Top Pitchers show off in Lincoln

Over the weekend I had the privilege of seeing two of the best college pitchers in the country in Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, both from UCLA. It was cold, very cold especially on Friday but it was worth it. Not everyday does someone get to see that kind of talent on the field.

Cole pitched on Friday and was exceptional. He threw 9 innings, gave up 2 hits and 2 walks (both intentional), while striking out 8. He was saddled with the no-decision as UCLA failed to score a run until the 11th. The radar gun at Haymarket Park is turned off during college games, but Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game said that a scout had him at 100 MPH at one point during the game. Cole showed tremendous ability to throw strikes and throw strikes down in the zone on this cold day. He got movement on the pitch thanks to his 3/4 arm slot. Cole's slider was also very good and whenever he needed a strikeout or got in any trouble this is the pitch he went to and it induced several swing-and-misses. I did not see any changeups to speak of but he did not need it. It should be noted that during his bullpen session, Cole yelled out to his catcher that his changeup was "s***." Maybe it was just the cold, not sure, but it's likely one of the few things he does need to work on. That all said, Cole is a likely top-3 pick in the draft this June and likely will not fall to the Royals. If bonus demands precipitate a drop, I'd be very disappointed if the Royals passed on him, he has #1 starter upside.

The Saturday starter for UCLA was Trevor Bauer, a likely top 15 pick in the draft. After seeing him, I am certain he should at least be in the discussion for the Royals at #5. His final line for this game was 10 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Bauer physically resembles Zack Greinke and his delivery will draw obvious comparisons to Tim Lincecum. He was always the first one out on the field when his team came out and his first "warmup pitch" was always a crow hop and chuck as hard as I can throw to the catcher. Bauer got batters to swing through every pitch in his arsenal including at least 20 fastballs though I was not counting. His curveball was outstanding and accounted for at least half of the strikeouts. I did not have the best view but I didn't see more than a hand full of sliders or changeups, though on ones he did throw, not surprisingly, Husker batters were no match. Occasionally it looked like Bauer lost focus or something because he would dominate and then issue a 4-pitch walk (four of them). It's worth noting that Lincecum also had high walk totals in college, and Bauer's elaborate delivery simply might need more time to work it self out. There is still time left, but Bauer needs to be in the conversation for the Royals with their first selection. Cole is the superior of the two thanks to his two truly outstanding pitches, superior command, and workhouse 220-pound frame, but Bauer is doing his part to make it close.

A few other notes from last weekend. Nebraska's Saturday starter Matt Freeman is a senior but showed interesting stuff. He hasn't been used much his first three years at Nebraska due to injuries, wildness, and general ineffectiveness. But something must have clicked last summer (when he pitched very well in the summer) because he looks like a completely different pitcher with good velocity and two solid off speed offerings. I could see him being a nice pick for a team later in the draft so long he keeps it up. Nebraska also started freshman Jon Keller (an 11th round pick last year) on Friday and I think he could develop into a premium pick in 2013 with some refinement. He showed a low-90's fastball and a promising yet inconsistent curve in striking out eight Bruins in six innings.