Draft Scouting Reports

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I'll post some scouting reports on the players I draft here.

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Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA, 2011: Cole is a top of the line starter with #1 potential. Cole combines a plus-plus fastball with a plus slider, projecting him as having two excellent Major League pitches. I've heard good things about his two-seamer that he developed with Team USA this summer, too, so he's looking more and more like one of those coveted power pitchers with groundball tendencies. Cole projects to go #1 overall in the 2011 draft as of November 2009, after having gone in the first round in the 2008 draft, only to not sign with the Yankees.

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Christian Colon, SS, Cal State Fullerton, 2010: A broken leg won’t keep Colon down, and I think he’ll come back quite effectively for the spring season. He doesn’t really have any plus-plus tools, but he’s a great all-around player and the best middle infield prospect available in the 2010 class. He projects for a plus hit tool, along with solid-average tools across the board, though he might be a second baseman in the long run. If he is, he'll be a plus hitter for the position while playing plus defense. He's projected to go early in the 2010 draft, possibly in the top ten.

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Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech, 2010: McGuire’s a polarizing figure, but no one doubts his pure size and stuff. Like LSU's Anthony Ranaudo, some say that McGuire’s prospect package relies too much on size and projectability and not enough on actual pitching ability. However, McGuire’s got an above-average fastball with a pair of breaking pitches and a good changeup, so I don’t see anything that isn’t Major League-caliber in terms of future grades. He’s got to firm up his command, but he’s definitely right up at the top of the pack for the 2010 college pitching class. I currently project him to go in the top ten of the 2010 draft.

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Slade Heathcott, OF, New York Yankees, 2009: Heathcott is a potential five-tool superstar that went in the first round of the 2009 draft. Having returned very quickly from an ACL injury and a separated shoulder during the spring season, Heathcott has shown plus potential in all five tools, though he most notably stands out with his raw power, speed, and arm strength. In time, he could be a plus center fielder, and his hit tool has excellent potential, too. If he can stay healthy, even with his plus recovery time in previous injuries, he's a potential first-division starter with perennial all-star written all over him.

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LeVon Washington, OF, Chipola JC (FL), 2010: Washington was a first-rounder in 2009, and there aren’t many current scenarios that knock him out of the first round in 2010. With a recovery in his right arm, which I do expect to happen, more teams will think of Washington as a true center fielder with plus range. His hit tool is still plus, and with a weaker class of hitters in the 2010 class, there’s nowhere to go but up with a good season at Chipola against solid Florida JUCO competition. Beware the Boras.

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Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast, 2010: Sale was the star of the Cape Cod League this summer, and most prospect buffs would be lying to you if they told you they knew who he was before his summer run. He’s going to battle Drew Pomeranz of Ole Miss and James Paxton of Kentucky for the top lefty in the 2010 college class during the spring, and there’s a good chance Sale comes out ahead. He’s also big, standing at 6′6”, but he’s projectable too, as he might be able to add a good twenty pounds to his frame. He’s got a plus fastball with good movement and an effective changeup, and I see Sale as a relatively safe pick as far as pitchers go.

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Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha HS (CA), 2010: There used to be a pretty clear line between Covey and the top 2010 prep arms like Jameson Taillon, A.J. Cole, Karsten Whitson, and Stetson Allie. However, due to a late summer and fall season that has been better than anyone not named Taillon, Covey's name is now in the conversation with those top four arms. I've spoken to a number scouts that now prefer Covey to Allie and Whitson, and there's rumblings about him leapfrogging Cole, too. He’s got a plus fastball and curveball, but like most preps, he lacks a good current changeup, and he’ll need that to thrive in the pros. He’s a mid- to late-first rounder now, but there’s room for more.

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Manny Machado, SS, Brito HS (FL), 2010: Machado’s a polarizing player in the scouting ranks, as there’s an argument raging over whether Machado’s a true shortstop or not. It’s not hard to follow either side’s argument. On the plus side, Machado can turn in some plays that look truly middle infielder-esque numerous times over the course of the game. On the minus side, he can sometimes look stiff and show minus hands. In addition, the first thing you notice about him when you watch him is how big he looks for the shortstop position. Not everyone can be Cal Ripken and handle shortstop in the bigs at that size. I’m not putting down his athleticism. It’s solid. So is the arm. But with a Yunel Escobar-like bat wrap and overall questions about his bat, the defense is what’s going to determine his draft slot. For now, he's a big name and rising, and he could be the first prep bat off the board in 2010, possibly in the top ten picks.

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Kevin Gausman, RHP, Grandview HS (CO), 2010: Gausman is blessed with good size at 6′4”, and he’s ultra-projectable, probably more projectable than anyone in the class. He doesn’t have the plus fastball velocity that the top guys have, but it’s still above-average with good life. He’s got the makings of a good curveball and changeup, so we might have another high-ceiling arm on our hands. He's had a great fall run, and he's climbing up board with lightning speed. There's some concern over his LSU commitment, but he's probably pitched himself into conversations for the top 15 picks of the 2010 draft, and he won't pass up that money.

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Tommy Joseph, C, San Francisco Giants, 2009: I see first base in Joseph's future, as his mechanics behind the plate just aren’t those of a catcher in today’s game. He could easily improve greatly and prove me wrong, but I just don’t see the skills. He does have the tools, however, as his arm is quite strong. On to the positives, I absolutely love the bat. He'll probably hit enough for first base, though the pressure is greater there. He's got plus raw power and a plus hit tool, though the speed is understandably catcher-like. His hitting may turn out to be very valuable for a Giants' team looking for bats, and his second-round pedigree will lead to plenty of opportunities to succeed.

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Stetson Allie, RHP, St. Edwards HS (OH), 2010: Some scouts see Allie as a third base prospect, but his arm is just too good to pass up. Remember how we thought Shelby Miller had the best pure arm a year ago? Allie’s is better. Remember how Madison Younginer got hype because of his closer role and plus fastball? Allie’s better. He already touches 99 with his fastball, has a slider in the upper-80s, and could be the best pure arm from high school in quite awhile. The problem is that he might just be a reliever, as he has a high-effort delivery.

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Jedd Gyorko, 2B, West Virginia, 2010: Gyorko’s a questionable first-rounder to those that only love pure tools, but his bat is a legitimate first-round weapon in my book. He’s got a plus hit tool and decent raw power, and I think Gyorko could be a solid all-around infielder. Whether he’s a second baseman or third baseman isn’t a big deal, as his bat will play at either spot. Think of him as that guy that has no defensive home, but hits no matter where you put him.

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Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio State, 2010: Wimmers had a great late summer on the Cape, and I think he’s moved into being the best cold-weather guy in the 2010 class. He’s not a big guy, unlike the pitchers above, but his stuff is quite advanced. I might call his fastball average, maybe a tick above with movement and command, but his curve and change are above-average and improving. At this point, he's sitting in the middle of the first round for 2010, and he could improve to the late top ten with a great spring.

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Luke Bailey, C, Tampa Bay Rays, 2009: Bailey was headed for a spot in the first round before going down with Tommy John surgery later in his spring season. When healthy, Bailey showed a plus-plus throwing arm combined with solid accuracy and great catching instincts and athleticism behind the plate. In addition, his bat had some of the greatest power potential in the 2009 class, and that should still be the case when he's back to full health. He has all the tools to be a standout catcher in all aspects, combining five average to plus tools. He fell to the fourth round in 2009 due to the injury, but signed late for $750,000.