By John Klima
June 9, 2009
(photo: Cal)
Today, the Chicago Cubs drafted Brett Jackson with the 31st overall pick in the draft. Follow the links below for Baseball Beginnings content on Jackson.
Read Brett Jackson Q&A
Read Brett Jackson Scouting report
Watch Brett Jackson Scouting video
By John Klima
June 5, 2009
(photo: San Diego State)
Mike Leake picked a bad year to have a good year. The Arizona State right-hander isn’t the most physically imposing pitcher. He could be the guy walking his dog down the street.
In a college season and a draft defined by the star-making status of Stephen Strasburg, Leake’s success has been achieved with less fanfare, less velocity and less stuff. He’ll be drafted in the first round, but few believe he will be a better pro than Strasburg.
Yet Leake shows signs that he has a chance to be a better pro, even if radar guns bury him and he’s been overshadowed by a media myth. Velocity doesn’t win in the big leagues. Movement, location, changing speeds, four pitches and pitching know-how do. In these respects, the little Arizona State right-hander who can touch 92 but get outs with 90 is virtually superior to his more heralded counterpart.
By John Klima
May 28, 2009
Brett Jackson, CF
Cal (2009 Draft)
6-2, 210
Bats: Left, Throws: Right
Games seen: 1, Innings 9
By John Klima
May 28, 2009
Thanks to a bad battery, all I have is two BP swings of Jackson. The other guy with the coiled up left-handed swing is Blake Smith. My apologies. The camera has been placed on NCAA probation for ruining my day.
Read Brett Jackson Q&A
Read Brett Jackson Scouting report
Brett Jackson Drafted by the Chicago Cubs
By John Klima
May 27, 2009
(photo: Cal)
I was sitting behind two national-level scouts who were watching Cal centerfielder Brett Jackson face UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole. This was a game when Cole was around the plate and had pretty good stuff.
In his first at-bat, Jackson struck out. His swing looked long. In his next two at-bats, I noticed in the cuts he was taking that he was shortening his swing and speeding his bat up against Cole. He was the only guy in that Cal lineup I saw make this adjustment. That meant something to me. Jackson drew walks in the those two at-bats.
In the ninth inning of a 1-1 game, Jackson had Cole timed. He had again shortened his swing and was pacing the fastball. Cole was still throwing hard. But Jackson worked him for a long at-bat. The first fastball he got, he fouled right back into the screen. He just missed it. He fouled back several other pitches. At this point, Jackson wasn’t being overmatched. For a guy to time a 95-mph fastball, he has to have bat speed, which means he needs strong hands. Jackson ended up drawing a walk, starting a rally that led to a Cal victory.
Midway through this game, I heard the cross-checker say he didn’t like Jackson. That’s fine, everybody is entitled to an opinion. But here’s the thing. Sometimes a guy shows you other skills that if you’re only looking for what you want to see, you can miss.
Jackson is a first-round pick as a center fielder, and to be honest, the team that bonked him could use him more than the guy they have out there at the big league level right now.
The Cal centerfielder has three above-average tools that probably grade out in the 60 range depending on how much a team likes and wants him: hitting, running and throwing. His arm, though you might not see it in a game, is above average, probably in the 55-60 range. Again, you have to wait for it, but he’ll give throws from the left-center gap to the right-field line when he’s warming up, two hours before the game, and he’ll give you a nice, loose arm action.
The lesson here is that Jackson can play, and that sometimes a player doesn’t show you everything he has, or that you want to see, or when you want to see it in one neat and tidy package. As Grady Little used to always drawl about anything and everything, you have to “watch him closely.” Now you can read Jackson’s Q&A. (more…)
