Dirtbags Baseball - Long Beach State 49ers

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Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Another Draft Scouting Report...

...on Neil Jamison, and 9 other college closers, by Patrick Ebert of Perfect Game USA:

Crack of the Bat

by Patrick Ebert

College closers

A growing trend we have seen the past couple of years in regards to the draft is the increased number of college closers drafted in the first round. Most teams, typically using more of a boom or bust philosophy, don't want to specialize too much when approaching the draft, particularly with their first-round pick. I agree with the philosophy, and I also believe that closers are made and not born, as the best closers in big-league baseball usually are failed starters. Eric Gagne is a perfect example of this, as the Dodgers didn't know they had arguably the best closer in the game when they put him in the bullpen after scuffling as a starter several years in a row. By pitching in short relief, a pitcher like Gagne may benefit by throwing harder and not worrying about pacing themselves. Or, for a pitcher like Trevor Hoffman, is allows him to use his specialty, or "trick" pick, almost exclusively, not worrying about giving batters something different to look at.

There are also financial implications to drafting a college closer, who often come at a discounted price. That won't be the case this year with St. John's Craig Hansen, a Scott Boras advisee who is a candidate to go first overall to the Diamondbacks. In addition to Hansen, there are a few other closing candidates that could find themselves selected within the first two to three rounds of the draft. While I may not agree with the notion of taking such a specialized player so early in the draft, it does make more sense for a team with playoff aspirations, looking at how quickly some college closers such as Ryan Wagner, Chad Cordero and Huston Street have moved up in recent years.

Here are the most notable college closers that likely will be drafted in the first several rounds this June: ...

Neil Jamison-RHP-Long Beach State

Jamison was drafted in the eighth round by the New York Mets last June, but decided to return for his senior season. While Jamison doesn't have overpowering stuff, he can pump his fastball in the low-90s and he also throws a very good slider that projects as a strikeout pitch. He changes speeds and commands the strike zone extremely well, leading to a nearly perfect season for the Dirtbags this spring....

posted on 6/01/2005 by Jeff Agnew

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