Summer League Prospects: Team U.S.A. Update

While some great talent is being featured in the Cape Cod League this summer, the most talented wood bat summer roster belongs to Team U.S.A. With the Collegiate roster being set on June 22nd, Team U.S.A. jumped right into action against Team Canada and the Guatemalan National Team.

The three most productive offensive players on Team U.S.A.'s roster so far are without a doubt Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton), Tyler Holt (Florida State), and Rick Hague (Rice). Christian Colon has been one of the biggest constants on the roster, proving himself to be a reliable run producer in the middle of the lineup. Tyler Holt has done well in his role as the table setter, drawing walks, hitting doubles, and stealing bases. Rick Hague has been a fixture at third base, hitting for a high average, and driving in runs. The arrival of Blake Forsythe (Tennessee) has also got to be a relief for the Team U.S.A. coaching staff, as he will be a dependable bat at a premium defensive position. An honorable mention should definitely go to Kolton Wong (Hawaii), who has been a solid complimentary player in competition so far. Bryce Brentz (Middle Tennessee) has not performed as well as some had hoped, but in the past few games, he is beginning to get on track.

UCLA righthander Gerrit Cole has been far and away the best pitcher for Team U.S.A. in the early going. He has yet to allow a run in 12.1 innings, while he has struck out 23 batters. Ole Miss lefty Drew Pomeranz has been the next best option on the roster, allowing one run in 10 innings, while striking out 27 batters. Freshman Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt) and Kansas righty T.J. Walz have both been dominant out of the bullpen, yet to allow a run.


Here are some notes from the seven games played so far...

- June 25th: Shortstop Christian Colon went 3 - 4 with a double and 4 RBI. Tyler Holt collected 1 hit, drew two walks, and stole a base. Infielder Rick Hague was 2 - 3 and drew a walk. Slugging first baseman Andy Wilkins (Arkansas) collected two hits in three at bats, driving in two. Lefty Drew Pomeranz threw 4 strong innings of one run ball, allowing 4 hits and one walk, while striking out 10. Vanderbilt righty Sonny Gray did not allow a run or a hit in 1.3 innings, striking out three.

- June 26th: Tyler Holt (CF) went 3 - 6 with a double, scored three runs, and stole three bases. Rick Hague started at third, going 3 - 6, hitting two doubles, scoring two runs, and driving in three. Christian Colon (SS) registered a single and a double, driving in two. DH Andy Wilkins went 2 - 5 with a double and a triple. Leftfielder Michael Choice (Texas-Arlington) collected three singles in five at bats. Tulane first baseman Rob Segedin hit Team U.S.A.'s first home run, one of his two hits. He drove in two on the day. Clemson second baseman Brad Miller collected three singles at the # 8 hitter. Righty Gerrit Cole dominated Team Canada's roster over 6.2 innings of scoreless 3-hit ball, allowing one walk while striking out 12.

- June 27th: Leadoff bat Tyler Holt hit two doubles and stole a base, drawing three walks while driving in two. Arizona State outfielder Matt Newman hit three singles, drove in two, and drew a walk. Christian Colon registered another three hits, one a triple, driving in two. Rick Hague had another 3 - 6 day with a double, driving in two. Bryce Brentz continued to struggle, registering only a single in his first 6 at bats. Freshman UCLA righty Trevor Bauer had a rough day, allowing 7 hits, 3 walks, and 5 runs in 4.2 innings, striking out 5. Sophomore righthander T.J. Walz kept his team in the game, throwing 4.1 innings of scoreless, 1-hit ball, walking one and striking out 9.

- June 28th: Tyler Holt registered another three hits while stealing a base, driving in four. Rick Hague collected two hits in seven trips to the plate. Christian Colon hit his first home run in a 2 for 5 day, with 3 RBI. On catcher Blake Forsythe's first day in the lineup, he registered a single and a double in 5 at bats. Bryce Brentz had a good day at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a double. Coastal Carolina lefty Cody Wheeler had a decent start, allowing 2 runs on three hits and four walks, striking out 8 in 5.2 innings. Sonny Gray struck out two in an inning of relief.

- June 29th: Rick Hague collected two hits in 5 at bats. Christian Colon cooled off a bit, only getting 1 hit in 3 at bats. Blake Forsythe collected a double and a walk on his second day in the lineup. The Citadel's Asher Wojciechowski allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in 5.2 innings, striking out 8.

- July 1st: Tyler Holt continues his hot hitting, this time with a 2 - 5 effort in the 1st game against Guatemala. Rick Hague had a strong 3 - 4 day, driving in one. Christian Colon also had yet another multi-hit game, going 3 - 6 with 4 RBI. Blake Forsythe recorded two hits in three at bats, one a double, along with a walk. Drew Pomeranz posted another dominant start, allowing one run on two hits, striking out an absurd 17 batters. In Louisville righthander Tony Zych's first appearance, he tossed two scoreless, hitless innings, striking out five.

- July 2nd: Team U.S.A. no-hit Guatemala, 10 - 0, led by Gerrit Cole's 5.2 innings of 4 walk, 11 strikeout ball. Asher Wojciechowski, Nick Pepitone (Tulane), and Chad Bettis (Texas Tech) all threw an inning in the no-hit effort. Bryce Brentz and Casey McGrew (Wright State) both collected three hits. Rick Hague added on two as well, while catcher Blake Forsythe hit his first home run of the summer season, his only hit in 5 at bats.

Summer League Prospects: Eric Pfisterer and Eric Cantrell

In this summer's Cape Cod League action, Duke lefty Eric Pfisterer and George Washington righty Eric Cantrell have been two of the top starting pitchers thus far.

In the 2008 Draft, the Cincinnati Reds took Pfisterer in the 15th round with the intention of making him concentrate on pitching full time. He did sign a preliminary agreement, but decided against it, prefering to try his luck as a 1st baseman/starting pitcher for Duke. Pfisterer had a solid, but underwhelming freshman season with the Blue Devils, throwing 45 innings, allowing 43 hits and 23 walks while striking out 45, leaving him with a 5.00 ERA. He has a strong pitcher's build at 6'2", 220 lbs, and can swing the bat fairly well, although he did not hit for much power as a fill-in first baseman. In Pfisterer's 20.2 innings with the Wareham Gatemen this summer, he has allowed 8 hits, 9 walks, and struck out 22 with an ERA of 2.18. If Pfisterer can manage his walk number, and keep his hit and strikeout rate anywhere close to where they are now, he should be set up well for a strong sophomore season with Duke.

One would not have a hard time arguing that Eric Cantrell has been the most dominant starting pitcher in the early goings of Cape Cod League play. Cantrell throws from a three-quarters arm slot that is both clean and effortless, with a high 80's/low 90's fastball and a curveball that has solid potential. In his 2008 freshman season, he held his own in 71.2 innings, allowing 67 hits, only walking 17, while striking out 66 to finish with an ERA of 4.02. The 6 foot 4, 200 pound righty headed off to the Clark Griffith League last summer, where he posted a 2.17 ERA in 49.2 innings, allowing 33 walks and 8 hits, while striking out 57. Unfortunately for Cantrell, he did not seem to build on this success, as he threw 72.2 innings, with an ERA of 4.46, allowing 68 hits, 26 walks, while striking out 60. By no means was this a down year, but his walk rate rose while his strikeout rate dipped, not an encouraging sight for an up-and-coming sophomore.

Currently starting for the Bourne Braves, Cantrell has tossed 16 innings, allowing 8 hits, one walk, and two earned runs, while striking out a league leading 24. The Oakton H.S. (Illinois) native has a strong frame for pitching, but will need to continue to keep his walk rates low as he moves forward to his junior year, and the 2010 Draft.

Summer League Prospect: Cody Stanley

Coming off of a stint in the New England Collegiate League last summer, Connecticut's Michael Olt (shortstop) was considered the better prospect than fellow N.E.C.L. participant, UNC-Wilmington's Cody Stanley. Olt regressed after returning to Connecticut for his sophomore year, while Stanley continued to develop his considerable talent as a catcher for the Seahawks.

The same trend has held true in the early stages of Cape Cod action this summer. Cody Stanley is one of the league's top hitters, while doing so at a premium defensive position. Heralded last summer as an undersized-but-talented backstop, he has shown the ability to hit for good average, draw walks, and hit for decent power while still being an above-average receiver. Stanley hit .288/.333/.466 hit freshman year, displaying good power (5 HRs, 9 doubles) while making his youth apparent with an 11 to 32 strikeout to walk ratio in 146 at bats. The athletic catcher then posted a line of .352/.390/.602 with 5 HRs in 108 at bats last summer, continuing his solid defense while even managing to steal nine bases.

Stanley made a big jump his sophomore year, putting on around 20 lbs. of muscle, while refining his approach at the plate. His quick, left-handed bat hit to the tune of .332/.429/.605 in 223 at bats, with 13 doubles, 6 triples, and 12 homers. In addition to his improving power, Stanley significantly improved his walk rate (up to 30) while making solid contact all year long (only 37 strikeouts).

Already having shown he could hit for above-average power and average the summer before, Stanley has begun this summer as one of the top hitters in the Cape Cod League. Starting behind the plate for Cotuit, he has posted a line of .313/.436/.536 with 6 doubles and 1 triple, walking 7 times and striking out six. So far, his excellent walk rate and ability to hit extra base hits has continued on to this summer, so it is safe to say his sophomore season was not a fluke.

Summer League Prospect: Chris Sale

Pitching for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, lefty Chris Sale has gotten off to an excellent start in the Cape Cod League. The Florida Gulf Coast University sophomore has a projectable build (6'6", 172 lbs) with room to grow, formerly drafted out of Lakeland H.S. (Fla.) in the 21st round by the Colorado Rockies in 2007. During his freshman year, he tossed 36.1 innings, allowing 36 hits and 10 walks, while striking out 43 out of the bullpen. Sale spent last summer competing in the Northwoods league, where he set a single-season record K/9IP rate of 12.56 for the La Crosse Loggers. He followed that up with a strong sophomore season, throwing 89.1 innings, allowing 83 hits and 27 walks, while striking out 104 with a 2.47 ERA.

So far this summer season, Sale has delivered 21 strong innings, allowing 14 hits, one walk and three earned runs, while striking out 24. He has been one of the strongest starters in the Cape, and finally gave up his first run during his most recent start on June 28th. Throughout his career, Sale has always possessed solid command, limiting his walks while continuously piling up the strikeouts (22nd in the entire NCAA). I believe the biggest question with him revolves around the high rate of hits that he allows. While Sale has not gotten hit incredibly hard, he has allowed almost a hit/IP throughout his entire career. It is hard to tell whether this is based on bad luck, throwing too many strikes, or just plain average stuff. Nevertheless, his ERA has always been solid, and scouts will always find value in a lefty that commands the strikezone. Now its just a matter of finding out if Sale is just an above-average college pitcher, or a legit prospect that projects to have success in the professional game.

Summer League Prospect: Todd Cunningham

For teams looking for a polished college center fielder, look no further than Todd Cunningham. For what his frame lacks in projection (6'1", 205 lbs) Todd makes up for in all-around baseball intelligence. As Jacksonville State's starting center fielder, the sophomore provided steady defense and a solid bat at the top of the order. He has not been a significant base stealer in his college career, only swiping 9 this year, but scouts believe that his speed is a legitimate tool. Cunningham put himself on the map in his freshman year by hitting .340 in 215 at bats, with 40 walks and 31 strikeouts. Immediately after that, he starred in the Texas Collegiate Summer League, where he posted a line of .310/.402/.387, again walking more than he struck out (16 walks, 12 SO). The switch hitter has continually displayed the ability to be a reliable leadoff man, in both his knowledge of the strike zone and his use of the entire field to get hits.

Of course, Cunningham only managed to hit one home run and 12 doubles his entire freshman year. Even though Todd displayed excellent range and arm strength in center and an ability to get on base, his lack of power was a serious concern. Amidst his Texas Collegiate League action, scouts began to notice that he was capable of solid gap power, creating more doubles. At any rate, questions still remained even though he was beginning to make adjustments.

Fortunately for Cunningham, these adjustments carried over to his sophomore season, where he hit a solid .339 with 14 doubles, 9 triples, and 10 home runs, with 24 walks and 24 strikeouts. In the field he only committed one error, while collecting 6 outfield assists in center field.

In Cunningham's first taste of Cape Cod League baseball, he has hit .370/.442/.543 through 46 at bats, with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 5 stolen bases. Playing the outfield for the Falmouth Commodores, Todd has been far and away their best hitter, if not one of the best in the Cape so far. It is possible this summer will give his draft stock a boost similar to the one A.J. Pollock received for Falmouth a year ago. Here is video of one of his most recent summer league at bats.

Summer League Prospect: Austin Wates

Virginia Tech sophomore Austin Wates has worked hard to put himself on the map for the 2010 Draft. In his freshman year, he hit .324/.369/.454 in 216 at bats, while swiping 15 bases and hitting 6 triples. This past season, Wates was arguably the strongest hitter on the Hokies' roster, posting a line of .397/.447/.608 in 194 at bats, while being 16 of 17 in stolen bases. A former high school shortstop, he started 32 games at second base his freshman year, and spend most of his time between first base and the outfield in 2009. Speed is one of his biggest tools, and Wates appears to be a premium athlete, but he still seems quite raw as a defender. Additionally, while he has always hit for a high average and flashed solid power, Wates did not improve his walk rate nor did he cut down on his strikeouts as he progressed from freshman to sophomore year.

Nevertheless, this has all translated well to his current stint in the Cape Cod League. Starring on the Yarmouth-Dennis roster, he is listed as an infielder, and will most likely split time between first and second base. Last summer, Austin spent his time in the Northwoods League, playing for Rochester. He did not perform all that well, not meriting any attention from Baseball America in their ranking of the league's top 10 prospects. This season, through 56 at bats Wates has hit .375/.444/.482 with two doubles and two triples. By no means should anyone expect his average to stay where it is, but he should continue to hit for solid average. Scouts may have mixed opinions on his power potential for the future, but his controlled stride and quick bat could be quite productive. You can see video of his swing here. Wates' defensive skills and plate discipline will continue to fall under criticism until he makes the proper adjustments.

*More summer league prospect features are on the way.

2009 Draft: Professional Debuts

Many of the more polished college players drafted in this June's draft will play in either class A short-season ball or Low-A ball. Here's a look at how they are faring against professional competition:

• Tony Sanchez, Low-A South Atlantic: .308/.357/.385 in 13 at bats
• Drew Storen, Low-A South Atlantic: 7.20 ERA in 5 innings pitched. No walks, 8 hits, and 7 strikeouts
• Tim Wheeler, Short-Season Northwest: .381/.458/.667 with one homer and 3 doubles in 21 at bats
  
• Ryan Wheeler, Short-Season Northwest: .389/.463/.472 with 3 doubles in 36 at bats
• Josh Phegley, Low-A South Atlantic: Just debuted with a 3-4 effort on Sunday night
• Victor Black will debut in the Short-Season New-York Penn League
• Marc Krauss, Low-A Midwest: .290/.353/.419 with a triple and a double
  
• Alex Wilson, Short-Season New-York Penn: Just debuted with a 2 inning shutout performance, walking none and striking out two
• Kent Matthes, Short-Season Northwest: .455/.513/.606 with 5 doubles in 33 at bats
• Jeremy Hazelbaker, Short-Season New-York Penn: 1 for 8 with 4 walks
• Ryan Jackson, Short-Season New-York Penn: .167/.250/.208 in 24 at bats
• Ben Carlson, Short-Season New-York Penn: 4 for 14, without an extra-base hit
  

Tim Wheeler has been the strongest hitter of all debuted 2009 picks in the early going. Kent Matthes has had the best offensive performance, but Wheeler is hitting well while playing a premium defensive position in centerfield. It goes without saying that Tony Sanchez will need to perform better to justify the Pirates selecting him as the fourth overall pick. He is hitting for a fine average, but Sanchez will need to hit a greater amount extra-base hits to begin answering questions about his bat.

Both A.J. Pollock (Diamondbacks) and Brett Jackson (Cubs) recently signed, and should be getting their at bats against pro pitching fairly soon. Jeff Kobernus just signed with the Nationals, and is heading off to play in low-A ball within the week. Updates on Rookie League ball, and the draft picks making their debuts there will be up soon.

Summer League Prospect: Zach Varce

This summer, I will post regular reports on some of the top performers in collegiate summer league baseball. With the use of wood bats, these leagues help gauge how players could fare as professionals, without the assistance of aluminum bats. I'll be starting off this summer series with Zach Varce.


In the Northwoods League, Varce stars for the Green Bay Bullfrogs, weighing in at 6'0" and 190 lbs. The righthander does not possess the prototypical tall and lean pitcher's build, but he performed well throughout his sophomore year, and has done so this summer. Out of the University of Portland bullpen, he made 4 spot starts, tossed 60.1 innings, allowed 55 hits and 23 walks, while striking out 62, finishing with an ERA of 2.69. The Seattle native has been the strongest starting pitcher in the Northwoods League, throwing 39.1 innings, striking out 60, while only allowing 7 walks and 25 hits to the tune of a 1.36 ERA. In his most recent start on Saturday June 27th, he went 8 innings, allowing 5 hits, while walking none and striking out nine.

Varce has consistently shown that he can strikeout a batter an inning, while limiting his walks and hits allowed. It is true that Portland faced some weaker competition, but Zach still held his own against strong teams like Loyola Marymount and Fresno State, maintaining solid strikeout and walk rates in those games. He began the year pitching out of the bullpen, but ended his season with a complete game shutout of San Fransisco University. As a former closer, his tendency be aggressive and throw strikes has only helped him in his transition to starting.

The lack of projection in his frame will not wow scouts, but his makeup and excellent command will make him one to keep an eye on.

Draft Review: San Diego Padres

The Padres went with very toolsy high-school outfielders with both of their first two picks. In the first round they went with Georgia prep hitter, Donovan Tate. There have been tons of questions surrounding Tate this season. His bat has been the biggest concern, as Tate is a great athlete. From watching his swing, his bat speed, and the length of the swing make me confident that Tate will be able to hit enough in pro ball. Tate also has plenty of raw power and could be able to hit 30 hrs down the road. Baseball America said Tate has gotten comparisons to Braves outfielder, Jeff Francoeur (I just threw up in my mouth a bit), though they did say Tate has a better feel for hitting.

Another question about Tate is if he is going to sign. He is a Boras client with a reported $6 million tag. Some are also wondering if Tate even wants to sign, since he has expressed how he wants to play football. Tate has a scholarship to UNC for football and baseball if he does not sign. The Padres would not have selected Tate if they did not believe they could sign him. I think Tate will sign, but it will be for close to that $6 mil range since Tate has more leverage with playing football in college.

With the #52 pick, the Pads went with the left-handed hitting outfielder, Everett Williams. Williams was considered to have the most advanced bat of the high school athletes. He, too, is a good athlete and should be able to play center and be a threat on the base paths. Williams does have a below average arm, but it is not quite the noodle that Juan Pierre owns.

I have gone back and forth on Williams, but am definitely a believer in his bat. My biggest concern is that at 5'10" 200 lbs. Williams already has a filled out frame and there is little left to project in his power and if the weight goes up any more, he could lose some of that speed.

Right-handed pitcher, Jerry Sullivan was an intriguing pick in the third round. Pitching for Oral Roberts, Sullivan was probably a bit of an over-draft, but has a great pitchers frame and some nice upside. His fastball sits in the low 90's and he commands it well. His slider and change have shown flashes of being plus pitches, but are lacking consistency. Sullivan's mechanics are a bit unorthodox and he could use his lower half more, but the arm action is solid. He is a survivor of Tommy John and has appeared to recovered fully. Sullivan is a bit of a sleeper and could be a solid starter if he gets more consistent with the off-speed offerings.

Though the Pads may have reached a bit on Sullivan, but getting prep right-hander, Keyvius Sampson could very well be a steal. Sampson was projected to go in the supp. 1st or second round and fell to the 4th. He was throwing in the mid-90's this spring, with solid control. Sampson has also shown nice feel for a change to go along with his power curve. This was probably the best pick the Padres made, considering they were able to get him in the 4th round.

Keep an eye on 17th and 22nd round picks, Jorge Reyes and Cody Decker. Reyes is a RHP with decent stuff, but may wind up in the pen if he cannot develop a change. Decker is a first-baseman that can really hit for power, though the strikeout totals are high.

Not a bad draft for the Padres, though I feel they could have done more with their picks in the 5-10 range. Tate should sign, but it would obviously hurt this draft a ton if he doesn't. I was surprised to see the Padres go with toolsy high school players with their first couple picks, considering stat-head, Paul DePodesta is in that front office. I am lukewarm on both Tate and Williams, but they certainly both (especially Tate) have big upside. I'm curious to see how these guys develop. This could end up being an excellent or complete flop of a draft.

Grade: B-

2009 Team U.S.A. Collegiate Roster

Here are the players that made the cut for Team U.S.A.'s 22 man Collegiate roster:

Infield:

• Christian Colon, shortstop, Cal State Fullerton
  
• Rick Hague, shortstop/second base, Rice
• Brad Miller, shortstop/second base, Clemson
• Andy Wilkins, first base/DH, Arkansas
• Kolten Wong, infielder, Hawaii

Outfield:

• Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee
• Tyler Holt, Florida State
• Michael Choice, UT Arlington
• Casey McGrew, Wright State
• Matt Newman, Arizona State

Catchers:

• Blake Forsythe, Tennessee
• Yasmani Grandal, Miami
  

Pitchers:

• Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA
• Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA
• Chad Bettis, RHP, Texas Tech
• Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt
• Nick Pepitone, RHP, Tulane
• T.J. Walz, RHP, Kansas
• Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, The Citadel
• Tony Zych, RHP, Louisville
• Cody Wheeler, LHP, Coastal Carolina
• Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Mississippi
  

The Effects on the Cape Cod League:

• The Bourne Braves will be sad to see Blake Forsythe and Tyler Holt selected, losing two big bats for the summer. However, Ohio State lefty Alex Wimmers will arrive soon.
  
• Cotuit will not be recieving Sonny Gray or Gerrit Cole, a big loss for their pitching staff. In addition, Rick Hague will not be joining them. Texas righty Chance Ruffin and catcher Cameron Rupp should arrive shortly after losing to LSU in the College World Series.
• Falmouth only loses Clemson infielder Brad Miller to Team U.SA.
• Harwich won't be seeing any of OF Bryce Brentz, but they will recieve speedy LSU outfielder Leon Landry soon enough.
• The Warham Gatemen lose Nick Pepitone for the summer, but will get two Texas righties in Brandon Workman and Taylor Jungmann.
  
• Yarmouth-Dennis will not see righty Trevor Bauer, shortstop Christian Colon, or 1st baseman Andy Wilkins in uniform this summer. They will however recieve LSU righties Anthony Ranaudo and Austin Ross, along with former Team U.S.A. catcher Micah Gibbs and second baseman Tyler Hanover.

Who lost more: Cotuit, or Yarmouth-Dennis?