By Alan Matthews
August 3, 2004

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See Also: East Coast Showcase Serves Up Premium Talent

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Top 10 PROSPECTS

The top 10 overall draft prospects at the East Coast Professional Showcase as judged by BA associate editor Alan Matthews in conjunction with scouts at the event.

1. Justin Upton, ss/of, Great Bridge High, Chesapeake, Va. 2005
2. Justin Bristow, 3b, Mills Godwin High, Richmond, Va. 2005
3. Chris Volstad, rhp, Palm Beach /Gardens (Fla.) High 2005
4. Shane Funk, rhp, Arnold High, Panama City Beach, Fla. 2005
5. Josh Zeid, rhp, Hamden (Conn.) Hall High 2005
6. Michael Bowden, rhp, Waubonise Valley High in Aurora, Ill. 2005
7. Josh Bell, 3b, Boynton Beach (Fla.) High 2005
8. Iain Sebastian, rhp, Columbus (Ga.) High 2005
9. Jon Egan, c, Cross Creek High, Hephzibah, Ga. 2005
10. Anthony Delmonico, ss, Farragut High, Knoxville, Tenn. 2006

WILMINGTON, N.C.--The eighth annual East Coast Professional Showcase again proved to be a valuable venue for scouts and college recruiters to evaluate the rising high school senior class. The four-day event yielded promising position players and a deep group of pitchers.

The most promising position prospect found himself in a new position for the first time. More than 200 scouts--including almost a dozen scouting directors--and recruiters watched Justin Upton spend significant time in the outfield.

Upton, a 6-foot-2, 187-pound rising senior from Great Bridge High in Chesapeake, Va., is the consensus top overall prep prospect and is pegged as a top-five overall pick in next year’s draft. Where he'll spend his days on the diamond as a professional, however, remains the biggest question in scouting circles as the summer winds down.

Upton, the younger brother of Devil Rays shortstop B.J. Upton, has played primarily shortstop and prefers shortstop to the outfield. He has above-average arm strength and exceptional quickness--he turned in a 6.37 60-year-dash Friday--but he has been error-prone all summer during a high-profile showcase circuit. In the infield, Upton gets to most balls and he is adept at fielding, but he has struggled with throws (consistently overthrowing his target), and at times he flubs the exchange from glove to throwing hand. During infield practice on the event's first day, several of his throws sailed into the metal bleachers beyond first base and the first-base dugout.

"The first time he goes out there in infield and outfield the ball was wet, the ground was wet," an American League scout said. "I think he’ll be just fine. With his ability and tools, if he can't play shortstop, then who can?"

Upton's speed and arm strength play well in center field, and some scouts say his throwing mechanics will not allow him to make consistent on-line throws from shortstop. Almost every scout, however, believes he will have to play his way off of the position before he is moved to the outfield permanently.

"Finding him a position is going to be interesting," another AL scout said. "I think he's going to be able to play shortstop, and you can also say he can be an above-average center fielder down the road.

"(At shortstop) there's range, there's good reactions and instincts, and there are some question marks. Give him time and let him play everyday and see where he ends up. This guy doesn't play every day, he just hops from showcase to showcase . . . Eventually we'll see what he looks like after 300 games at shortstop before we pull the plug on his ability to play shortstop. I think he plays there until you're absolutely 100 percent sure that he can't."

Upton made three errors in four games but seemed to handle the adversity well. He had a double and four stolen bases in 12 at-bats and was selective, walking twice. He did not hang his head regardless of his performance, adding to his reputation as a hard worker with good makeup.

While Upton has been amateur baseball's most scrutinized player since his days as a 15-year-old, when he shined at the 2002 Area Code Games, a handful of players emerged as newcomers who will be followed closely during their upcoming senior seasons.

Last year, little-known righthander Mark Rogers came from Maine to light up the East Coast Showcase's radar guns. Rogers went on to become the fifth overall pick, going to the Brewers in this year's draft. This year's version of Rogers was righthander Michael Bowden. A 6-foot-4, 215-pound rising senior from Waubonise Valley High in Aurora, Ill., Bowden flashed a low-90s fastball that touched 93 mph with a good feel for a slider and a changeup.

He pitched with tenacity and attacked the strike zone, registering eight strikeouts in three innings, facing the minimum nine batters.

Another player who oozed tools and projection was infielder Josh Bell, a rising senior at Boynton Beach (Fla.) High. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound switch-hitter performed as well as any player in attendance, collecting five hits in 11 at-bats with two doubles and three stolen bases. He moves well, although he should move to third base at the professional level, and has plenty of arm strength and figures to hit for ample power to play the hot corner.

“Bell is a guy with good bat attributes and a pure swing from the left side,” an AL scout said. “He showed a little better swing and projectibilty from the left side even though I believe he’s a natural righthanded hitter. It’s hard to find a 16- and 17-year-old guy with that type of thunder. He has plus power potential down the road.”

East Cobb (Ga.) product Jon Egan has been known for his prodigious power for some time, and again showed advanced bat control and power potential in Wilmington. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound catcher was one of just five players to homer in the four-day event, ripping a shot over the left-field fence and another off the base of the wall in left-center during batting practice.

Righthanders Shane Funk of Arnold High in Panama City Beach, Fla.; Iain Sebastian from Columbus (Ga.) High; Chris Volstad of Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) High; and Josh Zeid of Hamden (Conn.) Hall High headlined the long list of pitchers who could be drafted in the early rounds at the event.

Volstad’s fastball touched 93 mph and he showed a good feel for pitching. He was touched for three hits and three unearned runs in four innings but showed poise and savvy, working in and out to help get of trouble.

Sebastian surrendered the event’s lone home run in game action Friday when Kiko Vazquez, a rising senior at Sebring (Fla.) High, connected on a 2-1, letter-high fastball. Sebastian drew praise from scouts nonetheless for his solid, thick frame and outstanding extension on his pitches. He and Volstad will work to Egan at the AFLAC All-American Classic this week in Aberdeen, Md.