Future Hall of Famers
by OldProspects on Dec 15, 2008 6:06 PM EST
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PrintOne of the fun games many of us like to play is to bash the Hall of Fame comps for prospects - Tim Alderson is the next Greg Maddux, Pedro Alvarez is the next Mike Schmidt, etc - and of course in 99% of cases, we will be right. That being said, considering that about 3 or so players get selected to the Hall of Fame each year, and most outstanding players spend in the area of 3 or so years in the minors (top college players closer to 1, high school players 3 or more, and players from Latin America closer to 5), there are probably in the area of 10 or so future Hall of Famers in the minor leagues today. They aren't necessarily the top 10 rated prospects - in fact they are almost certainly not - and some might not even be in top 100s. But they are probably somewhere in the minor leagues. Who do you think they might be?
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Hmm
Okay. Sounds like a fun game but what exactly are you asking for? The 10 prospects we think have HoF potential, or the 10 prospects most likely to one day be in the HoF?
Well
Presumably if 10 players will make the HoF, then much more have the potential to be HoFers, so I guess the latter
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by OldProspects on Dec 15, 2008 6:20 PM EST up reply actions
Reasonable
If Andrus is Omar Vizquel Part Deux, and you think that Omar is at least a fringe HoFer, then sure, his name’s got to be up there.
Let’s work on a list of candidates here. I’m going to put forth the obvious Matt Wieters nomination. I’d also throw in Colby Rasmus.
Things to keep in mind with these candidates:
1) Pitchers are a much more volatile commodity than hitters, and thus are less “certain” with regard to any outcome.
2) Counting stats ARE important . . .so Neftali Feliz could be awesome and still not make it if he spends the first 6+ years of his career in Texas Rangers purgatory.
3) Related to #2, age is important for counting stats. Tommy Hanson is really good and so is Rick Porcello, but if one makes it to the majors at age 23-24 and the other at age 20, that’s a big difference in counting stats.
4) College players aren’t excluded from the discussion . . .but generally college guys who make it to the HoF move through the minors VERY quickly.
yea
id think of all the best ranger prospects, Justin Smoak has the most likely career path to becoming a HoF type player. He’s got the very obvious projection of being a mark texieria/chipper jones type, one of the best switch hitters in the game.
Jason Heyward
I see many .300 35 110 seasons in his future.
I'll buy that
So for me, and I’ll do 5 hitters and 5 pitcher, Heyward, Smoak, Wieters, and let’s say Chris Coghlan and Jesus Montero. For pitchers, Bumgarner, Price, Randall Delgado, Martin Perez and Brett Anderson
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by OldProspects on Dec 15, 2008 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
my list
Here’s my guess. For pitchers, I looked for dominance, a fast rise and gentle handling. For position players, I looked for a great “hook” and a well-rounded package of complementary skills. Others may have higher peaks, but I think these guys are the most likely to have long careers at a high level.
Yonder Alonso
Brett Anderson
Lars Anderson
Elvis Andrus
David Price
Ben Revere
Chris Tillman
Matt Wieters
admittedly a reach
But I think his speed will play and he’ll develop the contact skills. Out of everyone currently in the minors, I think he will become the best leadoff hitter, assuming he stays in the AL and out of Jose Reyes’ way. It would be unusual for the HOF not to reward a “best leadoff hitter” (with this pick, I’m clearly doubling down on Tim Raines).
Doubling Down...
I think the house would take your money if you do that… and give it to Rickey Henderson, who in my mind was at least the best lead-off hitter of the past 50 or 60 years. I am only 32, so I can’t comment much about old school players. I bet Ty Cobb would have made a helluva lead-off hitter too.
"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile
i'll give it a try
David Price
Matt Weiters
Rick Porcello
Yonder Alonso
Jordan Danks
Brian Matusz
Mike Moustakas
Todd Frazier
Shooter Hunt
Wilmer Flores
Huh?
I understand Price and Wieters, maybe Porcello and Mooose, but the others…not even close.
--Pablo Zevallos of yankeesfuture.wordpress.com
by Pablo Zevallos on Dec 15, 2008 8:26 PM EST up reply actions
Obviously threw out some guys who arent the superstar type but interest me. Danks and Shooter Hunt are crazy shots in the dark but this list wouldnt be very fun if we listed a bunch of top 10 prospects so i threw in some lesser, but interesting guys.
To me, Alonso and Matusz definitly have a shot. Im a big Alonso believer and in that park he could easily be a perrenial all-star. Matusz has 3 plus pitches and locates his his fastball at 93 with natural sink. There’s absolutley no reason why hes “not even close” when it comes to making this prediction.
Mine would be, just on hunches
Wieters
Price
Heyward
Porcello
Alvarez
Smoak
J. Montero
Aumont
E. Beltre
Jeffress
Mine
Wieters
Jesus Montero
Price
Smoak
Alvarez
Heyward
Brackman (low probability, but he could start off well by pitching excellently next year)
LaPorta
Villalona
--Pablo Zevallos of yankeesfuture.wordpress.com
My List with some interesting choices
1) Wieters
2) Heyward
3) Bumgarner
4) Montero
5) Andrus
6)Stolmy Pimental
7)Lars Anderson
8)Nick Barnese(Yup over Price, Davis, and Hellickson)
9)Alvarez
10)Jason Knapp(Crazy pick but he might be the next Schilling)
I think Jason knapp is sort of interesting
It could work – he’s sort of a high-upside high risk guy
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by OldProspects on Dec 15, 2008 11:20 PM EST up reply actions
I'm very high on pitchers who have great movement in their fastball
Prevents hard contact, plus Barnese has a good curveball and a developing changeup. I really see him as another Cahill with a Ceiling of Brandon Webb but getting to the majors at a younger age. Price I see him being good but not a HOF ace 15-17 game winner a year guy. Davis will be a lot like Brett Myers, and hellickson will be like Kyle Loshe. Heck some of the D-Rays writers already said Barnese has that arrogant personality that Matt Garza has on the mound.
I see why you like him
It sounds like he still needs work on his secondary stuff, but he seems like he’s got the work ethic. This isn’t the most off the wall pick I’ve seen on this thread.
by David Tokarz on Dec 15, 2008 10:02 PM EST up reply actions
Eh
Cahill’s stuff is a grade better and Barnese hasn’t done it at the higher levels. The difference between “succeeding in the Cal League and AA” and “succeeding in short-season ball” is huge.
Those other comps aren’t horrible . . .I wonder where you got them from.
My list...
Matt Wieters
David Price
Pedro Alvarez
Ethan Martin
Nick Hagadone
Yorman Rodriguez
Tim Beckham
Mike Moustakas
Kyle Skipworth
Steve Strasburg
Ethan Martin Only Once?
I thought you’d list him 20 times.
A noob or n00b is someone that lacks intellegance or common sense, most people think that noob is a word used only in the online gaming world, but in reality it is becoming an ever popular word with teenage society.
a noob could be simply a level 100 running round shouting ‘’WTF DO I GO!?’’ or someone calling someone else a noob and then getting hit with a brick, anyone can call anyone a noob, but normally they are noobs themselves
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Second thought
Remove one of Smoak and Cahill in favor of Andrus. I’ll post another tomorrow having given it more thought.
Im surprised no one has said Triunfel
I think Weiters is the best bet by far.
I see a lot of college pitchers being named that would be extremely hard pressed to do it. I dont like those choices
Weirdo boom or bust types like Aumont seem like good choices. Michael Almanzar. I also would probably go Tim Beckham and the two high school 1B – Smoak and Hosmer.
isnt smoak a college guy?
TPJ...you're dead to me
by billybeingbilly on Dec 16, 2008 12:44 AM EST up reply actions
Good Thread
There has to be 1 or 2 or more future Hall of Famers in the minor leagues right now. That is usually how it works.
My 5:
-Matt Wieters: Mike Piazza like offense
-Jason Heyward: 2500 hits, 500 HR (Outfield Fred McGriff + 7 HR)
-Jeremy Jeffress: 400 saves
-Matt Dominguez: the next Scott Rolen without the shoulder problems
-Brett Wallace: career .300 hitter, 2500 hits, 350 HR, 1500 RBI (Kirby Puckett without the speed or Edgar Martinez but he plays a few more years in the field before going to the DH spot….with the Cardinals ;)
sooo...what you're saying...is that brett wallace wont be a HOFer....
puckett shouldnt be in the hall and martinez wont be in the hall…
TPJ...you're dead to me
by billybeingbilly on Dec 16, 2008 2:07 AM EST up reply actions
UHHHH
No matter what your opinions of Kirby Puckett are, he is indeed in the Hall of Fame. More than likely voters wisely noticed he still had a few more years of .300, 20 HR in him when he lost sight in his eye and was forced to retire. Had he stayed healthy, he probably would have come close to 3000 hits which pretty much means automatic induction(every 3000 hit club member is in the Hall except Rose).
And if Edgar Martinez played a few more years in the field like I’m saying Brett Wallace will, then he’d probably be in the hall. As it is now, no one believes a guy who played 70% of his games on the bench should be in the hall. But also notice the career numbers I gave for Wallace are all better than Martinez’s.
For fun...
There are the obvious “Weiters, Price, Smoak, Heyward…” guesses, so I want to throw some names out that aren’t as easily guessable (I would have said Jeffress here, but UncleBuck beat me to it… great dark horse candidate there!)
Buster Posey (not a big fan of him, but I think he has potential)
Greg Halman (Possible 400-400 career if he can start to manage the strike zone better)
Jeremy Hellickson (a dark horse with all the Rays SPs out there. Love the High K and high GB)
Taylor Teagarden (Won’t be as good as Wieters, but you don’t have to be if you stick at catcher)
Jordan Zimmermann (Nice K’s, Good GB in a pitcher’s park. If he keeps a good D behind him he could be great)
Porcello (Good is good, and he is good)
Jeff Smardjia (I can’t spell his name, but I think he stumbles some as an SP and moves back to the pen. Next Mo Rivera)
"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile
After careful consideration
I’ve winnowed it down to the following players:
1) Neftali Feliz
2) Blake Beavan
3) Michael Main
4) Michael Main’s mom
5) Michael Main’s mom’s mom
6) Taylor Teagarden
7) Neil Ramirez
8) A guy the Texas Rangers are scouting in Venezuala right now
9) Koby Clemens
10) Any offspring of Nolan Ryan
Maybe it's just me but I'm pretty confident about HOF chances for these guys:
Dayan Viciedo, Gordon Beckham, Aaron Poreda,Chris Getz,Josh Fields,Clayton Richard,Jeff Marquez,Brandon Allen,John Shelby, Brent Liilibridge and Tyler Flowers.
And, Homer Bailey. Once, the Sox acquire him ofcourse.
J'ai ri quand tu as dit ca.
--Pablo Zevallos of yankeesfuture.wordpress.com
by Pablo Zevallos on Dec 16, 2008 5:02 PM EST up reply actions
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