Two New Mock Drafts
Baseball's amateur draft is just 12 days away. The latest links:
- AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere takes a second pass at a mock draft for the first round. This time he has the Royals taking Ole Miss lefty Drew Pomeranz at #4. Pomeranz is pitching in the SEC Tournament today.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo projects the top 20, with Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale going to the Royals.
- Mayo also has an article profiling the draft's top outfielders, with video for each.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law posted his most recent mock draft yesterday.
Odds & Ends: Peavy, Duchscherer, Vasquez, Piniella
Links for Monday, as Jose Bautista continues to astound…
- Jake Peavy told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he has no interest in being part of a rebuilding effort at this point in his career. He hasn't given up on the White Sox, though.
- The injured Justin Duchscherer tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he wants to pitch in 2011 (Twitter link).
- Yahoo's Tim Brown lists Dave Trembley, Jerry Manuel and other managers whose jobs aren't completely secure.
- Frankie Piliere of MLB FanHouse names 24 international player to watch leading up to July 2nd, when teams can start signing a new crop of free agents. The Giants are among the favorites to sign top Dominican outfielder Eskarlin Vasquez.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry says he doesn't have "one thought" in his mind about firing Lou Piniella, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
- Another manager whose contract expires after the season, Jerry Manuel, tells Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork that he isn't worried about his status (Twitter link).
- RotoAuthority identifies some pitchers who have gained and lost velocity this season. Francisco Liriano's fastball has more zip than ever and, now that he's in the rotation, C.J. Wilson isn't throwing as hard.
- Rival executives feel that the Nationals could become aggressive this trade deadline, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Nats, now 20-18, could take on an apparently-oversized contract and make a playoff push.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo explains that top college pitchers Anthony Ranaudo and Drew Pomeranz have struggled recently and aren't as attractive to teams as they once were.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports believes the Cubs should consider firing Lou Piniella if they don't jump into serious contention.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that Jose Bautista and Jake Westbrook could be attractive trade chips later in the summer.
- South Side Sox says Kenny Williams' roster construction "lacked imagination and vision" this year. The result so far: a 15-22 record for the White Sox.
2010 Draft Prospect: Drew Pomeranz
Major League Baseball's amateur draft will be held from June 7th-9th, so we're going to introduce you to some of the top players available during the next few weeks.
At 6-foot-5, 231 lbs., it's hard not to notice Drew Pomeranz of Ole Miss on a baseball field, even when he's not standing on a mound. The lefthander was the Rangers' 12th round pick (380th overall) out of a Tennessee high school back in 2007, though they were unable to sign him and he's now draft eligible again as a college junior.
Baseball America recently ranked Pomeranz as the third best talent available this year, while ESPN's Keith Law had him fourth (subs. req'd for both). MLB.com's Draft Report notes that he "sits comfortably in the 91-92 mph range" while touching 94 with his fastball, and he also features a power breaking ball, a greatly improved change, and command that is "solid-average to a tick above average." The MLB.com link also includes video.
Overall, Pomeranz heads into tonight's start against Alabama with a 2.17 ERA, a .183 batting average against, and a 112/36 K/BB ratio in 74.2 innings. However he's been dealing with a strained pectoral that's kept him from being his best down the stretch. Three weeks ago he walked nine in just three innings of work against fifth ranked Louisiana State in a nationally televised game. Against Southeastern Conference competition (college baseball's toughest conference), Pomeranz has a 2.45 ERA, .176 average against, and a 72/29 K/BB ratio in 51.1 innings.
College lefthanders with command of three pitches and that kind of size don't last very long in the draft, so Pomeranz should expect to hear his name called within the first five picks this year. Jim Callis of Baseball America has him going to the Pirates with the second overall pick in his mock draft.
Nationals Considering ‘A Handful’ For Top Pick
The Nationals are considering 'a handful' of players in preparation for the draft, GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Naturally Bryce Harper is one of the prospects the Nationals are watching, but they aren't committed to taking him.
"I wouldn't say we are leaning toward anybody." Rizzo said. "We are leaning toward a handful of people."
A baseball source told Ladson that the Nationals are also considering pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Jameson Taillon and shortstop Manny Machado. Some have questioned Harper's character, but Rizzo made it clear that he doesn't share those doubts.
"We have no problem with Bryce Harper's character," Rizzo said.
Harper has seemed like a likely selection for a while, but the Nationals have repeated that no decisions have been made, as much as they like Harper's ability and makeup.