4/23/10

DRAFT: - Kyle Hansen, Trevor Kirk, Barret Loux, Stefan Sabol... and Zak Adams

Kyle Hansen:

4-19 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/04/19/big-east-baseball-honors  - Red Storm freshman Kyle Hansen (2012) earned BIG EAST Baseball Pitcher of the Week recognition after leading St. John’s to a series-clinching victory in Game 3 over Cincinnati. Hansen tallied a career-high 12 strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work in a 7-1 win at Cincinnati on April 18. The righthander allowed four hits on the day, all of which were singles and three of which were hit during the first inning. Hansen kept batters hitless after the first through the eighth inning. He improved to 4-1 on the season. This is Hansen’s first Pitcher of the Week honor and the first for a St. John’s pitcher since May 18, 2008. He is also the first freshman to earn the recognition since March 10, 2008.

Trevor Kirk:

4-20 from: - link : - OF, CC of Southern Nevada - I'm being fairly kind in placing Kirk here, as his development has stalled a little bit in conjunction with Bryce Harper joining the team. Kirk has had an excellent career at CSN, though, and he has followed up an excellent freshman season that ended with a late-round pick by the Brewers with a solid sophomore campaign. Kirk isn't what most would consider toolsy enough to be a high-round draft pick as an outfielder. He features a solid approach at the plate for a leadoff hitter, and even though he doesn't strike out too much now, his swing can get a little long, leading to worries about his ability to hit for average at the next level. He doesn't have much power, either, so his offensive game is fairly limited in its future potential. He does possess plus speed and solid-average range for center field, but he's not the surest fielder, and he's new to the outfield, so it has been a struggle to adjust since enrolling at CSN last year. His arm is solid-average, so there's hope that he can be made into a fourth outfielder with speed and defense. He hasn't played since April 9 due to an undisclosed injury, so that may play a factor in his draft stock if it turns out to be something serious. Projected Draft Range: 10th-20th Round

Barret Loux:

4-20 from: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/4/20/1433135/interesting-college-pitchers-for  - RHP, Texas A&M University - Loux had elbow surgery to remove bone spurs last year, but looks healthy and effective this spring, with a 2.32 ERA and a 78/19 K/BB in 54 innings, with 36 hits allowed. His K/IP and H/IP ratios are excellent, statistical confirmation of plus stuff including a 92-94 MPH heater, a power curveball, and a good changeup. The main question for the 6-5, 220 pond right-hander is durability, but in terms of performance and stuff he has everything you look for. He looks like a good supplemental round candidate, perhaps attractive to the Blue Jays at 41, the Mariners at 43, or the Cardinals at 46.



Stefan Sabol:

4-21 from: - http://baseballbeginnings.com/2010/04/21/stefan-sabol-update/#more-5579  - Offensively, Sabol’s surest tools are his hands. Projecting him with wood, it’s hard to imagine beating him on the inner-half, so what he’ll have to do in the coming years is prove he can drive the ball with authority to all fields. With that should come modest power, which would create a very desirable player at the catching position. Defensively, it’s fair to characterize him as a work in progress as far as the pro levels are concerned. The first thing you would notice are the athletic actions. For me, this is why he reminds me of Biggio. Sabol has very quick actions behind the plate, actions that make him a flashy player behind the plate. His hands are softer than they were in the summer, but Sabol still stabs at too many balls, doesn’t consistently use his body to block pitches in the dirt, and drops to one knee too many times. His arm strength is there for the pro levels. The best throw I had him at was 1.9, though he’s hit 1.8 often. He will almost certainly benefit from pro instruction at the position, especially in his throwing, which is too often hurried. Sabol needs to better set his feet so his accuracy improves in the coming years. He should be an average or slightly above-average major league runner, which would make him an exceptional runner at the position. It should be noted that Biggio wasn’t much better than an average runner who excelled by running hard 90s until his ankles were wrapped like mummies.

Zak Adams:

4-21 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/4/21/1433461/casing-the-states-texas-part-one#storyjump  - LHP, Flower Mound HS, Flower Mound - Adams is a fast riser this spring in a class that's fairly weak at the prep left-handed pitching position. Adams pitches in the Dallas Metroplex, and more scouts have started flocking his way, as he's upped his fastball to be able to reach the low-90s. He normally pitches in the upper-80s, sitting 88-90, touching 92, adding in a potentially above-average curveball in the low- to mid-70s. With those two pitches, Adams looks like a potential number three starter with a tall, lanky frame, and there has been some comparison to current Texas Rangers prospect Derek Holland. However, Adams still has a lot of refinement and strengthening to do, and he's probably better off following through on his Tulane commitment, as he's an excellent student. Projected Draft Range: 8th-15th Round

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