The draft is just four days away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some players individually rather than lump a few together in one post.

Brandon Martin | SS

Background
Martin’s stock has risen quite a bit this spring after he bulked up over the winter and added some muscle to his frame. He attends Santiago High School in Corona, California and is committed to baseball powerhouse Oregon State.

Scouting Report
If there’s one thing this draft class lacks, it’s depth at the up-the-middle positions. Martin has flashed all five tools at shortstop, and projects to stay there long-term. He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 lbs., but he’s a fast twitch athlete that runs well and offers plenty of range in the field. Martin’s defensive skills need work, but he’s capable of highlight reel plays and has the tools to be an above-average defender at short, including a strong and accurate arm. Swinging from the right side, Martin has quick and compact swing geared for contact with the potential for average power down the road. He’s aggressive, so the approach will need some refinement.

Miscellany
The Yankees were reported to be “heavily in” on Martin a few weeks ago, so there’s some level of interest here. He’s a bit of a long-term project as a high school shortstop, but the potential is there for him to be better than average on both sides of the ball, though not necessarily a star. Given the state of the shortstop position around the game today, better than average is basically star caliber. Keith Law and Baseball America ranked him as the 54th and 65th best prospect in their latest rankings, indicating that he’s more of a supplemental first/second round player.

The draft is just five days away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some players individually rather than lump a few together in one post.

Carl Thomore | OF

Background
Mike Trout has ensured that New Jersey will no longer go under-scouted. Thomore, who attends East Brunswick High School, has already dealt with far more adversity off the field than baseball could ever match. His mother passed away due to breast cancer when he was in the sixth grade, and a brutal ankle injury nearly ended his baseball career before it started. You can read all about the gruesome injury here. Thomore is committed to Rutgers Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Florida.

Scouting Report
Thomore’s best tool is something that is in short supply these days: power. He keeps the weight on his 6-foot-1, 195 lb. frame back and generates big time bat speed from the right side, hitting the ball to all fields but doing the most damage when he pulls it to left.  An advanced approach helps his cause. Thomore is a good athlete with a strong arm, though he’s not good enough for center and profiles best in right. His bat projects to be plenty good for the position though.

Miscellany
If it wasn’t for the thwo guys at UConn (Matt Barnes and George Springer), you could make a case that Thomore is the best draft prospect from the Tri-State Area. He’s one of the better power prospects in the entire draft class, especially from the right side, and he’ll also provide value in the field. Keith Law and Baseball America have some differing opinions on Thomore; the former ranked him the 68th best draft prospect while the latter had him 112th. That’s quite a spread. Either way, he’s a second or third round guy and a personal fave.

The draft is just five days away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some players individually rather than lump a few together in one post.

Logan Verrett | RHP

Background
Hailing from the baseball hotbed of The Woodlands, Texas, Verrett was a standout baseball and football player in high school before focusing on the former at Baylor. He holds several school and conference records, most notably Big-12 records for single season BB/9 (2.30) and K/BB ratio (4.14) as well as career K/BB ratio (3.83). Verrett was not drafted out of high school.

Scouting Report
A big right-hander with some projection left to dream upon (listed at 6-foot-3, 185 lbs.), Verrett throws three pitches for strikes. His fastball sits 89-92 on most days but has topped out at 95 in short bursts in the past. A slider that occasionally misses bats is probably his second best offering, though a sinking changeup in the mid-70’s might also stake a claim to that title. Verrett relies more on command and setting hitters up than pure stuff, but it’s a solid mix of pitches with good probability. His delivery is sound and he’s a big time competitor. Here’s some (slow motion) video.

Miscellany
Scouting director Damon Oppenheimer has made it clear over the years that there are two things he likes in college pitchers: polish and strong showings in the wood bat Cape Cod League. Verrett has both after striking out 34 and walking just five in 41.1 IP with the Chatham A’s last summer (64.2 IP, 66 K, 21 BB in his CCL career). All the tools are there for him to be a durable, mid-rotation guy in the future, though the lack of a true put-away pitch limits his ceiling at the moment. Keith Law and Baseball America ranked Verrett as the 83rd and 100th best prospect in the draft class, respectively, suggesting that he’s a second or third round kind of guy.

The draft is just six days away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some players individually rather than lump a few together in one post.

Background
The son of a former minor leaguer, McGough was a 46th round draft pick of his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates out of high school back in 2008. He did not sign and was part of Oregon’s first baseball team since 1982 as a freshman. McGough has also pitched in the wood bat Northwoods League and for the Collegiate National Team during the last two summers.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 lbs., the name of McGough’s game is power. His fastball regularly sits 92-94 and he’s flashed a few 97’s with the Ducks. A sharp slider in the low-to-mid 80’s is his top secondary offering and a legitimate swing-and-miss pitch. McGough has also dabbled with a curveball and changeup this spring at Oregon’s behest. McGough is a good athlete with a loose arm, though he’s still working to find consistency with his delivery and overall command. Here’s some video.

Miscellany
McGough is almost certainly a reliever long-term (he’s pitched out of the bullpen for Oregon almost exclusively), but the fastball-power slider combo hints at strikeout potential and a late-inning profile. He’s expected to a be drafted somewhere in the fourth or fifth round, which is a fine spot to jump on a college reliever. Keith Law did not have McGough and his latest draft prospects list, though Baseball America ranked him the 126th best prospect in the class in their latest effort.

The draft is just seven days away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some players individually rather than lump a few together in one post.

Dillon Howard | RHP

Background
The best draft prospect in Arkansas, Howard has been on the radar for a long time thanks to his consistently impressive performances at showcase events and with summer traveling teams. He hasn’t had a great senior year at Searcy High School, but no one gets drafted based on high school stats. He’s committed to Arkansas.

Scouting Report
A 6-foot-3, 200 lb. right-hander, Howard has pitched consistently at 91-94 with a fastball that runs in on righties, and he’s gotten it up as high as 96 in the past. He could legitimately sit in the mid-90’s once he’s done growing. Howard’s breaking ball is inconsistent, resembling a curveball on some days and a slider on others, but he’s certainly shown the ability to make the ball spin. His changeup is very much a work in progress, as is his overall command despite a sound delivery. Howard is an athletic kid that played all over the infield in high school, and his passion for the game shows in his play.

Miscellany
Last week we heard that the Yankees are “heavily in” on Howard, who is supposedly asking for big bucks to skip out on the Razorbacks. The kid has a chance for a big time fastball with a power breaking ball, which are instant tools for success. Howard has significant upside, and adding a changeup will give him true top of the rotation ability. The draft class is deep enough that teams unwilling to meet his asking price will have viable alternatives, so it’s not impossible that he could still be around when the Yankees pick at number 51.

Keith Law and Baseball America ranked Howard as the 18th and 31st best prospect in the draft in their latest rankings.