2009 Draft Thread, Summer Showcases and Leagues

[HF29]

That's funny, CJ, because by the time I has gotten to #10 I has run out of names and was more or less taking a flyer on Milleville. Any other year he's probably not even in the conversation for the top 20, but next year's college position crop seems so week that he enters into the equation.

 

The pitching depth is obviously far greater. Like you, I really like Inman and think he will have a monster year in '09 and be a surefire first rounder. He has such a clean delivery. I'm not sure he reminds me of Sheets, though he does remind me of someone (I just can't think of who it is at the present moment). The guy who does remind me of Sheets, however, is a 2010 guy, Chance Ruffin. Not too tall, mid-90's heat with a power breaking ball.

 

Speaking of 2010, that college pitching class looks STACKED. Off the top of my head I can think of at least seven guys who who qualify as a top-15 talent in an "average" year:

 

-- Matt Harvey

-- Kyle Blair

-- Ruffin

-- Chris Hernandez

-- Barrett Loux

-- Brandon Workman (who, I might add, is going crazy on the Cape)

-- Drew Pomeranz

 

Finally, though I've lamented the fact that 2009 does not look to be a good year for college position players, based on some of the early research I've done, it does look to be a great year all-around for high school talent. But I'm sure ColbyJack can speak a lot more to this than I can.

[colbyjack]

Chance Ruffin is a good comp for Sheets. He and Workman as you have noted could really give the Longhorns a chance to get back to Omaha the next couple of years.

 

One catcher you missed in your top 10 college bats is Josh Phegley of Indiana. Aaron Miller of Baylor and Ryan Jackson of Miami could also be in the mix for the first round next year, especially if Jackson's bat continues to progress, as I don't think I've ever seen a defensive player like Jackson at the high school level that you could point to and comfortably say that he would never move off of the shortstop position.

 

Diego Seastrunk of Rice is a favorite of mine. He doesn't have the highest of ceilings, but he has a very good approach and swing, hitting to the gaps with a little bit of pop and good D' at the hot corner.

 

But overall I agree that the college bats (and even the prep bats at the tippy top) available for next year won't come close to resembling the 2005 crop. The prep class will have some really nice arms, particularly lefties, and some big, slugging catchers.

 

As for the '10 college bats, Victor Sanchez of San Diego is the first player to come to mind. He had a huge freshman year and should keep on getting better and better. Hunter Morris of Auburn, Rick Hague of Rice, Christian Colon of Fullerton and Derek Dietrich of Georgia Tech could make it a pretty good year for college bats, particularly infielders.

 

And by the way, the Aflac game has finally been announced. It will be played at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, August 9th at 2pm CST. I know we have some SoCal readers out there, so make the most of this opportunity and check out the game in person. I'm sure it will also be televised.

 

http://www.aflacallamerican2008.com/

[battlekow]

Apparently, CA prep catcher Richard Stock greatly impressed at a Brewers Area Code Games tryout recently:

A 6-foot-3, 185-pound lefthanded hitting catcher, Richard began his coming out party by blasting several home runs in a wood bat batting practice, lofting balls comfortably into the netting atop the right field fence.

He followed that display by rifling a series of clothes line throws down to second base in pre game, easily clocking bewteen 1.85 and 1.90 on his deliveries.

For an encore, Richard drove a long one hop double off of the left field fence during the simulated game.

The only flaw in Richard's game is his 7.29 speed.

[battlekow]

The only two juniors to make BA's High School All-America Team were RHPs Zack Von Rosenberg (LA) and Dylan Floro (CA). What do you guys know about them?

[HF29]

Thanks for the input, ColbyJack. Phegley was a good catch (no pun intended). I do think that the two things that might hurt his draft status are 1) the fact that he doesn't play for a major baseball power in a powerhouse conference and 2) the sheer number of high ceiling prep catchers (and, apparently, you can now add Richard Stock to the list).

 

Two college outfielders -- one from the draft class of '09 and one from 2010 -- that really intrigue me are Brett Jackson of Cal and Brett Eibner of Arkansas. Jackson put up decent numbers during the college season and has really started to hit with power with Cotuit on the Cape. Eibner was a 4th round pick by the Astros in '07 but instead decided to head to college. He had a very solid freshman year, and despite some inconsistency, has shown flashes of brilliance this summer with Wareham. CJ (or anyone else), what's your take on these guys? Potential first rounders? Ceilings? Big league comps?

 

Thanks for the AFLAC post.

[BrewPackBuck]

I wonder if Jack Z. is going to target a 3B next draft unless they think Lawrie is going to be one. I would love to get a guy that has great defense plus a good bat, like a Ryan Zimmerman type guy.

[battlekow]

I just wanted to point this out because I know X ellence really wanted the Brewers to draft this "rocket armed monster".

 

Dominguez Smacks Three Homers In Cape Game

 

We've got a couple of summer league notes from last week to pass along. On Wednesday, Louisville third baseman Chris Dominguez joined Frank Thomas as the only players ever to hit three home runs in a game with wood bats in the Cape Cod League. Dominguez blasted three homers for the Hyannis Mets in a 6-4 win over Falmouth, driving in five runs in the process and boosting his league-leading homer total to six. He's added two more since, giving him eight homers for the summer-three more than second-place Connor Powers. Dominguez was a fifth-round pick of the Rockies this June as a draft-eligible sophomore, and his homer binge only increases the chances that Colorado will make a push to sign him before the Aug. 15 deadline. Of course, Dominguez's power has never been in doubt-he's been one of the nation's premier power hitters for the last two years at Louisville. Dominguez has continued to strike out in bushels this summer-he has 28 whiffs and six walks in 90 at-bats-but he is batting a very respectable .278 and leading the league with a .611 slugging percentage and 14 extra-base hits.

[colbyjack]

I don't Phegley is really hurt by where he plays, or by the fact that '09 could be a good year for catchers. I think he for the most part is overlooked, but scouts don't recognize some of those factors as much as fans do. In other words, good catchers don't feel the numbers crunch as some other positional players might.

 

Eibner is an interesting two-way prospect, who approached the '07 draft known more as a pitcher with a power arm (low to mid-90s) and equally power curve, but is starting to make more waves as a slugging corner outfielder with a strong arm. As you noted, his inconsistency is to be noted, given how many times he's K'd on the Cape, but it's hard to hold that against him since he is coming off of a very successful freshman year.

 

Jackson is someone I'm more familiar with having covered the NWL extensively a year ago. He's a five-tool talent whose power continues to mature and become more relative during games. He has very good speed and a pretty good OF arm with the ability to play all three OF positions.

 

It's hard to come up with comps for these two players. Jackson has a higher ceiling, and unlike Eibner, is draft eligible for next year.

 

I honestly don't think either one is a candidate to go in the first round in the '09 or '10 drafts, but crazier things have happened. Jackson is having a fairly big summer on the Cape, so that could help propel him into sandwich round consideration, but I think at this point in time he's more of a 2nd to 4th rounder. Of course, college outfielders have been hard to come by in recent years, so that lack of depth and overall talent could boost his status.

 

Keep an eye on my report of the NWL all-star game from last night in the next few days on PGCrosschecker. I will continue to hold my stance that Josh Prince is arguably the top prospect in the league, and Greg Vaughn's son also had a very good showing, with good times/grades in the pre-game combine while also garnering the game's MVP award.

[HF29]

Thanks for the info on Jackson and Eibner, ColbyJack. Coincidentally, Jackson was hit by a pitch and removed from the game last night. The severity of the injury is not known.

 

And Dustin Ackley, likely the Cape's "purest" hitter this summer is rumored to have left the Cape last night to seek medical treatment for his elbow. The elbow injury, which has plagued him since high school, is the primary reason why he has played most 1B his first two years in Chapel Hill. This could be very good news in the long run. If treatment is successful and Ackley regains his arm strength he could finally play CF on a full time basis, thereby greatly enhancing his draft status. Nevertheless in 42 ABs he was raking, with two home runs a batting average over .400 and OPS of nearly 1.300.

 

It sounds like you're well tuned in with the NWL. What are the early reports on SS/3B Andy Burns and OF Brian Humphries, two rising freshmen who are reportedly going to spurn pro offers and matriculate later this summer at Kentucky and Pepperdine, respectively. If I'm not mistaken, Humphries, who was drafted by Boston last month, got rave reviews as a California high school senior.

[battlekow]

SaberScouting unveils their top 5 high school prospects for next year.

[colbyjack]

No reviews at this point in time on Burns or Humphries. They're definitely on the radar for my top prospect list that will be unveiled sometime in August, but most of my work on the NWL up to this point in time focused on the all-stars. I made a few new contacts with scouts at the game, and plan on picking their brains more on the players we saw and the top prospects that weren't in attendance over the next few weeks.

[colbyjack]

I focus on the NWL all-star game, with a focus on the hitters, in my Crack of the Bat column this week. I'll get to the pitchers next week.

 

http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/crackthebat/patrick_ebert/2008/nwl_allstar_game.aspx

[Never Outhustled]

I just wanted to point this out because I know X ellence really wanted the Brewers to draft this "rocket armed monster".

 

It will be interesting to see what Domingez signs for, if he signs. I don't see any way he'd sign for 5th round money, but I wonder if he'd sign for slot where I had him slotted, #62. Cody Adams for $662,000 in that spot. I still like Domingez better than Adams, who hasn't really created any buzz so far, positive or negative.

[colbyjack]

Here's the second part of my NWL all-star game coverage, focusing on the pitchers:

 

http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/crackthebat/patrick_ebert/2008/nwl_allstar_pitchers.aspx

 

Former Brewers draft pick Chase Reid, who attended Vanderbilt instead of signing with the team, is having a very good summer pitching for the Newport Gulls as part of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. So far this summer he is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA. Over 30.1 innings of work, he has allowed only 23 hits and 4 walks while striking out 45. On the 4th of July he struck out 19 batters (his first apperance this summer) in a complete game effort.

 

templeusox (if you still read this forum) may be interested to know that Washington State's Jared Prince is also playing for the Newport Gulls.

[battlekow]

Dave Perkins of BA reports on the top prospects from the Breakthrough Series showcase in Compton:

Jonathan Singleton, 1b, 2009, Millikan High, Long Beach, Calif.

I first saw Singleton at a showcase event in San Bernardino in the summer of 2007. Only 15 years old at that time, he hammered a wood bat home run into the netting atop the right field fence in a minor league ballpark.

Now, as he approaches 17, Singleton may possess the finest pure swing of any of the top 2009 high school draft prospects. To nitpick, Singelton may need to relax his grip on the bat and shorten his backswing somewhat. However, no one should alter that sweet swing.

Reggie Golden, 2010, of, Wetumpka (Ala.) High

Golden physically resembles a younger and slimmer version of Kirby

Puckett. He has enough tools to fix a race car engine. Golden flashes 6.69 speed, a powerful outfield throwing arm, and electric bat speed. Like so many youngsters, he falls into bad habits at the plate, including overswinging and pulling off the pitch. With his lavish raw skills, if Golden improves at the plate he could easily be one of the top 2010 prospects in the nation.

Victor Roache, 2009, of, Lincoln High, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Roache has a near-ideal, projectable 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame, and his

excellent arm and 6.87 speed make him a comfortable fit at either comer outfield spot. Of course, to hold down a corner in pro ball, a player has to hit, and hit big. Roache shows potential with the bat, but, like Golden, he needs to make numerous adjustements and improvements.

Christian Hickman, 2009, ss, Simeon Career High, Chicago

Far and away my favorite prospect of the hundred or so players in this showcase. Hickman walks, moves and looks like an athlete, and his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame projects to any spot on the diamond, save catcher. At short, Hickman's glove, hands and fielding actions display the sort of ease, looseness and coordination emblematic of a big leaguer. He will need to work on some details-Hickman's hands are too close to his ankles in fielding ground balls, and he'll need to learn to get his tail down and glove out front. Hickman rarely cuts loose with his throws, but his arm strength is impressive when he decides to unleash one. In this showcase, Hickman struggled terribly at bat. However, he did knock one out of the yard in early BP, living up to the old scouting adage that "If you see it just once, it's in there." Blessed with a perfect frame and marvelous natural ability, Hickman is the exact type of player targeted by the Breakthrough Series. With proper instruction-and if he is a willing and dedicated student-Hickman can be a special player.

[battlekow]

SaberScouting has their list of the top 30 (plus 2) prep prospects up. Click the link for scouting reports, but here are the players:

 

01. Tyler Matzek, LHP (Capistrano Valley HS; Mission Viejo, CA)

02. Austin Maddox, C (Eagle's View Academy; Jacksonville, FL)

03. Matt Purke, LHP (Klein HS; Spring, TX)

04. Donavan Tate, CF (Cartersville HS; Cartersville, GA)

05. Jacob Turner, RHP (Westminster Christian HS; Saint Charles, MO)

06. Max Stassi, C (Yuba City HS; Yuba City, CA)

07. Mychal Givens, RHP/SS (Plant HS; Tampa, FL)

08. Luke Bailey, C (Troup HS; LaGrange, GA)

09. Zach Wheeler, RHP (East Paulding HS; Dallas, GA)

10. LeVon Washington, CF/2B (Buchholz HS; Gainesville, FL)

11. Chad Thompson, RHP (El Toro HS; Trabuco Canyon, CA)

12. Chris Jenkins, RHP (Westfield HS; Westfield, NJ)

13. Bobby Borchering, 3B (Bishop Verot HS; Alva, FL)

14. Jonathan Singleton, 1B (Millikan HS; Long Beach, CA)

15. David Nick, SS (Cypress HS; Cypress, CA)

16. Jacob Morris, CF (Coppell HS; Coppell, TX)

17. Andrew Susac, C (Jesuit HS; Roseville, CA)

18. Scooter Gennett, SS/RHP (Sarasota HS; Sarasota, FL)

19. Jacob Marisnick, CF (Riverside Poly HS; Riverside, CA)

20. Keyvius Sampson, RHP (Forest HS; Ocala, FL)

21. Matthew Moynihan, CF (Cathedral Catholic HS; San Diego, CA)

22. Brooks Pounders, 1B/RHP (Temecula Valley HS; Temecula, CA)

23. Daniel Tuttle, RHP (Randleman HS; Randleman, NC)

24. Beau Wright, LHP (Los Alamitos HS; Los Alamitos, CA)

25. Mike Zunino, C (Mariner HS; Cape Coral, FL)

26. Matt Davidson, 3B (Yucaipa HS, Yucaipa, CA)

27. Madison Younginer, RHP (Mauldin HS; Simpsonville, SC)

28. Matt Hobgood, RHP (Norco HS; Norco, CA)

29. Chad Kettler, 2B/3B (Coppell HS; Coppell, TX)

30. Deven Marrero, SS (American Heritage HS; Davie, FL)

##. Matt Graham, RHP ( Oak Ridge HS; Spring, TX)

##. Richard Stock, C (Agoura HS; Agoura Hills, CA)

[colbyjack]

According to the Aflac game site, the roster has been released for quite some time, but this is the first time I saw it up on their homepage. The game itself takes place next Saturday and will be nationally televised on FOX sports net. Hopefully some of the Dodgers fans that visit this board will be in attendance for the game and will be kind enough to stop by to share their thoughts.

 

http://www.aflacallamerican2008.com/press_071108.asp

[colbyjack]

This has nothing to do with this summer, but thanks to the University of Washington releasing their '09 schedule I have learned that the Huskies, along with Hawaii and Notre Dame will participate in the 2009 annual Dairy Queen Classic at the Metrodome, hosted by the Golden Gophers, the weekend of February 27-March 1. This doesn't quite offer the same type of talent that last year's matchups did, with the Shooter Hunt vs. Brett Hunter showdown being one of the most notable in the tournament's history, but there will still be a fair amount of talent on hand.

 

As of today, six months + out, I plan to be there http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

[colbyjack]

This is far from a shameless plug for PG Crosschecker, as draft fans will definitely want to keep their eyes on the site the next few days. David Rawnsley was at the Area Code Games offering some key observations, including hyping up a 15-year old phenom that will be a name to watch the next couple of years before he even becomes draft eligible, while Allan Simpson is in Los Angeles for the Aflac Game and practices. My column tomorrow will focus on the Cape all-star game (thanks Mass) and next week I'll tackle the Aflac Game while looking at the Baseball Factory all-star game the following week. This is definitely the time to start getting ready for the names to watch for '09, and there is absolutely no better place to do so than PGCrosschecker (and here of course http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif).

[Mass Haas]

colbyjack's Cape Cod League All-Star Game Review and Analysis

[battlekow]

X ellence:

 

According to BA, Chris Dominguez is expected to return to Louisville.

[TheCrew07]

That is still my quote of year, I was really hoping the Brewers would draft him. I'm not sure how it can get better than "Rocket Armed Monster"... I was watching my QBs throw this evening and that quote popped into my head when one of my more talented kids let one go. The quote is so good it transcends Baseball to other sports!

[colbyjack]

Here's my column from last week which focused on my thoughts from the Aflac game. Anyone that doesn't have Matthew Purke as the #1 prep player in the country is crazy:

 

http://www.pgcrosschecker...08/aflac_impressions.aspx

 

Team USA lost to Cuba early this morning in Bejing, and they'll be playing Japan for the Bronze later tonight I believe. San Diego State RHP Steve Strasburg started this morning's game, wrapping up an impressive summer pitching first for the Team USA National Collegiate Team and most recently for the Olympic team (he was the only college player on the squad).

 

I decided to tally up his numbers, including his Team USA stints and his work last summer pitching for the New England Collegiate Summer League last year, as well as his two springs with SDSU. Here they are:

 

14-7, 1.68 ERA, 58 games (20 starts), 15 saves (he spent his freshman year as the closer, both at SDSU and during the summer), 193.1 IP, 112 H, 269 K, 39 BB

 

He's already had an unbelievable college career, and he has his junior year coming up, in which he will enter the 2009 draft season as the top prospect available. In addition to his gaudy numbers, he has the stuff to back it up, with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s with good life, a knock-out slider and a good change. He's the best college pitching prospect since Mark Prior (hopefully for him, with better, healthier results).

 

Let the race begin as the Mariners, Padres and Nationals will fight and claw between now and the end of the year to have the dubious honor of selecting first overall next June (with the full realization that the #1 player doesn't always go first overall).

[battlekow]

Colby, it sounds like Purke already throws harder than Hamels, who sits around 90 with his fastball.

[colbyjack]

Hamels was throwing in the mid-90s during his senior year in high school. And over long stints, Purke doesn't sit at 95 either, as he typically is more in the 89-91 range, and that may be where he eventually settles in should he be fortunate to find himself at a similar stage of his career as Hamels.

 

And keep in mind, when I throw out comparisons I'm talking about the greater body of work, especially since I had the benefit of seeing Hamels pitch at a similar stage in his career. When you take in the body type, the arm action and the advanced knowledge of throwing a pretty good breaking pitch (Hamels was known more for his curveball coming out of high school than for his changeup, which is his best pitch now), that is where the comparison fits in.

 

I know I've seen on more than one occasion someone compare Purke to Andrew Miller, which I can see given the low-3/4s delivery and how the ball explodes out of the hand, but Miller was always more of a long, angular and somewhat gangly athlete, which Purke is not.