Compiled by Allan Simpson / David Rawnsley / Anup Sinha
June 1, 2009
PG Crosschecker has ranked the top 250 prospects for this year’s draft. We’ve added comprehensive scouting reports on all those players, and provide them in 10 batches of 25. Players are ranked on the basis of ability/major-league upside, with little or no regard given to signability or matching players to specific teams.
Prospects 1-25
Prospects 26-50
Prospects 51-75
Prospects 76-100
Prospects 101-125
Prospects 126-150
Prospects 151-175
Prospects 176-200
Prospects 201-225
Prospects 226-250
PROSPECTS 1-25
| |
| 1. |
Stephen Strasburg |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-5 |
225 |
San Diego State |
San Diego |
Never drafted |
7/20/1988 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Undrafted and lightly-recruited out of a San Diego high school, Strasburg has pitched like a house on fire at San Diego State and is a probitive early favorite to go first overall in the 2009 draft. He joins Floyd Bannister in 1976, Ben McDonald in 1989 and David Price in 2007 as college pitchers who were near-slam dunk No. 1 choices months before the draft. By finishing with the worst record in the big leagues in 2008, the Washington Nationals effectively won the Stephen Strasburg Sweepstakes, and it would appear to be just a formality on June 9 to make it official. The powerful 6-foot-5, 225-pound righthander has the whole package, with size, presence, command and overpowering stuff. His stuff is as dominant as any amateur pitcher in years (perhaps ever) and he mowed down hitters all year long in 2008, while playing for San Diego State and Team USA's college national squad and Olympic teams. His fastball ranged from 94-99 mph last summer, and typically sat between 95 and 97-and still had run and sinking action at that velocity. Strasburg also throws a hard, downer breaking ball that is anywhere from 78-84 mph, and has the ability to add and subtract from it effectively. The pitch breaks on two planes and is a legitimate swing-and-miss offering. He also throws a solid-average changeup but rarely needs to use it against college hitters. He has excellent command of all his pitches, and his delivery and arm action are smooth and clean. Strasburg was used as a closer by the Aztecs as a freshman, and saved seven games while posting a 1-3, 2.43 record with 47 strikeouts in 35 innings. He allowed just 18 hits. The domination continued that summer in the New England Collegiate League, where he pitched for the Torrington Twisters and had the occasion to pitch against Team USA's national collegiate team in its pre-season tour of NECBL teams. It was his coming-out party as he overwhelmed the Team USA hitters by striking out seven in three shutout innings. Strasburg was moved to the rotation for his sophomore season at San Diego State and was almost invincible, going 8-3, 1.57 with 133 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 97 innings. He was magical in a 23-strikeout, one-hitter against Utah in April. He then went 3-0, 1.06 for Team USA's unbeaten college national team in the summer and made two starts at the World Collegiate Baseball Championship, winning both. He threw a combined 14 innings in those starts, allowing just two hits and no runs while striking out 22. His second win propelled Team USA to the gold-medal game against Japan. He was then the lone amateur selected to compete in the Beijing Olympics for the bronze-medal winning U.S. squad. Strasburg has all the ingredients to be a dominant front-line starter at the major-league level. With his combination of smarts, poise and physical projectability, he should move quickly through the minor leagues-and it would surprise no one if he started his career in the big leagues.-ALLAN SIMPSON / ANUP SINHA |
| UPDATE (5/15): As great as Strasburg was in 2008, he was even better and more dominant this season. His remarkable pitching line of 13-0, 1.24, along with 19 walks, 180 strikeouts and a .164 opponent batting average in 102 innings (as San Diego State moved to the verge of a post-season berth), only tells part of his story. His fastball was an intimidating pitch that registered at least 99 mph in every start, frequently reached 101 and 102, and peaked at an incomprehensible 103 one time. The pitch had heavy, boring action into righthanded hitters, even at that velocity, and scouts say he will break more than his share of wooden bats at the professional level. His 82-85 mph slider is hard and tight, and a second nasty pitch. He used his changeup more often this spring than in the past and it ranged from the low- to high-80s in velocity, and had excellent late, tumbling action. Most impressively, Strasburg can spot all his pitches with amazing consistency to any part of the strike zone. His mound presence has become a significant strength, particularly in the way he exudes confidence and can control a game by exploiting a hitter's weaknesses. According to San Diego State pitching coach Rusty Filter, who pushed hard to give Strasburg a chance in the first place and has nurtured him over the last three years to be the most-dominant pitcher in the game, the area of his game that has developed most this spring is his situational pitching-knowing which pitches to throw to what hitters in what counts at various, and often critical stages of a game. Filter also says his changeup and the sink he can generate on his fastball are other areas he has improved. It was readily apparent to most scouts who saw Strasburg thoroughly dominate college hitters this spring with his impressive combination of stuff and command that he could dominate big-league hitters, as well, though how quickly he signs after the draft will play a large role in determining whether he will get that chance this season.-AS |
| |
| 2. |
Dustin Ackley |
OF/1B |
Jr. |
L-R |
6-1 |
185 |
North Carolina |
Walnut Cove, N.C. |
Never drafted |
2/26/1988 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Ackley sandwiched a dozen games at Harwich last summer between a late arrival from the College World Series and an early departure from the Cape Cod League to have Tommy John surgery on his ailing throwing elbow. But it was evident in his brief time on the Cape that Ackley is a special hitter-the consensus best pure hitter in the entire 2009 draft class. Veteran Harwich manager Steve Englert called him the best hitter to play on the Cape since Mark Teixeira in 1999. Ackley consistently squared up balls and maintained exceptional balance throughout his swing path. He has an excellent overall approach to hitting with uncanny bat control that enables him to work counts and fight off tough two-strike pitches, almost at will. He also rarely chases pitches outside the strike zone. Ackley hit .415-2-12 with 16 walks in his 12-game cameo with Harwich, and pitchers began showing such a reluctance to pitch to him that Englert eventually installed him in the leadoff spot in the order. Ackley spent most of his sophomore year at North Carolina in that role, and hit .417-7-51 with a school-record 82 runs scored. He also chipped in 116 hits, 21 doubles, 53 walks, a .503 on-base average and .597 slugging percentage. Ackley also hit more than .400 in 2007 at UNC, when he was named the national Freshman of the Year. In two years with the Tar Heels, spanning 141 games, he has a combined .409 average, 17 homers and 125 RBIs. He also has walked 83 times vs. 48 strikeouts. While Ackley's raw power isn't always evident, scouts say he has easy power. The ball jumps off his bat and he can knock the ball out of the park practically whenever he wants to-or when his team needs him to. The athletic Ackley, undrafted out of a North Carolina high school, also has 6.6-second speed in the 60 and has stolen 30 bases in 39 attempts in his two years at Carolina. His power-speed package is a curious combination for a player that has spent the bulk of his college career at first base. He initially enrolled in college as primarily a second baseman, and played first as a UNC freshman mainly to get his potent bat in the lineup. He also spent all but eight games at the position as a sophomore as his elbow was too sore for him to move to the outfield, as was planned. At the request of scouts, Ackley began his summer season in the outfield but was soon relegated to a DH role when his elbow bothered him too much to throw. Now that he has had surgery, it's expected Ackley will take a regular turn in the outfield, possibly even center field, for the Tar Heels in 2009, although he may need to be brought back slowly initially.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Another season, same story for Ackley. As UNC opened NCAA super-regional play, he was hitting .417-21-66 and in the process of breaking or approaching several school career records. He was especially hot down the stretch, at the most critical juncture of Carolina's season and as big-league teams were taking one last look before the draft. All signs were pointing to Ackley going to the Seattle Mariners with the second pick overall. In a draft that seems to lack many big game-changing offensive players, he appears to be the one sure-fire contributor. His offensive upside and even style of hitting are viewed somewhat along the lines of Hall of Famer George Brett. Ackley's recovery from Tommy John surgery, which limited him to mostly first base this spring, has made it difficult for scouts to determine whether he will be able to play in the outfield on a daily basis. He has shown good instincts in tracking balls, but his arm strength grades out now as an incomplete. His power numbers were a sharp upgrade from previous seasons, but scouts still question whether Ackley will hit for even average power at the next level, though 20-25 homers a season is also a distinct possibility.-JEFF SIMPSON |
| |
| 3. |
Tanner Scheppers |
RHP |
--- |
R-R |
6-4 |
170 |
St. Paul (Amer. Assoc.) |
Laguna Niguel, Calif. |
Pirates '08 (2) |
1/17/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): With a fastball that was clocked consistently at 92-97 mph last spring, Scheppers not only emerged as a premium prospect for the 2008 draft but may have had the best raw arm strength of any pitcher on the West Coast. His fastball peaked at 99 mph in his lone relief appearance of the season in early May, when he was used to close out a game. He took his regular turn in the rotation for the finale of a Western Athletic Conference series two days later and threw 136 pitches over 6 2/3 innings, and rumblings of a sore arm soon cropped up when Scheppers didn't make his scheduled start the following weekend. Sure enough, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his shoulder and didn't pitch again over the balance of the 2008 season as the draft came and went, and Fresno State made an unexpected run to a College World Series title without Scheppers in the lineup. Scheppers was targeted to go in the top 10 picks until his unfortunate shoulder injury, and ended up sliding to the second round (48th pick overall). The Pittsburgh Pirates took a calculated risk that he would be healthy enough to sign by the Aug. 15 deadline, but weren't comfortable with his progress in a workout in Pittsburgh just prior to the deadline and the two sides weren't able to agree on a deal. Scheppers gave little consideration to returning to Fresno State for his senior year as hard feelings developed between the righthander and the FSU coaching staff over the way he was used late in the 2008 season, and he ended up signing with the St. Paul Saints of the independent American Association in late September. He should get 4-6 starts with the Saints for scouts to scrutinize him prior to the 2009 draft. If 100 percent healthy, it's entirely possible he could re-establish his priority position in the draft from a year ago. In addition to his overpowering fastball, Scheppers has an 86-87 mph slider that he threw more consistently for strikes last year while assembling an 8-2, 2.93 record with 109 strikeouts in 71 innings. He also walked 34, but his control was not construed as a negative, considering his velocity. Prior to his shoulder injury, scouts liked his loose, clean, quick arm action and the limited effort in his delivery. The ball jumped out of his hand and his fastball had good downhill plane and heavy sink. He also made significant strides with the cutting and spinning action on his slider and the bite on his 82-84 mph curveball, an average pitch when he gets out front with it. His changeup, clocked at 81-83 mph, is still in the development stage. Until his junior year at Fresno State, Scheppers flew largely under the radar as he enrolled in college as predominantly a middle infielder. He worked in only 15 innings as a freshman, but jumped to 93 innings as a sophomore, making 15 starts after starting the season in the bullpen. He went 7-5, 4.74 with 32 walks and 94 strikeouts. -ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Scheppers' return both to health and the draft market was determined to be a success this spring. Even before arriving in Minnesota in April to join the independent St. Paul Saints, Scheppers pitched in a number of scrimmages for the benefit of scouts at Golden West (Calif.) JC, where he had been working out. While Scheppers is still considered slender in his lean 6-foot-4 frame, he has added 15 pounds of muscle since a year ago. He threw steadily in the 94-96 mph range throughout May, and topped out at 98. His arm action and delivery remained smooth and effortless, and his curve showed consistent spin and action, although he didn't appear to develop the feel and command of the pitch that he had last spring or will need in pro ball. Scouts have generally ignored his mundane performance numbers to open the 2009 season (0-1, 3.86 in 14 IP), attributing his sluggish start to accumulated rust. Scheppers was mentioned initially as a candidate to go as high as No. 2 in this year's draft, a pick held by the Seattle Mariners. That lofty ranking didn't hold for long, but there appears little doubt he'll be a top-10 pick, based on his raw talent. There is some concern still that his medical is a lingering issue, although respected Los Angeles Angels team doctor, Dr. Lewis Yocum, reportedly examined him, cleared him and sent out a clean bill of health to clubs in late April.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| 4. |
Kyle Gibson |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-6 |
200 |
Missouri |
Greenfield, Ind. |
Phillies '06 (36) |
10/23/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): After producing first-round righthanders in Max Scherzer (2006) and Aaron Crow (2008) in two of the last three drafts, Missouri has yet another first-round candidate this year in Gibson, a taller and lankier pitcher than either Scherzer or Crow, but with similar projection. Unlike his predecessors, Gibson was drafted prior to enrolling at Missouri and arrived with much more fanfare. Had he been considered more signable coming out of an Indiana high school, he may well have been drafted in the top two or three rounds in 2006. Gibson has pretty much lived up to expectations in two seasons with the Tigers, going 8-3, 4.12 with seven saves and 77 strikeouts in 68 innings while working mainly in long relief as a freshman, then producing a 9-4, 3.84 ledger with 23 walks and 96 strikeouts in 87 innings as a sophomore while working in tandem with Crow as a starter. His performance in summer competition has been more noteworthy. Gibson (1.17) and Crow (0.67), his Falmouth teammate, finished 1-2 in the Cape Cod League ERA race in 2007, with Gibson easing seamlessly into a starting role by walking just 11 and striking out 51 in 46 innings while limiting hitters to a .204 average. As a member of Team USA's undefeated college-national team last summer, Gibson fashioned a 5-0, 1.02 record with four walks and 25 strikeouts in 18 innings, working in a team-high 13 appearances, mostly in a set-up role. The last of his team-leading five wins came in the gold-medal game against Japan, a 1-0 win in 12 innings, at the World Collegiate championship in the Czech Republic. While Gibson is not as advanced in his development as either Scherzer or Crow were entering their junior seasons, Gibson has an excellent pitcher's body, a loose, quick arm and a solid delivery from a high three-quarters angle. He projects three quality big-league pitches, notably a fastball that ranges from 91-95 mph (91-93 as a starter, 93-95 as a reliever), has late, tailing life and can overmatch hitters. When he's on his game, Gibson commands his fastball low in the strike zone and produces a steady stream of ground-ball outs. His 84-mph slider is a second out-pitch and he has confidence to use it in any count. His changeup has deception and fade, and while improving, it lags behind his other pitches in its effectiveness. His ability to make in-game adjustments and pitch inside are two more of his selling points. At various stages of the 2008 season, Gibson ranked just behind San Diego State righthander Stephen Strasburg as the most obvious second option in the 2009 draft, but he may need to take his game to another level this spring for that to happen. He mainly needs to add strength to his lean frame, and establish more consistent pitchability.-ALLAN SIMPSON / ANUP SINHA |
| UPDATE (5/15): Gibson did everything both scouts and the Missouri program asked of him this season, throwing five complete games in 15 starts en route to an 11-3, 3.21 record. While Gibson ended the season with 14 shutout innings in his last two starts-six in a win over Texas A&M in the Big 12 Conference tournament, another eight against Monmouth in the NCAA regional-there were concerns about his velocity dropping steadily over his last three outings. He pitched mostly in the 83-87 mph range in his final start, but his pitchability and off-speed stuff carried him. When he was at the very top of his game this spring, Gibson was one of the rare top-of-the-first-round prospects whose fastball velocity didn't overwhelm hitters. He maintained consistent 90-92 mph velocity throughout a start, but Gibson's fastball life, slider, changeup and command (19 walks in 107 innings) all ranked in the plus category. He carried a Tigers team that began the year with high expectations, but started so slowly that they had to resort to gimmicks such as whole-staff days with nine or 10 pitchers throwing Saturdays after a typical outstanding Gibson Friday-night effort. Even though Gibson worked more than 100 innings this spring, he typically did not run up high-pitch counts due to his outstanding command. As his velocity waned towards the end, there were whispers that he had a sore forearm, perhaps a symptom of simple fatigue. How scouts answer that issue could determine whether Gibson holds his ground, or slides from his early first-round status.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| 5. |
Donavan Tate |
OF |
Sr. |
R-R |
6-3 |
200 |
Cartersville |
Cartersville, Ga. |
North Carolina (FB) |
9/27/1990 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): The debate between football and baseball for the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Tate sometimes seems to overshadow his status as the top 5-tool athlete in the 2009 draft class. That debate was fanned a couple of times last fall. The first moment came when Tate, the son of former NFL running back Lars Tate, chose to reconsider his decision not to play football as a senior and was allowed to rejoin the Cartersville High team after the opening game. Tate then chose not sign a baseball letter-of-intent in the NCAA early-signing period in November, deciding instead to wait until the football signing date in February. Southern California and his father's alma mater, Georgia, were considered the leading contenders for Tate's services, but he chose instead to sign with North Carolina. The only player ranked among the nation's top 100 football and baseball prospects, Tate would play both baseball and football for the Tar Heels should he elect to enroll in school. Although he has starred at quarterback and wide receiver in high school, he is considered an elite-level safety prospect. He earned all-state honors at that position as a senior-even though he spent only the first half of the season playing that position and wide receiver, before moving to quarterback in the second half. He threw 17 touchdown passes over the balance of the 2008 season before breaking his right thumb. On the baseball field, Tate is a center fielder with 6.3-speed in the 60 and one of the top throwing arms in the country. His defensive instincts are excellent and should only continue to improve as he gets more baseball experience. Tate's raw power is also at or near the top of the scouting scale, and is especially prolific when he stays balanced and short to the ball, and lets his natural strength and bat speed take over. Tate's pure hitting skills are understandably the least developed part of his game, and he tends to guess often at the plate and swing through pitches he will eventually learn to jump all over. Tate hit .560-7-63 with 14 stolen bases as a junior, then performed well for USA Baseball's junior-national team that won a silver medal last summer at the World Junior championship, hitting .292-0-2 with a team-high five steals.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): With dozens of scouts watching his every move this spring, Tate firmly established himself as the nation's top prep talent. He batted .488-9-41 with 17 stolen bases while leading Cartersville High to the Georgia 3-A state championship, the school's fifth since 2001. Carterville won the title by knocking off the nation's No. 4-ranked team Columbus High, a nine-time previous state champion. Tate showcased himself as a multi-dimensional talent with the range for center field, the arm for right and a potential bat for the middle of the lineup. He could become a fast-track player who gets to the big leagues quickly once he focuses only on baseball-though he struggles, at times, to use all his tools efficiently. He generates good bat speed and makes good use of his wrists to drive balls, but can be fooled by off-speed pitches. The only real stumbling block, though, may be his signability, which could cause him to drop, but likely not below the hometown Atlanta Braves at No. 7.-ANUP SINHA |
| |
| 6. |
Alex White |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-3 |
195 |
North Carolina |
Greenville, N.C. |
Dodgers '06 (14) |
8/29/1988 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): After a dominant sophomore season at North Carolina, where he won Atlantic Coast Conference pitcher-of-the-year honors by going 13-3, 2.83 with 42 walks and 113 strikeouts in 101 innings, White is primed to be one of the first arms taken in a 2009 draft that is top-heavy in pitching prospects. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound White, a 14th-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006 out of a North Carolina high school, is an outstanding athlete who flashes electric stuff. His heavy fastball is routinely in the 91-94 mph range, topping at 95, and he complements it with a late-breaking slider. He still needs to develop a reliable third pitch, but his raw talent is obvious. White will in all likelihood be a starter at the next level, but was effective in a late-game role for UNC at the 2008 College World Series. He was one of the few top prospects for the 2009 draft who didn't play summer ball a year ago, but he played in the Cape Cod League after his freshman year at North Carolina, working both as a starter and reliever, and showed electric stuff in his final few outings. Overall, he went 2-1, 2.10 with eight walks and 31 strikeouts in 26 innings. He continued to pitch at that level as a sophomore, showing vastly-improved stuff from his freshman season, when he went 6-6, 4.74 with 81 strikeouts in 93 innings. He held the velocity on his fastball deeper into games, routinely touching 92 mph in the seventh inning. His breaking ball occasionally behaves like a slurve, but scouts believe the pitch will become a true slider in time. White was a prominent two-way player in high school when he turned down a reported $600,000 signing bonus from the Dodgers. Few pitchers have more obvious athletic ability on the mound, and White's challenge in 2009 will be to eliminate his one-inning lapses, when his control tends to desert him.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): White did little this spring to change his status as one of the top prospects for the draft. He is a near-lock to go in the top 10-12 picks, but may have compromised his chances of going as early as the third or fourth pick, as was speculated, when he had several inconsistent performances before large groups of scouts-notably in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, when eventual champion Virginia touched him up for a 10-spot in the third inning of a pivotal contest, knocking him from the game. Numerous scouting directors saw that outing. But he was also dominating in other outings, and as the Tar Heels entered NCAA super-regional play, his unimpressive 7-4, 4.42 record, which included 38 walks and 97 strikeouts in a staff-high 90 innings, spoke to his inconsistent season. White has always had a tendency to have rough stretches in his starting assignments, usually for an inning when he appears to lose focus and his command deserts him. But when he on his game, few pitchers can match his raw stuff. White's velocity consistently sat in the 91-94 mph range this year, topping at 97 occasionally. His mid-80s split-finger became his primary out-pitch as his slider was most often the culprit when his command would come and go.-JEFF SIMPSON |
| |
| 7. |
Aaron Crow |
RHP |
--- |
R-R |
6-1 |
195 |
Fort Worth (Am. Ass.) |
Wakarusa, Kan. |
Nationals '08 (1) |
11/11/1986 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Like first-rounders J.D. Drew (1997) and Luke Hochevar (2005) before him, Crow could not reach a contract agreement with the team that drafted him in 2008, and effectively renounced the remainder of his college eligibility by electing not to return to Missouri for his senior year. He followed a similar career path by signing with an independent league club, the American Association's Fort Worth Cats, expressly with the intent of re-emerging as a first-round pick the following year. Crow is expected to get 5-6 starts for the Cats in May and June before re-entering this year's draft pool. It remains to be seen whether he can recapture the magic that led the Washington Nationals to draft him with the ninth pick a year ago after he posted a 13-0, 2.34 record with 127 strikeouts in 107 innings as a junior for Missouri. He spun a three-hit, 10-strikeout, 7-0 shutout win over Mississippi in the NCAA regionals just prior to the draft-and hasn't pitched in an official game since. Crow established a high price tag for his services prior to the draft and stuck to his guns, while the Nationals insisted all along that they would not pay their first-rounder anything more than slot money, and the two sides were never able to close the gap sufficiently before the Aug. 15 signing deadline. Crow became the highest-unsigned pick since a firm signing deadline was established for the draft in 2007, and the highest unsigned selection since Hochevar, the 40th overall pick in 2005, refused to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers only to resurface as the No. 1 overall pick in 2006 after pitching briefly for Fort Worth. Prior to his sudden and dramatic emergence as a hard-throwing and polished pitcher during his college career at Missouri and the notoriety he gained by becoming one of the few first-rounders in draft history to go unsigned, Crow flew below the radar. He went undrafted in 2005 out of a Kansas high school because his fastball was only in the mid-80s. But he had a breakthrough summer in the Cape Cod League following his sophomore year at Missouri and his career took off. In addition to leading the league with a 0.67 ERA, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander limited hitters to a .140 average. In 40 innings, he gave up a mere nine walks while striking out 36. His scoreless inning as the starting pitcher for the West in the league all-star game, when he retired all three hitters he faced with ease, was representative of his entire season. His fastball sat consistently in the 93-96 mph range, and topped at 98 with life through the zone that resulted in a lot of ground-ball outs. Not only did Crow impress scouts with his fastball velocity, but he held it deep into games, got good movement on the pitch and worked efficiently with it to both sides of the plate low in the strike zone. He complemented his fastball with an excellent slider at 83-85 mph and a quality changeup. He has a quick, long, loose arm action with good downhill plane and good front extension. Crow came out of the gates in 2008 as hot as any pitcher in the country, and was virtually unhittable before Texas laid nine runs on him in five innings April 11 in Missouri's wild, wind-blown 31-12 win. Crow was solid after that, but not nearly as dominating as he had been until re-establishing himself with his masterpiece in regional play in what turned out to be his last pitching performance for months.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Crow made his first start for Fort Worth on May 4, lasting 1 2/3 innings and showing an expected amount of rust. He stretched that out to six shutout innings by May 20 and was pitching consistently in the 92-94 mph range by that point, although his slider still hadn't regained the snap it showed last spring. It will be interesting to see if Crow can surpass his No. 9 slot in the 2008 draft, a situation that might be impacted by how teams perceive his signability. The feeling in the industry is that Crow passed on very fair money. Furthermore, he might have landed in the big leagues quickly with the struggling Nationals. It's logical to ask if he didn't want that type of money then (he turned down a reported $3.5 million), then why would he accept less now if that's what the slot dictates. If Crow and his agents, the Hendricks brothers, decide to play hard ball again, Crow could become one of the real wild-cards in this draft.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| 8. |
Grant Green |
SS |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-3 |
180 |
Southern California |
Anaheim Hills, Calif. |
Padres '06 (14) |
11/7/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Green spent the 2007 Cape Cod League season at Yarmouth-Dennis and played a key role as that club rolled with ease to the league title. But Green, a natural shortstop, played a variety of positions-anything to keep his potent bat in the lineup-as Cape home-run leader and 2008 first-rounder Gordon Beckham earned most of the playing time at shortstop. Green moved on to Chatham last summer and, as the A's regular shortstop, quickly asserted himself as the best prospect in the league-and possibly the best position player in the entire 2009 draft class. He finished among Cape leaders in a number of offensive categories, including batting average (.348, fourth), runs (37, second), hits (56, third), slugging percentage (.537, second) and on-base average (.451, fifth). He also homered six times and delivered another long ball in the league all-star game, a game-tying two run blast in the eighth inning that led to his being selected the game's MVP. Green's bat makes him a premium offensive player at a premium position. That became clear last spring at USC, when he led the Trojans in batting (.390), homers (9), slugging (.644) and on-base average (.438). He also slugged five triples, extending his two-year total to 15-already a USC career record. Green has a sound approach to hitting, especially to the middle of the field, and with increased strength he has begun driving balls with authority to all fields. Chatham manager John Schiffner, the winningest skipper in league history, compared Green favorably to Evan Longoria, who had an MVP season for Chatham in 2005 while playing primarily shortstop. Longoria has since shifted to third base, and Green may end up there, too, if he gets a little bigger and stronger-and possibly loses a step in the process. Though Green runs well enough to remain at shortstop, he's not a burner. But he has sound base-running instincts and stole 10 bases in both his spring and summer seasons. Scouts are mostly split on his ability to play shortstop. While some believe he has the hands, range and easy actions to remain there in the long term, others say he's not overly fluid or natural, and is often too relaxed in his approach. His arm strength appears to be more than adequate for the position, but he led the Cape with 17 errors-and most came on throws when he became too nonchalant and didn't set his feet properly. He also tends to sit back on balls too often, rather than charge them. Mostly, it's all about consistency. He made nine errors in his first 21 games as a sophomore at USC, then didn't make another in his final 29 games. He also had a streak of 17 straight errorless games to finish his freshman year. Green has the tools and athleticism to beat teams in a number of ways, but in the end result the difference maker will be his bat. It should play, regardless if he remains at shortstop or gets a little bigger and stronger and ends up at third base.--ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Though Green entered 2009 as a heavy favorite to be the first position player (and second pick overall) drafted this year, he never consistently played to that level and had scouting directors scratching their heads in the weeks leading up to the draft. He appeared to suffer from draft-itis, a malady that often affects top prospects in their draft year when they try to do too much to impress scouts, and buckle under the constant scrutiny. Additionally, Green played through some nagging injuries, notably a sore ankle. He also tried to put an offense-challenged and struggling USC team on his shoulders and struggled under the weight of that burden at the plate, both to hit for average and power. He became too selective, at times, as he tried to work deep into counts, and off-speed pitches away gave him trouble. But Green generally showed a polished approach at the plate with a short, quick, compact stroke and had a late-season surge to bump up his average to .374 (as USC entered the final weekend of Pac-10 play), but he homered only four times and drove in 31 runs-hardly the numbers expected of the top position prospect in the draft. Green also committed 17 errors in the field, and questions surfaced about his ability to remain at shortstop in the long haul, though that stemmed mainly from his perceived inability to gun throws to first that had consistent on-line carry. He still displayed solid range, agile and fluid actions, and sure hands. While he almost certainly will be one of the first 6-8 picks in the draft, his chance to go No. 2 pick may have slipped away.-AS |
| |
| 9. |
Tyler Matzek |
LHP |
Sr. |
L-L |
6-3 |
185 |
Capistrano Valley |
Mission Viejo, Calif. |
Oregon |
10/19/1990 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Matzek ranks alongside Texas lefty Matthew Purke as the top prep pitching prospect in the 2009 draft class, and scouts are pretty much split on which young lefthander has the edge. The California southpaw offers few weaknesses as a rare power pitcher from the left side. Matzek's fastball is consistently in the 91-94 mph range with very good late life at the plate. He's shown the ability to throw three quality secondary pitches for strikes, although his 83-mph slider with a big, sweeping break appears to be his favorite at the moment. Matzek also throws a 76-mph curveball and can use both his breaking balls to overmatch lefthanded hitters. He's shown a mid-80s changeup on occasion, as well, but it isn't a pitch he needs to combat high-school hitters. Matzek has a good idea how to pitch and use the strike zone, even though he normally can just overpower most hitters. He has some effort at release and will tend to fall off to the third-base side, but he repeats his delivery and has no present command issues. As a junior, he went 4-2, 2.35 with 13 walks and 33 strikeouts in 48 innings. Matzek's overall package is similar to Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft, although Matzek isn't quite as physical.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Matzek was inconsistent this spring, at times flashing a fastball up to 95 mph along with his power slider, at other times pitching at 90 or below and struggling with his command. He was out-dueled in a head-to-head match-up with El Toro righthander Chad Thompson early in the season in front of a huge gathering of scouts that did much more to help Thompson (though he subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery later in the spring) than it did Matzek, who went 9-1, 1.23 with 84 strikeouts in 68 innings. Matzek at least remained healthy and showed his plus stuff frequently enough that his draft stock has not been negatively impacted in any way. His name is mentioned as early as the No. 6 pick (San Francisco) overall, and consistently in just about every slot after that, so his chances of going in the top 10 picks is strong.-DR |
| |
| 10. |
Matthew Purke |
LHP |
Sr. |
L-L |
6-3 |
180 |
Klein |
Spring, Texas |
Texas Christian |
7/17/1990 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Purke has a long, slender build with an extremely loose left arm, a combination that leads scouts to believe he isn't close to reaching his physical peak. The scouts who think that Purke still has plenty of improvement ahead of him in his raw physical skills generally have him graded as the No. 1 prep prospect in the 2009 class. Purke's velocity curve over the past few years has been ideally consistent as he's steadily improved from a mid-80s thrower into a power pitcher who touched 95 mph at the 2008 Aflac All-American High School Classic. He has an easy three-quarters release with minimal effort in his delivery. Purke's breaking ball is a low-80s slider that will flash plus potential at times, and he has a pretty good feel for a changeup. Pitching at the highest level of Texas prep competition, Purke went 12-1, 0.37 as a junior at Klein High in 2008, striking out 147 in 77 innings. He helped Team USA to a silver medal at the World Junior championship during the summer, but suffered the loss in the gold-medal game when he allowed six runs on eight hits in four innings. In two appearances, he went 1-1, 4.15 with a walk and 18 strikeouts in 13 innings. His innings have been carefully managed as he's developed as a prospect, and his health background is completely clean. Purke commited to Texas Christian in the NCAA early-signing period.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Purke was solid this spring, regularly touching 95 early in the spring with a sharp curveball. He routinely attracted large groups of cross-checkers and quickly pulled even with California's Tyler Matzek as the top prep southpaws in the country. The cancellation of two weeks of Texas high-school games in late April/early May, a result of the Swine Flu epidemic, came at an opportune time for Purke as he was beginning to show signs of fatigue and had recently lost two games. Purke's high-school team, however, subsequently didn't even make the district playoffs when play resumed, leaving Purke with an uncomfortably long seven-week period between his last game and the June 9-11 draft. His name is regularly mentioned with teams in the top 8-15 picks, but he could slide from that area as he has told local scouts that he is looking for a major-league contract in excess of the $7-million plus deal that Detroit Tigers 2007 first-rounder and current big leaguer Rick Porcello engineered.-DR |
| |
| 11. |
Zach Wheeler |
RHP |
Sr. |
B-R |
6-4 |
185 |
East Paulding |
Dallas, Ga. |
Kennesaw State |
5/30/1990 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Wheeler is a projectable, athletic righthander with plus present stuff, and a good chance to keep getting better for years to come. He has pitched extensively for Georgia's East Cobb program at World Wood Bat Association events since the 2006 15-and-under national championship, and it's easy to track his steady progression from throwing in the mid-80s with a mediocre mid-60s curveball, to his present 90-93, touching 95-mph heat, with an upper-70s hammer. Wheeler has a polished delivery with a long, smooth arm action that should lead to plus command potential in the future, although he tends to pitch in the middle of the plate now like many young power pitchers. He has a relentless approach in throwing his fastball and an advanced ability to locate his curve. There is some concern on the part of scouts, though, that his arm slot and the lack of an established third pitch may relegate him to a bullpen role in the future. One thing scouts may not recognize about Wheeler is that he's an excellent all-around athlete who is an accomplished basketball player capable of throwing down a 360-degree dunk. As a junior at East Paulding High, Wheeler went 8-3, 1.31 with 127 K's and 22 walks in 64 innings. Wheeler's older brother Adam was a 13th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2001 out of Campbell High in Smyrna, Ga., and spent four years in that organization.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): After putting on 10-15 more pounds, Wheeler has grown into his body. But he is still very projectable with his loose arm and lanky, broad-shouldered lanky. He threw consistently in the low- to mid-90s this spring, making him one of the nation's hardest-throwing preps. His fastball has very good sink and downward-plane movement, separating Wheeler from other hard throwers. His off-speed stuff is inconsistent, but Wheeler flashed plus potential with his late, sharp 78-82 mph slider. He got heavy sink on his changeup, even at 83-85 mph. On the season, he went 8-0, 0.30 with 17 walks and 135 strikeouts in 69 innings. He profiles as an impact No. 1 or 2 starter, or possibly a power closer. Former East Cobb teammate Ethan Martin was the first prep pitcher drafted in 2008 (Dodgers, 15th overall), and Wheeler stands an excellent chance of being drafted sooner-though he may not be the first high-school pitcher drafted.-ANUP SINHA |
| |
| 12. |
Shelby Miller |
RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
6-3 |
200 |
Brownwood |
Brownwood, Texas |
Texas A&M |
10/10/1990 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Miller was a relative late comer to the national prospect scene but he's quickly made up for lost time, and many now consider him the top righthanded pitching prospect in the 2009 high-school class. Miller's fastball is in the 91-94 mph range, and he generates his arm strength from a compact power-pitcher's arm action and easy, balanced delivery. His mid-70s curveball has a big, sharp break and is a potential plus pitch, as well, and Miller's low-80s changeup also shows excellent potential, considering how infrequently he needs to use it. Miller has been a dominant pitcher in high-school ball, winning 10 games and striking out 127 hitters as a sophomore and throwing three consecutive no-hitters at one point in his junior season, one a 14-strikeout perfect game. He also played third base when he didn't pitch, and hit .413-9-32. Miller was also a top football player, earning second-team all-state honors as a punter (42.5 average) as a junior while playing wide receiver and linebacker.--DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Miller has solidified his status as a likely first-round pick but not in the way that many scouts would have preferred. After a slow start, Miller consistently generated 94-97 mph fastballs in every start and there are no questions about his arm strength. He did not show any consistency with his curveball, changeup or command, however, and scouts feel he was pitching more to the radar gun than to hitters. As Miller has shown an ability to throw quality breaking pitches in the past, it is not a major area of concern, especially since Miller pitched at a low level of competition during the spring and didn't need to be fine-tuned in order to dominate. It was encouraging that Miller threw a gem in the first game of the Texas district playoffs, striking out 14 while allowing only one hit and a walk.-DR |
| |
| 13. |
Jacob Turner |
RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
6-4 |
205 |
Westminster Academy |
St. Charles, Mo. |
North Carolina |
5/21/1991 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): While Turner isn't the hardest thrower in the 2009 high-school draft class, he probably fits the "power-pitcher" profile better than any other hurler. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Turner has trimmed down in the last year, mostly in his lower half, and has a square-framed build that should continue to get stronger. He has an effortless delivery, with very good gather over the rubber and smooth explosion to the plate. He has no glaring mechanical flaw to hinder his future progress. Turner's fastball is "only" 91-94 mph at present, but it jumps on hitters due to the ease of Turner's delivery and it has excellent heavy life at the plate. He can pitch to top-level hitters right now using just his fastball with its combination of velocity, life and deception. His curveball is a solid second offering in the upper-70s, with good spin and big, sweeping break. He also has the workings of a solid changeup. Turner dominated at every level during the past year. He struck out five out of six hitters at the Aflac All-American Game, after striking out 19 in 10 innings, while going 1-0, 3.48 in two starts for USA Baseball's silver-medal winning team at the World Junior championship. That came on the heels of going 8-1, 1.45 with nine walks and 92 strikeouts in 48 innings as a high-school junior. Interestingly, the top 2008 prospect from Missouri, righthander Tim Melville, was a very similar pitcher and prospect, and like Turner committed to North Carolina, before eventually signing a lucrative, seven-figure contract with the Kansas City Royals at the Aug. 15 deadline.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Turner surpassed his 2008 Missouri prep peer, Melville, with his performance and tool-set this spring, and speculation in the days leading up to the draft has Turner as a mid- to upper-first-round pick-if signability concerns don't stand in the way. Through 52 innings, Turner was 7-1, 0.40 with 105 strikeouts, and he had allowed just eight walks and 19 hits. He pitched frequently in the 93-95 mph area this spring, touching even higher, and showed improved consistency with his off-speed stuff. He went to Florida with his high-school team in mid-March and put on a solid early-season show (for a Missouri high-school pitcher, at least) for a large group of scouts who appreciated seeing a Midwest pitcher throwing out of his natural environment. Turner is much more advanced than the average high-school pitching prospect as he got the opportunity to work with former major leaguers Todd Worrell and Mike Metheny with his high school team, and his maturity on the mound is a big plus. Turner enlisted agent Scott Boras as his advisor, and there was speculation that he may be seeking a "Rick Porcello-type contract" (i.e. major-league deal in excess of $7 million in value) as the most-polished, upper-level high-school pitcher on the board.-DR |
| |
| 14. |
Mike Minor |
LHP |
Jr. |
L-L |
6-4 |
195 |
Vanderbilt |
Lewisburg, Tenn. |
Devil Rays '06 (13) |
12/26/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Even with consensus No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg on the pitching staff, it was Minor who got the nod to work the gold-medal game for Team USA against Japan at the World Collegiate Baseball championship last summer in the Czech Republic. Minor responded by going 9-2/3 scoreless innings, striking out nine, as Team USA eventually won 1-0 in 12 innings to complete the only undefeated season in the program's history. Overall, he went 3-0, 0.75 with 13 walks and 37 strikeouts in 36 innings. He tied Strasburg with a staff-high five starts. Minor is used to piggy-backing the best pitcher in college baseball as he was the Saturday starter for Vanderbilt in 2007 as a freshman, working behind David Price, the No. 1 overall pick in that year's draft. Minor went a solid 9-1, 3.09 with 19 walks and 88 strikeouts in 90 innings in that role, and was actually less dominant when he succeeded Price as the Friday starter as a sophomore, going 7-3, 4.28 with 28 walks and 101 strikeouts in 103 innings. Minor doesn't have an overpowering fastball, but he has all the credentials to become yet another Vanderbilt first-rounder in 2009. His fastball normally sits between 89-91 mph but he can reach 93-94 when he needs to reach back for a little extra. Minor has an effective two-pitch arsenal with his fastball and a devastating changeup, and he'll keep hitters honest with an occasional slider. He added a curve to his repertoire last summer that helped him to neutralize lefthanded hitters more effectively. But his bread-and-butter pitch is his fading changeup, and it is especially effective as he can throw it from the same arm angle and with the same arm speed as his fastball. It's the type of pitch that is hard to square up, even when hitters know it is coming. Though his fastball isn't overpowering, it has good late action and can be manipulated effectively and with uncanny accuracy to both sides of the plate. The pitch looks quicker than it is because of his easy arm action. He mainly just needs to work on refining his curve and slider, and possibly deciding which of the breaking balls to emphasize as he goes forward. Minor may have the best pitchability of the group of lefthanders projected to go in the first round this year. Though he has an over-the-top arm slot and his delivery isn't terribly smooth, he hides the ball well. But what really makes it all work for Minor is his pitchability and competitiveness.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Minor and Lipscomb lefthander Rex Brothers jockeyed back and forth down the stretch this spring to establish who would be the first Tennessee player drafted. Minor might have tipped the scales in his favor when he mastered No. 1-ranked Louisiana State 4-1 in a complete-game, five-hitter in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference tournament in late May. Statistically, Minor wasn't overly impressive this season as the LSU win was only his sixth of the season. In 111 innings overall, he went 6-6, 3.90 with 37 walks and 114 strikeouts. Unlike Brothers, whose 97-mph fastball vaulted him into top-round consideration, Minor was a steady 88-92 mph every time out, touching 94 on occasion. He has the much cleaner arm action of the two, a more-demonstrated history of success against better competition and is closer to pitching in the big leagues. Minor's ability to throw four pitches for strikes, notably his changeup, is at the root of his success. Outside of San Diego State righthander Stephen Strasburg and possibly Arizona State righty Mike Leake, Minor may be the safest college pitcher in the draft.-AS |
| |
| 15. |
Mike Leake |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-0 |
190 |
Arizona State |
Fallbrook, Calif. |
Athletics '06 (7) |
11/12/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Leake is one of the most uniquely talented and versatile players in the college ranks. While he's capable of playing almost every position on the field at a high level, his greatest value as a college player has been on the mound. He has worked 248 innings in his first two seasons at Arizona State-primarily by pounding the strike zone with a heavy, dominating 89-92 mph sinker, a hard slider and an outstanding changeup. His fastball can occasionally reach 94 mph when his arm is fresh and he's not burdened by his heavy workload. He can throw any pitch for strikes in any count, and has the best command on the ASU staff. Leake's competitive juices are also among the best in the college game. As Arizona State's primary Friday starter in 2008, he went 11-3, 3.49 with 101 strikeouts in 121 innings-topping the Sun Devils in all three triple-crown categories. He also saw time at shortstop and in the outfield when not pitching, and hit a solid .340-2-11. His versatility came in handy as a member of Team USA's college national team during the summer as he saw plenty of action both ways, hitting .236-1-8 in 55 at-bats while going 3-0, 0.64 with 24 strikeouts in 28 innings. He was also shuttled seamlessly between a starting and relief role, showing his versatility knows no limits on the mound, either, though it was apparent by the end of the summer that Leake was gassed from his multiple-use exploits. In particular, his fastball velocity dropped from spring to summer. Leake's upside for the purposes of professional baseball is on the mound, and he should have little trouble transitioning to the next level as he has no discernible weaknesses-outside of possibly his size and durability.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Good as Leake was as a pitcher in his first two years at Arizona State, he's been vastly better this season. In fact, there's been little to distinguish Leake from San Diego State wunderkind Stephen Strasburg from a performance standpoint-with the notable difference being the massive and historically-significant strikeout total that Strasburg assembled. Through his first 16 appearances, Leake was 15-1, 1.23 with 20 walks, 143 strikeouts and a .169 opponent batting average in 125 innings. Strasburg's final totals for the year: 13-1, 1.32 with 19 walks, 195 K's and a .172 OBA in 109 innings. Make no mistake, the 6-foot Leake is not in a league with the 6-foot-5 Strasburg in the eyes of scouts, but he still earns high praise for his ability to throw four pitches for strikes, feel for pitching and competitive spark-in other words, his flat-out ability to pitch. His fastball will never reach triple-digits as Strasburg's has consistently, but Leake gets excellent sinking action on his pitch at 89-92 mph, can reach 94 when he needs it and neutralizes lefthanded hitters with the cutting action he can create. His 76-81 mph curve that has depth and late snap is also an out-pitch, and his change routinely gets hitters off balance, resulting in a lot of weak swings. Though Leake has created little of the national intrigue in his career that Strasburg did this season, he is every bit as far along in his development and could even challenge his former Team USA teammate to be the first pitcher in the Class of 2009 to reach the big leagues.-AS |
| |
| 16. |
Mike Trout |
OF |
Sr. |
R-R |
6-1 |
190 |
Millville |
Millville, N.J. |
East Carolina |
8/7/1991 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Trout has emerged since last summer as one of the top outfield prospects in the country, based mainly on his combination of speed and strength. He generates excellent bat speed in his strong, physical build, and emerged as one of the fastest players in the country at the Area Code Games, when he ran a 6.52-second 60-equivalent to a 6.3-6.4 time if he'd run on the turf at the Metrodome in Minneapolis at Perfect Game's National Showcase earlier in the summer. He is also an aggressive base runner with excellent range in center field. Trout has solid big-league-average arm strength and has been a successful pitcher at the high school level with a mid-to-upper 80s fastball. The area of his game that Trout really intrigues scouts, though, is his ability to become a run-producing hitter with power potential, not just a speedy athlete. Trout has a power-hitter's approach with good flow and extension through the ball, although he does tend to pull off pitches occasionally and leave the outside half of the plate uncovered. The ball jumps off his bat and he showed impressive power at both the Area Codes and at the World Wood Bat Association fall championship in Jupiter, Fla., in October. Trout hit .530-9-35 as a junior at Millville High, and went 8-2, 1.77 with 124 K's in 76 innings on the mound. He's also 51-for-55 in his high-school career in stolen bases. Coaches at the next level might be tempted to put Trout at the top of the order to take advantage of his speed, but that might not be the ideal role for his broader range of tools in the long run. Trout's ability comes to him naturally as his father Jeff was an All-American second baseman at the University of Delaware in 1983, and a fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in that year's draft.-DAVID RAWNSLEY / ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): All the adulation that Trout began receiving last summer and fall proved well-founded as Trout had a huge senior season for Millville High, cementing him as a mid-first-rounder. The Major League Scouting Bureau was among those impressed and stuck a rare on-field performance grade of 66 (on the 20-80 scouting scale) on him in mid-March. That's rarified territory for a potential draft pick as San Diego State righthander Stephen Strasburg, a slam-dunk as the first pick, is the only known player in this year's draft class to have received a higher rating. Trout earned high marks in all phases of his game from the bureau, with the highest grades (a perfect 80) coming in the intangibles areas of baseball instincts and aggressiveness, which reflect his hard-nosed, get-dirty approach. Not surprisingly, Trout is a favorite of scouts. He carries himself exceptionally well and plays the game with an all-out style. There is little doubt that he has gotten the most out of his physical ability over the course of his high-school career. He set a south Jersey single-season record this spring by slamming 18 homers. In his previous three seasons, he had accumulated just 13 homers. His power surge spoke to added strength and a better overall offensive approach this season, particularly in his ability to stay back on breaking balls. Overall, he hit .531 with 45 RBIs. He also stole 21 bases, and his speed was a significant asset in all phases of his game. Though he moved from the middle infield and was spending his first full season as a center fielder, Trout played the position like a veteran. His range, instincts and arm were all advanced areas of his game, and his superior speed covered any mistakes stemming from his inexperience. Trout also pitched on occasion this spring, and went 5-1, 1.71. If Trout's total package sounds a bit like long-time ex-big leaguer Craig Biggio, the comparison seems apt. Long-time New Jersey scouts say Trout is a near-clone of Biggio, a first-round draft pick from the state in 1987.-AS |
| |
| 17. |
Bobby Borchering |
3B |
Sr. |
B-R |
6-4 |
195 |
Bishop Verot |
Fort Myers, Fla. |
Florida |
10/25/1990 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): As scouts have repeatedly seen Borchering hit high-quality pitching at premium events over the past year, they have come to the realization that the 6-foot-4, 220-pound switch-hitter might be the best pure third base prospect in the 2009 class. Defensively, there is little question that Borchering will stay at third base for a long time. He has good agility, despite his long, angular frame, and has the type of body life and body type that doesn't look like it's going to slow down any time soon. His arm strength is his best defensive tool. Borchering's power from both sides of the plate is what gets scouts' attention, though. He has a big, full load from both sides of the plate and takes a very aggressive swing that initially looks long and out of control. But Borchering is a quick-twitch hitter with very good pitch recognition, and rarely takes a bad or ineffective swing. He's shown the ability to hit the ball deep in the hitting zone and drive it hard to the gaps from both sides of the plate, and has pull/loft ability as well. Borchering's swing from the left side has a grade more bat speed and is smoother out front, but he's a legit hitter from both sides. It wouldn't be surprising to start hearing comparisons in the spring between Borchering and Chipper Jones as far as switch-hitting styles. Borchering's consistency at premium summer events carries over to his spring performance as well; he hit .433-5-33 as a sophomore at Bishop Verot and .463-6-30 as a junior.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Borchering had a big spring for Bishop Verot High (.494-13-37 in 77 at-bats) and quickly moved into mid- to late-first-round consideration. He's continued to hit from both sides of the plate, and his defense at third base improved. Some scouts questioned whether he could remain there at the big-league level because of his long actions and slow feet for a player his size, but Borchering's reactions have become quicker and he's making strong throws across the diamond. Because of his arm strength, a few scouts have even wondered about him as a catcher, where he worked out some last fall. It's much more likely he plays third base in his pro debut, and remains there. Borchering was so impressive at the plate this spring that he may have the most upside of any hitter in the draft.-ANUP SINHA |
| |
| 18. |
Rex Brothers |
LHP |
Jr. |
L-L |
6-0 |
195 |
Lipscomb |
Chapel Hill, Tenn. |
Never drafted |
12/18/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Brothers had a losing record in 2008, both as a sophomore at Lipscomb (4-5, 5.57) and in his return to Falmouth of the Cape Cod League (1-4, 4.25), and walked a combined 81 in 133 innings. But he also topped the Atlantic Sun Conference in strikeouts, with 97 in 97 innings, and led the Commodores with 48 more strikeouts in 36 innings. He punched out hitters at a high rate mainly on the strength of two dominating pitches, a 92-94 mph fastball that topped out at 96 late in the Cape League season, and a hard, biting slider that can overpower hitters when he throws it consistently for strikes. His changeup is a clear No. 3 pitch, and viewed more as a work in progress. The key for Brothers lies in his control and the consistency of his breaking ball. He struggled with his command early in the summer on the Cape, but it got much sharper in the second half of the season as he gained confidence in his stuff, and it showed in his performance. He pitched much better in the second half. If Brothers can continue to perform at a high level as a junior, he could surge close to the first round in the June draft-a remarkable feat considering he went undrafted out of a Tennessee high school and was not heavily recruited by even area colleges.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Brothers was lurking on the brink of the first round on April 4, when he hooked up with Kennesaw State fireballer Kyle Heckathorn in the opener of an Atlantic Sun series that was one of the most heavily-scouted games of the spring-with more than half the 30 major-league scouting directors on hand. Though Brothers lost the game, 2-1 on two unearned runs, it was his best outing of the spring and he made a profound impression on the assembled masses. He went the distance, walked none and struck out 12, with a fastball that peaked at 97 mph and a dynamite slider. His velocity was up and down, and his command came and went the remainder of the spring, but the one outing vaulted Brothers squarely into the first round. In 14 starts, he went 5-5, 3.26 with 43 walks and 132 strikeouts in 94 innings. Everything may hinge ultimately on the day a team saw Brothers. His command was inconsistent as he was prone to leaving a lot of pitches up in the zone, his fastball was flat at times and he often worked with only two pitches as Brothers struggled to incorporate his changeup-suggesting a closer role may be in his future.-AS |
| |
| 19. |
Jared Mitchell |
OF |
Jr. |
L-L |
6-0 |
200 |
Louisiana State (FB) |
New Iberia, La. |
Twins '06 (10) |
10/13/1988 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Mitchell's football career at LSU has adversely impacted his development as a hitter, but he remains one of the premium athletes in this year's draft and still ranks as a potential first-round pick. Everything hinges on the bat. Mitchell hit .258-3-21 as a freshman for LSU, and improved marginally as a sophomore by batting .297-6-29. He has a quick bat, but simply lacks repetitions after spending each of his three fall seasons at LSU as a wide receiver on the football team, instead of refining his baseball skills. Mitchell caught 13 passes for 143 yards as a member of LSU's BCS championship team in 2007, but caught just seven passes for the Tigers last fall as the scales appeared to tip more toward baseball as his primary pursuit. Unfortunately, he lost valuable development time on the baseball field last summer by leaving for home after playing in just five games in the Cape Cod League, after getting just one hit in 11 at-bats. Though Mitchell is clearly behind at the plate and his instincts for the game are not where they should be for a player his age, his other physical skills are quite advanced. With a 6.45-second clocking in the 60, he has outstanding speed and is not only an accomplished base stealer but a top defender in center field with excellent range. With Mitchell and teammate Leon Landry both in the same outfield, LSU might have the top two defensive center fielders in the country. Mitchell played exclusively center field as a freshman, but split time with Landry at the position a year ago. He was expected to play mostly center field this spring, but has developed more of a comfort zone at a corner position. Mitchell's arm was yet another of his superior tools when in high school, but it has gone backwards since as he has bulked up for football and taken more than his share of crushing hits on the football field. There was much speculation, as late as 24 hours before the 2006 draft, that Mitchell would be selected in the first round, but teams got scared off at the last minute because of his combined football/baseball commitment to LSU, and he slipped all the way to the 10th round. As a high-school senior, he was the Louisiana 5-A offensive player of the year as a multiple-threat quarterback, and hit .506-6-31 with 29 stolen bases in 30 attempts.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Mitchell's hitting skills showed a marked improvement this spring, re-igniting much of the first-round talk that surrounded him as a high-school senior. The two areas of his game that progressed the most were his base-running instincts and his ability to put backspin on balls, which resulted in greater carry off the bat, and more power. Mitchell is an exceptional athlete, possibly the best in this year's college crop, and has frequently been compared to Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford for his combination of raw speed and compact strength. Many scouts believe that Mitchell has just begun to show his true potential after three years of splitting time with football. His package is still not without holes, though. He has a somewhat-rigid approach at the plate and strikes out far too much, especially against lefthanders, for a player whose game is centered on speed. Mitchell's walk-vs.-strikeout numbers actually look at lot more like big-league sluggers Adam Dunn or Jim Thome as he also walked 47 times while striking out on 58 occasions in his first 184 official at-bats this spring, though he did manage to hit .326-8-40 with a team-high 30 stolen bases-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| 20. |
Andrew Oliver |
LHP |
Jr. |
L-L |
6-4 |
210 |
Oklahoma State |
Vermillion, Ohio |
Twins '06 (17) |
12/3/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Oliver was enjoying an excellent sophomore campaign at Oklahoma State, at 7-2, 2.20 with 36 walks and 96 strikeouts in 98 strikeouts, when he was abruptly suspended from the team by the NCAA and his own school after a former advisor blew the whistle that he was being represented by an agent-a no-no for a college athlete. He missed all of post-season play and his eligibility for 2009 remained in doubt for months as his case became entangled in the courts. Just when it looked like he would be forced to sit out a majority of the season, an Ohio court overturned the NCAA ruling and immediately re-established Oliver's eligibility. Despite all the anguish he was forced to endure as his promising career sat in legal limbo, which overshadowed his status as one of the top pitching prospects in the 2009 class, Oliver missed only post-season play a year ago. He spent the summer with Team USA's college-national team, and though he made just four starts, he reaffirmed his status as possibly the top college lefthander for the 2009 draft by going 2-0, 0.93 with 24 strikeouts in 19 innings. Oliver attacks hitters with his fastball, first and foremost, and he has very good command of the pitch, which is normally in the 92-94 mph range, and can touch 95. Oliver has some deception in his delivery, and the movement he generates on his fastball makes it tough for hitters to read. He also throws an average changeup and an improving slider for strikes, but he relies extensively on locating his fastball to put hitters away. His command improved significantly as a sophomore. At this point, Oliver mainly needs to be more consistent with his power slider, which can occasionally freeze hitters, to establish himself both as a true first-rounder and a starter in pro ball.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): While it might be simplistic to blame Oliver's mediocre junior season (5-6, 5.30) on the distractions from his legal proceedings, or on the somewhat disappointing season the Cowboys had in 2009, or even on a case of draft-itis, the real solution seems much simpler. Oliver was simply a two-pitch pitcher for much of the spring, and no pitcher without a breaking ball is likely to be successful on a consistent basis without a breaking ball. A cross-checker noted that in one April outing Oliver threw only two breaking balls, and at that they were weak, token sliders that graded out as a "3" on the pro-scouting 2-8 scale. Oliver's fastball was better than ever, though, and consistently sat at 93-95 mph in many outings with good life, and Oliver showed good ability to move it in and out. His changeup grades out as a solid-average big-league pitch, and he has enough confidence in it to use it in any count. Oliver has never had a dominant or even average breaking ball. He has thrown both a curve and slider at different times in the past, but both were below-average. It's apparent that he will have to develop a quality breaking ball at some point in the future, and have confidence in it to be successful at the next level.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
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| 21. |
Eric Arnett |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-5 |
225 |
Indiana |
Pataskala, Ohio |
Never drafted |
1/25/1988 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): A resurgent Indiana baseball program was expected to have two potential first-round picks this year in catcher Josh Phegley and lefthander Matt Bashore, with another couple of possible early-round selections in outfielders Evan Crawford and Kipp Schutz. Arnett was largely overshadowed by that quartet in his first two seasons with the Hoosiers, but is viewed as a dark-horse candidate himself to be a potential early-round pick. After going undrafted out of an Ohio high school in 2006, Arnett went 2-2, 6.11 as an Indiana freshman and 4-5, 5.45 while striking out just 37 in 64 innings as a sophomore. His size and superior athletic ability have always intrigued scouts, however. He was a three-sport star at an Ohio high school, and won 10 letters in all. He still holds school records for home runs, as well as for receptions, touchdown catches and receiving yardage. Though he was an all-state wide receiver as a senior and had numerous offers to play college football, he elected to cast his lot with baseball. Measurable success was hard to come by in his first two college seasons, but Arnett has increased his fastball velocity in the past year from a high of 92 to 93-94 mph, even topping at 96. Moreover, a fastball that was usually straight in the past now has hard, sinking action. Arnett also showed in fall practice and pre-season scrimmages that he was able to hold his velocity deeper into games. He throws a slider as his second pitch and will also mix in a split-finger change occasionally. Arnett appeared primed for a breakout season in 2009 and some of the optimism stemmed from the 2-1/2 months that he spent working out with the Indiana basketball team this winter, though he never actually played in a game. The beleaguered IU hoops program needed bodies to practice, and first-year coach Tom Crean (himself a baseball fan) invited Arnett to work with the team. The conditioning program, rest from throwing and increased athleticism all seemed to have Arnett ready to take his talent on the baseball field to a new level.-DAVID RAWNSLEY / ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): No question, Arnett emerged this spring as the best prospect in an unusually-talented Indiana college class. The projection that scouts had dreamed on when Arnett was a younger pitcher came to fruition as a junior. He jumped past Bashore, a considerable prospect in his own right, to become the Hoosiers ace and went 12-2, 2.50 with 109 strikeouts in 108 innings. He yielded just 82 hits. It was a substantial upgrade from his first two college seasons, and together Arnett and Bashore won 19 games to lead the vastly-improved Hoosiers to the Big Ten tournament championship and an NCAA regional berth. Arnett's fastball featured steady mid-90s velocity, and he was able to maintain it deeper into games than in the past. He also made significant advances in his command and pitchability. His slider, in particular, showed a marked improvement from his freshman year and projects now as a solid second pitch. His split-finger change is a third quality offering.-ANUP SINHA |
| |
| 22. |
Tim Wheeler |
OF |
Jr. |
L-R |
6-4 |
205 |
Cal State Sacramento |
Sacramento, Calif. |
Never drafted |
1/21/1988 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): There was debate whether Tim Wheeler or Brewster first baseman Ryan Wheeler, another 6-foot-4, lefthanded-hitting Californian who also arrived in the league with little fanfare, was the better prospect last summer in the Cape Cod League. Both enhanced their standing for the 2009 draft significantly off strong performances, but Tim earned the nod as the better prospect on the basis of a more well-rounded set of tools. The obvious tool that stood out was his speed. Wheeler topped the Cape with 15 stolen bases-a rare feat for a player his size-and his speed was evident more on the bases than in the field. He spent the summer in right field and there were questions whether he had sufficient speed to possibly slide over to center field. His arm strength, possibly his weakest tool, also may limit him to left field. While his optimum position is unclear, Wheeler made strides with the bat. He hit .265-4-17 for Orleans and actually homered more times with wood than he did with aluminum as a sophomore at Cal State Sacramento, where he hit .330-3-43 and stole just 10 bases. Wheeler has the size and smooth, easy stroke to project more power than he has shown to date. But while there are signs that his power may be ready to blossom, scouts aren't convinced yet that he'll hit for power on a consistent basis at the pro level. His ability to significantly upgrade his home-run total this spring will be critical in both enhancing his value in the draft and dispelling the notion that he may be just a tweener-type player-one with insufficient speed to thrive in center and insufficient power to be a threat at a corner position.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): With a power explosion this spring, Wheeler significantly changed his profile to a point that his bat is now considered his best tool. He slammed 18 homers, drove in 72 runs and batted .385-a significant offensive upgrade on anything he had done in the past. Scouts saw him as a legitimate five-tool talent, capable of going late in the first round. He displayed an aggressive approach to hitting with a good path through the hitting zone and power to both the pull side and straight-away. He changed his swing to be a little more compact, and still has some minor mechanical flaws to work out as his stroke can be a little long. More than anything, he just needs to be a little more selective at the plate as he tends to pull off pitches. Wheeler's speed and base-running instincts continued to be significant assets, and he stole 15 bases in 17 attempts this spring. In addition to his tools, Wheeler plays the game hard and with a lot of energy. Cal State Sacramento has never had a player drafted in the first round before-much less the first three rounds-and Wheeler should change that perception of the school.-AS |
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| 23. |
Drew Storen |
RHP |
So. |
B-R |
6-1 |
170 |
Stanford |
Brownsburg, Ind. |
Yankees '07 (34) |
8/11/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Storen served up the final pitch of the 2008 Cape Cod League season, surrendering a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to pinch-hitter Mark Fleury (North Carolina) that enabled Harwich to come from behind and pull out a dramatic 2-1 win over Cotuit in the deciding game of the championship series. The Kettleers had clung to a 1-0 lead heading to the final inning with starter Nick Hernandez (Tennessee) in control, but Storen was brought on after a leadoff triple, and promptly hit a batter, walked another and then gave up the winning hit. Despite the fateful inning, Storen threw as hard that night as he did all summer-up to 96 mph. Storen has a slender, medium-sized build, but generates excellent arm strength in a clean, easy delivery. And yet he is still capable of creating plenty of deception through a complete back turn and a quick, compact arm action that makes it difficult for hitters to see the ball until it's on them. He attacks and pounds the strike zone with a solid two-pitch mix, but needs to improve his command by locating his pitches down in the strike zone more consistently. In addition to his above-average fastball, his slider is an out-pitch. He can work in a changeup once in a while, but relies primarily on two pitches, and that repertoire along with his tough, competitive approach makes him ideally-suited to close. He has an advanced feel for pitching, not surprising since Storen, a rising sophomore, is older than many college juniors as he turned 21 last August. He stepped right in as the closer at Stanford and posted a 5-3, 3.51 record with eight saves as a freshman. In 56 innings, he struck out 50. Though he was late arriving to the Cape because of Stanford's appearance in the College World Series, he went 1-2, 2.76 with a team-high five saves. Storen's size, electric stuff and approach to pitching are similar to big leaguer Tim Hudson, and he should emerge as one of the premier college closers in this year's draft. Storen's father is former XM radio personality Mark Patrick, who hosted a popular morning baseball talk show with former big leaguer Buck Martinez until late last year.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Storen was outstanding as Stanford's closer this spring, with the notable exception of a singular seven-run explosion against Arizona State on April 18 that accounts for almost half the runs he's allowed this year. Overall, he was 6-1, 3.83 with seven saves in 27 appearances, and had 58 strikeouts while walking just eight in 40 innings. Three of the walks were in the ASU outing, which was heavily attended by scouts. Storen's aggressiveness in the strike zone and the tendency for his fastball to straighten out when up in the strike zone makes him a bit prone to the long ball, and he allowed five home runs this spring-several at critical times. His fastball was consistently in the 93-95 mph range with heavy sink down low, and his ability to work the corners with it stood out. Storen's mid-80s slider is a second plus pitch, at times, and he has similar control over the pitch. Pitching out of the bullpen with two plus pitches and plus command tells is generally a good indicator that Storen's path to the big leagues will be a very short as a reliever. It will be interesting to see if a team takes note of Storen's smooth delivery and arm action, and overall athletic ability, and plays with the idea of his becoming a starter as a pro. But he would need to develop a changeup, a pitch he currently doesn't throw. Draft-eligible sophomores like Storen usually come with some signability concerns, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Storen whose value will never be higher as he seems very likely to be a mid first-round pick.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |
| 24. |
Chad Jenkins |
RHP |
Jr. |
R-R |
6-4 |
225 |
Kennesaw State |
Canton, Ga. |
Never drafted |
12/22/1987 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Jenkins drew mixed reviews from scouts for his work in the Great Lakes League last summer, even as he earned all-league honors as a starting pitcher by compiling a tidy 3-1, 2.11 record with six walks and 36 strikeouts in 47 innings. His fastball velocity was often below average and he relied mostly on pitchability for his success-surprising, considering his big, powerful and yet unusually loose build. Jenkins worked mainly in the 88-91 mph range and threw three pitches for strikes. He would, however, occasionally tease scouts by cutting loose on a fastball that approached the mid-90s. His major improvement during the summer was that he grew into his big frame and made strides in learning how to pitch. It was apparent to those with a longer history on Jenkins, especially those who saw him produce a 5-5, 3.96 record with 13 walks and 78 strikeouts in 89 innings as a sophomore at Kennesaw State, that he could soon evolve into one of the top draft picks in 2009 by simply showing his best velocity on a more consistent basis, and that occurred in fall practice at Kennesaw State, where Jenkins consistently reached 95-96 mph. Equally impressive, his slider was a fast 86. Most of the buzz at Kennesaw State during the fall was still on Jenkins' teammate, righthander Kyle Heckathorn, who peaked at 99 mph. But as the number of scouts who came by to see Heckathorn increased, the more stayed on to catch a glimpse of Jenkins, and his big frame, increased velocity and improved sense of pitchability had scouts vaulting Jenkins up draft boards almost as quickly as Heckathorn. In a straight-up comparison to his 6-foot-6, 240-pound pitching mate, Jenkins matches up well. Heckathorn has the better fastball and changeup, while Jenkins has the superior breaking ball and command. The two towering pitchers should be a formidable presence atop the Kennesaw State rotation this spring.-ALLAN SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Jenkins came on with such a rush this spring that he not only moved past Heckathorn to become the ace of the Kennesaw State staff, but ranked higher than his more-celebrate teammate as most teams prepared their final draft boards. He now has an honest shot of going in the back half of the first round-and has even been linked to the Washington Nationals with the No. 10 pick. Jenkins led Kennesaw State to a first-place finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference, but didn't have a chance to pitch another game or two for scouts in post-season play as the Owls are in their final season of transitioning to Division I status and were ineligible to participate in the NCAA tournament. Nonetheless, Jenkins went a tidy 8-1, 2.54 with 15 walks and 98 strikeouts in 92 innings. He and Heckathorn each made 13 starts. Jenkins continued to throw in the low-90s as the year went on, with two-seam tailing action on his fastball. His other pitches-an 82-83 mph slider, an 85-mph cutter and an effectively-fading high-70s change-were all solid big-league average. He displayed unusually good control, but his lack of command may get him in trouble in pro ball as he leaves too many balls over the plate. Jenkins has very thick hips and some lingering baby fat, and yet still seems to be growing and filling out.-ANUP SINHA |
| |
| 25. |
Matt Hobgood |
RHP |
Sr. |
R-R |
6-4 |
245 |
Norco |
Norco, Calif. |
Cal State Fullerton |
8/3/1990 |
| SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Hobgood enters the 2009 season with credentials as one of the nation's top performance players. He went 10-0, 1.33 on the mound as a junior at Norco High with 100 strikeouts in 73 innings. He also hit a loud .489-15-45, and plays first base when not pitching. With fellow Cal State Fullerton recruit Wes Hatton (6-1, 1.66) as a strong No. 2 arm, Norco should have one of the top teams in the country this season. Like Hobgood, Hatton is a superior two-way talent and plays shortstop for his high-school team when not on the mound. Hatton was also a member of Team USA's junior-national team a year ago. Hobgood is more highly-regarded and feared as a hitter in the Southern California prep ranks than he is as righthanded pitcher, but his future is clearly brighter in the long run on the mound. He has an extra-large build and may be conservatively listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds; he will have to watch his conditioning constantly. But he is also enormously strong and the ball comes off his bat as hard as any high school player's in the country. He put on a huge power display at the 2008 Area Code Games during BP, but Hobgood's game swing is very long against velocity. If he does end up pitching in the big leagues, don't be surprised if he puts on a couple of Carlos Zambrano-type power displays. On the mound, Hobgood has a smooth, slow-paced delivery with a very low-effort arm action and easy release. He has regularly touched 94-95 mph at times in the past, and it's easy to see him maturing into an upper-90s type power reliever in the future. Burly Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks would be a good potential comparison. Hobgood's breaking ball is a 77-mph curveball that has a big, hard bite to it and is a nice complement to his power fastball. But he's more thrower than pitcher at this point in his development.-DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Hobgood has done as much this spring to solidify himself at the top of the draft as any high-school prospect in California. His raw stuff has been consistently in the plus area, with his fastball frequently into the mid-90s and staying consistent in the low-90s late into games. His breaking ball and changeup have also shown more consistency and better quality. Hobgood's signature game this spring came against highly-regarded outfielder Jake Marisnick of Riverside's Poly High in early April, when Marisnick had no chance to catch up to Hobgood's fastballs on the inner half of the plate. Most scouts seemed to feel that Hobgood put himself solidly into the second half of the first round off that performance. In terms of performance overall, Hobgood was his usual self and one of the most dominating two-way prep players in the country. He was hitting .462-18-49 on his 23-4 Norco High team deep into May, while posting a 9-0, 0.38 mark on the mound with 84 K's in 55 innings.-DR |
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