Scouting Video: Scott Frazier, RHP, Upland (CA) HS (2010 Draft)

By John Klima
January 7, 2010

Scott Frazier, a right-handed pitcher from Upland, committed to Pepperdine University during the early-signing period. It would seem to be a good fit for Frazier and for Pepperdine, which hasn’t been afraid to go old school in the past and use guys with the arm/bat combo on the bump and in the box.

Two examples spring to mind, most famously Dan Haren, and more recently, A’s minor leaguer Steve Kleen.

Here’s a look at Frazier on the mound and then we’ll break him down.

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Scouting Report: Stefan Sabol, C, Aliso Niguel (CA) HS (2010 Draft)

By John Klima
December 9, 2009

Catcher Stefan Sabol committed to play college baseball at Oregon. I put a Craig Biggio projection  on him because I believe he’ll have the hands to consistently put the ball in play as a pro. I see enough power in the coming years to make him a threat to occassionally get one out. He’ll run very well for the position, which lends to the Biggio comparison. Defensively, he improved from summer to spring but still needs pro instruction and innings to be ready to catch at the major league level. He shows enthusiasm for the position in-game, which is a good sign. He’ll need to improve on catching low pitches in the coming years and learn to better transfer some of his athletic actions to blocking balls. His arm strength is more than enough to make him a threat, but he’ll need to work on his footwork so his throws don’t sail on him as much. Be this as it may, if he hits, they will find a place for him to play.

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Angels Elite player summaries (Part 2)

By John Klima
November 26, 2009

Today concludes our two-part look at the 2009 Angel Elite season with our player summaries. As we mentioned Wednesday, this list does not represent rankings and follows the professional scouting model, where at this time of the year you are simply following players between summer and spring.

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Angels Elite player summaries (Part 1)

By John Klima
November 25, 2009

Today begins our two-part series on player summaries from the 2009 Angels Elite Fall Season. These are not player rankings and we have not listed the players in any preference or order. This follows the professional scouting model, where at this time of the year, the scout is in follow mode and letting the players dictate which players are on the rise entering the spring.

These summaries have been compiled from personal scouting done this fall. In each case, the players have been seen multiple times. 

Be sure to come back Thanksgiving Thursday for the completion of the list.

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Scouting Video: Taijuan Walker, RHP, Yucaipa HS (2010 Draft)

By John Klima
November 23, 2009

Right-hander Taijuan Walker helped himself this fall, putting himself and his stuff in the right light for the radar guns and those imaginative enough to see the projection in that body.

Walker’s outing Wednesday at Angels Elite was one of his best of the fall. His fastball sat at 91-92 with hard, late life low in the strike zone. He delivers the ball from a whippy frame and generates productive torque with his across-the-body motion. Walker mixed in a curveball at 82, with signs of shape and depth, and was more consistent with it than when I first saw him in September. His change-up at 80 also has promise, though it isn’t ready to take into a pro game just yet. Have a look.  

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Scouting Video: Kyle Richter, LHP, Santa Margarita HS (2010 Draft)

By John Klima
November 19, 2009

Kyle Richter will probably be the most coveted left-handed starting pitching prospect to come from baseball rich Orange County in the 2010 draft. Like his 2009 teammate, outfielder Trayce Thompson, and 2009 standout Tyler Matzek, Richter is one of the next guys off the OC assembly line. Here’s a first look at the left-hander on the bump.

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Scouting Report: Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha HS (2010 Draft)

By John Klima
November 2, 2009

Dylan Covey, RHP
(Maranatha HS, Pasadena, Calif.)
DOB: 8/14/1991
6-3, 190
2010 MLB Draft Day age: 18
Report Made Nov. 1, 2009
Games Seen: 3 (Aflac, Angels Elite)
Innings Pitched: 5 (Now seen 4 high school games and 25 innings)

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A look at Angels Elite from Oct. 21

By 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…)

Lorenzen hits Lazers: First look at OF Mike Lorenzen

By John Klima
October 2, 2009

Mike Lorenzen has a chance to be one of the first high school outfielders to come off the board in the 2010 draft. He has multiple tools to work with, but it starts with the bat, as you’ll see in this BP video.

He’s consistent in his gap-to-gap approach. He’s not going to have 80 power, but he might have 60 power. He’s not going to be an 80 hitter, but he might be a 70 hitter. In either case, that’s a pretty good bet on a player. Lorenzen is also an average to slightly-better than average runner. His arm is above average, but not in the off-the-charts major league range. You may think I’m nit picking this kid, but in reality, these are some pretty high compliments I’m giving him.

In this video, it’s not until the end of the round that he starts to feel the swing work. It is after a long summer and it’s fair to say he’s a little creaky. Not everyone feels perfect on the first day of Fall Ball. 

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The Covey Chronicles: First look at RHP Dylan Covey

By John Klima
September 28, 2009

Dylan Covey’s first outing of the 2010 draft season was something to see. Pitching for Angels Elite, you couldn’t miss Covey’s stuff, and he’s going to battle with the rest of the big name guys across the country to become the first high school right-handed pitcher drafted in 2010. Here’s the first look at Covey on the next page.

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