Jesse Winker — 6’-3”, OF, Olympia HS (CA) - Winker is a left-handed hitter with excellent bat speed and an impressive approach at the plate. Hit .509 with seven home runs as a junior. At 6’-3” and 200 lbs, he has raw power to all fields and gets good reads on pitches. Was named most outstanding pitcher at the Pan Am Championships, going 2-0 with 10.1 scoreless innings for gold-medal-winning Team USA. His bat, however, is what scouts are in love with, and with another strong senior season, could be a first-round draft pick. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/
Ryne Stanek / RHP /Arkansas – A third-round pick by Seattle, Stanek sits in the 91-93 range, and dominated high-school hitters in the Prospect Classic. His slider can be a bit short, and the arm slot probably makes him a reliever, but he missed bats as a freshman last year and is the second best draft-eligible sophomore hurler behind Gausman. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-college-pitchers/
The Red Sox knew Brandon Kline would be a tough sign, as many Virginia commits are. Now, three years later, Boston and the other 29 teams will have the chance to draft one of the better college closers in the country. With a projectable Brandon Morrow-like frame, Kline has a very live arm with clean action that delivers fastballs regularly in the low-90s, and there might be more velocity in the future. He throws a hard curve and is willing to throw it at all times. He commands both pitches well and has the mentality that works in the back end of a bullpen. While he closes in college, he may not fit that role ideally at the next level, though increased velocity might help in that regard. Even if he doesn't rack up saves, he could be a very quick to the big leagues setup man. . http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/
Synopsis of Summer Season - Mitch Rowan proved that a DIII college player can succeed in the Northwoods League. He was eighth in the league with a .333 batting average in 225 at-bats this summer. He was also among the league leaders with 75 hits and 41 runs scored this summer. He also drove in 21 this summer. Mitch is not a power hitter (0 home runs), but he did hit 19 doubles for the Stingers. He also walked 32 times and stole 22 bases for Willmar. For his play this summer, I named him my 13th best prospect in the league http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/12/2011-top-performer-mitch-rowan.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Hayden Hurst, RHP, Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) - Hurst had plenty of competition for the No. 10 spot, mainly from All Saints’ (Winter Haven, Fla.) right-hander Carson Fulmer. Hurst wins out due to the vast concerns that Fulmer's delivery will relegate him to relief work down the line. Hurst has touched 94 mph in the past and is projectable at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds. There's life and sink to the heater and he also offers a developing curveball. Hurst is committed to Florida State, but he has a chance to go early enough on Day 2 to warrant signing a pro contract. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/940/mccullers-jr-is-top-florida-diamond-star
Brandon Kline:
mlb.com Branden Kline, RHP, Virginia: Virginia's closer, Kline had 17 saves heading into the Super Regional. He's athletic and has a live arm, the kind of college closer who could be very quick to the big leagues.
Lance McCullers:
6-11-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks#/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks/page/9 If anyone is going to give Lance McCullers a run for his money as the top high school pitcher in the 2012 class, it's likely going to be Giolito. With a perfect pitcher's frame (6'6"), Giolito has exploded onto the draft scene, bringing along a wealth of mid-90s fastballs with him. He's also got a few impressive videos circulating out there, which have helped to increase the awareness about him nationally. Giolito has a commitment to UCLA and, for the most part, commitments there are pretty solid, so he's going to be one of the classes toughest signs.
Mike Zunino:
6-15-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5896 - Perfect Game College All-Americans - (Mike) Zunino has been fantastic at and behind the plate this season. He's hitting a team-high .376 with 22 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. He's also slugging .686 and has a .444 OBP. Zunino also has been near perfect behind the plate with just two errors
Drew Fann:
6-17-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/ JR C Drew Fann (2012) - Fann isn’t an early round candidate, but the demand for quality catch-and-throw prospects could get him drafted as a late round senior sign in 2012. The Vanderbilt catching job is up for grabs heading into next year, and it would come as no surprise if Fann took the job with a strong fall. I should point out that I’ve read that Fann is a senior who is exhausted his eligibility on a few Vanderbilt-specific sites, but the official Vandy website has him listed as a redshirt junior. In other words, I don’t know what’s going on with Fann, but the possibility exists that I just spent 117 words on an undrafted player without any more college eligibility .
Jesse Winkler:
6-17-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5900 - The 2011 Perfect Game National Showcase began with the outfielders showing their arm strength from right field. Windermere, Florida native Jesse Winker was one of those players, hitting 91 on the radar gun on throws made to both third and home. Winker is no stranger to Perfect Game events, particularly those associated with the National Showcase, having attended the Junior National in both 2010 and 2009. "I love coming out here, Perfect Game does a great job putting this together,” Winker said after he took batting practice. “I love coming to show what I have and to see where I rank among all the other players. “There is a bunch of (great) talent here. From watching BP and from shagging there's a bunch of guys that can swing it and throw it, both infield and outfield. It's a lot of fun to watch and be part of.” He already was considered one of the top players in the nation eligible for the 2012 draft, and after an incredibly impressive round of BP he has cemented his status as one of the nation's elite hitters.
