College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to the start of the 2012 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 countdown today at number 46 with Rice sophomore RHP John Simms. The Woodlands, Texas native attended College Park High School where he was a three year varsity player. As a senior, he went 8-1 record with a 1.07 ERA while striking out 123 batters in 65.1 innings. His junior season saw him have a strong season also going 9-2 with a 1.19 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 88 innings.
He pitched the summer of 2010 on the USA Baseball Under 18 team going 4-0 record with an ERA of 0.96 in four international starts. He dominated batters with 37 strikeouts in 28.0 innings and a batting average against of .133. The Washington Nationals selected him after his senior season in the 39th round but he decided to head to Rice to continue his baseball career.
Simms made 23 appearances as a freshman including nine starts going 3-2 including a save with an ERA of 3.32 in 62.1 innings of work. He was named Conference USA All-Freshman team member for his performance.
John spent the summer of 2011 in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Falmouth Commodores. He worked exclusively out of the bullpen getting into 17 games while not picking up a decision but accumulating 10 saves without giving up an earned run in 24.2 innings of work.
You can check out the rest of our Top 100 by clicking here.
9 comments
Brian,, I love ya, man…but how the heck is John Simms ranked ahead (by 18 places, no less) of his Rice teammate and classmate, Austin Kubitza, who is the far superior and far more proven college pitcher at the moment? Having said that, we’re thankful we have both on the team for another two seasons…and when joined by Reckling, Duffey, Chargois, Wall and a trio fo quality true Freshmen, the Owls would appear to have one of the best pitching staffs in the country heading into the 2012 season.
Simms looked really strong in the Cape and think his future is slightly better then Kubitza but that is our opinion.
Again, Brian– based on what? Both are likely going to be first rounders in the 2013 draft, but at this point in time, Kubitza was a Freshman All-American and a very effective Friday night starter for a Top 15 ranked team. Simms was inconsistent throughout his Freshman year– both as a starter and reliever, and worked as a one-inning closer in the Cape this past Summer. Just because you had the luxury of seeing Simms in play (and not Kubitza) does not make Simms the better player. This is where you’re rankings make absolutely no sense.
Both players were about even heading into the summer. Simms strong summer in the Cape (no earned runs allowed) put him over Kubitza who was so so with Santa Barbara which plays weaker competition day in and day out.
With all due respect, Brian, I want what you’re smoking! How the heck do you figure Simms and Kubitza “were even heading into the Summer”? One was a consensus Freshman all-american and Friday night starter (as a true Freshman) for a national seeded program, who averaged better than a strikeout per IP, an ERA below 2.30, and a BAA under .225. The other was hugely inconsistent– both as a starter (he lost his weekend starter role after one month of the season) and out of the bullpen. No question, Simms has great potential and high school pedigree (as does Kubitza), but to claim with a straight face that the two were equal heading into the Summer is a total joke. As for Kubitza’s Summer, given he threw approximately 100 innings during the college season, he was pretty much shut down over the Summer; pitching very sporadically and for limitted innings. He was so lights out during Fall Ball intrasquads that he was shut down after just 3 outings. Again, I love both of these guys, but to rank Simms 18 places ahead of Kubitza, when Kubitza has proven himself already at the D-1 level (whereas Simms has not, as yet), makes no sense. If you’re going by CCBL action alone, then you’ve got to rank Chargois even with Simms. I dare you to do so! :–)
You do recognize that I am not the only one that does these rankings. Both William Knox (based in Austin) and Austin Staton have both covered Rice off and on for us throughout the last year. I respect their opinions and they are used in these rankings.
PLEASE, Brian. Exactly how many games did William or Austin see Kubitza and Simms pitch during the 2011 season? As you know, I attended a dozen Rice games in person, watched another 30+ on OwlVision, and listened closely to just about every other game played. To say that Kubitza and Simms were “about even” following their Freshman 2011 campaign is not one man’s opinion; it is outrageously inaccurate based on facts and performance. By the time of the 2013 draft, Simms may be projected to be the better pro prospect (though almost everyone– including BA and Perfect Game– suspects both will be first rounders), but coming out of the 2011 college season, Kubitza was heads and shoulders ahead of Simms– in across the board statistics, in overall dominance and, especially, in consistency. That’s not debatable, as it’s based on on-field performance and facts. Simms had a great Summer (as did JT Chargois) in the Cape, and he’s a terrific talent…but putting greater weight on Summer league action, in an extreme pitcher-friendly league, over his performance as a college pitcher to date, makes very little sense. The only thing “about even” about Kubitza’s and Simm’s Freshman year was that they each shutout Texas A&M (though Kubitza did it in a complete game, 3-hitter against Wacha; whereas Simms got the win going 7 innings in mid-week action).
I believe you were the same guy that I told way before last season that Rendon wouldn’t be the number 1 overall pick. I forgot what happened in June? 😉
Ah, great debate tactic– simply change the subject when overwhelmed by facts. Don’t you ever admit you just might have erred in your judgement (or your quoted comments) even when they are proven beyond a doubt to be inaccurate? As for Rendon’s slipping to the #7 pick, don’t you think his season-long shoulder injury (which prohibited him from playing the field and dramatically reduced his power numbers) just had a wee little bit to do about that? Brian, the difference between you and I, and why your arguments so infuriate me, is that I base my position and opinion on factual evidence (on field performance) and you do not.
BTW, as avid a Rice fan as I am, based on 2011 D-1 performance (and the reality that Simms excelled this Summer as a closer, and will likely be used as a set-up guy for Chargois and Duffey in 2012), I would rank UT’s Knebel ahead of Simms. Again, I love John Simms, and am thanksful for the opportunity to watch him for another two years, but to rank him ahead of Kubitza heading into the 2012 season is simply nuts. Again, as good as Simms is and will be, barring injury to one of the weekend starters, Simms will very likely be just one of Rice’s trio of late inning stud relievers (along with Tyler Duffey and JT Chargois); whereas, Kubitza will be our Friday night starting pitcher and ace of the staff….and that’s not idle conjecture/speculation on my part.
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