Prospects for This Year’s MLB Draft
When I was coming up with the prospect list, I scoured the web for picks from about 20-31. Since the MLB draft is basically a crapshoot anyway, it’s not like any player is guaranteed to go at any one spot, so choosing a range was way more important than a singular player. In other words, the Cowboys were linked to offensive lineman thoroughout the draft. Since it was likely they would choose a lineman, that’s what I focused on in my writeups. Since, for the most part, any position can be picked at any spot, I’m more focused on player caliber than position. After scouring the web, I discovered that there are precious few mock drafts from reputable sources at this stage. The best I found was one by John Sickels for minorleagueball.com. His 20th-31st picks were:
Feb 27, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar (13) swings at a pitch during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Robert Kiminsky, P (Tigers)
Ian Clarkin, P (Rays)
Bobby Wahl, P (Orioles)
Tim Anderson, SS (Rangers)
Matt Krook, P (Athletics)
Michael Lorenzen, OF/P (Giants)
Jon Denney, C (Yankees)
Marco Gonzalez, P (Reds)
Sean Manaea, P (Cardinals)
Phillip Ervin, OF (Rays)
Jake Brentz, P (Rangers)
Hunter Green, P (Braves)
Not all of the players listed above will be covered, and others not listed will be. But this list will serve as a general guideline. The first player on isn’t even on this list-he’s listed at number 37-but the fact thatHunter Harveyhasn’t signed on with any college means that I think, especially with the draft cap, that he could see some helium in his stock.
Hunter Harvey
Son of major league reliever Bryan Harvey, a very good closer during the early nineties, Harvey started out the year at 89 to 92 miles per hour but now sits “in the mid nineties” and has touched 97. He complements that with a curveball-his prefered secondary pitch- and a change up which, like many high schoolers, he barely uses. Also, like basically every high school major league prospect, he has flat-out dominated high school ball. He currently sports a 0.38 ERA.
Held in August, the Under Armour All-American Game Presented by Baseball Factory gives prospects experience with other top competition that regular high school baseball just can’t provide. Baseball Factory describes his curveball as a “swing and miss pitch” with, as previously mentioned, a mostly unused changeup. One of his best assets is his projectibility. The fact that he has a mid-nineties fastball with a 6’3, 170 pound frame means that he could eventually sit at 92-95 with a solid curveball and changeup. Of course, the weight could never set in and he has a fastball that only eclipses*, not sits at, the mid-nineties.
Baseball America has the best information of all of the sources. They added some information that is difficult to find in other sources, like the speed of his breaking balls. His curveball sits at 74- 76, while his changeup is around 80-83. His fastball not only has velocity, but a strong boring action on right handed batters as well. Of the 105 pitches that he used in the game BA covred, he only threw four changeups. About 70 percent of the remainder were fastballs, the rest curveballs.
*Whether or not he sits in the mid-nineties depends on the week. as BA writes, the previous week, he was at 93-97, while the next week he was at 90-92. It seems that the latter is closer to his normal velocity.
Sources:
Under Armour All-American Game Presented by Baseball Factory
Marco Gonzales
This report is centered around a detailed report on ESPN Insider. If you don’t have Insider, there is no way to see it. I doubt it’s on the internet.
Gonzales uses command as his main tool, with his other offerings hovering around average, and his fastball a little that. He pitches from 88-90, but they predict it could fall some from that, hovering at around slightly below average. His best pitch is his change up. They describe it as predicated more on deception than outright movement, which is basically how a straight change is used. Sad state of internet scouting reports: some that I have read say that it is a 70 pitch with massive movement. I’ll listen to ESPN. Gonzales also has an above average (though not plus) curveball, which sits at “75-77 with varying angles.”
Minorleagueball.com has roughly the same story. They mention a slider (which could be the reason for the “varying angles” part), but they too focus on how good his changeup is. They both mention it as among the best in the class.
His best non-baseball asset is his high probability for success. Even though he might only be “a fourth starter or a little worse”, there is little chance he won’t reach that ceiling.