Innholdsfortegnelse for Friday, June 05, 2015 i Baseball America

MAY 31 2010 » IN THIS ISSUE: Fans pack newly renovated Durham Athletic Park for Bulls’ first game at old home in 16 years. » ALSO: Kenley Jansen ditches his catcher’s mitt and shines on the mound as the closer for the Inland Empire 66ers. The most-hyped draft prospect ever is living up to his billing this year. A look back at Bryce Harper in 2010, when he skipped his last two years of high school to play junior college ball: Most scouts agree Harper is the top player available in this year’s draft, which was true entering the year even after his hitless, threestrikeouts performance in last year’s Aflac All-American game. One regional supervisor said of the game: “The greatest player ever? The only thing I’ve seen him do…

Baseball Writer, ESPN.com PHILADEPHIA Dan Jennings, the 12th manager in Marlins history, is admired in baseball circles for his scouting acumen and beloved for his people skills and homespun colloquialisms. When Jennings observes that a pitcher “can throw a marshmallow through a battleship” or has a “snapdragon” of a curveball, he oozes earthy Alabama charm—with heaping helpings of sweat and pine tar on the side. Jennings’ ability to distinguish prospects from suspects has taken him a long way as a scout, scouting director and front office executive. But once the euphoria from his introductory managerial news conference fades, he’s going to look more like a guy trying to roll a boulder up a hill. At best, this is an imaginative piece of thinking that goes down as a stroke of…

Allen (Texas) High shortstop Kyler Murray announced his intention to “opt out” of the draft on Twitter and uphold his commitment to Texas A&M to play football and baseball. A Major League Baseball official confirmed that Murray will not be eligible for the draft. All players who are on MLB’s top 200 draft prospects list are required to take a drug test and submit medical reports. Players who don’t are ineligible to be drafted and cannot sign as nondrafted free agents. Virginia lefthander Nathan Kirby made a similar move coming out of high school in 2012. Before publicly announcing his intentions, Murray communicated his decision to MLB in a letter. In the letter, he called the decision a tough one and thanked clubs for their interest. He also said he…

Editor in Chief Baseball America johnmanuel@baseballamerica.com CHAPEL HILL, N.C. As a freshman, he broke like a bolt out of the blue. Skye Bolt hit six home runs in the first two months of his freshman year at North Carolina and was hitting .392/.509/.648 while showing the tools to be a future firstround pick. He’d made college baseball look easy, and the 2013 Tar Heels made winning look easy. They went on to reach the College World Series and finish 59-12. But he hasn’t been the same player since he fouled a ball off his right foot in April 2013. Bolt returned to the field that season, but his timing was off, and the switch-hitting outfielder knew it. Late that season, he walked to the plate batting righthanded, even though a…

ORLANDO You might expect an 18-year-old with the nickname “The Flow God,” named after Brendan Rodgers’ wavy brown locks, to have the entitled personality to go with it. You know, big man on campus, girls swooning over him, little kids idolizing him, you get the picture. Oh yeah, and the fact that he stands to become a rich young man as the potential first pick in the 2015 draft. However, a call to Rodgers’ house on a Friday evening provides keener insight into what motivates him. He was sleeping, getting his rest and preparing for the next day’s workout. Those who know him, from teachers to scouts to coaches, will tell you Rodgers’ makeup is off the charts. “He’s very unassuming and level-headed,” said Matt Gerber, Rodgers’ coach on the…

If the past few years are a guide, some unexpected names will start popping up in the fourth or fifth rounds of the 2015 draft. Names you may not know. Names that may not appear anywhere in the BA 500 list of the top draft prospects. They’ll be picked because they have talent. They’ve caught some scouts’ eye. But more than anything, they’ll be tapped because they are willing to cut a deal. They are the senior signs. The players who are picked as much for their inexpensive price tag as their prospect status. In an ideal world, they are both value and valued, but in reality, the price tag tops the talent. If you are drafted as a college senior, you are more likely to have finished your degree.…

1. BRENDAN RODGERS, SS, LAKE MARY (FLA.) HS Thanks to an impressive showing last summer, Rodgers entered this spring as the consensus top prospect in the draft class. He’s done nothing to lose that label and has a chance to become the first shortstop to go No. 1 overall since Carlos Correa in 2012. Rodgers combines impressive offensive potential with solid defensive ability. He has a good feel for hitting and has the potential to be a plus all-around hitter. His strength and elite bat speed mean he doesn’t have to sell out to drive the ball, and it isn’t out of the question that he one day hits 25 or more home runs in the big leagues. While he runs well enough, he isn’t a burner. Defensively, Rodgers has…

Cionel Perez, a 19-year-old lefthander who led the Cuban league in ERA this past season, has left the country to pursue a major league contract. Perez, who will be subject to the international bonus pools, posted a 2.06 ERA in 17 starts during the 2014-15 season for Matanzas, with 75 strikeouts (sixth in the league) and 32 walks in 87 1/3 innings. While Perez didn’t crack Baseball America’s list of the Top 20 prospects still in Cuba in April, he was in the next group of players and had emerged as one of the country’s best pitchers. The problem for Perez is that he’s about to be a victim of Major League Baseball’s registration rules. Like any Cuban player, Perez will have to obtain residency in another country and be…

BOSTON In the months leading up to the 2014 draft, righthander Michael Kopech did not shy from a bold goal: 100 mph. The Mount Pleasant (Texas) High product didn’t quite reach his goal during the buildup to his first-round selection by the Red Sox. He had to settle for 99 mph. By the time Kopech finished his time in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, he recognized that there was more to life—and a good fastball—than velocity. “I’m not just trying to go out there and blow it by people right now,” said Kopech, 19. “That doesn’t really work anymore. It’s trying to be effective, work to my strengths a little bit, get ahead in counts. Really that’s what the fastball is for.” “I don’t know if (throwing 100 mph) is…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ NEW YORK Triple-A Las Vegas lefthander Steve Matz has a knack for flirting with no-hitters. He took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning of last season’s Eastern League championship clincher, when Double-A Binghamton defeated Richmond to claim the franchise’s first title in 20 years. Then in his fourth career Triple-A start, the 23-year-old Matz carried a no-hit bid two outs into the seventh inning on April 24 before Reno’s Nick Evans broke it up with a single. Through seven Pacific Coast League appearances (six starts), Matz went 4-1, 1.70 while allowing 31 hits and 17 walks in 42 innings. He had struck out a league-leading 45 batters and allowed no home runs. Opponents hit just .208. “He’s got…

PHILADELPHIA The Phillies during spring training brought Severino Gonzalez over from minor league camp for a look. The 22-year-old righthander handled himself well with three scoreless innings against the Braves, and a month later he made his big league debut in St. Louis after Sean O’Sullivan went on the disabled list. Gonzalez’s debut did not go well. The Cardinals swung aggressively against earlycount fastballs, and that prevented him from using his full mix of pitches. He allowed 10 hits and seven runs in 22⁄3 innings. Despite taking the loss, Gonzalez realized a couple of dreams in that game. In addition to making it to the majors, he pitched to fellow Panamanian Carlos Ruiz. “He told me in spring training that if I ever got up here, he’d like to throw…

CLEVELAND He doesn’t exactly play a position of need within the organization, but good young shortstops are valuable currency, so Yu-Cheng Chang is one of the more intriguing and valued prospects in the system. Last year as an 18-year-old in the Rookielevel Arizona League, Chang ranked third in the league in hitting with a .346 average and fourth with a .420 on-base percentage. Following the season Chang ranked as the No. 13 in the Indians system. It was a banner pro debut for the 19-yearold, righthanded-hitting native of Taitung, Taiwan, after he signed with the Indians in June 2013. Chang’s outstanding 2014 season earned him a promotion to low Class A Lake County this year. The Indians don’t lack for shortstop depth. Erik Gonzalez plays the position every day at…

MINNEAPOLIS Triple-A Rochester’s best pitcher has benefited from the use of performanceenhancing drugs . . . by another pitcher. When the Twins lost Ervin Santana to an 80-game suspension in April because he failed a steroids test, the ripple effect through the organization left Rochester an arm short. In turn, they raided the Double-A Chattanooga roster, promoting lefthander Pat Dean, who has blossomed into the Red Wings’ ace through the season’s first six weeks. He turned in four quality starts among his first six, capped by a three-hit shutout of Toledo that lowered his ERA to 1.93. “He got an unexpected opportunity, but that’s all it is,” general manager Terry Ryan said. “It’s up to the player to make something out of it. He took it as a challenge, and…

MILWAUKEE The story of Carlos Leal is one of determination and perseverance. The Brewers selected him in the 34th round of the 2014 draft out of NCAA Division II Delta State (Miss.), where he was a senior catcher who earned all-conference honors for two seasons. The Brewers needed pitching more than catching, however, and convinced the Puerto Rico native to move to the mound. Leal’s heart was not in it, however, and the results showed. In six relief appearances in the Rookie-level Arizona League, he compiled an 8.53 ERA. Afterward, Leal practically begged the Brewers to allow him to return to catching. They finally agreed, and the early results were dramatic. Through his first 25 games at low Class A Wisconsin, Leal hit .322/.379/.448 with eight extra-base hits. Leal also…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ARLINGTON Outfielder Nomar Mazara finds himself surrounded by a who’s who of prospects every day at Double-A Frisco. Third baseman Joey Gallo, now healthy, is the one who makes Rangers fans salivate the most, but catcher Jorge Alfaro, righthander Jake Thompson and outfielder Nick Williams are highly regarded, too. In time, Mazara might prove to be the best of them. He knows he’s close to being in the majors, and not just because the big league club is housed about 30 minutes away. Mazara got a taste of the big leagues during spring training, when the Rangers summoned the 6-foot-4, 195-pound right fielder for three Cactus League games. He didn’t just sit around until the starters were gone. He…

OAKLAND It would be easy to loaf a little, when you finish your pregame infield work. Max Muncy has another plan. After he finishes taking grounders at first base, then third, he takes a few more at second. Then he heads out to the outfield to take flyballs—just in case. Maybe some manager will need him to play another position, and he wants to be prepared. The 6-foot, 205-pound Muncy came to the Athletics as a first baseman, a fifth-round pick in 2012 from Baylor. But he has been diligently working to master third base as well, to give himself more options. That versatility figured into the 24-yearold’s callup to Oakland when both Ben Zobrist and Tyler Ladendorf hit the disabled list. He made his debut on April 25 and…

PHOENIX Double-A Mobile righthander Adam Miller is one of the oldest players in the prospect-rich Southern League at 25, but age may be the least relevant number on his resume. Miller, who spent time away from baseball while on a two-year church mission, has hit 100 mph multiple times and has topped out at 101 this year in the BayBears’ bullpen. He first occupied a set-up role before advancing to closer when the Diamondbacks called up power righty Enrique Burgos in late April. “It’s hard not to like 97, 98, 100, 101 (mph),” farm director Mike Bell said of Miller’s velocity. Miller went 1-1, 3.00 with five saves in his first 14 appearances at Mobile with 20 strikeouts and four walks in 15 innings. “We drafted him because we knew…

SAN FRANCISCO A remarkably stable, poised and effective bullpen is among the major reasons the Giants have won three of the past five World Series. It is a tough group to crack. Spend a week at Triple-A Sacramento and it’s easy to understand exactly how hard it is. The River Cats relief crew has enough talent to compare favorably with several big league bullpens. Righthander Hunter Strickland, who gave up a record-tying six home runs last postseason, had a 1.74 ERA for Sacramento through 14 games with 22 strikeouts against three walks—and, most importantly, zero homers allowed—in 21 innings. Righty Cody Hall, a no-nonsense hardthrower with a much improved slider, had a 1.33 ERA in 13 games. Lefthander Steven Okert, coming off a dominant Arizona Fall League, had a 0.55…

The Carolina Mudcats (Carolina) postponed a three-game series and sent several players to the disabled list after the team bus for the Braves affiliate flipped onto its side while traveling to Myrtle Beach in May. The Abbott Trailways bus crashed around 3:45 a.m. after being detoured to Clarendon Chadbourn Road near the North Carolina-South Carolina border. According to Mudcats general manager Joe Kremer, the bus was unable to make a turn, flipped onto its side and skidded several hundred yards. Kay Worley, the Columbus County, N.C., emergency services director, told WECT.com that 33 people were on the bus and that eight, including seven players, were taken to the hospital with injuries that did not appear to be serious. The Braves declined to identify which players were hurt and the nature…

LOS ANGELES When the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman away from the Rays and allowed him to remake the baseball operations from the top down, out-of-the-box thinking became a part of the organizational gameplan. They have applied that thinking to their handling of precocious pitching prospect Julio Urias. The 18-year-old Urias will be shut down for a month at midseason in order to have surgery on his left eye to repair a defect that causes his eyelid to droop. The surgery, scheduled for May 28 in Phoenix, was to be strictly cosmetic and elective on Urias’ part. Urias had a tumor removed from that eye as a child, having three operations that caused the eyelid to droop. The condition never hampered Urias’ sight— or his pitching ability—and Urias responded to reporters’…

Columnist, MLB Network BOSTON In the rearview of a four-game sweep of the Mets, the view of the young Cubs’ rise to the forefront of the baseball landscape became something far greater than an Old Style in the seventh inning stretch or a singalong. This is now dead serious. And driving the forces of extraordinary young players such as Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Jorge Soler—with waves to come—has been Anthony Rizzo. His influence comes from his emergence as one of the most dominant offensive forces in the game. But it is also that he is just two years older than Bryant and so his leadership is really more meaningful than that of a presence in his mid-30s. Not that Cubs assistant general manager Jason McLeod is in the least…

RALEIGH, N.C. Kyle Funkhouser helped his team win. The Louisville righthander has had a rough stretch, but on a warm May evening against North Carolina State, he fought through spotty fastball command, an iffy breaking ball and mechanical issues to still give his team a quality start. Six innings, seven hits and four walks but just two runs, and seven strikeouts—a solid, unspectacular line. For the scouts on hand, including at least three scouting directors from teams in the first 20 selections, it wasn’t good enough to keep Funkhouser and his slide down the first round from being one of the stories of the draft. Funkhouser has given the draft class just what it did not need—another enigma to figure out by June 8, when the three days of draft…

BEST ATHLETE COLLEGE: Richie Martin, Kyle Holder, Dansby Swanson HIGH SCHOOL: Marquise Doherty, Demi Orimoloye, Jahmai Jones BEST PURE HITTER COLLEGE: Andrew Benintendi, Ian Happ, Kevin Newman HIGH SCHOOL: Cornelius Randolph, Brendan Rodgers, Nick Plummer BEST POWER HITTER COLLEGE: Chris Shaw, David Thompson, Christin Stewart HIGH SCHOOL: Luken Baker, Kolten Kendrick, Josh Naylor FASTEST RUNNER COLLEGE: Cam Gibson, Steven Duggar, Donnie Dewees HIGH SCHOOL: Alonzo Jones, Eric Jenkins, Garrett Whitley BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER COLLEGE: Kyle Holder, Taylor Ward, Austin Rei HIGH SCHOOL: Lucas Herbert, Tyler Stephenson, Brendan Rodgers BEST ARM COLLEGE: Drew Jackson, Taylor Ward, Austin Rei HIGH SCHOOL: Luken Baker, Demi Orimoloye, Tyler Stephenson BEST FASTBALL COLLEGE: Josh Staumont, Dillon Tate, Riley Ferrell HIGH SCHOOL: Donny Everett, Justin Hooper, Beau Burrows BEST BREAKING BALL COLLEGE: Carson Fulmer, Dillon Tate,…

Unlike the last two years, it’s unlikely that any senior will be picked in the top two rounds of the 2015 draft. But there are plenty of seniors who will provide noteworthy talent to go with a bargain price tag. Here are 10 who should go quickly in the draft and potentially move quickly in the minors. Tanner Rainey, rhp, West Alabama A transfer who didn’t play much at Southeast Louisiana, Rainey could move quickly thanks to a mid-90s fastball and above-average slider but he also has a chance to start. Austin Byler, 1b, Nevada Byler returned to Nevada after being drafted in the ninth round last year by the Nationals. He is a three-true-outcomes player—home runs, walks and plenty of strikeouts. Josh Tobias, 3b, Florida Tobias returned to switch-hitting…

When your immediate predecessors are a No. 1 overall pick and a College World Series Most Outstanding Player, you’ve got a lot to live up to. James Kaprielian’s been doing that for two years, following in the footsteps of Gerrit Cole and Adam Plutko as UCLA’s Friday night starter. Now he can say he’s carved out his own place in the Bruins’ pitching legacy. After the fact, Kaprielian himself admits to being surprised when he heard the stat—the Bruins had never thrown a no-hitter in their history. Not with Cole or Trevor Bauer or Plutko or any of the other standout arms to come through Westwood on head coach John Savage’s watch, or his predecessor Gary Adams. A no-hitter certainly wasn’t on his mind when he took the mound on…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ ST. PETERSBURG President of baseball operations Matt Silverman was discussing the quandary a rash of injuries had left the big league pitching staff in when someone mentioned the name of the hottest hurler in the game. “We’re not allowed to talk about Blake Snell yet,’’ Silverman quipped. Everyone else has been, though. The 22-year-old lefthander ripped through the first month and a half of the season without allowing a run in 40 innings. He earned a promotion from high Class A Charlotte to Double-A Montgomery on May 1. “I’m just locating the ball and trusting my stuff,’’ Snell said of his early success. “I felt really confident going into this year. Having a really good offseason helped prepare me…

NEW YORK As of May 14, Aaron Judge had played in 187 pro games, including the Arizona Fall League, and had hit .307, slugged .494 and connected for 27 homers and driven in 113 runs. The 23-year-old right fielder’s first stab at Double-A Trenton popped eyes from all directions. Judge turned up the power in May, when through the first 13 games of the month he hit .364 with six doubles and three home runs. He upped his average from .295 to .323. “It’s not so much that he is hot,” said special adviser Reggie Jackson, who spends time with Yankees minor leaguers. “He is the best player in the (Eastern League) and (the opposition) is overmatched by him.” Trenton manager Al Pedrique said Judge, a 2013 first-round pick from…

ATLANTA In a six-week period, righthander Matt Wisler discovered firsthand how fast life can change for a professional baseball player. The Padres’ No. 1 prospect heading into the season, he had just arrived at Triple-A El Paso when he was told to head east. The 22-yearold Wisler joined the Braves on April 5 as the headlining prospect San Diego surrendered to acquire closer Craig Kimbrel. “It happened right before Opening Day, so it was a shock,” Wisler said. “It took a while for everything to sink in, but once it did I realized what a great opportunity (joining Atlanta) could be.” The deal made Wisler the top pitching prospect in the Braves organization, and he responded by tossing five shutout innings in his season debut for Triple-A Gwinnett. He got…

WASHINGTON The way Cutter Dykstra saw it this past offseason, his best opportunity was to stay put. The 25-year-old could have become a minor league free agent, but he decided to re-sign with the organization that acquired him in trade four years ago. Then Dykstra broke camp at Triple-A for the first time, and he batted .205/.340/.256 through 25 games for Syracuse while playing second base on an everyday basis. “I feel like I built a good relationship with the Nationals, and it feels like home to me,” Dykstra said. “I didn’t feel like it was the right time to make a move.” The son of former big leaguer Lenny Dykstra, he prides himself on being able to get on base. He reached in 18 of his first 20 games…

DETROIT Righthander Artie Lewicki hit a bump in the road after only one start at low Class A West Michigan this season, but he has pitched effectively in limited action since his selection in the eighth round of the 2014 draft. The Tigers placed Lewicki on the disabled list with a right pectoral strain, but they still see a lot of promise in the 23-year-old out of Virginia, even though he’s just getting started in his professional career. Lewicki made 11 relief appearances and one start in 2014, which he spent mostly at West Michigan. Since he throws four pitches, he could remain a starter over the long haul. “He has an average to above-average fastball,” assistant general manager Al Avila said. “His four-seamer is 92-95 (mph) and his twoseamer,…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CINCINNATI Last year, outfielder Phillip Ervin didn’t hit his first home run until May 14—in his 37th game of the season. On May 13 this year, the 2013 first-round pick hit his eighth home run of the season at high Class A Daytona, not only topping his mark through the first month of 2014, but also his season total of seven. To this point, Ervin reminds the Reds of the former Samford star they drafted, and not the player who logged a poor .680 OPS at low Class A Dayton a year ago. Ervin hit .264/.356/.486 through his first 37 games this season. The Reds felt confident that much of Ervin’s trouble last season was attributable to a wrist…

PITTSBURGH Josh Bell began making the conversion from right field to first base last fall. In the winter, he decided to also start looking the part. Bell used a power-lifting program to add 14 pounds to his 6-foot-3 frame. He now weighs an imposing 244 pounds and is one the top physical specimens on the Double-A Altoona roster. “I want to be one of those guys who puts a little fear in the other team’s pitcher when he looks at me from across the field,” Bell said. The 22-year-old has been instilling fear into Eastern League pitchers a year after winning the high Class A Florida State League batting (.335) and slugging (.502) titles on his way to the league’s MVP award. The switch-hitter hit .323/.396/.449 through 33 games this…

HOUSTON Almost a week before being promoted to Triple-A Fresno, shortstop Carlos Correa jokingly pestered Double-A Corpus Christi manager Rodney Linares after the Astros promoted shortstop Chan Moon to Fresno on May 7. “You’re sure you’re not looking for me?” Linares remembered the Astros’ top prospect asking him repeatedly as he looked for Moon to inform him of his promotion to Fresno. “You’re sure you’re not looking for me?” Linares then turned to the silky shortstop and said, “Carlos, your time will come.” Sure enough, Linares informed Correa on May 11 that he was headed to Fresno, moving one step closer to the majors. “I’m going to go to Fresno to play good baseball and try to reach my goals and my dreams,” Correa said. General manager Jeff Luhnow even…

SEATTLE Corner outfielder Alex Jackson’s first full season in the minors has taken a detour. The No. 6 overall pick last June out of Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego was transferred from low Class A Clinton to extended spring training in late May. Jackson hit just .157/.240/.213 with six doubles, no home runs and 13 RBIs in 28 games. He had 35 strikeouts and six walks in 108 at-bats. His demotion didn’t result from poor numbers alone. Jackson was fighting an aching left shoulder, so farm director Chris Gwynn decided it was time to shut him down. “His left shoulder has been bothering him,” Gwynn said. “He hurt it in spring training diving for the ball.” The 19-year-old Jackson will meet with the Mariners’ medical staff to have the…

LOS ANGELES Righthander Ross Stripling didn’t realize how much he missed PFPs—the monotonous spring training ritual of pitcher fielding practice. “PFP and pickoff drills—things that I used to despise—I was out there this spring, thinking, ‘All right, I get to do this again,’ ” the 25-year-old righthander said. “It reminds you how much you want to play, how much you love this game.” Stripling sat out the entire 2014 season after having two surgeries on his pitching elbow, one to remove loose bodies in preparation for Tommy John surgery. A fifth-round pick out of Texas A&M in 2012, he had reached Double-A in 2013, establishing himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization and earning an invitation to big league spring training. That’s when Stripling started feeling…

It’s one small step for baseball, one giant leap for the Atlantic League. Very quietly this January, the Atlantic League signed an agreement with Major League Baseball to formalize the league’s rules for transferring player contracts to major league teams and their affiliates. In practical terms, little has changed. The Atlantic League has been selling the contracts of hundreds of players to affiliated ball in past years. The new agreement doesn’t change that. At the same time, though, the agreement is a watershed moment for the Atlantic League. It is the first time any league from Organized Baseball has made an official acknowledgement of an independent league. That it’s Major League Baseball and an actual contract between the two bodies gives it even more significance. “It signifies that we occupy…

Baseball Analyst, Senior Writer ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA Bryce Harper doesn’t need a hitting coach these days. He needs an air traffic controller. A four-game stretch in May with six home runs and an incredible 2,504 feet worth of long balls. Not to mention a double, three singles, 13 RBIs and eight runs scored. All in just 17 trips to the plate. He hit another three homers over his next seven games to bring his total to a National League-best 14 (to go with a .338/.476/.729 average), but let’s focus on that four-game stretch for now. And if you had a feeling that no one as young as Harper has ever had a four-game stretch quite like this, congratulations. You’ve got that right. I’ll fill you in on those details in a…

POWER OR PRECISION? If you were a general manager at a draft, would you rather take a guy with 80 power or 80 command? MATT SIMMS YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA Interesting question. The cop-out answer is that there are too many other variables to be able to answer the question as presented. Is the top-of-the-scale power raw (I assume) or productive power? What does the hitter’s hit tool look like? For the pitcher, is it a pitcher who is throwing 80-85 mph with impeccable command, or is he able to run it up there 90-94 mph with at least an average fastball? Does he have a solid second pitch? Those answers would alter dramatically the decision. But let’s assume the 80 power guy has a questionable hit tool and is…

Columnist, MLB.com DENVER Approached by a reporter in May in Anaheim, Troy Tulowitzki seemed taken back by speculation that he might ask to be traded. “I have no idea where (the reports) are coming from,’’ he said. Fortunately, Tulowitzki had a meeting with his agent Paul Cohen in Los Angeles, like he does every time Colorado visits Los Angeles. Cohen can explain the latest outburst of Tulowitzki trade rumors. Cohen, after all, is the one who drove them when he told the New York Post’s Joel Sherman that he was going to meet with Tulowitzki and discuss the possibility of asking for a trade. Tulowitzki has tried to downplay the subject for more than three years, but he never shuts the door. After meeting with Cohen, he told reporters that…

1. Diamondbacks: Tyler Stephenson, c, Kennesaw Mountain (Ga.) HS 2. Astros: Dansby Swanson, ss, Vanderbilt 3. Rockies: Brendan Rodgers, ss, Lake Mary (Fla.) HS 4. Rangers: Dillon Tate, rhp, UC Santa Barbara 5. Astros: Carson Fulmer, rhp, Vanderbilt 6. Twins: Daz Cameron, of, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, McDonough, Ga. 7. Red Sox: Alex Bregman, ss, LSU 8. White Sox: Tyler Jay, lhp, Illinois 9. Cubs: Andrew Benintendi, of, Arkansas 10. Phillies: Jon Harris, rhp, Missouri State 11. Reds: Kyle Tucker, of, Plant (Fla.) HS 12. Marlins: Trenton Clark, of, Richland Hills HS, North Richland Hills, Texas 13. Rays: Garrett Whitley, of, Niskayuna (N.Y.) HS 14. Braves: Donny Everett, rhp, Clarksville (Tenn.) HS 15. Brewers: Kyle Funkhouser, rhp, Louisville 16. Yankees: James Kaprielian, rhp, UCLA 17. Indians: Walker Buehler, rhp, Vanderbilt…

Teams pick in reverse order of their 2014 winning percentage. Adjustments are made based on free agents who rejected qualifying offers from their previous clubs. Teams that sign such free agents lose a first-round pick, unless the pick is in the top 10, in which case the team will forfeit its next pick. Clubs that lose qualifying free agents gain a pick in the compensation round, immediately after the first round. The order of the compensation round is determined by the reverse order of the 2014 standings. Teams also receive a pick if they failed to sign a player selected in the first three rounds of last year’s draft. Teams with the 10 lowest revenues and in the 10 smallest markets are eligible to receive selections in the competitive balance…

Basball America’s Top 200 Draft Prospects list is compiled by editorial assistant Hudson Belinsky, national writer Teddy Cahill, managing editor J.J. Cooper and editor John Manuel. They gathered information from scouts, crosscheckers, scouting directors and college coaches, whose names we do not publish in exchange for their candor. Our rankings are based on our assessments of players’ talent, not their signability or where we think they will be drafted. Our final predraft ranking, the BA 500 is avaliable at BaseballAmerica.com. Online Now Full scouting reports on all these players, and hundreds more. Go to BaseballAmerica.com.…

MCDONOUGH, GA. Daz Cameron grew up in major league clubhouses, as he tagged along throughout his father Mike Cameron’s career. He was on the field for the home run derby in 2001 when his father made the All-Star Game, and he regularly accompanied his father to work until Mike retired in February 2012, when Daz was 15. As a result, Daz’s education in the game began early. He began shagging fly balls during batting practice when he was in elementary school and got tips in all aspects of the game from his father’s teammates. But, naturally, no one has taught Daz more about baseball than Mike. “My dad helped me with what I’m supposed to do right,” Daz said. “My dad’s been that guy that has taken me under his…

BALTIMORE The month of April belonged to high Class A Frederick third baseman Drew Dosch. The rest of the calendar looks promising, as well. The Orioles named Dosch their minor league player of the month after he batted .291/.360/.443 with eight extra-base hits (including five doubles) and 18 RBIs in 21 games. The 22-year-old continued hitting, and in mid-May he led the Carolina League with 39 hits and 26 RBIs while batting .295. Dosch finished seventh in the South Atlantic League last year with a .314 average at low Class A Delmarva. “You have the obvious challenges that every step you go, the game gets a little faster and the players get a little better,” Dosch told MASNsports.com. “But then in this league, there are (just) eight teams in the…

TORONTO The raw power that prompted the Blue Jays to make third baseman Mitch Nay a supplemental first-round pick in 2012 hadn’t fully translated into games during his first two pro seasons, so roving hitting instructor Mike Barnett suggested a change last fall. “Naturally (Mitch) is a middle-of-the-field (hitter),” said assistant general manager Tony LaCava, who oversees the farm system. “They felt they wanted to get together and try to pull the ball a little more. Instead of looking to right-center (field), he should take the approach of looking at left-center.” So far, results for Nay at high Class A Dunedin have been slow in coming. Through 30 games, he batted .200/.288/.264 with just five extra-base hits, including one home run. Given that the Chandler, Ariz., high school product also…

GREENSBORO, N.C. With the second pick in last year’s draft, the Marlins could have gone with Carlos Rodon, a lefthander from North Carolina State who had to the potential to shoot quickly to the majors. Miami passed on Rodon, though, to select Tyler Kolek, a Shepherd, Texas, prep righthander who already had pushed his fastball beyond 100 mph. Rodon went off the board one pick later, and already is in the rotation with the White Sox. Kolek, on the other hand, entered the season at low Class A Greensboro, where he’s slowly being sculpted into the pitcher the Marlins believe will be well worth the No. 2 overall selection and $6 million bonus. The Marlins asked the 19-year-old to focus on fastball command to start the year, and to do…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ CHICAGO Up and down the system, the White Sox are stacked with center fielders. Adam Eaton is off to a slow start at the major league level, but the club likes his aggressive game and signed him to a five-year, $23.5 million extension in late March. At Triple-A Charlotte, Trayce Thompson hit .261/.310/.425 with 13 extra-base hits through 36 games. At Double-A Birmingham, Jacob May hit .299/.360/.361 with 19 stolen bases through 37 games. Then there’s high Class A Winston-Salem center fielder Adam Engel. “Adam is a dynamic player,” assistant director of player development and scouting Del Matthews said. A 19th-round pick out of Louisville in 2013, Engel hit .293/.374/.440 with 12 extrabase hits and 20 stolen bases through…

KANSAS CITY Balbino Fuenmayor went from a bonus baby to a bust. A stint in independent ball and an organizational change have put the Double-A Northwest Arkansas first baseman back on the prospect map, nine years after he signed his first pro contract as a Venezuelan amateur. Fuenmayor signed with the Blue Jays for $1.15 million at age 16 in 2006 and immediately ranked as the organization’s No. 10 prospect that offseason. He never advanced past low Class A Lansing with the Blue Jays, who released him in May 2013. He hit .244/.282/.379 in nearly 1,000 at-bats and parts of four seasons at Lansing. Fuenmayor finished the 2013 season in the independent American Association before resurrecting his career with Quebec of the Can-Am League in 2014. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Fuenmayor…

CHICAGO As if the Cubs’ blockbuster trade with the Athletics last July didn’t look one-sided enough with shortstop prospect Addison Russell joining the big league team this spring, check out the “other” prospect Chicago received in that deal for righthanders Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. “I think people quickly forgot, ‘Hey, wait, he was a first-round draft pick the year before,’ ” general manager Jed Hoyer said of outfielder Billy McKinney. “I think for him it’s probably been a great thing. He’s sort of been lost in the shuffle, with the focus on Addison.” The 20-year-old McKinney, whom Oakland selected out of Plano (Texas) West High in 2013, has looked anything but lost this season, quickly earning a promotion from high Class A Myrtle Beach to Double-A Tennessee only one…

ST. LOUIS When last left exposed in the Rule 5 draft in 2013 and passed over by the other 29 teams, first baseman Xavier Scruggs knew he had to add more to his game without limiting the skill that kept him in the game. “There are only so many guys in your organization who have the ability to hit 20-plus home runs every year,” big league manager Mike Matheny said, “and he’s one of those.” The 27-year-old Scruggs opened the season at Triple-A Memphis, and other than a twoday cameo in the majors he’s spent the entire season there. He took a .221/.379/.481 line into late May with six home runs, but also nearly as many walks (24) as strikeouts (30). Scruggs has, in the past two years, slimmed down,…

ANAHEIM When Jerry Dipoto took over as general manager after the 2011 season, the former big league reliever stressed the importance of controlling the strike zone. He instructed Angels scouts to look for pitchers who not only had good stuff but who consistently threw strikes. Instructors and coaches, under the guidance of roving pitching coordinator Jim Gott, emphasized that message at every level of the system. The results are now tangible. In April, Angels minor league pitchers ranked first among all organizations with a 2.85 strikeoutto-walk ratio, averaging 8.7 strikeouts and 3.1 walks per nine innings. “I think it starts with the draft, “ said Scott Servais, assistant GM in charge of player development. “If you draft guys who can throw strikes, they can usually throw strikes in pro ball.”…

For statistics, organization reports, prospect lists and recent drafts, check out: baseballamerica.com/t/organization-reports/ DENVER Five weeks into the season, reliever Scott Oberg called his first taste of the big leagues “exciting,” a succinct way to describe the steep portion of the learning curve. That’s where the 25-year-old righthander resides, and that’s where mistakes can be very costly, as he discovered. It’s where a young pitcher can have his confidence tested, but not shaken, in the case of Oberg. “I know I can pitch here,” he said. After one scoreless outing to start the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, Oberg moved up to the Rockies when John Axford took a family emergency leave. Colorado optioned Oberg but recalled him two days later when closer LaTroy Hawkins went on the disabled list. Colorado drafted Oberg…

SAN DIEGO The day the Padres drafted high school catcher Austin Hedges, scouts graded his defense so highly they believed the San Juan Capistrano, Calif., product would reach the majors one day regardless of how his bat developed. When the promotion finally came this May, one month shy of four years since San Diego made him a second-round pick and signed him for $3 million, Hedges was, in fact, regarded as the top defensive catching prospect in the game. If Hedges also proved to be more than a smooth defender with a strong arm by hitting .324/.392/.521 in 21 games at Triple-A El Paso this season, he remembered what brought him from the Pacific Coast League to the majors. Meshing with Padres pitchers, Hedges said after a victorious first major…

MANCHESTER, N.H. Rockies shortstop Trevor Story and catcher Tom Murphy have better raw numbers than center fielder David Dahl. Yet after watching Double-A New Britain’s three-game series at New Hampshire in mid-May and speaking with those who have seen the team play earlier this season, it was clear that Dahl was the best prospect on the field. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Dahl is a 21-yearold with a loose, whippy swing from the left side. With a compact stroke and terrific hand speed, he’s an excellent fastball hitter, keeping the bat head in the zone a long time, going with the pitch and using the whole field. Dahl has a knack for the barrel, generates loft and has the physical projection to grow into more power with natural strength progression, giving…

Adrian Beltre is one of three active players with at least 300 home runs and four Gold Gloves. Can you name the other two? » ALL OR NOTHING: Hanley Ramirez is back at work—and here’s what he’s working on: one of the weirdest seasons ever. Before he banged up his shoulder, Hanley hit 10 homers in April—but no doubles and no triples. So how many other players ever had an April like that, with double-digit homers but no other extra-base hits? Yup. Not a one. »DOUBLES DROUGHT: Speaking of the no-doubles club . . . once upon a time, from 2005-08, Chase Utley averaged 42 doubles a year. It took him all the way until May 10 to hit even one double this season, in his 106th plate appearance. OK,…