Fontana is being touted as the best defensive SS in the entire class. I think Tri-City's got their everyday shortstop.
Fontana also has a high OBP. Heck loves toolsy up-the-middle players. Fontana is a Luhnow-Heck love child. :grin:
Rodgers, Brady Arizona State, AZ RHP R/R JR 6'01" 195lbs DOB: 09/17/9 Hometown: Richmond, Texas High School: Lamar Consolidated
#82 on MLB.com Top 100 Once the top-of-the-board college starters are taken, there’s a very good group of advanced arms in the next tier, with Rodgers one of the most polished of that group. While he’s not a soft-tosser -- his Major League average fastball will sit in the 90-91 mph range and he can reach back for a little more and maintain his velocity deep into starts -- Rodgers is more about the art of pitching than anything else. He has three secondary pitches that should at least average. Rodgers' slider is a sharp downer that can be a strikeout pitch and his changeup is very deceptive, with both looking like future above-average offerings. His curve isn’t quite as good, but with a 12-to-5 break, it’s more than just a show-me pitch. Rodgers throws all of those pitches for strikes and should have plus location down the line, showing outstanding knowledge of how to mix pitches. His ceiling might be the middle of a big league rotation, but it shouldn’t take him too long to reach that goal.
MLB Draft 2012 Astros Second Round Selection: Nolan Fontana, SS, Florida Summary Ranked 44 by Keith Law, 46 by Baseball America and 51 by John Sickels, the Astros selecting Nolan Fontana at the 61st spot is a fantastic pick. Yes, the Astros did select a shortstop already, with the first overall pick in this years draft, but an organization should never draft for need and should be drafting the best player available. For the Astros that was Fontana regardless of what positions are left on the board and what they've already taken. So who is the Astros second round selection? He's the Florida Gators junior starting shortstop and leadoff man. If you want to get a closer look at him, Florida is currently in post season play fighting for a spot in the College World Series. Florida will be playing NC State this weekend, June 9-11, on ESPNU. Saturday's game starts at 1:00 p.m. CST, Sunday 12:00 p.m. and if necessary Monday at 12:00 p.m. CST. Offensively, he's an on base guy with doubles power. He posted a .290/.414/.470 line during the regular season. There are some concerns about his ability to hit at the professional level, however, his approach at the plate should help him compensate some of those concerns. He's got good speed and has improved his base stealing this year with 11 steals in 12 chances. Defensively, I'm seeing mixed reviews. The guys covering the draft on MLB.com, Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, have some questions about his ability to stick at short. Keith Law on the other hand thinks he has the ability to stick at short. Watching him play in the SEC tournament he looked above average at short and I remember one specific play where I let out an unintentional "Wow", so I am leaning more towards Law's assessment on whether or not he can stick at short. Floor Utility infielder at the big league level. Ceiling Another ceiling of mine curtsey of OremLK (he's a smart dude when it comes to this stuff) Marco Scutaro. Will The Astros Sign Him? I don't see any issues with the Astros signing him.
I like the plan. Upside trumps semi pro ready players with low ceiling. This team should be a contender in 4 years.
