Draft Notes – Hunter Virant, Richie Schaffer, Nick Goody, Michael Wacha, Mark Appel

Camarillo H.S. RHP Hunter Virant tossed a no-hitter on Thursday. This outing should guarantee Hunter a pick in the first round. I had hoped he would fall to a “two” and the Mets would grab him, but now, don’t look for him to be around when the Mets use the first of two Jose Reyes compensation picks. scouting report - Virant is a lanky left-hander who will no doubt challenge for the top spot among high school southpaws. He’s been consistently clocked in the low-to-mid 90s, and has touched 96 mph in the past. He complements his fastball with a stellar curveball, one that could be one of the best in the class with a bit more experience and polish. Virant is athletic enough to play multiple positions throughout his high school career, including first base and outfield. He shows enough potential at the plate to warrant a spot in the draft, but on the mound his future as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter is going to be too much to ignore 

Keith Law tweeted that Clemson 1B Richie Schaffer will “definitely’ be a first round draft pick.  - high school scouting report:  - Richie Shaffer is a 2009 3B/SS/P with a 6'3'', 190 lb. frame from Charlotte, NC who attends Providence. Shaffer has a very athletic strong build and can do it all. He has very fluid infield actions and has hands work well. He throws easy with great carry across the diamond topping out at 91mph. He has good bat speed at the plate and the ball flies off his bat. He has easy power and can drive the ball to all fields. He has huge power potential and his bat projects very large with some minor adjustments. He also can get on the mound and topped out at 90 at the Metrodome, with more to come. Shaffer is an outstanding baseball player and a top 2009 draft follow. He is also an very good student and has verbally committed to Clemson. Aflac All American 

LSU RHP Nick Goody -  90-93, power curve  79-82… 7^th save.  team web site - MLB Draft: 22nd Round in 2011 (New York Yankees). Arrives at LSU after a standout junior college career at State College of Florida in Bradenton ... elected to enroll at LSU instead of signing a pro contract with the New York Yankees ... outstanding competitor who is a strong candidate to work in the closer role this season for the Tigers. PRIOR TO LSU - Worked 84 innings in 2011, recording a 6-2 record, 33 walks, 114 strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA for State College of Florida ... named the 2011 Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year and earned JUCO all-America recognition ... named to the Dean's List of the State College of Florida ... a four-year letterman as a shortstop at University High School in Orlando ... a recipient of the Golden Glove award in high school ... an Honor Roll student who finished at University HS with a 4.2 GPA. 

TAMU RHP Michael Wacha continues to prove why he’s a sure fired first round pick in the June draft. How’s this for a stat line vs. state rival Texas: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K… for the season, Wacha stands 6-0, 2.22, 77.0-IP, 78-K, 14-BB. 

Stanford RHP Mark Appel had a very strong outing against UCLA. His line for the night: 7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K… for the season:  6-1, 2.73, 79.0-IP, 81-K, 20-BB

Draft 2012: Mark Appel, Stryker Trahan, Michael Wacha, Ty Hensley, Byron Buxton

College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to the start of the 2012 College Baseball season by checking in on the Top 100 Players in the country. We will be providing one player per day until we reach number 1. We conclude the countdown today at number 1 with Stanford RHP Mark Appel. The San Ramon, California native attended Monte Vista High School. He was a two year letterwinner where as a senior he appeared in nine games with an ERA of 0.90 ERA in 31.0 innings. He gave up just 21 hits, striking out 45 and walking just six over five starts while going 4-0 with three saves. He was picked in the 15th round by the Detroit Tigers but decided to head to Stanford. http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2012/01/31/top-100-countdown-1-mark-appel-stanford/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CollegeBaseballDaily+%28College+Baseball+Daily%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Stryker Trahan, Acadiana (Lafayette, La.), Catcher, 6-1, L/R, Mississippi Mock drafts from last summer find Trahan near the bottom of the first round or nowhere at all. However a strong showing at the Area Code Games, where he was the event's leading hitter with a .600 average, has boosted Trahan into the mid-teens. Although he had just five home runs last season, Trahan is noted for his power. He also has a strong arm and is an athletic presence behind the plate. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/-8V2A0MeEeGkPgAmVebEWg/maxpreps-top-10-mlb-draft-prospects.htm

SP Michael Wacha  School: Texas A&M  Cl.: Junior, Ht.: 6-6, Wt.: 200  Hometown.: Texarkana, Texas  High school: Pleasant Grove The tallish and talented right-handed pitcher has had a pair of productive campaigns to begin his collegiate career. Now, as a junior, he’s a top prospect with a great changeup and fastball in the 92-94 mph range. In 2011, Wacha tallied a 2.29 ERA in 129 2/3 innings. Also struck out 123 and walked 30. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6498

Michael Wacha — 6’-6”, RHP, Texas A&M Wacha is a 6’-6”, 200 lb future workhorse at the next level. With an easy delivery, and sound mechanics, he should be able to eat up innings as a front of the rotation starter. His fastball can touch 95 mph, but not a lot of movement on it. His change has true plus potential and his curveball is still developing. Went 9-4 with a 2.29 ERA and 123 K/30 BB over 129.2 innings in 2011, allowing only three home runs. He also pitched for Collegiate Team USA, tossing 11.1 innings, allowing one run with 12 strikeouts to only three walks. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

Ty Hensley, Santa Fe (Edmond, Okla.)  Hensley, an Ole Miss commit who was up to 94 mph at the Area Code Games in August, could pitch his way into the first round. Like McCullers, Hensley could end up pitching in relief, but he has a shot to start long term. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1051/top-10-class-of-2012-right-handed-pitchers

A relative unknown until this summer, Byron Buxton was the star attraction at the WWBA National Championships and has been on a meteoric rise ever since. Baseball America even named him their top high school prospect for the 2012 MLB Draft. A talented quarterback on the gridiron, Buxton shows plus-plus speed, showing home-to-first times as fast as 3.96 seconds. He can pump it up to 94 MPH on the mound, giving him a plus arm in the outfield as well. But what scouts are really drooling over is his plus-plus bat speed. Buxton has extremely quick wrists and a fluid swing that should lead to him hitting for a high average and good power. He gets comparisons from every scout in America to Justin Upton and rightly so. Buxton has a legitimate shot to be the #1 pick in June and with a productive spring season certainly won't make it out of the top 5 http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com/2012/01/byron-buxton-draft-profile.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiamondProspects+%28Diamond+Prospects%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Draft 2012 – Kyle Zimmer, Lewis Brinson, Stryker Trahan, Michael Wacha, DJ Baxendale

Kyle Zimmer — 6’-3”, RHP, San Francisco Zimmer is a power righty whose fastball has been clocked at 97 mph with late sink. He also features a power curve that projects to a wipe-out pitch at the next level. His slider is above average, his change-up is still developing, and he has excellent command of all four pitches. He had a 3.38 ERA at the Cape Cod League with 37K/14 BB over 48 innings. At 6’-3”and 200 lbs, he has the frame to be a workhorse. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

Lewis Brinson, OF, Coral Springs (Fla.) - Brinson brings mixed reviews at this stage of the evaluation process, displaying plus athleticism and five-tool potential. At 6-foot-4, he may ultimately outgrow center field, but his arm should fit in right, provided his raw power plays in pro ball, too. Brinson has been timed in the 60 at 6.5 seconds, which is among the fastest in the entire draft class. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/940/mccullers-jr-is-top-florida-diamond-star

http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/ - Stryker Trahan — 6’-2”, C, Arcadiana HS (LA) - Left-handed hitting catchers are rare. Athletic ones who can hit for power are even rarer. Trahan is the top prep catcher in the draft and should be able to stay at the position at the major-league level. At 6’-2” and 215 lbs, he makes for a good target and has a very strong arm. He runs a 6.6/60 and would play well in right field, as well. Hit .460 with five home runs as a junior in 2011 with a 1.281 OPS.

We continue the countdown today at number 26 with Texas A&M junior RHP Michael Wacha.The Texarkana, Texas native attended Pleasant Grove High School where he was a two-time All-State selection. As a senior,  he went 6-3 while leading the squad to a state semifinal appearance while going 16-3 as a junior bringing the squad to the State Championship Game.  As a freshman in 2010, he made 25 appearances, 10 as a starter while having a 9-2 record and an ERA of 2.90 which ranked him sixth in the league. He struck out 97 batters while walking just 22 in 105.2 innings pitched. He was selected a Freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball as well as honorable mention All-Big 12 selection http://ht.ly/1guGrf

We continue the countdown today at number 25 with Arkansas junior RHP DJ Baxendale. The Jacksonville, Arkansas native attended Sylvan Hills High School where he went 25-1 as a junior and senior while being named State of Arkansas Gatorade Player fo the Year, Arkansas Player of the Year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Louisville Slugger and MaxPreps following senior season. As a freshman in 2010, he served as the team’s closer making appearances in a team-high 29 games with a record of 0-2 record with a team-leading seven saves and a 3.58 ERA. He spent the summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox where he continued to work out of the bullpen with a 2-3 record with a team-leading nine saves and a 2.57 ERA. He was able to hold opponents to a .187 batting average and striking out 14 in 21.0 innings of work  We continue the countdown today at number 25 with Arkansas junior RHP DJ Baxendale. The Jacksonville, Arkansas native attended Sylvan Hills High School where he went 25-1 as a junior and senior while being named State of Arkansas Gatorade Player fo the Year, Arkansas Player of the Year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Louisville Slugger and MaxPreps following senior season.  http://ht.ly/1gvMoe

Draft 2012 – Brett Mooneyham, Michael Wacha, Courtney Hawkins, Tyler Naquin

We continue the countdown today at number 30 with Stanford redshirt junior LHP Brett Mooneyham. The Atwater, California, native earned four varsity letters at Buhach High School while helping his team to four straight league titles.  He was named first team All-League in his senior season of 2008, leading the team to a Division I Championship on both the mound and at the plate. He went 9-2 with a 0.97 ERA including 103 strikeouts in 58 innings and holding opponents to a .116 batting average. At the plate, he hit .379 with 5 HR and 35 RBI.  Mooneyham’s father was a 4-time first round pick, finally signing with the Angels as the 10th pick in the 1980 June Draft.  He played 9 professional seasons, seeing time in the major leagues with the Oakland A’s in 1986. The 6’5″ left hander had an outstanding freshman year in 2009 as he was named a Freshman All-American by both Louisville Slugger and Collegiate Baseball, going 6-3 with a 4.14 ERA and over 67.1 innings pitched, striking out 72 and holding opposing batters to a .204 BAA.  Though Stanford failed to make the postseason in 2009, Mooneyham was tied for 2nd in the Pac-10 in fewest hits allowed with 46 while getting 5 out of his 6 wins in Pac-10 play. http://ht.ly/1gpTxP   

Michael Wacha / RHP / Texas A&M – After Gausman, the drop is pretty significant, but Wacha is a quality arm to watch for in 2012. He generates plenty of spin with his curveball, and the fastball sits in the 92-94 range with movement. He’ll have to develop a third pitch — he has a show-me change that didn’t do much for me when I saw it in the super Regional last year. The command is average, but he throws strikes and doesn’t nibble. More of a No.3 type arm, but you could do worse, and he should be an innings eater. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-college-pitchers/

Courtney Hawkins — 6’-3”, OF, Carroll HS (TX) - Hawkins is a five-tool prospect with tremendous power to all fields. He hit .410 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases as a junior. His plus arm (clocked at 92 mph from the outfield), mixed with his 6.6/60 speed, project him as a future right fielder in the majors. Still raw with his plate discipline, but that can be said about most high school players. Committed to Texas and could be a tough sign. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

Tyler Naquin brings a lot of qualities to the table, but some of it doesn't add up, making some wonder if he's a bit of a "tweener." Coming from a top-notch program, Naquin has a great approach to the game and plays it the right way. He has a smooth swing from the left side and can spray line drives all over the field. He will occasionally show some leverage and loft, but hasn't really shown much power to date. He's a solid-average runner with excellent baserunning instincts which allow him to take the extra base and steal some bases. He might have the best outfield arm in the Draft class, a true plus. He shows pretty good range from the outfield. Here's where it gets confusing. Naquin has the arm for right field, but not the power bat typically associated with the position. He has some skills for center field, but hasn't played there much and might not have the range. Still, his ability to hit, run well, throw and play the game with plus baseball IQ should have plenty of suitors. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/

Draft 2012: - Michael Wacha, Nick Whittgren, Josh Elander, Austin Dean

12-2-11: - http://mlbdraftcountdown.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/2012-mlb-mock-draft-updated-top-15-with-final-mlb-standings - 2) Minnesota Twins: Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M  The 2012 draft will mark the first time that the Twins will be picking inside the top 10 since 2001. That was the year that they famously passed over Mark Prior in favor of hometown kid Joe Mauer. I’d say that deal worked out OK for them, although it looks like their most recent deal for him might not. With all the injury concerns surrounding Mauer and without Wilson Ramos, who they dealt to Washington back when Mauer was still healthy, the Twins could really use a catcher, but right now, there isn’t one worthy of a No. 2 overall pick. Taking that into consideration, as well as the Twins lack of depth in starting pitching (see Kyle Gibson), my guess is they’d be happy scooping up Michael Wacha, arguably the No. 2 overall college pitcher. Taking Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero would have been a no-brainer had they not pulled the trigger on Levi Michael this past draft, a player they feel comfortable can handle shortstop.

12--8-11: - http://ht.ly/1g3OEJ We continue the countdown today at number 47 with Purdue junior RHP Nick Wittgren. The Lafayette, Indiana native attended McCutcheon High School where he won three letters in baseball while picking up three in basketball and four in tennis. As a senior, he hit .395 at the plate while striking out 55 on the mound as he was named the team MVP and leading them to a sectional title.  He spent his freshman season at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois where he pitched a total 60.2 innings pitched while going 10-0 with one save and 54 strikeouts. Nick transferred to Purdue for his sophomore season where he made 28 relief appearances and one start going 2-3 including 12 saves with an ERA of 3.18 in 51 innings of work. He showed excellent control striking out 55 batters while walking ten and holding opponents to a batting average of .244. He was named Second Team All-Big Ten while also being on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List.

12-10-11: - http://ht.ly/1g6dEj  - We continue the countdown today at number 45 with TCU junior catcher/outfielder Josh Elander. The Round Rock, Texas native attended Round Rock High School where he was a four year letter winner. As a senior, he picked up several awards including being named District 16-5A Most Valuable Player as a senior, first-team all-state, first-team all-Central Texas and an Under Armour All-American as a junior and senior. In the 2009 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals selected him in the 39th round but he didn’t sign going to TCU to continue his education. His freshman season saw him appear in 59 games (51 starts) with 33 starts coming in right field, 17 as the designated hitter and one as the catcher. He finished the season with a .356 batting average with two homers and 33 RBI.

12-9-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1  - Austin Dean is a solid, athletic player with good tools across the board.  He plays at Klein Collins with CJ Hinojosa. Dean is a line drive hitter with good bat speed.  He has a patient approach at the plate and shows good raw power.  His recorded 60 time is 6.74. Dean is a plus defender at first base.  He has also played 3rd base and 2nd base.  While Dean is profiled at first, he has enough arm and athleticism for third base. As a prospect, Dean brings above average tools and skills to the table.  He also impresses with how hard he plays the game.

2012 Draft: - Mets 2012 12th Overall Pick – An Early Projection:

The order of the first round is set and the Mets pick 12^th.

It’s far too early to make any hard predictions, but, there will be great players still on the board when the Mets get their pick. The 2012 draft isn’t as talented as this year, but there are around 20 A-players in this one, and the Mets will get a shot at one of them.

The first thing is to eliminate the players that will be gone before the Mets pick comes up.

Right now, they look to be RHPs Lucas Giolito, Mark Appel, Kevin Gausman, and Lance McCullers, catcher Mike Zunino (damn), SS Deven Marrero, and OF Nick Williams.

Your next five could be:

RHP Michael Wacha – A 6-6 right hander out of Texas A&M. Wacha has a big, low 90s,  ¾ fastball with sink. Was a reliever and still needs to develop a third plus pitch, but his change-up is filthy.

LHP Hunter Virant – There is no dominant lefty in this draft, but Virant should be the first to be picked. A prep kid, he’s already hitting 93 and there is project that he has room to grow both on his fastball and his curve. Add to that an already advanced changeup and he may soar up the draft as the season goes on.

C Stryker Trahan –  Mike Zunino is the top catcher in the draft, but the Mets may pick Trahan since he isn’t projected to be around past the first 31 picks. Another prep players, the very confident Trahan is a brute, with an excellent arm. A 5-tooler in the making.

OF Victor Roache – Roache led the nation last year in home runs as a first baseman, but has quietly been converting himself into an outfielder. He had 30 home runs in 60 games. Let’s see, the pros play 162 games… hmm. Also dominated the Cape Cod League with .328, 6-HR, 28-RBI.  And, all this was done with the new dead bat.

3B Trey Williams –  Anther high school kid, this could be the Mets future third baseman. A definite 5-tooler with enormous power potential.  One scout projects has him on the upside of a more athletic Mark Texeira when he was drafted.

Draft 2012: - Dan Gulbransen, Michael Wacha, James Ramsey, Max Fried

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Dan Gulbransen, Jacksonville, 5’11 200, L/L, short compact swing as hitter with HR power to RF alley, can go the other way for extra base hits, throws adequate to be solid LF corner guy or 4th utility OF, runs well enough but not a threat to steal many bases, good base running ability however.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update  - 6. Chicago Cubs Michael Wacha Pitcher Texas A&M Wacha is 6 foot 6 220 pounds. The Cubs have 6 pitching prospects ranked in the top ten of their farm system. Hayden Simpson has struggled and none of the pitching prospects have made significant progress in AAA to the point where their close to playing in the MLB. The Cubs may have 5 farm prospects top 10 prospects at pitcher ready to arrive in the Pro’s in 2012. The Cubs have to add Wacha to their farm system. None of their farm prospects have managed to stand out in development and pitching is a serious issue in Chicago with the teams ERA.

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. - 5. James Ramsey OF Sanford--South Florida - James was drafted by the Yankees in 2010. He hit .326 in 92 at-bats this summer. He scored 13 runs, drove in 11 and hit one home run this summer. He was selected to play in the All-Star Game and he hit one double in said game. During the playoffs, James led all hitters with 8 runs batted in.

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Max Fried, Montclair Prep HS, Encino CA, 6’3 170, string bean with loose arm from 3/4 slot, up to 90 most fb were 88-89 with late life and decent control and cb is more of a slider, side ways break that gets loopy on occ when he slows down his delivery. Definite watch for improvement in 2012.

2012 Draft: - Steve Nyisztor, Mark Hermes, Ryan Eades, Michael Wacha, Teddy Stankiewicz

Steve Nyisztor:


7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com/  - 13. Cincinnati Reds Steve Nyisztor 2B Rutgers Nyisztor appeared in all 56 games and started all, but one game at 2nd base. Nyisztor posted a .410 batting average along with 4 home runs, 51 RBI’s, 11 stolen bases, and 17 doubles. Nyisztor is a project, but has the tools to be a 5 tool player if his home run ability improves.


Mark Hermes:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  – Mark Hermes, North Dakota St, 6’4 195, needs to get ahead of hitters more, does challenge but gets behind a lot, often throwing tons of pitches, has good arm strength and build to get better, touches 93-94 on occ as well, most fb are true and 88-91, breaking ball still developing.


Ryan Eades:


8-2-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/08/02/cape-cod-baseball-league-all-star-pitchers-trevor-gott-carter-capps-bobby-wahl-ryan-eades-austin-voth/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CollegeBaseballDaily+%28College+Baseball+Daily%29&utm_content=Twitter  - Ryan Eades (LSU)- He had an up and down season with the LSU Tigers making 18 appearances (six starts) while going 4-1 with a 4.81 ERA. He gave up 49 hits in only 41 innings pitched while striking out 31 batters while walking 18. Eades has improved this summer going a perfect 3-0 with an ERA of 0.84 in his seven appearances (six starts). He was able to pitch a perfect first inning in the Cape All-Star game, forcing two weak groundouts and striking out a batter.


Michael Wacha:


8-2-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/  - I saw Texas A&M's Michael Wacha pitch in Newport against the NECBL's Gulls for the Team USA Collegiate National Team. Wacha is entering his Jr. season in the spring. Very impressive pitcher. Big kid (6'6", 195 lbs). Righthander. Works low 90's with a 2 seam FB that has a little arm side run... and his size gives reason to think he'll end up a few ticks higher. Best pitch is a diving CU. The grip looks like a circle change to me but action is down and tumbling with little/no screwball movement. He throws some filthy CUs in his pre game pen on this video. Wacha's breaking balls were sometimes loopy/slurvy, but he commanded the CB fairly well and can throw it for strikes. He keeps the ball in the strikezone and on the ground. Wacha is probably a 1st rounder in the 2012 MLB Draft and with a strong season I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up in the top 10.


Teddy Stankiewicz:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments   - Teddy Stankiewicz, Southwest Christian HS, Ft Worth Tex 6’3 190, loose arm that touches 92 on occ, most were 90 with sink when down, fb up hittable, control is ok and has good rotation and bite on cb, both pitches fb & cb from H 3/4 arm slot and delivery is easy to project more velocity to develop later.

2012 Draft Profile - RHP - Michael Wacha

Michael Wacha



6-11-10: - mlb.com  Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M: Wacha stepped up with John Stilson on the shelf to pitch A&M to a Super Regional. He'll be the staff ace in 2012.


7-8-10 from: - baseballamerica.  - named to first team 2010 College Freshman team - (W L ERA G SV IP H BB SO BAA) - SP Michael Wacha, Texas A&M 9 2 2.90 25 1 106 86 22 97 .218



7-10-10 from: - http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/baseball/news?slug=kr-freshmanaa070910  – Yahoo all freshman team - SP Michael Wacha - School: Texas A&M - Ht.: 6-6, Wt.: 195 - Hometown.: Texarkana, Texas. - High school: Pleasant Grove - The Aggies have a solid future on the mound with Wacha leading the way. He split time as a reliever and starter this season. He compiled an impressive 2.90 ERA in 105 2/3 innings. He also struck out 97 and walked 22 and limited teams to a .218 batting average.



Ranked #32 in the 2012 Prospects List compiled by the All-American Athletic Foundation http://allamericanfoundation.pointstreaksites.com/view/allamericanfoundation/news/mlb-2012-draft  


5-16-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=423:college-baseball-weekend-13-observations&catid=18:articles&Itemid=11  –


Tall with wide shoulders and some more room to add to frame


High 3/4 arm slot, high leg kick; whippy arm action


Fastball has big velocity on a downward plane with late arm side run


Fastball seemed to explode out of his hand early in the game but it wasn't quite as big of a pitch by the middle innings


Those that chased the fastball up out of the zone had little chance of catching up to it, but hitters put it in play when lower in the zone


Curve ball has a touch of two-plane break, 12-7 movement; good, consistent shape but lacked sharpness


Used his curve ball primarily as a surprise pitch to steal strikes early in the count; only threw about a handful in the outing


Change-up mirrors his fastball with late arm side fade and some drop


Change-up action was a bit inconsistent early but improved throughout the outing


Threw the change-up with authority, keeping his arm speed well; very good deception and proved to be his primary swing and miss pitch


Through the first 4 innings, Wacha's control was mediocre, rarely hitting his spots with the fastball and having it sail on him a number of times


Fastball induced a good bit of fly ball contact as a result of the poor command


In the 5th inning, he showed much better command of his fastball and change up, pounding the lower portion of the zone; ground balls and strikeouts started to prevail


Worked very quickly and attacked hitters even when he didn't have his good command


Pick off move is quick and compact despite his size



Comment: When his command is right, Wacha shows the ability to dominate with his fastball/change-up tandem with the curve ball strewn in irregularly. He moves both pitches around the zone well and looks completely in control. When the command isn't right, both pitches are still good enough offerings for him to get away with it. He does catch a bit too much of the plate at times, but I'd rather have that than a guy that nibbles. He's not quite on par with Gausman or Appel, but Wacha should be a highly drafted pitcher in the 2012 class.



6-21-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=398:college-baseball-weekend-05-observations&catid=18:articles&Itemid=11  - Very tall, well built; still some projection 3/4 arm slot; easy, fluid arm action; turns shoulder to home plate a bit during delivery Big fastball with arm side run and sink; overpowering in the early innings Change up movement mirrors his fastball: arm side fade and drop Slider had downward movement; threw one that had nice sharp break, others less so; had much less feel for pitch than FB/CH Pounds the strike zone with fastball and change, challenging batters to put it in play; good command of both in the early innings Change compliments fastball well, hides pitch Command got a bit less crisp and fastball a bit less overpowering in the 4th (still got outs with pitch) Still pounding the zone in the 7th inning, but FB & CH were getting squared up a bit more consistently Slider movement degraded by the 8th


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/7  - It might seem like A&M is the biggest surprise team, aside from maybe Cal, to make it into the final field of eight, but when you take into account the fact that they have arguably the top 2012 draft prospect in RHP Michael Wacha, it doesn’t seem that odd after all. What’s even harder to comprehend is how major league teams could have missed on Wacha when he was coming out of high school. He went undrafted, despite having an ideal frame (6'6", 180 lbs) and great athleticism (three-year letter-winner in basketball). It’s not likely that teams will miss on him in 2012, when he’s projected to be a first-round pick and potentially a top-10 selection.


7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com/  - 14. Washington Nationals Michael Wacha P Texas A/M Wacha went 9-2 with a 2.90 ERA for Texas A/M as a freshman. Wacha would be another prospect that the Nationals could add to their system. Its scary to think what this Nationals rotation is capable of if Strasburg recovers while their 2011 draft picks like Alex Meyer and Matt Purke pan out. I really don’t think Purke will sign because he wants a major payday. Purke was a frontrunner to go #1 overall in 2011 before a major regression.


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  – Michael Wacha, Texas A&M, 6’6 190, a bit funky with arm action in back swing but gets people out and will show low 90’s fb all the way into 9th inning, has upside to gain more strength and good pitchability, tough straight change that is plus and hard downer cb that will get better in time.

Deven Marraro, Michael Wacha, Cory Roberts, Bobby Wahl, Cal Towey

Deven Marraro:


7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com/  - 7. Los Angeles Dodgers Deven Marraro SS Arizona State Marraro batted .315, drove in 20 RBI’s, and stole 10 bases. Marraro only hit 2 home runs last season. Marraro has all the tools to develop into a 5 tool player if he improves his ability to hit home runs. There is no debating that Deven Marraro is a huge upgrade over Rafael Furcal who is batting .167 in 29 games this season.


Michael Wacha:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  – Michael Wacha, Texas A&M, 6’6 190, a bit funky with arm action in back swing but gets people out and will show low 90’s fb all the way into 9th inning, has upside to gain more strength and good pitchability, tough straight change that is plus and hard downer cb that will get better in time.


Cory Roberts:


8-1-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/08/01/cape-cod-baseball-league-players-of-the-week-august-1st  - Hyannis has captured consecutive Coca Cola Pitcher of the Week awards, with Corey Roberts (UNC Charlotte) earning the distinction this week. Roberts threw six shutout innings in a 2-1 win over Wareham, in which he allowed only one hit and struck out three. Roberts has appeared in six games for the Harbor Hawks in various roles. He currently stands at 1-1 with a 3.00 earned run average. Roberts has two years of experience at UNC Charlotte, where he was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American as a rookie. He also made the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.


Bobby Wahl:


8-2-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/08/02/cape-cod-baseball-league-all-star-pitchers-trevor-gott-carter-capps-bobby-wahl-ryan-eades-austin-voth/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CollegeBaseballDaily+%28College+Baseball+Daily%29&utm_content=Twitter  - Bobby Wahl (Ole Miss)- The Ole Miss RHP out of West Springfield High School in Springfield, Virginia was also impressive in his inning of action. He touched 96 with his fastball while tossing a perfect inning and striking out one batter. Wahl was a bit wild in his first season with the Rebels as he went 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA in 30 innings pitched. He has been better in the Cape this summer 1-1 including five saves with a 1.29 ERA in 15 appearances. He has struck out 36 batters while walking ten in 21 innings pitched.


Cal Towey:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Cal Towey, Baylor, 6’1 200, L/R, one of better hitters in Cape this summer, has good approach and occ power with wood, hits the ball the other way, would like to see more pull for power strength, throws well, can play either OF corner well enough to be contributor at ML level, 8-12 type round pick for 2012, also can play IF, 3b mostly.

Nolan Fontana, Taylor Naquin, Michael Wacha, Ron Miller, Austin Maddox

Nolan Fontana:


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/3  - There’s athletic 3B Nolan Fontana, the team’s first-ever Rawlings Gold Glove winner. Fontana was one of the Gators' most consistent hitters during this past season, despite finishing sixth on the team with a .301 average. He rapped 12 doubles, legged out five triples and slugged five home runs. He also drove in 47 runs, good for third on the squad. He also played sterling defense again, making only 10 errors in 66 games.


Taylor Naquin:


7-9-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6002  - Tyler Naquin, OF, Texas A&M - Naquin and former Aflac All-American Krey Bratsen formed a formidable duo for the Aggies last spring, who like the Longhorns, were ushered out of the College World Series much more quickly than either team hailing from Texas would have liked to have seen. Naquin, a left-handed hitter, has very good bat speed and easy power potential, drilling one fastball earlier in the week the opposite way high off the wall at Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a double.


Michael Wacha:


7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com/  - 14. Washington Nationals Michael Wacha P Texas A/M Wacha went 9-2 with a 2.90 ERA for Texas A/M as a freshman. Wacha would be another prospect that the Nationals could add to their system. Its scary to think what this Nationals rotation is capable of if Strasburg recovers while their 2011 draft picks like Alex Meyer and Matt Purke pan out. I really don’t think Purke will sign because he wants a major payday. Purke was a frontrunner to go #1 overall in 2011 before a major regression.


Ron Miller:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Ron Miller, Serra HS, Los Angeles CA, 5’10 210 R/R, plays 3b, best shot to play LF at pro level, short compact power stroke with ability to go the other way, shows arm strength and fair running speed, enough ability offensively to get to pro level, will go as far as bat takes him. Kevin Mitchell type comp from the early 80’s.


Austin Maddox:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Austin Maddox, Florida, 6’3 210, pure arm strength and decent mechanics, will touch 95 on occ, suited to be a closer, like him more behind the plate, but with Zunino there, he’s having a tough time showing scouts that is where he belongs. Will be interesting to see this fall.

Mike Zunino, Deven Marrero, Christian Walker, Michael Wacha, Mark Appel

Mike Zunino:


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/3  - C Mike Zunino, the reigning SEC Hitter of the Year, should also get some love after a season that saw him pace the Gators with a .376 average and 18 home runs. He finished second on the squad with 66 RBI. Behind the plate, he was excellent, making only two errors, good for a fielding percentage of .996. He was so good in fact that he forced freshman sensation Austin Maddox off of the position. Zunino was a former 30th-round pick back in 2009.


Deven Marrero:


7-9-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6002  - Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State - The 2008 National Showcase is well represented among this group, which includes Marrero, who continues to add strength, and subsequent power potential, to his lean, athletic frame. He has put up big numbers at the plate with a knack for the big hit, for both Arizona State and Team USA, since his freshman year. It was no surprise that when faced with a tie-breaker in the 10th inning of the first game played in Omaha, in which runners were placed at first and second, that Marrero was the choice of Manager Tim Jamieson to lead off the inning. Marrero is currently considered to be among the prospects most likely to be selected among the top 10 overall picks in next year's draft.


Christian Walker:


7-19-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/  - Christian Walker
2012 - ranked 27th  - University of South Carolina - FR – .327/.384/.518 – 18 BB/18 K – 226 AB SO – .361/.442/.556 – 32 BB/26 K – 241 AB •“plus hit tool with enough strength and loft to hit 20+ homers at next level” •“currently a shaky defender, but upside to be average”


Michael Wacha:


7-21-11: - http://www.draftsite.com/article/College-Names-To-Know/92  - Strengths – Another arm with great size and, like Appel, has room to grow into his frame. He is a good athlete for a pitcher. He has good mechanics, which he repeats well. He has a balanced delivery, solid arm speed, and his arm action is loose, producing mid to high 90’s heat. He also has a plus change with good sink, along with a curve ball. He uses his frame for leverage, throwing from a good downhill plane. He turns his back slightly in his delivery which causes him to throw across his body from time to time. However, he makes it work for him, adding deception and hiding the ball well from the hitters.


Mark Appel:


7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com/   - 3. Kansas City Royals Mark Appel P Stanford The Kansas City Royals are in the bottom 5 in only one category. That category is team ERA. The Royals have the lowest payroll in MLB and usually lean towards the best player available. Mark Appel is a 6 foot 5 190 pound pitcher who pitches for the Stanford Cardinal. Last year Mark Appel was the top starter in the schools rotation. Appel only surrendered 2 home runs all season. Appel struck out 86 batters and went 6-7 while posting a 3.02 ERA after posting a 5.92 ERA as a freshman. The fact that his ERA was lowered by 2 runs is very impressive. Appel pitched a minimum of 6 innings in all 15 of his starts so consistency is a non issue with Appel. Appel pitched over 100 innings pitching 104.1 innings as a sophomore.

Michael Wacha, Lucas Giolito, Lucas Sims, Victor Roach, Nick Williams

Michael Wacha:


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/7  - It might seem like A&M is the biggest surprise team, aside from maybe Cal, to make it into the final field of eight, but when you take into account the fact that they have arguably the top 2012 draft prospect in RHP Michael Wacha, it doesn’t seem that odd after all. What’s even harder to comprehend is how major league teams could have missed on Wacha when he was coming out of high school. He went undrafted, despite having an ideal frame (6'6", 180 lbs) and great athleticism (three-year letter-winner in basketball). It’s not likely that teams will miss on him in 2012, when he’s projected to be a first-round pick and potentially a top-10 selection.


Lucas Giolito:


7-5-11: - http://diamondscapescouting.com/articles_2011_summercircuit_prospectclassic_07042011.html  - Lucas Giolito (rhp, Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City, Calif.) broke out last summer with a high velo showing at the Area Code Games and has maintained momentum through the start of this summer scouting season. The physical righty followed two strong Tournament of Stars showings with a scoreless inning against the USA Collegiate Team, sitting 93-95 mph with life and dropping a hard 80-82 mph 12-to-6 curve into the mix. Giolito is still working to repeat his mechanics, keeping things slow and deliberate while ticking off his checkpoints. While he will still hit patches where he struggles to command, he is generally keeping a consistent arm slot and release point. Giolito profiles as one of the top follows for next year's draft, and possesses the frame and stuff to draw top five overall interest.



Lucas Sims:


7-5-11 via twitter: - PerfectGameUSA Perfect Game USA - '12 RHP Lucas Sims sitting 93-95 mph with his fastball at 18U WWBA http://t.co/ah6XVMo

Victor Roache:


7-6-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/07/05/july-5th-cape-cod-baseball-league-recap/#more-37170  Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) went 3-3 with three runs scored, three RBI, and a solo homer as he led the Kettleers to a 11-2 victory over the Bourne Braves.


Nick Williams:


7-4-11: - http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com/2011/07/nick-williams-draft-profile.html  - Williams has drawn numerous comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr. and Daryl Strawberry thanks to his potential for five plus to plus-plus tools. He burst onto the scene after his sophomore season when he hit four home runs in one game at the WWBA 16-and-under National Championship Tournament, all on off-speed pitches. He also was the 2010 Power Showcase runner-up as he displayed his plus-plus raw power to all fields. Williams keeps his hands back nicely with good hand-eye coordination and should be a .300 hitter at the next level. With plus speed and an arm that can reach 90 MPH from the outfield, Williams is an athlete that GM's can dream on. If he can put it all together Nick Williams has the potential to be one of the elite players in the Major Leagues.

Davis Hall, Michael Wacha, Devin Marrero, Cody Stiles, Mike Zunino

Davis Hall:


6-14-11: - http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/06/pitcher-of-night-in-prospect-league_14.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  My Hitter of the Night in the Prospect League from June 10th is Davis Hall of the Vienna River Dogs by way of the University of Memphis. Davis picked up the win by throwing seven quality innings. He allowed just one run on three hits and he walked just one batter. He also fanned four batters in the game


Michael Wacha:


http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb  Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M: Wacha stepped up with John Stilson on the shelf to pitch A&M to a Super Regional. He'll be the staff ace in 2012.


Devin Marrero:


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/7  - Having two teammates (Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer) drafted in the Top Three this past draft is a pretty rare feat. The 2012 draft might feature two such duos selected in the Top Five, with (Devin) Marrero ranking as the top defensive shortstop in this class. Marrero famously played on the same high school squad that won a national championship a few years ago behind the bat of Eric Hosmer. Now, he's a draft prospect in his own right. And he's actually been one before. Marrero was drafted by the Reds in the 17th-round back in 2009, but his commitment to ASU was too strong for him to leave. Two-an-a-half seasons later, he's on the verge of being talked about as one of the top college prospects for the 2012 draft. Marrero had an amazing freshman campaign last year, finishing on a tear, hitting .397 with 12 doubles, three triples, six homers and 42 RBIs. He also scored 31 runs and stole 11 bases. And for a freshman, he sure didn't strike out a lot (only 24 K's in 156 at-bats). This season he regressed a bit, most likely because of the new college bats, but he still had a solid year. He hit .319 in 51 games, rapped 14 doubles and three triples and drove in 20 runs, while scoring 30 of his own. The power all but disappeared (only two HRs in 207 ABs) and he didn't steal as many bases (10-for-15) as expected. Still, Marrero continued to provide solid defense at the most challenging position and projects to be a slightly above-average hitter as a pro. He likely won't hit for too much power, but he should be a doubles machine and a threat to hit five to 10 triples each year. Think of Marrero as a more polished version of this year's first-round pick, Francisco Lindor


Cody Stiles:


6-14-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/  - SO RHP Cody Stiles (2012)
7.54 K/9 – 2.92 BB/9 – 3.91 FIP – 37 IP- With two breaking balls with above-average upside, Stiles heads into his junior campaign with a chance to shoot up draft boards. This isn’t a realistic comp for a sophomore coming off a 37 inning regular season, but there is something about Stiles’ repertoire (94 peak FB, promising SL and CB, CU with sink) that reads a little like 2011 first round pick Matt Barnes.


Mike Zunino:


6-15-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5887  - 1. C Mike Zunino, Florida -- The outstanding sophomore has had an incredible campaign for the Gators and hopes to continue his consistent ways in Omaha. Zunino is hitting .376 with 22 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. He also has a .686 slugging percentage and a solid .444 OBP. Additionally, Zunino has induced 29 walks this season