Blue Jays: 2013 MLB Draft Signing thread

[ace3113]

You know what, we should offer Bickford 2.5mm and say take it or leave it. Not only is next years draft deep, but it's loaded with power arms.

 

Baseball America:

MINNEAPOLIS—Less than a week after the 2013 draft concluded, scouts were already bearing down on talent for next year’s draft at the Metrodome at the Perfect Game National Showcase.

 

The theme of game action on the first day of the event was big velocity, as 18 of the 24 pitchers on Thursday touched at least 90 mph, and the first game set the tone.

 

The first four pitchers of the day were up to 93 mph, but a pair of righthanders pitching for the Navy team displayed the best velocity of the day. Luis Ortiz and Brandon Murray both sat 92-94 mph and touched 95 in their two innings of work.

 

Luis Ortiz’s previous experience on the showcase circuit was at USA Baseball’s National Team Identification Series in Cary, N.C., where parents of other players on his summer team, Central Cal Baseball Academy, raised the necessary funds for the 6-foot-3 pitcher to travel cross country and attend the event. The 17-year-old Ortiz turned heads with his natural arm strength, showing a 91-93 mph fastball and 80-82 mph slider.

 

But Ortiz looked like a completely different pitcher less than 10 months later.

 

“My biggest improvement has been losing weight,” Ortiz said. “I was 245 and I dropped down to 205. I was sick and tired of hearing I was overweight. I wanted to prove people wrong.”

 

Scouts would be forgiven if they had seen Ortiz previously and mistook him for a different player Thursday. With the extra weight around Ortiz’s midsection and lower half gone, the Sanger (Calif.) High pitcher has a strong, durable build with muscular, toned legs and a room to add more muscle to his upper body.

 

With his remade body and increased strength, Ortiz’s delivery has become more balanced and his stamina has improved.

 

His stuff has taken subsequent strides. Ortiz’s fastball shows explosive life was reportedly up to 97 mph at an Area Code Games tryout. Ortiz mixed in a low-80s changeup and slider just a few ticks higher that flashed plus. A few of Ortiz’s offspeed pitches drew “oohs” from scouts. He recorded three of his six outs on strikeouts.

 

“I feel very comfortable with my changeup and slider because I realize that to move up through the levels, I need to have at least three pitches,” Ortiz said.

 

Ortiz, who is verbally committed to nearby Fresno State, will next pitch at USA Baseball’s Tournament of Stars next week.

 

It has been more than 20 years since Ortiz’s school, Sanger High, has had a player drafted.

 

Brandon Murray started the game for Navy. His first pitch registered 95 mph on most guns, although the stadium gun said 98. Murray, who attends Hobart (Ind.) High, sustained 92-94 mph through his two innings.

 

Although more than 300 players were in attendance, Murray, a South Carolina commit, was the only player from the Hoosier State, which has sent Indiana to the College World Series for the first time.

 

“As a Northern guy, it is a different preparation from guys on the West Coast or down South,” Murray said. “But it felt great to compete against the top talent across the country.”

 

Murray, a former three-sport athlete who decided to focus on baseball, has an athletic 6-foot-4, 200-pound build. With sloped shoulders, a tapered waist and strong legs, Murray has a prototypical pitcher’s frame. He throws from a three-quarter slot and has a quick arm. His fastball has good armside run, but there is some effort in his delivery.

 

Attending his first showcase, Murray struggled with his control at times, leaving his pitches up.

 

“Usually my go-to pitch is my slider, but something mechanical was off with my slider today,” Murray said. “My slider is usually my out pitch but I had better control of my changeup, so I went with it a little more than I usually go with it.”

 

On Thursday, Murray’s slider sat in the upper-70s and his changeup was 81-83 mph, showing some deception.

 

After the game concluded, the day was far from over for Murray, who left Minneapolis to fly home. Murray will rise at 5 a.m. Friday morning to join his travel team, Region Storm, for a tournament at Central Michigan University, which is a three-hour drive from Hobart.

 

“It’s been an eventful day,” Murray said late Thursday evening. “But today was a pretty satisfying performance on my part.”

 

Following an impressive performance on the national stage, Murray will be a fixture on the showcase circuit this summer. He will also be at TOS, which will be held in Cary from June 19-23.

 

The righthander already holds the Hobart High record for career strikeouts. Hobart High has never had a player drafted, although former first-round pick (1999) Larry Bigbie went to Hobart before attending Ball State. Murray will likely end that distinction.

 

National Notes

 

• Outfielder Carl Chester ran an official 6.28 60-yard dash, the fastest time at the event. The tightly-wound 6-foot, 175-pound righthanded hitter showed at least an average arm from the outfield. Chester attends Lake Brantley High, in Altamonte Springs, Fla., the school the produced Jason Varitek, Johnny Venters and Nick Franklin.

 

• Gainesville (Ga.) High outfielder/righthander Michael Gettys was one of the stars of the day. Gettys, who has a powerful 6-foot-2, 205-pound build, ran the third-fastest 60 of the day, an official 6.43. He has an easy plus arm and was clocked throwing 100 mph from the OF, which broke an event record held by Reds competitive balance round pick Michael Lorenzen. The Georgia commit hit a few home runs in batting practice, showed good bat speed, and had a hard opposite field single during game action. From an athleticism, height/weight and tools profile, Gettys has some similarities to Padres first-round pick Hunter Renfroe.

 

• In his first inning, righthander Cameron Varga of Cincinnatti Hills Christian Academy, Loveland, Ohio (formerly of IMG Academy), sat 93-95 mph with his fastball. He settled into 90-92 in his second inning with a 78-83 spike curveball with good depth and a high-70s changeup. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound North Carolina commit throws from a three-quarter slot and gets good extension on his fastball.

 

• Murray and Varga weren’t the only Northern arms that showed good velocity today, as rigthander Keven Pimentel (N.Y.), a Vanderbilt commit, sat 91-93 and touched 94 in his first inning. The strong-bodied 6-foot-3 Pimentel threw a mid-70s curveball with 11-5 break that had the makings of an average pitch.

 

• Righthander Grant Hockin has a nearly effortless delivery that he consistently repeats. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound UCLA commit sat 88-90 with two breaking balls, a mid-70s curveball with 11-5 break and a low-80s slider that is currently ahead of the curveball.

 

• Uncommitted lefthander Kodi Medeiros sat 90-92 and touched 93 with his deceptive fastball. The 6-foot, 180-pound southpaw mixes in a low-80s changeup and 72-76 mph slider with more lateral movement than vertical tilt. Medeiros produces good armside run from a low slot.

 

• Carson Sands, a lefthander from Tallahassee, Fla., sat 88-90 with his fastball, touching 91. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Florida State commit mostly works away to righthanded hitters with a fastball that features good armside sink. He throws an inconsistent low-to-mid-70s curveball with his best curves thrown toward the higher end of that velocity range with tighter rotation.

 

• Righthander Spencer Adams (Cleveland, Ga.) was another arm that impressed. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Georgia commit has a lean, angular frame with wide shoulders and a tapered waist. He produces 90-92 mph fastballs with his loose, easy arm action. Adams hides the ball well with a compact arm arc. His mid-80s slider has some depth and he mixes in a low-80s changeup.

Edited June 14, 2013 by ace3113

[ace3113]

Tweets from the Perfect Game National Showcase:

 

Perfect Game USA ‏@PerfectGameUSA 1h

2014 RHP Tyler Kolek 94-97 in his 2nd inning and throwing his breaking ball for strikes! #WOW #PGNational

 

Todd Gold ‏@TGold_PG 1h

You know your seeing something special when hundreds of scouts simultaneously go silent: 2014 RHP Tyler Kolek (Shepherd, TX) is the cause...

 

Frankie Piliere ‏@FPilierePG 1h

Tyler Kolek just pounded the zone at 95-96, topped 97 in his second inning. Easy velo #PGNational

 

Kiley McDaniel ‏@kileymcd 1h

Tyler Kolek doesn't hit 100 but sat 93-96 and hit a 97 in a two inning stint, finishing with a sharp 78 mph curve to K the last hitter.

 

Patrick Ebert ‏@PGPatrickEbert 54m

It's easy to imagine Keith Weisenberg's 90-92 FB velo turning into 92-95 over next 6-12 months, can really pitch too #mlbdraft #PGNational

 

Perfect Game USA ‏@PerfectGameUSA 12m

RHP Cre Finfrock (FL) breaking bats at 92-93 mph at #PGNational

 

Patrick Ebert ‏@PGPatrickEbert 6m

Pleasantly surprised with RHP Mitch Hart - good 3 pitch mix, low-90s fastball, really commanded well, room for more #PGNational

[Angrioter]

Add 18th-round pick Sean Ratcliffe to the list of Blue Jays draft selections to sign on the dotted line.

 

The right-handed pitcher from Ajax, Ont., gets $75,000, just below the $100,000 max for players drafted beyond the 10th round.

 

The Blue Jays announced 16 signings on Thursday, and what’s interesting is how much room in their signing bonus pool the Blue Jays created for themselves.

 

Third-rounder Patrick Murphy signed for $150,800 below the No. 83 spot’s assigned value of $650,800, while fourth-rounder Evan Smith went $96,100 under the $446,100 slot for pick No. 115. Tenth-rounder Garrett Custons went for either $1,000 or $5,000, a source said, providing savings of at least $131,800 on the $136,800 earmarked for No. 295.

 

That’s nearly $400,000 in the bank and unlike last year, where the Blue Jays built up a war-chest of $2 million to lock down left-hander Matt Smoral, their targets this season appear to be beyond the 10th rounder.

 

The money could be spent on any of Jake Brentz, chosen in the 11th round, fellow lefty Eric Lauer, taken in the 17th, righty Sam Tewes, chosen in the 22nd, and slugging first baseman Rowdy Tellez, chosen in the 30th round, and the Blue Jays strategy may be to create the cap room and see which of those players decides to take it.

 

Each has a college scholarship to fall back on, so the big question is whether the Blue Jays can create enough room to buy them out of school.

 

—

......

[GD]

Please please please Tellez or Brentz

[ReturnOfTheYeti]

Please please please Tellez or Brentz

 

If you had your choice - which of the two would you go for? All things being equal, I'd rather get a bat like Tellez, and it's not really an organizational strength.

[OtisNixonFan]

If you had your choice - which of the two would you go for? All things being equal, I'd rather get a bat like Tellez, and it's not really an organizational strength.

 

Brentz for me. 97 from the left side and decent spin. GMs are always enamoured by power lefties, could probably trade him for a masher if we wanted later.

[ReturnOfTheYeti]

Brentz for me. 97 from the left side and decent spin. GMs are always enamoured by power lefties, could probably trade him for a masher if we wanted later.

 

Valid points - I guess I was just looking at the fact that there are so many promising arms in the system already, in addition to what may or may not come out of this draft but yeah, a power lefty could bring in a good haul. I guess it probably speaks to the org philosophy of going with the best player, regardless of the position and the org needs there.

[Angrioter]

Brentz for me. 97 from the left side and decent spin. GMs are always enamoured by power lefties, could probably trade him for a masher if we wanted later.

 

Jake McGee floor

Mike Minor ceiling lol

[GD]

If you had your choice - which of the two would you go for? All things being equal, I'd rather get a bat like Tellez, and it's not really an organizational strength.

 

I like Brentz more, but we need Tellez more. I would be thrilled with either, but personally, I prefer Brentz. I'd do f***ing cartwheels if we signed one though.

 

Jake McGee floor

Mike Minor ceiling lol

 

You appear to be enamored with Mr. McGee lol

[The_DH]

......

 

Angry, assuming the data is correct, that's about a million in war chest, not 400k. Murphy alone provides 500k in war chest.

[Deadpool]

I like Brentz more, but we need Tellez more.l

 

As much as I wish we could get Rowdy in the system, it's not going to happen.

[GD]

As much as I wish we could get Rowdy in the system, it's not going to happen.

 

He's probably asking for upwards of 2.5m.

[Deadpool]

He's probably asking for upwards of 2.5m.

 

I think he's asking even more, frankly, because he said "I'm not signing" before the draft even started.

[GD]

I think he's asking even more, frankly, because he said "I'm not signing" before the draft even started.

 

That would be insane if he were asking for more than that. It's so stupid that these kids don't just take the huge amount of money and take classes in the offseason.

[Deadpool]

That would be insane if he were asking for more than that. It's so stupid that these kids don't just take the huge amount of money and take classes in the offseason.

 

And if he thinks he's the next Bryant?

[GD]

And if he thinks he's the next Bryant?

 

Aren't bonus pools going down steadily? He probably wouldn't get all that much more than 2.5/3mm in 3 years or however long.

[The_DH]

I think you read it wrong

 

I see. Not how I would have written it.

[The_DH]

By the way what is the signing deadline now?

[Deadpool]

Aren't bonus pools going down steadily? He probably wouldn't get all that much more than 2.5/3mm in 3 years or however long.

 

Bryant didn't sign with us, then went 2nd overall...

[GD]

Bryant didn't sign with us, then went 2nd overall...

 

And the 2nd overall pick most certainly won't be worth as much in a couple of years as it is now, is the point I'm making, hence, it'd be beneficial to sign with us now.

[Deadpool]

And the 2nd overall pick most certainly won't be worth as much in a couple of years as it is now, is the point I'm making, hence, it'd be beneficial to sign with us now.

 

I can't foresee a situation where the 2nd overall pick won't be worth more than 2.5M...

[Angrioter]

[GD]

Fuuuuuuck.

[Angrioter]

 

 

[GD]

Kalfus = Kevin Pillar 2.0

[ace3113]

Since it's too early to create a 2014 draft thread, I'll continue to post about those prospects here.

PG National: Day 2 Recap

Patrick Ebert

Published: Friday, June 14, 2013

 

MINNEAPOLIS – A Southern kid from the small town of Youngsville, La., where the total population barely creeps past 8,000, Chase Vallot now stands out in the large city of Minneapolis, Minn. this week at the Perfect Game National Showcase.

 

The 6-foot, 200-pound catcher with a contagious smile turned heads on Day 1 of the National when he recorded a 7.03-second 60-yard dash, a 1.87-second catcher pop time, and an 89 mph throw to second from behind the plate, good enough for second best on the day.

 

“He’s one of the best defensive catchers around,” claims Marucci Elite coach, Chad Raley. “He has worked really hard to make himself a really good defensive catcher.”

 

Just as impressive, if not more so, is his power with the bat. A PG scouting report noted:

 

“Chase Vallot (2014; St Thomas More) was very balanced in the box, showing plus power and very good bat speed, smacking three home runs out over the left field fence. With a strong 6-foot frame, Vallot should be able to stay behind the plate and continue to hit the ball far and hard all summer long.”

 

Raley wasn’t surprised to see Vallot launch a few balls into the seats. Vallot put up monster numbered this spring for his high school team, St Thomas More, going 35-for-96 with a .365 batting average and 12 home runs.

 

“I went to one of his high school games,” Raley said of Vallot's junior season. “He hit a home run to left-center his first at-bat, the next at-bat they tried to go away and he hit a ball down the right field line for a double so he’s got a really good feel for hitting.”

 

Raley went on to give his analysis of Vallot’s offense, saying, “He’s got a short, compact stroke. He doesn’t strike out a lot (and) he’s got a lot of power the other way.”

 

The small town catcher who verbally committed to Mississippi State earlier this year has flown a little under the radar up until this point. When Vallot first learned he was invited to the National Showcase he said he was “tickled pink.” There was no hiding the excitement in his answers.

 

“This is my first Perfect Game showcase ever and I’m really honored to be here. There is tremendous talent here,” said Vallot, grinning from ear to ear.

 

“It feels good,” Chase’s mother, Renee said, who is very proud to see her son’s hard work is paying off in a big way. “He gets to meet a lot of great players from all over the U.S.”

 

Chase is here this week to gain recognition from the scouts and hopefully play professional baseball one day.

 

“Every aspect of his life is baseball. At home, all we watch is ESPN. We have nothing else on the TV but ESPN,” Vallot’s mother said. “He gets up, he works out, he hits; his whole life is baseball.”

 

Vallot has all the tools to be a highly rated catching prospect at the next level, and then he has those characteristics that can’t be taught.

 

“He’s a really, really good teammate, which stands out to me,” said Raley. “He’s a pleasure to coach. He’s fun to be around.”

 

“He’ll give you the shirt off his back. He’s a really nice kid,” Vallot’s mother added.

 

The one characteristic that seems to stand out about Chase the most is that the kid is always smiling.

 

“He’s got a big smile. He has fun out there,” said Raley. “He’s always smiling on the field.”

 

“We’ve had a couple of coaches, when he’ll overthrow a base or something the coach will fuss at him and he said, ‘It’s hard for me to fuss at him when he’s just smiling at you,’” his mother recalled.

 

Described by his mother as a laid back, carefree guy, Chase Vallot should have plenty more to smile about after the impression he has made at the Perfect Game National Showcase.

[ace3113]

Continued...

National Impressions

 

• Day 2 of the 2013 National Showcase started off with a bang as big-bodied right-hander Tyler Kolek took the mound for the Navy team. Kolek warmed up at 93 mph and first pitch was a 94 fastball. He proceeded to hit a handful more 95s and 96s before registering 97 mph in his second inning of work. In that second inning he was particularly impressive, showing a very promising curveball in the upper-70s that he throws for strikes, including on his last pitch when he froze a batter for a strikeout. Seeing that pitch was all the more encouraging, as he has the size and arm strength to blow his fastball by anyone.

 

Tyler's brother Stephen pitched two days earlier at the Junior National Showcase and was named the top pitching prospect at that event. Jeff Dahn profiled both players in this feature.

 

• Cre Finfrock pitched the last two innings for the Navy team, and while he doesn't offer the physical presence that Kolek does, he has a very fast arm and the ball explodes out of his hand. His fastball was 91-93, and he even induced a broken bat in the hand's of promising catching prospect Handsome Monica. Finfrock also threw a very sharp, short-breaking 74-75 mph curveball.

 

• For the Green squad right-handers Keith Weisenberg and Mitch Hart stood out. Weisenberg threw an easy 90-92 mph fastball and a hard breaking ball. He has nice size, built tall and projectable, with good current strength and plenty of room for more.

 

Hart was the best pure pitcher on the day, with three pitches he really commanded well including a 89-90 mph fastball, a nice fading low-80s changeup and a big-breaking 72-74 mph curveball. His 6-foot-4, 175-pound frame makes it easy to believe that he'll be throwing consistently harder in the near future, with an advanced sense of how to pitch already.

 

• The Navy bats were also quick to show up on Day 2 of the event, as Nick Gordon led off the bottom of the first with a hard single lined up the middle. Catcher Colby Fitch ripped a ball that was almost snared by the shortstop, and yet the ball was hit so hard it skipped all the way to the warning track, allowing Fitch to leg out a triple.

 

• In the bottom of the third the big hits continued for Navy, as Jeremy Vasquez blasted a shot to the right centerfield gap for a triple, which was followed by Slade Heggen's booming ground-rule double to left.

 

• Jonathan Ducoff and Justin Smith had back-to-back hard hits for the Green squad in the top of the third.

 

• Joe Barlow laced a double down the right field line in the bottom of the third showing the ability to keep his hands in and gets his barrel down on the pitch to drive it to the opposite field.

 

• Derek Hill had a hustle triple to the right center gap.

 

• Monte Harrison is drawing favorable reviews from the PG staff and scouts alike for his natural athleticism and impressive overall baseball skills. He threw 97 from the outfield on Thursday during the workouts and put on a very impressive display during BP and game action, as the ball jumps off his bat.

 

• In a game full of hard hit balls, Greg Deichmann hit the hardest ball of the game, a ball he crushed off the 408-foot sign in straightaway center field in the eighth and final frame that was 1-2 feet short of being a home run.

 

• Another interesting pitching matchup occurred during the second game of the day, Game 5 overall, as left-hander Brady Aiken squared off against righty Alex Lange.

 

Aiken, who also looked impressive at the Jr. National version of this event a year ago, continues to get better and better. He has good size and continues to add strength. His fastball is now thrown in the 88-91 range peaking at 92 with a polished low-80s changeup. In his second inning of work, he really did a nice job establishing his mid-70s curveball, throwing 90 mph at the knees.

 

Lange worked at 88-91 with his fastball, with a big, strong and durable frame of his own. His best pitch is a 79-80 mph slider that he shows really good feel for.

 

• Andrew Karp, also of the Maroon team, looked good in his two innings after Lange. Karp's fastball was a few ticks higher at 91-93 while throwing both an upper-70s changeup and a mid- to upper-70s breaking ball. He fanned Alex Jackson on a high 92 mph fastball.

 

• Projectable left-hander Devin Smeltzer also showed promise in Game 5. With a tall and strong frame, broad shoulders and angular proportions, it's easy to see him having success at the next level should his 86-88 mph fastball continue to add velocity as he adds strength. His big sweeping 77-78 mph slider was especially tough to pick out of his hand as he employs a deceptive low three-quarters delivery.

 

• While there weren't as many big hits in Game 5 as there were in the previous contest, there were still a handful worth mentioning.

 

Adam Haseley laced an opposite field double to left centerfield in the third inning, showing really good barrel skils handling the pitch.

 

Carl Chester, who posted the fastest 60-yard dash time on Day 1, got a chance to show off his speed around the bases in the sixth inning. He poked a ball to right field, a ball that the right fielder was unable to catch on a diving attempt. Chester turn on the jets, rounding both the first and second base bags quickly and cleanly, and looked as though he may have had a chance for an inside-the-park home run.

 

With Chester on third, the next batter hit a fly ball to left field that looked as though it was hit plenty deep enough for Chester to score, but Luis Alvarado fired an absolute strike to home plate that would have easily gunned down Chester had catcher Alex Jackson handled the throw.

 

D.J. Peters chipped in with a double in the seventh inning, making solid contact to drive the ball hard to left field.

 

• Big hits continued to be the theme during Game 6, the last contest of Day 2, although we have yet to see a ball clear the park for a home run in game action.

 

Dale Burdick's two-run double to right centerfield was arguably the second hardest hit ball (to Deichmann's double in Game 4) during the day, and possibly the entire event to date.

 

Tanner Gragg blasted a ball that sailed over the left fielder's head for a double of his own in the fourth inning of Game 6. Tyler Martin hit a deep drive to right-center, but was thrown out trying to stretch a triple. Spencer Levine smoked a triple to the gap in left-center.

 

• Game 6 had no shortage of intriguing pitchers either. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Colton Hock may have been the most interesting of those that took the mound. With very good size, broad shoulders and a high-waisted build, Hock used his size very well throwing on a downhill plane. His fastball peaked at 90 while working in the upper-80s, but it's easy to project more down the road.

 

The same is true for a trio of big-bodied right-handers from Illinois, Brad Bass, Jake Latz and Jake Godfrey, all of whom showed intriguing, high-level size and stuff during Game 6. Bass peaked at 90 mph throwing three pitches for strikes, including a curveball and a changeup, Latz was effective keeping his upper-80s fastball and low-70s curve down in the zone, while Godfrey also peaked at 90 mph.

[ace3113]

From PG:

Texas teens totally up to task

Jeff Dahn

Published: Friday, June 14, 2013

 

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Kolek brothers from Shepherd, Texas, are as quiet and polite as the stroke of midnight in the East Texas plains, preferring instead to let the hum of their fastballs do the talking.

 

2014 right-hander Tyler Kolek and his 2015 brother Stephen Kolek were late invitees to this week's Perfect Game National Showcase and Perfect Game Junior National Showcase, respectively. But upon their arrival they nearly stole their respective shows with the strength of their performances reverberating off the ceiling of the Metrodome with the thundering noise of a Texas stampede.

 

Tyler Kolek is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior-to-be at Shepherd High School, while his "little" brother, Stephen, checks in at 6-3, 180 in the summer before he'll start his junior year at Shepherd High. The brothers haven't been very active on the Perfect Game tournament or showcase circuit, although they were Houston Heat teammates at last year's PG WWBA 16u National Championship.

 

Last Monday, at Quik Trip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, the Kolek brothers not-so-quietly got their names out there amongst area scouts with electric performances at the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Tryouts. According to one scout that watched their outings, Tyler Kolek threw 96-99 mph "with more 99s than 96s" and Stephen Kolek was in the 90-94 mph range.

 

They were hustled onto a plane pointed toward the Twin Cities Wednesday morning, and Stephen pitched at the PG Junior National Showcase that night; Tyler pitched at the PG National Showcase Friday. With their participation in two of the largest and most heavily scouted upper class and underclass showcase events in the country, the Kolek boys' names are now really, really out there.

 

"I'm here to be seen, to get out and be more known, I guess," a soft-spoken Tyler said two days before he pitched at the National. "I'm very excited about being here."

 

He didn't disappoint. His fastball sat in the 93-95 mph range throughout his two innings of work and topped out at 97 during his Friday afternoon outing. He struck out the side in his second inning with a fastball that never dropped below 95 mpg with, according to a PG scouting report, "a plus slider with good, sharp break sitting 78-81 and a curveball up to 76."

 

Stephen Kolek was named the top pitching prospect at the PG Junior National after a two inning outing in which his fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range with a low-80s slider. "With his long, athletic frame, Kolek was able to generate good downhill action on his heavy fastball," a PG scouting report read. "The ball leaves his hand effortlessly (and) Kolek threw exclusively from the stretch in his two innings."

 

 

Stephen Kolek was named the top pitching prospect at the Jr. National Showcase.

 

"I enjoyed myself out there," said Stephen, who like his brother, doesn't see any sense in wasting words. "I kind of figured that was what it was going to be like, and it wasn't my best (outing) but I felt pretty good. I've mostly been a pitcher all my life; after T-ball we went to select ball and every since we started select ball it just kind of took off."

 

Tyler also got his start in T-ball and blossomed once he reached the rung on the baseball ladder when there was actually a pitcher involved. He said he got all of his baseball instincts from his dad's genetic pool.

 

"My dad's side of the family all played baseball -- my mom (Brenda) didn't play much baseball; she couldn't throw at all," Tyler said with a grin.

 

"I played a lot of baseball but I never played at a high level like they're doing here," father James Kolek, who traveled here with the boys for their short three-day, two-night stay, said Wednesday. "We didn't have the opportunities and there really wasn't select baseball when were growing up."

 

While James spent three days in the Metrodome this week -- the trio returned home shortly after Tyler's outing on Friday -- he couldn't help but shake his head when thinking about the elite status his sons have reached.

 

"This is a dream come true for them to be able to compete at this level," James said. "You get a lot of attention, but that's kind of what you want and it's what everybody wants, really, is for their kids to really be able to compete and put themselves into a position where they can go to the next level."

 

The velocity Tyler's fastball has achieved is what really has the scouts talking, and James has heard the talk loud and clear. "(The attention) kind of escalated really fast after he got over 95 (mph); everything changed, it was like all the rules changed," he said. "And then when he got right at about 100 there, everybody instantly kind of became your best friend."

 

And to think it might have been an injury this spring that helped Tyler reach those dizzying velo heights. "I actually broke my arm during the (high school) season so I got a three month break. When I came back (the velocity) just steadily increased quite a bit."

 

James Kolek is the manager at the nearly 10,000 acre Trinity River Land & Cattle Company’s Red Angus ranch just east of Shepherd and about 50 miles north of Houston. James said his sons developed a strong work ethic helping out at the ranch as much as their school and sports schedules allowed, and were much more involved when they were younger, traveling the country showing cattle.

 

"Tyler was actually extremely good at that and he did a lot of it, but then it kind of went away because we had to spend the time on other things; we just couldn't do everything," James said. "Showing the cattle had to kind of fall to the background because Tyler played football, played basketball and then baseball, but he plays baseball probably 60 to 70 percent of the time and the rest is a little bit of football and little bit of basketball. Now, baseball has kind of taken over completely."

 

Tyler has gone through the college recruiting process and has verbally committed to Texas Christian University, so it is the attention from the professional scouting community that is new to him. Stephen is just now starting to hear from colleges and said that TCU has been the school that has expressed the most interest.

 

Both young prospects plan to spend the summer playing in the Houston Heat organization and probably won't be spending a lot of time on the ranch. And that's just fine with their dad.

 

"I'm a firm believer in that you're only young once and you're going to have the rest of your life to work," James said. "I love to have them work (on the ranch) but I also understand that there's a time when they need to do what they need to do and take care of themselves. I can't play sports anymore and I realize that, and I also realize they can only do it when they're young. I'm not going to get in the way of them."

[GD]

Life would not be worth it without these beautiful copy and pastes <3

[GD]

Unrelated to the Jays but Mark Appel signing below slot.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/06/astros-agree-to-terms-with-mark-appel.html