Stubbs (scout comment at Midwest League All-star Game)

[RedLegsToday]

This is from Kevin Goldstein's article about the All-star Game.

The eighth overall pick in the draft last year, despite many teams having major concerns about his strikeout rate, Stubbs is batting just .253/.348/.369 with 73 whiffs in 249 at-bats. “I mean, you just look at him, and that’s a Rocco Baldelli body,” lamented one scout. “But he just has no bat speed.”

[traderumor]

Nothing a few supplements couldn't fix :

[Red Leader]

I'm going to the Dragon's game tonight and have seats right behind the plate, so I'll get a good look at Stubbs, but having seen him a couple times already, I'm inclined to agree with that scout's take. Of course the last time I saw Stubbs play, he was facing a guy that was topping out at 85-86 and he hit the ball well. Hopefully West Michigan has someone going tonight that can bring the heat. I'd like to see him face someone that throws 93-94 so I can make a better judgement.

[OesterPoster]

Originally Posted by Red Leader

Hopefully West Michigan has someone going tonight that can bring the heat. I'd like to see him face someone that throws 93-94 so I can make a better judgement.

Well, it won't be Chris Cody, and he was the ace of the White Caps' staff. He gave Stubbs fits the last time they faced off.

Five Whitecaps on the Move; Cody, Rainwater, Castro Sent to Lakeland

June 20th, 2007

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The West Michigan Whitecaps, in conjunction with the Detroit Tigers, announced today a flurry of roster moves to begin the second half of the Midwest League season. LHP Chris Cody, RHP Josh Rainwater and RHP Angel Castro were transferred to Single-A Lakeland while RHP Jose Fragoso was sent to short-season Oneonta and catcher Jeff Kunkel moves to the disabled list.

Filling the void in the Whitecaps roster will be RHP Matt O’Brien, LHP Ramon Garcia, RHP Derek Witt and LHP Zach Piccola. O’Brien and Witt spent the first half of the season with Lakeland while Garcia and Piccola were sent from extended spring training.

Cody emerged as one of the top pitchers in the Midwest League with his 1.77 ERA while leading the league in the first half in strikeouts (92) and innings pitched (91.1). He was recently named to the MWL All-Star team.

Rainwater put things together in his third stint at West Michigan, posting a 7-2 record with 2.32 ERA while switching between a reliever and starter making four starts and 12 appearances out of the bullpen.

Castro made the jump from the Dominican Summer League to the Midwest League and became one of the Whitecaps’ most reliable starters, going 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA in 12 starts. Fragoso spent a brief time with the Whitecaps after being called up when RHP Phil Napolitan landed on the DL. In just six games, Fragoso went 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA in 12.2 innings.

Kunkel is the first position player for the Whitecaps to lose this season as he heads to the DL retroactive to June 11. The former Michigan Wolverine hit .230 with two doubles, four RBIs and six runs scored in 29 games this season.

O’Brien returns to West Michigan after going 0-3 with a 7.59 ERA in seven games (six starts) at Lakeland. He spent the tail end of the 2006 season with the Whitecaps, going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA including a start and win in the playoffs.

Witt is making his first appearance on a Whitecaps roster after being sent from Lakeland. He went 1-0 with a 4.17 ERA in 21 games out of the bullpen this season with the Flying Tigers.

Garcia returns to the Whitecaps almost a year after his stellar 2006 season was cut short due to a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the rest of the season. The southpaw from Yamasa, D.R. went on the D.L. last year on June 28 and had surgery in the offseason to repair a bone spur in his left shoulder. Garcia was 7-2 with a 1.92 ERA, including two complete game shutouts in his 12 games with West Michigan and was selected as one of the Whitecaps three Midwest League All-Stars in 2006 before being shut down for the season.

Piccola is in his second year of professional baseball and will be reunited with Whitecaps Manager Tom Brookens after pitching for him in Oneonta last year. The ninth round pick by the Tigers in 2006 went 1-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) in 62.1 innings pitched with Oneonta. He is making his first appearance on a Whitecaps roster.

The Whitecaps active roster remains at 24 with one player on the disabled list.

[Rojo]

Originally Posted by RedLegsToday

“But he just has no bat speed.”

He and Dane Sardina should start a pillow-fight league.

[DoogMinAmo]

I wonder if this can be attributed in any part to his foot injury. I am sure it is hard to generate bat speed if you can't get your legs into your swing.

[HokieRed]

It's amazing that a front office would pick a first-round choice deficient in such an obvious thing as bat speed.

[Red Leader]

Originally Posted by DoogMinAmo

I wonder if this can be attributed in any part to his foot injury. I am sure it is hard to generate bat speed if you can't get your legs into your swing.

IIRC, he's got turf toe. That's a lot different than "foot problems" and "getting your legs into your swing." While turf toe can be painful, really painful, I doubt that's what is causing his lack of bat speed.

[Aronchis]

Originally Posted by HokieRed

It's amazing that a front office would pick a first-round choice deficient in such an obvious thing as bat speed.

You aren't getting it. Stubbs's struggle I bet was completely expected from the FO, matter of fact, if it didn't happen, they would be outright shocked.

He wasn't drafted for his bat. Something you will have to come to grips with.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by Aronchis

He wasn't drafted for his bat. Something you will have to come to grips with.

He was drafted to be the next Damon Buford.

[CrackerJack]

Just a terrible pick any way you look at it. OF defense can't be "that" hard to find, that you spend a top 10 pick on it alone.

Krivsky's competence becomes more questionable every passing day.

[HokieRed]

Overlooking something as fundamental as bat speed is not acceptable. Of course the Reds have done this before. I saw Mark Schramek quite a bit in the minors and I'd say that was his basic problem too, simple inability to catch up to fastballs above the middle 80's. Stubbs' defense can be the greatest in the world but he cannot play without some minimal level of bat speed.

[RedEye]

Originally Posted by Aronchis

You aren't getting it. Stubbs's struggle I bet was completely expected from the FO, matter of fact, if it didn't happen, they would be outright shocked.

He wasn't drafted for his bat. Something you will have to come to grips with.

Strange thing to me is that Stubbs wasn't supposed to be a reach at the #8 spot. Every predraft analysis I read had him as a consensus first-rounder, and probably as a top-10 or top-15 talent. I can't believe that he would make it that high if he was perceived as lacking bat speed.

He wasn't drafted for his bat, agreed. But I have to believe they expected him to hit better than this!

[corkedbat]

A high first round pick with even average bat speed is pitiful. Slow?

I thought he just had some issues making contact at times. If bat speed is an issue, I want to change my Bust or Not Poll answer to Bust

[Chi-Town Red]

Originally Posted by Red Leader

I'm going to the Dragon's game tonight and have seats right behind the plate, so I'll get a good look at Stubbs, but having seen him a couple times already, I'm inclined to agree with that scout's take. Of course the last time I saw Stubbs play, he was facing a guy that was topping out at 85-86 and he hit the ball well. Hopefully West Michigan has someone going tonight that can bring the heat. I'd like to see him face someone that throws 93-94 so I can make a better judgement.

Let us know how he did please!!