Area Codes packed with pitchers

By Josh Boyd
August 5, 2003

LONG BEACH, Calif.--Day One of the 17th annual Area Code Games provided a look at some of the top arms in the country. That seems to be the theme for the draft class of 2004. Of Baseball America's top 20 prospects, 17 are pitchers. But as one scout pointed out on Monday, "pitchers are easier to spot because you don't have a radar gun to hide behind with hitters."

Scouts will continue to look for power and speed, though not all rely on the radar guns to be their prospect maker, at least not as much as many believe. Mechanics, arm actions, the ability to spin a breaking ball and command are as important, and will be evaluated by the hundreds of scouts and college coaches over the next week. Here is a look at a few of the most impressive players from Monday's action.

D'oh! Homer's Disappointing Debut

Righthanders Nick Adenhart, Jay Rainville and Mike Rogers highlighted the East Coast Professional Showcase in Wilmington, N.C., last weekend, raising the bar for LaGrange (Texas) High righthander Homer Bailey. Bailey, who rated as one of the top prospects at the 2002 Area Code Games and enters this year's event as the No. 2 overall prospect, started the fourth and final game of Day One. After just four pitches, the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder appeared to twist his ankle and was assisted off the field by a coach and trainer. Bailey's fastball hit 91 mph.

After Bailey's early exit, Trimble Tech (Texas) High righthander Yovanni Gallardo's 93 mph fastball was the top speed of the day. Built along the lines of Rangers righthander Joaquin Benoit, Gallardo worked between 86-93 and showcased one of the event's best breaking balls. His 70-74 mph curveball has power potential as a putaway pitch.

Surprise, Surprise

Hialeah (Fla.) High lefty Giovany Gonzalez put his name on the map with a three-inning performance. Just 5-foot-11, Gonzalez was sneaky quick with his 86-91 mph fastball. He creates deception with a high leg kick and free and easy arm stroke, and also mixes his pitches well to keep hitters off balance. He showed a plus 74-77 mph biting curveball, while striking out five in three innings, including the side in his second inning. Gonzalez allowed just one hit. His outing was capped by blowing a fastball by Mission Bay (Calif.) High shortstop Matt Bush for his fifth punchout.

Bush, rated No. 7 in the top 100, stood out as the top position player on the field. His arm strength, an easy 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, was also the day's best. In the field, he displayed quick actions, and good hands and feet on the pivot. He's a below-average runner (4.48 seconds down the line), which disappointed some scouts, but runs better underway. And with a quick, direct stroke he should continue to produce more line drives throughout the week.

New Listing

Goddard (Kansas) High righthander Ryan Bohanon was listed solely as a third baseman on the rosters, but he quickly made a statement that RHP should appear prominently next to his name and bio. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder used an 86-88 mph fastball from a low three-quarters slot to produce arm-side life, complementing his power 80-mph curveball. He fanned three, including blowing away top 2005 prospect Justin Upton with an exploding 87 mph fastball, in two hitless innings. Bohanon's breaking ball features tight, hard slider life in the zone with good two-plane depth.