OVERVIEW:
The prospect fortunes in Arkansas closely parallel the success of the Arkansas
Razorbacks baseball team, and this year that team had a very young roster and
finished ninth overall in the Southeastern Conference—yet were still extended
an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. USA national team member Logan Forsythe
was hampered early in the year by injuries, but rebounded well the second half
and is clearly the top prospect in the state. He could hear his name called as
early as the second round.
Arkansas’
young team should spell good things for the next couple of drafts, especially
in 2010 when outfielder/righthander Brett Eibner and first baseman Andy Wilkins
are eligible. Both players had strong freshman seasons, combining for 16 home
runs.
Arkansas-Fort Smith, a junior
college team, actually had a deeper list of follows than any school in the
state, including Arkansas, and went 43-18 on the season. Righthanders Aaron
Davidson and Cobey Guy, and lefthander Chase Huchingson are three Lions players
who could be drafted in the top 20-25 rounds.
There isn’t much in the way of
pro-level talent in the Arkansas high school ranks this year and probably the
two best baseball prospects, outfielder Bryan Bryles and righthander Tyler
Wilson, are better known as football players. Wilson was the state’s football
player of the year and a top quarterback recruit of the Razorbacks. Bryles is a
highly-athletic young prospect who could be a surprise for a team that prizes
raw tools.
STRENGTH:
Logan Forsythe.
WEAKNESS:
College depth, high school talent.
OVERALL RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 2.
Best Out-of-State Prospect,
Arkansas Connection:
Jarred Holloway, lhp, St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC (Attended high school in
Russellville).
Top 2009 Prospect:
Dallas Keuchell, lhp, U. of Arkansas.
Top 2010 Prospect:
Brett Eibner, rhp-of, U. of Arkansas.
Highest Pick, Draft History:
Jeff King, 3b, U. of Arkansas (1986, Pirates/1st round, 1st
pick).
Highest Pick, 2006 Draft:
Dan Stegall, of, Greenwood HS
(Mets/7th round).
Highest Pick, 2007 Draft:
Nick Schmidt, lhp, U. of
Arkansas (Padres/1st round/23rd pick).
Best
College Team: Arkansas.
Best
Junior College Team:
Arkansas-Fort
Smith.
Best
High School Team:
Fayetteville.
TOP PROSPECTS /
By David Rawnsley
GROUPS (College, Junior
College, High School)
1 Premium-round draft (Rounds 1-3)
2
High-round draft (Rounds 4-10)
3
Mid-round draft (Rounds 11-25)
| GROUP ONE |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 1 |
Logan Forsythe |
3B |
Jr. |
R-R |
Jun-00 |
195 |
Arkansas |
Memphis, Tenn. |
Never drafted |
1/14/1987 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Forsythe accepted an
opportunity to play for Team USA last summer, knowing he would have little or
no chance to unseat second-year player Pedro Alvarez as the team’s third
baseman. Instead, he spent most of the season playing left field, a position he
had never played before. Not only did he adapt well to his new surroundings,
taking good routes on fly balls and throwing out a handful of base runners, he
fit in easily among the elite players in the college game, hitting .309-1-16.
He led the team by a wide margin in on-base average (.463), walking 22 times
while striking out on only 14 occasions. An excellent competitor who draws
praise for his makeup and leadership skills, Forsythe was as well prepared as
any player on the team to both offensive and defensive situations. He also was
an outstanding hitter in the clutch because he paid particularly close
attention to how he and others were being pitched to. Forsythe showed limited
raw power in his first two years at Arkansas, but can now do more with the bat
than just drive balls to the gaps. He topped Arkansas in batting as a sophomore
with a .347 average, while hitting nine homers and driving in 55 runs. He also
stole a team-high 18 runs. Forsythe performed equally well last summer, even
though he played hurt most of the season. He suffered a stress fracture in a
bone in his foot and had surgery in November. While he performed admirably in
left field and as a fill-in at second, third base is Forsythe’s best position.
He has excellent feet and actions there, along with a strong and accurate arm.—ALLAN
SIMPSON |
| UPDATE (5/15): Already slowed by his off-season
foot surgery, Forsythe had early-spring hamstring problems, undoubtedly related
to his foot injury and rehab. He missed two weeks of games and was slowed for
another month. The injury hampered Forsythe’s swing more than anything else, as
he was unable to rotate off his back foot to hit. Once he was healthy, his
swing and power came back, as did the scouts. Forsythe is a professional hitter
with a short, quick swing and excellent plate discipline. He walked 42 times in
49 games this spring while hitting .352-7-33. It wouldn’t be surprising to see
Forsythe be one of the fastest movers in the 2008 draft class, especially if he
signs quickly.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |