Rookies 2005

                                                                                                                           Pitching Line = IP H R ER BB SO
 

06 October,  2005

    A few more updates before my little respite  ...

    AFL ... Angel Guzman CHN, just the fact he went four innings might be encouragement enough,  4 6 2 2 0 5 ... Eric Patterson 2B CHN 1-5, 2 Ks ... Brandon Sing 1B CHN 3-4, 3 doubles, walk ... Wes Bankston 1B TB 2-4, homer ... Stephen Drew SS ARZ 1-4, 2nd homer ... Jason Pridie TB, in CF and leadoff, 3-5, homer, 3 RBI ... Ian Stewart 3B COL 2-3, homer, 3 RBI, 2 walks ... Adam Loewen BAL, very nice, 3 1 0 0 1 4 ... Matt Moses 3B MIN 2-3, walk ... Lastings Milledge, at DH, NYN 2-5, 2 doubles ... Jered Weaver LAA 2 1 0 0 0 6 ... Brandon Wood LAA 1-4, homer, 3 RBI ... Billy Butler KC 4-5, double, homer, 4 RBI ... Howie Kendrick LAA 3-5, SB ... Guillermo Quiroz C TOR 2-4, double ... Brendan Harris WAS 2-4, homer, 3 RBI

    Troop movements ... COL - Eddy Garabito outright to AAA, claimed Jaimie Cerda off waivers from KC ... KC- Nate Field outright to AAA ...

    Baseball America moves on to the top young guns in the Pacific Coast League ... Felix Hernandez, of course, at No. 1, with a pair of Brewers up next - Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder - then Conor Jackson ARZ and SF's Matt Cain.

Earlier, BA ranked the Texas League, topped by a pair of Angels prospects - Howie Kendrick and Erick AybarDaric Barton OAK ranked 3rd, ahead of two Rangers' pitching prospects - Thomas Diamond and Edison Volquez.

Will Lingo, in the BA chat room, with tidbits on the Texas' picks :

Billy Butler KC  " ... Butler would have been a likely top five prospect for this league, which was not loaded this year, if he had enough at-bats to qualify."

Jered Weaver, Alberto Callaspo?  " ... Weaver also would have been a top five guy, as would have Ervin Santana, who was just a few innings short of qualifying. Callaspo probably just suffered from the plethora of talented players in Arkansas. We already had five players from that team on the list, and you could have argued for more with Callaspo and Mike Napoli."

Yuniesky Betancourt SEA  " ... I think if he hits .250, most people think he'll still be valuable enough to start in the big leagues. His defense is that good. And most scouts and managers think he'll hit better than that because he already handles the bat pretty well. The best comparisons I heard were Rey Ordonez and Omar Vizquel ... He is a great, once in a decade type defensive player. Managers and scouts ran out of superlatives for him on defense."

John Danks TEX  " ... I think he's a middle-of-the-rotation starter, a lefty with two potentially above-average pitches in his fastball and curveball. It's still early to make a call on that, though, because he's just 20. It's impressive that he pitched 98 Double-A innings at that age, and scouts were still impressed with his maturity even though he got hit pretty hard."

Howie Kendrick LAA " ... You're talking about a potential batting champion who could be a perfect No. 2 hitter and could even hit No. 3 in an order if he develops more power. He had no trouble making the jump to Double-A, and drew comparisons to names like Gwynn and Grace for his swing, balance and hand-eye coordination. I think he also showed he could play second this year, after some thought he might have to move to third."

    Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, with some notes on young Cubbies in the CHN organizational report :

" ... Felix Pie ...  took another step forward in his rung-by-rung climb to Chicago, though an ankle injury ended his season in June ...  Still, Pie's tools started to sharpen a bit more as he finished with a .304 average, 11 homers (a career high that led to his best slugging percentage of .554) and 13 steals. He could be the Cubs' center fielder in 2006."

" ... Scott Moore ...  former first-rounder (eighth overall in 2002 by the Tigers) came to the Cubs last offseason in the Kyle Farnsworth trade and he made the most of repeating in the FSL. Originally a shortstop and now playing third, Moore went to the Futures Game while setting a career high in homers (20), RBIs (82), slugging (.485) and OBP (.358)."

" ... Mark Pawelek ...  Not only did the high schooler out of Utah surprise many by signing immediately (he's represented by Scott Boras), but he dominated the Arizona League despite not always having command of his pitches. Batters hit just .170 against Pawelek, who postd a 2.72 ERA and struck out 56 in 43 IP."


05 October,  2005

    September visitors ... Dave Lyon is back in the US from Fiji, so the Pacific island is no longer represented, but we've still managed to attract a pretty fair number of baseball fans from around the globe.  September hits from :

Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, International (int), Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Nicaragua, Non-Profit Organization, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, US Commercial, US Educational, US Government, US Military, Venezuela, Viet Nam

    Opening day in the Arizona Fall League ...

Brandon Wood LAA, minors home run leader, kicked off the AFL with another, 1-4, homer, walk ... Howie Kendrick LAA, who shared the Angels' Minors' Player of the Year Award with Wood, 3-5, 2 doubles ... Kendry Morales LAA, 2-4, double, walk ... Michael Bourn PHI 2-4, triple, walk, 4 RBI ... Chris Young CHA 2-3, double ... Glen Perkins MIN 3 4 2 1 1 2 ... Taylor Tankersley FLO  2 5 5 3 1 2 ... Jeff Clement SEA 2-4, double ... Nick Markakis BAL 2-4, walk ... Garrett Jones 1B MIN (.244, 24 HR in AAA) 2-3, 2 homers, 2 walks ... Lastings Milledge NYN 1-4, walk ... nice start for Daric Barton OAK 2-4, double, homer, walk, 3 RBI ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 2-3, double, walk ... Matt Kemp LA 3-4, double, triple, walk, 3 RBI ... Andy LaRoche LA 2-5, double ... Stephen Drew ARZ 3-4, homer ... Ryan Garko CLE 1-3, homer

    Troop movements ... MIN - Luis Rivas, Brent Abernathy, Michael Ryan outright to AAA ...

    Taking a little time off ... combination of things (getting things prepared for the new season, having to make some out of town trips, some minor surgery, finally changing over from ANA to LAA ) ...

    Alan Matthews, in the BA chat room, on Baseball America's Eastern League Top 20  (the updated League page here):

Lastings Milledge CF NYN " ...  Milledge could be an occasional all-star as a solid everyday major league center fielder."

Hanley Ramirez SS BOS  " ... Tools! He's got plus tools across the board and it's a matter of developing those tools into a foundation of workable baseball skills that remains Ramirez' task. He played the entire season as a 21-year-old, so he's got time on his side and it's understandable that he didn't tear up the EL, which was heavy in pitching prospects at almost every stop. He was a career .313 hitter entering the season, so he has performed just fine, to go along with that projection and his tools, by the way."

Ryan Zimmerman 3B WAS " ... Zimmerman stepped up to Harrisburg after less than a week in low Class A, right out of college, and more than held his own. His best tool is his glove but he figures to post at least average numbers in batting average and home runs as he matures and learns the nuances of hitting. He could improve his plate discipline a touch, as he's very aggressive early in counts, especially with the fastball. He compares favorably to a Scott Brosius type of player, who might hit anywhere from No. 2 to No. 7 in a lineup. "

BOS SPs  " ... the threesome of Papelbon, Sanchez and Lester could have been ranked in any order. I really like the upside of Lester so he got the nod as the highest-ranked pitcher of the group. He needs to sharpen his slider, which I was banking on, as it's an inconsistent pitch but plus at times. Health is the key to Sanchez. He tired down the stretch of the regular season, but did return to pitch in the playoffs. Papelbon is the safest bet of them all, if not for his composure and maturity, for the way he carried himself in the pressure-packed environment in the big leagues as the Sox secured the wild card. Lester could be in the big leagues by next September while Sanchez will need to show the durability it takes to pitch in the majors. If he does, he could be on Lester's heels. Papelbon should compete for a job on the staff in spring training next season."

    On BA's Southern League picks, it was Aaron Fitt taking the questions :

Chris Young OF CHA " ... Scouts and managers just loved everything about Chris Young this year. He does have a chance to be a legitimate five-tool guy, as his arm is at least average, and he is learning how to hit very quickly. He made a ton of adjustments from the beginning of the year, showing improved knowledge of the strike zone and an increased ability to hit breaking balls. And he plays the game the right way. Just a terrific prospect who has really improved his stock dramatically since last year."

Chuck James SP ATL   " ...  got to give Chuck James credit for putting up amazing numbers at every level, and he's undeniably a fierce competitor who gets the most out of his stuff. But he throws an 89-92 fastball and lacks a big-time out-pitch. He's probably a No. 4 or 5 starter in the majors."

Felix Pie OF CHN " ... I don't fully buy into the Pie mystique, either. But he has so much natural talent and such a high upside that you cannot ignore him on a list of top prospects. And he is a very exciting, high-energy player. He could figure it out - don't forget that even though he's been on the prospect landscape a few years, he's still just 20 years old."

Francoeur or Hermida? " ... There is no unified BA opinion on that matter - it's like the great taste, less filling debate. They are two different kinds of players, with Hermida's forte being his advanced hitting approach and incredible patience at the plate, while Francoeur is a much more aggressive hitter. But managers and scouts are split on who will be the better big leaguer when all's said and done. I went with Hermida because I think his approach is more likely to yield solid results over the longterm, but I believe both players will be all-star-caliber right fielders for years to come."

    Kevin T. Czerwinski, MLB.com, with notes on some BAL and BOS prospects in his team by team reviews/previews :

BAL " ...  Brandon Snyder ... gritty backstop ... impressed as many people with his attitude and approach as he did with his bat. The son of a former Major Leaguer, he has poise and polish to go along with a solid bat. He hit .271 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in the Appalachian League before hitting .393 with six RBIs in eight New York-Penn League games at Aberdeen."

BAL " ...  Garrett Olson ... LHP A thinking man's hurler, Olson has three pitches -- fastball, curve and change -- that he uses effectively, a fact that was evident after the O's grabbed him in the second round from Cal-Poly. He went 2-1 with a 1.58 ERA in 11 games (six starts) with Aberdeen before moving up to Frederick. He had 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings in the Carolina League to go a long with a 3.14 ERA."

BOS " ...  Jacoby Ellsbury ...  OF ... hit .317 in 35 games for the Spinners, stealing 23 bases. He had more walks that strikeouts [24-20] and a .418 on-base percentage. A likeable kid, Ellsbury is the type that could zip through the Minor Leagues quickly. He's scrappy and hustles, wrecking havoc at every turn."

BOS " ...  Craig Hansen ... was talk that Hansen could join a Major League club right after the draft, that's how high some expectations were. Well, that was almost the case considering he only pitched 12 2/3 innings in the Minor Leagues before Boston brought him up for the stretch run. He's expected to be the closer at Fenway Park someday and showed flashes of why during his stint in Portland, striking out 10 in 9 2/3 while allowing only one walk. He needed a few weeks off late in the year because of a tired arm but rebounded nicely in the playoffs and should vie for a spot on the Major League roster in 2006."


01 October,  2005

    KC gets its man :

" ... First-round pick Alex Gordon agreed to a $4 million contract with the Royals on Thursday that makes him the highest-paid draft choice in franchise history ...  allows the Royals to watch Gordon play for the first time since the completion of his junior year at Nebraska, when he hit .372 with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs. Gordon today will head for Surprise, Ariz., to join the Royals’ Instructional League team for its final two weeks. The Royals will try Gordon at third base, the position he played in college, but could eventually switch him to a corner-outfield spot. After that, he is expected to join the taxi squad of the Royals’ Arizona Fall League team. He could also spend the winter months playing in Puerto Rico to make up for the at-bats he lost by sitting out the season. The Royals anticipate Gordon moving quickly through the system, as top-notch players are wont to do."  (Kansas City Star)

    MinorLeagueBaseball has begun team-by-team reviews with lots of info on prospects.  The Braves & D'Backs are first up :

" ... Maximiliano Ramirez, C ... Ramirez, who won't turn 21 until next month, showed he could handle the bat this season, finishing second in the Appalachian League with a .347 average and third with 47 RBIs. He made only one error behind the plate, posting a .996 fielding percentage. A converted third baseman, he threw out nearly 40 percent of runners attempting to steal."

" ... Chuck James, LHP ... opened some eyes in his first full season in 2004, but he had many rubbing them with his follow-up in 2005. The 6-foot lefty began the year with Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League and ended all the way in Atlanta with a September callup. With stops in Mississippi and Richmond along the way, the 23-year-old James finished his Minor League season with a combined 2.12 ERA, third-lowest in the Minors. He was fourth with his 193 strikeouts (in 161 1/3 innings pitched) while walking just 36 and he topped all Minor League hurlers with a .179 batting average against."

" ... Garrett Mock, RHP Considering that 40 percent of his starts and innings pitched were in Lancaster's Clear Channel Stadium, Mock's 14-7 mark and 4.18 ERA were phenomenal. He pitched about as well as can possibly be expected at home, going 6-2 with a 4.76 ERA and was 8-5 with a 3.80 mark on the road. Only five pitchers in Minor League Baseball racked up more wins ... only 10 pitched more innings (174 1/3). The 6-foot-4 right-hander led the Cal League and D-Backs organization in strikeouts with 160."

" ... Carlos Gonzales, OF Just 19 years old at the conclusion of the season, Gonzales was named the Midwest League's MVP and Prospect of the Year ...finished among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category, hitting .307 with 28 doubles, six triples, 18 homers and 92 RBIs. On top of all that, he tied for fourth with 13 outfield assists."

    Jim Callis, in the BA chatroom on the Midwest League prospects :

Jeff Clement SEA  " ... Had Clement qualified, he would have been No. 2 on the list."

Carlos Gonzalez ARZ  " ... Very exciting tools but hasn't proven himself above low Class A, so he'd fit on the back half of the Top 100 for me. If he does this again next year, I'll be happy to slap the "elite" tag on him."

Javier Herrera OAK " ... Herrera can stay in center but needs to polish his routes and jumps. The natural athletic ability is definitely there. He should have the bat to hit in the middle of a lineup."

Ryan Harvey CHN   ... Harvey was a tough guy to rank. He has the tools to become the best player in the league, but every scout I talked to brought up a different flaw in his swing or approach ... I think he'll reach the majors and be a regular, but can't bank on him being a star."

SSs Trevor Plouffe, Reid Brignac, Matt Tuiasosopo " ... Plouffe's second half did help. While he doesn't have the same raw power Brignac and Tuiasosopo have, he also has fewer holes in his swing. And while Plouffe will stay at shortstop, it's unlikely the other two guys will."

    John Manuel handled the South Atlantic League chat for Baseball America :

Gaby Hernandez NYN  " ... he doesn't have impact stuff, according to the scouts I talked to. He has good stuff, but impact stuff to me means two plus pitches ... What I have heard, though, is good--pitchability, solid fastball velocity, solid curveball that could be better if thrown with more conviction, and good makeup. Gaby sounds like he has a chance to really contribute for the Mets down the line, and I think he's a good No. 3-4 starter down the line."

Chris Nelson COL  " ... I wouldn't call him a bust, but this year was not an easy one for him. He also may not be the Rockies' SS anymore, now with Tulowitzski in the organization, but he can play SS. Think about it this way--it's his first full season, and he never got into a groove. I don't think he can really be judged fairly on what happened in '05. Tough guy to rank."

Health questions  " ... If Gio Gonzalez and Philip Hughes were healthy, they probably both would have ranked near the top. Hughes with no injury questions is pretty impossible to argue against. Gonzalez has a slight frame to go with injury questions, two negatives to Hughes' one, hence the lower ranking. That's the logic behind those rankings. Stuff-wise, they were every bit as good as Elbert and Patton, who ranked up there too. Hughes might have the best combo with his size and feel and command. BUT, he hasn't stayed healthy yet. It's like he's the high school draftee version of Anthony Reyes."

Neil Walker PIT  " ... Walker probably needs to control the strike zone a little better, but he has the best offensive ceiling in the league. He just centers the ball consistently, has a swing that doesn't get out of whack and could be a .300 hitter with 20-25 home runs. If he stays behind the plate, which sounds like a 50-50 proposition, he's got a chance to be an all-star."

    With responses on the Florida State League prospect list,  J.J. Cooper was in the BA chatroom :

Andy LaRoche or Justin Verlander?  " ... Picking between Verlander and LaRoche is like Monet and Manet, you're OK either way. The reason LaRoche edged him was that Verlander, despite his dominant stuff and amazing numbers this year, is actually a little further away in some observers eyes. Verlander dominated the FSL with an unhittable fastball, but he has to show he can keep it down before he'll succeed in Detroit, as sometimes he's still missing his spots. It worked in the FSL, but manager after manager predicted that he'll get hit at the major league level until he refines his command. However, no one doubts that he can do that, and yes, I see Verlander as a starter, he has the secondary pitches and the tenacity to be a top of the rotation starter ... After a brutal July, LaRoche actually hit .300 with a .435 slugging in Jax in August, not great, but not bad either, especially for a 21-year-old in his first taste of Double-A. His power and controlled, smooth swing should be able to play for a long time in the majors."

Lastings Milledge NYN  " ...  projects as a big league CF, but with Beltran in CF, he could handle a corner spot. He has enough arm to handle RF. Where he hits? Right now he seems to be more of a No. 5-6 hitter than a leadoff hitter to me, but more than anyone else in the league, Milledge seemed to be a guy who even the projections aren't really solid yet. He could be a speed and batting average guy, as he has the bat speed and the legs to do that, but some observers believed he could also bulk up to be a middle of the order power hitter if he wanted to do that."

Matt Kemp LA  " ... The reason he ranked No. 5 was based as much if not more on his tools and projection as the 27 home runs. Kemp showed plus power with the ability to handle center field while also showing plus speed (which is surprising for a guy as big as him). I think his strikeouts are more a concern than his home-road splits, but as a 21-year-old heading to Double-A, his ceiling compares favorably with almost anyone in the league."

Chuck Tiffany LA  " ... Tiffany was a puzzle. Guys who saw him good saw him as a No. 3 starter with great pitching moxie and three above-average pitches. Those that saw him on bad nights saw a fifth-starter or lefty reliever whose velocity waned and didn't seem to have an above-average arm. The general consensus is that he has starter stuff, but I wanted to make sure that people know that there are some competing opinions about that."

    Chris Kline, Baseball America, responding to questions on the Carolina League chart :

Adam Miller CLE  " ... His velocity is close to being all the way back, and has further improved in instructional league and--barring any setbacks--will continue to improve in the Fall League. It's just the secondary stuff that needs work ...  I'd say he has a chance to be the best pitching prospect by the end of next season, though arms like Chad Billingsley or Justin Verlander might have something to say about that."

Behind the dish in ATL, McCann or Salty?  " ... Saltalamacchia is still only 20, and though he made some major strides this year behind the plate, he hasn't put up the defensive numbers McCann did at the same level. They have similar arm strength, but McCann's release is quicker and more accurate right now. But Saltalamacchia is so athletic and agile, that I could see him as the future behind the plate in Atlanta ...  Both have superior bats, but Saltalamacchia is more versatile, hitting for both average and power for either side of the plate."

Adam Loewen BAL  " ... Loewen has electric stuff--the question is whether he'll harness it ... command is a real problem . . . sometimes. I think it might be more mental than anything else. At times, he seems like a completely different pitcher from inning to inning, from at-bat to at-bat, from pitch to pitch ...  Scouts and managers all thought it was way too early to bag on a 6-foot-6 lefty with a plus curveball."

Nick Markakis BAL  " ... Markakis is an outfielder with classic right field tools, though he played exclusively in center once he was promoted and scouts said he did a solid job there. The O's wanted to see some versatility from him in the outfield and were pleasantly surprised on his ability to play both spots. But RF is his future. Comps are Andy Van Slyke and Shawn Green."

    Kevin Goldstein provided the answers to questions on BA's California League Top 20 :

Adam Jones SEA  " ... The Mariners put Jones in centerfield occasionally at Double-A, and he'll get a full audition there in the Arizona Fall League. He's a spectacular athlete with great baseball instincts, and he could flourish there, which could get him to the big leagues faster and help the organization figure out what to do with all of these shortstops ... He's a good defensive shortstop, but the Ms need centerfielders more than they need shortstops right now. Jones has plenty of athleticism and one of the best arms around, two qualities that should serve him well in the outfield -- I'm a big, big Jones fan.

Chris Lubanski KC, why just #20?  " ... 1. He played in High Desert and had pretty miserable numbers on the road (.245 w 9 HR). 2. 131 Ks, 38 walks. 3. Nobody think he can stay in centerfield and he has a below average arm. 4. Struggles against lefties."

Billy Butler KC in the OF  " ... As one manager put it (and this was one of my favorite quotes from this project), 'Butler is STANDING in left field, but he's not exactly PLAYING left field.' I didn't talk to anyone who thought he could stay there. He's destined for first base and the best, or even DH."

Asdrubal Cabrera SEA  " ... an excellent defensive shortstop. One of the best around in the minors from what I'm told. Offensively, he knows how to put bat on ball, but he doesn't have power, and he doesn't have a lot of on-base skills. One of those will have to change for him to be more than a bottom-of-the-order hitter, but he's only 19, so there's plenty of room for growth."

Daric Barton OAK  " ... A catcher who can hit like Barton is far more valueable than a first baseman who can hit like Barton. But both have plenty of value. That said, a little birdie told me that while Barton will stay at first base in the Arizona Fall League, returning to catching in 2006 is still a possibility."

    Sam Geaney, Cal Leaguers, wraps up the California League season with his picks (a Top 30) as the best of the prospects :

 1. Brandon Wood SS ANA       6. Daric Barton C/1B OAK
 2. Billy Butler OF/1B KC     7. John Danks LHP TEX
 3. Stephen Drew SS ARZ       8. Howie Kendrick 2B ANA
 4. Edison Volquez RHP TEX    9. Troy Tulowitzki SS COL
 5. Ian Stewart 3B COL       10. Miguel Montero C ARZ

Brandon Wood  " ... 20 yr old hit .320.383/.672 while becoming the first minor leaguer in yrs to record 100 extra base hits thanks to 43 HR and 51 2B. Explosive bat speed from fast hands allow him to sit back and drive the ball to all fields. Lofty K totals give pause but total package is too good to ignore from such a young kid. All the requisite defensive tools to become an avg to above avg glove man @ ML level. Made every defensive play and then some for me. Swings bat well enough to move to 3B or 2B if he outgrows SS. Championship caliber makeup."

Troy Tulowitzki SS COL " ... Torn quad put a halt in his first summer of pro ball ... Prototypical modern SS in mold of fellow Dirtbag alum Bobby Crosby. Tulowitzki has more offensive upside than Crosby did out of college. Can airmail a ball to any corner of yard. When healthy he displayed solid to plus tools across board. Natural born leader makes everyone around him better. Plays a bit too amped up right now which suited college game just fine. Chance to become plus big league SS."

Chris Ianetta C COL  " ... Improved more than any player in league from opening day until he left in late July. Made tremendous strides from a receiving, blocking and throwing perspective while at the same time turning up his offensive game. Solid approach at plate (46BB:61K)puts him in good counts to drive ball. Needs to be pushed, play improved a ton when a formidable back up C showed up to caddy for him. Struggled upon promotion to AA. Expect him to make similar adjustments next year and slowly but surely move up ladder with ceiling as everyday backstop."

    Jim Callis, at Ask BA, on Bobby Brownlie CHN :

" ... For a while, the Cubs appeared to have pulled a coup by getting Brownlie with the 21st pick ... Brownlie was considered the best pitcher in the 2002 draft crop entering the spring, but dropped because of signability and mild injury concerns ...  Brownlie has reached Triple-A but his stuff isn't what it was at Rutgers. He has a fringe-average fastball and a good curveball rather than his old plus heater and a plus-plus curve, and he now looks more like a middle reliever than a frontline starter."

    John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, on Chris Nelson COL :

" ...  hit just .241/.304/.330 with 7 steals in 315 at-bats for Asheville in the Sally League, a far cry from what was expected. He struck out 88 times. Are there mitigating circumstances here, and can he rebound? Health was an issue: he missed time with a groin strain and a hamstring pull, and wasn't 100% healthy even when he did take the field. His plate discipline was disappointing. His defense was disappointing. He didn't run as well as he did in high school ... Given Nelson's age (he turned 20 this month), it is way, way too early to give up on him ...  Nelson's status has slipped, yes, and he won't advance as fast as we thought. But he's still physically talented, very young, and has played well in the past. It is much too early to say he's a failed pick."

    John Sickels with a few of his A-Ball picks :

" ... Gulf Coast League POSITION PLAYER: Dodgers third baseman Eduardo Perez led the league with a .352 average. He also led the league in SLG at .553, and was third in OBP at .405."

" ... Arizona Rookie League POSITION PLAYER: Royals shortstop Jeff Bianchi hit .408/.484/.745, but was limited to just 28 games by a back injury, keeping him from the qualifying lists. I think we have go to with Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain, who was second in the league with a .356 average, seventh with a .418 OBP, and led the league with a .566 SLG. He also stole 12 bases."

" ... Pioneer League POSITION PLAYER: Helena second baseman Kenneth Holmberg led the league with a .450 OBP and a .623 SLG. He came in third with 51 RBI, second with a .372 average, and tied for third with 12 homers."

" ...Appalachian League POSITION PLAYER: Bluefield's Rene Aqueron is too old for the league at age 23, but for purposes of "Position Player of the Year" that's not totally relevant, since this is to recognize pure performance more than prospect status. And Aqueron's performance was unassailable: he led the league by hitting .405 in 56 games, led the league with a .468 OBP, and was third in slugging at .583. STARTING PITCHER: Elizabethton's Adam Hawes led the league with a 1.53 ERA, went 4-0 in nine starts, and posted a strong 68/16 K/BB in 59 innings, allowing only 38 hits. Danville's Jairo Cuevas was second with a 1.95 ERA and second with six wins. Hawes was a bit more dominating so I'll go with him."

    Dayn Perry, FoxSports, makes his picks as the best hitters and pitchers of Triple-A :

BJ Upton, #1 hitter  " ...  It's cheating a bit to include the second overall pick of the '02 draft since Upton actually exhausted his rookie status last season. However, he spent the entirety of this year at AAA-Durham, so here he is. Upton, who didn't turn 21 until late August, overcame a slow start to hit .303 AVG/.393 OBP/.490 SLG on the season and steal 44 bases in 57 attempts. There's still a chance he'll be moved to third base before next season, but his bat will play anywhere."

Anthony Reyes, #2 SP  " ...  injury concerns caused him to plummet to the 15th round. The Cards took a chance on him, and thus far their faith has been richly rewarded. Reyes works the zone with three plus offerings and utilizes an intelligent approach on the mound. He has ace stuff, and if his health holds up he'll be an ace at the highest level."

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld, wraps his Top 150 review with the top 50, including :

" ... Dustin McGowan ... It would have been for the best if the Blue Jays never needed to call him up, but McGowan’s return from Tommy John surgery went about as well as the club could have hoped. He didn’t leave any velocity in the operating room. His command has been less than exceptional, but that was often the case before he got hurt. McGowan has No. 2-starter upside. He should be more ready to help Toronto by the middle of next season."

" ... Cole Hamels ... It’s hard to progress while throwing 51 innings in two years. Elbow inflammation limited Hamels to four starts in 2004. He broke his pitching hand in an altercation prior to the start of spring training this year and didn’t pitch until June. Just a month after returning, he went down with a back injury that was eventually diagnosed as a stress fracture. Like Miller, Hamels has a world of potential. The hope is that he’ll 100 percent at the beginning of 2006. If he is, he could spend time in the Philadelphia rotation. If not for the back injury, he could have debuted this year."

" ... Andy Marte ...  hasn’t put up big triple-crown numbers any of the last three years, but he keeps making steady progress and he’s nearly ready for the majors now. The Braves may reconsider the decision made this spring not to switch him to left field. Marte is probably a better third baseman than Chipper Jones, but Jones isn’t moving again and Marte’s bat could prove pretty useful before the end of next season."

    Eric Patterson and Sean Gallagher saluted by the Cubs as the organization's Player and Pitcher of the Year :

" ...  Patterson, 22 ... finished his first professional season as the Midwest League's top hitter with a .333 average. An eighth-round selection in 2004 out of Georgia Tech, Patterson went 144-for-432, with 13 homers, 26 doubles, 11 triples, 71 RBIs, 40 stolen bases and scored 90 runs. He walked 53 times and struck out 94 times. Patterson, who played for Class A Peoria before he was promoted at the end of the season to Double-A West Tenn, also led all Midwest League second basemen in fielding percentage. Patterson will play next month in the Arizona Fall League. Gallagher, 19, went 14-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 26 starts for Peoria, giving up 53 runs -- 44 earned -- on 107 hits over 146 innings. He struck out 139 and walked 55." (MLB.com)

    So far, here are the league by league Top 20s ... OD = On Deck, BA = Baseball America, RA - Roto America.  The RA lists were compiled during the latter part of the season, the OD and BA lists are post-season. 

    International OD              International BA            International RA
  1 Delmon Young OF TB                                        Delmon Young OF TB
  2 Francisco Liriano LHP MIN                                 Francisco Liriano LHP MIN
  3 Andy Marte 3B ATL                                         Chuck James LHP ATL
  4 Joel Zumaya RHP DET                                       Brian Anderson OF CHA
  5 Yusmeiro Petit RHP NYN                                    Curtis Granderson OF DET
  6 Jon Papelbon RHP BOS                                      Andy Marte 3B ATL
  7 Brian Anderson OF CHA                                     Dustin Pedroia 2B BOS
  8 Chuck James LHP ATL                                       Anthony Lerew RHP ATL
  9 Dustin Pedroia 2B BOS                                     Bryan Bullington RHP PIT
 10 Scott Baker RHP MIN                                       Joel Zumaya RHP DET
 11 Fausto Carmona RHP CLE                                    Ryan Garko C CLE
 12 Anthony Lerew RHP ATL                                     Jon Papelbon RHP BOS
 13 Paul Maholm LHP PIT                                       Scott Baker RHP MIN
 14 Franklin Gutierrez OF CLE                                 Boof Bonser RHP MIN
 15 Joey Devine RHP ATL                                       Brandon McCarthy RHP CHA
 16 Manny Delcarmen RHP BOS                                   Gavin Floyd RHP PHI
 17 Fernando Cabrera RHP CLE                                  Abe Alvarez LHP BOS
 18 Guillermo Quiroz C TOR                                    Brian Bannister RHP NYN
 19 Jason Hammel RHP TB                                       Zach Jackson LHP TOR
 20 Ian Snell RHP PIT                                         Nate McLouth OF PIT
    Pacific Coast OD              Pacific Coast BA            Pacific Coast RA
  1 Matt Cain RHP SF                                          Carlos Quentin OF ARZ
  2 Prince Fielder 1B MIL                                     Anthony Reyes RHP STL
  3 Anthony Reyes RHP STL                                     Prince Fielder 1B MIL
  4 Conor Jackson 1B ARZ                                      Adrian Gonzalez 1B TEX
  5 Carlos Quentin OF ARZ                                     Jeff Mathis C ANA
  6 Jeff Mathis C ANA                                         Ian Kinsler 2B TEX
  7 Ian Kinsler 2B TEX                                        Josh Barfield 2B SD
  8 Rich Hill LHP CHN                                         Adam Wainwright RHP STL
  9 Fernando Nieve RHP HOU                                    Tim Stauffer RHP SD
 10 Matt Murton OF CHN                                        Rich Hill LHP CHN
 11 Adam Wainwright RHP STL                                   Delwyn Young 2B/OF LA
 12 Jose Capellan RHP MIL                                     Dave Krynzel OF MIL
 13 Corey Hart OF MIL                                         Joe Saunders LHP ANA
 14 Andre Ethier OF OAK                                       Fernando Nieve RHP HOU
 15 Justin Huber 1B KC                                        Alberto Callaspo 2B ANA
 16 Jason Stokes 1B FLO                                       Willy Aybar 3B LA
 17 Chris Snelling OF SEA                                     Ronny Cedeno SS CHN
 18 Josh Barfield 2B SD                                       Jeff Baker 3B COL
 19 Sergio Santos SS ARZ                                      Dan Meyer LHP OAK
 20 Jairo Garcia RHP OAK                                      Jose Lopez SS SEA
    Eastern OD                    Eastern BA                  Eastern RA
  1 Cole Hamels LHP PHI                                       Lastings Milledge OF NYN
  2 Justin Verlander RHP DET                                  Justin Verlander RHP DET
  3 Dustin McGowan RHP TOR                                    Nick Markakis OF BAL
  4 Ryan Zimmerman 3B WAS                                     Jon Lester LHP BOS
  5 Lastings Milledge OF NYN                                  Michael Aubrey 1B CLE
  6 Jon Lester LHP BOS                                        Hanley Ramirez SS BOS
  7 Matt Moses 3B MIN                                         Jeremy Sowers LHP CLE
  8 Hanley Ramirez SS BOS                                     Yusmeiro Petit RHP NYN
  9 Anibal Sanchez RHP BOS                                    Ryan Zimmerman 3B WAS
 10 Nick Markakis OF BAL                                      Cole Hamels LHP PHI
 11 Hayden Penn RHP BAL                                       Michael Bourn OF PHI
 12 Eric Duncan 3B NYA                                        Brad Snyder OF CLE
 13 Jeremy Sowers LHP CLE                                     Anibal Sanchez RHP BOS
 14 Tom Gorzelanny LHP PIT                                    Casey Janssen RHP TOR
 15 Merkin Valdez RHP SF                                      David Purcey LHP TOR
 16 Craig Hansen RHP BOS                                      Merkin Valdez RHP SF
 17 Phil Humber RHP NYN                                       Matt DeSalvo RHP NYA
 18 Brad Snyder OF CLE                                        Javier Guzman SS PIT
 19 David Purcey LHP TOR                                      Eric Duncan 3B NYA
 20 Glen Perkins LHP MIN                                      Hayden Penn RHP BAL
    Southern OD                   Southern BA                 Southern RA
  1 Chad Billingsley RHP LA                                   Jeremy Hermida OF FLO
  2 Jeremy Hermida OF FLO                                     Joel Guzman SS LA
  3 Joel Guzman SS LA                                         Chad Billingsley RHP LA
  4 Jeff Niemann RHP TB                                       Andy LaRoche 3B LA
  5 Scott Olsen LHP FLO                                       Felix Pie OF CHN
  6 Andy LaRoche 3B LA                                        Russell Martin C LA
  7 Chris Young OF CHA                                        Chuck James LHP ATL
  8 Felix Pie OF CHN                                          Sean Marshall LHP CHN
  9 Stephen Drew SS ARZ                                       Elijah Dukes OF TB
 10 Greg Miller LHP LA                                        Chris Young OF CHA
 11 Elijah Dukes OF TB                                        Wes Bankston 1B TB
 12 Ryan Sweeney OF CHA                                       Jon Broxton RHP LA
 13 Bobby Jenks RHP CHA                                       Delwyn Young 2B LA
 14 Jonathan Broxton RHP LA                                   Ryan Sweeney OF CHA
 15 Dustin Nippert RHP ARZ                                    Justin Orenduff RHP LA
 16 Dana Eveland LHP MIL                                      Travis Chick RHP SD
 17 Josh Johnson RHP FLO                                      Josh Fields 3B CHA
 18 Russell Martin C LA                                       Hong Chi Kuo LHP LA
 19 Justin Orenduff RHP LA                                    Shawn Riggins C TB
 20 Renyel Pinto LHP CHN                                      Renyel Pinto LHP CHN
    Texas OD                      Texas BA                    Texas RA
  1 Billy Butler OF KC                                        John Danks LHP TEX
  2 Thomas Diamond RHP TEX                                    Thomas Diamond RHP TEX
  3 Jered Weaver RHP ANA                                      Erick Aybar SS ANA
  4 Daric Barton 1B OAK                                       Andre Ethier OF OAK
  5 John Danks LHP TEX                                        Alberto Callaspo 2B ANA
  6 Edison Volquez RHP TEX                                    Edison Volquez RHP TEX
  7 Howie Kendrick 2B ANA                                     Mike Napoli C ANA
  8 Kendry Morales 1B ANA                                     Chris Lambert RHP STL
  9 Joaquin Arias SS TEX                                      Dallas Braden LHP OAK
 10 Adam Jones SS SEA                                         Jeff Salazar OF COL
 11 Jason Hirsh RHP HOU                                       Mitch Maier OF KC
 12 Yorman Bazardo RHP SEA                                    Omar Quintanilla SS OAK
 13 Chris Lambert RHP STL                                     Joaquin Arias SS TEX
 14 Cody Haerther OF STL                                      Hector Gimenez C HOU
 15 Erick Aybar SS ANA                                        Jason Windsor RHP OAK
 16 Ubaldo Jimenez RHP COL                                    Drew Meyer OF TEX
 17 Dallas Braden LHP OAK                                     Mark McLemore LHP HOU
 18 Kevin Melillo 2B OAK                                      Josh Anderson OF HOU
 19 Donnie Murphy 2B KC                                       Reggie Willits OF ANA
 20 Jim Miller RHP COL                                        Steven Shell RHP ANA
    California OD                 California BA               California RA
  1 Ian Stewart 3B COL            Brandon Wood SS ANA         Billy Butler 3B KC
  2 Brandon Wood SS ANA           Stephen Drew SS ARZ         Stephen Drew SS ARZ
  3 Cesar Carrillo RHP SD         Howie Kendrick 2B ANA       Brandon Wood SS ANA
  4 Troy Tulowitzki SS COL        Ian Stewart 3B COL          Ian Stewart 3B COL
  5 Eddy Martinez-Esteve OF SF    Billy Bulter 3B/OF KC       Jered Weaver RHP ANA
  6 Chris Lubanski OF KC          Daric Barton 1B OAK         Eddy Martinez-Esteve OF SF
  7 Kurt Suzuki C OAK             Edison Volquez RHP TEX      Howie Kendrick 2B ANA
  8 Asdrubal Cabrera SS SEA       Thomas Diamond RHP TEX      Jeff Neimann RHP TB
  9 Micah Owings RHP ARZ          Adam Jones SS SEA           Daric Barton 1B OAK
 10 Juan Morillo RHP COL          Eddy Martinez-Esteve OF SF  Thomas Diamond RHP TEX
 11 Danny Putnam OF OAK           John Danks LHP TEX          Chris Lubanski OF KC
 12 Nate Schierholtz OF SF        Asdrubal Cabrera SS SEA     Kurt Suzuki C OAK
 13 Garrett Mock RHP ARZ          Chris Iannetta C COL        Wladamir Balentien OF SEA
 14 Travis Ishikawa 1B SF         Miguel Montero C ARZ        Adam Jones SS SEA
 15 Wladimir Balentien OF SEA     Ubaldo Jimenez RHP COL      George Kottaras C SD
 16 Seth Smith OF COL             Nate Schierholtz OF SF      Vince Sinisi 1B TEX
 17 Matt Chico LHP ARZ            George Kottaras C SD        Matt Macri SS/3B COL
 18 Danny Richar 2B ARZ           Jim Miller RHP COL          Miguel Montero C ARZ
 19 Billy Buckner RHP KC          Juan Morillo RHP COL        Michael Johnson 1B SD
 20 Richie Robnett OF OAK         Chris Lubanski OF KC        Seth Smith OF COL
    Carolina OD                   Carolina BA                 Carolina RA
  1 Adam Miller RHP CLE           Jarrod Saltalamacchia C ATL Anibal Sanchez RHP BOS
  2 Troy Patton LHP HOU           Nick Markakis OF BAL        Jeremy Sowers LHP CLE
  3 Gio Gonzalez LHP CHA          Anibal Sanchez RHP BOS      Javier Guzman SS PIT
  4 Jimmy Barthmaier RHP HOU      Adam Miller RHP CLE         Jake Stevens LHP ATL
  5 Jarrod Saltalamacchia C ATL   Gio Gonzalez LHP CHA        Mike Hinckley LHP WAS
  6 Neil Walker C PIT             Jeremy Sowers LHP CLE       Adam Loewen LHP BAL
  7 Adam Loewen LHP BAL           Armando Galarraga RHP WAS   Brad Snyder OF CLE
  8 Garrett Olson LHP BAL         Jeff Fiorentino OF BAL      Jarrod Saltalamacchia C ATL
  9 Ray Liotta LHP CHA            Lance Broadway RHP CHA      Nick Markakis OF BAL
 10 Hunter Pence OF HOU           Adam Loewen LHP BAL         Robert Valido SS CHA
 11 Nolan Reimold OF BAL          Robert Valido SS CHA        Wes Whisler LHP CHA
 12 Lance Broadway RHP CHA        Tony Sipp LHP CLE           Jeff Fiorentino OF BAL
 13 Stephen Head 1B CLE           Ray Liotta LHP CHA          Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B CLE
 14 Rob Valido SS CHA             J.J. Johnson RHP BAL        Ian Bladergroen 1B BOS
 15 Ian Desmond SS WAS            Kory Casto 3B WAS           Charlie Haeger RHP CHA
 16 Mike Hinckley LHP WAS         Brad Snyder OF CLE          James Johnson RHP BAL
 17 Brandon Jones OF ATL          Frank Diaz OF WAS           Tom Collaro OF CHA
 18 Tony Sipp LHP CLE             Hunter Pence OF HOU         Nathanial Spears SS BAL
 19 Jeff Fiorentino OF BAL        Stephen Head 1B CLE         Matt Albers RHP HOU
 20 Juan Gutierrez RHP HOU        Josh Burrus OF ATL          Mitch Talbot RHP HOU
    Florida State OD              Florida State BA            Florida State RA
  1 Phil Hughes RHP NYA           Andy LaRoche 3B LA          Andy LaRoche 3B LA
  2 Anthony Swarzak RHP MIN       Justin Verlander RHP DET    Justin Verlander RHP DET
  3 Gaby Hernandez RHP NYN        Lastings Milledge OF NYN    Matt Moses 3B MIN
  4 Matt Kemp OF LA               Jason Vargas LHP FLO        Lastings Milledge OF NYN
  5 Blake DeWitt 3B LA            Matt Kemp OF LA             Brian Dopirak 1B CHN
  6 Ricky Romero LHP TOR          Matt Moses 3B MIN           Chuck Tiffany LHP LA
  7 Tyler Clippard RHP NYA        Denard Span OF MIN          Phil Humber RHP NYN
  8 Jay Rainville RHP MIN         Justin Orenduff RHP LA      David Purcey LHP TOR
  9 Chuck Tiffany LHP LA          David Purcey LHP TOR        Sean Marshall LHP CHN
 10 Brent Clevlen OF DET          Jordan Tata RHP DET         Jason Vargas LHP FLO
 11 Sean Gallagher RHP CHN        Tony Abreu 2B LA            Cory Dunlap 1B LA
 12 Adam Lind OF TOR              Chin-Lung Hu SS LA          Jake Blalock OF PHI
 13 JBrent Cox RHP NYA            Adam Lind OF TOR            Chris Lambert RHP STL
 14 Scott Moore 3B CHN            Brent Clevlen OF DET        Cody Haerther OF STL
 15 Brian Dopirak 1B CHN          Scott Moore 3B CHN          Stuart Pomeranz RHP STL
 16 Joey Votto 1B CIN             Adam Harben RHP MIN         Zach Jackson LHP TOR
 17 Adam Harben RHP MIN           Chuck Tiffany LHP LA        Carlos Marmol RHP CHN
 18 Tyler Greene SS STL           Brian Dopirak 1B CHN        Ty Taubenheim RHP MIL
 19 Travis Denker 2B LA           Tim Moss 2B PHI             Lou Palmisano C MIL
 20 Justin Jones LHP MIN          Philip Humber RHP NYN       Matt Kemp OF LA
    Midwest OD                    Midwest BA                  Midwest RA
  1 Homer Bailey RHP CIN          Carlos Gonzales OF ARZ      Matt Tuiasosopo SS SEA
  2 Carlos Gonzales OF ARZ        Homer Bailey RHP CIN        Homer Bailey RHP CIN
  3 Mark McCormick RHP STL        Eric Hurley RHP TEX         Sean Gallagher RHP CHN
  4 Angel Guzman RHP CHN          Javier Herrera OF OAK       Ryan Harvey OF CHN
  5 Jeff Clement C SEA            Cliff Pennington SS OAK     Eric Patterson 2B CHN
  6 Ryan Harvey OF CHN            Travis Buck OF OAK          Eric Hurley RHP TEX
  7 Javier Herrera OF OAK         Ryan Harvey OF CHN          Javier Herrera OF OAK
  8 Travis Buck OF OAK            Anthony Swarzak RHP MIN     Kyle Waldrop RHP MIN
  9 Matt Tuiasosopo SS SEA        Rafael Rodriguez RHP ANA    James Houser LHP TB
 10 Kevin Slowey RHP MIN          Matt Garza RHP MIN          Jarrett Hoffpauir 2B STL
 11 Matt Garza RHP MIN            Jay Rainville RHP MIN       Reid Brignac SS TB
 12 Eric Hurley RHP TEX           Trevor Plouffe SS MIN       Anthony Swarzak RHP MIN
 13 Cliff Pennington SS OAK       Luis Cota RHP KC            Chi Hung Cheng LHP TOR
 14 Chris Mason RHP TB            David Winfree 3B MIN        Rafael Rodriguez RHP ANA
 15 Luis Cota RHP KC              Sean Gallagher RHP CHN      AJ Shappi RHP ARZ
 16 Eduardo Morlan RHP MIN        Eric Patterson 2B CHN       Ryan Webb RHP OAK
 17 Chi-Hung Cheng LHP TOR        Reid Brignac SS TB          Sean Rodriguez SS ANA
 18 James Houser LHP TB           Matt Tuiasosopo SS SEA      Wilkin Ramirez 3B/DH DET
 19 Trevor Plouffe SS MIN         Asdrubal Cabrera SS SEA     Asdrubal Cabrera 2B SEA
 20 Nick Webber RHP STL           Wilkin Ramirez 3B DET       Trevor Plouffe SS MIN
    South Atlantic OD             South Atlantic BA           South Atlantic RA
  1 Scott Elbert LHP LA           Scott Elbert LHP LA         Chris Nelson SS COL
  2 Ryan Braun 3B MIL             Neil Walker C PIT           Gio Gonzalez LHP CHA
  3 Mark Rogers RHP MIL           Marcus Sanders SS SF        Neil Walker C PIT
  4 Marcus Sanders SS SF          Troy Patton LHP HOU         Philip Hughes RHP NYA
  5 Chris Nelson SS COL           Ryan Braun 3B MIL           Blake DeWitt 3B LA
  6 Franklin Morales LHP COL      Philip Hughes RHP NYA       Marcus Sanders SS SF
  7 Yovani Gallardo RHP MIL       Blake DeWitt 3B LA          Mitch Einerston OF HOU
  8 Collin Balester RHP WAS       Matt Harrison LHP ATL       Hernan Iribarren 2B MIL
  9 Blake Johnson RHP LA          Yunel Escobar SS ATL        Ching Lung Lo RHP COL
 10 Chuck Lofgren LHP CLE         Brandon Jones OF ATL        Gaby Hernandez RHP NYN
 11 Jeff Allison RHP FLO          Jimmy Barthmaier RHP HOU    Greg Golson OF PHI
 12 Christian Garcia RHP NYA      Gio Gonzalez LHP CHA        Travis Denker 2B LA
 13 Radhames Liz RHP BAL          Mark Rogers RHP MIL         Hunter Pence OF HOU
 14 Yunel Escobar SS ATL          Greg Golson OF PHI          Ambiorix Concepcion OF NYN
 15 Angel Salome C MIL            Hunter Pence OF HOU         Matt Harrison LHP ATL
 16 JR Towles C HOU               Collin Balester RHP WAS     Dave Haehnel LHP BAL
 17 Marcos Vechionacci 3B NYA     J.T. Restko OF FLO          Jimmy Barthmaier RHP HOU
 18 Jonathan Sanchez LHP SF       Gaby Hernandez RHP NYN      Mike Carp 1B NYN
 19 Craig Whitaker RHP SF         Ian Desmond SS WAS          Scott Elbert LHP LA
 20 Tim Battle OF NYA             Chris Nelson SS COL         Ray Liotta LHP CHA
    New York-Penn OD              New York-Penn BA
  1 Chris Volstad RHP FLO         Nolan Reimold OF BAL
  2 Wade Davis RHP TB             Chris Volstad RHP FLO
  3 Jake McGee LHP TB             Wade Davis RHP TB
  4 Clint Everts RHP WAS          Eduardo Nunez SS NYA
  5 Jacoby Ellsbury OF BOS        Radhames Liz RHP BAL
  6 Luis Soto OF BOS              Jacoby Ellsbury OF BOS
  7 Eduardo Nunez SS NYA          Jed Lowrie SS/2B BOS
  8 Clay Buchholz RHP BOS         Garrett Olson LHP BAL
  9 Sean West LHP FLO             Jacob McGee LHP TB
 10 Todd Redmond RHP PIT          Tyler Greene SS STL
 11 Bobby Parnell RHP NYN         Gaby Sanchez 3B/1B FLO
 12 Ryan Patterson OF TOR         Luis Soto OF BOS
 13 Jeff Larish 1B DET            Clay Buchholz RHP BOS
 14 Wade Townsend RHP TB          Michael Hollimon SS DET
 15 Jed Lowrie SS BOS             Welinson Baez SS PHI
 16 Aaron Thompson LHP FLO        Jensen Lewis RHP CLE
 17 Robert Ray RHP TOR            Ryan Patterson OF TOR
 18 Ryan Phillips LHP BOS         Kevin Whelan RHP DET
 19 Brian Bogusevic LHP HOU       Nick Webber RHP STL
 20 Matt Joyce OF DET             Bobby Parnell RHP NYN
    Northwest OD                  Northwest BA
  1 Taylor Teagarden C TEX        Shane Lindsay RHP COL
  2 Shane Lindsay RHP COL         Donald Veal LHP CHN
  3 Matt Torra RHP ARZ            Taylor Teagarden C TEX
  4 Daniel Griffin RHP SF         Nick Hundley C SD
  5 Donald Veal LHP CHN           Pablo Sandoval 3B SF
  6 John Mayberry OF TEX          Luis Valbuena 2B SEA
  7 Fabian Jimenez LHP SD         Dan Griffin RHP SF
  8 Ryan Schreppel LHP ARZ        John Mayberry Jr OF TEX
  9 Luis Valbuena 2B SEA          Ben Copeland OF SF
 10 Jimmy Shull RHP OAK           Chase Headley 3B SD
 11 Zach Simons RHP COL           Jimmy Shull RHP OAK
 12 Jason Ray RHP OAK             Michael Mooney OF SF
 13 Michael Saunders OF SEA       Michael Saunders OF SEA
 14 Steve Murphy OF TEX           Steve Murphy OF TEX
 15 Darin Downs LHP CHN           Edgar Guaramato RHP SEA
 16 Pablo Sandoval 3B SF          Zach Simons RHP COL
 17 Mark Reed C CHN               Stephen Kahn RHP SEA
 18 Michael Madsen RHP OAK        Jason Ray RHP OAK
 19 Justin Sellers SS OAK         Justin Sellers SS OAK
 20 Freddie Thon 1B TEX           Mark Reed C CHN
    Appalachian OD                Appalachian BA
  1 Brandon Snyder C BAL          Brandon Snyder C/3B BAL
  2 Colby Rasmus OF STL           Colby Rasmus OF STL
  3 Eric Campbell 3B ATL          Eric Campbell 3B ATL
  4 Bryan Anderson C STL          Brandon Erbe RHP BAL
  5 Brandon Erbe RHP BAL          Max Ramirez C ATL
  6 Matt Walker RHP TB            Jesse Litsch RHP TOR
  7 Juan Portes 2B MIN            Juan Portes 2B/OF MIN
  8 Joshua Wilson RHP STL         Josh Flores OF HOU
  9 Alexander Smit LHP MIN        Aaron Cunningham OF CHA
 10 Jose Martinez SS STL          Bryan Anderson C STL
 11 Andrew Lopez OF TB            Matt Walker RHP TB
 12 Koby Clemens 3B HOU           John Drennen OF CLE
 13 John Drennen OF CLE           Jairo Cuevas RHP ATL
 14 Ryan Mullins LHP MIN          Eli Iorg OF HOU
 15 Josh Flores OF HOU            John Matulia OF TB
 16 Jon Owings OF ATL             Koby Clemens 3B HOU
 17 Eli Iorg OF HOU               Alexander Smit LHP MIN
 18 Maximiliano Ramirez C ATL     Ryan Mullins LHP MIN
 19 Chris Carter 3B CHA           Ryan Mitchell RHP HOU
 20 Adam Hawes RHP MIN            Tyler Herron RHP STL
    Pioneer OD                    Pioneer BA
  1 Jay Bruce OF CIN              Jay Bruce OF CIN
  2 Travis Wood LHP CIN           Charlie Fermaint OF MIL
  3 Chaz Roe RHP COL              Hainley Statia SS ANA
  4 Billy Inman RHP MIL           Angel Salome C MIL
  5 Jose Arredondo RHP ANA        Francisco Hernandez C CHA
  6 Francisco Hernandez C CHA     Stephen Marek RHP ANA
  7 Mark Trumbo 1B ANA            Dexter Fowler OF COL
  8 Dexter Fowler OF COL          Chaz Roe RHP COL
  9 John Meloan RHP LA            Jose Arredondo RHP ANA
 10 Chris McConnell SS KC         Will Inman RHP MIL
 11 Jeff Stevens RHP CIN          Greg Smith LHP ARZ
 12 Greg Smith LHP ARZ            Bobby Mosebach RHP ANA
 13 Jesus Soto 2B LA              Juan Rivera SS LA
 14 Mike Bell SS MIL              Mark Trumbo 1B ANA
 15 Rafael Gonzalez RHP CIN       Chris McConnell SS KC
 16 Brent Leach LHP LA            Brandon Roberts OF CIN
 17 Ivan DeJesus SS LA            Matt Gamel 3B MIL
 18 Brandon Allen 1B CHA          Corey Wimberly INF COL
 19 Juan Apodaca C LA             Brandon Allen 1B CHA
 20 Stephen Marek RHP ANA         Ivan DeJesus Jr SS LA
    Gulf Coast OD                 Gulf Coast BA
  1 Elvis Andrus SS ATL           Andrew McCutchen OF PIT
  2 Andrew McCutchen OF PIT       Jay Bruce OF CIN
  3 Jose Tabata OF NYA            Chris Volstad RHP FLO
  4 CJ Henry SS NYA               Elvis Andrus SS ATL
  5 Beau Jones LHP ATL            Travis Wood LHP CIN
  6 Austin Jackson OF NYA         Beau Jones LHP ATL
  7 Michael Bowden RHP BOS        Jose Tabata OF NYA
  8 Kyle Edlich LHP MIN           Sean West LHP FLO
  9 Edgar Garcia RHP PHI          Ryan Tucker RHP FLO
 10 Paul Kelly SS MIN             CJ Henry SS NYA
 11 Jeff Lyman RHP ATL            Austin Jackson OF NYA
 12 Emmanuel Garcia 2B NYN        Paul Kelly SS MIN
 13 Tim Cox LHP BOS               Aaron Thompson LHP FLO
 14 Josh Bell 3B LA               Ivan DeJesus SS LA
 15 Audy Ciriaco SS DET           Jon Egan C BOS
 16 Jordan Schafer OF ATL         Jordan Schafer OF ATL
 17 Drew Thompson 2B MIN          Drew Thompson 2B MIN
 18 Danny Santiesteban OF MIN     Jeff Lyman RHP ATL
 19 Francisco Castillo RHP NYA    Miguel Sanfler LHP LA
 20 Domingo Cabrera LHP NYA       Emmanuel Garcia SS NYN
    Arizona OD                    Arizona BA
  1                               Mark Pawelek LHP CHN
  2                               Nick Adenhart RHP ANA
  3                               Craig Italiano RHP OAK
  4                               Jeff Bianchi SS KC
  5                               Johnny Whittleman 3B TEX
  6                               Jared Lansford RHP OAK
  7                               Waldis Joaquin RHP SF
  8                               Lorenzo Cain OF MIL
  9                               Joe Dickerson OF KC
 10                               Shairon Martis RHP SF
 11                               Sharlon Schoop SS SF
 12                               Manuel Pina C TEX
 13                               PJ Phillips SS ANA
 14                               Kyle Blanks 1B SD
 15                               Ramon Alvarado OF OAK
 16                               Tommy Mendoza RHP ANA
 17                               Sammy Baez SS CHN
 18                               Brent Fisher LHP KC
 19                               Ernesto Frieri RHP SD
 20                               Gustavo Espinoza LHP ANA

23 September 2005

    A little catch-up ... Instructional Leagues are underway, but if this fall is like others, information made available on the teams will be very skimpy.

    Troop movements ... MIL - Trent Durrington, Nelson Cruz, Gary Glover  up ... LA - Wilson Alvarez activated from DL, Jonathan Broxton up ...  BOS - Craig HansenHanley Ramirez up ...  OAK -  activated Bobby Crosby from the DL ... COL - Mike Esposito up, Zach Day to DL ... DET - signed outfielder Cameron Maybin (1st rounder, 10th overall) ...

" ... After four months of negotiations with the Detroit Tigers, Maybin said Thursday night that he has orally agreed to a contract with a signing bonus of $2.65 million and expects to join the Tigers today in Lakeland, Fla., for instructional league. “My mom said she hasn’t seen me smile like this in months,” Maybin said. “I’m just so excited to get started and become a Detroit Tiger. For someone who loves baseball as much as I do, this wasn’t an easy process, but it was something I had to go through.” ... Instructional league for the Tigers’ prospects began Wednesday in Lakeland, Fla., but Detroit won’t play its first game until Monday, and the league runs through Oct. 21. In Lakeland, Maybin will be evaluated and taught by some of the Tigers’ top coaches and scouts."  (Asheville Citizen Times)

    Add Francisco Liriano to the choices as Minor League Player of the Year.  The Sporting News, names the MIN lefty as the minors' best :

" ... The left-hander keeps hearing he is the next Johan Santana, which is fast company to keep. Both are left-handers who throw hard and belong to the Minnesota Twins. That's about it ... The 21-year-old Liriano has had a worthy season. He advanced from Class AA to AAA, where he overpowered the opposition and earned a trip to the majors ...  He was the starter for the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game in July, quickly moved out of Class AA and hit his stride at Class AAA Rochester (N.Y.). He was 9-2 with a 1.78 ERA. His Class AA manager was Stan Cliburn, who told the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "His stuff is as good as what we saw five years ago from Santana. He has a big, big future ahead of him."  (TSN)

Earlier, Baseball America selected Delmon Young as the top dog while RotoAmerica and Bryan Smith, TheBaseball Analysts, cited Brandon Wood.

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld.com, continues his review of his mid-season prospect picks :

90. Nick Markakis, BAL " ... Markakis numbers in his final five weeks for Bowie will probably push him into the top 25 in some of next year’s prospects lists. I’m not quite that optimistic, but Markakis should be a quality regular in right field. The Orioles will be looking for outfielders this winter, but they need to make sure there’s going to be a spot open for the 2003 first-round pick in 2007."

84. Tom Gorzelanny, PIT  " ...  another very good left-handed pitching prospect developed by Pittsburgh. He throws quite hard for a southpaw and he possesses a plus slider. The sore elbow he developed during the spring didn’t limit him all after the season got going, although the Pirates would be smart to play close attention to any further problems that develop. I like Gorzelanny’s chances of developing into a No. 3 starter."

63. Josh Barfield, SD  " ... A late-season surge will help Barfield climb back into the top 50 next time. He had dropped to No. 70 on the midseason list ... seems more likely now to stay at second base. The Padres will turn to him next time Mark Loretta gets hurt and they’ll probably give him regular playing time beginning in 2007."

59. Jeff Mathis, ANA  " ...  bounced back from his first rough season as a pro to post an 839 OPS in his Triple-A debut. Another year at Salt Lake to continue his development offensively wouldn’t hurt, although he’s ready to be an adequate big-league catcher now."

    Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, checking in on the top hitters in the minors, including :

C Miguel Montero  " ...  put up some sick numbers in the hitting-friendly California League (349 AVG/ .403 OBP/ .625 SLG, 24 HR, 82 RBIs in 85 games). He didn't fare as well in 108 ABs in Double-A, but still finished the year with 26 homers and 95 RBIs while turning just 22."

1B Kendry Morales  " ...  If you take the numbers Morales did put up in 96 games (22 HR, 71 RBIs at two levels) and project out to a complete 140-game Minor League season, you'd get 32 HR and 104 RBIs. He also hit .315 and was virtually unhittable at two stops once he made adjustments to a new locale. He could make Casey Kotchman and/or Darin Erstad irrelevant soon."

3B Andy LaRoche  " ...  made the Florida State League -- a pitching haven -- his own little playground, hitting 21 homers with a .333 average and .651 SLG in 63 games. Double-A was a touch harder for the third baseman who just turned 22, but he still homered nine more times and drove in 43 runs in 64 games."

    Baseball America is zooming through its picks as the Top 20 prospects in each league.  The lists to follow shortly (comparing the BA and OnDeck picks).  For now, bits of the chat sessions.

    Baseball America's Allan Simpson on a few of the Gulf Coast & Arizona prospects - Chris Volstad FLO, Nick Adenhart ANA and Jeff Bianchi KC :

" ...  Volstad was a pretty polished product when he started his pro career in the GCL. He lasted only a half year before being promoted to the New York-Penn League, where he also excelled. He's got command of three pitches but projects more as a No. 2 starter in the big leagues. His fastball was only 91-92, though scouts had him at 93-95 during the high school season."

" ... Adenhart started slowly in the Arizona League after having Tommy John surgery just before the 2004 draft, but got better and better with each start as the Angels increased his pitch count. He pitched especially well in his final AZL start and in his only Pioneer League start. He regained most of the velocity on his fastball, peaking at 94, but the command of his pitches was inconsistent. He has a great feel for pitching and should fully return to his old form by next year."

" ... Bianchi was a great catch for the Royals in the second round. He tore up the league, hitting .400-plus with power, before being sidelined over the second half of the season with a back injury. His bat is his best tool. He's a little limited defensively and probably will face a move to second base down the road, but don't sell him short. He's a blue collar player who takes charge and should get the most out of his ability."

    Matt Eddy in the Baseball America chatroom on the Appalachian prospect chart :

Eric Campbell 3B ATL  " ... Appy League managers liked what they saw from Campbell in the field, noting he could make plays to his left and to his right and that his arm was average, but he has a build similar to Marte’s. At 6-foot, 195 lbs., Campbell may be addressing the same questions about a position switch Marte is right now. Marte is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 lbs."

Brandon Snyder C BAL  " ...  Snyder is not a polished defensive catcher because he made the transition from shortstop just this spring. No one I spoke with regarded him as more than average behind the plate, but he did show the aptitude to stick at catcher. That is, he worked well with his pitchers, who were sometimes a few years older than him, and really took charge of the game. His arm rates as average, but he moves well for a big guy. What you heard about his offensive game is accurate. Snyder hits for power to all fields and has an advanced knowledge of the strike zone."

Jesse Litsch SP TOR  " ... He impressed me with his fiery mound demeanor and for his rapid-fire attack on hitters. He throws strikes and makes them adjust to his game. His stuff doesn’t hurt, either: a fastball that reaches 92 mph and a high-80s slider that could become a plus pitch."

    Alan Matthews, Baseball America, handled the questions on the Pioneer League prospects :

Jay Bruce OF CIN  " ... Bruce's body is long, strong and lean and his swing is smooth and powerful. He still lacks an advanced feel for the game, though his instincts aren't bad and he has a willingness to absorb instruction and seems to have a strong desire to improve. There's not much pretension to this kid, which you have to like from a player who was taken in the first half of the first round. With his tools and work ethic, the Walker [Larry Walker] comp might come to fruition."

Ken Holmberg 2B MIL  " ... What a year for Holmberg. The 22-year-old second baseman shows a polished approach at the plate that helped him post great numbers this summer. He's short on tools, however, and will have to prove he can perform at every level of the minors to be given a chance in the big leagues. He has some power from a good line-drive swing and he's a pretty good fielder, though his arm is slightly below-average. He profiles as a utility guy, as he did play short and third in college and might even see some time behind the plate in instructional league."

    Matt Meyers, Baseball America, took the chatroom session on the New York - Penn League :

Wade Townsend SP TB " ... It is hard to say exactly what happened with Townsend. The time off certainly did not help him. From what I gather, he never fully regained the velocity on his fastball and therefore never fully trusted it. As a result, he was throwing a lot of offspeed stuff that hitters feasted on. This does not mean he is not a prospect, I just couldn't justify putting him on this list based on what he did in the league. That 5.49 ERA was not getting it done."

Radhames Liz, Garrett Olson SPs BAL  " ... Liz has an electric arm though he will need to develop a third pitch to continue as a starter. You can't deny the arm strength and the life on his fastball, every person in the league I spoke to raved about it. Olson is in a similar boat, he needs to refine the changeup but the curve is nasty. He is someone to keep an eye next year due to throwing 200 innings between college and the pros ... His results did not fade and he was a force in the Carolina League playoffs, so it is hard to argue with letting him pitch, but I worry about how his workload this season will affect him in the future."

Nolan Reimold OF BAL  " ...  I can't think of a great comp for him to be honest. How about a righthanded Jim Edmonds? That is a generous comp for somone who has only played three months of pro ball, but he has those kinds of tools. The O's got a great early return on their draft, but it is a marathon, not a sprint. There is reason to be optimistic though."

    BA's Will Kimmey was the answer-man for questions on the Northwest League chart :

Jeff Clement C SEA  " ... I'd say Clements' defense could rate how fast he moves, but then again that depends on how important that skill ultimately is for the Mariners. There's no question Clement is an extremely advanced hitter ...could likely hold his own at the plate in the Mariners sometime next year ... Clement's defense, by all accounts, has improved in the last year, and that's been a giant hole for the M's in recent years. Most likely some time in early 2007 might make the most sense for his M's career to begin."

John Mayberry or Taylor Teagarden?  " ... Mayberry I'd say has a better chance of being a great player, despite his struggles thus far. His power could turn into 25-30 homers at the major league level, and possibly more. His speed could also lend to 10 steals or more provided he doesn't totally bulk up and maintains his slender fluidity. Teagarden, however, has a better chance of reaching the majors and becoming a very, very solid player for a long time with a slimmer to chance to become one of the game's best 20 players or so but a strong chance to be an important piece on a good team."

    KC announces awards for its farm system :

" ...  First baseman Justin Huber ...  named as Kansas City's Minor League Player of the Year ...  won the Texas League batting crown, hitting .343 for Wichita with 16 home runs and 74 RBI. The 23-year old converted catcher from Australia also led the league in both on-base percentage (.432) and slugging percentage (.570) .... . named the MVP of the XM Satellite Futures Game on July 10 at Detroit's Comerica Park, as well as a mid-season and post-season Texas League All-Star ...  promoted to Omaha on July 28 ...  made his presence felt quickly, driving in a season-high six runs ... wound up hitting .274 with seven homers and 23 RBI in 32 games, before getting called up by Kansas City."  (Omaha Royals)

    Delmon Young ... misunderstood ?

" ... Young said ... critical remarks he made about the organization for not promoting him to the majors this month were not aimed at the last-place team's players. "I never meant any disrespect to the Devil Ray players. I have nothing but the highest respect for these guys, and I know how hard they have worked to get there," said Young ...  "I am just so frustrated that the team would not give me the opportunity to play with and against the best players in the game, so that I could continue to learn and develop in the major league environment." ...  Young said some of his remarks had been "twisted." "I never said that I would step right in and take anyone's job. I feel that I earned the right to be called up in September along with a hundred or so other players around the league," he said."  (Associated Press)

Support for Young and BJ Upton from BA's Jim Callis :

" ... It looks like Upton will have to move off shortstop, so why not promote him in September and give him some time at third base? The Devil Rays can afford to shift Alex Gonzalez from the hot corner to the bench. And Young doesn't have to play every day, but why not give him some big league at-bats? Giving Huff some playing time at first base and Travis Lee some pine time won't hurt the team. Tampa Bay just wants to keep Young and Upton from arbitration and free agency as long as possible, but that's a cynical approach that cheats its fans and those players. And there's at least a small chance that Young or Upton may still bear a grudge down the road when they get the opportunity to depart. If I were running a team that has accomplished nothing in eight seasons, I'd be trying to celebrate and not alienate the two brightest prospects in the minor leagues."

    Dayn Perry, FoxSports, with his picks as the best in Double-A.  Delmon Young topped the hitters, over Jeremy Hermida, Chris Young, Joel Guzman and Justin Huber :

" ... Hermida has always had exceptional baseball skills and on-base abilities, but he'd heretofore been unable to cultivate a power stroke. Well, that's no longer the case. This season at AA-Carolina, Hermida put up a line of .293 AVG/.457 OBP/.518 SLG. Particularly impressive are the 111 walks and 49 extra-base hits. In light of this breakout power season, Hermida's now one of the five best prospects in all of baseball. He'll open the 2006 season as a starter in the Marlin outfield."

" ... Guzman's numbers this season don't look overwhelming at first blush (.287 AVG/.351 OBP/.475 SLG), but, in point of fact, those are impressive numbers for a 20-year-old shortstop toiling in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. It's possible that Guzman's body type and occasional fielding difficulties will force him to third base, but his bat will play anywhere. He's shown strong power numbers over the last two seasons, and he figures to be a force one day at the highest level."

Perry tabbed Joel Zumaya as the best of the Double-A starters, ahead of Yusmeiro Petit, Chad Billingsley, Chuck James and Josh Banks.

" ...  Zumaya touches 98 with his heater and backs it up with a hammer breaking ball. Like a lot of young, prep-trained hurlers, his off-speed stuff needs work, but the abilities are there. This season at AA-Erie, Zumaya struggled with his control, but he did fan almost 12 batters per nine innings. He remained dominant after a late-season promotion to Triple-A. All of that as a 20-year-old."

" ... James was a bit under the prospect radar coming into this season, but after his tremendous work in 2005 that's no longer the case. In 86 innings at AA-Mississippi, James struck out 104, walked only 18 and gave up only four homers. Oh, and his ERA was a league best 2.06 before his promotion to Triple-A. In 2005, James pitched across three minor league levels and dominated at each stop. His stuff doesn't grade out as being elite-level, but his performance this season most assuredly does. It also doesn't hurt that he's in an organization that knows a thing or two about pitching."

    Zach Chalifour, RotoTimes, includes notes on Adam Miller and Chris Nelson in his latest prospect report :

" ... Miller ... battled arm problems during most of the spring and spent the summer trying to return to form instead of preparing for a Cleveland debut. In time spent between Short-Season Mahoning Valley (three starts) and High-A Kinston (12 starts), Miller posted a 4.86 ERA in 70.1 innings with 51 strikeouts. With the rest of the fall and next season to get back to 100 percent, Miller will likely start the 2006 campaign at Double-A Akron and make his Jacobs Field debut by the end of the summer."

" ... Injuries plagued Nelson throughout the course of the season and were the main cause for the struggles of the 2004 first-round draft pick. The 20-year-old was never able to get anything going at Low-A Asheville this year, as a hamstring problem limited him to just 79 games -- most of which were in short spurts of action before missing a series or two of games. The absence of a chance for Nelson to get in any sort of a groove reflected in his stats, as he hit just .241 in 315 at-bats with only three home runs, 38 RBI and seven stolen bases. Nagging injuries have plagued Nelson much throughout his short career, and he will need to stay healthy next season to keep from having his development stunted to a more significant degree."

    Sam Geaney, Cal Leaguers, includes scouting reports on a pair of OAK prospects, Cliff Pennington and Travis Buck.

Travis Buck  " ... Polished player. Sculpted player ...  Very nice swing ...  Generates easy avg batspd. Clean path, hds short to ball with gd extension and lift after contact ... No obvious holes in swing. Strong avg raw power is mostly to pull side but shows no predisposition for pull heavy approach. Polished feel for strike zone should allow power to play @ or very near to raw ... Chance to be avg big league LF, power and avg won't be impact but solid."

Cliff Pennington  " ... Savvy little player with bigger tools. Undersized body. Wiry strong ... Balanced and smooth swing from left side of plate ... Ball doesn't jump off bat ... Power should be of gap variety to tune of 8-12HR/yr. Strong avg runner who is plus under way but gets out of box a bit slow ... Wild defender with minimal smoothness to game. Strong avg arm. Accuracy is mediocre right now. Has one speed to defensive game and it will really hurt his consis. Has tools to let game come to him but tries to do too much ... Based on limited look he's a fringy player for me, @ best a Mark Ellis type career of but that may be a bit of a reach. Should spend next yr in High A."

    Brian Pelowski, CREATiVE SPORTS, with notes on some mound prospects :

" ... Daniel Haigwood ... began the season at A+ Winston-Salem where he went 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA, 79 hits allowed and an 84/33 K/BB ratio in 76.1 innings before a promotion to Double-A Birmingham. Haigwood continued to impress at Double-A, posting a 6-1 record with a 1.74 ERA, 39 hits allowed and a 76/31 K/BB ratio in 67.1 innings pitched. Additionally, he did not allow a home run in his 11 starts at Birmingham. Haigwood’s success stems from an improved changeup, a pitch that could serve him well in the majors. The White Sox may start him back at Double-A next season but a promotion to Triple-A shouldn’t be far off. A stint in the majors next season isn’t out of the question either."

" ... Thomas Diamond ... at A+ Bakersfield where he went 8-0 with a 1.99 ERA, 53 hits allowed and a 101/31 K/BB ratio in 81.1 innings. The Rangers promoted him to Double-A Frisco in June where he went 5-4 with a 5.35 ERA, 66 hits allowed and a 68/38 K/BB ratio in 69 innings pitched ... peripheral numbers look strong but he will need to reduce his walks a bit if he wants to be successful in the majors. Expect to see him competing for a rotation spot this spring but I’d guess he’ll start the year back in the minors."

" ... Anibal Sanchez ... began this season at A+ Wilmington where he went 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA, 53 hits allowed and a 95/24 K/BB ratio in 78.2 innings pitched. He was promoted to Double-A Portland in July where he went 3-5 with a 3.45 ERA, 53 hits allowed and a 63/16 K/BB ratio in 57.1 innings pitched. Sanchez throws a mid-90s fastball and made improvements with his offspeed pitches this season. He’s shown good control at both levels which bodes well for future success in the big leagues whether he ends up as a reliever or starter. The Red Sox may choose to start Sanchez at Double-A next season but a promotion to Triple-A isn’t far off."

    Bryan Smith, TheBaseballAnalysts, likes Prince Fielder as the best of the first base prospects (over Daric Barton, Wes Bankston, Justin Huber and Michael Aubrey) .

" ...  Fielder is a very streaky player ... After slugging home runs in bunches during Spring Training's beginning, few players did less in the late stages to instill confidence from their managers than Fielder. A year, minimum, spent at AAA would build consistency. Or so the Brewers hoped. Consistency, it did not build ... On May 16, Prince was hitting just .226 with a .316 slugging ... Plenty of people were concerned, and the Fielder-is-overrated chants grew louder and louder. However, as he constantly does, Fielder then threw us for a loop. In his 245 at-bats since May 16, Fielder has collected 80 hits, for an astounding .327 average. Forty-three of those eighty hits were of the extra-base variety, giving him an insane .706 slugging during that time. Throw in a good number of walks, and we can say Fielder ended his season in a .330/.420/.700 fashion. Trade Overbay...now."

    John Sickels on Ty Clippard NYA and Chuck Tiffany LA :

" ...  Clippard made 25 starts for Tampa in the Florida State League, going 10-9, 3.18, with a 169/34 K/BB in 147 innings. He allowed just 118 hits, giving him an excellent ratio set: his K/IP, K/BB, and H/IP marks are all quite strong ... features a decent fastball at 88-90 MPH, but has a plus curveball and an improving changeup. He has good command and control within the strike zone, and now has two solid A-ball seasons under his belt ...  He isn't a Felix Hernandez type, but looks to me like a good B+ style prospect."

" ... Tiffany ... just missed my Top 50 list last year, coming in at #51 with a solid Grade B rating. He should move a few slots higher than that in the '06 book. At age 20, he went 11-7, 3.93 in 21 starts for Vero Beach, with a 134/43 K/BB in 110 innings, allowing just 91 hits. His K/IP ratio was very strong at +43% better than league average. His K/BB and H/IP were also better than league, though not as strong as the K/IP. Tiffany should make the transition to Double-A in '06, and I think he is poised for a breakthrough season."

    John Sickels, at FutureAngels.com, with a look at ANA catcher Michael Collins :

" ...  Collins ... For the season, hit .320/.412/.482 with 16 steals in 100 games, just 21 years old. An Australian, Collins spent 2004 at Cedar Rapids and did not hit well, but made major improvement this year ... a compact, quick swing ...  plate discipline is adequate, and he makes good contact ...  He is athletic, and I think he should qualify as a solid sleeper prospect."

    David Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner, on the M's prospect chart :

" ... It will be interesting to see how Baseball America puts together the M’s top ten list after the season, considering that nearly every interesting young player in the system no longer has rookie status. Adam Jones and Jeff Clement will fight for the top spot, though I’d give a slight edge to Clement at this point, but then what? Bobby Livingston, who profiles as John Halama if everything goes well? Chris Snelling, who we love but just can’t stay healthy? The M’s have two solid prospects that both need some more development in Clement and Jones, and then a lot of maybes. Adding Felix, Reed, Betancourt, Lopez, and Sherill to the major league club made this a very successful season for the farm system. The M’s shouldn’t look forward to anything near that kind of help coming from the farm in 2006, however."

    Dodgers to try Delwyn Young in the outfield :

" ...  Young, the second baseman who Triple-A Las Vegas manager Jerry Royster said is the best hitting prospect in the organization, is in the instructional league trying to learn to play the outfield.  "He has the tools to be the best hitter we have because he has something you can't teach -- bat speed," said Royster, who managed Young after his June 30 promotion from Double-A Jacksonville. "We have some very good hitters in the organization. (Joel) Guzman and (Andy) LaRoche have the power, (Tony) Abreu is a slappy guy who will hit. But Young can be the best, without a doubt, it's not even close." ...  Abreu is a better defensive prospect at second base than Young and is considered to have a Major League bat.  (MLB.com)


Our league correspondents :  INTERNATIONAL Herb Walters / PACIFIC COAST JDM  / EASTERN Ralph Marston  / SOUTHERN Jason Collette   / TEXAS Aman Reaka  / FLORIDA STATE Wayne Stevens  / CAROLINA Troy Salvior  / CALIFORNIA JDM  / MIDWEST Bob Reed  / SOUTH ATLANTIC Dave Scott  / NEW YORK-PENN Harry Almquist  / NORTHWEST JDM  / APPALACHIAN  Scott Howes  / PIONEER Joe McAnally / GULF COAST JDM  / ARIZONA JDM

 
 

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

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