Name: Brooks Pounders
Birthdate: 09/26/90
Height: 6'5"; Weight: 240 lbs
Bats: Right; Throws: Right
Hometown: Temecula, Cal.
Position: Starting Pitcher
School: Temecula Valley HS (Cal.); signed with Southern Cal
Drafted: Second round (53rd overall)
Signing bonus: $670,000
Assignment: Bradenton (GCL)
Favorite Singers: Hank Williams Jr. and Toby Keith.
Stats: Pounders went 9-2 with a 1.91 ERA, with 91 strikeouts in 64-1/3 innings last season. He also hit .400 with 7 HR and 25 RBI. As a junior, he was 7-3 with a 1.81 ERA, with 75 K in 65-1/3 innings, and hit .333 with 10 HR and 39 RBI.
MLB.com Scouting Report:
Fastball: 88-90 mph range, and keeps it down.
Curve: Stays around the strike zone and has a solid rotation.
Slider: Tight with late bite.
Changeup: A plus pitch now, will be a solid out pitch.
Control: Throws strikes, has above-average fastball command. Will be a plus command guy in the future.
Poise: Good poise, works quickly, and has a no-nonsense attitude on the mound.
Strengths: Four at least average pitches from a high schooler. Works fast and throws strikes, the type who can throw a two-hour game.
Weaknesses: Will have to maintain his body.
Summary: Pounders might be more substance than style. He doesn't seem to have the best body in the world, but he's more athletic in his delivery than you'd think. He won't light up a radar gun -- something that might hurt his Draft status -- but he does have four pitches he can throw for strikes as a high schooler. That kind of pitchability doesn't grow on trees, especially from the prep ranks.
Real Baseball Intelligence Scouting Report:
Strengths: Brooks Pounders has excellent size and is a good athlete despite his girth. As his name suggests, he pounds the zone with three solid pitches: a plus changeup and an average slider and fastball. His command is excellent.
Weaknesses: Pounders' fastball isn't as impressive as the other elite prep pitchers in this class. It's only 89 mph and it is fairly straight. Although he's tall, Pounders isn't long and lean like a lot of other high school pitchers.
The Future: Pitchers with average fastballs and excellent command tend to be underrated. Pounders may not be a first round pick, but in five years, he'll be one of the best high school pitchers to come out of this draft class.
Perfect Game USA Scouting Report:
Brooks Pounders has a big country strong build and is a very talented two way prospect. He has always shown a power bat and in the metrodome he showed a big power arm to go with it. He has always been able to pitch but made a huge jump from touching 90 before to now pitching 90-94. His breaking ball and change were very good and he showed excellent command of three pitches. He also showed his big power potential at the plate with good leverage and strength in his swing. The ball flies off his bat when centered. He is a good student and has verbally committed to the USC Trojans. Aflac All American
Showing posts with label draft 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label draft 2009. Show all posts
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Tony Sanchez File
Name: Jorge Anthony "Tony" Sanchez
Born: May 20, 1988
Height / Weight: 6-1/220, R/R
Hometown: Miami, Florida
High School: Miami Killian
College: Boston College
Class: Junior
Scouting Reports: ScoutingBook:
Stats: Sanchez hit .346 in 2009 with 51 RBI, 14 home runs and 19 doubles his junior season at Boston College, and threw out 19 base runners, tops in the Atlantic Coast Conference.His college line is a.317 batting average, with 49 doubles, 24 home runs and 124 RBIs in 161 games.
Awards: He was named as one of three finalists for the 2009 Coleman Company -- Johnny Bench Award, which is presented annually to the top college catcher. He was also recently named to both the All-ACC First Team and the Louisville Slugger All-America Third Team.
Hype: Sanchez was rated by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN as the top college catcher available in the draft, as well as being the best overall defensive catcher and having the best throwing arm of any college catcher.
Draft Day Yada: Despite the offensive numbers and Sanchez's highly regarded defensive abilities, the selection was unconventional. In most pre-draft rankings, Sanchez had been listed as the best catcher available, but also as a likely late first-round or sandwich pick.
The Pirates passed on a number of promising pitchers to nab Sanchez, like Aaron Crow. He was part of a plan to draft a deep class rather than a top-heavy one, and so the ability to sign him at slot value was important to Pittsburgh.
The suits wanted to conserve cash to spend on later picks, many of whom were high school kids signed to major college programs. Whether that's a worthwhile plan or not is about three or four years from us knowing yet, but it will involve more than Tony Sanchez.
Status: Signed Friday, and the 21-year-old catcher will report to Pirate City in Bradenton to participate in a few days of minicamp. He'll then join the low Class A West Virginia team, where Sanchez will assume starting duties behind the plate.
Off-the-Wall Note: Sanchez employed Jared's now-famous Subway diet, eating a turkey and tuna sandwich with lettuce, onions and honey mustard on wheat bread at least five times a week, as he dropped nearly 30 pounds during college.
Born: May 20, 1988
Height / Weight: 6-1/220, R/R
Hometown: Miami, Florida
High School: Miami Killian
College: Boston College
Class: Junior
Scouting Reports: ScoutingBook:
A native of Miami, Jorge 'Tony' Sanchez is an offensive-minded catcher in the style of Matt Wieters (though with less power) or Buster Posey (but with less defensive prowess). He does show enough skill to stick at catcher, though, and his bat is legitimate: He hit .346/.443/.614 at Boston College in 2009. He's seen as nearly major league ready today.MLB.com:
College catchers are always a premium commodity and Sanchez has emerged as one of the better options in this year's group. He's a solid catch-and-throw guy behind the plate, with good overall defensive skills. He also can swing the bat some, with a little power, giving him an intriguing all-around package. He's struggled with conditioning in the past, but he seemed driven to get himself into shape. The benefit has been an outstanding junior season that will probably move him off the board early on Draft day.
Stats: Sanchez hit .346 in 2009 with 51 RBI, 14 home runs and 19 doubles his junior season at Boston College, and threw out 19 base runners, tops in the Atlantic Coast Conference.His college line is a.317 batting average, with 49 doubles, 24 home runs and 124 RBIs in 161 games.
Awards: He was named as one of three finalists for the 2009 Coleman Company -- Johnny Bench Award, which is presented annually to the top college catcher. He was also recently named to both the All-ACC First Team and the Louisville Slugger All-America Third Team.
Hype: Sanchez was rated by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN as the top college catcher available in the draft, as well as being the best overall defensive catcher and having the best throwing arm of any college catcher.
Draft Day Yada: Despite the offensive numbers and Sanchez's highly regarded defensive abilities, the selection was unconventional. In most pre-draft rankings, Sanchez had been listed as the best catcher available, but also as a likely late first-round or sandwich pick.
The Pirates passed on a number of promising pitchers to nab Sanchez, like Aaron Crow. He was part of a plan to draft a deep class rather than a top-heavy one, and so the ability to sign him at slot value was important to Pittsburgh.
The suits wanted to conserve cash to spend on later picks, many of whom were high school kids signed to major college programs. Whether that's a worthwhile plan or not is about three or four years from us knowing yet, but it will involve more than Tony Sanchez.
Status: Signed Friday, and the 21-year-old catcher will report to Pirate City in Bradenton to participate in a few days of minicamp. He'll then join the low Class A West Virginia team, where Sanchez will assume starting duties behind the plate.
Off-the-Wall Note: Sanchez employed Jared's now-famous Subway diet, eating a turkey and tuna sandwich with lettuce, onions and honey mustard on wheat bread at least five times a week, as he dropped nearly 30 pounds during college.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Pittsburgh Boys In the Draft
-- Gus Benusa, a center fielder who just finished his senior year at Riverview High School, was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round with the 237th overall pick. Benusa is the highest local player drafted since the Pirates took Pine-Richland's Neil Walker in the first round in 2004.
At 6 feet, 190 pounds, Benusa hit .638 (30 for 47) with seven home runs this season, leading all WPIAL and City League players in batting average. He throws and bats left-handed and had signed with Duquesne. He plans to turn pro now.
-- Ryan Robowski of Uniontown, a lefty pitcher, was taken in the 16th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 12 saves with the NAIA Ohio Dominican. Robowski appeared in 22 games and pitched 38-1/3 innings, allowing 30 hits, striking out 53, and walking 12.
-- Cleveland State LHP Josh Hungerman, who pitched for NA, was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 17th round. The Rox must like him; they chose him in the 50th round last season, but couldn't get him to sign. This year, as a senior, Hungerman went 5-6 with a 4.60 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 13 starts. He also batted .345 with 11 homers and 50 RBI.
Hey, we're in-laws; GW and the gang is proud as punch, though not as puffed as Josh's parents Dave and Becky.
-- Chris Trembley was tabbed in the 19th round by the San Diego Padres. Trembley, a shortstop, attended Seneca Valley and Youngstown (Ohio) Boardman highs. He hit .347 with two homers and 33 RBI as a senior at Kent State University.
-- Seton-LaSalle RHP Derek Law was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the 28th round. Law has signed to play with Miami Dade College, and is undecided yet about going to school or turning pro.
-- Tarran Senay, an OF from South Park, was taken by the Detroit Tigers in the 38th round. He was rated as the #85 national high school prospect by Baseball America and considered a high-round draft choice because of his 6-foot-1, 210-pound physique and raw power.
But Senay, a receiver on South Park's football team, had wrist surgery. So he's most likely to honor his committment to North Carolina State.
-- Ben Bechtol, Neshannock High C, was taken in the 40th round by Detroit. Guess Jim Leyland caught a couple of high school games, hey? Bechtol led the WPIAL with 39 RBI and hit .500 with four home runs. He signed to play for Jefferson State CC in Alabama.
-- Pitt had two players selected; junior 2B Chris Sedon was taken in the 10th round by the Detroit Tigers, and junior LHP Nathan Reed was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 20th round.
Sedon had a record-setting season for the Panthers after transferring from Lackawanna CC. He hit .398 with 22 home runs and 62 RBI and was named a Louisville Slugger TPX first-team All-American.
Reed was the top Pitt prospect in the preseason, but slumped as a junior, posting a 4-6 record and a 6.12 ERA. His fastball reaches 92 mph and he also uses a changeup and curveball.
-- Mark Tracy, a junior C from Duquesne U., was selected in the 49th round by Colorado. Tracy led the Dukes with 14 home runs and 46 RBI in 2009. The Pepperdine transfer made 52 starts at catcher, first base and designated hitter, batting .250 (51-204) with six doubles, three triples, 34 runs scored, 23 walks and four stolen bases. He's former manager Jim Tracy's son.
At 6 feet, 190 pounds, Benusa hit .638 (30 for 47) with seven home runs this season, leading all WPIAL and City League players in batting average. He throws and bats left-handed and had signed with Duquesne. He plans to turn pro now.
-- Ryan Robowski of Uniontown, a lefty pitcher, was taken in the 16th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 12 saves with the NAIA Ohio Dominican. Robowski appeared in 22 games and pitched 38-1/3 innings, allowing 30 hits, striking out 53, and walking 12.
-- Cleveland State LHP Josh Hungerman, who pitched for NA, was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 17th round. The Rox must like him; they chose him in the 50th round last season, but couldn't get him to sign. This year, as a senior, Hungerman went 5-6 with a 4.60 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 13 starts. He also batted .345 with 11 homers and 50 RBI.
Hey, we're in-laws; GW and the gang is proud as punch, though not as puffed as Josh's parents Dave and Becky.
-- Chris Trembley was tabbed in the 19th round by the San Diego Padres. Trembley, a shortstop, attended Seneca Valley and Youngstown (Ohio) Boardman highs. He hit .347 with two homers and 33 RBI as a senior at Kent State University.
-- Seton-LaSalle RHP Derek Law was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the 28th round. Law has signed to play with Miami Dade College, and is undecided yet about going to school or turning pro.
-- Tarran Senay, an OF from South Park, was taken by the Detroit Tigers in the 38th round. He was rated as the #85 national high school prospect by Baseball America and considered a high-round draft choice because of his 6-foot-1, 210-pound physique and raw power.
But Senay, a receiver on South Park's football team, had wrist surgery. So he's most likely to honor his committment to North Carolina State.
-- Ben Bechtol, Neshannock High C, was taken in the 40th round by Detroit. Guess Jim Leyland caught a couple of high school games, hey? Bechtol led the WPIAL with 39 RBI and hit .500 with four home runs. He signed to play for Jefferson State CC in Alabama.
-- Pitt had two players selected; junior 2B Chris Sedon was taken in the 10th round by the Detroit Tigers, and junior LHP Nathan Reed was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 20th round.
Sedon had a record-setting season for the Panthers after transferring from Lackawanna CC. He hit .398 with 22 home runs and 62 RBI and was named a Louisville Slugger TPX first-team All-American.
Reed was the top Pitt prospect in the preseason, but slumped as a junior, posting a 4-6 record and a 6.12 ERA. His fastball reaches 92 mph and he also uses a changeup and curveball.
-- Mark Tracy, a junior C from Duquesne U., was selected in the 49th round by Colorado. Tracy led the Dukes with 14 home runs and 46 RBI in 2009. The Pepperdine transfer made 52 starts at catcher, first base and designated hitter, batting .250 (51-204) with six doubles, three triples, 34 runs scored, 23 walks and four stolen bases. He's former manager Jim Tracy's son.
Another Day, Another Draft
Hey, it might be the last day, but there's a couple of picks here that could stick.
31-925 Zachary Taylor (Statesboro HS, Ga.) 18, 6-3, 210, L/L, RF: Taylor hit .448 with nine doubles, three triples, one home run and 13 RBIs, 26 runs, and 12 steals. He signed with Georgia.
32-955 Niko Spezial (Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J.) 19, 6-3, 230, LHP: He was 8-0 with a 0.67 ERA in 54 innings. Spezial works both sides of the plate and his fastball showed some life at 87 MPH. He also threw a curveball and a change up with sink. Signed with Wake Forest.
33-985 Pat Irvine (Elon) 23, 5-11, 190, L/R, LF: He has a big bat, breaking out this past season by hitting .402 with a .782 slugging percentage and .533 OBP. Irvine had 17 home runs, 57 RBI, and 68 runs scored.
34-1015 Zach Fuesser (Walters State CC, Tenn.) 18, 6-2, 190, LHP: Fuesser went 5-2 with four saves and a 4.35 ERA in 19 games, striking out 60 batters in his 49-2/3 innings of work. Mostly used from the pen, he also made four spot starts. He was drafted last year by the Atlanta Braves in the 19th round.
35-1045 Chris McKenzie (San Jacinto JC, Texas) 19, 6-3, 195, RHP: A freshman, he went 4-3 with a 5.90 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 50-1/3 innings
36-1075 Robert Doran (Seward County CC, Texas) 20,6-6, 225, RHP: Went 10-3 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts in 92-1/3 innings, striking out 81 batters. He had six complete games and a shutout. Doran's great uncle, Gene O'Brien, was a minor league teammate of Yogi Berra when both played for the Norfolk Tars in 1943.
37-1105 Zach Nuding (Weatherford JC, Texas) 19, 6-4, 250, RHP: A reliever, he had two wins and five saves in 15 appearances.
38-1135 Jake Lamb (Bishop Blancet HS, Seattle, Wash.) 19, 6-3, 195, L/R, 3B: Some upside offensively with a strong lefthanded swing. Good arm strength. Will probably move off the middle infield at the next level; he's too big and too slow. Some scouts wonder if he can catch. Signed with Washington.
39-1165 Keifer Nuncio (Katy HS, Texas) 18, 6-0, 195, RHP: He pitches in the high 80s, low 90s with a very good breaking ball. Went 7-2 with a 3.06 ERA as a senior this year, and was 27-9 with eight saves during his high school career. Nuncio was named the No. 75 High School Prospect by Baseball America in October 2008, and signed with Texas.
40-1195 Brett Lee (West Florida HS, Pensacola, Fla.) 18, 6-4, 185, LHP: His fastball tops out at 90 mph. He also throws a very good curveball and an effective changeup. Posted a 5-4 record in 60-2/3 innings during his senior season, and his ERA was under two during both his sophomore and junior years. He signed with Florida State.
41-1225 Tyler Cannon (Virginia) 21, 6-0, 205, S/R, SS: The junior's batting line: .362, 49 R, 18 2B, 34 RBI, .500 SLG, .458 OBP, 17 SB. He started as a freshman, and this is his first season switch-hitting. He's also played third.
42-1255 Marc Baca (UNLV) 22, 5-11, 170, RHP: Baca is a senior reliever. He was 3-1 with a 4.05 ERA, and must be a pitch to contact guy; he struck out 22 in 33-1/3 innings.
43-1285 Teddy Fallon (South Carolina-Upstate) 22, 6-2, 190, RHP: He's a senior closer with some control issues. Fallon was 2-0-1 with a 9.26 ERA in 34 innings; he struck out 38 - and walked 41.
44-1315 Dexter Bobo (Georgia Southern) 21, 5-11, 190, LHP: The junior was switched from starter to the pen this season. He was 2-2 with a 6.55 ERA and 32 K in 34-1/3 frames.
45-1345 Kevin Gelinas (Central Arizona JC) 20, 6-5, LHP: The soph starter was 7-7 with a 1.68 ERA. He struck out 79 batters in 53-2/3 innings of work; he's considered to have one of the top power arms in the juco ranks.
46-1375 Parker Bangs (South Carolina) 21, 6-2, 190, RHP: The soph served as a two-way player this season and hit .328 (39-for-119) in 40 games with five HR and 36 RBI, mostly as a DH. He also made 15 appearances on the mound and was 3-2 with a 5.88 ERA and struck out 39 batters in 33.2 innings pitched.
47-1405 Justin Earls (Georgia) 21, 6-2, 190, LHP: The junior reliever had an 0-1 record with a 7.31 ERA.
48-1415 Blake Brown (Normal West HS, Oka.) 6-0, 185, R/R, LF: Brown is batting .446 with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and 19 stolen bases and a ,565 OBP. He has good speed and a strong throwing arm, good enough that he was 3-0 as a pitcher. Blake has good fundamentals and command of the strike zone. An excellent student (4.13 GPA), he signed with Missouri.
49-1445 Yasser Clor (UC-Berkeley) 21, 6-4, 195, RHP: The reliever throws in the high 80s to low 90s with a curveball, slider and change-up. The junior was 3-0 with 7.71 ERA. Cor was drafted straight out of high school in the 15th round by the White Sox in 2006. Curious about the name? He was born in Baghdad, Iraq.
50-1495 Matt Taylor (Columbus HS, Ga.) 18, 6-1, 190, LHP: Committed to Alabama. Taylor (13-1, 0.93 ERA) favors his fastball, but throws four pitches. He also plays center and hits OK, too, batting .430 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs.
31-925 Zachary Taylor (Statesboro HS, Ga.) 18, 6-3, 210, L/L, RF: Taylor hit .448 with nine doubles, three triples, one home run and 13 RBIs, 26 runs, and 12 steals. He signed with Georgia.
32-955 Niko Spezial (Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J.) 19, 6-3, 230, LHP: He was 8-0 with a 0.67 ERA in 54 innings. Spezial works both sides of the plate and his fastball showed some life at 87 MPH. He also threw a curveball and a change up with sink. Signed with Wake Forest.
33-985 Pat Irvine (Elon) 23, 5-11, 190, L/R, LF: He has a big bat, breaking out this past season by hitting .402 with a .782 slugging percentage and .533 OBP. Irvine had 17 home runs, 57 RBI, and 68 runs scored.
34-1015 Zach Fuesser (Walters State CC, Tenn.) 18, 6-2, 190, LHP: Fuesser went 5-2 with four saves and a 4.35 ERA in 19 games, striking out 60 batters in his 49-2/3 innings of work. Mostly used from the pen, he also made four spot starts. He was drafted last year by the Atlanta Braves in the 19th round.
35-1045 Chris McKenzie (San Jacinto JC, Texas) 19, 6-3, 195, RHP: A freshman, he went 4-3 with a 5.90 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 50-1/3 innings
36-1075 Robert Doran (Seward County CC, Texas) 20,6-6, 225, RHP: Went 10-3 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts in 92-1/3 innings, striking out 81 batters. He had six complete games and a shutout. Doran's great uncle, Gene O'Brien, was a minor league teammate of Yogi Berra when both played for the Norfolk Tars in 1943.
37-1105 Zach Nuding (Weatherford JC, Texas) 19, 6-4, 250, RHP: A reliever, he had two wins and five saves in 15 appearances.
38-1135 Jake Lamb (Bishop Blancet HS, Seattle, Wash.) 19, 6-3, 195, L/R, 3B: Some upside offensively with a strong lefthanded swing. Good arm strength. Will probably move off the middle infield at the next level; he's too big and too slow. Some scouts wonder if he can catch. Signed with Washington.
39-1165 Keifer Nuncio (Katy HS, Texas) 18, 6-0, 195, RHP: He pitches in the high 80s, low 90s with a very good breaking ball. Went 7-2 with a 3.06 ERA as a senior this year, and was 27-9 with eight saves during his high school career. Nuncio was named the No. 75 High School Prospect by Baseball America in October 2008, and signed with Texas.
40-1195 Brett Lee (West Florida HS, Pensacola, Fla.) 18, 6-4, 185, LHP: His fastball tops out at 90 mph. He also throws a very good curveball and an effective changeup. Posted a 5-4 record in 60-2/3 innings during his senior season, and his ERA was under two during both his sophomore and junior years. He signed with Florida State.
41-1225 Tyler Cannon (Virginia) 21, 6-0, 205, S/R, SS: The junior's batting line: .362, 49 R, 18 2B, 34 RBI, .500 SLG, .458 OBP, 17 SB. He started as a freshman, and this is his first season switch-hitting. He's also played third.
42-1255 Marc Baca (UNLV) 22, 5-11, 170, RHP: Baca is a senior reliever. He was 3-1 with a 4.05 ERA, and must be a pitch to contact guy; he struck out 22 in 33-1/3 innings.
43-1285 Teddy Fallon (South Carolina-Upstate) 22, 6-2, 190, RHP: He's a senior closer with some control issues. Fallon was 2-0-1 with a 9.26 ERA in 34 innings; he struck out 38 - and walked 41.
44-1315 Dexter Bobo (Georgia Southern) 21, 5-11, 190, LHP: The junior was switched from starter to the pen this season. He was 2-2 with a 6.55 ERA and 32 K in 34-1/3 frames.
45-1345 Kevin Gelinas (Central Arizona JC) 20, 6-5, LHP: The soph starter was 7-7 with a 1.68 ERA. He struck out 79 batters in 53-2/3 innings of work; he's considered to have one of the top power arms in the juco ranks.
46-1375 Parker Bangs (South Carolina) 21, 6-2, 190, RHP: The soph served as a two-way player this season and hit .328 (39-for-119) in 40 games with five HR and 36 RBI, mostly as a DH. He also made 15 appearances on the mound and was 3-2 with a 5.88 ERA and struck out 39 batters in 33.2 innings pitched.
47-1405 Justin Earls (Georgia) 21, 6-2, 190, LHP: The junior reliever had an 0-1 record with a 7.31 ERA.
48-1415 Blake Brown (Normal West HS, Oka.) 6-0, 185, R/R, LF: Brown is batting .446 with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and 19 stolen bases and a ,565 OBP. He has good speed and a strong throwing arm, good enough that he was 3-0 as a pitcher. Blake has good fundamentals and command of the strike zone. An excellent student (4.13 GPA), he signed with Missouri.
49-1445 Yasser Clor (UC-Berkeley) 21, 6-4, 195, RHP: The reliever throws in the high 80s to low 90s with a curveball, slider and change-up. The junior was 3-0 with 7.71 ERA. Cor was drafted straight out of high school in the 15th round by the White Sox in 2006. Curious about the name? He was born in Baghdad, Iraq.
50-1495 Matt Taylor (Columbus HS, Ga.) 18, 6-1, 190, LHP: Committed to Alabama. Taylor (13-1, 0.93 ERA) favors his fastball, but throws four pitches. He also plays center and hits OK, too, batting .430 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The New Dawn, Day 2
And here come the rest of the pack...
04-115 Zackry Dodson (Medina Valley HS, Tex.) 6-1, 190, LHP: Signed with Baylor. He has a good heater in the 91-92 MPH, good curve, working on a changeup. His mechanics are still rough. He went 10-0 with a 1.20 ERA while striking out 129 batters in 64-1/3 innings pitched. He also hit .465 with 11 home runs. Said to want a million dollar contract, so has a good chance of staying with the Bears.
05-145 Nate Baker (Mississippi) 6-3, 205, LHP: The junior was used as a utility man for Ol' Miss, making spot starts and in the pen for a relief role during the weekend, when the conference games are played. Baker appeared in 20 games for the Rebels this season, posting a 4-3 record with a 3.63 ERA.
06-175 Zack Von Rosenberg (Zachary HS, La.) 6-5, 205, RHP: Signed with LSU. He hits 88 MPH, and has good off-speed pitches including a slow curve and a changeup. Thought to be a late first or second rounder, he was rated as HS prospect #41 by Max Super Preps.
07-205 Trent Stevenson (Brophy Jesuit Prep, Ari.) 6-6, 174, RHP: Signed with Arizona. Stevenson’s fastball is at 93-94 MPHl. He also throws an upper-70s slurve and has a a good changeup.
08-235 Billy Cain (Waxahachie HS Tex.) 18, 6-3, 225, LHP: Signed with Texas, has 95 MPH heat and not much else at this point. Still, rated 41st by Baseball America among high school prospects.
09-265 Brock Holt (Rice) 21, 5-10, 165, L/R, 2B: Junior has outstanding defensive skills and is a good hitter with gap power and decent speed.
10-295 Joey Schoenfeld (Corona Santiago HS Cal.) 6-2, 187, R/R, C: Signed with Tony Gwynn at San Diego State. He hit .366/3/15; was expected to go higher in draft.
11-325 Aaron Baker (Oklahoma) 6-2, 232, L/R, 1B: The junior hit nine homers and drove in 22 runs in Big 12 play (15 home runs and 56 RBI overall in 2009). He has driven in 167 runs in his overall career, eighth all-time at Oklahoma, and the Bucs sure can use a productive stick.
12-355 Jeffrey Inman (Stanford ) 6-2, 185, RHP: 19th round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals out of high school, but instead elected to come to Stanford. Hardest thrower on the staff with a fastball in the low 90's that can top out at 95 MPH. Excellent control and also throws a curve ball and change-up.
13-385 Walker Gourley (Eastern Wayne HS, NC) 6-1, 180, R/R, SS: Signed with Eastern Carolina. He can play behind the plate as well as any infield position, doesn't project as pro middle infielder. His versatility, ability, and speed make him an interesting prospect.
14-415 Marcos Reyna (Bakersfield College) 6-2, 185, RHP: Threw a perfecto for Bakersfield. He's topped out at 93, touched 94, and has a good curveball. The freshman is just coming into his own; thought to have great upside.
15-445 Peter Bako (Connors State College) 6-1, 180, L/R, C:The Toronto native was a freshman and hit .382/3/25.
16-475 Matt Den Dekker (Florida) 6-1, 205, L/L, CF; His season stats - .296, 61 R, 5 HR, 30 RBI, .422 SLG, .420 OBP, 15-16 SB-ATT. Dekker is supposed to be quite toolsy; he even pitched for the Gators. He's a steal at this spot if the Bucs can tease his talent out of him; his sporadic bat is what dropped him to them. Dekker was rated among the top 50 position players available.
17-505 Jordan Cooper (Shelbyville Central HS, Ten.) 6-3, 195, RHP: Cooper struck out 80 in 48 innings as a high school senior while going 7-1 with a 1.47 ERA. Cooper features a low-to-mid 90s fastball. He was rated the #81 HS prospect by Baseball America, and signed with Kentucky.
18-535 Ryan Beckman (Grayson County CC, Tex.) 6-4, 180, RHP: He's a JC freshman and went to the same high school as current Pirate Andy LaRoche; that's about all GW could dig up.
19-565 Josh Urban (Dripping Springs HS Tex.) 6-5, RHP: A Texas recruit, Urban piled up the strikeouts, fanning 98 batters in 60 innings.
20-595 Sam Spangler (Hawaii) 6-2, 185, LHP: The sophomore was was 5-3 with four saves and a 4.17 ERA in 19 appearances in 2009. He had 48 strikeouts in 45-1/3 innings pitched.
21-625 Phillip Irwin (Mississippi) 6-3, 220, RHP: Junior went 8-3 with 3.84 ERA.
22-655 Carmine Giardina (Tampa) 21, 6-3, 215, LHP: Drafted by Boston in 2006 out of HS. Was 5-1, 6.15 ERA in college this year, with 54 K and 33 BB in 45-1/3 innings.
23-685 Jose Hernandez (Texas - San Antonio) 5-11, 190, R/L, LF: Hernandez batted .360 and led his team with 61 RBIs while slugging .739. He also showed power, as he notched 44 extra-base hits. He's a transfer from Long Beach. Senior plays the corner and has gap power.
24-715 Jason Erickson (Washington) 6-1, 195, RHP: Senior was 5-4 with 4.34 ERA; was Husky's top pitcher in 2008 until he broke his hand. He was a late draft pick of the Reds in 2005.
25-745 Aaron LaFountaine (John W. North HS, Riverside, Cal) 6-0, 150, L/L, CF: he's a burner, stole 25 bases and hit .388.
26-775 Matt Dermody (Norwalk HS, Ia.) 6-5, 190, LHP: He was 6-3 with a 0.78 earned-run average and 130 strikeouts last season. Signed with Iowa. Scouts feel he's very projectable. He touches 87 mph with a fast and loose arm; keeps the ball down and has a good change.
27-805 Wes Luquette (Isadore Newman HS, La.) 6-0, 200, C: Top QB, signed with LSU for baseball. Rifle arm, 4.6 forty, very athletic.
28-835 Kyle Hooper (Saugus HS, Cal.) 6-4, 195 RHP: Hooper was 10-5 in 66-1/3 innings, with 62 K and 25 BB.
29-865 Michael Heller (Cardinal Mooney HS, Fla.) 6-2, 180, RHP/1B: Heller hits between 91-94 miles per hour with his fastball. The slider and changeup are effective. He's also hit 11 HR and driven in over 50 RBI in his past two seasons. Heller is a Florida recruit.
30-895 Ty Summerlin (Southeastern Louisiana State) 22, 5-10, 170, L/R, SS: Hit .327/4/44 in 2009 after .342/8/60 in a monster 2008.
Hey, the suits did what they said they would. No super stars, but a lot of quality; certainly more than they're going to be able to afford even without a Pedro or Aaron Crow contract to carry.
Not many position players of note (though they did seem to corner the catcher market), but a lot of tantalizing arms. Now comes the fun part; seeing who they sign. Neal Huntington said 21 of the team's 30 selections have asked for more than six figures. Eight-to-ten million doesn't get ya what it used to.
04-115 Zackry Dodson (Medina Valley HS, Tex.) 6-1, 190, LHP: Signed with Baylor. He has a good heater in the 91-92 MPH, good curve, working on a changeup. His mechanics are still rough. He went 10-0 with a 1.20 ERA while striking out 129 batters in 64-1/3 innings pitched. He also hit .465 with 11 home runs. Said to want a million dollar contract, so has a good chance of staying with the Bears.
05-145 Nate Baker (Mississippi) 6-3, 205, LHP: The junior was used as a utility man for Ol' Miss, making spot starts and in the pen for a relief role during the weekend, when the conference games are played. Baker appeared in 20 games for the Rebels this season, posting a 4-3 record with a 3.63 ERA.
06-175 Zack Von Rosenberg (Zachary HS, La.) 6-5, 205, RHP: Signed with LSU. He hits 88 MPH, and has good off-speed pitches including a slow curve and a changeup. Thought to be a late first or second rounder, he was rated as HS prospect #41 by Max Super Preps.
07-205 Trent Stevenson (Brophy Jesuit Prep, Ari.) 6-6, 174, RHP: Signed with Arizona. Stevenson’s fastball is at 93-94 MPHl. He also throws an upper-70s slurve and has a a good changeup.
08-235 Billy Cain (Waxahachie HS Tex.) 18, 6-3, 225, LHP: Signed with Texas, has 95 MPH heat and not much else at this point. Still, rated 41st by Baseball America among high school prospects.
09-265 Brock Holt (Rice) 21, 5-10, 165, L/R, 2B: Junior has outstanding defensive skills and is a good hitter with gap power and decent speed.
10-295 Joey Schoenfeld (Corona Santiago HS Cal.) 6-2, 187, R/R, C: Signed with Tony Gwynn at San Diego State. He hit .366/3/15; was expected to go higher in draft.
11-325 Aaron Baker (Oklahoma) 6-2, 232, L/R, 1B: The junior hit nine homers and drove in 22 runs in Big 12 play (15 home runs and 56 RBI overall in 2009). He has driven in 167 runs in his overall career, eighth all-time at Oklahoma, and the Bucs sure can use a productive stick.
12-355 Jeffrey Inman (Stanford ) 6-2, 185, RHP: 19th round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals out of high school, but instead elected to come to Stanford. Hardest thrower on the staff with a fastball in the low 90's that can top out at 95 MPH. Excellent control and also throws a curve ball and change-up.
13-385 Walker Gourley (Eastern Wayne HS, NC) 6-1, 180, R/R, SS: Signed with Eastern Carolina. He can play behind the plate as well as any infield position, doesn't project as pro middle infielder. His versatility, ability, and speed make him an interesting prospect.
14-415 Marcos Reyna (Bakersfield College) 6-2, 185, RHP: Threw a perfecto for Bakersfield. He's topped out at 93, touched 94, and has a good curveball. The freshman is just coming into his own; thought to have great upside.
15-445 Peter Bako (Connors State College) 6-1, 180, L/R, C:The Toronto native was a freshman and hit .382/3/25.
16-475 Matt Den Dekker (Florida) 6-1, 205, L/L, CF; His season stats - .296, 61 R, 5 HR, 30 RBI, .422 SLG, .420 OBP, 15-16 SB-ATT. Dekker is supposed to be quite toolsy; he even pitched for the Gators. He's a steal at this spot if the Bucs can tease his talent out of him; his sporadic bat is what dropped him to them. Dekker was rated among the top 50 position players available.
17-505 Jordan Cooper (Shelbyville Central HS, Ten.) 6-3, 195, RHP: Cooper struck out 80 in 48 innings as a high school senior while going 7-1 with a 1.47 ERA. Cooper features a low-to-mid 90s fastball. He was rated the #81 HS prospect by Baseball America, and signed with Kentucky.
18-535 Ryan Beckman (Grayson County CC, Tex.) 6-4, 180, RHP: He's a JC freshman and went to the same high school as current Pirate Andy LaRoche; that's about all GW could dig up.
19-565 Josh Urban (Dripping Springs HS Tex.) 6-5, RHP: A Texas recruit, Urban piled up the strikeouts, fanning 98 batters in 60 innings.
20-595 Sam Spangler (Hawaii) 6-2, 185, LHP: The sophomore was was 5-3 with four saves and a 4.17 ERA in 19 appearances in 2009. He had 48 strikeouts in 45-1/3 innings pitched.
21-625 Phillip Irwin (Mississippi) 6-3, 220, RHP: Junior went 8-3 with 3.84 ERA.
22-655 Carmine Giardina (Tampa) 21, 6-3, 215, LHP: Drafted by Boston in 2006 out of HS. Was 5-1, 6.15 ERA in college this year, with 54 K and 33 BB in 45-1/3 innings.
23-685 Jose Hernandez (Texas - San Antonio) 5-11, 190, R/L, LF: Hernandez batted .360 and led his team with 61 RBIs while slugging .739. He also showed power, as he notched 44 extra-base hits. He's a transfer from Long Beach. Senior plays the corner and has gap power.
24-715 Jason Erickson (Washington) 6-1, 195, RHP: Senior was 5-4 with 4.34 ERA; was Husky's top pitcher in 2008 until he broke his hand. He was a late draft pick of the Reds in 2005.
25-745 Aaron LaFountaine (John W. North HS, Riverside, Cal) 6-0, 150, L/L, CF: he's a burner, stole 25 bases and hit .388.
26-775 Matt Dermody (Norwalk HS, Ia.) 6-5, 190, LHP: He was 6-3 with a 0.78 earned-run average and 130 strikeouts last season. Signed with Iowa. Scouts feel he's very projectable. He touches 87 mph with a fast and loose arm; keeps the ball down and has a good change.
27-805 Wes Luquette (Isadore Newman HS, La.) 6-0, 200, C: Top QB, signed with LSU for baseball. Rifle arm, 4.6 forty, very athletic.
28-835 Kyle Hooper (Saugus HS, Cal.) 6-4, 195 RHP: Hooper was 10-5 in 66-1/3 innings, with 62 K and 25 BB.
29-865 Michael Heller (Cardinal Mooney HS, Fla.) 6-2, 180, RHP/1B: Heller hits between 91-94 miles per hour with his fastball. The slider and changeup are effective. He's also hit 11 HR and driven in over 50 RBI in his past two seasons. Heller is a Florida recruit.
30-895 Ty Summerlin (Southeastern Louisiana State) 22, 5-10, 170, L/R, SS: Hit .327/4/44 in 2009 after .342/8/60 in a monster 2008.
Hey, the suits did what they said they would. No super stars, but a lot of quality; certainly more than they're going to be able to afford even without a Pedro or Aaron Crow contract to carry.
Not many position players of note (though they did seem to corner the catcher market), but a lot of tantalizing arms. Now comes the fun part; seeing who they sign. Neal Huntington said 21 of the team's 30 selections have asked for more than six figures. Eight-to-ten million doesn't get ya what it used to.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
And It's Tony Sanchez...
Hey, Pittsburgh shouldn't have half the drama of last year's first-round soap opera signing. C Tony Sanchez, 2009's top pick from Boston College, is ready to play, and at slot, too.
Some think the Pirate suits had the bones of an agreement reached with him over dinner a few days ago. Could be; we won't quibble much with the choice or the philosophy behind it. Everything we read about this draft pretty much said it was a free-for-all after the RHP Stephen Strasburg and 1B/OF Dustin Ackley.
Sanchez, 21, a junior form Miami, FL, is a 6-1, 220 pound RH catcher who is supposed to have spectacular defensive skills. He hit .346 with 14 HR and 51 RBI this year; in his college career, he batted .326 with 24 HR and 124 RBI. And Sanchez can run a little, too; he's not a plodder. So he's a kid with a good mitt, some pop, and pretty productive with guys on base.
The drawbacks are that he can't hit a hook, his weight could be a problem down the road - he weighed over 250 pounds at one point of his BC career - and he was ranked as a late first round selection by Baseball America coming into tonight, although he was said to have picked up some love in the past couple of days.
The MLB.com report on him:
The obvious question is that after the Nate McLouth trade, does the presence of Sanchez, Jason Jaramillo, and Robby Diaz grease the skids under the oft injured and 28 year-old Ryan Doumit?
Or is it just a best player available pick in a position that the Bucs are shallow at, organizationally? Time will tell; the suits have made no bones about stockpiling players for some flexibility.
Pittsburgh has three more selections to go in tonight's lottery; 49th in the second round to replace 2008's Tanner Scheppers non-signing, 53rd in the second round, and 84th in the third.
Some think the Pirate suits had the bones of an agreement reached with him over dinner a few days ago. Could be; we won't quibble much with the choice or the philosophy behind it. Everything we read about this draft pretty much said it was a free-for-all after the RHP Stephen Strasburg and 1B/OF Dustin Ackley.
Sanchez, 21, a junior form Miami, FL, is a 6-1, 220 pound RH catcher who is supposed to have spectacular defensive skills. He hit .346 with 14 HR and 51 RBI this year; in his college career, he batted .326 with 24 HR and 124 RBI. And Sanchez can run a little, too; he's not a plodder. So he's a kid with a good mitt, some pop, and pretty productive with guys on base.
The drawbacks are that he can't hit a hook, his weight could be a problem down the road - he weighed over 250 pounds at one point of his BC career - and he was ranked as a late first round selection by Baseball America coming into tonight, although he was said to have picked up some love in the past couple of days.
The MLB.com report on him:
College catchers are always a premium commodity and Sanchez has emerged as one of the better options in this year's group. He's a solid catch-and-throw guy behind the plate, with good overall defensive skills. He also can swing the bat some, with a little power, giving him an intriguing all-around package. He's struggled with conditioning in the past, but he seemed driven to get himself into shape.In the last 72 hours, he vaulted the injured Kyle Gibson and pricey Aaron Crow to the top of the Bucco list. And he fits into the theory that in a deep but not star studded draft, it's better to pick a player that will leave some loot for later picks.
The obvious question is that after the Nate McLouth trade, does the presence of Sanchez, Jason Jaramillo, and Robby Diaz grease the skids under the oft injured and 28 year-old Ryan Doumit?
Or is it just a best player available pick in a position that the Bucs are shallow at, organizationally? Time will tell; the suits have made no bones about stockpiling players for some flexibility.
Pittsburgh has three more selections to go in tonight's lottery; 49th in the second round to replace 2008's Tanner Scheppers non-signing, 53rd in the second round, and 84th in the third.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday Wash
-- Buster Olney on ESPN Insider (subscriber only) writes, according to MLB Trade Rumors.com, that the Red Sox have talked to the Pirates about Jack Wilson, but notes that the two teams don't match up well because "the Red Sox probably would prefer to keep some financial flexibility in the event that they need to acquire a DH type" in case David Ortiz doesn't turn it around. Wilson is still owed close to $6M this season.
Now that the market has turned soft, Wilson's pricey contract has become an albatross around the suit's necks, especially as the team philosophy is to not pick up any of a player's salary in a deal. So don't expect much back for Jack Splat.
Since that's the case, and with no obvious replacement in the system unless Altoona's Brian Friday has really zoomed up the charts, we're a little surprised they haven't talked to him about renegotiating his deal to get a little breathing room. (Yah, GW admits that we ranted about dumping the achy Wilson, yesterday in fact, but not until they find an everyday player to replace him.)
Forget Brian Bixler, even as a stopgap - he's hitting .243 at Indy, and has struck out 48 times in 140 at-bats, a 34% whiff rate. Luis Cruz is batting .241, and walks even less than Freddy Sanchez. And speaking of Sanchez, his heir apparent, Shelby Ford, is hitting .160. The Bucs are between a rock and a hard place as far as MLB-ready middle infielders are concerned right now.
-- Bryan Morris pitched for the first time this season at Lynchburg. The oft-injured RHP had toe surgery in the offseason and went on the DL with a shoulder impingement during camp.
To make room for him, last year's fifth round pick, LHP Justin Wilson of Fresno State, was sent to State College. He was 3-3 with a 7.19 ERA in eleven starts for the Hillcats.
-- Lynchburg has two reps in the Carolina League All-Star game. Kris Watts, Pittsburgh's 16th round selection in the 2006 draft, will start at catcher. The former Santa Clara University standout is tied for fifth in the league in batting with a .309 average and has three home runs and 22 RBI.
Miles Durham, Pittsburgh's 22nd round selection in the 2006 draft, was chosen as a utility outfielder. He's batting .289 with six home runs and 33 RBI. Durham ranks second in the league in triples (4), third in hits (58) and third in extra-base hits (25). He was recently named the Carolina League's Topps Player-of-the-Month for May after hitting .333 with six home runs and 21 RBI.
Pitching coach Wally Whitehurst will serve on the All-Star staff. His Hillcat staff has compiled a 3.80 ERA, which ranks second in the Carolina League.
-- Hey, Nate McLouth must have felt right at home in Atlanta - they were shut out the first two games he played. But he was a key figure in yesterday's win, doubling home the tying run in the eighth and then scoring the game-winner against Pirate nemesis Milwaukee.
-- Neal Huntington told MLB.com about choosing players in the draft and how their potential signing costs affect their spot:
Though there's no consensus choice, recent mock drafts have Pittsburgh picking former Missouri RHP Aaron Crow, who passed on the Nat's last year and has been pitching in an indy league, unless North Carolina 1B Dustin Ackley falls in their lap.
Huntington told Jen Langosch of MLB.com that "The top end is not nearly as strong as it was last year. That said, though, we do think it's a deeper draft than last year, especially with college and high school arms. (Steven) Strasburg, obviously, is head and shoulders above anyone else, and Dustin Ackley has established himself as the best college hitter available. From there it turns into a group of arms pretty quickly. There are some arms we're doing work on."
-- No one from the Pirates' last three draft classes has made it to the show yet. And only a pair have been in the bigs from 2005's group, Andrew McCutchen and Steve Pearce.
Now that the market has turned soft, Wilson's pricey contract has become an albatross around the suit's necks, especially as the team philosophy is to not pick up any of a player's salary in a deal. So don't expect much back for Jack Splat.
Since that's the case, and with no obvious replacement in the system unless Altoona's Brian Friday has really zoomed up the charts, we're a little surprised they haven't talked to him about renegotiating his deal to get a little breathing room. (Yah, GW admits that we ranted about dumping the achy Wilson, yesterday in fact, but not until they find an everyday player to replace him.)
Forget Brian Bixler, even as a stopgap - he's hitting .243 at Indy, and has struck out 48 times in 140 at-bats, a 34% whiff rate. Luis Cruz is batting .241, and walks even less than Freddy Sanchez. And speaking of Sanchez, his heir apparent, Shelby Ford, is hitting .160. The Bucs are between a rock and a hard place as far as MLB-ready middle infielders are concerned right now.
-- Bryan Morris pitched for the first time this season at Lynchburg. The oft-injured RHP had toe surgery in the offseason and went on the DL with a shoulder impingement during camp.
To make room for him, last year's fifth round pick, LHP Justin Wilson of Fresno State, was sent to State College. He was 3-3 with a 7.19 ERA in eleven starts for the Hillcats.
-- Lynchburg has two reps in the Carolina League All-Star game. Kris Watts, Pittsburgh's 16th round selection in the 2006 draft, will start at catcher. The former Santa Clara University standout is tied for fifth in the league in batting with a .309 average and has three home runs and 22 RBI.
Miles Durham, Pittsburgh's 22nd round selection in the 2006 draft, was chosen as a utility outfielder. He's batting .289 with six home runs and 33 RBI. Durham ranks second in the league in triples (4), third in hits (58) and third in extra-base hits (25). He was recently named the Carolina League's Topps Player-of-the-Month for May after hitting .333 with six home runs and 21 RBI.
Pitching coach Wally Whitehurst will serve on the All-Star staff. His Hillcat staff has compiled a 3.80 ERA, which ranks second in the Carolina League.
-- Hey, Nate McLouth must have felt right at home in Atlanta - they were shut out the first two games he played. But he was a key figure in yesterday's win, doubling home the tying run in the eighth and then scoring the game-winner against Pirate nemesis Milwaukee.
-- Neal Huntington told MLB.com about choosing players in the draft and how their potential signing costs affect their spot:
We place an internal value on each player in the Draft, and when our internal value is within a realistic range of the player's legitimate signing-bonus expectations, we will be aggressive in our selection of that player. There will be other times where the player's bonus demands are significantly higher than our internal value, and in those cases we may either wait to select the player until later in the Draft (thus reducing the opportunity cost of not signing the player) or choose to not select the player at all. We believe that, when the signing deadline passes, we will have committed dollars to the Draft that will again rank among the top-10 of all Major League clubs and added a deep and talented class to our system.The draft begins tomorrow, and the Bucs have the fourth selection. Three rounds will be chosen then, with the first shown live on the MLB network.
Though there's no consensus choice, recent mock drafts have Pittsburgh picking former Missouri RHP Aaron Crow, who passed on the Nat's last year and has been pitching in an indy league, unless North Carolina 1B Dustin Ackley falls in their lap.
Huntington told Jen Langosch of MLB.com that "The top end is not nearly as strong as it was last year. That said, though, we do think it's a deeper draft than last year, especially with college and high school arms. (Steven) Strasburg, obviously, is head and shoulders above anyone else, and Dustin Ackley has established himself as the best college hitter available. From there it turns into a group of arms pretty quickly. There are some arms we're doing work on."
-- No one from the Pirates' last three draft classes has made it to the show yet. And only a pair have been in the bigs from 2005's group, Andrew McCutchen and Steve Pearce.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Buc Bats - They Shouldn't Leave Home Without Them
Hey, JR gave it a shot. Some managers mired in a losing streak have resorted to pulling lineups out of their caps; he penciled in the bench. Guess what - different names, same results, as the Bucs went down 5-2 to the Cards for their ninth loss in ten games.
Eric Hinske, Craig Monroe, Delwyn Young, Robinzon Diaz, and Brian Bixler couldn't do any better than the real lineup, as it is, and they hadn't set the bar too high of late.
The highlight was Diaz going 2-for-3 with a long ball; the low light was Bix K'ing three more times. He's gone down on strikes twelve of his last 15 at-bats; Luis Cruz is looking better every day.
The losses are bad enough; it's the way they're losing that hurts. Nate McLouth turned Skip Schumaker's fly ball into a triple to open the first, and Albert Pujols lifted a sac fly an out later to bring him home.
The Pirates tied it up 1-1 in the fifth, but the Big O's wheels came off in the bottom half of the frame. He gave up a Jason LaRue homer, a single, a bunt single, two hit batsmen, a sac fly, and another single and before you could say mama, it was 5-1.
It's off to brand-spanking-new Citi Field now to take on the Mets. The matchups are Jeff Karstens (1-1, 5.85) vs. LHP Jonathon Niese (first start - up from AAA Buffalo; dang, we coulda used an Ollie Perez appearance about now), Paul Maholm (3-0, 2.97) vs. RHP John Maine (2-2, 5.20), and Ian Snell (1-4, 4.50) vs. RHP Livan Hernandez (2-1, 5.53). MLB.com has the pitching breakdowns.
Let's hope that a minor-league call-up and two guys with ERAs north of 5 can hit a couple of bats and restore some thunder to the Bucco sticks, and that it's not too late to make a difference.
After all, the Pirates are still 12-16 and only 6 back in the loss column; they can still hang around if they can get back to playing efficient, fundamental ball like they did earlier. But if they endure a couple more brutal series, the trade rumors will begin to fly and it'll be August, 2008 all over again.
-- First A-Rod gets slimed in a tell-all potboiler that accuses him of everything short of being Osama bin Laden's BFF, and now Manny flunks his test, blaming his doctor. It's getting so a kid can't have a hero anymore. Where did you go, Joe DiMaggio...?
-- Did the Bucs play it too safe last year? Jason A. Churchill of ESPN's MLB Draft Blog (subscription article) writes:
Eric Hinske, Craig Monroe, Delwyn Young, Robinzon Diaz, and Brian Bixler couldn't do any better than the real lineup, as it is, and they hadn't set the bar too high of late.
The highlight was Diaz going 2-for-3 with a long ball; the low light was Bix K'ing three more times. He's gone down on strikes twelve of his last 15 at-bats; Luis Cruz is looking better every day.
The losses are bad enough; it's the way they're losing that hurts. Nate McLouth turned Skip Schumaker's fly ball into a triple to open the first, and Albert Pujols lifted a sac fly an out later to bring him home.
The Pirates tied it up 1-1 in the fifth, but the Big O's wheels came off in the bottom half of the frame. He gave up a Jason LaRue homer, a single, a bunt single, two hit batsmen, a sac fly, and another single and before you could say mama, it was 5-1.
It's off to brand-spanking-new Citi Field now to take on the Mets. The matchups are Jeff Karstens (1-1, 5.85) vs. LHP Jonathon Niese (first start - up from AAA Buffalo; dang, we coulda used an Ollie Perez appearance about now), Paul Maholm (3-0, 2.97) vs. RHP John Maine (2-2, 5.20), and Ian Snell (1-4, 4.50) vs. RHP Livan Hernandez (2-1, 5.53). MLB.com has the pitching breakdowns.
Let's hope that a minor-league call-up and two guys with ERAs north of 5 can hit a couple of bats and restore some thunder to the Bucco sticks, and that it's not too late to make a difference.
After all, the Pirates are still 12-16 and only 6 back in the loss column; they can still hang around if they can get back to playing efficient, fundamental ball like they did earlier. But if they endure a couple more brutal series, the trade rumors will begin to fly and it'll be August, 2008 all over again.
-- First A-Rod gets slimed in a tell-all potboiler that accuses him of everything short of being Osama bin Laden's BFF, and now Manny flunks his test, blaming his doctor. It's getting so a kid can't have a hero anymore. Where did you go, Joe DiMaggio...?
-- Did the Bucs play it too safe last year? Jason A. Churchill of ESPN's MLB Draft Blog (subscription article) writes:
I polled five talent evaluators on the idea of RHP Tanner Scheppers going in the top 10 in the draft, and I received a wide variety of responses. One club's special assistant was out to see Scheppers' first start for the St. Paul Saints and believes the former Fresno State star is a no-brainer pick. Another club's West Coast crosschecker offered the opposite opinion. In all, three votes went to yes, one voted no and one vote slid into the "let's wait and see" column.Baseball America's Draft Tracker adds:
Late last month, Scheppers pitched in scrimmages at Golden West (Calif.) JC and was reportedly a little wild, but was sitting at 95-96 mph with his fastball, touching 98. On May 4, he pitched in his first game with the independent St. Paul Saints—an exhibition game against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.-- Michael Huang of The Sporting News has a mock draft posted. His Pirate selection is *tada*
"We saw him really, really good," an American League scouting director said. "Our guys said he's going in the first five picks, the top 10 for sure."
4. Pittsburgh PiratesWhite is a starter - even the Pirates wouldn't use the fourth pick on a reliever, would they? - with a 94 MPH sinking fastball, and a good slider. He'll need to develop a change-up for the show. And BTW, Huang doesn't have Tanner Scheppers going in the first round.
Alex White, North Carolina, RHP
Nasty slider and velocity that's suited to 'pen, White is safe, something the Pirates need.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Smokin' Steve Strasburg
Hey, we mentioned in passing a coupla posts ago that Scott Boras was hinting to the Washington Nats, holder of the top spot in this year's player draft, that he was looking for $50M for his hoss, stud righty Stephen Strasburg.
Boras posturing? Yes and no.
Strasburg is the real deal. He can hit 100 pretty regularly with his heater, and has been clocked at 103, making him the second fastest pitcher (with Matt Anderson and Mark Wohlers, who hit 103 in the nineties) of the radar gun era, behind only the Tigers' Joel Zumaya, who registered almost 105 in 2006.
Ah, you say, he probably can't hit the broad side of a barn, right? Um, no. Strasburg has 74 strikeouts in 34-1/3 innings as of Friday. He's walked seven, and has a 1.57 ERA. Strasburg has given up 21 hits, so if you do the math, only 50 at-bats out of 131 have resulted in a ball being put into play this season.
He fanned 23 batters in one game last year, and in seven outings with Team USA last summer, he struck out 62 hitters in 41 innings. In fact, in 210 frames of college and international ball played during the past three seasons, he’s walked 45 batters while striking out 316. That's a sweet track record.
Well, hey, he'll never get by on one pitch, no matter how good it is, you think. That may be so in most cases, although Bob Feller, Tom Seaver, and Nolan Ryan may disagree. But the truth is the junior from San Diego State has an 86 MPH breaking ball, a sharp, hard curve that's almost a slider. It's his out pitch.
So the big question is how rich will this kid be when he finally signs? We know the Boras schtick pretty well - drag negotiations to the deadline with the veiled threat of returning to college or going indy.
Now $50M is a little outlandish, and even Boras knows that. Power pitchers are notorious for being a pitch away from the DL or TJ surgery; it's the nature of the beast.
But most reports that GW has read indicate the talks will start at $15M, with Boras probably looking for $25M for his hard-throwing client. Hey, Cory Humes of the Pirate Revolution writes that the Bucco suits should tamper a bit and float an offer of $100M over 10 years. Holy CC Sabathia!
We don't think that'll fly, although Boras would jump through hoops for that deal. The largest guaranteed contract for a draft pick was the $10.5M, five-year deal the Chicago Cubs gave to Mark Prior in 2001. Tampa Bay's David Price, the first pick in 2007 out of Vanderbilt, signed a six-year, $11.5M contract that included an $8.5M guarantee.
And remember, Washington has to deal with its fan base, as it is, after mishandling the Aaron Crow inking last year. So rest assured that Boras will beat the record; he has the talent and the ego. Seattle picks second; bet the ranch that if the Nats won't pony up, the Mariners will.
Geez, to be 20 years old and ready to bring the heat, both with a baseball and a contract. Welcome to the show.
Boras posturing? Yes and no.
Strasburg is the real deal. He can hit 100 pretty regularly with his heater, and has been clocked at 103, making him the second fastest pitcher (with Matt Anderson and Mark Wohlers, who hit 103 in the nineties) of the radar gun era, behind only the Tigers' Joel Zumaya, who registered almost 105 in 2006.
Ah, you say, he probably can't hit the broad side of a barn, right? Um, no. Strasburg has 74 strikeouts in 34-1/3 innings as of Friday. He's walked seven, and has a 1.57 ERA. Strasburg has given up 21 hits, so if you do the math, only 50 at-bats out of 131 have resulted in a ball being put into play this season.
He fanned 23 batters in one game last year, and in seven outings with Team USA last summer, he struck out 62 hitters in 41 innings. In fact, in 210 frames of college and international ball played during the past three seasons, he’s walked 45 batters while striking out 316. That's a sweet track record.
Well, hey, he'll never get by on one pitch, no matter how good it is, you think. That may be so in most cases, although Bob Feller, Tom Seaver, and Nolan Ryan may disagree. But the truth is the junior from San Diego State has an 86 MPH breaking ball, a sharp, hard curve that's almost a slider. It's his out pitch.
So the big question is how rich will this kid be when he finally signs? We know the Boras schtick pretty well - drag negotiations to the deadline with the veiled threat of returning to college or going indy.
Now $50M is a little outlandish, and even Boras knows that. Power pitchers are notorious for being a pitch away from the DL or TJ surgery; it's the nature of the beast.
But most reports that GW has read indicate the talks will start at $15M, with Boras probably looking for $25M for his hard-throwing client. Hey, Cory Humes of the Pirate Revolution writes that the Bucco suits should tamper a bit and float an offer of $100M over 10 years. Holy CC Sabathia!
We don't think that'll fly, although Boras would jump through hoops for that deal. The largest guaranteed contract for a draft pick was the $10.5M, five-year deal the Chicago Cubs gave to Mark Prior in 2001. Tampa Bay's David Price, the first pick in 2007 out of Vanderbilt, signed a six-year, $11.5M contract that included an $8.5M guarantee.
And remember, Washington has to deal with its fan base, as it is, after mishandling the Aaron Crow inking last year. So rest assured that Boras will beat the record; he has the talent and the ego. Seattle picks second; bet the ranch that if the Nats won't pony up, the Mariners will.
Geez, to be 20 years old and ready to bring the heat, both with a baseball and a contract. Welcome to the show.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Lookin' Ahead
Hey, the Bucs have a day off, and the coaches were good enough to let the boys run free today, so we're sure they're out golfing, beach-bumming, or whatever else young guys in Florida with clubhouse fever do with a hooky day.
We're off too, news-wise, so we thought we'd spend the time looking at what's become a big event now that Dave Littlefield and Ed Creech got their walking papers - draft day. Here's a capsule look at some of the young guns:
Top Five Pitchers: Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State - he's da bomb, throws 100 MPH heat with movement plus a slider and change. Scott Boras is his agent, of course, and the Nats couldn't sign their #1 Aaron Crow last year, so we'll see what nest he ends up in. Strasburg is everyone's primo beast this year.
Alex White, RHP, North Carolina - he reaches the mid-90s with a splitter and slider. The junior has 196 K's in 200 innings going into this year. White is still a little on the wild side, with 90 walks over that period.
Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri/Fort Worth Cats - last year, he threw 107 innings for the Tigers, going 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA, 127 strikeouts and yielding 38 walks. Crow was an All-American and won the 2008 Roger Clemens Award, given to the best college pitcher. But he and agent JD Smart ended up about a $1M smackeroos short of a deal with the Nats, so back into this year's pond he goes after some indy ball.
Andy Oliver, LHP, Oklahoma State - he was suspended for having an agent when first drafted in 2006, but that was thrown out of court last month. He dumped the first rep for Scott Boras, and that's what is alleged to have set off the fireworks. Anyway, he's compared to ex-Angel Chuck Finley. His sits in the 89-93 range, touching 95, works inside, has good control and sink, and gets a ton of groundouts. Oliver needs to improve his secondary pitches.
Kyle Gibson, LHP, Missouri - the 6'6" junior's fastball hits the low ninties, and he has a good slider and change. Probably a mid-round pick; he's what the scouts like to call "projectable."
Next Up: Mike Minor, LHP, Vanderbilt; Kendal Volz, RHP, Baylor; Tanner Scheppers, RHP, St. Paul Saints/Fresno State (yah, him); Jason Stoffel, RHP, Arizona; Sean Black, RHP, Seton Hall.
Top Five Position Players: Grant Green, SS, Southern Cal - last year, the junior batted .390 with 15 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 10 stolen bases and 46 RBI. He made Baseball America's third team All-America and tore it up in Cape Cod over the summer. Green is probably a top-five pick.
Dustin Ackley, 1B/OF, North Carolina - the junior is a pure hitter with good speed, but not enough power to play first. Might be a tweener, but belts line drives out almost every at-bat and has hit over .400 both years at UNC. Ackley projects as a LF and #2 type batter in MLB.
Kentrail Davis, LF, Tennessee - the soph was selected to the Freshman All-America team and is on Rivals and Baseball America's A-A squads this year. He led the Vols in batting average (.330), home runs (13), and RBI (44), hits (68), triples (3), total bases (120), hit-by-pitches (15) and on-base percentage (.435).
D.J. LeMahieu, SS, LSU - he was the Tigers’ starting shortstop as a true freshman in 2008, and hit .337 with 11 doubles, one triple, six homers, 44 RBI and 10 steals. LeMahieu was rated the #6 prospect in the Cape Cod League last year by Baseball America and was his team's MVP.
Ryan Jackson, SS, Miami (FL) - the junior hit .360 in 2008 with 19 doubles. He was one of the top defensive shorstops in the NCAA last season, committing just eight errors in 310 chances (.974) at SS. Jackson was a member of the USA Baseball National Team last year.
Next Up: Blake Smith, OF/RHP, California; AJ Pollock, OF, Notre Dame.
Top Five High School Players: Matt Purke, LHP, Klein HS (TX) - he's considered by many to be the top pitching prospect in the 2009 high school class. He pitches in the low 90’s with top flight movement to his fastball. Purke has an easy delivery and mixes in his secondary stuff; he projects as a potential #1 pitcher in the show.
Tyler Matzek, LHP, Capistrano Valley HS (CA) - he's a 6-foot-3, 215-pound pitcher with a 94 MPH fastball. Matzek reestablished himself with a series of post-season tournament games; his junior year was up and down as his dad was fighting cancer during the school year. But his father, we're glad to say, has recovered, Matzek put on 20 pounds and added some velocity to his heater, and looks like an early pick.
Donovan Tate, CF, Cartersville HS (GA) - son of Bulldog and Tampa Bay running back Lars Tate, Donovan is a five-tooler. He profiles similarly to Cameron Maybin. Tate already has Scott Boras for an agent, and is a football star, too, which may or may not affect his draft slot, though he could be a top-five baseball pick.
Mychal Givens, RHP, Plant HS (FL) - he's is a contact hitter who profiles as a number two type batter and also a smooth fielder. And don't question the kid's arm; he throws a mid 90’s fastball. Some thought he was the number two scholastic SS last year, behind top pick Tim Beckham.
Shelby Miller, RHP, Brownwood HS (TX) - Miller can do it all. His pitching line last year was 8-2 with a 1.11 ERA and 119 K's in 57 innings of work. He also hit .413-9-32. Miller committed to Texas A&M, so someone will have to show him the money to get him into the fold.
Next Up: Jacob Turner, RHP, Westminster Christian Academy (ME), Zach Wheeler, RHP, East Paudling HS (GA); and Luke Bailey, C, Troupe HS (GA).
OK, guys, that's our first look at the draft class; we're sure they'll jockey positions as June approaches. And it ain't that far away - could another Scott Boras soap opera be in the cards?
We're off too, news-wise, so we thought we'd spend the time looking at what's become a big event now that Dave Littlefield and Ed Creech got their walking papers - draft day. Here's a capsule look at some of the young guns:
Top Five Pitchers: Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State - he's da bomb, throws 100 MPH heat with movement plus a slider and change. Scott Boras is his agent, of course, and the Nats couldn't sign their #1 Aaron Crow last year, so we'll see what nest he ends up in. Strasburg is everyone's primo beast this year.
Alex White, RHP, North Carolina - he reaches the mid-90s with a splitter and slider. The junior has 196 K's in 200 innings going into this year. White is still a little on the wild side, with 90 walks over that period.
Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri/Fort Worth Cats - last year, he threw 107 innings for the Tigers, going 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA, 127 strikeouts and yielding 38 walks. Crow was an All-American and won the 2008 Roger Clemens Award, given to the best college pitcher. But he and agent JD Smart ended up about a $1M smackeroos short of a deal with the Nats, so back into this year's pond he goes after some indy ball.
Andy Oliver, LHP, Oklahoma State - he was suspended for having an agent when first drafted in 2006, but that was thrown out of court last month. He dumped the first rep for Scott Boras, and that's what is alleged to have set off the fireworks. Anyway, he's compared to ex-Angel Chuck Finley. His sits in the 89-93 range, touching 95, works inside, has good control and sink, and gets a ton of groundouts. Oliver needs to improve his secondary pitches.
Kyle Gibson, LHP, Missouri - the 6'6" junior's fastball hits the low ninties, and he has a good slider and change. Probably a mid-round pick; he's what the scouts like to call "projectable."
Next Up: Mike Minor, LHP, Vanderbilt; Kendal Volz, RHP, Baylor; Tanner Scheppers, RHP, St. Paul Saints/Fresno State (yah, him); Jason Stoffel, RHP, Arizona; Sean Black, RHP, Seton Hall.
Top Five Position Players: Grant Green, SS, Southern Cal - last year, the junior batted .390 with 15 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 10 stolen bases and 46 RBI. He made Baseball America's third team All-America and tore it up in Cape Cod over the summer. Green is probably a top-five pick.
Dustin Ackley, 1B/OF, North Carolina - the junior is a pure hitter with good speed, but not enough power to play first. Might be a tweener, but belts line drives out almost every at-bat and has hit over .400 both years at UNC. Ackley projects as a LF and #2 type batter in MLB.
Kentrail Davis, LF, Tennessee - the soph was selected to the Freshman All-America team and is on Rivals and Baseball America's A-A squads this year. He led the Vols in batting average (.330), home runs (13), and RBI (44), hits (68), triples (3), total bases (120), hit-by-pitches (15) and on-base percentage (.435).
D.J. LeMahieu, SS, LSU - he was the Tigers’ starting shortstop as a true freshman in 2008, and hit .337 with 11 doubles, one triple, six homers, 44 RBI and 10 steals. LeMahieu was rated the #6 prospect in the Cape Cod League last year by Baseball America and was his team's MVP.
Ryan Jackson, SS, Miami (FL) - the junior hit .360 in 2008 with 19 doubles. He was one of the top defensive shorstops in the NCAA last season, committing just eight errors in 310 chances (.974) at SS. Jackson was a member of the USA Baseball National Team last year.
Next Up: Blake Smith, OF/RHP, California; AJ Pollock, OF, Notre Dame.
Top Five High School Players: Matt Purke, LHP, Klein HS (TX) - he's considered by many to be the top pitching prospect in the 2009 high school class. He pitches in the low 90’s with top flight movement to his fastball. Purke has an easy delivery and mixes in his secondary stuff; he projects as a potential #1 pitcher in the show.
Tyler Matzek, LHP, Capistrano Valley HS (CA) - he's a 6-foot-3, 215-pound pitcher with a 94 MPH fastball. Matzek reestablished himself with a series of post-season tournament games; his junior year was up and down as his dad was fighting cancer during the school year. But his father, we're glad to say, has recovered, Matzek put on 20 pounds and added some velocity to his heater, and looks like an early pick.
Donovan Tate, CF, Cartersville HS (GA) - son of Bulldog and Tampa Bay running back Lars Tate, Donovan is a five-tooler. He profiles similarly to Cameron Maybin. Tate already has Scott Boras for an agent, and is a football star, too, which may or may not affect his draft slot, though he could be a top-five baseball pick.
Mychal Givens, RHP, Plant HS (FL) - he's is a contact hitter who profiles as a number two type batter and also a smooth fielder. And don't question the kid's arm; he throws a mid 90’s fastball. Some thought he was the number two scholastic SS last year, behind top pick Tim Beckham.
Shelby Miller, RHP, Brownwood HS (TX) - Miller can do it all. His pitching line last year was 8-2 with a 1.11 ERA and 119 K's in 57 innings of work. He also hit .413-9-32. Miller committed to Texas A&M, so someone will have to show him the money to get him into the fold.
Next Up: Jacob Turner, RHP, Westminster Christian Academy (ME), Zach Wheeler, RHP, East Paudling HS (GA); and Luke Bailey, C, Troupe HS (GA).
OK, guys, that's our first look at the draft class; we're sure they'll jockey positions as June approaches. And it ain't that far away - could another Scott Boras soap opera be in the cards?
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