Official league website: www.alaskabaseballleague.org
2016 Summer Collegiate Top Propsect Index
Alaska Baseball League Top Prospect List (20)
After three straight seasons of coming up short in the ABL finals, skipper Ben Taylor and the Mat-Su Miners added a postseason championship to their very impressive regular season resume. The Miners swept the Peninsula Oilers in the finals to capture their first ABL title since 2010.
Pitching dominated the ABL prospect list this year and the relief corps were especially strong. Closers Wyatt Mills and Jordan Taylor are two previously drafted seniors who could move quickly through a minor league system. If you’re looking for high ceiling relievers, Gage Burland and Connor Higgins are two arms who are virtually unhittable when they have at least average control.
The position player group in Alaska offered exciting tools yet disappointing performances for the most part. There are several players in this group who have both size and outstanding athleticism but the pitchers in the 49th state won the war most of the time this summer.
Year established: 1974
States represented: Alaska
No. of teams: 5
Regular season Champion (best overall record): Mat-Su Miners (28-19)
Postseason Champion: Mat-Su Miners
No. 1 prospect, 2015: Corbin Martin, rhp, Mat-Su Miners (Texas A&M)
First 2016 player selected, 2016 MLB draft: Vance Vizcaino, ss/of, Mat-Su (Wakefield/Royals, 11th round)
Player of the Year: Steven Sensley, of, Anchorage (Louisiana-Lafayette)
BATTING LEADERS
Batting average: Jonathan Washam, c, Peninsula (Louisana Tech) (.344)
Slugging percentage: Steven Sensley, of, Anchorage (Louisiana-Lafayette) (.527)
On-base percentage: Jacob Hughey, of, Mat-Su (Long Beach State) (.491)
Home runs: Steven Sensley, of, Anchorage (Louisiana-Lafayette) (6)
RBI: Jake Scudder, inf, Mat-Su (Kansas State) (29)
Stolen bases: Kyle Watson, ss/of, Anchorage Glacier (Ole Miss) (21)
PITCHING LEADERS
Wins: Timothy Holdgrafer, rhp, Anchorage Glacier (St. Mary’s College) (5)
ERA: Justin Vernia, rhp, Mat-Su (Gonzaga) (0.58)
Saves: Jordan Floyd, lhp, Mat-Su (Kansas State) (9)
Strikeouts: Dom Bazzani, lhp, Peninsula (UT-Martin) (49)
BEST TOOLS
Best athlete: Kyle Watson, ss/of, Anchorage (Ole Miss)
Best hitter: Garrison Schwartz, of, Mat-Su (Grand Canyon)
Best power: Steven Sensley, of, Anchorage (Louisiana-Lafayette)
Best speed: Greg Popylisen, of, Chugiak (New Mexico State)
Best defender: Josh Bissonette, ss, Mat-Su (Baylor)
Best velocity: Gage Burland, rhp, Mat-Su (Lewis-Clark State)
Best breaking stuff: Cody Deason, rhp, Mat-Su (Arizona)
Best command: Tim Holdgrafer, rhp, Anchorage (St. Mary’s)
TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. Cody Deason, rhp, Mat-Su (Arizona/SO in 2017)
Deason became a trusted reliever for Arizona during their run to the College World Series Finals but his future appears to be that of a Pac-12 weekend starter. His 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame is ideal and his fastball works at 91-93 mph. The separator for Deason is a plus curve ball that is a swing-and-miss pitch. While his changeup is a clear third pitch, it is already usable and gives him enough of an arsenal to pitch on the front end.
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