Joey
Rickard, Arizona’s leadoff hitter and centerfielder, had a
strong season at the Cape and earned a spot in the league’s All-Star game.
Rickard profiles as a leadoff hitter or number 2 hitter at the going
forward. He is a contact hitter with a
short quick swing. He won’t be hitting
many home runs at the next level, but he should hit his share of doubles. While Rickard has above average speed, he has
yet to have great success stealing bases at the college level. Rickard has good
range in the outfield and should be able to remain in centerfield. On draft
day, Rickard’s speed and ability to get on base should get him drafted between
rounds 6-8. http://mlbdraftguide.com/
Albert
Amora, Mater Academy Charter (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.),
Outfield, R/R, Miami A veteran of the Team USA since he was 13, Amora was
recently named the 18U Most Valuable Player after leading the squad to the gold
medal at the Pan-American Games. Almora has a strong arm and good speed and he
is also expected to hit for a high average in the big leagues. He could land
somewhere between No. 20-25. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/-8V2A0MeEeGkPgAmVebEWg/maxpreps-top-10-mlb-draft-prospects.htm
OF Tyler
Naquin School: Texas A&M Cl.:
Junior, Ht.: 6-2, Wt.: 170 Hometown.:
Spring, Texas High school: Klein Collins
Naquin evolved into an elite player last season, and is expected to have
an even better 2012 campaign. The speedy outfielder is a good defender with an
excellent arm. He also has an impressive offensive skill set, expected to hit
for more power this spring. In 2011, hit .381 with 23 doubles and 44 RBIs. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6498
Carlos Correa, SS, PR Baseball Academy Correa is a 6'4",
190 pound Shortstop that is extremely athletic. He is long and agile but his height
and size may make him move off short at some point simply due to outgrowing it.
He has very good actions at the position as well as a strong arm. It's an
outside shot he can stick at the position but it is possible. A lot will depend
on how much he grows in the next 2-3 years. If he does move over to 3B, he
could be a well above average defender.
At the plate, Correa displays a ton of potential. He is long with big
levers and a pretty short swing considering that. He generates big power
potential. His hit tool isn't the greatest right now and needs work. He tones
down his swing in games and has some contact issues as well as discipline
issues at the plate, but that is nothing unusual for a young kid out of Puerto
Rico. Whoever chooses Correa will get a
very projectable, potentially elite talent that is one of the youngest players
available in this years' draft. I can't see him sliding out of the top 10
unless the bat totally fails him this spring. If he were to attend college, he
is committed to Miami. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/2/6/2773435/2012-baseball-draft-high-school-prospects-1-5
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/
7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Mason Katz, LSU, 5’11 190, R/R, scrappy hitter with decent running ability, throws well enough to play any OF position, ability to make contact as a hitter is his strength and plays hard. 8-12 round type guy.
7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Tyler Naquin, Texas A&M, 6’2 175, L/L, string bean with solid arm strength, ability to hit and with occ HR power, as he matures could add more HR frequency, right now more of a contact hitter, who tends to reach for pitches with his aggressiveness.
7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Keon Barnum, King HS, Tampa FL, 6’4 220, L/L, strong lefty swing with power to RF, arm strength and runs well once underway, 4.3 on grounders, has made some improvements to pitch selection as hitter, still developing. One of better Florida Kids to watch in 2012.
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.
Mike Zunino:
6-28-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/ - I can’t see any catcher in the 2012 draft class overtaking Zunino for the top spot. The Florida catcher is a big league catcher defensively already, and his bat should make him one of the better hitting catchers in pro ball before long. No mention of Zunino and this year’s College World Series without providing this unbelievable clip:
Tarran Senay:
6-23-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/ - North Carolina State SO OF Tarran Senay
.271/.401/.388 – 26 BB/38 K – 0/1 SB – 129 AB - Senay is probably the least toolsy of the outfielders listed, so the “bat or bust” risk factor typified by future first basemen/left fielders is magnified. Injuries knocked his numbers down in 2011 (check his freshman season line: .304/.456/.571 – 28 BB/29 K – 112 AB), but the plus raw power keeps him squarely on the 2012 draft map.
Patrick Sullivan:
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/9 - RHP Patrick Sullivan doesn’t have premium stuff, but he got results this season in limited time on the mound. He kept his ERA to 1.35 in 20 innings, spanning 10 appearances. He struck out 21 batters and walked nine.
Matt Fultz:
6-28-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/06/27/matt-fultz-2012-draft-profile - When I look at catching prospects, I see two different groups. The ones who will be sticking behind the plate in the future and the ones who are waiting to move to a different position. Matt Fultz’s present and future are at catcher. Fultz is a left-handed power bat. He has very good bat speed. His swing is short and he consistently makes hard contact. Fultz looks natural behind the plate. He moves well and frames pitches well. Fultz has sub 2 second pop times. He has a good arm and does a good job shutting down the opponent’s running game.
Tyler Naquin:
6-30-11 - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/06/30/team-usa-defeats-new-bedford-7-5 - Tyler Naquin (Texas A&M) hit two home runs and drove in five to lead the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team to a 7-5 win over New Bedford Wednesday night at Paul Walsh Field. Naquin’s home runs were the first of the summer for the Collegiate National Team, which finished its tour of the New England Collegiate Baseball League Wednesday. Team USA is 5-1 as it heads to play in Gastonia, N.C., on Thursday. Naquin, who led off the Team USA lineup as the team’s starting right fielder, tallied his first shot, a three-run home run, by lining a pitch over the right field fence off New Bedford starter Blaine O’Brian in the second inning. It drove in David Lyon (Kent State) and Michael Lorenzen (Cal State Fullerton) and gave Team USA a 3-0 lead.
Deven Marrero:
6-14-11: - http://thegoldensombrero.com/wordpress/archives/4095 - Marrero profiles as an above-average defender at short with a plus arm and a plus glove. He has outstanding instincts for the position and should have no problem staying there as a professional. At the plate, he fails to generate tremendous bat speed in large part due to a lack of lower body action. He hits against a pretty quiet front, though, and keeps his hands inside well enough to be a 50 to 55 hit tool player. He will never hit many bombs in the pros, but he runs well enough to at least have an isolated power.
Jake Barrett:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb Jake Barrett, RHP, Arizona State: He and Brady Rogers may form the best college rotation in the game in 2012, ASU's version of Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer.
Kevin Gausman:
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/8 - The scouting report on Gausman has changed a bit since his sixth-round drafting last year.It still features the mid-90s fastball, solid command and great mound presence, but what he's added since spurning the Dodgers offer for college ball is development of his breaking ball and the refinement of his changeup. His command of both pitches allowed him to blossom into LSU's most impressive pitcher in 2011. The right-hander made a team-high 14 starts, winning five. He posted a respectable 3.51 ERA and held a 86:23 K:BB ratio in a team-leading 89.2 innings. Batters only hit .215 off of him and he served up only five home runs all season. His finest performance came in an early season outing against Tennessee. He tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering four hits and striking out seven. He walked none. Gausman should be a top ten pick in 2012, thanks not only to his velocity and developing secondary pitches, but also to his very prototypical pitcher's body. At 6'4" and 185 pounds, he still has plenty of room to add some more weight (increasing his durability and stamina). Another season of pitching in college baseball's toughest conference should give him all the seasoning he needs to make the jump to pro ball.
RC Orlan:
6-14-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/ - SO LHP RC Orlan (2012)
12.56 K/9 – 5.65 BB/9 – 3.54 FIP – 14.1 IP Sometimes good college pitchers are just that. Other times they become good pro pitchers. On rare occasions, they become great pro pitchers. It may be easy to lump Orlan into that first category, but I think he ultimately could fall into the middle grouping. His raw stuff doesn’t jump out at you — upper-80s FB (92 peak), above-average mid-80s cutter, a pair of usable breaking balls — and his slight frame doesn’t scream big leaguer, but his total package is greater than the sum of his individual parts.
Tyler Naquin:
6-15-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5887 - OF Tyler Naquin, Texas A&M -- Naquin certainly doesn't have the same type of power as other guys on this list, but he's easily the most consistent hitter of the bunch. The versatile outfielder is hitting .390 with 23 doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 44 RBIs. He also has recorded 101 singles and has a .556 slugging percentage with a .460 OBP. Naquin has struck out 33 times and walked on 29 occasions this season.
Mark Appel:
6-14-11: - Scouting Report: - Mark Appel is generally considered the top college pitcher returning for 2012 and a likely top 5 selection in the 2012 draft. He is a power pitcher with a big frame. Appel has good arm speed and an easy delivery. Appel’s fastball is generally 93-95 and has been as high as 98. His top secondary pitch is a swing and miss slider. He also throws a change with good movement and a cutter. http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/06/14/mark-appel-2012-draft-profile
Tyler Naquin:
5-12-11: - .kbtx. - The Big 12’s leading hitter is the newest selection to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team as Thursday is was announced that Texas A&M sophomore outfielder Tyler Naquin would be a part of the team for the upcoming summer. Throughout the 2011 campaign, Naquin has been one of the nation’s top hitters and currently leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks in the top 15 nationally with a .414 batting average. Entering this weekend’s Nebraska series the A&M right fielder owns a 25-game hitting streak which is the third longest ever by an Aggie and just three games off the school record of 28 set in 1972 by R.J. Englert. The Spring, Texas, native has 23 multi-hit games this season while leading the Big 12 in runs scored with 49. Having started all but one of Texas A&M’s contests this spring, Naquin ranks first on the Aggies with 37 RBI and has also hit 16 doubles and six triples to rank among the top five in the Big 12 in both categories.
Matt Whitehouse:
6-13-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5880 UC Irvine starting pitcher Matt Whitehouse allowed just one earned run in five innings of work, while reliever Andrew Thurman was fantastic, allowing just a run in four innings of work in a huge 6-4 win over Virginia to force a decisive third game in the Charlottesville Super Regional. While Whitehouse and Thurman led the way on the mound, Drew Hillman and Tommy Reyes each had two hits in the game. For Virginia, starting pitcher Tyler Wilson only allowed a run in six innings, but relievers Justin Thompson and Branden Kline were unable to take care of business.
Lucas Giolito:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Calif.: Giolito is big and strong and can crank his fastball into the mid-90s with a low-effort delivery.
Kenny Diekroeger:
6-12-11: - 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/3 - Back in 2008, at the annual Area Code Games showcase, Mike Trout put up some ridiculous numbers in the miniature combine. The only player to post better numbers than him was high-schooler Kenny Diekroeger, who ended up as a second-round pick for the Rays that next year. Diekroeger, however, had a very strong commitment to Stanford and ended up on campus later that year. Two years later, he's starting to emerge as a strong candidate to go in the Top 10 of the 2012 draft. Since then, Diekroeger has refined his actions at shortstop. Now, many feel like he could continue at the position as a pro, despite his big size (6'2", 200 lbs). He has continued to shine in all facets of the game: at the plate, on defense and on the basepaths. He struggled to hit for power with the new bats, hitting only two home runs this season (after hitting five last year). His average also dipped to a career-low of .292, just one season after becoming the first Stanford freshman to lead the team in hitting (.342) since 1997. That season he also became the first freshman to lead the team in RBIs—ever. After his stellar freshman campaign, he headed off to the New England Collegiate League, where he won league batting honors and finished second to teammate Mark Appel as the top prospect in the league. He was noted for his athletic ability by scouts and coaches alike. If he can continue to improve on defense, and have a bounce-back year at the plate, there's no doubt that Diekroeger will go in the Top Ten.
Jayce Boyd:
6-13-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5880 - Player of the game: OF Jayce Boyd, Florida State – The Seminoles needed solid offensive production to stay alive on Sunday and got just that from Boyd and others. Boyd had a huge day at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, home run, five runs scored and three RBIs. It’s also worth noting shortstop Justin Gonzalez finished the contest with two hits and six RBIs, while Stuart Tapley slammed a pair of home runs and finished the afternoon with five RBIs.
