Mitch Canham Feature on ESPN.com

My 2007 college prospects list has been at the center of baseball news as of late. A couple weeks ago it was Matt LaPorta and Josh Donaldson switching teams in the CC Sabathia and Rich Harden deals, respectively. Today I ran across a feature on ESPN.com about Mitch Canham. As a quick refresher, here is what I had to say about Canham heading into the 2007 draft:

Catcher is not a high priority for the Mariners, but Canham might be too good to pass up. He's a complete offensive player, but what really caught my eye was a particular comment by Pat Casey, the head baseball coach at Oregon State. Said Casey, "Mitch is the best leader in the country - there’s nobody who has a leader better than Mitch Canham on and off the field. He’s the heart and soul of our club.” Now, Casey is probably a little jaded, but all indications are that Canham's intangibles are spectacular. On Canham's OSU bio page, he lists fishing and helping the community as his interests, and in high school he earned the team Sportsmanship award, as well as honors in math, social studies, and school in general (he accumulated a 3.98 GPA). Oh, and if that wasn't enough, he's from Lake Stevens, Washington. So, though Canham's game is solid, it's all the intangibles that boost him up to this spot on the board.

Canham is having a solid year in high A ball, but the numbers are remarkable given his current situation. For a very tangible look at Canham's intangibles, check out the ESPN.com feature on him. Canham is the only prospect in the last three years that I have bumped up on my board based solely on intangibles and character, and the feature illuminates all those unbelievable qualities that Canham has.