Baseball Rumor Mill

Blake Forsythe
Rumors

2010 MLB Draft: Team USA

Keith Law of espn.com dubbs the 2009 Team USA "easily the worst...in terms of prospects for the following year's MLB draft" since 2003.  Nevertheless, there are a few prospects worth paying attention to for the 2010 MLB Draft.

  • Bryce Brentz, LF/RHP, Middle Tennessee State: In 230 ABs so far Brentz sports 465/535/930 ratios and 28 home runs.  Even as a pitcher he had 63Ks in 88.2 IP and a 4.57 ERA.  "He was by far the best player on Team USA," according to Law
  • Chad Bettis, RHP, Texas Tech: While Bettis has been both a starter and a reliever, he figures to come out of the pen as a pro and has done so for Team USA.  He been clocked at 94-90 and has a very good slider.
  • Yasmani Grandal, C, Miami: Grandal sports an above average arm, but really gets scouts attention with his ability to hit effectively from both sides of the plate.
  • Christian Colon, SS, Cal State Fullerton: His speed is suspect and that's usually a red flag for playing shortstop, but Law insists that he can play the position at the pro level. 
  • Blake Forsythe, C, Tennessee: Law critizes Forsythe by saying "he's Adam Dunn at the plate -- it takes an act of Congress to get the bat off his shoulder."  Maybe I'm missing something, but that's a pretty good comparison.  
  • Michael Choice, OF, Texas-Arlington: He has below average speed and arm strength, so his only available defensive position is likely left field, but he has shown great power.

Drew Pomeranz from Ole Miss is on Team USA, but Law missed his start and was thus unable to give an update.  Other Team USA prospects include Tyler Holt a CF from FSU, TJ Walz a RHP from Kansas, Andy Wilkins a 1B for Arkansas and Rick Hague a thirdbaseman for Rice.

2010 MLB Draft Preivew, 6/19

Jason Churchill of espn.com has an update from the summer leagues with plenty of players who will be available in the 2010 MLB Draft.

New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)

  • Adam Matthews of South Carolina impressed an area scout.
  • Vanderbilt's best hitter, Aaron Westlake, will be playing for the Newport Gulls.
  • Kansas RHP TJ Walz had 88Ks in 82.1IP this season and will be playing in the NECBL.
  • Mitchell Beacom from UCLA will be playing for the Holyoke Blue Sox. "He's one of those, you know, projectable types," one AL club's West Coast area scout said. "Lots there to look for, and he's a lefty."
  • If I were playing in the NECBL, I'd be really bummed if I got stuck in Holyoke, MA vs. Newport, RI.

Texas Collegiate Baseball League (TCBL)

  • RHPs Willie Kempf from Baylor and Jeff Emens are prospects on scouts radars who will be playing in the TCBL this summer.

Cape Cod League

 

2010 MLB Draft Preview, 6/13

The 2010 MLB Draft class might not have the star power at the top that the 2009 MLB Draft class did (Stephen Strasburg, Dustin Ackley) or be as loaded as the 2011 draft class (Sports Illustrated coverboy Bryce Harper, Sonny Gray, Alex Meyer, Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole and Danny Hultzen) but there's plenty of talent to track.

College Bats

College Arms

High School Bats

High School Arms