2013 Top HS MLB Draft Prospects

As it stands right now, here is a look at the top five high school prospects for the MLB draft. Things could change as the season plays out of course but these are the names that end up on the most lists and the highest on those lists as well. All are committed to solid baseball programs, as is the case with most top prospects
(it may boost your leverage in contract negotiations - which are generally very short).

The next grouping would include the top catching prospect Jonathan Denney (OK), SS J.P Crawford (CA)  LHP's Rob Kaminsky (NJ) and Stephen Gonsalves (CA) and RHP Jordan Sheffield (TN).

2013 MLB DRAFT - TOP NATIONAL HS PLAYERS

• 1. Austin Meadows 6-3, 200 OF Grayson HS (GA) Two-way, five-tool player. power, speed and arm all plus. Top draft prospect in country. Clemson commit
• 2. Dominic Smith 6-1, 200 1B/OF/LHP Serra HS (CA) Power arm and bat. Two-way player colleges love. Lefty bat, USC commit.
• 3. Clint Frazier 6-0, 190 OF Loganville HS (GA) Potential five-tool player. Strong and athletic with power to come. Glove to play CF. Explosive athlete, sprays to all fields. Georgia commit.
• 4. Oscar Mercado 6-2, 175 SS Gaither HS (FL) Outstanding defensive SS, decent hitter with projectable power. Line drive swing, plus runner. Florida State commit.
• 5. Trey Ball 6-6, 180 LHP New Castle HS (IN) fluid delivery, athletic two-way player. Texas commit

UPDATE:

Even BA analysts having a tough time sorting out the two GA OF's. I'll admit I went with the bigger kid, but not by much. This could make for a reprise of the Josh or Josh debates among scouts -- from the 2000 draft where the debate was who would be the #1 pick -- Josh Beckett or Josh Hamilton.  

from Baseball America:
Meadows And Frazier Both Have Premium ToolsBy Conor Glassey
March 14, 2013
http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2013/2614854.html



Austin Meadows Prospect Video, Grayson High School

Dominic Smith Prospect Video, Serra High School







The Clint Frazier Show

BaseballAmericaVideo·

Oscar Mercado, ss, Gaither HS, Tampa

BaseballAmericaVideo

Trey Ball Prospect Video

Italy vs. Puerto Rico - Recap - March 13, 2013 - ESPN

Italy 3

(0-2)

Puerto Rico 4

(1-1)

Coverage: ESPN Dep

7:00 PM ET, March 13, 2013

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
ITA	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	3	9	3
PUR	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	X	4	8	1

W:	H. Burgos (1-0)
L:	B. Sweeney (0-1)
SV:	F. Cabrera (2)

Bye bye Italia!! It was a nice run for the Italians and hopefully this will help grow the game in that area of the world, which is one of the purposes for tournaments like this. Next time, maybe the Italians bring a  better bullpen as it seems like they spit out a couple of late inning leads.

Buon lavoro Italia!
(Good job Italy!!)

from ESPN:
Italy vs. Puerto Rico - Recap - March 13, 2013 - ESPN:

The Italians, who had only six major leagues on their roster, reached the second round for the first time.

"It was good for this team," Rizzo said. "Everyone had written us off that we shouldn't be here. We earned respect."

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2013 World Baseball Classic -- Dominican Republic rallies from 4-run deficit to edge Italy - ESPN

La Repubblica Dominicana si strofina il naso italiani nella sporcizia.
(The Dominican Republic rubs the Italians noses in the dirt.)

I domenicani sono stati solo cercando di divertirsi, ma qualcosa sembra essere andato perso nella traduzione.
(The Dominicans were just trying to have fun but something seems to have been lost in the translation.)

Dominican Republic rallies at WBC

2013 World Baseball Classic -- Dominican Republic rallies from 4-run deficit to edge Italy - ESPN:

"That's something you never see in the big leagues," Cano said. "Here we get a chance to come out and give high-fives to the guys. We can jump around. Nobody sees you trying to show somebody up. It's more about the chemistry on the team. We're all excited to be here, and we've all got a mission to win."

(Note: to Robinson Cano - buy a dog and name him clue, then you'll have one. you probably shouldn't show up your opponent. EVER!! See below.)

Italy hitting coach Mike Piazza said his team noted the Dominicans' demeanor.

"Some enhanced theatrics," Piazza said. "It's not what we're used to, but hey, you have to go to with it and have fun. It's unorthodox for me. Obviously in a 162-game season you're not going to be seeing that, so you have to just let it roll off your back."

(Note: From my coach-speak to English thesaurus "demeanor" and "enhanced theatrics" means "Bull spit". See below) 

The New York Yankees second baseman was annoyed in the seventh when Italy's Nick Punto slid hard into second base on an inning-ending forceout.

"I was upset," Cano said. "I don't care if you slide on a double play, but when it's a forceout, the last thing you want to do is get hurt."

(Note: to Robinson Cano - again, get a clue Robby!! Good Luck the rest of the way.)

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Abbiamo ancora amano l'Italia!!!
(We still love Italy!!!)

Bennett Headed To Chicago

from ESPN

I was afraid the Giants might have to do this to find some money for Victor Cruz. 

Good move for the Bears as Bennett is a reliable middle of the field target for Cutler and an under-rated blocker. Eli is going to have to develop another TE but the Giants are calling this kid the Jason-Pierre Paul of TE's in terms of athletic ability. 

from ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14905/adrien-robinson

Me thinks if that description of him were true, he would have seen more reps on the field in his rookie year. 

Just sayin......

Court Rules that Bad Parents Can be Benched | The Sport Digest

Sorry, but this stuff really pisses me off. We live in a day and age where a story about youth sports contains at least three different legal citings. Good grief!! How in the world did we get here? Sports coaches, officials and administrators -- to say nothing about players -- should really have more important things to worry about in their lives than some of these juvenile shenanigans. Then the landscape doesn't get to this stage -- to say nothing about it deteriorating even further.

Part of the problem is (IMO) that the folks who are most part of the reason these legal citings exist to begin with, do not see this development as a problem at all.

SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE!!

from The Sports Digest:
Court Rules that Bad Parents Can be Benched | The Sport Digest:

The majority opinion issued by the Court stated in part, “The narrower goals of an athletic team differ from those of academic pursuits and are not always consistent with the freewheeling exchange of views that might be appropriate in a classroom debate. See, e.g., Lowery v. Euverard, 497 F.3d 584 (6th Cir. 2007).

“School officials have a legitimate interest in affording student athletes ‘an educational environment conducive to learning team unity and sportsmanship and free from disruptions that could hurt or stray the cohesiveness of the team.’” Wildman v. Marshalltown Sch. Dist., 249 F.3d 768, 771 (8th Cir. 2001).

There are other cases that have been decided in recent years that assert that a school district’s need to achieve an effective and efficient (i.e., orderly) athletic program for students who choose to play allows schools to condition participation on the acceptance by students and parents of some limitation on certain constitutional rights. 

Courts have ruled that this principle allows governing bodies over high school sports to impose limits on the recruitment of student-athletes. Courts have noted that participation in sports as an extra-curricular activity is a choice. That means it is a privilege and not a right. As such, participants should expect that there will be some rules that might infringe on normal rights.

The Court cited another case where a court held that “Athletic programs may…produce long-term benefits by distilling positive character traits in the players. However, the immediate goal of an athletic team is to win the game, and the coach determines how best to obtain that goal….The plays and strategies are seldom up for debate. Execution of the coach’s will is paramount.” Lowery v. Euverard, 497 F3d. 584, 589 (6th Cir. 2007).

The Court held that by using incendiary language to attack both the coaches and other players, Blasi had jeopardized the interests of other participants in the basketball program.

Anyone working in a leadership capacity with respect to youth sports should be aware of this case. It is an important precedent in establishing limits on how and when a parent can express dissatisfaction with players and coaches. Parents should let their kids play and confine themselves to watching and supporting their sons and daughters.

Readers can find this case online by entering the case citation as an Internet search. The full citation is: William Blasi v. Pen Argyl Area School District; 3rd. Cir.; No. 11-3982, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 2095; 1/30/13.

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Our neighbors don't seem to like each other very much

Canada vs Mexico Brawl (World Baseball Classic 2013)

This is what happens when you lose to Italy. Both team were looking to get their ticket home punched and came out punching. So much for the argument that the players aren't taking these games seriously.  

This is what happens when you have tournament rules like the mercy rule, run differential rules deciding who advances, etc. All the usual "unwritten rules" get tossed out the window, then someone says something about somebody's momma and IT'S ON!!!

Issues discussed here in Yahoo Sports article:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/fierce-brawl-mars-canadas-10-234242057--mlb.html

Canada is trying to get to +10 to save some pitching, so they bunt or steal when normally that would be unseemly and the opponent decides to deliver a message. The Canadian hitter almost dipped into the second pitch, then took the 3rd message pitch square in the back without moving an inch, so it looks like these guys were just itching to brawl. 

I could say the Canadians were taking their hockey heritage onto the diamond, but that would be too easy.  

Now the U.S. takes the neighborhood rivalry north to decide who advances into the second round. The Italians would have to be happy just making it to the Elite 8. If they can manage to win their first game there, things could get really, really interesting. 

Credete nei miracoli? Sì!

H/T to slavieboy for the WBC video. (I can't find them all by myself)

U.S. finds the Wright stuff to slow down Italy

Mamma mia! Wright va cantiere per rallentare la macchina Big italiano.

( Mamma mia!! Wright goes yard to slow down the Big Italian machine. )

from ESPN:
U.S. win sets up showdown with Canada - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN:

That destiny took a turn for the worse when the surprising Italians took a 2-0 lead against Ryan Vogelsong, who didn't have his usual excellent fastball command. Most of the Italian players are from the U.S., including big leaguers Anthony Rizzo, Chris Denorfia and Nick Punto, but cleanup hitter Alex Liddi of the Mariners was born and raised in Italy and 23-year-old starting pitcher Luca Panerati is an Italian who played a few years in the Reds system, topping out in A-ball. Panerati nevertheless shut down the U.S. with his 86 mph fastball and offspeed pitches, leaving after three scoreless innings; he can tell his grandkids someday about the time he shut down a lineup of major league All-Stars. But the U.S. rallied with five runs in the fifth inning, capped by Wright's two-out grand slam off Matt Torra, an American who pitched in Triple-A for Tampa Bay’s organization last year. 

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Baseball America | Italy’s Amazing Run Continues With 14-4 Win Over Canada

Questa cosa baseball nostra non ha ancora preso piede in Italia ancora. Ma una vittoria contro gli americani potenti potrebbero cambiare le cose.

(This baseball thing of ours hasn't quite caught on in Italy yet. But a win over the mighty Americans might change things.)

Baseball America | Blog | Baseball America Prospects Blog | Italy’s Amazing Run Continues With 14-4 Win Over Canada:

In a soccer-mad country, no one on Team Italy believes that even an amazingly unexpected WBC Championship is going to make baseball Italy’s passatempo nazionale. But it may help build further interest in the sport.

“This morning on the sports page of the Gazzetta there was a big article about baseball. That hasn’t happened in a long time,” Holmberg said. “The article will probably be a little bigger tomorrow. In Italy, soccer gets 30 pages and everything else gets the last five. Maybe now we’re up to the 15th page now. This is tremendous for us.”

It’s also a big deal for baseball in Europe. Currently, European teams are 5-1 in this year’s World Baseball Classic.The Netherlands is one win away from San Francisco and Italy looks like it wants to join them.

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Umpire concussions and working the slot

I had a discussion with one of my umpire buddies at a clinic once and he told me that rather than work the slot, he uses the catcher as a shield and follows him. I told him he was going to get hit by foul tips -- a LOT and HARD!! He said he never gets hit. I called BS!! It's nice to know I have a documented study to fall back on instead of relying on just empirical evidence and my own experience.

Major league did a study on foul balls and the probability of the umpire getting hit by the ball. They designated certain areas as "hot" zones for potential concussions from foul tips. MLB defines the zones as Green Zone, Yellow Zone and Red zone (or Danger Zone). 

The study illustrates why it is safer for umpires to work the slot. The probability of getting hit by a foul ball increases the more you move from the slot. 

If you are an umpire that likes to set up directly behind the catcher, you stand a greater chance of receiving a blow by a foul ball if you follow him when he moves. The same is true for the umpire that moves with the catcher when he sets up outside. The more the catcher moves toward the outside corner the greater chance the umpire has to get hit. 

2013 MLB Predictions

Because last year's predictions went so well. (NOT!!)
http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-mlb-predictions.html
This is my predicted order of finish and number of wins for each team for the 2013 season:

AL East:
Rays 90
Blue Jays 90
Yankees 86
Orioles 82
Red Sox 78

AL Central:
Tigers 95
Royals 82
White Sox 80
Indians 75
Twins 63

AL West:
Angels 90
A's 88
Rangers 86
Mariners 78
Astros 50

Blue Jays over A's and Rays over Yankees in 1st Round

Tigers over Blue Jays and Rays over Angels in 2nd Round

Rays over Tigers to advance to W/S

---------------

NL East:
Nationals 95
Braves 95
Phillies 85
Mets 65
Marlins 56

NL Central:
Reds 95
Cardinals 90
Brewers 80
Pirates 77
Cubs 67

NL West:
Giants 92
Dodgers 90
D-Backs 84
Padres 85
Rockies 69


Giants over Braves and Dodgers over Cardinals in 1st Round

Giants over Nationals and Dodgers over Reds in 2nd Round

Giants over Dodgers to advance to W/S

----------

 Giants over Rays in the World Series!!!!

Not one of ten Baseball America prognosticators had the Giants even appearing in the World Series to defend. Three had the Rays appearing with 2/3 picking the Rays to win it all.
----------

To the awards shows.

MVP:
BUSTER POSEY - NL or Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates
JOSH HAMILTON - AL

CY YOUNG:
KERSHAW - NL
VERLANDER - AL

Again, a good year for rookies.

ROTY - AL:
JURICKSON PROFAR, SS RANGERS
TAIJUAN WALKER RHP MARINERS
DANNY HULTZEN LHP MARINERS
WILL MYERS OF RAYS
TREVOR BAUER RHP INDIANS
DYLAN BUNDY RHP ORIOLES

ROTY - NL:
SHELBY MILLER RHP CARDINALS
JEDD GYORKO 3B-2B PADRES
CHRISTIAN YELLICH OF MARLINS
OSCAR TAVERAS OF CARDINALS
ZACK WHEELER RHP METS
GERRITT COLE RHP PIRATES
MATT HARVEY RHP METS
JOSE FERNANDEZ RHP MARLINS
BILLY HAMILTON OF REDS