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Big moose of a man, XL frame, some stiffness in movements; stretch-only, bare bones delivery; leverages weight off back quad; hard drive, firm, inverted strike, crossfire, off a higher three-quarter slot; head whack, significant violence through release, max effort; delivery lacks rhythm, long arm swing, inconsistent timing to release, doesn't corral momentum effectively; 30 present command, 40 control; FB 94-96 plays up with mild deception, plus or better movement; hard, boring action with sink, struggles to locate consistently, misses spots by wide margins within zone, velo flagged to 92-94 towards end of a 32-pitch inning; SL 84-86, sweeping action, above-average horizontal movement, finishes, snapped off a couple with two-plane and moderate bite, flashed plus movement; inconsistent strike-to-ball command, too many start outside zone, swing-and-miss pitch when located; big-bodied reliever with raw material of a 7 FB and a 6-flashing SL, but poor command/fringe control (and limited projection for both) are limiting factors in raw stuff playing down; big-league potential if command can scrape fringe-average, 45/40 projection
Austin Allen, C, San Diego Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore)
Big, sturdy body, bulk and some lumber, lacks quickness and agility; noisy setup behind the dish, bounces around, can be late to set target, takes effort to settle into his crouch; solid blocking technique in front of him, leverage size to surround balls, below-average mobility side to side; shows some receiving ability, strong glove hand, presents balls well; above-average arm strength plays down, pops lack fluidity, 2.04, 2.16; above-average tail, arm plays below-average present, projection to fringe-average utility with increased reps; open stance, mild crouch, quiet load, mild hitch to wandering trigger, front side opens early, big hips, leveraged swing with solid-average bat speed; raw power may push plus, game utility compromised by inconsistent barrel; pulling off pitches across multiple looks, exposed outer-third, struggles to get to balls up; runs like a catcher, no projection
Nathan Graham Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne)
Tall and thin with long legs, projectable growth; 4.10 clock, smooth runner, has a second gear; arm is average but accurate, has quick, soft hands, shows average range, will make unnecessary errors at times by trying to make spectacular play; above-average bat speed, gets leverage with bat path, some noise in the swing, slight bat wrap causes length in the swing, moderate leg kick, can get off balance on secondary stuff; has shown ability to go opposite field, struggles with pitch recognition at times; still a long way away, and as he fills out a move to the outfield might be necessary, but the power potential and speed are intriguing.
Emmett Rosenbaum Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes)
Well-balanced, projectable frame, will likely add strength in the upper body as he fills out; compact, balanced swing, moderate bat wrap, above-average bat speed, linear swing path, little chance for elevation; mature approach, recognized spin early, stayed on offspeed pitches well; plus runner, clocked at 4.06 and 4.09 from the left side, showed great straight-line speed on a pop up in the field; strong defender, clean actions, crisp footwork, swift lateral movement, above-average arm, fantastic internal clock. Lux's defense means he almost certainly will have a big league future in some form, but the lack of power limits his ceiling. OFP 50/Likely 45.
Steve Givarz Andres Chaparro, INF, New York Yankees (Complex-level GCL)
Signed for $215,000. Sturdily built, mature body, still young and can add muscle to frame, but would worry about flexibility and athleticism. Has definite strength, hit two home runs in viewing; looked to have stiff wrists. Only saw DH in-game but looked to have an average arm during warm-ups.
Braden Bristo, RHP, New York Yankees (Complex-level GCL)
No projection remaining, saw on side-action away from game, compact arm action with quick arm speed, pitches quickly and lacks balance, high-effort, loose wrist, three-quarters slot. FB 93-95. SL 84-85, not a super tight pitch but hard action with depth. Intriguing lower round (23rd) find.
Notes from the Field: ... (05/17)
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Closer Report: Week 8