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01 October, 2004
Dodger kids highlight the
Florida State League Top 20 at Baseball America.
Shortstop Joel Guzman tops the list with RHP Chad Billingsley
as the runnerup. BOS shortstop Hanley Ramirez, TB's Scott
Kazmir and Scott Olsen FLO rank 3-4-5. JJ Cooper
expanded a bit on the picks in a chat room session :
" ... The consensus of FSL observers (scouts and
managers) is that Guzman has soft hands and is very steady at SS, but he doesn't
have the quickness and range to be more than an average SS at best. He could
probably handle the position, as long as you think his offense makes up for his
defensive limitations, but he's most likely to move to 3B, possibly as soon as
next year if the Dodgers have to replace the soon-to-be free agent Adrian Beltre
... Guzman projects as a middle of the order guy with rare tools ... has a very
rare combination of tools."
" ... Raul Tablado ... in that group of guys just
off of the top 20. There are a lot of questions about whether he can play SS at
higher levels, but he showed enough power to slide over to 3b. Some managers and
scouts worried about his ability to hit a good fastball, but others thought he
could end up being a slugging 30 home run guy in the majors down the road. He
was viewed as one of the more high risk, but high reward guys in the league. He
could end up plateauing at Double-A because of concerns about his ability to
handle good pitching, but he also could end up as a Tony Batista-type, but with
better plate discipline."
" ... With Everts injury, [Michael] Hinckley is almost
assuredly the Expos top pitching prospect, and he's one of the better lefty
prospects in baseball. Ceiling is what separates him from Olsen. Hinckley is
more likely to reach his ceiling, but he projects as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter,
which is still really good. Olsen has one of those rare arms that means he could
project as a No. 1 if he puts it all together. He's less likely to reach that
ceiling right now, as he's more raw than Hinckley (and a year and a half
younger), but when he's on, he could potentially be a rotation ace with a 94-95
mph fastball and a power slider."
Guzman and Billingsley were named the Dodgers'
Player and Pitcher of the Year.
The Braves' Jeff Francoeur ranks as the best of the
Carolina League
prospects in Baseball America's year-end Top 20. CLE first baseman
Michael Aubrey is No.2, over WSox OF Brian Anderson.
Lefty Zach Duke PIT and righty Kyle Davies ATL
rounded out the top five.
BA's Steve Kline offered a little more in the chat
room :
Adam Miller CLE ?
" ... If Miller had done what he did after he got promoted for, say, half a
season in the CL, we're probably talking top two or three--and definitely ahead
of Duke. His stuff is just so much better across the board. Miller definitely
has the higher ceiling, and if he stays healthy, has the potential to be a
dominate No. 1 starter in the big leagues."
" ...
Francoeur ... has all the
tools, but the thing that separates him from the other players on the list is
the way he brings a football mentality to baseball. He is such an intense
competitor and has great aptitude to keep learning, that he's going to be a
great player for years to come. He has that internal desire that you don't see
everyday--which was evident in how quickly he came back from the broken
cheekbone incident."
" ... Brian McCann ... ranked seventh at the beginning of the year when we ranked the Top
10 catchers . . . and now he might jump into the top five after he showed he
wasn't all bat. Everyone around the league liked how he handled the Myrtle Beach
staff, particularly how he took charge at age 21, which is sometimes hard to do.
Some managers around the league compared him to an Eddie Taubensee type of
player. Both McCann and Barton will hit, but I think McCann is more advanced
defenisvely right now."
" ... Tom Gorzelanny ...
Several scouts in the Sally League liked Gorzo better than Adam Miller because
he throws five pitches--91-94 mph fastball, splitter, changeup, curveball and
slider--for strikes. And scouts in the CL thought he was also one of the top
three pitchers in the league. I think he could be a solid No. 2 in the big
leagues."
For info on the ATL kids, no better place than
NoPepper. Yep, that's Brad Dowdy's amazing work on the Braves' farm
system. Already he's posted an updated ATL Top 50, with Andy Marte atop the pack
(Jeff Francoeur No. 2 & Jose Capellan No. 3) :
" ... Marte was the consensus #1 Braves
prospect heading into the season, and he did nothing this year to dispute that
ranking ... Overall, he hit .269/.364/.525 in 387 at-bats, with 23 homers
and 28 doubles in 2004. His secondary average of .406 was 55 % greater than the
league, and his OPS of .889 was 22% greater. His K/BB was a respectable 105/58.
Marte may never become a .300 hitter, but peak numbers in the majors approaching
.285 with between 30-40 homers don't seem to be out of the question."
" ... 4. Dan Meyer, lhp Meyer flaunted his
impressive control for both Double-A Greenville and Triple-A Richmond in 2004.
Between the two stops, he was 9-6 with a 2.50 ERA, striking out 146 and walking
just 37 for nearly a 4/1 K/BB ratio ... I had him ahead of Capellan in my
personal rankings until the last month of the season, and he could very well
have the better major league career of the two."
" ... 6. Brian McCann ...
quickly realize we have one of the top hitting catchers in all of the minor
leagues. Batting from the left side, he hit .277/.337/.487 in 382 at-bats for
Myrtle Beach, with 15 homers and 35 doubles (tied for best in the system). His
SEC of .291 was 18% better than the league average, and his OPS was 15% greater.
Combine all of that with his age (20), position, handedness, and offense
suppressing ballpark, and McCann could be the long term answer behind the plate
in Atlanta in a few seasons."
John Sickels,
ESPN.com, on Tony Giarratano DET :
" ... He looks like a good prospect to me,
too, not just a "sleeper" but a legitimately strong player. Giarratano was
drafted in '03, a third round pick ... was well-regarded as a defensive
shortstop in college, but there were questions about his bat. He answered those
by hitting .336 in college last year, then .328 in 47 games in the New York-Penn
League after signing. In 2004, he went to the Midwest League and played well,
hitting .285/.383/.352 in 43 games for the West Michigan Whitecaps. This earned
him a promotion to the Florida State League, where he caught fire and remained
enflamed for the rest of the season, hitting .376/.421/.505 with 14 steals. He
needs to sharpen up his plate discipline, but I think he has the baseball
aptitude to do so ... certainly looks like a solid .280-.300 hitter, with enough
doubles, walks, and steals to be a multi-skilled offensive contributor. He's
considered a very good defensive shortstop, so impressing coaches and scouts
with his glove won't be a problem for him. I think he's a solid all-around
player and seriously underrated by many."
Ryan Anderson SEA ... sliver of hope :
" ... Although he has missed the
past four seasons with rotator cuff problems, Ryan Anderson has re-signed with
Seattle as a six-year minor-league free agent and is in Arizona with the
Mariners' instructional league team. "We have a lot invested in him, and we want
to see him make it with our organization," said Greg Hunter, the Mariners'
director of minor-league operations. "We re-signed him because after all
this time we want to see him finally make it with our organization. We are still
high on him. Time will tell." Anderson is not yet pitching, but assistant
general manager Lee Pelekoudas said, "Our reports are that he is progressing in
his bullpen workouts." If he does return to the mound and resume the career that
had jumped three levels in three years after he signed as a No. 1 pick in June
1997, the Mariners will first assess Anderson as a starter, as he has been for
all 66 of his pro games. But there is a chance Seattle will convert the hard
thrower to relief, ideally as a closer. "It's been discussed. We'll have to see
how his arm comes along and how it reacts to pitching," Pelekoudas said. "You
look at him first as a starter, but relief is an option." ... In
addition to Anderson, the No. 1 picks from the past two June drafts — Adam Jones
(2003) and Matt Tuiasosopo (2004) — will also be on the instructional-league
team roster. Catcher Ryan Christianson, the 1999 No. 1 pick who also re-signed
with Seattle as a minor-league free agent, will be in Arizona as well." (Seattle Times)
Top base stealers (SBs minus CS), full-season leagues :
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS SB-CS
A PHI Bourn, Michael
413 20 14 5 85 88 57 6 .317 .433 .470
.903 OF 51
AA NYN Lydon, Wayne
506 18 6 5 49 119 65 20 .271 .338 .360
.698 OF 45
AA HOU Taveras, Willy
409 13 1 2 38 76 55 11 .335 .402 .386
.788 OF 44
AAA SD Guzman, Freddy
264 12 4 1 30 46 48 5 .292 .365 .379
.744 OF 43
A CHN Walker, Chris
489 19 5 3 45 78 60 17 .282 .346 .360
.706 OF 43
A+ CLE Torres, Eider
436 24 3 3 22 45 48 6 .303 .338 .392
.730 2B 42
A+ PIT Davis, Rajai
509 27 7 5 59 60 57 15 .314 .388 .424
.812 OF 42
AA ARZ Williams, Marland 487 21 10
8 40 116 48 8 .257 .315 .390 .705 OF 40
AA CHN Bacon, Dwaine
444 10 11 3 81 139 60 20 .248 .373 .340 .713
OF 40
A PIT Morgan, Nyjer
514 16 7 4 53 120 55 16 .255 .358 .337
.695 OF 39
A HOU Anderson, Josh
299 12 3 4 33 47 47 9 .324 .402 .425
.827 OF 38
A MIL Trofholz, Terry
460 14 5 2 23 96 48 10 .300 .343 .365
.708 OF 38
A+ LA Requena, Alex
413 7 5 2 44 103 50 15 .245 .318 .300
.618 OF 35
AA STL Bolivar, Papo
451 25 2 15 55 86 51 17 .295 .373 .459
.832 OF 34
AA HOU Jimerson, Charlton 488 22 5
18 31 163 39 6 .238 .290 .414 .704 OF 33
A ARZ Bonifacio, Emilio 411 9
6 1 25 122 40 10 .260 .306 .319 .625 2B
30
AA CIN Bergolla, William 466 26 1
4 40 63 36 6 .283 .342 .369 .711 2B
30
AAA NYN Snead, Esix
269 10 2 0 35 53 40 10 .264 .348 .316
.664 OF 30
AA SEA Choo, Shin-soo
517 17 7 15 56 97 39 9 .315 .382 .462
.844 OF 30
AA TOR Godwin, Tyrell
521 21 7 6 52 110 42 12 .253 .326 .355
.681 OF 30
A+ ANA Willits, Reggie 526 17
5 5 73 112 44 15 .283 .373 .363 .736 OF
29
A TB Johnson, Elliot
503 22 7 6 54 91 43 15 .262 .339 .370
.709 2B 28
A+ KC Stocker, Mel
446 20 8 2 52 71 43 15 .215 .313 .309
.622 OF 28
AAA CHN Hubbard, Trenidad 473 28 4
9 62 59 36 8 .330 .409 .463 .872 OF
28
A COL Colonel, Christian 429 23 0
9 49 73 35 8 .249 .343 .366 .709 1B
27
Short-season leagues :
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS SB-CS
R ATL Suero, Ovandy
168 0 3 0 10 56 30 2 .232 .291
.268 .559 2B 28
SS BOS Van Der Bosch, Matt 225 8 6
3 35 44 28 1 .271 .376 .400 .776 OF
27
SS PIT Lomack, Jermel
152 4 0 0 18 27 29 4 .283 .375
.309 .684 2B 25
R SF Sanders, Marcus
209 12 4 3 35 45 28 4 .292 .415 .431
.846 2B 24
SS OAK Herrera, Javier 263 15
4 12 24 59 23 1 .331 .392 .555 .947
OF 22
SS SEA Chen, Yung
200 13 1 3 16 36 25 3 .300 .353 .420
.773 3B 22
R KC McFall, Brian
262 22 1 14 30 64 23 2 .359 .432 .611
1.043 OF 21
SS TB Perez, Fernando
267 8 5 2 30 70 24 4 .232 .314
.322 .636 OF 20
R PIT Powell, Pedro
177 2 3 0 13 42 22 3 .243 .302
.288 .590 OF 19
R CLE Valdes, Juan
134 4 4 1 18 27 21 3 .269 .364
.381 .745 OF 18
30 September, 2004
The updated Arizona Fall League rosters posted at
Baseball America. Season begins October 5th.
Kevin
Goldstein ranks the Top 20 in the California League at Baseball America.
A pair of star hurlers at the top of the list -- Felix Hernandez SEA No.
1, Matt Cain SF No. 2. ANA's Erick Aybar
checked in at No. 3 with ARZ outfielders Carlos Quentin and
Conor Jackson at 4-5.
Shortstop in ANA? Erick Aybar,
Alberto Callaspo, Brandon Wood ?
" ... Also don't forget that Sean
Rodriguez was the Pioneer League MVP. Aybar is just outstanding defensively,
so I don't see them moving him. Callaspo proved to be a very good 2B in the past
when he was teamed with Aybar in last couple of years, so a return there is
certainly a possibility. I'm sure Anaheim would rather have too many shortstops
than not enough ... Aybar drew several comparisions to Rafael Furcal, but in the
end, I think he might be more similar to Edgar Rentaria -- a guy who can hit
.290-300 with 10-15 HR, a good number of steals and plus defense."
" ... Brad Sullivan ... was one of the
league's disappointments, definitely. It seems like he still hasn't recovered
from his junior year at Houston. His velocity is still well below the 91-93 he
showed in college, and he seems to have lost the sink on it as well, while his
slider also lost bite. He hand a handful of good outings in the second half, and
maybe he can build on that."
" ... Michael Napoli ... put up some
HUGE numbers this year (.282-29-118), but he also struck out 166 times and few
believe he'll be about to stay at catcher down the road. Very reminiscent of
Pirates longhair Craig Wilson."
" ... Joquian Arias ... ranks as the
#2 shortstop, and #15 overall prospect in the Cal League ... shows good power to
all fields in batting practice, but has just 32 extra-base hits all year. He
shows wonderful fielding tools in practice, but in games, he can get sloppy and
made 40 errors. His performance just didn't seem to match his obvious tools."
" ... Elijah Dukes ... Was it risky to
put him at 6? Maybe. But it also might have been risky to not rank him even
HIGHER. He's a special athlete who has already begun to translate his raw tools
into production, and he has excellent instincts. Combine that with an improve
outlook when he arrived at Bakersfield, and I'm comfortable with the ranking."
At FoxSports, Dayn Perry,
makes his early picks as the top candidates to be impact rookies in 2005.
Among the choices :
" ... Jason Kubel ... laid waste to the
high minors this season, and while he doesn't have the upside of, say, Justin
Morneau, he can be a very productive hitter at the highest level. Kubel doesn't
have the defensive chops of Jones, but he could probably more than make up the
difference at the plate. Of late, Minnesota has shown more willingness to give
important roles to their young talents. That bodes will for Kubel's immediate
future."
" ... Jason Bartlett ... Twins are a frugal
lot, and it's entirely possible they'll decide either to decline their 2005
option on SS Cristian Guzman or non-tender 2B Luis Rivas. If either of those
happens — and I think there's a good chance of that — then Bartlett will step
into the breach. Given the performance records of all involved, the Twins could
see a jump in productivity by giving one of the middle-infield jobs to
Bartlett."
" ... Joe Blanton ... Billy Beane is
not afraid of the bold move. Don't be surprised if this off-season he attempts
to jettison one of the "Big Three" for an impact bat (Barry Zito would seem the
most likely to go). If Beane does something like that, it's his confidence in
Blanton that will allow him to part with one of his rotation stalwarts. Blanton
flailed a bit in Triple-A this season, but his peripherals remained strong, and
his record of performance in previous seasons is tremendous ... Expect Blanton
to play a major role in Oakland in 2005."
Dallas McPherson ANA ... outfielder?
Jim Callis,
Baseball America :
" ... McPherson ranked No. 2 on the Top 20 list of
Triple-A Pacific Coast League prospects that I compiled. It won't appear online
until Oct. 8, so I'll give you a sneak preview of what I wrote:
" ... McPherson spent most of the year
batting cleanup behind [Casey] Kotchman, an arrangement that will continue in
the majors in the near future. More electrifying and less consistent at the
plate than Kotchman, McPherson had 40 homers and 126 RBIs between Double-A and
Triple-A, drilling several tape-measure shots. He led all minor leaguers with a
.670 slugging percentage.
"His numbers are ludicrous," Tucson manager Chip
Hale said. "Our pitchers are scared to death of him. They know if they make a
mistake, he'll hit it out of the park."
Earlier in his career, McPherson had a more fluid
swing and let his power come naturally. Now he looks like Jason Giambi,
collapsing his back leg and trying to lift pitches out of the park. He sits on
fastballs, and PCL observers had differing opinions of his ability to hit
quality breaking balls.
While he knows the strike zone, McPherson's approach
resulted in a 95-23 strikeout-walk ratio in 67 games. His whiffs didn't draw as
many red flags as his defense. He has enough arm strength but looks stiff at
third base, and the consensus is that he'll eventually move to an outfield
corner."
Ruben Gotay named KC's top minor league player :
" ... Gotay, 21, batted .290 with nine
homers and 68 RBIs in 106 games at Class AA Wichita before the Royals purchased
his contract on Aug. 3. He carried a .272 average into Tuesday's game against
the Indians with 12 RBIs in 40 games." (KC Star)
Delmon Young the best in the TB system :
" ... Young made it to Tropicana Field on Tuesday,
though the promising prospect was wearing dress clothes. Based on how he did in
his first minor-league season, it may not be long until the 19-year-old is back
in a uniform and spikes. "I want to get here," Young said. "It's just my
timetable is whenever (the organization) feels I'm ready to hold my own in the
big leagues, they'll call me up. I just have to stay consistent down in the
minor leagues so hopefully I can get here someday." Young was consistent and
productive at Class A Charleston (S.C.), hitting .322 (on a league-high 164
hits) with 25 homers and 115 RBIs in 131 games, and Tuesday he was named the
Rays' minor-league Player of the Year. "He improved in all areas of the game,"
said Cam Bonifay, director of player development and scouting. "He just needs
games and at-bats at a higher level of competition." Reliever Chad Orvella,
who worked his way from Charleston to Triple-A Durham, was named the Pitcher of
the Year after going 1-1 with 12 saves and a 1.71 ERA. In 732/3 innings, he
struck out 116 while walking only 10." (St.Petersburg Times)
Top hitters, short-season leagues, ranked by On Base Percentage :
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
R LA Dunlap, Cory
245 18 1 7 68 40 0 0 .351 .492
.518 1.010 1B
R MIL Iribarren, Hernan 189 6
9 4 19 23 15 7 .439 .490 .630 1.120
2B
R KC Butler, Billy
260 22 3 10 57 63 5 0 .373 .488 .596
1.084 3B
R MIL Sollmann, Steven 272 12
2 1 52 30 23 8 .364 .487 .434 .921
2B
R ANA Rodriguez, Sean
225 14 4 10 51 62 9 3 .338 .486 .569
1.055 SS
R MIL Richardson, Grant 166 16
1 5 32 20 2 4 .367 .478 .566 1.044
1B
R MIL Festa, Anthony
226 19 0 7 56 39 6 1 .305 .463
.482 .945 3B
R ANA Sutton, Nathanael 180 6
3 1 37 40 7 2 .328 .455 .411
.866 3B
R LA Russ, Ryan
107 8 4 1 19 25 6 2 .327
.446 .505 .951 OF
SS TEX Hulett, Tim
247 17 0 0 68 67 19 7 .279 .444 .348
.792 2B
R LA Westervelt, Christo 176 12 0
10 27 46 0 0 .341 .440 .580 1.020 C
SS HOU Zobrist, Benjamin 257 14 3
4 43 31 15 4 .339 .438 .463 .901 SS
SS ARZ Carter, William 256 15
1 15 46 34 2 3 .336 .438 .578 1.016
OF
R OAK Long, Wesley
206 17 1 4 31 26 16 7 .345 .434 .495
.929 3B
R COL Hahn, Dustin
240 18 1 8 51 55 10 2 .308 .433 .492
.925 3B
R MIL Brady, Joshua
113 9 4 5 13 24 5 3 .363
.433 .646 1.079 1B
R KC McFall, Brian
262 22 1 14 30 64 23 2 .359 .432 .611
1.043 OF
R COL Nelson, Chris
147 6 3 4 20 42 6 5 .347
.432 .510 .942 SS
R STL Delgado, Jose
217 9 5 3 53 65 17 4 .276 .430
.406 .836 2B
R BAL Gutierrez, Juan
126 8 0 8 17 14 0 1 .349
.430 .603 1.033 1B
R TOR Anderson, Charlie 151 14
0 6 29 39 0 0 .311 .429 .523
.952 1B
R BAL Finan, Ryan
123 12 0 5 18 16 0 1 .333 .429
.553 .982 1B
R NYN Lawrence, Horace 105
6 1 5 12 17 6 3 .362 .429 .581
1.010 OF
R LA Ruggiano, Justin
155 12 0 7 23 38 6 1 .329 .428
.542 .970 OF
R COL Smith, Seth
233 21 3 9 25 47 9 1 .369 .427
.601 1.028 OF
28 September, 2004
Ah man ... gonna miss him. Jeremy Deloney, who has provided a
treasure chest of outstanding prospect information, is moving on to join Ron
Shandler's Baseball HQ. While his departure will leave a void here, we
offer hearty congratulations on a job well done and know he'll prosper in his
new role.
Parting projections from Jeremy : Best pitching
prospect going into 2005: Scott Kazmir, TB Best position prospect going
into 2005: Delmon Young, TB Pitching prospect to watch out for in
2005: Humberto Sanchez, DET Position prospect to watch out for in
2005: Nate Schierholtz, SF
John Sickels, ESPN.com, on Mitch Einertson HOU :
" ... sent to the short-season Appalachian
League to begin his career. He did quite well there, hitting .308 with a .413
OBP and a .692 SLG in 63 games for Greenville. He knocked 15 doubles, 24 homers
... On the negative side, he fanned 70 times, more than once per game. With
numbers like that, you might think that Einertson is a huge hulk on the field.
But he's not: he is short, listed at 5-foot-9. While there has been some talk of
him playing second base eventually, the Astros seem to like him in the outfield,
where he can take advantage of his good throwing arm ... Other than his
defense, the main worry that scouts have is his ability to handle breaking balls
at higher levels. Statistically, this showed up at Greenville in the very high
strikeout rate. But he also will take a walk, and you can't be anything but
impressed with his initial pro performance. Baseball America recently named him
the Top Prospect in the Appalachian League this year, and you can't really argue
with that based on his numbers. For me, he's a Grade B prospect at this point,
due to the defensive uncertainty and the high strikeout rate. But Grade B is
damn impressive for a fifth-round pick three months out of high school. He will
be one of the most intriguing players to watch in 2005, and at this point I am
optimistic about his chances, at least to hit for power, if not batting average,
at higher levels."
Tough job for BA's Jim Callis in ranking the top young guns in the Midwest
League. In the end it was Brian Dopirak CHN at the top rung over
Daric Barton STL. 3-4-5 were Eric Duncan NYA,
John Danks TEX and Brandon Wood ANA.
" ... People who saw Barton this year had
very little faith that he'll be able to catch in the major leagues. But he's
still young enough that it's possible he could improve, so I'd give him another
year behind the plate. It's not like catching is ruining his bat, so why not see
if he can pull it off? If he can't, he still should be able to hit enough to
play another position, though he doesn't really profile well anywhere as a
defender."
" ... Thomas Diamond ... Diamond
didn't have enough innings to qualify ... Those who saw him loved his arm, and
if he qualified I would have put him at No. 5 or 6."
" ... Brad Knox ... Knox got some
attention, but he didn't make the list because he lacks a single plus pitch. He
commands his fastball, curveball and changeup very well. But if you can throw
more than one pitch for a strike, you're going to carve up most low Class A
hitters. He was old for the league at 22, so while he's interesting, I want to
see him in Double-A before I believe in him."
" ... Danks stalled a little bit after a
promotion to high Class A, understandable because he's just 19. He's a good two
years away from the majors, but he can be a frontline starter and should be a
godsend for the Rangers. It's not a perfect comparison, but because his
curveball is so good, I think of Barry Zito. Danks isn't as big and has more arm
strength than Zito."
Will Kimmey, Baseball America, in the chat room on the Top 20 in the Northwest
League (Javier Herrera OAK, Ryan Harvey CHN 1-2) :
" ... Javier Herrera, Richie
Robnett OAK ... I think Herrera's OF profile, because of his speed and arm,
are like Ichiro. No way he's the same kind of player, but defensively he has the
arm strength to be a RF, but also the wheels to take CF. If he can play center,
I think you get some sort of Carlos Beltran type performance out of him there.
That's where you'd love to get the 25-30 homers and then figure out the corners.
Robnett could do CF with Herrera in RF, or move to LF if the A's find a masher
for RF ... Robnett ... more polished, focused and works harder. These aren't
knocks on Herrera--blame his parents for his later birthdate. But Herrera's
tools outstrip Robnett's, so he'll be second to arrive but better once he does."
" ... Clint Brannon TEX ... He
qualified, but was on the cusp. I compared him with AJ Shappi.
They're similar: location, polish. Brannon's a high 80s guy with a decent
breaking ball, but his success was more related to his being able to outsmart
some over agressive younger hitters. It's hard to see his stuff allowing him to
continue that type of domination even next year. But a fine and meritorious
season nonetheless."
" ... Matt Tuiasosopo ...
He's a special talent. He's built as a SS in the mold of an A-Rod or Cal Ripken,
and curse anyone who compares his future to those guys--because those are Hall
of Famers. But you are still talking about a big, athletic SS who can hit for
power and average. Even if he moves to 3B, you're still looking at a guy with
some all-star potential. Managers were impressed by his talents. I'll wager he
starts in low A and spends a year there. The Washington native won't mind
Wisconsin's cold as much as other might, so he could have a fine year. Still, it
was curious that if the Mariners like this guy enough to spend that kind of coin
on him in the 3rd round that they didn't feel they could move Chen or Navarro or
someone around so he could play the field."
Dallas McPherson, Steven Shell named as ANA's
Player/Pitcher of the Year. Casey Kotchman saluted as the
organization's best defensive player :
" ... McPherson ... split the 2004 season
between double-A Arkansas and triple-A Salt Lake and, overall, batted .317
(165/521) with 107 runs scored, 36 doubles, 14 triples, 40 home runs and 126
RBI. He was named the 2004 Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News.
Among all minor leaguers, he led in total bases (349) and slugging percentage
(.670), ranked second in home runs and extra-base hits (90), third in RBI and
triples ... named as the Topps Texas League Player of the Month for both May and
June and selected to the Texas League Post-Season All-Star team."
" ... Shell, 21, posted a 12-7 record with a 3.59
ERA ... in 28 starts for the single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes ...
6-5, 200-pound righthander, who allowed 151 hits and 40 walks, led the
California League and finished fourth in the nation among all minor leaguers
with 190 strikeouts ... selected to the California League's Post-Season
All-Star Team." (Salt Lake City Stingers)
Jim Callis, Baseball America, on Jason Botts TEX :
" ... Botts had the best season of his
five-year pro career in 2004, batting .293/.399/.507 with 24 homers and 92 RBIs
in 133 games. He finally started to show some of the power expected from a
6-foot-6, 250-pounder. He's not just a hulk, either, as he's a switch-hitter
with surprising speed and athleticism. While Botts is intriguing, he's 24 and
has some blemishes. As John Manuel reported in his TL Top 20 Prospects list
(which will make it online on Oct. 6 as we run a new Top 20 each weekday), he's
fairly mechanical in all phases of the game. He's stiff defensively at first
base, and he falls into bouts of over swinging or being too passive at the
plate. "I see him get tied up by good fastballs, and he tends to feel for
pitches," a National League scout told John. "I thought he had trouble
recognizing the breaking ball from the left side, and at times I questioned the
bat speed. But he's so big and strong, it's hard to walk away from a guy like
that." In any case, Botts' stock is definitely on the rise, while Gonzalez' is
leveling off. After hitting 17 homers in each of his first two full seasons, the
No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 draft has just totaled that number over the last
two. I suspect the Rangers will want to give Botts some time in Triple-A, so
don't look for him in the Texas lineup next year. But if he continues to hit for
power and Gonzalez continues to not do so, Botts could pass him in the Rangers'
plans."
Top hitters, full-season leagues, ranked by ON BASE PERCENTAGE :
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
AAA FLO Sutton, Larry
308 31 2 21 59 61 3 1 .373 .475 .692
1.167 1B
AA NYN Wright, David
223 27 0 10 39 41 20 6 .363 .467 .619
1.086 3B
A TEX Kinsler, Ian
224 30 1 11 25 36 16 5 .402 .465 .692
1.157 SS
AAA KC Pickering, Calvin 299 12 1
35 70 85 0 1 .314 .451 .712 1.163 1B
A+ OAK Colamarino, Brant 183 8
2 11 28 23 1 0 .355 .450 .601 1.051
1B
AA FLO Willingham, Josh 338 24
0 24 91 87 6 3 .281 .449 .565 1.014
C
A STL Barton, Daric
313 23 0 13 69 44 4 4 .313 .445 .511
.956 C
AAA LA Myrow, Brian
153 15 2 6 21 47 2 3 .359 .444
.601 1.045 1B
AA ARZ Quentin, Carlos 210 19
0 6 18 23 0 6 .357 .443 .533
.976 OF
AA CIN Kelly, Kenny
191 15 3 5 26 46 13 7 .356 .441 .545
.986 OF
A TOR Roberts, Ryan
226 9 0 13 55 50 0 0 .283 .440
.496 .936 2B
A+ NYN Harper, Brett
220 18 1 9 35 53 1 1 .350 .440
.564 1.004 1B
A+ ARZ Jackson, Conor
258 19 2 11 45 36 4 3 .345 .438 .562
1.000 OF
A+ CLE Aubrey, Michael 218 14
1 10 27 26 3 1 .339 .438 .550 .988
1B
AA NYA Wilson, Craig
268 12 0 3 56 35 3 3 .306 .435
.384 .819 2B
AAA COL Atkins, Garrett 445 43
3 15 57 45 0 0 .366 .434 .578 1.012
3B
A+ COL Baker, Jeffrey
271 23 1 11 47 73 1 0 .325 .434 .539
.973 3B
A PHI Bourn, Michael
413 20 14 5 85 88 57 6 .317 .433 .470
.903 OF
A NYA Walsh, Nick
196 7 0 0 37 22 7 5 .316
.433 .352 .785 OF
A+ OAK Perry, Jason
325 39 1 24 34 87 4 4 .338 .431 .686
1.117 OF
AAA MON Izturis, Maicer 376 19
2 3 57 30 14 12 .338 .428 .423 .851
SS
AAA MON Church, Ryan
347 29 8 17 51 62 0 1 .343 .428 .620
1.048 OF
A+ ARZ Quentin, Carlos 242 14
1 15 25 33 5 1 .310 .428 .562 .990
OF
AA CIN Darula, Bobby
153 8 0 6 16 16 8 2 .366
.427 .536 .963 OF
A+ CLE Garko, Ryan
238 17 1 16 26 34 4 1 .328 .425 .609
1.034 1B
AAA KC Jackson, Damian 169 13
1 8 30 36 12 2 .308 .425 .538 .963
SS
A+ SF Lewis, Fred
439 20 11 8 84 109 33 14 .301 .424 .451 .875
OF
A+ MON Machado, Alejandro 186 10 2
1 22 27 11 6 .355 .424 .446 .870 SS
AAA MON Pascucci, Val
392 32 1 25 78 95 9 2 .298 .423 .577
1.000 1B
AAA ANA Kotchman, Casey 199 22
0 5 14 25 0 0 .372 .423 .558
.981 1B
AAA SEA Jacobsen, Bucky 292 22
1 26 50 88 1 1 .312 .422 .661 1.083
1B
AAA FLO Colangelo, Mike 292 27
2 16 45 66 0 3 .325 .422 .596 1.018
OF
AAA TEX Ardoin, Danny
237 12 0 10 41 66 1 1 .308 .422 .485
.907 C
A OAK Snyder, Brian
366 18 3 13 67 82 3 2 .311 .421 .484
.905 3B
A+ CLE Osborn, Pat
305 16 6 10 37 52 6 6 .344 .421 .534
.955 3B
AAA SEA Strong, Jamal
238 11 2 3 38 28 19 6 .324 .421 .424
.845 OF
A+ DET Giarratano, Tony 202 11
0 5 16 38 14 8 .376 .421 .505 .926
SS
AA HOU Self, Todd
476 34 1 11 89 95 8 0 .315 .420 .460
.880 1B
A CIN Votto, Joey
391 26 2 14 79 110 9 2 .302 .419 .486
.905 1B
A OAK Spanos, Vasili
331 26 1 12 54 76 11 5 .311 .419 .505
.924 3B
A+ COL Salazar, Jeff
314 18 9 13 38 33 17 2 .347 .419 .586
1.005 OF
AA OAK Teahen, Mark
197 15 4 6 29 44 0 0 .335 .419
.543 .962 3B
A+ STL McCoy, Mike
176 12 1 2 31 32 7 4 .301 .418
.415 .833 2B
A TEX Furtado, Micah
300 17 3 4 46 69 17 12 .303 .417 .420
.837 2B
AAA MIN Bartlett, Jason 265 15
7 3 33 36 7 3 .332 .417 .475
.892 SS
A+ CIN Denorfia, Chris 269 18
4 11 48 66 10 6 .312 .416 .532 .948
OF
AAA ATL Thomas, Charles 215 18
4 4 16 40 7 5 .358 .416 .535
.951 OF
A+ TB Dukes, Elijah
211 16 2 8 26 50 16 7 .332 .416 .540
.956 OF
A SD Kottaras, George
271 18 1 7 51 41 0 0 .310 .415
.461 .876 C
AA SF Cervenak, Mike
410 36 1 21 52 53 6 1 .337 .414 .583
.997 3B
24 September 2004
OK ... still working on some re-organization stuff ... let me know if you find
any weird things ... pages not loading ... missing links etc. ... beginning to
gear up for the 2005 season and we'll be a bit sporadic over the next few weeks. Updates to most of the lists as we
look toward the 2005 draft(s) -- Top 10s,
Top 100s,
All-Stars, Top Prospects by League,
Top Prospects by Position,
40-man Rosters,
Crossovers ...
John Sickels,
ESPN.com, on Ian Kinsler TEX :
" ... he's one of the most intriguing middle
infield prospects in baseball, and could see The Show as early as 2005 ...
Kinsler destroyed the Midwest League the first two months of the season, hitting
over .400 with excellent power production. Promoted to the Double-A Texas League
in June, he continued to hit well, showing that his progress was genuine. He
finished the season with 51 doubles, 20 homers, 98 RBI, 23 steals, 57 walks, and
a combined .345 average ... Kinsler is a good athlete, not super-toolsy,
but strong for his size with speed a notch above average. His swing looked
short, quick and sharp ... already has above-average power for a player
his size, and I think he has enough bat speed to keep hitting home runs at
higher levels. Defensively, he shows slightly above-average range and good hands
... Given a normal growth curve, Kinsler could develop into a Michael Young-type
player. He resembles Young physically and their same-age skill profiles are
similar ... scouts will be watching him closely in 2005 to see if he
falls back or maintains this progress. I'm optimistic at this point, and he'll
get at least a Grade B+ in my 2005 book. We should see him in the Show sometime
next year, although his future place in the Rangers roster scheme remains to be
determined."
Allan Simpson, Baseball America, in the chat room on BA's Top 20 picks for the
Gulf Coast & Arizona Rookie Leagues ... in the ARZ Matt Tuiasosopo
SEA, Hernan Iribarren MIL, Mark Rogers MIL 1-2-3 ...
and in the GC, Luis Soto BOS, Gaby Hernandez NYN,
Greg Golson PHi the top three.
" ... Gabriel Hernandez ... Hernandez' stuff
isn't as electric as Kazmir's, but he had the best power arm in the GCL's
Eastern Division, with a fastball in the 92-95 mph range. He has command of
three pitches and is pretty polished for a high school kid, which I'm sure is
why the Mets gave him a shot at the New York-Penn League to finish the season.
He pitched really well in the GCL, with a league best 1.09 ERA, with his only
slip up coming in the playoffs, when he was knocked around pretty good by the
Red Sox. I'd say he projects as a No. 3 starter type, possibly a 2."
" ... Which Matt? ... Tuiasosopo made a much
stronger first impression, particularly with the bat. He's got a chance to be a
big hitter with 30-homer potential. Bush doesn't have that kind of offensive
potential, but is a much superior defender at this point with Gold Glove
potential ... It's way to early to write Bush off, but he's got a lot to
prove still. He clearly got off on the wrong foot and his season was further
hampered by a hamstring problem that impacted his speed and range. The biggest
things he needs to do are show he can swing the bat and prove he can be a solid
citizen. He's got a bit of a loop in his swing and tried to swing the bat too
hard."
" ... Phil Hughes ... the Yankees'
best first-round pick since Derek Jeter in 1992. He has power stuff and
overmatched Gulf Coast League hitters in limited action. His fastball is an easy
94-95 and seems like it gains speed because he throws it on such a downhill
plane. He throws three pitches for strikes, though didn't use his changeup in a
game. He was compared to Roger Clemens at the same age--same body type, ball
comes out of his hand the same way."
Mitch Einertson HOU the top dog as Baseball America rates the best of the
Appalachian League prospects. Will Kimmey provided some detail in a chat room
appearance, including the news that Einertson is getting a look at second base :
" ... He hasn't played second as a pro, that's why
the Astros are trying him there in instructs. They did list him as a 2B when
they drafted him ... Still, I think the power he showed might make it OK for him
to fit at an outfield corner. Some of that pop was surprising, and why they
originally wanted that switch to happen. Now it seems more of a bonus, to get
that kind of pop from second is quite rare, so if he can't play 2B adequately,
his power stroke still fits fine in the OF. The only troubling thing about
Einertson's debut was that he struck out more than 70 times."
" ... Reid Brignac ...
Managers compared his abilities at SS to [Trevor] Plouffe's after saying Ploufe
could play SS in the majors right now. Brignac is clearly not the second coming
of Cal Ripken, but he could look much like his physically as he fills out ...
common sense says the Rays leave Brignac at SS until he proves he can't play it,
or when he reaches the major league level and BJ Upton is playing there. He
looks to have the kind of power that will play at 3B and is a bonus for SS. So
simply moving him off short now, just because of Upton's presence would be silly
because there are no certainties that Upton won't get injured or that they won't
find a trade in which Brignac's value as a SS makes it hard for them not to do
the deal."
Aaron Fitt handled the New York-Penn rankings for Baseball America and saluted a
Mets' OF prospect as the leagues' No. 1 :
" ... There wasn't a manager in the league who
questioned the remarkable talent of Brooklyn outfielder Ambiorix Concepcion.
The best player in the league was Tri-City shortstop Ben Zobrist,
who led the NY-P in batting (.339) and on-base percentage (.438). But while he
might be a safer bet than Concepcion, Zobrist was old for the league at 23, and
his year must be viewed with that perspective."
Fitt had Zobrist at No. 5, behind three lefties --
Anibal Sanchez BOS, Jason Vargas FLO and Taylor
Tankersley FLO.
" ... Sanchez has a high ceiling - he dazzled this
year with his mid-90s fastball with excellent movement, and he has a good feel
for his secondary pitches. He needs time to polish them, however, and probably
won't reach the big leagues before teammates Hottovy, Andrew Dobies and maybe
R.J. Swindle do. When he gets there, though, he projects as a front-to-middle of
the rotation starter."
A pair of shortstops and a couple of third basemen topped the prospect poll in
the Pioneer League. Alan Matthews, Baseball America, selected COL SS
Chris Nelson as the best of the bunch, followed by LA 3B Blake
DeWitt, ANA SS Sean Rodriguez and KC 3B Billy Butler.
Scott Rex, On Deck, is busy updating his league by league prospect rankings.
In the Southern League, Scott goes with a Top 5 of Scott Kazmir TB,
Prince Fielder MIL, Andy Marte ATL, Chad
Billingsley LA and Rickie Weeks MIL. In the Texas League, it's
Felix Hernandez SEA, Jeff Mathis ANA, Ervin
Santana ANA, Carlos Quentin ARZ, and another ARZ kid,
Conor Jackson.
Jeremy Deloney, Baseball Miscellany,
in his team-by-team reviews, highlights a pair with breakthrough 2004 campaigns
:
" ... Omar Quintanilla, ss ... is only 5’9”
185 pounds but has shown some pop in his lefty swing. He’s not expected to be a
power hitter, but a high average guy capable of going gap to gap. In fact, he’s
an ideal #2 hitter in the lineup due to his quick, short stroke and
intelligence. He showed some improvements with the glove this season, but isn’t
expected to stay at shortstop. His size and average range profile best at second
base. Don’t expect Quintanilla to be a superstar, but he can certainly carry an
above-average bat at the top of the lineup."
" ... Wladimir Balentien, of ... Mariners
have made up for their poor drafting history by signing some of the world’s best
amateurs ... Balentien is just another example. He is as raw as raw can
get, but Balentien took a major forward step this season. The righthanded-hitting
Balentien led the Rookie-level Arizona League last season in HR (16) and
slugging percentage before making his first foray into full-season ball this
year. He has mammoth power to all fields and has among the best arms in the
organization. Balentien is, of course, very aggressive at the plate and will
need to tone down his swing. He tends to take an all-or-nothing approach at the
plate, but he has shown improvement in making better contact with the ball. He
simply needs to be a little more patient. Balentien also showed improvement with
hitting breaking balls. He still has a lot of work to do, but he has a
tremendous upside."
Jason Kubel MIN tops the OF list (Delmon Young the runnerup) as
Seth Trachtman, SportsBlurb, ranks the outfield prospects :
" ... Kubel was considered a solid prospect
coming into 2004, but his excellent plate discipline allowed him to take off
this season. The 22-year-old hit .352 this season between Double-A and Triple-A
with 22 homers, 100 RBI, 16 steals and an excellent 53/59 BB/K ratio. Many
prognosticators worried about him following his 2003 season when his homers went
from 17 to five, but now those worries are long gone. This should be an
excellent Magglio Ordonez type hitter in the majors, and he should have a job
Opening Day 2005."
" ... 6. Nick Swisher, OAK: Swisher finally
become the hitter that the Oakland A’s had thought he would be this past season
in Triple-A, and he looks like he will start in an outfield corner for the team
next season. The 2002 first round pick hit .269-29-92 with a 103/109 BB/K ratio
in Triple-A this season at the age of 23. His high walk rate and switch hitting
ability should allow him to be a solid middle of the order hitter. At this point
he looks like a poor man’s Adam Dunn.
Some names to note from the New York - Penn All-Star club (finally announced
last week) -- SP Ronnie Martinez HOU selected as the MVP (11-2, 1.96) ...
shortstop Ben Zobrist HOU (.339, 4 homers, .438 OBA) as the Rookie
of the Year ... and Mets OF Ambiorix Concepcion chosen as the best
prospect (or, in the words of the award "the player deemed likely to go the
farthest in professional baseball."). Concepcion finished at .305, .338,
..475, 28 SBs).
Baseball America has made it's choices for their
Minor League All-Stars.
At the beginning of the season, who would have thought Brian McCann ATL
and Ryan Garko CLE would top the catching ranks? The first
team includes Dallas McPherson, Ian Stewart,
Delmon Young and Jason Kubel.
Jim Callis, Baseball America, on Jhonny Peralta CLE :
" ... Peralta bounced back with his best year ever
in 2004, hitting .326/.384/.493 with 15 homers and 86 RBIs in 138 games at
Buffalo ... Had he qualified, I would have put Peralta sixth on
John's [BA's John Manuel] list, behind Joel Guzman (Dodgers), Hanley
Ramirez (Red Sox), J.J. Hardy (Brewers), Erick Aybar
(Angels) and Tony Giarratano (Tigers) and just ahead of Sergio
Santos (Diamondbacks) and Joaquin Arias (Rangers). If I
were convinced Peralta could be an everyday shortstop in the majors, I'd move
him up another notch. Peralta has the hands and arm and could do an adequate
job, but most teams want more than an adequate shortstop. His range and body
type (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) are better suited to second or third base, and his
bat should fit at either position."
Some interesting names in the list of Player of the Month picks for August
(announced by Minor League Baseball & Topps). Lots of familiar prospects
-- Jason Kubel MIN, Brad Eldred PIT, Brian
Dopirak CHN, Delmon Young TB -- and some relatively unknown
kids :
" ... Ben Zobrist (23) ... shortstop
was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 6th round this June ... quickly
made a name for himself with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn
League. Zobrist hit .370 in August to boost his season average to .339, good for
the NYP batting championship."
" ... Chris Carter (22) ... outfielder
was drafted in the 17th round out of Stanford by the Arizona Diamondbacks and
proceeded to take the Northwest League by storm while playing for the Yakima
Bears. Carter hit .351 with 9 homers and 33 RBIs in August. He won the league
RBI title with 63 and his .335 average was good for second place."
" ... Billy Butler (18) ...had an
amazing pro debut as the 1st round draft choice of the Kansas City Royals out of
high school. Playing for the Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer League, the
third baseman won the batting championship with a .373 average. He really felt
at home in Idaho Falls, batting an incredible .446 in home games. He also led
the league in runs scored and tied for the RBI crown."
" ... Hernan Iribarren (19) ...
All the youngster did in his first season in the U.S. was bat .439 in the
Arizona Rookie League for the AZL Brewers. He also won the TOPPS award in July.
The second baseman was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as a teenager and played
two summers in the Dominican Republic."
Just happened upon the
MinorLeagueNews
site and their Top 50 (from June). While a tad outdated now, still an
interesting take on their picks as the top kids in the minors. Jonathan
Roybal crowned BJ Upton as the top dog with Jason Kubel and Jeff Francis 2-3.
Among the criteria -- players not only had to rate well as prospective major
leaguers but had to be "producing on the field". The list is included on
the Top 100s page.
Ryan Howard PHI ... a chance perhaps in another role :
" ... Howard will receive outfield instruction in
the Arizona Fall League. Of course, even if Howard shows he can play in the
outfield, it appears his path to the big leagues with the Phillies remains
blocked. Jim Thome has him blocked at first base, and Pat Burrell and Bobby
Abreu have him blocked in the corner outfield positions. Those three are all
signed to long-term contracts. "I still think it's worth our while to go through
the exercise of seeing him out there," Phillies GM Ed Wade said. "You see
roadblocks and make determinations about the future, but if something happens
down the road that you hope doesn't happen, you don't want to say, 'Boy, I wish
we had at least given it a test to see if this would have worked out.' " Most
consider it a foregone conclusion that Howard will be traded, maybe as soon as
this off-season. But Wade disagreed. "This is his first time on the 40-man
roster. We do have time," he said. "It's a very hard business to form foregone
conclusions. We always try to plan for what the future holds, and we'll continue
to have an open mind about Ryan's future overall." (Philadelphia Inquirer)
PIT farm looking promising :
" ... Zach Duke and Brad Eldred, who
split their seasons between Class A and AA, were named yesterday as the
organization's pitcher and player of the year, respectively. Duke, a left-handed
starter, led all Pirates minor-leaguers in wins with 15 and ERA (1.46). He was
named pitcher of the year in the Carolina League while performing at Lynchburg,
where he did not allow more than two earned runs in any of his starts. Eldred,
meanwhile, was named the most valuable player of the Carolina League for hitting
21 homers, driving in 77 runs and hitting .310 before he was promoted to Altoona
in July. With Altoona, he was the Eastern League's player of the month for
August for hitting 14 homers and driving in 50 runs, three shy of the
major-league record of 53 RBIs set by Hack Wilson and tied by Joe DiMaggio. In
130 games, Eldred hit .30Duke and Eldred will be honored before the game tonight
against the Cubs." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
A pair of COL kids penciled in for starting jobs next season :
" ... Clint Barmes: At 25, doesn't wow
scouts, who are torn on whether he's a utilityman or a full-time shortstop. His
intelligence and makeup have impressed the Rockies. With improved footwork, he
has made plays this season he didn't execute last September. "The jury is still
out if he can play shortstop. I think he can," Hurdle said. "The big thing is
his bat. Will he hit enough up here? I think he will." Status for 2005: Will
enter spring training as the starting shortstop."
" ... J.D. Closser: He's squatty, aggressive
and not afraid to address his weaknesses. His ability to adjust mentally will
dictate whether he succeeds as a starter at the big-league level ...
"Calling the game, knowing the staff, knowing the league, those are the things
that separate good catchers from mediocre ones," bench coach Jamie Quirk said.
"The stress of major-league baseball is completely different. In Double-A and
Triple-A, nobody sees what you are doing. But you can't force-feed it. It comes
from being accepted by your teammates." Quirk is encouraged by Closser's feel
for the position and eagerness to work at getting better. Status for 2005: Will
enter spring training as the starting catcher." (Denver Post)
Patrick Ebert, Brewerfan.com, with a look at the Brewers' top pick, RHP Mark
Rogers :
" ... I'm sure there are a lot of people
disappointed with his performance. In Rogers' defense, who was recently named
the #3 prospect in the Arizona League by Baseball America, the Brewers were
having him work on improving his mechanics while working on his secondary
pitches, which likely took him away somewhat from his best and most comfortable
pitch, his fastball, which is clocked regularly in the mid-90s. That fastball
had managers and scouts in the Arizona League buzzing, and he also tosses a
hard-breaking curveball that projects as a plus-pitch. His strikeout total was
impressive, with 35 in 26.2 innings pitched. Rogers also receives high marks for
his character and overall makeup, and with his athleticism and stuff he could
profile as a front of the rotation starter down the road."
Top hitters, short-season leagues, ranked by SLUGGING PERCENTAGE.
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
R HOU Einertson, Mitch 227 15
0 24 32 70 4 4 .308 .413 .692 1.105
OF
R MIL Brady, Joshua
113 9 4 5 13 24 5 3 .363
.433 .646 1.079 1B
R MIL Iribarren, Hernan 189 6
9 4 19 23 15 7 .439 .490 .630 1.120
2B
R KC McFall, Brian
262 22 1 14 30 64 23 2 .359 .432 .611
1.043 OF
R ARZ Townsend, Marcus 126
5 1 11 22 48 4 1 .294 .414 .611
1.025 OF
R BAL Gutierrez, Juan
126 8 0 8 17 14 0 1 .349
.430 .603 1.033 1B
R COL Smith, Seth
233 21 3 9 25 47 9 1 .369 .427
.601 1.028 OF
R KC Butler, Billy
260 22 3 10 57 63 5 0 .373 .488 .596
1.084 3B
R CLE Hiser, PJ
145 5 4 10 8 47 6 3 .297
.333 .593 .926 OF
R KC Brown, Russell
137 13 0 8 26 36 0 2 .321 .424
.591 1.015 1B
R CLE Hiser, Charles
177 9 4 10 14 53 7 5 .322 .374
.588 .962 OF
R NYN Lawrence, Horace 105
6 1 5 12 17 6 3 .362 .429 .581
1.010 OF
R LA Westervelt, Christo 176 12 0
10 27 46 0 0 .341 .440 .580 1.020 C
SS ARZ Carter, William 256 15
1 15 46 34 2 3 .336 .438 .578 1.016
OF
R ATL Jurich, Mark
203 10 1 16 28 33 0 1 .281 .363 .576
.939 OF
R LA Marcos, Emilio
107 7 3 3 1 19 10 2 .364
.398 .570 .968 OF
R ANA Rodriguez, Sean
225 14 4 10 51 62 9 3 .338 .486 .569
1.055 SS
SS COL Macri, Matthew
195 17 4 7 23 52 4 5 .333 .410
.569 .979 3B
R MIL Richardson, Grant 166 16
1 5 32 20 2 4 .367 .478 .566 1.044
1B
R STL Granadillo, Tony 168 10
1 10 22 37 3 1 .315 .413 .565 .978
3B
R MIN Burns, Deacon
255 20 4 12 18 53 9 2 .314 .368 .565
.933 OF
R CHA Collaro, Tom
268 7 6 18 13 82 4 3 .287 .331
.560 .891 OF
R CHA Cook, David
113 3 1 8 20 26 2 2 .301
.410 .558 .968 OF
R ANA Toussaint, Andrew 194 12
2 12 34 68 6 4 .289 .409 .557 .966
3B
R LA Denker, Travis
225 17 1 12 24 52 2 3 .311 .372 .556
.928 2B
|
