Quoting The Experts – Washington Nationals 1st Round Pick Carter Kieboom

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

Last week with their first of two 1^st round selections, the Washington Nationals picked Georgia high school hitter Carter Kieboom, who according to reports quickly agreed to terms on a contract. After the pick was announced, I reached out to several smart baseball guys to ask their opinion on Kieboom and what type of prospect the Nationals have added to their organization. Fortunately a few were willing to share their thoughts on Carter Kieboom.

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“I thought Carter Kieboom was the most impressive hitter I saw at the Under Armour Game last summer and one of the best high school bats available in the draft. I think he’ll grow into some more power too, and even if he doesn’t stick at shortstop I think he’ll profile nicely at third base.” – Jim Callis, MLB.com & MLBPipeline.com

Express yourself to your loved ones and ask them for proper assistance they will guide you with a dosage pattern which would exceed the limit of cheapest generic tadalafil 25mg to 50mg. Why ‘poppers’? For those who still do not know, Poppers are an inhalant that is fairly easy to find the price differences between brand names such as cialis tadalafil 5mg and Kamagra. They are viagra no prescription cheap safe, affordable, trustworthy, reliable and effective all at the same time is VigRx Plus. Because of their brilliant golden color, they are flashy for parades, rodeos, and other events and add a touch of elegance to any traditional buy brand viagra riding event (plus, their coat matches any blanket or clothing colors you choose to wear!). “The Nationals picking Carter Kieboom is more than just a nice PR move with his brother already in the organization. Carter can really swing it. He caught my eye a year ago at PG national and has kept on raking. He has extremely good actions with his upper half with a Rendon-esque bat tip as he strides. Beyond the good actions everything flows well and he avoids the step by step swing tempo that plagues too many amateur hitters. He even shows the ability to adjust his swing on the fly and get his barrel where it needs to be. As he matures physically and makes swing improvements I’m curious to see how the power develops. Carter barrels line drives all over the field and it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a healthy dose of game power still waiting to be unleashed.” – Ryan Parker, Coach at Collin County Baseball Academy, @RA_Parker

Swing GIF – http://gifimgs.com/img/0616/576167fed77c3448596866/

“Kieboom is a solid bat speed and approach guy. He has quality hand eye coordination which helps him barrel quality stuff regularly. Kieboom has a quiet setup but an explosive swing and added strength should help him project for some power. His actions and reactions defensively are solid and his range should keep him in the infield at third base. One of the better prep bats for me in this class.” – C.J. Wittmann Jr., 2080Baseball.com

Special thank you to Jim, Ryan and C.J. for their terrific contributions to this piece!

Scouting The MLB Draft – Interview with Christopher Crawford

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

With the 2016 MLB Draft now less than 2 weeks away, I reached out to Baseball Prospectus writer and noted draft guru Christopher Crawford to ask him a few questions about this year’s prospect crop. Even this close to draft day, Christopher was kind enough to spare some time to answer a few questions.

NatsGM – “So Chris, the place to start is your “big-picture” thoughts on this year’s draft crop – How is this class talent wise and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the class overall?”

C. Crawford – “It’s a frustrating class. One week you’ll look at this group and think it’s one of the best of the decade, the next you’ll compare it to some of the dreadful classes of the previous. The strength to me is in the outfield, there’s a couple of handfuls full of guys who can make an impact both at the prep and collegiate level. The weakness is pitching, particularly in college. This is the worst collegiate pitching class that I can remember in quite some time.”

NatsGM – “There are two high school arms getting plenty of attention this year, Jason Groome and Riley Pint – Thoughts on these two and whom do you prefer?”

C. Crawford – “Groome is the top player on my board. He’s a southpaw who has shown two 70 pitches in his fastball and a disgusting curveball, and he’ll complement them with a pretty solid change as well. He’s had some command issues and that whole suspension thing, but he’s still the guy I’d take 1.1.

Pint has the best fastball of any pitcher — college or prep — eligible this year, and if you gear for that as a hitter, he can make you feel silly with a plus change. The issue is the delivery; there’s some effort, and I’m not sure it’s conducive to having starter command long-term. The upside is huge, but the floor is reliever, unfortunately.”

NatsGM – “If you were the GM of each team inside the top-5, who would you take (not who do you think they will take) and why?”

C. Crawford – “I believe in taking the best player available approach, so if I’m Philly, I’m taking Jason Groome, if I’m Cincinnati I am taking Corey Ray, If I’m Atlanta I’m taking Delvin Perez, if I’m Colorado I’m taking Blake Rutherford and if I’m Milwaukee I’m taking Braxton Garrett. That will almost assuredly not be what happens, but that’s how I’d do it if someone were foolish enough to let me try.”
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NatsGM – “Let’s do some Rapid Fire Question – Who is your favorite Day 2 prospect(s) and/or your personal cheeseball in this class?”

C. Crawford – “Really tough to say, but a guy I really like who will likely go on day 2 is Bo Bichette, a infielder who can really hit and gets rave reviews about his instincts. My favorite cheeseball is the kind with the nuts.”

NatsGM – “Who is your favorite HS bat, Rutherford, Moniak or someone else?”

C. Crawford – “Delvin Perez. I get the immaturity questions, but in terms of just pure upside, he’s the best player in the class.”

NatsGM – “Best catching prospect (long-term) in this crop?”

C. Crawford – “It’s close, but I would have to say Matt Thaiss. He’s not a lock to stick behind the plate, but he can really swing the bat, so he doesn’t have to be an elite defender.”

Thank you so much Christopher. I want to encourage everyone to buy his 2016 MLB Draft Guide available here -> https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/baseball-prospectus-mlb-draft/id1090576351?mt=11

Scouting Washington Nationals Prospect Austen Williams

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

As previously mentioned in Tuesday’s column, last Saturday night I travelled to Bowie to watch the Baysox host the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A team for the Washington Nationals. While I am always eager to watch a minor league game with postgame fireworks, I was particularly excited to see Nationals’ prospect Austen Williams face the experience Baysox lineup. Below are my notes on Williams, plus two future Washington Nationals.

Austen Williams RHP Harrisburg Senators

Drafted by the Nationals in the 6^th round in 2014 from Texas State, the 23-year-old Williams is a well-built 6-3 220lbs with broad shoulders and a frame built to throw 200+ innings per year. Mechanically Williams throws from a semi-windup and a three-quarters release point. He has above-average arm speed, with a compact, short arm swing and a slight arm stab. Williams possesses a fairly compact but effort-filled delivery and throws across his body. Williams also has a noticeable head whack at foot strike, which hinders his command and control of the strike zone. In fairness, these flaws have improved since last season, but they still exist and damper his overall ability on the mound.

In this start Williams featured a 3-pitch arsenal, consisting of a fastball, curveball and changeup. His fastball sat 88-90mph, touching 91 three times, with some natural sinking action. He showed an ability to work inside to both righties and lefties, although his mediocre command left the pitch occasionally in the middle of the plate elevated above the belt. Williams also had a 78-80mph curveball with 11-5 shape and good depth when thrown well – unfortunately he did not throw many breaking pitches on the evening and was inconsistent on the offerings. Finally Williams threw a few 78-81mph changeups with good arm speed and some sinking action, although some more resembled batting practice fastballs. Overall I would put a “45/50” grade on his fastball, a “45” on his curveball and a “40” on his changeup, with below-average to fringe-average command.

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Short Hops

Surprisingly Nationals top prospect and Harrisburg starting shortstop SS Wilmer Difo was removed during the 5^th inning, with the chatter being he was replaced due to lack of hustle. While this is mere speculation, if true, this would be the second time this season Difo has replaced mid-game, leading to possible makeup questions if this becomes a trend. It’s worth noting that Difo started Sunday’s game, likely eliminating injury as the reason for his departure from the game.

Finally on a positive note, CF Rafael Bautista is showing an improved eye at the plate and a real commitment to working deep into counts. In his five at-bats, Bautista collected two walks and saw 23 total pitches, including an impressive eight pitch walk in the 3^rd inning. Bautista now has 13 walks and a .448 on-base percentage through 51 at-bats this season: including his 9 stolen bases so far, Bautista is obviously embracing his role as a leadoff hitter and offensive igniter in 2016.

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

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.

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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. *