The most recent newsstand edition of Baseball America's magazine features Scouting Reports on the "Top 100 Draft Prospects" compiled by Staff Writers Matt Blood, Jim Callis, Aaron Fitt, John Manuel and David Perkin, including one on a 21-year old University of Missouri starter, ranked the 5th best prospect overall, Aaron Crow, who fell to the the #9 spot on Draft day where the Nationals excitedly selected the pitcher referred to as, "the best righthander available in the 2008 draft," by Baseball America's writers. 

ESPN.com writer Keith Law's article, "Law's first round draft analysis", provides high praise for the Nationals' top pick, as Mr. Law writes:

"Crow is the top college pitcher on my board. He might have two plus pitches right now. He's a power pitcher who projects as a No. 2 starter. If he can sustain his velocity at the high end (low-mid 90s), he has a chance to be a No. 1 starter. He had good command throughout his college career."

Here's a look at "Aaron Crow of the Missouri Tigers" which is a youtube video of the Nationals' pick warming up in the Mizzou bullpen:

Aaron Crow of the Missouri Tigers (via farmsystem)

According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Nats add arm to farm with Mizzou righty", (which also includes a Crow highlight video), the selection of Aaron Crow with the 9th pick, "...marked the sixth time in seven years that the Nationals/Expos took a pitcher in the first round," and Mr. Ladson reports that Nationals' GM Jim Bowden said:

"...it was a unanimous decision from members of his 'think tank,' as he(Bowden) called it, that they select Crow. It helped that they saw Crow pitch a shutout against Ole Miss in the NCAA Regionals on May 30. Crow threw 122 pitches in the game."

...and Mr. Ladson then quotes the Nationals' GM who states:

"'What really stood out was his composure on the mound,' Bowden said. 'This guy just competes. ... He could put his pitches where he wanted to at any time in that game from Pitch 1 to Pitch 100. He is just a winner out there.'"

At the University of Missouri's "mutigers.com" site, they write that Aaron Crow is, "the highest draft pick in Mizzou history," chosen two spots ahead of right-handed hurler Max Scherzer who went 11th overall in 2006 to the D-Backs. "Crow," the article continues, "...finished the 2008 season with a 13-0 record, winning 13 of his 15 starts...Crow was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year," and:

"The 13 wins on the year for Crow led the NCAA and his 127 strikeouts were sixth most in the nation. His strikeout total tied for the second most in Mizzou baseball history and his 277 career strikeouts are the third most ever by a Tiger pitcher."

Washington Post writer Chico Harlan quotes GM Jim Bowden in a "Journal Post" entitled simply, "5:25 p.m." where the Nationals General Manager tells Mr. Harlan:

"I never put a timetable on [major league arrival], except I can be very comfortable telling you that the last game we all saw him pitch together, he would have pitched in the big leagues that particular night..."

...and finally, the Nationals Farm Authority's Brian Oliver had this to say about the Nationals' 1st Round pick in his post entitled, "Recapping Day One:

"I understand the concern of some about bypassing a bat like Justin Smoak to select another pitcher. But in my opinion, Crow was arguably the best pitching prospect in the draft...I think it was a very good pick. There were some rumors about him being a tough sign but I have also read stories to the contrary."

The Nationals Farm Authority has, by far, the best Nationals' Draft coverage I was able to find, anywhere, so if you're like me, and you haven't had enough time to catch up with all the prospects that were drafted and are hopefully going to sign and join the Nationals' system, there's no better place to start catching up...some of these picks, like Aaron Crow, may be in DC sooner than you'd imagine...