Crack of the Bat
More Jupiter Part 9
By Blaine Clemmens
There were four teams from Puerto Rico in the 2005 WWBA Championships; Pepsi Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, Puerto Rico Burger King, and Team Puerto Rico. I had the opportunity to see three of the four teams in game action, and two of them in their Skill Show workout.
Of the four teams, three of them were made up entirely of players from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (PRBA). In recent years more and more players from PRBA have been drafted and signed in the MLB amateur draft. Another trend has seen some of the top Puerto Rican prospects end up playing D1 baseball, such as Adrian Ortiz. Ortiz was a 5th round pick by the Cubs in 2004, but he decided to forego pro baseball for now and is entering his second year at Pepperdine University.
I also know of a number of college programs that have attended the fall showcase put on by PRBA, similar to the fall showcases attended by players here in the states. It stands to reason that more Puerto Rican players will continue to sign pro contracts and attend junior college as draft and follow prospects than play D1 baseball right out of PRBA. The reason, at least from what I saw of the Puerto Rican players in Jupiter, is that even though many of them have tools for the defensive side of the game, there were very few players with offensive skills that will play sooner rather than later at the D1 level, which is so much about offense.
Even Ortiz, as a 5th round pick, struggled with the bat for most of his freshman year. He is a switch hitting centerfielder and can fly. Ortiz was regarded as the fastest player in the 2004 draft and it was his speed at a premium position that elevated him to the 5th round, not his bat. He got better and better as his freshman year went along, but if not for that speed, he would not be regarded as a prospect. I did not see one Puerto Rican player in Jupiter with anything near Ortiz's speed, but I did see a whole lot of thin bodied players that need some time to develop their body and bat. Regardless, D1 programs are starting to pay attention, which is why we had four Puerto Rican teams in Jupiter.
The thing to keep in mind as you read the following reports is that so many of the Puerto Rican players are a few years from emerging as prospects, even as follow type prospects. There will not be that many players mentioned in this report but that does not mean there weren't prospects on these teams. There were, but they are not as easy to identify at this stage of their development. That is where PRBA has stepped in and begun to have a tremendously positive effect on the development of baseball in Puerto Rico.
Pepsi Puerto Rico
In the game I saw them play only two of their players stood out to me, both of them were infielders; '06 2B/3B Jose I. Ayala (5'11" 157, R/R, Manati, PR) and '06 INF Alex Melendez (5'11" 150, R/R Caguas, PR). Both Ayala and Melendez showed well on defense in the game, better than they did in the Skill Show workout. I noted an excellent play that Ayala made on the run. He has sticky hands and good feet, flowing to and through the ball. Melendez showed good actions and displayed good hands. Neither one did much with the bat for me.
In the Skill Show workout I liked '06 OF Edward Colon (6'1" 175, R/R, San Juan, PR) more than any of the other players. Colon is a good looking defensive outfielder. He has an excellent set-up and approach to and through the ball with a good release time and accurate arm with some carry. He is a lean and athletic bodied player. Offensively I felt that his trigger was a bit long and slow to start at this point.
Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
I only saw this team briefly, in one game. Two players in particular showed enough in that brief time for me to notice them. '06 C Yariel Soto (5'10" 204, R/R, Catano, PR) was perhaps the top player I saw on all the Puerto Rico teams. He is a good receiver with strong hands and a strong, compact body. It was clear that Soto patterns his game after future Hall of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico. Good for Soto, I love it when I see a talented player pattern himself after and study the style of successful players.
The pitcher I saw was '06 right hander Jose Marin (6'2" 213, Rio Grande, PR). Marin pitches from a high 3/4 slot and has a long, easy arm stroke. There are some mechanical adjustments to make, such as not falling off so much, but he has some ability, including a curveball (69-71 mph) that had good late rolling action at times. Marin needs to develop a stiffer fastball, but he looks capable of being in the upper 80s in time. His body and breaking ball were obviously what I liked most about Marin.
Puerto Rico Burger King
I only saw this team during the Skill Show workout. Three players in particular showed defensive abilities and/or tools that I liked. Those players were '06 2B Richard Gonzalez (5'9" 172, R/R, Caguas, PR), '06 OF Lance Escalera (6'0" 177, S/R, Coamo, PR), and '06 OF/P Roberto Ortiz (6'0" 183, R/R, Bayamon, PR). Some other players did some nice things such as showing good hands or a quick release, but in a setting like a defensive workout, those abilities don't stand out as much as arm strength or excellent footwork combined with good hands.
Gonzalez (a 3.95 GPA was listed) showed very good hands and smooth feet with an arm that may be a stretch at SS, but works for 2B. Escalera showed one of their strongest arms in the OF with both good exit out of his hand and good carry. His approach and set-up to the ball need improvement. The rest of his profile is good, including his body and the fact that he is a switch hitter.
Ortiz showed off a long and strong arm from the OF, to the point that I wished I had seen him on the mound. He went up to 88 mph from the OF and the ball really got out of his hand well. His body is average and limited in terms of projectability, but his arm strength and arm action give make him worth a look on the mound.
Team Puerto Rico
This appeared to be the best Puerto Rican team in Jupiter, which makes sense since they are named Team Puerto Rico. There were a number of players from this team that stood out in game action. Roberto Perez (6'0" 200, R/R) is an '06 catcher from Eugenio Maria De Hostos HS in Mayaguez, PR. In addition to receiving well, he showed a plus offensive approach and the ability to drive the ball to the opposite field. He is a slashing type hitter with a flat bat plane through the zone which will give him the opportunity to get a lot of hits. Perez is strong and right now is more of a doubles type hitter, but with a little loft in his stroke he would develop some power, in particular to the opposite field.
Johnathan L. Ledee (6'1" 150) is an '06 RHP from Fernardino Cordero HS in Ponce, PR. Ledee has a ways to go, especially physically, but there is some projectability there. He has a long arm strong and some arm speed. From a high 3/4 slot he pitched to both sides of the plate well with the fastball. He was aggressive with his hand when throwing the curveball (71-73 mph) and got some late action on that pitch. Clearly at 150 lbs. he has some strength gains to make.
Luis M. Torres (5'11" 165, S/R, Rafael Lopez Landron HS, Guayama PR) is an '06 MIF with an easy swing and good timing from the left side of the plate. That was all I had on Torres. Knowing that he is an athletically built, switch hitting MIF is intriguing enough. The fact that he can hit from the left side is even better. Josean S. Padilla (5'11" 165, L/R, PRBA, Dorado PR) is an '07 2B who showed nice range to his left and good body control when he dove to make a stop and then got up quickly to finish the play. He is a bit of a slappy hitter but displayed good timing. File his name away and check back next year.
My final report will focus on three final teams, the Braves Scout Team, Florida Bombers, and the Midwest Blazers. I will also flip through my scout book to look over the teams not mentioned to see if there were any players I saw that have not been mentioned yet. That will wrap up my work from my first ever WWBA Championship.