Cape Cod League Blog

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Top 10 Pitchers

2009-08-20T13:38:00.003-04:00

Here are the Top 10 pitching prospects from the 2009 Cape Cod Baseball League. With this post, all of my rankings are complete, and so is the Cape Cod League Blog. I'm still not sure what I am going to be doing in summer 2010, but in case this is it, thanks a lot for reading. Keep following me on Twitter for future blog news.

10. Kyle Blair, Brewster/San Diego. Throws R. 6'3" 200. Monte Sereno, Calif.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 3-1, 1.42 ERA, 51 K's, 44.1 IP

Blair has been a highly-touted prospect since high school, and he performed very well on the Cape this summer after he was limited by injury in the spring. Blair has some mechanical issues, but his stuff is very good and he could definitely be a first round pick next June with a good season at USD.

Here is what I blogged about Blair on June 30: "Righthander Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego started for Brewster and looked decent in his five innings of work. Blair has good size for a pitcher at 6'3" 200 and a big frame. He tends to open up his front side too early and his arm trails behind, leading him to often throw pitches farther outside than he would like. Blair's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and had good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He threw a good 76-78 mph breaking ball with tight break that really falls off the table late. Blair also showed an 81 mph changeup with good tailing action. All in all he was pretty good, and he is considered a prospect."

9. Daniel Tillman, Cotuit/Florida Southern. Throws R. 6'1" 185. Live Oak, Fla.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 31 K's, 22 IP, 11 Saves

Tillman had the best statistical summer of any pitcher on the Cape, and he really impressed moving up in class from a small school to the Cape League. Tillman was pretty well-known before the summer, but he has moved himself into the first-round conversation for June. He is going to be a reliever, but he can be a very good one.

Here is what I blogged about Tillman on August 6: "Cotuit right-handed reliever Daniel Tillman from Florida Southern appeared to be back at top form after his velocity was down in his last appearance. Tillman finished the regular season without allowing a run in 22 innings pitched over 16 appearances. He entered a tie game in the bottom of the eighth Wednesday with the bases loaded and one out and got a strikeout and a flyout to get out of the jam. His low 90s sinking fastball/hard slider combination makes him one of the best relievers in the Cape League. He will be a high pick next year."

8. Justin Grimm, Cotuit/Georgia. Throws R. 6'4" 195. Bristol, Va.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-4, 2.84 ERA, 47 K's, 44.1 IP

At times this summer Grimm looked like one of the best pitchers in the league, and at other times his stuff looked very flat and he got hit. People seem to think he is closer to the good than the bad, and many think he will go in the first round next year.

Here is what I blogged about Grimm on June 21: "Cotuit's right-handed starter Justin Grimm from Georgia was the best pitcher last night. Grimm has good size and an athletic build at 6'4 195. He has a sort of jerky motion that has a lot of parts to it, and he had a tendency to speed up his arm and overthrow early in the game. Once he settled in and found more consistency in his mechanics he was very good. His fastball sat in the 92-93 mph range, and he threw a very good curveball with nice overhand break that he could throw for strikes. He also showed a good changeup."

7. Alex Wimmers, Bourne/Ohio State. Throws R. 6'2" 195. Cincinnati, Ohio

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-0, 1.23 ERA, 37 K's, 22 IP

Wimmers pitched extremely well for Bourne once he arrived late after Team USA tryouts, and he seemed to get better and stronger as the summer went along. Wimmers had an excellent spring season in the Big 10 and threw a no-hitter. He is going to be a good professional starter.

Here is what I blogged about Wimmers on July 14: "Bourne right-handed starter Alex Wimmers from Ohio State came to the Cape as a fairly highly-touted prospect, and he looked very good on Monday. Wimmers is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build but a slightly small frame at 6'2" 195. He throws with some effort and falls off the mound toward first. Wimmers' fastball sat in the 88-92 mph range, but his best pitch was definitely his 74-75 mph curveball with really good downward break. The curve's late break fooled a lot of Bourne hitters as it dropped into the strike zone. Wimmers also has a good 76-78 mph changeup with good downward movement."

6. Chris Sale, Y-D/ Florida Gulf Coast. Throws L. 6'6" 185. Lakeland, Fla.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 4-2, 1.47 ERA, 57 K's, 55 IP

Sale had a tremendous summer for Yarmouth-Dennis, and he was named the Cape League's Outstanding Pitcher of the Year and the East Division MVP of the All-Star Game, and he led the league in strikeouts. If Sale can bulk up a little he could be even better, and he is definitely a name to watch.

Here is what I blogged about Sale on June 29: " Sale didn't appear to have his best stuff Sunday but he still looked good. Sale is tall and strikingly thin at 6'6" 185, and he has a jerky, deceptive motion in which his long limbs flail toward the hitter. He throws from a low three-quarter arm angle. Sale's fastball sat in the 89-92 range and had really good sinking action. The pitch gets him a lot of ground ball outs. He also showed an average 77-78 mph slider and a good 77-80 mph changeup that also had really good downward movement. Sale needs to bulk up, but he has good stuff and has been one of the more effective pitchers so far this summer."

5. Taylor Wall, Falmouth/Rice. Throws L. 6'2" 180. Houston, Texas

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 3-3, 2.62 ERA, 26 K's, 34 IP

Wall is one of the better rising sophomores in the country and he pitched like it at the Cape. The lefty had the best changeup in the league and did a great job keeping hitters off-balance. He is a prospect to watch for the 2011 draft.

Here is what I blogged about Wall on August 1: "Wall is certainly one of the 10 best starters in the Cape League, and he should be a high draft pick when he becomes eligible in 2011. Wall is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build. He rushes through his motion but he throws with ease and with good arm action. Wall's fastball sits in the upper 80's but he spots it well. He throws a devastating changeup that is probably the best change on the Cape this summer, and is the pitch that makes him such an intriguing prospect. It is very deceptive out of his hand and floats in with big time movement. He relies heavily on the change, and understandably so as it gets a lot of swings and misses. Wall still needs to develop a reliable breaking ball to maximize the effectiveness of his fastball/changeup combination. He throws both a curveball and a slider, but both pitches are just average at this point."

4. Rob Rasmussen, Orleans/UCLA. Throws L. 5'11" 170. Arcadia, Calif.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 4-0, 1.80 ERA, 42 K's, 35 IP

I probably have Rasmussen rated higher than just about anybody else would, but I have been very impressed by Rasmussen two summers in a row and think he will make a very good pro. He is consistently very good and you know exactly what you are going to get out of him whenever he takes the ball. Rasmussen started the All-Star Game for the East Division. Rasmussen may not be drafted as high as some of these other guys next June, but I bet he ends up doing very well for himself.

Here is what I blogged about Rasmussen on July 30: "Left-handed starter Rob Rasmussen from UCLA started for Orleans. I saw him throw an inning during the All-Star Game, but this was the first time I watched him for an extended appearance. Rasmussen is a small-body guy at 5'11" 170, but he doesn't throw with as much effort as many other pitchers in the league with similar size. He has a tight motion and throws with good arm action, and the ball looks like it's really flying out of his hand. Rasmussen's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range. He had good command of it early in his start Wednesday but he started to lose it later in the appearance and lost some of his effectiveness. He also throws a really good 77-78 mph curveball with sharp, tight break that he could both throw for strikes and get hitters to chase out of the zone. Rasmussen also had an 82-84 mph slider with horizontal run that gives hitters a different look to think about but which isn't as effective as the curve. His fastball/curveball combination makes him one of the better starters in the league."

3. Jesse Hahn, Chatham/Virginia Tech. Throws R. 6'5" 195. Groton, Conn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-1, 5.28 ERA, 17 K's, 15.1 IP

Hahn was arguably the biggest story of the summer for scouts. He was dominant for his first several appearances before getting hit a few times toward the end of the season. The word is Hahn was dealing with numbness in his finger throughout the season, which must have affected his feel for his breaking pitches. Still, Hahn can be overpowering and is the best relief pitching prospect in the league.

Here is what I blogged about Hahn on July 10: "The story of this game from a scout's perspective was unquestionably Chatham's right-handed reliever Jesse Hahn from Virginia Tech. Hahn had scouts salivating and double checking each other's radar guns when his fastball sat between 96-98 mph. Hahn is tall with a solid, athletic build at 6'5" 195, and he gets a tremendously powerful drive from his lower body. He also throws a decent 75-76 mph curveball and an 83-84 mph change. Hahn subtly tips his pitches by opening up his front side a little too soon on his curveball and changeup, but his fastball is simply overpowering. If he can stay healthy Hahn could be a first round draft pick next June."

2. Brandon Workman, Wareham/Texas. Throws R. 6'5" 225. Bowie, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-1, 5.06 ERA, 24 K's, 21.1 IP

Workman was a little inconsistent once he came to the Cape after the College World Series but when he was on his game he was probably the best pitcher in the league. Workman was a third-round selection by the Phillies in 2007 and he is almost certain to be a first-round pick in June. His curveball was the best in the league. Workman was named the starting pitcher for the West Division All-Star team even though he had only made a couple of appearances before the event.

Here is what I blogged about Workman on July 24 after his All-Star Game start at Fenway Park: "Wareham righthander Brandon Workman from the University of Texas looked like an All-Star starter in his inning of work. His fastball sat in the 94-95 mph range, and his 77-78 mph hammer curveball looked tremendous even from a more distant vantage point. Barring injury I would be very surprised if he didn't go in the first round of next June's draft."

1. Jack Armstrong, Wareham/Vanderbilt. Throws R. 6'7" 230. Jupiter, Fla.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 4-1, 2.57 ERA, 31 K's, 35 IP

This might be an unconventional pick for the top pitching prospect because Armstrong hardly pitched at all during his freshman season at Vanderbilt, but Armstrong has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the league. Armstrong has the stuff, the body and the pedigree to be a very good major league pitcher. His father, Jack, Sr., used to pitch in the big leagues. It will be very interesting to watch Armstrong progress over the next two years and beyond.

Here is what I blogged about Armstrong on July 7: "Armstrong had a very effective fastball-changeup combination and while he might project to a bullpen role in the future, he has a major-league arm. Armstrong has a great body for a pitcher at 6'7" 230, and he throws with good, smooth arm action. He throws with a lot of effort but his mechanics are sound. Armstrong's fastball sat mainly in the 94-95 mph range early on and he once touched 96. His velocity did drop to the low 90s by the end of his seven-inning outing, but he was still missing bats at the end of his start. Armstrong's 80-82 mph changeup was also a really good, deceptive pitch that got him a lot of outs. Armstrong also showed a decent 81-82 mph curveball. He is certainly somebody to keep an eye on as a top prospect for the 2011 draft."

So that's it. That's the list. Keep in touch, everybody, and check back next year just in case.

Catchers , First Basemen , Second Basemen , Third Basemen , Shortstops , Outfielders 10-6 , Outfielders 5-1 , Top 30 Position Players , Pitchers 40-31 , Pitchers 30-21, Pitchers 20-11.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want Terrapin football updates? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Pitchers 20-11

2009-08-19T10:27:00.003-04:00

Here are the next 10 pitchers in my Top 40 rankings. In case the format is not self-explanatory, each player's vital information is followed by his 2009 Cape League regular season statistics, a short overarching blurb and a scouting blog post from earlier in the summer.

20. Bryan Morgado, Bourne/Tennessee. Throws L. 6'3" 205. Miami, Fla.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-1, 3.06 ERA, 47 K's, 32.1 IP

Morgado was selected by the White Sox in the third round of June's draft, but he stayed on the Cape the entire summer and he never ended up signing. Morgado looked excellent in some outings this summer and not nearly as good other times. He has a chance to be really good, and should at least be a solid pro, but he needs to be effective more consistently. Also, Morgado needs to find a way to be quicker to the plate. Base stealers ran wild on him all summer.

Here is what I blogged about Morgado on July 18: "Bourne starter Bryan Morgado from the University of Tennessee, the White Sox' third-round pick who disappointed me the last time I saw him, had better stuff Friday but he struggled with his control. Morgado's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and a couple of times crept up to 94. This was an improvement from the 88-91 I saw a couple of weeks ago. One Major League scout said he saw Morgado touch 96 in a relief appearance earlier in his pitching career. Morgado's 78-80 mph slider was average and he threw a decent 78-81 mph changeup. Morgado walked six and hit a batter in five innings, but also struck out eight. He still knows how to pitch, and the increased velocity made him more impressive, but I'm still not sure he was worth a third-round pick."

19. Brian Dupra, Harwich/Notre Dame. Throws R. 6'3" 205. Rochester, N.Y.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-1, 5.48 ERA, 25 K's, 23 IP

Dupra had one of the better bullpen arms on the Cape two summers in a row, but his numbers weren't nearly as good in 2009 as they were during his All-Star summer in 2008. Still, Dupra is highly-touted and could be in the discussion for a first-round pick next June.

Here is what I blogged about Dupra on July 4: "Right-handed reliever Brian Dupra from Notre Dame showed he is one of the better relievers in the league again this summer, pitching for Harwich for the second consecutive season. Dupra has good size and a solid, athletic build at 6'3" 205, and he has a smooth motion until the end and throws with good arm action. He does buck his head upon release. Dupra throws a 91-93 mph fastball with good tail in on right-handed hitters, and also throws an 88-91 mph cutter that runs nicely the other way. He also has a good 79-81 mph slider with tight break. His repertoire is well-suited for the bullpen, and he thrives in that role in the summer."

18. Patrick Cooper, Falmouth/Des Moines CC. Throws R. 6'2" 200. Danville, Ky.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-1, 0.66 ERA, 39 K's, 27.1 IP

There weren't many, but Cooper was probably the best junior college pitcher on the Cape this summer. Cooper was named a NJCAA Division II All-American and was selected in the 34th round by Arizona in June but did not sign. He is scheduled to play for Bradley University in the spring. Cooper was dominant out of Falmouth's bullpen all summer, and one has to believe he dramatically improved his draft stock for 2010.

Here is what I blogged about Cooper on July 30: "Right-handed reliever Patrick Cooper from Des Moines Community College looked really good for Falmouth with his fastball/slider combination. Cooper is average height with a solid, athletic build at 6'2" 200. He stands tall in his delivery and throws with some effort. Cooper's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range, and his 83-84 mph slider was excellent. The slider had very sharp break and he got a lot of swings and misses with it. Cooper has an ERA under 1 this summer and he is one of the better relievers in the league."

17. Tommy Kahnle, Orleans/Lynn. Throws R. 6'0" 225, Latham, N.Y.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-2, 2.41 ERA, 23 K's, 18.2 IP

Kahnle was solid out of the bullpen for Orleans this summer and really threw hard. There was a rumor Kahnle hit 99 mph during a playoff appearance after I left the Cape for the summer, but I have been unable to confirm whether that really happened. It's unlikely, but not impossible. Kahnle will be draft-eligible after his redshirt sophomore season next June and could definitely go in the first few rounds.

Here is what I blogged about Kahnle on June 17 after one of his less impressive outings of the summer: "Scouts were slightly abuzz about Orleans right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle from Lynn University. One scout said he saw Kahnle touch 95 mph during the spring, but his fastball topped out at 93 on Tuesday. Kahnle had a solid build at 6'0" 225, and he threw with some effort in his delivery. Kahnle looked to be overthrowing a little bit and he struggled with his control. He also threw a tight 80-81 mph slider."

16. Cecil Tanner, Falmouth/Georgia. Throws R. 6'6" 240. Waycross, Ga.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 0-2, 3.28 ERA, 28 K's, 24.2 IP

Tanner is a promising young reliever who will be a big prospect for the 2011 draft. He is probably better suited for a bullpen role even though he did make a few starts during his freshman year for Georgia. It will be interesting to see where his velocity is when it is time for him to be drafted.

Here is what I blogged about Tanner on July 28: Right-handed reliever Cecil Tanner from the University of Georgia looked good as a short-relief prospect for Falmouth. One NL scout said he saw Tanner sit consistenly around 96-97 mph this spring during his freshman season at UGA. I haven't seen him hit higher than 94 in three glimpses of him this summer, but he is still worth keeping an eye on. Tanner has good size at 6'6" 240. He looks a little stiff and awkward on the mound, but it's possible he is still growing into his body. Tanner's fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range Monday and had some sinking action. He also showed a good 77 mph slider with sharp break. If Tanner can regain that alleged 96-97 mph heat, one would have to believe he will be a high pick in 2011.

15. Kevin Munson, Bourne/James Madison. Throws R. 6'2" 200. Roanoke, Va.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 0-1, 1.80 ERA, 24 K's, 15 IP

Munson was good in somewhat limited action this summer, as there were whispers that he was nursing a minor injury. He had a very good sophomore season at JMU as the Dukes' closer this spring, and he was named First-Team All-CAA. Munson has a good fastball he can run up into the mid 90's and an effective slider when he throws it well. Munson will be a high pick next year.

Here is what I blogged about Munson on July 9: "Finally, right-handed reliever Kevin Munson from James Madison pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for Bourne and picked up the save. I had seen Munson earlier in the year, but his stuff was a lot more memorable this time. Munson is also average size for a pitcher at 6'2" 200. He needs to tighten up his motion, and he throws with some effort, but he has two good pitches that really work for him in a bullpen role. Munson's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range Wednesday and he spotted it well. He also threw an 80-83 mph slider with good run that he both throw for strikes and get hitters to chase out of the zone."

14. Brandon Cumpton, Cotuit/Georgia Tech. Throws R. 6'1" 190 Evans, Ga.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-0, 1.59 ERA, 7 K's, 17 IP

Cumpton was very effective for Cotuit for three starts before he shut it down for the summer with a sore shoulder. Assuming Cumpton is healthy, he should be high draft pick next June. Cumpton may not have as high a ceiling as some of the pitchers ranked ahead of him, but he is definitely consistently solid.

Here is what I blogged about Cumpton on June 18: "Cotuit's right-handed starter Brandon Cumpton from Georgia Tech shares Player of the Game honors with Vaughn. Cumpton is just average height and has a thin frame at 6'1 190, but he has smooth mechanics and good arm action and he was able to run his fastball up to 93 mph. Cumpton's heater sat in the 91-93 range, and he was still throwing it by hitters late in his eight-inning no-run, three-hit performance. Cumpton also showed a good 74 mph curveball and a decent 80-83 mph changeup that he tended to float up in the zone but he could also throw for strikes."

13. Taylor Hill, Chatham/Vanderbilt. Throws R. 6'4" 225. Old Hickory, Tenn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-1, 1.44 ERA, 35 K's, 31.1 IP

Hill was consistently one of the better relievers in the league all summer. His mechanics aren't great, which to me means he can only get better when he enters a professional system. Hill has some starting experience at Vanderbilt, and while he seems to do better out of the bullpen he has the repertoire to start. He will be a high pick next June.

Here is what I blogged about Hill on July 19: "Right-handed reliever Taylor Hill from Vanderbilt looked really good for Chatham. Hill is tall with a solid, athletic build at 6'4" 225. He has raw mechanics in which he wastes some movement and he throws with some effort, but his stuff is really good. Hill's fastball sat in the 89-92 mph range with late sinking movement. He threw a very good 80-82 mph slider with late frisbee-like movement that was his most effective, impressive pitch. He also threw a very good 78-79 mph changeup with downward movement and some tail in. All of his pitches have late life. Hill is one of the better relievers in the league."

12. Tyler Wilson, Hyannis/Virginia. Throws R. 6'2" 185. Midlothian, Va.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 3-1, 1.60 ERA, 28 K's, 39.1 IP

Wilson was excellent for Hyannis once he joined the team after the College World Series, and he was one of the most effective pitchers in the league during the second half of the season. Wilson's stuff isn't necessarily outstanding, but it is very good and he has really good command. He had a really good spring season for Virginia where he was used mostly as a reliever, but he proved this summer he can be a starter. Wilson will be in the conversation for a first-round pick next June.

Here is what I blogged about Wilson on July 17: "Wilson was dominant Thursday, and he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He ended up going seven and allowed no runs on two hits while striking out nine. Wilson is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 185, but you can tell he is a really good athlete and he brings an intense, competitive presence to the mound. Wilson throws easily with good arm action. Wilson's fastball sat in the 90-91 mph range, and he had really good command working both sides of the plate Thursday. His 81-82 mph slider had tight break but was just average, and he also threw a pretty good 78 mph changeup. Wilson competes, but he needs to have command like he did Thursday to be continually effective."

11.Brett Eibner, Wareham/Arkansas. Throws R. 6'3" 205. The Woodlands, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-0, 2.19 ERA, 14 K's, 12.1 IP
.240 BA, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .944 OPS

The main thing holding back Eibner's professional potential as a pitcher is his professional potential as a hitter. Wareham used Eibner almost exclusively as a hitter in 2008, but after seeing one of his three starts this season, I think he is better on the mound. Eibner needs to improve his stamina on the mound, but with a focus only on pitching, Eibner could definitely be a first-round pick next June. He could go just as high as a hitter.

Here is what I blogged about Eibner on July 7: "Wareham's Game 2 starter was righthander Brett Eibner from the University of Arkansas. Eibner is one of the better hitters in the league, and I was unaware before Monday the Gatemen had even planned to use him on the mound this summer. Eibner had a really good arm, though he did get tired quickly and didn't make it out of the fourth inning. Eibner has a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 205, and he throws easily with good, loose arm action. He tends to fall off the mound toward first base. Eibner's fastball sat in the 93-95 mph range in his first two innings, but he was down to 89-91 mph by the fourth. He threw an 85-88 mph slider with hard biting action, and a decent 84-87 mph changeup. He also showed an occasional 81 mph curveball."

Thursday: Top 10 Pitchers

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Third Basemen, Shortstops, Outfielders 10-6, Outfielders 5-1, Top 30 Position Players, Pitchers 40-31, Pitchers 30-21

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Pitchers 30-21

2009-08-18T11:16:00.003-04:00

Here are the next 10 pitchers in my Top 40 rankings. In case the format is not self-explanatory, each player's vital information is followed by his 2009 Cape League regular season statistics, a short overarching blurb and a scouting blog post from earlier in the summer.

30. Tyler Lyons, Chatham/Oklahoma State. Throws L. 6'2" 205. Lubbock, Texas

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-4, 1.77 ERA, 44 K's, 45.2 IP

Lyons was one of the better pitchers among guys who were under a Major League team's control and ended up staying the whole summer. The Yankees took Lyons in the 10th round of June's draft but Lyons did not sign and will return to Oklahoma State for his senior season. Lyons has been an effective starter in the Big 12 for the past two seasons, and with his Cape League performance and a strong senior year he should be selected higher next year.

Here is what I blogged about Lyons on July 27, when he pitched against unconventional lefty Mario Hollands: "Lyons was a lot more conventional, and while he stuff was not overpowering he had four pretty good pitches and was effective. Lyons is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 205. He has a smooth motion and has good arm action but does throw with a little effort. His fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and once touched 90. His two-seamer had good tailing action in on left-handed hitters and his four-seamer moved a little bit the other way. He threw a very good 75-76 mph curveball with sweeping break which he could throw for strikes, and also threw a good 78-79 mph slider with late break. The two breaking pitches had a similar trajectory but the curveball had more depth to it. Lyons also threw a deceptive 79-80 mph changeup with some downward movement. The Yankees have several guys under control up here, and Lyons is one of their better ones."

29. Matt Harvey, Chatham/UNC. Throws R. 6'5" 225. Mystic, Conn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 0-2, 6.00 ERA, 16 K's, 18 IP

Harvey is a unique case, as he could turn out to be the best pitcher to come out of this year's league, or he could flame out as a mechanical mess with unrealized potential. Harvey's velocity is way down from where it was when he was a high school All-American in 2007, and the severe hitch in his motion is very disconcerting. But if Harvey can regain his old form he could be a dominant pro. There is a chance a team might risk its first-round pick on him next June. I ranked him this low because he just seems so mixed up on the mound I don't think it will be easy for him to find his way completely back.

Here is what I blogged about Harvey on July 19: "Harvey is a really interesting case to me. He was one of the nation's best pitching prospects out of high school in 2007, dropped to the third round of the draft because he had signability issues, didn't sign, and then watched as his stock has dropped dramatically over the past two years. His mechanics are really out of whack right now, but he still has the potential to be really good and a team might take a chance on him with a high draft pick next June anyway. One scout said he should have signed in '07, and another agreed and said it must "leave a mark" every time Harvey watches fellow '07 high school phenom Rick Porcello pitch for the Detroit Tigers. Harvey is big with a solid build at 6'5" 225. He has poor arm action and a strange hitch in his delivery toward the top of his motion. He falls off toward third base and sometimes throws severely across his body. All of these things affect his command and velocity. I saw Harvey throw 94-95 for Chatham last summer, but his fastball sat in the 86-89 mph range on Saturday. He has a really good 73-75 mph overhand curveball with big break, but he tends to leave it up in the zone. He also throws a good 77-79 mph changeup with good downward movement when he throws it well. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Harvey next year, but ultimately he could have saved himself a lot of stress by taking what would have been big money in 2007."

28. Brett Weibley, Orleans/Kent State. Throws R. 6'3" 220. Duncansville, Pa.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-1, 1.23 ERA, 26 K's, 22 IP

I only got a brief glimpse of Weibley in a relief appearance, but his fastball touched 96 that day so he earned this ranking. Weibley threw mostly one pitch so he is probably only going to be a reliever. Weibley is a raw thrower who was more of a hitter than a pitcher until this past spring, and he was used solely as a pitcher by Orleans. It will be interesting to see how he develops as he gains more experience on the mound. Weibley is expected to go in the first few rounds next June.

Here is what I blogged about Weibley on July 30: "Orleans right-handed reliever Brett Weibley from Kent State hit 96 with his fastball. Weibley is above-average height with a solid build at 6'3" 220. He throws with a lot of effort and falls off the mound toward first base, but he throws with good arm action. Weibley's fastball sat mostly in the 93-95 mph range and did hit 96 once. He does well changing his locations. Weibley threw mostly all fastballs, showing just an average slider and a good changeup that he only threw during warmups."

27. Russell Brewer, Chatham/Vanderbilt. Throws R. 6'0" 190. Norwood, N.C.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Statistics: 2-1, 1.90 ERA, 33 K's, 23.2 IP, 10 saves

Brewer is the type of guy you need to watch several times before you can really appreciate how good he is. He doesn't have great stuff but he has tremendous command and consistently gets the job done. Brewer went undrafted after his redshirt sophomore season, but with two consecutive stellar seasons on the Cape under his belt, I am convinced he can be an effective pro.

Here is what I blogged about him on June 16: "The Anglers brought in righthander Russell Brewer, also from Vanderbilt, to pick up the save in the ninth. I really liked Brewer a lot when he closed games for Hyannis last summer, and he was exactly how I remembered him. His stuff is not that good, but he has excellent command and just consistently gets the job done. He's a little undersized at 6'0" 190, and his fastball tops out at 89 mph, but he hits his spots with it and makes hitters beat him. Brewer also throws a 75-76 mph slider that doesn't have very tight break but gets outs."

26. Matt Barnes, Wareham/UConn. Throws R. 6'4" 185. Bethel, Conn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-3, 4.78 ERA, 33 K's, 26.1 IP

Barnes is a raw, young, high-ceiling guy whose performance on the Cape didn't measure up to his stuff or his expectations coming in. If he is able to pitch more consistently against good competition he could be very good. It will also be interesting to see if he fills out more and increases his already good velocity.

Here is what I blogged about Barnes on July 1: "Barnes was also really impressive and had one of the Top 5 arms I have seen so far. He just turned 19 earlier this month, and there are indications that he has not even reached his full potential. Barnes has good size at 6'4" and a thin, very projectable 185-pound frame. He throws with really smooth arm action and makes everything look natural and easy. Barnes' fastball sat in the 90-93 mph range, and for the most part he spotted it really well and worked both sides of the plate. He threw a very good 75-76 mph curveball with tight break that he was able to throw for strikes, and also showed a good 83-84 mph changeup with sharp downward movement. Barnes is definitely a freshman to watch."

25. Jake Buchanan, Cotuit/N.C. State. Throws R. 6'0" 205. Gastonia, N.C.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 3-1, 0.84 ERA, 38 K's, 43 IP

Buchanan led all qualifying pitchers in ERA this summer, and was statistically one of the best pitchers in the league for the entire season. Still, his stuff is not dominant and he was not considered a very high prospect coming into this summer. This season definitely helped his stock, but he needs to continue to show he can get it done in the future.

This is what I blogged about Buchanan on July 21: "Buchanan, whose ERA was 0.67 before he pitched a shutout Monday, didn't have tremendous stuff, but he had a good feel for four solid pitches and he wasn't afraid to throw any of them in any count. In the middle innings of his start, one American League scout said "This guy doesn't ever throw the same pitch twice in a row." Hyannis' hitters were off-balance the entire game, and only four balls left the infield. Buchanan is average height with a stocky build at 6'0" 205. He short-arms his pitches a little but throws easy and has good balance. Buchanan's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range but hitters always seemed unsure of when it was coming and therefore it was effectively faster than its actual speed. Buchanan's best pitch was probably his tumbling 74-77 mph curveball with very good, sharp break. He also threw a 76-80 mph slider with good run and a good 76-79 mph changeup with nice downward movement. None of Buchanan's pitches, other than maybe his curveball, was sensational on its own but his full repertoire was very effective. He could certainly be drafted in the first few rounds next June."

24. Seth Blair, Cotuit/Arizona State. Throws R. 6'2" 190. Rock Falls, Ill.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 3-2, 2.75 ERA, 30 K's, 39.1 IP

Blair was one of the better starters in the Cape League this season, but I only caught him throw in relief on the last day of the regular season. Because of my limited exposure to him, I may be ranking him a little low. I also saw Blair pitch in the Cape League All-Star Game in 2008, when he gave up seven earned runs on five hits in 0.2 IP.

Here is what I blogged about Blair on August 6: "Cotuit right-handed reliever Seth Blair from Arizona State was very impressive. Usually a starter, Blair has a really good fastball/changeup combination and while his breaking pitches need some refining he definitely has a lot of potential. Blair is average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 190. He throws with some effort but has good, loose arm action. Blair throws a low 90s fastball with late life that has really good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. The pitch appears to find a new gear in midair. His changeup also moves a lot and is a good, deceptive pitch. Blair throws a curveball with tight break that he tends to leave up in the zone, and a slider with two-plane break he has trouble commanding. Blair needs to throw his curveball with more consistency and develop a better feel for the slider to maximize his effectiveness, but he should be selected in the first few rounds of next June's draft."

23. Cole Green, Wareham/Texas. Throws R. 6'0" 210. Coppell, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-1, 3.12 ERA, 33 K's, 26 IP

Green is the only player on any of my lists who I did not see this summer and therefore did not blog about. He started four games after coming to the Cape late after the College World Series, and unfortunately I didn't see any of them. People tell me Green is very good, and that he could be selected in the first few rounds of next year's draft. It's possible I would have ranked him higher if I had seen him in person, but I didn't want to put him much higher than the guys coming up on the list.

22. Kyle Winkler, Falmouth/TCU. Throws R. 5'11" 195. Sugar Land, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-2, 3.62 ERA, 31 K's, 32.1 IP

Winkler was one of the more impressive freshman I saw over the course of the summer. His sinker is a really good pitch and he just has a solid repertoire overall. Winkler is raw and young, but he was coming off a good freshman season at TCU and there is no reason to think his success won't continue. Winkler has a bright future and could go high in the 2011 draft.

Here is what I blogged about Winkler on July 28: "Righthander Kyle Winkler from TCU started for Falmouth and looked really good. Winkler threw the only true sinker I can remember seeing all summer and it was a great pitch. Winkler has a stocky build at 5'11" 195, and while he has a jerky motion and throws with some effort he has good arm action and a very strong-looking lower body which should limit some concerns about his durability. Winkler's fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range and once touched 94. The 85-86 mph sinker was really effective and with its late movement was very difficult for hitters to pick up. Winkler also threw a decent 76-78 mph curveball with sharp break and an 81-83 mph slider with hard run that wasn't really that good. Winkler just turned 19 last month, and he is somebody to watch for the 2011 draft."

21. Caleb Cotham, Brewster/Vanderbilt. Throws R. 6'3" 210. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 15 K's, 13 IP

Cotham was the Yankees' fifth-round draft pick this year and just signed with them right before the deadline. Cotham didn't come to the Cape until midway through the summer, but he was very effective in his limited action there. By my unofficial count, the Yankees selected 12 players I saw play on the Cape in 2008 and/or 2009. Cotham is the best.

Here is what I blogged about Cotham on July 20: "Another fifth-round pick, righthander Caleb Cotham from Vanderbilt, who was selected by the Yankees' last month, looked even more impressive in relief for Brewster. Cotham is above-average height with a solid build at 6'3" 210. He throws easy with tight mechanics and has good arm action. Cotham's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and he had pretty good command of it. He threw a hard 85-87 mph breaking ball with tight movement and a very good 83-84 mph changeup with very good downward movement. The Yankees would do well to sign him."

Wednesday: Pitchers 20-11

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Third Basemen, Shortstops, Outfielders 10-6, Outfielders 5-1, Top 30 Position Players, Pitchers 40-31.

Questions? Comments? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Pitchers 40-31

2009-08-17T15:11:00.003-04:00

Now that I have completed ranking all of the top position players, it is time to conclude the Cape Cod League Blog for 2009 with the Top 40 professional pitching prospects. Because I reported extensively on nearly all of the pitchers on the upcoming lists, most of these postseason reports will include a lot of information previously included on the blog. For the sake of suspense and excitement, I will unveil my Top 40 pitchers over the course of the next four days. Here are pitchers 40-31, based on professional potential, not just performance this summer.

40. Tyler Thornburg, Brewster/Charleston Southern. Throws R. 5'11" 176. Atlanta, Ga.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 0-0, 2.60 ERA, 18 K's, 17.1 IP, 8 Saves

Thornburg was Brewster's hard-throwing closer who impressed some scouts with big velocity despite his small frame, but who looked like a one-pitch pitcher in some outings. If his body holds up and he can command his secondary pitches more consistently, he could be a very good pro, but those are two big question marks with him.

Here is what I blogged about Thornburg on July 23: "Brewster right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from Charleston Southern was also interesting to watch. I caught Thornburg throw during the first week of the season, but hadn't seen him since then before Wednesday night. Thornburg is undersized at 5'11" 176, and he throws with big-time effort. He gets good extension and has a hitch in his motion before he throws straight over the top. I hesitate to make this comparison, as his mechanics are not as exaggerated and his stuff is not as good, but Thornburg evokes a faint comparison to Tim Lincecum. But Thornburg's command is not as good, he doesn't throw as hard and his curveball doesn't break as much. Still, Thornburg's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range, and his 77 mph curveball had very good overhand break. He also showed a decent changeup with some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. Thornburg impressed me more than he did the last time I saw him when his curveball wasn't working for him, but with his command he is kind of an adventure every time out."

39. Mike Gipson, Harwich/Florida Atlantic. Throws R. 6'1" 195. West Palm Beach, Fla.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-4, 3.89 ERA, 50 K's, 31 IP

Gipson was one of Harwich's more consistent starters and finished third in the league in strikeouts. He was never overpowering but pitched well all summer. His secondary stuff is what earned him a spot on this list, with the hopes that he will someday learn how to keep his fastball down.

Here is what I blogged about him on August 5: "Gipson, a righthander from Florida Atlantic, had decent stuff but he threw an incredibly straight fastball and got hit pretty well by Brewster. Gipson is average height with a solid build at 6'1" 195. He throws with big effort and falls forward when he releases and falls way off the mound toward first. He threw a very good curveball with big downward break, and once every few times he threw it, it had devastating 12/6 movement. Gipson also threw a deceptive changeup with good tailing action in on righties. But hitters sat on his fastball and took advantage of it."

38. Blake Monar, Wareham/Indiana. Throws L. 6'2" 198. Rockport, Ind.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-3, 3.02 ERA, 37 K's, 47.2 IP

Monar was actually the fourth or fifth starter on a stacked Wareham pitching staff depending on what point of the season it was, but he had very dependable stuff and gets the most out of the talent he has. He could go in the first few rounds next June and then it will be a matter of seeing how high he can go throwing in just the mid 80's.

Here is what I blogged about him on July 13: "Wareham left-handed starter Blake Monar from Indiana University pitched 7.1 strong innings, and the soon-to-be draft-eligible sophomore could go fairly high in next year's draft. Monar is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 198. He throws easily and with good arm action, though he does fall off the mound toward third base. Monar's fastball sits in the 84-86 mph range but has good tailing action and he is able to spot it on both sides of the plate. His best pitch is a 73-74 mph curveball that is really a great pitch when he throws it well. Monar was leaving it up early in his start Sunday but once he settled in his hook got him a lot of outs. He also threw a good hard slider with two-plane break and began to work in a decent changeup later in his outing. Despite his limited velocity, Monar looked very impressive."

37. Jason Zylstra, Falmouth/Jacksonville State. Throws R. 6'4" 220. Sylacauga, Ala.

I only caught one brief glimpse of Zylstra toward the end of the summer, so this ranking is based mostly on what I have heard about him from other people. Zylstra was taken in the 36th round of the draft by Minnesota this June, but as far as I know he still hasn't signed and likely will return to school. Expect him to go a lot higher next year.

Here is what I blogged about Zylstra on July 30: "I only caught a brief glimpse of Falmouth right-handed reliever Jason Zylstra from Jacksonville State and only saw him throw fastballs. Zylstra is tall with an average build and room to fill out at 6'4" 220. He gets good extension and throws with good, loose arm action. His fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range and had good sinking action."

36. David Goforth, Brewster/Ole Miss. Throws R. 5'11" 185. Philadelphia, Miss.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 0-1, 5.27 ERA, 19 K's, 13.2 IP

Goforth is similar to fellow Brewster reliever Thornburg in that he is an undersized flame thrower with limited command and secondary stuff. Goforth will have the same durability and command question marks in pro ball that will follow Thornburg. And while Thornburg had a better summer, Goforth reaches his peak velocity more consistently and is not quite as small.

Here is what I blogged about Goforth on July 5 (Note a hint of early-season hyperbole, but I mostly stand by it): "Right-handed reliever David Goforth from Ole Miss showed one of the best arms in the league pitching the eighth and ninth for Brewster. Goforth is a little small for a pitcher at an athletic 5'11" 185, and he throws with a lot of effort in his delivery. But Goforth's fastball repeatedly touched 95 mph, sitting in the 93-95 mph range for both of his two innings. His heater is straight, though, and his command comes and goes. His most impressive batter faced was when he broke Harwich's star right fielder Dan Grovatt's bat with a fastball in on Grovatt's hands. Goforth also showed an average 83 mph slider with sweeping break that he could throw for strikes and the occasional changeup. His consistent velocity alone makes him one of the better relievers in the league."

35. Tyler Burgoon, Y-D/Michigan. Throws R. 5'10" 165. Defiance, Ohio

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-1, 1.69 ERA, 34 K's, 21.1 IP

Here is yet another big-effort undersized reliever. Burgoon does not throw as hard as either Thornburg or Goforth, but his slider is very good and he was much more consistently effective this summer. Burgoon's 12 saves led the Cape League and he was pretty much automatic as the closer for the league's best team all summer long.

Here is what I blogged about Burgoon on July 25: "A reliever of interest was Y-D righthander Tyler Burgoon from the University of Michigan, who has put up tremendous numbers as Y-D's closer since I last saw him during the first week of the season. Burgoon hasn't allowed an earned run all season, and he entered Friday's game having given up just four hits in 17.1 innings pitched and striking out 27. He's doing it with only two pitches and a fastball that tops out at 91 mph. Burgoon is undersized at 5'10" 165 and he throws with big effort. His fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range and had good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He threw a very good 81-82 mph slider with sharp two-plane break. It is pretty clear it is that slider that gets him a lot of his strikeouts. You can't argue with his results."

34. Matt Price, Harwich/Virginia Tech. Throws R. 6'2" 185. Marietta, Ga.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 2-2, 2.97 ERA, 34 K's, 36.1 IP

Price is a projectable righthander who threw both as a starter and out of the bullpen for Harwich this summer. His July birthday makes him just old enough to be a draft-eligible sophomore in next June's draft. Price will need a good spring season to earn a high draft selection, but I think he is a sleeper who might develop late in professional ball and become a pretty good pitcher.

Here is what I blogged about Price on July 5 after a relief appearance: "Right-handed reliever Matt Price from Virginia Tech also showed a good arm for Harwich, but he struggled with his command and an inconsistent release point. Price is thin with a projectable frame at 6'2" 185. He throws with good loose arm action but he throws across his body and as previously noted frequently changes his release point. Price's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range Saturday and touched 93. He threw a 79 mph slider that was good when he threw it well, but he didn't throw it well each time He also showed a good changeup with nice downward movement."

33. Jorge Reyes, Orleans/Oregon State. Throws R. 6'2" 200. Warden, Wash.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 1-2, 1.06 ERA, 40 K's, 34 IP

I have been waffling about Reyes since the middle of last summer, and this ranking reflects that. He is much lower than where I would have placed him last year, but probably a little higher than where I had him right after I saw him this year. Reyes is really just inconsistent, and if he puts everything together he can be a dominant pitcher. He ended up putting up really good numbers for Orleans this summer. Reyes was taken by San Diego in the 17th-round this year but has yet to sign. This ranking suggests he will be taken higher next year and will realize his potential in professional ball.

Here is what I blogged about Reyes on July 14: Orleans right-handed Game 2 starter Jorge Reyes from Oregon State, the Padres' 17th-round pick last month, was one of my top-rated Cape League starters when he pitched for Falmouth last year, and while he was decent Monday I can't really remember what made me think he was so special in 2008. Reyes is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 200. He is a quick worker who throws easily with smooth arm action. When Reyes spots his 89-91 mph fastball he is really effective, but his command comes and goes from one inning to the next. He also threw an average 83-85 mph slider that had tight break but which didn't really move all that much.

32. Aaron Meade, Harwich/Missouri State. Throws L. 6'3" 185. Kansas City, Mo.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 3-1, 1.91 ERA, 47 K's, 42.1 IP

Meade was a very effective starter for Harwich all summer and was among the league leaders in many major categories. Meade was selected in the 28th round by the Yankees in June's draft, but has not signed and will likely be taken a lot higher in 2010. Professional teams will always give solid lefties who can throw strikes and mix in three quality pitches a long look.

Here is what I blogged about Meade on July 16: "Meade also looked very good in Game 1, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings pitched and striking out nine. Meade is above-average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 185. He throws easily with good arm action, though he doesn't always follow through and he can tend to allow his pitches to drift up in the strike zone. Meade's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range with good arm-side run. He threw an average, running 80 mph slider, and his best pitch was his 77-78 mph changeup. He tipped the changeup a little bit by slowing his body down as he threw it, but it was still a really good pitch and got him a lot of his strikeouts."

31. Jimmy Reyes, Orleans/Elon. Throws L. 6'0" 190 Miami, Fla.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: 3-2, 3.40 ERA, 38 K's, 47.2 IP

Reyes is an advanced pitcher and a situation where what you see is pretty much what you are going to get. I really like his stuff, though, and I think he could be an effective pro. He is another guy who might not be drafted really high next year but who could fly under the radar and climb his way to the big leagues.

Here is what I blogged about Reyes on August 3, after he outpitched Cotuit's Chad Bell even though Cotuit won: "Reyes was probably the better of the two southpaws. He is average height with an athletic build at 6'0" 190, though the 6'0" listing might be generous. He has a tight motion but throws with some effort and falls off the mound toward third base. Reyes is what you would call an advanced pitcher because he has four pitches, he mixes them well, and he has very good command. Reyes' fastball sat between 86-88 mph and had good tailing action in on left-handed hitters. Despite his limited velocity, Reyes was not afraid to challenge hitters inside. His 73-75 mph curveball was a very good pitch. It had slow, sweeping break but its late movement and Reyes' ability to spot it made it effective. Reyes also threw a slider with a similar trajectory but less depth than the curveball and a 78 mph changeup. Reyes isn't really a high ceiling guy, but he is solid and his command and know-how could translate to success at higher levels."

Tuesday: Pitchers 30-21

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Third Basemen, Shortstops, Outfielders 10-6, Outfielders 5-1, Top 30 Position Players

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at Schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Top 30 Position Players

2009-08-16T09:53:00.002-04:00

Now that I have run through all of the individual positions, it is time to unveil my overall 30 best position player prospects from the 2009 Cape Cod League. My criteria was pretty simple. If I was conducting a Major League draft consisting only of position players from the 2009 Cape League, regardless of their next year of draft eligibility, who would I take? The link within the players' names is the standard link to their college profile pages. The link within their position is a link to my Top 5 (or Top 10 for outfielders) rankings page, where you can read my scouting report of that player. The players' next year of draft eligibility is noted in parentheses. If there are no parentheses, that player is eligible in 2010.

Note: I have been struggling since the Top 2 players arrived on the Cape about seven weeks ago about who is No. 1 and who is No. 2. It is still pretty much a toss-up.

1. Zack Cox, 3B Cotuit/Arkansas

2. Micah Gibbs, C Y-D/LSU

3. Hunter Morris, 1B Falmouth/Auburn

4. B.A. Vollmuth, SS Falmouth/Southern Miss. (2011)

5. Cameron Rupp, C Cotuit/Texas

6. Derek Dietrich, SS Wareham/Georgia Tech

7. Mickey Wiswall, 1B Y-D/Boston College

8. Jedd Gyorko, 3B Brewster/West Virginia

9. Rob Segedin, 3B Bourne/Tulane

10. Jarrett Parker, OF Brewster/Virginia

11. Dan Grovatt, OF Harwich/Virginia

12. Kyle Roller, 1B Bourne/East Carolina (Drafted in 2009 by Oakland, remains unsigned)

13. Leon Landry, OF Harwich/LSU

14. Gary Brown, OF Orleans/Cal St. Fullerton

15. Cody Hawn, 1B Hyannis/Tennessee

16. Todd Cunningham, OF Falmouth/Jacksonville State

17. Johnny Ruettiger, OF Hyannis/Arizona State (2011)

18. Colin Walsh, 2B Brewster/Stanford

19. Ben McMahan, C Y-D/Florida (2011)

20. Tyler Hanover, 3B Y-D/LSU (2011)

21. Jaren Matthews, 1B Orleans/Rutgers

22. Kevin Keyes, OF Cotuit/Texas

23. Zach Cone, OF Cotuit/Georgia (2011)

24. Austin Wates, OF Y-D/Virginia Tech

25. Phil Gosselin, 2B Harwich/Virginia

26. Mark Canha, OF Brewster/California

27. Jason Esposito, 3B Falmouth/Vanderbilt (2011)

28. Scott Woodward, OF Bourne/Coastal Carolina

29. Trent Mummey, OF Harwich/Auburn

30. Pierre LePage, 2B Bourne/UConn

Monday Evening: Pitchers 40-30

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Third Basemen, Outfielders 10-6, Outfielders 5-1

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Top 5 Outfielders

2009-08-15T08:43:00.002-04:00

Here is the continuation of the list I started yesterday; the Top 5 professional outfield prospects from the 2009 Cape Cod League.

5. Todd Cunningham, Falmouth/Jacksonville St. Bats S/Throws R. 6'1" 205. Jacksonville, Ala.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .378 BA/3 HR/22 RBI/.958 OPS

Cunningham, the Cape League's batting champion, is the second consecutive Jacksonville State Gamecock to have a breakout summer in Falmouth, following flamethrower Ben Tootle's eye-opening performance as the Commodores' closer in 2008. Cunningham is probably not as good a hitter as his batting average suggests, and I am a little dubious about him winning the league's Pro Prospect Award, but a guy who hits .378 in the Cape League is obviously going to get a lot of looks from Major League teams and will be given a very good chance to be successful. Cunningham also had a strong spring season, during which he hit .339 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs. Cunningham is a really good player, and I promise I am not trying to discredit what he did on the Cape, but it seemed like every time I saw him play he got a hit or two that benefited from questionable official scoring or a misaligned defense. Still, Cunningham has a quick bat and a compact swing that allows him to put the ball in play. He will occasionally flash some power but he will mostly be a singles and doubles hitter in professional ball. He is advanced in that he can take what pitchers give him and find the holes in the defense. Cunningham is a good defensive outfielder who can cover a lot of ground and goes back well on deep fly balls. He has an average arm. He has good speed on the basepaths and can be a threat to steal. Cunningham has a lot of tools and his performance this summer will likely push him into the first couple rounds next June. He needs to show he can perform against top competition over a longer sample of games.

4. Gary Brown, Orleans/Cal St. Fullerton. Bats R/Throws R. 6'0" 180. Diamond Bar, Calif.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .310 BA/2 HR/14 RBI/.768 OPS

Brown is an excellent all-around player who is exactly what you want out of a top-of-the order player. Some scouts disagree and consider Brown to be slightly overrated, but I have been impressed by him for two summers now. Brown was a freshman All-American in 2008, and had a big sophomore season in 2009 for the College World Series participant Titans during which he hit .340 with three home runs and 40 RBIs. Brown is mostly a contact hitter who will flash occasional power. He has quick hands and a smooth stroke. Brown had arguably the best speed in the Cape League, getting down to first base in 4.0 seconds from the right side of the plate, and he does a good job putting the ball on the ground and trying to get on base. He very rarely strikes out. Brown is an excellent centerfielder who reads the ball off the bat very well and gets a good jump on fly balls. That ability, along with his speed, allows him to play more shallow than usual and take away some hits while still being able to go back and get deeper fly balls. Brown should at least be in the conversation for a first-round pick next June, and I think he will be a successful pro.

3. Leon Landry, Harwich/LSU. Bats L/Throws R. 5'11" 195. Baton Rouge, La.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .364 BA/2 HR/12 RBI/.850 OPS

Landry is an incredible athlete who starred in three sports in high school and gets by mostly with his superior athletic ability on the baseball field. He lost his starting job for the National Champion Tigers toward the end of this spring, but still hit .300 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. He had a tremendous half-season run for Harwich this summer once he arrived after the College World Series. Landry is mostly a line drive hitter who does have power potential. He has a lot of extra movement in his hands when he swings but seems to be able to make consistent contact anyway. Landry is aggressive at the plate and often swings early in the count. He is still raw at the plate but definitely has the natural ability. Landry is a very good outfielder who has the athleticism to make highlight-reel catches at any moment. He has really good speed but is an undeveloped base stealer who gets caught stealing too often. Landry is a high-ceiling talent who will be taken high in the draft next June, but he still has a lot of developing to do in his game.

2. Dan Grovatt, Harwich/Virginia. Bats L/Throws L. 6'1" 175. Tabernacle, N.J.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .288 BA/1 HR/12 RBI/.783 OPS

Grovatt is an advanced hitter and a solid all-around player who was very impressive once he arrived after the College World Series. He led the Cavaliers in batting this spring with a .356 batting average, and also hit eight home runs and had 51 RBIs. Grovatt swings hard but is also in control at the plate. He has very good plate coverage and uses the whole field, and he is a patient hitter who works the count. He has good pitch recognition and is able to stay back on breaking balls and drive them. Grovatt will hit for occasional power but he is mostly a line drive or gap hitter. Defensively, Grovatt is solid but not outstanding. His arm is above-average but not great, but it is probably good enough for him to stay in right field. He has average speed. Grovatt strikes me as somebody who will hit fifth or sixth in a Major League lineup and contribute on an everyday basis.

1. Jarrett Parker, Brewster/Virginia. Bats L/Throws L. 6'3" 190. Stafford, Va.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .188 BA/1 HR/13 RBI/.674 OPS

Parker was a major statistical disappointment on the Cape this summer, but he was practically a consensus first-round pick among scouts for next June coming into the season so this ranking is based a lot on his reputation. Parker had an excellent spring season for the Cavaliers, hitting .355 with a team-leading 16 home runs and 65 RBIs. He struggled at the plate all summer once he arrived after the College World Series. Parker's main issue on the Cape was that he was opening up his front side too soon and getting way out in front of pitches. Clearly he was just overanxious to perform. When he makes contact, Parker can really drive the ball with authority. Parker has a projectable frame and his power potential is very high if he is able to put everything together. I saw him hit a couple of absolute bombs during batting practice this summer, but his swing was very inconsistent. When he doesn't bail out, he can drive the ball to all fields. Parker is also strong defensively and has an above-average arm in the outfield. He has good speed and is a very good base stealer. Parker has the potential to be a five-tool talent, but he needs to relax at the plate so he can hit with more consistentcy. Parker is still considered a first-round pick in many circles, but it is less of a sure thing than it was before he arrived in Brewster.

Sunday: Top 30 Overall Position Players. Pitchers begin Monday.

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Third Basemen, Shortstops

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Outfielders 10-6

2009-08-14T08:51:00.002-04:00

Outfield was an interesting position on the Cape this summer. Guys who were supposed to be can't miss looked very average, and other players who weren't supposed to be that great had big summers and entered a lot of prospect discussions. Because there are three times as many outfielders as there are players at each infield position, I decided to rank 10 instead of 5. (I realize 5 x 3 is 15 but I'm only ranking 10 anyway). Because it has taken me a long time each morning to file these rankings, I am splitting outfielders into two days, continuing to drag out this process as long as possible. Here are outfielders 10-6 from this summer, with the Top 5 outfielders coming tomorrow.

10. Mark Canha, Brewster/California. Bats R/Throws R. 6'2" 195. San Jose, Calif.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .257 BA/3 HR/11 RBI/.800 OPS

Canha looked like one of the best hitters in the league during the first couple weeks of the summer, then went through a big slump and eventually left the Cape early with an injury. Canha is the type of player who doesn't look particularly good or athletic when you just look at him standing on the field or doing anything, but when he is going well he is a really good hitter. Canha led Cal in all three Triple Crown categories with a .366 average, 12 home runs and 43 RBIs. He has a short but powerful swing and does a good job using the whole field. Canha looked like he was pressing at the plate at times which contributed to his struggles. Defensively, Canha is not very good in the outfield and may be better suited to play first base, where he has spent some time for his college team. He does have an above-average arm. Canha's draft status is going to depend on how he hits next spring. He has the potential to be a top-caliber hitter, but he has to do it more consistently.

9. Austin Wates, Y-D/Virginia Tech. Bats R/Throws R. 6'1" 174. Richmond, Va.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .312 BA/0 HR/21 RBI/.794 OPS/12 SB

Wates is a good all-around player who was absolutely locked in at the plate for several weeks during the summer, and he ended up with the highest batting average on the best team during the regular season. I'm told Wates is sneaking into the conversation about being a first-round pick, and while I don't think I would want my team to use its first pick on him, he is a solid prospect. He had a very strong season at Virginia Tech, hitting .395 with five home runs and 42 RBIs for the Hokies. Wates is mostly a singles and doubles hitter, but he often makes solid contact and seems to have a knack for finding holes and gaps. He does a good job going with pitches and driving the ball to all fields. Wates is an athletic kid with good speed, and he can cover a lot of ground in the outfield when he really goes after balls. He tends to drift on fly balls sometimes, though. I would definitely take Wates in the first few rounds next June, but the very first round might be a stretch.

8. Zach Cone, Cotuit/Georgia. Bats R/Throws R. 6'2" 204. Stone Mountain, Ga.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .243 BA/3 HR/20 RBI/.599 OPS

Cone is a high-ceiling, all-around talent for the 2011 draft class who still has some developing to do. He started to look better and better as the season progressed and he got more comfortable with the wood bat. As a part-time player for Georgia this spring, Cone hit .323 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 45 games (20 starts). Cone is mostly a line drive hitter at this point but has shown hints of power potential. He has an athletic build that looks like it belongs on a Major League diamond. Cone swings hard and has a slightly long swing which led to a lot of strikeouts this summer. It looked like later in the summer he was doing a better job with situational hiting and using the whole field. He is a good bunter. Cone is athletic in the outfield and runs well on the bases. He has a strong arm. Cone is a player to watch for the 2011 draft. He needs to work on his approach at the plate and develop more consistent power.

7. Kevin Keyes, Cotuit/Texas. Bats R/Throws R. 6'4" 225. Austin, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .185 BA/2 HR/7 RBI/.583 OPS

Keyes arrived at the Cape after the College World Series with high expectations, but he struggled to get anything going during his half-season with Cotuit. This ranking is therefore based mostly on the reputation that preceded him. Keyes had a good year for the national runners-up, hitting .305 with nine home runs and 46 RBI. Keyes was one of the physically bigger players in the league, and he certainly has power potential. He swings hard and can drive the ball to all fields. Keyes is kind of a free swinger, and he tends to get out in front on good off-speed pitches. He is slow in the outfield and on the basepaths, and has just an average arm. Of any player on my own list, I am most dubious about Keyes, but because he is so highly-regarded by others I am keeping him up here for now. If he harnesses his power he could be a very good pro, but there are a lot of holes in his game.

6. Johnny Ruettiger, Hyannis/Arizona State. Bats L/Throws L. 6'2" 175. Joliet, Ill.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .255 BA/0 HR/6 RBI/.697 OPS

Ruettiger is a really good athlete and a contact hitter who is not going to hit for power but who will do everything else well. The movie "Rudy" is based on the life of his uncle who played football at Notre Dame in the 1970s. Ruettiger quarterbacked his high school football team to a state championship. As a freshman for College World Series participant Arizona State, Ruettiger hit .360 with one home run and 13 RBIs as a part-time starter. Even though his once-lofty batting average at the Cape dropped by the end of his summer, he is everything that you want out of a leadoff hitter. Ruettiger is patient at the plate and does a good job working the count. He is short to the ball and does a good job taking pitches to left field. He swings with mostly his hands and he does get off-balance occasionally, but he will hit for a high average over the course of a long season. Ruettiger has very good speed, and is a threat to steal a base whenever he gets on. He is a good defensive outfielder. Ruettiger is another player to watch for in the 2011 draft.

Saturday: Outfielders 5-1

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Third Basemen, Shortstops

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Shortstops

2009-08-13T08:51:00.003-04:00

Shortstop was a top-heavy position on the Cape this summer, with two top-caliber prospects and then everybody else a big step below. And both of my top Cape League shortstop prospects might be better off playing a different position in pro ball.

5. Chris Wade, Harwich/Kentucky. Bats R/Throws R. 6'0" 160. Lexington, Ky.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .260 BA/0 HR/3 RBI/.647 OPS (13 games)

Wade was taken in the 11th-round of June's draft by the Marlins, and signed with Florida on July 6. Wade was solid but not outstanding while he was on the Cape, following up on a redshirt sophomore season at Kentucky during which he hit .313 with 6 home runs and 42 RBIs. Wade is a line drive hitter with a smooth right-handed stroke. He is a very athletic defensive player with really good range and the ability to make the tough play. He also has a strong arm. I only got to see Wade a couple of times before he left, but he should be a solid pro in the Marlins' system and where they drafted him seems about right.

4. Levi Michael. Harwich, UNC. Bats S/Throws R. 5'10" 170. Welcome, N.C.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .247 BA/1 HR/6 RBI/.673 OPS

The main reasons Michael is ranked ahead of the player he replaced in Harwich are his youth and potential. Wade is a better player than Michael right now, but Michael just turned 18 in February and it is important to consider that he was the youngest player on the Cape this summer when evaluating what he did. Michael hit .290 with 13 HR and 57 RBIs for the Tar Heels in the spring. He didn't show that kind of home run power with the wood bats over the summer, but still did just about everything else well. Michael has quick hands at the plate and made solid contact consistently. Michael had sort of an inside out swing from the left side of the plate and did a good job taking the ball to left field. He looked like more of a slap hitter from the left side and a gap hitter from the right side. Defensively he had good range up the middle and a strong arm for a player of his size. Michael also has good speed, getting to first base in 4.2 seconds from the left side of the plate. I get the feeling Michael is going to develop into a really good player by the time he is eligible for the draft in 2011.

3. Josh Rutledge, Y-D/Alabama. Bats R/Throws R. 6'0" 185. Cullman, Ala.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .250 BA/0 HR/11 RBI/.583 OPS

A lot of people are very high on Rutledge, and while I think he is solid I probably am not as high on him as everybody else. I saw some good things from him but I also saw some things in his play this summer I didn't like. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt on a weak list so far because of what I have heard Rutledge is supposed to be. Rutledge was named first team All-SEC this spring after he hit .305 with 5 home runs and 44 RBIs for the Crimson Tide. Rutledge has a nice line drive swing and some pop, and he can drive the ball to the opposite field. But later in the summer when I saw him he looked off-balance and uncomfortable at the plate, and he struggled to find his timing. He also took some questionable angles on balls in the field. Rutledge had a tremendous freshman season at Alabama and was also good when he played for Y-D in 2008. He took a step back in both leagues this year but is still considered a probable high draft pick in 2010.

2. Derek Dietrich, Wareham/Georgia Tech. Bats L/Throws R. 6'1" 195. Parma, Ohio.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .211 BA/3 HR/10 RBI/.677 OPS

Dietrich looked like the best Major League prospect on the Cape for the first couple weeks of the summer before the College World Series and Team USA tryout guys showed up. He showed flashes of brilliance in certain games throughout the summer, but he also had games where his weaknesses shone through and he went through a terrible slump the last few weeks of the season. Dietrich was named the National Freshman of the Year by Rivals.com in 2008, but his inconsistency at the plate and an increasing suspicion he will be unable to play shortstop professionally has caused his stock to decrease since then. Dietrich hit .311 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI for the Yellow Jackets this spring. He showed home run power in batting practice at the Cape, and I saw him hit two home runs in one game in person, but he really struggled to find his swing in games for most of the summer. Dietrich swings easy and has quick hands, but his timing was off a lot of the time and he struggled to hit good breaking pitches. When he is going well Dietrich is a great hitter, but he was just out of whack a lot of the time I saw him this summer. Dietrich has limited range at shortstop and he will likely have to play third base or the outfield in professional ball. He has a plus arm. Dietrich still could be selected in the first round of the draft next June, but it is not as sure of a bet as it once was.

1. B.A. Vollmuth, Falmouth/Southern Miss. Bats R/Throws R. 6'3" 200. Biloxi, Miss.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .230 BA/5 HR/18 RBI/.744 OPS

Vollmuth arrived late to the Cape after his school team's suprising run to the College World Series, and he slowly and improbably overtook Dietrich as the best prospect in the league who predominantly played shortstop. Vollmuth hit .237 with 8 home runs and 28 RBIs as a freshman for Southern Miss this spring. Vollmuth has very good raw power but also a quick bat and short-to-the-ball swing. He tends to step out on good breaking balls and swings and misses a lot, but with his swing one would think he will be able to hit for a higher average and with fewer strikeouts once he gets used to facing better pitching more often. Vollmuth is an athletic kid but does not look especially smooth in the field, and with his size he is probably better-suited to play third base professionally. He has a very strong arm. Vollmuth has some developing to do but he has a high ceiling and could be a very high pick in the 2011 draft.

Friday: Outfielders 10-6

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Third Basemen

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Third Basemen

2009-08-12T08:23:00.005-04:00

Third base was probably the best position on the Cape this summer, with really seven or eight players who will likely be drafted very high in either 2010 or 2011. Of the five players on this list, three of them could go in the first round next year and shouldn't go lower than the first day, and the other two are definitely names to watch for in the first few rounds in 2011.

5. Jason Esposito, Falmouth/Vanderbilt. Bats R/Throws R. 6'3" 190. Bethany, Conn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .198 BA/0 HR/8 RBI/.449 OPS

Esposito is a guy who came into the league with a lot of hype and just struggled terribly the entire summer. He never looked comfortable at the plate. Early in the season it looked like he was struggling to get used to handling the wood bat, and later in the summer it looked like he was pressing. He was coming off a solid freshman season at Vanderbilt where he hit .287 with 4 home runs, 42 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Esposito is an athletic looking kid with a mature body who just looks like he belongs on a Major League field. at the plate, Esposito has a slightly long swing and he struggled at times with pitch recognition so he was often late on the ball. But he swings hard and when he is able to see the ball well he can drive it. Defensively, he tends to sit back on ground balls and let them play him, but otherwise he moves well, has smooth hands and has good range. He has a very strong arm and decent speed on the bases. Esposito has the ability to be a very good all-around player, and he still has almost two full years until he is next eligible for the draft, but he just turned 19 during the summer and still looks very raw.

4. Tyler Hanover, Y-D/LSU. Bats R/Throws R. 5'6" 163. Kernersville, N.C.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .300 BA/2 HR/16 RBI/.767 OPS

Hanover is in many ways the opposite of Esposito. He is very undersized, which could lead to him being overlooked by many teams, but he performed very well on the Cape from the day he arrived after the College World Series. Hanover made an impact for the National Champions as a freshman this spring, hitting .321 with five home runs and 47 RBIs. Despite his strikingly small size, Hanover gets really good torque in his swing and actually has some pop in his bat. He is compact and very quick to the ball and turns well on inside fastballs, but also stays back well and uses the whole field. Hanover is also very solid defensively but with his size he will almost certainly only be able to play second base professionally. He is definitely a player to watch for in 2011.

3. Rob Segedin, Bourne/Tulane. Bats R/Throws R. 6'3" 220. Old Tappan, N.J.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .304 BA/0 HR/16 RBI/.802 OPS

Segedin was a very impressive all-around player who had perhaps the best right-handed swing in the Cape League. He made a major impact for Bourne after arriving a couple weeks into the season, and is a big reason why they are playing for the league championship today. Segedin missed most of his college season with an injury, and had just 14 at-bats in five games for the Green Wave. Segedin looks good at the plate, and he is the only player I can remember who made scouts whistle in delight about his swing on multiple occasions. He swings hard but is in control and limits his swings and misses. He has a quick bat, uses the whole field and can really drive the ball to the opposite field, to the point where he was arguably the best opposite field hitter in the league. He is a doubles hitter but not a power hitter. Segedin is solid but not outstanding defensively. He also played some outfield on the Cape and may be better suited to play out there professionally. Segedin will be selected in the first few rounds next June.

2. Jedd Gyorko, Brewster/West Virginia. Bats R/Throws R. 5'10" 195. Morgantown, W. Va.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .323 BA/5 HR/18 RBI/.878 OPS

Gyorko was one of the best hitters on the Cape this summer once he arrived after surprisingly being cut by Team USA. He doesn't really have a place to play to defensively, but he was definitely one of the five most feared hitters in the league all season. Gyorko somehow played shortstop for West Virginia this spring, and hit .421 with 8 home runs and 58 RBIs. Gyorko hits with an open stance and doesn't come all the way closed and sometimes steps even further in the bucket, but he still makes consistent contact and drives the ball with authority. He can absolutely punish balls on the inner part of the plate. Gyorko has a smooth stroke and is quick to the ball. He swings hard and has a pretty strong lower body so he gets good pop despite his lack of height. He can hit breaking pitches and he is somehow able to drive the ball to right field even though he doesn't step into the ball when he hits. Gyorko looks very shaky defensively and that will be his biggest problem in professional ball. He doesn't move well and has very limited range in the infield. Brewster used him at both second base and third base but he didn't look natural at either position. If a team wants his bat and thinks they can worry about finding a place for him to play later on, he will go very high in next year's draft.

1. Zack Cox, Cotuit/Arkansas. Bats L/Throws R. 6'0" 215. Louisville, Ky.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .344/0 HR/11 RBI/.795 OPS

Some scouts aren't as high on him as I am, but I think Zack Cox was arguably the best all-around player on the Cape this summer. He is extremely aggressive at the plate and just really fun to watch hit. Cox hit .266 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs for an Arkansas team that went to the College World Series during his freshman year. Cox didn't show that home run power with the wood bats during the summer, but he did just about everything else. Cox has really good balance at the plate, and he is quick to the ball with his strong hands. He uses the whole field and can really drive the ball to left. Cox rarely works the count, and seems to swing at either the first or second pitch in nearly all of his at-bats. In a league in which many guys let themselves fall behind in the count, Cox made the pitcher work hard on every pitch. He had tremendous plate coverage and was able to drive balls that weren't necessarily in good locations to hit. Defensively, Cox has smooth hands and moves well in the infield. He isn't afraid to throw his body around to make plays. He has a strong arm and average speed. Cox will be draft-eligble after his sophomore season next spring, and will very likely be a first-round pick.

Thursday: Shortstops

Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Second Basemen

2009-08-11T08:23:00.002-04:00

Second base was a Cape League position without any surefire major league prospects in 2009, but with several fringe prospects. The player with the most professional potential as a second baseman is perhaps Tyler Hanover from Y-D and LSU, but I decided to list him as a third baseman in these rankings because that's where he played the majority of the summer. Jedd Gyorko played some second base for Brewster, and the West Virginia standout was one of the best hitters in the league, but he is not nearly athletic enough to play the middle infield as a pro so he will also be ranked as a third baseman.

5. Blake Kelso, Y-D/Houston. Bats R/Throws R. 5'10" 170. Pflugerville, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .260 BA/0 HR/13 RBI/.665 OPS/18 SB

Kelso was a pest at the top of the order for Y-D all summer. The Louisvile Slugger Freshman All-American in 2008 led his college team in hits, runs, doubles and total bases in 2009. Kelso will hit the occasional double with a wood bat but he is mostly a contact hitter. He has a smooth stroke but is unafraid to slap at the ball just to put it in play and get on base. He does a good job taking what the pitcher gives him and using the whole field. Kelso ended the summer with a very low strikeout total in a big strikeout league. Kelso is also very good defensively, as he showed very good range both up the middle and to his left and a pretty good arm for a second baseman. Like many of these second baseman Kelso is never going to be a star, but he does enough things well that he will last awhile in professional ball.

4. Tom Belza, Chatham/Oklahoma State. Bats L/Throws R. 6'0" 188. Loveland, Ohio

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .183 BA/1 HR/11 RBI/.405 OPS

Belza had a terrible season on the Cape this summer, but I'm not ready to give up on Oklahoma State's leading hitter the past two seasons and a 2008 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. Belza hit .346 with 6 home runs and 52 RBIs for the Cowboys this spring. Belza didn't strike out as much as many others in the Cape league with similar batting averages, he just struggled to make good contact consistently. Belza keeps his hands very relaxed in the batter's box, and a lot of times it looked like he wasn't ready to hit. His timing was off and he was late to start his swing. Other times it looked like he was jamming himself. Belza is very strong defensively, as he made only one error all summer. He's a good athlete who moves well in the field and looks especially good on balls hit up the middle. Belza is not a base-stealing threat. If Belza fixes his hand issues at the plate, he could be a very good all-around player.

3. Pierre LePage, Bourne/UConn. Bats R/Throws R. 5'7" 157. Wolcott, Conn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .308 BA/0 HR/14 RBI/.753 OPS/17 SB

LePage gets more out of his talent than any other player in the Cape League and he was by far the scrappiest, most hard-nosed player out there. No matter how much I wanted to leave him off this list because of his size and how awkward he looks sometimes on the field, his excellent performance all summer just made him impossible to ignore. LePage is the ultimate contact hitter and he very rarely struck out. He is never going to hit for power but he has very quick hands and would do whatever he could to put the ball in play. He uses his 4.1 second speed down to first base to make things happen on the basepaths. LePage has good pitch recognition and can use the whole field. Defensively he has very good range and is a smart player who often makes good decisions. He is unafraid to dive or leap or do whatever he needs to do to make a play. LePage is just the type of player you want to have in your organization.

2. Phil Gosselin, Harwich/Virginia. Bats R/Throws R. 6'1" 185/West Chester, Pa.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .262 BA/0 HR/7 RBI/.633 OPS

Gosselin started out very strong on the Cape his first few games after arriving after the College World Series but then settled into being a more a solid-average player the rest of the summer. Gosselin had a solid year for Virginia, hitting .310 with 6 home runs, 64 RBI and 24 SB. Gosselin is a line drive hitter with quick hands and a short stroke to the ball. He has occasional pop and does a good job driving the ball to the opposite field. Gosselin is just average defensively and doesn't have very good range, so he might eventually be better-suited to play the outfield. He does have good hands though and turns the double play well. Gosselin has an average arm. Gosselin has a projectable body and arguably has the most professional potential as a hitter of any second baseman in the league.

1. Colin Walsh, Brewster/Stanford. Bats S/Throws R. 6'1" 2oo. La Jolla, Calif.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .255 BA/0 HR/5 RBI/.661 OPS

Walsh was a solid player for Brewster all summer and quite honestly I was surprised his final stats weren't a lot better than they are when I just looked them up. Walsh led the Cardinal with a .320 batting average this spring. Walsh has a very smooth swing, especially from the left side, but his only hint of any power comes from the right side. Walsh is quick to the ball and can drive it even though he has hit only singles and doubles all spring and summer. He has very good pitch recognition and can use the whole field. Walsh is a very solid defensive player who makes nearly every routine play and also has shown athleticism and good range up the middle. He is a heads-up player who makes smart decisions on the field. It was a tough call between Walsh and Gosselin, and while Gosselin may have the higher ceiling as a hitter I went with Walsh because you pretty much know what you're getting from him and he has shown he can definitely stick at second base.

Wednesday: Third Basemen

Catchers, First Basemen

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: First Basemen

2009-08-10T08:20:00.004-04:00

First base was a Cape League position with many solid players, but really only one top-shelf prospect. Here are the five best first baseman, as far as professional potential, who played on the Cape this summer.

5. Jaren Matthews, Orleans/Rutgers. Bats L Throws L. 6'2" 215. Teaneck, N.J.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .211 BA/2 HR/18 RBI/.643 OPS

Matthews started the season looking like one of the best hitters on the Cape, then fell off so dramatically it was almost difficult to hold a spot for him in these rankings. He was dropped in Orleans' batting order late in the season and looked lost at the plate toward the end of the summer. Matthews was coming off a spring season during which he hit .328 with six home runs and 28 RBIs. Matthews has a mature, powerful body and as a hitter often tries to get by with just his brute strength, but he doesn't seem to have much of an approach at the plate. He can turn on a good fastball, but really struggles to hit a breaking ball and his timing is off a lot of the time. He is always swinging hard and sometimes looks out of control. But the potential is there with a lot of good coaching. Defensively, Matthews is a very good athlete with good range in the field at first base.

4. Cody Hawn, Hyannis/Tennessee. Bats L Throws R. 5'11" 202. Knoxville, Tenn.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .375 BA/4 HR/14 RBIs/1.172 OPS (15 Games)

Hawn was having an MVP-caliber summer before he left prematurely with an injury, and it is unfortunate I didn't get a really good look at him before he departed. This ranking is based mostly on the observations of other people, but I think it's fair. Hawn also had a huge spring at Tennessee where he led the Vols in batting average, home runs, RBIs, hits, doubles and slugging percentage. Hawn is a strong kid who has quick enough hands to turn on inside fastballs. He consistently drives the ball during batting practice, but he also tends to occasionally get himself off-balance. Hawn mostly played DH for Hyannis, but when he did play the field it was at first base, and the one time I saw him out there he held his own and made more than one scoop on throws in the dirt. Hawn is a slow runner. Hawn has been drafted twice already, in the 23rd round out of high school in 2007 and in the 41st round after junior college in 2008. If Hawn can stay healthy, he will go much higher in 2010.

3. Kyle Roller, Bourne/East Carolina. Bats L Throws R. 6'1" 248. Rockingham, N.C.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .342 BA/10 HR/33 RBI/1.093 OPS

Roller won the league MVP award and was undeniably the most feared hitter on the Cape by the end of the season. Roller doesn't really have a position and his potential is limited because he might only be a designated hitter in professional ball, but after seeing how good he looked at the plate this summer it is almost comical he wasn't selected until the 47th round of June's draft after his junior year at ECU. He also had a pretty good year at school when he hit .336 with 16 home runs and 75 RBIs. Roller was one of the few players on the Cape who didn't look phased at all by the wood bat, as he consistently hit the ball with authority and had big raw power. He did a great job using the whole field and practically lived in the left-centerfield gap. He does strike out a good number of times and will occasionally wave at a good breaking ball, but he didn't get fooled as often as many Cape Leaguers did. He could turn on a fastball as well as anyone in the league. The main drawback against Roller is clearly his defense, but it's not as if his glove is completely hopeless. If Roller re-enters the draft next year, he will be taken a lot higher than the 47th round.

2. Mickey Wiswall, Y-D/Boston College. Bats L/Throws R. 6'0" 207. Stoneham, Mass.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .302 BA/5 HR/30 RBI/.788 OPS

Wiswall was just consistently solid the entire summer, and he was a fixture in the middle of the batting order for the league's best offense. He is a well-rounded player who does a lot of things very well, and this is why he is ranked ahead of Roller who is probably a more impressive hitter. Wiswall also had a solid college season, hitting .320 with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs for BC. Wiswall is a bit of a free swinger who rarely walks or works the count. He has a quick bat and brings his hands straight to the ball. He always swings hard and generates good bat speed, but he can also sit back on a breaking ball and he also does a good job using the whole field. He is certainly athletic enough to play first base professionally, but he is probably not good enough defensively to play third base, his secondary position. Wiswall should go in the first few rounds next June.

1. Hunter Morris, Falmouth/Auburn. Bats L/Throws R. 6'2" 220. Huntsville, Ala.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .239 BA/8 HR/19 RBI/.786 OPS

Morris had the best raw power in the Cape League, and he was one of the only players in the league, if not the only player, who took must-see batting practice. He could crush a fastball better than perhaps anyone I saw up at the Cape in 2008 or 2009. Morris played for Team USA in summer 2008 after he was named the SEC Freshman of the Year that spring. Morris was drafted in the second round of the 2007 draft out of high school but chose not to sign. It is a very risky decision that might actually pay off in his case if he is able to stay healthy for one more year. Morris hit .282 with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs for Auburn this spring. Morris' main Achilles' Heel is his inability to hit a good breaking ball. For as many times as I saw him crush a fastball, I saw him look truly bad flailing at an off-speed pitch. I would never throw Morris a fastball in any kind of big situation. Morris isn't very good in the field but he is at least good enough to play out there regularly. And, again, his power is elite, and with work against secondary pitches he could become a very dangerous professional hitter. Morris will likely be a first-round selection next June barring injury.

Coming Tuesday: Second Basemen

Sunday: Catchers

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OUTRAGED BY MY RANKINGS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Postseason Prospect Rankings: Catchers

2009-08-09T08:37:00.005-04:00

As the playoffs rage on, my end-of-summer professional prospect rankings begin here with the catchers. Catcher was somewhat of a weak position on the Cape this summer, with really only two big-time MLB prospects playing in the league. And with four of the league's five best catchers playing on the same two teams, there were a lot of nights when you just didn't see a legitimate professional prospect behind the plate.

Here are the five best catchers in the Cape League in 2009. Remember, these rankings are based on what I perceive to be the professional potential of these players. A player's statistical performance in the Cape League this summer is only one factor in that analysis.

5. Mike Murray, Chatham/Wake Forest. Bats L Throws R. 6'0" 210. Westfield, N.J.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .347 BA/1 HR/5 RBI/.864 OPS

Murray was one of the more underrated players on the Cape despite his numbers, a guy who does not stand out the first time you watch him but who will grow on you over the course of an entire season. He just works hard and does a lot of different things well. Murray was the East Division's starting catcher in the All-Star Game, and he was one of Chatham's best and most consistent hitters all season. He hit .306 with six home runs and 37 RBIs for Wake Forest this spring, but was not selected in the MLB draft after his junior season. Murray hits from a wide base and is a line drive hitter with a smooth stroke. He is a good fastball hitter with a quick bat and while he has good bat control he showed a tendency to occasionally step in the bucket on good breaking balls. Murray moves well behind the plate and does a good job taking control on the field.

4. Cody Stanley, Cotuit/UNC Wilmington. Bats L Throws R. 5'11" 200. Clinton, N.C.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .299 BA/1 HR/11 RBI/.852 OPS

Stanley, the West Division's starting catcher in the All-Star Game, was solid all season for Cotuit and continued to catch plenty of games even after the more highly-touted Cameron Rupp arrived from Texas after the College World Series. Stanley was one of the top prospects in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in summer 2008, and he had a very strong spring season in 2009, hitting .332 with 12 home runs and 56 RBIs for UNC Wilmington. Stanley looks a little stiff at the plate but he has good balance and is able to drive the ball consistently. Defensively, he is athletic behind the plate and is also tough, unafraid to block the plate on close plays with his stocky build. Stanley also has a strong arm.

3. Ben McMahan, Y-D/Florida. Bats R/Throws R. 6'0" 205. Windermere, Fla.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .241 BA/3 HR/8 RBI/.708 OPS

McMahan was the best freshman catcher on the Cape this summer and he split time with Micah Gibbs on the league's best team. McMahan was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school but saw limited action at Florida this spring and hit just .100 with 1 HR and 2 RBIs in only 18 games for the Gators. McMahan has a slightly long swing and was prone to strikeouts this summer, but he looks smooth at the plate and drives the ball when he connects. McMahan does have quick hands so he has the potential to cut down on the strikeouts if he is able to shorten up. McMahan is very strong defensively and consistently makes athletic plays behind the plate.

2. Cameron Rupp, Cotuit/Texas. Bats R/Throws R. 6'2" 235. Plano, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .317 BA/4 HR/12 RBI/.973 OPS

Rupp joined Cotuit about halfway through the season after the College World Series and was very impressive as a designated hitter and a catcher. His reputation clearly preceded him as Rupp was selected to the All-Star team despite only being in the league for about two weeks before it was played. Rupp was an NCBWA and Louisville Slugger's freshman All-American in 2008, and he led the national runners-up in home runs in 2009 when he hit 11 to go with his .292 batting average and 46 RBIs. Rupp always swings hard and generates big-time power with his slight uppercut swing, yet he is able to keep his strikeouts down. He has kind of an awkward stance in which he is hunched forward, but it seems to work for him. Rupp also has a tremendous arm behind the plate. He will likely go in the first few rounds of the draft next June.

1. Micah Gibbs, Y-D/LSU. Bats S/Throws R. 5'11" 223. Pflugerville, Texas.

2009 Cape League Regular Season Stats: .212 BA/3 HR/9 RBIs/.659 OPS

Despite his subpar statistics in a limited sample this summer, Gibbs was the best catching prospect on the Cape this season and one of the best all-around prospects in the league. An advanced player at a premium position, and a switch-hitter no less, he is very likely to be a first-round pick in the draft next June. Gibbs was a Baseball America and Rivals.com freshman All-American in 2008 and was the starting catcher for Team USA last summer. He had a slightly disappointing season for the national champions this spring but still hit .294 with six home runs and 42 RBIs. Gibbs has power from both sides of the plate but looks a lot better from the left side. His left-handed swing is smooth and effortless and he drives the ball consistently. Defensively, Gibbs moves tremendously well behind the plate, and he also has a strong arm. You will definitely see Gibbs catching in the major leagues someday.

Coming Monday: First Baseman

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OUTRAGED BY MY RANKINGS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Prospect Rankings and Thank Yous: The Plans for the Next Few Weeks

2009-08-06T08:32:00.001-04:00

We made it.

With the end of the regular season comes the end of the traditional format of the Cape Cod League Blog.

I am leaving the Cape on Thursday to begin my fall job covering the Maryland Terrapin football team for The Diamondback, the student newspaper at The University of Maryland. Training camp starts Monday, and classes for my senior year start August 31.

But this is not the end of the Cape Cod League Blog. After a brief traveling hiatus, I will begin posting my end-of-summer prospect rankings on Sunday.

Beginning Sunday morning with the catchers, I will count down the Top 5 players at each position with a brief scouting report on each player. I will do one position each day, culminating with the Top 40 pitchers and the Top 40 overall position players. The rankings will be based on the players' professional potential, with Cape League performance only one factor in that analysis.

So, definitely check back for that beginning on Sunday. It might actually be more entertaining than my daily game reports.

I would like to take this time to thank everybody who read my blog either regularly or occasionally over the course of the summer. It was fun getting your e-mails and accumulating Twitter followers, and I enjoyed meeting some of you at the ballparks. I really appreciate all the positive feedback I got from everybody. Thanks.

A special thanks goes to Buster Olney for posting links and excerpts on his ESPN.com page as often as I sent them to him, and for really getting the ball rolling with my readership. Thanks also to the guys at Right Field Fog and Codball for linking to my blog on their sites and helping me build a local following even more.

When I first started the blog I figured it would be a good way to keep my writing sharp and share my opinions with the few people who actually came across it. I didn't imagine I would accumulate hundreds of readers and generate feedback from writers, scouts and even a few executives across Major League Baseball. It has really been a great experience.

Thanks also to Kevin Blackistone for telling me I should start a blog, and to Ed Schimmel for occasional informal copy editing.

It's been real Cape Cod. I'm out.

Until Sunday,

Greg Schimmel

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

August 6 for August 5 Update

2009-08-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

I went to Cotuit on Wednesday for the last day of the regular season and my last Cape League game of the summer.

You might be saying to yourself, "Wait, you're leaving? What will become of the Cape Cod League Blog?" Glad you asked. I will be unveiling my exciting blog plans for the next few weeks Thursday morning.

Cotuit and Brewster tied 1-1 after 10 innings, but Cotuit still backed into a home game in Friday's wild card playoff after Wareham lost to Bourne.It all would have been a lot more exciting if Cotuit and Wareham were fighting for the final playoff spot under the old format instead of just playing for homefield in a wild card game.

Cotuit right-handed starter Craig Fritsch from Baylor, the Tigers' 8th-round pick in June, looked good in five shutout innings against Brewster hitters swinging like they were ready to go home for the rest of the summer. Fritsch is tall with a thin, athletic build at 6'4" 180. He still didn't look as good to me as he did last summer when he pithed for Y-D. Fritsch stands tall on the mound and has a slightly awkward motion, but he throws fairly easily with loose arm action. Fritsch has a low-90's fastball but his secondary stuff is just average. His slider spins and doesn't have much too it, his curveball is also a spinner with a steeper trajectory and his changeup is just average with downward movement. Fritsch does have a projectable body and has a good mix of pitches, so where he went in the eighth round seems about right.

Cotuit right-handed reliever Seth Blair from Arizona State was very impressive. Usually a starter, Blair has a really good fastball/changeup combination and while his breaking pitches need some refining he definitely has a lot of potential. Blair is average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 190. He throws with some effort but has good, loose arm action. Blair throws a low 90s fastball with late life that has really good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. The pitch appears to find a new gear in midair. His changeup also moves a lot and is a good, deceptive pitch. Blair throws a curveball with tight break that he tends to leave up in the zone, and a slider with two-plane break he has trouble commanding. Blair needs to throw his curveball with more consistency and develop a better feel for the slider to maximize his effectiveness, but he should be selected in the first few rounds of next June's draft.

Cotuit right-handed reliever Daniel Tillman from Florida Southern appeared to be back at top form after his velocity was down in his last appearance. Tillman finished the regular season without allowing a run in 22 innings pitched over 16 appearances. He entered a tie game in the bottom of the eighth Wednesday with the bases loaded and one out and got a strikeout and a flyout to get out of the jam. His low 90s sinking fastball/hard slider combination makes him one of the best relievers in the Cape League. He will be a high pick next year.

Brewster left-handed starter Matt Lujan from the University of San Francisco had a good start but his stuff wasn't that good. Lujan is average height with a solid build at 6'1" 200. His motion isn't very tight and he wastes movement, and he throws with some effort. Lujan's fastball is nothing special, and his secondary stuff is also just mediocre. He throws an average curveball with sweeping, 3/8 break and a slider with horizontal run that also doesn't have much to it. His changeup is just so-so as well.

Cotuit third baseman Kevin Patterson from Auburn had an interesting game. Patterson is mostly a one-dimensional power hitting DH/first baseman, but he has been playing third since stud Zack Cox decided to shut it down for the rest of the summer. Patterson has proven time and again that he only hits fastballs, but he hit two singles on curveballs Wednesday. He stayed back and drove one to center, then hit a single to left for Cotuit's only RBI of the game. He then booted a sure double-play ball in the top of the eighth that would have ended the inning but instead led to Brewster's only run. A disgruntled elderly man yelled "Why is he out there in the eighth inning? The kid can't field." Patterson's raw power might make him a high draft pick next year, but he has a lot of holes in his game.

I plan to be going home on Thursday. Again, check the blog Thursday morning for an explanation of what will be happening in this space over the next few weeks. Rankings will commence.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Orleans 3 Chatham 2: Left-handed starter Rob Rasmussen from UCLA pitched 6.2 solid innings for Orleans, allowing one run on six hits and striking out five. Rightfielder Whit Merrifield from the University of South Carolina and centerfielder Addison Johnson from Clemson each had two hits for

Chatham.Y-D 8 Harwich 6: Leftfielder Brian Hernandez from UC Irvine, Cleveland's 39th-round pick, went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs for Y-D. Shortstop David Herbek from James Madison homered for Harwich and leftfielder Leon Landry from LSU went 3-for-4.

Hyannis 4 Falmouth 3: Designated hitter Jackie Bradley, Jr. from South Carolina went 3-for-4 for Hyannis. Designated hitter John Nester from Clemson went 2-for-3 for Falmouth.

Bourne 7 Wareham 5: First baseman Stefen Romero from Oregon State went 2-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs for Bourne. First baseman Jordan Swagerty from Arizona State went 3-for-4 for Wareham.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at Schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

August 5 for August 4 Update

2009-08-04T23:36:00.006-04:00

I went to Brewster for a few innings Tuesday to watch Harwich starter Mike Gipson then went to Hyannis to watch Hyannis play Bourne.

Bourne won 7-4 in front of no Major League scouts but plenty of random locals playing with giveaway inflatable beach balls.

Gipson, a righthander from Florida Atlantic, had decent stuff but he threw an incredibly straight fastball and got hit pretty well by Brewster. Gipson is average height with a solid build at 6'1" 195. He throws with big effort and falls forward when he releases and falls way off the mound toward first. He threw a very good curveball with big downward break, and once every few times he threw it, it had devastating 12/6 movement. Gipson also threw a deceptive changeup with good tailing action in on righties. But hitters sat on his fastball and took advantage of it.

Over in Hyannis, righthander Alex Wimmers from Ohio State started for Bourne and looked very strong in four shutout innings. Wimmers is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 195. He has good arm action and throws fairly easily but he does fall off the mound toward first. Wimmers has a low 90's fastball he loves painting the outside corner with. He has an excellent curveball with big, sharp break, and a very good changeup with big movement that tails down and in on right-handed hitters. Wimmers' three-pitch combination is among the best in the Cape League, and he should be a high pick next June.

Hyannis left-handed starter Raul Torres from Faulkner was not as good. Torres is average height with a solid, athetlic build at 5'11" 190. He throws straight over the top with some effort and falls off the mound toward third base. Torres' fastball sat in the 84-87 mph range. He threw an average curveball that tended to hang up in the strike zone, and occasionally showed a changeup he didn't have much feel for. Torres is a temporary guy who is not really a professional prospect.

Among hitters, centerfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. had a good day for Hyannis. After a slow start this summer, Bradley, Jr. has swung the bat very well the past few weeks and he can really do a lot of things well on the baseball field. He runs well, he's solid in the outfield and he has a strong arm. Bradley is also a good bunter. If he shows he can hit consistently for extended periods of time, he could be a guy to watch in the 2011 draft.

Bourne centerfielder Scott Woodward from Coastal Carolina also had a big game. He hit his first home run of the summer off the top of the right-centerfield fence and over, and showed off his very strong arm in the outfield. Woodward is also a plus runner.

First baseman Kyle Roller received some "M-V-P" chants from some Bourne fans when he hit a double to the wall in straightway centerfield. The kid can flat-out hit.

I plan to be at Cotuit on the last day of the regular season Wednesday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Falmouth 5 Wareham 4: First baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Falmouth. Rightfielder George Springer from UConn went 3-for-5 for Wareham.

Orleans 5 Chatham 1: Leftfielder Kevin Muno hit a grand slam from Orleans. Catcher Jacob Stallings from UNC went 3-for-4 with a home run for Chatham.

Y-D 9 Cotuit 8: Designated hitter Cameron Rupp from the University of Texas went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs for Cotuit. Catcher Ben McMahan from the University of Florida homered and third baseman Steve Chatwood from the University of San Diego went 2-for-4 with four RBIs for Y-D.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

August 4 for August 3 Update

2009-08-03T22:42:00.009-04:00

I went to Bourne on Monday for both ends of a doubleheader between Bourne and Brewster. Bourne won both games to secure a playoff spot and knock Brewster out of contention.

Right-handed starter Kendal Volz from Baylor started for Brewster and showed he is still struggling to regain the dominant form he displayed as Team USA's closer in 2008. The Red Sox selected Volz in the ninth round of this year's draft, and had a very high ranking member of their front office scouting Volz on Monday. Volz is big with a solid build at 6'4" 220, but he is short-arming his pitches and landing on a stiff front foot which is limiting his velocity. Volz was known to touch 97 mph with his fastball last summer, but it sat between 87-90 mph on Monday and only once touched 91. He threw a 77-79 mph curveball that was very good when he threw it well, but that was only once every three or four times he threw it. The curve simply spun and stayed up in the zone too often, and Bourne's hitters were able to get to it. Volz also threw an 83 mph changeup and a hard slider that had tight break but which didn't move a whole lot. Volz clearly needs to find his velocity again to maximize his effectiveness, but he has shown potential in the past.

Bourne's Game 1 starter was Robert Morey from the University of Virginia. Morey is average height with a thin frame at 6'1" 185. He comes almost straight over the top when he throws and throws with some effort. His fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range, and he threw a good curveball with tight overhand break which he could throw for a strike. Morey also threw an 84 mph slider with tight break but which didn't a lot and had the effect of a cutter. He rarely showed a 79 mph changeup. Morey is decent but his stuff is not outstanding.

Righthander Michael Dimock from Wake Forest got a spot start for Bourne in Game 2. Dimock is also average height with a thin frame at 6'1" 185. He throws with some effort but gets good extension and has good arm action. Dimock is not afraid to throw his fastball over both sides of the plate. He has an average slider with sharp run, a curveball with slow, overhand break and an average changeup with downward movement. Morey and Dimock were really quite similar, aside from just the identical height and weight. Both were solid, both knew what they were doing on the mound, but neither had exceptional stuff.

The offensive hero of the day was Bourne first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Roller from East Carolina. Roller has put up monster numbers this season and is the odds-on favorite to win the league's MVP award. Roller wasn't selected until the 47th round of the draft by Oakland, but the Red Sox executive said he was surprised Roller lasted that long. That comment begged the question why didn't the Red Sox just take him, but the answer is perhaps that Roller might not be more than a DH in professional ball. But Roller can hit. He smashed an outside fastball for a double to the left-centerfield gap and hit a moon shot grand slam in the first game, then smoked a single up the middle in the second game. Roller is slow and is not very good in the field, but he is making himself some money with the display he has put on this summer.

Bourne rightfielder Ben Klafczynski from Kent State also had a big day at the plate. Klafczynski has proven to be a tremendous athlete in the outfield, but he has struggled to hit all summer. He hit two ground-rule doubles and hit a third double toward the fence Monday. Klafczynski has quick hands but he has kind of a one-plane swing that makes him prone to strikeouts. Still, Klafczynski has good size and great athleticism and will get a lot of looks next spring. He was an All-American coming out of high school in 2007.

Brewster third baseman/second baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia still looked uncomfortable in the infield but he is continuing to prove he is a really good hitter. Gyorko steps in the bucket and never fully closes his open stance which leaves him susceptible to outside pitches, but he still manages to get his bat to the ball and make solid contact more often than not. He has good pitch recognition and does well sitting back on breaking pitches. His biggest issue is his lack of position in the field.

I will be at Harwich at Brewster for a few innings and then over to Bourne at Hyannis on Tuesday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Y-D 3 Falmouth 0: Four pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout for Y-D. Third baseman Steve Chatwood from the University of San Diego went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Chatham 5 Harwich 4: Third baseman Matt Duffy from Tennessee went 2-for-4 with a home run for Chatham. Leftfielder Leon Landry from LSU went 4-for-5 with two RBIs for Harwich.

Orleans 6 Hyannis 5, 11 innings: Right-handed pitcher Matt Hiserman from Santa Clara pitched 5.1 shutout innings in relief for Orleans, allowing one hit and striking out one. Designated hitter Ryan Cuneo from the University of Delaware went 3-for-6 for Hyannis.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

August 3 for August 2 Update

2009-08-02T21:42:00.006-04:00

I went to Cotuit on Sunday for a very good pitching matchup between Cotuit lefthander Chad Bell from Walter State Junior College and Orleans lefthander Jimmy Reyes from Elon.

I had seen Bell throw in a relief appearance early in the season and came away nonplussed, but I had been meaning to give him a second look after he became a starter and threw a no-hitter.

I had also heard good things about Reyes, and only saw him throw three pitches when I caught the tail end of one of his appearances a few weeks back.

In addition to the pitching, Sunday's game featured the best managerial tantrum I have seen all summer when Orleans manager Kelly Nicholson ran out to argue a call at third base in the seventh inning. He yelled at both base umpires and chest bumped the home plate umpire who was attempting to stop Nicholson from continuing to get in his partner's face after Nicholson was already tossed. Nicholson finally absquatulated, but he caused another stir by stopping briefly in the Orleans bullpen on his seemingly aimless wander toward the woods surrounding the field. It was good times.

Cotuit won 7-4 in a game stopped by darkness after 7 1/2 innings.

Reyes was probably the better of the two southpaws. He is average height with an athletic build at 6'0" 190, though the 6'0" listing might be generous. He has a tight motion but throws with some effort and falls off the mound toward third base. Reyes is what you would call an advanced pitcher because he has four pitches, he mixes them well, and he has very good command. Reyes' fastball sat between 86-88 mph and had good tailing action in on left-handed hitters. Despite his limited velocity, Reyes was not afraid to challenge hitters inside. His 73-75 mph curveball was a very good pitch. It had slow, sweeping break but its late movement and Reyes' ability to spot it made it effective. Reyes also threw a slider with a similar trajectory but less depth than the curveball and a 78 mph changeup. Reyes isn't really a high ceiling guy, but he is solid and his command and know-how could translate to success at higher levels.

Bell was also solid and in a similar mold to Reyes. Bell is big with a solid build at 6'4" 215 but still has room to fill out. He has good arm action and throws with minimal effort but he does have balance issues and tends to fall off the mound toward third base. Bell's fastball sat in the 86-87 mph range and had some sinking action. His 78 mph floating changeup was perhaps his best pitch, but he tends to slow his body down when he is going to throw it. Bell showed a good curveball with sharp break during some of his warmup sessions between innings, but he didn't have feel for it during the game and really threw it effectively. He relied more on his average 79-81 mph spinning slider. Bell also has a poor pickoff move to first base for a lefty, and twice he failed to cover first base on ground balls to the right side. Bell his decent stuff, he's been very successful this summer and probably has the potential to add a few mph to his fastball. But he is not outstanding and Cotuit has better pitchers than him.

One of those pitchers is right-handed reliever Daniel Tillman from Florida Southern who has now thrown 21.1 innings this summer without allowing a run. Tillman didn't have his best stuff Sunday, to the point where resting third baseman Zack Cox from Arkansas came into the scouts' area during Tillman's appearance to ask if anyone noticed anything wrong with Tillman. His low 90's fastball/slider/changeup combination is still pretty good and has confounded hitters all season.

Among hitters, designated hitter and usual catcher Cameron Rupp had a big game for Cotuit. Rupp drove a fastball for a solo home run and added an RBI double down the leftfield line later in the game. Rupp is a big guy at 6'2" 235 with big power, but he doesn't have great balance at the plate. He also has a plus arm when he catches.

Cotuit shortstop Chris Bisson from the University of Kentucky made a couple of athletic plays in the field. Bisson leads the league in stolen bases and is clearly a very athletic player, but he often misses the routine play and he had made 16 errors in 39 games coming into Sunday.

Cotuit leftfielder Zach Cone from the University of Georgia did a good job using the whole field when he hit a three-rbi double to the right centerfield gap. Cone also has a good arm in the outfield and held Orleans third baseman Michael Olt from UConn at first base on a hit down the left field line.

I plan to be at Brewster at Bourne on Monday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Bourne 7 Hyannis 6: Designated hitter Rob Segedin from Tulane went 3-for-4 and second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn went 2-for-3 for Bourne. Bourne first baseman Kyle Roller hit his league-leading ninth home run of the summer.

Harwich 1 Chatham 0: Left-handed starter Aaron Meade from Missouri State, the Yankees' 28th-round pick in June, pitched seven shutout innings for Harwich, allowing four hits and striking out five. Chatham left-handed starter Tyler Lyons from Oklahoma State, the Yankees' 10th-round pick in June, allowed one run on seven hits and struck out seven in 7.1 innings pitched.

Wareham 6 Falmouth 5: Leftfielder Alex Dickerson from the University of Indiana went 2-for-2 with a home run for Wareham. First baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn went 2-for-4 with a home run and leftfielder Brian Fletcher from Auburn went 3-for-4 for Falmouth.

Y-D 15 Brewster 5: First baseman Mickey Wiswall from Boston College went 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs for Y-D. Second baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia homered for Brewster.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

August 2 for August 1 Update

2009-08-01T21:20:00.006-04:00

I went to Harwich on Saturday to catch the first game of a doubleheader between Harwich and Falmouth.

The last time I was at Harwich there were about 25 Major League scouts in attendance. On Saturday there were zero. Harwich won 4-2.

Righthander Matt Price from Virginia Tech started for Harwich. I had seen Price throw out of the bullpen earlier in the summer, and I think he is better-suited for a bullpen role. Price really only had two consistently reliable pitches, and he tired considerably after just a few innings. Price is average height for a pitcher and thin at 6'2" 165. He has some unnecessary movement in his motion but throws with loose arm action. He tends to throw his slider from a lower arm slot. Price's fastball has sat in the low 90's and it has a lot of tail in on right-handed hitters. His slider looked a lot better than I remembered it, with sharp two-plane break when he threw it well. It got a lot of swings and misses. Price's changeup was just occasionally deceptive and he didn't have much feel for the curveball he showed once in awhile. Overall, Price is a kid with a good arm who needs some refining.

Harwich right-handed reliever Les Williams from Northeastern had a good appearance. Williams was brought in to face Falmouth slugger Hunter Morris from Auburn with the bases loaded and two out in a one-run game. Williams went right after Morris, getting him to pop out weakly on a good slider in on his hands. Williams is average height with a solid build at 6'2" 220. He throws with effort and slings it. Williams' slider has good run, and as he did against Morris, he throws it right at hitters. Williams also floats a decent changeup with downward movement.

Morris hit another home run, his seventh of the summer, in an earlier at-bat against Price. After watching him two games in a row, it is unclear why anybody would ever throw Morris a fastball. He often takes bad swings at good breaking pitches, but he has continually proven he can hit a good fastball. After hitting a 400 plus-foot bomb Friday night, Morris hit one about 380 on Saturday on a heater Price left over the middle of the plate. Morris may have the best raw power in the Cape League, but he needs to learn how to hit a slider.

Harwich first baseman Connor Powers from Mississippi State has a similar problem. The Dodgers' 11th-round pick in June after has very good raw power, but he hasn't shown he can consistently hit a breaking ball.

I plan to be at Orleans at Cotuit on Sunday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Cotuit 6 Bourne 2: Right-handed starter Justin Grimm allowed one earned run on six hits and struck out 10 in 7.1 innings pitched for Cotuit. Second baseman Rico Noel from Coastal Carolina went 3-for-4 for Cotuit.

Chatham 3 Brewster 0: Chatham right-handed starter Patrick Johnson from UNC pitched six shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven. Desginated hitter Mike Murray from Wake Forest went 2-for-2 for Chatham.

Orleans 2 Wareham 2, Orleans 6 Wareham 5: In the first game, Wareham right-handed starter Cole Green from the University of Texas struck out 10 in seven innings pitched, allowing two runs on eight hits. Left fielder Connor Rowe from the University of Texas homered for Wareham. Shortstop Devin Lohman from Long Beach State went 3-for-4 for Orleans. In the second game, designated hitter Steve Selsky from the University of Arizona went 2-for-2 with a home run, and right fielder Jeremy Gould from Duke went 3-for-3 for Orleans. Second baseman Jake Lemmerman from Duke went 2-for-3 with a home run for Wareham.

Hyannis 6 Y-D 4: First baseman Ryan Cuneo from the University of Delaware hit a grand slam and third baseman Dustin Harrington from East Carolina went 4-for-5 for Hyannis. Left fielder Caleb Ramsey from the University of Houston and right fielder Jonathan Jones from Long Beach State each had two hits for Y-D.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

August 1 for July 31 Update

2009-08-01T01:21:00.007-04:00

I went to Falmouth on Friday night to watch Falmouth and Bourne, and between the rain that poured down during the last few innings and the lack of a reliable radar gun, it was not the most successful of evenings.

But I got to take a look at Falmouth lefthander Taylor Wall from Rice, and Wall and his devastating changeup did not disappoint.

Falmouth won 9-2 in a game that was stopped after 7 1/2 innings because of the rain.

Wall is certainly one of the 10 best starters in the Cape League, and he should be a high draft pick when he becomes eligible in 2011. Wall is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build. He rushes through his motion but he throws with ease and with good arm action. Wall's fastball sits in the upper 80's but he spots it well. He throws a devastating changeup that is probably the best change on the Cape this summer, and is the pitch that makes him such an intriguing prospect. It is very deceptive out of his hand and floats in with big time movement. He relies heavily on the change, and understandably so as it gets a lot of swings and misses. Wall still needs to develop a reliable breaking ball to maximize the effectiveness of his fastball/changeup combination. He throws both a curveball and a slider, but both pitches are just average at this point.

Bourne's starter was lefthander Bryan Morgado from the University of Tennessee, the White Sox' third-round pick last month. Morgado is above-average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 205. Morgado has a tight motion and throws easily with good arm action. His fastball touched 94 mph the last time I saw him pitch, but he left it out over the plate too often on Friday and it got hit. Morgado throws a good slider with late movement and a good changeup with downward movement. He is extremely slow to the plate, and runners steal bases off of him almost at will. Morgado is an advanced pitcher and when he hits his spots he is effective.

Falmouth first baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn absolutely crushed a Morgado fastball that missed its location and hit a home run that must have traveled more than 400 feet. Morris has big-time raw power, and he can certainly hit a fastball, but Morgado made him look bad waving at sliders in a previous at-bat. Morris also made an athletic play at first base tagging out a runner after bringing down a high throw.

Bourne first baseman Kyle Roller from East Carolina, Oakland's 47th-round pick last month, also showed off his power with a home run to straightaway center. Roller has been one of the most impressive hitters in the league all summer, leading everybody with eight home runs, and one has to think he is making himself a lot of money either this year or next year if he decides to return to school.

Falmouth centerfielder Todd Cunningham from Jacksonville State, the league's leading hitter, hit a home run over the foul pole. Bourne second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn twice drove the ball to the opposite field for hits, and also showed off his superior athleticism with a leaping grab of a line drive to rob Cunningham of a hit.

I plan to be at Falmouth at Harwich on Saturday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Brewster 1 Y-D 0: Four Brewster pitchers combined to scatter eight hits in the shutout. Y-D third baseman Tyler Hanover from LSU went 3-for-4. Leftfielder John Barr from the University of Virginia and first baseman Harold Martinez from the University of Miami each had two hits for Brewster.

Cotuit 8 Wareham 2: Leftfielder Zach Cone from the University of Georgia, designated hitter Cameron Rupp from the University of Texas, rightfielder Kevin Keyes from the University of Texas and third baseman Kevin Patterson from Auburn all homered for Cotuit.

Chatham 8 Hyannis 7: Leftfielder Joey Terdoslavich from Long Beach State and shortstop Tyler Rahmatulla from UCLA each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Chatham. Rightfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., went 3-for-5 for Hyannis.

Orleans 3 Harwich 2: Pinch Hitter Matt Koch from Loyola Marymount hit a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and rightfielder Jeremy Gould from Duke went 2-for-3 and scored the game-winning run for Orleans. Shortstop Levi Michael from UNC had two hits for Harwich.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 30 for July 29 Update

2009-07-29T22:51:00.006-04:00

I went to Orleans on Wednesday to see some more pitchers I hadn't yet gotten a look at.

Falmouth was down to its last strike in the top of the ninth inning then rallied to tie the game before eventually losing 6-5 in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Left-handed starter Rob Rasmussen from UCLA started for Orleans. I saw him throw an inning during the All-Star Game, but this was the first time I watched him for an extended appearance. Rasmussen is a small-body guy at 5'11" 170, but he doesn't throw with as much effort as many other pitchers in the league with similar size. He has a tight motion and throws with good arm action, and the ball looks like it's really flying out of his hand. Rasmussen's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range. He had good command of it early in his start Wednesday but he started to lose it later in the appearance and lost some of his effectiveness. He also throws a really good 77-78 mph curveball with sharp, tight break that he could both throw for strikes and get hitters to chase out of the zone. Rasmussen also had an 82-84 mph slider with horizontal run that gives hitters a different look to think about but which isn't as effective as the curve. His fastball/curveball combination makes him one of the better starters in the league.

Right-handed starter Jordan Cooper from Wichita State had the ball for Falmouth. Cooper is average height with a solid build at 6'0" 200. He has good arm action, good balance and throws easily. His stuff is really just average. Cooper's fastball sat in the 86-88 mph range. He spun a 78-80 mph slider that didn't have much to it early in the game. He started getting a better feel for it as the start went on and become a more effective pitch. He also threw an average 79-80 mph changeup. Cooper has put up good numbers this summer but he isn't outstanding.

Right-handed reliever Patrick Cooper from Des Moines Community College looked really good for Falmouth with his fastball/slider combination. Cooper is average height with a solid, athletic build at 6'2" 200. He stands tall in his delivery and throws with some effort. Cooper's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range, and his 83-84 mph slider was excellent. The slider had very sharp break and he got a lot of swings and misses with it. Cooper has an ERA under 1 this summer and he is one of the better relievers in the league.

I only caught a brief glimpse of Falmouth right-handed reliever Jason Zylstra from Jacksonville State and only saw him throw fastballs. Zylstra is tall with an average build and room to fill out at 6'4" 220. He gets good extension and throws with good, loose arm action. His fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range and had good sinking action.

Orleans right-handed reliever Brett Weibley from Kent State hit 96 with his fastball. Weibley is above-average height with a solid build at 6'3" 220. He throws with a lot of effort and falls off the mound toward first base, but he throws with good arm action. Weibley's fastball sat mostly in the 93-95 mph range and did hit 96 once. He does well changing his locations. Weibley threw mostly all fastballs, showing just an average slider and a good changeup that he only threw during warmups.

Among position players, Orleans shortstop Devin Lohman from Long Beach State played well. He put a good swing on a wind-aided opposite field home run, then made an athletic play coming in a ground ball. He has an above-average arm.

Thursday is an off day.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Bourne 13 Cotuit 1: Second baseman Raynor Campbell from Baylor, Cleveland's 31st-round pick, went 4-for-5 with a home run and six RBIs for Bourne. Right-handed starter Alex Wimmers from Ohio State allowed one run on four hits and struck out 10 in five innings pitched.

Chatham 10 Brewster 1: Leftfielder Joey Terdoslavich from Long Beach State went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and third baseman Matt Duffy from Tennessee went 2-for-4 with two RBI for Chatham. Second baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia University and designated hitter Tant Shepherd from the University of Texas each had two hits for Brewster.

Wareham 10 Hyannis 3: Leftfielder Alex Dickerson from the University of Indiana went 3-for-5 with a home run and rightfielder George Springer from UConn went 2-for-4 with a home run for Wareham.

Harwich 8 Y-D 4: Centerfielder Leon Landry from LSU went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and first baseman Connor Powers from Mississippi State, the Dodgers' 11th-round pick and rightfielder Trent Mummey from Auburn each homered for Harwich.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 29 for July 28 Update

2009-07-29T00:11:00.008-04:00

I went to Cotuit on Tuesday to catch Cotuit and Chatham in another matchup of pitchers I hadn't seen yet this summer.

Cotuit won 2-1 as Chatham continues to freefall and looks more and more likely to miss the playoffs after starting the season 9-1.

Right-handed starter Craig Fritsch from Baylor, the Tigers' 8th-round pick last month, started for Cotuit and looked a lot less impressive than he did when I saw him pitch for Y-D in 2008. Fritsch is tall with a thin, athletic build at 6'4" 180 but he stands too tall in his motion and doesn't get good drive from his lower body. He does have good arm action and throws fairly easily. Fritsch's fastball sat in the 90-91 mph range and occasionally touched 92. It had some tailing action in on right-handed hitters, but Fritsch had some trouble locating his fastball and tended to leave it up in the zone. Fritsch spun a 73-74 mph breaking ball that would hang some of the time and he also showed a 78-80 mph changeup. Fritsch really showed a lot more ability last summer.

Right-handed starter Mike Dennhardt from Boston College pitched for Chatham. Dennhardt's stuff isn't overpowering but he throws at least five different pitches and mixes them effectively. None of his pitches are better than league average but he throws strikes and pitches to contact to get outs. Dennhardt is average height with a solid build at 6'1" 205. His arm trails behind the rest of his body and he sort of flings the ball. Dennhardt's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range and his two-seamer had good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He also threw an effective 83-86 mph cutter. Dennhardt's 74-78 mph curveball had sharp break when he threw it well and he was able to throw it for strikes, and he is mixing in a 78-81 mph slider with horizontal run. Dennhardt also throws an average 81 mph changeup that tails in on right-handed hitters. The depth of Dennhardt's repertoire is his biggest asset.

Chatham right-handed reliever Taylor Hill from Vanderbilt, who has impressed me more than once this summer, looked great again Tuesday. His low 90s fastball has a lot of movement including some sinking action and his 80-83 mph slider was nasty. Hill can either get hitters to chase the late-breaking pitch with tight break out of the zone or sneak it in the back door. When Hill froze highly-touted Cotuit catcher Cameron Rupp from the University of Texas with a slider to strike him out, Rupp started walking back to the dugout almost simultaneously to when the pitch hit the catcher's glove.

Cotuit right-handed reliever Navery Moore from Vanderbilt had good outing, a rare occurrence for him this summer. One National League scout said Moore was "kind of a phenom" early in his high school career before he underwent Tommy John surgery. The scout said Moore's velocity went way down after the procedure and it affected his confidence which in turn affected his command. Moore has struggled with terrible control issues this summer after seeing limited action at Vanderbilt in the spring, but he threw strikes Tuesday. Moore is above-average height with a solid build at 6'3" 205. He has a jerky motion and throws with some effort. Moore's fastball sat in the 91-92 mph range, and he threw a 78 mph curveball with tight overhand break. He also threw a 77 mph changeup.

Cotuit right-handed reliever Ben Rowen from Virginia Tech was intriguing as well. Rowen is the only submarine-style pitcher I have seen on the Cape, and Cotuit uses him often to give hitters a different look. Rowen doesn't throw harder than the mid-80s, and his stuff which also includes a slider and a changep isn't that good, but everything he throws moves a lot and he baffles a lot of hitters at this level with his delivery.

Cotuit third baseman Zack Cox from the University of Arkansas had another big game. He hit three singles, one to leftfield, one up the middle and one to right and he hit each one on the first pitch of the at-bat. Some think Cox's lack of patience is a negative, but I love his aggressive style at the plate. He gets in the box and hits, and he almost always puts a good swing on the ball.

Cotuit centerfielder Jeff Rowland from Georgia Tech, the Indians' 21st-round pick, has struggled at the plate and he has a below-average arm, but he can cover a lot of ground in the outfield.

I will likely be at Falmouth at Orleans on Wednesday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Brewster 4 Orleans 2: Third baseman Harold Martinez from the University of Miami hit a home run and second baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia went 3-for-4 for Brewster.

Harwich 5 Bourne 1, Bourne 7 Harwich 2: In the first game, Harwich right-handed starter Mike Gipson from Florida Atlantic allowed one run on five hits and struck out six. Designated hitter Kyle Roller from East Carolina homered for Bourne. In the second game, second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn and designated hitter Nick Schwaner from the University of New Orleans, the Giants' 42nd-round pick, each went 2-for-3 for Bourne. Centerfielder Leon Landry from LSU went 2-for-3 for Harwich.

Y-D 8 Wareham 3: Centerfielder Jordan Casas from Long Beach State went 2-for-4 and leftfielder Austin Wates from Virginia Tech went 2-for-5 with four RBIs for Y-D. Designated hitter Zach Wilson from Arizona State went 2-for-4 for Wareham.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 28 for July 27 Update

2009-07-28T00:47:00.007-04:00

I went to Falmouth on Monday to watch Falmouth play Harwich. And even though it was a lopsided 11-2 win for Falmouth and a game that was decided by about the fourth inning, it was a great choice because I saw five pitchers I had not yet seen.

One might say it was an especially good night to be watching the players first and the game second.

Righthander Kyle Winkler from TCU started for Falmouth and looked really good. Winkler threw the only true sinker I can remember seeing all summer and it was a great pitch. Winkler has a stocky build at 5'11" 195, and while he has a jerky motion and throws with some effort he has good arm action and a very strong-looking lower body which should limit some concerns about his durability. Winkler's fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range and once touched 94. The 85-86 mph sinker was really effective and with its late movement was very difficult for hitters to pick up. Winkler also threw a decent 76-78 mph curveball with sharp break and an 81-83 mph slider with hard run that wasn't really that good. Winkler just turned 19 last month, and he is somebody to watch for the 2011 draft.

Harwich right-handed starter John Gast from Florida State was fairly average. Gast is average height for a pitcher with a solid build at 6'2" 215. He drops down then drives when he pitches. Gast's fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range and once touched 92. It had some tail in on left-handed hitters. He spun an average 73-76 mph curveball he could throw for strikes and threw a 77 mph changeup with some tail in on lefties that he tended to leave up in the zone. Gast really didn't have a go-to pitch and the Falmouth hitters were able to get to him when he couldn't locate.

Right-handed reliever Daniel Bradshaw from LSU came in next for Harwich. Bradshaw is average height with an athletic build at 6'1" 208. He throws easy but he falls slightly off the mound when he releases. Bradshaw's fastball sat in just the 85-87 mph range. He floated in a late-moving 73-75 mph changeup and threw a good 68-72 mph curveball with 3/8 break that he could throw for strikes. He also showed a cutter during warmups but didn't use it in the game. If hitters are patient enough to stay back against his slow stuff, they are going to get to Daniel Bradshaw.

Right-handed reliever Les Williams from Northeastern was the third Harwich pitcher of the night. Williams is average height for a pitcher with a solid build at 6'2" 220. He has stiff arm action and throws across his body. Williams fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range. He threw a decent 78-81 mph curveball with sweeping break and also showed a harder slider. Williams' appearance was brief, and while he wasn't bad I don't think it's especially pressing to see him again before the end of the season.

Right-handed reliever Cecil Tanner from the University of Georgia looked good as a short-relief prospect for Falmouth. One NL scout said he saw Tanner sit consistenly around 96-97 mph this spring during his freshman season at UGA. I haven't seen him hit higher than 94 in three glimpses of him this summer, but he is still worth keeping an eye on. Tanner has good size at 6'6" 240. He looks a little stiff and awkward on the mound, but it's possible he is still growing into his body. Tanner's fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range Monday and had some sinking action. He also showed a good 77 mph slider with sharp break. If Tanner can regain that alleged 96-97 mph heat, one would have to believe he will be a high pick in 2011.

Finally, right-handed reliever Chad Sheppard from Northwestern State threw well for Falmouth. Sheppard is above-average height with an athletic build at 6'3" 200. He throws only from the stretch, so his motion consists of him rearing back, pausing, then driving toward the plate. He throws with some effort. Sheppard's fastball sat in the 90-93 mph range and once touched 94. He also threw a good 76-79 mph slider with tight two-plane break. I like Sheppard a lot in a short relief role.

Among position players, Falmouth shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi is quickly becoming one of my favorite guys to watch. He has improbably supplanted Derek Dietrich from Wareham and Georgia Tech as my top prospect among Cape League shortstops, even though I think both of those guys will eventually end up being third basemen, and he has cracked my Top 3 position-player prospects. Before the game Monday, Vollmuth took the type of batting practice session I had been yearning to see all summer. With his smooth and fairly effortless right-handed stroke, Vollmuth crushed ball after ball over the leftfield fence. In the game, he took an outside fastball to right for an opposite-field home run and he drove the ball in two other at-bats. His range isn't outstanding in the infield but he is solid and moves with athleticism out there. He also has a plus arm. Vollmuth should be a very high draft pick in 2011.

Leftfielder Brian Fletcher from Auburn and second baseman Conner Mach from the University of Missouri both homered for Falmouth as well. Harwich rightfielder Dan Grovatt from the University of Virginia did a good job staying back on a slider and hit a home run for the Mariners. Fletcher looked a little ridiculous taking a moment to admire his no-doubter, and he also gave an annoying Sammy Sosa-esque salute when he finished circling the bases.

I will be at Chatham at Cotuit on Tuesday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Hyannis 5 Bourne 0: Right-handed starter Tyler Wilson from the University of Virginia allowed two hits and one walk over seven shutout innings. First baseman Ryan Cuneo from Delaware, Ryan Graepel from the University of North Carolina and rightfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr., from the University of South Carolina each had two hits for Hyannis.

Cotuit 5 Brewster 3: Catcher Zach Maggard from Florida Southern and rightfielder Zach Cone from the University of Georgia homered for Cotuit. Third baseman Harold Martinez from the University of Miami homered for Brewster.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 27 for July 26 Update

2009-07-26T23:04:00.007-04:00

I went to Chatham on Sunday to watch Y-D at Chatham, and I can finally close the books on Y-D after catching the last of its pitchers I hadn't yet seen, lefthander Mario Hollands from UC Santa Barbara.

I promised in my last post to make a more concerted effort to catch unseen starting pitchers these last couple weeks, and Sunday was a good start.

Chatham's left-handed starter Tyler Lyons, the Yankees' 10th-round pick last month, was the more impressive of the two pitchers, but Y-D came from behind to win 6-4.

Hollands' trademark is his unconventional delivery, which looks like a toned-down version of Dontrelle Willis', but it could be holding him back . He has a high leg kick and spins part of the way around, and keeps his bare hand separate from his glove the whole time. Hollands' stuff is just average and he is not particularly effective. Hollands has a good pitcher's body at 6'5" 220, but his jerky motion and slinging arm action limit how hard he can throw. Perhaps if a team took the time to reinvent his mechanics he could be improved. Hollands' fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and had some tail in on left-handed hitters. His best pitch was probably his 72 mph curveball with late, sweeping break. His slider needs work, as it looks like he holds onto the ball too long when he throws it and he often throws it in the dirt. He also threw an 84 mph changeup that wasn't really deceptive. Hollands is an athletic kid, and it wold be interesting to see what might happen if a professional team took the time to work with him.

Lyons was a lot more conventional, and while he stuff was not overpowering he had four pretty good pitches and was effective. Lyons is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 205. He has a smooth motion and has good arm action but does throw with a little effort. His fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and once touched 90. His two-seamer had good tailing action in on left-handed hitters and his four-seamer moved a little bit the other way. He threw a very good 75-76 mph curveball with sweeping break which he could throw for strikes, and also threw a good 78-79 mph slider with late break. The two breaking pitches had a similar trajectory but the curveball had more depth to it. Lyons also threw a deceptive 79-80 mph changeup with some downward movement. The Yankees have several guys under control up here, and Lyons is one of their better ones.

Y-D right-handed reliever Chase Dempsay from the University of Houston impressed even though his fastball only topped out at 86 mph. He entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the six inning and didn't allow any runs to score. Dempsey is above-average height with an athletic build and slightly thin frame at 6'3" 200. He throws with effort and drops down to throw sidearm. Again his fastball is lacking in velocity but it has tremendous movement, with late sinking action and some tail in on right-handed hitters. He also showed a decent 76 mph slider and a 76-79 mph changeup with some downward movement. It seems like his fastball is either going to have the velocity or the movement, but not both, and that could hold him back going forward.

Y-D catcher Ben McMahan from the University of Florida looked good Sunday. He has quick hands and a smooth right-handed stroke that allows him to drive the ball. He's athletic behind the plate and also has a decent arm. He is one of the better catchers in a league with only a few good ones.

Otherwise it wasn't a great game for position players. There were only a few solidly hit balls and a lot of sloppy defense. Plus, I ran out of pages in my second scorebook of the season so until I get a new one Monday it was a little more difficult to keep track of hitters.

I plan to be at Harwich at Falmouth on Monday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Bourne 8 Wareham 0: Right-handed starter Seth Maness from East Carolina pitched a one-hit shutout for Bourne, striking out 11. Designated hitter Rob Segedin from Tulane went 3-for-3 and second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn went 2-for-4 for Bourne.

Brewster 4 Hyannis 3, Hyannis 3 Brewster 2: Right-handed starter Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego didn't allow a hit and struck out five in four innings pitched for Brewster. First baseman Ryan Cuneo from the University of Delaware homered for Hyannis and designated hitter Tant Shepherd from the University of Texas homered for Brewster. In the second game, third baseman Harold Martinez from the University of Miami homered for Brewster. Rightfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. from the University of South Carolina went 2-for-3 in both games for Hyannis.

Falmouth 4 Cotuit 3: Centerfielder Todd Cunningham from Jacksonville State went 2-for-5 for Falmouth and third baseman Zack Cox from the University of Arkansas went 2-for-4 for Cotuit.

Orleans 3 Harwich 1: Orleans right-handed starter Jorge Reyes from Oregon State, the Padres' 17th-round pick last month, pitched eight shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine. First baseman Riccio Torrez from Arizona State went 2-for-2 with a home run for Orleans.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 25 for July 24 Update

2009-07-25T00:41:00.003-04:00

I went to Yarmouth-Dennis on Friday, but the scheduled pitching matchup had changed and once again I ended up seeing only pitchers I have already seen and written about. With less than two weeks left in the season, and still between 20 and 30 pitchers left unseen, I am making it a point to avoid situations like these from now on.

The postponements and inconsistent accuracy of the Cape League's "Pitchers: Next 3 Days" page are making things difficult, but I am going to try to overcome these obstacles.

As for Friday, Y-D won 6-3 and is starting to distance itself from the pack in the Eastern Division.

Righthander Michael Goodnight from the University of Houston started for Y-D and put together an average performance. Goodnight's main issue is his front side flies open too early and it leads to struggles with his command. Goodnight has good size and a projectable frame at 6'4" 215. His fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range, and he showed an inconsistent 75 mph curveball. When he threw the pitch well it had sharp downward break, but he sometimes didn't finish it and it would hang up in the zone. Goodnight also threw an average changeup with some tail down and in.

Chatham's starter was Patrick Johnson from the University of North Carolina, who is really just held back by his size. Johnson is 5'10" 170 and he throws with big effort. Johnson's fastball sits in the 87-89 mph range and he will occasionally touch 90. His best pitch is a hard 78-82 mph slider with tight break that he can throw for a strike. He also has a pretty deceptive 80 mph changeup with downward movement and an average 72-75 mph curveball. The problem with Johnson is he is pretty much showing you all that he will be, and that is not going to be good enough against professional hitters.

A reliever of interest was Y-D righthander Tyler Burgoon from the University of Michigan, who has put up tremendous numbers as Y-D's closer since I last saw him during the first week of the season. Burgoon hasn't allowed an earned run all season, and he entered Friday's game having given up just four hits in 17.1 innings pitched and striking out 27. He's doing it with only two pitches and a fastball that tops out at 91 mph. Burgoon is undersized at 5'10" 165 and he throws with big effort. His fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range and had good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He threw a very good 81-82 mph slider with sharp two-plane break. It is pretty clear it is that slider that gets him a lot of his strikeouts. You can't argue with his results, but he is still not a top-level prospect because of his size and average velocity that is clearly maxed out.

Among hitters, three of Y-D's better players put good swings on balls during the game Friday. First baseman Mickey Wiswall turned on a high and inside fastball and hit a line drive home run that left the park in a hurry. He showed really quick hands and a compact swing. Rightfielder Austin Wates from Virginia Tech drove an outside fastball off the top of the rightfield fence, and catcher Ben McMahan from the University of Florida also did nicely taking a outside fastball the opposite way for a double.

I am taking my second non-rain-related day off of the summer on Saturday to attend a function back home in Connecticut. I will return to the Cape on Sunday intent on seeing as many of the elusive unseen pitchers as I can over the last week-and-a-half of the regular season.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Harwich 3 Cotuit 2: Both second baseman Phil Gosselin and rightfielder Dan Grovatt, each from the University of Virginia, went 2-for-4 for Harwich.

Falmouth 3 Hyannis 2: Shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi hit a home run for Falmouth. Second baseman Nick Crawford from UAB and centerfielder Trent Whitehead from East Carolina each had three hits for Hyannis.

Wareham 2 Orleans 1: Rightfielder George Springer from UConn, first baseman Jordan Swaggerty from Arizona State and catcher Chris Hannick from Cal State Northridge each had two hits for Wareham.

The Brewster at Bourne doubleheader was rained out.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at Schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 24 for July 23 Update

2009-07-24T11:14:00.008-04:00

I went to Boston on Thursday for the Cape League All-Star Game. It was a really cool experience to have free rein over any section in Fenway Park, and the players were obviously having a blast taking BP, shagging balls and then playing a game in a Major League ballpark.

The persisting rain cut everything short and gave the West a 3-0, 5-inning win, but it didn't really put a damper on the experience while it lasted.

I still advocate keeping the All-Star Game on the Cape because it makes it easier for the diehard fans and volunteers to attend, but it was a lot of fun and would be a good idea to hold the festivities at Fenway once every few years. The announced crowd of 14,317 was bigger than I anticipated.

A lot of guys seemed to be overswinging during batting practice, but a few players stood out for taking solid rounds of BP. Chatham's Mike Murray from Wake Forest kept hitting solid line drives from his wide-base stance. Cotuit's Cameron Rupp from the University of Texas crushed a couple balls out of the stadium. Rupp also has the best arm among catchers. Orleans' Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton, Y-D's Mickey Wiswall from Boston College and Falmouth's B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi hit well too.

I decided to make a random list of guys who hit at least one ball over the Green Monster seats during batting practice. They were Brown, Harwich's Connor Powers from Mississippi State, Orleans' Alex Hassan from Duke, Brewster's Harold Martinez from the University of Miami, Y-D's Micah Gibbs from LSU, Brewster's Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia and Rupp.

I didn't pay much attention to the Home Run Derby because I was actually talking to my former employer Peter Gammons during most of it (always good to name drop). It was almost an uncomfortable situation for the league when the first couple of guys struggled to find their home run swings. Congratulations to Powers, who beat Rupp in the finals.

Because each pitcher only threw one inning, I spent the game focusly mostly on them. Like many scouts I went to a section farther from the plate so I could sit under cover during the game, and I had to rely on the stadium radar gun for pitchers' velocities. As far as I can tell it was accurate compared to velocities I had seen from most guys earlier in the summer, considering each guy could let loose for his short appearance.

Wareham righthander Brandon Workman from the University of Texas looked like an All-Star starter in his inning of work. His fastball sat in the 94-95 mph range, and his 77-78 mph hammer curveball looked tremendous even from a more distant vantage point. Barring injury I would be very surprised if he didn't go in the first round of next June's draft.

Orleans lefthander Rob Rasmussmen from UCLA impressed me in my first live look of him since last summer. He is the only All-Star who appeared yesterday who I hadn't seen yet, and I had been meaning to catch him since one American League front office guy said earlier this summer that Rasmussen is a "Randy Wolf clone." Rasmussen is undersized at 5'11" 160, but he has tight mechanics and good arm action and throws with some effort but not extreme effort. His fastball sat in the 92-93 mph range and touched 94. His 81-82 mph curveball was a good pitch with tight break and it complemented his 85-87 mph slider well. He also threw a good 83 mph changeup with good tailing action down and in on left-handed hitters. He is another guy who should go in the first few rounds next year.

Wareham righthander Jack Armstrong from Vanderbilt put up the best velocity numbers of the day, as his fastball sat in the 95-96 mph range and he did a great job pounding it in on hitters' hands. His 83 mph changeup is a good pitch he is able to throw for strikes. He only threw one 78 mph slider with hard run, and he threw two curveballs, one at 80 mph and the other at 81. The one curveball he threw well had really impressive downward break.

Brewster righthander Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego struggled with his control. He was throwing across his body which really hurt his command. Blair's fastball sat around 92 mph, his 78 mph slider had good, hard run, his 79-81 mph changeup tailed in on right-handed hitters and he threw a decent 77 mph curve with steep break.

Wareham lefthander Eric Pfisterer from Duke still strikes me as more of a good college pitcher but he pitched effectively in his inning of work. His fastball sat in the 86-88 mph range and once touched 90. He threw a 78 mph curveball with sweeping 3/8 break and an average 81 mph slider with harder break. His best pitch is a deceptive 78-79 mph changeup with good downward movement.

Y-D lefthander Chris Sale from Florida Gulf Coast was the East Division MVP, but his inning was so quick we didn't get to see much from him. His goofy, deceptive motion is probably still his best asset, as the tall and very thin Sale flies at the hitter with all arms and legs. Sale's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range and he also showed a good 80 mph slider. He is another guy scouts are talking about as a potential high pick next year.

Hyannis righthander Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State pitched a quick fourth inning. His fastball sat around 93 mph and had good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He showed a 79-80 mph curveball with sweeping break and a really good, hard 85 mph slider.

Orleans lefthander Elliot Glynn from UConn was probably the pitcher who impressed me the least, even though he didn't allow a run in his inning. He slings his pitches and has slight balance issues. His fastball sat around 87 mph and he threw an average slider that would run out of the strike zone.

Finally, Bourne righthander Stephen Harrold from UNC Wilmington came in and struggled with his control before a double play bailed him out to preserve the win. His fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and had some tail in on right-handed hitters. His 80-82 mph slider had sharp break and he also showed an 80-81 mph curveball.

To me, Workman was the most impressive pitcher, followed by Armstrong, Rasmussen and Sale in that order.

It is also worth mentioning Cotuit third baseman Zack Cox looked great in his two at-bats which earned him the West Division MVP award. He crushed a triple off the centerfield fence against Rasmussen. It hit right near the garage door and must have travelled about 400 feet. He then went with an outside pitch for a single to left in his second at-bat. I like Cox's aggressive approach at the plate and he often swings at the first good pitch he sees and hits it well. It has been a struggle for me for the past couple of weeks now whether to make him or Gibbs my No. 1 position player prospect.

I will most likely be at Chatham at Y-D on Friday.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 23 for July 22 Update

2009-07-22T22:40:00.006-04:00

I went to Hyannis again on Wednesday to see Hyannis play Brewster mainly because it was the most convenient place to go as I get my stuff together for the All-Star Game on Thursday.

I had already seen both starters, and with Brewster winning 1-0 there weren't many hitters to talk about either. But a few of the relievers who came in are worth discussing.

Righthander Kendal Volz from Baylor made his 2009 Cape League debut for Brewster, and it was a pleasant surprise to get to watch him pitch up here. Volz has been a highly-touted prospect and made a big name for himself last summer as Team USA's closer, but he fell to the ninth round of this year's draft when the Red Sox selected him after an up-and-down college season. Volz has reportedly thrown 97 mph in the past but his fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range Wednesday. His 76-80 mph slider was a very good pitch with late movement, and he didn't throw his changeup in his inning of work Wednesday. Volz is big with a solid build at 6'4" 220, but he throws with effort. He clearly wasn't at top form.

Brewster right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from Charleston Southern was also interesting to watch. I caught Thornburg throw during the first week of the season, but hadn't seen him since then before Wednesday night. Thornburg is undersized at 5'11" 176, and he throws with big-time effort. He gets good extension and has a hitch in his motion before he throws straight over the top. I hesitate to make this comparison, as his mechanics are not as exaggerated and his stuff is not as good, but Thornburg evokes a faint comparison to Tim Lincecum. But Thornburg's command is not as good, he doesn't throw as hard and his curveball doesn't break as much. Still, Thornburg's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range, and his 77 mph curveball had very good overhand break. He also showed a decent changeup with some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. Thornburg impressed me more than he did the last time I saw him when his curveball wasn't working for him, but with his command he is kind of an adventure every time out.

Brewster right-handed reliever Stayton Thomas from the University of Texas was decent too. He is also undersized at 5'11" 175, and he throws with some effort. Thomas' fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and had some glove-side run and sinking action. He threw a very good 72-74 mph curveball with big break. With his size his velocity might be maxed out, and his current two-pitch combination likely wouldn't be good enough to consistently fool professional hitters.

Hyannis right-handed reliever Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State showed good stuff again but struggled with his control. One of the more successful relievers in the league this summer, Gallant's fastball sat in the 91-92 mph range, his hard 84-85 mph slider had really tight break, and it complemented his sweeping 77-79 mph curveball well. Gallant has good size and a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 185. Scouts are talking about him as one of the better relievers on the Cape.
Finally, Hyannis left-handed reliever Mark Gormley arkfrom Brown, who pitched for Brewster earlier in the summer, looked better than I remembered him in previous outings. Gormley is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 200. He has good arm action but he throws with effort and falls off the mound when he throws. Gormley's fastball sits in the 87-88 mph range. He has a decent changeup that tails back in toward left-handed hitters, and an average slider.

Both catchers looked good behind the plate Wednesday, and each threw out two runners trying to steal second base. Brewster's Dan Butler from the University of Arizona moves very well back there and has a really accurate arm. His bat isn't as good as his defense, and Butler is already three months away from his 23rd birthday which limits his status as a prospect. He is also a little undersized for a catcher at 5'10" 190. Hyannis' Kenny Swab from Young Harris has struggled terribly at the plate this summer, but he is also a good defensive backstop.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Falmouth 7 Chatham 6, Falmouth 5 Chatham 2: In the first game of the doubleheader, rightfielde Ryan Jones from Wichita State went 3-for-3 and second baseman Connor Mach homered for Falmouth. Centerfielder Whit Merrifield from the University of South Carolina went 2-for-3 with three RBI. In the second game, shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi homered for Falmouth and first baseman Dean Green from Oklahoma State homered for Chatham.

Bourne 4 Wareham 0: Bourne right-handed starter Alex Wimmers from Ohio State pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and four walks and striking out 10. Second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn and shortstop Zack MacPhee from Arizona State each had two hits for Bourne.

My All-Star Game recap will appear Friday afternoon, highlighting the best performances of the league's signature event.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 22 for July 21 Update

2009-07-21T23:39:00.002-04:00

All games were rained out on Tuesday.

I'm planning on going to Hyannis on Wednesday assuming they can get their field ready, then off to Boston for the All-Star Game on Thursday.

July 21 for July 20 Update

2009-07-20T23:29:00.008-04:00

I went to Hyannis on Monday night to watch Hyannis play Cotuit. An e-mailer, a fellow scout and the league's ERA leaderboard persuaded me to catch right-handed starter Jake Buchanan from North Carolina State pitch for Cotuit, and sure enough he pitched a complete-game,three-hit shutout and struck out 10. Cotuit won 3-0.

Buchanan, whose ERA was 0.67 before he pitched a shutout Monday, didn't have tremendous stuff, but he had a good feel for four solid pitches and he wasn't afraid to throw any of them in any count. In the middle innings of his start, one American League scout said "This guy doesn't ever throw the same pitch twice in a row." Hyannis' hitters were off-balance the entire game, and only four balls left the infield. Buchanan is average height with a stocky build at 6'0" 205. He short-arms his pitches a little but throws easy and has good balance. Buchanan's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range but hitters always seemed unsure of when it was coming and therefore it was effectively faster than its actual speed. Buchanan's best pitch was probably his tumbling 74-77 mph curveball with very good, sharp break. He also threw a 76-80 mph slider with good run and a good 76-79 mph changeup with nice downward movement. None of Buchanan's pitches, other than maybe his curveball, was sensational on its own but his full repertoire was very effective. He could certainly be drafted in the first few rounds next June.

Hyannis' starter was righthander Austin Hudson from Central Florida, the Mariners' 27th-round pick last month. He looked better than when I saw him recently, but he still wasn't anything that special. His fastball sat in the 88-89 mph range, his 76-79 mph slider had good run to it and his 80-82 mph changeup was effective Monday. He pitched a good game but was definitely outshined by Buchanan.

Cotuit catcher Cameron Rupp from the University of Texas got the day off, but I got to watch him take batting practice and to be quite honest I didn't know what to make of it. Something about his swing looked off, but he made really good contact anyway. He hunches forward in his batting stance and has an uppercut swing. I still haven't seen him in person in a game as he has sat out each time I've seen Cotuit since his late arrival. But I get the feeling he will need to straighten out his swing to continue to hit in pro ball. From what I hear he is still one of the best catching prospects on the Cape, though.

Hyannis shortstop Elliot Soto from Creighton is now officially the best defensive player on the Cape. He just looks incredibly smooth every time the ball is hit to him. I just noticed today he hasn't made an error in 29 games this summer. If only he wasn't 5'9" 155 and a light hitter.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Bourne 4 Falmouth 3: Right-handed starter Eric Cantrell from George Washingto allowed no earned runs on four hits and struck out five in seven innings pitched. Centerfielder Scott Woodward from Coastal Carolina, Rob Segedin from Tulane and Ben Klafczynski from Kent State each had two hits for Bourne.

Wareham 3 Brewster 0: Five Wareham pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout, and rightfielder George Springer from UConn had two hits for the Gatemen.

Harwich 7 Chatham 2: Right-handed starter Mike Gipson from Florida Atlantic pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out 10. Leftfielder Leon Landry from LSU went 2-for-4 with a home run and rightfielder Dan Grovatt from the University of Virginia went 3-for-4 for Harwich.

Y-D 4 Orleans 1: Y-D left-handed starter Chris Sale from Florida Gulf Coast allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings pitched, striking out five. Leftfielder Austin Wates from Virginia Tech went 2-for-4 for Y-D.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 20 for July 19 Update

2009-07-20T00:10:00.003-04:00

I went to Falmouth on Sunday to catch the second game of a doubleheader between Falmouth and Brewster. I hadn't seen either starting pitcher yet, which was a rare and welcome occurence at this point in the season.

Brewster had won the first game, 2-1, but Falmouth won the second, 3-0, as three pitchers combined for the seven-inning shutout.

Falmouth's starter was righthander Mark Pope from Georgia Tech. Pope was average height for a pitcher with a solid, athletic build at 6'2" 200. He threw with some effort and had balance issues as he fell off the mound toward first base and sometimes hopped after he finished his delivery. He seemed antsy on the mound and his mechanics weren't very tight. Pope's fastball sat mostly in the 87-88 mph range and it touched 90. Pope had spotty command of the pitch and often fell behind in the count. His curveball varied in speed from 74-79 mph, but when he threw it well it was closer to the high end of that range and was a decent pitch with tight break. He also threw one 71 mph changeup but it didn't look like he had much feel for that pitch. He looked uncomfortable throwing it and it came out of his hand weird.

Brewster left-handed starter Nathan Baker from Ole Miss, the Pirates' fifth-round pick last month, showed good stuff in the loss. Baker is above-average height with an athletic build at 6'3" 210. He throws easily but his movement are slightly mechanical on the mound. Baker's fastball sat in the 86-88 mph range and touched 89. He threw a 78-79 mph breaking pitch that I am going to call a slurve that had good sweeping break. Baker's best pitch when he threw it well was his 77-78 mph changeup. It took him a couple innings before he threw it comfortably, but once he got a feel for it the changeup was a pretty deceptive, but straight, pitch.

Another fifth-round pick, righthander Caleb Cotham from Vanderbilt, who was selected by the Yankees' last month, looked even more impressive in relief for Brewster. Cotham is above-average height with a solid build at 6'3" 210. He throws easy with tight mechanics and has good arm action. Cotham's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and he had pretty good command of it. He threw a hard 85-87 mph breaking ball with tight movement and a very good 83-84 mph changeup with very good downward movement. The Yankees would do well to sign him.

Among the hitters, shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi really impressed me. Vollmuth was a late arrival after his school team's surprise run to the College World Series, and Sunday was the first time I got a good look at him. Vollmuth is big for his position at 6'3" 200, and the way he moves in the field makes me think he will be better-suited to play third base professionally. His footwork in the field wasn't great, but Vollmuth is an athletic kid with a very strong arm. At the plate he showed a quick bat and a short swing, and turned on an inside fastball for a home run.

Falmouth second baseman Scott Lawson from the University of Miami, who has been getting a lot of interest all summer from teams as a potential undrafted free agent after nobody selected him last month, looked good Sunday too. He stuck his bat out for an opposite-field single to left, beat out an infield hit and made a very athletic play in the field when he grabbed a ground ball heading up the middle then did a little spin move to get the force at second base before completing a 4-4-3 double play. Lawson is a little undersized at 5'10" 185, but he is a decent player who will probably be offered a contract at some point.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Chatham 1 Wareham 0: Chatham left-handed starter Tyler Lyons from Oklahoma State, the Yankees' 10th-round pick last month, pitched a complete game two-hit shutout, striking out 11. Right-handed starter Cole Green from the University of Texas allowed one run on two hits in 8.1 innings for Wareham.

Cotuit 5 Bourne 3: Third baseman Chris Bisson from the University of Kentucky and first baseman Tony Plagman from Georgia Tech, the Yankees' 46th round pick, each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Cotuit. Third baseman Rob Segedin from Tulane went 3-for-4 for Bourne.

Harwich 4 Hyannis 2: Left-handed starter John Gast from Florida State pitched 6.1 scoreless innings for Harwich. Catcher Anthony Sosnoskie from Virginia Tech homered twice for Harwich and finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Y-D 5 Orleans 1, Y-D 2 Orleans 1: In the first game, second baseman Blake Kelso from the University of Houston and rightfielder Austin Wates from Virginia Tech each went 2-for-3 for Yarmouth-Dennis. In the second game, right-handed starter Austin Ross from LSU pitched six scoreless innings for Y-D, and second baseman Tyler Hanover went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at Schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 19 for July 18 Update

2009-07-19T09:36:00.005-04:00

I went to Y-D on Saturday to watch Y-D play Chatham. On paper, the pitching matchup should have been a good one, but Y-D right-handed starter John Leonard from Boston College and Chatham right-handed starter Matt Harvey from UNC didn't have their best stuff and Y-D won 9-4.

Leonard is an All-Star with good numbers who I had heard good things about, but by the last inning of his outing Saturday a few scouts were muttering about how they hoped Chatham would get a couple more hits so Y-D would take Leonard out and put in a pitcher they had more interest in seeing. Leonard is average height with a solid build at 6'1" 200. He throws easy with good arm action and he generally has good balance on the mound. Leonard's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range with some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He threw a good 73 mph curveball with sweeping movement and an average 78-79 mph slider with tighter break. Leonard also threw a 78 mph changeup that was good when he kept it down in the strike zone. All-in-all Leonard was a decent pitcher and he probably just had a bad day and got hit a little on Saturday. See how he does the rest of the season and next spring.

Harvey is a really interesting case to me. He was one of the nation's best pitching prospects out of high school in 2007, dropped to the third round of the draft because he had signability issues, didn't sign, and then watched as his stock has dropped dramatically over the past two years. His mechanics are really out of whack right now, but he still has the potential to be really good and a team might take a chance on him with a high draft pick next June anyway. One scout said he should have signed in '07, and another agreed and said it must "leave a mark" every time Harvey watches fellow '07 high school phenom Rick Porcello pitch for the Detroit Tigers. Harvey is big with a solid build at 6'5" 225. He has poor arm action and a strange hitch in his delivery toward the top of his motion. He falls off toward third base and sometimes throws severely across his body. All of these things affect his command and velocity. I saw Harvey throw 94-95 for Chatham last summer, but his fastball sat in the 86-89 mph range on Saturday. He has a really good 73-75 mph overhand curveball with big break, but he tends to leave it up in the zone. He also throws a good 77-79 mph changeup with good downward movement when he throws it well. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Harvey next year, but ultimately he could have saved himself a lot of stress by taking what would have been big money in 2007.

Right-handed reliever Taylor Hill from Vanderbilt looked really good for Chatham. Hill is tall with a solid, athletic build at 6'4" 225. He has raw mechanics in which he wastes some movement and he throws with some effort, but his stuff is really good. Hill's fastball sat in the 89-92 mph range with late sinking movement. He threw a very good 80-82 mph slider with late frisbee-like movement that was his most effective, impressive pitch. He also threw a very good 78-79 mph changeup with downward movement and some tail in. All of his pitches have late life. Hill is one of the better relievers in the league.

Three East Division All-Stars stood out among the position players. Y-D first baseman Mickey Wiswall from Boston College had three singles, and each went to a different part of the outfield. Wiswall swings hard but he is always in control and he really handles the bat well. He has also greatly improved at first base since the beginning of the summer when he made the switch from his usual college position at third. He made a couple of good scoops on throws in the dirt Saturday.

I wrote the other day Y-D infielder Tyler Hanover from LSU could have been replaced in the All-Star Game, but he really impressed me Saturday. He's really undersized at 5'7" 165, but he has such a nice swing he was able to drive a grand slam out of the park off Harvey. He's really just a solid all-around player, but it's possible his size will be too much to overcome as a professional.

Chatham catcher Mike Murray from Wake Forest also had a good game. He has a really quick bat, and he got around on a high fastball for a home run early in the game. He also moves really well behind home plate and has a good stocky catcher's build at 6'0" 205. Murray is really slow running to first base. Catcher is a weak position this year on the Cape, with late-arrivals Cameron Rupp from Texas and Cotuit and Micah Gibbs from LSU and Y-D the best prospects. But Murray is a solid all-around player.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Orleans 11 Bourne 1: Shortstop Devin Lohman went 4-for-5 with a home run and rightfielder Jeremy Gould from Duke also homered for Orleans. Centerfielder Scott Woodward went 3-for-3 for Bourne.

Cotuit 4 Harwich 1: Centerfielder Zach Cone from the University of Georgia, designated hitter Zack Cox from the University of Arkansas and rightfielder Kevin Keyes from the University of Texas each had two hits for Cotuit.

Wareham 6 Falmouth 2: Centerfielder Ryan LaMarre from the University of Michigan went 3-for-5 for Wareham. First baseman Brett Eibner from the University of Arkansas homered for Wareham and first baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn homered for Falmouth.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 18 for July 17 Update

2009-07-17T21:37:00.005-04:00

I went to Bourne on Friday, mainly because most of the league's pitching matchups were between guys I have already seen, and I had heard a rumor Chatham's right-handed starter Matt Harvey from UNC was getting moved up a day to pitch. Unfortunately, he was not and I ended up seeing a game with seven pitchers I have already seen extensively.

Bourne scored nine runs in the sixth inning when 12 consecutive batters reached base and Bourne beat Chatham 10-1.

Bourne starter Bryan Morgado from the University of Tennessee, the White Sox' third-round pick who disappointed me the last time I saw him, had better stuff Friday but he struggled with his control. Morgado's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and a couple of times crept up to 94. This was an improvement from the 88-91 I saw a couple of weeks ago. One Major League scout said he saw Morgado touch 96 in a relief appearance earlier in his pitching career. Morgado's 78-80 mph slider was average and he threw a decent 78-81 mph changeup. Morgado walked six and hit a batter in five innings, but also struck out eight. He still knows how to pitch, and the increased velocity made him more impressive, but I'm still not sure he was worth a third-round pick.

Chatham's starter was righthander Patrick Johnson from UNC. Johnson is undersized at 5'10" 170 and throws with a lot of effort. Johnson's fastball sat in the 87-90 mph range and once touched 91. He threw both a 78-82 mph slider and a 72-75 mph curveball, and both were good but not great. He also threw an 80 mph changeup with good tailing action down-and-in. Johnson pitched effectively for five innings Friday and was out of the game before the nightmarish sixth. Johnson is really just a good college pitcher and is probably not a professional prospect.

I have already written a few times about Bourne right-handed reliever Kevin Munson from James Madison, but he looked good pitching a garbage inning at the end of the game Friday. His fastball reached 95 and his slider is still really good.

A position player who continues to impress me is Bourne third baseman Rob Segedin from Tulane. Segedin went just 1-for-5 Friday, but his one hit was a good piece of hitting when he a stroked a triple to right-center field. Segedin has a really smooth right-handed stroke and is one of the better right-handed hitting prospects in the league. He is also a solid third baseman and made a really good play and a strong throw on a sharp ground ball early in the game.

Bourne centerfielder Scott Woodward from Coastal Carolina ruffled some feathers when he stole second base toward the end of the sixth inning after Bourne had already scored a nine-run lead. Chatham manager John Schiffner yelled an expletive across the field to Bourne manager Harvey Shapiro, and Chatham threw at Bourne first baseman Stefen Romero from Oregon State in the next inning. I'm told Shapiro has yelled repeatedly at Woodward for running on his own. He does have very good speed.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Y-D 3 Brewster 1: Right-handed starter Michael Goodnight from the University of Houston pitched five shutout innings for Y-D. Third baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia University homered for Brewster.

Falmouth 8 Cotuit 3: Centerfielder Todd Cunningham from Jacksonville State and 1B Hunter Morris from Auburn each had three hits for Falmouth. Leftfielder Cory Vaughn from San Diego State homered for Cotuit.

Wareham 7 Hyannis 3: Centerfielder Ryan LaMarre from the University of Michigan went 3-for-4 with four RBIs for Wareham. Designated hitter Eddie Rohan from Winthrop went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Hyannis.

Orleans 10 Hyannis 2: Centerfielder Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton had four hits for Orleans.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

All-Star Selection Analysis

2009-07-17T12:44:00.002-04:00

The Cape Cod League unveiled the rosters Thursday for next week's All-Star Game at Fenway Park. The game is the league's signature event, and you can expect to see about 100 scouts in attendance at Fenway on Thursday.

The challenge each year for the 10 field managers who meet and select the teams is to find a balance between rewarding the players who are having good summers while still making sure the league's best prospects are put on display.

I was hoping to have some serious gripes about the rosters so I could provide a hate-filled blog post that would show everybody how much smarter I am than the managers, but all-in-all I think they did a pretty good job. There are a few questionable selections, but none that are too outrageous.

I'm glad Wareham's Brandon Workman and Cotuit's Cameron Rupp from Texas made the West team even though the two Longhorns have only been here for a week or two. They are two of the bigger prospects on the Cape and they belong in the game. Same goes for Y-D's Micah Gibbs from LSU, who was named an East Division alternate even though he is hitting just .179 in his first few games up here. Gibbs is a major talent as a switch-hitting catcher and he deserves the recognition.

Still, here are a few players who should be on the All-Star team who got snubbed, and who those players should be replacing.

EAST

RHP Jesse Hahn, Chatham/Virginia Tech: Hahn is one of the top pitching prospects in the league and has incredible numbers this summer, but somehow got left off the East squad. Hahn is the only pitcher I've seen touch 97 or 98 mph with his fastball this summer, and scouts eagerly anticipate each one of his relief appearances. The idle chatter among scouts is instantly stopped and they start getting serious when Hahn trots in from the bullpen. Plus, he has allowed no runs on one hit in 9.1 innings pitched this summer and has struck out 10. He has been limited to five appearances, but he has thrown just one-third of an inning fewer than Workman. He belongs in the game. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if he replaced any of the pitchers currently on the East roster, but I think it would be most fair if he took Chatham teammate Russell Brewer's spot. I like the way Brewer knows how to pitch, and he has been an effective closer for two teams up here this summer and last. But Hahn is the bigger prospect, has better numbers other than saves, and Brewer got to be an All-Star last year.

OF Trent Mummey, Harwich/Auburn: Mummey was one of the best players in the league the first few weeks of the season, carrying Harwich until their College World Series guys arrived. But a recent dry spell cost him a spot on the All-Star team. Mummey has showed off all five tools this summer, and he is really an exciting player to watch. I would have taken him over Orleans' Alex Hassan from Duke. The fact that Hassan was a Red Sox draft pick last month probably has something to do with him being selected, but the Red Sox took him as a pitcher, and I think he is better as a pitcher, too. He is on the All-Star team as an outfielder, and Mummey is just better.

1B Jaren Matthews, Orleans/Rutgers: Matthews is Orleans' second-best position player prospect behind outfielder Gary Brown, and he was their only player to do any hitting during their early-season struggles. Matthews has cooled off recently as the rest of the team has heated up, but as a professional prospect and a guy who has been pretty solid since the very beginning of the season he deserves a spot on the All-Star team. Mickey Wiswall from Y-D is very deserving as the East's starting first baseman, but I would have taken Matthews instead of Y-D's Tyler Hanover from LSU and just moved Wiswall to third base when you wanted to insert Matthews. Hanover is a good player, but he's really small which works against him as a professional prospect. Plus he has only been here for a couple weeks which qualifies the argument for his solid statistics.

WEST

Brandon Cumpton, RHP Cotuit/Georgia Tech: Cumpton looks like a third-to-fifth round draft pick next June, and he has put up very good numbers for a Cotuit pitching staff that is among the best in the league. He has really good stuff and has been successful on the Cape for two seasons now. He should replace Eric Pfisterer from Wareham and Duke. Pfisterer has put up good numbers so far this summer, but he is maybe the fourth or fifth best pitching prospect Wareham has after Workman, Jack Armstrong, Matt Barnes and maybe Blake Monar. Cumpton is another glaring performance/projectability combo guy who was left out of the game.

Hunter Morris 1B Falmouth/Auburn: This isn't a terrible omission because Kyle Roller is very deserving at first base and Ryan Cuneo should continue to be allowed to make a name for himself in his breakout summer as the designated hitter. But Morris has the raw power to be a star. He snubbed the Red Sox after they couldn't sign him as their second-round pick out of high school, and the Boston fans will still get a chance to see what they're missing out on in the home run derby. Having him participate in the home-run hitting contest is a good compromise, but as a guy with solid statistics and a possible first-round pick next year, they should have found a place for him in the game.

Those are really the only issues I have. As for some All-Star predictions, the West has better pitching, but the East has a better lineup and as we saw last year it only takes one big inning to win a Cape League All-Star Game. I think the East will win 6-4.

Jedd Gyorko will be the East MVP and Zack Cox will be the West MVP.

The home run derby is going to be low-scoring as the right-handed hitters will struggle to get the ball over the Green Monster, the left-handed hitters will struggle with deeper dimensions in right-center, and everyone will struggle with the pressure of trying to hit home run in Fenway Park. I'll take Gyorko to edge out Morris.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 17 for July 16 Update

2009-07-17T00:30:00.004-04:00

I went to Hyannis on Thursday to watch Hyannis play Brewster. The skies threatened rain during most of batting practice, but aside from a very brief drizzle in the first few innings they played the game in dry conditions.

The Major League scout total was once again near 20, and this time the best non-baseball-related conversation I overheard was about how you can't find tins of tobacco at a reasonable price anywhere on the Cape.

Hyannis won 5-1 behind a great pitching effort from right-handed starter Tyler Wilson from the University of Virginia.

Wilson was dominant Thursday, and he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He ended up going seven and allowed no runs on two hits while striking out nine. Wilson is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 185, but you can tell he is a really good athlete and he brings an intense, competitive presence to the mound. Wilson throws easily with good arm action. Wilson's fastball sat in the 90-91 mph range, and he had really good command working both sides of the plate Thursday. His 81-82 mph slider had tight break but was just average, and he also threw a pretty good 78 mph changeup. Wilson competes, but he needs to have command like he did Thursday to be continually effective.

Brewster left-handed starter Sean Bierman from Vanderbilt looked good until the sixth inning when he got shelled for four of the five runs he allowed. Biermann is average height with a solid build at 6'0" 200. He gets good extension and throws easily but he has stiff arm action and he falls off the mound toward third base when he throws. Biermann's fastball sat mostly in the 87-89 mph range but crept up to 90 and 91 once or twice. He would fall into lapses where he would struggle with his control. Biermann also threw an average 74-76 mph curveball with sweeping break, and he spun an 80-82 mph slider that had kind of a cutter effect but was really just a subpar slider.

Right-handed reliever Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State showed a good arm out of the bullpen for Hyannis. He's above-average height with a thin athletic build at 6'3" 185. He throws with some effort, and his fastball sat around 91 mph. He had a really good 75-77 mph curveball with sharp 3/8 break, and also showed an 82 mph slider that wasn't as good. Gallant was named an All-Star as Hyannis' closer, and he is one of the better relievers in the league.

Brewster centerfielder Jarrett Parker from the University of Virginia really impressed me during batting practice but then struggled in the game. Parker comes to the Cape as a highly-regarded prospect, but he's hit just .209 since he arrived a couple of weeks ago after the College World Series. Under the batting cage before the game, Parker showed a really smooth, easy swing and drove the ball to all fields. He launched a deep home run on one of his last few swings in BP. But in the game he just looked really uncomfortable at the plate and finished 0-for-3 with a walk, striking out twice. Parker is a good outfielder and an athletic kid with a good body, but he needs to apply his hitting ability to the games more consistently.

Hyannis rightfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. from the University of South Carolina played really well Thursday. Bradley is undersized for a corner outfielder at 5'11" 178, and he was hitting just .195 coming into the game. But Bradley showed some really advanced hitting with his three-hit game Thursday. His first hit was a double to left-center when he stayed within himself and drove an outside fastball to the gap. His second hit he stayed back on a curveball away and just stuck his bat out and poked it to left for a single. In his final at-bat he showed really quick hands and turned on an inside fastball he drove down the rightfield line for a triple. Bradley has great speed as well.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Cotuit 8 Orleans 5: First baseman Tony Plagman from Georgia Tech homered for Cotuit, and left fielder Cory Vaughn from San Diego State and centerfielder Jeff Rowland from Georgia Tech, Cleveland's 21st round pick, each had two hits. Leftfielder Kevin Muno from the University of San Diego went 4-for-4 for Orleans.

Look for a SPECIAL COMMENT (I'm stealing that from Keith Olbermann) about Thursday's All-Star selections. Who got snubbed? Who shouldn't have gotten picked? That should be up sometime in the early afternoon.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 16 for July 15 Update

2009-07-16T10:04:00.003-04:00

I went to Harwich on Wednesday evening for a doubleheader between Harwich and Wareham. There were at least 20 Major League scouts in attendance, and because there is not much room behind home plate at Harwich for scouts to sit, I overheard some interesting conversation by the end of the second seventh-inning game.

A few of the topics of discussion as Wareham's slow-working right-handed starter Brett Eibner from Arkansas checked the runner a few more times were hunting accidents, Dunkin' Donuts and Bailey's Irish Cream.

The Major League Scout 50-yard dash to the parking lot as soon as the last pitch was thrown was also a sight to behold. Wareham won the first game 5-1 and the second game 2-1.

The first game was a great pitcher's duel by Wareham right-handed starter Brandon Workman from the Univeristy of Texas and left-handed starter Aaron Meade from Missouri State.

The Phillies drafted Workman out of high school in the third round of the 2007 draft, and if they had been able to sign him and he consistently threw like he did Wednesday he would have been nice trade bait for the Phils to obtain Roy Halladay. He allowed one run and scattered six hits in eight innings pitched and struck out nine. Workman has great size at 6'5" 225 and simply has the best curveball in the Cape League. Workman has a slightly awkward motion in which he leans forward and then throws with some effort, but he has really good command of both his fastball and his curveball. Workman's fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range and his 74-76 mph curveball had tremendous 12/6 break. He only threw his 84 changeup once or twice the entire game, but his best two pitches were enough. Workman is definitely a potential first round pick next June.

Meade also looked very good in Game 1, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings pitched and striking out nine. Meade is above-average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 185. He throws easily with good arm action, though he doesn't always follow through and he can tend to allow his pitches to drift up in the strike zone. Meade's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range with good arm-side run. He threw an average, running 80 mph slider, and his best pitch was his 77-78 mph changeup. He tipped the changeup a little bit by slowing his body down as he threw it, but it was still a really good pitch and got him a lot of his strikeouts.

Eibner started Game 2 for Wareham and pitched a seven-inning complete game, allowing one run on four hits and striking out eight. Eibner is above-average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 205. He throws easy with pretty good arm action, though his motion is a little loose and he struggled at times with his control. Eibner's fastball sat in the 92-95 mph range early in the game, but was down to the 89-90 mph range by the end of the game, an alarming sign for scouts. All of Eibner's secondary pitches were decent but not outstanding. He threw a hard 85-87 mph slider with tight break, an 80 mph curveball he didn't throw very often and an 81 mph changeup with good downward movement.

An interesting position player to watch was Harwich outfielder Leon Landry from LSU, one of the last late-arriving College World Series position players I hadn't yet seen. Landry is a great athlete with very good speed and a quick bat that suits him well for a role as a leadoff hitter. He is also a good defensive outfielder who does a good job going back on fly balls. One Major League scout said Landry is a fringe Major League prospect.

Wareham designated hitter/outfielder Alex Dickerson from the University of Indiana finally hit his first home run of the season Wednesday. He put a really smooth swing on a good fastball and drove it out of the park. Dickerson's raw power has impressed me every time I have watched Wareham take batting practice, but he gets off balance a lot of the time in the games and hasn't been able to put it together when it counts. Dickerson was just a freshman this spring, so he has time to figure it out. The ability is definitely there.

Cape League All-Stars will be selected Thursday. I will be at Brewster at Hyannis.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Hyannis 6 Bourne 0: Right-handed starter Seth Rosin from the University of Minnesota pitched five shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out five, and third baseman Dustin Harrington for East Carolina went 3-for-5 for Hyannis.

Orleans 3 Brewster 3, 12 innings: Third baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia University went 3-for-6 for Brewster. Centerfielder Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton went 2-for-5 with a home run and a triple for Orleans.

Chatham 6 Falmouth 4: First baseman Dean Green from Oklahoma State went 2-for-3 with a grand slam for Chatham. Third baseman Matt Skole from Georgia Tech homered for Falmouth.

Cotuit 3 Y-D 0: Cotuit right-handed starter Ricky Bowen from Mississippi State, the Reds' 43rd-roun pick last month, allowed two hits over five shutout innings. Left fielder Cory Vaughn from San Diego State went 2-for-2 for Cotuit and third baseman Tyler Hanover from LSU went 2-for-4 for Y-D.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 15 for July 14

2009-07-15T00:43:00.005-04:00

I went to Hyannis on Tuesday night to see Hyannis play Chatham. With the Cape League All-Star Game a little more than a week away, and with the preferred hotel for scouts less than 10 minutes away from McKeon Park, there were about 20 Major League scouts in attendance to see the Anglers beat the Mets 4-2.

Hyannis right-handed starter Austin Hudson from Central Florida, the Mariners' 27th round pick last month, wasn't as good as he looked like he should be. Hudson is tall and thin at 6'5" 195, but he generally looks uncomfortable and awkward on the mound. He doesn't have good balance and he falls off the mound toward first base upon release. Hudson's fastball sat in the 85-87 mph range, and it is really kind of weird to see as you would think somebody with his body type would throw a lot harder. "That's just a disappointing fastball, you know?" one scout said to another. "Disappointing." Hudson also threw a 76-78 mph slider that wasn't that good either and showed an occasional changeup.

I have already written a couple of times about Chatham right-handed reliever Jesse Hahn from Virginia Tech, so I won't go into detail again about his mechanics. But since I made such a big deal about his last appearance, I thought I'd provide an update about his stuff. Scouts clearly got a lot more alert when Hahn trotted out to the mound for the bottom of the seventh inning of a game in which no other pitchers really caught anybody's attention. Hahn's velocity was down from the 96-98 mph he showed last week, but his fastball still sat in the 92-94 mph range Tuesday night. His 75 mph curveball was the best I've seen it, and he also threw his 77-78 mph changeup effectively. Hahn retired all seven batters he faced, and is still quite possibly the best arm on the Cape.

Hyannis right-handed reliever Eric Maust from Notre Dame wasn't bad. He is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 190. He gets good extension and throws with good arm action. Maust's fastball sat in the 86-87 mph range, he threw a Cape League-average 75-76 mph curveball and a pretty good 76-78 mph changeup. There isn't much good to write about him but there isn't really anything bad. He was very average in pretty much every aspect of his appearance.

The position players who stood out in this game mostly did so for their defense, though Chatham leftfielder Steven Brooks from Wake Forest had a very good day at the plate. I'm told Brooks has done a lot of individual work with Chatham assistant coach David Miller, a former first-round draft choice, and it is clearly paying dividends. Brooks' swing looked really nice Monday, and he went 3-for-4 with three doubles. He went with an outside fastball and stroked a double to the opposite field in one at-bat, then sat back on a curveball and pulled a double in his next at-bat. He's been one of Chatham's better players all season.

Chatham first baseman Dean Green from Oklahoma State impressed me with his glove. I had figured Green to be a one-dimensional power hitter who has shown good pop in batting practice but who hasn't performed in games. But Green made several athletic plays, and really gave you everything you look for in a first baseman. He made a couple of good stretches to handle throws that were off line, he scrambled back to the base in time to cover it after going for a ground ball in the hole, he made a sliding stop on a sharp ground ball and he showed some range on a pop-up in foul territory. It was good to see he could play some defense.

Shortstop Tyler Rahmatulla from UCLA had a good defensive game for Chatham too. Rahmatulla is a little small at 5'10" 170, and he looks overmatched at the plate at this level, but his glove is keeping him afloat up here. He made a great sliding catch on the outfield grass going back on a pop-up and he made a behind-the-back flip with his glove to get the force out at second on a ground ball up the middle.

Shortstop Elliot Soto from Creighton and rightfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. from the University of South Carolina were the defensive standouts for Hyannis.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Falmouth 5 Bourne 4: First baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn went 3-for-3 with a home run for Falmouth. Third baseman Raynor Campbell went 2-for-3 for Bourne.

Cotuit 6 Orleans 2: Right-handed starter Jake Buchanan from N.C. State threw a complete game for Cotuit, allowing one earned run on six hits and striking out eight. Leftfielder Cory Vaughn homered for Cotuit.

Brewster 5 Wareham 1: Right-handed reliever Bruce Kern from St. John's pitched 3.1 shutout innings for Wareham, striking out six. Brewster right-handed reliever Caleb Cotham from Vanderbilt, the Yankees' fifth-round pick last month, pitched three shutout innings, allowing one hit while striking out seven and walking none.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com.

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 14 for July 13 Update

2009-07-13T22:20:00.005-04:00

I didn't get to take full advantage of the two doubleheaders scheduled Monday because I was driving back from Connecticut where I had a physical earlier in the day. Loyal readers may be relieved to know I am in good enough health to continue writing this blog, and if I were Pedro Martinez the Phillies would probably sign me.

After choosing Orleans over the previously promised Chatham, I made it to Eldridge Park in time for the end of the first game of the doubleheader. I saw Orleans third baseman Riccio Torrez from Arizona State hit a two-run double that sparked a five-run sixth inning for the Firebirds in a 6-2 seven-inning win. Orleans also won the second game 2-1 on a walk-off wild pitch.

I only got to see Orleans left-handed Game 1 starter Jimmy Reyes from Elon throw three pitches, but the curveball he threw looked excellent.

Right-handed reliever Alex Hassan from Duke, the Red Sox' 20th-round pick last month, closed out the first game for the Firebirds. Also a starting outfielder for Orleans, Hassan is above-average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 200. He throws easily, but he tends to short arm his pitches a little bit. Hassan had good command of an 88-91 mph fastball, and threw a 71-73 mph curveball with inconsistent results. When Hassan finished his curveball, once every two or three times he threw it, it was a really effective pitch. The other times he just spun it and it stayed high out of the zone.

Orleans right-handed Game 2 starter Jorge Reyes from Oregon State, the Padres' 17th-round pick last month, was one of my top-rated Cape League starters when he pitched for Falmouth last year, and while he was decent Monday I can't really remember what made me think he was so special in 2008. Reyes is average height for a pitcher with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 200. He is a quick worker who throws easily with smooth arm action. When Reyes spots his 89-91 mph fastball he is really effective, but his command comes and goes from one inning to the next. He also threw an average 83-85 mph slider that had tight break but which didn't really move all that much.

Bourne right-handed starter Alex Wimmers from Ohio State came to the Cape as a fairly highly-touted prospect, and he looked very good on Monday. Wimmers is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build but a slightly small frame at 6'2" 195. He throws with some effort and falls off the mound toward first. Wimmers' fastball sat in the 88-92 mph range, but his best pitch was definitely his 74-75 mph curveball with really good downward break. The curve's late break fooled a lot of Bourne hitters as it dropped into the strike zone. Wimmers also has a good 76-78 mph changeup with good downward movement.

Orleans designated hitter Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton hit a deep home run off Wimmers, one of only two hits off of him. Brown doesn't look like he would have much pop at a slight 6'1" 185, but he put such a good swing on the ball that it carried a long way. I know some scouts aren't high on Brown for some reason, but I think he is a really good all-around player. He has tremendous speed, and has been clocked at as fast as 4.0 seconds to first base. He has a really smooth swing with quick hands and he covers a lot of ground in the outfield.

I will be at Chatham at Hyannis on Tuesday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Y-D 5 Harwich 3: Left-handed starter Mario Hollands from UC Santa Barbara pitched seven strong innings for Y-D, and catcher Micah Gibbs from LSU and third baseman Brian Hernandez from UC Irvine each hit a home run. Shortstop Levi Michael from UNC went 2-for-3 for Harwich.

Hyannis 4 Chatham 3: First baseman Ryan Cuneo from Delaware went 2-for-5 with a home run for Hyannis. Rick Oropesa from USC, Mike Murray from Wake Forest and Dean Green from Oklahoma State each had two hits for Chatham.

Wareham 3 Cotuit 3, Wareham 3 Cotuit 3: Wareham and Cotuit tied both games of a double header by the same score. Wareham right-handed starter Jack Armstrong struck out eight in six strong innings and Game 1.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 13 for July 12 Update

2009-07-12T23:18:00.004-04:00

I went to Yarmouth-Dennis on Sunday and saw Y-D tie Wareham 2-2. The umpires called the game because of darkness after the tenth inning even though the field managers of each team wanted to play the eleventh.

Wareham left-handed starter Blake Monar from Indiana University pitched 7.1 strong innings, and the soon-to-be draft-eligible sophomore could go fairly high in next year's draft. Monar is average height for a pitcher with an athletic build at 6'2" 198. He throws easily and with good arm action, though he does fall off the mound toward third base. Monar's fastball sits in the 84-86 mph range but has good tailing action and he is able to spot it on both sides of the plate. His best pitch is a 73-74 mph curveball that is really a great pitch when he throws it well. Monar was leaving it up early in his start Sunday but once he settled in his hook got him a lot of outs. He also threw a good hard slider with two-plane break and began to work in a decent changeup later in his outing. Despite his limited velocity, Monar looked very impressive.

Right-handed reliever Brandon Workman from the University of Texas made his summer debut for Wareham on Sunday, blowing a save opportunity by allowing a game-tying solo home run to Y-D designated hitter Mickey Wiswall from Boston College in the bottom of the ninth. Workman is big with a solid build at 6'5" 225, though he does throw with effort and has a slightly awkward motion as he leans forward when he throws. Workman was one of my top-rated Cape League starters when he pitched for the Gateman last year, but his velocity was down Sunday from what I remembered. I expected to see Workman put up mid-90s numbers, but instead his fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range. Workman's curveball was still outstanding, though, and it quite possibly could be the best on the Cape this year. He throws it about 72-75 mph and it just has tremendous late, over-the-top break. Y-D hitters' only chance against Workman was against his fastball, and fortunately for them he threw one over the plate to Wiswall.

Y-D right-handed starter Greg Peavey from Oregon State, Houston's 32nd round pick last month, had a really good slider working Sunday, and looked as good as I've seen him in a few appearances this year and last. Peavey's fastball sat in the 88-91 range with really good tailing action and some sink. His 81-84 mph slider was really devastating at times, and he was able to throw it for a strike as well as get hitters to chase it out of the zone.

Right-handed reliever Drew Hayes from Vanderbilt, Seattle's 22nd-round pick, wasn't bad for Y-D either. He is average height with a stocky build at 6'1" 205, and he throws with effort. He also has a hitch in his delivery. Hayes' fastball sat in the 91-92 mph range with glove-side run, but his command of it was spotty at best. He showed a decent 78-81 mph slider, and an occasional changeup with good downward movement.

Right-handed reliever Chase Dempsay from the University of Houston provided a different look, as he threw side arm with stiff arm action and really just slung the ball toward the plate. Dempsay was a little thin and he threw with big effort. His fastball only sat mostly in the 84-85 mph range, but with the low arm slot it got on right-handed hitters quickly and was effectively faster than it really was. Dempsay also threw a decent 76 mph slider and a good 79 mph changeup.

The aforementioned Wiswall finished 3-for-4 for Y-D and had a few really good at-bats. He did a great job going with Workman's outside fastball for the game-tying opposite field home run, and he also showed good pitch recognition in an earlier at-bat when he stayed back on a curveball and drove a single to right. Wiswall looked uncomfortable taking ground balls at third base during infield practice even though that was his primary position for BC in the spring, but he might be too small at 6'1" 205 to remain at first base much beyond this summer. First baseman Brian Hernandez from UC-Irvine, Cleveland's 39th round pick, looked very comfortable in the field tonight, and made a few good plays on throws in the dirt.

I will be at Hyannis at Chatham on Monday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Cotuit 8 Chatham 2: Left-handed starter Chad Bell from Walters State Community College, the Rangers' 14th-round pick last month, pitched a no-hitter for Cotuit, allowing two unearned runs in the ninth inning and striking out eight. Designated hitter Kevin Keyes from the University of Texas and first baseman Brandon May from the University of Alabama, the Cubs' 36th-round pick, each homered for Cotuit.

Brewster 10 Bourne 2: Centerfielder Jarrett Parker from the University of Virginia went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs for Brewster. Designated hitter Harold Martinez from Miami and catcher Dan Butler from the University of Arizona also homered for the Whitecaps. Right-handed starter Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego pitched a complete game.

Orleans 9 Falmouth 2: First baseman Riccio Torrez from Arizona State hit a home run for Orleans, and third baseman Michael Olt from UConn went 2-for-4. Shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi went 2-for-4 for Falmouth.

Harwich 6 Hyannis 5, 15 innings: Leftfielder Trent Mummey from Auburn went 4-for-5, second baseman Phil Gosselin from the University of Virginia went 3-for-7 and centerfielder Leon Landry from LSU went 3-for-8 for Harwich. Centerfielder Johnny Ruettiger went 4-for-7 and second baseman Nick Crawford from UAB, shortstop Ryan Graepel from UNC and designated hitter Dan Burkhart from the Ohio State University each had three hits for Hyannis.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 12 for July 11 Update

2009-07-12T10:00:00.009-04:00

I went to Cotuit on Saturday evening, and saw a Cotuit team that is really struggling lose its sixth game in a row, 5-1, to Bourne. Bourne has won three straight and leads the Western Division.

I unexpectedly caught Cotuit right-handed starter Justin Grimm again, whom I had already seen twice before with varying results. Grimm looked like one of best pitchers on the Cape the first time I saw him, and he looked really bad the second time I saw him. He fell somewhere in between Saturday, but was probably closer to the good form of his first outing. It has become pretty clear that when Grimm is on, he has the stuff to be a really good prospect. But he falls into lapses of poor concentration, his command comes and goes, and he doesn't always finish his breaking pitches. When he's at his best, Grimm's fastball sits in the 92-93 mph range, he can throw a really good overhand curveball, and he shows a good 80-82 mph changeup that is really effective when he keeps it down. Grimm will likely be a high pick next year if he finds a way to perform more consistently.

A couple of Cotuit relievers came in and were really ineffective, right-handed reliever Mike Nesseth from the University of Nebraska came in and showed a live arm, though he did give up an absolute bomb to Bourne designated hitter Kyle Roller from East Carolina. Nesseth, the Angels' 15th-round pick last month, is tall and lanky with a projectable frame at 6'5" 213. He has a jerky, awkward motion, and he tends to throw across his body and fall off the mound toward first base. His fastball sat in the 90-93 mph range, and he threw an 83-86 mph slider with good run. With more developement Nesseth has a shot to be a productive reliever.

Right-handed starter Turner Phelps from James Madison had a very good start for Bourne, allowing one run on four hits and striking out six in 6.1 innings pitched. Phelps has just average stuff though. Phelps is above average height with a husky build at 6'3" 205, and he looks surprisingly unathletic on the mound and struggles to field his position. His fastball sat around 86-87 mph, he threw an average 73-75 mph curveball with sweeping break and floated a 75-77 mph changeup. Phelps has put up good numbers so far this summer, but on Saturday he was helped out a lot by overanxious Cotuit hitters chasing bad pitches.

The usual Bourne position players caught scouts' eyes on Saturday. I heard the usual comments about second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn and his hustle and 4.1 speed down to first. Rightfielder Ben Klafczynski from Kent State showed off his tremendous athleticism again and made another spectacular catch, this time diving to grab a quickly falling shallow fly ball. And for the third consecutive time I've seen Bourne, a different scout admiringly said something like "That's a beautiful swing," about third baseman Rob Segedin from Tulane, who is proving himself to be one of the best right-handed hitters in the Cape League.

For Cotuit, I was interested to see the continued struggles of first baseman Tony Plagman from Georgia Tech. Plagman has a lot of ability, and shows some good pop when he is able to connect at the plate. But Plagman has terrible pitch recognition, and really looked bad in a couple of his plate appearances Saturday when he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. In his first strikeout, he swung comically late at one of Phelps' mediocre fastballs, then he waved at a breaking pitch to strike out in his third at-bat.

I also got my first look at Cotuit rightfielder Kevin Keyes from the University of Texas. Keyes has a good right-handed stroke and he can drive the ball to all fields. He is an incredibly slow runner, though.

I will be at Wareham at Y-D on Sunday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Yarmouth-Dennis 8 Chatham 1: Right-handed starter John Leonard from Boston College pitched seven shutout innings for Y-D, allowing four hits and striking out three.

Falmouth 10 Hyannis 2: Centerfielder Todd Cunningham from Jacksonville State went 4-for-5 for Falmouth, shortstop B.A. Vollmuth from Southern Mississippi went 3-for-5 and finished a double short of the cycle. First baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn also homered for Falmouth.

Orleans 9 Brewster 4: Designated hitter Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton went 3-for-5 and leftfielder Jeremy Gould from Duke homered for Orleans. Rightfielder Tant Shepherd from the University of Texas homered for Brewster.

Harwich 9 Wareham 7: First baseman Connor Powers from Mississippi State, the Dodgers' 11th round pick went 3-for-5 with a home run for Harwich. First baseman Brett Eibner from the University of Arkansas went 3-for-5 for Wareham.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/greg_schimmel

July 11 for July 10 Update

2009-07-10T23:46:00.004-04:00

I went to Bourne on Friday evening mainly to catch Bourne left-handed starter Bryan Morgado from the University of Tennessee, the Chicago White Sox' third-round pick in last month's draft.

Morgado was decent, and certainly showed in Bourne's 7-5 win over Y-D that he knows how to pitch. But, quite frankly, his stuff was a little disappointing compared to what I expected out of such a high pick.

Morgado is above-average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 205. He looks very mechanical when he pitches and has a very slow and deliberate motion. He was painfully slow to the plate with runners on base, and Y-D stole off of him five times, including four steals by second baseman Blake Kelso from the University of Houston alone. Morgado's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range with good tailing action and occasionally touched 91. He had pretty good command of it and was able to work both sides of the plate. Morgado also spun a 77 mph slider and showed an average changeup. He mixed his pitches well and did a decent job keeping hitters guessing, but none of his pitches really dazzled.

Y-D right-handed starter Michael Goodnight from the University of Houston was also not as good as his 1.06 ERA entering Friday advertised. Goodnight has good size at 6'4" 220 with a projectable frame. He opens up his front side a little early and his arm lags behind, and he also tends to fall off the mound toward first. Goodnight's fastball sat in the 90-93 mph range but his command was spotty. He threw a 74-75 mph curveball with sweeping break and a decent 80 mph changeup. Goodnight had easily his worst appearance of the summer Friday and couldn't make it out of the third inning. To be fair, both starters were getting squeezed by a small strike zone.

Y-D right-handed reliever Austin Ross from LSU was pretty effective in 3.2 innings of relief. Ross is above-average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 190. He has slightly stiff mechanics, and looks a little awkward when he throws. Ross' fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range and he threw a very good 78-81 mph curveball with overhand break. He also showed a less-effective hard slider and an occasional changeup.

Undersized, max-effort right-handed reliever Seth Simmons from East Carolina, who I have already written about, showed a nasty slider for Y-D.

I was excited to get my first look at Y-D catcher Micah Gibbs from LSU, who as a switch-hitter at a premium position is one of the top Major League prospects on the Cape this summer. Gibbs has struggled at the plate so far, and is now just 2-for-17 in his first five games since arriving from the College World Series. But Gibbs has a really smooth stroke from the left side of the plate, and he is able to drive the ball with little effort. He also has really good balance at the plate, though he did look less comfortable from the right side of the plate. Gibbs also moves very well behind the plate and has a very strong arm. He is definitely a possible first-round pick next June.

I had heard good things about Bourne centerfielder Scott Woodward from Coastal Carolina, but he was hitting .130 entering Friday. Woodward walked twice Friday and has now walked 18 times this season in 66 plates appearances. Despite his heinous average, his on-base percentage is actually decent, and he has the speed to make things happen on the bases. Woodward has a compact stroke and he drove an outside fastball the opposite way for a triple Friday night. He's also a solid defensive centerfielder with a strong arm.

Bourne leftfielder Nick Schwaner from the University of New Orleans, San Francisco's 42nd round pick, crushed a no-doubt home run, and rightfielder Rob Segedin from Tulane impressed scouts with his smooth stroke even though he went 0-for-4. Bourne first baseman Kyle Roller, Oakland's 47th round pick showed some opposite field power with two doubles to leftfield and undersized, all-heart second baseman Pierre LePage made several extremely athletic plays in the infield. It's unfortunate LePage doesn't have more in his bat because he's the type of player who sparks a ballclub.

I will be at Bourne at Cotuit on Saturday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Chatham 6 Brewster 4: Leftfielder Jeff Schaus from Clemson and designated hitter Joey Terdoslavich from Long Beach State each had two hits for Chatham. Third baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia and second baseman Colin Walsh from Stanford each had two hits from Brewster.

Hyannis 6 Cotuit 3: Third baseman Zack Cox from Arkansas went 4-for-5 for Cotuit. First baseman Ryan Cuneo from Delaware went 3-for-4 for Hyannis.

Orleans 5 Harwich 2: Centerfielder Alex Hassan from Duke, Boston's 20th-round pick as a pitcher, and first baseman Jaren Matthews from Rutgers each had two hits for Orleans.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/greg_schimmel

July 10 for July 9 Update

2009-07-09T23:33:00.003-04:00

I went to Brewster on Thursday for another unseasonably cool evening and watched Chatham beat Brewster 5-3. The loss snapped the Whitecaps' four-game winning streak which started immediately after manager Tom Myers threw first base in protest of an umpire's call earlier this week.

The story of this game from a scout's perspective was unquestionably Chatham's right-handed reliever Jesse Hahn from Virginia Tech. Hahn had scouts salivating and double checking each other's radar guns when his fastball sat between 96-98 mph. Hahn is tall with a solid, athletic build at 6'5" 195, and he gets a tremendously powerful drive from his lower body. He also throws a decent 75-76 mph curveball and an 83-84 mph change. Hahn subtly tips his pitches by opening up his front side a little too soon on his curveball and changeup, but his fastball is simply overpowering. If he can stay healthy Hahn could be a first round draft pick next June.

Chatham's right-handed starter Logan Verrett from Baylor wasn't bad either. He's average size for a pitcher at 6'2" 180, but he throws easily. He has slightly stiff arm action and he stands up straight in his delivery. Verrett's fastball sat mostly in the 90-93 mph range, and he worked mostly on the outer half of the plate. He threw a very good 82-84 mph slider with good late break that got some swings and misses. His 79 mph curveball was not quite as good, and he rarely threw his changeup. His fastball-slider combo got him through five innings during which he allowed just one hit and struck out eight.

For Brewster, left-handed starter Matt Lujan from the University of San Francisco was just so-so. Lujan was average height with a solid build at 6'1" 200. He threw with some effort and occasionally dropped his arm angle down and threw sidearm. His fastball sat in the 87-90 mph range and none of his secondary stuff was that good. He spun an 80-83 mph slider, through an occasional 81-84 mph changeup that wasn't especially deceptive and also showed a 74 mph curve. Lujan was respectable, and probably is worth a late-round pick next year.

Offensively, second baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia continued to impress for Brewster. He crushed a no-doubt home run on a low-90s fastball, and he couldn't get around on it but he drove a Hahn high-90s heater for a deep fly ball to right field. Gyorko still doesn't have a true position, but he just might be the best hitter in the Cape League.

Another intriguing position player was designated hitter Ricky Oropesa from USC, who was playing in his third game of the summer for Chatham. Oropesa is a big guy at 6'3" 225, and he was hitting bombs during batting practice with his hard all-or-nothing swing. It's clear though that Oropesa struggles against breaking pitches, as pretty much all Brewster threw at him was junk and he looked uncomfortable.

I plan to hit Y-D at Bourne on Friday, hoping to catch Bourne left-handed starter Bryan Morgado from Tennessee, who was drafted in the third round last month by the White Sox.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Y-D 9 Cotuit 1: Left-handed starter Chris Sale from Florida Gulf Coast pitched six shutout innings for Y-D, allowing four hits and striking out eight. Right-handed starter Navery Moore from Vanderbilt did not record an out for Cotuit, walking three batters and hitting one with a pitch before he was taken out. Designated hitter Josh Rutledge from the University of Alabama had three hits for Y-D.

Falmouth 6 Wareham 2: Left-handed starter Taylor Wall from Rice pitched six shutout innings for Falmouth, allowing two hits and striking out six. Rightfielder Ryan Jones from Wichita State had three hits for Falmouth, and first baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn homered in the win.

Hyannis 5 Harwich 0: Right-handed starter Seth Rosin from the University of Minnesota pitched five shutout innings for Hyannis, allowing three hits and striking out six. Designated hitter Cody Hawn from Tennesse and rightfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. from the University of South Carolina each had two hits for Hyannis.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/greg_schimmel

July 9 for July 8 Update

2009-07-09T10:03:00.007-04:00

I went to Bourne on Wednesday evening, and the weather randomly decided to be cold again even though it was July 8th. After all the rainouts we've had I would say "at least it wasn't raining," but it drizzled during part of the game too.

Bourne used five different pitchers in its 3-1 win over Falmouth, and all five are at least worth talking about.

Right-handed starter Seth Maness from East Carolina was probably the least impressive of the five, but was still decent. Maness has kind of a small frame at 6'0" 182, but he throws with good arm action. He tends to rush through his motion a little bit. Maness' fastball sat mostly in the 89-90 mph range, and he worked almost exclusively on the outer half of the plate. He also threw a decent 81 mph changeup with good movement. He showed both an 80 mph slider and a 75 mph curveball, but neither was better than a Cape League-average -pitch.

Right-handed reliever Alex Wimmers from Ohio State came in next, and he entered the game with a small amount of buzz among scouts as another Team USA Trials late-arriver. One American League scout said before the game he was glad he caught this game because he was told during batting practice that Wimmers would throw an inning. Wimmers has an athletic build at 6'2" 195. He is a quick worker who throws with some effort. Wimmers' fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range, and he threw a good 74-75 mph curveball with big downward break. He also showed a 77 mph changeup.

Right-handed reliever Justin Poovey from the University of Florida pitched the seventh inning. Poovey is another guy who has a bit of a small frame for a pitcher at 6'1" 190. He throws with some effort and tends to throw across his body. Poovey's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and he also showed an 83 mph slider.

Right-handed reliever Stephen Harrold from UNC Wilmington is usually Bourne's closer, but he pitched the eighth inning Wednesday. Harrold is also average size at 6'1" 200. He appears to stop himself as he delivers, and doesn't drive his body all the way threw the pitch. His 89-92 mph fastball is the only pitch I caught during his inning of work.

Finally, right-handed reliever Kevin Munson from James Madison pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for Bourne and picked up the save. I had seen Munson earlier in the year, but his stuff was a lot more memorable this time. Munson is also average size for a pitcher at 6'2" 200. He needs to tighten up his motion, and he throws with some effort, but he has two good pitches that really work for him in a bullpen role. Munson's fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range Wednesday and he spotted it well. He also threw an 80-83 mph slider with good run that he both throw for strikes and get hitters to chase out of the zone. His appearance was probably the most impressive of the seven pitchers who appeared in Wednesday's game.

One hitter worth discussing is Bourne third baseman Rob Segedin from Tulane, who recently joined the Braves after Team USA Trials. Segedin has lost some weight since last summer when he played for Falmouth, but he is still a solid 6'3" 225. He has a quick bat and a short stroke from the right side of the plate, and he hit the ball hard in all four of his at-bats Wednesday when he went 2-for-4.

Another position player of note Wednesday was Bourne rightfielder Ben Klafczynski from Kent State, who made perhaps the defensive play of the season when he leaped high over the short fence in right to rob a sure home run from Falmouth leftfielder Brian Fletcher from Auburn.

I will be at Chatham at Brewster on Thursday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Harwich 5 Cotuit 2: Rightfielder Dan Grovatt from the University of Virginia and first baseman Connor Powers from Mississippi State, the Dodgers' 11th round pick, each had two hits for Harwich. Third baseman Zack Cox went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Cotuit.

Hyannis 3 Orleans 0: Right-handed pitchers Austin Hudson from Central Florida, Seattle's 27th round pick, and Dallas Gallant from Sam Houston State combined on a five-hit shutout for Hyannis. Gallant struck out eight in his three innings of work.

Wareham 5 Chatham 1: Left-handed starter Eric Pfisterer from Duke allowed no earned runs in 6.2 innings pitched, and designated hitter Zach Wilson from Arizona State had two hits for Wareham.

Brewster 5-Y-D 1: Right-handed starter Sean Hoelscher from TCU pitched 6.1 shutout innings for Brewster, allowing four hits and striking out three. Centerfielder Jordan Casas from Long Beach State, third baseman Tyler Hanover from LSU and leftfielder Steve Chatwood from the University of San Diego each had two hits for Yarmouth-Dennis.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 8 for July 7 Update

2009-07-07T21:43:00.000-04:00

All games were rained out Tuesday night.

July 7 for July 6 Update

2009-07-07T00:21:00.004-04:00

I went to Hyannis on Monday afternoon and evening for a doubleheader between Wareham and Hyannis. I originally went mainly to see some of the Hyannis hitters again, but ended up being very impressed by each of Wareham's starting pitchers. Wareham won 4-0 and 4-3.

Wareham's Game 1 starter was righthander Jack Armstrong from Vanderbilt, who I'm told was considered a top prospect nationally after his junior year in high school, but whose stock plummeted during his senior season in Jupiter, Fla. and his freshman year with the Commodores. Armstrong had a very effective fastball-changeup combination and while he might project to a bullpen role in the future, he has a major-league arm. Armstrong has a great body for a pitcher at 6'7" 230, and he throws with good, smooth arm action. He throws with a lot of effort but his mechanics are sound. Armstrong's fastball sat mainly in the 94-95 mph range early on and he once touched 96. His velocity did drop to the low 90s by the end of his seven-inning outing, but he was still missing bats at the end of his start. Armstrong's 80-82 mph changeup was also a really good, deceptive pitch that got him a lot of outs. Armstrong also showed a decent 81-82 mph curveball. He is certainly somebody to keep an eye on as a top prospect for the 2011 draft.

Wareham's Game 2 starter was righthander Brett Eibner from the University of Arkansas. Eibner is one of the better hitters in the league, and I was unaware before Monday the Gatemen had even planned to use him on the mound this summer. Eibner had a really good arm, though he did get tired quickly and didn't make it out of the fourth inning. Eibner has a thin, athletic build at 6'3" 205, and he throws easily with good, loose arm action. He tends to fall off the mound toward first base. Eibner's fastball sat in the 93-95 mph range in his first two innings, but he was down to 89-91 mph by the fourth. He threw an 85-88 mph slider with hard biting action, and a decent 84-87 mph changeup. He also showed an occasional 81 mph curveball. I still think Eibner is a better hitter than he is a pitcher, but there's a chance a Major League team will see what it can do with his 95 mph arm.

Hyannis' starters were both fairly nondescript. Righthander Jay Brown from South Carolina started the first game, and showed Cape League-average stuff at best. He has an athletic build at 6'4" 215, and throws easily with smooth arm action, but his fastball sits in the 86-89 mph range. He throws a sweeping 76 mph curveball and a decent 80-81 mph changeup, though the change doesn't really present that much difference from the fastball.

The Game 2 starter was lefthander Kevin Brandt from East Carolina. His fastball sat in the 85-87 mph range, he threw a 73-77 mph curveball with sweeping 3/8 break, and he showed a 76-78 mph changeup he tended to leave up in the zone and which didn't do much for me.

Among the hitters, Hyannis second baseman Nick Crawford from UAB impressed me, even though at a generously-listed 5'9" 150 he is probably too small to be considered a prospect. Crawford was leading the league in hitting entering Monday, and he seems to just be able to consistently find a way to put the ball in play and get on base. He's also a tremendous second baseman, as he made a couple of really good plays on balls to his left.

Wareham catcher Cole Leonida from Georgia Tech crushed a 400-foot home run, and his college and summer teammate Derek Dietrich continued to look like a major leaguer both at the plate and in the field.

Heading to Orleans on Tuesday to check on Firebirds starter Jorge Reyes, who I loved for some reason last summer when he pitched for Falmouth even though a lot of people didn't.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Chatham 4 Harwich 3: Dean Green from Oklahoma State and Whit Merrifield from South Carolina homered for Chatham.

Orelans 9 Bourne 3: Left-handed starter Jimmy Reyes from Elon pitched seven strong innings for Orleans, scattering six hits and striking out six. Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton and Devin Lohman from Long Beach State each had two hits for Orleans.

Y-D 7 Falmouth 6: Y-D scored four runs in the seventh inning to come from behind to beat Falmouth. Brian Fletcher from Auburn and Ryan Jones from Wichita State, Arizona's 39th round pick, each homered for Falmouth.

Brewster 4 Cotuit 1: Brewster right-handed starter Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego allowed one run on five hits and struck out 10 in eight innings pitched.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update the blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/greg_schimmel

July 6 for July 5 Update

2009-07-05T23:42:00.004-04:00

I went to Cotuit on Sunday evening mainly to see right-handed starter Justin Grimm from the University of Georgia pitch for the Kettleers, but ended up being much more impressed by two of the last late-arriving position players who I hadn't seen yet.

Grimm entered the game with a 0.57 ERA, and I was considering placing him among my Top 5 pitching prospects after seeing him a couple of weeks ago in Hyannis. But he made me question that decision when really struggled Sunday and Falmouth exposed all of his potential weaknesses. Terrible defense by Cotuit made things a lot worse and Falmouth won 14-9.

Grimm's fastball still sat in the 91-93 mph range, but it was a lot flatter than I remembered it. He threw a 75 mph curveball with big break and a good 81-83 mph changeup with downward movement. Grimm has good stuff and good size with a thin, athletic build at 6'4" 195, but he threw a lot of pitches over the middle of the plate and Falmouth took advantage. Once Falmouth started reaching on some bloopers and misplayed balls, Grimm seemed to lose his concentration, showing poor body language and failing to hit his spots. He really struggled to miss bats, and once the ball was put in play it was bad news for Cotuit.

The two late-arriving position players who immediately stand out as two of the best players in the league are Cotuit third baseman Zack Cox from the University of Arkansas and Falmouth first baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn.

Cox, who will be a draft-eligible sophomore next summer, is probably the best all-around player on the Cape. He went 3-for-5 on Sunday and is the closest thing to a five-tool prospect that I've seen. Cox has a solid, mature body at 6'0 215, but he is really athletic as well. He shows good balance at the plate, has strong hands and is really quick to the ball. He shows good plate coverage and is not afraid to use the whole field as all three of his hits Sunday went to the opposite field. He also showed some pop during batting practice. Cox is an average runner with 4.3 speed from the left side of the plate, and he is also a very good defensive player. Cox has smooth hands, and he showed off his range Sunday with a diving stop on a hard-hit ground ball. He's got a strong arm too. I'm hearing good things about Yarmouth-Dennis catcher Micah Gibbs from LSU, but until I see Gibbs in person later this week Cox is my No. 1 overall position player.

Morris has the best raw power on the Cape, and he can really crush a fastball. He put on the best power display I've seen this summer in his batting practice session on Sunday, and absolutely demolished a Grimm fastball for a home run that must have traveled farther than 400 feet. Morris has a powerful body at 6'4" 205, and he looks like he still has more room to fill out. He swings hard with a slight uppercut but he has good balance and is generally in control at the plate, though he does tend to get out in front of good off-speed pitches. He's not very athletic in the field but he's servicable as a first baseman. Morris, like Cox, is very likely to be a first-round pick next year.

Falmouth centerfielder Todd Cunningham from Jacksonville State also stood out Sunday when he went 3-for-5 with a walk. With his .364 batting average entering the game he has been one of the best hitters in the league in the first third of the season. Cunningham has a slightly long swing, but it doesn't prevent him from making contact as he has a pretty low strikeout rate. He is not afraid to hit the ball where it is pitched and he can hit with authority to all fields. He could be another Jacksonville State product who makes a name for himself in Falmouth after right-handed reliever Ben Tootle did it when he touched 98 mph as the Commodores' closer last summer.

Rightfielder Brian Fletcher from Auburn also had three hits for Falmouth. He's a free-swinger who swings hard to the point where he bucks his head upon contact, but when he connects he can drive the ball. Sticking with Auburn, designated hitter Kevin Patterson struggled for Cotuit, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. He got way out in front of several off-speed pitches, and continually looked bad waving at changeups. Patterson has good raw power, but he needs to learn to stay within himself at the plate.

The 23 runs and 28 hits make me feel like I don't want to discuss any of the other pitchers today besides Grimm. None was that good.

I've now gotten multiple requests to mention where I'm going to be the following day. Right now the plan is to catch one or both games of the Wareham at Hyannis doubleheader on Monday, then go see Gibbs play for Y-D in Orleans on Tuesday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Chatham 1 Orleans 0: Left-handed pitcher Tyler Lyons from Oklahoma State, the Yankees' 10th round pick last month, pitched seven shutout innings for Chatham, allowing two hits and striking out one. Centerfielder Steven Brooks from Wake Forest went 2-for-3 for Chatham and third baseman Michael Olt from UConn went 2-for-3 for Orleans.

Bourne 8 Wareham 5: Designated hitter Kyle Roller from East Carolina homered for Bourne and third baseman Shea Vucinich from Washington State homered for Wareham.

Y-D 9 Hyannis 8: Y-D catcher Micah Gibbs from LSU hit two home runs, finishing 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Hyannis first baseman Ryan Cuneo from Delaware went 3-for-5 including a grand slam and finished with six RBIs. Leftfielder Steve Chatwood went 3-for-4 for Y-D.

Brewster 5 Harwich 3: First baseman Lyle Allen from Georgia homered for Brewster.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 5 for July 4 Update

2009-07-04T22:11:00.008-04:00

I spent my July 4th at Brewster, mainly to see Harwich right-handed starter Rob Gariano from Fairfield, the reigning Cape League Pitcher of the Week who entered the game with a 0.73 ERA.

Multiple readers had e-mailed me after Gariano's last start to ask what I thought of him, and unfortunately he was a big disappointment. Gariano gave up five runs on eight hits in just 1.1 innings pitched and Brewster won 7-4.

Gariano is undersized at 5'10" 180, so I figured maybe either the size of his body or the size of his school prevented the junior from being drafted last month. But the truth is his stuff just isn't good enough for him to win consistently against top collegiate players. Gariano's fastball sat in 87-89 mph range, and he left it up in the zone Saturday where Brewster hitters just crushed it. Gariano allowed five extra base hits, and almost got his head taken off by another sharp single up the middle. He did have a good 78-81 mph curveball with tight downward break, but he wasn't able to establish the fastball enough to make his curve effective. He also showed a 79 mph changeup. He has a lot of effort in his delivery and falls off the mound toward first when he releases. He also has a strange hitch in his motion. Gariano probably isn't as bad as his results were today, but he's definitely not as good as the results he posted in his first two starts for Harwich. I don't see him being a legitimate professional prospect.

Brewster left-handed starter Scott Alexander from Pepperdine pitched very well, allowing two runs on just two hits in seven innings. I wrote about Alexander in my June 28 for June 27 update, but he was definitely more effective today. His fastball sat mostly in the 90-92 mph range, his slider sat 78-79 and his good changeup sat between 78-81.

Right-handed reliever David Goforth from Ole Miss showed one of the best arms in the league pitching the eighth and ninth for Brewster. Goforth is a little small for a pitcher at an athletic 5'11" 185, and he throws with a lot of effort in his delivery. But Goforth's fastball repeatedly touched 95 mph, sitting in the 93-95 mph range for both of his two innings. His heater is straight, though, and his command comes and goes. His most impressive batter faced was when he broke Harwich's star right fielder Dan Grovatt's bat with a fastball in on Grovatt's hands. Goforth also showed an average 83 mph slider with sweeping break that he could throw for strikes and the occasional changeup. His consistent velocity alone makes him one of the better relievers in the league.

Pitching effectively with a much different style than Goforth was Harwich reliever Eric Jokisch from Northwestern. Jokisch is above average height with a thin, athletic build at 6'2" 182. He throws with ease and has good, smooth arm action. Jokisch showed very good command of an 84-87 mph fastball with really good tailing action. He threw a 77 mph curveball and floated a good 77 mph changeup. Jokisch really knows how to pitch and projects to throw harder in the future.

Right-handed reliever Matt Price from Virginia Tech also showed a good arm for Harwich, but he struggled with his command and an inconsistent release point. Price is thin with a projectable frame at 6'2" 185. He throws with good loose arm action but he throws across his body and as previously noted frequently changes his release point. Price's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range Saturday and touched 93. He threw a 79 mph slider that was good when he threw it well, but he didn't throw it well each time He also showed a good changeup with nice downward movement.

Among the hitters, Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia stood out again for Brewster. Gyorko still doesn't really have a position, and he was playing second base tonight, but he is a great hitter. He turned on a mediocre Gariano fastball and crushed a no-doubt home run to left-centerfield, then later in the game went very nicely with an outside pitch and stroked a single to right. Gyorko is still a little small despite his muscular build at 5'10" 180, and he needs to find a place to play, but someone will draft him high next year if he keeps hitting like this.

Harwich centerfielder Trent Mummey from Auburn went 0-for-4, but he impressed me for the second day in a row and is making a major case to crack my top 15 position players. He has really quick hands, puts the ball on the ground and showed 4.1 speed to first base from the left side of the plate. He's also a very good defensive outfielder.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Bourne 9 Wareham 1: Leftfielder Nick Schwaner from the University of New Orleans, the Giants' 42nd round pick, went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and rightfielder Ben Klafczynski from Kent State went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Bourne. Shortstop Derek Dietrich from Georgia Tech went 2-for-4 for Wareham.

Orleans 1 Chatham 0, 10 innings: Orleans left-handed starter Rob Rasmussen from UCLA pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven. Chatham right-handed starter Matt Harvey pitched six shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out six. Right-handed reliever Jesse Hahn from Virginia Tech pitched three shutout innings for Chatham, allowing one hit and striking out five.

Cotuit 5 Falmouth 1: Right-handed starter Seth Blair from Arizona State pitched a complete game for Cotuit, allowing one run on five hits and striking out six. Third baseman Zack Cox from the University of Arkansas went 2-for-4 and designated hitter Kevin Patterson from Auburn homered for Cotuit.

Hyannis 6 Y-D 4: Designated hitter Cody Hawn from the University of Tennessee homered twice for Hyannis, finishing 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Second baseman Nick Crawford from Alabama-Birmingham went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Hyannis. Rightfielder Austin Wates from Virginia Tech went 4-for-5 for Y-D, and first baseman Brian Hernandez, Cleveland's 39th round pick last month, went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update the blog? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

July 4 for July 3 Update

2009-07-04T01:05:00.006-04:00

I went to Harwich on Friday night, mainly to finally get a good look at three late-arriving hitters from College World Series teams--Virginia's Dan Grovatt and Phil Gosselin and North Carolina's Levi Michael. All three were impressive, and all three played a role in Harwich's 6-0 win over Chatham.

The Mariners have now won four games in a row, and quite possibly have the best lineup in the Cape League now that it is complete.

Grovatt, a rightfielder, was the best hitter of the group, and will almost certainly end up among the league leaders in hitting at the end of the season. He swings hard and doesn't allow himself to get cheated, yet he shows really good bat control and has good plate coverage. He is not afraid to go with pitches and use the whole field. Grovatt also has a strong arm in the outfield. He doesn't have great size at 6'1" 187, but he still has some room to fill out. He's a player that's going to hit for a high average and spray doubles into the gaps, but he isn't a big-time power guy.

Michael started at shortstop for Harwich, and really impressed me as a hard-nosed, scrappy athlete who is going to do what it takes to help his team win. Michael is undersized at 5'10" 175, but he's a switch-hitter who can drive the ball when he connects. He hits the ball hard, puts the ball on the ground, and is able to use his very good speed to make things happen. I clocked him rounding first base in 4.3 seconds from the left side of the plate. In the field Michael showed tremendous range up the middle and a strong arm for somebody his size. Michael is more naturally suited to play second base, but that is Gosselin's position too, and because Michael is the better athlete of the two and has a better arm he is playing short.

Gosselin is just a solid all-around player. He doesn't have any spectular tools, but he's pretty good everywhere. He has really good hands that do work for him both at the plate and in the field. They are quick enough for him to get around on good fastballs with the wood bat, and strong enough to allow him to fight off an inside pitch and get it into the outfield for a hit. Gosselin also plays a really good second base, as he has good footwork and really soft hands that make him excellent at turning the double play. He's pretty much exactly what you want in a second baseman.

Another Harwich hitter who stood out was centerfielder Trent Mummey from Auburn. He has really good speed and tries to make things happen at the top of the Mariners' batting order. He also has decent pop for a guy who is 5'11" 185, as he has very quick hands which generate good bat speed. Mummey is probably the Mariners' best hitter after Grovatt.

On the mound, Harwich right-handed starter Brett Bruening from Grayson Community College, the Yankees' 35th round pick, had a live arm but poor mechanics and he really struggled with his command and control. Breuning is tall with a big, projectable frame at 6'6" 210, and his fastball already sits in the 90-93 mph range, but he needs to learn how to harness his stuff. Bruening throws with slightly stiff arm action, throws across his body and falls off the mound toward first base. There were times his fastball dipped to the 87-88 mph range as he needed to take something off it to be able to throw strikes. He showed a 76-78 mph curveball with slurvy movement, and that was pretty much it for his secondary stuff.

Right-handed reliever Brian Dupra from Notre Dame showed he is one of the better relievers in the league again this summer, pitching for Harwich for the second consecutive season. Dupra has good size and a solid, athletic build at 6'3" 205, and he has a smooth motion until the end and throws with good arm action. He does buck his head upon release. Dupra throws a 91-93 mph fastball with good tail in on right-handed hitters, and also throws an 88-91 mph cutter that runs nicely the other way. He also has a good 79-81 mph slider with tight break. His repertoire is well-suited for the bullpen, and he thrives in that role in the summer.

Right-handed reliever Garrett Davis from North Carolina made his first appearance of the summer Friday night. Davis is big with a solid build at 6'4" 215, but he too has effort in his delivery as he also bucks his head upon release. He throws with good arm action, though, and has good command and is able to throw a lot of strikes. Davis showed an 86-88 mph fastball with glove-side run, and a 74 mph slider.

Right-handed reliever Glen Troyanowski from Florida Atlantic finished things up for Harwich, showing a 90-92 mph fastball and a 73-74 mph curveball with big, sweeping break. Troyanowski has a good arm, but at 6'1" 165, and already throwing with effort, Troyanowski is probably already just about maxed out.

Chatham trotted out to the mound a generally random assortment of mediocrity Friday night, as usually good right-handed starter Kaleb Fleck from Pittsburgh-Johnstown didn't have his best stuff and got pulled in the fourth inning. Right-handed reliever Parker Bangs from South Carolina, Pittsburgh's 46th round pick last month, was the best of Chatham's relievers, showing an 87-88 mph fastball with good late life and arm-side run. He also showed a decent slider with frisbee-like movement that he could throw for strikes. Bangs has good size and a big frame at 6'4" 210, but he tends to throw with all arm and doesn't get all he can out of his body.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Hyannis 3 Cotuit 3: Second baseman Chris Bisson from the University of Kentucky went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases for Cotuit. First baseman Ryan Cuneo from the University of Delaware went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Hyannis.

Orleans 8 Bewster 7: Orleans blew an early 7-0 lead then scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to beat Brewster. First baseman Jaren Matthews from Rutgers went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and leftfielder Jeremy Gould from Duke also homered for Orleans. Third baseman Harold Martinez from the University of Miami went 2-for-4 with two RBI for Brewster.

Wareham 6 Falmouth 4: Shortstop Derek Dietrich from Georgia Tech homered for Wareham. Rightfielder Ryan Jones from Wichita State went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Falmouth.

Bourne 1 Y-D 0: Leftfielder Stefen Romero from Oregon State hit his league-leading fourth home run for the only run of the game against Y-D left-handed starter Chris Sale from Florida Gulf Coast. Bourne right-handed starter Turner Phelps from James Madison pitched 5.1 shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out four, and the Bourne bullpen threw 3.2 innings without allowing a hit.

Questions? Comments? E-mail me at schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I update this blog? Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/greg_schimmel

July 3 for July 2 Update

2009-07-02T20:37:00.003-04:00

Thursday night was somewhat disastrous, as I drove all the way up to Chatham only to find out they weren't playing. None of the night's hosts was able to get its field ready after this afternoon's thunderstorms except for Yarmouth-Dennis, and by the time I drove back to Y-D they were already in the bottom of the sixth inning.

So here's an abbreviated post about the 3+ innings I saw of Y-D's 4-1 win over Wareham.

The best of the four relievers I saw Thursday night was Yarmouth-Dennis righthander Kevin Rhoderick from Oregon State. Rhoderick had a small frame at 6'0" 190 and he threw with a lot of effort in his delivery so what you see now may be all you're going to get from him. His mechanics weren't especially smooth and he sped up his body late in his delivery. But he had good stuff. Rhoderick's fastball sat in the 91-92 mph range and once touched 94, but he had trouble spotting it and worked primarily off his off-speed pitches. He threw a good 79-81 mph curveball with tight break he could throw for strikes, and a very good 80-81 mph changeup with nice down-and-in movement. Rhoderick doesn't project well, but he has one of the better arms up here.

The only interesting pitcher for Wareham was right-handed reliever Josh Slaats from the University of Hawaii. Slaats is tall with a solid build at 6'5" 230, but he doesn't get all he can out of his body as he short arms his pitches and looks almost uninterested on the mound. Throwing with ease and without effort is usually a positive for a pitcher, but in Slaats case it just looks like he isn't willing to exert himself. He stands tall and doesn't follow all the way through. Slaats' fastball sat in just the 85-88 mph range, and he showed a decent 77-78 mph curveball that he could throw for strikes. He could make the curve more effective if he threw harder, and there are definitely a few more mph in his body if he improves his mechanics.

Among the hitters, second baseman Blake Kelso from the University of Houston ripped a double to left-center in the bottom of the seventh inning then scored the eventual game-winning run on a wild pitch. First baseman Mickey Wiswall from Boston College and shortstop Josh Rutledge from the University of Alabama each added RBI singles in the inning.

For Wareham, right fielder Brett Eibner showed very quick hands when he turned on a Rhoderick fastball and ripped it foul down the leftfield line. Eibner eventually struck out.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

All other games were rained out.

E-mail: schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/greg_schimmel

July 2 for July 1 Update

2009-07-01T20:02:00.002-04:00

All games were rained out on Wednesday, July 1. I plan on going to Harwich at Falmouth on Thursday night.

July 1 for June 30 Update

2009-07-01T01:07:00.006-04:00

I made the drive up to Orleans on Tuesday night to see Orleans take on Wareham. It was really foggy and about 30 degrees colder than it was in Hyannis in the afternoon, but the Orleans fans were really impressive with their loud support and general knowledge about their team.

I spoke with one elderly gentleman during batting practice who asked my opinion about several players on Orleans, nodded, then politely responded "I've been coming here for many years, and between you and me this year's team is a little thin." He then wistfully told me about the time he saw Mark Teixeira hit a home run off a big rock beyond the 434 sign in dead centerfield and said the players don't look as big to him as they used to.

The starting pitching matchup is what brought me to Eldridge Park, as I had heard good things about Wareham starter Matt Barnes from UConn and Orleans starter Cole Cook from Pepperdine. Both pitched very well and showed good stuff on Tuesday. Orleans won 4-2.

Cook is very tall with a thin, athletic build at 6'7" 215. He has a really jerky motion in which he moves his hands all over the place and then speeds up everything right before he delivers. He throws with a lot of effort for a guy who is so big. Cook's fastball sat in just the 88-89 mph range, but it had really good sinking action that got him a lot of ground balls. In fact, Cook induced 12 ground ball outs in his eight innings of work. Cook also threw a very good 77-78 mph slider with really tight break. He relied mostly on two pitches, and they were enough for him as he kept everything down in the zone and threw a lot of strikes. If Cook smoothed out his mechanics he could be even better.

Barnes was also really impressive and had one of the Top 5 arms I have seen so far. He just turned 19 earlier this month, and there are indications that he has not even reached his full potential. Barnes has good size at 6'4" and a thin, very projectable 185-pound frame. He throws with really smooth arm action and makes everything look natural and easy. Barnes' fastball sat in the 90-93 mph range, and for the most part he spotted it really well and worked both sides of the plate. He threw a very good 75-76 mph curveball with tight break that he was able to throw for strikes, and also showed a good 83-84 mph changeup with sharp downward movement. Barnes is definitely a freshman to watch.

Among the position players, Wareham rightfielder Brett Eibner from the University of Arkansas is somebody who has made big strides since last summer. Eibner always had raw power, and he is clearly an athletic kid with a strong arm in the outfield, but he never had any approach at the plate and he struck out far too often last summer. He did strike out to end the game Tuesday, but he had three quality at-bats and ended up 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk. He appears to have shortened up his stroke a little bit and is a little more patient in the batter's box. His opposite field home run, which plated the only run scored against Cook, showed he still has some pop.

Orleans third baseman Riccio Torrez, who was playing in his second game after arriving late from Arizona State, also looked good. He had two hits, hit the ball hard another time, and made a couple of athletic plays in the field.

Orleans first baseman Jaren Matthews from Rutgers is still impressive as well, as he can really turn on the ball and drive it, and Orleans centerfielder Gary Brown from Cal St. Fullerton showed incredible 4.0 second speed down to first base from the right side of the plate.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Harwich 1 Brewster 0: Harwich Left-handed starter Aaron Meade from Missouri State pitched seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out 12. Brewster left-handed starter Matt Lujan from the University of San Francisco allowed one run on three hits in seven innings pitched.

Chatham 2 Falmouth 0, 6 innings: Chatham right-handed starter Patrick Johnson from North Carolina pitched five no-hit innings in a game shortened by fog. Leftfielder Steven Brooks from Wake Forest had two hits for Chatham.

Bourne 3 Hyannis 2: Leftfielder Stefen Romero from Oregon State and designated hitter Nick Schwaner from the University of New Orleans and San Francisco's 42nd round pick each went 2-for-4 for Bourne. Second baseman Nick Crawford from UAB and third baseman Dustin Harrington from East Carolina each went 2-for-4 for Hyannis.

Yarmouth-Dennis 7 Cotuit 3: Centerfielder Jonathan Jones from Long Beach State went 3-for-5 and designated hitter Mickey Wiswall from Boston College went 2-for-4 with a home run for Y-D. Zach Cone from the University of Georgia hit a pinch-hit three-run home run for Cotuit.

Questions? Comments? E-Mail schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I post an update? Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Names to Watch on Each Team

2009-06-30T15:54:00.008-04:00

I have received a couple of requests to rank the top players I have seen so far this summer so people know who to look for when they arrive here for their vacations. With College World Series participants and other late arrivers still trickling in this week, I hesitate to give definitive rankings at this point in the season. However, with the busiest tourist weekend of the summer coming up, here is a list of a few players on each team to keep an eye on.

BOURNE

1B/OF Stefen Romero, Oregon State

1B/DH Kyle Roller, East Carolina

BREWSTER

3B/DH Jedd Gyorko, West Virginia

OF Mark Canha, California

CHATHAM

RHP Jesse Hahn, Virginia Tech

1B Dean Green, Oklahoma State

COTUIT

LHP Chris Dwyer, Clemson

RHP Justin Grimm, Georgia

RHP Brandon Cumpton, Georgia Tech

FALMOUTH

1B Hunter Morris, Auburn

3B Jason Esposito, Vanderbilt

HARWICH

IF/OF Phil Gosselin, Virginia

OF Dan Grovatt, Virginia

2B Levi Michael, North Carolina

HYANNIS

1B Cody Hawn, Tennessee

2B Nick Crawford, UAB

ORLEANS

1B Jaren Matthews, Rutgers

CF Gary Brown, Cal State Fullerton

WAREHAM

SS Derek Dietrich, Georgia Tech

OF Brett Eibner, Arkansas

RHP Matt Barnes, UConn

YARMOUTH-DENNIS

1B Mickey Wiswall, Boston College

LHP Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast

OF Austin Wates, Virginia Tech

June 30 for June 29 Update

2009-06-29T23:12:00.006-04:00

I went to Brewster on Monday evening, and before I talk about some of the players I saw in Brewster's 9-8 win over Chatham I would like to congratulate myself on winning a 50/50 raffle prize the first time I decided to buy some raffle tickets. If any of my readers--I was going to say female readers but I don't know if there are any--is interested in joining me for a complimentary 1-hour Hyannisport Harbor Cruise for two, courtesy of the Brewster Whitecaps, applications are being accepted through the e-mail address listed at the bottom of this post.

Anyway, Brewster and Chatham combined for 17 runs and 29 hits in what was really the first slugfust I saw all summer. They were only able to play eight innings at Stony Brook Elementary before it got dark.

Breaking from tradition, we'll talk about a few hitters first.

Brewster third baseman Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia has now played very well in three consecutive games after arriving at the Cape earlier this week, and after watching two of those three appearances he is arguably the best hitter I've seen. Gyorko went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI on Monday, and he absolutely crushed the three-run homer to left-centerfield in a pitchers' park in the first inning. Gyorko is undersized for a corner infielder at 5'10"180, and he was a shortstop for his college club, but Gyorko is solidly built and he definitely has some pop in his bat. He has good balance at the plate, and he is able to take a good, hard swing without trying to do too much. He did a nice job going with an outside pitch to drive a single to right field later in the game.

An interesting observation about Gyorko, however, that I am not quite sure what to make of. Late in the game Brewster catcher Zach Jones got spiked in the hand during a play at the plate. Jones was clearly in pain, and the entire Brewster infield gathered around him near the pitcher's mound while the trainer came out to look at him. While the trainer tested to see if Jones had broken any fingers, Gyorko stood by himself at his position, not caring to join the meeting. He also was the only infielder not to participate in a conference at the mound earlier in the game. Maybe this isn't a big deal, but it was just kind of weird and he looked standoffish.

Brewster first baseman Lyle Allen from the University of Georgia also had a big day at the plate, reaching base five times after going 2-for-2 with three walks. Allen smacked a deep home run to right field, showing a slightly long swing but one that is smooth and makes good contact when he connects. Allen was hitting .100 coming into the game, struggling to adjust to the wood bat as guys with long swings tend to do, but if he shortens up he can do some damage.

The best hitter for Chatham was first baseman Dean Green from Oklahoma State who went 2-for-4 with a double. Green has good size and a powerful build at 6'4 220, and still has more room to fill out. During batting practice, one scout took out a camcorder to record only Green's swings and nobody else's, and Green did not disappoint, driving the ball with authority with his left-handed stroke.

On the mound, the most interesting appearance was the debut performance of Chatham right-handed reliever Matt Harvey from UNC, whose stock has really plummeted among scouts after he was one of the top high school prospects in the 2007 draft. It's easy to see that Harvey is really struggling with his mechanics, and it's making his once-great stuff erratic and inconsistent. He throws with weird arm action as he has developed a serious hitch in which he almost completely stops his arm on the way back before whipping it forward. "That's severe," one National League scout who followed Harvey in high school said. "He never used to have that." Harvey also has balance issues and falls off toward first base. Harvey touched 94 mph with his fastball, but he sat around 91 mph and threw a couple of fastballs at 88 mph. Last summer he was consistenly throwing 94-96. His 75-77 mph hammer curveball is still excellent when he can control it. Harvey allowed one hit and two walks in 1/3 of an inning, and he ended up taking the loss for Chatham.

Chatham right-handed starter Shawn Tolleson from Baylor also struggled, allowing five runs in the first inning before he was removed after three. Tolleson is average height for a pitcher with a solid build at 6'2" 215. He also has balance issues, and he looks like he is about to tip over on his face when he throws. Tolleson's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range, and he threw a decent 78-81 mph slider with tight break that he mostly struggled to control. He also showed an 82 mph changeup. Tolleson wasn't as bad as his 6-run, 8-hit performance, and he got beat by a few bloopers, but hitters didn't seem to have much trouble figuring him out.

Righthander Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego started for Brewster and looked decent in his five innings of work. Blair has good size for a pitcher at 6'3" 200 and a big frame. He tends to open up his front side too early and his arm trails behind, leading him to often throw pitches farther outside than he would like. Blair's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and had good tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He threw a good 76-78 mph breaking ball with tight break that really falls off the table late. Blair also showed an 81 mph changeup with good tailing action. All in all he was pretty good, and he is considered a prospect.

Finally, right-handed reliever Steven Maxwell from TCU showed a good arm out of the bullpen for Brewster. Maxwell is average size at 6'1" 190, but he threw a 91 mph fastball with good tailing action that really bore in on right-handed hitters. He also showed a good 79 mph curveball with tight break that he could throw for strikes. Maxwell struggled with his control, but he was the best of the parade of relievers Brewster trotted out on Monday.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Bourne 2 Cotuit 1: Bourne -handed starter Bryan Morgado from the University of Tennessee pitched five shutout innings, allowing just one hit. He struck out 13 of the 17 batters he faced. Right-handed starter Jake Buchanan from N.C. State pitched six shutout innings for Cotuit, allowing six hits and striking out five.

Falmouth 4 Orleans 2: Falmouth centerfielder Todd Cunningham from Jacksonville State went 3-for-3 with a home run for Falmouth. Leftfielder Brian Fletcher from Auburn went 2-for-4, and highly-touted first baseman Hunter Morris from Auburn went 1-for-4 in his season debut for Falmouth.

Harwich 1 Y-D 0 in 13 innings: Harwich right-handed starter Mike Gipson from Florida Atlantic allowed just two hits over seven shutout innings and Y-D right-handed starter Greg Peavey from Oregon State University and Houston's 32nd round pick allowed five hits over eight shutout innings. Rightfielder Dan Grovatt from the University of Virginia, designated hitter Phil Gosselin from the University of Virginia, and leftfielder Keenan Wiley from the University of Kentucky each had two hits for Harwich.

Wareham 6 Hyannis 1: Rightfielder Brett Eibner from the University of Arkansas went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs, and first baseman Zach Wilson from Arizona State also homered for Wareham. Catcher Dan Burkhart from Ohio State went 2-for-4 for Hyannis.

Questions? Comments? Hyannis Harbor Cruise Inquiries? Email: schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Want to be alerted every time I post an update? Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

June 29 for June 28 Update

2009-06-29T01:01:00.005-04:00

I went to Yarmouth-Dennis again on Sunday afternoon in another attempt to catch Y-D's right-handed ace Chris Sale from Florida Gulf Coast pitch against Falmouth.

I saw Sale throw an inning in an exhibition game a few weeks ago, and talked to him briefly at a game the following week about cold weather and the proper way to tilt my BlackBerry so the screen works, but I hadn't gotten another look at him yet. Sale extended his streak of innings without allowing a run to 20 before he gave up three in the seventh inning of Y-D's 6-3 win.

Sale didn't appear to have his best stuff Sunday but he still looked good. Sale is tall and strikingly thin at 6'6" 185, and he has a jerky, deceptive motion in which his long limbs flail toward the hitter. He throws from a low three-quarter arm angle. Sale's fastball sat in the 89-92 range and had really good sinking action. The pitch gets him a lot of ground ball outs. He also showed an average 77-78 mph slider and a good 77-80 mph changeup that also had really good downward movement. Sale needs to bulk up, but he has good stuff and has been one of the more effective pitchers so far this summer.

Falmouth's starter was righthander Nick Tepesch from the University of Missouri. Tepesch had good stuff but he got knocked around pretty well Sunday as Y-D hitters just sat back on his breaking pitches which he threw fairly often. Tepesch is tall with a big frame at 6'5" 219 and he still has room to fill out. He stands tall in his motion with his back stiff and he doesn't always follow all the way through, which led to his trouble leaving balls up in the zone. Tepesch's fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and had some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He threw an 85-87 mph slider with good bite to it. The slider didn't have a lot of lateral movement, but its velocity made it a nice complement to his fastball and gave it the effect of a cutter. He also threw a good 78-80 mph curveball that gave an effect of it stopping in midair and darting in a different direction. He also threw an occasional average 84 mph changeup. Tepesch's stuff was better than his performance, and he could be good with improved command.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Y-D 4 Falmouth 0: In the second game of the doubleheader, Y-D right-handed starter John Leonard from Boston College threw six shutout innings allowing just one hit. First baseman Mickey Wiswall from Boston College went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI for Y-D.

Bourne 6 Harwich 3: First baseman Stefan Romero from Oregon State went 3-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI and catcher Chris Wallace from the University of Houston went 2-for-3 with a home run for Bourne. Centerfielder Trent Mummey from Auburn and third baseman Stuart Tapley from Florida State each went 2-for-3 for Harwich.

Harwich 8 Bourne 1: In the second game of the doubleheader, second baseman Phil Gosselin from the University of Virginia had two hits for Harwich and first baseman Kyle Roller from East Carolina, Oakland's 47th round pick, had two hits for Bourne.

Orleans 2 Chatham 1: Orleans left-handed starter Jimmy Reyes from Elon allowed just one unearned run on three hits and struck out nine in seven innings for Orleans. Designated hitter Joey Terdoslavich from the University of Miami had two hits for Chatham.

Cotuit 2 Hyannis 1: Cotuit right-handed reliever Ben Rowen from Virginia Tech got the win in relief after pitching three shutout innings and striking out four. Second baseman Nick Crawford from UAB and third baseman Dustin Harrington from East Carolina each had two hits for Hyannis.

Wareham 10 Brewster 2: Leftfielder George Springer from UConn went 3-for-5 with two RBI and centerfielder Ryan LaMarre from the University of Michigan went 2-for-3 with two RBI for Wareham. Second baseman Colin Walsh from Stanford and designated hitter Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia each had two hits for Brewster.

E-mail: schimmeldbk@gmail.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Another Marketing Update

2009-06-28T11:09:00.002-04:00

Follow me on Twitter to receive updates every time I post a new item on this blog. Here is the link:

http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel

Also, e-mail me with questions, comments and/or criticisms at schimmeldbk@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading.

June 28 for June 27 Update

2009-06-28T10:08:00.004-04:00

I went to Brewster on Saturday evening for a rain-shortened game bewtween Brewster and Yarmouth-Dennis that was called because of lightning after the seventh inning. Y-D scored two runs in the top of the seventh and won 5-3.

Brewster left-handed starter Scott Alexander from Pepperdine had a good arm but was kind of difficult to figure out from a scouting perspective. He was average height for a pitcher with an unathletic build at 6'2" 190, and he has a strange motion and delivery where he just leans back and then flings the ball from a three-quarter arm angle. The first fastball Alexander threw was clocked at 88 mph, but then he sat in the 91-92 mph range for most of his start and even occasionally crept up to 93 and 94. His best pitch was his changeup, which was pretty deceptive and had some good downward movement. He also spun a 77-79 mph slider.

Y-D right-handed starter Darrin Campbell from the University of San Diego was apparently on a very short leash, and he didn't show too much before he was taken out in the third inning. Campbell had a big frame at 6-4 205, and he had good balance and body control when he threw. His fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range and looked pretty straight. His slider also wasn't very good, though he was able to get some hitters out in front of it. He showed an average changeup too. All in all this was one of the more lackluster starting pitching matchups I've seen so far.

Y-D right-handed reliever Seth Simmons had a good arm, but he doesn't have much projection to higher levels. Simmons is very undersized at just 5'9 150, he throws with some effort and he falls off the mound toward first base. His best pitch is his slider, which has really tight break and just darts out of the zone. He's somebody I would like to see again so I could get a better feel.

A few position players also stood out in this one. Brewster second baseman Colin Walsh from Stanford went 3-for-4, and really showed a smooth stroke from the left side of the plate. He also looked good in the field, showing good footwork and very nice range up the middle. Brewster designated hitter Jedd Gyorko from West Virginia also has a really nice and the ball comes off his bat well. He made his first appearance of the season yesterday and is somebody who is coming to the Cape with a lot of hype.

For Y-D, rightfielder Jonathan Jones from Long Beach State showed good speed and athleticism, and went back really well to cover a lot of ground on a deep fly ball to right.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Cotuit 3 Chatham 1: Chatham centerfielder Whit Merrifield from South Carolina went 3-for-5, second baseman Brian Harris from Vanderbilt went 2-for-5 and right fielder Steven Brooks from Wake Forest homered in the loss. Designated hitter Zach Maggard from Florida Southern went 2-for-4 for Cotuit.

Hyannis 6 Falmouth 5, 12 innings: Hyannis first baseman Cody Hawn from Tennessee went 2-for-4 with a home run and Falmouth left fielder Brian Fletcher from Auburn went 3-for-6. Hyannis right-handed starter Seth Rosin from the University of Minnesota struck out seven in five innings of work.

In the least surprising development ever, two more games were rained out. Wareham at Harwich and Bourne at Orleans were the most recent washouts.

June 27 for June 26 Update

2009-06-27T10:38:00.003-04:00

I headed up to Chatham on Friday night to see the first-place Anglers take on Bourne. Chatham had to have played its worst game of the season, as it got shut out, had just four hits, and made four errors. Bourne won 4-0.

Chatham right-handed starter Kaleb Fleck from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown started out strong but got progressively worse in each inning he pitched. Fleck had scouts buzzing in the first inning, but he started to lose his command and eventually left in the fifth inning down 1-0 after giving up a solo home run and loading the bases with nobody out. Fleck is average height for a pitcher and a little thin at 6'2 190, but he has an easy motion and throws with loose arm action. All of Fleck's pitches have good movement to the point where they appear to flutter into the zone. His fastball sat in the 90-92 mph range and had some tailing action in on right-handed hitters. He threw a decent 79-83 mph slider with frisbee-like movement, and threw an 82-84 mph changeup that also tailed in on righties.

Fleck was relieved by righthander Jesse Hahn from Virginia Tech, who probably had the best power arm I've seen so far. Hahn came in with the bases loaded and nobody out and escaped the jam without allowing a run. Hahn is tall with a thin, athletic build at 6'5" 195, and has a smooth motion and good arm action. He has a powerful leg kick, and gets good drive from his lower half. He throws downhill. In his first inning of work Hahn's fastball sat in the 94-95 mph range, and twice hit 96 on a few of the scouts' guns. His heater sat more in the 92-93 range in his second inning out of the pen, but it was still impressive. Hahn also showed a good 75-77 mph curveball with 3/8 break and an 82 mph changeup with downward motion. If he can throw his fastball with more consistency he could be a very good prospect as a reliever.

Bourne right-handed starter Turner Phelps from James Madison pitched well, throwing six shutout innings and allowing just two hits. At 6'3" 205 Phelps has a big frame but still has room to fill out. He tends to short arm the ball a little bit and he falls off toward first base when he throws. Phelps' fastball sat in just the 85-87 mph range, but he threw a good 73 mph curveball and a good 77 mph changeup. His secondary stuff was good enough for one American League scout to say "If his velo goes up I'd give him a look." Phelps threw a lot of strikes and mixed his pitches well. He also benefitted from a big, erratic strike zone.

Among the positon players, Bourne second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn stands out as a guy who really knows how to play. LePage gets everything out of his 5'8" 165-pound body, hustling on every single play. He made a couple of smart plays in the field, and covered a lot of ground on a ground ball to his left. He probably doesn't handle the bat well enough to be a legitimate prospect, but he is somebody that is certainly fun to watch.

On the other hand, leftfielder Jeff Schaus really struggled last night for Chatham. The athletic prospect was hitting .391 coming into the game, but he took two terrible swings in strikeouts in each of his first two at-bats, and looked ridiculous on a misplayed fly ball that allowed two runs to score. He did get a single in the ninth inning to finish 1-for-4, and I'll chalk the performance up to a bad day, but it was really striking to see Schaus struggle like that.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Harwich 3 Hyannis 0: right-handed starter Rob Gariano from Fairfield threw 5.1 shutout innings for Harwich, allowing four hits and striking out 11 in a game called in the sixth inning because of rain. Shortstop Chris Wade from the University of Kentucky and Florida's 11th-round draft pick and catcher Marcus Nidiffer from the University of Kentucky each had two hits for Harwich.

Y-D 3 Orleans 1: Rightfielder Jonathan Jones from Long Beach State went 3-for-5 and second baseman Blake Kelso from the University of Houston went 2-for-5 for Y-D. Right-handed reliever Tyler Burgoon from the University of Michigan pitched three hitless innings in relief for Y-D, striking out seven. Centerfielder Gary Brown from Cal St. Fullerton had the only two hits of the game for Orleans.

Brewster at Falmouth and Cotuit at Wareham were rained out.

June 26 for June 25 Update

2009-06-25T21:52:00.005-04:00

I went to Yarmouth-Dennis on Thursday evening and saw Orleans beat Y-D 6-0 in a briskly played game in the first summer-like weather of the season.

Eight Major League scouts were in attendance for the first pitch, perhaps to see Y-D ace Chris Sale from Florida Gulf Coast who has pitched 14 straight scoreless innings and was scheduled to make his third start of the season Thursday. Righthander Greg Peavey from Oregon State got the nod instead, and by the end of the game all of the scouts had left.

Peavey, Houston's 32nd round pick, was outpitched by Orleans right-handed starter Casey Gaynor from Rutgers, who baseball fans may remember from his days with the Toms River (NJ) Little League team that made back-to-back Little League World Series appearances in the late 1990s. Gaynor really wasn't that great, but he pitched seven shutout innings, allowed just two hits and struck out three. Gaynor is average height and a little husky at 6'2" 210, and throws with loose arm action and little effort though he does throw across his body. Gaynor's fastball sat in the 86-88 mph range, and he threw a "so-what" 70 mph curveball with slow, sweeping break. He also showed an occasional changeup that didn't do much for me. Gaynor has good control, mixes his pitches well and knows how to pitch, but the quality of his stuff does not make him a professional prospect.

Peavey, on the other hand, had better stuff, but he struggled with his command and ended up allowing five runs before he was knocked out in the fifth inning. Peavey is average size at 6'2" 190, and he throws with good arm action but with effort in his delivery. His fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range with good tailing and sinking action down and in on right-handed hitters. Peavey showed a 79-83 mph curveball with very good downward break, and complemented that pitch with a good 80-82 mph slider, but he did not have good command of his breaking pitches and almost looked as if he didn't know where the pitches were headed when he let them go. Peavey also showed an occasional changeup but relied mostly on his fastball and curve. Peavey needs to improve his command to succeed at higher levels.

Orleans left-handed reliever Matt Packer from the University of Virginia was really the only other pitcher to catch my eye Thursday night. Cleveland's 32nd round draft pick showed four good pitches in just one inning of work. His low 90s fastball had good sinking action, his curveball had steep downward break, he complimented the curve with a good hard slider, and he showed a good 79 mph changeup as well.

Among the position players, Orleans centerfielder Gary Brown from Cal State Fullerton looked very good in his first Cape League appearance of the summer. Brown has a nice compact swing, and he's able to put the ball in play and use his excellent speed to get on base. Brown beat out two infield hits Thursday night and ended up going 3-for-5. He's also an excellent defensive centerfielder as he reads the ball well off the bat and gets great jumps, then uses his speed to run down fly balls all over the outfield. More than once on Thursday he made pretty difficult plays look routine and ended up camping out under balls that looked like doubles off the bat.

Y-D leftfielder Austin Wates from Virginia Tech is locked in at the plate. The speedy Wates is leading the league with .419 batting average, and he hit three balls hard Thursday despite going just 1-for-4.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Falmouth 5 Bourne 4: Falmouth left-handed starter Taylor Wall from Rice pitched six shutout innings for Falmouth. Centerfielder Todd Cunningham from Jacksonville State and third baseman Jason Esposito from Vanderbilt each had two hits for Falmouth, while second baseman Pierre LePage from UConn and designated hitter Kyle Roller from East Carolina--Oakland's 47th round pick--each had two hits for Bourne.

Hyannis 3 Cotuit 2: Designated hitter Cody Hawn from Tennessee had two hits for Hyannis and first baseman Tony Plagman from Georgia Tech and the Yankees' 46th round pick had two hits for Cotuit.

Harwich 6 Brewster 3: Rightfielder Dan Grovatt from the University of Virginia and first baseman Connor Powers from Mississippi State and the Dodgers' 11th round pick each had two hits for Harwich. Centerfielder John Barr from the University of Virginia went 3-for-4 and scored all three runs for Brewster.

Chatham 6 Wareham 4: Chatham scored twice in the top of the ninth to improve to a league-best 9-1 this season. Rightfielder Steven Brooks from Wake Forest and leftfielder Jeff Schaus from Clemson each had two hits for Chatham, while third baseman Shea Vucinich from Washington State hit two home runs for Wareham. First baseman Cole Leonida from Georgia Tech had three hits and rightfielder George Springer from UConn had two hits for Wareham.

June 25 for June 24 Update

2009-06-24T23:38:00.004-04:00

After three straight days of rainouts, we finally got to see some action Wednesday night. I went to Falmouth and saw several very impressive young arms in Cotuit's 2-0 win over the Commodores.

Cotuit's left-handed starter Chris Dwyer from Clemson was the best pitcher I've seen so far this summer. Dwyer was Kansas City's fourth round draft pick earlier this month, and a high-ranking member of the Royals' front office was in attendance Wednesday to see Dwyer's first Cape League appearance. Despite a 17-day layoff, the draft-eligible freshman did not disappoint. Dwyer has a very athletic build at 6'4" 200, and he has such smooth mechanics and does everything with such ease that it looks like he is hardly working on the mound. His best pitch is his 76 mph curveball--which has very sharp, tight break--even though he occasionally doesn't follow through with it and leaves it up in the zone. His fastball sat in the 90-91 mph range and he threw a very good 80-82 mph changeup. Dwyer pitched five shutout innings Wednesday night, allowing two hits and striking out nine. The Royals' brass had to be impressed.

Falmouth's right-handed starter Tommy Collier from San Jacinto Community College was also pretty good. Collier had some trouble with his mechanics, as he opened up his front side and ended up falling way off the mound toward first base, but he threw well and showed some potential. Collier's fastball sat in the 87-90 mph range, and he threw a good overhand 79-80 mph curveball which he could throw for strikes. He also showed the occasional 83 mph changeup. Collier shut down Cotuit for four innings, then looked like he got tired in the fifth inning and got touched up for two runs.

Cotuit's right-handed reliever Daniel Tillman from Florida Southern hit 94 mph and sat between 91-93 mph with his fastball, a pitch that had some nice heavy sinking action. Tillman was just average size at 6'1" 185, and he threw with a lot of effort, but he was blowing his fastball by hitters. Tillman needs to find some kind of secondary stuff, though, as both his curveball and changeup were not up to par. He threw nearly all fastballs.

Falmouth reliever Cecil Tanner from Georgia also had a good arm, and also touched 94 with his fastball. Tanner is huge at 6'6"240, and he throws hard with little effort. His fastball also had some nice tailing action in on right-handed hitters. Tanner made quick work of three hittters, so I didn't see as much of him as I would like, but he is certainly a name to watch.

In a game that featured 32 strikeouts and just eight hits, nobody really stood out at the plate for any positive reason. Cotuit's left fielder Cory Vaughn from San Diego State did however stand out for his futility. Former Major Leaguer Greg Vaughn's son struck out in all four of his plate appearances, feebly waving at so many breaking pitches out of the strike zone that it became ridiculous. He literally swung at least a foot over the ball several times in his various at-bats. When Falmouth reliever Patrick Cooper inexplicably decided to throw Vaughn a fastball down the middle in the top of the eighth inning, and Vaughn even more inexplicably took it for strike three to complete the Golden Sombrero, one National League scout shook his head and laughed out loud in disbelief. Vaughn has now struck out in 16 of his 29 at-bats this summer.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Bourne 2 Brewster 2, 10 innings: Bourne right-handed starter Eric Cantrell from George Washington allowed one run on one hit and struck out eight over five innings, and Brewster right-handed starter Kyle Blair from the University of San Diego allowed no runs on two hits in 4.1 innings pitched in a game called by darkness. Designated hitter Stefan Romero from Oregon State hit a two-run home run for Brewster.

Chatham 8 Y-D 3: Catcher Mike Murray from Wake Forest went 3-for-3 for Chatham, and catcher Ben McMahan from the University of Florida went 2-for-4 with a home run for Y-D.

Orleans 6 Harwich 4: Orleans scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat Harwich. Second baseman Danny Muno from Fresno State and first baseman Jaren Matthews from Rutgers each had two hits for Orleans. Center fielder Trent Mummey from Auburn and right fielder Dan Grovatt from the University of Virginia each had two hits for Harwich.

Wareham at Hyannis: Rained out. Because it's not a day at the Cape without something getting postponed.

June 23 Update

2009-06-23T23:43:00.002-04:00

Tuesday was the third straight day of rainouts, and we missed out on a great Chris Dwyer v. Matt Barnes scheduled matchup in Cotuit.

We'll try again Wednesday.

June 22 Update

2009-06-22T21:06:00.002-04:00

All five scheduled games were rained out tonight. Good thing the College World Series is on TV.