And That

ROUND 31 (943rd overall): Jonathan Jones, RHP (Photo: The Alvin Sun) Height: 6'1 Weight: 195 B/T: R/R School: San Jacinto College North (TX) Year: Freshman DOB: 3/2/00 SCOUTING REPORT: Prep Baseball Report: With an athletic delivery, Jones attacked Texas with a lively fastball up to 93 MPH, and generated some very uncomfortable swings with two different breaking balls – a slider with late, sweeping break around 84 MPH and a deceptive curveball that sat between 76-80 MPH. At times, the breaking balls blended together, but the result was often the same – an uncomfortable take or hack in the batter’s box. Jones’s arm action might cause some scouts to pause, but the arm worked quickly and well out in front. Combine that with the athleticism to repeat, and Jones will be one to watch. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 30 (913th overall): Peyton Long, RHP (Photo: Twitter) Height: 6'4 Weight: 210 B/T: R/R School: Central Methodist University Year: Junior DOB: 10/28/97 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 29 (883rd overall): Jackie Urbaez, 2B (Photo: Twitter) Height: 5'8 Weight: 185 B/T: S/R School: St. Thomas University (FL) Year: Senior DOB: 8/29/97 SCOUTING REPORT: Through the Fence Baseball: Urbaez numbers are down this year compared to some monster stats he threw up last season. I don’t think that stops him from getting his name called next week! Urbaez is an all-around talented player. He can hit to all fields and is great defensively with a plus arm from second base. He’s a .339 career hitter at the NAIA level, with over 100 RBI and 17 HR in his two-year run at STU. He does the little things right, I believe his overall performance gets him picked up. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 28 (853rd overall): Andre Nnebe, CF (Photo: Santa Clara University) Height: 6'6 Weight: 230 B/T: R/R School: Santa Clara University Year: Sophomore DOB: 11/14/97 SCOUTING REPORT: Baseball America (From 2017): Nnebe’s raw tools are off-the-charts and immediately apparent at one glance at his 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame. Coming out of high school, scouts compared the northern California native to Aaron Judge for his power antics, and coaches now note he might be even taller than his listed height. Despite his giant levers, Nnebe had a very successful freshman season at Santa Clara, batting .293 as their everyday center fielder. And while his plate discipline and swing mechanics have a ways to go—understandably given his body—his raw power is unrivaled in the league. To boot, he’s been clocked at as low as 6.5 seconds in a 60-yard dash. That speed plays well in the outfield, giving Nnebe a chance to stick in centerfield for now then slide over to left field as he adds mass and slows down. No matter where he plays, the tools are all there for Nnebe to become a first-round talent down the road. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 27 (823rd overall): Zane Zurbrugg, CF (Photo: Baseball Northwest) Height: 6'4 Weight: 195 B/T: R/R School: Shoreline CC Year: Sophomore DOB: 6/14/97 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: Don't Sleep on "ZZ" VIDEOS:

ROUND 26 (793rd overall): Zach Humphreys, C (Photo: TCU) Height: 5'10 Weight: 190 B/T: R/R School: TCU Year: Junior DOB: 10/9/97 SCOUTING REPORT: Prep Baseball Report: Humphreys has a stocky, physical, muscular frame at 5-foot-10, 190-pounds. The right-handed hitter has quick hands through the zone and squared up three singles in three at-bats. The first he drove through the ride side for an RBI. He singled up the middle, and then laced a ball through the six-hole in his third at-bat. Solid arm strength and athleticism behind the dish with carry to second base. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 25 (763rd overall): Dan Wirchansky, LHP (Photo: Pace Athletics) Height: 6'1 Weight: 200 B/T: L/L School: Pace University Year: Senior DOB: 7/2/97 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 24 (733rd overall): Jose Torres, SS (Photo: Pat O'Malley) Height: 6'0 Weight: 160 B/T: R/R School: Calvert Hall College HS (MD) Year: Senior DOB: 9/28/99 SCOUTING REPORT: Perfect Game: Torres has been an interesting follow in the Mid-Atlantic region for some time as an athletic, projectable middle infielder with good defensive tools and a knack for the barrel. He’s an above average runner with the athleticism and overall tools to stick in the middle infield long-term, which some scouts believe may be best at second base. He’s hit and hit well in high-level events, including the WWBA World Championship last fall, but the limited power to the profile does hold back the profile a bit. A North Carolina State signee, Torres should absolutely be able to help early on in his college career should he take that route out of high school. Baseball America: A 6-foot, 165-pound shortstop committed to North Carolina State, Torres has impressive, flashy defensive actions and a chance to stick at shortstop at the next level. He has clean, fluid hands and good body control, which translates to some bat-to-ball skills at the plate, but he needs to add strength in the future to improve bottom-of-the-scale power. One of the oldest players in the high school class, Torres will be sophomore-eligible in college and that fact will hurt him on analytical teams’ models. Prep Baseball Report: SS Jose Torres shows plenty of signs of filling out physically while on campus, and when he does, he is going to have a chance to be an impact player. Currently wiry-strong with natural athleticism, Torres moves well at shortstop where he should have a strong chance of sticking in Raleigh. Featuring some twitch in the hands, Torres whips the barrel through the zone at the plate to produce some gap to gap power that may end up translating well at the top of the Wolfpack order. LINKS: Calvert Hall baseball star Jose Torres taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in MLB draft VIDEOS:

ROUND 23 (703rd overall): Carter Rustad, RHP (Photo: Perfect Game) Height: 6'5 Weight: 195 B/T: R/R School: Staley HS (MO) Year: Senior DOB: 4/23/01 SCOUTING REPORT: MLB Pipeline: Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45 Rustad opened the eyes of scouts who caught him in a late-night game at the Area Code Games last August, when he sat in the low 90s for four scoreless innings. He continued to raise his profile by hitting 97 mph at a tournament in Arizona during his first outing of his senior season in March. Though he hasn't lit up radar guns as consistently this spring, few high school pitchers in this Draft can match his combination of peak velocity and projectability. Rustad's fastball fluctuated with the weather in the Midwest, parking at 90-93 mph on some days and at 88-91 on others. He could operate in the mid-90s on a regular basis once he fills out his lean 6-foot-5 frame. He uses his size to create difficult angle and his heater also features high spin rates, as does a low-80s slider that gives him a sharp second pitch when he stays on top of it. His changeup still is in the early stages of development, but Rustad shows some feel for it. The San Diego recruit has an athletic delivery, his arm works well and he can spot his fastball on both sides of the plate when he's on. He'll need some time to develop but has all of the ingredients to become at least a mid-rotation starter. Perfect Game: A projection righthander who jumped onto the scene at the Area Code Games last summer, Rustad has the type of long, lean build with present arm speed that scouts like. The arm has some whip to it and Rustad has flirted with the mid-90s this season in terms of fastball velocity. He has some rawness to the rest of the profile, as do most prep pitchers, but the physical projection and arm speed give him a prodigious ceiling. The secondary stuff ranges between below average and fringy, but scouts are optimistic about the totality of the package, and he could end up an absolute monster after three years at USD. Baseball America: A high school righthander with easy actions and projection is what you get with Rustad. He has a thin, 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame with a quick arm and easy three-quarter delivery with minimal effort. The San Diego commit has been up to 96 mph with his fastball and even touched 97 mph at an early start in Arizona. There’s a high spin rate on his fastball, though his velocity tends to fall off toward the middle and end of his outings, dipping into the 88-91 mph range. Rustad has shown feel for spinning a breaking ball at times, and this spring he separated the pitch into two distinct offerings: a slider and a curveball. However, scouts have graded both pitches as below-average this spring, with a solid changeup currently his best secondary. Rustad has plenty of starter traits and elements to like as a projection arm, with athleticism and good feel to locate his fastball, but he’ll need to add strength, hold his velocity deeper into games and make strides with his breaking pitches to fully realize his upside. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 22 (673rd overall): Terence Doston, CF (Photo: Yahoo! Sports) Height: 5'10 Weight: 160 B/T: L/R School: Hillsborough HS (FL) Year: Senior DOB: 9/22/00 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 21 (643rd overall): Eddy Tavarez, RHP (Photo: Peru State College) Height: 6'6 Weight: 245 B/T: R/R School: Peru State College (NE) Year: Senior DOB: 5/16/95 SCOUTING REPORT: Perfect Game: Tararez is a sturdy 6-foot-5 senior pitcher from the Dominican Republic who has been freaky phenomenal this season. After throwing eight innings in a win over Grand View on Saturday, in which he only allowed a single hit with 16 strikeouts, he lowered his eye-popping numbers to rank fourth in the NAIA in opposing batting average at a teensy .136 mark. In five starts this season he has thrown a total of 26 2/3 innings while stubbornly only allowing a dozen hits. Meanwhile he has amazingly struck out 51 batters, thusly making it four times more likely that a batter would strike out against him rather than get a hit. He has already earned the Heart of America Pitcher of the Week title once this season, earning the honor after throwing a complete game two hitter with 14 strikeouts over Graceland earlier in the month. He most certainly receive the award again this week after setting his new career high in Ks. Tavarez was just as dominating last season earning an 8-3 record for the Bobcats as he was first in the Heart Conference in opponent batting average (.166) and second in ERA at 2.17. Prior to Peru State, Tavarez pitched at Morton College in Cicero, Illinois. In 2017 he appeared in 16 games and impressively struck out 27 batters in 20 1/3 innings but had a robust 9.30 ERA for the Panthers. Through the Fence Baseball: After last season Eddy, reached out to me and asked, what I believed his chances were of being drafted. At the time I didn’t think he would go (2018), but his persistence and hard work will pay off in 2019. This season, he threw up some high velocity numbers that ran well into the mid 90’s. In 67.1 innings pitched, Cabrera sat down 118 opposing hitters, allowing just 33 hitters to reach base. LINKS: VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2u0GClKySU

ROUND 20 (613th overall): Myles Austin, SS (Photo: Perfect Game) Height: 6'3 Weight: 180 B/T: R/R School: Westlake HS (GA) Year: Senior DOB: 2/5/01 SCOUTING REPORT: MLB Pipeline: Austin has huge raw power from the right side and a lot of bat speed, impressive for a high school senior. A 6-foot-3, 185-pound shortstop, his body is still a little ahead of his hitting, as his swing can be long at times leaving him prone to swings-and-misses. But he has exciting potential at the plate. The Georgia native is an Alabama commit for next year. An average runner, he projects as an outfielder or third baseman. Perfect Game: Austin has a very long 6-foot-3, 177-pound build and looks even taller on the baseball field, especially as he’s gliding around the middle infield vacuuming up ground balls. The 2018 PG All-American has been a regular on the Perfect Game and national circuits since his freshman year but only really came into his own last summer as his physical strength and coordination caught up to his body and evaluators stopped projecting him to end up with his 90 mph fastball on the mound and began to think of him as a middle-of-the-field athlete. Austin’s next step is to continue to tap into the power that’s inside his loose and easy righthanded swing. Baseball America: A wiry, 6-foot-3, 184-pound infielder with plenty of athleticism, Austin is a projectable hitter out of Atlanta who currently has solid raw power that projects for plus as he continues to fill out his frame. There’s some swing-and-miss in Austin’s game, and his long levers might continue to worry scouts when paired with his aggressive tendencies, but there’s enough impact potential and bat speed to give him a high offensive ceiling. Defensively, he shows middle infield actions and quickness, but he currently has average arm strength with an unconventional arm slot. He may have to move off the position as he continues to get stronger and could wind up being a better fit for third base. He’s a plus runner underway with long, smooth strides on the bases, but he could take a step backwards in that department in the future as he fills out his lanky frame. Austin is polarizing among the scouting community, with some preferring to dream on his significant upside while others wonder if he’ll ever show enough consistent hitting ability to make the most of his raw tools. Austin is committed to Alabama. Prep Baseball Report: Lots to dream on with the frame. Long, lanky, and athletic with graceful movements like a basketball player. His speed was his best attribute over the course of the weekend and he stole several bags while running the bases at a high level. The actions at shortstop look natural and twitchy, and he has a strong arm (was up to 90 on the bump in August), although hands will need to improve for him to be an elite defender. Speed will definitely give him a chance to play the outfield, especially with how athletic and long his strides are. At the plate, he has a deeper load down and back before working flat through the zone with a slight scoop because he is still developing strength. Short to the ball with quick hands but also very quick out of the zone. Very intriguing because of the athleticism. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 19 (583rd overall): Bryce Milligan, RHP (Photo: Oklahoma City University) Height: 6'1 Weight: 165 B/T: R/R School: Oklahoma City University Year: Junior DOB: 7/24/98 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 18 (553rd overall): Ashton McGee, 2B (Photo: University of North Carolina) Height: 6'1 Weight: 215 B/T: L/R School: North Carolina Year: Junior DOB: 11/19/98 SCOUTING REPORT: Perfect Game (4/25/19 Game Report): McGee hasn’t enjoyed the high-level of success as he did as a freshman when he hit .327 with seven homers and 46 RBI. It’s clear the lefthanded hitter has a good idea of what he’s doing at the plate with a solid approach and the ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field. He has had more than 30 walks in each of his three seasons with the Tar Heels, including this year through only 41 games, leading to equally elevated on-base percentages. Making consistent, hard contact has been a challenge for McGee since his freshman year but the moments have been there. He showed a glimpse of that in the top of the fifth of game two during UNC’s against Notre Dame, driving a no-doubt solo home run over the wall in right field after working the count to his favor. His value is increased by the fact that he has some defensive versatility, with the ability to play the corner outfield positions as well as both second and third base. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 17 (523rd overall): Kelvin Bender, LHP (Photo: Thomas R. Cordova) Height: 5'11 Weight: 165 B/T: L/L School: Junipero Serra HS (CA) Year: Senior DOB: 3/11/00 SCOUTING REPORT: Perfect Game (10/8/18 Game Report): Kelvin Bender (2019, Gardena, Calif.) was impressive with his command of both his fastball, which sat 82-85 mph, and a 1-to-7 shaped curveball, that he landed with consistency in the 70-72 mph range. For three innings of relief in game one of the tournament, Bender did not allow a hit and was in complete command of his arsenal to both halves of the plate. The UC Santa Barbara commit mixed his pitches well and kept the opposing hitters guessing where the next offering would be located. With the development of a true third pitch he could find himself vying for a starter’s role long-term. Baseball America (10/22/18 Game Report): A 5-foot-11, 155-pound lefthander, Bender's name is fitting, as he had plenty of scouts intrigued with his sharp, high spin-rate breaking ball. He gave the MLB Breakthrough Series club 3.2 innings of four hit, two run ball, with six strikeouts and no walks. The whiffs primarily coming against a 72-77 mph curveball with three-quarter shape and a spin rate that ranged from 2600-2900 rpm. The pitch blended from a standard, three-quarter shape to a more sweeping, slurve offering but was routinely sharp and used effectively as a chase pitch and a backdoor curveball against righthanders. Bender showed solid feel to locate the offering for strikes throughout, but there were a few instances where he got around the outside of the pitch, rather than on top of it, and had it back up on him. He pitched off of the breaking ball, but also threw a mid-80s fastball that touched 88 mph and mixed in an occasional changeup in the 70-74 mph range. Prep Baseball Report (5/7/19 Game Report): 2019 UC Santa Barbara signee, LHP Kelvin Bender tossed a complete game, three hit gem, allowing three runs, walking five, and punching out Ten South hitters. Bender features a three-pitch mix coming out of a three quarter slot. Has athletic, slender frame with room for added muscle. Fastball was sitting 84-86, topping 87, and 88. Displays a plus curveball with tremendous shape and late bite that dominated on this day, 72-74, and mixed in a few fading changeups at 72-73. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 16 (493rd overall): Mike Wilson, CF (Photo: SUNY Stony Brook) Height: 6'0 Weight: 200 B/T: L/R School: SUNY Stony Brook Year: Junior DOB: 3/29/98 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 15 (463rd overall): Cam Devanney, SS (Photo: Elon University) Height: 6'1 Weight: 195 B/T: R/R School: Elon University Year: Senior DOB: 4/13/97 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 14 (433rd overall): Paxton Schultz, RHP (Photo: Twitter) Height: 6'3 Weight: 205 B/T: L/R School: Utah Valley Year: Junior DOB: 1/5/98 SCOUTING REPORT: LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 13 (403rd overall): Jackson Gillis, LHP (Photo: Bart Boatwright) Height: 6'3 Weight: 235 B/T: R/L School: Vanderbilt Year: Junior DOB: 11/27/97 SCOUTING REPORT: MLB Pipeline: Gillis established himself as one of Vanderbilt's go-to relievers last season, but has been used sparingly in 2019. The left-hander has shown a fastball that sits at 92-95 mph and a solid curveball in the past. Gillis has also earned comparisons to former Vanderbilt pitcher Ben Bowden, who was drafted by the Rockies in the second round in 2016 and has pitched well for their Double-A Hartford affiliate this season. Perfect Game: Gillis hasn’t pitched much this year, totaling only seven innings out of the bullpen for the Commodores, but he may be one of those prospects who really doesn’t peak as a player until he gets into professional baseball. A well-built and physical lefthander, Gillis can reach the mid-90s with his fastball from the left side with excellent life, though inconsistencies in terms of strikes and off-speed stuff have limited his profile. Baseball America: Getting to pitch at a college baseball power like Vanderbilt is the dream of a lot of pitchers. The one danger in that since there are a lot of pitchers with that dream, if a player doesn’t perform, he doesn’t get to pitch. Gillis was 91-94 mph last year with a promising breaking ball. This year, he struggled with his command and his curveball is less impressive as well. As a result, he barely pitched, allowing six runs (four earned) in seven appearances. A team that has seen Gillis better could take a chance on landing him at a bargain, but it’s been hard for scouts to even see him pitch this year considering how rarely he’s been used. LINKS: VIDEOS:

ROUND 12 (373rd overall): Arman Sabouri, LHP (Photo: University of California) Height: 5'10 Weight: 200 B/T: R/L School: California Year: Junior DOB: 6/28/98 SCOUTING REPORT: Twitter: Andrew Krause @akrause456 5 Oct 2015 2016 LHP Arman Sabouri (San Jose, CA) deceptive from 3/4 slot, 85-88 mph FB with good feel for 79 SL. Advanced pitchability. #Cal commit LINKS: VIDEOS:

I have meetings most of the day and a kindergarten graduation to go to this afternoon, so signing thread updates are going to be sporadic.

ROUND 11 (343rd overall): Brock Begue, LHP (Photo: Cuyahoga Community College) Height: 6'3 Weight: 210 B/T: R/L School: Cuyahoga CC (OH) Year: Sophomore DOB: 4/1/99 SCOUTING REPORT: Twitter: Cuyahoga CC Baseball @TriCBaseball Feb 14 SO LHP Brock Begue 6'3" 205 FB: 87-90 + CH Good Slider Was All-American in 2018 11-1, 2.07 ERA, 69.2 IP, 18 BB, 94 K LINKS: Brewers draft pick has no feeling on one side of his body, but that doesn't stop him from dominance on the mound VIDEOS:

New BA Top 100 list sees Hiura at 17 and drumroll... Brice Turang at 100. https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2019-top-100-prospects/

I’ll have the draft signing thread updated in a few hours, so the 9th/10th round picks won’t show right away.

Brian Sakowski @B_Sakowski_PG 8s8 seconds ago More Brewers taking Texas SS David Hamilton here in the 8th. Interesting play, Hamilton tore his achilles preseason, plus athlete/runner when healthy, high-end defender, offense had made strides. If healthy he's much higher than this