25 May 2011

2011 Depot Draft Preview - Finding 1:4 (Dylan Bundy)

We continue our annual look at amateur talents the Baltimore Orioles could (should) be targeting in the 1st Round and beyond. Over the next two weeks we will bear down on the eight potential 1st Round targets listed below, followed by a week dedicated to the 2nd - 5th Rounds and finally the 6th - 10th Rounds. As a reminder, the draft coverage here will focus on Baltimore. More in-depth coverage, including rankings, scouting reports, videos and more can be found over at http://www.diamondscapescouting.com/.

Potential targets at 1:4

Anthony Rendon / 3b / Rice Univ.
Gerrit Cole / rhp / UCLA
Bubba Starling / of/rhp / Gardner Edgerton HS (Gardner, Kan.)
Sonny Gray / rhp / Vanderbilt Univ.
Danny Hultzen / lhp / Univ. of Virginia
Dylan Bundy / rhp / Owasso HS (Owasso, Okla.)
Taylor Jungmann / rhp / Univ. of Texas
Jed Bradley / lhp / Georgia Tech

*Every player discussed in the Depot Draft Preview has been scouted by Nick J. Faleris, either through his efforts at DiamondScape Scouting or as part of his duties as an Associate Scout in the Midwest Region for a National League organization.

Dylan Bundy (rhp, Owasso HS, Owasso, Okla.)
Ht/Wt: 6-1/200
B/T: B/R
Year: Senior
Age at Draft: 18y7m
Games Scouted: 0 (in person); 4 (video)

Grades - Now (Future):
Motion: 55 (60)
Fastball: 55/60 (65/70)
Curveball: 45/50 (60)
Change: 40 (55/60)
Cutter: 50/55 (60/65)
Control: 45/50 (60)
Command: 40/45 (55/60)
Feel: 45/50 (60)
Overall Future Potential: 58/62

*Notes on Grades: The Scouting Scale works from 20-80, with 50 being Major League Average. The scale operates loosely on a bell curve, so the further you move from 50 the fewer grades you'll find among ML players (e.g. Aroldis Chapman's fastball, Ichiro Suzuki's arm strength, Adam Dunn's power and Albert Pujols' hit tool would all be 80 grade). A 60 grade is sometimes referred to as plus and a 70 grade is sometimes referred to as plus-plus.

Physical Description:
Thick, sturdy build. Strength concentrated in thighs/butt, but well proportioned throughout. Athletic. Little projection.

Motion:
Bundy generates his velocity and big spin on his breaking balls through a quick arm and explosive lower half. He gets quick drive out of his powerful legs and butt, rotating through with a strong core. Additionally, like Sonny Gray, Bundy uses a low ball drop to start his arm circle, which gives him extra time to accelerate the ball through release (think of a car accelerating in a straight line, measuring speed once at 200 ft and once at 300 ft). Bundy is strong and athletic, showing little trouble maintaining his mechanics and little effort past what you would expect out of an arm throwing in the mid-90s.

Stuff:
Fastball - The fastball is big and loud, clocking regularly in the mid-90s, with an ability to climb to 97/98 mph (and some reports that he hit triple-digits earlier this spring). He commands the pitch well to both sides and does a solid job working down in the zone. There is some question as to how easy it will be for Bundy to maintain the velocity on shorter rest over a longer season, but it's a potential plus-plus pitch.

Cutter - Bundy's cutter is an out pitch not, with borderline slider depth and late life. He snaps the pitch in the 86-88 mph range, allowing it to serve as a change-of-pace offering. It has developed into his most effective pitch, and could be plus or better at the next level.

Curve - Bundy's curve flashes plus right now. At its best it is a hard 12/6 breaker with good depth and hard snap. He can tighten the pitch with more use, giving it more consistent bite and shape. The foundation is here for a third plus or better bullet in his arsenal.

Change-up - Bundy used his change-up more last year, before his cutter took a big step forward. He has shown feel for it in the past, but will need to spend some time on it in order to bring it up to speed. He has shown enough to hang a future 50 on it, and perhaps better considering the Texas commit's overall feel for the craft.

Discussion:
Bundy has separated himself as the top right-handed high school arm in the draft, and is right there with Daniel Norris (Science Hill HS, Johnson City, Tenn.) as the top prep arms in the class. Bundy has more "now" stuff than Norris, and the overall ceiling is perhaps the best among all the draft-eligible arms. His advanced feel for three offerings and a chance for a forth pitch that is at least average, combined with steady and repeatable mechanics and a famous work ethic and training regimen give him a reasonably high floor for a prep pitcher. His size and past workload are two slight knocks, and while his spring numbers have been eye-popping they have come against uneven competition (as with many prep arms). Still, he has thrown so well this spring it's tough to envision him slipping outside of the top ten picks, or so, signing bonus demands not withstanding. He has an even demeanor on the mound, and is well equipped to tackle the challenges of transitioning to pro ball.

Projected position: #1/#2 starter on tier one team
Suggested draft slot: Top ten overall

Video:

None

This scouting report originally published by the author here.

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