BB: D3 MLB Draft projections, picks and free-agent signings

[Hammer Ball]

I would be interested in seeing predictions on the D3 players people think will get drafted next week.  Please post here.

[Pitcher34]

What does it say in the state to state PA area? Any DIII prospects?

[d3baseballnut]

Chez Angeloni from JHU   

[DSKSlugger]

1. Renny Parthemore, rhp, Cedar Cliff HS, Camp Hill, Pa. (National Rank: 150)
is the top PA prospect, note your state is defined by your school

2. Nate Reed, lhp, Pittsburgh
3. Darin Gorski, lhp, Kutztown
4. Chris Sedon, 2b, Pittsburgh
5. Steve Grife, rhp, Mercyhurst
6. T.J. Chism, lhp, LaSalle
7. Tarran Senay, of, South Park HS
8. Scott Kelley, rhp, Penn State
9. Gus Benusa, of, Riverview High, Oakmont
10. Jamie Walczak, rhp, Mercyhurst
11. Matt Cotellese, of, West Chester
12. Grant Kernaghan, rhp, Bloomsburg
13. Matt Adams, 1b/c, Slippery Rock
14. Derek Law, rhp, Seton LaSalle Catholic HS, Pittsburgh
15. Sean Barksdale, of, Temple
16. Addison Dunn, rhp, Warren Area HS
17. Nick Berger, of, Central Catholic HS, Pittsburgh
18. Seth Streich, rhp, Johnsonburg Area HS

That is all for PA, recognize anyone?

[AlleyCat]

Does anyone know hat is says about New York prospects, any Div III?

[DSKSlugger]

InfieldDad great post! it is very true that every D3 player earns every inch he is given!

But BA cannot be faulted, they hype the players with the tools. Many D3 players can compete at the highest level but simply aren't as tooly (cite Sean Gilblair). Not since Zimmerman who was touted by BA, in their top 100 prospects, and slated as a first 2 or 3 round pick have we had someone with the tools to warrant major attention.

We might see one arm per conference that throws 90s (this is a stretch btw) and that will likely be an inconsistent 90 with a lot of 88moh fastballs, whereas almost every D1 program will have a 90mph arm, and most will have several who maintain there velocity well.

Many D 1 programs have a scout follow their team all year.  BA follows scouts and any fault with BA can be attributed to a lack of interest from MLB scouts.  (cite: only 16-19 D3 players drafted per year and most are sr signees in the late rounds and nothing to write home about as far as tools go)

The best way to get noticed by BA, which is only really useful for creating a buzz about a player going into the draft, is to perform in one of the 8 or 9 collegiate wood bat leagues and garner a top 10 prospect spot. That will make scouts come and watch and BA will follow.

BA is really behind the ball, as scouts talk amongst themselves and often withhold their opinions close to the draft.

A good D3 Prospect will likely only have a limited number of scouts interested. And those scouts will want to keep him relatively quiet. BA makes calls to scouts all day long and depending on their relationship with the scouts in question they might have next to nothing on a legitimate prospect.

[DSKSlugger]

NATIONAL TOP 200 PROSPECTS

1. Steve Matz, lhp, Ward Melville HS, East Setauket (National Rank: 115)
2. James Jones, lhp/of, Long Island (National Rank: 128)
3. Kyle Hansen, rhp, St. Dominic HS, Oyster Bay (National Rank: 176)

OTHER PROSPECTS OF NOTE

4. Robert Whitenack, rhp, SUNY Old Westbury
5. Kyle Morrison, rhp, Wagner
6. Kevin Mahoney, 3b, Canisius
7. Marcus Stroman, rhp/ss, Patchogue-Medford HS
8. Matt Tone, lhp, Cortland State
9. Bruce Kern, rhp, St. John's
10. Tim Morris, 1b, St. John's
11. Chris Edmondson, of, LeMoyne
12. Jeremy Baltz, of, Vestal HS
13. Brian Kemp, of, St. John's
14. Kevin Nieto, of, Manhattan
15. Nathan Ford, 3b, Cornell
16. Murphy Smith, rhp, Binghamton
17. Matt Nandin, 2b, LeMoyne
18. Zach Anderson, rhp, Buffalo
19. Jeff Dennis, lhp, Binghamton
20. John Mincone, lhp, Suffolk-Brentwood CC
21. Mike Avery, of, Cortland State
22. Brian Witkowski, of, Stony Brook
23. Kevin Mailloux, 2b, Canisius
24. Sean Hagan, lhp, Mamaroneck HS


notice #8 and #21..

Here is the write up on Tone:

Stocky Cortland State lefty Matt Tone earns physical comparisons to Mike Stanton. He posted dominant stats in 2008 and solid numbers this year, going 8-0, 3.07 with 84 strikeouts in 64 innings. Some scouts have seen Tone reach 93 mph, but most report seeing an 87-90 mph fastball. He also leans heavily on an 83-86 mph pitch that some scouts call a cutter and others label a slider. His changeup is below-average, and he projects as a reliever in pro ball.

this bodes well as a lefty who has shown 93 and sits 87-90 with good numbers could make a case to go on day 1  but will need to have the right mid to high level scouts in his corner.

[EasternCtFan]

DSKSlugger.... Do you mind putting up the NE prospects now? Thanks

[DSKSlugger]

Connecticut, Rhode Island

NATIONAL TOP 200 PROSPECTS

1. Eric Smith, rhp, Rhode Island (National Rank: 88)

OTHER PROSPECTS OF NOTE

2. Dan Mahoney, rhp, Connecticut
3. Matt Carasiti, rhp, Berlin (Conn.) HS
4. Brandon Josselyn, rhp, Yale
5. Chris Gloor, lhp, Quinnipiac
6. Rob Gariano, rhp, Fairfield
7. Nick Greenwood, lhp Rhode Island
8. Tim Boyce, rhp, Rhode Island
9. Evan Marzilli, of, Bishop Hendricken HS, Warwick, R.I.
10. Dominic Leone, rhp, Norwich Free Academy
11. Devin Burke, rhp, Darien
12. John Folino, rhp, Connecticut
13. Dan Rhault, ss, Rhode Island
14. Matt Nuzzo, ss/2b, Brown
15. Tim Brechbuehler, rhp, Avon Old Farms
16. Chris Constantino, 3b, Bishop Hendricken HS, Warwick, R.I.
17. George Dummar, rhp, Branford
18. Jeff Hanson, 1b, Sacred Heart
19. Sean Killeen, c, Trinity (Conn.)
20. Jeremiah Bayer, rhp, Trinity (Conn.)
21. Luke Demko, rhp, Rhode Island
22. John Tangerlini, rhp, Lincoln (R.I.) HS
23. Steve Daniels, of, Brown
24. Will Weidig, rhp, Brown
25. James Wood, of, Trinity
26. David Erickson, rhp, Connecticut

[DSKSlugger]

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont

NATIONAL TOP 200 PROSPECTS

None

OTHER PROSPECTS OF NOTE

1. Myckie Lugbauer, c, Maine
2. Nick Santomauro, of, Dartmouth
3. Matt Watson, c, Deering HS, Portland, Maine
4. Billy Cather, of, Maine
5. Dylan Clark, lhp, Trinity HS, Manchester, N.H.
6. Derrick Sylvestor, rhp, Franklin (N.H.) HS
7. Dan Feehan, rhp, Nashua (N.H.) South HS
8. Justin Albert, lhp, Vermont
9. Kevin Rivers, of, Franklin Pierce (N.H.)
10. Steven Cadoret, lhp, Franklin Pierce (N.H.)
11. Regan Flaherty, 1b, Deering HS, Portland, Maine
12. Joe Miller, rhp, Maine
13. Joe Serafin, lhp, Vermont

here is Mass...

NATIONAL TOP 200 PROSPECTS

1. Tony Sanchez, c, Boston College (National Rank: 32)
2. Mike Belfiore, lhp, Boston College (National Rank: 89)

OTHER PROSPECTS OF NOTE

3. Kyle McKenzie, rhp, Thayer Academy, Braintree
4. Michael Yastrzemski, of, St. John's Prep, Danvers
5. Ryan Quigley, lhp, Northeastern
6. J.B. McDonald, rhp, Boston College
7. Neifi Zapata, c, Boston English HS
8. Barry Butera, of, Boston College
9. Shawn Carlson, rhp, Andover HS
10. Mitchell Clegg, lhp, Massachusetts
11. Robbie Anston, of, Boston College
12. Jonathan Leroux, c, Auburn HS
13. Mike Baillargeon, 2b, Assumption College
14. Jeffrey Bercume, of, Merrimack College

[d3baseballnut]

I'm sorry, but I do not believe Dean Lagonasky from Haverford deserved to get drafted last year, or to be on the d3baseball.com poll.

He hit a combined 99-294 (.337) over his junior and senior years. Are you kidding me? If the centennial conference is that good, where an OF can get drafted after hitting .337, it should get 5 teams in the tournament next year.

How in the world can a kid hit (.337) with a metal bat against Washington, Swarthmore, and Dickinson, and

a.) be productive at the next level, and

b.) get chosen over so many other players with incredible numbers that play in better leagues?

You can't tell me you would logically take him over Todd Emr (.465 over last 2 years) or Brian Youchak

.....this is soooo confusing....

[DSKSlugger]

I'm sorry, but I do not believe Dean Lagonasky from Haverford deserved to get drafted last year, or to be on the d3baseball.com poll.

He hit a combined 99-294 (.337) over his junior and senior years. Are you kidding me? If the centennial conference is that good, where an OF can get drafted after hitting .337, it should get 5 teams in the tournament next year.

How in the world can a kid hit (.337) with a metal bat against Washington, Swarthmore, and Dickinson, and

a.) be productive at the next level, and

b.) get chosen over so many other players with incredible numbers that play in better leagues?

You can't tell me you would logically take him over Todd Emr (.465 over last 2 years) or Brian Youchak

.....this is soooo confusing....

I can help clarify...

Dean Lagonowski undoubtedly deserves a spot on this poll as he was drafted as a junior and returned for his sr season.

While he has no bargaining power b/c he will not get any slot money and he will be a sr. signee it is reasonable to assume that whatever factors led to his drafting as a Jr are still in play.

He has good speed and lots of upside in my opinion. he impressed scouts after his soph yr in summer ball and i also think he has some connection to a front office whether it be friend/family etc. No matter the case, despite of his numbers the draft is about upside and tools...

Emr is arguably the best d3 hitter in the nation throughout his career. He can flat out square balls up but he lacks the power that teams will want out of a lefty his size. If he can play 2b like some teams are asking then his raw hitting ability and plus plus glove will become great assets. If he cannot fit in at 2b he will be stuck at 1b where he does not stand a chance as he is not a long ball threat. Good luck to Emr who could be a late rd signee or a free agent signee!

Youchack is extremely tooly, i know that he is returning to JHU to use up his eligability. He needs to impress some scouts this summer and he could be a legitimate draft choice. He has a strong arm and plus speed to go along with decent power for a player his size. Youchak would show very well at a draft workout or open tryout, but those Hopkins players tend to have a different agenda as they ussuallly spend there summers in labs!
That is why no one on this poll will be the first drafted.

two years ago Jordan Zimmerman was taken by the nats in the seccond round at pick #67. this happened b/c the previous summer Zimmermann led all pitchers in the Northwoods League with a 1.01 earned run average and finished second with 92 strikeouts In 80.0 innings of work. Zimmermann was named the Northwoods League Player of the Night three times during the 2006 season. In those three appearances, Zimmermann pitched 26.1 innings and allowed only one earned run on eight hits while striking out 34 batters. Zimmermann was named to both regular season and post season Northwoods League All-Star teams.
During those dominant starts he flashed a 93-95 mph heater that topped out at 97! earning him a spot on the northwoods top prospect list and landed him in BA's top 100 prospects. Those accomplishments alone led to him getting drafted at 67, which turned out to be kind of late due to minor non-throwing injuries early sr year. His status as 2007 cws mvp was the last bit of buzz that told teams to ignore the minor injuries.

Last year Kulik and Yacko were drafted earliest at 245 and 257 respectively. Both players performed well in front of numerous mid level scouts in the Cape (kulik) and Northwoods (Yacko). Kulik had great strike out numbers as well as great pitchability and good velocity for a lefty on top of his all important summer success. Yacko had great arm strength for a rhp sitting at 89-92 and touching 93 almost every time out. He also displayed a great swing and miss slider that rates as a plus pitch. Both of these players displayed great tools on big stages in the summer.

I cannot speak fr every player on that poll. But i am going to put in my 2 cents.

We do not to my knowledge have a very tooly player who tore up summer leagues and was named to a top prospect list therfore the first day should be all quiet on the the D3 front.

Bayer, Gilblair, and Wiley...

No doubt that they all deserve a sot to play. It is likely that one or more of these three will have to go undrafted and sign as a free agent. Being named POY is an unbelieveable honor that will last Bayer's lifetime but iyt will not get him drafted, it will only put another plus on his report that he has accolades, is a winner (2008), a great competitor, and very very consistent. Bayer uses an 86-88 mph sinker which will impress some for its movement but standing alone will not turn anyheads. His numbers are his best friend b/c the low era suggests he will be able to follow in Kiley's footsteps (scouts will know about Kiley and expect the same from Bayer and it helps that Tim is performing very well). Bayer should be a late rd sr. signee expecting $1,000 but only he knows if he has been aproached by the scout willing to take the chance on him.

Gilblair is an interesting case and he is my pick for a free agent signee. Mostly due to his injuries. Scouts will definitly shy away from a d3 player with injuries uness he is absolutely electic. He has enormous pitchability with good control of at least 3 pitches and similar to bayer mid to high 80s velocity. His greatest atribute is his summer success 2 years ago in the necbl. Get this! he was name top pitcher of the year in 07, while Steven Strasburg recieved top prospect and top reliever. Thats right he out performed Strasburg who out impressed scouts with his raw fastball - but he showed he can compete at the highest level and succedd! Awesome! Scouts definitly took note and he would certainly be a late round sr. signee if not for the injuries. Given a workout postdraft or pre draft, teams will recognize the way he carries himself on the field, smooth hands at the plate, and solid pitchability, remeber 07 and he will get his chance.

Wiley is an interesting case. He lacks the numbers of Bayer yet is almost identical. He is a mid to high 80s sinkerballer. Unfortunately, with out great numbers or major summer success (i could be wrong i don't know about his summer) he simply lacks the arm strength to get to the next level. He will need to have scouts already interested, maybe close to his program, and he will need to be given an opportunity - but no doubts that he will be able to get outs at the next level.

Kelleen is a sound catcher and a great bat at the D3 level. I do not know about his summers so i will hold off on judging his draft. Keep in mind that D3 catchers are more valuable for their defense as no scout respects success at the plate against d3 pitching. It is too easy to succeed with major flaws in one's swing at the d3 level so offensive nubers can almost be ignored outside of great power.

I believe the first player will be taken in the 12-16th rounds and i think it will be Matt Tone or Chez Angeloni. This is b/c d3 players taken first are drafted for their raw tools.

Neither pitcher performed as well in their sr. season as they did as jrs when both made it to Wisconsin and Angeloni was named MOP. But both have displayed some of the top tools as d3 pitchers.

Tone has to take the top spot as he is the hard throwing lefty. I believe he will work as a good reliever at the next level, same for Angeloni. Tone has shown an 87-90mph heater that scouts have reported can touch 93. He sits around 83-86 however with what scouts say is a bit of a cutter. He has good feel for off speed but not enough to be considered a definite starter at the next level.

Angeloni has good tools as well, his fastball is 89-92 mph and scouts have seen it top out at 94. he too pitches at 84-86 with sinker that has sharpe and late movement down and in. Angeloni also shows a plus slider at times but scouts say it is inconsistent and needs to become repeatable if he can be a dominant force out of the pen. Both pitchers rely too heavily on the mid 80's movement to be considered legitimate starter prospects at the next level. Angeloni has very mediocre career #s especially at the D3 level but he his the arm strength and movement should nullify them especially since scouts will see him as a reliever.

Both pitchers have been scouted multiple times by area scouts and should be worked out before the draft which bodes well for the mid rounds that i predict will be when the first players are taken.

I cannot speak on any other players either on the poll or off except for Wade Kitchens who i could say a ton about but will save that for another post. Hope he is doing well recovering from his injury. Sorry Wade, great career, and good luck!

Please add your own scouting reports from other players... namely the ones on the poll who i couldn't. Also, anyone have a good handle on Northwestern D3 prospects and maybe some of them Wisconsin guys that i can't give any info on...

Sorry to be long winded. Hope this helps.

Thanks, good luck to all!

[JGrover]

DSK, I'm jumping on the bandwagon... And going to ask you to post the Missouri list. Thanks a bunch.

[Pitcher34]

Wiley, Celenza, Smith, Judson, Miller, Boyle, Poff, Cox, Warner from the CAC have all been looked at by MLB scouts in the past but none have the skills in my opinion to excel at the next level.

[d3baseballnut]

Draft Lagonasky if you want.....its not my pick that I'm spending on him........