Draft 14 – Brad Zimmer, Evan Skoug, Trea Turner, Scott Hurst, Kyle Schwarber

2-5-14 - Number 18 on our countdown is San Francisco junior outfielder Bradley Zimmer. The La Jolla, California native attended La Jolla, High School. He was a three year varsity starter as he led the squad in many categories including average (.446), home runs, RBI, stolen bases, on-base percentage. As a freshman, he started 42 games while hitting .242 in 153 at-bats with nine doubles, one triple, and 15 RBI. In 2013, he played in 58 games while hitting .320 with seven home runs, 37 RBI and 19 stolen bases. He had a team-high .512 slugging percentage and team-best .949 OPS. He spent the summer with the USA Collegiate National Team where he hit .300 with a home run, 11 RBI and a team-best 11 stolen bases. He finished the summer with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League where she was named postseason MVP after leading the team to the league championship. http://ht.ly/2DA1oL

1-27-14 – BP - Positional Preview: High School Catchers - Evan Skoug | C/CIF | Libertyville (Libertyville, IL) | Commit: Texas Christian  Height/Weight: 5-foot-10/200 pounds  B/T: L/R  Draft Day Age: 18y 7m  As was the case with Schwarz, Skoug really stood out in Syracuse at the East Coast Pro showcase, and in particular during his BP sessions where the big left-handed power was on display. The TCU commit took an even bigger step forward up follow lists with a monster performance in Jupiter for the Reds Midwest Scout Team, showing huge pull-side power throughout the tournament and very little difficulty squaring velocity. Skoug boasts a thick build with a monster lower half and has no trouble generating torque in his swing. He’s among the more interesting left-handed power bats at the high school ranks due to his solid approach and recent on-field performances, and should enter the spring high on Midwest follow lists. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22662

1-3-14 – TTF Baseball - 6. Seattle Mariners — Trea Turner, SS, North Carolina State - Arguably my favorite player in the 2014 MLB draft, the 6’-1” right-hander is a burner who gets on base and plays great defense at a premium position. Some have questioned his hit tool but all he has done is hit for a high average with great strikeout/walk ratios. Over 56 games as a sophomore, he hit .368/.455/.553 with 30 stolen bases and drew 38 walks to just 30 strikeouts. He also hit seven home runs, showing developing power. As a freshman, he led the nation in stolen bases with 57 and was only thrown out four times. He was slowed by an ankle injury over the summer, which might have led to some dropping him in their rankings, but he is fully healed now and should be one of the most exciting players in college this year again.  http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-2/40753#ppGUqI6CbWFvzsPf.99

11-21-13 – BA Top 100 High School Players - 39 Scott Hurst OF L/R 5-10 167 Bishop Amat, La Puente., Calif. Cal State Fullerton http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-high-school-top-100-with-commitments/

3-20-14 – Cubs Insider - • Kyle Schwarber, Indiana University catcher/outfielder: Might be another reach at No. 4, but this could be the best college power bat available. Not sure if he would remain at catcher. The Cubs had at least two staffers scouting him when the Hoosiers came to Surprise Stadium for last month’s Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge. http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/mlb-draft-cubs-identifying-targets-no-4-overall-pick