Crack of the Bat

by Blaine Clemmens

 

CALIFORNIA – It should come as very little surprise that California has a very strong 2007 class of top level baseball prospects.  One look in the top third of the rankings of the top ’07 grads in the nation tells us that.  Generally the California 2007 group is good, but it is pretty top heavy, in regard to how many players look like they could be early round (1-5) picks out of high school vs. college players.  You could see as many as 7-10 of these players go very early.  Also keep in mind that there are players not even on this list that will also emerge as top guys.

 

To list the top players from Southern California would be like doing a 2007 draft preview… Freddie Freeman (1B – El Modena HS), Josh Vitters (3B – Cypress HS), Robert Stock (P/C – Agoura HS), Matt Dominguez (SS/3B – Chatsworth HS), Brett Krill (OF – Aliso Niguel HS), Ryan Dent (INF – Long Beach Wilson HS), Austin Romine (C – El Toro HS), Nick Noonan (SS – Francis Parker HS), Sequoyah Stonecipher (OF – Mission Bay HS).

 

However, there is one very interesting thing to note about that list of players, all of whom are outstanding and among the very best in the nation.  Only one of them is a pitcher, Robert Stock, and at this point, he is still working on developing the feel for the baseball that will ultimately make or break him as a pitching prospect. 

 

There are some solid pitching prospects in Southern California, but no Chris Tillman or Jason Stoffel yet.  You have right handers Cole Cook (Palisades Charter HS), Deryk Hooker (Mira Mesa HS), Kyle Ocampo (Riverside Poly HS), Stephen Triolo (Patrick Henry HS), among others that are or will develop into professional prospects.  However, clearly missing are the lefties.

 

Northern California is where you will find the top pitcher in the state in the 07 class, and perhaps the nation… RHP Erik Goeddel of Bellarmine College Prep(San Jose).  Closely on Goeddel’s heels as the top guy in Northern California is RHP Kyle Blair of Los Gatos HS.  Blair and Goeddel play on the same summer club team, NorCal Baseball and if there is a more formidable 1-2 punch on the mound this summer, I would love to see it. 

 

Add RHP Nick Ousman (Campolindo HS), LHP David Small (Benicia HS), RHP Thain Simon (Jesuit HS), RHP Taylor Reid (De La Salle HS), Ben Ruder (Bellarmine Prep), and Bricklin Foley (Archbishop Mitty HS) to Blair and Goeddel and you have a very strong group.  But again, there is a noticeable lack of lefties on this list.

 

The top position player prospects (professionally speaking) in Northern California are very good, but as a group they don’t yet rate with the Southern California group in terms of polish or usability of their tools, but some are getting close.  Some of those top players are Braxton Miller (C – West HS), Tillman Pugh (OF – De La Salle HS), Tyler Hess (C/P – De La Salle HS), Mark Canha (OF – Bellarmine Prep), Daniel Alcaire (SS – Salesian HS), Cory Vaughn (OF – Jesuit HS), David Freitas (C – Elk Grove HS), Nick Hom (INF – De La Salle HS).  There are others but these players come to my mind first.

 

So often those of us who live in California (I live in San Francisco) get caught up in ranking and rating the players here and even more so, we get caught up in a debate regarding which area, Southern California or Northern California, has the best players.  In the spirit of the recently completed World Baseball Classic, I thought I would put together one full team, a 25 man roster of California 2007 grads. 

 

Starters

1B Freddie Freeman L/R – prototype 3 hole hitter, will hit for avg and power

2B Nick Noonan B/R – switch hitting runner with some pop

3B Josh Vitters R/R – slugging 3B will hit HRs and drive in runs

SS Matt Dominguez R/R – polished professional type hitter, 2 hole on this team

LF Brett Krill R/R – run producer, perfect 5-6 hole type

CF Sequoyah Stonecipher R/R – plus OF instincts, has pop, drives in runs, saves runs

RF Mark Canha R/R – power plays right now, anywhere in line-up

C Austin Romine R/R – in this line-up you can afford to hit him low

DH Robert Stock L/R – need that left handed bat in the top half of order

 

SP Erik Goeddel

 

Pitchers

Kyle Blair RHP

Kyle Ocampo RHP

Cole Cook RHP

David Small LHP

Deryk Hooker RHP

Stephen Triolo RHP

Nick Ousman RHP

Bricklin Foley RHP

Taylor Reid RHP

Ben Ruder RHP

Robert Stock RHP/C

 

Catcher

Braxton Miller R/R

 

INF

Nick Hom R/R

Ryan Dent R/R

 

OF

Cory Vaughn R/R

Tillman Pugh R/R

 

There you have it, one united California team which is a good representation of SOME of the top players from the 2007 class in California.

 

This column represents the thoughts and opinions of the author and are not necessarily those of Perfect Game.