Eyewitness Accounts: May 23, 2013

Miguel Almonte

RHP

Kansas City Royals

DOB

04/04/1993

Height

6’2’’

Bats

Right

MLB ETA

2016

Weight

180 lbs.

Throws

Right

Current Team

Low-A Lexington

Date Seen

Multiple viewings; ST 2013

Filed by/date

Jason Parks; 5/21/13

Acquired

International free agent; Dominican; 2010

Have Video?

No

Mechanics

Very fluid and athletic delivery; extremely loose; Teheran-like arm action; easy release; controls long arms; good consistency in three-quarter slot; good balance and timing; long stride; has some deception with high front-side and low ball pickup (below the waist); some drag, but arm is very fast; can over-rotate and fall off to first base side; looks clean.

#1 Pitch

Fastball is easy plus offering; love the arm speed and ease of release; achieves excellent extension; really releases out front and pulls down on the ball; routinely works 92-95; have seen 98 (ball) and several strikes at 97 mph; can manipulate movement; normally arm-side with some sink; have seen fastball with natural glove-side cut; command is okay; lives loose; will open up and miss glove-side up; comfortable with the pitch and has strike-throwing ability.

Grade: Present 6/ Future High 6

#2 Pitch

Changeup is fantastic pitch; already major-league quality; confidence and comfort; stays in fastball tempo; arm speed on pitch allows for deception; works 80-83 mph; plus action; arm-side fade and good sink; will throw in any count to any hitter; can miss barrels and disrupt timing (weak contact/fouls); feel for the pitch you can’t teach.

Grade: Present High 6/ Future 7

#3 Pitch

Curveball is a tease; can show depth and tight rotation; have seen offering anywhere from 74-80; can get loopy at 74-75; exaggerated hump in the break; easier to pick up but still difficult for lower-level hitters to adjust to plane; better offering at 78-80, with more depth and intensity in vertical dive; can flash above-average; not consistent; shaky offering; hard to tell if it’s a legit future offering at the highest level.

Grade: Present 4/Future 5

Other

Will throw a slider; have not seen pitch in game action; only FB/CH/CB; looks the part of a pitcher; might have some projection left, but lower half is thicker in ST than it was during FIL; big culo; more length than height suggests; overall command profile is below average at present; potential to be average or slightly better; shows some balls on the mound; has something that just stands out; domination factor; pitches with an edge.

Overall

Simple, easy delivery; really smooth arm action; great extension; fastball is lively and loose; routinely sits plus and has worked 94-96 without max effort; very real arm strength; changeup is major-league name pitch; could end up a 7; the overall feel and confidence of pitch pushes it up; curveball can flash but might not be the breaking ball he ends up with; he can spin it and make it work now, but hard to see it becoming true plus weapon. Overall profile is very strong and could emerge as premier arm in the system. In four looks, I’ve been impressed four times. On the rise.

OFP Grade: High 6; no. 2 starter

Risk Factor: High

Branden Kline

RHP

Baltimore Orioles

DOB

9/29/91

Height

6’3

Bats

R

MLB ETA

2015

Weight

195 lbs.

Throws

R

Current Team

Delmarva(Low-A)

Date Seen

5/2- 5/17/13

Date Filed

5/20/13

Zach Mortimer

Acquired

Drafted 2^nd round; 65^th overall; Baltimore Orioles 2012.

Have Video?

No

Mechanics

High ¾, stab on backend of arm stroke; rushes delivery at the top; works quickly; maintains good line to plate; first-base side of the rubber.

#1 Pitch

Four Seam Fastball: 92-94 (T96); straight; commanded well down in the zone to both sides of the plate.

Grade: 50/60

#2 Pitch

Two Seam Fastball: 86-88; good sink; developing the ability to consistently command down in the zone; induces weak contact.

Grade: 50/50

#3 Pitch

Slider: 80-83; sharp bite; flashes depth; plays well off of the fastball; will throw a few cement mixers each outing.

Grade: 50/55

#4 Pitch

Changeup: 82-84; flashes sink and fading action; can be thrown to firmly; maintains arm speed; fills up bottom quadrants of the strike zone.

Grade: 40/50

Overall

Kline was a second-round selection from the University of Virginia, and signed for $793,000. Kline’s delivery still needs some smoothing out. He has a four-pitch arsenal, all of which have at least average potential. The four-seam fastball is one that lacks life and will be hit hard if left over the plate. The secondaries all show average potential, and play well off of the fastball. He shows pitchability with advanced sequencing of pitches. That being said, I believe Kline works better in a relief role.

OFP: 55; seventh-inning reliever.

Risk Factor Moderate

Tyler Anderson

LHP

Colorado Rockies

DOB

12/30/89

Height

6’4”

Bats

L

MLB ETA

2014

Weight

215 lbs.

Throws

L

Current Team

High-A Modesto Nuts

Date Seen

4/9/13

Filed by; date

Chris Rodriguez;

5/20/13

Acquired

1^st round (20^th) in the 2011 Draft by the Rockies

Have Video?

No

Mechanics

3/4^th slot; tall and lanky; long arms allow good extension toward the plate; awkward hitch in delivery; it does not affect him in a negative way as he can repeat his delivery very well; in fact he benefits from it with plus deception of all his pitches, especially his fastball; kept his delivery in sync from the stretch as well; good arm speed on all his pitches, creating further deception.

#1 Pitch

Fastball, velocity: 89-90 (T92). Command: above average. Movement: some movement to the arm side. Notes: not afraid to come inside to both lefties and righties. Velocity plays up due to good deception. Blew some hitters away that were sitting on his offspeed stuff. Can sometimes elevate and get away with it, but he will need to watch that at the highest level when he gets there.

Grade: Present 50/Future 55

#2 Pitch

Changeup, velocity: 82-84. Command: above average. Movement: plus sink/fade to the arm side. Really good depth to the pitch. Keeps righties off his fastball with it; kept it down all game. Plays off the fastball exceptionally well. Plus arm speed which produced numerous swings and misses.

Grade: Present 60/Future 65

#3 Pitch

Curveball, velocity: 76. Command: developing, currently average. Movement: loopy movement, not a sharp breaker. Broke off the curve away to lefties and buried it in the ground to righties. While not a plus offering, it offers enough movement and change of pace to be effective and can produce weak contact. Grade: Present 40/ Future 50

Other

Also throws a slider, another pitch that can keep hitters off the fastball; touched 84, with some decent run across the plate. Controls the running game well with a quick, deceptive move to first. Timed him 1.2 to the plate multiple times, so it will be hard to run on him.

Overall

Very good feel for pitching. Commands the fastball and changeup exceptionally well. Uses arsenal very well and does not fall in love with his fastball. Changes speeds and started off some hitters with off-speed the second time through the lineup. Shows ability to set hitters up for certain pitches. Has more arm strength than he displays in the game. His talent comes in his ability to put the ball where he wants, change speeds, and outsmart the opposition. With excellent poise and demeanor on the hill, he can be a very valuable back-end starter in the near future.

OFP Grade: 50; #4-5 Starter.

Risk Factor: Moderate

Burch Smith

RHP

San Diego Padres

DOB

04/12/90

Height

6’4”

Bats

R

MLB ETA

2013

Weight

215 lbs.

Throws

R

Current Team

MLB

Date Seen

4/23/13

Filed by/date

Jason Cole; 4/24/13

Acquired

Drafted 14th round; Padres 2011

Have Video?

Yes

Mechanics

3/4 slot; drop-and-drive delivery; despite height, lacks downward plane on stuff due to arm slot and delivery; hides ball extremely well to both lefties and righties; delivery creates serious deception; maintains direction to plate; repeats well.

#1 Pitch

Fastball, velocity: 92-98 mph, sit 93-96. Command: Solid-average present, future plus. Movement: slight arm-side life down in zone, but generally lacking. Notes: money pitch; held velocity through five innings/70 pitches; often straight and flat, but pounded lower half and elevated when necessary; command must be plus for fastball to play at projected level; deception enables plus-plus velocity to play up a tick, inducing consistent late swings.

Grade: Present 70/Future 70

#2 Pitch

Changeup, velocity: 80-84 mph. Command: Fringe-average present, future average. Movement: some sink. Notes: featured primarily to lefties second/third time through order; can play up a notch with hitters waiting on elite fastball velo; kept it down; not a bat misser, but can keep hitters out front and miss barrels.

Grade: Present 40/Future 50

#3 Pitch

Curveball, Velocity: 76-80 mph. Command: Below-average present, future fringe. Movement: slurvy with some two plane. Notes: like change, can work as deceptive off-speed with hitters sitting fastball; flashes average; often lacks tight rotation and late snap; had some trouble with location.

Grade: Present 40/Future 45

Other

Fastball-heavy approach; could stand to use secondaries more often for developmental purposes; not big potential with the off-speed, but some room for growth; good athlete; dealt with poor defense/balls finding holes but maintained composure and limited damage.

Overall

Smith’s lack of a plus secondary pitch may make him a late-inning reliever, but if he commands the fastball at a plus level, he’ll have a chance to reach his ceiling as a no. 3/4 starter. His general lack of fastball life and downward plane makes the command all the more important. He’ll need the changeup and breaking ball to develop into pitches that he can at least command in and out of the zone to have a chance as a starter, as well, keeping hitters from being able to spit on the secondaries and wait for the fastball. For me, the most likely scenario is a late-inning relief arm, though I think there’s a chance to start. Given his clean, repeatable delivery, I’d give him that opportunity as well. Out of the ‘pen, he reminds me of the Mariners’ Carter Capps with a better delivery and perhaps slightly better command.

OFP Grade: high-5; no. 3/4 starter or setup reliever

Risk Factor Moderate

Gerrit Cole

RHP

Pittsburgh Pirates

DOB

9/8/1990

Height

6’4

Bats

R

MLB ETA

2013

Weight

240 lbs.

Throws

R

Current Team

Indianapolis (Triple-A)

Date Seen

5/19/13

Filed by/date

Mark Anderson; 5/19/13

Acquired

Drafted 1^st round; 1^st overall; Pittsburgh Pirates 2011

Have Video?

No

Mechanics

¾ slot; works down the plane of the mound well; shoulders stay level; line to the plate is consistently good; gets a little short on the arm sweep at times but showed ability to correct on the fly and get back on track; repeatable delivery in windup; delivery less consistent from stretch; has a bit of a hitch just as he breaks from the balance point in the stretch, possibly causing him some timing problems; overall delivery in both windup and stretch should be repeatable long term; finishes in solid position to field.

#1 Pitch

Fastball, velocity: 94-95 (T98); varied velocity well throughout start; pounded zone with 91-95 and was still in zone when he ramped it up; had 96-98 whenever he needed it during start. Command: average; showed slightly better command in windup than stretch; consistently located fastball to both sides of plate, even when reaching for more velocity; more consistent focus could lead to grade jump. Movement: explosive life in middle and upper velocity registers; bores in on RHH; showed some sink at lower registers, inducing weak contact. Notes: aggressive with fastball; excellent pitch; jumps out of his hand; gets on hitters quickly; seemed to be saving it at various points, not letting it loose at all times; still has room to grow with use of near elite velocity and could have near elite overall fastball at peak.

Grade: Present 7/Future 7+

#2 Pitch

Slider,velocity: 84-86 (T90). Command: average. Movement: tight rotation and darting movement; extremely sharp; mostly horizontal with a small vertical element; bat-misser. Notes: varies speed well; ranged slider from 81-90 at will; maintained sharp movement throughout velocity range; added and subtracted based on game situation; harder sliders were absolutely devastating; threw it in and out of the zone with success; fooled umpire on several occasions and was visibly frustrated; has ability to start at RHH and catch inside corner (fooled ump twice on this); true strikeout pitch that was consistently plus-plus on the day.

Grade: Present 7/Future 7

#3 Pitch

Changeup, velocity: 83-88. Command: below average. Movement: at best had some sink and fade; often too firm and flattened out. Notes: rarely threw it during outing; tried to mix it in when he got in trouble but hadn’t thrown enough to maintain feel; ball got away from him to arm side on several occasions; better overall pitch in 84-85 mph range; potential plus pitch based on the couple better ones he threw; consistently below-average and unreliable on the day; has good arm speed and same arm slot as fastball; potential for growth.

Grade: Present 4/Future 6

Other

Built like a workhorse starter; wide shoulders; wide hips, excellent strength and stamina; sturdy; strong; built for power and innings; ran the gamut of emotions; looked bored early in the start, just going through the motions and toying with hitters; bore down with first runner on base in the second inning; looked pissed off that a runner was on; stuff got more crisp as he got agitated; remained dialed in during third inning, demolishing hitters; appeared bored and out of focus again for much of fourth/fifth/sixth innings; spurts of determination/intensity during second half of start; really good when he’s focused, intense, and even pissed off; showed frustration with teammates/umpires at times; have to figure out a way to harness and maintain his intensity on the mound; really good when he controls it; made attempts at being more efficient on the mound early on, inducing weak contact rather than going for strikeouts; had nasty stuff whenever he needed it; 1.40-1.53 to the plate; can be run on; has quick feet on pickoff move; showed quality move keeping dangerous base stealer close; never showed A+ move.

Overall

At his best, one of the most impressive and dominating pitchers I have seen; fastball and slider can stand on their own and dominate; third pitch is just gravy; fastball can sit plus-plus and reach near-elite velocity; movement is explosive and makes pitch extremely difficult to square; can locate within the strike zone and knows how to lead hitters out of the zone as well; slider is easy out pitch; almost impossible to hit in upper velocity register; easy put-away pitch; changeup wasn’t thrown regularly during this viewing and lacked consistent feel/movement; frequently too firm; have seen it better in the past; command of fastball and slider in the windup was quite good; command lagged in stretch; never looked completely comfortable with runners on; intensity fluctuated during start; has to maintain focus/desire/intensity; when he does, stuff is crisp and nearly unhittable; has ingredients to be a no. 1 starter but something is holding him back; overall quality and reliability of fastball/slider combo should allow him to reach no. 2 starter plateau.

OFP Grade: 7; high no. 2 starter

Risk Factor: Low

Josh Hader

LHP

Baltimore Orioles

DOB

4/7/94

Height

6’3

Bats

L

MLB ETA

2016

Weight

160 lbs.

Throws

L

Current Team

Delmarva(Low-A)

Date Seen

5/3- 5/19/13

Date Filed

5/20/13

Zach Mortimer

Acquired

Drafted 19^th round; 582^nd overall; Baltimore Orioles 2012.

Have Video?

No

Mechanics

Low ¾, high leg kick, loose arm, lengthy arm action, inconsistent release point, long levers, 3B side of rubber, natural deception, starts closed in stretch.

#1 Pitch

Four Seam Fastball: 89-93; good arm-side run and sink; shows ability to pound the bottom of the zone; command is better on arm side; deceptive; added strength may allow for more velocity.

Grade: 50/60

#2 Pitch

Curveball: 73-77; tight spin; good shape; below average command; does not always stay on top of; developing offering.

Grade: 40/50

#3 Pitch

Changeup: 82-84; can be thrown to firmly; inconsistent arm speed; developing confidence; flashes fading action; work in progress.

Grade: 30/40

Other

Arm slot leads me to believe a slider will be introduced at some point; projectable; frame has plenty of room to add mass; 1.40 to plate in stretch; able to control running game with solid pickoff move; steal in the 19^th round.

Overall

Josh Hader was selected in the 19^th round of the 2012 draft and signed for $40,000. Less than a year later, Hader’s stuff has ticked up, and he is squarely on the prospect radar. The fastball can touch plus velocities with plenty of life. The secondary offerings are currently below-average. Hader shows the ability to spin a curveball, but his low arm slot makes it difficult for him to stay on top. The changeup is a work in progress; inconsistent ability to maintain arm speed combined with firmness of pitch which leads to the pitch straightening out, makes me feel that the pitch will end up being below average. All in all, Hader is a steal if he is able to make the major leagues in any capacity because of where he was picked. I think his low arm slot, inability to consistently repeat, and below-average projected changeup make him a two-pitch middle reliever.

OFP: 50; middle relief

Risk Factor: High

Allen Webster

RHP

Boston Red Sox

DOB

2/10/1990

Height

6’2

Bats

R

MLB ETA

2013

Weight

190 lbs.

Throws

R

Current Team

Pawtucket (Triple-A)

Date Seen

5/19/13

Filed by/date

Mark Anderson; 5/19/13

Acquired

Trade with Los Angeles Dodgers, 2012

Have Video?

No

Mechanics

Standard ¾ slot; works downhill toward the plate; good arm speed and clean arm action; long arms and legs; good angle to the plate; has a tendency to open early; lower half works a little too quick at times, particularly in stretch; has to stay in sync better; delivery falls apart in stretch; lots of mechanical inconsistencies, particularly with release point and how he follows through; struggle with mechanical inconsistencies reminded of previous viewings with Dodgers; open questions about feel for delivery and ability to make necessary mechanical adjustments given lack of progress to date.

#1 Pitch

Fastball, velocity: 92-94 (T96); maintains velocity in stretch; velocity dipped to 90-91 after about 70 pitches. Command: average command early in start; struggled more as fatigue set in and mechanical consistency faded; missed arm side and up regularly; athleticism and arm action suggest command projection but may never realize it due to aforementioned mechanical problems; fringe-average command projection long term. Movement: Natural sink; ball jumps at hitters thanks to excellent extension out front. Established fastball early in game; ball exits hand easily; has ability to work up and down the ladder but struggled more moving ball side to side; fastball has 7 potential with consistent mechanics; movement and velocity combine to form easy plus offering.

Grade: Present 6/Future 7

#2 Pitch

Slider, velocity: 81-83 (T86); showed ability to add and subtract from slider. Command: average; commanded slider better than fastball; has ability to use in the zone or as chase pitch to both LHH and RHH. Movement: two-plane mover that has more horizontal slice at best; can vary sweep and tilt of pitch depending on situation; plus-plus movement . Struggled to find feel with first few sliders thrown in second inning; found it in the third inning and leaned on it more as the game went on; can be devastating pitch; got really sharp when delivery was in line; potentially dominating pitch that was only consistency away from plus-plus present grade.

Grade: Present 6/Future 7

#3 Pitch

Changeup, velocity: 83-84 (T86). Command: fringe-average. Movement: gets a little straight but shows some arm-side fade at times. Notes: has arm-speed deception; confidence comes and goes; good offering to keep LHH at bay; doesn’t throw a ton; not a weapon but solid third pitch.

Grade: Present 4/Future 5

#4 Pitch

Curveball, velocity: 76-77 (T80). Command: below average. Movement: loopy; more vertical break than slider; often soft and easily picked up by hitters. Notes: threw a handful throughout game; lacked feel for command; most were up in the zone with potential for better hitters to mash; show-me pitch that changes the timing and site line of hitter; not a reliable pitch in tough spots.

Grade: Present 3+/Future 4

Other

Long, lean body; quality athlete; established fastball early then began to sequence more; showed willingness and ability to throw back-to-back secondary offerings; knows how to pitch; can’t always execute; tempo slows excessively from stretch; really slow and deliberate with runners on; loss of delivery common in stretch; pickoff move is mediocre but changes looks to keep runners close; 1.38 to 1.76 to the plate; concerns that he can be run on at MLB level.

Overall

High-end pitching prospect; fastball and slider are both potential plus-plus pitches; changeup is useable in any situation; knows how to sequence and work through lineups; really like the way he establishes the hard sinker early in the game, then figures out which of his secs will play on that day; raw arsenal suggests frontline starter with number two potential; command projection can exist because of athleticism, arm action and occasional spurts locating the ball; showed inability to repeat delivery – a continuation of problems observed in prior viewings; command projection is in question long term and may hinder overall potential; loss of stamina during start was a surprise; overall package is very impressive and could still come together as a number two starter but difficulty projecting command lends more to a high-three; nearly big-league ready with only minor polishing required.

OFP Grade: 6; no. 3 starter

Risk Factor: Moderate

Chris Martin

RHP

Boston Red Sox

DOB

6/2/1986

Height

6’7

Bats

R

MLB ETA

2014

Weight

185 lbs.

Throws

R

Current Team

Pawtucket (Triple-A)

Date Seen

5/19/13

Filed by/date

Mark Anderson; 5/19/13

Acquired

Minor League Free Agent, 2011

Have Video?

No

Mechanics

Lower-3/4 slot that still produces good angle to the plate because of extreme height; good athlete; lots of arms and legs; has a slight stab on the back side; drops his back (right) shoulder and the upper body appears to work uphill while lower body works down the plane of the mound; upper body tilt adds another element to delivery that already requires a lot of synchronization; inconsistency exists because of long levers and trouble controlling them; mediocre pickoff move.

#1 Pitch

Fastball,vVelocity: 92-94 (T95). Command: fringe-average; has occasional spurts of better command; throws strikes consistently. Movement: Modest natural sink; plays up because of strong leverage to the plate in delivery. Notes: Gets after it with the fastball; attacks hitters; maintains velocity in both windup and stretch; angle helps pitch play to near-plus range; could still improve with repetition and more game experience.

Grade: Present 5+/Future 6

#2 Pitch

Slider, velocity: 82-84 (T85). Command: below average; rarely thrown in the strike zone and not located when thrown out of zone. Movement: shorter break with more vertical than horizontal movement; not always sharp but shows occasional bite. Notes: won’t be a bat misser but can induce groundballs when thrown around the strike zone.

Grade: Present 4+/Future 5

#3 Pitch

Changeup, velocity: 82-83. Command: below average. Movement: shows some late sink during approach to the plate. Notes: good arm speed providing deception to pitch; rarely thrown during multi-inning relief outing; show-me pitch at highest level.

Grade: Present 4/Future 4

Other

Carries himself with good confidence on the mound; attacks hitters; long and lean body; lacks strength to profile as a starter; slows pace significantly with runners on; doesn’t miss bats.

Overall

Very raw and inexperienced; spent considerable time away from the game; has picked up sequence of fastball-slider quickly and mixes them effectively during at-bats; fastball plays in plus range with good leverage and sink; consistently works fastball low in the zone; induces ground balls; slider has potential as quality breaking pitch but needs command and consistent break; shorter two-plane movement can play well off fastball; doesn’t have much of a horizontal element in arsenal, limiting potential to change the look for hitters; changeup is rarely used; good sink when he trusts it but not a go-to pitch; show-me third pitch; won’t miss bats but will pitch to contact and get ground balls; lack of depth in arsenal limits his potential as a starter; inability to consistently miss bats limits potential as a reliever as well; can work multiple innings and spot start as a fringe major leaguer who is a versatile 11^th or 12^th man on a pitching staff.

OFT Grade: 4+; middle reliever/swingman

Risk Factor: Moderate