2011 Pirates Draft Class.

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2011 Pirates Draft Class.

Post by Cardinals »

In typical fashion, I dealt away my picks trying to win the WS, but at least I got a pennant out of it. Silver linings!

But this time, I traded back into the top five, then of course to the top pick, thus saving a draft class for me.

No. 1 - Yu Darvish
Scouting Report: Darvish has the stuff, aggressiveness and durability that scouts look for in a frontline starter. His best pitch is a fastball that sits at 92-95 mph and touched 99 when he worked in relief at the WBC. His heater plays up because of its quality life and command. He can throw a two-seamer with hard sink and cut his fastball as well. Darvish's second-best offering is a plus slider in the low 80s that he'll use in any count. He throws two versions of a curveball, a harder version to get swings and misses and a slower version to get ahead in the count. He also mixes in a 90-91 mph splitter and a changeup, and all of his pitches grade as at least 60s on the 20-80 scouting scale when they're on. Darvish stands tall in his delivery and possesses good athleticism that allows him to consistently repeat his delivery and command his pitches. His stuff also should be firm enough for him to challenge hitters rather than nibble around the edges. He's strong and physical, which should allow him to handle the rigors of pitching every fifth day in a U.S. rotation. However, he made only one of his 28 starts in Japan last year following four days of rest; the remainder came after five or more days off. The main knock against Darvish earlier in his career was a tendency to fall in love with his secondary pitches, but he was more aggressive with his fastball in 2011, when offense in Japan plunged because of reduced lighting (stemming from the Fukushima nuclear accident) and less lively balls. "He is better prepared to get guys out over here in the States," Padres Pacific Rim scouting coordinator Trevor Schumm said. "He is not like some of the Japanese pitchers in the past with decent fastballs that just do not use it enough."

The Future: The Rangers failed to retain Cliff Lee after the 2010 season and C.J. Wilson after 2011, but Darvish gives them a No. 1 starter for the foreseeable future. While Japanese pitchers such as Hideo Nomo and Matsuzaka had short-lived success in the United States, Darvish appears to be built for the long haul. Just 25, he's coming to Texas at the peak of his career and immediately will step to the front of the Rangers rotation.
#89 - Amir Garrett
Garrett has quickly gone from being unknown to being a legitimate prospect in two sports. He didn't start playing organized basketball until his freshman year but jumped onto the varsity from day one. He has grown into a 6-foot-6 wing player with explosive leaping ability and has committed to St. John's. He is also interested in playing baseball. While playing on a travel basketball team last summer, Garrett made time to pitch in the Tournament of Stars, flashing upper 80s velocity from the windup, dipping 8-10 mph from the stretch. His athleticism has allowed him to make great strides this spring even though he hasn't played for a team. He has a throwing program that incorporates yoga, long-toss and resistance training and started throwing bullpens and stretching his arm out. When basketball season ended, he ramped up his baseball workouts and has been throwing for scouts. In early May, he threw for a group of scouts in Las Vegas and sat 90-94 mph while touching 96. He also flashed a changeup with life in the lower 80s and has shown flashes of a usable curveball. Everything is, understandably, a work in progress for Garrett but his athleticism from the left side is impossible to ignore.
#134 - James Harris
Outfielder James Harris looks great in a uniform with his 6-foot-1, 175-pound athletic frame. He's raw and may need two years in Rookie ball, but he has huge upside. Harris is an explosive athlete. He is a well above-average runner, with a 37-inch vertical leap, and can fly on the bases and in center field. He has below-average arm strength, but enough for center field. A righthanded hitter, Harris is patient at the plate, trying to get on base any way possible, and some scouts wonder if he's actually too passive. He also shows some raw power. Harris has not committed to a college, so he should be signable.
The theme here so far is pretty easy to see: Darvish helps immediately and actually looks like the real deal for once from Japan, and then a lot of high upside/high risk after that in Garrett and Harris.
12, 14, 15, 17, 22
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