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You didn’t ask, I didn’t care, so I put together a top 30 list with comments for what I believe are the top 30 right handed pitchers in the 2013 draft.
1) Jonathan Gray – Oklahoma
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 245
DOB: 11/05/91 Previously Drafted: 10th Round, 2011, by Yankees
Draft Projection: Top 5
Why he’s the number one pitcher in this draft class: A tantalizing fastball that sits in the mid to upper 90’s with movement, an outpitch slider, and a solid changeup that could be an outpitch if he develops more movement on it. Gray does need some work on commanding these pitches better and shouldn’t be rushed through the minors. However, with his excellent durability and size, plus repertoire, and bulldog demeanor, Gray has the package you look for in a potential ace.
2) Mark Appel – Stanford
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 180
DOB: 7/26/91 Previously Drafted: 1st Round, 2012, by Pirates
Draft Projection: Top 5
The bold move to return to college has paid off as Appel won’t be falling out of the top 5 this time around. Appel has made big strides in his ability to command his pitches in the lower half of the zone. He throws a 93-96 fastball, an inconsistent but potential plus slider, and a good changeup which he gets great arm action on. Call him 1B to Jonny Gray. I like em both equally.
3) Kohl Stewart – St. Pius X HS (Texas)
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 190
DOB: 10/07/94 College Commitment: Texas A&M
Draft Projection: Top 10
The stud athlete has a QB commitment to the Aggies but I think a 7 figure bonus should more than sway him from honoring said commitment. Stewart has the athleticism and projectability that scouts wet their pants over and his present stuff is already impressive: a fastball that consistently hit 91-92 and often climbs up into the mid 90’s AND a devastating slider that could be a true swing and miss offering in the bigs. He also has an average curve and change. He reminds me of Cardinals rookie Shelby Miller.
4) Braden Shipley – Nevada
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 190
DOB: 2/02/92 Previously Drafted: No
Draft Projection: Top 10
This year’s Kyle Zimmer. Like Zimmer, Shipley popped up seemingly from nowhere as a shortstop converted to pitcher with a low to mid 90’s fastball. What I like best about Shipley though is a hammer changeup with good fade and ideal velocity separation from his fastball. If he can develop better feel for his curveball, he has the potential to be a no.2 starter down the road.
5) Ryne Stanek – Arkansas
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 180
DOB: 7/26/91 Previously Drafted: 3rd Round, 2010, by Mariners
Draft Projection: Mid-First Round
I’ve been a fan of Stanek since I scouted him versus South Carolina. His arm motion still worries me for potential injury issues and is the main reason I might shy away from him if I were picking in the top 15. However, the kid competes his butt off with his mid 90’s fastball and he puts up results too (0.97 ERA in SEC play). He will need to develop better command of his breaking ball and change if he wants to reach his #2/#3 starter upside. I think he will if he stays healthy. If not, he might become a shutdown reliever.
6) Phil Bickford – Oaks Christian HS (California)
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 200
DOB: 7/10/95 College Commitment: Cal State Fullerton
Draft Projection: Mid-First Round
Bickford reminds me of a high school version of Ryne Stanek. Like Stanek, Bickford bring a bigtime heater in the mid 90’s that he can throw consistently for strikes. Also, like Stanek, his secondary offerings are inconsistent and need some refinement. Bickford seems like a high risk/high reward type to me but there’s some buzz he could sneak into the top 10 after his most recent outing where he K’d 17 and touched 100.
7) Chris Anderson – Jacksonville
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 215
DOB: 7/26/91 Previously Drafted: 3rd Round, 2010, by Mariners
Draft Projection: Late First Round
See my draft profile for him.
8) Connor Jones – Great Bridge HS (Virginia)
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 205
DOB: 10/10/94 College Commitment: Virginia
Draft Projection: 1st Round talent; signability issues likely drops him to 2nd-3rd
The Virginia Gatorade POY has a chance to be a steal if a team can convince him to sign. Apparently, he’s dead set on attending UVA. I’m impressed with Jones’s uptempo delivery and he competes like a big leaguer out there, working fast and repeating his mechanics fairly well. He has a solid three pitch mix consisting of a low 90’s fastball, plus slider, and developing changeup and looks like a potential no.2 starter.
9) Hunter Harvey – Bandys HS (North Carolina)
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 200
DOB: 7/10/95 College Commitment: None
Draft Projection: Late First Round
See my draft profile for more on him.
10) Alex Gonzalez – Oral Roberts
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 200
DOB: 1/25/92 Previously Drafted: 11th Round, 2010, by Orioles
Draft Projection: Mid-First Round
Gee, I remember really hoping the Orioles would sign this kid out of high school and look what’s happened. He’s now a first round talent who many think won’t be available for the O’s to try and grab again at pick no. 22. What Gonzalez does so well is consistently locate his low 90’s fastball and plus slider down in the zone to induce weak contact. He’s not overpowering but many view him as a safe bet to develop into a solid mid rotation starter. If not, the cutting fastball and slider combo make him a potential closer in the pen.
11) Kyle Serrano – Farragut HS (Tennessee)
Height: 6’1″ Weight: 185
DOB: 7/06/95 College Commitment: Tennessee
Draft Projection: Late First Round
Serrano has a very polished feel for pitching and uses the most of his frame in a mechanically sound delivery to generate a fastball that sits 90-92 plus a low 80’s curve and upper 7o’s change piece. He also has the option to play ball at Tennessee for his father Dave Serrano. Kyle the potential for three major league average pitches and with his advanced command and control and baseball background could develop into a nice mid rotation starter one day. May be a tough sign.
12) Aaron Blair – Marshall
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 220
DOB: 5/26/92 Previously Drafted: 21st Round, 2010, by Astros
Draft Projection: Late First-Early 2nd Round
Blair has the stuff and look of a workhorse innings eater for years to come. His fastball sits 90-94, and he mixes in a solid curve and changeup. Blair strikes me as a potential Joe Blanton. Not a sexy upside at all but hey, Blanton had his moments earlier in his career and has manage to stick around awhile in the middle to back lend of a rotation.
13) Andrew Thurman – UC Irvine
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 200
DOB: 12/15/91 Previously Drafted: 19th Round, 2010, by Rockies
Draft Projection: Late First-Early 2nd Round
Somewhat underhyped pitcher with a very smooth repeatable delivery and a consistent low 90’s fastball. His bread and butter pitch is an upper 70’s plus change. He also mixes in a 12-6 curve which can be effective at times. Put it all together and you have a guy who reminds me of a potential Kyle Kendrick (Phillies) #3/#4 starter.
14) Jonathan Crawford – Florida
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 205
DOB: 9/01/91 Previously Drafted: No
Draft Projection: Late First-2nd Round
Crawford throws hard but without much life, has a wipeout slider, and a mediocre changeup. He’ll be given a chance to start at the next level but he lacks the consistent command as well as a quality third pitch (changeup) to be successful in the bigs in my opinion. In short stints outs of the pen, I think he could be lethal and has the potential to close. He’ll go high to a team that believes he can start with the fallback plan grooming I him into a late inning reliever.
15) Alex Balog – San Francisco
Height: 6’6″ Weight: 225
DOB: 7/16/92 Previously Drafted: 39th Round, 2010, by Indians
Draft Projection: Late First-2nd Round
Balog has a very inconsistent track record with scouts mixing occasionally brilliant and occasionally stink bomb performances. At his best, Balog flashes a solid three pitch combo consisting of a 90-94 sinker, slider, and changeup. His size and repertoire give him #3 starter upside if he develops more consistently. His name has been linked with the Orioles as a strong consideration for our number 37 compensation pick and I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that his older bro Nik plays 1B for the Shorebirds.
16) Bobby Wahl – Ole Miss
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 210
DOB: 2/21/92 Previously Drafted: 39th Round, 2010, by Indians
Draft Projection: 2nd Round
Wahl has below average command and control of an above average fastball that has filthy movement and can run up into the mid 90’s. He also has a hammer curve but has control issues at times. Despite the poor command, Wahl has been effective for Ole Miss and I think he can remain a starter in pro ball IF he develops a reliable changeup and the command makes big strides. Big IF. He’s likely a potential late inning reliever.
17) Trevor Williams – Arizona State
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 225
DOB: 4/25/92 Previously Drafted: No
Draft Projection: 2nd Round
He’s big, throws in the mid-90’s, has good feel for a curve, and an outpitch changeup. He has the stuff and he can throw strikes. However, he has still struggled with putting hitters away. A guy with his stuff should put up higher strikeout total. Williams is an enigma but I think he might do better with pro instruction where he can use his change up with more freedom.
18) Jason Hursh – Oklahoma State
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 200
DOB: 10/02//91 Previously Drafted: 6th Round, 2010, by Pirates
Draft Projection: 2nd-3rd Round
Hursh is an interesting college project. He needs work but he has a bigtime mid 90’s fastball with movement and a delivery suitable to remain a starter. He needs work on repeating his mechanics better as he has occasional command and control lapses. He also needs serious work on developing more effective secondary offerings. If he can make big strides there, he could develop into a #3 starter several years down the road. His hard fastball also provides intriguing bullpen potential if starting doesn’t work out.
19) Ryan Eades – LSU
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 200
DOB: 12/15/91 Previously Drafted: 19th Round, 2010, by Rockies
Draft Projection: 2nd Round
I have him lower than others. I’m just not that impressed. He throws hard at times but his fastball is flat and he doesn’t have great command of his secondaries. He’ll be drafted high to a team that thinks they can develop more consistency with him. He does have mid rotation starter upside if he can show more consistent fastball velocity and make big strides in the ability to spot his secondaries.
20) Trey Masek – Texas Tech
Height: 6’1″ Weight: 195
DOB: 1/09/92 Previously Drafted: No
Draft Projection: 2nd-3rd Round
One of my favorite college pitcher this year, Masek employs the often underappreciated ‘kitchen sink’ approach as he mixes in five different pitches in each start. His ability to mix and match several average offerings make him a safe bet to become an average middle reliever, possibly a setup man. His ceiling is a solid number four starter.
21) Andrew Mitchell – TCU
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 220
DOB: 1/09/92 Previously Drafted: No
Draft Projection: 2nd-3rd Round
Mitchell is another college project, He has shown mid rotation stuff and has starters delivery. His command and control will need to make big strides if he is to reach that upside.
22) Devin Williams – Hazelwood West HS (Missouri)
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 175
DOB: 12/15/91 College Commitment:
Draft Projection: 2nd Round
Excellent athlete with promising longterm potential and already throws in the low 90’s. However, everything else needs work. Sounds a lot like current O’s prospect/dissapointment Parker Bridwell. I have him lower than other evaluators as a result.
23) Chandler Eden – Yuba City HS (California)
Height: 6’1″ Weight: 165
DOB: 8/27/95 College Commitment: Oregon State
Draft Projection:
One of the youngest and more projectable righties in this draft, Eden has been a riser throughout the year with a fastball that has crept its way up into the low 90’s. He also has a curve and change with potential to be average major league pitches. An intriguing arm with promising longterm potential. He’s pretty set on going to college though.
24) Teddy Stankiewicz – Seminole State CC (Oklahoma)
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 200
DOB: 2/20/91 Previously Drafted: 2nd Round, 2012, by Mets
Draft Projection: 2nd-4th Round
The Stank man has a great pitchers build and could be a nice get if he can improve his fastball command and hold his velocity deeper into outings. He also mixes in three average secondaries, including a slow curve. His high leg kick and explosive delivery could make him a nasty reliever too if the starter development doesn’t work out.
25) Buck Farmer – Georgia Tech
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 230
DOB: 2/20/91 Previously Drafted: 15th Round, 2012, by Brewers; 46th Round, 2009, by Braves
Draft Projection: 3rd-5th Round
Buck Farmer returned for his senior year and could go off the board as early as the second round for a team looking for one of the more attractive value signs in this draft. With a low 90’s fastball, a solid changeup, and two average breaking balls, Farmer looks like a potential back of the rotation starter or a middle reliever. He’s been a model of consistency and a tough competitor at Georgia Tech and I wouldn’t bet against him reaching his potential even if his potential isn’t all that exciting.
26) Wil Crowe
Big high school kid who already has some ‘now stuff’. Reminds me of Giants prospect Clayton Blackburn.
27) Myles Smith – Lee University
Smallish righty with big time fastball curve combo. Many suggest he’ll fit better in relief but I think he could surprise if given a opportunity to start.
28) Akeem Bostick
Highky athletic and project ability is an understatement with this kid. He should be pretty signable too. Already throws in mid 90’s and I think he’s an intriguing sleeper.
29) Tyler Skulina – Kent State
Height: 6’6″ Weight: 225
DOB: 9/18/91 Previously Drafted: 46th Round, 2010, by Athletics
Draft Projection: 4th-5th Round
A talented arm with several ‘ifs’. Developmental project in my eyes but intriguing low 90’s fastball with movement and plus slider when he’s on.
30) Andrew Church – Basic HS (Nevada)
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 200
DOB: 7/26/91 Previously Drafted:
Draft Projection: 4th-5th Round
Lol. Basic High School. That’s like Average Joe’s Gym. Moving on. Church is an intriguing arm with a low 90’s fastball and a potential plus curve. He’s also had some off the field issues, having transferred three different times in high school.
Other names worth knowing that I don’t feel like writing much if anything about because 30 is enough…
Ben Lively – UCF
Nick Petree – Missouri State – Doesn’t throw hard bout can cut and sink his fastball and is a tremendous competitor who mixes his pitches well and could be a nice later round find.
Dan Child – Oregon
Trevor Clifton – 6’6″ 180, projection pick
Dylan Covey – San Diego – Former Brewers first rounder. Very inconsistent stuff. A developmental project tchats still has mid rotation upside.
Dustin Driver – workhorse build, mid rotation upside longterm
Kyle Finnegan – Texas State
Scott Frazier – Pepperdine
Alec Hanson – Tough Sign from Oklahoma, something tells me to watch out for this kid in three years
Thomas Hatch
Clinton Hollon
Jake Johansen – Dallas Baptist – Throws wicked hard (sits upper 90’s at times) but mediocre secondaries and overall performance drop his draft stock. Likely power reliever.
Austin Kubitza – Rice
Keegan Thompson
Robert Tyler
Taylor Williams – Kent State
Barret Astin – Arkansas
Michael Wagner – San Diego
Jordan Sheffield
Cal Quantrill
Jimmy Sherfy – Oregon – Meet the Oregon Ducks closer. He brings a low 90’s fastball with movement and a devastating slider out of the pen and reminds some of Nationals reliever Drew Storen.