In the later rounds of the 2 drafts Scott Harris has been a part of, we’ve seen him take a few Junior College (JUCO) players. Looking at rounds 11-20, just outside the bonus pool, 4 of the 20 picks were such and there is no reason to assume he won’t do the same this one. Here are a few names to keep an eye on that could be potential targets.
Hayden Morris (RHP)
Just completed his Freshman year at Blinn College (D1 JUCO), Hayden Morris is an imposing figure who listed at 6’8” and weighing 265 lbs. Primarily a starter, he went 10-0 in 19 games (14 starts). He had a 4.17 ERA last year and a 106:48 K:BB ratio. He gave up 7 HRs, which comes out to 0.72 HR/9. He had 13 wild pitches and hit 4 batters on the year.
Looking at videos on his instagram, you can see where there would be some intrigue. He has one video showing some Trackman data. It shows him showing a 4-seam, curveball, cutter, and a slider. He’s hitting 95.1 on his 4-seam with 2472 RPMs, and 2621 RPMs with his curveball. All of those have good potential and something to work with. His extension is lower (6.5 ft) compared to his size, so I wonder if they could try to get a little more out of that.
Nick Falla (RHP)
A sophomore at Allegany College of Maryland (D2 JUCO), Nick Falla isn’t quite the figure that Hayden Morris is, measuring 6’2” and 190 lbs. He did, however, have some tremendous strikeout numbers. He had a K% at 36.5% in 81.1 IP. Was more of a reliever than a starter (17 appearances, 7 starts), he ended the year with a 1.33 ERA and gave up just 1 HR.
He won’t blow you away with his velocity, he had one at 88.5 MPH, but his movement will be fun. His changeup had 1899 RPMs and 12.7” of arm movement, his sweeper 2826 RPMs and 24.9” of glove side movement. I think there could be more muscle added onto him and could see some additional velocity coming as he continues to mature.
Brandyn Gonzales (LHH OF)
Another sophomore on my list, this time a batter with the Garrett College (D2 JUCO). What stood out to me was the combination of BB:K ratio in combination with the power output. Through 55 games he had a 1.1 BB:K rate (29 BBs, 26 Ks) while also posting an .879 SLG. He hit 20 HRs in those 55 games and nearly half of his hits ended up as the XBH variety.
He doesn’t have any fun advanced metrics posted. He does have a strong looking lower half and his swing looks to be quick. He went 14-for-15 in stolen bases and I saw him easily advance to 2B on a hard hit fly ball. His power potential, patience, and base running seems like he could be a good flyer later in the draft.
Hunter Guenther (IF/RHP)
Standing just 6’3” and weighing 170 lbs, he was a 2-way player. Played at Century College (D3 JUCO), he hit .377 playing primarily SS. Power isn’t really his thing, but he was able to go 32-for-33 in stolen base attempts and he grounded into just 1 double play, so his speed seems like it could be plus.
His bread and butter is likely as a pitcher though. Hunter started all 10 games he appeared in averaging 5.1 IP per start and just a 1.53 ERA. More impressive was his 42.5% K% compared to his 5.5% BB% in those 10 games. I’d assume that if drafted, he would be used as a pitcher only, but it could be fun to see him as a 2-way player to start.
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Rogelio Castillo