Author Topic: The Official 2011 MLB Mock Draft Thread  (Read 70788 times)

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Offline Tyler Durden

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Re: The Official 2011 MLB Mock Draft Thread
« Reply #175: February 22, 2011, 10:58:29 AM »
Hultzen is looking like he may be a solid pickup.  Hits 94 on the FB, big strong lefty.  Is a decent hitter.  Is a local guy (UVA) to boot.

From Baseball America:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/college/?p=4107

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By now, Danny Hultzen is a known commodity on Friday nights. For two years, the lefthander has anchored Virginia's weekend rotation, going a combined 20-1, 2.51 as a freshman and sophomore. He's a fierce competitor with excellent command and very good stuff, so it was hardly surprising that his 2011 season got off to a sterling start Friday against Alabama-Birmingham. In 6 2/3 innings, Hultzen struck out 10 while allowing just one run on three hits and a walk.

"(His stuff) was really good," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "I had no idea what his velocity was—I think there are some scouts who said he was up to 94 or so, but his command was really good. He was pretty efficient with his pitches in seven innings, and I thought his stuff looked really good. He had a good changeup going and a good breaking ball, and that's the best fastball I've seen him have in a while."

O'Connor said Hultzen is considerably stronger than he was as a freshman, and he now holds his fastball velocity deeper into games. But that added strength has also helped Hultzen re-emerge as one of the nation's top two-way players.

Hultzen hit .327/.410/.422 in 199 at-bats as a first baseman/DH as a freshman, but he wore down late in the season, so the Cavaliers had him focus primarily on pitching in 2010, when he accrued just 57 at-bats. But after the departure of numerous mainstays in the lineup from last year's team, the Cavs planned for Hultzen to have a greater role in the offense this spring, and he garnered first-team preseason All-America honors as a two-way player.

He got off to a fine start with the bat at the Auburn Tournament this weekend, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs Friday, then hitting three doubles and driving in three more Saturday. He added a sacrifice fly Sunday, giving him seven RBIs on the weekend. He started at DH all three games, hitting cleanup for the first two and fifth Sunday.

"He's 20 pounds stronger than he was his freshman year, and he's a way better hitter this year than he was as a freshman," O'Connor said. "A lefthanded hitter like that, the guy's got to be in the lineup. He DHed all three games this weekend—I didn't play him in the field, but there will be games I will play him at first base, and possibly both corner spots in the outfield also.

"I think he's got the ability to hit a few balls out of the ballpark, but he's a very tough out, a good two-strike hitter. He just seems to barrel the ball up quite a bit, and he plays hard. He can run a little bit, he gets down the line good, he understands the game, situationally what to do at the plate. So not only does he do it on the mound for us, but I think he's a pretty special player for us offensively too."
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