Draft 14 – Michael Kopech, Mac Marshall, Kyle Marsh, Nick Gordon, Tyler Kolek

 

11-27-13 – Big League Futures Top 25 Poll –   23 Michael Kopech    RHP Mt Pleasant (TX) http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/11/26/mlb-draft-top-25-prospects-poll/

12-10-13 – TTF – Top 50 HS Players - 13. Mac Marshall, LHP, Parkview HS (GA) - One of the better southpaws in the 2014 MLB draft, Marshall’s fastball sits in the low/mid-90s and he has worked hard on his delivery and command over the past year. He also flashed a potential plus curveball at the Perfect Game Nationals. At 6’-2” and 185 pounds, he is a great athlete who has been clocked at 6.7 in the 60. As a junior, he had 80 K/32 BB over 46 innings for one of the premiere programs in the country. Committed to LSU. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50/40532#zz88YJZTOG8iEa1Z.99

11-21-13 – BA Top 100 High School Players - 64 Kyle Marsh RHP R/R 6-2* 177 Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, Fla. Central Florida http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-high-school-top-100-with-commitments/

B/R – 11-21-13 - 18. New York Yankees: Nick Gordon, SS/RHP, Olympia HS (Fla.) - The son of former MLB closer Tom Gordon and brother to Dodgers shortstop Dee, Nick Gordon is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s draft class due to his high upside on both sides of the ball. At 6’1”, 170 pounds, Gordon is an outstanding athlete with the speed and defensive chops to likely remain at shortstop long term. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has good bat speed and barrel control but lacks projectable over-the-fence pop. On the mound, the right-handed pitcher can pop 92-94 mph with his fastball and spin an above-average curve. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1860341-2014-mlb-mock-draft-early-first-round-projections-for-all-30-teams/page/10

12-9-13 – Pine Tar Press  -  3- RHP Tyler Kolek Shepherd HS (TCU commit) 12/28/95- Big Texas kid with the quintessential “Texas body” who arrived late on the scene in baseball circles because he missed his junior campaign with a broken left arm. He arrived when he threw 97 at an Area Codes Game tryout and followed that up as a late arrival to the PG National at the Metrodome. His power arm is still finding command of his secondary pitches but it looks like the slider might end up being his second offering. His younger brother, Stephen looks to be a high pick in 2015. (White Sox @ 3) http://pinetarpress.com/early-look-2014-mlb-draft/

Draft 14 - A Quick Look - OF - Stone Garrett - George Ranch (TX) HS

Stone Garrett

6-13-13  -   Stone Garrett, George Ranch (Richmond, Texas), Outfield - Outstanding /athlete with a powerful bat, Garrett batted .359 with six home runs and 22 RBIs. Also had just one error in the outfield for George Ranch. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/article.aspx?articleid=7c0ad513-b5e1-4ac1-b57e-8dedcc72c783&page=8

 

7-2-13  -  2014  - Top 100 High School Prospects -  43. Stone Garrett- OF, George Ranch (TX) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/jeff-sullivans-top-100-2014-prospects/

8-31-13 – Area Code Games - Stone Garrett (CF) 6’2″ 195 (R/R); 2014 Interesting athlete w/lean, muscular build. Baby face; excellent projection and like where body is headed. EZ stroke in BP w/gaps, present pull power. Agg. approach in game mode; crude but competes. Slow out the gate but will show 6run (better 60-yard runner; 6.4). Plus range in OF and still developing reads and routes. 5arm w/on-line carry. Toolsy player w/athletic upside; quality make up.  http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/08/31/area-code-notes/

 

9-1-13 – Petco Game - Stone Garrett (OF) (R/R) 6’2″ 190; Grad: 2014 Sugar Land, TX Intriguing athlete with loose, muscular build. Quick bat w/flat bat plane through hitting zone. Shows pull-side power in BP and at his best when living in the gaps in game mode. AA  speed and a better runner underway. Relies on athleticism in OF and still learning reads/routes. Avg. arm. Toolsy player with athletic upside. Quality make-up should allow him to  reach his potential. http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/09/01/aflac-game-wrap-up-better-late-than-never/

PG - Top Performers - Fastball Velocities - Class of 2014

LINK

RK	Velo	Name	Event	School	City	State
1	99	Tyler Kolek	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Shepherd	Shepherd	TX
2	97	Dylan Cease	National Showcase	Milton	Milton	GA
2	97	Tyler Kolek	National Showcase	Shepherd	Shepherd	TX
2	97	Grant Holmes	WWBA World Championship	Conway	Conway	SC
5	96	Cre Finfrock	WWBA World Championship	Martin County	Jensen Beach	FL
5	96	Brandon Murray	National Showcase	Hobart	Hobart	IN
5	96	Grant Holmes	National Showcase	Conway	Conway	SC
5	96	Grant Holmes	17U Perfect Game World Series	Conway	Conway	SC
5	96	Touki Toussaint	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Coral Springs Christian Academy	Coral Springs	FL
5	96	Dylan Cease	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Milton	Milton	GA
5	96	Dylan Cease	WWBA 18u National Championship	Milton	Milton	GA
12	95	Grant Holmes	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Conway	Conway	SC
12	95	Kodi Medeiros	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Waiakea	Hilo	HI
12	95	Brandon Murray	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Hobart	Hobart	IN
12	95	Cameron Varga	National Showcase	Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy	Loveland	OH
12	95	Luis Ortiz	National Showcase	Sanger	Sanger	CA
12	95	Grant Holmes	WWBA 17u National Championship	Conway	Conway	SC
12	95	Dylan Cease	WWBA 17u National Championship	Milton	Milton	GA
12	95	Keith Weisenberg	WWBA World Championship	Osceola	Seminole	FL
12	95	Scott Blewett	WWBA World Championship	Charles W Baker	Baldwinsville	NY
21	94	Brandon Murray	WWBA World Championship	Hobart	Hobart	IN
21	94	Marvin Gorgas	WWBA World Championship	East Hampton	East Hampton	CT
21	94	Branden Kelliher	WWBA World Championship	Lake Stevens	Lake Stevens	WA
21	94	Alex Faedo	WWBA World Championship	Alonso	Tampa	FL
21	94	Brendan Spagnuolo	WWBA World Championship	Chaminade	Massapequa	NY
21	94	Gabriel Gonzalez	WWBA World Championship	Arbor View	Las Vegas	NV
21	94	Touki Toussaint	WWBA World Championship	Coral Springs Christian Academy	Coral Springs	FL
21	94	Weston Davis	WWBA World Championship	Manatee	Bradenton	FL
21	94	Kodi Medeiros	WWBA World Championship	Waiakea	Hilo	HI
21	94	Derek Casey	WWBA World Championship	Hanover	Mechanicsville	VA
21	94	Sean Reid-Foley	WWBA World Championship	Sandalwood	Jacksonville	FL
21	94	Garrett Fulenchek	WWBA World Championship	Howe	Howe	TX
21	94	Jake Godfrey	WWBA World Championship	Providence Catholic	New Lenox	IL
21	94	Zack Shannon	WWBA World Championship	Anderson	Cincinnati	OH
21	94	Willie Rios	WWBA 17u National Championship	IMG Academy	Waterford	CT
21	94	Cre Finfrock	WWBA 17u National Championship	Martin County	Jensen Beach	FL
21	94	Joseph Gatto	WWBA 17u National Championship	St. Augustine Prep	Hammonton	NJ
21	94	Michael Gettys	WWBA 17u National Championship	Gainesville	Gainsville	GA
21	94	Alex Lange	WWBA 17u National Championship	Lee's Summit West	Lee's Summit	MO
21	94	Keaton McKinney	Iowa Spring Wood Bat League	Ankeny	Ankeny	IA
21	94	Erik Manoah Jr.	National Showcase	South Dade Senior	Homestead	FL
21	94	Sean Reid-Foley	National Showcase	Sandalwood	Jacksonville	FL
21	94	Cre Finfrock	National Showcase	Martin County	Jensen Beach	FL
21	94	Kodi Medeiros	National Showcase	Waiakea	Hilo	HI
21	94	Michael Kopech	National Showcase	Mount Pleasant	Mount Pleasant	TX
21	94	Joseph Gatto	National Showcase	St. Augustine Prep	Hammonton	NJ
21	94	Touki Toussaint	National Showcase	Coral Springs Christian Academy	Coral Springs	FL
21	94	Michael Gettys	National Showcase	Gainesville	Gainsville	GA
21	94	Zack Shannon	National Showcase	Anderson	Cincinnati	OH
21	94	Keven Pimentel	National Showcase	Montverde Academy	Wading River	NY
21	94	Mac Marshall	National Showcase	Parkview	Lilburn	GA
21	94	Jacob Nix	Sunshine West Showcase	Los Alamitos	Los Alamitos	CA
21	94	Sean Reid-Foley	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Sandalwood	Jacksonville	FL
21	94	Justus Sheffield	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Tullahoma	Tullahoma	TN
21	94	Luis Ortiz	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Sanger	Sanger	CA
21	94	Zack Shannon	Perfect Game All-American Classic	Anderson	Cincinnati	OH
21	94	Nicholas Gordon	World Showcase	Olympia	Orlando	FL

FLASH - Yankees Say No To Drew

Yankees GM Brian Cashman says that the club will not sign Stephen Drew, reports Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com (via Twitter). After missing out on Omar Infante, New York had been rumored to be considering a run at the free agent infielder.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/yankees-will-not-sign-stephen-drew.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Mets Rotation Pitchers: 2014-2020

There's a good chance I have all the pitchers that have a chance of making a Mets rotation in the next seven years. Obviously, with nine affiliates, I have left some out, but these are the guys that have a good chance of becoming a major league pitcher some day.

I highlighted in red where the numbers stand out:

    ERA+  -  adjusts pitchers ERA to ballpark

    WAR -  determines the player's total contributions to their team, be it baserunning, batting, fielding, and/or pitching

    BABIP - measures how many of the hitter's 'balls in play' get through for hits

    FIP - short of 'Fielding independent Pitching', it converts a pitcher's three tue outcomes into an earned run average-like number

    xFIP - Expected Fielding Independent Pitching - calculates the same way as FIP, but replaces the number of home runs with the amount they should have allowed

There's 21 names on this list. That's amazing. And frankly, other than Matt Harvey, some of the more impressive numbers are from kids like Gabriel Ynoa.

My guess is that at least 10 of these guys will be dealt off for key every day players to help fill out the team. Don't be surprised if the Mets don't continue to concentrate their drafting efforts on the mound.

I did include one pitcher that hasn't produced positive stats let (Andrew Church), but last year's second round pick does project as a mid-rotation starter and, in the opinions of draft experts, was a solid pick by the Mets.

Matt Harvey – MLB – 2013 – 157/ERA+ - 6.1/WAR – .280/BABIP – 2.00/FIP – 2.63/xFIP

Zack Wheeler – MLB – 2013 – 104/ERA+, 1.1/WAR - .279/BABIP – 4.17/FIP – 4.21/xFIP


Bartolo Colon - MLB - 2013 -  .294/BABIP - 3.23/FIP - 3.95/xFIP - +3.9/WAR

Noah Syndergaard – AA –2013 - .304/BABIP  – 3.86/FIP – Proj 2014: +0.7/WAR

Rafael Montero – AAA – 2013 - .316/BABIP – 2.88/FIP –  0.7/WAR

John Niese – MLB – 2013 - .326/BABIP - .358/FIP - .384/xFIP – +1.6/WAR

Dillon Gee – MLB – 2013 - .296/BABIP - .400/FIP - .407/xFIP, +1.2-WAR

Jenrry Mejia – MLB – 2013 - .329/BABIP - .246/FIP - .231/xFIP, +0.7-WAR

Jacob de Grom – AAA – 2013 - .342/BABIP, 3.56-FIP – Proj 2014 +0.5/WAR

Cory Mazzoni – AA – 2013 - .361/BABIP - .270/FIP – proj 2014: -0.2/WAR

Steven Matz – A – 2013 - .315/BABIP – 2.63/FIP – proj 2014: -0.2/WAR

Rainy Lara – A+ - 2013 - .291/BABIP – 3.64/FIP – proj 2014: -0.2/WAR

Gabriel Ynoa – A – 2013 - .278/BABIP – 2.88/FIP, proj 2014: +0.2/WAR

Michael Fulmer – A+ - 2013 - .245/BABIP – 3.82/FIP – proj 2014: -0.1/WAR

Matt Bowman – A+ - 2013 - .283/BABIP – 3.50/FIP – proj 2014: -0.8/WAR

Luis Cessa – A – 2013 - .326/BABIP – 2.83/FIP – proj 2014: -0.3/WAR

Luis Mateo – AA – 2013 - .417/BABIP – 9.20/FIP – proj 2014:  +0.2/WAR

Robert Whelan – R – 2013 - .251/BABIP – 2.27/FIP – proj 2014: +0.1/WAR

Chris Flexen – R – 2013 - .254/BABIP – 3.32/FIP – proj 2014: -0.7/WAR

Andrew Church – R – 2013 - .367/BABIP – 3.71/FIP – proj 2014: -0.7/WAR

Jose Medina – R – 2013 - .  – 2.08/FIP – proj 2014: -0.2/WAR

Mack’s Morning Report – 12-31 – Jeurys Familia, Marlon Byrd, Danny Muno, Rusney Castillo, Rigo Terrazas

 

RT @gberg9 Syndergaard or Stephenson?

            Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler  - Stephenson. But both front-end starters.

 

BP –

•Jeurys Familia, RHP, Mets (Gigantes del Cibao, DWL): 2 IP, H, 4 K. Familia hasn’t thrown a lot this winter, but when he has, he’s been lights out, missing a ton of bats and flashing the mid-to-upper -90s velocity that has scouts raving. You can’t put a lot of stock in winter league performances, but you can put a ton of stock in young pitchers returning from injury and regaining velocity and missing bats. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22483

 

David Schoenfield –

Finally, let’s talk about outfielder Marlon Byrd. A 30-something slugger who owes a big chunk of his power production to Texas’ home park leaves after 2009, has two disappointing seasons with the Cubs, then falls over a cliff in his age-34 season. And that’s it for him, right? Not at all: Byrd’s big bounce-back in 2013 after earning a job with the Mets in spring training made him a key stretch pickup for the Pirates. His combined .511 slugging percentage made him this winter’s quick addition to the fast-acting Phillies for two years (or three if a 2016 option vests) at $8 million per annum.

There are all sorts of “that won’t be easy” warning signs about Byrd’s 2013. Can he repeat a career-high .220 Isolated Power clip as a 36-year-old? Or a .353 batting average on balls in play, his best mark since his breakthrough 2007 season with the Rangers? Or a career-best 11.1 percent clip of homers on fly balls? It’s notable that Byrd has become a significantly different, more aggressive batsman with age, striking out a career-high 24.9 percent of the time last season while his unintentional walk rate plummeted to 5 percent, while also becoming a more pronounced fly-ball hitter. http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/43190/who-cant-top-what-they-did-in-2013

Mack – This is part of an article called ‘Who can't top what they did in 2013? ‘. There’s no way in hell Byrd is going to make the Phillies investment of $8mil a year a wise one. The Mets got the ‘best last year’ out of this guy and I love the fact that his new paycheck is coming out of the pocket of David Montgomery.

 

A Question from ‘Anonymous’ -

Hey Mack - my question comes from out of left field - about a 2nd baseman - what do you think of Danny Muno? Statistically (OBP, runs, RBIs) he had a great season in AA from June on. I know there is a 2B logjam, but what do you see as his major league potential? Possible starting 2B somewhere? Good utility guy? His name never comes up, and it is incredible to me how much you seem to know about so many current prospects and future draftees.

Mack – Thanks for the question (please join the site under some form of name so we can identify you with your thoughts on the Mets).

Muno was a four-year college player out of Fresno State, which put him behind the eight ball the day he became a Met. The unofficial age limit for a ‘prospect’ is 24 and Muno arrived in Brooklyn already being 22.

(This is what I hate about the way the Mets handle some of their college picks. Why are you starting a 22-year old in rookie ball? Most teams would have had a player like Muno at the A+ level, or they would have passed on a second baseman at the college level and went high school to fill the Cyclones slot)

Anyway, Muno turned heads at Brooklyn... playing shortstop…  (220-AB, .355, 23-doubles) and the Mets bumped him two levels in 2012 to St. Lucie.

Lucy went well (289-AB, .280/.38/.412/.799, 50-BB. He eventually became the full time second baseman in Florida (8-E, 55-G, .961).

And then there was Binghamton in 2013. We talk about this all the time… higher level, better pitching, changing strike zones, pain in the ass umpires. Muno had a miserable start of a season that included hitting .179 in May. He turned hot in July (.329) and finished off the season at .249 in 449-at bats. He’s projected to be the starting second baseman in Las Vegas come this spring.

Sadly, except for emergency backup, his professional shortstop days are past him. Can he make it at the major league level?

I always liked his bat and compared it to Josh Satin. Like Satin, you need a couple of lucky breaks to get a shot. Muno has an outside chance to become a utility player in 2015 for the Mets, but, past that might be a stretch. He really offers no help at third and my guess is Wilfredo Tovar will step up and become the Justin Turner of 2014.

 

John Sickles –

                                    SS Gregorio Petit:

In 2010 he was traded to Texas and hit .251/.316/.342 with their AAA affiliate before becoming a free agent. He then lost all of 2011 to a knee injury and hooked on with Cleveland for the 2012 season. He hit .260/.320/.403 over 111 games, knocking a career high 10 homers as a 27 year old. He spent the year back in AAA for this past season and hit .292/.344/.380 with San Diego's affiliate in Tucson. Add it all up and you get a plus defender with the resume to back it and a bottom of the order hitter. As a back up middle infielder or even a defense-first starter, I believe Petit could hold his own offensively and excel defensively if given a chance at the big league level. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/12/30/5252780/prospecting-for-minor-league-fa-middle-infielders

Mack – I just thought you would find it interesting what free agent utility infielders are still out there. 

BA –

Another one of Cuba’s best players has left the island, the latest in a wave of defections that isn’t expected to slow down. Rusney Castillo, a 26-year-old center fielder who had been one of the top players in Cuba, has left the country to pursue a contract with a major league team, Baseball America has learned. Castillo is short but has a strong, athletic frame at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds. His best tool is his speed, as he’s an above-average runner and one of the better base stealers in Cuba. More of a doubles hitter than a big home run threat, Castillo puts a charge into the ball with a line-drive righthanded swing, though he can get long to the ball at times and some scouts think he’s prone to chasing pitches off the plate. Primarily a center fielder in Cuba, Castillo has also played some second and third base, so his versatility could be a draw for some teams. He’s an aggressive, high-energy player, though some teams see him as a fourth outfielder. http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/defection-of-top-cuban-outfielder-rusney-castillo-could-shake-up-market/  

LJ Mazzilli -

To all my Friends and Family on Facebook. I am deleting my Facebook and my other social medias for a little while to focus on more physical things in my life.

 

Rigo Terrazas -

San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora. - The Young sanluisino Rigoberto Terrazas Paramo, 17, will be making his lifelong dream of traveling to Dominican Republic, where he will be for 1 month and a half in the team training MLB, Mets New York. This talented sanluisino player, who was signed as a pitcher for the Red Devils but in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, was seen by the great Mexican player, one of the best short stop Jose Luis "El Borrego" Sandoval, who commanded Terrazas to unfold at shortstop, leaving "El Borrego" Sandoval struck by the elegance which carried this important prospect on the king of sports position. Quickly José Luis Sandoval spoke to the team leaders Diablos Rojos del Mexico, a team that played more than 20 years and explained that Terrazas had Rigoberto further from shortstop to pitcher and would be as productive as infield, as his excellent glove when catching the ball was remarkable. http://www.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/notas/n3109380.htm

BP –

                                               •Dee Gordon, UTIL, Dodgers (Indios de Mayaguez, PRWL): 3-4, R, K. The most notable thing about this performance by Gordon isn’t the three hits but that he was playing second base and has seen some time there this winter. We also know that he’s been working out in center field in addition to his natural shortstop position. He may never hit enough to play regularly, but a player with plus-plus base-running ability that can fill in at shortstop and center field has some value, and if he can also back-up at second base, well that’s a plus. Think of a faster Desi Relaford. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22483

Draft 14 - A Quick Look - OF - Kel Johnson - Home School (GA)

Kel Johnson

6-9-13  -  18.Kel Johnson, 1B (Georgia HS): One of the best power bats in the high school ranks. Remains to be seen if he ends up at 1st base, or if he can play a solid outfield. http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2013/06/09/2014-mlb-draft-top-30-prospects/     

6-13-13  -  12. San Diego Padres — Kel Johnson, OF, Home School (GA) - A 6’-4”, 210 pound right-hander who has been a fixture on Perfect Game tournaments, Johnson is home schooled by his parents and plays for the East Cobb Braves — one of the premiere youth baseball operations in the country. Power would be his best tool right now as he generates a ton of it with his string wrists and bat speed. A player who you come to watch hit batting practice. Committed to Georgia Tech. http://beforeitsnews.com/sports/2013/06/2014-mlb-mock-draft-1-0-no-time-like-the-present-2513748.html?currentSplittedPage=2    

7-2-13  - 2014 Top 100 High School Prospects -  6. Kel Johnson- OF-1B, Palmetto (GA) - Hits everything hard. Had a home run at TOS and a three home run day a couple days ago at a Perfect Game event http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/jeff-sullivans-top-100-2014-prospects/    

7-22-13 - Perfect Game USA ‏@PerfectGameUSA  - 2014 Kel Johnson just drilled a HR to put the East Cobb Braves on top. Ball comes off his bat different. Wow! #PGTourney

7-24-13  -  Kel Johnson, of/1b, Homeschooled, Palmetto, Ga./FTB Mizuno - Johnson showed toughness and determination battling through a stomach virus during TOS. He has strength throughout his large 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. The Georgia Tech commit’s calling card is his bat. Johnson, who has a loud setup with lots of moving parts and unique timing mechanisms for his hands and front leg, has good bat speed with a swing path conducive to power—especially to his pull side. He has above-average raw power and can put on a show in batting practice. The righthanded hitter is faster than quick and has enough arm and speed to handle an outfield corner. Johnson is homeschooled, a rarity for potential pro prospects. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/tyler-koleks-heavy-fastball-among-tournament-of-stars-standouts/    

2013 East Coast Pro Showcase Top 50 Prospects    - 7. Kel Johnson – OF, Palmetto (GA) HS - Big time power bat. Has the most raw power of any player I’ve seen in the 2014 class. Has been raking all summer for East Cobb. http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-top-50-ecp-prospects/  

 

8-11-13 - Player:  Kel Johnson   Primary Position:  OF  Secondary Position(s):  1B  Height/Weight:  6’4/215  Bats/Throws:  R/R Date of Birth:  7/8/1995  Home Town:  Palmetto, GA  School:  Home School  Travel Team(s):  East Cobb Braves  Class of:  2014  Committed To:  Georgia Tech = Scouting Notes: - 2013 Tournament of Stars notes from Don Olsen: - Kel is a tall proportional lean athletic frame with strength in the wrists and forearms.  He shows some projection, could gain another 20-25 pounds in a Jayson Werth type mold.  Defensively, he has a good deal of arm strength and carries, routinely ropes it.  Good first step and reacts well off the ball, logically a RF down the line.  Bat stands out, extremely loud contact with a ton of backspin that leads to a great deal of raw power, easily in the plus grade and could rise higher. He displays outstanding pull power, and power to all fields.   In game approach, works with good pitch recognition and turns on good velocity with line drive power, pulls mistakes with power.  Sometimes stretches the zone, but shows the ability to drive the RCF gap, should be at least average contact, maybe above average with maturation. Speed should be at least average, good instinctive player on the bags, moves well, good double potential.  Kel has across the board average to above average tools with a chance to plus, maybe higher power. http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/08/11/2014-mlb-draft-profile-kel-johnson/  

 

8-14-13 – Through The Fence – Top 50 Prospects – 35. Kel Johnson, OF, Home School, (GA) - A 6’-4”, 210-pound right-hander who has been a fixture on Perfect Game tournaments, Johnson is home schooled by his parents and plays for the East Cobb Braves — one of the premiere youth baseball operations in the country. Power would be his best tool right now as he generates a ton of it with his strong wrists and bat speed. A player who you come to watch hit batting practice. Finished second to Gatewood in the home run derby at Citi Field, hitting 11 in total. Committed to Georgia Tech. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50-prospects/36463#mwWwsFxSUZy7YC5V.99    

9-4-13 – Mack’s Mock Draft v1.0 – 19 –   OF Kel Johnson – Home School (GA) – This is easiest the most talented home schooled ballplayer in the history of the game. Plays for the legendary travel team, the East Coast Braves. As one scout said, ‘you go out just to see this guy hit batting practice’.  A ton of raw power.

9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 13.Kel Johnson – OF, Palmetto (GA)  http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/ 9-30-13 – TTF Mock 2.0 - 37. Milwaukee Brewers — Kel Johnson, OF, Home School, (GA)  A 6’-4”, 210-pound right-hander who has been a fixture on Perfect Game tournaments, Johnson is home schooled by his parents and plays for the East Cobb Braves — one of the premiere youth baseball operations in the country. Power would be his best tool right now as he generates a ton of it with his strong wrists and bat speed. A player who you come to watch hit batting practice. Finished second to Gatewood in the home run derby at Citi Field, hitting 11 in total. Committed to Georgia Tech. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-mock-draft-2-0-draft-order-set/38280#5E3F5j1jWOgE69bJ.99

10-28-13 – Jim Callis - East Cobb's top 2014 Draft prospect, left fielder Kel Johnson (home-schooled in Palmetto, Ga.), didn't do much on Saturday. He went 0-for-3, grounding out and striking out on a 77-mph breaking ball against Blewett. He has tremendous raw power, but the Georgia Tech recruit will have to show he'll hit enough to get to it consistently. http://ht.ly/qeYJz