4/30/10

DRAFT: - Kris Bryant, Nick Rumbelow, Jordan Ribera, Matt Lipka... and Cody Stanley

Kris Bryant:


4-30 from: - http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/MLB_Draft  - At 6-5 and 190 pounds, Bryant is your stereotypical power-hitting third base prospect. With his long levers and strong lower half, he generates plus power as a high schooler with lots of leverage and loft.He reportedly hit home runs in six straight games as a Bonanza sophomore. Bryant usually makes good contact, but one AL Central scout says he has to avoid getting caught up in the "Home Run Derby" mentality.








Nick Rumbelow:

4-30 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/4/30/1451211/casing-the-states-texas-part-four#storyjump  - RHP Rumbelow has some striking similarities to Chance Ruffin above. The big difference is that Rumbelow is three years behind Ruffin as a high school prospect. A smaller pitcher with a fast arm, Rumbelow doesn't have much projectability, but he uses a pair of solid pitches to dominate high school competition. He starts out his arsenal with a low-90s fastball that has good life, and he spots it pretty well most of the time. Like with most high school pitchers, he can struggle repeating his mechanics at time, which causes him to lose control temporarily in some outings, and that's a main reason why he hasn't taken a step forward in scouting circles this spring. Rumbelow's best secondary pitch is a biting circle changeup that gets excellent late life, though he's struggled mightily to spot it this spring. It's a plus pitch already when it's on, and that's an excellent sign for success in his future. His breaking ball is a fringe-average slider without much projection left, and some scouts see him in the Trevor Hoffman tradition of late-inning relievers that rely on a fastball-changeup arsenal. However, he's committed to LSU, and while he won't start immediately, he's expected to get his chance to start there, and since he hasn't taken a big step forward this spring, a lot of scouts think he'll end up on campus. Projected Draft Range: 8th-25th Round

Jordan Ribera:

4-27 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/04/26/wac-players-of-the-week-9/#more-25694  - Fresno State’s Jordan Ribera has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter of the Week, for April 19-25. Ribera, a junior first baseman from Fresno, Calif. (Clovis West HS), hit .625 (10-for-16), helping the Bulldogs to a pair of wins at Nevada last week. Ribera scored seven runs with two doubles, five home runs, nine RBI and a 1.688 slugging percentage over four games last week. With his five home runs last week, Ribera now leads both the WAC and the nation with 20 home runs this season. Ribera has now hit a home run in five-straight games, tying the Fresno State record for consecutive games with a home run.

4-29 from: - http://www.baseballrumormill.com/2010/04/sleepers-for-the-2010-mlb-draft/#more  - Sleepers For the 2010 MLB Draft - Jordan Ribera, Fresno State, 1B - Although an average defensive first baseman (at best), Ribera has been phenomenal at the plate: .360/.414/.811 with 20 home runs and 14 doubles

Matt Lipka:

4-29 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/4/29/1450107/casing-the-states-texas-part-three#storyjump  - Matt Lipka, SS, McKinney HS, McKinney - Lipka is teammates with Zach Lee, and he's been an interpreter of sorts for Lee, who has refused to talk to scouts directly due to the distraction. Aside from that act of kindness, Lipka is quite a player himself. A natural athlete who also has a possible football career ahead of him at Alabama, Lipka features a potential plus hit tool, as well as plus-plus speed that rates as the top speed in the state. While he doesn't project for anything more than below-average power in the 8-10 home run category in his prime, that's not his game. He's a better hitter when he's going gap-to-gap, punishing balls with good balance. He's rather raw in his pitch recognition, which might result in a longer path in the minors, but the talent is good enough to warrant a high pick anyway. In the field, he's just as raw as he is recognizing pitches. He has above-average range, but his reaction time is sometimes below-average, and he can get his footwork mixed up a little at times. Some scouts want to move him across the bag to second base, where he could use his natural athleticism and above-average arm to be an elite fielder with a good bat. However, he could also land in center field, which would require less polish in order to accelerate his learning at the plate. Like Lee, Lipka's going to have to make a tough decision in the coming weeks, as scouts will want to know his signability before draft day, though his signability is less concerning than Lee's. Projected Draft Range: 2nd-5th Round

Cody Stanley:

4-29 from: - http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/college-catcher-defense  - We're a little more than a month away from this year's draft, and the chatter is already mounting regarding just how high Miami's Yasmani Grandal will climb up draft boards. Let's take a look at a few other top contenders. - Cody Stanley - North Carolina. +1.5 in both '09 and '10. Nothing very noteworthy in his record. He consistently limits opponents to about a 65 percent success rate in stolen base attempts, and he does everything else a bit better than average.

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