5/28/12

Draft Notes 5-29-12 – Patrick Biondi, Travis Jankowski, James Ramsey, Ty Buttrey




Patrick Biondi, CF, Michigan, Junior - Patrick Biondi is Michigan’s centerfielder and leadoff hitter.  He is a contact hitter with enough pop to hit some doubles at the next level, but does not project to hit many home runs.  He has good speed and is a good baserunner.  Biondi gets good reads on flyballs in the outfield and covers plenty of ground.




OF, Stony Brook   56 G, .411 AVG, 66 R, 16 2B, 9 3B, 4 HR, 40 RBI, 34 SB .476/.621/1.097 - The way Jankowski has been playing lately, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go in the top 10 picks. The 6’-3”, 200-pound left-hander has very few holes in his game and should be a quick riser to the major leagues. He is hitting .544 (25-for-46) during his current 10-game hitting streak, and over his last 21, is a ridiculous 46-for-86 (.535) with 33 runs, five doubles, five triples, three home runs, 21 RBI and a slash line of .600/.814/1.414. Oh, and he has stolen 14 bases with just two strikeouts over that span. He gets on base, rarely strikes out and is a big-time threat on the base paths. He also is a very good defensive center fielder with a strong, accurate arm and speed to get to most anything hit his way.




Florida State SR OF James Ramsey: you’ll read lots of averages in his reports, which might not excite many, but those are actually a testament to the hard work he has put in since arriving on campus – Ramsey has come as far as any college player that I can remember in recent memory; above-average hit tool; average at best defender; average range; average at best speed; average arm; average power; was always considered a LF only professionally, but his range has improved a great deal in 2012 – can now play a decent enough CF to play there in a pinch; gets good jumps despite not having blazing speed; there were some rumors that he could be tried at 2B professionally, but I’m not sure the team that drafts him will want to mess with his bat that way; he now uses the whole field so much better than when I last saw him (100% pull-heavy) that he looks like a new player; still unsure of his pro ceiling, but I think his bat is good enough to find him a role in some capacity; 6-0, 200 pounds




Buttrey, an Arkansas commit, has garnered some national attention due to his ability to produce easy velocity from his large, athletic frame. Buttrey's motion features a high leg kick and surprisingly shows little effort as the ball jumps out of his hand. He has made significant strides in velocity recently, and still has room to fill out his frame. The pure arm strength and the frame present a dangerous combination that easily point toward future projection. If all goes according to plan, Buttrey profiles as the classic power arm who throws hard, challenges hitters and dares them to hit the fastball. Buttrey also throws a good curve that isn't particularly consistent, but is nasty when it is on. Shows a good feel for a changeup as well and could profile as having at least three average pitches if all goes well. In the words of one Baseball America game report, "He pitches like his car is parked next to a fire hydrant," and his quick, decisive mound presence is an effective tool for him in controlling the game. The team that takes Buttrey early in June will definitely try him out as a starter, and he has to much potential not to be tried there. If that experiment fails, however, he could easily slide into a bullpen and come out and throw 95-96 for an inning. His command, like almost every high school pitcher in existence, needs some refinement, but Buttrey has some of the highest upside of the prep arms in this class.

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