Kendrick or Wood?

by Pigs57 on Oct 18, 2005 11:30 AM EDT

Which one will be the better player (career wise)?

Who has the highest upside potential, and which one is the better pick?

Thoughts?

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Wood

I'll take the middle infielder over the (1B? LF? DH?) any day.

That said, Morales' raw offensive numbers could well end up being better.

Go ahead and shoot your mouth off, like it might kill the silence.

by ESiegrist on Oct 18, 2005 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

What does Morales have to do with Howie Kendrick?

Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen.

by Phil Gurnee on Oct 18, 2005 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow

I completely spazzed on that one -- I swear I thought the diary was Wood vs. Morales.

Go ahead and shoot your mouth off, like it might kill the silence.

by ESiegrist on Oct 18, 2005 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions

"kendry" ... "kendrick"

hey, it happens.

that said, morales isn't a bad prospect by any means.

by jpahk on Oct 18, 2005 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

That Must Have Been It

Glad to know my brain is just hiccupping and not disintegrating entirely...

Go ahead and shoot your mouth off, like it might kill the silence.

by ESiegrist on Oct 18, 2005 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't you just hate it ...

when you do something like that? Not a problem, Siegrist, we've all had those moments.

"Sports do not build character - they merely reveal it". Chris Schenkel, Sportscaster

by Pigs57 on Oct 18, 2005 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Cute

ESiegrist....try to cool your anger when you see Brandon Wood's name in a post. Maybe then you could see straight. You're so cute.

by Goodfella on Oct 18, 2005 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Mom!!!!

The puppy followed me home, honest... can I keep it?

Go ahead and shoot your mouth off, like it might kill the silence.

by ESiegrist on Oct 18, 2005 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions

If they both stay in the middle infield you might have two of the best hitting infielders in baseball. It really does depend on where they play. They will both hit, you can expect Wood to have much more power then Kendrick but Kendrick could be the next great hitting machine. A hitting machine like Kendrick at 2nd base could be very special but if he has to move to the outfield then he'd still be a great hitter but his value would have to fall below that of Wood who should at the very least play 3b instead of SS. JMO

Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen.

by Phil Gurnee on Oct 18, 2005 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

What are the odds?

That either of them will be able to stick in the Middle Infield? Will Kendrick never hit for power, or do you think that Woods will turn out to be a "crusher"?

Like Molokai, I have no idea how Morales got into this discussion.

PS - I don't know why your screenname is Molokai, but for what it's worth, I was born in Hawaii.

"Sports do not build character - they merely reveal it". Chris Schenkel, Sportscaster

by Pigs57 on Oct 18, 2005 12:12 PM EDT reply actions

Kendrick

"Will Kendrick never hit for power?"

19 home runs, 41% of his hits going for extra bases, and a .247 ISO isn't enough power for a 2B prospect?

Tough crowd.

by jhelfgott @ Minor League Ball on Oct 19, 2005 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Not close

Wood in a heart beat!!!

Though I will say Kendrick seems like the safer pick based on more proven track record.

by novaoakland on Oct 18, 2005 12:22 PM EDT reply actions

Wood

Wood was the Arizona high school player of the year a few years back. He's also got a proven track record.

by Goodfella on Oct 18, 2005 6:41 PM EDT reply actions

Thoughts

"Which one is the better pick?" makes me assume that this is a fantasy baseball question of some sort.

Wood sounds like a much better bet to stay as a middle infielder . . .the reports I've seen online (particularly that on calleaguers.com) speak rather poorly of Kendrick's defensive abilities and suggest that he'd be better off elsewhere.

I doubt it'll be a major issue assuming that Kendrick continues to hit .320-.350 without a problem and brings something similar (adjusted for MLB) to the majors, but that's a lot to ask of a player. And beyond his ability to hit for an absurdly high average, there's nothing particularly special about him as a prospect, IMO.

Wood on the other hand is apparently capable at shortstop and if he makes a move, it'll likely just be over to 3B where he still projects to have above-average power. The major question with him is how much average will he hit for, something that won't be answered until next year at the earliest.

I suspect that Wood will probably end up being closer to the .251 hitter of 2004 than the .320 hitter of 2005 over the course of a major league career, but he should hit for impressive power regardless of what position he plays.

I'd say that Kendrick has slightly less potential to be a bust, but that Wood is much more likely to be a valuable commodity (particularly for fantasy baseball).

by mrkupe on Oct 18, 2005 8:39 PM EDT reply actions

Kendrick

Look at my reply above for Kendrick's power numbers. Those numbers across 2 levels are VERY good for a 1B/DH prospect.

Don't believe me? That ISO and XBH% is better than any season line Daric Barton's put up, and he's considered one of the best pure hitters in the minors. (I'm not comparing them as prospects. I'm just saying Kendrick has plus power).

As a DH-only prospect, Kendrick's 2005 line would be exciting. As a 2B prospect, it's just sick, even in the Cali and Texas leagues.

by jhelfgott @ Minor League Ball on Oct 19, 2005 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Moving to third?

What's all this "Wood moving to third" talk? Is Dallas McPherson already written off? The Angels need Wood to stick it out at short.

by achiappanza on Oct 19, 2005 2:29 AM EDT up reply actions

moving

While I haven't heard that rumor, I think we can be confident that the Angels wouldn't be making the decision to move Wood based on organizational need. If they move Wood to 3B, it will be because they've decided he can't stick at shortstop. It will have nothing to do with D-Mac (who I doubt they've given up on).

by jhelfgott @ Minor League Ball on Oct 19, 2005 3:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Kendrick

I like Kendrick a lot. mrkupe claims that "beyond his ability to hit for an absurdly high average, there's nothing particularly special about him as a prospects" This is pretty funny considering that while batting average is the primary skill in baseball. Thats why we call patience and power "secondary" skills, batting average is a primary skill. The reason we shy away from BA is because fluke BA can make a player seem much better than his true skill may be, but in Kendrick's case, I think the high batting average is for real: hes done it every year since rookie ball and he has the batting skills to back it up like a line drive stroke and a great contact rate.

Besides, its not like he's one dimensional; 41% of his hits went for extra bases and he stole 25 bases at a 75% success rate. BA claimed that he should end up as an average second baseman defensively. Looks to me a lot like pre-injury Nomar, or Rod Carew. This is the type of hitter that Anaheim knows how to develop as he fits perfectly into their philosophy.

by sanchez101 on Oct 18, 2005 10:44 PM EDT reply actions

Response

I don't see where your lecturing tone is necessary. And I never said he was one dimensional. By your philosophy, you'd judge Sean Burroughs to be largely a success because while his "secondary" (as you put them) skills are nearly non-existent, he has shown the capability to post an above-average BA.

I'd still rate Kendrick very highly on a list of top prospects. I think he's one of the least likely of top prospects to be a complete bust, certainly.

by mrkupe on Oct 19, 2005 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions