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2011 MLB Draft: Baltimore Orioles Draft Report

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So long as they ink Dylan Bundy, it would be hard to mess up this draft class. He was the top pitcher on my board and should help ease the pain from the Matt Hobgood fiasco. The rest of the class doesn't do too much for me.

Pick Player School Pos B/T Ht Wt DOB Class
4 Bundy, Dylan Owasso HS (OK) RHP S/R 6'01" 200 11/15/1992 HS
There is always the argument that can be made against a high school talent, but I had Dylan Bundy as the premier pitching talent in this draft. He was the best blend of upside and probability. That doesn't mean the Pirates, Mariners, and Diamondbacks erred in selecting a college pitcher before him; Cole, Hultzen, Bauer, and Bundy all can be placed in a different area of that gradient, and it's up to the team to choose which way they will lean.

Bundy utilizes an ultra low effort delivery to deliver four pitches that project as plus offerings. The best is the fastball which can reach the upper 90s; the cutter is his most effective secondary pitch, followed by a slow curve ball with excellent depth and a change-up that is least refined. Least refined, however, is relative as the change shows enough to be considered a potential weapon in the future. Bundy's command and pitchability are advanced for his age, and even as a prep draftee, he has the chance to move quickly. The only negative is the fact that he lacks ideal size and there is no projection in his frame. It's not much of a concern thanks to his tremendous athleticism and work out regimen. He is strongly committed to the University of Texas, but as the saying goes, Baltimore wouldn't have picked him this high if they weren't willing to spend what it takes to ink him. His brother, Bobby Bundy, is also a rising prospect in Baltimore's system. The opportunity to play in the same organization can only help the Orioles get it done.
64 Esposito, Jason Vanderbilt 3B R/R 6'02" 200 7/19/1990 JR
Graduating high school, Jason Esposito was a rare highly regarded prep prospect coming out of Connecticut. Much less rare was the substantial bonus he demanded to forgo his commitment to Vanderbilt (VU cleans up in the north east). As a result, he fell to the 7th round in 2008 where the Kansas City Royals took a run at him. His three years at Vanderbilt have not gone quite as well as everyone hoped. It was a solid career, but we were talking about a guy who was seen as a potential top 15 pick.

His bat has not been nearly as potent as expected. Esposito uses a fairly high leg lift as a timing mechanism, and while he does generate pretty good bat speed, the swing is rather long. On top of that, his pitch recognition is not anywhere near where it needs to be. I'm not confident he'll ever be much of a hitter. However, there is one saving grace that does endear me to Esposito. He is a fantastic defensive third baseman. If you haven't read much of my work, I have a soft spot in my heart for plus defensive third basemen.
94 Wright, Mike East Carolina RHP R/R 6'05" 195 1/3/1990 JR
Mike Wright stepped up this season into the East Carolina Friday night role. He is a solid college performer with a good frame and a firm fastball that induces ground balls. The slider is a decent pitch as well with the change-up lagging behind.
125 Simon, Kyle Arizona RHP R/R 6'05" 223 8/18/1990 JR
Kyle Simon is another successful college starter who may not be able to start at the next level. He may not reach the velocity readings of Wright, but he too has a fastball with good sink. Ground balls and pitchability are indeed his game as the secondaries aren't anything to write home about either.
155 Taylor, Matt Middle Georgia College LHP R/L 6'01" 185 4/1/1991 J2
A fairly well regarded Alabama recruit coming out of high school, he was drafted late by Pittsburgh in 2009. He ended up on campus, but things got ugly, leaving him with an ERA north of 12 in 11 relief appearances. He transferred to a Middle Georgia JC for 2011 where he had significantly more success. His fastball is a solid pitch that can reach the lower 90s which he compliments with a change, slider & curve ball. He was committed to Georgia but has already signed with Baltimore.
185 Delmonico, Nick Farragut HS (TN) 3B L/R 6'02" 196 7/12/1992 HS
Nick Delmonico had aspirations of going very high in this draft, but his spring was a disappointment. Last summer, he showcased a swing with excellent bat speed from the left side that looked like it could produce plenty of power while also hitting for average. The prospect of him developing as a catcher was also still alive at that point. Things just didn't go as planned during his senior season. He was not showing the kind of in game power necessary given the lack of projection in his frame. A left wrist injury probably played some part in his stagnation. Behind the dish, Delmonico showed good athleticism, but he was very raw and the arm is suspect. Talent wise, he'd still have gone much higher if not for his heavy commitment to the University of Georgia. Baltimore will probably have to give out 7 figures to ink him.
215 Howard, Trent Central Michigan LHP R/L 6'02" 195 10/16/1989 JR
A lefty with a good sinker/slider combination along with a decent change & curve, Trent Howard had a good career at Central Michigan. His command and pitchability gives him the chance to remain a starter. He's in Aberdeen currently and performing well.
245 Ruettiger, Johnny Arizona State CF L/L 6'01" 194 9/21/1989 JR
Johnny Ruettiger is kind of interesting. He has a solid frame and good athleticism to go along with a quick bat; however, he does a very poor job of utilizing his lower body in his swing. His swing looked slap oriented to me - be forewarned swing analysis is no hobbyhorse of mine. There's little present strength at the plate. His defensive play looked more suited for a corner spot, leaving him as a guy that will need a lot of things to go right to have a major league impact.
275 Jones, Devin Mississippi State RHP R/R 6'02" 170 7/4/1990 JR
Jones's power arm was expected to anchor the Mississippi State rotation when he made it on campus. The power arm is still there, but he never had that kind of impact or consistency. He provided value for the Bulldogs out of the bullpen this year, and that is likely his role in pro ball.
305 Wilson, Philip Virginia RHP R/R 6'02" 185 9/25/1989 SR
Tyler Wilson stepped into Virginia's weekend rotation this year. He's another college performer whose ability to start at the next level is iffy. Wilson's frame is on the small side and there's no projection left. As a starter, his fastball is fringy with some arm side run and sink. He adds a straight change, a slider that has mostly vertical movement, and a slow 12-6 curve ball. He has good control, but the command is just OK. He aggressively attacks hitters and is one of those "gamers." None of his pitches stand out, but they could play up over an inning's worth of work.
335 Davis, Adam University of Illinois C R/R 6'00" 205 12/15/1989 JR
365 Coats, Jason Texas Christian LF R/R 6'02" 200 2/24/1990 JR
This will be a really nice value pick if Baltimore can get him to sign. Coats came in as a top 3 round talent, but his offensive regression did not mesh well with his future positional value. As a corner outfielder - one that doesn't project as anything special there - he needed to continue to prove that his bat was very real. From what I saw, he has good bat speed with a direct path to the ball and a well built athletic frame. The plate discipline looked sound as well, and there's a decent chance he surprises at the next level. Of course, that will require a deal getting done first, and it's more likely that he'll head back to TCU to rebuild his value.
395 Jones, Derek Washington State RF L/L 6'00" 210 6/3/1990 JR
425 Hockaday, Kevin The John Carroll School (MD) 3B R/R 6'03" 215 4/5/1993 HS
455 Wooten, Eric Central Arizona Col LHP L/L 6'03" 180 3/18/1990 J3
485 Blackmar, Mark Temple RHP R/R 6'03" 215 4/28/1992 J1
515 Carmichael, Nicholas Palomar College RHP R/R 6'06" 220 4/13/1990 J3
545 Roney, Bradley Wetumpka HS (AL) 3B R/R 6'02" 180 9/1/1992 HS
575 Ward, Dustin Central Arkansas LHP L/L 6'00" 175 2/27/1990 JR
605 Wik, Marc Chabot Col CF L/R 5'11" 195 7/18/1992 J1
635 Rivera, Jose Hill JC RHP R/R 6'01" 180 8/4/1991 J2
665 Miedzianowski, Michael Martin County HS (FL) SS R/R 5'11" 175 5/19/1993 HS
695 Matthews, Adam South Carolina RF R/R 6'01" 195 4/10/1990 JR
Matthews is one of the toolsiest players on back-to-back champions South Carolina's team. The problem though is that thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness, he hasn't ever put them to use in college. This is a nice flier to take this late in the draft, but he is a risk to go back for his senior year.
725 Simmons, Jalen Camden County HS (GA) RF R/R 6'04" 188 3/16/1993 HS
755 Finnigan, Michael San Bernardino Valley Col LHP L/L 6'04" 205 10/28/1990 J3
785 Davies, Zachary Mesquite HS (AZ) RHP R/R 6'00" 150 2/7/1993 HS
Davies is an undersized prep pitcher whose athleticism, command, and advanced pitch mix makes him intriguing despite the lack of knock out stuff. He's strongly committed to Arizona State, and it would be a surprise if he signs.
815 Oliver, Christopher Shiloh Christian HS (AR) RHP R/R 6'04" 176 7/8/1993 HS
845 Raubinger, Kyle Arroyo Grande HS (CA) 1B L/R 6'02" 195 10/6/1992 HS
875 Edman, Cameron Gonzaga U C R/R 6'03" 205 6/17/1988 SR
905 Reynolds, Mike Paradise Valley CC SS R/R 5'08" 150 8/19/1990 J2
935 Costa, John Summit Christian School (FL) RHP R/R 6'02" 180 5/1/1993 HS
965 Meyer, Ryan Oviedo HS (FL) RHP R/R 6'05" 192
11/8/1991 HS
995 Beck, Sander U Maryland College Park RHP R/R 6'03" 215 10/3/1990 JR
1025 Fowler, Zachary Texas Tech U LHP L/L 6'04" 205 2/27/1989 JR
1055 Caughel, Lindsey Stetson University RHP R/R 6'03" 195
8/13/1990 JR
1085 Zona, Jeffery Hanover HS (VA) RHP R/R 6'04" 210 1/9/1993 HS
1115 Skala, Nicholas Concordia U C R/R 6'01" 200 9/16/1989 JR
1145 Pena, Jermone Texas Christian U 2B S/R 5'11" 180 11/6/1988 SR
1175 Cantwell, Pat SUNY Stony Brook C R/R 6'02" 190 4/10/1990 JR
1205 Parry, Bennett No School LHP L/L 6'06" 225 8/7/1991 NS
1235 Mariscal, Christopher Clovis North HS (CA) SS R/R 5'10" 170 4/26/1993 HS
1265 McCracken, Jason No School RHP R/R 6'04" 225 9/4/1991 NS
1295 Reynolds, David Edmonds CC RHP R/R 6'01" 185 9/4/1991 J1
1325 Merkling, Patrick Chattanooga St Tech CC LHP L/L 6'01" 185 3/21/1991 J2
1355 Millner, Andrew Feather River Col RHP R/R 6'00" 230 5/16/1992 J1
1385 Reyes, Mark Jessieville HS (AR) LHP R/L 6'01" 180
10/8/1992 HS
1415 Conley, Devon New Mexico JC CF R/R 6'01" 165 8/26/1991 J2
1445 Hunter, Tyler Lowndes HS (GA) CF R/R 6'00" 190 3/24/1993 HS
1475 Shaban, Ronnie Virginia Tech U RHP L/R 6'01" 195 3/8/1990 JR
1505 Butler, Brendan The John Carroll School (MD) OF R/R 6'02" 200 7/23/1993 HS