Summer’s Best

After watching four prominent all-star type events this summer, two at both the high school and college level, and a handful of games played by the Team USA National Collegiate squad, I wanted to assemble an all-star team of all of the players that stood out to me the most.

Most of these players have been mentioned in my columns over the last month, and I also want to note that this list is only comprised of players I had the chance to see play. Meaning, you won’t see Stephen Strasburg’s name listed below since I didn’t see him perform this summer despite seeing him pitch at other events in the past.

Catcher: Max Stassi

A high-energy, team-based performer, Stassi receives high marks for both his defensive skills and for his prowess at the plate. He has soft hands, blocks balls in the dirt well, works well with his pitching staff and has a very strong arm. At the plate he has a quick, powerful compact stroke that gives him both gap power and over the fence pop, while exhibiting a keen and patient eye. This was one of the tougher positions to pick because there is so much high-level talent behind the plate at both the high school and college levels that is eligible for next year’s draft.

Carlos Ramirez would be next in line for his solid overall tool-set and line drive bat.

First Base: Ben Paulsen

Paulsen had no problem hitting for power using a wood bat, finishing tied for second in home runs (eight) and second in RBI (33) , fourth in extra-base hits (18) and fifth in slugging (.497) while hitting .290 on the Cape. With a smooth left-handed swing, Paulsen continued the success he enjoyed last spring during his sophomore year at Clemson into the summer, and in addition to his offensive potential, he anchors the infield with a very slick glove at the first base bag.

Jonathan Singleton gets the nod for the second team for his impressive power potential.

Second Base: Scooter Gennett

Second base was a toss-up between Gennett and Derek McCallum, as they actually are very similar players as scrappy, left-handed hitters with good all-around approaches to the game. Both of their swings translate very well to being productive with a wood bat. Gennett gets the call over McCallum as his tools across the board are a tick better, with better speed and a tad more power. I think Gennett could soar through the minor leagues should he choose to go that route out of high school, as both are among the more polished players in their class.

Third Base: Matt Davidson

Few players impressed me as much as Davidson did this summer, showing great power potential and extension in his swing that the best run producers in the game possess. There were quite a few things about his ability as a hitter that reminded me of Josh Vitters, who wowed me at the Aflac All-American game a few years ago. Davidson is more of a true slugger in my opinion, but also could be a better overall athlete at a similar point in their career. Defensively he showed good range and a strong arm.

Chris Dominguez’ impressive power potential leads him to second-team placement.

Shortstop: Grant Green

Named the top prospect in the Cape Cod League, Green has been regarded as one of the game’s most talented all-around players since high school, when he was named an Aflac All-American as a five-tool shortstop. He wisely attended USC, where he started to apply his tools into production, putting up big numbers during his sophomore year and this summer on the Cape, finishing among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category. He added a two-run bomb in the league’s all-star game and is poised to be selected among the top three to five overall picks in next June’s draft.

While Josh Prince’s tools aren’t impressive as Green’s, his five-tool talents were also on display this summer.

Outfield: Kentrail Davis, Donovan Tate, Cory Vaughn

Davis represents the first player from Team USA on this list, although he had to leave early due to a wrist injury. The former Aflac All-American tore up the Team USA trials, and led the team in batting average (.370) and on-base percentage (.500). With a short yet strong and compact build, Davis uses an equally strong and compact swing to pepper hits to all parts of the field with a little over the fence power. He has a very good eye at the plate, and while he can play centerfield, he’s best suited in left.

Tate will easily be the most impressive physical specimen of those eligible for the 2009 draft. The two-sport star (football) and the son of former NFL running back Lars Tate, Donovan still has not committed to one sport, so it is difficult to determine where his future lies. He is a true five-tool talent on the baseball field, with good speed, a strong arm and exciting offensive potential at the plate.

Another player with good bloodlines, Cory Vaughn is the son of former big-leaguer Greg Vaughn, and offers similar power potential down the road. With long, strong limbs and a tall, well-built frame, Cory is a better all-around athlete, although his father was a 30-30 player in the minor leagues. Cory’s power and speed combination and cannon for an arm highlight his tool package, although he needs to tone down his swing and become a better overall hitter.

Brian Hunter, A.J. Pollock and Marc Krauss round out the second team outfield from left to right.

Designated Hitter: Jonathan Walsh

I had to find a spot for Walsh on this team, and since he started at DH for both of the all-star events I saw him play at, I figured adding a DH to my team was the easiest way to make that happen. A very good all-around athlete, Walsh has surprising speed for a player that is primarily a catcher. His bat is by far his best tool, with a smooth swing from both sides of the plate and a very disciplined eye. If he is moved to another position, such as a corner outfield spot, he could move as quickly as his bat carries him should he pursue pro ball out of high school.

Hunter Morris, the SEC freshman of the year, and his second half surge for Team USA, lead to him taking the honors as the second team DH.

Starting Pitchers: Matthew Purke, Brandon Workman, Andrew Oliver

When you watch Purke go about his business on the baseball field you get the sense that he’s going to be successful at the highest level. With an impressive, whip-like arm, he pumps his fastball with ease in the low-90s, touching the mid-90s, before putting batters away with a nasty slider. A true power pitcher, few players eligible for the 2009 draft have a one-two punch like he does.

Workman’s one-two punch is just as good as Purke’s although he isn’t eligible for the draft until 2010 as he’s just starting his sophomore year at Texas. A prototypical Texas flamethrower, his fastball, like Purke’s, sits in the low-90s touching the mid-90s and he also throws a hammer curveball that allowed him to lead the Cape League in strikeouts (67). Consistency, which should be gained through more experience, is the key to his game moving forward.

No one showed better fastball command than lefty Andrew Oliver did this summer while pitching for Team USA. He does a very good job moving that pitch around in the zone, up and down and from side to side while sitting in the 89-93 range. The pitch has some weight to it, as he induces a fair amount of groundballs. He also has a solid changeup, but the same can’t be said about his breaking ball. He currently throws a slider, but with his size and somewhat overhand delivery, he may be better off trying to learn a curveball.

Kyle Gibson (who might have the best slider of any ’09 draft eligible player), Sammy Solis and Jacob Turner would represent the second team.

Relief Pitcher: Xavier Esquivel

Ben Tootle is going to be rated a better overall prospect as the 2009 draft approaches for his mid-to-upper-90s heater, and A.J. Griffin has very good size to go with his 89-91 fastball and hammer curve combo, but no short reliever impressed me as much as Esquivel did this summer. He was nearly untouchable in the Northwoods League, using a low-90s sinking fastball and filthy slider. His smaller stature and stuff reminded me a lot of Chad Cordero, who needed almost no time in the minors before recording outs at the big-league level.

Utility: Mychal Givens

This spot was made for Givens, a truly gifted athlete that is a five-tool shortstop with a dynamite arm on the mound. I think more and more scouts are starting to prefer his future as a pitcher, with such easy arm strength and upper-90s velocity to go along with a nasty slider and pretty good changeup. I was impressed with Givens command at this stage in his career, especially since he has not focused on pitching. He is very smooth defensively at shortstop, has good speed on the basepaths, and also has nice potential in his bat.

Blake Smith takes the utility spot on the second team with a similar resume as Givens as an outfielder/right-handed pitcher.