I was looking at Minor League Baseball’s web site and ran across this article about Chicago White Sox masher Brandon Allen. I have long been a fan of Allen since the Sox selected him in the 2004 draft. It has taken him a while, but he has, over time, evolved from a raw athlete into a high-calibur major league prospect. He still has some rough spots to sand out, but the potential is there for him to become a big time power hitter in the mold of Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Ryan Howard.
The market for Allen’s 2004 cards is active, but by no means has it apexed. His Bowman Chrome Draft cards sell for $1.50-2.50 each while his sole autographs from the 2004 SP Prospects set (#/500) are trading at $30-35 each. While that may seem high, remember that the SP Prospects set is immensely popular and has seen the likes of Adam Lind, Eric Campbell, Joe Koshansky, Reid Brignac and others eclipse the $50 mark on eBay at one point or another.
Reading this article only confirms my bullish feelings about Brandon Allen entering the 2009 season. Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is quite enamored with his potential, and it seems that the young 1B has a tremendous work ethic and positive demeanor. I fully expect Allen to crack the 30 HR plateau and boost his walk totals by at least 15 BB. If he fulfills these numbers, he will play for Guillen at some point in September.
