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18-19 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... no games ... championship game set for Saturday.
Venezuela ... Vladimir Balentien SEA 2-3 & 0-3 ... top hitters
(through games of Thursday) ... interesting to note the progress of Carlos
Gonzalez in BB/K ratio ... also, the regression of Josh Fields.
VB H2 H3 HR BB SO AVE OBP SLG
Balentien Wladimir SEA 67 5 3 6 9 20 .358 .434 .791
Quiroz Guillermo FA 23 1 0 1 4 3 .304 .407 .478
Gonzalez Carlos ARZ 86 6 0 2 13 6 .326 .410 .465
Navarro Dioner TB 81 7 0 1 10 11 .284 .359 .407
Tabata Jose NYA 52 1 1 1 10 11 .288 .422 .404
Sweeney Ryan CHA 50 2 1 1 10 8 .260 .383 .400
Montero Miguel ARZ 80 5 0 1 6 5 .300 .356 .400
Gold Nate TEX 47 5 0 0 7 11 .277 .382 .383
Callaspo Alberto ARZ 86 2 0 3 11 11 .244 .333 .372
Izturis Maicer LAA 47 2 0 0 5 6 .277 .370 .319
Gutierrez Franklin CLE 36 1 0 0 3 5 .250 .341 .278
Cabrera Asdrubal CLE 48 1 0 0 2 10 .250 .280 .271
Fields Josh CHA 42 2 0 0 1 15 .214 .244 .262
Iribarren Hernan MIL 26 1 0 0 2 4 .192 .241 .231
Project Prospect
checks out the best of the crop at third base and Alex Gordon gets one
more vote as the top dog (Brandon Wood as the runnerup). Not
too shabby at #s 3 & 4 :
" ... Evan Longoria ... played a big part in making the 2006 class look surprisingly solid. The
6-foot-2, 180-pounder put up a substantially higher slugging percentage in the
minors than he did at Long Beach (.597 vs. .421), with similar batting averages
and on-base percentages ... advanced all the way
from Low-A Hudson Valley to Double-A Montgomery in less than three months. He
slowed down a bit in Double-A (.267/.266/.486), but he picked up the pace again
in the Southern League playoffs (1.111 OPS in 25 at-bats). Look for Longoria to
start off in Double-A. With a solid first half, he could begin to push B.J.
Upton into the outfield or give the Devil Rays motivation to trade Jorge Cantu."
" ... Ryan Braun ... has
exceeded expectations, as he batted .289/.357/.514 last season between High-A
Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville with 22 home runs and 26 stolen bases
(caught stealing four times, 100% success rate in Double-A). Some critics
believe that Braun does not have the all-around defensive package that major
league teams want out of a third baseman. Others say that with his arm and
athleticism, he’ll learn to become a stable defender. If Braun picks up where he
left off in Double-A last season, he could be a major leaguer by next season.
He’ll instantly become an above-average major league hitter."
The Yankees' system is highlighted at
MinorLeagueBaseball and it's pitching which dominates the chart :
" ... Philip Hughes ... one of the most dominating pitchers in all of Minor League Baseball. He went
12-6 with a 2.16 ERA, making 21 of his 26 starts at Double-A Trenton. He was
10-3 for the Thunder with an Eastern League-leading 2.25 ERA, striking out 138
in 116 innings. He tied for fifth in the Minors by limiting hitters to a .174
combined average at Trenton and Tampa .... probably start next season in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre,
but don't be surprised if he makes a bid to join the New York rotation."
" ... Joba Chamberlain ... slowed by several injuries this spring
but began working his way back by the end of the college season. The Yanks like
his mid-to-high 90s fastball and the plus slider he possesses. He was in Hawaii
this fall and figures to get a great deal of attention in Spring Training."
" ... Ian Kennedy ... The former USC star
signed late -- though he got a $2.2 million bonus for waiting -- and appeared in
only one regular-season game for Staten Island, during which he pitched 2 2/3
scoreless innings. He played Hawaii Winter Baseball and was not overwhelming by
any stretch, but he's a big strikeout pitcher who doesn't walk many. Because
he's coming out of college, don't be surprised if he quickly works his way
through the system next year."
Joba Chamberlain copped the No. 1 prospect slot in the Hawaii
Winter League in Baseball
America's Top 15. John Mayberry Jr. was the runnerup, Dexter
Fowler at No. 3.
Even without Weaver, Kotchman, Napoli, Kendrick et al, the Angels still
boast of a strong group down on the farm. Good to see the folks at
Angelswin.com back with
their LAA Top 20. Thanks to David Regan, Chuck Richter and Eddie Bane!
No surprise at the top - Brandon Wood :
" ... Wood’s power is legit. His wiry frame,
strong wrists, and Sheffield-like bat speed generates tremendous torque in his
swing. He’s a legitimate threat to lead majors league shortstops in home runs
for a decade once he makes it up. Power is not all Wood has however. He’s able
to draw his share of walks and while he won’t win any batting titles with his
swing, I think he can be a .280 hitter in the big leagues. The jump in his
strikeout rate (K/AB) from last year (24% to 33%) is a bit alarming, but give
the kid a break. He was one of the youngest hitters in Double-A. He’ll also
steal a few bases and more than one scout thinks he can work hard enough to make
himself a legitimate defender at SS. Most likely will move to 3B for the Angels
... but Wood’s bat will play anywhere, including left field if necessary. A
perennial All-Star in the making and will debut in the majors sometime in 2007.
An impressive spring training could hasten his arrival."
Sean Rodriguez # 4 " ... like fellow SS Brandon
Wood in 2005, used the CAL league as his coming out party and now ranks as a
very good prospect. According to one scout, he shortened his long swing up a
bit, allowing for an increase in his AVG of 51 points while still knocking 29
balls out of the yard. I am concerned about the regression in his plate
discipline (BB/AB rate dropped from 17% in 2005 to 11% in 2006). One theory is
that he got a bit power-hungry (happens in the CAL league) and swung at too many
bad pitches. Decreasing his strikeouts and continuing his progression will be
the focus in Triple-A for “S-Rod” this year ... Some scouts believe he could be
a very good utility guy in the big leagues, but I see him as a future regular no
matter where he plays defensively."
Hank Conger #5 " ... The Korean
Conger is a local kid (Huntington Beach) whose real name is Hyun (Dad gave him
the nickname after the HR champ, Hank Aaron). He certainly acquitted himself
well in his 2006 debut, showing solid skills from both sides of the plate. Hit
just one homer in 19 games before breaking the hamate bone in his wrist, but his
power really isn’t in doubt. In addition to his solid raw power, Conger shows a
good approach at the plate and should be a consistent .350+ OBP type guy. What
really set him apart for the Angels was his overall makeup and willingness to
work on his deficiencies, particularly the defensive ones. With a natural strong
arm and the willingness to improve, he should be able to stick behind the plate.
He should be ready for full-season ball at age 19 in 2007."
17 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League - Neil Walker PIT 1-3, triple, .290 ...
Chip Cannon TOR 0-4, ends at .352 ... Gio Gonzalez
PHI 3.2 2 0 0 3 4, 2.81 ... Jacoby Ellsbury BOS 2-3, double, .276
...
here for the final hitting stats . Baseball America has made its picks
as the Top 20 in the AFL - topped by Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan
Braun, Fernando Martinez 1-2-3.
" ... Yunel Escobar held on to
win the Arizona Fall League batting title as the Javelinas edged visiting
Scottsdale, 1-0, in Thursday's season finale. The Braves prospect entered with a
.412 average, 14 points ahead of the Scorpions' Kevin Frandsen. Escobar
grounded out and drew a walk in the seven-inning contest, ending the season at
.407." (MLB.com)
Hawaii Winter League - William Venable SD 2-4, homer, .325 ... John
Mayberry Jr. TEX 1-3, homer, walk, .351
Dominican - Joel Guzman TB 2-4, double, .286 ... Felix
Pie CHN 1-4, .237
Venezuela - Alberto Callaspo ARZ 2-5, homer, 3 RBI, .244 ...
Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 1-3, homer, walk, .326
Troop movements ... CHA - acquired RHP David Aardsma and LHP Carlos
Vasquez from the Cubs for LHP Neal Cotts ...
A not so impressive White Sox farm the latest prospect report at
MinorLeagueBaseball :
" ... Lance Broadway ...
appeared in 25 games with Birmingham of the Southern League, going 8-8 with a
2.74 ERA. He fanned 111 and walked only 40 in 154 1/3 innings. He finished up
strong with the Barons, going 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA in his final nine starts
before joining Charlotte, where he allowed two earned runs over six innings to
receive a no-decision in his lone International League start."
" ... Josh Fields ... continued
to blossom at Charlotte, hitting .305 with 19 homers and 70 RBIs. He finished
fourth in the league in hits (141), third in slugging percentage (.515), fifth
in extra-base hits (55) and first in runs scored (85). Then he saw action in 11
games with Chicago. While Joe Crede is blocking his path at third, the Sox will
find a place for Fields in their lineup."
" ... Ryan Sweeney ... helped
Charlotte secure an International League division title and was promoted to the
White Sox in time for their stretch run at the postseason. While he didn't
contribute much in Chicago, Sweeney did get a good taste of life in the bigs,
appearing in 18 games and driving in five runs. He hit .296 in Charlotte with 13
homers, 70 RBIs and a solid .350 on-base percentage."
John Sickels looks at the MIN
farm, lots of arms, not much for position players :
1. Matt Garza, RHP 6. Pat Neshek, RHP
2. Kevin Slowey, RHP 7. Alexander Smit, LHP
3. Chris Parmalee, OF 8. Eduardo Morlan, RHP
4. Anthony Swarzak, RHP 9. Alexi Casilla, 2B
5. Glen Perkins, LHP 10. Paul Kelly, SS
16 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League -
catcher Jason Jaramillo PHI 1-3, homer, .379 ... Josh Koshansky
COL 3-5, double, 3 RBI, .227 ... Troy Tulowitzki COL 2-3, double,
homer, walk, .329 ... Chris Lubanski KC, a disappointing AFL, 1-4,
.167 ... Yunel Escobar ATL, keeps confounding the experts, 2-4,
walk, .412 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff SD 2-5, double, .385 ...
Hawaii Winter League - Cole Garner OF COL 3-4, 2 homers, 6
RBI, .159 ... Ian Kennedy NYA 4.0 5 2 2 2 6, 4.56
Dominican - Nelson Cruz TEX 1-4, homer, .303 ... Ubaldo
Jimenez COL 5 5 3 3 2 4, 4.00 ... Matt Kemp LAD 2-3,
triple, walk, .261 ... Joel Guzman TB 2-5, .277 ... Daric
Barton OAK 3-5, .462
Venezuela - Wladimir Balentien SEA OF 2-4, .381 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE, in CF, 1-2, walk, .250
At
Baseball America, the loaded Tampa Bay farm is highlighted with a superb
trio off the top and more right down the list :
1. Delmon Young, OF 6.
Elijah Dukes OF
2. Evan Longoria, 3B 7. Wade Davis, RHP
3. Reid Brignac, SS 8. Matt Walker, RHP
4. Jeff Niemann, RHP 9. Jeremy Hellickson, RHP
5. Jacob McGee, LHP 10. Joel Guzman, OF-1B-3B
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall,
has, at least for me, a little surprise atop the Braves' prospect chart:
1. Eric Campbell, 3B
6. Joey Devine, RHP
2. Elvis Andrus, SS
7. Yunel Escobar, SS
3. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C 8. Jamie Richmond, RHP
4. Matt Harrison, LHP 9. Scott
Thorman, OF-1B
5. Brandon Jones, OF 10. Chase
Fontaine, SS
" ... Saltalamacchia ... Grade B (I am more worried about reports of
excess weight gain and defensive problems in the Arizona Fall League more than
his erratic regular season)."
MinorLeagueBaseball
takes on the PHI farm, and some young arm are highlighted :
" ... Kyle Drabek ... No one ever questioned
Drabek's stuff heading into the draft; most considered it the best among the
high school pitchers. There were concerns, however, about his makeup, allowing
him to slip to No. 18, where the Phillies decided his stuff was too good to pass
up. He got in 23 1/3 GCL innings and got roughed up a bit (7.71 ERA), but he'll
get a chance to show what his plus fastball and plus, plus curve can do on a
bigger scale in 2007."
" ... Zack Segovia ... 2002 draftee had
"Tommy John" surgery and missed all of the 2004 season. His stuff came back in
2006, and he tied for the organizational lead with 16 wins. He also pitched a
robust 156 1/3 innings, yielding only 129 hits and 36 walks en route to a 2.82
ERA. He even got in some work in the Arizona Fall League and seems primed to
join the other young arms flocking to Philly these days."
" ... Matt Maloney ... The only thing that didn't
make sense about Maloney's season is that he spent the entire year in the South
Atlantic League. He won the league's Pitcher of the Year award by going 16-9
with a 2.03 ERA and 180 strikeouts (vs. 73 walks) in 168 2/3 innings. He
followed that up by winning two games in Lakewood's march to the championship.
His 16 postseason innings included a complete-game shutout, just 11 hits and two
walks allowed to go with 23 strikeouts."
15 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League - Mitch Maier KC
3-6, double, .365 ... Neil Walker PIT 3-5, double, .288 ...
Troy Tulowitzki COL 2-3, 2 walks, .316 ... Jordan Tata
DET 5.0 8 2 2 1 0, 2.62 ... Ryan Braun MIL 2-4, double, .329 ...
Chip Cannon TOR 3-4, double, walk, 3 RBI, .366 ... Yunel
Escobar ATL 1-3, triple, walk, .407 ... Giants' Kevin Frandsen
the POW :
"... the 24-year-old California native hit .571
and is now batting a league-leading .431 on the season. The highlight of
Frandsen's week came on Monday against the Sox, when he went 5-for-5 with a home
run and four RBIs. Scottsdale lost the game, however, as Mesa exploded for six
runs in the seventh inning and won, 10-6. He also went yard on Tuesday and
closed out the week on Saturday by driving in two runs in the Mesa's 4-3 win
over Grand Canyon. Frandsen ranks first in the league in on-base percentage
(.518), and his .653 slugging percentage is second only to Phoenix's Chip
Cannon."
Venezuela - Miguel Montero ARZ 1-1, double, .300
... Mexico - Andy Sisco KC, rough time trying to return to
starting role, 2.0 9 7 6 0 2, 5.27 ... Ryan Spilborghs COL 3-4, double, .591 ...
Adam Foster, Project Prospect,
on one of stars of the Hawaii Winter League :
" ... Joba Chamberlain ... put together
one of the most dominant pitching performances of the week. The 6-foot-3,
225-pound righty gave up just three hits and no walks in 5.0 shutout innings.
Chamberlain also struck out seven. He lowered his ERA to 2.14, WHIP to 0.77, and
batting average against to .190. Chamberlain ranks second in the league with 42
strikeouts and 5th in ERA. He has given up three home runs in 33.2 innings."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, has
kicked off his team by team Top 20s with a check on the Royals' farm. No
surprise at the top :
1. Alex Gordon, Grade A
2. Billy Butler, Grand A-
3. Luke Hochevar, Grade A-
4. Chris Lubanski, Grade B
5. Jeff Bianchi, Grade B
MinorLeagueBaseball has two more prospect reports posted - the Giants' and
Red Sox systems :
SF " ... Tim Lincecum ... 10th pick in the draft
appeared in eight games (two for Salem-Keizer of the Northwest League and six
for San Jose of the Cal League), all of which were starts. He went 2-0 with a
1.71 ERA, striking out 58 in 31 2/3 innings. Opponents hit .127 against him and
his 98 mph fastball. He may start the 2007 season in San Jose, but if he does,
he won't be there long."
SF " ... Emmanuel Burriss ... had a
big debut in the Northwest League, hitting .307 with a homer and 27 RBIs. He
finished fourth in the league with 78 hits and batted .403 with runners in
scoring position. More importantly, he led the league with 35 steals, showing
his tremendous speed. His 15 errors were fourth-most among Northwest League
shortstops."
BOS " ... Michael Bowden ... among a
handful of very poised and promising young pitchers scooped up by the Sox in the
early rounds of the 2005 draft and ... showed why in '06. After just six
innings in the Gulf Coast League in his pro debut, he eased into the Greenville
rotation in 2006 and was among organization and league leaders in ERA, going 9-6
with a 3.51 mark in 24 starts. On a strict pitch limit, he scattered 91 hits
over 107 2/3 innings and struck out 118, limiting Sally League foes to a .224
average. He moved up to Wilmington for his last start of the regular season and
to help anchor the Blue Rocks' staff in the playoffs."
BOS " ... Jacoby Ellsbury ... .a center
fielder out of Oregon, hit .317 in his pro debut and continued to impress in his
first full season, batting .299 with 25 steals at Wilmington and then .308 with
16 steals at Double-A Portland. An ankle injury interrupted his season and also
cost him a few swipes. He is a strong defensive outfielder and just needs a bit
more refining."
Royals well represented on the
Topps Double-A All-Star team - Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Tyler Lumsden
among the picks.
" ... Joey Votto ... literally did it all at the
plate for the Chattanooga Lookouts this season. Votto led the Southern League in
batting average, runs, hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, total
bases, doubles, walks and extra base hits. The Cincinnati Reds selected Votto in
the second round in 2002."
" ... Adam Lind ... a model of consistency since
the Toronto Blue Jays picked him in the third round in 2004. Lind hit .312 and
.313 his first two seasons and 2006 proved to be no different with the New
Hampshire Fisher Cats. In 91 games before being promoted to Triple-A, Lind hit
.310 with 19 round-trippers and 71 RBIs."
" ... Miguel Montero ...ended last season
on the disabled list after appearing in just 30 games for the Tennessee Smokies
after being promoted. Montero went back to the Smokies to begin this year, but
he didn't end it there. After 81 games, the catcher was promoted to Triple-A.
While with Tennessee, Montero led Southern League catchers with a .997 fielding
percentage. The Arizona Diamondbacks signed him as a free agent in 2001."
The full squad - Montero, Votto, Dan Richer ARZ,
Gordon, Brandon Wood LAA, Hunter Pence HOU, Nate
Gold TEX and Adam Miller CLE.
14 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League -
catcher Curtis Thigpen TOR 2-4, double, .284 ... Mitch Maier
KC CF & leadoff, 2-4, .356 ... shortstop Yunel Escobar ATL 3-4,
2nd homer, .410 ... Ryan Braun 3B MIL 2-4, double, triple, .321
Hawaii Winter League - OF William Venable SD 2-4, double,.319 ...
shortstop Ian Desmond WAS 2-3, double, .266
Dominican - Daric Barton OAK, finally back in action, 3-4 ... Erick
Aybar LAA 1-4, triple, .347 ... Joel Guzman TB 2-4, double,
.270 ... Matt Kemp LAD 1-2, 2 walks, .233 .
Baseball America checks in with the TOR Top 10 :
1. Adam Lind, of 6. Francisco Rosario, rhp
2. Travis Snider, of 7. Brandon Magee, rhp
3. Ricky Romero, lhp 8. Jesse Litsch, rhp
4. Ryan Patterson, of 9. David Purcey, lhp
5. Curtis Thigpen, c 10. Balbino Fuenmayor, 3b
Jim Callis,
Baseball America on Daisuke Matsuzaka :
" ... He's only 26 and he's preferable to any free
agent on the U.S. market, a market in which demand will far outstrip the supply
this offseason. Not many 26-year-old potential aces with a proven track record
become available. It seems silly in some regards to consider Matsuzaka anything
except an established (Japanese) major leaguer, but just as he'll be a rookie in
MLB's eyes, he's a prospect in Baseball America's book until he exceeds 50
(U.S.) big league innings. He unquestionably would push Jacoby Ellsbury aside
for the No. 1 spot on our Red Sox list, and he'd get my vote for No. 1 on the
Top 100."
Kevin Goldstein, Baseball
Prospectus, a one-man band of prospect coverage, continues to impress with
the width and depth of his analysis. Not long ago, Baseball America reigned as
undisputed king of prospecting, but Goldstein, a former BA staffer, has, at
least, brought BP into consideration of who's No. 1. A bit of his stuff is
available without subscription including his Top 10s and a few individual reports
:
" ... Daric Barton ... past year was a
bit of a lost season for Oakland's top prospect. Starting off in Triple-A as a
20-year-old, Barton hit .329 in April, but then fell into a 13-for-73 (.183)
homerless slump in May that he was unable to get out of--breaking his elbow in a
freakish fielding play cost him the remainder of the year. Needing more at-bats,
Barton proved himself to be healthy in the instructional league, and joined the
Azucareros over the weekend, going 0-for-4 on Saturday before getting three hits
in Sunday. If anybody can afford a lost season, it's Barton, who will still be
well ahead of the curve when he returns to the Pacific Coast League to begin
2007. If his power remains marginal, he's John Olerud. If it does come around,
as Oakland officials believe it will, look out."
ATLANTA ARIZONA
Saltalamacchia Jarrod C Young Chris CF
Harrison Matt LHP Upton Justin CF
Feliz Neftali RHP Gonzalez Carlos RF
Campbell Eric 3B/2B Montero Miguel C
Andrus Elvis SS Callaspo Alberto 2B/SS
Jones Brandon OF Nippert Dustin RHP
Devine Joey RHP Reynolds Mark 1B/2B/LF
Locke Jeff LHP Anderson Brett LHP
Fontaine Chase SS Owings Micah RHP
Lerew Anthony RHP Bonifacio Emilio 2B
13 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League - no games scheduled.
Hawaii Winter League - OF William Venable SD 3-5, .309 ...
shortstop Ian Desmond WAS 1-4, homer, .246
Dominican - Erick Aybar LAA 1-4, triple, .333 ... Dennis
Tankersley 5.0 1 0 0 3 6, 2.11 ... Ryan Garko CLE 1-4, homer,
.263 ... Matt Kemp LAD 1-2, walk, .220
Venezuela - Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-5, double, .325 ... Wladimir
Balentien SEA 1-4, 6th homer, .373
Mexico - Ryan Spilborghs COL 2-3, 2 doubles & 1-3 ... Spike
Lundberg LAD 7.0 6 2 2 2 5, 4.39 ... Brian Bannister NYN
5.1 8 6 6 2 4, 4.25
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, on
Yunel Escobar ATL
" ... Cuban defector ... Escobar had an adequate
season statistically in '06, showing good strike zone judgment but rather
disappointing power production ... in the Southern League. His OPS came
out a hair better than league at +3 percent. He drew some walks and didn't
strike out very much, but the .346 was not impressive. On the other hand,
he showed good defensive skills, particularly a strong arm. And he
dominated the Arizona Fall League, impressing both scouts and statheads with his
tools and performance. Watching him play, I don't think he's going to hit
for a lot of home run power. He is physically strong, but his swing is
more of a line drive stroke ... I think we'll see his batting average and OBP
pick up ... I see him more now as a solid prospect, a guy who could be a good
regular, but not as a future superstar. Grade B."
12 November, 2006
Ooops ... have re-filed the Top 100s & Top 10s due to a formatting error which
dropped a list on each file ...
Arizona Fall League - Gavin Floyd PHI 4.0 5 2 2 2 3, 5.59 ... Matt
Albers HOU 1.0 2 3 3 3 1, 3.94 ... 2B J.C. Holt ATL 3-5, walk,
.421 ... SS Michael Garciaparra SEA 3-5, .342 ... catcher
Jacob Fox CHN 2-5, double, homer, 3 RBI, .254
Venezuela - Miguel Montero ARZ 1-2, walk & 1-3, .293 ... Carlos
Gonzalez ARZ 1-3, walk, .321
At CBS Sportsline,
Eric Mack has zipped through his picks as the top hitter and top pitcher on
each club. A few of the selections :
" ... 3B Ryan Braun ... The
well-built, 6-foot, 200-pound University of Miami product went a combined
.289-22-77-76-26 (.514 SLUG and .357 OBP) in high Class A and Double-A, his
first full professional season. If Gordon is the next David Wright, then Braun
has to be considered one, too. Looking on a stat sheet with the name covered up,
it's hard to tell them apart. Gordon, Wright, Braun and Zimmerman (perhaps in
that order) will eventually be the future elite ranking of the hot corner
position in Fantasy (once A-Rod moves or retires, we suppose)."
" ... OF Andrew McCutchen ...
was a teenager in Double-A this season and you might know how prospect trackers
love that kind of age-level ratio. The best part about McCutchen's numbers is
they actually improved when he moved up a step. Combined in high Class A and
Double-A he went .294-17-74-89-23 (.450 SLUG and .359 OBP). He has bit of a
Lastings Milledge-look to him, physically and statistically, meaning he could
arrive quickly but take time to really hit his stride."
" ... LH Donald Veal ... the
best of the Cubs' next wave, going 11-5 with a 2.16 ERA, 174 Ks and a .174
batting-average against combined in Class A ... could open the season in
Double-A and perhaps be a mid-to-late year option."
11 November, 2006
Catchup time ... J.P. Schwartz at
TopProspectAlert has zipped
through all the Top 10s ... while Michael Laureano,
Diamond Futures has
just about completed the American League Top 10s ... and Baseball America has
kicked off its annual lists with the BAL, BOS and NYA charts. check 'em out.
Lots of variation among the lists, as the Baltimore Top 10s below display.
Baseball Diamond Top Prospect
America Futures Alert
1 Rowell Bill 3B Erbe Brandon SP Reimold Nolan OF
2 Erbe Brandon RHP Reimold Nolan OF Erbe Brandon P
3 Reimold Nolan OF Terrero Luis OF Rowell Billy SS
4 Beato Pedro RHP Bergesen Bradley SP Liz Radhames P
5 Liz Radhames RHP Fiorentino Jeff OF Olson Garrett P
6 Olson Garrett LHP Olson Garrett SP Beato Pedro P
7 Snyder Brandon C Yount Dustin 1B Pope Kieron OF
8 Hoey James RHP Tucker Jonathan OF Fiorentino Jeff OF
9 Fiorentino Jeff OF Bass Bryan 3B Bordes Brett P
10 Pope Kieron OF Fleisher Mark 1B Snyder Brandon C
And, the updated 2007 lists are now up :
Top 10s
Top 100s
Position
League/Level
2007 Crossovers
Spring Training Invites
Arizona Fall League ... Kyle Yates
TOR 5.0 4 0 0 1 4, 1.12 ... Kevin Slowey MIN 3.0 4 1 1 0 3, 2.37 ...
Jonathan Meloan LAD 0.2 0 0 0 0 1, 1.93 ... Chip Cannon
TOR 2-4, SB, .367 ... Josh Koshansky COL 3-4, 5th homer, 3 RBI,
.222 ... Mitch Maier KC 3-5, 8th SB, .370 ... JA Happ
PHI 4.0 7 3 3 0 2, 5.02 ... Kevin Frandsen SF 3-5, .426
Venezuela - Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 1-4, double, walk, .320 ...
Wladimir Balentien SEA 2-4, 4th & 5th homers, 3 RBI, .412 ...
Edwin Jackson TB 4 7 4 2 1 3, 1.93
Dominican - Matt Kemp LAD 1-3, homer, 3 RBI,
.205 ... James Loney LAD 1-3, double, walk, .242 ... Willy
Aybar ATL 1-3, .313 ... Felix Pie 1-3, .250 ... Ryan
Garko CLE 3-4, homer, .264
Hawaii - Mike Carp NYN 2-4, double,
.296 ... Joba Chamberlain NYA 5.0 3 0 0 0 7, 2.14
Troop movements ... DET - acquires Gary Sheffield from NYA
for pitchers Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and
Anthony Claggett ...
The Colorado Kid tops the shortstop ranking at
Project Prospect :
" ... 1. Troy Tulowitzki ... so
impressive in his first full professional season that Colorado made him its
everyday shortstop for the final month of the season. Tulowitzki, 22, only hit
.240 with a .610 OPS in 96 big league at-bats, but his .291/.370/.473 line from
Double-A Tulsa (423 at-bats) shows that he will likely become an above-average
offensive shortstop ... The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has established himself
as a slick fielder, so you can count on him sticking at shortstop and emerging
as one of the better hitting players at the position in the National League."
" ... 2. Reid Brignac ...
Very few minor leaguers stacked up with Brignac, 20, in 2006 ...
tore apart High-A Visalia by launching 21 home runs and putting up a
.326/.382/.557 line in 411 at-bats. Convinced that he was ready for the next
level, the Devil Rays promoted Brignac to Double-A Montgomery on August 3rd. He
initially struggled upon being promoted but finished strong, as he hit three
more home runs and produced a .300/.355/.479 line. Brignac (6-foot-3,
170-pounds) could be ready to join the Devil Rays as early as next September. If
he enters 2008 as a rookie, he’ll likely be atop this list."
The loaded Angels system is a topic at
MinorLeagueBaseball :
" ... Hank Conger ... A broken hamate bone cut
Conger's debut summer short. In his brief time in the rookie-level Arizona
League, though, he showed why he was moving up draft charts rapidly this past
spring. The switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate and plenty of
defensive skills behind it hit .319 and slugged .522 in 69 ABs."
" ... Erick Aybar ... Things are looking
a little bit complicated right now for Aybar. He hit .283 and stole 32 bases (in
50 attempts, a percentage the Angels would like him to improve) for Salt Lake in
339 at-bats. He also got in 40 big-league at-bats, hitting .250. Beyond his
hitting, though, he's the best defensive shortstop in the Angels' system. But
here's the issue: Orlando Cabrera is signed through the 2008 season. Brandon
Wood is behind Aybar, but Wood would likely be the one to move positions. How
the Angels deal with the logjam at short should be an interesting development
heading into the next couple of years."
" ... Brandon Wood ... It would've
been nearly impossible for Wood to improve upon his 2005 season during which he
hit 43 homers and 14 more in the Arizona Fall League. He set the bar so high
that 2006 may not look like it measures up in comparison. But then you consider
that as a 21-year-old in Double-A he had 25 homers (fourth in the League) and 42
doubles (his 71 extra-base hits were second in the Minors). Yes, the strikeouts
went up, but so did the walk rate and he even added some speed -- 19 steals --
to his menu of skills. Even if he spends all of 2007 in Salt Lake, he'll still
be ready for an everyday role in the bigs at age 23."
10 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Gio Gonzalez PHI 4.0 3 2 2 3 6,
3.65 ... Kory Casto WAS 2-5, .394 ... Mark
Reynolds ARZ 3-5, double, .357 ... Jerry Owens OF CHA 4-4,
2 doubles, walk, SB, .293 ... a sign of life by Josh Koshansky COL
3-5, 4 RBI, .195 ...
Hawaii Winter League - catcher John Otness BOS 3-4, .328 ... 1B
Mike Carp NYN 1-4, double, .284
Venezuela - Miguel Montero ARZ 2-4, homer, walk, .286 ...
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 3-4, .286 ... Carlos Gonzalez
ARZ 1-4, walk, .324
Cincy with some good ones nearly ready to make the jump to MLB. Check
out the full report at
MinorLeagueBaseball :
" ... Jay Bruce ... top pick a
year ago continued to put up excellent numbers, finishing fifth in the Midwest
League (and tops in the system) with 81 RBIs as he hit .291 with 42 doubles, 16
home runs, 19 steals and a .516 slugging percentage at Dayton. The likelihood
that he will share outfield real estate with this year's top pick, Drew Stubbs,
is high and bodes well for the future of the organization. He has terrific
makeup and maturity for a high school pick. Bruce also has a solid arm and hits
with power to all fields."
" ... Joey Votto ... came off a
disappointing 2005 that saw him mired at Sarasota, and both he and the Reds
hoped desperately for a breakout 2006 season at Chattanooga. Did they get it?
Well, a Southern League batting title (.319), finishing tops in the system with
22 homers and leading the league in hits (162), doubles (46), on-base percentage
(.408) and slugging (.547) added up to Southern League MVP honors. Oh, he added
24 steals. Look for him in Cincinnati in the near future."
" ... Homer Bailey ... Reds took
the kid gloves off with Bailey in 2006, after having him work on a strict pitch
count in a tandem starting (aka piggyback) situation in 2005, which he
admittedly did not like. He combined for an organization-high 156 strikeouts in
138 2/3 innings between stops at Advanced A and Double-A, scattering 99 hits. He
pitched even more effectively after a promotion to Chattanooga, going 7-1 with a
1.59 ERA in 13 starts. Before his move up, he struck out the side on 12 pitches
at the Florida State League All-Star Game. Bailey throws a mid-90s fastball and
plus curve, and there already has been talk of joining the Cincinnati rotation
in 2007."
TB farm, lots of talent, lots of aches & pains :
" ... Pitcher Jeff Niemann's season with the
Phoenix Desert Dogs ended Monday with a week left in the Arizona Fall League
schedule, but it wasn't because of injury, according to Devil Rays director of
minor-league operations Mitch Lukevics. Niemann began the AFL season in
mid-October for the Desert Dogs, then missed about a week after the death of his
grandfather. Upon his return to Phoenix in late October, Niemann developed minor
shoulder discomfort but had been scheduled to pitch this past Tuesday before the
decision was made late Monday to shut him down. "It is definitely a
precautionary, common-sense thing," Lukevics said ... outfield prospect
Elijah Dukes - who joined the Desert Dogs in late October to get some work
at first base - was shut down with minor irritation in his left knee, Lukevics
said. It's still not determined, Lukevics said, whether Dukes will play as
planned in the Dominican Republic winter league." (Tampa Tribune)
09 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Eric
Patterson CHN 2-4, .361 ... 2B JC Holt ATL 3-4, triple, .409
... Jacoby Ellsbury BOS 3-5, 7th SB, .282 ... Gabriel
Sanchez FLO 2-4, walk, .279 ... Jordan Tata DET 5.0 4 0 0 0 2,
2.37 ... Mark Reynolds ARZ 2-4, 6th double, 5th homer, .342 ...
Hawaii Winter League ... Ian Kennedy NYA 3.2 3 2 2 1 6, 4.57 ...
John Mayberry Jr. TEX 2-4, double, walk, .371 and the POW :
" ... Mayberry's bat was on fire this week, as he
batted .476 on the week (10 for 21) with one home run, four runs scored, and
eight RBI. On November 5 against the North Shore Honu, Mayberry went 3-for-5
with a two-run homer and 3 RBI. Mayberry, a first-round selection of the Texas
Rangers, played at class-A Clinton during the season. In 16 HWB games, Mayberry
is batting .362 with 2 home runs and 16 RBI."
Venezuela - Jose Tabata NYA 0-1, .288 & out with a hand injury ...
Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-4, .328 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 2-4, double, .176
Dominican - Joey Votto CIN 1-4, double, .275 ... James Loney
LAd 2-2, 2 doubles, 2 walks, .237 ... Matt Kemp LAD 2-4, .194
Mexico - Ryan Spilborghs OF COL 3-4, double, walk ... Andy
Sisco KC 5.1 6 4 4 4 5, 3.55
Troop movements ... CLE - acquires 2B Josh Barfield from SD for 3B
Kevin Kouzmanoff and reliever
Andrew Brown
...
MinorLeagueBaseball
checks in with reviews of the FLO and TEX farms :
FLO " ... Chris Volstad ...
selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2005 draft. The 16th overall
pick had a solid, if unspectacular, first full season pitching as a teenager in
the South Atlantic League. He finished with good overall numbers: 11-8, 3.08
ERA, just 36 walks (99 strikeouts) in 152 innings. More important is how he
finished the season. The 6-foot-7 right-hander was 5-7 with a 4.05 ERA at the
All-Star break, then went 6-1 with a 1.53 ERA in the second half."
FLO " ... Gaby Hernandez ...
Acquired from the Mets in the Paul LoDuca trade, Hernandez had struggled a year
ago in his first taste of the Florida State League. He spent all of 2006 there,
going 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA for Jupiter. In 120 innings, Hernandez gave up 35
walks and struck out 115. The 20-year-old pitched very well after a 6.48 ERA in
April but was shut down for the rest of the year after his start on July 23 due
to a small stress fracture in his foot."
TOR " ... Travis Snider ...
followed up his prep success by winning the MVP in the Appalachian League, where
he hit .325 with 11 homers and 41 RBIs (not to mention a .567 slugging
percentage) in 194 at-bats. His 30 walks are as much about his patience at the
plate as the opposition pitching around him, once word got out that he can hit.
He also stole six bases, a plus for a player who is 240 pounds."
TOR " ... Adam Lind ...
They've been salivating in Toronto over the former third-round pick for more
than two years and his exceptional play during a September call-up was just a
brief glimpse of why. Lind hit .367 with two homer and eight RBIs in 60 at-bats.
While September callup performances are usually viewed with suspicion, Lind's
performance is bona fide, especially considering he hit .394 in 34 games at
Syracuse and .310 in 91 EL games. He'll be on the Major League club sometime in
2007."
No surprises as the Yankees system is rated at
Baseball America. Phil Hughes the top dog.
1. Philip Hughes, rhp
6. Chris Garcia, rhp
2. Jose Tabata, of
7. Tyler Clippard, rhp
3. Dellin Betances, rhp 8. J. Brent Cox, rhp
4. Joba Chamberlain, rhp 9. Mark Melancon, rhp
5. Ian Kennedy, rhp 10. Brett
Gardner, of
08 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Darrell Rasner NYA 4.0 4 1 0 3 4, 2.84
... OF Trevor Crowe CLE 1-2, 3 walks, .349 ...
Kory Casto WAS 1-3, double, walk, .393 ... Chip Cannon
TOR 1-5, 11th homer, .375 ... catcher Curtis Thigpen TOR 3-5, 2
doubles, .286 ... CF Fernando Martinez NYN 2-4, 2 doubles, walk,
.250 ... catcher Jacob Fox CHN 3-6, double, 6 RBI, .245 ...
Eric Patterson 2B CHN 3-6, 2 doubles, .354
Hawaii Winter League ... OF William Venable SD 1-5, double, .288
... Marco Estrada WAS 5.0 1 0 0 1 8, 1.48
Mexico - OF Ben Francisco CLE 2-4, 2 doubles, .302 ... CF
Ruben Rivera, once the top prospect in all of baseball, still trying
for another shot, 2-4, double, homer, .289
Venezuela - Jose Tabata NYA 1-3, walk, .294 ... Elvis
Andrus ATL 2-4, 3 RBI, .364 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 5-6, 2
doubles, homer, 4 RBI, .317 ... Vladimir Balentien SEA 1-3, 2
walks, .419
07 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Matt Albers HOU 2.0 2 1 0 1 1, 2.40 ...
Manny Parra MIL 4.0 6 1 1 0 5, 6.14 ... Eric Patterson
CHN, 2B & leadoff, 3-5, double, 10th SB, .342 ... 2B Kevin
Frandsen SF, into the lead in the batting race at .429, 5-5, 3rd homer, 4
RBI ... Trevor Crowe CLE 2-3, walk, .344 ... Neil Walker
PIT 1-4, double, .255 ... Eric Duncan NYA 1-5, homer, .265 ...
Brendan Ryan STL 2-5, homer, .340 ... Yunel Escobar,
AFL's Player of the Week :
" ... Of the five Cuban defectors who entered
the 2005 draft, Escobar was widely considered to be the player with the highest
ceiling. He was selected in the second round by the Atlanta Braves, who view him
as a possible long-term solution at shortstop. Escobar spent this past season
with Mississippi of the Double-A Southern League and is currently excelling with
the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. This past week, Escobar
collected 10 hits in 16 at-bats to raise his average to an AFL-leading .424 ...
Escobar currently ranks second in the AFL in hits (28) and fourth in on-base
percentage (.457). " (MinorLeagueBaseball)
Dominican ... Nelson Cruz TEX 1-4, homer, walk, .358 ... Felix
Pie CHN 2-4, .276
Move over Mark ... here comes Alex :
" ... The Royals have already alerted Teahen
that he is likely to switch from third base to the outfield to accommodate
Alex Gordon, picked recently by Baseball America as the 2006 minor-league
player of the year. “I think Teahen could play anywhere,” Bell said. “I really
do. He’s going to be a good player. We’ve got some flexibility with him.” Teahen
expects to spend plenty of time next spring in the outfield. “That was part of
the reason to get my shoulder fixed before the end of the season,” he said.
“It’s all going to come down to what makes the team better. “I’m sure that
(Gordon) will work out there as well. It might come down to who can play best
out there because I’ve never played the outfield. I understand that he plays a
pretty good third base, but I think I’ve proven myself to be a pretty good
major-league third baseman.” Either way, the Royals will find a place for
Teahen, who firmly established himself as a cornerstone for the club’s future by
batting .313 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs in 86 games after returning from Omaha
before opting for season-ending surgery." (Kansas City Star)
06 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... No games scheduled
Hawaii Winter League ... John Mayberry Jr. TEX 3-5, homer, 3 RBI
& 1-4, .368 ... Joba Chamberlain NYA .0 3 1 1 0 5, 2.51
Venezuela ... Jose Tabta NYA 0-2, walk, .292 ...
Alberto Callaspo ARZ 0-1, 2 walks, .230 ... Franklin
Gutierrez CLE 1-4, .111 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-3, .277 ...
Wladimir Balentien
SEA, red hot, 3-4, 2 doubles, .425 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ
1-4, walk, .263
Dominican ... Joel Guzman TB 2-3, walk & 1-4, .270 ... Matt
Kemp LAD 0-3 & 1-3, homer, walk, .167 ... Felix Pie CHN
1-3, double & 0-3, .259 ... Willy Aybar ATL 2-4, double, homer &
1-3, double, .327 ... Ryan Garko CLE 2-4, homer, .246 ...
Joey
Votto CIN 0-3, .233 ... Kendry Morales LAA 1-4, homer, .290
Baseball
America has kicked off its annual, team-by-team Top 10s with a ranking of
the kids in the BAL system. A 2006 first-rounder grabs the top spot, and
Radhames Liz does no better than No. 5. (Individual reports and even the
chat room info is now subscription only) :
1. Bill Rowell, 3b 6. Garrett Olson, lhp
2. Brandon Erbe, rhp 7. Brandon Snyder, c
3. Nolan Reimold, of 8. James Hoey, rhp
4. Pedro Beato, rhp 9. Jeff Fiorentino, of
5. Radhames Liz, rhp 10. Kieron Pope, of
The TEX farm is under review at
MinorLeagueBaseball
:
" ... John Mayberry Jr. ... son of the
former Major League slugger, gives the Rangers another powerful family
connection. A standout at Stanford, he hit .253 in his pro debut in 2005. This
year, after a slow start at Class A Clinton, he turned things around to finish
with a .268 average and .479 slugging percentage. His 21 homers ranked third
among Texas farmhands while his 77 RBIs were good for fifth."
" ... Marcus Lemon, SS ...
son of former big-league center fielder Chet Lemon ... turned down a
scholarship at Texas to sign with the club and can play all infield spots. In
his Arizona League debut, the 18-year-old hit .310 with 11 steals and a .420
on-base percentage. The term "outstanding makeup" may be overused, but Lemon
certainly epitomizes the phrase."
" ... John Danks, LHP ...
finished seventh in the system with a 4.24 ERA and led Texas farmhands with 154
strikeouts in 140 innings between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma. He
stumbled down the stretch in 2005, when he went 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA, but was
much more successful and consistent this year.'
05 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Gavin Floyd PHI 4.0 5 2 2 3 4, 5.87 ...
Kevin Slowey MIN 4.0 4 1 1 1 2, 2.25 ... Ryan
Braun MIL 1-3, double, walk, .344 ... Chip Cannon TOR 3-4,
10th homer, 4 RBI, .389
Hawaii Winter League ... Eric Campbell ATL, shuffling between 3B
& 2B, 1-3, walk, .250 ... Jeff Clement SEA, 0-1, .152 ... John
Mayberry Jr. TEX 3-4, .354 ... Ian Kennedy COL 4.0 3 0 0 0
6, 4.50
Venezuela ... Jose Tabata NYA 1-4 & 2-4, error, .304 ...
Wladimir Balentien SEA 2-4, 2 homers (3) & 1-4, triple, .389 ...
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 0-5 ... Edwin Jackson TB 5 2/3 3
2 2 4 5, 1.23 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 1-4, double, .264
Dominican ... Erick Aybar LAA 2-5, double, .188 ... James
Loney LAD 0-3, .227 ... Ubaldo Jimenez COL 5.0 3 1 1 2 6, 1.04
... Kendy Morales LAA 1-3, 6th homer, .259 ... Matt Kemp
LAD 1-3, double, .167 ... Jose Capellan MIL 4.1 8 1 1 1 2, 1.08
Not an easy task ... coming up with a list of second base prospects.
Project Prospect has a pair of 2B/SSs
atop the list :
" ... Dustin Pedroia ... king of
contact, Pedroia, 23, has an unorthodox batting stance (he’ll get on his heels
sometimes) but he vaulted through the minors with it, hitting .308 in 1,040
minor league at-bats ... won’t hit for much power in the big leagues –
.454 minor league slugging percentage (most XBH doubles). He did, however, put
the ball in play in 93.62% of his at-bats. Pedroia has a very good chance of
claiming Boston’s opening day second base job. While he’s not going to be more
than an average regular, the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder will likely be a better
bargain than anyone on the free agent market."
" ... Alberto Callaspo ... A lot of
people have forgotten about Callaspo -- put us on that list -- after the
5-foot-10, 175-pounder out of Venezuela was traded from the Angels to the
Diamondbacks last spring. Callaspo put up a .337/.404/.478 line in Triple-A ...
switch-hitter walked 56 times last season while only striking out 27 times --
that's not a typo...27! Callaspo should capture a starting major league job
sometime next season. He doesn't really steal bases or hit for enough power to
be much of a fantasy asset, but he'll be a solid major league second baseman."
It's the Orioles up in the latest prospect report from
Michael Laureano, Diamond Futures.
1. Brandon Erbe SP 6. Garrett Olson SP
2. Nolan Reimold OF 7. Dustin Yount 1B
3. Luis Terrero OF 8. Jonathan Tucker OF
4. Bradley Bergesen SP 9. Bryan Bass 3B
5. Jeff Fiorentino OF 10. Mark Fleisher 1B
Josh Fields and Ryan Sweeney were among the WSox players
to leave La Guaira of the Venezuelan League as a response to the canning of
manager Razor Shines.
04 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Troy Patton HOU 2.0 0 0 0 3 4, 5.11 ...
Eric Patterson CHN 1-4, walk, 2 SBs (9), .328 ... J.A. Happ
PHI 4.0 5 2 2 0 3, 4.35 ... CF Jacoby Ellsbury BOS 2-4, double,
.313 ... shortstop Yunel Escobar ATL, having a heck of a good time
in Arizona, 4-4, 3 RBI, .444 ... Gabriel Sanchez FLO 1B 2-5,
double, .292 ... Dustin McGowan TOR 4.0 4 2 2 1 5, 5.59
The AFL hitting leaders, and some of the not-so-hot
(through games of Thursday) :
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
Chip Cannon TOR 65 3 0 9 14 20 .385 .500 .846 1.346
Ryan Braun MIL 57 6 0 6 10 11 .351 .449 .772 1.221
Mark Reynolds ARZ 60 5 1 4 7 14 .350 .435 .667 1.101
Kevin Frandsen SF 45 2 0 2 8 3 .400 .509 .578 1.087
Jeff Fiorentino BAL 54 6 0 2 12 10 .352 .470 .574 1.044
Ben Zobrist TB 62 5 0 1 15 10 .387 .481 .516 .998
Josh Whitesell WAS 53 8 0 2 7 15 .321 .403 .585 .988
Yunel Escobar ATL 59 3 1 1 4 5 .407 .444 .542 .987
Curtis Thigpen TOR 51 5 1 2 8 4 .294 .400 .549 .949
Matthew Miller COL 59 3 0 4 4 10 .322 .369 .576 .946
Eric Duncan NYA 73 2 1 1 5 11 .274 .316 .370 .686
Matt Moses MIN 64 4 0 1 4 12 .266 .304 .375 .679
Fernando Martinez NYN 64 1 0 2 3 12 .234 .286 .344 .629
Joseph Koshansky COL 54 1 0 3 6 18 .167 .246 .352 .598
Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 53 1 1 0 4 15 .151 .224 .208 .432
Venezuela - Wladimir Balentien SEA 3-4, double, homer, .393 ...
Alberto Callaspo ARZ 1-5, .227 ... Jose Tabata NYA
0-5, .289
BATEADOR AVE OBP SLG
HARRISON BEN TEX .397 .494 .647
BALENTIEN WLADIMIR SEA .393 .469 .714
QUIROZ GUILLERMO FA .308 .471 .538
TABATA JOSE NYA .289 .426 .447
GONZALEZ CARLOS ARZ .283 .365 .304
MONTERO MIGUEL ARZ .271 .306 .339
CABRERA ASDRUBAL CLE .250 .289 .278
CALLASPO ALBERTO ARZ .227 .303 .288
FIELDS JOSH CHA .214 .244 .262
ANDERSON BRIAN CHA .211 .250 .211
NAVARRO DIONER TB .200 .245 .333
Dominican - Nelson Cruz TEX 3-4, .351 ... Erick Aybar LAA
0-4, .091 ... Felix Pie CHN 0-3, .289 ... Joel Guzman
TB, 1B-3B, 1-4, .269
Mexico - Brian Barden 3B ARZ 2-6, 4th double, 6th homer, .231
He's back!
Michael Laureano, Diamond Futures, has kicked off his prospect coverage with
his rankings for the Yankee, Tampa Bay and Red Sox systems. Be sure to
check out the
Glossary for an explanation of his rating system.
New York Boston Tampa Bay
Phil Hughes SP Michael Bowden SP Elijah Dukes OF
Eric Duncan 3B Timothy Cox RP Sergio Pedroza OF
Jose Tabata OF Luis Antonio Jimenez 1B B.J. Upton SS
J.B. Cox RP Dustin Pedroia 2B Delmon Young OF
Jeff Karstens SP Chad Spann 3B Reid Brignac SS
Tyler Clippard SP Brandon Moss OF Justin Ruggiano OF
Marcos Vechionacci 3B Kason Gabbard SP Jacob McGee SP
Jeff Marquez SP Clay Buchholz SP Joel Guzman OF
Eric Wordekemper RP David Murphy OF Wade Davis SP
Chase Wright RP Mark Wagner C Jonathan Barratt SP
At 23 you'd think he'd know better ...
" ... Outfielder Hunter Pence ... sent home
from the Arizona Fall League following his arrest over the weekend on charges of
driving under the influence of alcohol. Pence, 23, was arrested at 3:32 a.m.
Sunday in Scottsdale, Ariz., while driving erratically, according to court
records ... charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum of
six months in jail, a $2,500 fine and five years probation, and a minimum of 10
days in jail, nine of which can be suspended if an alcohol program is taken."
(Houston Chronicle)
MinorLeagueBaseball
has the ATL farm posted in its dash through team by team reports :
" ... Elvis Andrus ... had a slightly
rougher time during his sophomore season in pro ball. And, considering the fact
that he turned 18 during the year, that's not causing much concern for the folks
in the front office. Andrus hit .265 in 111 Sally League games, driving in 50
and stealing 23 bases. His numbers were much better against lefties than
righties (.331 to .233), but experience and another year or two of seasoning in
the Minor Leagues will cure that problem."
" ... Eric Campbell ... player
many believe will be Chipper Jones' successor at third base turned 21 this year
while continuing his impressive climb through the Atlanta system. He belted 22
homers for Rome, tops in the South Atlantic League, and drove in 77 runs, 13
more than he did in 2005 at Danville. Campbell also seems to have gotten a
better grasp on the strike zone and how to manage it, fanning 68 times in 449
at-bats after striking out 64 times in 262 Appy League at-bats in 2005. He even
stole 18 bases. Campbell committed 21 errors, but that only placed him in the
middle of the pack among Sally League third basemen. Campbell has been playing
second base in the Hawaii Winter League, so it remains to be seen where his
long-term home will be with Atlanta."
03 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Gio Gonzalez
PHI 3.0 3 0 0 1 3, 3.24 ... Chip Cannon TOR 1-2, 2 walks, .385 ...
Eric Patterson CHN 1-2, 2 walks, 7th SB, .333 ... Yunel
Escobar ATL 3-5, 1st homer, 4 RBI, .407 ... Trevor Crowe
CLE 1-3, walk, .346 ... Neil Walker PIT 1-3, double, walk, error, .279
Hawaii Winter League ... John Mayberry Jr. 1-4, 5th double, .318 ... 3B
Mark Minicozzi SF 1-3, 6th double, walk, .338
Dominican - Ryan Garko CLE 3-4, .222 ... Jeremy Guthrie
CLE 7.0 2 1 0 1 3, 2.25 ... Joey Votto CIN 0-3, .278 ... Matt
Kemp LAD 1-4, double, .133
Venezuela - Jose Tabata NYA 0-4, .333 ... Josh Fields CHA,
LF, 1-4, .214 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-2, double, walk, .271
MinorLeagueBaseball
highlights the SEA farm system :
" ... Jeff Clement ... No. 3 overall
pick had a strange first full season with the organization. The lefty-swinging
catcher did make it to Triple-A, but injuries resulted in just 304 total at-bats
for the season. He hit .263 with six combined homers and 42 RBIs. In 82 games
between San Antonio and Tacoma, the USC product had a .334 on-base percentage
and .382 slugging percentage. Granted, knee and elbow surgeries clearly slowed
him and it was just his first full season. He went to Hawaii to get some extra
playing time and struggled in the early going, so next year could be a big one
to determine just what kind of prospect he is."
" ... Adam Jones ... The Jones train kept on
running on the express track in 2006. He didn't turn 21 until August and by that
time, he had 47 big-league at-bats under his belt. In his first taste of
Triple-A, where he spent most of the year, Jones continued to flash all of his
tools, setting career highs in homers (16) and tying his high in steals (13). In
his first year of playing the outfield, the Mariners trusted him enough to get
some playing time in the big leagues in center, though his at-bats dwindled and
he mostly watched in September. He could be ready for a full-time gig next
spring."
He's officially available :
" ... Major league teams wishing to sign Japanese
pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka must submit their offers by 5 p.m. ET next
Wednesday... After the bidding has closed ... The [Seibu] Lions have until
Nov. 14 to accept. If the offer is accepted, the big league team that made the
bid is notified and gets a 30-day window to reach a contract agreement with
Matsuzaka ... Matsuzaka was MVP of the World Baseball Classic in March,
then went 17-5 with a 2.13 ERA and 200 strikeouts for the Lions. He throws in
the high-90s mph, has good offspeed pitches and is known for the "gyroball," a
pitch that breaks to the left." (AP)
02 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Brendan Ryan SS STL, making quite an
impression, 2-6, .349 ... Elijah Dukes TB 1B 1-4, 2nd homer
(3-run, walk-off, 10th inning), 2 walks, .345 ... Mark Reynolds
ARZ 2-3, double, walk, .350 ... Mitch Maier CF KC 3-4, 7th SB,
.343 ... Jonathan Meloan LAD 1.0 2 1 1 0 1, 1.59 (in11 1/3 innings) ...
shortstop Yunel Escobar ATL 3-4, 3rd SB, .389 ... CF Jacoby
Ellsbury BOS 2-5, double, 5th SB, .306 .. Trevor Crowe CLE
1-3, triple, 2 walks, 3 SB, .347
Hawaii Winter League - Joba Chamberlain NYA 5.0 2 1 1 0 5, 2.66 ...
John Mayberry Jr. 2-4, triple, .325 ... 3B Mark Minicozzi SF
2-3, double, walk, .338
Venezuela - OF Ben Harrison TEX 2-5, double, .383 ... Jose
Tabata NYA 2-4, triple, .379 ... Josh Fields CHA, at 3B, 1-4,
.211 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 2-5, double, .263
Dominican - James Loney LAD 1-3, 2 walks, .250 ... Felix Pie
CHN 1-3, .310 ... Kendry Morales LAA 3-5, 3 homers (5), 5 RBI,
.255 ... Nelson Cruz MIL 4-5, 2 homers, 3 RBI, .303 ... Matt
Kemp LAD 1-4, .091
The team-by-team prospect reviews whip by at
MinorLeague Baseball. HOU is the latest to be posted :
" ... Hunter Pence ... nothing not to
love about the 2004 second-round pick, from his powerful bat to absolutely
off-the-charts makeup. He put together a .533 slugging percentage at Corpus
Christi in 2006, with his 28 homers leading Astros' farmhands and 95 RBIs second
best, proving his 31 long balls and 90 RBIs between Class A Lexington and Class
A Advanced Salem in 2005 was no fluke."
" ... Jason Hirsh ... 13-2 with a 2.10
ERA for Triple-A Round Rock, leading the Pacific Coast League in ERA with
numbers that would be impressive anywhere but were especially remarkable in that
hitter-friendly circuit. He limited league batters to a .193 average, striking
out 118 in 137 1/3 innings while scattering 94 hits. Hirsh, a second-round pick,
made his Major League debut down the stretch, going 3-4 with a 6.04 ERA. Look
for Hirsh and his mid-90s fastball to factor into the rotation picture for
2007."
01 November, 2006
Arizona Fall League ...
Chip Cannon TOR, on fire, 2-4, 9th homer, .400 ... Elijah Dukes
TB, 1B, 0-4, 3rd error, .360 ... Mitch Maier KC, CF & leadoff,
2-5, 6th SB, .317 ... Darrell Rasner NYA 4.0 2 0 0 2 4, 3.60 ...
Matt Albers HOU 3.0 4 0 0 0 2, 2.77 ... shortstop Brendan
Ryan STL, continues to impress, 4-5, 3 doubles, .351 ...
Dominican ... James Loney LAD 2-5, 2nd homer, .243 ... Willy
Aybar ATL 3-5, .341 ... Felix Pie CHN 1-4, .308 ... Mark
Reynolds ARZ 3-6, double, 4 RBI, .333 ... Ryan Braun MIL
2-4, double, 2 walks, .352 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 2-5, .419 ...
The BAL organization is the latest up of
MinorLeagueBaseball :
" ... Bill Rowell ... , 3B The New Jersey
native was one of the more sought-after players in the draft and it was even
more obvious why after his big debut in pro ball. He combined to hit .328 in 53
games at Bluefield of the Appalachian League (Rookie) and Aberdeen of the New
York-Penn League (Class A Short-Season) all before he turned 18 in September. He
hit three homers and drove in 32 runs in 195 at-bats, but his 16 errors were
tied for second-most among Appy League third basemen. He added two more errors
in 11 games at Aberdeen."
" ... Hayden Penn ... , RHP Penn had
eight big-league starts in 2005, and despite posting a 3-2 record, it was clear
that he wasn't up to pitching against the big boys just yet. He received a
September callup this season and went 0-4 with a 15.10 ERA in six starts. During
his time with Ottawa, however, he was exceptional, going 7-4 with a 2.26 ERA in
14 starts. He tossed a shutout and had a pair of complete games, demonstrating
that the skills are there. What also must be taken into account is that in four
of his Major League starts, two were against the Yankees, one was against
Oakland and one was against Detroit, all playoff teams."
" ... Garrett Olson ... , LHP The
southpaw split the season between Frederick and Bowie, going 10-9 with a 3.10
ERA. He'll turn 23 this month, so he's a bit more mature and further along in
his development than some of Baltimore's other pitching prospects. It's far
enough that he'll likely start next season at Triple-A and may even see some
time with the parent club. He's shown that he can be a workhorse, logging 165
2/3 innings this year after pitching 200 innings a year ago with all his stops.
He struck out 162 and walked 50."
Teams begin to salute their top young talent :
" ... The Marlins named Chris Volstad as the
franchise's Minor League Pitcher of the Year, while first baseman Gabriel
Sanchez was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Year
... Volstad ... 20-year-old right-hander is on the fast track
to the big leagues. In his first full season of professional baseball, he was
11-8 with a 3.08 ERA in 26 starts for Class A Greensboro. Volstad logged 152
innings, striking out 99 and walking 36 ... Sanchez ... Once regarded as a
catching prospect, the right-handed hitter with power potential is seeing more
time now at first base. Sanchez is getting additional at-bats and fine-tuning
his defensive skills in the Arizona Fall League, where he is batting .296 with
one home run and 11 RBIs in 14 games with the Peoria Javelinas. Bothered by some
injuries in 2006, Sanchez batted .317 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in 55 games
for Greensboro." (MiLB.com)
" ... The Indians named Kevin Kouzmanoff ...
the top position player in their Minor League system ... Adam Miller ... the
organization's top Minor League pitcher ... The 25-year-old third baseman began
the season at Double-A Akron, where he hit .389 with 19 doubles, 15 homers and
55 RBIs in 67 games ... Upon his promotion to Triple-A Buffalo on July 28,
Kouzmanoff hit .353 with nine doubles, seven homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games with
the Bisons. Then came his call up to the big leagues, where history was made. On
Sept. 2 in Texas, Kouzmanoff hit the first big-league pitch he ever saw out of
the yard for a grand slam ... Miller endured an elbow injury that delayed the
start to his '05 season. But any concerns as to whether the injury would have
lingering effects on his progress were dashed this year. Though Miller made a
name for himself with a fastball that has been clocked at 100 mph, he added a
two-seamer and a changeup to his repertoire in '06, with dazzling results. He
went 15-6 with a 2.75 ERA in 26 games, including 24 starts, at Akron and was
named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. Over his last 10 starts for Akron,
Miller went 8-1 with a 0.97 ERA. For the year, he limited Double-A hitters to a
.226 average." (MiLB.com)
31 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ...
Kevin Slowey MIN 3.0 2 1 1 0 3, 2.25 ... Michel Abreu 1B
NYN 2-5, 2 homers, 5 RBI, .262 ... Eric Patterson 2B & leadoff CHN
3-5, triple, homer, 6th error, .351 ... catcher Curtis Thigpen TOR
2-5, double, .319 ... Chip Cannon TOR, no stopping 'em, 2-4, 8th
homer, .393 ... Elijah Dukes TB, LF, 1-3, double, walk, .429 ...
shortstop Ben Zobrist TB 3-4, .347 ... Ryan Braun
MIL 3B 2-3, 6th homer, .340 ... OF Josh Burrus ATL 2-5, 2 homers,
5 RBI, .279 ... Jacoby Ellsbury BOS 2-2, triple, 3 walks, .333 ...
2B-SS Michael Garciaparra SEA 3-5, .359
Venezuela ... Jose Tabata NYA 4-4, double, homer, .360 ... Josh
Fields CHA, LF, 0-4, .206 ... Edwin Jackson TB 4 3 0 0 0 2,
0.00 (in 9 innings)... Wladimir Balentien SEA 3-5, .438 ...
Miguel Montero ARZ 0-4 & 3-3, .250
Chip Cannon TOR, the Hitter of the Week in the Arizona Fall League :
" ... Cannon entered the week hitting a
scorching .355 and still managed to raise his average 30 points. The Toronto
prospect's 9-for-21 week wasn't characterized by any cheap hits, either. Cannon
smashed four home runs this past week and now leads the AFL with seven long
balls on the season ... the Blue Jays' eighth-round draft pick in 2004,
hit an organization-leading 27 homers for Double-A New Hampshire this past
season." (MiLB.com)
The talent rich Arizona farm is the topic of the latest team report at
MinorLeagueBaseball :
" ... Justin Upton ... expectations
were obviously extremely high for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, so
his final numbers from the Midwest League may read as a disappointment to some.
Playing at age 18 in the full-season league, Upton hit .263 with 12 homers, 66
RBIs and 15 steals in his debut. His performance was a little uneven, but
there's no question he has the tools to excel as he moves up the ladder."
" ... Carlos Gonzalez ... 2005
Midwest League MVP had an outstanding follow-up in 2006 and even earned a late
promotion to Double-A. While he struggled during his first taste at that level,
he certainly enjoyed hitting in Lancaster and the California League. As a
20-year-old, Gonzalez hit .300 with 21 homers and 94 RBIs over his 104 games in
the league. He also stole 15 bases. He led the California League, slugging .563
and finished fourth in home runs and RBIs despite spending 18 games at the end
of the year in Tennessee. He got off to a good start in winter ball, playing for
Aguilas in his native Venezuela."
" ... Cyle Hankerd ... OF The
USC product had quite a debut, hitting .381 between Yakima in the short-season
Northwest League and Lancaster in the Class A Advanced California League. Over
281 at-bats, he bashed out 21 doubles and 12 homers for a .584 slugging
percentage."
30 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... no games scheduled.
Hawaii Winter League ... Henri VandenHurk FLO 5.0 9 5 5 2 6, 6.43 ...
Blake Dewitt LAD 1-4, double, .203 ... Cory Dunlap LAD
1-4, .326
Dominican ... James Loney LAD 2-3, double, walk, .241 ... Felix
Pie CHN 1-3, double, .355 ... Ubaldo Jimenez COL 3.2 2 0 0 3 2
... Matt Kemp LAD 0-3 ... Jose Capellan MIL 4.0 3 0
0 0 2
Mexico ... Brian Barden ARZ 2-4, homer, .214 ... Spike Lundberg
LAD 6.0 4 1 1 3 2, 3.68 ...
29 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Gavin Floyd PHI 4.0 1 0 0 0 2, 6.35 ... Dustin
McGowan TOR 5.0 2 1 1 1 8, 5.87 ... Chip Cannon TOR 2-5,
double, .385 ... Elijah Dukes TB, at 1B, 1-4, double, .444 ...
and, in the All-Star game - Mike Pelfrey NYN 1.2 3 0 0 2 3 ...
Gio Gonzalez PHI 2.0 1 1 0 1 2 ... Hunter Pence HOU
2-3, double
Hawaii Winter League ...John Mayberry TEX 2-4, 1st homer, 5 RBI,
.312 ... Christian Garcia NYA 5.0 3 1 1 5 5, 3.05 ... Jeff
Clement SEA 1-2, homer, .200
Dominican -- Joel Guzman TB 1-3, walk, .297 ... Radhames
Liz BAL 4.0 3 0 0 4 8, 0.00. Mexico -- Andy Sisco KC 6.0
5 4 4 4 5, 2.40 Venezuela -- Alberto Callaspo ARZ 2-5
& 0-4 & 1-3, walk, .240 ... Jose Tabata NYA 1-3, walk & 1-1, 3
walks & 0-3, .238... Wladimir Balentien SEA 1-4, homer & 0-2, 2
walks, .364
Project Prospect takes
on the first base candidates and features a Canadian kid at the top rung :
" ... 1. Joey Votto ... one of
only five 20/20 men in the minor leagues in 2006. His 22 home runs and 24 stolen
bases came as he maintained a .955 OPS at Double-A Chattanooga. The second round
draft pick from 2002 was successful in 77.42% of his stolen base attempts, so he
could keep getting the green light when he is promoted to the big leagues. A
6-foot-3, 220-pound lefty, Votto also tied for the minor league lead in doubles
with 46 and tied for third in extra-base-hits with 70."
" ... 2. James Loney ... hasn’t
shown much more home run power than the Dodgers’ 2006 first baseman, Nomar
Garciaparra, he plays Gold Glove caliber defense and hit .380 last season in
Triple-A Las Vegas. Another successful Dodgers’ first round draft pick (2002),
the lefty will likely enter 2007 as the team’s starting first baseman. He’ll
likely start as just a gap hitter, but Loney may someday hit 20 home runs with a
.300+ batting average."
Good news for KC :
" ... Nothing serious. That's the prevailing
diagnosis after Royals pitching prospect Luke Hochevar was examined
Friday in Kansas City. "It's a shoulder strain," Royals general manager Dayton
Moore said, "and Dr. [Steve] Joyce is very encouraged. There is nothing we can
or should do." The Royals decided to withdraw Hochevar, the No. 1 overall pick
in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, from the Arizona Fall League after he had
tightness in his throwing shoulder." (MLB.com)
27 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Hunter Pence HOU, soaring, 3-5, triple,
threw out a runner at third, .362 ... Fernando Martinez NYN CF
0-4, .213 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 3-4, double, .429 ... Chip
Cannon TOR on a major roll, 2-5, 6th & 7th homers, .375 ... Elijah
Dukes TB 2-6, double, homer, 2 errors ... Mark Reynolds ARZ
4-6, double, triple, .340
Hawaii Winter League ... Joba Chamberlain NYA 4.2 4 2 2 1 4, 2.89 ...
Blake DeWitt LAD, back at 3B, 3-4, double, .214
Dominican ... James Loney LAD 1-3, .190 ... Wily Aybar
ATL 1-4, homer, 3 RBI, .346 ... Joel Guzman TB 2-5, .323 ...
Joey Votto CIN 2-3, 2 walks, SB, .391
Oh oh, maybe ...
" ... The Kansas City Royals have removed Luke
Hochevar from the Arizona Fall League because the 23-year-old right-hander
is experiencing tightness in his right shoulder. Hochevar, the first overall
pick of the 2006 draft, had made three appearances for the AFL's Grand Canyon
Rafters. Over 8 1/3 innings pitched, the University of Tennessee product allowed
10 runs -- eight earned -- on 13 hits while striking out eight. The Royals
stressed that Hochevar's removal from the AFL was strictly a precautionary
move." (MiLB.com)
Some catchup from the team-by-team prospect reports at
MinorLeagueBaseball
:
COL " ... Franklin Morales, LHP ...
just 20 years old, led the organization with 179 strikeouts in 154 innings at
Modesto, posting a 3.68 ERA, good for seventh in the system. He limited
California League batters to a .223 average with his mid-90s fastball and good
offspeed stuff."
COL "... Ian Stewart ...
plagued by minor nagging injuries for two seasons now. Playing just 120 games at
Tulsa, he hit .268 with 10 homers and 71 RBIs but showed his line-drive power
with 41 doubles and a .452 slugging percentage. There had been hope he'd make
his Major League debut in 2006, but it looks like that will have to wait another
year. Once he makes it to Coors he should be a productive hitter."
CHN " ... Donnie Veal, LHP
... arguably the top young pitcher in the organization in 2006. Overall, between
two Class A stops (Peoria and Daytona) he led the system with a 2.16 ERA, going
11-5 and topping the organization with 174 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings. Veal,
who has been compared to former Cub farmhand Dontrelle Willis since high school,
is an aggressive pitcher with an outgoing personality and passion on the mound.
He had a 2.69 ERA at Peoria and improved on his step up to Daytona, where he
registered a 1.67 ERA in 14 starts and limited opponents to a .170 average."
PIT " ... Andrew McCutchen ...
It was about as successful a first full season as possible for a "toolsy" high
schooler. Playing the season at age 19, McCutchen's power came a little faster
than expected. He hit 14 homers and 20 doubles while hitting .294 and stealing
22 bases in 114 games for Hickory. For his efforts, he was a South Atlantic
League All-Star and got promoted all the way up to Double-A Altoona for the
playoffs."
PIT " ... Neil Walker ...
didn't make his 2006 debut with Lynchburg until May 14. He got off to a very
slow start with the bat, but really picked it up late, hitting .321 in July. The
power wasn't really there, though he did hit 22 doubles in 72 games and finished
his time in Lynchburg with a .284 average ...made tremendous strides defensively
to the point where talk of moving him from behind the plate has quieted to a
whisper."
TB " ... Evan Longoria ...
In just a half-season, Longoria's 18 homers ranked third in the system. He hit
.464 at Hudson Valley, .327 at Visalia and .267 at Montgomery, and drove in 58
runs on the season. He has played all over the infield and there is speculation
he could wind up at second base, if needed."
TB " ... Reid Brignac ...
earned California League MVP honors at Visalia before moving up to Montgomery,
combining to hit .321 with 24 homers, 99 RBIs and 15 steals. Brignac has
unquestionably established himself as one of the top shortstop prospects in the
Minors. In the past two seasons, he hit for average without power in 2004 (.378,
one homer) and power without average in 2005 (.267, 15 homers). This year, he
put it together. And now the sky's the limit."
KC " ... Billy Butler ...
.331 with 15 homers and 96 RBIs. Butler is a hitting machine whose career
batting average in three Minor League seasons is an impressive .344. He's driven
in 274 runs in 314 games and is expected to be one of the cornerstones of the
Royals' revival ... His move to the outfield -- he played mostly right field --
also has been a bit smoother than expected. Though he still needs work and may
ultimately wind up at first base, Butler committed only seven errors this season
to fall in the middle of the pack among Texas League outfielders."
26 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 3-4, 2
homers, 5 RBI, .600 ... catcher Curtis Thigpen TOR 3-5, 2 doubles,
homer, 6 RBI, 2 walks, .308 ... 1B Chip Cannon TOR 4-6, double,
homer, 3 RBI, .372 ... Elijah Dukes 3-6, double, walk, 3 RBI ...
Darrell Rasner NYA 5.0 1 0 0 0 2, 4.91 ... Eric
Patterson 2B CHN 2-4, triple, 2 errors, .347
Hawaii Winter League ... Henri Vanden Hurk FLO, another
stinker after such an impressive beginning, 3.1 3 5 3 3 5, 5.62 ... Lorenzo
Cain MIL 2-3, homer, .224 ... Cory Dunlap LAD 3-5, double,
homer, 4 RBI, .294
Venezuela ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ CF 1-5, .282 ... Wladimir
Balentien SEA 1-3, double
Mexico ... Spike Lundberg, just cut loose by LAD 5.0 2 0 0 0 2
Dominican ... Joey Votto CIN 1-4, 3rd double
A break for prospect-rich organizations. TEX, for example, might get an
extra year of protection for John Danks and Thomas Diamond
:
" ... Under the new agreement, clubs will have an
extra year to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. High school draft picks
will have to be protected after five seasons, college picks after four. It means
that Danks (2003 high school graduate), Diamond, outfielder Ben
Harrison and third baseman Travis Metcalf (2004 college picks)
don't have to be placed on the 40-man roster until after the 2007 season."
(Dallas Morning News)
25 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Hunter Pence HOU, taking full
advantage of the prospect spotlight in Arizona, 4-5, 2 homers, 4 RBI, .367
...
Mitch Maier KC CF 3-4, 2 walks, 4th & 5th SB, .327 ... Eric
Patterson CHN 3-6, double, 3 RBI, 6th SB, .333 ... Ryan Braun
MIL 2-5, double, 5th homer, .318 ...Jacoby Ellsbury BOS 3-4,
double, walk, .318 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 304, homer, .387 ...
catcher Landon Powell OAK 3-5, .261 ... Elijah Dukes
TB (LF) debut 2-2, SB ... catcher Neil Walker PIT 2-5, .281 ...
Troy Patton HOU 3.0 5 3 3 0 2, 5.00 ... Eric Duncan NYA
2-5, homer, .286
Jonathan Mayo has kicked off his team-by-team prospect reports at
MiLB.com with a look at the Brewers' farm.
" ... Yovani Gallardo ... joined the
elite group of arms in all of the Minor Leagues by posting a 1.86 ERA (third
among full-season pitchers) across two levels. Hitters in the FSL and the
Southern League hit just .192 against him as he struck out 188 (tops in the
Minors) in 155 IP while walking 51. The 20-year-old seemed to improve after
moving up a level, dropping his ERA and batting average against after hitting
the Southern League. At this rate, seeing time in Milwaukee at some point in
2007 isn't out of the question."
" ... Angel Salome ... jumped on the
scene by hitting .415 in the Pioneer League in 2005, but had some trouble that
season when promoted to the South Atlantic League. He returned there for 2006
with the hope that he'd start to figure things out. While he tired down the
stretch a bit, the 20-year-old backstop had a terrific season, hitting .292 with
10 homers and 85 RBIs for West Virginia. The SAL All-Star's 15 errors may seem a
tad high, but that -- and his 37 percent success rate at throwing out
base-stealers -- were vast improvements over 2005."
" ... 2. Will Inman ... looks
like the Brewers may have something special in Inman, the stocky right-hander.
Pitching in the South Atlantic League at age 19, he finished second in the
Minors with a 1.71 ERA. He missed a month with a shoulder problem, but it
clearly didn't bother him once he returned, as evidenced by his 0.72 ERA in July
and 1.70 mark in August. He didn't allow a run in his first five outings after
coming off of the DL. The league hit .190 against him and he struck out 134,
while walking only 24, in his 110 2/3 innings of work. A Gallardo-like path
could be in the cards for Inman in 2007."
24 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 1-4, homer, .333 ...
Dustin McGowan TOR 5.0 6 2 2 2 1, 7.84 ... J.A. Happ PHI 3.0 1
0 0 2 2, 4.26 ... Brett Gardner CF NYA 4-4, walk, .439 ... SS
Brendan Ryan STL 2-5, triple, .396 ... Ryan Braun MIL
1-3, double, walk, .308
" ... The Mets decided to pull former top pick
Phil Humber from the Arizona Fall League this weekend because the
right-hander is dealing with what he called "a little tendinitis" in his
shoulder. Humber had appeared in one game for the Mesa Solar Sox on Oct. 14,
allowing a run in two innings, but hadn't pitched since. He was scheduled to
pitch again on Friday but was pulled and sent home after an MRI also revealed a
bruised humerus." (MiLB.com)
Hawaii Winter League ... OF John Mayberry Jr. 2-4, double & 0-2, .333 ...
Christian Garcia NYA 5.0 1 0 0 3 6, 3.45 ... 1B Mike
Carp NYN 3-5, double, 3 RBI & 0-3, .294 ... Ian Kennedy NYA
1.1 8 8 8 2 0, 8.10 ...
Venezuela ... Josh Fields CHA 1-4 & 1-5, .294 ... Carlos
Gonzalez ARZ 2-3 & 1-2, double, 2 walks & 0-1, .294 ... Edwin Jackson
TB 5 2 0 0 3 2
Dominican ... Felix Pie CHN 1-4, double, .200 ... Joel
Guzman TB 1B 2-5, .294 ... Radhames Liz BAL 4 1 0 0 0 7
Mexico ... Ryan Doumit PIT 1B 1-4, double & 0-4, .297 ... Andy
Sisco KC 5 2 0 0 2 5, 0.00
More movement in TB :
" ... Rather than playing outfield in the Dominican
Republic, Elijah Dukes went to the Arizona Fall League to learn to play
first base, which could be a way to get him in the Rays' lineup next season."
(St. Petersburg Times)
Jim Callis,
Baseball America on Daisuke Matsuzaka :
" ... bottom line is that Matsuzaka has a
lively 90-96 mph fastball, a plus-plus slider, a splitter and a changeup. He has
dominated in Japan and he dominated in the World Baseball Classic, where he was
the MVP. In eight years in Japan, he has led the Pacific League in strikeouts
four times, victories three times, ERA twice and won the Sawamura Award (the
Japanese Cy Young Award) once ... He's also 26, so he should have a lot of
pitching ahead of him. Without hesitation, I would take Matsuzaka over Zito or
Schmidt or any other pitcher who will be on the free-agent market this
offseason. Similarly, if Matsuzaka does come over, he has to rank as the game's
best pitching prospect. His stuff is in the same class as Philip Hughes
(Yankees) or Homer Bailey (Reds), and he has proven himself at a higher level."
Oh my ... once so promising, now discarded ... minor league free agents.
Baseball
America with the full list:
" ... SS Donnie Sadler, C Eddie Perez, OF Jamal
Strong, 3B Tripper Johnson, OF Keith Reed, 1B Brandon Sing, OF Luis Montanez, OF
Mike Restovich, OF Ruben Rivera, RHP Tim Redding, SS Tommy Whiteman, 1B Josh
Phelps, OF Jackson Melian, LHP Chris George, C J.R. House, C Eric Munson, 1B
Walter Young, LHP Carlos Hernandez, 1B Ken Harvey, OF Dee Brown, LHP Ben
Kozlowski, C Shawn Wooten, 3B Terry Tiffee, 1B Tagg Bozied, RHP Dennis
Tankersley, SS Bobby Hill, RHP Dewon Brazelton, C Guillermo Quiroz, RHP Clint
Nageotte, LHP Matt Riley, C Matt Lecroy.
Nice site for keeping up with the Arizona farm -
Baby Backs, on
Carlos Gonzalez :
" ... Gonzalez ... Probably the 2nd best prospect in
the system behind Justin Upton now with the promotion of Drew, Young and
Quentin. Signed as a 17-year old in 2002, he struggled early in his career
before blowing up for 18 homers and a .307/.371/.489 line in Low A South Bend in
2005. A 5-tool talent with a good arm in RF although he has lost some speed
while bulking up for more power. He started in High A Lancaster this year and
didn’t do badly for a 21-year-old, hitting .300/.356/.563 with 21 homers in 403
at-bats. He was promoted to Double A and as he has done all career he struggled
to adapt quickly to the new level, hitting just .213/.294/.410 in 61 at-bats. He
will retry Double A next year and if he progresses as expected, should master
that level and reach Triple A by the end of the year."
Among the stars to suit up in the AFL All-Star game :
" ... Trevor Crowe ... learning the nuances
of playing left field. Wherever he is defensively, it's clear Crowe has a future
as a table-setter. Between Class A Advanced Kinston and Double-A Akron, the 2005
draftee hit .286 with a .393 OBP and 45 stolen bases. He hit .329 with Kinston
before moving up a level, where he hit .234. However, he did bounce back to hit
.349 over 10 playoff games as the Aeros made it to the Eastern League
championship. Jacoby Ellsbury ... Ellsbury and Crowe are cut from the
same cloth, speedsters who belong at the top of the lineup who even hail from
the same region -- the Pacific Northwest. Ellsbury, a center fielder, also made
it to Double-A in his first full season. It was his Portland Sea Dogs who beat
Crowe's Aeros for the Eastern League title. Ellsbury was a big reason the Sea
Dogs were there in the first place as he hit .308 after his promotion to
Portland. For the year, the Oregon State product hit .303 with a .382 OBP and 41
steals." (MiLB.com)
22 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Luke Hochevar KC 3.0 5 2 2 0 4, allowed three
SBs, including a steal of home ... Hunter Pence HOU 2-3, SB
(home), .325 ... Michael Garciaparra SEA, SS, 2-5, double, .423
...
Josh Whitesell 1B WAS 4-5, double, 2 homers, .391 ... Chip
Cannon 1B TOR 2-3, double, homer, 2 walks, .355 ... Mark Reynolds
ARZ 2-5, 3rd & 4th homers, .343 ... Ryan Braun MIL 1-5, 4th homer,
.306
Dominican ... Joey Votto CIN 2-3, 2 doubles ... James
Loney LAD 2-4, homer
21 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Neil Walker PIT 1-3, double, error, passed ball,
.292 ... Mike Pelfrey NYN 3.0 1 0 0 0 1 ... Gio Gonzalez
PHI 3.0 1 0 0 0 3 ... Jonathan Meloan LAD 2.0 1 0 0 2 2 ...
Troy Patton HOU 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 ... Eric Duncan NYA 2-4,
triple, .286 ... CF Fernando Martinez NYN 2-4, homer, .258 ...
Ryan Braun MIL 1-4, 3rd homer, 3rd SB, .323 ... CF Jacoby
Ellsbury BOS 3-5, .270 ... Brett Carroll OF FLO 2-5, 3rd
homer, 4 RBI, .414
Hawaii Winter League ... Joba Chamberlain NYA 4.0 3 2 2 0 6, 2.57
... Nyjer Morgan CF & leadoff 2-4, homer, walk, .390 ... Eric
Campbell ATL 1-4, homer, .262 ... catcher Emerson Frostad
TEX 3-4, 2 doubles, walk, .346 ... John Mayberry TGEX 2-4, .333
...
Venezuela ... Josh Fields CHA, LF, 2-4, double ... Alberto
Callaspo ARZ 3-6, .318 ... Carlos Gonzalkez ARZ 1-6, .250
Dominican ... Felix Pie CHN 0-3 ... James Loney LAD
0-4 ... Joey Votto CIN 1-3, 2 walks ... Jose Arrendondo
LAA 2 0 0 0 0 3 ... Joel Guzman TB, 3B, 1-4 ...
It's Jeff Clement SEA atop the list as
Project Prospect checks
out the best behind the plate - Clement, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Neil Walker,
Chris Iannetta & Miguel Montero 1-5 (not sure how this came about, but on one of
my Scoresheet teams I've ended up with Mauer, Varitek, Bengie Molina, Clement,
Montero) :
" ... Jeff Clement ... One of the top
collegiate catching prospects in recent history, Clement, 23, headlines this
list – despite his injury-filled (elbow and knee) professional debut – because
he has potential to be a perennial All-Star. Taken 3rd overall in the 2005
draft, Clement has managed just 428 at-bats since signing with the Mariners in
late-July of 2005. And his .278/.350/.418 career minor league line doesn’t begin
to resemble the potential he displayed in college. Still, if the 6-foot-1,
210-pound left-handed hitter enters camp healthy in 2007, he could be in a major
league uniform by midseason."
" ... 4. Chris Iannetta ... stellar
last season, shredding through Double-A Tulsa (.321/.418/.622) and then Triple-A
Colorado Springs (.351/.447/.510). The 4th round draft pick out of North
Carolina vaulted his way to a late-season call-up and claimed the ever-changing
title of “Catcher of the Future” in Colorado ... we see Iannetta (5’11”,
195-pounds) as a catcher who will put up slightly better numbers than Johnny
Estrada and prove to be more durable. Although Iannetta may never encounter a
season where he is able to represent the National League in the All-Star game,
we think he’ll go on to have a solid major league career."
TopProspectAlert is alive! J.P. Schwartz pens TPA's Top 100 and he
likes Alex Gordon over Delmon Young and Philip
Hughes as the top dog. Matt Garza and Homer
Bailey round out the top five. I'll soon begin posting all the 2007
Top 100s and team-by-team lists, so if you need the 2006 lists download them
now.
20 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... CF Mitch Maier KC, leadoff, 4-5, double & 1-4,
.333 ... shortstop Troy Tulowitzki SS COL 2-5 & 2-4, .360 ... Travis
Buck
OAK 2-4, walk, .357 ... catcher Curtis Thigpen TOR 3-4, double,
homer, walk & 1-4, double, .308 ... 3B Chad Spann BOS 2-4, homer,
walk & 0-4, .407 ...
Manny Parra MIL, again on the comeback trail (from injuries) 2.0 1
1 1 4 3 ... Hunter Pence OF HOU 2-4, walk, 3 SBs & 3-4, 2 doubles,
.333 ... Matt Albers HOU 4.0 0 0 0 0 2 ... Darrell Rasner NYA 4.0
3 0 0 0 5 ... Sean Henn NYA 3.0 1 0 0 0 5 ...
Hawaii Winter League ... superb for three appearances, then - Henri
Vanden Hurk FLO 3.1 4 7 7 4 7 ... OF Chris Rahl ARZ
1-4, homer, .280 ... Wardell Starling PIT 3.1 5 5 4 2 5 ... CF
Nyjer Morgan PIT 3-4, triple, .378 ... Ian Kennedy NYA
4.0 2 0 0 3 7
Venezuela ... Josh Fields CHA, learning the OF, 1-4 ... Carlos
Gonzalez ARZ 0-4, .273
Mexico ... Brian Bannister NYN 5 8 2 2 1 2 ... CF Choo
Freeman COL 3-4, 2 doubles
Dominican ... Joey Votto CIN 1-3, homer ... Ryan Garko CLE 1-2,
walk
Cameron Maybin continues to impress.
" ... This was Maybin's second stint in
instructs, as he got his feet wet there last year after signing. "He's a fine
young player, but his character is as good as his talent -- he has wonderful
talent and is a wonderful young man," Ezell (Tigers farm director Glenn Ezell)
said. "He likes to play, he's open to learning and he has good aptitude."
Maybin, 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, boasts the whole package when it comes to the
proverbial "five-tool talent," but Ezell found out quickly that he's not content
to rest on that natural ability. Before the Instructional League began, Ezell
talked to the teenager about what he wanted to accomplish there and was
surprised and impressed by the answer. "He said he wanted to learn how to bunt
for base hits," Ezell said. "He felt that there would be times when that would
help him get out of slumps." (MiLB.com)
18 October, 2006
If you notice that your cheque of late in the season hasn't been cashed ...
they've been ripped up given the lengthy breaks I've had to take along the way
... however, the thought much appreciated.
Arizona Fall League ... Kevin Slowey MIN 1.1 3 1 1 0 1 ... Kevin
Kouzmanoff CLE 1B 3-5, 2 doubles ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia
ATL 2-4, walk ... 3B Scott Moore CHN 2-4, homer ... CF Fernando
Martinez NYN 2-4 ... shortstop Brendan Ryan STL 3-5, double
... CF Brett Gardner NYA 3-4, double, 2 walks ... yikes, Dustin
McGowan TOR 2.1 4 6 6 5 2 ... JA Happ PHI 2.0 2 0 0 1 2 ...
Zach Segovia PHI 2.2 1 0 0 1 2 ... Troy Tulowitzki COL 2-4,
SB ... Mark Reynolds ARZ 2-4 ... Mexicoo ... Ryan Doumit PIT
1B 1-3, homer, 2 walks ...
PIT catcher among those saluted in the Hawaii Winter League :
" ... Honolulu Sharks teammates Steve Lerud,
Kanehisa Arime, and Takanobu Tsujiuchi have been named
Position Player and co-Pitchers of the Week for October 10-14. Lerud, a catcher
from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, is currently batting .500 on the
season. Though he only played in two games this week, he made his plate
appearances count, going 5-for-8 with one home run" (Hawaii Winter League)
Another possible entry for the 2007 draft :
" ... Yakult Swallows are prepared to let
power-hitting third baseman Akinori Iwamura bolt to the major leagues
through the posting system, sources told the Yomiuri Shimbun on Monday. The
27-year-old Iwamura has been wanting to play in the majors for years, but the
Swallows had repeatedly declined his request to put him up for bidding. However,
a club official has said that Yakult, which finished fourth in the Central
League this year, will finally relent. "If he has a strong desire, then he will
be allowed to go," said the official. Iwamura, who batted .311 this season with
32 home runs, 77 RBIs and 84 runs, is expected to meet with the club president
this month, upon which he will receive the official greenlight."
(The Daily Yomiuri)
17 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... Jeff Niemann TB 3.2 5 2 2 1 4 ...
shortstop Brendan Ryan STL 3-5 ... OF Travis Buck
OAK 3-6, double, homer, 4 RBI ... Chip Cannon TOR 3-3, 2 homers, 2
walks ... CF Jacoby Ellsbury BOS 2-6, triple ... Yunel
Escobar SS/2B ATL 4-6, 2 doubles ... Trevor Crowe CLE 1-3, 3
walks ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 2-3, double, homer, walk ...
3B Matt Moses MIN 3-5, 2 doubles ... oops, Luke Hochevar
2.1 6 7 5 1 2 ... catcher Neil Walker PIT 3-5, double ...
Ryan Braun 3B MIL 2-4, double
" ... outfielder Michael Wilson has been
named the Arizona Fall League's first 2006 player-of-the-week. One of the
Seattle Mariners' top prospects, Wilson, who plays all three outfield positions,
belted two grand-slam home runs during the first week of play to help him amass
a league-leading total of 11 runs batted in. The 23-year-old Wilson, a native of
Tulsa, Oklahoma, hit .315 with nine home runs in 52 games for Class-A Inland
Empire in the California League and .245 with 12 home runs in 67 games for
Class-AA San Antonio in the Texas League in 2006 ... Wilson was the Mariners'
second-round selection in the June, 2001 Draft ." (Arizona Fall League)
" ... Phoenix INF 26 Wes Bankston (TB)
suffered a severe ankle sprain and is out for the rest of the fall. Bankston was
injured on a play at second base on 10-13 vs Scottsdale. A replacement has yet
to be announced." (AFL)
Venezuela ... OF Alex Romero MIN 2-5, walk ... Carlos
Gonzalez ARZ 2-4, walk
Mexico ... Ryan Doumit PIT 1-4 ... Andy Sisco KC 4 1 0 0 2
5
Adam Foster, Project
Prospect, moves on to highlight the top prospects in each MLB division.
Delmon Young, Alex Gordon, Brandon Wood are among the picks, along with :
" ... Chris Young ... One of the
few 21-year-olds in Triple-A, Young did not disappoint in his new franchise. His
.276/.363/.532 line brought him from Tucson across the desert to Phoenix by the
middle of August. The 16th round 2001 draft pick – he severely broke his left
forearm a few days before the draft – ... was also on the verge of going 20/20
in Tucson before he was called up. He had 20 home runs to go along with 17
steals in 22 attempts. Young looks like a very special talent, drawing
comparisons to Carlos Beltran, Eric Davis, and Mike Cameron."
" ... Homer Bailey ... started the
season in High-A Sarasota and aced that test with a 10.06 K/9 ratio and a paltry
1.00 WHIP. Promoted to Double-A Chattanooga in mid-June, Bailey continued to
improve, this time putting up a 10.19 K/9 ratio and a 1.15 WHIP to go along with
just one home run in 68.0 innings ... has the build, stuff, and competitive
spirit to be a frontline starter as soon as 2007. His fastball touches 97 mph
and he offers a plus-plus curveball to go with his changeup and slider ...
After pitching 103.2 regular season innings in 2005 and 138.2 in 2006, Bailey
still may not be ready to pitch a full season in the majors, but that won't keep
the Reds from giving him a shot at opening 2007 in their rotation."
16 October, 2006
Arizona Fall League ... no games scheduled. Top hitters :
G AB 2B 3B HR OBP SLG AVG
Yunel Escobar 4 17 1 1 0 .600 .706 .529
Mark Reynolds 3 12 1 0 2 .571 1.083 .500
Seth Bynum 3 10 1 0 0 .643
.600 .500
Kory Casto 5 18 2 0 1 .667
.778 .500
Chad Spann 3 14 2 1 0 .533
.786 .500
Trevor Crowe 4 21 1 1 0 .476 .619 .476
Nolan Reimold 3 11 3 0 0 .571 .727 .455
Matt Tolbert 5 14 1 0 0 .500 .500 .429
Brendan Ryan 4 22 1 0 1 .435 .591 .409
Brett Gardner 5 18 0 1 0 .571 .500 .389
Hawaii Winter League ... n/a
Venezuela ... Alberto Callaspo ARZ 2-4, homer, walk ... Jose
Tabata NYA 2-4 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-5, walk ... OF
Alex Romero MIN 3-4
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