Jim Callis, MLB.com

Jim Callis is a senior writer for mlb.com and mlbpipeline.com. A graduate of the University of Georgia, he began his career at Baseball America magazine in 1988 and quickly became recognized as one of the premier writers and evaluators of baseball talent in the country. He has covered both the major and minor leagues, college baseball and the annual MLB draft for nearly three decades, forming an encyclopedic knowledge of all levels of the game. He also worked at STATS, Inc., in the Chicago area in between his pair if stints with Baseball America prior to joining mlb.com in 2014. In this episode of College Baseball Now, Callis and CBN host Bill Ballew discuss the state of college baseball, including Callis’ observations of TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. He also talks about the talent level found today in college baseball and discusses the effects the recent slotting rules have had on both college baseball and the major leagues. In a recent article that he co-wrote for mlb.com, Callis revealed his preliminary top 10 projected picks for the 2017 draft, which includes seven college players. These players include University of Florida right-handed pitcher Alex Faedo, Vanderbilt University right-handed pitcher Kyle Wright, University of North Carolina right-handed pitcher J.B. Bukauskas, Vanderbilt University center fielder Jeren Kendall, University of Louisville left-handed pitcher and first baseman Brendan McKay, University of Missouri right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck and University of Virginia first baseman and outfielder Pavin Smith. Callis also goes in depth about the potential of Brendan McKay, who is intriguing scouts with his outstanding two-way abilities on the field, which is creating a complex process for scouts and their teams. After watching Coastal Carolina University win the College World Series last year, Callis reveals the under-the-radar programs that he feels could break through the glass ceiling and emerge as strong contenders for the national championship during the 2017 campaign.