Prospect Insider - Draft Weekly

Draft Weekly

By Jason A. Churchill

By 03-02-2011

Each week here at Prospect Insider we will take a look around the 2011 draft class, which could prove to be one of the better classes of all time before the spring is over. We'll occasionally focus on one or two players, or a specific region, skill or position. Included in that will be full scouting reports and analysis of the possibilities for the Seattle Mariners at No. 2, and a focus on the Northwest Area, which boasts several potential first-day selections. To read our full 2011 Draft Preview which includes an Area Top 10, click here.

Catching
There is always a shortage of catching in the draft, just like there is a shortage of it in pro ball already. But two backstops have come up in conversation this past week. One a potential first-round pick and the other a potential sleeper.

Oregon State's Andrew Susac, according to an area scout, has shored up his footwork, throwing technique and receiving skills and is handling the position like he could step in very soon and do the same at the big league level.

Susac ranked at No. 18 on ESPN's Future 50, but would have ranked higher if the hit tool was a little better.

"He might hit .260 but he will get on base," said the scout. "He's just showing me he's a legitimate catcher with a shot to play regularly (in the majors)."

Susac is hitting .381 on the season, but the impressive numbers are the eight bases on balls and four extra-base hits. He's a sophomore-eligible, so he may try to play the tough-sign game this summer, too, but he may also be anxious to get his pro career going and he isn't likely to improve his draft stock beyond the middle of the first round. So if that's where he goes in June -- or is offered a bonus that reflects as such -- he's likely to sign.

I can't see him going much higher than No. 13 overall to the New York Mets, but it's too early to make legitimate projections.

While third baseman Garret Buechele is getting all fo the attention, Oklahoma's Tyler Ogle may be the best prospect on the Sooners roster. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior is off to a red-hot start at the plate, hitting .429 with five extra-base hits and a 9-5 BB/K ratio in 10 games -- nine starts. He's also thrown out five of 11 runners attempting to steal, and has swiped three bags of his own.

"Tyler is a nice player," said one AL club's Midwest scouting coordinator. "He lacks some of the ceiling you get in a high school kid, but he has a chance to do something. I really like the way he plays, he's a smart catcher."

Smart catchers with some ability tend to go a long way in baseball, just ask the Brad Ausmuses and Dan Wilsons of the world.

Francisco Lindor is all the rage
It's early, he's barely 6-feet tall and isn't going to develop 35-homer power, but Lindor is 9-for-12 with homers from both sides of the plate through four games for Montverde Academy in the Orlando area, and scouts -- mostly scouting directors and crosscheckers -- have raved about him during the season's first few weeks.

One said he was the best glove at short he's ever seen at this age, while another said "he is some player -- that I will tell you right now."

Lindor will have to continue to get stronger, but he does everything well, brings plus makeup and leadership to the table and the power he's shown is very real -- he won the Home Run Derby at the Aflac All-American showcase last summer.

The homer he hit from the left side this year came in his first at-bat of the season, a 400-plus foot shot to right-center field.

There is talk that Lindor could anywhere from No. 2 to No. 8, but I take issue with both extremes. I don't see Seattle taking a prep player at two, and if they do, it's difficult to pass on the upside of Bubba Starling. I also don't know how Lindor gets past Arizona at No. 3 or Washington at No. 6.

He's committed to Florida State, but there's little doubt he'll ever step foot on the field at Dick Howser Stadium, at least not in the crimson and gold.

UW's Recruiting Class
The University of Washington has signed three very talented recruits for next spring, among several other solid players. Right-handers Robert Stephenson and Jared Fischer and southpaw Blake Snell could all be drafted in June, with Stephenson and Snell potential first-day selections.

Stephenson, a 6-foot-2, 187-pounder out of Alhambra High School in California, has shown two above average pitches and if he can smooth out his delivery could project as a No. 2 or 3 starter, which may be enough to earn him a first-round spot. His season is just under way this week, though he's yet to pitch.

Snell lacks projection at 6-foot-3 and about 185 pounds, but impressed scouts last summer as he showed velocity into the low-90s. His arm speed suggests he could turn over an effective changeup down the line and his curveball, while well below average at present, has good shape and depth.

Fischer is more of a second-day talent, and thus more likely to head to college, but there's upside to his 6-foot-4, 200-plus pound frame.

If all three get to UW -- and Stephenson's family chose Washington because of academics, so it's not out of the question -- the Huskies may become more than relevant in Pac-12 over the next few springs.

On the trail
I'll see Redmond's Dylan Davis and Michael Conforto as well as Snell right before heading to Peoria to switch gears and check out the pro prospects.

Davis is the top prep talent in the state to start the spring, but not by a wide margin, as Snell is right on his tail and several others have pop-up ability.

March 12 for Davis-Conforto and March 14 for Snell, weather permitting, of course. In mid-April, the two schools hook up for a showdown between the two, which is a must-see for those interested.

Jason A. Churchill is Executive Editor at Prospect Insider, founded in 2006, and has covered scouting and player development since 2003, writing for publications such as InsidethePark.com, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and The News Tribune. You can follow Jason on Twitter @ProspectInsider, as well as @ESPN_MLBDraft, and contact him via email at Churchill@ProspectInsider.com.

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Comments
The following 13 comment(s) for this article are shown below:

1. By: sexymarinersfan on 03-02-2011 03:49:46
I imagine Jack would be interested in a guy like Lindor. He told me at Fanfest that they M's did have their eye on one INF player amongst 4 others, one being and OF, and the other 3 pitchers. So maybe Lindor is on their radar.

2. By: acqb1424 on 03-02-2011 08:28:17
Could be, but I'm assuming Jack was referring to Anthony Rendon.

3. By: Jason A. Churchill on 03-02-2011 11:34:40
Lindor is certainly on their radar, that's without question. But there is also no question that today, they want Rendon first and foremost.

4. By: itchyrow on 03-02-2011 12:04:20
Thanks for the info on the local HS kids. Good to see them getting recognition here. But, you're mistaken on Snell's height. He's more like 6'3" or 6'4" than 6'1", which probably gives him substantially more projectability.

5. By: Jason A. Churchill on 03-02-2011 12:54:34
Actually, I just forgot to change the height, but he lacks projection because of his delivery and sleight build combination.

He does have more upside than Davis, however. His velocity this spring will be key.

6. By: maqman on 03-02-2011 13:19:35
Lindor looks attractive but we have a couple of pretty good SS prospects. I'm wondering if the OF Z had in mind is Springer?

7. By: Lailoken on 03-02-2011 15:45:42
Jason,

How close is Kittredge to cracking the top ten?

8. By: Jason A. Churchill on 03-02-2011 18:04:19
Not very close.

he will get drafted, however.

9. By: sexymarinersfan on 03-03-2011 00:00:41
I immediately thought of Springer when he said that. But it could've been Starling as well. I kind of like the fact that Springer doesn't have Scott Boras for an agent. It would seem to be a much easier signing, more than likely anyways.

10. By: sexymarinersfan on 03-03-2011 01:05:08
We traded Manny Lawson to Cleveland for LHP Aaron Laffey today btw!

11. By: Shawnuel on 03-03-2011 11:22:15
Having an abundance of good SS prospects is never a problem. They are usually the best and most instinctive athletes on the field and can often be moved to another position pretty easily. Adam Jones to CF for example.

12. By: Edman on 03-03-2011 14:19:08
#10, it's actually Matt Lawson, not that it matters.

Shortstops are always valuable, but regardless of that, it's about finding major league quality talent, at whatever position they play. If they think you can hit major league pitching, they'll find a place for you, especially in the AL, with a DH position to fall back on, even if you have stone hands in the field.

13. By: Adam B. on 03-03-2011 15:13:18
It's sounding more and more like it'd be a real stretch to see the M's draft anything but Rendon or a pitcher at #2, but the M's do actually have a need at SS since none of their current crop (Triunfel, Littlewood, Peguero and even Franklin) project well at the position long-term.

I'd really hope the M's would focus some of their later picks on shoring up organizational depth at Short and Catcher as the pickings are very slim in the system as is.

As for Laffey, basically the M's just added another name to "the heap" while also clearing up some of the infield log-jam between Jackson and Tacoma.
Lawson's ceiling was as a utility player and the M's already have those in spades ala Seager, Tennbrink, Mangini and Tuiasosopo so this trade gets a giant "Eh." from me.

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