9/22/17

Mack – Draft Stuff – Top 10 College Prospects, Travis Swaggerty



Good morning.


MLB has gone to print with their current Top 10 College picks in the pcoming June draft. 

They are –

1. Brady Singer, RHP, Florida - For the third straight time, a Gators pitcher will enter the year as the top college prospect and a strong favorite to go No. 1 overall. After playing a major role in Florida's 2017 College World Series championship, Singer once again will look to carve up hitters with a 92-96 mph fastball with nasty life and a slider with which he can alter the depth and speed at will.

2. Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida - McClanahan redshirted in his first year with the Bulls while recovering from Tommy John surgery, then came back this spring and maintained a 93-96 mph fastball. He needs to further refine his secondary pitches and command, but he's a lefty with a big arm.

3. Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn - Unlike Singer and McClanahan, who took the summer off, Mize pitched for Team USA -- but got shut down with a tired arm after having the same thing happen during the spring. When healthy, he offers the best combination of stuff (lively 93-96 mph fastball, devastating 83-88 mph splitter) and command of any college pitcher.

4. Nick Madrigal, 2B/SS, Oregon State - Scouts have to get past Madrigal's small stature (5-foot-7, 161 pounds), but they do so pretty easily because he has outstanding instincts in all phases of the game and good tools as well. He is a premium hitter with some gap power and plus speed, and defensively he'll become either a respectable shortstop or a quality second baseman as a pro.

5. Griffin Conine, OF, Duke - The son of former All-Star Jeff Conine, Griffin led the Cape Cod League with nine homers and scouts voted him the top prospect in the prestigious summer circuit. He provides left-handed power to all fields, manages the strike zone well and fits the right-field profile with his pop, athleticism and solid arm.

6. Jeremy Eierman, SS, Missouri State - Jake Burger became the first Bears position player to get picked in the first round this June, and Eierman should become the second next year. His right-handed power is his calling card, and he also has soft hands and a strong arm that could make him a plus defender at third base if he lacks the quickness to remain at shortstop.

7. Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama - Swaggerty reached double figures in homers (11) and steals (19) during the spring before serving as a catalyst atop Team USA's lineup with Madrigal. He is an on-base type with plus speed and flashes of power, and he covers a lot of ground in center field.

8. Seth Beer, 1B, Clemson - Beer is the most polarizing player in the college crop. Scouts who like him point to his 1.157 OPS and 34 homers in two years with the Tigers and say he has the best combination of hitting ability and power in the 2018 Draft. Those who don't note Beer's .631 OPS in two summers with wood bats with Team USA and his lack of athleticism and defensive value.

9. Ryan Rolison, LHP, Mississippi - The Rebels' best starter as a freshman this spring, Rolison continued to shine in the Cape League and is on course to become a first-rounder as a sophomore-eligible. He can miss bats with both his low-90s fastball and his sharp curveball, and he continues to throw more strikes as he gains experience.

10. Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson - Another potential frontline starter from the program that produced Corey Kluber and Jacob deGrom. Gilbert rivaled Rolison as the Cape's top pitching prospect after winning Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year honors during the spring. He has size (6-foot-6), velocity (93-97 mph) and life on his fastball, plus deception and strike-throwing ability, though he needs to develop the rest of his repertoire after being more of a position player in high school.


BA had their own Top 10 High School players for the draft –

           1 Brice Turang SS Santiago HS, Corona, Calif.
2 Ethan Hankins RHP Forsyth Central HS, Cumming, Ga.
3 Kumar Rocker RHP North Oconee HS, Bogart, Ga.
4 Will Banfield C Brookwood HS, Snellville, Ga.
5 Nander De Sedas SS Montverde (Fla.) Academy
6 Luke Bartnicki LHP Walton HS, Marietta, Ga.
7 Jarred Kelenic OF Waukesha (Wis.)West HS
8 Slade Cecconi RHP Trinity Prep HS, Winter Park, Fla.
9 Mason Denaburg RHP/C Merritt Island (Fla.) HS
10 Carter Stewart RHP Eau Gallie HS, Melbourne, Fla.


Mack's Mets Target - Travis Swaggerty

College stats from Baseball Cube:
2016: .303/.431/.422, 12 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 20 SB, 11 CS, 42 BB, 49 K
2017: .361/.487/.567, 11 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 19 SB, 9 CS, 47 BB, 43 K

MLB Pipeline's Top 10 college prospects for the 2018 Draft:
7. Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama
Swaggerty reached double figures in homers (11) and steals (19) during the spring before serving as a catalyst atop Team USA's lineup with Madrigal. He is an on-base type with plus speed and flashes of power, and he covers a lot of ground in center field.

Baseball America's TOP 10 COLLEGE PROSPECTS FOR 2018:
4 Travis Swaggerty           OF       South Alabama      5-11   180
The twitchy center fielder has the power-speed combo to earn Jacoby Ellsbury comps.

2080 Baseball: THE GRIND: PROSPECT EVALUATIONS FROM A VETERAN SCOUT (USA BASEBALL NOTES, VOL. 2)
Travis Swaggerty, OF, Univ. of South Alabama
Ht/Wt: 5’11”/185 lbs. B/T: L/L Age (as of 2018 MLB Draft): 21y, 9m
Notes: Played both center and left field in viewings; compact, athletic frame with both present strength and room for additional weight and strength gain over course of physical maturation; plus athlete; slight open stance to start, closes with good trigger; quick bat with ability to manipulate the barrel and use the entire field; comfortable will going the other way; good plate discipline, ability to make adjustments; will fight off pitches he can’t handle to get counts in his favor; good pull power with loft and leverage in his swing; projects to plus hit/power guy; arm plays average to above-average with good carry; average glove, steady fielder; plus runner underway with fringe average times out of the box (4.25 seconds home-to-first times).

Videos:
Travis Swaggerty (7-1-2017) vs Chinese Taipei (Cary, NC)

TRAVIS SWAGGERTY, OF, SOUTH ALABAMA

4 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Still don't want tiny Madrigal unless he can promise he'll replicate Houston's short superstar.

Conine or Eierman look like good bats to me.

Viper said...

Out of that list,
Jeremy Eierman and bring him up as 3B or Travis Swaggerty. Lets try our luck in position players instead.

Forget about the little Speedy Gonzalez type.

Tom Brennan said...

I also should add Swaggerty to my list, as Viper and you did, Mack. 5'11" a little short, but not a dealbreaker.

Viper said...

I can live with Conine too.

Hey guys, what to hear a joke?

Saw a story of Sandy saying fixing the BP will be a priority. This after trading for 5/6 relievers?

Is it just me who finds this offensive? you trade for a bunch of relievers and you don't even think they can fix the current BP? why did you trade for them if that's the case?

Heck, get rid of Collins and that by itself improves the BP.