John Klima | October 30, 2009
As a scout, you have to like Frankie Christian’s demeanor. He’s a guy who clearly has fun and likes to stay loose. A lot of guys bring the game face to scout ball, but Frankie spent his time hitting and smiling. Have a look at some BP and game video from Angels Elite, then we’ll share our thoughts. (more…)
John Klima | October 29, 2009
Looking ahead to the 2011 draft, Valencia infielder Christian Lopes has been on the radar for a few years already. Here’s a look at some BP footage of Lopes assembled from the Area Code Games in August and a few swings from rounds with the Brewers scout team at USC. If you listen closely, you can hear USC coach Pete Carroll blowing his whistle during football practice on the field next door. I had to make sure my camera was aimed in the right direction, otherwise I’d be in deep trouble, being an Alabama fan and all. (more…)
John Klima | October 28, 2009
Ryon Healy is known as a two-way high school player, but his offense is what will one day get him drafted. We caught this BP video of Healy playing for the Brewers scout team at USC, where parking is eight bucks and traffic is horrible. Thankfully there were some good prospects here, such as Healy, Christian Yelich, Rouric Bridgewater, Angelo Gumbs and Tony Wolters. Austin Wilson wasn’t in the day I was. To the video: (more…)
John Klima | October 27, 2009
Dylan Covey is motoring right along in the pre-draft season. Here in October, he’s doing the routine things a potential first round pick does: maintaining a high level of performance and projection. (That and filling out 8,000 self-addressed stamped envelopes for area scouts.)
Click here to have another look at Covey. (more…)
John Klima | October 26, 2009
Wednesday’s Angels Elite Fall Ball game against Orange Coast College at Mazmanian Field at Mt. Sac was a bit of a skeleton crew because many 2010 draft prospects were in Florida participating in a nine-field beauty pageant of a showcase. Safe to say, there were no scouts and agents tripping over themselves in golf carts begging for atta-boys from BA and PG here. Folks, we’re not lobbyists for certain players. We see, we report, we film, we write, and the KID decides what kind of player he becomes, not us. This is the way it works in professional baseball (or at least it should if politics and favortism doesn’t interfere). Pure and simple.
What was left on Angels Elite was an opportunity to get prolonged looks at some guys you might not otherwise get to see. (more…)
John Klima | October 24, 2009
We’ve got a look at what went on last Wednesday at Angels Elite. We’ve also got video and commentary on four Southern California players, right-hander Dylan Covey, first baseman Ryon Healy, shortstop Christian Lopes (a 2011 prospect) and outfielder Frankie Christian. While other websites are napping and sitting around waiting to rip off MLB.com’s January draft workout footage at the Academy, Baseball Beginnings is beating the bushes to see them first.
John Klima | October 23, 2009
This video shows why Bell was drafted and signed as well as the corrections and adjustments he needs to make as a pro. First the good: Bell has a good arm from the left-side. His fastball was 90-92 with below average command when I saw him. Body and arm speed and arm power from the left side will get you a job any year, as it did for Bell in the 14th round with the Rangers. The corrections he needs to make as a pro are evident: he’ll need to condition, close up his windup, create better extension and downhill plane. He was more or less throwing on a straight line the day I saw him pitch a no-hitter at Chatham. That’ll get you in the door, but it won’t keep you there. (more…)
John Klima | October 22, 2009
Matt Grace and Baseball Beginnings have known each other since before Baseball Beginnings was known as Baseball Beginnings. I’ll admit the PV kid is a bit of a sentimental favorite around here, if for nothing else than I really hope each kid we cover here gets the most out of what he’s got. Grace didn’t get a ton of innings last summer on the Cape and I’ll be PC enough to keep my feelings about that to myself. Grace last week looked a little rusty, but hey, it’s October. Grace has always had a durable innings-eating body and he’s popped 92 from the left-side in the past. His fastball in this outing was 87-89 and his change-up was 78-81. Grace is a competitive guy beneath that quiet exterior. He’s got more to come. We’ll follow him. He’s got some arm speed to work with.
John Klima | October 21, 2009
Here’s a fresh look at UCLA’s LHP Rob Rasmussen working in an inter-squad game recently at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Coming off his strong summer in the Cape Cod League, where Baseball Beginnings caught up to him for this Q&A and obtained this video of him pitching in the All-Star game a Fenway Park, Rasmussen looks like he has kept the ball rolling in the Fall. This was fastballs and change-ups only in these two innings. His fastball was 90-93 with plenty of 91s and pretty consistent command and life for this early in the season. The change-up worked at 81 with decent command. Rasmussen didn’t use his curveball, his main weapon. Good outing here for a guy with a chance to be a first rounder in 2010.
John Klima | October 20, 2009
Trevor Bauer had a great freshman season but didn’t get the results he hoped for last summer with Team USA. This is our first look at Bauer since last spring at USC. Keep in mind this guy skipped his senior year of high school to speed up the draft process. Having not seen Bauer last summer, I can’t confirm reports that his velocity had slipped. That said, I wouldn’t be terribly concerned about any young pitcher’s dead-arm period. It would be a different story if he were further down the line. Last week at UCLA, Bauer was back to 91-93 and his change-up was 81-82. His command wasn’t as sharp as it was last spring, but it’s also October, so it’s not quite time to push the panic button. Bauer is still going to be a guy many scouts love and will watch in 2011. He did drop down a few times with a lower slot that I had never seen before, sort of a Jeff Weaver look. He looked a little rusty and gave up some hard contact against wood. (more…)
