It’s a month into the college season and it is becoming clear who is for real and who needs to up their games. Instead of dwelling on the negative, here are 10 players who have performed brilliantly as of late and have seen their 2013 MLB draft stock rise because of it:
Kyle McGowin, RHP, Savannah St.
A 6’-5” right-hander, McGowin went 6-5 as a sophomore with a 3.15 ERA and 91 K/14 BB. His 6.5 K/BB ratio ranked sixth in the country. Over his four starts this year, he has been absolutely dominant. After striking out a career-high 15 to no walks over 8.2 innings on Friday against Florida A&M, he is now 4-0 with a 0.60 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 43 K/4 BB over 30.1 innings. He ranks sixth in the nation in strikeouts and his 8.4 K/BB ratio shows the power/command combo he has.
Trey Masek, RHP, Texas Tech
The 6’-1”, 190-pound right-hander tossed eight more shutout innings this weekend against UT Arlington, running his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 32 to start the season. He is now 3-0 with 34 K/6 BB over 32 innings, allowing just 15 hits. Since walking five batters in his first start of the season, he has 26 K/1 BB over his last three starts (26 innings.) he features a low/mid-90s fastball with good movement and solid breaking stuff.
Brandon Thomas, OF, Georgia Tech
A 6’-3”, 210-pound switch-hitter, Thomas can flat out hit a baseball. Over 56 games as a junior, he hit .360 with 15 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 44 RBI and drew 37 walks for a .481 OBP. Over four games last week, he went 11-for-18 (.611) with four doubles and drew three walks, bumping his season totals to .458 with seven doubles, three stolen bases and a .556 OBP. He was a fourth-round pick by the Pirates last year but decide to return for his senior season in hopes of improving his stock, as well as help lead the 14-2 Yellow Jackets to a National Championship.
Jeff Thompson, RHP, Louisville
The 6’-6”, 245-pound right-hander opened the season striking out a career-high 12 to one walk over five shutout innings against USF. On the year, he is 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 29 K/8 BB over 24.2 innings, allowing just 13 hits. As a sophomore, he went 9-4 with a 4.00 ERA and 73 K/38 BB over 78.2 innings.
D.J. Peterson, 3B, New Mexico
If you want to know what being “in the zone” feels like, just ask Peterson. After going 10-for-11 with four home runs against UC Riverside in his first 11 plate appearances of the series, he was walked five straight times. Over his last six games, the 6’-1”, 210-pound right-hander has gone 18-for-26 (.692) with three doubles, a triple, five home runs, 11 RBI and has drawn seven walks for a .757 OBP and 1.462 SLG. On the season, he is now hitting .500 with six doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 22 RBI with a .586 OBP and 1.121 SLG. This is not a coming out party for Peterson as last year he hit .419 with 21 doubles, 17 home runs, 78 RBI with a .490 OBP and .734 SLG.
Jonathon Gray, RHP, Oklahoma
The 6’-4”, 240-pound right-hander was clocked at 100 mph in his start against UCLA on Friday. It’s easy to see why he shutout the Bruins over seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out eight to one walk. Aside from his plus fastball, he also features a plus slider and an above-average change-up. He can command all three and has been arguably the player whose stock has soared the most this year. Over four starts, he is now 3-1 with 27 K/8 BB over 26 innings, allowing six runs on 17 hits.
Another player whose stock is rising fast for the 2013 MLB draft is Anderson, a 6’-4”, 220-pound right-hander with a 90-93 mph fastball, a plus slider, plus change-up and good curveball. In a great pitching duel against Ben Lively and UCF, he picked up the win going eight shutout innings, striking out 10 to one walk. Over four starts, he is 2-1 with a 0.87 ERA and has 45 K/5 BB over 31 innings, allowing just 16 hits.
Braden Shipley, RHP, Nevada
Shipley, a 6’-2”, 185-pound right-hander, has established himself as one of the best arms in the country, thanks in part to a fastball that can touch 97 mph. he also features a low-70s curveball and a low-80s change-up. Both are solid pitches and he commands them well. As a sophomore, he went 9-4 with a 2.20 ERA and 88 K/40 BB over 98 innings. Over four starts this year, he has a 2.94 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 33 K/9 BB over 27.2 innings for the Wolfpack.
Ben McQuown, OF, Campbell
A transfer out of Lower Columbia CC in Washington, the 5’-11”, 175-pound right-hander currently leads the nation in stolen bases, going 24-for-24 over 15 games, including a four-game stretch in which he stole three bases in each game. He obviously has plus speed, but he also has pop in bat as he has hit four home runs, as well. On the season, he is hitting .415 with three doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI and has drawn 11 walks for a .516 OBP, showing a good approach at the plate.
Nick Petree, RHP, Missouri State
Petree made news last year when he went 73 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. He finished his sophomore campaign 10-4 with a 1.01 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 114 K/36 BB over 115.1 innings. His 1.01 ERA led the nation. The 6’-1”, 195-pound right-hander has been nearly as impressive this year over his first four starts. He is 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 25 K/11 BB over 25 innings. He features a low-90s fastball, a plus change-up, a slurve and a cutter. He has a great feel for his pitches and commands all of them well.
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