Articles - USA vs Guatemala

The Team USA National Squad is an amateur national team formed each summer and comprised of some of the top will-be college sophomores, juniors and seniors. This year’s team is led by Head Coach Rick Jones (Tulane), Pitching Coach Mike Kennedy (Elon), Assistant Coach Rob Cooper (Wright State) and Assistant Coach Dan McDonnell (Louisville). For more information on the National Team you can visit the Team USA website here.

I was down in Durham/Cary, North Carolina this 4th of July weekend for a look at the USA National Team -- a terrific experience that I recommend to any baseball lover. The talented, and well-rounded, US squad took on a heavily over-matched Guatemala National Team, comfortably sweeping the three game “friendship series”, outscoring and outhitting the Guatemalans to the tune of 46-1 and 41-6, respectively. While I missed out on the combined no-hitter tossed by Gerrit Cole, Asher Wojciechowski, Nick Pepitone and Chad Bettis (I arrived on Friday morning), I was able to observe the final two games, as well as a portion of the workout/batting practice on Friday afternoon. Here are five of the top performers from the weekend, as well as two more players to keep an eye on as we move forward this summer and into the 2010 college season.

TOP FIVE PERFORMERS:

Bryce Brentz, OF/RHP, Middle Tenn. St. Univ.
2010 Draft Class - Rising Junior

Brentz had a stellar final two games of the series, going a combined 6-9, including two doubles and a triple while missing a homerun by a matter of feet (hitting high off the Blue Monster in left field at Durham Bulls Athletic Park). He shows good balance at the plate and generates power through his quick wrists and a short path to the ball, flashing solid pop to all fields (but particularly to the pull side). He’s clean and compact with some natural loft in his swing. Both his hit and power tools project well, and there’s room in his frame to add another 10-15 pounds. He has plenty of arm for right field and though I've read non-flattering reviews of his defense, he moved well in the field.

Brentz also logged 2.1 IP on Saturday, recording 4 SO while allowing 1 BB and 2 H. He throws with some effort, sitting 89-90 on Saturday with his fastball and 78-82 with his slider. His fastball has some late run, and his slider projects to an average Major League offering, lacking consistency in shape right now. Brentz also mixes in a solid change-up, sitting 79-81 and flashing solid fade. While he’ll continue to log innings for Middle Tennessee State this upcoming season, he looks to have a higher ceiling as a positional prospect, with a tool set and frame similar to Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis (another 2-way draftee) with perhaps a bit more power.

Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA

2011 Draft Class - Rising Sophomore

Bauer followed up USA’s no-hit effort with a dominant Friday start, posting a line of 7 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB and 13 SO. The UCLA rising sophomore utilized a four pitch mix -- fastball, curve, slider, change -- to keep the Guatemalan national team off balance all evening. His 4-seam fastball sat comfortably 90-92 mph, touching 93 and maintaining his velocity into the 7th. The 2-seamer sat 87-88 with nasty late life away and down against lefties, and he also dropped down to a lower slot to give a different look (sitting 84-86).

His best secondary offering was a hard curve that flashed 2-plane action, sitting 72-73. He also subtracted velocity, getting the pitch as low as 67 mph without losing too much shape. His slider was most effective as a chase pitch, and he commanded it better out of his lower arm slot. He was 78-81 up top, dropping down to 71-74 out of the lower slot. The change-up is still raw and Bauer was inconsistent in his velocity and arm speed, ranging all the way from 73-80. With a simple and clean delivery with an easy arm action, Bauer resembles a less refined Mike Leake with three pitches that project to Major League average and a potential plus offering in his curve. He’ll likely slot in as the Saturday starter for UCLA this spring, forming an intimidating pair with fellow rising sophomore and Team USA teammate Gerrit Cole.

Christian Colon, SS, Univ. of California State-Fullerton
2010 Draft Class - Rising Junior

Colon will be one of the top collegiate shortstops this upcoming spring and profiles to stick there long term. He has plus hands in the field and the ability to make the spectacular play. His advanced actions combine with good arm strength and solid range to both sides to give him a well-balanced skill set at the six-spot. He has an athletic build with room to add some strength, but not so much that it will hinder his mobility or range. He also shows excellent footwork around the bag.

At the plate, Colon has a compact stroke that produces consistent hard contact. He shows good balance and gap-to-gap pop. This past year at Fullerton, Colon impressed at the plate, posting a .357/.442/.529 line and a 1:1 SO:BB ratio. Colon batted at the top of the order, solidifying himself as the lead-off hitter by the end of the season. He’ll likely fill a similar role in 2010 and could be among the first middle-infielders off the board next June.

Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt Univ.

2011 Draft Class - Rising Sophomore

As a freshman, Gray split time between Vandy’s rotation and it’s pen (where he served as closer), posting a season line of 58.2 IP, 65 H, 20 BB, 72 SO, .285 BAA and a 4.30 ERA. Another 2011 arm, Gray easily had the most electric stuff of the weekend. His fastball was 94-96 into the sixth inning with explosive life. He paired it with a power slider that flashed plus with some tilt, good depth and hard, late bite. The breaking ball was a low 80s offering, primarily registering in the 80-82 range and creeping as high as 85 on my gun. He also mixed in a change-up with good fade and a solid velo differential from his fastball (around 12-14 mph).

While Guatemala didn’t have much of a chance against Gray’s power stuff, his effectiveness was somewhat limited by bouts of wildness. He walked 3, hit 2 more and consistently worked late into counts. Still, the quality of his pitches are impossible to ignore. He’ll undoubtedly take over as Vandy’s Friday starter in 2010 and will instantly be one of the best such starters at the collegiate level. His frame raises some durability questions projecting forward -- it’s equally easy to picture him holding down the front-end of a rotation or shutting down hitters in late-inning relief.

Andy Wilkins, 1B, Univ. of Arkansas
2010 Draft Class - Rising Junior

The big Arkansas first baseman was a key component in the Razorbacks Omaha-bound offense, leading the team in homeruns (19), slugging (.638) and extra base hits (37). Wilkins utilizes every bit of his 6-2/225 frame in generating plus raw power -- power showcased on Saturday when he launched a moon shot into the right field bleachers for a grand slam (video of the swing below). He has a strong upper-body and quick wrists, helping him to create good leverage as he comes through.

TWO MORE TO WATCH:

Tyler Holt, OF, Florida State Univ.

2010 Draft Class - Rising Sophomore

The FSU center fielder had a terrific sophomore year, posting a line of .401/.520/.578 and a 47:54 SO:BB ratio. He provided similar offensive production this weekend, going 2-4 while working 6 BB. At the plate, Holt has exceptional command of the strike zone and shows good bat speed generated through a strong core. He’s pretty short to and through the ball and is clean out of the box, logging home-to-first times ranging from 3.48 to 4.15.

He wasn’t particularly tested in center field, though I saw plenty of him in the outfield this past spring. Holt utilizes his speed to cover the gaps and shows a solid arm. He should have no trouble sticking in center as he progresses. He’s inconsistent in his routes, but tracks the ball well enough to make up for any short-comings right now. He profiles as a lead-off hitter capable of wearing-out the gaps while playing an above-average center field.

Blake Forsythe, C, Univ. of Tennessee
2010 Draft Class - Rising Junior

The Volunteer split time behind the plate with Miami (FL) backstop Yasmani Grandal, playing first base on Friday and forming Saturday’s battery with Sonny Gray. Forsythe has a big frame and strong upper-body with some room to add even more size. He gets good leverage in his swing and solid extension through contact, producing above-average power. He also shows a solid understanding of the strike zone and a good approach at the plate, helping him to find appropriate offerings to drive. He worked 5 BB between the two games while going 1-3 in his other plate appearances. His lone hit was a monstrous shot that easily cleared the Blue Monster in left (video of the swing below).

Behind the plate, Forsythe is a solid receiver with soft hands. He showed some arm strength but inconsistent accuracy on his throws and logged pop times ranging from 2.16 to 2.22. At first base, he displayed good actions and soft hands, as well as an ability to pick the ball. His footwork is adequate around the bag, but could use a little work. Though he looked fairly comfortable at first base, Forsythe has the tools to stick behind the plate, where his bat could be well above-average.