San Diego right-hander Kyle Blair wanted first-round money in the 2007 MLB Draft, and scared off some teams that liked him in the sandwich/second-round area. His 2009 spring was ruined by a strained oblique that kept him out of action for over a month, and he's still returning to form. He showed a solid fastball on Monday night, at 87-92 mph, with glove-side run. He threw a variety of changeups, including a foshball-like pitch that comes out of his hand easily and has good late fading action. His curve was less consistent, and seems caught between a curve and a slider. A few curveball attempts were short and sharp, but the majority were longer and flatter. He has a strong starter's build, but comes from a low 3/4 slot and has trouble keeping his elbow down. Those two factors would point to a relief role, even with the three-pitch repertoire.
Baylor right-hander Shawn Tolleson was eligible for the 2009 draft as a sophomore because he redshirted his freshman year after Tommy John surgery. He wasn't drafted this year, and it's easy to see why. He topped out at 89 and sat around 86-87 mph with a below-average slider and a violent delivery, coupled with a hard head-jerk at the end.
Oregon State right-hander Greg Peavey was also draft-eligible this year as a sophomore because of his age, and Houston took him in the 32nd round. On Monday, he sat at 88-91 mph for eight innings, and flashed a little more velocity earlier in his showing. He threw two promising offspeed pitches: a hard slider that he doesn't have command of yet and an 81-84 mph changeup with plus arm speed and late tail. He's got a chance to go much higher next year, and seems unlikely to sign.
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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.
Jason A. Churchill is the executive editor at ProspectInsider.com, covering major league baseball with an eye toward scouting and player development since 2006.
