2007 Draft Prospects

[thomsonmi]

I have not seen any of these guys play but they each seem to be athletic and very succesful offensive players at the collegiate level. I don't know if the underclassman plan on making themselves available for the draft. The focus here is on speed and middle infielders.

 

 

Tony Thomas, Junior Second Baseman at Florida State

Batting .442 with 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in

.537 OBP.

30 steals in 35 attempts

Selected 1 st Team All State (6A), 1 st Team All Conference - National Division and 1 st Team All County in 2004...Outstand-ing Offensive Award 2004 after batting .411 with 20 RBIs, 11 doubles, two home runs, 43 runs scored, 11-12 SB and 39 total hits...posted a .982 fielding percentage, turned 11 double plays, had 45 put outs, 67 assists and only two errors...2004 Saladino All-Tournament Team...in 2003 he hit .415 with 17 RBIs, nine doubles, four home runs, 35 runs scored, 11-11 in steals and 39 total hits...had a .988 fielding percentage, turned 15 double plays, had 44 assists and one error...named 3 rd Team All State (6A), 1 st Team All County, 1 st Team All Western Conference and Beef O'Brady Player of the Month that season...ended his junior year rated #21 at the Perfect Game World Underclassmen...Team One National Finalists from South Showcase...rated #195 in the country by Team One Baseball... ranked #22 in the country for middle infielders by Team One Baseball 2003...two-time Bloomingdale Male Athlete of the Year...member of the 2002 USA Youth National Olympic Team.

 

 

 

Michael Richard, Senior Shortstop at Prairie View

Michael Richard, a five-foot-eleven senior shortstop from Lake Charles, La. is ranked in five NCAA Division I statistical categories. He’s eight in stolen bases with 0.74 per game, 33rd in batting with a .407 average, 44th in runs per game with 1.13, 37th in walks per game with 0.77 and 99th with 0.36 doubles per game. Richard leads the SWAC in batting, is first in at bats (182), hits (74), walks (41), stolen bases (39), total plate appearances (230), on base percentage (.520) and second in assists (134). He was honored twice during the season as SWAC player of the week. During the week of Mar. 20-26, he compiled a .500 batting average, had seven hits, three doubles, five RBIs, scored four runs and hit one home run. His second POW selection came from his performances between Apr. 10-15 when he had a .522 batting average, 12 hits, two doubles, one RBI, seven stolen bases, eight runs scored and a .609 slugging percentage.

 

 

 

Marcus Davis, Senior Outfielder at Alcorn St.

6’4 205 pound

Batting .402 with 14 homeruns and 59 runs batted in

29 stolen bases in 33 attempts

 

 

 

Kraig Binick, Senior Outfielder at NYIT

Kraig Binick (Hicksville, N.Y.) was named the 2007 NCAA Division I Baseball Independent Player of the Year. Binick lead NYIT in every single offensive category this season, recording a .406 batting average with 84 hits, 58 runs scored, 18 doubles, five triples, 34 RBI and 32 stolen bases in 36 attempts. During the season Binick ranked 13th nationally in batting average, 16th in stolen bases, 20th in runs scored, 25th in slugging percentage, 37th in triples per game, and 61st in doubles.

 

 

 

Russ Oeder, Senior SS/2B at Wright St.

Batting .408 with 8 homeruns 36 runs batted in

.496 OBP with 25 stolen bases in 33 attempts

As a freshman, Oeder hit .279. He raised that average to .320 as a sophomore and .369 as a junior. "He can play second base, shortstop or center field," his college manager said. "He's a big-time team leader. He is a baseball player, a baseball guy. He's one guy I'm really going to miss when he leaves."

 

 

 

Brandon Hicks, Junior Shortstop at Texas A&M

Batting .349 with 10 homeruns and 58 runs batted in

.423 OBP with 28 stolen bases in 32 attempts

Lettered two years for head coach Tom Arrington at San Jacinto Junior College in the Houston area … known for his ability to make spectacular defensive plays at the shortstop position … hit .321 with five home runs during his sophomore season … led his team to the JUCO World Series where the Gators finished third In 2006 … participated in the 2005 JUCO All-Star game … played summer ball for the Beatrice Bruins in the M.I.N.K. League … hit .243 with an on-base percentage of .472 … stole seven bases in seven attempts.

 

Go here for more on Texas A&M shortstop Brandon Hicks.

Edited May 30, 2007 by thomsonmi

[dasox24]

Underclassmen can't be drafted if they attend a DI, DII, or DIII school. JUCO, NAIA, etc. can be drafted, I believe. So Tony Thomas will be at FSU for at least 2 more years.

 

Thanks for posting this. Any info about players is appreciated since there's so little coverage on the draft.

Edited May 30, 2007 by dasox24

[BearSox]

Michael Burgess, cough cough

[thomsonmi]

Underclassmen can't be drafted if they attend a DI, DII, or DIII school. JUCO, NAIA, etc. can be drafted, I believe. So Tony Thomas will be at FSU for at least 2 more years.

 

Thanks for posting this. Any info about players is appreciated since there's so little coverage on the draft.

 

I thought that was the case. Too bad as his numbers are eye-popping.

[chimpy2121]

Tony is not a freshman, he is a junior and he will probably be gone after this year. His problem in the past has always been K's, but he has seemed to get them down this year. Also, if a person told you at the start of the season that Tony Thomas was goin to be hitting in the upper .400s for most of the season and would be the ACC player of the year, they would be lying. With that being said, it was a great pleasure watching him play this year. He still has a shot at breaking the FSU doubles record in one season.

Edited May 30, 2007 by chimpy2121

[dasox24]

Tony is not a freshman, he is a junior and he will probably be gone after this year. His problem in the past has always been K's, but he has seemed to got them down this year. Also, if a person told you at the start of the season that Tony Thomas was goin to be hitting in the upper .400s for most of the season and would be the ACC player of the year, they would be lying. With that being said, it was a great pleasure watching him play this year. He still has a shot at breaking the FSU doubles record in one season.

Well then, that settles that about Mr. Thomas. I'm a lot more intrigued by the possiblity of drafting him. Anyone know where he's projected to go?

[thomsonmi]

Tony is not a freshman, he is a junior and he will probably be gone after this year. His problem in the past has always been K's, but he has seemed to got them down this year. Also, if a person told you at the start of the season that Tony Thomas was goin to be hitting in the upper .400s for most of the season and would be the ACC player of the year, they would be lying. With that being said, it was a great pleasure watching him play this year. He still has a shot at breaking the FSU doubles record in one season.

 

That would explain the 2003/2004 high school numbers.

 

I am more than a little intrigued by this guy. He's obviously had a real breakout season. It's hard to believe I haven't seen his name in any mock drafts.

[chimpy2121]

Thomas Louisville Slugger Player of the Year.

 

Bryan Henry, Tony Thomas Jr., and Buster Posey were named First Team Louisville Slugger All-Americans as chosen by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

 

Also, Collegiate Baseball named Vanderbilt's David Price and Florida State's Tony Thomas as its National Players of The Year. Price was perfect during the regular season with an 11-0 record as he fanned a nation-leading 175 batters with only 29 walks. He also tossed five complete games. Thomas' numbers were equally impressive as he hit .442 on the season with 32 doubles and 30 stolen bases.

 

Tony Thomas Jr. joins Shane Robinson and J.D. Drew as 'Noles that have won the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year.

 

I'm not sure why, but for most of the season scouts still didn't seem to high on TT even when he was hitting .490. The guy is an awesome fielder and I would love for him to return next season. He is also a great guy from what I've seen while working for the team.

Edited May 30, 2007 by chimpy2121

[BearSox]

With the number Tony Thomas put up... wouldn't he be more of a top 10 pick? I gotta see his career numbers.

 

Also, Thomas looks like the type of athletic player we need at 2B.

[chimpy2121]

With the number Tony Thomas put up... wouldn't he be more of a top 10 pick? I gotta see his career numbers.

 

Also, Thomas looks like the type of athletic player we need at 2B.

 

Before this year he was a .265 hitter with a .390 OBP which explains why scouts never were high on him.

 

TT's Bio

 

 

 

This year:

Player                 AVG  GP-GS    AB   R   H  2B  3B  HR RBI   TB  SLG%  BB HBP  SO GDP   OB%  SF  SH  SB-ATT   PO   A   E  FLD%

23 Tony Thomas Jr...  .442  58-58   242  87 107  32   6  11  49  184  .760  42  10  36   2  .537   2   1  30-35   113 167  10  .966

 

Another guy I like too from FSU is Senior Bryan Henry

Player                 ERA   W-L   APP  GS  CG SHO/CBO SV    IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  2B  3B  HR   AB B/Avg   WP HBP  BK  SFA SHA

22 Bryan Henry......  2.54  14-1    17  17   0   0/1    0 109.2  97  36  31  25 112  19   1   8  404  .240    2   8   1    0   7

 

He lost his first game Saturday against Clemson in the ACC Tourney.

[thomsonmi]

According to this website...

 

This is what BA has to say about Tony:

 

"Scouting Report: Few players experienced such a drastic turnaround in such a short span as Thomas. He batted .240 and struck out 75 times in 2005, the second-most strikeouts in Division I, and piled 66 more as a sophomore. This year, Thomas led the nation in hits (97) and doubles (28), ranked second in on-base percentage (.542) and third in average (.449). He had as many walks as strikeouts (36), and had gone from a non-prospect to a potential top 100 talent. He opened his stance, which has allowed him to see pitches a split-second earlier and says that has been the key to his improvement. His swing plane is flat and his up-the-middle approach isn't conducive to power, but he has bat speed and good barrel awareness. Thomas is a below-average defender with a below-average arm, though he's an average runner. Given his improvement at the plate, it's conceivable he plays his way into an adequate second baseman, which would enhance his value."

 

At #114, Thomas should go somewhere before the 5th round.

[thomsonmi]

I do also hope we nab this Michael Richard from Prairie View. Here's some info on him from this website...

 

Richard, who ranks ninth in the country with 0.73 stolen bases per game. Richard, a senior middle infielder, stole 41 bases in 53 attempts last year and has 32 steals in 38 attempts this season. More importantly, he's been an on-base machine thanks to an improved approach at the plate; he has increased his batting average from .333 last year to .447 this season in 150 at-bats.

 

"He's a consistent contact hitter, one of those guys who's got to get the short game going to be effective and play at the next level," Panthers coach Michael Robertson said. "We concentrate with him on trying to stay back as long as he can and dump some hits over second base. But he's got the ability to get on base and steal 40 or 50 bases. Every once in a while he'll try to muscle up when the wind's blowing and try to hit the ball out of the park, we tell him that's the worst thing to do is hit the ball in the air. He's very smart and he makes adjustments throughout his game on defense and offense. He's a very intelligent kid, just a pleasure to coach."

[chimpy2121]

 

I didn't know where else to put this, but it's a pretty good video with some of the guys. O'Connor is a die hard White Sox fan.

[dasox24]

 

I didn't know where else to put this, but it's a pretty good video with some of the guys. O'Connor is a die hard White Sox fan.

haha, that's some pretty funny stuff. Makes me miss playing organized sports...

[danman31]

O'Connor is a die hard White Sox fan.

He's the one that skipped his senior year of high school to play on FSU a year early. How is he doing?

[chimpy2121]

He's the one that skipped his senior year of high school to play on FSU a year early. How is he doing?

 

Ruairi has mostly been playing in a backup roll this year. Coming into the season he was projected to start in center, but then D'Vontrey Richardson came out of nowhere and started for a majority of the non-conference schedule. Once his defense started to go downhill, Gildea started to play center more with Ruairi seeing some action. He is now getting the majority of starts in left since our LF, Dennis Guinn, partially tore his PCL. He's started 29 games and hitting .299 with 22 RBI and 10 doubles. More importantly, he looks solid in the field and he has yet to make an error.

 

He, Gildea, and Richardson will probably all be fighting for the CF spot next year.

[29thandPoplar]

Well of course this is easy to say but I hope they focus heavily on guys with speed who can get on base and play good defense. Draft several guys who can hit leadoff and hope 1-2 develop. Look at the shortage of those guys around baseball, they are gold.

 

Oh and a SS or two.

 

Duane loves to take college pitching but maybe shift the focus.

[danman31]

Duane loves to take college pitching but maybe shift the focus.

I still prefer college pitching, but I think the key is to look at the two guys the Sox have taken in the first round the last two years. Broadway came out of nowhere and was a big time riser right before the draft. He has done fairly well in the minors, but has a limited ceiling. The jury remains out on him. McCulloch is looking like an early bust, he has put up very mediocre numbers at high A this year and when the Sox took him he was thought of as a slight reach. His junior year numbers at Texas weren't as good as his sophomore year numbers and some believe (Jason included) his stuff isn't as good as it used to be. The McCulloch pick was a gamble because his junior season was disappointing and led him to fall to the late first round. The Sox were hoping he would be back to his form from the previous year and would be a steal, instead he has shown that his stuff may have fallen off a bit. Probably early to write him off, but the point is the Sox took a safer pick in Broadway and a somewhat riskier pick in McCulloch. There will still be high ceiling college pitchers with minimal question marks late first round, especially in a deep draft this year.

[Flash Tizzle]

There will still be high ceiling college pitchers with minimal question marks late first round, especially in a deep draft this year.

I've been following the progress of players projected to fall within the first round/sandwich round for several months, and the true strength in this draft remains high school pitching.

 

I know our draft philosophy recently favors college pitchers, but aside from Aaron Poreda and Nick Hagadone -- perhaps a handful of others who have come out of nowhere and escaped media attention -- there won't be many high ceiling, college pitchers available. More high schoolers with projectability will be there.

 

Andrew Brackman stock has plummeted, but he's a Boras client. Forget about that. Jake Arrieta and Nick Schmidt will both be available, but do you associate either as high ceiling college pitchers? Or Jason Simmons? Even Poreda and Hagadone have problems with throwing secondary offerings.

 

Since Latos is off the board, I'm pimping Nevin Griffith. Although it'll obviously serve no purpose, as we've likely had our selection in mind for several weeks. Still, if high ceiling college pitchers is the criteria -- and the various mock drafts I've seen remain true -- we're going to have to take a chance with a one-pitch pitcher.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

I've been following the progress of players projected to fall within the first round/sandwich round for several months, and the true strength in this draft remains high school pitching.

 

I know our draft philosophy recently favors college pitchers, but aside from Aaron Poreda and Nick Hagadone -- perhaps a handful of others who have come out of nowhere and escaped media attention -- there won't be many high ceiling, college pitchers available. More high schoolers with projectability will be there.

 

Andrew Brackman stock has plummeted, but he's a Boras client. Forget about that. Jake Arrieta and Nick Schmidt will both be available, but do you associate either as high ceiling college pitchers? Or Jason Simmons? Even Poreda and Hagadone have problems with throwing secondary offerings.

 

Since Latos is off the board, I'm pimping Nevin Griffith. Although it'll obviously serve no purpose, as we've likely had our selection in mind for several weeks. Still, if high ceiling college pitchers is the criteria -- and the various mock drafts I've seen remain true -- we're going to have to take a chance with a one-pitch pitcher.

 

I'm going with Main right now.

[southsideirish71]

I've been following the progress of players projected to fall within the first round/sandwich round for several months, and the true strength in this draft remains high school pitching.

 

I know our draft philosophy recently favors college pitchers, but aside from Aaron Poreda and Nick Hagadone -- perhaps a handful of others who have come out of nowhere and escaped media attention -- there won't be many high ceiling, college pitchers available. More high schoolers with projectability will be there.

 

Andrew Brackman stock has plummeted, but he's a Boras client. Forget about that. Jake Arrieta and Nick Schmidt will both be available, but do you associate either as high ceiling college pitchers? Or Jason Simmons? Even Poreda and Hagadone have problems with throwing secondary offerings.

 

Since Latos is off the board, I'm pimping Nevin Griffith. Although it'll obviously serve no purpose, as we've likely had our selection in mind for several weeks. Still, if high ceiling college pitchers is the criteria -- and the various mock drafts I've seen remain true -- we're going to have to take a chance with a one-pitch pitcher.

 

Senior righthander Nevin Griffith’s first outing against senior slugger Mike Burgess got lots of national hype, and Griffith was again sharp Tuesday in a rematch with Burgess and Hillsborough High at Griffith’s Middleton High. He touched 96 mph with his fastball, and leaned heavily on a low-80s slider that has developed into a legitimate strikeout offering. “He rang the bell once again,” said a scout with an American League team that was among more than 30 scouts at the game. “I believe he even broke Burgess’ bat, and he was swinging metal. He’s got power (stuff).”

 

 

[Flash Tizzle]

I'm going with Main right now.

Judging from recent performances (he struck out 14 in a start last week), and his power arsenal, I'd be shocked if he were available at #25. If he were there, I wouldn't mind taking him either. About a month ago I wasn't too sure -- since many were concerned with his delivery and offspeed offerings -- but he's apparently molded into more of a pitcher.

 

What's worse is Max Scherzer signing with Arizona pushes everything back one slot. That can mean everything.

[Flash Tizzle]

Senior righthander Nevin Griffith’s first outing against senior slugger Mike Burgess got lots of national hype, and Griffith was again sharp Tuesday in a rematch with Burgess and Hillsborough High at Griffith’s Middleton High. He touched 96 mph with his fastball, and leaned heavily on a low-80s slider that has developed into a legitimate strikeout offering. “He rang the bell once again,” said a scout with an American League team that was among more than 30 scouts at the game. “I believe he even broke Burgess’ bat, and he was swinging metal. He’s got power (stuff).”

He's definitely a pitcher with potential. With only two picks in the first two rounds (#25, 91), we don't have the advantage of waiting until the compensation rounds -- where Nevin is probably going to be picked. May as well go for the most projectable arm at #25.

 

If we were willing to do something similar with Broadway and McCulloch, I don't see ANY reason not to do the same with Griffith.

[BearSox]

I personally wouldn't mind Josh Fields. I don't know if that is because I want three Josh Fields or maybe because this team needs future bullpen help.

[BearSox]

A guy I would like (not in the first) would be SS Danny Worth from Pepperdine. He is one of those grindy type of players, but more in the mold of players on Twins. He doesn't have much power, but he has good gap to gap power (yes, he likes to hit a word barely used on here, line-drives), can hit for a decent average and has decent speed. But where he shines is with the glove. He is as sure-handed as they come, and while he only has decent arm strength, he has a very quick release and is very accurate. He doesn't have great range either, but he cheats and guesses a lot which makes up for that.

 

Gary Brown is another interesting guy to take early. He is super fast and does all the things right.

Edited June 1, 2007 by BearSox