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Analyzing Amateur Baseball Talent as it pertains to the MLB Draft

Dandy Dozen 3-22-11

Welcome to the eighth edition of the Dandy Dozen as I look at some of the top talent available for the 2011 draft. After profiling only pitchers the last time, it's back to the more standard lineup. We're up to 96 reports available here at 5 Tool Talk, so be sure to take a look back at the archives available in the right-hand column for past submissions.

SP

Chafin is a redshirt sophomore this year since he missed all of the 2010 season due to an arm injury that required Tommy John surgery. He was dominant during his freshman year, posting eight saves and a 1.26 ERA while serving as the closer for Kent State. He has moved to the Friday ace role this season, and so far has handled that transition very well, and through the first four weeks of the college baseball season he had yet to give up an earned run. On the mound and overall physically he somewhat resembles Virginia’s Danny Hultzen, with his legs spread far apart as he stood on the mound with a sturdy build and strong lower half. Chafin has a very wide spread as part of his delivery, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a team shorten that stride at the next level. His mechanics and arm action work well. He started making some noise during fall ball when he was throwing his fastball as hard as 95, and has continued to approach the mid-90s this spring while sitting at 90-92. His slider is also a swing-and-miss pitch, and once he establishes his fastball-slider combo he mixes in his changeup the second and third times through the batting order. Chafin pitches aggressively, and has the makeup of a true power pitcher.

SP

It’s hard to miss Hudson Boyd at the high school level, who stands out on the field physically with a barrel chest and overall thick, sturdy build. That leads to some conditioning concerns, but he is fairly chiseled, and has a loose arm and fairly good overall mechanics. He shows good stuff, including a low-90s fastball that can touch 94-95 and shows some sink from time to time. His second best pitch is his curveball which he snaps off in the mid-to-upper 70s. He has a changeup, and he can also change the speeds on his breaking ball to make it look more like a slider, but he needs to refine the consistency with both pitches. Boyd shows the ability to throw strikes at an early point in his career, and could continue an impressive haul of pro talent at the University of Florida should he choose to honor his college commitment.

SP

Smith pitched for Howard at the juco level his first two years in college, being part of Howard’s championship team in 2009 and he was named pitcher of the year in 2010. He has a tall, mature frame with the stature of a workhorse that should be able to maintain his low-90s to mid-90s heat late in ballgames. He has really blossomed since high school, and has been clocked as high as 95 this spring serving as the Sunday starter for the Sooners. He also mixes in a good, not great curveball and a changeup. Physically he resembles Barret Loux, a draft-eligible righty out of Texas A&M; last spring. While he has good size, he is a little stiff through his limbs and can land somewhat stiff on his plant leg despite having a fairly clean and relatively repeatable delivery. If he continues to throw in the mid-90s more consistently while improving the break on his breaking pitch, he could profile as a number two starter, otherwise his upside is likely as a middle or back end of the rotation starter.

CL

A Pennsylvania high-school product that starred as a shortstop, McGough (pronoucned McGuff) was selected in the 46th round of the 2008 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. His natural arm strength has moved him permanently to a pitching role, where he has been used predominantly in relief during his college career. He toured with Team USA Collegiate National Team last summer in which he posted a 0.82 ERA in five appearances. He sits in the low-90s with the ability to touch 93-94 with a lightning quick arm. He has also been working on improving his slider, a potential knock-out pitch that is almost impossible to hit when it is working as well as it can. He is generously listed at 6-foot-1, as he’s generally viewed a sub-6-foot right-hander with an athletic and wiry strong frame. The lack of a consistent changeup, although he doesn’t need one as much coming out of a bullpen, is the biggest thing keeping him from being tried more as a starter.

C

McCann has been known more for his defense than for his bat starting off his college career, but he did a nice job providing clutch hits during the Razorbacks late season surge during his freshman year as Arkansas advanced to Omaha. The same can be said for his time spent on the Cape last summer, hitting much better during the playoffs than he did prior to postseason play. The potential is there for him to be a better, more consistent threat at the plate, and he has a done a good job over the past few years shortening his swing and tightening up his approach. He has gap power with a little bit of home run pop, and has good quickness for his size. He has a strong arm behind the plate with a quick release, and overall shows a good foundation defensively. He is off to a good start both offensively and defensively this season, and has done a good job taking on a leadership role with a young pitching staff.

1B

Cron is a big-bodied athlete, with a chiseled, muscular frame. His bat and overall power potential are his best assets, as he can launch the ball a long, long way and his strength gives him power to all parts of the field. For such a big guy, he shows good plate coverage and an overall solid approach to hitting. He’s a fairly aggressive hitter, but hasn’t struck out much during his college career. He hit .431 with 20 home runs as a sophomore and is hitting over .400 once again this season, although he doesn’t face the best competition in the nation playing in the Mountain West Conference. He has good bat speed and great extension given his size and strength, and should continue to hit for considerable power at the next level. His start this year has allowed him to creep up draft boards, with some projecting him to go in the middle of the first round. He has played catcher in the past, but has moved to first base this season, where he projects the best at the next level.

IF

Greene looks the part out on the baseball field, with a very good, well proportioned stature with plenty of room to add strength as he matures physically. Defensively he looks crisp, making consistent strong and accurate throws from shortstop. The times I have seen him play, he looks to move well to his right, but not so well to his left. His size may suggest that he will have to move to either second or third base down the road, but right now he can stick at shortstop, and likely would at the college level as well should he honor his commitment to Georgia. He has a line drive swing with some home run potential and current gap-to-gap power. Greene can put on a show during batting practice, but could stand to brush up his pitch recognition during in-game situations. He also has very good straight-line speed, giving him two good tools along with his arm strength, with five-tool potential overall.

3B

Proscia is a run-producing machine. He really knows how to handle the bat, and I can see him really coming on at the next level. He’s a big, strong bodied young man that really knows how to put a charge into a ball. He has good bat speed and extension, although for his size he has more gap power than home run pop at this point in time. I could see that changing, much like it did for former Virginia third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Proscia isn’t overly toolsy, as he’s a good, not great athlete that moves ok for his size. He still has room to improve defensively, although he moves well and runs well for his size and has a strong throwing arm. He may not be able to stick at third base long term, and he doesn’t have the ideal power potential to slide across to first. He may profile the best as a utility corner infielder/outfielder down the road.

SS

Featherston has been a rock both in the field and towards the top of TCU’s lineup the past few years, and was a big part of the Horned Frogs success that carried them to Omaha last year. There is some debate as to whether or not he sticks at shortstop long-term, but I like the way he moves at the position. He moves well to both sides, and also charges ball well, making plays on the move naturally. He has a strong and accurate throwing arm, all of which should allow him to profile as a plus defender at second base should he indeed have to slide across the bag. I do think he needs to tone down his swing, as he shows a good approach but frequently swings for the fences. He has some home run power, but he’s better off going with pitches and driving them where they are thrown rather than trying to yank everything out.

OF

Since Wyoming doesn’t have baseball at the high school level, Nimmo plays for a strong team in the American Legion program, Cheyenne Post 6. That team participated in the Tournament of Stars last summer, and Nimmo also took part (and played very well being named the game’s MVP) in the Under Armour game in Chicago allowing him to showcase his skills on a national platform. He’s a good overall athlete with five-tool potential. He has a good throwing arm in the outfield and very good foot speed. He has been recovering from a knee injury sustained playing football during his junior year, but is back at full strength. He’s a left-handed hitter with a sweet swing with a knack for making consistent hard contact to the gaps. He has shown good strike zone recognition with a sound approach in which he looks to drive pitches up the middle and the other way. While he has some home run power now, he is expected to gain more as he continues to add strength to his lean yet wiry strong, projectable frame. Teams won’t have much time to see him in action this spring, as his season starts in mid-April, playing doubleheaders on the weekends with one game mid-week which doesn’t leave much time to make a decision on an early round talent with the draft in early June. A team could take a flyer on him and follow his remaining American Legion schedule that extends all the way to the mid-August signing deadline. Otherwise, he has committed to play for Arkansas.

OF

Quinn’s tools play much bigger than his listed size, as he has potentially game-changing speed and a very strong arm from the outfield. That speed/arm combo makes him a natural fit in centerfield, although a team may choose to try him in the middle of the infield, likely second base, where he has limited playing experience. He is very quick out of the box, and would be a threat at the top of a batting order laying down bunts to utilize his speed to get on base. He’s not just a slash-and-dash type of hitter however, as he will surprise you at how well he stings the ball in the batter’s box. Given his size, most of his power is to the alleys, but he can muscle the ball out of the park from time to time, and his speed gives him the ability to stretch extra bases. He has committed to play at Florida State, where he would profile in a similar fashion to former Seminoles Tyler Holt and Shane Robinson.

OF

Ruettiger arrived at Arizona State as a promising recruit from the Chicago area known as being the nephew of Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger. Johnny has since made a name for himself, hitting over .350 in each of his first two years with the Sun Devils while walking more than he has struck out. He showed that his hitting skills were no fluke by leading the Cape in hitting last summer, and has the potential to be selected in the first two to three rounds of this year’s draft. There isn't much power to Ruettiger's swing, who uses a slightly closed and crouched stance and a level swing to slash line drives to all parts of the field. He is a good, well proportioned athlete that shows a good eye at the plate, taking a lot of pitches and isn’t afraid to work deep into the count. He should continue to draw a lot of walks while limiting his strikeouts given his swing and approach, but that swing and approach will likely always limit his power. While he has good speed, he's not a true burner, but does show good baseball instincts. He skills fit perfectly atop a batting order.

Dandy Dozen

SP	Andrew Gagnon	Well rounded RHP w/ good size, repertoire
SP	Erik Johnson	Big bodied RHP with good FB/CB combo
SP	Deshorn Lake	Live-armed RHP with sharp breaking ball
CL	Nick Maronde	Lived-armed LHP tough to catch up to
C	Nick Delmonico	May not be C long-term, big body, LH bat
1B	Zach Wilson	Aggressive hitter can put sting in ball
IF	Sean Trent	Well built hitter with pop, speed, arm
3B	Dante Bichette, Jr.	Clone of father with big build, power
SS	Austin Nola	Steady D' at shortstop, improving strength
OF	Nick Martini	Good all around player with patient eye
OF	Shon Carson	Shorter, well built 2-sport speedster
OF	Granden Goetzman	Fast riser w/ exciting power/speed combo

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