LeVon Washington
Rumors

Division 1 NCAA baseball got underway this past weekend with a number of top prospects getting their seasons started.  Here's a quick look at some of the highlights. 

Pitchers

• Anthony Ranaudo from LSU had a strong outing going 5IP, 6K, 0ER along with just three baserunners.  His fastball was clocked at 93-89mph.
• From Ohio State, Alex Wimmers, gave up just one hit and one walk over six innings and struck out nine in his debut.  According to Jason Churchill at espn.com, A former AL West scout now working for an agent said "he'd have to fall apart not be a first-round arm, but for me he could be anywhere from 10 to 30."
• Deck McGuire out performed both Ranaudo and Wimmers, with a 7IP, 5H, 0BB 0ER, 10K performance.  Though he gave up more baserunners than Ranaudo and Wimmers, the control he demonstrated with no walks was impressive.
• Ole Miss's Drew Pomeranz struggled a bit, yielding two earned runs on four hits and two walks in four innings pitched.  He did manage seven strikeouts.
• Chad Bettis from Texas Tech also had a nice line, going 7IP, 6H and induced 14 groundball outs.

Deck McGuire was very impressive in his 2010 debut

Hitters

• Austin Wates squared off against a possible high 2011 pick, Alex Meyer, and had a very nice 2-for-3 line with 2BB and a triple.  One large negative, however, was that Virginia Tech played Wates at first base rather than in the outfield.  Wates draft status depends upon his ability to be an outfielder, not a corner infielder.
• Though he's been crowned the top pick of the 2010 draft multiple times, scouts are still watching Bryce Harper closely to see how he handles improved competition.  Unlike Stephen Strasburg last year who had three years against the top competition in the country, Harper is largely untested.  He struggled against one hard throwing lefty, but had some better swings against other high velocity fastballs later in the weekend.
• LeVon Washington showed improvement at he plate, but struggled in centerfield.  If he can't play the outfield, his draft stock will suffer.
• Zack Cox, Bryce Brentz, Yasmani Grandal and Christian Colon all had solid performances in their debuts.

Austin Wates had a nice debut to start the season

Jonathan Mayo mlb.com gives his Top 20 2010 MLB Draft prospects heading into the start of the baseball season.  Today we take a look at #11-20.  For #1-10, click here.

11. James Paxton, Kentucky, LHP
12. Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech, RHP
13. AJ Cole, Oviedo High School, RHP
14. Kevin Gausman, Grandview High School, RHP
15. Brandon Workman, Texas, RHP
16. LeVon Washington, Chipola Junior College, 2B
17. Micah Gibbs, LSU, C
18. Stetson Allie, Olmstead Falls High School, RHP
19. Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton, SS
20. Yordy Cabrera, Lakeland High School, SS

Deck McGuire lands at #12 on Jonathan Mayo's Top 20

Much like with Stephen Strasburg in the 2009 draft, Bryce Harper is universally considered to be the obvious #1 pick of the 2010 draft, coming in June.  But who's #2?  Ultimately, Dustin Ackley was universally accepted as the #2 player behind Strasburg in 2009, will Jameson Taillon fill that role behind Harper in 2010?  Baseball Rumor Mill thinks so and also provides the rest of our Top Ten players of the 2010 MLB Draft.

10. James Paxton, RHP, Kentucky: Paxton was originally taken with the 37th overall pick in the 2009 draft, but was unable to sign with the Blue Jays and has returned to Kentuckey for his senior year.  Paxton is a hard thrower who also has a good slider, but needs to improve his control.

9. Stetson Allie, RHO, St. Edward HS, OH: Allie continues to play both the field and pitch, but most scouts agree that his professional future is as a pitcher.  Despite control issues, he was throwing 97 against some of the top amateur competition at the AFLAC All-Star game - the type of speed that really gets attention.

8. Manny Machado, SS, Brito Miami Private HS, FL: Before his play with Team USA at the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships, some scouts were concerned about Machado's defense.  While Machado's defense was unremarkable during play, this bat was spectacular.  In pool play, Machado hit 435/536/739 with two home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored in six games.

7. LeVon Washington, 2B, Buchholz HS, FL: Much like Paxton, Washington was the 30th overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, but was unable to sign.  Unlike Paxton, Washington will attend a junior college this season which will allow him to re-enter the draft next June. 

6. AJ Cole, RHP, Oviedo HS, FL: Much like Allie, Cole can throw the ball hard, hitting 96 at the East Coast Showcase and throwing 93 at the AFLAC All-Star game.  However, Cole also needs to improve his control and his other pitches are not yet professional quality. 

5. Karsten Whitson, RHP, Chipley HS, FL: Whitson pitched for Team USA as well and threw well in the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships.  He doesn't throw as hard as his teammate, Taillon, but has more movement on the pitch. 

4. Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech: McGuire was the 2009 ACC Pitcher of the Year and figures to be on everyone's Top Ten lists.  While his fastball currently tops out in the low 90s, he throws his slider, changeup and curveball all at an above average level.

3. Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, LSU: Excluding Harper who's technically a college player, Ranaudo figures to be the first collegiate player drafted.  He compliments a mid-90s fastball with a solid curveball and changeup.  The only factor which may cause him to slide is signability - Scott Boras is his advisor.

Anthony Ranaudo of LSU

2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands HS, TX: Because of his size (6'7", 230 lbs) and where he's from (Texas), Taillon is already hearing Roger Clemens comparisons.  Those are certainly premature, but the righty throws a very hard fastball and a good curveball.  Taillon was dominant for Team USA during the COPABE "AAA" Pan American Championships. 

1. Bryce Harper, C, College of Southern Nevada: The SI coverboy left high school after only his sophomore year so that he could enroll at a junior college and be eligible for the 2010 draft, instead of the 2011 draft.  Harper brings all of the tools that teams want to see out of a draft prospect.  He can hit for average and power, runs well, throws well and has great baseball acumen.  The only question is whether he'll be a catcher as a professional.

Once again the Washington Nationals "won" the right to choose the undisputed best amateur player available. Last year it was Stephen Strasburg who the Nationals selected with the #1 overall pick. Will the Nationals take consensus #1 player Bryce Harper with first pick in 2010?

Ultimately, this will not be the final draft order come next June. If one of the teams with an unprotected first-round pick signs a "Type A" free agent, they would lose their pick to the team that lost the player. Additionally, the teams that lose a "Type A" free agent will also be awarded a compensation pick to come between the first and second rounds. Baseball Rumor Mill will continuously update the draft order as picks move around during free agency this winter.

Compensation picks have been included.

Protected First-Round Picks
1) Nationals (59-103)
2) Pirates (62-99)
3) Orioles (64-98)
4) Royals (65-97)
5) Indians (65-97)
6) Diamondbacks (70-92)
7) Mets (70-92)
8) Astros (74-88)
9) Padres (75-87)
10) Athletics (75-87)
11) Blue Jays (75-87)
12) Reds (78-84)
13) White Sox (79-83)
14) Brewers (80-82)
15) Rangers (compensation for failure to sign Matt Purke)
16) Cubs (83-78)
Unprotected First-Round Picks
17) Rays (84-78)
18) Mariners (85-77)
19) Tigers (86-77)
20) Braves (86-76)
21) Twins (87-76)
22) Rangers (87-75)
23) Marlins (87-75)
24) Giants (88-74)
25) Cardinals (91-71)
26) Rockies (92-70)
27) Phillies (93-69)
28) Dodgers (95-67)
29) Red Sox (95-67)
30) Angels (97-65)
31) Yankees (103-59)
32) Rays (compensation for failure to sign LeVon Washington)

When teams finish with the same record, the tiebreaker (and higher pick) goes to the club with the worst record the previous year.

Widely considered one of the top collegiate pitchers available for the 2010 MLB draft, Anthony Ranaudo has selected super agent Scott Boras to be his advisor. A right handed pitcher out of LSU, Ranaudo was first selected in the 2007 draft by the Texas Rangers in the 11th round.

Ranaudo is a big (6'7") pitcher who throws his fastball in the mid-90s along with a good curveball and change up. Despite his size, Ranaudo demonstrates good control and finished the 2008 season 3rd in strikeouts behind Stephen Strasburg (#1 overall in 2009 draft) and Mike Leake (#8 overall in 2009 draft).

Ranaudo joins LHP James Paxton, 2B LeVon Washington, RHPs Matt Harvey and Greg Peavy and C Bryce Harper as players who have choosen Boras as their advisor for the 2010 MLB draft.

Keith Law and Jason Churchill from espn.com were monitoring the signings going down on the deadline to sign 2009 draft picks. Let's recap of what happened.

For a full list of all of the 1st round signings, click here.

The deadline for players to sign is August 17, 2009

#1 Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals - After plenty of speculation that he would not sign, Strasburg inked a $15M signing bonus, the highest in MLB history.
#2 Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners - Signed for $7.5M. His deal was at first thought to be $9.5, but those early reports were erroneous.
#3 Donovan Tate, San Diego Padres - Instead of going back to UNC to play football, Tate signed with the Padres for $6.25M
#6 Zach Wheeler, San Francisco Giant - Signed for $3.3M.
#9 Jacob Turner, Detroit Tigers - Was looking for Rick Porcello-like money and got close to it - signed for $5.5M
#11 Tyler Matzek, Colorado Rockies - Allegedly needed to "break the bank" with his deal and signed for $3.9M
#12 Aaron Crow, Kansas City Royals - Still has not signed, but is not subject to the Aug 17th deadline.
#13 Grant Green, Oakland As - Received a $2.75M signing bonus.
#14 Matt Purke, Texas Rangers - Did not sign and will head to college.
#15 Alex White, Cleveland Indians - As expected, White signed for a bit less than Minor did: $2.25M.
#19 Shelby Miller, St. Louis Cardinals - Received a signing bonus of $2.875M
#22 Kyle Gibson, Minnesota Twins - Signed a $1.8M contract.
#29 Slade Heathcott, New York Yankees - Signed a $2.2M contract.
#30 LeVon Washington, Tampa Bay Rays - Ultimately did not sign with the Rays.

Keith Law and Jason Churchill of espn.com had a big day of draft pick signing updates.

The deadline to sign 2009 MLB draft picks is August 17th. For an update on the status of first round draft picks, click here.

• The Yankees and Slade Heathcott are closing in on a $2M deal.
• Mike Leake has reached an agreement with the Reds. The 8th overall pick signed for $2.2M.
• The Reds have also signed the 43rd overall pick, Brad Boxberger for $857K
• Kyle Gibson and the Twins are about $1M apart in their contract negotiations.
• Catcher Wil Myers agreed to a $2M signing bonus with the Royals. Myers was a third-round selection.
• The Rays are not encourage about their chances of landing their first round pick, LeVon Washington. The second baseman is represented by Scott Boras who is likely dealing with his other clients: top 3 picks Stephen Strasburg, Dustin Ackley and Donovan Tate.
• David Renfroe, the Red Sox third round pick, signed for $1.4M.
• The Rays reached an agreement with their second round draft pick, Todd Glaesmann, for $930K.
• Opinion is that the Rays will not be able to sign their second round pick, Kenny Diekroger.
• The Rays signed their fourth round pick, Luke Bailey, to a $750K signing bonus. Bailey was a big prospect until having Tommy John surgery in April. Fortunately, he projects as a catcher, professionally.
• Nick Franklin is expected to sign with the Mariners this weekend and was in Seattle taking a physical.
• Max Stassi, a fourth round pick, received an offer from the As that was "within the ballpark" according to his father.

Jonathan Mayo of mlb.com has a report from the 2009 East Coast Showcase and highlights who he was told stood out. Mayo claims that there will be several 2010 first round draft picks at the showcase and points to guys like Zach Wheeler, Bobby Borchering, Mike Trout and LeVon Washington

Hitters

• Stetson Allie, RHP/3B: Based off of his 97-92mph fastball and an 91-88mph slider, one would figure his future is as a pitcher. However, his command is below average and some scouts think he'll be a more productive hitter. Either way, he was an impressive athlete.
• Eric Arce, C/1B, Lakeland HS: Called the best hitter at the draft. Demonstrated good power along with an ability to use the entire field. His catching skills are questionable, so he may be a 1B professionally.
• Yordy Cabrera, SS, Lakeland HS: One of the rare prep shortstops who projects as a professional shortstop because of his excellent hands and strong arm. Also has a nice swing that results in solid contact.
• Chevez Clarke, OF/INF, Marietta HS: The epitome of a "tools" player as evidenced by his ability to play almost any position in the infield or outfield.
• Delino DeShields, OF/INF, Woodward HS: Like Bedrosian, he's got a former big league father in Delino DeSheilds Sr. Similar to Clarke, he's got the tools to play several different positions.
• Manny Machado, SS, Miami Brito HS: While he was probably not in the first round discussion before the showcase, he played really well and impressed scouts.

Pitchers

• Cam Bedrosian, RHP, East Coweta HA: Threw fastballs at 95-92 and a 79-77 breaking ball and has a great pedigree with his father as a former major league player.
• AJ Cole, RHP, Ovieda HS: Reminded scouts of Rick Porcello and threw up to 96 mph
• DeAndre Smelter, RHP, Tatnall HS: Draws comparisons to Edwin Jackson displaying a 95-92 mph fastball and a 77-75 breaking ball.
• Karsten Whitson, RHP, Chipley HS: Has thrown up to 96 mph, but only reached 92 at the showcase. Nevertheless, he still threw a solid breaking ball clocking in at 81-78.
• Bobby Wahl, RHP, West Springfield HS: Mayo downplays Wahl's ability by saying that he's riding on his command right now. He defends Wahl by by saying he still has plenty of "stuff." Frankly, I'd rather have the control.

Jason Churchill of espn.com has a TON of draft signing news to share

• While half of the 2008 first round signed before August 1st, only twelve have signed so far in 2009. For an update on the status of first round draft picks, click here.
• Major league baseball lowered their slot recommendations for 2009, but many players who are deemed "slot picks" (i.e., taken higher than they should have been simply so they'll sign for less) still are not signing because they're looking for 2008 money. Nick Franklin (#27 to Seattle) and LeVon Washington (#30 to Tampa Bay) are two candidates for this.
• Scott Boras, head of team-Stephen Strasburg, is still talking about a $50M contract for his client. That's still unlikely.
• Dustin Ackley, is looking for Mark Teixeira-money - a $9.5M signing bonus. The Mariners figure to offer him somewhere in between that and the industry standard of $6M.
• Donovan Tate has a slightly earlier deadline of August 15th, the day that UNC football players have to report to school. While everyone expects Tate to sign, he has expressed an interest in going back to UNC to play football.
• While most players have the leverage in negotiations, Aaron Crow does not because he's already held out once. He's currently asking for $3M, but the Royals are balking. Crow's only option is to hold out, go back to the Independent League and do the process all over again for another year. Seems unlikely, Crow went lower in the 2009 draft than 2008.
• The Yankees and Slade Heathcott are still not close.
• While he hasn't signed yet, Chad Jenkins figures to sign with Toronto eventually.
• The As and Max Stassi are "cautiously optimistic" about getting a deal done. Stassi was a 4th round draft pick.
• The Twins want to see Kyle Gibson throw before signing him to a contract. Gibson suffered a stress fracture in this throwing arm before the draft.
• While high schoolers Shelby Miller (#19 St. Louis) and Zach Wheeler (#6 San Francisco) are ultimately expected to sign, Jacob Turner (#9 Detroit), Tyler Matzek (#11 Colorado) and Matt Purke (#14 Texas) are far less certain. Matzek has been heavily rumored to be headed to Oregon for three years of college baseball.

The August 17th deadline to sign plays from the 2009 MLB Draft is fast approaching. We'll use this page to update the signing status of all the first round picks.

The deadline for players to sign is August 17, 2009

1. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals - Despite speculation that he would not signed, agreed to a $15M contract. (updated 8/17/09)
2. Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners - Agreed to a $7.5M signing bonus. (updated 8/17/09)
3. Donovan Tate, San Diego Padres - Instead of going back to UNC to play football, signed a contract with a 6.25M signing bonus (updated 8/17/09)
4. Tony Sanchez, Pittsburgh Pirates - Signed a well-publicized contract before the draft
5. Matt Hobgood, Baltimore Orioles - Signed a contract
6. Zach Wheeler, San Francisco Giant - Signed for $3.3M (updated 8/17/09)
7. Mike Minor, Atlanta Braves - Signed a contract with a record $2.42M signing bonus (updated 8/8/09)
8. Mike Leake, Cincinnati Reds - Agreed to a $2.2M contract (updated 8/15/09)
9. Jacob Turner, Detroit Tigers - Received a Rick Porcello-like signing bonus of $5.5M (updated 8/17/09)
10. Drew Storen, Washington Nationals - Signed a contract
11. Tyler Matzek, Colorado Rockies - Rumors were that it would take a lot of money to keep Matzek away from Oregon: signed for $3.3M (updated 8/17/09)
12. Aaron Crow, Kansas City Royals - Agreed to a $3M contract with the Royals (updated 9/21/09)
13. Grant Green, Oakland As - Agreed to a $2.75M signing bonus (updated 8/15/09)
14. Matt Purke, Texas Rangers - Decided to go to college instead of signing with the Rangers (updated 8/17/09)
15. Alex White, Cleveland Indians - Got a bit less than Minor, $2.25M signing bonus (updated 8/17/09)
16. Bobby Borchering, Arizona Diamondbacks - Agreed to a contract with a $1.8M signing bonus (updated 8/15/09)
17. AJ Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks - Signed a contract
18. Chad James, Florida Marlins - Agreed to a $1.7M contract (updated 8/15/09)
19. Shelby Miller, St. Louis Cardinals - Inked a $2.875M signing bonus (updated 8/17/09).
20. Chad Jenkins, Toronto Blue Jays - Signed for $1.359M (updated 8/15/09)
21. Jiovanni Mier, Houston Astros - Signed a contract
22. Kyle Gibson, Minnesota Twins - Signed a $1.8M contract (updated 8/17/09)
23. Jared Mitchell, Chicago White Sox -Signed a contract
24. Randal Grichuk, Los Angeles Angels -Signed a contract
25. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels - Signed a contract
26. Eric Arnett, Milwaukee Brewers - Signed a contract
27. Nick Franklin, Seattle Mariners - Signed for $1.28M (updated 8/15/09)
28. Reymond Fuentes, Boston Red Sox - Signed a contract
29. Slade Heathcott, New York Yankees - Agreed to a $2.2M signing bonus (updated 8/17/09)
30. LeVon Washington, Tampa Bay Rays - Ultimately did not sign with the Rays (updated 8/17/09)
31. Brett Jackson, Chicago Cubs - Signed a contract
32. Tim Wheeler, Colorado Rockies - Signed a contract