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LSU pitcher's strong arm, which hits 95 MPH, should make him a first-round selection despite an off year for state prospects
BY MIKE VORKUNOV
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Mike Trout is adjusting well to his first full season of professional baseball. A record-setting outfielder at Millville High School, he was chosen 25th overall in the first round by the Los Angeles Angels. Almost a year later he seems to be on the fast track to stardom.
The 18-year old Trout is hitting .366 for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Angels' Class-A affiliate, and has racked up six homeruns and 30 stolen bases in 55 games. Sage baseball journalist Peter Gammons has predicted that Trout will be in the majors by the age of 20.
Trout is the type of prospect that major league teams have become used to when mining New Jersey for talent. Before Trout there was Rick Porcello, who as a 20-year old rookie with the Detroit Tigers won 14 games with a 3.96 ERA. The Garden State has also produced All-Star closer Andrew Bailey, slugger Jack Cust, as well as vagabond and author Doug Glanville.But with the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft starting tonight, this year looks to be different.
"This is one of the worst years in New Jersey when it comes to talent in recent years," says Aaron Fitt, national baseball writer for Baseball America. "There isn't really a frontline guy out there."
The best of the talent coming from New Jersey looks to be Anthony Ranaudo, a right-handed pitcher from LSU and Jackson (St. Rose High School in Belmar). Projected by ESPN's Keith Law to go in the first round, potentially as high as No. 20 to the Boston Red Sox, Ranaudo is the only high-end talent this year.
His 2010 season did not go as well he would have hoped, with him initially being mentioned as a top-10 selection before dipping due to bad production. Ranaudo's 7.32 ERA and 1.68 WHIP certainly was not how he hoped to impress potential employers.
"Ranaudo is going to still go in the first round," said Fitt. "He was hurt early but seems to be putting it together and returning to form. I got the chance to see him last week at the SEC Tourney and he's back up to 95 and will show you that devastating hard curve. He has a history of health issues and there's the Scott Boras price-tag factor but he's an elite talent."
The only other player who may go in the first ten rounds is J.C. Menna, a pitcher for Brookdale Community College. That only two players may go in that range epitomizes the dearth of top-end talent this year.
""The scouts are disappointed in New Jersey this year," said Fitt. "Historically, it's been the best talent-producing state in the Northeast. Just having Porcello as such a success made them disappointed that it was pretty barren this year."
There are two other players that drew Fitt's eye and are candidates to go in the first 15 rounds. Princeton's Dan Barnes, despite a 5.14 ERA, has a fastball that gets up to 93 MPH and projects to make the shift to the bullpen.
Rutgers first baseman Jaren Matthews is the best hitter from the state according to Fitt. Matthews hit .305 this season with seven homeruns in 56 games. He originally was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2007 Draft coming out of Don Bosco Prep. Mattews was offered $250,000 then but looks like he will not come close to that pay day now.
"He does still have the power if you see him on the right day --- he hit 2 home runs off [Connecticut]'s Matt Barnes --- and it's hard to teach the bat speed he has," said Fitt. There are timing issues and swing mechanics and the questions about why he never put it together. But, he's the most intriguing bat in the state.
With the high school class barren, the name that really stands out is a pitcher three years away from being chosen. Artie Lewicki, a 6-foot-3 RHP from St. Joseph's of Montvale who will play next year for Virginia, is a player that may make a mark down the road.
"He's got a 90-91 fastball and a promising slider," said Fitt. "He's had health issues including surgery last fall. I don't know that anyone had the time to go see him because he was in the mid 80's after surgery and most said ‘OK, I'll see him in three years at Virginia' but he's getting stronger and has the makings of a good repertoire. He'll be interesting to look at down the road."
It's fair to say that Lewicki may just be emblematic of this year's crop of Jersey prospects. There's not much now but plenty to look forward to in the future.
"It's a little strange. I suspect they'll bounce back," said Fitt. "The theme this year with New Jersey is ‘Wait ‘til next year.' There are some guys in the pipeline."
Danny Breslauer contributed to this article.
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