Post by Cardinals GM (Wood) on Nov 11, 2014 14:47:28 GMT -6
Coming out of the summer of 2013, North Carolina State lefthander Carlos Rodon cemented himself as the consensus top prospect for the 2014 draft. He wound up going third overall, to the White Sox.
The 2015 draft class comes out of the summer without the clarity of 2013 or other recent classes, which had defined top talents.
Brendan Rogers had a strong summer and leads a bumper crop of high school hitters. (Photo by Bill Mitchell).
“There is no obvious candidate for (the No. 1 pick) this year,” one scouting director said. “Of the last four drafts, this is the shallowest and murkiest at the top. College pitching typically goes at the top of the draft. But this year’s college pitching crop is down at the top of the draft, although there is a good depth of arms. Guys like Mark Appel, Kevin Gausman and Carlos Rodon in previous years had pushed to the top of the class at the end of the summer. And someone will in this year’s class, but we’ll probably have to wait for the spring.”
The Class of ’15 could also include Class of ’14’s No. 1 overall pick, though the status of lefthander Brady Aiken remained unsettled. Aiken didn’t sign with the Astros, and has not enrolled at a four-year school (he was originally committed to UCLA) or a junior college. He could wind up in a strong juco crop that already includes righty Phil Bickford (JC of Southern Nevada), an unsigned 2013 first-rounder who transferred from Cal State Fullerton.
Duke righthander Michael Matuella, one of most talented college arms in the class but one who does not have the track record expected of a top college pitcher, did not throw this summer because of a back condition he is learning to manage. He is scheduled to throw live in front of scouts this fall. He has the body, delivery, stuff and strike-throwing ability to go early in the draft with a strong spring, but his limited track record (114 career innings in two years), limited looks from the scouting community and medical cloud his status at this time.
The strongest demographic for 2015 looks like high school position players, a group that has athletes, power bats and depth. Florida prep shortstop Brendan Rodgers ranks at the top of the list after a loud summer and fall with the bat. He is an advanced high school hitter with great instincts and feel for the game who has the potential to hit for average and power while remaining at shortstop.
“Normally, with the high school position players, you have to project on the bats and dream on them a little bit,” another scouting director said. “But it’s the other way around with some of these top high school bats, because they are showing you now hitting ability.”
Some of the other top prep bats are lefthanded-hitting outfielders Nick Plummer and Trenton Clark, who both performed at a high level this summer, and Daz Cameron. The strength of the high school class is the outfield. Clark is a high-makeup performer with leadership qualities, the potential to remain in center field because of his instincts and a strong combination of hitting ability and power potential.
“This has a chance to be the best group of high school outfielders we have seen in years,” an assistant scouting director said.
The high school outfielder crop includes a number of players who did not make the early Top 50 list but could push higher if they show scouts they have enough hitting ability to allow them to get to their power, including Daniel Reyes of Florida, Ryan Johnson of Texas and Greg Pickett of Colorado.
The second-strongest group is the college arms. Pitchers dominated with Team USA and the top of the Cape Cod League, and three of the top college pitchers didn’t throw this summer: lefthander Nathan Kirby, who helped pitch Virginia to the College World Series and has looked good this fall; Matuella; and Texas Christian righthander Riley Ferrell, who used the summer to shed weight and get in better shape.
Defending national champion Vanderbilt had one first-rounder last year in righty Tyler Beede. Nashville could be the epicenter of the 2015 draft with three players who could go in the first round: righthanders Walker Buehler and Carson Fulmer and athletic middle infielder Dansby Swanson.
The uncertainty at the top of the class extends beyond No. 2 ranked Aiken and No. 3 ranked Matuella. The next three players—Kyle Funkhouser, Buehler and Swanson—all have significant questions marks and would ideally fit lower than the top six. Funkhouser filled up the strike zone this summer (2.5 walks per nine in a small sample size of 28 innings) but will have to throw a lot more strikes in the spring (4.6 walks per nine in his career). Buehler’s athletic, lean and wiry 6-foot-1, 160-pound build is much slighter than scouts typically desire with college starters who could go in the top half of the first round. Swanson is shifting to shortstop after two years at second base, and he will have to prove to scouts that he can remain at the position. But these are potentially some of the top players in the college class, as Buehler finished No. 1 on the Cape list and Funkhouser and Swanson finished in the top two spots for Team USA.
Ferrell, Illinois lefthander Tyler Jay and righthander Dillon Tate have combined to pitch in 127 college games in their first two seasons without making a single start between the three of them. All three could move to the rotation this spring and their developments will be closely monitored. They could significantly bolster the college crop if they demonstrate they have the control and pitchability to start, moving themselves into first-round consideration.
The high school pitching crop is down from an incredibly talented group of arms last year. Two lefthanders from California committed to UCLA, Justin Hooper and Kolby Allard, have pushed to the top of the prep pitching class. Evaluators differ on which they like more while offering contrasting styles, body types and stuff. Hooper, who has the higher upside but faces strike-throwing questions, fits the profile of a prep arm that will go early in the draft, featuring a 6-foot-7 frame and the best fastball in the prep class, reaching up to 97 mph. The 6-foot Allard, one of the youngest players in the class and a star for Team USA this summer, has an easy delivery and a fastball that sits 90-92 over extended innings while touching 96, along with one of the best breaking balls in the prep class.
“Hooper has the upside you can dream on but Allard can really pitch,” a scouting director said. “There are going to be some good debates about those two next spring.”
The catching crop is down significantly, especially on the college side, but Chris Betts has emerged as the top prep catcher, possessing a power bat, leadership ability and a plus arm.
After a down year in the junior college ranks, with only three players going in the top three rounds (compared to six over the last five years), this year’s junior college crop shapes up as one of the best in recent years. No. 10 overall pick in 2013 Phil Bickford left Cal State Fullerton after pitching on the Cape this summer. Although Bickford was the only junior college player to make the Top 50, lefthander Mac Marshall and outfielder/first baseman Isiah Gilliam, both from the powerhouse Parkview (Ga.) High program and now at Chipola (Fla.) JC, were considerations for the list. Marshall, who left Louisiana State earlier this fall, ranked No. 57 on the BA 500 for 2014 and was selected in the 21st round by the Astros after an uneven spring.
Former Oregon State righthander Chandler Eden (Yavapai, Ariz., JC) also was ranked in the BA 500 out of high school (No. 70) and is now at junior college, and Eden saw his velocity increase last year.
Middle infielder Kyler Murray is one of the most interesting players in this draft and one who will draw tons of attention next spring. Murray is one of the top athletes in the class, possessing electric bat speed with plus-plus foot speed. He is the top quarterback recruit in the country by many recruiting services, never losing a game in two and a half seasons. The dual-threat quarterback has accounted for 2,064 yards and 27 touchdowns in Allen (Texas) High’s 7-0 start while averaging an incredible 12.7 yards per rush.
The son of a former All-American who quarterbacked Texas A&M, Murray is slated to be an Aggie. Scouts got to see so little of him this summer, highlighting the Under Armour All-America Game for his only summer showcase circuit appearance, that he is something of a wild card considering his comparative lack of playing time, his upside and multi-sport background.
Another top high school athlete, middle infielder Alonzo Jones, draws a wide range of scouting opinions. He may be the fastest player in the high school class (6.17 and 6.25 in the 60), while offering at least average raw power from both sides of the plate and at least an average arm. Some teams that value athletes, tools and upside believe he could be a first-rounder, while his instincts and lack of a defined defensive position cause other teams to value him much lower.
The weakest demographic in the class is college position players, with just seven in the top 50. But some of the college performers with pedigrees from this summer—such as Arizona shortstop Kevin Newman, Alabama shortstop Mikey White and Tennessee outfielder Christian Stewart—have a chance to push into the top 50 for teams that value track records of performance.
Rank Player Pos Hometown/School
1 Brendan Rodgers ss Lake Mary (Fla.) HS
2 Brady Aiken lhp No school
3 Michael Matuella rhp Duke
4 Kyle Funkhouser rhp Louisville
5 Walker Buehler rhp Vanderbilt
6 Dansby Swanson 2b/ss Vanderbilt
7 Justin Hooper lhp De La Salle, Concord, Calif.
8 Kolby Allard lhp San Clemente (Calif.) HS
9 Trenton Clark of Richland HS, North Richland Hills, Texas
10 Nathan Kirby lhp Virginia
11 Nick Plummer of Brother Rice HS, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
12 Ashe Russell rhp Cathedral Catholic HS, Indianapolis
13 Alex Bregman ss Louisiana State
14 Daz Cameron of Eagle’s Landing HS, McDonough, Ga.
15 Carson Fulmer rhp Vanderbilt
16 Ian Happ of Cincinnati
17 Riley Ferrell rhp Texas Christian
18 Chris Betts c Wilson HS, Long Beach, Calif.
19 Kyle Cody rhp Kentucky
20 Phil Bickford rhp JC of Southern Nevada
21 DJ Stewart of Florida State
22 James Kaprielian rhp UCLA
23 Jake Lemoine rhp Houston
24 Cody Ponce rhp Cal Poly Pomona
25 Gio Brusa of Pacific
26 Kyler Murray mif/cf Allen (Texas) High
27 Chandler Day of Watkins Memorial HS, Pataskala, Ohio
28 Kyle Tucker of Plant HS, Tampa
29 Garrett Whitley of Niskayuna (N.Y.) HS
30 Beau Burrows rhp Weatherford (Texas) HS
31 Richie Martin ss Florida
32 Tyler Jay lhp Illinois
33 Dillon Tate rhp UC Santa Barbara
34 Alex Young lhp Texas Christian
35 Donny Everett rhp Clarksville (Tenn
36 Mike Nikorak rhp Stroudsburg (Pa.) HS
37 Marc Brakeman rhp Stanford
38 Chris Shaw 1b Boston College
39 Demi Orimoloye of St. Matthew HS, Orleans, Ontario, Canada
40 Cornelius Randolph 3b/1b Griffin (Ga.) HS
41 Alonzo Jones mif/of Columbus (Ga.) HS
42 Triston McKenzie rhp Royal Palm Beach (Fla.) HS
43 Cole McKay rhp Smithson Valley HS, Spring Branch, Texas
44 Austin Smith rhp Park Vista Community HS, Boynton Beach, Fla.
45 Andrew Suarez lhp Miami
46 Joe McCarthy of Virginia
47 Kyle Molnar rhp Aliso Niguel HS, Aliso Viejo, Calif.
48 Kep Brown of Wando HS Mount Pleasant, S.C.
49 Bryce Denton of/3b Ravenwood HS, Brentwood, Tenn.
50 Jon Harris rhp Missouri State
"There is no limit to what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit."
The 2015 draft class comes out of the summer without the clarity of 2013 or other recent classes, which had defined top talents.
Brendan Rogers had a strong summer and leads a bumper crop of high school hitters. (Photo by Bill Mitchell).
“There is no obvious candidate for (the No. 1 pick) this year,” one scouting director said. “Of the last four drafts, this is the shallowest and murkiest at the top. College pitching typically goes at the top of the draft. But this year’s college pitching crop is down at the top of the draft, although there is a good depth of arms. Guys like Mark Appel, Kevin Gausman and Carlos Rodon in previous years had pushed to the top of the class at the end of the summer. And someone will in this year’s class, but we’ll probably have to wait for the spring.”
The Class of ’15 could also include Class of ’14’s No. 1 overall pick, though the status of lefthander Brady Aiken remained unsettled. Aiken didn’t sign with the Astros, and has not enrolled at a four-year school (he was originally committed to UCLA) or a junior college. He could wind up in a strong juco crop that already includes righty Phil Bickford (JC of Southern Nevada), an unsigned 2013 first-rounder who transferred from Cal State Fullerton.
Duke righthander Michael Matuella, one of most talented college arms in the class but one who does not have the track record expected of a top college pitcher, did not throw this summer because of a back condition he is learning to manage. He is scheduled to throw live in front of scouts this fall. He has the body, delivery, stuff and strike-throwing ability to go early in the draft with a strong spring, but his limited track record (114 career innings in two years), limited looks from the scouting community and medical cloud his status at this time.
The strongest demographic for 2015 looks like high school position players, a group that has athletes, power bats and depth. Florida prep shortstop Brendan Rodgers ranks at the top of the list after a loud summer and fall with the bat. He is an advanced high school hitter with great instincts and feel for the game who has the potential to hit for average and power while remaining at shortstop.
“Normally, with the high school position players, you have to project on the bats and dream on them a little bit,” another scouting director said. “But it’s the other way around with some of these top high school bats, because they are showing you now hitting ability.”
Some of the other top prep bats are lefthanded-hitting outfielders Nick Plummer and Trenton Clark, who both performed at a high level this summer, and Daz Cameron. The strength of the high school class is the outfield. Clark is a high-makeup performer with leadership qualities, the potential to remain in center field because of his instincts and a strong combination of hitting ability and power potential.
“This has a chance to be the best group of high school outfielders we have seen in years,” an assistant scouting director said.
The high school outfielder crop includes a number of players who did not make the early Top 50 list but could push higher if they show scouts they have enough hitting ability to allow them to get to their power, including Daniel Reyes of Florida, Ryan Johnson of Texas and Greg Pickett of Colorado.
The second-strongest group is the college arms. Pitchers dominated with Team USA and the top of the Cape Cod League, and three of the top college pitchers didn’t throw this summer: lefthander Nathan Kirby, who helped pitch Virginia to the College World Series and has looked good this fall; Matuella; and Texas Christian righthander Riley Ferrell, who used the summer to shed weight and get in better shape.
Defending national champion Vanderbilt had one first-rounder last year in righty Tyler Beede. Nashville could be the epicenter of the 2015 draft with three players who could go in the first round: righthanders Walker Buehler and Carson Fulmer and athletic middle infielder Dansby Swanson.
The uncertainty at the top of the class extends beyond No. 2 ranked Aiken and No. 3 ranked Matuella. The next three players—Kyle Funkhouser, Buehler and Swanson—all have significant questions marks and would ideally fit lower than the top six. Funkhouser filled up the strike zone this summer (2.5 walks per nine in a small sample size of 28 innings) but will have to throw a lot more strikes in the spring (4.6 walks per nine in his career). Buehler’s athletic, lean and wiry 6-foot-1, 160-pound build is much slighter than scouts typically desire with college starters who could go in the top half of the first round. Swanson is shifting to shortstop after two years at second base, and he will have to prove to scouts that he can remain at the position. But these are potentially some of the top players in the college class, as Buehler finished No. 1 on the Cape list and Funkhouser and Swanson finished in the top two spots for Team USA.
Ferrell, Illinois lefthander Tyler Jay and righthander Dillon Tate have combined to pitch in 127 college games in their first two seasons without making a single start between the three of them. All three could move to the rotation this spring and their developments will be closely monitored. They could significantly bolster the college crop if they demonstrate they have the control and pitchability to start, moving themselves into first-round consideration.
The high school pitching crop is down from an incredibly talented group of arms last year. Two lefthanders from California committed to UCLA, Justin Hooper and Kolby Allard, have pushed to the top of the prep pitching class. Evaluators differ on which they like more while offering contrasting styles, body types and stuff. Hooper, who has the higher upside but faces strike-throwing questions, fits the profile of a prep arm that will go early in the draft, featuring a 6-foot-7 frame and the best fastball in the prep class, reaching up to 97 mph. The 6-foot Allard, one of the youngest players in the class and a star for Team USA this summer, has an easy delivery and a fastball that sits 90-92 over extended innings while touching 96, along with one of the best breaking balls in the prep class.
“Hooper has the upside you can dream on but Allard can really pitch,” a scouting director said. “There are going to be some good debates about those two next spring.”
The catching crop is down significantly, especially on the college side, but Chris Betts has emerged as the top prep catcher, possessing a power bat, leadership ability and a plus arm.
After a down year in the junior college ranks, with only three players going in the top three rounds (compared to six over the last five years), this year’s junior college crop shapes up as one of the best in recent years. No. 10 overall pick in 2013 Phil Bickford left Cal State Fullerton after pitching on the Cape this summer. Although Bickford was the only junior college player to make the Top 50, lefthander Mac Marshall and outfielder/first baseman Isiah Gilliam, both from the powerhouse Parkview (Ga.) High program and now at Chipola (Fla.) JC, were considerations for the list. Marshall, who left Louisiana State earlier this fall, ranked No. 57 on the BA 500 for 2014 and was selected in the 21st round by the Astros after an uneven spring.
Former Oregon State righthander Chandler Eden (Yavapai, Ariz., JC) also was ranked in the BA 500 out of high school (No. 70) and is now at junior college, and Eden saw his velocity increase last year.
Middle infielder Kyler Murray is one of the most interesting players in this draft and one who will draw tons of attention next spring. Murray is one of the top athletes in the class, possessing electric bat speed with plus-plus foot speed. He is the top quarterback recruit in the country by many recruiting services, never losing a game in two and a half seasons. The dual-threat quarterback has accounted for 2,064 yards and 27 touchdowns in Allen (Texas) High’s 7-0 start while averaging an incredible 12.7 yards per rush.
The son of a former All-American who quarterbacked Texas A&M, Murray is slated to be an Aggie. Scouts got to see so little of him this summer, highlighting the Under Armour All-America Game for his only summer showcase circuit appearance, that he is something of a wild card considering his comparative lack of playing time, his upside and multi-sport background.
Another top high school athlete, middle infielder Alonzo Jones, draws a wide range of scouting opinions. He may be the fastest player in the high school class (6.17 and 6.25 in the 60), while offering at least average raw power from both sides of the plate and at least an average arm. Some teams that value athletes, tools and upside believe he could be a first-rounder, while his instincts and lack of a defined defensive position cause other teams to value him much lower.
The weakest demographic in the class is college position players, with just seven in the top 50. But some of the college performers with pedigrees from this summer—such as Arizona shortstop Kevin Newman, Alabama shortstop Mikey White and Tennessee outfielder Christian Stewart—have a chance to push into the top 50 for teams that value track records of performance.
Rank Player Pos Hometown/School
1 Brendan Rodgers ss Lake Mary (Fla.) HS
2 Brady Aiken lhp No school
3 Michael Matuella rhp Duke
4 Kyle Funkhouser rhp Louisville
5 Walker Buehler rhp Vanderbilt
6 Dansby Swanson 2b/ss Vanderbilt
7 Justin Hooper lhp De La Salle, Concord, Calif.
8 Kolby Allard lhp San Clemente (Calif.) HS
9 Trenton Clark of Richland HS, North Richland Hills, Texas
10 Nathan Kirby lhp Virginia
11 Nick Plummer of Brother Rice HS, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
12 Ashe Russell rhp Cathedral Catholic HS, Indianapolis
13 Alex Bregman ss Louisiana State
14 Daz Cameron of Eagle’s Landing HS, McDonough, Ga.
15 Carson Fulmer rhp Vanderbilt
16 Ian Happ of Cincinnati
17 Riley Ferrell rhp Texas Christian
18 Chris Betts c Wilson HS, Long Beach, Calif.
19 Kyle Cody rhp Kentucky
20 Phil Bickford rhp JC of Southern Nevada
21 DJ Stewart of Florida State
22 James Kaprielian rhp UCLA
23 Jake Lemoine rhp Houston
24 Cody Ponce rhp Cal Poly Pomona
25 Gio Brusa of Pacific
26 Kyler Murray mif/cf Allen (Texas) High
27 Chandler Day of Watkins Memorial HS, Pataskala, Ohio
28 Kyle Tucker of Plant HS, Tampa
29 Garrett Whitley of Niskayuna (N.Y.) HS
30 Beau Burrows rhp Weatherford (Texas) HS
31 Richie Martin ss Florida
32 Tyler Jay lhp Illinois
33 Dillon Tate rhp UC Santa Barbara
34 Alex Young lhp Texas Christian
35 Donny Everett rhp Clarksville (Tenn
36 Mike Nikorak rhp Stroudsburg (Pa.) HS
37 Marc Brakeman rhp Stanford
38 Chris Shaw 1b Boston College
39 Demi Orimoloye of St. Matthew HS, Orleans, Ontario, Canada
40 Cornelius Randolph 3b/1b Griffin (Ga.) HS
41 Alonzo Jones mif/of Columbus (Ga.) HS
42 Triston McKenzie rhp Royal Palm Beach (Fla.) HS
43 Cole McKay rhp Smithson Valley HS, Spring Branch, Texas
44 Austin Smith rhp Park Vista Community HS, Boynton Beach, Fla.
45 Andrew Suarez lhp Miami
46 Joe McCarthy of Virginia
47 Kyle Molnar rhp Aliso Niguel HS, Aliso Viejo, Calif.
48 Kep Brown of Wando HS Mount Pleasant, S.C.
49 Bryce Denton of/3b Ravenwood HS, Brentwood, Tenn.
50 Jon Harris rhp Missouri State
"There is no limit to what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit."
