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July 30, 2014

Eyewitness Accounts

July 30, 2014

by Mark Anderson

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Tyler Ybarra
Ryan Schimpf
Steven Moya
Devon Travis
Dixon Machado

Tyler Ybarra


	Born: 12/11/1989 (Age: 24)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Left
	Height: 6' 2"	Weight: 210

Limited involvement of lower half; quick arm stroke; almost short arm; very fast arm; 3/4 slot; lots of effort to delivery; lets it all hang out with delivery.

Evaluator	Mark Anderson
Report Date	07/24/2014
Affiliate	New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA, Blue Jays)
Dates Seen	4/12/2014, 6/7/2014, 6/27/2014
OFP/Risk	50/Moderate
Realistic	Role 45; Situational Reliever
MLB ETA	2015
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	60	60	92-94	96	Velocity plays slightly higher because of arm stroke and fast arm; lacks command of offering; can throw strikes in spurts; lives up in the zone frequently; offering has natural life that keeps the ball from being squared.
CB	50	50	79-80		Likes to use pitch; will throw in any count; prefers to come back after getting ahead with fastball; short, sharp break of 12-6 variety; not a classic bat misser but has some ability to get whiffs; induces weak contact and keeps guys from sitting dead red.
SL	40	45	84-85		Thrown with velocity; tight rotation is infrequent; lacks control; mostly a chase pitch to LHH; threw infrequently; better off focusing on FB and CB.

Obvious relief profile; CB and deception allow him to handle RHH as well as LHH; aggressive arm that comes in and just throws; won't back down; can get in trouble when control escapes him; control has to improve to have reliable bullpen role; shows stuff and fire for an MLB future.

Ryan Schimpf


	Born: 04/11/1988 (Age: 26)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Right
	Height: 5' 9"	Weight: 190
	Primary Position: 2B
	Secondary Position: LF

Small guy; might be shorter than listed height; very strong; muscular build; decent athlete; still looks like he belongs on a big-league field despite height; very well built for his size.

Evaluator	Mark Anderson
Report Date	06/19/2014
Dates Seen	4/10/2014-4/13/2014; 6/6/2014; 6/8/2014
Affiliate	New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA, Blue Jays)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2015	Low	45	45; Utility Player	No

Calm and cool on the field; plays the game hard; near max-effort approach to the game.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	45	Above-average bat speed; quick from starting position into the hitting zone; has some lift to swing; likes to swing but shows plan and approach in the box; has strength to put a charge in ball; doesn't use the opposite field much; will swing through quality secondaries in the zone; can have trouble with premium velocity; fringe hitter.
Power	50	Lots of strength in the upper body; uses lower body well in swing; timing is good between components of the swing to allow him to max out his strength and bat speed and generate game power; over-the-fence power is to pull side; likes to lift and drive it out of the park; lots of doubles in game as well; enough hit tool for power to play at 20 double, 15 home run level.
Baserunning/Speed	50	High-effort runner; works hard to allow average speed to play in games; instincts were better than in prior viewings; won't steal many bases because he lacks the straight line speed; runs well enough and is aggressive enough to take extra bases where appropriate.
Glove	40	Plays multiple positions; doesn't defend particularly well at any of them; instincts at 2B are mediocre at best; still new to 3B and instincts/feel for the position lag behind; can handle left field adequately; hands are fringy on the infield; footwork is unrefined at both infield positions; routes in outfield are raw; best position is batter's box.
Arm	45	Fringe arm; playable at second base and in left field but won't be an asset at either position; below-average arm strength for third base; tends to get rid of the ball quickly but accuracy suffers as a result.

Not a flashy profile; does enough at the plate to earn and MLB opportunity as a LHH bench option; will hit, get on base some, and drive the ball to the gaps and out of the park; can stand at multiple defensive positions but won't be an asset at any of them; not a standout prospect by any means, but a useful MLB bat off the bench.

Steven Moya


	Born: 09/08/1991 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 6"	Weight: 230
	Primary Position: RF
	Secondary Position: LF

Enormous man; listed height is accurate; playing above listed weight; closer to 260-265 than 230; chiseled physique; thick/strong legs; long legs; long arms; broad shoulders; physical from head to toe; beast.

Evaluator	Mark Anderson
Report Date	07/24/2014
Dates Seen	6/5/2014-6/7/2014
Affiliate	Erie SeaWolves (AA, Tigers)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2015	High	65	Role 50; Solid Regular	No

Quiet; humble; diligent worker; has fun on the field; works incredibly hard; shows focus throughout pre-game and during games; historically earns high marks for makeup in past dealings.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	35	Incredible development since prior viewings; has made enormous strides; still a long way to go; swing is long and can be exploited on inner third but shows flashes of getting to velocity in that location; even with length, bat speed is very impressive; surprising barrel control but contact on spin is frequently weak; developing ability to use opposite field; when he goes oppo he drives it there; approach is still very raw; knows what he wants/needs to do in the box but is still learning to execute; shows visible frustration with himself when he chases or doesn't recognize; comes back with adjustments and tries to stay back or hold off; shows strong plan against starter and works hard to get deep into counts (not always successful); struggles to have plan against relievers and will chase more late in games as he faces arms he wasn't prepared to see; will always be a below-average hitter but has more feel now than he's ever had before; could hit .245-.250 at peak.
Power	70	Raw power is undoubtedly elite; some of best raw in minor leagues; hit balls to parts of NH park that I've never seen happen before; drives it on a line to gaps and over the fence; can also show majestic light-tower power; power plays despite difficulty with contact; even with low batting average and raw approach, chance to hit 20-25 home runs and 20-25 doubles at MLB level; raw power just plays in spite of other issues.
Baserunning/Speed	50	Surprising runner; gets up to speed quickly out of the box; very long strides; good athlete for his size; more grace than you'd expect when he runs; can show solid-average speed once underway; aggressive runner in taking extra bases, but not intelligent runner; still learning when to go for it; speed can play to the gaps in OF but reads are raw enough that it doesn't play much of a factor; average overall runner.
Glove	45	Below average at present; only projects to improve slightly; streaky defender; can struggle to read the ball off the bat; routes are hit or miss with some loop to them; good athlete; works hard in the field; chance to be average but likely comes up a bit short; may fit better in LF than RF long term.
Arm	50	Plus raw arm strength that shows pre-game; struggles with mechanics; ball doesn't come out cleanly; fights mechanics and release; lacks accuracy as he thinks too much about throwing mechanics; plays fringe-average at present but should be average given raw arm strength.

Difficult to believe progress since prior viewing last year; every part of offensive game has taken a step forward; incredibly hard worker; projects to make additional strides; applies instruction well and learns from mistakes; will be low average, low OBP player; power will play and will make up for some other offensive misgivings; surprising speed; solid enough defender to play either OF corner; arm will play better than presently shows; unusual abstract player at Double-A; still putting things together and has room to grow.

Devon Travis


	Born: 02/21/1991 (Age: 23)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 5' 9"	Weight: 195
	Primary Position: 2B
	Secondary Position:

Tiny frame; looks really small on the field; high waist; short torso; very strong for his size; shows signs of past high-end athleticism; solid athlete at this point.

Evaluator	Mark Anderson
Report Date	07/24/2014
Dates Seen	6/5/2014-6/8/2014
Affiliate	Erie SeaWolves (AA, Tigers)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2015	Low	50	Role 45; Second Division Regular	No

High energy player; leaves it all on the field; clearly enjoying himself before, during and after games; works very hard at his conditioning and overall game.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	55	Simple, short swing; starts with hands at just below shoulder height and pulled close to chest; trigger is straight back, lightning quick, and very consistent; bat gets to the hitting zone quickly and on a level plane; knack for getting the bat on the ball; strong forearms and wrists allow him to drive the ball to all fields; works from line to line; frequently gets out ahead of pitches and hits off his front foot; still drives the ball despite balance issues; likes to hit and won't sit back and wait too often; OBP will be driven by batting average; potential to hit .275-.280 at MLB level.
Power	40	Has bat speed and strength in swing; can drive ball to all fields; has to sell out for home run power; most of home run power is to pull side and requires him to cheat and pull off; can drive ball to gaps consistently and will have plenty of doubles; 20-25+ doubles; 9-12 home runs if hit tool reaches peak.
Baserunning/Speed	45	Fringe runner down the line; consistently 4.35-4.38 home to first; looks in pain when he runs at full speed; max-effort runner; makes the most of fringe speed; good instincts and will still steal 10-15 bases a year; speed is not impact tool at MLB level.
Glove	55	Above-average total package; fringe range that plays up because of instincts; first-step quickness is not overly impressive; reads angles well and makes more plays than he should; good footwork when he gets to the ball; exceptionally soft hands; lightning quick on the pivot; turns an excellent double play; doesn't project to defend at other positions; limited to right side.
Arm	45	Very quick release and quick transfer on pivot; ball comes out cleanly but lacks impressive velocity; throws from behind the bag doesn't have the zip to make the impressive play; throws accurately on the run; fringe-average arm strength overall.

Grinder with tons of effort and instincts for the game; hit tool driven offensive profile; power comes up short of average and OBP will be batting average driven; has to hit a ton to play every day; fringe runner with instincts to take bases; glove works very well at keystone even with fringe arm; has some skills for an extended MLB career.

Dixon Machado


	Born: 02/22/1992 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 1"	Weight: 170
	Primary Position: SS
	Secondary Position:

Tall and thin; has added weight in recent years but still very thin; noticeably stronger with added muscle definition; well proportioned; good athlete.

Evaluator	Mark Anderson
Report Date	07/24/2014
Dates Seen	6/6/2014-6/8/2014
Affiliate	Erie SeaWolves (AA, Tigers)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2015	Low	45	Role 40; Utility Player	No

Quiet; shows minimal emotion on the field; puts in pre-game work with diligence; carries himself with confidence.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	35	Excellent approach; knows the zone and recognizes pitches right out of the hand; decides what he wants to do quickly; barrel control is average; contact lacks punch and results in lots of weak groundballs and soft liners; won't hit much but can hit enough for bench role; will walk more than he strikes out thanks to approach and willingness to get deep in counts; .235-.245 hitter with some OBP if he can keep pitchers from blowing him away.
Power	20	Ball is sluggish off the bat; lacks strength; below-average bat speed; doesn't impact the ball; will find rare juice and drive one to the gaps; power is non-factor in game.
Baserunning/Speed	55	Good athlete with quality running technique; gets out of the box quickly and hustles down the line; 4.25-4.30 times; frequently at lower end of that range; speed really plays when he looks for extra bases; potential for 8-10 steals per year; not an aggressive baserunner.
Glove	60	True SS defender; easy actions; makes everything looks simple; instincts are off the charts; reads the ball extremely well and always takes the correct first step; positions himself like a veteran; plus range to both sides; gets to everything up the middle; extra soft hands; quick transfer; aggressive with double-play turns; loves to make a play; knows his capabilities; simple plays look mind-numbingly boring for him; makes impossible plays look easy; glove could play beyond plus.
Arm	70	Never really let it fly during series; shown better in the past; easy velocity with quick release; lasers across the field; ball carries and has excellent accuracy; velocity is evident on the move as well; can show near-elite arm strength on plant and throw from the hole.

Excellent left side glove that can carry him to MLB; arm is near elite at times and plus-plus at all times; defensive profile is beyond impressive; speed plays above-average consistently; well below-average hitter; approach is good; bottom of the scale power; minimal offensive profile; quality makeup; highly instinctual player.

Mark Anderson is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @ProspectMark
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