Draft 13 – Jan Hernandez, Phil Bickford, Mike Papi, Hunter Harvey, Phillip Ervin

Jan Hernandez, 3B, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (PR) - At 6’-3” and 195 pounds, the right-hander possesses great bat speed and raw power. Playing for the same school as 2012 first-overall pick Carlos Correa, he is well known in the scouting community. His strong arm, soft hands and range could make him a great defender at the hot corner and his bat should justify the position. His size alone makes him an intriguing prospect in the 2013 MLB draft. LINK

Phil Bickford, RHP, Oaks Christian HS (CA) - It seems that I have been writing a lot about Bickford over the last couple of weeks. That’s because he just keeps giving me something to write about. On Friday, the 6’-4” right-hander tossed six more scoreless innings, striking out 11 to one walk. Over his last four starts, he has allowed one run on six hits over 27 innings, striking out 50 to six walks. He has been flashing his plus fastball that can touch 97 mph and showing excellent command. On the season, he has a 0.95 ERA, 0.59 WHIP and 112 K/12 BB over 66.1 innings. My hopes of him being available when the Cubs pick again at 41 are dwindling by the day. Committed to Cal State Fullerton. LINK

Dan Kirby‏  @DanMKirby

Virginia So. 6'-3" (L) Mike Papi leads nation in OBP (.543). Hitting .403 over 43 G w/ 10 2B, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 35 BB/19 K. Big bat for 2014.

Another participant at last year's Under Armour All-American Game, Hunter Harvey has an athletic, projectable frame with a fastball that is already above-average and could potentially be a plus offering if he can consistently throw it in the 93-96 range he has shown at times. The right-hander also throws a curveball and changeup, the former a lot more than the latter. He will need to improve the command and feel of his breaking ball and get used to throwing the changeup in games, but the upside is there for him to be a late-first rounder. LINK

I like Phillip Ervin a lot. Is it crazy to suggest that he’s a little teeny tiny bit like the college version of everybody’s favorite high school hitter, Clint Frazier? Both are praised for, in order, their 1) electric bat speed, 2) well-rounded overall skill sets, 3) above-average arm strength (pre-injury for Frazier), 4) picture perfect pro-ready swings, 5) above-average speed on the base paths, and 6) advanced pitch recognition skills. The main concern for both is that they are maxed-out physically. Additionally, both can hack it in center (Ervin more than Frazier), but profile best defensively in right field (again, assuming Frazier’s bum arm bounces back in time). This is all far too simplistic a comparison and I’m clearly not taking into account the crucially important differences in their hair, but you can kind of see how the two share some things if you keep an open mind, right? LINK

Draft 13 – Thomas Milone, Hunter Harvey, Joey Martarano, JP Crawford, Bret Morales

Thomas Milone, OF, Masuk HS (CT) - Like Cody Thomas, Milone is a two-sport star and is committed to play both baseball and football for UConn. Not the elite prospect Thomas is in football, he may not be as difficult to sign as baseball seems to be his future. The 6’-1”, 185 pound left-hander is a plus runner (4.3/40) and has a strong enough arm to remain at centerfield where his glove plays well. Offensively, he is still considered raw at the plate but has shown a good approach this year drawing 10 walks to just two strikeouts over 12 games for a .553 OBP. He has also gone 13-for-13 in stolen base attempts, showing great instincts on the base paths to go with the speed. He doesn’t hit for much power now, but projects to at least decent power as he matures. Playing in the Northeast, he hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to showcase himself to scouts, but he has been getting a lot of attention lately and his stock is rising. He has an outside chance of being available when the Cubs pick at 77. Committed to Connecticut. link

Hunter Harvey, RHP, Bandys HS (NC) - The 6’-3” right-hander tossed a five-inning no-hitter on Friday, striking out nine to two walks. For the season, he is now 8-0 over 10 starts with a 0.58 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 99 K/17 BB over 46.2 innings. His 19.2 K/9 ratio shows how overpowering he is with his mid-90s fastball and he also adds a solid curveball. He is the son of former big-league closer Bryan Harvey and has an arm just like his dad. link

There are not a lot of high school baseball players you will find who are 6'3", 230 pounds, though you wouldn't know that to be the case after we just talked about Cody Thomas, which is why Joey Martarano is committed to play football at Boise State.

That is where things get dicey when you try to project his baseball future, because Boise State University doesn't have a baseball program after cutting it in 1980. link

Dan Kirby - ‏@DanMKirby

JP Crawford went 3-for-3 yesterday w/ 2 SB. Now hitting a silly .605 (23-for-38) over last 13 w/ 10 SB, 9 BB/0 K, .688 OBP.

King HS (FL) RHP Brett Morales  struck out a school record 17 batters in a 4-1 win. Now has 0.58 ERA, 117 K/21 BB, 78 IP.