2005 June Draft

Baseball America has offered its Early Draft Preview for the 2005 June Draft and they have done a very nice job, which they always do. We at Baseball Examiner will focus in on those who are potential first-round selections.

It's only February and plenty will change between now and May and then even a lot more will change as May turns to June. The final week will see plenty of roller coaster "stock up" and "stock down." But before we get to that volatile time, this is how things look.

Let's breakdown the top prospects into the four primary draft demographics: college pitchers, college position players, high school pitchers and high school position players. The number in parentheses next to the rank is their ranking in Baseball America's top 30 overall. 

College Pitchers

At 6'7", Mike Pelfrey's tall frame and good command enable him to be one of the most effective hard throwers in the draft, perhaps the first pitcher taken. Luke Hochevar, returning from an injury-plagued 2004, and Wade Townsend, sitting out a year after failing to sign with the Orioles last year, will both be a bit of question marks as to what they'll be come draft time. Mark McCormick could possibly out-radar gun the rest of the draft class, but he must stay under control. Craig Hansen could move quickly through someone's system as a reliever.

College Hitters

College position players is by far the deepest of all the groups in terms of potential first-round selections. Alex Gordon's bat and power in addition to his third base skills put him at the top of the list. Tyler Greene (ss, #2), Ryan Zimmerman (3b, #5) and Taylor Teagarden (c, #8) are defensive standouts, but will they hit? Jeff Clement (c, #3), Stephen Head (1b, #6) and John Mayberry (1b, #7) possess great power potential.

High School Pitchers

Always the most dangerous draft demographic, there aren't the standout arms this year to tempt teams to take a top 10 pick on a high school pitcher. Should be more like 2003 (only 3 first-rounders) than 2002 (7) or 2001 (9). This could be the first time since 1998 that a high school arm would not be selected in the first 10 picks. This means even the tools-oriented teams may draft more from the college ranks, crowding the Moneyball gang for talent.

High School Hitters

Rank	Player	Pos.	Hometown
1.  (1)	Justin Upton	ss-of	Chesapeake, VA
2.  (2)	Cameron Maybin	of	Arden, NC
3. (15)	Justin Bristow	ss (rhp)	Richmond, VA
4. (17)	Jordan Danks	of	Round Rock, TX
5. (23)	Andrew McCutchen	of	Fort Meade, FL
6. (26)	Austin Jackson	of	Denton, TX
7. (27)	Brandon Snyder	c-ss	Centreville, VA
8. (28)	Henry Sanchez	1b	San Diego, CA
9. (30)	David Adams	3b	Margate, FL
10.	Ike Davis	1b (lhp)	Scottsdale, AZ

Justin Upton and Cameron Maybin overshadow the rest of the high school class. They may be two of the top picks, then another high schooler may not be taken until the middle of the first round. Scouts have been drooling over Upton for 3 years now, just waiting for the day he is draft eligible. Maybin brings a temendous athletic package to the table.

Baseball America's top 30 rankings can be broken down as follows:

As we can see, the hitters outrank their pitching counterparts on every level while collegians do the same with the high school ranks. The result? It looks to be a hitter-friendly, college-focused draft.

Well, at least for now. We'll see how it changes later in the spring.