Draft Notes – Ty Hensley, Byron Buxton, Mark Johnson

Scouts are talking up RHSP Ty Hensley. Clocked last week at 93-96 into the 8^th inning and 77-79-CV.

One warning about drafting OF Byron Buxton. Buxton lives in rural Georgia and hits against inferior pitching in small high schools that are dominated by African-American players that have never been taught the fundamentals. I live in neighboring rural South Carolina and have scouted kids and schools like this. Most of the white kids go to “religious” schools, which is a parent’s excuse to not allow their sons to mix racially. This isn’t a racist statement; it’s just true. Moreover, baseball isn’t the sport of choice inside the African-American home and it is rare to see a father playing catch in the yard with their son. I have written about and followed kids that hit like this that were swinging at 75-mph straight fastballs. Just a warning.

Matt Grabusky/ MLB Draft Guide   and I both agreed on his site that Florida’s Mark Johnson just isn’t a first round pick in this draft. Matt felt that he should be an every day player instead, while my thoughts were based on scout chatter. The truth is others have simply passed Johnson by and there are only 31 slots in the first round. IMO, he is not one of the top 31 players in this draft.

Draft 2012: Mark Appel, Stryker Trahan, Michael Wacha, Ty Hensley, Byron Buxton

College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to the start of the 2012 College Baseball season by checking in on the Top 100 Players in the country. We will be providing one player per day until we reach number 1. We conclude the countdown today at number 1 with Stanford RHP Mark Appel. The San Ramon, California native attended Monte Vista High School. He was a two year letterwinner where as a senior he appeared in nine games with an ERA of 0.90 ERA in 31.0 innings. He gave up just 21 hits, striking out 45 and walking just six over five starts while going 4-0 with three saves. He was picked in the 15th round by the Detroit Tigers but decided to head to Stanford. http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2012/01/31/top-100-countdown-1-mark-appel-stanford/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CollegeBaseballDaily+%28College+Baseball+Daily%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Stryker Trahan, Acadiana (Lafayette, La.), Catcher, 6-1, L/R, Mississippi Mock drafts from last summer find Trahan near the bottom of the first round or nowhere at all. However a strong showing at the Area Code Games, where he was the event's leading hitter with a .600 average, has boosted Trahan into the mid-teens. Although he had just five home runs last season, Trahan is noted for his power. He also has a strong arm and is an athletic presence behind the plate. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/-8V2A0MeEeGkPgAmVebEWg/maxpreps-top-10-mlb-draft-prospects.htm

SP Michael Wacha  School: Texas A&M  Cl.: Junior, Ht.: 6-6, Wt.: 200  Hometown.: Texarkana, Texas  High school: Pleasant Grove The tallish and talented right-handed pitcher has had a pair of productive campaigns to begin his collegiate career. Now, as a junior, he’s a top prospect with a great changeup and fastball in the 92-94 mph range. In 2011, Wacha tallied a 2.29 ERA in 129 2/3 innings. Also struck out 123 and walked 30. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6498

Michael Wacha — 6’-6”, RHP, Texas A&M Wacha is a 6’-6”, 200 lb future workhorse at the next level. With an easy delivery, and sound mechanics, he should be able to eat up innings as a front of the rotation starter. His fastball can touch 95 mph, but not a lot of movement on it. His change has true plus potential and his curveball is still developing. Went 9-4 with a 2.29 ERA and 123 K/30 BB over 129.2 innings in 2011, allowing only three home runs. He also pitched for Collegiate Team USA, tossing 11.1 innings, allowing one run with 12 strikeouts to only three walks. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/

Ty Hensley, Santa Fe (Edmond, Okla.)  Hensley, an Ole Miss commit who was up to 94 mph at the Area Code Games in August, could pitch his way into the first round. Like McCullers, Hensley could end up pitching in relief, but he has a shot to start long term. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1051/top-10-class-of-2012-right-handed-pitchers

A relative unknown until this summer, Byron Buxton was the star attraction at the WWBA National Championships and has been on a meteoric rise ever since. Baseball America even named him their top high school prospect for the 2012 MLB Draft. A talented quarterback on the gridiron, Buxton shows plus-plus speed, showing home-to-first times as fast as 3.96 seconds. He can pump it up to 94 MPH on the mound, giving him a plus arm in the outfield as well. But what scouts are really drooling over is his plus-plus bat speed. Buxton has extremely quick wrists and a fluid swing that should lead to him hitting for a high average and good power. He gets comparisons from every scout in America to Justin Upton and rightly so. Buxton has a legitimate shot to be the #1 pick in June and with a productive spring season certainly won't make it out of the top 5 http://diamondprospects.blogspot.com/2012/01/byron-buxton-draft-profile.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiamondProspects+%28Diamond+Prospects%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Draft 2012 – Ty Hensley, Courtney Hawkins, Adam Cimber, Anthony Alford

31. Ty Hensley — 6’-5”, RHP, Santa Fe HS (OK)  At 6’-5” and 225 lbs, Hensley is a future workhorse at the next level. He can dial his fastball up to 95 mph, and his curve is a potential plus/plus pitch. As with most high-school pitchers, his change-up is still developing but should be an average pitch at least. Has some mechanics issues, but those can be fixed with proper coaching and experience. 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 2. Courtney Hawkins, RHP/OF, Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas)  Hawkins is more of a prospect as a bat, but he also consistently hits the low-90s on the mound. He runs well and handles right field, but his power bat is his calling card. At the Area Code games in August, he displayed big, raw power in batting practice. The Longhorns could be adding a future star to their lineup, but Hawkins is a first-round talent with a backup plan as a pitcher. He went 10-2 last season with a 2.35 ERA and 81 strikeouts.

Player:  Adam Cimber   Position:  RHP   School:  Washington   Date of Birth:    Height/Weight:  6’4/175   Bats/Throws:  R/R   Class Of:  2013   Previously Drafted:  Scouting Report:  Washington’s Adam Cimber is a sidearm pitcher who projects as a bullpen arm at the next level.  He was one of the top closers in the Northwoods League last summer, posting a 0.52 ERA, while striking out 36 and walking only 3 batters.  Cimber has a high 80′s fastball that can touch 91.  He has a developing slider that shows potential.  He also throws a quality change.  If Cimber continues to with the kind of control he showed over the summer, he is the kind of arm that could rise quickly at the next level.  http://mlbdraftguide.com/

Anthony Alford is a two sport star from Mississippi.  He is a likely high draft choice in baseball and the Mississippi Football Player of the Year.  On the diamond, Alford offers an exciting combination of speed and power. Alford has a quick swing and good raw power.  He shows the ability to go the other way.  Speed is one of his strengths. Alford should be able to play any spot in the outfield.  His arm is above average and accurate. Already having a strong build, Alford may not have a lot of projection left.  He is still a bit more athlete than baseball player, but he shows great potential and could be a special player if things break right. http://mlbdraftguide.com/

Draft 2012 – Duane Underwood, Lance McCullers, Cullen Mahoney, Ty Hensley, Ronnie Freeman

 

Duane Underwood — 6’-2”, RHP, Pope HS (GA)  Duane Underwood is a hard-throwing righty whose fastball can hit 97 mph with ease. He also features a hard curve that projects to a plus pitch and a deceptive change-up that is still developing. His command can get away from him at times, but his strong arm, athleticism and high baseball IQ will have many teams flocking to Georgia to see his talents. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

Lance McCullers Jr., RHP, Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.)  - The son of former MLB pitcher Lance McCullers Sr., McCullers has potential as a power bat, but his fastball has sniffed triple digits and he’s flashed an above-average breaking ball. Scouts are split on his future as the spring nears, but he’s a surefire first-round arm — and could break into the top 10 — for clubs that view him as a long-term starter. The Florida commit struck out 79 in 52 innings last year while hitting .422 with seven homers and 24 RBIs. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/940/mccullers-jr-is-top-florida-diamond-star

Cullen Mahoney was one of the best players in the Northwoods League this summer. The All-Star 2B spent this summer playing for the Thunder Bay Border Cats. He hit .347 in 213 at-bats, which placed him second in the league in batting average. He scored 33 runs, drove in 29 and he led the league with 5 triples. He also hit 7 doubles and smacked 4 home runs for TB.  His bb/k ratio of 27/47 and he stole 10 bases as well. He was named to play in the NWL All-Star Game and Perfect Game ranked him as the 66th best prospect in the league. In my rankings of the top position players in the league from 2011, I ranked Cullen as the 3rd best

This year, Oklahoma might not have the quantity of talent that Texas does, but the state is well represented by Sante Fe (Edmond, Okla.) right-hander Ty Hensley. Standing in at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Hensley is one of the most physically imposing pitchers in his class. Last season, he went 6-0 with a 2.26 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 31 innings. "He's got a power arm with a power delivery,” said Jason A. Churchill, who covers scouting, player development and the MLB Draft for ESPN Insider. “I had him up to 94 mph and sitting 91-92 at the Area Code Games and he used what appeared to be two different breaking balls — either a slider and a curve or a variation of one of them. He may end up in the bullpen, but I like to stay away from labeling a high school kid. You do have to dream on the command and off-speed stuff and hope he develops a changeup if he's to be a full-time starter, however.”  http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/983/hensley-is-latest-oklahoma-star-hurler  

collegesummerbaseball   - 1.   Ronnie Freeman   C   Holyoke Blue Sox--Kennesaw State -  Ronnie was third in the league with a .373 batting average. He led the league with 56 hits and led the league with 12 doubles. Ronnie was second in the league with 32 runs scored and he also drove in 25 this season. To go along with his 12 doubles, he slammed 5 home runs and walked 17 times. He was given the leagues Sportsmanship Award this summer. PG ranked him as the 7th best prospect in the league while BA ranked him as the 2nd best in the league. On December 1st, I named  him one of my 2011 Top Performers.

Draft 2012: - Avery Romero, Ty Hensley, Jake Stewart, Austin Aune, Nick Dolsky

9-18-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/09/18/avery-romero-2012-draft-profile  - Player:  Avery Romero

                Position:  SS/2B

                School:  Pedro Menendez HS, FL

                Date of Birth:  5/11/1993

                Height/Weight:  6’0/195

                Bats/Throws:  R/R

                Class Of:  2012

                Committed To:  Florida

                Scouting Report: -  Avery Romero is one of the top prep prospects from talent rich Florida. Romero has a smooth balanced swing that produces power to all fields.  He has good bat speed and makes consistent hard contact.  Pitch recognition is another strength for Romero. Romero shows good actions in the infield.  He has soft hands to go along with a strong accurate arm.  Some see a move to third base in the future due to Romero lacking ideal quickness for a middle infield spot. Romero is a competitive player with a very strong work ethic.  He looks to be a high round selection in the 2012 draft

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments

Ty Hensley, Santa Fe HS, Edmond OK, 6’4 1/2 220, tall righty with plus arm strength, fb very straight and no deception, delivery out of synch on this day, up to 93 on fb, most were 91, cb has proper bite not much deception as he slows delivery down to get it over, will be someone to watch. Good bloodlines.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update - 19. San Francisco Giants Jake Stewart Outfielder Stanford Jake Stewart is an outfielder for Stanford.    His dad James played baseball at Virginia Tech before being a minor league player for the Minnesota Twins. His high school team won 3 straight state championships before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round following high school.  He won state championships in 2007 and 2008 while playing football and basketball in high school.  Williams had a .511 batting average during his senior year of high school.

9-21-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6253 – Comment From Larry - Who is the top 2012 HS player out of Texas. Williams and Hawkins both seem to have very high ceilings. Anybody else?  - Texas is loaded this year, even with the probable withdrawl of SS C.J. Hinojosa, a Anthony Rendon clone, from the 2012 draft to enroll early at Texas. Williams and Hawkins certainly stand out, but there is a depth of players around the state. One of my favorite sleepers is Argyle HS 3B/CF Austin Aune, who is also a top QB going to TCU. He has first round tools in my opinion if everything falls right for him next spring.

9-1-11: - http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com   Nick Dolsky, Nebraska, 6'7 235, tall righty, draft eligible due to age, turns 21 in December, comes downhill from H 3/4 arm slot, has some life on his fb down on the knees that will touch 91-92 on occ, most fb upper 80's, had a very solid summer thus far in the N'woods League and seems to have found his breaking ball over the summer. With new pitching coach Silva working with him this fall, the sky is the limit with this kid. Right now projects to be a 4-7 rounder but could move up with added velocity and better command next spring. You don't get many tall righties with good coordination like this kid has.

2012 Draft: - JJ Altobelli, Ryan McNeil, Ty Hensley, Eric Erickson, Jesse Winkler

JJ Altobelli:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - JJ Altobelli, Oregon, 6’1 190, R/R, good bloodlines, good hitting approach, contact guy with occ power the other way, throws well, ave ML arm with carry and good insincts as fielder. 4-7 round type guy.


Ryan McNeil:


8-12-11: - http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=290  - The other day I failed to mention a pitcher, RHP Ryan McNeil (6'3" 210, Nipomo, CA) who was 89-91 mph and showed a 78-80 slider that is an occasional swing and miss pitch. McNeil has nice stuff but lacks some deception. I think his stuff can keep coming on but would like to see him add a nice change-up to keep hitters off his fastball


Ty Hensley:


8-15-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/8/14/2362719/2011-under-armour-all-america-game-top-10-prospects  - 2011 Under Armour All America Game Top 10 Prospects - 7. Ty Hensley 2012 RHP 6'4 215 Edmond, OK Santa Fe - Hensley is a massive kid who had one of the best breaking balls in the game. Pitchers weren't on the same level as the hitting in this game. Maybe it was the weather, but no one blew me away. Hensley was the best of the bunch though.


Eric Erickson:


8-17-11: - http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/08/17/tyler-beede-going-to-vanderbilt-good-or-bad   - A player that I look at who actually has hurt himself by going to college is Miami (FL) lefthander Eric Erickson who was a 43rd round selection in the 2006 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees. He decided to head to college where he had a great freshman season in 2007 going 10-4 with a 2.50 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 90 innings. His sophomore season in 2008 saw him drop off somewhat to a 9-1 record and a 4.15 ERA. He ended up suffering an injury in fall practice in 2008 making him miss the 2009 season with “Tommy-John” surgery. He returned in 2010 to the diamond 4-1 record and a 2.52 ERA in ten starts missing his last few of the years as his arm flared up. He ended up having another “Tommy-John” surgery after the season. He did not attend Miami in 2011 and will be back in the mix in 2012 for his sixth year of eligibility.


Jesse Winkler:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Jesse Winker, Olympia HS, Orlando FL, 6’2 200 L/L, good approach to game as hitter and fielder, shows plus arm strength from RF, fair runner, 6.95, 60, has power in his bat, tends to be tentative in pitch selection, but when he squares up his has power to RF and LF alleys, needs to be more aggressive in his hitting approach.

2012 Draft: - Trey Williams, Mike Zunino, Justin Jones, Ty Hensley, Lance McCullers

Trey Williams:


http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110608&content_id=20222396&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb Trey Williams, 3B, Valencia HS, Calif.: The son of former first-round pick Eddie Williams is a strong right-handed hitter with legitimate power potential.


Mike Zunino:


6-10-11: - http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=20873 - Sophomore Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) drove in three runs and Florida (49-16) scored in each of the first five innings to defeat Mississippi State (37-24), 11-1, in the opening game of the best-of-three NCAA Gainesville Super Regional on Friday afternoon at McKethan Stadium. Game two will be on Saturday at noon and be shown nationally on ESPN, with the Gators needing one more victory to punch the program’s seventh ticket to the NCAA College World Series


Justin Jones:


6-12-11: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/college/2011/06/saturday-regionals-roundup-vandy-earns-first-cws-berth - California over Dallas Baptist, 7-0 (Cal leads series 1-0) - Justin Jones (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and Logan Scott (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R) combined on a three-hit shutout, and the Golden Bears got three-run homers from Chad Bunting and Marcus Semien against DBU ace Brandon Williamson (7.2 IP, 10 H, 7 ER).


Ty Hensley:


6-12-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/06/12/ty-hensley-2012-draft-profile - Ty Hensley is a two way player from Oklahoma who figures to make a living with his right arm. He is a big, strong righthander and looks like a future workhorse. Hensley’s father, Michael, pitched for the University of Oklahoma and spent three seasons playing in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. On the mound, Hensley has a high 3/4 arm slot and short arm action. His fastball sits in the low 90′s, as high as 94, and more velocity should come. He has a sharp curve that is a potential plus to plus-plus offering. He also has a developing change that should be a quality offering. Hensely is a prospect at catcher as well. He shows good power at the plate. At the start of his high school career, Hensley played both football and baseball, but gave up football to concentrate solely on baseball






Lance McCullers:


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/2 - At only 16 years old, Lance McCullers was already throwing 97 mph fastballs, which means that as a high school sophomore, he is already pretty much assured of a place in the Top 10 of the 2012 MLB draft. There is a strong chance that he will go No. 1 overall, breaking the mold and becoming the first high school pitcher ever tabbed with the No. 1 pick. McCullers could have fit in very well with the 2011 draft class, seeing as how he's a diminutive pitcher around the same size as Trevor Bauer. In addition to his mid-to-high-90s heat, McCullers also features a hammer curveball that should be a plus pitch as a pro. He's also been throwing a changeup, and the pitch has considerable promise. One thing that might put a damper on McCullers' prospects on the mound is his ability at the plate and in the field, where he moonlights as Jesuit's power-hitting shortstop. In the field, he has shown more than enough arm to handle the position and is more fluid than you would expect a pitcher to be. His footwork is impressive as well. At the plate, he has a sweet left-handed swing that oozes with raw power. He has tapped into it in games, but could really take off if he would give up a career on the mound. And of course, McCullers has the lineage working in his favor. His dad was a seven-year MLB veteran who pitched for the Padres, Yankees, Tigers and Rangers.