ABL in the AFL - Part 2: Batters

The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd...hot dogs, sunshine and green grass...sitting in the grandstand and catching a ball game. Remind you of spring? Well if you live in Arizona it should remind you of fall, because it's mid-November and the Arizona Fall League is coming down the home stretch. Last time we took a look at former ABL batters playing in Arizona this year; today we're going to take a look at some batters. It should be a treat for those of you with attention span problems because this time we've only got three to cover.

Oh yeah, and in case you wondered what the hell a saguaro is...look no further. Alright, on to the round-up!


Ike Davis
POS: 1B
ABL Team: Anchorage Bucs (2006)
MLB Organization: New York (NL)
AFL Team: Surprise Rafters

Davis was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the 19th round of the 2005 draft, but opted instead to play college ball. In 2006 he came to Anchorage as a Freshman out of Arizona State. On the surface he did not seem impressive, likely suffering from the transition to wood-bat baseball in the ABL (and again, in 2007, in the Cape league). However, the Mets organization liked him enough to take him in the first round when he re-entered the draft in 2008. Their pick seems to have paid off, as Davis broke out in 2009, hitting .298 with 71 RBIs and 20 HR in 114 games between High-A and AA.



Ike is projected as a power-hitting 1B. Scouts think that he could be legitimate home run threat if his power develops as he matures. If his 20 bombs last season are any indication, he seems to be moving along in that direction nicely. He is regarded as significantly more polished than many other prospective sluggers, especially regarding his eye for the strike zone. This is largely due to his experience in college ball, the ABL and the Cape Cod League. It's no surprise that Davis was chosen for the AFL Rising Star game, and it would also be no surprise to see him in a New York uniform in the near future.



Matt McBride
POS: C
ABL Team: Mat-Su Miners (2005)
MLB Organization: Cleveland
AFL Team: Peoria Saguaros

Matt McBride was solid in his 2005 ABL season, hitting .283. But he flat out tore it up for Lehigh during his college ball years and was named first-team All American and Patriot League Player of the Year. After going to Cleveland in the second round of the 2006 draft, McBride has posted a career minor-league average of .284 and was named to All-Star teams in both the New York-Penn and Sally leagues.

Tony at the Indians Prospect Insider was pretty high on McBride in 2008, judging him to be a great contact hitter with a good eye and the potential to develop power. He is also known as a solid defensive backstop. Furthermore, Matt brings a lot of the "intangibles" to the field; a solid work ethic and great leadership skills. The only thing standing between McBride and a career as a big-league catcher, that I can see, is a lingering shoulder injury that has already required some rehab time and affected his ability to hold runners.  Hopefully his positive attitude and a little "extra credit" in the AFL will help him overcome that bump in the road and stay on track.



Tuffy Gosewisch
POS:C
ABL Team: Anchorage Bucs (2004)
MLB Organization: Philadelphia
AFL Team: Scottsdale Scorpions

Gosewisch appeared in 33 games for the Bucs in 2004, hitting .269 and driving in 19. He made good contact as backstop for Arizona state, hitting over .300 in his last three seasons, and driving in 74 RBI's in just 67 games in his 2007 campaign. His batting stats in the minors, however, have been somewhat less spectacular, hitting .231 with 18 HR and 141 RBI in 374 games from Low-A up to AAA since being taken as an 11th round pick in 2005.

The batting stats don't tell the whole story, though, as Gosewisch's rise from an Alaska League catcher up to the doorstep of the Major Leagues has been largely on the strength of his defense (the lack of good catching prospects in the Phillies organization doesn't hurt either). I doubt this guy is going to be the next Brian McCann but I think his defensive skills could make him a serviceable defensive sub in the majors. Or he could be a "AAAA" player the rest of his career. Only time will tell.



Well, friends, that concludes our look at Alaska Baseball League alumni who have been swinging the lumber in the AFL this year. As I noted in Part 1, former ABL pitchers outnumber batters in the AFL 7-3. That being said, it's noteworthy that the batters -- in my totally unprofessional estimation -- seem to all have a significant chance of breaking into MLB, while the pitchers are kind of hit-or-miss. Just some food for thought. And speaking of food, I'm going to munch on some extra sharp cheddar and enjoy a cold one, so I'll let you all light up the comments section about how awful my projects are. But stay tuned, because I intend to write up an AFL Report Card (or something like that) here in the new future, as well as whatever else tickles my fancy.

(Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/laszlo-photo/ / CC BY 2.0 )