Rays draft 2016: Pitcher preview, part two

If you've missed any of our draft preview posts so far, you can check out bats at the up-the-middle positions and some other pitchers.

The previous pitcher preview focused on players with lower ceilings but higher floors. This half will feature some players who could be more volatile -- their stuff could make them an All-Star, but maybe they can't control it very well. There are some potential first round picks here and some players who could be available later on mixed in.

RHP Ian Anderson, New York H.S. (18 Y.O. 6'3 170- committed to Vanderbilt)

Best attribute: Anderson has one of the better curveballs in the draft.

Analysis: Could the Rays draft an upstate New York player 13th overall for the second straight year? Anderson even faced Garrett Whitley last season. He faced the usual hurdles a player from the northeast might face but also battled injury and illness. In addition to that breaking ball, he commands his low-90s fastball well and could add velocity as he gets stronger. Reports on his his changeup range from average potential to plus. It needs a lot of development.

Stock: Anderson is a top-20 pick, at the very least.

RHP Dakota Hudson, Mississippi State (21 Y.O. 6'5 205)

Best attribute: Hudson has potential for two plus pitches.

Analysis: Hudson stumbled a bit in his two postseason starts to date, but he finished SEC play with consecutive shutouts. Overall, he pitched well with over a strikeout an inning and also impressed last summer in the Cape Cod League. He can run his fastball in the mid-90s, and he complements it with an above-average breaking ball and uses a cutter to get lefties out. In 141 career innings, he has only allowed three home runs.

Stock: If the Rays take a college player in the first round, it could be Hudson. He just has to be available.

LHP Matt Krook, Oregon (21 Y.O. 6'3 205)

Best attribute: Krook's fastball can be plus, or maybe better.

Analysis: Krook was once drafted 35th overall by Miami but went to Oregon. He missed 2015 due to Tommy John surgery, and his return from that has been rocky at best. His 5.03 ERA was second worst on a disappointing Ducks squad, and he walked 49 batters in 53 2/3 innings. He clearly needs a lot of work. In additional to his impressive fastball, his curveball flashes plus, and his changeup could be average.

Stock: If the draft was based purely on performance, Krook wouldn't want to spend his week waiting by the phone. However, he'll probably go early on Day 2 to a team that hopes it can straighten out his delivery and help him find the strike zone.

RHP Matt Manning, California H.S. (18 Y.O. 6'6 185- committed to Loyola Marymount)

Best attribute: Manning's fastball has reportedly touched the high-90s.

Analysis: Manning has the size one might expect of the son of a former NBA player. The younger Manning also plays basketball, and he would play both sports if he ends up on campus in Los Angeles. The athleticism that allows him to excel at two sports has helped him repeat his delivery and improve his control this spring and gives hope that he could develop a changeup. His curveball has above-average potential, and he should maintain higher velocities as he gets stronger.

Stock: Manning is a fresh arm with high potential. He's a first-round pick.

RHP Andre Scrubb, High Point (21 Y.O. 6'4 265)

Best attribute: Scrubb's breaking ball is a swing-and-miss pitch.

Analysis: The last player selected from High Point in the draft was Jaime Schultz. Scrubb is just a bit bigger than the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Schultz, though. Like many expect of Schultz, Scrubb is expected to end up in the bullpen, but he was a starter for the Panthers. His fastball sits in the low-90s, and he gets outs with that breaking ball. He walked 54 in 94 innings as a junior, and he has to improve his changeup as well.

Stock: Scrubb looks like a Day-2 pick, probably later in the day.

RHP Jordan Sheffield, Vanderbilt (21 Y.O. 6'0 185)

Best attribute: Sheffield's fastball reaches the mid-90s, and sometimes higher.

Analysis: Sheffield could have been a first-round pick in 2013, but Tommy John surgery short-circuited his senior season in high school. His stuff is very good -- in addition to his fastball, his changeup and curveball can both be above-average pitches. He struck out 113 in 101 2/3 innings in his first full season in Vanderbilt's rotation, but he also walked 40. His control and command need improvement, and a righty of his size always brings up the concerns of fastball command.

Stock: One Baseball America mock pegged the Rays' pick at No. 13 as Sheffield's ceiling. That may be a bit early for him, but with his stuff, it probably won't be hard for a team to look by his supposed limitations and make him a first-round pick.

RHP Forrest Whitley, Texas H.S. (18 Y.O. 6'7 225- committed to Florida State)

Best attribute: Whitley uses his size to his advantage.

Analysis: Whitley is obviously a big guy, and he lost weight over the past year in response to concerns that he was perhaps too big. With his height, he should have some natural movement on his low-90s fastball, and he does. His slider is one of the better breaking ball in the class as well. He also works with a curveball and a changeup, which has shown improvement this season.

Stock: Whitley is a first-round pick.

RHP Stephen Woods, Albany (21 Y.O. 6'2 210)

Best attribute: Woods has back-of-the-bullpen stuff.

Analysis: As far as I can tell, Woods is the only notable player in the draft who was previously drafted by the Rays. He was a sixth-round pick in 2013 but chose to attend to Albany instead, and despite his stuff, he really hasn't improved his stock. In 149 career innings, he has 116 walks, and his 5.7 BB/9 this past season is a career-best. He touches the mid-90s and has a potential plus breaking ball, which is how he totaled 169 strikeouts over three seasons.

Stock: Woods is probably a mid-Day 2 pick. He could take one more shot with the Great Danes, though.