Apples and Oranges
by John Sickels on May 5, 2009 8:00 AM EDT
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PrintWould you rather have Andrew Lambo of the Dodgers, or Matt LaPorta of the Indians?
They are both top outfield prospects, but with very different styles of play, and very different age/league profiles.
Who would you rather have for your favorite team, and why?
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Gotta go with LaPorta
Lambo has a better upside I suppose, but he’s more of a wild card and I think LaPorta will easy be a league average player
I might be overthinking it...
…but it seems like Lambo will develop into a better defensive player — at least that’s what BA thinks — so I gave him the nod.
I think they’ll both produce similarly with the bat when all’s said and done. LaPorta is obviously big league ready now, but Lambo’s hitting Double-A pitching at Age 20, and the list of guys who have done that and then flopped at the big league level isn’t exactly extensive. Give me Lambo and I’ll wait the year and a half until he’s ready.
LaPorta
Lambo’s upside potential isn’t that much higher than LaPorta’s, so I go with now-readiness.
Updated Top 100?
John when do you think you’ll release an updated top 100 prospects for Rotowire?
I mean if you want to compare Lambo and LaPorta how can there be any competition when just four-five months ago you listed LaPorta at No. 39 and Lambo didn’t even crack the top 100. Would Jennings crack your top 100 now that he is tearing up the Southern League? For that matter would Lambo?
LaPorta
Simply because he’s all ready in the Majors and should be a solid to very good hitter for years to come. Lambo might end up better, but he’s much farther away with more chance of him not developing/getting injured or any other factor that turns prospects into duds.
laporta
laporta seems to me like a pat burrell clone… i’ll take the power and obp even with the inevitable k’s and below avg – avg defense… plus he’s obviously big league ready… this year will be a telling year for lambo with a repeat of aa… if he could increase bb rate while cutting some k’s lambo might make me rethink choosing laporta
Not to nitpick...
…but Lambo isn’t “repeating” Double-A. He had an 8-game trial there at the end of his Age 19 season and wound up skipping High-A ball entirely by virtue of starting at Chattanooga this year. Apples to oranges (as John says), but Lambo is 3 years ahead of LaPorta at this stage of his development.
And while it’s obviously a small sample size, Lambo’s plate discipline seems to be coming around (8.3% BB, 13.1% K).
Lambo
I think Lambo is probably the most underrated prospect going. He skipped a level and still has not missed a beat. He is making solid consistent contact. He has only struck out 9 times in 108 PA. He is young for his league. He could learn to hit more homers I think. I dont think its a power issue per se. He hits righties and lefties. Like Laporta, he won’t win any Gold gloves. However, through hard work, it appears that Lambo has progressed well enough to play a serviceable outfield. I live in Saint Louis and he has to be better than Chris Duncan… (sorry-minor rant)… Either could get hurt etc… I also think the Dodgers do well with their younger players. However, you cant go wrong with either I think…
LaPorta
Seems to me, when two guys are ultimately comparable, that you ought to go with the guy who’s a more surefire thing. Lambo could be awesome, LaPorta could be awesome, but LaPorta’s getting his shot right now, not a year and a half from now, and that’s got to count for something.
Love the Apples and Oranges
As a suggestion for future ones, how about a few on not just prospects, but also relatively new major leaguers that have had comparable debuts but are pegged differently? There could be some interesting debate there
Lambo's path to LA
Here is how I see Lambo getting to LA. Lambo plays most of the year at AA. Like last year, he gets a end of the year promotion to AAA. Plays in the AZ fall league again. Begins next year at AAA and gets called up after they saved enough service time. ( Like Wieters) I dont see Manny coming back. But if he does, I fear Lambo may be traded or moved to first base for a year and the Dodgers trading Loney. So, he could be a fulltime player in the Majors at 21. Possible?
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