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Analyzing Amateur Baseball Talent as it pertains to the MLB Draft

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Brian Goodwin transfers,
will be eligible for the 2011 Draft

In mid-November news broke that former North Carolina outfielder Brian Goodwin was ruled ineligible for the 2011 baseball season for violating university policy. No specifics were noted as part of the university release, but it was widely speculated that Goodwin would end up transferring to a junior college to not only be able to continue to play baseball, but also to make himself available for the 2011 draft.

That speculation became true earlier this week when it was learned that Goodwin has officially transferred to Miami-Dade College.

Goodwin was an Aflac All-American in high school, being named the MVP of that event, joining fellow 2011 draft-eligible teammates from that game in 2008, Matt Purke and Andrew Susac. 5 Tool Talk had Goodwin ranked 19th overall leading up to the 2009 draft, and has this to say about him in his Dandy Dozen scouting profile:

Goodwin had a very successful summer in which he participated in both the Aflac All-American Classic and the Under Armour Classic, being named the MVP of the Aflac game. Goodwin is the type of player that makes it very obvious when watching him that the game of baseball comes very naturally to him. He does a lot of little things well, and has four legitimate tools, lacking power as the only tool to make him the always coveted five-tool talent. And despite his lack of power, Goodwin will surprise you with his pop from time to time. Most of his power goes to the gaps, and his 6.5 speed allows him to leg out plenty of extra base hits. His bat is made for contact, as he excels at putting the ball in play and going with pitches to drive the ball up the middle and the other way. He is extremely fast out of the box, and gets down the line to first base as a left-handed hitter as well as anyone, allowing him to be a threat on infield grounders and bunt plays. His speed makes him an additional threat on the basepaths, and his overall offensive package profiles perfectly for a leadoff hitting centerfielder. In the outfield he takes good routes on fly balls and has plenty of speed to cover a lot of ground in a hurry. His arm is also a plus tool, and overall he profiles in a very similar fashion to the Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen, or on a more complimentary scale, Kenny Lofton. The icing on the cake is his character, with a great personality and strong leadership qualities. His athleticism and speed allows him to excel in football as well, although his future lies on the baseball diamond. He has committed to North Carolina, a university that has a knack for not letting too many of their recruits slip away, although Goodwin has the talent right now to be considered a legitimate first-rounder.

Power has since become a much bigger part of Goodwin's game, committing himself to hitting the weight room and adding strength to his athletic frame. His bat speed was always a plus attribute, and now he is becoming more of a legitimate and consistent power threat. North Carolina had him hit where he hit to the tune of .291/.409/.511 with 13 doubles, eight triples and seven home runs. He only stole seven bases in nine attempts, and also struck out 49 times, but he continued to show his balanced and patient approach at the plate by drawing 45 walks.

His early collegiate success continued into last summer, as he finished 11th among those that qualified on the Cape in batting with a .281 average. During his time with Harwich, he also posted a .364 on-base percentage, stole 15 bases (good for eighth in the league) in 19 attempts and six of his 32 hits went for extra bases.

Goodwin immediately becomes one of the more athletic players eligible for the 2011 draft, and a first-round talent that could go in the 10-20 range. He along with George Springer, Jackie Bradley, Jr. and to a lesser extent, Zach Cone, gives the draft a strong quartet of athletic outfielders, and Goodwin very well be the most dynamic of that group.

Stay tuned to 5 Tool Talk for the unveiling of the top 100 draft-eligible prospects for this June's draft.

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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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