Draft Notes 5-31-12 – Kevin Gausman, Corey Seager, Tom Murphy, Mark Appel

Kevin Gausman

Kevin Gausman has been through this before. But this time, he's much more prepared, both physically and mentally.  Gausman was a fairly highly regarded prospect as a Colorado high schooler in 2010. But he was a fastball pitcher with poor command, below-average secondary stuff and a rail-thin build. In addition, a commitment to Louisiana State and the fact he'd be eligible for the Draft again in two years made it almost certain that he'd go on to college.

Corey Seager

Corey Seager, 3B, Northwest Cabarrus HS (NC) - Class: HS Senior -  Hometown: Kannapolis, North Carolina   Height/Weight: 6-4/190   Born: April 27, 1994  Seager is the younger brother of Kyle Seager, who is in the midst of a breakout season with the Seattle Mariners. Like his older brother, Corey, has the perfect combination of polish and impressive raw talent.

Kevin Goldstein –

Q - What is the main factor between Carlos Correa and Devin Marrero in your opinion?

A - WAY better hit/power.

                         

Tom Murphy  

The bar for being a productive catcher in the major leagues is low. It's not low in that it's still very, very hard to play baseball at that high a level, but it's lower for catchers than for lots of other positions. Which is why you can re-calibrate expectations for catchers. A guy who profiles with average power at other positions becomes above-average for a catcher. The flip side of that is that a guy who has to move off the position can go from being a great prospect to an average one with one small switch in positions. Why is this relevant? Because Tom Murphy could be one of the best catchers in the draft, but he's not really one of the best hitters. He's got good power, but may not be able to make great contact consistently in the majors. He's good defensively, and has a good chance at sticking with catching in the future.

Mark Appel  

4. Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford - Who he is: There are three big college arms in this draft, and Appel is generally seen as the best. He certainly passes the sniff test, due to a 6-foot-5 power frame and a 93-95 mph fastball that can touch 98. His breaking ball is a bit of a hybrid, but is effective and misses plenty of bats, and his changeup is average. He's excellent, but for some, he lacks the wow factor of a potential 1-1 pick. One scout commented, “The parts are greater than the sum,” as he can be surprisingly hittable at times. Draft skinny: Currently the favorite to go No. 1 to Houston, but not yet a lock. He should get through the minors quickly, but he's also the top prospect being advised by Scott Boras, and teams are unsure as to what those negotiations will be like under the new rules.

Draft 2012: Devin Merrero, Courtney Hawkins, Corey Seager, Matthew Crownover

4. Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State - First off, I think Marrero could probably compete opening day on about 3 or 4 major league rosters based purely on his defense. His bat is a bigger concern. Last year he posted a wOBA of .348 in a league that was good but not elite and is a similar though not all together better hitter as former ASU shortstop Riccio Torres (drafted by TB). Marrero might end up being a league average hitter and as a shortstop with a plus glove that easily puts him roughly in the same mold as say JJ Hardy, though, with less power. He’s not a guy that fits into the top-5 guy to me, but then again when you consider how little time he’d actually spend in the minor leagues his value increases. I figure he’ll fit in nicely in the 7-15 range. But I’ve been wrong about a lot in life and this would be lest surprised. http://sodomojo.com/2012/02/13/more-mlb-draft-talk-and-a-quick-little-top-5/

9. Courtney Hawkins, OF, BR/TR, Carroll HS, Corpus Christi, TX - Pure power is Hawkins' forte. During a showcase game last summer, he flailed helplessly at curveballs in his first three at bats. In his final AB, he picked out a tasty fastball and hammered it 400 feet for a home run. Hawkins has a strong and mature build, runs well for a youngster of his size and packs a powerful arm. Defensively, he fits best as a corner outfielder. Mechanically sound as a hitter, Hawkins will still need to shorten his stride, keep his front hip closed and fight a habit to "drift" his weight onto his front leg. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/highschool/02/13/baseball.top.10.prospects/index.html#ixzz1mJYi8Rky  

5. Corey Seager, 3B, Northwest Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.)  Seager, a shortstop in high school, is likely to slide over to third base, a move that should be smooth and seamless. He's the younger brother of Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager, but is more physical with a higher ceiling. He's wiry strong and smart at the plate and keeps things simple, and as he gets stronger the power will develop. If he passes on the pro game for now, South Carolina will get a terrific player who could improve his draft stock. Like his brother, some time on Day 2 of the draft is most likely. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1108/joey-gallo-is-nation%e2%80%99s-top-corner-infielder  

Matthew Crownover has been a fixture on the summer circuit for quite a while.  The athletic lefthander pitched on the gold medal winning 14U National Team in 2007 and has attended numerous Perfect Game showcases.  He has been one of the most highly thought of 2012 pitching prospects for the last few years. There is no doubt that Crownover knows how to pitch.  He spots all of his pitches well.  Crownover has a 3/4 arm slot and does a good job repeating his delivery. Crownover delivers his fastball from 88-91 with good movement and has been clocked as high as 94.  His change is a potential plus pitch that he throws with good arm speed.  He also throws a low 70′s curve  http://mlbdraftguide.com/

Draft 2012 – Carson Kelly, Branden Kline, Chris Beck, Corey Seager, Josh Elander

Carson Kelly — 6’-2”, 3B/RHP, Westview HS (OR) - Kelly, the top prep player in Oregon, is an athlete who excels both on the mound and at the plate. He hit .473 with 14 home runs as a junior and is a line-drive hitter with power to all fields. Has very good bat speed and a solid approach at the plate. His strong arm and athleticism should allow him to stick at third base, if he chooses. As a pitcher, his curve, sinker and 93 mph fastball are all quality pitches with the ability to get better with more time and focus on the mound. Was outstanding at the Pan Am Championships for Team USA, going 2-0 1.29 ERA and 12 K/1 BB over 14 innings. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

Branden Kline / RHP / Virginia – A plus fastball and breaking ball, Kline would be the first reliever off the board if not for Stroman. He won’t dominate hitters, but a solid set up man with the potential for more if he can add a tick or two on his heater. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-college-pitchers/

Chris Beck is a strong right-hander who may not be the first college arm to come off Draft boards, but a strong junior season could have him in the top of the first-round discussion. The Georgia native has the chance to have three pitches that will be Major League average or better. He can run his fastball up to 94 mph, sitting comfortably at 92-93 mph, and he maintains his velocity deep into starts. When he stays on top of his slider, it's a sharp breaking ball with late tilt. His changeup is above-average with late sink and a lot of deception. He can throw all three pitches for strikes and has a very good feel for pitching. For a guy with his size and stuff -- think a Kyle Davies type with more power -- he doesn't always throw like a power arm. His fastball will flatten out at times and his slider isn't always crisp, but if he would pitch off of his fastball more, he could be even better, a frontline starter with three weapons to choose from. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/

http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-high-school-position-players/#more-602  10. Corey Seager / 2B / NW Carrabus HS (NC): This is another aggressive ranking, but just watch the kid take batting practice and you’ll understand why I’m high on the South Carolina commit. The ball jumps off his bat to all parts of the field, and his bat speed is as good as any infielder in the class. He might have to move to third-base, but there’s plenty of arm strength to play the hot corner.

Josh Elander is a good catching prospect, but he the potential to be a high-riser in the months before the 2012 MLB Draft if he can show more flashes of the ability scouts have seen in him. Elander has shown good bat speed with an ability to spray line drives all over the field, but he has been primarily a singles hitter thus far in his career. Scouts have seen the power potential in Elander, but maybe his swing is too short for him to display it in games. He does have pretty good plate discipline, but he strikes out too much, especially for a player who’s a singles hitter at this point. He is fast for a catcher, able to run a 6.78 in the 60 (4.5 in the 40), and he was a perfect 9 for 9 in stolen bases in 2011. If Elander can ever bring his power out, he’ll be a good offensive prospect. Right now, he’s a decent hitting prospect at best. Defensively, Elander has a very strong arm and he is smooth behind the plate. He has the makings of a good defensive catcher.  http://rayscoloredglasses.com/2011/12/21/taking-an-early-look-at-the-catchers-in-the-2012-mlb-draft-part-1

2012 Draft: - Brian Johnson, Cody Keefer, Kenny Diekroeger, Cody Poteet, Corey Seager

Brian Johnson:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Brian Johnson, Florida, 6’2 220, L/L, also good hitting first base type, two way player that will let pro ball help him make his choice. Fb in low 90’s, most are 88-89, also hard slider 81-83 with decent tilt. Command is ok, crosses body during delivery which hinders full extension. 4-7 rounder for me.


Cody Keefer:


8-9-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/08/09/cape-cod-baseball-league-players-of-the-week-august-9th  - 2011 Cape League All-Star Cody Keefer (UCLA) has been named this week’s Player of the Week. Ramsey has homered twice and driven in four runs in eight playoff at-bats to help Y-D sweep Orleans in the first round of the Cape League playoffs. In the week leading up to the playoffs, Keefer failed to record a hit in only one game, and recorded multiple hits in two out of the four games. Keefer is a sophomore at UCLA, where he batted over .300 in each of his two seasons as a Bruin. He was a 33rd round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft.


Kenny Diekroeger:


8-9-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/08/07/kenny-diekroeger-2012-draft-profile  - Kenny Diekroeger is one of the top shortstops available for the 2012 draft. Likely to be drafted in the first round, possibly in the top 10, Diekroeger is a top athlete. At the 2008 Area Code Games, he put up the top SPARQ rating, finishing 1 spot ahead of Mike Trout. Diekroeger regressed a bit at the plate in 2011, but that was due to the new bats more than anything else. He has plus bat speed and a nice swing. Diekroeger also has good speed on the bases. Kenny played third during his freshman season before sliding over to his natural shortstop spot in 2011. He has improved defensively since arriving at Stanford. He has good range and an above average arm. While some view Diekroeger as a future outfielder, his athleticism and coninued improvement should allow him to remain at short.


Cody Poteet:


8-12-11: - http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=290  - The Brewers pitcher who was most impressive was RHP Cody Poteet (6'1" 178, Bonita, CA). I think he is actually a little shorter than 6'1" and a little heavier but that being said, I love his stuff and how he goes about his business. He reminds me in some ways of Astros RHP Bud Norris when he was younger, with his bulldog demeanor and good aggressive use of his stuff. Poteet was 88-91 mph with the fastball that comes out with good down angle from his overhand slot. He also has a hard 77-78 mph curveball that was about as good as any curveball I saw in Long Beach. At times it was a hammer and is a legitimate swing and miss pitch.


Corey Seager:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Corey Seager, NW Cabarrus HS, Kannapolis NC, 6’3 195, L/R, smooth hitter, goes with pitch, squares up pitches well and has surprising power, uses all fields when hitting, runs better underway, runs easy, throws easy and has solid fielding mechanics, can play SS at pro level, long run position would be corner. Potential 1st rounder in 2012.