10/27 Arizona Fall League Report

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

Back to the keyboard to provide some more AFL updates.  Tuesday’s games saw Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Jose Tabata have his best game as at the plate, going 3-6 with his first HR and six RBI.  Tigers SS prospect Cale Iorg logged his first dinger as well, driving in three and scoring three times.  Freddie Freeman went yard and looks to be emerging from an early season slump. 

In Phoenix, the Oakland A’s OF tandem of Corey Brown and Grant Desme are providing ample evidence that the A’s’ present offensive woes may become a thing of the past.  Desme is currently leading the league with eight dingers and, though he didn’t add to that total Tuesday, he did drive in two runs and score three times.  Brown, an Oklahoma State alum, also had three RBI on the strength of his fourth HR of the season.  Both Brown and Desme are highly athletic players who have the ability to hit 30 HR per season at the major league level.

Tuesday’s top star, however, is household name Stephen Strasburg.   The Nationals’ franchise player bounced back big time from his lousy outing last week by tossing 4.1 innings of one-hit, one run ball walking one and striking out five for his second win of the season.  Despite the poor outing last week, Strasburg’s various 2008 and 2009 cards remain white hot commodities on the eBay trading floor.  A couple more outings like this will only amply that market.

AFL Player of the Day—STEPHEN STRASBURG

Other Notable AFL Performances:

  Peoria Saguaros 6

• Freddie Freeman—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Matt McBride—1-4 HR(2) 3 RBI
• Cedric Hunter—2-3 3 RBI
• Zack Cozart—2-4 2B 2R SB(2)

  Mesa Solar Sox 5

• Chris Parmelee—2-5 2 2B 2 RBI
• Luis Exposito—2-3 2B RBI BB
• Greg Burns—2-4 R
• Rene Tosoni—1-4 2R RBI BB

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 7

• David Espinosa—2-4 2B R
• Grant Desme—1-2 2B 3R 2 RBI 2 BB
• Corey Brown—2-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 2B SB(1)
• Brad Emaus—2-3 2 RBI BB SB(2)
• Steven Strasburg—4.1 IP H ER 2 BB 5K W (2-1)

  Surprise Rafters 6

• Jeff Bianchi—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R
• Mitch Moreland—2-4 2B RBI BB
• Marcus Lemon—2-4 3B 2R RBI

  Peoria Javelinas 10

• Jordan Danks—2-3 3R RBI 2 BB
• Cale Iorg—3-5 HR(1) RBI 3R SB(3)
• Russ Mitchell—1-4 3 RBI
• Dustin Ackley—1-4 2R BB

  Scottsdale Scorpions 9

• Jose Tabata—3-6 2B HR(1) 6 RBI
• Domonic Brown—2-5
• Cole Gillespie—3-5 2B R
• Brandon Crawford—1-2 3R RBI 2 BB
• Scott Mathieson—1.2 IP H BB 3K

Arizona Fall League: Mesa Solar Sox Roster and Analysis

Posted by Jeremy on October 14, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 2 Comments to Read

This is the first of a six part series that will examine the rosters of each Arizona Fall League team.  The Arizona Fall League is annually renown for showcasing the elite talent of each major league organization and often serves as a spring board for talented youngsters to carve out opportunities with their big league clubs in the following MLB season.  For the savvy prospect investor, the AFL offers a prolonged look at the development of key prospects during the baseball offseason and shapes the buying and selling strategies to be employed throughout the ensuing season.

Our first look is at the Mesa Solar Sox which boasts talents from the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, L.A. Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, and Florida Marlins.  Enjoy!

Top 5 Players to Watch:

1.) Michael Stanton

• It was a tale of two seasons for the king-sized Florida Marlins slugger who split time between High-A Jupiter and AA Jacksonville this season.  With Jupiter, Stanton hit .294 with 12 HR 39 RBI and a solid 28 BB/45 K ratio in 50 games.  His promotion to Jacksonville, however, exploited some still raw strike zone judgement (31 BB/99 K in 79 games) that plagued him throught 2008.  As a resut, Stanton mustered a .231 BA against Southern League hurlers, though his 16 HR and 53 RBI were demonstrative indicators of the power to come.  The market for Stanton’s various ‘08 RC autos is still quite active but the costs have diminshed by about 25% since his hot spring numbers.  His cheapest autos can be found in the 2008 Razor series (#/1199) for a shade under $10 each.  His more popular autos in the Bowman Chrome Drat set command $30-35 each.

AFL Outlook:

• Stanton has drawn rave reviews from members within the Marlins organization for his work ethic and cerebral approach to the game.  His struggles with the strike zone are issues stemming strictly from a lack of experience and an expedient ascent through the system.  Like other power hitters, he will always rack up high K totals, but I think that he will find a way to be more selective at the plate which should raise his BB totals as well as his batting average in future years.  If his AFL season is a successful one, Stanton should figure heavily in the Marlins’ plans at some point in 2010.

2.) Josh Vitters

• The top prospect of the Chicago Cubs played like one in his first full professional season, hitting .316 with 15 HR 46 RBI and 42 runs scored in his 70 games at Low-A Peoria.  That performance earned him a promotion to the Cubs’ High-A affiliate Dayton where his numbers dropped considerably (.238 3 HR 22 RBI in 50 games).  Like Stanton, plate discipline was the main culprit of Vitters’ struggles as he earned just 12 walks in 458 AB. 

AFL Outlook:

• Vitters is at least a year to year and a half away from making his major league debut, so this AFL experience is really just an opportunity for Josh to show the Cubs’ brass where he is development-wise.  Current Cubbies 3B Aramis Ramirez is under contract through next season and has a $14.6 million player option that he can utilize for 2011.  This should give Vitters just enough time to develop into a player that can effectively replace Ramirez’s production once he hits the free agent market.  Vitters has autographed cards in various 2007 and 2008 products that all seem to fall in the $10-20 range.  For someone who has promise to be the face of the Cubs franchise within the next two to three seasons, his cards seem like rock solid investments.

3.) Casey Kelly

• Is he a pitcher or an infielder?  Judging by last year’s numbers, his arm seems to be ahead of his bat.  Propelled by a 6-1 record and 1.12 ERA, the 19 year old Sarasota native rocketed his way to High-A Salem and continued to post excellent numbers (3.09 ERA 7 BB/29 K in 35 IP).  Kelly, as per the Red Sox plans, stopped pitching in the second half of the season and played at SS, where his bat (.222 3 HR 16 RBI 16 BB/49 K) failed to muster the same heat has his electric right arm.

AFL Outlook:

• On a roster drunk with top tier shortstops (Starlin Castro, Jose Iglesias), it seems that Kelly’s initial AFL experience will be limited and a primary source of extra offseason work against elite talent.  My gut tells me that Kelly will eventually develop as a pitcher, forgoing the offensive side of his game.  There are several other fine SS (Iglesias, Yamiaco Navarro, Argenis Diaz, Oscar Tejeda) within the system.

4.) Starlin Castro

• The 19 year old Chicago Cubs farmhand had an excellent debut season shooting up to AA Tennessee, hitting .299 with 3 HR 49 RBI and 28 SB over two levels.  The youngest participant in the Arizona Fall League, Castro has shown sound strike zone discipline (29 BB/53 K) and the ability to hit for future power (32 XBH). 

AFL Outlook:

• Castro’s AFL performance could go a long way towards determining just where the Cubs will start him for the 2010 season.  My hunch is that he will go back to AA Tennessee with the intent of earning a promotion to AAA Iowa within the first couple of months.  Current Cubbies SS, Ryan Theriot, had another solid season with both the glove and the bat, which could mean that Castro’s first MLB action may be at 2B instead of SS.  That could happen at the tail end of the 2010 season.  Castro’s first year cards have just been issued in the 2009 Bowman Chrome set.  The base chrome cards are currently trading at $1.25-2.00 each and his refractors can be found for $4-5 per card.  Vitters may be the face of the franchise, but Castro should be playing next to him and hitting in front of him for several future seasons.

5.) Ryan Kalish

• Kalish bounced back after a ho-hum 2008 season to put up big numbers at his High-A and AA stops this year, hitting .279 with 18 HR 77 RBI 21 SB and 84 runs scored.  The increase of his power output did not come at the expense of his plate disciline, which at a rate of 68 BB/107 K in 141 games, is still quite acceptable.

AFL Outlook:

• After being outsted by the L.A. Angels in a three game sweep, the Red Sox have some glaring offseason questions to answer.  Current LF Jason Bay is an unrestricted free agent and J.D. Drew is a prolonged stint on the DL (35 or more days) away from allowing the Red Sox the ability to opt out of the rest of his contract.  Josh Reddick, who received a couple of brief stints with the Sox this year, is at the front of the list of potential replacements, but Kalish may offer a more comprehensive skill set than Reddick has.  Long term, both are quite talented enough to flank Jacoby Ellsbury as a formidable Fenway trifecta for seasons to come.  The current eBay market for Kalish’s various 2008 first year autos between $8-12, which seems like a bargain considering the future potential that Kalish posesses.

Others to watch:

• Luis Exposito–Red Sox top catching prospect highly successful @ AA (.337 3 HR 12 RBI in 23 games)
• Ryan Mount—Disappointing ‘09 season but now top 2B with departure of Sean Rodriguez
• Hank Conger–1st fully healthy season at AA rendered good results (.295 11 HR 68 RBI 55 BB/68 K)
• Andrew Cashner—Cubs ‘08 1st rounder w/ power arm showed he can start (24 starts 2.60 ERA)
• Rene Tosoni—Twins OF w/ solid all around skill set may be playing for a change of scenery
• Chris Parmelee—’06 1st rounder developing plate discipline and light tower power (16 HR 27 2B)
• Jose Iglesias—Cuban FA SS with dynamic glove and emerging offensive potential for Red Sox
• Matt Dominguez–A disappointing 2009 season may be due more to being rushed than overall talent
• David Cooper–Unlike Dominguez, his extremely good ‘08 may be the aberration

8/11 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on August 12, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Yesterday’s scoreboard was limited almost exclusively to the Eastern League so today’s breakdown may be a little thin.  Carlos Santana came a homerun away from hitting for the cycle, driving in his 83rd and 84th runs of the season.  Santana has hit full stride this season after a July that saw him hit .311 with 8 HR and 29 RBI.  For the season, the Indians’ young receiver is hitting .288 with 20 HR 84 RBI 25 doubles and 74 runs scored.  Like last year, the plate discipline continues to be one of Santana’s strong suits as his 71 BB/68 K has helped to push his OBP to .410 this year.  Santana is a guy who can hit at the major league level right now and probably will do so very soon.  The trade of Victor Martinez has opened the door wide open for Carlos and there is not much that either Kelly Shoppach or Lou Marson can do to hold him back.  Currently, Santana’s 2008 Bowman Sterling autos sell for $22-25 each and his Razor Metal autos command about $9-12 each.  Santana ranks amongst Matt Wieters and Buster Posey as one of baseball’s elite young catchers.  If he can secure a spot in Cleveland’s opening day lineup next year, he should be one of the early AL ROY favorites.

Today’s top prospect is Florida Marlins top prospect Michael Stanton.  Yesterday, Stanton hit his 24th HR on the season as part of a three hit, three RBI day.  The 19 year old has struggled during the month of August hitting just .227 during his first 11 games.  This isn’t too big of a surprise.  The Marlins are moving him quickly through their system and the plate discipline has had trouble catching up.  After posting promising BB/K numbers (28/45) at High-A, Stanton has not been able to replicate that success at the AA level as he has walked 21 times and has 72 strikeouts in 56 games.  The power has carried forward though and I think the plate discipline will emerge as Stanton gathers more experience.  The eBay market for Stanton’s various 2008 autos has remained solid throughout this season with his heavily traded Bowman Chrome autos selling at $32-35 each, but his Razor autos (#/1199) have slipped to single digits in value.  I think that Stanton should stay in AA for the remainder of the season and will benefit greatly from playing in an offseason league.  He’ll be just 20 years old on opening day next year and should start the season in AAA before earning a much heralded callup at some point next season.  Watch to see if the market cools during the offseason and pounce on some of his autos.

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL STANTON 

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Carlos Santana—3-5 2B 3B 2 RBI R
• Carlos Rivero—2-3 R RBI BB
• Brandon Crawford—2-4 2 2B RBI
• Mike Mooney—2-4 2B 3B 2R
• Brennan Boesch—1-4 HR(25) RBI
• Casper Wells—2-4 2B R
• Erik Lis—2-4 2B HR(15) 2 RBI
• Brad Emaus—1-4 HR(9) RBI 2R BB
• Josh Bell—3-6 2B R
• Luis Exposito—3-4 RBI
• Gorkys Hernandez—3-6 3R RBI
• Shelby Ford—2-5 2R 2 RBI
• Pedro Alvarez—3-4 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Steve Lerud—3-5 2B R
• Austin Krum—2-4 2B 2R BB SB(9)
• Edaurdo Nunez—3-5 R RBI 2 SB(16)
• Michael Stanton—3-5 HR(24) 3 RBI 2R
• Logan Morrison—3-4 2B 2 RBI R BB
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 3R BB

Pitching:

• Michael Crotta—5.2 IP 6H 2 UER BB 4K W (6-6)
• Eric Niesen—6 IP 5H 2 ER 2 BB 8K
• Michael Stutes—6 IP 7H ER 2 BB 6K

5/29 High-A Minor League Report

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

Angel Villalona and Nick Noonan each went yard for San Jose.  Villalona has made great strides offensively this season raising his average nearly 40 points over last year’s totals and improving his BB/K ratio slightly.  There is still an ample amount of work that needs to be done in this department as he has only earned 7 BB vs. 38 K’s in his 45 games, but it is an improvement over last year’s 18 BB/118 K debacle.  In other action, Neftali Soto rapped four hits and drove in a run, a feat exceeded by Boston’s catching prospect Luis Exposito who also went 4-4 with his 3rd HR and three RBI.

Michael Stanton raised his average to .296 by collecting three hits, including his 11th HR, driving in three runs and scoring four times.  Stanton’s plate discipline has improved by leaps and bounds as he has a very respectible 25 BB/37 K’s thusfar.  Adding that element to his game makes him infinitely more dangerous as a power hitter.

Today’s top prospect is another Philadelphia Phillie, Kyle Drabek.  The fireballing son of former N.L. Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, tossed a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out seven.  The win gives Drabek a 4-1 record this season with a 2.48 ERA and 19 BB/74 K in his first 62 innings.  Going at least 5 innings in each of his first 10 outings, the 21 year old is showing that he has moved well beyond his injury woes of the past and previous concerns about his makeup and work ethic have been mitigated significantly.  Expect Drabek to get a promotion at some point this season and, with the poor pitching of top prospect Carlos Carrasco, it seems reasonable to expect that Kyle could wind up as Philly’s best young hurler by the end of the ‘09 season.

High-A Player of the Day—KYLE DRABEK

Other Notable Performances:

Hitting:

• Logan Forsythe—2-5 3 RBI
• Tyson Gillies—2-4 2 3B 2R
• Angel Villalona—3-5 2B HR(7) 2 RBI 2R 2B
• Nick Noonan—3-5 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Thomas Neal—3-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Jemile Weeks—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Matthew Sweeney—2-3 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Cord Phelps—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Luis Exposito—4-4 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B
• Freddie Freeman—3-5 2B R
• Derrick Robinson—2-6 R SB(24)
• Johnny Giavotella—2-4 2B R
• Miles Durham—1-3 HR(6) RBI
• Brandon Tripp—4-6 HR(3) 3 RBI 3B 3B 2R (Cycle)
• Michael Stanton—2-3 2B 2R 3 BB (Game 1)…..1-3 HR(11) 2 RBI 2 BB 2R (Game 2)
• Jesus Montero—2-4 2B
• Chris Parmelee—2-4 2B RBI
• Ben Revere—2-4 RBI SB(21)
• Arlon Quiroz—3-4 2B RBI R
• Justin Jackson—2-3 2B
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 R
• Neftali Soto—4-4 2B RBI R SB(1)

Pitching:

• Travis Webb—7.1 IP 5H ER BB 6K W (3-3)
• Jeremy Hefner—5 IP 6H 2 ER BB 4K W (4-6)
• Alberto Bastardo—7 IP 5H BB 8K W (4-2)
• Bruce Billings—6.2 IP 4H UER 13K L (3-5)
• Scott Barnes—6 IP 2H er 3 BB 6K W (5-2)
• Alexander Torres—6 IP 5H Er 3 BB 7K W (3-2)
• Brad Meyers—6.2 Ip 4H ER 2 BB 8K L (3-2)
• Jose Rosario—5 Ip 5H Er 7K W (4-1)
• Deolis Guerra—6 IP 5H K W (4-4)
• Kyle Drabek—9 IP 5H BB 7K W (4-1)
• Jeff Allison—5 IP 6H 2 ER 2 BB 2K W (3-3)

5/19 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 20, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Chris Marrero hit a grand slam HR yesterday for Potomac and Padres SS/2B prospect Lance Zawadzki continues to have a huge power season, belting his 10th HR and driving in two runs.  Buster Posey drilled a couple of doubles that scored two runs and Myrtle Beach’s OF slugger Cody Johnson hit HR #13, driving in two runs.

Today’s top youngster comes from the Seattle Mariners organization.  Italian import Alex Liddi has been very impressive this season and yesterday’s performance may go down as his best yet.  Going 3-4, the 20 year old Liddi hit his 11th HR, driving in four runs and scoring five times.  Liddi has a ton of raw, projectible athleticism that is now just starting to be tapped into.  At 6-4 and 180 lb., Liddi has room to build more muscle and power without compromising much of his above average athleticism.  Strike zone judgement continues to be a concern as he has a 10 BB/40 K ratio through his first 37 games.  The M’s have several decent prospects at the hot corner, but Liddi’s blend of tools may propel him to the top of the list, even above Jharmidy DeJesus and Mario Martinez.  He’s a long way off and has the majority of his at bats in very hitter-friendly conditions, but his bat continues to be one to watch and a late season promotion to AA may give us a much clearer indicator of what to expect from him coming forward.

High-A Player of the Day—ALEX LIDDI

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Mike Moustakas—3-5
• Luis Exposito—2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Chih-Hsien Chiang—2-4 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Chris Marrero—3-4 GS HR(5) 4 RBI SB(2)
• Trayvon Robinson—1-5 HR(5) RBI
• Buster Posey—2-3 2 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Conor Gillaspie—2-4 2B R RBI
• Brian Bocock—3-4 RBI R
• Matthew Sweeney—3-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Clay Fuller—2-4 RBI 2 BB R
• Jeremy Moore—2-5 2B RBI R
• Alex Liddi—3-4 HR(11) 4 RBI 5R BB
• Carlos Peguero—2-4 HR(6) RBI 2B 4R BB
• Kuo Hui Lo—3-4 HR(5) 4 RBI 2B 3R BB SB(7)
• James McOwen—3-6 2B 3B 2R 2 RBI
• Lance Zawadzki—2-4 HR(10) 2 RBI 2B
• Lars Davis—3-5 2B 2 RBI 2 SB(2)
• Michael Stanton—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Jovan Rosa—2-4 2 2B 2 RBI
• Starlin Castro—2-4 2R RBI
• Cody Johnson—2-4 HR(13) 2 RBI
• Ardon Chambers—2-3 3B R SB(8)
• Neftali Soto—2-3 2B 2R BB
• Derrick Robinson—2-6 2B R 2 SB(20) BB

Pitching:

• Anthony Carter—7 IP 4H ER 2 BB 9K W (3-3)
• Ron Uviedo—5 IP 3H ER BB 7K w (2-1)
• Tim Collins—2.1 IP H BB 6K
• David Bromberg—6.2 IP 4H Er 3 BB 3K W (3-0)
• Jose Rosario—6 IP H BB 8K W (3-1)
• Eric Berger—5.2 IP 3H 3 BB 5K
• Mike Kirkman—7 IP 3H 2 BB 11K W (4-1)
• Corey Luebke—7 IP 6H ER BB 6K W (4-2)

5/17 High-A Minor League Report **500th Post!**

Posted by Jeremy on May 19, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Read the First Comment

Today’s a milestone day for PPR as, in just under a year, we have crossed the 500 post threshold.  Thank you again to all of you who have faithfully read this blog and watched it evolved over the past year.  I hope that you have all learned a bit over that time and have enjoyed reading about our bright young prospects as much as I have enjoyed bringing them to you.

Yesterday’s action at the High-A ranks saw the trio of Seattle Mariners prospects Edilio Colina, Alex Liddi, and Joe Dunigan combine for 9 hits and 6 RBI while Florida’s Michael Stanton rapped three more hits.  Tampa Bay’s RHP Joshua Butler improved his record to 5-0 by tossing seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and outdueling New York Yankees ‘08 draftee Jeremy Bleich.

Today’s top prospect is the #1 prospect of the Philadelphia Phillies, Dominic Brown.  The lanky and super-athletic OF was 3-5 with two doubles, three RBI and his 9th stolen base.  Brown’s bat has heated up considerably over the month of May hitting .385 with 3 HR 15 RBI and 15 runs scored in just 15 games.  Already at 6 HR this season, Brown should apex last year’s total of 9 dingers by mid season.  Couple that with his outstanding plate discipline and continued physical projectibility and you have an All-Star in the making.  Brown’s various 2008 autos can be had for as low as $10-12 each and should be bought in copious quantities.  He should earn a promotion to AA at some point this summer and is a candidate to make his MLB debut by the end of 2010.

High-A Player of the Day—DOMINIC BROWN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Mitch Moreland—3-5 RBI
• Ed Easley—3-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Collin Cowgill—2-4 2R RBI
• Jhoan Pimentel—3-4 2B 2RBI R
• Keoni Ruth—3-5 2R SB(4)
• Clay Fuller—3-5 2R
• Julian Perez—3-5 2 2B 3R 2 RBI
• Jeremy Moore—3-3 3B 3 RBI R
• Angel Villalona—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Jermaine Mitchell—2-4 2R RBI BB
• Matt Smith—3-5 2B 3 RBI R
• Christian Vitters—1-3 3B 4 RBI B
• Joe Dunigan—2-4 2R BB
• Alex LIddi—2-5 HR(9) 4 RBI 2R
• Brent Morel—2-4 2B RBI
• Jason Place—2-4 2B 3R 2 RBI BB
• Che Hsuan Lin—2-4 HR(1) 5 RBI BB 2R
• Luis Exposito—2-4 RBI R BB
• Michael Jones—2-4 3R RBI
• Brandon Waring—2-3 HR(5) 2 RBI BB
• Jason Heyward—2-4 HR(7) 2 RBI 2R
• Derrick Robinson—3-5 2B 2 RBI R SB(18)
• Johnny Giavotella—3-5 2 RBI
• Mike Moustakas—1-5 HR(6) RBI
• Dominic Brown—3-5 2 2B 3 RBI R SB(9)
• Fidel Hernandez—3-5 2B R RBI SB(4)
• Justin Henry—3-5 3B 2 RBI R SB(3)

Pitching:

• Kenny Rodriguez—7 Ip 3H BB 7K W (2-1)
• Zach Britton—6 IP 4H 2 BB 6K W (1-1)
• Tyson Ross—3.1 IP 2H BB 7K
• Wynn Pelzer—6.2 IP 3H Er 2 BB 10K W (5-1)

5/4 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 5, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Michael Stanton doubled twice, tripled and scored two runs while Ryan Kalish hit his third HR and drove in four runs.  Blue Jays ‘07 second rounder John Tolisano continues to swing a hot bat hitting his fourth HR in the last seven games and Rangers OF prospect Mitch Moreland hit his fifth.  Madison Bumgarner pitched well again, surrendering just one earned run over five innings, but he took his first lost of the season. and Arizona Diamondbacks RH prospect Patrick McAnaney surrendered just two hits over six scoreless innings while punching out eight in a no-decision.

Lonnie Chisenhall is a repeat offender for top prospect honors as he went 4-5 with his fifth HR, four RBI and three runs scored.  Chisenhall, 20, has been able to stick at shortstop thusfar despite the consensus from baesball insiders that he will need to eventually shift to 3B.  He has six errors through his first 23 games and was able to garner a respecitble .929 fielding % last season.  The Indians are flush with corner infield prospects which makes Chisenhall’s development as a shortstop more intriguing.  Shortstops, especially ones with the power of Chisenhall, tend to be more appealing to prospect hounds which, naturally, increases the values of their rookie cards on the online market.  The Indians’ former first rounder has solid plate disicpline, but his 8 BB/22 K is somewhat behind last year’s promising totals.  Some of this may be due to him skipping the Low-A level and adjusting to the quality of pitching in the Carolina League.

High-A Player of the Day—LONNIE CHISENHALL

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Zelous Wheeler—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Tyler Colvin—4-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Russ Canzler—2-4 HR(2) 2R RBI
• Eric Thames—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• John Tolisano—2-3 HR(4) RBI BB 2R
• Andy Dirks—3-4 2 RBI 2R BB 2 SB(10)
• Kody Kaiser—3-3 3B 3R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 2B R RBI
• Devin Mesoraco—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Shane Peterson—2-6 HR(1) RBI
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—2-5 3B RBI
• Greg Sexton—1-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 2R
• Matt Fields—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Cody Cipriano—1-1 HR(3) RBI 2R BB
• Michael Stanton—3-5 2 2B 3B RBI 2R
• Greg Burns—2-3 HR(1) RBI 2B 3R BB
• Lonnie Chisenhall—4-5 HR(5) 4 RBI 2B 3R
• Cord Phelps—1-3 2R 2 BB
• Alex Castillo—2-3 2B R RBI BB SB(3)
• Ryan Kalish—2-4 HR(3) 4 RBI BB
• Kris Negron—1-3 2B BB SB(5)
• Luis Exposito—2-5 3B R RBI
• Mitch Moreland—3-5 HR(5) 2 RBI 2B
• Joe Dunigan—3-4 3 2B R
• Travis Scott—2-3 2B HR(6) 2 RBI 2B
• Carlos Peguero—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Andrew Romine—2-4 R 2 SB(7)
• Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• P.J. Phillips—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Lance Zawadzki—3-5 HR(6) RBI

Pitching:

• Patrick McAnaney—6 IP 2H 8K
• Joey Williamson—5 IP 4H 3K W (4-0)
• Madison Bumgarner—5 IP 3H ER BB 4K L (3-1)
• Chi-Hung Cheng—5 IP 4H BB 3K W (3-0)
• Mathieu Leblanc Poirier—4 IP 3H UER BB 4K
• Kennil Gomez—6 IP 7H 2 ER BB 6K

4/28 High-A Minor League Report

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

There were performances-a-plenty that could be found merely in San Jose’s 17 run barrage against Lancaster.  Speedster Darren Ford racked up four hits and five RBI, Buster Posey hit his fifth HR, Conor Gillaspie racked up four hits and five RBI, Roger Kieschnick added three hits and three RBI and, oh yeah, Thomas Neal hit for the cycle and scored four runs.  In other action, Yefri Carvajal hit his third HR, Logan Forsythe and Luis Exposito each hit their second and Jesus Montero blasted two dingers. 

None of these performances can hold a candle to the performance of 20 year old Brewers prospect Evan Anundsen who went the distance in a no-hit effort against Daytona walking just one and striking out 10.  Andundsen has accrued a 2-2 record with a 1.44 ERA and 8 BB/25 K in his first four starts.  Anundsen is a finesse-type pitcher with a fastball that sits in the high 80’s, a curve and change.  He induces a great number of ground ball outs (2.71/FO in ‘08) and efficiently controls the strike zone.  There aren’t any cards of Anundsen’s out right now and, while this performance was truly dominant, he doesn’t profile as a dominant front-line pitcher at the major league level.  Regardless, when 2009 is all said and done, this performance will go down as one of the season’s best.

High-A Player of the Day—EVAN ANUNDSEN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Darren Ford—4-7 2B 5 RBI
• Buster Posey—2-6 HR(5) RBI
• Thomas Neal—4-5 (CYCLE) HR(4) 2B 3B RBI 4R BB
• Conor Gillaspie—4-5 2 2B 4 RBI 3R BB
• Roger Kieschnick—3-5 3 RBI 2R 3B BB
• Alex Liddi—4-5 2B 2R
• Kuo Hui Lo—2-4 2B 2 RBI BB R
• Steven Caseres—3-4 3R
• Christian Lara—3-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 3R
• Logan Forsythe—2-3 HR(2) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Yefri Carvajal—1-5 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Jeremy Moore—3-4 RBI SB(3)
• Andrew Romine—2-4 2B R RBI
• Kyle Greene—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Charlie Blackmon—3-6 3B R SB(6)
• Mitch Moreland—3-5 HR(4) 2 RBI BB
• Kraig Binick—3-5 HR(3) 3 RBI SB(6)
• Kyle Shelton—2-3 2 2B 3R
• Luis Exposito—1-3 HR(2) 2 RBI BB
• Tim Fedroff—3-4 RBI R
• Matt McBride—2-4 RBI R
• Pedro Alvarez—2-6 R 2 RBI
• Cody Johnson—1-4 HR(7) RBI
• Johnny Giavotella—2-5 3B 2R
• Jeff Bianchi—2-3 RBI R BB SB(4)
• David Espinosa—2-3 HR(1) 2 RBI BB
• Michael Burgess—2-4 R SB(5)
• Jesus Montero—2-4 2 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R
• Caleb Gindl—2-3 RBI BB
• Ben Revere—3-4 RBI 2 BB SB(10)
• Curt Smith—3-6 2 RBI
• Shane Peterson—3-6 2B R SB(1)
• Greg Sexton—2-3 2 RBI BB R
• Fidel Hernandez—4-6 3R
• Dominic Brown—3-4 3B 3 RBI BB
• Freddy Galvis—2-5 2B 2R BB
• John Tolisano—2-5 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• Eric Thames—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Ike Davis—1-2 HR(1) RBI 2 BB
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B 2R

Pitching:

• Jeremy Horst—6 IP 5H 2 BB 5K
• David Newmann—5.1 IP 3H ER 2 BB 9K
• Tyler Robertson—4 IP 2H 2 ER 4 BB 5K
• Evan Anundsen—9 IP 0H BB 10K W(2-2)
• Wilkin De La Rosa—5 IP 3H BB 7K W(1-0)
• Tim Bascom—6 IP 7H 2 ER 2K W(2-2)
• Chris Withrow—5 IP 6H 3 ER 3 BB 7K W(2-1)
• Patrick McAneney—5 IP 3H BB 7K W(3-0)
• Michael Kirkman—6 IP 6H 2 ER BB 4K

4/15 High-A Minor League Baseball

Posted by Jeremy on April 16, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Timmy Smith’s 5-5 day and even Buster Posey’s 3-3 day that included a HR, double, three runs and two RBI were not enough to win top player honors.  Juan Ramirez surrendered just one hit over 5.1 innings and Alexander Torres did the same in five innings while striking out seven, but even those performances were not enough to out do teammates Jonathan Gaston and Brian Pellegrini who combined to hit six HR, nine RBI and score six runs.

California League Players of the Day Jon Gaston & Brian Pellegrini

Other Notable Performances:

• Brian Rike—2-4 2B RBI R
• Radamez Nazario—3-3 2B R BB
• Carlos Hernandez—6 IP 5H ER BB 3K
• Tyson Gillies—2-4 2R 2B BB SB(2)
• Alex Liddi—3-4 2 2B 3B 2R
• James McOwen—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI BB
• Juan Ramirez—5.1 IP H 3 BB K W(2)
• Jeremy Hefner—5 IP 6h 3 ER 9K L(2)
• Timmy Smith—5-5 2B 2R RBI SB(2)
• Ian Gac—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Matt Lawson—3-5 HR(2) RBI
• Angel Villalona—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Brandon Crawford—1-3 2 BB 2 SB(2)
• Buster Posey—3-3 HR(3) 2 RBI 2B 3R 2 BB SB(1)
• Conor Gillespie—1-3 R 2 BB
• Eduardo Perez—3-4 2B R
• Trayvon Robinson—2-5 2B
• Kenly Jansen—2-4 R
• Garett Green—2-3 RBI
• Jonathan Gaston—4-5 3 HR(4) 5 RBI 3R
• Brian Pellegrini—3-5 3 HR(5) 4 RBI 3R
• Eric Taylor—3-4 2B 3 RBI SB(1)
• Jason Castro—2-5 2R 3B RBI
• Jose Duran—5 IP 9H ER 2 BB 3K W(1)
• Ed Easley—1-3 2B 2R 2 BB
• Matthew Sweeney—2-3 2B RBI R BB
• Andrew Romine—1-4 R SB(3)
•  Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B
• Alexander Torres—5 IP H 2 BB 7K

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

Logan Schafer had a nice double header, combining for four hits, a HR and three RBI.  Matt Rizzotti drove in four with two runs scored and Deolis Guerra threw a scorless five inning start.  The hands down player of the day in the FSL is none other than Phillies RHP Kyle Drabek who surrendered four hits over seven scoreless innings striking out nine for his second win of the season.  Drabek is rocketing along his comeback trail and is quickly becoming the top prospect Philly thought he would be.

Florida State League Player of the Day—KYLE DRABEK

Other Notable Performances:

• Jesus Montero—1-3 2B R
• Matt Cusick—1-2 2 RBI BB R
• Logan Schafer—2-3 RBI SB(1) (Gm 1)…2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI R (Gm 2)
• Lee Haydel—1-3 2B R
• Zelous Wheeler—1-3 RBI R
• Steffan Wilson—2-3 R
• Ryan Zink—5 IP 4H ER 3K W(1)
• Caleb Gindl—2-3 3B
• Cole Gillespie—1-3 2B R
• Brent Brewer—2-3 R RBI
• Kyle Drabek—7 IP 4H 9K W(2)
• Dominic Brown—2-5 2B R
• Matt Rizzotti—2-2 2B 4 RBI 2R
• Derrick Mitchell—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Freddy Galvis—2-4 2R RBI BB
• Tim Kennelly—2-4 R RBI
• Michael Stanton—2-4
• Matt Dominguez—1-3 2B
• Rene Leveret—3-3 2B RBI R
• Deolis Guerra—5 IP 3H BB 4K W(1)
• Ben Revere—1-3 R SB(2)
• Carlos Gutierrez—5 IP 4H ER 3K
• Ike Davis—3-4 2B RBI R
• Brad Holt—6 IP 4H BB 7K W(1)
• Alex Cobb—5.2 IP 6H 2 UER BB 4K L(1)
• Eric Thames—1-4 2B R RBI
• Kevin Ahrens—1-4 2B RBI
• Tim Collins—3 IP 0H 6K W(1)
• Alex Buchholz—2-4 2 2B R
• Pete Kozma—2-3 2B 2R 2 RBI BB SB(1)
• Curt Smith—1-3 3B RBI BB
• Lance Lynn—4 IP 2H 2 BB 3K

CAROLINA LEAGUE

Mike Moustakas’ bat is starting to heat up and Christian Marrero, Brent Morel, Jeff Bianchi, Billy Rowell, and Jordy Mercer all hit their first HR’s yesterday.  Danny Duffy continues to look like a dominant LHP, tossing five shutout innings with six K’s and Red Sox prospects Jason Place and Luis Exposito combined to drive in and score four runs.  It was teammate Ryan Kalish who takes home top player honors, though, with his first HR, two RBI and four runs scored.

Carolina League Player of the Day—RYAN KALISH

Other Notable Performances:

• Christian Marrero—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Brent Morel—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Jordy Mercer—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Jose De Los Santos—1-3 3R BB SB(5)
• Daniel Hague—2-4 2B RBI
• Pedro Alvarez—1-3 RBI
• Mike Moustakas—2-5 2R 2 RBI
• Derrick Robinson—1-3 R BB SB(5)
• Jeff Bianchi—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B
• Clint Robinson—2-4 RBI
• Lonnie Chisenhall—2-4 RBI
• Matt Brown—2-3 BB SB(1)
• Daniel Duffy—5 IP 3H BB 6K W(1)
• Billy Rowell—1-2 HR(1) RBI 2 BB
• Tyler Henson—1-3 2B RBI BB
• Pedro Florimon Jr.—1-4 2B 2R BB
• Jeff Locke—4 IP 2H 2 ER 3 BB 6K
• Ryan Kalish—2-3 HR(1) 2 RBI 4R 2 BB
• Jason Place—3-5 2B 2 RBI 3R
• Luis Exposito—2-5 2B R 3 RBI
• Michael Jones 3-5 3 RBI

Top 20 Catching Prospects in ‘09

Posted by Jeremy on January 29, 2009 under 2009 Top 20 Prospects | Read the First Comment

Here’s the first of a nine part series that will detail the top 20 prospects from each of the various positions on the diamond. Each profile offers only a brief overview.  For more detailed analysis, check out my other site Hot-Prospects.  The prototypical catcher has changed over the past decade or so. Gone are the days of the unathletic and offensively inept backstop. Today’s catching prospects have middle of the lineup bats, rocket arms and good athletic skills. This batch offers no exception and its headliner may just be the best overall prospect in baseball this season.

#1) Matt Wieters—Baltimore Orioles

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Um….everything.  You name it, his bat, plate discipline, glove, arm, power, leadership, and work ethic are all at elite levels and ready for major league action. 

Weaknesses: He won’t steal many bags, but then again, which catchers do?  Also, and this is nitpicking, his size evokes comparisons to Joe Mauer which leads me to have fleeting concerns about future injury struggles.  Wieters has never had to miss action in the past, however, and shows no signs of slowing down yet.

2009 Outlook: The O’s signed Greg Zaun in the offseason as insurance for Wieters.  There’s no doubt that he is ready to start in the big leagues, but Baltimore may opt to keep him at AAA Norfolk just long enough hold back the hands of the arbitration clock.  A strong spring could and should make that a moot point.  Once he emerges, he is a top candidate for A.L. Rookie of the Year honors and for many future All-Star seasons.

2.) Buster Posey—San Francisco Giants

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Posey’s bat is electric, slashing deep drives to the gaps and down the lines.  He batted .469 with 23 HR and 93 RBI with the Florida State Seminoles this past season.  He has stellar plate discpline and hand eye coordination.  A converted SS, Posey may be the most athletic catching prospect in baseball with plus defensive skills and agility.

Weaknesses: It is unclear how much power Buster will hit for as a pro.  He had one big power season with an aluminium bat but has been more of a line drive guy since.  He has high upside behind the plate, but is still learning the subtle nuances of the position.

2009 Outlook: The Giants are excited to pair him up with top pitching prospects Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson at High-A San Jose.  Those three will serve as integral pieces in shaping the future success of the Giants organization and the outlook for that happening is quite good.

3.) Jesus Montero—New York Yankees

2008 Stats:

Strengths: His bat is golden.  In his first full season, Montero demonstrated that he can hit for a high average and that his power, while good now, has a chance to be great.  Unlike many young hitters, Montero doesn’t strike out too much and he seems to be quite willing to grind out walks 

Weaknesses: His glove is not golden.  Montero’s size affects his agility behind the dish and his quickness in throwing out baserunners (26 of 105).  His 6-4 225 lb. body is not done growing either which should mean that a switch to 1B or DH will soon follow.

2009 Outlook: It’s on to High-A Tampa for Montero to see if he can continue his torrid hitting.  Expect some of those 34 doubles from last season to become HR’s this season and, with the success of Austin Romine (more on him later) behind the dish, expect to see Jesus with a 1B or DH behind his name more often.

4.) Carlos Santana—Cleveland Indians

2008 Stats:

Strengths: His thunderous bat broke through big time in ‘08.  He produces surprising power with a compact swing and fast hands.  His plate discipline is top notch and he has a knack for driving in runs in clutch situations. 

Weaknesses: While he has good receiving skills, his arm is inaccurate (34 of 127 CS) and his release time is below average.  These things shouldn’t deter him from sticking as a catcher, though.  Santana had a great season, but the ability for him to repeat it is yet to be known.

2009 Outlook: Santana will move on to AA Akron where he had a cameo last season.  Heisted from the Dodgers in the Casey Blake trade, Santana is fully capable of becoming an exceptional option to fill the void behind the plate in Cleveland that Victor Martinez leaves behind. 

5.) Tyler Flowers—Chicago White Sox

2008 Stats:

Strengths: If the Arizona Fall League performance from Mr. Flowers (.387 12 HR 23 RBI 25 runs in 20 games) is any indication, Tyler may have more power than any other catching prospect in baseball.  With his 6-4 245 lb. frame Flowers can hit just about any pitch out of the ballpark.  Flowers is a highly selective hitter as well walking 98 times in ‘08.

Weaknesses: Like Jesus Montero, Flowers will be hard pressed to stay behind the plate.  His enormous size and below average athleticism makes him a more ideal candidate for one of the infield corner positons.

2009 Outlook: Now as a memeber of the White Sox, Flowers should move on to AA Birmingham or AAA Charlotte for the start to the 2009 season.  Expect Flowers to dramatically exceed his Myrtle Beach HR totals (17) this season.

#6.) J.P. Arencibia—Toronto Blue Jays

2008 Stats:

Strengths: A powerful bat that can hit 20-25 HR per season at the MLB level and improving defensive tools to go with his top notch leadership skills.

Weaknesses: His plate discipline is awful (18 BB/101 K) and he is a prototypical base-clogging catcher.

2009 Outlook: Arencibia’s power is intriguing, but he is not ready to make his MLB debut.  He should play the entire season at AAA Syracuse before earning a few Rogers Centre AB’s in September.

7.) Lou Marson—Philadelphia Phillies

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Marson has a line drive bat that produces occasional power to the gaps and should hit for a high batting average in Philly.  His plate discipline is also very good and his receiving skills makes him one of the better defensive backstops in the minor leagues.

Weaknesses: In a position that is becoming increasingly populated with power hitters, Marson has yet to demonstrate much.  If it does come around, he may find himself bumped up a notch or two on this list.

2009 Outlook: Marson got a look last season and performed quite well, but the post season heroics of Carlos Ruiz should mean that the 22 year old Marson will head to AAA Lehigh Valley to start the season.  He’ll be back up at some point—hopefully with a little added thunder in his bat.

8.) Taylor Teagarden—Texas Rangers

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Teagarden has elite defensive skills.  Baserunners simply do not run on him like they do other minor league catchers.  He has the potential to be a 20 HR hitter in the major leagues and his brief stint in Texas was nothing short of impressive.

Weaknesses: Injuries have cost Teagarden costly development time early in his career.  His subpar performances in two hitter-friendly environments (Frisco and Oklahoma City) raises the question “Who is thre REAL Taylor Teagarden?”

2009 Outlook: The Rangers are flush with young catchers.  There have been some trade rumors swirling around one of them (more likely Saltalamacchia or Ramirez) heading to Boston.  Teagarden’s defensive advantages supercedes both Salty and Max Ram’s offensive upsides.  Expect Teagarden to get the majority of AB’s in Texas this season.

#9) Jonathan Lucroy—Milwaukee Brewers

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Lucroy has surprising power from his average sized frame and he blends it with above average plate discipline.  His defensive skills are underrated as he gunned down 49 % of would be base stealers and earned a .989 fielding %.

Weaknesses: Lucroy’s athleticism has probably peaked already and there is a chance that his numbers may slip a little as he progresses against more advanced competition. 

2009 Outlook: He’ll start at AA Huntsville and may get a look at AAA Nashville at some point this season.  Angel Salome’s sterling ‘08 season has placed him in Milwaukee’s immediate plans, but Lucroy’s blend of skills is considerably better and it is only a matter of time until he surpasses Salome.

10.) Angel Salome—Milwaukee Brewers

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Salome makes good contact at the plate and peppers line drives all over the field.  He is compact and powerfully built and his athleticism and arm strength are both above average.

Weaknesses: Salome’s receiving skills and arm accuracy are rudimentary at this point.  Also, while he has good power to the gaps, he will likely be a 10-15 HR hitter in the major leagues.  Salome’s mechanics at the plate have been characterized as “unconventional” and “ugly but effective”.  This could lead to problems against pitchers paid to exploit those flaws.

2009 Outlook: Salome is a better option than any of the three other receivers on Milwaukee’s roster.  He will be given a shot at earning a spot in the Brewers’ opening day lineup.  If he doesn’t succeed, he will head back to AAA Nashville and wait for his opportunity.

11.) Hank Conger—L.A. Angels

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Conger can flat out hit.  He has power from both sides of the plate and has a knack for driving in runs in bunches.  He has a good approach at the plate and is aggressive with pitches in the strike zone.    His arm strength is also quite strong.

Weaknesses: Conger is a walking M.A.S.H. unit.  He has missed time in each of his first three seasons suffering from various maladies.  Behind the plate, Conger’s skills are below average and a move to 1B or DH seems to be in the making.

2009 Outlook: Hopefully it is a healthy one.  He’ll start at AA Arkansas with a promotion to Salt Lake City being a possibility.  The Angels would love to get his bat into their lineup in some capacity or another by mid-2010.

12.) Kyle Skipworth—Florida Marlins

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Power, power, power.  Skipworth has it from foul pole to foul pole and the fact that it comes from the left hand side of the plate makes him even more valuable.  He has a cannon for an arm and he is not afraid to use it to nab unaware baserunners.

Weaknesses: His other skills behind the plate are quite sloppy.  He has hard hands and his large size makes affects his coordination and quickness at blocking balls in the dirt and rising from a crouch.  His debut with the GCL league also showed that he needs some work on his plate discipline as well.

2009 Outlook: The Marlins should give Skipworth a shot a full season Low-A ball this year at Greensboro.  If he struggles early on, he may go back down to short season Jamestown.  The future is very bright for this youngster, he just needs time.

13.) Brett Lawrie—Milwaukee Brewers

2008 Stats: Not Available

Strengths: Lawrie had one of the most intriguing prep bats in the 2008 draft.  He has plus-plus power potential and exceptional bat speed.  Additionally, his athleticism could eventually make him a solid defensive player behind the plate.

Weaknesses: Rawness and inexperience.  There are quite a few unknowns about how Lawrie will develop defensively and he may need to shift to another position if catching doesn’t take.

2009 Outlook: With both Salome and Lucroy already experiencing success in the system.  The Brewers will opt to take their time with Lawrie.  He should get some work at extended spring training before joining the Brewers’ short season affiliate Helena.

14.) Max Ramirez—Texas Rangers

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Max Ram has an explosive bat that hits for a high average and good power to all fields.  He is an aggressive hitter who makes good contact and drives in runs by the bunches.

Weaknesses: He is a terrible defensive catcher.  The Rangers have tried to find a different position for him to play (1B, LF, DH) and the odds are pretty good that his future resides with one of them.

2009 Outlook: Ramirez’s Venezuelan Winter League stint (.298 15 HR 53 RBI) has the Rangers abuzz about his potential in their lineup, but there are log jams at every stop.  I think his future in Texas will not be long lived.  The Rangers need pitching and he is one of the best young bats that they have available for trade.

#15.) Derek Norris—Washington Nationals

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Norris drew 63 walks in 70 games at short season baseball.  He has an athletic and powerful catcher’s build that profiles to hit for power and average as well.  He has good speed for a catcher and will steal the occasional base.  Defensively, Norris has solid all around skills and a strong arm that gunned out 47 % of potential base stealers last season.

Weaknesses: Norris needs to prove he can continue this success at full season ball.  He could cut his K rate back a little bit as well.

2009 Projection: Full season Low-A Harrisburg seems to be the likely destination for Norris.  There is quite a bit of upside in this young receiver’s game and he could find himself much higher on this list next season.

16.) Wilin Rosario—Colorado Rockies

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Rosario’s bat has the potential to be a middle of the lineup run producer that hits 20-25 HR per season with a high batting average.  He is an aggressive hitter who have excellent bat speed and wiry strength.  His arm is a force to be reckoned with as he vanquished 46% of potential base stealers in ‘08.

Weaknesses: His high energy approach tends to make him overly aggressive at the plate at times.  He will be challenged to continue his stellar numbers at the next level.  It will be important for him to work counts more effectively to avoid a drop off.

2009 Outlook: Low-A Asheville awaits Rosario.  This should be an environment where his bat will continue to flourish.  Like Derek Norris, another fine season from Wilin Rosario will bump him considerably higher on next season’s list.

17.) Adam Moore—Seattle Mariners

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Moore is big and strong (6-3 220 lb.) and his bat shows it.  He is not just a masher, though.  Moore hits the ball well to all fields and has a sound approach at the plate in all situations.  He is a solid game caller and should be a vocal leader in the clubhouse.

Weaknesses:He has made good strides in his defensive game, due in large part to extensive work with M’s catching instructor Roger Hanson.  However, his large frame has a negative effect on his mobility, as testified by his 44 passed balls over the past two seasons.

2009 Outlook: The M’s have Kenji Johjima and Matt Clement blocking Moore’s opportunities in Seattle, but he won’t be far away.  He’ll play the majority of the season at AAA Tacoma and will continue to work on his agility behind the dish.  Expect a call up in September.

18.) Austin Romine—New York Yankees

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Romine’s first season offensive numbers were icing on the cake to many analysts who are more enamored with his athleticism and elite arm strength.  Romine showed that he could be an offensive force as well who hits for a good average and solid power numbers.

Weaknesses:Romine didn’t put his defensive abilities to good use in ‘08, throwing out just 20 of 98 base runners and allowing 18 passed balls. 

2009 Outlook: Romine continues alongside fellow catching prospect Jesus Montero to High-A Tampa for more development.  It will be interesting to see how the Yankees organization addresses this developing situation.  The best bet is that Montero will be the one who shifts to 1B.

19.) Bryan Anderson—St. Louis Cardinals

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Anderson has a line drive bat and highly developed plate discipline.  He is an intelligent player who has a great feel for calling pitches and commanding a pitching staff.  He should hit for a high average at the major league and play solid defense.

Weaknesses: The power has not developed yet, as Anderson’s career high for HR’s in a season is 6.  He is an average athlete who has a low ceiling for development.

2009 Outlook: Anderson’s path to St. Louis is obscured by Yadier Molina who is entering the prime of his career and is under contract through at least 2011.  Likely, Bryan will be playing everyday at AAA Springfield again in hopes that he can develop a little more pop in his bat to draw attention of the Cardinals’ brass.

20.) Wilson Ramos—Minnesota Twins

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Ramos is very strong with good bat speed that produces power to all fields.  He is a good athlete as well with above average quickness for a catcher and a strong, accurate arm (43% CS rate in ‘08).

Weaknesses: His aggressiveness can get him in trouble at times at the plate.  He strikes out too much and walks too little (37 BB/103 K).

2009 Outlook:  AA New Britain will provide a good challenge for Ramos this season and give us all abetter look at his potential going forward.  If he can hone his plate discipline, he should move up this list.  If not, he could find himself off of it.

Others to consider:

Luis Exposito, Jason Castro, Josh Donaldson, Mike McKenry, Francisco Pena, Jacob Jefferies, Petey Paramore, Adrian Nieto,

Stay tuned for the next installment as we travel 90 ft. up the 1st base line to examine the formidable Top 20 1st Basemen.  If you enjoyed this series, feel free to check out some of the eBay links to some great auctions going on right now.  Use the comments list below to propose your top 20 catchers or comment on mine!