Monday, May 10, 2010
College scouting notes
Posted by Alex PediciniI attended several Boston College baseball games this weekend against Florida State and Connecticut. The Seminoles are traditionally a baseball powerhouse and little has changed this season. UCONN has assembled the premier team in the Big East and they have several notable prospects of their own on the roster. Here is a quick rundown of some of the prospects I watched play.
Tyler Holt- Jr, OF (Fl St)
Holt has a small, compact frame. He hits out of a crouched stance and triggers his swing with a pretty big leg kick. His approach at the plate is highly advanced. He works deep into the count and has excellent bat control. This year he has 44 walks and 34 strikeouts. He is slugging .658 with 11 home runs on the year but is more of a line-drive gap hitter. He has good speed and is a solid base-stealer. Defensively, Holt's range is a plus and his arm is average. He should be able to stick in center in the pros. Holt is a prototypical high-OBP top of the order hitter and should go in the top five or so rounds in June.
Mickey Wiswall- Jr, 1B (BC)
Wiswall exploded onto the scene last year after he followed up a solid spring by being named an All-Star in the Cape Cod league over the summer. Wiswall's spring has been a bit of a disappointment although he has still flashed his raw power by hitting two home runs vs. UCONN today giving him 16 on the year. He has a muscular build and thick trunk. As i said, his raw power is a plus and he generates good loft on his swing. He is an aggressive hitter but his swing is long and he is prone to strikeouts (45 on the year compared to 16 walks). He has some versatility defensively. His arm is below average and he profiles best at first but some teams may be willing to give him a shot as a corner outfielder.
Pat Dean- Jr, LHP (BC)
Dean is a projectable 6'1 175 pounds with long limbs. He features a fastball, slider, curveball, and change-up. He works in the 88-90 mph range but can dial it up to 92 on occasion. His fastball and slider are above-average pitches and his curve has a chance to be an average pitch as well. His command is good (51 K/10 BB on the year) and he changes speed well. He struck out nine and walked just one against Florida State but was punished on two mistakes which led to four runs on two long balls. Durability may be a concern for him as well. He was forced to miss a start this year with a sore shoulder and has been counted on to go deep into almost every game he pitches.
Michael Olt- Jr, 3B (UCONN)
Olt is a powerful third base prospect with plus raw power. He has a strong, athletic build and generates good bat speed. He has a long leg stride and a tendency to swing through balls which results in high strikeout totals. When he does make good contact he can really do some damage. I saw him lace a triple into the right-center gap. A converted shortstop, he has good actions at third base and an above-average arm. He made a great barehanded pick and throw on a bunt attempt early in the game. Although his speed his below average he should be able to stick at the hot corner. The question I have is will he be able to hit for enough average to stick in the professional ranks. He swings and misses much more often than you would like to see from a potential draft pick. That being said, you won't find many third baseman with this type of power potential.
George Springer- Soph, OF (UCONN)
I came away from the weekend most impressed with this sophomore. Springer has a lean and athletic build. He has plus power potential to all fields. Today, he hit a towering fly ball home run 400 plus feet to dead center (his first of two on the day). He is long to the ball and strikeouts way too much (29% K rate this year) but he also walks a fair amount as well. His speed is above average and his athleticism and arm could allow him to develop into an above average defender. Today he made an excellent diving catch on a sinking liner in right-center. He is certainly a prospect to follow for the 2011 draft class.
Alex is a student in Boston. He welcomes all questions and comments here