June 6, 2011
A'S PAGEA'S VIDEO
Paul Gutierrez
CSNCalifornia.com
Player: Sonny Gray
Position: Pitcher
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 200
Throws: Rt Bats: Rt.
School: Vanderbilt
Round: 1st, 18th pick
Notable: Starred in "High School Musical" in high school.
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Scouts Take: "He's a bulldog-type of guy who was a championship quarterback in high school and has played on the USA national team. He's got a complete mix of 'stuff' with a power fastball. He's a competitor with agood arm who goes out and wins. The stigma is that he's a 5-11 righty." - New York Mets scout Shooty Babitt.
Insiders Take: With his somewhat small build and array of power pitches, he might remind A's fans of former Oakland hurlers Huston Street and Tim Hudson. He also stays in line with general manager Billy Beane's trend of drafting college players in the first round as he has not drafted a high schooler in the first round since Jeremy Bonderman in 2001. The A's minor league system needs replenishing in the pitching department. He was 11-3 with a 2.01 ERA, a .192 opponents batting average in 16 starts this season, with 115 strikeouts in 107 23 innings. He was previously drafted in the 27th round of the 2008 draft by the Chicago Cubs.