What I’ve heard is that he’s a skilled contact hitter with more athletiicsm than usual for a 1B/C type. Home run power is not developed right now but may come in time. If he’s more of a catcher than a 1B he could be a very nice prospect indeed; he has more time at 1B this year but his catching stats aren’t bad. Waiting on scouting reports.

He’s got contact/plate discipline issues, and this defense at third base is pretty dreadful. But overall, considering how young he is, he did quite well this year. He has some things to iron out but I still think he can be a Miguel Cabrera type hitter.

That’s a very good question, a bit difficult to flesh out in this format, but it is worthy of discussion.

I do look at body type and overall athleticism a lot, for both pitchers and hitters, although I also keep in close mind that just because a guy has a bad body doesn’t mean he isn’t a good player, and just because he has a good body doesn’t mean he’s a good player. And yes, I look at it by position. I don’t really have a hard-fast rule on this; I try to take it on a case by case basis, both stats and scouting reports and visual observations when possible. It is probably more important for some positions than others.

So, I suppose the answer is, yes I look at it, yes it can be an important factor, but it is one thing among many.

I like the bat, very intriguing. Defense, he has some work to do…he’ s not bad at getting runners, but he coughs up quite a few passed balls. Perhaps that will improve in time, but if his reliability doesn’t improve he may face a position switch, lowering his value.

I haven’t heard anything for a couple of months. What I heard earlier in the year was that he’d come a long way with his fastball this year, both his command and improved consisntency with the velocity. Breaking ball and changeup were both showing improvement early. I will have to tap sources to find out what was going on after he moved up to Double-A. Numbers wise his control took a hit, but he remained effective, and overall his stock is higher than it was a year ago at this time

No idea. Predicting that the Mets will do with their major league roster is a fool’s errand this far out. Would anyone have thought they would open 2010 with Mejia in middle relief, for example?

his fastball is pretty average from what i’ve heard, but the breaking ball and changeup are effective, he throws strikes, and he picks up grounders. His K/IP declined in Triple-A but he otherwise did well. I’d say fourth starter.

really too big of a question for this format. Would be good for a longer post.

He was on my pre-season sleeper list.

I like the grounders, although his other ratios deteriorated this year in Double-A/Triple-A. Good breaking ball by report, changeup still work in progress, command sometimes sharp sometimes not. I’d rate him a possible back-end starter but more probably a future reliever.

Very good curveball and changeup, fastball at 92-93 on his best days but usually more 87-89. if he can improve his command, he’s got enough to get by in the majors. But he’s got to get the walks down. Ceiling, fourth starter, maybe a third if the velocity peaks more often.

Very good curveball and changeup, fastball at 92-93 on his best days but usually more 87-89. if he can improve his command, he’s got enough to get by in the majors. But he’s got to get the walks down. Ceiling, fourth starter, maybe a third if the velocity peaks more often.

Very good curveball and changeup, fastball at 92-93 on his best days but usually more 87-89. if he can improve his command, he’s got enough to get by in the majors. But he’s got to get the walks down. Ceiling, fourth starter, maybe a third if the velocity peaks more often.

No clue. Cubs unpredictable. See Mets.

I think he’s more of a long/middle reliever, albeit a good one. He could be a fourth or fifth starter for some teams, but my guess is that he spends most of his career in the pen.

No idea. My guess is that he begins the year in the minors, but that is just a guess.

Prospect, yes. Super prospect, no.

Stanton.

Eh….I dunno. There are so many possible factors that go into it. It could be one element, but I don’t think it is something that can be proved empirically.

We should know when we see what they do with him next year. I could see it either way. Sorry I can’t be more specific.

FIRST to contribute? Not necessarily best, but FIRST?

Archer, Carpenter, or Jay Jackson.

Well let’s see….92-93, good secondary pitches for his age, more velocity possible as he matures, best Mexican pitcher to come around in at least a decade, and 16 years old.

What should you expect? I have no idea. He’s 16, and if the Michael Ynoa situation teaches anything, is that ANYTHING can happen with a guy like this. He could turn into a number one starter. He could turn into a number five or a reliever. There’s a significant chance he’ll get hurt and turn into nothing at all.

Even in a best case I wouldn’t expect him in the majors for 3-4 years.

I don’t think he tops out at 94 very frequently. From what I’ve heard, he is consistently 90-92, which is still decent, and he has terrific command. Also, it’s gonna be hard to analyze his velo because Altoona’s radar gun is said to be a couple of mph fast. It’s hard to know which scouting reports account for that alleged difference and which ones don’t.

In any event, his #s these last two years have me convinced that he’s gonna be a solid starter in the majors and by solid, I mean FIP under 4.

I have an average stuff report from last year, but that’s old data. I don’t have anything current but given his performance I will find out.

We’ll he’s proven he can pitch well in the majors, and yes I think he can stick. I’d give him a Grade B, a guy who is a solid major league player.

The combination of the power outburst with the very low strikeout rate is a huge positive. I’m not worried about walks for him right now.

….and what about Clint Robinson? Ever have a chance? (I missed your deadline so I’m piggybacking and “cheating”)

I think he’s mentally dragged down in KC now. He desperately needs a change of scenery, and I doubt he’ll ever thrive in KC.

With a new team and a fresh start he can still be a good player.

That’s tough. I believe Belt is legit, but I also like Wheeler a lot. I’ll have to figure that out when I do the Giants list. Right now I’ll punt on that one.

I’d probably take Franklin at this point. They both have some warts on their approach, but Franklin is younger.

Yes legitimate. Grade, at least a B, higher possible once I get to grading.

I like him. I don’t like his injuries.

If he can stay healthy he can be a very good player ,middle infielder with pop, good OBP, etc.

Looks good so far, but college guys are expected to do well in the NY-P League. We need to see him at higher levels, but he looks like a C+ prospect currently.

To be honest, I have serious doubts about both of them as hitters and I don’t particularly like either one of them as offensive players right now. I suspect Iglesias may be a better hitter in the long run but I can’t prove it.

He has very little defensive value. Hard to see how he fits into the lineup long term for the Angels.

I do see him as a guy who could have a really nice year at age 27 or 28, but he’ll need a confluence of luck and performance to get a job.

Scouting reports on his stuff are very positive. Ratios slipped after he moved up to Double-A, but that is to be expected given that he skipped high-A, and he’s still getting tons of grounders and few hits. If it was me, I’d return him to Double-A to begin 2011, then if he pitches well move him up to Triple-A at mid-season.

I like what he’s done this year and always like it when guys like this come out of nowhere.

It is too early to tell for sure what kind of player Ackley will develop into, but I’m quite confident he’ll be better than Brent Gates. He’s a much better athlete for one thing than Gates was.

They are killing us here in SW MO.

I’m a bit better today, but still feel kind of weird all over. Muscle aches, etc.

I’m not too vulnerable to allergies. I don’t know what this is.

I think you’re talking about makeup.

Who has the best makeup in the minors? Probably someone who we’ve never heard of, some mediocre A-ball player who will end up as a coach and manager eventually.

Of the ones we HAVE heard of, I really don’t know. Most guys near the tops of the prospect lists have good makeup these days.

Jason Heyward has exceptional makeup by all accounts.

I assume you mean who comes out of nowhere. Sands seems like a good candidate to me.

I don’t think this is far off. I think we will see perhaps a somewhat lower batting average but more homers and power in the long run.

Would probably be a better idea for a larger post, but I’d love to see it as well.

good choice for a longer piece. remind me to do this if I forget.

Manny maybe. I’ll be honest here, once guys get to the majors and get established I kind of stop paying attention to things like salaries and stuf.f.

Well his numbers are pretty ugly this year, but it was lancaster and the cal league. He can hit the low 90s and has a decent curve, and yeah, there is some sleeper potential here. He could do better next year at Corpus Christi.

I’m ok with it at this point in the season.

Interview on the radio when he was pitching in Fullerton. He said his velo was kind of erratic, 89-93. He said he was just looking for consistancy in velo and his stuff. He was just staring to go multiple innings/back to back days, and stuff wasn’t consistant from outing to outing.

i hadn’t been paying attention, but SoCalSoxFan seems to have the data there for you.

I like JJ Hoover alot, and have since he was in junior college….i shadow-drafted him back in ‘08. I think he’s a very underrated prospect, and if he was in another system other than the Braves he’d get a lot more attention. ETA 2011 sometime.

I think the very high strikeout rate had something to do with it. He’ll get his shot next year.

I really like the command he has shown this year, and I’m not worried about the 5.00+ ERA in the Cal League. He still needs to mature physically and get the fastball velocity consitently stronger, but he’s coming along and I think he’s a breakthrough candidate for 2011. He could be a number three guy I think.

mmmm……how about a firm maybe?

He looked good the two times I saw him this year. There’s some risk he may get Quadruple-A’d, and he’s not going to be a great batting average guy, but the walks and power should prove useful to someone eventually. Will that be AZ in 2011? Maybe…the chance increases if he’s hot in september.

Good topic for a larger piece.

Well if he develops properly, he can be a .300 hitter with 15-20 homers per season and a strong OBP in my view. I don’t see him developing gigantic homer power, but he should at least hit double digits I think.

In terms of just power, they are very very close…although Carter might have just a hair more. I think his bat is a bit faster and, although he didn’t do it this year, I think he has a chance to hit for a higher average in the long run. I like Carter a bit more.

If you are talking fantasy, I think Minor since his team is better. If you are talkign real life, I think I’d go with Zimm.

I like him. Interesting usage pattern this year, 21 starts but just 76 innings, but understandable given injury recovery. We need to see at higher levels but he is on my radar as a Grade C+ type with higher potential.

I LOVE Robbie Erlin. I think he deserves far more attention than he’s received on a national basis.

Man, walker has been great this year. I had given up hope for him, and even now his BB/K is still pretty weak, but the hot streak is now over 300 at-bats and the longer it goes, the more likely it is that he’s for real. He’ still just 24 (25 later this month) and sometimes it just takes a little longer for some people.

I suspect they will each move up one level. both have strong gloves, neither is much of a hitter right now, although I think in the long run Adrianza is more likely to contribute with the stick than Crawford.

I don’t see much not to like about Delgado. Ceiling if he reaches it would be perhaps a number two starter. He’ll probably need another year before being pushed into major league action.

Earlier this year I would have said Montgomery, but they all seem on a similar development track right now. If I had to bet $10 I think I’d still go with Montgomery.

He’s been out with a foot injury.

He’s young and has a good glove, but he’s got serious issues with the strike zone, or at least he did earlier this year before he got hurt. He did improve his shortstop defense this year. He’s very young, just turned 19 last month, but the bat has some doubts about it right now.

What is with him? Hold on to him or drop him, that’s the question.

I already dropped him. Naturally it depends upon who is available in your pool, but if their is a guy worth grabbing, don’t hesitate too much.

I think Chapman is more likely to end up as a starter. I haven’t checked Rangers buzz lately so I’m not sure what they are planning for next year with Neftali.

Who would be more effective? Well….Feliz has awesome stuff, but Chapman’s is even better. If he can harness it, he will be…a Cuban Randy Johnson?

No way he’s in the top 50, not at age 28.

He’s interesting and could be/should be a productive hitter, but I see him as more of a complementary player than a star.

Tough…I think Salcedo has better projection long-term so I’d probably go with him. But Hendriks, as you mentioned, has been excellent this year…sort of a win/win question here.

I can answer this better after I write the book. Dee Gordon, Grant Green, and Nick Franklin would be candidate.

Is that a great name for a pitcher or what?

he’s 17 and he throws very hard; I don’t know anything else about him off the top of my head, other than the numbers, which are very good except for some spotty control, normal for his age.

He’s been pretty awful at third base. i have no idea if he’d be a viable CF or not. LF or RF, sure. CF, I don’t know.

He looks like a future backup to me. I don’t think he’ll hit enough to get beyond that.

Apples/oranges with a pitcher vs. a hitter, but I’ll go with simpson

He’s been pretty bad since reaching Triple-A, although it was just three weeks of games. I suspect about 60% of this is real progress and about 40% better luck.

Gast, Thomson, Spence, Cash

Arabic

Yeah things are fairly thin at shortstop right now. These things are cyclical; it will turn around eventually.

Statwise it is unwise to judge on 23 games split between four levels, but at least those 23 games have been good, .286/.402/.452. Scouting wise I have not heard anything specific, none of my normal sources have seen him given the roster jumping he’s done. So basically it comes down to “we need to see him play more.” The tools are certainly here.

A big guy with a great arm who pitches brilliantly when on but whose arm may be hanging by a thread and will eventually fall off. Until we get some pro data I won’t go beyond that.

Well I had him as a pre-season breakout guy so I’m glad to see it happen. Top 100 most likely in the bottom half.

Yeah, franklin is a bad example of what you are talking about. His walk rate isnt’ terrible.

Extenuating circumstances of the high-strikeout/low-walk player? Few guys with that profile become consistently successful. The ones who do tend to be toolsy, but even in that class the failure rate is high if the BB/K doesn’t improve. If the player in question is very young for his level, that helps some.

Not really. Those are the main ones.

Shame.

I thought the MRI was negative and they shut him down as a precaution.

Wise, and if he stays healthy I like him a lot.

Great command, lots of grounders, stuff likely better than advertised. Future…grounder-grabbng inning-eating fourth starter if he stays in New York

What I heard is that he’s average/passable at a corner but nothing special, which sounds kind of in the middle of the Dodgers optimism and your other source pessimism.

Campos named Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year.

If you have seen him multiple times, then you know more about him than I do. What did you see?

Just looking at the numbers, I’m not enamored of his low strikeout rate.

Dominican Summer League statistics are not very predictive. Scouting reports point to good tools esp. speed, but he’s got some swing issues. He’s very young. I don’t know where I’d rank him in the Dbacks system until I start working on the book, but just right now he doesn’t strike me as a top 10 guy

I hate clubhouse politics. That is my only comment on that. The egos of managers are exceeded in size only by the egos of baseball players.

However, it goes to show how far up Tabata has moved up on everyone’s list with so little fanfare.

Love them both. I’d take McCutchen.

He hangs around the majors for 12 years, used as a starting infielder in four of those seasons and as a part-timer in the rest. His end-of-career stats come out almost exaclty at the aggregate league average for his career.

Chapman but it is close. Like 51/49 close.

He’ll figure it out. Don’t expect batting titles and most years he’ll hit in the .260s but more power and walks will come and the strikeout rate will get better.

Yes, I do use it as a resource. I would be stupid not to.

My ability to travel has been constrained by personal and family reasons the last couple of years, and there are many leagues and players I don’t get the opportunity to see very often nowadays. My family always comes first and it always will.

In the age of video and internet, I’m able to compensate to a great extent for the travel limits, and I have plenty of other sources I consult when needed.

But we have the best community of baseball observers on the entire internet right here, and it would be stupid of me not to tap you guys when I need to.

Kipnis…..270-.290 htter, 10-15 homers per season, good solid OBP. ETA late 2011 seems fair.

nobody pops to mind immediately but I am still feeling sick today and not fully operational. Thats’ another thing that has changed the last couple of years…instant recall of prospects off the top of my head is a fading skill. I’m told this happens when you get past 40 and it sure has.

Yeah, he’s definitely got ace potential if he can dial down the walks a bit and stays healthy.
His injury is a sore shoulder. If he doesnt’ blow the arm out, I am optimistic about his chances to adjust.

He turned 22 in early July, which is not young for the Sally League, but not horrifically old either. I am worried about his command issue hurting him at higher levels, but the K/IP ratio remains excellent. It is not unexpected for a guy with good stuff but spotty control to still dominate at the lower levels in this way. It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Rangers are with him next year.