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Draft  | Prospect Scouting Reports  | 5/5/2017

2017 MLB Draft Pack: May 5

David Rawnsley      Jheremy Brown     
Photo: Vanderbilt Athletics

Once a week leading up to the 2017 MLB Draft Perfect Game will provide detailed scouting reports, and video (when available), on 10 of the top draft-eligible prospects. The first report each week will be available for free, the rest can be viewed with a PG Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game’s subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.

Previous MLB Draft Packs:

March 17: Nick Allen, Cole Brannen, Michael Gigliotti, Hunter Greene, D.L. Hall, Keston Hiura, Blaine Knight, Corbin Martin, Brendan McKay, Joe Perez.
March 24: Jake Eder, MacKenzie Gore, Colton Hock, Zach Kirtley, Alex Lange, Royce Lewis, Calvin Mitchell, Glenn Otto, Evan Skoug, Cole Turney.
March 31: Shane Baz, J.B. Bukauskas, Hans Crouse, M.J. Melendez, Brian Miller, Seth Romero, Kevin Smith, Alejandro Toral, Logan Warmoth, Drew Waters.
April 7: Austin Beck, Jake Burger, Hagen Danner, Jeremiah Estrada, K.J. Harrison, Luke Heimlich, Garrett Mitchell, Peter Solomon, Coner Uselton, Evan White.
April 14: Jordon Adell, Griffin Canning, Terriez Fuller, Jacob Gonzalez, Adam Haseley, David Peterson, Trevor Rogers, Pavin Smith, Mitchell Stone, Riley Thompson.
April 21: Riley Adams, Ernie Clement, Jacob Heatherly, Tanner Houck, Brendon Little, Nate Pearson, Matthew Sauer, Alex Scherff, Christopher Seise, Mark Vientos.
April 28: Tanner Burns, Seth Corry, Drew Ellis, Blayne Enlow, Alex Faedo, Stuart Fairchild, Dalton Guthrie, Kyle Hurt, Jeren Kendall, Brady McConnell.

Prospects covered this week: Michael Baumann, Wil Crowe, Quentin Holmes, Tyler Johnson, Jacob Pearson, Wilberto Rivera, Brent Rooker, Caleb Sloan, Ryan Vilade, Kyle Wright.





Michael Baumann – RHP

Height/Weight: 6-4/225
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: Sept. 10, 1995
College: Jacksonville
Hometown: Mahtomedi, Minn.
Projected Draft Round: 2-4

You don’t have to look too hard or too far for that matter when trying to find a comp for Jacksonville hurler Michael Baumann. Former Dolphin ace and first-round pick by the Dodgers, Chris Anderson (also a Minnesota native) is a common starting place for scouts as it’s a name brought up more than once when looking at Baumann. Aside from the school, both pitchers have taken a similar path to their junior seasons while showing big stuff along the way.

A physically built righthander who made his way to Jacksonville via Mahtomedi High School in Minnesota, Baumann immediately jumped into the thick of things and performed beyond expectations as he captured both the ASUN Pitcher and Freshman of the Year awards. All he did was go 7-1 with a 2.24 ERA and averaged nearly a strikeout per inning and in the process established himself on 2017 draft lists. Last spring as a sophomore Baumann saw his ERA and walk totals rise, like Anderson, before departing for the Y-D Red Sox in the Cape Cod League which is only fitting as that’s the team Anderson also played for. Though both pitchers struggled to repeat on the Cape each showed intriguing raw stuff which is simply too hard to ignore.

Jump to 2017 and Baumann appears to have returned to his freshman form as he’s working with a 3.09 ERA over 10 starts, is averaging 10.5 strikeouts per game, and has walked just 23 in 58 1/3 innings of work. Even more impressive than the stat line though is the premium fastball Baumann can create over the course of an outing without exuding high levels of effort at any point.

His fastball has lived comfortably within the 91-94 mph range throughout the spring, like what he showed on the Cape, though he can bump 95-96 early in a contest. Baumann’s arm action is plenty loose and full through the backside, which can lead to inconsistencies in his release point, but when everything is in sync it’s one of the easier fastballs in college baseball.

His fastball is one above average pitch and his slider is another that shows flashes as it can be used as a swing-and-miss offering. A consistent mid-80s pitch, Baumann’s slider shows short but late tilting life through the zone and has proven to be a weapon, especially when up in the count. He’ll flash both a curveball and changeup but it’s the fastball/slider combo that serves as his go-to.

Just how high he’ll climb boards will depend on his consistency as he certainly has the frame and arsenal to grab scout’s attention. (JB)


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