D1 Game Notes – Jacob Bosiokovic, Dylan Bundy, Harvard-Westlake, Jed Bradley, Kenton Parmley

RHP Jacob Bosiokovic led his Delaware Hayes (OH) H.S. teammates to a 4-1 victory over Watkins Memorial. The 6-6  ‘Bos’ sat 85-88, touching 90 throughout the game. He also wields a decent bat, hitting .500 last season with 22-SB, 10-HR and 45-RBIs.  We’re going to keep an eye on this OSU-commit.

Does anyone out there remember how much I wanted the Mets to draft Dylan Bundy (not that the Mets ever had a chance since he was drafted as the 4^th overall pick last draft)?  As of last night, he has now pitched nine innings, has 15 strikeouts, has not allowed a hit, and has faced just one batter over minimum

Harvard-Westlake 10, Louisville 0. Lauren Li had 14 K's. Molly Steinberg and Chloe Pendergast both 2 for 5… oh, shit…. This is softball.

Another graduate of the 2011 class, LHP Jed Bradley, was someone I really pimped going up to draft day. The Mets chose to pick OF Brandon Nimmo instead and he was scooped up by Milwaukee two picks later.

Bradley tossed another six scoreless innings Tuesday for A-Brevard County. He has yet to allow an earned run through his first three starts this season.

Southeast Missouri senior SS Kenton Parmley extends hitting streak to 45 games today. That tied him for the fourth longest in NCAA history. Kevin was excited when I reached him after the game:

It's very exciting and definitely an honor to have a streak like this go for so long without a hiccup along the way, and through the at bat the first pitch was a slider and which I layer off for a strike and stayed patient waiting for my pitch and the next pitch was an outside fastball that I stayed back and took it to right field and I credit my hitting coach for stressing patience and discipline to me in the off season.

Baseball: Brandon Morrow, Dylan Bundy, Tim Lincecum, Gaylord Perry

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Tuesday that they have signed a three-year, $21 million contract extension with starting pitcher Brandon Morrow. The deal covers Morrow's final two arbitration seasons and at least one year of free agency, depending on whether the Jays exercise an option that they hold for the 2015 season. According to Mike Wilner of Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 in Toronto, Morrow will make $4 million in 2012, $8 million in 2013 and $8 million in 2014, and Toronto holds a $10 million club option for 2015 with a $1 million buyout attached. The deal guarantees Morrow at least $21 million over the next three years, with a possible payout of $30 million over four years if the option is exercised. http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2012/1/24/2730332/toronto-blue-jays-brandon-morrow-contract-extension-mlb-rumors-2012

When the Baltimore Orioles plucked him out of Northeastern Oklahoma's Sperry High School in the 2008 Draft's eighth round, Bobby Bundy heard the hype. Everyone within earshot told him he was a great pitcher.  But all the talk about Dylan Bundy is much, much louder. Bobby, 22, has taken a backseat to his 100-mph-capable, 19-year-old younger brother, the fourth overall draftee in 2011, and as of this month, MLB.com's fifth-best righty pitching prospect in the game. He is well aware that his little bro beat him to Baltimore's 40-man roster -- the result of signing a Major League contract -- and isn't surprised to learn that Dylan has his own Wikipedia page http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120111&content_id=26316230&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb#&tcid=tw_share

Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants have reached agreement on a two-year, $40.5 million contract with right-hander Tim Lincecum. The Giants were hoping to secure Lincecum to a long-term contract this offseason, but the 27-year-old had a higher asking price than the club could reach. This deal buys out his remaining arbitration years, and allows him to test the open market in 2014. Lincecum registered a sparkling 2.74 ERA and 220/86 K/BB ratio in 217 innings last year for San Francisco and should remain a bonafide ace over the course of his new two-year deal. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/348284/baseball-headlines?r=1

This year is the 40th anniversary of the last time human beings set foot on the moon.  Why haven’t we been back since?  Maybe we should blame Gaylord Perry. One of baseball’s great urban legends is that Perry, a Hall of Fame pitcher from 1962 to 1983, once said a man would walk on the moon before he hit a home run.  Or perhaps the legend is that Alvin Dark, Perry’s manager with the San Francisco Giants, is the one who made that disparaging but humorous remark about Perry’s lack of knack to hit the longball. The confusion and dispute over who said it or if anyone actually said it at all are so well known that the Internet investigators at Snopes have even sniffed it out and can’t find the answer.  What makes the dispute relevant is the second big fact of the story, which is indisputable.  Perry hit his first career home run on July 20, 1969 the day that Neil Armstrong took “one small step for man” on the moon. http://networkedblogs.com/t8LMM

Baseball: Dylan Bundy, Manny Banuelos, Orlando Cabrera, Roger Maris

Dylan Bundy, Orioles: While Bundy was the first high school arm taken in the 2011 Draft, after three college pitchers, it would be a mistake to think that means he'll take a long time to develop. Like Bauer, Bundy uses long-tossing to build arm strength, and it seems to work for him. He's not that big, but he's strong and athletic, utilizing a four-pitch mix extremely well. His fastball is plus and he maintains velocity with smooth mechanics. He has two breaking pitches -- a curve and slider -- both of which are outstanding, and he also throws a changeup. Occasionally, prep pitchers buzz through a system, and it wouldn't surprise anyone if Bundy pitches at more than one level in 2012. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26330142&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26330142

Manny Banuelos, Yankees: The stuff is definitely there for Banuelos to be successful at the Major League level. All he has to do is learn how to harness it more consistently. He has three pitches, a fastball, curve and changeup, that can be above-average or better. He's struck out 9.2 batters per nine innings throughout his Minor League career and his pure stuff has gotten better in recent years, so that should continue. His command is what's holding him back. He walked nearly five batters every nine innings in 2011 and often didn't command his fastball well within the strike zone. He's shown the ability to do it, and once he finds consistency, he could be ready to help out full-time. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120113&content_id=26339048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&tcid=tw_article_26339048

According to ESPN's Enrique Rojas, Orlando Cabrera has announced his retirement from baseball. O-Cabs struggled to find suitors on the open market this winter after batting just .238/.267/.307 in 477 plate appearances last season between the Indians and Giants. The 37-year-old native of Colombia was a .272/.317/.390 lifetime hitter in over 1,900 major league games. He slugged 123 career home runs and tallied 2,055 career hits. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/348085/baseball-headlines?r=1

He had a modest start to his career hitting nine  home runs in his rookie year with the Indians. Cleveland traded him in June 1958, to the Kansas City Athletics.  At the half-way point of the year, he had 14 long balls. It was not a very popular trade. He would go on to hit a total of 28 homers that season. After a 19 home run 1959 season, Kansas City shipped Maris off to the Yankees, where his power and legend really blossomed. As a precursor to the ’61 campaign, Maris drove 39 bombs in 1960. He then had the great year of 1961. The power seemingly came out of no where as he never had another season with even 40 jacks. He had plenty of home run potential the next three years, with home run totals of 33, 23 and 26. However, the numbers waned off from there. http://didthetribewinlastnight.com/2012/01/19/countdown-to-pitchers-and-catchers-32-roger-maris/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Ben Roberts, Paul Snieder, Logan Ehlers, Tyler Wilson, Dylan Bundy

Ben Roberts – a 6-4, 195-pound, left-handed hitting/right-handed throwing outfielder – had been noticed before receiving an invitation to come to the National Pre-Draft. Perfect Game ranks him as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Montana in the high school class of 2011, and No. 244 nationally. There isn’t high school baseball in Montana, so Roberts has been playing since mid-April for a local American Legion team. Roberts played catcher, shortstop and third base as a youngster, but playing the outfield has always been his first love. perfectgame.



Paul Snieder, Northwestern - Jr., 1B, Honolulu, Hawaii / Punahou - Snieder picks up his first career Player of the Week award after leading Northwestern to a two-game series sweep against Michigan over the weekend. The first baseman hit .750, slugged 1.250, drove in five runs and scored three more. The junior racked up three hits in both games and picked up his sixth home run of the season, a grand slam in the seventh inning of Game 1. Snieder also recorded hits in each of Northwestern’s non-conference wins during the week, improving his average to .370, which ranks third in the Big Ten. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native also ranks among the conference’s top five in slugging (.558) and on-base percentage (.456). bigten.



Logan Ehlers - Average height with a wide frame and soft upper body Not much effort in the delivery but did throw across his body a bit; 3/4 arm slot When throwing his slider, he occasionally dropped down to a low 3/4 arm slot, perhaps by design Fastball has average velocity with some late arm side run and sink Soft 11-5 curve ball lacked sharp break but looked like it will have good depth in the future Slider with 10-4 movement; looked slurvy at times Slider was inconsistent: sometimes showing good two-plane break, sometimes being very sharp and sometimes completely losing shape bullpenbanter.



Virginia senior RHP Tyler Wilson flirted with a no-hitter this past week, retiring the first 17 batters he faced before giving up the only hit he would allow at the 6 2/3rds inning mark; Wilson was pulled in the 7th with 2 out, finishing with 7.2IP and allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk while fanning 11 of the 24 batters he faced against #16-ranked Miami; prior to this year, Wilson was used as a closer but was asked to start when the rotation was thinned by injuries and draft defections prior to the season’s start; Wilson has since thrived in the starting role, going 6-0 with a 2.55 ERA, and 90K’s versus 19BB’s in 74 innings of work… .prospectnation



Dylan Bundy, RHP, Owasso HS (OK) - Pros: For a high school arm, Bundy has a remarkable arsenal in terms of both quality of stuff and depth. He sits at 94-96 mph, has touched 100, and adds three quality secondary pitches with a power curveball, a surprisingly advanced change, and a nasty 88-91 mph cut fastball with sharp movement. He has plus command, a clean delivery, and makes it look effortless. Cons: At 6-foot-1, Bundy doesn't have the height of a classic power pitcher, but he is wide-shouldered and tremendously strong, leaving his size as a minor issue at best. “He's a better pitcher than Jameson Taillon,” said one scouting director, referring to last year's second overall pick. “He's not as big or as projectable, but what do you have to project?” http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=13935

Morning Report: - 5.17.11 – Moves, Zach Lutz, Justin Turner, Ruben Tejada, Bobby Parnell, Matt den Dekker, Cory Vaughn, Dylan Bundy



Photo By Mack Ade

 Queens:

You'll notice that I wrote something about Ruben Tejada in the Buffalo section of this morning report. I wrote that around 11am yesterday, long before the David Wright announcement, and the moves that came after last night's loss.

Let's go over them:

IF Chin-Lung Hu was sent to Buffalo. I don't think Queens fans will see him again.

RP Ryota Igarashi was also sent to Buffalo. I expect him to finish out his contract there unless there are future injuries in the pen.

2B-SS - Tejada was recalled. He will play second base and, frankly, if he can hit .275, he might play it for years. This is his shot.

3B-1B-OF Nick Evans was recalled to be available to play where needed. Good move and also, last shot.

RP Pedro Beato came off the DL and will fill the Igarashi slot in the pen.



Today could have been an exciting time for us minor league weenies if Zach Lutz wasn’t on the DL. None of us ever expected Lutz to ever replace Wright some day, but it would have been kewl to see him playing in Queens until the all-star break. As I understand, Lutz’s hammie was just about healed when he broke one of his fingers when it was hit by a foul ball… or something like that.



Going into Monday’s game, the Mets are 5th in the NL race for the wild card.


You might not want to jump on the Justin Turner bandwagon yet. True, he had a great game on Sunday, but so did Victor Diaz once. The 2011 Mets can not afford to keep Daniel Murphy’s bat out of their lineup as long as they are in the wild card race, and they are. Murphy will return to second as soon as Ike Davis is back in the lineup.



Buffalo:


Ruben Tejada was back in the starting lineup on Monday, batting first. The 21-year old has only hit .147 in his past 10 games and has done nothing to prove he can step in for Jose Reyes in case Reyes is traded. Look, we all know that the field tilts when Jose gets on base and no one brings more positive energy to both the field and the plate. This simply doesn’t happen at any level when Tejada is in the game. I’ll never understand the logic of trading an established star, that’s under 30 years old, for a prospect that hasn’t done squat yet in the majors. Think the Santana trade.


Bobby Parnell has proven every time he has pitched during his rehab that he should remain in Buffalo for possibly the remainder of this season. Parnell gave up another run on Monday and his AAA ERA is now 7.36. At the same time, Jason Isringhausen (2.19) is doing just fine and Mike O’Connor (0.00 in 4 Mets outings) has done nothing to prove he should be demoted soon.




St. Lucie:


The general consensus of Mets experts all agree that CF Matt den Dekker will most probably get bumped to the B-Mets once the first half of the season is over. He proved last year he could hit at the A-level (.346), and he is currently 9th in the FSL in hitting with a .331 BA. den Dekker is also the top Mets defensive outfield prospect in the system and 23 of his 48 hits this season are extra base. Based on his current performance, and the lack of others I have had ranked higher in my “Keepers” series, I’ve moved him from 27th to 21st.


Savannah:


We’re starting to get to the point in the season where certain players are proving they can play baseball at a level higher than they played last year. Prospects usually don’t have that much difficulty in doing this. OF Cory Vaughn, who wowed everybody (even me) last year in Brooklyn, has already proven he can dominate at the next level in the Sally League. I can speak first hand to his desire to excel, something I didn’t think he possessed when he was drafted out of college. Here is a guy that went into Mondays game leading the league in OBP (yes, even higher than Bryce Harper) and he honestly feels he has played like shit this year. Amazing. He has been the only consistent bat on the team, and, now that other players are being to hit, we should se a huge increase of RBIs from this true prospect. I had him as the #15 “Keeper”, but I have now moved him up to #10.




Draft:


Jim Callis tweeted that the asking price for P Dylan Bundy is 6 yrs/$30M. Archie Bradley is 5 yrs/$20M. The funny part about this is Bradley might still be around when the Mets pick. The entire order of the first round could alter greatly if TCU’s Matt Purke bounces back beginning this Thursday. The more I see these numbers, the more I think the Mets may go bat with their first pick, specifically, George Springer.

Matt Barnes, Jed Bradley, Ryan Dunn, Dylan Bundy, Nicky Delmonico

Matt Barnes:



I was at the UConn and Louisville matchup on Friday evening to take another look at both Matt Barnes and George Springer. Both players did not disappoint as Barnes pitched eight innings locating his fastball on both corners and throwing a devasting slider. He even showed an excellent curveball a couple times on the evening. He ended up sitting around 95 MPH and hit 97 on a couple of occasions on his fastball. He finished the evening by allowing six hits and two unearned runs in the eighth to up his record to 10-3. Springer also was solid going 2-4 with three RBI while stealing three bases to bring his season total to 25.

http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/05/14/35649  






Jed Bradley:


The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Bradley never truly asserted himself as a legitimate high-end prospect for the 2011 draft, or was even on the radar of many clubs, until last summer at the Cape Cod League all-star game. He worked in only one inning, but many of the close to 100 scouts in attendance thought he had the best arm in the contest. Not only did Bradley exhibit a very easy, fluid arm action with sound mechanics, but he was the only pitcher with above-average stuff who commanded everything in his arsenal. His fastball was a steady 93-94 mph, and he complemented it with a solid curve and change. Bradley subsequently went on to lead the Cape League in strikeouts, with 44 in 41 innings, while walking just six. His strikeout total held up as the league’s best, even as he departed the Cape with two weeks remaining in the regular season. Prior to his all-star moment, Bradley had achieved relatively modest success in his career, and had pitched largely in obscurity. He went undrafted out an Alabama high school in 2008, and went just 2-3, 6.65 as a freshman at Georgia Tech, though struck out 49 in 44 innings http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5642  





Ryan Dunn:


Oregon State junior shortstop Ryan Dunn hit for the cycle in a 13-3 victory over Portland. Dunn completed the cycle in the eighth inning with a two run triple. The triple was Dunn’s first career triple with the Beavers after transferring from Orange Coast College http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/05/11/cbd-quick-hits-for-may-10th  



Dylan Bundy:


This season, Dylan has been clocked at 100 four times in one game. He's averaging just above 95 mph a game. The first fastball — and second pitch of the game — against Edmond North on April 16 broke the magic threshold. The twist is that one Major League scout charting Bundy erroneously jotted down the first pitch was a fastball, clocked at 89. A former Owasso player, who tapped the scout on the shoulder to let him know that the first pitch was actually Bundy's cutter, corrected him.

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/FDmdBnp7EeCkhgAcxJSkrA/dylan-bundy-can-throw-100-mph-and-is-likely-to-be-a-high-mlb-draft-pick.htm  



Nicky Delmonico:


Delmonico has a good swing from the left side and the ability to play multiple positions. Delmonico’s bat projects well at the professional level. He has a solid approach at the plate and possesses good bat speed. Delmonico’s power production has fallen off this year, but he is a strong kid who should put up some power numbers in the future. Delmonico has moved behind the plate for Farragut this season after playing his high school games at short previously. He has also played first for Team USA. Some scouts see his future at third. His stock is highest at catcher, but his experience at multiple positions is a plus.

http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/05/12/nicky-delmonico-draft-profile