Revisiting The Draft: 2010 Right Handed Starters

One of the better exercises, now that I have established writing reports, is looking at what I thought of players as amateurs and seeing if it holds true as the players develop. 

Right Handed Starters (2010 Grade)

 

1 - Jesse Hahn (VA Tech) - 60 Grade, # 2 starter projection

 

Hahn finally made his pro debut after he was ravaged by injuries leading up to his draft year and was very good for Hudson Valley, going 2-2, 2.77 w/ 55 K and 15 BB in 52 IP.  I spoke with a scout friend of mine who said he turned in Hahn as a 60, which obviously makes me feel better.

 

2 - Sam Dyson (South Carolina) - 60 Grade, # 2 starter projection

 

I knew Dyson would move quickly to the big leagues as a reliever (made his MLB debut this year), but I thought there was a chance he could start.  I am fairly certain that if I had seen his medicals, I would have changed my mind from what I heard about them, which would have obviously altered my grade.

 

3 - Matt Harvey (North Carolina) - 55 Grade, # 2 or # 3 starter projection

 

Harvey has obviously had an electric debut and my ranking appears to be below what it should have been.  Looking back at my report, I was concerned with his ability to develop command and the style of pitcher he was.  Needless to say, the # 2 projection appears to be more apt for him.

 

4 - Brandon Workman (Texas) - 55 Grade, # 3 starter

 

I was bullish on Workman thanks to him possessing 2 plus pitches in my eyes coming out, his FB and CB.  I also projected his cutter to be fringy to solid avg.  Workman had a strong year this year after a less then stellar full season debut.  This year, he went 10-8 across 2 levels with a 3.50 ERA and 130 K against 25 BB in 138 innings.  Would say, without having seen him as a pro, that he is still in line to be a # 3 starter.

 

5 - Deck McGuire (Georgia Tech) - 55 Grade, # 3 Starter

 

McGuire is making me look like a moron.  On my report, I mentioned how he was near MLB ready and this is a distinction I don't give out easily (for instance, I gave it out to Trevor Bauer from 2011 after seeing him live and gave it out to Steven Rodriguez from this year).  McGuire, from all accounts, has taken a massive step back in both stuff and command.  It will be interesting to see if he can salvage what was a lost year (5-15, 5.88 in AA with 62 BB and 97 K in 144 IP)

 

6 - Mathew Price (Virginia Tech) - 55 Grade, # 3 Starter

 

Price was a personal favorite of mine and I probably undervalued his frame, as I think back to what his frame was and he may not have been able to support as much weight as I thought he could put on it.  Price has also been dealing with significant off the field issues that I can't disclose here.  This appears to be a miss and I hope that some of his issues are things I could have learned from him from building a personal relationship.

 

7 - Erik Goeddel (UCLA) - 55 Grade, # 3 Starter

 

Goeddel was one of the few potential converts (from relieving in college to starting in pro ball) that I liked due to a quiet delivery and the chance for 3 above avg or better pitches.  Checking in on him now, he appears to be making slow and steady progress, as he went 5-6, 3.41 in the FSL with 43 BB and 98 K in 108.1 IP.  Those stats tend to point towards more of a back end starter then a middle of the rotation starter however.

 

8 - Anthony Ranaudo (LSU) - 55 Grade, # 3 Starter

 

Ranaudo was a guy who was hurt for significant portions of his season, but I thought I saw enough for a middle of the rotation guy.  He had a lost year this year however and his command has never really come back.  Will be interesting to see what he becomes.

 

9 - Justin Grimm (Georgia) - 50 Grade, # 3/4 Starter

 

I was a huge Grimm fan coming out, as I believed he had one of the best CB's in the draft and an explosive FB.  He made his MLB debut this year and I still think the grade I gave then is where he likely slots in a rotation.

 

10 - Seth Blair (Arizona State) - 50 Grade, # 4/5 Starter

 

Blair was a guy who I thought would fit well as an innings eating guy in the back of a rotation, not unlike a Joe Blanton type.  I thought he had above avg command of a solid avg 3 pitch mix, but that command has not shown itself in pro ball where he has walked 78 (and struck out 83) in 101 IP.

 

11 - Brandon Cumpton (Georgia Tech) - 50 Grade, # 4/5 Starter

 

Cumpton has quietly put up good numbers in the Pirates system and is heading to the Arizona Fall League this year where I get the opportunity to see him live as a pro for the first time.  In my report, I thought Cumpton would work with a plus FB/CB combo and a below avg CH.  Will be curious to see where he stacks up stuff wise.  In his AA debut, he went 12-11 w/ a 3.84 ERA and 46 BB v 88 K in 152.1 IP.

 

12 - Brian Dupra (Notre Dame) - 50 Grade, # 4/5 Starter

 

Dupra didn't sign when drafted this year and waited until 2011 to sign, where I didn't have velo's to evaluate him.  Dupra had a bad full season debut (3-4, 7.17 in SAL) this year and it appears I missed on him.

 

13 - Seth Rosin (Minnesota) - 50 Grade, # 4/5 Starter

 

Rosin was another guy I was high on and thought he had a good enough frame to start.  He appears to have been jerked around a bit by the Giants and was moved to the Phillies as part of the Hunter Pence deal, where they appear to be trying to make him a starter.  Will be interesting to watch how he develops in his new organization.

 

14 - Barrett Loux (Texas A&M) - 50 Grade, # 4/5 Starter

 

I thought Loux would profile as an innings eater in the back of a rotation.  He had a well-publicized split from the Dbacks and signed with the Rangers.  Loux had a solid AA debut this year, going 14-1 w/ a 3.47 ERA and 41 BB v 100 K in 127 IP.  Appears to be well on his way towards that projection.

 

15 - Cole Green (Texas) - 45 Grade, Emergency Starter

 

Green has run into some problems off the field since coming over and I have seen him in person to know that I missed on calling him an emergency starter, as he is a much better fit for me in the bullpen with his sinker/slider.  He will need to much better in 2013 then 2012 to get that chance though (19 games relieved in Low A, 1-0, 8.68 w/ 22 BB and 17 K in 28 IP)

 

16 - Alan Oaks (Michigan) - 40 Grade, Org Depth

 

I really liked Oaks, but thought it was just an avg repetoire with no out pitch and not enough command to make up for it.  Oaks made it to AA, but had a rough 2012 with the Marlins, with an ERA over 6 at 2 different levels (Hi A and AA)

 

17 - Steven Maxwell (TCU) - 40 Grade, Org Depth

 

I thought Maxwell could help an organization with ability to eat innings, but he went down with a bad medical and has not surfaced in pro ball after returning to TCU after being drafted in 2010.

 

18 - Garett Claypool (TCU) - 40 Grade, Org Depth

 

Claypool actually had a good pro debut as a starter (striking out 151 in 137 IP in 2011 at Lakewood), but came crashing down this year, going 3-2, 7.30 and striking out 43 v 15 walks in 37 IP (1 start in 20 appearances).  I preferred him as a starter b/c I didn't think there was an out pitch to get outs as a reliever.

 

19 - Jake Buchanan (North Carolina State) - 40 Grade, Org Depth

 

Buchanan received a lot of hype for succeeding in Lancaster the year before (and by virture of being in a weak system), and came back to earth a bit at AA this year, going 5-9, 4.96 w/ 83 K and 33 BB in 134 IP.  I would say he is quality org depth.

 

OTHERS (I would draft everyone graded over 35, below are the ones I wouldn't draft)

 

RHP Kevin Couture - 20 Grade, Non Prospect

Couture was a 32nd rounder by the Giants and pitched well this year ERA wise.  As a 24 year old reliever in the SAL.

 

RHP Brett Eibner - Incomplete

The only game I saw him he threw only FB's and didn't have enough to come to a conclusion.

Reds @ Padres

As I have seen these teams multiple times this instructs season, I took in 5 innings of their game today to get a look at a couple pitchers.

RHP Zach Eflin (Padres) - Eflin dealt with some bad luck, coming down with forearm tightness before the draft, causing him to fall to the Padres in the supplemental first round.  He then came down with mono and missed a good deal of the AZL season.  The tall, sturdy Eflin took to the mound today, but still hasn't regained his strength.  He attacked hitters from a H 3/4, SWU and his arm works very similarly to Tommy Hanson of the Braves.  He showed a FB at 88-91 with a SL at 80-81 and a CH at 84-85.  He has the makings of a solid avg to better 3 pitch repetoire, with the SL needing more work, though it still flashed avg on this day.  The FB also lacked deception and had a little cut and I am don't think you can create deception there.  The CH was thrown with ok armspeed and had fade, though it looked better in warmups.  Good to get a feel for the type of player he is, but to evaluate him at less then full strength is a mistake.

RHP Dan Langfield (Reds) - Langfield was the reason I attended this game, as I wanted to see if he was a potential quick mover to the big leagues as a reliever.  The close to mature pitcher with a bulldog build in his lower half attacked hitters from an OTT, SWU.  There was high effort there, as he grunted on every pitch and did appear to be overthrowing at times.  He worked 92-94 w/ gd angle to his FB and paired that with a power CB at 79 that is a swing and miss pitch.  His other 2 offerings (SL at 86-88 and his CH at 84-87) are developmental.  The delivery creates some command problems, as he doesn't maintain a consistent direction from pitch to pitch and struggles with keeping his arm on time.  Also finishes a bit upright, which can make it a little harder to get the ball down in the zone.  I still believe his future is in the pen, but I don't think he is as quick a mover as I thought.

C Dane Phillips (Padres) - Phillips was a 2nd rounder out of Oklahoma City after transferring from Oklahoma State.  He was the C on this day and you can add me to the group that thinks the mdm, athletically built Phillips will wind up in LF.  For me, he comps similarly to John Jaso of the Mariners (formerly the Rays) when I saw him in AA minus the quick release.  Phillips is an extremely raw receiver, showing an inconsistent setup from pitch to pitch and a tendency to jump into position (which creates a lot of action for a pitcher to see).  He, like Jaso, features a below avg arm, but he lacks the release that helped Jaso throw in the 1.95 range.  Phillips best was a 2.06 between innings and was a 2.11 on a steal by the Reds 1B.  There is also some head violence in his throw that would tend to think avg accuracy is the ceiling.  He will hit though, as he features above avg bat speed (will swing uphill at times) and should hit for some average and power.  Profile is that of a bench bat.

C Austin Hedges (Padres) - Lets get this out of the way, Hedges is the best catch and throw guy in the minors, bar none.  I have heard from many sources of consistent 1.8 pop times.  What I don't understand is why people aren't buying higher on the bat.  Hedges, for me, is Buster Posey when all is said and done, minus some power.  Hedges has an extremely repeatable swing that just needs game reps against breaking balls.  Has a tendency to get out on his front side, but keeps his hands back well.  Currently has gap to gap power and profiles for 15-20 HR's and ability to hit .280-.290.  People seem to overlook the fact that the 19 year old slugged .451 in the MWL and that would have ranked him 13th in the league, ahead of players such as Brewers 1B Nick Ramirez and Royals OF Jorge Bonifacio.  Hedges is a great fit for Petco and will hold down the C job when he is ready in 2015.

OF Brian Adams (Padres) - Formerly a 2 sport player at Kentucky (football), Adams never focused on baseball until this year.  The tools are there for a solid avg regular, as he showed avg bat speed and was an above avg runner, though he is still raw.  He needs to learn to get to top speed quicker and get better jumps on the bases.  The swing is cleaner then I anticipated, but he is in for a big test at Fort Wayne.

Tomorrow will be a much needed day off for myself and then will check out Central Arizona against the Rangers on Friday.  Hope to introduce some amateur draft reports for those whose interest is there tomorrow.

Athletics @ Dodgers

Took in the Athletics @ Dodgers game today.  Below is what I observed from Athletics:

RHP Michael Ynoa - Ynoa was the big money Dominican who has been saddled by inconsistency and injury since coming over.  The tall, loose pitcher who can add a little more to his frame worked from a 3/4 SWU.  He attacked hitters with a FB at 92-94 with a little life and paired it with a mdm downer CB at 77-81 that flashes above avg.  His other 2 pitchers (splitter at 86-87 that had a little dive and a short 3/4 tilt SL at 83-86 that was cut-like) were below avg.  His likely profile is now that of a low leverage middle reliever.

LHP Ian Krol - Krol is a lefty with the stuff to be a starter, as he has a mdm, sturdy frame w/ a little growth left and attacked from a 3/4 SWU.  Normally, the low arm slot is a concern for a starter, but he featured a plus CH at 83 that he threw with gd armspeed that had fade and sink to it and showed occasionally as a swing and miss pitch.  His FB was 91-93 and bored in on LHH, breaking some bats.  He also throws at CB at 77-81 that needs to be tightened into a SL, as that fits his release point much better.  Has the tools to work in the middle of the rotation if he can consistently command the FB.

RHP Raul Alcantara - Alcantara was one of the key pieces in the Andrew Bailey trade and had a rough full season debut in the Midwest League at 19.  He only threw one inning on this day.  He is a mdm, loose build w/ a little projection remaining and attacked from a 3/4 to H 3/4 SWU.  He was 89-92 with a little run and lacks deception and paired that with a CB at 75 that was a mdm downer, a SL at 84 that was cut-like and a CH at 84 that had ok armspeed.  I was expecting more from him.

Other pitchers on this day were Tanner Peters (really liked him coming out of UNLV, CB has taken a step back.  Still attacks with an above avg CH at 77-80 to go with a FB at 89-91 w/ inconsistent life.  CB is 74-77 with ok spin while his new cut/SL is 85-87 and more of a show pitch, though they seem to be working hard to refine it), Stuart Pudenz (13th rounder from Dallas Baptist, was 89-91 w/ a SF at 83-85 and a SL at 81.  Not much there) and Tyler Hollstegge (21st rounder from UNC Greensboro, was 90-91 w/ a SL at 79-82 and a CH at 81.  Developing him as a low leverage FB/SL guy).

More of the same from the hitters, Addison Russell continues to be a stud.  Matt Olson appears to be a bit late with a tight hand position that was having him swing and miss more today.  Yordy Cabrera has a chance to profile as an avg to above avg 3B w/ a plus arm and avg bat speed, though he had a rough pro debut.  Both B.A. Vollmuth and Max Muncy took some good swings today, but Vollmuth is going to need to work hard to stay in shape to be able to handle third while Muncy is still an undersized 1B without power.

Will head over to San Diego tomorrow to watch Dan Langfield pitch for the Reds and hopefully an intriguing Padre.

Saturday Instructs

Began with my day at the Angels complex, only to find that the Rockies had scratched David Dahl.  So, after watching the first 3 innings of this game, I made my way to Cincy to watch them play on the Indians.  Observations below:

LHP Tyler Matzek (Rockies) - One of the players I have been wanting to see for awhile, I finally received the opportunity.  The study lefty w/ a solid base and close to mature body attacks hitters from a H 3/4, SWU.  He worked with a FB that settled in at 90-92 (although it was lower at times) w/ a CH at 85-87 and a 2 plane CB at 75-79.  He generates easy velo despite rarely incorporating his legs and struggling at times to be on time.  Both offspeed pitches showed avg potential, as the CH had gd life despite being somewhat firm (and running into his FB at times) and his CB showed better spin as the inning went on.  Has the tools to be a middle of the rotation starter, as he didn't show the command issues today that he had shown during the season.  Intriguing arm.

RHP Alfonso Alcantara (Angels) - Alcantara is making his States debut during instructs and showed off a close to mature body w/ velo.  Coming from a 3/4, FWU, the 19 year old showed an explosive FB at 95-97 (up to 98) w/ a splitter at 91 and a slider at 84.  He is a pure thrower, featuring some head violence and little clue where the ball is going.  The splitter showed a little dive while the SL had 3/4 tilt and looked ok in warmups, as the only one he threw in his inning slipped out of his hand.  Intriguing pitcher if you can quiet him down and get in the zone consistently.

OF D'Vone McClure (Indians) - Saw him briefly in the AZL and got a better look at him today.  McClure has all the tools you would look for and has less polish then a lot of the other high schoolers that get drafted.  Tools wise, he is a plus runner with a long stride and features both above avg bat speed and an above avg throwing arm.  The swing itself needs a lot of work, as he takes a deep hand load and his leg kick messes with his timing.  In CF, his routes are very raw and his glove is developing, as he dropped a fly ball in the game.  There is potential for an avg or better regular, but it will take a lot of time.

RHP Kieran Lovegrove (Indians) - Got another look at Lovegrove on this day and he was 88-91 w/ a SL at 80 and a CH at 83.  Remains an intriguing option for a middle of the rotation starter, just doesn't have as much developed as Mitch Brown.

3B Dorssys Paulino (Indians) - Graded out well on my AZL Top 20 and once again showed plus bat speed, but with a thicker lower half that will result in him needing to move to 3B.  Won't matter b/c the bat will play anywhere.

RHP Dylan Baker (Indians) - Baker was the one starter we missed during the AZL, so glad to get a chance to watch him throw today.  The sturdy pitcher w/ a strong lower half, he attacked hitters from an OTT, SWU.  He featured a FB at 88-92, a SL at 83-85, a CB at 74-78 and a CH at 84-85.  The FB had some run and sink, though not enough to elicit a lot of groundballs.  The SL had tight 3/4 tilt and had late break, but would occasionally lack shape and appear to be a cutter.  The CB was a mdm downer with ok spin and slowed his arm down to get the 74 (early count) as opposed to the 77-78 (out pitch).  The CH had gd armspeed, but tendency to hold it too long, as he buried a couple of them.  Interesting guy who has the potential for pitching in the middle of the rotation, especially when you factor in that I have heard he throws harder then what I saw.

RHP Kyle McMyne (Reds) - McMyne is a mdm, athletic build w/ a strong lower half and a little projection left.  He attacked hitters from a H 3/4, NWU w/ a FB at 93-95 and a SL at 84.  The FB had a little life, but was fairly straight and he relied on his high effort delivery to generate enough deception to avoid it being squared up.  The SL had tight 3/4 tilt with avg depth that broke late and is a true out pitch.  McMyne profiles well for a high leverage role in a pen, whether as a 7th inning or 8th inning guy.

Other pitchers seen on this day were Ibrahin Redan (Reds pitcher was 87-89 w/ a CB at 73, not a lot there), Austin Muehring (Reds pitcher was 89-91 w/ a CB at 72-74 and a CH at 80, likely org depth), Carlos Contreras (Red was 90-94 w/ a power CB at 80-82 and a CH at 83-84, may be something there if can get in the zone consistently) and Felix Sterling (Indian was 88-91 in a big body with 2 developing off speed pitches, but saw him consistently 94 in the AZL).

Will be checking out the Athletics v Dodgers today.

Friday Instructs

Bounced around a bit on this day, attending the first 3 innings of the Royals vs. the Reds and then went to Glendale to watch the Dodgers play the Rangers.

RHP Brooks Pounders (Royals) - Pounders is a big, physical bulldog in a mature body.  I only watched him pitch 1 inning, but he appeared to be in command from periodically looking over.  He featured a FB at 89-91 to pair with a SL at 85 and a CH at 80.  None of his pitches were above avg and didn't see a lot to be intrigued about.

RHP Nick Travieso (Reds) - The Reds 1st rounder this year, was able to catch up with him and watch him throw 2 innings.  The guy with some projection left (and some bad weight) features close to a perfect pitcher's body with sloped shoulders.  He comes from a H 3/4 SWU and there is some effort there, as it is a bit of a rock and fire delivery.  He featured a FB at 92-93 w/ gd angle and more velo to come with a inconsistent SL at 82-86, a mdm downer CB at 76-78 and a CH at 82-85 that was too firm.  Overall, the SL was better in the 2nd inning, but it only flashed below avg.  His downer CB was an early breaker and his CH had gd armspeed, but little life and he tended to bury it.  There is still a potential middle of the rotation starter in there, but it is going to take time, as he needs to work on commanding the zone and refining all of his offspeed pitches.

LHP Cesar Ogando (Royals) - Ogando was another big bodied pitcher on this day and started against Travieso in the instructs game (Pounders started the co-op game).  Ogando missed all of this year with an injury after being popped by the Royals in the 6th round last year and appears to be working his way back now.  He is built like C.C. Sabathia, minus about 3 or 4 inches in a physical frame with a strong lower half.  His delivery is similar to C.C's and he comes from a 3/4 SWU.  His FB was 86-89 with a little run (we saw it higher last year) and he paired that with a CH at 79-82 that had gd armspeed w/ fade and sink and a CB at 77 that was a mdm downer with ok spin.  Both offspeed pitches will work and it will be interesting to see if the FB comes back.  He is probably more Jose Mijares then C.C. Sabathia.

Some quick notes on the hitters, Bubba Starling again showed that he has all the tools in the world, showing off his plus bat speed by doubling off Travieso and singling off another pitcher.  Jack Lopez also showed above avg bat speed in a slightly cleaner swing, although he let the ball get in deep on him. 

OF Nomar Mazara (Rangers) - Mazara was the massive bonus baby and features a projectable big frame that can put on a lot more muscle.  He hits with a mini leg kick, but does a good job keeping his hands back and being able to explode on the ball.  He can get fooled by off-speed pitches, but that is to expected at this stage of development.  Mazara projects as a middle of the order hitter with the ability to play a solid avg RF.  He showed some bat speed today that I hadn't seen until today due to the fact everything was synced up.  Very intriguing.

OF Ronald Guzman (Rangers) - Guzman is one of my favorites, also featuring a big, projectable frame that can put on a lot of muscle.  He will be a 1B and profiles to be no better then avg at the position defensively.  He hit another HR today, which makes me feel he is learning how to utilize leverage and create some more loft.  He still has work to do with it, but I still see him as a .260, 25+ HR guy.

3B Joey Gallo (Rangers) - Yet another, big projectable body the Rangers have, Gallo is right there with Mazara in terms of raw power.  Gallo's swing has a little more length to it and he can battle his timing moreso then Mazara, but the pure bat speed is more consistently there from Gallo then Mazara IMO.  Gallo will be your typical 3 true outcomes player and is going to hit 30+ bombs in the majors if his batting eye allows him.  Still very high on him.

LHP Kevin Matthews (Rangers) - Matthews really battled his command in the SAL (64 BB and 66 K in 74 IP) and for a guy whose polish led him to be a 1st rounder, it is a concern.  He commanded the ball ok on this day, throwing a lot of strikes.  The mdm, athletic kid who lacks the prototypical pitcher size (closer to Tom Milone then Clayton Kershaw) came from a H 3/4, SWU.  The delivery appears to utilize his legs, but he throws with almost all arm, as he gets disconnected early, never engages his lower half and doesn't really utilize his glove hand either.  Stuff wise, he worked 87-89 (up to 90) with a little run and sink to pair with 2 avg off speed pitches in his CH (80-83 w/ gd armspeed and fade at times) and a CB at 73-77 that was a 2 plane breaker w/ tight spin.  You can project both off-speed pitches as above avg, but I wonder if he is going to be able to be a middle of the rotation starter.  Strikes me as a middle reliever, as the CB will allow him to have success L on L.

Other pitchers I saw on this day were Connor Sadzeck (made pro debut at Spokane, where really battled command.  Stuff may work in middle relief role, as was 90-92 w/ a power CB at 76-78 and a CH at 84 that is a non-starter for me) and Nerfy Nunez (lefty making States debut was 87-88 w/ a CH at 78 and a mdm downer CB at 73).

Tomorrow, will be trying to head out to watch the Rockies vs. Angels in Tempe to get a look at David Dahl.

Central Arizona JC @ Rangers

The Rangers, on a work day, invited Central Arizona JC to play them (they will also be playing again next week).  This provided the rare opportunity to see how some of CA's top prospects match against pro players.  I was focused more on them then the Rangers.

RHP Ricky Jacquez (Central Arizona) - Jacquez transferred in from Texas, where he saw time as the Sunday starter as a freshman.  He appeared to be very similar to what I saw then, as he is a small, athletically built pitcher who lacks the size and strength for what scouts want to see from the guys they project in the rotation.  He was in his element today though, as he featured 3 avg or better pitches in a FB that was 90-92 with solid life, a CH at 78-82 thrown w/ gd armspeed and fade and a CB at 77-78 that was a power mdm downer w/ gd spin.  He showed advanced pitchability, throwing his off-speed stuff in hitters counts (especially the CH) and kept Texas off balance for his 3 shutout innings (which was against the big boppers in the Texas lineup).  It all comes down to ultimate role and I think he is either going to be a 5th starter or middle reliever, although I have heard reports of higher velo's in shorter stints.

 

 

OF Spencer O'Neil (Central Arizona) - I thought O'Neil (a 33rd rounder by the Yankees in 2011) was the best offensive prospect that Central Arizona had and the only other besides Jacquez I would throw a draft grade on based on today.  O'Neil is a tall, athletic projectable player w/ ok present strength.  Hits from a spread w/ a shift of weight and load.  Swing has a tendency to get long, but features avg bat speed and pull power (one AB that I did not get video of was when he hit a 1 hopper to the wall in RF).  In RF, he shows a plus arm w/ accuracy that has him listed as a pitcher on Central Arizona's roster as well.  The ball he drove to the wall was off a lefty, so he will not have any L on L issues.  All that being said, he did struggle with offspeed stuff and there is some pitch recog issues there.  Profiles as a 4th OF type.

 

 

 

OF Jordan Dunatov (Central Arizona) - Dunatov was a 14th rounder by the Pirates in 2011, but was committed to Oregon State and has now ended up at Central Arizona.  He is a tall, athletic (6'5", 200) whose body doesn't appear to be able to support too much weight and will likely end up playing at 215.  He hits from a rotational swing that features below avg bat speed.  He is a long strider and aggressive on the bases w/ above avg speed.  He also features a plus arm, making him a very intriguing package in CF, where he gets ok jumps and takes gd routes.  I just don't know if there is going to be enough offense to make him worth it for a professional organization.

 

 

 

 

 

SS David Masters (Central Arizona) - Masters transferred in from Arkansas (14 AB as frosh) to Central Arizona this year after being selected in the 50th round by the Diamondbacks in 2011.  Masters has a mdm, athletic build w/ some projection left.  He hits from a shoulder-width position w/ a stride and mini load.  For me, his calling card is defensively, where hs features soft hands and gd body control, although I don't think he is a SS as a professional and will need to move to 2B.  Offensively, he features below avg bat speed that can drag through the zone and has some length.  Not a draft guy for me based on this 1 game look.

 

 

 

 

2B David Petrino (Central Arizona) - The 3 hole hitter in Central's lineup, he featured a mdm, athletic build w/ gd present strenght in a close to mature body.  While he plays 2B now, his body type will likely move him to 3B.  Offensively, he hits from an open stance w/ a stride and load.  He features below avg bat speed and, while standing at the front of the box against JUCO competition will work, he needs to stand in the back of the box against the caliber of pitching he faced today.

 

 

 

 

 

OF Sean Hurley - Hurley was a Miami commitment, but switched his commitment to Central Arizona.  The juco freshmen features a mdm to tall athletic build w/ gd present strength and a close to mature body.  He features a leg kick that causes his weight to go forward and you can tell he was having timing issues against this caliber of pitching.  He featured below avg bat speed and didn't do much to stand out in the other facets of the game because he was DHing.  He is recovering from offseason Tommy John surgery and the fact he had to have his first game against Rangers pitchers working in the low to mid 90's definitely had an impact on his ability to be on time and let his tools play.  Will be a guy to monitor in the spring as he gets further recovered from surgery.

 

 

 

Also looked a few Rangers, where Ronald Guzman hit a line drive HR to right field, which continues my line of thinking that he just needs to add some leverage to his swing (which will diminish his avg ability) to make him a more valuable hitter.

 

And Joey Gallo was late, but showed his above avg bat speed and wasn't tested at 3B.

 

Also, Keone Kela was on the mound for the Rangers and appears to be making strides towards becoming a solid relief option for them, although the only velo I got was 93.  He was up to 97 in the AZL, but appeared to be pitching with more command today.

 

Tomorrow, I am definitely going to Kansas City to watch Travieso start for the Reds and am not sure if I will then head to Glendale to focus more on these Rangers or just watch the Royals play.





AIL - Goodyear @ Glendale

Took in a quick sim game at the Dodgers complex (to see most of the Dodgers pitchers making their States debuts) and then went to the stadium to watch the Goodyear squad (Reds and Indians) take on the Glendale squad (White Sox and Dodgers).

OF Yorman Rodriguez (Reds) - I have heard rave reviews about Rodriguez from this season and got my first look at him today.  Features a mdm, athletic build w/ some projection left.  Offensively, he showed above avg bat speed in a slight uppercut swing in a swing where he can generate a little better leverage.  I wasn't really impressed by him and not sure where he fits long term based on a 1 game look.

OF Courtney Hawkins (White Sox) - In a pleasant surprise, the White Sox first rounder out of high school played CF in today's game.  He features a linebacker build, as he is a strong kid who doesn't have a lot of projection left.  He shows above avg bat speed in a swing that features a lot of movement and needs to be quieted down.  He is currently an above avg runner, but will settle in as average.  While he is playing CF now, his rawness was evident in his routes and his overall glove.  He profiles as a potential power hitting corner OF.

2B Joey DeMichele (White Sox) - DeMichele was one of my personal favorites as a hitter at Arizona State and he was very similar to what I saw then, as he showed above avg bat speed and still has decent power potential for 2B.  Didn't get tested much on this day in the field, but he has the tools to be a solid avg regular from an offensive standpoint.

OF Juan Duran (Reds) - Duran is a 6'7" monster who has long levers and has really struggled to repeat his swing.  He shows avg bat speed, but is too raw to allow the tools to play.  I don't see a lot of potential with him.

OF Bryson Myles (Indians) - Myles is built like a running back and is an extremely physical, smaller athlete.  He shows avg bat speed, but is late in getting his foot down and it causes everything to rush.  He still has a 4th OF profile.

OF Levon Washington (Indians) - Washington still has a lot of tools, featuring above avg bat speed and remains a plus runner.  However, his swing will not work and is the cause of a lot of his problems.  He is never on time, causing him to hit the ball to LF way too often.  He also features a leg kick, which helps complicate his timing.  He has a below avg arm, so he is limited to either CF or LF and on this day showed enough defensively to think he can stick in CF.  All this doesn't matter if the bat doesn't get fixed.

RHP Fabio Martinez (Indians) - Martinez features projectable, loose body that already gets up to 95 and has more velo in there.  He features a little run on his FB and paired that with a SL at 84-86 that had 3/4 tilt, but was an early breaker that didn't have a lot of definition.  The 22 year old came over from the Angels after experiencing serious control issues, but only lost the strike zone for stretches today.  Interesting arm with potential.

RHP Steven Sides (Indians) - The reliever put up big strikeout numbers en route to getting to High A in his first full season.  He was 91-95 with a little ride and paired that with a tight, short SL at 83-86.  The SL will work in A ball, but he will need to get more depth to have success at higher levels.

Other Indians pitchers seen on this day were Naoki Hashimoto (a typical Japanese pitcher who worked 86-90 and threw everything and the kitchen sink at you).

RHP Erik Johnson (White Sox) - I graded out Johnson very highly for the 2011 draft as a back-end reliever.  On this day, he continued to be similar to what he was at Cal, working 91-95 w/ ride, a CH at 82-85 w/ gd armspeed that he trusts, a CB at 73-74 that was a big downer and effective early count pitch and a SL at 87-88 that can lack definition and become a cutter at times.  The delivery got cleaned up a bit, but he still projects as a reliever for me, though not as well as he did in 2011, as his SL hasn't developed the way I hoped.

Other White Sox pitchers seen on this day were Brian Blough (worked 91-93 and paired with 2 below avg secondary pitches, a SL at 82-84 that broke early and a CH that was too firm at 86-87) and Brandon Hardin (a 10th rounder this year who got a small bonus was 91-94 w/ a sweeping SL at 81-83.  Pure thrower had little idea where ball was going).

RHP Brooks Pinckard (Reds) - Pinckard was a guy on my radar entering the 2011 draft, but I was unable to get any video of him to write him up.  Based on 2010, he was a big armed closer who came from an unique delivery to generate velo.  On this day, he showed more of the same, coming from a 3/4 NWU in a delivery that was cleaned up a bit to get him standing upright more.  He settled in firing sinkers at 93-94 and they are making a point with him to develop command to the armside to saw off righties.  His SL was similar to his time at Baylor, coming in at 84-87 w/ inconsistent depth and shape.  Potential as a middle reliever thanks to the sinker and the SL will determine just how far he can go.

Tomorrow is a bit up in the air for me.  I was informed that Nick Travieso, the Reds first rounder, would be throwing tomorrow.  I also really wanted to go watch the Rangers take on Central Arizona JC.  Haven't decided if I would try and hit up both, or just stay at the Reds game, where they are playing the White Sox.