DRAFT 2008 - STATE-BY-STATE PREVIEW
RHODE ISLAND
2008
FOLLOW LIST
OVERVIEW:
Rhode Island’s influence on this year’s draft will be minimal, with one notable
exception. Portsmouth High outfielder Ryan Westmoreland is projected to be
drafted in the top 3-5 rounds, which would make him the top high school draft
in the state since Bishop Hendricken righthander Jay Rainville was selected
with a supplemental first-round pick in 2004.
STRENGTH:
Ryan Westmoreland.
WEAKNESS:
Pitching.
OVERALL RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 2.
Best Out-of-State Prospect, Rhode
Island Connection:
Terry Doyle, rhp, Boston College (Attended high school in Warwick).
Top 2009 Prospect:
David D’Errico, 1b, North Kingston HS.
Top 2010 Prospect:
No candidate.
Highest Pick, Draft History:
Bill Almon, ss, Brown U. (1974, Padres/1st round, 1st pick).
Highest Pick, 2006 Draft:
Steve Holmes, rhp, U. of
Rhode Island (Mets/5th round).
Highest Pick, 2007 Draft:
Devin Thomas, c, Brown U.
(Tigers/7th round).
Best
College Team: Rhode
Island.
Best
Junior College Team:
CC of Rhode Island.
Best
High School Team:
Bishop Hendricken (Warwick).
TOP PROSPECTS /
By Allan Simpson
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 |
High School |
Hometown |
Commitment |
B’date |
| 1 |
Ryan Westmoreland |
OF |
Sr. |
L-R |
6-2 |
180 |
Portsmouth |
Portsmouth |
Vanderbilt |
4/27/1990 |
| SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Westmoreland has been the
dominant high school player in Rhode Island almost since the beginning of his
freshman year and stands out as one of the top all-around, two-way talents in
the country. He has a career batting average of .519 and is 28-0, 0.72 on the
mound entering his senior year. Westmoreland can fly on the baseball field. He
goes down the line in around 4.0 seconds, sometimes a little faster, and has a
front-foot, slashing, contact approach that produces gap-to-gap power and will
enable him to reach base with high frequency. He has very sound strike zone
awareness, making him a prototype leadoff-type hitter in the mould of a player
like Scott Podsednik, though with more power potential. He also throws in the
upper-80s from the mound, although scouts see him as a top-of-the-order type
outfielder in the future. Westmoreland has joined the New England pipeline to
Vanderbilt, but performed very well in national showcase events during the
summer and will get a long look from scouts this spring.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| UPDATE (5/15): Westmoreland solidified his status
as one of the nation’s elite high school players, and possibly one of the best
100 prospects overall for this year’s draft, with another strong season—both on
the mound and as a position player. He became Rhode Island’s first two-time
Gatorade player of the year by hitting .486-4-31 with 17 stolen bases, while
going 6-0, 0.35 with only nine walks and 89 strikeouts in 40 innings. Included
in his pitching accomplishments were a 19-strikeout perfect game, and a
20-strikeout one-hitter. Even though he was more dominant on the mound this
spring, Westmoreland was scouted only as a center fielder. He got extremely
high grades for his speed, defense and arm strength, and his athletic ability
generally. Bigger and stronger this year, he drove the ball better than he did
in the past, but his bat is the one tool that scouts aren’t totally sold on. He
needs a lot of repetitions and at-bats, whether in pro ball or at Vanderbilt.
He has already been penciled in as the starting center fielder at Vanderbilt a
year from now, and could end up in school if teams are not prepared to meet his
high price tag. As with any high-profile New England prospect, the Boston Red
Sox have a keen interest and could overdraft Westmoreland as early as the
sandwich or second round—to both secure his rights and justify the bonus it
will take to sign him away from Vanderbilt. Westmoreland has appropriately been
described as a cross between Jacoby Ellsbury and David Murphy, outfielders the
Red Sox drafted with first-round picks in 2005 and 2003.—ALLAN SIMPSON |
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