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.
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Showing posts with label Michael Goodnight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Goodnight. Show all posts
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
July 11 for July 10 Update
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.
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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
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