Loved the draft pick when it was made, glad he’s in the fold but I’m not sure how this all is supposed to work.

Baseball America ranked Mitch Harris the 2nd best senior draft prospect of 2008, behind only Josh Fields.

Mike Stutes was another one that got away. Stutes was drafted in the 9th round but opted to go back to Oregon State. Like Russell he regressed the following year and probably regretted his decision to go back to school. OSU had a rough season and Stutes had his worst season by far as a Beaver. He fell to the 11th round and was taken by the Phillies. Stutes has been dominant so far in the Phillies organization. He’s been pitched at two levels of A ball, and in his last two Sally League starts he has gone 7 full innings and has 18 K’s and no earned runs. In 53 total pro innings, Stutes has 61 K’s in 53 innings and has allowed only 5 earned runs.

So that brings me to this. The signing deadline is less then two days away and the Cardinals still have some unsigned picks out there. The Cardinals have done an excellent job this year getting their players signed and on the field. None of their top 10 picks have gone unsigned. The highest unsigned pick is senior Mitch Harris, who unfortunately for the Cardinals at least will have to continue on active duty with the Navy. Reading Derrick Goold’s latest blog entry, it sounds like the Cardinals still hope to work something out. As a senior, the deadline doesn’t apply to him.

Here’s a listing of the remaining unsigned picks:

13 395 Mitch Harris RHP
30 905 Brett Bruening RHP
31 935 Justin Leith LHP
35 1055 Shane Boras 2B
37 1115 Danny Jimenez LHP
45 1354 Chris Taylor C
46 1382 Brandon Sizemore 2B
47 1409 Ray Asaro OF
50 1490 Danny Miranda LHP

• 19 year old Brett Bruening had a rough season for Grand Junction CC but has a lot of characteristics scouts look for. He has a nice projectable frame at 6-6. He throws a fastball, sinker, changeup and a slider and uses a high leg kick which creates some deception. He fell to the 30th round because of some questions about his signability and probably because he just didn’t perform all that well against JUCO competition. I would not expect that he will sign but haven’t heard either way what his plans are.
• Justin Leith has elected to go to Florida International. He’s a high school lefty who throws in the high eighties and has a good changeup.
• Shane Boras is uber-agent Scott Boras’s son. And I’m sure dad “advised” his son to go to college. He’ll be a USC Trojan.
• LHP Danny Jimenez is from St. Charles North in IL. BA considered him to be the 2nd best high school pitching prospect in the state. He’s a big guy at 6-4, 205 lbs. and also played basketball. He was considered to be signable but apparently he’ll be attending Logan Junior College.
• C Chris Taylor. A senior who is taking his sweet time to sign.  He hit .349/.439/.660 with 19 homers for the season and was the Atlantic 10 co-player of the year.
• IF Brandon Sizemore is another senior. He was an excellent hitter in college, posting a .325/.388/.675 line his senior season, showing he has some raw power but his strike zone judgment isn’t great. I’m not sure what is keeping the two seniors from signing; maybe they have some job offers that were too good to pass up. I dunno. Last year Nick Peoples signed late, so you never know.
• OF Tony Asaro was a teammate of Scott Gorgen’s at UC Irvine. He hit .314/.374/.539 for the Anteaters but struggled to hit with wood in the Alaskan League. Looks like he’ll be back for his senior year.
• Danny Miranda is another HS lefty. He committed to U of Miami.

All in all, bravo to the Luhnow and the Cards for the job they have done in getting their signed relatively quickly. There’s always going to be a few that get away in every draft but it’s great that we’re not having to deal with some of the drama that other teams are going through right now.

There is one deadline that I am anxiously awaiting-Top Venezuelan prospect Yorman Rodriguez turns 16 tomorrow. What team he signed with could be announced around midnight tonight, and last we heard the Cards are in the running.

This articleat Baseball America is subscription only, but it shows the bonuses given out for every pick in the first round of this year’s draft compared to the projected slot. Note that the Cardinals game in at (or under) the slot for each pick.

The system played five games tonight and went 2-3. All the details are after the jump.

Memphis had the night off

Springfield 8, San Antonio 7

• Brandon Dickson has not fared so well since his promotion to Springfield. This was his second outing and he gave up seven runs on nine hits and two walks over only 4.2 innings.
• Jon Mikrut followed up with 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up only a walk.
• Marco Gonzalez pitched a perfect 1.2 innings and Fernando Salas struck out two in the ninth to record the save.
• Donovan Solano has done well since moving up to Springfield. He was 3-5 on the night with a stolen base.
• Allen Craig was 2-3 with a home run and a pair of walks. I’ve been talking all year about how this season could determine who between Craig and Freese is the future for the Cardinals at third base. They have both acquitted themselves so well, though, that I’m not sure anything has been decided. This is a good problem to have.
• Mark Shorey was 3-5 with a double, a triple and a stolen base.
• Jose Martinez was 1-3 with a bomb.

Daytona 5, Palm Beach 1

• The offense was pretty limited – Kozma was 0-3 with a walk, and all five of Palm Beach’s hits came from two players: Nick Derba was 2-3 with a double and Antonio DeJesus was 3-3.
• Tyler Herron got the start and wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t particularly good either. He only gave up a pair of runs in 4.1 innings, but he walked four and allowed five hits. He also struck out four and committed a balk.
• Davis Billardello pitched two hitless innings, but was credited with an earned run when the one walk he gave up came around to score with Casey Mulligan pitching.
• The Casey Mulligan Experience has hit a bit or a rough patch. He had a bad outing last time and in addition to the inherited runner that he allowed to score tonight, he gave up two more of his own on two hits and two walks.
• Wayne Daman pitched a scoreless inning.

Quad Cities 1, Cedar Rapids 10

• Not a pretty game. My guess is that Erik showed up an jinxed the team.
• Blake Murphy and Carlos Pupo were each 2-3 and Tommy Pham was 1-3.
• Richard Castillo started and was betrayed a bit by his defense (his own included as he committed one of the three errors on QC tonight). He allowed five runs but only two were earned. He gave up seven hits, a walk and struck out six over six innings.
• Cedar Rapids blew the game open against Matt Spade. He gave up five runs on four hits and a walk in one inning of work.
• Dylan Gonzalez pitched a perfect inning, striking out a pair.

Batavia 11, Auburn 0

• Big night for a lot of guys. Colt Sedbrook was 4-6 with a double, Jose Garcia was 2-6 with a homer and Chris Swauger was 2-4 with a homer and a walk. [deep breath]
• Jermaine Curtis was 1-2 with a walk and a stolen base, Brett Lilley was 1-2 with a double, Frederick Parejo was 3-6 with a stolen base, and Charles Cutler and Xavier Scruggs were each 2-4 with a walk, Scruggs also doubled.
• The pitching was just as good tonight, with zero walks on the evening.
• Ramon Delgado threw the first five innings and only allowed one hit while striking out seven.
• Adam Veres followed with six strikeouts over three innings and Daniel Richardson finished the game with a scoreless inning.

Johnson City 2, Pulaski 6

• Nico Vasquez overcame his StainGuard concerns to go 2-4 with a double and a stolen base.
• Alex Castellanos also doubled in going 1-3.
• Jack Cawley was 2-4.
• Randy Santos got the start and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out six.
• Carlos Gonzalez came in, pitched an inning and got lit up to the tune of three runs on two hits and a walk.
• Joel Pichardo pitched two perfect innings, striking out three.

• Note #1: all statistics through games played on July 27, 2008
• Note #2: only players at Johnson City or higher are included

• Johnson City – 11 ip, 11 k’s, 4 BB, 5 ER

Frevert was a reliever for Missouri State (I still have trouble not calling it Southwest Missouri State) and didn’t really throw a ton of innings in college. In fact, he really wasn’t all that effective in college, either. He had decent strikeout numbers, but he also had a WHIP of 1.57 in college this year. Perhaps Cardinals scouts saw something correctable in him that made him a more valuable than what his numbers suggest, but that correction hasn’t been made yet – so far he’s still a high strikeout, high walk pitcher.

Pick #30, Twenty-ninth Round, #875 Overall – Brett Lilley

• Johnson City – .294/.419/.343 12.1 BB%, 13.0 LD%, .337 BABIP

Lilley is an overachiever in the mold of David Eckstein. He is small of stature, does whatever it takes to get on base (he was hit by a pitch 109 times in four years at Notre Dame) and doesn’t hit for much power. I think the nickname ‘Rudy’ is a natural for him, considering his game and his alma mater.  The Cardinals seem to have a fondness for guys like this in the organization and it wouldn’t surprise me if Lilley sticks around for a few years, even though he has very little pop in his bat.

Pick #33, Thirty-second Round, #965 Overall – Samuel Freeman

• Johnson City – 14.1 ip, 22 k’s, 9 BB’s, 6 ER

The Cardinals drafted Freeman in 2007 after he pitched for North Central Texas College and again this year after a sub-par season at Kansas. He’s left handed and strikes out a ton of batters, but, like Frevert, his control needs quite a bit of work. Those trends have carried over into his professional career so far, but with his superlative strikeout rate, if he can ever gain a little control the Cardinals could have something here.

Pick #34, Thirty-third Round, #995 Overall – Kevin Thomas

• Johnson City – 15 ip, 10 k’s, 5 BB, 2 ER

There is a clear strategy to the bottom of the Cardinals draft: grab a lot of college pitchers with good strikeout rates and hope that some of them stick. Thomas is another one of those guys, although his strikeout rate at Stephen F. Austin University solid, but not spectacular. He has been about the same so far in his professional career: mediocre strikeout rate, too many walks.

Pick #35, Thirty-fourth Round, #1025 Overall – Jack Cawley

• Johnson City – .270/.378/.324 13.3 BB%, 7.0 LD%, .333 BABIP

Cawley was a teammate of Matt Rigoli at Pace University. The difference is that Cawley actually put up decent numbers in college. He doesn’t have a ton of power (or any, really), but he hits for a decent average and gets on base at a decent clip. We won’t know if he has any kind of future or if he’s just organizational fodder behind the plate until he gets some at bats at higher levels. My guess is the latter, due to his lack of power against mediocre competition in college.

Pick #39, Thirty-eighth Round, #1145 Overall – Daniel Richardson

• Batavia – 9 ip, 6 k’s, 11 BB, 10 ER

Richardson is already 23, getting drafted as a senior out of Delaware, which might be why he started at Batavia instead of Johnson City. He began college as a good hitting outfielder, but switched to pitching exclusively for his senior year after injuries had limited him in his junior year. His numbers weren’t really all that great in his senior year (21 walks, 28 strikeouts in 41.2 innings) and he is getting beaten around in Batavia so far. Maybe Johnson City would have been a better choice for his start, regardless of his age.

Pick #40, Thirty-ninth Round, #1175 Overall – Curt Smith

• Johnson City – .355/.393/.591 6 hr, 8.3 BB%, 10.0 LD%, .398 BABIP

Smith is a bit of an undersized first baseman (5’10″, 200 lbs) out of the University of Maine. He raked in college and has continued that at Johnson City. His walk rate and his line drive rate are both a little low for my taste and he did play four years at Maine, so he should be hitting well at Johnson City. It’s quite possible that he will hit a ceiling pretty quickly as he is moved up the ladder, but I’m just going to ignore all of that and enjoy the power production we are getting from a pick this late in the draft.

Pick #41, Fortieth Round, #1205 Overall – Paul Cruz

• Johnson City – .134/.223/.207 10.6 BB%, 3.0 LD%, .141 BABIP

Cruz has been terrible – there’s no other way to put it. The left handed hitting outfielder’s walk rate is ok, but he has yet to provide any other value at the plate.

Pick #43, Forty-second Round, #1265 Overall – Blakely Murphy

• Batavia – .253/.337/.471 3 hr, 10.1 BB%, 9.0 LD%, .365 BABIP

Blake has been called one of the great sleepers of the draft. Looking at his college numbers, he played four years at Western Carolina University, I can’t understand why he didn’t get more interest in the draft. He had a very solid junior year in college and then put up a line of .367/.495/.683 his senior year, hitting 16 homers in 221 at bats. He isn’t undersized (or oversized for a catcher) at 6’1″, 195 lbs, he’s got good patience at the plate and hits for good power. Maybe he’s a black hole on defense, but those numbers should play anywhere. He hasn’t quite put up the same numbers thus far at Batavia, but he has been solid.

Pick #45, Forty-fourth Round, #1325 Overall – Santo Maertz

• Johnson City – 10.1 ip, 11 K’s, 6 BB, 4 ER

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Cardinals took a pitcher from a small college  with a good strikeout rate and trouble with his control in the mid to late rounds. Maertz fits right in with the other pitchers that we’ve discussed in this part. He was a two-way player at Saint Peter’s College and wasn’t outstanding at either hitting or pitching. He, like the others, has struggled a bit at Johnson City with his control and it will be his ability to reign in his wildness that will determine his future with the organization.

Pick #50, Forty-ninth Round, #1463 Overall – Adam Veres

• Johnson City – 22 ip, 29 k’s, 6 BB, 4 ER

Veres could be another late round gem for the Cardinals. He is another small college product (St. Petersberg Junior College), but he has dominated so far at Johnson City, while not walking too many men. He is younger than most of the other pitchers taken late in the draft and he has very good size (6’4″ 230 lbs), so I am really curious to see what becomes of this 49th round pick.

• Note #1: all statistics through games played on July 24, 2008
• Note #2: only players at Johnson City or higher are included

Pick #18, Round Seventeen, #515 Overall – Joshua Hester

• Batavia – 19.2 ip, 16 k’s, 6 BB, 7 ER

Hester had 105 strikeouts in 89 innings at Freed-Hardeman University. He hasn’t quite kept up that strikeout rate at Batavia, but his numbers have been solid. He seems like a nice middle round pick: decent size, a lot of experience and excellent results at a small University. The Cardinals plan seems to be to get a number of pitchers like this and then let them sort themselves out with the piggy back in Quad Cities.

Pick #19, Round Eighteen, #545 Overall – Jared Bradford

• Quad Cities – 13.2 ip, 10 k’s, 2 BB, 6 ER

I assume that Bradford started at Quad Cities because he faced much better competition in the SEC than some others drafted ahead of him (like Hester, for example). He didn’t exactly light the SEC on fire, though, as he gave up 115 hits in 98.1 innings. He wasn’t an overwhelming strikeout pitcher in college, but his ratio has been pretty good in his limited time in Quad Cities.

Pick #20, Round Nineteen, #575 Overall – Xavier Scruggs

• Batavia – .189/.262/.305 7.4 BB%, 18 LD%, .266 BABIP

Xavier was a power hitting first baseman for UNLV, but he hasn’t yet lived up to his reputation in his first 95 at bats at Batavia. He’s got good size and had outstanding plate discipline in college, so it is a little disappointing that he has struggled so much.

Pick #22, Round Twenty-one, #635 Overall – Joseph (Matt) Rigoli

• Johnson City – .233/.403/.333 12.2 BB%, 5.0 LD%, .333 BABIP

Matt seems to be purely a nepotism pick (his father is a Cardinals scout). He had a rather undistinguished college career at Pace University – he is a corner infielder that never slugged over .400 in college. I would really like to say something positive about the pick, but the only thing I can think of is that I’m glad that they waited until the twenty first round to waste a pick on him.

Pick #23, Round Twenty-two, #665 Overall – Colt Sedbrook

• Batavia – .278/.385/.374 8.1 BB%, 19.0 LD%, .326 BABIP

In stark contrast to Rigoli, I love the Sedbrook pick. He spent four years at Arizona getting experience playing against the tough competition in the PAC-10 and he was successful. He hit for a high average, got on base at a very respectable clip, and while he is certainly not a home run hitter, he hit for enough power as a middle infielder to keep pitchers honest. He has played decently at Batavia so far and I think he’s got a pretty decent shot of being successful as he moves up the ladder, especially for a pick in the twenty second round.

Pick #24, Round Twenty-three, #695 Overall – Jon Bravo

• Johnson City – 21 ip, 32 k’s, 6 BB, 10 ER

The well-named Jonny Bravo has been racking up the strikeouts at Johnson City, but has also been hit pretty hard. The diminutive (5’7″) lefty was drafted after his junior year at Azusa Pacific University, where he wasn’t such a strikeout pitcher. He actually had a bit of a down year his junior year after pitching very well as a sophomore. As usual, his size will always lead to questions about his stamina and ability to have success at higher levels, but if he continues to strike batters out at the rate that he has so far, he should have some future as a middle reliever, at least.

Pick #25, Round Twenty-four, #725 Overall – Zachary Pitts

• Batavia – 20.1 ip, 11 k’s, 4 BB, 9 ER

Pitts came out of Louisville in the Big East and, like Bravo, actually pitched better in 2007 than he did in 2008. Unlike Bravo, he has decent size (6’3″) and is a nice middle-round bet to see if he can recapture his 2007 form when he had a 1.06 WHIP. He hasn’t shown that ability yet at Batavia.

Pick #26, Round Twenty-five, #755 Overall – Jason Buursma

• Batavia – 10.2 ip, 9 k’s, 5 BB, 3 ER

Buursma is a 6’3″ right hander with a crazy sidearm/submarine delivery out of Bucknell. He was very successful in college – as a reliever first and as a starter in his senior year. My guess is that he will be mostly a reliever for the Cardinals and could have a Mark Worrell-like career, if he can cut down on the walks that have shown up early at Batavia.

Pick #27, Round Twenty-six, #785 Overall – Christopher Swauger

• Batavia – .242/.342/.379 2 hr, 11.5 BB%, 18.0 LD%, .275 BABIP

Swauger is a left handed power hitting outfielder out of the Citadel. His power has not yet translated to Batavia, but his walk rate is ok and his line drive rate is acceptable. He was drafted as a senior, so he’s already twenty-one [side note: he was born on the same day as Colby Rasmus - isn't it sort of crazy that Bryan Anderson and Colby Rasmus are on the verge of making the major leagues at the same age as some of the college draftees are struggling to make a name for themselves in rookie ball?].  Anyway, here’s hoping that Swauger regains his power stroke and can dent the Quad Cities roster next season.

Pick #28, Round Twenty-seven, #815 Overall – George Brown

• Batavia – 17.2 ip, 16 k’s, 6 BB, 9 ER

Brown is a lefty that was drafted as a senior out of St. John’s University. On draft day Erik compared him to PJ Walters – a control pitcher with not a lot of velocity. He seems to have left his control at St. John’s and has been walking significantly more batters as a pro than he did in college. He will have to curb that tendency if he is to have success as he moves up the ladder.

Next week we will conclude the series with the final eleven 2008 draft picks that have played at Johnson City or higher so far this year.

• Note #1: all statistics through games played on July 21, 2008
• Note #2: only players at Johnson City or higher are included

Pick #1, First Round, #13 overall – Brett Wallace

• Quad Cities – .333/.463/.556 – 2 hr, 14.7 BB%, 24 LD%, .372 BABIP

Ok, let’s get it out of the way: I was not a big fan of this pick on draft day.  I was hoping to add an electric arm or an athletic position player with huge upside.  I saw Wallace as being a solid bat with nowhere to play in the organization.  My opinion of him started to change, not with what he did on the field, but in listening to interviews with him.  I liked the kid – he was enthusiastic and determined to prove his detractors wrong.  And then he began hitting – and what baseball fan wouldn’t like what he’s done so far?  Because he took a bit longer to sign and missed a few games going to the Golden Spikes presentation, he hasn’t had as many at bats as some of the rest of his class, but he’s already proven that he can hit at low A.  I suspect that he’ll finish off the season with some time at Palm Beach and my guess is that he’ll dominate there, as well.  The only question about Wallace as he climbs the ladder is whether he can stick at third base – and that will be something that we all pay close attention to over the next couple of years.

Pick #2, Supplemental First Round, #39 Overall – Lance Lynn

• Batavia – 14.2 ip, 15 k’s, 3 BB, 1 ER

Lynn pitched 89.2 innings for Ole Miss this season already, so it is my guess (hope) that the Cardinals are going to get him 30-40 relatively easy innings at Batavia this season before starting him at Quad Cities next year.  He has looked pretty dominant at Batavia so far, but there’s no need to rush him this year.  He hasn’t walked anyone in his last three appearances (11 innings) and he’s only given up one extra base hit (a double) in his time at Batavia.

Pick #3, Second Round, #59 overall – Shane Peterson

• Batavia – .352/.455/.429 14.4 BB%, 20 LD%, .471 BABIP

Shane has certainly torn up Batavia in his first twenty-seven games (take a look at that BABIP, though). He played three years in college at Long Beach State and has shown that he can play at this level, so I’d like to see him challenged by a move up to Quad Cities.  He has played all three outfield positions and a little bit of first base, but it seems to me that he profiles best in center field if he’s got the fielding chops to play there.  His power numbers have never really fit for a corner outfielder or first base and that has continued at Batavia (.077 isolated power).  He is, however, still only twenty years old, so he could still grow into more of a power stroke as he moves up the ladder.

Pick #4, Third Round, #91 overall – Ernest ‘Nico’ Vasquez

• Johnson City – .352/.455/.546 3 hr, 12.9 BB%, 15 LD%, .461 BABIP

Nico has quickly become a favorite on this site and with good reason.  He is the high upside high school talent that many of us longed for at the top of the draft.  Not to harp on a sore subject, but if Pete Kozma had put up these numbers last year, the criticisms of his pick would have been quieted quickly.  Like Peterson, Nico’s BABIP is through the roof, but the patience and power he’s shown as a high school draftee has been exciting to see.  I’d look for him to follow the Kozma road map, finishing the year with a few games at Batavia and starting next year at Quad Cities.

Pick #5, Fourth Round, #125 overall – Scott Gorgen

• Batavia – 16 ip, 19 k’s, 5 BB, 4 ER

Gorgen put up outstanding numbers at UC-Irvine and has continued with similar rates at Batavia.  Like Lynn, Gorgen put in quite a few innings in college (115.2), so the Cardinals will probably not want to give him too many more innings this year.  I would bet that if Gorgen was 6’2″ with the same numbers he would get a lot more hype than he has, but continued success at higher levels will be the only antidote to the size bias.

Pick #6, Fifth Round, #155 Overall – Jermaine Curtis

• Batavia – .315/.390/.438 8.0 BB%, 14 LD%, .360 BABIP

Jermaine is a third baseman with a similar offensive profile to Shane Peterson (with the exception, of course, that Curtis is a righty and Peterson is a lefty).  He has hit well, but doesn’t seem to have the power to stay at third base (.123 ISO).  It has been suggested that he may be converted to second base, where his bat would play a lot better.  Of course, like Peterson he is still only twenty years old, so the power could still come.

Pick #9, Round Eight, #245 Overall – Ryan Kulik

• Batavia – 6 ip, 5 k’s, 0 BB, 0 ER
• Quad Cities – 12.2 ip, 5 k’s, 4 BB, 15 ER

Kulik is the highest pick to have already been promoted and the promotion hasn’t worked out very well.  In his four starts at Quad Cities, he has had one really good start – going five scoreless innings with three strikeouts – and three terrible ones.  Kulik was great at Rowan University this year, striking out 144 in only 94.1 innings.  The adjustment to better quality competition has been a painful one and, while he is a year older than either Gorgen or Lynn, it is somewhat surprising that he was chosen to move up to Quad Cities ahead of those two guys that have faced stronger competition in college.

Pick #10, Round Nine, #275 Overall – Aaron Luna

• Quad Cities – .206/.386/.559 3 hr, 15.9 BB%, 12 LD%, .174 BABIP

Luna has almost the opposite numbers of some of the other college draftees in this draft class: his BABIP is extraordinary low, but he is hitting for great power (.353 ISO).  He came out after his Junior year at Rice – which was a bit of a down year compared to his Freshman and Sophmore seasons.  He has always had a ton of power and he has played some second base in the past, but he has been exclusively an outfielder at Quad Cities.  It is interesting that the Cardinals started him out in Quad Cities while Shane Peterson remains at Batavia.  I’m a big fan of Luna’s and I’ll be curious to see if they try him out at second base or leave him in the outfield next season.

Pick #11, Round Ten, #305 Overall – Alejandro (Alex) Castellanos

• Johnson City – .260/.314/.500 4 hr, 2.9 BB%, 6.0 LD%, .318 BABIP

Castellanos is a bit of a mystery to me.  He has hit for decent power (.240 ISO), but his line drive rate doesn’t really support his BABIP (or his .260 batting average for that matter).  He has virtually no plate discipline and he strikes out a ton, but the raw power component seems to be there.  Alex put up huge numbers at Belmont Abbey College, but the competition was a bit lacking.  He has been playing third base in Johnson City, but he was a second baseman in college, so he could be another keystone option from this draft class, along with Curtis and Luna.

Pick #15, Round Fourteen, #425 Overall – Charles Cutler

• Batavia – .240/.269/.360 1.9 BB%, 37 LD%, .268 BABIP

A left handed hitting catcher out of Cal, Cutler has never hit for much power.  He played some outfield in the Cape Cod league, but his bat only plays if he’s behind the plate at this point.  His line drive rate is pretty outstanding early on, which hopefully will result in some additional power down the road.

fewgoodcard’s

1. Rays-Tim Beckham, SS, Georgia HS

Seems to be a done deal.

2. Pirates-Pedro Alvarez, 3b, Vanderbilt

This is an I will believe it when I see it, but the rumors just won’t go away.

3. Royals-Eric Hosmer, 1b, Florida HS

Best bat in the prep class, the Royals took the same description last year.

4. Orioles-Brian Matusz, LHP, San Diego

Too good to pass up at this point, even though they would probably like a bat.

5. Giants-Buster Posey, C, Florida St.

The Giants need bats that can help in a hurry, and there may not be one that will get there faster than Posey.

6. Marlins-Kyle Skipworth, C, California HS

They have been on him for a while, although Alonso could be a local hero.

7. Reds-Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia

The Reds could use a shortstop to fill out what is turning into a great young core.

8. White Sox-Justin Smoak, 1b, South Carolina

Kenny Williams was at the SEC tournament a couple of weeks ago checking him out.

9. Nationals-Yonder Alonso, 1b, Miami (FL)

The Nationals want a big bat, and he is the best one on the board.

10. Astros-Dan Schlereth, LHP, Arizona

They are the Astros, and they are cheap in the draft. There are rumors of Schlereth, and it would be like them to make a bonehead decision.

11. Rangers-Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri

It would be a great surprise if he fell to the Cardinals, but I doubt he makes it past the Rangers.

12. Athletics-Jemile Weeks, 2b, Miami (FL)

The new hot rumor. I originally had Hicks here, but he just doesn’t seem like their type of pick.

13. Cardinals-Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky

The Cardinals are hoping someone falls, but if they don’t they will be happy to grab a lefty like Friedrich.

Erik’s

1. Tim Beckham

2. Pedro Alvarez

3. Eric Hosmer

4. Brian Matusz

5. Buster Posey

6. Kyle Skipworth

7. Gordon Beckham

8. Justin Smoak

9. Aaron Crow

10. Daniel Schlereth, I hear? That would be very Astro-ish.

11. Yonder Alonso

12. Aaron Hicks

13. Friedrich

1. Pedro Alvarez, 3b, Vanderbilt

He hasn’t had the best season and has battled injury, but he still has the most dynamic bat in the draft.

2. Brian Matusz, LHP, San Diego

The big lefty has established himself as the draft’s number one pitcher and should be ready for the big leagues in short order.

3. Tim Beckham, SS, Georgia HS

The draft’s best prep position player has the tools to stick at short and an improving bat.

4. Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri

The righty hit a rough patch after his big scoreless streak, but he has been pitching great for a month. His fastball/slider combo is the best in the draft.

5. Buster Posey, C, Florida St.

The very athletic Posey has the tools to be above average behind the plate and in the batter’s box.

6. Eric Hosmer, 1b, Florida HS

The big slugger has the best bat among prep position players. He is also a pretty good athlete as he is a good first baseman, and he can bump mid-90′s gas from the left side.

7. Justin Smoak, 1b, South Carolina

The switch-hitter has huge power from both sides of the plate. He also has a great approach and a good glove.

8. Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia

His power numbers have slowed down from his blazing start, but he still provides above average power from a middle infield position.

9. Yonder Alonso, 1b, Miami (FL)

He combines a pure stroke with big time power. He is the total package as a hitter, but will his lack of athleticism cause him to fall?

10. Kyle Skipworth, C, California HS

He has above average power and arm strength from behind the plate, but the track record on high school catchers taken in the first round is not good.

11. Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky

There are questions about his competition and his command, but he has above average velocity and the draft’s best curveball.

12. Brett Wallace, 3b, Arizona St.

Like Alonso he offers a great pure stroke and 25 homer power. His looks will fool you when it comes to his athleticism, and he may not be locked in to first base like many believe.

13. Brett Lawrie, 3b/C, Canada HS

Shooting up draft boards due to his jaw dropping performances against professional competition with a wood bat. He doesn’t have a lot of experience, but he does have a lot of power.

14. Zach Collier, OF, California HS

A late comer to the first round, Collier won’t turn 18 until the end of summer. He offers a big frame and a lot of power potential from the left side.

15. Aaron Hicks, CF/RHP, California HS

The draft’s best athlete Hicks offers plus tools in the field and on the mound. His mid-90′s fastball and power curve are intriguing, but he wants to be a position player where he can take advantage of his plus speed.

16. Tim Melville, RHP, Missouri HS

He hasn’t had the spring everyone had imagined, but he is still the best high school pitcher in the country. He offers the potential of two future plus pitches in his low to mid-90′s fastball and hammer curve along with a very projectable frame.

17. Ethan Martin, RHP, Georgia HS

If Melville is 1, Martin is 1a.  He also offers mid-90′s velocity and is very athletic on the mound.

18.  Casey Kelly, SS, Florida HS

Kelly is a big shortstop with soft hands and a strong arm.  There are questions about his bat, but he knows how to play the game and could be an above average major league shortstop some day.

19.  Shooter Hunt, RHP, Tulane

Hunt has everything you look for in a top of the rotation starter with a fastball that touches the mid-90′s and a hammer curve in the low-80′s.  Unfortunately he struggles with his control and is still pretty raw for a college pitcher.

20. Jason Castro, C, Stanford

He is a strong defensive catcher with power from the left side.  There are some worries that he may be a one year wonder, but he does offer an intriguing package.

21.  Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Illinois HS

He combines the best command in the high school ranks with a fastball that can touch the mid-90′s and two good breaking balls.  Also a very good athlete and top shortstop, Odorizzi has very clean mechanics.

22.  Andrew Cashner, RHP, TCU

He exploded on the scene this year with a high-90′s fastball after being moved to the pen.  He still struggles with consistency with his slider, but he is the draft’s top college closer.

23.  Gerrit Cole, RHP, California HS

People question his make-up and his mechanics, but the stuff is undeniable.  A team willing to take a risk could get a steal in the back of the first round.

24.  Ryan Perry, RHP, Arizona

He offers arguably the best pure stuff in the draft with the potential for 3 plus pitches, but he has never succeeded in a starting role.  A team that believes he can stick in the rotation could take him much higher.

25.  Jemile Weeks, 2b, Miami (FL)

His dynamic speed and switch-hitting ability make him an ideal lead-off candidate.  There are questions about his glove, but he has plus range and decent pop from the 2nd base position.

26.  Ike Davis, OF/1b, Arizona St.

Davis had always been a solid producer, but he exploded this spring showing very good power.  He is aggressive at the plate, but he makes good contact and profiles as a prototypical right fielder with his power bat and arm.

27.  Brett Devall, LHP, Florida HS

The draft’s top high school lefty has good size and a great idea of what he is doing on the mound.  His arsenal consists of a high-80′s fastball that can reach 93 and a good curve.

28.  Conor Gillaspie, 3b, Wichita St.

He doesn’t have the prototypical corner power, but he is a great pure hitter and knows how to play the game.

29.  Reese Havens, SS, South Carolina

Many think he doesn’t have the range for short, but he has made great strides with the bat over the last year.  He has surprising pop and a good idea of what he is doing at the plate.

30.  Josh Fields, RHP, Georgia

He has great stuff, but he is still raw on the mound despite being a college senior.  Fields slumped down the stretch, but he is still a candidate to be the first player from this class to reach the major leagues.

Batters

Pedro Alvarez Vanderbilt 5-13, 2B (15), 3B (2), 3 R, 2 RBI, BB—–.317/.424/.593

Buster Posey Florida St. 9-19, 5 HR (24), 8 R, 13 RBI, 6 BB—–.468/.572/.897, talk about a way to make an impression the week before the draft

Gordon Beckham Georgia 10-24, 2 2b(19), HR (24), 7 R, 8 RBI, 3 BB——.397/.505/.781

Justin Smoak South Carolina 7-15, 2B (19), 2 HR (23), 5 R, 6 RBI, 2 BB——.383/.505/.757

Yonder Alonso Miami (FL) 2-10, R, 4 BB, SB (9)—–.370/.536/.767

Brett Wallace Arizona St. 5-11, HR (21), 6 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SB (16)—-.414/.531/.762

Conor Gillaspie Wichita St. 6-12, 2 2b (16), 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB——.425/.510/.706

Ike Davis Arizona St. 8-13, 2B (26), 3B (1), 7 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB——.394/.468/.778

Jemile Weeks Miami (FL) 3-13, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB——.366/.447/.639

Reese Havens South Carolina 4-14, 2B (13), HR (18), 5 R, 4 RBI, 3 BB——.359/.486/.645

James Darnell South Carolina 2-10, HR (19), 3 R, 3 RBI, 7 BB——.306/.395/.580

Dennis Raben Miami (FL) 2-13, 2B (13), HR (9), 3 R, 2 RBI, BB——.302/.411/.535

Pitchers

Brian Matusz San Diego 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K—–great in his final collegiate start

Aaron Crow Missouri 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 10 K——dominant in month’s final season

Shooter Hunt Tulane 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K—–coming back on 2 days rest and threw 86 pitches

Andrew Cashner TCU 4.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K—-2 appearances, all the damage came in the 4 inning game

Josh Fields Georgia 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K—–he has been struggling down the stretch

Ryan Perry Arizona 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K

Dan Schlereth Arizona 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Zach Putnam Michigan 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB 4 K

Aaron Shafer Wichita St. 9 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Carlos Gutierrez Miami (FL) 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

13.  Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky

For the 13th pick I targeted two players: Friedrich and Arizona State’s Brett Wallace.  I am a huge fan of Wallace, and I would love to add a bat of his caliber to the system.  However, in the end Friedrich just matched the needs of the organization too well.  He is a lefty with decent control and two above average pitches that should pitch in a major league rotation in short order.  I don’t know if he will last until the 13th pick on Thursday, but I am sure Jeff Luhnow would be happy to take him.

39.  Conor Gillapsie, 3b, Wichita St.

My target for this pick was Zach Putnam, but when Gillaspie was still on the board he was too good to pass up.  Everyone knows the Cardinals could use some infield depth, and Gillaspie just might be the best third baseman in this draft.  He will never be confused for a slugger, but he has a great contract stroke.  He has also proven himself with wood winning the Cape Cod League MVP.  I seriously doubt he is available at this spot in the real draft, but he would be a steal at this point.

59.  Trey Haley, RHP, Texas HS

This may look like a major overdraft according to baseball america’s rankings, but I think he could end up being the best high school pitcher in this draft.  He has an athletic, projectable frame, and his fastball already touches 95 mph.  He isn’t the most polished pitcher in the world, but he also has a pretty good curve he can throw for strikes.  Haley is a bit of a project, but I love his upside.  It wasn’t worth risking until the 3rd round, although he may be a tough sign if the doesn’t go in the first round due to a commitment to Rice.

91.  Wade Miley, LHP, SE Lousiana

Going into the draft I wanted Louisville 3rd baseman Chris Dominguez with this pick, but after I stole Gillaspie I changed my plans.  I was hoping Arizona flame throwing lefty Dan Schlereth would still be around, but he went right before me.  I also targeted another Arizona player, prep slugger Jaff Decker, but like Schlereth he was also chosen right before my pick.  That left me in a bit of a scramble before I finally settled on Miley.  I haven’t seen a video on him, but he is a lefty that can dial his fastball up to the mid-90′s.  The upside is definitely there as he has a slider and change that grade out as plus at times, and he also shows potential with a curve.  Miley pitches at a smaller school and doesn’t have the dominating statistics you would expect, but lefties with that kind of velocity aren’t a bad gamble in this range.

125.  Matt Marquis, OF, New Jersey HS

He was originally my target in round 5, but it sounded like the mock could get cut short and I didn’t want to miss out on this guy.  He is exactly the kind of high upside high school player you want to gamble on in this range, and according to the perfect game message board, he put on a show at a recent Cardinals’ workout.  Marquis has plus power, and the potential to be a prototypical right field slugger.  He may be hard to sign away from Vanderbilt, but the upside is definitely there.

155.  Johnny Giovatella, 2B, New Orleans

When they decided to go ahead and do the 5th round I was left scrambling a bit, but I settled on this diminutive slugger.  He doesn’t have the size or tools you look for in a high pick, but all he has done is produce.  He has a lot of Shane Robinson in him along with the ability to play 2nd base.  I usually like to gamble on upside in this range; however, this is a position where the Cardinals could use some depth.  He seems like a solid bet to hit.

Overall I was pretty happy with my haul.  Friedrich was the #1 guy on my board for the 13th pick, and Gillaspie was an absolute steal at a position of need in the sandwich round.  I love the upside with Haley and Marquis, and I think Miley was a solid gamble in the 3rd.  The system is lacking in quality lefties, and I believe I added two very good ones.  We are also a little short on infielders, and I was able to find a couple who have produced a lot in college.