Here are the latest notable signings from last week’s amateur draft, with the newest signings at the top of the post. Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB.com, and ESPN.com’s Keith Law.
- The Rays have agreed on a $2,045,400 bonus with high school right-handed pitcher J.J. Goss, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). That’s right at the recommended slot value for the 36th overall selection. A product of Cypress Ranch HS in Texas, Goss was committed to Texas A&M prior to his selection. MLB.com, which ranked Goss as the class’s 24th-best prospect, highlights his projectable frame; currently measuring 6’3″ and 185 pounds, some scouts believe he could grow into mid-90s velocity as his frame fills out. He also features a plus slider with “two-plane depth” and a changeup.
- The Dodgers have agreed on a $550K bonus with third-rounder Ryan Pepiot pending a physical, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports (Twitter link). This represents a slightly below-slot deal, as the 102nd overall pick has a recommended $571.4K price. A right-hander out of Butler, Pepiot drew a wide range of grades from draft pundits — Law ranked him as the 33rd-best prospect in the draft, Fangraphs 62nd, MLB.com 72nd, and BA 99th. Law was impressed by Pepiot’s high strikeout totals, “great deception in his delivery and high spin rates, boosted by a power curveball with two-plane break.” At the other end of the spectrum, Baseball America’s scouting report noted Pepiot’s lack of control in his less-impressive outings, and he relies heavily on his best pitch, a changeup.
- The Blue Jays have agreed to a deal with second-round pick Kendall Williams, as per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). The high school right-hander will receive a bonus of $1,547,500, a bit above the $1,403,200 recommended price attached to the 52nd overall pick and perhaps some necessary extra incentive to get Williams to break his commitment to Vanderbilt. MLB.com was most bullish on the 6’6″ Williams, ranking him 54th on their top 200 prospects list and describing him as “the quintessential projectable high school right-hander,” with a promising and still-developing arsenal of four pitches.
clrrogers 2
Awesome. Good job Atkins.