Top prospect reports provided by the Central Valley Collegiate League

Official league website: http://cvclbaseball.webs.com/
2014 Summer Collegiate top prospect index
Central Valley Collegiate League top prospect list


Year Established: 2013
State Represented in League: California
No. of Teams in League: 7
Regular Season Champion (best overall record): California Expos (21-3-1)

Most Valuable Player: Baron Bower, of, California Expos (Fresno Pacific University)
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Connor Brogdon, rhp, California Expos (Fresno City College)

BEST TOOLS

Best Athlete: Baron Bower, of, California Expos
Best Hitter: Nick Pate, ut, California Expos
Best Power: Kaohu Gaspar, of, California Expos; Christian Funk, 2b, California Storm
Fastest Base Runner: Baron Bower, of, California Expos
Best Defensive Player: Baron Bower, of, California Expos
Best Velocity: Connor Brogdon, rhp, California Expos
Best Breaking Ball: Jason Woodard, RHP, California Storm (Fresno City College)
Best Command: Garrett Martin, RHP, South County Vipers


Top 10 Prospects

1. Baron Bower, of, California Expos (Fresno Pacific University/JR in 2015)
Bower caught the attention of many scouts this summer with a solid tool-set across the board that includes an average arm in center field, plus running ability, plus defense and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. On the bases, he plays beyond his years by stealing bases with ease and natural instincts. Bower is a hard-nosed player, and at the plate he has the ability to leave the yard with some pull-side pop. His swing can get stiff at times, but he's able to hit good pitching, and when his swing is loose he has major bat speed. Look for Bower to get drafted next year as he continues to improve.

2. Connor Brogdon, rhp, California Expos (Fresno City College/SO in 2015)
Brogdon was up to 92 this summer and uses his 6-foot-5 frame well to throw on a downhill plane. His arm works free and easy and is very loose. His delivery is whippy, and when he gets to his leg lift he snaps towards the hitter to generate velocity. Brogdon's fastball comes out with ease and can get up on a hitter quick, although he is still working on improving his slider. Brogdon was drafted in 2013 by the Atlanta Braves in the 40th round.

3. J.J. Santa Cruz, lhp, California Expos (Bakersfield College/SO in 2015)
Santa Cruz' fastball sat at 86-89 mph this summer and touched 90. The 6-foot-5 lefthander slings the ball in his delivery and he hides the ball well when he lays his arm back, which creates a fair amount of deception for opposing hitters.. Santa Cruz has increased his velocity by five mph within a year, and he also throws a sweeping slider that it very difficult for lefthanded hitters to track out of the hand. Santa Cruz was runner-up to Brogdon for CVCL Pitcher of the Year.

4. McCarthy Tatum, 3b, California Storm (Fresno State/FR in 2015)
Tatum is a smooth hitting third baseman who is headed to Fresno State. He was drafted in 2014 by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round and was offered $200,000 to sign, but decided to go to college, using his time in the CVCL as a tune-up. Tatum's projection is to become a power hitting third baseman, and he's an average defender at the hot corner with enough arm to stay at the position or even move to shortstop at the college level. At the plate he sprays the ball to all fields and drives the ball the other way, showing an approach well beyond his 18-year old age.

5. Kaohu Gaspar, of, California Expos (SIGNED/Roswell Invaders, Independent League)
Gaspar had a great career with the NCCA World Series Champions, Fresno Pacific, but didn't get drafted. He ended up signing with a team out of the Pecos League in Independent Ball, the Roswell Invaders. Kaohu has a very smooth lefthanded swing and good balance. He also has plus bat speed and can put on a show in batting practice.

6. Alan Crowley, c, California Storm (Washington State/FR in 2015)
Crowley was the best catcher in the league, routinely recording sub 2.0-second pop times in game situations. Crowley can shut down the running game at any level, with soft hands and good receiving abilities. At the plate he needs to develop more bat speed and strength to handle a wood bat, but could make an impact early in his college career with his defensive talents alone.

7. Christian Funk, 2b, California Storm (Fresno City College/FR in 2015)
Funk was considered to be a candidate to be drafted in the top 10 rounds in the 2014 draft before he suffered a minor arm injury. He has plenty of pull-side pop and isn't afraid to show it in batting practice and in game situations, and was the winner of the 2014 CVCL home run derby. Funk started out slow this summer, but showed improvements as the summer progressed with the ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field with authority. Funk will most likely stay in the infield, but his plus arm could prompt a move to either third base or right field.

8. Nick Pate, of/ut, California Expos (Fresno Pacific University/JR in 2015)
Pate is on this list strictly because of his ability to hit, as he repeatedly showed the ability to hit good pitching this summer and looks to be an advanced college bat. Pate doesn't have a lot of over-the-fence pop, but he also doesn't swing-and-miss much, and was able to barrel up a lot of balls this summer. Defensively, he offers versatility with the ability play both corner outfield spots as well as third and first base.

9. Nick Stoll, ss, California Expos (North Carolina Central/JR in 2015)
Stoll is a lefthanded hitting shortstop who sprays the ball the other way well. He has enough arm to stay at short and makes the difficult plays look routine, and he also has soft hands and is light on his feet, although at times he can get erratic with his throws across the diamond. Stoll had a great year at College of Sequoias last spring and is headed to North Carolina Central at the D-I level for his junior year.

10. David Ruiz, rhp, Lightning Baseball (Porterville College/SO in 2015)
Ruiz is a 6-foot-4 wiry built righthander who throws with tilt and a loose arm. He works at 85-88 mph with his fastball and was up to 90 mph this summer. Ruiz is a max-effort pitcher, and his leverage and high three-quarters arm slot give him the ability to throw downhill and induce a lot of groundballs. He also throws a 12-to-6 curveball which needs some sharpening up to complement his fast arm. Ruiz' pause in his delivery at his leg lift makes it difficult for hitters to get timing down and can create uncomfortable at-bats.