Draft Week: Andy Seiler Profiles Potential Selections

Brandon Workman   Position: RHP   School: Texas   State: TX   Year: Jr.   Height: 6’5’’   Weight: 220

Birth Date: 8/13/88   Seiler Rating: 1B2   Last Drafted: 2007 (PHI-3)

Brandon Workman is a tall right-handed pitcher from the University of Texas. Workman came to Texas from Bowie High School in Bowie, Texas. He was a heavily scouted player in high school, and even though he wasn’t considered one of the elite arms in his high school class, he was still considered one of the most projectable. It turns out that the projection scouts saw has come to fruition. The Phillies spent a third round pick on him in 2007 out of high school, but after a failed attempt to sign him, he’s gone on to have a solid career for the Longhorns, pitching mostly in a swing role until this spring, when he’s been in the rotation. He’s put together a career year, and with a late-season surge, he could be picked in the first half of the first round as a potential number two starter. His fastball isn’t his best pitch, but it’s easily above-average, sitting 90-93, touching 95, and he’s done a better job of command it this spring, which was his weak point coming into school. Having come from a small high school program, he was fairly raw, and the hope of scouts is that he’s going to continue to develop what he’s started in school. His best pitch is a plus to plus-plus curveball that is one of the best pitches from a college pitcher in this class, and he throws an above-average cutter, as well. His changeup is an average pitch without much room for more, but with an effective cutter, he’s effective against left-handed hitters. He should go in the first twenty picks of the draft, though could fall into the early part of the supplemental first round if he’s a backup plan for enough teams. He should garner a slot bonus, and he’s likely to sign quickly.

Alex Wimmers   Position: RHP   School: Ohio State   State: OH   Year: Jr.   Height: 6’2’’   Weight: 195

Birth Date: 11/1/88   Seiler Rating: 1B2   Last Drafted: Never

Alex Wimmers is a polished right-handed pitcher from Ohio State University. Wimmers originally came to Ohio State from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, the famous program that has yielded Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin, in addition to a few more players in this Draft Notebook. Despite coming from a well-known program that has a long history of baseball success, Wimmers wasn’t heavily scouted in high school, and the fact that he was a two-way player clouded his future projection. His frame wasn’t the most desirable, and since he didn’t have a big fastball, he went undrafted and he landed at Ohio State. He pitched well for the Buckeyes from the beginning, first in a late-inning relief role as a freshman, then as a decorated starter as a sophomore, and despite a late-season setback due to a hamstring issue, his junior season has been up expectations, as well. As a pitcher with a pair of excellent offspeed pitches and a solid fastball, he has a number two starter ceiling, though a number three ceiling is a bit more likely. His fastball usually sits 90-92, touching 94, making it above-average due to plus command and above-average movement. He complements his fastball with a plus changeup and plus curveball, and that three pitch combination means he’ll succeed easily at the lower levels of the minor leagues. There’s not much projection left in his frame, though, so what you see is what you get in terms of long-term potential. Despite the injury, he came back healthy late in the year, ensuring a first round selection, and he’s a candidate to go in the top half of the first round to a team that wants a polished pitcher who will sign for slot money.

Matt Harvey   Position: RHP   School: North Carolina   State: NC   Year: Jr.   Height: 6’4’’   Weight: 225

Birth Date: 3/27/89   Seiler Rating: 1B1   Last Drafted: 2007 (LAA-3)

Matt Harvey is a top-level right-handed starting pitcher from the University of North Carolina. Harvey attended high school at Fitch High School in Groton, Connecticut, near the Rhode Island border. He was teammates with fellow 2010 draft prospect Jesse Hahn, though Harvey has been on the national stage far longer. He was known as one of the top arms for the 2007 draft for quite awhile before the draft even rolled around, and it was surprising when he fell all the way to the third round, where the Angels made a run at signing him, only to fail at doing so. He headed to North Carolina thanks to adviser Scott Boras, and after a rocky couple of years to start there, he’s really started fulfilling his potential this spring. Scouts still point to his awful mechanics last year, but he’s improved so much that it seems to be a dead issue, and he projects as a number two starter if things come together exactly right. His fastball is an easy plus pitch, getting some plus-plus grades, as he sits 92-95 most nights and can pump it up to 97, and he holds velocity deep into games, even when asked to throw absurd numbers of pitches. His breaking ball is a potential plus slider, which is distinctly different from the curveball he threw as a prep, which has gone by the wayside. His changeup is only a fringe-average pitch, but he gets by with his two plus pitches with ease. Even with Scott Boras still as his adviser, he’s expected to go in the top twenty picks, and he should command something around $2 million.

Anthony Ranaudo   Position: RHP   School: LSU   State: LA   Year: Jr.   Height: 6’7’’   Weight: 230

Birth Date: 9/9/89   Seiler Rating: 1B1   Last Drafted: 2007 (TEX-11)

Anthony Ranaudo is a high-ceiling right-handed pitcher from Louisiana State University. Ranaudo originally came to LSU from St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey, where he was a promising prospect. He was seen as a typical cold-weather projectable arm, and his big frame led scouts to wonder about what he might become with some innings under his belt. He was a top five rounds candidate leading up to the 2007 draft, but an LSU commitment and a major lack of polish led to him dropping to the Rangers in the eleventh round, and they failed to sign him despite a hard push to do so. At LSU, he was supposed to play a solid bullpen role as a freshman, but elbow tendinitis prevented him from doing so, and he ended up throwing only a dozen innings all year, though they were a dozen impressive innings. When he returned for his sophomore year, he was supposed to step into an important starting role, and he flourished. He became one of the country’s best starters, and he was a key piece to the Tigers winning the College World Series last June. He took the summer off due to a huge workload as a sophomore, and he started the 2010 poised to possibly become the number two overall pick as a potential good number two starter. However, a stress reaction in his elbow led to two months off, and he was ineffective in his return, which threw his draft stock into limbo. When healthy, he features a plus 91-94 mph fastball with excellent movement and downward plane, and he adds in a plus to plus-plus curveball and an above-average changeup. His command took an exceptional leap forward a year ago, and was considered plus coming into the year. With the injury problems and his representation by the Boras Corporation, his draft stock is up in the air, but he’s a first round talent, and he shouldn’t fall lower than the second round, where he’ll receive an over slot bonus.