For the most part the top players available for each year's respective draft are well-known commodities entering the spring scouting season, a tribute to the evaluation talents of Major League scouting departments. It is very rare that you ever have a true sleeper rise up from out of nowhere to establish themselves as an early round pick, particularly from the college ranks. John Van Benschoten from Kent State, the eighth overall pick in the 2001 draft (Pirates), is probably the last example of such a virtually unknown college player making such a dramatic leap up draft boards. Many to most of the top college players are also quite often the best unsigned high school players from three years prior, which is best evidenced by some of the best college prospects available for this June's draft including Andrew Miller, Daniel Bard, Ian Kennedy, Drew Stubbs, Jared Hughes and Colin Curtis.

This year's college draft class also offers some intriguing names that leaped up draft boards after strong performances in the Cape Cod League last summer. Evan Longoria, Brad Lincoln, Brandon Morrow, Chris Errecart and Greg Reynolds were among the league's best and brightest, and their performances thus far this season have only solidified their lofty status. Even those players were to varying degrees well-known players coming out of high school despite taking a few years at the college level to blossom.

If you recognize some of the names already mentioned you'll see most of them are pitchers, who seem to rise and fall a lot faster than their hitting counterparts. Last year (5/4/05) I wrote a similar column featuring some of the more notable college pitchers that had made the biggest rise within the spring scouting season, with four of the five players featured rising up to be among the top 49 players selected. Here is an early list of the top college pitchers making the most of their opportunities this spring to be considered earlier than originally expected in this June's draft:

1. Josh Butler-RHP-University of San Diego

Butler is far from unknown, but so far this year he may have made himself hundreds of thousands of dollars with his early returns. He started the season by shutting down then-number one ranked Texas, and his only loss of the year so far came last Friday in a 1-0 contest against the Georgia Bulldogs on the road. With a pitcher's frame that scouts love (6'5", 200) and a repertoire to match (90-94 fastball, wicked slider, good changeup), Butler could very well find himself taken in the middle of the first round come June. He attended the 2002 Perfect Game National, so you know he's been on PG's radar for a while.

2. Andrew Carpenter-RHP-Long Beach State

The Dirtbags always seem to pump out talented players, particularly pitchers, with Jered Weaver, Jason Vargas and Cesar Ramos being the best, most recent examples. Carpenter transferred to LBSU from Sacramento Community College, and follows fellow talented righty Jared Hughes in the weekend rotation. Last weekend he absolutely shut down the University of Illinois-Chicago with a complete game, one-hit shutout, in which he used a low-90s heater, a slider and his signature pitch, a split-fingered fastball. He commands all of his pitches very well, and to date has a 23 to 4 strikeout to walk ratio in 28 innings of work.

3. David Huff-LHP-UCLA

Like Carpenter, Huff transferred from a California community college (Cypress) in the last year, and like Butler, Huff's talents are far from unknown. But we are talking about fast-risers here, and if he can continue his early season success he could find himself taken in the first round come June. His size and talents remind me of Barry Zito in that he doesn't throw particularly hard (maxes out at 90 mph), and that he has a signature pitch (in Huff's case, a changeup) that baffles hitters.

4. Jason Berken-RHP-Clemson

Another name that is far from an unknown, Berken is pitching his way back to health after missing the entire 2005 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2004. So far, so good, as Berken's fastball has added a few ticks since the surgery, and he has polished his changeup while also adding a hard-biting slider to his already impressive arsenal that also includes a very good curveball. On top of his pitching prowess, Berken also receives high marks for his character and leadership skills, and serving as the staff ace for one of the best team's in the nation may just solidify his first-round potential come June. Berken also attended the 2002 Perfect Game Pitcher/Catcher Indoor Showcase and the 2002 National Predraft Showcase.

5. Jeff Samardzija-RHP-Notre Dame

After one start, it's hard to call Samardzija a fast-riser, but I can assure you that he will be within a month. Notre Dame athletes always seem to fascinate readers, probably since Notre Dame fans can be found any and everywhere across the United States. Samardzija made a name for himself nationally last fall as a wide receiver for the resurgent Fighting Irish' football team, but his athletic talents may offer a more appealing baseball career. He has established himself as the Friday starter for the Irish, and has the perfect frame (6'5", 215) to complement his improving stuff, which includes an explosive fastball.

6. Steven Wright-RHP-Hawaii

Like Butler, Wright attended the 2002 PG National, and is one of those pitchers that I wonder what he has to do to garner more attention. He has posted very good numbers since stepping onto Hawaii's campus, and tied for the Cape League lead in saves last summer with 12. He doesn't have eye-popping stuff, but he has exceptional control and consistently records outs with a nifty sinker-slider combo. Wright is 3-0 so far this spring, after facing three respectable opponents in San Diego State, UC Irvine, Loyola Marymount and USC (a game in which he out-dueled Ian Kennedy).

7. Brad Furnish-LHP-Texas Christian University

TCU like San Diego is an up and coming program that is built on a wealth of quality young arms. Furnish, like several of the other pitchers on this list, is far from an unknown. Inconsistency has riddled his college career, which started at Nebraska. His low-90s heater as a lefty will get him drafted earlier than most, and a recent seven-inning no-hitter against Stephen F. Austin University showed the fans and scouts alike just how good he is when he's at his best.

8. Clay Dirks-LHP-LSU

Dirks was Mississippi's Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of high school, so he definitely isn't a sleeper, and he really isn't a fast-riser either, but I felt compelled to include him since he has been a consistent, productive pitcher at LSU. Tommy John surgery caused him to miss the 2003 season, which gave him an added year of red-shirt eligibility. Dirks is a big lefty (6'4", 225) that has shown exceptional control in two years pitching in arguably the toughest conference in college baseball. He doesn't have the most eye-popping stuff, but so far he has recorded outs consistently wherever he has pitched. Dirks is off to another promising start this year, currently 2-0 with a 26 to 4 strikeout to walk ratio over 18 innings of work. Dirks Pitched for PG USA Black in the 2001 WWBA Championship in Jupiter, FL.