If you were looking for a name to watch this draft season from the high school pitching crop, then turn your attention to Ricky Jacquez. Selected as an AFLAC All-American in 2010, the El Paso Texas righty surely pitches well above his physical appearance. Standing around just 5’7 and 160 lbs, the electric Jacquez racked up 36 strikeouts in two 7-inning starts.
El Paso Franklin and Lubbock Estacado played a full seven innings on Thursday, not six as previously listed. In that game, Franklin pitcher Ricky Jacquez recorded 16 strikeouts.
That was referencing his first start from last week, which was followed up by an even more dominant performance. Ricky took the mound again, this time racking up 20 strikeouts in a 7-inning game. Already committed to Texas, the right-hander (tops out at 94 MPH) will surely be a name coming off the draft boards in June. The question will be if he signs or becomes a Longhorn.
Just when we thought we saw the limit for Bryce Harper autograph prices on the market (Chrome Buybacks, Bowman Sterling Anniversary), we get the highest sale to date. When the Bowman AFLAC autos released, Harper was an immediate seller around $800-$1000 per. Being serial numbers to /230 copies helped as well, and it was a matter of time before high grades hit the eBay market.
I’m sure that all the prospectors out there are hitting refresh in search of BIN’s on eBay. Cases are being broken all over the place of 2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects, and plenty of nice cards are being pulled. So, what happens when a 1st round pick finally has a “full” AFLAC auto and no Topps or Bowman rookie autograph?
Listings like this come up and the BIN is immediately hit. Talk about an amazing sale price!
Granted, the card is only #’d to 22 copies across the product, but Jacob Turner is a 1st round pick and former USA Baseball standout. He is worthy of a higher sale price, which is probably more along the lines of Jameson Taillon AFLAC Autos.
If you’re trying to figure out why it’s numbered so low, I should remind you of the horrid AFLAC autos of Topps Pro Debut. Yea, the ones they decided to cut up and make “cut autos” out of, since they couldn’t insert the actual card into products. There were 200 of his Pro Debut “Auto” which means that they used 90% of inventory to make them. Talk about fabricating an SP autograph!
At this point, he really should have a Bowman Chrome Autograph. Get on that Topps!
I’ve been a strong critic of the 2010 Bowman Chrome Baseball 18U USA set since it released. The sticker autos are growing on me, mainly because it can’t be changed, but the checklist was underwhelming. There are a bunch of repeat players, some 2012/2013 wait-and-see types, and lower talent overall than other years.
When I went through the checklist, one name stood out to me besides Bubba Starling. For a while, that name was a relative forgotten and unknown to sellers, which made the cards affordable. Then, the prices started to pick up as this prospect’s cards dried up. Now, the cards have all but vanished from the market and a gold refractor auto looks to make an all-new high market price.
Blake Swihart is arguably the top name in the set, in terms of offensive players. While Starling might be labeled the freak athlete with multi-sport upside, Swihart’s ability is in many ways higher. Swihart is a switch hitting catcher, with a tremendous knack for squaring up the ball and producing hits. He has power from both sides of the plate, as well as a sub 2.0 pop time. While he might be on the smaller side right now, his frame shows some great signs of filling out, which will help his power potential.
If he has a very strong senior season and Starling continues to have mixed results (due to his wavering sport choices and tool development), Swihart can easily pass him as the top dog from the set. They are neck-and-neck on the eBay market right now, so follow this closely.
The last remaining Swihart Auto Color Parallel (Gold Refractor) on eBay is almost at the price of Orange Refractor sales in the last few weeks. It’s clear people are taking notice (and being on the front page of Baseball America didn’t hurt either).
Here are a few thoughts from various sites on Blake Swihart. For a great write-up of Swihart vs. Bell vs. Starling, check out this BA article as well.
This was a tough call between Hedges and Blake Swihart …. even if Swihart may very well be the best hitter not named Anthony Rendon available for next year’s draft.
During the tour, Blake Swihart led the team in hitting with a .464/.467/.789 clip. Swihart is an athletic, switch-hitting catcher that can also play the infield, making him a versatile threat for Team USA.
Blake Swihart (Rio Rancho, N.M.) paced Team USA offensively with three hits. Swihart registered three of Team USA’s eight hits and added one RBI and two stolen bases. USA added another run in the sixth courtesy of a mammoth solo home run off the bat of Swihart. The Rio Rancho, N.M., product laced his third hit of the game to push the U.S. ahead 3-0.
Blake Swihart is a 2011 C/IF with a 6-1 175 lb. frame from Rio Rancho, NM who attends Cleveland HS. Lean athletic build, some developing strength. Switch-hitter, outstanding bat speed and power right handed, ball jumps, hard pull/lift contact, effortless. Shorter swing left handed, handles the barrel, sees the ball very well, solid contact against top level stuff. Can really hit! 6.95 runner, agile and athletic behind the plate, good quickness, flexible set up, plus arm strength, 1.86 best pop, can shorten release. Excellent student, verbal commitment to Texas. Selected for the Aflac All-American team.
Switch-hitting catchers with good arms and potential to drive the ball are hard to come by. Here’s a summer break down. ….. Swihart has a long way to go in his development, but especially from the right-side, he shows a very good offensive platform with a firm front, extension and lift. His footwork behind the plate was still coming along when I saw him, but you couldn’t take away the pure arm strength he had. He had very soft hands defensively and good presence behind the plate. I have to say that in a year where there are not a lot of bats, there are some catchers to be had, which is a rarity. I think Swihart is easily in the conversation among the best high school catchers and most projectable pro prospects.
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