In the weeks leading
up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a detailed overview
of each state in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, as
well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will list the
state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best tools, as
well as providing mini-scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2 players.
Oklahoma State-by-State List
Oklahoma
Overview:
Projected
First-Rounders Bundy, Bradley Highlight Banner Year in Oklahoma
Oklahoma may never again
see as much draft-eligible baseball talent as was on display across
the state this spring. For sure, there won’t be a pair of prep
pitching prospects that are as talented as fireballing righthanders
Dylan Bundy of Owasso High and Archie Bradley of nearby Broken Arrow
High.
Both are near-slam dunks
to go in the top half of the first round.
The talented duo, who are
close friends and have known each other since they were eight years
old, drew national media attention all spring to their respective
high schools, which are located about 20 minutes apart in suburban
Tulsa.
Though Bundy and Bradley
never went head-to-head during the 2011 season, that was more by fate
as they were scheduled to face each other in a highly-anticipated
matchup in April, only for that game to be rained out. There was a
chance they would lock horns in the state 6-A championship game, but
that never materialized either as Bundy would have worked on short
rest to make that potential showdown a reality.
Bradley ultimately gained
the upper hand on Bundy as he pitched Broken Arrow (36-2), ranked No.
1 in the state, to a 4-0 win over Owasso (37-2), the consensus No. 1
team in the country. He allowed just two hits while striking out 14,
and fanned Bundy three times, once on a 98-mph fastball.
For most of the spring,
Bundy was the main attraction. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound righthander
showcased the kind of stuff that has rarely, if ever been seen in a
high-school pitcher. Bundy regularly pitched in the 95-97 mph range
and touched the magic 100-mph mark on a number of occasions.
Beyond just pure
velocity, Bundy’s arsenal includes three quality secondary pitches
that he can throw for strikes almost at will, including a hard,
biting 90-91 mph cutter. He demonstrated the type of command and
composure usually only seen in a polished professional pitcher, and
veteran Midwest scouts said he might have been the best pitcher they
had ever scouted.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound
Bradley got off to a slower start this spring than Bundy, due in part
to his commitment to football. He was a star quarterback for Broken
Arrow High during the fall, and has a commitment to Oklahoma to play
football. Bradley’s pace gradually warmed up with the weather and
by the end of the year he was throwing in the 94-97-mph range
consistently, with perhaps the best high-school curve ball in the
country, a low- to mid-80s hammer with hard, sharp, biting action and
plenty of depth.
While Bundy and Bradley
both appear destined to be picked among the first 5-10 selections,
with Bundy a distinct possibility to go No. 1 overall, the state is
so deep in high-school talent this year that as many as six Oklahoma
players could be picked in the first three rounds. A year ago, a
total of just five drafted players came from Oklahoma high schools,
and just one in the first 12 rounds.
The dominating
performances by both Bundy and Bradley served to largely overshadow
the otherwise-impressive showing of other top prospects in the state,
notably Deer Creek High righthander Michael Fulmer, who steadily
climbed draft boards this spring, though in relative obscurity.
Prior to the 2011 season,
Fulmer was a solid prospect with an 88-91 mph fastball and a hard,
downer curveball. He seemed resigned to continuing his developing
baseball career at Arkansas, but a jump of 5 mph in velocity this
spring has put Fulmer squarely into the sandwich- to second-round
mix.
As often happens when
premium high-school prospects attract scouts from all areas of the
country, lesser prospects can often be the primary beneficiaries. In
the case of Bundy, Bradley and Fulmer, each has at least one teammate
that got significant exposure that could elevate them into the top 10
rounds.
In the case of Bundy and
Bradley, it was their own batterymates, Drew Stiner and Dylan Delso,
respectively. For Fulmer, that player was shortstop Brian Anderson.
Broken Arrow righthander Mason Hope also benefitted from having
Bradley as his team’s primary attraction as scouts would often stay
over to see him pitch, effectively killing two birds on one trip.
The Oklahoma college crop
doesn’t possess the same kind of star-quality talent. Nonetheless,
the contributions of their draftable talent enabled Oklahoma and
Oklahoma State, the state’s marquee Division I programs, to firmly
position themselves for NCAA regional bids.
Both the Sooners (40-15)
and Cowboys (34-21) should produce at least 3-4 players apiece that
could crack the top 10 rounds of the draft. The top three projected
college drafts—Oklahoma State closer Chris Marlowe (Blue Jays/21st
round), Oklahoma righthander Burch Smith (Indians/20th
round), Oklahoma third baseman Garrett Buechele (Rangers/18th
round)—were all selected a year ago, and clearly helped themselves
with an extra year in college.
The two Oklahoma
colleges, though, faced their share of challenges.
Oklahoma raced off to a
16-0 start against a soft early schedule, but found the going tougher
in Big 12 Conference play, posting just a 14-11 conference mark.
Senior righthander Michael Rocha (10-3, 1.82) has been the staff ace
all year, but the 6-foot-5 Smith (9-3, 3.91), whose fastball
routinely reaches the mid-90s, stands out as the team’s top
prospect. Even Sooners freshman lefthander Jordan John (4-0, 2.68),
who missed last season while recuperating from Tommy John surgery,
could work his way into early-round condideration as he has a solid
four-pitch mix with a high-degree of pitchability. He probably needs
another year of college, though, to more establish himself.
Oklahoma State rebounded
strongly from an uncustomary late-place finish in the Big 12 last
year, but also limped to the finish line, posting just a 3-8 record
in its final 11 regular-season games.
The Cowboys brought in an
influx of junior-college transfers after last year’s debacle, but
were never able to establish consistency with what was expected to be
a veteran pitching staff. That inconsistency was exemplified by
reliever Chris Marlowe, who flashes one of the best curveballs in
college baseball at times, along with a low- to mid-90s fastball, but
finished the regular season with an underwhelming 3-3, 3.98 record
and just four saves.
Marlowe, however, has a
solid shot to be the first college player drafted in the state,
especially after striking out an eye-popping 70 batters in 40
innings. He also walked 30, though, threw six wild pitches and hit
seven batters, which speaks to bouts of wildness.
The state’s third major
Division I program, Oral Roberts (33-20), finds itself in the very
familiar position of entering the Summit League playoffs as the No. 1
seed, knowing that all it needs to do is win the tournament to gain
an NCAA tournament berth. Should the Golden Eagles prevail, it would
be their 14th consecutive NCAA appearance. From a draft
standpoint, though, ORU’s impact will be minimal in the early
rounds.
Oklahoma City University
(46-10) is a national power at the NAIA level, and enters this year’s
NAIA World Series as the No. 2 seed. That seeding was achieved
without the services of righthander Ryan O’Sullivan, a transfer
from San Diego State who was ineligible to pitch all spring because
of complications stemming from his transfer papers.
Instead of remaining with
his Oklahoma City teammates on their journey to a potential national
title, O’Sullivan returned home to California and pitched in a
number of simulated games against top competition. Upwards of 40
scouts saw him pitch. Though he was working in game conditions for
the first time in roughly a year, O’Sullivan responded with a
fastball that sat at 93-94 mph, and peaked at 95-96, along with a
sharp curve ball.
Had O’Sullivan
showcased such electric in a normal college environment, he might be
a candidate to go as high as the sandwich round in this year’s
draft. As it is, a club is likely to scoop him up by the third round.
O’Sullivan, whose older
brother Sean pitches for the Kansas City Royals, both pitched and
played shortstop for two years at San Diego State before leaving that
program after last season. When he wasn’t eligible to play for
Oklahoma City, O’Sullivan threw in workouts for scouts in Oklahoma
before leaving for California to pitch in game-equivalent conditions.
A year ago, Oklahoma’s
junior-college ranks had a profound impact on the draft. Not only
were 10 players drafted overall, but two were selected in the top
three rounds. That kind of activity won’t repeat itself this year.
Eastern Oklahoma State
narrowly missed making its first trip to the Junior College World
Series, but should be a significant factor in the draft. Six-foot-4,
240-pound freshman righthander Jonathan Gray, an unsigned 13th-round
pick of the Kansas City Royals in last year’s draft, should
marginally improve on that position after going 7-2, 2.55 as a
freshman with a fastball that sat at 92-95 mph and peaked at 96-97.
He also had superior pitchability.
Oklahoma in a
Nutshell:
STRENGTH: High-end
high-school pitching.
WEAKNESS: Premium
JC talent, high-school bats.
OVERALL RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 5.
BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
Oklahoma.
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE
TEAM: Eastern Oklahoma State.
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM:
Broken Arrow.
PROSPECT ON THE RISE:
Archie Bradley, rhp, Broken Arrow HS. Although righthander
Michael Fulmer’s rise up the prospect ranks this spring was
notable, Bradley’s dominant late-season performance for 6-A state
champion Broken Arrow may have vaulted him into top-10 pick
conversations and raised his profile to almost the same level as his
good friend, righthander Dylan Bundy.
PROSPECT ON THE
DECLINE. None, although no position prospect from either the
college or high-school ranks stepped up his game this spring as
hoped.
WILD CARD: Ryan
O’Sullivan, rhp, Oklahoma City University. O’Sullivan, who
pitched for San Diego State in 2010, was an academic casualty at that
school. He enrolled at Oklahoma City, an NAIA school, with the intent
of pitching there this spring, but never gained his eligibility. He
began pitching in simulated games back in California in mid-May under
the close scrutiny of scouts, and flashed electric stuff. It might be
too bold a move for a team to draft him as early as the sandwich
round, but it’s equally unlikely that a team will let him slide
through the third round.
BEST OUT-OF-STATE
PROSPECT, Oklahoma Connection: Brian Flynn, lhp, Wichita State
University (attended high school in Owasso).
TOP 2012 PROSPECT:
Michael Hensley, c, Edmond Santa Fe HS, Edmond.
TOP 2013 PROSPECT:
Dillon Overton, lhp, University of Oklahoma.
HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS
Draft History:
Mike Moore, rhp, Oral Roberts U. (1981, Mariners/1st round, 1st pick).
2006 Draft: Brett
Anderson, lhp, Stillwater HS (Diamondbacks, 2nd round).
2007 Draft: Pete
Kozma, ss, Owasso HS (Cardinals/1st round, 18th pick).
2008 Draft: Jordy
Mercer, ss, Oklahoma State U. (Pirates/3rd round).
2009 Draft: Chad
James, lhp, Yukon HS (Marlins/1st round, 17th pick).
2010 Draft: Andrelton
Simmons, ss/rhp, Western Oklahoma State JC (Braves/2nd round).
BEST TOOLS
Best Hitter: Garrett
Buechele, 3b, University of Oklahoma.
Best Power: Mark
Ginther, 3b, Oklahoma State University.
Best Speed: Brian
Anderson, ss, Deer Creek HS.
Best Defender: Mark
Ginther, 3b, Oklahoma State University.
Best Velocity: Dylan
Bundy, rhp, Owasso HS.
Best Breaking Stuff:
Archie Bradley, rhp, Broken Arrow HS.
TOP PROSPECTS, GROUPS
ONE and TWO
GROUP ONE (Projected
ELITE-Round Draft / Rounds 1-3)
1. DYLAN BUNDY, rhp,
Owasso HS
Top national talent,
95-97 FB/T-100, ++ cutter, + CU, good CH, outstanding command, quick
path to majors.
2. ARCHIE BRADLEY,
rhp, Broken Arrow HS
+ athlete at 6-4/225,
4-star QB; FB velo spiked late to 94-97, may have best CU in country,
hammer at 80-85.
3. MICHAL FULMER, rhp,
Deer Creek HS, Edmond
++ fast riser, 88-91 FB
in summer/fall, now 91-96, downer CU is + pitch, feel for CH, some
effort in release.
4. CHRIS MARLOWE, rhp,
Oklahoma State University (Jr.)
++ nasty stuff at times
in 6-1/170 build, 92-96 FB, ++ big/downer CU, erratic command, 40
IP/30 BB/70 SO.
5. BURCH SMITH, rhp,
University of Oklahoma (Jr.)
6-3/200, flashes + stuff,
FB to 95-96, sharp CU, solid CH; pitchability still raw for college
hurler (9-3, 3.91).
6. RYAN O’SULLIVAN,
rhp, Oklahoma City University (Jr.)
Ex-San Diego State RHP,
ineligible/DNP in 2011, in workouts only, 90-95 FB, + spike CU,
brother of Sean.
7. GARRETT BUECHELE,
3b, University of Oklahoma (Jr.)
Son of ex-MLB 3B Steve;
average tools, but + RH bat (.336-8-61), ++ makeup/skills,
sure-handed defender.
8. RANDY MCCURRY, rhp,
Oklahoma State University (So.)
Oklahoma HS hitting
legend (.618/105 HR in career); 2010 TJ surgery/fast recovery, FB up
to 95 mp, + SL.
GROUP
TWO (Projected HIGH-Round Draft /
Rounds 4-10)
9. MASON HOPE, rhp,
Broken Arrow HS
Second fiddle to Bradley;
young 6-3/180 build, + projects; 88-92 FB, sharp SL, also has CU/CH;
OU signee.
10. ADRIAN HOUSER,
rhp, Locust Grove HS
6-3/190 athlete, raw
mechanics; quick arm, + downhill angle, 88-92 FB/T-94 mph, flashes
12/6 downer CU.
11. BRIAN ANDERSON,
ss, Deer Creek HS
Fulmer teammate (No. 3),
strong at 6-1/180, + RH bat with power; + arm/6.9 speed, likely to 3B
in future.
12. MARK GINTHER, 3b,
Oklahoma State University (Jr.)
State FB PoY in HS, +
athlete, 6-3/200; ++ defender, strong arm/quick actions; HR power,
swing gets long.
13. CAM SEITZER,
1b/3b, University of Oklahoma (Sr.)
Son of Kevin, ex-MLB 3B,
can play either 1B/3B as pro; smooth LH swing, lacks + pop for size
(.347-3-38).
14. JONATHAN GRAY,
rhp, Eastern Oklahoma JC (Fr.)
13th-rounder
in 2010; big frame (6-4/240), big arm (FB sits 92-95/T-97); better
pitchability/secondary stuff.
15. DREW STINER, c,
Owasso HS
Dylan Bundy’s catcher;
live-bodied athlete, + defender, strong arm/soft hands, RH bat with
power potential.
16. JORDAN JOHN, lhp,
University of Oklahoma (Fr.)
Draft-eligible FR, R/S in
2010 (TJ surgery); polished arm, 4 pitches (88-91 FB, +SL, CU/CH), +
command.
17. DYLAN DELSO, c,
Broken Arrow HS
Archie Bradley catcher;
strong (5-11/195), legit switch-hitter, + swing mechanics, 7.1 speed,
versatile athlete.
18. SEAN JOHNSON, rhp,
Oral Roberts University (Sr.)
SR sign; went 4-2, 2.85
in set-up role, capable of closing; power arm with 90-94 FB, + feel
for CU/command.