August 25, 2008

By Nick James

The 2008 Under Armour All-American Game was held at Wrigley Field last Sunday (August 17^th), offering up another glimpse of some of the top high school talent eligible for the 2009 Draft. While the pitching was generally down across the board (it’s been a long summer for these kids, so this isn’t entirely unexpected) several players made their presence felt. Here are our top 5 performers and ten more to watch this spring (in no particular order):

1. Max Stassi, C, Yuba City HS – Stassi (pictured left) is one of the top catching prospects in next year's draft class, but disappointed a bit in the Aflac All-American game two weekends ago. This time around, he squared-up on the ball well in all four at bats, going 3-4 on the day (his first at bat he hit a hard ground ball off the pitcher and was retired on the throw to first). He showed good bat control in driving the ball wherever it was pitched (including an opposite field double in his last at bat) and was his normal steady self behind the plate.

2. David Renfroe, RHP/IF, South Panola HS – Renfroe was forced into the game early when the 6’7” Jenkins was struck in the arm on a throw down to 2nd base. He sat in the upper-80s with his FB (touching 92 once and 93 once) and mixed in a solid 2-plane curveball that ranged from the low- to mid-70s (69-77). He finished with five strikeouts out of eight batters faced. He also hit a homerun into the left field bleachers in his only at bat. Renfroe was named MVP at the end of the game.

3. Garret Gould, RHP, Maize HS – Gould (pictured right) has an ideal frame at 6’4” – 190 and utilized every bit of it on Sunday. He sat in the upper-80s to low-90s with his fastball, throwing on a steep downward plane. His curve sat in the upper-70s to low-80s and his changeup sat in the mid-70s. His curve flashes plus-capabilities right now and he has a solid feel for his changeup. Perhaps most impressive was his ability to command his breaking ball down in the zone. He'll be one of the more intriguing right-handers to keep an eye on this spring.

4. Deven Marrero, SS, American Heritage HS – Those who followed the 2008 draft will immediately recognize Marrero as teammate to 1st round pick Eric Hosmer (1b, KAN) and 5th round pick Adrian Nieto (C, WAS). Marrero is a plus-defender with a fringe-plus-plus arm. He has smooth footwork and positions himself well to utilize his arm. His hands are well above-average and he ranges will to both sides, as well as charging in. Offensively, Marrero put together a nice day on Sunday, showing good strikezone awareness and squaring-up on the ball well in three of his four at bats (he finished at 1-3). Marrero will need to hit in order to carve out a spot in the first round next year, and Sunday was a good indication that he's making strides in that department.

5. Ian Krol, LHP, Neuqua Valley HS
Krol (pictured left) had a solid showing at the Aflac All-American game in LA and followed that up with another solid showing in front of a “hometown” Chicago crowd. Krol sat in the upper-80s with his fastball, which played up a bit coming from the left side. His two-plane curveball was probably his best offering on the day, sitting in the low- to mid-70s. He flashed above-average command with his curve and was able to keep hitters off-balance by keeping a 12-15 mph difference between his two pitches. It would have been easy for Krol to be intimidated in front of the home crowd, but he handled himself well on the mound and continues to show an ability to attack the strike zone and succeed against the best HS hitters this summer.

Ten More to Watch this Spring:

1. Garrett Hughes, LHP, La Costa Canyon HS – Hughes stands at an impressive 6’7” – 240 and throws with a smooth and clean arm action. His fastball sat in the upper-80s and he has the makings of an above-average curveball. His high-80s fastball plays-up due to his solid feel for his curveball and changeup. His motion was easy and repeatable, though he could stand to extend his stride and better utilize the drive in his lower half. He could likely add a few mphs to his fastball with an extended stride.

2. Matthew Graham, RHP, Oak Ridge HS – Graham (pictured right) sat primarily in the 87-90 mph range with his fastball, touching 91 a couple of times. He showed good depth on his curveball, which sat in the mid-70s and had solid arm speed with his changeup. Both his secondary pitches have the makings of above-average pitches, and were relatively sharp despite his fastball velocity dropping from its usual low- to mid-90s range. He has a tendency to dip his back shoulder during his stride, which leaves his off-speed stuff in particular up in the zone. When his fastball is at its best, Graham is one of the better righty arms in the draft class. He has a durable frame at 6’4” – 215.

3. Josh Elander, C, Round Rock HS – In a solid class of high school catchers, Elander isn’t the best receiver (Stassi), the strongest arm (Austin Maddox, Eagle’s View Academy), or the most developed bat (Jonathan Walsh, Coppell HS). What he offers is an intriguing blend of defense, arm strength and raw power in an ideal catcher’s frame (6’0” – 195). In addition to displaying above-average raw power in batting practice and in the home run derby, Elander showed off his strength during the game with an opposite field double off of a hanging changeup. Defensively, he moves well behind the plate and has an above-average arm. While a handful of catchers are currently ahead of him on most draft boards, it would not be a huge surprise to see Elander at the top of the list come next June. He has the athleticism and body to stay behind the plate long term.

4. Bobby Borchering, 3b, Bishop Verot HS – Borchering (pictured left) added his name to the list of corner players flashing plus-power. At 6’4 – 195, he has a projectable frame and a decent approach at the plate (from both sides). He has a wide base at the plate and needs to both improve his pitch ID and work on keeping his weight back on off-speed stuff (he was fooled badly twice on changeups). Defensively, Borchering is adequate but uninspiring at 3b with more than enough arm for the left side of the infield. Ultimately, he may be best suited for 1b where his power potential should play.

5. Jacob Turner, RHP, Westminster Christian Academy – Turner throws with a lot of effort, utilizing his solid 6’4” – 205 frame. Though his velocity was down 2-3 mph (sitting in the upper-80s with his fastball) he located his fastball well. He also flashed an above-average slider, which he commanded down in the zone. There is a lot of potential stress on his shoulder (he tends to sling the ball) and on his knee (he lands with a stiff front leg off of a powerful drive in his stride), but his flexibility takes some of the wear-and-tear off of each. His durable frame makes him a solid option as a starter, but his high-effort delivery and solid fastball/slider combo might make him better suited for relief work.

6. Donovan Tate, OF, Cartersville HS – Tate (pictured right) was his usual self at the plate, showing an advanced command of the strike zone and above-average hitting and power, squaring-up for a double on one of the harder hit balls all day. On the bases, Tate showed keen instincts in getting two huge jumps on stolen bases. He is one of the more refined five-tool high schoolers in the 2009 class and looks natural in the field, at the plate and on the bases. As it stands, he should be among the first high school position players of the board.

7. Madison Younginer, RHP, Mauldin HS – Younginer had one of the more impressive outings of the day, striking out two of the three batters he faced. He has an over-the-top delivery with quick arm speed that hides the ball well and allows the ball to sneak up on the batter. His fastball sat in the low-90s and he located it in on both sides of the plate. He did an excellent job of changing speeds, mixing in a 12-6 curveball that sat in the low- to mid-70s and flashes plus-potential. He tends to land on a stiff front leg, which could be a red flag for potential injury down the line. At 6’4” – 190 he has some room in his frame to add strength.

8. Mychal Givens, SS/RHP, Plant HS – Givens (pictured left) was not at his best on the mound, but still sat in the low- to mid-90s with his fastball (touching 96). He sat in the low- to mid-80s with his slider, the low-80s with his curveball and the upper-70s with his changeup. None of his secondary stuff was overly-impressive, but his fastball had its typical late life and boring action. Offensively, Givens showed a solid approach and an ability to square-up on an opposite field single. One of the better infield prospects heading into this summer, it’s possible many teams are now viewing him as a pitcher first after a solid showcase circuit on the mound.

9. Scooter Gennett, IF, Sarasota HS – Gennett showed fringy range to his glove side at 2b but was impressive after shifting over to shortstop. He made several solid pivots and demonstrated the footwork and hands to hold down the six-spot. It’s uncertain if his range will play at short as a pro, though he should be adequate at the college level. Offensively, he was again solid in his approach at the plate.

10. Zack Wheeler, RHP, East Paulding HS – Wheeler (pictured right) was solid again on the mound, sitting in the low-90s with his fastball and flashing an above-average changeup and curveball. He commanded his fastball well, working both sides of the plate, and was one of the few arms not showing signs of fatigue (he got his fastball up to 93 a handful of times).