High School Baseball Resource Thread 2007

[colbyjack]

Baseball America's top prep draft list has been out for a week or two now, and PG Crosschecker continues to update their top 2,000+ list. Massachusetts LHP Jack McGeary graced BA's homepage today, which I felt was enough to kick off the high school resource thread.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/jmcgeary07428309rg.jpg

 

The story on McGeary and BA's high school top prospect and tools lists are all for subscribers only, so I'll include a link to their HS page:

 

BA: High School Coverage

 

Here's a link to PG Crosschecker's HS page (after looking, their top 2,000 prospect list was just revised today):

 

PG Crosschecker HS Prospects

 

And if you haven't noticed yet, PG Crosschecker has enjoyed a facelift to help make all of their content a lot easier to find and navigate.

 

Please use this thread to post all pertinent news-related items and updates on notable high school prospects eligible for the 2007 draft.

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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And if you haven't noticed yet, PG Crosschecker has enjoyed a facelift to help make all of their content a lot easier to find and navigate.

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Ahh yes...congrats to a certain graphic artist on the design! I like it a lot!

[colbyjack]

Thanks Blazer.

 

PG has returned their popular "Who's Hot?" list:

 

www.pgcrosschecker.com/20...52007.aspx

 

Just a few names to sort through this early in the season. Chris Turner, who was brought up in the draft resource thread is mentioned, as are a couple of pitchers I plan to see on Saturday, RHP Kyle Ayers from IL and LHP Nick Rice from Kenosha.

[GagneCY03]

Awesome job on the PGCC site, CJ!

 

Regarding McGeary, how high would he have to be drafted to forego his committment to Stanford?

[colbyjack]

Regarding McGeary, how high would he have to be drafted to forego his committment to Stanford?

 

I'll put it this way: Stanford almost never loses their top commits. He will have to be selected in the first round, possibly the first half of the first round, possibly top 10.

 

My trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa was cut short due to my son having a fever and not feeling very well at all, but I was able to catch most of the top players that were in attendance at today's PG Pitcher/Catcher Indoor Showcase. Here are notes on some of of the more notable players in attendance (I will have more detailed write-ups in my Crack of the Bat columns in the next few weeks). Illinois is loaded for '07, and almost every single high-profile prep Illini was at this event (Brett Zawacki was scheduled to pitch tomorrow (Sunday), while Seth Blair reportedly had his wisdom teeth removed on Friday). All players are draft eligible this June unless otherwise noted.

 

Tony Zych

I just missed Zych, an '08 from IL, but he hit 91 on the gun and had some very good rips as a hitter.

 

Jon Gilmore

An Aflac All-American, Gilmore has the evident swagger that future big-leaguers carry. His size and stature reminded me of Chipper Jones, although a more recent and fair comparison may be of Scott Moore, a former first-round pick of the Tigers that is now in the Cubs organization. Very good bat speed and a tremendous athlete. Gilmore did seem to be pressing a little bit at the plate, showing a little impatience and displeasure with a few of his hacks, but he's a potential first-rounder.

 

Jake Smolinski

Built more strongly and stocky than the tall and rangy Gilmore, Smolinski showed that he knew exactly what pitches he wanted to swing at, and jumped all over the pitches he wanted whether it was the first or the eighth. He made very good hard contact, and looked like a very good, natural hitter.

 

Eric Lavoie

Florida '08. Great bat, horrible body. Everything he hit he hit very, very hard. I'd love to see this kid play some more, as he made the kind of contact that drew your attention just by the sound of it. I didn't stay long enough to see him catch.

 

Cody Scarpetta

Big, strong frame. Worked in the 88-92 range and hit 93. Showed a decent 74 mph curveball.

 

Chris Wakefield

Peppered the strike zone with 88-90 mph fastballs (hit 91 last weekend at Blazer's event at Carroll College). Also continued to show a very sharp 73-75 curveball. Not quite as sharp as he was last weekend, but he's an '08 from Green Bay that is going to draw quite a bit of interest between now and June 2008. Not the greatest of baseball bodies.

 

Michael Kaczmarek

Pitched at 87-88 comfortably. Very nice arm action, slow windup, doesn't overthrow, and everything was in the strike zone. Showed a nice 75 curveball and what looked liked a 79 mph slider. Looking at his profile, he is also a very good student.

 

Leslie Williams

The #2 rated '07 prospect from Canada (to Phillipe Aumont, a potential first-rounder). Great athlete, high waist, great proportions. Threw 88-91 with a sharp 74 mph curve. Throws from a 3/4 arm slot, although that slot seems to raise slightly when he throws his curve. He'll need to correct that so he doesn't tip his pitches as much. Also looked good in the batting cage.

 

Justin Grimm

Watch out for this kid, as I found out from my PG boss that he just got cleared to pitch a week ago after missing most of his junior year due to injury. He pitched comfortably at 88-91, hitting 92, with a low to no effort delivery. High, angular leg kick. 75 mph curve, 84 mph change. A huge sleeper to watch that made the trek from Virginia for this event.

 

Kyle Ayers

Big, strong kid with very good athletic proportions. Almost every fastball he threw was 88 mph, and reports have him in the low-90s at other events. 75 mph sweeping breaking ball.

 

Casey Crosby

Blazer tipped me on Crosby after the Jupiter tourney last fall. Nice-sized, athletic lefty that worked 88-91, hitting 93. Showed a nice repertoire with a 67-69 slow curve, a 80-82 slider and a changeup in the 71-74 range. A scout with the Mariners asked me if I had seen Crosby before, somewhat surprised by the radar gun readings. The Ms have taken a few midwesterners early in recent years (Jeff Clement, 1st round '05, Tony Butler, 4th round '06) if that means anything.

 

Nick Rice

Tall, lanky Kenosha lefty. Threw 85-87 after reports that he was in the 90-92 range a week or two ago. 85-87 seems to be more consistent with what he has thrown in the past. Slurvy looking 78 mph breaking ball.

[colbyjack]

Here my most recent column, focusing on the talented crop of prep players from Illinois eligible for the '07 draft, as well as comments from last weekend's PG Indoor Showcase:

 

PG Crack of the Bat: Illinois Preps

[colbyjack]

David Rawnsley, my associate at PGCC, adds his thoughts on the Indoor Showcase, as well as some other draft tidbits from around the nation:

 

www.pgcrosschecker.com/20...22207.aspx

 

Bummer to hear about UW-SP RHP Jordan Zimmerman being out, but thankfully its just his jaw that's injured, and no anything that has to do with his throwing arm.

[colbyjack]

Both PGCC and BA have released their high school coverage for the 2007 season, with both publications picking Seton Hall Prep (New Jersey) as their preseason #1 team. Three Aflac All-Americans from a year ago (Rick Porcello, Evan Danieli and Steven Brooks) play for the Seton Hall program.

 

Non-subscriber links below, check the high school pages for more subscriber-based content, as PGCC also has very extensive player profiles broken down by positions.

 

PG Crosschecker top 100 teams

PGCC HS baseball

 

Baseball America top 50 teams

BA HS preseason all-americans

 

Josh Vitters

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/jvitters07428309lg.jpg

[colbyjack]

I noted this link in the college baseball thread, but in a story posted today on PG Crosschecker by Allan Simpson, there is a blurb at the bottom of the page talking about a true sleeper developing for this year's draft. The link is free for all to view, and I've copied and pasted the past just below the link:

 

www.pgcrosschecker.com/20...22807.aspx

 

Quote:

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Fairley Making A Move

With the preponderance of elite 2006 showcase events, the annual Aflac Game in San Diego and Team USA?s participation in the World Junior championship, there are few top high school prospects for the 2007 draft that haven?t already been heavily scouted. In fact, there may not be a high school class in history that has been as heavily exposed at such an early date as this year?s crop.

 

Nonetheless, there are always elite-level players who surface during their senior seasons and this year?s draft will be no exception. With the calendar turning to March and the high school season beginning in earnest, one talent that has flown largely below the radar is 6-foot-2, 175-pound Mississippi outfielder Wendell Fairley.

 

Scouts in the area are enthralled enough with his raw talent that they say he could surface as high as a sandwich pick in June.

 

?He looks a lot like (former big league all-star and current Padres outfielder) Mike Cameron,? one crosschecker said, ?except he swings the bat from the left side. He?s a great athlete. He has 70 speed (on the standard 20-80 scale), a 60 arm and 60 raw power. His bat needs a lot of work mechanically. He doesn?t start the bat fast enough because he doesn?t have much of a trigger, but I saw him recently against some of the best pitching he?ll see this spring and he wasn?t overmatched. There weren?t a lot of swings and misses. He got the bat on the ball, which was a positive sign.?

 

Fairley?s athletic feats are well-known in Mississippi as he earned all-state honors in 2006 by hitting .451-6-31 with 20 stolen bases, while going 5-4, 2.07 on the mound. He also was heavily recruited as a defensive back/wide receiver by a number of college football powers, including Alabama, Florida State and Mississippi State . But recognition has been slower coming as a baseball talent at the national level.

 

?He didn?t play in any showcases last year, so he?s not well known by people outside of Mississippi ,? the crosschecker said, ?but he?s a legit talent. He?ll get his share of exposure by the draft.?

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David Rawnsley's weekly PGCC column is out today as well, as he ranks the top pitching prospects from the PG Indoor Showcase with a few more details on those in attendance:

 

www.pgcrosschecker.com/20..._3107.aspx

 

I would probably put Casey Crosby #1 overall, largely because he's an athletic lefty whose velocity continues to improve, but Rawnsley has been doing this stuff a lot longer than I have.

[GagneCY03]

PGCC's "Who's Hot" feature is active and apparently Blake Beaven has started the season blazing. He's allowed 2 hits thus far, no earned runs and his strikeout to walk ration is 46:0.

 

CJ, what do you think of him as a prospect? I see he sits 92-95 with his fastball and gets rave reviews for his slider. Given his size and downhill plane, I dont see much not to like about him. He could incorporate his lower half more in his delivery though.

[colbyjack]

I can't really offer anything new on Beaven, who already was a legitimate potential first-round pick entering the spring. He was named BA's youth player of the year, and he had an incredibly impressive performance against Cuba last summer for Team USA after he participated in the Aflac All-American Classic. When watching that game, he didn't really stand out to me more than other pitchers in attendance, and I've heard the same from others, but it is always important to remember not to judge a player by one performance.

 

In my notes from the Aflac game I wrote down that I liked his pure stuff, particularly his changeup (which is always big in my book, as high schoolers throwing an advanced changeup isn't easy to find) and that he worked quickly. The only negative that I wrote down was that he landed rather stiff on his lead leg, which is correctable, although something of greater concern to me given my reluctance for skyscraper pitchers.

[colbyjack]

In my Crack of the Bat column this past week I profiled the extremely talented group of prep bats from Southern California eligible for this year's draft:

 

www.pgcrosschecker.com/cr...ocal_bats/

 

Keep in mind that the Brewers have had plenty of good looks at most to all of these players inside and out as they host both California teams at the Area Code Games. That really hasn't meant a thing in regards to the draft since the Brewers started to host those teams several years ago, at least not as much as we thought it might.

 

EDIT: Since Mike Moustakas was included in my column, I thought I would add those of John Manuel here from BA's draft blog the other day:

 

Quote:

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Chatsworth (Calif.) High is off to a poor start (7-3) by its own standards, with three losses already, but third baseman (and fellow Greek-American) Mike Moustakas has clearly been eating his moussaka this season. Actually, he hasn?t been?he?s lost weight according to area scouts and looks more athletic, and his bat has shown more explosiveness this spring. He banged three home runs (two grand slams) and drove in 10 on Thursday in a 22-0, five-inning victory, and now has 10 homers in 10 games this season. He may never catch teammate Matt Dominguez in terms of prospect status, but Moustakas has made himself a legitimate first-five-rounds option for teams looking for hitters. BA?s Prospects Plus ranks him No. 30 among high school players in the 2007 draft class, and he?s validating that ranking with every at-bat this spring.

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PGCC also reported on Chatsworth this past week, and noted that Moustakas is going to be advised by Scott Boras, which may very well mean that he's USC bound.

[GagneCY03]

CJ, what are your feelings on Phillipe Aumont? I recently read MiLB's draft profile on him and it was very complimentary. He's raw, but sounds like he has huge upside.

[colbyjack]

Aumont is impressing an awful lot of people recently. In a recent outing in Florida, which was reported by both PG Crosschecker and BA, scouts were buzzing like crazy after seeing him pitch for the first time this year. He was throwing in the mid-90s and reportedly hit 96 or 97, depending on who you ask. The breaking ball was there as well, as was the late movement in the zone.

 

He's the high school version of Andrew Brackman, a big, strong kid with a frame and arsenal that makes scouts drool but he needs a lot of work with his mechanics and learning how to pitch. His arm works really well, as I know a lot of the PG scouts have been impressed by how loose he throws.

 

It sounds as though he has become a lock to be taken in the first round, as you can also find him in my top-30 prospects as well.

 

Personally, I'm leery of super-tall pitchers, and I'm also leery of pitchers that are more throwers than pitchers, but I haven't seen him pitch so I can't say for absolute certain.

[DAS1410]

CJ,

 

Speaking of MiLB ... I noticed the same reports Gagne is talking about. They also did one on Nick Noonan, who I am high on, but it disturbed me a little. They have him as a good top of the order hitter with 10-15 HR power max and just average/slightly above average speed. Everything else I have read on him, here and elsewhere, your comp to Chase Utley seemed accurate. Is this just a difference of opinion from different scouts, or is Mayo way off?

[fewgoodcards]

He's the high school version of Andrew Brackman, a big, strong kid with a frame and arsenal that makes scouts drool but he needs a lot of work with his mechanics and learning how to pitch. His arm works really well, as I know a lot of the PG scouts have been impressed by how loose he throws.

 

if you are going to take a guy like that, wouldn't you rather get the guy who is 3 years younger that you can take the time you need to iron things out? that's why i don't like raw college guys at all. if you want to take the unrefined power arm, i would take the high school guy every time.

[GagneCY03]

I agree with Aumont being more of a thrower than a pitcher at this stage. He just hasnt had the chance to play as much as kids in warm weather states. My two favorites for the Dodgers' pick at #20 seem to form a paradox: you have the uber-polished lefty in Smoker and the tall, projectible hard-throwing righty in Aumont. With White's draft history, it would seem that Smoker would be the obvious choice, but anything is possible...

[GagneCY03]

Quote:

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if you are going to take a guy like that, wouldn't you rather get the guy who is 3 years younger that you can take the time you need to iron things out? that's why i don't like raw college guys at all. if you want to take the unrefined power arm, i would take the high school guy every time.

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Not only that, but Brackman is reportedly being advised by Scott Boras. Aumont isnt as tall, since Brackman is 6'10 and Aumont is 6'7, but even 6'7 guys have problems repeating their deliveries, which is a knock on Aumont. Still, I love the mid to low 3/4 arm angle, since it creates a tremendous amount of sink on his pitches. I doubt he'd last into the supp first, but if he was there, I'd love the Dodgers to take a chance on him.

[colbyjack]

They also did one on Nick Noonan, who I am high on, but it disturbed me a little. They have him as a good top of the order hitter with 10-15 HR power max and just average/slightly above average speed. Everything else I have read on him, here and elsewhere, your comp to Chase Utley seemed accurate. Is this just a difference of opinion from different scouts, or is Mayo way off?

 

Keep in mind that Utley was profiled as a 2B that maxed out in the 10-15 HR power range as well at one point in time.

 

Noonan is just a very good, natural hitter, and as a left-handed hitter that profiles to play 2B everyday Utley is a natural comparison. Don't take my comparisons too far, as you'll have unrealistic expectations. They should be used more as a guide for reference.

 

By top of the order hitter are they talking about a leadoff guy? I'm not so sure about that, he's probably best somewhere in the 2-6 range at his best.

 

if you are going to take a guy like that, wouldn't you rather get the guy who is 3 years younger that you can take the time you need to iron things out?

 

In theory, yes, but not always. Brackman still has thrown harder more consistently, has pitched against some of the top hitters across the nation in the Cape Cod League and has gotten through some key years for pitchers where we often see serious arm injuries. That doesn't mean he's less likely to suffer injury, but they are pluses in his favor.

 

As Gagne mentions, Brackman also has the Boras factor, which always looms large.

 

Aumont isnt as tall, since Brackman is 6'10 and Aumont is 6'7, but even 6'7 guys have problems repeating their deliveries, which is a knock on Aumont.

 

Anything over 6'5" I have a problem with, so the difference between 6'10" or 6'7" really doesn't matter to me. Aumont is still super-tall.

[colbyjack]

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has their conference previews out for the local (SE Wisconsin) spring high school baseball season:

 

www.jsonline.com/story/in...?id=584688

 

And there's a nice feature on Kenosha St. Joe's standout Adrian Turner:

 

www.jsonline.com/story/in...?id=584689

 

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/sports/gen/img/mar07/sturner0330.jpg

[GagneCY03]

Quote:

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Anything over 6'5" I have a problem with, so the difference between 6'10" or 6'7" really doesn't matter to me. Aumont is still super-tall.

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Have there been any studies done on pitchers that says 6'5 is the cutoff? Not being confrontational, just wondering what made you pick that height.

[colbyjack]

Nope, no studies done, none that I can remember. The tall pitchers thing is more my thing, and 6'5" is more my cut-off without any rhyme or reason.

[GagneCY03]

Speak of the devil. BaseballAmerica has a feature on Phillipe Aumont (And Josh Vitters) today, detailing his recent success in a trip to Florida.

 

The article requires a subscription, so I'll just post a paragraph:

Quote:

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"He threw pretty well," said a scouting director with an NL club, who was clearly trying to keep his enthusiasm in check. "He has a good arm, and he's a big, physical kid with a live fastball and breaking ball, and a pretty good delivery. He has shown well both times he threw."

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www.baseballamerica.com/o...63623.html

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/paumont07428309bs.jpg

[DAS1410]

Gagne,

 

So what do you think ..... A stud arm with the # 20 pick. i.e. Bumgarner, Smoker, Aumont, Porcello and a stud bat with the supplemental pick (# 39 I believe) like Dominguez, Noonan, Stonecipher, Krill, Tolisano?

 

Haven't seen your draft coverage yet on your blog. If you want someone to throw ideas at, let me know.

[fewgoodcards]

So what do you think ..... A stud arm with the # 20 pick. i.e. Bumgarner, Smoker, Aumont, Porcello

 

i'm calling it right now, bumgarner to the braves at 14.