The Mack Draft Report – Recruiting Board, Jack Armstrong, Trevor Bauer, Tyler Arthur, UK, Javier Baez

PW has released their national recruiting board this past Friday and it is available to all PG subscribers. It pretty much is the Bible of baseball recruiting tools and I highly recommend it.


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The College Baseball Blog   named Vanderbilt RHP Jack Armstrong as the 72nd top ballplayer in the nation.


Armstrong is a teammate of RHP Sonny Gray. Now, that’s a 1-2 punch!


6-7, 225… fastball sits in low 90s, up to 94… good command of breaking ball…


Sometimes lacks consistency. It almost looks like he gets bored. Drops elbow…


Attended Jupiter High School (didn’t everyone?); in Florida… member of 2006 Aflac All-American team… played the summer of 2009 for the Wareham Gatemen (4-1, 2.57) of the CCBL… Cape Cod League named him the best in class… named to the 2007-08 Second Team All-Conference, AFLAC All-American Team, 2008 Rawlings Preseason All-American, and First Team All-Region Baseball. Drafted in 2008 by Texas… 2010: 7-4, 4.71, 78.1-IP, 16-starts, 39-BB, 50-K… played 2010 summer ball (again) with Wareham: 4-3, 2.96, 7-starts.


“Junior” has been named to eight of the last ten mock drafts, including the 6th overall pick by Baseball Rumor Mill… only 5-Tool didn’t list him in their top 50 picks.


I have him as the 6th top RHP in the draft, which may translate as one of the top 10 picks overall.

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My main man, XMLBScout, over at http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com has always been a big fan of RHSP Trevor Bauer, but really came out in defense of this being picked early in the first round.


Scout compares him to Tim Lincecum, but says that Bauer has a better changeup and breaking boy that Timmy. Okay.


For the record… named in December 2009 to the 3rd team 2010 NCBWAA AA team… will pitch 2011 as a 20-year old… freshman year at UCLA: 9-3, 2.99, 105.1-IP, 92-K, 27-BB… named National Freshman Pitcher of the Year Award by the Collegegiate Baseball Newspaper… 6-1, 175… fast ball sits in low 92-94, an 81-82 changeup, 76 curve, and, his go-to pitch, an 84 slider…


Everybody loves Bauer… no relation to Jack… I have him as the eight overall RHP to be drafted, but don’t be surprised he doesn’t go earlier. Everyone that has seen this kid says he is ready for the pros right now, even though he skipped a year in college. GoBrook and MLBProspect have him as the 10th overall pick.


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Lots of big names in this scrimmage.


The University of Kentucky completed game one of their fall “World Series”. Junior third baseman Thomas McCarthy hit two homers and senior shortstop Taylor Black hit two move and drove in four. Prospect reliever, Mike Kacmarek picked up a save, while Sunday starter Alex Meyer took the loss.


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 Another high school shortstop that will go in the first four rounds is Arlington Country Day’s (Florida) Javier Baez.


In actuality, he plays all the infield positions and has been seen lately hanging around third. He hits with authority, and specializes banging it into the opposite field. Has raw power, but needs time and patience to develop.


Some pundits have him ranked as the 2nd best middle infielders but others also have him ranked as the 3rd best catcher. Naturally, he’s now playing another position, third.