UPDATE (5/15): As expected, Scheppers emerged as a premium college arm this spring and gave all indications of being selected in the first 10 picks. His stuff was solid and dependable, with his fastball in the 92-96 mph range in every start. It peaked at 99 mph in his lone relief appearance of the season in early May, when he was used to close out a game. He took his regular turn in the rotation for the finale of a Western Athletic Conference series two days later and threw 136 pitches over 6 2/3 innings, and soon there were rumblings of a sore arm in the scouting community when Scheppers didn’t make his scheduled start the following weekend. Sure enough, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his shoulder and was not expected to throw again for up to six weeks—significantly jeopardizing his place in the draft. In all probability, a team will have to get clearance from its medical staff for Scheppers to have any shot of going in the first round any longer. Scheppers threw his slider more consistently for strikes this year as he has assembled an 8-2, 2.93 record with 109 strikeouts in 71 innings. Though he walked 34, his command was not an issue and his average of a walk every two innings is acceptable for a high-velocity pitcher.

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BA said:  An unsigned pick of the Orioles in 2005 (29th round), Scheppers struggled in his first two years at Fresno State, but showed significant improvement near the end of his sophomore season and has built on that as a consistent starter for the Bulldogs, getting the first chink in his armor in May when he missed a start with a tender shoulder. That came after Scheppers relieved on Friday (touching 99 mph) and then started on Sunday in the same series. Since then he's been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his pitching shoulder. Before the injury, Scheppers' lanky build and spindly legs draw comparisons to former big leaguer Rick Rhoden, and he holds his fastball velocity like a frontline starter, sitting at 92-96 mph at his best with good movement and command. In the past, Scheppers had difficulty commanding his curveball, which has evolved into a power 74-78 mph offering. Generally solid mechanically and athletic, Scheppers will rush his delivery occasionally and fight his command, becoming wild high. With his workable mechanics and terrific stuff, Scheppers has the stuff to be a top of the rotation starter, but it all now depends on his recovery from the stress fracture. He's now the wild card of the 2008 draft.

Rated second best fastball in college ranks behind Crow

 

UPDATE (5/15): Mercer is a glass half-full/half-empty type of prospect, especially as a shortstop. He does everything well enough, especially throw the ball, but doesn’t do anything so well that you get excited about him. Most of scouts’ concerns are about his swing, which can be long and undisciplined, and results in a lot of empty at-bats though he had a better two-strike approach this spring. He hit .328-10-52 (entering the NCAA tournament), but was not one of the Cowboys main offensive threats. He also went 0-2, 4.86 with a team-high nine saves but made only 15 appearances. Still, he’s a tall, lanky 5-tool shortstop—even if all his tools grade out around average—and that will guarantee Mercer a high draft position. The mound will remain a fall-back option as Mercer is pretty much a raw thrower with plus fastball velocity and competitiveness.

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BA said: There aren't many all-around shortstops in this draft, and after Tim and Gordon Beckham go off the board at the top of the first round, Mercer might be the best bet to both hit and stay at the position. He has recovered from early season arthroscopic knee surgery in 2007 to display solid-average tools across the board. Though he's big for a shortstop at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he has smooth actions. His range and hands are fine, and he enhances his defensive package with a plus arm. Mercer doubles as Oklahoma State's closer, powering through a rough delivery with 91-94 mph fastballs, hard sliders and grit. He has room to get better as a hitter, as he can add strength and tighten his strike zone. He has improved each year, hitting .345 with 10 homers with a week to go in the regular season after batting a combined .284 with 11 homers in his first two seasons. Mercer's speed is slightly above-average, and he's an instinctive runner if not a basestealer.

Rated: Second best ARM STRENGTH in college ranks
 

UPDATE (5/15): D’Arnaud took over as the everyday shortstop for Pepperdine this spring and handled the transition from third, where he played his first two years, with remarkable ease. He showed good range, sure, soft hands and solid arm strength, and now shows every indication of being able to handle shortstop at the next level. He also batted .310-8-45 (through mid-May), and largely put his struggles at the plate of last summer behind him.
 

UPDATE (5/15): Unlike his higher-profile teammate Tanner Scheppers, a projected first-rounder until he suffered a stress fracture in his shoulder in May, Wilson did not elevate his draft worth this spring. In fact, he may have gone backwards as his command and stuff were not consistent. He went just 5-4, 4.43 with 46 walks and 69 strikeouts in 83 innings during the regular season. His fastball was still in the 87-92 mph range, very acceptable for a lefthander, but he walked too many batters. He did, however, add a slider to his repertoire.
 

UPDATE (5/15): Grossman was consistently pitched around all spring and hit .338-6-19 with 20 stolen bases and 36 runs scored—on only 25 hits. His obvious athletic tools and bat speed from both sides of the plate have kept him in the good graces of scouts and he looks to be a solid second-round pick, possibly a supplemental first-rounder.
 

UPDATE (5/15): Gonzalez has the prototypical Latin shortstop defensive flair at shortstop and has shown outstanding game ability. He’ll be able to play shortstop at a high level. He isn’t physically strong, though, and his lack of offensive projection will mute scouts’ excitement about his defense.

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BA said:

UPDATE (5/15): As his more heavily-scouted teammates spun their wheels this spring, Farrell assembled the best season on the Virginia roster. He not only settled in as a full-time first baseman but finally hit for power befitting the position and a player his size. He led the Cavaliers with 11 homers and 51 RBIs (entering NCAA tournament play), and was hitting .320 though had 47 strikeouts in 200 at-bats. His swing mechanics were much improved this season, enabling him to hit with more pull power, but there is still some concern whether he has enough bat speed to hit for consistent power down the road. It will be surprising if he is not drafted by the Red Sox, any time after the fifth round.

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BA said: The University of Virginia maintained its position as the top team in the state, yet still had a disappointing season. Beyond David Adams and Jacob Thompson, the team's best prospect is first baseman Jeremy Farrell, who led the Cavaliers with 11 home runs. After injury-riddled freshman and sophomore seasons, Farrell started 60 games this year. He does not have plus bat speed but has shown the ability to hit for power. He is strong and athletic both at the plate and in the field but lacks projection. First base is his best position because he is a below-average runner with an average arm, though he might be athletic enough to play a corner outfield position. Farrell's father is Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell.
 

UPDATE (5/15): Hague duplicated his junior season by hitting .356-10-53 with 32 walks this spring. He was a polished hitter who grinded out quality at-bats, hit the ball to all fields and worked a count. Hague started the season at third base, but played mostly right field—a better fit on the OSU roster. He had plenty of arm strength at both right field and third base, but his range was short at both positions. Scouts are concerned about Hague’s body type, which is thick and he tends to add and subtract weight. He made some relief appearances (1-0, 4.66 in 9 innings) and showed his arm strength transfers well to the mound with a low-90s fastball.

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BA said: Hague, who spent his first three seasons at Washington, planned on transferring to Clemson before eligibility issues arose. He has hit throughout his college career, including a .299 performance in the Cape Cod League last summer. He has an unconventional set-up and a big bat wrap in back, but he's so quick and strong (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) that he has no problems producing. Most of Hague's value lies in his offense, and he fits much better defensively in right field than at first base. Some scouts are intrigued by his pitching because he has flashed a 94 mph fastball in brief relief stints, but he'll be drafted as a hitter. He turned down the Indians as an 11th-rounder last year.
 

UPDATE (5/15): Rubenstein showed scouts pretty much what they expected to see this spring—athleticism, solid tools, speed and developing power. He hit .332-9-48 with 19 doubles, comparable numbers to 2007 but more of the balls he drove to the gaps a year ago went over the fence this year. He’s still growing into his power. His hitting mechanics are in need of reworking as he wraps his bat high and often doesn’t get his swing started soon enough. Rubenstein dazzled area scouts on Scout Day in the fall, but he didn’t show the same tools this spring, especially arm strength. His speed improved, however, and one clocking had him at 6.50 seconds in the 60. Rubenstein has solid tools and could blossom in pro ball if everything comes together for him.
 

UPDATE (5/15): Any hopes of Colla surging into the top five rounds, or even the first 10 rounds, of this year’s draft have been dashed as the big righthander was just mediocre this season while being used mainly as a midweek starter. He went just 4-2, 4.35 with 44 strikeouts in 50 innings. Colla generated a fastball that was consistently 90-92 mph, peaking at 93, but he used a lot of effort in his delivery to reach that velocity. His breaking stuff was also just average.
 

UPDATE (5/15): Scouts remain awed by Freeman’s tools and strength, but are often left frustrated when he doesn’t dominate small-school competition. He will be a wild card on draft day in the third- to fifth-round as there are a number of teams who like him there.