The Resurgence of Eric Campbell???

by colerocks on Aug 4, 2008 9:56 PM EDT

The once former top prospect and heir to the Atlanta Braves Thrid Base throne was all but dethroned in the past two years as a result of disipline issues and injuries. Im not sure he even made the top 20 list this past offseason (btw feel free to correct me if I am wrong). He began this year late after another barage of injuries. For the first month of the season, he struggled mightly and was beginning to destroy the optomists trust funds. All of a sudden, something must have clicked. He has gotten better every month. Now he is hitting .266 over 237 AB and has 15 homers with a .367 obp and an 869 ops. He has a 34:36 BB/SO ratio. Also he owns 53 RBI's in 62 games. If u average his numbers out for 500 ab's, he should hit 30+ homers. Now keep in mind that he has progressivly gotten better over the season. If he keeps this up, he could end up with around a .300 average and 20+ homers in an injury shortened season. I personally think that he should reconsidered as a top prospect after this resurgance. What do you think guys and what grade do you think you would give him John?

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I forgot to mention...

Campbell is 3 for 3 w/2 doubles and a homer tonight raising his average to .275 and homer total to 16. He also has drawn 2 walks evening out his BB:SO ratio to 1:1

by colerocks on Aug 4, 2008 10:05 PM EDT 0 recs

He finished the night 3/3 w/ 3 walks. Although his team scored 17 runs in the game, so that might reflect more on Kinston’s pitching than Campbell’s hitting.

I’m pretty sure he started the season late due to a disciplinary suspension from the Braves not due to injuries.

Is Myrtle Beach still an extreme pitchers park? I have a vague recollection of hearing something about renovations made to make it less ridiculous, but I’m not certain.

by OldDutchPots on Aug 4, 2008 10:36 PM EDT 0 recs

No

He didn’t begin late this year due to injury. He started late because he was suspended for a long damn time for being an f’tard

by nms on Aug 4, 2008 10:38 PM EDT 0 recs

thanks for the correction.

MB is a big time pitchers park thats for sure.

by colerocks on Aug 4, 2008 10:43 PM EDT 0 recs

Fences

were moved in this year if I recall correctly. Still a pitchers park I’m sure, the winds are crazy, but probably less of one now

by nms on Aug 4, 2008 10:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

This doesn't prove anything

but Campbell’s stats have been virtually identical home and away both this year and last. Firstinning.com writes it in an odd way, http://firstinning.com/pf/?type=basic&lg=CARO&min=250&season=2008 but I think that they’re saying Myrtle Beach is a mild pitchers’ park

www.loftylantern.com

by OldProspects on Aug 7, 2008 1:42 AM EDT up 0 recs

His BABIP is extremely low, mid 200s which indicates just how well he’s been hitting.

by 17843 on Aug 4, 2008 10:57 PM EDT 0 recs

No it doesn't

a low BABIP is never a good a thing for a hitter to have.
I guess the point you’re trying to make is that it is nice to see a guy put up a strong line despite a weak BABIP because it shows his walks and power but it still is never a good indicator for a hitter to struggle with getting hits. BABIP is a skill hitters have definite control over and it doesn’t bode well for a bat to translate vs. better pitching if a guy can’t get hits.

by nms on Aug 4, 2008 11:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

BABIP

What’s weird about Campbell’s low BABIP is his low K numbers. It makes his line look odd overall.

by aCone419 on Aug 5, 2008 12:10 AM EDT up 0 recs

I saw Campbell

The other day and he looked very good. Hit a nice HR into left center. Ive been to the park at Myrtle Beach twice and it did look different this year. It is now only 308 down the left field line and 328 down right if i remember correct. The gaps seemed normal and it goes to 400 in center. At the game I saw, the ball was carrying well and just from my eyes, I’m not sure why it’s so much of a pitchers park.

by benzalman on Aug 5, 2008 1:05 AM EDT 0 recs

Crazy Winds

Myrtle Beach has ridiculous winds that blow in from straight-away center field and if you hit it up too high, it will just die. I talked to Jordan Schafer about it last year and he told me that he would just crush balls and they wouldn’t even make it to the warning track.

by was385 on Aug 5, 2008 2:00 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yup

Have to toot my own horn here, as I’ve been waiting for Campbell to put it together for a little bit now, but haven’t lost faith. He absolutely belongs in the discussion for top prospects.

I still see him starting at the hot corner by 2010 at the latest, although if the Braves think this performance can’t last, look for him to get dealt in the off-season. ;-)

Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball

by Yakker on Aug 5, 2008 1:50 PM EDT 0 recs

The performance may be getting back but...

Let’s not be too hasty here. I’d like to see him go a full year without doing something boneheaded.

Oh, and he’s 23 in High-A.

Maybe he’ll be a worthwhile utility guy at some point, but with no ability to play SS, the bat’s really going to have to come around.

by mraver on Aug 5, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

His tools have never really been in doubt

So I’m not sure why saying “the bat’s really going to have to come around” makes sense more here than it would for any other prospect. Performance has never been his issue, it’s been injuries and maturity issues that have sidetracked his career and top prospect status. Scouts have always liked his power and contact abilities and the one major on-the-field concern (lack of on-base skills) looks to have been corrected this season. If he can stay out of trouble, I see no reason why he shouldn’t be talked about as one of the game’s better prospects.

by was385 on Aug 5, 2008 4:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

Response

You DO know that he hit .221 last year at the same level, don’t you?

by mrkupe on Aug 5, 2008 7:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

Injury

That had everything to do with an injury issue. It’s not that he was overmatched, it’s that he struggled through a wrist injury for almost his entire season. So, I DO know that, but if you read the first post again, I talked about injuries being the issue, not just a lack of performance.

by was385 on Aug 5, 2008 8:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

Response

I did read your first post again. It said the same thing that it said the first time I read it. I quote:

“Performance has never been his issue”

Which I refuted by pointing out a season-long instance in which he did not perform very well at all. That’s all.

by mrkupe on Aug 5, 2008 9:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

Caused by?

It was not a matter of him just being overmatched or not adjusting to league, it was all caused because of injuries. In my book, that is an injury issue, not a performance issue. Are you suggesting that those two are the same thing?

by was385 on Aug 5, 2008 9:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

Response

I’m suggesting that a .718 OPS out of a 21 year old third baseman in A ball is very rarely a good thing any way you slice it.

by mrkupe on Aug 5, 2008 10:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

I guess

I’m willing to give the player a free pass if scouts like their tools, they have no history of struggles, and they played through a wrist injury for that entire season. I guess that’s just me though.

by was385 on Aug 5, 2008 10:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

When it’s paired with the peripherals he posted – good K/BB rate, good BB%, good ISO – it’s not as horrible as you make it out to be.

by 17843 on Aug 6, 2008 1:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

Well

I agree with you that he certainly may do something stupid down the road, as may any player. Perhaps he is a higher “risk” than some, but maybe not (maybe he’s learned from his mistakes). Time will tell.

But, if healthy (both mentally and physically), I see little reason to doubt Campbell’s production. He was a bona fide talent before he got suspended, and he is a bona fide talent now.

Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball

by Yakker on Aug 6, 2008 4:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

Dude can play

What the hell is the arguement?

by Jay212033 on Aug 5, 2008 11:56 PM EDT 0 recs

He's 23 in A-ball

And his tools are good, but we’re not talking Josh Hamilton or anything like that.

Unless he tears through AA and AAA next year, I don’t really see him as much more than a backup at the ML level.

Seriously, he’s TWENTY THREE and in A-BALL.

by mraver on Aug 6, 2008 7:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

And he's not shattering the ball

An .895 OPS is very good, of course, but for a 3B who is 23 and in A+, not exactly evidence of a future superstar.

www.loftylantern.com

by OldProspects on Aug 7, 2008 1:39 AM EDT up 0 recs

exactly

That’s all I’m saying.

by mraver on Aug 7, 2008 2:10 AM EDT up 0 recs

it's not like

he just had to repeat the league because he was overmatched his first time through. He was injured and had off-field issues. The tools are certainly there and the performance at every level (aside from his injury-plagued season) was very good. Certainly he has to keep performing as he moves up but the same thing can be said for every prospect. A .900 OPS at Myrtle Beach is very impressive.

by was385 on Aug 7, 2008 2:30 AM EDT up 0 recs