In the weeks leading
up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a detailed overview
of each state in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, as
well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will list the
state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best tools, as
well as providing mini-scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2 players.
Washington D.C. State-by-State List
Washington D.C.
Overview:
D.C. Prep Product Howard Hopes to
Follow Same Career Path As Hultzen
Their career paths are
eerily similar, but it might be too tall an order at this point to
compare St. John’s College Prep two-way talent Nick Howard to
University of Virginia sensation Danny Hultzen, projected to be one
of the top picks in this year’s draft.
Both players live in
Maryland, and chose to attend prep school in Washington, D.C. Like
Howard, Hultzen was a significant two-way player in high school, and
has continued to go both ways throughout his college career. Hultzen
led his school, St. Alban’s Prep, to a Washington Catholic Athletic
Conference title as a senior, and Howard did the same this spring for
St. John’s, hammering a decisive grand slam in the championship
game.
Though Howard is three
years behind Hultzen in the development process, he will follow in
his footsteps by attending college at Virginia, if he doesn’t sign
in this year’s draft.
Hultzen was a
10th-round pick out of high school, and Howard was
initially targeted to go about the same area this year, but he
pitched sparingly because of a sore arm and didn’t swing the bat
with the same authority as in the past, raising his chances of
playing for the Cavaliers. Unlike Hultzen, who has always had more
upside on the mound, Howard’s preferred course of action down the
road is as a position player.
Howard played primarily
at shortstop for his high-school team, but below-average speed is
almost certain to push him to third base at the next level, whether
in college or pro ball. He has plenty of arm strength for the hot
corner, along with developing power in his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame.
Prior to being slowed by his arm issues, Howard’s fastball had
reached 92-93 mph, and he flashed a hard slider.
While most of the
attention in D.C. is concentrated on the two Division I colleges in
town, Georgetown and George Washington, neither school had a
particularly positive 2011 season. Between them, they were 42-68.
Georgetown has a shot to produce as many as three draft picks in the
middle rounds, though, in sophomore third baseman Mike Garza
(.306-4-39), junior outfielder Reid Ravnass (.352-5-37, 26 SB) and
senior catcher Erick Fernandez (.315-4-35). Ravnass put up solid
numbers and has impressive tools, but scouts are not enthralled with
his swing mechanics.
The player, though,
that has caused the most buzz at the collegiate level is a player
that doesn’t even play baseball in college because his school,
American University, doesn’t field a team.
Instead, the 6-foot-9,
225-pound Lumpkins is a basketball star, of sorts, for American, and
led that team in rebounds (8.2 rpg) and was second in scoring (13.5
ppg) this year. But baseball is his career of choice and Lumpkins has
worked out extensively for scouts over the last two years in bullpen
sessions and was even drafted in the 42nd round last year
by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He turned down that
opportunity, but ended up pitching last summer in the Cal Ripken
Collegiate League, where his fastball was clocked from 90-92 mph.
Scouts envision Lumpkins throwing even harder once he focuses solely
on baseball.
Washington D.C. in a
Nutshell:
STRENGTH:
Marginal college talent.
WEAKNESS: Depth
of high-school talent.
OVERALL RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 2.
BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
George Washington.
BEST HIGH SCHOOL
TEAM: St. John’s College Prep.
BEST OUT-OF-STATE
PROSPECT, Washington, D.C. Connection: Danny Hultzen, lhp,
University of Virginia (attended high school in Washington, D.C.).
TOP 2012 PROSPECT:
Justin Leeson, of/c, Georgetown University.
TOP 2013 PROSPECT:
Alex Baker, rhp, Georgetown University.
HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS
Draft History:
L.J. Hoes, of, St. John’s College Prep (2008, Orioles/3rd round).
2006 Draft: Derrik
Lutz, rhp, George Washington U. (Reds/19th round).
2007 Draft: Matt
Bouchard, ss, Georgetown U. (Mets/11th round).
2008 Draft: L.J.
Hoes, of, St. John’s College Prep (Orioles/3rd round).
2009 Draft: Pat
Lehman, rhp, George Washington U. (Nationals/13th round).
2010 Draft: Eric
Cantrell, rhp, George Washington University (Royals/7th round).
TOP PROSPECTS,
GROUPS ONE and TWO
GROUP
TWO (Projected MID-Round Draft /
Rounds 4-10)
1.
NICK HOWARD, 3b/rhp, St. John’s College Prep
Two-way
talent; more upside as field player; developing power, 92-93 mph arm;
has frame for power at 3B.