2011 DRAFT: - Top 13 Second Basemen - New Rankings

1. Joshua Tobias - MIF 3B Southeast Guilford Greensboro NC


11-2-09 from http://www.thehardballtimes.com/ : - Josh Tobias, 2B/3B, 2011, Greensbor, N.C., Canes - Scouts talk about the sound a ball makes coming off a bat. That was the first thing that got my attention with Tobias. “CRACK!”, and a line drive screams off into left field. I made a note to not go too far anytime soon, so I could see his next at-bat. Then again, “CRACK!!”, even louder than the first, a line-drive to right-center on a breaking ball. I couldn’t get enough; I saw Tobias more than any other player at the tournament, getting to see him in 10 or 11 PAs. One ended in a walk, and I’ll be damned if fewer than seven of them resulted either in line drives or ground-liners that made it out of the infield in one hop. (I was also told I missed a long homer the day before.) His swing is a bit unorthodox. It’s semi-long and he finishes with his hands flying high, sort of like a mini-right-handed Fred McGriff. But he has great bat speed and covers the plate completely with hands that thrash through the zone lightning quick. It’s a point I’ve made before, but one ‘tool’ that I feel gets overlooked at times is just plain old hitability. Scouts like to look at the components; are the hands quick, is the swing short, does he have a good swing path, does he recognize pitches well, does he keep himself balanced, etc. Those are all important pieces in projecting a player’s future success, and by no means would I advocate disregarding them. But the bottom line is this: Some guys plain old find the barrel with consistency, and others (even the ones with quick hands and short strokes) do not. Those components are intended to project those who can and will find the barrel, but it’s a very complicated view of things. Simply put, the difference between a routine groundball to the SS and a liner that goes over his head is a few millimeters of difference on the bat. Despite the hands, the shortness of the swing, the balance, etc etc… some guys are extremely coordinated with that bat in their hands, and others are just so-so. And Josh Tobias is great. Now, I don’t want to create the impression that Tobias has some Hunchback of Notre Dame swing; that’s not the case at all, it just may not be what Walt Hriniak would use as his model. As comps, I see shades of both Gary Sheffield and Dmitri Young here. An ultra-fast bat and swing to hit for average, a guy who handles both breaking pitches and good heat, and some serious raw power. Going forward, I have two question marks; one is future power. Tobias is 5-foot-9. Sure, he’s just 16 and may have some growth left, but Dad is only about 5-foot-10. Then again, he’s 16 and hitting homers with a wood bat. The size may limit his ceiling with regard to power, but don’t get caught up in that; this one might be a mold-breaker. The main concern for me is finding him a position. His arm is sub-par and comes with a screwy, flailing sidearm motion. His actions and hands are also quite questionable. Veteran scouts will swear they’ve seen future gold-glovers who couldn’t field a lick in their teens, but I’m pretty discouraged with Tobias’ D (especially since the arm means in you move him to OF, it’s got to be left). Still, he’s the best all-around bat I saw this weekend. As if I didn’t already love him enough, I’m told he’s committed to the Gators for college (though, as always, the draft may change that). Again, he’s a 2011 guy, so this is very early hype. But I’m keeping a very close on him going forward.


6-23-10 from: - http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=114295945&f=6174069131&m=3221081702  - Day 1 at TOS : - 3b, Josh Tobias, for Babe Ruth a local kid from Greensboro, did not impress at the plate as his press clippings and I've seen him a couple of times last 2 years. He has good physical numbers, running and throwing wise and he'll put on a bp show. He should hit enough at the next level if he can cut down on his swing. Plus runner, better on the way and solid arm strength, not real big listed at 5'9, more like 5'7 1/2, he may have to move to 2b eventually.


6-29 from: - Andy Seiler Mock Draft - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/6/28/1541924/andys-first-2011-top-50#storyjump  - 32. Josh Tobias, 2B, Southeast Guilford HS (NC)


7-1 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/6/30/1544396/pats-first-2011-top-50#storyjump  – Pat Hickey Mock Draft – 13. Joshua Tobias, 2B, Southeast Guilford HS (N.C.)


7-1 from: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com/  – 2011 Mock Draft – 14. Joshua Tobias- 2B, Southeast Guilford HS


7-3 from: - http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/07/03/early-follow-list-for-2011-mlb-draft  - from Fanhouse.com MLB Draft guru Frankie Piliere – Josh Tobias 3B Southeast Guilford HS (N.C.) - Not tall, but a physical powerhouse. Tobias has huge raw power and a short, but powerful swing. Has plus-plus speed. Tremendous upside, still getting better.


7-3 from: - http://milbprospects.blogspot.com/2010/07/early-version-of-top-50-prospects-for.html  - Top 50 - 22 Joshua Tobias , 3B , Southeast Guilford Greensboro NC


7-11 from: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com/  – top ten high school middle fielders - 1. Joshua Tobias- SE Guilford HS


7-10 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/7/10/1562916/all-questions-answered#comments  - All around talent. He’s the type of kid that is really going to turn some heads all summer in showcase-style games, but he’s going to need a fair amount of at-bats in the minors. He’s not as polished as his performances indicate. He has the potential to be a great offensive talent, and the only question now is finding out what defensive position fits him best. I could see him trying out second base and center field in the end, with a leaning towards second. However, he has power and speed, and he’s a hard working kid, so the sky’s the limit with his offensive potential if he keeps working.


2. Zack McPhee:


6-14-10: Named to 1st Team NCBWA 2010 All-America Team - Zack McPhee: .394,66-R, 64-RBI


6-14-10 from: - http://prospectinsider.com/360mock.php  - 2011 Mock Draft – 25 Minnesota Zack McPhee, 3B -- Arizona State


6-15-10 from: - http://www.deepleagues.com/?p=1830  – 2011 Mock Draft - 25. San Diego Padres Zack MacPhee 2B, Arizona State


6-23 from: - http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/MLB_Draft#ixzz0rj9JFPjP  - Fittingly, Arizona State second baseman Zach McPhee was the last Sun Devil off the field Tuesday night. As South Carolina players gathered to congratulate each other, McPhee walked with his helmet in his hand back to the dugout. He had been stranded at second base in the top of the ninth. McPhee hadn't give up even though his team was down seven runs -- he stole second shortly after singling. Hair matted down, uniform dirty, the 5-8, 172-pound McPhee glanced over to the celebrating Gamecocks, pursed his lips and headed into the dugout. He was the Pac-10 Player of the Year, but that mattered little to him at that moment, after his team had just been eliminated from the College World Series.


7-1 from: - http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/MLB_Draft#ixzz0sRZR7cpy  - Last but certainly not least, Arizona State shortstop Zach McPhee is the truest definition of a gym rat or dirtbag. The guy loves to get dirty and leaves it all on the field. Despite his 5-7 height, he plays bigger than that and has packed on good muscle that isn't prohibitive weight that would deaden his quickness. He is ASU's second coming of Dustin Pedroia.


7-1 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/6/30/1544396/pats-first-2011-top-50#storyjump  – Pat Hickey Mock Draft – 35. Zack MacPhee, 2B, Arizona State


3. Ryan Wright:



4-7-10 from: http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx?article=2253  - 2B Ryan Wright (Louisville): The 6-1, 200-pound Wright has played all over the field as a freshman for Louisville (2B, SS, 3B, RF, LF), but has settled in at second base this year and at the halfway point of the spring has not made an error in 101 chances. The righthanded hitter can flat hit (.387-7-32) and has the type of power that big-league teams crave in the middle of the field.


7-1 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/6/30/1544396/pats-first-2011-top-50#storyjump  – Pat Hickey Mock Draft – 44. Ryan Wright, 2B, Louisville


7-10 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/07/10/team-usa-collegiate-national-team-trials-game-4-recap  - Kyle Winkler (Texas Christian), Madison Boer (Oregon) and Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) combined to throw a one-hitter as the Red team took Game 4 of the Collegiate National Team (CNT) Trials in easy fashion Friday night 7-1 at the National Training Complex (NTC). – IF Ryan Wright (Louisville) paced a two-run second for the Red pushing its lead three, 3-0, when he roped a triple off the wall in left center scoring Nick Martini (Kansas State) from first. Wright scored immediately after his plate appearance on Nick Ramirez’ grounder to short.


7-13 from: - http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=114295945&f=6174069131&m=3221081702&p=3  - 3b-1b, Ryan Wright, Louisville, 6'0 200, Jr to be, R/R, solid glove, 55 arm, runs well on the way, power ability is there, moves laterally well enough to stay at 3b, is aggressive at the plate with good hand speed, nimble enough to potentially move to other IF positions for sure or OF if needed. Gamer! Ran 4.28 on IF single.


7-16-10 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/07/16/team-usa-defeats-korea-8-1  - Ryan Wright (Louisville) collected a team-best three hits as the Collegiate National Team took game two of the five-game international friendly series against Korea, 8-1 Thursday night.



4. Tyler Hanover -


12-23-9 fr. http://baseballdraftreport.com/  - SO 2B Tyler Hanover (2011) is actually a very similar player to his double play partner Austin Nola. Hanover has more pop than his 5-6, 163 pound frame suggests, but like Nola, he is a very good defender at his position. He is also capable of playing third base and is expected to be first in line at shortstop if anything happens to Nola. The natural comparison is to fellow tiny infielder David Eckstein, but the numbers don’t back it up. As of now, Hanover is a fairly unique player who could see his career go in any number of ways before his draft year comes up.


5. Dan Paolini:


6-12-10 from: - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/wait-til-next-year-2011-draft-preview  - Small School Sleeper: Dan Paolini, 2B, Siena, .369/.439/.816. The MAAC Player of the Year wouldn’t usually register on our radar, but the Park/Schedule Adjustment at CollegeSplits suggests his numbers weren’t too aided by an easy schedule, and his invitation to play summer ball with Chatham of the Cape Cod League suggests he’s a legitimate prospect. If he hits there, he won’t be a sleeper any longer.


6. Matt Jensen –



11-16-9 from http://www.collegebaseballblog.com/ : - named the 65th top college player for the 2010 upcoming season


1-7-10: invited to join Team USA in July 10 - Matt Jensen-2B-Cal Poly - This is the second straight year Jensen has been invited to the Team USA Trials. After accepting the invitation a year ago, Jensen fractured his collarbone in a Cal Poly game in early May and was unable to participate in the trials. Jensen (5-10, 190, Clovis, CA) sported a .375 batting average with 15 doubles, nine home runs and 53 RBI before fracturing his clavicle in May 2009. He suffered the injury when he was involved in a collision with a San Francisco baserunner. Jensen is the first Mustang baseball player to be invited to the National Team Trials. Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee on Jensen: “Matt is one of the better ball players in the country.” “He should be able to follow up a tremendous freshman year with another quality season and is fully recovered from his broken collarbone. “He’s really developed as a defensive second baseman to add to his already impressive credentials from an offensive standpoint,” Lee added. “Having the opportunity to represent the United States in this endeavor is a great honor and Matt is as good as it gets on and off the field. He will represent Cal Poly at the highest level this summer.”


7. Keith Werman -


1-26-10 from http://www.baseballdraft.com/ : - SO 2B/C Keith Werman (2011) did his best Pat Venditte impression while in high school, pitching a seven-inning complete game both lefthanded (3.1 innings) and righthanded (3.2 innings). That fun fact from the Virginia baseball website may have absolutely no bearing on Werman’s prospect stock, but it’s undeniably cool. What is relevant about his prospect stock is the fact he is a plus defender at second base who also has experience at shortstop and catcher dating back to his prep career. He can also handle the bat (.400/.481/.457 line in 70 at bats) enough to keep himself in the mix for a starting spot in 2010. Werman’s draft upside may be limited by his size (5-7, 150 – not saying judging him on size is fair, but it’s the reality), but the universal praise he earned last year as a sparkplug second leadoff hitter (the nice way of saying 9-hole hitter) for Virginia down the stretch should continue to get him noticed on the college level. The gap between Werman and Stephen Bruno is more perception than reality.


8. Tyler Rahmatulla:


6-15-10 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/  - UCLA sophomore second baseman Tyler Rahmatulla will miss the 2010 College World Series after breaking his wrist in the postgame celebration on Sunday. He is currently hitting .328 with seven homers and 45 RBI on the year. This is a key loss for the Bruins as he is the team’s number three hitter in the order and provides leadership on the field. We should see how this effects the Bruins offense which heading into the CWS was the weakest out of the eight teams left.


9. Sherman Johnson:


6-21-10 from: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/  - 2011 MLB Draft Players to Know  – Florida State - SO 2B Sherman Johnson (.335/.449/.513; 44/36 BB/K; 7/10 SB; 224 AB) - Johnson, a former walk-on, is one of my favorite college position player sleeper prospects heading into 2011. He’s taken to the patented ultra-patient Florida State approach like he’s been doing it all his life while still showing off tremendous bat control and an advanced feel for what opposing pitchers want to do against him. He’s also got the defensive tools to be well above-average at both second base and third base, though he could ultimately work best as a smooth fielding shortstop. If nothing else, his defensive talent at multiple infield spots makes a utility future seem like a decent floor projection. I won’t lie and claim to have a comprehensive knowledge of all 2011 college middle infield prospects at this point, but I’d be hard pressed to come up with as well-rounded a player as Johnson. The rising junior has enough of every tool to succeed at the next level.


10. Garretts Wittels:



6-14-10: Named to 2nd Team NCBWA 2010 All-America Team - 2B Garrett Wittels - .413, 21-2B, 60-RBI

11. Matthew Dean- The Colony HS


7-11 from: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com/  – top ten high school middle fielders - 8. Matthew Dean- The Colony HS


12. Jon Berti:


7-18 from: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/college/?p=3870  - On Bowling Green infielder Jon Berti (.215/.271/.266, 6 RBI in 79 AB): "He ran a 6.56. He stole 30 bags at BGSU. Undersized middle infielder/second baseman, but he plays with a fast motor—I'd take 10 of those kids. He's a gamer. He can play second base, he's got good range, his arm's plenty fine. He runs everything out hard, there's no letup in his step. He just needs to refine his swing a little bit. Right now he's learning with the wood, chases pitches above his hands. He's a good low-ball hitter, but he can get beat above his hands with velocity."


13. Ross Heffley:


12-24-09 from: - http://www.soconsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4000&ATCLID=204862375  - Reigning consensus Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, Western Carolina sophomore infielder Ross Heffley, has been named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger pre-season All-American baseball teams, selected by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and features a who's who of NCAA Division I baseball players. Heffley, who was a Freshman All-America selection by Baseball America last season, was just one of two Southern Conference players named to the preseason All-America team, joined by Joey Bergman from the College of Charleston who made the second team.


Fr. www.baseballamerica.com/today/ college/.../ 2009/267742.html  - Ross Heffley, of/2b, Western Carolina - Ross Heffley is a 5-foot-7, 175-pound freshman whom Moranda calls "our Dustin Pedroia." Heffley starred at Brookwood High in suburban Atlanta, helping lead the team to the 6-A Georgia state championship. However, Heffley wasn't heavily recruited due mostly to his size. Moranda had seen Heffley at a showcase when he was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech, and his associate head coach, Dave Haverstick, had done the same when he worked at Savannah College of Arts & Design. They dug up their notes when Heffley e-mailed them to see if Western Carolina had interest; at that point, Heffley was resigned to going to junior college. Moranda and Haverstick had written positively about Heffley in their old notes, and Heffley came to Cullowhee, N.C., the next day. He left after accepting a scholarship offer