Top Prospects #6: Tim Melville

#6 Tim Melville

Age: 20
Pos: RHP
HT/WT: 6-5/210
Drafted: 4th Round of 2008 Rule IV Draft
High School: Wentzville-Holt (MO)
ETA: 2012

Heading into the 2008 season many expect Tim Melville to solidify his stock as a top ten draft choice in the 2008 first year player draft. However, after a disappointing senior campaign, a commitment to North Carolina, and a high bonus demand he fell all the way to the fourth round where the Royals happily drafted him and signed him to a bonus of $1.25 mill. Melville features a plus fastball that sits in the low 90s with a changeup and curveball that have the potential to also join the fastball as plus pitches. With Melville's height he has quite a bit of projectability and could still add some miles per hour to his fastball. At this point in his career though the lack of command in his secondary pitches limits his dominance. Although his spike in strikeouts (75 in his last 67 innings) in the second half indicate that maybe he began to turn the corner in this regard.

Melville has the potential to be front of the rotation starter and I expect him to begin the year in Wilmington where he'll join a potentially epic Blue Rock rotation. His numbers should be very strong and it wouldn't be shocking to see him donning a different shade of blue in Springdale at some point in the summer.