By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
July 11, 2011
Here is a little bit more video of first round draft pick, Alex Meyer. The right-handed pitcher out of Kentucky was chosen with the 23rd overall pick by the Washington Nationals. This is the rest of the video from Spring 2010. You can read my observations in the scouting report and the first half of this video.
By Jen Marder
June 6, 2011
Today the Washington Nationals selected Brian Goodwin in the supplemental round (#34 overall) in the 2011 MLB Draft. Baseball Beginnings has been scouting Goodwin from the start of the draft cycle. Enjoy links to the content we have published on him through the year.
Watch Brian Goodwin Video
By Jen Marder
June 6, 2011
Today the Washington Nationals selected Alex Meyer in the 1st round (#23 overall) in the 2011 MLB Draft. Baseball Beginnings has been scouting Meyer from the start of the draft cycle. Enjoy links to the content we have published on him through the year.
Read Alex Meyer Scouting Report
Watch Alex Meyer Video
Read Ace vs. Ace: Addison Reed vs. Alex Meyer
By Jen Marder
June 6, 2011
Today the Washington Nationals selected Anthony Rendon in the 1st round (#6 overall) in the 2011 MLB Draft. Baseball Beginnings has been scouting Rendon from the start of the draft cycle. Enjoy links to the content we have published on him through the year.
Read Anthony Rendon Scouting Summary
By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
September 26, 2010
The Washington Nationals had the first pick in the 2010 Draft, but you’d hardly know it. It’s not like they made a big deal about it or went after a guy everybody had heard of. I’m glad they didn’t take a guy who was taunting his future front office on Facebook or pick a guy who seems entitled. I’m glad they picked a guy who wasn’t shirtless on his Facebook photo last summer. At least he won’t have Rob Dibble to kick him around.
By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
June 19, 2010
I ran into then-TCU right-hander Sean Hoelscher pitching on the Cape in 2009 and put my camera on him. You couldn’t miss the 6-3 right-hander with the big arm and the high socks. In this look, Hoelscher was throwing hard, 92-94.
By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
June 10, 2010
Matt Grace is the poster guy for the “NTP” notation on a manager’s card, as in “Needs To Pitch.” In the case of Grace, his three years at UCLA were spent mostly in the bullpen, as four arms on his last pitching staff will have been drafted at higher spots than Grace’s 8th round selection in the 2010 draft by the Washington Nationals.
By Jen Marder
June 7, 2010
Today the Washington Nationals selected Bryce Harper in the first round (#1 overall) in the 2010 MLB Draft. Baseball Beginnings has been scouting Harper from the start of the draft cycle. Enjoy links to the content we have published on him through the year.
Read Bryce Harper Scouting Report
Read The Only Comparison That Counts
Watch Bryce Harper Video
Watch more Bryce Harper Video
Watch Bryce Harper vs. A.J. Cole
By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
July 30, 2009
(Potomac Nationals)
Michael Burgess
Bats: Left, Throws: Left
6-0, 195
2009 Opening Day age: 20 (B: 10/20/88)
Drafted: Nationals #3, 2007 (49th overall)
2009 club at time of report: Potomac
Games Seen: 1, innings: 4 (Cal-Carolina League All-Star Game)
By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
July 29, 2009
(Potomac Nationals)
At the ripe old age of 20, Michael Burgess is already a third-year pro closing in 1,000 career at-bats. Selected with Washington’s third pick in the 2007 draft, 49th overall, Burgess clearly has the Tampa baseball blood lines.
His bat speed is a blur, but what he does with it as pitchers adjust to staying away from him will dictate his success. His batting average was only .240 entering July 2009, but he had raised that from around .220. He hit 23 home runs as a teenager between Hagerstown and Potomoc in 2008 and started the 2009 season with 13 home runs in his first 72 games in 2009.
Among the young players at the California-Carolina League All-Star game, Burgess was among the youngest ones. He has 47 home runs as a pro after signing out of high school. He fell in and out of his swing when I watched him take BP, a pattern that carried over into the game. When he did find himself and stayed on the ball, he drove a double off the wall in right field.
The bat is what will get Burgess to the big leagues. He’s a better athlete than his stocky body indicates and he’ll have to hit for enough power to hold down right field, where he can take advantage of his other tool, his arm.
Burgess has a Kirby Puckett body. He has the physical skill to speed up his bat when he wants to. How far Burgess comes with the other aspects of the game will likely dictate his future. Baseball Beginnings caught up with Burgess at the California-Carolina League All-Star game at Lake Elsinore.
