Players that just missed BA's top 100

by The Scout on Feb 24, 2007 10:02 AM EST

I'm not sure if this has been discussed already but in Jim Callis' ask BA section he listed a few players that did not make the top 100 cut.

Johnny Cueto
Kyle Drabek
Akinori Iwamura
Angel Villalona
Hank Conger
Nolan Reimold
Tony Sipp
Adrian Cardenas
Tyler Colvin
Sean Gallagher
Deolis Guerra
Brandon Jones
Tyler Lumsden
Mark Reynolds

A few names jump out at me. I think Reimold is at least a top 100 prospect, but I like him more than others. I really like Tony Sipp. I know BA's top 100 is never very nice to relievers, but I think Tony Sipp will emerage as the closer for the Indians sometime this year.

I also figured Villalona would be on there just because BA loves guys like him but it's not a shocker. I also thought Hank Conger and maybe even Drabek is worthy.

Any thoughts? I'm interested to see their list because there are some good players that were left off.

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Johnny Cueto.....

I had thought prior to even putting a list together that he was in the 90-110 range, now I dont feel so crazy when I proposed the idea and some people just looked at me like I had a horn growing out of my head.

www.redsminorleagues.com

by dougdirt on Feb 24, 2007 10:07 AM EST reply actions

Villalona

"I also figured Villalona would be on there just because BA loves guys like him but it's not a shocker."

I just don't know what people base this kind of thing on. BA has generally been pretty conservative on Latin kids until they're able to show something of present tools. Villalona hasn't had the chance to show anything in game competition. I mean they could do like John Sickels and just ignore them until they play, but short of that, they aren't any more overzealous on young Latin kids who are all projection than most anyone else.

by Brett Perryman on Feb 24, 2007 10:22 AM EST reply actions

Good point

After making that statement I went back to look in my old BA's for similar players. Miguel Cabrera actually played in a handful of games and was the #3 prospect for the Marlins and the #91 overall.

I thought Miguel didn't paly in any games but I was wrong. I also started looking for similar players like Joel Guzman who made the top 10 but not the top 100.

And even last year I forgot that Jose Tabata didn't make the top 100.

So I have proven my statement wrong. After looking through back issues, BA is fair to players like Villalona. Once they start getting more AB's that's when I think they start being more highly touted by BA...and everybody else for that matter.

by The Scout on Feb 24, 2007 11:14 AM EST reply actions

Sipp & Drabek

are the biggest omissions to me. In most lists I wouldn't see Drabek as that big an omission but for BA it was suprising.

Sipp will become a very solid reliever and it doesn't really matter if he's the closer or not (except for fantasy leagues).

Dukes is Jurastically better than Bradley. After all Dukes has been playing baseball ever since T-ball.

by pedrophile on Feb 24, 2007 12:00 PM EST reply actions

I also like Sipp!

Hello everyone,

I too like Tony Sipp; as I mentioned in a post the other day, realize that his career K ratio is 11.67 K/9 IP. His career BB ratio is pretty solid as well at 3.12 BB/9 IP (and that was actually inflated a bit by an uncharacteristic 4.37 BB/9 IP at High-A Kinston when he returned from an injury that knocked him out of action for a few months in 2005, plus he was transitioning to the bullpen for the first time, which I think affected his command a bit - without that bout of wildness, his career BB rate would be 2.77 BB/9 IP.)

I think he has a great chance of being the Indians' closer someday, but I think this year would be too early (no offense, Scout.) I could see him being the Indians' closer in 2009, after possibly making his ML debut in 2007 and being a setup man in 2008. I think there are many other options ahead of Sipp to be the Indians' closer between now and 2009 - Borowski, Hernandez, Betancourt, Cabrera, Davis, Mastny, Perez, Lara (?! - doubtful, but he might even be in line before Sipp, depending on how he does.)

I think all these guys would get a chance first before Sipp (not saying they'd all do well in it; Perez and Lara would probably be the last ones to get a chance in that role, but I think they would get an opportunity before Sipp would, just to make sure they don't rush Sipp.)

Just my 2 cents. :-)

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Feb 24, 2007 6:49 PM EST up reply actions

Jackson Melian...

is the guy that Villalona reminds me the most of. When the yanks signed Melian in 96, he was jacking all kinds of BP homers, was projected as the next 40-40 guy, and all that jazz. Sounds just like the stuff I'm reading about Villalona.

And all that, Melian was rated 40 on the 1997 top 100 list, meanwhile in the 97 season, he had a sub-700 OPS in rookie league. In the 1998 list, he dropped to 98. He bounced back as high as 72 on the 2000 list, then dropped off for good.

So, maybe BA learned their lesson, but I was a tad surprised to see him not listed in the top 100 at all.

by beastball on Feb 24, 2007 1:13 PM EST reply actions

Oh, and...

I'm not saying I'm reading Villalona is going to be 40-40, I'm just saying what I'm reading about him sounds just like the hype I was reading about Melian in 97.

by beastball on Feb 24, 2007 1:16 PM EST up reply actions