Washington Nationals: 2010 Draft Watch - If Not Bryce Harper UPDATE.

In an early list of Top Prospects for the 2010 Draft, in a post by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo entitled, "Getting the Draft Ball Rolling", Mr. Mayo had LSU right-hander Anthony Ranaudo, Ole Miss' lefty Drew Pomeranz and The Woodlands high school righty Jameson Taillon listed one, two and three, respectively, above College of Southern Nevada catcher Bryce Harper, who's far and away the best position player available in most scout's eyes. Back in a mid-February Tweet, Sirius/XM MLB Network Radio and FOXSports.com's Jim Bowden brought Georgia Tech right-hander Deck McGuire's name into the discussion, writing that the, "...Nationals (are) looking at Anthony Ranaudo, Deck McGuire and Bryce Harper as considerations for the first pick in this year's June FA Draft." Is Bryce Harper's status as the number one prospect unquestioned? Will the Nationals draft a junior college catcher with their second-straight no.1 overall pick? After taking a college junior no.1 in 2009? It's difficult to find much info on Jameson Taillon...Everyone else was in action last night...

(ed. note - "And just for the record, Pittsburgh Pirates' team president Frank Coonelly was asked recently, in a chat with fans entitled, "Coonelly chats about 2010 club, Draft", if they'd take Bryce Harper with the 2nd Pick if the Nats went a different direction, Mr. Coonelly responded,"):

"As a point of reference, no player, including Harper, is the type of certain No. 1 selection as Stephen Strasburg was last year. In fact, there is probably no player in the 2010 Draft who is as highly regarded as Dustin Ackley was when he was selected second by the Mariners last year."

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• Pomeranz K's 15.

• Harper Hits 13.

• Ranaudo Back On Friday, Deck Gets Decked.

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• Pomerantz K's 15.

In improving to (6-0) on the year, 6'5'' Ole Miss left-hander Drew Pomeranz struck out 15 and walked 3, throwing 124 pitches, 80 for strikes and giving up 4 hits and 1 ER over 8.0 IP in a 4-1 win over the Georgia Bulldogs Friday night, leaving Pomeranz with a 1.41 ERA and 80 K's (13.94 K/9) in 51.2 IP so far this season. Has the lefty reinserted himself into the no.1 overall pick discussion with his season so far? 

• Harper Hits 13.

College of Southern Nevada catcher Bryce Harper recovered from an 0 for 3 day at the plate in a 2-1 win over the College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles, by going 2 for 4 with a single and a solo HR, his 13th HR of the season, in the Coyotes' 8-2 win in the second-half of Friday's doubleheader, leaving the 17-year-old catcher with a .418 AVG (51 for 122), .510 OBP and a .861 SLG, (1.371 OPS? Seriously?), 13 doubles, 1 triple, 13 HR's and 38 RBI's in 37 games played over which he's walked 24 times, K'd 25 times, ground into 1 double play and stolen 11 bases in 13 attempts...Can the Nationals say no?

• Ranaudo Back On Friday, Deck Gets Decked.

Anyone who followed Stephen Strasburg's SDSU starts last season knows Friday night's for aces in NCAA baseball, so it has to be good news for LSU's 6'7'', 230lb, right-handed starter Anthony Ranaudo that he was back on the mound yesterday in Auburn, Alabama's Plainsman Park as the LSU Tigers beat the Auburn Tigers 14-11 in a high-scoring affair. Ranaudo, a Jackson, New Jersey native who'd missed several starts this season, (his draft year) due to elbow "discomfort", made his third straight start, giving up 5 hits, 3 walks and 3 ER in 5.0 IP, over which he threw 86 pitches, 49 for strikes with 2 wild pitches and 2 K's recorded, leaving the pitcher, considered by some the best right-hander in this year's draft when the season began, with a (1-0) record in 4 starts and 15.0 IP over which he's K'd 21 and walked 7, while allowing 9 hits and 4 ER, and holding opponents to a .173 BAA thus far this season. 

Georgia Tech right-hander Deck McGuire didn't fare so well last night, however, as he got hit harder than usual by the Virginia Cavaliers, who put 6 hits and 6 ER's up on the board against the Yellow Jackets' ace and '09 ACC Pitcher of the Year, who walked 4, K'd 6 and threw 127 pitches, 74 for strikes in 6.2 IP, in what would end up a 7-4 loss to the Cavs in which McGuire took the L, dropping him to (5-2) in 8 starts and 59.2 IP over which he's given up 46 hits and 15 ER, while recording 60 K's (9.05 K/9) and surrendering 16 walks (2.41 BB/9) this season...BOWDEN?

Want to see Bryce Harper hit an RBI single?

(video by Vegas Scout)