Area Code Games Snapshot
Gose, Crocker headline top West Coast performers
| By Dave Perkin |
| August 10, 2007 |
Dave Perkin has spent the past two months scouring Southern California for high school talent, providing scouting reports and analysis to Prospects Plus subscribers, as one of more than a dozen of the service's content providers. With the high school scouting scene taking center stage this week with the Area Code Games in Long Beach, readers can see the event through the eyes of Dave, who has spent the past seven years scouting the area for professional teams.
LONG BEACH—Naturally, as the Area Code Games conclude, it is time to begin lining the players up. Since Prospects Plus subscribers can view a consensus top 20 overall prospects ranking, as well as a Best Tools list in the coming days, I decided to provide a sneak peak at some of the top postion players who played for the four western teams I focussed on this week: The Brewers Blue (mostly Southern California players) and Gray (Northern California) teams, as well as teams sponsored by the Reds (Rockies and Arizona) and Nationals (Pacific Northwest).
Players are listed in reverse order, and are ranked predominately on how they performed this week, with some consideration to their overall future potential.
10. Kyle Higashioka, c, Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Many players were candidates for inclusion on this list, but I'm going with Higashioka as number 10. He's not the pro prospect that Kyle Skipworth is, but he is a solidly built backstop with quality catch and throw skills. Higashioka's bat shows quickness and loft power, despite a tendency to get under the ball too frequently.
9. Kyle Skipworth, c, Patriot HS, Riverside, Calif.
Skipworth was in Long Beach for only a couple of days before moving down to San Diego and the Aflac Classic. His short time here was uninspiring, especially at bat, but he was brilliant in the preliminary events. For a backstop, Skipworth has the entire package: an athletic and highly projectable frame, a strong arm and impressive power with a near ideal lefthanded swing. He could be taken in the first round next year, but he was not at his best at the Area Code Games.
8. Tyler Rahmatulla, ss, Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, Calif.
Rahmatulla did not make consistent hard contact this week, and breaking balls especially bedeviled him. Despite that, Rahmatulla has all the ingredients to be a big time middle infielder: quickness, speed, excellent hands, and the ability to make any type of defensive play.
7. Marcus Semien, 2b, St. Mary's HS, El Cerrito, Calif.
Another top-notch middle infield prospect, Semien has above-average speed (6.78 60-yard dash) and his arm and glove fit nicely at second. As the week wore on, Semien displayed the ability to hit the ball hard and drive it, throwing his hands and getting the barrel of the bat out in front of the plate, instead of dragging it behind like so many young hitters.
6. Andy Burns, ss/3b, Rocky Mountain HS, Fort Collins, Colo.
Burns has solid, but not overwhelming tools, and probably profiles best as an offensive-minded second baseman with fine defensive ability. An Aflac participant, Burns showed the ability to drive the ball, hitting a home run in the first game of the week. He also has the skill to make both the routine and highlight-reel play, and his speed is above-average at 6.82.
5. Tyler Chatwood, of/rhp, East Valley HS, Redlands, Calif.
As a pitcher, Chatwood has flashed a fastball in the 90-93 mph range. As an outfielder, his arm and speed are already well-above-average. Chatwood attacks the ball at bat and hits it hard to all fields, but he may not project to have the type of power pro scouts prefer in a corner outfielder.
4. Cutter Dykstra, ss/22b, Westlake HS, Westlake Village, Calif.
The son of former big leaguer Lenny, Dykstra was wildly inconsistent this week, making a spectacular play in the field one moment then blowing a routine grounder the next; hitting the ball hard in some at bats and then looking helpless in others. None of that diminishes the fact that Dykstra is a top tier middle infield prospect with outstanding tools, including 6.58-second speed. Game experience should even out his inconsistency.
3. Aaron Hicks, of/rhp, Wilson HS, Long Beach
Hicks combines an extremely projectable frame with electric tools. His arm, glove and speed project to well-above-average, and his graceful, gliding style of play is remarkable. Long a scout favorite, Hicks projects as a potential five-tool superstar. The primary questions with Hicks have always concerned his bat. Is he now hitting equal to his ability? No. Will he eventually hit to his ability? Yes, provided he makes some needed mechanical adjustments. Hicks showed progress in this area as the week wore on, getting the barrel out and driving some balls hard.
2. Bobby Crocker, of, Aptos (Calif.) HS
Crocker has an eye-opening athletic build and the baseball tools to match. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, his 6.70-second speed is superior to many players 30 to 40 pounds lighter. Bobby shot down several baserunners this week with his strong arm, but he does have a kind of windmill windup to his throws which adds time to his release. Crocker takes a big swing and is undisciplined at the plate, but when he connects squarely the crack of the bat is earsplitting. With his showing this week, Bobby has rocketed up draft lists, profiling as a toolsy corner outfielder with lots of upside.
1. Anthony Gose, of/lhp, Bellflower (Calif.) HS
Gose's lack of height and projectability may drop him behind several others as a draft prospect, but based on performance at the Area Code Games, as well as a gamer mentality, he landed atop this list of position players from the four western teams I scouted this week. Gose was far and away the best player I saw this week on the four western ballclubs. Anthony has fine defensive ability in the outfield, and both his speed and arm grade out to 65 to 70 on the 20 to 80 scouting scale. As a pitcher, Gose has a blow-away low- to mid-90s fastball, which makes him an intriguing middle relief or closer prospect. I might be in the minority among scouts, however, and believe he should start out as an outfielder, due to his excellent athletic ability. Coming into this week, every scout familiar with Gose had major questions about his bat. As the week wore on, he began to answer those questions by showing the ability to fire the bat head and hit the ball hard to all fields. His smaller frame will probably ensure that Gose will be picked lower in the draft than several other players who were on stage at Long Beach. But for me, he stood head and shoulders above all other position players.
The high school draft class of 2007, particularly in Southern California, was remarkable. While the 2008 class may not be quite as strong, it is an impressive group nonetheless, featuring many players any organization would love to acquire.