JUNIOR COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
April 3, 2008
COMPILED BY ALLAN SIMPSON
Three JUCO Players In Demand
The draft-and-follow rule was an integral part of baseball’s draft process for
20 years, but no more. That practice was abandoned, effective with last year’s
draft.
No group of players was impacted more by the draft-and-follow rule than junior
college players and the abolishment of the procedure has taken some of the
luster off the crop of junior college talent this spring—from a scouting
standpoint, at least.
Not only were significantly fewer players that were earmarked to attend junior
college in 2008 drafted a year ago, in anticipation of the rule change, but
there will be no intriguing deadline-encroaching, seven-figure signing bonuses
handed out on the eve of the draft as has been the case in past years to
players like Frank Rodriguez, Sean Henn, Gerald Laird and Adam Loewen, who all
set bonus records to draft-and-follows. A year ago, 78 junior college players
signed prior to the 2007 draft as draft-and-follows.
This year, all junior college players will be treated the same. They’ll be
scouted the same and they will all be subject to the draft—just as if they were
high school seniors and college juniors.
Despite the change in the rule, there will be no shortage of premium junior
college players who will be drafted in June, both those who were drafted in
2007 and those who weren’t. In PG Crosschecker’s early 2008 draft preview of the
top 500 prospects, 35 players are from the junior college ranks.
Still, there are no sure-fire first-rounders on the list, as there might have
been a year ago had righthanders Matt Latos of Broward (Fla.) CC and Jordan
Walden of Grayson County (Texas) CC not commanded signing bonuses of $1.3
million and $1 million, respectively, to sign before that draft with the San
Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels, who controlled their rights from the
previous year’s draft.
There are at least three juco players who are knocking on the door of the first
round, however, in Pitt (N.C.) CC shortstop/third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall,
Howard (Texas) JC shortstop Tyler Ladendorf and Southern Nevada righthander
Colby Shreve.
“They’re the top three junior college prospects this year, no question,” a
scouting director confirmed.
All three will be considered equals for the purposes of this year’s draft, but
each would have represented the different class or status of junior college
talent available in years gone by.
Shreve was the best known of the three entering the season. He was an
eighth-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in last year’s draft and became the
only unsigned player in the first 14 rounds to go the juco route. He almost
certainly would have been a premium draft-and-follow under the old rules—just
based on his 2007 standing.
He’s had a solid 2008 season, going 5-1, 2.30 with 43 strikeouts in 47 innings
entering April, and could have been in position to force the Braves to cough up
a significant bonus—possibly upwards of $1 million—prior to the closed period
as leverage not to go back into this year’s draft pool, had the
draft-and-follow rule still been in effect.
Ladendorf represents the second class. He was a 32nd-round
afterthought of the San Francisco Giants a year ago, the ideal kind of player
to draft in a later round and track his progress for a year before making a
decision whether or not to sign him.
His stock has skyrocketed this spring and his higher profile almost certainly
would have forced the Giants to ante up a significantly larger bonus in May
than they offered last summer under the previous system. As a low-round pick
who has substantially improved his worth with a breakout season, he’s a classic
example of the draft-and-follow working as it was designed to work.
But Ladendorf is also a classic example why Major League Baseball, in its quest
to keep escalating signing bonuses in check, pushed hard to abandon the
draft-and-follow rule. MLB reasoned that a player’s value should not rise
exponentially from one season to the next, no matter what kind of a year he
had. MLB viewed that as artificial inflation.
Entering April, Ladendorf was leading the nation with a .579 average. In 36
games, he also had slugged 10 home runs and driven in 49 runs—a significant
jump from 2007, when he homered once. He had stolen 18 bases in 19 attempts,
and walked 28 times against only eight strikeouts.
Chisenhall represents the third kind of junior college player under the old
system. He wasn’t drafted a year ago, meaning e would not have been subject to
the draft-and-follow rule this year had it still be in effect. Chisenhall
wasn’t even playing baseball at this time a year ago after being kicked off the
baseball team at South Carolina amidst charges of theft and grand larceny. He
enrolled at Pitt CC last fall and predictably has had a breakout spring season,
hitting .444 with 28 extra-base hits and 50 RBIs in his first 29 games.
Here are the PG Crosschecker scouting reports written on Chisenhall, Shreve and
Ladendorf, along with their ranking among the top 500 prospects for this year’s
draft:
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Class |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Chisenhall was one of the
nation’s top freshmen last spring at South Carolina, but made headlines for all
the wrong reasons when he was dismissed from th team after being charged along
with teammate Nick Fuller for burglary and grand larceny. He was hitting
.313-1-13 through 20 games at the time of his dismissal. Chisenhall was placed
on six months probation for his misdeed and charges could be dismissed by as
early as mid-August. In the meantime, he has re-surfaced at North Carolina’s
Pitt CC, near his home in Morehead City, and will be eligible for the 2008
draft. He has lost little of the talent that made him one of the nation’s most
coveted players out of high school. He spent his summer playing American Legion
baseball in his hometown to keep his game in check, and was used as both a
hitter and pitcher. He has continued to go both ways in junior college, but his
bat is his most prized tool. He has an excellent approach to hitting, uses the
whole field and hits for both average and power. He is not overly athletic and
doesn’t run that well, however, and that will force him to play third base or
right field, but he has plenty of arm strength for those positions. |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
YR |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Undrafted as a high school
senior, Shreve added 10 mph to his fastball over the course of the next year
and was drafted in the eighth round after his freshman season at Southern
Nevada. He elected not to sign with the Atlanta Braves and made huge strides
again this off-season in the development of his two secondary pitches—a
sharp-breaking slider and a plus changeup—giving him three above-average
pitches. Shreve pitches with an above-average, 90-92 mph fastball that has
touched 95. In high school he was primarily in the mid-80s, a speed that turned
scouts away and sent him on to junior college. Shreve is a long-bodied,
athletic pitcher, who at one time was also considered a prospect as a hitter.
He went 5-2, 2.68 with 55 strikeouts in 54 innings as a freshman at CCSN. His
makeup is also a highly-touted attribute. With his present-day stuff,
projectability and intangibles, he is now entrenched as the top junior college
pitcher in the country. He committed in the early-signing period to Arkansas. |
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
YR |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
College |
Hometown |
Prev. Drafted |
B’date |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Ladendorf’s No. 1 asset has
always been his phenomenal base-stealing ability. He stole a national-high 65
bases in 65 attempts as a freshman at Howard JC last spring and was successful
on a league-best 18 of 19 attempts last summer in the Texas Collegiate League.
Ladendorf is fast, but doesn’t have game-changing speed. His speed, however, is
most evident in the way he uses it to run the bases. He also keeps defenses on
their toes at the plate and tied for the TCL lead in hits last summer with 44
while batting .295-0-15. He showed little power at the plate in the past, but
has made adjustments in his approach this spring and has hit with considerably
more power. He always had the size and pull-power ability to drive balls more
consistently in the past, but rarely did in games until this season. He still
needs better plate discipline, however, as he rarely walks. Ladendorf is
capable of playing almost anywhere in the infield and outfield defensively and
did so last summer after playing mostly shortstop in junior college. His soft
hands, range, actions and arm strength may be best suited for second base,
though his raw speed may profile best in center field. The Giants made a
serious run at signing Ladendorf after drafting him in the 34th round, but he
rejected a reported $180,000 offer. He has committed to attend Oklahoma in the
fall, but the likelihood of his ever playing at the Division I level is
considered slim as he ranks as the top junior college talent in Texas and his
stock continues to rise. |
A limited version of the draft-and-follow still exists, but is not applicable
to junior college players. Fifth-year seniors, both players who were and
weren’t drafted a year ago, are still subject to the rule and may be signed
before the start of the closed period—one week prior to the June 5-6 draft.
Other Top JUCO Prospects
While Chisenhall, Ladendorf and Shreve are the marquee talents in this year’s
junior college class, there are several other players who are worthy of going
in the early rounds—both those that were drafted a year ago and would have been
draft-and-follows under the old system, and players who went undrafted a year
ago.
Some of the players drafted in 2007 who have emerged as top prospects this
season are St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC sophomore catcher Justin Dalles,
Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) sophomore righthander Craig Kimbrel,
Southern Nevada freshman righthander Taylor Cole, Chipola (Fla.) JC
sophomore righthander Ryan Chaffee and Fresno (Calif.) CC freshman
shortstop Garrett Weber.
Dalles, a 40th-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals a year ago, got
off to a huge start and continued to lead the nation with 63 RBIs entering
April.
Some of the players that have burst on the scene this spring after previously
going undrafted are Miami-Dade sophomore righthander Eric Fornataro,
Southern Nevada sophomore catcher Braeden Schlehuber, Golden West
sophomore righthander Justin LaTempa, Indian River (Fla.) JC sophomore
righthander Brett Moorhouse and Walters State (Tenn.) JC freshman
catcher Dylan Pratt.
Pratt and Schlehuber—not to mention Dalles—are representative of a strong crop
of catchers at the junior college level this season. Pratt led No. 1-ranked
Walters State with 12 home runs entering April, while hitting .371. Schlebuber
led Southern Nevada, the No. 1-ranked pre-season team, with a .374 average. He
also had five homers and 31 RBIs, against primarily wood-bat competition.
NOTEBOOK
--No. 4-ranked Howard (Texas) JC continues to be the nation’s hottest junior
college team by winning 33 of its first 36 games. The Hawks won their six
latest games by shutouts, outscoring opponents 58-0, and threw no-hitters in
both games of a doubleheader March 29 against the New Mexico Military
Institute. Freshman lefthander Anthony Collazo reached 92 mph while
striking out 15 in the opener, while freshman righthander Evan Blakeley fanned
seven in the nightcap. On the season, the Howard pitching staff had thrown five
no-hitters. The Hawks are also hitting .444 as a team. Ladendorf is the team’s
offensive star, but sophomore outfielder Cameron Monger, a New Mexico
recruit, was hitting .467-6-33 with a national-best 33 stolen bases. First
baseman Matt Curry, a Texas Christian recruit, is among the national
leaders with 14 homers and 60 RBIs.
--LSU-Eunice outfielder Delta Cleary has attracted significant
attention from scouts as a freshman after hitting .361-2-33 through 32 games.
Speed is the 6-foot-3, 175-pound switch-hitter’s best tool and he has been
clocked down the line from the left side in 3.7-4.0 seconds. He has stolen 22
bases in 26 attempts. “He has played extremely well at times,” LSU-Eunice coach
Jeff Willis said, “and other times he has been very raw.”
--Eastern Oklahoma State (27-7) entered the Top 25 rankings for the first time
this season, largely on the two-way play of third baseman/righthander Nate
Pettus, who was hitting .352-10-44 while sharing the national lead with
seven saves. Pettus’ fastball has topped out at 94, but he may be a better
prospect at third where he has shown average to plus power and defensive
skills.
--Sophomore righthander Aaron Davidson, who saved eight games as the
closer for NCAA Division II Harding (Ark.) in 2007, has been dominant in a
starting role for No. 23 Arkansas-Fort Smith JC this season. He was 8-0, 0.98
through his first 46 innings and had fanned 77 while allowing just 25 hits.