RHP Cal Quantrill: 1st Round (8th Overall)- San Diego Padres-- Signed $3,963,045
With the 8th pick of the 1st round (eighth overall) the San Diego Padres selected Stanford right-hander Cal Quantrill.
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
Hometown: Port Hope, Ontario
Teams: Ontario Terriers, Canadian Junior National Team
Coaches: Paul Quantrill, Greg Hamilton, Scott VandeValk, Mark Marquess.
Previously Drafted: 26th round by the New York Yankees (2013).
Scout: Sam Ray.
Slot Money: $3,630,900
Signed For: $3,963,045
Twitter Handle: @cal_quantrill47
Rated: No. 21 on BA's mock draft ... No. 23 on MLB Pipeline (down from 20) top 100 combined list of collegians and high schoolers ... No. 24 on ESPN's Keith Law top prospect list (down from 21st) ... No. 25 on Perfect Game's top 500 combined list (up from 26th) ... No. 38 on Baseball America's top 500 combined list (up from 36th) ... PG's 4th best in the state of California ... No. 11 on D1Baseball.com's top 300 ... No. 13 on Perfect Game’s top 100 College Juniors ... No. 18 (up from 14th) on Baseball America top 100 college list ... No. 12 on John Manuel's Baseball America's top 50 juniors ... No. 1 prospect in Pac-12 according to PG, No. 2 on BA list.
Scouting Reports:
Jheremy Brown, Perfect Game Scouting Service
If I told you the last time a pitcher threw an entire season was during his freshman season, two years ago, and he’s still expected to go in the first round this June you might tilt your head slightly at the computer screen as you reread the sentence. But yet that’s exactly what holds true for Canadian born Cal Quantrill, who after three starts last spring as a sophomore, underwent Tommy John surgery and is just now making his way back, potentially in time for some pre-draft type stuff.
This isn’t totally out of left field either considering that at one point Quantrill was deemed a first overall type talent with what he’s been able to show when suited up with the Cardinals. The bloodlines have been well documented throughout the entire process as his father Paul has a 14-year resume in the big leagues which spanned a remarkable 841 games. Early in high school career the younger Quantrill was noted for his pitchability and advanced control, two areas that you’d naturally expect to be refined for a son of a 14-year veteran.
But as Cal’s senior year rolled around the velocity began to bump up rather significantly, especially when comparted to the 86-90 mph fastball he showed at the East Coast Professional showcase the prior summer. The spring of his senior year served as a precursor of things to come while at Stanford as Quantrill would regularly work in the 92-94 mph range with his fastball, showing the same feel and command that had him shooting up the draft boards in the spring of 2013.
As a freshman Quantrill was immediately inserted into the Stanford rotation and very much lived up to the hype as he logged 110 2/3 innings, going 7-5 with a 2.68 ERA, all the while showing refined command along with the ability to miss bats. The arm action remained low effort and the delivery was pure, but unlike his high school days Quantrill began showing a changeup that you could throw a plus grade on and have no qualms about doing so as the upper-70s offering featured plenty of diving life and deception.
In an ever changing baseball world where pitchers are no longer buried for undergoing Tommy John as we’ve seen with the likes of Lucas Giolito, Erick Fedde, and Jeff Hoffman, Quantrill very much appears to be next in line.
Baseball America
Quantrill’s father Paul pitched in the majors for parts of 14 seasons and is Canada’s all-time leader in games pitched. Quantrill grew up around big league clubhouses and starring for Canadian national teams before arriving at Stanford, after turning down the Yankees as a 26th-round pick in 2013. He made his reputation as a collegian instantly, becoming the first Cardinal freshman to start Opening Day since Mike Mussina in 1988 and leading the team to a regional victory at Indiana.
He pitched in relief on one day’s rest in the regional, beating Kyle Schwarber, Sam Travis and the Hoosiers, and was the Coastal Plain League’s No. 1 prospect that summer, including a start where he flashed premium stuff against USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. However, Quantrill has made just three starts since then, all of them in 2015. He had Tommy John surgery March 20 that year and hasn’t pitched in a game since. Stanford and his family have remained mum on his return.
When healthy, Quantrill pitches off an 89-94 mph fastball with sinking life and a plus changeup with similar life and action. He has thrown both a slider and curveball in the past, flashing average with a slider in the 78-80 mph range. If Quantrill doesn’t return to the mound for the Cardinal, he’ll likely throw bullpens or simulated games just before the draft, presenting a true wild card for June.
Pedigree: Father Paul Quantrill, played 13 seasons in the majors 3.68 ERA, 68-78, 21 saves in 841 games with seven teams, Toronto Blue Jays, Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Padres and Marlins.
Quantrill bonus ranks among top 10