Name: Cory Spangenberg
Report Date: 2011 NWL Season (Rookie Level)
Age: 20
Birthplace: Clark Summit, PA
Height: 6’
Weight: 195
Bats: L
Throws: R

Overview: Cory Spangenberg was the 2011 1^st-round draft pick for the Padres. Although he is not the tool-laden prototype that is typically associated with a 10^th overall pick, Spangenberg is the epitome of a baseball player and gets the most out of his skills while playing the game with great instincts.

Physical Attributes: Spangenberg does not stand out physically. He blends in with those around him due to his average height and weight. Watching him in warm ups you would not know this kid is a killer baseball player. He is not lighting fast, throw terribly hard or have elite bat speed. All possible doubt in his ability is erased once Spangenberg gets on the field and allows his amazing hand-eye coordination and ability to stand out.  Once he starts to add strength, his overall value will steadily increase. Continue reading “Padres Prospect Scouting Report: Cory Spangenberg, 2B” »

Name: Cody Hebner
Report Date: 2011 NWL Season (Rookie Level)
Age: 20
Birthplace: Auburn, WA
Height: 5’11
Weight: 175
Bats: R
Throws: R

Overview: Hebner was the Padres’ 4^th-round pick in the 2011 Rule IV Draft. He is undersized compared to an average pitcher’s frame, which may have hurt his draft status. He is a student of the game who treats pitching as a science and does everything from an elaborate warm up routine to intense video analysis of his delivery after the game.

Physical Attributes: As mentioned above, the first thing that you notice about Hebner is that he is actually 5’11” and 175 pounds. Diminutive though he is, he is very athletic. This is apparent from Hebner’s delivery to how he carries himself off the field. He could add some weight to his athletic frame, but nothing more than 10-15 pounds. It’s easy to imagine that if Hebner were 6’3” he would be generating much more buzz.

Delivery: Hebner is fun to watch. In the age of cookie-cutter mechanics he breaks the mold. He has a big leg kick and turns his body enough during his delivery that his numbers are clearly visible to the batter. Hebner uses a long stride to help get everything out of his 5’11 frame. He has great pace throughout his delivery, never rushing and keeping his body in sync. Even though there are a lot of moving parts to the delivery, it is all done in a very smooth and controlled fashion. While there is some effort in the delivery, it is far from a max effort situation like you’d see in most undersized pitchers.  Hebner has great arm action; long, loose and repeatable all from a high 3/4 arm slot. The delivery is deceptive, and compounding this deception is the fact that he keeps the same arm action for all four pitches. Because his arm action is so consistent, Hebner is exceptional at keeping hitters off balanced.

 The Stuff Continue reading “Padres Prospect Scouting Report: Cody Hebner, RHP” »

Name: Duanel Jones
Report Date: 2011 NWL Season (Rookie Level)
Age: 18
Birthplace: Samana, DO
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 205
Bats: R
Throws: R

Overview: Duanel Jones is a big-bodied athlete who starts off like every good steak, extremely raw. There is a huge gap in the player Jones is now and the player he may one day become. Currently he is playing third base but it is highly likely that a move to first base or an outfield corner is in his future.

Physical Attributes: Jones is one big athlete. He has very long arms, a wider-than-average build and big legs. He is by no means fat. If Jones wants to stay at a position with a defensive component he needs to keep from gaining any amount of weight. If he moves to first base he could easily put on 15-20 lbs and not be any worse for it. He has a great arm and great bat speed. His arm is so good that it has allowed him to stay at third despite limited range. His swing is very raw but his bat speed has given the Padres something to dream on.

Hitting: Jones hits from an open, upright stance with some bend in his knees and low hands. He uses a double tap approach. Meaning he brings his foot towards his body on the load, taps, and then strides. He slots his hands well on his load. Because there is so much movement in this style of loading, Jones often has an inconsistent pace with his swing. Sometimes he looks slow and relaxed and other times he has to rush to get everything lined up for his swing. Jones also turns his front shoulder in during his load more than you would like to see. It creates a situation where his shoulders aren’t directly lined up with the pitcher and instead are lined up somewhere between the pitcher and first base. The problem with this movement is it has a tendency to make hitters really uncoil on their swing leading to their front shoulder flying open which is exactly what Jones does.

When the swing gets going the bat speed is undeniable. There is a lot of effort in generating this bat speed so it tends not be pretty when Jones swings and misses. He often ends up off balance following his vicious swing. He has a good plane through the zone with some lift but doesn’t extend as well as his body would allow him too. His lower half fires very aggressively but does so in a very rotational fashion. Combine this with his less than ideal extension and you can imagine why Jones has trouble with pitches on the outer third of the plate.

At this point Jones is basically a pull side hitter. On pitches away, particularly off-speed offerings, Jones will simply beat the ball into the ground to the left side. Once he finds some balance in his swing, irons out his load and generates some extension Jones will begin to hit for a better average. He will never be a player who grades out very highly on his hit tool but there is still plenty of room for improvement from his current state. Current – 30 | Future – 45 Continue reading “Padres Prospect Scouting Report: Duanel Jones, 3B” »

Name: Donavan Tate
Report Date: 2011 NWL Season (Rookie Level)
Age: 20
Birthplace: Cartersville, GA
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200
Bats: R
Throws: R

Overview: As the 3^rd overall draft pick in 2009 – and recipient of a club-record $6.25 mil bonus – Tate has been the source of much frustration for the Padres and those who follow the team. The tools are all there for this young man to be an impact player, but a rash of injuries and off-the-field issues have hampered his development. This is the classic toolsy, high risk, high ceiling player that has just as great of a chance of making the majors as he does burning out in the low minors.

Physical Attributes: Tate is a supreme athlete and his body reflects this.  He has a swimmer-like build with long arms and legs that show room for excellent growth on his frame in the future. He has incredible bat speed that is head and shoulders above just about every other player in the Northwest League. The phrase “runs like a gazelle” comes to mind when he runs, as, not only is he incredibly fast, but Tate looks so relaxed and doesn’t seem to exude much effort (not a lack of effort, but his athleticism makes everything seem easy).

Hitting: When Tate was drafted, this was the aspect of his game that drew the most ire. Even though Tate possesses plus bat speed and uses his hands very well, there is still a lot of swing-and-miss to be dealt with. He does avoid some classic flaws that many minor leaguers will show. Tate is always soft on his front side, which allows him to maintain balance throughout his swing. He also keeps his front shoulder in most of the time but is still prone to letting it fly open every now and then. There is some difficulty in judging Tate as a hitter, as he changed his swing following his most recent drug-related suspension.

Before the suspension he hit with an upright stance with movement going on during his loading phase. Tate slotted his hands well by taking them slightly back during his load, which allowed him great length through the hitting zone. When he fired the swing he got excellent hip rotation. Overall this was a very loose, relaxed, and athletic looking swing. This is all apparent in the video below: Continue reading “Padres Prospect Scouting Report: Donavan Tate, CF” »

Name: Jace Peterson
Report Date: 2011 NWL Season (Eugene Emeralds – Rookie Level)
Age: 21
Birthplace: Moss Bluff, La
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 200
Bats: L
Throws: R

Overview: The athletically gifted Peterson consistently shows why he was a compensation round – 58^th overall – pick for the Padres in 2011.  A raw player, Peterson is still learning the ins and outs of the game both in the field and at the plate. He is a high ceiling player whose overall progression depends on when, and if, he is able to transition from an athlete who plays baseball to an athletic baseball player.

Physical Attributes: Peterson is one of those guys who just looks good wearing a baseball uniform. He has a very athletic build, which should come as no surprise as he was also a wide receiver in college. There is some room for growth left on his frame, but no more than 5-10 lbs. His past days as a wide receiver are evident when watching him run. He has an average arm and a tick above average bat speed both of which show room for growth as he gets more time on the diamond. Continue reading “Padres Prospect Scouting Report: Jace Peterson, SS” »