Prospect Retro: John Danks

From John Sickels' 2004 Book.

Texas: John Danks, LHP, HS-Round Rock, Texas
In some draft classes, Danks would have been the first player picked. But in ’03, most teams at the top of the draft shied away from high-risk, high-reward guys like Danks. There’s certainly nothing wrong with his scouting reports: he throws in the 90s, has a good breaking ball, and was very successful in high school. Most scouts think he can advance quickly, as his command is usually solid. His Texas background made him hard for the Rangers to resist. Danks struck out 35 guys in his first 26 pro innings, though he was hit pretty hard in the Northwest League (8.53 ERA). If you like taking chances on high school pitching, Danks is worth betting on. Just understand the risks involved. Grade B-.