[Disclaimer: I am not a professional scout, just a rabid baseball fan who likes to watch as many games as possible, at whatever level, and who is always on the lookout for potential future stars. The reports here are strictly one person's opinion, based solely on empirical (as opposed to statistical) data, often gathered from an extremely limited sample (possibly as little as a single game). These are not endorsements or recommendations for or against any particular player -- that's the job of scouts. My intent here is simply to point out some players who stood out in my mind based on what I saw and to introduce them to you, the reader, so that you (and I, for that matter) might remember their names further on down the road if and when they appear on the prospect scene. Also, I sometimes make comparisons between the players I see and current or former major leaguers. This generally refers to physical appearance, mannerisms, "type" of player, etc., and is not meant to project future performance; in other words, I am simply telling you who someone reminds me of, nothing more. Finally, if you're looking for some good, cheap entertainment, I highly recommend getting out to your local college or high school and supporting their baseball team. You can spend a couple bucks to sit in the sun watching a game without salary disputes, work stoppages, etc. What more could you ask for?]
Cal State Fullerton, alma mater of the Brothers Giambi, among other big leaguers, visited San Diego a while back. There are some highly touted young ballplayers on that team, including Ryan Owens, Spencer Oborn, David Bacani, and Rod Perry, to name just a few. Owens and Oborn are draft-eligible juniors who project to be snagged in the first 10 rounds; Bacani and Perry are sophomores who bear watching for the 2000 draft.
Ryan Owens 3B 6-2 195 lbs, B-R, T-R
Ranked 41st among college players in Baseball America‘s college preview issue, Owens is listed in that publication as a shortstop/third baseman. In the game I saw, he played the hot corner. Looking a bit smaller than his listed height and weight, Owens stands back in the batter’s box with a slightly open stance. He exhibits good balance at the plate and reminds me somewhat of Paul Molitor in terms of body type and approach to the pitch. In his three at bats this game, Owens struck out swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt, grounded to shortstop, and walked on four pitches before being lifted for a pinch hitter (Fullerton was ahead 12-0 at the time). He looked a bit stiff at third base, backing up on and booting the first grounder hit to him. Owens appeared to have just average or slightly above average speed from home plate to first base but moved very well from first to third. Judging from how highly he is regarded by scouts, I suspect he just had a bad game the night I saw him.
Spencer Oborn OF 6-3 190 lbs, B-R, T-R
Oborn, a transfer from Brigham Young University and the #85 collegiate player according to Baseball America, stands straight up in the batter’s box with a slightly open stance. He has good balance at the plate and quiet hands. He waits on the ball well and is able to adjust to off-speed and breaking pitches. Oborn generates line-drive power to all fields with good weight shift and hip rotation. He hustles and appears to have his head in the game at all times. In the game I saw, he dropped a perfect bunt out in front of home plate for a base hit his first time up. Later, after poking a ball foul far down the left field line, he lined a base hit to center that he turned into a double. Oborn has above average speed and runs the bases well. Offensively he reminds me of a young right-handed-hitting Paul O’Neill (before he developed the home run power). Defensively he can play all three outfield positions, though he was in left field the night I saw him. Oborn looks confident and relaxed on the field: During a 20-minute fog delay he and another player kept the crowd and teammates entertained by — well, I’m not sure what exactly they were doing; sort of a bizarre hybrid of ping pong and wrestling — but believe me, it was pretty funny to watch. [Note: Oborn earlier this year had a 37-game hitting streak, second longest in Cal State Fullerton history.]
David Bacani 2B 5-8 165 lbs, B-R, T-R
Bacani’s game is pretty much what you’d expect from a smallish middle infielder: get on base and disrupt the defense. At the plate he stands with a spread stance; his strike zone is very small. He waggles the bat a lot before the pitch, a la Gary Sheffield or Tony Phillips. Bacani makes the opposing pitcher work. As a baserunner he is fast and also smart. When I saw him he was picked off once as he broke toward second base on a straight steal. He knew he was dead meat but he managed to keep himself in a rundown long enough for the runner at third to score before being tagged out to end the inning. On defense Bacani has decent range and holds his ground well against incoming baserunners.
Rod Perry OF 5-10 185 lbs, B-S, T-R
Perry, who attended high school in San Diego, didn’t start the game I was at. He pinch hit in the 6th inning and walked on four pitches. The second time up he stung a 3-1 pitch to the warning track in dead center field for an out. He’s short and stocky, and very powerful — think Kirby Puckett or Warren Newson. Perry is listed as a switch hitter but both his at bats were right handed, against a right-handed pitcher.
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