With the #16 overall pick in the 2011 draft, the Dodgers selected Chris Reed, the 6'4" lefty out of Stanford. His Baseball America scouting report is as follows:
Last year was the first time since 1999 that Stanford didn't have a player selected in the first five rounds of the draft. That won't happen again this year because of Reed, who could go as high as the sandwich round. Reed is listed at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, but scouts say he has grown and gained strength from last year to this year. His fastball varies from 89-91 mph some nights to 92-94 on others, and he has touched 96. He'll show a power slider and above-average changeup, but all of his stuff needs more consistency. That should come with experience. Reed has totaled just 60 innings at Stanford and has started only one game. His size, athleticism and three-pitch mix will tempt teams to give him a shot as a starter in pro ball.
Baseball America ranked Reed #60 overall in their pre-draft ranking, although Reed was linked to the Dodgers earlier today. The Dodgers should have no trouble signing Reed for slot money, and potentially could even get him below slot. The fact that the Dodgers went away from their usual draft strategy of selecting the best player available at #16 shows that the takeover by major league baseball definitely had an impact on this draft.
Reed was mostly a reliever in college, but he has a solid 3 pitch mix so the thought is that he'll be a starter in the Dodgers system. During his 2011 junior season, Reed made 28 appearances, with just one of them being a start. He threw 49.1 innings, had a 2.54 ERA, 9 saves, and a .201 batting average against. As a sophomore, Chris appeared in 19 games and had a 6.10 ERA over 20.2 innings.
Since Stanford has made it to the Super Regionals of the College World Series, we will probably get to see Reed pitch before he signs with the Dodgers. When the Cardinal get eliminated (or go all the way), he'll probably sign quickly and may even start his career in a full season league such as the Midwest League.
“He’s an excellent competitor, has three quality pitches, sound mechanics and a great deal of athleticism,” said Assistant GM, Scouting Logan White. “He’s also a smart, local guy who has a fine family background.”
From the Dodgers press release:
The Cleveland High School (Reseda) graduate was rated as the top prospect and earned an All-Star selection in the Atlantic Collegiate Summer League in 2010, posting a 1.09 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 33.0 innings.
Here is the official MLB Draft scouting report of Reed