Just under two weeks ago, I moved from the cool Midwest to balmy North Florida. There are many benefits of my new domicile, but one of the greatest is my proximity to Daytona Beach, and, thus, the Daytona Cubs. Thanks to a week of powerful rainstorms from tropical storm Andrea, the D-Cubs had a doubleheader on Sunday night and I settled into my fourth row seat directly behind the plate for 14 innings of baseball with Ben Wells and a radar gun sitting right in front of me.
Below are my musings on the players I saw. I have tried my darndest to avoid letting my preconceived notions of the players skew my thoughts. That will be particularly difficult with some. Regardless, here are my notes that I took during the game and my thoughts on the players with a few hours to digest what I saw.
Before beginning, it is essential to know the competition. The Brevard County Manatees' Game 1 starter was Cody Scarpetta. The beefy righty was the number two prospect in the Brewers system three years ago, but 2012 Tommy John surgery has derailed his career; his June 9th start was just his second since returning to the mound. He worked at 88-91 with a hitch in his delivery that made timing a bit tricky. He also threw a sweeping curveball in the high-70s. Unfortunately for Scarpetta, he is in the early stages of recovery and showed the typical lack of command. Scarpetta lasted just 2 2/3 innings. His replacement, Chad Pierce, threw almost identical pitches, although he worked more regularly in the high-80s for his 2 1/3 innings. The Game 1 catcher, Cameron Garfield, had a 20 arm.
The Game 2 starting pitcher, lanky lefty Brent Suter, enjoyed far more success over his 5 1/3 innings, but he did so with even less stuff. He worked at 84-86, hitting 88 a couple of times, regularly mixing in a 67-70 slurve. He also occasionally threw a harder curve at 78. Suter had tremendous command of his two main pitches, although it did begin to falter as the Cubs rallied in the sixth.
One final note: I wrote the comments below for all of the batters on Sunday night, so any comments about Javier Baez are unaffected by his game-of-the-year performance on Monday. Without further adieu, we're on to the Cubs.
John Andreoli, LF
Stats: 2-5, 2 BB, 2 SO, 4 R, 3 SB
Notes: Great approach; first strikeout was horrible call by umpire, should have been another walk; very good speed; runs bases well but safely; nearly killed pitcher with screaming comebacker; started G2-winning rally by beating out tough infield single; while DHing in Game 1, was in the dugout with his helmet and batting gloves on, bat in hand, dissecting his next plate trip with the hitting coach; appears eminently coachable with good leadership skills
Thoughts: I was thoroughly impressed by Andreoli. He did not put a ball in play in four plate appearances in Game 1 yet looked fantastic doing so, showing a keen awareness of the strike zone. In Game 2, Andreoli made excellent, loud contact twice. He doesn't appear to have any power projection, but the rest of his game looks good enough to get a cup of coffee.
Projection: MLB 5th outfielder
Tim Saunders, 2B
Stats: 2-3, 2B, BB, SO, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB
Notes: Opened G1 scoring by taking a nice easy swing to line a high fastball for a 1B up the middle; too fast for horrible catcher; reacted well to pitches, using all fields; good speed; good athlete; should handle 2B fine
Thoughts: I had heard plenty about Saunders, a former 32nd rounder. He looked like a natural, especially at the plate. His approach was quiet but sound, leading to good swings at hittable pitches. He won't have any power in his game.
Projection: Fringe MLB reserve
Zeke DeVoss, CF
Stats: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, R, RBI, 3 SB
Notes: Good athlete in smallish frame; looks almost uncomfortable hitting left-handed; very natural right-handed; smooth, powerful stroke from right side; covers plenty of ground in CF; extremely aggressive lead offs
Thoughts: I was excited to see DeVoss, supposedly a relatively polished offensive prospect from Florida State. Overall, I was disappointed in his offensive game despite strong numbers and arguably the best hit ball of the night into the left-center gap. I'm likely blinded by how uncomfortable he looked hitting as a lefty. He likely won't have any power in his game.
Projection: Non-MLB
Javier Baez, SS
Stats: 1-5, 2B, 2 BB, SO, RBI, 2 SB
Notes: Just missed crushing a high fastball, hitting towering fly to center; takes a SOOYA (Swing Out Of Your A..) everytime; screamed liner just foul on 92 pulled inside fastball; looked awful striking out chasing curve in dirt outside; chased high fastball on 2-0; runner caught in rundown, but Baez threw ball into stands on a wild, out of control throw, costing team a run; showed good composure taking back-to-back questionable outside strikes, then lacing a 2-strike 2B into RCF gap; badly pulled off on a meatball changeup - staring at LF wall when swinging; enough speed - both steals came against strong defensive catcher; extremely heads up steal of uncovered 3B; very discerning in final PA; very good range and fluid motions fielding batted balls; nonchalant approach when fielding pop-ups
Thoughts: I was giddy to see Baez in person. While there were some disappointments, there was also way more than enough to encourage. He has a very high energy approach to all phases of the game, repeatedly making diving attempts on clear ground ball singles, keeping two of them in the infield, and taking vicious cuts on every swing. I was alternately impressed and frustrated by his aggressiveness. I hated the errant throw and chasing an up-out-of-the-zone 2-0 fastball; I loved how loud all of his contact was and how he keenly swiped an uncovered 3B. I had been hopeful that Baez could reach Chicago as a regular by 2015, but he will need more seasoning to reach his very high ceiling, even if his approach at the plate was more advanced that I expected to see. He drew back-to-back walks off of Suter, a command-and-control lefty with a pristine 1.85 BB/9 entering the game, including a beautiful plate appearance during the game-winning rally where he swung at hittable pitches and watched balls. The offensive ceiling is stratospheric. He likely can make it as an MLB SS, but he lacks the range/arm combination of Starlin Castro, so I think a move to 2B or 3B - given his strong arm - may be in his rather distant future.
Projection: MLB regular with good power, #2 or #5 hitter; will push for All-Star appearances
Jorge Soler, RF
Stats: 1-7, 2B, 2 RBI
Notes: Four ugly first-pitch swings, 3x with RISP; unnecessarily aggressive at plate; looks stiff with basic movements; scouts behind me commented that he doesn't run out grounders/pop-ups; with 2 strikes, opposing pitchers looked to breaking ball every time; crushed mistake pitch on inner half off LF wall; three nubbers - too excited?; took a defensive swing on 1-1 fastball; tremendous jump on sinking line drive down the line - made a rather tough play look easy
Thoughts: I was most excited to see Soler, and he left me feeling disappointed and questioning his ceiling. He made tons of contact, so much so that I worry about his ability to work counts. He regularly reached out of the zone and made enough contact to put the ball in play, but only once did he display a powerful swing. Perhaps he deserves more credit for knocking in a pair of runs with grounders, but I expect more from a middle-of-the-order bat. I was expecting him to be a more dynamic athlete. He could still prove to be an impact player, but his approach at the plate needs to be much more focused on making powerful contact, not merely avoiding 2-strike counts. I was also disappointed that it took him so long to reach top speed as a baserunner. If he is to have any base stealing ability, he needs to put in a lot of work on his takeoff. He should have no trouble sticking in RF and will be an asset there defensively.
Projection: MLB regular with good power, #5 hitter; could still be #4 hitter with polished approach
Dustin Geiger, 1B
Stats: 3-6, HR, BB, SO, 4 RBI
Notes: Good approach; good swing; looks a bit small for 1B; smooth action at the plate; plays with confidence
Thoughts: What a pleasant surprise. I was familiar with Geiger's solid production entering the game, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the 1B. Geiger hit the doubleheader's only home run, a fly into the LCF gap. His offensive game appeared very advanced with a good feel for the zone complemented by a smooth, strong swing. Every time he got a pitch over the inner half, he crushed it. Geiger likely won't ever hit for enough power to be an everyday first baseman at the Major League level, but there is enough to like in his offensive profile to think that he can be an asset on a 25-man roster. With Rizzo and Vogelbach on board, Geiger, 21, could make for trade bait at some point.
Projection: MLB reserve, good bench bat
Ben Carhart, 3B
Stats: 1-5, 2B, BB, 2 SO, R
Notes: Laced 2B to right field corner; very solid defensively; stocky
Thoughts: Carhart looks the part of a player who is maxed out at Daytona. He isn't overmatched at all, but he does not appear to have the skills to keep climbing the organizational ladder. The defense is really nice with very smooth movements and a calm approach to fielding. It's just clear that he isn't even supposed to be the starter in A ball, only getting the gig with Stephen Bruno recovering from a hamstring injury.
Projection: Non-MLB
Chadd Krist, C
Stats: 1-3, 2 SO
Notes: None
Thoughts: Krist didn't stand out at all. He doesn't appear to have any special skills. He actually reminded me quite a bit of Steve Clevenger: very solid defensively with a good offensive approach but no tools. There is no power potential in his swing or his frame. That plays reasonably well in the low minors, but that's about it.
Projection: Non-MLB
Wes Darvill, 2B
Stats: 1-3, SO
Notes: Very lanky, looks awkward in that he hasn't really grown into his gangly frame yet; compact swing
Thoughts: Darvill looked like the athletic British Columbian he is. He is a good baseball player, but in many ways he still has the look of someone figuring out the game. He has no power in his frame which explains his very compact swing. Even if everything comes together for him, his offensive profile isn't exciting, even if he nearly killed the pitcher with a screaming comebacker. At times he looks like he's playing softball offensively.
Projection: Non-MLB
Yaniel Cabezas, DH (C)
Stats: 0-2, DP
Notes: None
Thoughts: While Krist will likely climb to Tennessee or even Iowa before his prospect train stalls out, Cabezas is already completely overmatched. I was actually surprised to see him playing professional ball. I assumed that he was very young, still acclimating to the United States. Turns out he is 24. Perhaps he has excellent defensive skills; I just didn't see anything encouraging.
Projection: Non-MLB
Taiwan Easterling, LF
Stats: 0-3, 2 SO
Notes: None
Thoughts: I have seen Easterling's name pop up plenty of times while searching through minor league box scores, so I know that he has done enough things to generate at least a bit of excitement. I just don't see it. He isn't athletic enough for a corner outfield profile with no power in his game. He did make a nice throw to the plate trying to cut down a runner, though he missed just up the third base line.
Projection: Non-MLB
Taylor Davis, C
Stats: 0-2
Notes: None
Thoughts: Davis didn't show anything that suggested he will climb the ladder beyond Daytona, although he did not appear poor defensively.
Projection: Non-MLB
Kyler Burke, SP
Stats: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 2B allowed, 1 BB, 5 SO, 2 R, 1 ER, Win
Notes: Good running action on fastball; worked at 87-88 through three innings, hitting 89; slider had some two plane break at 79-81, but only threw 2-3 times; bottom fell out of excellent changeup at 78-81; routinely fooled hitters with changeup, his strikeout pitch; command issues with changeup early in game; no feel for curveball whatsoever in first three innings, warm-ups included; plenty of curveballs second time through the lineup, working in the mid-70s; very little stamina: fastball velocity down to 84-86, hitting 87, by fourth inning
Thoughts: I was excited about seeing Burke on the bump having followed his career as an outfielder since the Cubs acquired him for Michael Barrett. Upon seeing Burke's first few deliveries, I had a pair of unconnected thoughts. First, he lacks the velocity to make it as a starting pitcher. Second, his delivery is very smooth, stunningly so for a converted outfielder. His mechanics were very repeatable, except on his curveball. He didn't overpower anyone with his heater. However, his changeup is a Major League caliber offering. I don't think that he can squeeze any more velocity out of his arm, but he should absolutely head to Tennessee immediately to see if he might be able to make it to Chicago soon. Despite the mid-career switch to the mound, he is too advanced for Florida State League hitters. He will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason.
Projection: Fringe MLB reliever
P.J. Francescon, SP
Stats: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 2B allowed, 2 BB, 7 SO, 2 R, 2 ER
Notes: Good tailing fastball; worked 90-92, dropped to 88 a few times, hit 94 a few times; does not appear to have any downward movement; show-me slider used sparingly, at 82; poor command of slider; excellent changeup at 81-84; changeup has identical movement to fastball and mechanically identical to fastball; good command and control of changeup; loopy slurve at 76, worked in regularly the second time through but left up in zone
Thoughts: It's hard to be excited about a 5'11", 24-year-old 40th round pick from Trevecca Nazarene, but it happened to me. Francescon struck out the leadoff man to begin the game, then surrendered four consecutive hits before retiring 11 in a row, including four via strikeout. His stat line is deceptively poor; after allowing a leadoff 2B in the fifth followed by a sacrifice bunt, Francescon utilized his open bases, unintentionally intentionally walking the two dangerous lefties he faced and striking our the second and fourth hitting righties. A pair of truly horrendous starts are largely responsible for his middling line on the year - he allowed seven runs in three innings in an April start and was left in to allow 10 runs in five innings in May. The pitcher that I saw should climb the ladder with a shot to pitch in the Show in a couple of years. He won't have a long MLB career if he makes it, but he has more stuff than many Major Leaguers and enough pitchability to make it work.
Projection: MLB spot starter or short-term long reliever
Yao-Lin Wang, RP
Stats: 2 IP, 2 H, SO
Notes: Threw almost exclusively fastballs; worked 88-90, reaching back for 92; little movement on heater; decent curveball with 10-to-4 movement; really lived off of his fastball; deliberate, drawn out delivery with the speed of Hideo Nomo
Thoughts: I know that Wang has produced some nice results as a pro, but I didn't see much to excite. His fastball is too straight for the low-90s, and I didn't see him throw a changeup despite his tossing approximately 40 pitches. His body should be able to handle plenty of innings; I just doubt that the results will continue for long enough to justify giving him too many.
Projection: Non-MLB
Eduardo Figueroa, RP
Stats: 2 IP, H, BB, 4 SO, Win
Notes: Big, electric fastball; sat at 94, hitting 95 and 96 once each; hung one changeup at 85; tight, downward breaking slider at 82-85; absolutely embarrassed hitters with his slider; shattered a bat with an inside fastball; lost control with two outs in the 7th
Thoughts: Where in the world did he come from? Figueroa had a man's arm among boys. His numbers on the season are dreadful, but the pitcher I saw looked more like a setup man on a rehab assignment than a low minor leaguer who has never pitched beyond the Florida State League. Perhaps a light bulb finally went off; perhaps I just happened to catch the night of his life. Regardless, I was very encouraged by what I saw.
Projection: MLB reliever
FINAL THOUGHT
It is overwhelmingly clear that the organization is imploring batters to work deep into counts. I largely wrote off the plethora of walks in the early portion of Game 1 to Scarpetta's return from surgery. However, there were tons of deep counts and three more walks in Game 2 against a strike zone pounding hurler. Although the team lost both ends of a doubleheader today, they drew an absurd 19 walks over 14 innings. On Sunday, Soler was the only player in the top six of the lineup who showed a poor approach, and the book on him for his entire time in the States has included a great approach. I assume that I caught him in a funk.
The approach of the hitters sometimes shows through a box score while other times it doesn't. The organizational philosophy is taking hold.
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