David Dinelli

While Dinelli served as Sierra Junior College's No. 1 starter this spring--leading the team deep into the state's juco playoffs--pro teams don't want him to be a member of their rotations. Some scouts see him as a potential closer because of his power repertoire and aggressive demeanor. A Texas Tech signee, Dinelli rivals Sac City's Leroy Hunt as the hardest thrower in California's junior colleges. He starts with a good pitcher's body, physical at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, and comes at hitters hard with a low-90s fastball that often sits at 92-93 mph. While he doesn't throw anything truly offspeed, he has two power breaking balls: a hard curveball that sits around 78 mph, and a true slider/cutter in the low 80s. Scouts can imagine Dinelli eating up a lot of wood bats with his repertoire, when he's not missing them--he struck out 118 in just 86 regular-season innings. Dinelli also averaged more than five walks per nine and will have harness his control to become a closer instead of just a set-up man.