The 2012 amateur draft starts tomorrow, so I’m going to highlight some last-minute prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.
Lucas Sims | RHP
Background
Hailing from Brookwood High School in the Atlanta suburbs, Sims has been a factor in this year’s draft since pitching for Team USA two summers ago. He’s committed to Clemson.
Scouting Report
A 6-foot-3 and 190 lb. right-hander, Sims sits in the low-90s with his fastball and has shown 97 in shorter outings. His top secondary offering is a power slider in the low-80s, but also throws a loopy curveball in the low-70s. He doesn’t have much of a changeup yet and will likely have to focus on just one breaking ball in pro ball. Sims has a fairly simply delivery but he does have a slight wrist-wrap, which is typically considered more of a potential command issue than a health risk. His stuff is among the best in the class and he supplements it with a strong track record in high-profile events.
Miscellany
MLB.com (#23), Baseball America (#29), and Keith Law (#32) all agree that Sims is right in the mix for the back-end of the first round, and it’s worth noting that Baseball America said the Yankees have some interest in him for their first round pick (#30 overall) in their latest mock draft. It’s weird, I like Sims less than guys like Zach Eflin, Shane Watson, and J.O. Berrios, but apparently the three major publications like him more than those three. I just feel like they have comparable stuff but maybe fewer questions about their long-term command and delivery, but that doesn’t means Sims would be a bad first round pick by any means.
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