Matthew Railey, Max Pentecost, Ryan Castellani, Michael Chavis, Tyler Beede, Matt Imhof

5-11-14  -  Matthew Railey, OF, North Florida Christian HS (FL) - With his advanced approach, excellent bat speed and developing power, Railey has impressed scouts all spring. At 5’-11” and 200 pounds, he has the classic, sweet left-handed swing and can drive the ball to all fields. A very good athlete despite not having great speed, he has a chance to stick in center field but might end up in left field. His bat is what makes him special, however, and he could go on day one. Through 25 games, he is hitting .443/.532/.785 with 10 doubles, five home runs and just seven strikeouts. Committed to Florida State. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-high-school-players-rise-final-edition/42853#cZ17mE5vsjiSvU18.99

3-16-14 – Cubs Den – Max Pentecost, C, Kennesaw State turned some heads early on with his performance to start the year but has since cooled off a bit, hitting .302/.374/.410 with 3 HR.  On the plus side, he has excelled against tougher competition this year, which is something scouts like to see.  Worthy of a top 4 pick, though?  Probably not, but if he can finish strong and stick at catcher, he will go at least in the top 10. http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/03/mlb-draft-update-arms-ahead-of-bats-early-on-but-questions-remain-at-the-top/

3-26-14 – TTF – 10 high school players on the rise — third edition – Ryan Castellani, OF/RHP, Brophy Prep HS (AZ) - The 6’-4”, 200 pound right-hander has been heating up at the plate recently. Over his last four games, he has gone 7-for-11 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs. On the season, he is now up to .391/.500/.783 with six doubles, three triples and two home runs. He has upside as a power-hitting outfielder but he also has an advanced feel for the mound. He can dial his fastball up to 93 mph with late, downward life. He adds a mid-70s curve and a change-up that sits in the 79-83 mph range and both project to above-average pitches down the road. He has good command of his stuff, and there is still room for projection due to his size and easy mechanics. Over 27 innings this season, he has 30 K/10 BB. Committed to Arizona State. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-10-high-school-players-rise-third-edition/42098#CmrUPUJfBWKiV2MO.99

Mi3-17-14 – TTF – 10 High School Players On The Rise – Michael Chavis, 3B, Sprayberry HS (GA) Chavis just continues to mash. The 5’-11”, 190 pound right-hander went 3-for-3 with two more home runs on March 14, upping his total to six over his first 11 games. He is also hitting .656/.738/1.344 with a 2.082 OPS, four doubles and nine stolen bases. He is playing shortstop now, but with his tremendous power, should make a move over to third base where his arm, glove and footwork will play well. Committed to Clemson. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-10-high-school-players-rise-second-edition/41810#OfV5L7GbWgi2Xqtf.99

3-19-14 – TTF – Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt (2) - Beede has been a regular on this list, and he just seems to keep getting better. In a highly anticipated match-up against Aaron Nola and LSU, Beede may have taken the loss, but he was brilliant in defeat. Over 7.1 innings, he allowed no earned runs on just three hits. He added seven strikeouts to one walk and wasn’t hit hard all night. He again showed his unique ability to miss bats with his four-pitch mix, and the command was once again on point. He now has a 0.84 ERA, 0.62 WHIP with 40 K/6 BB over 32.1 innings, holding opponents to a .128 batting average. Looking like a top-five pick. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-10-college-players-rise-week-5/41905#JeRjl1lAwHFUPJlv.99

3-20-14 – Matt Imhof, LHP, Cal Poly - I really liked Imhof to the Cubs in the second round earlier in the year. The 6’-5”, 220 pound southpaw has the ideal size you want in a frontline starter. The way he has been pitching this season, however, he may not be around when they are on the board at 43. With 55 strikeouts over 35 innings, he leads the nation in K/9 at 14.1. Through his five starts, he has a 1.29 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He features a low-90s fastball and has solid secondaries to go with a clean, easy delivery. He knows how to mix up his stuff and, at just 20 years old on draft day, will be one of the youngest college pitchers in the draft. http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/03/mlb-draft-a-look-at-5-college-arms-for-the-2nd-round/