Draft 2012: - Jason Goldstein, Walker Weickel, Mitchell Traver, Rob Corsi, Lucas Giolito

10-21-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/10/19/jason-goldstein-2012-draft-profile   -Player:  Jason Goldstein  Position:  C   School:  Highland Park HS (IL)   Date of Birth:  3/9/1994    Height/Weight:  6’0/190   Bats/Throws:  R/R   Class Of:  2012   Committed To:  Illinois  Scouting Report:  Jason Goldstein is one of the top prep catchers eligible for the 2012 MLB draft.  He has a mature, durable body that should hold up well behind the plate.  A steady player, Goldstein has good present skills.  Goldstein has a good approach at the plate.  Among all players at the 2011 Area Code Games, Goldstein had the 10th highest average, at .363.  He has quick hands and good bat speed.  He has a line drive swing with some power.  Goldstein’s recorded time in the 60 is 7.54.  Goldstein looks good behind the plate.  He gets rid of the ball quickly and his throws are accurate.  Goldstein’s pop times range from 1.80 to 1.88.

10-23-11: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2011/10/smoral-stands-out-among-big-arms  - • Righthander Walker Weickel from Olympia High in Orlando was his dominant self today for the Orlando Scorpions. Weickel pitched four innings, giving up one hit (a home run to catcher Austin Rei from Campolinado High in Moraga, Calif.) with eight strikeouts and three walks. His fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range, topping out at 94. He threw his fastball to both sides of the plate, mixed in a sharp 72-74 mph, 12-6 curveball and an 80-82 mph changeup. When Weickel stays on top of his fastball, he gets steep plane on the pitch, using his 6-foot-6 height to his advantage. But the pitch also has a tendency to flatten out a bit and become hittable.

10-24-11: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2011/10/marucci-elite-and-rising-prospects-impress-in-jupiter - FIVE 2012 PLAYERS WHO IMPROVED THEIR STATUS - Mitchell Traver, rhp, Houston Christian HS  Physical righthander sat 92-94 with good life, threw a solid changeup with sink and a plus, power breaking ball.

10-25-11: - http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/10/top-20-pitchers-in-atlantic-collegiate.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - Top 20 Pitchers in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League - 1.   Rob Corsi   LHP   Jersey Pilots---Rutgers -  Rob is a 6-0/180 pound lefty from Oceanport, NJ. He had a tremendous summer and was rewarded by being named the leagues Most Valuable Pitcher.  He went 5-2 and sported a 1.54 era in 46.2 innings of work for the Pilots. He allowed just 37 hits, walked 16 and led the league with 56 strikeouts. He was fourth in the league in ERA and was tied for first with his five wins. Perfect Game ranked Rob as the 25th best prospect in the league

10-25-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/637/giolito-compares-well-to-past-prep-prospects  - Lucas Giolito stands out in many ways. He's 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, and is also the top prep pitcher in the draft class of 2012. There's a chance he's the No. 1 overall pick next June, and is certain to be taken off the board in the top 10. I've seen him up to 97 mph with his fastball, which sets up an above-average power curveball and a changeup drenched in promise. ESPN Insider's Keith Law wrote from the Area Code Games in August that Giolito's velocity "is easy to him and his delivery is built for starting; his command isn't there and he needs more consistency on each of his secondary pitches. But I don't think there's a better overall package among prep arms in the 2012 class yet." The industry agrees. One scouting supervisor called Giolito "a contender for a top-10 spot in any draft. He's very, very good, and he's only going to get better. There is a lot to like."

Draft 2012: - Lucas Giolito, Brian Johnson, Jameis Winston, Mike Zunino, Kevin Gausman

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments - Lucas Giolito, Harvard-Westlake HS, Santa Monica CA, 6’6 220, tall righty with definite arm strength, was up to 95 with FB, most fb were straight and at times would get arm side run in on RHH, front side opens early, some similarities to Mark Prior in delivery, also makings of a hard slider, slurvy action at present, should tighten up to be a plus pitch and makings of change up which he changes his delivery on, so lacks deception on breaking/off-speed pitches. Definitely worth early look next spring, potential top 40 selection.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update - 13. Los Angeles Dodgers Brian Johnson Pitcher Florida Anyone remember Brian Johnson the Florida pitcher who got hit in the head?  That was a brutal injury that Johnson suffered against Georgia.  True Gator baseball fans will tell you that brutal is not even close to describing what Johnson’s injury was in terms of severity.

9-21-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6253 – Comment From Evan - Jameis Winston made quite an impression on me in the PGAAC, and it was as muc based on his build and obviosu tools as his wondrous trip around the bases. I've asked Patrick this before, but how likely is it that he ends up in baseball and how comparable is he to a talent like Bubba Starling?  - David Rawnsley: - Jameis is a freakishly good athlete and just as good a young man (he's a 4.0 student). His ability to balance football and baseball is impressive, he left straight from the All American Game to a major QB Camp in Malibu and was named the top prospect there. At this point I think he's a better football player than Starling but not as good of baseball prospect. Playing baseball comes very easy to Bubba, from his swing to defensive instincts to his throwing ability to just his gait on the field. He's a natural. Winston is going to have to commit himself to baseball to reach that point, he's further away.

9-22-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/9/18/2433708/2012-draft-profile-the-ups-and-downs-of-pick-projecting#comments - Dave Rawnsley was extremely high on (Mike) Zunino in the PG prospect chat yesterday as well. I asked him about Zunino and Trahan and he said Zunino was on another level, and projected him as a potential Top 5 pick. Not surprisingly, the opinion that college has less to offer this year is also held at PG, and extrapolating from various comments over there they see just a handful of current first round locks among college position players (Marrero, Zunino, Roache, Jankowski). If Yasmani Grandal was a legitimate option for KC at #4 in his draft, Zunino is absolutely in that range based on what I’ve seen. And I can attest that Jeff’s Zunino comments were the chief anecdotal source bolstering Zunino’s excellent performance stats for me.

9-23-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/9/22/2441104/top-50-draft-prospects-for-the-2012-mlb-draft#comments - Kevin Gausman throws two fb, 4 seamer he can cut and two seamer that has tail and sink, no slider and 1/7 would be a lefties’ breaking action, his breaking ball I call a slurve from 11/5 action from the hitters looking at his arm slot window, his straight change at times does have dive and fade, you pointed out the flaw, inconsistent, thus only giving him 2 pitches right now, if the change gets better this fall into next spring, that will be a plus. Beck has 3 plus pitches right now and 55 command/control, much like Drew Storen who made a quick leap to the ML for the Nationals. Gausman is a top 10 guy now, some other arms may pass him quickly next spring though, Renaudo was a top 5 candidate before arm woes in 2010

Draft 2012: - Blake Brown, Nick Williams, Thomas Sickling, Lucas Giolito, Jameis Winston

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Blake Brown, Missouri, 6’1 185, R/R, runs well and aggressive as hitter, strikes out a lot, needs to shorten swing and utilize his speed, throws ok and shows good range in OF.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update  - 5. Kansas City Royals Nick Williams Outfielder Ball High School Texas Williams reminds me of Albert Pujols. The Royals love high school prospects and have such a deep farm system of prospects that they can practically take the best high school player available. Right now that would be Nick Williams.

9-12-11: - http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/09/top-20-position-players-in-florida.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - In the six-team Florida Collegiate Summer League this summer, the Sanford River Rats downed the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs to earn them the title of FCSL Champions. Individually, there were at least 25 position players that turned in great seasons. Unfortunately, I had to narrow the list down to the top 20.- 3. Thomas Sicking INF Leesburg—UTPA - Thomas is 6-1/170 pounds and hails from Ellenton, FL. He was 2nd in the league with a .396 batting average. He scored 23 runs, drove in 12 and hit 4 doubles for the Lightning. The speedy infielder also stole 10 bases this summer. During late June, Thomas had a 9-game hitting streak in which he scored 10 runs for Leesburg.

9-13-11: - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2011/09/baseball-lucas-giolito-tabbed-top-pitcher-in-nation.html  - Perfect Game has come out with its rankings of top pitchers, and No. 1 in the nation is Lucas Giolito, the senior at Studio City Harvard-Westlake. Giolito, a UCLA commit, is going to get plenty of attention this fall. Mark down Jan. 28 on your calendar. That's the day JSerra and Bishop Amat are scheduled to come to Harvard-Westlake's O'Malley Field to play as part of a three-game set that should draw pro scouts en masse.

5-2-11: - (Jameis Winston) is top 10 prospects for some based on potential and closer to 100 for others based on pro readiness. He has the potential to be a top draft pick but he is raw right now. Two sport stars are typically more raw than single sport stars, but the athleticism that he offers could allow him to vault up in the draft if someone sees him as a star, especially a team that could get him to commit solely to baseball. I don't have a set ranking for 2012 yet, but I would say he would be between 30th and 40th in the prep ranks for me. He is playing well this season batting .475 with 4 HR's in 40 AB. He generates a lot of power at the plate with his long, lean frame. He projects as a potential 5 tool CF with time and polish. On the mound, he has a mid to upper 80's fastball and curveball that flashes signs of an above average pitch. He could be an interesting two-way player at FSU, but I think his future is in center field. Taking on playing QB, CF and pitching at FSU might be too much for one player but with his skills, I can't say that he couldn't do it.

Draft 2012: - Joey Rickard, Kenny Diekroeger, Lucas Giolito, Kyle Hansen, Freddy Avis

7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Joey Rickard, Arizona, 6’1 180, R/R, runs well underway, 6.55, 60 guy, throws adequate, solid range, makes contact, short stroke with occ alley power, doubles type guy, could be quality 4th OF in time, 8-12 round type.

9-1-11: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/08/31/2012-mlb-draft-top-prospects  - Kenny Diekroeger, SS, Stanford - Stanford shortstop Kenny Diekroeger can be a frustrating player to evaluate. The good is that he has a compact and hand-oriented swing that's very short to the ball. He has a smooth trigger and has the hand strength required to make a hands dominant swing work. However, Diekroeger doesn't get anywhere near the bat speed he could out of his swing, nor does he maintain optimum angles through the zone. Diekroeger has similar hand rhythm actions to Jason Bay, but also has a pull side dominant plane like Bay. Diekroeger's hand rhythm helps pull his front shoulder back to an angle that usually is conducive to hammering the pitch away, but he doesn't maintain that plane when he launches. His strong hands should allow him to still be quick inside yet still cover away with the angle of hip-shoulder separation he achieves, but due to a heavy rolling top hand, Diekroger pulls his barrel off the pitch away and consistently into a pull dominant plane.

9-8-11: - http://www.gacksports.com/65590/2012-mlb-mock-draft-update  - 2. Baltimore Orioles Lucas Giolito Pitcher Harvard Westlake High School California This was such a tough pick to make. I felt like Lance McCuller’s Jr. still deserves to be a top pick, but there are too many numbers working in Lucas Giolito’s favor. Giolito managed to strikout batting prospect Trey Williams. Giolito weighs 6 foot 6 220 pounds. Giolito was 9-1 with an ERA of 1.00 last season during his junior season of high school baseball. You get a 95 MPH 4 seamer and a 92 MPH 2 seamer with Giolito. Another plus pitch that Giolito has is his hard breaking curve ball that he manages to deliver into the lower corners of the strike out zone so effectively.

Pitcher Kyle Hansen and outfielder Jeremy Baltz have both been named Top-30 prospects in the Cape Cod Baseball League, as announced by Baseball America. Hansen, who played with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, checked in at No. 22, while Baltz was listed as the No. 27 prospect after his season with the Falmouth Commodores. Hansen made 13 appearances, including two starts, for the Red Sox and went 0-1 with a 3.63 ERA. The righty finished tied for tenth in the league with four saves and racked up 28 strikeouts, while issuing just nine walks in 22.1 innings of work. Hansen also limited the opposition to a .214 batting average. The righty also made one playoff appearance, striking out four in 4.0 innings of one-run relief. - http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/090811aaa.html  

8-16-11: - http://sancarlos.patch.com/articles/freddy-avis-suddenly-a-sizzling-mlb-prospect  Freddy Avis’s summer has been a blur. And that’s how many an opposing batter would describe his mid-90’s fastball. How much has changed for Avis since he completed his junior year at Menlo School? At the time of the MLB draft in early June, Avis would’ve gawked at the possibility of weighing a lucrative offer to play professional baseball in a year. That was about the furthest thing from his mind as he was narrowing his college choices and eying a full slate of travel-ball games with the California Smoke.

Draft 2012: - Adam Barry, Jake Stewart, Nelson Rodriguez, Lucas Giolito, Rock Rucker

8-31-11: http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/08/top-15-position-players-in-cal-ripken.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - Top 15 Position Players in the Cal Ripken League - 1. Adam Barry 1b/3b Bethesda--Cal State Northridge - Barry, a former football player from Wyoming was the leagues MVP this season. He hit an amazing .414 in 162 at-bats for the Bethesda. He had 67 hits and drove in 43, both of which were league records. He led the league with 38 runs scored, 14 doubles, and with an OPS of 1.037 this summer. He was also named to the Perfect Game All-American List and to the Cal Ripken All-League Team.



7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Jake Stewart, Stanford, 6’2 190, R/R, good athlete with very good speed and ave arm strength, 250 type hitter with occ HR power, was some buzz about him being considered early 1-3 round type guy, but for me, he’s a 13-20 guy at best.


8-31-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/  - Nelson Rodriguez is an enormous Catcher out of George Washington High School in New York. He is listed at 6'2" and 215 lbs. I thik he may even be bigger than that. Behind the dish, he is an enormous target. He is agile enough to block balls in the dirt well. He has a big arm but a slow release grading out about average. He has big power potential but his swing is a little inconsistent. He has great bat speed. He's not a slow runner but he's not fast either. He'll only slow down as he gets bigger though. He looks like a top 10 round talent to me and could go as high as the third if a team believes in his defensive ability. He looks like a potential starting catcher in the majors but may be a C/1B type that can hit .260/.330/.470


9-1-11: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/08/31/2012-mlb-draft-top-prospects  - Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard Westlake HS, CA - Giolito has an uncommonly smooth motion for a pitcher with his youth, size, and arm strength. There aren’t many high school pitchers we look at and see teaching points in, but Lucas Giolito has virtually ideal timing in his delivery – a huge, huge deal. You think of pitchers with big arm circles pulling their elbows up high, bending and contorting their bodies in all sorts of silly directions. Everything a pitcher does with his mechanics, good or bad, is for naught if ball isn’t in the driveline as the shoulders start to rotate. There’s only one place a pitcher needs to bring the ball to, which is in a position to be accelerated towards home-plate. A bullet doesn’t do any good until it’s in the barrel. Giolito does this very, very well. He makes throwing hard look easy.


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Rock Rucker, Redan HS, Marietta GA, 6’4 210, L/L, great body and has apparent arm strength, up to 89 on this day, tries to finess and then tries to over power hitters, command is ok, has some ability to improve with more exposure and full-time duties on the hill, more fb vel left in that tank. Keep an eye on in 2012. Saw also in 2010 at Breakthrough Series, has some pop in his bat.