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12-13 November, 2005
SEA with a catcher in the fold?
" ... Mariners are said to be on the verge of
signing Japanese catcher Kenji Jojima ... two-year contract worth
about $8 million with an option for a third season ... Jojima (pronounced Joe-geema)
is a right-handed hitter with good power and strong defensive skills. He
averaged a .299 batting average and 30 home runs and 100 RBI over the past seven
seasons for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks." (Tacoma News Tribune)
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, with a look at the possible impact rookies of 2007.
It's Justin Upton
atop the Top 20 :
" ... Upton, ss, Diamondbacks Probably not a
shortstop but could be next Ken Griffey Jr."
" ... 2. Brandon Wood, ss, Angels Forcing his
way atop Los Angeles' collection of shortstop prospects."
" ... 7. Chad Billingsley, rhp,
Dodgers Has better chance to get 2006 look after Paul DePodesta's firing."
" ... 9. Troy Tulowitzki, ss, Rockies
Better than Bobby Crosby and gets his stats enhanced by altitude."
AFL managers and coaches have named the post-season All-Stars :
Catchers Outfielders
Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL Andre Ethier OAK
Michael Nickeas TEX Matt Kemp LAD
Chris Denorfia CIN
First Basemen Lastings Milledge NYN
Kendry Morales LAA Jarred Ball ARZ
Garrett Jones MIN Nick Markakis BAL
Second Basemen Left-Handed Pitchers
Howie Kendrick LAA Adam Loewen BAL
Dan Uggla ARZ Glen Perkins MIN
Shortstops Right-Handed Pitchers
Brandon Wood LAA Clint Nageotte SEA
Stephen Drew ARZ Jamie Shields TB
Third Basemen Relief Pitchers
Eric Duncan NYA T.J. Beam NYA
Corey Smith SD Casey Daigle ARZ
Arizona Fall League ... top 10 hitters, plus some others of interest ... and
some of note in Venezuela.
G AB 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG OBP SLG
Kevin Howard CIN 25 88 4 0 3 16 10 9 .409 .475 .557
Matt Kemp LAD 23 94 6 3 3 16 5 14 .383 .414 .606
Howie Kendrick LAA 29 121 10 1 5 17 4 12 .380 .405 .603
Kendry Morales LAA 24 92 14 0 2 18 12 13 .380 .444 .598
Brendan Harris WAS 22 85 7 1 1 13 5 8 .376 .417 .518
Brad Snyder CLE 25 98 6 3 3 19 11 26 .367 .438 .582
Andre Ethier OAK 23 82 7 3 2 21 21 10 .366 .495 .598
Eric Duncan NYA 23 94 9 1 8 27 10 29 .362 .423 .734
Josh Anderson HOU 24 100 4 0 1 12 4 9 .360 .393 .430
Corey Hart MIL 21 68 3 1 5 14 5 11 .353 .405 .647
Andy LaRoche LAD 24 91 9 0 0 15 6 17 .352 .394 .451
Matt Murton CHN 24 92 11 1 1 14 7 12 .337 .396 .511
Stephen Drew ARZ 23 89 7 4 6 17 17 20 .337 .439 .708
Chris Denorfia CIN 23 93 7 3 3 24 13 15 .333 .421 .570
Alcides Escobar MIL 24 90 2 1 0 11 0 15 .333 .341 .378
Lastings Milledge NYN 24 94 4 2 5 23 10 17 .330 .402 .574
Nick Markakis BAL 26 86 4 2 1 12 11 8 .326 .408 .453
James Loney LAD 15 59 2 0 5 17 4 7 .322 .354 .610
Ryan Garko CLE 23 86 9 0 5 27 7 19 .314 .376 .593
Brandon Wood LAA 29 114 4 0 14 32 9 31 .307 .375 .711
Eric Patterson CHN 19 83 4 1 0 5 6 17 .301 .344 .373
Guillermo Quiroz TOR 15 51 3 0 1 3 3 12 .294 .333 .412
Brad Eldred PIT 25 97 6 1 7 28 4 22 .289 .330 .588
J Saltalamacchia ATL 21 73 6 1 1 8 13 19 .288 .386 .438
Matt Moses MIN 18 69 3 0 2 6 1 16 .275 .286 .406
Jeff Clement SEA 22 67 5 0 3 11 8 17 .269 .347 .478
Daric Barton OAK 24 75 5 1 1 10 21 16 .267 .429 .400
Ryan Zimmerman WAS 10 38 1 0 1 2 3 9 .263 .317 .368
Alex Gordon KC 16 50 4 0 2 9 12 12 .260 .403 .460
Chris Young CHA 24 83 5 1 2 11 8 25 .253 .326 .410
Billy Butler KC 26 103 6 1 5 21 10 19 .252 .330 .476
Adam Jones SEA 22 80 2 3 3 8 5 16 .238 .282 .450
George Kottaras SD 14 35 0 0 1 6 3 6 .229 .289 .314
Venezuela G AB 2B 3B HR BB SO AVE OBP SLG
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 14 47 4 0 2 8 6 .426 .526 .638
Michael Restovich PIT 21 75 7 1 5 11 16 .360 .462 .680
Alberto Callaspo LAA 22 77 5 0 3 7 4 .325 .381 .506
William Bergolla CIN 20 90 4 1 1 3 7 .322 .344 .422
Miguel Montero ARZ 18 59 4 0 4 7 10 .322 .394 .593
Walter Young BAL 17 67 3 0 1 4 13 .313 .370 .403
TJ Bohn SEA 22 83 5 0 1 10 19 .265 .351 .361
Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 15 46 2 0 2 2 14 .261 .306 .435
Mike Jacobs NYN 20 69 6 0 1 11 17 .261 .386 .391
Javier Herrera OAK 17 37 1 1 1 4 8 .243 .310 .405
Delwyn Young LAD 6 24 0 0 0 1 6 .208 .231 .208
Dominican -- Luis Terrero ARZ 3-6, 2 doubles, .290 ... Wilson
Betemit ATL 0-4, 3 walks, .344 ... Clint Barmes COL 3-4,
double, .237 ... Andy Marte ATL 1-5, .242 ...
Kevin T. Czerwinski, MLB.com, checks out the Phillies' farm.
" ... Cole Hamels ... wound up
splitting time between Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading but even then he
lasted only six games (three starts with each team) before back problems put him
on the shelf at the end of July. When he did pitch, he was effective, going 4-0
with a 2.31 ERA and striking out 37 in 35 innings. Hamels is clearly an
effective pitcher, posting an 11-3 mark with a 1.54 in 28 Minor League starts.
But his immaturity and seemingly brittle nature (he appeared in only four games
in 2004 because of biceps tendinitis) have held him back."
" ... Michael Bourn ... the level of
competition may be catching up with the speedy outfielder. He played the entire
season at Double-A Reading, hitting .268, the lowest he's batted over the last
five seasons (including his time at the University of Houston). His strikeout
totals were up, his walk totals were down, as were stolen bases. That he led the
organization with 38 thefts, though, is encouraging even if it doesn't meet the
standard he set (57) at Lakewood in 2004. He's a bright, personable young man
who has shown an eagerness to learn and adapt. That said, he'll probably spend
this season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he will have to show an ability to
hit a higher caliber of pitching consistently."
" ... Michael Costanzo ... ,After a sluggish
start in the New York-Penn League, he rallied for a strong finish with Batavia.
He ended up hitting .274 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs, which isn't bad considering
he was batting below .200 a little more than a third of the way through the
season. He was also a pitcher at Coastal Carolina, but those days, unless he
flops at third, are behind him."
Michael
Laureano, Diamond Futures, has the DET (Verlander, Jurrijens, Zumaya) and
FLO Top 10s posted. Comparing DF and Baseball America on the Marlins' farm
:
Baseball America Diamond Futures
1 Hermida Jeremy Hermida Jeremy
2 Olsen Scott Willingham Josh
3 Johnson Josh Johnson Josh
4 Volstad Chris Olsen Scott
5 Thompson Aaron Restko JT
6 Andino Robert DeAza Alejandro
7 Tankersley Taylor Lockwood Luke
8 Willingham Josh Mildren Paul
9 Harvey Kris McCann Brad
10 Tucker Ryan Andino Robert
Delmon Young or Lastings Milledge? John Sickels
offers his view at MinorLeagueBall
:
" ... PROJECTION Young: Given his age, performance,
and tools, Young projects as a superstar player, capable of hitting around .300
or higher with lots of power and good speed, at least early in his career. His
OBP may be a problem early, but in the long run it should not be an issue. He is
the kind of player who might compete for Triple Crowns. Milledge: Given his age,
performance, and tools, Milledge projects as a superstar player, capable of
hitting .300 or higher with lots of power and good speed.. His OBP may be a
problem early, and he has more work to do in the plate discipline department
than Young does. He also doesn't project to hit as many homers. On the other
hand, Milledge projects to be a better defensive player. Advantage: The main
advantage that Young has is that he is six months younger than Milledge and
should hit for more power. But Milledge is hardly a slouch in the power
department, and has better speed. I will go with Young here, but it is very,
very close ... On balance, I think that Young comes out a hair ahead of
Milledge, but it's a photo finish."
Oh, oh ?
" ... A Thursday MRI on top prospect Ian
Stewart's left wrist was "neutral," according to O'Dowd. The team doesn't
believe there is any damage, but the third baseman will see a hand specialist
today." (Denver Post)
The Post also reports Luke Hochevar, the
Dodgers' top pick in June, is working out at the University of Tennessee and
that contract talks have resumed.
Houston player forecasts are the latest to be posted by
Dan Szymborski at BaseballThinkFactory. He includes a few rooks in his
projections ... Fernando Nieve, 4.53 ... Hunter Pence .259 .308
.443.
11 November, 2005
The AFL regular season wrapped up Thursday (a one-game final is set for
Saturday) - Adam Loewen BAL, a relief stint, 1 0 0 0 0 1,
1.67 ... Taylor Buchholz HOU, a nice outing to cap a solid AFL
performance, 5 4 2 1 1 5, 1.57 ... Jeff Clement SEA 1-3, 3rd
homer, .269 ... Billy Butler KC finishes at just .252 after an 0-4
... Brandon Wood LAA, strong to the end, 2-4, 14th homer, .307 ...
Brad Eldred PIT 2-3, 6th & 7th homers, .289 ... Matt
Kemp LAD 2-4, 3rd homer, .383 ... Lastings Milledge NYN 2-3,
walk, 7th SB, threw out a runner at 3B, .330 ... Daric Barton OAK
2-2, 2 walks, .267 ... Andre Ethier OAK 1-3, double, .386 ...
Andy LaRoche LAD 2-4, double, .352 ... Kevin Howard CIN 1-4,
league-leading .409
Dominican - Joel Guzman LAD 2-3, double, .326 ... Denny
Bautista KC 2-2/3 6 5 3 1 2 ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 2-3,
double, .294 ... Wilson Betemit ATL 4-4, homer, 4 RBI, .368 ...
Rafael Soriano SEA 2 2 0 0 0 0 ... Andy Marte ATL 2-3,
homer, 3 RBI, .246
Top 10s page updated.
Dayn Perry, FoxSports,
picks a Top 10 of possible impact rookies of 2006. Jerermy Hermida
tops the list :
" ... Hermida has always had exceptional command of
the strike zone, and this past season the power finally came (just as the scouts
said it would). In 2005, Hermida spent most of the year at AA-Carolina, where he
tallied 49 extra-base hits, 111 walks and 23 steals in 25 attempts. After his
promotion to Florida, he kept hitting in 23 games of action. Hermida's still
only 21, but he's a complete offensive package, and he's ready for the highest
level."
" ... 7. Jason Kubel ... missed the entire
2004 season after undergoing major knee surgery, but he's seeing action in the
Twins' winter instructional league and should be ready for spring training. When
healthy, Kubel is a tremendous hitter who really found his stroke in the high
minors. In 2004, Kubel hit .377 AVG/.453 OBP/.667 SLG at AA-New Britain and .343
AVG/.398 OBP/.560 SLG after a promotion to AAA-Rochester. The Twins' will almost
certainly lose Jacque Jones to free agency, so that'll create an opening in the
outfield. If Kubel's knee won't allow him to make it full-time in left or right,
Minnesota will work him in at DH."
" ... 10. Dustin Pedroia ... Sox will
likely pass on re-signing Tony Graffanino in part because they plan to hand the
second-base job to Pedroia. He plays solid defense at second, has a bit of pop
by middle-infielder standards, hits for average and takes his walks. Pedroia's
numbers declined a bit last season after a promotion to AAA-Pawtucket, so he may
endure some fits in starts in Boston next year. Still, the Green Monster should
provide an accommodating target for Pedroia's right-handed, gap-power stroke."
No surprise atop the MIN prospect chart as
John Franco, SportsBlurb,
continues his excellent work with his picks as the Top 10 on the Twins' farm :
" ... Francisco Liriano ... 22-year old
Liriano pitched very well at AA New Britain to earn a promotion to AAA
Rochester, where he dominated the competition to the tune of a 1.78 ERA in 91
innings. Liriano pitched in six games in the majors, posting an unimpressive
5.70 ERA despite posting a terrific 33:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... a
power lefty with a mid-90s fastball, a tremendous slider and two different
changeups that are already at least average ... often draws comparisons to
his teammate Johan Santana, and Liriano is one of a very small group of pitchers
with the potential to live up to such a comparison."
" ... 3. Matt Moses ... little doubt
about Moses’ bat, despite his struggles at AA New Britain in the second half.
The 20-year old third baseman hit .306/.376/.453 in the tough Florida State
League before his promotion to AA ... has plus raw power and the ability
to develop into a 30-40 home run hitter down the road. His bat is not lightning
fast through the zone, but he uses all fields and uses a patient approach at the
plate, which should give him the ability to hit .270 at his peak. Scouting
reports on Moses’ defense are mixed; he was an adequate third baseman at Fort
Myers but looked slow and lacked a strong first step at New Britain."
John Sickels, Minor League Ball,
reviews his 2005 pre-season OAK Top 20 :
" ... 1) Dan Meyer ... All ratios way
off from 2004. Shoulder problems were the main issue here. He is supposed to be
OK in the long run, but obviously we need to see some actual positive data.
Stock has dropped significantly."
" ... 2) Daric Barton ... hit
.318/.438/.469 in the California League, then .316/.410/.491 in Double-A, at age
19. One of the best pure hitters in the minors, with excellent strike zone
judgment. Question: how much home run power will he develop?"
" ... 19) Brad Sullivan ... Neither
healthy nor effective for Stockton, 7.30 ERA in 25 innings, 11/21 K/BB. Prospect
status is pretty much gone at this point."
10 November, 2005
AFL - Glen Perkins MIN, superb, 5 1 0 0 0 9, 2.53 ... Matt
Moses MIN 2-4, double, homer, .273 ... Garrett Jones 1B MIN
2-5, 9th double, 8th homer, .287 ... Jered Weaver LAA, now that's
more like it, 5 3 0 0 0 10, 5.47 ... Angel Guzman CHN, a little
more success, 5 5 2 2 2 6, 3.82 ... Alex Gordon KC 1-3, 2 walks,
.261 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 2-5, 4th triple, 6th homer, .337 ...
Daric Barton OAK 2-3, walk, .247 ...
Alcides
Escobar SS MIL 2-4, double, .333 ... Chris
Iannetta
C, COL 2-3, double, homer, .206
Venezuela -- Alberto Callaspo LAA 1-3, RBI, .311 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 4-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, .465. Dominican -- Edwin
Encarnacion CIN 2-4, double, .214 ... Anderson Hernandez NYN
2-2, .351 ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-5, .246 ... Curtis
Granderson DET 1-5, homer, .218
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, reviews the OAK farm, including the following
tidbits :
" ... Andre Ethier ... In 2005, Ethier
took off, hitting .319 with 18 homers and 80 RBIs for Double-A Midland before
finally getting bumped up to Sacremento for the PCL playoffs (where he hit .316
in five games). He won the Texas League All-Star Game Home Run Derby and the
game's MVP award and was also named the league's Player of the Year. Ethier
followed that up with a superb AFL season."
" ... Kevin Melillo ... The second
baseman spent the year with Kane County, Stockton and Midland, leading the
organization in homers with 24, finsihing second in RBIs (93), fourth in steals
(21) and sixth in batting average (.305). The .399 OBP and .535 SLG are also
impressive numbers, particularly for a middle infielder."
" ... Travis Buck ... taken in
the supplemental first round, showed that he, too, might be ready for a fast
track. Spending only nine games with Vancouver, where he hit .361, Buck joined
Pennington in Kane County and hit .341 with a .427 OBP and 13 doubles in 32
games."
Matt Jacovina, Warm October
Nights, a recent addition to the 'net, has taken his first crack at a Top
100. It's been a work in progress, with the picks having been made over a
three-month period beginning in late July. 2005 picks have been excluded
along with several who, at the time of publishing, had significant MLB time.
The cream of the crop, 1-10 : Felix,
Delmon, Jeremy Hermida, Matt Cain, Andy
Marte, Carlos Quentin, Chad Billingsley,
Ian Stewart, Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander.
Yes, it's obvious, in spots, that Matt is learning
on the job, but it's an interesting and valuable addition to prospect research.
09 November, 2005
AFL - coming along nicely, James Loney LAD 2-4, double, homer, walk, 3
RBI, .352 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 2-4, triple, .333 ... Matt
Kemp LAD 2-4, double, .378 ... Brandon Wood LAA 2-4,
double, .300 ... Howie Kendrick LAA 3-5, 2 doubles, 5th homer,
.388 ... Adam Jones CF, SEA 3-6, 2 doubles, .247 ... Pedro
Lopez SS CHA 4-5, double ... Adam Miller CLE, the
good one, 5 1 0 0 1 3, 5.68 ... Kevin Howard 2B-3B CIN 3-3, walk,
.423 ...
" ... teammates Matt Kemp and
Shane Komine ... named Arizona Fall League Hitter and Pitcher
of the Week ... Kemp batted .500 (10-for-20) with four doubles, a home
run, five RBIs and four runs scored in six games ... For the season, Kemp is
sixth in the league in batting (.369) and tied for first with three triples to
go with two homers and 15 RBIs in 21 games. Komine was 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in
two starts last week ...A ninth-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 2002
draft, Komine leads the AFL with a 1.14 ERA. He is 1-1 in five starts, during
which he has not given up more than two runs or walked more than one batter."
(MLB.com)
Venezuela - Jerry Owens OF, leadoff, CHA 4-6, .407 ... Miguel
Montero ARZ 0-4, .327, but a whole game in the OF. Dominican -
Antonio Perez LAD 1-3, .190 ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-4,
double, .250
Want the dope on the free agent class? Check out the work by Rich
Lederer & Bryan Smith at the
Baseball Analysts. Projections
for 2006? Dan Szymborski has worked his way through eleven of the
clubs. Check out the dispatches at
TheBaseballThinkFactory. Baseball America continues with its
2006 Top 10s. Florida is to be the next up, with Jeremy Hermida
topping the charts, lefty Scott Olson the runner-up.
2005 pick Alex Gordon moves to the head of the class (ahead of Bully
Butler) in the KC system as John Franco checks in on the Royals' farm at
SportsBlurb :
" ... Alex Gordon ... Gordon seems
likely to be at least 90 percent the hitter that Butler is, and has the
potential to be a much better. Gordon has a smooth left-handed swing that should
produce at least a .300 average, and plus power that could range anywhere from
20-35 home runs a year; he also has outstanding plate discipline and draws a
good amount of walks. While Gordon’s bat has the potential to be better than
Butler, his glove is already far ahead of Butler. Gordon has the ability to be
an average defender at third base and should stick there, despite the fact that
he played some first base in the AFL. Gordon could start the 2005 season as high
as Double-A."
" ... Jeff Bianchi ... the Royals’ second
round pick in 2005, and the 18-year old was leading the Arizona Rookie League in
all three Triple Crown categories before pulling a muscle in his back ... shut
down for the season, finishing with a line of .408/.484/.745 in 98 at-bats. He
is a polished hitter for a high school pick, using a short line-drive swing to
make consistent contact. He profiles as a .280 hitter who will draw walks and
hit 15-20 home runs down the road, and also has the plus-plus speed to be a
20-20 candidate. Defensively, Bianchi has soft hands and good footwork, though
his arm is just average and might limit him to second base."
MiLB.com zips
through its team-by-team reviews/previews. A few notes from the latest
dispatches :
Phil Hughes, SP NYA " ... made quite an
impact in his first full pro season, going 7-1 with a 1.97 ERA in 12 starts for
Charleston before earning a promotion to the Florida State League. He went 2-0
with a 3.06 ERA in five games (four starts) for Tampa. He did, however, miss
much of the second half with shoulder inflammation."
Melky
Cabrera, OF NYA " ... had 10 homers, 60 RBIs and hit .275 during his
total time in Double-A Trenton. Throw in three more homers and 17 RBIs in 26
games with Triple-A Columbus and it was a solid Minor League season for the
21-year-old. While he showed how overmatched he was in six games with New York
-- he hit .211 and was shaky in the field -- the Yanks had to have confidence in
him to put him there initially. He'll be back in New York at some point."
Gaby Hernandez, SP NYN "
... Mets had high hopes for the Florida high school product and he didn't
disappoint while at Hagerstown, going 6-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 18 starts. He
tossed a shutout and struck out 99 in 92 2/3 South Atlantic League innings but
found the going a bit rougher when he moved up to St. Lucie of the Florida State
League. He went 2-5 with a 5.74 ERA in 10 starts after the promotion, though he
did cut down on his walks. Hernandez has a great curve but needs to develop more
of a feel for his other off-speed pitches."
Yusmeiro
Petit, SP, NYN " ... baffling Venezuelan continues to
mystify hitters, despite a lack of overwhelming speed. A deceptive delivery and
penchant for hitting his spots has made him one of the most attractive hurlers
in the Minor Leagues. He was 9-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 21 starts for Double-A
Binghamton, fanning 130 in 117 2/3 innings. Though he went 0-3 in three starts
when promoted to Norfolk, he displayed an ability to come up big in the clutch,
pitching masterfully for the Tides in the playoffs."
David
Winfree, 3B MIN " ... first
three seasons in the Minor Leagues have been marked by dramatic improvement at
each step along the way, culminating in 2005 with the Twins' Minor League Player
of the Year award ... 6-foot-3, 215-pound third baseman spent the 2005 at
Class A Beloit, where he hit .294 with 16 homers and a league-leading 101 RBIs
in leading the Snappers to the Midwest League playoffs. Defensively, Winfree
struggled, making a league-high 34 errors in his first shot at the hot corner."
Kevin
Slowey, SP MIN " ... got
bumped up to Beloit after four relief appearances and had perhaps the finest
season of any 2005 Twins draft pick ... Overall, the 21-year-old right-hander
was 3-2 with a 2.12 ERA and an outrageous .173 average against. He also showed
pinpoint control, walking just eight in 72 innings while striking out 84."
Praise for Carlos Quentin and Conor Jackson as
John Sickels reviews his 2005
pre-season Arizona Top 20 :
" ... 1) Carlos Quentin ... , Hit
.301/.422/.520 with 21 homers, 72 walks, 71 strikeouts in 452 at-bats for
Triple-A Tucson. Also stole nine bases in ten attempts. Good power, good plate
discipline, low strikeout rate for a power hitter, polished in many ways. Still
a premium prospect, no question."
" ... 2) Conor Jackson ... Hit
.354/.457/.553 at Tucson, with superb 69/32 BB/K ratio in 333 at-bats. Hit just
.200/.303/.306 in 40 major league games, but he will do better than that with
more consistent playing time. With Quentin and Jackson, the D-Backs have an
offensive core with terrific potential."
" ... 16) Carlos Gonzales ...
Hit .307/.371/.489 with 18 homers for South Bend. A good season, Gonzales
showing that he could use his tools on the field. Stock is rising."
08 November, 2005
AFL - Bill Murphy ARZ, still looking for consistency, 3 12 8 8 0 3 ...
Matt Murton CHN 4-4, .341 ... Ryan Garko CLE 2-5,
double, 5th homer, .296 ... Brad Snyder CLE 3-4, double, homer, 3
RBI, .362 ... Chris Denorfia CIN 3-6, double, homer, 3 RBI, .330
... Eric Patterson CHN 4-6, 5th SB, .312 ... Daric
Barton OAK 0-3, .229 ... Clint Nageotte SEA 5 5 3 3 1 3, 2.33
... Mike Nickeas TEX 3-4 double, homer, 4 RBI, .395 ... Howie
Kendrick LAA 1-3, homer, 2 walks, .378 ... Brandon Wood LAA
2-4, double, walk, .292 ... Guillermo Quiroz TOR 2-5, homer, .312
... Brad Eldred PIT 4-5, 5th homer, .282
Venezuela - William Bergolla SS CIN 2-5, triple, .321 ... Armando
Galarraga WAS 4 3 0 0 0 3 ... Michael Restovich PIT 2-2,
walk, 2 homers, 5 RBI, error, .382 ... Alberto Callaspo LAA 3-4,
.310 Dominican - Wilson Betemit ATL 1-2, homer, .321 ...
Tony Pena Jr. ATL 2-4, homer, .277 .. Joel Guzman LAD 2-3,
.308
Baseball America kicks off its annual Top 10s with a look at the ATL farm.
Third baseman Andy Marte takes the top spot over catcher Jarrod
Saltalamacchia and shortstop Elvis Andrus. Bill Ballew
handled the questions in the chat room. A few of the responses :
Chuck James " ... Chuck established
himself as a prospect over the past two years and has the ability to be a solid
member of the rotation, probably as a No. 4 or 5 starter. He needs an
opportunity. His competitiveness and changeup are off the charts, but his size
is not projectable. Still, all he's done is win, so his chance is coming."
Elvis Andrus " ... Elvis ranks
as highly as anyone I have followed in 20 years of doing this, especially for a
17-year-old. His instincts cannot be taught, and his power is budding even
though he is far from full maturity. He has an even keel and absolutely loves
the game. In a few years, Braves fans may ask, "Rafael who?"
Jarrod Saltalamacchia " ...
Salty is not overrated. How many switch-hitting catchers with solid defensive
skills and above-average power come along in today's game? Not many. The only
thing that could prevent Salty from taking the same path as McCann is the
presence of McCann in Atlanta."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
stepping back to take another look at his 2005 pre-season ATL prospect report :
" ... 4) Jeff Francoeur ... You know the
story here. Played OK in Double-A (.275/.332/.487), then went on a huge tear
after being promoted to the majors. Slumped late but still finished at
.300/.336/.549. I think he will need a consolidation season in '06."
" ... 6) Chuck James ... Pitched well
at three levels, particularly in Double-A where he went 9-1, 2.09 with a 104/18
K/BB in 86 innings, 16 starts. I like him a lot."
" ... 10) Jarrod Saltalamacchia ...
Hit .314/.394/.519 for Class A Myrtle Beach, with 19 homers. Has power and
decent plate discipline, also improving his defense behind the plate. Another
guy I like a lot."
Michael
Laureano, Diamond Futures, zooms along his team-by-team prospect charts with
a look at CIN where Elizarado Ramirez sits atop the chart, followed by
Edwin Encarnacion and Homer Bailey.
07 November, 2005
AFL - Sat - Brandon Wood LAA 2-4, 13th homer (AFL record), walk, .284 ...
Kendry Morales LAA 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 walks, .393 ... Alex
Gordon KC 1-2, homer, 3 walks, 3 RBI, .289 ... Billy Butler KC
1-5, 5th homer, .267 ... Lastings Milledge NYN 2-4, triple, walk,
4 RBI, .321 ... Adam Loewen BAL, first poor Arizona start, 4 7 3 3
3 6, 1.73 ... Nick Markakis BAL 2-4, 2 RBI, .347 ... Cory
Hart MIL 1-3, homer, 2 walks, .328 ... Brad Snyder CLE 2-5,
double, 3 Ks, .344 ... Joey Votto CIN 0-4, 4 Ks, .172 ... Matt
Kemp LAD 1-4, homer, .369 ... Daric Barton OAK 0-3, .239
... Sun - no games.
Venezuela - Fri ... Miguel Montero ARZ 2-5, 4th homer, 3 RBI ...
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-2, 2 walks ... Dominican - Casey
Rogowski CHA 5-5, 2 doubles, homer, 4 RBI, .333 ... Andy Marte
ATL 2-4, double, walk, .216 ... Erick Aybar LAA 3-5, double
... Joel Guzman LAD 1-3, 2 walks, .281 ... Sat - Miguel Montero
(LF & C) 1-3, .381 ...
Franklin Gutierrez 1-4, 2nd homer, walk, .424 ... Yusmeiro
Petit NYN, first fall/winter action, 3 3 0 0 3 2 ... Wilson
Betemit ATL 2-3, homer, walk, .314 ... Erick Aybar 2-3, .302
... Hanley Ramirez BOS 3-3, double, triple, .255
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, with
a review of his pre-season Angels' Top 20 :
" ... 7) Steve Shell ... 10-8, 4.57 at Arkansas,
with a 126/58 K/BB in 160 innings, 175 hits allowed. Mixed ratio set. K/BB is
OK, other numbers less impressive. Will need a year of Triple-A, but he's only
22 and still on track for a good career."
" ... 8) Ervin Santana ... 12-8, 4.65 in 23 starts
for the Angels, 99/47 K/BB in 134 innings. A very good young pitcher.
Comparables include Brad Penny and Ben Sheets."
" ... 9) Alberto Callaspo ... Hit .297/.346/.409 in
89 games at Arkansas, then .316/.345/.448 in 50 games for Salt Lake. More
polished than Aybar at this point, but with a lower ceiling. The Angels have
great wealth in middle infield prospects. Which ones will they pick?"
Michael
Laureano, Diamond Futures, with his picks as the best of the Chicago systems
- Felix Pie, Eric Patterson, Brandon Sing
1-2-3 on the Cubbies, Chris Young, Gio Gonzalez, Brandon
McCarthy 1-2-3 on the WSox.
05-06 November, 2005
AFL - Taylor Buchholz HOU 4 3 1 0 0 3, 1.50 ... Stephen Drew
ARZ 2-4, triple, .333 ... Corey Hart MIL 2-4, triple, homer, 4
RBI, .327 ... Michael Johnson 1B SD 2-3, double, homer, .294 ...
Eric Duncan NYA 3-4, walk, .382 ... Lastings Milledge
NYN 3-4, double, .312 ... Jamie Shields TB, a surprise success of
the AFL, 6 3 1 1 0 4, 1.74
Venezuela - William Bergolla SS CIN 3-4, walk, error, .313 ...
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-3, walk, .448 ... Miguel Montero
ARZ 3-4, double, 2 RBI, .385
David Regan, AngelsWin.com,
kicks off coverage for the new season with his Angels' Top 20. More
laurels for shortstop Brandon Wood, the cream of the crop :
" ... Wood has taken quite a jump up the prospect
charts since being #11 on the Angels’ list last year for AngelsWin.com. I
suppose 101 extra-base hits will do that for a guy, especially a SS! ... Wood
did add some muscle (10 lbs or so) in the offseason, but scouts say his power is
legit ... tall and lanky, but has tremendous bat speed ... a
very good defensive SS, but should he grow much beyond his 6’3” 200 lb. frame,
his range could be in question as a big league SS. No worries though, his bat
will play anywhere. Look for him to start 2006 in AA with a call up to the big
leagues not out of the question."
Howie Kendrick, No. 2 " ... The
kid can HIT, plain and simple. Kendrick is called the best contact hitter in the
minors by multiple scouts and some think he is near big league ready now. AA is
usually a big adjustment for most minor leaguers, but Kendrick didn’t seem to
miss a beat ... The added power this year is nice and should allow him to
be an above average 2B in the majors. Sure, you’d like to see more than 20 walks
to 469 at-bats, but a .367 total average is tough to overlook. He’ll be out to
take Adam Kennedy’s job sometime this year."
Nick Adenhart, No. 10 " ... Has
more upside than any pitcher on this list, including yes, Jered Weaver. He would
have been a first rounder had he not got hurt prior to the draft and undergone
Tommy John surgery. The Angels though have deep pockets and took a chance on
Adenhart in the 14th round ... he’s nearly back to 100%, flashing a mid
90s fastball, and solid secondary offerings including a plus change, curve, and
slider. Control was an issue at times, but chalk that up to rust. 2006 will go a
long way in determining how fast he’ll move."
It's 2B Dustin Pedroia at the top rung of the BOS prospect ladder as
Michael
Laureano, Diamond Futures, rates the best of the RedSox kids. Pitchers
claimed spots 2-3-4 - Anibal Sanchez, Jon Lester & Abe
Alvarez.
WAS clears the way for Ryan Zimmerman in 2006 as Vinny Castilla moves on
to SD :
" ... This move is completely designed to open up
third base for Ryan," Bowden said. "When we signed Vinny, we thought it would be
a stopgap until we were able to develop a third baseman. We thought it would
take two years. It turned out it only took one." In 20 games after being
recalled from Class AA Harrisburg on Sept. 1, Zimmerman, now 21, hit .397 with
six RBI and 10 doubles, impressing his teammates and the coaching staff with his
poise. When the Nationals selected him in the draft, Bowden gushed about his
defensive ability, comparing him to the greats who have ever played the
position, including Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt ... "I'm
definitely excited," Zimmerman said. "Not that I needed anything to get ready
for in the offseason, but this gives you kind of a sense of security."
(Washington Post)
Zimmerman is the only rookie to crack the Top 10 in
Aaron Gleeman's picks at RotoWorld as the best of the 3B keepers :
" ... The fourth overall pick in June’s draft,
Zimmerman hit .393 in his senior season at the University of Virginia, batted
.326 in 63 games at Double-A after signing, and then hit .397 in a 20-game stint
with Washington. There is little doubt about his ability to post big batting
averages, but his long-term power potential is a little iffy."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
reflects upon his pre-season prospect chart for the Royals :
" ... 2) Billy Butler ...
.348/.419/.636 at Class A High Desert, then .312/333/.527 in 29 games for
Double-A Wichita, at age 19. He has explosive bat speed and good plate
discipline ... 40 homers with 106 walks in his first 195 career games."
" ... 4) Justin Huber ... Destroyed
the Texas League with a .343/.432/.570 mark in 88 games. Held his own in
Triple-A at .274/.374/.53, but was overmatched in 25 games in the majors. A
late-season injury reportedly inhibited his September production."
" ... 17) Chris Lubanski ...
hit .301/.349/.554 at High Desert, with 38 doubles, 28 homers, 14 steals in 15
attempts, and 116 RBI. Nice numbers for a 20-year-old, although High Desert is a
great place to hit, and there are questions about how much of this will carry
forward to Double-A. My guess is that the power development is mostly real, but
that his batting average and OBP will take a big hit in '06."
Jim Callis, Baseball America, ranks his Top 20 prospects (among those to get MLB
time in 2006) :
" ... 1. Delmon Young, of, Devil Rays Needs a
little more time in Triple-A, but not much more 2. Prince Fielder,
1b, Brewers Legitimate 40-homer threat makes Lyle Overbay expendable 3.
Stephen Drew, ss, Diamondbacks Could be Opening Day starter 13 months
after signing ... "
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