| By |  | By 10-27-2009 |
Today's video group includes Chicacgo Cubs 3B prospect Josh Vitters, who has a really nice swing, probably enough gumption to stick at third, but a really terrible approach at the plate.
He's been lapped by Starlin Castro as the Cubs top prospect and fellow-draft-class buddy Mike Moustakas as the best at the hot corner from that draft.
Still, he's shown power and the ability to hit to all fields, but the dude walked all of 12 times in just over 470 plate appearances. His contact rates are solid -- just 65 whiffs -- but one has to wonder if he's just swinging early and often and avoiding two-strike counts, and his pitches per plate appearances back up that very theory.
Vitters saw 3.32 pitches per plate appearance in Peoria of the Midwest League, and 3.29 in High-A Daytona. Basically, he's Yuniesky Betancourt in that right.
The second video is a quick triple-collage of Florida's Matt Dominguez, who is an outstanding defensive third baseman, and Detroit infielders Cale Iorg and Scott Sizemore.
afl-video:-josh-vitters,-plus-trio
Comments
The following 10 comment(s) for this article are shown below:
| 1. By: Slack on 10-27-2009 19:11:03 Jason, I have a couple of questions for you. FIrst, what is Cale Iorg's ceiling? Second, do you have any videos of pitchers coming out? |
| 2. By: Jason A. Churchill on 10-27-2009 20:09:05 Not a Cale Iorg fan. I think he can play SS, but I don't know that he hits. Ever. No, I don't. Pitchers can only be videotaped during the games and there are only about eight arms down there worth paying attention to. Really. I got Aumont and Fields because I knew they were going to throw that day, but other than Strasburg's starts being PR'd to death, it's a guessing game, so i couldn't sprint to certain parks to see this guy or that guy. It's not like spring training, unfortunately. The coaches weren't even allowed to say the day before. |
| 3. By: randallball on 10-27-2009 21:00:33 Another off topic question for you, Jason; one of the unbelievably terrible, unimaginably uninformed, hack, vomit-inducing writers over @ BR.com just did an article about the prospects that took the biggest steps back this season and they had Halman #2 on that list (behind Lars Anderson). Do you think that Halman still has the time/tools to possibly put it all together and become a starting OF at some point in his career, or did this season completely derail any chance of that and take him out of prospect status in your mind (and those that you've talked to about him)? |
| 4. By: Jason A. Churchill on 10-27-2009 21:28:05 If he was derailed from having a big-league career by his step back in 2009, he wasn't a prospect to begin with. He's still young enough to do something about it, and he was never going to be a star anyway. If he were able to stay in center, things become easier, but it looks like he's capped off defensively in center and fits in right much better -- which puts pressure on the bat. Lars and Halman both belong on that list, but neither should be written off and big leaguers, and with Halman, he runs well, can defend and has a good arm, which gives him a better opportunity to fill a part-time role, if he can't cut the Ks enough to play everyday. If he was 25, it'd be over. |
| 5. By: Jason A. Churchill on 10-27-2009 21:28:50 BTW, BR.com? Baseball-reference? |
| 6. By: randallball on 10-27-2009 22:56:03 Yeah, Baseball-Reference.com...or their "Dugout Central" sidebar. |
| 7. By: randallball on 10-27-2009 22:56:58 And thanks for your thoughts on Halman. Kind of what I was thinking. |
| 8. By: starbuckdog on 10-27-2009 23:47:32 Video of Strasburg facing Ike Davis in AFL action today - Strasburg vs. Davis |
| 9. By: FWBrodie on 10-28-2009 10:30:35 Is Scott Sizemore ready for the bigs? I thought I read somewhere that he was expected to make the team this year. |
| 10. By: Jason A. Churchill on 10-28-2009 16:10:07 Yes, Brodie. He broke his ankle last week, though, so there is some thought that Detroit may ultimately have to bring in a veteran just in case, but he should be ready to go. They aren't bringing Polanco back. |
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