State College Spikes: A Fan Report

I drove to Auburn for the Spikes game Sunday. Here are some player impressions. The velocities listed here are a combination of the stadium scoreboard and two guns being held by a couple guys behind home plate. For what it's worth, the guns matched each other, and they matched the stadium readout. The stadium "gun" looked like a toy, sort of, but when I was in the area, the readings matched the guns held by the other guys. I'm not much of a chatter, so I don't know who they were, and they weren't sitting together.

Zac Fuesser: Leave this guy off your top 30 prospect lists at your own peril. He sat at 90-91. I didn't see every pitch, but I'm not sure he ever threw a breaking ball. He did throw a few changeups, at around 84 MPH. He has a live arm. He walked 4, but was not hit-the-bull wild - he was just missing. For working within the context of the organization's mandate to command the fastball, I think he did well. He worked the corners and basically threw a fastball and little else for his whole 3.2 innings. I wasn't wowed, but was impressed. Low 90's fastball, check. Seemed to know how to pitch, check. Lefthanded, check. Cross a reliever off your list of prospects and put this guy on it.

Trent Stevenson: Sat at 91-92. He's tall and thin, with kind of a funky delivery.  He's hittable. He didn't generate the swings and misses or weak fouls that Fuesser did, but you can see how scouts project him with his frame. He fielded his position well, making a very athletic play on a chopper to the third base side. Unimpressive, but again, I think it's more about projection with him.

Colton Cain: He only pitching an inning, but threw the fastest ball of the night at 94, which is hard for a lefty. He looked, um, stout. Yeah, stout. Not fat. OK, maybe a little fat. I'd like to see more of him.

Gift Ngoepe: I was hoping to be wowed by him, but unless I missed one, he only saw five pitches in three at bats, which seems weird for a guy that has walked as much as he has. He bounced out to first twice on the first pitch, and whiffed (looking) on three pitches his last at bat. For what it's worth, his swing looks sound. He looks like a ballplayer, not a project. I wouldn't write off his power just yet. He played shortstop, but didn't see the ball much.

Matt Curry: Out of all the college guys, he's the one who looks like he can play. Obviously, he might just be advanced enough to look good at the level, but he just seemed confident at the plate. If he continues to hit he should become a fringe prospect after this year, since he won't turn 22 for another week.

Mel Rojas: He's huge. He didn't do anything awesome, except walk the earth. He's listed at 6-foot-3, but that's his width at the shoulder. He beat out a ball I think the pitcher should have fielded for his first pro hit, but didn't look crazy fast doing it. For that comment, I apologize to Mel Rojas because he has the widest shoulders I've ever seen.  Save your man-crush comments. He's just an impressive-looking motherf!@#$r.