Draft 14 – Jeff Hoffman, Tucker Baca, Dalton Guthrie, J.D. Davis, Bryce Montes De Oca

11-4-13 – MLB Draft Insider - Top 14 for ’14: College Pitchers - 2. Jeff Hoffman / RHP / East Carolina – He doesn’t have Rodon’s track record, but Hoffman was as good — if not better — than any collegiate pitcher this summer, occasionally hitting 97 on the gun with a plus-plus curve and a change that also flashed plus. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2013/11/top-14-for-14-college-pitchers/


11-2-13 – Jim Callis – Tucker Baca dominated the Dallas Patriots, working four shutout innings in a 9-1 win. He’s a 6-foot-3, 195-pound lefty who throws from a low arm slot, so of course he draws Chris Sale comparisons. Baca threw 91-93 mph early in the game, harder than usual and without sacrificing any of the tremendous life he generates with his fastball. He averaged 88-90 mph over the course of his outing. The Arizona State recruit also destroyed lefthanders with his slider, which averaged 72-74 mph and peaked at 78. He used just three changeups, though some evaluators believe that’s consistently his best pitch. All told, he threw 45 of his 68 pitches for strikes while allowing just one hit and two walks and fanning seven. http://ht.ly/qg5La


10-30-13 - Clint Longenecker/BA – WWBA World Championship - The Florida Burn, made up exclusively of players from the Sunshine State, had a strong balance of run scoring and run prevention to advance to the championship game.  Shortstop Dalton Guthrie, who also attends Venice and is committed to Florida, compiled a .333/.381/.333 line and Lee, a High Point commit, had a strong showing, with a .375/.429/.500 line. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/evoshield-canes-win-perfect-game-wwba-world-championship/


10-15-13 – Baseball America - 36. J.D. Davis, 1b/3b/rhp, Cal State Fullerton: Unsigned Rays fifth-rounder out of high school in 2011 offers power on the mound and at the plate. http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-draft-top-50-october-2013-carlos-rodon/


9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 63. Bryce Montes De Oca – RHP, Lawrence (KS) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/

Draft 14 – Justus Sheffield, Alex Verdugo, Bryce Montes de Oca, Kel Johnson, Derek Hill

8-6-13 - Top pitchers - East Coast Professional Showcase, Syracuse, NY -  7. Justus Sheffield, LHP, Tullahoma HS (Tenn.): Sheffield could have been higher up on this list, perhaps hurt slightly because he more or less threw the way people have come to expect. There's also the fact that he is a bit undersized, albeit while throwing left-handed. Sheffield reached 94 mph in this event, but some feel he needs a tighter breaking ball. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130806&content_id=56048786&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

 

8-9-13 - Clint Longenecker ‏@Clint_BA  - Alex Verdugo (Ariz) continues to impress in many facets of game. Strong throw from right field to hose runner at the plate

 

8-9-13 - The biggest player on either the East or West teams' rosters for Sunday's 11th annual Perfect Game All-American Classic presented by Rawlings won't throw a pitch, swing a bat or field a ground ball at all this weekend.  But Lawrence (Kan.) High School senior and University of Missouri commit Bryce Montes de Oca is determined to make the most out of the PG All-American Classic opportunity that he has been presented with, even if Tommy John surgery performed in early April will keep him from competing. http://www.perfectgame.org/AllAmerican/News.aspx?num=8868

 

7-24-13  -  Kel Johnson, of/1b, Homeschooled, Palmetto, Ga./FTB Mizuno - Johnson showed toughness and determination battling through a stomach virus during TOS. He has strength throughout his large 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. The Georgia Tech commit’s calling card is his bat. Johnson, who has a loud setup with lots of moving parts and unique timing mechanisms for his hands and front leg, has good bat speed with a swing path conducive to power—especially to his pull side. He has above-average raw power and can put on a show in batting practice. The righthanded hitter is faster than quick and has enough arm and speed to handle an outfield corner. Johnson is homeschooled, a rarity for potential pro prospects. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/tyler-koleks-heavy-fastball-among-tournament-of-stars-standouts/

 

7-25-13 – Top 30 High School Prospects For 2014 Draft - 16. Derek Hill, CF, Elk Grove HS (CA) - 6'2/170, R/R, Draft Day Age: 18.43, No college commitment - Quick Take: Hill comes from the same school as 2013 bonus babes 1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays, $850,000) and C Dom Nunez (Rockies, $800,000) and may make more money than both of them. He's had among the best game at-bats early in showcase season but also shows easy plus speed and a fluid swing with a direct bat path. http://sbb.scout.com/2/1310090.html

Draft 14 – Trea Turner, Bryce Montes De Oca, Tyler Beede, Adam Plutko, Jack Flaherty

6-10-13 -  Trea Turner, SS, North Carolina State - Turner is the most dynamic player in the country.  He came to national attention with his great baserunning and speed, but has shown that there is much more to his game.  He should be one of the first players selected in 2014. LINK

6-13-13  -  29. Texas Rangers — Bryce Montes De Oca, RHP, Lawrence HS (MO) - This one is all about upside. At 6’-8” and 265 pounds, the right-hander can run his fastball up to 95 mph with ease. Add in the fact that it his release point is probably halfway to home plate, it is near impossible to pick it up as a hitter. His secondary stuff is still developing and he is still learning to pitch but it’s hard to pass on a kid with his size and arm strength. LINK

6-17-13  -  2. Tyler Beede, RHP, Vanderbilt - Perkin said Beede (6-foot-4, 215), who declined to sign after Toronto drafted him in the first round in 2011, may benefit like Stanford's Mark Appel, the No. 1 overall pick last week whose stock improved after being drafted previously and turning down first-round money. Beede is "a smooth righty with top of the rotation stuff," Perkin said, noting "a 90-to-94 mph fastball that peaks at 95, a harsh 78-to-80 curve and a fall-off-the-table 82-to-84 changeup." LINK

Kendall Rogers ‏@KendallRogersPG  @KendallRogersPG: Adam Plutko wins most valuable player .... Deserved! UCLA

6-26-13  -  The Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News both pegged Jack Flaherty as their All-Area Player of the Year. Just this week, Cal-Hi Sports selected Flaherty as its state player of the year, marking one of the few times in the publication's long history that it has chosen a junior as the state's top player. This week, MaxPreps names Flaherty as its National Player of the Year, beating out such talented seniors as Clint Frazier of Loganville (Ga.), Rob Kaminsky of St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) and Tyler Danish of Durant (Plant City, Fla.). LINK