After amassing an entire one pick yesterday, we should certainly see more action on the second day of the draft for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, I have to work today, which will mean I will not be able to contribute too much to the discussion, but I hope to be able to lob in a few scouting reports, etc. especially for the first few picks as we go through the day. As before, please feel free to post links to interesting pieces on any of our selections in the comments, and I'll try to incorporate snippets as appropriate.
Picks 2-10:
Round 2 (#56): James Bradley: RHP, Nitro HS, WV
Round 3 (#88): Robert Rowland: RHP, Cloverdale HS, CA
Round 4 (#121): Kevin Munson: RHP, James Madison
Round 5 (#151): Cody Wheeler: LHP, Coastal Carolina
Round 6 (#181): Blake Perry: RHP, The Pendleton School HS, KY
Round 7 (#211): Jeffrey Shields: RHP, Chattahoochee Valley CC
Round 8 (#241): Tyler Green: RHP, Brazoswood High School, TX
Round 9 (#271) Zachary Waters, SS, U San Diego
Round 10 (#301): Kawika Emley-Pai: C, Lewis-Clark State
Round 2 (#56): James Bradley: RHP, Nitro HS, WV
Not got much on Bradley, except the following
J.R. Bradley, a senior pitcher-infielder from Nitro, has been selected as the Gatorade baseball player of the year in West Virginia. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Bradley, who has signed with North Carolina State, leads the Wildcats in pitching (12-0, 0.67 ERA) and hitting (.500, 12 homers, 51 RBIs).
Seems like a bit of a reach again for the Diamondbacks:
"I'd heard from Arizona,'' Bradley said. "But what I was hearing is I'd go in the third to fifth rounds. I was sitting here watching [the draft] and heard my name. I was like, 'Did I hear that right?' Then my name popped up [via a graphic]. I'll take it.'' Bradley has hired agent Joe Bick of Cincinnati to represent him in negotiations. "I talked to [Arizona representatives] and they said they'd be coming in the end of the week,'' Bradley said. "We'll see what can be done and try to work a deal out.''
Another quote [this one comes out of a Google cached page, so is hard to link to!]
"Just by the amount of upper-level guys that are here should tell you something," one scout, who wished to remain anonymous, said. "That's a good thing. He's going to go high, probably in the first five rounds. The only questions right now are money and his signability. It's going to depend on how bad he wants to go to school. I know he wants to turn pro but it's something we're going to have to wait and see... Really the only reason J.R. would slip out of the top five rounds would be if there would be a problem getting him signed,"
Round 3 (#88): Robert Rowland: RHP, Cloverdale HS, CA
Cloverdale's Rowland pitches perfect game
Cloverdale senior Robby Rowland added to his laundry list of athletic accomplishments Wednesday by tossing a perfect game in a 2-0 win at Clear Lake. Rowland, a 6-foot-6 right-hander who has signed with Oregon, struck out 13 and needed just 71 pitches — 53 strikes — to record the first perfect game of his career.
Rowland, who is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, has thrown 27 scoreless innings this season — allowing four walks, nine hits (all singles) and striking out 49. “When I was warming up, I really wasn't feeling it,” said Rowland, a basketball star who is the Empire's all-time leading boys' scorer. “I couldn't get on top of the ball and nothing felt right. But once I took the hill, I zoned in.” About a dozen major-league scouts attended Wednesday's game
Video of Rowland from BaseballBeginnings.com - "Robby Rowland was just getting started when I had this look. He had the makings of a right-handed power arm with the durable body type and the right arm speed."
Round 4 (#121): Kevin Munson: RHP, James Madison
John Sickels, Minor League Ball
Munson's 95-97 MPH heater and nasty slider give him overpowering stuff, though a high-effort delivery and concerns about his durability will likely confine him to relief as a pro. He's done great in that role this spring, with a 0.76 ERA and a 51/17 K/BB in 35 innings for James Madison, allowing only 18 hits with six saves. He is a first-day option for any team looking to add a power arm to their farm system relief corps.
He needs to tighten up his motion, and he throws with some effort, but he has two good pitches that really work for him in a bullpen role. Munson's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range Wednesday and he spotted it well. He also threw an 80-83 mph slider with good run that he both throw for strikes and get hitters to chase out of the zone. Munson was excellent in a middle relief role for Bourne this summer and was one of the better short relievers in the Cape League. His fastball-slider combination he is well-suited for a bullpen role. Munson’s fastball sits in the 92-94 mph range, but with his average size at six-foot-two-inches tall, 180 and the effort in his delivery, his velocity may be just about maxed out. His slider sits in the 80-82 mph range and is a good pitch he can both throw for strikes and get hitters to chase out of the strike-zone.
More to follow...