I recommended him last year, and I’m gonna do it again this year. He can played 2B or OF, and all he does is hit and run. He’s got essentially zero power, but he’s got a chance to be a utility guy

What are your thoughts on Charlie Culberson? He had a pretty decent year in 2010 for San Jose. 28 Doubles, 16 HR, 25 SB and a .340 OBP. He also is doing well in the AFL this year.

Juan Carlos Perez - had a very solid year, old for level, but had a knee injury, as I recall, when the Giants drafted him; good defensive CF w/ good offensive #s in the Cal League

Johnny Monell - Catcher w/ some good offensive potential

Edwin Escobar - young lefty w/ very good stuff; $350K signee by Rangers - traded for Ben Snyder

Marvin Barios - Very good stuff; very good year in the DSL; 6-figure bonus baby in 2009

Reinier Roibal - Cuban signee last year; very good arm; very limited action this year

Kendry Florez - power arm; very good year in AZ Rookie League

Don’t know if you consider or how you consider 2010 draftees, but lower-round picks from that draft include: Mike Kickham, Charles Jones, Heath Hembree, Chris Lofton, Jacob Dunnington (UFA), Jake Dunning & Brett Bochy.

$2.55 M bonus baby; just repeated Rookie League, fighting injuries most of the year and didn’t do very well; still just 18 years old, very raw and has tools; Felipe Alou loves him as a prospect.

Lots of chatter on McCoveyChronicles by people who actually saw him in SS ball that he was lazy, uncoachable, had a terrible approach at the plate and didn’t show off many if any tools. Don’t really know what to think about him as a prospect right now.

Eric Surkamp - injury ended his season, but very good K/9 numbers and good control. If healthy, he could do very well in the EL.
Hector Sanchez - seems to fly under the radar. haven’t heard much about his defense.
Jason Stoffell - had some meltdown moments but first pro season in high A wasn’t too shabby. If he could get his walks down….

So far, it seems like most of the well regarded guys not named Belt are at the lower levels. I find myself wondering how much stock to put in solid but unspectacular batting performances in Richmond. The league and stadium seems to have been tough on hitters, and it is always a big jump to AA.

I want to believe that Neal is real - maybe he isn’t as good as his sparkling numbers last year, but a .799 OPS with lots of doubles and slightly improved strikeout rate seems to be a decent performance in AA. I would think he could contribute, even if not a star, from a corner OF position.

Gillaspie also gives me a little hope. None of his numbers in AA look great, but his bat was above average for the league, and his home runs were up in a worse HR environment. The walks need to go up, obviously.

I feel a bit like I’m grasping at straws, but it seems like there are some positives there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Neal or Gillaspie put up some nice numbers in Fresno next season.

My big guy is Brock Bond. Two straight years (AA and AAA) with a .400+ OBP, and I’ve heard his defense at second is passable. Hits for a solid average, little power, average speed (again, anecdotal and second-hand) but the OBP would be excellent out of a 2B; the Yanks paid $5.5M for a very similar player in Nick Johnson (Johnson has more power, but plays first), and I personally think there ought to be room for a second baseman who can get on base as much as he does.

As weird as it is to pick a first-round draft choice as a sleeper, I think a lot of people are too low on Gary Brown. His floor is pretty high, and his ceiling is that of an occasional All-Star CF, and a perennial top-10 at his position. The guy sounds like a true leadoff hitter, which is something we don’t really have, at a position where we don’t have much depth (the infield, on the other hand…).

Nick Noonan has yet to put it together (his numbers this year were awful and continue to decline), but he once drew Chase Utley comparisons from a few people. There’s nothing encouraging there except pedigree, but hey.

Clayton Tanner’s peripherals were scary in AA this year, but he had a shiny ERA and the HR/9 rate was good. A move to Fresno may reveal the underlying problems with a switch to a more hitter-friendly park, but he’s got solid upside.

Jorge Bucardo’s probably not really a sleeper anymore, but he did have some awesome stats in A- before getting hit hard in San Jose.

Edwin Escobar
Seth Rosin
Charlie Culberson
Ehire Adrianza

Who is Ryan Verdugo? Kid is pitching in AFL

For the pupose of this post, I’ll define “sleepers” as prospects that were drafted beyond the 6th round in 2010 (or previous years) and weren’t highly-rated or talked about, or guys that were highly-drafted in past years, but that have dropped in previous rankings due to performance and/or injury issues. These are ranked in order from best to lesser.

1. Chuckie Jones (CF):
The experts at Baseball America just named Jones as having the Best Pro Debut (out of High School) of any player in the entire 2010 draft. That’s pretty heady stuff. It might be stretching things to label this 7th round pick in the 2010 draft as a sleeper, but I honestly believe that only baseball people and devoted Giants fans know anything about this exciting kid. He has already proven that he can hit with a wooden bat and can translate his + raw power potential into actual game-time power – all while playing half the season at the tender age of 17 (he turned 18 on July 28th). He is a true 5-tool talent and physical specimen (6’3", 235) that already has the build and athleticism to play running back or linebacker in the NFL (believe it or not - he was a QB in high school). He tied for the most HRs in the minors for any 2010 high school draftee. He played 46 games (starting 90 % of them in CF) in the AZ Rookie League and put up the following batting stats in 165 ABs:
.279/.360/.461/.820 with 5 HRs and an ISO=.182.
He did K almost 32% of the time, but he also walked at a 10.5% clip, so he’s not entirely an unrepentant hacker at the plate. His K-rate soared in the 4 weeks after he went on a HR-hitting binge during an 11 game stretch in June, and then decreased dramatically the rest of the season, so he showed the ability to make the necessary adjustments after being seduced to swing for the fences for a short period of time. Reportedly, he needs to shorten his swing, learn to hit the curveball, and learn to take better routes to the ball in the OF. But he proved that he could “go get the ball” in CF in Scottsdale and the Giants believe that he can stick in CF despite his size. If he can, then his comp could be a big, power-hitting CF in the mold of Andruw Jones.

2. Eric Surkamp (LHP):
He’s a good-sized (6’4", 190) lefty starter with a consistent and long history of elite K-rates in his entire 3 seasons of minor league ball (300 Ks in 249.2 innings = K/9 of 10.8). He also doesn’t walk many batters (BB/9 = 2.3), so his K/BB is an eye-popping 4.5. On the other hand, he doesn’t throw very hard (FB sits in high 80s), he is already 23.3 years old, he’s never pitched above A+ ball, and he’s coming off a hip injury that completely derailed his 2010 season after only 2.5 months and 101 innings.

3. Charlie Culberson (2B):
He made huge strides this year at the plate, and even a bit in the field. After 2 full seasons of anemic slugging, he finally found his power stroke (16 HRs and ISO=.167), despite injuring his thumb in late June. He also cut way down on his Ks in the last 2/3rds of the season. He just turned 21.5 years old, so he’s still young for his league (and will be when he starts in the EL next spring). He has shown that his hot-hitting wasn’t just a Cal League mirage by slashing .514/.541/.857/1.398 with 2 HR, 6 Dbl., and only 5 K (13.2%) in 38 PA’s and 8 games in the AFL this Fall (yes, it’s an extremely SSS). On the other hand, he still has limitations with his D, but a permanent switch from 3B to 2B this season seems to have given him more peace of mind and his D did improve in 2010. He has the potential to be a Dan Uggla-like power-hitting 2B in the majors who plays below-average D. He also has the footspeed and baserunning smarts to be an above average basestealer (25 of 32 attempts in 2010, 15 of 19 in 2009).

4. Dan Burkhart ( C ):
Alex Wimmers’s catcher in college and a 10th round pick in the 2010 draft. He’s always had a good rep for his D behind the plate, and he threw out a huge percentage of baserunners in college. His bat was a question mark coming out of college in 2010, but he had a good first month with the wooden bat as a pro in the AZL and NWL after signing late. He slashed .329/.404/.439/.843 in 82 ABs. I see him as a potentially valuable backup to Buster Posey in 2 years, or as trade bait.

5. Reinier Roibal (RHP):
One of the top young pitchers in Cuba before his defection in 2009, he signed with the Giants in April of 2010 and saw only very limited action (9 games and 9 innings with a K/9=14.5) out of the pen in the AZ Rookie League. He’s got good size (6’2", 210) and those that saw him pitch in Cuba report that he has electric stuff when he’s on his game. I can’t wait to see him in 2011 after a full offseason under his belt. On the negative side, he’ll turn 22 in the middle of January next year.

6. Brandon Allen (RHP):
A tall (6’6", 190), athletic (a star power forward on his high school team) kid (just turned 19 in the middle of August). The Giants drafted him in the 18th round out of a small high shool in central Florida and he signed at the end of June. The Giants were working on his mechanics and stamina so he only got in a mere 6 innings over 5 games in the AZ Rookie League this summer. He’s got a dogged competitve streak and strong bloodlines. His father played several years for the Sacremento Kings in the NBA, and his older brother is on the Univ. of Florida basketball team. Basketball was his first love, so he’s never fully concentrated on baseball or pitching. Because of this he’s very raw, but has a huge upside. He already throws his FB in the low-90s and it has touched 94.

7. Jacob Dunnington (RHP):
He’s still growing and maturing physically, despite being 19.7 at the end of the minor league season this year. He has good height and a projectable frame (6’2", 160) to fill out even more in the future. He had a growth spurt and a big jump in his FB velocity (about 5 MPH into the mid 90s) in the summer after he graduated from high school in Washington. The Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent in Sept. 2009. He finally made his pro debut while working out of the pen in the AZ Rookie League starting in June of this year. He dominated the league and had fantastic statistical results in 17 games and 29 innings: Runs=2, K/9=14.1, K/BB=3, BAA=.109, WHIP=.87. I’d love to see the Giants stretch him out as a starter next year.

8. Kendry Flores (RHP):
An 18 year old (DOB=11/24/91) IFA from the Dominican. Flores just finished his 2nd pro season and his 1st based in the USA. The skinny and lanky 6’2", 175 lb. hurler has room to grow. He reportedly has an electric, but erratic, fastball that he throws in the 90-94 range, and touches 95. He already has a plus changeup and a good feel for a slurvey breaking ball. Like the vast majority of young pitchers, he needs to work on his stamina and his consistency, but he improved almost all of his peripheral stats over his 1st pro season in the DSL. In 13 games and 11 starts these are the stats that stand out to me:
IP=55, K/9=9.2, BB/9=2.1, K/BB=4.3, BAA=.241, GA/AO=1.27, WHIP=1.13 and only 2HRs

9. Jake Dunning (RHP):
He’s a former college SS (2009 draftee) that finally converted to full-time pitching out of the pen this season in tne ss-A Northwest League. In 18 games and 37 innings he posted excellent results – with a K/9=11.3, K/BB=6.0, GO/AO=1.82, and a WHIP=1.04. He has the size (6’4", 190), velocity (sits 92-93 mph and touches 95), and control (only 8 BBs in 37 innings) to excel as a closer or setup man in the majors – he just needs some time to develop his craft after being a position player for 95% of the time in his college years and first pro year. On the negative side, he already turned 22 in August.

10. Stephen Harrold (RHP)
A 2010 12th rounder out of UNC-Wilmington. The 6’1", 200 lb., 21 year old (DOB=3/12/89) pitched so well out of the pen in his first 10 days in Scottsdale of the AZ Rookie League that he was quickly promoted to NWL Salem in the ss-A. He relies mainly on a FB that sits 90-92, and an average-plus slider. He had very good stats this year:
G=22, IP=30, ERA=2.10, K/9=10.2, BB/9=2.1, K/BB=4.9, BAA=.202, GA/AO=1.3, WHIP=.97

11. Caleb Hougesen (3B):
Hougesen (6’1", 215 lb.) was a 3-sport star (football, basketball and baseball) in high school who never fully concentrated on baseball. Even so, the 18 year old (DOB=11/1992) was still the best player on his team and he was named to the all-state team in his senior year. Besides starting and starring at 3B for his team, he also was the top pitcher and led his team to the Indiana state sectional title. He ended upthis season hitting .548 with 15 HRs, 6 doubles, 4 triples, 45 runs, 45 RBI, and 16 SBs while finishing with an 8-5 record and a 2.62 ERA (striking out 86 in 58.2 innings). He signed at the August deadline and didn’t make his pro debut in 2010, although he is playing in the AIL this Fall. If the Giants assign him to Augusta in the SAL next April, then you’ll know that he’s made big strides in the offseason, if he’s held back in short-season ball, then it will likely be a longer slog.

12. Carlos Willoughby (2B):
A 21 year old (DOB=11/12/1988) IFA from the Colombia. Willoughby just finished his 4th pro season and his 1st based in the USA. The 5’10", 170 lb. switch-hitter is whippet-quick and very fast. He applies incredible pressure on the opposing team while at the bat and on the basepaths. He has stolen 114 out of 137 bases (83%) in 218 games during his first 4 years as a pro. As an added bonus, his splits hitting RH vs. LH are very similar across the board, which is unique for a young prospect. He does need to increase his BB-rate, and decrease his K-rate (reportedly he’s susceptible to high heat) going forward. In 45 games and 176 ABs this season he put up the following stats
.295/.372/.432/.804 with 6 Trpl., 9 Dbl., 1 HR (inside-the-park), BB=8.6%, K=18.2%, SB=23/27 (85%)

13. Nick Liles (2B):
A 7th round pick in the 2009 draft. He just finished his 2nd, and first full, season of pro ball in the low-A SAL. The 6’, 165 lb. rightie turned 23 in July (DOB=7/23/87), so he’s old for his league. He’s always been a good hitter for contact and average, but he generates very little power. The Giants played him in the OF his first 2 seasons, but appear to be prepping him to move back to the IF (he played 2B in his senior year of college) to play 2B. That will give him at least a possible path to the majors. I could see him as a David Eckstein-type utilily infielder (not at SS) and spot startrer if everything falls into place for him. For the season he did the following in 512 AB’s:
.316/.361/.387/.747 with 28 Dbl., 4 Trpl., 0 HR and BB=6.5%, K=11%, and 29/40 SBs (72.5%)

Jose Valdez-RHP. He was 22 in Augusta this year, and posted 68 Ks in 60 IP. He also has an intimidating build at 6’7 250. He needs to work on his command but with his size and K numbers I wouldn’t be shocked if he turned into a back of the bullpen guy.

October 28 chat with Keith Law with lots of Giants prospects info.