John Rooney

[ProudofPride]

In addition to being the newly crowned CAA Pitcher of the Year (Hofstra's first ever, and the first time in conference history that the same school has had the pitcher of the year for both baseball and softball), John Rooney was recently named a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. This is for the top amateur player in the country, and there are 25 semifinalists right now. He is a legit contender to be a 3rd or 4th round draft pick, and currently leads the nation in ERA (1.01).

Vote for him, can vote up to 25 times per day per device.
https://www.usabaseball.com/golden-spik ... inees/2018

[dutchalum01]

Just voted. How sick is that uniform.

[Flying Dutchmen]

A great achievement in a tough baseball league!! Just listened to a few interviews with Rooney this year, he's an awesome representative for Hofstra Baseball, he deserves the accolades!

Excited to follow his career to professional baseball, should be a top 5 round draft pick, maybe higher...hopefully one of the locals picks him up!

[stuball888]

Voted yesterday. Now I can’t get to voting area

[Jojogunne]

MLB potential?

[stuball888]

Lowest ERA in the NCAAs definitely MLB material.

[stuball888]

Got my 50 votes in today. Vote early and often. Vote vote vote

[HUclassof19]

when is the draft? do we have any idea when he will go?

[EvanJ]

The draft is Monday through Wednesday.

[Cards]

here is the skinny on Rooney: (note that scouting grades are out of 80, so guys that consistently have fastballs at 98+ typically gets a scouting grade around 70 in fastball category)

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45
Heading into this year, Hofstra had had just one player get drafted before the 10th round, Bryan Verbitsky, a 2013 third-round pick. The school had also had just one player, Daniel Poma in 2012, be named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist. Rooney joined Poma in the latter category this spring and the left-hander almost certainly will join Verbitsky in the former in June.
The 6-foot-5 left-hander has really come into his own as Hofstra's Friday night starter this spring, using a three-pitch mix to carve up opponents in the Colonial Athletic Association. He'll throw his fastball in the 87-93 mph range, using his size well to create good downhill plane. His slider flashes plus with good bite, a pitch that has improved over time, even from his stint in the Cape Cod League last summer until now. He'll effectively mix in an average changeup with some fade as well, and he's thrown all three pitches for strikes.
With a somewhat limited ceiling, Rooney may not go quite as high as Verbitsky, who was the 86th overall selection, but he may not be far behind. After the dominant junior season he's had, he should easily beat Poma, who was a 10th-round pick back in 2012.


I think he will need to add several MPH to his fastball to do well moving through the minors. he will need to be consistently in the 91-94 range. And that assumes he has other "plus" pitches to compliment a very average (at best) fastball. I think he is 21 years old, so given his age and the additional coaching he will get, he should add mph over the next year or so. He will be interesting to follow.


Just for comparison sake (and an update) - Brian V was a 3rd round pick and received a $400,000 signing bonus. He played in rookie ball and "A" for 2-3 years. He also dealt with some injuries. I don't know if he is even still playing in the minors. Just shows how tough it is to make to the MLB level. Too many people think anyone who is as high as a 3rd round pick (recall that there are roughly 40 rounds in the MLB draft) is on a sure fast track to the MLB. Its not that easy! He played in the Padres organization, but I don't think he made it to even the AA level. Does anyone else have a recent update??

[HUSID74]

So we know for a fact that he will not play at Hofstra for his senior year?

[Cards]

One of the best chances for a decent signing bonus is going pro after your junior season. Once you've got a degree or finished your eligibility, you've lost your leverage. Unless you've really improved between your junior and senior season, better to make the jump earlier. Remember that baseball signings are all about potential and predicting upside based on current age, talent, and ability. At 21 years old, most scouts would have already reached thier assessments on his upside - and staying another year would not likely change that. In addition, it would be almost impossible to beat this year's stats/numbers.


If a college kid gets drafted after his junior year and he is a 30+ round pick, then he is probably better off staying and finishing school - because his amount of his signing bonus will be a non factor! Thats not the case with Rooney.

[HUSID74]

One of the best chances for a decent signing bonus is going pro after your junior season. Once you've got a degree or finished your eligibility, you've lost your leverage. Unless you've really improved between your junior and senior season, better to make the jump earlier. Remember that baseball signings are all about potential and predicting upside based on current age, talent, and ability. At 21 years old, most scouts would have already reached thier assessments on his upside - and staying another year would not likely change that. In addition, it would be almost impossible to beat this year's stats/numbers.


If a college kid gets drafted after his junior year and he is a 30+ round pick, then he is probably better off staying and finishing school - because his amount of his signing bonus will be a non factor! Thats not the case with Rooney.

Thanks Cards...will be great to follow him as he hopefully, advances through the ranks!

[HofstraHockey]

Heading into this year, Hofstra had had just one player get drafted before the 10th round, Bryan Verbitsky, a 2013 third-round pick.

I know it's practically unrelated, but Ken Singleton was the third overall pick in the '67 draft.

[stuball888]

HH how many years did Ken Singleton play for Hofstra

[HofstraHockey]

How many years did he play what for Hofstra??

[stuball888]

I thought he played baseball for us for a year

[stuball888]

According to Wikipedia he was drafted third overall out of Hofstra university

[HofstraHockey]

I thought this was one of your trick questions! He was a scholarship basketball player at Hofstra. Left after his freshman year though after he was drafted by the Mets.

[ProudofPride]

Rooney was named All-American, and ECAC pitcher of the year http://gohofstra.com/news/2018/5/30/bas ... -year.aspx