First Look: 2011 Draft Prospects (High School Pitchers)
By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
September 28, 2010
Yes, the 2010 Draft cycle was bountiful for high school pitching. A ton of guys were putting 90s and better up in the summer before the draft. That’s not the case this year, where the big arms really stand out. If you’re really a devotee of the scouting arts and not completely reliant on the radar gun to make your decisions for you, you will find some guys on this list who won’t be 86-88 in a few years. Which ones? Anyone’s guess. But use projection, look at arm speed, look at body, look for smoothness and you will find the big leaguers who come from the masses.
This is an annual thing we do every Fall. We take a look at all our scouting notes from the past several months and come up with the “First Looks” list. These aren’t rankings, because we’re not into the torch and pitchfork mentality, but these are the players we have seen along the way that look like potential draft picks or Division I college players. These are written in late September 2010, so if you find these in June 2011 and wonder why a guy is or isn’t here, it’s because of the date. If you are just finding Baseball Beginnings through this list, make sure to hang around. I guarantee you, many times, we’ll have more on a player than you ever thought you would find.
Joseph Armstrong, RHP. 6-1, 180 (Logan HS, Union City, CA)
Stocky guy with some power in there, FB 87-90.
Tyler Beede, RHP, 6-4, 200 (Lawrence Academy, MA)
FB 90-92, good life, improving SL, playable CH. Room for more power in here.
Toller Boardman, LHP, 6-3, 215 (Bellaire HS, Bellaire, TX)
Crafty lefty all the way, FB 89-91, better control than 09, still growing into his body.
Brandon Bonilla, LHP, 6-3, 185 (The Pendleton School, Bradenton, FL)
FB 87-89, topped 90, big body and thighs, looking for torque and arm speed with coiled windup.
Archie Bradley, RHP, 6-4, 225 (Broken Arrow HS, OK)
No mystery here, a big arm. FB 92-95, CB 80-82 and hard.
Bryan Brickhouse, RHP, 6-2, 190 (The Woodlands HS, The Woodlands, TX)
No secrets here: big hard-throwing right-hander, FB 90-94, CB 75-77, SL 83-85, CH 81
Matt Budgell, RHP, 6-3, 160 (Woodbridge HS, CA)
FB 85-88.
Dylan Bundy, RHP, 6-1, 200 (Owasso HS, Owasso, OK)
Missed him this summer, powerfully built with arm speed and fastball to 94.
Nick Burdi, RHP, 6-5, 215 (Downers Grove HS, So. Downers Grove, IL)
No downer about 6-5, 215 righty who popped 92 with a playable CH.
Daniel Camarena, LHP, 6-2, 200 (Cathedral Catholic HS, CA)
Crafty LHP won’t over power, picks apart corners when he’s best. FB 84-88, CB 71-73, CH 70.
Michael Comforto, RHP, 6-0, 200 (Redmond HS, WA)
Two-way guy showed well both ways, FB 90-93 (91), CH 81-83
Kyle Crick, RHP, 6-3, 225 (Sherman HS, Sherman TX)
FB 90-92, repeated mechanics, split 81, CH 72-73, SL 81-83, you can tell I liked.
John Curtiss, RHP, 6-4, 190 (Southlake Carroll, Southlake TX)
Right frame, 6-4, FB 87-90, CH 78, long and loose.
Zach Davies, RHP, 6-1, 155 (Mesquite HS, Gilbert AZ)
FB 84-88, SL 71-76
Dylan Davis, RHP, 6-0, 200 (Redmond HS, WA)
Burly three-pitch guy, closer type, short-armer, FB 90-92, tops 94
Jose Fernandez, RHP, 6-4, 220 (Alonso HS, Florida)
Burly thrower, FB 92-94, averaged 92.
Parker French, RHP, 6-2, 190 (Dipping Springs, Austin, TX)
Big burly ox, FB 89-91, loose with some projection, sweep on 77-78 SL
Brett Fuller, RHP, 6-3, 215 (Archbishop Mitty HS, Morgan Hill, CA)
Burly guy, 85-87 FB.
Michael Fulmer, RHP, 6-3, 190 (Deer Creek HS, Oklahoma City)
Burly body type, FB 88-91, CB 73
Darin Gillies, RHP, 6-4, 195 (San Benito, Hollister, CA)
Tall frame, FB 87-88. CH 75.
Cody Glenn, LHP, 6-3, 178 (Westbury Christian, Houston TX)
Tall and lean with some power projection, FB 86-91, CH 80-82
John Hochstatter, LHP, 6-4, 204 (San Ramon Valley, Danville CA)
Big guy, listed at 6-4, FB 84-86
Scot Hoffman, RHP, 6-4, 190 (Desert Ridge HS, Sun Tan Valley, AZ)
Good frame, FB 87-90, CH 75-80.
Patrick Hope, RHP, 6-3, 185 (Broken Arrow HS, Broken Arrow, OK)
FB 89-91, averaged 90, CB 71-74, looks at SL and CH, good frame, projection.
Michael Howard, LHP, 6-1, 165 (Prescott HS, Prescott AZ)
FB 88-90, CH 80, some physical projection here.
Aaron Johnson, LHP, 6-0, 195 (The Dunham School, Baton Rouge, LA)
Solid foundation, FB 86-88, CB 71-73.
Sam Johnson, RHP, 6-0, 185 (Westview HS, Beaverton, OR)
FB 89-92 (88-89), 84 SL.
Michael Jordan, 6-1, 195 (Murrieta Valley HS, CA)
FB 82-84, CB 70.
Ryan Keller, RHP, 6-3, 210 (West Ranch HS, CA)
Broad shoulders, 88-89, 80 CH.
Michael Kelly, RHP, 6-5, 195 (West Boca Raton HS, FL)
Lots of room to fill out, FB 93-93 with upside
Cody Kukuk, LHP, 6-4, 198 (Lawrence Free State, McLouth, KS)
FB 88-90, room for physical projection, some arm speed to play with.
Deshorn Lake, RHP, 6-1, 210 (Menchville HS, VA)
Whippy arm action across the body, FB 89-92 with upside, CB 76, SL 82.
Jackson Laumann, RHP, 6-3, 215 (Boone County, Florence, KY)
Fast arm, landed well, FB 89-90, downhill, room for more.
Spenser Linney, LHP, 6-4, 175 (Head-Royce HS, CA)
Linney: lanky and lean. FB 84-86.
Joe Magliozzi, RHP, 5-11, 185 (Dexter School, MA)
Aggressive, bulldog type, FB 89-92 (91), CB 70-73 best off-speed weapon
Dillon Maples, RHP, 6-3, 197 (Pinecrest HS, N.C.)
Stocky frame, FB 91-93 with bump to 94, CB 76-79, CH 83
Adam McCreery, LHP, 6-8, 195 (Bonita HS, CA)
FB 85-87, long and lanky.
Chris McCue, RHP, 60-155 (Ardrey Kell, Charlotte, NC)
Aggressive sinkerballer, FB 88-90, slow CB for different look, 69-72.
Joe Musgrove, RHP, 6-5, 225 (Grossmont HS, CA)
Big Joe, 6-5, 225, FB 88-89, CH 80, SL 73-75. Body allows for projection, Ox type.
Nigel Nootbaar, RHP, 6-1, 190 (El Segundo HS, CA)
FB 84-87, multi-sport guy, 74 CH.
Daniel Norris, LHP, 6-2, 170 (Science Hill HS, Tennessee)
Power LH, pitches at 91-92, bumps 94 to please scouts, plus CH, FB sink, sorting out CB and SL.
Henry Owens, LHP, 6-7, 195 (Edison HS, CA)
Loose and lanky lefty has improved through all three years; FB 87-91 but it’s the big curveball that gets him noticed and the straight change that is improving that will also keep him around.
Philip Pfeifer, LHP, 6-0, 187 (Farragut HS, Tennessee)
FB 84-88, CB 73-77, CH 82.
Zak Qualls, LHP, 6-3, 160, (Rancho HS, NV)
Tall and skinny, 84-86, CB 72-74, CH 70
Blake Snell, LHP, 6-4, 180 (Shorewood HS, Shoreline, WA)
6- 4 LHP with FB 87-90 (89), makings of a CH, physically projectable
Derek Starling, RHP, 6-5, 190 (Edgerton, Gardner, KS)
Athletic and really put together. Average arm speed. FB 89-91.
Jordan Stephens, RHP, 6-2, 185 (Alvin HS, Alvin TX)
FB 88-89.
Robert Stephenson, RHP, 6-2, 180 (Alhambra HS, Martinez, CA)
Tall, lanky and loose with good arm speed, FB 90-94, hard SL 72-74
Jerrick Suiter, RHP, (Valparaiso HS, Valparaiso, IN)
FB 89-91, SL 74-76, CH 77-80, just playing catch in this look, has some arm speed to play with, SL has some tilt, upper body filled out from 2009 look.
Stephen Tarpley, LHP, 6-0, 175 (Gilbert HS, Gilbert AZ)
FB 86-87, rangy guy, just learning.
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