Nationals Draft History: 2011 Rounds 31-40

Round 31: SS Josh Tobias, Southeast Guilford HS (NC)
The speedy, switch-hitting middle infield prospect compares his batting game to Carl Crawford and defense to Jimmy Rollins. He will most likely fulfill his commitment to the University of Florida, though.
From Perfect Game:
"Excellent All around Talent, Very good at WWBA, big power/speed combo, Aflac All American, big showing at PG National."
From Steve Garrity, DraftSite, 7/14/10
"Josh Tobias is...5’9"-ish, but he is built like a running back at 190 lbs. In the case of Tobias, big things come in small packages, as he produces some of the biggest power in the class. He is a switch hitter, though that may come to an end at the professional level as he is much more comfortable from the right hand side. Tobias utilizes a very short and compact stroke, along an extremely quiet load (he turns his front foot in to transfer his weight back before exploding forward), and amazingly quick hands to make consistent contact. In the field, he plays the left side of the infield, and can handle himself on the high school level. Tobias has plus speed, and it is a huge help at short, as it allows him to make all the plays. However the game is faster at the professional level, and with his size, some are not ruling out a possible move to second base. Tobias is one of the most toolsy players on the prep scene, and he continues to improve."


Round 32: OF Billy Burns, Mercer University
There isn't a whole lot of info on Billy Burns out there, but here is what I've dug up: Atlanta's 16th rounder in 2008 hit .357/.473/.509 in 224 at-bats for Mercer University this year. His power is solid but unspectacular (12 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR) but his plate discipline is great (39 BB/29 K) as are his base-stealing abilities (29/32 SB this year). Burns was a high school teammate of Virginia Tech C Chris Kay, a friend of the blog, so I'll do my best to snag an interview to find out more about him.




Round 33: 2B Trey Karlen, Tennessee-Martin
UTM is certainly ecstatic with Karlen's selection, as he is their first draftee since 1998. He is listed as a 2B on MLB's draft page, but played 3B and OF for the Skyhawks. Karlen hit .297/.365/.513 in 222 at-bats for Tennesse-Martin, adding 19 doubles, 1 triple and 9 home runs. His 19 BB/32 K ratio could use some work, however, but his base-stealing game is solid already (21/23 SB). Karlen's 2010 season at UTM was fantastic, as he hit .356/.464/.671 with 14 HR and 30 SB. He struggled to a .185/.250/.252 triple slash on his summer wooden bat league team, the New Market (VA) Rebels, so he does have work to do.




Round 34: RHP Calvin Drummond, University of San Diego
Drummond, a 38th round pick by the Brewers in 2008, went 3-4 with a 3.29 ERA in 76 and 2/3 innings this year for San Diego. His peripherals weren't all that impressive; 4.34 BB/9, 6.46 K/9 and almost 1 hit allowed for each inning pitched. Drummond did keep the ball in the yard well, however, and found ways to get outs.
From John Klima, Baseball Beginnings, 5/17/10
"Drummond was 91-92 in this look, 93-94 when I saw him in the Fall. The big body, the frame, and the radar gun will get him in the door. What he needs to keep himself there are consistent mechanics leading to consistent stuff. He did get the full scouting card treatment from me, which automatically means your arm interests me." Note-link includes video.
From Joel Badzinski, LaCrosse Tribune, 5/30/10:
"The key adjustment Drummond made was shelving his slider in favor of a cut fastball. His repertoire now includes a fastball that sits at 91 to 93 mph, a curveball, changeup and the cutter. 'All of his stuff can compete in the major leagues,' (Drummond's private instructor, former Major League pitcher Gary) Buckels said. 'He moved to the cutter and he caught on right away; it's flat-out nasty.'"




Round 35: RHP Alex Kreis, Jamestown College
From the Grand Forks Herald, 6/8/11:
"Kreis, a right-handed pitcher, has named the Dakota Athletic Conference's pitcher of the year each of the past two seasons. He posted a 21-5 record in his four seasons pitching at Jamestown College, including 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA this spring. He was reported to have consistently been throwing in the 91-92 mile-per-hour range at a recent tryout with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks."
From Tracy Erickson, SID of Jamestown College, 6/8/11:
"Kreis was a high school product from Grand Forks, N.D. (Central HS) who went on to have a stellar career for the Jimmies from 2008-2011. In his four years at Jamestown College, Kreis started 30 games and compiled an overall record of 21-5, which included going a perfect 11-0 in his sophomore and junior seasons. He averaged a strikeout per inning during his career, throwing 209 innings while striking out 217 batters. He finished with a career ERA of 3.49. "

Round 36: LHP Ben Hawkins, University of West Florida
Hawkins threw a no-hitter this season for the eventual Division II National Champions, the University of West Florida Argonauts. During the regular season, Hawkins went 11-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 86 and 2/3 innings. He struck out 101 batters and walked 44, and allowed only 12 extra base hits all season. He continued to pitch well in the NCAA South Regional, allowing only 4 runs on 6 hits in 12 and 1/3 innings. Hawkins did have control issues down the stretch, but could be a solid pickup from a smaller school.


Round 37: RHP Derrick Bleeker, Howard College
The Nationals grabbed #1 (Goodwin), #4 (Stubbs) and #9 (Bleeker) from Baseball America's pre-sesaon top 20 JuCo/Small College prospects list. Bleeker started out at Arkansas but apparently transferred for playing time concerns. He is currently committed to play at UNC next season.
From Brian Howell of the Longmont Times-Call, 6/8/11:
"Bleeker was a relief pitcher at Howard, compiling a 2.84 earned-run average and two saves in 12.2 innings of work. He struck out 14 hitters and walked just two. Also an infielder, he hit .318 (21-for-66) with four home runs and 19 RBIs."

Round 38: LHP Brett Mooneyham, Stanford
Mooneyham missed the entire 2011 sesaon due to injury, as you'll read. He still has at least 1 more year of eligibility, so he likely will not sign.
From the Merced Sun-Star, 6/9/11:
"Mooneyham missed his entire junior season with the Cardinal after cutting the middle finger on his throwing hand before the start of the season. The gash required surgery and the former Buhach Colony ace was forced to sit for the year. It was a disappointing blow after Moooneyham had such a successful summer with the USA Collegiate National Team. He pitched in four games, going 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings. Mooneyham is 9-10 with a 4.67 ERA in 30 games with Stanford. He has 28 career starts and 171 strikeouts in 1541/3 innings pitched."

From John Klima, Baseball Beginnings, 7/15/10: "Mooneyham didn’t pitch very well when I saw him at UCLA, but he still has the body and arm speed to be a first-round talent. The day I saw him, Mooneyham struggled with his release points and consistency. His fastball kept starting up in the strike zone. These things are correctable, and I hope Mooneyham has made progress by the time I see him next."
From Klima, 7/14/10: "Mooneyham is made for the mound, with tall and very broad shoulders. His fastball in this look was 89-92, averaged 90, and I felt lacked major league average movement and command. The curveball was 72-77, with average command, but lacked the power and bite the pitch should have. He threw a few change-ups at 78, which were average pitches. All this said, Mooneyham has a good arm. He needs to tighten his delivery based on this look. Too many times, he’s open, too many times, his fastball is starting up in the zone. His arm slows on the change-up. His stride and landing points were inconsistent in this look. He pitched with a slow tempo and didn’t look very confident in this outing. He wasn’t pitching with his fastball and this didn’t help him. All this said, Mooneyham is still a major league prospect. But he needs polish. What I’m looking for next time I see him is more consistent mechanics, more conditioning, and more confidence in himself and his fastball. I am by no means writing him off, but I want to see what comes next."
From his milb.com scouting report from 2008: "A big, imposing lefty with the potential to have some plus stuff is always interesting, but Mooneyham's lack of command may cause some to pause. He's got serious arm strength and should develop three average or above offerings in the future. The combination of wildness, a concern over whether he's mentally ready to make the leap to pro ball, a commitment to Stanford and having Scott Boras as an advisor all make Mooneyham a bit of a wild card for Draft day." Note-he was taken in the 15th round of the 2008 draft by San Diego.
Other articles/scouting reports on Mooneyham can be read here and here.


Round 39: OF Peter Verdin, Georgia
Verdin is Paul VI product, so don't let the Georgia fool you on this local pick. He only hit .258/.325/.331 this season, with an awful 8 BB/37 K ratio. He did hit over .300 in his sophomore season, though, so there is room for improvement. He says he'll probably come back to school.
From Georgia's official website: "When I heard I’d been drafted by the Nationals I thought that was cool because that's my hometown team," said Verdin. "I wasn't sure if I was going to get drafted and going in the 39th round, I'm not expecting too much so I'll probably be coming back to school."



Round 40: OF Stephen Collum, Cartersville HS (GA)
Drafted as an OF, but also has pitched. Can't find anything on a potential college commitment.
From Perfect Game: "Stephen Collum is a 2011 RHP/OF with a 6'3'', 180 lb. frame from Cartersville, GA who attends Cartersville. Tall athletic build, fast-twitch athlete, 3/4 arm slot on the mound, clean arm circle, arm works well, velo projects down the road, feel for 11 to 5 curveball, good life on change-up, fills up the strike zone, solid delivery, switch-hitter, LH-good bat speed, consistent solid contact, stays on the ball well, RH-line-drive approach, smooth swing, aggressive, good bat speed, similar from both sides of the plate, runs well, 6.99 sixty, huge throwing arm in the outfield, good footwork, accurate, athletic actions, strong student. Named to Top Prospect Team."