JUPITER, Fla. — As a 6-foot-6, 205-pound lefthander, A.J. Puk leaves little doubt that he has a future on the mound, but he's sticking with the Evoshield Canes during his shutdown period and showing off a sweet swing with pop that might have some scouts thinking twice.

Puk swings a quick bat from the left side and hit the ball with authority in a playoff game against the Diamond Devils at the World Wood Bat Championship. He went 2-for-3 with a single, double, RBI and two runs scored. He's now 3-for-11 in five games with two doubles and four RBIs.

"I really enjoy hitting and have always been a hitter," Puk said. "My pitching has started to pick up the last couple of years. In the beginning I thought I was going to be a hitter, but now I'm playing both ways and enjoying it while it lasts.

"At the next level, I'm probably a pitcher because I'm 6-foot-6, but I enjoy hitting and I'll try to do it as long as I can."

When he's on the mound, Puk has a fastball that can reach the low 90s. He's still raw as a pitcher, but his size, stuff and inexperience gives scouts a lot to dream on. Committed to Florida, Puk has a chance to be a two-way threat in college, much like Brian Johnson was the last the three years for the Gators. Puk has more upside on the pound, but could have a similarly potent bat. The program's success the last several years drew the big southpaw to Gainesville—as did the warmer weather. Puk goes to Washington High in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where high school baseball seasons are played in the summer and teams usually don't get outside until the end of May. [...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — Lefthander Ian McKinney from Boone High in Orlando has a knack for coming up clutch in big games.

Last year at the World Wood Bat Championship, we wrote that, "Goliath Goes Down In Jupiter" when the Cardinals Scout Team lost to Central FL PG Royal. The metaphorical "David" in that matchup was McKinney.

This year, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound McKinney is on the Cardinals Scout Team/FTB Chandler and dominated the Atlanta Blue Jays in the second round of the playoffs. He tossed four no-hit innings, but did allow an unearned run with three walks and eight strikeouts. The mercy rule was enacted and the Cardinals beat the Blue Jays 9-1 in five innings.

"He was on a younger team last year and played with us all summer and beat us last year when that team's first three hitters were (Albert) Almora, (David) Dahl and (Jesse) Winker," Cardinals Scout Team/FTB Chandler head coach Jared Goodwin said. "He actually threw in the night game on Sunday last year, too. So, he's been pretty good on that day."
[...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — Royals Scout Team righthander Dakota Hudson from Sequatchie Country High in Dunlap, Tenn., interests scouts because of his size, stuff and relative inexperience.

Throwing into a heavy wind, Hudson sat in the 87-89 mph range and topped out at 91. He mixed in 76-78 mph breaking ball that he calls a slider, but breaks more like a downer curveball and flashes hard, late action. He also threw a couple 81 mph changeups. Mostly, though, Hudson threw fastballs. He threw about 45 pitches over his three-inning stint and only seven of those pitches were of the offspeed variety.

"My two-seam (fastball) was moving real well," Hudson said. "My offspeed was moving too, I just couldn't throw it for a strike . . . At my school, they preach a whole lot about spotting up your fastball. So, if you can go off your fastball, you can be successful any game."

Over those three shutout innings, Hudson didn't give up a hit, walked two and struck out five.

[...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — UCLA head coach John Savage has a list of 96 traits for successful pitchers. The list becomes Commandments when recruits show up on campus and Bruins pitchers are continually quizzed as they work to commit the list to memory.

Lefthander Jonah Wesely from Tracy (Calif.) High is committed to UCLA and showed that he already has a good feel for the list, even if he hasn't studied it yet. Pitching for Team Elite, Wesely threw a complete-game (seven innings), three-hit shutout against the On Deck O's while walking three and striking out seven.

His fastball started in the 89-92 mph range with natural cut. He was 88-90 in the middle innings and was mostly 85-87 in the final inning, but still touched 89. Wesely has strong legs and uses them well to drive toward the plate. There's a little funk to his delivery, but it adds deception and he hides the ball well. He has a four-pitch mix with a 70-72 mph curveball, a nasty 79-82 mph slider and a 79 mph changeup. Wesely pitches with a good tempo and generated lots of ground balls.

Here are a few items on Savage's quiz that Wesely aced today . . .
[...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — From Roy Halladay, Jon Adkins and Drew Storen to Tyler Skaggs, Kevin Gausman and Noah Syndergaard, the Ohio Warhawks have an impressive list of pitching alumni.

This year's group features two of the pitchers generating the most buzz at Perfect Game's World Wood Bat Championship: righthanders Carlos Salazar from Kerman (Calif.) High and Jordan Sheffield from Tullahoma (Tenn.) High.

Every year, there's a handful of players—mostly pitchers—that skip out on the World Wood Bat Championship because they're shut down for the offseason, nursing injuries or catching up on school work. That typically opens the door for other players to catch scouts' eyes. Salazar hasn't been a secret—his name has circulated for a little while now—but he hasn't been to many events this summer, so a small army migrated to the Ohio Warhawks' first game on Saturday to see Salazar start. Even his own team lined up along the fence to watch his pregame bullpen session.

A short, stocky righthander, Salazar is about 6 feet tall and around 200 pounds. There was some buzz leading up to his start that he touched 98 mph a couple weeks ago in the Fresno area.

"Today was a little different," Salazar said. "I'm a kid from a small city and seeing that many scouts behind the plate was a little frightening, but after the first inning I got over it and back in the zone. I went out there with my same routine and didn't change anything."

Salazar sat 93-95 mph in the first, but had trouble finding the strike zone. He was around the zone, but not in it as much as he would've hoped.

[...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — Randy Taylor is a scout in Texas for the Rangers. He is the point man for the Lone Star State's Area Code Games team and is also in charge of choosing players for the Texas Scout Team Yankees, a team that is always loaded at the World Wood Bat  Championship every year. Those two teams this year have a lot of the same players and scouts were eager to get another look at righthander Casey Meisner this afternoon after he touched 92 mph in Long Beach, Calif.

Meisner, who attends Cypress (Texas) Woods High, has a tall, slender frame at 6-foot-7 and 185 pounds. Typically, pitchers that big have difficulty keeping everything in-line to the plate and in a good rhythm, but Meisner showed good athleticism and body control for his size.

The ball comes out of his hand fairly easily and he showed a business-like demeanor on the mound.

Meisner, a Texas Tech recruit, threw his fastball on a firm, downhill plane. It started out in the 88-90 mph range, but he settled in around 85-87. He mixed in a mid-70s curveball, but wasn't getting full extension out front and was getting under the pitch a little bit. His circle changeup is still a work in progress and it sat in the low 80 mph range.

[...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — After the first day of the World Wood Bat Championship was cut short, the second day got off to a late start with heavy rains and strong winds whipping through the area. Scheduled to start at 8 a.m., games finally got rolling around noon and players and scouts battled through intermittent rain the rest of the day.

While a lot of scouts called it a night before the final slate of games started—after 9:30 p.m.—they stuck around long enough to line up several rows deep to see Casey Shane pitch for the Houston Banditos. He pitched four innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out six.

Shane is a big-bodied righthander from Centennial High (Burleson, Texas) that stands at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. His fastball is a nasty pitch that sits 89-93 mph with heavy sink and run. He also mixed in a low-80s breaking ball and mid-80s changeup that featured good sink and fade. The breaking ball flashed tight break, but he only threw it a a couple times and has a slider as well. [...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — DBacks Team BC has plenty of intriguing talent—for the 2013 draft and beyond.

As a fellow Canadian with a similar build and athleticism, it's easy for scouts to compare Tyler O'Neill to Brett Lawrie. O'Neill, who attends Garibaldi SS in Maple Ridge, B.C., doesn't have quite as much power as Lawrie had at the same stage, but he's very strong and shows explosive bat speed with a balanced, simple approach. He's an above-average runner with a 6.75-second 60-yard dash time and has at least average arm strength. O'Neill plays catcher for the same travel team that produced Lawrie—the Langley Blaze—and recently became a member of the Canadian Junior National Team, where he plays shortstop.

The similarities don't end there.

"He even walks like Lawrie," DBacks Team BC manager Doug Mathiesen said with a chuckle. Mathiesen is a Canadian scout for the Diamondbacks and has known O'Neill for about four years as the general manager of the Blaze program.

It's true. O'Neill exudes the same type of swagger as Lawrie and is clearly in a good mind set as he confidently approaches the plate.

"He's a hard-nosed kid," Mathiesen said. "He loves the game and loves to hit. Certainly, the makeup's all there. He's a good kid."
[...] Continue Reading »

JUPITER, Fla. — Hurricane Sandy clearly doesn't have the scouting industry high on her priority list. The first day of the World Wood Bat Championship in Jupiter, Fla., was cut short when heavy rain delayed the first set of games and eventually washed out all games that were scheduled for 5:30 p.m. or later.

Despite the rain putting a damper on the day, scouts were able to get a look at some interesting arms right away. Righthander Connor Jones (Great Bridge HS, Chesapeake, Va.) started for the Evoshield Canes and worked all five innings as the game was shortened by the mercy rule. He only allowed three hits in the outing and struck out three while inducing eight groundouts.

"I felt really good," Jones said. "It's really easy to pitch in front of these guys. They seem to make every play that comes their way. I just try to play my game and let the other team put the ball on the ground." [...] Continue Reading »

LAKELAND, Fla.—Now in its 31st year of existence, the Florida Diamond Club Showcase displays the Sunshine State’s elite high school talent. Some of the most recent participants include major leaguers Tyler Pastornicky, Casey Kelly, and Todd Redman and a remarkable 54 members of the 2012 draft including first-round selections Mike Zunino, Albert Amora, Nick Travieso, and Brian Johnson.

And while high profile talents like Oscar Mercado, Nick Longhi, Brian Navaretto, Taylor Blatch, and Chris Okey made their presence felt throughout the weekend, a relatively unheralded outfielder stole the show in the showcase’s finale on Sunday afternoon.

Josh Greene, a 5-foot-10, 160 pound Forest High (Ocala, Fla.) product went 2-for-4 with a walk to help his North team defeat the East squad 4-1.

“I don’t go to that many showcases,” said Greene. “This is one of my major showcases. The talent here is amazing.”

Despite not being a regular on the showcase scene, the speedy leadoff hitter felt comfortable enough in to start off Sunday’s game with a bunt for hit attempt.

“I just play my own game,” Greene said. “I don’t try and get big and hit home runs because I know that is not me. I’ll try to get a bunt down and keep in the infield to show off my speed. That is probably what I’m here for.”

[...] Continue Reading »

LAKELAND, Fla.—Taylor Blatch of Jensen Beach (Fla.) High set the tone for the morning contest between the Florida Diamond Club’s South and East teams. Blatch, tabbed as the South’s starting pitcher, worked around an early error to strike out the side in the top of the first.

Then, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound righthander struck out the side again in his second of inning of work. And while it looked as if the Florida State commit could continue to carve the East lineup, the nature of the showcase forced an early exit. 

Nonetheless, the East lineup did not fare much better against any of the South pitchers. Shaun Anderson (American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.), Alec Byrd (St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), and Bryan Garcia (Columbus HS, Miami) all chipped in with two hitless innings apiece.

“It was great,” Blatch said. “I mean these are some of the top players in the country and for all of us to go out and limit them offensively was amazing.”

The East roster, stocked with highly regarded position players like catcher Chris Okey (Eustis HS), shortstop Nick Gordon (Olympia HS), outfielder Eugene Vasquez (Timber Creek HS, Orlando), and infielder Ben DeLuzio (The First Academy) did not manage a hit until the top of the 10th inning (all games are 10 innings for pitching purposes). Outfielder Ryan Larson’s single, the East’s only hit of the day, drove in Okey who had previously walked and tied the game at 1-1. [...] Continue Reading »

LAKELAND, Fla.—Despite playing the majority of Friday night on unfamiliar terrain, infielders Tucker Neuhaus and Christian Arroyo stole the show as the Florida Diamond Club Showcase kicked off in front of dozens of area scouts and national crosscheckers at Joker Marchant Stadium, home of the high Class A Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Neuhaus (Wharton HS, Tampa) and Arroyo (Hernando HS, Brooksville, Fla.) both typically play shortstop for their respective high school squads. However, because the Diamond Club West team (handpicked by area scouts) also boasts Oscar Mercado (Gaither HS, Tampa), whom is widely regarded as the top position prospect in Florida’s 2013 draft crop, Neuhaus manned the hot corner while Arroyo shifted over to the keystone.

“They kind of moved me over to third for the pro guys,” said Neuhaus. “I’ve never really played outfield but I guess they just may need me to later on. But I’m not complaining because I just want to get out on the field.”

Arroyo, who helped lead Team USA’s 18-and-under squad win a gold medal this summer, felt similarly about his move. “I’m comfortable with (playing second base),” Arroyo said.  “As long as I am on the field it doesn’t matter to me.”

In the end, the trio helped the West squad earn a 7-1 victory over the Diamond Club South Team. [...] Continue Reading »

PEORIA, Ariz. – The 2012 Arizona Senior Fall Classic came to a close on Sunday, but not before six teams got the chance to take the field inside the stadium at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Game One featured the SC Mariners Scout Team, a Southern California team organized by scouts, and the NW Mariners Scout Team, a similarly built team based out of Washington that has historically been one of the stronger teams at the Classic. 

Taking the mound for the SC Mariners was right-hander Tyler Mahle out of Westminster (Calif.) High. Mahle, who is committed to UC Santa Barbara (where his brother Brandon goes), tossed three scoreless innings, working off an 86-88 mph fastball with good life and an inconsistent but developing 68-73 mph curveball. 

[...] Continue Reading »

PEORIA, Ariz. – With three days in the books, the 2012 Arizona Senior Fall Classic has been dominated by talent from the Four Corners region.

On Saturday, a pair of Colorado arms took the mound in front of dozens of scouts, establishing their cases as worthwhile follows this spring.

Derik Beauprez from Cherry Creek (Colo.) High was first to toe the rubber. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthander pitched 88-91 mph today, but struggled with fastball control throughout and appeared to be overthrowing. A Miami commit, Beauprez flashed a 70-72 mph curveball with good shape and a deceptive 77 mph changeup.

According to an American League scout on hand, Beauprez shows good upside but is a clear work in progress.

“He looks the part," the scout said. "He’s a good athlete and the arm works but he just needs to improve his consistency in the strike zone. It’ll all come down to how he comes out in spring. He’s going to have to improve but there is a lot of stuff to like.”
[...] Continue Reading »

PEORIA, Ariz. — For the second straight day, pitching talent was in abundance at the Arizona Senior Fall Classic as many west coast teams made their showcase debuts.

The SC Rays Scout Team, a Southern California regional team with a rich history at the Fall Classic, ran out a slew of impressive arms over two games Friday afternoon.

Lefthander Bernando Flores from Baldwin Park (Calif.) High stood out in the first, displaying an impressive three-pitch mix. The 6-foot-4, 170-pounder sat in the 86-88 mph range with good downhill plane, mixing in a developing changeup and 72-74 mph curveball with good depth.

6-foot-2, 178-pound righthander Greg Harris started game two for the Rays. The Oregon commit struggled through his first inning of work, allowing a pair of hard hit balls, but looked dominant in his second frame, striking out five of the six hitters he faced, as the teams agreed to play five-out innings to get players more looks. Harris showed tremendous command of an 88-90 mph fastball, touching 92 with late fade. He mixed in a 66-67 mph curveball with good depth and a deceptive 79 mph changeup.

Righthander Tyson Miller from Shadow Hills High in La Quinta, Calif., followed. At 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Miller has a very projectable frame that he uses well, staying tall throughout his delivery with good extension. He showed a solid two-pitch mix—pounding the zone with an 87-89 mph fastball and 75-76 mph curveball with great depth.
[...] Continue Reading »

PEORIA, Ariz. — The Arizona Senior Fall Classic kicked off Oct. 11 at the Peoria Sports Complex, home of the Mariners and Padres spring training facilities in Peoria, Ariz.

While teams from the Four Corners, California and the Pacific Northwest typically dominate the event, it was a matchup between two teams from Hawaii that drew one of the largest crowds of the day.

After impressing at the Area Code Games in Southern California back in August, a trio of Hawaii commits—infielder Kean Wong, catcher Iolana Akau and outfielder Marcus Doi—stood out again Friday, showing off their abilities both in the field and at the plate.

Wong, who attends Waiakea HS in Hilo Hawaii,  is the younger brother of Cardinals infielder Kolten. He displayed a quick bat, smooth stroke and feel for hitting with a sharply hit line drive into centerfield in his lone plate appearance.
[...] Continue Reading »

With the regular season in the books, the 2013 draft order is now set. Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, only the first 10 picks are protected. This offseason is the first after the elimination of the Type A/Type B free-agent compensation system. The only free agents subject to compensation will be those who are offered contracts equal to the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players in the game as they enter the free-agent process. Players also have to be with a team for an entire season to be subject to compensation. A team that signs one of those free agents will give up its first-round pick (though it will disappear rather than go to the former club) and the player’s previous team will gain a pick at the end of the first round.

This will also be the order of how much each team has to spend internationally. These numbers likely will shift some when teams start signing free agents, but here's how the first three rounds shape up right now:

First Round
1. Astros
2. Cubs
3. Rockies
4. Twins
5. Indians
6. Marlins
7. Red Sox
8. Royals
9. Pirates (for failure to sign 2012 first-rounder Mark Appel)
10. Blue Jays [...] Continue Reading »

The Padres have hired Billy Gasparino as scouting director, a move they announced on Saturday.

Gasparino, 35, had been one of San Diego's two national crosscheckers and had served in that role since the fall of 2010. He began scouting with the Blue Jays in 2004 and crosschecked for Toronto from 2007-10.

"Billy has proven to be a top-flight evaluator with a passion for scouting," Padres GM Josh Byrnes said in a press release. "We are thrilled that we were able to promote from within our organization and to reward Billy with a well-deserved promotion."

Gasparino replaces Jaron Madison, who left to become Cubs scouting director last month.

We've wrapped up the 2012 Under Armour All-America Game with a recap and superlatives feature, but if you didn't get to watch the broadcast, now is your chance to see some video from the game. John Manuel and Nathan Rode hosted a podcast discussing the players that stood out in Chicago and how they factor into the scope of the 2013 high school class and we've combined the audio with some footage of last weekend's workouts, home run derby and game.

CHICAGO—Few remember who won and who lost showcase or all-star games at the amateur level. But the way the American team won the 2012 Under Armour All-America Classic will be remembered, thanks to Austin Meadows and Clint Frazier.

The two Georgia prep outfielders, the two best prospects on the rosters at Wrigley Field, hit back-to-back extra-base hits and Frazier scored the winning run on a pair of wild pitches to power the American team, skippered by Billy Ripken, to a 7-6 victory against Larry Bowa’s National team.

Meadows and Frazier were the two most anticipated players in the game and didn’t disappoint. Frazier showed off his 6.4-second speed in the 60 with a stolen base in the first inning following a walk, and even though he battled cramps in his calf muscles during the game, he still was able to bang doubles to left and right field.

Meadows showed the smooth, easy swing throughout the game that engenders comparisons to Colby Rasmus, and keyed the ninth-inning rally off losing pitcher Brett Morales (Tampa, Fla.), the game’s hardest thrower. Morales hit 93 mph in the ninth and struck out leadoff hitter J.P. Crawford with a nasty breaking ball to start the frame, but he hung an 0-2 breaker to Meadows, who slammed it down the left-field line for a triple.

With flexible lineups available to the managers, Ripken inserted Frazier into the four-hole to follow Meadows, and he let a 1-2 fastball get deep before rifling a line drive off the right-field wall to score Meadows and tie the game. Two of Morales’ next three pitches were wild, and Frazier loped home easily, joining Meadows in the dugout in a familiar scene. [...] Continue Reading »