Crack of the Bat
More Jupiter Part 8
By Blaine Clemmens
Time has run out on 2005 so without any further ado it is time to get to the final reports that will wrap up the 2005 WWBA Championships. The last few reports will focus on the top players from the PG USA teams, the top players on the Puerto Rico teams, and finally, the top players and top teams that have not been covered to this point. Some of those top teams (that I saw play) not covered in depth yet include the Braves Scout Team, Florida Bombers, and the Midwest Blazers.
First, let's get to the PG USA teams. There were eleven PG USA teams, made up of players from all over the nation and two PG sponsored teams, the Georgia Stars and Team Connecticut. The Stars are traditionally one of the top summer teams in the nation, but unfortunately, save for a brief glimpse the first night, I did not see much of them.
The top players I saw for the Stars for an extended period were '06 RHP Drew Parker (6'2" 170, Surrey, British Columbia) and '06 OF K.D. Kang (6'1" 200, L/L, Parkview HS, Alpharetta, GA). Parker showed a fastball up to 89 mph, though he pitched comfortably in the 86-87 range. Kang flashed a lively swing (though with some length) and some power potential. I was more impressed with him in Jupiter than when I saw him at the Area Codes.
Another of their players, OF T.J. Warren (6'5" 180, R/R, Jesse Bethel HS, Vallejo CA), has as much raw ability as nearly any high school player in the '06 class. I did not see Warren in Jupiter, but has seen him no less than six other times. He is a plus runner, has a plus arm, with plus power potential and bat speed, but swings and misses a lot. However, his tool set and physical assets are extremely intriguing. He will get top 3-5 round consideration based upon his tools and upside, but a draft and follow approach is also very possible.
'06 RHP Kevin Kreier (6'4" 200, Foothills HS, Henderson NV) will get top 10 round consideration and '06 RHP Kyle Orr (6'5" 205, Victoria, British Columbia) will get a lot of looks from the pro game this spring. I saw Kreier at the Area Code games, but have not seen Orr. My reports on him are only second hand from an American League cross-checker.
I saw Team Connecticut for a very limited time, certainly not enough to fairly evaluate their players. I noted that '06 MIF Anthony Alonso (5'11" 157, R/R, Mahwah HS, NJ) has a quick bat, but that was about it. The top '07 player I have seen in the past is 3B/P Greg Annarummo (6'1" 200, R/R, Bishop Hendricken HS, Bristol RI). Bishop Hendricken is one of the top high school programs in the Northeast, producing players such as major leaguer Rocco Baldelli, top professional prospect Jay Rainville, and Jeff Beliveau, a highly recruited freshman lefty at College of Charleston.
As for the PG USA teams, I did not see all of them in game action. The PG teams I saw in game action were Crimson, Orange, Purple, Royal, and White. Additionally, in the Skill Show workouts I saw Black, Gold, Navy, and Teal. That leaves Columbia Blue and Green as the only two PG teams I did not see at all.
Black
The most intriguing player for me on PG Black was Sean Peterson (6'2" 165, Wall HS, NJ), listed at RHP/SS/OF. Peterson is the son of N.Y. Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson (who was in Jupiter watching his son perform) and his arm strength and body combine to make him a very interesting prospect to follow. He is long, lean, and has a strong and loose arm. I only saw him throw from the outfield but it was enough for me to put a strong follow on him as a pitching prospect, especially knowing his pedigree. Peterson was still looking for a college home when we were in Jupiter. Hopefully the D1 and JC programs in the Northeast get out to see him this spring, I think they may like what they see.
Crimson
The Crimson team had a number of quality college prospects. The best of them was '06 RHP Michael Bilicki (6'3" 170) from Valley HS in West Des Moines, IA. He is a very lanky kid with skinny calves and ankles to go with a loose and quick arm. Bilicki's velocity consistently climbed in a game against the Tidewater White Sox, all the way up to the 87-88 range. I liked him as a low profile projectable type when he started off in the 82-84 range, but he emerged as a legitimate prospect as his outing went on. The reason was not only due to his body and quick arm, but because he also has a very good curveball (70-72 mph) with tight spin and sharp, late biting action. It is a big 12/6 breaker and more often than not it was a hammer. Bilicki also pitches aggressively and looked like he likes to compete.
'06 1B Darren Spicer (6'5" 245, R/R, North Linn HS, Troy Mills IA) is a physical, yet patient hitter at a position that fits his skill set. He is strong, has some juice and makes loud contact. There are some things to correct in his hitting approach, but there is certainly enough there for him to be followed in the spring time by D1 programs, and also for the JC programs.
Another '06 corner position player with an intriguing bat was Trent Williams (6'0" 180, L/R, Newton HS, IA), listed at 3B C/P. Williams has a decent opposite field swing, has a good arm, good reactions, and in general, possesses an all-around skill set at the 3B position that suggests he has a chance to be a good player at the college level, perhaps benefiting from a two year JC career.
Two '07 players on PG Crimson also caught my eye. RHP/UTL Bryce Jenney (6'0" 160, L/R, Northville HS, MI) is a good follow on the mound and OF/RHP Jim Schult (6'0" 175, R/R, John Jay HS, Wappinger Falls NY) is an intriguing college prospect due to his bat and hard nosed style of play. Jenney has an athletic frame and rhythmic over the top delivery. He showed an 84-86 mph fastball with good armside movement and to usable secondary pitches. His arm stroke is clean and his lower half works.
Schult has a good trigger as a hitter and slashes aggressively through the hitting zone. His grip is a bit over aggressive which can cause him to rollover, but he is ready to hit. I did not see him pitch but did see him put out the top effort I saw in the outfield. On a deep foul ball down the left field line he ran full speed with no fear toward the wall and absolutely smoked the padded cement barrier. Schult did not make the play, but the way he went after the ball was very impressive. It was another indication of his aggressive approach to the game and those types of players are very successful in college baseball.
Gold
I basically only saw this team in the Skill Show workout, save for a very brief glimpse of one of their games. A few of the Gold players looked to have college level defensive abilities. Those players were (all '06 grads except Andy Mee) 2B Scooter Houston (5'9" 170, R/R, Starrs Mill HS, Peachtree City GA), MIF Nate Wallis (5'11" 175, R/R, Wharton HS, Lutz FL), OF/P Andy Mee (6'1" 165, R/R, Palm Beach Gardens HS, FL), and C Bill Patrick (5'9" 187, R/R, Tate HS, Cantonment FL).
Houston has good hands, is aggressive to the ball, and an arm that tracks well across the diamond. His stroke is a bit long, but he does have some arm quickness. Wallis has a quick release, soft hands, good feet, though he was somewhat erratic as a thrower. Mee has a long, Iron Mike type stroke with some good extension and leverage that would be interesting to see on the mound. Patrick does not have a particularly strong arm but does have a quick exchange and was throwing pop times from 1.92-2.08, for the most part on the bag. Remember, this was only in a skills workout.
Navy
This team was coached by former Twins infielder Steve Lombardozzi. They were another of the PG teams that I only saw in the Skill Show workout. The players that caught my eye as D1 type college prospects were '06 OF/P/3B Cole Franklin (6'1" 195, R/R, Highland Park HS, Dallas TX), '06 OF/P Nicholas Pisula (6'1" 185, R/R, Floyd Kellam HS, Virginia Beach VA), and because of his fundamental skill set and his pedigree, '07 SS Steve Lombardozzi (5'10" 160, S/R, Baker HS, Mobile AL).
Franklin showed a very strong arm from the OF and 3B, but his feet suggest that that arm strength may be best on the mound, though I did not see him pitch. I did not see the velocity reading on his throws, but he appeared to be 86+ from the OF. Pisula is an athletic player with good feet and actions in the OF. He threw strong and accurately. I had seen Pisula before and recalled him having a chance with the bat as well. Lombardozzi showed good hands, a good release and was accurate across the diamond.
Orange
I reported on this team in a previous report and mentioned a couple of underclassmen players to follow; '07 RHP Brandon Swann from Sandy Creek (GA) HS and '08 OF Pablo Bermudez from Miami Springs (FL) HS.
Purple
In the limited look I had at this team, two players in particular stood out to me; '07 INF Derrick Fitzgerald (6'0" 178, R/R, Ocean Lakes HS, Virginia Beach VA) and '06 C Kyle Holloway (5'11" 193, R/R, Highlands Christian HS, Deerfield Beach FL).
Fitzgerald is an athletic young player I had seen on two other occasions and I noted that his raw abilities are getting more and more polished. His most outstanding current asset is a quick bat. Fitzgerald runs well, though not more than average for a top college prospect and it looks at this point like his best defensive position will be at second base. His body is really starting to fill out with muscle. Look for him to keep getting better and better. Holloway showed some very good skills behind the plate, including strong abilities to block and control, catch and throw, receive, and a strong arm.
Royal
Three players stood out to me from the Royal team, though I only saw them briefly. The reason I watched them in the first place was because I looked over at their field and noticed the pitcher, who turned out to be '06 RHP Anthony Nalepa (6'2" 215, Chaminade-Madonna HS, Miami FL). Nalepa committed to the Hurricanes of Miami and they got a good one. He has a long and clean stroke and pitches from a high 3/4 slot.
With a power type body, Nalepa's stuff matches his build. His best pitch was an 86-88 (touched up to 89) mph sinker and he also showed a decent curveball with rolling action and good depth. Nalepa has a strong and durable body and with that sinker and a usable breaking ball, he should pitch sooner rather than later for the 'Canes. I really liked how he dominated the top of the ball.
'07 3B Javier Sujo (6'0" 185, R/R, Miami Sunset HS, FL) stood out by showing a quick bat and then on defense making a nice play while on the move. He has a strong and athletic build and was one of the better '07 players I saw at the 3B position.
Teal
This was another of the PG teams that I only saw in the Skill Show workout. The most impressive players were '07 SS Joe Terdoslovich (6'1" 180, S/R, Sarasota HS, FL) and '06 C Jason Lawrence (5'11" 185, R/R, Northwest HS, Trophy Club TX).
Terdoslovich's most outstanding tool was his arm. He showed some decent actions and some rhythm during the defensive workout. He has a noticeable body and as a switch hitting middle infielder with some defensive tools, Terdoslovich will get a lot of follow interest this spring and into next summer when he will likely be recruited by a number of top D1 programs.
Lawrence showed a nice exchange and some arm strength. His accuracy was more impressive than his pop times, which ranged between 2.05-2.11. Each throw I noted was on the bag. One other player, '06 OF Brett Petigrow (5'9" 155, L/R, Coral Springs Charter School, FL) was notable. He is a plus student (4.7 GPA, 1930 SAT) and also showed off a good arm and good hands. As a left hand hitter with his grades and good defensive tools, there is a spot for him in college baseball.
White
PG USA White advanced to the quarterfinals where they narrowly lost to the Dirtbags by a 3-1 score. The real interesting thing about this team advancing that far is that they had six 2008 grads on the roster and a couple of 2007 grads. The players that caught my eye were '06 LHP Corey Polizzano (6'1" 170, South Ridge HS, Miami FL), '06 RHP Santi Arencibia (6'0" 165, Key West HS, FL), '08 1B/P Eric Hosmer (6'1" 185, L/L, American Heritage HS, Cooper City FL), '08 SS Raiko Alfonso (5'10" 170, S/R, Key West HS, FL), and '08 RHP George Bahadue (6'1" 190, American Heritage HS, Miami FL).
Polizzano is a command type lefty with a good curveball and a fastball that registers in the low-mid 80s. He has a good body and certainly has some physical gains he could make which could enhance his future stuff. Arencibia is a wiry right hander with good stuff. His fastball went up to 88 mph and occasionally had lively, riding action at the dish. His breaking ball is a bit of a slow roller, but he has a quick enough arm that suggests that pitch will get better when he is able to put more torque on it.
Hosmer is a young left handed hitter with a lively swing and good bat speed. Follow him. Alfonso is a switch hitting SS and from the left side I saw good bat speed and an aggressive nature. Bahadue is a strong bodied righty and showed a mid-80s fastball. All three of these '08 grads should be followed over the next couple of summers.
The next report, which I will post soon after this one, will focus on the players I saw and liked from the four Puerto Rico teams. The final report will feature the reports about the top players I saw from the Braves Scout Team, Florida Bombers, and the Midwest Blazers. The goal will be for me to get these final reports written and posted by early January. Then it will be on to 2006.