Continuing on in our MLB Draft crash course, we'll move from one local kid (Lancaster county catcher Cameron Gallagher) to another.
H:6'4"
W: 210
Throws: R
Kevin Comer is a right-handed pitcher from Seneca High School in Taberbacle, New Jersey. He's has had a bit of a strange senior season, throwing a limited number of innings and puzzling scouts with a dropoff in his stuff. At his best, he throws in the low 90s, and as a good athlete with a projectable frame, it's not unreasonable to project improved (and more consistent) velocity down the line. Both his curve and change up have shown potential, and he earns high marks for his makeup.
I'm not able to embed a video here, but I can link you to this video from Baseball Beginnings. With the obvious caveat that I'm not a scout, and know next to nothing about scouting, you can see what the draw is with Comer: he's lanky and has pretty easy arm action, so you can project him as a starter if he's able to hone his secondary pitches.
Baseball America only ranks Comer #102 overall in its Top 200, and popping him with the 39th overall selection would be something of a surprise, but the Phillies have never been afraid to go against the grain, especially when there's a local kid they feel they know well (see, e.g., Biddle, Jesse, and Knapp, Jason). Jim Salisbury is on record as saying that the Phillies have "serious interest" in Comer, and if it turns out Comer's their guy, we have to assume that they've done their due diligence on his bonus demands. The club has signed players away from Vanderbilt before -- Anthony Hewitt back in 2008 -- but as James from Phuture Phillies noted the other day, Vanderbilt tends to get their guys, and we can't be sure if slot money at 39 would be enough to convince Comer to turn pro. Area scouts seem to think that Comer wants to go to college, but it could just be posturing, so we'll have to see what indications Comer's camp gives after he gets selected.
Thoughts: Comer does fit the mold of what the Phillies look for in their young starters, but Marti Wolever is on record as saying that the club is focusing on adding left-handed pitching to the system, so given that and the possible signability issues, I'd be a bit surprised to see Comer go to the Phils at 39.