Next to top-10 overall pick Matt Harvey, another Matt, Den Dekker, was the most recognizable name in the New York Mets 2010 draft class.  Best known for his version of “The Catch” in this year’s College World Series, Den Dekker had a stellar career at the University of Florida prior to signing for a considerable bonus given his status as a fourth year senior.  At 23, he’s currently sporting a .346/.404/.471 line in the South Atlantic League entering playoff action.  Is this a sign of things to come? Or is Den Dekker taking advantage of lesser pitching than he faced in the SEC?

Physical Projection: Listed at 6’1″, 205 lbs., Den Dekker is well-proportioned and looks the part of a college athlete who has benefited from a major college strength and conditioning program.  As an athlete, he’s certainly not bursting with tools, but he makes the most out of his physical attributes and they play up due to his being a “grinder” who understands his strengths well.

Offense: Matt Den Dekker has very simple swing mechanics with little extra movement once the pitcher enters the wind up.  He loads to a strong position before unleashing a max effort, level swing.  Den Dekker’s power is more of the doubles variety as he sprays the ball from gap-to-gap.  With two strikes, he will look to poke outside pitches the other way and is susceptible to fastballs up which has led to a K% above 25%.  The vulnerability is caused by just a touch of length in the back of his swing.

In an at bat versus 2009 top-10 pick Zack Wheeler, Den Dekker turned on a 93 MPH fastball for a line drive foul down the right field line.  On the following pitch, he laced a 94 MPH fastball to left-center for a two-strike single.  It was a glimpse of Den Dekker at his best, and an at bat I’ll remember for quite awhile.  However, it’s important to temper that enthusiasm with the reality Den Dekker is 23 and was facing a fantastic prospect, albeit one 33-months his junior.

Defense: In center field, Den Dekker uses his above average speed and strong first step to cover plenty of ground.  However, his routes can leave him in awkward catching positions as I’ve seen him overrun a handful of balls before having to jump or adjust to make the play.  His arm strength is solid average. Den Dekker consistently makes accurate throws, but they tend to have a little more arc than outfielders with stronger arms.

Above average center fielders are hard to find and Den Dekker is one.  However, the rumors of his being a “plus-plus” defender are just that.  Blue Jays Anthony Gose remains the only outfielder I’ve seen who can lay claim to that.

Speed: In game action, I’ve clocked running times for Den Dekker in the 4.10-4.15 second range from home-to-first including a 3.75 on a successful drag bunt.  While not a base stealer, he runs the bases quite well and is unlikely to run into many outs due to poor decisions.

In 2009, Mets prospects and former college players Josh Satin, Sean Ratliff, and Eric Campbell all had up-and-down seasons prior to strong campaigns which landed each in AA by season’s end.  Den Dekker hopes to follow in their footsteps as the 23-year old looks to hit the fast track and solidify his prospect status.  While I can’t project Den Dekker as a starter at the big league level, left-handed hitters with speed who can play all three outfield positions have definite value.  Add his strong makeup into the equation, and I can see Den Dekker having a career as a role player and clubhouse presence.

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Atlanta Braves catching prospect Christian Bethancourt had arguably the most impressive tools in the South Atlantic League this season.  With a .253/.280/.332 line, the production has obviously not matched the skill set as Bethancourt struggled in his first taste of full season baseball.  At 18, Bethancourt is likely to repeat the “Sally” in 2011 to continue working on his offense and receiving skills.  However, Bethancourt’s arm is big league ready and could quickly become the stuff of legend.

Physical Projection: Bethancourt has a lean upper and lower body with moderate development through his core.  And while he should fill out some through natural maturation, he doesn’t project to grow out of the position like many other 6’2″ catchers at the level.  Bethancourt’s athletic physique and fluid movements speak extremely well to his being able to remain behind the dish long term.

Beyond catching, Bethancourt’s athleticism permeates through the rest of his game as well.  While extremely rough around the edges, the bat speed, power potential, and foot speed are there to project significant offensive growth.  Of players I’ve seen this season, Bethancourt has the largest gap between tools and performance of any prospect I’ve seen.

Offense: Possessing excellent bat speed, Bethancourt is able to whip the bat head through the zone even though his mechanics seem to be in constant opposition of his natural ability.  With a bad step-in-the-bucket and a swing which is pull hand dominant, the present bat speed he has could become elite with a few mechanical tweaks.  Multiple scouts have gone out of their way to mention the power Bethancourt shows in batting practice.  And while it’s a long way from showing up in game action due to so-so pitch recognition, and his aforementioned mechanics, a significant spike in power can be expected at some point.

While his pitch selection is not particularly strong, Bethancourt’s strike out rate is very low for international players his age. He has also shown the ability to adjust to breaking pitches.  As “Sally” Mets pitchers recognized his stepping in the bucket, they began feeding him a steady dose of outside pitches.  From reading an update on his development from contributor Chris Blessing and catching Bethancourt in person in late August, he has definitely quieted his load some which is a definite positive.

Defense: Between innings, I clocked multiple throwing times in the 1.8′s from Bethancourt which is pretty unheard of.  His best time, 1.83 seconds, leaves me frustrated with the 20-80 scale because I can’t award bonus points.  If asked the single most impressive tool I’ve ever seen in minor league baseball, it would be a toss up between Bethancourt’s arm strength and Mike Stanton’s in game power.  It would not surprise me one bit if Bethancourt could touch triple digits from the mound and I’d rate his arm strength ahead of former teammates Julio Teheran and Arodys Vizcaino.

The rest of his defensive game is spotty at best as I’ve personally seen about ten balls scoot by him in game action.  Bethancourt seems especially susceptible on pitches to his backhand side as his glove simply looked lazy.  He also sticks balls awfully hard when trying to frame strikes.  As Bethancourt matures, his receiving will need to be smoothed out considerably and I’d rate his glove work as below average.

Currently, I suspect immaturity and work ethic are holding him back a bit and he’s relying solely on athletic ability.  At 18, Bethancourt is playing full season baseball as a big bonus international free agent when most American baseball players are seniors in high school.  I think it’s important to understand Bethancourt is still a teenager and may have some growing pains as he adjusts and matures.

Speed: I was shocked to pull a 65 running time (4.15 seconds) on the 20/80 scale off of video.  Even if this isn’t the norm and Bethancourt is a tenth of a second slower on average, it still leaves him with elite speed for the catching position.  He’s 8/11 in stolen base attempts this season and could probably swipe 15-20 per year if allowed.

While Christian Bethancourt is a boom or bust prospect behind the plate, his floor is higher than most “toolsheds” due to the possibility of his being moved to the mound should catching not work out.  In 2011, Bethancourt will likely spend at least half the season back in Rome to continue his development.  He is years away from Atlanta, but his ceiling is that of an All-Star catcher.  However, Bethancourt has, and will continue to draw mixed reviews from scouts and is ending the season as one of the most polarizing prospects in the league.

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Scouting the Sally favorite Chris Balcom-Miller was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in a swap for somewhat disappointing reliever Manny Delcarmen in a small deal, but one which reminds me of why I write in the first place.  At the end of July, I wrote a report on “CBM” after watching him throw seven near perfect frames in Savannah.  To close the piece, I wrote:

If the Rockies were buying at the deadline, I suspect “CBM” would be high on many a wish list.

Until yesterday, I had completely forgotten about that line, but it turned out to be accurate.  Especially when the acquiring team is an organization whose scouting department is arguably the most well respected in the game.  Additionally, the Red Sox included money in the deal which indicates they upped the ante to land a true trade target.

Now I’m not sure what the correct term is for a person who is just way to into scouting, but whatever it is, a pitcher like “CBM” is tailor made for the crowd.  With the funkiest mechanics I’ve seen this side of Braves “prospect” Chris Masters, Balcom-Miller doesn’t have a straight pitch in his arsenal and peppers the zone at a variety of speeds with stuff that darts and dives.  If I ranked the best starters seen this season. “CBM” would rank in the top-8.

However, Balcom-Miller is certainly not perfect.  He offers little projection going forward as both his physique and repertoire are just about fully developed.  This means his outstanding peripherals are not likely to hold steady as he moves up the ladder.  His regression, in my opinion, will leave him as a back of the rotation type whose sinker would have some success at the big league level right now.

In looking at the Red Sox top-10 over at Sox Prospects, I’d personally slide “CBM” ahead of Stolmy Pimentel into the number eight slot.  Admittedly, I’d be in the minority in that assessment, but after reviewing game notes, peripherals, and considering age versus level, Balcom-Miller’s floor is simply too high for me to ignore.  Additionally, having seen many of the Red Sox top-20 over the past couple of seasons, I feel the group is overrated as a whole.  Even for the conservative prospect rater, there’s just no way “CBM” slides into the Red Sox top-20 at lower than number fifteen.

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I recently had a conversation through twitter with a young SABR writer I respect quite a bit.  I first began reading pieces by Pat Andriola (@tuftspat on Twitter) during my time writing for Mets Geek.  His opinion on all things Mets was interesting to me as we did not always agree, but I really couldn’t argue either because Pat’s writing was always steeped in both strong statistical and common sense thought.

As usual, however, Pat and I found ourselves on opposite sides of a discussion over Wally Backman’s managerial ability based on the number of bunts he called for in Brooklyn.  In discussing bunting at the minor league level, I pointed out defense was so poor at the lower levels of minor league baseball that a well placed bunt has a much better chance of being successful than in MLB and that Backman was simply exploiting a weakness, and not the serial bunt caller some consider him to be.

A prime example of this occurred over the weekend during a Rome Braves and Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) game.  Greensboro’s Edgar Olmos (no, not the “American Me” guy) cruised through the first four innings in what appeared to be a pitchers duel.  However, a leadoff bunt, followed by a misplayed sacrifice bunt left Olmos flustered and he was never able to pull his emotions back together.  Over Olmos’ final 1/3 inning, he surrendered six earned runs and was chased from the game in what wound up being a route.  To add insult to injury, the Braves dropped another bunt or two down for good measure.  While a scenario like this would rarely unfold at the big league level where defenses are better and pitchers are more mentally prepared to handle adversity, in the low minors, a perfectly placed bunt is rarely ever defended properly, often leading to errant throws down the first base line.

Admittedly, I need to learn more about the SABR communities feelings on bunting.  For example, how do metrics which determine the effectiveness of a bunt weigh the batter’s speed or baserunning ability?  In an identical situation, do metrics differentiate between Juan Pierre and Billy Butler in terms of speed and bunting prowess?  Where’s Pat Andriola when I need him!

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Jiwan James’ development as a prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization has been closely watched by prospect followers.  Drafted as a pitcher, his transition to an everyday player has been a slow process as twenty-one year old’s in the “Sally” are often walking the line between prospect and suspect.  However, James leaves much more to the imagination than your average prospect with a 1989 birth date.  Lean, wiry, and projectable, his appearance draws ones eye almost immediately.  After watching him play, I wonder just how much of a mulligan he receives simply because he resembles Domonic Brown?  Is he a prospect?  Most definitely, but the comparisons to baseball’s best prospect are, in my opinion, amongst the laziest in the industry.

Physical Projection: An impressive athlete, James certainly looks the part of former multiple sport star.  In pre-game batting practice, he showed a fluid, relaxed stroke from both sides of the plate.  While shagging balls in the outfield, his long strides allowed him to glide from gap-to-gap having to slow down and allow balls to roll past to practice fielding ricochet’s off of the wall.

In game action, James’ swing became much more rigid and looked like an entirely different player.  Instead of his “oozing athleticism”, the speed of the game seemed to negate much of the perceived advantage he held over other players.

With his wiry frame, James’ ability to add size is in question as he has extremely thin forearms and calves.  He has some size through the shoulders and quadriceps, but it’s more as if he has already built those areas up.  Due to these factors, projecting future size is difficult.  However, it does mean he should keep his plus speed and athleticism for a number of years allowing him to remain in center field and post solid stolen base totals.

Offense: In batting practice, James displayed a combination of fluid swing mechanics and some explosion through the zone.  He peppered line drives to the gaps and even showed some ability to generate natural lift.  Even more impressive was his ability to do this from both sides of the plate.

However, in game action James’ swing mechanics went significantly south.  Instead of easy and fluid, his swing became rigid and and segmented.  His swing begins with an often mistimed step towards the plate closing his slightly open stance.  At the peak of his load, a momentary pause prior to swinging breaks up whatever fluidity was present in batting practice.  James also has a tendency to drift onto his front foot which caused him to chop down on pitches leading to a number of weak ground balls and flails at breaking balls.  Additionally, James does not throw his back hip during his swing leaving him looking very weak in the box.  In one at bat, he did sit back nicely to punch a two-strike pitch to left field for a single, but James’ poor swings far outnumbered quality ones.

In James’ case, his .273/324/.371 line with a 127/34 K/BB ratio is an example of statistics matching the offensive skill set at this time.  Being an excellent athlete who switched positions does give him an extended grace period to perform, but it doesn’t change the fact James is twenty-one and well behind the learning curve of legitimate offensive prospects his age.

Defense: In game action, James was not tested  enough to accurately gauge his defensive chops.  However, in speaking to scouts, the “plus-plus” defense and arm he is rumored to have was brought into question.  Of course an above average defensive center fielder with plus range and solid average arm is nothing to sneeze at.  James should have no problem remaining in center field over the long haul.

Speed: A long strider, James is a gazelle at full speed who has the ability to score from first on doubles with relative ease.  After watching Anthony Gose in 2009 and now James, I wonder who the roving baserunning instructor in the Phillies organization is and how much time he spends with the young burners in the organization?  In the few times I did see James on first base, he struggled timing the pitcher’s move to home plate to the point of looking uncomfortable on the bases.

Make no mistake, there’s not an organization in professional baseball which would not want Jiwan James a part of it.  However, the helium he has received this season is somewhat surprising considering barely discussed outfield prospect Cesar Puello of the New York Mets is already a much better baseball player with similar projection and very little hype.

I remember the first swing I saw from Domonic Brown like it happened five minutes ago during the AFL Rising Stars game.  His lacing a double down the right field line was an “a-ha” moment cementing him as an elite prospect in my mind.  With James, that moment did not happen as I saw a good, but not great prospect with significant holes in his game.  It’s hard to bet against an athlete like James who draws glowing reviews from a makeup standpoint, but at best, he’s a step-at-a-time prospect who will need a significant development in every aspect of his game before reaching Philadelphia.  A more likely scenario is James’ bat fizzling out at AA if he can’t significantly improve his pitch recognition and becoming a glove/speed fifth outfielder type who kicks around as a AAAA player for a number of years.

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The first game I went to last season was started by Mets prospect Kyle Allen, making his first Sally League start. Here’s this young kid from Florida on a cold, blustery night in Rome facing a major league Hitter, rehabbing Atlanta Braves catcher David Ross, and not having much success. Allen looked completely overmatched against Ross and he was. Showcasing one pitch that evening, a decent two-seem fastball, Ross sat on the pitch and hit a ball over 400 feet for a home run.

Fast forward to my last Sally league game of 2009, a Pitcher’s duel between Allen and Julio Teheran of the Rome Braves. Allen was a completely different pitcher, mixing in three pitches and out dueling the Braves’ super prospect. He wasn’t facing any David Ross type hitters that day; however, if he had been, It would have been much harder for Ross to hit the young right hander.

With that in mind, I was sitting here in front of my computer, fighting through some writer’s block, trying to fill out a game report on last Sunday’s game between the Rome Braves and West Virginia Power. The Power posted a lineup minus their two best offensive prospects, Jarek Cunningham and Evan Chambers, while the Braves sat recent compensation round pick Todd Cunningham. Those three made up 3/4ths of the guys I wanted to see, the fourth player being Edward Salcedo, who was completely over-matched by West Virginia’s pitching staff. I really don’t write negatively about prospects, choosing to highlight the good over the bad. His performance left me with nothing to really go on. I could have also detailed Todd Cunningham‘s ninth inning line drive single to right, an inning after Cunningham replaced Kyle Rose in the field, but that brief glimpse of Cunningham could not save the game report. After fighting through one paragraph, there was really only one thing I could post about, the growth of Braves catching prospect, Christian Bethancourt.

Now, this isn’t a scouting report by any means. I know Mike has one in the works. For Mike’s twitter followers, you undoubtedly remember Mike raving about this kid’s arm. Even a fan like myself realizes how special this tool is. He releases the ball so quickly, with velocity that is better than most of the pitchers in the league. The thing is, this kid is extremely raw. I’ve seen him play 8 times so far this season, three times early on, three times at the midway point and two times this month. Early, it was a lot of poor body language and poor fundamental play, mixed with a very raw swing. If the pitcher threw a tough pitch to catch, this kid was probably going to miss it. It was ugly. I sat behind home plate for a game where I swear he circled his arm when trying to frame pitches. At the plate, he was swinging at everything. Good contact was non-existent. It was just very messy to find a good thing to say about him, outside that sparkling arm. I even asked Mike when he thought they’d convert him to pitcher. Remember, I’m just a fan, not looking at the projection of these tools a player processes like Mike does.

By June, Bethancourt, for whatever reason, was not catching for the Braves three games I went to. Without needing to deal with the grind of catching, he started to show some of the promise with his bat. Bethancourt was no longer swinging at bad pitches all the time. He was making solid contact and showing decent enough pitch recognition; comparable to many of the younger players in the league. He didn’t have much success in the games I saw, hitting into some bad luck on more than one occasion. By no means was he close to the hitter that Braves fans hope he will be, but Bethancourt had improved.

By August, his approach in the two games I’ve seen has been about the same as it was in June, with better results. On Sunday, he went 2 for 4 with two singles. It was his catching and overall body language that has caught my eye though. It’s obvious that he has worked very hard on his defense. He seemed to be getting in front of balls in the dirt and showing a better ability to frame pitches. His confidence behind the dish was truly the most remarkable difference in his game. He didn’t hang his head at any point, something that I had seen on at least three occasions earlier in the year. In a game earlier this month, while a runner was stealing a base, Bethancourt failed to make a clean transfer of the ball and ended up dropping it. Realistically, the runner had a 3 step head start on him and even Bethancourt didn’t have a chance with his gun. He failed to execute but he didn’t get down on himself. It was great to see.

I personally think the Braves should hold Bethancourt back in Rome to start next season. He’s not ready for the next step. This shouldn’t discourage Braves fans in the very least. He has come a long way. I know many Met fans were down on super prospect Wilmer Flores when he was held back, even dismissing him as a top prospect. Super prospects can stumble at this age. Remember, the Jason Heyward‘s of the world are the rare exception. The future is bright for Bethancourt, hopefully, he seizes it.

I’d like to finish by thanking Mike Newman for the opportunity to add content to his site. It’s truly a privilege. The thing that I enjoy most about this site is the unbiased and open minded opinion Mike gives each and every player he sees. He doesn’t allow poor first impressions by a player to influence future scouting reports. This is a rarity amongst other scouting sites.

It’s better time than any to say a quick word about what to expect from the content I add to Scouting the Sally. I am a baseball fan, not a scout. I’m the guy you’re likely to see posting about the minor leagues in any number of minor league message boards, specifically on various Mets boards. Every year, I see close to two dozen minor league games, spread across three different levels. The vast majority of those games are at State Mutual Stadium, home of the Sally League’s Rome Braves. When I go to the park, I’m usually the only guy with a Mets hat on that isn’t kin to one of the visiting Savannah Sand Gnats players, the team I usually try to see.

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Not your typical hard thrower, Marshall utilized an 88-91 MPH  sinker with arm side run and significant drop to set up his other offerings. He flashed a four-seam fastball at 92-93 MPH up, but it was more of a “show me” pitch ahead in the count than a featured offering. he also mixed in a 79-81 MPH changeup with arm side run and drop, as well as a tight 84 MPH slider with 10-4 break. Marshall’s last two outings (12 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 9 K) may earn him a token start in Tampa next week.

Slade Heathcott shook off three swinging strikeouts through four innings to rope a line drive down the right field line in his fourth plate appearance. With a fantastic baseball build, Heathcott looks like he was born to be a ballplayer. However, I’ll have to review the video closely as Heathcott has a beautiful left-handed swing, but I did not see the wrist snap reminiscent of the best left-handed hitters I’ve seen at the level.

JR Murphy showed quick wrists and a more patient approach than I was anticipating given his sub-.320 on base percentage, but showed poor footwork and arm strength behind the dish. His 2.60 times to second base were thrown at 70% or so, but from my years as a catcher, I’d have a hard time believing Murphy could eclipse the 2.15-2.20 mark in game action. My first impression of Murphy is he’s a bit of a tweener who will have to move out from behind the plate in time. His bat will give him every opportunity to stick, and he’s not Jesus Montero bad back there, but he has quite a bit of work to do for me to even consider him an average catcher at the level.

Be on the lookout for video including multiple angles of Brett Marshall and a number of at bats from Murphy/Heathcott, as well as future scouting reports on the trio.

I’ll be back at the stadium tonight for game two of the series before heading to Rome Friday night to catch a glimpse of Greensboro. I am debating a jaunt to Charleston the final weekend of the season to see Charleston and Greensboro two more times.

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Mets prospect Juan Lagares was in the midst of a career campaign prior to suffering a broken ankle in late July which prematurely ended his season.  Overall, the outfielder finished up with a line of .279/.296/.414 including twenty-five steals in thirty attempts.  Whether fragile, or simply unlucky, Lagares has missed significant time due to injury leading two and a half full seasons worth of lost playing time.  Having begun the season as an afterthought within the organization, Lagares was exceeding expectations prior to injury.  Just how much has his prospect stock rebounded?

Physical Projection: While Lagares still has room to add size through his upper body, his lower half is already close to fully developed.  With strong quadriceps and thick calves, he has some explosion on the basepaths.  However, quirky timing at the plate limits his ability to incorporate his legs into his swing hurting his power projection.  Players with wide hips and smaller upper bodies generally do not age particularly which leaves me wondering how much his above average athleticism will be negatively affected with age.

Offense: Like many Latin American players, Lagares incorporates a significant amount of extra movement into his load and timing mechanism.  Additionally, his stance is more upright than I normally like due to his legs to being very close together.  The combination of the two leaves him guessing far to often and defenseless against below average breaking pitches.  When he tries to stay back in his load, Lagares’ swing breaks into two distinct parts and his body drifts forward.  It negates his power and causes him to chop pitches weakly into the ground.

On fastballs middle in, Lagares shows above average bat speed and the ability to drive the baseball.  However, he often works against his strengths by swinging at the first fastball he sees no matter the location to avoid falling behind in the count.  This leads to very few walks which are a concern now that Lagares is 21 and not 17, the age he debuted in the “Sally”.

Defense: Juan Lagares has made a relatively smooth transition to left field and can probably man center field in a pinch.  He has the speed to cover plenty of ground and a solid average throwing arm.  However, his routes are still rough due to a lack of repetitions, but his growth at the position is a promising sign going forward.

Speed: Similar to Cesar Puello, Lagares is not a true burner, but makes the most out of the speed he does have.  Due to his body type, I see him slowing down as he matures with him settling in as a player with twenty stolen base potential.

Entering 2010, Lagares’ development likely left him a “non-prospect” amongst many scouts.  Even though 2010 once again ended early for the young outfielder, he has significantly raised his status within the organization.  He’s still more of a fringe prospect with some upside, but Lagares earned himself a promotion, and more time to get things right which is about all Mets fans could have hoped for.

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Thankfully Braves went with real scouts on Mike Minor (3-0, 19 IP, 22-4 K-BB), not the online “experts” who dismissed him as a “soft thrower”

That tweet felt like I was punched in the gut by Hellboy.  And while his tweet wasn’t directed at me personally, Gammons’ generic use of “online experts” pretty much lumped everybody from pros like Kevin Goldstein who wrote:

Scouts don’t really see a big-league out pitch in his arsenal, and even those that give him credit for the change think he’ll have to pitch backwards to get there. Both of his breaking balls can be inconsistent.

To little old me who said:

Bet on Minor to be one of the first five players from the 2009 draft class to reach Atlanta. Should he move quickly and become league average by mid 2012, the Braves would most certainly be thrilled.

And while I can’t speak for Goldstein, a personal favorite of mine, I can, and did comment on Minor late last season after watching him pitch in Savannah.  In that outing, he threw 88-90 MPH, touching 91 MPH only once.  Minor mixed in an excellent changeup and left his other breaking pitches in the bullpen.  Here is the edited video from that appearance.

Since late last season, Minor’s gaining a couple of ticks on the radar gun has been widely reported and who am I to argue?  I’m really only able to report what I see and my game report was just that.  It would have been irresponsible to report higher velocity readings to boost his prospect status at a time where it wasn’t warranted.  It happens all to often on the Internet and I want no part of it.

In shifting gears for a moment, Frankie Piliere of AOL Fanhouse dropped a bomb on the prospect world by reporting Manuel Banuelos touched 97 MPH in game action.  And while I find it difficult to fathom considering Banuelos’ diminutive stature, talented prospects can and will make major strides at unexpected times.  Just last year, I had Banuelos at 87-91 MPH through an entire start. Does this make me wrong? No, it simply provides an excellent example of how pitchers grow and change from season-to-season.

Another prime example is Andrew Brackman who I had at 89-91 MPH, topping out at 93 in an early 2009 outing. Again, Frankie Piliere caught a recent start where Brackman threw 92-96 MPH throughout, topping out at 97 MPH and noted:

This was clearly not the same tentative, stiff Andrew Brackman of 2009.

And while it’s true a number of online “experts” do beg, borrow, and steal information only to make poor assumptions, it was important for Gammons to be more specific as to who he was referring to.  By not doing so, his comments came off as elitist in lumping even the most responsible scouting minds and sites on the Internet together with the less reputable ones.  In regarding Gammons as a voice who consistently brought small names to the masses, I really expected him to be more about the little guy.

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Earlier this season, I had the opportunity to catch a start by Houston Astros prospect Tanner Bushue.  Entering 2010, the former second rounder was ranked as the second best pitching prospect in the system behind 2009 Lexington Legend hurler Jordan Lyles.  While Bushue did not disappoint from a projection standpoint, his present stuff was more reminiscent of a control artist and not the young power pitcher he was billed as.

Physical Projection: If not for Zack Wheeler of the San Francisco Giants, Bushue would be the most projectable pitching prospect I’ve seen this season.  At 6’4″ and 190 lbs. or so, Bushue is long and lean, but possesses a trunk which should allow him to gain size through his core.  An excellent athlete, his motion is amongst the simplest I’ve seen at the level.  Bushue’s low effort delivery generates easy arm whip, but his explosion is limited due to his not being fully developed physically.  With increased strength, it’s easy to see his adding additional velocity as he matures.

Mound Presence: What impressed me most about Bushue were his bullpens.  Working from the stretch, Bushue repeatedly threw the changeup with a focus rarely seen from teenage pitchers.  At a time where most pitchers simply go through the motions, Bushue pitched with purpose becoming visibly annoyed when unable to deliver the pitch to the outer black.  His professionalism and work ethic were refreshing and far beyond his years.

In game action, Bushue punched the clock and went to work.  While he wasn’t particularly efficient due to fastball command which was average to a tick below, Bushue consistently fought out of jams using his fastball/curveball mix to keep hitters off balance.  Bushue’s ability to navigate out of tight spots is yet another sign of maturity as a pitcher.  Once the body catches up the the mindset, look out!

Fastball: At 87-88 MPH throughout, his fastball velocity was significantly less than what had been reported in draft circles.  With velocity a couple of MPH below average for a righty, Bushue had to rely on command/control to be effective.  While not perfect, he was able to move the pitch in and out with some success.  Many of his hits allowed were due to leaving the pitch up, but he was generally able to leverage his height and create downward plane on the pitch.

Curveball: At 69-72 MPH, Bushue’s curveball featured a big, slow 12-6 break.  He was able to keep the pitch at the knees for most of the outing painting the outside corner repeatedly.  While it may be due to a lack of velocity, Bushue’s curveball had more depth than any other pitcher I’ve seen this season.  If he can refine the offering up to create tighter break, it could wind up a plus pitch.

Changeup: Not thrown in game action, Bushue feverishly worked on the pitch from the stretch in his pre-game bullpen, and then again during side work at batting practice.  In development, the pitch was wildly inconsistent and he looked to be aiming the change instead of throwing it.  While the pitch has a long ways to go, Bushue’s understanding the need to develop the pitch is a great first step towards success.

Pitchers like Tanner Bushue are a great example as to why I do my best to avoid prospect reports of players I plan on scouting.  Had I expected to see 94 MPH with a hammer curveball as had been reported, I would have probably left the park extremely disappointed.  While his fastball/curveball combination was not nearly as advanced as draft reports made them out to be, his physical projection leaves quite a bit to dream on.  In many respects, Bushue resembled a poor man’s Casey Kelly with less polish and secondary pitch development.  As he matures, Bushue should grow into a number four starter with 200+ inning potential.  However, his makeup is a big “X-Factor” for me as players with his work ethic are much more likely to surpass expectations.

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