DRAFT: Josh Spence, Matt Harvey, Zack Cox, Groundout %... and Austin Brice

Josh Spence:


, 3-12 from http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/draft-tracker/2010/269639.html  - lhp, Arizona State - Spence had a fantastic junior year in 2009, going 10-1, 2.37 with 125 strikeouts and 30 walks over 103 innings. Many evaluators feel he was drafted as high as he could be when the Angels selected him in the third round. He didn't sign and his stock is dropping this year after sitting out the first three weeks of play with what has only been described as arm soreness. Arizona State has been tight lipped with details on the situation, although coach Tim Esmay elaborated a bit today in this BA College Blog post, explaining that Spence has no structural damage and that he started throwing again Monday. But Esmay said Spence is unlikely to return to game action for at least two weeks. "There's obviously something wrong with his arm," an American League area scout said. "I don't know what it is. They're not saying, he's not saying, but where there's smoke, there's fire. He didn't throw all fall, he hasn't done anything. For us, he's an afterthought. And then, after last year, getting drafted in the third round and telling everybody he was going to sign and then not . . . that's not good."

Matt Harvey:

3-10 from XMLBScout/perfectgame.com : - Also in regards to Matt Harvey, his delivery is cleaner than last summer yes and last spring, yes, but still the same kid with a much better breaking ball. He might be best suited as a closer in the big leagues also John Smoltz or Steve Bedrosian, I don't think he has 5 plus inning in him every 4 days and be consistent, but who knows once he's in pro ball. Top 50 guy for sure.

Zack Cox:

3-10 from: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/03/10/ranking-the-razorbacks-10-draft-prospects  - Zack Cox, 3B/2B (5/9/89) - Cox, has a relatively short track record in college ball. He opened a lot of eyes last summer in the Cape Cod League but he's still a guy who put up a well-below-average strikeout rate during his first season with the Razorbacks (28.9% over 225 PA). Steve Carter analyzed Cox's swing for me before I got my first glimpse of him. Carter pointed out how Cox's swing was largely driven by his shoulders and front side. He noted that such a swing would leave a hitter in a poor position to adjust to breaking balls. Cox took more than a few ugly swings -- like the one to the right -- against breaking balls last weekend. A solid defender at third base -- he's below-average at second -- Cox has made a lot of progress over the last year. He appears to be making a conscious effort to adjust his swing and approach in hopes of making more contact than last season. To date this has resulted in fewer strikeouts and more contact but a decline in power. Cox is much more balanced than he was in high school and as a freshman. He didn't take any swings where his back leg flew out behind him as shifted his weight, something he's done in the past. I was impressed with the opposite-field power I saw from him during batting practice. And he has a pretty good eye to go with some patience. He just has more adjustments to make than I'd want from a guy who I was thinking of spending a million dollars on. Right now, I wouldn't touch Cox in the first round. But his elite bat speed and potential to play solid defense at third base still make him one of the 100 draft-eligible talents in the nation.

Groundout %:

North Carolina RHP Matt Harvey – 82%

Florida Gulf Coast LHP Chris Sale – 71%

Texas Tech RHP Chad Bettis – 91%

Texas RHP Brandon Workman – 62%

Mississippi LHP Drew Pomeranz – 61%

Georgia RHP Justin Grimm – 57%

LSU RHP Anthony Ranaudo – 38% (note: all of these are small samples, but Ranaudo’s is especially small — one start — due to his injury)

Ohio State RHP Alex Wimmers – 53%

Georgia Tech RHP Deck McGuire – 43%

South Carolina RHP Sam Dyson – 59%

San Diego RHP Kyle Blair – 36%

San Diego LHP Sammy Solis – 52%

Cal RHP Dixon Anderson – 71%

Virginia Tech RHP Jesse Hahn – 75% - http://baseballdraftreport.com/

Austin Brice:

3-12 from http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx?article=2201  - AUSTIN BRICE, rhp, SR, Northwood HS. An Appalachian State recruit, Brice might be the most projectable prospect in the state this year. His fastball sat easily in the 86-90 mph range and he showed good feel for an 11-to-5 curveball in the mid-70s. What sticks out about Brice is how loose and easy his delivery is, and it is easy to imagine him throwing in the low- to mid-90s down the road. While his upside is excellent, his challenge will be harnessing his raw stuff.