Draft Report Cards: National League West
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ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Best Pro Debut: OF Cyle Hankerd (3) was the Northwest League MVP and batting champ, and he was even more productive after a two-level jump to high Class A. His combined numbers: .381/.436/.584 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs. Diamondbacks RHPs excelled in the Pioneer League, with Daniel Stange (7) topping the circuit with 13 saves and Tony Barnette (10) and Osbek Castillo (33) sharing the win lead with six each. Castillo also had a 1.04 ERA and a 71-10 K-BB ratio in 52 innings. Stange is the best prospect of that group and hit 98-99 mph in instructional league.
Best Athlete: RHP Dallas Buck (3) spent two years doubling as a defensive back on Oregon State's football team. He gutted through his junior season with an elbow injury, playing a key role in the Beavers' College World Series championship, and may yet require Tommy John surgery. Among the position players, OF Joey Side (6) has all the tools except for home run power.
Best Pure Hitter: Hankerd, who showed he could hit with wood bats by winning MVP honors in the New England Collegiate League in the summer of 2005.
Best Raw Power: 1B Brad Miller (18) is a 6-foot-5, 230-pounder who owns Ball State's career record with 50 homers. Miller can hit a ball farther than anyone in this crop, but Hankerd may have more usable power at the upper levels.
Fastest Runner: OF Tyler Jones (19) used his plus-plus speed to steal 21 bases in 26 attempts as a pro.
Best Defensive Player: Side sticks out at any of the three outfield positions with his speed, breaks, routes and solid-average arm.
Best Fastball: RHP Max Scherzer (1) hadn't signed yet, but he's expected to eventually come to terms. He pitched in the mid- to upper 90s with Team USA in 2005, but his velocity was down as he battled biceps tendinitis last spring. In addition to Stange, whose fastball usually ranges from 90-96 mph when he's not working in relief, other hard throwers include RHPs Brooks Brown (1), Bryant Thompson (4) and Chase Christianson (8), all of whom top out at 94-95. Buck touched 94 before his elbow started hurting, and the life on his fastball was more notable than its velocity.
Best Breaking Ball: Scherzer's slider can be inconsistent, but he has flashed it at 87-88 mph, and the Diamondbacks envision it becoming a wipeout pitch.
Most Intriguing Background: LHP Brett Anderson's (2) father Frank is the head coach at Oklahoma State, where Brett committed before signing for $950,000. RHP Chad Beck (14) originally went to college on a football scholarship, and his brother Casey signed with the Braves as an eighth-round pick in June. Unsigned OF Riley Etchebarren's (39) uncle Andy caught in the majors and managed short-season Aberdeen in the Orioles' system this season.
Closest To The Majors: Scherzer. Anderson is polished for a high school pitcher, with some scouts saying he has the best command of any prep lefty in recent memory. He throws three pitches, including a plus changeup, for strikes.
Best Late-Round Pick: 3B Andrew Fie (12) is a mature high school hitter with some power potential. C Justin Brashear (44) also has pop and improved defensively by handling several quality pitchers at Mississippi.
The One Who Got Away: The Diamondbacks made a good if ultimately unsuccessful run at RHP Kendall Volz (50), a strongly built 6-foot-4, 220-pounder who has topped out at 94-95 mph. He's now at Baylor.
Assessment: Mike Rizzo's last draft as Arizona scouting director landed several quality arms to balance a system flush with bats. His first four picks (Scherzer, Brown, Anderson, Buck) were first-round talents, and Hankerd is an advanced college hitter in a draft that didn't feature many.
COLORADO ROCKIES
Best Pro Debut: RHP Brandon Hynick (8) was named Pioneer League pitcher of the year after going 4-3, 2.41 with a 79-9 K-BB ratio in 71 innings. RHP Will Harris (9) was primarily a position player at Louisiana State and pitched just 22 innings in four years. He had no trouble become a full-time pitcher in pro ball, posting a 1.16 ERA and 42-9 K-BB ratio in 31 innings. LHP Tommy Baumgardner (28) showed more velocity than expected, hitting as high as 92 mph, and had a 1.04 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 26 innings.
Best Athlete: OF David Christensen (2) and SSs Helder Velazquez (5) and Shane Lowe (29) are all high school athletes who will need time for their bodies and skills to mature. OF/2B Anthony Jackson (16) reminds the Rockies of Quinton McCracken.
Best Pure Hitter: Christensen or Velazquez. Christensen has more work to do with his swing after hitting .198 with 93 strikeouts in 207 pro at-bats.
Best Raw Power: Christensen has the bat speed and strength to develop above-average pop.
Fastest Runner: Velazquez and Jackson have plus speed.
Best Defensive Player: Velazquez has the tools and actions to be a standout shortstop. He just needs to add a lot of strength to his 6-foot-3, 165-pound frame.
Best Fastball: RHP Greg Reynolds (1) has a 90-94 mph fastball that he can locate with uncanny precision for a pitcher of his size and relative pro inexperience. He does a better job of getting easy outs than missing bats, but that approach has worked for him so far and draws comparisons to Aaron Cook's. Harris can touch 95 mph, while Hynick works from 90-93.
Best Breaking Ball: Hynick has a below-average curveball until Casper pitching coach Mark Thompson helped him tighten it into a plus pitch. Reynolds has a curve that's at least solid-average and sometimes plus.
Most Intriguing Background: Unsigned 2B Zach Helton's (37) cousin Todd is the best player in franchise history. Harris' brother Clay signed with the Phillies as a ninth-round pick in 2005. Draft-and-follow SS Zack Murry (19) is playing for his father Steve at Neosho County (Kan.) CC. The Rockies usually like to take a football player, and this year they popped Southern Mississippi wide receiver Damion Carter (46). Carter, who hasn't played baseball in four years of college, turned down the chance to sign as an outfielder.
Closest To The Majors: Reynolds handled the hitter-friendly high Class A California League and will begin 2007 in Double-A. A mid-2008 ETA in Colorado seems reasonable.
Best Late-Round Pick: Lowe and Baumgardner.
The One Who Got Away: OF/LHP Aaron Miller (11) would have gone no later than the second round if not for his $1.3 million price tag. The Rockies couldn't make a deal work, so he became part of college baseball's best recruiting class at Baylor. OF Curtis Dupart (31) was a pitcher before 2006, when he showed classic right-field tools. He's now at Georgia Tech.
Assessment: The Rockies considered choosing Evan Longoria at No. 2, but after taking infielders with their first-round picks the last three years, they opted for an arm in Reynolds.. Most of their pitching selections had strong debuts, while many of their position players struggled.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Best Pro Debut: LHP Clayton Kershaw (1), who went 2-0, 1.95 with a 54-5 K-BB ratio in 37 Gulf Coast League innings, and RHP Bryan Morris (1), who went 4-5, 5.13 with 79 strikeouts in 60 innings in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League, each rated as the No. 1 prospects in his circuit. Morris complained of a sore elbow after his final start and had Tommy John surgery in October, knocking him out for the entire 2007 season.
Best Athlete: SS Preston Mattingly (1) was an all-Indiana wide receiver and scored 20 points a game in basketball. All his tools are average or better, with the exception of his arm.
Best Pure Hitter: Mattingly, the son of former American League batting champion and MVP Don Mattingly, has great bloodlines, a quick bat and power potential. OF Bridger Hunt (9) hit .314 in low Class A.
Best Raw Power: 1B Kyle Orr (4) produces outstanding leverage with his 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame. Compared with Justin Morneau and Richie Sexson, Orr won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship this summer before turning pro.
Fastest Runner: Much faster than his father was, Mattingly can cover 60 yards in 6.56 seconds.
Best Defensive Player: SS Justin Fuller (11) has the range and arm to make all the plays, but his bat is a question after he hit .230 in his pro debut.
Best Fastball: Both Kershaw and Morris pitched at 93-94 mph and hit 96 during the summer. Even before Morris got hurt, Kershaw would have rated a slight edge because he's a lefty and locates his heater better. He maintained his velocity in instructional league as well.
Best Breaking Ball: Morris had one of the best curveballs in the draft.
Most Intriguing Background: Mattingly is just one of several Dodgers draftees with baseball relatives. 2B Curt Bradley's (33) father Phil also was a big league all-star. Morris played for his father Ricky, an assistant at Motlow State (Tenn.) CC, while 2B Kody Kaiser (26) played for his uncle Sonny Golloway at Oklahoma, but Kaiser has since transferred to Oklahoma City JC. 3B Tanner Biagini's (48) late father Greg was a minor league manager for several years, while LHP Jake Debus' (39) uncle Jon was Los Angeles' bullpen coach. RHP Jordan Chambless (43) doubled as a defensive back and punt returner at Texas A&M before quitting football this summer. Of this group, only Morris and Mattingly signed.
Closest To The Majors: Kershaw. He's a high school pitcher, but he's also a lefthander with two plus pitches and good command.
Best Late-Round Pick: RHP Eric Thompson (23) is a 6-foot-7, 220-pounder who was headed to Southern Oregon on a basketball scholarship. His size gives him plenty of projection, and his fastball already sits at 89-91 mph. DH Matt Berezay (21) impressed the Dodgers with his bat by hitting .296/.415/.533 in the Pioneer League.
The One Who Got Away: RHP Alex White (14) has a first-round fastball, currently pitching at 90-94 mph with projections that he could reach 98. But his $1.4 million price tag scared off most clubs, and Los Angeles couldn't keep him from attending North Carolina.
Assessment: Kershaw can make an argument for being the best lefthanded pitching prospect in baseball. The Dodgers debated offering Jeff Weaver arbitration last offseason, and their decision to do so paid off with the compensatory draft picks that became Morris and Mattingly.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Best Pro Debut: OF Cedric Hunter (3) won Rookie-level Arizona League MVP honors after batting .371/.467/.484 with 17 steals and league highs in runs (46) and hits (79). He had a 23-game hitting streak and reached base safely in his first 49 pro games. 3B David Freese (9) spent most of the summer in low Class A and batted .317/.395/.569 with 13 homers and 70 RBIs. OF Chad Huffman (2) hit .335 with nine homers and a Northwest League-best .439 on-base percentage. 1B Craig Cooper (7) joined Huffman on the NWL all-star team by batting .320/.418/.485.
Best Athlete: In 2003-04, 3B Matt Antonelli (1) was the Massachusetts high school player of the year in football and hockey and the runner-up in baseball. He's an excellent athlete for his position, though his still-developing power may not quite profile for the hot corner. Huffman was a backup quarterback at Texas Christian. OF Kyler Burke (1) was a prep linebacker who won a high school slam-dunk contest.
Best Pure Hitter: Hunter and Huffman spray line drives to all fields while doing a masterful job of controlling the strike zone. Freese is another advanced hitter, though he sacrifices some contact by using more of a power approach.
Best Raw Power: Freese. Huffman has some interesting power potential if he can learn to lift more balls in the air.
Fastest Runner: 2B Ray Stokes (16) is a plus-plus runner who stole a Cal State East Bay-record 29 bases in 31 attempts last spring. He's still learning on the bases after making the jump from NCAA Division III to pro ball, and swiped just three bases in five tries in his debut. OF Michael Epping (13) and Antonelli have above-average speed.
Best Defensive Player: Antonelli has the tools but needs some more polish at third base. The Padres may move him to second base, where his power would be a better fit. For now, Cooper is the slickest fielder as an agile first baseman with outstanding hands.
Best Fastball: The Padres signed mostly finesse pitchers out of the draft, though draft-and-follows Drew Miller (92-96 mph) and Aaron Breit (91-94) have good velocity. Among the 2006 draftees, RHP Matt Buschmann (15) has the best fastball at 89-93 mph.
Best Breaking Ball: Buschmann's 84-85 mph slider. The best secondary pitch in San Diego's draft is LHP Wade LeBlanc's (2) changeup.
Most Intriguing Background: Huffman's brothers Scott and Royce also played football and baseball in college, and Royce played in Triple-A for the Astros in 2006. 3B Luke Stewart's (43) father Jeff is a Padres area scout. 3B Bryce Lefebvre's (45) dad Jim was the 1965 National League Rookie of the Year and managed three big league clubs. 1B Casey Haerther's (34) brother Cody is one of the Cardinals' better outfield prospects.
Closest To The Majors: The Padres will push Freese because he signed as a 23-year-old fifth-year senior, and his bat will help him move quickly as well. He'll take more time if San Diego continues to try him behind the plate after he showed arm strength and decent receiving skills there in instructional league.
Best Late-Round Pick: Buschmann.
The One Who Got Away: San Diego still controls the rights to RHP Matt Latos (11), who has touched 100 mph and is now at Broward (Fla.) CC. But it lost out on slick-fielding SS Grant Green (14), who headed to Southern California when he didn't get a seven-figure bonus.
Assessment: Hunter, who exceeded initial expectations, and Antonelli are arguably San Diego's two best prospects already. The Padres added more position-player depth with Burke, Huffman and Freese, and they really needed it.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Best Pro Debut: RHP Adam Cowart (35) didn't allow an earned run in his first four starts and earned short-season Northwest League pitcher-of-the-year honors by leading the circuit in wins (10-1), ERA (1.08) and K-BB ratio (55-8 in 83 innings). He's a submariner who relies on deception and command. RHP Tim Lincecum (1) was just as unhittable as he had been in college, reaching high Class A while posting a 1.71 ERA, .127 opponent average and 58-12 K-BB ratio in 32 innings. SS Emmanuel Burriss (1) made the NWL all-star team after hitting .307 with a league-high 35 steals.
Best Athlete: OF Mike McBryde (5), who missed almost the entire spring with a torn hamstring, is the fastest of the three pure speedsters the Giants signed out of the draft. He also has some strength in his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame and threw in the low 90s as a closer at Florida Atlantic.
Best Pure Hitter: San Francisco focused more on all-around players than pure bats, so there's no obvious choice. Burriss hit .307, but he's more of a slap hitter who relies on his speed. 3B Matt Downs (36) might have the most hitting ability in this crop.
Best Raw Power: OF Bobby Felmy (22). C Adam Witter, signed as a fifth-year senior free agent before the draft, led NWL champion Salem-Keizer with 16 homers, while Felmy ranked second with eight.
Fastest Runner: Burriss, who can run a 6.3-second 60-yard dash, was considered the fastest early-round prospect in the draft, but Giants officials swear McBryde is quicker. OF Tyler Graham (19) also has 8 speed on the 2-8 scouting scale.
Best Defensive Player: Salem-Keizer won the NWL title thanks in large part to a stellar defense with standouts all over the field: Burriss, McBryde, Graham, Felmy, 3B Ryan Rohlinger (6), 2B Brad Boyer (13) and 1B Brett Pill (7). Rohlinger is an outstanding third baseman who's capable of playing shortstop. The best of the outfielders is McBryde, who showed a well-above-average arm in center field.
Best Fastball: Lincecum maintained 91-96 mph velocity and topped out at 98 throughout the season. His fastball also has good life, and it may not even be his best pitch.
Best Breaking Ball: One veteran scout said he'd never seen a pitcher get as many called strikeouts with a curveball in college as Lincecum did, and he led NCAA Division I in strikeouts (199) and whiffs per nine innings (14.3). He had the best 1-2 combo of pitches in the draft.
Most Intriguing Background: LHP Ben Snyder's (4) brother Brad was an Indians first-round pick in 2003. OF Dusty Harvard (28) was recruited by the Colorado State and Wyoming football programs, and also played basketball and ran track in high school. He was the first high school player drafted out of Wyoming since the Rangers took Tony Piazza in the 33rd round in 1999.
Closest To The Majors: Lincecum could have helped the Giants in September if they needed him. San Francisco hasn't been afraid to push players who show they can handle it, so look for him in AT&T Park in early 2007.
Best Late-Round Pick: The Giants have hopes for several of their later choices. Boyer and Felmy are the best prospects from a tools standpoint, Graham can fly and Cowart and Downs had strong debuts.
The One Who Got Away: San Francisco liked Harvard's raw athleticism but he wound up at Oklahoma State.
Assessment: Getting Lincecum at No. 10 was a steal, and he'll pay almost immediate dividends. The Giants also were pleasantly surprised to get Burriss at No. 33 in a draft light on middle infielders.
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PrintSee also: Draft Report Card AL East
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See also: Draft Report Card AL West
See also: Draft Report Card NL East
See also: Draft Report Card NL Central
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Best Pro Debut: OF Cyle Hankerd (3) was the Northwest League MVP and batting champ, and he was even more productive after a two-level jump to high Class A. His combined numbers: .381/.436/.584 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs. Diamondbacks RHPs excelled in the Pioneer League, with Daniel Stange (7) topping the circuit with 13 saves and Tony Barnette (10) and Osbek Castillo (33) sharing the win lead with six each. Castillo also had a 1.04 ERA and a 71-10 K-BB ratio in 52 innings. Stange is the best prospect of that group and hit 98-99 mph in instructional league.Best Athlete: RHP Dallas Buck (3) spent two years doubling as a defensive back on Oregon State's football team. He gutted through his junior season with an elbow injury, playing a key role in the Beavers' College World Series championship, and may yet require Tommy John surgery. Among the position players, OF Joey Side (6) has all the tools except for home run power.
Best Pure Hitter: Hankerd, who showed he could hit with wood bats by winning MVP honors in the New England Collegiate League in the summer of 2005.
Best Raw Power: 1B Brad Miller (18) is a 6-foot-5, 230-pounder who owns Ball State's career record with 50 homers. Miller can hit a ball farther than anyone in this crop, but Hankerd may have more usable power at the upper levels.
Fastest Runner: OF Tyler Jones (19) used his plus-plus speed to steal 21 bases in 26 attempts as a pro.
Best Defensive Player: Side sticks out at any of the three outfield positions with his speed, breaks, routes and solid-average arm.
Best Fastball: RHP Max Scherzer (1) hadn't signed yet, but he's expected to eventually come to terms. He pitched in the mid- to upper 90s with Team USA in 2005, but his velocity was down as he battled biceps tendinitis last spring. In addition to Stange, whose fastball usually ranges from 90-96 mph when he's not working in relief, other hard throwers include RHPs Brooks Brown (1), Bryant Thompson (4) and Chase Christianson (8), all of whom top out at 94-95. Buck touched 94 before his elbow started hurting, and the life on his fastball was more notable than its velocity.
Best Breaking Ball: Scherzer's slider can be inconsistent, but he has flashed it at 87-88 mph, and the Diamondbacks envision it becoming a wipeout pitch.
Most Intriguing Background: LHP Brett Anderson's (2) father Frank is the head coach at Oklahoma State, where Brett committed before signing for $950,000. RHP Chad Beck (14) originally went to college on a football scholarship, and his brother Casey signed with the Braves as an eighth-round pick in June. Unsigned OF Riley Etchebarren's (39) uncle Andy caught in the majors and managed short-season Aberdeen in the Orioles' system this season.
Closest To The Majors: Scherzer. Anderson is polished for a high school pitcher, with some scouts saying he has the best command of any prep lefty in recent memory. He throws three pitches, including a plus changeup, for strikes.
Best Late-Round Pick: 3B Andrew Fie (12) is a mature high school hitter with some power potential. C Justin Brashear (44) also has pop and improved defensively by handling several quality pitchers at Mississippi.
The One Who Got Away: The Diamondbacks made a good if ultimately unsuccessful run at RHP Kendall Volz (50), a strongly built 6-foot-4, 220-pounder who has topped out at 94-95 mph. He's now at Baylor.
Assessment: Mike Rizzo's last draft as Arizona scouting director landed several quality arms to balance a system flush with bats. His first four picks (Scherzer, Brown, Anderson, Buck) were first-round talents, and Hankerd is an advanced college hitter in a draft that didn't feature many.
COLORADO ROCKIES
Best Pro Debut: RHP Brandon Hynick (8) was named Pioneer League pitcher of the year after going 4-3, 2.41 with a 79-9 K-BB ratio in 71 innings. RHP Will Harris (9) was primarily a position player at Louisiana State and pitched just 22 innings in four years. He had no trouble become a full-time pitcher in pro ball, posting a 1.16 ERA and 42-9 K-BB ratio in 31 innings. LHP Tommy Baumgardner (28) showed more velocity than expected, hitting as high as 92 mph, and had a 1.04 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 26 innings.Best Athlete: OF David Christensen (2) and SSs Helder Velazquez (5) and Shane Lowe (29) are all high school athletes who will need time for their bodies and skills to mature. OF/2B Anthony Jackson (16) reminds the Rockies of Quinton McCracken.
Best Pure Hitter: Christensen or Velazquez. Christensen has more work to do with his swing after hitting .198 with 93 strikeouts in 207 pro at-bats.
Best Raw Power: Christensen has the bat speed and strength to develop above-average pop.
Fastest Runner: Velazquez and Jackson have plus speed.
Best Defensive Player: Velazquez has the tools and actions to be a standout shortstop. He just needs to add a lot of strength to his 6-foot-3, 165-pound frame.
Best Fastball: RHP Greg Reynolds (1) has a 90-94 mph fastball that he can locate with uncanny precision for a pitcher of his size and relative pro inexperience. He does a better job of getting easy outs than missing bats, but that approach has worked for him so far and draws comparisons to Aaron Cook's. Harris can touch 95 mph, while Hynick works from 90-93.
Best Breaking Ball: Hynick has a below-average curveball until Casper pitching coach Mark Thompson helped him tighten it into a plus pitch. Reynolds has a curve that's at least solid-average and sometimes plus.
Most Intriguing Background: Unsigned 2B Zach Helton's (37) cousin Todd is the best player in franchise history. Harris' brother Clay signed with the Phillies as a ninth-round pick in 2005. Draft-and-follow SS Zack Murry (19) is playing for his father Steve at Neosho County (Kan.) CC. The Rockies usually like to take a football player, and this year they popped Southern Mississippi wide receiver Damion Carter (46). Carter, who hasn't played baseball in four years of college, turned down the chance to sign as an outfielder.
Closest To The Majors: Reynolds handled the hitter-friendly high Class A California League and will begin 2007 in Double-A. A mid-2008 ETA in Colorado seems reasonable.
Best Late-Round Pick: Lowe and Baumgardner.
The One Who Got Away: OF/LHP Aaron Miller (11) would have gone no later than the second round if not for his $1.3 million price tag. The Rockies couldn't make a deal work, so he became part of college baseball's best recruiting class at Baylor. OF Curtis Dupart (31) was a pitcher before 2006, when he showed classic right-field tools. He's now at Georgia Tech.
Assessment: The Rockies considered choosing Evan Longoria at No. 2, but after taking infielders with their first-round picks the last three years, they opted for an arm in Reynolds.. Most of their pitching selections had strong debuts, while many of their position players struggled.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Best Pro Debut: LHP Clayton Kershaw (1), who went 2-0, 1.95 with a 54-5 K-BB ratio in 37 Gulf Coast League innings, and RHP Bryan Morris (1), who went 4-5, 5.13 with 79 strikeouts in 60 innings in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League, each rated as the No. 1 prospects in his circuit. Morris complained of a sore elbow after his final start and had Tommy John surgery in October, knocking him out for the entire 2007 season.Best Athlete: SS Preston Mattingly (1) was an all-Indiana wide receiver and scored 20 points a game in basketball. All his tools are average or better, with the exception of his arm.
Best Pure Hitter: Mattingly, the son of former American League batting champion and MVP Don Mattingly, has great bloodlines, a quick bat and power potential. OF Bridger Hunt (9) hit .314 in low Class A.
Best Raw Power: 1B Kyle Orr (4) produces outstanding leverage with his 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame. Compared with Justin Morneau and Richie Sexson, Orr won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship this summer before turning pro.
Fastest Runner: Much faster than his father was, Mattingly can cover 60 yards in 6.56 seconds.
Best Defensive Player: SS Justin Fuller (11) has the range and arm to make all the plays, but his bat is a question after he hit .230 in his pro debut.
Best Fastball: Both Kershaw and Morris pitched at 93-94 mph and hit 96 during the summer. Even before Morris got hurt, Kershaw would have rated a slight edge because he's a lefty and locates his heater better. He maintained his velocity in instructional league as well.
Best Breaking Ball: Morris had one of the best curveballs in the draft.
Most Intriguing Background: Mattingly is just one of several Dodgers draftees with baseball relatives. 2B Curt Bradley's (33) father Phil also was a big league all-star. Morris played for his father Ricky, an assistant at Motlow State (Tenn.) CC, while 2B Kody Kaiser (26) played for his uncle Sonny Golloway at Oklahoma, but Kaiser has since transferred to Oklahoma City JC. 3B Tanner Biagini's (48) late father Greg was a minor league manager for several years, while LHP Jake Debus' (39) uncle Jon was Los Angeles' bullpen coach. RHP Jordan Chambless (43) doubled as a defensive back and punt returner at Texas A&M before quitting football this summer. Of this group, only Morris and Mattingly signed.
Closest To The Majors: Kershaw. He's a high school pitcher, but he's also a lefthander with two plus pitches and good command.
Best Late-Round Pick: RHP Eric Thompson (23) is a 6-foot-7, 220-pounder who was headed to Southern Oregon on a basketball scholarship. His size gives him plenty of projection, and his fastball already sits at 89-91 mph. DH Matt Berezay (21) impressed the Dodgers with his bat by hitting .296/.415/.533 in the Pioneer League.
The One Who Got Away: RHP Alex White (14) has a first-round fastball, currently pitching at 90-94 mph with projections that he could reach 98. But his $1.4 million price tag scared off most clubs, and Los Angeles couldn't keep him from attending North Carolina.
Assessment: Kershaw can make an argument for being the best lefthanded pitching prospect in baseball. The Dodgers debated offering Jeff Weaver arbitration last offseason, and their decision to do so paid off with the compensatory draft picks that became Morris and Mattingly.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Best Pro Debut: OF Cedric Hunter (3) won Rookie-level Arizona League MVP honors after batting .371/.467/.484 with 17 steals and league highs in runs (46) and hits (79). He had a 23-game hitting streak and reached base safely in his first 49 pro games. 3B David Freese (9) spent most of the summer in low Class A and batted .317/.395/.569 with 13 homers and 70 RBIs. OF Chad Huffman (2) hit .335 with nine homers and a Northwest League-best .439 on-base percentage. 1B Craig Cooper (7) joined Huffman on the NWL all-star team by batting .320/.418/.485.Best Athlete: In 2003-04, 3B Matt Antonelli (1) was the Massachusetts high school player of the year in football and hockey and the runner-up in baseball. He's an excellent athlete for his position, though his still-developing power may not quite profile for the hot corner. Huffman was a backup quarterback at Texas Christian. OF Kyler Burke (1) was a prep linebacker who won a high school slam-dunk contest.
Best Pure Hitter: Hunter and Huffman spray line drives to all fields while doing a masterful job of controlling the strike zone. Freese is another advanced hitter, though he sacrifices some contact by using more of a power approach.
Best Raw Power: Freese. Huffman has some interesting power potential if he can learn to lift more balls in the air.
Fastest Runner: 2B Ray Stokes (16) is a plus-plus runner who stole a Cal State East Bay-record 29 bases in 31 attempts last spring. He's still learning on the bases after making the jump from NCAA Division III to pro ball, and swiped just three bases in five tries in his debut. OF Michael Epping (13) and Antonelli have above-average speed.
Best Defensive Player: Antonelli has the tools but needs some more polish at third base. The Padres may move him to second base, where his power would be a better fit. For now, Cooper is the slickest fielder as an agile first baseman with outstanding hands.
Best Fastball: The Padres signed mostly finesse pitchers out of the draft, though draft-and-follows Drew Miller (92-96 mph) and Aaron Breit (91-94) have good velocity. Among the 2006 draftees, RHP Matt Buschmann (15) has the best fastball at 89-93 mph.
Best Breaking Ball: Buschmann's 84-85 mph slider. The best secondary pitch in San Diego's draft is LHP Wade LeBlanc's (2) changeup.
Most Intriguing Background: Huffman's brothers Scott and Royce also played football and baseball in college, and Royce played in Triple-A for the Astros in 2006. 3B Luke Stewart's (43) father Jeff is a Padres area scout. 3B Bryce Lefebvre's (45) dad Jim was the 1965 National League Rookie of the Year and managed three big league clubs. 1B Casey Haerther's (34) brother Cody is one of the Cardinals' better outfield prospects.
Closest To The Majors: The Padres will push Freese because he signed as a 23-year-old fifth-year senior, and his bat will help him move quickly as well. He'll take more time if San Diego continues to try him behind the plate after he showed arm strength and decent receiving skills there in instructional league.
Best Late-Round Pick: Buschmann.
The One Who Got Away: San Diego still controls the rights to RHP Matt Latos (11), who has touched 100 mph and is now at Broward (Fla.) CC. But it lost out on slick-fielding SS Grant Green (14), who headed to Southern California when he didn't get a seven-figure bonus.
Assessment: Hunter, who exceeded initial expectations, and Antonelli are arguably San Diego's two best prospects already. The Padres added more position-player depth with Burke, Huffman and Freese, and they really needed it.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Best Pro Debut: RHP Adam Cowart (35) didn't allow an earned run in his first four starts and earned short-season Northwest League pitcher-of-the-year honors by leading the circuit in wins (10-1), ERA (1.08) and K-BB ratio (55-8 in 83 innings). He's a submariner who relies on deception and command. RHP Tim Lincecum (1) was just as unhittable as he had been in college, reaching high Class A while posting a 1.71 ERA, .127 opponent average and 58-12 K-BB ratio in 32 innings. SS Emmanuel Burriss (1) made the NWL all-star team after hitting .307 with a league-high 35 steals.Best Athlete: OF Mike McBryde (5), who missed almost the entire spring with a torn hamstring, is the fastest of the three pure speedsters the Giants signed out of the draft. He also has some strength in his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame and threw in the low 90s as a closer at Florida Atlantic.
Best Pure Hitter: San Francisco focused more on all-around players than pure bats, so there's no obvious choice. Burriss hit .307, but he's more of a slap hitter who relies on his speed. 3B Matt Downs (36) might have the most hitting ability in this crop.
Best Raw Power: OF Bobby Felmy (22). C Adam Witter, signed as a fifth-year senior free agent before the draft, led NWL champion Salem-Keizer with 16 homers, while Felmy ranked second with eight.
Fastest Runner: Burriss, who can run a 6.3-second 60-yard dash, was considered the fastest early-round prospect in the draft, but Giants officials swear McBryde is quicker. OF Tyler Graham (19) also has 8 speed on the 2-8 scouting scale.
Best Defensive Player: Salem-Keizer won the NWL title thanks in large part to a stellar defense with standouts all over the field: Burriss, McBryde, Graham, Felmy, 3B Ryan Rohlinger (6), 2B Brad Boyer (13) and 1B Brett Pill (7). Rohlinger is an outstanding third baseman who's capable of playing shortstop. The best of the outfielders is McBryde, who showed a well-above-average arm in center field.
Best Fastball: Lincecum maintained 91-96 mph velocity and topped out at 98 throughout the season. His fastball also has good life, and it may not even be his best pitch.
Best Breaking Ball: One veteran scout said he'd never seen a pitcher get as many called strikeouts with a curveball in college as Lincecum did, and he led NCAA Division I in strikeouts (199) and whiffs per nine innings (14.3). He had the best 1-2 combo of pitches in the draft.
Most Intriguing Background: LHP Ben Snyder's (4) brother Brad was an Indians first-round pick in 2003. OF Dusty Harvard (28) was recruited by the Colorado State and Wyoming football programs, and also played basketball and ran track in high school. He was the first high school player drafted out of Wyoming since the Rangers took Tony Piazza in the 33rd round in 1999.
Closest To The Majors: Lincecum could have helped the Giants in September if they needed him. San Francisco hasn't been afraid to push players who show they can handle it, so look for him in AT&T Park in early 2007.
Best Late-Round Pick: The Giants have hopes for several of their later choices. Boyer and Felmy are the best prospects from a tools standpoint, Graham can fly and Cowart and Downs had strong debuts.
The One Who Got Away: San Francisco liked Harvard's raw athleticism but he wound up at Oklahoma State.
Assessment: Getting Lincecum at No. 10 was a steal, and he'll pay almost immediate dividends. The Giants also were pleasantly surprised to get Burriss at No. 33 in a draft light on middle infielders.
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