Washington's Puk next Metro prep to be a high MLB draft pick

CEDAR RAPIDS - He's the next one...maybe.You couldn't really tell which way A.J. Puk was leaning Monday afternoon when asked about the upcoming 2013 Major League Baseball amateur draft. A month from now, the Cedar Rapids Washington senior could be a professional pitcher for some organization, or he could still be with the Warriors, getting ready for a collegiate career with the Florida Gators.Who knows? If he has an inkling, he's not tipping it off.“We'll just see what comes up the beginning of June,” he said. “Decide whether it's college or pro.”The MLB draft is June 6-8, with experts projecting Puk to be a likely second or third-round pick. Perfect Game has him listed at No. 71 on its draft board, a second-rounder.Also strong with the bat, Puk is a still-growing 6-foot-7, 220-pound left-hander that oozes pitching projectability. He's enticing for scouts because he isn't close to filling out physically.Despite a tight back muscle that has bothered him the past couple of weeks, Puk hit 92 miles per hour with his fastball during a two-inning stint Monday. Lefties that throw hard are like gold.“It'd be difficult (to give up hitting),” Puk said. “I always thought I'd be a hitter when I was younger. But here over the last couple of years, my pitching has started to pick up. I don't know what will happen. That's tough. I can see it going both ways, honestly. Florida would be great to go play at. But at the same time, starting a professional career would be great, too.”Brothers Ryan and Kellen Sweeney decided to go the pro route after they were drafted out of high school at Cedar Rapids Xavier and Jefferson, respectively.Chicago Cubs outfielder Ryan Sweeney received a signing bonus of $785,000 after being taken by the Chicago White Sox with the 52nd overall pick in 2003. Infielder Kellen Sweeney - with Lansing of the Midwest League - received a signing bonus of $600,000 after being taken 69th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010.This is the second year of a new system aimed at curbing MLB signing bonuses. Each club has a certain amount of money to spend for players it drafts in the top 10 rounds, with the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies having the most this season and the Los Angeles Angels the least.MLB gives a suggested signing-bonus value for each draft slot. How any of that will affect Puk is unknown.“I talked to the Sweeneys over the winter when they were in town,” Puk said. “They both came out after high school. They just told me to do whatever is right for my situation. Just go with what you want.”Representatives from all 30 Major League Baseball clubs were in attendance Monday. Also participating in the showcase was Cedar Rapids Xavier junior pitch Mitch Keller, who could face the same questions about his future Puk is right now.“If it's right for me, right for my family (I'll go pro),” Puk said. “It's a great opportunity both ways. We'll just see what happens.”