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It's not a particularly deep year for college pitchers.


At the top of the list are Aaron Crow and Brian Matusz. Both figure to go in the top 10. After that the next tier is Scheppers, Friedrich and Hunt. It's possible that someone(s) in that group is available when the Jays pick at #17. The remaining pitchers are likely late first/sandwich round picks, unless someone takes reliever Josh Fields in the teens.

Here's what they look like:

Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2006 77.2 4.06 7.0 2.3 0.2 11.0
2007 117.2 3.59 6.9 2.5
8.4
2008 83 2.82 11.2 3.1
7.8

Missing bats is always good and Crow has done that a lot more often this year, albeit at the expense of some control.


Brian Matusz, LHP, San Diego:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2006 89 4.25 9.4 3.9 0.3 8.5
2007 123 2.85 11.9 2.7 0.6 7.2
2008 88 2.05 12.5 2.0 0.4 7.7

Statistically I like Matusz better than Crow, and that he's a lefty is a bonus. He's increased his Ks each year while lower his BBs at the same time. You can see the results in his ERA.


Tanner Scheppers, RHP, Fresno St:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2006 15 9.00 9.6 9.0 0.0 10.2
2007 93 4.74 9.1 3.1 0.8 10.3
2008 70.2 2.93 14.0 4.4 0.5 6.9

Lots of Ks here. The big surge has come at the expense of some control, but if you can get that under control you're onto something. The big problem now is that Sheppers has a shoulder injury. Initially it was doubtful that he make it to the Jays at #17, but now it looks like he could drop a lot, particularly with an odd (shoulder fracture) injury.


Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2007 81.2 2.09 11.2 4.0 0.4 4.9

Good numbers, although the walks are a little high. Competition at E Kentucky isn't the best so take those numbers with a grain of salt.


Shooter Hunt, RHP, Tulane:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2006 34.1 4.72 8.7 4.0 1.6 9.2
2007 99.2 2.62 9.4 2.7 0.3 7.7
2008 77.2 1.97 12.2 4.9 0.5 4.4

Like Scheppers, Hunt has increased his Ks, but at the expense of some control. The hits per 9 innings is ridiculously low.


Josh Fields, RHP, Georgia:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2005 27 7.00 16.3 4.0 0.3 8.7
2006 50 1.80 10.1 2.0 0.0 6.5
2007 38.1 4.46 10.6 5.7 0.7 8.0
2008 27.1 0.66 16.3 5.6 0.0 2.3

Here's your college closer that'll go in round 1 this year. Fields was in the draft last year, but didn't sign. Back for his senior year he's been almost impossible to score on, but the BBs are a concern.


Andrew Cashner, RHP, TCU:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2008 43.1 2.08 13.6 5.0 0.4 2.9

The next closer on the list and pretty similar to Fields - high Ks, high BBs. He was a junior college transfer so there's only one year to look at.


Lance Lynn, RHP, Mississippi:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2006 85.1 4.96 8.0 5.4 0.8 9.2
2007 123.1 2.85 10.7 3.2 0.7 6.9
2008 73.1 3.68 10.8 2.7 1.4 8.5

Looks pretty solid across the board, although a few more HRs than you'd like.


Ryan Perry, RHP, Arizona:
Year Innings ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 H/9
2006 34.1 7.34 4.8 3.7 1.3 14.5
2007 34 6.35 9.3 3.4 0.3 12.4
2008 60.2 3.56 9.0 1.9 0.9 7.8

A nice improvement with his control this year, and his hits allowed are down. Makes you think he made some sort of adjustment to improve like that.
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As mentioned above, the players the Jays could be in line for in Round 1 (#17) are Scheppers (although an injury concern now), Friedrich and Hunt. If Friedrich and Hunt are off the board it's pretty likely that the Jays would go with a bat (and might even if they are around).
College Pitchers in the Upcoming Draft | 4 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
ayjackson - Monday, May 19 2008 @ 10:55 AM EDT (#185534) #

Unless Hunt or Scheppers fall to #17, I can't see us taking (pray as much) a college pitcher in the first.  Friedrich as a college lefty with command issues has that been there, done that feel to it.  As for Fields and Cashner - we seem to do a good job of developing relievers from later rounds.  It just seems like a waste to draft one in the first.

The other pitchers listed here (aside from Crow and Matusz) are likely a reach for #17.

It's really looking like a college first baseman or one of the two-way prepsters to me.

ayjackson - Tuesday, May 20 2008 @ 12:36 PM EDT (#185601) #

Jays fans might want to familiarize themselves with Langley's Brett Lawrie who may be enticing to the boys at Rogers.  Here's the MiLB scouting report and here's Ask BA and Jim Callis' comments.

Pistol - Tuesday, May 20 2008 @ 01:02 PM EDT (#185604) #
The draft looks pretty good for the top 12 picks or so.  Then from there there's a bunch of players that don't really jump out at you.  So if no one drops to the Jays at #17 (Hunt, Wallace, Alonso) I could see them going with Lawrie instead of someone like Connor Gillespie or Christian Friedrich who would project as a good, but not great, players.

BA's first mock draft had Lawrie going at #27.

I'm going to be doing a blog mock draft (run by Future Redbirds) and I think that's what 'my' decision will come down to (the mock draft, I believe, is trying to mimic what will happen come draft day). 
ayjackson - Wednesday, May 21 2008 @ 07:46 PM EDT (#185670) #
There's a good discussion going on over at Sickels site regarding the ASU slugging prospects, Ike Davis and Brett Wallace.  I like some of the comments regarding Wallace - strike zone discipline, short power stroke and slugging despite not always receiving the best pitches.
College Pitchers in the Upcoming Draft | 4 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.