Dillon
Howard
RHP
/ Searcy High School
Bats-Throws: R-R
Height/Weight: 6-4/205
Hometown: Searcy,
Ark.
College
Commitment: Arkansas
Birthdate: July
1, 1992
SCOUTING
PROFILE: Arkansas is hardly a hotbed
of high-school baseball talent, and Howard has a realistic chance to
become the highest draft from the state since Arkansas High
(Texarkana) righthanders Dustin Moseley in 2000 (34th overall/Reds) and Tony McKnight in 1995 (22nd overall/Astros), and possibly even since Pine Bluff High outfielder
Torii Hunter in 1993 (20th overall/Twins). Bryant High lefthander Travis Wood (60th overall/Reds, 2005) is the only Arkansas prep product to be picked in
the top 60 since Moseley. Notably, all three pitchers became big
leaguers. Howard has been considered a near first-round lock since he
was clocked at 92 mph in his first high-school appearance as a
freshman, and homered in his first at-bat. He touched 95 mph
frequently at the 2008 World Wood Bat Association Underclass World
Championship early in his sophomore year at Searcy High, but it was
obvious then that he was probably close to reaching the top of his
physical capability as he was a strong, physical athlete even at that
age. In fact, any draft forecaster or scout who refers to Howard
today as a “projectable” young pitcher is woefully naïve, as
Howard throws no harder now than he did three years ago. What Howard
has done over that period is an outstanding job of developing himself
mechanically, and becoming a “pitcher” instead of a “thrower”.
He still has a very fast arm and the ball comes out of his hand very
easily with little effort. His steady 91-95 mph fastball gets very
nice running action at times, and he’s increasingly able to spot
the pitch to different parts of the strike zone. Howard throws two
types of breaking balls, a 78-mph true curveball with tight spin and
a deep, 11-to-5 shape, and an 82-mph slider that is more of a
flatter, slurvy version of his curve, though has good depth. His
slider will likely take on a different identity at the professional
level as minor-league pitching instructors are likely to turn it into
a tighter, mid-80s power pitch. Howard has always thrown a changeup
in the low-80s, but understandably hasn’t focused much on
developing that pitch yet, although his delivery and ability to put
movement on his fastball are signs that he should be able to master
it with repetitions. Though Howard has dominated his competition in
Arkansas since his freshman year, and often has caught and played
every infield position when not pitching, his Searcy High team lost
in the 6-A state final in each of the last three years. This year’s
setback was the most gut-wrenching for Howard. He was cruising along
with a tidy one-hitter through six innings, and took a seemingly
insurmountable 5-1 lead into the final inning. But Jacksonville High
scored four runs in the seventh to tie the game 5-5, the final three
coming on a two-out, two-strike, bases-loaded double. With Howard
moving to shortstop in the eighth inning, Jacksonville quickly pushed
across the winning run for an unlikely 6-5 victory. To add insult to
injury, Howard went 0-for-4 in the cleanup spot. A year earlier,
Howard was unable to take the mound in the state final because of a
minor shoulder injury. While Howard’s otherwise distinguished prep
career ended on a sour note, he has the draft squarely in his sights.
His signability could be an interesting puzzle for scouts to figure
out, though, as he is being advised by the Boras Corporation, which
has a documented history of steering high-school clients to college
before entering professional baseball. In addition, Howard would be
eligible to re-enter the draft as a college sophomore, due to his
age, if he chooses to honor his scholarship to Arkansas. If those
factors aren’t enough for Howard to ponder, his stature as one of
the top high-school prospects ever raised and developed in Arkansas
may put added pressure on him to play for the extremely-popular state
school, and potentially even lead that program to its first-ever
College World Series title.
Projected
Draft Position: Late First
Round/Sandwich Round
Perfect
Game Events Attended
2008 WWBA 2009 Grads or 17u National Championship
2008 WWBA Underclass World Championship
2008 WWBA World Championship
2009 National Showcase
2009 WWBA Underclass World Championship
2009 WWBA World Championship
2010 National Showcase
2010 AFLAC All-American Game
2010 WWBA World Championship