Check back throughout the offseason as we add a new player to our College Prospect Rankings each week | ||||||||||||||
No. | Player | Pos | Notes | Age | YR | TM | CON | |||||||
1 | Pedro Alvarez | 3B | Patient power hitter has 40 HR through his two collegiate seasons | 20.4 | Jr. | VAN | SEC | |||||||
2 | Justin Smoak | 1B | Switch-hitter with a sweet, powerful stroke and good athleticism | 20.6 | Jr. | SC | ACC | |||||||
3 | Brian Matusz | LHP | Powerful lefty with the polish and stuff to be a dominant pro pitcher | 20.4 | Jr. | SD | WAC | |||||||
4 | Brett Wallace | 1B | Pac-10 2007 Player of the Year mashes with a sound plate approach | 20.9 | Jr. | ASU | Pac-10 | |||||||
5 | Jemile Weeks | 2B | Good batting eye and baseball instincts; offers some speed, power | 20.5 | Jr. | MIA | ACC | |||||||
6 | Brandon Crawford | SS | Talented defender who hit .335/.405/.504 last season w/ 7 home runs | 20.5 | Jr. | UCLA | Pac-10 | |||||||
7 | Tyson Ross | RHP | 6'5'', 215-pounder offers advanced secondary stuff & 90 MPH fastball | 20.2 | Jr. | CAL | Pac-10 | |||||||
8 | Jacob Thompson | RHP | 6'6'', 190-pounder w/ a plus curve; K'd 101 vs. 32 BB in 114.0 '07 IP | 20.7 | Jr. | UVA | ACC | |||||||
9 | Lance Lynn | RHP | Big (6'5'', 260), powerful pitcher; 146 K vs. 44 BB in 123.1 IP last year | 20.2 | Jr. | UMS | SEC | |||||||
* Ages are as of 8/6/07 (only draft-eligible players are considered) | ||||||||||||||
** TM is the player's school | ||||||||||||||
*** CON is the player's conference | ||||||||||||||
**** Our rankings combine a player's ceiling with the odds that he'll reach it and favor recent production | ||||||||||||||
<<< Click here to see our July 24th College Prospect Rankings | ||||||||||||||
<<< Click here to discuss these rankings in our forums |
With the 2007 MLB Draft in the past and next year’s installment a mere 11 months away, it’s never too early to get a head start on evaluating a new class of talent. To make sure that college baseball’s presence is felt year-round this offseason, Project Prospect will continue to preview the nation’s best collegiate talent by presenting College Prospect Rankings approximately every week. Each week will offer a longer list of rankings, as we build up to our weekly updated in-season Top 25 College Prospect Rankings.
9. Lance Lynn, RHP, Ole Miss (5/12/87)
Half man and half mountain, it is becoming harder and harder to overlook Lance Lynn in more ways than one. A 6-foot-5, 260-pound behemoth, Lynn would be garnering his fair share of attention for his gravitational displacement quotient alone. The Brownsburg, Ind. native allowed a mere 94 hits in 123.1 IP last season (.209 opponent's average), overpowering opponents by striking out 146 batters (10.67 K/9) while walking just 44 (3.22 BB/9). Pair his size, power arsenal, and statistical track record together and Lynn appears to be a force to be reckoned with.
Ready to get a start on next year’s draft boards, too? Adam Loberstein can be reached at aloberstein@projectprospect.com.