Crack of the Bat
by Patrick Ebert

Alabama Preps
The prep talent in Alabama continues to grow, as this year there are several players from Alabama high schools that could be taken in the first three to five rounds of the draft.

Colby Rasmus, a first round pick in the 2005 draft and the son of Russell County High School Tony Rasmus, seemed to start this wave of impressive talent, and was followed in 2006 by two of his high school teammates, brother Cory Rasmus and left-handed pitcher Kasey Kiker. Kiker was a first-rounder that went 12^th overall to the Rangers a year ago, while the younger Rasmus went in the supplemental round to the Braves. Right-handed pitcher Caleb Clay of Cullman High School also went in the supplemental round to the Boston Red Sox.

A notable name from the 2004 draft that fits this discussion is Patrick White, who went in the fourth round to the Angels but did not sign. White is now the starting quarterback at West Virginia University.

This year’s class is one to remember, and the only bad thing about the high level talent from the state is that the state’s two major D1 baseball programs, Auburn and Alabama, stand to lose this impressive talent should the majority of these players choose to pursue professional baseball this summer.

Austin Bailey – RHP - Prattville High School
Bailey played for the esteemed East Cobb program and participated at last summer’s Perfect Game National Showcase as well as the East Coast Professional Showcase. He could be a two-way star should he honor his commitment to play for Alabama, as he has a powerful arm on the mound and an equally powerful switch-hitting bat at the plate. His electric arm makes him a more exciting pitching prospect at the professional level, as his arm moves quick and effortlessly as he pumps the strike zone with darting 88-92 mph fastballs, and can touch the 93 to 94 range with some regularity. He also throws a promising curveball, slider and a solid changeup, with all of his pitches showing very good natural movement.

Danny Danielson – RHP - Russell County High School
With Tony Rasmus overseeing the Russell County program, the school has started to produce an impressive amount of talent the past few years. Danielson is the best of this year’s bunch, and as his 6’5”, 210 pound frame continues to fill out, his velocity has increased from the upper-80s (he topped out at 86 at the Perfect Game World Showcase last January) to the low-90s this spring, being clocked as high as 93 mph. He is best known for his wicked changeup, and he also spins a decent curveball. His increased velocity and already impressive frame may make his chances of landing on the Alabama campus less likely.

Kentrail Davis – OF - Theodore High School
Former Aflac All-American Kentrail Davis is the cream of the Alabama crop, a true five-tool outfielder that has future star written all over him. Physically you may not think Davis has that potential, with a wider lower half, but it’s impossible not to be impressed with his game when you watch him play. He has very good, game-changing speed, and a lightning quick bat that allows him to tattoo the ball to all parts of the field when he’s not launching them over the outfield wall. Davis has drawn several comparisons to Kirby Puckett given his exciting tools yet less than ideal frame. He has committed to play for the Tennessee Volunteers, but if he is selected in the first round as his talent warrants, he will never see Knoxville as a student.

Brandon Hamilton – RHP - Stanhope Elmore High School
Hamilton may have the highest upside of any player on this list, but he is also the farthest away from harnessing that talent. A strongly built right-handed pitcher, he has been clocked as high as 96 mph this spring, and easily works in the low-90s. His slider also shows the foundation of being a legitimate, power pitch. However, Hamilton can be extremely wild at times, and there are concerns about his mechanics. If he is teamed with the right pitching coach in the right organization or college program (he has committed to Troy), honing his mechanics may not be as big of an issue, and as we all know, one’s ability to master the strike zone has so much to do with one’s delivery and how well he repeats it.

D.J. Jones – OF - Gulf Shores High School
Jones is no stranger to the showcase and tournament circuit. Amidst his performances at the East Coast Professional and Perfect Game National Showcases, he played for the Florida Bombers with Davis last summer, and is the second, exciting five-tool player from the state of Alabama. Jones throws and hits left-handed, and profiles in a similar fashion to Colby Rasmus given his athletic ability, speed and power combination. His doubles and triples started to turn into home runs this spring, as he hit 16, and yet he didn’t lose a lick of speed, swiping 30 bags in 31 attempts. He also pitched a no-hitter in the state playoffs, but his future lies as an outfielder. Few players in the nation have Jones’ upside, as he has drawn big crowds from the scouting community all spring.

Hunter Morris – 3B/OF - Grissom High School
Morris is the second of two Aflac All-Americans on this list, and has made his rounds at nearly every major showcase and tournament event. His left-handed power is evident, and his 6’4”, 200-plus pound frame makes him an intimidating presence at the plate. He broke the state of Alabama’s all-time single-season walk record this spring, a mark previously held by Oakland A’s farmhand Jeremy Brown, so you know he has a discerning eye at the plate, as he didn’t get much to hit this spring. When Morris did get something to hit, he rarely missed, crushing mistakes and reminding the opposing pitchers why they pitch around him. He has played third base, but may be better suited to either first base or a corner outfield spot.

Kevin Patterson – 1B/C - Oak Mountain High School
Left-handed hitting sluggers are becoming a trend on this list, and after profiling Morris it’s hard imagining a player whose power equals, if not exceeds, the former Aflac All-American’s. Patterson like Morris is a very good athlete given his very large and powerful frame. He is pretty slick around the first base bag, and has also spent some time behind the dish catching. He has an average to good arm behind the plate, but his size may make him better off sticking at first, and his bat should allow him to play anywhere he wants. Patterson suffered a broken hamate bone that caused him to miss a couple of weeks this season, but upon his return showed no signs of wear, promptly crushing a home run off of Danny Danielson of Russell County. Patterson, Morris and Jones have all committed to play for Auburn.

Ross Wilson – SS - Hoover High School
A true ballplayer, Wilson doesn’t overwhelm anyone with his size, stature or tool-set, but he gets the job done in all facets of the game. An extremely reliable defender, he uses quick feet, solid range and a strong arm to make all the plays from shortstop. At the plate he has a quick bat made for contact, and he will surprise you with his pop given the amount of bat speed in his swing. He participated at the Perfect Game National and East Coast Professional Showcases last summer, and has committed to play for Alabama. Should Wilson honor that commitment and play for the Crimson Tide, he is likely to make an immediate impact as a freshman.

College Talent
While the draft-eligible talent level from the college level isn’t as impressive as the prep crop, there are some intriguing names to follow leading up to the June draft.

Josh Donaldson is the biggest and best name of the group, a player that has been profiled in previous Crack of the Bat columns. Donaldson is a right-handed slugging catcher that has also played third base at Auburn who is putting up big numbers this spring for the Tigers and isn’t likely to slip past the super-size sandwich round this year.

Teammate Mike Bianucci is a draft-eligible sophomore who is also putting up solid numbers this spring. Bianucci is probably limited to a corner outfield spot given his limited tools, but it may not matter where he plays as his bat is going to earn him his paychecks.

Alabama has a pair on interesting draft-eligible prospects as well, starting with former Team USA member and draft-eligible sophomore Tommy Hunter. Pitching predominantly out of the bullpen, he posted a 23 to four strikeout to walk ratio for Team USA in just over 21 innings of work, and has continued his strike-zone mastery this spring while being used in a swing roll for the Crimson Tide. His signature pitch is a big-breaking curveball.

Emeel Salem is the catalyst on offense for Alabama, leading the Tide in several offensive categories while patrolling centerfield. Blessed with game-changing speed, Salem needs to continue to get on base to make the most of his abilities, as there isn’t much power in his stroke. He is also regarded as a very fine defensive player, and few hustle as much as he does. Salem is a senior that is also a very good student, and decided to return to school after being selected by the Orioles in the 10^th round of the draft last June.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.