Minor League Prospect Notes, June 26, 2012
**Los Angeles Angels infield prospect Jean Segura went 2-for-4 with a home run yesterday for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers in the Texas League, giving him a season line of .287/.330/.413 with seven homers, 15 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 300 at-bats. He's stolen 27 bases, but also been caught 10 times. He had a somewhat slow start to the season, but has been hot the last three weeks and is hitting .305/.340/.495 in June. Segura has been playing shortstop all season, but has made 17 errors and Texas League sources see him as a second baseman long-term. His arm is good enough for third base, but it seems doubtful that he'll have the home run power normally considered necessary for the position. The Angels are locked in with Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar up the middle for the next four years, so it remains to be seen what happens with Segura. He may end up as trade bait or on the bench.
**New York Mets second base prospect Reese Havens went 2-for-5 with a homer yesterday for Double-A Binghamton. His overall season line of .204/.337/.340 is disappointing, although he's shown signs of life lately and is hitting .314/.455/.514 in his last 10 games, with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Havens continues to show good plate discipline and more power than most middle infielders, but constant injuries have dimmed his star and he's now 25 years old. That said, the skills that made him a first round pick are still there despite his health issues, and if you are looking for a guy who could have a "come out of nowhere, hey we forgot about this guy but he's still good" surprise season in the next year or two, Havens is a good candidate.
**Houston Astros prospect Delino DeShields went 3-for-5 with a home run, two walks, and two steals for Low-A Lexington yesterday, giving him a season line of .274/.380/.391 with 51 steals in 58 attempts, including a .325/.426/.525 mark in his last 10 contests. DeShields has a 45/66 BB/K ratio in 281 at-bats. Although he is repeating the South Atlantic League, scouting reports indicate that he has made very legitimate progress after hitting just .220/.305/.322 at the same level last season. He's greatly improved his plate discipline and has been a much more efficient basestealer, getting better jumps and using his 70-80 speed more effectively. His defense at second base needs more work, but overall this has been a successful campaign for the 2010 first round pick.
**Keep an eye on Chicago White Sox prospect Carlos Sanchez. A switch-hitter from Venezuela, Sanchez doesn't turn 20 until this weekend but is having a fine season in High-A, hitting .324/.380/.402 for Winston-Salem in the Carolina League. He's not a power hitter, but he makes contact and has improved his plate discipline, and is quite young for the level. He is an excellent defender at second base and not bad at shortstop. Sanchez is under the radar but that won't be true for much longer if he continues to make progress.
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