Player Profile: Jordan Patterson

   

     Jordan Patterson is a 6’5” 205 lb. Outfielder who plays his college baseball for the University of South Alabama Jaguars from the Sun Belt Conference. He is extremely polite and well-mannered. I have enjoyed talking to him throughout the summer. This past year he batted .323 (2nd on team) through 56 games and 217 at-bats (1st on team). He hits 15 doubles (led team, 9th in Sun Belt), 1 triple (2nd on team), 8 home runs (1st on team), drove in 44 runs (led team), and was 3rd in the Sun Belt in hit-by-pitches (17). He posted an impressive .938 on-base plus slugging (9th in conference in slugging and OBP). The end of his successful year was capped with a Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference Selection. For the Bourne Braves he is hitting .263 with 5 doubles, 1 home run, and 8 RBIs. However, do not let these numbers fool you. Jordan merely started slow, he is currently on a 9 game hitting streak. In fact, he has hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games, and has collected 22 total hits in that span. In those 17 games he has raised his batting average 84 points (.179-.263) and his OPS 247 (.470-.647)! Jordan is hitting his stride at exactly the right time, for the Braves playoff push.

      Patterson is a strong-armed (major league level), athletic outfielder, who covers massive ground out in centerfield. He gets good jumps off the bat, closes quickly, and takes away hits. He has been an anchor defensively and should be brought into the argument of “gold-glove” caliber Cape League outfielders. As for hitting, he is a rhythm hitter who took a while to make the proper adjustments. He shifts his weight back smoothly, and implements a soft toe-tap to set his hands. His hands take a nice path to ball and he ends with a big finish. I think Jordan is an excellent runner but his long backswing prevents him from running any impressive times to first base. At the point of contact, Jordan had some problems getting out on his front font and letting the ball travel deep enough, early in his season. He stayed mentally tough throughout his early season struggles. I saw him constantly out near the bullpen taking extra swings off the tee. Now those problems are past him, and he is raking. In fact, I think every pitcher should fear the thought of Jordan getting those long arms extended on a fastball. While I think he will benefit from adding muscle, he shows the ability of an extremely gifted hitter (spray chart below). With his defensive tools, refined swing mechanics, and continued development; Jordan should gather a great deal of draft attention.

Player Profile: Steven Goldstein

Steven Goldstein is a Freshman at State University of New York at Stony Brook, better known as the Stony Brook University SeaWolves. He is 5’11” and a very stocky 175 lbs. He bats and throws left-handed and has played in LF since joining the Bourne Braves. This past spring he was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and competed in the College World Series. He hit .337, drawing 22 walks and striking out 21 times, in 166 at-bats. He collected 8 doubles, 3 triples, and hit 4 home runs. His most impressive stat is a .909 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He flashed his speed around the basepaths going 14 for 19 in steal attempts. On June 10, 2012 in the Baton Rouge Super Regional Championship, Steve shined brightly with the spotlight on him; he went 2 for 5 with an RBI. For the Braves, he was a late season addition. Through 6 games, he has 23 at-bats, 6 hits, 4 runs, 1 double, 2 walks, and is hitting .261 with a .320 on-base percentage. I am excited to watch him step-up in the CCBL playoffs the same way he stepped-up against the LSU Tigers on June 10th of this year.
    In the field, Steve takes great routes to fly-balls and covers a lot of ground. I love the fact he sprints to the spot of the baseball and is waiting underneath it before it lands.  He has made two outstanding diving plays, so he has appeared outstanding in the field. His hitting mechanics changed last game, but I would like to breakdown what I saw the first 5 games he played. He starts with a batting stance very similar to Jeff Bagwell (picture below).

He then takes a small step that borders on a toe tap. With his low stance he might have problems with keeping his head behind his hands (borderline risk in slow motion). However, I have a lot of faith in Steven's athletic ability, so he should be able to adjust. The most interesting thing about his swing is the way he aligns his entire body with the baseball. Most hitters like to stay strong through their core muscles and drive the baseball. The only other hitter I know to align their body with the ball is Major League Baseball's best contact hitter, Ichiro Suzuki. (picture below)

In fact, Steven stays even lower and more aggressive in his crouch. The first is a pitch chest-high. A lot of pitchers will try to blow a high fastball by a player who stands like Goldstein. He fouls it off in the video, and shows how tough of an out he is.

 

Another pitch to compare to Ichiro is the outside fastball. A lot of MLB pitchers pitched Ichiro outside because they felt that he was leaning away from that pitch. Unfortunately, they were pitching it exactly where Ichiro wanted it. He slapped the ball the other way and legged-out infield singles. In this picture set, Goldstein aligns his shoulders and hands with a belt-high outside fastball, and Ichiro attacks that pitch. I hope the reader can see that their upper bodies are aligned with the pitch, but Steven is in a lower crouch.

 

      There is no doubt in my mind that Goldstein has a very rare swing. However, I feel that he should be confident in the box. If he has confidence in that stance, and with those swing mechanics, then he should continue to use them. There is a lot to be said about a hitter having confidence when he steps into the box, and I feel like it is the most important thing involved in getting a hit. My notes on this Seawolves' Outfielder's swing: needs to keep his head behind his hands, he shows great plate coverage despite unorthodox approach, shows ability to square-up baseballs, and hits well to all fields. I feel like those are all positives. I have also noticed how fast he was out of the box. He was 4.19 down to first twice, and had a 3.76 on a bunt the other game! He finishes his backswing early to get a head start down to first like most fast left-handers (discussed here: John Murphy).

     As for a rundown, Goldstein still has another year of development before his draft-eligible summer. I hope he is back with the Braves, because he seems to be in the middle of a lot of big plays in his short time here. I think he is one of those players that makes things happen. His baseball mentality has been forged in the Aaron Payne mold of doing all the little things that help a baseball team win games. As for tools, I feel like he is a plus fielder, above average runner, and can hit for average. I have not seen his arm frequently enough, but arm strength can always develop. As for hitting for power, Goldstein hit 4 HRs in college, has an extremely powerful base, and plenty of hand speed. I think that certainly shows power potential. However, he needs to decide whether to hit like the Bagwell/Ichiro hybrid he is now, or change his approach. The decision is his. I just hope the Braves welcome him back next year, so that I can see it myself.

Player Profile: Jon Keller

  
      Jon Keller is a 6’6” 225 lb. starter who pitched for 2 years at the University of Nebraska and is transferring to the University of Tampa. He was drafted in the 11th round by the Seattle Mariners in the 2010 MLB Draft. For Bourne in 2012, he has had an up and down year. He has posted a 5.08 ERA, but is third on the team in strikeouts (35). He has a 1.68 WHIP and a 0.322 opponent batting average on balls in play. He has only thrown first-pitch strikes to 56.3% of his hitters, but still has the talent to strike them out; he averages 9.356 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched. He has had two amazing outings this year, versus Hyannis he went 5.0 innings, surrendered 1 hit, didn’t give up a run, didn’t walk anyone, and struck out 9! His last outing, he went 7 innings with 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, and 6 strikeouts.
    As for mechanics, he has an effortless delivery. He throws much harder than it looks. His fastball has ranged from 89-96 but sits from 92-94. He has a slurve that ranges from 79-84, and his change up has been between 80-89 (sits 84-86). At 6’5” he has great height and a very strong body. He does an excellent job of standing tall and pitching North and South. His fastball has a nice downward plane, or he creates excellent angle with it. At times, the fastball has shown arm-side tail. Keller’s secondary pitches are raw but show great potential. His slurve has good movement (front-view slow motion) but lacks sharpness. He has a good change with downward movement but could make it great with more arm-side tail.  His arm action is long and smooth, which causes the ball to jump out of his hand. He implements the bow and arrow technique, I have been talking about all year. Jon’s mechanics have shown minor mechanical flaws. One start, he opened up too early and lost speed on his fastball (when it was 89-91), and at times will collapse his back-side. When his backside collapses, his fastball loses that angle and becomes flat and straight. This happened to him at Veteran’s Field in Chatham. He releases the ball out of an ideal power position (side-view slow motion). He shows an excellent finish as well. He allows his arm to slow naturally and his drive leg lands softly.
    As for a breakdown, Jon Keller is a raw, big-bodied, power-throwing right-hander. This speaks extremely well for his draft status. With improved control and more consistent mechanics , it is hard for me to put a ceiling on Jon. His raw stuff will translate very well on the next level, and I can’t help but assume that it will continue to get better through hard work. He has shown flashes of brilliance that scouts can easily project. After his last start, I feel that everything is coming together well for Keller. I expect him to be vital to the Braves playoff success!

Player Profile: Austin Wynns

    Austin Wynns is a 6’2” 190 lb. catcher from the California State University, Fresno. The athletic teams are better known as the Fresno State Bulldogs. In 2012, this backstop batted .284 while starting 57 games. He ended his college season with 194 plate appearances, scoring 35 runs, with 55 hits, 22 doubles, 4th on team with 30 runs batted-in, and 22 walks. On April 3rd, Wynns was named the Sysco Player of the Week when he batted .467 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and threw out 2 runners. For Bourne, in the past three games he has 2, 3, and 1 hit respectively. Included in that span, he has hit 3 doubles and an RBI. Austin has raised his OPS .149 points (from .472 to .621) and his average .056 points (from .180 to .236). He has been an excellent midseason addition to the Braves.
    As for hitting mechanics, Austin works deep into counts because he has a great understanding of the strike-zone. He is disciplined at the plate and steps into the box with a lot of confidence. He starts his stance in a wide base with his hands in the hitter’s slot. Wynns’ hands move in a circular motion before he takes a slow, small step to set them. I like the way Austin’s head stays still throughout his swing. This is vital for recognizing pitches and improves a hitter’s ability to hit for contact. Once he steps to set his hands, he implements a very good, smooth weight shift. His weight is balanced between his legs at contact. His head stays on the baseball, and he keeps his hands close to his body before the bat head explodes onto the baseball. His swing is short and compact and he stays balanced throughout his follow-through.
    More importantly, Austin is an excellent catch and throw guy behind the plate. As for arm strength a “pop time” of 2.00 is considered average. Austin has “pop times” as low as 1.76-1.89. That is extremely impressive! Some of his intangibles behind the plate are that he calls a great game and works extremely hard on every pitch. Austin calls a great game and seems to be in the batter’s head and one step ahead of them. He is constantly aiding his fielders by verbally directing them about the situation. I love his hands and I made sure to include that in his video. You can see he has soft hands receiving the ball and pulls it into the strike zone without any rapid glove movements. Keeping glove movement to a minimum is important because when the umpire sees the glove move too much, the umpire will usually call it a ball. As for making the umpire's job easier, Wynns makes sure to get as low as possible in his crouch (Picture Below thank you to Braves photographer Kelsey Driscoll for the first one). This helps the umpire see the whole plate.
    In conclusion, Austin is a fantastic leader behind the plate for the Braves’ defense. He limits the running game with his strong arm, and works hard for his pitchers. The Bourne pitchers love throwing to him, and he is an asset to the team. He battles at the plate and hits the ball well. He works hard night in and night out for the Braves, and I am sure the Fresno State Bulldogs enjoy his presence. I feel an organization will be ecstatic with the player they draft and he will move up quickly due to his effort, intelligence, and ability behind the plate.

Player Profile: Patrick Young

     Patrick Young is a 6’7” 208 lb. Sophomore from Villanova University. This tall right-hander was the ace for his Wildcats team this spring. He led his team in ERA (4.39), opponent’s batting average (.273), win-loss percentage (.545), wins (6), innings pitched (82), strikeouts (61), and games started (14). This summer, he has been successful as a middle-innings reliever. He has posted a very good opponent’s batting average (.250), an excellent earned run average (2.57), and a respectable WHIP (1.240).
     His Villanova profile talks about how Patrick has an arsenal of pitches. He throws an 88-93 mph fastball that sits from 91-93, a 74-78 mph curve, a power curve/slider that he can throw from 80-84 mph, and a nice little change-up around 78 that he likes to throw to left-handed batters. On top of keeping hitters off-balance with his array of pitches, Pat creates a great deal of deception through his delivery. From the wind-up, he starts with a high leg-kick and then bends over from the waist. The initial look is that he is going to throw side-arm, but he throws from an overhand delivery. That is extremely difficult for a batter to adjust to when the ball gets on you at 93 mph! While his upper body mechanics are very unorthodox, Young shows a very good leg drive for a taller pitcher. He allows his drive leg to finish naturally, and his arm only has a slight kick back. He is successful throwing from the stretch, because he implements a slide-step. He doesn’t lose a lot of power because of the momentum his core and trunk generate through his delivery. With the departures of Tyler Skulina, Mike Mayers, and Jaron Long, the starting rotation has some missing pieces. He has proven he can succeed out of the bullpen and as a starter this calendar year. Based on his success at Villanova, I would not be surprised to see Pat Young innings increase quite a bit this last week of the season; his role could be as a spot-starter or long reliever.  I would be even less surprised if this tall, hard-throwing righty sees his named called in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft.

Game Highlight: Jaron Long

You can read about Jaron Long's profile here. He was extremely impressive tonight. He saved his best start of the year for last. His line for the night is 6 innings pitched, 4 hits, 0 runs, and 9 strikeouts. I am sure everyone involved with the Cape League will be impressed with 9 strikeouts in 6 IP. However, it was his efficiency and control that was most impressive. While using his dominant change and a 2-seam fastball with great late action, Jaron worked in the best curve he has thrown all year. His efficiency was even more impressive! He threw 91 pitches and faced only 22 batters. Of those 91 pitches 68.1% of them were strikes. Of the 22 batters faced he threw first-pitch strikes to 68.2% of them. Those that received a first-pitch strike, he retired 86.7% of them. So to summarize Jaron's night, he got ahead of batters, threw them a lot of strikes, and then put them away. It was a pleasure to watch him pitch all year, and tonight was great. I think Jaron's acumen on the mound is impressive and he really takes a lot of pride in his craft. Long succeeds through control and a nasty change-up. He is proof that you don't have to throw hard to get guys out.

Player Profile: Jack Reinheimer

 

     Jack Reinheimer is a 6’0” 177lb. shortstop from East Carolina University Pirates. In 2010, he was rated in the National Top 1000 by Perfect Game and was selected in the 31st round by the Atlanta Braves. In 2011, Jack had the honor of being named to the Conference USA and College Baseball Daily All-Freshman team. Reinheimer was named the All-Star Game MVP of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). After his summer playing for the Newport Gulls concluded, Perfect Game ranked him the 9th best prospect of the NECBL. In 2012, Jack was third on his Pirates team with 11 doubles, third on the team with 89 total bases, and second on the team with 9 stolen bases. For Bourne this summer, he is hitting .273, is third on the team in doubles with 5, second on the team with 4 stolen bases, and has the least amount of strikeouts (20) among the Braves with at least 100 at-bats.

     On top of being an excellent hitter to slot in the second spot in the line-up, Jack is a strong-armed shortstop who covers a lot of range. Reinheimer runs extremely well from the right side. In fact, I have timed him around 4.22 (above major league speed), and he has legged out several infield hits. He has proven to be great at hitting the ball on the ground to the right side of the infield (spray chart below). This is an excellent skill to execute a hit and run, move runners along, and aid in a runner scoring from third base. I included some swings and misses and foul balls to show how much plate coverage Jack possesses. He doesn’t allow a lot get past him with two strikes. As for his mechanics, Reinheimer starts with an open stance and his hands high at his ear level. He closes his stance and then uses a toe tap to move his hands into the hitter’s slot. He shifts his weight back before his swing, and hits with his weight well-balanced between both legs. His hands are quick, and his hands take a direct path to the baseball. I also want the viewer to note that he stays balanced throughout his swing, and he has excellent balance through his two-handed follow through. The swing I slowed down was an example of his ability to hit the ball, hard on the ground, the opposite way. You can see Jack’s hands get inside the baseball, and this adds to his value as a top of the order hitter. Jack will continue to be a valued piece in the Bourne Braves line-up as the second hitter and in the field at shortstop. His success will weigh greatly on the Braves ability to earn that final spot in the Cape Cod League’s Western Division Playoffs.