I have the day off from work today, so I figured I would do another little write up on another one of our 2008 picks. I thought that the distraction from the lack of top 5 signings was in order. John (JR) Higley was our 9th round pick (271st overall) out of Sacramento Community College and is from the town of Folsom (for all you Johnny Cash fans out there). Sacramento has consistently provided talent to the MLB over the years such as Kevin Brown, Larry Bowa, and Bob Forsch. Higley batted in the three hole for his frosh season at Sac CC. I think one of the main reasons that Higley may have been looked over by a lot of teams was because of an injury he suffered in 2007 that caused him to miss the entire season (torn patella tendon in the knee). He has a little pop in his swing, but is more of a doubles guy than anything. Let us look at his college statistics to get a better idea of what to expect.
He led his team last season in the following categories: Runs (60), Doubles (14), and Walks (46). He was second on the team in SLG (.588), Triples (3), Homeruns (9), Total Bases (97), Sac Flies (5). His OPS was a very respectable .964, one of the highest on the team. Just glancing over his stats, there are not too many things to worry about. He stuck out about 1 in every 8 AB and had about a 2:1 SO:BB ratio, indicating that he probably has an average to above average eye, but it would be something I might be concerned about at the pro level. The troubling part is looking at his playoff stats (which I usually look at to indicate how a player does in high pressure situations) he had the lowest batting average on the team (.172) and stuck out a team high 9 times in 27 at-bats. He also received an invitation to the Cape Cod League, I have explained its importance in previous posts, where he played five games for the Chatham A's before being signed by the Nats. He had trouble adjusting to the league in such a short amount of time, batting .111 with .200 OBP, also striking out 19 out of 29 PA (Cape Cod pitchers are nasty, so don't let that stat get you down too much). Many times I see trends like this in guys that become AAAA guys, but sometimes it is just a cold streak (small sample size too).
Here are some excerpts from an article on Higley, written after he was drafted:
“Sac City has a good tradition of producing players and when you’re hitting in the three hole at Sac City, you’re going to be noticed,” Higley said. “My season went alright. The biggest thing was playing every day and starting every game. I hit .303 and drove the ball with 14 doubles and nine home runs. I was able to capitalize on my position at Sac City.
...
Higley had 50 hits in 165 at bats, driving in 43 runs. He walked 46 times against only 27 strikeouts. When he got the call informing him he was chosen in the ninth round, with the 271st pick overall by the Washington Nationals, he was thrilled.
“I was really excited,” Higley said. “To be drafted is an honor and I’m very grateful to start a baseball career. It’s the first step in a long journey.”
http://www.folsomtelegraph.com/detail/86813.htmlHis stats at Jesuit HS are much of the same and overall his stats are indicative or a guy that probably has a ceiling of a #2 batter or as low as a #8. The problem with Higley is that he played as 1B at Sacramento City College, but the Nationals have projected him as an outfielder, maybe even a CF (he played OF in all five games at Chatham). His fielding percentage and assists, as well as the scouting report, indicates that he probably has the speed and arm to play a position, but I have my doubts if he will have enough power to be worthy of the spot. He is a guy that can get on base with occasional extra bases, reminding me of a watered down Nick Johnson.
PGCC's scouting report on Higley:
Sacramento City College has historically been one of the best talent producers in the junior college ranks, but offers only one prospect of note this season. Higley might have made his mark on the draft a year ago had he not blown out his knee just prior to the 2007 season, causing him to sit out the year. Though he has the speed (6.7 seconds in the 60) to play center field and the arm strength for right, Higley returned to the lineup this season as a first baseman because his power is suited to that position and Sac City was flush in outfield talent. He had a solid freshman season, hitting .324-9-41 and showing impressive plate discipline with 42 walks and only 18 strikeouts. Should he return to Sac City in 2009, he will move to the outfield.
http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/draft/2008/Rounds/round9.aspxI did all my research on him without looking at his current stats for GCL and after finally viewing them, I was not surprised to discover that he was maintaining a .333 AVG and a .414 OBP (.845 OPS) in 12 games and 42 at-bats so far. I was a bit surprised to see 4 walks vs. 10 strikeouts, but the season has just began for him and, as a 20 year old, he has many years in the minors ahead of his to adjust to professional pitching. I am going to hold my judgement on Higley, until I see more from him at GCL and, hopefully, Vermont. I hope these little entries are continuing to be useful to people, if there is anything else you would like me to add in the future, feel free to comment (although the later round/high school picks have limited info floating around on them). I am just waiting for some of the bigger names to sign before I dive into their pasts and potentials. Cheers.
