DRAFT 2008 - STATE-BY-STATE PREVIEW
WISCONSIN
2008
FOLLOW LIST
OVERVIEW:
Wisconsin has been fortunate the past two years to have two prospects who were
cross-checked by virtually every organization, and both high school lefthander
Tony Butler (2006/3rd round) and college righthander Jordan
Zimmerman (2007/2nd round) were significant picks. There is no such
prospect in the state this year, as a hole in the talent progression, plus a
wickedly-cold and wet spring, severely limited the flow of scouts across the
state.
With Zimmerman the top
small-school/Division III prospect in the country last year, it’s only fitting
that the state’s top prospect this year, St. Norbert shortstop Adam Frost, also
come from a Division III program. Wisconsin has one in-state Division I
program, Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The state’s high school ranks have
produced a couple of players who could develop into good drafts after they
attend college, but it is unlikely that any clubs will make a run at them this
year.
STRENGTH:
Adam Frost.
WEAKNESS:
High-ceiling, high school talent.
OVERALL RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 2.
Best Out-of-State Prospect,
Wisconsin Connection:
Matt Nohelty, of, U. of Minnesota (Attended high school in Rothschild).
Top 2009 Prospect:
Tim Suminski, lhp-of, Parkway Christian HS, Milwaukee.
Highest Pick, Draft History:
Kevin Brandt, of, Nekoosa HS (1979, Twins/1st round, 11th
pick).
Highest Pick, 2006 Draft:
Anthony Butler, lhp, Oak
Creek HS (Mariners/3rd round).
Highest Pick, 2007 Draft:
Jordan Zimmermann, rhp, U. of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point (Nationals/2nd round).
Best
College Team:
Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Best
Junior College Team:
Madison Area Tech.
Best
High School Team:
--------------.
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 TWO |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| 1 |
Adam Frost |
SS |
Jr. |
R-R |
5-11 |
165 |
St. Norbert |
Sobieski |
Never drafted |
10/13/1986 |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Frost is not only hands-down the
best prospect in the state but he is certainly one of the top Division III
players in the country, as well. He was the only player in the state that area
scouts made a point of seeing this spring. Frost hails from tiny Sobieski (pop.
3,021), north of Green Bay, which may explain why a player with two obvious
plus-present tools did not play at a larger school. He is a 6.48 runner in the
60 and has excellent first-step quickness. He also has a cannon for an arm as
he threw 94 mph across the infield at Perfect Game’s Pre-Draft Showcase in
mid-May, and showed the same kind of arm strength at shortstop during games.
Frost’s game actions at short are smooth and balanced, and he can make all the
plays and all the throws. The concern with Frost will be his bat. He hit well
against D-III competition the past two years, .471-4-33 with 27 steals as a
sophomore and .386-7-38 this spring, but hit a soft .283 last summer in the
Northwoods League. Frost has bat-head skills and makes line-drive contact to
all fields, but doesn’t show much power against better pitching and has seen
little prospect-type pitching in his life. Many scouts waited until the
regional playoffs to see Frost, or have him cross-checked, and he felt the
pressure of all the attention and didn’t perform well, especially defensively.
Still, he could easily go in the first 10 rounds based on his physical tools at
shortstop.—DAVID RAWNSLEY |
| |