Crack of the Bat

by Patrick Ebert

 

Draft Eligible Shortstops

If you have been following the early draft reports, you know that the 2005 draft class offer a deep pool of talented positional prospects, at both the college and high school level.  Good talent is hard to find at the shortstop position, and in the past couple of years there haven't been too many draft eligible shortstops that have gotten scouts and fans excited.  Especially considering that we seem to be living in the golden age of shortstops, in which there are several talented players that are not only more than adept at handling the tremendous defensive responsibilities, but they're also proving to be some of the most dangerous hitters in baseball.  While the old saying dictates that you pay your men up the middle to play defense, the defensive-minded shortstop also needs to be able to hit a little bit more.

 

Justin Upton highlights all classes, high school versus college and regardless of any position, as he has previously been profiled in my previous columns focusing on the talented Virginia class and my feature on the Upton family.  Upton continues to be a favorite for the number one overall pick this June, and we could see three more shortstops from the college ranks drafted in the first round.

 

I'm going to highlight the players that have the best chance at sticking at the shortstop position at the professional, and in many cases, college level.  Many to most of the best prep third base and second base prospects are currently playing shortstop since more often than not they are the best overall athletes on their respective teams.  I will point out some of the more talented high school and college players that either currently play shortstop or have played the position recently, and what positions they profile they best at the next level.

 

High School

 

Justin Upton As noted, Justin Upton has been talked about at great length within my work and just about everywhere else.  There is some talk that he may be better suited playing centerfield, but I don't think it would be wise to move Upton to the outfield just yet.  He has all of the physical tools to more than handle the position, and given his youth he should be given every opportunity to prove that he belong to stay in the infield.  There aren't too many questions about his bat.

 

Ivan DeJesus, Jr. DeJesus' father of the same name is a former big-league shortstop, with a respectable 15-year career with seven different Major League teams.  The younger DeJesus is as slick with the glove as his father was, and brings the Major League moxie with him while playing for Puerto Rico's Baseball Academy.  With a strong arm and very good range, DeJesus is probably the best pure shortstop available for the June draft.  While he isn't as accomplished at the plate, he shows decent gap power from both sides of the plate, and has shown the ability to make good, consistent contact.  Home run power likely will always be a question given DeJesus' size.

 

Nick Romero Romero saw significant action in the AFLAC All-American Classic, although that time was spent more at second base than shortstop with Texas prep shortstop Ben Booker also on West squad.  Romero, a senior at Eastlake High School in Southern California, is more likely to stay at shortstop at the next level than Booker is, with a much better throwing arm, good range and a solid overall defensive approach.  He, like DeJesus, shows a propensity for making contact from both sides of the plate, and he has been known to drive the ball with respectable power for a young man of his stature, especially in big-game situations.  Romero has committed to play for Tony Gwynn Jr. at nearby San Diego State.

 

 

Matthew Hall Hall is a similar prospect to another prep shortstop that hailed from Horizon High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, Brandon Wood, who was selected by the Angels in the first round of the 2003 draft.  There has been some concern that Hall may have to move to third base at the next level given his size (6'2", 175), but he has erased those concerns for now with steady defense and a good feel for the position.  His size and swing gives him exciting offensive potential.  Hall has committed to play college ball locally at Arizona State in nearby Tempe.

 

P.J. Phillips Phillips is the younger brother of infielder Brandon Phillips who is currently with the Cleveland Indians organization.  P.J., just like his older brother Brandon, is a very exciting athlete with good size and a great overall tool-set.  While he has good to great speed and an above average arm, Phillips is still somewhat raw at the shortstop position defensively, but like Justin Upton, Phillips has all of the skills to stay at the position at the next level until he absolutely proves he can't play there everyday.  Also like Upton, Phillips true strength is his bat, as he has very good bat speed and exciting overall power potential.  Currently at Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Phillips participated in the AFLAC All-American Classic, and he has committed to play college ball in-state for the Georgia Bulldogs.

 

Jason Ogata A lesser known prospect hailing from the great Northwest (Westview High School in Portland, Oregon), Ogata is the type of natural, graceful athlete that makes everything look easy on the field.  He has a very projectable body in which he has plenty of room to grow and add more strength.  Ogata has very good range at the shortstop position and a strong throwing arm.  At the plate there is exciting offensive potential and surprising pop in his bat.  Teams may find Ogata's commitment to LSU to be hard to contend with.

 

Justin Sellers A smaller, gritty leader that is built in the mold of a David Eckstein, Sellers does all of the little things well.  He switch-hits, has good speed, makes good contact, displays good range and a decent throwing arm.  At this point in time, there isn't much power in his swing, and he'll have to bulk up from his generously listed 5'10", 160 pound frame for him to hit much more than to the gaps.  While scouts are well aware of his abilities, with his size he may be a good bet to honor his college commitment to Cal State Fullerton.

 

 

Justin Bristow		David Adams		Buster Posey		Ben Booker		Ryan Wood

 

Fitting in elsewhere

As noted above, the best athletes in high school typically play the most demanding positions, with shortstop being the most notable of positions for anyone that throws with their right arm.  Talented high draft-eligible prospects such as Justin Bristow, Josh Bell, David Adams, Brandon Snyder, Buster Posey, Ben Booker, Ryan Wood, Carlos Heraud, and C.J. Henry all profile better at different positions at the professional level.  Bristow, Bell and Heraud profile the best at the hot corner, where their bats and strong arms will serve them well.  Snyder is being looked at as a potential catcher, and even if catching isn't in his future, third base is probably the next best option.  David Adams could play third or second base and he has the range and hands to play up the middle.  Buster Posey and Ryan Wood will probably end up on the mound, where they both pump fastballs in the 90s.  Ben Booker's exciting speed could find him in center field or at second base.  C.J. Henry, who is also considered a very talented basketball player that has committed to play for Georgia Tech, likely will play 3B or a corner outfield spot down the road.

 

College

 

Tyler Greene

Greene was a second round pick by the Atlanta Braves out of high school in 2002.  He turned down a generous bonus to attend Georgia Tech, and he now stands to be taken within the top 10 picks of this June's draft.  A talented overall athlete, Greene's bat was the one piece of the puzzle missing coming out of high school, and now his bat may be his strongest asset.  Greene has hit well not only with Georgia Tech, but with both Team USA and playing in the Cape Code League while using a wood bat.  He has good power for a shortstop, to go along with above average speed, good range and a strong throwing arm.  On the field he has been somewhat shaky, as his defense seems to suffer when he's hitting the ball better for whatever reason.  Greene's affiliation with Scott Boras may scare some teams away, but he has the overall talent to be considered one of the more sure things available this June.

 

Troy Tulowitzki

Tulowitzki actually beat Greene out for the starting shortstop job for Team USA last summer.  Blessed with an amazing athletic and powerful frame, some think just by looking at him that he will have to move to third base at the professional level.  Those misconceptions are erased after you watch him play, where he shows surprising range and a strong arm from the shortstop position.  At the plate his size also gives him exciting power potential.  Currently at Long Beach State, Tulowitzki compares favorably to former Dirtbag Bobby Crosby, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award last season as the Oakland A's starting shortstop.  Tulowitzki has been out for about a month now after injuring his hand fouling a ball off.  That injury may hurt his draft stock a little bit, but a pure college athlete and shortstop prospect like him isn't going to fall too far, as he still stands to be taken in the first round.

 

Cliff Pennington

While Greene and Tulowitzki have all of the measurables, Texas A&M's Cliff Pennington has all of the intangibles that scouts love.  That's not to say he doesn't have exciting physical ability as well, but he is more well known at this point in time for his drive, work ethic, character and leadership.  He's the type of player that never leaves the field with a clean uniform, and he's always a big part of why his team wins.  Pennington has very good speed, a strong throwing arm, good range and a surprisingly powerful stroke from both sides of the plate.  Last summer playing in the Cape he also showed that he could hit using a wood bat.  While he does have good gap-to-gap power, and a fair amount of over the fence power, that power potential likely won't allow him to push too far into the double digits when it comes to home runs, but he still stands to be taken in the first round of the draft.

 

Justin Tordi

While Tordi doesn't have the tools the three college shortstops listed above have, he is about as steady as they come as an overall player playing at the University of Florida.  A strong leader on and off the field, Tordi will be given every opportunity to succeed at the professional level given his defensive prowess and contact bat.

 

Steven Tolleson

South Carolina's Steven Tolleson is a very similar player to Florida's Justin Tordi.  He's not going to win you over with his frame or his power potential, but he's as steady as they come, defensively and at the plate.

 

Fitting in elsewhere

Miami's Ryan Braun and Washington's Brent Lillibridge are the two most notable college shortstops that likely will be moved elsewhere immediately upon joining a professional organization.  Braun actually already plays third base for the Hurricanes, but played shortstop well during his freshman and sophomore seasons, and there are some that think he will end up at a corner outfield spot at the pro level.  There aren't too many concerns about Braun's bat, as he is one of the most exciting hitters in all of college baseball.  Lillibridge currently plays shortstops and hits towards the top of the Huskies lineup, serving as his team's catalyst both on the field and at the plate.  His defensive actions and limited arm strength will probably suit him better either at second base or in center field.  He is an exciting hitter that doesn't leave anything at the plate.  That also mean he's prone to a fair share of strikeouts, which doesn't seem to mesh with the style of play of a shorter, speedy sparkplug.

 

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA.  Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.