11. Justin Smoak- 1B 6′3 200lbs South Carolina Junior, B/R
<img src=”http://www.kettleers.org/images/451781.jpg” align=”left” height=”250″ width=”150″ />
Over the past year, Smoak’s stock has hit more bumps and high points than anyone else in the draft. Since his high school days, he’s been considered a first round pick due to his power prowess and switch hitting abilities. As a sophomore, Smoak really upped his value starting in the wooden bat league of Cape Cod and continued on during his college season. This summer wasn’t as kind as Justin played for Team USA which also used a wooden bats, but he struggled mightily with the bat. Those struggles translated over to the beginning of South Carolina’s season as he suffered a major power outage. With his bad preformance with the wooden bat recently, scouts had some serious second thoughts of how he’d handle the switch from aluminum to wood. Since his poor start to at the beginning of his college season, Smoak has turned it around looked like his old self. He’s power is primo from the left and rightside with the ability to take any pitch out to any field. His contact from both sides of the plate is better than most players with his power, as he doesn’t try pulling every pitch but he’s not the best contact hitter in the draft (he is the best switch hitting contact hitter though). Defensively, Smoak has good hands at first but is severely lacking in the footwork department which effects his range. On the MLB level, he can be an average first baseman but likely not much more. His speed is nothing to write home about but he’s a smart runner on the paths so that he isn’t completely clogging up the the bases.
12. Yonder Alonso - 3B/1B 6′2 215lbs Miami Junior L/R
<img src=”http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/mifl/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/987634.jpeg” align=”right” height=”250″ width=”150″ /> From everything I’ve heard from scout and crosschecker friends, Alonso is the best hitter in the draft, and likely the most stable. His plate discipline and pitch recognition are like no one other’s in the draft. This summer, he lead the Cape Cod in walks and OBP despite having no other power threats on his club. His stroke is well balanced and compact that allows him to hit gaps with regularity. His power has been questioned, as he hasn’t showed it consistently and would rather hit safely for a double than flyout to deeply, if he did hit with regular power he’d likely be a top 3 pick. As of right now Alonso’s power is to the opposite field. Some crosscheckers think the power will come as he further matures and is able to turn on inner pitches and goes with more life in his stroke, he’ll turn doubles into longballs. As one NL scouting director said, “he’s more than a power bat, he’s a hitter with power, so that’s all the better.” For a big guy, Yonder has decent speed but overall is lbelow the average player, still he’s not a liability on the paths as he has good instincts and knows when and when not to run. The part of Alonso’s game that I get mixed reports on, is his defense. What all scouts believe is that he’s a first baseman, it’s just how good of one or if he can even stay there. From what I’ve seen of him, he can play a near MLB average first. Like Smoak, Yonder has good hands and catches what’s thrown to him while covering little ground around the bag. His arm is pretty strong for a first baseman; in high school Yonder was a catcher with a great arm and questionable defensive behind the plate. That’s why out of HS, the Twins drafted him in the 16th round. With work he can become an average 1B and that’s all he needs to be with his batting skills. The best comparison I’ve seen thus far to Yonder is former Mariner Edgar Martinez.
13. Gordon Beckham SS 6′0 190lbs Georgia Junior R/R
<img src=”http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/g-beck.jpg” align=”left” height=”175″ width=”125″ /> Like the Georgia high schooler Tim Beckham, the University of Georgia’s Gordon Beckham plays SS. After that the similarities end. Gordon Beckham is not a potential 5-tool player but rather is known for his line drive stroke and great ability to get the fat part of the bat on the ball consistently. Up until recently, Beckham’s power was one of his weaker points. But this summer, he surprised many scouts when took home the Cape Cod homerun title and then started slugging out of the gate during the college season. Gordon wows the scouts with his good plate recognition and bat skills but draws some serious questions as to if he can stay a SS for the show. Right now, the scouting community is split on whether he can stick at SS. Beckham has good footwork and a strong accurate arm but he’s still not done growing and that’s why other scouts feel he’ll be a better long term candidate at 2B or 3B. I might be speaking blasphemy here at a Cubs site but a scout friend of mine compared Gordon to Ryne Sandberg with their bat skills, size and positions. Anyway you look at, Beckham is going early due to his ability to stay in the middle infield (there’s a lack of that in the draft) and his strong plate abilities.
14. Kyle Skipworth - C CA HS 6′3 190lbs L/R
<img src=”http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper741/stills/3m456vi2.jpg” align=”right” height=”230″ width=”200″ /> Of the high school class, Skipworth is without question the best catcher out there hands down. This lefthanded hitter has plus power at the plate, mostly coming as pull power but scouts see the opposite field game developing. With the bat his quick wrists let him sit back and spray the ball to all directions. It’s not often Skipworth gets cheated at the plate, as it seems the ball always seems to find the barrel of his bat. At the plate, he’s shown good pitch recognition and when to layoff bad pitches. Behind the plate, Skipworth shows off a strong accurate arm with solid footwork, but both still need some major tuning. Defensively, he needs some serious work at blocking pitches and calling games but for catching for just a year, he’s got great upside. Yet some scouts believe the further he grows physically, the less and less likely he is to stay a catcher long term. But with his athleticism and stick, teams will give him every shot possible to catch. I laughed when one crosschecker recently compared Skipworth to my cousin and Phillies OF Jayson Werth. Both were still growing lefty high school hitters who impressed scouts with their bat skills and had the scouting community willing to gamble on making them catchers. For Jayson, it didn’t work behind the plate but his plate discipline and skilled bat still has made him an MLBer and that’s what Skipworth can look forward to worst case scenerio. With the lack of catchers in the draft, Skipworth is looking like a surefire first rounder, which is a little of a recent tumble as their was talk of him going as high as #1. If for some odd reason Kyle falls and doesn’t get a good offer, he very well could honor his commitment to the powerhouse Arizona State.
15. Aaron Hicks- OF/RHP CA HS 6′3 180lbs B/R
<img src=”http://media.venturacountystar.com/vcs/content/img/photos/2007/05/22/20070522-232840-pic-695430770_t220.jpg” align=”left” height=”220″ width=”160″ /> Hicks is the most athletic ballplayer in the 2008 draft, he can go either the CF route or starting pitcher. Scouts salivate over his tools, as he’s one of the few prospects with plus potential talent all around; a potential 5 tool player who switch hits. Defensively, Hicks covers alot of ground in center while running great routes. Additionally, his arm is extremely strong and accurate, making him a huge threat in center or potentially rightfield. His speed allows him to cover alot of ground in the outfield along with being a threat on the bases. The further he develops though he’s likely to have problems as he gets poor pitcher reads and lacks a secondary lead. At the plate, Hicks has raw skills and has shown flashes of his potential but so far he really hasn’t put it all together. His plate recognition is weak right now as he tends to pull most of his pitches and sits on fastballs; while in the future scouts think he’ll turn the corner and be average with the eye and counts. Hicks’ power is in the development stage, scouts see it emerging as he bulks up with his linedrive stroke. In terms of pitching, Hicks hits 95 mph regularly with his fastball and features a plus slider with wicked late movement. Aaron still has scouts straddling the fence, some think he’s a future starter with such a strong arm while others think his toolsiness is too good to pass on as a positional player. Either way Hicks will go early to club looking for athleticism. The best comparison that I’ve heard of Hicks is Adam Jones now CFer of the Orioles, both are just so damn athletic they had teams indecisive of where their stellar abilities are best for the team. Personally, I say give Hicks every opportunity to play the field; even if Hicks starts off his career as a positional player yet struggles mightily with the bat for the first few years, he has the ability to make the switch back to the mound ala Padres’ 2004 1st overall pick, Matt Bush.
16. Christian Friedrich LHP 6′3 215lbs Eastern Kentucky Junior L/L
<img src=”http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1426/1392223604_b00b1c2f53.jpg?v=0″ align=”right” height=”250″ width=”250″ /> The Eastern Kentucky lefty, is one of the best college lefties in the draft. Right now, Friedrich has a plus plus curveball that’s a slow sweeper and in the low 70’s. It’s arguably the best curve in the draft as he has impecible control over it and can throw it as a strike anytime. His fastball isn’t as impressive nor is his change but both can be plus pitches with further control. The fastball rests around 89-92 mph with little movement, while the change is the upper 60’s. On the mound, Christian shows poise and doesn’t get rattled partly because he knows he can drop that curve in at anytime. The scouts have compared Friedrich to Rich Hill, they’re very similar but I will say Friedrich is more advanced with his fastball and changeup than Hill was at this point; that’s probably why Hill didn’t go until the 4th round his senior year (7th Rd his Jr year). Christian’s mechanics and delivery aren’t picked to give him any major problems in the future but he does have some minor hiccups in his motion. When he struggles his point is where he gets in trouble as it leaves his already flat fastball high up in the zone. He can get away with it for now but in the more developed minor leagues, teams will start exposing it. Friedrich isn’t an ace but more likely a #2-3 starter while not being that big of a gamble. Anyway you cut it, Friedrich is very likely to make the show even if it’s as a lefty specialist.
17. Jemile Weeks- 2B 5′9 180lbs Junior Miami R/R
<img src=”http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04nI6Xjd4w1fW/610x.jpg” align=”left” height=”220″ width=”300″ /> Jemile has always shown a natural line drive stroke in which he takes pitches to all fields. Weeks gets the barrel on the ball often spraying balls all across the field. As of this season, Jemile has looked like his brother Rickie with the power stick which has been a downgrade of Jemile’s abilities. Still some scouts feel that it’s the aluminum bat talking while a few think he’ll work into more power as he develops but never to to Rickie’s ability. Defensively, Weeks plays 2B right now like his brother. Jemile covers great ground as a 2B with his footwork along plus a strong arm. But Jemile has brick hands when it comes to fielding in the infield, that might eventually push him into a centerfield position in the future. The athletic infielder, is very aggressive on the basepaths and very intelligent in stealing bases as he gets good reads off pitches and a big secondary lead. Jemile has had a divided crowd among scouts of where he belongs, he’s not a viable SS in future but at 2B and CF he appears above above average in the area. He definitely has leadoff hitter qualities, mix that with his athletic talent and teams will be tempted to gamble on him early.
18. Josh Fields - RHP 6′0 18olbs Georgia Senior R/R
<img src=”http://onlineathens.com/images/060707/22041_223.jpg” align=”right” height=”220″ width=”220″ /> It’s looking like Fields made a smart financial manuever last year by holding out on the Braves who took him in the 2nd round. Fields was a phenom his sophomore season but had a poor junior season that had him fall in the draft. This year as a Senior, he’s shown his old form. The fastball has clocked in at 92-96mph, sitting usually at 94. The pitch doesn’t have much lateral movement but has some sink action and Fields throws it with good control His strikeout pitch is his nasty curveball, it’s a hard tight pitch with decent control. Josh has a true closer’s mentality, it that he’s not afraid to challenge hitters but going right at them and clearing off his plate. His arm strength is one of his buyable features in that he can go back to back to back games without showing fatigue. No question, Fields is probably the quickest to reach the MLB; there’s a good chance he could help a club this season. Fields leads a talented class of closers that are vying for first round money, partly for their talent and partly because teams are disappointed in this years crop and want to ensure they get a player that reaches the show.
19. Gerrit Cole - RHP 6′3 190lbs Ca HS Senior R/R
<img src=”http://campus.lhsoc.org/Sports/baseball/GerritCole2.jpg” align=”left” height=”200″ width=”118″ />Without question Cole is the hardest thrower in high school and maybe college. He usually sits around 94-96 mph with his fastball but has been known to hit 99 or even 101 mph. Historically, it’s not always good to be the hardest thrower in the draft as there are major questions that follow. Cole isn’t exempt from them as his delivery, secondary, and control are major issues. Currently, Gerrit throws from a 3/4 delivery, which maximizes velocity but sets him up for future injury risk as his mechanics are severely flawed. His secondary pitches have scouts miffed and divided, depending on who you talk to Cole has the ability to throw a plus slider and changeup in the future or is just a fastball arm. Gerrit has great arm strength but the more he throws, the more likely he’s to wind up with a major surgery. There is some talk that Cole is destined for the pen with is stuff and mechanics. The talk is if he’s not taken in the top 20 then he’s going to honor his commitment to UCLA unless someone shows him the money.
20. Dennis Raben OF 6′4 22olbs Miami Junior L/L
<img src=”http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper479/stills/o5017i4e.jpg” align=”right” height=”208″ width=”125″ /> The draft is short on real outfield talents and Raben is arguably one of the better college outfielder out there when he’s not ailing. Raben has a strong arm and covers good ground that should keep him in RF on the MLB level. If not then he’ll be an excellent LF or 1B. His speed is severely lacking and looks like someone who can run only one base at a time. Raben’s contact is questionable with his long open swing yet he does have the ability to work counts at the plate that led to his high walk and strikeout rate. Power is his greatest attribute but he’s a notorious pull hitter, and his uppercut stroke leaves him suseptible to pitches high in the zone. As I had mentioned, Raben has suffered from back issues this season that has cost him time and has led to a less than blockbuster college year after posting strong number in the Cape Cod League. Scouts often compare all of his physical attributes, size, and overall gameplay to Ryan Klesko.
Iowa Cubs (AAA)
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