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Draft capsules
June 1, 1999 SportsLine wire reports
A look at some of the top players eligible for Wednesday's major league draft (with position, school, height, weight, class and age): Josh BeckettRHP, Spring (Texas) H.S., 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, 19 years old
Bobby BradleyRHP, Wellington (Fla.) H.S., 6-1, 170, 18Slender athlete who added 10 mph on fastball, which hits 90-92 mph and has good movement, since sophomore year. Strength is devastating curveball - considered by some scouts as best in draft. Has great command and changes speed well. Threw seven one-hitters this spring. Scouts also like smooth arm motion and maturity on mound. Committed to Florida State.
Ryan ChristiansonC, Arlington (Calif.) H.S., 6-2, 210, Bats: R, Throws: R, 18Top high school catching prospect, and may very well be top all-around catcher in draft. Impressive defensive skills - strong arm and quick behind plate. Strong athlete with good swing. Should be power hitter in pros. Hits to all fields with authority.
Carl CrawfordOF, Jefferson Davis (Texas), H.S., 6-2, 200, Bats: L, Throws: L, 17Considered somewhat raw because of limited baseball experience. An outstanding athlete, Committed to Nebraska as a option quarterback. Has impressive strength and speed, and scouts like left-handed swing. Makes playing outfield look easy - he's quick, and graceful. Doesn't have great arm from center field, and needs to fine-tune hitting skills.
B.J. GarbeOF-RHP, Moses Lake (Wash.) H.S., 6-1, 195, Bats: R, Throws: R, 18May be this year's top "five-tools" player. Has quick bat speed, strong arm, good glove, solid defensive instincts and runs well. Hits low-to-mid 90's off mound, but scouts think he can be exceptional outfielder. Great intensity and excellent work ethic. First high school quarterback in state to run and pass for over 1,000 yards. Committed to Stanford.
Matt GinterRHP, Mississippi St., 6-2, 215, Jr., 21Command was off at times late in season (8-7, 4.37 ERA, 102 K's in 90-plus innings), but is still a top pitching prospect. Was starter for bulk of year, but was moved to closer late in season. Ginter, who relies heavily on fastball and breaking ball, was Team USA's closer last summer and filled role exceptionally well. Fastball averages in low-90's, and slider may be best in college. Jury still out whether he will be pro starter or closer.
Josh HamiltonOF-LHP, Athens Drive (N.C.) H.S., 6-4, 200, Bats: L, Throws: L, 18Might be No. 1 overall pick. Complete hitter who hits for both average and power. Knows how to spray ball all over field. Very strong body and runs well, even with size 18½ feet. An ideal right fielder with good defensive abilities and incredibly strong arm. Has thrown 92-95 mph from mound, but wants to play outfield. Scouts love tireless work ethic.
Jeff HeaverloRHP, Washington, 6-1, 180, Jr., 21Polished, durable pitcher who throws four pitches around strike zone. Throws two different fastballs, an impressive slider and good changeup. Fastball somewhat straight, so scouts believe he needs to develop another pitch to be successful. Has good mechanics. Huskies' career strikeout leader with 303, and set single-season mark with 131. Father, Dave, pitched in majors for seven years.
Bobby HillSS, Miami, 5-10, 170, Jr., Bats: SW, Throws: R, 21Probably best all-around shortstop in draft. Outstanding hitter with good speed and base-running ability. Set team career record with 136 stolen bases. Patient hitter with quick wrists who hits well from both sides and has power potential. Excellent fielding skills, but has average arm. Could move to second base. Will make ideal leadoff hitter.
Ty HowingtonLHP, Hudson Bay (Wash.) H.S., 6-5, 220, 18Big left-hander with fastball that reaches mid-90's and has exceptional breaking pitches. Improved mechanics since last summer - has easy, loose delivery. Considered by some scouts as top left-hander in draft.
Jason JenningsRHP-DH, Baylor, 6-2, 243, Jr., Bats: L, Throws: R, 20Premier two-way college player. Outstanding hitter (.385, 15, 59), but is being looked at almost exclusively as pitcher (12-1, 2.15). Big 12 player of year could give team a double-threat - a pitcher who can hit. Fastball thrown consistently around 92-94 mph. Scouts impressed with movement and control of slider. Stocky pitcher is durable and shows competitive fire.
Marshall McDougall2B, Florida St., 6-1, 190, Jr., Bats: R, Throws: R, 20Became instant celebrity after setting NCAA records with six homers, 16 RBIs at Maryland on May 10. Also set NCAA record with 25 total bases, going 7-for-7 in game. Had 33-game hitting streak. ACC player of year after leading conference with .431 average, 24 HRs, 91 RBIs and 93 runs scored. Drafted twice before - in 33rd round by Chicago White Sox in 1996, and by New York Yankees in 37th round in 1997. Adequate defensive player with good hands.
Eric MunsonC, Southern California, 6-3, 220, Jr., Bats: L, Throws: R, 21Possibly best hitting prospect in draft. Drafted in second round by Atlanta in 1996, but will be top-four pick this time around. Has great power potential, hits for average and scouts love left-handed swing. Scouts uncertain if he has defensive tools to be pro catcher and move to first base likely. Has history of injuries - stress foot fracture last season, and broke hand earlier this year.
Brett MyersRHP, Englewood (Fla.) H.S., 6-4, 210, 18Strong, physical presence on mound with thick lower body. Prototypical power pitcher who throws fastball that hits 94-96 mph consistently. Very good curveball with great movement, and also throws solid changeup. Mixes pitches well. Has holes in mechanics, but can be easily worked out. Was a boxer as youngster and it shows in approach - very aggressive. Committed to Florida.
Keith ReedOF, Providence, 6-4, 215, Jr., Bats: R, Throws: R, 20Big East player of year helped lead Friars to conference championship in program's final year. Big, strong athlete with excellent speed and great power potential. School's career home run leader (36) hit .405 with 17 homers and school-record 74 RBIs. Somewhat of a free swinger. Solid defensive player with extremely strong arm.
Brian RobertsSS, South Carolina, 5-10, 170, Jr., Bats: SW, Throws: R, 21Top college base-stealer with school- and SEC-record 66. Transferred to South Carolina from North Carolina, after father, Mike, was let go as coach. Also holds Tar Heels' career record with 110 SBs. Hits well from both sides of plate. Scouts impressed with base-running and defensive instincts. None of tools exceptional, but has great desire and field leadership.
Ben SheetsRHP, Northeast Louisiana, 6-1, 195, Jr., 20Muscular athlete who maintains velocity throughout games. Might be first college pitcher selected. Fastball hits mid-90's, but needs more movement. Also has sharp tough-to-hit curveball thrown at 80 mph. Sometimes has trouble with command. Pure strikeout artist who led nation with 153 Ks and had 20-strikeout game against Louisiana Tech.
Kyle SnyderRHP, North Carolina, 6-8, 215, Jr., 21Had inconsistent season (7-5, 4.04) as he missed two weeks with triceps tendinitis. Struggled to reach velocity that made him star in Cape Cod League last summer, but scouts still believe he has potential to be big league starter. Fastball hovers around 92 mph, but hits up to 96 mph at times. Has easy, loose delivery. Good movement on changeup and curveball.
Richard StahlLHP, Newton (Ga.) H.S., 6-7, 185, 18Commonly compared to Randy Johnson because of size and ability. Very thin pitcher whose fastball can hit 95 mph - blows high school hitters away. Has potential to add more velocity. Needs to work on mechanics and gain better control of breaking pitches. Scouts say he has very high ceiling. Committed to Georgia Tech.
Jason StummRHP, Centralia (Wash.) H.S., 6-2, 210, 18Improved stock dramatically over past year. Added up to 10 mph on fastball, which averages between 93-95 mph. Also throws curveball that has great drop. Excellent athlete who starred in baseball, basketball and football. Scouts like his command and mound presence. |