College Baseball 2006

[colbyjack]

I have it on pretty good authority that you might not see Scherzer for the rest of the year....

 

Ouch. That hurts, not only Scherzer, but the overall talent level. Scherzer in my mind was pretty much the only guy that could have given Andrew Miller a run for the #1 overall pick (even though I entered the season saying I wouldn't mind taking Ian Kennedy first overall). Blazer, have you heard if it's the biceps injury that is still bugging him, or has that led to elbow/shoulder problems?

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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have you heard if it's the biceps injury that is still bugging him, or has that led to elbow/shoulder problems

---

 

I think it has been the above all along.

[CalNiner]

Jared Hughes line

 

7.2IP 2R (0ER), 5H, 6K, 2BB

 

4HBP- I have now seen everything...CSUN was actually standing on top of the plate and leaned into 2 fastballs. Hughes has a reputation for throwing inside and I guess they were tring to get on base anyway they could. Both runs scored were from HBP and were the result of errors. Fastball 90-94 with life. Nasty Slider 78-82. Curveball was not as sharp- 74-76.

[colbyjack]

Player updates for the week of 4/13/06

Many teams bumped up their weekend series to Thursday-Saturday because of the Easter holiday.

 

Jeff Samardzija

7 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 3 BB vs. St. John's

 

I'm going to start with Samardzija since I had the chance to see him pitch yesterday. First off, here's BA's weekend preview, which profiles the 2-sport star:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...61004.html

 

I also picked Samardzija as a player to watch a few weeks ago in a Crack of the Bat column:

 

PG Crack of the Bat-Rising College Arms

 

It's easy to like Samardzija. He is a perfectly proportioned athlete, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His motion is free and easy and his delivery is effortless. His fastball has been sitting in the 92-93 range all spring and has touched 96. He has scrapped his curveball in favor for a slider since he throws from a low 3/4 delivery, and he reportedly is refining his changeup (I didn't see him throw one yesterday). Since he garners a lot more attention on the gridiron, currently ranked as Mel Kiper's #1 WR for the '07 NFL draft, he hasn't had as much time on the diamond to polish his game. He has shown dramatic improvements this year, and the sky is the limit for him if he does indeed focus on baseball.

 

Right now his fastball does tend to be too straight, and he gets too much of the strike zone. The ump yesterday wasn't giving him the high or low strike, and he wasn't missing by much. For the most part he works up and down, not inside and out, but he did catch the corner a few times with his fastball to ring a couple of batters up. Once he refines his slider and changeup his fastball is going to be much more effective.

 

That's not to say that his slider is a bad pitch. It shows a lot of break, and it actually more a slurve with more downward movement than side-to-side break. However, you can tell he just doesn't command it as he could at this point in time. Like I mentioned before, I didn't see a changeup.

 

Each of the 7 innings he pitched someone got on base. All three walks came in the first two innings (as did the two runs), but the St. John's batters were taking all the way, and in that event he is going to have to learn to throw more first-pitch strikes and pitch more to contact. And while he did induce a couple of ground balls that led to double plays, he gave up a lot of hard contact to the outfield gaps.

 

He's not far off from being a really special pitcher, but he needs to focus on baseball to become more of a pitcher than a thrower, although he's far from wild. Reports are that he wants to be drafted, signed and play pro ball this summer while leaving in August to re-join the ND football team. I don't know if any team is going to agree to that, especially with a pitcher.

 

Jared Hughes

7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 ER), 6 K, 2 BB vs. CS Northridge

CalNiner already brought up Hughes' stats, a good line but LBSU isn't giving him any support offensively or defensively.

 

Brandon Morrow

7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 5 BB vs. Washington State

This is pretty much the line Morrow has posted in every start this year...get those walks down!

 

Joba Chamberlain

6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 11 K, 3 BB vs. Texas A&M

A strong start for Chamberlain.

 

Ian Kennedy

5.1 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 4 K, 2 BB vs. Arizona State

Many thought Kennedy turned the corner after last week's start, not so.

 

Tim Lincecum

6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 14 K, 1 BB vs. BYU

 

I've been hard on Lincecum in the past, pretty much leading up to last weekend. But, I have learned some information that has changed my opinion of him. I have commented before on his delivery, and how he puts so much torque on his shoulder. I guess he has worked hard to change his mechanics, and is using his lower body a lot better now, not to mention putting on weight to sustain velocity deeper into games. We've all heard the reports of him working in the mid-90s, touching 98 or so, and staying in the 92-93 range late in games. HIs delivery isn't as violent, and that has allowed him to be more consistent, and he has amazing recovery time in between starts with what seems to be a rubber arm. Scouts are still talking about him as a closer candidate, given his two knockout pitches and continued struggles walking batters, but I see no reason to try him as a starter first, even if he could be getting batters out in the late innings at the big-league level right now.

 

So, look for his name to rise in my next ranking. Basically, I received the information I wanted to hear for me to change my mind.

 

Brad Lincoln

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 2 BB vs. Southern Miss.

Another solid start for Lincoln, who has arguably been the best, most consistent starter this spring.

 

Andrew Miller

8 IP, 5 H, 4 R (0 ER), 2 K, 4 BB vs. Virginia Tech

A good line with the exception of the walks, which are uncharacteristic for Miller this spring.

 

Wade LeBlanc

6 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 5 K, 4 BB vs. LSU

LeBlanc got knocked around by LSU's big bats.

 

David Huff

9 IP, 12 H, 8 R (6 ER), 11K, 1 BB vs. Arizona

An interesting line for Huff, who really didn't allow many baserunners, but still gave up 6 ER in a CG effort, and only one of the hits allowed went for extra bases (a double). Those 11 K's sure are purty. Huff has pitched WAY to deep in games this year, so buyer beware.

 

Daniel Bard

7 IP, 5 H, 4 R (0 ER), 5 K, 5 BB vs. Virginia Tech

One of his best lines in weeks, still walks way too many.

[GagneCY03]

When are your new rankings coming out, CJ?

[EdgarDiazRocks]

I went and saw Lincecum pitch last night and while it was like he playing against a little legue team in BYU, I still couldn't really see him as anything more than a big league reliever in the Tom Gordon mold (not that that isn't valuable).

 

I certainly don't know enough about mechanics to be able to judge about shoulder torque, but I would still take Ian Kennedy or maybe even Dallas Buck (who has fallen hasn't he?) over him on what I have seen.

[JohnBriggs12]

Purdue update:

 

Purdue garnered a split with Indiana over the weekend by pasting the Hoosiers 25-8 Sunday.

 

Neal Gorka, who I profiled earlier in this thread, broke out of a 6 for 40 slump vs. Indiana by posting this amazing line for the 4 games agains the Hoosiers:

 

15 AB 5 Runs 9 Hits 14 RBI

 

He had 3 HR (2 GS, and a 3 Run Shot), and 2 Doubles.

 

Mitch Hillegoss, Purdue's outstanding SS, had back to back 4 hit games in the series and is now batting .414 with a OBP of .497 and slugging percentage of .636.

[colbyjack]

Here are some of the players of interest I watched from the college games over the weekend:

 

Drew Stubbs

.336/.441/.624 in 149 AB, 10 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 27:41 BB:K, 15 for 17 SBs, 4 Es

Texas is on fire right now, and their depth makes them poised to be the favorites, at least IMO, once the NCAA tourney starts. Stubbs has been a big part of that, who was hitting in the .290s less than two weeks ago. I saw him turn on a Cory VanAllen fastball that he crushed for a 2-run HR, and showed a very patient eye at the plate when he wasn't smacking the ball around the field. He's still going to strike out a lot, I don't think there is anything to correct that, but I could see him being a .270-.280 hitter with good patience and a exciting power/speed combo at the pro level. I really really really hate to say this, but he reminded me of Dale Murphy, and like Murphy is an unreal athlete. Look at Murphy's career stats and like might give you an idea of what kind of player and hitter Stubbs could become.

 

Kyle McCulloch

4-4, 3.03 ERA, 12 games (11 starts), 71.1 IP, 66 H, 61 K, 21 BB, 1 HR, .248 BAA

McCulloch has had a disappointing season in my mind, although the numbers aren't quite that bad. He has been pitching better over the last month, but I still wonder how effective he will be at the next level. For a guy praised for his command, he did not command his fastball very well from what I saw. His fastball tends to fly straight, and when it catches too much of the zone it can be hit very hard. He has a good enough curveball, and I didn't see his change, with an angular leg kick that reminded me of Trevor Hoffman's (another former SS). He does have an obvious, athletic frame, with sloped shoulders and a narrow waist. He's probably a 2nd rounder.

 

Cory Van Allen

4-4, 4.82 ERA, 10 games (9 starts), 52.1 IP, 52 H, 38 K, 19 BB, 7 HR, .254 BAA

Van Allen got roughed up by the Longhorns on Friday, and looking at his numbers he has been hittable all season long, particularly in the long ball dep't. After watching him, I'm not surprised, as his fastball is lucky to touch 88 mph. He catches way too much of the zone for a lefty that should be more of a nibbler, and his curveball is far too loopy. Of course, I could have caught him on a bad day, as a 4.82 ERA isn't horrible in the Big 12, but from what I saw he's going to need to add a few ticks to his fastball, shore up his command, and sharpen up his curve.

 

Tyler Chambliss

9-1, 1.80 ERA, 12 games (11 starts), 75 IP, 60 H, 73 K, 32 BB, 2 HR, .221 BAA

This was the 2nd time I had the chance to watch Chambliss, and I really am growing fond of the way his pitches. His signature pitch is a big, hammer curveball that is hard to time. He throws his fastball in the low-90s, and commands it pretty well. I've compared Chambliss to Tim Hudson in a previous post, and I stand by that comp as Chambliss is probably going to slip a little in the draft since he's a little on the short side (5' 11"), but he makes up for it with tenacity and a very good 1-2 punch. I could see him being a steal in the 3-6 round area.

 

Shane Robinson

.377/.448/.539 in 167 AB, 12 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 20:17 BB:K, 21 for 23 SBs, 1 E

Robinson is another player I've seen several times this season. I have a hard time getting a feel for him. I want to like him, as he's an electric player that players much bigger than his size, but again, he is really small, probably smaller than David Eckstein, and I wonder how much he'll hit as a pro. While he had some bigs hits over the weekend (I saw Saturday's and Sunday's games), his swing didn't look that great to me, as he had some funky downward cutting action on the ball in a couple of ABs. It's hard to argue with his numbers, but it's just so hard to project such a little bugger.

 

Jon Jay

.341/.473/.473 in 129 AB, 8 2B, 3 HR, 20:15 BB:K, 14 HBP, 17 for 21 SBs, 2 Es

This was the second time I saw Jay this season, who I saw several times last year while watching Ryan Braun on the Miami games televised. While Jay is on the short side, he is much more well built than Robinson. He doesn't have the explosiveness Robinson has, but he still has very good wheels, and gets down the line to 1B faster than most. He has a very good idea at the plate, and shows a nice contact swing from the left side. He is very good at punching the ball through the right-side of the infield, and has enough power to drive the ball on occasion. He's hitting in the 2-hole now, as he hit third earlier this year and batted cleanup behind Braun last year. He's much better suited for the leadoff or 2-hole spot in the lineup, so he looked more natural over the weekend. I think Jay is a solid bet to hit at the pro level, it's just a matter of how much power will be there. While he plays CF, I'm not sure if he has the ideal range, so he may be somewhat of a LF/CF tweener similar to someone like Jeremy Reed.

 

Jason Berken

4-3, 2.31 ERA, 9 games (all starts), 46.2 IP, 44 H, 44 K, 23 BB, 2 HR, .250 BAA

I was pleased to catch the Wisco native pitch over the weekend. Berken started off a little slow, and then started to cruise in innings 2, 3 and 4 before hitting a wall since he threw too many pitches early in the game (and he is still building up arm strength from TJ surgery). He commands his fastball well, and shows good knowledge of catching the corners of the strike zone. When his curveball started to click he was nearly unhittable, and I also like his slider, which is basically a faster for not as sweeping version of his curve. His body type is very similar to Keith Foulke, who reminded me of Foulke during his days with Oakland with the white shoes and compact, quick delivery (minus the short-arm delivery that Foulke employs). They also showed an interview with Berken in between innings, and he said all the right things and received praise from his coaches, which I have heard about before. He still is a little rough, but if he puts his game together I like the direciton he's headed in.

 

Andy D'Alessio

.338/.364/.662 in 145 AB, 11 2B, 12 HR, 7:29 BB:K, 0 Es

D'Alessio was one of the top prep 1B available for the 2003 draft. He slipped just a hair, and decided to attend Clemson. His college career started a little slow, but this year he is raking, and he has found his power stroke. I really liked his approach, and despite not walking that much, he is a very selective hitter. His left-handed swing has very intriguing pull, loft power. I'm not sure if he will be a high average hitter, at least not consistently in the .300s, but I would guess he could be a .280 hitter with 20-30 bombs regularly. His best attribute is his glove, as he's as slick as they come at 1B.

 

Scott Maine

6-2, 4.66 ERA, 9 games (all starts), 46.1 IP, 39 H, 37 K, 19 BB, 6 HR, .228 BAA

Maine was a potential early round pick coming out of high school. He now wears a face shield after getting badly injured in a car accident within the past year. He started Sunday's game vs. FSU, and while he started slow and got hit hard in the first inning, he settled down nicely and started to cruise. He has a nice delivery, and he throws a nice fastball for a LHP. He seemed to be tipping his breaking pitches, as his arm slowed considerably when he threw a curveball the first couple of times, but then he got in sync, and his curveball started snapping a lot better. He also looked to throw a slider that he like to bounce in the dirt, but both pitches drew a lot of swings and misses. And his fastball gained velocity in the middle innings as the glove started to pop more. I would guess he was in the 90-92 range. His mechanics need some work, and he will need to work on being more ready to pitch when he enters a game, but with a solid pitching coach I think he could be something special at the next level.

[colbyjack]

College baseball TV schedule for the week of 4/17/06:

 

Wednesday, 4/19

 

Florida @ Florida State

6:00 pm, FCSC

It's hard to tell who will start this game, as mid-week non-conference games are always hard to project, but both lineups have a few draft-eligible players worth watching.

 

Friday, 4/21

 

San Diego @ Pepperdine

5:00 pm, CSTV

Saturday's game will be televised as well, as listed just below, so this should give people their first chance on one of the two days to see RHP Josh Butler. C Chad Tracy is a player to watch on Pepperdine.

 

Georgia Tech @ Florida State

6:00 pm, FCSA

Both GT and FSU have been on TV more and more recently, FSU's Friday starter Bryan Henry will have his hands full with GT's offense.

 

Saturday, 4/22

 

Duke @ Virginia Tech

Noon, FCSA

I hate to take anything away from these two teams, but there isn't much draft-eligible talent to watch.

 

Nebraska @ Texas

2:00 pm, FCSC

This should be a good, pure college baseball matchup. Kyle McCulloch is likely to go for the Longhorns.

 

Auburn @ Florida

3:00 pm, FCSA

It's too bad Florida hasn't been better than they have this year, because they have been on TV more than anyone else.

 

San Diego @ Pepperdine

5:00 pm, CSTV

See Friday notes from above for the scoop on this team, if Butler doesn't go Friday, he should be pitching in this game.

 

Georgia Tech @ Florida State

6:00 pm, FCSA

Tyler Chambliss takes his turn against GT.

 

Sunday, 4/23

 

Kansas @ Kansas State

1:00 pm, FCSC

Kansas has a good team this year, a good intra-state rivalry.

 

Army vs. Navy

3:00 pm, CSTV

Ah yes, that classic Army-Navy rivalry at it's finest.

[colbyjack]

Player updates for the week of 4/17/06

 

Jared Hughes

6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 3 BB (120 pitches) vs. UC Davis

Not the sharpest outing for Hughes this inning, but LBSU still gets the W.

 

Brandon Morrow

7 IP, 3 H, 5 R (0 ER), 5 K, 2 BB vs. Oregon State

Morrow picks up a hard luck loss, his first loss of the year, in a duel against Dallas Buck of Oregon State.

 

Dallas Buck

6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 K, 4 BB vs. Cal

Buck still walks way too many, as it's amazing that he has kept these lines despite not blowing batters away. He's now 8-0 on the year, so the end result is hard to argue with.

 

Joba Chamberlain

6 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 7 K, 4 BB (100 pitches)

Chamberlain takes the loss vs. Kyle McCulloch & Texas.

 

Kyle McCulloch

7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 2 BB (117 pitches)

A good outing as he pitches better than Chamberlain, being bumped up to the Friday starter to face Nebraska's ace.

 

Andrew Miller

8.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 7 K, 2 BB (105 pitches) vs. NC State

Just look at the number of pitches Miller threw in this game, he is a much better pitcher this year maximizing his time on the mound and pitching more to contact while still owning the pure stuff to blow batter away.

 

Ian Kennedy

4.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R (4 ER), 4 K, 3 BB vs. Washington

What happened to Kennedy this year?

 

Tim Lincecum

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 11 K, 4 BB vs. USC

This game had to be well attended by scouts. He STILL walked too many batters for my liking.

 

David Huff

9 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6 K, 2 BB (121 pitches) vs. Arizona State

Huff with a really nice game against a tough offensive lineup.

[fewgoodcards]

looks like USC shouldn't have gone and retired Kennedy's number before the season started

[fewgoodcards]

daniel bard throws a complete game shutout allowing 4 hits walking none and striking out 8. where did that come from? looks like he might be back to the form he had at the beginning of the year.

[colbyjack]

daniel bard throws a complete game shutout allowing 4 hits walking none and striking out 8. where did that come from?

 

Bard definitely has it in him. He has the talent, and the pure stuff, to go with a pretty delivery, but the consistency just isn't there for him, and hasn't been for much of his college career. That is what bugs me the most about him, as I like to see prospects progress, not stay the same or get worse (like Ian Kennedy). Bard actually had a pretty good freshman year, a season in which he was better than Miller and served as UNC's Friday starter as a freshman. Not an easy task in the ACC, or anywhere for that matter.

 

I'm not buying one good outing though. I was skeptical entering the season, and will remain skeptical until he could put together a good month to six weeks together. That's pretty much from now until the draft.

[colbyjack]

I didn't watch as much college baseball this weekend as I have in the past several weekends. Family calls, and the matchups weren't as good as they hoped they would be. I got to see a pretty good Nebarska-Texas matchup on Saturday, and Georgia Tech-Florida State was also a very good matchup (although I must admit I'm getting sick of watching FSU).

 

So, just a few quick comments this week on players, players I have already commented on above.

 

Drew Stubbs

I am among quite a few people that have questioned Drew Stubbs ability to hit. When I talked about that ability, I talk about pure hitters and the ability to hit for a high average. I still am skeptical if Stubbs can be that kind of hitter, but after watching him in about a half a dozen games over the last half a dozen weeks I have found that it is nearly impossible not to fall in love with his pure athletic ability. I half-jokingly tossed Dale Murphy's name out there last week, but I'll throw out another this week: Torii Hunter. Same type of athlete as Hunter. He probably won't for a high average, and he's going to strikeout quite a bit, but he's going to hit for power, steal bases and play very good defense. He should be a top 10 pick come June, if not top 3-5. I personally think Stubbs would make perfect sense for either the Rockies or Pirates, although I have heard both teams are thinking pitching.

 

Shane Robinson

I've wavered on Robinson all spring, but I really think I would give this kid a chance early in the draft. He's small, but his high energy style of play is infectious, and his speed (similar to Stubbs, which I didn't mention before) is going to allow him to avoid prolonged slumps (I'm sure there is a stat somewhere that will disprove that old-school assumption, but both of them do a good job drawing walks too). If I had an extra pick or a comp pick, I would think long and hard about drafting Robinson with a first-rounder while seeing if I could nab a player that maybe has fallen slightly with my comp pick. The Red Sox could be the team that does exactly that.

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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Drew Stubbs

---

 

CJ,

 

Hunter is a good comparison to Stubbs...

[fewgoodcards]

hunter is a pretty good comp, but i see him more as mike cameron. cameron, like hunter, has very good defensive skills and good speed, but i think cameron represents the type of hitter that stubbs is better. torii hunter actually hit .289 one year, and i don't think stubbs will hit for that high of an average (even though that isn't that high). cameron is more of a .260 hitter with 25 homers and 30 steals in his prime and i think stubbs is capable of putting up similar numbers.

[ThatPhenomsMom]

"Tim Lincecum

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 11 K, 4 BB vs. USC

This game had to be well attended by scouts. He STILL walked too many batters for my liking."

 

Walks'll kill ya ... unless of course you're Tim Lincecum...

 

That game WAS loaded with scouts, many to see Huff, a LOT to see Lincecum. I talked to someone in the know who stands and talks a lot to scouts and he said they were knee deep.

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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cameron is more of a .260 hitter with 25 homers and 30 steals in his prime and i think stubbs is capable of putting up similar num

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I don't think Stubbs will ever hit 25 HR's in the big leagues...

 

Offensively I think he's better compared to a guy like Scotty Po but his all around game is closer to Hunter.

 

Cameron has above average power for a CF, I don't think Stubbs will even have average power.

[Casey2884]

I don't think Stubbs will ever hit 25 HR's in the big leagues...

 

New member here, but have been around college baseball and the draft long enough to put in my 2 cents.

 

If you've ever seen Stubbs hit the ball, you'd know that he has PLUS-power to all fields. The guy absolutely clobbers the ball. He is 6'4 and still filling out, will probably settle in at 215-220 and be an absolute masher in the bigs. That is not the scouts' concerns on him. The concerns are will he be a .300 hitter in the big leagues and fix his discipline issues (which he has been doing this year as evidenced by his high walk totals and much lower K/bb ratio), or will he be a .260 Adam Dunn/Richie Sexson type of power hitter?

 

I believe Baseball America put Stubbs' raw power on the same level as Matt Laporta & Cody Johnson, the other "typical" power hitters, in their early draft preview. People seem to overlook Stubbs' HR prowess because he also runs a 4.3 40 and is a freak athlete.

 

PS - How do I do the cool "framed" quotes like others do?

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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PLUS-power to all fields

---

 

Nope...no way no how.

 

Alex Gordon has plus power, and did coming out of College.

 

Adam Dunn has plus power as well.

 

I'd say Stubbs has average power, combine that with the fact that he swings at everything and you've got a guy who won't hit 25 HR's consistently.

 

He might be considered to have plus raw power but for college JR's, game power is more important than how far he can hit the ball in BP.

 

 

Quote:

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He is 6'4 and still filling out

---

 

College juniors are generally done filling out and getting stronger. What you see is what you get.

 

Stubbs is not going to magically become Adam Dunn (without the help of Balco)

 

Stubbs has a Shawn Green type frame and build (he just has a lot better tools)

 

Don't get me wrong, I like Stubbs a lot. I just don't expect him to hit with a lot of power (consistently) in the bigs.

[CalNiner]

On the Stubbs discussion, I have seen him in person (and I have seen nearly all of the college position players mentioned as top picks) and am convinced he is the best athlete in this draft. I do not think he is the best hitter, far from it. He has a tall slinder frame and I question how much weight he can carry and still be as athletic. Today he is a deer, quick to the ball in the outfield and very fast on the basepaths. He takes outstanding routes to the ball and can run down anything that hangs in the air. Like every great athlete with size, he will have his share of home runs in college, but he does not project to be a home run hitter. I believe he has a better chance of hitting .280 to .300 than ever hitting 25 home runs consistently. However, in order to become a good major league hitter, he will have to shorten his swing and be happy with contact. He strikes out way too much for a guy with his speed. All of that said, I think he goes in the top 10 picks and finds himself in Double A ball by the end of the summer.

[Blazer25]

Cal,

 

I absolutley agree with everything you said.

 

If you look at my post HERE you'll see that I like Stubbs enough to include him in my Top 10...I just don't think power will be part of his game as a pro.

[CalNiner]

Jared Hughes line last night:

 

8IP, 2R, 5H, 5K, 2BB, gets w and is now 7-1, 2.83 ERA, BAA .205.

 

First inning was very shaky with 2BB, a bloop 2B down RF line and a HBP. From 2nd through 8th, he settled down and threw well. Did not have his best stuff, fastball was a lttle flat, but slider was very good.

[colbyjack]

Player update for the weekend of 4/28/06

 

Andrew Miller

6 IP, 12 H, 4 ER, 6 K, 1 BB vs. Duke

Miller's worst line comes against UNC's weakest opponent

 

Brad Lincoln

8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 13 K, 1 BB (129 pitches) vs. UAB

No college pitcher has been more consistent this year

 

Brandon Morrow

8 IP, 11 H, 4 R (3 ER), 4 K, 0 BB (107 pitches) vs. UCLA

This is a much different line for Morrow, who seemed to pitch more effectively striking out and walking fewer batters despite giving up more hits than usual this season

 

Tim Lincecum

8 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 ER), 11 K, 3 BB vs. Arizona

Lincecum has been walking fewer (and striking out fewer batters) in his last few starts

 

Josh Butler

5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 5 K, 3 BB vs. San Francisco

The walks are creeping up for Butler, but he still has allowed only 1 HR in 87.1 IP on the season

 

Joba Chamberlain

7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 9 K, 2 BB (108 pitches) vs. Texas Tech

Similar to Lincoln, Chamberlain has been one of the more consistent pitchers this spring

 

Ian Kennedy

8 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 1 BB vs. Washington State

Kennedy needed this start, as he's been roughed up all but 2-3 starts all year

 

David Huff

10 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 K, 1 BB (130 pitches) vs. Cal

Another long, strong outing for Huff, who needs to be handled with more care

 

Daniel Bard

6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 6 K, 2 BB vs. Duke

Bard's second consecutive solid outing...I won't be convinced unless he pitches like this leading up to the draft, and even then I'll be skeptical

[colbyjack]

Just a couple of observations from the weekend:

 

Jon Jay

This is the fourth or fifth time I've seen Jay play this spring, and each time I watch him I like him significantly more. He has an excellent approach at the plate, takes an incredible amount of pitches and has a very good idea of the strike zone. He hit a home run in the game I watched him in, although I wonder whether or not the ball he hit would have gone out had the wind not been blowing out that day and had he not been using a metal bat. Still, he has a great, level swing, great plate coverage, and he isn't going to strike out much. He's lightning fast down the line to 1B. I'm not sure if he'll stick in CF as a pro, but I see no reason why he couldn't at least be tried their to begin his career. He has enough speed & arm strength, but his routes could use some work. I've compared him to Jeremy Reed before, and I think a left-handed hitting version of Shannon Stewart is also a fair comparison.

 

Greg Reynolds

I hadn't seen Stanford's RHP Greg Reynolds yet this year. I've been skeptical of Reynolds because he has always had a lot of hype surrounding him, since his HS days, but not much as far as results, including his time spent on the Cape League last summer. But he still draws high reviews from scouts. I can see why. He's built like a workhorse, tall and strong, somewhat like Andy Benes. He has a good fastball and a very good changeup. His breaking ball is inconsistent, and his mechanics need more work for him to be more consistent overall, such as repeating his delivery, which should also help him avoid serious injury. He commanded his fastball pretty well, but he tended to leave it up in the zone, something he won't be able to get away with at the upper levels as a pro.