Usually around now the excitement for the draft would be at its peak and we would start getting daily mock drafts from the different trusted sources around the industry. With the draft pushed back to mid-July, we are still quite some time away from getting into that rush of mock drafts. The high school seasons for the most part are done already, but we do have some draft news from the past week concerning the top names this year, so here’s a quick update.
Vanderbilt played #12 ranked Ole Miss on Friday and lost. They had Jack Leiter on the mound in that big game. He had an average start considering the strength of the opposition. He went 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks, with eight strikeouts. He threw 105 pitches and also plunked two batters. He has a 2.28 ERA in 83 innings, with 36 walks and 135 strikeouts, to go along with a .128 BAA.
Kumar Rocker has really dropped from #1 consideration it appears, but he’s still a top 5-6 name in the draft and he will have more chances to shine on the big stage. However, his start against Arkansas on Thursday did him no favors. He lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing five runs on four hits and four walks, with six strikeouts. He has a 2.86 ERA in 91.1 innings, with 31 walks, 135 strikeouts and a .165 BAA.
The other college name getting first overall mentions is Louisville catcher Henry Davis. He played two games this week. On Tuesday he went 2-for-5 with two solo homers against Clemson. On Thursday, he went 3-for-7 with a homer in a 12-inning loss to Georgia Tech. Through 50 games, he is hitting .370/.482/.663 with nine doubles, 15 homers, 31 walks and ten steals.
One other note about college players and it’s a player we planned to get into here, but he dropped from the top too fast and hasn’t recovered. Miami catcher Adrian Del Castillo was a top three name at one point and he was top five not too long ago. He doesn’t get those mentions anymore. Through 51 games, he is hitting .284/.388/.411, with 13 doubles and three homers in 190 at-bats. He had a .995 OPS as a freshman and he was at a 1.025 OPS when things were shut down last year after 16 games.
