There seems to be a lot of mixed opnion about Britton, but I like him a lot. If he performs well in Double-A he has the ceiling of a number two in my opinion. doesn’t mean he’ll reach that ceiling, but I see that kind of potential in him.

I don’t think it would help him. He needs to play. He needs to go back to Triple-A, prove his wrist is okay, get the strike zone back under control, and continue working on his glove. Hard to do all that if you are rotting on the bench.

Yeah, I can see that..He’ll need to work on sharpening his plate discipline, but given his age I think that’s a fair comparison.

He could probably use more Triple-A time….I know he had the pretty ERA at Frisco but his walk rate was rather high there at 19 in 34 innings. I’d like to see that come down a bit. My guess is that he’ll be up sometime in the second half as a bullpen option.

Sure….I hear the Baseball Prospect Book is a really nice resource, avaialble only at www.johnsickels.net!

And the editor of the book is really hot.

Favorite is a broad question…lol….“best” is Neftali. Personal favorite is Smoak. I’m also rather partial to Moreland and Moscoso as guys who have exceeded expectations.

No. I’d say he’s more of a 20-25 guy

hmm….that would be a good one for a community projection.

I’ll say Matusz goes 11-13, 4.35, with a 135/62 K/BB in 187 innings with 185 hits allowed. Some people will be disappointed but then he takes off in ’11.

well he’s somewhat raw for a college guy….alot depends on if the strikeouts hurt him at higher levels. I’d say 2012.

Holland….i’d say he will be around league-average, maybe a little worse, but better than last year. Neftali should be at least average and probably well above average, which is excellent for a pitcher his age. A lot depends on what role they use him in. In shorter stretches I’d expect he would be more dominant

too broad a question for this format. That would take a whole article to answer properly.

I don’t think Lee will develop Jeterish power. I could see something like Jeter with half of the home runs taken out.

eh….i don’t really see the Anderson comp for Venable. Garrett was already an established veteran by age 27, while Will has just 403 at-bats. Will won’t hit for as high an average certainly, and won’t show the same kind of peak power I don’t think.

Well capra was very good last year but I don’t think he throws quite hard enough to rank as an elite prospect. If he maintains his performance in Double-A, he might show up in the back-end of a 100 next year, but he turns 23 this April and overall I thikn it is a long shot.

hmmm…..if he develops to his maximum potential, really maxes out the ceiling, he could be a .290 type with 20 homer power and strong defense. Sort of a lower-case Cal Ripken maybe? That would be his maximum.

Given his makeup issues I think the Rangers should be cautious with him….stability seems like a good plan to me. I’d send him to low-A and leave him there for at least half the season…if he plays well you can bump him up to high-A on July 1st. I would avoid Double-A exposure until he proves to me that his plate discipline and personal discipline can handle pro ball.

Hmm…..well honeslty that is a case by case thing, I don’t know if there is a particular type. Generally the rawer the player, the more likely they are to benefit from college ball. This is especially true (in my opinion) with players who are emotionally or intellectually raw/immature.

Much would also depend on what college program you are talking about. Some programs are better than others.

well that’s a little early to say, since it is probably someone drafted in the 10th round that no one has focused on yet. I’m assuming you don’t mean guys who were overslot drafts like Colton Cain or Zach Von Rosenberg.

I think Carlos Ramirez, a catcher drafted by the Angels out of Arizona State in the eigth round, was significnatly underrated by a lot of people.

I doubt he can play outfield and I disregard rumors about him becoming a catcher at this time.

I don’t think his glove is THAT bad at first base, but it won’t be his main asset.

Well castro has more offensive potential though it will take him longer to find it due to his youth. Both can stay at SS, although Castro has some competition in the Cubs system and if Lee hits at higher levels, Castro may end up at 2B.

Escobar has a higher floor but a lower ceiling. Better glove at this point, although Castro is no slouch.

I’m monitoring spring reports but want to see some game action data before panicking about it.

Am I concerned? yes.

Am I panicked? no.

Would I pull the plug on him as a prospect? hell no.

I don’t know if he can handle it or not. Just speculation at this point.

Of course, I don’t think Lawrie is really a 2B either. I think he’s a corner outfielder. In any case I think Ackley ranks ahead of Lawrie due to his more polished bat and better athleticism. Not that there’s anything wrong with Lawrie, i love both of them.

He can be a .300/.375/.550 hitter.

hmm

Myers: 55%
Stock 75% (defensively, bat is still somewhat unproven)
Murphy 60%
Gonzalez 80%
Valle 50%

Ceiling of a number two starter. At least two years away.

As i get older, I’m increasingly impressed by how much we DON’T know, and by how ephemeral human predictive capacities really are. Personally I think it is best to evaluate pitchers in person, from multiple angles.I wouldn’t judge anything on one pitch. But I’m also not going to attack people who know more about pitching mechanics than i do…i have no specialized knowledge about biometrics.

Tough question. Statistically, I’d look at the totality of his track record to see if it was out of place. Scoutingwise I’d look at their body…are they maxed out physically? What kind of speed/moblity/athleticism do they have? Generally (in my opinon) a guy with “old player skills” (power, patience, but with a lack of speed and somewhere on the oldguy end of the defensive spectrum) is probably more likely to max out early.

Neftali will make the Rangers barring something really weird happening. HItters are harder to predict….scott sizemore seems like a good bet in detroit.

I see him as a guy who can hit ..240-260 with a solid-to-high OBP and 15-20 homers a season at his peak.

I don’t think he has enough power for first base, so that makes him an OF. Best defensive position is left; his range may be short for center in the long run although in the short run he’s okay out there. Probably more of a fourth outfielder, as I don’t think he’ll have the power to play a corner regularly.

Pink Floyd.

based purely on ceiling with no attention paid to anything else

Teheran
Withrow
Vizcaino
Mejia
Wheeler
Miller
Castro

All of them have very high celings.

if castro wins the job, i’d say .256/.325/.405

Joseph’s statisical line at Vancouver was poor…weak K/IP ratio, too many hits allowed, high walk rate. I have him as a live arm guy with bad command. My oakland list was already crowded and there were just guys I liked better.

BA looks more at scouting reports than I do, while I lean more to the statistical side.

Perhaps, although Perez is also five inches taller and that adds in another factor.

Well….spring training isn’t especially predictive due to the small sample sizes involved.

Basically if a guy has a good spring training, that’s nice. If he has an EXCEPTIONAL spring training, well that’s to his credit but it certainly does not override his complete track record. If he has a bad spring training, that’s too bad but it may not mean anything. It might depend on WHY he had a bad spring training. Basically i look at it within the context of his overall record.

I can’t think of any MAJOR guys at this point. There are some Grade C maybe C+ guys I wish I could have put in. Two Twins I wish I had included are shortstop James Beresford and catcher Allan de San Miguel.

I’m not worried about it just yet, given his age. His sample sizes have been pretty small. It’s not super common but it does happen, as we’ve seen with some of the prospect retros.

Number four starter.

That would be a good subject for a longer article.

Rondon is a mystery, I’m not sure why scouts don’t priase him more than they do. I mean, most people think he’s a decent enough prospect, but I’m not sure he gets enough credit for holding his own in Triple-A at age 21. He’s efficient and he’s shown some ability to dominate.

I did a Not a Rookie on Borbon a couple of weeks ago that lays that out.

I have not heard if they are sending him to extended spring or will start him in April in low-A. The Rockies are generally fairly conservative with their pitching prospects (witness the handling of Christian Friedrich last year), so I imagine we won’t see maztek higher than Low-A this year unless he’s just blowing people away for an extended period. Fastest case would be a Kershaw-like track, but I think they’ll go slower than that.

I’m anxious to see how he does in April….if the eye problem was the source of his trouble or if it was more than that. We just do’n’t know at this point. One saving grace is that he does control the strike zone well, even when he couldn’t see it. One negative is that Wilmington (his likely assignment to open 2010) is a tough place to hit for most guys.

I thought Baseball America was really overrating Nick Blackburn back in 2008, and I’m a Twins fan. He turned out a lot better than I expected.

Best guess this early in spring training: starts 2010 in Triple-A, slow start in April, begins to heat up in May, excellent in June and July, gets called up in August when B.J. Upton gets injured, hits .245/.321/.365 with seven steals in 12 attempts in August and September, people start to worry, then he gets to play regularly in 2011 and does much better.

A healthy Parker would be a strong B+ prospect and would rank in the 15-20 range.

I’ll pass on that one…would take too long to research and think out for this venue.

that’s a very good question, more fodder for a longer essay. I’d need to look up signing bonuses and establish what ‘non hype’ really means, etc.

great smackdown topic. will put it on the list.

In my book I gave him a Grade B- and wrote that I was rather optimistic about him. I can’t remember what I said about him on draft day, lol, but right now I find him intriguing. Worthy of the first round….sure. Athletic middle infielders with a chance to hit decently have value.

Miller, West, Hurk in that order. I still think Miller can be a fine pitcher.

I dont’ think his stock has dropped much, he still looks like a terrific pitching prospect to me. We need to see him in pro ball of course but he could be a B+/A- prospect a year from now.

Toughie….I’m a big fan of both Trout and Mitchell. Jackson may have the best pure ceiling but I’m not at all convinced about the bat yet. . .want to see him control the zone outside the Northwest League. I just love Trout for some reason, and I’ve been a big Mitchell fan for awhile…love the athleticism and the walks and i expect his power to improve. In my book I have it Trout/Mitchell/Jackson. You can flip-flop Mitchell and Trout if you want.

Great tools of course….but injury prone and with significant makeup issues. The Yankees say the makeup concerns are overblown, but of course they are going to say that. No real pro data to look at. Ceiling….hmm….Larry Walker maybe? Will he get there? Have to see if he stays healthy, if he controls the strike zone, if he keeps his head on straight. High-reward high-risk guy.

TJ is an automatic grade downshift and he wouldn’t have appeared on the Top 50 as a result. Some people don’t worry so much about TJ and keep guys with it rated highly even during their recovery period. I disagree with that, since recovery is NOT automatic (Jesse Foppert) so I opt for caution until they retake the mound.

Exclelent strike zone judgment, has some power potential, stole some bases, looks good on paper in rookie ball and still quite young at age 19. Scouts have mixed opinions; most of them don’t think he’ll stick at shortstop. I suspect they are right, but if his hitting contnues to develop they will find a place for him.

Hmmm

Green 2011
Mier 2014
Franklin 2014
Givens 2014
Owings 2015

Jackson with Wells on call in Triple-A (no doubt putting up big numbers) waiting for someone to get hurt or suck.

slightly below average this year…..but a chance for a Danks-like breakout in 2011.

I think that’s a great (if sensitive) topic and one I’ve actually thought a lot about. Is the tide turning? It is possible. However, I’d be interested in knowing how many of this new group are coming out of the inner city or RBI programs, and how many are suburban kids from middle or upper class backgrounds.

In fact, the whole socioeconomic origin of major league players of all races is an area I’d like to see researched. I’m not sure how you’d go about doing that.

Hmm

Revere….cup of coffee in 2011. Hicks a year behind that. I wouldnt’ expect to see them as starters together until 2013 or 2014, assuming that Hicks starts developing his power.

I’m somewhat skeptical about his bat to be honest, though Red Sox officials say he has exceptional handeye coordination and they expect him to hit. We’ll see if that pans out. Best in the majors once he gets there? I wouldnt’ go that far…not until we actually see him play.

I did not see him in person but have talked with people who have. Yes, he has front of the rotation potenital. at least a number two…MAYBE a number one if it all comes togehter, thought that’s a long way off.

He’s a personal favorite so he’ll probably have problems, lol.

I thikn he could use some Triple-A time but the White Sox never listen to me. I think he can be a number three starter.

People are too hard on him. I expect he’ll take a small step forward this year, then break out in 2011 (provided he doesnt’ get hurt, always a risk of course).

both can be number three/four strike-throwing inning-eating lefties. I like Niese a little better.

Unless things change dramatically this season, I doubt he’ll make it.

He’s a good sleeper, I had him as a Grade C+ “with higher potential” in the book this year. I don’t see him as a big power guy, maybe 10-15 homers at peak….his skills will be batting average and speed if he makes it.

hard call….first name that comes to mind is Derrick Robinson of KC….80 runner….but he can’t hit.

Few players, even the best, are instant stars. If he can hit .260 with 15 homers this year they should be happy. My guess is that he could use some Triple-A time, but we’ll see. We will have a better read on this in a couple of weeks.

Yes, he has some breakout potential. He was a two-way guy in college and I like that kind of athleticism. Someone to watch in the Cubs system for certain.

I’m not sure who you are talking about here.

He has a top 50 arm, but even aside from the pot problems his command is shaky enough to keep him off the list or just at the bottom of it right now. I doubt we see him in the majors this year even if he comes back successfuly from the suspension. He has a lot to prove on and off the field.

hard to say of course….we don’t know how the draft will shake out, who may or may not get promoted etc.

On present assumptions it could be something like Montero, Hellickson, Chapman, Carlos Santana, Pedro Alvarez, Mike Stanton..

Strasburg, Ackley, Green, Trout, Turner.

As far as I know they aren’t brothers.

I like Eric’s bat but he has to prove he can stay healthy, which is apparently a big if.

Some skepticism is understandable since we haven’t seen him higher than the California League, but after seeing him in the Arizona Fall League I think he’s legimate. I expect perhaps a slow start in Double-A early but he’ll pick it up by June and finish with numbers just a bit weaker than last year. I could see him becoming a .280/.340/.460 hitter.

i suspect that Danny Gutierrez will eventually move to relief and be very successful in that role, assuming he doesn’t get himselt run out of the game first with bad behavior.

Sanchez….listed 6-2 195 currently, righthanded hitter and thrower, 17 years old, bat considered somewhat similar to jesus montero at the same stage, excelelnt power potential, is more athletic than montero and has a better chance to stay behind the plate. We need to see what he can do against live pitching, of course. Will probably begin 2010 in the Gulf Coast League.

I see him more as a starter, though I suppose closing is an option if he has trouble with his secondary pitches. Impact…late this year or in 2011. Perhaps the struggles of Luke Hochevar (who was rushed and hasn’t really gotten over it) might make the Royals a bit more cautious with Crow.

Wieters, Hanson, McCutchen, Andrus, Anderson

Santana is somewhat more athletic and has a better chance to remain a catcher long-term. he also doesn’t strike out as much.

I dunno….tons of candidates for that. Miguel Sano could if he lives up to the scouting reports. Bobby Borcerhing. Anthony Rizzo. Zeke Spruil. Lots of B- guys could rise.

I don’t like to make comparions between pitchers and hitters so I’m not going to rank Brett Anderson with those other guys.

Heyward, McCutchen, Andrus, Gonzalez, Beckham.

Strasburg up in July at the latest. Just needs to get his feet wet.
Storen up by July at the latest if he doesn’t open in the pen right away
Crow sometime 2011.
Arguelles…no idea.

Sure. That would make sense assuming Barton comes around.

Iglesias and A. Escobar are the top two. Impossible to answer this beyond that on short notice given your parameters…there must be 20 guys with great gloves in the lower minors who will never hit enough to make the majors despite their great defense.

.260/.335/.465.

Has a long career as a platoon slugger/1B bat, emergency catcher. But doesn’t become the star originally envisioned.

Well he’s already elite enough to rank on most prospect lists despite his lack of experience. He needs to go to the Midwest League, throw strikes, and stay healthy. I know that’s vague but it is what he needs to do.

Brown has the tools to be a regular outfielder in the mode of Kirk Gibson….lots of power and speed, but somewhat erratic and injury-prone. He needs to prove he can make contact against good pitching for that to happen, however, and he hasnt’ proven that consistently yet.

He’d be more of a Sidd Finch type.

Well that depends.

Are you talking about Jesus the misunderstood prophet of Allah as envisioned by Islam? Jesus the Son of God as envisioned by the Christians? Jesus the local Judean avatar of Krishna as envisioned by vedantic Hindus? Or Jesus the nice rabbi as envisioned by the Jews? Jesus the teacher as envisioned by New Agers? Which Jesus are you talking about?

no

well you’re comparing apples/oranges since Harper is a catcher and Hamilton was an OF.

Probalby Harper.

Either you really want to get your point across or the voice in your head when were typing this was really loud, lol.