Good From Both Sides of the Plate
No one should doubt that 16-year-old catcher Robert Stock of Agoura has a future in baseball, considering the way he blocks pitches in the dirt, throws out baserunners and hits for power.
Then again, as a pitcher, he reaches 94 mph on a radar gun.
So there is debate as to what will be his best position when he matures into his 6-foot-1, 190-pound teenage body.
“I don’t think there is a definite answer,” he said. “In the next two years, I think I’ll get better at both. Ultimately, it’s not up to me to decide.”
Stock might be the best two-way player in the Southland entering his junior season. It will be up to the college he chooses -- right now, he likes Stanford -- or the professional team that drafts him in 2007 to make a definitive decision about his position.
Agoura Coach Scott Deck knows it’s getting harder to label Stock only as a “can’t-miss catcher” or a “can’t-miss right-handed pitcher” because he keeps improving at each position.
A change in pitching mechanics has increased his velocity and aided his control. Suddenly, he’s throwing strikes, a scary development for batters who will face him when the season begins on March 3.
“If you were to ask me last year, I’d say he’s a better hitter,” Deck said. “Right now, he’s down the middle. His pitching is really coming along.”
Said Stock: “This fall, I think I’ve made large steps. This season, hopefully I can show people I can throw hard like I’ve done in the past but now for strikes.”
As a hitter, he had eight home runs as a sophomore while batting .409. As a catcher, he’s expert at calling pitches and throwing out runners trying to steal. He has the ideal combination of a quick release and powerful arm that impresses scouts. And he knows how to deal with pitchers because he’s one of them.
“If something is going wrong, you want to be calm and composed,” Stock said. “You don’t want to see a catcher with poor body language because that influences the pitcher. If you have a catcher who knows what he’s doing, it helps the pitcher.”
And that was a problem last season for Agoura. The Chargers had no one to catch when Stock took the mound. Better backup catching will enable Stock to perform at a higher level as a pitcher. He was 5-1 with a 1.81 earned-run average.
Stock ranks as one of the best catchers to come out of Ventura County in the last 15 years, comparable to Mike Lieberthal, a 1990 first-round pick out of Westlake Village Westlake by the Philadelphia Phillies, and Bryan Anderson, a 2005 fourth-round pick out of Simi Valley by the St. Louis Cardinals.
“It’s the most physically wearing position,” he said. “You have to be focused on every pitch.”
Since he was 13, Stock has been rated by Baseball America magazine as the top player for his age in the country. He receives letters from kids asking for his autograph. He played for the U.S. Youth national team during the summer. He has a 3.8 grade-point average and has been caught reading Harry Potter books before and during summer games.
“I’m just glad I have him at Agoura for a couple more years, and wherever he goes, it will be fun to watch him,” Deck said.
Stock has refused to allow pressure to affect him in a negative way.
“I think raised expectations can raise work ethic,” he said. “I like it because you can feed off it. ... Sometimes it can be bad, but for the most part, it can push you to excel.”
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
The Times’ rankings
Dan Arritt’s top-25 preseason baseball rankings for the Southland
*--* Rk School (Division) Comment 1 El Camino Real (City) City player of the year Shaun Kort returns for reigning champions. 2 Ana. Canyon (Div. I) Entire infield returns, led by shortstop Grant Green (USC). 3 Riverside Poly (Div. I) SS/P Hector Rabago (USC) leads eight returning starters. 4 Foothill (Div. II) Three college-bound pitchers a tough combination to beat. 5 Capistrano Valley (Div. I) Cougars have staff of five solid pitchers. 6 Agoura (Div. I) Jason Stoffel (Arizona) and Robert Stock lead deep pitching staff. 7 Chatsworth (City) Three-year starters Matt Dominguez and Mike Moustakas return. 8 Cypress (Div. II) Lefty Adam Wilk, righty Mike Morrison among six starters back. 9 El Dorado (Div. I) Six starters, including four who can pitch, return for semifinalists. 10 Chaminade (Div. II) Casey Haerther (UCLA) and Kyle Thompson (Stanford) lead staff. 11 Huntington Beach (Div. I) Power-hitting C Hang Conger (USC) among 10 returning starters. 12 Los Osos (Div. II) Made it to Division II semifinals last season. 13 Mission Viejo (Div. I) SS T.J. Mittelstaedt (L.B. State) and C Kyle Hardman (CSF) return. 14 Los Alamitos (Div. I) Danny Farris (Pepperdine) was 7-1 last season, with a perfect game . 15 Quartz Hill (Div. III) Four players will be signing with Division I schools. 16 Chino (Div. I) Justin Jacobs (San Diego State) is one of six returning starters 17 El Toro (Div. I) Junior C Austin Romine hit 10 homers last season. 18 Yucaipa (Div. II) Kenny Elifritz went 8-0 last season for division finalists. 19 Fountain Valley (Div. I) Chris Tillman (CSF) and Jeff Hann (UC Davis) are intimidating righties. 20 San Gorgonio (Div. II) Five three-year starters, all juniors, return for team that finished 19-7. 21 Nogales (Div. III) Two-time San Antonio League player of the year Dan Garcia is back. 22 Hart (Div. I) Three-year starting shortstop Matt Valaika will shoulder load. 23 Don Lugo (Div. III) Nine returning starters for Mt. Baldy League runner-up 24 Servite (Div. I) Friars should be best of a less than bumper crop in the Serra League. 25 Canyon Springs (Div. I) Six starters return from two-time Division I semifinalists.
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