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Florida Marlins Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:11:08 -0000

This list was first published December 16, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST WITH OLD GRADES!!!!!!!

1) Cameron Maybin, OF, Grade A-
     .273/.368/.462 with 18 steals for Double-A Carolina. Power/speed remain strengths, draws walks, but strikeout rate is very high. Could he develop into a Mike Cameron type? Cameron Maybin...Mike Cameron...interesting name parallel.
2) Ryan Tucker, RHP, Grade B
    1.38 ERA with 64/31 K/BB in 78 innings for Carolina, 8.39 ERA with 26/22 K/BB in 34 innings in the majors. Great stuff but command was not ready for the Show.
3) Aaron Thompson, LHP, Grade B
     6.15 ERA with 34/36 K/BB in 60 innings for Carolina, 83 hits allowed. Ineffective at the Double-A level.
4) Chris Volstad, RHP, Grade B
     3.36 ERA with 56/30 K/BB in 91 innings for Carolina, 2.67 ERA with 24/15 K/BB in 34 innings for the Marlins. I was concerned about low strikeout rate but ground ball tendency might save him.
5) Gaby Hernandez, RHP, Grade B
     Crushed in Triple-A, 7.24 ERA with 54/26 K/BB and 94 hits in 65 innings for Albuquerque. Sent back to Double-A, then traded to Mariners. Stock has dropped.
6) Chris Coghlan, 2B, Grade B
     .305/.395/.440 for Carolina with 27 steals. Good contact hitting ability. Adam Kennedy or Todd Walker type?
7) Matt Dominguez, 3B, Grade B
      .285/.346/.419 for Class A Greensboro in the Sally League. OK numbers, not spectacular.
8) Eulegio De La Cruz, RHP, Grade B-
      4.70 ERA with 93/51 K/BB in 113 innings for Albuqueque, 109 hits allowed, 2.00 GO/AO. These are pretty good numbers for Albuquerque.
9) Brett Sinkbeil, RHP, Grade B-
      4.78 ERA with 57/40 K/BB in 124 innings for Carolina, 147 hits allowed. Stock is dropping. Don't like the low strikeouts and excessive hittability.
10) Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Grade B-
      .335/.422/.547 with 16 homers, 17 steals, 58 walks, 58 strikeouts for Carolina. I like this guy.
11) Kyle Winters, RHP, Grade C+
      3.86 ERA with 58/41 K/BB in 100 innings for Jupiter. Rated as a sleeper pre-season, but I don't like the low strikeouts.
12) Sean West, LHP, Grade C+
       2.85 ERA with 63/47 K/BB in 73 innings for Jupiter. Needs better command but an interesting pitcher.
13) Dallas Trahern, RHP, Grade C+
       6.70 ERA with 53/31 K/BB in 83 innings for Albuquerque, 105 hits allowed. High ground ball rate with decent control but everything else is weak.
14) Scott Cousins, OF, Grade C+
       .304/.370/.513 for Jupiter, just promoted to Carolina where he's at .192/.250/.308 the first week. Interesting speed/power player worth watching.
15) John Raynor, OF, Grade C+
       .319/.402/.492 with 10 homers, 42 steals for Carolina. Another player with multiple skills having a good year, though already 24.
16) Hector Correa, RHP, Grade C+
       On disabled list at Greensboro.
17) Logan Morrison, 1B, Grade C+
       .351/.414/.536 for Jupiter. Massive breakout season vaults him into elite category.
18) Burke Badenhop, RHP, Grade C
       6.08 ERA with 35/21 K/BB in 47 major league innings, 55 hits allowed. Unimpressive.
19) Steve Cishek, RHP, Grade C
       4.59 ERA with 63/25 K/BB in 65 innings for Greensboro, 61 hits allowed. Not a lot to get excited about.
20) Mike Stanton, OF, Grade C
      .281/.362/.577 with 29 homers for Greensboro, 128 strikeouts in 388 at-bats. Excellent power but other hitting skills look rather raw.

The biggest news here is the huge breakout from Morrison. I rated him as a sleeper prospect and breakthrough candidate in the book, but didn't expect a line like that in the Florida State League. I've always been a bit lukewarm on Volstad, feeling that he was overrated by some folks, but that appears misplaced now. Maybin continues to generate some passionate disagreement among prospect followers.

Detroit Tigers Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:51:11 -0000

This list was originally posted December 10th, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF AN OLD LIST AND OLD GRADES!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Rick Porcello, RHP, Grade B+
     2.84 ERA with 66/30 K/BB in 114 innings, 107 hits for Lakeland in the Florida State League. I don't like the low K-rate but he gets lots of grounders and is young for the level, so he gets some slack on that for now.
2) Jeff Larish, 1B, Grade B-
     .269/.361/.540 for Triple-A Toledo, .245/.327/.408 for Detroit. Will hit homers and draw walks, won't hit for average.
3) Danny Worth, SS, Grade B-
     .254/.331/.386 for Double-A Erie. I tihnk he's capable of better. Currently on the DL at Triple-A Toledo.
4) Yorman Bazardo, RHP, Grade C+
    6.42 ERA with 66/36 K/BB in 102 innings, 132 hits for Toledo. Obviously terrible. Ground ball tendency not enough to save him.
5) Michael Hollimon, INF, Grade C+
     .223/.308/.465 for Toledo, .261/.280/.565 in 11 major league games. Has power and draws walks, strikes out so much that batting average and OBP are problems.
6) Charlie Furbush, LHP, Grade C+
     Hasn't pitched this year due to Tommy John.
7) Brandon Hamilton, RHP, Grade C+
     5.01 ERA with 22/28 K/BB in 32 innings in the Midwest League. Now in the GCL, 1.67 ERA with 24/7 K/BB in 27 innings is much better. Good long-term potential but a long way off.
8) Duane Below, LHP, Grade C+
     4.06 ERA with 105/55 K/BB in 113 innings, 115 hits allowed for Lakeland. Doing OK, command needs to be improved.
9) James Skelton, C, Grade C+
      .305/.467/.405 with 14 steals for Lakeland, just promoted to Erie where he is 3-for-13 so far. Draws lots of walks, unusual speed for a catcher, no power.
10) Casey Crosby, LHP, Grade C+
       Rehabbing from Tommy John.
11) Diek Scram, OF, Grade C+
       .249/.336/.389 with 13 steals for Erie. Could be a fourth outfielder if he can boost the hitting more.
12) Scott Sizemore, 2B, Grade C+
      .286/.365/.409 with 14 steals for Lakeland, has been on the DL since early June with broken hamate.
13) Francisco Cruceta, RHP, Grade C
       2.90 ERA with 43/16 K/BB in 31 innings for Toledo, 5.40 ERA with 11/10 K/BB in 12 innings for the Tigers. He's always had the stuff, needs the command to go with it.
14) Jordan Tata, RHP, Grade C
       10.31 ERA with 16/23 K/BB in 18 innings for Lakeland. Made six starts in the GCL, with 2.83 ERA but 18/18 K/BB in 29 innings. Horrendous command this year.
15) Clay Rapada, LHP, Grade C
       2.96 ERA with 33/13 K/BB in 24 innings for Toledo, 4.30 ERA with 12/7 K/BB in 15 innings for the Tigers. LOOGY.
16) Cale Iorg, SS, Grade C
       .257/.331/.401 with 18 steals for Lakeland. Poor plate discipline with 29 walks but 96 strikeouts in 327 at-bats.
17) Brett Jensen, RHP, Grade C
      4.00 ERA with 6/1 K/BB in 9 innings for Erie. On DL since May.
18) Clete Thomas, OF, Grade C
       .259/.336/.436 with 22 steals for Toledo, .284/.366/.405 in 40 games for the Tigers. Looks like he can be a useful player but not a star.
19) Brent Clevlen, OF, Grade C
       .297/.383/.542 for Toledo. Clevlen needs to decide if he sucks or not. He's been horrible some years and really good other years. Back on the good track now. Can he stay there? I have no clue.
20) Noah Krol, RHP, Grade C
      4.20 ERA with 41/26 K/BB in 41 innings, 11 saves, 31 hits allowed for West Michigan. Eh....gets grounders but needs better command.

Not an impressive system. Aside from Porcello, there is not much to get excited about here as trades ripped the guts out of the system over the past two years. They really need to hope the 2008 draft helps things out.

Discussion Question

John Sickels — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:56:37 -0000

Today is a travel day for me. I will resume the Top 20 Reviews tomorrow with the Tigers.

In the meantime, here is a discussion question for you.

Who is a better prospect, Freddie Freeman of the Braves or Logan Morrison of the Marlins? Discuss and support your position with facts and logic rather than invective please.

Poll

Freeman or Morrison?

St. Louis Cardinals Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:22:39 -0000

This list was originally posted January 11, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND THE OLD GRADES!!!!!!!!

1) Colby Rasmus, OF, Grade A
   .249/.346/.395 with 11 homers, 15 steals for Triple-A Memphis, out for the rest of the year with injury. Sunk by a poor first month, but he rebounded eventually before getting hurt. Retained good strike zone judgment and I still like him long-term.
2) Chris Perez, RHP, Grade B
     3.20 ERA with 38/12 K/BB in 25 innings, 11 saves for Memphis, 4.18 ERA with 22/13 K/BB in 24 innings for the Cardinals. Terrific stuff, just needs to control it.
3) Jaime Garcia, LHP, Grade B
     Dominated Texas League early, then 4.44 ERA with 59/26 K/BB in 71 innings in Triple-A. Has done OK in limited major league action, four runs in nine innings. A solid pitcher.
4) Adam Ottavino, RHP, Grade B
   5.61 ERA with 76/45 K/BB in 87 innings for Double-A Springfield, 95 hits allowed. Not a good year, a blow to his status.
5) Bryan Anderson, C, Grade B-
     .303/.384/.400 for Memphis. Continues to hit for average with strong contact skills but weak power.
6) Tyler Herron, RHP, Grade B-
      Has pitched great in the Florida State League (2.31 ERA with 29/3 K/BB in 35 innings) but struggled in the Texas League (5.20 ERA with 59/29 K/BB in 81 innings, 101 hits allowed). Stock has dropped a bit.
7) Clayton Mortensen, RHP, Grade B-
     4.32 ERA with 88/48 K/BB and 118 hits in 119 innings combined between Double-A and Triple-A. Numbers similar at each level, main difference is less impressive GO/AO in Triple-A.
8) Pete Kozma, SS, Grade B-
     .284/.363/.398 with 12 steals for Class A Quad Cities, which is pretty solid performance for the hitting-difficult Midwest League. Strong plate discipline.
9) Jess Todd, RHP, Grade B-
     3.19 ERA with 78/22 K/BB in 96 innings in Double-A, 78 hits
10) Allen Craig, 3B, Grade B-
      .309/.374/.503 with 20 homers, 39 walks, 75 strikeouts in 447 at-bats for Springfield. Hard to argue with his production though could tighten the strike zone.
11) P.J. Walters, RHP, Grade B-
      Pre-season sleeper call with mixed results. 4.77 ERA in Triple-A, but 8-3, 96/45 K/BB in 94 innings, 99 hits. Needs to get the walks down, K/IP remains strong. Still a sleeper though the grade was a notch too high.
12) Jose Martinez, SS, Grade B-
     .237/.277/.327 for Springfield. Obviously this grade was too high too.
13) Mitchell Boggs, RHP, Grade C+
      3.61 ERA with 61/35 K/BB in 95 innings for Memphis, 7.41 ERA with 13/22 K/BB in 34 innings for the Cardinals. i felt he was somewhat overrated by others pre-season. He hasn't convinced me I was wrong yet.
14) Jon Jay, OF, Grade C+
      I predicted a rebound and he has come through, .308/.381/.464 between Double-A and Triple-A. Excellent contact hitting skills with improving power.
15) Brian Barton, OF, Grade C+
      .306/.414/.571 in Triple-A, .246/.331/.369 in the majors. I think he just needs consistent playing time.
16) Joe Mather, OF, Grade C+
       .303/.406/.630 in Triple-A, .244/.309/.465 in the majors. Like Barton, he has some skills but needs playing time to show the marginal, but good power.
17) Dave Freese, 3B, Grade C+
      .299/.351/.528 for Memphis. Marginal plate discipline but good overall production.
18) Cody Haerther, OF, Grade C+
      .260/.331/.358 for Memphis. He's not going to have enough pop to be useful I fear.
19) David Kopp, RHP, Grade C+
       3.76 ERA with 30/15 K/BB and strong ground ball tendency for Palm Beach in the Florida State League, but limited pitching time due to injury.
20) Steven Hill, C-INF, Grade C+
       .303/.330/.505 for Springfield but on the DL since June.

The Cardinals system has made a lot of progress the last few years. Some of my sleeper calls look dicey right now, but I'm glad to see Jay progressing as he has been a favorite of mine since he was in college a Miami. I think Rasmus just needs to reset and start over next year, but I retain faith in him long term. Kozma is a breakout candidate for 2009.

Oakland Athletics Top 20 Prospects in Review

mssickels — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:27:55 -0000

This list was originally published January 2nd, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS AN OLD LIST!!!!!!!

1) Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Grade B+
    .293/.351/.439 for Triple-A Sacramento, .265/.302/.407 for Oakland. He should improve.
2) Daric Barton, 1B, Grade B+
     ,218/.319/.311 for Oakland. Proof that plate discipline isn't everything. He needs to watch out because there are other 1B prospects on his heels.
3) Brett Anderson, LHP, Grade B+
     1.80 ERA with 29/8 K/BB in 25 innings since being promoted to Double-A Midland. On a roll right now.
4) Chris Carter, 1B, Grade B+
     .262/.361/.561 with 29 homers for Class A Stockton. Very high strikeout rate, but draws walks and has tons of power.
5) James Simmons, RHP, Grade B
     3.54 ERA with 94/22 K/BB in 107 innings, 112 hits allowed for Double-A Midland. Strong command, doing well in Double-A, like the K/BB.
6) Henry Alberto Rodriguez, RHP, Grade B
     Was hammered due to control problems in Double-A trial, but 4.16 with 92/38 K/BB in 67 innings in the Cal League. Excellent stuff, but obviously command is an issue.
7) Trevor Cahill, RHP, Grade B-
      2.78 ERA, 103/31 K/BB in 87 innings for Stockton, 2.19 ERA with 33/19 K/BB in 37 innings for Midland. Ratios have slipped a bit in Double-A but are still impressive overall.
8) Aaron Cunningham, OF, Grade B-
     .320/.388/.510 with 12 steals for Midland. Not great plate discipline, but does a lot of other things well.
9) Corey Brown, OF, Grade B-
      .270/.358/.483 with 12 steals and 14 homers in 84 games for Kane County in the Midwest League. But .213/.278/.483 mark at Stockton, with 43 strikeouts in 21 games, shows the need for much more polish.
10) Andrew Bailey, RHP, Grade B-
       5.14 ERA with 87/51 K/BB in 89 innings for Midland, 81 hits allowed. Strong K/IP and H/IP, but command has slipped this year.
11) Sean Doolittle, 1B, Grade B-
       .305/.385/.560 mark at Stockton was strong, but .245/.294/.422 mark at Midland shows the difference in competition. Strike zone judgment has gotten much worse in Double-A.
12) Javier Herrera, OF, Grade C+
       .281/.352/.397 for Midland. Not sure what to make of him any more, other than he looks pretty mediocre. High strikeout rate.
13) Dan Meyer, LHP, Grade C+
        4.48 ERA with 109/52 K/BB in 123 innings for Sacramento, 113 hits allowed. Not bad for the PCL, but getting old.
14) Greg Smith, LHP, Grade C+
      4.04 ERA with 84/56 K/BB in 127 innings for Oakland, 108 hits allowed. Nice rookie season. Would like to see walk rate come down.
15) Sam Demel, RHP, Grade C+
      3.60 ERA with 16 saves, 75/29 K/BB in 55 innings for Stockton. Strong K/IP and a ground ball tendency are nice attributes.
16) Andrew Carignan, RHP, Grade C+
      2.11 ERA with 18 saves, 46/32 K/BB in 38 innings for Midland. Good season, but the walk rate will have to come down at higher levels.
17) Grant Desme, OF, Grade C+
      On injury rehab in the AZL Rookie League.
18) Travis Banwart, RHP, Grade C+
        Was dominating at Kane County. Promoted to Stockton, 4.26 ERA with 32/24 K/BB in 38 innings, 39 hits allowed. Ratios are much weaker in the Cal League.
19) Josh Horton, SS, Grade C+
      .285/.361/.335 for Stockton. Not much power.
20) Jermaine Mitchell, OF, Grade C
      .242/.343/.360 with 20 steals for Stockton. Draws some walks, but power hasn't blossomed as hoped.

This is a pretty good group. Add in guys like Craig Italiano and Vince Mazzaro who took big steps forward, plus all the prospects acquired in trades recently, plus returns from the 2008 draft, and you have a system that is suddenly flush with prospects again. The turnaround from a couple of years ago has been remarkable.

Houston Astros Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:00:08 -0000

This list was originally published November 29, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!

1) Troy Patton, LHP, Grade B+
     Traded to Baltimore. Torn labrum, out for year.
2) J.R. Towles, C, Grade B
     Lost job after .143/.255/.264 performance for Houston. Hitting .287/.361/.575 for Triple-A Round Rock. Will get more chances.
3) Felipe Paulino, RHP, Grade B
     Out with a pinched nerve in his throwing arm.
4) Bud Norris, RHP, Grade B-
     3.48 ERA with 60/17 K/BB in 54 innings for Double-A Corpus Cristi, 55 hits allowed. Fine command with a good K/IP, interesting prospect.
5) Mike Costanzo, 3B, Grade B-
     Traded to Baltimore. .258/.330/.393 with 10 homers, 128 strikeouts in 103 games in Triple-A. Not enough power to get away with that strikeout rate.
6) Michael Bourn, OF, Grade B-
     .233/.290/.306 with 33 steals in 96 games for the Astros. Great speed obviously, but other offensive skills are lacking.
7) Mitch Einertson, OF, Grade B-
      .226/.271/.375 in Double-A. Up-and-down performance record is down again.
8) Juan Gutierrez, RHP, Grade C+
      Traded to Arizona, 6.83 ERA with 64/33 K/BB in 82 innings for Triple-A Tucson, 118 hits allowed. Horrible numbers, obviously.
9) Brad James, RHP, Grade C+
      4.55 ERA with 45/32 K/BB in 91 innings in Double-A, 106 hits allowed. On the DL since early July. Don't like the K/IP ratio.
10) Sam Gervacio, RHP, Grade C+
       3.53 ERA with 76/24 K/BB in 59 innings in Double-A, 55 hits allowed. Very impressive strikeout rate. still needs to sharpen command.
11) Chad Reineke, RHP, Grade C+
       4.41 ERA with 100/35 K/BB in 112 innings for Round Rock. Traded to Padres for Randy Wolf, has pitched well in his first two starts for Triple-A Portland. A nice solid C+/B- prospect.
12) Jordan Parraz, OF, Grade C+
       .304/.409/.443 with 19 steals for Class A Salem. Good tools, fast and strong, good strike zone judgment. Why doesn't he get promoted?
13) Josh Flores, OF Grade C+
       Hasn't played this year due to knee injury. Blew out two ligaments.
14) Eli Iorg, OF, Grade C+
      .254/.297/.399 with 16 steals, 10 homers in Double-A. Held back by poor strike zone judgment.
15) Collin DeLome, OF, Grade C+
       HItting a combined .247/.309/.484 with 19 homers, 27 walks, and 108 strikeouts in 380 at-bats between Low-A and High-A. Obviously has good power, but bad plate discipline is a big problem.
16) Paul Estrada, RHP, Grade C+
       Hasn't pitched this year due to shoulder injury.
17) Polin Trinidad, LHP, Grade C
       2.32 ERA with 34/11 K/BB in 62 innings in the Carolina League, 4.28 ERA with 41/13 K/BB in 67 innings in the Texas League. Good command, but low strikeout rate and fly ball tendencies are a bad combo.
18) Max Sapp, C, Grade C
       .204/.285/.306 in the Sally League is not what the Astros were looking for. High strikeout rate with no offensive production.
19) Sergio Severino, LHP, Grade C
       2.66 ERA with 54/24 K/BB in 51 innings in the Sally League, followed by 8.12 ERA and 26/31 K/BB in 41 innings in the Carolina League. Command is the big problem here.
20) Koby Clemens, 3B, Grade C
       .273/.360/.432 for Salem. Good walk rate, not a lot of home run power but hits plenty of doubles. Has a chance to advance in a weak system.

Injuries and trades ripped the guts out of this list. There isn't a lot to get excited about in this system, which suffered years of neglect. Towles should still be a good player, and Parraz has always interested me, but otherwise there is not much here, with a definite paucity of impact types.

Baltimore Orioles Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:14:18 -0000

This list was originally posted January 6, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!!!

1) Matt Wieters, C, Grade A-
    .352/.445/.602 after being promoted to Double-A Bowie. The best overall prospect in baseball right now, in my opinion.
2) Troy Patton, LHP, Grade B+
     Torn labrum, out for the year.
3) Radhames Liz, RHP, Grade B
     3.76 ERA with 63/26 K/BB in 67 innings for Triple-A Norfolk, 7.47 ERA with 33/32 K/BB in 47 innings for the Orioles. Command is obviously the issue here.
4) Bill Rowell, 3B, Grade B
     .232/.303/.354 for Class A Frederick. Not thriving the way the Orioles hoped. Still young, but appears to be stagnating.
5) Nolan Reimold, OF, Grade B-
     .290/.365/.505 for Double-A Bowie. Looks good, sound strike zone judgment with a low strikeout rate.
6) Garrett Olson, LHP, Grade B-
     5.67 ERA with 55/40 K/BB in 98 innings for the Orioles, 119 hits allowed. I think he's capable of better, will be interesting to see how long the Orioles stick with him.
7) Jake Arrieta, RHP, Grade B-
     2.87 ERA with 120/51 K/BB in 113 innings, 80 hits allowed. Strong K/IP and H/IP ratios match plus stuff, stock has risen.
8) Chorye Spoone, RHP, Grade B-
     4.57 ERA with 32/27 K/BB in 41 innings at Bowie, on the DL with shoulder problems.
9) Jim Hoey, RHP, Grade B-
      Out with shoulder problems.
10) Pedro Beato, RHP, Grade B-
       5.06 ERA with 39/23 K/BB in 69 innings, 81 hits allowed for Frederick. Obviously unimpressive numbers.
11) Tim Bascom, RHP, Grade B-
       7.08 ERA with 43/37 K/BB in 61 innings for Frederick, 81 hits allowed. Seems to be winning a who sucks more contest with Pedro Beato.
12) Brandon Erbe, RHP, Grade C+
      4.40 ERA with 122/38 K/BB in 121 innings for Frederick, 103 hits allowed. Very strong component ratios, but the ERA is high due to 18 homers.
13) Brandon Snyder, 1B, Grade C+
       .295/.337/.482 for Frederick. Has made progress, plate discipline still an issue.
14) Mike Costanzo, 3B, Grade C+
        .258/.330/.393 for Norfolk. Not enough. Strikeout rate very high but just 10 homers.
15) Scott Moore, 3B, Grade C+
        .247/.321/.408 for Norfolk. Unimpressive. Has been bothered by knee injury.
16) Randor Bierd, RHP, Grade C+
        2.77 ERA with 21/6 K/BB in 13 innings in the minors (three levels combined), 1.47 ERA with 11/8 K/BB in 18 innings in the majors. Interesting guy if he can stay healthy.
17) Bradley Bergesen, RHP, Grade C+
       13-3, 2.68 with a 58/20 K/BB in 117 innings for Bowie, 110 hits allowed. Having a good year, winning games, but low strikeout rate is a warning sign.
18) Bob McCrory, RHP, Grade C
       3.14 ERA with 26/13 K/BB in 29 innings for Norfolk. Walked four in 0.2 major league innings. Has the stuff, needs to throw strikes.
19) David Hernandez, RHP, Grade C
       2.63 ERA with 129/55 K/BB in 109 innings for Bowie, 84 hits allowed. Rated a sleeper pre-season and has lived up to that, command still an issue but K/IP and H/IP are strong.
20) Jeff Fiorentino, OF, Grade C
       Traded to Reds, waived to Oakland, then waived back to Baltimore. Hitting .263/.339/.340 for Norfolk. Prospect status appears at an end.

Injury attrition and simple ineffectiveness have claimed several of the pitchers. The anchor, of course, is Wieters, who has been everything the Orioles could have possibly hoped. This is good because Rowell doesn't look much like a prospect right now, and Snyder, while improved, faces an uphill climb at first base. The development of Reimold and Arrieta is a positive.

Arizona Diamondbacks Top 20 In Review

John Sickels — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:03:27 -0000

This list was originally posted January 5, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Jarrod Parker, RHP, Grade B+
     3.87 ERA with 84/28 K/BB in 91 innings for Class A South Bend, 91 hits allowed. Overall his holding his own although he hasn't been super-spectacular.
2) Max Scherzer, RHP, Grade B+
     Was blowing away the PCL and did well in the majors, 2.90 ERA with 33/14 K/BB in 31 innings. It all depends on if he can stay healthy or not.
3) Gerardo Parra, OF, Grade B
     .301/.381/.413 with 12 steals in 50 games in the California League, .263/.335/.365 with 12 steals in 46 games in the Southern League. I'm starting to worry that he won't develop enough power.
4) Billy Buckner, RHP, Grade B
    4.73 ERA with 63/39 K/BB in 110 innings for Triple-A Tucson. Status hasn't changed much, could be a nice fourth starter or a decent reliever.
5) Wes Roemer, RHP, Grade B
     4.44 ERA with 92/30 K/BB in 128 innings for Visalia in the Cal League, 154 hits allowed. Good command, but no margin for error.
6) Brooks Brown, RHP, Grade B-
     3.63 ERA with 92/52 K/BB in 119 innings for Double-A Mobile, 113 hits allowed. A decent but not excellent performance, needs sharper command.
7) Esmerling Vasquez, RHP, Grade B-
     7.23 ERA with 46/65 K/BB in 71 innings for Triple-A Tucson, 68 hits allowed. Everything has collapsed here, strikeout rate way down.
8) Barry Enright, RHP, Grade B-
      4.65 ERA with 110/30 K/BB in 128 innings, 150 hits allowed for Visalia. Like Roemer, he's got great command but is there enough stuff?
9) Juan Gutierrez, RHP, Grade C+
     6.83 ERA with 64/33 K/BB in 82 innings, 118 hits allowed in Triple-A. They need to stop using the flubber ball in Tucson.
10) Emilio Bonifacio, INF, Grade C+
       Was hitting .302/.348/.387 with 17 steals for Tucson, then was traded to Nationals for Jon Rauch.
11) Hector Ambriz, RHP, Grade C+
      5.40 ERA with 97/37 K/BB in 127 innings, 138 hits allowed for Mobile. Another guy with command but perhaps not quite enough oomph.
12) Matt Torra, RHP, Grade C+
       2.85 ERA with 50/12 K/BB in 79 innings for Mobile, then 4.37 ERA with 22/11 K/BB in 45 innings for Tucson. Excellent control, has proven he's healthy after labrum problems but K/IP is unimpressive.
13) Cyle Hankerd, OF, Grade C+
       .233/.275/.319 for Mobile, 16 walks and 51 strikeouts in 361 at-bats. Not looking like a prospect right now.
14) Ed Easley, C, Grade C+
       .244/.303/.341 for Visalia, with 28 walks and 82 strikeouts in 352 at-bats. Weak discipline and poor production, not what you want to see obviously.
15) Dan Stange, RHP, Grade C+
       Limited sample, but a good one: 1.59 ERA with 17/1 K/BB in 17 innings for South Bend, 11 hits allowed. Just promoted to Viisalia, threw a scoreless inning with two Ks yesterday. Very intriguing.
16) Jailen Peguero, RHP, Grade C
       Surviving Tucson, 4.42 ERA with 60/36 K/BB in 59 innings, 56 hits. Relief candidate going forward.
17) Matt Green, RHP, Grade C
       4.91 ERA with 20/10 K/BB in 26 innings, 33 hits allowed for Mobile. Not impressive.
18) Reynaldo Navarro, SS, Grade C
       .256/.352/.340 with 12 steals in 40 games for Missoula in the Pioneer League. Toolsy, but lots of questions about his bat.
19) Leo Rosales, RHP, Grade C
       4.08 ERA with 27/13 K/BB in 35 innings for Tucson, 2.87 ERA with 11/8 K/BB in 16 innings for Arizona. A relief sleeper pre-season and has done well enough to get more chances.
20) Sean Morgan, RHP, Grade C
      Massive control problems, 11.37 ERA with 5/7 K/BB in 6 innings for Yakima.

Not the greatest year for Arizona prospects other than Scherzer and Parker. The guys with good command might not have enough stuff, and the guys with the stuff may not have the command. Tucson seems death on pitchers. Trades weakened the depth of his system.

Schedule

John Sickels — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:51:21 -0000

Friday Night: Arizona Diamondbacks Top 20 in Review
Saturday: Baltimore Orioles Top 20 in Review
Sunday: Houston Astros Top 20 in Review
Monday: Oakland Athletics Top 20 in Review
Tuesday: St. Louis Cardinals Top 20 in Review
Wednesday: Detroit Tigers Top 20 in Review
Thursday: Florida Marlins Top 20 in Review
Friday: Colorado Rockies Top 20 in Review

I will do the best I can to stick with that, but I will warn you now that I am going on a scouting trip next week and things might slip depending on how the trip goes, any internet or laptop problems, etc. Basically this is a list of the teams I will do next, but the exact days might slip a bit.

Cincinnati Reds Top 20 Prospects In Review

John Sickels — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:03:33 -0000

This list was originally posted December 7, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Jay Bruce, OF, Grade A
     .364/.393/.630 line in Triple-A led to major league promotion. Plate discipline has held him back to .267/.320/.407 in the majors, but hard to complain overall.
2) Johnny Cueto, RHP, Grade A-
     I got a lot of email flack about ranking Cueto ahead of Bailey. He's been somewhat erratic at 7-10, 5.02 with a 116/47 K/BB in 129 innings, but he's better than Bailey.
3) Joey Votto, 1B, Grade A-
     .275/.344/.447 with 13 homers. He's capable of even more.
4) Homer Bailey, RHP, Grade B+
     4.42 with 82/38 K/BB in 94 innings in Triple-A, 6.52 with 11/13 K/BB in 29 innings in the majors. Both his velocity and command have been erratic and it is hard to know what to expect.
5) Todd Frazier, SS-3B, Grade B+
      Dominated the Midwest League at .321/.402/.598. Promoted to Florida State League and has done well at .290/.372/.459. Double-A next year will tell us a lot.
6) Matthew Maloney, LHP, Grade B
    4.19 ERA with 107/32 K/BB in 112 innings, 105 hits allowed. Doing OK overall, good control, gives up some homers, fourth starter type.
7) Devin Mesoraco, C, Grade B
     .280/.329/.436 for Dayton in the Midwest League. Plate discipline has been shaky, but overall this is good for the pitching-dominated Midwest League.
8) Drew Stubbs, OF, Grade B-
      .261/.366/.406 with 27 steals for Sarasota in the FSL. Promoted to Double-A, is at .296/.397/.352 so far. Impressive speed and defense, draws some walks, strikes out alot, power disappointing.
9) Neftali Soto, SS-3B, Grade B-
     .388/.423/.746 in the Pioneer League,.323/.346/.510 in the Midwest League. Impressvie bat, plate discipline an issue but hasn't hurt him yet.
10) Kyle Lotzkar, RHP, Grade B-
      3.86 ERA with 48/24 K/BB in 35 innings for Dayton. Love the K/IP, will have to sharpen control.
11) Daniel Dorn, OF, Grade B-
     .260/.354/.533 for Double-A Chattanooga. Sleeper pick showing good power.
12) Jared Burton, RHP, Grade C+
       2.23 ERA with 50/17 K/BB in 48 innings with the Reds. Have to be happy with that.
13) Tyler Pelland, LHP, Grade C+
       4.06 ERA with 51/28 K/BB in 44 innings for Triple-A Louisville. Not great obviously, though K/IP is promising.
14) Pedro Viola, LHP, Grade C+
        5.54 ERA with 59/27 K/BB in 52 innings for Chattanooga, 60 hits allowed. Good K/IP, other marks unimpressive.
15) Travis Wood, LHP, Grade C+
        Did well at Sarasota (2.70, 41/21 K/BB in 47 innings) but has struggled in Double-A, 6.58 ERA with 45/31 K/BB and 59 hits in 52 innings makes an uneasy transition.
16) Josh Roenicke, RHP, Grade C+
       Combined 2.70 ERA with 53/17 K/BB in 47 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 12 saves. Looks like he can help in pen soon.
17) Scott Carroll, RHP, Grade C+
      3.30 ERA with 55/17 K/BB in 71 innings for Sarasota, 76 hits. Good command, Double-A transition may not be overly easy.
18) Chris Valaika, INF, Grade C+
      .297/.349/.440 in 75 games for Chattanooga. Looks pretty solid, would like to see more walks.
19) Adam Rosales, 1B, Grade C+
       .265/.320/.421 in Triple-A. He could be capable of better and is defensively versatile.
20) Sean Watson, RHP, Grade C+
       6.55 ERA with 29/20 K/BB in 22 innings in Double-A. Good stuff, command is obviously a big problem right now.
21) Brandon Waring, 3B, Grade C+
       ,284/.362/.498 for Dayton, but with a 33/117 BB/K in 327 at-bats. Big power potential but contact will be a problem.

Daryl Thompson didn't make this list, although I did give him a decent review in the book and he showed up on my Shadow Twins list. This is a farm system that has made huge improvements in recent years, has graduated promising players to the majors, and still has some depth. The 2008 draft looks pretty good on paper. Overall Reds fans should look forward to the future.

Kansas City Royals Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:21:37 -0000

This list was originally posted November 9th, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Mike Moustakas, SS, Grade B+
    HItting .257/.320/.432 for Class A Burlington. However, in his last 30 games it's .322/.396/.534. Seems to have figured something out.
2) Luke Hochevar, RHP, Grade B
     5.38 ERA with 60/42 K/BB in 105 innings for the Royals. Flashes a lot of potential, but still erratic.
3) Billy Buckner, RHP, Grade B
     Traded to Arizona. 4.73 ERA with 63/39 K/BB in 110 innings for Triple-A Tucson. Status hasn't changed much, could be a nice fourth starter or a decent reliever.
4) Dan Cortes, RHP, Grade B
     4.41 ERA with 77/39 K/BB in 84 innings for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, 76 hits allowed. Doing OK but not as dominant as last year.
5) Julio Pimentel, RHP, Grade B-
      5.56 ERA with 80/38 K/BB in 115 innings for NW Arkansas, 142 hits allowed. Not doing well, ratios have slipped from last year, not getting as many grounders.
6) Chris Lubanski, OF, Grade B-
      .246/.311/.462 with 13 homers and 98 strikeouts in 301 at-bats for Triple-A Omaha. His speed is gone and he is selling out his swing for power. Stock continues to slip.
7) Danny Duffy, LHP, Grade B-
     2.73 ERA with 77/17 K/BB in 63 innings for Class A Burlington, 49 hits allowed. Very impressive component ratios, only weakness is strong fly ball tendency.
8) Blake Wood, RHP, Grade C+
     Did great in the Carolina League (2.67 ERA, 63/15 K/BB in 57 innings), but has been hit hard since moving up to Double-A (6.59 ERA, 54/22 K/BB in 56 innings, 71 hits).
9) Blake Johnson, RHP, Grade C+
    4.80 ERA with 72/28 K/BB in 116 innings for NW Arkansas, 135 hits allowed. Decent GO/AO ratio, but has given up 17 homers and too hittable overall.
10) Carlos Rosa, RHP, Grade C+
     Combined 2.53 ERA with 83/17 K/BB in 93 innings between NW Arkansas and Omaha. Having a fine season, getting rounders but unlike these other guys he hasn't been excessively hittable and can dominate on occasion.
11) Justin Huber, 1B, Grade C+
       Traded to Padres. .225/.296/.333 for Triple-A Portland (yuck), .246/.303/.393 in 33 games for the Padres. Plate discipline has been pretty weak this year.
12) Craig Brazell, 1B, Grade C+
      Playing in Japan.
13) Jeff Bianchi, SS, Grade C+
      Hitting .247/.282/.429 for Class A Wilmington. Still just 21, but all the injuries seem to have robbed him of something.
14) Tyler Lumsden, LHP, Grade C+
       Lumsden is 3-10, 7.18 with a 32/49 K/BB in 84 innings for Omaha, 112 hits allowed. Stick a fork in him. At least as a starter, maybe he could do something in relief.
15) Sam Runion, RHP, Grade C+
     5.75 ERA with 11/9 K/BB in 41 innings for Burlington in the Midwest League, then 2.19 ERA with 17/3 K/BB in 25 innings for Burlington in the Appalachian League. Was overmatched early but doing better at the more appropriate level.
16) Jarod Plummer, RHP, Grade C+
      4.42 ERA with 60/14 K/BB in 55 innings for NW Arkansas. Not as dominant as last year at the same level.
17) Adrian Ortiz, OF, Grade C+
      .308/.334/.386 with 29 steals for Class A Burlington, but with 15 caught and poor plate discipline. Just promoted to Wilmington, is 2-for-8 so far. Like the speed but still pretty raw.
18) Mitch Maier, OF, Grade C
      .316/.366/.470 with 12 steals for Omana. Is 3-for-15 in the majors so far. Potential fourth outfielder I think.
19) Matt Mitchell, RHP, Grade C
       3.72 ERA with 63/22 K/BB in 97 innings for Class A Burlington, 102 hits allowed. Fine command, but dominance ratios aren't great at this point.
20) Derrick Robinson, OF, Grade C
       .241/.300/.310 with 49 steals in 97 games for Wilmington. Great speed, but otherwise not much of a hitter.

The Royals have added speed and athleticism and projectable pitching to the system, but still lack hitting aside from Moustakas and Kila Kaaihue, having a resurgance this year in Double-A. We will have to see how 2008 draft guys rank, and this list will look a lot different once the season is over and we have more data to workwith. It's interesing how many prospects have simply not done what they were expected to do.

Off-Topic Post Policy

John Sickels — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:41:56 -0000

Jeri and I are the only people authorized to make Off-Topic Posts. If you have something you really want to say, ask me first and I will approve or disapprove the Off Topic Topic. Any Off-Topic Posts posted without my persmission will be immediately deleted, to avoid clutter and spam and attempts to disrupt the website..

Top 20 New York Mets Prospects In Review

John Sickels — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:53:31 -0000

This list was originally posted November 25, 2007, before the Johan Santana trade. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Fernando Martinez, OF, Grade B+
    .292/.332/.420 for Double-A Binghamton. Production improving, plate discipline still an issue, still very young.
2) Deolis Guerra, RHP, Grade B+
     Traded to Twins. 10-5 for Class A Fort Myers, but with a 4.56 ERA, 56/47 K/BB in 105 innings, and a strong fly ball tendency. Velocity is reportedly down. Still very young, but lots of work to do.
3) Carlos Gomez, OF, Grade B/B+
     Traded to Twins. Hitting .250/.284/.349 with 21 steals. Fun to watch due to glove and speed, but horrible plate discipline and lack of consistent power remain huge problems. Big difference between tools and skills here.
4) Kevin Mulvey, RHP, Grade B
     Traded to Twins. 4-8, 3.87 with 84/34 K/BB in 105 innings for Triple-A Rochester. A bit disappointing, but still has a chance as an inning-eating strike-thrower.
5) Jon Niese, LHP, Grade B
      3.04 ERA with 112/44 K/BB in 124 innings for Double-A Binghamton. Having a breakthrough season, also gets grounders, I like him.
6) Eddie Kunz, RHP, Grade B
     3.00 ERA with 38/23 K/BB in 45 innings for Binghamton, 26 saves. Strong ground ball ratio, looks like he should be ready to help in the pen soon.
7) Phil Humber, RHP, Grade B-
     Traded to Twins. 5.38 ERA with 70/42 K/BB in 94 innings, 107 hits and 16 homers allowed for Rochester.. Very disappointing, ratios are slipping across the board.
8) Brant Rustich, RHP, Grade B-
    4.81 ERA with 30/14 K/BB in 34 innings for Class A Savannah, 32 hits allowed. Not much to get excited about here.
9) Joe Smith, RHP, Grade B-
      3.56 ERA with 33/17 K/BB in 43 innings for the Mets. A nice middle reliever.
10) Nick Evans, 1B, Grade C+
      .311/.365/.561 for Binghamton, .225/.273/.300 in 18 games for the Mets. Needs Triple-A experience, but a decent prospect.
11) Stephen Clyne, RHP, Grade C+
       Combined 5.87 ERA with 31/19 K/BB in 46 innings between Class A St. Lucie and short-season Brooklyn. Gets lots of grounders, but hasn't missed enough bats.
12) Scott Moviel, RHP, Grade C+
       4.54 ERA with 71/31 K/BB in 105 innings for Savannah, 113 hits. Quite mediocre performance, although this is another guy that gets grounders.
13) Brahiam Maldonado, OF, Grade C+
       .210/.258/.281 with horrible plate discipline for St. Lucie. Sleeper pick has not panned out.
14) Nate Vineyard, LHP, Grade C
       Made two starts for Savannah and got hurt.
15) Robert Parnell, RHP, Grade C
       4.32 ERA with 85/56 K/BB in 117 innings for Binghamton, 113 hits. Another ground ball guy with mediocre/adequate peripherals but nothing that makes you think he can dominate.
16) Mike Carp, 1B, Grade C
       .298/.384/.447 for Binghamton, 12 homers. Good plate discipline, but repeating the league.
17) Hector Pellot, 2B, Grade C
      Hit .165/.250/.188 in 23 games for St. Lucie before going on DL.
18) Dan Murphy, 3B, Grade C
      .300/.370/.475 with 14 steals and 12 homers for Binghamton. An interesting player, controls strike zone well.
19) Ezequiel Carrera, OF, Grade C
      .277/.347/.401 with 21 steals for St. Lucie. Has some speed, strike zone judgment erratic.
20) Greg Veloz, 2B, Grade C
      .282/.332/.402 for Savannah, 26 steals. Fast, but shaky plate discipline.

The Mets seem to have a lot of guys who get grounders but don't really dominate. I like Niese a lot and he seems to have taken a big step forward. Carp, Evans, and Murphy are all potential contributers as hitters although none seem like future stars to me. F-Mart remains something of an enigma, and I have to wonder how people would view him as a prospect if the Mets had him playing against his age-peers. What would his numbers look like in the Sally League?

Los Angeles Angels Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:11:34 -0000

This list was first posted December 1st, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Brandon Wood, 3B, Grade B+
    .288/.355/.573 with 21 homers for Triple-A Salt Lake, .125/.164/.188 in the majors. At this point I think he needs a change of scenery. Keep in mind he is still just 23.
2) Nick Adenhart, RHP, Grade B+
     6.18 ERA with 82/52 K/BB in 106 innings for Salt Lake, 9.00 ERA with horrible peripherals in three major league starts. Command is wobbling, not doing well in the PCL.
3) Hang Conger, C, Grade B+
     .288/.323/.516 in 39 games for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Good power, plate discipline has been weak thus far and health is recovering.
4) Jordan Walden, RHP, Grade B
     2.18 ERA with 91/32 K/BB in 107 innings for Class A Cedar Rapids, just promoted to Cal League and has 4.00 ERA in first two starts, 7/7 K/BB in 9 innings. Hard sinker/slider combination, still needs some command polish.
5) Sean O'Sullivan, RHP, Grade B
     13-4, 4.63 ERA with 82/36 K/BB in 115 innings, 119 hits for Rancho. Eating innings, winning games but hasn't dominated.
6) Sean Rodriguez, SS, Grade B
      .310/.412/.660 for Salt Lake, .185/.274/.246 in 22 games for the Angels, though has reportedly impressed Angels brass with his play.
7) Chris Pettit, OF, Grade B-
      .272/.345/.417 in 29 games for Double-A Arkansas. Hasn't duplicated 2007 performance but sample is small due to injury.
8) Trevor Bell, RHP, Grade C+
     4.78 ERA with 66/25 K/BB in 79 innings for Rancho, 88 hits allowed. Getting a lot of grounders.
9) Stephen Marek, RHP, Grade C+
      3.66 ERA with 57/21 K/BB in 47 innings for Arkansas, doing well in a relief role though command needs improvement.
10) Jeremy Haynes, RHP, Grade C+
      10.03 ERA in six starts for Rancho, then went on DL. Just activated at Cedar Rapids, has a 3/9 K/BB in 11 innings. Obviously not a great year.
11) Hainley Statia, SS, Grade C+
       .242/.288/.336 in 59 games for Arkansas, currently on the DL with bad hamstring. Transition to higher level has not been easy.
12) Peter Bourjos, OF, Grade C+
       .313/.347/.452 with 45 steals for Rancho. Doing very well, very fast, but strike zone judgment is weak (16 walks, 367 at-bats).
13) David Herndon, RHP, Grade C+
       4.98 ERA with 59/15 K/BB in 87 innings for Rancho, 104 hits allowed and 11 saves....has also started 12 games. 1.06 ERA in relief, 5.94 as a starter. Another guy who gets lots of ground balls.
14) Terry Evans, OF, Grade C+
       .308/.390/.452 for Salt Lake, has been on DL since May with labrum tear.
15) Matthew Sweeney, 3B, Grade C+
       Hasn't played this year.
16) Miguel Gonzalez, RHP, Grade C+
       Hasn't pitched this year.
17) Felipe Arredondo, RHP, Grade C+
       8.04 ERA with 22/9 K/BB in 31 innings for Rancho, 42 hits allowed. Now in the Mexican League, has a 6.75 ERA for Tigres de Quintana Roo with 10/6 K/BB in 15 innings.
18) Robert Fish, LHP, Grade C+
       5.38 ERA with 98/51 K/BB in 102 innings for Cedar Rapids, 103 hits allowed. Unimpressive ratios except for good K/IP.
19) Anthony Ortega, RHP, Grade C
       3.91 ERA with 80/46 K/BB in 129 innings for Arkansas, 120 hits. Doing OK.
20) Jose Arredondo, RHP, Grade C
       2.12 ERA with 15/4 K/BB and 10 saves for Salt Lake, 1.26 ERA with 28/10 K/BB in 29 innings for the Angels. He would have ranked higher on the list where it not for makeup issues last year. Apparently he has solved those problems.

There's been some injury attrition here but most of the healthy players have done reasonably well. Jose Arrendondo had massive makeup questions heading into the season which hurt his ranking on this list back in December. i'm starting to worry about Adenhart, but Wood remains very intriguing, if somewhat frustrating for an analyst.

Atlanta Braves Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:55:01 -0000

This list was originally posted on November 16, 2007. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Jason Heyward, OF, Grade B+
     .324/.387/.473 with 15 steals in 16 attempts for Rome in the Sally League. Meeting/exceeding expectations, Heyward has established himself firmly as an elite prospect.
2) Jordan Schafer, OF, Grade B+
     .218/.354/.371 at Double-A Mississippi since coming off the 50-game suspension for HGH. One really has to wonder about him at this point. Was last year a fluke or an HGH-boosted result?
3) Brandon Jones, OF, Grade B+
     .257/.331/.382 for Triple-A Richmond, has actually been a bit better in the majors at .278/.316/.463. I probably overrated him by a notch but he should still be a useful player.
4) Tommy Hanson, RHP, Grade B+
      0.90 ERA with 49/11 K/BB in the Carolina League, followed by 4.08 ERA with 63/27 K/BB in 64 innings in Double-A, including a no-hitter. Somewhat erratic, but a fine prospect moving up the charts.
5) Joey Devine, RHP, Grade B
     Traded to Oakland, 1.23 ERA with 28/7 K/BB in 22 innings in the majors.
6) Brent Lillibridge, SS, Grade B
      .212/.276/.288 in Triple-A, .208/.236/.358 in the majors. Really struggling with the strike zone this year, despite doing well in Triple-A last year. Perhaps he is frustrated.
7) Gorkys Hernandez, OF, Grade B
      .287/.368/.434 with 11 steals for Class A Myrtle Beach. Not exactly dominating and I would like to see more pop, but he's doing ok.
8) Jair Jurrjens, RHP, Grade B
      9-5, 3.22 ERA with 86/42 K/BB in 117 innings for the Braves. Has exceeded my expectations.
9) Cole Rohrbough, LHP, Grade B
      6.05 EA with 49/22 K/BB in 39 innings for Rome, 43 hits allowed. Obviously unimpressive in many ways, though the K/IP remains quite strong.
10) Brandon Hicks, SS, Grade B
      .240/.336/.483 with 15 homers and 12 steals for Myrtle Beach. Interesting power/speed production, but very high strikeout rate is worrisome.
11) Jeff Locke, LHP, Grade B-
      4.23 ERA with 93/32 K/BB in 117 innings for Rome, 129 hits allowed. Still a projectable strike-thrower.
12) Steve Evarts, LHP, Grade C+
      Made three starts for Rome then went on the DL.
13) Jamie Richmond, RHP, Grade C+
       Traded to Oakland. 4.60 ERA with 72/19 K/BB in 115 innings, 120 hits for Kane County. Good command but not dominant.
14) Jose Ortegano, LHP, Grade C+
       4.18 ERA with 78/22 K/BB in 80 innings, 82 hits allowed for Rome. Decent components, gets grounders, just one homer given up.
15) Kris Medlen, RHP, Grade C+
       3.75 ERA with 84/20 K/BB in 84 innings, 83 hits allowed for Double-A Mississippi. Like the K/BB and K/IP.
16) Julio Teheran, RHP, Grade C+
       Just 7 innings pitched at Danville in the Appy League, 6/2 K/BB, 3 runs allowed. Sample too small to mean much, still hype and scouting reports to go on.
17) Tyler Flowers, C-1B, Grade C+
        .278/.419/.461 for Myrtle Beach, 74 walks and 12 homers. An intruiging power/patience bat.
18) Chad Rodgers, LHP, Grade C+
        4.36 ERA with 68/27 K/BB in 85 innings, 87 hits allowed for Rome. Good control, other numbers not overly impressive.
19) Jose Ascanio, RHP, Grade C+
        Traded to Cubs, 4.23 ERA with 37/18 K/BB in 38 innings for Triple-A Iowa, 11 saves. Looks like a back-end bullpen guy.
20) Cody Johnson, 1B, Grade C+
        .248/.304/.443 with 16 homers for Rome....with 146 strikeouts in 359 at-bats. I try not to be paranoid about strikeouts but that's ridiculous.

Heyward looks great but I'm concerned about Schafer. The gaggle of projectable lefties at the lower levels is still working itself out. The Braves had had more depth in the past but there are still things to be happy about here.

Seattle Mariners Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:52:36 -0000

This was originally posted December 28, 2007. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!! THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Adam Jones, OF, Grade B+
     Traded to Baltimore, hitting .281/.325/.407 for the Orioles. Plate discipline has held him back somewhat.
2) Jeff Clement, C, Grade B+
      Hit .337/.457/.680 in Triple-A, but just .171/.258/.342 with the Mariners so far. I think he'll be fine in the long run.
3) Carlos Triunfel, SS, Grade B+
      Hitting .270/.320/.373 for Class A High Desert. That's not very good, but remember he is just 18 years old.
4) Chris Tillman, RHP, Grade B+
     Traded to Baltimore. 3.11 ERA with 94/48 K/BB in 93 innings for Double-A Bowie. Doing quite well, looks like an excellent prospect given his age at this level.
5) Wladimir Balentien, OF, Grade B+
     .259/.360/.578 for Triple-A Tacoma, .196/.265/.346 in 32 games for the Mariners. Capable of much better. Perhaps he needs a change of scenery.
6) Tony Butler, LHP, Grade B-
      Traded to Baltimore. 4.42 ERA with 44/11 K/BB in 55 innings for Delmarva in the Sally League. Went on the DL in June. A good prospect if healthy, but that's a big if.
7) Phillippe Aumont, RHP, Grade B-
      2.62 ERA with 43/13 K/BB in 45 innings for Class A Wisconsin. Good stats, great stuff, but on the DL since early June.
8) Juan Ramirez, RHP, Grade C+
      4.66 ERA with 75/28 K/BB in 85 innings for Wisconsin, 78 hits allowed. HIs components are better than the ERA.
9) Greg Halman, OF, Grade C+
     .268/.320/.572 with 23 steals for High Desert led to promotion to Double-A, where he is at .283/.321/.512 in 30 games. Strike zone judgment is horrible but his tools are so good that he's performing well despite that handicap.
10) Nick Hill, LHP, Grade C+
       4.79 ERA with 57/26 K/BB in 73 innings for High Desert, 85 hits allowed. Not particularly impressive.
11) Adam Moore, C, Grade C+
      .313/.384/.488 with 10 homers for Double-A West Tennessee, some solid performance here.
12) Kuo Hui Lo, OF, Grade C+
      .261/.322/.430 with 17 steals for High Desert. Not great numbers for this context. A sleeper call that may not pan out.
13) Matt Mangini, 3B, Grade C+
      .265/.376/.431 at High Desert, .226/.264/.248 at West Tennessee. Not good at all, plate discipline has collapsed in Double-A.
14) Carlos Peguero, OF, Grade C+
       .299/.317/.480 with 10 walks and 96 strikeouts for High Desert. Strong power potential but another bad strike zone judgment guy.
15) Michael Saunders, OF, Grade C+
      .290/.375/.484 for Double-A West Tennessee, .205/.271/.346 at Triple-A Tacoma. Good tools, but once again marginal strike zone judgment is an issue.
16) Robert Rohrbaugh, LHP, Grade C+
       5.51 ERA witih 68/27 K/BB in 85 innings, 98 hits allowed for Tacoma. Not very good. May not pan out as more than a Quadruple-A guy.
17) Yung Chi Chen, 2B, Grade C+
        .248/.309/.329 for Tacoma. Quite disappointing, doesn't look like he's going to hit enough.
18) Austin Bibens Dirkx, RHP, Grade C
       Total collapse at High Desert, 8.36 ERA With 27/14 K/BB and 51 hits allowed in 37 innings.
19) Ryan Rowland-Smith, LHP, Grade C
        3.44 ERA with 42/25 K/BB in 55 innings for the Mariners. Doing quite well and should have a nice career as a bullpen arm/spot starter.
20) Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B, Grade C
      .259/.349/.399 for Tacoma. Not much to get excited about, lacks the power for third base.

This is a farm system with some issues. Poor strike zone judgment seems a common thread among the position players. Halman could end up being a spectacular player....or he could be a mediocre hitter who never puts his tools to full use. It's too early to tell for certain.

Top 20 Review Schedule

John Sickels — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:21:03 -0000

Friday: Top 20 Seattle Mariners Prospects in Review
Saturday: Top 20 Atlanta Braves Prospects in Review
Sunday: Top 20 Los Angeles Angels Prospects in Review
Monday: Top 20 New York Mets Prospects in Review
Tuesday: Top 20 Kansas City Royals Prospects in Review

Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:15:12 -0000

This list was originally posted on January 8th, 2008. THIS IS A REVIEW OF AN OLD LIST. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS A REVIEW!!!!!!!!!

1) Travis Snider, OF, Grade B+
    Hitting .262/.344/.457 with 15 homers for Double-A New Hampshire. Impressive power production at a young age in Double-A, but very high strikeout rate is concerning and I'm wondering what his average and OBP are going to look like.
2) Brett Cecil, LHP, Grade B+
     2.76 ERA with 79/22 K/BB in 72 innings for New Hampshire, 63 hits allowed, 1.98 GO/AO. Looks good to me.
3) Kevin Ahrens, 3B, Grade B-
     .282/.344/.396 for Class A Lansing. Good batting average, decent OBP, but not as much pop as expected and a high strikeout rate. Hitting .338 in July.
4) J.P. Arencibia, C, Grade C+
     .288/.291/.520 in 31 games since moving up to Double-A. Strong power, but a poor 1/27 BB/K ratio in 125 at-bats.Plate discipline a big concern.
5) John Tolisano, 2B, Grade C+
     .255/.338/.396 for Lansing. 43 walks with 76 strikeouts in 333 at-bats is a decent ratio.
6) Justin Jackson, SS, Grade C+
      Slumped after a hot start, now at .249/.353/.385 with 14 steals. Very high strikeout rate (107 in 325 at-bats) but drawing some walks. Very interesting player.
7) Trystan Magnuson, RHP, Grade C+
     0-8, 6.14 with a 38/31 K/BB in 63 innings for Lansing. Obviously terrible performance.
8) Curtis Thigpen, C, Grade C+
     .220/.265/.310 for Triple-A Syracuse. Nothing positive there. Stock has definitely dropped.
9) Johermyn Chavez, OF, Grade C+
      .210/.270/.325 for Lansing. Undone by poor strike zone judgment.
10) Marc Rzepcynski, LHP, Grade C+
       2.70 ERA, 80/27 K/BB in 83 innings for Lansing, 70 hits allowed, 3.27 GO/AO. Looks very good, but we need to see him at higher levels.
11) Ricky Romero, LHP, Grade C
       5.05 ERA with 75/51 K/BB in 118 innings for New Hampshire, 135 hits allowed, 1.85 GO/AO. Status has defiintely slipped.
12) Ryan Patterson, OF, Grade C
       .257/.296/.443 with 11 homers for New Hampshire. Showing some pop, but just hasn't put things together overall and is now 25.
13) Robinzon Diaz, C, Grade C
       Hitting combined .328/.356/.488 in 37 games split between three levels.
14) Brian Wolfe, RHP, Grade C
      1.59 ERA with 7/1 K/BB in 11 innnings for Syracuse, 3.00 ERA with 11/5 K/BB in 18 innings for the Blue Jays. A nice decent middle reliever.
15) Josh Banks, RHP, Grade C
       Now in Padres system. 3.51 ERA with 29/14 K/BB in 56 major league innings.
16) David Purcey, LHP, Grade C
       2.69 ERA with 121/34 K/BB in 117 innings for Syracuse, 97 hits allowed. Impressive K/IP ratio. Stock has risen again although he was hit hard in two major league starts.
17) Brandon Magee, RHP, Grade C
       5.11 ERA with 44/48 K/BB in 111 innings for New Hampshire, 133 hits allowed. Seems to have run into the Double-A wall.
18) Alan Farina, RHP, Grade C
       3.29 ERA with 37/13 K/BB in 27 innings for Lansing before going on the DL. Impressive K/IP ratio.
19) Jacob Butler, OF, Grade C
       .230/.322/.416 with 13 homers for New Hampshire. Some pop, will take a walk, but at age 25 is running out of time.
20) Buck Coats, OF, Grade C
       .286/.333/.407 with 12 steals for Syracuse. Could still be useful fifth outfielder.

I really like what Cecil has done so far. I still have some concerns about Arencibia, though I respect his power I really don't like the BB/K/AB ratio in Double-A. Snider's upside is very impressive given his youth, but I think he would struggle if rushed too much more.

Los Angeles Dodgers Top 20 Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:24:39 -0000

This list was posted Christmas Eve, 2007. Remember, this is a REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST. IT IS NOT A NEW LIST!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Grade A
    1.91 ERA with 59/19 K/BB in 61 innings for Double-A Jacksonville, went 0-2, 4.42 with 33/24 K/BB in 39 innings for the Dodgers. Clearly elite, best pitching prospect in baseball.
2) Andy LaRoche, 3B, Grade A-
      Injuries an issue, hit .284/.439/.411 in the minors, .200/.322/.340 in the majors so far. Still has that terrific strike zone judgment.
3) James McDonald, RHP, Grade B+
     3.01 ERA with 106/38 K/BB in 108 innings in Double-A, 88 hits allowed. Everything looking good, main concern is strong fly ball tendency.
4) Chin-Lung Hu, SS, Grade B
     Hit .159/.224/.206 in 49 games for the Dodgers, no consistent playing time. Just sent back to Triple-A.
5) Jonathan Meloan, RHP, Grade B
     4,97 ERA with 99/60 K/BB in 105 innings, 119 hits allowed at Triple-A Las Vegas. Conversion to starting from relief is going OK, command an issue.
6) Dewlyn Young, OF, Grade B-
     Hitting .248/.319/.333 on the Dodgers bench. Capable of much better if he ever gets to play.
7) Chris Withrow, RHP, Grade B-
     Hasn't pitched this year due to a sore elbow.
8) Scott Elbert, LHP, Grade C+
     2.33 ERA with 24/14 K/BB in 27 innings for Double-A Jacksonville, 14 hits allowed. Durability still a concern, as is command.
9) Blake DeWitt, 3B, Grade C+
     Cooled down after hot start, hitting .255/.322/.360 for the Dodgers.
10) Andrew Lambo, 1B, Grade C+
      Impressive production in the Midwest League, hitting .293/.350/.486 for Great Lakes.
11) Pedro Baez, 3B, Grade C+
      Hit just .178/.244/.259 in the Midwest League, leading to demotion to the Pioneer League. Doing better there, .315/.344/.532 for Ogden, though with poor plate discipline.
12) Josh Bell, 3B, Grade C+
      .273/.373/.455 for Inland Empire in the California League. OK but not a breakout performance.
13) Ivan DeJesus, SS, Grade C+
      .302/.408/.369 with 11 steals, 57 walks, 57 strikeouts in 325 at-bats in Double-A. Speed, plate discipline, good defense, not much power.
14) James Adkins, LHP, Grade C+
       5.34, 75/38 K/BB in 88 innings for Inland Empire, 106 hits allowed. Disappointing performance from a polished college pitcher.
15) Xavier Paul, OF, Grade C+
       .301/.366/.438 with 14 steals in 18 attempst for Las Vegas. Still projects as a fourth outfielder.
16) Justin Orenduff, RHP, Grade C+
       6.78 ERA with 71/49 K/BB in 81 innings, 104 hits allowed for Las Vegas. Seems overmatched in the PCL. Perhaps a switch to relief would help.
17) Austin Gallagher, 3B, Grade C
        .317/.361/.491 for Inland Empire. Poor strike zone judgment, but young for the league at 19.
18) Jamie Hoffman, OF, Grade C
        .288/.364/.415 with 20 steals in 26 attempts for Jacksonville. Speed and OBP are nice, has a bit of pop.
19) Jaime Pedroza, SS, Grade C
        .291/.352/.439 with 15 steals in 24 attempts for Inland Empire. Holding his own, plate discipline might be troublesome at next level.
20) Ramon Troncoso, RHP, Grade C
       4.99 ERA with 18/16 K/BB in 31 innings for Vegas, 4.32 ERA with 19/6 K/BB in 17 innings for the Dodgers. Extreme ground ball pitcher. If he throws strikes, will be very useful.

Typical up and down movement among the prospects. Kershaw looks great, but LaRoche's stock has dropped and perhaps he needs a change of scenery. Hu and Young need at-bats that they aren't likely to get for the Dodgers.

Tampa Bay Rays Top 20 Prospects In Review

John Sickels — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:45:39 -0000

The Tampa Bay list was posted January 10th, 2008. This is a REVIEW OF THAT LIST. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!!

1) Evan Longoria, 3B, Grade A
     Hitting .272/.345/.522 with 18 homers for the Rays. Rookie of the Year candidate.
2) David Price, LHP, Grade A
     8-0, 1.92 between A-ball and Double-A with 62/17 K/BB in 66 innings. Assuming he stays healthy, he's terrific.
3) Jacob McGee, LHP, Grade A
     Blew out elbow, had Tommy John surgery.
4) Wade Davis, RHP, Grade B+
     3.85 ERA with 81/42 K/BB in 108 innings in Double-A. Just promoted to Triple-a, threw well in first start. Command has been a bit of at times but overall he's doing pretty well.
5) Reid Brignac, SS, Grade B+
     HItting .266/.315/.424 for Triple-A Durham. Is he ever REALLY going to break out? Still just 22.
6) Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Grade B+
      2.00 ERA with 83/5 K/BB in 77 innings in A-ball, then 4.88 ERA in five Double-A starts but with a 20/3 K/BB in 28 innings. Outstanding command, good stuff, I think he will adjust.
7) Desmond Jennings, OF, Grade B+
     Out for the year with shoulder problems.
8) Jeff Niemann, RHP, Grade B
     7-3, 3.33 with 80/30 K/BB in 84 innings in Triple-A, 65 hits allowed. Still looks like an inning-eater type to me.
9) Eduardo Morlan, RHP, Grade B
     Limited to 23 innings in Double-A by some early season injuries, but has a 3.09 ERA and a 19/6 K/BB. Still a nice bullpen prospect.
10) John Jaso, C, Grade B
      Hitting .271/.408/.405 for Double-A Montgomery, repeating the league but with wosre performance than last year. Excellent strike zone judgment.
11) Ryan Royster, OF, Grade B-
     .257/.300/.356 for Vero Beach. Poor plate discipline has prevented him from building on 2007 success, stock has dropped.
12) Chris Mason, RHP, Grade B-
       6.47 ERA with 77/31 K/BB for Triple-A Durham, 119 hits in 89 innings and 18 homers allowed. Way too hittable, has been unable to adjust to Triple-A competition.
13) Nick Barnese, RHP, Grade B-
       Looking good in the New York-Penn League so far: 1.57 ERA with 41/11 K/BB in 34 innings, 26 hits allowed. Stock on the rise.
14) Mitch Talbot, RHP, Grade C+
       4.47 ERA with 94/19 K/BB in 117 innings for Durham, 124 hits allowed. Nice K/BB ratio, could still be an inning-eater type though not dominant.
15) Heath Rollins, RHP, Grade C+
       3.28 ERA with 103/22 K/BB in 113 innings for Vero Beach, 96 hits allowed. Pitching well, but needs to be given a chance at higher levels before we know exactly how good he is.
16) Glenn Gibson, LHP, Grade C+
       7.44 ERA with 49/41 K/BB in 79 innings for Columbus in the Sally League, 104 hits allowed. All ratios have completely collapsed compared to his strong short-season performance last year. I have to wonder if he is healthy.
17) Fernando Perez, OF, Grade C+
      Hitting .287/.361/.398 with 30 steals for Durham. Impressive speed and defensive skills, some pop, strikes out a lot but will also take a walk. Would be a fine fourth outfielder.
18) James Houser, LHP, Grade C+
      3.03 ERA with 69/34 K/BB in 86 innings, 66 hits allowed for Double-A Montgomery. Holding his own, needs a promotion to Triple-A to test his skills as he is repeating the league.
19) Justin Ruggiano, OF, Grade C+
       .305/.365/.506 with 18 steals for Durham. I know scouts still don't seem to like him much and he's 26, but c'mon, this guy needs a shot somewhere.
20) Sergio Pedroza, OF, Grade C+
      .262/.349/.371 for Montgomery. Hasn't been able to hit Double-A pitching for the same kind of power he showed in the lower minors.

Injury attrition has claimed the very promising Desmond Jennings and Jacob McGee, but the Rays have such strong system depth that they can compensate. Hopefully Price's early season arm woes will not recur. I'm starting to wonder about Brignac, if he will ever live up to his complete potential, though again he is still very young.