AS OWNERS of the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft, which begins on Tuesday, the Washington Nationals will have the chance to select arguably the most celebrated amateur prospect of the decade, flame-throwing college starter Stephen Strasburg. The San Diego State right-hander is renowned for hitting triple digits on the radar gun with some regularity, but he also boasts excellent control and a nasty curveball.
Scouts have raved that Strasburg has the stuff and makeup to pitch in the big leagues as soon as September, especially for a going-nowhere-fast outfit like the Nats. One serious potential delay is protracted contract negotiations. Strasburg’s agent, the notorious Scott Boras, is rumored to be seeking a record-shattering deal.
If the hype is just half-true, you will want to grab Strasburg — and hold onto him in keeper leagues — as soon as he’s available. In the meantime, here are a few other highly rated pitching prospects who could give your roster a mid-summer jolt:
Tommy Hanson, Braves
Coupled with Atlanta’s unceremonious dumping of franchise pillar Tom Glavine was the team’s announcement that Hanson will be called up to start today against the Brewers. Hanson shredded the Arizona Fall League and proved too good for the farm (1.50 ERA, 90 K’s in 661⁄3 Triple-A innings), so put in a claim yesterday.
Vin Mazzaro, Athletics
The Hackensack-born right-hander made his debut in The Show on Tuesday night, spinning 61⁄3 scoreless innings to earn the win. He had 7.0 K’s per nine innings and a 1.05 WHIP at Triple-A. He joins Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill in GM Billy Beane’s latest incarnation of the Big Three.
Charlie Morton, Pirates
A major piece in the Braves’ trade for Nate McLouth, Morton is bound to get a shot with the perpetually pitching-poor Pirates. His numbers at Triple-A — 7-2, 2.52 ERA, 7.7 K’s per nine — indicate he’s ready.
Neftali Feliz, Rangers
Fellow Texas stud Derek Holland is taking some lumps in homer-happy Arlington, so approach the unpolished 21-year-old Feliz (9.2 K’s per nine, alarming 5.9 walks per nine at Triple-A) with some caution.
Also: Clay Buchholz, Red Sox; David Hernandez, Orioles; Homer Bailey, Reds