Jimmy Reed,
LHP
Sr. Gaithersburg, MD
(drafted in the 21st Round of last year’s draft by the New York Yankees)
The Report: Reed has one of the best curveballs you will ever see. It’s nearly impossible to hit and accounts for many of his strikeouts. His fastball sits 87-89 and can touch 90 at times. He also has a good changeup with late sink that he can throw for strikes. But Jimmy’s best trait is his command, as he can put all three of his pitches where he needs to and mixes speeds extremely well. With three useful pitches, his arsenal is built for starting pitching, as he is equally effective against righties and lefties.
Sr. Gaithersburg, MD
(drafted in the 21st Round of last year’s draft by the New York Yankees)
The Report: Reed has one of the best curveballs you will ever see. It’s nearly impossible to hit and accounts for many of his strikeouts. His fastball sits 87-89 and can touch 90 at times. He also has a good changeup with late sink that he can throw for strikes. But Jimmy’s best trait is his command, as he can put all three of his pitches where he needs to and mixes speeds extremely well. With three useful pitches, his arsenal is built for starting pitching, as he is equally effective against righties and lefties.
Reed dazzled ACC bats for the second straight year in 2013.
Photo: Washington Post
The Good: Reed finished
top-10 in the ACC in ERA (2.33), innings pitched (88) and strikeouts (74). He
was hands-down one of the best pitchers in the country in 2013 and peaked at
the right time. He allowed just seven earned runs in his final five starts and
stuck out 38 batters (7.6 K/start).
The Bad: Reed lost
a full 2 miles-per-hour on his fastball and was only able to touch 90 on
occasion in 2013. The fastball is a major concern, as it will need to stay around 90 to keep Reed out of the "junk-baller" category. Also, having stayed in
college for four years, it can be argued that his window to grow is closing.
The Bottom
Line: The results are there, and he’ll likely dominate A-ball, but
his ability to handle Big League hitters will be in question until he gets the
chance.
Prediction: Jimmy will certainly get picked and likely in
the first half of the draft. If it weren’t for the drop in velocity this year,
he would be a top-5 round selection. But because of that, he’ll likely go
later.
100%
Chance to get picked
Rounds
10-20
Reed explains his decision to return to College Park
Jack Cleary,
C
Sr. Midlothian, VA
The Report: After a
2012 that saw Cleary bat .319 overall and .415 against ACC competition, Jack appeared
to be on many pro radars coming into 2013. But his stock has fallen after a
year to forget at the plate where he hit just .213. He lost some playing time
as well, starting 38 of the team’s 55 games. Cleary was also exposed against
good fastballs, as his swing simply took too long to get through the zone.
However, his defense remained flawless.
The Good: Cleary is
a stellar defensive catcher. He threw out better than 50% of would-be base
stealers his junior year, and his senior numbers were in the same neighborhood.
He had shown steady improvement at the plate in his first three years, showing
his ability to listen to coaches and adapt to the competition level. He already
features a Big League frame at 6-2, 207 pounds and has the power you would
expect for a man that size. He also rarely strikes out, having fanned just 17
times in 122 at-bats.
The Bad: Other than
his susceptibility to fastballs, the only negative to Cleary is his steep
drop-off statistically this year. He failed to square up baseballs on a
consistent basis, popping many pitches up. His age (23) also doesn’t help.
Photo: umterps.com
Cleary has been the Terrapin backstop for four seasons.
The Bottom
Line: This year’s struggles should send Cleary down many draft boards,
to the point where we’d be surprised if he gets picked. If he can figure it out
offensively, someone could get a true professional with some power and a tremendous defensive game.
The
Prediction: Chances to get picked: 10-20%
Jordan
Hagel, RF
Sr. Fairfield, CT
The Report: Hagel has
absolutely zero weaknesses to his game. He is the kind of player you need to
watch over a full season to appreciate what he brings. Hagel hits for average
and power, has good speed, some projectability and is solid on defense. He led
the Maryland team with 21 XBH hits this year despite missing 16 starts with a
broken hand. Cast and all, he continued to contribute by pinch-running late in
games to help his team. I think that says it all about Jordan Hagel.
The Good: Jordan has
improved in each of his four years at Maryland. He led the squad in SLG (.534)
this year and posted an impressive .415 OBP. He led the team in OBP, hits,
doubles and total bases last season, proving to be a consistent .300 hitter in
the nation’s best conference. Hagel also stole 13 bases to complement his power
production. He is freakishly athletic and can be considered a five-tool player
if he continues to develop.
The Bad: He is a
senior with only two full seasons of high-level amateur baseball under his
belt. He tends to take big hacks and is out of control at times, as evidenced
by his high strikeout total this year (35 Ks in 39 starts).
The Bottom
Line: Hagel has been the most underrated player in the Maryland
program the last two years and this panel believes he deserves more
recognition. The numbers speak for themselves.
Photo: Rick Heath (Cotuit Kettleers)
Jordan Hagel playing in the Cape Cod League
Prediction: Hagel has
never been drafted before, which could mean scouts just don’t see him as a pro
prospect. But based on his numbers and strong all-around game, he should get
picked in the late rounds.
Chances
to get picked: 50-60%
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