Random College Notes for 4/09: Bats

I was able to catch chunks of a bunch of D1 college games (missing a Johnny Cueto gem and a Joe Musgrove no-no in the process . . . SIGH). I stuck to the bigger programs this weekend and got in some Big 12, ACC, and SEC action. Here are the matchups I saw:

NC State vs Boston College

Missouri vs #11 South Carolina

Virginia vs Clemson

#10 TCU vs #8 Texas Tech

#15 Georgia Tech vs #13 Notre Dame

Kansas State vs #4 Texas

Some takeaways . . .

Luca Tresh, C, NC State, 40+ FV- looks way more comfortable behind the plate than he did 1+ months ago. It's important to remember that he received very little game action back there because he was blocked by Giants' 2020 1st rounder Patrick Bailey. Gauging catcher defense is one of my weaker points but I don't think Tresh is a lost cause back there. The question is whether a team will take the time to develop that part of his game as a pro. If recent history has told us anything it's that teams have little patience developing bat-first, college catchers on the defensive side. He's not getting past the 2nd round.

Terrell Tatum, OF, NC State, No Grade (NG)- This was the best look I've ever gotten of Tatum. He looks stronger and more like a baseball player rather than just an athlete. The bat speed is above average and he utilized a much simpler approach to spray liners up the middle. He also flashed some near plus speed with a bunt single and a stolen base. Tatum finished 4 for 6 on the day with a triple and steal. He was the team's DH so I didn't see him in the field but he looked like a potential right field fit in the past. I'm not ready to put a 35 FV on Tatum just yet but this was an encouraging game. He's been added to the corner outfield tab in the database.

Sal Frelick, OF, Boston College, 50 FV- Nothing has changed with my evaluation of Frelick. I still think he will be a top 10-15 pick this July. He was clearly being pitched around in this game and I expect that to continue for as long as Cody Morissette (45 FV) and Jack Cunningham tread water. Frelick wants to hit, he showed a tinge of frustration when he was walked with a runner on base in the 6th inning. That's not a knock on Frelick by any means. I like seeing players who don't shy away from big moments and Frelick is clearly someone who wants the bat in his hands with the game on the line. Frelick took his walk and would later score on a Luke Gold double as the Eagles were able to score 3 runs in the inning.

Missouri Bats- Josh Day (35+ FV) showed some impressive infield actions and looked the part at shortstop. Turned a really nice double play showing good body control and a strong arm. He was just 1 for 5 with the bat, striking out twice, but showed a nice approach/bat control going the opposite way against a lefty for a hard single to right. He has the ability to impact the ball but can be pitched to by more advanced arms currently. Luke Mann struck out 5 times, 4 of which were swinging. Mann looked poised for a big 2021 season and has plus raw power and a plus arm, but he's very raw as a hitter. I've moved him down to a 35 FV and he'll likely need to return to Missouri next year to build his stock back up. I liked what I saw from Torin Montgomery and Garrett Rice at the plate, neither of whom are 2021 eligible but are worth tracking moving forward.

South Carolina Bats- Wes Clarke (35+ FV) is a huge human being and has massive raw power. He doubled early in the game and nearly hit the ball out to right-center on a pitch he didn't get all of. He's going to strike out a lot at the next level and won't provide any defensive value, but he might hit enough to provide some big league value anyway. I love watching George Callil play shortstop. He's a smooth defender and could probably handle just about any non-catcher position on the diamond. His bat hasn't developed and as a 5th-year senior it probably never will. There's some raw pop in his 6'4/200 frame but the Aussie doesn't have the bat speed or bat control to be a consistent offensive performer. I'm warming up to Brady Allen (35+ FV) and think he gets the most out of his tools. Looks like a tweener type to me, but his power/speed combo has me interested. I'll definitely focus on him the next South Carolina game I catch. I thought David Mendham could be an instant D1 performer after transferring in from the juco ranks. He's looked overmatched each time I've seen him as a Gamecock and he's also been limited to first base.

Adam Hackenberg, C, Clemson, 35+ FV- His bat has continued to look weak despite showing strength and some raw power. He's still a very good defender and I think he still has some offensive upside as a pro if a team can remake his swing (it's a legitimately bad swing). His career OPS remains under .700 and his OPS for the season has hovered around .600. I'm hesitant to drop him out of the 35+ FV tier but he's trending in that direction.

TCU Bats- It's no secret that I'm a big fan of this TCU team. Their deep lineup is a big reason why. It's a diverse group of talent but what remains constant is the fact that every hitter from 1-9 (they also have a talented bench) can beat you. Their 1st three hitters in the TCU lineup are all true freshman (Elijah Nunez, Luke Boyers, and Braden Taylor) that will likely be high-end draft prospects in a couple of years. The lineup gives way to experienced veterans like Zach Humphreys (35 FV), Gene Wood, Hunter Wolfe (35+ FV), and Philip Sikes all of whom have day 3 potential. Sikes stood out to me in this one. He received some buzz during a strong summer showing in the Northwoods League as a two-way player. He looked pretty bad in 2020 and finished the shortened season with a sub-.500 OPS. He looks to have added some strength to his frame while maintaining his above-average athleticism. He launched a two-run homer to right-center field against Micah Dallas (35 FV) in the 1st inning and later tripled to right field against Mason Montgomery (35+ FV). I moved Sikes up to the 35 FV group as there are some legitimate pro tools here.

Jace Jung- He's not draft eligible but Josh's younger brother is going to go early in next year's draft. Jung's ability to manipulate the bat and find the barrel is very impressive. He's also extremely strong and his power was on display on a homer in the 4th inning against lefty Russell Smith (35 FV). Jung was way off balance on a well-located breaker down and in but was able to lift the ball over the right field wall for a solo homer. Take a look at the clip below and see for yourself:

Georgia Tech Bats- I've had Luke Waddell as a 40 FV dating back to last year. He does a lot of things well and has been a consistent performer throughout his college career. His age is the drawback here as he'll be right around 23 years old on draft day. I'd be comfortable drafting him in the 4-6 round area. I think there's a strong chance he does better than that on draft day as you could justify a relatively high pick (comp round to 3rd round perhaps) based on talent while also saving a good chunk of bonus money. Justyn-Henry Malloy (35+ FV) showed off his plus raw power on a deep homer to left-center. He wasn't tested too much in his other at-bats as he walked 3 times, but it's clear that Malloy is a legitimate power threat when he gets extended. His defense was fringy but that is to be expected from someone who has such little game time to date. He'll need to clean things up to avoid a move to a corner outfield spot and his 10 errors on the season are a concern. Kevin Parada continues to take big swings and connect for massive amounts of power. He's also a quality backstop and looks well-positioned to capture freshman of the year honors. Stephen Reid's biceps were hard to ignore as they seemed to be just moments away from ripping through his jersey sleeves. He's got raw power and speed to match but his approach at the plate is well below average. He could go early next year with further development.

Niko Kavadas, 1B, Notre Dame, 35+ FV- Niko Kavadas homered again and he's up to 12 on the year. He's the best power hitter in college baseball. Kavadas has above-average bat speed and is so strong that he is able to do damage even on a pitcher's pitch. He's a threat to homer at any moment and in any count. I don't expect Kavadas to hit for a high average as a pro but his ability to make contact and his overall approach has matured enough that I'd be fine taking him around round 5. His body doesn't look like it will age gracefully but at the same time, he's really improved his defense at first base. He's not a DH-only player in pro ball, though his value is still limited as a college first baseman. Unpopular opinion: I like him more than Wes Clarke.

More Notre Dame Bats- Spencer Myers (35 FV) and Zach Prajzner both had breakout 2020 seasons for the Fighting Irish but have struggled mightily in 2021. Myers can really patrol center while Prajzner looked stretched at short. They both had multi-hit games and recorded a double each. I think Myers could still get drafted towards the very end of the draft as his combination of contact ability, speed, and plus defense gives him a chance as a pro.

Zach Kokoska (35 FV) and Dylan Phillips (35 FV)- I've mentioned these two guys in the past but I still think they are overlooked. Kokoska singled and homered off Ty Madden (45+ FV) in this one. The homer was a line drive shot to right field with a recorded exit velocity of 111.2 MPH. He now has 11 homers on the year.

Kokoska would later go the opposite way for a double to left in the 8th inning off Cole Quintanilla (35 FV). He finished the day 3-5 with a strikeout and was a triple shy of the cycle. Phillips only recorded one hit, a single up the middle against Madden, and struck out twice. I still like his approach at the plate and he seems to hit everything hard. He doesn't have the body/athleticism of Kokoska but the quality of his contact has been more consistent in my viewings. Phillips has split time between left field and first base and his future defensive home is a question mark. He looked solid defensively at first but I'll need to see more of him in the outfield to put a grade on his defense. He does have a very strong arm and has even pitched a little this year. Kokoska looks well suited for right field and should be a quality defender there. Kokoska will be close to 23 years old on draft day while Phillips will turn 22 this June.

Texas Bats- The Longhorn lineup is filled with a bunch of talented college bats that are highly flawed as pro prospects. Cam Williams, Ivan Melendez (35 FV), and Zach Zubia all show loud in-game power but serious swing and miss issues and limited defensive value. I like Melendez the best of the three but he's still a day 3 type bat. Eric Kennedy's (35 FV) athleticism is worthy of a day 2 selection and he looks the part at times but his inconsistency on both sides of the ball push him out of the top 10 rounds for me.

I'll follow up on this post with notes on some of the pitchers I saw on Friday.