CFP wrote:If you honestly don't know the draft is in June and know how it works, then you're not a baseball fan.

OK, we're going with a verbal play-by-play for the top of the ninth inning here at Tony Gwynn Stadium. To heck with the chance for a jinx; maybe Stephen Strasburg can dismiss that same as he's dismissed all those Air Force batters tonight.

Strasburg has never thrown a no-hitter in his college career.

But through eight innings, he's working on one. He's struck out 14 -- including every opposing batter at least once. In only one inning has he failed to get at least one strikeout.

A record crowd (3,337) is on hand for Strasburg's final home start. By now, the sun has set, creating a very cool visual marriage between the black outfield backdrop and the 6-foot-5 presence on the mound -- shrouded in an all-black uniform, but for razor-straight red brim of his cap.

8:06 p.m. -- Strasburg walks to the mound. Receives a standing ovation. Most of the fans settle back in their seats, but Rizzo (holding a cup of coffee) remains standing against a railing until the righty completes his warm-up pitches.

8:07 p.m. -- I don't even notice radar guns pointing at Strasburg any longer. Maybe the scouts have seen enough. His second pitch this inning, a fastball, looked as strong as anything he's thrown all game, though.

8:09 p.m. -- The first batter of the inning, Blair Roberts, goes down swinging on a 2-2 fastball. That's strikeout No. 15.

8:10 p.m. -- Next hitter is outfielder Tytus Moss, a big guy, an outfielder. Swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss. We're one out away.

8:11 p.m. -- Everybody is standing. Everybody. Ohhs and ahhs after every pitch. Strasburg goes 1-1 on No. 5, outfielder Nathan Carter. Then 1-2. Clapping... For strike 3, he freezes Carter with an absurd slider. Strasburg pumps his fist, takes about two steps off the mound, and spikes his black mitt to the ground. All at once, his catcher bull-rushes him, and just as Strasburg is getting carried into the air, every one of his teammates turns the middle of the field into a mob.

Not bad for a last home start.

kruker wrote:And then this happens:

Strasburg Throws A No-Hitter

OK, we're going with a verbal play-by-play for the top of the ninth inning here at Tony Gwynn Stadium. To heck with the chance for a jinx; maybe Stephen Strasburg can dismiss that same as he's dismissed all those Air Force batters tonight.

Strasburg has never thrown a no-hitter in his college career.

But through eight innings, he's working on one. He's struck out 14 -- including every opposing batter at least once. In only one inning has he failed to get at least one strikeout.

A record crowd (3,337) is on hand for Strasburg's final home start. By now, the sun has set, creating a very cool visual marriage between the black outfield backdrop and the 6-foot-5 presence on the mound -- shrouded in an all-black uniform, but for razor-straight red brim of his cap.

8:06 p.m. -- Strasburg walks to the mound. Receives a standing ovation. Most of the fans settle back in their seats, but Rizzo (holding a cup of coffee) remains standing against a railing until the righty completes his warm-up pitches.

8:07 p.m. -- I don't even notice radar guns pointing at Strasburg any longer. Maybe the scouts have seen enough. His second pitch this inning, a fastball, looked as strong as anything he's thrown all game, though.

8:09 p.m. -- The first batter of the inning, Blair Roberts, goes down swinging on a 2-2 fastball. That's strikeout No. 15.

8:10 p.m. -- Next hitter is outfielder Tytus Moss, a big guy, an outfielder. Swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss. We're one out away.

8:11 p.m. -- Everybody is standing. Everybody. Ohhs and ahhs after every pitch. Strasburg goes 1-1 on No. 5, outfielder Nathan Carter. Then 1-2. Clapping... For strike 3, he freezes Carter with an absurd slider. Strasburg pumps his fist, takes about two steps off the mound, and spikes his black mitt to the ground. All at once, his catcher bull-rushes him, and just as Strasburg is getting carried into the air, every one of his teammates turns the middle of the field into a mob.

Not bad for a last home start.

17K's. No hitter.

ReadingPhilly wrote:do any scouts even show up at his games anymore?

FTN wrote:

ReadingPhilly wrote:do any scouts even show up at his games anymore?

I think its more voyeuristic at this point. If for some reason the Nats pass, the Mariners will take him.

PSUPhilliesPhan wrote:Anyone know how Ryan Weber, our 12th round pick last year is doing?

kruker wrote:Any chance that Tommy Mendonca slips to us or is he as good as gone? I haven't been able to see a real definitive projection for where he's going to go yet.

.320/.429/.691 with 20 HR's and 5 doubles so far. 50 K's to 23 BB.

His uncle actually played for the Phillies. He's got a hole in his swing that results in K's, but he's got legit power and has improved his K and BB rates.

Fresno Bio

Baseball Cube. Only up until last season

kruker wrote:Stats

82IP, 83H, 16BB, 71K, 3.92 ERA

kruker wrote:Any chance that Tommy Mendonca slips to us or is he as good as gone? I haven't been able to see a real definitive projection for where he's going to go yet.

.320/.429/.691 with 20 HR's and 5 doubles so far. 50 K's to 23 BB.

His uncle actually played for the Phillies. He's got a hole in his swing that results in K's, but he's got legit power and has improved his K and BB rates.

Fresno Bio

Baseball Cube. Only up until last season

I'll skip some of the nitty-gritty for now and get to the important stuff. I found 62 third basemen who were on the field for at least 800 balls in play in both 2008 and 2009. (Those 800 BIP represent about 33 games, a low enough threshold to allow us to play with 2009 data.) After regressing to take into account the limited sample, 12 of those players came out at 10 plays or more above average per 2,400 BIP, or roughly 100 games.

Mendonca has been +20 per 100 games. That's good for second best among all of my qualifiers. The surprise winner is Duke's Ryan McCurdy, at +23 in that span.

In absolute terms, Mendonca has had quite a bit more defensive value than McCurdy—the Fresno State third baseman has played more innings at the position than anyone else in college baseball the last two years, and in that time, has come up with 25 plays above average (after regression).