The draft is just three days away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some players individually rather than lump a few together in one post.
Daniel Norris | LHP
Background
After coming into the year as the top high school lefty in the draft class, Norris had a subpar (but not bad) spring at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee. He quit playing football after his junior year to focus solely on baseball. He’s committed to Clemson.
Scouting Report
Big and projectable at 6-foot-2 and 180 lbs., Norris has shown three better than average pitches plus a usable fourth offering at times this spring. He legitimately sat 93-96 with his fastball at times, though he mostly worked at 89-92. An upper-70’s curveball with tight spin is his top breaking ball, though he also uses a mid-80’s slider against right-handers. A mid-70’s changeup is his third best pitch and is ahead of the slider. There’s some effort in Norris’ delivery, which leads to inconsistent control and command. He’s athletic though, so adjustments shouldn’t be impossible.
Miscellany
Yesterday we learned that Norris is looking for Tyler Matzek money, referring to the $3.9M the Rockies gave the 11th overall pick in 2009. There’s definite front of the rotation potential here, though he needs to figure out a consistent delivery and shore up that command. Baseball America and Keith Law ranked Norris as the 16th and 33rd best prospect in the draft, respectively, so the Yankees are going to need those bonus demands to scare some teams off if they hope to land him.