For full scouting reports on the Tampa Bay Rays' #24 pick Taylor Guerrieri, go to our previous thread. In short, he looks like a good pick -- raw and undeveloped, but he's ranked by most as a top 10 prep arm. The Rays got another great pitcher to add to their minors.
Pick #60: James Harris Jr, OF, Oakland Technical High School, CA
Harris looks to have been scouted by Brian Morris.
Keith Law analysis:
Harris is an outstanding athlete with some present baseball skills, and although he's still fairly raw overall his signability makes him appealing to teams in the second or third round.
He is a two-sport guy who came out of basketball straight into baseball, a transition that often leaves players starting slowly in the latter sport. He's a plus runner with some bat speed but didn't face much quality pitching in school and will need to work hard on pitch recognition; if he improves in that area, he projects as an above-average hitter with fringy to average power but whose ability to get on base plays up because of his speed.
Harris covers a ton of ground in center but has a grade-45 arm. He's a project, but there's the potential for an above-average regular who saves runs on defense and adds through his bat and baserunning.
Baseball America analysis:
Outfielder James Harris looks great in a uniform with his 6-foot-1, 175-pound athletic frame. He's raw and may need two years in Rookie ball, but he has huge upside. Harris is an explosive athlete. He is a well above-average runner, with a 37-inch vertical leap, and can fly on the bases and in center field. He has below-average arm strength, but enough for center field. A righthanded hitter, Harris is patient at the plate, trying to get on base any way possible, and some scouts wonder if he's actually too passive. He also shows some raw power. Harris has not committed to a college, so he should be signable.
Pick #59: Grayson Garvin- LHP, Vanderbilt
This seems like good value for this slot.
Keith Law analysis:
Garvin is a pitchability lefty who's shown a little more velocity this year along with outstanding command and control, although he still has work to do physically that might help him maintain that average or better fastball.
Typically working at 87-91 mph in the past, he's been coming out at 90-94 in recent outings, but doesn't hold it deep into starts. He's got a changeup that should develop to average with more use and a slow curveball that he'll need to tighten up. Garvin has the size and arm action to throw a little harder, but isn't terribly athletic and could stand to clean his body up, after which he may find that velocity more consistent.
He's a project for player development, but there's a potential No. 3 starter in here.
Baseball America analysis:
Garvin has performed as well as any Division I pitcher over the last calendar year. He was the Cape Cod League's ERA champion last summer at 5-0, 0.74 with 37 strikeouts in 37 innings. In the spring, he was 11-1, 2.08 and was a perfect 9-0 in Southeastern Conference play until his last start of the regular season. He was named SEC pitcher of the year. Garvin's performance stems from his size, solid stuff and ability to pitch off his fastball. At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, he gets a good angle on his fastball, pitching downhill, coming inside effectively at 90-92 mph and reaching 94-95 on occasion. His fastball velocity should be a tick above-average as a pro, and he uses his fastball well to set up his solid-average changeup, which has solid fade when he turns it over. His slurvy slider is below-average and rarely generates swings and misses, which limits his upside for many scouts, and he may wind up throwing more of a cutter eventually. Garvin is considered a safe pick, and his summer performance could push him into the first or supplemental first round despite his short breaking ball.
Pick #56: Kes Carter, OF, Western Kentucky
Another toosly outfielder for the Rays
Keith Law analysis:
A 43rd-round pick by the Marlins in 2008, Carter is a solid athlete with some above-average tools and a chance to hit but probably lacks star potential.
Carter wraps his bat but he has good bat speed and his head remains steady until contact, although he doesn't keep his hands inside the ball well and can roll his hands over. He's an above-average runner with the arm strength to stay in center if he proves he has the range for it, which is an open question, but he doesn''t profile in right because he doesn't have the arm or power necessary for the position.
He has had health issues including a hip flexor that bothered him for several months last year, although he was healthy all spring. Carter's a third-round talent with a chance to be an average regular, although I think he'll always flash more ability without fully realizing it.
Baseball America analysis:
Western Kentucky is one of the better mid-major programs in college baseball, having won 77 games and produced 11 draft picks in the previous two seasons. The Hilltoppers should have another half-dozen players selected in 2011, led by Carter, who could become the highest-drafted player in school history. An athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder, Carter flashes all five tools. His smooth lefthanded stroke and disciplined approach allow him to hit for average, and he has at least average power potential. He still needs to fine-tune his timing at the plate and turn on balls more frequently. He has slightly above-average speed that plays up on the bases and in center field, as well as a solid arm for the position. The biggest issues with Carter are his struggles against lefthanded pitching and his health. He injured his hip in the Coastal Plain League last summer, sat out during fall practice and missed time this spring with a calf strain. Nevertheless, he shouldn't last past the second round
Pick #52: Blake Snell - LHP, Shorewood HS, Washington
The Rays loooooooove Washington players. Another get for Paul Kirsch
Baseball American analysis:
Snell is a long and lean 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, but he has narrow, sloping shoulders and may always be skinny, and scouts don't see anywhere to put a lot of added weight on his frame. His fastball sits between 88-92 mph, and he has touched 94 this season. While that grades out as an average fastball, scouts question whether he'll be able to maintain that velocity over a full minor league season because of his frame. His curveball and changeup are just average at best. Snell has performed well this season and wasn't fazed when there were 40-50 scouts behind the backstop. Snell was home schooled until this year and was committed to Washington's banner class, but he has not yet qualified academically, which may make him more signable. Because of his signability, his velocity and how well he has performed in front of crosscheckers, Snell could get popped as high as the supplemental first round, though on pure talent he would probably go a few rounds later.
Pick #42: Jeff Ames - RHP, Lower Columbia College, Washington
Scout Paul Kirsch, who had a big year in the 2010 draft, lands another one
Baseball American analysis:
Ames has already been drafted twice: by the Phillies (46th round) in 2009 out of high school in Vancouver, Wash., and last year by the Rockies (30th round) out of Lower Columbia. His stuff has gradually improved each year, and he took things up a notch last summer, sitting 92-95 mph and touching 97 in the West Coast League, ranking as the league's No. 3 prospect. His stuff has held up this spring, as his fastball has been consistently in the mid-90s. His fastball has nasty, riding life and arm-side run. His breaking ball doesn't always show the tight break scouts like to see, his changeup is just all right, and he does pitch with some effort, but he should go high enough this year to keep him away from his commitment to Oregon.
Pick #41: Tyler Goeddel - 3B, Saint Francis High School, California
Keith Law's analysis:
Goeddel, the brother of Mets farmhand Erik and son of biotech pioneer David, has average or better tools across the board with an excellent feel for the game and a history of performing well against good competition.
He has above-average bat speed with very good balance at the plate, keeping his head level and using the whole field; he has the hip rotation to hit for power down the road, with solid pitch recognition for a high school hitter. He can overswing and roll his front foot, which will pull him offline and produce a lot of fouls down the third base line if he doesn't correct it. Goeddel's an above-average runner who plays third in high school and has the arm for the spot but will probably outgrow the position and end up in right field, where I'd expect him to contribute on both sides of the ball.
The fact that he's played well in showcases and against good pitching this spring has elevated his stock tremendously, putting him into the sandwich/second-round discussion with a chance to go late first if he's signable.
Baseball America analysis:
Goeddel's father, David, is a pioneer in the biotechnology industry and helped develop synthetic insulin and human growth hormone. His brother, Erik, is a pitcher in the Mets organization, drafted out of UCLA last year. Tyler has a gangly and projectable 6-foot-4, 170-pound frame. He's also a well above-average runner, athletic enough to play third base, though his speed may be best utilized in center field. Goeddel has above-average arm strength and shows intriguing tools at the plate. He takes aggressive swings with bat speed, and his bat head stays in the hitting zone for a long time. Scouts have to project on Goeddel's power, but it's not hard to envision him hitting for at least average power as he adds muscle to his frame. Goeddel missed time this season with mononucleosis, but he still has the track record and skill set to be a premium pick.
Pick #38: Brandom Martin - SS, Santiago HS, California
He may be a tough sign as he's committed to Oregon State.
Looks like Robbie Moen was the scout on this pick.
Keith Law's analysis:
Martin is one of the few shortstops with a chance to stay there in this year's draft, a class that is stunningly poor at the toughest positions to fill on the diamond (short, catcher, centerfield). Because he has some fast-twitch ability at the plate, he should go off the board fairly quickly.
He has a clean, simple, short swing, with a very direct path to the ball and good hip rotation although little leverage for future power. In the field he has very good hands and quick enough feet to stay at short with an above-average arm, and is an above-average runner as well. He doesn't have star potential, but projects as an above-average middle infielder who hits for average and contributes on defense.
Baseball America analysis:
Perhaps the most improved prep player in Southern California, Martin has rocketed to the top of the region's thin group of high school infielders by showing off five legitimate tools this spring. He worked hard to add muscle in the offseason, and it paid dividends at the plate. Scouts used to question his bat, but now they praise his line-drive swing and bat speed. Some scouts think he'll develop at least average power, while others regard his power as fringy. He's a good high-ball hitter with an aggressive approach, and he could mature into a solid-average hitter. An average runner, Martin is a fast-twitch athlete who can make highlight-reel plays at shortstop, though he has plenty of work to do there. He has good range and a strong arm with good carry, but he's also an upright defender who tends to field balls deep and needs to smooth out his actions. He has a quiet personality but is a good teammate and a hard worker.
Pick #31: Rays select LSU outfielder Mikie Mahtook. He looks like a toolsy college bat, which is right up the Rays' alley. He was a player that was selected by most to go higher in the draft, so the Rays got a nice faller here. Here's what Jim Callis had to say:
College athletes with solid tools across the board and big performance in SEC usually don't last until No. 31. Mahtook to #Rays.
For a longer profile, here's his Baseball America writeup:
Mahtook burst onto the scene as a freshman, earning a starting spot midway through the 2009 season and helping to spark Louisiana State to the College World Series championship. He was good enough in center field to push premium athletes Leon Landry and Jared Mitchell to the outfield corners, yet at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, some scouts are still skeptical whether he can play the middle garden in the big leagues. He played right field as a sophomore and moved back to center as a junior. He has an average arm, but if he gets any bigger and loses his slightly above-average speed, he may have to go to left. Mahtook's swing isn't technically proficient, but he's strong, repeats his stroke and has a feel for the barrel. He made consistent hard contact all season, and his OPS (1.205) was higher than it was last season. Scouts expect clubs that value performance to keep Mahtook from sliding beyond the supplemental round.
Keith Law's analysis:
Mahtook entered the year as a safe, high-probability college bat who could play up the middle and would hit enough to be an everyday guy. But in a year when new BBCOR bats have power numbers down all over the country he's ratcheted up his own power output, establishing himself as a five-tool player with some star potential.
He's a plus runner with an above-average arm whose reads in center have improved since he first got to LSU; I think he stays at the position but he has the arm and bat to play in right. As a hitter, he gets his weight down on his front foot a little late, but otherwise this is how you draw it up -- quick hands, great hip rotation, good extension through, all with solid plate discipline. And he's a plus-makeup kid who plays all-out, all the time. He's a top-20 pick for sure with an outside chance to crack the top 10.
Pick #32: Rays select SS Jake Hager, HS, Las Vegas: It sounds like the Rays jumped the gun a little with this pick, taking Hager a good bit earlier than most analysts had him going. It could be the Rays really like his tools, as he's a high school shortstop and is likely tougher to project than other players.
Looks like Brian Morrison was the scout on this one.
Here's his Baseball America profile:
Hager doesn't have one standout tool, but he can do a little bit of everything and always plays hard. He's an average runner but has nice actions at shortstop with an above-average arm. Hager is a good hitter and performed with wood at showcase events last fall. He has some pop, though he profiles as more of a gap hitter with average power. His tools play up because he's the prototypical baseball rat. He has passion for the game and is typically the dirtiest guy on the field, playing with toughness and energy. He's a leader on the field with good makeup, exactly what you want from a shortstop. He could go as high as the second round and if he doesn't sign, he'll head to Arizona State.