Crack of the Bat
By David Rawnsley
Spring Training Watch
Spring Training box scores and statistics are pretty dull items for the most part, at least for me. I can't say I even really look at the box scores in any detail, while I don't even pretend to start the day during the regular season without having carefully looked over all previous day's action.
But there is one particularly fun thing to watch for during spring training; appearances by young players who will soon be shipped off to A or AA when the veterans get in shape. These are often players we've seen in the last couple of years at Perfect Game events and many are getting their first action in a real Big League uniform in front of the Major League staff. It's pretty heady stuff for some kids who may still even be teenagers.
For instance, Braves catcher Jarred Saltalamacchia hit a walk off 3-run home run to win an otherwise unmemorable game last week. My phone was ringing within 30 seconds with a Perfect Game staff member on the phone saying "Did you just see what Salty did!" These young kids, and often their families, are still fresh in our minds and we're rooting for them!
So here are some very young and very talented players who are probably having the time of their baseball lives down in Florida or Arizona right now.
-- Saltalamacchia, who may be the best catching prospect in baseball right now, is getting the bulk of the early Atlanta catching chores and is hitting .200 in 15 at bats. Of course, he will have to compete with Brian McCann another PG vet who has already established play off experience with the Braves.
-- Justin Upton is getting big league spring training at bats for Arizona before he ever sees a minor league pitcher and is making the best of it, hitting .625 (5-8) with three doubles and a triple, along with two walks and 5 RBI. Pretty much just like he hit for Mike Manning and All American Baseball Academy back in PG WWBA events not long ago. The amazing thing is that Upton (the first overall pick of the 2005 draft) signed this winter, meaning he last played organized baseball a year ago in high school.
-- Justin's brother B.J. Upton is hitting 3-10 for Tampa Bay and still playing shortstop. Fellow PG top prospect Delmon Young (1st overall pick of the 2004 draft) is 1-10 thus far for the Devil Rays and their crowded outfield competition.
The first overall pick of the 2003 draft, Matt Bush (Padres) is off to a slow start (0-4).
-- The White Sox Ryan Sweeney, who works out at the Perfect Game facility in Cedar Rapids during the off season, is proving you don't have to hang out in the southern states during the winter to get off to a hot start. He's hitting .500 (8-16) with 3 home run as of March 9th..
-- Another Iowa native off to a good start is Brewers outfielder Brad Nelson, hitting .300 (3-10). The Brewers also have several other former PG attendees in Spring Training. Catching prospect Lou Palmisano is hitting .500 (4-8) with a HR. 1B Prince Fielder is off to a slow start, but is expected to have a big year.
-- Andrew McCutchen finished last year in the New York - Penn league, but the Pirates think enough of their 2005 first round pick that they've already given him 10 at bats (2-10).
-- Brian Dopiriak won't be pushing Derrick Lee off first base in Chicago in the near future but Dusty Baker will likely remember who he is. Dopiriak is 5-9 with 2 home runs and 5 Rbi's already.
-- Former Tigers 1st round pick and PG National Showcase participant Scott Moore is also hitting .500 for the Cubs thus far (3-6). Brandon Sing is 4-7 with 2 HRs for Chicago.
-- Eric Duncan (Yankees) and Ian Stewart (Rockies) were bookends in 2003, power hitting left handed hitters from opposite parts of the country (Duncan from New Jersey, Stewart from California) who played in PG WWBA in Jupiter and later were both first round picks. Both are off to fast starts. Duncan is 3-9 with 2 doubles, Stewart 2-4 with a double and 2 Rbi's.
-- Trevor Crowe's path to the big leagues will likely be a short one. The 2005 1st round pick is getting playing time for Cleveland already and is hitting .375 (3-8).
-- The Twins Denard Span looks like he's growing into the leadoff role that his speed and hitting style is perfect for. He's 2-4 in early play with 3 walks and 3 runs scored.
-- Lastings Milledge isn't far from making an impact for the Mets based on his 2005 season. He's hitting .400 (2-5) with a double thus far.
-- Perfect Game staff member Frank Fulton has reason to be watching Jupiter, Florida, this time of year. His son Jonathan Fulton is in camp with the Marlins and has got into one game thus far, going 0-2.
Far fewer young pitchers get a chance to get on the field during spring training, as the competition for staff spots and the need to get the established pitchers innings takes precedence. But a few recent PG alumni have put up good outings.
-- Chad Billingsley could very well get his first shot at Major League hitters in regular season games this year. He already has a scoreless 2 inning outing under his belt in the Grapefruit League.
-- Homer Bailey is far less likely to get to Cincinnati in 2006 than Billingsley is to Los Angeles, but he also put up 2 scoreless innings in his 2006 debut.
-- Thomas Mendoza, who didn't even pitch at Pace HS in Florida as a junior in 2003, has come so far that he's pitching in Major League spring training games in 2006. Mendoza threw a 1-2-3 inning for the Angels.
-- Craig Hansen is obviously in competition for a opening day bullpen spot with the Red Sox. He already has three one inning stints, each of them scoreless, a week into spring training games.
-- It's easy to forget that Scott Kazmir is a contemporary of player's such as Chad Billingsley and Lastings Milledge, but the Devil Ray's left hander is. He's also an established Major League power left hander who could put up some big performance numbers this year with help from the Devil Rays young line up. Kazmir threw 2 scoreless innings in his first outing, striking out 2. Kazmir is a veteran of many PG events as is D'Ray all-star outfielder Carl Crawford.
* Here is a partial list of some other past Perfect Game performers who were invited to Spring Training with their respective Major League Clubs. Some have already established themselves on MLB rosters, most are very young. We apologize for missing a few.
ANGELS
Casey Kotchman - 1st Baseman
Brett Martinez - Catcher
Nick Adenhart - RHP
Dustin Moseley - RHP
Steven Shell - RHP
Bob Zimmerman - RHP
ASTROS
JR House - Catcher
Jim Barthmaier - RHP
ATHLETICS
Cliff Pennington - Shortstop
Chad Gaudin - RHP
BLUE JAYS
Miguel Negron - OF
Sergio Santos - Shortstop
Brandon League - RHP
Dustin McGowen - RHP
David Purcey - LHP
BRAVES
Josh Burrus - OF
Brian McCann - Catcher
Jarrod Saltalamachia - Catcher
Kyle Davies - RHP
Macay McBride - LHP
Wes Obermueller - RHP
BREWERS
Prince Fielder - 1st Baseman
JJ Hardy - Shortstop
Brad Nelson - OF
Louis Palmisano - Catcher
Dana Eveland - LHP
Zach Jackson - LHP
Justin Thompson - LHP
CUBS
Brian Dopirak - 1st Baseman
Scott Moore - 3rd Baseman
Matt Murtin - OF
Brandon Sing - OF
David Aardsma - RHP
Carmen Pignatiello - LHP
DEVIL RAYS
Rocco Baldelli - OF
Carl Crawford - OF
Elijah Dukes - OF
Joey Gathright - OF
BJ Upron - Shortstop
Delmon Young - OF
Scott Kazmir - LHP
Seth McClung - RHP
Chris Seddon - LHP
Doug Waechter - RHP
DIAMONDBACKS
Scott Hairston - OF
Justin Upton - Shortstop
Casey Daigle - RHP
DODGERS
James Loney - 1st baseman
Cody Ross - OF
Chad Billingsley - RHP
Jonathan Broxton - RHP
Greg Miller - LHP
Jason Repko - OF
GIANTS
Fred Lewis - OF
Chad Santos - 1st baseman
Matt Cain - RHP
William Sadler - RHP
INDIANS
Casey Blake - OF
Trevor Crowe - OF
Jake Dittler - RHP
Jeremy Sowers - LHP
MARINERS
Jeff Clement - Catcher
Adam Jones - Shortstop
Michael Morse - Shortstop
Todd Sears - 1st baseman
Chris Jaile - RHP
Bobby Livingston - LHP
MARLINS
Robert Andino - Shortstop
Jeremy Hermida - OF
Jason Stokes - 1st baseman
Jon Fulton - Shortstop
Chris Resop - RHP
Taylor Tankersley - LHP
Scott Tyler - RHP
Nic Ungs - RHP
METS
Victor Diaz - OF
Lastings Milledge - OF
David Wright - 3rd baseman
Jose Parra - RHP
Mike Pelfrey - RHP
Mitch Wylie - RHP
NATIONALS
Ryan Zimmerman - 3rd baseman
Michael Hinkley - LHP
ORIOLES
Jeff Fiorentino - OF
Nick Markakis - OF
Hayden Penn - RHP
PADRES
Josh Barfield - 2nd baseman
Dewan Brazelton - RHP
Cesar Carillo - RHP
Mike Thompson - THP
Sean Thompson - LHP
PHILLIES
Jason Jaramillo - Catcher
Gavin Floyd - RHP
Gio Gonzalez - LHP
Daniel Haigwood - LHP
Cole Hamels - LHP
Scott Mathieson - RHP
Zach Segovia - RHP
Brett Myers - RHP
PIRATES
Andrew McCutchen - OF
Sean Burnett - LHP
Matt Capps - RHP
Zach Duke - LHP
Tom Gorzelanny - LHP
Paul Maholm - LHP
Matt Peterson - RHP
REDS
Aaron Herr - 2nd baseman
Joey Votto - 1st baseman
Homer Bailey - RHP
RED SOX
Brandon Moss - OF
Dustin Pedroia - 2nd baseman
Manny DelCarmen - RHP
Craig Hansen RHP
ROCKIES
Chris Iannetta - Catcher
ROYALS
Alex Gordon - 3rd baseman
Zach Greinke - RHP
Jimmy Gobble - RHP
JP Howell - LHP
TIGERS
Jeremy Bonderman - RHP
Justin Verlander - RHP
Joel Zumaya - RHP
Brent Clevlen - OF
Preston Larrison - RHP
TWINS
Jason Pridie - OF
Tim Raines - OF
Denard Span - OF
Justin Jones - LHP
Pat Neshek - RHP
Rob Bowen - Catcher
Boof Bonser - RHP
WHITE SOX
Ryan Sweeney - OF
Robert Valido - Shortstop
Lance Broadway - RHP
Brandon McCarthy - RHP
Andy Gonzalez - Shortstop
Donny Lucy - Catcher
Bobby Jenks - RHP
Ray Liotta - LHP
YANKEES
Eric Duncan - 3rd baseman
* There are several more, some that we will be talking about as the season progresses.
This column represents the thoughts and opinions of the author and are not necessarily those of Perfect Game.