Matt Moore was named the #1 prospect in the Florida State League by BaseballAmerica:
On his best nights, he features a 91-96 mph fastball and a power curveball that both rate as 70s on the 20-80 scouting scale. That combination allowed Moore to strike out 208 batters in 145 innings, more whiffs than any minor league pitcher since Clint Nageotte had 214 eight years ago.
Joe Cruz also made it, at #15:
At his best, he has a fastball that touches 95-96 mph and works down in the zone with the kind of downward plane that leaves hitters helpless. But in the next inning, he might have an 86-88 mph fastball. His velocity varies so much because he has a rough delivery with a long arm action and a wrap in the back.
In the Southern League, Alex Torres was #12:
Torres strides across his body and catapults over his front side, creating plus life on his low-90s fastball. Managers rated his changeup the best in the league, and he sells it well with good arm speed. His curveball is a plus pitch when he's on.
And Alex Cobb was #19:
Cobb's fastball sits in the low 90s with occasional sink. His main trouble is fastball command, because he sometimes to get too cute with locating the pitch. His most reliable pitch is his above-average changeup, while he's still refining both of his breaking balls, a high-70s curveball that's a plus pitch at times and a low-80s slider with average tilt.
Several comments on each.
ReplyDeleteMoore: Everyone knew this already. I wish they had mentioned about the pitchs we don't know(slider, change).
Cruz: This was interesting. In the few games I have watched, he was consistently 91-95. His delivery also looked okay. But they are the pros.
Torres: Good to hear from Torres. So I take it he has an average to slighlty above average fastball, a plus change (it was said to be best in league), and at times a plus curve. Nice. Good to hear he has a slider too.
Cobb: I have never seen him pitch so I am not sure how accurate this is. His stuff sounds very average. His command also sounds average. If this is true, how did he get so many strikeouts.
Thanks for posting these. I get more excited about Moore, the more I read about him
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw Cobb in Durham his stuff looked as good as Hellickson's. Solid average for a major league starter. Having not seen Cobb since his days in Princeton I was very impressed.
ReplyDelete-KJA
Can we have the new ones?
ReplyDeleteBumping my request.
ReplyDeleteI do not have a subscription to Baseball America for the scouting reports but here is the list:
ReplyDeleteSouthern League
12. Alex Torres
19. Alex Cobb
International League
2. Jeremy Hellickson
7. Desmond Jennings
Sorry, I missed your request.
ReplyDeleteSouthern League
12. Alex Torres, lhp, Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)
Age: 22. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 175. Signed: Venezuela '05 (Angels)
"A 2010 Futures Gamer, Torres strides across his body and catapults over his front side, creating plus life on his low-90s fastball. Managers rated his changeup the best in the league, and he sells it well with good arm speed. His curveball is a plus pitch when he's on."
They go on to say his upside is a #2 starter.
19. Alex Cobb, rhp, Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 180. Signed: HS—Vero Beach (Fla.), '06 (4).
"Cobb's fastball sits in the low 90s with occasional sink. His main trouble is fastball command, because he sometimes to get too cute with locating the pitch. His most reliable pitch is his above-average changeup, while he's still refining both of his breaking balls, a high-70s curveball that's a plus pitch at times and a low-80s slider with average tilt."
International League
2. Jeremy Hellickson, rhp, Durham Bulls (Rays)
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185. Drafted: HS—Des Moines, Iowa, '05 (4).
"Hellickson's fastball normally sits in the low 90s and touches 94-95 mph. His four-seamer is fairly straight, but he added a two-seamer in the upper 80s and a cut fastball to keep hitters honest. His changeup, the best in the league is a plus pitch with late fade, and his curveball is a solid pitch. He repeats his efficient delivery has a cerebral approach to pitching, reading hitters' swings and pitching to their weaknesses."
Odd that he's #2 in the International League alone when he was named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year.
7. Desmond Jennings, of, Durham Bulls (Rays)
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 200. Drafted: Itawamba (Miss.) CC, '06 (10).
"A former junior college all-America wide receiver, Jennings has well above-average speed and finished second in the IL with 37 steals in 41 attempts. He has good on-base skills and though the wrist injury seemed to sap some of his power, he has double-digit home run potential. He covers the gaps well in center field and even has an average arm."
Nothing you didn't already know.
Here is a bonus tidbit on Matt Moore from today when they ranked only the #1's from each league into a top prospects list:
"Moore's fastball and curve are both plus-plus pitches, which is why he has led the minors in strikeouts in each of the last two years. Once he corrected a mechanical flaw and made a mechanical adjustment, he finished the season on a 6-4, 1.39 run with 137 strikeouts in 90 innings."
Moore was ranked #8 out of the 15 leagues #1's.
Woah! I am trying to think if anyone in the majors has two plusplus pitches. Strausburg did (fastball, curve). That is amazing news too, that it was a mechanical flaw.
ReplyDeleteThought you would like the last tidbit. Good question too, other guys with 2 plus plus pitches. I don't follow MLB outside of TB enough to really say. Anyone?
ReplyDeleteAlso, for reference, when BA says a guy projects as a #2 or #3 starter, here is the criteria they say they are using.
No. 1 starter:
- two plus pitches
- average 3rd pitch
- plus-plus command
- plus makeup
No. 2 starter:
- two plus pitches
- average 3rd pitch
- average command
- average makeup
No. 3 starter:
- one plus pitch
- two average pitches
- average command
- average makeup
No. 4-5 starters:
- command of two major league pitches
- average velocity
- consistent breaking ball
- decent changeup
I think Ulbaldo does (fastball, curve) and Strausburg does (fastball curve). I was thinking about Chapman, but he has no ides where it is going, making a more average pitch.
ReplyDelete