Prospect Reviews

by ZackAttack on Jan 5, 2007 12:19 PM EST

Okay, so the next two months will be the longest of the year, IMO. After doing some thinking last night, I began to wonder about some of the prospects that I thought would already be having decent careers. In particular, my personal fav, Zack Greinke. I can't begin to understand the pressure on him, but I honestly thought he would be a solid performer by this time, and putting aside personal issues, he still has the best pure "stuff" of most prospects (Yes, I am prepared for the bashing to begin). I know he will be back, as I feel he was rushed at every level going back to Junior High, and I see him as a solid #3, possible #2, but I don't think he will ever equal the ridiculous Saberhagen comps from his earlier days. Also, keep in mind he just turned 23.

So I pose a question to the forum: What prospects did you think would already be solid ML performers, given previous action in the Bigs? Another off the top of my head could be King Felix (also severely rushed by the org). Please explain why you nominated your prospect, and give a brief description as to what you think the problem was, how YOU would resolve it, and how you see that prospect performing in the future. If you'd like, provide a crystal ball for the next 3-5 years.

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Comments

Felix

Just to comment on your comments. I agree that Felix was quick to get in the majors. But he dominated MiLB. The Mariners did the right thing by allowing him to grow in the Majors, so i don't believe it was a typical rush. They are also using him in the back of the Rotation and keeping his pitch counts low. I love they way they handled him. If only he can keep the weight down he should become the pitcher we all expect him to be.

by JD Sussman on Jan 5, 2007 12:33 PM EST reply actions

Right

In addition to dominating the minors he also pitched extremely well when called up in 05, there didn't appear to be anything left to prove in the minors.

I also worry about him staying in shape and weather he is too content on where he's at. I hope he has the drive to become what he's capable of being.

by sungod7 on Jan 5, 2007 1:59 PM EST up reply actions

disappointments

Chris Snelling. The injuries have pretty much derailed what promised to be a nice career. Hank Blalock has also underachieved to some degree. I didn't expect the contact woes and trouble with lefties. It wouldn't have been unreasonable to compare him to David Wright based on his minor league stats but he's looking more like Aaron Boone with increased pop. Perhaps the best is yet to come.

by blackoutyears on Jan 5, 2007 1:16 PM EST reply actions

Snelling

I still think he'll have a big year for the Nats in '07. The injuries have delayed his career, but not derailed it. I mean, he JUST turned 25.

by marc w @ Minor League Ball on Jan 5, 2007 1:19 PM EST up reply actions

Yep

Not sure his homer numbers will be high, but I bet he gets a lot of doubles in that stadium.

Hope he gets a legit shot.

by ChrisRef19 on Jan 5, 2007 2:04 PM EST up reply actions

Jeremy Reed

Dominant performance in the white sox system, solid in AAA in Tacoma, great cup of coffee with the M's. And then there was silence. I hope it gets resolved by Reed finally getting healthy from a lot of wrist injuries, but I'm starting to think that's not what's been holding him back.

by marc w @ Minor League Ball on Jan 5, 2007 1:17 PM EST reply actions

I hate

...how people seem to think "not performing to minor league standards in MLB debut=rushed".

...NJASDJDH...

by Fabian on Jan 5, 2007 1:44 PM EST reply actions

A few

guys that I can't wait to see how they do...

Corey Hart & Nelson Cruz - both might finally have full time gigs

Francoeur & Hermida - both still very young, will Jeff's plate discipline improve? can Jeremy stay healthy?

Kubel - will he ever be healthy enough for us to see how good he could be?

Jeremy Reed - I'd love to see deal to the Marlins, with Ichiro in CF it doesn't look like he has a future in Sea

Kotchman & McPherson - ever healty? were they just products of playing in hitter's leagues?

by sungod7 on Jan 5, 2007 1:55 PM EST reply actions

Funny but...

Hee Seop Choi's career path still pisses me off.

After he got traded to the Dodgers, he never got consistent ABs. Before that he had hit .270/.388/.495 with the Marlins before the trade, and had put up a .132 isoD and .203 isoP in 202 ABs with the Cubs. Jim Tracy never liked him, and he was an easy target for guys once he became a pinch hitter. All they had to do was throw it inside.

I think they should have just played him.

Another guy I always liked was Carlos Pena.

by SenorGato88 on Jan 5, 2007 3:08 PM EST reply actions

heh...a couple

Well Sean Burroughs comes immediately to mind...

I really think that if you take the way-back machine to 2000 or so, you'd be hard pressed to believe that this guy would be for all meaningful purposes washed up, essentially a never-was and complete failure at the big league level.

I'll also float for discussion purposes Dee Brown and in the "He's okay, but I thought there'd be more" category
Aubrey Huff
Josh Beckett
Pat Burrell...

by BGWoodsman on Jan 5, 2007 3:10 PM EST reply actions

Chris Burke

Blocked by the late career resurgence of Biggio and never given a shot at SS, then forced to left and now CF, he has never been given an appropriate amount of ABs.

I have thought of him as a great 2 hitter(.285/.360/.440) with big 2B potential and all-around great ball-play. This will be the first year he will get 500 ABs and it is probably 3 years late for him to reach his career ceiling.

"You hear a lot of things... because there are a lot of people talking." (Shamus original)

by Shamus on Jan 5, 2007 3:23 PM EST reply actions

in the bigs?

re: "What prospects did you think would already be solid ML performers, given previous action in the Bigs?"

B.J. Upton - #1 without a doubt. When he held his own in 2004, I thought history was starting.
Jason Kubel - Injuries will do that.
Casey/McPherson - 1b/3b, LAA - McPherson had a couple question marks, and Kotchman has questionable power for a 1b, perhaps, but overall they were outstanding prospects who hit in their first exposure to MLB. Who honestly thought they'd have done so little by this time?
Jeremy Reed - I feel like I fell for this one, hook, line, and sinker.
Albert Pujols - I still think he could reach his potential if he gets his head right (j/k).
Russ Adams - Yes, I really liked this guy. Not as an all-star, but lefty-hitting shortstops are rare, and he had the sort of profile of someone who could develop into an above-average hitter.
Jorge Piedra - I thought he was going to hit, or at least appear to hit, for quite a while.
Yadier Molina - hard to knock a guy who's good enough to start for the World Champions, and to have a good post-season to boot. But after 2005, I was expecting Tony Pena's career.
Wilson Betemit - has shown glimpses, so he probably doesn't belong with these other guys, either (as Yadier really doesn't). But this guy was a mega-prospect for a couple years.
Dan Johnson.