2011 Draft Eligibles: Goldpanners of Fairbanks

Cabral, Meaux and Newman lead a class of likely Goldpanner draft picks.

Ryan Cabral could be a nice pick-up for a pro team
in the 2011 MLB draft.

The Goldpanners have an interesting list of draft eligible players this year. I think that 2010 was a stronger year in the top-prospect department than 2009; however, most of the more recent season's big name Goldpanners seem to be juniors. The result is a lot of players who will probably get drafted in 2011, and definitely beyond, but it's difficult for me to find an upper tier of players who I can predict will be drafted in, say, the first ten rounds or so in the upcoming spring. Regardless, I'll go out on a limb and suggest a few possibilities:

Ryan Cabral: Cabral is one guy who not only stood out to me, but as a senior won't be pushed down to the middle of the pack due to a lack of signability. Cabral moved from the pen to the starting rotation when he came up to Alaska and really took advantage of his lively fastball with pro-caliber velocity to pick apart the ABL's batters. He went 5-0 with a 2.47 ERA overall, and was the Panners' workhorse as he pitched consistently well over a team-best 54.2 IP. His efforts landed him a first-team All-ABL selection.

Jesse Meaux: Meaux was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 44th round as a junior last year. Obviously he made what should turn out to be a smart choice and went back to school instead of signing, as I imagine that re-entering the draft as a senior will only increase his draft stock. The rightie Meaux is a bit of a soft thrower, but he's got great control and does a good job of locating his pitches. His hard work paid off this last spring as he moved from the mid-week starter job into the weekend mix.

Reflections: Goldpanners @ Miners, 7/30/2010

DJ Crumlich: his glove really is gold

Yesterday's doubleheader between the Goldpanners and the Miners at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer was a pivotal one. At stake in this four-game, back-to-back doubleheader series is first place in the Alaska Baseball League. It's come right down to the wire and this is it. The Panners and Miners split the twin-bill, which sets up a dramatic finish today. On the one hand, the Miners have to win both of these final games to clinch the championship, and the Goldpanners only have to force a split. On the other, the games will go down on the Miners' home turf. So the title really is up for grabs.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts, I'll share a little tale with you. I give the Goldpanners bullpen credit for being classy. After reading The Bullpen Gospels, I expect talk of boobies, lots of poop jokes, and all sorts of hijinx from bullpen crews. Imagine my surprise when I rounded the corner to walk down the left-field line when I overheard the pen having a civil and seemingly informed discussion comparing the religions of the world and sharing opinions on the afterlife. I was impressed, if not a little disappointed to miss my daily dose of boob jokes. So, kudos to the Goldpanners bullpen for being more mature than I.

Anyway, when I wasn't fielding trash-talk from Goldpanners who apparently thought I was a spy for the Miners, or trying to get my daughter to quit playing in the giant mud puddle near the Panners bullpen (unsuccessfully, I might add), I got some good notes on some players I need to round out my reports on. So on that note, I'd like to share some quick observations on strengths & weaknesses of some players.

2010 Player Profile: Derrick Chung

#6 Derrick Chung
IF - 2010 Goldpanners of Fairbanks
Bats: R - Throws: R
Height: 5'11" - Weight: 185lb
School: Sacramento State
Year: Junior
Hometown: Cypress, California
All posts regarding Derrick Chung

Derrick Chung's face is one that should be familiar to PannerFans. In 2009, Chung paced the Goldpanners in batting average (.355) and has returned in 2010 to establish himself as a franchise player for the Fairbanks club...or as close to a franchise player as one can be in summer ball, anyway.

Chung hails from Cypress, California and is a business management major at Sacramento State. After starting 51 games for the Hornets at shortstop, Chung missed all but sixteen games (all starts) for the team this year. Before coming up with the Goldpanners last year, he played his freshman season with the Humbolt Crabs of the up-and-coming West Coast League, so he's never had a summer off from baseball.

When I first saw Chung in person, he looked like a little guy to me, but he's not as small as he looks. At 5'11" 185lb, I'd say he's pretty average as far as baseball players go, but the Goldpanners have a pretty big team this year, making an average guy look smaller than he is. The other thing is that he has a pretty athletic build. 185 is a pretty solid mass for a guy under 6', especially in a league like this where there are a lot of players who have "projectable" frames.When you're looking at a league of beanpoles, the guy with the solid athletic build in good baseball proportions stands out.