UCLA Is Back--Will the Bruins Be As Good As Expected Next Season?

Shabazz, Kyle, and Tony pose for a quick picture

We all heard about it. Shabazz Muhammad, a 6'6" 215 pound G/F from Nevada, is headed to UCLA. Along with Kyle Anderson, Tony Parker, and Jordan Adams. All four are ESPNU Top 100 players for the Class of 2012.

Shabazz Muhammad is considered by many to be the best of the class. Others may say Nerlens Noel, but I say Shabazz. He has the heart of a lion. He will do anything to win, whether it be a pickup game or the NBA Finals.

"Slo-Mo", better known as Kyle Anderson I think will be the key to UCLA's success. Shabazz will do what he needs to do. Kyle Anderson needs to do what he always has and control the tempo of the game.

Tony Parker needs to use his size. He is a big boy. But he needs to add muscle and lose fat. Plain and simple, he needs to get better conditioned. But he is a hard worker and I have no doubt he can do that.

Jordan Adams must attack and dish. Whether it is a dump pass to Tony Parker, or a kick out to Anderson or Muhammad. They can generate a lot of baskets if Adams does that.

I don't know about you, but I cannot wait to watch UCLA next season. I want to see if they live up to the hype. But that is the huge question right now. Will they live up to their expectations?

If you ask me; yes they will. They don't have over hyped players. They have student-athletes with one goal. Bring UCLA basketball back to the top. I have little doubt that they're going to do exactly that.

There is a lot of hype and expectations in front of them, but they won't back down from the challenge.

20 wins is easily within reach, I can even see 25+ in the regular season. They'll make the tourney easily too.

Shabazz, Kyle, Jordan and Tony are bringing UCLA basketball back.



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Six 1st Rounders Guaranteed to Succeed from the 2012 MLB Draft

This was the first year I looked forward to the MLB Draft. I had followed a few players in high school and college and was interested to see where they would land. Not to mention, the overall talent in the draft is pretty good. But there are six first round draft picks that really stick out to me.

Top selection by the Houston Astros, Carlos Correa waves to fans

#1 pick, Carlos Correa, Houston Astros, Shortstop, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School

Over the final few weeks of scouting, Correa stock rose from a top-ten pick to the #1 overall. When you're being compared to a young Alex Rodriguez, you should probably be the top pick. He is just 17 years old, so it will be a few years before he makes his way up the the show, but don't expect it to be super long. I can see him being up and possibly starting at age 20. Of course the top pick will be expected to succeed, but Correa has the intangibles to be not just a great player, but a superstar.

#2 pick, Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins, Outfielder, Appling County High School

Yes, I am starting with the first two picks. But I absolutely love was Bryon Buxton brings to the table for the Twins. He is the definition of the five-tool player. Not only is he is a star at baseball, he is a three sport athlete. He played basketball and football, along with baseball in high school. Buxton hit .513 with three home runs and 38 stolen bases during his senior season. He also pitched, striking out 18 batters in seven innings in the Georgia Class Double-A state championship series. But Buxton will stick to playing outfield. He has a cannon for an arm too. He has possibly the brightest future of all picks in the draft this season. 

#6 pick, Albert Almora, Chicago Cubs, Outfielder, Mater Academy

I think the Cubs finally got it right with this pick. He is not particularly fast and doesn't have an outstanding arm, but his offense will make up for that. He batted .603 with 13 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 34 RBIs and 24 steals with Mater Academy this season. The main problem with Almora will be signing him. As I said, he is not the best defensive player, but isn't so bad that it make him unreliable out there.

#8 pick, Mark Appel, Pittsburgh Pirates, Right-handed pitcher, Stanford University

Appel was expected to be the number one pick for the longest time. The Pirates feel him dropping to #8 was a steal. The main reason he fell so far was because of the new signing rules. This is the third RHP the Pirates have selected in the first round in the last three years. For the Pirates sake, I hope they all pan out. But Appel may have the chance to be the best of all three.

#13 pick, Courtney Hawkins, Chicago White Sox, Outfielder, Carroll High School

Fortunately for the White Sox, 2009 first round selection Jared Mitchell is progressing in AA ball. But to me, Hawkins is going to succeed Mitchell very quickly. Sox fans, expect Courtney to be up in the big leagues in no time. The Sox will take their time with him, but I think he can progress quick enough to be up very quickly. That is how good he can be. He hits for power, as well as contact. Living in Chicago, I am going to love following him throughout his career.

#16 pick, Lucas Giolito, Washington Nationals, Right-handed pitcher, Harvard-Westlake School

Another great pick by the Nationals. He did have an elbow problem this year, but it appears to be no big deal. Has ace potential and has recently touched 100 MPH on the gun. The Nats, not afraid of taking a risk, also picture this pick as a steal. I do as well. Giolito is going to be great, little doubt about it. I love this pick.

To me, these six players have the brightest futures of all first round selections in the 2012 MLB Draft. For obvious reasons too. I love following young players and can't wait to see how these six pan out in the future.

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MLB All-Future Team--Top Players 24 Years Old and Younger

Major League Baseball has been blessed with some very promising prospects lately. From 19 year old phenom utility players to rocket-throwing relievers. Baseball has a very bright future. With the steroid era (hopefully) out of the way, true power and hitting will be easier evaluated. Here I'll give you an All-Future team, so to speak. Let's get this started.

Jesus Montero attempts to tag Indians outfielder Michael Brantley at home plate

C--Jesus Montero-22 years old
Montero is a big boy, to say the least. At least 6'3" and 235 pounds, Montero has above-average power. Defensively he could improve, but he will be a very good hitter. A bright future that will be filled with many ups and downs.







1B--Eric Hosmer--22 years old

Hosmer, rocking an all-blue jersey, takes a swing at a pitch.

Hosmer is another very big guy. Similar dimensions to Montero, 6'4" 230 pounds. But the difference is Montero is a little, for lack of a better word, chunkier. Hosmer is more built with muscle. Hosmer will be the prototypical first baseman. As time goes on, he'll be a .300 hitter with 25-30 home runs annually. I really like Hosmer's future. Hopefully the Royals can get the rest of their prospects on track on turn into a good young team.













2B--Jose Altuve--22 years old

Altuve, standing at about 5'5", takes a big swing at a pitch.

Altuve has been one of the very, very few bright spots for the Houston Astros lately. He has been hitting the cover off the ball. Let's just say Altuve is also the total opposite of Montero and Hosmer. He's about 5'5" and maybe 155 pounds. But the little guy can hit. I say little guy because I'm 14 years old and taller than him. But as I said, the kid can flat-out hit. Plain and simple. He's been a little iffy throwing the leather around with 5 errors this season, but that will get better. He has great baseball instincts on the bases, but is not the fastest guy around. He does have 9 stolen bases, but mainly because of his great instincts. That will get him a long way if he plans on sticking around in the Majors.





SS--Starlin Castro--22 years old

Castro makes contact with a pitch against the Colorado Rockies

Castro has possibly the most upside of any infielder in the game right now. But his discipline, mainly on the field, is holding him back a bit. Castro has not DRAWN a walk since April 13 and has only 4 on the season. His batting average? A very impressive .313. His OBP? A not so impressive .323. Just to show how unimpressive that is, Jason Heyward is batting around .230 with a better OBP than Castro. Castro has also struggled defensively,  having 64 errors in his 2 1/4 years in Chicago. But let's get to Castro's upside. He can hit. He didn't exactly come out of no where, but his stock is still rising. His speed is great and once he learns how to use it better, as he is doing, he could be a 30-40 stolen base guy easily.



                                                              3B--Mike Moustakas--23 years old

Moustakas makes an off-balanced throw

The second Royal on this list, Moustakas has power. And it's going to get better as time goes on. Moustakas and Hosmer will most likely be the 3-4 hitters for KC in a few years and hopefully will be there for a while Kansas City needs them. The Royals have done a good job taking their time bringing him up and it will pay off in the next few years.











LF--Bryce Harper--19 years old

Harper enjoys being interviewed by various members of the media

Here he is, you all knew it was coming. A lot of experts have said he has a hitch in his swing that needs to be fixed. But he has done a good job of not showing that hitch. He has done just about everything he can for the Nationals already. From stealing home, to diving catches, to home runs, to everything else. His hustle has brought energy and extra run support to the Nationals team. To the fans that boo him.....why? He has been over hyped by the MEDIA. He will never live up to the expectations. But he has done a dang good job so far. It is just that the expectations for him are often unrealistic. But Harper won't back down from that challenge. I can see Harper having at least one 40-40 season in his career. He doesn't have the most speed, but crazy good instincts and hustle. He has a canon for an arm and can play any position on the field...literally. He can pitch about 96 mph, his true position is catcher, and has the arm to play any other position he wants. I really can't wait to see how he pans out.



CF--Mike Trout--20 years old

Trout watches as he drives a ball into the field

Trout is the definition of a five-tool player. He can hit for power and contact, has speed, can field, can do everything. There isn't many things Trout cannot do. He has a smooth swing. I'm not sure how he slipped to No. 25 in the MLB Draft to the Angels, but the California Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim got lucky. He'll definitely be a star, there is no doubt. The question with Trout is, who is a better prospect--him or Bryce Harper? Other than that, there are few flaws in Trout's game. Trout will be an annual .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBI, 20 stolen base guy. He might even hit .315, 30, 100, and 30 in his prime.




RF--Jason Heyward--22 years old

Heyward rounds third celebrating his first career home run in his first career at-bat

Heyward has been considered the best up-and-coming prospect for years, and for good reason. He is another player that can do it all. He has amazing baseball knowledge and great batting discipline. He can run, hit for power, hit for contact, just everything. After a great rookie year, he has struggled. But he is still just 22 and I expect him within the next few years to get everything where it belongs. He also has a terrific arm, as expected from a 6'5" 240 pound outfielder.




Well there you have your position players. I would see the lineup like this
1. Mike Trout
2, Starlin Castro
3. Bryce Harper
4. Eric Hosmer
5. Jason Heyward
6. Mike Moustakas
7. Jesus Montero
8. Jose Altuve
9. (pitcher/DH)




Let's move on to the pitchers.




SP--Clayton Kershaw--24 years old

Kershaw throwing a pitch in a game

Yes. Clayton Kershaw is still just 24 years old and still dominating. A career ERA of 2.80 in his fifth year already, Kershaw will be the Dodgers ace for a long time. Kershaw is just an interesting pitcher to watch. The lefty will be remembered forever in Dodgers history when it is all said and done.





SP--Stephen Strasburg--23 years old

Mark Prior, Stephen Straburg, and Kris Benson throwing pitches with the same mechanics.

Another highly touted prospect. The main problem with Strasburg--his mechanics. He has the same mechanics as Mark Prior and Kris Benson, both whose careers were cut short because of arm issues. As you can see in the picture, all 3 bring the ball behind their head and their elbow up. This causes more stress on the elbow, hence the Tommy John surgery Strasburg had. But to the positives about Strasburg. If he can correct his mechanics, his pitches are nasty. A fastball that tops out near 100 MPH. A slurve that breaks late and is near impossible to hit, unless he hangs it. A changeup that will buckle your knees and leave you confused. Strasburg will be the Nationals ace for years and can hopefully, along with Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper, bring them to the playoffs.




SP--Kyle Drabek--24 years old

Drabek slings a pitch wearing Toronto's black jersey

It's a shame that Drabek has struggled so much. But he has the intangibles to find what is wrong and get on track. He has the potential to be, not as good as Roy Halladay, but similar. Most interesting thing to me about Drabek is his number. It is rare for a pitcher to wear a single digit number. Drabek wears #4. Now back to baseball stuff. Earlier this season I watched Drabek and Yu Darvish duel in Toronto. While Darvish got the best of him, Drabek looked great. He had all his pitches working. It was incredible to watch two amazing pitchers go back and forth like that. I can see Drabek getting his stuff back later this year.




                                                      SP--Matt Moore--22 years old

Moore is another pitcher who is struggling. But last season in the playoffs, he showed what he can do. He pitched 10 innings and gave up just one earned run. His command isn't the best, but when he has it he can strikeout just about anyone he wants. His future is brighter than the sun. His pitches, when they're working, are nasty.










SP--Madison Bumgarner--22 years old

Bumgarner throws a pitch

Bumgarner has been such a bright spot for the Giants. He has great command on his pitches. Bumgarner is a special player not only because he has posted incredible numbers at such a young age but scouts drool over his work ethic that has been pointed out as a major source of his improvement over the last couple years. There isn't much else to say except that Bumgarner will be a dominant factor in any San Fransisco success.



For the bullpen, I am only going to have three pitches. A reliever, a setup man, and a closer.




RP--Chris Sale--23 years old

Skinny, tall, lanky, throws hard. Remind you of Randy Johnson?

Chris Sale has been pretty dominant in his short time in Chicago. I get the fortunate opportunity to watch Sale pitch more because I live in Chicago. I love watching Sale pitch. His delivery is smooth and he throws hard. Sale can be a starter, reliever or a closer. But I think he is reliable and consistent enough to be a quality reliever. I love his future, whether it's in the rotation or the bullpen. He is a little reminiscent of Randy Johnson.



SU--Aroldis Chapman--24 years old

Chapman hurls a fastball towards home plate

Chapman, as I am sure you know, throws HARD. He currently holds the record for the fastest recorded pitch speed in Major League Baseball throwing 105.1 mph He was also clocked by one radar gun at 106 mph in a game against Pittsburgh. But the actual speed is disputed. Either way, he throws missiles. In his first 19 career pitches, 10 hit triple digits and his fastball averaged 101.3 mph. Other than the fact that he throws hard, he is maybe the top reliever in baseball right now. in 26 innings pitched, he has not given up an earned run, has just 8 walks, 44 strikeouts, 4 wins, 3 saves, 6 holds, just 7 hits allowed and a WHIP of 0.58. Possibly some of the most incredible numbers I have ever seen. There's no doubt he will be in the league and be successful for a long time. 

Kimbrel gets into the zone while recieving signs from the catcher.

CP--Craig Kimbrel--24 years old
Kimbrel is filthy. He came onto the scene with 46 saves last season. Kimbrel has a devastating fastball. He throws his fastball quite hard, averaging nearly 97 mph and occasionally touching triple digits. His curveball stays in the mid 80s. And his curveball breaks hard. He has struggled at times, but when he's on, he's hard to hit. 












There you have it. My All-Future team. Some decisions were not very easy and I did not want to leave anybody out. So here is a bonus to you;




Honorable Mentions
C Hector Sanchez
1B Freddie Freeman
2B Freddy Galvis
SS Elvis Andrus
3B Brett Lawrie
LF Dayan Viciedo
CF Justin Upton
RF Giancarlo Stanton
SP Drew Smyly
SP Trevor Cahill
SP Mat Latos
SP Rick Porcello
SP Anthony Bass
RP Bryan Shaw
SU Kelvin Herrara
CP Rafael Dolis




Disagree with some of my choices? Agree with them? Comment and follow me on Twitter @fgasper21 

Mike Trout Not Getting Props He Deserves

Trout prepares for a pitch against the Texas Rangers

Let's be honest. Bryce Harper has more hype than when Kim Kardashian begins dating a professional sports star. But if you have had the opportunity to watch Harper, that hype is well-warranted. But, there is another rookie on the west coast. Mike Trout. Trout has cooled off a bit recently, but his numbers still look great. Not only do his numbers look great, he does on the field as well.


Here's a little background on Trout. Trout was named the second best overall prospect by Baseball America, during their midseason update in July 2010. Before the 2011 season, Trout was ranked #1 by ESPN's Keith Law in his 2011 top 100 prospects list. MLB's Jonathan Mayo also named Trout the #1 prospect in all of baseball during MLB Network's airing of MLB's Top 50 Prospects. So Trout, still just 20 years old has some hype to himself as well.


Trout came up for a short stint with the Angels last year and struggled a bit. In 40 games he only hit .220 with a .281 OBP. But he has totally turned it around so far this season. 



RK PLAYER       TEAM       AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG.OBP
1 Mike Trout LAA         106 18 32 6 1 4 12 8 2 12 28 .302 .367
2 Bryce Harper WSH 101 20 29 6 3 4 11 2 2 14 19 .287 .376

-ESPN

I hate to compare, but there are both Bryce Harper's stats and Mike Trout's stats. Surprisingly similar, but you could argue that Trout is having a better year than Harper so far. 

I am by no means saying Trout is, or will be a better player than Harper. It is very possible, but what I mean by this is why is Trout not getting some attention too? All you see on ESPN and every other sports show or website is how good Bryce Harper is doing. Or how Bryce Harper struck out today. Or how Bryce Harper had Corn Flakes for breakfast and not Frosted Flakes. Can't we throw some attention towards Trout's way? He deserves it. 

I think Trout might enjoy being under the radar a bit. But about 8 games ago he was batting .355 and getting no props for it. I'm all for giving recognition where it is deserved, and that's not what is happening here. 

BREAKING-- Philip Humber Throws Perfect Game Against Mariners

27 up. 27 down.


Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber continued his red hot start, as he has just thrown a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners.


Humber was dominant with 8 strikeouts, all swinging. It is the first perfect game since Roy Halladay on May 29, 2010.


Humber made it easy for his defense with only a few ground balls throughout the whole game. Granted, Seattle is not a good hitting team by any means, but a perfect-game is an amazing feat, let alone a perfect game. Humber's perfect game was just the 21st in over 140 years of Major League Baseball.


A perfect game always brings baseball fans together, even if your favorite team is the opposition. I personally got 5 text messages from friends asking if I was watching the game. The game probably had below-average viewers at the beginning because of two below-average teams. But after word spreads about a perfect game, everyone wants to watch.


This is A.J. Pierzynski's second no-hitter/perfect game caught, as he also caught Mark Buehrle's no-hitter on April 18, 2007.


I love offense, but a perfect game or no-hitter might be one of the most exciting things in all of sports.

They Shocked The World--Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel Have Made Their Decisions

It's all over. The anticipation, the waiting, everything is done. No more stress for these two young men. Their decision is made.

#2 player in the nation Shabazz Muhammad will be attending UCLA. However, #1 player in the nation will attend the University of Kentucky.

Muhammad shocked the world, selecting the recently struggling UCLA over powerhouses Kentucky and Duke. Shabazz will join #2 SF in the 2012 class, Kyle Anderson in hopes to get UCLA back on top.

Shabazz will help them instantly, as every top player is expected to do. All the comparisons to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are fair, except for the fact he is probably better than MKG. That is not a knock to MKG, rather a compliment to Shabazz. Shabazz, a 6'6" 18 year old, skills are more polished and he is more athletic than MKG. His ball handling must get better before the beginning of next season, as must his 3-point range improve. With his work ethic I don't deny that Shabazz will come out for his first game with a few surprising extensions to his game.

Noel made the choice with a logo shaved in his hair and with the famous words of LeBron James, he is "taking his talents, for college, to..." as he turned around and exposed the Kentucky logo in the back of his head.

Noel will take the spot of Anthony Davis, only more built. Noel is one of the best shot-blockers I've seen. Granted I have only seen highlights, but it seems he can get up and affect everything. His offensive skills need to be majorly polished. His defense will lead to offense, but he needs to work on scoring in the low post, and even the high-post. But there is a reason he is ranked #1, over Shabazz. And it's his defense. They said Anthony Davis is a once in a lifetime player--wait until they see Nerlens play. If he plays with a high motor and uses his athleticism, he can be the top player in the NCAA, easily.

Noel was originally in the class of 2012 but switched to the class of 2013. Noel then switched back to his original class of 2012 late in the recruiting process.

Noel switching classes caused quite some chaos. Coaches who were in on Noel had to go hard as Noel would be narrowing his list quickly. Noel claimed he would not rush his decision, and he didn't. He took it down to the wire and made his decision.
                                                                                                                                                                     

Going back to Shabazz, he is a monster. He competes, and he competes HARD. He takes losing personally. It could be a pickup game with friends, he wants to win. That is the main recipe for a title.

These two players will shake up the NCAA with their decisions, but it'll be interesting to see how they really pan out.

Kentucky still has Anthony Bennett and Amile Jefferson on their list, so if they can pick up those two they'll still be dangerous, once again. They have little to worry about, even though they won't have the top class as they've had in the past few years.


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