Prospects Plus: Baltimore Adrian Marin

 
Name: Adrian Marin

Position: shortstop

Team: Delmarva Shorebirds

Prospect Status: 10th ranked prospect in Orioles organization by Baseball America

Friday vs. Lakewood: 1-4 with an RBI

Positives:  Marin has a great feel for the game and you could likely plug his glove anywhere on the field and he would perform well.  He has a highly athletic body, and is very quick in game and very agile.  He is either a shortstop or center fielder down the road. Marin is a plus runner with some quick-twitch actions that suggest he’s got more pop in his bat than his 170-pound frame would otherwise suggest. He’s drawn comparisons to former first-round pick and Florida product Nick Franklin along the way. Marin has a good shot to stick at shortstop and if a club believes he will mature physically and hit enough.

During the game Friday night against Lakewood, Marin showed great bat control in bunting for a hit in his first at bat, also made some good defensive plays but nothing that stands out.

Negatives: Probably won’t hit for much power going forward. Marin is a small-framed, wiry kid. He’ll get a little bit stronger, but doesn’t project as a real physical kid.

Prospects Plus: Phillies JP Crawford

Name: JP Crawford

Position: Shortstop 

Team: Lakewood Blueclaws

Prospect Status: 1st round draft pick in 2013

Friday vs. Delmarva: 1-4 with a double, a run scored, and a run batted in.

Positives: JP Crawford was the 2013 draft’s best shortstop prospect. He is the only player in the entire draft scouts confidently project to stay at the position. He has the athleticism, reactions, and range, to play in the middle of the diamond and arm strength and throwing accuracy to play on the left side of the infield. He has all the raw athleticism, including plus speed and superior fast-twitch muscles, to succeed almost anywhere on the diamond.

During the game on Friday night Crawford showed all of the tools to be a solid player. Crawford made a couple of really good defensive plays including a great diving catch on a line drive in the eighth inning. On his second at bat of the game, Crawford pulled a fastball into the right center field for a double. Despite being a player that just drafted three months ago, Crawford looks like he belongs at this level. He has the swagger of an older player. Through eight games with the Claws, Crawford is hitting .321.

Negatives: His bat is not projected to be any sort of earth-shattering, middle of the order weapon but there are things to like about it. His hands are zippy and quick and the same natural athleticism and coordination that makes him a good shortstop should help him take to mechanical instruction and make necessary adjustments. That instruction is almost inevitable, as Crawford’s swing is a bit of a mess. His hands drift too far (both up and away) from his body, his lower half is quite noisy and his weight transfer can get out of whack, leaving too much weight on his front foot too early in his swing.

One of the best I've played

                                               

On Saturday, I was able to play one of the best courses in America: Trump National in Bedminster, NJ. The club features such members as Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. The club hosted the 2009 Boys and Girls Junior Ams. A friend and I played the old course which was designed by Tom Fazio. The design is classic, Every hole offers something different. Its near the top of the list of courses that I have had the privilege to play. 

Trump National now is now added to the list of course of that I have been able to play that have hosted USGA events. That list includes : Trump National, Echo Lake, Blue Heron, Mountain Ridge, Golden Horseshoe, Pine Needles, and Baltusrol.

The good and bad of the NY Times

While the New York Times hit a home fun with its college football preview stories today, it was not with its issues. The historic paper messed up photos with Heisman Trophy candidates Yeldon, Miller and Boyd. But it did hit a home run with its preview of South Carolina star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and its story about ESPN controlling scheduling. 

The Bad: Messing up photos with Yeldon, Miller, and Boyd

The Good: Awesome graphic