Peter O’Brien (Bethune Cookman/USA National Team)

Justin Roswell: Where Are They Now?

“It’s 10:30 pm Petey, lights out bud.”

“Coach, can you throw me a few more, I’m working on going gap-to-gap.”

“Ok bud, another half bucket.”

This was the conversation that took place between me and Peter O’Brien at the 2006 Baseball Factory Christmas Camp and Tournament at the Vero Beach Sports Complex (formerly Dodgertown). At night, players have the option to hit in the covered cages, and Peter O’Brien was always the last player in the cages.

In all of my years helping high school baseball players, Petey stands out as one of the more energetic, hard working, and enthusiastic players that has come through our organization. He exemplifies how a baseball player should conduct themselves on and off the baseball field. He hustles on and off the field, encourages his teammates, and never complains.

After his participation at the Christmas Camp, Petey continued to work on his game and earned himself a roster spot at the 2007 Team One South Showcase. At the showcase, he caught the attention of many college recruiters, but more notably, the coaches from Bethune-Cookman University (Daytona Beach, FL). In the fall of 2007, he signed a national letter of intent to attend Bethune-Cookman University and hopefully earn a starting spot behind the plate.

During his freshman season at BCU, he earned his way into the starting lineup as their primary catcher. Now, after his sophomore season he earned a chance to play in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League along with Team USA. Here is a segment of a scouting report from Baseball America on the top 20 prospects from Team USA.
Scouting Report Courtesy of Baseball America
6. Peter O'Brien, c (Jr., Bethune-Cookman)
Even after hitting .386/.445/.748 with 20 homers as a sophomore this spring, O'Brien entered the summer as a bit of an unknown commodity to many scouts, who had not seen him against top-level competition. He quickly made a name for himself this summer, rivaling Springer and Rice's Anthony Rendon for most impressive batting practice displays. He went on to hit .306/.350/.694 with a team-best four home runs in 36 at-bats. O'Brien's best tool is his massive raw power, which rates as a 70 tool on the 20-80 scale. Clearly, his power plays in games as well, though his swing has some length and he can be vulnerable against fastballs on the inner half. When he cheats on those, he tends to be susceptible to sliders out of the zone. He doesn't figure to hit for a high average in pro ball, but he should be a passable hitter if he can refine his approach. He's fairly athletic for his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), and he has a chance to be an average defender behind the plate, but he needs to clean up his receiving, which is just fair currently. O'Brien has above-average arm strength and a quick release, but his transfer is not always clean, leading to slower pop times. O'Brien simply needs polish, but all the ingredients are in place for him to be the first college catcher drafted next June.

In addition, here is an article, courtesy of Bethune Cookman Athletics on Petey’s performance with Team USA.

We wish Petey the best of luck in his future baseball endeavors.

BF/Team One Events Attended:

Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout
Christmas Camp
Team One South
Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament


Justin is the Senior Director of Team One Baseball. Justin Roswell joined the Baseball Factory in 2001 serving in the scouting, event coordination, and player development departments. In 2007 he became the Senior Director for Team One Baseball, the showcase division of Baseball Factory. As Senior Director, he leads the player identification process for all Team One Regional Showcases. Justin also runs the Under Armour Tournament Division. Justin graduated from California State University - Fullerton, where he received his degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis on management.

You Made It!!!

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

Several acquaintances of Kyle’s have been drafted over the past couple of years. This year has been the most interesting for us though, as many of Kyle’s friends and former teammates have completed their junior year of college. Passionate, talented baseball players since they were young, we have watched these young men play locally from the time they were 10 years old, to now, the College World Series and other broadcasted games.

One friend (and former teammate) just got drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. A few other young men Kyle played with and against are playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer. Our heartiest ‘Congratulations!’ go out to all of them and their families. These skilled young athletes have persevered mentally and physically. Having watched them for hours, they never quit. They demonstrated unselfish team work. They had fun. Attitude played as much a part in their success as hard work, baseball intelligence and God-gifted talent.

To their families – we’re all celebrating with you! All those hours we shared on the field…all those dreams we dared to dream for only an instant (because of course, ‘we knew the odds against getting drafted or even getting a look’)…the calls to check in on the college search…the joy of National Championship wins by our boys, the underdogs…so many wonderful (and sometimes trying!) memories. They did it!!!! And your time, energy and support played such a big part in that!

We’ll follow with pride the future successes of those boys we knew from carpools and sleepovers. We’ll continue to beam and be proud as we watch and read about them. We’ll still feel they’re partly ours.

So guys, as you head off to the next level we wish you the best of luck. This is what you play the game for, to reach that ultimate goal of success at the college level and beyond. Hit ‘em hard and make the smart plays. There’s still a lot of fun to have with baseball!


Julie Thompson is a parent of a former Baseball Factory Exclusive Program player. She has volunteered to share her opinions, observations and general thoughts regarding the college recruiting and player development process. She will share what worked and what didn’t for her son, in the hope that other parents and players may benefit from her experience.

Making Adjustments as a High School Hitter

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Countless times over the years, I have relayed scouting comments to high school hitters and their parents after they have attended a Baseball Factory event. Many times in these conversations, a hitting tip or adjustment was offered to the family based upon something that our scouts saw during the particular workout. For example, maybe the hitter has an arm bar with his lead arm, maybe he grips the bat too tight in his palms, maybe he isn’t fully utilizing his lower body, or maybe with where his hands start he has trouble catching up to good pitching. Getting this type of feedback can be very helpful for a hitter and could help to lead them on a path to future success.

It always surprises me to receive the following response from a parent or a player, when they have been presented with this type of feedback…. “well (insert player name) has always hit this way and he always has had success back here in (insert city, state).”

At Baseball Factory, we do not prescribe to a “one size fits all approach to hitting.” We understand the difference between what we call “style” versus “function.” Hitters can be successful with many different styles. However, functionally there are some key ingredients to a good swing that are independent of each hitter’s style. Hitters that are successful in high school don’t always translate into above average college hitters, because they may have flaws that get further exposed at the next level. That is why it is always important to keep an open mind when hearing scouting suggestions.

I have seen this first hand at the Major League level as a fan of the New York Yankees. Over the past two years, I have watched three All-Star players re-tool their swings to close some of the holes that existed in their approach. Specifically, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, and now Curtis Granderson have been willing to abandon “what they have always done” in order to achieve even further success. Let’s look at each player:

Cano – He had one of the prettiest left handed swings in the game, but his timing would routinely be off because with where his hands were starting, he wasn’t able to get his front foot down early enough. Towards the end of last year, Cano worked closely with Kevin Long the Yankees hitting coach, to simplify where his hands start. The results in 2010 have been remarkable as Cano is now a bona fide MVP candidate and is having arguably his best offensive season.

Swisher – He had a great offensive year last year despite having the worst numbers in his career in 2008. However, when the playoffs and World Series came in 2009, Swisher got eaten up by the better pitchers as they exploited the holes in his swing. The problem stemmed from a complicated start to the swing and where his hands were positioned. Like Cano, Swisher worked long and hard with Kevin Long in the offseason and his approach in 2010 is now about as simple as they come. From both sides of the plate, Swisher now starts with his bat on his shoulder and just lifts it off slightly into his trigger position. His stride is also much quieter and shorter. The results have been staggering as Swisher is having his most consistent and productive offensive year and made his first All-Star team.

Granderson – He is the latest former All-Star for the Yankees to realize that the old way of hitting just wasn’t working anymore. Midway through the season, Granderson has simplified his stroke, started with his hands in a better launch position, and is staying on the ball longer (especially against lefties). It has only been a few games, but his at-bats have been much better and his power numbers are beginning to pick up again. Granderson actually took 2 games off and worked hard with Kevin Long to put these changes into play. This is something that I noted in my last blog…namely isn’t it better at times to train and do player development than to just play game after game with an approach that isn’t meriting success?

If three major league All-Stars on a World Championship team making millions of dollars can keep an open mind to hitting and making adjustments, then shouldn’t all high school hitters do the same? Keep this blog in mind the next time you feel tempted to justify your son’s hitting performance with the common phrasing of “he has always hit this way.”


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 14 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm Baseball Factory and Team One Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

What Has Impressed Me About the Little League Baseball® World Series

Matt Schilling: From the Batting Cage

This is my first trip to Williamsport for the Little League® World Series and the entire experience has been fantastic. No matter how young or old you are, you cannot help but get caught up in the excitement and pageantry of the event. The organization of this event by the people of Williamsport and the Little League® staff is simply outstanding. While all of that is so impressive what has impressed me the most is the caliber of play. Watching the games on TV does not give you a true indication of just how good these kids are and just how fast the speed of the game is.


On Friday, I watched the game between two powerhouses, Mexico and Japan. The Japanese team was the most impressive team I have ever seen in my life. Now they are not the most talented, not the biggest, and do not have the best individual talent, but the focus and commitment these kids had was simply unbelievable. I saw these players doing things that every coach only dreams of. The coach in me was blown away by what I saw. Between innings the infielders fielded the warm up grounders from the 1st baseman with such intensity and perfect fundamentals. They fielded every ball at game speed with flawless footwork and quick efficient releases producing perfect chest high throws. The outfielders went through a similar between inning warm up, starting it out by throwing crisp, firm ground balls, which they fielded with perfect fundamentals and came up throwing. Once each outfielder had gotten a grounder they then proceeded to throw each other high fly balls, which they all got behind, approached at speed, caught and threw perfectly.

Now if you have never been here I should let you know that the time between innings is pretty long because of the TV time outs. The kids continued this work the entire time, never stopping to talk, take a breath…nothing. They simply kept working on their game. During the course of the game the Japanese team made two pitching changes. As soon as the coach came out to switch pitchers a ball was thrown to first and one to the outfield and this procedure was continued. It was amazing to watch. When this team throws the ball around the horn it is a thing of beauty. All the infielders get athletic, get their feet moving, catch and throw with great quickness, accuracy and hop in their step.

Lastly, during a pitching change by Mexico there was a runner on first. Did this runner take his helmet off and talk with the first base coach…no. Did he gaze at the 16,000 spectators taking in the game…no. Instead, unprompted by any coaches, he was working on timing his breaks off of first base on EVERY warm up pitch the pitcher threw. This kind of focus and intensity to be perfect at every aspect of the game is something you simply don’t see from players. It blew me away and really opened my eyes to what true training, commitment and discipline can be. I cannot wait to watch them play again. The detail with which these kids approach everything they do on the field was simply amazing and was a great education for this coach. I only hope all the other ballplayers who were in attendance noticed this. Do yourself a favor: if you are a baseball fan, make a pilgrimage to Williamsport for this event. You will not be disappointed.


Matt Schilling is the Senior Director of On-Field Instruction at Baseball Factory. Schilling graduated from Coastal Carolina University, where he was an All-Conference and All-State player while being voted the fourth best second baseman in the country by the Smith Award Group. Schilling went on to coach at Coastal for five years, helping them reach the top 25. He is also a former Associate Scout with the Atlanta Braves.

He’s the “Real” McCoy!

Steve Sclafani: All Access Pass

Josh McCoy loves to play baseball. He is a student of the game, hard worker and an outstanding listener.

Last week in Vero Beach, FLA we held our Pro Select Training and Competition event. I got a chance to put the uniform back on and spend long days in the batting cages working with each and every hitter who attended our event.

One thing I have found over the years is that players who listen, are open minded and actually try and implement new techniques are more likely to succeed in this game and usually do better at the game of life as well.

Now if you add a burning desire to improve, hard work day in and day out and someone who advocates for themselves you have quite a recipe for achieving greatness.

We supply these young men and their parents a full immersion crash course into the world of serious baseball training, college recruiting, baseball IQ, life skills and academic guidelines. It’s up to the players to leave our events and implement on a daily basis what they have learned if they truly want to “Build Themselves to Greatness.

After returning home from Vero, two days later I received the following e-mail from Josh:

Hi Mr. Sclafani,

I just wanted to say it was a pleasure meeting you at the Dodgertown pro select training event in Vero Beach last week, it was the greatest experience of my life! I just wanted to let you know the six steps I am practicing and focusing on to make my swing better.

1. Line my feet up so that they are straight
2. Keep my hands up and my elbows down
3. Keep my shoulders straight
4. Keep my back straight and don’t go up, just have a level swing
5. Keep my eyes on the pitchers hat so I'm focused on what pitch he's going to throw
6. Follow through on my swing
7. Also to explode my hips and pivot my back foot while in swing motion

The following is my workout schedule:
1. Stretch for 45 minutes
2. After that run short sprints for 20 minutes
3. Go for a run in my neighborhood for 30 minutes
4. Work on arm strengthening exercises for 30 minutes
5. Then take QUALITY NOT QUANTITY SWINGS in my basement off the tee

Please let me know what you think of my workout schedule and thank you so much for taking the time to teach me how to play baseball the right way.

Thanks again,
Josh McCoy

No need to even talk about Josh’s evaluation, athleticism, etc. This kid understands the art of listening, implementing and simply outworking the competition.
Great to see another “Factory kid” inspired.

Steve Sclafani is the CEO/Founder of the Baseball Factory. Sclafani’s ability to create new opportunities for baseball players nationwide and to develop exposure vehicles has led to over 20,000 Baseball Factory and Team One players competing at the college level, $500 million in scholarships, and over 2,000 players selected in the MLB draft. Sclafani was recognized as a member of Baltimore’s prestigious 40/40 Club, honoring 40 top executives under 40 years of age. Steve is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he played second base.

The Discovery

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Yesterday I received a joyous call from a baseball client. A pitcher, this player first came to see me about two months ago because, in spite of numerous nerve-calming exercises prescribed by his team’s sports psychologist, he was struggling with his performance on the mound. Believe it or not, he judged that his lack of success resulted from fearful thoughts about being struck by a “comebacker.” Out of nowhere, he became scared of getting hit with a ball while in the process of finishing his pitching motion. So, he was having difficulty throwing strikes. And the more this athlete tried to rid himself of, or settle the fearful thoughts, the worse his performances (and the fear) were becoming.

The understanding that erroneous thoughts and feelings have no power to hinder our performances rests within all of us.

During the call, he explained that he took the mound in his previous start with the same fearful thoughts. Yet, when the umpire yelled, “Play ball,” he simply reared back and threw a fast ball right down the middle for a called strike. Eleven pitches later and still fearing the comebacker, the pitcher realized he’d retired the opposing team 1-2-3! Hence, in my client’s words, that night he made the “amazing discovery” that it was possible for him to perform to the best of his ability, in spite of the errant thoughts and feelings running through his brain and body.

Indeed, over the course of the previous two months, this player and I had had numerous discussions about the principle of thought. We talked about the illusionary quality of this principle. He learned that negative thoughts, on their own, are entirely unbiased and will only persist if we fail to recognize our level of well-being at that time. And while I certainly didn’t want him to be afraid, my role was to show him that these thoughts and feelings were completely neutral. They had no ability to encumber his performance, or his life, in any way.

Popular self-help tools, techniques, and books perpetuate the delusion that our thoughts about our circumstances are real and need to be dealt with.

As an example, think about an external circumstance in your own life that (like the comebacker) you believe possesses the power to bring you down or hurt your chance for success. Maybe it’s your coach, your boss, your parents, your contract, an illness of a loved one. Then ask yourself: Does this circumstance always thwart my ability to perform? Does the circumstance always produce errant thoughts and feelings inside of me? If you truly reflect, I am 100 percent certain that the answer is no.

You see, it’s never the outside world—the comebacker or the coach—that restricts our opportunity for success. Only our own fluctuating thoughts, born from our current state of mind, can serve this purpose.

In reality, the fear of the comebacker didn’t always cripple my client. When his mood was high, fearful thoughts came and went; when his mood was low, fearful thoughts stuck. Therefore (in spite of what pop psychology might offer), it will always be ineffective to seek coping mechanisms for paper tigers that we construct, regardless of the circumstances of our past, present, or future. Once you discover that wayward thoughts are self-created and have nothing to do with the situation at hand, you will also discover that the more you try to alter or calm these thoughts, the more real they will seem, and the greater the odds that you will trip come crunch time.

Understanding the principle of thought is the key to navigating smoothly through life and performing to the best of our ability.

So about now, you are probably asking yourself: “Okay, this perspective really feels right, but how do I know when to pay attention to my foreboding thoughts? These thoughts have to have merit sometimes, don’t they? Well, the answer is simple: how do you feel at that moment? Are you clear, resolute, determined? If so, I encourage you to follow these thoughts and your instincts, whatever they may be. My client simply knew that the opposite was the case. He became afraid and lacked determination because an external factor and an errant state of mind were running the show, not his inner wisdom.

It is also important to recognize that at no time during my work with this player did I recommend the proper self-help method or technique for him to make his insightful discovery. This insight spawned from his personal interpretation of the principle of thought and his own gut intuition. I simply reminded him that fearful thoughts have no power to thwart his performance as an athlete. Eventually, that notion felt right to him, and thus “the discovery” was born.

My hope then is that we all realize our potential to make a similar discovery. When anxious thinking defiantly rears its ugly head, we must remember where these thoughts originate and appreciate what they are trying to tell us. For we will always find consistent success and contentment when we understand the innate principle of thought, and thus discover (like this pitcher) that there is nothing “out there” that we ever need to fear.


Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Strengthen your Psyche with Service

Bernadette Bechta: Blackboard Basics

When a student-athlete makes his application to college, he faces evaluation by a committee of people who have never met him. The Admissions Committee is familiar with weighted and unweighted GPA comparisons and can understand SAT or ACT scores. Consideration to class rank can be made to account for school differences. Extracurricular activities enhance your Academic Resume and membership in national organizations like National Honor Society and Boy Scouts of America are acknowledged and rewarded. Personal character traits can be revealed through volunteerism and service activities. These activities give insights into how you might become engaged on this future college campus.

There are ways that your personal character can be included on your online application. Doing so will distinguish you from other applicants if it is meaningful and sincere. Service is the secret element on a college application that enables you to demonstrate character. It can also give you an opportunity to learn about yourself. A few years ago I worked with a junior student-athlete who became a member of the National Honor Society and needed 10 service hours each quarter. When he asked my advice, he immediately realized this would be more than he wanted. I suggested that an underperforming elementary school needed math tutors to help them get accredited and pass the Maryland Achievement tests. I told him to find 2 others, and I would arrange for our group to tutor on our next day off from school. We met and prepared lessons for grades k-5, arrived early at the school, interacted successfully with 200 kids that day, and left exhausted. Each quarter we went back throughout senior year. This student-athlete even wrote to a math workbook company in Chicago and asked if he could reproduce some lessons. Much to his amazement, they offered to send 200 workbooks for the school to use. The most important lesson was that giving back to the community was fun and rewarding. This student-athlete went on to join “Teach for America” and remains in a teaching career. The reward came when the school passed the State Achievement Test.

There are additional benefits to volunteering as well. A powerful new study conducted by Paul Wink of Wellesley College shows that “Giving in high school predicts good physical and mental health all the way into late adulthood, a time interval of over fifty years.” Wink states that “Giving requires three important qualities: a giving disposition, empathy, and competence, particularly social competence.” These qualities lead to success in work, friendship, and love, resulting in happiness and health.” Allan Luks calls it the “helper’s high”. Allan says “a full 50 percent of helpers reported feeling happy when they helped others, while 43 percent felt stronger and more energetic.” These activities can help students learn lifelong traits like tolerance, respect, rank, acceptance, and appreciation. Your parents and teachers probably speak frequently to you about these traits but you could possibly learn about them in a summer project through practical experiences.

Opportunities to serve abound in your community, church, and school. Pick one that appeals to you and enables you to explore your personality at a deeper level. The commitment can be an intense week or two or a year-long activity where you contribute an hour or two a week. Your service may relate to your interests, your future career, your family goals, or your personal passion. One student at my school this year approached me and wants to start a Travel Club to build awareness of multicultural customs, foods, languages, and religions. He feels it would be an opportunity to educate each other while incorporating a lot of students from varied backgrounds.

Get busy this summer and learn more about yourself. Be conscious on your summer job to talk to other experienced workers and ask questions. Volunteer for new tasks. Help at your local community center. Find out about Habitat for Humanity. Jill Neimark and Stephen Post’s book, “Why Good Things Happen to Good People” explores the concept of giving. One of their powerful messages is this: “Enjoy giving to the breadth and depth of your soul and you will be happier, healthier, and live longer.”

Find something engaging and give, give, give! Your rewards will be a stronger sense of yourself, higher self esteem, and a significant contribution to your Academic Resume.


Bernadette Bechta serves as the main academic contact for all players and parents in Baseball Factory's Exclusive Program. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher and advisor at the high school level, Bernadette will provide families with guidance on topics ranging from application essays to financial aid. In addition, Bernadette’s two sons have both gone through the Exclusive Program, so she knows the ins and outs of the process from a parent’s perspective.

This Too Shall Pass

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Late last week, I was speaking to a successful client who was struggling with thoughts about the impending end to his professional playing career. He called me because he wasn’t feeling good about things and, at the moment, simply couldn’t decide whether or not the time had come to call it quits. He believed that I could shed some clarity on the situation.

I pointed out to him that because mounting thoughts about external influences—a smaller contract, new teammates—were taking him farther and farther away from a good feeling, he would be better off putting the supposed issue on the backburner until he was in the proper state of mind to deal with it. He agreed.

However, he then made the following (all-too-common) statement regarding his current issue: “This too shall pass,” he said. For some reason, these words just didn’t sit right with me. So, here I want to discuss the reason why, and what I believe we all can learn from this apparent dilemma.

Our lives do not get better once a difficult situation passes.

First of all, upon my own reflection, I saw that while this saying sounds right, and we have all heard it many times, it was the thinking behind these words that was actually preventing my client from finding his own insightful answer. That is, it occurred to me that there is nothing that takes place in our lives that truly needs to pass. So-called problems are merely born from our own errant thoughts, during our own low moments. In this case, my client actually believed that his life would get better when the negative situation cleared and a career decision was made. My role was to demonstrate to him that the quality of his life does not exist at the mercy of this or any other external situation. Once he understood that, I was certain that he would uncover the appropriate choice about his career, and then things would start to fall in place for him.

The freedom that comes from understanding that nothing needs to pass is what guides us through our apparent difficulties.

You see, as I reminded my client, all of life’s circumstances are impartial and exist totally dependent on our state of mind at the moment the circumstance occurs. How many of us have looked at a situation one day, and it seemed like the end of the world, but on the next day we look at the exact same situation and wonder what we were thinking in the first place? In other words, it’s never the situation that needs to pass; it’s our state of mind that can and will pass, if only we allow it.

The lesson here is that if a smooth and successful path through life is what we are after, we must understand that our ability to learn or grow from any difficulty has nothing to do with the circumstance and everything to do with us. Thus, the more we try to shrug off or alter our thoughts about the difficulty, the cloudier the answers become and the worse our performance gets.

Lucky for my client, he ultimately realized this truth and then found the freedom to make the appropriate decision. In fact, he decided to get back in the gym and give his playing career one more year. Wouldn’t you know it—his general manger reached out two days later and now wants to talk about some additional performance bonuses. As I said, nothing needed to pass after all!


Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Cape Cod Pro Training Thoughts

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

I just recently returned from Baseball Factory’s Cape Cod Pro Select Training. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the program, it is an intense skill development event where players are challenged to elevate their game by our professional staff. The itinerary includes position defense work, offensive instruction, speed/agility/movement efficiency training, video analysis, guest speakers, and simulated games. In addition, our players watch the prestigious Cape Cod Collegiate League games in the evening. The Cape Cod Collegiate league has produced thousands of major league players making it arguably the #1 collegiate summer league in the nation.

Being at this event reminded me just how important it is for young players to train and refine their skills. Today’s high school baseball players are so focused on showcasing and tournaments, but if you take a step back and really think about it, skill development and training should be more important. Isn’t it crazy to showcase your skills for college coaches and to play game after game with techniques that don’t maximize success and “expose” your flaws? Even major league players have fall instructional leagues and intense player development programs in spring training. If the professionals do it, shouldn’t high school players do the same?

My academic analogy is this. Would you ever advocate that a student take a test (in baseball speak -- a showcase or tournament game) without ever studying (our game’s version of skill development or training)? Don’t most students perform better on tests after they have studied? If you are a parent of a high school player, think about how much time your son is focusing on improving his weaknesses, outside of just playing in games. If it isn’t much, this should be a reminder that skill development should get significantly more attention.

Thank you to the Baseball Factory staff and players for an excellent experience. I really enjoyed being back on the field and working hands on with you. Check out the video reel below for some thoughts on the event from parents and players who were in attendance.

Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 14 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm Baseball Factory and Team One Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

LIVE: From the Under Armour Southwest Tournament

Dave Lax: We're There

Other than the torrential downpour near the end of the day, we are off to a great start here in Arizona. The Baseball Factory Teams went 3-0 today with solid pitching being the highlight.

Baseball Factory Red narrowly escaped a bottom of the 7th collapse holding off Showtime Baseball of Arizona, 3-2. Showtime loaded the bases in the 7th with two out. The hitter sent a liner towards the pitcher, Bryce Wellborn, who got a glove on it and it ricocheted to the second baseman who flipped it to the shortstop covering to end the game.

Baseball Factory Royal got a solid, albeit adventurous, performance out of Eric Brothers who gave up two unearned runs through 5 innings. He walked 6 in 5 innings, but managed to limit the damage with two pickoffs and several other key plays. Tyler Lara came in for the save holding off the Clovis Sandgnats from Central California, 4-3.

Baseball Factory Navy cruised to a 4-0 victory over the California Panthers behind the strong pitching performances of starter Jacob French and reliever Joey Samuels. French needed only 48 pitches to get through 5 innings and Samuels needed 24 pitches to get through the two final innings. For those counting at home, that's 72 pitches in a 7 inning game. Not too shabby.

Patrick Wuebben will do a college recruiting talk tonight with the Baseball Factory teams. The rain has adjusted the schedule but we’ll do everything we can to get in as many games as possible.


Dave Lax is the Assistant Director of Marketing at Baseball Factory. Dave started with Baseball Factory in June of 2006 having earned his degree in Business from the University of Maryland, College Park. He majored in Marketing and minored in Communication. At Maryland, he played on the Scout Basketball Team for three years, where he was part of the National Championship team in 2006. In addition to his marketing responsibilities Dave serves as the administrator for Baseball University and helps design and maintain the website.

It’s All About the Fit

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

Rob’s blog, “You Can’t Handle the Truth,” was so true. What parent hasn’t eventually had that discussion with a teacher or coach? Most of us know it’s coming, but we’re sure it’s down the road. And when it comes…it almost always feels like a kick in the stomach.

We all have to recognize our children’s strengths and weaknesses—hard for us, but it’s what’s best for them. Sometimes, though, an evaluation really does reflect the fit between the student/player and a particular teacher or coach, rather than an absolute ‘correctness’ of that child’s abilities. Teachers and coaches are all unique—personalities, backgrounds and styles—and human, with good days and bad days. And sometimes the evaluations reflect that. If, after a hard cold look at your child’s abilities, that evaluation remains significantly different than your own, it may be time for a second opinion. That’s where an independent assessment from a knowledgeable third party comes in. It’s one of the reasons we came to Baseball Factory when our younger son got to high school.

Here’s what happened to us. All three of our children were accomplished student/athletes. Our older son was a basketball player. At 5’10 and change, and struggling to hang on to 170 lbs, we knew the NBA probably wasn’t going to be in his future. High school and college basketball probably could be though, at least in our opinion. By high school, Matt had played a lot of basketball. He’d loved the game since he was five, and had been successful on the teams on which he’d played. He’d also gotten awards at some highly regarded camps, and had been sought out by a couple of the better AAU teams in the area. As Matt’s parents, we thought he was pretty skilled (of course!), which seemed to be supported by outside feedback.

At high school Captain’s Practice and Tryouts, Matt was encouraged by the team’s captains and upper classmen. Some players told him he would probably play varsity as a freshman. Then, when the teams were posted, Matt didn’t even make JV. He was on the freshman team. Disappointed and a bit ticked-off, the assignment showed in Matt’s game. His attitude and work ethic fell off significantly. As parents, we emphasized the importance of continuing to work hard and play smart…basically, to keep caring. It didn’t work. And while I’m not justifying the decline in Matt’s attitude, we knew there were questions about the varsity coach’s overall direction with the school’s basketball program. Further, Matt’s dad and I weren’t entirely comfortable with the assessment our son had gotten, as well as the overall quality of the program. We didn’t seek out a second opinion, but I wish we had. Thankfully, one was about to come our way.

Matt’s friend, Bill, ran into a similar situation at the school (he made the JV team, but didn’t play much). The boys were AAU teammates and pushed hard there, attracting the attention of a prep school coach with a strong basketball background. As juniors, both Matt and Bill transferred schools to be with the new coach. That year, the prep school team won their league and took second place at Regional Championships in their division. Senior year, they won their league again, and this time took first place in Regional Championships. In contrast, the school the boys left had several disappointing years, eventually posting a 50+ game losing streak.

There was no doubt in both my husband’s and my mind, the coaching ability and basketball experience provided by Matt’s new coach far surpassed what he would have gotten at his original high school. The new coach was more knowledgeable about the sport, was more engaged with his players, and he could mold and develop individual styles. His players were motivated, wanting to develop and perform to the best of their abilities.

Matt played two years of college basketball before opting to stop to devote more time to academics. In our opinion, he attended a more highly ranked college than he ever would have because of the exposure and confidence that a successful high school basketball experience gave him.

As parents, we learned three lessons from Matt’s experience: (1) Get a realistic, independent assessment of your child’s abilities; (2) Know the forces that drive him/her and (3)…It’s all about the fit. Find the best one for your son or daughter, and do it early enough to make a difference for high school and college.



Julie Thompson is a parent of a former Baseball Factory Exclusive Program player. She has volunteered to share her opinions, observations and general thoughts regarding the college recruiting and player development process. She will share what worked and what didn’t for her son, in the hope that other parents and players may benefit from her experience.

Positions and Rosters in College Recruiting Pt. 3

Dan Mooney: Your Link to the Colleges

One last entry about rosters and college recruiting, guys.

Don’t expect to get recruited because you’re a utility player. College baseball rosters may include up to 35 players at the Division I level, so there is enough depth there that coaches don’t need to rely on their players covering multiple positions. There are too many players out there that are jack-of-all-trades and masters of nothing. Guys change positions all the time at the next level, and while you want to show college coaches that you are willing to do whatever you can to help the team, you still need to hone your skills at one primary position.

Most high school players should also not expect to be a two-way guy at the next level. I only played with one two-way guy during my college years, and his name was Brad Wilkerson. Brad played CF, 1B and pitched for the University of Florida before leaving as a 1st Round draft pick. Oh, and he also hit 24 home runs that year, too.

I certainly don’t want to ride both sides of the fence on this, but you may be saying to yourself that some coaches have shown interest in you being a two-way guy. So, yes, it does happen, and this is not the rule, but two-way guys are likely to get a look if one of their positions is at pitcher. You don’t see a lot of 3B/OF or SS/C running around out there. You will, however, find 1B/P, 3B/P or OF/P. Those of you who are P/C, make your mind up now, because it will not happen at the next level. You are putting too much stress on your arm- don’t expect it to last much longer then your HS years.

If you are having a hard time trying to decide whether to be a pitcher or position player, here are few things that will help. If you want to pitch, velocity will be a big factor. Yes, getting outs and having good secondary stuff is important, but coaches want velocity, period… unless you are left-handed. So, if you are 6’0 and throw 80-82 MPH, start hitting more; coaches can find those guys in every city across the country. If you are leaning toward being a position player, take a close look at your position and what is needed to be successful at the next level. For example, OF and middle guys need to have some speed, corner guys need to hit, etc. If you can flat out hit, hit and hit, just make sure you have a pulse because coaches will find a place for you.

Hopefully the last few entries have given you some extra insight into college recruiting. For reference, here are links to the previous two: Part 2, Part 1. We’d love your comments and questions.

Dan is the Senior Director of College Recruiting. Dan was drafted in the 40th round by the Chicago Cubs after his senior year at Monsignor Donovan High School, but decided to begin his collegiate career as a catcher at Brevard Junior College. He later transferred to the Univ. of Florida where he redshirted for a season, before transferring to North Carolina State University where he was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer. After college, Dan played professionally in the Boston Red Sox organization where he reached the double-A level before being forced to retire after an injury. Dan has assisted hundreds of players reach their goal of playing college baseball and has developed relationships with college coaches across the nation through his time as a player and during his career in the college recruiting department at Baseball Factory.

Approaching the Recruiting Process Like a Marathon

Woody Wingfield: Your Link to the Colleges

This past weekend, fellow Baseball Factory staff member Dave Lax and I completed the Celebration Sprint Triathlon here in Columbia, MD. Thinking back to the race and the 5 months of training reminded me that going through the college recruiting process is a pretty similar feat. It’s not an easy thing to do, and for most people, it takes a great deal of hard work and time. It truly takes a certain mindset to get the most out of this process, and there are some very important points for parents and players to remind themselves of daily while trying to find the best fit athletically, academically and socially:

To get the best results, you must be consistent throughout the entire process. 5 months sounds like a lot of time to train, but believe me, it took DAY-TO-DAY preparation to get from the water to the finish line. There were days when I had a lot going on, but I still had to find time to train.

Between schoolwork, practice, games, showcases and camps, there is a lot to juggle for the average high school baseball player. In order to tackle the recruiting process, you have to think of it as adding an extra high school course to your already hectic schedule. This means checking your e-mail DAILY, minding the Golden Rule of recruiting -- answering EVERYTHING you get from EVERY school -- and keeping college coaches updated on your fall, spring and summer seasons. I advise high school seniors in our E BATS Program to be in contact with coaches on their college list about once every two to three weeks.

You have to be persistent. Over the course of training, there were good days and there are bad days. I had to press extra hard on those bad days, even when it felt like I wasn’t improving.

You may hear some no’s for the first time, and there will be a lot of e-mails not returned. Hopefully, you’ll hear just as many yes’s, as well. Either way, you cannot allow the work you put into the recruiting process to ebb and flow with the response you’re getting, or lack thereof.

I especially mean to relate this to the lack of responses. When you’re sixteen, seventeen or even eighteen years old, it can feel pretty awkward to have to repeat yourself or re-send things to a college coach. DO IT. Even if it’s the third or fourth time that you’ve sent a coach your video, it could be the first time he gets a chance to see it. Remember, college coaches have to wear a lot of different hats, and sometimes they can’t get to their e-mail consistently. Do them (and yourself) a favor by following up if you don’t hear back on videos or questions that you send. By being persistent, you won’t assume anything during the process like “I guess he just doesn’t like me” and will be able to make a more informed decision.

This isn’t a race, and the finish line does not have to be in November. I don’t know about Lax, but I didn’t wake up on Sunday trying to win the race. If I had come out of the starting block in a sprint, I never would have made it out of the water. The only way I was able finish the triathlon was to go at MY PACE and ignore the participants that passed me or the others that I managed to pass (there were a few of them out there!).

Now that we’ve hit July 1st, this is where our staff gets a lot of calls about what OTHER players are hearing, or more accurately, what families think other players are hearing. Believe me when I tell you that there is no cookie cutter method or schedule in the college recruiting process. This is YOUR process and YOUR future, and you will only add frustration if you begin comparing what you are hearing with what others are telling you.

As we’ve mentioned before in other entries, only around 20% of all baseball players end up signing by November. To not be finished with the process at this point is not a failure, and for most people, it is a blessing in disguise. Fewer mistakes are made on the part of those that sign in April or later than those that sign in November because they have more time to fully explore their options and connect with all interested programs.

Just like any endurance contest, you are your worst enemy! The E BATS staff believes that there is a spot out there for everyone that has the desire to play at the next level, but it takes hard work regardless of what level you are shooting for. As long as you are consistent, persistent and stay within yourself, you can find a place to play in college.

Woody serves as the Director of College Recruiting Operations, working with players and parents in the ACR, Exclusive and Exclusive BATS Programs. His role is to assist all families with questions they may have throughout the recruiting process. Woody is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he worked as an intern with the Cavalier Baseball Team.

You Can’t Handle the Truth!

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

Most parents will remember this famous line delivered by Jack Nicholson’s character (Colonel Nathan Jessup) in the classic movie, “A Few Good Men.” The title for this blog is apropos because it represents my own inability as a parent to “handle the truth” which I think was a very good learning experience for me, and it may be for other parents as well that are reading this. Let me explain further…

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I have young children (two daughters with a third child on the way). My oldest daughter just finished the first grade and this year was our first experience with “report cards.” The school my daughter attends does an outstanding job providing feedback/scores to parents on very specific elements of the children’s academic performance, social and emotional intelligence skills, and also their work habits. In addition, they also provide a written dialogue on each subject that gives you further insight into your child’s performance (both positive and where there are areas for improvement). In some ways, it is very similar to what I think Baseball Factory does for our baseball players. Namely, we give players/parents a very good idea of where they stand nationwide and how the players can continue to improve upon their weaknesses.

I should preface my comments by saying that overall my child did very well on her assessment. But just like every child, she had a few “areas to work on.” What I realized is that when you receive this type of feedback as a parent, it becomes a very interesting “moment of truth” for the parent. How are you going to respond to hearing that your child isn’t the best at something and needs improvement? Are you going to blame other people? Are you going to blame the system? Yourself?

For me, my initial reaction had my ego getting the best of me. Clearly (I believed) there must be something incorrect with how she is being taught, right? Maybe the philosophy of the school is to blame, or better yet, the individual teachers approach. I went on for a few days, stewing inside and coming up with all kinds of theories as to why this was the case.

It took a conversation with my wife (who is wiser than me on these matters by the way) to get me to see clearly. Maybe our daughter is exactly where she needs to be right now? Maybe it is a blessing that we are getting this information and we should focus on giving her the support she needs, and not look to assess misdirected blame? Maybe it is wonderful as parents to have her in a school where she is getting such clear feedback and the support to improve in certain areas? And maybe, just maybe, this is happening to you as a parent so you can see the other side (as your Baseball Factory parents see) when your company delivers “feedback” on their son’s baseball ability so you can understand how they feel? It is amazing how your whole outlook can change when you look at something with a clearer perspective like this.

I think this experience will certainly help me to “handle the truth” in the future, when it comes to my kids. As parents, we just want what is best for our kids (more than anything) and it takes a level head and an honest set of eyes to have the right perspective.


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 14 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm Baseball Factory and Team One Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

A Fond Farewell

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Every June, the College World Series captures the sporting spotlight through the continuous ping of Louisville Slugger bats. Baseball fans nationwide are captivated as 64 becomes 16 and finally the Omaha Eight that create the College World Series. It’s teams like Fresno State that define the CWS. In 2008, they were a four seed in the regionals, and went on to win it all. That’s like a 13 - 16 seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament winning the tournament. Unheard of, yet it happened in Omaha.

This is one of thousands of amazing moments that have occurred at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, but the moments are running out. This is the last year that the CWS will be played at Rosenblatt Stadium. Next year, the tournament will move downtown to the TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, currently being built in preparation for 2011. The sound of it just screams “commercial.” How many years before TD Ameritrade Park becomes the Bank of America Park or the AOL Park.

Rosenblatt Stadium was built in 1948 and began hosting the CWS in 1950. The park seats 23,100 fans, which is one of the main reasons for the move. The CWS has gone from a tournament to an event, and there’s enough demand to warrant a larger and more state of the art stadium. While it makes sense from a business perspective, baseball fans will be sorry to see it go. Within its walls, many of the greatest college players in history have competed. While many of the participants have gone on to greatness at the professional level, many of them are now doctors or teachers…having graduated and moved into what is the “real world” for the majority of us.

I think that’s what helps connect our country to college sports in general. While the NCAA is big business, these are still 18 – 22 year old kids, playing a sport that they love, before entering the “real world.”

While the CWS will continue its storied history next year, and we’ll all continue to watch, I can tell you that I’m paying closer attention this year than ever. I don’t want to miss the last moments that Johnny Rosenblatt has to offer.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Stephan Strasburg and Why Experience is Overrated

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

You hear it all the time, “He’s got loads of talent but is not yet experienced enough to come through in the big spot.” Or, as in Tuesday night’s pitching debut of the Washington National’s Stephen Strasburg, “The kid has all the tools but is he too young to handle the pressure?” And while experience does have the potential to serve as “the name we give to our mistakes,” I am certain that when you examine the keys to success, it is one of the most overrated qualities an athlete can possess.

With a lack of inner wisdom, experience will work against an athlete.

Simply put, an athlete’s level of experience will only be as good as his state of mind during a particular contest. Golfer Greg Norman was 41 years of age and a twenty year veteran, when he relinquished a six shot lead and blew the 1996 Masters. And the Soviet hockey team was by far the best in the world when they lost the gold medal to a raw bunch of American college kids in the 1980 Olympics. Experience in these competitions then, was not the deciding factor, and I would argue that with a lack of knowledge about what can happen in one’s own head, it often works against players of any age.

What I am saying is that when an athlete fails to understand that external factors (national media, a major title, a sellout crowd, a tough opponent) actually have no ability to regulate performance, he becomes a passive victim of whatever exists “out there,” and as the experiences mount, so do the failures. Now, when a young athlete- Tuesday night’s performance by Strasburg being a great example- understands deeply that the capacity to create success rests only within him, then independent of experience and external situations, the opportunity to come through will always be at hand.

The feeling that a game or life looks bleak, or not, at a particular moment, has nothing to do with experience.

Moreover, I believe it important to recognize that no matter the level of experience, an athlete who is operating from a low level of well being and doesn’t know what to do (and not do) about it will almost always fail. While those individuals who understand to look within and thus stay true to their own course, will almost always prevail. Remember, coach Herb Brooks repeatedly told his inexperienced players to “play your game,” as their state of mind waned against the Soviets.

Lastly, I hope you now see that when an athlete views life from an outside-in perspective, he will possess little power to learn and to flourish from his circumstances, since he can only act in response to the way the game and life may appear at that particular moment. On the other hand, an insightful player (one who views life from an inside-out perspective) remains aware that creative opportunity can only exist in one place- inside of him. In turn, he possesses permanent access to the answer through any trying circumstance, including opening night pressure…..As I said, I am certain that this essential understanding and thus success, has nothing to do with one’s level of experience, and Stephan Strasburg’s major league debut provides all the proof you’ll ever need.


Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

LIVE: Under Armour Southeast Regional Tournament

Becky Oldham: We're There

Day 2

Another day of baseball has concluded here in Jupiter, FL. The championship bracket is becoming a little clearer, but there are still plenty of games left to decide who will go on to play for this year's crown. Defending champion Palm Beach PAL are 3-0, but there are a few other teams that boast that same record including the Palm Beach Select 17, All-American Prospects 17, Miami Snappers, Palm Beach PAL 16 and the Miami Snappers Blue while Gatorball 16 is 2-0. So going into the last day of pool play these teams along with the other squads will make their final push for the championship bracket and top seeding.

Check back tomorrow to find out the seedings of the championship bracket along with how Day 3 concluded.

LIVE: Under Armour Southeast Regional Tournament

Becky Oldham: We're There

Day 3 is in the books and so it the pool play portion of the 2010 Under Armour Southeast Regional Tournament. 35 teams played their hardest in hopes that they would win their pool and move onto the nine team championship bracket. The nine teams that will continue their quest to be crowned this year's champion are:
(Teams are ordered based on their seeding)

1. Palm Beach PAL 16
2. Palm Beach PAL 17
3. All-American Prospects 17
4. Miami Snappers Blue
5. Palm Beach Select 17
6. Miami Snappers 18
7. Atlanta Blue Jays
8. Freshwater Storm
9. South Florida Elite Black 16

Check out where all the other teams in this year's tournament finished up by checking out the results page on teamonebaseball.com

Check back tomorrow to see who made it through to the semi-finals on Tuesday.

LIVE: Under Armour Southeast Regional Tournament

Becky Oldham: We're There

Today 35 teams of all-star high school baseball players and their friends and families gathered at the Roger Dean Sports Complex for the fourth annual Under Armor Southeast Regional Tournament. The defending champions, The Palm Beach PAL, are working towards another championship after beating the All American Prospects today 2-1. Day one was a success and the rest of the results from the first round can be found on the Team One Baseball website.

The Baseball Factory Navy Team faced a tough loss against the Florida Diamond Pro- Gold this on day one, but had some commendable plays by its players. Walker struck out Navarro and Sosa in the 1st inning with his 83/86 fastball and Robinson had a great throw to Ferguson to end the inning. Kyle Washington did outstanding in the 2nd inning with a line drive down the third base line and then stole second. Catcher, Jarod Silvers, was a noteworthy player who worked very well behind the plate consistently throughout the entire game. The team went on to lose, however, this group of talented young athletes worked well with each other considering they had just met 12 hours prior to the game.

Dylan Silva (Lake Worth, FL) started the first inning strong on the mound for the Baseball Factory Red Team, retiring the side including two strikeouts. However with the dangerous lineup of the Atlanta Blue Jays along with some untimely errors, the Blue Jays took a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the 3rd. But, the Factory battled back. After Stephen Trail (Catonment, FL) took first after being hit by a pitch, Austin Barrois (Belle Chasse, LA) followed with an infield single. Next, Dylan Chayes (Oceanport, NJ) moved both runners into scoring position and Trail eventually scored from third on a pass ball to put the Factory on the board 4-1. Christian Ellis (Tuttle, OK) then followed with a single to left to score Barrois and the inning ended with a score of 4-2. However, the Factory was unable to contain the potent Blue Jays lineup as they ended up dropping their first game 10-2.

Stay tuned the rest of the week to see how the Baseball Factory teams fair, as well as the other 33 teams in the Under Armour Southeast Tournament.

MLB Draft

Steve Bernhardt: Draft Report

Follow the first round of the draft right here! I'll be highlighting select players as they come off the board. Click on the player's name to view video footage.

10:24 PM- Nick Castellanos comes off the board, heading to Detroit! Check out our video showing how Nick...Built his way to Greatness.

10:00 PM - The first round is over with the Compensation Round on deck...There are some top high school prospects still on the board including Nick Castellanos, Stetson Allie and Austin Wilson, all players from the Under Armour All-America Game.

9:47 PM - The Angels are loading up on high school talent. With the 3oth overall pick, they select Chevez Clarke, a switch hitting OF from Georgia. Check out the scouting report on Chevy from the Under Armour All-America Game:

8/6/2009 - Under Armour All-America Game: A dynamic athlete with present tools and strength. He is already a plus runner and with some refinements will be a future ML centerfielder. At the plate, has a good feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate making consistent line drive contact. He has quick hands and an advanced feel for the strike zone making him profile as a future top-of-the-order guy. First round talent who is committed to Georgia Tech.


9:37 PM - As I've said before, when in doubt, draft a QB...Zach Lee and Kyle Parker are two of the last three picks. Parker, a QB at Clemson and Lee a high school stud QB headed to LSU.


9:20 PM - The St. Louis Cardinals take Zack Cox, a standout 3B from the University of Arkansas. Cox attended the Cape Cod High School Classic in 2007, where he impressed both as a position player and a hard throwing RHP.


9:03 PM - The Rangers take Kellin Deglan, a player that has been steadily rising on draft boards over the past year since his appearance in the Under Armour All-America Game in 2009. The top high school position player in Canada, check out our report on Deglan:

8/6/2009 - Under Armour All-America Game: Catcher with a tall, lean frame. Catch and throw skills will be sufficient to stay behind the plate. Arm plays with on line carry. Best tool is his smooth LH stroke with some natural lift. He uses the whole field and catches up to velocity without issue. He will continue to develop power as he physically matures and gains strength which will also help his durability behind the plate. Committed to Florida International.


8:58 PM - Alex Wimmers is taken by the Minnesota Twins with the 21st overall pick in this year's draft. The Twins seem thrilled that he fell to them. His command and secondary pitches should play well at the next level. Should be interesting to see if the Rangers reach again like they did with Skole, or take a top 25 prospect.


8:37 PM - Josh Sale, an OF from Washington is taken by the Tampa Bay Rays. Sale has a strong, compact build with big forearms and big power. His LH stroke is a bit stiff at times, but he generates plus bat speed and makes hard contact especially to the pull side. He has played 3B for his high school team but figures to shift to LF in pro ball to allow him to relax and concentrate on what he does best – hit. He is committed to attend Gonzaga in the fall.


8:21 PM - Dylan Covey, selected by the Milwaukee Brewers, is a right-hander who pitches for Manantha HS in California. Covey is an athletically built 6’2”, 195-pounder who is in control on the mound. He throws a low 90s fastball with some tail along with both a power curve ball and a solid change-up. This quality three pitch mix has allowed him to cruise through the high school season this spring, piling up strikeout totals. Covey is committed to the University of San Diego and is ranked 5th overall on Baseball Factory’s Top 100.


8:11 PM - The ACC Player of the Year, Yasmani Grandal goes to the Cincinnati Reds. One of many players from the University of Miami that will likely be drafted over the next few days.


7:54 PM - Karsten Whitsonis off the board. The second high school pitcher taken in this year's draft. Check out the scouting report from the 2009 Under Armour All-America Game:

8/6/2009 - Under Armour All-America Game Whitson has an ideal pitcher’s frame and is a strong righty with a loose, live arm. He pounds the strike zone with a 90-96 mph fastball that requires little effort. He also throws a sharp slider at 78-81, giving him two above average offerings and making him one of the top pitchers in the 2010 class and a first round arm. Committed to Florida


7:48 PM - Delino Deshields, Jr. selected by the Houston Astros. Deshields impressed our scouts at the Under Armour Southeast Tournament back in 2009, playing summer ball for the Atlanta Blue Jays. This year's Under Armour Southeast Tournament gets underway on August 11.


7:37 PM - Barrett Loux goes to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a bit of a surprise pick. Check out the mock draft from Frankie Piliere on Fanhouse.com. He had Loux as the 23rd overall. You can also see some additional draft coverage on Fanhouse.com that I participated in last week.

7:26 PM - The Royals select Christian Colon, the first player selected from a four-year college. We first saw Colon as a high school junior when he attended the Team One Futures Showcasein 2005.


7:21 PM - The Orioles select Manny Machado. The top shortstop that has emerged in this year’s high school group, he seems to have the best chance to actually stick at SS with his sure hands, plus arm and playable range. His actions are easy and fluid, and though some teams are concerned that his frame will fill out to a point that a shift to 3B is necessary, the Orioles must be convinced that he is their shortstop of the future. At the plate Machado has good barrel accuracy with quick hands and shows flashes of pull power that will continue to develop.


7:16 PM - The Pirates select Jameson Taillon, the top pitcher in the 2010 high school class. Here is his scouting report from the Under Armour All-America Game:

8/6/2009 - Under Armour All-America Game
The top arm in the 2010 class, Taillon is a big, strong RHP with an intimidating presence. He combines mid 90s velocity with a hard breaking curveball that is his out pitch. Being from Texas, his body and stuff have garnered Roger Clemens comparisons. He attended an Under Armour National Tryout in Irving, TX and subsequently pitched for the Baseball Factory in the Arizona Sophomore Fall Classic in Peoria. He has committed to Rice. Taillon was an MVP of the Under Armour All-America Game and has already touched 100mph this spring.

7:10 PM- The draft is underway, and after what seems like three years of waiting, Bryce Harperhas finally been selected as the number one pick. No surprises here. The Nationals now have the rights to what many believe to be the two best prospects in baseball. Let's look back...here is the scouting report that our staff put together back in 2008, when we first saw Bryce as a high school freshman:

2/24/2008 - Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout - Las Vegas: Bryce is a tall strong athletic catcher/SS who still has tons more time to improve and get better. Behind the plate, shows well above arm action and release with pop times in the 1.88 range. Hands are soft while receiving and body gets down quickly to block balls in the dirt. He is a way ahead of the competition behind the plate. At SS, shows a loose arm and soft hands. Gets rid of the ball quickly and turns the double play well. Not too many holes in his defensive game. Swing is easy with power to all fields. Ball flies off his bat. Has bat speed and creates good backspin on the ball. Quite simply, Bryce is a stud and only a 2011 grad.


Steve Bernhardt is quickly becoming known on a national level as one of the top authorities on high school baseball prospects. Steve was chosen by MLB.com as a special consultant for their 2008 and 2009 Pre-Draft coverage. In addition, over the past three years Steve has been the liaison with Baseball America providing thousands of scouting reports on players from the 200+ Baseball Factory and Team One events nationwide that he oversees.

Steve has also chosen the Top 36 High School Baseball Players each year for the Under Armour All-America Game, powered by Baseball Factory. From the 2008 game 29 of the All-Americans were selected in the 2009 MLB draft including seven in the first round.

Currently, Steve oversees the Baseball Factory Top 100, presented by Under Armour which ranks the top high school prospects in the country. Steve has also been featured on the nationally syndicated Diamond Gems Baseball program that airs in thirty cities across America. Steve has also made appearances in the last year on the following programs: Mark Viviano Show – ESPN Radio, 1300 AM, John Thompson Show – 980 AM, Anita Marks Show – ESPN Radio, 1200 AM/MASN TV, Jeremy Kahn: “Playermakers” – 105.7 FM, Bob Harvey: “WNST” – 1570 AM, Grant Paulsen Show – XM Radio