Rendon, Meyer among crop of elite prospects
He stood 5-foot-4 and weighed 120 pounds as a sophomore in high school. At that size it is hard to dream of making the junior varsity baseball team let alone the major leagues.
But all Anthony Rendon has wanted since he was a little kid in suburban Houston was to make it in his chosen sport. Within a year, he experienced a growth spurt. Within three he was arguably the best college freshman in the country. Within five he was the No. 6 overall pick in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and had joined a Nationals organization that boasts a growing crop of elite prospects.
“It’s always been in my heart. That’s why I’ve been playing baseball my whole life,” Rendon said on Tuesday. “I love playing baseball. But I was just hoping maybe one day, one summer, I’ll wake up and I’ll be 6-feet tall. Then finally that year came the summer going into my junior year. I grew like six inches and then right after that started growing and getting bigger and took it to the next level.”
| A calculated risk with third-round pick |
| The Nationals took a calculated risk by choosing Texas Christian left-handed pitcher Matt Purke with their first pick in the third round of the MLB draft, No. 96 overall. Purke was considered one of the top prospects before the 2011 season. But blisters and a back injury kept him off the mound last summer and into the fall and a subsequent shoulder injury caused his velocity to plummet this spring. Instead of an easy top-10 pick, teams backed off Purke, who was diagnosed by Dr. James Andrews with shoulder bursitis in April. He will be difficult to sign. As a draft-eligible sophomore, Purke can return to TCU and rebuild his value for next year’s draft or he can pitch in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League and show he’s healthy there. The two sides must come to an agreement by Aug. 15 or the Nats lose Purke’s rights. |
Rendon and Kentucky right-handed pitcher Alex Meyer were both taken in the first round by Washington on Monday night. Brian Goodwin, an outfielder from Miami Dade College, was the first pick in the sandwich round. If the Nats can sign all three — each represented by agent Scott Boras — they will have added depth to a farm system that already features top position prospects like outfielder Bryce Harper and catcher Derek Norris, along with a handful of promising young pitchers making their way through the minors.
Meyer hopes to eventually join Stephen Strasburg, 23, and Jordan Zimmermann, 25, as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. But the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder will have to work on his mechanics in the minors. If he falters, the Nats are confident Meyer can transition into a dominant relief pitcher.
“I didn’t really quit growing until this last year and things really improved for me,” Meyer said. “But there’s still quite a bit that needs to be tuned up and fixed up. I think it’s strengthening my body first, but more so repeating my delivery and finding a consistent arm slot to deliver my pitches. Once that happens, I feel like a lot will fall into place for me.”
Washington finishes the draft on Wednesday with rounds 31 through 50. The Nats chose 28 players on Tuesday from rounds three through 30. Twelve of the organization’s first 26 picks were college pitchers.
