LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky sophomore southpaw James Paxton has been tabbed as the seventh best prospect to come out of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League, it was announced by Baseball America.
Paxton, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound southpaw had an excellent summer while playing with the Kelowna Falcons. The Ladner, British Columbia, native functioned strictly as a starter, getting the nod in 11 games, working 70 1/3 innings, and tossing two complete games. Paxton accumulated a 2.94 ERA, allowing only 55 hits, 23 earned runs, striking out a league-high 62. Paxton held opponents to a .219 batting average. Paxton proved to be an excellent starter, capable of getting the Falcons deep into games, making seven quality starts out of his 11 total starting nods. Arguably his best game on the bump for the Falcons came in a seven-inning performance, where Paxton allowed only two hits, no earned runs, and struck out nine batters.
?The British Columbia native returned home and moved from a lefty-specialist role that he filled with Kentucky into a starting role,? Baseball America Editor in Chief John Manuel said. ?He was the league leader in starts (11), innings (70 1/3) and strikeouts (62). He has a lower arm slot conducive to his sinker-slider approach. His fastball runs into the upper 80s and he commands the pitch well. His breaking ball needs to improve to give him a second average pitch.?
During his freshman season, Paxton led the Wildcat staff in appearances, working in 25 games, notching a 2-0 record and a save. Paxton worked 17 2/3 innings for UK last season.
On Thursday, Baseball America tabbed junior right-hander Scott Green as the sixth best prospect to come out of the prestigious Cape Cod League over the summer. Green, a 15th-round 2007 MLB Draft choice of the Boston Red Sox, teamed with current UK outfielder Collin Cowgill to lead his summer team, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox to its second consecutive league crown. Green, a native of Louisville, Ky., tallied a 3-1 record and a startling 1.56 ERA, striking out 36 in 40 1/3 innings of work this summer. Cowgill, who was named to the CCL All-Star team, hit .290 with a league-high four triples, four doubles, two home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 20 RBI.
