2015 Tournament of Stars/Team USA

6/30/2015 11:15:49 AM

Just as he had done all spring for the Maryland Terrapins, rising junior right-hander Michael Shawaryn dealt for the Stars and Stripes for his first three innings on the mound. Facing the minimum of nine batters over his first three, Shawaryn ran into some trouble in the top of the fourth as he walked a couple -on fastballs just off the glove side black- to go along with a couple of base hits.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 211-pounds, Shawaryn possesses big time stuff on the mound and as impressive as his arsenal is, it’s his ability to locate to either side of the plate with intent that’s truly impressive. Through the early portion of his outing Shawaryn was in complete control with his fastball command, spotting to whichever side of the plate he wanted to throw his heavy fastball. Sitting comfortably in the 92-94 mph range once touching 95 mph, Shawaryn is able to generate a tremendous amount of extension at release and is something that adds to that impressive fastball life.

His overall delivery add deception as the Maryland ace throws from a lower three-quarter arm slot with whippy action through the back, the final piece as to why he’s able to create such late sink. Shawaryn finished the outing with four strikeouts and picked them up both with his slider and fastball, looking and swinging. 

The combination of life, command, and velocity would probably be enough for Shawaryn to get through a lineup but he features the same advanced command of his slider, a pitch that worked in the upper-70s and peaked at 82 mph. Shawaryn is able to manipulate the velocity of the pitch while still maintaining the late biting life on the pitch and command to either side of the plate. And though he only flashed a changeup once or twice it looked like a third quality pitch at 85 mph with similar late sinking life as his fastball down in the zone from the same arm slot.

If you got out of your seat for even the slightest moment or got caught up in a side conversation there’s a good chance you missed Oregon State’s Drew Rasmussen. In for Shawaryn and looking to pick up the last out of the fourth with two runners on, the strongly 6-foot-1, 220-pound Rasmussen did just that and did so on just four pitches. 

Rasmussen began the spring working out of the Beaver’s bullpen before transitioning to a starting role so coming in at the backend of games is something he’s done at the collegiate level. With his power build comes power stuff as he shows a fast right arm and incorporates his strong lower half into his delivery well. A starter during his prep days, Rasmussen has a strong feel for a full three-pitch mix, something he utilizes when he needs to work through a lineup more than once. Saturday afternoon called for just one batter and after starting him with a 95 mph fastball, Rasmussen showed two sharp sliders at 84 and 85 mph along with another heater at 94 mph, picking up the last out of the inning via strikeout.

Logan Shore made his USA debut after arriving just a day or two prior and threw four shutout innings en route to his first win of the summer. The ace on a loaded University of Florida pitching staff this spring, Shore shows a full and fluid arm action coming through the back and like Shawaryn generates nice extension out his front side allowing him to live low in the zone.

Shore lived in the 90-94 mph range with his fastball over his outing with solid running life to his arm side and showed the ability to locate well to his glove side. There’s slight effort at release from Shore but it doesn’t inhibit his command nor does it fluctuate his velocity. He does a nice job of staying online with his lower half and finishing towards the plate, something that helps his three-pitch mix all the more effective.

Shore possesses one of the better changeups in the entire 2016 draft class and it’s an offering that shows true swing and miss life. Thrown in the 80-82 mph range, Shore stays quick with his arm action through the backside while showing the same release point on it as he does his fastball. He does a nice job of turning over his changeup to generate plenty of late sinking life and lives low in the zone with both his changeup and fastball which results in plenty of ground ball contact.

Though the changeup is Shore’s bread and butter offering, he also shows a nice feel for his slider, a low-80s pitch that shows short depth and gives him a solid third pitch to keep hitters off balance.  

Zack Burdi came in for Team USA after Winthrop left-hander Matt Crohan allowed an infield single but allowed two base hits of his own despite sitting mostly 98 and 99 mph with his fastball. With one out and Chinese Taipei threatening still in the top of the ninth, Coach Ed Blankmeyer called on Texas A&M right-hander Ryan Hendrix to preserve the victory. Just as he did his outings prior, Hendrix came out and showed an advanced feel for his sharp breaking ball, striking out both of the batters he faced with the pitch. With just a couple of fastballs thrown in the 91-92 mph, Hendrix relied primarily on his curveball, a pitch that showed plus life and depth up to 84 mph. Not afraid to double up or even triple up on the pitch, Hendrix -a rising junior- generated plenty of empty swings with the pitch and picked up both his strikeouts with whiffs on the pitch.

If you’ve been reading these recaps then you’ve come across the names of Louisville’s Corey Ray and Texas A&M’s Nick Banks quite frequently. The main reason for this is due to their innate ability to put the barrel on the ball as they continue to rack up base hits and each extended their hit streaks to seven games. Serving as USA’s leadoff hitter, Ray seems to do nothing but get on base as he finished 2-2 with an opposite field line drive single on the first pitch of the game before doubling in his third trip to the plate. A plus-runner, Ray quickly turned his double into a triple essentially as he stole third base, his eighth theft of the summer.

With Ray standing on second base and two outs, the left-handed hitting Banks strode to the plate and as he’s done throughout the onset of the summer.  Banks lined an outer half fastball sharply over the shortstops head for a line drive single into left-center, plating the first run of the game.

After doubling off the Blue Monster in left field the night prior left-handed, University of Florida outfielder Buddy Reed took his first reps of the summer right-handed and didn’t seem to miss a beat. A plus-runner who is full of fast-twitch athleticism, Reed put down a sac bunt in his first at-bat before doing some real damage in his next plate appearance. Putting an exclamation point on a five run second inning for the Collegiate National Team, Reed lined a single to the left of the shortstop, scoring two runs, which would prove to be key at the end of the game.

Also picking up an RBI in that second inning was Clemson’s Chris Okey, a 6-foot, 180-pound backstop from Altamonte Springs, Florida. Okey is coming off a big spring for the Tigers with the bat and while he hasn’t reached full steam offensively this summer, he’s continued to excel behind the plate, a characteristic he’s become renowned for since his prep days. Taking a majority of the innings behind the plate, Okey is an advanced receiver who moves lightly on his feet while consistently squaring up dirt balls off his chest. Over his first five games of the summer, Okey threw out five would-be base stealers and is consistently in the low-2.0s with his throws.

 

 

 

6/28/2015 3:44:00 PM

6/27/2015 7:27:03 AM

With his originally scheduled Thursday night start getting postponed due to weather, Tanner Houck took the ball Friday morning and came out attacking from the very first pitch. A staple in Missouri’s weekend rotation this spring as he logged 100.2 innings, USA Coach Ed Blankmeyer only needed Houck to work 5.2 innings (of a seven inning game) en route to picking up his first win of the summer.

Listed at a very believable 6-foot-5, 215-pounds, Houck throws from a long and fluid arm action, generating solid extension out front as he works over his front side. With an extended low three-quarter arm slot Houck throws a heavy, heavy fastball when he works down in the zone, making it a tough pitch to try to elevate. Living in the 91-94 mph range from the first pitch to the last, Houck showed the ability to locate to his glove side with his heater with a fast and loose arm coming through his delivery. 

While Houck did a nice job of holding his fastball velocity out of the stretch, he also did well on repeating his mechanics when throwing his slider, a pitch that was mixed in frequently. Thrown consistently in the 82-84 mph range, Houck’s slider showed sharp life with 2-plane break with the ability to locate to either side of the plate. Of the three strikeouts the Illinois native picked up Friday morning, two came on his slider with empty swings over the top of the ball. The two runs his did surrender came on an elevated slider but that proved to be an abnormality as the majority of his breakers were located down in the zone.

His numbers this spring were enough to warrant it but now doing it against international competition, remember Houck’s name as June of 2017 approaches.

It wasn’t an extended stint on the mound like he’s done on the mound this spring but Texas A&M’s right-hander Ryan Hendrix did his job just as he had done for the Aggies. Relieving Houck with the tying run on second base, Hendrix quickly induced a ground ball to escape the inning.

Opening up the top of the seventh with another ground ball out before giving way to left-hander Brendan McKay, it should come as little surprise that hitters weren’t able to elevate anything Hendrix threw. Sitting in the 91-93 mph with his fastball, Hendrix did a nice job of working on top of the ball and in doing so created sinking life on his heater while locating down in the zone. Just as he had his previous appearance, Hendrix showed off his advanced feel for his big curveball, a power pitch that worked at 82-83 mph with sharp break and late depth.

Locking down his first save of the summer after a spectacular freshman season at Louisville, left-hander Brendan McKay was in complete control for the final two outs of the game. With a very balanced, well-tempo’d delivery that allows for McKay to repeat his mechanics easily the Pennsylvania native came in and pounded the strike zone with a two-pitch mix.

McKay was called in to face a left-handed hitter and made quick work of him as he didn’t double or triple up on his curveball but threw four in a row, three for strikes to record the backwards K. Thrown in the 79-81 mph range, McKay’s curveball features late depth though it’s his feel and ability to spot the ball that’s more eye opening. After he recorded his first out, the second of the inning, McKay began attacking with his fastball.

With his fastball sitting in the 89-90 mph range with the handful he threw, McKay showed command of his heater just as he did his curveball and did so with a near identical arm action. Staying short in the back through his take away, the rising sophomore continued to show a low effort release and though he did walk a batter none of the balls he threw were off the black by more than an inch.

A consistent hitter through this point of the summer for USA, Houck’s collegiate and now summer teammate Ryan Howard has continued to find the barrel while swinging wood. Though this isn’t too much of a surprise considering the rising junior led Missouri this spring in batting average with a .308 average.  With things locked up two runs apiece in the bottom of the fifth, Howard came through for the Collegiate National Team with a line drive RBI single and once again put his smooth right-handed swing on display for what was ultimately the winning run.

Keeping the teammate them going in USA’s first win of a double header sweep, Louisville’s rising junior outfielder Corey Ray will be an interesting player to follow for next June’s draft given his present abilities and the strides he’s made from even last spring to this spring. Though he’s currently manning left field for USA, Ray is a plus runner and has the defensive instincts to take control of the outfield next spring at Louisville while playing lockdown defense in centerfield. Though it was just in pre-game batting practice, Ray was taking a quick first step in on sinking line drives and with clean and direct routes, he was able to make the play.

In the game Ray showed off his smooth left-handed swing and his speed as he collected two base hits and stole another two bases giving him seven for the summer. At the plate the Illinois native shows quick hands that allow Ray to go with the pitch while still driving the ball to all fields and later in the night -during game two- shot an inner half fastball down the left field line and off the wall for a standup double, giving him yet another multi-hit game. 

6/26/2015 9:37:18 AM

Pitcher of the Day:  LHP Jason Groome.  Groome dazzled everyone at the PG National Showcase last week and this week in Cary was pretty much a repeat of the same stuff and performance.  The 6-foot-6, 220-pound New Jersey native threw three one-hit innings, issuing one walk while striking out six hitters.  Goome pitched in the 92-96 mph range with his fastball and dotted plenty of corners on both sides of the plate.  Just as impressively, he threw a scout estimated 80% of his curveballs for strikes, varying the velocity between 72 and 79 mph while showing great feel for the pitch.  His hard curveballs showed particular promise, as he will undoubtedly be developing more power on this pitch as he moves up the ladder and gets more instruction.  Groome also tried a couple of change ups, which while ineffective yet, was still good to see attempted.  There was plenty of scout discussion going around the stands about a Groome vs. A.J. Puk, who threw a dominant inning for the collegiate team two days ago, scenario for the first overall pick next June. 

Player of the Day:  CF Mickey Moniak.  We mentioned Moniak from the previous day when he could have easily had three or four hits but ran into bad baseball luck.  Today he actually went 3-3 and seems to simply square the ball up every at bat.  He showed his speed and youthful base running enthusiasm by turning on an inside fastball in one at-bat and driving it hard into the right field corner, only to attempt to stretch it into a triple and over slide third base so far that the third base coach almost had to jump out of the way to avoid a collision.  Moniak is making a strong case to become the #1 position prospect in the 2016 class when the next PG class rankings come out.

Other notable players and performances:

IF Duncan Pence, a big strong right handed hitter from Tennessee, blasted the day's only home run to deep left centerfield during the last game.  IF Nonie Williams had almost gone yard a few innings before but hit the top of the wall on what ended up being a triple.  Williams also picked up a high sky double, scored a couple of runs and generally caused havoc on the bases with his speed and aggressiveness.

RHP Reggie Lawson had about the easiest two innings any pitcher has had the first two days of games, retiring six straight hitters on about 20 pitches while working 89-92 on his fastball with consistent location at the bottom of the zone.  His 74 mph curveball showed some depth as well.

OF Carlos Cortes got rid of the splint he was wearing to protect an injured finger on his right hand and went back to driving the ball with the authority we've become used to with the versatile left handed hitter from Florida.  He picked up a couple of hits, including a booming hustle triple to right centerfield that ended in a perhaps ill-advised head first slide given his finger.

RHP Hans Crouse is one of the top rated pitchers in the 2017 class and one of the few 2017's in Cary.  His command was a bit erratic in his outing today but the stuff was absolutely top shelf, including a fastball that reached 95 mph and a breaking ball that was sharp and biting at 78 mph.

Kyle Muller and Joey Wentz are a pair of 6-6 combo left handed pitcher/first baseman who can really hit a ball hard when they square it up.  Both registered line drives registering 100+ off the barrel.  Wentz has shown a much better swing than he showed last week in Fort Myers and has been making consistent square contact, while Muller picked up three hits yesterday.

RHP's Lane Carter and Jack Little and 2017 lefty Jordan Butler combined on a five-hit shutout for the Brave team, a pitching rarity for this run heavy event thus far.  Little, a Las Vegas native, is very similar at the same age as Texas A&M right hander Grayson Long, a third round pick by the Angels this year.  He was steady at 89-91 mph with a very good change up and outstanding command.  Butler is already a highly touted 2017 prospect with three very good present pitches.

IF Daniel Baskt followed up his three hit/home run day with another pair of hard hit singles today and is really swinging the bat well.

Two more 2017's to keep an eye on are 1B/LHP Nicholas Pratto and IF/RHP Hunter Greene.  Both have been considered high level pitching prospects in the past but are looking much more like position prospects at present.  Both are strong and loose athletes who can drive the ball hard; Pratto from the left side and Greene from the right.

C Cooper Johnson is generally considered the best defensive catcher in the 2016 class but had a nice offensive day yesterday, going 2-3 at the plate with a double, a hit by pitch and a couple of runs scored. 

6/25/2015 7:59:17 AM

Beginning the year as a shutdown reliever for the University of Houston, freshman left-hander Seth Romero slowly transitioned into a starting role towards the end of the season and that appears to be his role with Team USA as well. Working a pre-determined four innings, Romero was pretty much on cruise control from the onset. The Texas native showed a very balanced and repeatable set of mechanics on the mound that helped him continuously fill up the strike zone.

With a broad and strongly built 6-foot-1, 242-pound frame Romero pounded the lower quadrants with his fastball, a pitch that consistently sat in the 91-94 mph range from the first pitch to the last. He does a nice job of staying on top of the ball and with his arm slot is able to create big angle on his fastball, especially down to his glove side. Though he showed a solid slider and a changeup, Romero picked up plenty of ugly and uncomfortable swings on the strength and location of his fastball.

Of the six strikeouts he picked up, four came via his slider (all swinging) while he picked up one with both his fastball and changeup. After getting around the first couple of sliders Romero’s feel continued to develop and it quickly became a true swing and miss offering. Romero maintained his slot on the 77-80 mph offering and showed late sweeping life away from left-handed hitters and to the back foot of right-handed hitters. 

Tommy DeJuneas recently completed his freshman season for NC State and worked a quick inning for USA. Making twenty-four appearances out of the Wolfpack’s bullpen this spring, DeJuneas was a primary position player throughout his prep days and has continued to develop very nicely on the mound over the past year. With a fast right arm coming through the back DeJuneas needed just nine pitches to get retire the side; seven of them were fastballs in the 92-94 mph and two were changeups at 79 and 82 mph. With a majority of his fastball coming in the higher end of the range, DeJuneas ended his one inning by spotting a 94 mph down to his glove side with late life to his arm side.  

If you are either a college baseball fan or an avid draft fan than you’ve come across the name of AJ Puk. A 6-foot-7, 225-pound left-hander from the University of Florida, Puk is in early contention for the top pick of next June’s MLB draft and though he only threw a quick tune up inning, the Iowa native reaffirmed that belief. He worked his fastball consistently in the 94-96 mph range, once touching 98 for a swinging third strike, but what’s more impressive is the ease of which the ball leaves his hand. 

Creating solid angle and downhill plane on his fastball, Puk struck out two hitters each on the strength of his fastball, an easy-plus pitch that jumps out of his hand. Puk worked primarily off of his fastball for his quick inning though he did flash a breaking ball at 83 mph with short life down in the zone.

Big fastball velocity appears to run in the Burdi household. With older brother Nick frequently touching triple digits for Louisville last spring, younger brother and rising junior Zack Burdi looks to continued carrying the lock down, hard throwing closer role left vacant by his brother. Another power arm who worked a single inning, Burdi threw a total of 12 fastballs; eight at 97 mph and another four at 98 mph. With a fast arm the Louisville Cardinal power arm doesn’t exert much effort to generate his premium velocity and showed the ability to work down in the zone with his heater. His mechanics are slow tempo’d and very deliberate allowing him to repeat well on his three-pitch mix.

Able to beat hitters on the strength of his fastball, Burdi showed a feel for a full three-pitch mix, something not often associated with a power-armed reliever. His changeup in the 86-87 mph range showed late fading life down in the zone and got one hitter out front enough on that pitch that his bat quickly became splinters in the infield grass. Like Puk, Burdi struck out two hitters, one of which game on an 84 mph slider to get the hitter looking.

Opening up his inning of work with a 95 mph fastball Stephen Nogosek worked the rest of his inning in the 92-94 mph range. Nogosek is no stranger to working out of the bullpen as he made a team high 39 appearances this spring at Oregon amassing 58 innings and a 2.02 ERA. Working from an up-tempo delivery exclusively out of the stretch Nogosek worked around a couple of weak base hits and like Burdi showed a full three-pitch mix.

Nogosek worked throughout the zone with his fastball and showed nice life when down, collecting empty swings throughout his inning of work. His changeup is an effective pitch as he mimics both his arm action and arm speed on the 84-85 mph pitch. He showed his changeup just three times and flashed his upper-70s curveball a handful of times. Occasionally getting around the pitch at times, Nogosek did show nice depth on the pitch and will be an arm to follow the rest of the summer and throughout next spring.

Texas A&M fans are more than familiar with what right-hander Ryan Hendrix is capable of out of the bullpen as he was a long-inning, shutdown reliever for the Aggies this spring. Like the four arms prior, Hendrix worked just an inning for Team USA and looked to get stronger with each fastball he threw.

After the first fastball came across at 91 mph, Hendrix sat at 92-93 mph with his next ten fastballs and did a nice job of continuously working on top of the ball. Already showing the ability to be an effective starter Hendrix is able to generate heavy life on his fastball while commanding the strike zone. With 2 outs in the top of the ninth, Hendrix found himself down 3-0 before working his way back to get the swinging strikeout on a 93 mph fastball spotted up perfectly to his glove side.

Plenty of teams in the SEC know about the curveball Hendrix throws and now Coast Plain League All-Stars do too. Thrown up to 84 mph, Hendrix shows an advanced feel for the pitch with the ability to throw it for a strike in any count. Striking out the side, two of his three punch-outs came via his curveball  -one looking and one swing- proving to be a true put away pitch with plenty of late depth out of the same arm slot.

You can’t do too much more than what Florida outfielder Buddy Reed did in his first game with the Stars and Stripes. Reed collected a game high three hit performance, all of which were singles from the left side, while showing a quick and balanced stroke to and through the ball. The hit tool for Reed has continued to make strides as the Maryland native upped his average from .244 in 2014 to .305 in 2015. His overall athleticism is enough to warrant first round buzz next June but Reed is much more than a strongly built 6-foot-3, 200-pound outfielder full of fast-twitch muscle. With plus-plus speed, Reed projects to be an impact center fielder at the next level showing plenty of range with closing speed that’ll rival any in amateur baseball. The speed of course is also impacting asset on bases as he’s a threat to go on any pitch. Second on the Gators this spring with 18 stolen bases, Reed took three bags in yesterday afternoon’s game and was consistently in the pitcher’s head from the moment he reached base.

Through five games this summer Team USA has two home runs as a team and both belong to University of Arizona third baseman Bobby Dalbec. Known for his big right-handed power after hitting 15 home runs this spring, Dalbec jumped all over an elevated fastball on the inner half and put the 2-1 pitch over the left-field fence, a no doubt shot from the moment it left the bat.

We spoke about Oregon State’s K.J. Harrison and Texas A&M’s Nick Banks in yesterday’s recap but they both have continued to show their skills in the batter’s box. Harrison’s approach is advanced for somebody in their junior year, let alone in somebody who just finished their freshman season. Yesterday Harrison again showed off his approach and did it with two-strikes. Staying back well on an off speed pitch, Harrison stayed balanced and kept his weight back before lining the pitch into left field. Banks continues to pick up the base hits for Team USA and is doing so to all fields. Putting his team up early, Banks lined an outer half fastball through the 5-6 hole for a two run single. 

6/25/2015 6:07:45 AM

Wednesday's games were all offensive affairs, as 46 total runs were scored in the three games.  So most of the highlights will center around the position players

Teammates Ben Rortvedt and Daniel Baskt were probably the day's standouts at the plate, as each fell a hit away from the cycle while picking up three RBI.  Baskt missed his cycle on a triple and his big home run to left centerfield was the only long ball hit on Day 1.  He followed that up with a booming double straight over the centerfielder's head his next plate appearance.  Rortvedt's strong left handed swing was on display with a single, double and triple, all to the middle of the field.

Cole Stobbe was perhaps the days most impressive defensive player, as he made standout plays at third base (diving stop and throw), shortstop (play deep in the hole with perfect footwork) and second base (lightning quick feed to start a double play) as players rotated around the field showcase style.  The Nebraska native also slammed an RBI double into the left field corner and, going back to the PG National, seems to have a double about every game.

Dominic Fletcher is another player who seems to stand out every game on defense along with picking up a base hit here and there.  He made two big league plays in right field today, first throwing behind a runner at second base with his incredibly accurate laser left arm, then running a high level Big League route to steal a double away from Nicholas Quintana.

Quintana did pick up a single and a double, along with a hit by pitch, in other at bats and swung the bat exceptionally well.

Cam Shepherd continues to impress both defensively in the middle infield and at the plate, where he drove home three runs and had a hard hit double.

Mickey Moniak was snake bit today and probably didn't like the box score, which had him going 1-5 instead of the 3-5 or 4-5 that he easily could have been.  He drove two balls up the middle that would normally be clean singles except that teammates were attempting steals and pulled the shortstop over to second base.  Moniak beat a double play on one by running a 4.12 to first from the left side.

Cameron Blake filled up the scorecard, going 2-3 with a walk, four runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.  Blake also took a number of extra bases with heads up decisions as balls were in play.  A couple of Texas based scouts commented to me on what an intelligent "gamer" Blake was back in his home state.

Braxton Garrett was probably the most effective pitcher, overcoming the runfest to pitch three near perfect innings, allowing only a walk  while striking  out three in three no-hit innings.  Garrett pitched at 89-90 with a 75-77 mph breaking ball that hitters just didn't see very well.

Another lefty, Ryan Rollison, also put up three scoreless innings of his own, displaying the same type of velocity, breaking ball and command.

It won't surprise anyone that the day's hardest thrower was a big Texan, as 6-7/240 Forrest Whitley pitched in the 93-95 mph range and probably hit 96 on some guns.  Whitley did allow three runs in his two innings of work as he still has work to do with his command and consistency but he will light up the gun.

A pair of hard throwing right handers who were not in Fort Myers last week but will be regulars on the circuit for the rest of the summer, Austin Bergner and Drake Fellows, each threw three solid innings, each allowing only a single run.  Bergner's command was a bit off, as he walked three but he worked in the 91-94 mph range  with his typical sharp breaking ball.  Fellows worked at 89-92 from a big back turn delivery and consistently dropped his low 80's slider in for strikes.

6/25/2015 5:37:32 AM

Top 60 Times from the TOS

OF Trevyne Carter                6.51
OF Will Benson                    6.58
OF Taylor Trammell             6.62
OF Mickey Moniak               6.63
IF Tyler Fitzgerald                6.63
OF Blake Rutherford            6.67
SS David Hamilton               6.67
C Thomas Dillard                 6.70
2B Gavin Lux                       6.70
OF Jeremy Ydens                 6.70
1B Matthew Mervis              6.70
SS Nolan Williams               6.71
OF Alex Kiriloff                   6.71
C Blake Sabol                       6.71
2B Jeremy Houston              6.72
OF Jordan Prendiz                6.75
SS Cam Shepherd                 6.78
IF Cole Stobbe                      6.78
IF Adam Oviedo                   6.80
OF Daniel Cabrera                6.81

6/24/2015 7:42:07 AM

Game two against Chinese Taipei wasn’t a game that the USA Collegiate National Team is going to let bog them down, though they did collect four errors as a team and ultimately fell by a score of 9-2. With a 29-man roster on paper (all but Connor Jones of Virginia are in Cary), 21 of the players just completed their sophomore season and are giving scouts a deep look at the 2016 MLB draft class. Reinforcements have also continued to roll in over the last 24 hours as star freshman JJ Schwarz was in uniform while fellow Gators Buddy Reed, AJ Puk, and Logan Shore all arrived Tuesday night.

For the game at hand, the Stars and Stripes ultimately used four pitchers with California ace Daulton Jefferies getting the start, his first of the summer for Team USA. While he may not be the biggest standing at 6-foot, 180-pounds, Jefferies overall stuff rivals almost any other arm on Coach Ed Blankmeyer’s staff.With a loose and quick-twitch frame, Jefferies shows the same type of athleticism in his arm action as it remains loose and rather effortless coming through the back. Throughout his four-plus innings of work Jefferies lived comfortably in the 92-94 mph range, twice bumping 95 mph, though the velocity is just the starting point. With a simple set of overall mechanics, the rising junior showed the ability to work down in the zone and when he did his fastball showed some nasty and heavy life. More than once Jefferies painted at the knees to either side to pick up a backwards K and wasn’t afraid to challenge hitters inside, regardless right or left-handed and collected numerous uncomfortable swings. 

Commanding his fastball down in the zone more often than not, the Atwater, California native showed a nice three-pitch mix overall and wasn’t afraid to mix. Maintaining his arm speed well on an 85-86 mph changeup made it difficult for hitters to pick the ball up out of Jefferies’ hand as it also featured similar late life down in the zone. Though the changeup was only flashed a handful of times his breaking ball was more prominently displayed. Varying the shape and velocity of the breaker showed off Jefferies’ feel for the pitch as it featured more depth and curveball life in the lower velocities of the 74-78 mph and would tend to look more like a slider at the higher end of the range. 

Strongly built left-hander David Peterson of the University of Oregon has assembled quite the resume to this point in his career and he just finished his freshman year. At 6-foot-6 the former Perfect Game All-American came out showing a full four-pitch mix and had the ability to miss barrel with each offering. In the first inning Peterson ran his fastball up to 95 mph and in the process showed difficult angle on his fastball due to his release. Through his first inning Peterson lived in the 90-93 mph before settling a tick lower over his next two innings. 

As mentioned above, Peterson throws more than just a fastball and when each are executed he’s able to have hitters swing over the top. His strongest secondary is his slider, an 80-83 mph pitch that he maintains his arm slot on well very well and becomes a much more difficult pitch as he still shows angle and late two-plane bite. Facing a left-handed hitter during his last inning, Peterson unleashed an 83 mph slider that was perhaps his best one he threw as he spotted it low to his glove side giving the hitter zero chance of making contact. His curveball shows depth in the mid-70s and his changeup gives him another quality pitch, maintaining his slot on the 85-86 mph offering.

With a quick inning of work on the mound, Louisville freshman left-hander Brendan McKay showed off a full arsenal on the mound, giving scouts a look at what helped the Pennsylvania native to such a successful freshman campaign. Throwing strikes has been one of McKay’s strengths and he’s able to fill up the strike zone due to how short his arm stroke is through the backside, keeping his mechanics simple and repeatable.

Landing slightly closed at release, McKay throws from a high three-quarter slot and works over his front side allowing for angle on his fastball. With a fastball sitting in the 87-90 mph range and touching 91 mph, McKay does a nice job of repeating his mechanics and staying balanced throughout. Though he commands his fastball well, it’s his feel for his curveball and changeup that have helped McKay find constant success. His straight-changeup is a difficult pitch to detect out of his hand as he maintains his arm speed on the 81 mph pitch, giving enough separation on the pitch compared to his fastball.

Like both his fastball and changeup McKay throws his curveball from the same slot and shows big life on the pitch. Working in the 76-79 mph range, McKay shows big depth on his curveball and showed the ability to locate the pitch to the back foot of right-handed hitters.  

A key piece to the University of Arkansas road to Omaha this spring, rising junior right-hander Zach Jackson put his quality stuff on display yet again, this time wearing “USA” across his chest rather than “Razorbacks”. Working out of the bullpen as he had all spring, though he’s had several relief stints of five-plus innings and has the ability to start, Jackson worked a scoreless frame in the bottom of the eighth. 

Both of his pitches have potential to be plus offerings if they aren’t already. Standing at 6-foot-4 with a long and strong frame, Jackson shows a fast right arm that produced a steady 94-95 mph fastball and only dipped out of that range for a handful of heaters. He shows a full arm action coming through the backside and when he stays on top of the ball Jackson’s capable to generating some solid life down with his fastball.

The pitch that the Oklahoma native has become renowned for though is his curveball. A true hammer with 12-6 shape and hard, downward break in the 84-86 mph range, Jackson’s curveball may be the best breaking ball in the draft class. With the ability to harness the big life, Jackson spotted the pitch to the back foot of left-handed hitters and was able to induce more than a couple of swings and misses.

It probably comes as little surprise to anybody that Texas A&M outfielder Nick Banks lead the Collegiate National Team in hitting last time given his offensive production in 2015; .364/.450/.536. With a couple of singles throughout the game, one to each field, it was the soon-to-be junior’s first swing of the night that was the most impressive. Not trying to do too much, the left-handed hitting Banks showed off a quick path to the ball and shot an outer half fastball (from a left-handed pitcher who was creating big angle on his fastball) into the left-centerfield gap for a standup double. 

Oregon State first baseman K.J. Harrison took the collegiate baseball world by storm this spring as it seemed nearly impossible to get him out in the early going in part to his advanced barrel skills and approach at the plate. Though he didn’t fill up the box score on Tuesday and ended with just one hit, his approach was on full display and seemed to find the barrel each time at the plate despite facing a different arm every time he dug in.

The 2016 MLB Draft class looks as though the talent in the outfield may be the strength, aside from pitching of course, with a handful of college players and several prep bats making a name for themselves. One player scouts will keep an eye on is Auburn’s Anfernee Grier, a left-handed hitter who oozes pure athleticism and it full of fast-twitch athleticism. Generating solid extension in his swing, it was Grier’s ability to cover ground in centerfield that stood out. Though he ultimately didn’t finish the play, the Alabama native did cover an absurd amount of ground ranging to the left-centerfield gap before fully extending and just missing the deep fly ball.

 

 

6/23/2015 7:08:13 PM

USA Baseball's Tournament of Stars, the organization's primary vehicle to select the 2015 USA National 18U team, opened Tuesday in Cary, North Carolina.  The weather was typically sweltering, with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, with 100+ scouts huddling under tents and whatever shade they could find for most of the day.  The six teams of players took long batting practices rounds, ran the 60 and participated in defensive drills today before games begin tomorrow morning.

Here are some highlights from BP and drills.  We'll post the top 60 times when they become available.

OF Connor Capel:  Showed his tools today very well, with a strong and accurate arm during drills and lots of bat speed and hard gap to gap contact at the plate.

OF Dominic Fletcher:  Would be a candidate for the "Best BP of the Day".  Really drove the ball hard and with power.  With the heavy air and heat the ball wasn't carrying at all but Fletcher peppered the pull side fences.

OF Will Benson:  Benson is a physical clone of Jason Heyward and showed strong tools on both sides of the ball.  Like Heyward, he looks like a first baseman but is such a high level athlete that he projects as a plus defensive right fielder. 

IF Carter Aldrete:  Aldrete has big broad shoulders and a very athletic look.  He also carries himself like a ballplayer, with confidence and ease to his actions.  Plus, he has a very nice and loose right handed swing.

OF Daniel Cabrera:  Cabrera is a 2017 from Louisiana with a tightly wound and athletic 6-0/180 build.  He showed very well on both sides of the ball.

SS Grant Bodison:  After Bodison's catch during the MLB.com broadcast game at the PG National Showcase we had to pay extra attention to the South Carolina native.  He is such a smooth athlete, something that not surprisingly shows best on defense.

OF Blake Rutherford/OF Mickey Moniak:  These two Southern Californian outfielders are very similar players and might be the two top outfield prospects in the 2016 class.  Rutherford has the present advantage in strength and power, while Moniak is faster, but both are very high level hitters and very projectable.

IF Cam Shepherd:  Shepherd had a very strong day, showing strength and bat speed at the plate but maybe more impressively, fluid defensive actions in the middle infield and lots of arm strength.

OF Taylor Trammell:  Trammell was fun to watch today.  He made three or four diving catches DURING BP (!!!) and obviously loves playing the game.  He also is 6-2/195 with strength and bat speed in his left handed swing.  We'll be bearing down on him this week.

C Michael Amditis:  Amditis has such short and compact actions on both sides of the ball that it doesn't seem like he's putting much effort into his throws and swings.  Until he throws 85 down to second and drives balls over outfielder's heads, that is.

1B Cole Zabowski:  If Dominic Fletcher didn't take the best BP today, we would have no problem giving that tip of the cap to Zabowski, a 6-5/220 left handed hitter with a sweet and strong left handed swing.

2B Morgan McCullough:  Player probably got about 40 swings each during BP and McCullough might have squared up 35 of them.  He's 5-7/160 but is going to be a very high average hitter at the next level.

IF Jacob Amaya:  Amaya has very quick hands as a right handed hitter and squared up the ball hard consistently.