3/22/2012 1:04:33 AM
Today was the final day on the long journey for the players of the Dominican Prospect League. While the energy and enthusiasm with which the DPL players have shown throughout their stay continued to be present, there were signs of fatigue. Which makes some of the performances all the more impressive.
The day began with several players running the 60-yard dash. These times were all recorded on a hand-held stopwatch:
6.34- OF Gustavo Cabrera
6.72- MIF Yancarlos Baez
6.78- MIF Lugo Octavis
6.87- MIF Felix Suarez
6.88- OF Jose Pujols
6.94- MIF Richard Urena
6.94- OF Natanael Delgado
7.09- OF Ronny Carvajal
The 6.34 time Cabrera posted is exceptional. Seeing it understandably will leave many skeptical. Let me first add that I checked with two other scouts standing nearby, one of whom had the exact same time, the other was within several one-hundreths of a second. Cabrera did begin the 60 running with his shoulders square, while players who run the 60 yard dash at a Perfect Game showcase are required to begin turned sideways, simulating running from first to second on a stolen base. Even if you factor that advantage in and adjust his time as high as a 6.50, that is still incredibly rare for a 16 year old player. It comes as no surprise that Cabrera steals bases during games at will.
After watching the workouts over the past few days my curiousity finally got the best of me, and having already taken thorough notes on the defensive actions of the players, I grabbed my radar gun and went behind the fence on the left field foul line to get throwing velocities of the outfielders on throws to third base. The two that stood out the most were Gustavo Cabrera (90) and Luis Barrera (89). It should also be noted that many US players attending a showcase throw for the radar gun rather than simulating actual game action, and while this is accounted for in the scouting notes and reflected in their overall evaluation, the raw workout numbers are often skewed higher as a result. These players were not throwing for the radar gun, they were their legitimate game throws. There were a few outfielders who I was unable to get velocities for, and I am especially diappointed to have missed out on Ronny Carvajal and Jose Pujols.
Though as per usual, the most impressive part of the DPL defensive workout was the fluid actions of the middle infielders. Richard Urena, Frandy De la Rosa, and Amaurys Minier continued to dazzle with their high level athleticism. These three stood out amongst an impressive group on the final day when fatigue should have become a factor.
Game highlights:
-We got a second look at LHP Kelyn Jose (currently eligible to sign). On Monday he touched 92 once and was extremely wild but his arm speed and strength was very impressive. He had a better outting today. When Jose gets his momentum through his delivery and finishes his pitches he can locate to the bottom of the strike zone and generates 90-92 mph velocity, which he did more frequently today than Monday. The secondary stuff was still quite raw, but his strong athletic body and long loose arm action with plus arm strength is an incredibly rare combination. I talked with one international scout from a MLB club today about rumors of Jose having touched 96 mph in the past, he noted that it seems realistic, though he has actually never it himself.
-RHP Alberto Uceta threw effectively today, giving right handed hitters a lot of trouble. He throws from a severe angle towards third base and creates significant cutting action on all of his pitches. His fastball sat 86-88 and his slider sat 78-79 with hard late break and deep sweeping action. Right handed hitters could not pick up the ball very well against him at all and his long loose arm action and 6-foot-2 170 pound frame give him additional projection.
-Yesterday Ben Collman noted that OF Jhonny Rodriguez "is a slightly built player who doesn’t have the present strength of many of his teammates. But he blasted a long home run to RCF over the 385 sign that seemed to surprise no one on the field but everyone behind the plate." Today Rodriguez, the youngest player on the field (will turn 16 years old on July 20) crushed a hard line drive that registered at 98 mph off the bat. At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds he is highly projectable and looks especially young in the face. He doesn't yet standout on a pure physical standpoint, but over time he has a chance to overtake some of his more physical counterparts and develop into an elite player.
-OF/1B Emmanuel Tapia continued to show off his ability to drive the ball with serious authority from the left side of the plate, hammering two balls that registered at 94 mph off the bat. His short rotational swing generates good bat speed and his plus physical strength causes the ball to explode off the bat routinely.
Video of Tapia in BP:
-Immensely talented OF Gustavo Cabrera didn't get a chance to show much with the bat. He did however show patience that defies the stereotype of Dominican prospects, drawing four walks. His disappointment with not getting to show scouts his hitting tools (which are impressive by the way) was evident, though he should be commended for approaching his at-bats as he would in a real game, rather than changing his approach to show off for the scouts (who are well aware of his physical tools). He continued to wreak havoc on the bases, though he did get picked off in the first inning.
-The physically imposing Alvaro Castillo took the mound again today, at 6-foot-6 and 195 pound he is still growing into his body. He lacks coordination in his delivery but also creates heavy sink on his 82-84 mph fastball. The velocity doesn't excite, but it's important to keep in mind that he's a 16 year old who is still learning to carry his momentum through his delivery and generates the velocity almost entirely on pure arm strength. His release point is closer to the plate allowing his fastball to play up a touch, and he was a ground ball machine in today's outing. His breaking ball is a big and deep 73 mph two-plane bender.
-We got one final look at RHP Bryan Munoz. It is difficult to convey Munoz's true talent, which will likely allow a club to get him at a better value than they ought to be able to. He's a physically mature 6-foot right hander, who again topped out at 90 mph. But he not only knows how to pitch, he executes extremely well for a 16 year old. His fastball shows hard tailing action with plus sink and he locates it to either side of the plate. He mixes his pitches well and has a power breaking ball in the upper 70s that occasionally sneaks north of 80 mph. His changeup is not as polished as his fastball-breaking ball combo but is advanced for his age. He may lack the high ceiling of some of the other pitchers in the group, but if you were to pick one pitcher from the group the Dominican Prospect League sent to Arizona as the safest bet to someday reach the Major Leagues, Munoz is the obvious choice.
I believe that I speak on behalf of the entire Perfect Game staff that has had the privilege of watching this talented group of players from the Dominican Prospect League when I say that this has truly been a pleasure. The DPL is a first class organization.
We will have full in-depth writeups on each prospect available on the Perfect Game website in the next few days.
TG