2010 Indians 3rd Round Pick: SS Tony Wolters

In the 3rd round of the 2010 Draft, the Indians have selected shortstop Tony Wolters out of Rancho Buena Vista High School (CA).

Height: 5'10" Weight: 165 DOB: 06/09/1992 Bats: Left Throws: Right

Signing Update (June 11): According to University of San Diego head coach Jay Johnson, he doesn’t expect shortstop Tony Wolters (3rd round, Rancho Buena Vista HS) to sign with the Indians unless he receives “life changing money”. Wolters will weigh his options, but if his demands are deemed too high for the Indians tastes, no matter how much they and other teams may have liked him going into the draft they could just decide to pass on signing him because they would get a compensation pick in the supplemental round between the third and fourth round next year for not signing him. Not saying they will go this route, but it is the leverage teams have with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round draft picks in that they always have a fallback if the player is unsignable.

Ranks:

Baseball America: 77
PGCrosschecker: 105 (rated as best defender in state)

Quick Hit: According to PGCrosschecker's David Rawnsley, he just commented "There's one of my favorite players, Tony Wolters. The Indians got a future big leaguer in the third round, sure thing."

Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant's Take: “He is another very good athlete and another above average runner. He has the ability to play shortstop, has very good hands, actions, and instincts for the game. He is a baseball player and a baseball “rat”. He has a solid average arm and we envision him being a shortstop of the future with offensive and defensive capabilities.”

Jeff Ellis: The Indians drafted a high school SS in the third round. Wolters is a guy who is a legit SS, he is one of the best prep defenders in the country and in many ways he compares very favorably to Christian Colon. Both were excellent defenders, both aren’t the quickest guys, both had above average pop, quick hands, and if you look just at athletic ability you might be a little let down. The thing with Wolters was he hit everyone as every top pitcher he faced he hit. His bat is his best skill and not only is he a good hitter, but he has a good eye and takes what a pitcher gives him. His defense is very good, rated best defender in the state of California by PGC. His arm is average, his hands are quick, and he has the natural instincts to play SS well. On top of all this Wolters is a baseball rat, he loves the game and has a great attitude towards the game. The one red flag is he was suspended this year after he had a work out with the Blue Jays, this lead to him being suspended for the end of this high school team’s season. While this was not a huge issue, it should still be noted.

The other comp you’re going to see a lot with Wolters is Dustin Pedoria, as both are undersized players who hit and played well in spite of their limitations. PGC actually picked Wolters and Kellen Sweeney as the middle infielders who will have the biggest impact in this draft. So not only do the Indians get a guy who fits what they are drafting for, but they also get there third highly though of player.

I like this pick, and love the fact he can play SS and is just a natural hitter and a kid who seems to love the game. He might cost more than slot, but he seems to be a kid who wants to sign now and play tomorrow.

Andrew Zajac: The one thing that sticks out right away about Tony Wolters is his love for the game of baseball. Scouts consider him an, "ultimate baseball rat," which is very encouraging to hear. He's a little undersized at 5'10", 165 lbs, which may have scared a few teams away, but this could be considered a true gem in the future.

Wolters is as consistent as you can get from the plate. He uses all the field with no problem, hitting plus velocity and hits both lefties and righties well. He has some surprising pop for his size, but it's not considered one of his strengths. He profiles as a future #2 type hitter. Wolters also has above average speed and grades out around a 60. He is very instinctive on the base path and has the ability to steal a base. Wolters has a plus arm from the infield, who can project as a second baseman or a shortstop. He's very sure handed with a quick exchange and above average range.

All in all, Tony Wolters has highly advanced skills and has drawn comparisons to Dustin Pedroia. Currently, he has a verbal agreement to attend the University of San Diego, but if the Indians can sign this kid, I truly think this may end up as one of their best picks in this draft. It's going to take him a few years to get to the bigs, but he has the potential to be a sure thing major league player. Overall, great pick.

Indians Press Release:

The Cleveland Indians have selected INF TONY WOLTERS with their third round pick (87th overall) in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Wolters, 17 (turns 18 tomorrow-June 9) is a 5-10, 165-pound infielder from Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, CA. This past year he batted .430 (34-97) with 27 runs scored, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 4HR and 17RBI in 25 games. He also was a perfect 25-25 in stolen base attempts.

Last year, Wolters was part of the Team USA 18U club which defeated Cuba to win the Gold medal in the Pan Am Junior Games as he hit .371 with 4 doubles and 10 RBI. He was also named to the Aflac All-American team and earned the game’s MVP award as he was 2-4 with a triple, RBI and a stolen base in Petco Park.

He has verbal agreement to attend the University of San Diego.

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