The Boise Spuds selected New York high schooler Robin Cooper with the seventh overall pick of the 2039 BBA Amateur Draft. Cooper, 18, is a southpaw pitcher currently playing for the Merrill Lynch Bulls in the high school all-star league. Cooper, who recently worked out in Boise in front of team scouts and members of the front office, was ranked the #15 prospect by Baseball News Network but was extremely high on Boise's draft board.The 6'1, 165-pound lefty won't wow anyone with his velocity, but has an excellent heavy sinker that sits 89-91 and he commands well. Cooper also has a low-80s curveball with quality depth but can turn it into a hard slider with sharp break. He also demonstrates feel for a changeup with some tumble and a forkball that could develop into a plus-pitch. Cooper has little effort in his simple delivery, repeating it with ease while pounding the strike zone with his entire repertoire. He doesn't have a lot of projection remaining in his frame, but he should be durable and has one of the higher floors among prep arms in this draft.
Cooper's biggest area of improvement will be working on building consistency in his release point which will help improve his ability to throw strikes consistently. Scouts feel that he has a clean arm action and he should be able to develop above average control. While a bit undersized for a pitcher, his skills and advanced make-up suggest he should mature into a future big leaguer. Spuds coaches believe Cooper's ability to pitch backwards and keep batters off balance, as well as ability to keep the ball on the ground and in the park has him poised for success going forward.
Boise expects Cooper to sign quickly and start his professional career with the Tijuana Cutthroats in Rookie Ball.
