Rookies 2005

                                                                                                                           Pitching Line = IP H R ER BB SO
 

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 ... "
   

 
 

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

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