Cape Cod: 3.00 ERA, 57.0 IP, 45 H, 69/24 K/BB, 1 HR, #26 prospect) heavy low-90s fastball, low-80s slider w/ bite, aggressive on mound, needs to learn changing speeds/pitchability.

PJ Walters - starter, RHP, South Alabama - 6'4", 190, R/R - (4.26 ERA, 10-7, 19 GS, 141.2 IP, 163 H, 119/29 K/BB, 22 HR, 47 XBH, .288 BAA) (Cape Cod: 2.05 ERA, 57.0 IP, 43 H, 64/19 K/BB, 2 HR) Tall slender righty has good curveball, could add some velocity, has good K/BB numbers, but HR problems.

Josh Butler - starter, RHP, San Diego - 6'5", 191, R/R - (3.42 ERA, 7-7, 16 GS, 113.0 IP, 112 H, 82/42 K/BB, 3 HR, 33 XBH, .260 BAA) Great pitcher's frame, keeps ball in park, well regarded prospect coming into season.

Jeff Manship - starter, RHP, Notre Dame - 6'1", 195, R/R - (3.97 ERA, 12G/7GS, 22.2 IP, 24 H, 20/10 K/BB, 0 HR, 4 XBH, .270 BAA) (Cape Cod: 2.88 ERA, 9 GS, 50.0 IP, 44 H, 45/15 K/BB, 0 HR) BA's #3 freshman prospect heading into 2004 season behind Andrew Miller and Ian Kennedy, has nasty 12-6 curveball, good moving fastball with spotting ability, repeatable delivery. Will feel his way back after Tommy John surgery on 2/11/2004 wiped away his freshman and most of sophomore seasons. Went to the Cape summer 2005 and was excellent, will join ND's rotation in 2006 as a junior (born 1/16/85), can skyrocket up draft charts if shows stuff and form is back.

Adam Ottavino - starter, RHP, Northeastern - 6'5", 215, R/R - (3.09 ERA, 8-4, 13 GS, 96.0 IP, 78 H, 106/45 K/BB, 7 HR, 17 XBH, .223 BAA) [81 park factor] (Cape Cod: 1.76 ERA, 51.0 IP, 46 H, 54/14 K/BB, 0 HR) Don't know much about his stuff, has performed well in America East conference.

Hector Ambriz - starter, RHP, UCLA - 6'1", 210, L/R - (3.94 ERA, 3-7, 16 GS, 105.0 IP, 99 H, 84/40 K/BB, 5 HR, 27 XBH, .253 BAA) Draft-eligible last year, dropped in velocity, now profiles best as middle reliever.

Relief Pitchers
There seems to be a real strong depth of good college relievers this year, and some of these guys could probably start in the future as well. Maybe I just like the relievers better than the starters, but it seems like great pitchers could be had this way easier than drafting decent starters, but it's probably because some of these guys just have questionable third pitches. Just like the starters, it was hard to "rank" these guys, but their order does have some reason, and I wrote some quick notes about them.

Mark Melancon - relief/start, RHP, Arizona - 6'2", 210, R/R - (2.58 ERA, 11 SV, 66.1 IP, 52 H, 69/22 K/BB, 2 HR, 8 XBH, .208 BAA) [114 park factor] (Team USA: 0.00 ERA, 5 SV, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 10/0 K/BB) Arizona's 2005 shutdown closer will serve as the team ace in 2006, good fastball with big 12-6 curve, could be fast-tracked.

Blair Erickson - relief, RHP, UC Irvine - 6'1", 210, R/R - (1.80 ERA, 10 SV, 35.0 IP, 16 H, 52/22 K/BB, 1 HR, 4 XBH, .140 BAA) [88 park factor] Also has great fastball/curve combo, hard to hit, Ks a lot.

Chris Perez - relief, RHP, Miami (FL) - 6'4", 225, R/R - (2.56 ERA, 7 SV, 45.2 IP, 34 H, 52/25 K/BB, 2 HR, 4 XBH, .204 BAA) (Team USA: 2.84 ERA, 2 SV, 12.2 IP, 4 H, 17/8 K/BB) 3/4s reliever with big fastball with good sink, hard to hit.

Tim Lincecum - starter/relief, RHP, Washington - 6'0", 165, L/R - (3.11 ERA, 8-6, 16 GS, 104.1 IP, 62 H, 131/71 K/BB, 4 HR, 16 XBH, .179 BAA) (Cape Cod: 0.69 ERA, 7 SV, 39.1 IP, 14 H, 68/11 K/BB, 0 HR, #15 prospect) Great numbers, control improved in summer, good fastball with big 12-6 curve started in 2005, delivery and frame may move him to relief.

Derrik Lutz - starter/relief, RHP, George Washington - 6'0", 205, R/R - (2.79, 8-1, 11 GS, 84.0 IP, 63 H, 98/31 K/BB, 4 HR, 16 XBH, .206 BAA) (Cape Cod: 0.00 ERA, 12 SV, 25.0 IP, 13 H, 39/3 K/BB, 0 HR, used as closer, #22 prospect) Started in 2005, but has bulldog, closer mentality, pounds zone with 3/4s 91-93 fastball, drops lower for slider, fearless with change.

Brooks Brown - starter/relief, RHP, Georgia - 6'3", 205, L/R - (5.51 ERA, 16G/7GS, 49.0 IP, 67 H, 42/15 K/BB, 5 HR, 21 XBH, .318 BAA) [81 park factor] (Cape Cod: 1.01 ERA, 20 G, 26.2 IP, 16 H, 32/3 K/BB, worked as setup-man, #21 prospect) 90-94 fastball with run tops at 97, with good curve, throws strikes, may work better as starter if change improves.

Kevin Gunderson - relief, LHP, Oregon State - 5'10", 165, R/L - (2.76 ERA, 14 SV, 65.1 IP, 49 H, 62/14 K/BB, 4 HR, 12 XBH, .213 BAA) (Team USA: 0.45 ERA, 20.0 IP, 11 H, 17/3 K/BB) Lefty has big curve, good command and control for K pitcher.

Josh McLaughlin - relief, RHP, College of Charleston - 5'11", 165, R/R - (4.30 ERA, 26 G, 44.0 IP, 32 H, 59/22 K/BB, 2 HR, 10 XBH, .199 BAA) (Alaska League: 0.79 ERA, 11 SV, 22.2 IP, 11 H, 33/7 K/BB, #6 prospect) Great curveball with huge break is big K pitch, good fastball for smallish pitcher.

Brant Rustich - starter/relief, RHP, UCLA - 6'6", 225, R/R - (5.23 ERA, 21G/11GS, 62.0 IP, 71 H, 53/38 K/BB, 3 HR, 20 XBH, .285 BAA) (Cape Cod: 1.71 ERA, 13 G, 26.1 IP, 22 H, 24/5 K/BB, worked as set-up man, #14 prospect) Power sinker 91-96, inconsistent slider, worked better as set-up man on Cape, but can start.

Vinnie Pestano - relief, RHP, Cal State Fullerton - 6'1", 205, R/R - (2.68 ERA, 13 SV, 50.1 IP, 44 H, 49/16 K/BB, 2 HR, 12 XBH, .239 BAA) 3/4 reliever, good numbers, don't know much else.

Steven Wright - starter/relief, RHP, Hawaii - 6'2", 205, R/R - (3.26 ERA, 5-3, 21G/2GS, 4 SV, 66.1 IP, 58 H, 75/15 K/BB, 0 HR, 14 XBH, .241 BAA) (Cape Cod: 0.36 ERA, 12 SV, 28.2 IP, 15 H, 41/12 K/BB, 0 HR, worked as closer) Fastball runs low-90s, with above-average slider, keeps ball in park, great K/BB ratios.

Daniel Latham - relief, RHP, Tulane - 6'3", 183, R/R - (3.22 ERA, 13 SV, 44.2 IP, 43 H, 36/10 K/BB, 0 HR, 13 XBH, .257 BAA) (Cape Cod: 2.55 ERA, 15 GF, 4 SV, 17.2 IP, 12 H, 20/3 K/BB, 0 HR) Also keeps ball in park, great command, K/BB ratio, don't know much else.

Matt Meyer - start/relief, LHP, Boston College - 6'4", 200, L/L - (4.50 ERA, 6G/4GS, 22.0 IP, 18 H, 22/11 K/BB, 0 HR, 4 XBH, .225 BAA) [86 park factor] (Alaska League: 2.17 ERA, 16 G, 29.0 IP, 18 H, 32/20 K/BB, .168 BAA, #9 prospect, used in bullpen) Lefthander with above-average 90-91 fastball with life, and above-average low-80s hard slider. Start or relief for BC?

Steve Richard - start/relief, RHP, Clemson - 6'3", 225, R/R - (stats with Maine: 2.07 ERA, 9-1, 15 GS, 100.0 IP, 88 H, 90/44 K/BB, 1 HR, 16 XBH, .239 BAA) (Cape Cod: 2.54 ERA, 8 GS, 46.0 IP, 27 H, 37/21 K/BB) Transfer from Maine, pitches in the 90s and will close for Clemson in 2006 after starting at Maine and the Cape.

Draft Eligible Sophomores

David Robertson - relief/starter, RHP, Alabama, So - 5'10", 170, R/R - (2.92 ERA, 8 SV, 74.0 IP, 48 H, 105/36 K/BB, 6 HR, 17 XBH, .183 XBH) [86 park factor] Small righty with great K rate for Tide as freshman, don't know much about stuff.

Brett Sinkbeil - starter, RHP, Missouri State, So - 6'4", 185, R/R - (4.84 ERA, 7-9, 15 GS, 87.1 IP, 95 H, 97/29 K/BB, 9 HR, 32 XBH, .271 BAA) (Cape Cod: 2.38 ERA, 53.0 IP, 42 H, 59/7 K/BB, #16 prospect) Good frame, 91-94 fastball has good life, good slider, needs a change, great K/BB rates.

Adrian Alaniz - starter, RHP, Texas, So - 6'2", 200, R/R - (2.67 ERA, 8-3, 16 GS, 108.0 IP, 93 H, 94/39 K/BB, 5 HR, 18 XBH, .235 BAA) (Cape Cod: 5.49 ERA, 19.2 IP, 20 H, 18/10 BB/K) Good sophomore prospect will be one to watch at Texas, as weekend starter. Works around low-90s, with pair of good breaking pitches.

Ben Snyder - starter, LHP, Ball State, So - 6'2", 200, L/L - (4.21 ERA, 8-5, 14 GS, 98.1 IP, 93 H, 87/21 K/BB, 10 HR, 27 XBH, .249 BAA) (Great Lakes League: 2.72 ERA, 43.0 IP, 32 H, 43/9 K/BB, 0 HR, #1 prospect) 89-91 fastball with movement and good command, slider and cutter have good movement, tough on lefties.

Scott Maine - starter, LHP, Miami (FL), RS So - 6'3", 200, L/L - (7.45 ERA, 7 G, 9.2 IP, 11 H, 11/7 K/BB, 2 HR, 4 XBH, .256 BAA) (Clark Griffith League: 1.65 ERA, 6 GS, 27.1 IP, 19 H, 39/7 K/BB, .194 BAA, #1 prospect) BA's #7 high school prospect going into 2003 draft recovered from Tommy John in 2004-2005, should be healthy going into 2006 season. Uses 89-93 fastball, with curve and change, great movement, comeback will be interesting to watch. Starting or relief for Miami? Only one of Miami's 2005 starters return this year.

Ty Davis - starter, RHP, Vanderbilt, RS So - 6'5", 210, R/R - (1.50 ERA, 4 G, 12.0 IP, 7 H, 10/4 K/BB, 0 HR, 1 XBH, .171 BAA) (Alaska League: 2.18 ERA, 6-1, 9 GS, 62.0 IP, 45 H, 44/15 K/BB, .193 BAA, #5 prospect) Davis didn't get many opportunities last year with Vandy, but was excellent as a starter in the Alaskan Summer League. He should get an opportunity to start in 2006 for Vandy, with his low-90s fastball, above-average breaking ball, and command and control.

Taylor Meier - starter, RHP, Central Florida, RS So - 6'7", 220, R/R - (2004 freshman stats: 2.55 ERA, 6-3, 12 GS, 74.0 IP, 59 H, 56/30 K/BB, 2 HR, 14 XBH, .223 BAA) - Missed entire 2005 season due to arm injury, should be back to pitch in 2006 as a draft-eligible sophomore, if he regains his previously consistent low- to mid-90s heater he is one to keep tabs on.

Chris Johnson - INF, Stetson, So - 6'3", 190, R/R - (.383/.454/.571, 100/261, 23 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 35/25 BB/K, .976 F%) (Cape Cod: .182/.225/.203, 26/143, 3 2B, 7/29 BB/K, played mainly 3B) - 2003 Red Sox draftee, son of Paw Sox manager Ron Johnson, versatile infielder with good frame, discipline at Stetson in 2005. Struggled with wood, but was freshman in Cape.

Jordan Chambless - relief, RHP, Texas A&M, So - 6'1", 205, R/R - (2.25 ERA, 22 G, 2 SV, 32.0 IP, 24 H, 42/19 K/BB, 0 HR, 5 XBH, .209 BAA) Also a football star, big athletic frame pumps good fastballs, control could need tightening.

Kody Kaiser - OF, Oklahoma, So - 5'10", 185, S/R - (.305/.376/.520, 78/256, 15 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 23/47 BB/K, 13/14 SB, .938 F%, 6 assists) Solid all-around player, small, but athletic with good power for size.

Aaron Grijalva - 1B, Liberty, RS So - 6'1", 190, R/R - (.367/.450/.624, 77/210, 13 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 31/38 BB/K, .994 F%) Good hitter, actually born in August 1984, so will be close to 22 when drafted, and hit at Liberty, could be an interesting take in late-rounds.

PLAYERS TO ADD – don’t mind the notes to myself

Dustin Evans - starter, RHP, Georgia Southern - CC
Everett Teaford - starter, RHP, Georgia Southern - CC
Graham Godfrey - starter, RHP, College of Charleston
Harold Mozingo - starter, RHP, Virginia Commonwealth - CC
Ryan Reid - starter, RHP, James Madison, So - NECBL
Heath Rollins - starter, LHP, Winthrop - CC
Eammon Portice - starter, RHP, High Point, So
Stephen Faris - starter, RHP, Clemson - CC
Cory Luebke - starter, LHP, Ohio State, So - GLL
Dan DeLucia - starter, LHP, Ohio State - GLL
Rory Meister - relief, RHP, Ohio State, So? - GLL
Dan Lyons - SS, Minnesota - GLL
Dan Brauer - starter, LHP, Northwestern - 2004 CC, arm
Scott Reese - relief, LHP, Creighton
Tyler Norrick - starter?, LHP, Southern Illinois
Kris Johnson - starter?, LHP, Wichita State - arm
Noah Booth - relief?starter?, LHP, Wichita State
Nathan Culp - starter, LHP, Missouri - CC?
Emmanuel Burriss - SS, Kent State - CC
Cory VanAllen - starter, LHP, Baylor
Jason Meyer - starter, LHP, Texas A&M
Ty Pryor - starter?, RHP, Tennessee, So - South Florida, FCSL
Miguel Magrass - SS/3B, Vermont
Mike McBryde - RHP/CF, Florida Atlantic
Jason Berken - starter, RHP, Clemson - arm
Blake Wood - starter, RHP, Georgia Tech - CC
Casey Hudspeth - starter, RHP, South Florida - CC
Jeff Samardzija - starter, RHP, Notre Dame
Billy Muldowney - starter, RHP, Pittsburgh
Kevin Mulvey - starter?, RHP, Villanova - CC
Jay Monti - relief?, RHP, Sacred Heart
Pat Bresnehan - starter, RHP, Arizona State - CC
Matt Mastrianni - OF, Wagner
Josh Johnson - starter?, RHP, Mississippi State - CC?
John Lalor - starter?, RHP, Mississippi State, So
Ryne Malone - 3B, Florida State
Kyle Collina - starter?, RHP, Lehigh
Justin Tellam - ?, C/1B, Pepperdine
Sean Watson - relief, RHP, Tennessee
Gib Hobson - starter, RHP, North Carolina State - CC
Chase Livette - relief?, RHP, South Florida - CC
Wills Sweney - starter, RHP, Princeton - SB Foresters
John Axford - starter, RHP, Canisius
Nick Moresi - OF, Fresno State
Brad Furnish - starter?, LHP, TCU
Danny Hamblin - 1B, Arkansas
Scott Cousins - starter, LHP, San Francisco
John Raynor - OF, UNC Wilmington (Sr) – CPL
Chase Christianson - starter, RHP, South Alabama
Doug Fister - starter, RHP, Fresno State (Sr)
Cyle Hankerd - OF, USC
Bruce Billings - starter, RHP, San Diego State
Quentin Berry - OF, San Diego State
Lance Zawadzki - SS, San Diego State
Brent Allar - starter?, RHP, TCU
Brett Pill - 1B, Cal State Fullerton
Bud Norris - starter?, RHP, Cal Poly
Justin Cassel - starter, RHP, UC Irvine - Matt's bro
Danny Gil - RHP, Miami
Darrell Fisherbaugh - RHP, Hawaii
Jimmy Van Ostrand - 1B, Cal Poly
Charles Vartanian – starter, RHP, Wofford

People to keep an eye one as the season starts:

Cape Cod 2005 top 30 prospects:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/cape2005.html

1. Andrew Miller, lhp, Chatham (North Carolina)
2. Daniel Bard, rhp, Wareham (North Carolina)
3. Evan Longoria, inf, Chatham (Long Beach State)
4. Chris Errecart, 1b/of, Yarmouth-Dennis (California)
5. Brandon Morrow, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (California)
6. Brad Lincoln, rhp/dh, Bourne (Houston)
7. Dallas Buck, rhp, Falmouth (Oregon State)
8. Greg Reynolds, rhp, Bourne (Stanford)
9. Brad Meyers, rhp, Orleans (Loyola Marymount)
10. Mark Hamilton, 1b, Falmouth (Tulane)
11. Justin Masterson, rhp, Wareham (San Diego State)
12. Chris Coghlan, 3b, Chatham (Mississippi)
13. Eric Berger, lhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (Arizona)
14. Brant Rustich, rhp, Orleans (UCLA)
15. Tim Lincecum, rhp, Harwich (Washington)
16. Brett Sinkbeil, rhp, Falmouth (Southwest Missouri State)
17. Matt Antonelli, 3b, Falmouth (Wake Forest)
18. Jared Hughes, rhp, Chatham (Long Beach State)
19. Todd Frazier, ss/3b, Chatham (Rutgers)
20. Tim Gustafson, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (Georgia Tech)
21. Brooks Brown, rhp, Chatham (Georgia)
22. Derrick Lutz, rhp, Chatham (George Washington)
23. Colin Curtis, of, Orleans (Arizona State)
24. Scott Sizemore, 3b, Harwich (Virginia Commonwealth)
25. Jason Donald, ss, Cotuit (Arizona)
26. George Kontos, rhp, Harwich (Northwestern)
27. Aaron Bates, 1b/c, Brewster (North Carolina State)
28. Pat Bresnehan, rhp, Harwich (Arizona State)
29. Tim Norton, rhp, Falmouth (Connecticut)
30. Emmanuel Burriss, inf, Orleans (Kent State)

Does Kennedy get knocked because he's "only" 6' tall? His numbers look a lot better than Miller's.

Ian Kennedy sucks.

From an article found at BA:



http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/colle...120kennedy.html

Also, according to BA, Miller has a 70 on the scouting scale for both his fastball and slider, though he has trouble occasionally with command.

Here's my preview of the Florida high school 2006 class:

Once again Forida looks like the strongest and deepest state HS class this year

I ranked these guys just based on a rough ranking by perfect game, Top 100 HS prospects www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/051125recruiting.html, though I would definitely rearrange some of the rankings. I wrote a little of what I've gathered about them, and their stats were the latest updated ones I could find (or none at all):

Florida

Cody Johnson (2) - OF/1B - 6'4", 190 - (bats)L/(throws)R - Widely considered the best hitter and owner of the best power potential of all the 2006 HS eligible players. PG named him Aflac AA's best raw power hitter and best five-tool player in HS. Long, strong limbs, with easy uppercut swing, natural ability to loft ball. Excellent bat speed, huge power, ability to hit for average and power, ball explodes off bat, smokes anything he makes contact with, said to have disciplined eye as well. Good speed (6.69 60-yard) to go along with great power, good arm from mound (90) and outfield (86), with good range. Great build and projection, especially for young (born 8/18/88 ) player. Profiles as RF, though needs to work on arm accuracy, a little too side-arm right now. Some compare his set of tools similatly to Adam Dunn with better defense. In 2005, hit .489 (42/86) w/ 10 HR, 30 RBI, 36 runs.

Matt Latos (5) - RHP - 6'6", 200 - R/R - Great pitcher's frame with very high ceiling, and is continuing to fill out. Very good athlete with repeatable balanced delivery that is growing velocity-wise. With long flowing arm action can approach upper-90s, hit 96 mph at WWBA, and regularly sits at 91-93 with fastball with good arm-side run. With great projection, some see him regularly pumping out 94-96 mph fastballs in future. Improving curveball with good spin around 70 mph, solid change. Polished approach. In 2005, had 0.64 ERA with 108 K in 70 IP with high school, went 8-0 with 0.35 ERA with 68 K in 39.2 IP, with 11 hits and 5 walks for Florida Bombers.

Colton Willems (8 ) - RHP - 6'4", 185 - R/R - Florida Gator recruit with great athleticism, projection, and frame. Willems was ranked the #2 prospect in the East Coast Professional Showcase by BA and perfect game, over Kasey Kiker and Matt Latos among others. Clean arm action, quick arm, and good, easy mechanics and delivery produces fastballs clocked up to 96 mph. FB sits low- to mid-90s at present, bores in on RHH, with room to grow. His curveball was ranked the 2nd best breaking ball by perfect game of the Aflac AA's, just behind Kyle Drabek, and arguably showed the most potential to dominate. Shows two very good breaking pitches in tight 11-5 CB (78 ) and slider (82), and a change (74) with sink. In 2005, was 7-2 and had 1.31 ERA in 54 IP, with 71 K, 10 BB, and 35 hits.

Riley Cooper (11) - OF - 6'3", 200 - R/R - Extremely athletic and 5-tool OF also stars as a football player, has great speed and range in CF (6.29 60-yard) and great throwing arm (89mph). Also has great raw power potential, with plenty of room to grow. Good balanced swing with good extension and bat speed. Reminds some scouts of Jeff Francoeur and Rocco Baldelli with athleticism.

Chris Marrero (15) - 3B - 6'3", 195 - R/R - Good athlete with sinewy fram with room to grow has quick feet and range will move to 3B as a prospect, has very strong and accurate arm (91) at hot corner, with soft hands and great defensive potential. Swing is stronger point, with great bat speed and eye at the plate. Sprays balls to all fields, has quick hands and centers ball well for consistent, hard contact. Advanced and disciplined approach to hitting, sweet stroke can hit for average and big power. One scout called him the best player in the country and likened him to the best HS hitters out there in previous years, like Ryan Harvey, Prince Fielder, and Elijah Dukes. Ranked 2nd best pure hitter by perfect game of the Aflac AA's, and honorable mention for most polished pitcher or player. In 2005, hit .445 w/ 7 HR and 31 RBI.

Derrick Robinson (16) - OF - 5'10", 160 - B/L - Florida Gator recruit and football star has outstanding athleticism and speed. Ranked fastest player by perfect game and widely considered the fastest baseball player in the country (6.19 60-yard, 3.8 down line). Ranked the #1 prospect of the Perfect Game National Showcase, above Jeremy Jeffress, Dellin Betances, and Chris Marrero, among others. Has strong and accurate arm (91), and very quick first step, to compliment his excellent defense and range in CF. Switch hitter better from right side, good bat control and patience, good hands, needs some work on swing and offensive game to become top-notch prospect. In 2005, hit .359 with 24 runs, and 48 SB.

Max Sapp (20) - C - 6'2", 210 - L/R - Big catcher has very strong arm, good transfers and pop times (1.85) from behind plate. Handles pitchers well and calls a good game, but some are concerned with his soft body type. Has excellent power potential, hits tape measure blasts with left-handed stroke. One of the best power hitters in country, has plus bat speed and natural lift, with good leverage. Has power to all fields, likes to pull, but quick and compact stroke allows him to hit for average as well as power. Also has good eye and plate discipline. Outstanding hitter has consistently impressed in showcases. As an Aflac AA, was ranked by perfect game as the #3 raw power hitter, with honorable mention as the best pure hitter, and had the #1 arm defensively. Ranked the #5 prospect in both the East Coast Professional Showcase and Perfect Game National Showcase. In 2005, hit .477 with 9 HR and 30 BB and 35 RBI. Also played for Team USA in summer of 2005.

Mark Sobolewski (22) - IF - 5'11", 185 - R/R - Athletic middle infielder has quick hands, good speed, very strong arm (88 ). Has compact line drive swing with good bat speed, hits balls to all fields, with raw power. At last report in 2005, was hitting .450 with 3 HR, 12 2B, 21 RBI.

Carmine Giardina (23) - LHP - 6'3", 185 - R/L - Giardina has feel for three potentially plus pitches with good command, FB ran 90-92 at WWBA, has plus curve, one of best changes in East Coast Showcase. Ranked #9 prospect in East Coast Professional Showcase, ranked #2 prospect in PG/BA Fall WWBA Championship, even above Cody Johnson and Cory Rasmus among others. Advanced lefty with good frame uses high arm slot that gives pitches late life. In 2005, went 5-0 with 84 K in 46 IP.

David Christensen (28 ) - OF - 6'2", 195 - R/R - Outfielder with strong athletic build has very strong arm (93), and good range and speed (6.69 60-yard). Great bat speed, solid contact with above-average power when he connects, ball jumps off bat quickly when he does. Plays hard and is a great student. In 2005, hit .426 (29/68 ) with 6 HR, 38 RBI, 13 SB.

Marcus Lemon (30) - SS - 5'10", 155 - L/R - The son of major leaguer Chet, Marcus has impressed defensively at SS with his range. His solid all-around game and left-handed bat has impressed scouts, along with his pedigree. In 2005, at last check Lemon was hitting .500, with 9 2B, 23 RBI, and 20 runs.

Ryan Jackson (33) - SS - 6'2", 170 - B/R - Jackson has continually impressed with his slick-fielding glove at SS, and has earned the reputation as one of the top defensive infielders in the country. Jackson was ranked the #1 defensive player by perfect game of all the Aflac AA's. Has consistent strong arm with excellent accuracy to go along with soft hands and great instincts, actions are smooth, quick, and has nice turn on DPs. Good footwork also makes him appear graceful at the position. Switch hitter with line drive swing, has good bat speed, with power potential down the road. Hits to all fields, with solid hard contact.

Bryan Morgado (35) - LHP - 6'1", 175 - L/L - Lefty has advanced feel for pitching, with ability to change speeds well. Fastball runs 84-89 with good life, with flashes of plus slider with tight rotation and break.

Jacob Brigham (72) - RHP - 6'2", 185 - B/R - Righty has feel for pitching and easy, smooth delivery. Fastball runs low-90s, touched 94 at PG/BA WWBA Fall Championship, where he ranked as the #3 prospect, higher than fellow RHP Cory Rasmus. In 2005, Brigham went 7-1 with a 0.58 ERA in 48 IP, with 102 K.

Jonathan Pigott (77) - OF - 6'2", 190 - R/R - Gator recruit has 5-tool ability, each above-average. Short but powerful swing has attracted good attention as well, and Pigott went 5/11 with a HR in the East Coast Showcase against some of the top competition in the Eastern U.S. Pigott ranked as the #7 prospect in that event.

Gabby Saade (91) - 2B - 5'10", 175 - R/R - Athletic 2B is fluid in the field, with good range, feet, plus actions, very good arm, and soft hands. Good bat speed with some lift, has good all-around instincts, and is a good student. In 2005, at last report Saade was hitting .400 with 4 3B, 4 HR, 12 SB, and 15 RBI.

Clint Franklin (99) - RHP - 6'3", 185 - R/R - Florida recruit has big, athletic build, with a deceptive drop-and-drive delivery. Short arm action produces fastballs up to 91, CB with tight 11-5 break at 76 mph. In 2005, Franklin had been 4-0, with a 0.90 ERA in 31 IP, with 46 K and 6 BB, with a no-hitter.

Ryan Butner (NR) - RHP - 6'4", 155 - Tall, slender righty has pitchability, works quickly, has loose arm. Fastball with good run hits 90, touched 91 at WWBA. CB has 10-4 bite at 78mph, with sharp 79mph slider and 81mph change with life. Has good command.

Justin Edwards (NR) - LHP - 6' - Lefty with projection has good feel for change and has good command and control. Fastball sits mid-80s, and touched 88 in the PG/BA WWBA. Mid-70s breaking ball also keeps hitters off balance, and Edwards commands the strike zone well.

There's also Chris Duffy, a 3B with plus raw power that ranked highly in BA's showcases, but I couldn't find out much more about him.

And one from Georgia:
Nick Fuller (45) - RHP - 6'1", 195 - R/R (GA) - Excellent raw stuff with potential to dominate, but mechanical and command issues. High 3/4 arm slot, with quick arm, has excellent fastball/slider combo, FB runs 93, slider with tight sharp break at 83, CB at 75 has 11-5 break with depth, change with life at 81. Good student.

Besides the top-notch guys like Johnson, Marrero, and Latos, I think I'm most interested in learning more about and tracking Colton Willems, Max Sapp, Carmine Giardina, David Christensen, Marcus Lemon, Derrick Robinson and Jacob Brigham. I think Sapp is much better than his rough #20 ranking by PG, he's got arguably the best power in HS, with the ability to walk and hit for average, as well as being a strong game-caller and receiver. Willems explains himself, and I'm really interested in seeing how Giardina does this year, as a projectable lefty with good command of three plus pitches, with a good fastball with life as well. Christensen and Lemon are interesting solid all-around players that will need to be watched, and Brigham I'd like to know more about his breaking stuff and how he progresses this spring. If Robinson's bat catches up with the rest of his game, he will go very high in the draft with his tools.

Get to know: Dellin Betances

Who Am I? I am imposing NYC high school pitcher.

Vital Stats: 6'9", 215, 3/23/1988

What is my background?I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I play basketball as well baseball. My favorite baseball team is the Yankees.

What do you need to know about me? I have a mid-90's fastball with great downward movement, I'm developing control, and have a lot of room for improvement. My curveball is tight, with good late break. My changeup might develop into a plus pitch. Perfect Game rated me as having the best control, 2nd best fastball, and as being the 2nd most polished among all high school pitchers. In high school last year, I struck out 100 in 40 IP, although I gave up 23 walks. In last summer's AABC Junior Tournament I struck out 10 batters in my lone 5 inning appearance. I have a fluid and sound delivery despite my tall stature.

4/27/2006- Struck out 14 over 5 innings, without allowing a hit.

5/1/2006- Pitched 7 inning shutout, striking out 20. Only allowed 2 hits and 2 walks.

MLB Comparison- John Patterson

Projected Pick- Top 3 Rounds

Perfect Game Rankings
Team USA player profile

Get To Know: Scott Sizemore

Who Am I? I play 2B for the Virginia Commonwealth Rams.

Vital Stats 6'0", 180, 1/04/1985

What is My Background? I'm from Chesapeake, VA. My brother played Division II baseball and my father coached me in AAU.

What do you need to know about me? I saw an dramatic leap in my numbers from 2004 to 2005. Some people believe its because VCU plays at a more hitter friendly homefield now, but I have increased my work habits and become a student of the game. In the 2006 College Preview, Baseball America named me the best defensive 2B in the Colonial Athletic Association. I was ranked as the 24th best prospect in the presitgious Cape Cod League, where I transitioned to 3B. Last year at VCU, I hit .364/.464/.673. I accompanied this impressive batting line with 37 BB's, while only striking out 23 times. Additionally, I successfully stole 19 bases in 21 attempts. Last summer in the Cape Cod League I hit an impressive .303/.380/.382. While these numbers might be underwhelming in comparison with my college statistics, take into account that the CCL is a pitcher friendly league where we see our first introduction to wood bats. I still managed 18 BB's in 152 AB's. While I don't come from the most presitigous conference of program, I would be an absolute steal in the draft. I can play solid/good defense at 2B and 3B and I have a potent bat to go with it.

MLB Comparison- Tony Graffanino

2006 YTD Stats- 229 AB's, .306/.381/..524, 27/26 BB/K, 15 2Bs, 7 3B, 7 HR, 14/18 SB/SA

Projected Pick- 4th-5th Round

VCU Stats
Harwich Mariners Stats (CCL)

Sizemore is one of a couple players who might get a bit overlooked that I like right now, the other being 3B Chris Coughlan (or Coghlan?) of Mississippi. Don't forget about Sizemore's eye-popping 50% XBH% with the aluminum stick (though watch for the ballpark change this year and its effect), and he still hit well in the Cape, which is a good indicator that he's not relying on beating up weak CAA pitching. Suitable actions/defense at 2B with good speed, great plate discipline, with a quick stroke and solid pop for a second baseman. He's definitely one to watch with one of our group of early round picks.

i lived in richmond for the last 4 year and got to see a lot of sizemore (and the marshall bros and meredith before him). not as much last year as vcu played in petersburg (30 min away as oposed to 1 mile away in previous years). he's certainly small, kind of a pedroia type. he's pretty quick with the bat, on the bases and in the field. in the pros i don't think he'd hit enough to be a 3B, i see him probably staying at 2B. he doesn't have the arm for the left side of the IF.

couple problems: one is that he put up amazing numbers mostly in the first half of last season (when vcu plays a very easy schedule) and he slumped against the better CAA competition. slumped is relative here, meaning he still hit around .300/.400/.500, but he was absolutely amazing in the first half. i think his OPS was over 1.300 for the first month of the season or so.

second problem is vcu's ballpark last year was a hitter's heaven. this year they are going back to the diamond, one of the more difficult hitters parks around, both college and AAA - vcu led the nation in ERA in 03 which was a combination of good pitching (sean marshall and justin orenduff starting and cla meredith setting up brian marshall in the pen), the park, and the competition. come to think about it, that's a pretty damn good pitching staff.

his numbers won't be as nice this year, which may allow him to be available in the 3-6 round area where he'd be a good gamble. that nice line from the cape eases some of the doubts about him.

living in charleston, sc now, i will get a chance to see some really good college (and maybe high school) baseball. i've heard there is a lot of usc and clemson baseball on tv in addition to college of charleston, citadel, and charleston southern. plus usc is only 2 hours away. unfortunately clemson's a 4 hr drive.

i took a look at the schedules for the local teams the other day and noticed that missouri opens the season at charleston southern on feb 9-12 and got very excited. i was so pissed when i remembered i have to go to atlanta that weekend, so i won't get a chance to see scherzer (not that he'll last til the sox pick, but you never know.

i'm also excited to see a fellow malden catholic alum pitching in south carolina -steve richard at clemson. should be fun to watch.


nhsoxfan, great lists. when you get an idea of the best players in south carolina i'll be interested to see who's near charleston.

also, i went to a couple of mills godwin games last year in richmond (alma mater of matt moses and justin bristow). there's a great pitcher there by the name of graham stoneburner (phenomenal name). he's committed to clemson, and he's from a pretty affluent family, but he's someone to keep an eye on as well.

Nomarhaus, thanks for the info on Sizemore. Anecdotal info is always useful. I think the only reason he played 3B in the CCL is because Jim Negrych (maybe the best 2B in the country) played 2B on Harwich.

South Carolina should be a fun team to watch for the next few years. They got Justin Smoak and Reese Havens. Two players the Sox had their eyes on before the draft.

ya, with reese and havens in the area, i wish i moved down here last spring.

I didn't even know he had a middle name. Pretty bizarre one though.

Thanks. As to the high school prospects out there right now in South Carolina, heading into this season there is one excellent outfielder, one of the top high school prospects in the nation, from Wren High School in Easley (or Piedmont?), SC named Jason Place, who is committed to South Carolina. Place hits and throws right-handed, and is 6'3", 205. He was ranked the #3 HS prospect of 2006 by Perfect Game (link) back in late November, and the latest stats for his 2005 season that I found was that he hit .543 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 14 home runs, with 44 runs and 30 RBI, to go along with a 36/11 BB/K rate, because he was pitched around a lot. He also stole 16 bases and had a 6.72 60-yard time (Florida Bombers had him at 6.5), plus his arm clocked 89 mph from the outfield. He is a great 5-tool player, with "plus-plus" power to all fields. With the Florida Bombers in 2005, he hit .304/.487/.714 with 5 HR in 56 ABs.

The rest of the South Carolina high school class isn't anything to get excited about at this point. After Smoak and Havens last year, there were only two SC high schoolers drafted, one in the 26th round and the other in the 28th (the Sox drafted him but he went to Clemson, Ryan Hinson). Right now, this class other than Place doesn't look much better than last year's class other than Smoak and Havens, but there is plenty of time to change that.

As for college South Carolinians, there are lots more out there, but I wasn't sure if you were talking about HS, college, or both.

thanks, i was talking about hs since it's much harder to find info on them. with the college guys, ba's preview seems pretty comprehensive.

one other interesting guy from that vcu team is RHP harold mozingo. he was a 15th round pick by the mets out of high school. he's about 6'1"-6'2" and throws a real heavy moving fastball at 90-91 with a good slider in the low 80's. he had a really good year as a freshman (75IP 82K 44BB 60H), but took a step back last year (92IP 101K 49BB 92H) though that could have been partially due to the same park factor that helped sizemore. i saw him 4 times his freshman year, but only once last year, though i listened to a couple of his other starts.

his biggest problem is control, he ends up throwing 100 pitches by the 5th or 6th a lot of the time. but when he's on he's extremely hard to hit. with vcu moving back to the diamond and a more pitching friendly atmosphere this season, i'm looking for a big year from him. i think he'll be a 3-5 rounder like sizemore.

On the subject of VCU, they recently signed the local stud hoss around here, Matt Bryant, from Stafford High School, near Fredericksburg, VA.

Last June, I took my nephew to a Baltimore Orioles tryout camp, and it was pretty obvious they were there to scout Matt Bryant. I saw him clock 94 repeatedly, and low 80's with his slider.

He had just finished his high school junior year, but he looks 25. He's 6'4", 255 lbs, and can really hit as well.

Some links: Louisville Slugger Pre-Season HS All Americans and VCU Rams and Baseball America - last paragraph

Get To Know Max Scherzer

Who Am I? I'm a RHP for the Missouri Tigers.

What are my vitals? 6'2", 210, 7/27/1984

What Is My Background? I'm from the St. Lou. I was a 43rd pick by my hometown Cardinals in 2003. I was on the honor roll all 4 years of high school, and graduate with a 3.9 GPA.

What Do You Need To Know About Me? My college coach, Tim Jamieson, bears the lion's share of my recent success. He cleaned my mechanics up over the course of my college career and stressed efficiency. I have all the tools of a frontline starter. I'm equipped with a high 90's fastball, and a tight moving slider. I want to incorporate my changeup more into my arsenal in my junior year. While I am considered a top 5 pick, my success at the professional level will be dictated by my ability to command a third pitch. However dominance was not a problem for me last year. I finished the season with 131 K's in 104 IP. I walked 41 over that same time period, but I only allowed 59 hits and 3 home runs. My 1.86 ERA was tops in Big 12. Over the Summer, I played for the U.S. national team. There, I compiled 24 K's in 20 IP with only 2 walks, and an ERA of 2.70.

MLB Comparison- Brett Myers

2006 YTD Stats- 66.2 IP, 1.89 ERA, 71/23 K/BB, 44 HA, 3 HRA

Scherzer made his first start in 3 weeks on Friday, March 31st after being sidelined with biceps tendinitis.

Projected Pick- Top 5 talent (Boras Factor)

Mizzou Profile
USA Baseball Profile
BA Feature Story

Get To Know- Derrick Robinson

Who Am I?- I'm a high school outfielder from Gainesville, Florida.

What Are My Vitals?-5'11", 168, 9/28/1987.

What Is My Background?- I'm from Gator Country. As it follow, I have committed to playing for the U of F football and baseball team in 2006/7. I attend the prestigious PK Yonge Prep School which has been a pipeline to the University of Florida.

What Do You Need To Know About Me?- I'm a switch hitting outfielder, with plus-plus speed. My 6.18 60-yard dash was the fastest time in that event ever recorded at a Perfect Game Showcase. I have tremendous range in the outfield and a plus arm to boot. My upside is helped by my patient approach at the plate and my ultra quick hands. Power isn't my strongest facet, but I certainly am not completely lacking of it. I am publicly on the record as saying that I will sign with a baseball team for the right price. BA ranked me as the 33rd best high school player in the country in their 2006 draft preview. But with a good spring, I could pounce into the first round. In my 2005 season, I hit .359 and stole 48 bases.

MLB Comparison- Kenny Lofton

Projected Pick- 2nd Round

Aflac All-American Profile
Scout.com Football Profile
Scout.com feature

Get To Know- Chris Marrero

Who Am I?- I'm a high school third basemen from Monsignor Pace high school in Florida. I am committed to the University of Miami in 2006.

What Are My Vitals?- 6'3", 200, 7/2/1988

What Is My Background?- Since I was young, I have lived in Florida and followed the Miami Hurricanes. My brother Christian Marrero has been drafted each of the last two years by the Braves and White Sox respectively.

What Do You Need To Know About Me?- While I play shortstop in high school, my glove and body will play better at 3B. Where, scouts have conjectured, I could develop into a gold glove caliber third basemen. However offensive aptitude is my best attribute. My great bat speed and selective eye will provide me success at higher levels. Perfect Game rated me as the second best bat in the draft. But recently, scouts have called my bat the best high school in the country. While I have a steady commitment to Miami, I am flexible if approached with the right price.

4/10/2006- Has 7 HR early in the season.

4/18/2006- Batting .391 with 7 HR.

5/12/2006- Lead high school team to State Final Four.

MLB Comparison- Mike Lowell

Projected Pick- Top 20

Aflac All-American Profile
Brewerfan.net Profile
PG Top Tools

So BA's first mock is up and they have us taking
Chris Pamelee at 27 (supposedly the best HS hitter in the draft)
and Jason Donald at 28.

Anybody have any scouting info on these guys?

Thanks

They don't really have us taking them. They have those players being drafted in our slots. But they aren't taking drafting philosophy, bonus demands, or team budged into account.

Get To Know- Wes Hodges

Who Am I?- I play 3B for the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech.

Vital Stats- 6'1", 198, 9/14/1984

What Is My Background? - I'm from a small town in Tennessee where I was selected as a two-time all state player. After breaking my hand during my senior year, I was forced to turn around and bat left-handed for the first time in my career. Although I didn't stick with the lefty stance after I healed, I hit .430 and led my team to a championship.

What Do You Need To Know About Me? - Last summer I hit .309/.378/.400 for Team USA. While representing my country was an honor, I didn't perform up to expectations. After a season at Georgia Tech where I batted .497/.466/.555, expectations were high. I don't have a lot of speed on the bases, but I am able to control the strike zone well. I maintained a 28/35 BB/K ratio in a highly competitive ACC. Right now, my power is more gap-to-gap than over the fence. But scouts think, because of my superior bat speed, I will be able to maintain a good average when I eventually add loft to my swing. My defense is adequate if unspectacular. BA rated me as the best defensive third basemen in the ACC. I will be able to stay there in the pros.

MLB Comparison- Aaron Boone

2006 YTD Stats- 200 AB's, .340/.426/.600, 28/444 BB/K, 11 HR

Projected Pick- Top 2 Rounds

USA Baseball Link
AJC Feature
Fansite Profile

Get To Know- Josh Rodriguez

Who Am I?- I play SS for the Rice Owls.

Vital Stats- 6'0", 180, 12/18/1984

What Is My Background?- Before spurning the New York Yankees for my hometown Rice Owls, I finished up an illustrious high school career at South Houston. I was drafted in the 39th round of the 2003 draft as a show-me pick. My heart was always set on being an Owl from day one.

What You Need To Know About Me- Known primarily as an offensive-minded SS heading into my freshman year, I silenced all the doubts concerning my glove. What's more, I have become an above average SS who will be able to play the position at the next level. BA rated me the Best Defensive SS and the Best Infield Arm in the Conference USA. I have solid tools across the board and my plus bat speed allows me to smoke line drives all over the field. This past summer on the USA baseball team I batted .326/.453/.419. My OPS was higher than noted prospects; Shane Robinson, Wes Hodges, and Drew Stubbs. My performance on Team USA put the cherry on top of an eye-opening season that saw me hit .345/.411/.555 at Rice. I led the team with 11 home runs, yet displayed my versatility by stealing 9 bases out of 10 attempts. I am the total package, and I might end up being a steal for a team needing a polished SS in the draft.

MLB Comparison - Tomas Perez

2006 YTD Stats- 217 AB's, .336/.446/.558, 40/36 BB/K, 8 HRs, 18 2Bs, 3 3B's, 10/12 SB/SA

Projected Pick- 2nd-3rd Round

Team USA Link

Get To Know- Sean Watson

Who Am I?- I am the closer for the University of Tennessee.

Vital Stats- 6'3", 215, 7/24/1985

What Is My Background?- After my senior season at Florida Christian School in Miami, I was drafted in the 21st round of the 2003 Draft by the San Francisco Giants. I was a dominant pitcher and first basemen on the prestigious Florida Bombers summer team.

What Do You Need To Know About Me?- If I refine my control this season, I could be the first closer off the board. I am a frontrunner for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award. My arsenal includes a mid 90's fastball, a knuckle curveball, and a tight slider. In 79 IP last year, I struck out 82 batters in some of the fiercest competition in the country. However my 47 BB's are cause for some concern. If I can lower my BB/9 IP to around 3, down from its current 5+, I will be a first round pick. In my first opportunity of the 2006 season, I struck out 4 batters in 2 IP, while allowing 2 hits. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.

2006 YTD Stats- 41 IP, 4.61 ERA, 47/17 K/BB, 42 HA, 7 HRA

MLB Comparison- Mike Timlin

Projected Pick- 3rd-4th round

This Derrick Robinson kid reminds me of Lastings Milledge. I would LOVE for the sox to draft (and SIGN!!!) him.

He doesn't project to hit with nearly the power that Milledge did. Robinson looks to be more of a 6-10 HR/year guy. But he is faster than Milledge. Some people have said he is the fastest player tested ever. I would imagine the number he has in mind as a signing bonus is somewhere in the 1.3 million dollar range. So the price won't be a problem. He will most likely be available when we pick, most people think he will slip to the 2nd. Personally, I like him. But again, don't expect that Milledge type power. Milledge was uniformly agreed upon as a top 10 talent in his draft, some people even say top 3. Robinson isn't there yet. With a productive high school season with the bat, he could move into the late-mid 1st round.

Get To Know- Billy Rowell

Who Am I?- I'm a SS/3B at Bishop Eustace High School in Sewell, NJ.

Vital Stats- 6'4", 195, 9/10/1988

What Is My Background- I hit a ball 512 feet last year in a home run derby.

What Do You Need To Know About Me?- I have all the tools of a classic left-handed power bat. Although I am committed to the University of Alabama in 2006, I will most likely sign with a pro team. I don't have any noticeable deficiencies. My swing is reminiscent of a prototypical loft-driven power swing. Although I have played SS in high school, I will move over to 3B at the next level. My hands and arm at 3B are very good and I will stick there all the way up to the pros. I have a classic NJ swagger that will allow me to compete mentally with any of the warm-weather jocks that normally populate the first 100 picks of the MLB draft. For Christ's sake, I trained at the Jack Cust Baseball Academy. How could I not be a stud?

5/2/2006- Has moved into the top 10 of the draft.

MLB Comparison- Chipper Jones

Projected Pick- Top 10

Brewerfan Link

I've also seen Scott Sizemore play a number of times. He went to HS right down here in Chesapeake (same HS as David Wright) and I actually played against him a bit 2 summers back in a local summer league.

I know someone that talks to him from time to time and if possible I'll see if the Sox have someone following him this summer.

Oakland Clubhouse (scout.com affiliate) has an actual mock draft up (don't sleep on scout.com, they are doing some good work). They have us taking Matt Antonelli and Jared Hughes. Two much more likely picks than BA's draft. I would really like Antonelli, who they say, has the athletic ability to play CF.

They have the Yankees taking Mike Ambort, the catcher out of Lamar. If there is one flaw in this mock draft, its that teams are drafting too much for need. Interestingly, they have Kennedy slipping to 18. Here is the order:

1. Andrew Miller- KC
2. Dellin Betances (writer was very high on him)- COL
3. Max Scherzer- TB
4. Drew Stubbs- PITT
5. Daniel Bard- SEA
6. Evan Longoria (no relation)- DET
7. Matt Latos (high school RHP)- LAD
8. Brett Anderson (high school LHP, son of OK State coach)- CIN
9. Chris Marrero- BAL
10. Wes Hodges- SFG
11. Jordan Walden- ARZ
12. Kyle Drabek- TEX
13. Brandon Morrow- CHN
14. Matt Laporta- TOR
15. Blair Erickson (UC Irvine RHP)- WAS
16. Hank Conger (HS catcher)- MIL
17. Cody Johnson (HS 1B/OF)- SAD
18. Ian Kennedy- PHI
19. Jared Mitchell (HS OF)- FLO
20. Riley Cooper (HS OF)- MIN
21. Mike Ambort- NYY
22. Kyle McCulloch- WAS
23. Brad Lincoln- HOU
24. Devin Shepard (HS OF)- ATL
25. Jeremy Jeffress (HS RHP)- LAA
26. Chris Tillman (HS RHP)- WAS
27. Matt Antonelli- BOS
28. Jared Hughes- BOS
29. Max Sapp (High school catcher)- CHA
30. Dallas Buck- STL

If anyone has any questions on any specific player, please specify. Hopefully, I will have profiles done for all of them in good time.

Get To Know- Ian Kennedy

Who Am I?- I'm a RHP for the University of Southern California.

Vital Stats- 6'1", 195, 12/19/1984

What Is My Background?- I was a 14-round pick for the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school. But my heart was always set on going to USC. While in high school, I was a teammate of Colorado Rockie top prospect Ian Stewart. The USC Athletic Department has already inducted me into the team's Hall of Fame. Where I am surrounded by the likes of Randy Johnson, Mark Prior, and Seth Etherton.

What Do You Need to Know About Me?- I was unequivocally the most dominating pitcher in college baseball last year. I pitched for one of the best programs against some of the best competition, yet my stats are still staggering. I struck out 158 batters in only 117 IP. In those 117 innings I only allowed 85 hits, keeping me ERA down to 2.54. I did this all while allowing only 2.9 BB/9. In the summer of 2005, I pitched for Team USA. There, I struck out 35 in 28 IP while maintaining a 2.89 ERA. Opposing hitters only hit .118 against me, which led the team among all pitchers over 15 IP. While some scouts have said my arsenal isn't consistent with a typical ace, I beg to differ. I can command my low-90's fastball better than any pitcher in the country. In addition, I can get my curveball, slider, and changeup, all above average pitches, over at any time. I don't have an overwhelming physical stature like the typical workhorse, but I have proven that I can log large amounts of innings in the past. Once drafted, I will be able to reach the majors in around than a year's time. The biggest about me that makes professional baseball teams nervous, however is my "advisor" Scott Boras.

MLB Comparison- Jeff Suppan

2006 YTD Stats- 101.2 IP, 3.90 ERA, 102/36 K/BB, 100 HA, 4 HRA

Projected Pick- Late 1st (Boras Factor)

USA Baseball Profile
Brewerfan Profile
BA Feature

Get To Know- Matt Latos

Who Am I?- I am a prep pitcher from Coconut Creek, Florida.

Vital Stats- 6'5", 205, 12/9/1987

What Is My Background?- I have had a lot of "helium" on draft boards over the past year. Only recently has my performance garnered the attention it deserves. Although I will enter the pro's as a pitcher, many think I could make it as a position player as well.

What Do You Need To Know About Me?- In the last year, I have added 5 or 6 mph to my fastball. This has been the major contributor to my recent draft surge. Although I have been clocked as high as 96 mph, I consistently work in the low 90's. In addition, my improving curveball has become a legitimate weapon. Because I have a frame suited for an ace, I will be able to add velocity to my fastball. However it is equally important that I refine my curveball and add a third legitimate pitch. Right now, I'm set to be picked in the top half of the first round. Because the 2006 draft isn't prep-pitcher friendly, I could be boosted by the abnormally thin ranks. I'm cerainly someone to keep an eye on this spring.

3/20/2006- In 28 IP, 2-2 record with 42 K's and a .99 ERA.

3/27/2006- 50 K's in 35 IP. Velocity sitting in mid-90s, but breaking ball isn't looking too sharp.

4/3/2006- .83 ERA with 64 K in 42 IP.

4/10/2006- CG no-hitter with 14 K against Plantation HS.

4/18/2006- Struck out 10 in CG.

5/2/2006- .59 ERA in 59 IP with 99 K.

MLB Comparison- Dan Haren

Projected Pick- Top 15

Brewerfan Link

Personally, I think Kennedy is somewhere between Mike Mussina (3-4 years ago, when he was worth his contract) and Greg Maddux, because he gets all those strikeouts, yet still has the top-notch controll (of ALL his pitches). Suppan has control, but way fewer Ks.

We'll have to see, but right now he doesn't have great pitches across the board. Very good ones, but not great. I think its hard to ever compare someone to a Maddux or Mussina, no matter what they do. As far as I'm concerned, you can tell if someone can be very good or not. Getting to that level of greatness is probably just luck most of the time. Remember who Kennedy got inducted into the USC HOF with: Randy Johnson, Mark Prior, and Seth Etherton. BTW, Jeff Suppan wasn't a half bad prospect himself once.

Edit: Also, take the MLB comparisons with a grain of salt. They are just a fun, cliff notes version of getting to know a prospect without having to read the drivel I write about them.

Get To Know- Greg Reynolds

Who Am I?- I am the Friday night starter for the Stanford Cardinals.

Vital Stats- 6'7", 225, 7/3/1985

What Is My Background?- Originally from nearby Pacifica, California, I was a three sport athlete. My cannon arm allowed me to be recruited by D-1 schools as a quarterback. My above average height and coordination allowed me to earn all PAL honors in basketball as a junior. And the combination of all those attributes gave me scary potential as a RHP. After assessing my situation, I decided upon baseball at Stanford. The school I had followed growing up. After my high school season, the Phillies took a flyer on me in the 41st round. But I decided to hone my skills and receive a great education at Stanford.

What Do You Need To Know About Me? Coming into my junion season, I have been considered somewhat of a bust. I arrived at Stanford with high expectations. Although I have shown flashes, I haven't lived up to my billing. However with a strong showing in the 2005 Cape Cod League, I have raised eyebrows again and helped my draft status immensely. After finishing the Cape Cod League ranked 10th in ERA (1.70), BA listed me as the #8 prospect in the league. I only struck out 34 batters in 53 IP, but I began to control my off-speed pitches much better. I possess a a fastball that ranges between 90 and 95 mph. My hammer curve has just recently developed into a pitch that can consistently miss bats. As as I learn to control my two-seamer more consistently, I will come closer and closer to reaching the potential I had coming into Stanford. Early on in the 2006 season, the results have been there. Against two competitive teams, Cal State Fullerton and Kansas, I have compiled 12 K's in 12 IP with 0 BB's and an ERA of 2.13. I have established myself as the Friday Night Pitcher for the Cardinals with my early performance. Because I have had relatively little draft hype coming into 2006, I might fall under the radar for a while. But with my combination of stuff, size, and pedigree, I might move up to a top-15 pick by June. Get on the bandwagon while there is room.

2006 YTD Stats- 111.2 IP, 3.47 ERA, 92/26 K/BB, 104 HA, 7 HRA

MLB Comparison- Aaron Harang

Projected Pick- Top 10

Get To Know- Chris Errercart

Who Am I?- I am the starting leftfielder for the Cal Gold Bears.

Vital Stats- 6'1", 210, 2/11/1985

What Is My Background?- Prior to the summer of 2005, I was a relatively unheralded outfielder in the Pac-10. But after I blew up in the CCL and earned the #4 prospect status from BA, I have been on many teams' draft boards since.

What Do You Need To Know About Me?- Although I finished tied for 8th in the Pac-10 in HR's last season, I was overlooked as a prospect following the college season. I forged my imprint with wood in the 2005 Cape Cod League. In the notoriously pitching-friendly league, I raked my way to a line of .303/.375/.556. My patient approach, potent bat, and steady demeanor garnered me a lot of attention in the CCL. Although I had to finish the season 3 weeks early because of injury, I was still named to the All-Star team. I came into the 2006 college season as a 2nd team all-american. Although the season has barely lifted off, my bat has picked up where it left off from the summer. Through my first 18 AB's, I am hitting .333/.455/.667 with 2 HR's and 7 RBI. My defense is my biggest weakness. I will never have the athleticism to play more than left field. But I have a strong arm and I am a decent runner. Hopefully my bat with be imposing enough to rocket me up through professional baseball.

MLB Comparison- Juan Rivera

2006 YTD Stats- 186 AB's, .274/.362/.441, 14/36 BB/K, 8 HR

Projected Pick- Top 10 rounds

Brewerfan Link

A player I'd like to see a full profile on is Shane Robinson of Florida State.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2299472



Maybe he's being overlooked by scouts because he's short? Its Pedroia redux..

Edit: He also had a ridiculous OBP (over .500), not sure what it was exactly, but WHOA

I will get around to Robinson. I actually like him a lot. The BA mock draft really surprised me with his exclusion from the first round. He might have a better bat than Pedroia to be quite honest. He was flirting with hitting .500 last season for a long stretch. He has a good eye and good pop.

Great job on this stuff. Thanks for posting these.

Get To Know- Shane Robinson

Who Am I?- I am the CF for the Florida State Seminoles.

Vital Stats- 5'9", 165, 10/30/1984

What Is My Background?- I grew up in the Tampa area, which is partially the explanation for my Yankee ties. I was a very good football player in high school despite my diminuitive stature. So much so that my high school retired my number (3) after my senior year. I had offers to play football from D-1 programs like Duke and Stanford.

What Do You Need To Know About Me- Whenever you hear Mel Kiper drone on and on about a football prospect, one of the main aspects he harps on is body of work. Much like Dustin Pedroia from Arizona State, what I don't have in stature, I more than make up for in production. Last year I hit a staggering .427/.532/.605. I walked 57 times and only struck out 28 times. In addition, I am absolutely lethal on the base paths. I stole bases in 49 out of 56 attempts. Thats an 88% success rate. I led the nation in runs, was second in hits and OBP%, and third in steals. This past summer, I played for Team USA where I compiled a .296/.328/.519 line. I was placed on BA's pre-season all-american team. According to scouts, I have the best strike-zone discipline in the ACC, as well as being the best defensive outfielder and the best baserunner. BA doesn't have me in their early 1st round mock draft. You tell me if you would pass up production like that?

MLB Comparison- Brett Butler (RH version)

2006 YTD Stats- 257 AB's, .350/.430/.490, 34/23 BB/K, 31/34 SB/SA

Projected Round- 3rd-4th Round

Team USA Link
ESPN Chat Link

Get To Know- Kyle Drabek

Who Am I?- I'm a great two way player from Texas. I project as a pitcher.

Vital Stats- 6'0", 175, 12/8/87

What Is My Background?- I am the son of former ML pitcher, Doug Drabek. However, just because I have a baseball background doesn't mean I have confined myself to the sport. I was a Class 5A All-State football player as a wide receiver. My superior athleticism translates to both sports very well.

What Do You Need To Know About Me?- The renowned scouting site Perfect Game, voted me as having the best fastball and breaking ball out of any high school player in the class. In the showcase my fastball hit 95 on the radar, though it usually sits at 92-93. I also displayed my spike curve to scouts on hand. All 4 of my strikeouts (in 2 IP) in the game came on the deuce. Some scouts have called it the best curveball they have seen in 5-6 years. BA also notes that my slider has nasty late break, while staying in the 85-87 range. I was also voted the most polished player by PG. A testament to my rich bloodlines. Although my frame has come into question at times, most doubts have been put to rest. Come June, I stand to be drafted in the first 13 picks.

3/20/2006- Has been throwing a 95 mph fastball and knee-buckling curveball early in the season.

3/27/2006- Threw a six inning 1-hit shutout while striking out 14 and walking 0.

MLB Comparison- Roy Oswalt

Projected Pick- Top 15

Aflac Tools
Brewerfan Profile

Get To Know- Brad Lincoln

Who Am I?- I'm a two-way player for the University of Houston Cougars. I project better as a pitcher.

Vital Stats- 6'0", 200, 5/25/1985

What Is My Background?- Growing up in Clute, Texas, I took advantage of my excellent athletic ability to excel in bother baseball and football. Using that same athletic ability, I solidified my status into perhaps the premier two-way player in the country. Selected by the Rangers in the 28th round of the 2003 Draft,I opted for the collegiate ranks instead.

What Do You Need to Know About Me? The University of Houston has been known to produce many great two-way players, which is a tradition I take great pride in continuing. I mainly feature a fastball that sits in between 90-95 MPH and a sharp-breaking curveball that has been compared to Ben Sheets' hook. I was one of the shining stars of the Cape Cod League in 2005. In 54 IP, I compiled 56 K's while only walking 10 batters. This is among the best college competition in the country we are talking about. While my 6' frame isn't ideal for a profiled ace, I have shown no signs of wearing down. I carry the load for Houston both on the mound and at the plate. Many mock drafts have me sitting in the latter half of the 1st round. Hopefully by draft day I can raise my stock.

MLB Comparison- Tim Hudson

2006 YTD Stats- 121 IP, 1.64 ERA, 147/27 K/BB, 84 HA, 8 HRA
212 AB's, .297/.371/.538, 20/36 BB/K, 12 2Bs, 13 HRs, 5/6 SB/SA

Projected Pick Top 10

Brewerfan Link