Looking Ahead at the Draft 03/18/09
Kyle Gibson (Photo by Jeff Lautenberger)
Though it is still three months away, I am starting to concentrate more and more on the 2009 MLB First Year Player draft. Thanks to modern technology, I was able to watch quite a bit of college baseball this past weekend. While watching the action, I couldn’t help to wonder who would be prime candidates for the St. Louis Cardinals come this June.
Friday night I watched Ole Miss visit a rain soaked Hawkins Field to take on Vanderbilt. One of my early favs, Mike Minor, of Vanderbilt really struggled in the wet conditions. Minor was tagged for six runs, five earned, in only 4.1 innings.
Hawkins Field (Photo by Dustin Mattison)
After taking in Anna and Zac’s soccer games on Saturday, I hit the road and ran (literally) to Capaha Field to watch Southeast Missouri State take on Northern Illinois. The Redhawks did not prove to be gracious hosts taking the first three games of the four game set before dropping the final game on Sunday. NIU’s Chuck Lukanen got knocked around but I really liked his demeanor on the mound. The 6′ left-hander has a nice smooth delivery and a live arm. He could be a late round sleeper.
The more I see the Redhawks’ catcher Jim Klocke the more I really like him. The St. Louis native is hitting .410/.507/.689. Plus, he is the team’s closer and brings a high 80’s fastball to the bump.
After watching some of the action at Capaha, I ran back home to watch the Missouri Tigers travel to Austin to take on number one Texas. Game one featured a match up of two of the best pitchers in the Big 12, the Tigers’ Kyle Gibson and the Longhorns Chance Ruffin. Both pitchers were very good but Gibson stole the show. The 6′6 right-hander shutout top ranked Texas while striking out 11 Longhorns in the process. For his effort, the junior was named the National Pitcher of the Week. To me, I was most impressed with his striking out the side in the seventh. The more I see Gibson the more he reminds me of the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright. He won’t be available at 19 but check him out at MLB.com.
The Tigers may have lost the next two games but the coaching staff has to be pleased with Nick Tepesch’s performance on Sunday. The sophomore pitched a career best eight innings before handing his bullpen a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, the bullpen could not seal the deal.
Later on Saturday, I settled in to watch two of the top teams in the country, Baylor and Texas A & M. The game featured the Bears’ Kendal Volz matching up against the Aggies’ Brooks Raley. What two great baseball names! Raley stifled the opposition; the southpaw struck out nine in eight innings of four-hit baseball. Volz was tagged for four runs while striking out nine. Like Gibson, Volz was covered in an MLB Draft Report.
Others to Watch
Grant Green (Photo Cape Cod Baseball.org)
Going into the season, I wouldn’t have thought that USC All-American shortstop Grant Green would be on the board when the Cardinals picked at number 19. Like the rest of the Trojans, the 6′3 infielder has struggled so far hitting only .298/.394/.421 with eight steals in nine attempts. What is more alarming is his .910 fielding percentage. I really doubt he slips to 19 but a guy can wish can’t he?
Green’s teammate, Brad Boxberger, continues to rack up the big strikeout totals. After talking about Boxberger last week, he went out and struck out 11 in seven innings of work. He now has 37 K’s in 26.2 innings while allowing only 13 hits. His command is lacking with 17 bases on balls this season.
Two more pitchers that we have been discussing were covered by MLB this week. Arizona State’s Mike Leake and Ryan Berry. Leake threw well on Tuesday aganist Kansas State but struggled out of the bullpen against KU on Sunday. Berry continues to be one of the top pitchers in college baseball with a one hit complete game against San Diego. Both are undersized right-handers but seem to fit the Cardinals’ MO.
Two shortstops that I have been following are D.J. LeMahiu of LSU and Ryan Jackson of Miami. Even after a so-so weekend against Kentucky LeMahiu has a line of .429/.535/.679 and is six for six in stolen base attempts. Jackson hit his first two home runs of the season on Tuesday night and hopefully he can use this game to jump start what has so far been a slow season for the junior.
High School
I am still delving into the High School prospects but a guy featured over at BA has really caught my eye. David Holmberg is a left-hander from Florida who is committed to his state university. So far in 2009, the southpaw has struck out 56 in 23.2 innings. With a fastball that sits in the high eighties and touches 91 to go along with a projectable 6’3 frame, he might be worth a look for the Cardinals in the second to third round.
Californina prep shortstop Jiovanni Mier is one of the highest rated high school infielders in the upcoming draft. MLB has a draft report on Mier and scouts believe he will be able to stay at the position. He looks like a superb athlete who has the advantage of playing in California which features some of the top high school players in the country.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Filed Under: College Baseball • Major League Baseball Draft
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