I’m not really going out on a limb to say that Stephen Strasburg or Dustin Ackley or Tyler Matzek are going to be good. While most first rounders end up at least making it to the majors, I’m going to pinpoint a few guys not receiving a lot of attention who I think can contribute to a big league team. None of these players are thought of as top 50 talents, so the odds are stacked against them. However with a few breaks, one or two of these possible mid-round picks could find his way onto your favorite team’s roster. In no particular order…
Louis Coleman, RHP LSU
I’ll start with the rare returning sleeper. Coleman went unsigned as a 14th-round pick of the Nationals last year. This yearr, he has made the shift from bullpen arm to Saturday night starter for a LSU team that spent a good deal of the season as the No. 1 team in the country. Coleman attacks hitters from a sidearm slot and features a fastball that sits 92-93 mph in relief and 88-90 mph as a starter with sharp movement and pinpoint control that induces ground balls in droves. Coleman has only walked 4.2% of batters faced this year while striking out a respectable 27.5%. The crafty righthander also features a well above-average slider that projects as an out-pitch. His lack of a changeup and sidearm slot mean his likely future home is in the bullpen, but Coleman has all the makings of a valuable major league reliever. He’s a senior who should sign quickly for slot money and has the ability to move quickly threw the minors.
Jonathan Walsh, C Coppell HS (TX)
The best overall prospect on a high school team that features six players who received Division-I scholarships, Walsh is a switch-hitter with big raw power. Walsh is one of the most patient high school hitters I’ve ever seen, and was pitched around all spring. The biggest problem with Walsh is that he’s not a catcher. Despite solid arm strength and all the intelligence/leadership qualities teams love out of backstops, Walsh doesn’t move well behind the dish and should move to a corner position. At 6-foot-3 and 220 lbs, Walsh may already be too big for catcher but he moves very well for his size and should have solid range as a corner outfielder. His calling card will always be his bat, and it’s that attribute that may take him to the big leagues some day. He has a strong commitment to the University of Texas and won’t come as cheap as Coleman, but Walsh’s upside is substantial. He hit the farthest ball I’ve ever seen a high schooler hit earlier this year. There’s a non-zero chance he turns into a switch hitting Jim Thome.
Derek McCallum, 2B University of Minnesota
McCallum was one of the best hitters in the Big-10 this year, which actually isn’t as bad a conference as some want to think. The Gophers’ second baseman hit .409/.484/.741 with 18 home runs, 30 walks, and 34 strikeouts while playing a very good defensive second base. While his walk rate is a little low (10.6% this year), McCallum has very good contact abilities and solid power potential that should make his bat play very well at second. A solid runner with above-average range, McCallum is the kind of solid all-around talent who sometimes slips on draft day. McCallum could emerge as a solid starter for a team which would mark great return on a fourth or fifth round draft choice.
Chris Fetters, RHP University of Michigan
Fetters is a massive pitcher, standing 6-foot-8 inches tall and weighing 230 pounds. Like many pitchers his size, Fetters has taken a while to develop but finally seems have to seized upon much of his potential. Utilizing a fastball that sits 91-94 mph, and touches slightly higher, with movement and control, Fetters struck out 25.0% of batters he faced this spring while walking just 4.3%. What separates Fetters from the few hundred other pitchers in the country with good arm strength is his highly advanced feel for pitching. Combining a slider and changeup that both project to be at least big league average, Fetters uses his solid three-pitch-mix to keep hitters off balance. He shows a knack for being able to set up hitters with his off-speed stuff. He will often change arm angles to do so, going from a high ¾ slot to sidearm and he keeps the hitters guessing. Another senior who should sign quickly, Fetters has a good chance of being at least a No. 4 starter and innings eater.
Blake Dean, OF LSU
All Dean does is hit. A .333/.432/.591 triple slash line combined with a 15.6% walk rate and 10.4% strikeout rate mean good things could be ahead for the Tigers’ star. He’s a below-average runner and only project to have average power, but Dean has demonstrated an elite ability to control the strike zone that bodes very well for his future success. With a sound approach, good contact ability and solid power Dean, should be able to help someone as a third outfielder.
Andrew Clark, 1B University of Louisville
He’s a first baseman who doesn’t project to have good power, but Andrew Clark will get on-base. The Cardinals’ leader posted a 17.9% walk rate this season and only struck out 8.6% of the time, making his walk-to-strikeout ratio one of the very best in the country. An 18th-round draft pick by the Brewers out of high school, Clark is the kind of highly advanced hitter who should move quickly through the low minors.
Jordan John, LHP Calallen HS (TX)
John is a prep lefty with well developed off-speed pitches and above-average command that comes from a fluid delivery which he repeats very well. His arm strength isn’t elite, but it’s solid. John’s fastball sits in the high 80’s and will touch 90-91 mph. Weighing just 190 lbs, he’s thin for his 6-foot-4 frame and could be a candidate for a velocity jump as he gains strength and fills out physically. John has the potential to be a No. 3 starter in the bigs someday, but whomever drafts him will have to sign him away from a strong commitment to the University of Oklahoma.
Ryan Goins, SS Dallas Baptist University
A middle infielder from a mini baseball factory, Goins has good raw power, as he knocked 22 home runs and posted a .373 park adjusted isolated power rating. Goins is one of the few college players in this draft who should be able to play up the middle and has solid upside as a hitter. Goins hit .371/.478/.765 with 46 walks and just 36 strikeouts in a breakout year. In 2008 as a sophomore Goins still showed good power, but had trouble controlling the strike zone (7.5% BB and 17.9% K). If the improved patience and contact ability he showed all year are for real, he could be one of the better shortstop prospects in the game in short order. Defensively, Goins has a good chance of staying at short with the backup plan being a move to second where his range would be well above-average. Goins could go in the 5th-7th round area, and might make some team very happy.
Graham Stoneburner, RHP Clemson
One of the coolest names ever, Graham Stoneburner does double duty as Clemson flamethrower and international man of mystery – I assume, with that name you kind of have to be a spy. Athletic enough to be highly thought of in high school as a shortstop, Stoneburner features a heavy, sinking fastball that sits 92-95 mph. Used both as a starter and reliever this year, Stoneburner has struck out 26.9% of batters while walking 7.3%. He flashes a plus slider, but his breaking stuff lags behind his fastball right now. His future home may be in the bullpen, where he has closer upside, but if his off-speed pitches can improve his upside as a starter could be as high as a No. 2.
Contact Lincoln via email at lhamilton@projectprospect.com.