Gerrit Cole, the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, made his Arizona Fall League debut yesterday, and ESPN's Keith Law says he hit 100 mph twice and sat at 95-98 (Insider req'd). "I projected Cole as a No. 1 starter based on the plus fastball/changeup combo and the chance for the slider to become plus as well," said Law, "and for his first professional outing Cole didn't show anything to change that ceiling."
Here are a few draft-related links, even though we're still nine months away from the actual event…
- Fernando Perez, a high school third baseman/outfielder from California, will forego the spring semester at Otay Ranch High School to enroll at Central Arizona Community College according to ESPN's Andrew Knepper. It's the same move Bryce Harper used to become draft-eligible a year earlier than expected. Perez has a chance to go in the first round next June.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis notes (on Twitter) that signing bonuses have increased just 3.8% since MLB's slot recommendations were put in place in 2000. He adds that bonuses rose 26.9% during the 1990s and 10.2% during the 1980s.
- In another tweet, Callis says he doesn't expect there to be major changes to the draft in the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement.
If these kids aren’t graduating from high school, MLB should ban this type of move. And if they’re considered to have enough credits, while missing a whole half year, then something is wrong with with the system.
He is enrolling in a community college… not exactly a high school dropout living on the streets
All he is doing to getting out of high school early by taking his GED test and then enrolling at a junior college..wish I would have thought of something like that when I was in high school
Weird. I didn’t want to leave.
Because you weren’t going to get payed like this kid.
Actually, my school uses the 4×4 system, so you can take 8 classes a year instead of just 6, so technically, I could have graduated after I was finished with my Junior year, based on the amount of credits I had.
The problem would be resolved if this community college and others facing same in future would turn him and future situations down because this player has zero intention of doing anything but leaving after a semester.
In Minnesota, he would be able to go to community college full time his senior year, paid for by the state, for high school and college credit, assuming he was in the top half of his class. I don’t know if that would make him eligible to play on the college team or be able to be drafted a year earlier though.
All kids do in HS is copy the smart kids papers and smoke pot. Thats why I quit. Its BS.
What is the deal with hitting.Michael Young cleanup? Nelson Cruz hits one out every day and hits 7th. Stupid.
Cause Washington thinks it majes him look smart when Young does good (like tonight). I cant really see any other reasons. I’d have him 2nd or 3rd.
I don’t understand why he wouldn’t just stay for one more semester. Wouldn’t he still be eligible for the draft since he’s graduating this year?