My Futures Game Observations

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

Last Sunday Major League Baseball presented the 18^th annual Futures Game, an exhibition contest played each year as part of the All-Star Game festivities. Baseball America selects the players on both teams, with rosters filled with the top prospects in the game. Each team must have one representative and clubs have historically been accommodating in sending their top prospects to the event.

This contest is the highlight of All-Star week for scouts and prospect-nerds, as it provides the unique opportunity to watch the top prospects compete against one another. This year’s event was yet another success, as a seven run explosion by the World Team in the 9^th inning pushed them toward an eventual 11-3 victory. Below are my scouting notes from the game.

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Reynaldo Lopez RHP Washington Nationals

Washington’s lone representative in San Diego, Lopez entered with 2 outs in the 6^th, retiring David Dahl to finish the inning before returning for the 7^th – additionally he retired both hitters he faced in the 7^th, including the scalding hot Alex Bregman. Lopez needed 11 pitches (7 strikes & 4 balls) to get these three outs, a pop fly to first base, a ground ball to second and a fly to left field.

Lopez flashed his entire 3-pitch arsenal in these 11 pitches, featuring a 99-100mph fastball (according to the television radar gun) with life that he struggled to locate. He appeared to be overthrowing the fastball, likely a result of the adrenaline rush of pitching on a national stage. Additionally Lopez threw four 77-80mph curveballs with downward movement and above-average potential. Finally he threw one 89mph changeup to a lefty, forcing a meager ground ball.

Though it is difficult to conclude much from such a quick outing, it was nice to see Lopez look comfortable pitching in relief and in two separate innings. This could portend well to a possible late season promotion to enhance Washington’s bullpen this fall.
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Chance Sisco Catcher Baltimore Orioles

Sisco was the lone Baltimore representative and the starting catcher for the US team. Offensively his first at-bat came in the 2^nd inning with runners on 2^nd and 3^rd and two outs – Sisco worked a 1-1 count then pounded a 97mph fastball to deep right-center field for an out, flashing solid bat speed against top-end velocity. His second and final at-bat came in the 4^th as he impressively worked a 3-2 count before depositing a 94mph fastball over the left-center field wall for a home run. The ball noticeably jumped off his barrel and flashed the in-game raw power he has lacked thus far in 2016.

Defensively Sisco showed that this glove still lags well behind his bat, as he still looks LOUD receiving the baseball and made a horrendous throw to second on a stolen base attempt in the 4^th inning. It was not all negative, as he has added strength in his forearms to improve his receiving and is making an effort to quiet his body. This outing did little to assuage my fears of him being a long-term catcher, as his work ethic is apparent but his skills are still raw.

Additional Notes

Perhaps the most impressive individual play occurred in the 8^thinning, as Boston 2B prospect Yoan Moncada destroyed a hanging 86mph changeup deep into the left field bleachers. The 21-year-old Moncada resembles an NFL strong safely and looks more muscular than any middle infielder in the minors. The Red Sox have been patient with his development, as he has just recently reached Double-A, but he should force his way to Boston either this fall or in 2017.

Houston Astros infielder Alex Bregman stood out as the top player and most major league ready prospect in this year’s event. Bregman went 3-5 with a run scored, while spending time defensively at both shortstop and third base. Drafted 2^nd overall in 2015, Bregman was expected to move rapidly through the minor leagues, but it is still a credit to his work ethic that he appears ready to combat major league pitching. I expect Houston to call him up in the next few weeks to bolster their offense down the stretch.

Although only a one batter cameo, I was happy to see former Baltimore Orioles draft pick and Milwaukee Brewers prospect LHP Josh Hader make an 8^th inning appearance. Hader was traded, along with L.J. Hoes, to Houston for Bud Norris, a swap the Orioles are likely to come to regret. Hader needed only 5 pitches to strike out Marlins prospect Josh Naylor, sitting 94-97mph on his fastball and inducing two whiffs. The 22-year-old has a unique delivery not ideal for a starter, but Hader dominated Double-A earlier this year and could arrive in the majors in 2017.

Scouting Baltimore Orioles Prospect Chris Lee

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

Saturday evening I ventured to Prince George’s Stadium to watch the Bowie Baysox host the Washington Nationals Double-A affiliate, the Harrisburg Senators. In addition to a beautiful spring evening and a strong postgame fireworks display, I was treated to a quality pitching matchup, pitting Orioles prospect LHP Chris Lee against a solid Senators’ lineup. Below are my scouting notes on several Baysox players and potential future Orioles.

Chris Lee LHP Bowie Baysox

Acquired by Baltimore from Houston in exchange for two 2014-2015 international bonus slots, Lee was drafted by the Astros in the 4^th round of the 2011 draft. The 23-year-old is listed at 6-3 180lbs with lean legs and a high waist, giving him the potential to add positive weight as he develops physically. Lee is a good athlete who fields his position well and shows particularly strong athleticism for a pitcher.

Lee pitches from a semi-windup and utilizes a three-quarters release point from his lightning-fast left-handed arm. He has a long arm action during his delivery and reaches the infamous “Inverse W” position at foot strike. There is some crossfire in his motion, which causes deception especially for lefties but also hinders his command of the strike zone. Lee repeats his delivery well but could see improvements with some slight tweaks to his motion.

Saturday Lee was featuring a 3-pitch arsenal consisting of a 4-seam fastball, slider and a changeup. His fastball sat 92-94mph most of the evening, touching 96mph several times, with some natural armside movement. Additionally Lee showed a hard-biting 83-86mph slider with strong 1-7 breaking movement inside to righties: at times the pitch more resembled a cutter with the late-breaking movement into righties. Finally Lee threw a handful of firm 82-84mph changeups with decent arm speed but inconsistent results. His command and control are still below-average, although he shows a willingness to work both sides of the plate and likes pitching inside. Overall I feel comfortable putting a “6” on the fastball, a “50/55” on the slider and a “40” on the changeup, along with “45/45” command and control of the strike zone.

Impotence is the inability to keep an erect penis for sexual activity) that works just like cialis online sales , this new drug provides guaranteed results to improve the ability of men to have an erection, good size and girth. It is taken at least 45 minutes before levitra cheap you plan on having sexual intercourse. A person may purchased that brand viagra mastercard experience change in the vision function test, eyeball pressure and retinal examination. Now the question is, if the three complete, the course is mostly late; generally at an earlier stage, there is only one or both of them. sildenafil wholesale I left the stadium Saturday evening particularly impressed with what I saw from Chris Lee. Considering he throws in the mid-90s with a powerful slider from the left-side, there is an obvious floor for him as a future late-inning lefty reliever. But if he can continue to make progress with his command and the changeup, I see Lee profiling as a quality #4 starter in a big league rotation.

The Orioles were roundly criticized at the time of the deal, but Chris Lee is going to make Baltimore’s front office look quite savvy in the near future. Lee should spend most of 2016 at Double-A Bowie, with the potential to reach the majors late this season or in 2017. There is a legitimate debate between Hunter Harvey, Michal Givens and Chris Lee for Baltimore’s top pitching prospect, but there is no question he is a top-5 prospect in the Orioles’ farm system.

Short Hops

During the 8^th inning when the scouting section often begins checking their phones, right-handed reliever Stefan Crichton entered for Bowie and immediately woke up the scouts, flashing a 92-94mph fastball, touching 96mph, with a low-80s slider. He kept the fastball down in the zone with some natural sink and peppered the zone with strikes. Further, there was some deception in his delivery that made it difficult especially for righties to see the baseball. Drafted in the 23rd round back in 2013 from Texas Christian, Crichton has a chance to develop into a righty specialist. Baltimore has done a nice job in recent years of “creating” relievers and Crichton could be a name to remember down the road.

Former THE NatsGM Show guest and Bowie second baseman Jeff Kemp is struggling to get comfortable at the plate, but impressed with his outstanding defense at second base. He showed a solid arm in turning the double play and made several plays ranging far to his left. The 26-year-old does not have an above-average tool, but his grinder mentality and defensively versatility could allow him to reach the majors in the future.

* Thanks to Matt Wilson and the Bowie Baysox for their gracious hospitality. *

Scouting D.J. Stewart

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

This past Sunday I took advantage of a break in the rainy weather to travel to Hagerstown to watch a doubleheader between the home Suns and the visiting Delmarva Shorebirds. Certainly my eyes were focused on Victor Robles and the Suns, but I was curious to watch Delmarva’s D.J. Stewart, the Orioles 1^st Round pick last summer as well.

Stewart was drafted following a standout career at Florida State with the reputation as a polished collegiate hitter who could move quickly through the minor leagues. Stewart is kindly listed at 6-0 230lbs, with thick legs and a round midsection. This hinders his foot speed, making the 22-year-old already a below-average runner.

At the plate Stewart shows a solid awareness of the strike zone, which allows him to see pitches and produce a healthy walk rate. His left-handed swing has some length to it, and he struggles hitting velocity on the inside half of the plate. Stewart does show some power, particularly to the pull side, though it feels more like his raw strength muscling the ball rather than a product of a quality swing. He does not possess elite bat speed or the sweetest swing, but I can envision a ceiling as a future “45-50/45-50” bat, hitting .260-.270 with 12-17 home runs a year.

Defensively Stewart has a solid, accurate throwing arm, but his poor speed and thick midsection makes him profile as a long-term left fielder. Stewart does show quality instincts in the outfield and a baseball savvy that should allow him to play a passable left field, but unless he reshapes his body, his defense will not play better than mediocre. This puts extreme pressure on his bat to carry him to the major leagues.

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Overall Stewart is an interesting prospect, as he has a keen batting eye and obvious pull power, but his lack of athleticism is uniquely surprising for a 1^st round pick. His ceiling is not particularly high because of his lack of a standout tool, but his ability to draw walks and hit the occasional home run, plus his draft pedigree, should give him a strong chance to reach the major leagues. The best case scenario has him serving as a starting everyday left fielder or the strong-side of a platoon, with the most likely result being Stewart settling in as a backup. This may feel slightly underwhelming for a 1^st rounder, but Stewart should move quickly and could arrive in Baltimore in 2018.

Short Hops

LHP Garrett Cleavinger, Baltimore’s 3^rd round pick last summer, entered in the 5^th inning of Game 1 for the Shorebirds and immediately caught the attention of the entire scouting section. Cleavinger flashed an 89-93mph fastball with some late life, a hammer 73-77mph curveball with hard downward movement and a 82mph changeup. The almost 22-year-old is a thick, well-built, 6-1 210lbs with little projection remaining in his frame. His age, plus his lack of physical projection and a 3^rd pitch, limits his ceiling as a prospect, but Cleavinger is a solid arm not receiving enough attention in Baltimore’s system. With some development, Cleavinger could develop two above-average pitches in his fastball and curveball, allowing him to profile as a future 7^th/8^th inning lefty reliever.

THE NatsGM Show Episode #57 Part 2 – Guests Nick J. Faleris and CJ Wittmann Jr. from 2080Baseball

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

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We’re back to THE NatsGM Show Episode #57, Part-2, with special guests Nick J. Faleris and CJ Wittmann Jr. from 2080Baseball.com.

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A sincere THANK YOU to Nick and CJ for graciously joining the show this week and to you for listening! Please follow @Nats_GM on Twitter and consider Rating & Reviewing our show on iTunes.