D1 Game Notes – Friday’s Premier Pitchers, Rock Rucker

D1 Game Notes – Friday’s Premier Pitchers, Rock Rucker

                                                                                                                       

·        Stock Down – TAMU top RHP Michael Wacha had a rough Friday night against Missouri. Stat like was ugly: 6.1-IP, 12-H, 5-R, 5-K, 1-BB. Wacha’s been hot and cold this season. Seasons stat line now: 7-ST, 4-0, 2.72, 46.1-IP, 52-K, 9-BB. He still projects as a definite first round pick.

·        Stock Up – Ole Miss RHP Bobby Wahl. Caught this one on TV. Tremendous focus from this kid who drips of enthusiasm. 90-94 fastball, which touched 95 late. Plus 80-83 slider. Completely dominated the nation’s number one team: 8.0-IP, 0-R, 2-H, 6-K, 5-0. Easily the best pitching performance in D1 this year. Seasonal stat line: 7-ST, 5-0, 1.91, 42.1-IP, 48-K, 15-BB. This performance might have elevated Wahl to a first round pick.

·        Stock Down – Stanford RHP Mark Appel, who continues to flip flop at a time he’s supposed to be locking up the overall number one spot in the draft. Friday night vs. Arizona: 8.0-IP, 12-H, 6-ER, only 5-K. Seasonal stat line: 6-ST, 3-1, 3.56, 48.0-IP, 52-K, 14BB. This simply is not good enough to be the first pick overall.

·        Stock Meh – The good news on LSU Kevin Gausman: 12-K in 20 batters faced. The bad news: 5-ER by Arkansas. Kauman has to do better than this if he wants to be picked number one overall. Seasonal stats: 7-ST, 5-9, 2.27, 47.2-IP,62-K,13-BB. Pitching coaches will tell you to look for the strikeout/innings ratio. Still a top 5 pick.

·        Stock Up – UCLA Adam Plutko pitched a gem against Utah: 6.2-IP, 0-R, 4-H, 6-K. One negative was five walks which just made it interesting. Season stat line:  7-ST, 4-1, 2.58, 45.1-IP, 52-K, 20-BB. Needs to cut back on the walks is he want to be an early pick.

·        Complete game – CSF’s ace, Dylan Floro, put one on CSN with 7-H, 1-ER, 9-K, and 0-BB. Season stat line: 8-G, 7-ST, 4-2, 2.25, 52.0-IP, 35-K, 4-BB. Control pitches usually don’t get picks on day one of the raft.

·        My email to Rock Rucker after throwing a no-hitter:  “show off”

  o   Rock’s response - "Alright Mr. Mack. I threw my no hitter on my birthday and before the game my Coach ( Tony Rasmus ) said " Why don't we throw a no hitter for your birthday present. " 6 innings and 80+ pitches later I was smiling from ear to ear. That outing pushed me to 4-0 on the mound with no earned runs in any starts with 37ks. Our area play starts April 3rd against Fort Valley high school and I hope to lead my team ( Russell County ) to a 5A Alabama State Championship."

·        Nick J. Faleris‏ @NickJFaleris - Good/bad for #OleMiss commit Stryker Trahan (c, Acadiana HS, Lafayette, La.). Showed pop on easy oppo HR. WTBD behind the plate.

·        Al Skorupa ‏@alskor   - Scout at NHSI: "Marcus Stroman is throwing serious gas today with a sharp two plane slider... getting better as the outing progresses"

·        Speed Checks

o   Kevin Gausman – 94-97, 97 on 115^th pitch

o   Rice RHP Jordan Stephens – 87-91, 76-77 CV, 79-82 CH

o   Southern Miss LHP Jake Drehoff - 88-90, 76-77 CV, 78-80 CH

o   Rice John Sims – 88-90, 79-CH

o   Tyler Beede – 90-94, 95, 97 1x 7^th inning

o   Carlos Rondon – 91-93, 94

Draft 2012 – Rock Rucker, Spencer Edwards, Deven Marrero, Tanner Rahier

Rock Rucker — 6’-5”, LHP, Redan HS (GA) - He is 6’-5”, left handed, his fastball hits 95 mph and he is just starting to commit full time to the mound. Because of that, Rucker’s ceiling is very high, and with a strong senior season on the mound, could find himself in the upper half of the draft. Long and lean, there is still room for added velocity and his curveball projects to a plus pitch. One to keep an eye on this year. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-25-thru-1/15694/  

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class   8. Spencer Edwards, SS/OF, Rockwall (Texas)   Edwards, who's headed to Austin to play for the Longhorns if he passes on pro ball, possesses oodles of athleticism, which allow him to play shortstop in high school. He may fit better as an outfielder, and is a two-sport star, also serving as a star defensive back and wide receiver in football. He's run 60-yard dashes in under 6.7 seconds and 40-yarders in the 4.4 range. His swing and overall plate skills are a bit raw, but if he focuses on baseball, he could be an everyday player in time.

Deven Marrero / Arizona State / SS : Marrero is a premium defensive shortstop who ranges well to both sides. He has a strong-arm that remains accurate even while throwing on the move. Marrero isn’t much more than an average runner straight ahead but you wouldn’t know it from watching him play shortstop. His hands and reactions are excellent and that helps him overcome his less than spectacular foot speed. At the plate Marrero has plus bat speed and a good-looking swing, but a somewhat aggressive approach, a habit of drifting towards the pitcher and a big leg kick will result in plenty of strikeouts as a pro. The Sun Devil won’t have a lot of over the fence power either but his game is hard contact and he should not be confused with a slap hitter. Marrero has some questions to answer about his offensive profile but I’m still comfortable projecting him as an above average hitter for a shortstop. Even with the question marks the qualities of being a shortstop who can hit some will have him off the board early in July. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2012/01/scouting-the-cape/#more-720  

Tanner Rahier has an incredible work ethic and exhibits outstanding range, quick feet and powerful arm. At the plate, he drives the ball with authority and projects for power. He has also been known to pitch in relief showing a 93 mph fast ball. He is committed to the University of San Diego

Draft Profile: - LHP Rock Rucker

Rock Rucker is a 6-5 LHP out of Georgia who is getting a lot of attention out there. The experts have all written positively about him:


From Perfect Game:


Rock Rucker is a 2012 OF/LHP with a 6-5 225 lb. frame from Marietta, GA who attends Redan HS. Outstanding physical build, low waist, very good strength throughout. Two way prospect. 6.82 runner, easy OF actions, accurate on line throws, low release point, can get on top of ball better but will throw runners out. Open stance hitting, low hands, quick short swing, uses strength well, leverage at contact, squares the ball up and it jumps, could extend better for lift but short swing notable for his size, very good game swings vs. velocity. Shows arm strength on the mound, funky arm/hand action on delivery, drifts out, quick arm catches up well, compact low release point. Fastball to 90 mph, has hit 92 since the PG National, shows good bite on curveball, pitched to spots with both pitches and had good mound presence. Has really improved over the last year in his skills. Type of prospect scouts can dream on a bit. Good student.


From MLBDraftGuide:


Rock Rucker is a legitimate 2 way prospect for the 2012 draft, a lefthander with a power arm and a power bat. He is a good athlete who has improved his game consistently. Rucker has a smooth swing with plus bat speed. He has plus raw power and good speed for his size (6.82-60). In the outfield, Rucker has solid range and a strong arm. He gets good jumps on contact and takes good routes. On the mound, Rucker’s fastball gets to 91 and he projects to add more velocity. His curveball is a potential plus pitch.


I talked to Rock and asked him how he was preparing for his senior year:


“Preparing for my upcoming season I have taken some time off to give my body a rest and get in the gym. I have a plan on gaining 7-12 pounds and getting some speed training in. I have been taking it easy lately but I plan on picking back up again late September. I plan on going to play with the Houston Banditos in the South Qualifier and going with them to Jupiter. Jupiter is the start to my season, because that sets the tone of my senior year and the 2012 draft.”


There simply aren’t a lot of 6-5 lefties out there throwing 90+ heat in high school. I strongly suggest you keep an eye on him.

Draft 2012: - Adam Barry, Jake Stewart, Nelson Rodriguez, Lucas Giolito, Rock Rucker

8-31-11: http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2011/08/top-15-position-players-in-cal-ripken.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - Top 15 Position Players in the Cal Ripken League - 1. Adam Barry 1b/3b Bethesda--Cal State Northridge - Barry, a former football player from Wyoming was the leagues MVP this season. He hit an amazing .414 in 162 at-bats for the Bethesda. He had 67 hits and drove in 43, both of which were league records. He led the league with 38 runs scored, 14 doubles, and with an OPS of 1.037 this summer. He was also named to the Perfect Game All-American List and to the Cal Ripken All-League Team.



7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Jake Stewart, Stanford, 6’2 190, R/R, good athlete with very good speed and ave arm strength, 250 type hitter with occ HR power, was some buzz about him being considered early 1-3 round type guy, but for me, he’s a 13-20 guy at best.


8-31-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/  - Nelson Rodriguez is an enormous Catcher out of George Washington High School in New York. He is listed at 6'2" and 215 lbs. I thik he may even be bigger than that. Behind the dish, he is an enormous target. He is agile enough to block balls in the dirt well. He has a big arm but a slow release grading out about average. He has big power potential but his swing is a little inconsistent. He has great bat speed. He's not a slow runner but he's not fast either. He'll only slow down as he gets bigger though. He looks like a top 10 round talent to me and could go as high as the third if a team believes in his defensive ability. He looks like a potential starting catcher in the majors but may be a C/1B type that can hit .260/.330/.470


9-1-11: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/08/31/2012-mlb-draft-top-prospects  - Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard Westlake HS, CA - Giolito has an uncommonly smooth motion for a pitcher with his youth, size, and arm strength. There aren’t many high school pitchers we look at and see teaching points in, but Lucas Giolito has virtually ideal timing in his delivery – a huge, huge deal. You think of pitchers with big arm circles pulling their elbows up high, bending and contorting their bodies in all sorts of silly directions. Everything a pitcher does with his mechanics, good or bad, is for naught if ball isn’t in the driveline as the shoulders start to rotate. There’s only one place a pitcher needs to bring the ball to, which is in a position to be accelerated towards home-plate. A bullet doesn’t do any good until it’s in the barrel. Giolito does this very, very well. He makes throwing hard look easy.


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Rock Rucker, Redan HS, Marietta GA, 6’4 210, L/L, great body and has apparent arm strength, up to 89 on this day, tries to finess and then tries to over power hitters, command is ok, has some ability to improve with more exposure and full-time duties on the hill, more fb vel left in that tank. Keep an eye on in 2012. Saw also in 2010 at Breakthrough Series, has some pop in his bat.

Nolan Fontana, Cody Stiles, Rock Rucker, Kavin Keyes, Wes Tranckino

Nolan Fontana:


6-28-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/  - Fontana plays the same kind of defense Mooney plays, but provides much more upside at the plate. Actually, that first part last sentence is a lie; Fontana plays really good defense, much like Mooney does, but goes about it in a totally different way. Mooney can seemingly make any play up the middle, but is far more erratic in his ability to do so. Fontana, on the other hand, won’t wow you with tremendous physical gifts in the field, but the guy just makes every darn play imaginable. My notes on him describe that pretty well: “really, really good defender without elite defense tools or athleticism.” I’m not sure Fontana has a clear plus physical tool — maybe the hit tool, but even that’s probably a stretch — but the sum of his parts far exceed the whole package here. I know I run the risk of overusing this already nebulous phrase, but, much like fellow sophomore Mike Zunino, Fontana already plays the game like a big league ballplayer.



Cody Stiles:


6-20-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series#/articles/740905-omaha-eye-openers-2012-mlb-draft-prospects-at-the-2011-college-world-series/page/8  - RHP Cody Stiles should be a mid-round target for some teams. He was selected by the Yankees in the 39th round back in 2009, but spurned their offer to join the Tar Heels in the hopes that he would someday squeeze his way into the rotation. He made eight starts this season, in addition to four relief appearances and pitched very well, posting a 4-0 record, a 2.43 ERA and a 29:13 K:BB ratio in 37 innings. With the departure of Patrick Johnson, it looks like Stiles might get that chance.



Rock Rucker:


6-28-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/06/27/rock-rucker-2012-draft-profile  - Rock Rucker is a legitimate 2 way prospect for the 2012 draft, a lefthander with a power arm and a power bat. He is a good athlete who has improved his game consistently. Rucker has a smooth swing with plus bat speed. He has plus raw power and good speed for his size (6.82-60). In the outfield, Rucker has solid range and a strong arm. He gets good jumps on contact and takes good routes. On the mound, Rucker’s fastball gets to 91 and he projects to add more velocity. His curveball is a potential plus pitch.



Kavin Keyes:


6-29-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250695/the-all-reese-team#storyjump  - 2B: Kavin Keyes, Freshman from Oregon State University - This might be cheating as Keyes played a few positions this year before settling in as Oregon State's DH. He was supposed to be a member of the 2011 draft class, but graduated early and took his talents to OSU. He made a few nice plays in games that I watched, ranging well, showcasing a strong arm for the position and showing good reactions (I'm thinking specifically of a play where he made a great leaping catch on a smoked line drive, doubling off the runner at first in the process). At the plate, he showed the ability to take pitches, and did a fantastic job extending his arms while making contact. Honorable Mention: Lonnie Kauppila, Freshamn from Stanford University



Wes Tranckino:


7-1-11: - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/06/30/wes-tranckino-2012-draft-profile  - Player: Wes Tranckino Position: 3B School: Edmond Memorial HS, OK Date Of Birth: 7/31/1993 Height/Weight: 6’2/195 Bats/Throws: R/R Class Of: 2012 Scouting Report: Wes Tranckino is one of the top high school hitters in Oklahoma. Tranckino has a smooth swing with good bat speed. He makes solid contact and has power to all fields. Tranckino is a solid defender at third. He moves well and has good hands