2/17/12

Draft 2012: Carson Kelly, Carlos Correa, Mark Appel, Sammy Ayala




4. Carson Kelly, 3B, Westview (Portland, Ore.)  Kelly is a prospect at the plate and on the mound, sitting in the upper 80s and topping out at 92 mph with the fastball. The majority of area scouts appear to prefer him as a bat, where his swing is easy, consistent and should produce natural power. He can handle third base and could end up a candidate for left or right field if necessary. He's known to carry himself as a leader and brings plus makeup to the table. He'll head to the University of Oregon if the price isn't right on the professional front, but he could go in the top 100. http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1108/joey-gallo-is-nation%e2%80%99s-top-corner-infielder  

1. Carlos Correa, SS, Bats Right/Throws Right, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy - Correa dazzled scouts at summer and fall showcases in 2011. He is a slick defender with smooth fielding actions and a powerful arm. He shows signs of becoming a unique hitter. During an October showcase, Correa, using a wood bat, drilled an opposite field home run directly down the right field line which, to quote a long ago Joe Garagiola description, "didn't get up, didn't get down...it just got out." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/highschool/02/13/baseball.top.10.prospects/index.html#ixzz1mJYi8Rky 

1. Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford - I get everyone is all about velocity and that he gets out. But how he gets outs is mildly worrisome. He doesn’t miss enough bats for his “supposed” stuff that I’ve seen a few people make comparisons to both Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. I don’t buy it. You can look at a lot of guys that have been drafted over the last few years and while it’s easy to pull for the guys that have statistical backing the thing is guys that don’t have that backing burn out more often than the ones with it. I’ll watch him with a special eye but at this point I’m not a fan of his. http://sodomojo.com/2012/02/13/more-mlb-draft-talk-and-a-quick-little-top-5/  

Sammy Ayala impressed scouts last June at a showcase event at San Diego State, but many scouts had to wait until this weekend to get another look at him. Ayala is not a darling of showcases or scout ball because he played defensive end for La Jolla Country Day's football team.



Ayala, a UC Santa Barbara recruit, burst back onto the baseball prospect landscape in a big way at Saturday's Southern California Invitational at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy. In his first at-bat, the lefthanded-hitting Ayala ripped a hard line drive to center field against lefthander Max Fried—a potential first-round pick. The ball got by the center fielder and reached the wall, allowing Ayala to motor around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2012/02/southern-california-prep-talent-shines-in-compton/

No comments: