Draft 14 – Tyler Beede, Mark Zagunis, Brad Zimmer, James Farris, Keith Weisenberg

3-4-14 - Okay, now that I got that out of my system, a lot remains to be seen on Tyler Beede. The tools are there and if you're willing to take the risk that his Command never fully develops you could get rewarded with one of the best Starters in baseball. I'll probably do a post late in the College season to talk about guys who might be available at 7 and maybe Beede has elevated himself out of that discussion by then, but if he hasn't we'll take a look at his chances and the Phillies chances of gettin ghim and fixing whatever delivery glitches remain. http://www.thegoodphight.com/2014/2/27/5449712/phillies-2014-draft-preview-tyler-beede-rhp

3-25-14 – 6.  Mark Zagunis, Virginia Tech Height 6'1", Weight: 200 DOB: 2/5/1993 R/R - Back to Virginia Tech again after watching Horan and his boy Chad Pinder the A's drafted.  Zagunis is a Jersey Boy with a bat first rep.  Here is his link to VT.  Zagunis has a lot of power, and is a very good athlete.  The knock is he might not be able to stick behind the plate but the good news is he's athletic enough for a corner spot. http://www.yougottalikethesekids.com/2014/03/ten-catchers-in-2014-mlb-draft.html

2-21-14 – Project Insider - Bradley Zimmer, OF — San Francisco - Zimmer and his Dons teammates are at No. 2 Cal State Fullerton where the outfielder will face the likes of right-handers Matt Chapman and J.D. Davis. Scouts wants to see Zimmer explode in the power department, which would assure him of a top-15 selection. He has three doubles early, but no long balls and he’s whiffed four times versus less-than-stellar pitching. http://prospectinsider.com/draft-prospect-watch-hoffman-vs-fisher

2-27-14 – TTF - 10 college players on the rise - James Farris, RHP, Arizona (NR) - The 6’-2”, 215 pound right-hander isn’t a power guy. His fastball sits in the 88-91 mph range and he isn’t going to blow anyone away with it. What he does, however, is mix his pitches well and keeps hitters off balanced. With his five-hit shutout against Alcorn State on Friday in which he had 10 K/1 BB, he now has allowed just one run over 16.2 innings with 19 K/2 BB. He adds a slider and change-up and has great command of his stuff. Much like former Wildcat, Kurt Heyer, he is a workhorse pitcher with an advanced feel for pitching despite not having a plus pitch. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-10-college-players-rise-2/41299#ldBBF8hRKzmaiy5H.99

2-11-14 – PG/Florida HS Dream Team – P – Keith Weisenberg, Sr. Osceola - Each time he takes the ball at a Perfect Game event it is as though Weisenberg takes another step forward. The Stanford commit regularly sits in the low-90s and uses his 6-foot-4 frame and high three-quarters arm slot to get on top of the ball and generate very sharp downhill plane. Velocity comes easy for Weisenberg, and one shouldn’t be surprised when he continues adding to his fastball, which also has plenty of sink and run down in the zone. He already throws an above average slider in the mid-80s and shows a feel for a changeup, a pitch that shows big potential in the future. http://perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=9372

Draft 14 – Brad Zimmer, Luis Ortiz, Touki Toussaint, Taylor Sparks, Zach Sullivan

2-5-14 - Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco - The 6’-5”, 210 pound left-hander oozes potential and shows every tool except power right now. With his size, however, most think he can hit around 20-25 home runs a year down the line. He has a plus arm, much like his older brother, and Royals top prospect Kyle Zimmer, and mixed with his speed and instincts, should remain a legit center fielder. Over 58 games as a sophomore, he hit .320/.437/.512 with 12 doubles, seven home runs and 19 stolen bases. He also shows a great approach at the plate as he drew 29 walks to 31 strikeouts and was hit by a pitch a whopping 16 times, proving he’ll do whatever it takes to get on base. He showed off his wheels for the Collegiate National Team, swiping 11 of 12 bases over 21 games while also hitting an even .300. He hit .270 over 22 games with Cotuit of the Cape Cod League with eight extra-base hits and six stolen bases. He drew just three walks to 22 strikeouts but this was after a long season of baseball and fatigue may have been setting in. He’s a big, athletic left-hander who can play a premium position and there is still upside left. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-dark-horse-candidates-chicago-cubs-first-pick/41075#UeYBipV5rOuYd7xE.99  

3-25-14 – MLB Draft Insider Mock –  10  Luis Ortiz              RHP        Sanger HS (Calif.)  - Many scouts that I’ve talked to believe that Ortiz is as good — if not better — than every prep pitcher in the class, with two 60 pitches and a prototypical pitcher’s body. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014/03/the-board-2014-volume-ii/

2-11-14 – PG/Florida HS Dream Team – Best Fastball: Touki Toussaint, Sr. Coral Spring Academy - As impressive as the reading on the radar gun is when Toussaint’s fastball crosses the plate, there are other factors that put him to the front of this group. With such an easy and loose arm action, it is easy to envision a few more ticks being added to his fastball that already tops out at 97 mph. The pitch is very clean out of his hand and shows explosive life in the zone. http://perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=9372   

1-3-14 – TTF Baseball - 49. Toronto Blue Jays — Taylor Sparks, 3B/1B, UC Irvine - The Big West Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore, the 6’-4”, 210 pound right-hander hit .360/.388/.581 over 55 games with 10 home runs and 50 RBI. He only drew six walks to 40 strikeouts, showing needed work on his approach. Defensively, he has the arm and actions to stick at the hot corner where his plus power would play well. He led Collegiate Team USA with a .396 average over 19 games and was 7-for-7 in stolen bases, showing good speed on the base paths. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-2/40753#ppGUqI6CbWFvzsPf.99

11-21-13 – BA Top 100 High School Players - 94 Zach Sullivan OF R/R 6-2 175 Corning (N.Y.) Painted Post East Stony Brook http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-high-school-top-100-with-commitments/

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

Draft 14 – Nick Burdi, Chad Sobotka, Justus Sheffield, Brad Zimmer, Sean Bouchard

1-20-14 – PG Preseason College All-Americans - Relief Pitcher - Nick Burdi, Louisville - 2013 Stats: 0.76 ERA, 35 2/3 IP, 62 K, 13 BB, .192 OPP BA - It’s not often a reliever is chosen in the top 10 picks of the MLB draft, but Burdi will put that consistent trend to the test next summer. Burdi, a strapping 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, will be very hard to turn down. He’s one of college baseball’s elite pitchers with a fastball in the mid- to upper-90s, touching 100 at times. He also possesses a slider in the low-90s and good overall stuff. Surprisingly, the UL coaching staff strongly believes Burdi will be even better as a junior than he was as a sophomore last season. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=9294

3-8-14 - Aaron Fitt ‏@aaronfitt  1m

Breaking: USC-Upstate RHP Chad Sobotka, the No. 36 college prospect for #mlbdraft, is expected to miss the spring season with a back injury.

1-3-14 – TTF Baseball - 32. Boston Red Sox (Jacoby Ellsbury) — Justus Sheffield, LHP, Tullahoma HS (TN) - Much like his older brother Jordan, who was considered first-round material until Tommy John surgery all but made him honor his commitment to Vanderbilt, Justus has a plus fastball that can touch 94 mph. The 6’-0” southpaw is a great athlete and also adds an above-average, mid-70s change, as well as a mid-70s curve that still needs refining. Committed to Vanderbilt. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-2/40753#ppGUqI6CbWFvzsPf.99

12-9-13 – Pine Tar Press  -  32- OF Brad Zimmer U. of San Francisco 11/27/92- He is the younger brother of 2012 Kansas City Royals 1st round pick Kyle. Zimmer is a tall, lean RF with a solid line drive approach and good speed. He has a very good arm and uses all fields well from the left side of the plate. I saw him play Missouri in 40-degree weather last March and he showed very good bat control and a solid baseball /IQ. (Red Sox @ 30) http://pinetarpress.com/early-look-2014-mlb-draft/

11-21-13 – BA Top 100 High School Players - 30 Sean Bouchard 3B R/R 6-2 204 Cathedral Catholic, San Diego UCLA http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-high-school-top-100-with-commitments/