Articles from November 2011

#43 Zack Cox

St. Louis Cardinals

DOB: 5/9/1989

Previous Rank: N/R

ETA: 2013

Zack Cox had the best hit tool grading in the 2010 class, was arguably the best hitter in Arkansas history despite only staying there for two seasons, and was a massive steal for the Cardinals as the 25^th pick overall.  In just his first full professional season, Cox reached Double-A and posted very respectable numbers with a slash line of .306/.363/.434 across two stops.

He really has little to prove in the Texas League and should open the year in Triple-A.  Realistically, though, he might be forced to repeat the level if for no other reason than to slow his development down somewhat considering that David Freese seems firmly entrenched at third in St. Louis for a few years.  Cox is a true 70-grade hitter who hits to all parts of the yard, has tremendous balance, bat track, and timing as well as exceptional judgment of both the strike zone and the hitting zone..  His lower half is virtually always fully loaded and on time.  Cox practically never breaks down in his front half but somehow is never really behind anything either.

His pitch selection and recognition is arguably the best in the Minors today, and most balls he squares up have outstanding carry to them.  The one knock, and it’s a small one, is that Cox has a tendency to stay so inside of pitches, particularly on the inner half, that he fails to fully clear and drive long to the pull side.  Personally, if he never corrects this, I still see an all-star bat if he can stay at third.  His glove and speed are far behind his hit tool as well as his power and arm tools, which both grade as 55-60.  He booted 20 grounders in under 90 games in the Texas League and has a long way to go as far as footwork goes, but there is enough to like about his fielding to let him stick at the hot corner in the short term.  St. Louis fans probably don’t want to hear this, but Zach Cox could make Albert Pujols dispensable in some ways.

#44 Sonny Gray

Oakland Athletics

DOB: 11/7/1989

Previous Rank: N/A

ETA: 2013

Sonny Gray receives constant knocks for being undersized, having a high-effort delivery, and lacking an average or above third pitch. We at The Sombrero have never shied away from guys with sound yet high-energy deliveries. In fact, in some cases we prefer them. Gray is one of those cases.

He is extremely athletic and has never given anyone reason to fear injury beyond the fact that he is small-bodied and very explosive. His breaking ball was the best one in the 2011 draft class, even at only 5-foot-11. His fastball can reach 97 mph, and he sits at 93-95 mph most starts. His fastball, like most short righties, has phenomenal carry and explodes through the strike zone.

Gray reached Double-A by his second professional start and only allowed a single run in 20 innings. His peripherals were solid despite being low in quantity (18 strikeouts vs. 6 walks). Gray was one of the best pitchers in the history of Vanderbilt, and, while many scouts see a reliever or mid-rotation starter, we see two 60 pitches with a chance at a 50 third pitch, a fast mover, and ace potential. The only obstacles to overcome are public opinion and minor command issues. The Bay Area has been pretty accepting of small-bodied righties with explosive fastballs and hammer benders recently, so we think Gray will be able to solve at least one of these issues fairly easily.

#45 Matt Harvey

New York Mets

DOB: 3/27/1989

Previous Rank: N/A

ETA: 2013

Harvey was the top collegiate arm in the 2010 class, but his career at North Carolina was not a smooth ride like most figured it would be considering that his fastball can reach 98 mph and he carries mid-90s velocity deep into nearly every start.  His mechanics and deception, as well as fastball life, have greatly improved in the last two years.  He throws two breaking ball variations, one of which is more of a slider while the other is more of a hard downer curve.

Scouts are fairly split on which one has the better prognosis, but at the Sombrero we think that each has its place when considering what side of the plate his opponent is hitting from.  His changeup is behind and he doesn’t throw it often or consistently enough yet, but it has some arm side action to it as well.  It profiles as a 50 while both breaking ball variations can be 60s or 70s given the day.

Harvey has a terrific frame at 6-foot-4 and 210-pounds, and his numbers suggest that he could reach the Big Leagues as early as 2013.  Across two levels, including 12 Double-A starts, Harvey struck out 156 guys next to 47 walks in 135.2 innings.  He kept the ball in the yard quite well too and finished the year with a 3.32 ERA.  The future looks bright for Harvey, and maybe, just maybe, the Mets might not blow it with him.