Scouting Washington Nationals Prospect Tyler Mapes

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7-Word Scouting Report:   Stocky Right-Hander, Simple Delivery, Three Potential “5s”

I spent this past weekend in Woodbridge scouting the Potomac Nationals as they hosted the Salem Red Sox in their last home series of the season. One of the many pleasant surprises of the weekend was the performance Saturday evening by RHP Tyler Mapes, who pitched 7 innings of 1 run baseball to help Potomac defeat Salem 6-2.

Selected in the 30th round of the 2014 draft out of Tulane University, Tyler Mapes overwhelmed the opposition, allowing only 1 run on 6 hits and 3 walks against 3 strikeouts. Mapes forced 8 groundouts against 3 fly outs and 5 of the 6 hits allowed were infield singles. He faced only 27 batters to achieve 21 outs, masterfully working through Salem’s lineup.

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This site offers cialis without prescription 60mg without prescription in economical price. Second, the spikes and falls in blood sugar levels cialis viagra in the higher range of normal, however not high enough to be considered as diabetes is more likely. The stamina and strength getting viagra prescription of making love to your partner. In the situations where one husband or wife truly is to blame for the monetary deterioration, it can tadalafil sale be tough to forgive and forget. Looking the part when he toes the rubber, the 23-year-old Mapes has the physical build and delivery to pitch as a starting pitcher. Mapes is listed at 6-2 205lbs owning a physique more resembling an NFL strong safety, with broad shoulders and powerful legs. He has a relatively simple, compact delivery that he repeats consistently and provides some deception to the batter. He throws from a high three quarters to near over-the-top arm slot, allowing him to get good plane on his pitches. Particularly impressive is his balance through his delivery and the extension he gets toward home plate at pitch release.

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Saturday Mapes flashed a 3-pitch repertoire featuring a 88-91mph fastball (touching 93 twice) with some intriguing sinking movement and control within the strike zone. In addition he showed a 75-79mph slider/slurve possessing sweeping, 10-to-4 movement away from right-handed hitters. Finally he threw an 82-84mph changeup showing quality arm speed and arm-side tumbling action – interestingly Mapes threw the changeup to righties as often as to lefties, perhaps indicating his confidence in the pitch.  He needs additional experience and refinement, but Mapes has the potential for three fringe-average to average offerings.

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One must begin by crediting the Washington Nationals’ scouting and development staff for finding a player with such a impressive frame, delivery and potential for 3 average pitches on Day 3 of the MLB Draft.  Mapes reminds me of another Nationals pitcher Craig Stammen, another later round selection who pounds the strike zone, repeats his delivery and forces hitters to hit ground balls due to the sink on his fastball. In fact, I would put Mapes ceiling as Stammen, a valuable middle reliever capable of throwing 80+ innings per season and inducing a healthy amount of ground ball outs.

Due to his draft pedigree Mapes will need to succeed at each level to continue his ascent through the minor leagues.  He still faces long odds, but I would not bet against him carving out a career in the major leagues.  Tyler Mapes is definitely a sleeper name in the farm system and someone to remember going forward.

Will Matt Williams Manage The Washington Nationals on Opening Day 2016?

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Evaluating Baltimore Orioles Prospect Josh Hart

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Drafted by the Orioles in the 1st round, 37th overall, in the 2013 MLB Draft out of a Georgia high school, the 20-year-old Hart has long been recognized as one of the top hitting prospects in the organization. Baltimore selected him because of his outstanding athleticism and pure speed, with the hope he would develop into a strong defensive centerfielder who batted atop the lineup.

In the field Hart plays an outstanding center field and projects as a potential plus defender in the future. Hart has excellent speed along with solid instincts for the position, allowing him to have impressive range while cover plenty of ground in the outfield. He possesses a fringe-average arm with a quick release and shows good accuracy. Like most young outfielders he could use additional repetitions to improve his routes and anticipation, but Hart profiles as a role “6” defender.

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Offensively Hart lags significantly behind his talents on defense and the basepaths, posting a .247/.288/.298 batting line in nearly 950 career minor league at-bats. This left-handed hitter is listed at 6-1 180lbs with the potential to add some mass as he matures. That said Hart does not project to hit for much, if any, power in the future, putting a great deal of pressure on his bat-to-ball skills and hit tool.
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Hart has loose, quick wrists and shows some quality bat speed during his swing; however, he has excess length in his swing and his lower body has plenty of excess movement. These flaws make it difficult for him to consistently make contact, let alone hard, powerful contact. He is still raw and quite young for the level of competition, giving some hope he can refine his swing in the future. These challenges make it difficult to project Hart as better than a future “40” hitter with “20” power unless he makes significant changes at the plate.

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Josh Hart is a difficult prospect to properly profile, as his pure speed and defense in center field give him two plus tools. Unfortunately Hart is struggling mightily with the bat in A-ball, a major concern considering he is still three levels from the majors. His youth and athleticism has me thinking he can make the necessary adjustments to his swing, but now his future toward the major leagues depends on his offensive development.

If he can make the necessary adjustments, one can still envision a light-hitting centerfielder who impacts the game on the bases and defensively. If not, there is a strong chance his career stagnates at the Double-A level. Hart remains a solid prospect in Baltimore’s farm system, but 2016 will be a vital year in his career development.

Scouting A Baseball Stadium – Fenway Park

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Recently during my trip to SaberSeminar 2015, I was afforded the opportunity to attend a Boston Red Sox home game at historic Fenway Park. Built in 1912 Fenway Park is the oldest major league baseball stadium and has reached iconic status as hallowed ground for any baseball fan.

This was my 5th game at the legendary stadium, which gives me enough experience to properly evaluate Fenway Park and the overall fan experience. Rather than using the five traditional scouting tools, I have broken down the stadium into five categories, namely Accessibility, Aesthetics, Affordability, Concessions and Fan Experience.

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Accessibility – 2.5 out of 4 Radar Guns

This is easily the biggest weakness of the stadium, as the fact that it was built over 100 years ago in the middle of a major city makes this location extremely inconvenient. Parking is limited and expensive, though many people arrive early and partake in the atmosphere around the stadium which helps with traffic congestion. Also, the T goes right by the park and there are plenty of taxi cabs in the area during games to shuttle fans away from the stadium. The Red Sox do the best they can with the geographical limitations, but this is a negative to the overall experience.

Aesthetics  3.25 out of 4 Radar Guns

Certainly Fenway Park lacks the modern feel and amenities of the stadiums built in the past two decades, but the charm and grace of a place that has stood more than 100 years has a beauty all its own.  I enjoy the dark green paint and the antique feel outside the stadium on Yawkey Street, along with the cozy, comfortable feel inside the park.  Many seats also provide a beautiful view of downtown Boston as well.

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Affordability –  2.75 out of 4 Radar Guns
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Fenway Park has only 37,000+ seats and with a rabid fan base, the demand for tickets is generally stronger than the supply. Plus the city of Boston is rather expensive overall. That said, I purchased a good seat in center field about 30 rows up with spectacular views of  the city for $41 dollars: Coupled with two Harpoon IPAs and a large pretzel, I enjoyed a memorable evening in Beantown for less than $65.

Concessions3.5 out of 4 Radar Guns

Fenway suffers from the fact that the stadium was built in 1912, in an era when individuals’ expectations for food and beverages during a game was significantly lower. Like almost any stadium, it could use more concession stands and additional vendors to expedite the lines, but the quality and quantity of the food options was impressive and the prices were competitive with other stadiums.

Fan Experience –  4 out of 4 Radar Guns

This stadium just has a unique, special aura all its own. Whether it is the famous “Green Monster” in left field, “Pesky’s Pole” in right field or the playing of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” during the 7th inning stretch, the atmosphere for a game is outstanding.  Simply put I cannot envision a better in-game experience for a baseball fan!

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Overall -> 16 out of 20 Radar Guns  A-/B+

Once again I leave a game at Fenway Park with an overwhelmingly positive experience and cannot wait until I can attend yet another game at this beautiful yard.  No question there is some hassle involved getting to and from the stadium, but very few places can compare with this magnificent baseball experience.  There is no other place I would rather watch a game as a fan than Fenway Park.