go with Gomez here I'm not sold on Barton but i'm not sold on Gomez either. So can I choose tie?

Gomez will be bringing speed at the top of a lineup and defensive scarcity , and Barton settles into a nice little hitter, though not above-avg for his position.

5 years from now__ Gomez>Barton

But Gomez desperately needs a year in AAA to pull it all together. First the Mets and now the Twins have rushed him to the Show.

So... False. Rushing him through the minors ruins Gomez.

Gomez never becomes a dependable starter and will float like Alex Ochoa.

Barton becomes a solid, but unspectacular, starter for 10+ years

Gomez never does much of anything noteworthy, besides getting picked in roto leagues for his stolen bases. He holds down a starting job for 5 or 6 years, platoons for another 5, and hangs around as a 4th outfielder/pinch runner for the rest.

Barton becomes a low-level star. He makes 3 all-star teams, and consistently produces throughout his 16 year career. Though he becomes a DH by 29, his offense more than makes up for it. All in all, you're looking at perhaps John Kruk-esque production, with less cancer and bad baseball analysis. Who doesn't want that?

I'm not sure if we can compare the two.

I do feel as if they will probably have similar performances relative to their positions and skill set.

Barton turns into Kevin Youkilis + at the plate, but his shoddy glovework leaves him a DH. Meanwhile, Gomez develops into a GG-caliber CF who offers a very strong power/speed combo. The OPS favors Barton, but Gomez is a much rarer talent, which means he will be more valuable.

Think they both develop well, but quite differently. Depending on your measure of value (VORP, WS, gamer-ness), I think in 5 years you will be able to make a case for either one.

I think Gomez will never develop serious power and become a Roger Cedeno type who's career ends when his speed goes. This is probably a minority opinion but I just don't see a lot from Gomez that makes me think he'll outperform Barton.

But it will take 4-5 years for Gomez to put it all together.

I think that Gomez's floor is a Gary Pettis type CF, a guy who doesn't do much damage with the bat but can steal some bases and play great defense. I think his ceiling is being a greater run producer while retaining great speed, a Carl Crawford or Johnny Damon type if you will

I think that Barton's floor is a pinch-hitter and platoon type, something like Hatteberg. His ceiling is MAYBE a John Olerud or Wally Joyner, with less power.

While I don't believe Gomez will ever develop even decent power, out of the two scenario's I think Gomez has far more potential to be a impact player due to the defensive premium he provides and the unique skill of possessing great speed.

Gomez has awesome speed (compared to Jose Reyes), a great glove and great arm. Him speed will help him get on base, and when he become more patient at the plate, he'll hit for a good average as well...

People just aren't paying enough attention to what Barton does well and are focusing too hard on what he seemingly does not do well.

Barton is going to put up a .400+ OBP in the majors as a 22 year old. For those who like average: there's no reason why he won't hit at least .285ish this year, and that should only improve to where he's a solid .300 hitter for most of his career. Even if he does play first base, his ability to get on base is going to be in the top 5-10% in baseball if he stays healthy.

People question Barton's power. These people either A) aren't looking at the numbers or B) don't really understand power. As ab 18 year old catcher in A ball with St. Louis, he put up 13 HR in 313 ABs. The next year with Oakland (time split between A+ and AA) he combined for 13 homers in more at bats, but he also hit 36 doubles. While he may not have shown a massive boost in power, he maintained his numbers while being young for his league.

2006 was pretty much a wash because of injuries. Plus he was 20 years old in AAA.

He more than made up for it last year. As a 21 year old he had 65 XBH between AAA and the majors. On what planet is 65 XBH a lack of power?

All Barton has done in his pro career is speed through the minors while slowly improving his power numbers, yet people say he has none. It doesn't make any sense. To call him Scott Hatteberg is a joke. To say his upside is a less powerful John Olerud is absurd.

Of course, Gomez could end up being better. I'm saying false because I think Barton is going to be a star for a very long time.