Draft 13 – Alex Gonzalez, Jeremy Martinez, Phil Bickford, Colin Moran, Derik Beauprez

Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts - In his last two starts, the 6’-3” right-hander has tossed 15 innings, allowing two runs on 11 hits, striking out 17 to three walks. He now has a 2.15 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 82 K/17 BB over 75.1 innings, holding opponents to a .222 batting average. He features a low-90s fastball and has excellent command of his pitches.  link

Jeremy Martinez, Mater Dei HS (CA) - Like Okey, Martinez is a polished player who also is a two-time gold medal winner for U18 Team USA. Very good defensively, the 5’-11”, 200-pound right-hander also performs well with the bat. While the power hasn’t shown up yet, he has a very good approach at the plate and squares up well, making consistent contact to all fields. Over 21 games this season, he is hitting .386 and has drawn 12 walks to just four strikeouts for a .513 OBP. He should be available at 41, and his high make up fit’s the organization’s philosophy. Committed to Southern California. -  link

Dan Kirby  ‏@DanMKirby

Oaks Christian HS (CA) 6'-4" RHP Phil Bickford's last 3 starts: 21 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 39 K/5 BB. Includes a no-no. Has hit 97 mph

UNC 3B Colin Moran 2-for-4 w/ HR, 4 RBI. Now hitting .434 over last 33 G w/ 7 2B, 11 HR, 62 RBI, 25 BB, .541 OBP/.783 SLG


Derik Beauprez, RHP, Cherry Creek HS (CO) - Like Bostick, the 6’-5” Beauprez can hit the mid-90s with his fastball and has a lot of projection due to his size and live, loose arm. He also features solid secondary stuff including a tight curveball. He hasn’t pitched a lot this year, so he is still raw in some areas, but he has a fresh arm and a high ceiling. He is also an excellent hitter and could be drafted as a power-hitting corner outfielder, as well. Should be available at 77. Committed to Miami. link

2013 Draft-Notes - Mike Martin, Tyler Spoon, Jeremy Martinez, Andrew Church

OF Mike Martin, Harvard -- After finishing this past spring with a lackluster .270 batting average, Martin took a significant step forward this summer with the CCL's offensive crown. He batted an outstanding .426 with nine doubles, three triples and 22 RBIs. He also had a fantastic .509 OBP  PG

OF Tyler Spoon, Arkansas -- Spoon didn't factor into the equation for the Razorbacks last season, but could find some playing time in the spring after having a solid summer. He batted .284 with 11 doubles, 10 homers and 32 RBIs. He also had six stolen bases. PG

C, Jeremy Martinez (PONY)Mater Dei HS, Ca, 5'10 195 R/R, can still rake, has enough defensive presence and skills to keep an eye on for 2013, ball jumps off his bat, good discipline at the plate, throwing arm is at least average and knows what he's doing overall as a receiver, lifted on some low pitches causing a couple of skipped passed balls on Wednesday 3/28, not a great runner, but not a clogger either, reminds me of a poor man's Yadier Molina. Good bat speed and pop. Didn't sting ball as he has in past during TOS, but you can tell he was pressing and still very interesting to watch for 2013. xmlbscout

Righty Andrew Church (Las Vegas) started for Reds and struck out two over two scoreless frames. The USD commit showed the makings of a promising four-pitch repertoire, highlighted by an 89-92 fastball and a 76-77 curveball – BA

Todd Gold‏ -  Dominant IP by 2013 RHP Trevin Haseltine (Vacaville, CA) retired 3 All-Americans in order 90-93 FB w sharp downhill plane… 2013 1B Nick Longhi (Venice, FL) playing out of his mind this week. Hits aren't always falling but continues to CRUSH ball…

Kendall Rogers - Oregon Ducks commit RT C/1B Francis Christy (Petaluma, CA) blasts high fly ball 395 ft to dead CF…for F8

Aaron Fitt - Forgettable week so far for Athletics slugger Rowdy Tellez (Elk Grove, CA): 0-for-6 with 4 groundouts to second. Keeps rolling over balls… Mater Dei 3B Ryan McMahon comes through for the SoCal Brewers, breaking up no-no and giving team a 3-1 lead with 2-run single to LF…

Michael Schwartze‏ -  Dustin Driver has the top velocity recorded and the highest average fastball speed at the AC games thus far

2013 Draft-Notes – Jonathan Crawford, Drew Dosch, Jeremy Martinez, Kevin Duchene

Florida right-hander Jonathon Crawford only worked an inning, so it didn’t help answer my reliever or starter questions. The fastball popped — and the mechanics have improved considerably — but hes really only a two pitch pitcher at this point.  http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/07/thoughts-from-the-prospect-classic/

Left-handed batter Drew Dosch (Youngstown State) of the Falmouth Commodores made some key hits that earned him a current batting average of .368 and Coca Cola’s Player of the Week. In last Wednesday’s game against Cotuit, Dosch hit a two-out double in the seventh inning that helped earn the Commodores a 9-2 victory over the Kettleers. Following his performance Wednesday, Dosch helped fuel another Falmouth victory after belting another double last Thursday against Wareham. Dosch shined in Saturday’s game against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox when he hit an RBI double in the first inning and later drove a solo homer in the third inning.

One of only two underclassmen to participate in last year's Under Armour All-America Game, Jeremy Martinez appears poised to be a first-round pick in next year's MLB Draft. He's currently the top-rated 2013 prospect by ESPN, and in March, he helped Mater Dei (Calif.) High to USA Baseball's inaugural High School invitational title. Martinez batted .538 in four games; for the 2012 season, he hit .388 with 18 RBIs. Martinez verbally committed to USC at the end of his freshman season, but that likely won't stop a MLB team from drafting him early. If he wants to remain a catcher, however, going to college may not be a bad choice. Since 2005, just one high school catcher picked in the first round (Devin Mesoraco, the backup for the Reds) is currently in the big leagues at the postion  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/highschool/06/25/high-school-future-game-changers/index.html#ixzz1znmZTWLy

Andrew McCutchen (.356) can become 1st Pirates player ever with; 15+ HR, 50+ RBI, 10+ SB, 100+ hits and a .350+ BA at the break

Kendall Rodgers –   LHP Trey Ball (2013 IN-Texas) 90-93 mph Alec Hayes (FL) up to 90… RHP Clinton Hollon (KY) 90-94 mph today…

Appalachian State hired Billy Jones as its head coach.

LHP: Kevin Duchene, Joliet Catholic Academy HS - No pitcher was more dominant this season than Duchene. The University of Illinois recruit carved up top-ranked opponents all spring, helping the Hilltoppers climb to No. 1 in the state for a period of time and win the East Suburban Catholic Conference. Duchene works both sides of the plate with three pitches, in any count, including an 86-89 mph fastball. Exactly how dominant was Duchene? Well, he yielded only one earned run in 51 innings for a 0.14 ERA. He struck out 95, walked nine and had a remarkable WHIP of 0.61. His perfect 8-0 record included victories over state powers Marist, Plainfield North, Lockport, Carmel, and Lemont to name a few

2013 Draft-Notes – Kevin Davis, Ryne Stanek, Jeremy Martinez, Robert Kaminsky, Cavan Biggio

Nathan Rode – Arkansas righthander Ryne Stanek was one of the bigger highlights of the night. He pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out four. The only trouble he found was in the second inning when he allowed a leadoff single, got two outs and then loaded the bases with a walk and fielder's choice. But he got Kentucky outfielder Austin Cousino to fly out to end the inning. He cruised through the third inning and was taken out in the fourth with two outs after walking a batter. He had thrown 59 pitches.

Player:  Kevin Davis   Position:  RHP   School:  T.R. Daivs (AL)   Date of Birth:  11/24/1994   Height/Weight:  6’1/185   Bats/Throws:  R/R   2013 Class:  Senior Scouting Report:  Righthander Kevin Davis is the top prospect from Alabama.  While he lacks a large frame, he has a big arm and could potentially move very high on draft boards. BLF  

It’s unclear if Jeremy Martinez really needs any help, especially when it has to do with USA Baseball events. He went 7-for-13 at the USA Baseball complex in Cary (where Game 3 will be held) during the NHSI. He went 4-for-10 during the Tournament of Stars, with three hits — one a walk-off homer — coming in one game. He cooled off to a 1-for-7 during the Red vs. Blue “intrasquad” games the 18U hopefuls played before the Classic. But considering he hit .387 for Team USA as the 18U’s primary catcher last year, it’s may seem like a safe bet he’ll get the chance to play again, this time in South Korea for the IBAF Junior World Championships in September.                                               PN 

RHP Josh Dezse leads the Bourne Braves (3-9) to 8-7 victory over Brewster (5-8)

RHP Jordan Sheffield (TN) touched 95 mph today. 

Rob Kaminsky‏   - Got the ball tomorrow for Team USA 

Ben Badler‏ -

The Rays have signed Dominican C Eric Otanez for $300,000 

Adam Rubin‏ -

Q - When do we find out all star game starting pitchers?

A. - Will be announced Sunday. Starters day before game (unless leaked) 

Jim Callis‏ -

Q - Any chance Cardinals sign Trey Williams?

A - Don't see it. Can't pay Williams more than $243,665 as of now w/o losing pick 

Player:  Cavan Biggio   Position:  3B/2B/OF   School:  St. Thomas (TX)   Date of Birth:  4/11/1995   Height/Weight:  6’1/185   Bats/Throws:  L/R   2013 Class:  Senior   Committed To:  Virginia  Scouting Report:  BLF

2013 Draft-Notes - Shawn O’Neill, Phil Ervin, Jeremy Martinez, Jonathan Crawford

VBL Players of the Week  - South Pitchers of the Week - Shawn O’Neill, Harrisonburg. O’Neill pitched 9 1/3 innings for Harrisonburg over three appearances and saved a pair of games for the Turks. His saves came in his first two appearances, going the final 2.0 innings in a 10-7 win over Staunton on Tuesday and the last three innings of an 11-5 triumph over Covington on Thursday. O’Neill, from La Salle, had nine strikeouts on the week and allowed just one run on three hits. CSB

Phil Ervin (OF; Harwich Mariners; Samford; 2013 Draft) - Big check mark here. By the end of the Cape I bet he's one of this biggest risers. Smallish and kind of thick but athletic and ran the bases really well. Savage bat speed and ball exploded off a quick, short stroke. Fouled off a hard FB in on his hands one pitch. Next pitch the pitcher came back in even higher and tighter - Laser HR to LF. Impressive as he had to adjust even farther inside and start his swing even sooner. No small feat when its your first game of the year with a wooden bat. Next AB laced a ball into the RF gap. Really impressed by Ervin.  - BB  

Jeremy Martinez, C, H.S. (CA): The 5'11", 190 lbs. Martinez has the skills to stay at catcher long term with the potential for a plus hit tool.  Strong defensive catchers who can hit are obviously rare, so Martinez's all-around skills should be at a premium.  He also tends to perform big at showcase events, so scouts know he can play well when the spotlight is on.  ESPN rates him as the top high school player in the draft.  As I mentioned, high school catching is a strong group for 2013 but Martinez is a cut above other standouts such as Zach Collins, Chris Okey, Nick Ciuffo, and Ryan Healey. Chicago Now  

Player:  Jonathon Crawford   Position:  RHP   School:  Florida   Date of Birth:  11/1/1991   Height/Weight:  6’1/205   Bats/Throws:  R/R   2013 Class:  Junior   Previously Drafted:  2010, 42nd Rd, Marlins  - Scouting Report:  After being used sparingly as a freshman and then struggling in the Northwoods League, Jonathon Crawford started putting the pieces together during his sophomore year.  If I were to rank him just off of the games I watched him pitch, Crawford would probably be one of my top 5 college players (and I didn’t see his no-hitter).  He is a likely first rounder with a chance to climb into the top half of the first round BLF

2013 Draft/D1 Notes – Oscar Mercado, John Simms, Brewster Whitecaps, Jeremy Martinez

Frankie Piliere‏ -

ASU righty Trevor Williams sitting 93-94 mph in first tonight

Michael Theofanopoulos showing a plus CB and 89-92 mph FB.

Oscar Mercado

As a sometimes torrential rain pounded down on the fabric roof of the Metrodome Thursday morning, top shortstop prospect Oscar Mercado took a look around the artificial playing surface and proudly took account of the company he had surrounded himself with. "There's a lot of talent out here," Mercado said with a smile. "Everything's good. I like it a lot. It means a lot to be competing with the top baseball players in the country." Mercado will be here the next several days with more than 300 of the country's other top prospects in the class of 2013 for the 2012 Perfect Game National Showcase. It's an event that has evolved into the most prestigious one of its kind in all of amateur baseball since its creation in 2001.

John Simms

Player:  John Simms   Position:  RHP   School:  Rice   Date of Birth:  1/17/1992   Height/Weight:  6’3/210   Bats/Throws:  R/R   2013 Class:  Junior   Previously Drafted:  2010, 39th Rd, Nationals  Scouting Report:   •Fastball 88-92 with sink   •Change and curve both developing   •Curve shows good potential   •3/4 arm slot

Brewster Whitecaps

BREWSTER WHITECAPS - Manager: John Altobelli (first season)  Last season: 20-20-4; third place in East. Lost to Harwich in first round.  Outlook: Altobelli has put together a solid roster from a diverse pool of schools. Fresno State sophomore outfielder Aaron Judge batted .308 with 27 RBIs for the Bulldogs and had 48 walks. UCLA infielder Kevin Williams is hitting .305 with a .417 OBP for the Bruins as they head to the CWS. Minnesota third baseman Dan Olinger hit .318 with 34 RBIs and a .374 OBP while Oregon infielder Ryon Healey, who played for Cotuit last summer, hit .312 with 42 RBIs and a .378 OBP. Vanderbilt sophomore catcher Spencer Navin hit .298 and had a .427 OBP. Florida State freshman LHP Brandon Leibrandt was named to the Louisville Slugger's Freshmen All-American team. He leads the CWS-bound Seminoles with a 2.58 ERA in 94 1/3 innings (17 starts), striking out 78 while walking 27. Washington RHP Austin Voth appeared in 22 games for the Huskies, starting 11 games and struck out 62 in 67 1/3 innings. Minnesota lefty Tom Windle had a 3.27 ERA in 18 appearances (four starts) and struck out 37 in 41 1/3 innings. The stats of Adrian Sampson, a right-hander from Bellvue Junior College, jump out. Sampson racked up 107 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings with a 1.36 ERA.

Jeremy Martinez    

Jeremy Martinez, C, Mater Dei HS (CA)  In keeping with the theme started with Mercado, if you can find a high school catcher who projects to stay at the position and offers a strong package of tools, it is best to make him an offer he can't refuse. Martinez shows a strong defensive presence already, with athleticism, receiving skills and a good arm behind the plate. He is going to have to learn how to call games, but the other skills needed are already there. Even more impressive than his defense is what he can do with the bat. Martinez has good power already, with bat speed and the projection to add more as he matures. He will not be an above-average runner in the future, but a four-tool catcher is easily worth a top-10 pick.

D1 Notes 6-11-12 –Jeremy Martinez, Baylor-ARK, FLA-NCST, Zack Collins, Connor Doyle

Jeremy Martinez

Class: HS Senior -  Hometown: Fountain Valley, California   Height/Weight: 5-11/195  Baseball (and football) powerhouse Mater Dei catcher Jeremy Martinez has all the tools to be a standout catcher at the professional level. His defensive ability is off the charts. His pop-time (1.87) stands out and compares to some of the best backstops playing in the big-leagues today, who average around 1.80. His arm is plenty strong and he has incredibly soft hands. At 5’11” and 195 pounds he has the size to stay behind the plate for the long-haul.

Waco Super Regional, Game 1 - #4 Baylor 8, Arkansas 1 – SP Trent Black 8.0-IP, 7-H, 1-R, 5-K, 1-BB… 1B Mike Muncy 3-4, 2-R… CF Logan Vick 2-4, 2-R, 3-RBI 

Gainesville Super Regional, Game 1 - #1 Florida (46-18) 7, NC State (43-19) 1 – SP Hudson Randall 7.0-IP, 6-H, 0-R, 4-K, 0-BB… RF Preston Tucker 2-3, 3-R, 1-RBI… C Mike Zunino 2-4, 2-R, 3-RBI

Zack Collins

Class: HS Senior   Hometown: Pembroke Pines, Florida   Height/Weight: 6-2/200  If the performance of Jeremy Martinez and Zack Collins are any indication, the catching crop of the 2013 high school draft class is going to be the best we’ve seen in quite some time.  Like Martinez, Collins has a realistic shot at sticking behind the plate. At 6’2” and 200 pounds he should be able to withstand the rigors of catching everyday, and he also has the athleticism to be a agile defender.

Connor Doyle

Just transferred to Cardozo from Townsend Harris, (Townsend Harris is a B division baseball school so he wasn't getting much competition). Connor is 6'1 and weighs 165. He's a junior right now and next year will be a senior. He still has a lot of room to grow. Connor was also basketball player and is very athletic. According to some of my friends who played with Connor at Townsend all he does is train. His parents have invested a ton of money into him, he travels all over the world and his life is centered around Sports. Connor is a Pitcher and plays CF. Very fast, legs singles to doubles easily. He is more known for his pitching though. He's a righty who throws a fastball, curve and change. He doesn't use his changeup too much so it's a below average pitch for him. His fastball sits in the mid 80's but he can touch the upper 80's with it at times. When he starts to grow into his frame he'll probably easily sit in the high 80's. His curveball is more so a 1-7 curve if you know what i mean. He always used to throw BP at Townsend and always used to tell everyone to watch at a pitch might get away from him so what he did is he broke his curve from the hands of a righty to the low outside corner. The pitch can get a bit flat at times the more he works into a game. He has a pretty good bat. Not too much power but he has great pitch recognition and walks a ton. Doesn't strike out a ton. The only thing that people complain about him is his attitude. Can be a bit egotistical but once he steps onto the mound he's all business. The biggest weakness in his game is his control. There's some games he can't command any of his pitches and will throw a ton of balls. This year at Cardozo the coach lowered Connor's innings and he didn't pitch too much, according to a friend from Cardozo the coach wanted to showcase Connor and Adrian next year and will allow them to throw a lot more then. From what I know about Connor he will probably sign because he seems like the kind who will go for the money instead of college, but he is already getting some D1 offers.

Draft Notes – Jeremy Martinez, Marcus Stroman, Scotty McCreery

Jason A. Churchill of http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1604/martinez-heads-class-of-2013-backstops ranked the top five high school catchers so you might want to jot down these names because you know we will be begging the Mets to draft one of these guys a year from June:

1. Jeremy Martinez, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 

2. Chris Okey, Eustis (Fla.) 

3. Nick Ciuffo, Lexington (S.C.) 

4. Arden Pabst, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)  (is there like an apartment building next to this school that the top junior high players in the state just move to before starting high school?)

5. Zach Collins, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 

Conor Glassey, an associate editor for Baseball America says “a solid No. 2 starter”. Kevin Goldstein, national writer on scouting and player development for Baseball Prospectus writes “shutdown closer”. And Stephen Guilbert of Mack’s Mets says I don’t know the difference between shit and shinola about this guy. We’re talking about Duke starter, 5-9 Marcus Stroman. A converted reliever, he’s been crazy all season: 10-ST, 73.0-IP, 102-K… Five foot nine… really??? 

Speed Check - RHP Alec Rash (IA) - 91-93, 94, 81-CB, 84-CH 

Garner Magnet (NC) H.S. RHP Scotty McCreery had an excellent outing against East Wake – 6-K, 0-BB, 4.3-IP… yeah, that Scotty McCreery. Not bad for an American Idol winner!