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4/29/10

DRAFT: - Yasmani Grandal, Jake Magner, Tyler Thornburg, Niko Gallego... and Kevin Keyes

Yasmani Grandal:

4-17 from: link  - Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal was one of the best players from the 2007 draft to fail to sign that year, falling because of a high price tag and concerns about his ability to hit. A tremendous junior year at Miami is going to make that decision look prudent, as he's in line for a seven-figure bonus and could continue moving up the board with the lack of college bats in this year's talent pool.

4-29 from: - http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/college-catcher-defense  - We're a little more than a month away from this year's draft, and the chatter is already mounting regarding just how high Miami's Yasmani Grandal will climb up draft boards. Let's take a look at a few other top contenders. Grandal. +0.5 in 2008, +2 in 2009 and +0.5 so far this season. He has only gunned down better than 40 percent of base-stealers once, but for his entire career, opponents have avoided running on him. Last year, his pitch blocking was solid, but for the most part, there's nothing in his record that stands out as particularly positive.

Jake Magner:

4-27 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/04/27/tcbb-players-of-the-week-april-27th/  - The College Baseball Blog continues our tradition of naming National Player and Pitcher of the Week. This week we honor Jake Magner of North Dakota as our Player of the Week. Jake Magner had a great week with the North Dakota Fighting Sioux as he had a .556 batting average (10-for-18), six home runs, 14 RBI and 10 runs scored in four games last week. On Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader against New York Tech, he went 4-6 at the plate including four homers with 9 RBI. In game 1, he also hit two homers as he went 3-4 with four RBI. You can check out a full interview with Magner and North Dakota coach Jeff Dodson below.

Tyler Thornburg:

4-28 from: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/04/28/lincolns-2010-draft-board  - While Charleston Southern University isn’t a historic hotbed of scouting, that has changed thanks to righthanded pitcher Tyler Thornburg. A two-way star for the Buccaneers – who leads the team in home runs – Thornburg can run his fastball up to 95 MPH and compliments his good heater with a changeup and curveball, each of which rate as above-average offerings. Thornburg is able to generate big-league stuff from his 5-foot-11, 190 pound frame thanks to Lincecum style mechanics, generating good leg drive and coming from a high, over-the-top arm angle. Thornburg is still a bit of sleeper and not seen as a first round pick by most, but wherever he does get selected in June he could yield first-round value.




Niko Gallego:

4-29 from: - http://baseballbeginnings.com/2010/04/29/niko-gallego-snapshot/#more-5789  - This is the kind of infielder who does so many little things well and understands how to play the game. Put that with the tools and you can see him finding his way just fine. I see Gallego as a right-handed hitting line-drive type who will live by using his hands and going center to left field. There may be modest pop in there in the coming years as he gets stronger, though I would be wary of too many balls in the air. Hitting with wood every day should smooth that out quickly. Defensively, he sticks. I like his athletic actions up the middle. I think he’s at least a 60 fielder who can stay at short – arm is enough, great hands, just enough range. Average runner. Rangy, tall and athletic body type. Some physical projection remains. This is a player who grew on me the more I watched him. Many times, the guys who grow on a scout are the guys who hang around the game the longest. Grades: Hit 30/55, Power 20/50, Run 50/50, Arm 50/50, Field 60/60 OFP = 53

Kevin Keyes:

4-29 from: - link  - Keyes has been fairly well-known on the prospect scene for awhile, and he was a 26th round draft pick of the Rangers coming out of Connally High School in 2007. He didn't play much of a role during his freshman year, but he really turned some heads with an impressive sophomore year with the Longhorns. However, he imploded on the Cape, looking tired after a long season that included a trip to the College World Series. He ended up gaining weight, leading to a temporary assignment to first base in the fall. However, he's back in right field now, and he seems to have gained back some of the athleticism he lost over the last year-plus. He features above-average raw power and a fringe-average hit tool, and when he's at his best and in shape, he's an average runner. However, he's going to be a corner outfielder at any level, but he has a big enough arm to handle right field, while having average range. He's not having the best season, but he's still an attractive prospect, especially in a thin college class. Projected Draft Range: 3rd-6th Round

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