Jordan Shipers

Ross Martin of the St. Joseph News Press has an interesting story up about LHP Jordan Shipers, a Bethany, MO native who didn't  pitch in high school because they didn't have a team. Here's a couple small excerpts:

Shipers’ repertoire of pitches includes a fastball that usually ranges from 88 to 92 mph and tops out around 93, a circle changeup, spike curveball and slider. He prides himself on being a strikeout pitcher.

“I’m a low-contact pitcher. I don’t like people to hit the ball,” he said.
And he can use any pitch in his arsenal to induce Ks.
“It depends on the day. Usually, it’s my curve,” he said. “Well, slider’s pretty good, too.”
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Shipers now works with advisors — including former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Dan Evans and Kansas City Royals’ Cy Young Award winning pitcher Bret Saberhagen — to help him through the draft process. It’s been fast-moving during the past 10 months.

The article says he's expected to go somewhere in the first five rounds (Greg Schaum believes he'll go 4-6) and I would think that KC has to have significant interest, just due to him living in their backyard. Baseball Beginnings compares him to former Royal Mike Magnante, which may not excite anyone but Magnante did finish with a 110 ERA+ in 12 seasons. You can click on the Baseball Beginnings link to see some game footage and here is a bullpen session I came across on youtube:



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Well depending on who you believe the Royals may or may not have a pre-draft agreement with University of Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal. I could dig this. He's a switch hitting catcher with power and patience plus is expected to stick at the position, yeah I definitely could dig this. Coming out of college his arrival would coincide with Moustakas and company and maybe, just maybe he'll wipe the Jason Kendall era from our collective memory.