The Toronto Blue Jays have seven of the first 78 draft picks in the upcoming 2011 Major League Baseball Draft and it should be interesting to see Anthopoulos’ staff’s strategy, so here’s a quick list of the potential names that the Toronto Blue Jays could draft with the 21st overall pick tomorrow night.
Levi Michael, 2B/SS, North Carolina
- Currently a junior at the University of North Carolina, Michael has been a three year starter for the Tar Heels and looks to be one of the first middle infielders off the board in the 2011 MLB draft (behind high-school SS, Francisco Lindor). Michael, who is currently 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, projects more as a 2B at the next level but many scouts feel he could be a serviceable SS. The switch-hitting middle infielder lead his team in almost every offensive category during in sophomore campaign producing .346/.480/.575 line with 9 HR’s and 20 SB’s in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Many scouts have raved about his patience at the plate which is evident with his 46:37 walk-to-strikeout ratio this season. Look for Michael to carry the #3 Tar Heels deep into the College World Series in the next couple weeks.
Jackie Bradley, OF, South Carolina
- Bradley, who is a junior at the University of South Carolina, has been a three year starter for the Gamecocks. Many will remember Bradley from the College World Series last year in Omaha where he won the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Bradley, who is currently 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, was on the fast track to becoming a Top 5 pick (behind the likes of Cole, Rendon, Starling, and Hultzen) until he broke his wrist on a diving catch in late April. Like Michael, Bradley is also a switch-hitter who finished his sophomore campaign with a .368/.473/.587 line with 13 HR’s and 7 SB’s in the South Eastern Conference. Many scouts believe that Bradley projects to be an above average CF defensively. A fun fact about Bradley, during his senior year in high-school, he attended the Perfect Game showcase and amazed scouts by tying the Perfect Game record with a 101 mph throw from the outfield.
Josh Bell, OF, Dallas Jesuit High School
- Bell, who is a senior at Dallas Jesuit High School, is currently committed to attend the University of Texas next fall. Under the new “Anthopoulos” regime, the organization seems to be going after many high upside/high risk players which it looks like the category Bell would fall under. Bell (who is a Scott Boras client) has recently made news in the media when he sent Major League Baseball a letter reaffirming his commitment to the Longhorns which may lower his draft stock (as he will be a hard sign) to the late 1st round when the Blue Jays are selecting. Bell, who is currently 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds (and will potentially fill out even more at the next level whether it be minor league baseball or collegiate baseball), hit .573 with 12 HR’s and 47 RBI’s in 32 games for his high-school. Scouts rave about his ability to hit with power from both sides of the plate and think his power numbers in high-school can definitely translate at the next level.
Daniel Norris, SP, Johnson City: Science Hill High School
- One of the many high-school arms in the upcoming draft, Norris is a left-handed pitcher who is a senior at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, and is currently committed to attend the University of Clemson next fall. The left-handed thrower Norris, who is 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, has electric stuff featuring an arsenal of a fastball, changeup, curveball and slider (which looks more like a sweeping slurve). At the Perfect Game showcase, Norris topped out at 96 MPH but routinely hovers around 92-95 MPH with movement during his starts. His curveball, which is his best secondary pitch, is very sharp and has a lot of depth to it even though its clocked around 74-76 MPH. Many scouts consider Norris’ curveball to be his strikeout pitch. Norris’ third pitch is his changeup which usually clocked in the low 80’s (which is the drop of velocity needed for a changeup to be successful at the next level). Norris’ changeup flashed plus quality to it with outstanding arm side movement when it crosses the plate. Many scouts believe that Norris’ changeup could become his best secondary pitch off his fastball which is essential in becoming successful at the next level. Look for Anthopoulos to seriously consider Norris (as he does have a track record of selecting pitchers in the 1st round) if he’s still on the draft board at the 21st overall pick.
Taylor Guerrieri, SP, Spring Valley High School
- Another high-school arm in which is being called the “deepest” draft in recent memory, Guerrieri is a right-handed pitcher who is a senior at Spring Valley High School in North Augusta, South Carolina, and is currently committed to attend the University of South Carolina next fall. The right-handed thrower Guerrieri, who is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, has outstanding stuff and is considered to be the best high-school arm (along with Dylan Bundy) in the upcoming draft. But like Josh Bell, Guerrieri will be a hard sign as he seems very serious about attending the University of South Carolina in the fall. But as Anthopoulos has shown in the past, he’s willing to spend over slot on particular players that have high upside. Guerrieri’s fastball has topped out at 95 MPH while it consistently sits 92-95 MPH during his start. Guerrieri’s best secondary pitch like many high-school arms in this draft is his curveball. His curveball is sharp, comes from the same arm slot as his fastball which can be very deceiving to the hitter and sits in the low 80’s. Guerrieri is mostly a two pitch pitcher but he does throw a changeup that he needs to work on to become successful at the next level.
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