Draft: Draft Preview

Best Ever?
Jun. 8, 2009
Stephen Strasburg took the drama out of the horse race a long time ago. One of the things draftniks enjoy most about following the run-up to baseball's annual selection process—or any draft, for that matter—is trying to figure out where each player will go. And no one is more important than the No. 1 selection. Well, that decision became obvious a year ago, when he registered a 23-strikeout game against Utah and scouts said Strasburg would have been the top selection in last year's draft had he been eligible. [...] Continue Reading »

Riskier Than They Look
Jun. 8, 2009
Stephen Strasburg is the latest once-in-a-lifetime pitcher to be draft eligible. Despite the rave reports from scouts, however, history has shown the fragile nature of can't-miss pitchers. Since the advent of the draft in 1965, there have been 199 pitchers among the first 10 selections in the draft. Kevin Brown is the all-time leader in victories among the group, having compiled a 211-144 record, with Dwight Gooden next at 194-112. Only 14 of the 199 have won as many as 125 games. Strasburg is on center stage this year, but here's a list of 10 past pitchers of the draft era who received similar hype for their talent, at least relative to their times: [...] Continue Reading »

An Age-Old Question
Jun. 8, 2009
Clemson's Chris Dwyer is the rarest of aberrations as a draft-eligible freshman. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Louisiana
Jun. 8, 2009
It hasn't taken Paul Mainieri long to return Louisiana State to the elite of college baseball, as the Tigers make their second straight trip to Omaha in Mainieri's third season in Baton Rouge. LSU has four of the state's top six prospects, leading a deep group of college players from the state. Louisiana contributes its usual strong crop of high school players, with Tigers recruits Zack Von Rosenberg and Brody Colvin standing out as potential sandwich picks. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Kentucky
Jun. 8, 2009
Louisville has cemented its status as the Big East Conference's marquee program in the three years since Dan McDonnell took over as head coach, and that talent is starting to show itself in the draft as well. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Ohio
Jun. 8, 2009
Ohio normally supplies a few intriguing high school players in the first 10 rounds, but that has not been the case for the last couple of years. The strength this year comes from the college crop, though only Ohio's Marc Krauss looks like a good bet for the first five rounds. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Oklahoma
Jun. 8, 2009
Per capita, Oklahoma may have the most pitching prospects in the nation this year. Lefthanders Andrew Oliver and Chad James could be first-round picks, and three more southpaws—Ashur Tolliver, Austin Kirk and Tyler Lyons—could go by the end of the fourth round. There are plenty of righthanders as well, with electric but erratic Garrett Richards making a late push toward the first round. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Illinois
Jun. 8, 2009
Eastern Illinois dominated the Ohio Valley Conference regular season, but stumbled in the conference tournament and got left out of NCAA regional play. The Panthers will show their strength in the draft with two of the best prospects in Illinois, including lefthander Tyler Kehrer, who should go in the first five rounds, and outfielder Brett Nommensen, the state's top position player. Pitchers are more prevalent than hitters in Illinois this spring. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Indiana
Jun. 8, 2009
This is shaping up as one of Indiana's strongest draft years ever. Hoosier State colleges haven't produced a first-rounder since Ball State outfielder Brad Snyder in 2003, but should have two this year in Indiana righthander Eric Arnett and Notre Dame outfielder A.J. Pollock. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Missouri
Jun. 8, 2009
The Show-Me State boasts two of the best righthanders in the entire draft, but where—of even if—they'll go in the first round remains uncertain. Missouri's Kyle Gibson ranked fourth on our Top 200 Prospects list before coming down with a stress fracture in his forearm. Jacob Turner is the consensus best high school righty in the nation, but he gave pro teams pause with a reported $7 million asking price. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Arkansas
Jun. 8, 2009
Arkansas reached the College World Series for the first time since 2004, but most of the Razorbacks' best prospects (righthander Brett Eibner, third baseman Zack Cox, first baseman Andy Wilkins, lefthander Drew Smyly) aren't eligible for the draft. Ace lefthander Dallas Keuchel is the only player in the state with a chance to go in the first five rounds, though the Hogs do boast the top three college prospects and have commitments from the three best high schoolers. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Iowa
Jun. 8, 2009
Junior colleges dominate the prospect landscape in Iowa. Des Moines Area CC righthanders Mitch Mormann and Patrick Cooper are the Hawkeye State's top talents, though it's Iowa Western that has made three consecutive appearances in the Junior College World Series. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Kansas
Jun. 8, 2009
For the first time ever, all three of the state's Division I programs (Kansas, Kansas State, Wichita State) earned NCAA regional berths. The college talent in Kansas drops off quickly, however, after righthander A.J. Morris, who pitched the Wildcats to the first regional appearance in school history. The state's strength is high school righthanders who can work in the low 90s, led by potential first-rounder Garrett Gould, Tanner Poppe and Kurt Giller. [...] Continue Reading »

John And Jim's Fantasy Draft
Jun. 8, 2009
What's more fun than playing scouting director? Playing scouting director for 16 teams. Our draft experts, Jim Callis and John Manuel, alternate picks and let you know who they'd choose if they were running the draft for each club, staying true to their finances and needs. Jim won the coin toss, so he gets to start off by taking the best prospect in draft history. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Nebraska
Jun. 6, 2009
Nebraska's two NCAA Division I programs offer little in the way of draft talent this year. Nebraska had a losing record for the first time in 12 years as sophomore-eligible righthander Mike Nesseth's inconsistency symbolized the team's struggles. The Cornhuskers have commitments from the top two high school players, and neither should be drafted high enough to turn pro at this point. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Florida
Jun. 6, 2009
Scouts continue to be impressed with the depth of the state's class, especially in terms of hitters. The lack of impact college hitters and an underwhelming finish by most of the state's top prep pitchers tempered some of the initial enthusiasm for the state's draft class, though. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Michigan
Jun. 6, 2009
The high schools have most of the talent this spring in Michigan. Shortstops Derek Dennis and Daniel Fields and outfielders Victor Roache, Patrick Biondi and Torsten Boss are all quality athletes who could be quality prospects for the 2012 draft, if they don't begin their pro careers this year. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Georgia
Jun. 5, 2009
Georgia will place a high school pitcher in the first round for the second straight season, and it once again has the draft's top-rated high school position player, with Donavan Tate following in the footsteps of 2008 No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: South Carolina
Jun. 4, 2009
Thanks to its strong college baseball programs, South Carolina has produced double-digit numbers of single-digit draft picks with some regularity this decade. The state has an outside shot at doing that again this year, thanks to a stronger-than-average year for high school pitching. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: North Carolina
Jun. 4, 2009
North Carolina has produced three No. 1 overall picks in its history—the last being prep outfielder Josh Hamilton in 1999—and continues to make an ever-increasing impact on the draft as the state's population grows and the state's college baseball programs improve. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Arizona
Jun. 4, 2009
At all levels, this year's Arizona crop is strong at the top, then drops off precipitously. It's also a draft class very heavy on pitching, with slabbists as seven of the nine Arizona prospects in BA's Top 200 Prospects. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Canada
Jun. 4, 2009
It's a down year in Canada. While lefthander Jake Eliopoulos at least gives the country a player in the predraft Top 200, he's not likely to continue the streak of Canadians in the first round, which was at two after righthander Phillippe Aumont (11th overall, Mariners) in 2007 and second baseman Brett Lawrie (16th overall, Brewers) in 2008. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Puerto Rico
Jun. 4, 2009
It's a deep year in Puerto Rico, one that could rival the 2003 crop, when eight players were drafted in the top 10 rounds. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Wisconsin
Jun. 4, 2009
Outfielder Charlie Markson entered 2009 as the state's top prospect before lefthander Kevin James, his teammate at Milwaukee's Whitefish Bay High, passed him. James is the only potential significant draft pick in Wisconsin. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Minnesota
Jun. 4, 2009
Independent leaguer Tanner Scheppers, imported from California after he didn't sign out of Fresno State last year, should become the state's first first-rounder since Glen Perkins in 2004. Add to him Minnesota second baseman Derek McCallum, and the Land of 10,000 Lakes should have two players chosen in the first five rounds for the first time since Joe Mauer and Jack Hannahan eight years ago. [...] Continue Reading »

Super Regional Scouting
Jun. 4, 2009
This year, super regionals fall on the last weekend before the 2009 draft, which starts June 9. It's a weekend tailor-made for Baseball America. It's two great tastes that go great together. In that spirit, here are the top 10 prospects eligible for the 2009 draft who are playing in super regionals. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Pacific Rim
Jun. 3, 2009
Though there's not much talent to be found in Alaska and Hawaii, that makes it a pretty standard year for the Pacific Rim. [...] Continue Reading »

Southwestern Smoke
Jun. 3, 2009
Even to the uninitiated, it's obvious that something about this March day is different. The crowds at the Wylie High baseball field are typically healthy, but today people fill every available seat in the bleachers. More than 15 minutes remain before a scheduled game with Brownwood High, yet nearly every head is fixed in the same direction: toward the bullpen. There, several strangers are milling about. Many of them are carrying clipboards and radar guns, trained on a tall righthander wearing a Brownwood High uniform. He is Shelby Miller, a 6-foot-4, 207-pound senior who is drawing as much attention as any baseball prospect that central Texas has produced in some time.
[...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Dakotas
Jun. 3, 2009
By the Dakotas' standards, it's a strong year for talent. Shortstop Cole Frenzel has a chance to become North Dakota's highest-drafted high school player ever, but as usual, the region's best players will make more of a draft impact three or four years from now after attending top college programs. [...] Continue Reading »

State Report: Colorado
Jun. 3, 2009
The last time Colorado had back-to-back years with top 100 picks was in 1996 and 1997, with Shawn Chacon (Rockies) and Darnell McDonald (Orioles). With righthander Tyler Sample getting picked 80th overall last year (Royals), the Centennial State repeat the feat with a toolsy high school outfielder from Fort Collins. [...] Continue Reading »