Anthony Gose

Gose has perhaps the strongest left arm of any Southern California high school pitching prospect since Bill Bordley, a first-round pick in the mid 1970s. However, his small stature and a recent bout of rotator cuff tendinitis have his draft status in doubt. Gose's blistering fastball ranges from 92-96 mph, peaking at 97. Both his frame and four-seam fastball draw legitimate comparisons to both Scott Kazmir and Billy Wagner. In professional baseball, Gose will need to improve and sharpen both his 77 mph curve and 75 mph changeup. Gose profiles as a lefthanded closer or set-up man, since he loses significant velocity as a game progresses. He'll also need to clean up his mechanics and learn to slow down his frantic pace. Scouts are currently awaiting results on another MRI of Gose's shoulder; one in mid-April showed no fracture or labrum tear. After starting several games early in the season, Gose was restricted to DH duty for much of the spring. As with so many young hurlers, high pitch counts and year-round play add to injury concerns with Gose. When he's healthy or when he's not pitching, Gose plays center field, with plus-plus speed and arm being his best tools. He's aggressive on the bases with a knack for stealing bags, taking the extra base, and flying into bases with a head-first slide. However, Gose has never consistently shown enough hitting ability to convince scouts he can hit professional pitching. Severe doubts about his bat make it most likely that Gose will be drafted and signed as a pitcher.