Notes from the Field: Draft Notes: June 1, 2016

Will Benson, OF, Westminster HS (GA)

Benson can simply walk onto the field to stretch before the game and it’s immediately obvious why he’s viewed as a potential first-round pick in June. He’s listed at 6-foot-6, he fills it well at 17 years old, and he doesn’t stumble over his feet or have slow actions like many that height in high school. He’s a pure athlete gifted with natural size and strength, and he’s able to translate it to a baseball field. Benson will likely shift to left field as a pro. I didn’t see the arm in game action during my looks, but pregame throws matched what I heard about the arm fitting better in left than right. He has the range and actions to be a solid corner outfielder and should maintain good athleticism with age. He’s also not a station-to-station runner despite his size, but his speed won’t impact games. Benson’s swing draws debates among those projecting his future. The actions are rigid from his leg kick to his post-contact extension. He has good bat speed for his size, but his swing plane isn’t always a consistent loft and can get long and loopy. Benson will need to put in work at the plate as a pro, but a team is going to take a chance on the size and natural plus raw power, and you can’t blame them. It’s also worth noting Benson is a very smart kid from a good family, and he puts in the work. He’d be a valuable addition to an organization as a person. —David Lee

Cooper Johnson, C, Carmel Catholic HS (IL)
Johnson is a medium-framed prep catcher with strength throughout, including strong wrists and forearms. He possesses the defensive skills to stick behind the plate with an above-average arm, and footwork. He likes to show off that arm and is not afraid to back pick. While receiving he has a quiet head and low seat with little movement. His feet work well side-to-side and he blocks well. Pitchers from the US National Team raved about throwing to him and it's easy to see why. He takes charge and is very vocal; the complete package behind the dish. The question mark is the bat: There is bat speed here but most of the contact is to the opposite field and lacks authority. Johnson can get caught in an arm bar at times leading to holes on the inside of the plate. He seems to have changed his swing again over the offseason with slightly lower hands and a shorter stride but that may be just a result of tinkering in the box. He has a chance to go high in the draft with a solid set of catching skills but you will have to be a big believer in the bat. —James Fisher

Josh Lowe, OF, Pope HS (GA)
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Lowe is an athletic, toolsy outfielder/pitcher from Pope HS in the Atlanta area. Lowe has a large frame with broad shoulders and long limbs with plenty of room for added strength. At the plate, Lowe combines elite bat speed with a leveraged swing. He hits from a slightly open stance with his weight shifted slightly back and his hands at his ear. He puts on a show in BP. The raw power is as good as it gets in the prep class this year with plenty of length and strength in the swing. While the power is loud, there is plenty of swing and miss and he will need to make adjustments once he hits pro ball. In my one game look, Lowe played center and while he didn't show off a plus defensive skill set in center, the package would play up in right. He combines a 6 arm that comes out easy with athleticism that allows him to run down most balls. His feet work fine but are not quick. As he fills out, he will be forced to move to right field and will be an average defender there with a plus arm. Scouts and front office types will have to make a decision on how comfortable they are with the swing and miss but he will go in the first round of the 2016 draft. —James Fisher

Aaron Civale, RHP, Northeastern University

Civale dominated the Cape during the summer of his sophomore season and was poised for a breakout this spring. Listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Civale has a large frame with wide shoulders, but an otherwise evenly proportioned body. He still has some physical projection remaining in his lower half. He works from the middle of the rubber with a high leg lift featuring quick arm speed with a slight stab. Civale hides the ball behind his body well, which adds to his deception because hitters are not able to see the ball until he releases the ball from his high-three-quarters arm slot. His fastball this outing was 88-90 with late life. This was a very early start of the year for Civale (March 5) so he looked rusty as he struggled with his overall command. As the season progressed it improved considerably and he was able to locate for strikes. His primary off-speed is a curveball that arrived between 74-75 or 77-79. He would go with the slower breaker early which had more 12/6 shape and early action. He would finish with the harder offering which had more 11/5 shape with tighter spin and action. It is a potential plus offering given his feel for the offering and the ability to locate for strikes as well as finishing hitters. His slider was 85-87 mph, with short cutter-like action, but was only featured against right-handed batters and wasn't thrown often. His change was 83-86 mph with fair arm speed but lacked overall movement. Civale has ideal size to pitch in a major league rotation, as well as a potential plus FB/CB combination, to become a starter, though one of the change or slider needs to take a step forward. —Steve Givarz

Dustin Hunt, RHP, Northeastern University

The Saturday starter for Northeastern, Hunt has a tall frame, a somewhat skinny body, and loads of projection remaining. Listed at 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, you could see Hunt adding 15-20 pounds of overall weight to his frame. Hunt pitches from the middle of the rubber and worked quickly. The downside of his quickness was his struggle to repeat his delivery, as he would lose endurance and stamina. With a long arm action and fair arm speed, Hunt fired off 90-92 T93 fastballs from his three-quarters arm slot. The heater has some run down in the zone, but would flatten out when elevated. Given that this was early in the season for Hunt, I'm not terribly concerned that his velo dipped to 87-88, but he needs to add more strength to his body. His slider was his primary offspeed pitch, coming in at 76-79 with large sweeping break. The pitch had more side-to-side action but lacked sharp actions. His change was 81-84 and like Civales' had fair arm speed but lacked overall movement. Hunt certainly has a great frame and body to work with and has potential to grow if given the opportunity in pro ball.