#8 Jarrod Parker – Arizona Diamondbacks

RHP

DOB: 11-24-88

ETA: 2011

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• Our friends over at Splashing Pumpkins were lucky (not in the sense that they were undeserving!) enough to attend Giants Media Day this week, and capture a candid video interview with Madison Bumgarner.  Among the topics discussed in this must-watch interview: the Verducci effect, the Giants’ new Showtime series, and his hitting prowess.

• At the beginning of the week, MiLB.com sat down for an interview with San Francisco Giants’ prospect – a fan favorite here at the Sombrero – Brandon Belt.  After just one year in the Minor Leagues, Belt was recently named the #26 prospect in baseball by MLB.com.  Considering how careful the Giants were with their development of Buster Posey, I really don’t know what to think of GM Brian Sabean’s claim that Belt could break camp with the parent club.

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While it is hardly early for this sort of piece considering the 2010 draft took place over a month ago, I think it is time the Sombrero begins investigating some of the guys in 2011’s class.  This first piece will examine the top three collegiate arms and the top collegiate hitter.  They are all potential franchise guys with an enormous upside and the polish that first-round draft picks are expected to showcase.  These guys are not typical, though.  The hitter, and consensus top talent available, is 3^rd Baseman Anthony Rendon of Rice, recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy and BA’s College POY.  The arms are UCLA’s Garret Cole, UT’s Taylor Jungmann, and TCU’s Matt Purke.  None of these guys should be taken outside of the first 10 picks, and none of them spend a lot of the game under 94 mph.  None of them had an ERA over 3.40, and they all possess at least one 60 or above secondary offering.  They are exceptional.

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