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Power Hitting Prospects

We all know the major top power hitting prospects since they are talked about everywhere. But every year there are a few guys who hit for power while playing at a decent level for their age that don't get much attention. A couple of years in a row like that and suddenly they are a "surprise" prospect that nobody saw coming but the statheads.

So let's look at a few from the low minors who are having good power seasons this year and anyone who knows something about these guys please add info. Note: I've left out any Cal League guys because the numbers are obviously skewed there more than even in the recent years.

3B Matt Sweeney/Angels/6'3"210lb/4-4-88/A-MID - .262/.324/.443, 11 HR and 28 XBH in 282 AB

LF Nick Weglarz/Indians/6'3"215lb/12-16-87/A-SAL - .272/.395/.481, 14 HR and 31 XBH in 283 AB

1B Logan Morrison/Marlins/6'2"215lb/8-25-87/A-SAL - .289/.363/.510, 16 HR and 31 XBH in 294 AB

3B Juan Francisco/Reds/6'2"180lb/6-24-87/A-MID - .275/.315/.448, 13 HR and 30 XBH in 335 AB

3B John Whittleman/Rangers/6'2"195lb/2-11-87/A-MID - .288/.405/.529, 14 HR and 38 XBH in 278 AB

LF Ryan Royster/Devil Rays/6'2"210lb/7-25-86/A-SAL - .319/.360/.546, 15 HR and 38 XBH in 304 AB

1B Chris Vinyard/Orioles/6'4"230lb/12-15-85/A-SAL - .282/.333/.446, 10 HR and 31 XBH in 312 AB

3B Daniel Valencia/Twins/6'2"200lb/9-19-84/A-MID - .302/.374/.500, 11 HR and 26 XBH in 242 AB

3B Allen Craig/Cardinals/6'2"190lb/7-18-84/HiA-FSL - .320/.370/.541, 17 HR and 34 XBH in 316 AB

Poll
Which of these do you think is the best prospect?
3B Matt Sweeney
22 votes
LF Ryan Royster
6 votes
LF Nick Weglarz
21 votes
1B Chris Vinyard
7 votes
1B Logan Morrison
7 votes
3B Daniel Valencia
15 votes
3B Juan Francisco
5 votes
3B Allen Craig
17 votes
3B John Whittleman
69 votes

169 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 13 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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allen craig
he's interesting.  i just picked him up in my league based purely on his stats.  he's 22, first full season college player.  that's the third highest OPS in the FSL, it's a tough league. (the two guys ahead of him are the ghost of jay bruce and some 26-year-old first baseman.)  no idea how he projects or whatever.  

by wily mo on Jul 9, 2007 11:50 PM EDT reply actions  

Juan Francisco
I have seen him play several times this year. The ball jumps off of his bat. He has some real power, but lately it has fallen off. I havent seen him play in about a month, so I don't really know why it has slacked off. His power is real though.
http://www.redsminorleagues.com

by dougdirt on Jul 9, 2007 11:50 PM EDT reply actions  

I think
The White Sox's Chris Carter is someone to keep an eye on.

by Havok1517 on Jul 9, 2007 11:51 PM EDT reply actions  

Yeah
But he's been talked about a lot... I think he'll actually make the backend of some top 100's.
Rays in '08.... Desmond Jennings - the breakout continues.....

by youALREADYknow on Jul 9, 2007 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions  

Kala is talked about
But should be talked about way more.

by bravitos5122 on Jul 9, 2007 11:57 PM EDT reply actions  

To add to the Braves theme there...
2nd rounder Freddy Freeman 1B I think will be stud and the Braves 1B of the future.

by Havok1517 on Jul 9, 2007 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions  

Freddy
Don't think he has a single XBH hit yet. btw, that whole GCL team is sucking donkey balls.
If you gonna go down to the low, low minors,
Cody Johnson : 345/410/673
Say hello to an ISO of 263!!!

by Godot on Jul 10, 2007 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions  

Alan craig
probably won't stick at 3B, from what I've heard.

by siddfynch on Jul 10, 2007 12:40 AM EDT reply actions  

Eric Campbell
He had a hamstring injury, and a slow start to the year, but he is heating up. IsoP is down, but you can attribute that to myrtle beach and the injury.
His K rate is down slightly, and BB rate is way up.
still only 22.

Weird thing about his #s. He has way more HRs than dbls.

by Godot on Jul 10, 2007 3:19 AM EDT reply actions  

Translated HR Leaders from July 5th
"Translations are not necessarily a reflection of real ability but they do attempt to set a player's minor league performance this season into a neutral big league context"

TRANSLATED HOME RUNS

Brazell, Craig (KC) 18
Hessman, Mike (DET) 18
Craig, Allen (STL) 17
Pearce, Steven (PIT) 17
Duncan, Shelley (NYY) 16
Buckman, Brandon (STL) 15
Carter, Christopher (CHW) 15
Collaro, Thomas (CHW) 15
Kaaihue, Kala (ATL) 15
Schnurstein, Micah (CHW) 15

http://baseballnotebook.blogspot.com/2007/07/translated-minor-league-leaders.html

by tpeichel34 on Jul 10, 2007 11:23 AM EDT reply actions  

Valencia is my favorite prospect
I really think that he is going to be the Twins 3b in a system that has a couple of other alternatives.  He just seems to be progressing well after some off the field stuff (and Ryan Braun) kept him off the field at Miami. I think he is an under the radar guy that could make us look by the beginning of next year

by Terry Ryan Jr on Jul 10, 2007 4:52 PM EDT reply actions  

Nick Weglarz!
Hello everyone,

I think the really interesting thing about Nick Weglarz is the fact that even though he is still young for Low-A at age 19, he could have been at Low-A at age 18 if not for a wrist injury from a HBP after his first game of the season at the GCL Indians in 2006 (the only game he played at the GCL Indians, so essentially, he had just his 147 ABs at Adv. Rookie-Level Burlington in 2005 to help him prepare for his Low-A debut, which could partly explain why he got off to a slow start this year, as he skipped the Rookie-Level GCL Indians that the Indians wanted him to experience in 2006.)  

His profile when he was drafted by the Indians in the 3rd-Rd. of the 2005 Draft was that he had good power potential and that he could handle fastballs, even good fastballs; the question with him was how would he handle the breaking pitches, since his baseball experience wasn't as extensive as players from Texas, California, Florida, etc.  That was his main weakness in Burlington in the 2005 season, but he showed comparable plate discipline to highly-touted OF prospect and 2005 1st-Rder. John Drennen:

Drennen:
18 BB/37 K in 168 ABs = 0.11 BB/AB, 0.22 K/AB

Weglarz:
17 BB/42 K in 147 ABs = 0.12 BB/AB, 0.29 K/AB

The BB rate was virtually identical, with the slightest of advantages to Weglarz, while his K rate was a little worse, but not by that much (SSS understood.)  Agewise, Weglarz is over a year younger than Drennen, as Drennen was born in August 1986, Weglarz in December 1987.  Weglarz has a 54 BB/73 K ratio in 283 ABs at Low-A Lake County this year, so his plate discipline continues to be a strength of his to this point.

Combine that young age with Weglarz's 6'3" 215 lb. frame and there should be plenty of projection to foresee good power potential from him, and he's already hit 14 HRs in 283 ABs at Low-A Lake County, which was a hitter's park for HRs in 2006 (1.27 according to the Baseball Think Factory,) but its weighted park average between 2004-2006 was actually more of a pitcher's park for HRs (0.90,) plus Weglarz has hit 5 of those 14 HRs away from Lake County's Classic Park, so I think we can conclude that Weglarz already has legitimate power, and has a chance to develop even more power at his young age of 19.

Just my 2 cents.  :-)

Take care and have a great day!

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

by indiansfan on Jul 11, 2007 8:50 AM EDT reply actions  

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