rallydurham Suspended 11317 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "The Cape Cod League is a scout's dream -- a collection of the best underclassmen in college baseball, all in one league, playing every night in good weather (except for the fog) with wood bats. It's also a harbinger of the quality of the collegiate talent pool for the following summer's draft. However, the 2007 draft-eligible talent on the Cape this year is not as strong as it was in prior years, with the quality of starting pitching a particular disappointment. Few Cape starters this year have solid average fastballs (90-91 mph for a right-hander, a tick less for a lefty), and several teams are starting rising seniors who are already eligible to sign.
The Cape's biggest standout is two-sport star Andrew Brackman, a 6-foot-10 right-hander from North Carolina State who is also seen as a potential selection in the 2007 NBA draft. If he shows he's committed to baseball, however, he's the leading contender to be the top college player selected, with a good shot to be the top overall selection. His mechanics are surprisingly simple and consistent for such a tall pitcher. He has a plus fastball (91-97 mph) and good command, pitching to both sides of the plate. He also has an above-average curve with a hard two-plane break, and he can work with just these two pitches, changing speeds on his fastball as needed, although he flashed a changeup during warm-ups. Tall pitchers with this kind of stuff are supposed to need mechanical work, but Brackman's delivery is already good. There was a rumor floating around the Cape that Brackman plans to drop basketball, realizing that he has a chance to be a star in baseball; but my ESPN.com colleague, Andy Katz, spoke with Brackman's basketball coach at NC State, who was unaware of any such plans. " |
7/29/2006 3:53:23 PM |