Crack of the Bat
by Patrick Ebert

WWBA Jupiter 2005 College Team

The 10^th annual WWBA World Championship starts next week, the biggest tournament event of the year. Hordes of scouts and college recruiters pack the stands for this event, with the fields filled with talent from across the nation as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and typically showcasing a few players from the Dominican Republic.

Last year I assembled a team of college players that attended the 2004 Jupiter championship, pointing out that the high school players in attendance not only represent the names we’re going to be covering between now and the draft next June, but also much of the high-level talent that will we will be following at the college level for the next several years.

There were 12 players selected in the first round of the 2006 draft that attended the 2005 WWBA World Championship (Clayton Kershaw, Billy Rowell, Travis Snider, Kasey Kiker, Jeremy Jeffress, Cody Johnson, Kyle Drabek, Colton Willems, Hank Conger, Max Sapp, Jason Place and Chris Parmelee), as well as a pair of supplemental picks after the first round (Cory Rasmus and Adrian Cardenas).

Much of the top college talent available for the 2009 draft also was in attendance, if not in 2005, during other years of the event. Below I am going to assemble an all-college team of 2009 draft eligible players, all of which participated at a WWBA World Championship event (if the player didn’t participate in 2005, the year they did is noted in parenthesis).

Catcher

Tony Sanchez, Boston College (Powerhouse)

The overall interest in Sanchez has grown over the past year as his bat has blossomed, recently capping off of a successful summer playing on the Cape in which he was named an all-star starter. His defense has always been solid, using good footwork, a strong arm and natural instincts to be considered a plus behind the dish. His bat speed has always been good, and he has started to make consistent, hard contact, doing so with a wood bat each of the past two summers. The 2009 draft class is weak when it comes to college catching, as Sanchez is one of only a handful of players currently projected to go in the early rounds.

Honorable Mention: Rocky Gale, Portland (Baseball Northwest)

First Base

Ben Paulsen, Clemson (2004, West Virginia Mountaineers)

Paulsen was one of the players that made the strongest impressions on me while playing on the Cape this past summer, showing a smooth left-handed swing and an equally slick glove around the first base bag. His power potential has started to show, hitting eight homers this summer using a wood bat, finishing tied for second on the Cape in homers while finishing second in RBI, fourth in extra-base hits and fifth in slugging. Since Paulsen continues to improve, many expect him to enjoy a big spring next year, a good sign since the first base crop at the college level for 2009 is nowhere near as deep as it was this past year.

Honorable Mention: Brent Milleville, Stanford (2004, Sandlot/Midwest Scout Team)

Second Base

Kyle Seager, North Carolina (Dirtbags)

Seager is the type of player that quickly endears himself to coaches with an all-out, hustling approach to the game. Don’t take that to mean that he is short on tools, because he has the athletic talent that allows him to be considered for the early rounds in next year’s draft. A patient eye and a swing and overall approach tailored for contact leads to his success offensively, and while he has some home run power, most of his present-day pop is to the gaps. He can play shortstop in a pinch, but profiles better at second base.

Honorable Mention: Joseph Sanders, Auburn (Ohio Warhawks)

Third Base

Chris Dominguez, Louisville (2003, Team Florida USA)

Dominguez was a fifth-round pick last June by the Colorado Rockies, but has opted to return to for his junior year of eligibility at Louisville. No player eligible for the 2009 draft has greater raw power, and Dominguez has an equally strong arm that could allow him to thrive on the mound if he chose to pursue that route. His big power comes from a hulking frame and a massive swing, which also leads to a lot of whiffs, and his lateral movement at the hot corner is limited, which may lead to a move to first base down the road. His easy power plays anywhere on the field, and from being an Aflac All-American to a Cape Cod League all-star, there aren’t too many honors Dominguez hasn’t attained during his amateur baseball career.

Honorable Mention: Diego Seastrunk, Rice (Houston Heat)

Shortstop

Robbie Shields, Florida Southern (Florida Hitmen)

A dynamic offensive player, Shields has very good bat speed and intriguing power potential for a middle infielder. He has posted very good numbers in two years at Florida Southern, and continued to do so over the first two weeks of the Cape season before being down after injuring his right hand and wrist. His skill set may lead to an eventual move to another position on the infield, as his power potential and strong arm would make third base a natural fit, and he follows in the footsteps of Evan Longoria and Gordon Beckham by improving his draft status significantly with an impressive, albeit short, Cape campaign.

Honorable Mention: D.J. LeMahieu, LSU (2006, South Florida Bandits)

Outfield

Kentrail Davis, Tennessee (2006, PGCrosschecker.com)

Dustin Ackley, North Carolina (Dirtbags)

Aaron Miller, Baylor (Houston Heat)

Davis will be a draft-eligible sophomore, which is why he played at the 2006 event when he was a high school senior, and offers one of the best pure bats for next June’s draft. The same can be said for Ackley, who is expected to move back to the outfield this coming spring, where he played during the 2005 Jupiter event. Miller has been Baylor’s everyday right-fielder ever since he stepped on their campus, but Baylor may be better off letting him focus on hitting instead of dabbling with using him out of their bullpen as well. All three are left-handed hitters with a knack of controlling the strike zone. Ackley is the best pure hitter of the three, although Davis isn’t far behind, while Miller boasts the best power potential.

Honorable Mention: Jared Mitchell, LSU (Midland Redskins)

Devin Harris, East Carolina (On Deck O’s)

Blake Dean, LSU (Braves Scout Team)

Utility

Brandon Belt, Texas (2004, Columbia Angels)

There weren’t as many utility options to choose from as compared to those eligible for last year’s draft, when I had a hard time picking between Zach Putnam and Tim Murphy. That isn’t to take anything away from Brandon Belt, who batted .319 while posting a 4.08 ERA in 16 appearances coming out of the Longhorns bullpen. Generally considered a better prospect as a hitter than as a pitcher, Belt employs a crouched stance and shows good plate coverage. He hits to contact, stinging line drives to all parts of the field, and could develop more over the fence power when he starts to learn to drive the ball more consistently.

Honorable Mention: Brian Pearl, Washington (Seattle A’s)

Starting Pitcher

Stephen Strasburg, San Diego State (Baseball America)

Alex White, North Carolina (2004, Carolina Cubs)

Andrew Oliver, Oklahoma State (Midland Redskins)

It was hard not to squeeze Mike Minor onto this list somehow, listed below as an honorable mention, as he along with the three listed above could all be taken among the first 10 overall selections in next June’s draft. Strasburg is considered to be the total package as a college starting pitcher, similar to David Price and even Mark Prior, with a big, strong, projectable build and frontline stuff. White has a nasty fastball-slider combo, and Oliver has very good fastball command as a tall, sturdy lefty. Facing these three pitchers during a three-game series would be a pretty daunting task.

Honorable Mention: Mike Minor, Vanderbilt (2004, PG USA Crimson)

Brad Stillings, Kent State (Midland Redskins)

Bryan Morgado, Tennessee (Braves Scout Team)

Closer

Jason Stoffel, Arizona (Braves Scout Team)

I first saw Stoffel at the Perfect Game Aflac Showcase at Towson University during the summer of 2005, and he was one of my favorite pitchers from that trip, which included the incredible talent collected for the Aflac All-American Classic that included fireballers such as Jordan Walden, Chris Tillman and Jeremy Jeffress. If Stoffel wasn’t striking batters out during the scrimmage, he was inducing weak groundballs and breaking bats with his heavy, boring heater and sharp curveball, while proving just how difficult he was to hit. He has continued to improve at Arizona, and has emerged as a dominant short-reliever projected to go in the first round of next June’s draft.

Honorable Mention: Zach Calhoon, Texas-San Antonio (Columbia Angels)

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.