The Astros spent the 58th overall pick on Vincent Velasquez.
Follow the jump for his pre-draft report.
Vincent Velasquez Position: RHP/SS School: Garey HS State: CA Height: 6’3’’ Weight: 185
Bats: B Throws: R Birth Date: 6/7/92 Seiler Rating: 2C1 Commitment: Cal State Fullerton
Vincent Velasquez is a smooth two-way high school prospect from Garey High School in Pomona, California, a Southern California town near Rancho Cucamonga. Velasquez didn’t pitch at all as a junior, but all it took was one trip to the mound early this year in a showcase to convince a number of scouts that his potential is on the mound. However, convincing Velasquez of that has become a bit of a challenge, as he still wants to hit. That’s all well and good, but this is one two-way player where the ceilings are noticeably different. At the plate, he’s more of a utility player for the future. On the mound, he has number three starter potential. Those are two very different things with very different values, and he’ll need to decide which one he wants to pursue. In the end, it’s more likely he goes out as a pitcher, but he could the situation hostage, costing him a shot at the pros at this juncture in his career. On the mound, he looks like a prototypical projectable starter with smooth mechanics, and he was 90-92 with his fastball at his best, touching 94 a couple times this spring. He adds in an above-average curveball and a potential plus changeup that’s inconsistent, so you can see the potential. The only things he does well in the field is defend, as he has an easy plus arm and solid-average range at shortstop, meaning he could be a utility player all over the diamond. As a pitcher, he’s expected to go somewhere in the area of the fourth to eighth rounds, and he should be signable for over slot money.
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