Battle of the Sally Leauge Shortstops

by jimduquettesucked on Jul 29, 2009 3:07 PM EDT

Wilmer Flores or Timothy Beckham, you decide.

Flores(age 17): .278/.316/.358, 44/15 K/BB, 3 Homeruns, 2 Stolen Bases.

Beckham(age 19): .275/.332/.404, 82/27 K/BB, 5 Homeruns, 6 Stolen Bases.

Who's the better prospect? Can they both stick at short? Who's got the higher ceiling? Who's got the higher floor?

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how many PA's does each have?

there are questions whether Flores will stay at short, reminds some of Miguel Carbrera. With that in mind, celings appear to be somewhat even, with Flores having a better bat but position value factored in.

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by harendaman365 on Jul 29, 2009 3:12 PM EDT reply actions

Becks will stay at SS

Beckham > Flores.

i will probably have Beckham ranked from 12-20
Flores from 28-40

by daveh33 on Jul 29, 2009 3:16 PM EDT reply actions

Flores has better place discipline......

…and will most likely hit for more power. As long as he stays in the infield anywhere other than 1B, I will take him over Beckham.

by soccerman0 on Jul 29, 2009 3:20 PM EDT reply actions

My understanding

Is that Flores is probably destined for a COF spot. 3B is a best case scenario.

by aCone419 on Jul 29, 2009 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

How does his arm rate?

RF or 3B are still semi premium positions due to the arm strength needed to play them. I would take a selective power hitting 3B over an athletic and speedy SS everyday of the week.

by soccerman0 on Jul 29, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Good arm strength

Could use more accuracy though.

"If I ever decide to do a book, I've already got the title...The bases were loaded and so was I."

-Jim Fregosi

by Stephen Schmidt on Jul 29, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Arm

Supposedly some teams wanted to sign him as a pitcher.

I am beginning to lose patience
With my personal relations.
They are not deep
And they are not cheap.

W.H. Auden

by jimduquettesucked on Jul 29, 2009 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe not

BA just had something rating him a 25 runner. Is he going to be that good at tracking fly balls?

by Fanon on Jul 29, 2009 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

What?

It’s pretty tough to believe that a guy who can play shortstop would be a 25 runner at 17 years old. I can understand projecting him to fill out and lose athleticism, but that’s ridiculous.

by PissedMick on Jul 30, 2009 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Here

Flores, 17, has maintained his lofty contact rate and his mediocre walk-to-strikeout ratio even as he’s moved up a grade. His average and power production, though, have trailed off significantly as he grinds through his first full season of pro ball. He signed with the Mets for the ninth-highest bonus, $700,000, of the ’07 international signing period.

A scout for an AL club took note of those hitting qualities while seeing Flores in action this season.

“Flores grew on me. He can hit,” the scout said. "I don’t know how much power he’s going to have—and he’s a legit 25 runner with well below-average athleticism—but he has a knack for putting the barrel on the ball. And he shows plate discipline and pitch recognition at a young age.

“His hands are really good and they allow him to manipulate the barrel and adjust to pitches in all parts of the zone. They help his defense, too. But he’s not a good athlete and he can’t run at all.”

Link

by Fanon on Jul 30, 2009 6:44 AM EDT up reply actions

That report

Really makes it sound like 3B is his future position. He might need to find another organization though, as that spot is locked up for quite a while in NY.

by guru4u on Jul 30, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

That report

Really makes it sound like 1B is his future position, as many believe.

by alskor on Jul 30, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

This was my thinking

by Fanon on Jul 30, 2009 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Flores will be the better power hitter,

but Beckham will be the only SS. Flores is probably destined for a corner somewhere.

"If I ever decide to do a book, I've already got the title...The bases were loaded and so was I."

-Jim Fregosi

by Stephen Schmidt on Jul 29, 2009 3:34 PM EDT reply actions

I am thoroughly unimpressed by Beckham.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Jul 29, 2009 3:53 PM EDT reply actions

Considering Flores isn't going to be a SS

I’ll take Beckham.

by Southwest on Jul 29, 2009 4:35 PM EDT reply actions

YEah

Flores isn’t really a shortstop

Also I say its a tie in terms of pure hitting their both young enigmas right now

by METSMETSMETS on Jul 29, 2009 4:46 PM EDT reply actions

Flores isn't an SS

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by JD Sussman on Jul 29, 2009 4:46 PM EDT reply actions

to answer your questions

Beckham, no (Flores is there for developmental purposes only, Beckham has a good shot at sticking), Beckham, Beckham

Flores isn’t really much of a player defense-wise and while his physical potential is impressive, I’m not really sold on his bat at all just yet.

While I’ve never been thrilled by Beckham (solid polish for a HS player but the tools aren’t anything special), I think he’ll end up being a solid average major league middle infielder across the board, and he probably has enough defensive ability to get by at SS.

by mrkupe on Jul 29, 2009 4:59 PM EDT reply actions

Beckham vs Dee Gordon

would be a more interesting battle right now IMO.

The Dodgers won't win a playoff series until the Cool-a-Coo returns.

by mckeeno on Jul 29, 2009 6:02 PM EDT reply actions

+1

Since both will actually stick at SS.

by guru4u on Jul 30, 2009 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

yea theyre more comparable… flores and beckham have nothing in common long term

by jarjets89 on Jul 30, 2009 12:35 AM EDT reply actions

gordon s got much better speed than beckham , better discipline, beckham has significantly more power. Both are very raw. Gordon is around 18 months older but he is still considered one of the rawest players at his level (single a)

by jarjets89 on Jul 30, 2009 12:37 AM EDT reply actions

soon

we’ll have Beckham vs. Jiovanni Mier conversations, as Mier has had a great start to his professional career. .311/.419/.485 (16 BB/21 K) so far in his first 27 games.

by richieabernathy on Jul 30, 2009 11:20 AM EDT reply actions

Beckham

Not really close.

Better question, who is the better 1B prospect, Wilmer Flores or Ike Davis?
I’ve got to go with Davis.

by acerimusdux on Jul 30, 2009 12:35 PM EDT reply actions

Dee vs. Beckham is all well and good....

but….Flores/Beckham are the two most recognizable Sally SS’s and the only two you can actually see versus each other on the same field. They also opposed each other in the Appy.

I’d say 99% of people out there who WOULD do a comparison of Beckham/Gordon would not be people who were actually able to see both in person and would be going off of speculation and reports. Those are well and good, but not many people have the scouting connections to pull it off and do it well.

Mike Newman

by ScoutingTheSally on Aug 24, 2009 10:15 PM EDT reply actions