Monday Morning Discussion Topic: Biggest Prospect Disappointments
by John Sickels on Aug 30, 2025 9:00 AM EDT
230 comments
I will have Minor League Notes for you this afternoon. This morning, let's discuss your Biggest Prospect Disappointments of 2010.
Ignore anyone who has missed significant time with an injury, and anyone who has played in the majors this year. With that in mind, what minor league players are you most disappointed in this year?
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Donovan Tate
as a UNC grad, I was stoked when he committed to the football team last year and would walk on the baseball team. I scouted him a bit and he seemed to be very raw but athletic and oooooooozing tools. However, I didn’t think he was THIS raw.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 9:11 AM EDT reply actions
Injury
He was hit in the head with a pitch
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by JDSussman on Aug 30, 2025 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Among other issues
Since Tate isn’t on the table per John’s original definition, I’ll go with the Padres’ other big-money high school outfield disappointment, Everett Williams. The book on him during the draft was that, although his tools were a step below Tate’s, he was also a lot more polished. He has utterly failed to do anything in Fort Wayne this year. And at least as alarming as his ugly performance is the ongoing murmuring that he’s been pretty uncoachable. When you’re striking out more than once every three at-bats, you damn well ought to realize it’s time to start listening to people around you…
Among those about whom I’m much less passionate, Tyler Flowers and Martin Perez have to be right at the top of the list.
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
actually, that was in December
and he had 107 plate appearances in Rookie Ball. Of those PA, he struck out 41 times. His slugging was .344. This is in Rookie Ball. Per John’s “original” definition, he did say “significant” time. Depends on what you view as “significant”. I would say Tate, injury or no, was expected to get to, at least, Low-A this year.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Tate's injury time
Tate has missed time this year because of:
1) Off-season ATV accident in which he broke his jaw; while wired shut, he dropped about 15 pounds
2) Spring Training on-field injury in which he sprained his shoulder diving for a ball
3) Extended spring beaning less than a week after his shoulder allowed him to start playing again
4) Ongoing vague and, at least publicly, undiagnosed digestive infection/virus, which is why he’s had only one start in the last 3+ weeks.
It’s worth noting that during the only two-week stretch where he actually played consistently, his OPS was north of 800 and his strikeout rate dropped from deplorable to merely disgusting. I think it’s pretty impossible to look at his truncated season without thinking he has been significantly impacted by injuries.
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
thanks.
is there some Ciliac Disease possibility? I hope not, that shit sucks.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Great unintended pun
And I have no idea. The team has been remarkably close-lipped about his extended periods of being on the active roster but off the field. It certainly wouldn’t be unthinkable that if he was undiagnosed and spent a chunk of time getting most of his nutrition through a straw in the form of nutritional supplements, his body would have gotten quite a gluten shock and started a significant flare… Of course, presumably people who are (a) real live doctors and (b) actually have been in the same room as him would be much more likely than me to speak to that in any informed way…
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Tony Sanchez?
he couldnt have helped being hit in the face by a pitch. If anything, he has been a pleasant surprise.
by backtocali on Aug 30, 2025 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Apparently you didn't read John's request not to consider injured players.....
And, anyways, when they have played, both have done pretty well. Marte, since coming back from his injury, has been on fire.
Me thinks you need to pay a bit more attention…..
by CabreraKilledMyChildhood on Aug 30, 2025 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions
looks like
Smoked, just got Smoked by you 2 guys
by logstx on Aug 30, 2025 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Alderson
He wasn’t a premier prospect coming into the year but at one point he was highly regarded. He’s been terrible.
by Dorn on Aug 30, 2025 9:24 AM EDT reply actions
Is Ryan Strieby cheating?
He’s been mostly powerless all year long and on/off the DL with recurring wrist problems (which kinda fits your “no injury” rule).
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by David Tokarz on Aug 30, 2025 9:40 AM EDT reply actions
No
My impression (mostly based on Henning’s reports so it could be flawed) was that Strieby was impacted by the wrist all season. Regardless, it is clear from his injury reports from the last few years that he has had recurrent wrist problems that have not been solved. Hopefully he will get the wrist problem solved this offseason.
by mikegostate on Aug 30, 2025 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions
6 months of rest might do wonders.
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by David Tokarz on Aug 30, 2025 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Aaron Crow
I assume the Royals took Crow with the expectation he would fly through the minors, potentially joining the MLB rotation mid-year or at the least April 11. Instead, he has been demoted from AA to High A and is looking like he may be a reliever instead of a starter.
Reports on his stuff have been as positive as ever, but his command apparently has done him in. Who knows if it will come back with regular work or if this is just the pitcher he is now.
Moral of the story: don’t draft a pitcher that has been sitting on his couch eating cheetos for the last year.
by deezle on Aug 30, 2025 9:43 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
crow
I like your point but don’t think it totally applies to Crow. He looks to be in good physical shape and his raw stuff is about as good as you could hope for. I think part of the problem is that he was just rusty from not having real game situations for a long while and the other part of the problem is that his command was never sharp to begin with.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Yea Crow has been depressing.
Almost 24 in High A.
by vic1124 on Aug 30, 2025 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!
Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 30, 2025 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
What does KC do with him next year?
He had a 5.66 ERA in the Texas League, and after 5 starts in the Carolina League he has a 5.79 ERA. He’s given up 19 HR in 152 IP.
On the positive side, he has 33 K and only 4 BB in 32 IP in the Carolina League, a nice improvement from AA. Also the scouting reports have continued to be very positive.
If it really is just his command, how likely is it that it improves dramatically starting next season?
Also, where do you start him? Send him back to AA? Refuse to promote him until he dominates A ball? He will be 24 next season, so the clock is ticking.
by deezle on Aug 30, 2025 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Should go see Ron Artests shrink
or another doc who is good with fragile minds
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by RedHopeful on Aug 31, 2025 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Still a little early to give up on him
Considering his delayed path to organized ball, but he has been extremely disappointing…
by Rossome on Aug 31, 2025 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Chris Withrow
I bought into the hype after watching a few videos of his stuff, and he’s just been a bad pitcher this season.
Casey Crosby with an honorable mention due to losing a year for a bone bruise.
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by jar75 on Aug 30, 2025 9:48 AM EDT reply actions
I expected more from Withrow than Martin
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by jar75 on Aug 30, 2025 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with DeJon Watson
who in a recent interview with a writer at TBLA, said to remember that these guys are the age of college juniors and are well ahead of their age curves. Also, that if these guys had posted the same numbers in college, they’d be mid first rounders… Im not worried about them yet. Next year? Yes
by lakersdodgersyankees4life on Aug 31, 2025 1:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Eric Arnett
Definitely not a surprise to me, but a big time disappointment for the Brewers.
by backtocali on Aug 30, 2025 9:57 AM EDT reply actions
Aaron Hicks
Really thought he’d have a breakout year as a 20-year-old in low-A. Despite good scouting reports on people watching him play, i’m still disappointed by the numbers.
by waka25 on Aug 30, 2025 9:58 AM EDT reply actions
yeah
i’ve heard mixed things about Hicks. Could be Carlos Gonzalez. Could be Carlos Gomez.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
hicks
What have you heard that’s bad about him?
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
plate discipline
Hicks’ is too good to become Carlos Gomez. He’ll post decent OB% but the lack of power is discouraging
by ScottAZ on Aug 30, 2025 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Dexter Fowler
I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!
Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 30, 2025 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
I was thinking the exact thing. Fowler is a good comp, where power could develop later
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by punto4mvp on Aug 30, 2025 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Including the post-May numbers?
Because he’s OPS’d over .900 in July/August with a 29/30 bb/k
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
by biggentleben on Aug 30, 2025 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
In all fairness to Hicks though
he did miss some time do to injuries earlier in the year… I think he hurt his wrist pretty badily and i believe just this evening he left the game with an injury (hopefully it isn’t stemming from a prior injury)
Its possible Hicks has another small injury that I’m forgetting…
I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!
Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 30, 2025 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
vitters
I don’t know if this fair, but josh vitters wasn’t rising to the level of AA before his injury. It may have been an aggressive placement to start with, but the cubs are looking for him to replace a-ram sooner than later.
by neifiisgreat on Aug 30, 2025 10:04 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
His development path has been screwed 6 ways til Sunday
It’s hard to blame him when the Cubs haven’t given him much of a chance to succeed. They need to let him get comfortable with a level and show he’s ready for a promotion instead of jumping him around. We’ll see how this affects him long term, but he needs to learn better plate discipline.
by Rossome on Aug 31, 2025 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Fernando Martinez
I have to look at my personal list when I have it on hand. But off the top of my head he has been the most disappointing. Tho, he is still very young, and people often forget that.
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by JDSussman on Aug 30, 2025 10:09 AM EDT reply actions
Christian Friedrich
I thought he’d be in the majors by now, or at least in AAA. Instead, he’s been quite hittable in AA, and his component ratios have been down compared to last year. Yes, he’s had some injury issues, but he has made 18 starts so I wouldn’t call this missing “significant” time.
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by Tom (RFTN) on Aug 30, 2025 10:12 AM EDT reply actions
yes
wasn’t he, at the beginning of the year, in the discussion for best lefty in the minors? yeah, he’s been pretty blah.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
friedrich would have to be right at the top of my list
I loved him last year. Nagging injuries seem to be a problem with him . . .I suspect that he’s probably been pitching through some issues and hasn’t been totally healthy even when on the field. Tough year.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Two answers
As an Astros fan, Jiovanni Mier. As a follower of prospects in general, maybe Justin Smoak.
Aaron Crow isn’t a bad answer though. His numbers aren’t good, but they aren’t even as bad as I expected. I feel like I’ve seen him get pounded multiple times, and I don’t watch that many minor league games.
by OremLK on Aug 30, 2025 10:23 AM EDT reply actions
+1 on Aaron Crow
I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!
Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 30, 2025 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Smoak
I think he was rushed a little bit, but he should be fine long term. He may be closer to Overbay than Tex, but I’d be surprised if he didn’t end up an above average big leaguer.
by Rossome on Aug 31, 2025 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions
For me
Tyler Flowers, who I really thought could be a Mike Napoli type player in the majors. He has just been terrible this year.
by cookiedabookie on Aug 30, 2025 10:45 AM EDT reply actions
Flowers
Same here.
Napoli likewise struggled at age 24 in AAA. Much smaller sample, but he went .244/.344/.436 in the PCL at 24, got called up, and did better in the majors.
Flowers is at .221/.333/.435. His wRC+ is 107. naps in 2006 at age 24 in PCL was 106, but only 90 some odd PA. But also a 37% k rate.
Flowers looked like he was bouncing back somewhat but has been dreadful last month or so.
AAA pitchers exploiting his swing, but i also bet his struggles behind the plate have played into his struggles at the plate. And he may have come into the year thinking he’d be up by now. If the White Sox hadn’t gotten back into contention, AJ was likely gone. he was awful then went on a little bit of a hot streak, for him.
by wobatus on Aug 30, 2025 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
People were WAY too high on Flowers this offseason
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by jar75 on Aug 30, 2025 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
What the hell does he do well, anyway?
He has some decent pop for a catcher. I’ve never understood the attention he got. He doesn’t even have a good approach. The book on him is he knows he has a bad contact swing and tried to wait his way into hitter’s counts. He’s not a quarter of the player Napoli is.
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by alskor on Aug 30, 2025 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Guilty
but with some mitigating circumstances.
First, what little I heard on his D in 2009 was that it was improved. I never thought he’d be a great glove catcher, but that adequate was possible. Scioscia can’t stand Napoli’s glove work, obviously, although he doesn’t seem that bad.
Second, what the hell does he do well? Um, he sure seemed like he could hit, despite some elevated K rates. K rates that Napoli easily matched in the minor leagues. I guess you could say “he had a little pop.” he also had an 18% walk rate in AA. He torched the AFL (granted, so do a lot of guys, but he absolutely was huge that year). His wRC+ in the minors were A ball 131, A+ 152, AA 179, AAA 125.
He is 24 in AAA. Napoli was 24 in AAA. Salt lake. And he played in rancho Cucamonga. And in a small sample he had a very ppor line similar to Flowers in AAA.
Career minor league line for Naps
.257/.374/.470 K rate 31.3%
Flowers
.277/.391/.482 K rate 26.6%.
Naps wRC+ in AAA? 106.
Flowers this year in AAA: 107.
I have posted before that Flowers was a disappointment, and one of my bigger fails this year. But given his batting lines, and what little I knew was that his defense was improving somewhat and he might be adequate at a premium position, I don’t think there was nothing to see at all. Given reports that his D regressed, and the strikeout rate and contact issues this year, I admit I was wrong about him. Although I don’t think it is time to give up completely on a 24 year old.
And agreed, he’s not napoli. I like napoli a lot. But he still Ks about 30% in the majors and he has stopped taking a walk. Projecting him to be Naploi-esque before this year wasn’t a stretch, and it is at least something to ponder that Napoli was just as bad in AAA, and actually improved in the majors. I don’t see it happening with Flowers, but Napoli wasn’t a guaranteed success himself. John was higher on him than most and gave him a C in 2005 and a C+ in 2006, ranked him 15th. I daresay in retrospect he was better than a lot of guys ranked ahead of him.
by wobatus on Aug 31, 2025 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Fair enough
I just think people ignored some red flags in Flowers’ performances and scouting.
Saying Mike Napoli did the same thing at the same age doesn’t really do anything for me, either. He overcame some pretty big odds, as you note. So… in a limited way, this is like the catcher equivalent of a Roy Halladay/Greg Maddux comp…
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by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
I knew there were red flags, and didn’t so much ignore them as think he had enough to make up for them. Looks like I was wrong. But lots of guys that people liked have had bad years. Flowers may be the highest rank “flop” from the Community Poll (well, Taylor and Smoak, but pretty much everyone ranked them highly, and they retain mor value than Flowers did, Smoak certainly, despite his struggles). At the beginning of the year not too many people would have ranked Devin Mesoraco ahead of him.
by wobatus on Aug 31, 2025 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Tim Beckham
He has shown a bit of improvement OBP-wise, but still, it seems like he’s not shown any greater comfort in pro-ball this year than in his underwhelming full season debut last year.
by Johnny Tuttle on Aug 30, 2025 10:45 AM EDT reply actions
Tim is still young for his Level
and the improvement has been quite substantial.
I don’t think Beckham’s a superstar, but I could see him turning in to a Rickie Weeks type of player.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Is he showing the tools
that he purportedly had at the time of his being drafted? The speed seems there, but there’s supposedly a thicker body and less athleticism……..that’s concerning when he loses so much value if he moves off SS.
I think TB would be over the moon if they got a Weeks out of him, especially if here were made of tougher stuff, more Bruce Willis than Samuel L. from the Unbreakable movie.
by Johnny Tuttle on Aug 30, 2025 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe Weeks-lite
and move Beckham to 2B? but you’re right, he’s nowhere near the #1 draft pick right now. Heck, in a do over, I bet he’s not in the 1st round.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Michael Taylor.
I wouldn’t rule out an undisclosed injury or him being nicked up, but the disappearance of power and well, skill, is pretty remarkable and terrifying.
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by travdog6 on Aug 30, 2025 11:04 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, Taylor went from a MLB Ready RF prospect to bottom feeder of AAA
Granted, ALL of the A’s hitting prospects simultaneously tanked, making me think there might be something to it, but its still amazing how badly he is doing. He had a few weeks where people thought he had gotten back on track, but then went right back to sucking.
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by Zonis on Aug 30, 2025 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Surprised
he wasn’t at the top of the comments. Has to be him considering he was considered by many as a top 25 prospect and has completely fallen off the map.
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by RedHopeful on Aug 30, 2025 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
He was old for huis level before this year but, I just overlooked it because he was so good- and so athletic. Now he’ll be 25 this off-season and lots of questions.
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by casejud on Aug 30, 2025 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
Really liked him coming into this year, now I am afraid he is Ben Francisco
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by BStal11 on Aug 30, 2025 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
Ditto
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by casejud on Aug 30, 2025 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
him too
forgot him
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by JDSussman on Aug 30, 2025 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Chase D'Arnaud
Although he battled a terrible case of pneumonia in the early going.
by Woo! on Aug 30, 2025 11:32 AM EDT reply actions
I also liked him
hadn’t heard about the pneumonia.
by wobatus on Aug 30, 2025 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm from the Altoona area
I haven’t seen it reported nationally, but it was in the Altoona Mirror several times.
by Woo! on Aug 30, 2025 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Not sure how Arrieta makes it
Yeah, his ML start has been less then stellar, but he had a sub 2 era in Norfolk
by ADLC on Aug 30, 2025 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I guess that's almost part of it
he’s been pretty good at AAA, but extremely hittable in the majors. I would point out, though, his K/BB did go down a healthy bit in AAA this season. He’ll be 25 going into next year, I am just disappointed that he hasn’t put together a solid campaign in the majors by this point. Not saying he still won’t be good, just disappointed. (This is of course outside of the confines of John’s question, but nonetheless, he popped to mind.)
by PrincetonCubs on Aug 31, 2025 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Desmond Jennings
It wasn’t a complete wash out, but I certainly expected a lot more. Yes, I know he has had some injury issues, but he has gotten enough playing time that I think this is fair, even given John’s exclusion of players with signficant time missed due to injury. Maybe it was unrealistic but I also hoped that Chris Carter could keep a little more of his gains from last year as he moved up to AAA.
by Dalman on Aug 30, 2025 12:08 PM EDT reply actions
really?
.278/.363/.395 with 37 SBs while playing through nagging injuries all season is equal to, say, Taylor or Aaron Crow? Jennings’ power is down, but his shoulder injury could explain that. He’s going to be fine.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Considering no one was trying to put Taylor or Crow in the top 3-5 of prospect lists...
I’d say Jennings’ year pretty easily qualifies him for a disappointment of that level.
by PissedMick on Aug 30, 2025 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Its definitely a disappointment...
but all the same I’m not sure his season affected his prospect status much for me.
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by alskor on Aug 30, 2025 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
but
remember that John said don’t include anyone who has missed time due to injury. And Jennings has.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions
I guess I took the "you" a bit literally
I have those two in my farm system and had pretty sky high hopes so they are “my” biggest dissapointments. Obviously, if you look at all top prospects and ask who was the most disspointing on a more objective basis, Michael Taylor certainly did far more to reduce our views of him longterm than Jennings, who, as you say, probably will in the long run be fine if he can stay healthy..
by Dalman on Aug 30, 2025 12:19 PM EDT reply actions
Cody Johnson
I know his K rate was scary, but he was improving on that last year. I was expected some more incremental improvement that would lead to a breakout of sorts. Instead, he was shipped back to A+ ball from AA.
by theatlfan on Aug 30, 2025 12:22 PM EDT reply actions
he was never that good to being with
basically a 2 outcome player who can’t “come” (snickers) at higher levels.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Besides Taylor
maybe would also include Josh Vitters and Tim Beckham
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by RedHopeful on Aug 30, 2025 12:45 PM EDT reply actions
Beckham
someone’s already mentioned him
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Strasburg
Is there any doubt? I don’t want to start a rehash of a tired debate over his handling, but this is devastating to MLB, not to mention Washington.
by staugmarc on Aug 30, 2025 1:00 PM EDT reply actions
for this post
“Ignore anyone who has missed significant time with an injury, and anyone who has played in the majors this year”. This is the basis of the post and he qualifies in both areas
by lions1 on Aug 30, 2025 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I was going to mention Strasburg but not because of injury. Because he didn't throw even one perfect game this season.
Come on Stephen, even Braden has 1!
by Humbled Fan on Aug 30, 2025 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And seriously, where were the laser beams coming out of his eyes? And he never donned a cape or a mask to try to conceal his true identity? Talk about disappointment…
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by tedfordfan on Aug 31, 2025 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Cubs
Josh Vitters was mentioned above, although, he’s more of a marginal disappointment since he actually had some success at High A before hitting a roadblock and getting injured at AA.
The bigger disappointment for them, though, is Kyler Burke. After looking like a potential five tool corner OF in Peoria and seeming like he finally turned a corner, he’s just been awful at High A.
by Outshined_One on Aug 30, 2025 1:07 PM EDT reply actions
I just don't get
how Vitters’ poor showing when he advanced a level is a surprise at this point. He’s done it with each advance after beginning the season in a repeat league. And each supposed “break out” in the first half of the season has been less impressive than the one before it. I imagine that will be the case when he starts 2011 in Tennessee as well.
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
Burke has disappointed way more than Vitters has IMO. I have a ton of hope for Vitters…if the guy had went to college he would be draft eligible next year…his issues IMO are blown way out of proportion.
by SenorGato on Aug 30, 2025 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Uh...
if he’d gone to college, he would have been eligible this year.
And my point was that Vitters isn’t disappointing because what we’ve seen is pretty much the player he is.
And Burke’s really in the same category as well. He’s doing this year what anyone who watched him in 2006, 2007 or 2008 would expect, not performing like he did when his BABIP spiked to over 400 for a fluky two month stretch last year.
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Burke
The thing about his 2009, though, was even if you focus on his non-fluky months (i.e. discounting April, July, and August), you still had an OF who was OPSing well over 800 while showing reasonably good power and patience. Moreover, having seen him in Peoria in 2008 and 2009 was like night and day. I legitimately thought the guy had finally gotten over the hump.
Now, the Cubs will probably end up moving him to pitcher. Should be fun.
by Outshined_One on Aug 30, 2025 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
What ever happened to Max Ramirez?
Somehow, between 2008 and 2009 his power disappeared and his Ks spiked
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by OldProspects on Aug 30, 2025 1:09 PM EDT reply actions
I believe the problem...
is being a catcher in the Rangers’ system. Seriously, the race to the bottom between him, Salty and Teagarden has been pretty stunning.
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
His wrist injury last year could have something to do with it.
The argument is that takes time to come all the way back from.
by Rossome on Aug 31, 2025 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Braves
Salcedo has been quite disappointing. He’s still young, and the assignment to Rome was aggressive for his experience level, but you get used to seeing 18yros with that kind of bonus producing in low A.
by rlwhite on Aug 30, 2025 1:17 PM EDT reply actions
he and Betancourt have been pretty disappointing
but they’re both massively young for the levels. I think they’ll mature some in AA and they’ll both be good players. Maybe not starts, but good.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 30, 2025 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Anyone in Red Sox Farm System
Casey Kelly, Rizzo, Anderson, Iglesias, Exposito, Pimentel
No one is having better than a mediocre season, but nothing to get excited about….
by tenags on Aug 30, 2025 1:30 PM EDT reply actions
I think Rizzo is having a good season. It’s not out of this world but I think it’s better than mediocre. Iglesias battled injuries but I think he’s handled himself better than most expected in his first season in the US.
by Dorn on Aug 30, 2025 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you crazy
Iglesias was hurt and Rizzo has been great.
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by bestbostonsports on Aug 30, 2025 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions
we define great differently
R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
by doublestix on Aug 30, 2025 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
You must believe in the typical definitions of the word "great"
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Rizzo is having a very good year
and will proably be Red Sox minor league player of the year. He has moved higher on the farm systems depth chart all year.
I watch Rizzo play all the time and he has been terrific
2010 Red Sox Playoffs.... We Can Do It!
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by bestbostonsports on Aug 30, 2025 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions
i highly doubt he takes boston's minor league POY
Ryan Lavarnway would have something to say about that.
Adoptive parent of Kyle Nicholson
by gore51 on Aug 30, 2025 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Lavarnway has been good too
You make a good point. It very well could be him.
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by bestbostonsports on Aug 30, 2025 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I think we can all agree on "very good"
But he’s not remotely close to the conversation about the great performances of 2010.
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions
even "very good" may be going a bit far...
by PissedMick on Aug 30, 2025 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
yep -- he's been good
not mediocre, but also neither very good nor, certainly, anything close to great.
by scooter on Aug 31, 2025 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Yonder Alonso
good and bad all season……
I would put him in the Michael Taylor category of, “He-was-SUPPOSED-to-be-great-this-season-but-what-happened?”
by tenags on Aug 30, 2025 1:33 PM EDT reply actions
Yonder
He’s like Micheal Taylor except both started off terrible and Taylor has continued to struggle and Yonder has been SENSATIONAL for two months now. Since July One . . . OPS 1.000 or so. - .424 OBP
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
-George Carlin
by casejud on Aug 30, 2025 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Alonso
makes this list two months ago, as casejud says, but not now. I’d have thought that the extenuating circumstance of last year’s hamate injury would have rendered his inclusion moot anyway.
by blackoutyears on Aug 30, 2025 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Michael Burgess
While at Potomac he decreased his K’s but at the expense of his Power?
by natsminor on Aug 30, 2025 1:39 PM EDT reply actions
Not a prospect
but Brandon Wood. Dude had all these expectations and in return, he put out one of the worse seasons by any baseball player ever. As an Angels fan this was very disappointing.
Big Bats, We Don't Need No Stinkin Big Bats!
by angelskid2210 on Aug 30, 2025 2:11 PM EDT reply actions
yeah
I agree
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by bestbostonsports on Aug 30, 2025 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
He is so bad
I’ve pretty much given up on him ever being any good
by Yankees10 on Aug 30, 2025 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions
He is in the Carlos Pena/Jack Cust/ Russell Branyon mold to me
Of high K guy who just takes a lot of time to “get it”. I think he needs a change of scenery and an organization with patience. I’m not saying he’ll ever be an all-star, but I could see him being a high power guy down the line, still.
by Rossome on Aug 31, 2025 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions
As a Phillies fan...
I have to say Phillippe Aumont….ughh…
by Rduffiedc on Aug 30, 2025 2:16 PM EDT reply actions
How about anyone in the Lee trade?
Or just Amaro??
by Rossome on Aug 31, 2025 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions
James Darnell
I thought he would have a great year.
by passed ball on Aug 30, 2025 2:23 PM EDT reply actions
darnell
He’s looked much better at the plate as he’s moved away from his early season rash of injuries. Bigger problem for him is that the glove at 3B just isn’t there.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
JD
.333/.414/.545 in August. I saw him this spring in Arizona and I thought he looked like a big league hiter. I was really surprised to see him struggle but, injuries explain it. He’s a sleeper for next year but he needs to get it going soon if he wants a career - 24 is a little old to be at AA (He’lll be 24 in January).
Incidentally, his basic stats at 3b back up your visuals of his defense. He has posted low range numbers andf poor DP/ER rate at each stop.
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
-George Carlin
by casejud on Aug 30, 2025 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions
it's not too bad
I can’t see him not starting 2011 in AAA, and 24 is fine for that level. My biggest question about him at the plate is if he can put his raw power to use, as I think he’s still more of a line drive hitter than a true slugger. As you said, he does have excellent poise at the plate.
I don’t think I’ve seen Darnell play a single game this year where he didn’t butcher a play or fail to get a glove on a ball he should’ve had. I understand guys are in the minors to learn but I really can’t see him being a major league 3B. OF seems the most logical destination for him. Still a nice prospect.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
A few
I’m not going to say Kelly beacuse I still see him projecting good in the future.
Lars Anderson is always on this it seems.
um…. Kyle Wieland Ive always liked his stuff but he’s been eh this year.
Fife looked horrible when I saw him.
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by bestbostonsports on Aug 30, 2025 2:27 PM EDT reply actions
Top Prospects
Perez - Despite his age, still has to be considered disappointing coming into the season as one the top lefty in the minors. Hittable and giving up a lot of walks.
Ackley - Terrible start to the season, still showing no pop. As a Mariners fan I wanted him to disprove all the haters…but I can’t see him hitting more than 15 homers a year. Defense is shaky as well.
Hicks - Stop being mediocre.
Matzek - Numbers are ok, but scouts say velo’s dipped…and being billed as the top prep pitcher in the draft has not had a ton of hype this year.
Catchers: Norris/d’Arnaud/Flowers- Big disappointments.
by Paul5418 on Aug 30, 2025 2:50 PM EDT reply actions
really?
I don’t think any of these guys had horrific seasons. I mean, they weren’t world beaters, but they’ve each shown promise. Perez is still super young for his league, Ackley might be my #2 overall prospect behind Harper, Hicks has been pretty good as of late, Matzek hasn’t been great, but he’s still put up somewhat decent numbers, Norris has OPS’d .834 and holds a 82:85 K:BB rate, and while d’Arnaud and Flowers have put up disappointing numbers, they both still hold a lot of promise.
Adoptive parent of Kyle Nicholson
by gore51 on Aug 30, 2025 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Yea.
Perez is super young. Ok…doesn’t make his season less disappointing…only optimism for hope.
Ackley the #2 behind Harper? lol, Harper’s definitely not the number 1 prospect in the minors…Trout and Brown ahead of him. Trust me about Ackley, I’m a Mariners fan and have been following him pretty closely.
Hicks - Mediocre. Love the BB:K ratio, but also repeating the league = disappointing.
Matzek - didn’t you just repeat what I said?
by Paul5418 on Aug 30, 2025 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions
"Trust me about Ackley"
based on your ‘analysis’, I’m going to have a tough time doing that.
by PissedMick on Aug 30, 2025 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
RE: Trust me about Ackley, I’m a Mariners fan and have been following him pretty closely.
I’ll take that bet…
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Aug 30, 2025 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Norris was hurt
Norris did start the year on the DL and then got hit in the head with a fastball. I also feel his year is a disappointment I will hold judgement due to his injuries this year.
by natsminor on Aug 31, 2025 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Okay.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Aug 31, 2025 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Trust me about Ackley, I’m a Mariners fan and have been following him pretty closely.
Might be time to take a step back and not follow him so closely. I think you’ll find when you get a better look that he’s actually pretty excellent.
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by alskor on Aug 30, 2025 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I've seen Ackley a few times
and the guy can hit. However, will the power come? Is he Pedroia or Utley?
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Really? The downside is Pedroia and that's a big negative for you??
1) Pedroia has hit 8, 17, 15 and 12 HRs. He has 54 HRs in 2190 ABs - that’s pretty great from a 2B. His career SLG is .493.
2) Pedroia is one of the very best players in the game. Although the contract was a significant factor, Dave Cameron listed him as the 5th most valuable player in his Trade Value series. He’s a fantastic player.
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by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions
first of all
did i say that being Pedroia was negative? No, so just stop.
second of all, Pedroia is not “one of the very best players in the game”. He is one of the “very best players AT HIS POSITION”, but in the game? He’s not even top-20 right now.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 5:16 AM EDT up reply actions
a 5-6 win 2B is one of the best players in the GAME.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/2010-trade-value-5-1/
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=6&season=2009&month=0
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=6&season=2008&month=0
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by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Your question was, essentially:
Is he a superstar HOFer with great power? Or just a superstar likely HOFer with very good power…?
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by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Reading Comprehension
is your friend.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 5:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes, it is.
I should introduce you two sometime.
Bullpen Banter
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twitter: @alskor
by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
is Harper even IN the Minors yet?
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Perez has also battle minor injuries
all year.
by RangerMad on Aug 30, 2025 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions
For the last time
Matzek was asked to shelve one of his best pitches (curve) to work on one of his worst (changeup), so disappointment is relative. There’s no way a realistic list of this sort includes pro debuts. Disappointment should be based on at least a reasonable amount of minor league IPs/PAs and a track record that raised expectations. Matzek makes a lot more sense this time next year.
by blackoutyears on Aug 30, 2025 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Not a Rockies fan
so I don’t care. Still more excited about Miller than Matzek
by Paul5418 on Aug 30, 2025 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions
that's fair
That being said, I’m guessing he’s not throwing a whole lot of ball 4 changeups, if you get what I mean.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions
No,
but he’s also probably gotten into a lot more hitter’s counts due to not being able to throw his out pitch, eh? Point is, saying he’s a disappointment based on his walk rate in his first pro season is irrational. Development before results, guys…
by blackoutyears on Aug 30, 2025 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe
I think you overestimate how often a pitcher uses anything other than the fastball. Would he really be throwing his curveball to get himself into favorable counts . . .and then throwing it again to get outs? Not to mention that a curveball isn’t an easy pitch to throw for strikes either, and he doesn’t seem to really be throwing all many strikes with his other pitches anyways. How many pitches does this have a net negative outcome on per game for him? Maybe like 3 pitches? He hasn’t had a 56/81 BB/K over 81 innings because of a couple of bad pitches over what you might otherwise expect from him. The easiest explanation is that he’s gotten himself into bad counts because he’s not commanding his fastball (the pitch he throws most often) all that well.
Correct me if I’m wrong on my thinking here at any point.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
Given the fact that he’s must be working behind in the count so much, I actually think Matzek’s numbers have been fairly impressive except for the walks. Most pitchers wouldn’t be able to get away with sitting in hitters counts so much. However, those fastball counts would be a good time to work on that change up, so he’s got that going for him. But I look at that H/9 and K/9 and think it reflects on just how good Matzek’s fastball, reduced velocity or not, must be for hitters to square up. I would love to know someone who has seen him it is more a matter of movement or deception, since his velocity isn’t supposedly what it once was.
"We're gonna do this f*ucking thing over again cuz I just f*cked it up.....oh, we're live, I didn't know that" Bert Blyleven
by smoooooth on Aug 30, 2025 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you underestimate
how important his curve is to his getting ahead of hitters, much less getting them out. Based on reports and what I’ve seen myself, that would be like telling Yovanni Gallardo that he can’t throw his curve. And pitching is about comfort and rhythm to a great degree, and it’s safe to say that shelving your best pitch to work on your worst is a surefire way to induce discomfort.
Point is, the comments on walks are still emphasizing results over development. And it’s his first pro exposure. No one here is actually watching Matzek pitch, so the disappointment is meaningless. Disappointment in what? What statistical expectation is reasonable under these circumstances? In my experience you don’t get too high on initially good performances or too low over initially mixed or poor ones. Let these kids get some innings under their belt before throwing around terms liek disappointment. That reaction says more about the person applying the tag than it does the player.
by blackoutyears on Sep 1, 2025 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
How does that explain
Matzek’s velocity drop?
by thudean on Aug 31, 2025 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Kids going to pro ball are throwing more often, more pitches and longer seasons.
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by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Let's see
where his velo is in a year or two. With his stuff he can work at 91-93 and be dynamite, and honestly he’ll be far better in that range with command than he will be throwing five mph harder without it. People got so hung up on his hitting 97 at the end of the season that they’ve fixated on it. It’s not like he sat in the high-90s start after start. He was a top prospect because he showed solid command, sound mechanics, a plus breaking ball, athleticism and flashed a good change. He was rated on his entire package, not his FB velo.
by blackoutyears on Sep 1, 2025 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I have very little concern about his velocity. He will rank very high for me again.
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by alskor on Sep 1, 2025 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Carlos Gutierrez
is a big disapointment to me as well
I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!
Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 30, 2025 2:53 PM EDT reply actions
What's more disappointing
The top prospects having mediocre years…or middling prospects having terrible years.
by Paul5418 on Aug 30, 2025 2:54 PM EDT reply actions
To me it’s the latter. We place such huge expectations on prospects and the fact is, most don’t turn out. It’s more surprising to me when a player goes from “could be decent” to “beer league softball player.”
by Dorn on Aug 30, 2025 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
For me, I don’t care about 3/4 of the names being tossed around in this post? Alderson, Burgess, Gutierrez? If I’m not a fan of the Pirates, Nats or Twins those guys don’t excite me. Give me the top guys who I look to see what they did everyday and I care. And for those guys who are having just ok seasons are disappointing.
That said, it changes from year to year b/c Moustakas and Hosmer were disappointing in that sense last year.
by Paul5418 on Aug 30, 2025 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
please chill a bit
While you might not care, obviously others do, and posting repeatedly on threads just to let people know that you don’t care about the prospects that they’re talking about is getting VERY close to trolling.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
My thoughts exactly
and I might add that NO POST = Not caring. if you post about something, you cared enough to post about it.
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
-George Carlin
by casejud on Aug 30, 2025 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
Top prospects who have mediocre years at least have the talent/ability to bounce back. With guys in the B-/C+ range, they already have a number of questions about them going into the year for various reasons. When those guys compile their red flags by going and having a terrible year, it really hurts their chances. It’ll be much, much harder for them to bounce back because of those existing issues.
by Outshined_One on Aug 30, 2025 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
sometimes
Everybody has off years. I think that actually speaks to one of the major issues with the idea of grading prospects . . .major league front offices would never get anywhere if they used such an evaluation process. Teams that look at the big picture with prospects and understand that development is a marathon and not a sprint (Rays and Braves especially come to mind) tend to be the most consistently successful with what they get out of their prospects, both in terms of performance for the team itself and in trade returns. Teams that do the opposite tend to be the least successful in navigating the world of prospect development and management.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Right
You mean the minors actually DOES prepare these kids for the major leagues? ? ? I agree. Thats why I often scoff when I hear thatr such and such a player has “learned all he can learn” from a level. For instance, I believe Martin Perez could have gained something from pitching in A+ ball this year.
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
-George Carlin
by casejud on Aug 30, 2025 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions
perez
Perez has never actually pitched in A+ ball. Would he have benefited from it? Probably . . .he certainly would have pitched deeper into games there. And he probably would have had a very strong season statistically and thought better of for it than he currently is.
by mrkupe on Aug 30, 2025 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions
The Big Picture
As an Orioles fan, I’ve been incredibly disappointed with many of their prospects this year, but after reading John’s top 20 recaps and this thread, it seems like my feelings are shared by many other fans. It’s weird, but it just seems like the minor leagues as a whole have been somewhat disappointing this year. Obviously, there are plenty of success stories, but I can’t remember another year when so many top prospects failed to deliver.
Of course, I haven’t looked at the numbers in any systematic way, so maybe I’m just letting a few players cloud my perception.
by rp0806 on Aug 30, 2025 2:55 PM EDT reply actions
I think you are
Heyward wasn’t dissapointing - Strasburg certainly wasn’t, until he WAS
Mike Stanton certainly wasn’t. Starlin Castro wasn’t.
From an O’s perspective, I can see that. Matsz, Tillman, Arrieta haven’t been great. For perspective though, to me, they all have stayed healthy and remain good pitching prospects. It could be worse.
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
-George Carlin
by casejud on Aug 30, 2025 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Jordan Danks
Not a top guy, but thought he would have a good season and maybe open up some eyes.
by logstx on Aug 30, 2025 3:07 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah
He was a guy I was looking at
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by bestbostonsports on Aug 30, 2025 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Tim Melville
He has been healthy, whats his excuse?
by logstx on Aug 30, 2025 3:08 PM EDT reply actions
Sophmore slump?
He has been injured recently. His strikeouts are still pretty good, i think we should all give him at least one more year before we start to worry.
by vic1124 on Aug 30, 2025 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions
lack of secondary stuff
has stalled him a bit. still like him, but he has some learning to do.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Daryl Jones
never a standout prospect, but people had higher expectations for him than what hes been doing
PPPPPPUNTO 4 MVP 2010
by punto4mvp on Aug 30, 2025 3:20 PM EDT reply actions
Robert Stock another
I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!
Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 30, 2025 3:42 PM EDT reply actions
Hopefully St Louis puts him on the mound where he belongs
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by jar75 on Aug 30, 2025 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I still think he and his dad screwed himself
The whole decision to go to USC early when nobody could agree whether he had a real future behind the plate seemed dumb at the time and inexcusably stupid in retrospect.
by realitypolice on Aug 30, 2025 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Tim Wheeler
I know this was touched upon briefly, but a college kid, a first rounder hitting .241 in the CAL league is inexcusable, he has gotten WORSE as the season has progressed.
by Ralpho316 on Aug 30, 2025 3:54 PM EDT reply actions
brad holt
"The one thing you don't want to do is hit a home run. That's a rally-killer." -Jeff Francoeur
by RangersandMets on Aug 30, 2025 5:20 PM EDT reply actions
+1
He has been soo bad it is not even funny.
by Pelferized on Aug 30, 2025 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
This one is slightly amusing to me.
Tyson was heavily overrated by a lot of folks, and quite a few people here, based on last season. So is he really disappointing because he’s not playing within his abilities or is he really disappointing because of the severe overhype?
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Aug 30, 2025 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed that he was way overrated
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by jar75 on Aug 30, 2025 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions
I blame his on field problems on a nagging injury. It’s his off the field problems that makes him more disappointing to me.
by yosoysean on Aug 30, 2025 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Nagging injury or no, Tyson Gillies just isn't that good a prospect.
Interesting, perhaps, but certainly not worth the serious attention he got. As for his off the field issues, meh. These people are still human beings and some human beings do drugs. I don’t want to get too heavy into the socio-political consciousness here, but we don’t really know what his issue is with cocaine. Is he a hopeless blow addict like Josh Hamilton was or is he one of those guys who casually uses narcotics in the party life style type existence and can handle it? Not all drug users are abusers and not everybody is the same even if they are. Obviously the law comes into play here, but I wonder how much negativity this really deserves. Let’s also not forget that coaches rave about him. He’s got a great attitude and work ethic. None of that should be forgotten about because he put some processed powder up his schnoz.
Gillies was busted for cocaine possession On a scale of 1 to 10 in my personal terms of “disappointing social behavior” this is somewhere at a 2. Considering how silly the actual bust was, I find the whole thing more humorous than anything else. Let me know if he takes a machete to someone, though. That’ll bump him up a few points.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Aug 30, 2025 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I was never that high on him
/shows self out
http://www.theyankeeu.com
by lemonjello on Aug 30, 2025 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I generally agree
But since I have reservations about his talent it will be very easy for the Phillies to get rid of him if they are at all concerned about it. It’s not like he has anything approaching Hamilton’s talent.
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by jar75 on Aug 30, 2025 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Since its not 1983 I find a minor league prospect using coke as a recreational drug pretty disturbing.
Makes me question how committed the guy is to playing baseball.
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by alskor on Aug 30, 2025 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
did u guys know Tyson is legally deaf
I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!
Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?
by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Aug 31, 2025 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Yep. It's part of the testament to his work ethic. The guy has to try harder than regular folks.
Like I said, he’s not a complete social outcast to me just because he snorted cocaine. He’s still a good guy. Just a good guy who does things you don’t. Illegal things.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Sep 1, 2025 6:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Not a prospect anymore but
I certainly didn’t see this coming from Gordon Beckham.
"The A's have to be setting some record this year for simultaneously maximizing team quality and player anonymity. I guess that’s sort of their thing though." - Luke in MN
by hero66 on Aug 30, 2025 11:27 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Justin Smoak
Has not lived up to the hype at all.
From Top 10 prospect to Chris Davis wannabe.
by Z_is_for_Zobrist on Aug 30, 2025 11:53 PM EDT reply actions
ouch
R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
by doublestix on Aug 31, 2025 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, in fact, I think the Mariners said:
Send us either Smoak or Davis for Cliff Lee, we don’t care which.
Oh, no wait… I may have just completely made that up and Davis is actually a fringy player with a flawed skill set while Smoak is still a very promising young bat who was rushed to the majors, demonstrated some great skills & tools and was pretty unlucky resulting in poor looking surface numbers that fool the casual observer into thinking he was overrated to begin with.
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twitter: @alskor
by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You know what else is a good idea?
Judging a player on his first 300 ABs in the majors.
Yeah… we can close the book on Smoak.
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twitter: @alskor
by alskor on Aug 31, 2025 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Great skills and tools?
The BBs were good, but the K rate was pretty bad and the power was terrible. Sure, his BABIP makes things look worse than they probably were, but other than walks, there was nothing good about this season for Smoak.
by nixa37 on Aug 31, 2025 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Scouts still like him.
That should probably be enough for now. A single season is not the prospect. A single season’s results are not the prospect’s talent. Give it time.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Sep 1, 2025 6:03 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree he's still a very good prospect
I just don’t agree that he showed great skills in his MLB debut and that bad luck was the sole reason his numbers looked bad. Like I said, the K rate wasn’t good and the lack of power was pretty troubling. Its not a reason to write him off, but his MLB debut certainly didn’t make him look good even when you strip bad BABIP luck out of the equation.
by nixa37 on Sep 1, 2025 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup
He had an epic fail of a year. I mean even Chris Davis produced for that one time for 3/4 of a season. Smoak just got ran out of town.
by bezeerk on Aug 31, 2025 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions
ran out of town?
maybe not the best phrase to use when you are the centerpiece of a deal that brings back arguably the best pitcher in baseball
Adoptive parent of Kyle Nicholson
by gore51 on Aug 31, 2025 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions
this is funny
coming from a guy with Zobrist in his name.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Aug 31, 2025 5:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Andrew Lambo
isnt this like his 3rd or 4th year at Double-A?
by tenags on Aug 31, 2025 9:19 AM EDT reply actions
yeah its his third YEAR in AA
but he only played 8 games in ‘08, so we can’t count that. So really its 2 years
by tenags on Sep 1, 2025 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Bobby Borchering
a .267/.341/.415 line for a guy billed as the best high school hitter in the 2009 draft is pretty disappointing.
by richieabernathy on Aug 31, 2025 10:25 AM EDT reply actions
MOST disappointing over the last year (12 months)?
No contest at all: Angel Villalona. Horrible stats with a murder charge on top pretty much run away with that award.
A few other SF Giants prospects who immediately come to mind as disappointing:
- Roger Kieschnick
- Rafael Rodriguez
- Michael Main
- Connor Gilaspie
- Nick Noonan
- Clayton Tanner
- Darren Ford
Hector Sanchez: Underrated. Fighting body bias since the 2009 off season. I still love you, son, even if you're fat.
by tedfordfan on Aug 31, 2025 12:22 PM EDT reply actions
Daniel Moskos
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene and Jerry Kramer
"Don't wory, I'm an untrained professional" WVPF
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
by WVPiratesfan on Aug 31, 2025 1:52 PM EDT reply actions
He's met my expectations
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by jar75 on Aug 31, 2025 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions
he is a former first round pick and has yet to make it out of AA
unless you have no expectations he hasn’t mat any expectations
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene and Jerry Kramer
"Don't wory, I'm an untrained professional" WVPF
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
by WVPiratesfan on Aug 31, 2025 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I expect him to be a solid left handed reliever
He’s on that path. He’s been delayed because of the idiotic idea that he may be able to start.
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by jar75 on Aug 31, 2025 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Billy Rowell
Always Billy Rowell.
THIRD year in A+ ball, finally got his AVG up to .276. His OPS is still under .770. Enjoy that career record for most games played by a Frederick Key, Billy. Because you’re never gonna see a single AB in Baltimore.
"I got a good Christian raising and a 8th grade education / Ain't no need in y'all in treating me this way." - Billy Joe Shaver
by duck on Aug 31, 2025 8:43 PM EDT reply actions
Saw Todd Frazier mentioned in a reply above
That’s a good one.
by OremLK on Sep 1, 2025 10:13 AM EDT reply actions
Is he though?
He struggled to start the year but has hit .288/.350/.477 since the start of June with 25 doubles and 10 HR. The K rate has spiked a bit but he’s holding his BB rate and ISO fairly steady. It’s maybe not what was expected but I wouldn’t call it a big disappointment.
http://bullpenbanter.com
by gatling on Sep 1, 2025 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Depends
On how much weight you give to in-season trends, I guess. For a 24-year old in AAA his overall line is depressing.
by OremLK on Sep 2, 2025 8:40 AM EDT up reply actions
I guess
Hitting .197/.259/.369 for the first two months is going to drag your numbers. He was still a bit above average with the bat and Total Zone loved him wherever he played defensively. Once his BABIP got above .219 he hit pretty much the same as last year in AA. Seems like more of a minor disappointment than “biggest” to me. No biggie either way though.
http://bullpenbanter.com
by gatling on Sep 2, 2025 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
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