Mack Draft - Connor Castellano, Jose Fernandez, Kevin Brady, 2012 Prospects

The Mack Draft Report - Dec. 12, 2010

Connor Castellano  - Evangel Christian Academy, Shreveport, La. - Castellano is a linedrive bat capable of working the gaps and brings to the plate a good approach with an idea of how to work for his pitches. He shows good footwork up-the-middle and is capable at both second and short, and could project to either at the collegiate level. His footspeed and range may ultimately spell a permanent shift to second once he moves on to pro ball. On the week he was solid in the field and showed enough promise at the plate to keep pace with a number of talented infielders on display. He should be a high follow for the spring with the chance to take off if he can continue to develop both offensively and defensively. diamondscapescouting.  





craig bailey

 SP Jose Fernandez - Alonso HS (FL) - 6'4”, 215, R/R - Built tall and strong with a strong, if not large, lower half, Fernandez really helped himself recently at the Perfect Game/WWBA World Championship in Jupiter by throwing 92-95 and touching 97 with his fastball. He has always been able to throw hard, but doing so effortlessly and not dropping below 90 at this event was particularly impressive. He also looked a little better physically, as he has the type of build that he will always need to be diligent to maintain his conditioning. He also throws a hard low-80s curveball, giving him a second plus strikeout pitch. He can throw a changeup, but hasn’t needed it much, and will have to work on it more to give him a solid, third pitch. A Cuban defector, he was ruled ineligible for the coming season since he has already played the maximum number of seasons as a high school player. Fernandez has committed to play for South Florida, but some suspect that being ruled ineligible to play this spring may cause him to try and do something creative next spring that would allow him to play regularly, such as enroll in a junior college. http://www.5tooltalk.com/topprospects.html  

Kevin Brady - http://baseballdraftreport.com/  - SO RHP Kevin Brady confounds me. He’s good, no doubt, but I’m not yet sure how good. I’ve heard some smart people put forth convincing arguments against Brady as a premium draft arm (not enough movement on fastball, inconsistent slider, curve and change too far behind fastball/slider), but I’m leaning towards the thought that Brady is better than that. How good is it? I’m thinking really, really good (dominating numbers, good command of 90-92 FB that touches 94-95, good slider when he has it working, improving changeup) with the potential to vault into the top three rounds with a big spring.

Back in 1998, Perfect Game set up shop in Fort Myers, Fla., and prepared to stage what was then its second World Showcase event. Among the players present in 1998 was a speedy outfielder out of Houston, Texas, by the name of Carl Crawford. In 1999, Crawford signed a national of letter-of-intent to be the University of Nebraska’s next great option quarterback. But Crawford’s incredible athleticism and baseball skills hadn’t gone unnoticed by professional scouts at the Perfect Game World Showcase. Crawford was ultimately drafted in the 2nd round of the 1999 Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays and decided to forgo his football career. It was a good move. He signed with the Rays for a $1.245 million bonus and became a baseball All-Star, and on Thursday (Dec. 9) signed a seven-year, $142 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5133

Lance McCullers is as easy of a #1 as it gets. I live in Tampa and have had the luxury of watching McCullers throw at least 7 different times and he is never less than 93mph, and has been up to 97mph. His 82-84mph breaking ball is as "plus" as it gets. SS Addison Russell and RHP Walker Weickel are also a pretty easy #2 and #3. Quality athletes like Russell that can REALLY hit don't come along often. Russell's package includes all of the necessary tools, but also has maturity, instincts, and A+ makeup. The 6'6" Weickel is super-projectable and easily sits in the 90's while still learning to coordinate has massive levers. http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=185