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 scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2 players as ranked in Perfect Game's state-by-state scouting lists. Please visit this page for all of the links to Perfect Game's 2013 Draft Preview content.
Arkansas
State-by-State List
The
level of talent in the state of Arkansas is generally more dependent
on the fortunes of one school more than any other state in the
country, and this year is no exception. The University of Arkansas
has not disappointed, having maintained a steady top 20 ranking while
posting a 32-16 record and leading all of college baseball in team
ERA with a microscopic 1.77 mark.
That
pitching staff, led by potential top 10 pick right handed pitcher
Ryne Stanek and hard throwing closer Colby Suggs, could have up to
seven or eight pitchers drafted next month and has plenty of
underclassman lined up behind that for future years. The level of
position talent is not nearly as strong, though, creating an
imbalance both on the Razorbacks’ roster and in the state’s
talent base.
After
a relatively strong year in 2012 highlighted by fourth rounder D’Vone
McClure (Indians), the Arkansas high school ranks are thin this
spring, with no players projected to be taken among the top 10
rounds.
STRENGTH:
University of Arkansas pitching
WEAKNESS:
High school talent
OVERALL
RATING (1-to-5 scale): 3
BEST
COLLEGE TEAM: Arkansas
BEST
JUNIOR-COLLEGE TEAM: Arkansas Baptist
BEST
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Fayetteville
PROSPECT
ON THE RISE: Bradley Wallace, rhp, Arkansas State University.
Wallace gets the nod in this category simply because he was on no
one’s prospect radar before last summer, wasn’t even firmly in
Arkansas State’s own plans, and the established University of
Arkansas prospect talent has remained pretty static this spring. As
a late developing smaller school player with some projection left,
Wallace has the chance to keep improving in professional ball.
WILD
CARD: Colby Suggs, rhp, University of Arkansas. The fact that
Suggs has only threw 15-2/3 innings as of May 6 means that scouts
obviously haven’t had much to go on, especially since his innings
early in the year weren’t solid in terms of either performance or
stuff. Suggs track record and tools are well known despite his lack
of innings, though, but just which scout saw him at which outing will
be very important to where he’s selected.
BEST
OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, Arkansas Connection: Greg Milhorn, rhp,
Northeast Texas JC (attended high school in Texarkana, went to
Arkansas as a freshman)
Top
2014 Prospect: Brian Anderson, 3b, Arkansas
Top 2015
Prospect: Trey Killian, rhp, Arkansas
HIGHEST
DRAFT PICKS
Draft
History: Jeff King, 3b, Arkansas (1986, Pirates/1st round, 1st pick)
2008
Draft: Logan Forsythe, 3b, Arkansas (Padres/1st round,
46th pick)
2009
Draft: Dallas Keuchel, lhp, Arkansas (Astros/7th round)
2010
Draft: Hayden Simpson, rhp, Southern Arkansas (Cubs/1st round, 16th pick)
2011
Draft: Dillon Howard, rhp, Searcy HS
(Indians/2nd round)
2012
Draft: Matt Reynolds, 2b, Arkansas (Mets/2nd round)
2012
DRAFT OVERVIEW
College
Players Drafted/Signed: 11/9
Junior
College Players Drafted/Signed: 0/0
High
School Players Drafted/Signed: 1/2
TOP
PROSPECTS - GROUPS 1 and 2
GROUP
1 (rounds 1-3)
1.
RYNE STANEK, rhp, University of Arkansas (Jr.)
Stanek
has given scouts plenty to talk about this spring while going 6-2,
1.87 (67 innings, 53 hits, 26 walks, 59 strikeouts) and opinions on
the Kansas native range all over the first round. Those who like him
the most point to his consistent mid-90s fastball that tops at 97 mph
with heavy sink and his mid-80s slider as two future plus to
plus/plus big league pitches and see him as a potential top 10 pick.
His detractors point to his lack of pitchability and dominance
considering his raw stuff in comparison to other top college hurlers
such as Jonathan Gray and Mark Appel. For more on Arkansas’ ace
right hander, read Frankie Piliere’s Perfect Game Draft Focus
profile here.
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