In a game that featured a total of 23 runners left on base, the Rafters rode a 4 run 6th to a 6-3 win. Thoughts are below:
OF Josh Prince (Brewers) - Prince leads the AFL in hitting at .455 after a 2-5 day today. He doesn't show a lot of bat speed and features only 3 power and am not sure where his profile is yet, as this was only my 2nd look. He wore out Tepera in this game. Will be curious on his run times, as I have heard he can fly.
SS Hak-Ju Lee (Rays) - Still not swinging a great bat. He is featuring good speed, getting down the line at 4.25 and then had a well executed drag bunt and got down the line at 3.68. Not the strongest of players, he is a guy who is likely worn down from the season. He will need to continue to get stronger to make it through 162 game season without being a streaky player.
1B Kyle Jensen (Marlins) - He is playing RF, but is going to be a 1B, as he shows below avg range in RF and was unimpressed with his arm strength, though he appeared to be throwing just to hit the cut-off man. He can hit the ball a long way and turned on a ball and hit it almost to the top of the hill at Salt River. Not sure he is going to hit for much average and isn't the best of athletes, so will be interesting to watch him as we get deeper into the AZL.
OF Christian Yelich (Marlins) - Only saw avg bat speed from him, but showed a short, quick to the ball swing that profiles to hit for avg and enough power for CF, but not enough for a corner. He is a slenderly built guy, so wouldn't be surprised if he was also tired and will show better speed in season. Got down the line at 4.15 and profiles as an above average runner. Very intriguing player who profiles at least as a solid avg regular.
OF Brian Goodwin (Nationals) - Another day, another 3 hits for Goodwin with 2 doubles. I still see an above avg regular and he has all the tools to be an above avg defender in CF.
2B Carlos Sanchez (White Sox) - Finally looked a little fresher and put together a lot of quality at bats and had the big 3 run double to break the game open. Was on base 4 of his 5 appearances. I still think he profiles as a solid avg regular with a chance to be above avg depending on how the power ultimately plays.
1B Andy Wilkins (White Sox) - Still think Wilkins profiles as a solid avg regular and he collected another 2 hits today to raise his average to .395. Also has some power. ]
RHP Scott McGough (Marlins) - Arm strength appears to be closer to the Oregon version then the Dodgers version, as he worked 91-94 w/ a CH at 84-88 and a SL at 81-85. The FB showed run and sink and can work, but profiles as just an average pitch out of the pen and isn't paired with an above avg breaking pitch, with the SL being solid avg when it was 81-83. Profiles as a middle reliever.
RHP Ryan Tepera (Blue Jays) - Tepera had better pure stuff then the last time I saw him, working 91-94 w/ a SL at 84-87 and a CH at 84-86. With that said, still didn't see more then a middle reliever and the SL had inconsistent depth.
RHP Lenny Linsky (Rays) - Was a little better on this day then the last time I saw him, but he is never going to throw consistent quality strikes. Worked 90-93 w/ a SL at 80-82 and ran into another inning that had him leave early with Rasmus cleaning up his mess.
RHP Cory Rasmus (Braves) - On this day, the CH was better and the CB didn't have the same caliber of spin I saw previously. That being said, there still is not an above avg pitch in his repetoire. Was 89-92 w/ the CH at 82 and CB at 74.
RHP Cole Kimball (Nationals) - Same guy that is a shadow of his former self. Was 90-92 w/ a CB at 80-81 that was worse on this day then the previous outing and a better split at 82-83.
RHP Cory Riordan (Rockies) - First look at the tall, athletic well proportioned righty and he was 91-94 w/ a CB at 74, SL at 78-79 and CH at 82. Used the SL as the out pitch and the CB and CH as get ahead pitches. Intriguing first look that could profile as a middle reliever w/ an avg SL.
LHP Chris Rearick (Rays) - Rearick was 87-90 w/ a SL at 80-85. Needs to continue improving the SL to have a shot to stick in a pen.
RHP Kevin Munson (Diamondbacks) - Was a pure thrower today and got yanked after loading the bases. He was 92-96 w/ sink and a CH at 87-89 that had some dive and appeared to be a potential splitter. His SL was 84-85 that flashed above avg. He has all the tools, but lacks consistency with command.
RHP Coty Woods (Rockies) - The sidearmer threw a lot of strikes and was 89-90 with sink that can help him fit into a ROOGY role. His SL was 78-80 w/ 3/4 tilt and avg depth. Has the makings of a solid avg pitch. The CH was 82-83 w/ gd armspeed and can use it to keep lefties off of his FB. Intriguing righty who has the ability to be a low leverage middle reliever.
RHP James Simmons (Athletics) - The former 1st rounder was 89-92 w/ a CH at 79 and a SL at 84-85. FB showed better life today, featuring run and sink, though he didn't exhibit the same command as his last outing. His CH had gd armspeed w/ fade and sink and profiles as a solid avg pitch. The SL was worse today and was a 1 plane cutter and lacked the depth of the last outing.
Tomorrow, will be heading to Scottsdale to watch Jarred Cosart face off against the mammoth human being from the Giants, Chris Gloor.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
October 24 - Scottsdale @ Mesa
Attended the game between Scottsdale and Mesa at Hohokam and watched Chris Dominguez hit a 3-run HR in the top of the 9th to allow the Scorpions to win 4-3 to extend Mesa's losing streak to 8 games. Below is what I saw:
DH Chris Dominguez (Giants) - 2nd game of his and he homered an elevated FB to prolong the losing streak of Mesa. He features a strength based approach and wish I could see him at 3B to get a feel for his defensive ability. Still not sure what he is at this point.
2B Adalberto Santos (Pirates) - Santos has a thick lower half and homered to left center. He features a long swing and has a tendency to pull his front shoulder. He didn't show gd range at 2B and think he profiles more in LF, which I don't think the bat can handle.
1B Aaron Westlake (Tigers) - Westlake is a big, physical 1B whom I graded out as one of the best collegiate 1B available in his draft year. I am concerned about his swing, as I feel there is some length there with avg bat speed in a strength based approach. There may not be as much avg there as I thought and will be curious to see him later on to see his approach, as he did hit a nice single off of a left hander.
SS Jiovanni Mier (Astros) - Mier swung the bat well today and barrelled a couple balls down the left field line for doubles. It is a pull heavy approach from a player who lacks the raw power to be able to be a solid avg offensive player with that approach. He does appear to be a bit tired at this stage, as his normally reliable glove had an error on a routine ball today.
RHP Kevin Johnson (Angels) - My first look at the big, physical right hander who has the prototypical pitcher build and he featured a sinker at 92-94 w/ gd life and a solid avg to slightly above avg SL at 83-85. Profiles as a solid avg middle reliever.
RHP Victor Black (Pirates) - More around the zone today and was 97-99 w/ a hammer CB at 82-86. If he can pitch around the zone and miss down, he can have value in a MLB pen, although he likely won't be as important as his stuff, as I really question his ability to throw consistent strikes.
RHP Kevin Rhoderick (Cubs) - The former Oregon State closer has lost velocity from his FB, now pitching 91-92, but has seen no gain in command. This really limits his ceiling despite 2 avg to above avg offspeed pitches in his SL (81-85 - late breaking sweeper, sometimes gets too big and easy to foul off) and his CH (81-82 - tendency to slow arm down, but features split like mvmt). A true max effort delivery with minimal feel for the strike zone.
DH Chris Dominguez (Giants) - 2nd game of his and he homered an elevated FB to prolong the losing streak of Mesa. He features a strength based approach and wish I could see him at 3B to get a feel for his defensive ability. Still not sure what he is at this point.
2B Adalberto Santos (Pirates) - Santos has a thick lower half and homered to left center. He features a long swing and has a tendency to pull his front shoulder. He didn't show gd range at 2B and think he profiles more in LF, which I don't think the bat can handle.
1B Aaron Westlake (Tigers) - Westlake is a big, physical 1B whom I graded out as one of the best collegiate 1B available in his draft year. I am concerned about his swing, as I feel there is some length there with avg bat speed in a strength based approach. There may not be as much avg there as I thought and will be curious to see him later on to see his approach, as he did hit a nice single off of a left hander.
SS Jiovanni Mier (Astros) - Mier swung the bat well today and barrelled a couple balls down the left field line for doubles. It is a pull heavy approach from a player who lacks the raw power to be able to be a solid avg offensive player with that approach. He does appear to be a bit tired at this stage, as his normally reliable glove had an error on a routine ball today.
RHP Kevin Johnson (Angels) - My first look at the big, physical right hander who has the prototypical pitcher build and he featured a sinker at 92-94 w/ gd life and a solid avg to slightly above avg SL at 83-85. Profiles as a solid avg middle reliever.
RHP Victor Black (Pirates) - More around the zone today and was 97-99 w/ a hammer CB at 82-86. If he can pitch around the zone and miss down, he can have value in a MLB pen, although he likely won't be as important as his stuff, as I really question his ability to throw consistent strikes.
RHP Kevin Rhoderick (Cubs) - The former Oregon State closer has lost velocity from his FB, now pitching 91-92, but has seen no gain in command. This really limits his ceiling despite 2 avg to above avg offspeed pitches in his SL (81-85 - late breaking sweeper, sometimes gets too big and easy to foul off) and his CH (81-82 - tendency to slow arm down, but features split like mvmt). A true max effort delivery with minimal feel for the strike zone.
October 23 - Surprise @ Salt River
Forgot my notes at the office, but here is a brief report on the game last night between the Saguaros and Rafters, which the Saguaros won 5-4 in 10 innings.
2B Kolten Wong (Cardinals) - Wong once again had a multi-hit game going 3-5 for 3 RBI, upping his average to .385. He continues to show good average ability, but hasn't quite changed my opinion of him yet and still think he is more of a .280-.290 hitter with 10-12 homers.
OF Brian Goodwin (Nationals) - Goodwin made a mental mistake in this game by getting picked off 1st base a trail runner in the bottom of the 9th. But, that is the only mistake I have seen him make in 3 looks at him. He homered again last night and continued to work quality at bats and showed ability to barrel the ball. Still a big fan of him.
1B Matt Skole (Nationals) - Skole hit a moonshot 2-run HR to right field and showed above avg bat speed. I am not sure if he is an everyday player, but he is a big leaguer for me, likely as a positionally flexible player who can play each of the 4 corners.
RHP Seth Blair (Cardinals) - I was amazed that this was the same pitcher that was the Arizona State ace. He has appeared to have lost a lot of weight and features a closer to high effort delivery. His overall stuff was different as well, as he featured a plus FB at 93-95 w/ gd life and paired it with a power CB at 83-87 and what appeared to be an occasional CH at 87-88. It doesn't look like a starter delivery, but it can have an impact in the middle to back-end of the bullpen. Intriguing stuff and will be excited to take another look again.
RHP Ryan Perry (Nationals) - The former stalwart of the Tigers pen, he is in the AFL to work as a starter and fired 4 perfect innings and didn't give up much. He featured a FB up to 97 and paired it with a slurve (after awhile, I changed my charted pitch from SL to CB) that flashed avg. He also used a cutter at 91 on occasion and a CH in the mid 80's. I think it is still a reliever, but he showed feel for throwing quality strikes.
RHP Evan Marshall (Diamondbacks) - My first look at Marshall since his days at Kansas State, he featured a sinker that bored in on righties at 92-94 and threw one splitter at 85. The sinker is impressive and look forward to seeing his SL in later outings.
RHP Eric Smith (Diamondbacks) - Smith was a former starter who has moved to the pen and shows an above avg pitch in his sinker at 92-94. While he lacks the hard bore of Marshall, he features a little more sink and loves to pitch in. He is still refining his other pitches, as his SL was more of a 1 plane breaker.
2B Kolten Wong (Cardinals) - Wong once again had a multi-hit game going 3-5 for 3 RBI, upping his average to .385. He continues to show good average ability, but hasn't quite changed my opinion of him yet and still think he is more of a .280-.290 hitter with 10-12 homers.
OF Brian Goodwin (Nationals) - Goodwin made a mental mistake in this game by getting picked off 1st base a trail runner in the bottom of the 9th. But, that is the only mistake I have seen him make in 3 looks at him. He homered again last night and continued to work quality at bats and showed ability to barrel the ball. Still a big fan of him.
1B Matt Skole (Nationals) - Skole hit a moonshot 2-run HR to right field and showed above avg bat speed. I am not sure if he is an everyday player, but he is a big leaguer for me, likely as a positionally flexible player who can play each of the 4 corners.
RHP Seth Blair (Cardinals) - I was amazed that this was the same pitcher that was the Arizona State ace. He has appeared to have lost a lot of weight and features a closer to high effort delivery. His overall stuff was different as well, as he featured a plus FB at 93-95 w/ gd life and paired it with a power CB at 83-87 and what appeared to be an occasional CH at 87-88. It doesn't look like a starter delivery, but it can have an impact in the middle to back-end of the bullpen. Intriguing stuff and will be excited to take another look again.
RHP Ryan Perry (Nationals) - The former stalwart of the Tigers pen, he is in the AFL to work as a starter and fired 4 perfect innings and didn't give up much. He featured a FB up to 97 and paired it with a slurve (after awhile, I changed my charted pitch from SL to CB) that flashed avg. He also used a cutter at 91 on occasion and a CH in the mid 80's. I think it is still a reliever, but he showed feel for throwing quality strikes.
RHP Evan Marshall (Diamondbacks) - My first look at Marshall since his days at Kansas State, he featured a sinker that bored in on righties at 92-94 and threw one splitter at 85. The sinker is impressive and look forward to seeing his SL in later outings.
RHP Eric Smith (Diamondbacks) - Smith was a former starter who has moved to the pen and shows an above avg pitch in his sinker at 92-94. While he lacks the hard bore of Marshall, he features a little more sink and loves to pitch in. He is still refining his other pitches, as his SL was more of a 1 plane breaker.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
10/20 - Javelinas @ Desert Dogs
Attended another fun game at Phoenix, where the Desert Dogs scored 8 unanswered runs to win 12-11 with a walkoff single from Max Stassi. Below is what I saw today:
OF Rymer Liriano (Padres) - People have been telling me that Liriano had changed, he had figured things out and I didn't believe them. I am now converted. It helps when you hit a 420 foot bomb to CF on a ball squared up in a simple swing with above avg to plus bat speed. He is a very physical kid who fits the prototype for RF. He is much more under control then he used to be and appears to keep himself in position to hit a breaking ball. He did look bad on his strikeout today, but the tools are there for an above avg major league corner OF.
3B Stefen Romero (Mariners) - Romero continued to rake, collecting 3 hits today including an absolute bomb to LF. He also played 3B today and made a nice diving play to his right to throw out a runner in the 1st inning. However, he has a quirky release with a fringy arm, which is why the Mariners were trying to teach him 2B. The bat has immense value, so I believe he can be a passable 3B at least, especially in a park where his approach and offensive ability would hold so much value.
SS Didi Gregorius (Reds) - Gregorious is a long, slenderly built middle IF who did some nice things today, showing barrel control and line drive ability to go with a package that can stay at SS with nice hands and an above avg arm w/ gd carry. Very intriguing potential SS for Cincy.
1B Brock Kjeldgaard (Brewers) - Another 1 trick pony, similar to Derrik Lutz, Kjeldgaard has big power and hit his 4th home run as a taxi squad player (only plays on Wednesdays and Saturdays). He is a big, physical player who generates his power more from his excellent raw strength then bat speed. He has a better swing then Lutz, but doesn't project to hit for a lot of avg, though you can see him hitting enough to stick in the majors. Intriguing first look.
2B Tim Beckham (Rays) - Beckham hit a homer to CF that got in the jetstream and carried out. He showed better offensively today, making adjustments from pitch to pitch and staying within himself with 2 strikes by lining a base hit to RF with 2 strikes. There is a major leaguer in there, but it won't ever be a package worthy of the # 1 pick.
3B Richie Shaffer (Rays) - First look at Shaffer and he showed better defensively then offensively on this day. Range is a question mark for me right now, but he features plus arm strength w/ gd carry in a release that will need to be quickened. Offensively, he was never comfortable today, but showed some of his raw power on a foul ball down the LF line. Will be curious to watch him as we move further.
LHP James Paxton (Mariners) - First look at Paxton and he was ok on this day. His FB was fine, working 92-95 with ride in a long arm action. His CB showed flashes at 79-81 as a tight mdm downer, but he buried it during warmups and struggled to finish the pitch in the game. His CH was 84-85 w/ gd sink and generated a few swings and misses and profiles as a solid avg pitch. He is similar to Cosart to me, where he would have a lot of value as a reliever and the key will be to determine if you want a guy who is probably never going to stay healthy for a full season as a starter. I see him more as a # 3 right now then a # 2, but am sure my mind will be swayed if he shows better feel for a CB.
RHP Shawn Haviland (Athletics) - Haviland really struggled on this day and left the game with an apparent injury. He was 88-91 w/ run and sink, though it flattened out at times and paired it with a mdm downer CB at 74-76, a CH at 81-83 w/ gd armspeed with fade and sink and an ok cutter at 85-87. Not a lot there judging from this outing, especially in an org with as much pitching as the Athletics have.
RHP Lenny Linsky (Rays) - Linsky had to bite the bullet today after the Haviland injury and he got absolutely hammered. He was 91-93 w/ a little ride and a gd dwnd angle that he struggled to throw for strikes and a SL at 81-85 that was an early breaker and hitters teed up w/o problem. If he has FB command, he can be effective, but he has a max effort delivery w/ head violence and his overall cmmd ceiling is low. Will be curious to watch over the course of the AFL season.
RHP Carson Smith (Mariners) - Velo wasn't as high as it was during the season, but Smith was a godsend on a day where the bats ruled. He has a max effort delivery that is going to blow out at some point, whether it is next season or 3 seasons from now, so you hope you get contributions from him at the big league level. He was 91-95 with a little sink and paired it with a CH at 85-88 w/ gd armspeed and some late diving action and a SL at 83-84 that had some sweep and tilt. Solid avg middle reliever w/ upside of setup reliever.
RHP Cory Rasmus (Braves) - Didn't do much to stand out, working with an above avg CB at 72-74 that was a tight mdm downer and potential swing and miss pitch. His other pitches, (FB at 89-90 and CH at 83) were fringy to below avg.
LHP Jay Johnson (Phillies) - The 2nd lefty in a pen wannabe worked from a L 3/4 to sidearm release and featured a FB at 88-91 w/ some boring actoin, a sweeping SL at 83-84 that has potential to work in the big leagues and a CH at 83 that won't be a factor for him as he moves up despite it having some potential. He has the ability to throw in a big league pen.
LHP Chris Rearick (Rays) - Rearick is a tall, athletic lefty w/ a H 3/4 release. He worked 87-88 w/ a CH at 80-81 and a SL at 81-82. He doesn't really have an avg pitch, as the FB didn't have enough life to offset the lack of velo and his CH and SL were more fringy then avg, though his SL flashed avg with 3/4 tilt and avg depth.
LHP Caleb Thielbar (Twins) - Thielbar was a lefty that was just there and didn't really have an out pitch despite a solid avg CB at 70-71 that was a big downer w/ gd spin and buckled some knees early in the count. The rest of his repetoire (FB at 90-91, I believe a SL at 79 and a CH at 81) was pretty mediocre.
LHP Bobby LaFramboise (Mariners) - The 2nd lefty wannabe doesn't have the pitch necessary to get major league lefties out consistently, working 86-88 w/ a sweeping SL at 76 and a CH at 78. Didn't see an avg pitch there.
RHP James Simmons (Athletics) - The former Athletics 1st round pick came out and threw the ball pretty well, working 87-92 with his FB with a little run and sink and paired it with a CT/SL at 84-85 that had some late break and inconsistent depth. Still not a guy, but has a chance to continue to build on it to become a middle reliever.
RHP Gary Daley (Rockies) - My 2nd look at Daley, he worked 91-93 w/ a FB that consistently had some cut action to it and consider his primary FB a cutter. His CB at 83 is a power mdm downer that has a chance as an out pitch. Probably more of a middle reliever.
RHP Tyler Knigge (Phillies) - Knigge took the loss today and featured a power FB at 93-95 w/ a little ride and paired it with a SL at 83-85 that had tight 3/4 tilt and late break. He got hit today because he was elevating his pitches a bit too much and devolved into a thrower at times. Profiles as a potential setup guy.
OF Rymer Liriano (Padres) - People have been telling me that Liriano had changed, he had figured things out and I didn't believe them. I am now converted. It helps when you hit a 420 foot bomb to CF on a ball squared up in a simple swing with above avg to plus bat speed. He is a very physical kid who fits the prototype for RF. He is much more under control then he used to be and appears to keep himself in position to hit a breaking ball. He did look bad on his strikeout today, but the tools are there for an above avg major league corner OF.
3B Stefen Romero (Mariners) - Romero continued to rake, collecting 3 hits today including an absolute bomb to LF. He also played 3B today and made a nice diving play to his right to throw out a runner in the 1st inning. However, he has a quirky release with a fringy arm, which is why the Mariners were trying to teach him 2B. The bat has immense value, so I believe he can be a passable 3B at least, especially in a park where his approach and offensive ability would hold so much value.
SS Didi Gregorius (Reds) - Gregorious is a long, slenderly built middle IF who did some nice things today, showing barrel control and line drive ability to go with a package that can stay at SS with nice hands and an above avg arm w/ gd carry. Very intriguing potential SS for Cincy.
1B Brock Kjeldgaard (Brewers) - Another 1 trick pony, similar to Derrik Lutz, Kjeldgaard has big power and hit his 4th home run as a taxi squad player (only plays on Wednesdays and Saturdays). He is a big, physical player who generates his power more from his excellent raw strength then bat speed. He has a better swing then Lutz, but doesn't project to hit for a lot of avg, though you can see him hitting enough to stick in the majors. Intriguing first look.
2B Tim Beckham (Rays) - Beckham hit a homer to CF that got in the jetstream and carried out. He showed better offensively today, making adjustments from pitch to pitch and staying within himself with 2 strikes by lining a base hit to RF with 2 strikes. There is a major leaguer in there, but it won't ever be a package worthy of the # 1 pick.
3B Richie Shaffer (Rays) - First look at Shaffer and he showed better defensively then offensively on this day. Range is a question mark for me right now, but he features plus arm strength w/ gd carry in a release that will need to be quickened. Offensively, he was never comfortable today, but showed some of his raw power on a foul ball down the LF line. Will be curious to watch him as we move further.
LHP James Paxton (Mariners) - First look at Paxton and he was ok on this day. His FB was fine, working 92-95 with ride in a long arm action. His CB showed flashes at 79-81 as a tight mdm downer, but he buried it during warmups and struggled to finish the pitch in the game. His CH was 84-85 w/ gd sink and generated a few swings and misses and profiles as a solid avg pitch. He is similar to Cosart to me, where he would have a lot of value as a reliever and the key will be to determine if you want a guy who is probably never going to stay healthy for a full season as a starter. I see him more as a # 3 right now then a # 2, but am sure my mind will be swayed if he shows better feel for a CB.
RHP Shawn Haviland (Athletics) - Haviland really struggled on this day and left the game with an apparent injury. He was 88-91 w/ run and sink, though it flattened out at times and paired it with a mdm downer CB at 74-76, a CH at 81-83 w/ gd armspeed with fade and sink and an ok cutter at 85-87. Not a lot there judging from this outing, especially in an org with as much pitching as the Athletics have.
RHP Lenny Linsky (Rays) - Linsky had to bite the bullet today after the Haviland injury and he got absolutely hammered. He was 91-93 w/ a little ride and a gd dwnd angle that he struggled to throw for strikes and a SL at 81-85 that was an early breaker and hitters teed up w/o problem. If he has FB command, he can be effective, but he has a max effort delivery w/ head violence and his overall cmmd ceiling is low. Will be curious to watch over the course of the AFL season.
RHP Carson Smith (Mariners) - Velo wasn't as high as it was during the season, but Smith was a godsend on a day where the bats ruled. He has a max effort delivery that is going to blow out at some point, whether it is next season or 3 seasons from now, so you hope you get contributions from him at the big league level. He was 91-95 with a little sink and paired it with a CH at 85-88 w/ gd armspeed and some late diving action and a SL at 83-84 that had some sweep and tilt. Solid avg middle reliever w/ upside of setup reliever.
RHP Cory Rasmus (Braves) - Didn't do much to stand out, working with an above avg CB at 72-74 that was a tight mdm downer and potential swing and miss pitch. His other pitches, (FB at 89-90 and CH at 83) were fringy to below avg.
LHP Jay Johnson (Phillies) - The 2nd lefty in a pen wannabe worked from a L 3/4 to sidearm release and featured a FB at 88-91 w/ some boring actoin, a sweeping SL at 83-84 that has potential to work in the big leagues and a CH at 83 that won't be a factor for him as he moves up despite it having some potential. He has the ability to throw in a big league pen.
LHP Chris Rearick (Rays) - Rearick is a tall, athletic lefty w/ a H 3/4 release. He worked 87-88 w/ a CH at 80-81 and a SL at 81-82. He doesn't really have an avg pitch, as the FB didn't have enough life to offset the lack of velo and his CH and SL were more fringy then avg, though his SL flashed avg with 3/4 tilt and avg depth.
LHP Caleb Thielbar (Twins) - Thielbar was a lefty that was just there and didn't really have an out pitch despite a solid avg CB at 70-71 that was a big downer w/ gd spin and buckled some knees early in the count. The rest of his repetoire (FB at 90-91, I believe a SL at 79 and a CH at 81) was pretty mediocre.
LHP Bobby LaFramboise (Mariners) - The 2nd lefty wannabe doesn't have the pitch necessary to get major league lefties out consistently, working 86-88 w/ a sweeping SL at 76 and a CH at 78. Didn't see an avg pitch there.
RHP James Simmons (Athletics) - The former Athletics 1st round pick came out and threw the ball pretty well, working 87-92 with his FB with a little run and sink and paired it with a CT/SL at 84-85 that had some late break and inconsistent depth. Still not a guy, but has a chance to continue to build on it to become a middle reliever.
RHP Gary Daley (Rockies) - My 2nd look at Daley, he worked 91-93 w/ a FB that consistently had some cut action to it and consider his primary FB a cutter. His CB at 83 is a power mdm downer that has a chance as an out pitch. Probably more of a middle reliever.
RHP Tyler Knigge (Phillies) - Knigge took the loss today and featured a power FB at 93-95 w/ a little ride and paired it with a SL at 83-85 that had tight 3/4 tilt and late break. He got hit today because he was elevating his pitches a bit too much and devolved into a thrower at times. Profiles as a potential setup guy.
10/19 - Saguaros @ Javelinas
Peoria took the night game against Surprise by a score of 3-2. Was my first look at the Javelinas.
2B Kolten Wong (Cardinals) - Wong showed pull power today by turning on a fastball and hitting it over the right field wall. He still profiles as a .280-.290 hitter w/ 10-12 homers.
1B Donald Lutz (Reds) - Lutz is your proto 1B build, as he is a tall, strong, round guy. He shows power to all fields, including driving a fastball up and away out to right field. He profiles as a 1 trick pony with above avg power. His swing has a lot of action, so he isn't going to hit for a lot of avg. He is a below avg defender who doesn't cover a lot of ground. My first impression is more AAA slugger then contributing big leaguer.
2B Stefen Romero (Mariners) - Romero is a straight hitter, working all fields approach with the 2nd best barrel control after Nick Castellanos that I have seen. He laced balls to all fields and profiles to have 15-20 homers as well. He DH'd on this day, but overheard that he hasn't looked good in the field, so will be interested to see it myself at some point.
RHP J.C. Sulbaran (Royals) - Sulbaran's stuff has taken a step back since he was drafted and looked to be holding back to pace himself. He worked 86-89 w/ gd angle and a little run and sink and paired it with an above avg straight CH at 77-78. He also threw a slurvy CB at 75-76. Maybe he will be something as a reliever when he can let it go. This was also his first outing, so his velo may pick up in later starts.
RHP Tim Crabbe (Reds) - The tall, athletic right hander didn't feature a pitch I really liked and was just there. He worked 88-91 with little life in the zone, a CB at 76-78 that was probably his best pitch, which was a mdm downer, a SL at 84-85 that backed up consistently and a CH at 80-82 w/ ok armspeed. Org guy.
RHP Ryan Fraser (Mets) - My first look at the reliever, he is a tall, athletic guy with a well proportioned build. He worked 92-95 with a little run and paired it with a solid avg SL at 81 with 3/4 tilt and a CH at 88 w/ a little sink and was too firm. Interesting guy with the FB/SL and will be curious to see how the command is in future outings.
RHP Josh Ravin (Reds) - Ravin features big velo, working 96-99. However, his FB is very true and plays down due to that and his lack of deception. He paired it with a CB at 76-77 that flashed 2 plane break and a little cutter at 88. Probably more of a potential middle relief guy w/ his command concerns.
RHP Drew Hayes (Reds) - Hayes is a former Vandy closer who has potential be a solid middle reliever w/ a sinking FB at 92-94 and pairs it with an above avg SL at 83-86 and a CH at 85-88 w/ a little sink. Will be curious to see how he performs in future looks.
LHP Josh Spence (Padres) - Spence is a guy who is nowhere close to what he used to be and isn't a prospect anymore. He was 81-82 w/ an assortment of pitches, mainly featuring a late breaking SL at 74-76. Not a prospect at this stage.
RHP Colby Shreve (Phillies) - Tall, athletic w/ a round butt and some growth left. Pretty typical righty. Worked 90-92 w/ gd dwnd angle and paired it with a gradual SL at 81 and a CH at 83 w/ straight. Not sure what is there.
RHP Curtis Partch (Reds) - The big bodied right hander was 95-97 w/ a SL at 83-88. His FB has gd ride in the zone, but lacks deception while his SL has late break w/ 3/4 tilt. He profiles as a potential setup reliever.
Heading to Phoenix today to watch Peoria (James Paxton) try to knock off the Desert Dogs (Shawn Haviland).
2B Kolten Wong (Cardinals) - Wong showed pull power today by turning on a fastball and hitting it over the right field wall. He still profiles as a .280-.290 hitter w/ 10-12 homers.
1B Donald Lutz (Reds) - Lutz is your proto 1B build, as he is a tall, strong, round guy. He shows power to all fields, including driving a fastball up and away out to right field. He profiles as a 1 trick pony with above avg power. His swing has a lot of action, so he isn't going to hit for a lot of avg. He is a below avg defender who doesn't cover a lot of ground. My first impression is more AAA slugger then contributing big leaguer.
2B Stefen Romero (Mariners) - Romero is a straight hitter, working all fields approach with the 2nd best barrel control after Nick Castellanos that I have seen. He laced balls to all fields and profiles to have 15-20 homers as well. He DH'd on this day, but overheard that he hasn't looked good in the field, so will be interested to see it myself at some point.
RHP J.C. Sulbaran (Royals) - Sulbaran's stuff has taken a step back since he was drafted and looked to be holding back to pace himself. He worked 86-89 w/ gd angle and a little run and sink and paired it with an above avg straight CH at 77-78. He also threw a slurvy CB at 75-76. Maybe he will be something as a reliever when he can let it go. This was also his first outing, so his velo may pick up in later starts.
RHP Tim Crabbe (Reds) - The tall, athletic right hander didn't feature a pitch I really liked and was just there. He worked 88-91 with little life in the zone, a CB at 76-78 that was probably his best pitch, which was a mdm downer, a SL at 84-85 that backed up consistently and a CH at 80-82 w/ ok armspeed. Org guy.
RHP Ryan Fraser (Mets) - My first look at the reliever, he is a tall, athletic guy with a well proportioned build. He worked 92-95 with a little run and paired it with a solid avg SL at 81 with 3/4 tilt and a CH at 88 w/ a little sink and was too firm. Interesting guy with the FB/SL and will be curious to see how the command is in future outings.
RHP Josh Ravin (Reds) - Ravin features big velo, working 96-99. However, his FB is very true and plays down due to that and his lack of deception. He paired it with a CB at 76-77 that flashed 2 plane break and a little cutter at 88. Probably more of a potential middle relief guy w/ his command concerns.
RHP Drew Hayes (Reds) - Hayes is a former Vandy closer who has potential be a solid middle reliever w/ a sinking FB at 92-94 and pairs it with an above avg SL at 83-86 and a CH at 85-88 w/ a little sink. Will be curious to see how he performs in future looks.
LHP Josh Spence (Padres) - Spence is a guy who is nowhere close to what he used to be and isn't a prospect anymore. He was 81-82 w/ an assortment of pitches, mainly featuring a late breaking SL at 74-76. Not a prospect at this stage.
RHP Colby Shreve (Phillies) - Tall, athletic w/ a round butt and some growth left. Pretty typical righty. Worked 90-92 w/ gd dwnd angle and paired it with a gradual SL at 81 and a CH at 83 w/ straight. Not sure what is there.
RHP Curtis Partch (Reds) - The big bodied right hander was 95-97 w/ a SL at 83-88. His FB has gd ride in the zone, but lacks deception while his SL has late break w/ 3/4 tilt. He profiles as a potential setup reliever.
Heading to Phoenix today to watch Peoria (James Paxton) try to knock off the Desert Dogs (Shawn Haviland).
Thursday, October 18, 2012
10/18 - Saguaros @ Desert Dogs
The Saguaros and Desert Dogs ended in a 2-2 tie today after a WP forced in the tying run in the top of the 9th. Pretty bland game besides me getting stung by a couple of bees, which is fantastic. I was on camera duty today, which meant I was focused more on getting the Desert Dogs body types and learning guys swings. So, there is minimal scouting info today.
C Christian Vazquez (Red Sox) - The short stocky catcher went 3-4 with a double. He is a line drive, gap to gap approach hitter who doesn't have a lot of power. Offensively, he doesn't project to do a whole lot. However, he is a special defender who had a 1.81 pop time on a caught stealing and then duplicated it between innings. He does it with a very quick release and above avg arm. He profiles as a backup C.
RHP Jimmy Nelson (Brewers) - Saw one inning of Nelson's 3 and he wasn't as good as I have seen. He was 88-91 w/ good sink to the FB and showed his solid avg SL. I have seen him up to 95 in shorter stints.
RHP Brett Hunter (Athletics) - Pretty disappointing, as he was 88-91 with some sink and deception and a below avg SL at 83-84 Not much to take from that outing.
Tomorrow, I will be at Peoria for one of the night games to witness the pitching matchup of J.C. Sulbaran (AFL Debut) and Tim Crabbe.
C Christian Vazquez (Red Sox) - The short stocky catcher went 3-4 with a double. He is a line drive, gap to gap approach hitter who doesn't have a lot of power. Offensively, he doesn't project to do a whole lot. However, he is a special defender who had a 1.81 pop time on a caught stealing and then duplicated it between innings. He does it with a very quick release and above avg arm. He profiles as a backup C.
RHP Jimmy Nelson (Brewers) - Saw one inning of Nelson's 3 and he wasn't as good as I have seen. He was 88-91 w/ good sink to the FB and showed his solid avg SL. I have seen him up to 95 in shorter stints.
RHP Brett Hunter (Athletics) - Pretty disappointing, as he was 88-91 with some sink and deception and a below avg SL at 83-84 Not much to take from that outing.
Tomorrow, I will be at Peoria for one of the night games to witness the pitching matchup of J.C. Sulbaran (AFL Debut) and Tim Crabbe.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
10/17 - Solar Sox @ Scorpions
Returned to Scottsdale for the night game, which Scottsdale won 5-2 on the strength of 5 shutout innings from Pirates prospect Kyle Kaminska. Observations are below:
OF L.J. Hoes (Orioles) - Got my first look at Hoes and he did some positive things and some negative things. His bat speed was apparent, as he ripped a single to left center off a 96 mph FB from Victor Black and showed the ability to track the ball in RF. He didn't hustle out of the box though and would consistently take 3 hard steps then shut it down. Whether that is a deeper issue or a fatigue issue, we will find out.
1B Ricky Oropesa (Giants) - Oropesa features avg bat speed from a strong, physical frame. He features above avg raw power, though he gets it more strength then bat speed. He struggles with pitches on the inner half and prefers to extend his hands. He homered tonight on a CH from Rhee (threw him way too many over the course of 2 AB's) and it will be interesting to see how he profiles as I get more looks at him.
RHP Dae-Eun Rhee (Cubs) - The Korean threw the ball as well as he has thrown it all year. He featured a FB at 90-92 w/ run and sink that had occasional late run to go with a CH at 79-84 that was solid avg w/ gd armspeed and mvmt (fade and sink, sometimes hard fade and sink) and a CB at 74-79 with gd spin and avg depth. Still, he is probably not a big leaguer.
RHP Kyle Kaminska (Pirates) - Kaminska is a sinker baller who worked 88-91 with the pitch, but it didn't feature big time mvmt or velocity. He paired it with a SL at 83-84 that got better as the game went on (broke later) and a CH at 83-86 that had gd armspeed and looked like a CH out of his hand. He pounded the strike zone and generated a lot of soft groundballs to Cowart at 3B. Profile is more of an emergency starter then a consistent big leaguer, though the stuff could play up out of the pen.
3B Kaleb Cowart (Angels) - While he is still struggling with his timing offensively (oppo oriented approach and can't tell if it because he is consistently late with his foot or because he is loading too deep with his hands to generate power), but he is a plus defender at 3B. He featured the ability to make plays on the run with plus arm strength and a reliable glove. He has a tendency to do no look stabs, but his hands are so good that the glove always gets the ball. Still waiting for the offense to match the reports and the player I saw last year, but the tools are there.
LHP Alex Sogard (Astros) - 89-91 w/ a CB at 75-78 and a CH at 78 that slipped out of his hand. Stuff was pretty marginal tonight and struggled to command.
RHP Shawn Armstrong (Indians) - Still a big fan and he was 94-96 and loves to pitch inside. He paired it with a SL/CT (more like a cutter on this night after looking more like a SL his previous outing) at 89-90 and a CB at 83. He may need to learn to get more differential to his stuff to generate the swings and misses that it should. He also lacks life in the zone and deception, so his FB will play down at times.
RHP Tyler Clark (Tigers) - My first look at the Tigers reliever, he was 90-93 w/ gd deception but little life. He paired it with a CH at 81-83 that he was pulling and slowing his arm down slightly on.
RHP Mark Montgomery (Yankees) - Established the FB in this outing and was the same guy, but was able to throw the SL in counts where hitters would chase. Was 91-93 w/ the SL at 83-85.
LHP Chris Petrini (Orioles) - My first look at the Orioles reliever, he worked 90-92 w/ a little life (though inconsistent) and paired it with an above avg SL at 80-82. He has a shot as a 2nd lefty in a pen thanks to the SL, but will need to learn to throw more strikes with the FB. Still a bit of a thrower.
RHP Jacob Dunnington (Giants) - He weighs 160 pounds and that is not a lie. He looks like he has never seen a weight room. That being said, this is a guy to watch until he blows out from his max effort delivery. He was electric on this night, working with a FB at 92 that had ride with a quick arm that could add velo if his frame could support more weight (hint, it can't). He paired it with 2 plus breaking pitches, a SL at 78-79 that had late break and frisbee action to it and a CB at 74-77 that was a true knee buckler. His issue is he threw the CB from a different slot, which will not work at higher levels. He can still be a FB/SL reliever and a high leverage guy at that. Promising first look.
RHP Tony Zych (Cubs) - Threw a 60 on Zych coming out and felt a little better after watching him tonight. He features excellent deception due to his short arm action and glove action and causes his FB at 95-96 to play up. He has good life on the pitch, with run and sink and paired it with a SL at 83-86 that was tight w/ inconsistent depth and flashed above avg. Just needs to continue refining the SL.
RHP Victor Black (Pirates) - Black has electric stuff from an over the top release, working 95-97 and a power mdm downer CB w/ tight spin at 81-84. His delivery is max effort and he has a glove tap with the ball that was causing his timing to be off early on. His main struggle was not getting over his front side and drifting a bit on the rubber. He walked guys early (and we joked it was to face Castellanos and Singleton) and it turned out it may have been the case. He made Castellanos look silly (chased a 0-1 CB buried) and struck him out on 3 pitches. He then won a great at bat against Singleton by throwing his hammer on the inside corner after Singleton fought off a number of tough pitches to strike him out. Intriguing guy and will be curious to see how his command is in future outings.
LHP Dan Runzler (Giants) - After Black needed 30 pitches, AFL veteran Dan Runzler worked 93-94 to strike out George Springer.
Tomorrow, will be heading to Phoenix to watch Jimmy Nelson face off against the Surprise Saguaros and Joe Van Meter.
OF L.J. Hoes (Orioles) - Got my first look at Hoes and he did some positive things and some negative things. His bat speed was apparent, as he ripped a single to left center off a 96 mph FB from Victor Black and showed the ability to track the ball in RF. He didn't hustle out of the box though and would consistently take 3 hard steps then shut it down. Whether that is a deeper issue or a fatigue issue, we will find out.
1B Ricky Oropesa (Giants) - Oropesa features avg bat speed from a strong, physical frame. He features above avg raw power, though he gets it more strength then bat speed. He struggles with pitches on the inner half and prefers to extend his hands. He homered tonight on a CH from Rhee (threw him way too many over the course of 2 AB's) and it will be interesting to see how he profiles as I get more looks at him.
RHP Dae-Eun Rhee (Cubs) - The Korean threw the ball as well as he has thrown it all year. He featured a FB at 90-92 w/ run and sink that had occasional late run to go with a CH at 79-84 that was solid avg w/ gd armspeed and mvmt (fade and sink, sometimes hard fade and sink) and a CB at 74-79 with gd spin and avg depth. Still, he is probably not a big leaguer.
RHP Kyle Kaminska (Pirates) - Kaminska is a sinker baller who worked 88-91 with the pitch, but it didn't feature big time mvmt or velocity. He paired it with a SL at 83-84 that got better as the game went on (broke later) and a CH at 83-86 that had gd armspeed and looked like a CH out of his hand. He pounded the strike zone and generated a lot of soft groundballs to Cowart at 3B. Profile is more of an emergency starter then a consistent big leaguer, though the stuff could play up out of the pen.
3B Kaleb Cowart (Angels) - While he is still struggling with his timing offensively (oppo oriented approach and can't tell if it because he is consistently late with his foot or because he is loading too deep with his hands to generate power), but he is a plus defender at 3B. He featured the ability to make plays on the run with plus arm strength and a reliable glove. He has a tendency to do no look stabs, but his hands are so good that the glove always gets the ball. Still waiting for the offense to match the reports and the player I saw last year, but the tools are there.
LHP Alex Sogard (Astros) - 89-91 w/ a CB at 75-78 and a CH at 78 that slipped out of his hand. Stuff was pretty marginal tonight and struggled to command.
RHP Shawn Armstrong (Indians) - Still a big fan and he was 94-96 and loves to pitch inside. He paired it with a SL/CT (more like a cutter on this night after looking more like a SL his previous outing) at 89-90 and a CB at 83. He may need to learn to get more differential to his stuff to generate the swings and misses that it should. He also lacks life in the zone and deception, so his FB will play down at times.
RHP Tyler Clark (Tigers) - My first look at the Tigers reliever, he was 90-93 w/ gd deception but little life. He paired it with a CH at 81-83 that he was pulling and slowing his arm down slightly on.
RHP Mark Montgomery (Yankees) - Established the FB in this outing and was the same guy, but was able to throw the SL in counts where hitters would chase. Was 91-93 w/ the SL at 83-85.
LHP Chris Petrini (Orioles) - My first look at the Orioles reliever, he worked 90-92 w/ a little life (though inconsistent) and paired it with an above avg SL at 80-82. He has a shot as a 2nd lefty in a pen thanks to the SL, but will need to learn to throw more strikes with the FB. Still a bit of a thrower.
RHP Jacob Dunnington (Giants) - He weighs 160 pounds and that is not a lie. He looks like he has never seen a weight room. That being said, this is a guy to watch until he blows out from his max effort delivery. He was electric on this night, working with a FB at 92 that had ride with a quick arm that could add velo if his frame could support more weight (hint, it can't). He paired it with 2 plus breaking pitches, a SL at 78-79 that had late break and frisbee action to it and a CB at 74-77 that was a true knee buckler. His issue is he threw the CB from a different slot, which will not work at higher levels. He can still be a FB/SL reliever and a high leverage guy at that. Promising first look.
RHP Tony Zych (Cubs) - Threw a 60 on Zych coming out and felt a little better after watching him tonight. He features excellent deception due to his short arm action and glove action and causes his FB at 95-96 to play up. He has good life on the pitch, with run and sink and paired it with a SL at 83-86 that was tight w/ inconsistent depth and flashed above avg. Just needs to continue refining the SL.
RHP Victor Black (Pirates) - Black has electric stuff from an over the top release, working 95-97 and a power mdm downer CB w/ tight spin at 81-84. His delivery is max effort and he has a glove tap with the ball that was causing his timing to be off early on. His main struggle was not getting over his front side and drifting a bit on the rubber. He walked guys early (and we joked it was to face Castellanos and Singleton) and it turned out it may have been the case. He made Castellanos look silly (chased a 0-1 CB buried) and struck him out on 3 pitches. He then won a great at bat against Singleton by throwing his hammer on the inside corner after Singleton fought off a number of tough pitches to strike him out. Intriguing guy and will be curious to see how his command is in future outings.
LHP Dan Runzler (Giants) - After Black needed 30 pitches, AFL veteran Dan Runzler worked 93-94 to strike out George Springer.
Tomorrow, will be heading to Phoenix to watch Jimmy Nelson face off against the Surprise Saguaros and Joe Van Meter.
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