Scouting Notes: Cape Cod League All-Stars

BOSTON -- As the summer league baseball season nears an end, we are beginning to see the 2011 crop of college prospects take shape. And each year the end of July gives the scouting world a convenient look at the best talent the prestigious Cape Cod League has to offer. Held at Fenway Park, the Cape League All-Star game usually figures prominently in each scout's calendar.

Many will make the case that last year's crop was less than impressive, but the same cannot be said about this year, as the Cape featured a number of talented players, particularly power arms. And Wednesday's action at Fenway showcased that talent beautifully.

• Grayson Garvin, LHP, Vanderbilt -- Garvin showed impressive polish and a feel for pitching on Wednesday, and also showed off solid raw stuff. He sat mostly 90-91 mph with his fastball, showing good command and the ability to live on both corners. The southpaw also mixed in a solid-average sweeping breaking ball at 73-75 mph and an effective 78-80 mph changeup. In other words, he is already working with three quality pitches with good command.

• R.J. Alvarez, RHP, Florida Atlantic -- Heading into just his sophomore campaign, Alvarez stood out as one of the best pure arms in the proceedings. Alvarez sat 94-95 mph with his fastball, reaching 96 a handful of times. He has worked exclusively in relief on the Cape but Alvarez showed the secondary pitches to potentially be a successful starter at the next level. He mixed a sharp, downer curveball at 78-80, which flashed plus, as well as a quality changeup at 80-84.

• Tony Zych, RHP, Louisville -- Clearly the best raw arm in the All-Star Game, Zych showcased an explosive 95-98 mph fastball from the right side. There is an obvious caveat with Zych, however. His arm action and violent delivery is enough to make even a casual observer cringe. So you have to be willing to take a leap of faith that he can stay healthy and durable. But with his harder 86-87 mph slider and that dominant fastball, he fits quite neatly into the big league closer profile.



• Andrew Gagnon, RHP, Long Beach State -- One of the more complete pitchers to throw on Wednesday, Gagnon showed off a crisp 90-92 mph fastball with good two seam action. He also mixed a quality 78-79 mph changeup and generally an excellent feel for all his pitches.

• Colton Murray, RHP, Kansas -- A true swing-and-miss threat, Murray showed off perhaps the best breaking ball of the day. Sitting 91-94 mph with his heavy moving fastball, Murray was able to finish hitters with a devastating, plus 82-84 mph slider. If he can continue to throw those two pitches for strikes he can be very effective in the back of the 'pen. He does mix in a decent changeup, but his high-effort delivery doesn't make him a great starting candidate.

• Daniel Bowman, OF, Coastal Carolina -- In a Cape League crop distinctly lacking in power-hitting bats since the departure of Team USA standouts, Bowman's power stands out in a big way. Although he did not win the home run derby, he clearly stole the show by sending multiple shots well over the Monster Seats in left field. The righty-swinging Bowman has more than held his own offensively in the Cape, and he continues to show legitimate, plus big league power.

• Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke -- Heading into just his sophomore season, Stroman was clearly one of the standout arms at Wednesday's event. The 5-foot-9 righty has the look and arsenal of a future closer, and he showed off his dominance against college baseball's best. Stroman sat 93-97 mph with his fastball, and mixed a sharp, plus slider at 80-82.

• Logan Verrett, RHP, Baylor -- Verrett has gotten rave reviews from scouts thus far on the Cape but it was a struggle for him on Wednesday night. He struggled with his command and topped out at just 91 mph with his fastball. His arm works well and he has an athletic frame so I believe there's a lot more there than he showed on this night. He also mixed in a changeup at 77-79 but mostly was forced to use his fastball as he consistently worked from behind in the count. Although he showed good two-seam life on the fastball he was consistently missing in the middle of the plate.

• Austin Wood, RHP, St. Petersburg -- Another outstanding pure arm, Wood lived at 93-96 mph in his one inning of work, reaching as high as 97. He did not have much opportunity to show much in the way of secondary pitches but his fastball comes out nicely and the arm action is relatively clean.

• Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech -- Bradley and the aforementioned Grayson Garvin made for an impressive duo of southpaws for the West team, and if I had my choice at this stage Bradley was probably the most impressive of the two. Bradley flashed four pitches, including a 90-92 mph fastball with two seam action. He also mixed in a very sharp 80-82 mph changeup, a curveball at 77-78 and a slider at 81-83. Bradley does not have one real standout offering but the sum of all this makes for a well rounded 2-3 starter.

Frankie Piliere spent the last three seasons working as a scout, most recently in the professional scouting department for the Texas Rangers in 2009. He now serves as the National Baseball Analyst here at FanHouse.