Fri June 8, 2018
With the conclusion of the 2018 MLB Draft, the premier talent of amateur baseball can now sow the seeds of their labor.
After more than 1,200 picks over the course of three days, thirty Major League Baseball franchises have made the selections of those deemed worthy of the honor. The state of Texas, rooted in talent far and wide, saw an abundance of names called upon to take coveted step towards the highest level of baseball. Today, we recap the top names of high school Texans seen by PBR Scouting Director Toby Bicknell selected in this year’s MLB draft, and offer a glimpse of what each team has added to its organization.
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GRAYSON RODRIGUEZRHP / 1B / CENTRAL HEIGHTS , TX / 2018Rankings StateRank: 2 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 92 / POS: 34 PBR Draft BoardRank: 26 / POS: 11 HS Draft 100Rank: 13 / POS: 6
At 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, Rodriguez has a strong, long-limbed frame. He works from a high-3/4 slot with a low effort delivery and a long, clean arm swing. His fastball sat at 96 in the first inning, touching 98 mph once. In the second inning his fastball ranged from 94-97, he locates well to his glove side, occasionally coming in to right-handed hitters. Used a big breaking curveball with 11/5 shape and good depth early in the game at 74-78 mph. His slider was his third best pitch for the first three innings with flat, inconsistent spin at 81-83 mph. But the pitch got better from the 4th inning on, and he went to it more often for swings and misses with sharp spin, and late, short 10/4 bite. |
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Jordan GroshansSS Magnolia, TX / 2018Rankings StateRank: 4 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 35 / POS: 3 PBR Draft BoardRank: 62 / POS: 7 HS Draft 100Rank: 29 / POS: 4
The right-handed hitter had the best at-bats of the night for both teams. Seasoned approach at the plate, easy rhythm, loose, quick hands, commands the plate and the strike zone. Facing a strong right-handed pitcher, Groshans had a low-heart rate and seemed to be in control of every pitch he saw, never getting sped up by velocity, taking borderline pitches, laying off breaking balls out of the zone, and being on time with every fastball he swung at. Could see him playing third base or second base at the pro level. Plenty of athleticism to stay on the infield, and the bat plays right away. |
