Draft Preview Part 2

[Matt]

Rating the Draft Pool

The Laredo Midday Times takes a look at the upcoming PEBA 1st year player draft and rates the best prospects at each position. Part two takes a look at the shortstop and outfield positions.

Shortstop
1. Kurt Thornton- right- Stanford- 21 yrs- natural hitter, great power, will hit for a great average, but might strikeout a little. Still, his overall skill set has him at the top of board as far as shortstops and it would be a big surprise if he fell lower than the first 5 picks. Above average defense and a real team leader, he'll be in the heart of some teams batting order for many years
2. Jose Rivera switch- Penn State- 21 yrs- Not quite the overall hitter that Thornton is, Rivera will hit for a good average and has good speed, but only mediocre power. Great defensive skills and simply fantastic plate discipline, striking out just 4 times in 154 at bats while walking 38 times. That is a Tony Gwynn like eye.
3. Silas Boone- right- Memphis - 21 yrs - despite 6 hr and 35 rbi for Memphis this year, scouts don't project that much power from Boone at the major league level. But he offers above average speed, he'll hit for a decent average, and he will play above average defense.
4. Stan Gill- switch- California- 20 yrs - there's not much doubt that Gill will hit, but his defense is abysmal and a position change to one of the corner infield spots might be in order.
5. Tim Holliday- switch- Rutgers- 21 yrs - didn't play much at Rutgers this season due to academic problems, but has excellent speed and above average defense. Good at putting the ball in play and will beat out a lot of cheap hits with his legs.

Honorable Mention - Skip Nelson - He will never hit a homerun unless there is a gale force wind blowing out to left, but his speed, defense, and ability to make decent contact make him a decent prospect.

Diamond In the Rough - Roger Adams - might never hit enough, but has excellent speed and excellent defense, a good bet to win a utility infield job at the major league level in the not too distant future.

Left Field
1. Nick Miller -left - USC- 20 yrs - the best of a weak pool at the left field position, at least according to the scouts. Miller suffered through a tough season at USC, but scouts think he will hit and hit for power, though he might strike out a bit much. Has a very good arm, though his range is somewhat limited.
2. Cory Pierce -left-Washington State- 21 yrs - If you were to judge the talent at left field by the numbers they produced this past season, it would be hard to overlook the .382 avg, 7 hr, and 29 rbi produced by Pierce. Scouts believe he will hit for a good average, with some power and some plate discipline. His glovework is average at best, and his baserunning is abysmal.
3. Marvin Williams-right-Michigan-20yrs - should hit for good power, but hard to find much else to get excited about, he is generally average in almost all other facets of the game.
4. John Knapp- right - St.johns - 21 yrs - has a little gap power, his glovework is just slightly better than average, and not much speed.
5. Julio Berrios -right - East Carolina -21 yrs - has good speed and can steal some bags, could develop into a leadoff type hitter as he lacks much power, the defense leaves a lot to be desired.

Honorable Mention - Felipe Medina -missed the entire season at Rice, but should hit for good average and will make contact, but lacks speed or power, and the defense is below average
Diamond in the Rough - Ty Peters - has great speed and above average defense, but doesn't hit for power and may never hit enough period to play regularly at the major league level, but if his bat improves even slightly he could make a really good 4th outfielder

Centerfield
1. Dan Jamison -right - Washington St -21 yrs - Jamison is a burner who hits well and has a great eye at the plate. Stole 19 bases and walked 17 times versus just 7 strikeouts while hitting .319. Will be a fixture at the top of a major league lineup for years.
2. Jorge Guavara - right -Wilson Classical HS -18 yrs - a great combination of power and speed, the only reason he is not listed first here is his youth and his somewhat suspect instincts in the outfield.
3. Steve Allen - right - Union City HS -18 yrs - will hit well enough and has a good eye at the plate, below average power but average speed. Great range in the outfield.
4. Hector Sepulveda - right - Marshall -21 yrs - his speed and defense should earn him a shot at the majors, but has to improve his ability to get on base. Average power, might strike out too much
5. Dick Little -right - Michigan State -21 yrs - great speed and very good defense, but little power and his overall approach at the plate is questionable.

Honorable Mention - Nick Harris - great speed, decent defense, weak arm. Has to improve the bat and cut down on the strikeouts.
Diamond in the Rough - Miguel Mendez - the speed and defense are there, but has much work to do on the bat. Still, worth a longshot look late in the draft.

Rightfield
1. Eric Olsen- right - Rice - 21yrs - the numbers tell the story of Eric Olsen. Hit .352 with a .441 obp, 6 hr, 25 rbi, and stole 12 bases. He will hit for average, power, and has good plate discipline. He has great speed, and has good outfield instincts, though the one knock on him might be a weak throwing arm.
2. Edward Baxter - left - St.johns - 21 yrs - great speed, very good power, very good defense. If his ability to hit for average improves just a bit he has a chance to be a very good player.
3. Jonathan English - right - Northwestern - 21 yrs - didn't play much this season, but scouts love his ability to hit for average and power. Nothing in the way of speed and his defense is well below average. Has sticker on forehead that states "DH".
4. Manny Rodriguez - switch - Rice - 21 yrs - good speed, good defense, will hit for power. Much like Baxter, if he improves his ability to make contact even a little he becomes a very good player.
5. Ronald Elmore - left - Washington State - 20 yrs - another player who didn't play much this season, but has decent combination of above average speed and above average power, but his defense leaves a lot to be desired.

Honorable Mention - Dan Williams - good speed, lacks power, defense mediocre on his best days. Fractured elbow has him out 7 months, so he'll be slowed in his development. Still, not a bad option if a team is looking for a lonshot leadoff type candidate near the end of the draft.
Diamond In the Rough - Jon Stuart - barely average at the plate, and well below average in the field, but has great speed and at just 18 yrs of age has a lot of room for improvement. If a team can be patient, a late round pick on Stuart could pay huge dividends down the line.