All Things Valley League

Cowgill #9 Arizona Prospect

One of the most intriguing prospects with Valley League lineage is Collin Cowgill, a Covington Lumberjack in 2005. Drafted in the 5th round in the 2008 draft, Collin had an excellent pro debut, hitting 264/366/479 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 home runs at two levels.

Because of injury, he played in only 61 games in 2009, but still hit 277/373/445 in 220 at-bats.

In an admittedly weak Arizona Diamondback minor league system, Collin was ranked at #9 overall by BA writer Matt Forman. Here's his writeup (subscription only):

Background: Cowgill missed the entire 2007 season at Kentucky with a broken hamate bone in his left hand, and he didn't play after June 14 last season because of a hamstring injury. In between, he led the Northwest League with 11 homers in just 20 games in his 2008 pro debut, and opened his first full pro season in high Class A. The Diamondbacks considered sending him to the Arizona Fall League but kept him in instructional league instead.

Strengths: For an undersized player, Cow­gill has surprising power. He has great bat speed and takes advantage when pitchers make mistakes. One team official called Cowgill a gamer and compared him to Aaron Rowand with a better swing. Others compare him to Cody Ross. Cowgill has average speed and uses his instincts to steal bases and chase down balls in center field. His arm is solid.

Weaknesses: Already 23, Cowgill can't let injuries slow his development further. While he holds his own in center field, he ultimately projects as a right fielder. He can get overly aggressive at times and will chase pitches out of the zone, especially with two strikes.

The Future: Cowgill earned the right to open 2010 in Double-A after hitting well in his two months at Visalia. On a contender, he profiles as a fourth outfielder who can provide righthanded pop and constant energy.

Congratulations, Collin!

The List of Top Hitters

Just for fun, here is the list of hitters ATVL pored over to make the selections for top hitters in the league. As you can see, hitters reigned supreme in the Valley League in 2009...

Name	Avg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	SLG%	BB	K	OBP	SB	CS	OPS
Lammar Guy, Cov	0.314	49	194	45	61	13	0	2	26	80	0.412	27	49	0.404	35	9	0.816
Sherman Johnson, Cov	0.310	46	168	29	52	13	2	1	36	72	0.429	38	31	0.435	15	1	0.864
Adam Browett, Cov	0.303	51	178	29	54	9	0	1	26	66	0.371	32	23	0.408	14	4	0.779
Ryan Durrence, Cov	0.259	52	205	39	53	10	0	13	33	102	0.498	20	73	0.348	0	0	0.846
Chad Oberacker, Fau	0.337	40	163	24	55	12	1	2	21	75	0.460	13	22	0.394	17	3	0.854
Jared Simon, FR	0.315	47	200	36	63	16	0	11	34	112	0.560	5	28	0.344	9	1	0.904
Steve McQuail, FR	0.309	46	178	41	55	14	1	16	42	119	0.669	7	37	0.340	6	2	1.009
James Roche, FR	0.296	42	135	27	40	8	0	9	31	75	0.556	15	51	0.377	14	3	0.933
Bobby Brown, Harr	0.341	34	126	28	43	11	1	3	12	65	0.516	17	20	0.418	4	4	0.934
Mike Schwartz, Harr	0.323	44	127	23	41	11	2	4	28	68	0.535	43	14	0.508	2	2	1.043
Thomas Nichols, Harr	0.311	35	135	25	42	6	0	5	18	63	0.467	17	26	0.400	1	3	0.867
Michael Lang, Hay	0.357	35	140	40	50	8	1	7	21	81	0.579	19	27	0.455	7	1	1.034
Greg Hopkins, Hay	0.345	51	200	34	69	14	2	4	33	99	0.495	16	30	0.413	13	2	0.908
Tom La Stella, Hay	0.303	51	201	24	61	10	0	6	37	89	0.443	14	13	0.347	7	1	0.790
AJ Wirnsberger, Lur	0.361	37	158	29	57	16	2	3	35	86	0.544	15	30	0.417	4	1	0.961
Pablo Bernudez, Lur	0.318	44	170	37	54	11	1	4	32	79	0.465	28	58	0.414	12	3	0.879
DJ Hicks, Lur	0.313	40	147	25	46	9	1	7	41	78	0.531	20	36	0.391	0	0	0.922
Daniel Bowman, Lur	0.298	43	178	29	53	8	1	8	34	87	0.489	14	36	0.354	13	2	0.843
Kenny Mickens, NM	0.365	35	126	25	46	15	1	1	22	66	0.524	19	32	0.484	1	3	1.008
Richard Gonzalez, NM	0.331	47	169	22	56	10	1	0	31	68	0.402	27	18	0.438	7	1	0.840
Sam Roberts, Rock	0.291	38	134	19	39	3	0	1	18	45	0.336	29	24	0.417	6	2	0.753
Rob Froio, Rock	0.291	41	165	26	48	6	0	0	9	54	0.327	15	22	0.344	18	1	0.671
Kent Burford, Stan	0.348	37	135	38	47	3	0	0	10	50	0.370	17	25	0.435	14	5	0.805
Kyle Blackburn, Stan	0.325	37	120	21	39	8	1	3	18	58	0.483	18	28	0.408	3	1	0.891
Chris Clinton, Stan	0.318	42	157	36	50	8	2	2	27	68	0.433	13	29	0.383	22	3	0.816
Donovan Huffer, Stan	0.310	41	142	31	44	6	1	0	18	52	0.366	14	33	0.401	4	4	0.767
Todd Brazeal, Stan	0.308	44	146	31	45	5	0	8	38	74	0.507	28	30	0.429	14	1	0.936
John Dishon, Stan	0.304	40	135	37	41	11	0	4	25	64	0.474	19	49	0.405	19	0	0.879
Blake McDade, Stan	0.296	43	169	23	50	10	0	4	47	72	0.426	17	33	0.356	3	1	0.782
Alex McClure, Way	0.321	43	184	32	59	4	3	0	14	69	0.375	17	46	0.386	20	3	0.761
Tony Caldwell, Way	0.304	40	161	24	49	11	1	5	31	77	0.478	11	40	0.379	8	0	0.857
Rhett Stafford, Way	0.297	37	118	15	35	8	0	4	19	55	0.466	11	34	0.373	3	3	0.839
Rob Kral, Way	0.294	42	136	31	40	13	1	1	20	58	0.426	40	32	0.456	10	2	0.882
Aaron Dudley, Win	0.338	40	142	32	48	12	0	2	23	66	0.465	29	16	0.463	2	4	0.928
Steven Sabins, Win	0.316	42	155	24	49	8	1	8	37	83	0.535	11	47	0.361	5	0	0.896
Dave Fallon, Win	0.307	45	166	26	51	14	4	1	28	76	0.458	14	38	0.371	4	5	0.829
Brad Zapenas, Win	0.306	41	134	22	41	8	0	0	15	49	0.366	17	25	0.386	1	1	0.752
Gabriel Ortiz, Win	0.302	45	162	26	49	8	1	2	19	65	0.401	15	29	0.372	10	3	0.773
Matt Blow, Wood	0.302	45	159	27	48	6	0	7	22	75	0.472	18	33	0.387	2	0	0.859
Stephen Hunt, Wood	0.301	43	156	23	47	11	1	5	28	75	0.481	9	25	0.347	8	2	0.828

#1 Hitter: Stephen McQuail, Front Royal

Well, it's taken ATVL an inordinate amount of time to get here, but we're finally arrived at the best hitting season in the 2009 Valley League season.

Suffice to say, Front Royal has gone through some struggles in the years leading up to 2009. In '09, though, the team exploded, eventually winning the #1 seed in the playoffs, and much can be laid at the feet of one of the most feared hitters in the league, Canisius's Stephen McQuail.

A current junior at Canisius, McQuail tattooed Valley League pitching to the tune of a 309/340/669 line. In 46 games and 178 at-bats, Stephen scored 41 runs, hit 14 doubles, 1 triple, 16 home runs, drove in 42 runs, stole 6 bases in 8 attempts, and had a 7/37 BB/K ratio. He finished first in the league in home runs, slugging percentage, and total bases (119). He finished second in runs and RBI, third in OPS, and tied for 4th in doubles. He also won the home run derby at the all-star game in Woodstock (with 2 home runs against the stiff incoming wind).

Even though Front Royal lost in the first round of the playoffs against Covington, McQuail did his best in the three games: he went 4-13, with 3 runs, 7 RBI, a double, and home run against the 'Jacks. 

At Canisius as a freshman in 2008, Stephen hit 200/317/200 in only 35 at-bats. Given more regular at-bats in his sophomore year, he showed his true chops, hitting 314/370/548 in 188 at-bats, with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 42 runs, and 45 RBI in only 50 games. His BB/K ratio was 13/33.

Baseball America listed Stephen as the 5th best prospect in the league after the season, with the following writeup:

McQuail was the most prolific power hitter in the Valley this summer, leading the league in home runs (16) and slugging percentage (.669) with 31 of his 55 total hits going for extra bases. Standing nearly upright at the plate, McQuail has a smooth load and quick hands that generate explosive power. Although he is a bit pull-conscious because he doesn't stay inside the ball consistently, he showed an aptitude for driving pitches the other way when he hit two opposite-field home runs in a game against Covington. Valley managers observed above-average arm strength and solid-average speed, but he will need to improve his glovework if he is to stay at third base. But even if a move to the outfield is necessary, McQuail will keep scouts interested because of his power.

(Keep in mind that BA looks at potential, while ATVL looks at only production!)

Congratulations on your excellent season, Stephen!

(ATVL will next move to the top starting pitchers...)

(Previous 2 pictures courtesy of Haymarket Joe Photography)

 

ATVL took this one at the All-Star game- that's former Woodstock owner Stu Richardson to the right

ATVL again- at the All-Star game. Stephen looked at me just after this, probably wondering if I was stalking him...

Scoreboard in Waldorf, Maryland, during the all-star game against the Cal Ripken League

Being interviewed after the home run derby in Waldorf

Professional Alumni List, Updated

During each offseason, ATVL spends an inordinate amount of time updating his professional player spreadsheet, adding the draft picks from that year, and taking out retired and released players.

ATVL has decided to share this info with anyone who wants it- does anyone else out there collect lists like this? Click here to Download Pro players 2010 VERSION.

Last	First	Position	Team	Year	Round	Draft	Organization	Team	Level
Oxendine	Matt	SS	Front Royal	2003	15	2006	Arizona	South Bend	A
Cowgill	Collin	OF	Covington	2005	5	2008	Arizona	Visalia	A
Woodall	Bryan	P	Winchester	2007	21	2008	Arizona	South Bend	A

(This is a sample of what the spreadsheet looks like.)

Enjoy!

Tekotte in San Diego Chat

Another ATVL favorite, Blake Tekotte, is beginning to make some waves in San Diego's minor league system. (Any of ATVL's interview subjects tend to turn into favorites...) He didn't make the top ten, but he was named in Matthew Eddy's chat (subscription only). Here's the question:

Lloyd (Carlsbad): What kind of future do you see for Blake Tekotte? Thanks Lloyd

Matthew Eddy: A best case scenario: Solid starting center fielder who contributes across multiple categories. Tekotte can sting the ball, but his quickest path to the big leagues might be as a table-setter, someone who hits for average, draws walks and steals bases. The down side: A speed-oriented, lefty-hitting reserve outfielder.

Blake had a solid 2009 season in Fort Wayne. He finished 258/345/396 in 530 at-bats, with 24 doubles, 5 triples, and 13 home runs. He added 30 stolen bases and a 68/97 BB/K ratio. Good luck reaching that best case scenario, Blake!

Jay in St. Louis Chat

In Baseball America's 2007 Prospect Handbook, Jon Jay (Staunton 04) came in at #5 in the Cardinals' system. He fell to #11 in 2008, and then #12 in 2009. He did not make the top 10 for the 2010 list, either, but he was named in the Derek Goold chat (subscription only).

Jon Jay (My Computer): How far off the Top 10 did I fall this year, and how can I get back in your good graces?

Derrick Goold: Never fear, Jon Jay. You didn't fall that far, and while your start to the season was cause for concern the strong finish and a good turn in winter ball so far (.323/.418/.431) has buoyed your place in the rankings. A spot on the 40-man roster says it all. Follow Skip Schumaker's lead, save for that whole changing positions to second base thing.

Those numbers are what Jay still has in the Winter Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional.

Since ATVL helped with the Waynesboro Generals last year, he learned what can happen what a roster suddenly changes. For example, Matt Adams, from Slippery Rock, was recruited by Lawrence Nesselrodt to be the big batin the middle of the Generals' lineup. Adams, however, was drafted by the Cardinals, and turned pro instead. He went on to hit 355/400/547 in 245 at-bats at two levels. As a bonus, here is the question about Matt in Goold's chat:

Michael Stern (Rochester NY): Is Matt Adams considered a legit prospect? He had a great year with the bat in Rookie ball at 2 stops. Can he play anywhere else besides 1B? - because you might say he's blocked there if he wants to play in St. Louis.

Derrick Goold: You might say? Nah, you can go ahead and say it. Adams is a monster of a first baseman. The pride of Slipper Rock U led the nation in hitting this past season and fits the profile of the college player the Cardinals find under a Slippery Rock — excuse me, it had to be done — by sifting through and normalizing a cagillion stats from college baseball around the country. Adams can hit. But he's got to hit above rookie ball to move onto the prospect radar. It's too early in his career to start thinking that he's blocked in this organization. See what he does at a higher level this year and check back.

So, although Adams isn't technically a Valley League alum, I thought I would include some info on him here.

Kratz in Pittsburgh Chat

In scouring the John Perrotto chat on Baseballamerica.com about the Pittsburgh Pirates' system, I came across this nugget:

cliff jordan (chicago, il): Who will be the Garrett Jones of 2010?

John Perrotto: How about Eric Kratz, who was re-signed as a six-year free agent? He is a catcher with some pop and the pitchers at Indianapolis loved the way he handled them last season.

Well, now.

Erik Kratz (Waynesboro 00-01, Harrisonburg 01) is an ATVL favorite. He helped get this website off the ground with a monster two-part interview back in December, 2006. Seeing his name mentioned as a possible break-out/surprise major league player is a good thing!

To put this in perspective, Garrett Jones exploded onto the major league scene in 2009 in Pittsburgh, hitting 293/372/567 with 21 home runs in 82 games. If Erik can do that, there will be some serious celebrating in Harrisonburg!

(For the record, I ran into Erik at Eastern Mennonite School's homecoming, where his sister-in-law was receiving an alumni award. He is cautiously optomistic about the upcoming season!)

Manzella in Houston Chat

Baseball America is continuing to run down the top prospects in each system, and then holding a chat (subscription only) with interested fans.

No former Valley Leaguers were on the Houston Astros' top 10 prospects list, but one, Tommy Manzella (Waynesboro 03), was mentioned in the chat. Manzella made his major league debut with the Astros in 2009, getting one hit in 5 at-bats, with 4 strikeouts.

Here's the question and answer:

GR (Jersey): Were Chris Johnson and Tommy Manzella considered prospects or did their weak cups of coffee eliminate them?

Ben Badler: They'll be in the top 30, but they look more like fringy big leaguers or backups. Johnson shows some flashes of ability to hit and hit for some power, but he needs to learn to work the count better, not chase so many pitches out of the zone and bring his footwork and agility up to par at third base. There's talk within the organization that Manzella might take over their starting gig at shortstop. He does have a solid arm, hands and footwork, but he's really more of a spray hitter without much pop, so it's hard to see him as more than a slightly above replacement-level player at best.

Well, I'm not sure that 5 at-bats can be a clear judge of a "weak cup of coffee," but Manzella, a 3rd round pick in the 2005 draft, has steadily worked his way up the system, and deserves a shot. Maybe he'll win that starting job!

#2 Hitter: Michael Lang, Haymarket

Michael Lang, now a junior at Rutgers, started his 2009 summer season with the Orleans Cardinals in the Cape Cod League. As a temp player, Lang knew he wouldn't be there all summer. When the time came to look for another opportunity, a coach put Lang on to the Valley League, and he ended up in Haymarket.

Orleans' loss became the Senators' gain, as that move had a tremendous amount to do with the Senator's eventual Valley League championship.

Fast forward to the end of the regular season. Haymarket is in real trouble; it looks like the team will miss the playoffs entirely. They are 19-22 with three games to play. They were 1.5 games behind Fauquier for third place in the Northern Division, and tied for third in the wild card standings. They were in real danger of missing the 8-team tournament. Add in the fact that the team was playing against Front Royal, the eventual first seed in the league, AND that Front Royal held an 8-1 lead in the 8th inning... things looked bleak for the Sens.

Not coincidentally, Michael Lang led off that 8th inning. He doubled, and came around to score on a Dan Perrine single. After two outs, the score now 8-6, Lang was up again, with two men on base. Completing the comeback, Lang ripped a three-run home run off Jeff DeCarlo to put the Senators ahead, 9-8.

The Senators would have to score again in the bottom of the 9th to win the game, but that comeback, in ATVL's opinion, was the inning that sent the Senators on to the championship.

Starting with that game on July 29th, Michael Lang was on fire. In the 11 games left (obviously including the playoffs), Lang went 26-49 for an average of .531. He scored 17 runs, drove in 12, hit 6 doubles, one triple, 4 home runs, stole one base, and had a 5/8 BB/K ratio. He had four hits in a game once (the championship clinching game at Covington- three of those hits were doubles!), three hits in a game 4 times, and 2 hits in a game 4 times. He hit safely in all 11 games.

In the finals, Lang was 11-19 at the plate, and was named the finals MVP. Greg Hopkins, Haymarket's third baseman and MVP of the Valley League, said this about Michael: "Mike Lang gets my vote for MVP; we wouldn't have even made the playoffs if it wasn't for him."

Of course, Michael rebutted Hopkins' thought with the following: "It was not me who engined that team. Every single person on the Senators played a very important role in the success of that championship run. Every person made their plays, had timely hits, and came through when we needed them. Greg was obviously a huge part and it shows in him being named MVP."

Indeed. For the season, Lang hit 357/455/579 in 35 games and 140 at-bats. He scored 40 runs, drove in 21, hit 8 doubles, 1 triple, and 7 home runs. His BB/K ratio was 19/27, and he stole 7 bases in 8 attempts. He finished third in the league in average, third in runs, and 2nd in OPS (one-base percentage plus slugging percentage).

Of course, Lang has performed tremendously well at Rutgers, too. In his freshman year, he hit 388/467/551, albeit in only 49 at-bats. In his sophomore season in 2009, he hit 343/440/560 in 53 games and 207 at-bats, with 17 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, and a 26/43 BB/K ratio. He scored 58 runs, drove in 38, and even stole 10 bases in 12 attempts. He finished first on his team in average, runs, hits, home runs, total bases, slugging, and on-base percentage.

ATVL asked Lang how the team pulled together and won the championship as the #7 seed. His answer:

"Everyone on our team stuck together and never gave up. Most kids you talk to can't wait to be done with summer ball. They don't want to make the playoffs and just want to go home and hang out with there friends and relax. That wasn't the case with this team. From the moment I got to Haymarket I knew there was something special about that place. I immediately made close friends on the team and we all meshed and bonded together really well. It was literally the best summer of my life. None of us wanted to go home early because we were there to win a championship. It definitely helped having coaches that were young and could relate to us. They were the biggest part in our success and I give all the credit to our championship run to them. Phil Meyers made the inspirational speech of the year after a loss to Front Royal which then sparked us winning our next 10 out of 11 games. Not one person on that team gave up. Everyone played with heart, desire, motivation, and the hunger to win a championship. No one played for themselves. We all played with each other and for each other. We knew we could compete with any team out there and although our record didn't show it we knew we were better. Our success this was just a mere conclusion to an unbelievable summer and I couldn't pick another group of guys I would have rather done it with. I would also like to add that the support from our owners and fans was incredible. Our owners did anything for us and guided us through the playoffs and championship. Our fans were there with us the whole way. Even down 7 runs going into the bottom of the 8th against the best team in the league Front Royal they stay. Sure enough we came back and won which started our tear through the playoffs. Then they all showed up at Covington for the championship, a 3 1/2 hour bus ride. Clearly there was dedication from the owners, fans, coaches, and players. It was a group effort which was well rewarded."

Congratulations on your fantastic season, Michael!

Lang chatting with ATVL

(Action pictures courtesy of Haymarket Joe Photography)

Have I Mentioned that Yonder Alonso is a Top Prospect?

Yeah, I know, ATVL covers Yonder Alonso (Luray 06) to an excruciating extent, but there he is, once again named to a top 10 prospect list- this time the Arizona Fall League top prospect list (subscription only).

Baseball America's Ben Badler named Alonso the #8 prospect in the AFL, with the following writeup:

Like [Freddie] Freeman, Alonso has been difficult for some scouts to evaluate in the AFL due to injury. Alonso hasn't been the same hitter since missing two months in the second half of the minor league season because of a broken hamate bone. Alonso hasn't been able to drive the ball with as much authority as he recovers from the hamate injury, and he seemed visibly frustrated at times in the AFL.

When healthy, Alonso has above-average power and good bat speed, allowing him to let the ball travel deep in the zone and wear out the gaps. His plate discipline helps him get into good hitter's counts and get on base at a high clip. All of his value should come from his hitting, as he's a well below-average runner and a limited fielder.

Alonso hit 267/353/395 in 86 at-bats in the AFL; he's currently playing winter ball in Puerto Rico.