MLB Draft: Wisconsin Day 3

Day three of the MLB Draft lended several Wisconsin names from the 14th round on. Prep stars 1B Alex Binelas, C Jacob Campbell and RHP Max Alba all heard their names called at the end of the draft. The trio add to Kelenic’s name for a total of four of Wisconsin’s finest high school prospects selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.

Binelas, Campbell and Alba will all take their talents to college with aspirations of climbing drat boards in 2021, like the next crop of Wisconsin names did.

OF Doran Turchin was the highest Wisconsin native taken on Day 3. An Oak Creek product, Turchin was one of two Knights selected on Day three along with the aforementioned Binelas. RHP Simon Rosenblum-Larson was the only other college junior selected on Day 3 from the 2015 high school graduating class. Three senior RHP’s will continue their baseball career at the pro level as Austin Schulfer, Dalton Roach and Heath Renz were all called in the middle of Day 3.

Doran Turchin, OF, Illinois (Oak Creek, 2015)
14th Round, 415th Overall, Baltimore Orioles

Turchin lifted nine home runs while hitting .272 in his junior campaign en route to a third team All-Big Ten selection this season. He’s slugged 21 home runs in his career for the Illini and came in second for OPS this season behind third round draft pick Bren Spillane.

Report from HS: 2/1/15 - Doran Turchin (Oak Creek) is a physical right-handed hitting outfielder and showed some of that physicality in his round of BP. Turchin posted an 88 mph exit velocity from the tee, 90 mph arm from the outfield and ran a 7.04 in the 60. An Illinois commit, Turchin hits from an open, slightly narrow stance, and maintains strong balance throughout. He’s a gap to gap type hitter, with a short quick stroke that flashes occasional power as well. Defensively he plays aggressively through the baseball and his arm stays online and accurate, it plays well from the outfield and will pose a threat to baserunners with its accuracy and carry.

Simon Rosenblum-Larson, RHP, Harvard (Madison West, 2015)
19th Round, 570th Overall, Tampa Bay Rays

Rosenblum-Larson posted an elusive 11.71 strikeouts per nine innings this season totalling a team high 82 strikeouts in 63 innings earning second team All-Ivy honors. His swing and miss stuff is clearly what made him a valuable pick to the Rays in the 19th round.

Report from HS: 7/4/14 - He pitched in the 2013 Future Games last year, sitting 82-84 mph, and reports now have him touching 90 mph while sitting 85-87. He has a very clean arm action with a high upside and good secondary stuff.

Austin Schulfer, RHP, Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Stevens Point, 2014)
19th Round, 574th Overall, Minnesota Twins

Schulfer struck out 15 in a start this season against Northern Kentucky, a school record, breaking his old record of 13. Our college coverage this season, came across a Schulfer start at Miller Park where he showed stuff that could clearly play at the next leve. Below is our report from that outing.

Report form College: 5/13/18 - Narrow frame, wiry sloped shoulders, loose body type. Loose live arm, works from a 3/4 slot, regular draw, long and whippy out front. Works deception into delivery, mixes in pause and hesitations at the top of balance point out of the windup. Fastball plays up with plus arm side run, swing and miss action, ranged 90-94 mph in the first, settled in 89-91 later in outing, erratic at times with most misses to arm side. Changeup has above average deception, fastball similar, will throw first pitch and behind in counts, 78-83 mph. Breaking ball has tight action, 83-86 mph, short sweep type action, works best as tight slider with 10/4 shape, matching arm slot, and complimenting fastball action. Overall showed a lively swing and miss arsenal that is bullpen ready, will need to harness fastball life, but currently showed he can get back into at bats with above average feel for his changeup, bullpen/setup guy. Worked 7.2IP, 4H, 3R, 5K, 2BB, 2HBP.

Dalton Roach, RHP, Minnesota State-Mankato (Eau Claire Memorial, 2014)
21st Round, 642nd Overall, Houston Astros

Roach set several school records this season becoming the all-time school leader in career innings pitched, career strikeouts and career wins. He was a first team All-NSIC selection his senior year posting an 8-2 record with a 3.30 ERA and 86 strikeouts to just 15 walks.

Report from HS: 6/6/13 - No. 10 ranked prospect in the Class of 2014. Above average build, 6-foot-1, 175-pounds. Arm works athletically with quickness, high ¾ slot, clean arm action. Fastball is mostly straight, pitched at 83-85 in the first inning, topped at 86 mph. Curveball showed 11/5 shape, rarely used, 72 mph, showed above average action. Roach has a projectable arm that shows a clean action and quickness.

Heath Renz, RHP, Wisconsin-Whitewater (Jefferson HS, 2014)
27th Round, 810th Overall, Tampa Bay Rays

Renz was a first team All-WIAC selection striking out 70 in just over 54 innings and finished seventh all-time in Warhawk career strikeouts with 198.

Report from HS: 3/3/13 - Strong build, wide shoulders, 6-foot, 195-pound two way player. Shows higher projection on the mound. Delivery shows rhythm, stays online, athletic finish. Arm works loosely, high ¾ arm slot. Fastball is straight, thrown for strikes, 84-86 mph. Curveball has 11/5 shape, gradual action, thrown for strikes, 66-68 mph. Changeup has feel and action, excellent arm speed shows deception, above average sink, thrown with feel, 68-69 mph, showed repeatable location. Defensively showed solid hands, some body control. 4.33 runner down the line. Hits from a slightly closed stance, short toe tap stride. Makes hard contact, line drive hitter, pull tendencies, occasionally rolls over.

Alex Binelas, 1B, Oak Creek HS, 2018
35th Round, 1061st Overall, Washington Nationals

Binelas combines a rare tool set of strength, power and speed, all coming from the left-side of the plate. His abilities yield him the chance to be an impact bat right away for the Cardinals at Louisville and put himself in position to be another high Louisville draft pick.

Report from Super 60: 2/4/18 - Louisville recruit. Physical 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-handed hitting corner infielder with broad shoulders and proportional strength. Turned in one of the most impressive offensive performances at the Super 60. Powerful strider, moves extraordinarily well for size/strength, running a 6.62 laser-timed 60. Extremely balanced and explosive offensive approach, generates plus bat speed with hands; quiet pre-pitch load, subtle hand load with minimal moving parts. Delivered two of the top BP rounds of the day, consistently impacting the baseball, working middle and to his pullside. Registered 104 exit velocity off the tee. FlightScope data during BP registered five hits 102 or greater, with peak velocity of 104.5 and average of 96.7 in two rounds. Max carry was 370.91 with a 25.7 degree launch angle. ... Defensively, shows arm strength from third base, registering 92 mph, long deliberate transfer. With his athleticism and offensive profile, may project as corner outfielder in future.

Jacob Campbell, C, Janesville Craig HS, 2018
36th Round, 1088th Overall, Chicago Cubs

Campbell was nursing a hammock bone in February at the Super 60 so he held back from an offensive evaluations at the event. The time off proved fruitful for the physical catcher this spring as he went off to the tune of a .429 average (36-for-84) with three home runs and eight doubles en route to being named the Big Eight Player of the year. Campbell will be a name to watch in three years out of Illinois.  

Report from Super 60: 2/4/18 - Illinois recruit. 6-foot, 200-pound right-handed hitting catcher, muscular, durable frame with defined lower half and extremely strong forearms/hands. Established himself as one of the top defensive catchers in the Midwest, if not the country. Showed plus arm strength, registering an event-best 87-mph from the crouch, which tied the all-time Super 60 record with former first-rounder Justin O'Conner (Cowan HS, IN; 2009). Advanced, directional footwork, athletic out of the chute, stays low, gains ground well; consistent strikes on the bag, pop times ranging between 1.86-1.94. Athleticism shined in the 60, running a 6.87, laser-timed. Did not hit at the Super 60 due to an injured hand, but can safely say that his bat is on par with his defensive prowess.

Max Alba, RHP, Franklin HS, 2018
39th Round, 1171st Overall, Los Angeles Angels

Alba showed well this spring in the Hitters Spring league showing similar stuff to what he showed us at the Super 60. In terms of the draft, Alba is all about upside, his current stuff is already there, but the prospects for his three-sport prowess, low workload on the arm and projectable frame lead many to believe he could be a huge riser at North Carolina.

Report from Super 60: 2/4/18 - North Carolina recruit. 6-foot-5, 190-pound right-handed pitcher; long, lean and athletic; big projection in frame as he continues to physically develop. Excellent overall showing at the Super 60. Works out of a full windup, drop-and-drive delivery, maintains rhythm, tempo and balance throughout. Arm is quick, clean and easy coming out of a high-3/4 slot, deep takeaway in the back, highly athletic out front. Fastball sat 90-91, topping at 92, mostly straight with occasional arm-side action. Three-pitch feel, around the zone with everything. Consistent strikes with changeup, 82-85 mph, with some late running action, thrown with near fastball arm speed. Curveball shows above-average potential at times, throws it firmly at 80-81 mph, a few with sharp 11/5 bite; some with early, flatter break. Overall, Alba has the combination of tantalizing upside with current three-pitch stuff that will make him a high-interest draft prospect, if not this June, then certainly after three-years at North Carolina.