10/22 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 23, 2009 under Market Watch | Be the First to Comment

Stephen Strasburg’s second outing went much differently than his first as three Peoria Javelinas took him deep and he was touched up for eight runs in his 2.2 innings of work.  Talented as Strasburg is, he is not immune from the steep learning curve that major league baseball imposes on virtually every young hurler.  In other action, Oakland A’s OF prospect Grant Desme continues his power onslaught, hitting his 6th dinger and fellow outfield mate Corey Brown chimed in with his 3rd.  Mike Stanton racked up three more hits, as did Cole Gillespie, Pedro Ciriaco, and Chris Marrero.

Today’s top prospect is Detroit Tigers OF prospect Casper Wells.  Yesterday’s grand slame off of Strasburg proved to be the punctuation point on the #1 overall pick’s outing yesterday.  The former 14th rounder out of Towson University had a fair, but not spectacular year at AA Erie, hitting .260 with 15 HR and 41 RBI.  He’s bunched up with a glut of low to mid upside outfielders within the system and is in dire need of a standout AFL showing to elevate his status within the organization.  So far so good.  Wells currently hitting at a .476 clip with 2 HR 11 RBI.  If he can continue his torrid pace, the organization may be more apt to give more credence to his ‘08 numbers (.269 27 HR 79 RBI 25 SB) as to their expectations of Wells going forward.

AFL Player of the Day—CASPER WELLS

Other Notable AFL Peformances:

  Peoria Javelinas 9

• Casper Wells—2-5 HR(2) 5 RBI BB
• Russ Mitchell—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• C.J. Retherford—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Jordan Danks—2-4 2R
• Taylor Green—1-2 R 2 BB

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 6

• Chris Marrero—3-5 2B HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Grant Desme—1-4 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Corey Brown—3-5 HR(3) RBI 3B

  Surprise Rafters 3

• Mitch Moreland—2-4 HR(2) RBI 2R
• Ike Davis—1-3 2B BB
• Blake Wood—3 IP 4H BB 2K
• Tanner Scheppers—2 IP 2K

  Peoria Saguaros 2

• Matt McBride—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI BB
• Lance Zawadzki—2-3 2 BB
• Josh Judy—1.2 IP BB 4K

  Scottsdale Scorpions 11

• Cole Gillespie—3-5 2B 2R BB SB(2)
• Brandon Allen—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B
• Thomas Neal—2-5 2B 2R
• Darin Holcomb—2-4 3R BB
• Pedro Ciriaco—3-6 2B
• Domonic Brown—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Hector Gomez—2-5 2 RBI
• Brian Friday—2-5 2B R RBI

  Mesa Solar Sox 1

• Rene Tosoni—2-4 R 3B
• Mike Stanton—3-4
• Andrew Cashner—3.2 IP 3H Er K L (0-2)

10/13 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 14, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

The 2009 Arizona Fall League season kicked off in grand fashion yesterday with several fine offensive performances.  Homeruns by Phillies top prospect Domomic Brown, Baltimore’s Brandon Snyder, Washington’s Chris Marrero, and Minnesota’s Rene Tosoni helped to fuel fine offensive outputs for their clubs but today’s top performance came from NY Mets 1B prospect and former 1st round selection Ike Davis.  The 6-5 son of former Minnesota Twins pitcher Ron Davis went 4-6 yesterday with his first Hr, six RBI and two doubles to pace the Surprise Rafters 17 run output against the Peoria Javelinas.

Davis had a big time bounce back over two levels in his first full professional season, hitting .298 with 20 HR 71 RBI and 31 doubles.  With Carlos Delgado’s time with the organization at a likely close, the focus for the next Mets 1B may turn to within the organization.  A short term salve may be Nick Evans but Davis’ long term potential is considerably better than Evans and current Rafter teammate Lucas Duda.  If Davis continues to tear the cover off of the ball this fall, thinks could get real interesting at that spot this coming spring.

AFL Player of the Day—IKE DAVIS

Other AFL Performances:

  Mesa Solar Sox 10

• Rene Tosoni—1-4 HR(1) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Starlin Castro—3-5 3 RBI R
• Mike Stanton—1-3 R 2 BB SB(1)
• Jose Iglesias—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Steve Singleton—2-5 2B 2R

 Phoenix Desert Dogs 6

• David Espinosa—1-4 3 RBI
• Brandon Snyder—2-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Chris Marrero—1-3 HR(1) RBI BB
• Jemile Weeks—1-4 2B R BB

  Surprise Rafters 17

• Ike Davis—4-6 HR(1) 6 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Bryan Anderson—3-5 3R RBI BB
• Lucas Duda—2-5 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Brandon Laird—4-6 3 RBI 2R
• Ruben Tejeda—2-5 2B 2R RBI SB(1)
• Colin Curtis—3-6 2B 2 RBI R
• Ian Kennedy—4 IP 2H eR 4K W (1-0)

  Peoria Javelinas 4

• Casper Wells—2-3 2B RBI
• Lucas May—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Lorenzo Cain—1-3 2B R BB

 Scottsdale Scorpions 8

• Domonic Brown—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Darin Holcomb—2-3 R
• Brandon Crawford—2-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Jose Tabata—1-2 2R RBI 2 BB SB(1)
• Hector Gomez—2-4 2B R RBI

  Peoria Saguaros 4

• Jason Heyward—2-5 2 2B R RBI SB(1)
• Chris Heisey—2-4 3B R RBI

7/7 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 9, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Phillies OF prospect Michael Taylor and Marlins OF prospect Michael Stanton each rapped three hits yesterday.  Taylor smacked two doubles and drove in two while stealing three bases.  The big day raised his average to .345 and pushed his season stolen base total to 17.  At 15 HR and 64 RBI, there isn’t much left for him to prove at the AA level and it seems logical to expect that he will get some AAA AB’s some time soon. 

Michael Stanton’s three hit day included his 18th HR of the season and three RBI.  Since his promotion to AA 29 games ago, the king sized slugger has struggled, hittng just .221 with 13 BB/34 K.  I’m not too dismayed by this, though.  Stanton is only in his second full season as a pro and his plate discipline is still a work in progress.  His month of June was dismal (.214 3 HR 9 RBI 9 BB/27 K in 22 games), but his July numbers (.241 3 HR 7 RBI 4 BB/7 K) shows marked improvement.  I expect that he will continue to acclimate himself well to AA pitching and think that the month of August will be his best yet.

Today’s top prospect is no stranger to this list.  Brian Matusz turned in his best performance of ‘09 tossing eight innings of one-hit ball, walking none and striking out 11.  This dominant outing lifted the lefty to a perfect 4-0 record at Bowie with a 0.34 ERA.  AA hitters are batting just .122 against Matusz and he’s walked just 6 and struck out 32 in 26.1 innings.  Despite his excellent showing, I don’t think he’ll get a crack at pitching in Baltimore this season as the club have Chris Tillman and Jake Arrieta ahead of him.  Tillman has fallen off as of late, though, and there could conceivably be a situatio where Matusz leapfrogs him for a promotion in September.  Arrieta will definitely be there by September at the latest.  Matusz is in his first season as a pro and prudence exercised by the O’s wouldn’t be a bad thing.  One thing is for certain, though, the future of the Orioles’ pitching staff looks to be quite bright.

AA Player of the Day—BRIAN MATUSZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Ryan Strieby—2-5 HR(16) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Cale Iorg—2-6 HR(9) 2 RBI 3R
• Alex Avila—3-6 HR(8) 4 RBI 3R 2B
• Pedro Alvarez—1-5 HR(17) 2 RBI
• Michael Taylor—3-4 2 2B R 2 RBI 3 SB(17)
• Nick Weglarz—2-3 HR(13) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Beau Mills—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Carlos Rivero—3-4 2B
• John Drennen—2-4 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—2-3 HR(15) RBI BB 2R
• Mike Wilson—1-2 HR(3) RBI 2 BB 2R
• John Shelby Jr.—2-5 2B 3B R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 R SB(3) BB
• Dayan Viciedo—2-5 2R
• Stefan Gartrell—1-3 HR(16) 3 RBI
• Michael Stanton—3-5 HR(18) 3 RBI 2B
• Logan Morrison—1-2 2B R RBI 3 BB
• Alex Gordon—2-5 2B HR(1) 3 RBI
• Darin Holcomb—1-3 HR(4) RBI
• Lance Zawadzki—2-4 2B 2R
• Mitch Canham—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Johnny Whittleman—1-4 HR(4) 3 RBI BB 2R
• Chad Tracy—3-5 2 2B R 2 RBI
• Adrian Cardenas—3-4 R
• Josh Donaldson—2-4 2B R RBI
• James Rapoport—3-4 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Steven Hill—1-5 HR(12) 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Brian Matusz—8 IP H 11 K W (8-2)
• Luis Perez—6 IP 5H ER BB 5K W (6-6)
• Scott Diamond—7 IP 6H 3 ER BB 10K L (3-8)
• Cesar Carillo—8 IP 3H Er BB 4K W (6-4)
• Michael Kirkman—6 IP 2H BB 5K W (6-5)

6/28 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 29, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Oakland A’s 1B of the future Chris Carter continues to pound the baseball, going 2-3 yesterday with his 13th HR six runs batted in and two runs scored.  I predicted at the beginning of June that Carter was due to go off on a power rampage and, suffice to say it, he has.  Over his last 100 AB, Carter is hitting .313 with 7 HR 19 RBI and a 19 BB/24 K ratio.  His improvements in his approach at the plate has resulted in a 40 point rise in batting average.  Also, Sean Doolittle’s injuries and potential move to the OF has opened the door wide for Carter to be the premier 1B prospect in Oakland’s farm system.  Jason Giambi is a one season hold over and Daric Barton offers a paper-thin resistance to Carter’s comprehensive skill set.  The A’s are desperate for offensive fire power and the 6-4 225 lb. Carter offers it in abundance.  He should make a move to AAA Sacramento at some point this summer and if Oakland continues to play last place baseball in the AL West, he should get a look at some point in September.  I expect that Chris Carter will get to continue his development at the Arizona Fall League this winter before getting a long look by the A’s this following spring. 

Today’s player de jour is the always impressive Michael Taylor of the Philadelphia Phillies organization.  The Stanford alum collected three more hits yesterday, including his 14th HR, four RBI and two runs scored.  Taylor’s banner day raised his season batting average to .342 .  He’s bound to earn a promotion soon either to AAA or, perhaps, to Philly.  The eBay market for Taylor’s cards has been red hot as of late with his ‘07 Bowman Chrome Draft cards selling at $2.00-2.50 each and his ‘08 Donruss Elite autos (#/720) ranging between $20-25 each.  There is quite a bit of room for all of Taylor’s cards to grow.  His blend of power, speed, plate discipline and batting average and his athletic 6-6 250 lb. frame spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S at the major league level.

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL TAYLOR

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Chris Carter—2-3 HR(13) 6 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Adrian Cardenas—3-4 3R 2 BB SB(6)
• Matt Sulentic—3-6 2R 3 SB(16)
• Josh Donaldson—1-2 R 3 BB
• Matt Spencer—2-5 HR(13) 2 RBI
• Eric Sogard—2-5 2R
• Logan Forsythe—2-4 3B RBI R BB
• Tim Smith—3-4 2B 2 RBI BB R
• Mitch Moreland—2-5 2B RBI R
• Michael Taylor—3-4 HR(14) 4 RBI 2B 2R
• Jesus Montero—2-4 HR(9) RBI
• Jose Tabata—1-3 2B 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Jim Negrych—2-4 2 RBI R SB(4)
• John Shelby Jr.—2-3 2B 3B 2 RBI 2 BB R SB(10)
• Dayan Viciedo—2-3 2 2B 2R BB
• Todd Frazier—1-4 HR(7) 2 RBI
• Sean Henry—2-4 HR(9) 2 RBI
• Andrew Lambo—3-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Eric Campbell—2-3 3B 2 RBI
• Desmond Jennings—2-4 2R RBI BB SB(28)
• Bryan Petersen—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Darin Holcomb—2-3 2B R BB
• Tyler Henry—3-4 HR(6) RBI 2R
• Hank Conger—2-5 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—2-4 2B RBI
• Danny Worth—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Casper Wells—2-5 2B 3B
• Michael Daniel—2-5 R (Game 1)…..3-5 R (Game 2)
• Leonard Davis—2-5 HR(11) 3 RBI BB
• Rene Tosoni—3-4 2B R BB

Pitching:

• Michael Stutes—7 IP 5H 2 ER BB 3K W (5-4)
• Charles Shirek—7 IP 8H ER BB 2K W (10-2)
• Kyle Parker—7 IP 4H Er 2 BB 4K
• Ryne Reynoso—7.2 IP 6H Er 2 BB 6K W (5-4)
• Travis Wood—7 IP 5H 2 ER BB 4K
• Kasey Kiker—6 IP 4H 6K

5/5 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 6, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Last ngiht’s AA action saw the debut of Florida Marlins elite prospect Michael Stanton.  Touted by some to be the second coming of Dave Winfield, Stanton collected two hits in four AB and drove in two runs.  His promotion to Jacksonville seems to be well-timed and I am most interested to see if he can continue to be disciplined at the plate.  Prior to his promotion, Stanton had a solid 28 BB/45 K through his first 50 games.  Could he make his big league debut this season?  I think not, but a trip to the Arizona Fall League in the offseason could be the final bit of seasoning for Stanton before his big league debut.

In other action, Beau MIlls hit HR #5 and drove in two runs.  He’s been a little bit of a disappointment in the early going, hitting .261 with 5 HR and 21 RBI for an offesively anemic Akron Aeros team, but his early returns from June have been solid (.381 HR 3 RBI 6 runs) and his big league bloodlines are reason to extend a bit of patienct to the 22 year old 1B prospect.  Speaking of first basemen, Oakland A’s slugger Chris Carter blasted his 7th HR, drove in two runs, walked twice and stole his 7th base of the season.  As predicted by me, Carter’s power has returned after hitting just one HR during the month of April.  Even more encouraging is the fact that Carter’s pitch recognition and plate discipline has taken a step forward as his 34 BB/53 K ratio is a marked improvement from his 77 BB/156 K performance from a year ago. 

Today’s top AA performer is New York Yankees right hander Zach McAllister  who tossed 7.2 shutout innings, striking out six for his 5th victory of the season.  The 21 year old McAllister has had an understatedly excellent season as a Yankee farm hand, going 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA and a very respectable 18 BB/48 K ratio through his first 61 innings.  McAllister has allowed just one HR in his first 10 starts and has held hitters to a .220 BA.  The former 2006 draft pick looks to be a mid-rotation workhorse with a four-seam fastball that approaches 95 MPH and a two-seamer with good sink that sits at 89-91 MPH.  His slider and changeup are solid pitches that have made significant strides over the past season and it is on the strength of those offspeed offerings that McAllister has been able to vastly elevate his stock within the organization.

From a market perspective, McAllister’s optimal values will be realized if he is able to stay in pinstripes.  However, as his stock increases, so does his value as a late season trading chip for a Yankees team that is in a heated pennant chase with the Boston Red Sox.  Don’t be surprised if McAllister’s name starts to get floated around as a potential part of a trade deadline deal.  While that would bode well for the 6-6 230 lb righty’s immediate baseball future, his best market gains would be realized if he can make his MLB debut in a Yankees uniform.

AA Minor League Report—ZACH MCALLISTER

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Justin Snyder—2-4 2 RBI R
• Lars Anderson—2-3 R BB
• Argenis Diaz—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—1-3 HR(11) RBI
• Bryan Peterson—3-5 R
• Michael Stanton—2-4 2 RBI
• Beau Mills—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R
• John Drennen—2-5 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Andy Dirks—2-3 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Brandon Crawford—1-2 R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Chris Hatcher—2-4 2 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R
• Josh Bell—1-3 HR(6) 2 RBI BB
• James Adduci—3-4 2B R RBI
• Taylor Green—2-4 R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 2 RBI 2B R
• John Shelby Jr.—2-4 2B R
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Sean Coughlin—3-4 HR(6) RBI 2R 2B
• Kurt Mertins—3-6 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Jordan Parraz—3-6 2 2B 2 RBI R SB(4)
• Jose Duarte—3-5 R RBI SB(9)
• Josh Horton—3-5 2B 2R
• Chris Carter—2-3 HR(7) 2 RBI 2BB SB(7)
• Adrian Cardenas—2-4 R BB
• Darin Holcomb—2-3 HR(2) RBI 2R BB
• Eric Sogard—2-4 R BB
• Todd Cruz—2-3 R BB
• Steven Hill—2-4 2B R RBI

Pitching:

• Trevor Reckling—6.2 IP 3H ER 7 BB 7K
• Jhoulys Chacin—6 IP 4H Er 2 BB 7K W (4-4)
• Sergio Perez—6 IP 5H ER 2 BB 6K
• Scott Diamond—6 IP 5H Er BB 3K W (2-5)
• Zach McAllister—7.2 IP 7H 6K W (5-2)
• Luis Marte—7 IP 4H BB 6K W (4-5)
• Aaron Poreda—6 IP 3H 5 BB 7K W (5-4)
• Brad Holt—6.1 IP 2H ER 3 BB 3K

5/29 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 30, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

If you like offense, and oh how us prospectors do, then the AA performances from yesterday will bring a smile to your face.  Cleveland’s 1B prospect Beau Mills blasted two HR and drove in four runs yesterday, while Detroit farmhands Scott Sizemore and Brennan Boesch each hit their 9th HR’s of the young season.  Desmond Jennings rapped three hits including his 6th dinger and Angels 1B prospect Mark Trumbo also hit his 6th while driving in four runs.  San Diego Padres OF prospect Mike Baxter added four more hits, including his 3rd HR and 21st double en route to a 3 RBI day.  Baxter now has 21 hits over his last 10 games (.538 BA) with 13 RBI and 12 runs scored.  Baxter’s effort helped elite pitching prospect Mat Latos earn his 1st AA win, though he probably didn’t need the help.  Latos allowed just one hit over seven scoreless innings, walking two and striking out seven.  Latos is now 4-0 on the year and has allowed a stingy .059 BA since his promotion to San Antonio.

Today’s top prospect is Philadelphia Phillies OF Michael Taylor.  The former Stanford slugger has been swinging a hot bat as of late, hitting .432 with 3 HR and 13 RBI over his last 10 games.  Taylor’s day yesterday was probably his best outing of the season, as he went 5-6 with his 9th HR, six RBI and two runs scored.  Taylor is a mythical blend of power, speed, and discipline that should make him the perfect offensive weapon at the next level.  So far this season, the 6-6 250 lb. Taylor is batting .342 with 9 HR 37 RBI and 8 SB.  He should earn a promotion to AAA soon with an outside shot of making his MLB debut in ‘09.  There really is no rush Taylor along as the OF is pretty well set right now with the trifecta of Ibanez, Victorino, and Werth.  As good as things right now in the green grasse of Citizen’s Bank Ballpark, the rapid development of Taylor and top prospect Dominic Brown promises an even rosier future.

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL TAYLOR

 


Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Josh Bell—1-4 HR(4) 3 RBI (Game 1)…..1-2 2B RBI (Game 2)
• Beau Mills—2-5 2 HR(4) 4 RBI 2R
• Scott Sizemore—1-2 HR(9) RBI 2R 2 BB SB(7)
• Brennan Boesch—2-4 HR(9) 2 RBI BB 2B
• Josh Thole—3-4
• Jon Still—3-3 R RBI
• Mike McBryde—3-5 HR(1) 4 RBI 4R 2B
• Justin Snyder—2-5 2B RBI R
• Matt Whitney—3-5 2B R 5 RBI
• David Cooper—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Michael Taylor—5-6 HR(9) 4 RBI 2R
• Quentin Berry—3-5 2R
• Desmond Jennings—3-3 HR(6) 2 RBI 2B R 2 BB
• Zack Cozart—2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Chris Heisey—3-5 HR(7) 4 RBI SB(10)
• Scott Cousins—2-4 R 2 RBI SB(10)
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 R RBI BB SB(10)
• Pedro Ciriaco—3-5 2B 2R
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—1-2 2B R 2 BB
• Peter Bourjos—2-6 2R 3B
• Hank Conger—3-5 3 RBI 2R BB
• Mark Trumbo—2-6 HR(6) 4 RBI 2R
• Hanley Statia—4-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 3R
• Drew Locke—4-5 HR(10) 6 RBI 2 2B 3R
• Darin Holcomb—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Mike Baxter—4-5 HR(3) 2 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Eric Sogard—2-4 2B R
• Mitch Canham—2-4 3B RBI R
• Chris Carter—2-5 2B R
• Josh Donaldson—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R

Pitching:

• Mat Latos—7 IP H 2 BB 7K W (4-0)
• Scott Elbert—6.1 IP H 3 BB 9K W (2-0)

4/16 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 18, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

TEXAS LEAGUE

Down in the Lone Star State, Angels prospects Mark Trumbo and Ryan Mount homered as did Rockies catcher Mike McKenry.  Jose Vallejo logged in a four hit day and Astros 1B prospect Mark Ori had five RBI.  The player of the day, though, was Round Rock’s OF Collin DeLome who hit his fourth HR, while driving in two and scoring three times.

Texas League Player of the Day—COLLIN DELOME

Other Notable Performances:

• Cedric Hunter—1-4 2B RBI BB
• Mitch Canham—2-4 2B R RBI
• Jose Duarte—2-4 2R 2 SB(5)
• Joe Dickerson—1-3 R RBI BB
• Brian McFall—1-4 2B 2 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Ryan Mount—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Hanley Statia—2-4 2B
• Chris Carter—1-2 3 BB SB(1)
• Josh Horton—1-4 R RBI
• Corey Brown—2-4 R
• Daryl Jones—3-4 2B R RBI
• Donovan Solano—2-5 R RBI BB
• Dan Delasco—2-6 2B 3B R 3 RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-3 2B 2R 2 BB
• Steven Hill—1-4 2R 2 RBI BB
• Jose Vallejo—4-5 3 RBI
• Marcus Lemon—2-3 3B 2R RBI BB
• Collin DeLome—2-5 HR(4) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Mark Ori—3-4 2 2B 2R 5 RBI 2 BB
• Josh Flores—1-4 2B R RBI SB(2) BB
• Drew Locke—3-5 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Mike McKenry—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B R
• Darin Holcomb—2-4 2B RBI
• Polin Trinidad—6 IP 8H ER 5K W(1)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Oft overlooked Marlins OF prospect Bryan Peterson belted his first HR of the season and drove in three runs.  Bryan Byrne rapped four hits and Chris Heisey hit his third HR of the season, but it was Diamondbacks 1B prospect Ricardo Sosa once again earning top player honors with his 4-5 day that included his third HR and four RBI.

Southern League Player of the Day—RICARDO SOSA

Other Notable Performances:

• Ezequiel Carrera—2-5 2R
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Tim Torres—2-3 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• John Shelby Jr.—2-4
• Dayan Viciedo—2-4 RBI
• Tyler Flowers—1-4 3B R
• Ty Wright—2-4 R
• Blake Lali—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• James Adduci—2-4
• Hung-Wen Chen—6.1 IP
• Desmond Jennings—1-4 2B R
• Heath Rollins—6 IP 6H ER 2K W(1)
• Josh Lindblom—5 IP 3H 3 ER BB 6K L(1)
• Kala Ka’aihue—2-3 2B R BB
• Brandon Hicks—1-3 R BB
• Gorkys Hernandez—1-5 2B 2 RBI
• Scott Diamond—5 IP 3H 4 BB 5K
• Jon Lucroy—2-5 R
• Chris Heisey—2-5 HR(3) RBI 2R
• Juan Francisco—2-5 2 RBI
• Ricardo Sosa—4-5 HR(3) 4 RBI
• Evan Frey—2-4 R 2 RBI
• Bryan Byrne—4-5 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Pedro Ciriaco—2-5 3R RBI

EASTERN LEAGUE

Hits were at a premium in the Eastern region of the AA ranks.  Tigers 2B prospect Scott Sizemore didn’t have any problems though, as he racked up four hits and scored two runs.  Troy Patton won his second outing by tossing six shutout innings and Brad Lincoln continued his nice comeback surrendering an unearned run over five innings.  That sole tally proved to be too much though as he was outdueled by the Eastern League Player of the Day Alfredo Figaro.  The slender Tigers right-hander tossed a no-hitter through seven innings to extend his scoreless streak to 12.2 IP.

Eastern League Player of the Day—ALFREDO FIGARO

Other Notable Performances:

• Brad Emaus—1-3 2B R
• Luis Perez—7 IP 2H 2 BB 6K W(1)
• Ryan Mullins—5 IP 7H 2 Er 7K L(2)
• Scott Sizemore—4-4 2 2B 2R RBI BB
• Alfredo Figaro—7 IP 0H 3 BB 5K W(1)
• Brad Lincoln—5 IP 5H UER 6K L(1)
• Lars Anderson—2-4 2 2B R
• Argenis Diaz—2-4 2B 3B 2 RBI
• Josh Thole—2-4 2 2B 2R BB SB(1)
• Nick Pereira—4 IP H 3 BB 2K
• Ian Desmond—2-4 2 RBI
• Michael Daniel–1-2 HR(1) RBI
• Marvin Lowrance—2-3 HR(1) RBI
• Josh Rodriguez—2-3 BB
• Beau Mills—1-4 2B
• Troy Patton—6 IP 3H 6K W(2)
• Frank Hermann—7 IP 3H ER BB 3K L(1)

Top 20 Third Base Prospects (Part 2)

Posted by Jeremy on February 21, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Here is the list for the second half of the top 20 third base prospects.  This is a difficult list to rank simply for the fact that many of these guys are still very young and quite raw.

11.) Dayan Viciedo—Chicago White Sox

2008 Stats: N/A

Strengths: The 19 year old Cuban is built like a tank and he produces jaw dropping power with his smooth lefty swing.  Dayan is a complete hitter who has shown the ability to hit for average as well as a member of Cuba’s national team. 

Weaknesses: His weight has been an issue.  Viciedo is reported to the White Sox at a robust 5-11 245 lb.  That is more than 20 lbs. less than when he signed with the Sox.  He has yet to have a professional AB which makes much of his projectible skills just conjecture at this point. 

2009 Outlook: There have been rumors that Viciedo will be given a shot to make the White Sox roster this spring.  It is not outside the realm of possibility as Ozzie Guillen handed last year’s Cuban wonderkind Alexei Ramirez the starting job out of spring training and he went on to finish second in the A.L. ROY voting.  Viciedo is 8 years Ramirez’s junior, though, so a stint in the minor leagues seems to be more realistic.  It won’t be too long, however, as Viciedo’s four-year MLB contract starts ticking come April.

12.) Juan Francisco—Cincinnati Reds

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Francisco has prolific power potential that could hit upwards of 30 HR per season at the major league level.  He has all of the makings of a superb defensive 3B with good quickness and an arm that may just be the strongest in the Reds system.

Weaknesses: Awful plate discipline.  His 19 BB/123 K ratio indicates that he struggles mightly with pitch recognition and falls victim to getting into pitchers’ counts.  He has a frame that could put on more bulk in the future that could work to diminish some of his above average athleticism.

2009 Outlook: AA tends to be a make or break level for raw power hitters.  Francisco has the ability to be a big time power hitter in the major leagues, but his ability to control the strike zone will be the ultimate determinant in his overall success.  He will never draw many walks, but if he can cut his K’s to around 100, he should continue to have success.

13.) Allen Craig—St. Louis Cardinals

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Craig has been a consistently productive hitter at each level he has played.  He is a polished hitter with good power that should translate to 18-22 HR per season at the major league level.  He has a sound feel for the strike zone and works hard to get the most out of his limited athleticism.

Weaknesses: He has average defensive abilities and his ceiling is not as high as some of the other prospects on this list.  While he should evolve into a solid major league player, he doesn’t have the “wow” factor that other more projectible players on this list have.

2009 Outlook: The offseason shoulder surgery of Troy Glaus may make Craig’s situation a little more interesting.  Glaus is expected to be ready by mid-April, but he has a history of spending large chunks of time of the DL.  St. Louis has an assortment of backups to Glaus (David Freese, Brian Barden, Joe Mather) but none have the offensive potential that Craig has.  AAA Memphis seems the best destination for Craig at this time, but a late season call up should be in the cards (rimshot).  Glaus will not be with the Cardinals next season which should open up an opportunity for Craig in 2010.

14.) Jason Taylor—Kansas City Royals

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Taylor is a stupendous athlete with top flight speed and intriguing power potential.  Unlike most young power hitters, Jason grinds out at bats and earns a high amount of walks which, when blended with his baserunning skills, makes him an ideal leadoff hitter.

Weaknesses: His defense at 3B is below average.  The Royals have shifted him to 1B and DH as well, but those haven’t taken either.  Perhaps the best opportunity is to shift to the OF, his speed and arm strength would play well there.  Also, he has yet to hit for a high average in his career, an interesting struggle given his outstanding discpline.

2009 Outlook: Taylor will play at High-A Wilmington this season along with Mike Moustakas.  Keep an eye on where the Royals decide to play him defensively.  There is an abundance of infield talent in the Royals’ system, but the outfield is quite a bit thinner.  Don’t be surprised to see Taylor end up there.  If so, his road to K.C. could move at a quicker pace.  His peripheral numbers indicate that he should be able to hit for a higher average down the road.  That, blended with his power and speed potential, could turn him into a bigger blip on prospectors’ screens.

15.) Jharmidy DeJesus—Seattle Mariners

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Power and batting average wrapped up in a highly projectible and athletic 6-3 185 lb. frame.  DeJesus has a good grasp of the strike zone and profiles to be an excellent defensive 3B.

Weaknesses: At this point, experience.  DeJesus put up some good numbers but they were at lower levels.  How his early successes will translate at more advanced levels remains to be seen.  He should lose some of his average speed as he ages.

2009 Outlook: The M’s should give Jharmidy his first exposure to full season baseball at Low-A Clinton.  It will be interesting to see which version of DeJesus comes out in the early going.  My guess is that his numbers will fall somewhere in between what he did in the Arizona League and at Everett.

16.) Billy Rowell—Baltimore Orioles

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Rowell has the potential to be a league leading HR hitter.  His tall, strong frame promises to add more bulk as he matures.  His left handed swing is fluid and provides good leverage to all drive balls to all fields.  He is a hard worker and intense competitor who is driven to improve his game.

Weaknesses: He has made improvements, but Rowell is still a below average 3B.  Plus, his size (some report him to be as tall as 6-7) should force him to move to 1B in the not too distant future.  He is a below average runner who should become even more so with age.  Also, there have been some rumblings that his intense demeanor tends to have a polarizing effect in the clubhouse.

2009 Outlook: Rowell will likely be handed another opportunity to improve upon his numbers at High-A Frederick before possibly earning a promotion to AA Bowie later in the year.  This should be the season where things start to click offensively for Rowell.  Once they do, he has the capability to put up some mammoth numbers and rise up this list.

17.) Jefry Marte—New York Mets

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Tons of projectibility in this kid.  Marte has a lightning quick bat that provides good pop to the alleys and seems to hit everything hard.  He has an athletic frame that should also become stronger in the coming years.  He possesses above average speed that gives him good range in the field and his above average arm strengths suits him well at the hot corner.

Weaknesses: Marte is just 17 and is still extremely raw.  His defensive skills are rudimentary at this point and his fielding percentage of just .821 indicates his proclivity to struggle with routine plays.  He has good speed, but he doesn’t use it much on the basepaths. 

2009 Overview: Marte performed well enought to earn a trip to Savannah for his first look at full season baseball.  The Mets have the luxury of having two top flight, high-ceiling prospects at 3B, but with David Wright as the face of the franchise, it should mean that Marte (and perhaps Wilmer Flores as well) may need to find other places to play.  Both Marte and Flores are at least two to three seasons away from threatening to crack the Mets’ lineup, though, which gives them plenty of time to sharpen their offensive and defensive tools.

18.) Neil Walker—Pittsburgh Pirates

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Walker has lots of good tools to work with.  He is a rare switch hitter at the 3B position that has good power from both sides of the plate.   He has above average speed that he uses well on the basepaths and has exhibited leadership and a sound work ethic as well. 

Weaknesses: Walker has good defensive tools that are still being refined after making the shift from catcher to 3B just two seasons ago.  He still has terrible discipline at the plate which will always detract from his ability to hit for a high average.

2009 Outlook:  He will be given a shot to bump Andy LaRoche off the top spot on the depth chart in spring training.  Walker has loads of upside in his game, but the struggle to put it all together still plagues him.  With Pedro Alvarez the hands down 3B of the future, Walker will either have to learn yet another new position or, more likely, anticipate a trade to a new organization.  That scenerio may provide be the boost that Neil needs to move his career to the next level.

19.) Jon Gilmore—Chicago White Sox

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Quick hands that hit for average and power to the gaps.  Gilmore is an agile athlete with soft hands and strong arm that should allow him to be a solid defensive third baseman.  His work ethic is impressive and his competitive drive is evident in his all out style of play.

Weaknesses: Gilmore needs to keep working on his footwork at 3B and his discipline at the plate.  He is an aggressive hitter who can be exploited by advanced pitching.  He also has a tendency to push himself too hard at times, becoming frustrated when his performance doesn’t meet his expectations.  This leaves him to be slump prone and may have contributed to his early season struggles at Rome last season.

2009 Outlook: Gilmore moves to a new organization that has a good deal of talent at 3B.  Keep an eye out for how the White Sox decide to use Gilmore in the upcoming seasons.  He has enough speed to shift to a corner OF spot if need be and his arm could play well in RF.  He’ll start the season at Low-A Kannapolis and look to continue his torrid hitting that he displayed at Danville last season.

 20.) Eric Campbell—Atlanta Braves

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Campell is a compact power hitting ball of energy who also mixes in a discerning eye at the plate that works counts effectively and draws walks.  He is a fiery competitor that exudes confidence when he plays.  Defensively, he has a good glove and strong arm suitable for the position.

Weaknesses: Campbell displays a poor attitude at times and is prone to insubordination.  This has led to a couple of team-induced suspensions along the way.  Campbell has also struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons, cutting into his production and slowing his development.

2009 Outlook: Campbell ended the season on a hot streak and should be ready to take on the challenges that AA Mississippi should offer.  I think that Eric Campbell is on a road to redemption.  He was a one time hot prospect that let his own immaturity hamper his promising future.  Let’s see if he can move beyond that and rise back to prospecting prominence once more.

Others to Consider: Mario Martinez, Josh Bell, Conor Gillespie, Brad Suttle,  Austin Gallagher, Travis Mattair, Johnny Whittleman, James Darnell, Tyler Henson, Tyler Kolodny, Darin Holcomb, Michael Almanzar, Taylor Green, Pedro Baez, Chris Johnson, Steve Souza

There’s the list.  As you can see, the list of players just off of the list are pretty darn talented as well.  The next Top 20 list will take us to the outfield for the best list yet.  Stay tuned and, as always, feel free to make your contributions in the comments secton!

11/8 & 11/9 HWL Report

Posted by Jeremy on November 10, 2008 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Here’s a double dip of Hawaiian Winter League baseball for you!

11/8:

 West Oahu Cane Fires  13

• Cyle Hankerd—4-4 2 HR(4) 5 RBI 3R
• Kyle Peter—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B
• Miles Durham—2-5 2B 3B 2R RBI
• James Skelton—1-4 2B 2 RBI 2R BB
• Mark Hallberg—2-5 2R
• Greg Burns—1-3 2R BB
• Tyler Henson—2-5 R

 North Shore Honu  3

• Ryan Kalish—1-4 2B RBI
• Matt McBride—2-4
• Jordan Parraz—1-4 2B R
• Dustin Realini—1-3 2B RBi BB

 Honolulu Sharks  4

• James Rapoport—2-4 R SB(4)
• Dominic Brown—1-3 R BB
• Brad Emaus—1-3 R BB
• Scott Shaw—5 IP H 2BB 6K (W)

 Waikiki Beach Boys  1

• Yonder Alonso—1-4 RBI
• Tony Thomas—1-4
• Austin Romine—1-4 2B R
• James McOwen—2-2

11/9:

   North Shore Honu  6

• Corey Brown—1-4 HR(3) 2 RBI 2R
• Matt McBride—2-4 2B RBI
• Dustin Martin—1-3 2B R RBI
• Ryan Kalish—1-3 2R BB

 West Oahu Cane Fires  6

• Mark Hallberg—3-4 HR(3) 3 RBI 2R
• Tyler Henson—2-4 R
• Caleb Gindl—1-4 R
• Chris Cody—5 IP H 2BB 2K

 Honolulu Sharks  4

• Michael Taylor—3-4 HR(2) RBI SB(3)
• Darin Holcomb—2-4 2B RBI
• Kala Ka’aihue—1-4 R RBI
• Kyle Drabek—6 IP H BB 3K

 Waikiki Beach Boys  1

• Roger Kieschnick—2-4 HR(5) RBI
• James McOwen—1-4 2B
• Waldis Joaquin—5 IP 2 H 5 BB 2K (L)

10/14 & 10/15 HWL Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 16, 2008 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

The beautiful state of Hawaii has had some weather maladies over the last couple of days that have postponed a couple of games.  I am combining results from the past two days into one post.  I’ll start with the results from Tuesday’s game between the North Shore Honu and Waikiki Beach Boys.

  North Shore Honu  14

• Corey Brown—2-3 HR(1) 3 RBI 3R 3BB
• Kyle Martin—1-5 HR(4) 2 RBI BB
• Ryan Kalish—0-4 2 BB 3R 2 SB(8)
• Jason Castro—2-5 2R RBI BB
• Matt McBride—1-4 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Kenji Sato—2-3 2B 2 RBI 2 BB R
• Kurt Mertins—1-4 2R 2B 2 RBI 2 BB
• Yatusaka Haitori—5 IP 3H 2 ER BB 8K (W)

  Waikiki Beach Boys  5

• Roger Kieschnick—1-4 3B R 2 RBI
• Damon Sublett—1-4 2R 3B 2 RBI BB
• James McOwen—1-3 2B R 2BB

 West Oahu Cane Fires  7

• Miles Durham—2-4 3 RBI R 2B
• Mark Halberg—2-3 2B R RBI
• Wally Crancer—1-2 3 RBI R 3B BB
• Ty Henson—1-2 2B R 2BB
• Brian Friday—2-3 R
• Tim Bascom—5 IP 0 H 2K (W)

 Honolulu Sharks  2

• Darin Holcomb—1-2 R
• Ryo Hijirisawa—1-2 BB RBI R