Matt Davidson - 1B/3B
Arizona Diamondbacks #3 Prospect - Baseball America Handbook

Born: March 26, 1991 Drafted: 1st Sup #35 2009 Bonus: $900,000

Baseball America Handbook Listed : Ht: 6-3 Wt: 225
Visalia Rawhide Official Roster Listed: Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210

Sports Card Radio's Prospect Blog

Sometimes you just catch guys on an off night. 0-4 with 3 SO is an off night. The game before I saw Matt Davidson, he hit a grand slam HR so it hasn't been all bad for him during the first few weeks of the 2011 minor league season.  Davidson is one of the top prospects in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and is a legit 6-3 who projects to have power despite a rare bunt attempt during the game I witnessed. He is hitting either 3rd or 4th in the lineup for the loaded Visalia Rawhide A+ minor league team that also features top prospects Bobby Borchering, Chris Owings and pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

Short Observations: Davidson started at 1B, but that is because he is splitting time with Borchering at 3B. The weather in Stockton for the game was not ideal. There was a light misty rain during the middle part of the game and that for sure can mess with young hitters.  Davidson was a popular guy pre-game as he was laughing and joking with teammates and enjoying himself out there. Despite his rough night at the plate I never saw him get upset out there - he is a relaxed guy who keeps his composure from what I saw. Davidson is still very young, he just turned 20 years old when I saw him, so he could see another 3-4 years in the minors before he is ready to go for the Diamondbacks.  During a couple of Davidson's AB's - there were runners moving where some 'hit and run' plays might have been on - which can impact a guys success at the plate.

Tyler Matzek - LHP
Colorado Rockies #1 Prospect - Baseball America Handbook
#32 Overall Prospect - Baseball America - 2011

Born: Oct. 19, 1990 Drafted: 1st #11 '09 Bonus: $3.9 Million

Baseball America Handbook Listed : Ht: 6-3 Wt: 213
Modesto Nuts Official Roster Listed: Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210

Sports Card Radio's Prospect Blog

I came into this game - Tyler Matzek's second start of the 2011 season - excited to see what the Rockies #1 overall prospect had to offer. Matzek was one of the top high school arms available in the 2009 MLB Draft and might have been picked higher if he didn't let it be known that he wanted huge money to sign. I remember watching an interview with him after he was picked. Fresh with a diamond stud in one ear, he sounded more like an agent then a player who just realized his dream. The Rockies eventually ponied up record money to get him to sign and he begins 2011 on the Modesto Nuts A+ Minor League roster as the #3 starter in the rotation.

In his first start of 2011 - against the same Ports team - he got lit up in 3 innings for 5 hits, 4 walks, and 6 ER.  Ouch. The Stockton Ports don't have much of a lineup this year outside of Michael Choice and Max Stassi.  I didn't see his first start on 4/9/2011 - but this one had to be at least a little better....... but just a little.

Game Action - 1st Inning
First two warm-up pitches? Bounced in the dirt. Batter one? 4-pitch walk.  Uh-oh. The radar gun at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, CA was spotty at best - and during the first AB it only registered a 91 MPH fastball, no other pitch speed showed up on the scoreboard. Batter two? Two straight balls to open the AB. He isn't missing by much with the first 6-pitches. Mostly high, with the fastball and a couple, what Baseball America says is a slider, that tops out at about 87 MPH but didn't feature much sharp movement. Matzek gets out of the 2-0 hole when Dusty Coleman flies out to center on a fastball that registered 92 on the gun.

Matzek has a decent move to 1st base and is somewhat deceptive in his look over.  A couple times it seemed like he wasn't even checking the runner at first, but he tilts his hat down low and will peak while keeping his head looking toward home plate. It kept Ports runner Conner Crumbliss close which helped when Michael Choice stepped up with one out in the inning. Matzek got behind the A's #3 rated prospect and Choice fouled off a couple fastballs that hit 94 MPH on the gun. Finally on 3-2, Matzek blew Choice away on a high fastball and with Crumbliss running at first it ended up being a strike-out, throw out double play at second. Matzek was a little shaky with his control but he escapes with the high heat.

Game Action - 2nd Inning
The 2nd ended up being Matzek's best inning of his short outing. He made a nice play on a come-backer from A's #6 rated prospect Max Stassi. It seemed like Matzek was working his slider a little bit more this inning and it cost him in the AB with Kent Walton as he walked him with two outs. Ports OF Rashun Dixon then got himself into a 2-0 count but ended up getting blown away by Matzek's fastball which was hitting 91-94 all game.

Game Action - 3rd Inning
Uh-Oh. Bad inning. Matzek walked Anthony Aliotti and then the next batter, Juan Nunez had no interest in swinging but Matzek couldn't throw a strike. Another walk. The Modesto Nuts pitching coach went to the mound, and it seemed to work - Matzek then found his grove and got Crumbliss and then Dusty Coleman to strike out.  But he couldn't get out of the inning when on the 8th pitch of the AB to Choice was a fastball singled hard to center - scoring Aliotti. Matzek then struck out Stassi to strike out the side, but with 2 walks and a hit mixed in.

Game Action - 4th Inning
He just didn't have it this game. To start the 4th Leonardo Gil singled hard to right. Walton popped out meekly to 2nd but that was it for Matzek.

3.1 IP 2 H 1 ER 4 BB 5 SO

Sports Card Radio's Prospect Blog

• Michael Choice - Stockton Ports Prospect - Vol. 1
• Michael Choice OF - Stockton Ports Prospect - Vol. 2
• Rashun Dixon OF - Stockton Ports Prospect - Vol 1
• Max Stassi C - Stockton Ports Prospect - Vol. 1

Michael Choice - OF/CF
Oakland A's #3 Rated Prospect
- Baseball America Handbook

Scouting Trip: 14, 2011
Modesto Nuts (Rockies) vs Stockton Ports
A+ Minor League Game

Tools Observed:

• Makeup/Personality
• Hitting
• Power
• Plate Discipline

Born: Nov 10, 1989 Drafted: 1st Rd #10 2010 Bonus: $2 Million

Baseball America Handbook Listed:
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 215
Stockton Ports Official Roster Listed:
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 215

Sports Card Radio's Prospect Blog

Michael Choice - Stockton Ports Prospect - Vol. 1

Michael Choice came into the game swinging a hot bat for the Stockton Ports after hitting a home-run in each of his last 2 games. Tonight, the A's top A-Ball prospect faced off against the Rockies top A-Ball pitching prospect Tyler Matzek. Choice was in his usual defensive spot in center field, but didn't have too many opportunities to show off his skills outside of the first pitch of the game which was hit to center and Choice made a nice running catch. The Stockton Ports pitcher Robert Gilliam actually carded a no-hitter for several innings, giving the Ports defense a rare night of light action in the minor leagues.

The Ports Win 3-1

Position: CF

Batting: 3rd

Facing: Tyler Matzek
Colorado Rockies #1 Pick (11th) In 2009

1st Inning - 0 - 0 - #3 In Order
AB 1 - Worked the count to 3 -2 but struck out swinging on a 93MPH high fastball from Tyler Matzek.

3rd Inning - 0 - 0 - Runners at 1st & 2nd with 2 outs
AB 2 - Choice gets to another 3-2 count and fouls 2 balls off. Pitch number 8 goes right back up the middle for a line-drive single that scores 1 and moves a runner to 3rd. The ball lands about 20 yards into center field and the Modesto Nuts CF actually overthrows the cutoff man. The ball bounces past the SS and ends up near third, but neither Choice or the runner on 3rd advance. The pitcher threw over once during Choice's time on 1st and he gets back easily.

6th Inning - 1 - 1 - 1st up in the Inning
AB 3 - Takes an initial strike low & away that could have been a ball. Kept working him away and he strikes out on 4 pitches. It appears that the scouting report might be to keep the ball low and away from Choice - who does like to get extended at the belt/letters.

7th Inning - 3 - 1  Ports - 2 Outs - No On
AB 4 - 3rd up, with 2 outs & no one on. Took the first 3 pitches to get the count 2/1 and then hit a hard ball to the 2B for out #3. Similar to the previous AB's - the pitcher worked the ball away, before hanging one that Choice hit square - but right at Modesto Nuts 2B Angelys Nina.

Choice finishes the game 1-4 1 RBI - 2 SO

In 8 Games He's Batting: .226 2 HR 8 RBI -- 13 K 6 BB in 31 AB's

Plate Discipline: In Choice's 4 at-bats during the night, he faced counts of 3-2, 3-2, 1-2, 2-1 - so he is getting to effective hitting counts against top pitching talent. The umpire was calling pitches that were slightly low and away, and Choice was burned on 2 boarder-line calls that could have gotten him better pitches to hit later in the count.

Swing: Choice does have an odd (or unorthodox) release to his swing. He almost looks like a golfer with a straight right arm that works upward, instead of around the body - like most traditional MLB swings. The move to the ball is quick, he cocks his left foot to the point where his toe is on the ground, and the foot is twisted, but he doesn't appear to lift his left foot off the ground completely. The release and follow-through is more extension with the arms, instead of body rotation. Notice the follow-through on this K during the 1st inning on a 3-2 pitch.