Nationals Farm Authority

• Future Focus - Catchers
• Future Focus - First Basemen
• Future Focus - Second Baseman
• Future Focus - Third Baseman
• Future Focus - Shortstop
• Future Focus - Outfield
• Future Focus - RH Pitchers

As a reminder, the Nats picks are as follows:

• 1st round: #9
• 2nd round: #55
• 3rd round: #87
• 4th round & out: #121 +30 (i.e. 151, 181, etc)

The first nine picks are

1. Tampa Bay
2. Pittsburgh
3. Kansas City
4. Baltimore
5. San Francisco
6. Florida
7. Cincinnati
8. Chicago White Sox
9. Washington

The number of total picks in each round is as follows:

• 1st round: 1-30
• Supplemental 1st: 31-46
• 2nd round: 47-78 (two extra picks due to unsigned 2007 2nd rounders)
• 3rd round: 79-108
• Supplemental 3rd: 109-112
• 4th round: 113-142
• 5th round and on: +30 to each end

The last group I’m going to look at are the lefthanded pitchers. The Nationals made a serious splash last year drafting three of the top southpaws. Ross Detwiler, Josh Smoker, and Jack McGeary gave the Nationals an impressive array of arms to restock the system depth. With the top part of the draft and the #9 pick, there is only one name worthy of selection, San Diego lefthanded pitcher Brian Matusz. With assistance from Perfect Game Crosschecker (PGCC), Baseball America (BBA), and MiLB.com, here are 9 of the top LHPs who will be available in next month’s draft:

1. Brian Matusz - The 21-year old Matusz was the top arm entering the 2008 season and has done little to disprove that during his season at the University of San Diego. He went 10-2 with a 2.05 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 13 starts with 122 strikeouts over 88IP. BBA scouting report … ”he has a fastball that sits at 90-93 mph, Matusz doesn’t pitch off it, instead using his above-average offspeed stuff to set up his fastball. His curveball is already a plus pitch, and he shows the ability to locate it to either side of the plate. His slider grades out as at least average. Matusz also liberally uses his above-average changeup, one of the finest on the West Coast in years. Mechanically, he’s tight and compact, though his arm action is a bit awkward and slightly stiff.” There have been numerous links between Matusz and the Baltimore Orioles at #4. There is little chance he’ll still be on the board at #9.
2. Christian Friedrich - Another collegian, the 20-year old Friedrich was 5-1 over 10 starts for Eastern Kentucky with a 1.78 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP with 86K in 65 2/3IP. BBA scouting report … ”He now maintains solid-average 89-91 mph velocity throughout a game and can touch 94, but his money pitch is an over-the-top curveball with huge 12-to-6 break. Blisters have periodically bothered Friedrich this spring, so he has been using his slider more than he has in the past, and it has become a weapon at 80-82 mph. He also has a decent changeup that he’ll need to incorporate more often in pro ball. While Friedrich throws strikes and can command his fastball to both sides of the plate, he sometimes leaves it up in the zone. He gets away with a lot of those mistakes because his deceptive delivery and the fear of his curveball allow his fastball to get on hitters quickly.” He’s a slight reach at #9 but will likely come off the board quickly after that in the 10-15 range.
3. Brett DeVall - The first high schooler on the list, the 18-year old DeVall has committed to the University of Georgia but is likely to sign if drafted within the first 50 or so picks. BBA scouting report … ”has the ideal pitcher’s build and has an advanced understanding of how to pitch. His delivery and arm action are sound as he repeats his mechanics, leading to his plus command of three pitches. The velocity on his fastball typically stays between 88-89 mph but can touch the low 90s. His curveball has the makings of an average pitch at the very least and his changeup is advanced for a high school pitcher. While he has feel for each of his three pitches, none of them is presently labeled as an out pitch. DeVall is projected as a third or fourth starter at the big league level.” He is likely to come off the board in the supplemental first round. If he’s still hanging around at #55, he’s an interesting option for the Nationals to further deepen their pool of LHSPs.
4. Wade Miley - The 21-year old Miley was 5-3 with a 3.84 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 94K over 79 2/3IP. BBA scouting report … ”he owns three pitches that grade as plus when at their best. His top offering is an 80-84 mph slider that he can bury down and in against righthanders. He sits at 89-92 mph with his fastball and can reach 94-95 mph, though his heater flattens out at high-end velocity. His changeup is his third pitch, and his 75-77 mph curveball shows some potential. Miley has a sound delivery and a strong 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame.” His handedness will likely take him off the board in the supplemental first round. Another option for the Nationals at #55 as a serious value pick.
5. Mike Montgomery - The next high school lefty is the 18-year old Montgomery from California. He has committed to Cal State Fullerton. PGCC scouts say, “The long and athletic Montgomery has taken the mantle of the most projectable high school pitcher in the draft.” BBA scouting report .. ”he has a long, athletic build that attracts scouts. So does his fastball, which sits in the 88-92 mph range and peaks at 94. His high quality secondary offerings include a sharp, if slow, 71-72 mph curveball and a 79-81 mph changeup with sudden late drop. Montgomery will need to correct a series of subtle mechanical deficiencies that tend to impede his command, but when those problems are solved, he profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation starter.” He’s all about projectablitiy and a team with multiple early selections might gamble on him in the supplemental first round. I’m not sure he is a worthwhile gamble for the Nationals at #55 given their lack of high level pitching.
6. Robbie Ross - The Kentucky high school lefty might not have the size scouts look for but he has delivered on the mound when a challenge has arisen. BBA scouting report … ”a lefty with pitches and polish. He sits at 90-92 mph and touched 94 with his fastball, and his secondary pitches and command are just as impressive. He shows a hard slider and nice feel for a changeup, and he pounds the strike zone. The only knock on Ross is that he’s just 6 feet tall, but he generates his quality stuff via athleticism and arm speed, rather than effort.” He seems likely to be around when the Nationals select at #55 but as with Ross, I’m not sure he’s a gamble worth taking at #55.
7. Kyle Lobstein - The 18-year old Arizona high schooler has climbed draft boards this year. His commitment to Arizona and a reported seven figure bonus demand in the second round might scare some teams away. BBA scouting report … ”He flashed an average fastball that bumped 92 mph, a promising curveball with great spin and a solid-average circle changeup. His arm still works just as well this spring, and his 6-foot-3, 185-pound athletic frame remains projectable, but Lobstein hasn’t dominated inferior northern Arizona competition, and scouts’ ardor for him had cooled. His fastball was topping out at 90 mph and usually sitting at 87-88, fringe-average even for a lefthander. Despite his clean arm, his velocity hasn’t jumped, and neither of his secondary pitches have been quite as sharp as they were last summer.” If his demands lead to a slide into later rounds, an intriguing gamble.
8. Anthony Gose - The 17-year old Gose is the final of the two-way players I’ve profiled. While he prefers a future as an outfielder, scouts believe his best position is on the mound. BBA scouting report … ”Gose’s blistering fastball ranges from 92-96 mph, peaking at 97. Both his frame and four-seam fastball draw legitimate comparisons to both Scott Kazmir and Billy Wagner. In professional baseball, Gose will need to improve and sharpen both his 77 mph curve and 75 mph changeup. Gose profiles as a lefthanded closer or set-up man, since he loses significant velocity as a game progresses. He’ll also need to clean up his mechanics and learn to slow down his frantic pace.” Gose is committed to Arizona and his preference to be an OF might scare some teams off. If the Nationals believe in him as either an OF or LHP, he’s valued right around the #55 selection.
9. Daniel Schlereth - The 22-year old Arizona lefthander is the son of former FL offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst, Mark Schlereth. He was 1-0 with a 1.97 ERA out of the bullpen for the University of Arizona with 65K in 45 2/3 IP. BBA scouting rpeort … ”Schlereth finds the strike zone more consistently with his 90-94 mph fastball and at times has more velocity, sometimes sitting 94-96. His power breaking ball is a swing-and-miss pitch” His future is in the bullpen and a team might consider him with a late first round selection as a close to the majors option. His value is probably more the early second round, right around where the Nationals select at #55.