Draft 14 – Michael Kopech, Alex Jackson, Austin DeCarr, Luis Ortiz, Nick Burdi

9-29-13 – XMLBScout – 18.)RHP, Michael Kopech, Mt Pleasant HS, Mt Pleasant TX, 6'2 1/2 185, lean frame with long arms and legs, gets good extension out front on his fb and breaking ball, command is good and should improve as he progresses into college and pro baseball, fb velo 88-93, most were 89-91 with tailing action down in the zone, most fb were true, cb with sharp 11/5 break, at times very good, other times flat and easy to read, flashed a few change ups with some deception, tends to slow upper body down on certain pitches he throws, correctible and definitely the type of young arm to watch in 2014, college may be in the picture but open to pro ball for sure. Upside unlimited, improved over the summer in each outing at National scene. http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com/

10-9-13 – Early Pick for Cubs - Alex Jackson, C, Rancho Bernardo HS (CA) - Another position in which the Cubs lack depth is catcher. Jackson, a 6’-2”, 200 pound right-hander has the size, arm and footwork to remain behind the plate, although some question that and believe his offensive potential may land him in a corner outfield spot. He may have the best power in the prep class and the ball jumps off his bat differently than others. He knocked some moonshots of his own out of Wrigley and the sound his bat makes upon contact lets you know the power he possesses. He hit .343/.479/.806 over 35 games as a junior with 14 home runs and 29 walks. If he remains at catcher, his road to the big leagues will take longer then if he played in the outfield as learning the position takes time. Like Kolek, however, he could be worth the wait in the 2014 MLB draft. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-early-targets-chicago-cubs-fourth-overall-pick/38723

9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 76.Austin DeCarr – RHP, Salisbury (MA) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/

9-30-13 – TTF Mock 2.0 - 27. Pittsburgh Pirates — Luis Ortiz, RHP, Sanger HS (CA) The 6’-3”, 220-pound right-hander will be almost 19 on draft day, making him one of the older players in his class. Because of this, his upside isn’t as high as others on this list. That said, his stuff is really good and his fastball sits in the 92-95 mph range. He adds a developing plus slider that sits in the mid-80s and his offspeed stuff is still in the developmental stages. He has great mound presence and feel for his pitches, and he also is a good athlete. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-mock-draft-2-0-draft-order-set/38280#5E3F5j1jWOgE69bJ.99

10-6-13 – Kendall Rogers/PG – College Prospects -  9. Nick Burdi, rhp, Louisville (Drafted: 2011, Twins -- 24th round) - Speaking of dominant arms, the 2013 Perfect Game College All-American has a bright future ahead both as a college junior and at the professional level. Burdi has an unreal arm with a fastball anywhere from 96-100, a plus slider in the upper
80s, low 90s and a changeup that continues to improve. Burdi is somewhat of a gamble putting him this high, this early. For instance, just one college reliever has been selected in the top 10 picks in the past five MLB drafts -- Stanford's Drew Storen, who went to the Washington Nationals in 2009. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=9081

 

Draft 14 – Chase Vallot, Keaton McKinney, Jacob Gatewood, Sean Reid-Foley, Austin DeCarr

8-23-13 - Player:  Chase Vallot   Primary Position:  C  Height/Weight:  6’0/210  Bats/Throws:  R/R  Home Town:  Youngsville, LA  School:  St. Thomas More  Travel Team(s):  Marucci Elite  Class of:  2014  Committed To:  Mississippi State - Scouting Notes: 2013 USA Tournament of Stars notes from Don Olsen: Chase is thick compact athletic build in an Austin Romine type mold. His swing has a little load and drops a tad early, leaving him a little long, but good bat speed to work with down the line.  The swing has a line drive path with a bit of loft. He has a patient approach that shows the plate coverage to work gap to gap type production, may show above average power. Defensively, he shows a clean set up, quite footwork, high caliber receiver.  Chase possesses a strong arm with quick transfer that already POP sub http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/08/22/2014-mlb-draft-profile-chase-vallot/

 

8-16-13 - 11th All-American Classic - Keaton McKinney | RHP | Ankeny HS (Ankeny, IA) - Height/Weight: 6-foot-5/220 pounds - B/T: R/R - Draft Day Age: 18 years, 5 months  Commitment: Arkansas - History: McKinney started the summer in style, sitting upper-80s to low-90s with a heavy fastball at the Perfect Game National Showcase in June, while showing off a highly deceptive changeup a grade better than he’d shown in past showcase outings, and among the best off-speeds of any arm at the Metrodome over those five days. McKinney maintained his stuff through USA Baseball’s Tournament of Stars, earning himself an invite to the 18U Team Trials along side Reid-Foley. He showed well at the Area Code Games last week, as well, and entered the Perfect Game All-American Classic as an arm of interest, but not necessarily one of the big names in the class. - Development: McKinney breezed through his inning of work on Sunday, striking out three and walking one. The big Iowan set the tempo for the outing in his first four pitches, going changeup, fastball, changeup, changeup to big slugger, and Vanderbilt commit, Justin Bellinger, drawing empty swings on each of the off-speeds and sending Bellinger to the bench. As impressive as McKinney’s changeup has been thus far this summer, it was at its best at PGAAC, and the deceptive quality of the offering, along with the late tumble, left the East Squad hitters helpless. It’s a deep crop of high school arms this year, with a number of potential impact hurlers at the college ranks as well, but a dominant outing in front of the right collection of evaluators can do wonders for a players draft stock—McKinney’s inning was just such an outing, solidifying for him a prominent spot on follow lists for next spring. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=21537

 

8-13-13 - The Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego - Clovis High School’s Jacob Gatewood - Gatewood’s bat speed is impressive — as is the power that he generates with said bat speed — but I saw a tendency for the swing to get “wild”, and it would have been nice to see him hit something with authority the other way. I also had some defensive questions; as he showed soft hands, but the ball has a tendency to tail on him and there’s some footwork issues as well. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2013/08/thoughts-on-perfect-game-all-american-classic/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

8-14-13 – Through The Fence – Top 50 Prospects – 27. Sean Reid-Foley, RHP, Sandalwood HS (FL) - The 6’-3”, 210-pound right-hander flashes a plus fastball that touches 94 mph with late life, thanks to his easy delivery and strong build. He also features a filthy, upper-70s curveball that may be one of the best in his class, as well as a slider that looked like a future plus pitch at The Tournament of Stars in North Carolina. He has put his name on the map over the last month and has huge upside due to his size, easy delivery and stuff. Committed to Florida State. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50-prospects/36463#mwWwsFxSUZy7YC5V.99

 

2013 East Coast Pro Showcase Top 50 Prospects    - 2013 East Coast Pro Showcase Top 50 Prospects    - 25. Austin DeCarr – RHP, Salisbury (MA) HS - Topped out at 91 at National Showcase. Came out at ECP sitting 91-93 with a plus curve. http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-top-50-ecp-prospects/