| By Jason A. Churchill |  | By 03-05-2013 |
A year ago Stanford right-hander Mark Appel spent most of the season as the No. 1 overall prospect. He was then selected No. 8 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates and re-entered the 2013 Draft when the signing deadline came and went. The Pirates will receive the No. 9 overall pick in this year's draft as compensation, but it looks like much more of a consolation than anything else at this point.
Appel went the distance for the second straight week, yielding just three hits and a walk and striking out 14 batters. It was his first shutout of the year.
The right-hander, now a senior with virtually zero leverage come draft day, is now 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings and a 28-5 K/BB ratio. He's surrendered just two extra-base hits -- both doubles -- and looks the part of a No. 1 prospect.
In all three starts, Appel has had the big fastball, up to 97 mph, and an above-average to plus changeup and improved slider that he's commanding better than a year ago.
It's difficult to imagine the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Appel falling beyond Boston at No. 7, and the Cubs at No. 2 could ultimately be the floor for him if he keeps up his current level of performance.
Arms Race
Ryne Stanek, perhaps Appel's stiffest competition at the top of the draft, did not post the line Appel did, but hit 97 mph as late as the sixth inning and flashed the plus slider. Stanek is athletic and throws from a low three-quarters arm slot creating fastball movement and deception.
He's going to make some team that misses out on Appel very happy. His floor also may be that No. 7 pick by the Red Sox.
Right-hander Ryab Eades of LSU hasn't had his best stuff yet this spring, but was pretty close this past weekend, fanning 11 over six frames and needing just 79 pitches to do so. The level of competition -- Brown -- isn't anything to write home about, but Eades has pounded the strike zone early this season with a fastball up to 94, two useful breaking balls and a changeup that he's yet to use much in 2013.
Eades, at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, is a first-round talent with a chance to go in the top 15.
Gonzaga's Marco Gonzalez, perhaps the No. 2 overall left-hander in the class, dominated Arkansas Friday in Surprise, Arizona, sitting 87-90 with his fastball and dazzling with his changeup. He also used a 50-grade curveball and went all the way for the shutout.
Gonzalez, despite lcking projection at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, is a first-round talent thanks to command, feel and athleticism and reminds me of Mike Leake, a Top 10 pick a few years back by the Cincinnati Reds. Leake, however, did not have the plus changeup.
Florida's Jonathon Crawford has yet to show the frontline stuff he displayed a year ago, sitting 89-93 mph with the fastball and merely teasing with the plus breaking ball. One scout in attendance in Gainesville over the weekend suggested that perhaps Crawford's arm is still hibernating and believes come May we'll see the 92-98 mph heat we're accustomed to seeing from the right-hander.
If the draft were today, and thank goodness it's not, Crawford is still likely a first-round arm, just not likely of the top-10 variety.
Pepperdine right-hander Scott Frazier and Oklahoma southpaw Dillon Overton went at it Friday and neither commanded their fastballs and the two offenses took advantage, combining to toss 14 earned runs on the two hurlers. Frazier was 89-92 mph with a 40 slider and poor control -- he walked three and had problems finishing off hitters -- and looked a little travel weary.
Overton had the strikeout pitch working -- an average to above average changeup for right-handed batters and a slider that darts down and away from left-handers. He sat 89-91, touching 93.
Both pitchers have first-round capabilities. Frazier has the body -- 6-foot-7, 230 pounds -- and usually stays on top very well creating downward plane. Overton's secondary stuff is better, but he lacks the physicality at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. He could be this year's version of Andrew Heaney, a Big 12 lefty from last year's class that gained steam down the stretch and ended up the No. 9 overall pick by the Miami Marlins. Heaney, too, was 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds.
The stat line of the weekend came from Vanderbilt southpaw Kevin Ziomek, who spun a complete-game shutout with 15 strikeouts. He allowed one hit and walked three. Ziomek's 88-91 mph fastball -- up to 92, 93 on rare occasions -- plays up due to the low three-quarter arm lot and resulting deception. His slider has two-plane break and he commanded it very well Friday versus Illinois-Chicago.
He also throws a straight changeup that needs a lot of work, and the arm slot doesn't help him turn that over and may be a detriment to his chances to start long term, not unlike that of Matt Purke of the Washington Nationals.
Others
San Diego right-hander Dylan Covey fanned 12 over six shutout innings, walking two and yielding five hits... Arizona right-hander Konner Wade struggled through seven inningsm throwing 122 pitches and allowing 10 baserunners. Wade is likely a Top 200 pick, but could go anywhere from cheap first rounder to fourth rounder... Jacksonville right-hander Chris Anderson has improved his stock in three weeks by firmly sitting 91-94 mph and flashing a plus breaking ball. He went all nine versus TCU over the weekend, striking out 13 against just one base on balls. Of note, he dominated former M's draft pick Kevin Cron, who went 0-for-5 with three punchouts...
Bryan leads bats
San Diego's Kris Bryant had a strong weekend, homering twice in a 6-for-10 three-game series. He also doubled twice and walked, and is now up to .333/.509/.692 in 11 games. Bryant played center field Friday and Sunday and third base Saturday, but is a corner defender, likely third, first or right field, in pro ball.
North Carolina's Colin Moran went 4-for-10 with four walks and has yet to show the extra-base power scouts would like to see if he's to be taken off the board early in the first round. "He's just very good at making the pitcher work, making the pitcher throw him fastballs," said an NL club's area scout. "He's a very good hitter. As for the power, it will come. He has good pull power but is up there looking to hit, not hit for power."
Fresno State's Aaron Judge is making a habit of dominating on Sunday. He has a 5-hit game on Sunday already under his belt and went 4-for-6 this past Sunday, including two doubles. If he's to warrant the top-10 buzz some see in him, he'll have to perform against Friday and Saturday starters. Although to be fair, he had three good at-bats versus Appel two weeks back, despite the hitless evening.
Locals
Washington right-hander Austin Voth is putting up big numbers early in the season and is putting himself on the map for early-to-mid Day 2 consideration. He fanned nine in Friday's tilt versus nationally-ranked Cal Poly over 7 1/3 frames. For the year, Voth has compiled a 28-4 K/BB ratio in 20 1/3 innings. He profiles similarly to UW's Friday starter from a year ago, Aaron West, who was a 17th-round pick of the Astros a year ago. Both pitchers stand 6-foot-1 and about 210 pounds, but Voth may have better stuff. Keep an eye on him.
The state's top prospects get under way this weekend with Kentwood catcher Reese McGuire taking the field at Liberty High School Saturday and right-hander Dustin Driver of Wenatchee High School getting things going Saturday, too.
Both have a shot at the first round, again proving the northwest -- and Washington State in particular -- is a terrific area for baseball prospects. Combined with Gonzaga's Gonzalez, the state could have three first-round picks.
Other college players in the state to watch include Washington State outfielder Jason Monda and third baseman Adam Nelubowich. At the prep level, Mossyrock right-hander John Pomeroy, Othello infielder David Garza, Skyview outfielder Ian Hamilton, WF West outfielder Ryan Littlefield and basically the entire Rogers (Puyallup) roster.
The Rams boast several worthy follows in the class of 2013, including infielder Michael Sexton, C/1B Logan Ice, Stefan Van Horn, who cacthes, plays outfield and pitches.
Olympia High School is also loaded, starting with right-hander Michael Fairchild and outfielder Cameron Frost.
draft-weekly:-arms-dominate
Comments
The following 6 comment(s) for this article are shown below:
| 1. By: Shawnuel on 03-05-2013 07:11:35 As an Olympia High alum and baseball player, I feel led to mention that this team is going into battle this season with their head coach, Todd MacDougall, spending his days in a Seattle cancer treatment center, undergoing therapies, chemo etc to fight the stage 4 brain cancer that was diagnosed shortly before Christmas. His outlook is not positive but his spirits are. He is probably the most loved coach that school has ever had. I expect the team will have an extra measure of incentive this season. Here is a link to the "Friends for Todd MacDougall" facebook page for any who are interested in finding out more. Friends for Todd McDougall |
| 2. By: Jason A. Churchill on 03-05-2013 07:12:52 Thanks Shawnuel, I'm going to edit that link so it's clickable for everyone. Jason |
| 3. By: Shawnuel on 03-05-2013 10:59:32 Thanks Jason. I REALLY need to take an HTML class or something. |
| 4. By: maqman on 03-05-2013 11:43:16 You don't need any classes on caring Shawnuel. I'll say a prayer for Coach MacDougal and I'm sure his players are doing the same. |
| 5. By: sergey on 03-05-2013 15:42:03 Great write-up Jason! Locals lists only Washington. Why is Oregon not included? |
| 6. By: Jason A. Churchill on 03-05-2013 17:59:03 Oregon not a very good area for preps. Matt Decker is solid. |
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