Matt Hobgood, rhp, Norco HS (CA)
Hobgood is maxed out physically for a high schooler (6-4, 245), but he has "now" stuff and is drawing first-round attention. His fastball clocks in at 90-95 mph and his curve has late 11-5 break and has been unhittable in high school. He mixes in a change and slider once in a while, though those need sharpening, as does his command. His strong body and two plus pitches scream front-of-the-rotation, if he can make some adjustments with the rest of his game.
Oliver was recently involved in a lengthy lawsuit with the NCAA, and that may have partly contributed to his swoon this spring (5.30 ERA). While he threw a plus fastball and one of the best curves in the country as a sophomore, he relied too much on the 90-94 mph heater as a junior. His yakker has vanished, and a decent changeup and a lackluster slider were his primary secondary offerings this year. Oliver could be enticing in the first couple rounds based solely on his power arm, durable pitcher's body (6-3, 212), and handedness. If he can regain his breaking ball or even continue to progress with his change, he could be a #2 or #3 starter in the MLB.
Matt Davidson, 3B, Yucaipa HS (CA)
Power is not the question with Davidson. He has all kinds of it, winning the home run derby at last summer's Aflac All-American Game. The questions surround on his defense and ability to make contact. Davidson is perhaps too slow and lacks the hands to play third, and he could move across the infield to first within just a couple of years. He also is a feast-or-famine hitter who needs to cut down on his strikeouts and translate his 4 o'clock power into games more often. Still, Davidson has one of the best bats in the prep ranks. A couple of years in the minors could refine his hitting ability and churn out a 30 HR big leaguer. That could make a team bite on the 6-3, 225-pounder in the first couple rounds.
Matt Hobgood
*Photo courtesy of www.webshots.com
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