http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ The Home For Baseball Insiders Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:29:35 EST en-us http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/baonlinelogo4.gif http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ 96 9 1 http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/chat/2013/2614890.html Content: Doug (Las Vegas): I noticed on Keith Law's recent list that a kid named Matt Krook popped up as the number 17 prospect in the country. I haven't heard his name and the list did not say a whole lot about him. Is he really a first round type of guy and can you please tell us more? Thanks! Jim Callis: Hi, everyone. Glad to be back for the regular Wednesday chats after a winter hiatus as we did our series of Top 10 Prospects chats ... Matt Krook's stock is shooting through the roof. He's a high school lefthander from California who looks like a definite first-rounder, could be the first prep arm taken. Consistent low-90s fastball, spins a tight curveball. I believe Conor Glassey will have more on Krook in his next edition of Draft Tracker. Diego Maradona (1986): Do you think Byron Buxton will hit above .250 in his full season debut? Jim Callis: Yes, not that it really matters either way. Justin (Tucson, AZ): I'm hearing great things about Carlos Sanchez with the White Sox. Comparisons to Jeter, Alomar and Ventura have been written but I don't see him in Baseballamerica's top 100 prospects list. He . . . Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:30:56 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/chat/2013/2614890.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2013/2614889.html Content: Virginia Tech junior third baseman Chad Pinder has become accustomed to flying under the radar. He did it in high school, when he wasn't a highly scouted prospect and graduated without being drafted. And he has continued to do so as a key contributor to a Hokies program that doesn't traditionally churn out premium draft talent. In fact, Virginia Tech has the fewest draft picks in the Atlantic Coast Conference over the past 10 years (20, tied with Duke). Pinder played in the Cape Cod League last summer, but left at the end of July when he needed minor surgery for a sports hernia. He may finally be stepping into the spotlight this spring, however. He was off to a hot start, batting .398/.505/.530 with five doubles and two home runs over the team's first 22 games, and could wind up playing his way into the first round of the draft in June. The 2013 draft class is thin on college position players, and Pinder has a chance to become the first Virginia Tech position player taken in the first round since the Dodgers drafted first baseman Franklin Stubbs in 1982. He has a little bit of everything scouts like . . . Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:51:54 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2013/2614889.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2013/2614854.html Content: As toolsy high school outfielders from high schools in the same town, Austin Meadows and Clint Frazier will always be linked. They entered the year as the top two high school players in the country on Baseball America's Top 100 list. Meadows, from Grayson High in Loganville, Ga., ranked No. 1 and Frazier, from Loganville (Ga.) High, ranked No. 2. After Frazier stole the show when the two teams faced off on March 12, those rankings may be flip-flopping. "These guys see a ton of baseball," a scout said about his colleagues. "Think about how much it takes to put people in awe, that see this much baseball. And I think people were walking out of the park saying, 'Wow.' Tools, performance, anything you wanted, it was there. On top of that, it was on the big stage, in front of probably the most pressure-packed situation he's been in, and he goes out and hits not one, but two jacks." I spoke to an American League scouting director, a National League crosschecker and an American League area scout to break down the two players and compare their tools, side-by-side. Here is what they had to say . . . HITTING . . . Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:36:37 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2013/2614854.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-tracker/2013/2614842.html Content: Here are scouting reports on four players from around the country who have improved their draft stock over the first few weeks of the season . . . Jonathan Gray, rhp, Oklahoma Sooners lefthander Dillon Overton entered the season as the higher-ranked prospect, but it didn't take long for Gray to leapfrog him. Gray has a power pitcher's frame at 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds. A 10th-round pick by the Yankees out of Eastern Oklahoma State JC in 2011, he's vaulted himself into the top half of the first round by touching triple digits on the radar gun early this season. Gray's fastball sits in the 94-97 mph range, but gets as high as 100, as BA's Aaron Fitt detailed on the College Blog and on his Twitter feed, writing: "Jonathan Gray sure looked like a top-10 #mlbdraft pick today. 94-100, and easy, good slider and change. Sign me up." "He's a big, strong, physical kid that's got a good arm," a National League crosschecker said. "He's fun to watch. His physical strength helps him hold his velocity and right now his pure stuff is better than his ability to use it, but it's as good of pure pure stuff as . . . Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:30:31 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-tracker/2013/2614842.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614825.html Content: As the high school season gets underway, we'll take a look at the scouting reports for Baseball America's Top 100 high school prospects. Here are the reports on the prospects in the 1-25 range . . . See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 26-50 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 51-75 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 76-100 See Also: 50 Players Who Just Missed The 2013 HS Top 100 1. Austin Meadows, of, Grayson HS, Loganville, Ga. (@austin_meadows) Standing 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Meadows looks like a better version of David Dahl, who went 10th-overall to the Rockies in 2012. Meadows doesn't have Dahl's arm strength, but he's a better runner, grading out as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. The Clemson commit who spends his summers with Team Elite shows excellent bat speed at the plate without compromising balance. A lefthanded hitter, Meadows has a quiet setup and puts together quality at-bats, showing the ability to turn on fastballs and keep his hands back on breaking balls. 2. Clint Frazier, of, Loganville (Ga.) HS (@CJF19) Frazier may have led the nation with his 24 home runs last season. You wouldn't know . . . Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:33:22 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614825.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2013/2614818.html Content: Fresno State outfielder Aaron Judge has the type of build that would stand out regardless of the sport he chose to play—and at 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, he had plenty of options. There's no questioning his size, strength or athleticism. The biggest question scouts have regarding Judge this season is how much of his tremendous raw power will translate into games. He makes balls disappear in batting practice, but he hit just four home runs for the Bulldogs as a sophomore. The questions about what kind of offensive player Judge will be makes him one of the most polarizing prospects for the 2013 draft. But that he's even hitting a baseball at all is refreshing, going against the trend of baseball losing premium athletes to sports like football and basketball. Weighing Options Always the biggest kid in his class growing up, Judge's first love was basketball. "My dad really excelled at basketball and when I was growing up, I wanted to be an NBA basketball player," Judge said. "But as I started growing up, I fell more in love with baseball and that became my true love." Judge is still earning comparisons to basketball players because of his size and . . . Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:00:52 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2013/2614818.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614809.html Content: As the high school season gets underway, we'll take a look at the scouting reports for Baseball America's Top 100 high school prospects, from bottom to top. Here are the reports on the prospects in the 26-50 range . . . See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 1-25 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 51-75 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 76-100 See Also: 50 Players Who Just Missed The 2013 HS Top 100 26. Chris Okey, c, Eustis (Fla.) HS (@Chris_Okey14) Okey has an average build for a catcher with an athletic 6-foot, 175-pound frame. He has plenty of big-game experience after three summers with the USA Baseball program. In 2010, he was one of three 2013 players on the 16-and-under team, and he was a catcher for the 18-and-under team the past two years, as one of two underclassmen in 2011 and helping bring home gold medals in 2012. Okey stands out as a polished defender behind the plate with some offensive upside. He receives and blocks with easy, shows a strong throwing arm, as well as good leadership and makeup for the position. As a hitter, he has a balanced, righthanded . . . Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:50:28 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614809.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614786.html Content: As the high school season gets underway, we'll take a look at the scouting reports for Baseball America's Top 100 high school prospects, from bottom to top. Here are the reports on the prospects in the 51-75 range . . . See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 1-25 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 26-50 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 76-100 See Also: 50 Players Who Just Missed The 2013 HS Top 100 51. Mason Smith, of, Rocky Mountain HS, Meridian, Idaho It's a banner year in Idaho and Mason Smith leads the way with his athletic build at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds. He helped lead Rocky Mountain to a 2012 state title and  shows intriguing tools across the board. He's an above-average runner who covers plenty of ground in center field, but he stands out most for his prowess at the plate. Smith has a short, compact swing and shows the ability to lace the ball hard to all parts of the field. He should grow into some power as he continues to fill out and, if everything clicks, he has five tool potential. Smith, who is a member of the Mountain . . . Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:41:31 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614786.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2013/2614524.html Content: After a lone postseason appearance in the previous 17 seasons, the newly-assembled Atlanta Braves' brain trust, then-general manager Bobby Cox, president Stan Kasten and scouting director Paul Snyder, created a detailed eight-point blueprint for long-term success in 1986, as detailed in the book, "Scout's Honor" by Bill Shanks. The number one organizational priority on the list that would propel the Braves to 14 straight division titles? Draft as many high school pitchers as possible.   "You got to have about 20 pitchers to get two in the big leagues," Paul Snyder, the  architect of a farm system ranked in the top seven in the game per Baseball America's rankings for 14 consecutive years, said in the book. Snyder's philosophy is supported by numerous studies that have demonstrated high school pitching has the highest risk of flameout, as well as the highest potential upside. Of the top 10 domestic born pitchers in cumulative WAR (Baseball-Reference) from 2008-2012, nine of them were drafted out of high school.  Owing to the Brach Rickey philosophy of getting "quality out of quantity," organizations deploy scouts to every part of the country to discover these young, projectable arms. The three largest and most fertile baseball states—California, . . . Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:30:22 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2013/2614524.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-tracker/2013/2614784.html Content: Draft Tracker returns as part of Baseball America's 33rd year of draft coverage, including 14 drafts here at BaseballAmerica.com. Here are scouting reports on three college pitchers off to a good start to the 2013 season . . . Bradey Shipley, rhp, Nevada Shipley's ascension has many parallels to Kyle Zimmer's from a year ago. While Zimmer is a little bigger—Shipley is listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds—both players were seen more as position players before transitioning to the mound in college. Neither player was a big prospect out of high school and Shipley went undrafted at North Medford (Ore.) High. "He's obviously taken it to another level," Nevada volunteer assistant pitching coach Pat Flury said. "Last year, it started to get there over his last four starts, you started to see a little transformation. Then obviously this summer is where he took off and he just rode that wave right into the season." As a sophomore, Shipley went 9-4 while leading the Wolf Pack with a 2.20 ERA. He struck out 88 and walked 40 over 15 starts and 98 innings. He headed to the Alaska League for the summer and easily ranked as the league's top prospect. Over . . . Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:40:04 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-tracker/2013/2614784.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614778.html Content: As the high school season gets underway, we'll take a look at the scouting reports for Baseball America's Top 100 high school prospects, from bottom to top. Here are the reports on the prospects in the 76-100 range . . . See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 1-25 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 26-50 See Also: 2013 HS Top 100 Scouting Reports, 51-75 See Also: 50 Players Who Just Missed The 2013 HS Top 100 76. Eugene Vazquez, of, Timbercreek HS, Orlando   Vazquez has a lean, athletic frame at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds. While he has average speed and arm strength, he's limited to left field or first base because he bats and throws lefthanded. Likely limited to a corner, he will have to rake, and he shows advanced bat speed and the ball jumps off his bat. However, he's more of a handsy line-drive hitter than a slugger. Vazquez plays for FTB Mizuno in the summer and is committed to Central Florida. 77. Kevin Franklin, 3b, Gahr HS, Cerritos, Calif. (@RealKJ44) Franklin immediately stands out for his burly physique. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Franklin has a thick lower half and a barrel . . . Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:30 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614778.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2013/2614757.html Content: Whether it's helping his Kentwood High team go 25-2 and win a Washington 4-A state title in 2012 or USA Baseball's 18-and-under team bring home gold medals for the first time since 1999, catcher Reese McGuire has a knack for coming up big in clutch situations. Perhaps that's because the 6-foot-1, 190-pound San Diego recruit has spent most of his life playing against advanced competition. Growing up, Reese always played up a level or two with his older brother Cash—now a freshman infielder at Seattle—and the two pushed each other to be their best. McGuire has been catching ever since he started playing—and it shows. He's now considered one of the best high school prospects in the country thanks to his athleticism and natural feel behind the plate, as well as his strong lefthanded bat, and projects to be a first-round pick this June. (Red, White &) Blue Collar In addition to all the major showcase events, McGuire spent his summer playing for Team USA. "Team USA was the best experience of my life, for sure," McGuire said. "When I put the USA jersey on for the first time, it was a thrill. Over in Korea, with all the fans . . . Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:17:33 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2013/2614757.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614627.html Content: There's a sense of déjà vu with the 2013 draft. Once again, the Astros have the No. 1 overall pick. Stanford righthander Mark Appel will enter the spring as the top prospect for the second straight year. And teams remain underwhelmed by the overall talent available. "It's not a great class," a National League scouting director said. "I guess the strength of the draft would be college pitching, especially at the top if you're fortunate enough to pick up there. There are some good high school outfielders, and there's some high school lefthanded pitching. "But there aren't a lot of college bats who have shown they can hit. I don't remember a draft with as many high-profile college guys where you were really concerned about their ability to make contact. There aren't a lot of up-the-middle players either." No prospect has separated himself from the pack in the manner of a Stephen Strasburg in 2009 or Bryce Harper in 2010. Given the talent available and teams' constant thirst for pitching, the draft could begin with the Astros, Cubs and Rockies taking Appel, Indiana State lefthander Sean Manaea and Arkansas righthander Ryan Stanek in some order. The only other time that . . . Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:57:18 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614627.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614605.html Content: The talent at the top is lighter than most years, and there is little in the way of college catchers and shortstops this year, but there is some intriguing overall depth, especially among lefthanded starting pitchers and third basemen. . . . Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:30:27 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614605.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614442.html Content: . . . Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:44:26 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614442.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614349.html Content: Here are the Top 100 college prospects in the country for the 2013 draft. The list is based on future pro potential and was put together with the input of several scouting directors and crosscheckers. . . . Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:47:16 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614349.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/chat/2012/2614315.html Content: Conor Glassey: Hey everybody! Thanks for coming out. It's never too early to talk about the draft, as far as I am concerned. This is always a fun time of year here at Baseball America. While today's content focused on the high school side of the coin, feel free to ask about anything draft-related. I'll chat here for about an hour before I have to get back to writing up the Mariners chapter for our Prospect Handbook. Mick (Chicago): Are there any position prospects, beside Corey Ray to see in Illinois next spring? Conor Glassey: Mick - Corey Ray was a tough cut from the list. He was on some initial versions of it, but scouts feel that he's a bit of a tweener right now. He has a nice swing, but it's more of a flat, line-drive swing and not one built for power. So he doesn't have profile power for a corner outfield spot and doesn't cover enough ground to play center field in the big leagues. Ray's teammate Ro Coleman is a really fun little spark plug committed to Vanderbilt, but he's another guy who would be better served going to college. Chuckie Robinson from Danville has . . . Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:20:40 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/chat/2012/2614315.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614314.html Content: The top of this year's draft class isn't nearly as loaded as last year. There isn't a Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton or Lucas Giolito, for example. But, there is some interesting depth in the class. With that in mind, here are 50 players who just missed making our high school Top 100 list, in alphabetical order . . . Stephen Alemais, ss, All Hallows HS, New York A slick fielder with smooth actions and quick, soft hands. Scouts will have to get a better feel for the Tulane recruit's bat, as he missed time this summer with a left shoulder injury. Christian Arroyo, ss, Hernando HS, Brooksville, Fla. Team USA shortstop has poise and polish and the sum is greater than the parts when scouts grade out his tools. Arroyo is committed to Florida. Peyton Attaway, of, Captain Shreve HS, Shreveport, La. Attaway is an above-average runner with some power potential in his bat. He has a strong arm, but the Mississippi recruit needs to improve his routes in the outfield. Tres Barrera, c, Sharyland (Texas) HS A Texas recruit, Barrera has a solid build at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. He has a strong arm and also shows some strength . . . Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:39:59 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/early-draft-preview/2013/2614314.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2012/2614259.html Content: Tom Kotchman has served the Angels organization as a manager and/or scout since 1984, signing more than a dozen major leaguers and winning more than 1,400 games as a manager along the way. Friday night, Kotchman was in Jupiter, Fla., with much of the rest of the scouting industry at the fall's biggest showcase. He was wearing his Orem Owlz cap, the Rookie-level Pioneer League team that he managed in 2012 for a 35-41 record—just the second losing mark of one of his short-season teams since 1990. It will be the last team Kotchman manages with the Angels. A source in the organization confirmed that Kotchman resigned his positions Friday. According to sources in Jupiter, Kotchman, 58, was being forced by the Angels to stop managing to focus on scouting. Scouting director Ric Willson, who had not yet returned a phone message, said last year that as a new scouting director—he's run the last two drafts since replacing Eddie Bane—he had leaned on Kotchman. Indeed, Willson's two drafts as director have had Kotchman picks as his second and third players in the '11 draft and at the top of the 2012 draft. Kotchman, whose son Casey was a 2001 first-round . . . Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:18:19 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2012/2614259.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614238.html Content: See also: Draft Report Card Index POSITION PLAYERS Best Pure Hitter: OF Travis Jankowski (1s) makes easy line-drive contact with his handsy swing. He batted .414 and led NCAA Division I with 110 hits in the spring, fueling Stony Brook's surprise run to the College World Series. Best Power Hitter: OF Brian Adams (8) has plus raw power but is still figuring out how to unlock it after playing sparingly at Kentucky. Fastest Runner: The Padres loaded up on speed, starting with OF Mallex Smith (5), an 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale. Jankowski and Adams are 70 runners, while SS/2B Jalen Goree (6) grades as a 60. Best Defensive Player: Jankowski is a potential Gold Glover in center field, and Smith could become one with more refinement. PITCHERS Best Fastball: RHP Cory Bostjancic (15) opened eyes by throwing 96-98 mph with heavy life during instructional league. LHP Max Fried (1) has more history and more aptitude with a quality fastball, operating in the low 90s and peaking at 96. RHPs Zach Eflin (1s) and Walker Weickel (1s) can run their heaters into the mid-90s. Best Secondary Pitch: Fried's downer curveball is a plus-plus pitch at its best. Eflin . . . Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:50:09 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614238.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614237.html Content: See also: Draft Report Card Index POSITION PLAYERS Best Pure Hitter: SS Corey Seager's (1) simple lefthanded swing and all-fields approach helped him bat .309 as one of the youngest regulars in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Best Power Hitter: Once he gets stronger, Seager could have power to match his hitting ability and the Dodgers think he'll produce 25 homers annually in the majors. 1B Justin Chigbogu (4) and OF Joey Curletta (6) have huge power potential but are very raw. Fastest Runner: SS Darnell Sweeney (13) is the lone plus runner and stole 27 bases in 67 pro games. Best Defensive Player: SS Jesmuel Valentin (1s) played second base alongside No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa in Puerto Rico, but he has all the tools for shortstop, starting with outstanding hands and a strong arm. Sweeney and Seager are also good defenders, though Seager may eventually move to third base. PITCHERS Best Fastball: LHP Onelki Garcia (3) hit 97 mph in the Double-A Southern League playoffs and usually pitches at 91-94. Los Angeles has seen RHP Scott Griggs (8) up to 98, RHPs Zach Bird (9) and Jharel Cotton (20) up to 96 and RHP Matthew Reckling (14) up . . . Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:27:38 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614237.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614236.html Content: See also: Draft Report Card Index POSITION PLAYERS Best Pure Hitter: OF David Dahl (1) showed a natural feel for hitting against older college competition by leading the Rookie-level Pioneer League in batting at .379. Best Power Hitter: C Tom Murphy (3) set a Buffalo record with 13 homers in the spring and went deep six times at short-season Tri-City. Dahl may catch up to Murphy once he matures physically, and 1B Ben Waldrip (10) also is packed with raw power. Fastest Runner: OF Max White (2) runs the 60-yard dash in 6.5 seconds and has Steve Finley upside. Dahl is nearly as fast. Best Defensive Player: INF Matt Wessinger (5) has the range and arm strength to be a solid defender anywhere in the infield. Dahl has good range and uncommon arm strength for a center fielder. PITCHERS Best Fastball: RHP Eddie Butler (1s) threw 94-95 and topped out at 97 all summer, with sinking life that was just as impressive as his velocity. RHPs Seth Willoughby (4) and Matt Carasiti (6) hit the mid-90s during the college season but were worn down a bit in their pro debuts. Best Secondary Pitch: Coming into the year, Willoughby wasn't on . . . Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:31:00 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614236.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614234.html Content: See also: Draft Report Card Index POSITION PLAYERS Best Pure Hitter: C Stryker Trahan's (1) power got him drafted him in the first round, but the Diamondbacks believe he has the approach and swing to hit for average as well. SS/2B Kevin Medrano (18) batted .342 in four years at Missouri State, then hit .341 in his pro debut. Best Power Hitter: Trahan lets his power come naturally, focusing more on hitting liners from gap to gap. 3B Jake Lamb (6) has nearly as much raw pop as Trahan and slugged .539 at Rookie-level Missoula. Fastest Runner: OFs Chuck Taylor (4), Evan Marzilli (8), Alex Glenn (12) and Breland Almadova (37) and 2B/SS Andrew Velazquez (7) all have plus speed. Velazquez is the youngest of that group but has the best basestealing instincts, swiping 22 bases in 43 pro games. Best Defensive Player: Similar to his predecessor as South Carolina's center fielder, Jackie Bradley (now starring in the Red Sox system), Marzilli plays shallow and has uncanny instincts. Lamb has a strong arm and made just seven errors in 64 pro games. PITCHERS Best Fastball: RHP Jake Barrett (3) works at 93-96 mph and tops out at 98. RHP Robbie . . . Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:07:29 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614234.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2012/2614205.html Content: . . . Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:43:00 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2012/2614205.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2012/2614239.html Content: See also: Draft Report Card Index POSITION PLAYERS Best Pure Hitter: OF Shilo McCall (9), the only prep position player the Giants drafted in the first 36 rounds. He combines a good set-up and short stroke with natural strength and decent speed. Best Power Hitter: OF Mac Williamson's (3) 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame is loaded with plus-plus raw power. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 11 homers in the spring and went deep nine times in his pro debut. 1B Joey Rapp (28) has similar pop and homered 11 times at short-season Salem-Keizer. Fastest Runner: OF Tyler Hollick (14) has plus speed out of the batter's box and is quicker once under way. He stole 21 bases in 23 tries in 32 pro games. Best Defensive Player: Hollick plays a fine center field. SS Matt Duffy (18) has good hands and the versatility to play anywhere in the infield. PITCHERS Best Fastball: RHP Stephen Johnson (6) worked at 94-98 mph in his pro debut and reportedly hit 101 as an amateur. He was the draft's best college prospect outside Division I, starring for St. Edward's (Texas). LHP Steven Okert (4) and RHP Ian Gardeck (16) can reach 97, while RHP . . . Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:53:17 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2012/2614239.html