Travis Demeritte – 3B
Demeritte
was a mainstay for the East Cobb Braves during his high school career
and played in two dozen Perfect Game events, including the 2012 PG
All-American Classic, and finished his high school career ranked No.
19 in the 2013 class rankings. It would be difficult to accurately
count how many times this scout has seen Demeritte play in both
tournament and showcase settings.
Two
things stand out when looking back at Demeritte's pre-professional
scouting resume with what he's accomplished with the Rangers since
being their first round pick (30th overall) in 2013.
First,
while Demeritte played shortstop and pitched at Winder-Barrow High
School in Georgia, he only played third base (along with an
occasional trip to the mound, where he was regularly 89-91 mph) for
the Braves. And he was simply outstanding defensively, as good a
defensive third baseman as one will find at that level. Demeritte
showed all the ingredients of a potential Gold Glove defender at
third; the cat like quickness, the soft hands and the accurate cannon
arm. He actually played third base like a shortstop, setting up
deeper than the usual third baseman and consistently made far-ranging
plays that showed off his athletic gifts on defense.
As
a professional, Demeritte has played 92 games at second base, 26
games at third base and 25 games at shortstop. It goes without saying
that if his offensive potential comes together he has more value in
the middle infield. But he could be an impactful defensive third
baseman as well.
Offensively,
it should surprise no one who watched him extensively as an amateur
that he has produced both power and copious strikeout totals.
Demeritte hit from an open righthanded stance that he never closed
about 90 percent of the time I saw him over a three-year period. He
hunted inside fastballs and hanging breaking balls and crushed them.
But because he was so open, not only with his feet but with his front
side, he was easy prey to a pitcher who could spot his fastball
outside and his breaking ball or changeup off the outside corner. He
didn't have the balance or the reach to cover that part of the zone.
There
was one event, the 2012 17u PG World Series, when Demeritte
noticeably made the adjustment and closed off his stance, and he
absolutely raked at that event. – David Rawnsley
Seattle Mariners
D.J. Peterson – 1B/3B
A
handful of impressive hitters have emerged from the Southwest part of
the nation in recent years, including Peterson, his younger brother
Dustin (a second round pick of the Padres in 2013), Boston Red Sox
farmhand Blake Swihart and soon-to-be professional hitter Alex
Bregman, one of college baseball's biggest bats.
While
Dustin Peterson, Swihart and Bregman were all well-known and premium
talents coming out of high school, D.J. Peterson fell to the 33rd round of the draft, getting a token selection by the Seattle Mariners
in the 2010 draft before heading to play at the University of New
Mexico.
In
college Peterson developed into one of the most lethal bats eligible
for the 2013 draft, with the ability to hit for both average and
power while displaying a keen eye at the plate. It remained unclear
whether he would be able to stay at third base long-term, and others
questioned the historical success of righthanded hitting power
hitters coming out of college.
Here's
his pre-draft report from, when he was ranked the 13th overall draft-eligible player:
(Peterson)
hit a robust .419-17-78 (33 BB/29 SO) as a sophomore for the Lobos,
led USA Baseball’s college-national team in homers last summer and
has continued to swing the bat at a fast clip this spring as his .406
average, 20 doubles, 13 homers and 53 RBI (as of late April) are all
club-leading figures by wide margins. Peterson has a smooth,
balanced, disciplined swing that transitions easily to wood and
enables him to generate easy raw power. He has shown no difficulty
turning around high-velocity fastballs or recognizing the best
breaking stuff in the college game. He also has a very mature
approach to hitting and has become very adept at grinding out at-bats
in his quest to find a pitch he can drive, or simply draw a walk. The
remainder of Peterson’s tools aren't as strong, but he’s a better
runner underway than he is generally given credit for. Defensively,
he has adequate actions and a playable arm at third, but his hands
and footwork are a little short and he may not be long for that
position, with first base or an outfield corner likely destinations.
Where Peterson might end up in the field is almost incidental to
where he might be drafted as teams know they are buying an advanced
bat with significant home run potential.
As
part of his Draft Focus report that same spring, Frankie Piliere
compared Peterson's overall profile to that of Paul Konerko, an
upside the Mariners had in mind when they picked him yet again, this
time with the 12th overall selection, in the 2013 draft. – Patrick Ebert
Austin Wilson – OF
Wilson
both looked and acted the part of the high ceiling prospect at
Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles. He was listed at
6-foot-4, 200-pounds and notes from the 2009 PG National Showcase
reference "his Andre Dawson-look with the tapered waist but the
overall frame to hold 230 pounds in the future easily."
His
tools spoke just as loudly, especially when it came to power tools.
When Wilson squared up a ball it exploded with that sound one rarely
hears. He didn't have much lift in his swing but often just
overpowered the ball with strength and leverage at contact. Wilson's
arm strength was also a power tool; he registered 98 mph from the
outfield at that National Showcase with a long and fast low effort
release. On top of it, Wilson also regularly ran in the 6.7's in the
60-yard dash.
Based
on those tools it was pretty clear that Wilson, who was also a
Perfect Game All-American, was a likely first round draft pick in
2010. But that wasn't going to happen without a team taking a big
risk. Wilson's mother and father had undergraduate degrees from MIT
and Stanford respectively, and both had MBA's from Harvard. Education
was paramount in the Wilson household and Austin was signed with
Stanford. The Cardinals picked him in the 12th round and made a hard
run at him to no avail.
Wilson
had a solid three-year career at Stanford, hitting .311-5-30 as a
freshman, .285-10-51 as a sophomore and .288-5-26 as junior despite
missing most of the first half of the season with an elbow injury.
That
elbow injury and Wilson's drop in performance did impact his draft
status a bit, leaving him still available for the Mariners with the
49th overall pick. Wilson signed for a $1.7 million bonus, $590,000
over the MLB recommendation for that slot.
It
is worth noting that despite signing after his junior season at
Stanford, Wilson did manage to graduate on time in four years, even
getting wear the cap and gown at the ceremony when it coincided with
the Midwest League All-Star break last June. – David Rawnsley
Oakland Athletics
Matt Olson – 1B
That
Olson has been a high level performer for the A's from the start of
his professional career should not come as a surprise as that is
precisely what he did at Parkview High School in North Atlanta. Olson
led Parkview to two straight Georgia Class 5A titles as a two-way
standout, hitting .407-11-51 as a senior and going 12-1, 1.64 on the
mound.
What
was actually a bit surprising was that the A's ventured the 47th
overall pick in the 2012 draft on Olson, as he generally wasn't
considered quite that level of prospect by the scouting community as
a whole. A large part of that was Olson's profile. He was a 7.6
runner in the 60-yard dash, although he was agile and athletic around
the bag on defense. And although he was able to produce steady
upper-80s fastballs on the mound his overall profile fit best at
first base. In other words, you were betting on the bat and strictly
the bat. Olson, who was an excellent student, also had a ride to
Vanderbilt and the potential to be a two-way star at that top
program.
The
key to his being drafted that high, of course, was his performance.
Olson was outstanding at the final national event he played the
previous summer, wearing the gaps out at the 2011 East Coast
Professional Showcase in front of a big crowd of scouting directors
and cross-checkers. And as Oakland scouting director Eric Kubota
noted in articles written immediately after the 2012 draft, Olson hit
home runs off both Lucas Sims (the 21st overall pick) and Duane
Underwood (67th) that spring in what were undoubtedly very heavily
scouted matchups.
The
moral of the story is that if you are going to bet big on a bat, you
better not be projecting the ability to perform. That has to be a
present skill. – David Rawnsley
Chad Pinder – 2B/3B
Pinder
enjoyed a successful tour playing in Perfect Game-based tournament
events during his high school career, leading to him being ranked
176th in the high school class of 2010. At 6-foot,
170-pounds, he wasn't overly physical, but was a gamer that always
seemed to come through when his team needed him to, whether it be at
the plate, on the basepaths or defensively in the infield.
Here's
a collection of some of the notes from PG's database from those
events:
Made
hard contact, good hands … quick, long stride, quick out of box,
gets on base, avg power … good approach, great top hand, rotational
backside hitter, avg to good (batspeed) … tall, narrow stance,
toe-tap trigger, flat path, slight bat wrap.
At
Virginia Tech Pinder carried a similar profile leading all the way up
to 2013 when the Athletics took him in the supplemental second round
of the draft, with the usual “low-ceiling, high-floor”
description accompanying his draft report.
So
while he did pretty much everyting well, nothing really stood out
aside from the sum of his parts. He hit for a high average, which
includes during his time spent in both the Coastal Plain and Cape Cod
summer collegiate leagues swinging a wood bat. However, he didn't
project for a ton of over-the-fence power with most of his extra-base
hits going to the alleys. While he was a versatile overall athlete,
he lacked the ideal range for shortstop, although profiled very well
defensively at third base. He wasn't a burner, but he ran the bases
well and showed an overall high baseball IQ.
Such
players, or infield 'tweeners, seem destined for second base, and
that's exactly where his value was deemed the highest coming out of
college, when he was ranked he 53rd best draft-eligible
player as the 2013 draft approached. – Patrick Ebert
Houston Astros
Brett Phillips – OF
The
fact that Phillips was a sixth round draft pick out of high school is
notable because entering 2013 he wasn't even on the scouting radar.
Although he'd gained enough attention to sign with North Carolina
State, Phillips wasn't ranked in the Perfect Game top 500. He'd never
appeared in a national level showcase, played at the WWBA World
Championship in Jupiter and even took off most of his summer before
his senior year from any baseball activities.
That
fall on a whim, Phillips decided to try to play high school football
despite not having played yet in high school. He ended up playing in
the Pinellas County All-Star game following the season. Watching this video
is pretty instructive when you look at Phillips as an athlete. Just
in the first three minutes there are highlights of him playing
running back, wide receiver, quarterback, linebacker, safety,
blocking a kick and kicking an extra point. It's impressive to watch,
especially in the context of his never having played at that level
before.
So
when Phillips came to the PG World Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., the
first weekend in January, 2013, he not only wasn't on the radar, he
hadn't played any real baseball in 6-7 months.
All
Phillips did there was light it up and immediately put his name on
scouts' "must see" list. He threw 96 mph, ran a 6.7 60-yard
dash and lined the ball all over the field with a short and strong
lefthanded swing. Here's his report from that event.
Medium
athletic build, some present strength. Excellent run/throw tools,
6.76 in the 60. 96 mph OF arm strength with on line carry, moves to
the ball well, good overall actions. Left handed hitter, spread
stance, gets hands back, simple load and swing mechanics, hits off
hard front side, short quick stroke, squares up well, line drive
contact all fields, has some bat speed and gap power. High energy
player, defense really stands out and has a chance with the bat.
Getting
a talent like Phillips for a sixth round pick and a $300,000 signing
bonus is quite a scouting coup. The Astros surely knew about the
aptitude and athletic ability that Phillips showed with his football
experiment as a senior and those traits have served him well thus far
in his baseball career. – David Rawnsley
Colin Moran – 3B
Pure
hitter is a term reserved for players such as Colin Moran. You don't
necessarily know, or even care, what else they may provide down the
road, but you know they're going to hold their own and hit at the
highest of levels.
Moran's
talents were readily evident in high school, earning a commitment to
Division I college powerhouse North Carolina while being ranked among
the top 500 players in the high school class of 2010. At an extremely
slender 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, he made a positive impression at
Perfect Game's 2009 Sunshine Northeast Showcase, garnering a PG grade
of 9.0 and this report:
Moran
has a thin athletic build, this from a simple stance, smooth swing,
stays inside baseball, gets barrel to baseball, future power, stays
on pitch, good opposite approach, very smooth swing, sound defensive
actions, arm works well.
The
nephew of former big-leaguer B.J. Surhoff, Moran followed in his
uncle's footsteps at North Carolina. Like Surhoff, and another former
Tar Heel, Dustin Ackley, Moran was a lefthanded hitter that quickly
proved he could hit at the college level, hitting .335 his freshman
year, .365 as a sophomore and .345 as a junior. His power production
improved each season as well as he added 40 pounds to his previously
lanky frame, socking 13 home runs while driving in 91 runs prior to
being taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft by the
Miami Marlins.
However,
observers questioned how well the bat, and more importantly, his
power would translate to the next level playing a tradition
run-producing position. He had the hand quickness, discipline and bat
speed to catch up with high quality stuff, but his swing path and
overall approach was geared more towards making hard contact to all
parts of the field. His long-term ability to stick at the hot corner
also was in question, but in the end, his lefthanded swing and
repeated production was too great to ignore. – Patrick Ebert
Los Angeles Angels
Nick Tropeano – RHP
Tropeano
was a primary infielder in high school that also pitched, with a peak
velocity of 87 mph at a Perfect Game event. That occurred the summer
before his senior year in high school at the 2007 17u WWBA National
Championship while playing for the Long Island Titans.
Although
he wasn't ranked among the top 500 prospects coming out of high
school, in PG's database his size, arm strength and potential for
more were noted. Here is a snippet of those notes:
Looks
good on mound, good live arm, IF arm action, tall and lanky build,
looks better at RHP than at SS … good body, quick arm, good velo
projection, mid 3/4, balanced delivery, will add velo, more a thrower
now than pitcher, very effective with good upside, held velo for 4
IP.
Tropeano
continued his baseball career and honed his skills while playing at
Stony Brook. Although his velocity did increase, peaking in the 90-91
range while mostly working in the mid- to upper-80s, he never was a
flamethrower at the college level. He did possess one of the best
changeups in the college game, and used that pitch to tie for the
Cape Cod League lead in strikeouts during the summer of 2010.
Tropeano also provided 6 1/3 no-hit innings to lead Cotuit to the
Cape title that same summer.
The
following spring Tropeano went 12-1 with a 1.84 ERA for Stony Brook,
who finished the year 42-14, and although his stuff alone didn't
warrant an early selection, his command and repeated
performance-based success led to him being drafted by the Astros in
the fifth round of the 2011 draft. – Patrick Ebert
Cam Bedrosian – RHP
The
son of 14-year big league relief pitcher and the 1987 National League
Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian, Cam Bedrosian had a similar
repertoire as his father's while in high school growing up in
Georgia, including a low- to mid-90s fastball and hammer curve.
The
younger Bedrosian's career came to a peak during the summer of 2009
when he touched 95 mph with his fastball numerous times, including
his time spent on the summer tournament circuit with the Homeplate
Chilidogs as well as his appearance at the PG All-American Classic,
where he was named the starter of the East squad.
Here's
the report I wrote about Bedrosian after that appearance:
The
son of former big-league closer Steve Bedrosian took the mound for
the East team opposite Taillon to start the game. He gave up a couple
of runs on an odd play that involved a wild pitch, but overall his
stuff looked sharp. He ran his fastball up to 95, but looked better
pitching in the 90-91 range where his fastball appeared to have
better, natural sinking movement. His curveball is a true hammer, and
with a somewhat shorter, stockier build he reminded me a lot of Ben
Sheets given his size and stuff. Bedrosian clearly has the big league
aptitude, and is also hailed for his character off the field.
His
size at 6-foot, 195-pounds, as noted in the report above, did draw
the usual concerns that comes up with shorter righthanded pitchers,
including his long-term durability in a starting role. Bedrosian had
a strong enough repertoire to start, as he also threw a solid
changeup, and he was ranked the 28th overall player in his
class leading up to the 2010 draft.
Bedrosian
was one of five first round picks the Angels made that year – a
year after their draft boon that landed them Mike Trout – with all
five of them hailing from the high school ranks. – Patrick Ebert