The 2016 MLB Draft begins Thursday (tonight) with the first two rounds televised live on MLB Network beginning at 7 p.m. Rounds 3-10 will take place on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. and the draft will wrap on Saturday with rounds 11-40.
Here's a rundown of what to expect as it pertains to UCF players and signees via information from those close to and inside the program:
-Among the current roster, Matt Diorio is regarded as the top draft prospect. His injury this year hurt his numbers and likely his draft stock. He'll be drafted more for his bat than his catching ability. It's anticipated he would drafted somewhere in the 20s. He's expected to sign, regardless of where he's taken.
-The draft is more about the vitals and raw numbers as opposed to success and production, which is why a guy like Zach Rodgers wasn't drafted last year while a pitcher who never ever pitched - Mitchell Tripp - was. That being said, the next in line from the current roster with a chance to be drafted this year are likely to be pitchers Andrew Deramo and Campbell Scholl. While neither were impressive this past season, both are about 6-foot-6 and can top out at 92-93 mph.
-Junior pitcher Robby Howell - who ended the season as UCF's No. 1 starter - is not regarded to be a top draft prospect and probably won't be drafted. Neither is Juan Pimentel. Doesn't throw hard enough.
-UCF has several signees with draft potential, the biggest being LHP Travis Hosterman from Hagerty High School. He's got a chance to go perhaps as high as the fifth round. Maybe 5-10 range. It all depends on his price, which is said to be at least $300,000. He can get that for sure if he's a fifth rounder (based on slot) and slot decreases after that. This is the biggest name to watch, likely beginning on Friday.
-The other LHP signee from Hagerty, Joe Sheridan, was recently named the Orlando Sentinel's High School Baseball Player of the Year. As a pitchability lefty, he's not considered a draft prospect like Hosterman is, so the full expectation is that Sheridan comes to UCF.
-After Hosterman, the HS signee with the next best chance is likely Cape Coral OF Anthony Churlin. Has a chance to be inside the top 10 rounds. Also has a similar asking price as Hosterman. Again, it'll come down to price and whether a team thinks they're worth
-Windermere Prep 3B Rylan Thomas has a chance to be drafted. Has good power and could also play some 1B (at least for UCF). It may be after round 10, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.
-Several JUCO signees/commits also have a chance to be drafted, the biggest of which is RHP Andy Rohloff. If he comes to UCF, the anticipation would be for him to be closer.
-Brody Westmoreland is an SS/IF from Southern Nevada College who began his career at San Diego State. He was regarded one of the top HS players in Colorado a couple years ago, drafted then in the 35th round by the Rockies. He batted .375 with 11 HRs in 43 games played this past season in JUCO. Another name to watch.
-So is JUCO OF Bryce Peterson of Everett College in Washington. Regarded as an athletic OF with good speed.
-UCF recently gained JUCO commitments from LHP Dillon Turney (Blinn College in Texas) and OF Max Wood (San Jacinto-North, also in Texas) - both are expected to come and probably won't be drafted though you never know.
Pending nothing unforeseen, UCF expects to return all key pitchers from this past season, except for Harrison Hukari of course who graduated, then hopefully will have a healthy Kyle Marsh and Nick McCoy along with the influx of incoming HS/JUCO signees. Marsh is recovering from Tommy John and will be penciled in as a weekend starter most likely, then will play the field/hit other games. McCoy had nothing structurally wrong, just a forearm strain. Assuming all are healthy (including Cre), that's a pretty good group of five potential starting pitchers (Howell, Cre, Marsh, McCoy, Pimentel) not even including HS or JUCO players that could factor in.
-The bullpen depth this past season pretty much amounted to only Hukari, but anticpiation is high a couple of the JUCO guys, particularly Dillon Turney and Andy Rohloff, will provide a good 1-2 punch for the back end of games.
Here's a rundown of what to expect as it pertains to UCF players and signees via information from those close to and inside the program:
-Among the current roster, Matt Diorio is regarded as the top draft prospect. His injury this year hurt his numbers and likely his draft stock. He'll be drafted more for his bat than his catching ability. It's anticipated he would drafted somewhere in the 20s. He's expected to sign, regardless of where he's taken.
-The draft is more about the vitals and raw numbers as opposed to success and production, which is why a guy like Zach Rodgers wasn't drafted last year while a pitcher who never ever pitched - Mitchell Tripp - was. That being said, the next in line from the current roster with a chance to be drafted this year are likely to be pitchers Andrew Deramo and Campbell Scholl. While neither were impressive this past season, both are about 6-foot-6 and can top out at 92-93 mph.
-Junior pitcher Robby Howell - who ended the season as UCF's No. 1 starter - is not regarded to be a top draft prospect and probably won't be drafted. Neither is Juan Pimentel. Doesn't throw hard enough.
-UCF has several signees with draft potential, the biggest being LHP Travis Hosterman from Hagerty High School. He's got a chance to go perhaps as high as the fifth round. Maybe 5-10 range. It all depends on his price, which is said to be at least $300,000. He can get that for sure if he's a fifth rounder (based on slot) and slot decreases after that. This is the biggest name to watch, likely beginning on Friday.
-The other LHP signee from Hagerty, Joe Sheridan, was recently named the Orlando Sentinel's High School Baseball Player of the Year. As a pitchability lefty, he's not considered a draft prospect like Hosterman is, so the full expectation is that Sheridan comes to UCF.
-After Hosterman, the HS signee with the next best chance is likely Cape Coral OF Anthony Churlin. Has a chance to be inside the top 10 rounds. Also has a similar asking price as Hosterman. Again, it'll come down to price and whether a team thinks they're worth
-Windermere Prep 3B Rylan Thomas has a chance to be drafted. Has good power and could also play some 1B (at least for UCF). It may be after round 10, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.
-Several JUCO signees/commits also have a chance to be drafted, the biggest of which is RHP Andy Rohloff. If he comes to UCF, the anticipation would be for him to be closer.
-Brody Westmoreland is an SS/IF from Southern Nevada College who began his career at San Diego State. He was regarded one of the top HS players in Colorado a couple years ago, drafted then in the 35th round by the Rockies. He batted .375 with 11 HRs in 43 games played this past season in JUCO. Another name to watch.
-So is JUCO OF Bryce Peterson of Everett College in Washington. Regarded as an athletic OF with good speed.
-UCF recently gained JUCO commitments from LHP Dillon Turney (Blinn College in Texas) and OF Max Wood (San Jacinto-North, also in Texas) - both are expected to come and probably won't be drafted though you never know.
Pending nothing unforeseen, UCF expects to return all key pitchers from this past season, except for Harrison Hukari of course who graduated, then hopefully will have a healthy Kyle Marsh and Nick McCoy along with the influx of incoming HS/JUCO signees. Marsh is recovering from Tommy John and will be penciled in as a weekend starter most likely, then will play the field/hit other games. McCoy had nothing structurally wrong, just a forearm strain. Assuming all are healthy (including Cre), that's a pretty good group of five potential starting pitchers (Howell, Cre, Marsh, McCoy, Pimentel) not even including HS or JUCO players that could factor in.
-The bullpen depth this past season pretty much amounted to only Hukari, but anticpiation is high a couple of the JUCO guys, particularly Dillon Turney and Andy Rohloff, will provide a good 1-2 punch for the back end of games.
