Scouts bear down on conference tourneys 
May, 23, 2013
May 23
1:51
PM ET
By Jason A. Churchill | ESPN.com
While each club has their own way of finalizing player evaluations before the draft, the one commonality is the simple fact that time is running out on them. Most high school prospects have completed their seasons and the college crop is headed into the conclusion of their schedules. This week, the conference tournaments have begun, and such a stage can make a difference.
But can one last start or a few at-bats make a difference on draft day?
"Oh sure," explained an American League scouting director, "every look counts. You gather all the information possible and in the end you decide how much you like that player. "
That means the prospects still have work to do, too, but among the tasks left is that last column or checkbox on the scouting report -- whether or not the player in question can be signed. Prep kids have the option to go to college, college prospects, sans the seniors, can return for their final year of eligibility.
"That really goes without saying for us," the scouting director added. "If the player isn't signable, we're not interested. We might still really like a player, but we can't take the risk that he may not sign. We have to do out homework."
It's worth noting that in most cases teams have an idea one way or the other whether or not the players in which they have interest are signable.
Typically, this involves getting to the know the player some and getting a feel for how much he wants to play pro ball right now and how strong his college commitment may be. So while there may be room for players to improve their stock, there's a secondary aspect to the proceedings as clubs near their final draft meetings.
These final assessments, however, cannot take place until there's no more to see. The conference tournaments are under way, and then the trek to the College World series begins. Any significant performance, positive or negative, can make a difference, and the scouting bosses remain busy throughout.
"It doesn't take much to push one above another," said the scouting director. "This is the draft, we grade on a curve."
Here's a look at what scouts will be watching in conference tournaments this weekend.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
For every major collegiate conference but the Pac-12 -- who don’t currently have a conference tournament -- it was the last regular season weekend of the year, and one of the last opportunities for players to show off their skillsets in front of scouts and front office members.
This weekend we saw a dominant effort from a likely top-10 pick, some good – and not-so-good – things from a mammoth of an outfielder, and the best left-handed prep bat in the class saving his best for the end of the year.
Pitchers
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Eades, Wahl square off in SEC showdown
May, 16, 2013
May 16
7:39
PM ET
By Jason A. Churchill | ESPN.com
It's the final weekend of the regular season, but it may be the biggest start of the year for a pair of SEC rivals, and they'll go toe-to-toe Saturday in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss right-hander Bobby Wahl (1.43 ERA, 88 IP, 55 H, 73 SO, 40 BB) looks to prove that he can be more than a reliever at the next level, while LSU righty Ryan Eades (2.29 ERA, 82 2/3 IP, 83 H, 69 SO, 23 BB) hopes to get back the crisp fastball and sharp off-speed stuff that could make him a first-round selection.
Both schools will hit the SEC Tournament and perhaps beyond, so it's not the final outing of the year for either pitcher, but it's another chance to shine in front of scouts.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Texas prepster Kohl Stewart impresses
May, 13, 2013
May 13
7:11
PM ET
By Christopher Crawford | ESPN.com
It was an interesting weekend of college and prep baseball, with many high schools entering their postseason play and colleges gearing up for their conference tournaments. That also means it’s the last look at several players in the draft class, which makes it a crucial time for those who haven’t secured themselves onto a team’s board yet.
This weekend we saw a dominating effort from the best high-school pitcher in the class, a bit of redemption from the class’ best southpaw, and the two best bats this year continue to put up gaudy numbers.
• If anyone had any worries about St. Pius X (Texas) High School’s Kohl Stewart’s health, his effort on Monday went a long way toward erasing those doubts.
Stewart was sensational against Nolan Catholic in the 5A playoffs, pitching a complete-game shutout while giving up just two hits and striking out 14. The right-hander’s fastball was clocked in the mid 90s, and his devastating slider gave hitters trouble all afternoon.
This weekend we saw a dominating effort from the best high-school pitcher in the class, a bit of redemption from the class’ best southpaw, and the two best bats this year continue to put up gaudy numbers.
• If anyone had any worries about St. Pius X (Texas) High School’s Kohl Stewart’s health, his effort on Monday went a long way toward erasing those doubts.
Stewart was sensational against Nolan Catholic in the 5A playoffs, pitching a complete-game shutout while giving up just two hits and striking out 14. The right-hander’s fastball was clocked in the mid 90s, and his devastating slider gave hitters trouble all afternoon.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
The strength of the 2013 MLB draft class is, once again, college pitching. The depth in college hitters is below average despite a handful of first-round talents such as San Diego's Kris Bryant, North Carolina's Colin Moran and Stanford's Austin Wilson. On the prep side, there are a number of intriguing position players, and some of those are getting first-round consideration, but the upside play at the high school level is again on the side of the pitching.
Right-hander Kohl Stewart of St. Pius X High School in Houston leads the charge, with left-hander Trey Ball (New Castle High School, Ind.) also garnering attention in the top half of the first round. Still, the first round could be dominated by hitters. Here's why:
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Pitch counts an issue for top arms
May, 5, 2013
May 5
10:02
PM ET
By Christopher Crawford | ESPN.com
We're just one month away from the 2013 MLB Draft, and now is when things start to get really interesting as teams start to narrow in on their prospective targets. This week we saw a likely top-two pick have arguably his worst start of the year, a mid-major right-hander continue to dominate his competition, and a Pacific Northwest backstop continues to impress scouts from behind the plate.
• While Keith Law was watching Mark Appel dominate Arizona State, Jonathan Gray was having arguably his worst start of the year against West Virginia on Friday.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Friday night's matchup between Stanford and Arizona State featured a battle of two first-round arms, and it was well-attended as a result, with one GM and at least five scouting directors in the house. Stanford starter Mark Appel came out the victor on the scoreboard and in the scouting report, with Arizona State's Trevor Williams showing flashes of first-round ability but struggling to put Cardinal hitters away.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
The Pacific Northwest has established itself as a bit of an underrated area for baseball in recent years. In the past three drafts, 12 players from the states of Washington and Oregon have been selected in the top 100, eight from Washington, four from Oregon. Eight of those 12 were high school players, which is where the area does most of its damage.
The class of 2013 is once against fairly strong, especially considering the hurdle that is the region's weather. The top prospect is Reese McGuire from Kentwood (Wash.) High School, a left-handed hitting catcher who first jumped onto my radar at the Area Code Games tryouts between his sophomore and junior years. At the time he was barely 150 pounds or so, but displayed a solid line-drive swing and some raw, yet projectable, tools behind the plate.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Crunch time for Stanek, Eades and Manaea
May, 2, 2013
May 2
9:12
AM ET
By Jason A. Churchill | ESPN.com
There are two elite prospects in the 2013 draft class, and both are college pitchers. Stanford ace Mark Appel is the top talent for the second straight spring and Oklahoma's Jonathan Gray has burst onto the scene with huge velocity, an out-pitch slider and sustained performance. The second tier, however, is a solid group, led by right-hander's Ryne Stanek (Arkansas), Ryan Eades (LSU) and left-hander Sean Manaea (Indiana State).
All three have questions that have yet to be answered. Stanek and Manaea have not shown consistent stuff and command this season, and Eades, who has been very consistent, needs to show a bit more dominance. As Keith Law wrote earlier this week, Eades fizzled a bit down the stretch last spring and with a labrum injury in his past a strong month of May could go a long ways to show that his shoulder, nor general durability or stamina concerns, are valid reasons to let him slide down (and potentially out of) the first round.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Appel draws Gerrit Cole comparison
April, 29, 2013
Apr 29
12:48
PM ET
By Christopher Crawford | ESPN.com
It was a mixed bag at best this weekend for MLB draft's 2013 class. The No. 1 player in the class faced a tough challenge in a Pac-12 rival, two former top pick challengers continued to slip and an injury to a toolsy outfielder could affect where -- and if -- he's drafted in the first-round.
Pitchers
I was in Eugene this weekend to check out Mark Appel and Stanford take on Oregon. Appel was solid, giving up eight hits and two runs in 8 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out nine. Appel's command wasn't perfect, but his stuff was solid and he kept the ball down, giving up just one fly ball out the entire game.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
BATON ROUGE -- LSU's Saturday starter Ryan Eades has been on the downswing recently, with two disappointing outings in a row heading into this weekend's series against South Carolina at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge. (LSU set a record for that facility on Saturday night with an announced attendance of 12,727, which included standing-room only fans lined up two and three deep on the concourse.)
Eades may have halted his slide a little bit, bouncing back from a rough first inning to throw more strikes and compete more for the remainder of his seven-inning outing.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
NASHVILLE -- Mississippi State right fielder Hunter Renfroe has had a breakout junior year after two mediocre seasons with the Bulldogs, hitting .410/.488/.827 coming into Friday night's game at Vanderbilt, leading all SEC hitters in OBP and in home runs with 14. His raw tools and performance both point to a likely top-20 selection, especially in a year that's very light on college bats, even with his lack of track record.
Renfroe can show you three plus tools on the field -- power, running speed, and throwing arm -- with the power more like a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and the others grading out at 60.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Scottsdale Community College left-hander Stephen Tarpley was on the radar two years ago as a senior at Gilbert (Ariz.) HS, but a knee injury wiped out most of his senior spring, and questions about signability led him to slide in the draft to the eighth round, where Cleveland took him but didn't sign him. After a year at USC where he pitched well, Tarpley transferred back home to junior college and could slide into the top three rounds in this year's draft, which is very light in the left-handed college arms department.
Tarpley was 89-93 on Tuesday, not quite where his velocity was earlier in the spring but still plenty for a left-hander, and he showed some feel for his curveball and changeup, although both pitches were wildly inconsistent, ranging in quality from 35 to 55 (on the 20-80 scouting scale).
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Draft rules could impact Houston's plan
April, 25, 2013
Apr 25
3:38
PM ET
By Jason A. Churchill | ESPN.com
The MLB draft's new rule may be only a year old, but clubs already have their strategies down to a science. It may differ from team to team depending on philosophy, preferences, even organizational need. Yes, need.
Unlike their counterparts in the NBA and NFL, MLB front offices never draft for need, particularly in the first round. However, the new draft rules, which limit the amount each team can spend on draft bonuses could be forcing a change in philosophy.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Gray proving worthy of No. 1 overall pick
April, 22, 2013
Apr 22
2:59
PM ET
By Christopher Crawford | ESPN.com
It was a wet weekend that saw many games cancelled or pushed back, but the games that were played offered fodder for plenty of interesting analysis.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Keith Law
Keith Law joined ESPN.com in June 2006 as the lead baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., covering the majors, minors and amateurs. Before joining ESPN, Law spent 4½ years with the Toronto Blue Jays as a special assistant to the general manager, and was previously a writer for Baseball Prospectus. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon.
Follow Keith on Twitter: @Keithlaw
Jason A. Churchill
Jason A. Churchill is the executive editor at ProspectInsider.com, covering major league baseball with an eye toward scouting and player development since 2006.
Christopher Crawford
The founder and executive editor of MLB Draft Insider. He can be followed on Twitter @crawfordchrisv
-
2013 MLB Draft:
- Future 50: Appel set to cash in
Follow us on Twitter: @ESPN_MLBDRAFT