Crack of the Bat

by Patrick Ebert

 

Three Big Bats

College hitters are at a premium this spring, as there aren’t many available that are considered a lock for the first round of the draft.  Julio Borbon was the only name that most seemed to agree upon as a lock for the first round, and even his season is going to start late after breaking his ankle before Tennessee’s season began.

 

Next year that shouldn’t be an issue.

 

Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez sits atop the draft class of 2008, with a powerful left-handed bat and frame, who has been unfairly labeled as a left-handed hitting version of Albert Pujols.  Alvarez was named college baseball’s Freshman of the Year in 2006.

 

South Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak also had a good freshman campaign, and an even bigger campaign on the Cape Cod League on his way to being named one of the circuit’s top prospects.  While Alvarez seems to be the unanimous number one prospect for the 2008 draft, Smoak is just as a unanimous selection as the second-best 2008 draft-eligible prospect.

 

So who is the third big bat I speak of?  Miami first baseman Yonder Alonso.

 

It’s not like Alonso is an unknown in the scouting community, quite the opposite actually, but I just don’t feel he is regarded as high as he should be.  Having seen him play several times last year while having the chance to see him swing the bat a few times this year, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

 

Alonso is a left-handed hitter whose swing is so incredibly natural is reminds me of David Justice’s.  He has a big frame, but moves well for his size, and is already a plus defender at the first base bag.  His power plays to all fields, as he’s not just a dead-red fastball hitter.

 

He led the Hurricanes in home runs and RBIs a year ago helping to propel the team to the College World Series while forming arguably the most dynamic right side of the infield in all of college baseball with second baseman Jemile Weeks.

 

While Alonso didn’t participate for Team USA like Alvarez and Weeks did, nor did he prove his worth on the Cape like Smoak, he was named the number one prospect in the Valley League by PG Crosschecker.  He continued to show his run-producing ability, and without a doubt will be playing in a more decorated league this summer, and may just give someone like Justin Smoak a run for his money in the Team USA trials for the starting nod at first.

 

And Alonso is off to another big start this year, with five home runs under his belt already hitting just a shade below .500.  The bat is likely to cool, but the power should continue, especially if red-hot freshman infielder Mark Sobolewski continues to hit as he has in recent weeks.

 

The next time you’re discussing the merits of Pedro Alvarez and Justin Smoak, be sure to sneak Yonder Alonso’s name in the conversation, as people will be doing so a year from now.

 

LaPorta’s back

Don’t worry, Matt LaPorta didn’t injure his back.  Last week I reported that he did injure his ankle in a game against Kent State the previous weekend, and that his status was unknown.  It didn’t take long for LaPorta to return, finding his name in the lineup during last Friday’s contest versus George Washington as the designated hitter, and finishing the weekend on Sunday back on the field as the starting first baseman.

 

LaPorta continues to show off his impressive power, with five dingers so far this season and a hefty .841 slugging percentage.  He continues to get worked around in the lineup, as shown by the 11 walks he has drawn and the nine times he has been hit by a pitch.

 

What is most impressive to me is the fact that LaPorta has only struck out once so far in 44 at-bats.  In his three previous seasons leading up to his senior campaign, he has struck out a whopping 138 times in 553 at-bats, which is one K for every four at-bats, not a good ratio at any level.  While I don’t expect the one-to-44 ratio to continue all season long, I am always impressed with young players that clearly make an effort to improve the weakest part of their game without taking away from the strongest part of their game.

 

This weekend’s series against the surging Aggies of Texas A&M could be a big one for LaPorta and the entire Gators squad.

 

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.