colbyjack

I edited this to take a little bit of the venom out of my initial tone as I know John Manual and a few other of the Baseball America guys personally and think they do a very good job with their publication. I respect Tom Haudricourt's role as the team's beat writer for the local paper but year after year he proves that he's not exactly a "prospect guy." The fact that Hader isn't in the top 10 causes this list to lose a lot of credibility. Clint Coulter being in the top 10 is also very questionable. Hader quite simply should be above Medeiros, and i think most of you know I'm the biggest Medeiros supporter out there.

Adam Dunn was a Division I college quarterback for the University of Texas. Bichette was a very talented two-way player in high school and college that played SS/3B and also pitched. Physically, Alfonso Soriano is the definition of a quick-twitch athlete. Incredibly physical gifts with some of the fastest hands and overall bat speed you will see. To call any of them not athletic is just a poor argument, or at least worded poorly. Some players just aren't good defensively for a variety of reasons. And Coulter was a future 1B/DH the day the Brewers drafted him. He certainly was never a catcher, or a third baseman. It doesn't matter how strong his arm is as he needs to be put at a position where he can succeed overall. Mark Teixeira, who obviously is a Gold Glover, has one of the strongest arms at first base that you'll ever see, but I think it's obvious the way his body developed that third base, or even a corner outfield spot, was never in his future. And no, I'm not comparing Clint Coulter to Mark Teixeira.

1. Orlando Arcia 2. Jorge Lopez 3. Brett Phillips 4. Zach Davies 5. Gilbert Lara 6. Trent Clark 7. Josh Hader 8. Kodi Medieros 9. Cody Ponce 10. Adrian Houser 11. Michael Reed 12. Devin Williams 13. Tyrone Taylor 14. Tyler Wagner 15. Monte Harrison 16. Demi Orimoloye 17. Jake Gatewood 18. Ariel Pena 19. Damien Magnifico 20. Wei-Chung Wang 21. Nathan Kirby 22. Cy Sneed 23. Clint Coulter 24. Marcos Diplan 25. Yhonathan Barrios In the mix: Victor Roache Taylor Williams Garrett Cooper Troy Stokes Yadiel Rivera David Goforth

Had some fun going through some names to think about between now and next June. Obviously a lot can and will happen between now and then, but here's a list of guys most likely to be in the discussion for the early picks: College arms: Alec Hansen, rhp, Oklahoma (gaining steam as potential 1/1, huge righty with stuff to match) A.J. Puk, lhp, Florida (still has some command issues to work out but can dial it up to 97 as LHP) Robert Tyler, rhp, Georgia (missed some time last year due to injury, but very easy 97-99 w/ life) Keep an eye on: Mike Shawaryn, rhp, Maryland (personal favorite of mine, cons. 93-94, command of 3 pitches) Wildcard: Cal Quantrill, rhp, Stanford (was candidate for 1/1 prior to TJ surgery last spring, coming back strong) Wildcard #2: Matt Krook, lhp, Oregon (had TJ surgery fresh. year 2 years ago, looked very good on Cape w/ low-90s heat, big hook) College bats: Nick Banks, of, Texas A&M (polished LH swing, good all-around athlete, could play CF, better fit in RF) Bryan Reynolds, of, Vanderbilt (switch-hitter is a great all-around athlete, plays CF, can play all 3 positions) Keep an eye on: Nick Senzel, 2b/3b, Tennessee (could soar up thanks to huge summer on Cape, good, not great all-around player) High School arms: Jason Groome, lhp, NJ (current #1 prep player, big arm, command, keeps getting better) Riley Pint, rhp, KS (not as much of a slam dunk right now, big-time arm but inconsistent) Ian Anderson, rhp, NY (mid-90s now, keeps getting better, very good secondaries, really on the rise) Keep an eye on: Reggie Lawson, rhp, CA (live and easy RH arm strength keeps getting better at big, national events) High School bats: Blake Rutherford, of, CA (huge power potential, very good all-around athlete, my personal fave for #1 pick) Josh Lowe, 3b/rhp, GA (Exciting 2-way prospect, preferred by most now as LH hitter w/ good speed, big arm at hot corner) Keep an eye on: Drew Mendoza, 3b, FL (looks like a big-league player physically, huge upside w/ LH swing) Keep an eye on: Cole Stobbe, ss/3b, NE (also passes eye test, ball really jumps off RH bat) Keep an eye on: Luis Curbelo, ss, PR (keeps moving up with solid tools across, not as dynamic as Correa but not far off) Keep an eye on: Mickey Moniak, of, CA (best pure hitter in draft, more gap power at this stage, good all-around athlete) Keep an eye on: Joe Rizzo, 3b, VA (maybe the best pure hitter available in draft after Moniak, big power, baseball rat) Keep an eye on: Avery Tuck, of, CA (huge upside, just not as polished/experience as other players listed, great oppo power) Obviously there's a lot of prep bats in this year's class. One I really like is Ben Rortvedt who is a catcher from New Glarus that really helped himself with a huge summer. I agree with the comments shared above that there's a pretty big organizational hole at the position, and while I wouldn't go too far out of the way to address it (as others have also mentioned), I think Rortvedt could be an excellent target for the team's 2nd pick. Gavin Lux is another Wisconsin prep (2b/ss) to keep an eye on from the Kenosha area. And rhp Kyle Cody of Kentucky is back for his senior year after he opted not to sign with the Twins this past year. Cody has a huge arm, he just needs to pull everything together. Overall it's a good year for Wisconsin and there's more to come in future years as well.

One name absent from YoungGeezy's list is Blake Rutherford. He's #1 on my personal list with one of the easiest, prettiest and most powerful left-handed swings I've seen. Very similar to David Justice when he was coming up with the Braves in the late-80s/early-90s. I hate to actively wish the Brewers would lose, but given how things are going this year, the higher the pick the better.

Great googly moogly this Biloxi team is crazy to follow. That is all.

In case you like following the top players for next year, our annual PG All-American Classic game is going to be on MLB Network this coming Sunday at 7pm central time. Riley Pint won't be in the game, but our #1 prep player for the 2016 class, LHP Jason Groome, will be. As the 2016 class starts to define itself a little more with so many summer showcases and tournaments come and gone, there looks as though to be a wealth of left-handed hitters from the prep class. There also could be some solid players that profile to play 3B at the next level, something I know that is a hot topic when discussing the Brewers overall system. Even though I also recognize the Brewers don't draft for need (nor should they). AJ Puk was already mentioned, but a few of the top college arms include Georgia's Robert Tyler (missed some time last year due to injury, but returned and sustained mid/upper 90s as a starter), Maryland's Mike Shawaryn (one of my faves for next year, profile similar to that of Brewers-killer Lance Lynn), Vanderbilt's Jordan Sheffield (another power arm) and Oregon's Matt Krook (lefty with low-90s fastball and big hook). Sheffield and Krook had TJ during their freshmen years (Sheffield before it started) so they have that working against them. Shawaryn you won't hear too many people put him that high but they will come April/May of next spring.

That's an exciting addition (considering I wasn't expecting to get any player of substance in return for Broxton) as Collymore has some intriguing upside with a power/speed profile, although he's raw (or was coming out of high school). Here's what we (PG) wrote about him prior to the 2013 draft: 204. MALIK COLLYMORE, 2b/ss, Port Credit HS, Mississauga, Ontario Collymore has always flashed considerable raw speed and power potential in his powerful, compact, well-defined 6-foot, 190-pound frame, but his performance at Perfect Game’s National Pre-Draft Showcase in Iowa in mid-May may have legitimately pushed him into the early rounds of this year’s draft. He ran the 60 in an event-best 6.54 seconds, homered in three of 10 batting-practice swings and went deep again in game competition. During speed training on a fast indoor track at Toronto’s York University he ran the 60 in a lightning-fast 6.22 seconds. Though Collymore has obvious speed, scouts say he needs to use it more efficiently on the bases and in the field under game conditions. Balls will also jump off his bat, but he’ll struggle making consistent contact with breaking pitches. With his simple hitting approach that emphasizes consistent contact, Collymore projects to hit more for doubles-power rather than true home-run power. His greatest challenge is on the defensive side of the ball, no matter where he eventually plays. He has plenty of arm strength to play on the left side of the infield and is capable of occasionally making the spectacular play at shortstop, but his hands and footwork appear best-suited for second base.

Yeah, I think that's a solid overall assessment. I brought it up last night because I'm not so sure Davies is quite the player ideally I'd want in return for Parra, but I'm sure DM and his team have done their homework to weigh the value of the QO vs. the comp pick vs. this return. In Davies' defense he's young, in the upper levels of the minors and has enjoyed success, moving relatively quickly up the ladder. A good player, I just hoped for someone with a little higher upside. The Brewers pitching depth in the upper levels is encouraging, even if there isn't that clear-cut ace as others have noted.

Yeah, my point was assuming that the Brewers would offer the QO and that Parra would decline. We've seen this in recent years with free agents, and in my mind Parra, like Shin-Soo Choo a couple of seasons ago, is playing himself into a big contract. We may not be the ones giving it to him, but someone else will. They always do. And as brwrsfan notes, the team will have payroll room to do it again. And I guess my point is all about the players currently being offered. I wouldn't make a trade just because most seem to feel as though they have to. brewmann04, I think the team trading Gomez says a lot and basically opens the door up for just about any other deal, either now or at the waiver deadline. I don't think Braun, Lucroy, Gennett or Davis are going anywhere among the regulars, but Parra, Lind and Segura could very well be. Throw Cotts and Krod into the mix from the pitching staff, as I don't see anyone touching Broxton, Lohse and Garza.

Since Parra is going to be a free agent, how good of a prospect is a team going to give up for him? Would you take Zach Davies over a supplemental first-round pick next year? I don't know, I think this one has taken as long as it has because Melvin has taken the right approach. I believe he will in the end be dealt (among others, the writing is on the wall), but again, it spurns an interesting argument about a decent prospect that has enjoyed success yet has some significant warts (like Davies) vs. adding another pick (and the subsequent bonus pool allocation) in next year's draft. And assuming the Brewers come close to bottoming out, that bonus pool allocation cannot be taken likely, as they could have a banner draft like the Astros this year or in 2012 when they took Correa and McCullers among others (like Phillips).

If you want to learn more about Phillips in his days before pro ball (which includes a link to some of his uber-athletic plays on a football field) follow this link and scroll down a little: http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=10871

I like this deal for both clubs for reasons already stated. I personally think the Brewers should try to get the best single player they can from any team in any deal, following what the Cubs did last year when they got Addison Russell for Samardizja, or however you spell that crazy last name. I'm not saying Barrios is Russell, but for what Ramirez was and his relative trade value, getting a live-armed 23-year old kid with the ability to throw triple digits in the upper levels of the minor leagues is a pretty solid return. And agreed with others, best wishes to Ramirez. I was very happy to follow what I believe to be a HOF career for a few years here in Milwaukee.

That is very exciting, and while I wish I would have been there to see it I no longer reside in the Cedar Rapids area. I too hope to get up to see Ponce (and Williams) in the next few weeks, although I'm not so sure that's going to happen. That staff really is a lot of fun to follow. Also, the gun at PG field can be 2 mph fast at times from what their GM told me a few years back. They may have replaced it, but usually minor league field radar guns are painfully unreliable anyway. That said, 97 no matter how fast/slow is still very impressive.

Medeiros 88-93, consistently at 91. His breaking ball was just filthy, and he pulled the string nicely on a few changeups. Obviously he had a no-no through 6 2/3, gave up a base hit and he was pulled (he likely would have been pulled after seven anyway). The command is still shaky, but man that arm is special and his stuff is undeniable. Most everything hit off of him was pounded weakly into the ground at an infielder. He's going to need to hone his control/command, but he's also going to miss a lot of bats in his lifetime. He's so much fun to watch and I hope quite a few other people here made it out to MP to see it for themselves. Plus the arm angle makes it so much worse, and I'm glad the Brewers aren't messing with him. He's unconventional but it works, and he's athletic enough to do it and sustain it.

I spoke to Kirby in Omaha about this, as well as Coach Brian O'Connor, and it's important to remember that he hasn't pitched since April 19 or something like that. They really wanted to get him in a low/no pressure situation because of that, but that opportunity never presented itself. Virginia is really low on arms, thus this move, but I'd be a little concerned that Kirby isn't going to have his best feel, but we'll see. In other words, don't be too rash to make judgements.

PG reports on some of the picks: 410. Jose Cuas, 3b, Maryland (JR) R-R, 6-2/190, Brooklyn, N.Y. Previously Drafted: Blue Jays ’12 (40) Physically, Cuas is how you would draw up a player; long, loose, and full of athleticism. Cuas may end up being selected a good bit higher than this ranking due to his overall package on both sides of the ball. A well above average defender at third base who makes the hard play look routine with plenty of arm strength, Cuas is able to put on a show in batting practice with plus raw power to all fields. He’ll have to become more consistent with the barrel in game action, and if he does, he has the overall package to make you say “wow.” 454. Max McDowell, c, Connecticut (JR) R-R, 6-1/208, North Huntingdon, Pa. Previously Drafted: Never Drafted A solid athlete with loose and flexible actions behind the plate, McDowell put together a nice overall year on both sides of the ball while showing off his strong catch-and-throw skills. At the plate McDowell is a righthanded hitter who is capable of putting together quality at-bats and get on base thanks in part to his quality two-strike approach (24 walks, 20 hit-by-pitch, 27 strikeouts). With a short and quick swing and a feel for the barrel, McDowell ended up tied for second on the team with seven home runs while driving in 45 runs. 279. Tyrone Perry, 1b, Lakeland Senior HS, L-L, 6-1/270, Avon Park, Fla. College Commitment: Florida State Perry has some of the biggest raw power in the draft class. He often receives some Dan Vogelbach comparisons, as he’s a very large, burly hitting first baseman that hits from the left side. He’s been able to translate his raw power into game action, but at times he can get too pull happy which leads to some swing-and-miss tendencies. Still, he has very good hands and performs best when he stays within himself and utilizes the entire field. He’s a decent athlete for his size and he has a strong throwing arm. The Florida State commit has been scouted a fair amount, and while he isn’t expected to be selected nearly as early Vogelbach did back in 2011 (second round), it will be interesting to see where he’ll land this summer. Photo of Perry hitting a bomb in Jupiter that I took last October: https://www.facebook.com/Perfectgameusa/photos/a.10152725674034718.1073741843.134432214717/10152725680479718/?type=1

PG reports on some of the players taken: Justin Hooper – LHP Height/Weight: 6-7/240 Bats/Throws: R/L Birthdate: Oct. 21, 1996 High School: De La Salle Hometown: San Ramon, Calif. Commitment: UCLA Projected Draft Round: 1 Justin Hooper is one of the easiest players in the country to scout and, at the same time, one of the hardest. It's easy to see that he's 6-foot-7, 240-pounds with athletic proportions and long arms and legs. It's easy to learn that he comes from a very athletic family that has excelled on the football field, adding even more to the physical projection. And it's especially easy to see that he throws 94-97 mph with relative ease and that he can spin the ball pretty well too. You can see the scenario that could play out in draft rooms come May and June when some scout speaks up during discussions, "Hey, we're talking about a 6-foot-7 left who is bringing it 97 mph, let's not get too complicated here breaking him down." But there are, of course, complications. Bigger pitchers usually take more time to grow into their ability to repeat their deliveries and learn to command all their pitches. Hooper certainly fits that description and his delivery and arm action aren't classic in their execution. And he hasn't been seen as often as his peers in this draft, rarely, if ever, venturing out of the state of California to pitch. Most high level scouts will be seeing him stretched out for the first time this spring. The hard part comes in pulling the trigger on Hooper being a top 5-10 pick over another pitcher with a longer resume but lower ceiling. The potential is there for that to be frequently talked about this spring. Video: Tristan Beck – RHP Height/Weight: 6-4/175 Bats/Throws: R/R Birthdate: June 24, 1996 High School: Corona Hometown: Corona, Ca. Commitment: Stanford Projected Draft Round: 1-1S A name that one is increasingly hearing as a potential first round pick is Tristan Beck. That is not a name one would have been hearing last summer and fall and marks the tall and slender Californian as perhaps the fastest riser in the 2015 high school class. Last August, Beck pitched at the Area Code Games in nearby Long Beach and in many ways blended in with the second tier of pitchers at that high level event. He pitched in the 86-88 mph range and touched a few 90's early. His curveball was a quality pitch in the mid-70s. Beck was listed at 6-foot-4, 160-pounds but was athletic and coordinated in his delivery and his arm worked well. Blessed with a sterling academic record and a scholarship to Stanford, it wasn't difficult to project out his next four years. Moving forward to April, 2015, the situation has changed. Beck is now listed at 175 pounds, having not played football last fall (he was Corona's starting quarterback as a junior) to concentrate on baseball, and that extra strength has made a huge impact on his raw stuff. Beck is now pitching in the 89-93 mph range and his curveball has become a plus pitch and potentially one of the best breaking balls in the class. He has always been a polished pitcher with easy and repeatable mechanics and has only walked 10 hitters in 31 innings this spring (5-0, 0.45). Scouts have been flocking to see another SoCal righthander, Drew Finley, this spring and Finley and Beck's raw stuff and pitching maturity are very similar. According to scouts, Beck gets the small edge on Finley due to arm action and remaining projectability in their frames. Scouts will naturally be mindful of Beck's academic record and the Stanford scholarship. But the young righthander is being evaluated at places in the draft where those things may not be as much a factor as they were nine months ago. Donny Everett – RHP Height/Weight: 6-2/220 Bats/Throws: R/R Birthdate: April 16, 1997 High School: Clarksville Hometown: Clarksville, Tenn. Travel Team: Royals Scout Team Commitment: Vanderbilt Projected Draft Round: 1-1S Everett has emerged as perhaps the hardest throwing prep pitcher in the country this spring, with reports of him touching 100 mph having circulated (although a scout at that game told me he was "only" up to 98). The strong bodied righthander has dominated in every way early in the season and was 4-0, 1.12 with 56 strikeouts and only two walks in 25 innings through mid-April. Everett has also reportedly done a better job already this spring of maintaining his stuff through the middle and into his later innings of starts. On a number of high profile occasions last summer, Everett would show dominant stuff for two innings, then quickly tail off starting in the third frame. This, of course, raises the dreaded "future starter vs. reliever" question in a scout's mind, with a "future reliever" tag being something that any aspiring young starter wants to avoid. There is nothing in Everett's delivery or raw stuff that would point to a future in the bullpen at this point and he's certainly strong enough physically to maintain his stuff. His delivery has some extra moving parts but it is free flowing and repeatable and shows Everett's athleticism well. It's a delivery that makes it easy for Everett to consistently get his power fastball down in the strike zone. Along with his steady 94-96 mph fastball, a pitch that is heavy but fairly straight, Everett throws a very respectable changeup and a curveball. The changeup is frequently the better offering, with good arm speed and velocity separation, which is a good sign for Everett's future as a starter. His curveball shows sharpness when everything is working right but will get into that zone between a power curveball and soft sweeping slider at times and lose definition. It's easy to see a future pitching coach refining the curveball and adding a power slider/cutter to the mix. The bottom line is that Everett has pretty much done everything necessary to solidly put himself in the first round mix this spring with less than two months to go before the draft. Video: 405. Charlie Donovan, ss, Westmont HS L-R, 5-11/175, Clarendon Hills, Ill. College Commitment: Michigan Donovan is a high performance middle infielder who has dominated Illinois high school baseball for the past three years. He isn't an especially physical athlete but has plenty of quick-twitch tools, including 6.6 speed in the 60-yard dash and a crisp lefthanded swing that has plenty of gap power. Donovan profiles as a second baseman at the next level and has the athleticism to make the spectacular play along with the more routine. 290. Jon Perrin, rhp, Oklahoma State (SR) R-R, 6-3/197, Olathe, Kan. Previously Drafted: Tigers ’14 (33) Coming back for his senior season after being selected by the Detroit Tigers in 2014, Perrin provided an immediate shot in the arm for the Cowboys when he decided to return. A durable arm throughout the spring, Perrin has made a team high 16 starts, including the Stillwater Regional opener. Forming a strong 1-2 at the top of the rotation with lefty Michael Freeman, Perrin shows the ability to locate to both sides of the plate with his fastball, working into the low-90s while showing a late diving changeup and a low-80s slider. 221. Christian Trent, lhp, Mississippi (JR) L-L, 6-0/200, Covina, La. Previously Drafted: Dodgers ’14 (29) Coming off a fantastic rookie campaign for the Rebels in 2014 when Trent went 9-0 with a 2.05 over 110 innings pitched, Ole Miss needed Trent to once again lead the pitching staff in 2015, especially with the departure of Sam Smith and Chris Ellis. A strongly built lefthander who actually began his collegiate career at Delgado Community College, Trent has taken the ball on Friday nights for Coach Mike Bianco this spring and has more than lived up to the challenge, jumping up a spot from last year’s Saturday role. Showing a three-pitch mix on the mound, Trent doesn’t have that one devastating off-speed pitch, or an overpowering breaking ball, but he hasn’t needed them as he continues to find success in the SEC. A fierce competitor who feeds of pressure situations, Trent shows a strong level of pitchability with the ability to work backwards on a hitter or go right after them while commanding either side of the plate with his fastball that sits in the 88-92 mph range and a solid slider. 121. Nolan Kingham, rhp, Desert Oasis R-R, 6-4/195, Las Vegas, Nev. College Commitment: Texas The younger brother of Pirates prospect Nick Kingham, Nolan is no stranger to the craft of pitching or big-time competition. He’s proven to be an adept, well-rounded pitcher in a number of Perfect Game events, including the 2014 National Showcase where he performed very well and displayed a loose, quick arm. He’s progressed nicely since last summer, adding on some muscle mass to his well-proportioned 6-foot-4 frame and now occasionally running his fastball up to the 95-96 mph range. His heater sits comfortably in the 91-94 mph range and is a solid weapon on its own, but the entire arsenal has the potential to be above average. His 12-to-6 curveball in the low-70s has tight break and good depth, and his changeup plays very well off of his fastball with good fading action and finish below the knees. With his bloodlines, projectable pitcher’s frame and the strides that he’s continued to make this spring, Kingham has the potential to be gone before the third round comes to an end. 127. Jon India, ss/2b, American Heritage R-R, 6-0/190, Delray, Fla. College Commitment: Florida India has performed extremely well at a number of Perfect Game events over the past couple of years, with particularly strong showings at the National Showcase last June, the PG All-American Classic in August and the WWBA World Championship this past October. India has an athletic build and is a solid-average runner with good body control. While he may have to move off of shortstop, India is a good athlete that should provide good defensive ability at either the hot corner or second base. Additionally, he has consistently barreled up top-level pitching and shown the ability to utilize his strength and translate his raw power into game action. Although it is tough for scouts to project the hit tool, especially for high school prospects, India seems as advanced as nearly any other prep bat in the draft class.

TheCrew07, thanks again and as always for supporting our content. I really appreciate it and am glad you enjoy it.

Here's a first-hand report on Drossner from one of our PG scouts, Jheremy Brown (includes video): http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=11110 Reports on Griep and Lindell (Lindell is probably the first player they have taken that could be more difficult to sign, so any savings made with other picks, if there will be any, will likely go towards him): 190. Karsen Lindell, rhp, West Linn HS R-R, 6-2/200, West Linn, Ore. College Commitment: Washington Lindell is a broad shouldered and athletic righty who came out of the gates quickly this spring initially making himself the top prospect in the Northwest before Washington's Parker McFadden came on strong. Lindell throws in the low-90s with his fastball from a fluid delivery and high release point that creates lots of downhill angle. He has a full four-pitch mix with his curveball and changeup being his go-to pitches, although his mid-80s slider is also a promising weapon to develop more in the future. Lindell is the type of prospect who has the youthful look and the arm looseness to confidently project to keep improving over the next few years. 387. Nate Griep, rhp, Kansas State (RS-SO) R-R, 6-2/190, Omaha, Neb. Previously Drafted: Never Drafted Missing his true freshman season while recovering from an injury, Griep debuted last spring for the Wildcats and took his game to the next level in 2015. Working mostly in the upper-80s last spring with the ability to touch a tick higher, Griep opened this year touching 95 mph while living in the 91-94 mph range with the same late and heavy running life. Nearly cutting his ERA in half from a season ago, Griep works with a compact arm action on the mound and does a nice job working down in the zone. He predominately mixes in a sharp 12-to-6 curveball that shows solid depth in the 79-81 mph range when he stays on top. Video of Griep:

I disagree that these guys are underslot. The Brewers have yet to take anyone that appears to pose a problem signing, but at the same time, outside of the fact that Allemand is a senior and Nash Walters is somewhat of a surprise (similar to David Burkhalter last year), these players are being taken roughly where expected.

PG reports on some of the recent picks: 161. George Iskenderian, inf, Miami (JR) R-R, 6-2/190, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Previously Drafted: Cardinals ’14 (34) Talk about picking up a junior college transfer who makes an immediate impact to an already potent lineup. That’s exactly what Iskenderian has done in 2015 as he joined a Miami Hurricane offense that was already viewed as one of the deepest in the college game. Prepping at Northeast powerhouse Don Bosco in New Jersey, Iskenderian took his talents to the University of South Carolina where he played sparingly as a freshman before transferring to Indian River CC in 2014. Putting together a .373 offensive season while playing shortstop, Iskenderian was selected in the 34th round by the Cardinals before joining the Hurricanes in 2015. With the left side of the infield already established in shortstop Brandon Lopez and third baseman David Thompson, the New Jersey native has slid over to second base where his athleticism has allowed for an easy transition. Showing the ability to play wherever needed defensively, it’s the bat that will serve as Iskenderian’s carrying tool at the next level. Showing a simple approach and set up at the plate, the broad and strongly built righthanded hitter shows a strong feel for the barrel of the bat. He might not hit for a ton of power but his overall hit tool is undeniable as he made the transition to ACC pitching look easy, leading the team with a .379 average and an on-base percentage of .471. On top of the bat, Iskenderian was 23-for-25 on stolen base attempts during the spring and wasn’t caught until the final couple of weekends of the regular season. 255. Blake Allemand, inf, Texas A&M (SR) B-R, 5-10/155, San Antonio, Texas Previously Drafted: Never Drafted Part of the reason for the Aggies success throughout this spring and into the postseason is the play of their senior shortstop Blake Allemand. Impacting the game from both sides of the ball, Allemand served as A&M’s fulltime shortstop this spring after playing a little bit of everywhere in 2014. Showing solid barrel skills from both sides of the plate, Allemand shows no problem handling premium stuff while showing the athleticism to play any of the infield positions at a high level. 352. Eric Hanhold, rhp, Florida (JR) R-R, 6-5/205, Palm Harbor, Fla. Previously Drafted: Phillies ’12 (40) The very last pick in the 2012 draft, Hanhold is actually one of two players on the Florida Gators roster to be selected with the final pick of their respective drafts, with sophomore Shaun Anderson the other in 2013. With the type of stuff Hanhold possesses on the mound and the numbers he’s put up this spring, it’s safe to say he’ll be going much higher this June. Sitting in the 92-94 mph range out of the bullpen and bumping 95, Hanhold works from a high arm slot, pounding the ball downhill with late and heavy life. With his fastball running to his arm side, Hanhold features a slider that moves in the opposite direction, showing late 10-to-4 tilt.

Donny Everett, Justin Hooper and Luken Baker made it clear before the draft that it would take a truckload of money to sign. You can be sure all 3 are heading to college. Here's a story on Demi Orimoloye from PG's Jeff Dahn from last October: http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=10660 And here's his detailed PG scouting report: Demi Orimoloye – OF Height/Weight: 6-4/225 Bats/Throws: R/R Birthdate: Jan. 6, 1997 High School: St. Matthew Hometown: Orleans, Ont. (Canada) Travel Team: Team Canada Commitment: Oregon Projected Draft Round: 1 There is no player in the 2015 class that has improved more over the last two years than Canadian outfielder Demi Orimoloye. Orimoloye's athleticism has always been obvious. He's a chiseled and natural 6-foot-4, 225-pounds and exudes strength. He also ran a 6.57 60-yard dash as a sophomore and has a solid average outfield throwing arm. But dating back to his appearances at the 2013 PG Junior National Showcase and the 2013 PG Underclass All-American Games, it was very difficult to project that Orimoloye would ever be able to hit. These are notes from the Perfect Game database from that summer that are consistent with the entire body of his evaluations at that time: BP:Upright/narrow stance, unsure trigger, late start, VERY raw, big loop in back, huge hand drop load, zero balance, big uppercut, can imagine him crushing the ball if he ever learned to hit, but has a LONG way to go. Game: completely overmatched, had absolutely no chance in game ABs. Fast forward a year to last summer and it was like watching a different player, admittedly still a very large, fast and strong player, in the batter's box. There was balance and timing, there was a much shorter and level path to the ball, there was an explosion of hands and wrists at contact. And there was consistently a huge explosion of barrel and ball at contact. Orimoloye made some of the hardest contact of the summer and made it consistently. Reports coming in the spring indicated that Orimoloye has continued to hit the same way off college and even professional pitching as part of Team Canada's March tour through Florida. This would be looking well into the future but should Orimoloye eventually reach the big leagues, he would become the first native born Nigerian Major Leaguer. He immigrated to Canada with his family as a three-year old. Video:

And both Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley were unfairly pegged as players that could get up to Milwaukee by the end of the summer they were drafted. I think Clark's a great pick, but you need to temper one's enthusiasm as to just how quickly he could be moved up. Carlos Correa, who is an extreme example, made it up in 3 years. And if Michael Mautella is still on the board, unless someone can creatively figure out how to pay him double-digit seven figures, I think that's a strong indication that he's heading back to Duke for his senior year. Or Indy ball. The Brewers are going to sign Clark, Kirby and Ponce, but they're not going to be saving any slot money in doing so. Meaning, it's not like they can get overly creative the rest of the way.

As much as I like Ponce I do wonder why he fell this far. Here's his detailed PG report: Cody Ponce – RHP Height/Weight: 6-5/235 Bats/Throws: R/R Birthdate: April 25, 1994 College: Cal Poly Pomona (Division II) Hometown: Upland, Calif. Projected Draft Round: 1-1S Even in the most sophisticated of times in the world of scouting, elite talent like Cody Ponce can still emerge from unexpected places. You wouldn’t expect a 6-foot-5 righty with a mid-90s fastball and above average secondary pitches to come from a Division II program, but Cal Poly-Pomona has produced just that in Ponce. Ponce was slowed earlier this spring by some nagging but not serious injuries, but has since showed a quick return to form. And, in top form, in many ways, Ponce can stack up with almost any pitcher in the draft. It’s a cliche to say that consistency will be the key, but it truly is when it comes to this big righthander. On his best days, he has top of the rotation stuff, but he needs to show scouts that the same stuff will show up day in and day out. The Cape Cod League experience was enormous for Ponce, as the scouting world got to get a lengthy look at his on the fly development. But, the league’s All-Star game served as a cherry on top of his breakout summer. He showed flashes of absolute brilliance throughout his summer, but in this game he put all the pieces together to form a pitching prospect that caused some scouts to pull out the name Roger Clemens. Ponce attacked hitters with a 93-96 mph fastball in his All-Star outing, and showed the wipeout, plus slider he had used only sparingly at times throughout the summer. For much of the summer, it really did depend when you saw Ponce when it came to what your evaluation was. He didn’t always show that plus 85-89 mph slider that he broke out in that All-Star game, and his 79-82 mph curveball flashed big plus 11-5 depth in some games, but didn’t show up quite as sharp in others. His solid-average changeup was a constant for him at 81-83 with late fading action, however. What variations in stuff Ponce shows this spring will ultimately determine where he fits in the draft. He will have to improve his command and find ways to bring the entirety of that four pitch arsenal with him to the mound everyday. But, his size, easy righty arm and potential for three plus offerings make him a potential frontline starter if things break right. At worst, he has the attack mode mentality, the demeanor, and clearly the electric stuff to pitch at the end of games. Ponce has to be viewed a little differently than the typical college pitcher, and there is still a world of potential to be tapped into. And YouTube video link: