Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Looking at the 2015 Draft: 5th Best Prospect



Continuing our look at the 2015 MLB First Year Players Draft we take a look at the #5 ranked prospect expected to enter the draft. As always we will include the mini scouting report from MLB.com as we introduce the #5 prospect, Nathan Kirby. Kirby is a LHP and Junior currently spending his time at Vanderbilt University. 



Here is the write up from MLB.com:


Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55


After pitching out of the bullpen in 2013, Kirby became Virginia's No. 1 starter and shared Atlantic Coast Conference pitcher-of-the-year honors last spring. He threw an 18-strikeout no-hitter against Pittsburgh and emerged as the best prospect on a Cavaliers team that finished second at the College World Series and featured a first-round pick (Nick Howard) and two supplemental first-rounders (Derek Fisher, Mike Papi).

A Virginia high school product who removed himself from the 2012 Draft, Kirby has a 90-94 mph fastball that plays up because of its life and angle and his ability to work it to both sides of the plate. He backs it up with one of the better sliders in college baseball, and he also can throw opponents off balance with his changeup.

Kirby usually fills the strike zone, though his control disintegrated in the opener of the CWS finals when he walked five batters in the third inning against Vanderbilt. Though he had been named to the U.S. collegiate national team, he opted to take the summer off and focused on adding 20 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame.

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4.
5. Nathan Kirby
6. Kyle Funkhouser
7. Kolby Allard
8. Daz Cameron
9. Dansby Swanson
10. Ashe Russell
11. Justin Hooper
12. Carson Fulmer
13. Alex Bregman
14. Nick Plummer
15. Trenton Clark
16. Ian Happ
17. Phil Bickford
18. Mike Nikorak
19. Kyle Cody
20. Cody Ponce
21. Riley Ferrell
22. Chris Betts
23. James Kaprielian
24. Jake Lemoine
25. Beau Burrows
26. Richie Martin
27. Kyle Tucker
28. D.J. Stewart

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