Last year’s
draft will likely be remembered for the unprecedented move by Bryce Harper to
make himself draft eligible during what should have been his junior year in
high school. Past Harper, the draft
favored power arms from both the high school and college levels, including
three that went unsigned among the top 14 overall selections. Even then, more bats were taken in the first
round than pitchers, 18 to 14 (although that number could change should Kaleb
Cowart ever move back to the mound as many expect).
Despite the
fact that the first player from the 2010 draft to reach Major League Baseball
was a left-handed pitcher in the form of the Chicago White Sox Chris Sale, the
13th overall pick, the 2010 draft was rather thin at the position. Three lefties went in the first round, with
Drew Pomeranz going fifth overall to the Indians and Jesse Biddle going 27th to
the Phillies. Nine lefties went in the
top three rounds overall.
That total
was easily the lowest in over 10 years.
From the decade of 2000-2009, an average 16.6 lefties went in the top
three rounds of the draft. It’s fitting
that the year before the lowest total in 2010, the highest was seen in ’09,
with 22 going in the same rounds, including 11 in the first and sandwich
rounds.
Next year’s
draft may not boast that kind of talent among the southpaws that are projected
to be available, but it should be considerably better than last year’s crop.
Highlighting
this group is a member of the aforementioned 2009 class, Matt Purke, an unsigned first-round pick out of high school. He didn’t miss a beat his freshman year, and
was inserted into the Friday ace role before the month of April arrived as the
Horned Frogs marched towards Omaha.
Evidently
confident and animated on the mound, Purke went 16-0, including wins over
Florida State and UCLA in the College World Series. A heavy workload (116 innings pitched) caused
him to take the summer off after initially committing to pitch for Team USA. He is among three to five players being
considered as a likely candidate to go first overall in next year’s draft.
On the high
school side most seem to be in agreement that the prep crop is led by
left-handed hurler Daniel Norris. At this point in time he too is considered a
likely candidate to be selected among the top five to 10 overall picks.
Norris has
already received some comparisons to Purke, with a similarly effective one-two
punch. Norris throws more of a true slow
curveball to complement his easy low-90s heater that has been clocked as high
as 96. He shows good command of his
repertoire, which also includes a promising changeup, and is a good overall
athlete and competitor.
After Purke,
the college ranks offers a diverse quartet of southpaws, all built big and
strong, and none of which you would call a finesse lefty.
Danny Hultzen was named the ACC pitcher of the year last spring,
one year after he was named the conference’s freshman of the year. He arrived at Virginia as a two-way threat,
although he didn’t spend nearly as much time in the batter’s box last spring as
he had the season before. His record is
20-2 between those two seasons, serving as the Cavaliers’ Friday ace, starting
a pair of games during his freshman season at the College World Series.
Hultzen
arguably has the best command of any pitcher listed in this column. He hits his spots and changes speeds very
well, much like a finesse lefty, consistently sitting in the upper-80s to
low-90s with the ability to touch 94.
His curve and change are above average to plus pitches, even if none of
them are as electric as what Purke brings to the mound. Similar to Purke, after a heavy workload
after both his freshman and sophomore years, Hultzen has not participated in
summer ball.
Georgia
Tech’s Jed Bradley hasn’t been quite
as dominant as Hultzen during his first two years in college, but he really put
an exclamation mark on his efforts in 2010 with an impressive Cape
performance. He left the league a few
weeks early, but when he did he led the league in strikeouts, and looked
particularly sharp in the league’s all-star game. Built tall and durable, Bradley has a free
and easy delivery and a similar three-pitch repertoire to Hultzen’s.
Bradley will
get the opportunity to prove that he has done what it takes to pitch more
effectively more consistently as the Yellow Jackets Friday starter next
spring. One of the bigger scouting
attractions next spring will occur when Hultzen and Bradley square off when
Virginia travels to Atlanta next spring.
The opposite
coast boasts another pair a big, durable lefties that have the ability to throw
hard, Stanford’s Brett Mooneyham and Gonzaga’s Ryan
Carpenter, although neither flash the consistent command that their ACC
counterparts do.
Mooneyham was
a frequently discussed prospect as the 2008 draft approached, with many feeling
he could sneak into the first round if it weren’t for his advisement and
commitment to Stanford. Listed at
6-foot-5, 235 pounds, no one questions his ability to sustain his stuff late
into ballgames. The problem is that he
has had a difficult time getting there, reaching his pitch count limits in the
mid-innings due to shaky control.
When he’s on
he’s tough to hit, and even more difficult to hit hard. He has a fastball that can flirt with the
mid-90s, and both his breaking ball and changeup are potential plus pitches
when they’re working for him. He enjoyed
success on the Cape last summer, and should things start to click more consistently
for Mooneyham this coming spring, he could easily push his way into early
first-round consideration come June.
Carpenter is
built in a similar fashion, with a similar power arsenal that includes a
low-90s fastball, slider and changeup.
He has fared much better in his two stints in summer ball, including the
Cape this past year and the Alaska League the year before, than he has during
his two years for the Bulldogs. He has a
loose delivery and pitches aggressively on the mound. He tends to attack hitters, which may be why
he has had more difficulty pitching against metal bats, since most collegiate
arms are taught to pitch away from contact.
Like
Mooneyham, Carpenter still needs to prove that he can pitch more efficiently
and effectively week in and week out next spring, as he too possesses
first-round talent.
;
Oregon’s Tyler Anderson carried over the success
from his sophomore season to the summer, where he pitched very well in limited
action for Team USA. Another well-built,
projectable lefty, Anderson throws four pitches for strikes and sits in the
upper-80s to low-90s.
The string of
talented left-handed pitchers continues at Vanderbilt, as Grayson Garvin was named the Cape League’s top pitcher, leading the
circuit in ERA while tying for the league lead in wins. He may have difficulty cracking the
Commodores’ weekend rotation, but is one of the more polished pitchers
available for next year’s. He shows good
command of a sinking 88-91 fastball,
slow sweeping curve and advanced change.
Sam Stafford could step in and assume the weekend rotation role
for the Longhorns previously filled by Brandon Workman. Stafford put up gaudy numbers in the
California Collegiate League this past summer, working in the low-90s while
improving the command and break on his curveball.
Here are a few
more college lefties that could factor into the early rounds:
Florida’s
live-armed Nick Maronde has been
labeled as a potential first rounder since signability pushed him to the 43rd
round in the ’08 draft, but a deep Gators’ staff has limited him to relief
duty; Arizona State’s Mitchell Lambson
has enjoyed great success out of the bullpen the last two years, and may assume
the role as the Sun Devils’ closer next spring; Florida State’s Sean Gilmartin also can play the
outfield, and shows good command of a three-pitch arsenal; Wichita State has a
pair of of big, workhorse lefties in Charlie
Lowell and Brian Flynn that
could make some noise next spring with much-needed experience; Kent State’s Andrew Chafin missed all of last year due to injury, but is healthy
again this fall, and is looking to pick up where he left off after a strong
freshman year in which he saved eight games;
Will Lamb of Clemson is one
of the more intriguing two-way talents on this list, but his smooth swing and
speed may be more appealing than his arm;
Chris Reed hasn’t fared too
well in his first two years for Stanford, but has the size and stuff to keep
scouts intrigued; Drafted each of the last two years, San Jacinto’s Miguel Pena pitches much bigger than
his smaller frame, working in the low-90s with a solid three-pitch power
repertoire.
Onto the
depth at the high school level, Henry
Owens is an easy player to fall in love with watching him pitch. If you aren’t aware of his profile leading up
to the first time watching him pitch you may think that he’s a much different
hurler given his tall, long-limbed, projectable frame.
He still
throws hard, in the 88-91 range with some decent movement on this pitch and
plenty of room for added velocity as he continues to grow. What makes him so successful is his command
and ability to change speeds. He’ll work
the outside corner with his slow curve and change before coming up and in with
his fastball, making it look that much harder.
There is some deception out of his hand, and he really seems to get the
mental aspect of the game by upsetting hitter’s timing and consistently
out-witting them.
Fellow Aflac
All-American Philip Pfeifer has
similar stuff to Owens with a much more modest 6-foot frame. He sits in the upper-80s and can touch the
low-90s, mixing in a power curve and developing change. His upside may not be viewed as great as
Owens’, but both are similar when it comes to intensity.
Signing
Pfeifer away from Vanderbilt may be another trick, a school known not only for
prying their top recruits away from pro ball, but also for developing some
mighty good left-handed pitchers. Along
with Daniel Norris, Pfeifer gives Northeast Tennessee a pair of promising
southpaws.
Miami native
and recruit Andrew Suarez has a much
more compact and strongly built frame than the prep lefties already
listed. His power arsenal matches his
mature frame, as he works in the low-90s with his heater and mixes in a very
sharp curveball. While he’s not as
projectable as most of the other pitchers listed here, he likely would enjoy
immediate success for the Hurricanes should he opt for the college route.
Both Jake Cave and Daniel Camarena offer considerable two-way promise.
Cave hails
from Hampton, Virginia, and is the better overall athlete of the two. He has five-tool potential, with good foot
speed, bat speed and a very strong arm.
He works in the upper-80s to low-90s, and has approached the mid-90s on
occasion. He can throw four pitches, as
his secondary stuff shows promise, although needs more work, than his
fastball. His placement on this list
depends if you like his power arm better than his overall athleticism, and even
then you have to contend with a commitment to LSU.
Bonita,
California’s Daniel Camarena in my mind is a better bet as a hitter, with a
smooth and natural loft stroke from the left side of the plate who profiles
perfectly at first base or an outfield corner.
He throws in the upper-80s with the ability to touch a few ticks higher,
and tantalizes batters with a big, slow curveball. He has a good idea of what he’s doing on the
mound, keeping him in the conversation as a left-handed pitcher.
Porter Clayton is the first left-handed pitcher on this list that
definitely reminds you of what a prototypical finesse lefty is all about. Physically he reminds me a lot of Drew Smyly,
a supplemental first-round pick of the Tigers in last June’s draft. With tall, angular proportions and broad
shoulders, Clayton’s fastball sits in the upper-80s at this point in time, but
it’s not difficult to dream on him throwing consistently in the 88-92 range
within the next year or two. He mixes in
a big, slow curve and a nice fading change to keep batters guessing. There is some deception to his delivery, and
he also shows a very good pickoff move.
If nothing else, he’ll give scouts and cross-checkers a reason to visit
Idaho Falls frequently next spring.
Here are a
few more prep lefties that could factor into the early rounds:
Spenser Linney (Alameda, CA) is tall and skinny with similar stuff
to Clayton but not the same kind of pitchability and polish; Dillon Peters (Fishers, IN) is built
strong and compact, without much projectability but with the ability to work in
the low-90s; Many believe that the 6-foot-8 Adam McCreery (La Verne, CA) is just starting to scratch the
surface on his potential; With good size and an upper-80s to low-90s fastball, Cody Kukuk (McLouth, KS) joins Bubba
Starling as two of the more talented players to come out of the Sunflower State
in quite some time; Carlos Rodon
(Holly Springs, NC) is another strongly built lefty with the ability to touch
the low-90s; The projectable Andrew Chin
(Newton, MA) may not be as polished or well known as the likes of Tyler Beede
and John Magliozzi, but is part of a very strong Massachusetts prep crop; As Cody Glenn’s (Houston, TX) stuff
improves so does his prospect status, and could approach the mid-90s as early
as next spring.
The
thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect
Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and 5
Tool Talk, and can be contacted via email at pebert@5tooltalk.com.