NEW ENGLAND (CT-ME-MA-NH-RI-VT) 

2007 FOLLOW LIST  

OVERVIEW: Connecticut righthander Matt Harvey and Massachusetts lefthander Jack McGeary gave New England scouts reason to get excited about this draft class on their talent alone, but neither pitched quite to the level they had become accustomed to. Both were projected as almost certain first-round picks and could still go there, especially Harvey, but they are now considered high-signability risks if they are not selected in the premium positions they held at the beginning of the year.

Beyond Harvey and McGeary, theNew England talent drops off considerably. Many of the better drafts are actually college seniors, normally the least appealing demographic in any draft. But players like Boston college righthander Kevin Boggan, Northeastern catcher Dan Milano, Sacred Heart righthander Jay Monti and Brown catcher Devin Thomas all stepped out of the shadows to have breakout senior seasons.

But for every New England player that improved his draft stock, almost double the number of players with significant draft aspirations went backwards like Boston College righthander Terry Doyle, Yale righthanders Steve Gilman and Chris Wietlispach, Maine infielder Curt Smith, Harvard infielder Steffan Wilson and Rhode Island Zach Zaneski. All were projected to go in the top 15 rounds entering the season, but it is entirely possible that most, if not all, will return to college for their senior seasons. Every top high school player is expected to end up in college as well—possibly even Harvey, a North Carolina recruit, and McGeary, a Stanford recruit.   

STRENGTH: College seniors.
WEAKNESS: High school bats.
OVERALL RATING (1-to-5 scale): 2.

BEST OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, Connecticut Connection: Andrew Carignan, rhp, U. of North Carolina. Maine: Charlie Furbush, lhp, Louisiana State U. Massachusetts: Ryan Moorer, rhp, U. of Maryland. New Hampshire : No candidate. Rhode Island: Terry Doyle, rhp, Boston College . Vermont : No candidate.

TOP 2008 PROSPECT, Connecticut : Jason Esposito, 3b, Amity HS, Bethany. Maine: Kevin McAvoy, 3b, U. of Maine. Massachusetts : Mike Tamsin, of, Northeastern U. New Hampshire: Brad Zapenas, ss, Nashua North HS. Rhode Island: Ryan Westmoreland, if, Portsmouth HS. Vermont: Travis Dulude, rhp, Enosburg Falls HS.

HIGHEST PICK, DRAFT HISTORY/Connecticut: Bobby Valentine, ss, Rippowam HS, Stamford (1968, Dodgers/1^st round, 5^th pick). Maine: Billy Swift, rhp, U. of Maine (1984, Mariners/1^st round, 2^nd pick). Massachusetts : Joe Coleman, rhp, Natick HS (1965, Senators/1^st round, 3^rd pick). New Hampshire: Chris Carpenter, rhp, Trinity HS, Manchester (1993, Blue Jays/1^st round, 15^th pick). Rhode Island Bill Almon, ss, Brown U. (1974, Padres/1^st round, 1^st pick). Vermont: Kirk McCaskill, rhp, U. of Vermont (1982, Angels/4^th round).

HIGHEST PICK, 2006 DRAFT/Connecticut: Tim Norton, rhp, U. of Connecticut (Yankees, 7^th round). Maine : None drafted. Massachusetts: Adam Ottavino, rhp, Northeastern U. (Cardinals/1^st round, 30^th pick). New Hampshire : Jeff Locke, lhp, Kennett HS, Center Conway (Braves/2^nd round). Rhode Island: Steve Holmes, rhp, U. of Rhode Island (Mets, 5^th round). Vermont : None selected.

Best College Team: Franklin Pierce (N.H.).
Best High School Team: Waterford (Conn. ) HS.

TOP 30 PROSPECTS / By Allan Simpson

GROUPS (College, Junior College, High School)
      1   High-round draft (Rounds 1-3)
      2   Mid-round draft (Rounds 4-10)
      3   Late-round draft (Rounds 11-25)
      4   Chance draft / Player to follow

GROUP ONE
Rank  Player                                  Pos.       Yr     B-T      HT     WT     School                              Hometown                 Drafted/(Commit) B’date
     1.   Matt Harvey                         RHP      Sr.     R-R     6-4     195     Fitch HS                            Mistic, Conn.              (North Carolina ) 3-27-89
SCOUTING REPORT: Harvey entered 2007 on a par with New Jersey ’s Rick Porcello as the elite high school arms in this year’s draft. But where Porcello took his game to another level this spring, Harvey took a slight step back as his command was not as sharp and he was plagued by minor mechanical issues. His delivery was more rigid, leading him to throw across his body more than scouts had seen in the past. The ball also didn’t come out of his hand as easily. But his stuff was every bit as electric as it was in the past, though he also had a couple of just fair outings this spring. His fastball was a consistent 92-94 mph, topping at 96, and he mixed it interchangeably with his 74-77 mph hammer curveball. His 81-83 mph changeup continued to show improvement. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Harvey is a classic projectable righthander and an easy first-round talent—his minor setbacks this season not withstanding. But his marginally-depressed stock has made signability a real issue now, and may open the door for him to fulfill his commitment to North Carolina—especially with Scott Boras as his adviser. Boras, more than any other agent, has no trepidation in steering premium high school talent to college, and wouldn’t hesitate with Harvey . If teams get vibes that Harvey’s signability is a stumbling block, it may be a crapshoot where Harvey is drafted.