26-27 November, 2005
Troop movements ... confirmed, PHI -- trades Jim Thome to CHA for
Aaron Rowand, Daniel Haigwood and a PTBNL (believed to
be Gio Gonzalez) ... TOR - signs BJ Ryan ...
Good reviews of Justin Verlander, Curtis Granderson in
John Sickels' look back at his DET
Top 20 :
" ... 1) Justin Verlander ... command
still needs some work and he was rushed to the majors, but he was overpowering
in the minors, going 11-2, 1.29 (1.29!) in 20 starts, with a 136/26 K/BB in 119
innings. If he stays healthy, he should be ready by July, perhaps sooner.
Outstanding Grade A bluechip prospect."
" ... 2) Curtis Granderson ... Hit
.272/.314/.494 in 47 games for the Tigers. This is a fair approximation of what
he can do, although I think his OBP will end up 20-30 points higher than that.
His speed production should increase as well. A solid player."
" ... 5) Joel Zumaya ... Excellent
season in Double-A and Triple-A, 9-5, 2.72 ERA, 199 strikeouts in 151 innings.
His control still needs considerable work, but in terms of physical ceiling he
is right there with Verlander."
Ken Rosenthal, FOXSports,
on Hanley Ramirez FLO :
" ... While most baseball executives believe that
the Marlins acquired a star-in-waiting by landing shortstop Hanley Ramirez in
the Josh Beckett trade, not everyone is convinced that Ramirez will hit for
power. One GM expresses concern that Ramirez's lack of plate discipline,
compounded with his lack of power, might limit him offensively. Then again,
Ramirez is not yet 22, and the Marlins clearly view his five-tool ability as
more meaningful than lingering questions about his makeup or the belief among
some that he will end up in center field. "He hasn't hit, and he still hit .271
last season," says one rival executive, who also has no issues with Ramirez at
shortstop. The executive, using the scouts' 20-to-80 scale, says Ramirez has 60
to 70 range, a 70 arm and 65 to 70 fielding ability."
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, on Anibal Sanchez FLO :
" ... Sanchez, 21, established himself as one
of Boston's best pitching prospects after recovering from surgery to move a
nerve in his elbow in 2003. He went 9-6, 2.85 in 25 starts between high Class A
Wilmington and Porltand in 2005. He had a 158-40 K-BB ratio in 136 innings, and
held opponents to a .212 average and 12 homers. Sanchez has a 93-95 mph
fastball, yet his changeup might be his best pitch. He's still refining his
curveball, though he flashes a solid-average breaker at times."
Matt Jacovina,
WarmOctoberNights, has his take on the new-look RedSox system :
" ... 1. Jon Lester ... There’s little
to question about Lester’s potential. Lefthanders with low-to-mid 90’s heat,
including a moving 2-seamer, a plus change and a curveball usually find a lot of
success ... proven himself against tough competition for his age,
dominating AA at 21. He’s a quality #2 type that’s not very far from major
league ready."
" ... 3. Dustin Pedroia ...There’s a lot to
like about Dustin, and he’ll soon be the Sox starting second baseman, giving
everyone the chance to appreciate him ... bat control is incredible,
consistently walking more than he strikes out; add in a bit of pop and some
grit, and you’ve got the makings of a fan favorite."
Two young guns make the "B" list of outfielders in
Aaron Gleeman's Top 20 for the long term at RotoWorld. Earlier, Grady
Sizemore ranked No. 5 in the OF Top 10, now Jeff Francouer and Delmon
Young claim spots in the latter 10 :
" ... 13) ... Francoeur ... made the jump to the
majors in July when Brian Jordan went on the disabled list. He took hold of the
everyday job in right field and never looked back, hitting .413 in July and .312
in August. His final line of .300-14-45-41 in just 70 games earned Francoeur a
third-place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. At just 21 years old
Francoeur is a tremendous talent, but he showed very little plate discipline in
the minors and posted a horrendous 58-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio with the
Braves."
" ... 19) ... Young is arguably the best
prospect in baseball. He hit .315 with 26 homers, 99 RBIs, 92 runs scored, and
32 stolen bases in 136 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season, despite
not turning 20 years old until September ... compared quite a bit to Albert
Belle (as a hitter, not a person) ... should be in line to make a midseason
splash similar to the one Francoeur made this season, and has a chance to
establish himself as the Devil Rays’ cleanup hitter before he’s old enough to
drink legally."
25 November, 2005
Venezuela -- Jerry Owens, all of a sudden a candidate for a spot in the
WSox OF, 1-2, walk, .373 ... Yurendell Decaster PIT, the surprise
of the fall so far, 1-2, 14th homer, 3 RBI, 2 walks, .364 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 2-3, walk, .342 ... Yusmeiro Petit FLO 3 2/3 6 4
2 0 2, 1.93 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-3, double, .315
Dominican -- Michael Napoli LAA 3-4,
walk, .360 ... Ryan Mulhern CLE 2-5, triple, 7th homer, .258 ...
Nelson Cruz MIL continues his 2005 progress 3-4, 6th homer, walk,
.344 ... Joel Guzman LAD 2-5, double, .2 RBI, .337 ... Hanley
Ramirez FLO 3-4, walk, 2 RBI, .278 ... Joaquin Arias TEX
2-5, .276
Troop movements ... FLO -- trades Carlos Delgado and cash to NYN for
Yusmeiro Petit, Mike Jacobs and Grant Psomas
... also confirmed, BOS - trades Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez,
Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia to FLO for Josh
Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota.
Kenji Johjima
(Jojima) ... the forecast you want is likely here --
Aaron Gleeman's take at HardballTimes.
John Franco, SportsBlurb,
has the pre-Petit Marlins' farm system up for review. Jeremy Hermida
ranks No. 1, ahead of Scott Olsen :
" ... 2. ... Olsen got his chance to shine at
the major league level ... finished with a 3.98 ERA in five starts for the
Marlins. Olsen was shut down in early August due to elbow inflammation, but he
was throwing off a mound again by the end of the season and is expected to be
healthy for spring training. Before his callup, Olsen was pitching very well for
AA Carolina, striking out 94 batters in 80.1 innings while walking just 27. He
is still working on improving his consistency from start to start, but he has a
power arm and his aggressive approach allows him to attack hitters effectively
when he is pitching well. Olsen has a plus fastball with late motion that sits
in the 92-94 range and touches 96, and an above average slider that should be a
good second pitch. He also has a developing changeup that has the potential to
be average once he throws it more consistently, and the ability to throw all
three pitches for strikes."
" ... 4. Chris Volstad ... he has all
the potential you would expect from a 6’7” pitcher who has good mechanics and a
good feel for pitching at age 18. His fastball was in the 91-93 range in the GCL
and at Jamestown (NYP), but he did throw 93-95 in high school and could regain
that velocity as he fills out his frame. Volstad has plus command of his
fastball and his average changeup and also a curveball that should be
serviceable as he matures."
Over at
Baseball America, Jim Callis takes a shot at an updated FLO Top 10 and,
outside of Jeremy Hermida at No. 1, it's a much different list :
" ... 2. Hanley Ramirez, ss (from Red
Sox)
Impressive tools but has yet to have a breakout season to match
3. Anibal Sanchez, rhp (from Red Sox)
Gets the nod over Olsen because he's closer to having three big league pitches
4. Scott Olsen, lhp
One of the better lefty pitching prospects in the entire minors
5. Yusmeiro Petit, rhp (from Mets)
Stats are more spectacular than his stuff, but has proven himself through
Double-A
6. Josh Johnson, rhp
Though relatively unheralded, could crack Florida's rotation in spring training
7. Chris Volstad, rhp
The first and best of five pitchers the Marlins drafted before the second round
in 2005
8. Aaron Thompson, lhp
Three-pitch lefty is extremely polished for a pitcher just out of high school
9. Josh Willingham, c/1b
Can't catch regularly in majors but should get more playing time with Carlos
Delgado gone
10. Mike Jacobs, 1b
Ranked No. 4 on Mets list after hitting 11 homers in 100 big league at-bats."
Michael Laureano,
Diamond Futures, offers rankings on both the STL and SD systems. Anthony
Reyes, Tim Stauffer rated as the top young guns.
24 November, 2005
Dominican -- Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3-3, double, .280 ... Nelson Cruz
MIL 2-5, triple, 5th homer, 3 RBI, .317 ... some of the top dogs ... noting
impressive BB/K by Guzman, Marte, Betemit ...
G AB 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG OBP
Bernie Castro WAS 26 112 5 2 1 11 9 9 .339 .395
Joel Guzman LAD 23 81 7 1 4 20 10 16 .333 .409
Anderson Hernandez NYN 22 85 0 1 0 11 5 11 .329 .363
Wilson Betemit ATL 25 92 7 0 5 18 17 23 .326 .427
Casey Rogowski CHA 26 104 12 0 1 24 10 11 .317 .381
Joey Gathright TB 22 95 4 0 0 7 8 13 .305 .365
Luis Terrero ARZ 26 89 6 0 2 17 12 14 .292 .385
Mike Napoli LAA 7 21 2 0 2 9 3 7 .286 .375
Edwin Encarnacion CIN 13 50 4 1 2 5 6 12 .280 .368
Melky Cabrera NYA 22 68 4 1 0 8 9 7 .279 .359
Ronny Paulino PIT 23 89 4 0 0 7 4 19 .270 .301
Ryan Doumit PIT 9 26 0 0 0 3 4 6 .269 .367
Nick Gorneault LAA 26 108 9 1 3 18 10 41 .269 .347
Joaquin Arias TEX 16 53 3 0 0 4 3 8 .264 .298
Hanley Ramirez BOS 26 93 5 1 0 5 10 16 .258 .343
Erick Aybar LAA 24 94 4 0 0 4 7 10 .255 .304
Antonio Perez LAD 15 47 1 0 1 4 10 9 .255 .417
Felix Pie CHN 19 67 2 1 1 5 4 14 .239 .293
Clint Barmes COL 25 103 1 1 1 8 3 18 .233 .269
Tony Peña Jr ATL 21 74 2 0 1 10 4 13 .230 .266
Andy Marte ATL 24 86 4 1 2 7 12 15 .221 .330
Willy Aybar LAD 17 63 3 0 1 8 3 12 .143 .182
A few of the guys to track in Venezuela ... again noting some impressive plate
discipline ... Owens, Gutierrez, Montero ...
JJ VB H2 H3 HR BB SO AVE OBP SLG
Pete Orr ATL 25 96 6 1 0 9 16 .375 .434 .458
Jerry Owens CHA 30 124 5 2 0 15 16 .371 .444 .444
Yurendell Decaster PIT 33 119 4 0 13 16 35 .361 .437 .723
Alberto Callaspo LAA 33 117 6 1 3 11 4 .350 .406 .496
Michael Restovich PIT 31 111 9 2 5 15 23 .342 .439 .595
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 22 76 4 0 3 14 13 .329 .446 .500
Miguel Montero ARZ 26 86 7 0 4 13 15 .314 .404 .535
Ronny Cedeno CHN 17 68 4 0 0 4 13 .309 .351 .368
Walter Young BAL 26 102 4 0 3 8 16 .304 .377 .431
William Bergolla CIN 27 116 4 1 1 4 12 .293 .317 .371
TJ Bohn SEA 34 127 9 0 1 18 35 .291 .384 .386
Yorvit Torrealba SEA 7 22 0 0 0 3 4 .273 .385 .273
Mike Jacobs NYN 27 91 6 0 1 16 22 .231 .369 .330
Delwyn Young LAD 6 24 0 0 0 1 6 .208 .231 .208
Asdrubal Cabrera SEA 6 11 0 0 0 1 3 .182 .250 .182
Guillermo Quiroz TOR 2 7 0 0 0 1 5 .143 .400 .143
Troop movements ... not yet official ... Carlos Delgado to the Mets for
Yusmeiro Petit & Mike Jacobs ... Josh
Beckett & Mike Lowell to the Red Sox for Hanley
Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, PTBNL ... Jim Thome to
the White Sox for Aaron Rowand, Gio Gonzalez,
Daniel Haigwood ... Bob Howry to the Cubs ...
A review of the COL pre-season Top 20 by
John Sickels :
" ... 1) Ian Stewart ... .274/.353/.497
with 17 homers in 112 games for Modesto in the California League. Got off to a
slow start, but eventually adjusted to Cal League competition, and is still only
20 years old. His stock may drop a hair but I'm not really worried about him."
" ... 3) Chris Nelson ... A
disappointing, injury-plagued campaign, marred by poor plate discipline. I think
I overrated him entering the season, but I didn't expect him to play this
badly."
" ... 7) Seth Smith ... Toolsy
outfielder hit .300/.353/.458 for Modesto. 45 doubles are a possible sign of
more power to come. Double-A next year will tell us a lot."
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, on Hanley Ramirez BOS/FLO :
" ... he's got a world of talent. I think he has the
potential to be a very good everyday player in the big leagues. Whether he
reaches that potential remains to be seen. Assuming this deal goes through,
you'll probably get to see that soon ... Who else do they have to play
shortstop? I don't think Ramirez would've been ready to play for the Red Sox in
2006 anyway. I don't think he's ready for the big leagues. They still have Edgar
Renteria for three more years, so there's no rush. Luis Soto was a shortstop,
but he played the outfield this year with Lowell. He could move back, if needed.
He'll turn just 20 in December. Dustin Pedroia's future probably is at second
base, but he was a shortstop in college and could slide back. Jed Lowrie, the
Stanford product taken in the most recent draft, played short for Lowell, and he
could move quickly. The Red Sox now have some depth, and that's something you
couldn't say a few years ago."
Catcher Neil Walker takes the top spot as Baseball America rates the PIT
system. Andrew McCutchen was named runner-up while lefty
Tom Gorzelanny shaded Paul Maholm for No. 3.
Over at RotoAmerica, David Regan
puts the OAK system up for review and it's Daric Barton atop the chart :
" ... moved to first base this past season as he
didn’t project as an adequate defensive catcher in the majors. It’s too bad, as
his bat makes him an All-Star there but his relative lack of power takes away
some of his luster. Still, he projects as a solid regular due primarily to his
incredible plate discipline. Some scouts say that his power could develop into
the 25-30 HR range if he learns to turn on pitches occasionally instead of just
poking balls in the gaps ... Likely opens in AAA this year where he could be the
youngest player in the PCL."
" ... #2, Javier Herrera ... Has the highest
ceiling of any player in the A’s system ... Got off to a slow start before
recovering and flashing his considerable five-tool ability. He’s got tremendous
raw power, can run, hit, and he has a great arm. Weakness wise, he could stand
to improve his routes in the OF on fly balls, and at the plate he can be
over-aggressive, although his walk totals are certainly more than acceptable.
The A’s would love to see him stay in CF and eventually take over for Mark
Kotsay. He’ll need a couple years in the minors to refine his skills, but once
it all comes together, he could be a Carlos Beltran type."
Matt Jacovina, Warm
October Nights, has kicked off his Top 10s reporting on the BAL and ARZ
systems.
" ... 1. Carlos Quentin ... A
Moneyball-esque wunderkind, Quentin has a great eye, good power and even a good
ability to hit for average. He’s even willing to take one for the team, normally
leading his leagues in hit by pitches. Nothing not to like here; expect Quentin
making an impact next season."
" ... 1. Nick Markakis ... After
hitting .339/.420/.573 during his stint in AA this year, Nick has cemented
himself amongst the best outfield prospect in baseball. Future regular, with the
tools to be a star."
Michael Laureano,
Diamond Futures, zips along with his Top 10s adding OAK and PIT -- Daric
Barton and Zach Duke the top guns.
23 November, 2005
Venezuela -- Jerry Owens CHA 3-5, .370 ... Franklin Gutierrez
CLE 1-3, walk, .315 ... Guillermo Quiroz TOR 1-3, walk, double ...
Troop movements ... SEA - signed catcher Kenji Johjima ...
Quick ascent. Salty zooms to the top of the Braves' farm in
John Franco's ATL report
at SportsBlurb :
" ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ... showed
tremendous improvement during the 2005 season, improving his questionable
defense behind the plate and posting the highest slugging percentage in Myrtle
Beach history. Initial concerns about his size (6’4, 220) were dispelled by the
athleticism he showed behind the plate, and his catch-and-throw skills are
currently rated between fringe-average and average ... an outstanding
leader behind the plate. Offensively, he is a switch hitter with a smooth swing
and tremendous raw power, and he hit 19 home runs and an impressive 35 doubles
in 459 at-bats at High-A Myrtle Beach. The 20-year old Saltalamacchia had a
solid AFL campaign ... while continuing to play solid defense behind
the plate."
" ... 3. Anthony Lerew ... the latest
in a long line of promising Braves pitchers, and he pitched well at both AA
Mississippi and AAA Richmond during the 2005 season ... His plus command and
plus changeup give him the upside to be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the major
leagues, but he will need to refine his slider in order to reach his potential.
Lerew is just 22, and he could use another season in the minor leagues in order
to learn how to put hitters away more efficiently."
David Regan, RotoAmerica,
likes Carlos Quentin as the best of the D'Backs prospects.
" ... Quentin ... Quentin’s raw power, OBP
skills, and solid OF defense gets him the nod over Drew and Jackson right now.
He’s a very good athlete with a strong arm ... Scouts note no major
weaknesses but speculate that his propensity to crowd the plate (29 HBP’s) could
leave him open to big league pitchers busting him inside, but his place in the
box hasn’t seemed to hurt him so far. It would seem that Quentin’s path to the
majors is a bit cloudy ... the Dbacks would be wise to open up a spot for this
guy. He’s a future .285/.380/.530 type guy, maybe more."
Miguel Montero, No. 6 " ... The
Diamondbacks have been searching for years for a long-term solution at catcher
... Is Montero? I can’t quite say yet. You can’t deny that he put up
incredible numbers in the CAL league and matched Brandon Wood for awhile as a
true breakout prospect. However, he did come out of virtually nowhere this year
and I have to wonder if his performance is a direct result of playing in an
extreme hitter’s park in Lancaster. Of course not every hitter puts up a 1.028
OPS in the CAL league, but when promoted to AA, Montero regressed, which raises
questions about his long-term ceiling. We’ll see again this year. Defensively,
Montero is described as average pretty much across the board. It’s likely he’ll
return to AA to start the year. Should be interesting."
Jason Ratliff, MLB.com, offers a roundup of the Giants' farm system,
including notes on the following prospects:
" ... Eddy Martinez-Esteve ...
the 22-year-old did an uncanny Edgar Martinez impression, hitting .319 with 17
homers, 94 RBIs and 89 walks vs. 82 strikeouts while spending most of his time
as San Jose's designated hitter."
" ... Matt Cain ... proved to be
the real deal in 2005, leading the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts (176 in
145 2/3 innings) before going 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in six starts for the Giants
... was one of the least-hittable pitchers in the bigs. He went at least five
innings in each of six starts and allowed only one or two runs until his final
start, in which he yielded three over 6 1/3 IP. And his .148 average against in
September was the lowest in the Major Leagues ... All that should be
enough for him to be considered one of the front-runners for the 2006 National
League Rookie of the Year award."
" ... Merkin Valdez ...
spent the entire year in Norwich, and he looked very good there until July. The
24-year-old ... was 4-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts through the end of
June before struggling. He went 1-3 with a 7.43 ERA in five July starts, with
opponents hitting at a .312 clip. A move to the bullpen -- where many see his
future -- seemed to solve the problem as he allowed just one run on four hits in
6 1/3 innings (1.42 ERA). But while the numbers improved, the young Dominican's
health did not and he was shut down in mid-August, when an MRI revealed a strain
in his pitching elbow."
Good words for Edwin Encarnacion, Jeremy Sowers as
John Sickels reviews his pre-season
Top 20 for the Reds & Indians :
" ... Encarnacion ... Hit .232/.308/.436
in 69 games after being promoted to Cincinnati. I like him and he will do better
than that in the long run. Just 22 years old after all."
" ... 5) Homer Bailey ... Went 8-4,
4.43 in 21 starts for Class A Dayton, 125/62 K/BB in 104 innings, just 89 hits
allowed. ERA was over 4.00 due to control problems, but strong K/IP and H/IP
ratios are a positive marker. Excellent long-term potential if his command
improves, which I think it will."
" ... 6) B.J. Szymanski ... Tools
outfielder limited to 50 games for Dayton by injury. Hit .262/.332/.471 with 10
homers, but struck out 57 times. High ceiling but contact against better
pitching is an issue."
" ... 1) Adam Miller ... Recovering
from elbow problems, went 2-4, 4.83 in 12 starts for Class A Kinston, 45/17 K/BB
in 60 innings. Overall control was OK but command within the strike zone was
weaker than last year, and his stuff wasn't quite as good. Obviously the injury
had an impact."
" ... 4) Franklin Gutierrez ...
Excellent tools, but still trying to use them on the field consistently. Still
just 22 years old, but needs at least a year of Triple-A in my opinion."
" ... 8) Jeremy Sowers ... Pitched
very well for Kinston, Akron, and one good start at Buffalo. In 13 starts for
Akron, went 5-1, 2.08 with 70/9 K/BB in 82 innings. A finesse pitcher but a very
effective one."
Good news for the Rockies :
" ... A follow-up exam with the Rockies' hand
specialist revealed no fracture or damage to third-base prospect Ian
Stewart's left wrist." (Denver Post)
22 November, 2005
Congrats to Alex (a Scoresheet colleague a few years back). Just noticed in
Brian Walton's piece at SportsBlurb:
" ... Assistant general manager Tim McCleary was
informed by Jays’ president Paul Godfrey that his contract, which expires in
December, would not be renewed. Alex Anthopoulos and Bart Given are
expected to assume McCleary’s duties. Anthopoulos has been one of the team's
scouting directors while Given is an assistant in the baseball operations
department."
Venezuela -- Armando
Galarraga WAS 6 6 1 1 2 1, 3.55 ... Alberto Callaspo LAA
3-5 & 0-3, .348 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 walks
& 1-4, ,
.305 (13 walks, 14 Ks, .407 OBA)
Dominican -- Wilson Betemit ATL 2-5, double & 0-2, .322 ... Bernie
Castro WAS 4-5 & 1-4, double, .352 ... Rafael Soriano SEA 2 3 2 2 1 1, 4.91 ... Nelson Cruz
MIL 3-5, 3rd & 4th homers, 5 RBI & 1-3, walk, .309 ... Joel Guzman LAD 2-4,
6th double, .342 ... Jose Capellan MIL 4 2 0 0 0 2 ... Curtis
Granderson DET 0-4, .194 ...
David Regan, RotoAmerica, has his picks
as the top young guns from the Arizona Fall League - Brandon Wood, Stephen Drew,
Howie Kendrick 1-2-3 and lots more talent down the list :
" ... 7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia ...
there is not better catching prospect in all of baseball. Braves C Brian McCann
is looking to dislodge Johnny Estrada ... at the big league level, and
soon enough McCann will be himself looking over his shoulder. “Salty” is a
switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate. He’s polished, and shows
a solid walk rate already of .108. Will begin the year at AA and should be
knocking on the door sometime in 2007. A future All-Star."
" ... 8. Chris Young ... Compares
favorably to Mike Cameron for his defense, 30/30 ability, strikeout totals, and
relatively low batting average. Young is a very good athlete and a very good
defensive CF. At the plate, you really have to like his selectivity and raw
power. Put up a .922 OPS in the hitter-friendly Southern League, a .233 K rate,
and a solid walk rate of .127. Also had 41 doubles, 3 triples, and 26 HR’s."
" ... 14. Ian Stewart ... got off to a
slow start after missing about a month with a nagging hamstring injury. Got off
to a very slow start after returning, but recovered in time to post respectable
numbers. He possesses a very good combination of plate discipline and great raw
power and should post monster numbers (40+ homeruns) once he gets to Coors
Field. Defensively Stewart is much improved since he was drafted, and now
profiles as at least an average 3B, which is a testament to his work ethic."
More AFL reviews from
Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld.com, in the first of two segments :
" ... Jeff Salazar ... a legitimate
defensive center fielder with more offensive potential than Cory Sullivan. The
29 homers he hit for Single-A Asheville two years ago led to too much excitement
about his power potential -- he may never hit 20 in a year in the majors even
with Coors Field helping him -- but he has the on-base skills to be a leadoff
man. It’s possible that he’ll overtake Sullivan in the second half of next
season."
" ... Brad Snyder ... is probably
going to be a future regular, but I’m still not sure he’ll excel offensively in
a corner. The Indians have often used him in center, but there’s not going to be
any reason to keep him there, not when Grady Sizemore and Franklin Gutierrez are
better suited for the position. Snyder might move into the team’s starting
lineup before the end of next season, depending on how Casey Blake performs in
right field and whether he can outproduce Gutierrez in the minors."
" ... Angel Guzman ... pitched
well enough in the AFL, but there still have to be serious doubts about his arm
going forward. In a best-case scenario, Guzman will come out firing hard sinkers
and curveballs next spring and reach the majors after about two months in
Triple-A. He has the potential to make quite an impact right away. However,
because of his injuries, I don’t think he’ll crack the top 100 when the 2006 Top
150 Prospects comes out."
" ... Eric Duncan ... Perhaps no team
other than the Yankees would have pushed Duncan up to Double-A to start last
season. The 2003 first-round pick only held his own at the plate and continued
to look like a first baseman playing third base. It was in the AFL that he
showed his true offensive potential, leading the league in slugging percentage.
Duncan may need two more years in the minors. He has 35-40 homer ability, and
even though he’ll always likely strikeout a bunch, he should have the OBP to be
an asset at first base when he starts to reach his prime."
John Franco,
SportsBlurb, likes a catching prospect as
the leading light in SEA :
" ... Jeff Clement ... a talented
hitter who combines tremendous raw power with a good eye and the ability to use
the whole field. In his prime, he could be a .270 hitter with a .375 on-base
percentage and 30-35 home runs per year. Defensively, Clement is still a work in
progress: he draws raves for his game-calling and leadership and possesses a
plus arm. The rest of his tools are further behind, as his throwing accuracy is
erratic and agility. With time, Clement should be an average defensive catcher,
and once his defense progresses, he will advance to the major leagues in short
order."
" ... Matt Tuiasosopo ... a strong,
athletic player with a good work ethic and tremendous power potential.
Tuiasosopo spent the year at Low-A Wisconsin and managed just six home runs in
409 at-bats, but he is still adjusting to life as a full-time baseball player.
Given his size and inexperience, he can be pitched inside, but showed signs of
making adjustments late in the season. Defensively, Tuiasosopo is below average
at shortstop; he has a plus arm, but lacks mobility. Given his limitations and
the depth of strong defensive shortstops in the organization, he will likely
move to third base before reaching the major leagues."
Baseball America moves on to the Brewers' Top 10 -- Prince Fielder,
Mark Rogers, Ryan Bruan, 1-2-3.
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
reviews his pre-season Cubbies' Top 20 :
" ... 2) Felix Pie ... Limited to 59
games for Double-A West Tennessee by a leg injury, but hit .304/.349/.554 when
he played, showing very good power development. Tool-laden player with
developing skills."
" ... 4) Angel Guzman ...
Another season spent trying to stay healthy, appeared in just two games for
Peoria. Status unchanged. He has a great arm but if he can't stay on the mound
it doesn't matter much."
" ... 9) Ryan Harvey ...
.257/.302/.484 in 117 games for Peoria. Hit 24 homers and 30 doubles, but posted
a 24/137 BB/K ratio in 467 at-bats. Has to improve his strike zone judgment to
produce at higher levels."
Dayn Perry, FoxSports,
offers another Top 10 - the "make or break" guys. Some interesting names
on the list :
" ... 1. Cole Hamels ... has tremendous
stuff, but thus far he's been unable to stay healthy. When he's able to take the
mound, Hamels is one of the best pitching prospects in the game. However, over
the last two seasons, injuries have limited him to a total of only 51 innings
... boasts 3-plus offerings, and he profiles as a front-of-the-rotation
type at the highest level. But Hamels badly, badly needs to manage a healthy
season in 2006. He'll likely open next season in Double-A and, if healthy, make
it to Philly by September. It's hard to overstate Hamel's potential if he can
stave off injury."
" ... 7. Michael Aubrey ... Gold
Glove-caliber defense at first. However, in two stints at AA-Akron, Aubrey has
failed to hit for adequate power. He also missed several months last season with
a serious back injury — an injury that also caused him to miss the Arizona Fall
League ... was hailed as the next John Olerud, but unless he stays healthy
and shows some power in 2006, he may wind up as the next Rico Brogna."
Again, the cupboard is nearly barren in the Yankees' farm system. Michael
Laureano,
Diamond Futures, tabs SP Philip Hughes as the best of the bunch,
ahead of fellow moundsman Ty Clippard. Eric Duncan,
he of the huge Arizona Fall season, had to settle for 4th spot, behind Tim
Battle.
20-21 November, 2005
Among the updated lists ... Top 10s,
By League,
40-man rosters, Spring Training Invitees
... obviously, still some roster cuts/additions yet to be reported ...
Olympic qualifying tourney, Arizona ... Friday - Team USA to 4-0 with a 9-3 win
over Panama, Ryan Shealy COL 4-4, 2 doubles, homer ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia
ATL 3-3, 2 homers ... Canada fell to 3-1, losing to Mexico 7-2, Joey
Votto CIN 2-4, homer,
Scott Mathieson PHI 4 6 2 2 2 4 ... on Saturday, Team downed Canada 5-2
to finish undefeated ... Howie Kendrick LAA 1-3, homer, 2 RBI ...
Brandon Wood LAA 2-4, double ... Scott Thorman 2-4,
homer for Canada ... Nicaragua topped Mexico 4-2 to advance (along with USA &
Canada) to the next round of the Olympic qualifying events
Dominican -- Curtis Granderson DET 0-4, .212 ... Ryan
Mulhern CLE 3-4, .double & 0-3, .263 ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN
1-3, 4th homer, .289 ...
Joel Guzman LAD 2-3, 5th double, .333 ... Nelson Cruz
MIL 2-4, homer, 3 RBI, .277 ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 0-4, .238
Venezuela -- Yurendell DeCaster, just added to the PIT 40-man
roster, 5-5, double, 2 homers (12 ), 7 RBI, .362 ... Yusmeiro
Petit NYN 6 7 1 1 0 7, 1.20
Troop movements ... lots of action as teams work out their 40-man rosters in
preparation for the Rule 5 draft. Among the notable casualties -- Josh
Hamilton & Pete Laforest TB ... Brandon Sing
&
Mike Fontenot CHN ... Bronson Sardinha NYA ...
John
Hudgins, Drew Meyer & Vince Sinisi TEX ...
Jamie Vermilyea
TOR ... Kevin Kouzmanoff & Nick Pesco CLE ...
Chris
Gruler & Ben Kozlowski CIN ... Mitch Maier &
Colt Griffin KC ... Bobby Hill PIT ...
Jim Callis, Baseball America, on Brandon Wood LAA :
" ... Can anyone stop Brandon Wood? He's now at 58
homers and counting, with 43 during the regular season, a record 14 in the
Arizona Fall League and another in the opening round of the Olympic
prequalifying tournament. If he stepped right into the Angels' lineup next year,
probably at third base rather than shortstop, it really wouldn't surprise me at
all."
Baseball America names its Top 20 from the Arizona Fall League with a familiar
name (see above) atop the standings - Brandon Wood.
Chris Kline
handled the questions in the BA chat room :
Alex Gordon KC " ... Big time power,
solid defender at third. Early on, he wasn't--just all pull power, and he's
still got some weaknesses at the plate. But he's the total package. He's THAT
good."
Ian Stewart COL, MLB by August?
" ... Wrist injuries scare me, and Stewart's was a tweak of an injury that
occurred earlier this year, which makes me even more cautious when looking at
how soon he'll be up there. If he's healthy, he's a September callup, but there
are questions. Be cautiously optimistic."
Matt Kemp LAD or Adam Jones
SEA? " ... I think you'll see big power numbers from Kemp, while Jones
should hit for some power, but for a higher average with some steals. Kemp is a
middle-of-the-order run producer, Jones is a top-of-the-order threat with gap
power--perfect for Seattle."
Billy Butler KC, missing from the Top
20? " ... Lack of position and some makeup issues . . . a lot of scouts
had questions about the maturity."
Scott Mathieson PHI at No. ?" ... He
was the biggest buzz among scouts in the league. It's a bold move, but I like
taking chances . . . makes doing this more fun ... Mathieson has a chance
to be something really special. I'll take that gamble on 96, power slider and a
good feel for a changeup at his age."
Andre Ethier OAK? " ... I
figured there'd be some Ethier outrage, and rightly so. He was definitely in the
mix, and that emerging power is hard to ignore. So is the plate discipline. But
the league was so much deeper this year compared to last year. To give you some
insight, I struggled to rank 20 players in 2004. This year, I started off with
46."
Mark Allen Haverty & John Franco,
SportsBlurb, with some AFL prospect notes :
" ... Brandon Wood ... is in
every way the real deal. Defensively, Wood is an adequate shortstop, but he does
not have great range and probably is too big for the position. Offensively, he
appears to be the second coming of Nomar. However, he did struggle in the middle
portion of the AFL season ... which is not that great for a hitter of his
caliber ... Could Wood follow Albert Pujols' career path -- high-A to the AFL to
the majors? Well, he probably could use a little more time in the minors.
However, the Angels might have other plans; they might be willing to push Wood,
who could open the year starting for them at either third base or shortstop ...
Wood is one of the best prospects in the game and should be one of the top two
or three rookies taken if he is headed to the bigs." (MAH)
" ... Andre Ethier ... had the
smoothest swing I saw in the AFL, and his plate discipline was tremendous.
Scouts have argued that he will not develop the necessary power skills to hold
down a job as a corner outfielder, but I saw him hit some mammoth home runs in
batting practice, and he always hit the ball hard during games. He also has a
great eye and should hit .300 or better in the majors. From what I saw, he also
should be able to hit 20-30 homers a year, making him a major asset for the
Athletics." (JF)
Some Red Sox notes as John Sickels
reviews his pre-season BOS Top 20 :
" ... 1) Hanley Ramirez ...
.271/.335/.385 with 26 steals (but 13 caught stealing) for Double-A Portland.
Not a very impressive season overall. Best news is that he is still just 21
years old, but at some point the performance needs to match the hype."
" ... 4) Anibal Sanchez ... ,
Confirmed status as top prospect, pitching well in the Carolina League and in
Double-A. Portland numbers: 3-5, but 3.45 in 11 starts, 63/16 K/BB in 57
innings. I'd be leery of pushing him too quickly and wouldn't want to see him in
the majors before August."
" ... 5) Jon Lester ... Took a huge
step forward this year, refining his control while maintaining his velocity and
movement. A top prospect no question."
Michael Laureano,
Diamond Futures, wraps up the Twins & Mets systems with, as usual, some
interesting choices. Gaby Hernandez tops the Mets' farm ahead of
Yusmerio Petit. Lastings Milledge ranks No. 5. No
surprise atop the MIN chart - Francisco Liriano - with starters
Justin Jones and Anthony Swarzak ahead of third baseman
Matt Moses.
Jason Ratliff, MLB.com, with some notes from his San Diego system report :
" ... Josh Barfield ... found his
groove in June and stayed in it through the end of the season, hitting .333 in
June, .388 in July and .333 in August to finish with a .310 mark. The
22-year-old saw only a slight decline in his power numbers in his first season
at Triple-A and drove in 72 runs compared to his average of 109 over the past
two seasons, but his OBP (.370) and SLG (.450) were impressive. He also regained
his base-stealing form after a lingering hamstring injury limited him to just
four swipes in 2004, taking 20 bags in 25 attempts in the Pacific Coast League."
" ... Jared Wells ...
hard-throwing right-hander went a combined 13-8 with a 3.69 ERA in 26 starts
between High-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A Mobile. After a stellar performance in
the hitter-friendly Cal League, where he went 11-3 with a 3.44 ERA and .257
average against, the 2002 31st-round draft-and-follow struggled a bit in the
Southern League. His ERA ballooned to 4.40 while opponents hit .304 against
him."
" ... Cesar Carrillo ... lanky
(6-foot-3, 175-pound) right-hander was 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in his first four
starts at Lake Elsinore before being promoted to Double-A Mobile, where he was
just as good, if not better, going 4-0 with a 3.23 ERA and 35 strikeouts against
seven walks in 30 2/3 innings. He was returned to the Cal League late in August
for the Storm's postseason. He went 0-2 with a 19.90 ERA in his final three
regular season starts and 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two playoff appearances."
Dan Szymborski, BaseballThinkFactory, doesn't forecast
a major MLB breakthrough for any of the Angels' hotshot rooks in his
latest team projection -- Brandon Wood - .244 .288 .418, Howie
Kendrick - .265 .304 .423, Kendry Morales - .270 .307
.429, Jeff Mathis - .223 .281 .378. Dallas McPherson
draws a forecast of .249 .316 .493
18-19 November, 2005
Dominican -- Joel Guzman LAD 2-5, 3rd homer ... Wilson Betemit
ATL 2-4, double, 3 RBI ... Denny Bautista KC 3 8 7 6 2 1 ...
Andy Marte ATL 2-4, double. Venezuela -- Ronnie
Cedeno CHN 3-5 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-4
Olympic tournament ... Canada goes to 3-0 with a 15-5 win over Panama ...
Chris Begg SF 5 8 3 2 0 2 ... OF Sebastien Boucher SEA
3-5, double, walk, 4 RBI ... Stubby Clapp 5-5 double, 2 triples, 3
RBI ... Team USA also 3-0, 7-4 over Nicaragua ... Lastings Milledge
NYN 1-3, homer ... Brendan Harris WAS 1-3, homer
MiLB.com hands out its post-season awards ... Brandon Wood LAA and
Justin Verlander DET saluted as the top hitter/pitcher ... in
Triple-A, Rick Short WAS and Francisco Liriano MIN
the top dogs ... Double-A, Delmon Young TB and Joel
Zumaya DET ... A-Ball, Wood and Verlander ... Short-Season, Eric
Campbell ATL and Shane Lindsay COL.
A bit of a surprise atop the Rangers' ranking at
SportsBlurb. John
Franco tabs Edison Volquez as the best of the system ahead of
Thomas Diamond and John Danks.
" ... Picking the best member of the DVD trio is
difficult, as there is very little difference between the three pitchers.
Volquez has two plus fastballs, a four- with good movement that touches 95
up in the zone and a two-seamer that sits in the low 90s with good sinking
action down in the zone. He also has a plus slider and a changeup that can be a
plus-plus pitch when he has command of it. Volquez’ problems at Frisco and in
the majors stemmed from his aggressive approach on the mound – he attacks
hitters by throwing strikes and never wastes a pitch or tries to get batters to
chase a pitch out of the zone. He has a good feel for pitching and will spend
2006 working on missing more bats and improving his location within the strike
zone."
" ... 7. Taylor Teagarden ...
considered by many scouts to be worthy of a first round pick in the 2005 draft,
but he fell into the third round after signing Scott Boras as his agent ...
He was the best defensive catcher available in the entire draft, combining a
great arm with excellent game-calling skills and good receiving and blocking
skills. Offensively, he has some holes in his swing, but he has good power to
all fields and good knowledge of the strike zone ... After starting
slowly, he hit .342 in his last 76 at-bats in the Northwest League; his bat will
need to adapt quickly to higher levels as his defense should move him through
the system quickly."
Does this mean there's already an agreement with SEA or, staying in Japan?
" ... Japanese all-star catcher Kenji Jojima
has canceled a meeting with the New York Mets and is preparing to end his
current U.S. trip Thursday, according to baseball sources. The 29-year-old
Jojima was scheduled to visit New York as early as Friday, but he now plans to
return to Japan and consult with his family and parents about what to do, the
sources said." (The Japan Times)
Jonathan Mayo, MiLB.com, offers his take on the Cardinals' farm system :
" ... Tyler Greene ... had a nice
debut, hitting .261 with 13 steals (in 14 attempts) in 138 at-bats with New
Jersey. He then jumped a level to Palm Beach and hit .271 in 85 ABs with six
more steals thrown in for good measure (for the year, he went 19-for-20 in
stolen-base attempts). He won his first ring with Palm Beach, though he hit just
.162 during the playoff run."
" ... Chris Lambert ...
had an up-and-down first full year in pro ball. He was extremely sharp with Palm
Beach, going 7-1 with a 2.63 ERA through May. That earned him a trip to the
Texas League, where the hitters aren't quite as kind. Lambert went 3-8 with a
6.35 ERA for the rest of the season, taking his lumps to the tune of a .291
batting average against. He went on to pitch pretty poorly in the Arizona Fall
League but shut out Guatemala in Team USA's opener in the Olympic Qualifying
Tournament."
" ... Anthony Reyes ...
riding the fast track, spending most of his second season of pro ball in
Triple-A and helping out the big club with four appearances, including one
impressive emergency start. With Memphis, the right-hander out of USC went 7-6
with a 3.64 ERA, striking out 134 and walking just 34 in 128 2/3 IP."
Jason Kubel MIN, still not ready :
" ... Kubel, the promising Twins outfielder ...
won't be ready to help the Twins in spring training ... took part in
hitting in the Twins' Instructional League but wasn't able to run much or field
at all. And Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said Kubel will not be ready to go
full speed in spring training because of the knee injury. The question is when
he will be able to run full speed. This is a real blow to the Twins
because they were counting on Kubel's bat to be a factor next season."
(Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Brandon Wood LAA, making adjustments like a veteran :
" ... When Watson [Team USA general manager Bob
Watson] and USA Baseball officials started assembling potential players
for this 24-man team, Wood emerged as a no-brainer selection. "Well, he had a
heck of a year to begin with," Watson said. "We had good reports on him and his
second base partner (Kendrick). We talked to a number of people and they not
only liked his ability to hit the ball, but catch the ball. "One of my things
is, I want a shortstop that when you hit the ball to him in the eighth or ninth
inning, it's an out." The 6-foot-3, 185 pound Wood has good range and soft
hands. "He's not a big person by any means, but he's wiry," Watson said. "He's
got quick hands and a quick bat through the zone. The ball jumps off his bat."
Those are good marks for any young player, but what impresses Watson even more
is Wood's ability to make adjustments "on the fly" during games. "I watched him
in the (AFL) Championship game and he struck out on breaking balls the first two
times he batted," Watson said. "He took those same pitches in his next two times
up and hit 'em off the fence." (MiLB.com)
Dayn Perry, FoxSports,
checks in with his Top 10 "breakout" candidates. Daniel Cabrera BAL
is Dayn's top choice:
" ... pitchers who strike out lots of batters
and exhibit strong groundball tendencies tend to fare very well. In Cabrera's
case, last season he joined A.J. Burnett and Carlos Zambrano ... as the only
pitchers to strike out at least eight batters per nine innings while maintaining
a strikeout-to-walk ratio of at least 1.50. That means he's primed to take a
major step forward in 2006. Of course, let's not forget that the inestimable Leo
Mazzone is now Cabrera's pitching coach in Baltimore. Those intangibles add up
to Cabrera being the top '06 breakout candidate in all of baseball."
17 November, 2005
Dominican - Wilson Betemit ATL 0-3, walk, .324 ... Edwin
Encarnacion 3B CIN 4-4, the cycle, 3rd double, 1st triple, 1st homer, .323
... Mike Napoli LAA 2-5, double, 2 RBI, .357 ... Andy
Marte ATL 0-4, .224
Venezuela - Alberto Callaspo LAA 2-2,
walk, .348 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 1-3, 3rd homer, .250
Wow. Canada's pitching at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Arizona.
Jon Lockwood SEA fronted a non-hitter for the Canadians in their 12-0 win
over hapless Guatemala, 5 0 0 0 1 5 ...
Jered Weaver LAA, still somewhat
less than advertised, 4 3 2 2 2 6 ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL was
the hero for TEAM USA driving in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th to get
by Mexico 5-4.
Troop movements ... TEX - acquired Jon Leicester from CHN for
PTBNL ... SD - subject to a physical, acquired Mike Cameron from
NYN for Xavier Nady, signed inf Geoff Blum ... LAA - waived
infielder Zach
Sorensen ... CIN - claimed Mike Burns off waivers from HOU ...
David Regan has his Angels' prospect picks up at
RotoAmerica. Brandon Wood, of
course, sitting atop the ladder in a deep farm system. Howie Kendrick
the runner-up :
" ... 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 after being promoted there.
He’s a kid that can hit most any pitch to any part of the field, often going the
other way on balls low and away and turning on inside fastballs quickly. The
added power this year is nice and should allow him to be an above average 2B in
the majors ... He’ll be out to take Adam Kennedy’s job sometime this year."
" ... 9. Michael Collins ... .412 OBP
and 25 HBP’s! ... After toiling in rookie ball for and hitting .207 in the
Midwest League last year, Collins put up a very good season this year in Cedar
Rapids. He’s still pretty raw defensively, but with the progress he’s shown
offensively this year, the Angels will develop him as a catcher. He may not have
hit a lot of Hr’s this year, but some of those 32 doubles will start going over
the fence, particularly as he takes his game to the CAL league in 2006."
" ... 10. Nick Adenhart ... 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. Not sure
where he starts, but he has the talent to make the jump to the Midwest League to
start 2006."
Michael
Laureano takes on the Brewers' Top 10 at
Diamond Futures and likes Richie Weeks a little more than Prince
Fielder for the top slot. Lefty Dana Eveland ranked
No. 3.
Baseball
America moves along with its team-by-team reports. Ryan Zimmerman
tops the WAS Top 10 followed by a pair of righty starters Collin
Balester and Clint Everts.
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
looks back at his pre-season prospect list for the Nationals :
" ... 1) Mike Hinckley ... Hurt his shoulder
early in the year. Pitched through it, but poorly, going 3-9, 4.93 in 21 starts
for Class A Potomac, 80/51 K/BB in 128 innings. Note that he pitched very well
in Double-A in 2004, so 2005 was a major disaster for him, pitching badly at a
lower level. Stock has dropped, no question."
" ... 10) Clint Everts ...
Rebounded VERY quickly from Tommy John surgery, fanning 21 in 19 innings for
short-season Vermont, though he also walked 12. Needs to get his command in gear
but rehab has been rapid."
" ... 11) Kory Casto ..
.290/.394/.510 with 36 doubles, 22 homers at Class A Potomac. A strong season,
good power from the left side, as well as a greatly improved walk rate this
year. Main problem now is age, he turns 24 next month."
Lastings Milledge NYN ... nearly there :
" ... Team USA manager Davey Johnson doesn't
hesitate to say that Lastings Milledge can handle the bright lights in the big
city, it's worth noting. Johnson, after all, spent seven years as a skipper in
New York, watching the rise and fall of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. He
speaks from experience when discussing what he believes the future can hold for
Milledge, who is currently playing for Johnson in the ... Olympic
Qualifier. "Lastings is a smart, tough kid," Johnson said. "He'll be able to
handle it. Talent only goes so far. I haven't had any conversations with him
about Doc or Darryl, but I'd be more than happy to. He's tough, though, and he
gives it as much as he takes it ... "You just don't want to rush him and
push him too fast, though. I think he had, what, a cup of coffee at Double-A
this year? If he had a full year at Double-A, or whatever, I think he'd probably
be able to make that jump. In an ideal world, I'd like to see him put up solid
numbers over a full year. He's close, though. He's a smart player, and he knows
how to make adjustments." Milledge, whom the Mets drafted with the 12th overall
pick in 2003, split this season between Class A Advanced St. Lucie and Double-A
Binghamton, and performed better at the higher level. He hit .337 in 48 games in
the Eastern League with four homers and 24 RBIs after hitting .302 with four
homers and 22 RBIs in 62 games in the Florida State League. He added 94 at-bats
for Grand Canyon in the Arizona Fall League, batting .330 with five homers and
23 RBIs." (MLB.com)
16 November, 2005
Yikes, no 10-run rule? USA beats up on Guatemala 23-0 in opening day
action in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Arizona ... Chris Lambert
STL 5 1 0 0 0 9 ... among the big boppers, Ryan Shealy COL 4-6, double
... Brandon Wood, of course, 2-5, homer, 4 RBI ... Jeff
Mathis LAA 3-5, 2 doubles, 3 RBI ... 1B Bryan LaHair SEA 3-3,
homer, 2 RBI ... Brad Snyder CLE 3-6, homer, 3 RBI ... Howie
Kendrick LAA ... Adam Loewen BAL tossed a gem as Canada
shutout Nicaragua 3-0, 6-2/3 2 0 0 1 8 ... Joey Votto 1B CIN
3-3 ... SS Kevin Nicholson, one time top SD pick (1st round,
1997), 3-4, homer ... Panama whipped Mexico 17-4.
Troop movements ... STL - purchased the contract of catcher Michael Hernandez
... TB - Josh Hamilton re-instated from restricted list ...
Bryan Smith, BaseballAnalysts,
offers insight into some AFL pitching performances.
" ... Jamie Shields ... chosen in the
sixteenth round of the 2000 draft out of high school. He lost his 2002 season to
injury, struggling in the California League during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
However, when moving to a more pitcher-friendly environment this season, Shields
thrived, lowering his ERA to 2.80 in 109.1 innings. ... his stuff might
never impress a scout, but his control and newfound durability could yield a
moderately successful Major League career."
" ... Jered Weaver ...
inconsistent in his seven-start AFL stint. He gave up 30 hits -- four of which
were home runs -- in 24.2 innings, leading to a 5.47 ERA. However, impressively
he struck out 35 batters, while walking only five. This is a skill that Weaver
has had since college, though his problem of being too hittable is a new one. I
still believe Weaver has a future in the rotation, but he must find an ability
to give up less fly balls, and as a result, less home runs."
John Franco, SportsBlurb,
tabs Daric Barton as the best of the OAK prospects, but with a pair of
outfielders on his heels :
" ... Javier Herrera ... has steadily
developed into an elite prospect for the Athletics with a ceiling that could be
higher than Barton’s. He is a true five-tool prospect whose best tools are his
arm and his power. After sitting out the first 15 games of the season for a
performance-enhancing drugs suspension earned during the 2004 season, Herrera
started slowly but finished with a .275 average and 13 home runs in 360 at-bats.
While he struck out 110 times, Herrera drew a respectable 47 walks and added 18
doubles; offensively, he profiles as an ideal No. 4 or No. 5 hitter. He is still
raw defensively, but once he improves his routes, he will be an above average
centerfielder."
" ... Andre Ethier ... made a big
splash at Midland, hitting .319/.385/.497 with 18 home runs and 30 doubles,
winning the Texas League player of the year award. He also hit .366 in 82
at-bats in the AFL, bashing 12 extra-base hits and drawing 21 walks against just
10 strikeouts ... not a true power hitter, but might be able to tweak his
swing to produce 20-30 home runs a year at the expense of a few points of
batting average, and could hit 40-plus doubles a year in his prime. He is
stretched defensively in centerfield but projects to be a plus defender in one
of the corner spots."
Diamond Futures again offers up some surprises in its Dodger Top 10.
Joel Guzman doesn't show up until No. 9 and you may have to do some
research on Anthony Raglani and Blake Johnson.
Andy LaRoche tops the chart, ahead of 2B Travis Denker
and Jonathan Broxton.
John Sickels continues to present
some very interesting analysis at MinorLeagueBall (as he works feverishly to get
his 2006 prospect book ready for shipping). Brandon McCarthy CHA or
Scott Baker MIN ?
" ... PROJECTION McCarthy: Because of his size and
youth, McCarthy may pick up additional velocity as he fills out his body. His
command and control are already excellent given his age. He needs to use the
changeup more often, but has shown the willingness to learn. Baker: Baker has
less physical projection left than McCarthy, being older and shorter. He
probably won't pick up additional velocity. On the other hand, he also has fewer
things to learn about pitching. Advantage: Once again, it's very close, but I
think McCarthy has more room to improve if only because he is younger. OVERALL
McCarthy has very slight advantages in performance and projectability, although
different analysts could come to different conclusions ... I think
McCarthy comes out a hair ahead, due to being younger and having a higher
strikeout rate."
15 November, 2005
The Olympic qualifying tournament kicks off today (Tuesday) with three games at
Phoenix -- USA vs Guatemala, Panama vs Mexico and Canada vs
Nicaragua.
Dominican -- Aaron Heilman NYN 6-2/3 4 0 0 0 4, 2.36 ... Bernie
Castro 2B WAS 3-5, .360 ... Joel Guzman LAD 0-4, .328 ...
Rafael Soriano SEA 2 2 0 0 1 1, 4.50
Venezuela -- William Bergolla 2B CIN 2-5, .320 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 1-5, .361
The oft-injured Cole Hamels retains his No. 1 ranking atop the Phllies'
chart in Baseball America's PHI Top 10. In a weak farm system, a pair of
outfielders followed - Greg Golson and Michael Bourn.
All the Top 10s to date.
A very interesting Angles' Top 10 over at Diamond Futures.
Michael
Laureano, of course, pegs Brandon Wood as the top dog, but the
runner-up might come as a large surprise -- catcher Michael Napoli.
Howie Kendrick ranks No. 3.
At
MiLB.com, Jonathan Mayo takes stock of the Pirates' system and finds some
potential gems :
" ... Andrew McCutchen ... 11th
overall pick had a very impressive debut, hitting .310 in the Gulf Coast and
New-York Penn leagues. He went 17-for-19 in stolen-base attempts and posted a
very impressive .419 OBP, especially for a high schooler."
" ... Neil Walker ... In
his first full season, Walker handled full-season ball very well. The high
school catcher played at age 19 in the South Atlantic League and hit .301 with
12 homers and 68 RBIs in 485 at-bats before getting bumped up to Lynchburg for
the Carolina League playoffs. He then headed to the Arizona Fall League and
handled himself well as one of the younger participants in the league."
John Sickels, now taking orders for
his 2006 prospect report, offers a review of his pre-season White Sox Top 20 and
a peak at Mets' righthander Gaby Hernandez :
" ... 2) Gio Gonzalez .. 5-3,
1.87 in 10 starts for Kannapolis, 84/22 K/BB in 58 innings, then 8-3, 3.56 in 13
starts for Winston-Salem, 79/25 K/BB in 73 innings. An excellent prospect who
deserves more attention."
" ... 5) Josh D. Fields ...
.252/.341/.409 with 16 homers for Birmingham. Good raw power, but struck out 142
times in 134 games. Contact is a major issue, and will have to be improved for
him to hit for average and get on base at a decent clip."
" ... 11) Jerry Owens ...
Hit .331/.393/.406 with 38 steals for Birmingham. Good speed, not much power,
has more upside than most 24 year olds in Double-A due to football background."
Gaby Hernandez " ... has a sinking fastball
timed as high as 94 MPH, though he lost some zip as the season progressed and
finished throwing in the upper 80s. His curveball and changeup are solid
... curve has moments as a plus pitch, but he is still erratic with it ...
understands the basics of pitching ... I like Hernandez a lot, but I have a few
concerns about his durability .... payoff here is potentially very high, but
injury risk is present."
14 November, 2005
Dodgers' Matt Kemp crowned his 2005 breakout campaign with a 4-4, 2 homer
game to lead Phoenix to the AFL title with a 9-3 win in the single playoff
contest. Kemp got support from Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL
2-3, homer and Andy LaRoche LAD 1-4, homer ... Brandon
Wood wrapped up 2005, 2-4, double ... Jamie Shields TB
finished an impressive fall with another fine outing, 6-2/3 5 1 1 0 5
Venezuela -- TJ Bohn SEA 2-3, double, 3 RBI & 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 walks & 1-2,
walk, .284 ... Alberto
Callaspo LAA 2-4 & 1-2, 2 walks & 1-3, .337 ... Chad Gaudin
TOR 8 4 2 2 1 7, 2.36 ... Yusmeiro Petit NYN 6 5 1 1 1 4 ...
Dominican -- Antonio Perez LAD 2-4, double, walk, .233 ...
Joel Guzman LAD 3-4, 2 RBI, .360 ... Felix Pie CHN 0-4,
.217
RotoAmerica is about to
launch its Top 10s for the new season. Managed to sneak a preliminary look
at the Dodgers' ranking which sees Chad Billingsley take over the top slot from
Joel Guzman.
Chad Billingsley, No. 1 " ... currently
projects as a future top-of-the-rotation type starter. In fact, with his
combination of youth, projectibility, and stuff, he may be the best pitching
prospect in baseball that has yet to experience the major leagues. Chad works
comfortably in the 92-95 range (higher when needed) with his fastball, and mixes
in a slider and curve that are already plus pitches ... There have been
several pitchers promoted to the majors that aren’t as advanced as Billingsley
but the Dodgers kept him in AA all year to work on his command and likely now
will give him a shot at a rotation spot in spring training. Some scouts compare
him favorably to Ben Sheets."
Matt Kemp, No. 5 " ... Took a huge leap
this year ... now a legitimate contender for the RotoAmerica Top 100 list.
Kemp possesses the most athleticism in the system and it seems that his baseball
skills are just now catching up to his ability ... in addition to his
power potential, has very good speed and could eventually be a 30/30 guy
perhaps. One red flag is plate discipline ... a true five-tool talent and
his plus arm would allow him to handle any OF position. I’d love to see him stay
in CF as his package of skills could make him one of the game’s best CF’s."
John Franco, SportsBlurb,
checks in with a preview/review of the Angels' farm. Brandon Wood, of
course, takes the top spot :
" ... Brandon Wood ... Any doubts about
Wood’s talent that lingered after his sparkling 2005 season were answered in the
Arizona Fall League, where Wood set a new record with 14 home runs in one Fall
League season. He uses strong wrists, tremendous bat speed, and a developing
frame (6’3” and 200 pounds) to drive pitches well over the fence and already
projects as a 30 home run player in the major leagues, with room to grow from
there ... needs to improve his plate discipline in order to become a complete
player ... He is an average shortstop, with good fundamentals and a plus arm,
but given his size and the presence of better defensive players in the system,
Wood could end up at third base within a season or two of his major league
debut."
" ... Jered Weaver ... Angels
consider Weaver to be almost major-league ready, but he would definitely benefit
from more seasoning. His fastball sits in the 90-92 range and occasionally
reaches 94, and he gets good movement on the pitch. His slider is a plus pitch
at times, but he tends to flatten out his arm when he throws it and leave it up
in the hitting zone. Weaver’s mechanics are also a bit inconsistent and he needs
to improve the repeatability of his motion. If the Angels do start him in the
rotation for the 2006 season, he will struggle at times, but once he gains
experience, he will be a solid No. 3 starter for Los Angeles."
Over at Diamond Futures,
Michael
Laureano, has the Houston Top 10 with Troy Patton atop the pack,
ahead of power-hitting outfielder Hunter Pence ... and in KC, Billy
Butler over Justin Huber for the top spot.
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
reviews his pre-season Top 20 for the Brewers :
" ... 2) Rickie Weeks ...
.239/.333/.394 with 13 homers, 15 steals in 96 games for the Brewers. Given a
normal development track, he will be a star and a Seven Skill player."
" ... 9) Nelson Cruz ...
.306/.388/.577 in 68 games for Huntsville, then .269/.382/.490 in 60 games for
Nashville, combining for 19 steals and 27 homers. Power/speed guy, plate
discipline has improved."
" ... 11) Mark Rogers ... Mixed
results from 2004 first-round pick. 2-9, 5.11 mark at West Virginia was pretty
ugly, but he also struck out 109 in 99 innings. Great stuff, but his control
still needs a lot of work. High ceiling pitcher but will need more time to
develop."
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