3/21/14

A Quick Look - SS - Jacob Gatewood - Clovis (CA) HS



        Jacob Gatewood

Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis (Calif.) High - Perkin likens Gatewood (6-foot-5, 190 pounds) to a young Troy Tulowitzki and calls him a "once-in-a-decade talent," noting his fastball reaches 92 mph on the mound, his "ballet-like fielding skills" and his prodigious power. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/20130610/draft-prospects-carlos-rodon/#ixzz2WWk0FqzU 

6-9-13  -  13.Jacob Gatewood, SS/OF/P (California HS): Another strong all-around bat from the high school class. Not sure he avoids a shift to 3rd base considering his size (6’5″, 190 lbs.). http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2013/06/09/2014-mlb-draft-top-30-prospects/ 

6-13-13 - Jacob Gatewood, Clovis (Calif.), Right-Handed Pitcher - At 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Gatewood has the right frame to be either a pitcher of position player at the next level. He showed his hitting skills at the Area Code Games last summer, but he has also posted a 5-1 record this year with a 2.02 ERA for Clovis. Batted .320 this year, but has plenty of projection as a power hitter. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/article.aspx?articleid=7c0ad513-b5e1-4ac1-b57e-8dedcc72c783&page=4 

6-13-13  -  9. Los Angeles Angels — Jacob Gatewood, OF, Clovis HS (CA) - At 6’-4” and 200 pounds, the right-hander generates a ton of power due to his excellent bat speed and he also has a canon arm that has been clocked in the low/mid-90s. He plays shortstop now, but with his size, a move to the hot corner seems likely and his arm and bat would more than play well there. Not fast, he is a very good athlete and there is still a good amount of projection left. Committed to USC. http://beforeitsnews.com/sports/2013/06/2014-mlb-mock-draft-1-0-no-time-like-the-present-2513748.html?currentSplittedPage=2    

6-30-13 - Jheremy Brown ‏@JBrownPG   - If you make a mistake to 2014 SS Jacob Gatewood (Clovis, CA), he will make you pay. 1st AB here was prime example, HR to LCF.
6-28-13 - Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (Fresno, CA): - People love prep shortstops, and Jacob Gatewood is one to dream on. At 6'5", 190 lbs., with plenty of room to fill in, he may outgrow shortstop, but he'll get every chance to stick there, as he's an outstanding athlete who could provide double-digit home runs from the position. Plus arm strength; quick, soft hands... you're sold on him before you see him bat. And then he bats, and it's a thing of beauty. Balanced at the plate, he generates terrific bat speed with loose, quick hands. He squares the ball up and drives it. He and Alex Jackson will be this year's Frazier/Meadows - expect comparisons right up until draft day. http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2013/6/28/4450674/the-way-too-early-2014-tcb-astros-draft-board 

7-2-13  -  2014 Top 100 High School Prospects - 5. Jacob Gatewood SS, Clovis (CA) HS - Huge power potential. Has all the tools. Has the potential to end the year as the #1 HS player in the country. http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/jeff-sullivans-top-100-2014-prospects/ 

7-24-13  -  2. Jacob Gatewood, ss/3b/of, Clovis (Calif.) High/SGV Arsenal - The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Gatewood has a lanky, projectable physique with a high waist and long limbs. He uses a toe tap, pronounced weight transfer and quick hands to generate some of the best raw power in the class. Gatewood put on a show in batting practice, hitting balls off the batter’s eye in center field and into the trees well beyond left field. He has an aggressive, pull-oriented approach. Gatewood has a strong arm and has displayed low-90s velocity on the mound . A shortstop currently, Gatewood’s size will likely push him off the position, as will his average-to-tick above speed. The Southern California signee has a strong chance to become a first-round pick like his father, Henry, the 11th selection in the January 1982 draft. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/tyler-koleks-heavy-fastball-among-tournament-of-stars-standouts/ 

7-25-13 – Top 30 High School Prospects For 2014 Draft - 1. Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (CA) - 6'3/175, R/R, Draft Day Age: 18.70, USC commit, Full Report & Video - Quick Take: Lanky, projectable shortstop likely moves to third base professionally but would be above average there defensively and has easy plus raw power for a complete package that, with some offensive adjustments, could rival 2012 #1 overall pick SS Carlos Correa (Astros). http://sbb.scout.com/2/1310090.html 

8-3-13 - Jacob Gatewood   Primary Position:  SS   Secondary Position(s):  OF   Height/Weight:  6’4/190  Bats/Throws:  R/R  Home Town:  Clovis, CA  School:  Clovis  Travel Team(s):  San Diego Show  Class of:  2014  Committed To:  Southern California  - 2012 Tournament of Stars Notes from Don Olsen: - Good lateral agility, plus arm strength with carry and accuracy.  Shows fast twitch ability, but lateral range may force a transition to 3B or RF.  Elite bat speed, gets a ton of backspin on the ball.  He shows extremely loud pop and the ball jumps off the bat in a hurry. Jacob has power to all fields; sound pull power and can turn on very good velocity.  Bat path is ideal and compact rotational swing that should hit for contact and power, both could be plus with his approach.  He has a nice first step burst and not a baseclogger, long gated and should sit around average speed as he matures. http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/08/03/2014-mlb-draft-profile-jacob-gatewood/ 

8-5-14 - Kendall Rogers ‏@KendallRogersPG  - #USC commit, top #MLBDraft prospect RT @DavidRawnsleyPG:  Jacob Gatewood hits balls in BP that the shaggers in OF just turn around and watch.

8-8-13 - Todd Gold ‏@TGold_PG  - While he's had timing issues at the plate 2014 SS Jacob Gatewood (Clovis, CA) has crazy pop, just slapped ball off back foot 91 mph off bat. Also, his in-game defensive actions and athleticism have been a pleasant surprise. Guys Jacob Gatewood's size rarely move that well.

8-10-13 - New Balance Area Code games - The A’s still had their two big players remaining in Jacob Gatewood (CA) and Derek Hill (CA). Gatewood crushed two balls right back up the middle but couldn’t buy a base hit today. One was right at the pitcher who caught it and tossed it over to the first and the other hit the pitcher's foot and deflected at the second baseman who gathered it and threw Gatewood out. Gatewood has showed timing issues this week with a lot of swings and misses but when he makes hard contact, the ball explodes off of his bat. Gatewood has also showed good athleticism and body control at shortstop -- especially for his size -- and has continued to show off his strong arm. http://prospectinsider.com/view/2013-area-codes:-day-4-notes/

8-14-13 – Through The Fence – Top 50 Prospects – 4. Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (CA) - Gatewood is quickly becoming the most drooled over prep prospect in the 2014 MLB draft. At 6’-5” and 190 pounds, the right-hander shows big-time power potential and excellent bat speed. He won the Junior Home Run Derby at Citi Field, slugging 13 home runs — three of them reaching the third deck. He also has a canon arm and has been clocked in the low/mid 90s. A shortstop now, his size and power could move him to third where all of his tools would play well. He could go first overall with his upside. Committed to USC. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50-prospects/36463#mwWwsFxSUZy7YC5V.99   

8-13-13 - The Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego - Clovis High School’s Jacob Gatewood - Gatewood’s bat speed is impressive — as is the power that he generates with said bat speed — but I saw a tendency for the swing to get “wild”, and it would have been nice to see him hit something with authority the other way. I also had some defensive questions; as he showed soft hands, but the ball has a tendency to tail on him and there’s some footwork issues as well. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2013/08/thoughts-on-perfect-game-all-american-classic/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   

8-21-13 – Area Code Games - 2. Jacob Gatewood, ss/3b/of, Clovis (Calif.) High/SGV Arsenal/San Diego Show - The athletic 6-foot-4, 190-pound Gatewood gained national recognition by winning the Junior Select Home Run Derby with 14 home runs at Citi Field during the MLB All-Star Game in July. In Long Beach, Gatewood showed some of the best power in class during batting practice, making Blair Field look small. He was geared up to hit the fastball in game action and his timing was a little off, causing him to hit into a few double plays. The Southern California commit gave scouts an extended look in the field and showed fluid actions and an above-average arm. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/area-code-games-top-10-prospects/    

9-1-13 - Jim Callis – 6. Jacob Gatewood, ss, Clovis (Calif.) HS - Put on a show during Home Run Derby at Citi Field, may wind up at third base down the road.

8-15-13 - Under Armour All-Star Game – Jacob Gatewood, SS:  Gatewood is one of the top hitters in this draft and a top 5 pick candidate.  He has great size at 6'5", 190 with tremendous bat speed and the ability to hit for average and big-time power.  His claim to fame right now is winning the HR derby for the high school players at the All-Star Game this past season.  He's not extremely quick and is not expected to stay at SS but his bat will play at 3B or a corner OF spot. http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2013/08/2014-mlb-draft-ua-game-roster-and-preview-plus-more-tickets-and-meet-up-information/

9-4-13 – Mack’s Mock Draft v1.0 – 15 –  SS Jacob Gatewood – Clovis (CA) HS – This is a big guy (6-5) for a shortstop and also generates Tulo comparisons.  He generated a ton of power through excellent bat speed, plus has excellent speed, soft hands, and plays a great defensive game. This is definitely the year of some great shortstops

9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects - 9.Jacob Gatewood – SS, Clovis (CA) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/

9-27-13 - Jim Callis - The 2014 Draft is a solid group that impresses scouts more than the 2012 and 2013 talent pools. College pitching is always a prized commodity, and there's plenty behind Rodon, starting with right-handers Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) and Tyler Beede (Vanderbilt). There's more velocity this year in the high school ranks, with righty Tyler Kolek (Shepherd, Texas, HS) leading the way with a consistent upper-90s fastball. The pitchers stand out more than the position players, though there are plenty of intriguing bats. Catcher/outfielder Alex Jackson (Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego) and shortstop Jacob Gatewood (Clovis, Calif., HS) offer plenty of power, while Trea Turner (North Carolina State) has uncommon speed and is a rare collegian who should be able to play shortstop in the Majors. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130927&content_id=61864804&c_id=

9-30-13 – TTF Mock 2.0 - 3. Chicago White Sox — Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (CA) With maybe the worst farm system in baseball, the White Sox have a chance to add a franchise player here and should go after the kid with perhaps the highest ceiling among the prep bats. Gatewood is a 6’-5”, 190 pound right-hander with some serious raw power, as well as excellent bat speed. He won the Junior Home Run Derby at Citi Field, slugging 13 home runs — three of them reaching the third deck. I also got to see him launch several bombs out of Wrigley Field as he won the home run derby at the 2013 Under Armour All American Game. He most likely will have to move off shortstop but his canon arm and instincts should play well at the hot corner or a corner outfield spot where his bat will more than justify the position. High character kid who is committed to USC.  http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-mock-draft-2-0-draft-order-set/38280#5E3F5j1jWOgE69bJ.99

10-9-13 – Early Pick for Cubs - Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (CA) - If the Cubs decide to take the player who oozes potential but is still raw in some areas in the 2014 MLB draft, Gatewood could be the guy. At 6’-5”, he most likely will outgrow shortstop but his strong arm and athleticism could be a good fit for third base where his power potential would justify the hot corner. Another kid I got to see at Wrigley, he put on a show, winning the home run derby as he launched several bombs out of the park with ease. He also won the first annual high school home run derby at Citi Field during the All-Star break, hitting 14 home runs, several into the third deck. He isn’t a speed guy as he has been timed at 7.11 in the 60, but his combination of size and power separate him from others in his class. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-early-targets-chicago-cubs-fourth-overall-pick/38723

10-15-13 – Baseball America - 5. Jacob Gatewood, ss/3b, Clovis (Calif.) HS: Long, lean and toolsy athlete with a plus arm and arguably the best power potential in the class. http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-draft-top-50-october-2013-carlos-rodon/

10-29-13 – Jim Callis – Top 10 World Wood Bat Association World Championship (WWBA) Jupiter, Fla - 2. Jacob Gatewood, SS, Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team (Clovis, Calif., HS/Southern California) -  6-foot-5, 190-pound athlete can put on a show in batting practice, needs more consistent game production. http://ht.ly/qi5No

11-14-13 - Michael Schwartze - The two top names behind Jackson are Clovis (Calif.) High School shortstop Jacob Gatewood and T.C. Robertson (Ashville, N.C.) High School outfielder Braxton Davidson. Gatewood has big upside with huge raw power, but showed contact issues over the summer, as his swing was often stuck in batting-practice mode during games leading to a lot of swings and misses. “Gatewood may have the highest ceiling because there’s a chance he plays up the middle,” an assistant scouting director said after the Area Code Games in Long Beach. “There’s a lot to like and a lot to dream on with him. Am I concerned about his swing? A little bit. He’s got time to figure it out.” http://www.studentsports.com/blog/2013/11/13/baseball-jupiter-wraps-up-2013-showcase-circuit/

11-21-13 -  Nathan Rode ‏@NathanRode  -  No. 3 Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS, CA. Southern Cal recruit. Big raw power, athletic. May move off SS, but can handle 3B or RF.

11-21-13 – BA Top 100 High School Players - 3 Jacob Gatewood SS/3B R/R 6-4 189 Clovis (Calif.) HS Southern California http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-high-school-top-100-with-commitments/

11-27-13 – Big League Futures Top 25 Poll –   9 Jacob Gatewood    SS Clovis (CA)  http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/11/26/mlb-draft-top-25-prospects-poll/

12-4-13 - MLB Pipeline ‏@MLBPipeline  -  Likely too big for SS. Bigger issue: will he hit enough to tap into huge power? @spencerbingol: Jacob Gatewood going to stick at SS?

B/R – 11-21-13 - 13. San Diego Padres: Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (Calif.) - Jacob Gatewood has an athletic and projectable frame at 6’3”, 175 pounds that will allow him to add considerable strength as he matures physically. He’s a right-handed hitter with lightning-quick wrists and explosive bat speed that yield effortless plus raw power—especially to the pull side. Currently a shortstop, Gatewood is expected to outgrow the position and eventually slide over to third base. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1860341-2014-mlb-mock-draft-early-first-round-projections-for-all-30-teams/page/10

12-10-13 – TTF – Top 50 HS Players - 2. Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis HS (CA) - At 6’-5”, the right-hander oozes potential due to his massive power potential. He is still raw in some areas, but he crushes baseballs with such little effort, it isn’t even fair. I saw him line a double off the wall at Wrigley that didn’t seem to go 10 feet off the ground. He likely won’t stick at short but has a canon for an arm, as well as the athletic abilities, which could allow him to stick at third base. Aside from winning the home run derby at the Under Armour AA Game at Wrigley, he won the Junior Home Run Derby at Citi Field, slugging 13 home runs — three of them reaching the third deck. Committed to USC. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50/40532#zz88YJZTOG8iEa1Z.99

12-9-13 – Pine Tar Press  -   25- SS Jacob Gatewood Clovis HS (USC Commit) 9/25/95- Solidly built kid who stands at 6’5 but still has the frame of a SS. Right now, he has easy power and scouts dream on what that power becomes as he fills out.  He has a plus arm and is athletic so a move to 3B or RF has to be considered. (Rays @ 23) http://pinetarpress.com/early-look-2014-mlb-draft/

1-3-14 – TTF Baseball - 7. Philadelphia Phillies — Jacob Gatewood, SS/3B, Clovis HS (CA) - While the power is massive and obviously his calling card, the 6’-5” right-hander also has a plus arm and is athletic enough to hold down the hot corner. He may not steal many bases, but he won’t have to with the power he has. Another kid I saw at Wrigley, he was depositing balls out of the park with such ease, it’s scary to imagine him in a couple of years. He won basically all of the home run derbys over the summer and is a high-character kid. A future left side of J.P. Crawford and Gatewood should make Phillies fans very happy. Committed to USC. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-2/40753#ppGUqI6CbWFvzsPf.99

1-16-14 - Jeff Sullivan ‏@JSully12 - Man I can't wait to see Jacob Gatewood down at NHSI in March. Just watching him take BP is an event. W a good spring, he could go top 10.

2-5-14 - Continuing our profiles of some of the top high school hitters available in the 2014 MLB Rule IV Draft brings a look at Jacob Gatewood, a Short Stop from Clovis High School in Clovis, CA. Do you like your up the middle players tall, lanky and wiry? Do you like them with plus raw power? Do you like them to wrists that would make Connor MacLeod envious? If you answered yes, you’ll probably like Gatewood. If you answered no to any of those three questions then I’ll remind you that Chuck Knoblauch ain’t coming through that door, and you really, really need to go watch Highlander. Gatewood works from a tall set-up, allowing his length and wiry strength to be used to his advantage. As I’ve discussed in regard to Joey Gallo, depth and distance from the plate in a hitter’s stance as well as angles through the zone become an ever-present concern for tall hitters with long limbs. Too much ‘hunch’ in their set-up will lead to an inability to get the bat head through the zone and anything less than an absolutely direct lines will lead to plenty of sad-faced calls to their bat supplier. http://projectprospect.com/article/2014/02/04/2014-mlb-draft-jacob-gatewood-hitter-profile

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