2011 DRAFT: - Matt Purke, Daniel Norris, Danny Hultzen, Jed Bradley... and Brett Mooneyham

Matt Purke:



10-1-10: - link  - Highlighting this group is a member of the aforementioned 2009 class, Matt Purke, an unsigned first-round pick out of high school. He didn’t miss a beat his freshman year, and was inserted into the Friday ace role before the month of April arrived as the Horned Frogs marched towards Omaha. Evidently confident and animated on the mound, Purke went 16-0, including wins over Florida State and UCLA in the College World Series. A heavy workload (116 innings pitched) caused him to take the summer off after initially committing to pitch for Team USA. He is among three to five players being considered as a likely candidate to go first overall in next year’s draft.



Daniel Norris:


http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5030 - On the high school side most seem to be in agreement that the prep crop is led by left-handed hurler Daniel Norris. At this point in time he too is considered a likely candidate to be selected among the top five to 10 overall picks. Norris has already received some comparisons to Purke, with a similarly effective one-two punch. Norris throws more of a true slow curveball to complement his easy low-90s heater that has been clocked as high as 96. He shows good command of his repertoire, which also includes a promising changeup, and is a good overall athlete and competitor.



Danny Hultzen:


http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5030 - Danny Hultzen was named the ACC pitcher of the year last spring, one year after he was named the conference’s freshman of the year. He arrived at Virginia as a two-way threat, although he didn’t spend nearly as much time in the batter’s box last spring as he had the season before. His record is 20-2 between those two seasons, serving as the Cavaliers’ Friday ace, starting a pair of games during his freshman season at the College World Series. Hultzen arguably has the best command of any pitcher listed in this column. He hits his spots and changes speeds very well, much like a finesse lefty, consistently sitting in the upper-80s to low-90s with the ability to touch 94. His curve and change are above average to plus pitches, even if none of them are as electric as what Purke brings to the mound. Similar to Purke, after a heavy workload after both his freshman and sophomore years, Hultzen has not participated in summer ball.



Jed Bradley:


http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5030 - Georgia Tech’s Jed Bradley hasn’t been quite as dominant as Hultzen during his first two years in college, but he really put an exclamation mark on his efforts in 2010 with an impressive Cape performance. He left the league a few weeks early, but when he did he led the league in strikeouts, and looked particularly sharp in the league’s all-star game. Built tall and durable, Bradley has a free and easy delivery and a similar three-pitch repertoire to Hultzen’s. Bradley will get the opportunity to prove that he has done what it takes to pitch more effectively more consistently as the Yellow Jackets Friday starter next spring. One of the bigger scouting attractions next spring will occur when Hultzen and Bradley square off when Virginia travels to Atlanta next spring.



Brett Mooneyham:


http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5030 - Mooneyham was a frequently discussed prospect as the 2008 draft approached, with many feeling he could sneak into the first round if it weren’t for his advisement and commitment to Stanford. Listed at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, no one questions his ability to sustain his stuff late into ballgames. The problem is that he has had a difficult time getting there, reaching his pitch count limits in the mid-innings due to shaky control.When he’s on he’s tough to hit, and even more difficult to hit hard. He has a fastball that can flirt with the mid-90s, and both his breaking ball and changeup are potential plus pitches when they’re working for him. He enjoyed success on the Cape last summer, and should things start to click more consistently for Mooneyham this coming spring, he could easily push his way into early first-round consideration come June.