Draft Notes 5-14-12 – Stephen Piscotty, Nolan Sanburn, Jeremy Baltz, Josh Elander, Travis Jankowski

Stamford OF-1B (31-14)  Stephen Piscotty –

6.1-IP, 6-H, 3-R, 1-ER, 3-K, 0-BB, 72-P vs. Washington State

Seasonal – 9-G, 1-ST, 2.49, 21.2-IP, 12-K, 5-BB

This was Piscotty’s first start ever which wasn’t that bad; however, if you’re going to draft him, it’s as an everyday hitter (.344/.431/.516, 186-AB, 5-HR, 50-RBI, 14-K, 24-BB).

Piscotty projects as a utility player, which is exactly what his role was in school. For that reason alone I can’t see him picked until around the 4^th round.

Arkansas (35-17) RHP Nolan Sanburn –

                        1.0-IP, 4-H, 3-R, 1-K, 2-BB, 44-P vs. Auburn

                        Seasonal – 17-G, 4-ST, 3.23, 30.2-IP, 38-K, 17-BB

Sandburn earned his prospect status as a closer, but may be drafted as a starter. He does have three pitches which includes a fastball that hits 98 and a nasty 82-85 slider. 98 gets you a first round pick though I see it in the 22-31 range.

St. John’s (32-18) OF Jeremy Baltz –

                        4-5, 3-R, HR, 1-RBI vs. Louisville

                        Seasonal - .337/.424/.513, 6-HR, 44-RBI, 193-AB, 16-K, 25-BB

Baltz started this season with the 1B tag; however, he has played 2012 as a corner outfielder. We all know how both the Yankees and Mets love a local boy and he should be around after the sup-one round is completed. I’d pass on him, but that’s just me.

TCU (31-16) C/OF Josh Elander –

3-5, 3-R, 2-2B, HR, 4-RBI vs. Air Force… Elander could use around ten more games like this leading up to the draft…

Seasonal - .319/.446/.515, 7-HR, 34-RBI, 163-AB, 32-K, 32-BB

The interesting thing here is he’s already trying to get out from behind the plate. Baseball needs catchers, not ex-ones. Elander will be picked somewhere in the top three rounds simply due to the lack of talent in this draft at that position. He projects out in my book as a career minor leaguer.

Stony Brook (38-11) OF Travis Jankowski –

4-9, 3-R, 2-2B, SB, 1-BB, 3-RBI vs. UMBC… again, we have to insert a caveat here due to the limited competition in this conference…

Seasonal:  .382/.455/.608, 3-HR, 33-RBI, 186-AB, 15-K, 18-BB

I would gladly draft Travis if he was still around in the 5^th round. I don’t like everyday players in small D1 schools. They would have transferred if they dominated the game. Jankowski looks to have a good eye. He does have plus speed and defense, but lacks pop. Where have I heard that lately? Projection: 3^rd round.

Draft 2012: - Stryker Trahan, RJ Ybarra, Jeremy Baltz, Ross Heffley

http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-high-school-position-players/#more-602 6. Stryker Trahan / C-OF / Acadania HS (LA): Just like Cecchini, Trahan would rank higher on the list if he was a sure thing at his current position. The left-handed hitting catcher has plus power, though he can get a bit pull happy at times. Defensively, the issue isn’t with arm strength or quickness — and he’s an above-average runner in the outfield — but he’s new to the position and still a work in progress. If he shows major improvements behind the plate, he’s a first-round lock.

RJ Ybarra is a polished catching prospect with nice ability on both sides of the ball. Ybarra has a big, relatively long power swing that leads to impressive power and an ability to hit a good amount of line drives. His swing does lead to some strikeouts, but that’s to be expected from a hitter with Ybarra’s power. His plate discipline is solid at this point, and that’s an area where Ybarra will look to improve this season. Defensively, Ybarra has been a catcher since he was 10 years old, but played other postions until he was a junior at Riverside Poly because of team need (thanks to Baseball America- link is subscribers only). Last season, in his first full year at catcher, Ybarra showed a great arm and nice agility behind the plate, but he needs work on the smoothness of his motions along with blocking balls down in the zone. He has the ability to be a very good defensive catcher with more experience, and we’ll see if he improves defensively in 2012. http://rayscoloredglasses.com/2011/12/21/taking-an-early-look-at-the-catchers-in-the-2012-mlb-draft-part-1

We continue the countdown today at number 31 with St. John’s junior outfielder Jeremy Baltz. The Vestal, NY native attended the local Vestal High School where he was a four-time New York State scholar-athlete. He earned a total of three letters in baseball while helping the Golden Bears win three straight sectional titles and two conference championships. He was a two-time all-division selection while being named all-conference as a senior. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 45th round in the 2009 MLB Draft but decided to attend St. John’s. Baltz had one of the best seasons by a freshman in school history leading the team in each of the triple crown categories. He finished with a .396 batting average with 24 homers and 85 RBI. He picked up a myriad of awards for his season including being named 2010 Big East Rookie of the Year, Louisville Slugger Freshman of the Year, and NCBWA National Freshman Hitter of the Year. He was named a Freshman All-American by NCBWA, Louisville Slugger, and Baseball America while being named a First Team All-American by Baseball America while being Second Team All-American by ABCA, Louisville Slugger, and NCBWA. http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/12/27/top-100-countdown-31-jeremy-baltz-st-johns

Player:  Ross Heffley  Position:  2B  School:  Western Carolina  Date of Birth:  1/21/1990  Height/Weight:  5’8/175  Bats/Throws:  R/R  Class Of:  2012  Previously Drafted: Scouting Report: Ross Heffley earned All-American Honors in 2011 and won Western Carolina’s triple crown.  He is a small second baseman, listed at 5’8, but that may be generous.  He handles the bat well.  He has some pop and could provide plenty of doubles at the next level.  Heffley is an average runner.  He provides solid defense at second and has a strong arm

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http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-high-school-position-players/#more-602 7. Joey Gallo / 1B-3B /  Bishop Gorman HS (NV): This is a fairly aggressive ranking, but I think Gallo’s upside and raw power are better than other first-base prospects like Keon Barnum and the like. The swing will need to be shortened considerably, but the plate approach is solid and the ball jumps off the bat when contact is made. The LSU commit has the arm-strength to play third, but not the lateral quickness or range.

Draft 2012 – Kevin Gausman, Jeremy Baltz, Stephen Piscotty, Dane Phillips

Kevin Gausman / RHP / LSU – A draft-eligible sophomore, Gausman struggled with his command in 2011, but a fastball that sits in the 94 range with an above-average change and breaking ball puts the former Colorado high-school star in the second slot to start the campaign. There’s very little wasted motion in the delivery, and scouts rave about his makeup. There’s plenty of projection here, and if the command improves, he’ll be gone before the first ten picks are made. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-college-pitchers/

Jeremy Baltz — 6’-3”, OF, St. John’s - Baltz has one of the most polished bats in the draft. He hit .396 with 24 home runs and 85 RBI as a freshman in 2011, earning him NCAA Freshman of the Year honors. He then tore up the Cape Cod League hitting .321 with two home runs and 23 RBI over 42 games, including a league-leading 13 doubles. He also showed off his advanced plate discipline by walking 25 times while only striking out 22 times over that span. With another impressive sophomore campaign, Baltz could shoot up draft boards come June. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

Already on radars following a sophomore season that saw him hit .364, Stephen Piscotty certainly helped his status with a strong Cape League season, where he won the batting title with his .349 average. Piscotty has an easy swing with good bat speed, making consistent hard contact and hitting to all fields. He's shown raw power to all fields as well and with some added strength there could be more there. An average runner, Piscotty is a good defender at third, with an accurate arm, good hands and decent range. He also can play the outfield, giving him a little flexibility. He hasn't shown much in-game home run power to date, but a team that thinks it will come with maturity will jump at the chance to add his bat and excellent baseball instincts to its system. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/

Dane Phillips decided to change majors after his sophomore season at Oklahoma State University and he cited that is the reason for his transfer to the University of Arkansas, but he was denied eligibility and chose to transfer to Oklahoma City University an NAIA school where Phillips will be eligible to play. Phillips is a somewhat promising prospect. He has a quick swing that he uses to hit a good amount of line drives, and he uses the entire field. He has power potential that hasn’t really surfaced as a collegiate athlete as he hit just 7 home runs in two seasons at OSU, although he did show some nice gap power in 2011, hitting 16 doubles and 8 triples in 2011 for the Cowboys. Phillips has a decent eye at the plate, although he does strike out too much. A lot of Phillips’ draft stock has to do with whether his power potential comes into fruition. We’ll have to see if that happens at OKCU in 2012. http://rayscoloredglasses.com/2011/12/21/taking-an-early-look-at-the-catchers-in-the-2012-mlb-draft-part-1

Draft 2012: - David Dahl, Jeremy Baltz, Hunter Virant, Matt Duffy, Payden Lamb

10-28-11: - http://orioles-nation.com/2011/10/26/wwba-2012-highlights - David Dahl (Birmingham AL; Oak Mountain) – A kid that has missed a good portion of the summer circuit is making it in these four days with a solid showcase solidifying himself as one of the better prep players.   Easily showed the defensive skill set that makes him one of the better defensive outfielders.  Outstanding arm and range should allow him to stick in centerfield down the road.  His speed plays well in the game and on the paths.  What has really set him a part is his patience at the plate.  A selective hitter with a compact swing and impressive bat speed.  His path is more of a line drive, but should still have high contact rate with the chance for above average power down the road.

11-2-11: - http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/11/top-35-position-players-in-cape-cod.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - Top 35 Position Players in the Cape Cod League 6.   Jeremy Baltz  OF   Falmouth Commodores---St. John's   One scout described Jeremy as being a "Pat Burrell clone." At 6-3/215 pounds, he certainly has the body type. Hit hit .321 and led the league with 13 doubles. He also walked 25 times for Falmouth. He was ranked as the 27th best prospect by BA and PG ranked him as their 31st best prospect in the league.

11-4-11: - http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-2012-free-agent-and-draft-pick-possibilities/13157/#  -  LHP Hunter Virant, 6’-3″, 175 lbs, Camarillo HS (CA) — The left-hander is shooting up draft boards, and the Cubs are always in need of some pitching. He went 6-1 with a 1.46 ERA and 0.97 WHIP this season and tossed a perfect game against rival Rio Mesa. Virant is super aggressive on the mound, not afraid to attack hitters inside. He is also one of the best athletes in the draft, hitting .446 this season, and he is one of the fastest players in the draft.

11-5-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1  - Player:  Matt Duffy - Scouting Report: At the Cape Cod League this summer, Matt Duffy went from afterthough to All-Star.  He was also named All-League and team MVP. After posting averages of .244 and .266 in his two seasons at Long Beach State, Duffy placed third in the batting race on the Cape with a .346 average.  He also showed a bit more extra base power over the summer. Duffy’s versatility defensivley is one of his strengths.  He played second, short, and third for Orleans

11-8-11: - http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/11/top-25-position-players-in-west-coast.html  - Top 25 Position Players In the West Coast League   1.    Payden Cawley Lamb   OF   Wenatchee AppleSox---Gonzaga -  In the WCL this summer, there were 4 or 5 players that really stood out, and all of them had a legitimate chance at being named the #1 player in the league. Payden is my choice as being the best player in the league. He is 5-10/175 pounds and is an outfielder for Gonzaga. This summer he led the league with a .350 batting average, had a .426 slg % and had an on base percentage of .429. He scored 34 runs, knocked in 24 and hit 12 doubles for the AppleSox. He led the league in batting average, was 5th in the in the league in slg %, was 2nd in the league in  obp and was tied for 2nd in the league with 64 hits. He was named to the All-Star Team and he was named a First Team All-WCL player.

Draft 2012: - Jeremy Baltz, Lance McCullers Jr., Mike Zunino, Ted Blackman, Nelson Rodriguez

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments   - Jeremy Baltz, St John’s, 6’3 205, R/R, one of better hitters on paper with tools, didn’t have great 2011 as he did in 2010, adjusted to new bats, but came on late this year. Shows ability to play either OF corner and has strong enough arm for RF, runs well underway, not a base stealing threat, 8-15 type HR power frequency, 4-7 type round candidate for 2012.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update  - 3. Minnesota Twins Lance McCullers Jr. Pitcher Tampa Jesuit High School Florida Even though were beginning to see pitchers like Mark Appel and Lucas Giolito slowly separate themselves as the #1 and #2 overall prospects at this point, Lance McCullers Jr. is still a top 3 overall talent. You would be a fool to dismiss what Lance brings to the table in terms of pitching potential down the road.

9-12-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/09/12/sec-baseball-questions-for-2011  - Mike Zunino will look to return to his sophomore form as he was named 2011 SEC Player of the Year after hitting .371 with 19 homers and 67 RBI in a breakout season. Zunino made an interesting decision to not play for Team USA this summer and only appeared in eleven games with Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox before heading home for the summer

9-12-11: - http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/09/top-20-position-players-in-florida.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - In the six-team Florida Collegiate Summer League this summer, the Sanford River Rats downed the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs to earn them the title of FCSL Champions. Individually, there were at least 25 position players that turned in great seasons. Unfortunately, I had to narrow the list down to the top 20. - 1. Ted Blackman OF Winter Park--Coastal Carolina - Ted, a 6-0/190 pound switch-hitter really made a name for himself this summer while patrolling the Diamond Dawgs outfield. He led the league with a .425 batting average and had an unreal .582 on base percentage. He also led the league with 37 walks. Ted was second in the league with 38 runs scored and 28 stolen bases as well. He showed some pop at the plate (3 hr's) and he hit 10 home runs on the season. During a 10-game stretch in late June/early July, he went 16/35 and drove in 9 runners. He was named the MVP of the league and Perfect Game named him to their Third Team-All American List. Perfect Game ranked him as the 5th best prospect in the league, and Baseball America tabbed him as the 2nd best prospect in the league.

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Nelson Rodriguez, George Washington HS, Brooklyn NY, 6’1 230 R/R, strong body, huge legs, good bat speed with power potential, stands to throw and has ML arm strength, not real quick in his actions behind the plate, played mostly 1b at TOS event, put the bat on the ball which is his trademark, runs better than he showed out of the box but is not going to be a base running threat. 13-20 round type.

Draft 2012: - Mike Zunino, Christopher Rivera, Jeremy Baltz, Jesmuel Valentin, Mitchell Traver

Mike Zunino:

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Mike Zunino, Florida, 6’1 210, R/R, has come into his own in college and has total package to be a great catcher for a long time, ala Charlie O’Brien, former Wichita State star in the 80’s, could be in the top 10 players taken in 2012.


Christopher Rivera:


8-12-11: - http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=290  - Oh, a note about one of my favorite position players, 2013 shortstop Christopher Rivera. He was here playing with a bad leg, a quad issue I believe and it has really limited what he can do on the field. In fairness, he probably shouldn't be out there performing but he obviously likes to play and he is one of the very best players in the region, regardless of age, so people want to see him.


Jeremy Baltz:


8-14-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/08/10/the-good-the-disappointing-from-the-cape  - Jeremy Baltz, OF, St. John’s- With only so much time in my day, Right Field Fog is my only daily stop for Cape League news. The name Jeremy Baltz seemed to pop up in their daily recaps, well, almost daily. He put up a .321/.436/.457 line for the season and made the All-Star Team. Baltz has gotten some mention as a first round pick and his summer only helped his chances.


Jesmuel Valentin:


8-15-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/8/14/2362719/2011-under-armour-all-america-game-top-10-prospects  - 2011 Under Armour All America Game Top 10 Prospects - 2. Jesmuel Valentin 2012 SS 5'10 175 Manati, PR Puerto Rico Baseball Academy - The son of Jose Valentin, his glove looks like it's big league caliber in the middle infield. He has a good balanced swing that looks like it could develop some pop as well.


Mitchell Traver:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Mitchell Traver, Houston Christian HS, Tx 6’7 245, solid build and long loose arm from 3/4 up to 93 on fb, most were 91, showed sink and movement arm side into RHH, proper rotation on cb and threw strikes in relief stint. Has more in that tank.

2012 Draft: - Tyler Naquin, Jake Stewart, Jeremy Baltz, Byron Buxton, Anthony Bazanni

Tyler Naquin:


6-20-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series#/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series/page/ - Without a doubt, the Aggies top offensive player this season was OF Tyler Naquin, who could be a very interesting prospect on draft day next year. Naquin was a 33rd-round pick of Baltimore’s back in ’09, but honored his commitment to A&M, where he blossomed into one of the best hitters in the Big-12 this season. In 65 games, he hit .390 with a team-leading 23 doubles, seven triples and 65 runs. He also hit two home runs, drove in 44 runs, posted a 29:33 BB:K ratio and swiped six bases.


Jake Stewart:


7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com/  - 26. San Francisco Giants Jake Stewart OF Stanford Jake Stewart is an outfielder for Stanford. His dad James played baseball at Virginia Tech before being a minor league player for the Minnesota Twins. His high school team won 3 straight state championships before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round following high school. He won state championships in 2007 and 2008 while playing football and basketball in high school. Williams had a .511 batting average during his senior year of high school. Stewarts batting average peaked from .209 to .287 as a sophomore at Stanford. He should bat over .300 in 2012 possibly eclipsing the .350 batting average mark. Jake Stewart had 16 multi hit games and 5 consecutive multi hit games. Stewart got 3 hits against a Vanderbilt pitching rotation that was extremely deep with MLB talent in 2011.


Jeremy Baltz:


Jeremy Baltz (St. John’s)- He headed into the 2011 College Baseball season as one of the sophomores to watch. Jeremy got off to a slow start before settling in where he finished with a .311 average with six homers and 60 RBI. He has continued his hot hitting in the Cape this summer as he is hitting .310 with two homers and 21 RBI. - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/07/29/2011-cape-cod-all-star-game-players-to-watch/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CollegeBaseballDaily+%28College+Baseball+Daily%29&utm_content=Twitter  


Byron Buxton:


7-30-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6082  - Byron Buxton (2012 OF/RHP, Round Trip Baseball)- From a town of 4,150 people, Buxton is a player that may have slipped through the cracks a couple of decades ago. The supremely athletic OF with plus plus speed is a two sport star for Appling County High School (also a star QB), preventing him from getting much exposure during the fall. When PG last saw Buxton he showed flashes of what he would become, in spite of going 2-for-14 as a RF the scouting notes suggested that he was capable of much more. In 2011 Buxton announced his presence as a big time prospect for the 2012 MLB Draft at the 18u and 17u WWBA National Championships. Buxton hit .393/.500/.675 and went a perfect 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts while also going 2-0 with a Save, allowing just three runs over 12 innings, striking out 16 and walking just three. Buxton’s fastball topped out at 94 mph, but his impressive arm strength is eclipsed by his blazing speed. Buxton posted phenomenal home-to-first times for a right handed hitter, with PG scouts clocking him between 3.96 and 4.12 seconds. With improving swing mechanics and quick hands, Buxton has a chance to develop into a legitimate 5-tool player and after his performance in Marietta, he will be followed very closely leading up to next year’s draft.


Anthony Bazanni:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Anthony Bazzani, E Kentucky, 6’4 200, behemoth with good arm strength, low 90’s live sinker with hard 81-84 slider and throws strikes, a bit of a head jerk but it doesn’t hurt him. He’s pitching this summer in the Northwoods league for Mankato.