Tuesday, June 7, 2011

What to know about Dylan Bundy

Drafting fourth, the Orioles weren't supposed to have to choose between Dylan Bundy and Anthony Rendon, who dropped a few spots after the Mariners passed on him at No. 2. But those types of things happen, and the O's decided to stick to their guns -- they've apparently been high on Bundy all along -- and selected Bundy. Injuries seem to be the main reason for Rendon's drop. Regardless, the O's have to be pretty excited to get their guy in Bundy.

You may have heard by now -- several times, possibly -- that Bundy's brother, Bobby, was drafted by the O's in 2008 and is currently pitching at Single-A Frederick. Expect to keep hearing it. (I actually think it's pretty cool that they're both in the O's system, but it shouldn't be one of the chief motivations for drafting the guy. Not that it was.)

Here are some things to know about Bundy:

- "Bundy is an 18-year-old right-hander out of Owasso (Okla.) High near Tulsa. This year, he went 11-0 with an 0.20 ERA. In 71 innings, he walked just five and fanned 158. He pitched one no-hitter and six one-hitters." [Steve Melewski]

- "Baseball America's Jim Callis raved about Dylan Bundy. 'Some scouting directors think he's the best pitcher in the draft, even better than all these college guys - and it's an exceptionally deep college draft,' Callis said. 'We have him No. 2 on our prospect list, ahead of all the college pitchers and you could argue he's No. 1. If you are worried about a high school pitcher as a top pick, I would tell people this guy is so exceptional it's almost like he's a college pitcher. He's not just some guy that is raw and throws hard and you wonder about his other pitches. Dylan Bundy can do it all; his resume is ridiculous.'" [Steve Melewski]

- "[Orioles scouting director Joe] Jordan said Bundy had 'one of the best deliveries of any pitcher in the draft.

'It took a little while today to get information from other clubs. He was being talked about in two of the rooms in front of us. We just put him up there and he was the best guy on our board when it was our turn.'

Anthony Rendon of Rice was still available with the fourth pick and Jordan was asked if the O's thought about taking him.

'We spent a lot of time today trying to get through that situation. Really, we got where we wanted to be on it. We just went with the player that we wanted,' he said." [Steve Melewski]

- "[Bundy] On his draft slot: 'Really I just thought I was going 4 or 5, Orioles or Kansas City, but there were rumors that Baltimore wasn’t going to take me because of signability and all this stuff. I was just hoping that they might change their mind and let me play with my brother this year.'" [Dan Connolly]

- "Rated as the best available prep pitcher in the 2011 class, Bundy impresses with a 95-100 MPH fastball. He isn't just a thrower, showing outstanding command of a plus curveball, plus slider, and solid changeup. He is a complete package and won't need as much development time as most high-school arms, possibly reaching the majors within two years. Bundy has robust bonus demands, but his brother Bobby pitches in the Orioles' system and perhaps that will help with his signability.

Bundy is 6-1, 205 and doesn't have the classic projectability of a high-school arm, but already has outstanding stuff, is a good athlete and very polished for his age. His draft slot is appropriate, and while pitching always represents an injury risk, Bundy is about as safe as it comes for a high-school pick. It seems unlikely that he will make it to college." [John Sickels]

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In terms of Bundy vs. Rendon, I'm torn. Most draft boards rated Rendon (mainly at either No. 1 or No. 2) higher than Bundy, including Baseball America, which had Rendon at the top. Still, there's something to be said for the O's staying composed and going with their guy. Rendon would have been a great pick, and the O's certainly could use more young position player talent. Then again, they need more talent in general, and if Bundy impresses the way the O's scouts think he will, the O's will have another young arm to go with their improving pitching corps.

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