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.
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Sunday, July 12, 2009
July 12 for July 11 Update
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.
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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.
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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.
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Thursday, July 9, 2009
July 10 for July 9 Update
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009
July 7 for July 6 Update
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
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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
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