Year-old video of Iowa high school right-hander Dakota Freese
Some 2011 Draft Sleepers
Here are some potential sleepers for the 2011 draft that have caught my eye for one reason or another. This is not a list of top draft prospects; it is unlikely any of these guys will go in the first round or two. They are listed alphabetically.
Bryce Dial, OF, Chattahoochie Valley CC: 6-3, 215, hits right. Toolsy, has power and speed, has shown a good eye at the CC/JC level, hitting .326 with 17 homers, 40 walks, .474 OBP in 170 at-bats, 18 steals in 19 attempts. A team that focuses on CC/JC players might pick him earlier than expected so remember the name.
Quintavious Drains, RHP, Jackson State University: 6-2, 195. I admit, I noticed this guy simply because the name "Quintavious Drains" is so cool. 3.73 ERA with a 89/32 K/BB in 89 innings. Performance is above-average for context but not exceptional. Was SWAC Pitcher of the Year in 2010. Reportedly has low-90s fastball, needs better command. And you can't go wrong with the the name Quintavious Drains.
Dakota Freese, RHP, Washington HS, Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Tall and projectable, loose, 6-4, 190, with a Lincecum-style delivery. Quality of stuff is gradually improving, fastball getting into the 90s now. Very little national buzz about him, but I track the Iowa guys pretty closely and he looks interesting to me.
Trent Howard, LHP, Central Michigan University: 6-2, 200. Excellent performance this year: 2.12 ERA, 84/19 K/BB in 76 innings, 58 hits. Pitched decently in the Cape Cod League last year with a 4.13 ERA for Hyannis but a sharp 36/8 K/BB in 31 innings. Doesn't burn the guns but has a good three-pitch mix. John Klima has some good video of this guy.
Travis Huber, RHP, Southern Idaho Junior College: 6-3, 210. 3.96 ERA with 45/21 K/BB in 50 innings. Low-90s fastball with good slider but erratic command. He has a University of Nebraska commitment, and if he went there and sharpened up his control he could rank higher in the '12 class as a junior.
Derek Law, RHP, Miami-Dade Community College: 6-2, 200 pounds, 90-93 MPH fastball, good breaking ball, excellent command and control. Example of the kind of quality arms that will be available in the middle rounds. Stats are outstanding: 121/16 K/BB in 92 innings, 2.35 ERA.
Nick Martini, OF, Kansas State University: 5-11, 190, hits left. Sparkplug type, hitting .330/.438/.435 with 31 walks in 191 at-bats, 21 steals in 24 attempts. Gets on base, runs well, has some gap pop. Sleeper for middle rounds.
Adam Morgan, LHP, University of Alabama: 6-1, 180. Typical college lefty with decent stuff, low-90s fastball and good changeup, sharp command. 3.89 ERA with 67/21 K/BB in 81 innings, 77 hits. Could get lost in the shuffle with all of the pitching available this year.
Manny Rodriguez, RHP, Barry University: 6-2, 200. Former position player converted to the mound, throws 92-95 MPH, secondary pitches coming around. 2.38 ERA with a 111/31 K/BB in 95 innings, 75 hits allowed. Statistics are excellent for context, particularly his K/IP ratio.
Jeff Soptic, RHP, Johnson County Community College: 6-6, 210. Big guy with a mid-90s fastball and good slider. He has a University of Missouri commitment and might end up there if he doesn't go high enough this year. 4.50 ERA with 58/31 K/BB in 56 innings, 41 hits; command issues are the main problem.VIDEO.
Nick Tropeano, RHP, SUNY Stony Brook: 6-4, 200. Exceptional performance this year, 1.94 ERA with a 101/20 K/BB in 79 innings, 55 hits. He doesn't throw hard enough to get into the first three rounds, but he has a good curveball and changeup and has a great feel for what he's doing.
Austin Wright, LHP, University of Mississippi: Big 6-4, 220 pound lefty with 90+ fastball, went to high school in Illinois. Erratic secondary pitches and mediocre command have kept him from dominating the college ranks despite his arm strength, but he might do better in pro ball. 4.73 ERA with 63/23 K/BB in 67 innings, 73 hits.
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