Interesting High School Pitchers; A through J

 
Stetson Allie in action

Interesting High School Pitchers for the 2010 Draft

I'm starting to focus on the draft now. Here is my take on the top high school arms in the draft class. This is letters A through J.  I will have more reports later this weekend. Check out Andy Seiler's draft blog for a lot more!

Stetson Allie, RHP, St. Edward HS, Olmsted Falls, Ohio
      Big guy at 6-4, 225 pounds, reportedly touches100 MPH+ at times though more commonly in the 97-99 vicinity. Also has a nasty slider. Main problem is erratic command; he also plays third base, but teams want him on the mound. Despite his terrific arm, he might not make it into the first round due to command issues: he is more thrower than pitcher at this point, although his mechanics aren't bad. Depending on what happens over the next month, I could see him going to a team at the bottom of the first round looking for a high-risk/high-reward type. He seems like someone who could interest the Angels at 30, the Rays at 31, or the Yankees at 32. North Carolina signee.

Cam Bedrosian, RHP, East Coweta HS, Senioa, Georgia
     Son of former major leaguer Steve Bedrosian, so he has good bloodlines. Not a big guy at 6-0, 195, but he's fairly athletic and has a live arm, hitting 95 MPH on his best days. Curveball is erratic-but-promising, and he has a decent feel for pitching for his age, not surprising given his background. Would be an attractive target for a number of teams in the supplemental or early second round. Andy Seiler has him going to the Braves at Number 35 in his latest Mock Draft, and that seems like a good bet. Louisiana State commitment but should be signable.

A.J. Cole, RHP, Oviedo HS (Florida)
      Well known to scouts for a long time, still has projectability at 6-5, 190 pounds but already hits 91-94 MPH with good movement. Mixes in a good breaking ball but will need to improve changeup in pro ball, not unusual for his age. He throws strikes and basically has no major flaws as high school pitchers go. He has a University of Miami commitment but should be signable if drafted early enough. He's a definite candidate for the Top Ten, and barring a late injury disaster or unusual bonus demands he won't get past 15.

Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha HS (California)
    Good athlete, not huge at 6-2, 195, but has more than enough arm strength with a 91-94 MPH fastball and a nasty curve. Well-known to scouts on the amateur circuit, like Cole he is relatively polished for his age and has done well against good quality competition. A University of San Diego signee, he's been rated a Top 20 talent for some time, has done nothing to change that this spring, and could get into the Top 10 under the right circumstances. I doubt he would get past the Angels at 18 and could go as high as the Mets at 7.

Kaleb Cowart, RHP, Cook County HS (Georgia)
   Another live arm from the high school ranks, Cowart is also a prospect as a third baseman, where he has good power and a terrific glove. As a pitcher, he can hit 95 MPH but is usually 3-5 MPH below that, though his velocity should get more consistent if he gives up hitting. His curveball and changeup have promise, but he needs more innings and experience to polish his mound work. Very athletic at 6-3, 190, the Florida State signee is a target for the second half of the first round. He would fit nicely with the Red Sox at 20, the Twins at 21, or the Rangers at 22.

Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Minooka Community HS (Illinois)
     A cold-weather high school arm, Foltynewicz is listed in various sources at 6-4, 190 and 6-5, 200; I'm assuming that the smaller size is from last year and that he's grown this spring. A University of Texas signee, he's another prep with a 90-94 heater topping out at 95. His curve and change are better than most cold-weather kids. Depending on what happens this spring, he could get into the supplemental or early second round, and such a position may be necessary to keep him away from the Longhorns.

Scott Frazier, RHP, Upland HS (California)
      A two-way player in the past, Frazier moved to the mound from the outfield this spring and saw his velocity peak up to 93-94 MPH. The 6-7, 215 pound Pepperdine signee needs to continue work with his secondary stuff and is rather raw, and signability could also be a factor given that he's an excellent student attracted to college. Would be a second round target if his monetary demands are reasonable, likely to a team willing and able to take risks on guys with upside but in need of some polish.

Kevin Gausman, RHP, Grandview HS (Colorado)
     As a high school pitcher from Colorado, Gausman draws the inevitable comparisons to Roy Halladay. He's smaller than Halladay at 6-4, 185, though he's still projectable and very athletic. He hits 93-95 MPH with movement, has a good breaking ball, and is relatively polished considering his background. A Louisiana State commitment provides some leverage for negotiations. He's expected to be a mid-first-round pick, but if he slips a bit, the home-state Rockies would have to be tempted at 26.

Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Henderson HS (Texas)
     Excellent athlete with rising stock, has increased his velocity this spring up into the 93-96 MPH range. Also has a promising slider and curveball. Rather raw and has played a lot of basketball and football, which has understandably slowed his development as a baseball player to some extent, though he's made good progress this spring. Listed at 6-4   180, he has a football scholarship to Baylor and could be a difficult sign outside of the first two rounds. I expect him to go in the supplemental round: the Angels at 40, the Tigers at 44, or the Rangers at 45 seem like good fits.