Zack Cox
Rumors

The 2008 and 2009 drafts were unusually stocked in terms of the quality and quantity of available college bats.  Draft picks from the past two classes including Buster Posey,  Justin Smoak, Pedro Alvarez from 2008 and Dustin Ackley from 2009 all ranked in the Top 20 Aggregate professional prospect rankings.  Gordon Beckham, from 2008, doesn't even qualify as a prospect anymore as he figures to get significant playing time at the major league level for the White Sox this year. 

The 2010 class does not project as well, but Zack Cox and Bryce Brentz remain two bats that are safe picks in the first round.  The issue is the rest of the class.  While Cox and Brentz seem likely to go in the first round, where is the rest of the safe, college bat draft picks that teams who are unsure of high school pitching can rely on? 

"It gives teams more option, more safe options," an NL special assistant said. "We all know how risky it is historically to deal with high school pitching and that college hitters are the best bet. It makes it a tough decision when there aren't enough legit (college hitters) to consider."

Zack Cox figures to be one of a handful of college bats taken early this draft

Both Cox and Brentz figure to be Top 10 draft picks, but still some questions remain about their professional future.  For one, Cox is a draft eligible sophomore, which means he has the ability to return to college for his junior year if he does not like the offer he is getting from whatever team drafts him. 

As for Brentz, he hit 465/535/930 with 28 home runs and 19 doubles in 2009.  One special assistant of a team picking in the Top 10 said "we've already had conversations about this kid and our scouts love him. We're a little afraid he won't be available when we pick. That should tell you something."

Jason Churchill of espn.com continues his review of the opening weekend of D1 college baseball play.  For more on opening weekend, click here.

• After struggling in 2009 and falling to the 10th round, Sam Dyson from South Carolina started out 2010 on a high note striking out six in 3.2IP with just one walk and no hits.  Most importantly was that it only took Dyson 48 pitches to get the eleven outs.  Dyson struggled with high pitch counts in 2009.
• Leon Landry will need a big spring to get into the first round, but had a good start going 1-for-3 with a double in LSU's opening win.
• Cal State Fullerton's Christian Colon went 0-for-4, struggling against Pepperdine's Matt Bywater who threw a complete game shutout with 10 Ks, two walks and four hits.  Churchill feels that Bywater's questionable velocity does not make him a first-day draft consideration.

Christian Colon struggled in his season debut

• In his first two games Tyler Holt from Florida State reached base five times and is solidifying himself as a viable leadoff-type hitter.  He is very fast and had a great BB-K ratio in 2009: 54-47.
• Bryce Brentz from Middle Tennessee State was 2-for-5 in his debut. 
• Another top collegiate bat, Zack Cox, went 1-for-5 for Arkansas against Ball State.  Kolbrin Vitek an intriguing prospect from Ball State had three singles and a triple against Arkansas.
• Miami's Yasmani Grandal was 1-for-3 with 2BB against Rutgers, but his teammates Chris Hernandez and David Gutierrez really impressed.  Hernandez struck out five batters in four innings while Gutierrez struck out the side in the ninth.

Yasmani Grandal's teammates overshadowed his opening performance

• Kyle Blair struggled in his debut, inconveniently in front of espn.com's Keith Law.  Despite eight strikeouts, Blair walked four in four innings against a moderate Indiana lineup.
• Similar to Blair, Brandon Workman of Texas also struggled, but didn't get much help from his defense.  Workman allowed nine hits and three earned runs in six innings, but did have seven strikeouts.

Jason Churchill of espn.com recently took a look at the top collegiate players that could end up first-round draft picks when MLB amateur draft gets started in June. 

• Ranked #2 on Keith Law's Top 50 draft prospects, Anthony Ranaudo is an obvious choice for the first round.  His LSU teammates, Micah Gibbs and Leon Landry are less likely.
• Arkansas teammates Zack Cox and Andy Wilkins are both considered first-round possibilities, but teammates Brett Eibner struggled in 2009 and would need a good 2010 to move up draft boards.
• The SEC is loaded with the names listed above and Drew Pomeranz from Ole Miss and Justin Grimm from Georgia, both who could go in the first round.  Kentucky's James Paxton is also a first round possibility after being drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round in 2009, but choosing not to sign.  He is currently ineligible to play, but fighting the charges, based on alleged violations of his amateur status.
• From the Big 12, Brandon Workman and Sam Dyson figure to go in the first round.

Brandon Workman figures to be a first round pick come June

• Alex Wimmers from Ohio State figures to be the lone Big 10 player taken in the first round.  Same for Dixon Anderson out of the Pac-10.
• The ACC is not as loaded as the SEC, but could put four names in the first round: Deck McGuire (Georgia Tech), Jarrett Parker (Virigina), Yasmani Grandal (Miami) and Matt Harvey (UNC).
• Bryce Brentz from Middle Tennessee State and Austin Wates from Virginia Tech figure to be two outfielders who could go in the first round.
• Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton) might not have the speed that scouts want, but he's still a consideration in the first round. 

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

Baseball America announced its pre-season collegiate All-America teams last week.  Below is a look at the first team.  We'll look at the second team later in the week.

C: Micah Gibbs, LSU - A switch-hitter who possesses power from both sides of the plate
1B: Hunter Morris, Auburn - Lefty bat with raw plus-power potential
2B: Ross Wilson, Alabama - A middle infielder that hits with power.  Draws comparisons to Dan Uggla
3B: Anthony Rendon, Rice - Obviously Anthony is one of the top players in college baseball. An outstanding defensive and offensive player
SS: Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton - A very sure-handed and reliable middle infielder
OF: Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee State - Utilizes quick wrists and a short path to the ball to produce above-average power to all fields
OF: Todd Cunningham, Jacksonville State - Hit .339 with 10 homers and 47 RBIin 2009
OF: Jarrett Parker, Virginia Tech - An athletic kid with a strong, fundamentally sound swing
DH: Zack Cox, Arkansas - Combines his power potential with solid hitting ability and talent with the glove at third base
UT: Brett Eibner, Arkansas - A two-way player, Eibner will see time in center field and on the mound in 2010

Christian Colon                                          Jarrett Parker

SP: Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech - In just his first year as a weekend starter, he went 11-2 with a 3.50 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 118 while walking 41 in 100.1 innings
SP: Drew Pomeranz, Mississippi - Pomeranz is a big-bodied lefty with solid stuff across the board and two legitimate swing-and-miss pitches
SP: Anthony Ranaudo, LSU - Hard-throwing right-hander with mid-90s fastball who is considered one of the best pitching prospects in the country
SP: Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast - Sale's strength is throwing strikes with a 89-93 mph fastball, a good low-80s changeup and an above average slider
RP: Kevin Jacob, Georgia Tech - Has three pitches he throws for strikes, including a very good fastball

Jonathan Mayo mlb.com gives his Top 10 2010 MLB Draft prospects heading into the start of the baseball season.  Of most significant note is that Mayo does not have Bryce Harper as the #1 player available.

1. Anthony Ranaudo, LSU, RHP
2. Drew Pomeranz, Ole Miss, LHP
3. Jameson Taillon, The Woodlands High School, RHP
4. Bryce Harper, College of Southern Nevada, C
5. Dylan Covey, Marantha High School, RHP
6. Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast University, LHP
7. Jesse Hahn, Virginia Tech, RHP
8. Zack Cox, Arkansas, 3B
9. Manny Machado, Miami Brito High School, SS
10. Kaleb Cowart, Cook County High School, 3B

Anthony Ranaudo supplants Bryce Harper as the #1 available player according to Jonathan Mayo

Keith Law of espn.com ranked the 30 best prospects from the Cape Cod League this summer. 1-15 can be found here and 16-30 can be found here. Keith ranked 2010 and 2011 eligible players, but we're only concerned with 2010, so we have conveniently summarized the 2010 prospects in one post.

1. Zack Cox - 3B, Arkansas: A good defensive thrid baseman who also swings a big bat. Age-eligible sophomore means demands could be high.
2. Austin Wates - OF, Virginia Tech: His defensive position is unclear, but he's a super athlete with good plate discipline.
3. Brandon Workman - RHP, Texas: Good fastball at 94-92 and an unhittable "sharp spike curveball".
4. Alex Wimmers - RHP, Ohio State: Arguably the best curveball on the Cape, Wimmers was also in the top five in D1 in Ks last year.
5. Leon Landry - OF, LSU: A superior athlete who is blazing fast and actually had a higher average with wood bats on the Cape than in college.
6. Rob Rasmussen - LHP, UCLA: An aggressive pitcher with above-average command, he throws four pitches including an above-average fastball and curveball.
7. Bryan Morgado - LHP, Tennessee: Despite a difficult spring, Morgado excelled this summer and displayed an above-average fastball and breaking ball.
8. Brett Eibner - RHP, Arkansas: Good command with a low-90s fastball and a "promising" cutter.
9. Cameron Rupp - C, Texas: Plays like a true power hitter with solid slugging numbers and good walks.
10. Dallas Gallant - RHP, Sam Houston State: His "stuff" has not yet translated into success on the field, but he has good speed on his fastball and a very good curveball.
11. Justin Grimm - RHP, Georgia: Has hit 97 on the gun, but struggles with any other pitch.
12. Mickey Wiswall - 3B, BC: Swing is long and he struggles with his discipline, but good power.
13. Chris Sale - LHP, Florida Gulf Coast: Good movement on his fastball, decent change up, below-average curveball
14. Seth Rosin - RHP, Minnesota: Big 6'6", 220 lb frame with good command of his fastball
15. Kevin Rhoderick - RHP, Oregon State: Mid-90s fastball and a good slider are enticing. His command isn't.
16. Hunter Morris - 1B, Auburn: A big power hitter, who doesn't bring much else to the plate (figurative or literally).
17. Jarrett Parker - OF, Virginia: His power/speed combination draw comparisons to Brett Jackson, but he needs to improve consistency.
18. Dan Tillman - RHP, Florida Southern: While ERA can be erratic at the college level, 0.00 is hard to ignore.
19. Jedd Gyorko - 2B/3B, West Virginia: Despite diminutive size, he has great bat speed which will lead to good contact rates.
20. Micah Gibbs - C, LSU: Switch-hitter, good power, patient.
21. Josh Rutledge - SS, Alabama: Offense is lacking, but he's a rock at shortstop.
22. Kevin Munson - RHP, James Madison: Hard thrower (96-92), but struggles with control. Already a full-time reliever.
23. Nick Tepesch - RHP, Missouri: Very live arm, but struggles with command. Throws four pitches, but only changeup is above-average right now.
24. Michael Olt - 3B, UConn: Has moved from SS to 3B already and may have to move to the OF eventually.
25. Todd Cunningham - OF, Jacksonville State: Led the Cape in batting average, but little power.

Keith Law of espn.com posted his review of the rain shortened Cape Cod League All-Star game at Fenway Park.

• UCLA LHP Rob Rasmussen had a difficult spring in the Pac-10, but has been phenomenal in the Cape this summer. In four starts, he has 32K against six BB and only 4 ER. At the All-Star game he threw four different pitches including a plus curveball.
• Dallas Gallant, a RHP from Sam Houston State, will not be available until the 2011 draft but made a strong play to be one of the top players considered. His fastball was 91-93, threw a plus curveball and a low 80's slider. Gallant still need to work on his command, however, something he might be able to improve with changes to his mechanics.
• Zack Cox from Arkansas had two hits in the rain-shortened game, ripping a double to the very deep left centerfield portion of Fenway Park to go with an opposite field single. A draft eligible sophomore, Law really like Cox's swing and feels he only needs to improve his discipline.
• West Virginia's Jedd Gyorko had a great start to his summer in the Cape and participated in the All-Star game home run derby, but does not have a disciplined swing and no obvious position as a professional due to suspect defense.
• Austin Yates played left field during the All-Star game, but could likely play any outfield position professionally and also played first and second base for Virginia Tech this past spring.
• Derek Dietrich struggled at shortstop for Georgia Tech and continues to struggle in the Cape this summer. His bat is inconsistent making his professional future in doubt.
• While not an All-Star, Alex Wimmers and pitched the day before the All-Star game and probably has the best curveball on the Cape. He pairs his curveball with a 88-91 fastball with "good arm-side run".

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

• SS Christian Colon from Cal State-Fullerton, 1B Andy Wilkins from Arkansas and RHP Anthony Ranaudo will be suiting up for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox and likely trailed by scouts all summer.
• Arkansas' Zack Cox, Texas RHP Chance Ruffin and Clemson LHP Chris Dwyer (taken by the Royals in the 4th round) will be playing for the Cotuit Kettleers.
• SS Derek Dietrich from Georgia Tech and OF Alex Dickerson from Indiana will be playing for the Wareham Gateman.
• Georgia Tech RHP Deck McGuire and Fresno State 2B Danny Muno will be on the Orleans Firebirds along wtih Max Stassi's older brother, LHP Brock Stassi from Nevada.
• Middle Tennessee State's Bryce Brentz and LSU OF Leon Landry will team up for the Harwich Mariners.
• The Bourne Braves might have the best team with Ole Miss LHP Drew Pomeranz, FSU OF Tyler Holt and Tennessee C Blake Forsythe.
• If Kentrail Davis does not sign with the Brewers soon, he'll be playing for the Falmouth Commodores.
• RHP Matt Harvey from UNC will be playing for the Chatham Anglers.