2014 Draft Outlook: High School Players (Part 2)
Monday, September 16, 2013
Ronnie Mason – SP – R – Hard thrower can hit 97 MPH and has three plus pitches. Good strikeouts rates, though some concern about the control. But he has the type of live arm that should see him drafted no later than early in the 3rd round.
Steve Owen – 1B – R – Hasn’t received any at bats, so we don’t really know what he is about, but scouts project at least average power and he can run the bases fairly well for a corner infielder. Not skilled defensively, but his scouting reports alone should get him a look early on the second day.
Ollie Lucas – SP – L – His 4-to-1 K/BB ratio last year looks sort of nice. He can hit 93 MPH on the gun, with three average pitches. He has just enough stamina to start, but don’t expect a lot of deep outings. Good size. Should be a late first day selection.
Tom McBratney – 1B – S – Has some ability to hit and a good enough arm to play the hot corner. The big issue is that he is a corner infielder with no power and no speed. Could be a late first day selection, but his lack of power probably has him dropping to somewhere early on day two.
Sergio Ortíz – LF – R – Good speed, better than average defense with a strong arm. Scouts are rather unenthusiastic about his bat, but he has never gotten much in the way of at bats, so he is very much an unknown. Look for someone to take a flyer on him in the middle of day two.
Soichi Shimizu – SP – L – Southpaw who throws 94 MPH with four pitches – three of them plus – and has posted very good K/BB ratio’s in his three seasons. Scouts rate him as a borderline PEBA starter now, but he’s just 18 and has a decent skill set. Look for him to be off the board before the 5th round concludes.
George Arnett – RF – L – Good speed, does the little things well and is a capable corner outfielder. Good power to the gaps, but rather average bat overall according to the scouts. He hits for decent average. Late first day before he gets the call.
Joe Kelley – CL – L – Southpaw who throws hard with three plus pitches. Good strikeout rates, but scouts worry about the control. He likely leaves the board once the top-tier closers are all gone. Expect mid-3rd round for Kelley.
Monte Marsh – MR – R – Hard-throwing right-hander who hits 97 MPH on the gun with two plus pitches. His numbers aren’t on par with Kelley’s to this point, but scouts give him slightly more credit for his control potential. I would venture that he should go in the same area as Kelley, maybe early-to-mid-3rd round.
António Torres – SP – R – Not a hard thrower, Torres has three rather average pitches. His K/BB ratios have been okay, but he has the tendency to give up the long ball. Scouts suggest he has borderline ability and, unless he has a big senior season, I would expect a draft slot somewhere late on the first day.
Hikaru Arai – SS – R – One of the better-looking middle infielders coming out of the high school ranks. Good speed, slightly above average defense and does the little things well. He has good power to the gaps and a decent eye at the plate. Some scouts have gone so far as to suggest there could be a batting title or two in his future, and it’s hard to argue that point when looking at his high school numbers to this point in his career. He should be cashing a nice-sized bonus check after the draft. Likely to leave the board no later than early in the 2nd round, if not sooner.
Kenny Ashley – SP – L – Soft-tossing southpaw with four rather average pitches. His hard work and determination could pay off down the line, but his control is rather lacking at this point and will probably leave him passed over until the middle rounds.
António Berroa – CF – L – Shows a decent combination of power and speed, and has hit 11 HR each of the last two seasons. His OBP suggests he has at least a passable eye, and that might bode well for future development. Has good range in the outfield and will get to most everything, though he doesn’t always have the softest hands. Easy to see him sneaking into the first day.
Pat McElroy – 3B – R – Hard to project much here other than a very disappointing draft day for the untalented McElroy.
José Olivas – C – R – Not the greatest ability behind the dish, but does have a decent arm. Runs the bases well for a catcher. Not many at bats under his belt, though he has shown a fair eye and some power in limited at bats. Scouts think just enough of his ability that he should get a look somewhere in the middle rounds.
Domingo Bravo – LF – L – Consistently good averages and hard to strike out. Passable defense at the corner outfield spots and enough speed to be a minor threat. Scouts vary in their opinions on Bravo, ranging from future fringe player to solid full-time contributor. Should get a bonus check shortly after draft day, though his senior season numbers will probably go a long ways towards determining how big that bonus is.
Tom Ley – 2B – S – Intriguing switch-hitter with some power and speed. His defense projects best at 3B; he’s a liability in the middle of the diamond. Scouts aren’t high on his ability to hit for average, but the combination of speed, power and being a switch-hitter should get him a look from a few teams. Should be off the board before the first day concludes.
Stanton Bryant – RF – L – Has never had a high school at bat and is very much an unknown. Scouts rate him as “meh” in most categories, though they suggest he might have average power. Should get a look in the middle of the second day.
Ángelo Hernández – LF – R – Skills better suited to attending culinary school. Don’t bother.
Dennis Hicks – SS – R – Similar to Hernández. Unlikely to hear his name announced on draft day.
Eric Jordan – SP – R – The type of talent that gets his name called somewhere on day two, simply because pitching is so scarce. Throws 92 MPH with three average pitches. Unimpressive career numbers.
Brady McBride – CF – L – Brooklyn native has great speed and enough ability to hit and get on base that he might squeeze his way onto the draft board by the end of the first day. Hands of stone make him a liability in the outfield, but his speed is worth a flyer as a potential leadoff-type.
Ryan Miner – CL – R – Soft-tossing right-hander with control issues. Can you say “minor league fodder”, boys and girls?
Tony Duran – RF – R – Never had an at bat at the high school level. Has a strong outfield arm, but lacks range and has hands of stone. Not much speed. Scouts rate his bat as slightly below average across the board, but without stats to work with, it’s hard to tell much about this kid. Some team should take a mid-second day flyer on him.
Nick Harris – 2B – R – Scouts are in agreement about his power potential but differ greatly on how well he will hit for average at higher levels. His numbers suggest the power is for real, with 45 HR in three seasons. But he hasn’t hit for much average. He has good speed, but isn’t inclined to run much. His lack of range is a concern in the middle infield, but his weak arm eliminates the possibility of moving to the hot corner. Considering his power potential, a move to 1B would not be a bad choice. The power alone will get the Austin, TX native a long look in the middle-to-latter part of the bonus rounds.
Corbin Rodgers – SP – R – Throws 92 MPH and has four lackluster pitches. Good stamina and just enough ability that he probably gets a look late in the first day.
José Torres – C – R – Decent skills behind the dish. Lost in the batter’s box. A lack of catching probably gets his name called near the very end.
Jeff Briley – RF – S – Has great speed and a massive hole in his swing. Most scouts want to expunge any memory of this talentless hack from their mind as quickly as possible.
Heath Carson – SS – L – Great defense, but doubtful he will hit and not an instinctful baserunner. Gets a look on the second day simply on the defense, but not much should be expected here.
Leonard Carver – SP – R – Throws 98 MPH with four plus pitches. Struck out 94 in 75 IP last season. One of the top pitchers in the next draft, he won’t make it past the fifth overall pick. In fact, he’s more than likely top three. He will be cashing a nice bonus check.
Tim Hooper – CL – R – Throws 93 MPH and has a better than 4-to-1 K/BB ratio in his career. Good movement on his pitches and keeps the ball in the park. Should be in the second tier of relievers to go off the draft board.
Scot MacKissock – C – S – Decent catching skills but a poor hitter. Might get a call late from a team really desperate for catching. Even then, it’s likely to be a bored intern making a prank call.
Silas Martin – CF – S – Good speed and does the little things well, but lack of at bats leaves scouts scratching their heads. His defense projects as below average. This writer would be mildly shocked if Martin’s name is called during the draft by anyone other than his mother.
Michael Clark – SP – R – Throws 92 MPH with three below average pitches. Someone probably gives him a look around the 8th or 9th round, but hard to forecast him being much more than minor league fodder.
Donald McKee – 1B – R – Decent power potential and a good eye at the plate. Scouts’ opinions vary from “solid contributor” to “middle-of-the-order mainstay” in their overall assessments. Not much defensively and no speed, but has the potential to rake as a DH. Should get a call no later than early 4th round.
Javier Rodríguez – SS – R – Good speed, rather average defense. Scouts aren’t sold on his bat, but if he developed a little more power, he might not be a bad option over at 3B. I would be slightly surprised if the San Elizaro, TX native made it to the second day.
Noriyuki Suzuki – C – R – A bit on the smallish side and just average skills behind the dish. But he has put up decent numbers, with 16 HR and 50 RBI in 207 AB over the last two seasons. Based on his power, he should be in the second tier of catchers on draft day. Probably a 6th round selection.
Michael Wilkinson – C – R – Rather average skills behind the plate, but seems to have a decent eye at the plate and may someday be a league-average option with the bat. The issue is there’s nothing to look at in the way of stats, so complete reliance on the scouts is necessary. He could be an early second day flyer for some team.