2014 Perfect Game MLB Draft preview content
Top 500 Prospect Reports:
1-50 | 51-100 | 101-150
151-200 | 201-250 | 251-300
351-400 | 401-450 | 451-500
301.
Mitch Trees,
c, Sacred Heart Griffin HS
R-R,
6-2/190, Springfield, Ill.
College
Commitment: Louisville
Trees'
mother and Nationals outfielder Jason Werth’s mother are sisters,
so Trees is part of the larger Schofield/Werth family tree and all
the implied genetics and baseball background. He is an extremely
polished defensive catcher with plus arm strength and athletic
catching and throwing tools, and that alone, along with the
bloodlines, could lead him to be picked in a signing round or
contributing immediately at Louisville should he attend school. There
are some questions about his projected hitting ability, as he has
sound hitting mechanics but doesn’t have the present bat speed for
his offensive potential to match up with his lofty defensive
potential.
302.
Benton Moss,
rhp, University of North Carolina (JR)
R-R,
6-2/175, Enfield, N.C.
Previously
Drafted: Never
Moss
had expectations of being drafted in the top 6-10 rounds in 2011 out
of a North Carolina high school, just as he does now after three
college seasons at UNC. Moss has posted a combined 15-3, 2.91 record
with 175 strikeouts in 167 innings as a freshman and sophomore, but
more-pedestrian numbers as a junior (4-2, 3.33, 92 IP/75 SO). Moss,
understandably, has a solid feel for pitching and often has piqued
the interest of scouts when his fastball has peaked at 93-94 mph, but
he’s also lacked a plus pitch for a starter, on occasion, when his
velocity has sat at 89-91 and his curve a fringe average second
offering. His slight frame has also raised concerns whether he’ll
ever be durable enough to take the ball every fifth day in pro ball,
and has never extended himself out by pitching in summer-league
competition.
303.
Stetson Woods,
rhp, Liberty HS
R-R,
6-9/210, Madera, Calif.
College
Commitment: Fresno State
Woods
is a bit of a polarizing prospect in that some scouts dream on the
upside of what he could become as he matures and gains more
coordination over his very long levers, while others have doubts that
he'll ever fully be able to do so. He made significant strides since
his underclass days and routinely works in the upper-80s, peaking
several ticks higher, with the ability to throw a lot of strikes with
the fastball. Woods also has the makings of a good curveball. As Wood
continues to fine-tune his overall stuff and command given his size
and age he could just be scratching the surface of his future
potential, and he combines that upside with relatively advanced
current ability.
304.
Zac Curtis,
lhp, Middle Tennessee State (SR)
L-L,
5-9/170, Hendersonville, Tenn.
Previously
Drafted: Never
Curtis
leads the NCAA Division I level with 136 punch-outs through 114
innings at Middle Tennessee State. It all boils down to size for the
5-foot-9 lefthander, who has been passed over in four previous drafts
but has enjoyed a breakthrough season as a college senior. In 15
starts for the Blue Raiders, he has gone 9-3, 1.89, while allowing
less than a base runner per inning. Curtis overcomes his lack of
physical stature with a very competitive approach on the mound, along
with a solid feel for pitching. He also has exemplary stuff with the
movement he generates on a fastball that ranges from 89-93 mph, and
two solid-average breaking balls in his slider and curve. He rarely
threw a changeup this season, which will undoubtedly earmark him as a
short reliever in the pro ranks.
305.
Tommy Thorpe,
lhp, University of Oregon (JR)
L-L,
6-0/195, Vancouver, Wash.
Previously
Drafted: Never
Thorpe
has enjoyed a dominant junior season as the Friday starter at Oregon,
posting a 10-4, 2.20 record with 29 walks and team-high 86 strikeouts
in 98 innings. He also excelled in a starting role for the Ducks as a
sophomore (7-5, 2.16, 104 IP, 39 BB/87 SO), which led to a cameo
appearance with USA Baseball’s college-national team, and as a
set-up man as a freshman (2-0, 2.11, 43 IP, 20 BB/48 SO). Thorpe will
always have to fight the stigma of being an under-sized lefthander
with below-average raw stuff, but there is no overlooking Thorpe’s
ability to throw three pitches for strikes, even if his fastball
ranges from 85-89 mph. His best secondary pitch is his circle
changeup. He has an excellent feel for his craft and normally finds a
way to win.
306.
Justin Shafer,
rhp-of, University of Florida (JR)
R-R,
6-3/210, Lake Wales, Fla.
Previously
Drafted: Never
Shafer
started all 59 games for Florida as a sophomore, including four on
the mound, and hit .300-5-26. He has become somewhat of the forgotten
player on the Gators this year as a junior and has played
sporadically both in the field (.207-1-10) and on the mound (0-0,
5.20 in 27 innings). Scouts recognize he is still a first rate
athlete who may have suffered in his development by doing too many
things. He is considered a better pro prospect as a pitcher, with a
low-90s fastball and a good slider.
307.
Wes Benjamin,
lhp, University of Kansas (JR)
R-L,
6-1/180, St. Charles, Ill.
Previously
Drafted: Yankees ’11 (48)
Benjamin
was working himself up into potential top five-round status after
seven starts (4-0, 4.22 in 42 innings) when he went down with an
elbow injury that later resulted in Tommy John surgery. He features a
fastball that will consistently work in the 90-92 mph range and touch
94 mph to go along with his out pitch, an outstanding changeup. His
breaking ball will need tightening up at the professional level.
There has been talk that there are plenty of teams willing to make
Benjamin a value draft in the top 10 rounds and re-allocate any
savings to other top round picks, a possible scenario since Benjamin
would be expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2015 college
season.
308.
Carson Baranik,
rhp, Louisiana-Lafayette (SO)
R-R,
6-3/210, Bossier City, La.
Previously
Drafted: Reds ’11 (41)
Baranik
was a highly regarded prospect out of high school who pitched briefly
at LSU as a freshman before being suspended from the Tigers program
after legal problems. He resurfaced at Miami Dade CC in Florida in
2013 before becoming a key part of the Ragin' Cajuns rotation as a
junior in 2014, going 10-1, 2.99 in 14 starts, including two complete
game shutouts. Baranik flashed a plus fastball early in the spring,
touching 93 mph, but settled into the upper-80s as the season
progressed to go with a sharp breaking slider, that he commands very
well, and a developing changeup. He projects as a durable, strike
throwing back-of-the-rotation starter.
309.
Brandon Leibrandt,
lhp, Florida State (JR)
L-L,
6-5/205, Atlanta, Ga.
Previously
Drafted: Rays ’11 (48)
Leibrandt
had made 41 consecutive starts for Florida State, including six this
year (4-1, 1.83) dating back to the beginning of his freshman year,
going a combined 22-8, when he was hit just below the left knee
playing catch with a teammate in practice. The freak injury,
diagnosed as a severe bone contusion, has kept him out ever since and
left him questionable for the postseason as well. Leibrandt has
always been a finesse pitcher in the style of his father, 15-year
Major League veteran Charlie Leibrandt, but his velocity had picked
up this spring and he was touching 90-91 mph occasionally to go with
his plus changeup and solid slider. There was talk before the injury
that Leibrandt could break into the top five rounds, but he had not
been extensively cross-checked prior to going down and that scenario
will be difficult now, even if he does come back in a limited role
prior to the draft.
310.
Jonah Patten,
rhp, Norwell HS
R-R,
6-3/200, Ossian, Ind.
College
Commitment: Arkansas
Patten
was removed from his high school team before the season started and
pitched a number of times in the Iowa Spring League, although he did
not return to Iowa for either the PG Spring Top Showcase or the
Pre-Draft Showcase. He has a fast arm coming through from a high
energy delivery with some issues on his front-side mechanics that
cause inconsistency. His fastball has nice life and is generally in
the 89-91 mph range and will occasionally touch higher. Patten also
throws a 75-77 mph hard curveball that has the potential to be a
solid second pitch with better command.
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