Draft 13 – Will Haynie, Corey Ray, Kyle Serrano, Collin Moran, Jonathan Gray

 

Will Haynie, C/3B, Brentwood Academy (TN) - The 6’-5”, 225-pound right-hander is a catcher now, but will most likely end up at third or a corner outfield position due to his size. He has very good power and has been showing a great approach at the plate this season. Over his last five games, he has gone 9-for-12 (.750) with two home runs, six walks and an .842 OBP. On the season, he is hitting .470/.613/.790 over 35 games with eight home runs, 31 walks and just 12 strikeouts. Committed to Alabama. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2013-mlb-draft-ten-high-school-players-on-the-rise/32935#ukjIhwu7UDCzZKTx.99

 

Corey Ray, OF, Simeon HS (IL) - The 5’-11” left-hander just keeps mashing the baseball. On Friday, he went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, two RBI, two walks and a stolen base as Simeon beat Lane Tech — my old stomping grounds — 10-5 in the Public League playoffs. Over his last 11 games, he is hitting .485 with four doubles, four triples, two home runs, 14 RBI and has stolen 12 bases. He has also drawn 12 walks for a .630 OBP/1.030 SLG. A quick-twitch athlete who can play all three outfield positions due to his strong arm and speed, Ray has been flashing his five-tool ability at the right time. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2013-mlb-draft-9/33241#WdxR2YIG1GzGdJCZ.99  

 

Kyle Serrano, P, Tennessee 50%- Serrano's Dad is the new coach at Tennessee and the SEC is growing all the time. It could be a good step for the elder Serrano's coaching career if his son came aboard and helped turn around Tennessee. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/5/20/4344286/2013-mlb-draft-players-with-signability-questions

 

Castle‏@TheACastle - IF Colin Moran goes to Astros, Cubs will surely be in war with Scott Boras for Appel, Gray, or Bryant.

 

The Cubs are finalizing prep work for the First-Year Player Draft, to be held June 6, and Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations, led a group of front office executives to Oklahoma to meet Wednesday with right-handed pitcher Jonathan Gray. http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130522&content_id=48302062&notebook_id=48323968&vkey=notebook_chc&c_id=chc&tcid=tw_article_48302062

Draft 13 – J.P. Crawford, Corey Ray, Denton Keys, Kevin Franklin, Colin Moran

J.P. Crawford, SS, - Arguably the best overall shortstop in the 2013 MLB draft, the 6’-2” left-hander has been showing off his great offensive upside as an on-base machine with a great approach at the plate and excellent bat speed. Over his last 12 games, he is hitting .571 with six extra-base hits, eight stolen bases and has drawn nine walks without a strikeout for a .667 OBP/.829 SLG. His strong arm, speed and instincts will allow him to remain at a premium position. Committed to USC. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2013-mlb-draft-ten-high-school-players-on-the-rise/32935#ukjIhwu7UDCzZKTx.99

Dan Kirby ‏@DanMKirby  - Over his last 11 games, Corey Ray has gone 16-for-33 (.485) w/ 4 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 12 SB, 12 BB, .630 OBP/1.030 SLG.

Denton Keys, LHP, Rye HS (CO) - The ridiculous season of Denton Keys continued on Saturday as the 6’-3” southpaw struck out 12 more over five innings in an 11-1 win over Yuma HS. He did give up an earned run — his first of the year — and now has a 0.21 ERA, 0.44 WHIP and 109 K/9 BB over 43 innings for a 22.8 K/9 ratio. His team has outscored its opponents 237-22 over 19 games, so, apparently, everyone who can play baseball in Colorado plays for Rye high school. Nevertheless, the kid has talent, including a fastball in the 89-92 mph range. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2013-mlb-draft-9/33241#WdxR2YIG1GzGdJCZ.99

Kevin Franklin, Gahr (Cerritos, Calif.) - A third baseman in high school, Franklin would eventually move to the outfield, according to some scouting reports. He has enough power to land somewhere in the top 10 rounds. He batted .462 with 33 RBI, 10 doubles and eight home runs for Gahr this year. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/z2-sul7VukOjgmdQ7ZXW0g/mlb-draft--top-10-corner-infielders.htm

Collin Moran, the 2011 ACC Freshman of the Year, is the seventh UNC student-athlete to be named ACC Player of the Year. The Rye, N.Y., native leads in the nation in RBIs with 83 and ranks third among ACC batters with a .376 average.  Moran boasts a .504 on-base percentage and is a major reason UNC owns a 47-8 overall record and claimed the top seed for this week’s ACC Baseball Championship at Durham (N.C.) Bulls Athletic Park. http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/052013aaa.html

Draft 13 – Corey Ray, Travis Demeritte, Suart Turner, Hunter Renfroe

The Midwest, especially Chicago, doesn’t get a whole lot of attention when it comes to high school baseball. But every once in awhile, a player demands the attention. Such is the case this year for Corey Ray, a top 2013 MLB draft prospect for Simeon Academy, located in Chicago’s South Side. The 5’-11”, 190-pound left-hander led his team to back-to-back city titles this season. He was an absolute beast down the stretch, hitting .513 over his final 13 games with four doubles, five triples, three home runs, 19 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Corey Ray is a quick-twitch athlete who can play all three outfield spots due to his instincts, strong arm and speed. At the plate, he has excellent bat speed and can spray the ball to all fields.  TEST

Travis Demeritte, Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.) - Demeritte has appeared as a first round pick in several mock drafts, but he will likely end up going somewhere in round 2-5. He is considered the top third baseman at the prep level and he possesses a strong arm and good range to go with power at the plate. He batted .404 this season with 37 RBI, seven doubles and 12 home runs. He also pitched and was 8-1 with a 0.69 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched. TEST

Stuart Turner, University of Mississippi - Although Turner is projected to be taken in the second round (or later), the Ole Miss backstop has been one of, if not the best catchers in college baseball this spring. Turner has been highly underrated by analysts and scouts this spring, as he has led the Ole Miss offense with a .381 batting average and 50 RBI in 59 games. He possesses a clean, easy swing and has excellent bat control, displaying maturity and poise in the batter’s box. Behind the plate, Turner has plus game management skills and a strong arm, but needs to work slightly on refining both is offensive and defensive mechanics. Turner should project to be an everyday catcher at the next level due to his intelligence of the game, and should be a huge steal come draft day. TEST

RF Hunter Renfroe – Mississippi State - For most of the season, Hunter Renfroe was among the top hitters in the SEC, hitting over .400 and totaling 15 home runs and 54 RBI. However, a recent slump has dipped his average over 50 points. For the Bulldogs to get out of their regional and keep their College World Series hopes alive, they need Renfroe to start swinging a hot bat. TEST

Draft 13 – Corey Ray, Eric Jagielo, Reese McGuire, Kevin Ziomek, Phillip Ervin

 

Corey Ray, OF, Simeon HS (IL) - Playing in the same backyard as the Cubs, Ray is a 5’-11”, 190-pound left-hander who is a quick-twitch athlete with very good speed, as well as excellent bat speed. His short, compact swing allows him to make consistent contact and drive the ball to all fields and more power should come as he matures. He has a strong arm, and both his speed and instincts allow him to play all three outfield spots. The weather was brutal for baseball players in Chicago this spring creating many rain outs and cold-weather games. In 15 recorded games, he has hit .381 with nine extra-base hits, nine stolen bases and has drawn 13 walks for a .536 OBP/.643 SLG. He could be available when the Cubs pick at 108. Committed to Louisville. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2013-mlb-draft-25-high-upside-targets-for-chicago-cubs/32522/#MvYdf3hwz57dhWIe.99  

Eric Jagielo is a third baseman right now, but he could end up shifting to first base or a corner outfield spot in the pros because he doesn't have the softest hands or the most accurate throwing arm. Regardless, what Jagielo does really well is hit. He controls the strike zone well, thanks to good pitch recognition, solid hand-eye coordination and plus bat speed. He also projects to hit for plus power. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1600761-ranking-the-10-fastest-rising-2013-mlb-draft-prospects/page/7

 

Before Reese McGuire can think too much about the MLB Draft, he wants to lead Kentwood High School to another state championship. The highly touted catcher helped the Conquerors win the 4A (Washington’s largest classification) title last year, and another trophy would cap an unforgettable senior season. “The season is great,” McGuire told me. “We got first in league, so it was awesome. Our pitching stepped up and everyone has done their part to make the team better.” Even though he’s focused on “the now,” McGuire isn’t afraid to look ahead to the MLB Draft in a few weeks. http://allaroundtim.com/reese-mcguire-ready-for-mlb-draft/

Kevin Ziomek, Vanderbilt - The 6'3" Ziomek drew some early buzz because of a blistering start in which he shut down his opponents and missed a ton of bats.  He hasn't sustained that pace but he's still firmly entrenched as a 2nd round option.  For Cubs fans, there is the obvious connection with minor league pitching coordinator Derek Johnson -- so it would seem the Cubs would know more about Ziomek than any other team. http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2013/05/mlb-draft-2nd-round-the-college-lefties/

 

Phillip Ervin's only chance to play Division I baseball came from Samford, and in three weeks he'll likely be the highest drafted player from the state of Alabama. And if you're in Birmingham and want to see him play up close and in person, this Thursday and Friday is your last chance. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/05/samfords_phillip_ervin_the_sta.html

Draft 13 – Robert Tyler, Clinton Hollon, Corey Ray, Randy Hart, Andrew Dunlap

Robert Tyler, RHP, Crisp County HS (GA) - The 6’-4” right-hander is another loose arm that can dial his fastball up to 93 mph with room for more as he matures and improves his delivery. He adds a hard curveball with nice depth and a developing change-up with a nice feel. He has 44 K/12 BB over 38.1 innings this season. He is viewed as a late-second/early-third-round kid but could go a lot higher with his size and potential. Committed to Georgia. LINK

Clinton Hollon, RHP, Woodford County HS (KY) - The 6’-1” right-hander tossed a two-hit shutout on Thursday, striking out 12 to no walks. He now has a 1.13 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 57 K/10 BB over 40 innings, allowing just 18 hits as he continues to overpower his peers this season. Scouts have said he has become more of a pitcher this year, using his secondary offerings more, instead of relying just on his low/mid-90s heater. Both his curveball and change-up are already considered above-average pitches and he has great control of all three. Committed to Kentucky. LINK

Dan Kirby ‏@DanMKirby  - Simeon HS (Chicago) OF (L) Corey Ray went 2-for-3 w/ 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SB in 10-4 win over Little Village HS

Randy Hart ‏@pumpjock3y -  update on Akeem Bostick. Pre-draft workout yesterday. FB up to 94 (sat 91-92), Asst. GM & Scouting Director loved his split&curve

Justin Hlubek ‏@PGJustinHlubek -

Andrew Dunlap 94-96 FB. K'd 2 batters on very good CB's at 78 & 80. K'd last batter with a 84 mph CH

Draft 13 – Josh Hart, Ryan Boldt, Corey Ray, Kohl Stewart, Doinic Smith

Draft 13 – Josh Hart, Ryan Boldt, Corey Ray, Kohl Stewart, Doinic Smith

Josh Hart, OF, Parkview HS (GA) - Like many players on this list, Hart is a speedy outfielder with a nice stroke from the left side. A great athlete, he has been clocked at 6.49 in the 60. He has some of the best bat speed in the 2013 MLB draft which allows him to catch up to any pitch and drive it to all fields. Over 26 games this season, he is hitting .450 with five triples, three home runs, 20 RBI and has stolen 19 bases. He has drawn nine walks for a .536 OBP/.738 SLG playing for one of the top programs in the country. At 6’-2” and 190 pounds, he should hit for more power as he matures but may end up at a corner outfield spot if he fills out. Should be available at 41. Committed to Georgia Tech. draft

 With the recent injury to Ryan Boldt, due you think the Astros could pick him up in the second round, or might he even drop to the third round? Thanks = Jim Callis: Don’t think the knee is a major concern. There are some scouts who question how much power Boldt will really have, so he could be there at the top of round two.

Corey Ray, OF, Simeon HS (IL) - As the weather is warming up in Chicago, so is Ray, a 5’-11” left-hander with a lot of upside as he can play all three outfield positions and has excellent bat speed. Over his last four games, he has gone 6-for-13 with a double, three triples and has stolen six bases. He now has a .370/.517/.717 line over 16 games with 10 extra base hits, 11 stolen bases and 13 walks. Ray is a quick-twitch athlete with above-average speed and a strong arm. Committed to Louisville. draft

Kohl Stewart is the top high school pitcher in this year's MLB draft. He has plus fastball velocity, a potentially plus-plus slider and solid changeup. At 6'3", 190 pounds, Stewart does offer some projection. 

But a player of Stewart's age already showing that kind of velocity and potential with the off-speed stuff doesn't need to add much to be an elite talent. His delivery is a bit stiff, as he uses a lot of arm, loses his release point and doesn't incorporate his lower half enough, which will need to be corrected in pro ball. draft

Dan Kirby‏ @DanMKirby

Serra HS (CA) OF Dominic Smith drew 2 BB today. Has now reached base in 15 of his last 18 PAs w/ 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 7 BB, 3 HBP.