For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Last week I looked at the National League’s first three rounds (plus the supplemental first round). Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key American League second round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Will Kline (Tampa Bay) had an inconsistent debut after signing out of college and learned in the off-season that he needed labrum surgery. He should return in 2009. Grant Desme (Oakland) has yet to appear in the minor leagues this season. Matt West (Texas), Nevin Griffith (Chicago) and Daniel Rams (Minnesota) are currently in extended spring training.

Sam Runion (Kansas City) remained in extended spring training until the middle of May and was then assigned to the Midwest League. So far in 21.2 innings he has allowed 25 hits and five walks. He has an ERA of 4.57 and has struck out only three batters.

Denny Almonte (Seattle) spent some time early on this year in extended spring training. Since his activation, he has hit .213/.246/.344 in 61 at-bats in the Midwest League. He has two homers, two stolen bases and has walked 3.3 percent of the time, while striking out 43.1 percent.

First baseman Hunter Morris (Boston) spent the baseball season playing for Auburn University and attending class wearing a variety of MLB baseball team hats, including the Chicago White Sox.

John Tolisano (Toronto) led the Gulf Coast League in homers last season as a prep second baseman. This year, he has only one homer in a league where it is tough to hit the long ball. However, he has a line of .274/.350/.405 with 10 doubles and six triples in 190 at-bats. He has walked eight percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 20.4 percent.

Eric Eiland (Toronto) began the year in extended spring training and recently joined the Jays affiliate in the Midwest League. He is hitting .259/.379/.389 with four stolen bases in 54 at-bats. He has walked 16.1 percent of the time, while striking out at a rate of 30.8 percent.

Josh Horton (Oakland) is currently hitting .298/.400/.369 in 198 High-A ball at-bats. The middle infielder has yet to hit a homer or successfully steal a base. He has walked 14.1 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 18.5 percent.

Danny Worth (Detroit) is currently in Double-A and is hitting .251/.326/.402 with four homers and seven stolen bases in 199 at-bats. He has walked 9.2 percent of the time, while striking out 21.3 percent.

Austin Romine (New York) is in A-ball hitting .278/.317/.371 with one stolen base in 97 at-bats. The 19-year-old catcher has walked four percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 16.7 percent.

Tomorrow, Draft Day 2008, I will wrap up this mini-series with a look at the American League’s third round selections from the 2007 draft.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Last week I looked at the National League’s first three rounds (plus the supplemental first round). Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key American League supplemental first round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Outfielder Julio Borbon (Texas) was given a major league contract by the Rangers when he was signed and has shown that he has advanced skills. Currently playing at High-A ball, he is hitting .323/.369/.419 with one homer and 22 stolen bases in 198 at-bats. The left-handed batter is also hitting southpaws at a .375 clip. Borbon has walked 5.5 percent of the time and has struck out at a rate of 10.1 percent.

Brett Cecil (Toronto) has been on an even faster track than Borbon. Converted to a starter after being a college reliever, Cecil has thrived, although he has been slowed by shoulder soreness. The lefty is currently at Double-A, after beginning the season in High-A ball where he posted an ERA of 1.74 in 10.1 innings with two walks and 11 strikeouts. At Double-A, he has a 4.63 ERA with 22 hits allowed in 23.1 innings. He has struck out 23 and walked 10.

Sean Doolittle (Oakland) has one of the most surprising bats from the 2007 draft. Everyone knew he could hit, but there were serious questions about the first baseman’s power potential. Those questions have been quieted for now, as Doolittle is at High-A ball hitting .332/.420/.625 with 14 homers in 208 at-bats. He has walked 14.3 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 27.6 percent.

Shortstop Justin Jackson (Toronto) has come back to earth after a scorching April. The raw prep infielder oozes tools but his offensive game still needs polish and he is currently hitting .250/.382/.396 in 164 A-ball at-bats. He has stolen eight bases in 12 tries and is playing excellent defence. He has walked an impressive 15.9 percent of time, but his strikeouts are too high at 33.3 percent.

Matt Mangini (Seattle) was just promoted to Double-A despite average numbers in the California League. He was hitting .265/.376/.431 with six homers in 181 at-bats, certainly not eye-popping numbers for a corner infielder. He has walked 11.3 percent of the time and posted a strikeout rate of 28.7 percent.

Corey Brown (Oakland) has been as advertised as a raw college outfielder with tremendous power and high strikeout rates. Playing at A-ball, Brown has a line of .267/.363/.476 with eight homers in 191 at-bats. He has walked 11.9 percent of the time and has struck out at a rate of 34.6 percent.

Infielder Ryan Dent (Boston) is currently playing in extended spring training and should open the short season in Lowell when play begins in June after the draft. Lefty Nick Hagadone has been shutdown thanks to Tommy John surgery.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Last week I looked at the National League’s first three rounds (plus the supplemental first round). Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key American League first round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

First overall pick David Price (Tampa Bay) was slowed by an injury early this season and made his first appearance recently and pitched well: In five innings at High-A ball, the southpaw allowed no earned runs on three hits and one walk. He also struck out four. Not bad for a guy coming off a significant layoff. Price then out-dueled future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, who was making a rehab start. Price may not be long for the Florida State League.

Third baseman Mike Moustakas (Kansas City) is currently at A-ball and is hitting .239/.290/.400 with seven homers in 205 at-bats. He has walked 5.4 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 16.6 percent. Moustakas has hit .220 in the last 10 games but he slammed three homers.

Catcher Matt Wieters (Baltimore) was the player most Pirates fans were hoping for, and for good reason. So far this season in High-A ball he is tearing the cover off the ball with a line of .337/.432/.590 and 12 homers in 166 at-bats. He has walked 14.1 percent of the time and struck out 18.9 percent. Wieters is the top catching prospect playing in the minors right now.

Phillippe Aumont (Seattle) was considered a very raw Canadian prep right-hander but his talent was undeniable. He has been better than advertised so far this season in A-ball. He has a 1.50 ERA in 36 innings and has allowed 23 hits and 11 walks to go along with 35 strikeouts. At the rate Seattle promotes its prospects, Aumont should be on the move any day now.

Beau Mills (Cleveland) wowed scouts with his raw power in his final year of college, but he was also playing against lesser talents in the NAIA (as opposed to NCAA Division 1 baseball). He has struggled somewhat in professional baseball and is hitting .255/.361/.422 with five home runs in 204 at-bats at High-A ball. He has walked 13.9 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 20.3 percent.

Kevin Ahrens (Toronto) has made a smooth transition from high school shortstop to pro third baseman and is holding his own in A-ball. He is currently hitting .266/.341/.399 with one homer in 188 at-bats. He has walked 10.6 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 24.9 percent. He also has 14 doubles and four triples.

J.P. Arencibia, the second of Toronto’s two first round picks, struggled in his junior year of college due to injuries but the catcher is right back on track in 2008. He has a line of .319/.344/.560 with 10 homers and 20 doubles in 207 at-bats. He has walked only 3.5 percent of the time, which could become an issue, and has struck out at a rate of 19.0 percent. His defence has also significantly improved and may be the second best catching prospect in minor league ball right now.

Texas has been cautious with Blake Beavan and he has responded with a 2.84 ERA in 38 innings. He has allowed 32 hits, along with only two walks and 16 strikeouts. Beavan has, though, allowed six home runs in a league where homers don’t come easily.

High school pitcher Rick Porcello (Detroit) slid to the Tigers due to signability concerns. The organization got a gem as a result. The right-hander skipped A-ball and is pitching at High-A ball. So far this season he has an ERA of 2.87 and has allowed 61 hits in 62 innings. He has rates of 5.43 K/9 and 2.17 BB/9 as a 19-year-old. Porcello was roughed up in his last outing but it was the fourth time that he had faced Dunedin in just over a month.

Aaron Poreda (Chicago) is a hard-throwing lefty who has held his own in High-A ball in 2008. He has a 3.08 ERA in 61.1 innings and has allowed 57 hits. He has posted rates of 6.02 K/9 and 2.35 BB/9.

James Simmons (Oakland) was considered an advanced college pitcher with a modest ceiling and that has held true so far in his pro career. He was immediately assigned to Double-A in his 2007 debut and he continued there in 2008 before hitting the disabled list. Currently, he has an ERA of 2.98 in 40 innings. He has allowed 37 hits and eight walks. Simmons has struck out 31.

Ben Revere (Minnesota) was considered an overdraft out of high school. He quieted some of those concerns, though, with a solid debut in which he hit .325 in Rookie Ball. Revere is again out to prove people wrong in 2008 as he is currently hitting .422/.462/.600 in 135 A-ball at-bats. The left-handed batter is also hitting .538 against southpaws. He has walked 10 times and struck out 10 times.

The New York Yankees selected 6-10 right-hander Andrew Brackman even though the organization knew he would need Tommy John surgery. He is expected to miss all of the 2008 season while recovering and should pitch again near the beginning of the 2009 season.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key National League third round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball. We are starting to get into a territory where the quality of picks really begins to think out.

Tony Thomas (Chicago) had an excellent offensive junior season at Florida State University and a solid pro debut in 2007, but his numbers are average this year while playing at High-A ball. The second baseman currently has a line of .269/.317/.401 with three homers and nine stolen bases in 182 at-bats. Thomas has walked only seven percent of the time and he has struck out at a rate of 25 percent.

Brian Friday (Pittsburgh), a Rice University grad, is showing the makings of a solid big league utility player, or possible starter. So far this season, in High-A ball, he is hitting .309/.388/.433 with one homer in 194 at-bats. Friday’s base running needs a little work as he has been successful in only 50 percent of his attempts (eight for 16). He has walked 9.8 percent of the time, with a strikeout rate of 16.2 percent.

Steven Souza (Washington), a prep third baseman, is holding his own in A-ball. He currently has a line of .266/.348/.392 with two homers and eight stolen bases in 79 at-bats, but he hasn’t played since May 6. He has walked 9.2 percent of the time, but has struck out at a rate of 32.9 percent.

Despite being drafted out of college, Jonathan Lucroy (Milwaukee) has moved relatively slowly and is currently playing in A-ball, where he has a line of .314/.389/.524 with eight homers and six stolen bases in 185 at-bats. The catcher’s bat appears ready for a promotion but his defence might be holding him back.

Lars Davis (Colorado), a Canadian catcher, has struggled offensively in A-ball. He is currently hitting .215/.277/.323 with three homers in 93 at-bats. Davis has walked 6.2 percent of the time, with a strikeout rate of 28.6 percent.

Right-hander Scott Carroll (Cincinnati) began the year in A-ball and posted a 3.75 ERA in 48 innings, with 50 hits allowed, 16 walks and 24 strikeouts. He was recently promoted to High-A ball and has made one start. Carroll allowed five runs in 5.2 innings of work.

Jameson Smith (Florida), drafted out of community college, has struggled with the bat in A-ball. The 21-year-old catcher is hitting .221/.357/.279 with no homers in 68 at-bats. The left-handed batter is only 2-for-14 (.143) against southpaws. He has as many walks as hits (15) this season.

Left-hander Eric Niesen (New York) currently has a 5.20 ERA in 45 High-A ball innings. He has allowed 52 hits. Niesen has posted rates of 5.60 K/9 and 3.80 BB/9.

Shortstop Brandon Hicks (Atlanta), drafted out of Texas A&M University, is showing surprising power with 11 homers in 148 at-bats. He has hit four in his last 10 games. He currently has a line of .257/.358/.588. He has walked 13 percent of the time, but struck out at a rate of 42.1 percent.

Matt Spencer (Philadelphia) has struggled to hit for average as a pro after signing out of Arizona State University. He currently has a line of .249/.300/.370 with four homers in 181 at-bats in High A-ball. Spencer has walked 7.9 percent of the time but has struck out at a rate of 22.4 percent.

The Mets just did not have a lot of luck drafting college relievers in 2007. Stephen Clyne (New York) currently has a 10.42 ERA in 19 High-A ball innings. He has allowed 26 hits and 10 walks.

Both Cincinnati and Arizona took interesting, young Puerto Rican infielders – Neftali Soto and Reynaldo Navarro – but both have been playing in Extended Spring Training so far this season.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key National League second round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (Washington) is looking like the steal of the second round, having out-performed a number of higher-drafted pitchers so far. He posted a 1.65 ERA in 27 High-A innings before moving up to Double-A. He allowed 15 hits and eight walks. He struck out 31. So far in Double-A, Zimmerman has posted a 3.80 ERA in 21.1 innings. He has allowed 19 hits and 11 walks. He has struck out 20.

Third baseman Jake Smolinski (Washington) was drafted out of high school and has played both third base and second base in his pro career. He hit well in his debut (.305 in the Gulf Coast League) and earned a spot in full-season ball in 2008 at the age of 19. He is currently hitting .261/.338/.402 with four homers in 184 at-bats. He has walked 9.4 percent of the time and has struck out at a rate of 17.5 percent.

Despite a .296 average in his debut, Brian Rike (Colorado) has moved slowly for a college draft pick and is currently hitting .267/.393/.483 with 10 homers in 180 at-bats in A-ball. He has also stolen 10 bases in 14 attempts. Strikeouts are a concern as he has whiffed 34.4 percent of the time, but he has also walked at a rate of 15.1 percent.

The Marlins organization has to be pretty happy with outfielder Mike Stanton. The 6-5 outfielder will be 18 all season long and is currently posting a line of .273/.332/.494 with eight homers in 176 A-ball at-bats. Unfortunately, he is still raw and has struck out 35.8 percent of the time and walked only 5.4 percent. All in all, not bad for an 18 year old in full-season A-ball.

At 6-11, Scott Moviel (New York NL) towers over opponents at the age of 20. He has struggled in A-ball, though, with a 6.15 ERA in 45.1 innings. He has allowed 59 hits and has posted rates of 6.55 K/9 and 2.98 BB/9.

Eric Sogard (San Diego), 22, has moved quickly through the system and is currently hitting .320/.434/.412 in 194 at-bats at High-A ball. He has yet to hit a home run and he doesn’t steal a lot of bases so his value is tied directly to his average and his ability to get on base. So far, he has posted excellent rates by walking 17.5 percent of the time while striking out only 10.1 percent. He’s probably due for a promotion to Double-A.

Jess Todd (St. Louis), a college-reliever-turned-pro-starter, has been brilliant so far for the Cardinals organization. He began the 2008 season in High-A ball and posted a 1.65 ERA in 27.1 innings with 18 hits allowed. He posted rates of 11.52 K/9 and 2.30 BB/9. So far in Double-A, Todd has posted a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings with 13 hits allowed. He has rates of 7.54 K/9 and 2.38 BB/9.

Brant Rustich (New York NL) did not make his season debut until May 9 and has struggled at A-ball. The 23-year-old reliever has a 7.94 ERA in five games and has allowed two runs or more in three of his appearances. He has walked three and struck out three.

Despite posting a respectable 3.00 ERA in the Gulf Coast League in 2007, prep lefty Michael Watt (Los Angeles) has remained in extended spring training in 2008.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key National League supplemental first round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Nick Noonan (San Francisco) was considered an advanced high school hitter when he was drafted and he has held his own this season in A-ball. He is currently hitting .283/.310/.429 with two homers in 191 at-bats. He needs to show more patience, though, having walked only 3.2 percent of the time, while striking out at a rate of 17.6 percent.

Jon Gilmore (Atlanta) did not receive a call up to full-season ball until May and he has struggled with the bat. The 19-year-old third baseman is hitting .143/.172/.143 in 56 at-bats. He has struck out at a rate of 17.9 percent.

Clayton Mortensen (St. Louis), 23, has been solid since beginning his pro career. Currently in High-A ball, Mortensen has a 4.12 ERA in 54.2 innings and has allowed 53 hits. He has rates of 6.75 K/9 and 2.89 BB/9. He has done an excellent job of keeping the ball on the ground and has induced more than 2.6 groundballs for each flyball.

The Dodgers usually prefer raw high schoolers with high draft picks, but the club took James Adkins and he is on the fast-track. Currently pitching in High-A ball, Adkins has a 4.07 ERA in 48.2 innings. He has allowed 49 hits and rates of 8.14 K/9 and 3.51 BB/9. Adkins has struggled in his last two outings by allowing seven earned runs in nine innings of work over two starts.

Eddie Kunz (New York NL) is a groundball machine, inducing more than eight grounders for each flyball in his debut. This season, in Double-A, the 6-5, 265 pound reliever is inducing groundballs at a rate of 3.25 per flyball. His ERA is a little high at 4.43 (He has allowed five earned runs in his last two outs spanning two innings) and Kunz has allowed 24 hits, but he has yet to allow a homer in his pro career.

Michael Burgess (Washington) slid out of first round consideration because a number of scouts doubted the prepster’s ability to hit pro pitching. He hit .318 in his pro debut and has held his own so far this season. Currently, he is hitting .258/.323/.516 with 11 homers in 182 at-bats. Burgess has walked 8.6 percent of the time and has struck out at a rate of 33.9 percent, a number that obviously needs to shrink.

After he hit .286 in his pro debut last season, Charlie Culberson (San Francisco) was promoted to full-season ball to begin to 2008 but he has struggled. The 19-year-old is hitting .156/.233/.220 in 109 at-bats. Culberson has walked 5.2 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 24.8 percent.

Josh Smoker (Washington) has appeared in only two pro games and has been held back in extended spring training, but he should play in the New York Penn League this summer. The 19-year-old southpaw is talented, but raw. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud (Philadelphia) also has yet to appear in full-season ball this season.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key National League first rounders are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Josh Vitters (Chicago NL) has been injured and has only played in four games so far this season at the A-ball level. Fellow prep third baseman Matt Dominguez (Florida) had a late start to the season after beginning in extended spring training. He has appeared in only five games.

Pittsburgh fans were disappointed with the club’s selection of college reliever Daniel Moskos. The lefty has been shifted to the starting rotation but his numbers have been nothing special in High-A ball: 4.89 ERA in 42.1 innings with 41 hits. He has rates of 5.95 K/9 and 2.13 BB/9.

Matt LaPorta (Milwaukee) was the surprise pick of the early going in the 2007 draft. The Brewers could not turn down the opportunity to draft his powerful bat, even though they already had Prince Fielder at first base. LaPorta has been shifted to the outfield where it is a stretch to call him an even average fielder. However, he has done nothing but hit and could see the majors by the end of the year. In Double-A this season, the 23-year-old has hit .293/.402/.602 with 13 homers in 181 at-bats. He has walked 13.2 percent of the time and struck out 17.5 percent.

High school shortstop Peter Kozma (St. Louis) was supposed to possess an advanced bat for a prep player and he has done nothing to change that view. In A-ball this season, Kozma is hitting .280/.356/.409 with three homers in 164 at-bats. He has walked 10.6 percent of the time and struck out 20.6 percent.

Outfielder Jason Heyward (Atlanta) is another high school player that has been outstanding so far this season. He has a line of .330/.368/.495 with six homers in 194 at-bats. Heyward has walked 6.9 percent of the time and struck out 18.1 percent. The left-handed batter is also hitting .388 against southpaws.

Like Detroit’s Rick Porcello, prep pitcher Tim Alderson (San Francisco) skipped A-ball and made his full-season debut at High-A ball. He has an ERA of 3.68 in 51.1 innings. He has rates of 6.84 K/9 and 3.51 BB/9.

San Diego’s first round pick Nick Schmidt pitched in just three games before injuring his elbow and requiring Tommy John surgery. He should be ready to pitch again in 2009.

So far so good for the National League, as the above players represent a very impressive haul for the 2007 first round.

Arizona’s Yusmeiro Petit is an interesting pitcher. New York Mets fans will recognize his name as a former top prospect with the organization before he was traded to the Florida Marlins, along with first baseman Mike Jacobs and infielder Grant Psomas, for veteran first baseman Carlos Delgado in November of 2005. Petit was then flipped to Arizona in March 2007 for reliever Jorge Julio.

The right-hander, a Venezuela native, was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Mets in 2001. He spent some time honing his skills in Latin America before coming over to play in Rookie ball in 2003 at the age of 18. Petit turned heads by allowing only 6.82 H/9, 1.16 BB/9 and posting a rate of 9.44 K/9. He even earned a late-season, two-game promotion to the New York Penn League.

He really got noticed in 2004 when, as a 19 year old, he started out in full-season ball in the South Atlantic League. In 15 starts, Petit posted rates of 5.10 H/9, 2.39 BB/9 and a dazzling 13.23 K/9. He was promoted to High-A ball in the Florida State League where he made another nine starts and posted rates of 5.48 H/9, 2.84 BB/9 and 12.59 K/9. He also made two late season starts in Double-A and posted similar rates, although the hits were a little higher, as were the walks. On the season, in just under 140 innings, Petit struck out 200 batters.

Right about now, like Mets fans at the time, you are probably beginning to salivate at the thought of a young, hard-throwing phenom, yes? Well the thing about Petit is that he throws in the upper-80s and doesn’t have any one pitch that will wow you. Frankly, no one really understood how he struck out so many batters… although he did have above-average command and some deception in his delivery. But most scouts agreed on one thing: It probably would not last. And it didn’t.

Petit spent most of 2005 in Double-A where he made 21 starts and posted rates of 6.88 H/9, 1.38 BB/9 and 9.94 K/9. In two late season starts in Triple-A, he posted a 9.20 ERA and allowed 14.73 H/9. He was rated the second best prospect in the Mets system by Baseball America. The Mets then sold high on Petit in the off-season with the trade to Florida.

The next season in Triple-A, he posted rates of 9.40 H/9, 1.86 BB/9 and 6.33 K/9. In 15 games at the major league level, including one start, Petit posted a 9.57 ERA. He allowed 15.72 H/9. He was then sent to Arizona in the off-season.

Petit pitched respectably in 17 starts for Triple-A Tucson and also held his own in the majors. In 14 games, 10 starts, he posted rates of 9.16 H/9, 2.84 BB/9 and 6.32 K/9. OK numbers, but nothing like the eye-bulging rates he was posting as a 19-year-old in A-ball. So far in 2008, Petit has been on the shuttle between Triple-A and the majors, which may very well be his future. Although he is still only 23, Petit’s stuff and recent numbers would suggest he is a pretty good Triple-A pitcher and an OK 12th or 13th pitcher on a major league staff.

The lesson for today is this: Stats are great, but sometimes you just have to trust the scouting report.

I wrote about the Diamondback’s 2007 first round pick Jarrod Parker yesterday. After researching him, I decided to take a look back at Arizona’s other recent No. 1 picks, from 2003 to 2006, and came away impressed. Taking players in the first round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft is not as foolproof as some people might think… there have been a lot of first round busts over the past five years.

First baseman Conor Jackson was the club’s first pick of the 2003 draft out of the University of California as the 19th overall selection. He is not a superstar but Jackson made it to the majors as a full-time player within three years of the draft. He has an OPS+ of 105 during his major league career and has been consistent.

Shortstop Stephen Drew was taken 15th overall in the 2004 draft out of Florida State University. He actually slid in the draft due to signability concerns. He sat out for a while during contract negotiations and finally signed on the dotted line in 2005. After 148 minor league games Drew was in the majors to stay. Like Jackson, he has been solid but unspectacular. He has a career OPS+ of 91 but is only 25 and has time to mature. The tools are there and, as long as the motivation is also there, he should appear in a few All-Star games.

Justin Upton is arguably the best pick that the Diamondbacks organization has made in the last five years. He was drafted first overall in the 2005 draft out of a Virginia high school. In less than two full minor league seasons, the infielder-turned-outfielder was in the majors (seemingly) to stay. So far this season, his first full year in the majors, Upton is hitting .304/.389/.500 with an OPS+ of 126. At only 20 years of age, he has the makings of a superstar.

Right-hander Max Scherzer has been the latest first rounder to impact the major league club. He was drafted 11th overall in the 2006 draft out of the University of Missouri. Scouts have been split on whether Scherzer should be a starter or reliever at the major league level but he is currently being used as a starter. His first major league appearance, though, was as a reliever and he got a lot of people excited by pitching 4.1 scoreless, hitless innings with seven strikeouts. He got knocked around in his next appearance and allowed five earned runs. His last two starts have resulted in zero earned runs, along with three unearned runs. Overall, he has a 2.33 ERA in three starts (four appearances) and has allowed 16 hits along with seven walks in 19.1 innings. He has struck out 23.

It will be interesting to see who the Snakes target for the first pick (26th overall) of the 2008 draft of June 5.

Pitching was on the agenda for Arizona when the organization began picking players during the 2007 amateur draft. As a result, the club used four of its first six picks to take pitchers, including three college arms and one prep hurler.

Indiana high schooler Jarrod Parker went ninth overall to the Diamondbacks and then three college arms were taken: Wes Roemer of Cal State Fullerton (1st round supplemental, 50th overall), Barry Enright of Pepperdine (second round, 73rd overall), and Sean Morgan of Tulane (fourth round, 133rd overall).

Parker, 19, did not make his pro debut until 2008 and was immediately assigned to a full-season club despite his inexperience. So far this season in the Midwest League, the right-hander is holding his own with a 2.45 ERA in 36.2 innings. He has allowed 34 hits, walked nine and struck out 30.

Roemer, 21, started 2008 in High-A ball but has struggled. He has a 5.09 ERA in 46 innings. Roemer has allowed 59 hits, 14 walks and seven homers. On the positive side, he has struck out 43 batters and is inducing two groundballs for every flyball.

Enright, 22, is also in High-A ball and struggling. He has a 7.02 ERA in 42.1 innings. Enright has allowed 67 hits, five homers and 12 walks. He has struck out 38 batters. The right-hander has had three particularly bad starts where he has allowed 18 earned runs in 11 innings.

Morgan, who comes from the same college as Arizona starter Micah Owings, has yet to make an appearance in 2008 because of injury. He struggled in his 2007 debut in the Northwest League and posted a 5.46 ERA in 28 innings.

Many believe college pitchers are safer picks (and will advance through the minors quicker) than prep hurlers, but Arizona’s 2007 draft appears to be an exception to the rule.