Rees Is Happiest With a Bat, but Scouts Mostly Have Eyes for His Arm

SAN DIEGO —  Sean Rees, arguably the best left-handed high school pitcher in the county, is really a hitter at heart.

A senior at Mission Bay, Rees possess a crackling fastball, sharp curve, good control . . . and an itch to hit.

Hitters--not pitchers--such as San Francisco Giant first baseman Will Clark and Kansas City Royal third baseman George Brett are his role models.

“I’d rather hit than pitch, definitely, because you play every day,” Rees said. “I love playing. I can’t see sitting out five games and then pitching. . . . But whatever gets me there.”

There is college--he signed with Arizona State this week--and then to professional baseball. Right now, it appears that his pitching skills will be the ticket. That isn’t because of any weakness Rees has as a hitter, but rather because of the premium put on left-handed pitchers.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him hit before,” one college coach said as Rees stepped to the plate in a recent Mission Bay game. The coach then dropped the conversation, clearly more interested in Rees’ arm than bat.

One professional scout, who asked not to be identified, said: “He’s a good hitter . . . at this level. But, really, he’s a pitcher.”

Rees begs to differ.

“I think my strong points are my arm, competitiveness and my bat,” he said. “I think scouts overlook that. I think they overlook my hitting ability because I’m a left-handed pitcher.”

The statistics bear out Rees’ confidence. After 16 games, he has a .377 batting average with 3 home runs, 19 runs scored and 20 runs batted in as the team’s leadoff hitter.

At 5-feet 10-inches and 170 pounds, he is powerfully compact in the mold of Steve Garvey. A right-handed hitter (throwing is the only thing he does left-handed), Rees generates exceptional bat speed with quick wrists, strong forearms and good hip action.

“I’m amazed at the power he has for his size,” said Dennis Pugh, Mission Bay’s coach. “I don’t know if he can keep up this pace, but I don’t think there’s anyone in the county close to doing as much as he is.”

Pugh believes Rees can pitch and play first base in college. Such a combination isn’t that unusual, even on the Division I level.

But baseball is a game of tradition. Pitchers are pitchers, especially when they’re left-handed. There are so few lefties around that when one with promise appears, college coaches and professional scouts don’t let him get away.

Rees has had promise for some time.

In 1985, when Mission Bay High did not include the ninth grade, Rees received an exemption from the school district to play for the school’s varsity as a freshman. He pitched just one inning that year and spent most of his playing time at first base, the outfield and designated hitter.

As a sophomore, he had a 5-1 record and helped Mission Bay win the San Diego Section 2-A championship.

“I was just gifted with my arm,” says Rees, who started playing baseball at age 8. “I’ve developed myself, I guess. I never really was taught.

“When I was a freshman and sophomore, though, we had a really good pitching coach, Coach (Pat) Ahern, and he taught me a lot. I had a tendency to throw across my body, and I was short-arming it and not getting the best velocity I could. He told me all that, and I ended up pitching the CIF championship game, and we won. That’s when I started to dominate.”

Last season, Rees had a 6-2 record after he missed a month with tendinitis in his left shoulder. He is 7-0 this year--including a no-hitter and one-hitter--with an 0.64 earned run average and 63 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Those statistics are impressive, but the key number for scouts comes from radar guns. Pitchers who throw 88 to 90 miles per hour are hard to find. There are those who think Rees simply isn’t fast enough. He says he consistently throws 85 m.p.h., but scouts say their guns show 82-83 m.p.h.

“As far as velocity, he’s average or a little below average,” said a coach who asked that he not be identified. “He’s not the type of pitcher the pros are going to draft high. The scouts are looking for someone who can crank it up and throw hard. Most of the time, they’ll keep an eye on someone like him and see if he develops.”

A professional scout said Rees is the best of a so-so group of senior pitchers in San Diego County.

“If he was a right-hander, he wouldn’t be half the prospect,” the scout said.

That ability to throw left-handed makes all the difference.

But Rees has more than just his left-handedness going for him. His curve has a good break and his fastball, though not overpowering, has a sharp tail to it.

As important as his physical tools are, his mental makeup might be more important to his success.

“I like his competitiveness. He’s a bulldog. He keeps coming after hitters,” said a college pitching coach who recruited Rees.

“I’m intense, yeah,” Rees said. “You have to be. I think a killer instinct is the biggest part of the game. You have to be mentally fit. When you’re on the mound, you have to know you’re the best.”

That helps at the plate, too.