32. Jake Barrett —
6’-3”, RHP, Arizona State Barrett is a
very hard-throwing righty and one of the most major-league ready prospects in
the draft. At 6’-3” and 220 lbs, he throws a heavy fastball that sits in the
mid-90s with late life. He also has a power curve that projects to plus, and
his change-up is above average. Went 7-4 with a 4.14 ERA and 72 K/21 BB as a
sophomore for Arizona State in 2011. Has great command, and mixed with his
aggressiveness, he could be an excellent closer at the next level. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/
http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class
5. Austin Dean,
3B, Klein Collins (Spring, Texas) Dean is developing physically, showing corner
strength despite measuring out at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. Has above-average
power, but his best attribute is his hit tool, which grades above-average. He
also has good feet and a strong, accurate arm. Dean could sneak into the
sandwich round with a big year, and if the power continues to develop he could
be some club's starting third baseman in the mold of a David Freese. Deane does
have the option to play at the University of Texas, however, so a pro contract
is no sure thing.
We continue the countdown today at number 15 with
Southern Utah senior Bo Cuthbertson. The
Glendale, Arizona native attended Cactus High School where he was a four year
letter winner. As a senior, he recorded a .418 average with one home run, two
doubles, four triples and 16 stolen bases. He finished his career with a .380
average, one home run, 30 doubles and 30 stolen bases He was also a two-time
first-team all-region and honorable mention all-state honoree and a three-time
participant at the Arizona state high school all-star game. In 2010, he started in 52 games while hitting
.344 including a .384 mark in Summit League games. He led the team with 77
hits, 50 runs scored and six triples while hitting four home runs and drove in
29 RBI. He was named first team
All-Summit League for his performance. http://ht.ly/1gIoqY
Chris turned in a great summer season while playing
for the Silversmiths. He led the league with a great .417 batting average, and
he was tied for second in the league with 63 hits. He was also fourth in the
league with 37 runs scored. He played pretty good defense and he was just about
the fastest player in the league. Perhaps his most amazing stat is that he
stole an incredible 63 bases this summer. This was 30 more stolen bases than
the second place finisher. He hit 9
doubles, 2 triples and smacked 3 home runs as well this summer. He had a .563
slugging % and for you SABR fans, he had an RC of 40.74 this season. At the
conclusion of the season, he was named to the All NYCBL First-Team Li http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2012/01/2011-top-performer-chris-costantino.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
We continue the countdown today at number 14 with
St. John’s junior RHP He is listed as a 6’7 195 pound junior righthanded
pitcher out of Glen Cove New York and attended St. Dominic for high school. He
was a two year letterwinner for the Bayhawks where he was named All-State and
All-League in both seasons. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 40th
round (1,216 overall) in the 2009 MLB Draft but were not able to come to terms
with him. Kyle decided to continue his college career with the St. John’s Red
Storm. He had a good freshman which saw him make 18 appearances (15 starts)
while going 8-3 with a 3.71 ERA in a total of 94.2 innings. He ended up
striking out 85 batters but did struggle with his control as he walked 33
batters. He was able to hold opponents to a .227 batting average against. He
was named a Second Team Freshman All-American by the NCBWA after the solid
campaign http://ht.ly/1gKliw
Josh Elander — 6’-0”, C, TCU Elander is an offensive catcher with great plate discipline. He hit .333 with five home runs, 38 RBI and nine stolen bases over 48 games for TCU in 2011. He also added 28 walks, showing his advanced approach at the plate. Just average defensively, Elander is athletic enough to improve enough behind the dish to stay at his position. A strong 2012 could push him to a late-first-round pick. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/
Jake Barrett / RHP /Arizona State – Barrett’s repertoire is good enough to start, but the delivery screams reliever, as does the command. His size (6-4, 220) gives him the chance to be a durable innings eater, but a beyond maximum delivery makes this very unlikely. Still, there’s a chance he can be next years John Stilson, hopefully without the injury to end the year. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-college-pitchers/
Hunter Virant hasn't been pitching for all that long, but he's shown the potential and projectability to get scouts very excited about his future. Virant has the chance to have four at least Major League average offerings. While his fastball sits in the 87-88 mph range, he'll touch 90 mph and with his projectable frame, there should be more in the tank. There's the typical lefty sink in to left-handed hitters on his two-seamer. His curve is inconsistent right now -- he'll drop his arm angle to make it too slurvy -- but that will improve with time and experience. He doesn't always command his changeup now, but it should be a solid offering in the future. He'll also cut his fastball for a slider-like look. He throws the fastball for strikes and competes well. And he does it all with a very smooth delivery. Those raw ingredients, along with his ideal pitcher's frame and his handling of the big-spotlight events should have many scouts watching his progress this springhttp://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/
Avery Romero, 2B/SS, Pedro Menendez (St. Augustine, Fla.) - Generally speaking, scouts believe Romero has to move off shortstop as a pro, likely sliding to third base where his plus arm and sound fundamentals should play well. His hit tool is his calling card at present and more power should develop as he improves his plate skills. Romero, a potential top 50 selection, is also committed to the University of Florida. He hit .458 last year with five homers, 18 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/940/mccullers-jr-is-top-florida-diamond-star
We continue the countdown today at number 28 with Arizona junior outfielder Robert Refsnyder. The Laguna Hills High School alum starred at the school being named First team All-CIF, Pacific Coast League MVP as a senior, and named to the All-PCL First Team as a junior. He currently still holds school records for highest career batting average and highest single season batting average. Refsynder stepped right into the Arizona Wildcats lineup as a freshman in 2010 making 57 appearances including 55 starts while playing defensively at designated hitter, second base, third base, left field and first base. He finished with a .344 average with two homers and 40 RBI while stealing six bases. He was named a 2010 Pac-10 Honorable Mention member for his performance. http://ht.ly/1grZBu
12-2-11: - http://mlbdraftcountdown.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/2012-mlb-mock-draft-updated-top-15-with-final-mlb-standings - 14) Cincinnati Reds: Jake Barrett, RHP, Arizona State The Reds have a large cache of position talent, but are severely lacking in the pitching department. Arizona State right-hander Jake Barrett can help shore that up, as well as reach the majors rather quickly. The Reds last dip into the Arizona State well with Mike Leake worked out pretty well. The Blue Jays selected Barrett back in 2009 in the third-round. Toronto was so high on him back in 2009 because he had a big-league body (6’3″, 225 lbs), a good fastball (90-94 mph) and two pitches (curveball and splitter) with above-average potential.
http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-high-school-position-players/#more-602 4.David Dahl / OF / Oak Mountain HS (AL): Dahl is sort of the anti-Willams — not to say that he isn’t a talented player — in that the upside isn’t as high as most of the players listed below him, but his makeup and IQ are in the upper-echelon of prospects. A plus runner who hits from the left-side, Dahl should hit plenty of doubles with his line drive stroke and may have the best approach of any prep player in the class. He reminds me of a poor mans Dustin Ackley, and you could do far worse than that.
Tom Murphy has nice speed for a catcher, running a 6.75 in the 60 (like a 4.47 in the 40), and he is quick behind the plate as well, but his arm is just solid-average and it has been inaccurate at times. He blocks balls well behind the plate, but he still needs a lot of work. Evaluation: Murphy’s power potential makes him an intriguing prospect, but his just solid plate discipline and tendency for strikeouts limit him a bit and so does his inconsistency behind the plate. Murphy is a second to third round prospect, and if he fails to stay behind the plate, the Rays will have to consider him with their second or third pick in the draft because of his power. http://rayscoloredglasses.com/2011/12/21/taking-an-early-look-at-the-catchers-in-the-2012-mlb-draft-part-1
12-2-11: - http://mlbdraftcountdown.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/2012-mlb-mock-draft-updated-top-15-with-final-mlb-standings - 15) Cleveland Indians: David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (AL) With Grady Sizemore on the outs, the Indians will be looking for a player capable of filling the very large space left in centerfield by the veteran outfielder. David Dahl isn’t going to get to Cleveland in two or three years, but he’s as talented an outfield prospect as there is next to Byron Buxton. Perfect Game calls his bat “of the highest level,” and even Baseball Americaconcedes that his bat right now is better than Buxton’s. The only reason Dahl isn’t considered the top overall high school position player isn’t because he’s lacking something; it’s because scouts are that in love with Buxton. Still, he would be an excellent pick up down here at pick 15.
Tony Renda:
6-20-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series#/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series/page/6 - Cal’s top draft prospect for 2012 is 2B Tony Renda, the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year. Renda had a sensational season for the Bears, taking on the role of team leader, despite having sophomore status. He paced the squad with a .335 average, 85 hits, 112 total bases and nine steals. He also scored 37 runs and drove in 42. He was also an integral part of one of the best defensive units in the Pac-10. Renda made nine errors, good for a .967 fielding percentage. Renda isn’t likely to be a first-round guy, but he should most certainly improve upon his standing from the 2009 draft, when he was selected by the Dodgers in the 42nd round. Renda spurned their offer to head to Cal, where he made an immediate impact as a freshman, winning Pac-10 First-Team honors after hitting .373 with 21 doubles, four triples, three HR and 37 RBI. He also swiped 13 bases.
Tom Murphy:
7-9-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6002 - Tom Murphy, C, Buffalo - A natural leader, Murphy is a good fit behind the plate at a position that is always in demand at every level of the game. Putting up big numbers in two years while hailing from a non-traditional baseball powerhouse, he had the opportunity to showcase his skills among the best college players in the nation, and made the most of that opportunity, albeit in limited duty.
Deven Marrero:
7-21-11: - http://www.draftsite.com/article/College-Names-To-Know/92 Strengths – Right away you notice his athletic stance at the plate, with his weight evenly distributed. He has a solid set up at the plate, with his hands at shoulder height allowing him to have a short path to the ball. There are not a lot of moving parts to his swing. He has solid hip rotation and a quiet foot plant; He gets his front side firm and gets tall on his back foot. He stands close to the plate, giving him excellent plate coverage. Marrero has very solid bat speed and shows a very good eye. He has a good high finish at the plate and can take pitches the other way, using a solid inside out swing on inside pitches. He should hit for a good average. In the field he is a plus defender, he won Pac-10 defensive player of the year. He is very smooth, with great range and plus actions. He also has a plus throwing arm.
Jake Barrett:
7-21-11: - http://www.mockdraftmania.com/ - 9. Minnesota Twins Jake Barrett P Arizona State Jake Barrett is the best player available. Barrett could go anywhere between picks 4 and 10. Barrett has the size to be a starting pitcher at 6 foot 3 225 pounds. There are some off the field concerns with Barrett’s character. Barrett posted a winning record, but had a bad ERA. The mechanics and pitching control are two areas he needs to work on. Barrett recorded 72 strike outs in 76 innings during the 2011 season. Barrett has a 4 seamer that is 94 miles per hour along with a 90 mile per hour 2 seamer. Barrett also has the curveball and splitter that could develop into complimentary pitches.
Marcus Stroman:
Duke rising junior RHP/infielder Marcus Stroman spent this summer as a member of the USA Collegiate National Team. He appeared in seven games totaling 8.1 innings of innings without giving up a single hit while walking one batter. This is the second straight summer that Stroman has impressed as in 2010, he played with the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League. He didn’t give up a run then either in 15 appearances (one start) in 25.0 innings pitched. He allowed 10 hits while striking out 32 batters. GoDuke.com recently caught up with Marcus to discuss his summer experience this year. - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/07/20/dukes-marcus-stroman-continues-to-impress/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CollegeBaseballDaily+%28College+Baseball+Daily%29
Deven Marrero:
6-14-11: - http://thegoldensombrero.com/wordpress/archives/4095 - Marrero profiles as an above-average defender at short with a plus arm and a plus glove. He has outstanding instincts for the position and should have no problem staying there as a professional. At the plate, he fails to generate tremendous bat speed in large part due to a lack of lower body action. He hits against a pretty quiet front, though, and keeps his hands inside well enough to be a 50 to 55 hit tool player. He will never hit many bombs in the pros, but he runs well enough to at least have an isolated power.
Jake Barrett:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb Jake Barrett, RHP, Arizona State: He and Brady Rogers may form the best college rotation in the game in 2012, ASU's version of Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer.
Kevin Gausman:
6-11-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks#/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks/page/8 - The scouting report on Gausman has changed a bit since his sixth-round drafting last year.It still features the mid-90s fastball, solid command and great mound presence, but what he's added since spurning the Dodgers offer for college ball is development of his breaking ball and the refinement of his changeup. His command of both pitches allowed him to blossom into LSU's most impressive pitcher in 2011. The right-hander made a team-high 14 starts, winning five. He posted a respectable 3.51 ERA and held a 86:23 K:BB ratio in a team-leading 89.2 innings. Batters only hit .215 off of him and he served up only five home runs all season. His finest performance came in an early season outing against Tennessee. He tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering four hits and striking out seven. He walked none. Gausman should be a top ten pick in 2012, thanks not only to his velocity and developing secondary pitches, but also to his very prototypical pitcher's body. At 6'4" and 185 pounds, he still has plenty of room to add some more weight (increasing his durability and stamina). Another season of pitching in college baseball's toughest conference should give him all the seasoning he needs to make the jump to pro ball.
RC Orlan:
6-14-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/ - SO LHP RC Orlan (2012)
12.56 K/9 – 5.65 BB/9 – 3.54 FIP – 14.1 IP Sometimes good college pitchers are just that. Other times they become good pro pitchers. On rare occasions, they become great pro pitchers. It may be easy to lump Orlan into that first category, but I think he ultimately could fall into the middle grouping. His raw stuff doesn’t jump out at you — upper-80s FB (92 peak), above-average mid-80s cutter, a pair of usable breaking balls — and his slight frame doesn’t scream big leaguer, but his total package is greater than the sum of his individual parts.
Tyler Naquin:
6-15-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5887 - OF Tyler Naquin, Texas A&M -- Naquin certainly doesn't have the same type of power as other guys on this list, but he's easily the most consistent hitter of the bunch. The versatile outfielder is hitting .390 with 23 doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 44 RBIs. He also has recorded 101 singles and has a .556 slugging percentage with a .460 OBP. Naquin has struck out 33 times and walked on 29 occasions this season.
Mark Appel:
6-14-11: - Scouting Report: - Mark Appel is generally considered the top college pitcher returning for 2012 and a likely top 5 selection in the 2012 draft. He is a power pitcher with a big frame. Appel has good arm speed and an easy delivery. Appel’s fastball is generally 93-95 and has been as high as 98. His top secondary pitch is a swing and miss slider. He also throws a change with good movement and a cutter. http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/06/14/mark-appel-2012-draft-profile
Mark Appel:
mlb.com Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford: Some believe that Appel, a power pitcher who's been at the front of Stanford's rotation for two years, could be the No. 1 overall pick.
Jake Barrett:
6-12-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks#/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks/page/5 - Another guy who was a relatively high draft pick back in 2009, Jake Barrett should have no problem achieving higher than his third-round status from three years ago (when Toronto scooped him up, but failed to get a deal in place due to the right-hander's strong commitment to ASU). Barrett will undoubtedly be one of the top arms to watch for in the 2012 season, but unfortunately the season will likely be a wash for the Sun Devils, who face the possibility of being suspended from postseason play for some off-the-field transgressions committed by the previous coaching staff. That might make it hard for Barrett to channel all of his ability, but if he can string together some nice starts, he could be right in line for a top five selection. Toronto was so high on him back in 2009 because he had a big-league body (6'3", 225 lbs), a good fastball (90-94 mph) and two pitches (curveball and splitter) with above-average potential. He showed great poise stepping into a very talented bullpen during his freshman year, pitching to a 3.41 ERA in 28 outings and striking out 43 batters in 29.1 innings. This year, Barrett made the jump to the rotation and found instant success. His first start of the season saw him toss six-innings of shutout ball, giving up only three hits while striking out six. He finished the season with a 7-4 record, a 4.14 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 76 innings. He tossed one complete-game shutout against Cal late in the season. The Royals have made a habit of taking some pretty high-ceiling high schoolers over the past few seasons, but they have made an effort to take some pretty seasoned college players too—ones they know will be able to contribute as early as 2013, when the crux of their farm system will be big-league ready. Barrett is going to be one of the most big-league ready of any of the college pitchers in the 2012 class, making him a perfect fit.
Andrew Mitchell:
6-8-11: - http://gofrogs.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/060811aac.html - TCU freshman Andrew Mitchell was selected to the 22-man USA Baseball Collegiate National Team roster Wednesday. He will become the third Horned Frog in school history to earn a spot on the Collegiate team. Jake Arrieta (2006) and Kyle Winkler (2010) have also been members of the national team. Mitchell was recently tabbed a Freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger after completing an impressive freshman campaign. He finished the year with a 6-1 record in 22 appearances on the mound. He posted a 2.84 ERA in 76 innings pitch and struck out 73. The right-hander limited opponents to a .197 batting average against.
Chris Taylor:
6-13-11: - http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=88827&SPID=10613&DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=205159611 In the decisive game of the Charlottesville Super Regional, No. 1 national seed Virginia scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to rally for a 3-2 win over UC Irvine Monday at Davenport Field. Sophomore Chris Taylor's two-RBI single completed the rally as the Cavaliers advance to the College World Series for the second time in the past three seasons. Taylor was one of four Cavaliers with two hits on the day, along with John Hicks, Kenny Swab and David Coleman.
Michael Moran:
6-14-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/ - SO RHP Michael Morin (2012)
10.05 K/9 – 2.40 BB/9 – 2.86 FIP – 60 IP - The good news is Morin’s changeup is a true plus pitch. The bad news is…well…there isn’t much bad news. Backed up by his solid fastball (88-92 with room for more), good sinking two-seamer, average curve, above-average athleticism, pro frame (6-4, 180 pounds), and outstanding college production, Morin is one of the best college arms of the 2012 class.
