2014 Perfect Game MLB Draft preview content
Top 500 Prospect Reports:
1-50 | 51-100 | 101-150
151-200 | 251-300 | 301-350
351-400 | 401-450 | 451-500
201.
Cameron Bishop,
lhp, Brea-Olinda HS
R-R,
6-4/210, Brea, Calif.
College
Commitment: UC Irvine
Bishop
isn't just new to the MLB Draft radar, he's relatively new to
pitching. Bishop didn't throw a single inning at Brea-Olinda High
School as a junior in 2013, but was their ace as a senior in 2014. He
struck out 67 over his 57 innings of work, and though his
inexperience showed up in his 29 walks, he has the kind of arm speed
and tailing action on his fastball that has reached as high as 94 mph
to draw significant draft interest despite the short track record.
He was a name that circulated amongst area scouts during the
preseason before he announced his presence emphatically by working
89-91 at the MLSB pre-season showcase in Compton with plus movement
on his fastball. His breaking ball is still a work in progress with
sweeping 1-to-7 break at 72-74 mph, but his changeup is more advanced
than would be expected for a pitcher with his track record. That
pitch shows good tailing action to the arm side at 80-82, though he's
used both secondary pitches sparingly this spring.
202.
Gage Hinsz,
rhp, West HS
R-R,
6-5/210, Billings, Mont.
College
Commitment: Oregon State
When
looking at a prospect like Hinsz, there are a couple of things to
keep in mind. First is the limited mileage on the right arm of the
future Beaver, as there is no high school baseball in the state of
Montana. The second is how well the 6-foot-5 Hinsz still projects,
both physically and in regards to performance as he gains more
experience on the mound and innings under his belt. With long lean
limbs and room to fill, Hinsz shows a quick, full arm circle with
nice use of his lower half to generate downhill plane on his pitches.
He worked at 88-90 mph and frequently touched 91 in an outing with
the Langley Blaze in Arizona early this spring, and it's likely there
is more velocity in the arm given how early in the season it was and
how easy the arm action is. He works his curveball in the mid-70s,
showing 11-to-5 shape with occasional late break when he is able to
stay on top of the pitch. Hinsz exhibits all the ingredients for a
pitcher who appears to be ready and able to make the next step in
terms of velocity, sooner rather than later.
203.
Logan Webb,
rhp, Rocklin HS
R-R,
6-2/180, Rocklin, Calif.
College
Commitment: Cal Poly
When
roughly 50 scouts gathered for a northern California high-school game
May 10 between Granite Bay and Rocklin, all were there ostensibly to
see Granite Bay righthander Mitch Hart, a potential third-
to-fourth-rounder in this year’s draft. But Webb, a previously
unheralded righthander, stole the show in outdueling the
more-established Hart, 1-0, with a fastball that routinely reached
the mid-90s. Almost overnight, Webb became the rage among scouts in
the area—“he absolutely came out of nowhere,” said one scout
who attended his coming-out game—and they’ve frequented his games
in large volumes since. He hasn’t disappointed with a fastball that
has continued to hover consistently from 94-96, and has sustained his
velocity deep into games. With his new-found status as a potential
elite-level prospect, scouts were speculating that Webb could zoom up
draft boards and factor into the top 3-4 rounds this year, though
others were a little more cautious of going overboard on a young
pitcher with a limited history. Webb actually earned more acclaim
prior to this spring as a position player, and spent the fall
quarterbacking Rocklin’s football team to a playoff berth.
204.
Jorge Perez,
rhp, Grand Canyon University (JR)
R-R,
6-2/205, Downey, Calif.
Previously
Drafted: Never
Long-established
baseball powers Arizona and Arizona State continue to cast a
foreboding shadow throughout the Grand Canyon state, though neither
school, surprisingly, will make an impact in this year’s draft.
Perez has upstaged all college players in the state, even as he
pulled himself four pitches into an April 10 start and missed the
next five weeks with what was reported as shoulder inflammation. A
starter prior to his injury, Perez returned briefly in short relief
and made three scoreless outings before taking the loss in his final
outing of the year when he served up a two-run, ninth inning homer.
That setback dropped his record on the year to 1-6, though his 3.43
ERA, along with 12 walks and 38 strikeouts in 63 innings, are more
indicative of his ability. Perez’ velocity this spring as a starter
was generally only 87-91 mph and he survived mostly on the strength
of his superior poise, mound presence and pitchability, but it was
routinely at 93-94 both last fall and summer, when he pitched
Corvallis to the West Coast League championship. Though he pitched
mostly in relief on the summer to give his arm a breather after a
taxing sophomore season at Grand Canyon, Perez started the decisive,
title-clinching game for Corvallis, winning 1-0 while tossing a
route-going two-hitter with no walks. He dominated with a three-pitch
mix that included a 79-83 mph slider and 76-78 change, in addition to
his overpowering fastball that featured excellent arm-side sink and
run.
205.
Zack Shannon,
rhp/of, Anderson HS
R-R,
6-3/220, Cincinnati, Ohio
College
Commitment: Ohio State
Once
believed to possess one of the better bats available for the 2014
draft, Shannon's future now appears to lie on the mound thanks to the
development of a three-pitch repertoire that includes a low-90s
fastball that peaks at 95, a big-breaking curveball and a changeup
that falls off the table. He still offers considerable promise
offensively as well, and isn't afraid to take aggressive swings at
the ball, consistently hitting the ball hard to all parts of the
park.
Read
Shannon's detailed Draft Focus profile here.
206.
Harrison Musgrave,
lhp, University of West Virginia (JR)
L-L,
6-1/205, Bridgeport, W.V.
Previously
Drafted: Phillies ’13 (33)
Musgrave
had a breakout 2013 campaign following Tommy John surgery, in what
was a draft eligible sophomore year, performing on big stages, and
going pitch for pitch with elite draft prospects like Jonathan Gray.
It was clear, however, that he wanted to pitch his junior year, and
to his credit he’s been fantastic again. With a 2.32 ERA over 100
innings of work, as well as 86 strikeouts and only 20 walks in that
span, Musgrave has been one of the most dominant Friday starters in
the nation in 2014. The 2013 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year has the stuff
to match too, working at 90-94 mph with his fastball and locating a
consistently above average changeup that can get him swings and
misses. His breaking ball will need development, but this is power
lefty arm with a strong track record.
207.
Andrew Karp,
rhp, West Orange HS
R-R,
6-2/190, Windemere, Fla.
College
Commitment: Florida State
Karp
was overshadowed somewhat by the depth of high school pitching in
Florida but put together a strong spring, going 5-2, 1.42 while only
walking seven hitters as compared to 65 strikeouts. He will top out
at 93 mph on his fastball from a high three-quarters arm slot and
gets good life on the pitch when he goes to a two-seam grip. While
Karp’s velocity, movement and command all stand out, he will need
to improve his breaking ball at the next level, as he has some
stiffness in his release and tends to slow his arm on his low-70s
curveball. Perhaps Karp’s most notable achievement this spring was
when he was named the Orlando Metro Area’s Scholar Athlete of the
Spring for sporting a 4.86 GPA to go with his achievements on the
baseball diamond.
208.
Jared Miller,
lhp, Vanderbilt (JR)
L-L,
6-6/240, Avon, Ind.
Previously
Drafted: Never
Miller
earned a rotation job this year on Vanderbilt’s deep, vaunted
pitching staff—which features Tyler Beede, a projected
first-rounder in June, along with the potential for three more
first-rounders in 2015—on the strength of his stellar work in a
variety of relief roles in the Commodores bullpen as a freshman and
sophomore. He pitched well as a starter initially and earned
consideration as a potential second- or third-rounder himself, but
eventually lost his spot in the rotation with a number of mediocre
outings, and his stock in the draft appears to have dipped
accordingly. When on his game, Miller had four pitches working,
including a fastball at 89-92 mph that topped at 94, and a
solid-average slider. He created good deception in his delivery,
especially with the angle he creates with his elongated 6-foot-6
frame.
209.
Brendan McKay,
lhp, Blackhawk HS
L-L,
6-2/205, Beaver Falls, Pa.
College
Commitment: Louisville
If
dominating performance at the high school level counts for anything,
then McKay ranks on the same plateau with the elite prep pitching
prospects in this year’s draft. The 6-foot-2 lefty has enjoyed a
spectacular four-year career at Blackhawk High, posting a 28-1 record
overall while allowing only 13 earned runs. He opened his senior
season with the first of his two 20-strikeout games in 2014, and with
a 6-0, 0.00 record, along with 98 strikeouts and just eight walks
through his first 41 innings, had extended his streak of consecutive
scoreless innings to 65—third all-time among high school pitchers.
McKay even took time out from his busy high school schedule this
spring to temporarily join the Langley Blaze, a high-profile travel
team from British Columbia, on its annual spring-training trip to
Arizona, and dominated there as well, averaging two strikeouts an
inning in games against minor league teams from the Chicago Cubs and
Cincinnati Reds farm systems. McKay may not have enough raw stuff to
justify going in the top two or three rounds as his fastball normally
ranges between 89-91 mph, and often dips to 85-87, but he throws
strikes and has exceptional feel for his secondary stuff; a nasty
curve is his dominant strikeout pitch. If McKay honors his commitment
to Louisville, he could well be a dominant two-way player at the
college level as he hit more than .400 in his first three seasons in
high school, and has excellent strength and lift in his swing.
210.
Scott Heineman,
3b, University of Oregon (JR)
R-R,
6-0/205, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Previously
Drafted: Never
Heineman
appeared to position himself as a solid second- or third-round pick
in this year’s draft after coming off an all-star, breakthrough
season in the Cape Cod League, where the powerfully-built
outfielder swiped a league-best 24 bases, hit .304 and collected 15
extra-base hits. But the injury bug that has hampered his college
career at Oregon ended his junior season after just eight games when
he was sidelined with shoulder surgery. Heineman had foot surgery
almost immediately after enrolling at Oregon in 2011 and also missed
the final 34 games of his freshman season for additional surgery on
his foot. In his only full season with the Ducks, in 2013 as a
sophomore, he hit .278-4-38 with 12 stolen bases, finishing second on
the team in homers and RBI. Heineman, whose brother Tyler was an
eighth-round pick out of UCLA in 2012, has impressive speed and his
powerful, rotational swing enables him to drive balls with authority
to all fields. But his natural athleticism stands out above any of
his tools, and enables him to play almost any position of the field.
He spent the 2013 season, both in college and on the Cape, in right
field, but transitioned this season to third base, his freshman
position.
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