Leading up to when the first pick by the Detroit Tigers is announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred shortly after 7 p.m. ET on Monday, June 4, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo will be working the phones, texting and emailing decision-makers in the scouting industry. Along the way, they hear a lot of rumors, buzz, talk of guys with helium and guys sliding. They will bring that information to everyone here in MLBPipeline.com’s Draft Buzz.
Heading into this spring, one of the strengths of the 2018 Draft class appeared to be high school pitching, with a number of high-ceiling arms in consideration for the top half of the first round. But that deep pool was hit by a number of injuries that left more questions than certainties in what is already the highest-risk group of Draft prospects.
Leading up to when the first pick by the Detroit Tigers is announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred shortly after 7 p.m. ET on Monday, June 4, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo will be working the phones, texting and emailing decision-makers in the scouting industry. Along the way, they hear a lot of rumors, buzz, talk of guys with helium and guys sliding. They will bring that information to everyone here in MLBPipeline.com’s Draft Buzz.
Heading into this spring, one of the strengths of the 2018 Draft class appeared to be high school pitching, with a number of high-ceiling arms in consideration for the top half of the first round. But that deep pool was hit by a number of injuries that left more questions than certainties in what is already the highest-risk group of Draft prospects.
:: Complete prospect coverage ::
On Tuesday, a pair of those hurt high school right-handers returned to the mound to try to answer those questions. In Florida, Mason Denaburg, No. 20 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Draft prospects list, was actually making his second appearance since being out for an extended period with a biceps issue. But that first outing, on May 16, was brief and interrupted by rain, with scouts more or less giving him a mulligan.
Tuesday was different. Facing powerhouse American Heritage and potential first-rounder Triston Casas, the right-hander went six scoreless innings and struck out nine, including Casas twice. But one scouting executive on hand summed it up succinctly when asked how Denaburg looked: “Healthy,” he said.
Denaburg threw his fastball in the 87-94 mph range and was able to throw a full allotment of offspeed stuff. His changeup was particularly solid, though he was a bit more inconsistent with his breaking ball. His curve ranged from below average to above average at different times, which is not all that surprising given his time away from the mound.
“He for sure put people more at ease by going six innings,” a scout in attendance said.
Meanwhile in New England, fellow right-hander Mike Vasil (No. 21 on the Top 100) made his first appearance since walking off the mound in April holding his elbow. On a strict pitch count of 50, Vasil made the most of it, striking out six in four scoreless frames.
Video: Draft Report: Mike Vasil, HS pitcher
Vasil threw his fastball in the 90-95 mph range and sat around 92 mph. Like Denaburg, his changeup was very effective, flashing plus, while his curveball was more fringe-average.
Before the injuries, both pitchers’ names were moving up boards and could have even snuck into top 10 pick conversations. While throwing well on Tuesday certainly will help both their stocks, teams will have to be comfortable with the medical information they are provided to decide to take them early. — Jonathan Mayo
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB Pipeline. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanMayo and Facebook, and listen to him on the weekly Pipeline Podcast. Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow @jimcallisMLB on Twitter and listen to him on the weekly Pipeline Podcast.
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