Prospect Pulse

Compiled by John Manuel
April 7, 2005

Spring training serves many purposes, but for some minor leaguers, it offers a real chance to make the big league roster. Every player needs a break to get a chance; it's up to the player to take advantage of the opportunity. Here are 12 players who broke through this spring and made their way to the major leagues for Opening Day against the odds:

• Jason Repko, of, and Steve Schmoll, rhp, Dodgers: Repko's versatility made it possible for him to earn a spot on the roster, and the 24-year-old also hit .311/.355/.493 at Triple-A Las Vegas last season in 302 at-bats. Still, the Dodgers needed a long look at him and a productive spring--he led the Dodgers with 80 at-bats, hitting .325 with a .525 slugging percentage--for the club's top pick in the 1999 draft (37th overall) to make it to Los Angeles.

Schmoll's a different story, though at No. 22, he ranked eight spots ahead of Repko on the Dodgers' Top 30 prospects list. He also signed as a nondrafted free agent, getting a $75,000 bonus as a fifth-year senior at Maryland after leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with 124 strikeouts in 2003 in just 88 innings. His career and stuff took off in pro ball when he used a near-submarine delivery more consistently last year, and he had limited hitters to a .221 average in 121 minor league innings. Still, just 20 of those had come above Class A.

Schmoll struck out five in four scoreless innings in big league camp. His candidacy for a roster spot was based more on his Arizona Fall League performance (19 innings, 1.42 ERA, 12-4 strikeout-walk ratio) and performance in minor league camp, where he threw strikes consistently from an arm slot he considers between sidearm and submarine.

“I assumed I was going to Double-A or Triple-A, but I knew I couldn’t worry about it because it wasn’t in my control,” Schmoll said. “The front office has their positions for a reason, and I trust in them and their decisions. When you trust the staff, it makes it easier to go out and stay focused and do your job.”

Schmoll, 24, began his college career as a catcher and nearly gave up baseball to concentrate on getting into medical school before experiencing success with his lower arm slot. He said his fastball gained eight mph after he switched to the mound full-time, and he’s topped out at 93 mph with the Dodgers, though he’s more often in the 87-90 mph range. He also throws a cutter, slider and changeup.

"He got cut his first year here and pitched on the club team," Maryland coach Terry Rupp said, "then came in the next season and struggled at times. After he switched to a strictly underneath delivery, he came back and was really something special."

Schmoll has the necessary confidence that he can continue to be something special in the big leagues, while at the same time realizing he can’t replace Eric Gagne in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Gagne opening the season on the disabled list is what opened a spot for Schmoll in the first place. Now that he's in the major leagues after just 72 minor league appearances, he intends to make the most of it.

“I just want to take advantage of each opportunity as it arises,” he said. “I feel like this is the natural delivery for me, and over the past year I’ve been able to spot all my pitches in and out, up and down. For me, when I locate I feel like I can get anyone out; I feel like there is no limit to what I can do.”

• Jeff Baker, 3b, Ryan Speier, rhp, and Cory Sullivan, of, Rockies: OK, so the Rockies are in a complete rebuilding mode. They were supposed to have a lot of rookies and second-year players on the roster, and they added two players in the major league Rule 5 draft as well. Both--righthander Marcos Carvajal and lefty Matt Merricks--were still Rockies on Opening Day, with Carvajal on the active roster and Merricks on the disabled list.

But three rookies who weren't expected to earn roster spots did so, and all three contributed in the Rockies' season-opening 12-10 win against the Padres. Baker and Sullivan smacked doubles in a ninth-inning rally, while Speier got two outs in the ninth to get the win. The rookie-laden Rockies may look unfamiliar to outsiders, but Sullivan says new big leaguers like him see strength in numbers.

“It’s both sides; the veterans are here for us when we need help, but the young guys all know each other because we’ve played together (in the minor leagues),” he said. “It’s nice to have guys around that you know.”

While Sullivan faced Baker as a pitcher in their Atlantic Coast Conference days—in fact, Sullivan reasonably theorizes his elbow injury last year may have stemmed from his undefeated pitching stint with Wake Forest in 2002—they didn’t get to know each other until they joined the Rockies system in that year’s draft. Sullivan was a seventh-rounder; Baker, a second-round pick out of Clemson, is the highest-profile prospect of the bunch and checked in at No. 6 on the Rockies' Top 10 Prospects list.

He also was slated to spend time in right field in the minors this season, giving way at third to the system's top prospect, Ian Stewart, and has just 91 at-bats above Class A in his career coming into 2005. But an injury to fellow rookie Garrett Atkins created an opportunity, and Baker, 23, barged into Denver with a good spring (15-for-38, seven RBIs).

Sullivan's ascent is shocking because he missed the 2004 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He had a chance to make the roster last spring before his injury, returning last year in time for the Arizona Fall League, where he hit just .203 in 64 at-bats. Nevertheless, Sullivan's lefthanded bat, sound fundamentals and outfield defense helped him secure a spot with the Rockies. The 25-year-old doubled in his first at-bat.

“I definitely feel like I’ve got a long way to go until I prove I belong here,” Sullivan said. “This is just the beginning.”

Speier, 25, is a testament to good scouting, having signed as a nondrafted free agent out of Radford for $10,000. The 6-foot-7 reliever throws from several arm angles (between submarine and three-quarters), helping him rank second in the minors with 37 saves last year at Double-A Tulsa. He earned his spot after posting a 1.50 ERA and striking out 10 in 12 spring innings.

Baker, Speier and Sullivan all were signed by Rockies area scout Jay Matthews, meaning their April 4 debuts were about as good a day as an area scout can have. Sullivan said he talked to Matthews that day, and Matthews expressed his gratitude to the players for reaching Colorado.

“He’s just excited for us; he’s not even thinking about himself in this,” Sullivan said. “We’re the ones who owe him a lot.”

• Luke Scott and Willy Taveras, of, Astros: Acquired together from the Indians in a trade for lefthander Jeriome Robertson, Scott and Taveras benefited from injuries and upheaval in the Astros outfield. Taveras, 23, led the Double-A Texas League in hitting and steals last year, though he was still expected to need another year of seasoning in Triple-A this season. Scott, 26, had not played above Double-A before but impressed the club with team-high .368-7-20 numbers this spring in 68 at-bats. "I don't care if he's an all-or-nothing guy, or if he has so little experience," a National League organization's scout said of Scott. "He's got juice from the left side, and that isn't easy to come by."

• Todd Williams, rhp, Orioles: A veteran at 34, Williams made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 1995. He's a veteran of international play, having pitched for Team USA in both 1999 at the Pan American Games and for the gold-medal winning 2000 Olympic team. Yet the 2005 season marks just the third time he's opened the season in the big leagues for a player who has been released four times. Williams has 222 minor league saves, believed to be tops among active players.

• Gabe Gross, of, and Brandon League, rhp, Blue Jays: As chronicled last issue, Gross had a monster spring, hitting .385 with a .904 slugging percentage, thanks to eight home runs. The 2001 first-round pick was joined on the Opening Day roster by the Jays' second-round pick that year, righthander Brandon League. The organization's top prospect, League, 22, was impressive in 14 spring innings, consistently throwing in the high 90s with his sinking fastball.

• Jake Woods, lhp, Angels: The Angels didn't have a lefthander in their bullpen last year, but an impressive spring by Jake Woods allowed them to have one to start 2005. The Angels have projected him as a situational reliever in the past, even though Woods, 23, has made 97 of his 99 minor league appearances as a starter. He regained some of the feel for his curveball this spring to gain a spot in the bullpen, striking out 13 while walking just three in 14 2/3 innings.

• Matt Belisle, rhp, Reds: It would have been easy for the Reds to have given up on Belisle after his brutal 9-11, 5.26 season at Triple-A Louisville, in which opponents hit .301. Still, he impressed club officials with his moxie and determined approach to do anything he could to improve. He needed to get more consistent with his high-80s sinker, and did so this spring to earn his first Opening Day roster spot at age 24.

Reds' Gruler, Dumatrait Return To Mound

SARASOTA, Fla.--The Reds continue to draft and acquire high school pitchers, despite a long record of injuries. This season, the organization hopes a pair of young arms may finally break through.

Last season, righthander Chris Gruler and lefthander Phil Dumatrait were part of a group of high-level pitching prospects missing significant playing time. That group included 1999 first-round pick Ty Howington, who had shoulder surgery in May, and righthander Bobby Basham, out with shoulder problems. Gruler was limited to two innings at Rookie-level Billings due to shoulder surgery in April 2003, while Dumatrait missed all of last season after having Tommy John surgery in April to repair a torn ligament in his left elbow.

Gruler and Dumatrait are almost ready to contribute again. Both pitchers were opening eyes this spring and will spend at least the first part of the season in Florida to continue to refine their mechanics and rebuild their confidence. Farm director Tim Naehring said by the time the weather warms in the rest of the country, they'll be ready to move.

Minor league pitching coordinator Vern Ruhle said the hard work Gruler and Dumatrait put into their rehab programs has paid off.

"(Dumatrait) has come a long way with his arm strength," Ruhle said. "He doesn't seem to have any stiffness or soreness in any way. The spin on his breaking pitches is solid."

Naehring said the organization plans to keep Dumatrait, 23, with high Class A Sarasota, where he will have easy access to the Reds' trainers at its spring-training facility. Eventually, the Red Sox' 2000 first-round pick will move to "his appropriate level."

Gruler, 21, was just as driven as Dumatrait during the offseason.

"He is on a mission and is dedicated to doing everything he's asked to do," said Ruhle. "Mentally and physically, he's turned a corner. He has a lively fastball and the spin on his breaking ball is coming along. His arm action is much better and he seems to be freed up from whatever was holding him back."

Naehring said Gruler should report to low Class A Dayton after the first ten weeks of the season. By that time, Naehring said he hopes the third overall pick in the 2002 draft will be pitching without the nagging doubt about another possible injury.

It hasn't been easy for Gruler. He said he lost all muscle memory and had to find his arm angle again. He also had to rediscover the natural instincts that allowed him to react to game situations without thinking. After all, he has pitched only 78 innings in three pro seasons.

"When you're out of baseball for as long as I was, you lose your mental edge," he said. "And one day you think everything is fine, the next day you feel like you need an MRI."

Dumatrait felt the same way after his surgery.

"When I first played catch everything felt fine, but in the back of my mind I was worried about getting hurt again," Dumatrait said. "But by the time I was playing long toss, those fears were gone."

"Any time these athletes go through these types of injuries, part of their challenge is on the mental side," Naehring said. "You have to monitor what they're doing physically and get innings under their belt. A lot of it comes with pitching and gaining confidence."

Naehring, who was often injured in his own truncated big league career, has become an expert on getting injured pitchers through rehab and back on the mound, throwing with confidence.

"We've turned over lot of stones to figure out what has been going on," he said. "We have monitored everything with our strength and conditioning program. We're trying to minimize the amount of time the pitchers are throwing in games in a fatigue-type mode."

Not all the injuries are exclusive to the Reds. Naehring said several acquisitions, including Dumatrait, who was acquired from the Red Sox with lefthander Tyler Pelland in the Scott Williamson deal in July 2003, have gone down with injuries after being developed in another system.

Ruhle, who had a 13-year big league pitching career, offers a fresh set of eyes and new ideas to help stem the tide of injuries. This his first season as pitching coordinator, after serving as pitching coach at Rookie-level Billings last season.

"I'm old school," he said. "I believe you start with the legs and work up. You get your body under control and then you get your pitches under control. Nolan Ryan was a tremendously hard worker, and he spent a lot of time building leg strength."

Ruhle said greater leg strength enhances recovery time after each start and allows pitchers to stay consistently down in the strike zone. Stronger legs, he said, also takes stress off shoulders and elbows. Fewer arm surgeries should result. But Ruhle's philosophy is just one part of the organization's efforts to keep its young pitchers healthy.

"Under (general manager) Dan O'Brien, we've implemented tandems at the lower levels to get these guys in as many games as possible," said Naehring. "They're under strict pitch counts. We'll try to schedule some extra days off and skip turns during the season. We're trying to do a lot of different things to minimize the fatigue with all our arms."

--CHRIS GIGLEY

Red Sox Shuffle Shortstops

Going into spring training, three shortstops--Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and Luis Soto--rated among the top 10 prospects in the Red Sox organization. Another, Christian Lara, was at number 12, and a fifth, Kenny Perez, ranked 27th. With so much depth behind free-agent acquisition Edgar Renteria in Boston, speculation abounded that position-switches would be forthcoming.

That has begun to happen, and at least one comes as a surprise.

Not a surprise is the move of Pedroia, the team's top pick in the 2004 draft, to second base. The 5-foot-9 Pedroia will begin the year at Double-A Portland, where he will form a double-play combination with Ramirez, the top prospect in the organization.

While Ramirez is sometimes projected as a future outfielder, Soto will be moving to the outfield now, a move that wasn't expected to happen so soon. The 19-year-old, whose raw power is the best in the organization, will be the right fielder for low Class A Greenville as the outset of the season. The switch-hitting Soto was the top prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League last season.

"We believe the outfield provides him with the best opportunity to move in the organization," Red Sox farm director Ben Cherington said. "And we feel Soto is ready to be challenged in Greenville from an offensive standpoint."

The shortstop in Greenville will be Lara, who made the top 10 prospects list in both the GCL and New York-Penn leagues last year. Iggy Suarez, a 24th round pick in 2003, will be the starting shortstop at high Class A Wilmington.

Perez was expected to be Triple-A Pawtucket's starting shortstop until a hip flexor injury sidelined him late in spring training. He could see time at three infield spots when he returns. While the organization saw a need to break up the logjam at its best-stocked position, it will be keeping its options open, at least with Pedroia and Perez. For Soto, it appears his best option is learning to be an outfielder.

"Kenny Perez will continue to play shortstop as well as some second base and third base," Cherington said. "Dustin Pedroia will play mostly second base to start the year, but he certainly has the ability to go back to shortstop in the future should circumstances dictate."

--DAVID LAURILA

QUICK HITS

• Jesus Flores, the Mets' No. 9 prospect, was slated to be low Class A Hagerstown's starting catcher, which would have been quite a jump for the 2004 GCL all-star. But in a major league exhibition game against the Nationals less than a week before the season began, Flores was hit by a pitch by Tomo Ohka that broke his thumb.

• Among the players released late in spring training was Mariners lefthander Ryan Anderson. The “Little Unit,” a 6-foot-11 Michigan native drafted 17th overall by Seattle in 1997, reached Triple-A in 2000, striking out 146 in 104 innings, but three surgeries to repair torn labrums has kept him from pitching since then.

• In hopes of getting his bat to come alive, the Giants have moved Todd Jennings from catcher to third base. Jennings, who played several positions at Long Beach State, will begin 2005 at high Class A San Jose.

Contributing: J.J. Cooper, Chris Kline.