The College World Series always allows viewers to not only get a taste of the best teams in the nation, combined with a very exciting brand of baseball, but to also get a look at some of the best players in the nation. This year’s series wasn’t over-loaded with the top 2009 college prospects, but there were quite a few players eligible for the 2010 draft that were on display that figure to go early next June.
The finals of course pitted two of the nation’s perennially strongest programs. I had ranked LSU and Texas ranked third and fourth respectively to open the season, and they finished the year first and second. I have had plenty of times to watch the impressive collection of Texas arms and have covered those pitchers at great lengths in this column. Sophomores Brandon Workman, Chance Ruffin and Cole Green will be among some of the best college pitchers available for next year’s draft, while Taylor Jungmann, one of my favorite prospects from the 2007 Aflac All-American Classic, enjoyed an incredible freshman season and is one of the top prospects for the 2011 draft. This quartet created one of the best staffs in the nation, and gives the Longhorns better than a fighting chance to return to Omaha next year.
Prior to regionals and super regionals, I had not yet had a chance to see LSU sophomore ace Anthony Ranaudo pitch in college. He arrived to LSU as the prized recruit of an impressive 2007-2008 incoming class, and after being used sparingly during his freshman year, he was inserted as the team’s Friday ace, where both he and Saturday stalwart Louis Coleman helped carry the Tigers through weekend play, particularly in the always tough SEC.
Ranaudo is a tall, well proportioned athlete that screams projectability. Given how tall he is (listed at 6’7”), there may be some concern about how well he repeats his delivery and how his overall mechanics stay in check over the course of a game given the extra long limbs that need to be controlled. He is such a good athlete this doesn’t seem to be a problem for him. It does appear as though he can change his release point, which often leads to a struggle with command, but his stuff at this stage is good enough for him to overcome these lapses.
When I saw him pitch late in the season he was throwing his fastball with good command in the 88-92 range. He reportedly creeps towards the mid-90s, and I wasn’t surprised not to see a radar reading that high that deep into a season in which he tossed over 124 innings, third most in the nation. Staying closer to the mid-90s more consistently could be the difference between him being an early first round pick next year to a mid-to-late first rounder, although it’s not hard envisioning him maintaining his velocity deeper into games and the overall season given his size and stature and by how easy his arm works.
He also throws a nice overhand curveball that gives him a very solid one-two punch. That repertoire allowed him to also finish the season third in the nation strikeouts with 159, behind only Mike Leake and Stephen Strasburg, a pair of 2009 first-round picks.
Louis Coleman may be moving on to pro ball, along with a few other key pieces of the championship Tigers, but Ranaudo’s return gives the Tigers, like the Longhorns, a better than fighting chance to return to Omaha yet again next year.
Pair of Jackets
While Georgia Tech didn’t make it to Omaha, I did get a chance to see them perform in the ACC tournament, led by ACC pitcher of the year, sophomore Deck McGuire.
Like Ranaudo, this was my first chance to see McGuire pitch. I had heard about his larger frame, polished approach and four-pitch repertoire, but on this day all I saw him throw was his fastball and his curveball.
The way he threw those two pitches, that is all he really needs, minus a solid third offspeed pitch to keep batters off balance the second and third time through the batting order.
His fastball sat in the 92-94 range, and he commanded the pitch very well. He went to his curveball to get swings and misses, and his fastball can be straight and can too much of the strike zone. His curve had true 12 to six break, and it wasn’t difficult to see why he posted as impressive of a season as he did.
He’s built tall and thick, with broad shoulders and powerful thighs, as you can see that he generates his velocity from the bottom up. His body gives him a prototypical frame to withstand the long innings a starter needs to post, and he keeps his no-nonsense delivery simple enough for him to maintain his fastball velocity deep into ballgames.
His ceiling is limited since he doesn’t have the most ideal body type, but it’s hard to argue with his results. I look forward to following McGuire next spring to see where he ends up in next June’s draft. Right now I would put him as a late first rounder or sandwich round pick.
McGuire’s teammate, fellow sophomore Derek Dietrich, also came off of a strong season for Georgia Tech, and gives the Yellow Jackets two potential first round picks for next June’s draft. Dietrich arrived to Atlanta as the higher profile of the two recruits, a former Aflac All-American and unsigned third-round pick of the Houston Astros.
Dietrich wasted no time making an impression in college, posting a strong freshman season which was actually statistically better than his second year. He has a great approach at the plate, as you could tell pitchers were trying there best to work around him, and pitched him differently than his teammates, giving him a steady diet of breaking balls. A left-handed hitter, he has very good bat speed, a nice swing path and a very patient eye. He has intriguing extra-base power, especially for a middle infielder, and this summer is showing off his talents on the Cape.
I’m not so sure he stays at shortstop long-term. His actions are long and somewhat deliberate for the position, as he looks as though he would be better suited at either second or third base. He’s a steady defender with soft hands and a strong arm, meaning he makes all of the plays that he gets to.
Dietrich is poised to have a big junior season, which should help cement his status as a legitimate first-round pick. If his power really blossoms and he manages to cut down on his strikeouts, I would not be surprised to see himself in position to be taken among the top 10-15 overall picks.
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 Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.