Danny Hultzen, P, Virginia

Following the Pittsburgh Pirates selection of Gerrit Cole out of UCLA, the Mariners made a splash with the 2nd overall pick, drafting Virginia pitcher Danny Hultzen 2nd overall. Hultzen was considered one of the top arms in this year's draft, not to mention, he had one of the best seasons in college baseball this year. Here's how he got to this point:

Hultzen, a native of Bethesda, MD, pitched for St. Albans High School. In his senior season, he went 7-1 with an 0.35 ERA and 140 strikeouts. In addition, he was named an All American by both Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. Hultzen's stats enticed the Arizona Diamondbacks to take him in the 10th round of the 2008 MLB draft, however, he committed to the University of Virginia.

in his first season at Virginia, he went 9-1 with a 2.17 ERA and 107 strikeouts. Additionally, he was named the ACC Freshman of the Year, and as a hitter, he hit .327 (whether or not this was due to his ability or the power of a metal bat, it is uncertain. That year, Virginia made their first College World Series, finishing 5th overall. Hultzen was a key presence on that team, both at the plate and on the mound.

The 2010 season saw Hultzen improve on his stellar 2009 performance. Though his ERA rose to a still-strong 2.78, he finished 11-1 and struck out 123 batters, 16 more than the previous year. Virginia once again made the tournament and advanced to the Super Regional, only to lose to Oklahoma. Hultzen was key in the regional earning a win against Mississippi. In addition, he was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year and was a semifinalist for 3 major awards: the Dick Howser Trophy (Rice 3B Anthony Rendon won the award) the Pitcher of the Year award, and the prestigious Golden Spikes Award (won by Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada).

Though Hultzen was still playing his junior season at the time of this post, his regular season stats were as follows: 11-3 with a 1.57 ERA and 148 strikeouts, Hultzen also hit .336 with the new bat rule implemented in college baseball. Currently, Hultzen and the top seeded Cavaliers are set to play California-Irvine in the Charlottesville Super Regional. Hultzen is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award for the second straight year.

Hultzen's scouting report is impressive. He's very smart, (Named an academic All-American, and is enrolled in Virginia's Medical School) accurate, and has the basic arsenal of pitches, a four seam fastball, a slider, a changeup, and a curveball. all of which are good pitches. Hultzen's fastball isn't blazingly fast, his average fastball is 92 Mph, but his control is what makes him a dominant pitcher. He's generally healthy, but his delivery has had scouts question how long he can throw that way before he can injure himself. Regardless, Hultzen is more than a solid pick by the Mariners, and statistically, he is better than Gerrit Cole.

Here is a video of Hultzen and how everyone views him as a player, a teammate, and as a person.

L.O.T's projection: Depending on how the Mariners handle him, he could be a solid 2 starter behind Felix Hernandez. Hultzen could be a potential All-Star, and could contend for the ERA title each year. Hultzen also has the potential to win 200-230 games, regardless of his mechanics.

Gerrit Cole, P, UCLA

With the 2011 MLB draft only hours away, It's time to look at the presumptive first overall pick: Gerrit Cole.

Cole is a flamethrowing righthander out of UCLA, and will be selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates first overall. Judging from his history, it's a wise choice.

Before he pitched in college, Cole was an impressive high school prospect from Orange County Lutheran High School in California. After posting a stat line of 8 wins, 2 losses, a 0.46 ERA and 121 strikeouts, he was taken by the New York Yankees with the 28th pick in the 2008 draft. Cole was not interested in signing, instead opting to pitch for the Bruins.

Cole started his collegiate career with a less than stellar record of 4-8, but posted a respectable 3.49 ERA and 104 strikeouts. Though the 2009 Bruins did not make the NCAA baseball tournament, bigger things were to come.

In 2010, Cole went 11-4 with a 3.37 ERA and 153 strikeouts, his best collegiate stats so far. Cole was instrumental in bringing the Bruins to the College World Series Final against South Carolina, unfortunately, they lost to the Gamecocks.

Cole's junior season was not as good as his sophomore season; he posted a record of 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA and 119 strikeouts. Though the Bruins made their 2nd straight tournament, they finished 2nd in the Los Angeles regional of the tournament, losing to California-Irvine.

Regardless of his college stats, Cole will be taken first overall by the Pirates tonight, allowing him to join a powerful set of prospect arms, like Jameson Taillon, the Pirates first selection last year, and Stetson Allie, another first rounder.

Cole's scouting report reveals that there is more than meets the eye with this guy. His fastball has topped triple digits, but is more consistent in the high 90's. Cole is a dominant pitcher who can strike people out, and his durability leaves nothing to question. Despite his lack of secondary pitches, he could be another Aroldis Chapman, a pitcher who relies on his high octane fastball to get batters out. In short, Cole will be an excellent choice for the Pirates.

Here is some video of Cole in an invitational tournament against Southern.

L.O.T's projection: Will reach majors by late 2012-early 2013. Could be an ace. Possible all star as well. Career ERA in the low 3.00's Could get as many as 170 victories, depending on how good the Pirates are in that span.

I will be doing profiles on each of the first rounders daily, as well as the supplemental picks, then work on minor leaguers afterwards.

Brandon Nimmo, OF, East High School, Wyoming

Every year, the MLB draft has its share of out of the ordinary athletes. Just look at Bryce Harper. After a monstrous junior season in Las Vegas High School, in which he was referred to as "The LeBron James of baseball", he skipped his senior season to play Junior College Ball at Southern Nevada. Afterwards, he was drafted first overall by the Washington Nationals, earned the Golden Spikes Award, and the rest is history. But imagine not being able to play high school ball at all.

Meet Brandon Nimmo, a high school outfielder from Wyoming, and this year's surprise story in the Draft. Nimmo lives in Cheyenne, where a normal spring day is usually in the mid 40's and early 50's. For this reason, no schools in Wyoming sponsor baseball.

How does Nimmo get around this obstacle? The answer is he plays American Legion, which is a perfect substitute. Though no stats were provided, Nimmo has proven that he is a terrific athlete, especially in the Under Armour All American Game at Wrigley Field, a game in which he earned Co-MVP honors.

Nimmo's strengths are plentiful. He is a lanky contact hitter, with above average speed, as well as a decent glove which will allow him to play in Left or Right Field. He's a great player when healthy, and could make a decent 5th to 6th spot hitter in the Major leagues.

Nimmo is currently projected to be drafted somewhere between the top 20 picks to the end of the supplemental round. Teams that have been connected to him include the Tampa Bay Rays, who have plenty of chances to pick him in the 1st or supplemental round, the New York Mets, who have considered drafting him 13th overall, and the Toronto Blue Jays, whom some draft experts believe will snatch him with the 2nd supplemental pick.

The only thing that could possibly scare teams away is Nimmo's commitment to the University of Arkansas. However, there hasn't been much word from scouts as to whether or not he will go to college or play professionally.

The video below is a brief look at Nimmo in an American Legion All star showcase.

L.O.T's projection of Nimmo: Somewhere between the 35th and 47th picks in the draft. Should be in the majors by 2015. Will likely hit in the middle of the lineup. Career .270's hitter.

Edit: Brandon Nimmo has been selected by the New York Mets with the 13th pick in the Draft.

I will repost this in 2 weeks, as I go trough each pick.

Pilot post

Welcome to Legends Of Tomorrow: a blog devoted to revealing top baseball prospects in high school, college, and even the minors. I'm a former Mets Blogger, and I love baseball. Over the course of this blog, I will profile a different prospect each week. I'll give a short bio, talk about his skills, maybe even add a picture or video. Hope you enjoy!