| eazyb81 |
06-07-2011 06:37 AM |
Derek "Bubba" Starling | of/rhp | Gardner Edgerton HS (Gardner, Kan.)
Ht/Wt: 6-4/185 | B/T: R/R | Year: Senior | Age at Draft: 18y10m
Summary:
Starling is the draft's best overall athlete, but should not be saddled with the feared "more athlete than ballplayer" descriptive. True, his focus has been divided between three sports throughout high school (baseball, football and basketball) and, true, there is still some question as to whether he will ultimately choose to sign a professional baseball contract and forgo the opportunity to play both football and baseball at the University of Nebraska. What sets Starling apart from a typical "raw" two-sporter is the freakish nature of his athleticism and his ability to soak-up coaching and in turn apply the teachings to his game.
"Bubba" showed a lot of progress at the plate and in the field between the Tournament of Stars and the Under Armour All-America Game, spending time with USA Baseball and Area Code Games coaches in the interim. While his swing will need further tweaking, he already shows good bat speed and an advanced ability to get the barrel to the ball. The ball jumps when squared, and there is more power in there once he learns to better load and to incorporate his lower-half in a more efficient manner.
The Nebraska commit runs a sub-6.6 60-yard dash and can clock anywhere from 4.05-4.20 up the line to first base -- both fringe "80" grades on the 20/80 Scouting Scale. Defensively, he has the foot speed to cover center field but has spent a fair amount of time in right, as well, due to his arm strength. He will need to clean-up his arm action and set-up some to get more carry and accuracy on his throws, as he still throws too much from his ear and without a firm base -- but he is already making progress in this department. His first step is inconsistent, but he tracks very well once he gets a read on the ball.
All of the tools are here for building a star outfielder: the chance to hit for average and power, fringe top-tier speed, a big arm and game-changing athleticism. There is, of course, risk in committing a large sum of money to a high school player with unrefined skills. If ever there is a time to do it, however, it's when you come across an unrefined talent that displays elite athleticism, a knack for picking-up instruction and the competitive drive to push until he masters something -- that's exactly what you have in Bubba. For organizations adept at molding young talent, Starling is as promising a ball of clay as you are going to find. Oh, and he's also 90-93 mph off the mound with a solid curve...without any advanced coaching on the pitching side.
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