As part of Perfect Game's recurring PG in the Pros series David Rawnsley will take a look at some of the top prospects in minor league baseball and their impact on the sport prior to their professional careers. This will be done in a six-part series, one feature for each division in Major League Baseball while identifying one of the top prospects for each team. Links are provided below to past installments of the PG in the Pros series for other reports on prospects, both past and present.
Previous 2017-18 PG in the Pros features: NL West | NL Central | NL East | AL East
Chicago White Sox
Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Erik Johnson, Courtney Hawkins, Tyler Danish
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Chris Beck, Micah Johnson, Jacob May
PG in the Pros, 2015-16 – Tim Anderson
PG in the Pros, 2016-17 – Carson Fulmer
Zack Collins, C
Collins was an extremely high level performer during his high school days at American Heritage High School in Florida and during the summers and fall for South Florida Elite Squad. He was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2011 16u WWBA National Championships and the 2012 17u Perfect Game World Series, both of which the Elite Squad won. He also hit .420-9-64 with 48 walks over his junior and senior seasons for the nationally ranked American Heritage team.
While Collins’ performance and pure lefthanded bat speed spoke loudly, there were some questions for scouts at that point about how his swing would adapt to next-level pitching, as he hit with a pronounced late hand hitch that would impact his timing on occasion. But even when Collins' barrel was late into the zone, he had the strength to drive the ball hard to all parts of the field and his batting eye and pitch recognition were excellent.
There were more questions about Collins’ defense behind the plate. While his bat would play at any position, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Collins had slow feet behind the plate and it was hard to project him as a catcher as a professional. He worked hard on his defense and had an above average baseball IQ at the position but there were physical limitations. A first base future was an open topic.
Perfect Game had Collins at the 31st overall player in the 2013 class going into the draft but he had a strong commitment to hometown Miami. The Reds spent a token 29th round pick on him.
Not surprisingly given his background and experience, Collins was an impact player immediately at Miami, starting 183 games over three years and hitting .363-16-59 with an eye opening 78 walks as a junior. In fact, Collins walked 177 times in his college career compared to only 164 strikeouts, an impressive ratio for a power hitter. Perhaps more surprisingly, Collins continued to develop as a catcher and had convinced scouts as the 2016 draft approached that he still might develop into an average big league defender with a plus bat for the position.
The White Sox, who are always seeking out power bats, picked Collins with the 10th overall pick and signed him for a $3,380,600 signing bonus and almost immediately sent him to the High A Carolina League.
Cleveland Indians
Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Francisco Lindor
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Clint Frazier, Tyler Naquin, Mitch Brown
PG in the Pros, 2015-16 – Bobby Bradley
PG in the Pros, 2016-17 – Triston McKenzie
Conner Capel, OF
Sons of big league fathers very understandably often develop into similar players as their fathers (see Daz Cameron with the Tigers). Such was not the case with Connor Capel, whose father, Mike, played in the big leagues for parts of three seasons between 1988 and 1991 as a righthanded middle reliever.
Conner Capel, on the other hand, was a lefthanded hitting, lefthanded throwing outfielder whose best tool by a significant margin was his hitting ability. He did have a measure of his father's arm strength, as he topped out at 90 mph on the mound and had right field arm strength in the outfield, but his ability to square up the baseball seemingly every at-bat was his carrying tool.
Capel squared the ball up so often that it is entirely possible that he had a .500 career batting average at WWBA events over his high school career while playing for the Houston Banditos. Or maybe it just seemed like he hit over .500 at most major events. He was named to 10 All-Tournament teams while playing for the Banditos and was the Most Valuable Player for the champion Banditos at the 2014 17u Perfect Game World Series.
Capel's report from the 2015 PG National Showcase reads as follows:
Live bodied athletic build, has good present strength with room for more. Lefthanded hitter, spread stance with a simple and balanced load and shift into contact, has advanced barrel-to-ball skills and sees the ball very well, makes hard contact to all parts of the field, high average hitter who will flash gap power when he gets his pitch. 6.84 runner, athletic and consistent actions on defense, very strong arm with accurate throws and sound footwork, can play all the outfield positions. Father, Mike, pitched in the big leagues and his son shows the understanding of the game that comes with that background. Just a very good baseball player whose sum equals more than the parts. Good student, verbal commitment to Texas.
From a professional scout's perspective, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Capel was a tweener, a high level performer and a solid defender but without the speed to be a true center fielder and without the power to profile as a corner outfielder. There was some projection to his frame and a chance to develop the power in the future but the early consensus was that Capel would follow in his father's footsteps and play at Texas.
Capel had a strong senior year at Seven Lakes High School in Texas and started showing increased strength but Perfect Game only had him ranked 166th in the class heading into the 2016 draft. The Indians picked him in the fifth round and got exceptional value by signing Capel for a $361,000 bonus.
After only collecting eight extra-base hits, including no home runs, in 35 rookie league games after signing, Capel slammed 51 extra-base hits, including 22 home runs, in 119 Midwest League games in 2017. The power projection looks to not only be coming true, but happening quickly.
Detroit Tigers
Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Nick Castellanos, Jake Thompson, James McCann
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Buck Farmer, Kevin Ziomek, Joe Jimenez
PG in the Pros, 2015-16 – Derek Hill
PG in the Pros, 2016-17 – Beau Burrows
Daz Cameron, OF
Cameron was a baseball prodigy growing up, playing at numerous high level WWBA events as a 14-year old coming before entering high school for the East Cobb Astros. He played for the Astros at the 2011 WWBA World Championship, the first of four appearances in Jupiter, and in all participated in 28 WWBA or BCS tournaments in addition to six PG showcases and the 2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic. Not surprisingly, Cameron was ranked first when the initial 2015 class rankings were published and remained in that position until his senior year when he dropped a spot after lefthander Jason Groome's emergence.
From an early age the righthanded hitting Cameron had superior raw bat speed and the ability to square up different pitches and perform. He was more a gap-to-gap hitter who rarely opened up his swing and went fence hunting, even in batting practice, although his bat speed alone enabled him to be a power hitter. Cameron had a strictly professional approach from the beginning of his development.
The rest of Cameron's game matched his early hitting ability. Cameron consistently ran 6.6's in the 60-yard dash, which is not elite speed, but between the lines his speed played up significantly. He ran outstanding routes in center field and had plus range in every direction. He was also perhaps the best pure baserunner in the class, with an advanced combination of instincts and aggressiveness. Watching Cameron turning on the jets while legging out a gap triple was simply a fun thing for any evaluator.
The only real hitch for scouts in Cameron's overall package heading into the draft was one that often comes with players who have been on the big stage for so long. Cameron and his father, 19-year big leaguer Mike, seemed to emphasize the simple inside swing path so much in his swing that frequently his true bat speed and hitting potential didn't show through. It was nitpicking but nitpicking done with respect and a huge number of looks at his swing.
Cameron was considered very signable going into the draft, with a Florida State scholarship as backup, but everyone knew that it wouldn't be easy, either. He slid all the way to the Astros with the 37th overall pick, where the Astros, using money they had saved in signing Alex Bregman with their first pick, were able to get it done for a $4 million bonus.
Kansas City Royals
Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Sean Manea, Bubba Starling
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Hunter Dozier, Kyle Zimmer
PG in the Pros, 2015-16 – Chase Vallot
PG in the Pros, 2016-17 – Jake Junis
Foster Griffin, LHP
A look at Griffin's track record and improvement between his sophomore summer, when he threw in five WWBA tournaments for the Orlando Scorpions, to his junior summer, when he was named a Perfect Game All-American, to his senior year, after which he was picked with the 28th overall pick by the Royals, was beautifully symmetrical from a scouting and development point of view.
A long and loose 6-foot-5 athlete, Griffin was consistently in the mid-80s with an upper-60s curveball the entire 2012 summer, eventually topping out at 87 mph at the fall WWBA Underclass World Championship. With more strength and maturity in the summer of 2013, Griffin moved to another level, working consistently at 90-92 and showing even more improvement in his curveball velocity, which was regularly 75 mph. In the spring of his senior season at The First Academy in Florida, Griffin was touching 95 mph while going 7-2, 1.55 with 99 strikeouts in 58 innings.
The most impressive part about watching Griffin pitch was that he was a true three-pitch lefty with command of fastball and curveball, plus a very nice upper-70s changeup. He was consistently a high performer, with the ability to pitch deep into games and improve as the innings piled up. The highlight of his junior summer was when he was named Most Valuable Pitcher for the champion Scorpions team at the 2013 17u WWBA National Championship.
Griffin's report from the 2013 PG National Showcase summarized his tools and his potential well.
Tall loose athletic build, very projectable physically. Slow paced low effort delivery, long very loose arm action, will open front side early at times, high three-quarters arm slot. Fastball velocity improved throughout his outing, steady 90-92 mph at the end, big downhill angle, good arm-side running action at times. Very good changeup with fading action and proper arm speed. Fair curveball spin at present, flashes better, tends to slow arm at times on curveball, has depth and spots well. Has an advanced idea how to pitch and will use all three pitches to spots. Very high ceiling when he gets stronger, all the other ingredients are there. Excellent student, verbal commitment to Mississippi. Selected to the Perfect Game All-American Classic.
Perfect Game had Griffin as the 13th ranked high school prospect in the class going into the draft and was right on the money with that ranking, as he was the 11th overall high school selection. The Royals bought him out of his Mississippi scholarship for a $1,925,000 signing bonus.
Minnesota Twins
Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Byron Buxton, Alex Meyer, Jose Berrios
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Kohl Stewart, Stephen Gonsalves
PG in the Pros, 2015-16 – Kax Kepler
PG in the Pros, 2016-17 – Nick Gordon
Travis Blankenhorn, 3B
Blankenhorn hailed from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, a blue collar town north of Philadelphia and a more likely place to find a football prospect than a baseball prospect. But Blankenhorn was a worthy product of the area as a strongly built blue collar type of player who was a solid but not elite athlete but who showed over an extended period of time that he could perform and that he could hit the best pitchers despite his Northeast upbringing.
The lefthanded hitter was one of the stars of the 2014 summer circuit, although he was pretty well known to the scouting community previously. He had played extensively at WWBA National Championships with Chandler World dating back to his freshman year and participated at the 2013 PG Junior National Showcase, where he ran a 6.75, hit the ball very hard in both batting practice and in games and received a PG 10 grade.
Blankenhorn's 2014 summer started off at the PG National Showcase, where he pretty much duplicated his Junior National performance of the previous summer, although with a notable jump in his raw arm strength. He peaked at two scout run events in early August, the East Coast Pro Showcase and the Area Code Games, where he established that he was clearly one of the top hitters in the 2015 high school class. This scout wrote the following notes on him at the East Coast Pro, which pretty much summarized his Area Code performance as well.
Absolutely owned every at-bat, wore out the alleys, big jump off the barrel, HR to pull side, one of the stars of the event, played mostly first base and was very good there.
Blankenhorn played shortstop in high school but played extensively at the corner infield positions during the summer circuit. He projected as a big league average defender in most aspects at third base, although that wasn't a sure thing depending on how his already big and mature body developed. His best tool was clearly his bat, but his bat had more value for those teams and scouts who thought he could stay at third base.
Perfect Game had Blankenhorn, who had signed with Kentucky, ranked 58th in his class as the draft approached.The Twins drafted him at the top of the third round in the 2015 draft with the 80th overall pick and signed him for a $650,000 bonus. Interestingly, the Twins introduced Blankenhorn to second base early in his professional career and he has actually played more games at that position over the last two years than at third base, a promising sign for his future.