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Draft  | Follow List | 5/26/2010

NEW MEXICO

2010 FOLLOW LIST
 
COMPILED by ALLAN SIMPSON
 
STATE OVERVIEW
Of all the states in the contiguous 48 whose southern border either touches water or a foreign country, none has made less of an impact on grassroots baseball nationally (outside of the Farmington-based Connie Mack World Series) or developing talent for professional baseball than New Mexico.
 
Part of it stems from population (the state ranks 36th overall), but New Mexico also ranks 38th among states in terms of players drafted in the six-year period from 2004-09, according to the high schools they attended. An average of 6.3 players with New Mexico roots were selected in the last six drafts.
 
New Mexico’s two NCAA Division I baseball programs, New Mexico and New Mexico State, have a checkered history of success, but both have made concerted efforts to win on a more consistent basis in the last two or three years (New Mexico State won a school-record 44 games in 2009) and raise their national profile in the process. Neither school has ever appeared in the College World Series.
 
With a limited local player pool to recruit from, the two schools are forced to pursue talent from out of state, and they have done so aggressively—especially from the junior college ranks. Among the 15 college players identified on the accompanying New Mexico follow list for the 2010 draft, 11 are out-of-state products. All but two of the 15 previously attended a junior college.
 
Both schools have emphasized offense in their player procurement efforts, in large measure to capitalize on the light air that exists in the highlands of New Mexico, and one-dimensional sluggers have typically dotted the rosters of the two clubs. New Mexico State ranked first nationally this year in runs scored and was in the top 10 in most other power-oriented offensive categories. Yet the Lobos had the higher team batting average (.353 vs. .352) than the Aggies in regular season play.
 
Though most of New Mexico’s draft picks this year will come from the college ranks, the state’s best prospect hardly fits the mould of the typical player at either New Mexico or New Mexico State.
 
Lobos catcher Rafael Neda was recruited directly out of high school (an Arizona high school, mind you) by then first-year New Mexico coach Ray Birmingham three years ago and has emerged as a top prospect mainly on the strength of his superior catching skills. It didn’t hurt that he elevated his offensive game this year (.382-10-60) and finished second on his team in homers and RBIs. But Neda will be selected as early as the fourth or fifth round, mainly because of his catch-and-throw ability.

It may be a tough road to travel for either New Mexico or New Mexico State to eventually reach Omaha, but UNM’s Birmingham at least knows what it takes to win a national title as he led New Mexico Junior College to the 2005 Junior College World Series championship and a second-place finish two years later, before leaving for the challenge of raising New Mexico’s national profile.
 
The state’s high-school ranks had just three players drafted a year ago, though outfielder Max Walla was claimed in the second round by the Milwaukee Brewers. It’s unlikely a local player will go quite that high this year, but lefthander/outfielder Sam Wilson from Albuquerque’s Eldorado High earned his share of looks from national cross-checkers this spring. In a lot of ways, he’s much the same kind of athletic, two-way player as Walla was.
 
Walla was the higher-ranked hitter of the two and ultimately was drafted for his bat, while Wilson is more athletic and the better runner, and also reaches the low-90s on the mound more consistently. There’s debate whether he goes out as a pitcher or outfielder, but the late sentiment has him as an everyday player.
 
Albuquerque’s La Cueva High won its sixth 5-A state title in eight years this spring, but does not have a player that is considered a draftable talent.
 
IN A NUTSHELL
STRENGTH: Power-hitting college players.
WEAKNESS: High-end high-school talent.
OVERALL RATING (1-to-5 scale): 2.
 
BEST COLLEGE TEAM: New Mexico.
BEST JUNIOR-COLLEGE TEAM: New Mexico JC.
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: La Cueva HS, Albuquerque.
 
BEST OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, New Mexico Connection: Anthony Haase, rhp, Cochise (Ariz.) CC (Attended high school in Albuquerque).
TOP 2011 PROSPECT: Blake Swihart, c, Cleveland HS, Rio Rancho.
TOP 2012 PROSPECT: Alex Albritton, ss, U. of New Mexico.

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS
Highest Pick, Draft History: Duane Ward, rhp, Farmington HS (1982, Braves/1st round, 9th pick).
Highest Pick, 2006 Draft: Luke Hopkins, 1b, New Mexico State U. (Blue Jays/5th round).
Highest Pick, 2007 Draft: Matt Moore, lhp, Moriarty HS, Edgewood (Rays/8th round).
Highest Pick, 2008 Draft: Bobby LaFromboise, lhp, U. of New Mexico (Mariners/8th round).
Highest Pick, 2009 Draft: Max Walla, of, Albuquerque Academy (Brewers/2nd round).

BEST TOOLS
Best Hitter: Justin Howard, New Mexico.
Best Power: Ben Harty, c, New Mexico State.
Best Speed: Jordan Buckley, of, New Mexico JC.
Best Defender: Rafael Neda, c, New Mexico.
Best Velocity: Willy Kesler, rhp, New Mexico.
Best Breaking Stuff: Willy Kesler, rhp, New Mexico.

TOP PROSPECTS
Full scouting reports available on players ranked on national Top 250 list (click on National Top 300)

GROUP TWO (Projected HIGH-Round Draft / Rounds 4-10)

1. RAFAEL NEDA, c, New Mexico (Jr.)                                                                National Top 250 (Rank 228)
Greatly-improved since HS, especially with bat (.382-10-60); strong, durable catcher, solid catch/throw skills

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