The CBB continues our countdown for the 2010 College Baseball season by checking in on the Top 100 Players in the country. We will be providing one player per day until we reach number 1.
We continue the list today with number 82 in our countdown with Kentucky junior LHP Logan Darnell. He is from Goodpasture High School and his hometown is Joelton Tennessee. He had an outstanding high school career where he won the state championship in his freshman and senior seasons. In his senior season, he went 8-1 with a 1.57 ERA while striking out 112 batters in 62 innings. He also was strong in his junior season when he went 11-3 with an ERA of 1.20. He picked up All-State honors in his junior and senior campaigns while being named a Louisville Slugger High School All-American after his senior season.
He pitched in 15 games during his freshman season (2008) for a total of 17.2 innings while accumulating 4.08 ERA. He struggled the entire season with his control as he walked 14 while only striking out 12. He spent the summer of 2008 in the New York Collegiate Baseball League where he appeared in eight games (six starts) while going 3-0 with an ERA of 1.82. He ended up pitching in 34.2 innings while his strikeout to walks ratio was 33-19. Baseball America and PGCrosschecker each named 
him the top prospect in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.
The 2009 campaign saw Darnell continued to be used out of the bullpen as he had 28 appearances with a 5-6 record while having a 4.50 ERA. He continued to struggle a little bit with his control as he had 20 in 46.0 innings and striking out 47 batters. Darnell also hit six batters and tossed six wild pitches. He spent the summer of 2009 in the Alaskan Baseball League where he pitched for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots. Logan appeared in 13 games (nine starts) as he went 5-1 with a 1.66 ERA but continued to show his wild side by walking 18 batters and striking out 37. Baseball America named him the sixth best prospect in the league while Perfect Game named him the third best pro prospect for his efforts.
Darnell could take the next step into the weekend rotation this spring which will give the Wildcats a strong rotation behind Alex Meyer and James Paxton. If he can cut down on his walks, then he might be much better during the 2010 season.
You can check out the rest of my Top 100 by clicking here.
12 comments
Darnell features a fastball of 94-95 MPH and comes from the left side so he is one of the players who could break out this season.
Again, Brian, my problem with many of your selections is that you’re basing them on their tools and their potential far more than their prior D-I track record. That’s certainly appropriate in ranking players as pro prospects, but really is inappropriate, IMHO, for ranking the top college players. Those are two very different things. I’m thrilled that Darnell can throw mid-90s. That makes him on the radar of the scouting community. However, nothing in his past college performance warrants his being selected as one of the Top 85 college players. Nada.
Walt,
I have told you before and will state again that these 100 players are my projected ones. I just see these guys as being the best players in the 2010 season. My selections last year were pretty good and were on the mark. Some people had better seasons then I thought but nearly all on the list were very good.
Brian– once again, you simply saying it does not make it true. Yes, those in your Top 50 countdown last year who had previous solid track records in D-I play fared very, very well. No big surprise there. However, the 10 – 15 players you included who you picked based predominantly on tools, scouting community reports and Summer league action– but who had yet to distinguish themselves as college ballplayers– fared far less favorably as a group.
Walt,
Which ones are you talking about?
Anyways, 10-15 players is still 70-80 percent correct! Saying I am writing these lists in the preseason before they get on the field. That is not a bad percentage at all.
Brian, my point was that those selection by you of players who might have caught the eyes of the scouting community with their tools, but who had yet to “breakoout” at the college level (ala Darnell above), were for the most part guys who did not end the year amongst the Top 150 in college baseball; let alone the Top 50.
Walt,
I am willing to let you make a Top 50 list and I would post it if you want. Lets compare the two of them at the end of the season and see which one is better!
That’s a great respoinse, Brian. Not. You continue to include guys (representing probably 20% on your lists) who the scouts might have their eyes on due to their tools, but who have yet to perform to their potential at the D-1 level. These guys do not belong on a preseason Top 50 or Top 100 list, due exclusively on their potential and very little else. You obvioiusly feel otherwise.
I highly doubt Logan Darnell will not be All-SEC second team this season.
Don’t question my list if you don’t want to put your neck out there.
This is a good pick I think. Sounds like he was an exceptional player, even back in his High school days. Striking out 47 batters is quite an accomplishment in one season. A 4.08 ERA sounds like it’s a very good record, and not many people could obtain that I believe. To the two people fighting above me, come on now, it’s a good pick, as far as I’m concerned, and you fighting about it isn’t going to change anything.
Exactly, It isn’t going to change anything. My picks are my projected Top 100 players for the upcoming season. Not what has gone on in the past two seasons.
As someone who works closely with the team, I can tell you from my first hand experience that this is a solid place for Logan to be ranked. Look for him to have a break out season.
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