In
the weeks leading up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a
detailed overview of each state in the U.S., including the District
of Columbia, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will
list the state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best
tools, as well as providing scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2
players as ranked in Perfect Game's state-by-state scouting lists.
Contributing:
Allan Simpson
Kansas State-by-State List
2011 Kansas Overview
Kansas
Overview:
From
2011 to 2012, Kansas Experiences Draft Extremes
By
any standard, Kansas had an outstanding draft in 2011. High-school
phenom Bubba Starling was the fifth overall selection, and signed
with his hometown Kansas City Royals for $7.5 million. In all, 10
players from the state were picked in the top seven rounds, and 16
eventually signed contracts totaling almost $10 million in bonuses.
If ever a state deserved a perfect “5” on Perfect Game’s state
rating scale, it was Kansas.
The
same can't be said this year, as there may not be a single player
from the state taken in the top 10 rounds this year.
The
four highest-ranked college prospects, in fact, stand to be the four
college players—Wichita State first baseman Johnny Coy, righthander
Mitch Mormann and lefthander Josh Smith, and Kansas righthander
Tanner Poppe—who were all part of Kansas’ 2011 draft class, but
went unsigned. Mormann, who is already 23, and Poppe were both given
solid chances to slip into the first 10 rounds at the start of the
2012 season.
Meanwhile,
none of Kansas’ three Division I programs has had a particularly
distinguishing season, either, and unless one is to win its
conference post-season tournament, there will be no representative
from the state in the NCAA tournament. Kansas State was a member of
the 2011 field.
The
best talent in Kansas this spring may well be in the junior-college
ranks, and the state’s best draft may end up becoming Neosho County
lefthander Matt Strahm, who has had a dominant 2012 season.
Kansas
in a nutshell:
STRENGTH:
Junior-college talent.
WEAKNESS:
Front-line talent.
OVERALL
RATING:
1.
BEST
COLLEGE TEAM:
Wichita State.
BEST
JUNIOR-COLLEGE TEAM:
Johnson County.
BEST
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM:
Maize HS.
PROSPECT
ON THE RISE: Collin Wiles, rhp, Blue Valley West HS, Overland Park.
While
the Kansas prep ranks are thin this year, the one player that has
made the most-significant positive move is Wiles, a lanky 6-4
righthander who has climbed to the top of the state high-school
rankings as his fastball has picked up velocity. Wiles has topped out
at 92 mph, but with a commitment to Vanderbilt, he may be difficult
to pry away from college.
WILD
CARD: JOHNNY COY, 1b, Wichita State University. Coy
was drafted in the seventh round out of a Missouri high school in
2008 and 45th round a year ago as a Wichita State red-shirt sophomore. Scouts
remain intrigued with the massive, but largely-untapped power
potential that 6-foot-8, 225-pound Coy has in his big, athletic
frame. He is tied for the team home run lead this spring at Wichita
State with eight.
BEST
OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, Kansas Connection:
Michael Morin, rhp, University of North Carolina (Attended high
school in Overland Park).
Top
2013 Prospect:
Frank Duncan, rhp, University of Kansas.
Top
2014
Prospect:
Connor McKay, of, University of Kansas.
HIGHEST
DRAFT PICKS
Draft
History:
Joe Carter, of, Wichita State University (1981, Cubs/1st round, 2nd pick); Darren Dreifort, rhp, Wichita State University (1993,
Dodgers/1st round, 2nd pick).
2006
Draft: Kris
Johnson, lhp, Wichita State University (Red Sox/1st round; 40th pick).
2007
Draft: Derek
Norris, c, Goddard HS (Nationals, 4th round).
2008
Draft: Conor
Gillaspie, 3b, Wichita State University (Giants, 1st round/37th pick).
2009
Draft: Garrett
Gould, rhp, Maize HS (Dodgers, 2nd round).
2010
Draft: Ryne
Stanek, rhp, Blue Valley HS, Overland Park (Mariners, 3rd round).
2011
Draft: Bubba
Starling, of, Gardner-Edgerton HS, Gardner (Royals/1st round, 5th pick).
2011
DRAFT OVERVIEW
College
Players Drafted/Signed:
17/13.
Junior
College Players Drafted/Signed:
2/1.
High
School Players Drafted/Signed:
7/2.
BEST
TOOLS
Best
Athlete: Micah
Green, of, Wichita State University.
Best
Hitter:
Johnny Coy, 1b, Wichita State University.
Best
Power:
Johnny Coy, 1b, Wichita State University.
Best
Speed:
Daniel Kihle, of, Andale HS, Goddard.
Best
Defender:
Daniel Kihle, of, Andale, HS, Goddard.
Best
Velocity:
Tanner Poppe, rhp, University of Kansas.
Best
Breaking Stuff:
Collin Wiles, rhp, Blue Valley West HS, Overland Park.
Best
Command:
Josh Smith, lhp, Wichita State University.
TOP
PROSPECTS, GROUPS ONE and TWO
GROUP ONE (Projected
ELITE-Round Draft / Rounds 1-3)
NONE
GROUP TWO (Projected
HIGH-Round Draft / Rounds 4-10)
1. MATT STRAHM, lhp,
Neosho County JC (So.)
A University of
Nebraska signee, Strahm leads National Junior College Athletic
Association Division I pitchers this spring with 124 strikeouts; in
84 innings, he has posted a 7-3, 1.71 record while allowing just 22
walks and 61 hits. Strahm has dominated with a fastball up to 92 mph
and a plus slider, and has a chance to develop more velocity with
physical maturity as he has a loose, easy arm action and a lean
6-foot-3, 170-pound frame. He has a feel for a circle changeup with
running action, but must refine it through more-extended use if he
hopes to remain a starter at the next level. Strahm’s teammate,
first baseman/righthander Adam Giacalone, has been one of the
most-dominant two-way players in junior college (.415-12-56; 8-3,
2.22, 89 IP, 4 BB/84 SO) and could also be drafted.
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