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.
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Showing posts with label Alex Wimmers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Wimmers. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
July 14 for July 13 Update
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
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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.
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Thursday, July 9, 2009
July 9 for July 8 Update
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
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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
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