I plan to make this a new series, in which I break down how each player on a given team was acquired. We'll start with last year's Gleeman World Champs, the New York Metropolitans:
(Age, position in parentheses next to name)
Starting Rotation:
Red Wainhouse (35, SP): Signed as a free agent (Season 3) for 5 years at a whopping $73 million. Converted from reliever to starter, with fantastic results, winning 3 Cy Youngs in the next 4 seasons.
Gerald Tomlinson (25, SP): Original Met, started his career in AA before sticking with the ML team for good in the middle of Season 3.
Gary Long (29, SP): Original Met, played every year with the ML club, winning ROY in Season 1.
Zeus Valentine (28, SP): Acquired in trade (Season 1), along with two minor league scrubs (since retired) from the San Antonio Sting for Keith Allen. Allen played 4 more seasons, with modest success, before retiring.
Gary Wood (33, SP): Claimed off of waivers in Season 1 (released by St. Louis).
Relievers:
J.D. Jackson (33, SuA): Acquired in trade (Season 1), along with Quad-A player (since retired) Donald Lee from the defunct Seattle Bigfeet (now the Cheyenne Tackleberries) for AAA 1B/DH Charlie Speaker, now-retired LF Don Martin, and a minor league scrub, since retired. Jackson has won 2 Fireman of the Year awards with the Mets.
Sherm Washington (33, SuA): Acquired via trade (Season 7) from the Pittsburgh Pug Dogs (along with $5 million) for prospects Von Thomson, Steven Buhner, and Donnie Mottola.
Stretch Creek (33, SuB): Signed as a free agent (Season 2) to a 5 year, $26.4 million deal. Recently given a 2 year extension worth $10 million.
Marshall Wathan (29, ClA): Acquired by trade (Season 3) from the Philadelphia Phenomenauts for 2B/LF Carl Barnes and reliever Dan Stechschulte.
Del Servet (29, (SuB)): Acquired via trade (Season 3) from the San Francisco Seals (now the Las Vegas Armijos) for relievers Clark Murphy and John Higginson, along with 2B Richie Fielder.
Preston Stinnett (39, SuB): Signed as a free agent (Season 4) for 2 years and $7 million.
Hamlet Helling (39, LHS): An original Met, but claimed by the Jayhawks off of waivers during Season 1. Came back via free agency, signing a 2 year deal worth $4.5 million.
Catchers/DH's:
Stan Lennon (34, C): Signed as a free agent (Season 3) for 2 years and $5.8 million. Given a 1 year extension each season since.
Andres Uribe (26, C): Acquired via trade (Season 1) from the Oklahoma City Twins for C A.J. Cora and a minor league scrub (since retired).
Ralph Jackson (28, DH): Original Met.
Infielders:
Richard Stocker (26, 1B): Drafted, 1st round (24th overall) during Season 2.
Trent Gordon (30, 2B/LF): Acquired in trade (Season 6) along with prospect Bip Reagan for starting pitcher Kelvin Sullivan.
Vance Phillips (33, 3B/LF): Signed as a free agent (Season 7) for 2 years and $9.5 million.
Toby Pulsipher (35, 3B/2B): Signed as a free agent (Season 6) for a one year, $3.4 million deal. Re-signed this season for $5.2 million.
Benito Ramirez (31, SS): Acquired in trade (Season 3) from Monterrey for CF Mendy Gonzales, closer Lance Acosta, and SS Russ Lawson.
Alfredo Mercedes (27, SS): Original Met. Spent 6 seasons with the AAA club, then called up in Season 7 to be the club's backup SS.
Outfielders:
Ramon Martin (28, LF): Acquired in trade (Season 2) from Albuquerque for ace Billy Ray Prince, reliever Esteban Castillo, and minor leaguer James Terrell.
Taylor Smith (30, CF): Acquired in trade (Season 1) from Iowa City for pitcher Willie Valentine.
Geoffery Bates (31, RF): Acquired in trade (Season 5) from Los Angeles for 2B Christopher Roth, RF Carlos Ortiz, and 3B Raul Rivera.
Mark McEnroe (28, LF): Acquired via trade (Season 1) from the Twins along with minor league C Karim Nunez for relievers Dustin Harvey and Andre Karros (since retired), along with a minor league scrub.
Acquisition Breakdown:
FA's: 7 (Wainhouse, Creek, Stinnett, Lennon, Phillips, Pulsipher, Helling (sort of))
Acquired via trade: 12 (Valentine, Jackson, Washington, Wathan, Servet, Uribe, Gordon, Ramirez, Martin, Smith, Bates, McEnroe)
Claimed off waivers: 1 (Wood)
Drafted: 1 (Stocker)
Originals: 4 (Tomlinson, Long, Jackson, Mercedes)
Age Breakdown:
> 27 years old: 3 (Tomlinson, Uribe, Stocker)
27-30 years old: 10 (Long, Valentine, Wathan, Servet, Jackson, Gordon, Mercedes, Martin, Smith, McEnroe)
31-34 years old: 8 (Wood, Jackson, Washington, Creek, Lennon, Phillips, Ramirez, Bates)
<35 years old: 4 (Wainhouse, Stinnett, Helling, Pulsipher)
Summary:
As you can see, the vast majority of the talent here came via trades or free agency. Two of the "Big Three" pitchers in the rotation were inherited by current management, as well as young DH Ralph Jackson. Star 1B Stocker was an outstanding pick in Season 2's amateur draft, and Wood turned out to be a dependable, if not spectacular, 5th starter. However, most of GM sickchangeup's success came from his shrewd trading; his acquisitions include his entire outfield,his double-play combo, his backup catcher, his closer, both of his primary setup men, and his 4th starter. He's also done a great job finding players in trade who were at or near their primes; the four players on the roster who are over the age of 35 are all free agent signings. Wainhouse's signing during the beginning of Season 3 turned out to be one of the best moves in Gleeman World history; Wainhouse has proven himself to be arguably the best pitcher in either league, winning 3 Cy Youngs and leading his team to two WS titles. The scary thing is that the team isn't really that old; Wainhouse is 35, but draws praise from the coaching staff for his work ethic, and should excel for at least a few more seasons. Meanwhile, Tomlinson, Long, and Valentine are all under 30, and 34 year old Stan Lennon is the oldest starting position player. In fact, the oldest guys on the team other than Wainhouse consist of a backup 3B, a SuB, and a lefty specialist. Unfortunately for the rest of the AL East, the Mets don't look like they're ready to relinquish their post as the top team in the division anytime soon.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Top 40 NL Hitting Prospects-Season 7
Season 7 NL Hitting Prospects.
For the hitting prospects, their value was determined by projected hitting numbers compared to existing hitting standards by position in Gleeman world. Additionally, their durability and health ratings were factored in. Defense at up-the-middle positions was also considered highly important. Team by team breakdowns are below. All comments are welcome.
40. George Green (1B-S8-NYY)- Of the large numbers of 50/90/50/50/90 1B with slightly below average defensive ratings, Green is the best. Under no circumstances can he be expected to do anything other than above average which is still very valuable. He'll be good, but Green's skill set is widely available from the 5th round on of almost every draft.
39. Diego Posada (2B-S8-BOI) -Diego will need to get on base at a well above .360 clip to maintain his value as he has absolutely no power potential. That said, he possesses very good contact and eye ratings and fantastic range for a 2B. His glove rating will have to improve for him to be above average at the position which is a little uncertain at this stage of development.
38. Hub Berry- (CF-21-CHI)-Borderline CF that will need to max out all of his defensive ratings to maintain viability at the position. If he can play CF, his strong batting eye and ability against RHP allows him to be an above average performer at the position.
37.Solly Alexander (2B-S8-SXF)- One of the few players in the NL that can conceivably handle 2B while also providing better than average defense. He has very good ratings every other than power so a lot of his value from year to year will depend on on how high he can keep his OBP.
36. Otto Harbinger (C-S11-OKC)-Otto's main value lies in his above average defense and his ability to get on base at a decent rate as a catcher. He will never be a power threat but he has good contact and decent splits and batting eye which does have value at a premium defensive position.
35. Brian Murphy (C-S8-STL)- Another player whose value resides in his ability to be competent offensively,though not average, while being stellar defensively. Other than a low rating against LH, Murphy is solid across the board offensively. His real value lies in his fantastic defense with PC and AA ratings that are among the elite in the minors
34. Bill Hamelin (3B-S8-STL)-An all or nothing slugger, Hamelin posseses the ability to put up a .900 OPS regularly against RHP of which slugging will represent about two thirds of that number. His below average defense means he will also be a liability. If the right LH platoon partner can be found, Hamelin maintains a lot of value.
33. Harry Guzman (LF-S10-CHI)- A slightly worse version of Luis Estrada (See below), Guzman is a more prototypical LF with very good power but worse ratings everywhere else compared to Estrada. His defense will be plus in LF though as well and he can play everyday.
32. Luis Estrada (LF-S9-CHI)- Another LF without ideal power, Luis will hit a lot of doubles due to his strong ratings everywhere else and elite ability against LHP. His defense will also be very good for LF for what that's worth.
31. William Stevenson (LF-S9-NYY)- Stevenson possesses awe inspiring power at LF and has plus ratings in every other category except contact in which he is very poor. He will depend on having a slugging % above 500 yearly to maintain his value as he will be lucky to crack an OBP of .350 in any given year. Also a plus defender.
30. Albie Calles (RF-S8-VAN)- A very similar player to the aforementioned Hamelin, Calles will be a HR producing machine against RHP but will probably never see his OBP be above .350 due to his low contact and eye rating. He will also likely max out below average at RF.
29. Virgil Santos (SS-S10-BOI)- Virgil will strive to be competent at SS with decent ratings at power and contact, slightly below average ratings at vsRHP and batting eye and a good rating against LHP but he will be a master of the glove at the most demanding position which does give him a good amount of future value.
28. Kurt Anderson (RF-S9-MAD) A very strong slugging RF, Anderson possesses very good power potential and above average ratings in every hitting category. He also has an absolute cannon for an arm.
27. Shawn Robinson (2B/CF-S10-CHI)- Another 2B or CF prospect but the only one in the national league minors that projects to be above average both offensively and defensively at 2B and one of two at CF. Most of his value resides in his ability to handle right handers and get on base as he has a very low power potential. He also possesses gold glove caliber defense at either premium defensive position
26. Bob Crawford (1B/DH-23-TAM)-A slightly less valuable version of Quinton Snyder. He is a natural DH but until the developers change the algorithm and truly punish 1B with horrible range, Crawford and his ilk have value. Crawford has 80+ ratings in every category except for vsRHP which unfotunately does limit his offensive potential to below the "elite" tier of hitters. Needless to say, he is a defensive liability.
25. Miguel Bennett (CF-S8-VAN)-Should annually produce above average offense for his position while due to his great batting eye and versus right ratings along with gold glove caliber defense at his position if he achieves his potential defensive ratings. Most CFs in Gleeman world are either all defense no bat or vice versa. Bennett provides a unique skill set to be certain.
24. Benito Belliard (LF-S8-WAS)-Pure slugging LF with plus ratings across the board, and very good power, that has no definitive liabilities in his defensive ratings.
23. Jim Kirk (2B-S8-BOI)-Definitely not a SS but he provides a ton of value as a plus defender at 2B along with a solid, if unspectacular, offensive repertoire that contains no weaknesses.
22. Pedro Rijo (C-S8-TAM)-He will play more frequently than the aforementioned Keith Green but he is a decidedly inferior offensive player and possesses a worse arm and only marginally better PC rating. Again, however, for an up the middle position, this represents a lot of value
21. Keith Green (C-S10-VAN)-Yes, his durability sucks and yes, his PC is only average. That said he is an absolute stud hitter, especially as a platoon option against LHP and in the playoffs and he has a rocket for an arm as a catcher. There is a tremendous value in Green even if the source of the value is unconventional.
20.Charles Shiabata (1B-S10-CHI)-A very solid all around 1B prospect with plus ratings across the board. His main drawback is a relatively low durability rating which could hinder his development but he is a very fine prospect.
19. Louis Anderson (LF-S9-STL)- A relatively unassuming prospect upon first glance, Anderson is one of the best LF prospects in the NL due to his solid ratings across the board, especially against LHP, power and eye, and very good defense for the position.
18. Quinton Snyder (1B/DH-S12-ANA)-An uber talented hitter that really is more DH than 1B. Especially with ratings in the 80's for splits and eyes and 90's for power. That said, he maxes out around 100 games a year which further lowers his value.
17. Hector Bell (RF-19-SXF)- A ridiculously durable slugger, Bell will never win a silver slugger award but he should be an above average offensive performer due to his top notch power and very good ability against righties. He'll always have a relatively low OBP which limits his future upside. There is a lot of value in the fact that he can basically play everyday and should remain very healthy.
16. Victor Thomas-(3B-S8-TAC)-Should produce better offensive numbers and theoretically has a higher peak than Osborne and Diaz but the curse of Telemaco will probably make him a serious defensive liability at third for the rest of his career. Truly awesome power and ability against lefties with solid ratings everywhere else across the board.
15. Clayton Osborne (3B-S9-CHI)- Another player who lacks standout strengths, and weaknesses, Osborne promises to produce offense at about 10% above the positional average along with providing very good defense. He will dominate Right handed pitching and have a great OBP due to a very high eye rating
14. Enrique Melendez (LF-19-MAD)-A pure slugger through and through, he is a slightly worse version of Stuart Stahl of the Anteaters in terms of offensive profile. That said, he is a better defender than Stahl which has value. That said, defense at LF is almost worthless. That is all
13. Hector Diaz (3B-S10-CSP)-A potential gold glove 3B with an awesome arm, he will also produce above average offensive numbers at the position. 70 ratings in Eye, vs RHP, and Power are the source of his above average abilities. He also possesses solid, if unspectacular ratings against LHP and contact.
12. Erubiel Benitez (SS-S10-MNT)-Erubiel Benitez is a decidedly more talented offensive player than Webb with an extremely balanced all around hitting game that will see his OPS well above .800 at his peak. However, his defense, while still above average, will be well below Webb's at his peak and his durability is decidedly lower than Webb's as well which makes him slightly less valuable as a prospect
11. Pascual Castro(3B-S7-NYY)-Though this author sincerely doubts Castro's ability to man 2B as a major leaguer, Castro will be an asset at either 2B or on the hot corner. He was the best value of the draft from season 4 and has been aggressively promoted since then. Castro does not care much for contact but he has very good ratings at every other offensive category and should regularly produce 40 plus home runs a year.
10. Nicholas Helms (CF-S11-IA)-If not for Jimmy Estrella, Helms' selection would be viewed as the unequivocal steal of last years draft. Helm's can play both CF and 2B at a gold glove caliber. In addition to his defense, Helms possesses above average offensive potential for either position due to his tremendous power as a middle infielder. However, he will always be in trouble of seeing his OBP drop below .330 since no other hitting rating is above 55. Also, chick's dig the long ball.
9. Mitch Nunnally (C-S8-WAS)- He will be an offensive force as a catcher and catch a good game, but his low durability and poor throwing arm do limit this sluggers future upside potential to a degree. His main attributes as a hitter are tremendous patience and power but his relatively low vsR rating prevent him from joining the truly elite tier of hitters.
8. Stuart Stahl (LF-S10-ANA)- Stuart Stahl is an extremely well-rounded slugger but one that lacks a single definitive standout characteristic. Stahl's ability to play the vast majority of games helps to make up for his lack of defensive versatility as he can play only two positions well.
7. Juan Desoto (C-S8-CHI)-An absolute beast at the plate who will annually be at the top of the OPS charts due to outstanding ability against RHP and power, Desoto falls below Easley and Nunez in value due to a lower durability and low health rating that raise red flags as to his annual availability. When just discussing on the field impact, Desoto is the best position prospects in the NL
6. Wilt Knotts (C-S11-CHI)-A very talented offensive player that will absolutely destroy LHP and be very good against RHP, Knotts is a player whom you will have to accept a very poor defensive showing from. His PC is below average and his arm is also poor for the position. He still has a ton of value because of his fantastic hitting repertoire, including an amazing batting eye, but he may have to be a DH if his defensive ratings do not reach their peak
5. Francisco Nunez (C-S9-MNT)- Francisco Nunez is arguably the most talented player in the national league. No other catcher has better offensive potential with a high pitch count rating in the 80's. Unfortunately, he'll top out at 90 games a year due to his low durability which does decrease his value below the top 3.
4. Albert Brooks (RF-S10-WAS)-Recently acquired Albert Brooks is poised to be one of the dominant hitters in Gleeman World for years to come. With 70's ratings in vsL, vsR, and contact as well as a 97 potential rating in power and 87 rating in batting eye, Brooks is without a weakness and can realistically be expected to produce a .300/.380/.570 line on a regular basis. He is a fine base runner too which is rare for a corner player. His defense will be average for the position.
3. Glenallen Simontacchi (SS-S10-TAC)-A lot of his value depends on Simontacchi reaching his defensive ratings and becoming a below average, as opposed to atrocious, SS but, if he does, Simontacchi has the potential to consistently put up OPS in the .825 range for many years at a premium defensive position while playing north of 140 games a year. If he fails to reach those ratings and becomes a 2B, he is a borderline top 10 prospect.
2. Turk Badilla (SS-S8-VAN)-Turk Badilla posses the second best position-adjusted OPS potential in the minors and is capable of playing the most demanding position in the game. Turk has no weaknesses as a hitter but he will be limited to about 100 games a year due to his low durability
1. Chili Easley (C-S10-WAS)-While Francisco Nunez is a more talented hitter and defender than Easley, Chili has the distinct advantage of being able to play upwards of 155-160 games a year and should regularly have an on-base percentage well over .400 when he reaches the show. Chili does have an above average arm and pitching calling ability but will probably max out at about 20 home runs a year.
Team By Team Breakdowns
1. Chicago 8-(38, 33, 32, 27, 20, 15, 7, 6)
2. Vancouver 4-(30, 25, 21, 2)
2. Washington 4-(24, 9, 4, 1)
4. Boise 3-(39, 29, 23)
4. New York 3-(40,31,11)
4. St. Louis 3-(35, 34, 19)
7. Sioux Falls 2-(37, 17)
7. Madison 2-(28, 14)
7. Tampa Bay 2-(26, 22)
7. Anaheim 2-(18, 8)
7. Tacoma 2-(16, 3)
7. Monterrey 2-(12, 5)
13. Oklahoma City 1-(36)
13. Colorado Springs 1-(13)
13. Iowa City 1-(10)
16. Milwaukee 0
For the hitting prospects, their value was determined by projected hitting numbers compared to existing hitting standards by position in Gleeman world. Additionally, their durability and health ratings were factored in. Defense at up-the-middle positions was also considered highly important. Team by team breakdowns are below. All comments are welcome.
40. George Green (1B-S8-NYY)- Of the large numbers of 50/90/50/50/90 1B with slightly below average defensive ratings, Green is the best. Under no circumstances can he be expected to do anything other than above average which is still very valuable. He'll be good, but Green's skill set is widely available from the 5th round on of almost every draft.
39. Diego Posada (2B-S8-BOI) -Diego will need to get on base at a well above .360 clip to maintain his value as he has absolutely no power potential. That said, he possesses very good contact and eye ratings and fantastic range for a 2B. His glove rating will have to improve for him to be above average at the position which is a little uncertain at this stage of development.
38. Hub Berry- (CF-21-CHI)-Borderline CF that will need to max out all of his defensive ratings to maintain viability at the position. If he can play CF, his strong batting eye and ability against RHP allows him to be an above average performer at the position.
37.Solly Alexander (2B-S8-SXF)- One of the few players in the NL that can conceivably handle 2B while also providing better than average defense. He has very good ratings every other than power so a lot of his value from year to year will depend on on how high he can keep his OBP.
36. Otto Harbinger (C-S11-OKC)-Otto's main value lies in his above average defense and his ability to get on base at a decent rate as a catcher. He will never be a power threat but he has good contact and decent splits and batting eye which does have value at a premium defensive position.
35. Brian Murphy (C-S8-STL)- Another player whose value resides in his ability to be competent offensively,though not average, while being stellar defensively. Other than a low rating against LH, Murphy is solid across the board offensively. His real value lies in his fantastic defense with PC and AA ratings that are among the elite in the minors
34. Bill Hamelin (3B-S8-STL)-An all or nothing slugger, Hamelin posseses the ability to put up a .900 OPS regularly against RHP of which slugging will represent about two thirds of that number. His below average defense means he will also be a liability. If the right LH platoon partner can be found, Hamelin maintains a lot of value.
33. Harry Guzman (LF-S10-CHI)- A slightly worse version of Luis Estrada (See below), Guzman is a more prototypical LF with very good power but worse ratings everywhere else compared to Estrada. His defense will be plus in LF though as well and he can play everyday.
32. Luis Estrada (LF-S9-CHI)- Another LF without ideal power, Luis will hit a lot of doubles due to his strong ratings everywhere else and elite ability against LHP. His defense will also be very good for LF for what that's worth.
31. William Stevenson (LF-S9-NYY)- Stevenson possesses awe inspiring power at LF and has plus ratings in every other category except contact in which he is very poor. He will depend on having a slugging % above 500 yearly to maintain his value as he will be lucky to crack an OBP of .350 in any given year. Also a plus defender.
30. Albie Calles (RF-S8-VAN)- A very similar player to the aforementioned Hamelin, Calles will be a HR producing machine against RHP but will probably never see his OBP be above .350 due to his low contact and eye rating. He will also likely max out below average at RF.
29. Virgil Santos (SS-S10-BOI)- Virgil will strive to be competent at SS with decent ratings at power and contact, slightly below average ratings at vsRHP and batting eye and a good rating against LHP but he will be a master of the glove at the most demanding position which does give him a good amount of future value.
28. Kurt Anderson (RF-S9-MAD) A very strong slugging RF, Anderson possesses very good power potential and above average ratings in every hitting category. He also has an absolute cannon for an arm.
27. Shawn Robinson (2B/CF-S10-CHI)- Another 2B or CF prospect but the only one in the national league minors that projects to be above average both offensively and defensively at 2B and one of two at CF. Most of his value resides in his ability to handle right handers and get on base as he has a very low power potential. He also possesses gold glove caliber defense at either premium defensive position
26. Bob Crawford (1B/DH-23-TAM)-A slightly less valuable version of Quinton Snyder. He is a natural DH but until the developers change the algorithm and truly punish 1B with horrible range, Crawford and his ilk have value. Crawford has 80+ ratings in every category except for vsRHP which unfotunately does limit his offensive potential to below the "elite" tier of hitters. Needless to say, he is a defensive liability.
25. Miguel Bennett (CF-S8-VAN)-Should annually produce above average offense for his position while due to his great batting eye and versus right ratings along with gold glove caliber defense at his position if he achieves his potential defensive ratings. Most CFs in Gleeman world are either all defense no bat or vice versa. Bennett provides a unique skill set to be certain.
24. Benito Belliard (LF-S8-WAS)-Pure slugging LF with plus ratings across the board, and very good power, that has no definitive liabilities in his defensive ratings.
23. Jim Kirk (2B-S8-BOI)-Definitely not a SS but he provides a ton of value as a plus defender at 2B along with a solid, if unspectacular, offensive repertoire that contains no weaknesses.
22. Pedro Rijo (C-S8-TAM)-He will play more frequently than the aforementioned Keith Green but he is a decidedly inferior offensive player and possesses a worse arm and only marginally better PC rating. Again, however, for an up the middle position, this represents a lot of value
21. Keith Green (C-S10-VAN)-Yes, his durability sucks and yes, his PC is only average. That said he is an absolute stud hitter, especially as a platoon option against LHP and in the playoffs and he has a rocket for an arm as a catcher. There is a tremendous value in Green even if the source of the value is unconventional.
20.Charles Shiabata (1B-S10-CHI)-A very solid all around 1B prospect with plus ratings across the board. His main drawback is a relatively low durability rating which could hinder his development but he is a very fine prospect.
19. Louis Anderson (LF-S9-STL)- A relatively unassuming prospect upon first glance, Anderson is one of the best LF prospects in the NL due to his solid ratings across the board, especially against LHP, power and eye, and very good defense for the position.
18. Quinton Snyder (1B/DH-S12-ANA)-An uber talented hitter that really is more DH than 1B. Especially with ratings in the 80's for splits and eyes and 90's for power. That said, he maxes out around 100 games a year which further lowers his value.
17. Hector Bell (RF-19-SXF)- A ridiculously durable slugger, Bell will never win a silver slugger award but he should be an above average offensive performer due to his top notch power and very good ability against righties. He'll always have a relatively low OBP which limits his future upside. There is a lot of value in the fact that he can basically play everyday and should remain very healthy.
16. Victor Thomas-(3B-S8-TAC)-Should produce better offensive numbers and theoretically has a higher peak than Osborne and Diaz but the curse of Telemaco will probably make him a serious defensive liability at third for the rest of his career. Truly awesome power and ability against lefties with solid ratings everywhere else across the board.
15. Clayton Osborne (3B-S9-CHI)- Another player who lacks standout strengths, and weaknesses, Osborne promises to produce offense at about 10% above the positional average along with providing very good defense. He will dominate Right handed pitching and have a great OBP due to a very high eye rating
14. Enrique Melendez (LF-19-MAD)-A pure slugger through and through, he is a slightly worse version of Stuart Stahl of the Anteaters in terms of offensive profile. That said, he is a better defender than Stahl which has value. That said, defense at LF is almost worthless. That is all
13. Hector Diaz (3B-S10-CSP)-A potential gold glove 3B with an awesome arm, he will also produce above average offensive numbers at the position. 70 ratings in Eye, vs RHP, and Power are the source of his above average abilities. He also possesses solid, if unspectacular ratings against LHP and contact.
12. Erubiel Benitez (SS-S10-MNT)-Erubiel Benitez is a decidedly more talented offensive player than Webb with an extremely balanced all around hitting game that will see his OPS well above .800 at his peak. However, his defense, while still above average, will be well below Webb's at his peak and his durability is decidedly lower than Webb's as well which makes him slightly less valuable as a prospect
11. Pascual Castro(3B-S7-NYY)-Though this author sincerely doubts Castro's ability to man 2B as a major leaguer, Castro will be an asset at either 2B or on the hot corner. He was the best value of the draft from season 4 and has been aggressively promoted since then. Castro does not care much for contact but he has very good ratings at every other offensive category and should regularly produce 40 plus home runs a year.
10. Nicholas Helms (CF-S11-IA)-If not for Jimmy Estrella, Helms' selection would be viewed as the unequivocal steal of last years draft. Helm's can play both CF and 2B at a gold glove caliber. In addition to his defense, Helms possesses above average offensive potential for either position due to his tremendous power as a middle infielder. However, he will always be in trouble of seeing his OBP drop below .330 since no other hitting rating is above 55. Also, chick's dig the long ball.
9. Mitch Nunnally (C-S8-WAS)- He will be an offensive force as a catcher and catch a good game, but his low durability and poor throwing arm do limit this sluggers future upside potential to a degree. His main attributes as a hitter are tremendous patience and power but his relatively low vsR rating prevent him from joining the truly elite tier of hitters.
8. Stuart Stahl (LF-S10-ANA)- Stuart Stahl is an extremely well-rounded slugger but one that lacks a single definitive standout characteristic. Stahl's ability to play the vast majority of games helps to make up for his lack of defensive versatility as he can play only two positions well.
7. Juan Desoto (C-S8-CHI)-An absolute beast at the plate who will annually be at the top of the OPS charts due to outstanding ability against RHP and power, Desoto falls below Easley and Nunez in value due to a lower durability and low health rating that raise red flags as to his annual availability. When just discussing on the field impact, Desoto is the best position prospects in the NL
6. Wilt Knotts (C-S11-CHI)-A very talented offensive player that will absolutely destroy LHP and be very good against RHP, Knotts is a player whom you will have to accept a very poor defensive showing from. His PC is below average and his arm is also poor for the position. He still has a ton of value because of his fantastic hitting repertoire, including an amazing batting eye, but he may have to be a DH if his defensive ratings do not reach their peak
5. Francisco Nunez (C-S9-MNT)- Francisco Nunez is arguably the most talented player in the national league. No other catcher has better offensive potential with a high pitch count rating in the 80's. Unfortunately, he'll top out at 90 games a year due to his low durability which does decrease his value below the top 3.
4. Albert Brooks (RF-S10-WAS)-Recently acquired Albert Brooks is poised to be one of the dominant hitters in Gleeman World for years to come. With 70's ratings in vsL, vsR, and contact as well as a 97 potential rating in power and 87 rating in batting eye, Brooks is without a weakness and can realistically be expected to produce a .300/.380/.570 line on a regular basis. He is a fine base runner too which is rare for a corner player. His defense will be average for the position.
3. Glenallen Simontacchi (SS-S10-TAC)-A lot of his value depends on Simontacchi reaching his defensive ratings and becoming a below average, as opposed to atrocious, SS but, if he does, Simontacchi has the potential to consistently put up OPS in the .825 range for many years at a premium defensive position while playing north of 140 games a year. If he fails to reach those ratings and becomes a 2B, he is a borderline top 10 prospect.
2. Turk Badilla (SS-S8-VAN)-Turk Badilla posses the second best position-adjusted OPS potential in the minors and is capable of playing the most demanding position in the game. Turk has no weaknesses as a hitter but he will be limited to about 100 games a year due to his low durability
1. Chili Easley (C-S10-WAS)-While Francisco Nunez is a more talented hitter and defender than Easley, Chili has the distinct advantage of being able to play upwards of 155-160 games a year and should regularly have an on-base percentage well over .400 when he reaches the show. Chili does have an above average arm and pitching calling ability but will probably max out at about 20 home runs a year.
Team By Team Breakdowns
1. Chicago 8-(38, 33, 32, 27, 20, 15, 7, 6)
2. Vancouver 4-(30, 25, 21, 2)
2. Washington 4-(24, 9, 4, 1)
4. Boise 3-(39, 29, 23)
4. New York 3-(40,31,11)
4. St. Louis 3-(35, 34, 19)
7. Sioux Falls 2-(37, 17)
7. Madison 2-(28, 14)
7. Tampa Bay 2-(26, 22)
7. Anaheim 2-(18, 8)
7. Tacoma 2-(16, 3)
7. Monterrey 2-(12, 5)
13. Oklahoma City 1-(36)
13. Colorado Springs 1-(13)
13. Iowa City 1-(10)
16. Milwaukee 0
Friday, June 6, 2008
Top 80 AL Prospects: Season 7
Because we're getting to this so late in the season, unfortunately, I didn't include anybody who was promoted to the majors at the beginning of the season, because they're not really prospects any more with a third of a season under their belt. Guys called up in the past week or so are still eligible.
NOTE: If you just want to see where your guys rank, scroll down to the bottom for the team-by-team breakdown.
SECOND NOTE IN EFFORT TO PRE-EMPT ANY WHINING: I waffled a bit on where to rank some guys, so go easy on me if you disagree. And I'm sure I left somebody off that you think should be on. Keep two things in mind. One, we all see different projections. Two, I spent a lot of personal time on this, and I didn't do it because I felt like hearing a lot of griping at the end of it. Discussions of the rankings are very welcome, just keep it civil and non-whiny.
80. Jerry Allen, SP, Richmond: Allen has some fine attributes, but a lackluster array of pitches will ultimately hold him back. He has good control, decent splits and very good velocity. But he only has one good pitch, and even that one isn't great. His second pitch is mediocre, and his other three pitches are outright bad.
79. John Griffith, MIF, Syracuse: Griffith would be higher on this list if he could stick at shortstop, but even if he reaches his defensive potential he may have to shift to second base, primarily because of his arm accuracy. If he falls short of his defensive potential, he'll definitely have to shift. Offensively, Griffith projects to have solid contact skills and good ability against righties. His batting eye is OK and he's decent against lefties, but he doesn't have much power.
78. Eddie Lamb, 1B/COF, San Antonio: If he has to play 1B, Lamb definitely isn't good enough to be a big league regular. Even if he can play in the outfield, he might not hit enough. He has excellent contact and patience potential, but he has almost no power. He's solid against pitchers from both sides. His defense is good enough for the outfield everywhere except his glove, which will be an issue in either corner.
77. Byung-Hyun Martin, 1B/COF, Las Vegas: Martin looks like a solid player, but he doesn't stand out anywhere. He has good but not great power and contact potential and his batting eye should be solid, but he's only OK against pitchers from either side. As with Lamb, his glove is going to be a detriment in either right or left, and his arm accuracy could be a problem in right.
76. Sal Fryman, SP, Cheyenne: Even though he's already 22, Fryman still has a lot of developing to do to reach his potential. If he does, though, he could be a solid starter. He projects to have very good control, a very good changeup and decent ability against righties. He'll likely struggle against lefties, his slider is only OK and his other two pitches have below-average upside.
75. Julian Castro, SP, Boston: Castro has a lot of excellent attributes: control, velocity, stamina, health and his fastball. But his splits are very questionable, as are his secondary pitches. His slider is decent, but his curveball is mediocre and he doesn't have a fourth pitch.
74. Tex Fassero, 1B, Buffalo: Fassero is nearly a sure thing to be a productive major leaguer, but he's going to have a very clear role when he gets there: right-handed portion of a 1B or DH platoon. Fassero has excellent power potential, a very good batting eye and very good ability to hit lefties and decent contact potential. But he's almost clueless in his approach against righties. Even if he could hit righties, he couldn't play every day because his durability is poor. Defensively, his range and glove are good enough to play the field, but his arm is poor, even for first base.
73. Rigo Acevedo, RP, San Antonio: Acevedo may be limited in how many innings he can throw, but he should be solid when he can take the mound. He has excellent control and velocity, a very good sinker and a solid changeup. His splits aren't very good, but they project to be OK.
72. Antone Boyle, SP, Pittsburgh: Boyle has alternated between starting and relieving in the minors, and it's still up in the air what he'll end up as since his stamina isn't good. He does have very good control potential and two potentially very good pitches. He should be good against lefties and OK against righties, but his third and fourth pitches will both be below average.
71. Rich Beech, C, Minnesota: Beech is another player who will likely only be a backup or platoon player in the majors because he's just lost at the plate against righties. Against lefties, however, he's very good and he has an outstanding batting eye. His contact and power both project to be decent at best. Beech will call a very good game and has fine range and an OK glove, but his arm is below average in both strength and accuracy.
70. Clarence Jacobs, SP, Cheyenne: Jacobs has the potential to have very good control and velocity. His splits, while not good, both project to be decent. He has the potential for one good pitch, one decent pitch and two below-average pitches, which may be what holds him back.
69. Jake Smart, RP, Pittsburgh: Smart hasn't pitched well so far in his minor league career, but he has good potential. His control projects to be very good, and both of his splits should be good. He'll also have a very good curveball and a solid changeup with a usable fastball.
68. Denny Hubbard, RP, Montreal: Hubbard is very similar to Smart, just slightly better in several categories: control, velocity and his pitches. Hubbard won't be as good against lefties as Smart, but the rest of his advantages will offset that.
67. Wolf Lockhart, MIF, Pittsburgh: Lockhart's another player who would be much more valuable if he could really play shortstop, but his arm accuracy will ultimately force him off the position. The question is whether the rest of his defense develops enough for him to play center field or if he's limited to second base, which is more likely. Offensively, he only has one real weakness: a poor batting eye. Otherwise, he projects to have decent contact and good power and ability against pitchers from both sides.
66. Elmer Nixon, SP, Florida: On talent alone, Nixon would be higher on this list. He projects to have very good control and velocity, decent splits, two good pitches and two decent pitches. However, his stamina could limit him as a starting pitcher and his health problems will likely bite him at some point.
65. Howard Murphy, SP, Boston: Like Nixon, Murphy's stamina may prevent him from pitching deep into games very often in the majors, but his health isn't quite as poor. Murphy has decent control and is decent against lefties, though he's mediocre against righties and doesn't throw hard at all. His strength is his pitches: a very good sinker and slider, decent fastball and forkball and a usable curveball.
64. Doug Webster, COF, Cheyenne: Webster already has excellent contact skills and has the potential to get even better, and he's very good against righties. His batting eye, however, is only decent and he has mediocre power and is mediocre against lefties. He's got the range and arm to be a fine outfielder, but his glove is a bit below average.
63. Julius Parnell, LF, Richmond: The only area Parnell really stands out is his ability to hit righties, which has the potential to be outstanding. His projected contact and patience are just OK, and his power and ability to hit lefties are a notch below those. His defense should be just about average in left.
62. Aaron Blake, RP, N.Y. Mets: Blake is taking a slow route to the majors, but that means he should be almost fully developed when he gets there. He has the potential to have excellent control and very good ability against lefties, and he'll be solid against righties. He should have a very good fastball, a solid curveball and a usable changeup. He won't be a workhorse, but he'll be good for 70-80 innings.
61. Miguel Diaz, DH, Philadelphia: Diaz is limited because he can't really play the field and his durability will likely limit him to 120-130 games a season. Still, he should be a nice hitter. He has very good potential contact and power, and he projects to be at least OK as far as patience and his splits go. His pitch calling is bad and his arm is below average, but you could put him behind the plate in an emergency.
60. Gabby Diaz, SP, Boston: Diaz has the potential to be a real workhorse with his combination of stamina and durability, if he can be good enough that you want him throwing that many innings. His control only projects to be OK, and his stuff against righties is another notch below that. But he should be very good against lefties and could have two very good pitches, a decent third pitch and a usable fourth pitch.
59. Kevin North, 1B, Buffalo: North recently flashed his potential with a four-homer, 12-RBI game, but it's not his power that's the best part of his game. He projects to be an excellent contact hitter with solid power and a decent batting eye. He should be good against both lefties and righties, maybe slightly better against lefties despite being a lefty himself. Defensively, his range and glove will be below average while his arm is above average. His mediocre health may be an issue at some point.
58. Otis Combs, SP, Los Angeles: Combs only projects to have decent control and his splits aren't that good (although he's slightly better against righties), but his pitches may make up for it. He has the potential to have an excellent sinker, a very good curveball and changeup, a good forkball and a usable slider.
57. Jimmie Reyes, RP, Minnesota: Reyes could be pitching in the majors for several teams right now, but the Fatboys have a notoriously deliberate system. He already has very good control and has the potential for excellent control. His splits are only decent, but he has a fantastic sinker, complemented by a solid curveball.
56. Mateo Baez, SP, San Antonio: Baez projects to have good but not great control and he should be very good against lefties and OK against righties. He has the potential for one very good pitch, two good pitches, a decent fourth pitch and a below-average fifth pitch.
55. Craig Murphy, RP, Los Angeles: Murphy's best attribute is his control: It has the potential to be nearly flawless. He should be decent against lefties and good against righties. As far as his pitches go, he has the potential for one very good one and two good ones, as well as two below-average ones. He won't be able to pitch a ton of innings, and his health could be a factor at some point.
54. Theo Coleman, IF, Pittsburgh: Coleman's potential is a bit better than this but at 24 years old already, it's questionable how much better he's going to get. He has very good contact and he's decent but not really good everywhere else on offense. Defensively, he's a third baseman right now. With a bit more development, he could play an adequate second base, but he'll never be good enough to play short.
53. Guy Wise, IF, Albuquerque: Wise is another player who's almost fully mature at this point. He has solid contact and patience, but his power is below average. He should be solid against righties and pretty good against lefties. Defensively, he could either be a poor shortstop or a pretty good second baseman. His health could also turn into an issue down the road.
52. Greg Webster, C, San Antonio: Webster's an intriguing player. He has the potential to be outstanding, but his playing time will be limited severely by his poor durability. Offensively, he has very good contact potential and excellent power potential. His batting eye and splits should be good. Defensively, he should be above average everywhere except his ability to call a game, which will be mediocre.
51. Christopher Roth, 2B, Los Angeles: Roth's defensive growth appeared to stagnate during season 6, but it's already getting better this season. His continued defensive improvement is vital to him being this high on the list, because he has the potential to be an outstanding defensive second baseman. Offensively, he has a good combination of contact and power and it could still improve a bit. He also has a decent batting eye and is OK against righties, but he may struggle against lefties some.
50. Clark Murphy, RP, Las Vegas: Murphy's very old for a prospect and he's struggled mightily in his minor league career, but I can only assume that's because he's been run into the ground frequently, as is happening again this season. Even if he doesn't improve any more, he's got good control and two good pitches and his splits are decent, with his stuff working a bit better against righties.
49. Alex Rojas, RP, Richmond: Rojas has three great potential strengths: fantastic control, a fantastic curveball and very good stuff against righties. He should also be solid against lefties and he'll have a solid changeup. One big concern for him is his health.
48. Bob Flaherty, CF/2B, Minnesota: Flaherty has the potential to be a nice hitter at a difficult defensive position. He has good power and patience potential and projects to be solid elsewhere on offense. Defensively, he at least has the potential to be a good defensive second baseman. The question is whether his range and, especially, glove will develop enough to make him a solid center fielder.
47. Happy Magadan, SP, Nashville: Magadan's another low-stamina starter. He has the potential for very good control and very good stuff against lefties, but he'll only be OK against righties. He projects to have two very good pitches and two mediocre pitches.
46. Julian Santos, SP, Nashville: Santos may struggle to keep up with a big league rotation because of his stamina and durability, but he should have enough talent. He has the potential for outstanding control and solid splits. He also projects to have one excellent pitch, one good pitch, two decent pitches and one bad pitch.
45. Rigo Gutierrez, RP, Richmond: Gutierrez projects to be strong across the board. His potential is very good for his control, his ability against righties and his fastball and it's good for his ability against lefties and his curveball. The biggest question is how much he'll end up throwing his bad sinker and how much it will hurt him.
44. Reginald Kelton, DH, Albuquerque: As with Philadelphia's Miguel Diaz, Kelton is limited because he can't play the field and his durability will limit how many games he can play in a season, but his offense looks a bit better. He has the potential for very good contact and power, and his batting eye should be solid. He should also be good against righties, and he'll be fantastic against lefties.
43. Max DeLeon, C, Pittsburgh: Aside from a low durability that will force you to carry a solid backup catcher, DeLeon doesn't have a huge weakness. His offense should be above average for his position, as he has the potential for good contact, power and patience and he should be solid against lefties and OK against righties. Defensively, his range is bad, but his glove and arm could end up being about average and he can call a fine game.
42. Wilfredo Suarez, SP, Nashville: Suarez has the stamina to be a starter, but he may not have the durability to take the ball very fifth day. Still, his talent is obvious. His projected control is excellent. He should be solid against righties and very good against lefties, and he has the potential for two very good pitches, one decent pitch and a fourth usable pitch.
41. Davey Spiers, COF, Nashville: Recently promoted, Spiers has hit the ground running in the majors and should excite Twang fans by reminding them of former Nashville great Wiki Perez. Spiers' offensive potential is similar to what Perez was in his prime. He has the potential for fantastic power and excellent patience but only projects to be decent for contact and his splits. He's different from Perez in two places. One, he's not limited to first base as he'll be a fine defender in either corner outfield spot. Two, he's a huge health risk.
40. Joe Bacsik, SP, Philadelphia: Bacsik's spot on this list, and his career, could be in jeopardy as he's currently being run into the ground in AAA, making five consecutive starts at 0% rest. Assuming Bacsik gets some rest before suffering a devastating injury, he has the potential to be very good against righties and dominant against lefties. His control will only be OK, be he projects to have one very good pitch, one good pitch, two decent pitches and one bad pitch. He is another pitcher who may struggle to take the ball every fifth day with his durability.
39. Thurman Pearson, 2B, Syracuse: Pearson isn't going to be a star, but he definitely has the potential to be a solid regular. He has good potential contact, patience and ability to hit righties and his potential against lefties is very good. He doesn't have much power, though. Defensively, he should develop into a solid second baseman, with below-average range but an above-average glove.
38. Milt Dye, C, Los Angeles: Assuming he can stay healthy, Dye should be a very nice starter in a couple seasons. He has the potential to have very good contact, power and patience, and his splits should both be solid. Defensively, he's below average, but he certainly won't be the worst catcher in the league. He's pretty durable for his position, but his mediocre health will be the big concern.
37. Quilvio Rodriguez, RP, Nashville: If it seems like every other prospect is a Twang, it's not just you. Nashville has five prospects between 37 and 47 on this list. Rodriguez projects to have outstanding control and outstanding stuff against lefties, and he should be good against righties. He has two good pitches and three other decent pitches, but none of them are great.
36. Denny Abercrombie, LF, Buffalo: Abercrombie is one of those defensive tweeners. His range and glove aren't good enough for him to play second base, but they're much better than necessary to play left field. Fortunately, he doesn't need to be at second for his bat to play in the majors. He has the potential for very good power and patience and good splits, and his contact should be decent. The fact that his defense in left will be very good is a bonus.
35. Preston Bush, RP, Minnesota: Bush lost a year of development because of an injury in season 5, or else he'd be ready for the majors right now. Instead, he'll need to keep developing despite the fact that he's already 24. He still has the potential to have excellent control and excellent ability against lefties, although he'll only be decent against righties. He projects to have a fantastic fastball, a very good curveball and a usable changeup. His health has already affected him once and could be a problem again.
34. Jerry Borbon, 1B, Los Angeles: Borbon projects to have very good contact, power and patience, which is exactly what you want from your first baseman. He projects to have solid, and pretty even, splits. Defensively, his range and arm accuracy will definitely be below average, and his glove may not get all the way to average either.
33. Benito Alvarez, 1B, Richmond: Alvarez has the potential to have fantastic power, very good patience and good contact skills. He should be good against righties and solid against lefties. His range is the worst part of his defense; everything else at least has a chance to be about average. In addition to having slightly better offensive potential than Borbon, he has slightly better durability and health.
32. Willie Sanchez, C, Albuquerque: Sanchez's approach against righties is mediocre, but he should be strong enough elsewhere to overcome that. He has the potential for good contact and power and very good patience, and he should be excellent against lefties. Defensively, his range and arm strength will be fine, but his glove and arm accuracy will be weaknesses. He should be a fantastic pitch caller.
31. Ray Lyons, CF, Montreal: Already in AA at age 19, Lyons has a lot of developing to do to reach his potential, but that potential is quite good. He projects to have very good contact and good patience. His splits should be solid, but he doesn't have much power. Defensively, he has the potential for above average range for a center fielder with an average glove. He'll also be very dependable, with fantastic durability and health.
30. Harry Navarre, CF, Minnesota: Navarre would be higher on this list if not for the fact that he's out for the season with a torn hamstring that will cost him a year of development. Offensively, he projects to have solid contact skills and mediocre power and patience, but he should have a fantastic approach against both righties and lefties. Defensively, he has the potential for above-average range and an average glove in center. The question now is whether he still has time to reach that potential.
29. Brandon Roberts, RP, Minnesota: Roberts is quite old for his level, but he's still improving, which is the important thing. He has the potential to have very good control, very good success against righties and good success against lefties. For pitches, he projects to have a fantastic sinker and a solid slider.
28. B.C. Mota, SP, Philadelphia: Mota has some standout skills, but his pitches really threaten to hold him back. He projects to have fantastic control, even better stuff against lefties and very good stuff against righties. But while he has the potential for three good pitches, none of them are going to be better than just good. He also has questionable health, and it's led to injuries two seasons in a row now.
27. Tony Pascual, CF, Nashville: Pascual's value lies in his defense, which has the potential to be above average for a center fielder. His best offensive attribute is his batting eye, which projects to be excellent. He has the potential for good contact and solid power, and he should be good against righties and OK against lefties. Another problem for him is that he won't be durable enough to play every game, and his health could be a real problem.
26. Vic Martinez, 2B/CF, Richmond: Martinez is similar to Pascual in that he projects to play good defense and has solid but probably not great offensive potential. His best offensive attribute is that he should be very good against righties, and he'll also be good against lefties. He projects to have good contact and patience and OK power. His range should end up about average for a center fielder and his glove could develop to be well above average. He's also more durable than Pascual and has better health, although he's still not great in that department.
25. Bip Reagan, CF/2B, N.Y. Mets: Reagan projects to have good contact and fantastic power, but his splits are mediocre at best and only has a decent batting eye. He should be a good hitter in the majors, but not the dominant hitter he's been in the minors. Defensively, he has the potential to either be an averagish center fielder or a very good second baseman.
24. Cesar Nunez, CF, Syracuse: Nunez's contact and power potential are both a notch below Reagan's, but he's better just about everywhere else. Nunes projects to have very good power and solid contact skills with good splits and a mediocre batting eye. Defensively, his range and glove both have the potential to be above average for center field. He also should be dependable with fantastic durability and health.
23. Pete Kennedy, 2B/LF, Philadelphia: If Kennedy had better defensive potential, he'd be in the top 10-15 on this list. Unfortunately, he's either going to end up being either a very bad defensive second baseman or a very good defensive left fielder. Fortunately, his offense should be plenty good to play in left. He projects to have excellent power and patience and solid contact skills. He also should have a solid approach against righties and a good approach against lefties.
22. Orber Benitez, RP, Buffalo: It would be nice if his second pitch was better, but Benitez still has a very promising future. He projects to have fantastic control and stuff against righties and good stuff against lefties. His slider has the potential to be very good, but his fastball will only be OK. He'll be able to pitch a ton, as he has excellent stamina for a reliever and great durability and health.
21. Ted Barker, IF, Montreal: As with Lyons, Montreal has moved Barker through the system way too fast. He's already in AAA despite belonging somewhere in A-ball, so it's questionable how much time he'll get to develop before moving to the majors permanently. If he does reach his potential, he can be a very good hitter. He projects to have excellent power, a very good approach against both righties and lefties and solid contact and patience. Defensively, he should be fine at either second or third base once (if?) he finishes developing. The biggest concern for him is his poor health, which could make his path to fulfilling his potential even harder if he suffers a serious injury.
20. Carlos Guzman, RF, Minnesota: The opposite extreme from Lyons and Barker, Guzman is pretty much ready for the majors but is still in AA. Guzman has fantastic skills and very good patience. His power is good and could get a bit better. His approach against righties is mediocre, but he's good against lefties. Defensively, he projects to be almost exactly average in right field.
19. Brian Martin, RP, Buffalo: Like fellow European reliever Benitez, Martin would benefit from a better second pitch, but he's still very good. He projects to have outstanding control and very good ability against both righties and lefties. His fastball is already very good and could get a bit better, but his slider won't get much better than the decent pitch it is right now.
18. Jin-Chi Choi, RF, San Antonio: One of San Antontio's three consecutive No. 1 overall picks, Choi has below-average contact potential, but he projects to have outstanding power and a good batting eye. He should also be excellent against lefties and very good against righties. His defense projects to be pretty good in right field, and he should be able to play almost every game with his durability and health.
17. Roy Rodgers, RP, Pittsburgh: Rodgers is another of the surprising high number of prospects with health concerns, but he'll be very good if he can avoid serious injuries. He projects to have very good control, excellent stuff against righties and good stuff against lefties. His pitches are his real strength, though, as his slider/curveball combination could be almost as good as possible.
16. Alberto Bautista, SS, Minnesota: Bautista is one of the very few prospects who project to be a good hitter and a good enough fielder to stick at shortstop, although he certainly won't win any gold gloves there. He projects to have good contact, power and patience, and his approach should be very good against pitchers from both sides. Defensively, his range is the only thing that will be above average for the position, although he won't be much below average anywhere else
15. Ozzie Hawkins, SS, Minnesota: Hawkins is nearly a carbon copy of Bautista, but his bat looks to be just a bit better. His contact and power potential are both very good and his batting eye will be solid. He'll also have a decent approach against righties and a good approach against lefties. His defensive potential is pretty much identical to Bautista's.
14. Mac Garcia, RP, Nashville: The steal of the season 6 draft, Garcia is a very promising reliever who fell because of signability concerns. He projects to have excellent control, very good ability against righties and good ability against lefties. He has the potential for an excellent sinker, a good slider and a solid changeup. His durability should also let him throw a lot of innings.
13. Felix McDowell, 1B/LF, Cheyenne: McDowell's listed as a second baseman and that's where he played in rookie ball, but he's a first baseman or left fielder in the majors. That's not a problem, though, because he definitely hits like a first baseman. He projects to have excellent contact and very good power and patience. He should also have a very good approach against righties and a solid approach against lefties.
12. Dmitri Henderson, COF, Cheyenne: The middle of the Tackleberries' lineup will be in very good shape once McDowell and Henderson reach the majors. Henderson projects to have very good contact and power and an excellent batting eye. He should be very good against righties and good against lefties. Defensively, he'll be able to play right field, but his arm will be below average there.
11. Birdie Cornelius, SP, Nashville: That Cornelius is still this high on the list despite suffering a stress fracture in his elbow last season is a testament to how high his ceiling is. If not for the injury, he'd be in the top five. Still, Cornelius looks like a quality pitcher and there's a chance he can eventually reach his potential. If he can, he projects to have outstanding control, outstanding ability against righties and very good ability against lefties. He also has the potential for an excellent fastball, a good slider and two other usable pitches. Even if he doesn't get all the way to that potential, he should be a No. 2/3 starter, although he won't be a workhorse with his stamina and durability.
10. Einar Gandarilla, RP, Minnesota: The best Fatboy prospect, Gandarilla was a high-priced international free agent. He projects to have outstanding control, excellent ability against lefties and good ability against righties. He also has the potential for a fantastic fastball and an even better slider.
9. Cookie Tatis, 2B, Buffalo: Tatis has moved very quickly since signing as an international free agent, but while he could use some more development, he's probably ready to produce in the majors right now. He projects to have excellent contact and very good patience, and his power is OK. He should also be outstanding against lefties and solid against righties. Defensively, his range will be a bit below average for second base, but he'll be average or better elsewhere.
8. Bernie Espinosa, RF, Syracuse: Probably the best international signing in Gleeman World history, Espinosa is only 21 and still developing but will likely make his big league debut at some point this season. His best attribute is his outstanding batting eye, but he projects to be good to very good in each of the other four main offensive categories. His defense should be about average in right field.
7. Sparky Rando, SP, Florida: Another signability steal, Rando lasted until the 20th pick in the season 3 draft. He projects to have very good control, very good ability against righties and good ability against lefties. He has the potential for two very good pitches, a usable third pitch and a below average fourth pitch.
6. Chris Martin, SP, Los Angeles: Martin was an even bigger steal as the 26th pick in last season's draft. As with Rando, he projects to have very good control and ability to pitch to righties, although he'll only be decent against lefties. His pitches are better than Rando's, though, with the potential for a fantastic changeup, a good slider, a solid curveball and a usable fastball. While Rando and Martin both have very good stamina and solid durability, Martin's health is much better.
5. Tuck Stein, C, Buffalo: Just acquired this offseason in a trade with Chicago, Stein has the potential to be one of the best hitting catchers in the league, although his defense will be a bit below average. He projects to have very good contact and power and good patience. he should have an excellent approach against lefties and a good approach against righties. He has the potential to be a solid pitch caller, but he'll be below average everywhere else on defense, although he shouldn't be terrible in any area. His durability isn't great, but it's decent for a catcher.
4. Tony Guerrero, LF, San Antonio: The second first overall selection for the Sting on this list, Guerrero's probably the second-best pure hitter among AL prospects. He projects to have very good patience, excellent contact and even better power. He should have a good approach against righties and an outstanding approach against lefties. He could probably handle right field when he's fully developed, but his arm will be better suited for left. The only downside to Guerrero is that his health isn't good, so he's likely to encounter some injuries here and there.
3. Vinny Wang, SP, Buffalo: If Wang had better stamina and/or a fourth pitch, he'd be No. 2 on this list. Instead, he has to settle for being the AL's (and maybe the world's) best pitching prospect. He has the potential to have outstanding control and an outstanding approach against both righties and lefties. And while he only has three pitches, his fastball projects to be excellent, his curveball should be just a touch below that and his changeup should be good.
2. Livan Guzman, C, Philadelphia: When you find a superstar hitter who can play average to slightly above average defense at catcher and can stay in the lineup almost every game, you've found yourself one of the truly elite players. Guzman projects to have very good contact and power and a nearly flawless batting eye. He should be equally good against righties and lefties. Defensively, he has good range and a good glove and will call a solid game. His arm strength projects to be slightly above average while his accuracy should be average or a touch below.
1. Ronald Levrault, 2B, San Antonio: San Antonio's first No. 1 overall pick, Levrault has the best offensive potential of any player in the AL and he can also play a legitimate second base and stay in the lineup for every inning of the season. He projects to have very good contact, excellent power and nearly perfect patience. He should have a very good approach against lefties and a dominant approach against righties. On defense, his range should be at least close to average, and his glove, arm strength and arm accuracy all have the potential to be average or better for the position.
Team-by-team breakdown
Albuquerque Isotopes: 3 (Sanchez 32, Kelton 44, Wise 53)
Boston Red Sox: 3 (Diaz 60, Murphy 65, Castro 75)
Buffalo Europeans: 8 (Wang 3, Stein 5, Tatis 9, Martin 19, Benitez 22, Abercrombie 36, North 59, Fassero 74)
Cheyenne Tackleberries: 5 (Henderson 12, McDowell 13, Webster 64, Jacobs 70, Fryman 76)
Florida Cottonmouths: 2 (Rando 7, Nixon 66)
Los Angeles Hangars: 6 (Martin 6, Borbon 34, Dye 38, Roth 51, Murphy 55, Combs 58)
Las Vegas Armijos: 2 (Murphy 50, Martin 77)
Minnesota Fatboys: 10 (Gandarilla 10, Hawkins 15, Bautista 16, Guzman 20, Roberts 29, Navarre 30, Bush 35, Flaherty 48, Reyes 57, Beech 71)
Montreal Grand Orange: 3 (Barker 21, Lyons 31, Hubbard 68)
Nashville Twang: 8 (Cornelius 11, Garcia 14, Pascual 27, Rodriguez 37, Spiers 41, Suarez 42, Santos 46, Magadan 47)
Philadelphia Phenomenauts: 5 (Guzman 2, Kennedy 23, Mota 28, Bacsik 40, Diaz 61)
Pittsburgh Pug Dogs: 6 (Rodgers 17, DeLeon 43, Coleman 54, Lockhart 67, Smart 69, Boyle 72)
San Antonio Sting: 7 (Levrault 1, Guerrero 4, Choi 18, Webster 52, Baez 56, Acevedo 73, Lamb 78)
Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: 4 (Espinosa 8, Nunez 24, Pearson 39, Griffith 79)
NOTE: If you just want to see where your guys rank, scroll down to the bottom for the team-by-team breakdown.
SECOND NOTE IN EFFORT TO PRE-EMPT ANY WHINING: I waffled a bit on where to rank some guys, so go easy on me if you disagree. And I'm sure I left somebody off that you think should be on. Keep two things in mind. One, we all see different projections. Two, I spent a lot of personal time on this, and I didn't do it because I felt like hearing a lot of griping at the end of it. Discussions of the rankings are very welcome, just keep it civil and non-whiny.
80. Jerry Allen, SP, Richmond: Allen has some fine attributes, but a lackluster array of pitches will ultimately hold him back. He has good control, decent splits and very good velocity. But he only has one good pitch, and even that one isn't great. His second pitch is mediocre, and his other three pitches are outright bad.
79. John Griffith, MIF, Syracuse: Griffith would be higher on this list if he could stick at shortstop, but even if he reaches his defensive potential he may have to shift to second base, primarily because of his arm accuracy. If he falls short of his defensive potential, he'll definitely have to shift. Offensively, Griffith projects to have solid contact skills and good ability against righties. His batting eye is OK and he's decent against lefties, but he doesn't have much power.
78. Eddie Lamb, 1B/COF, San Antonio: If he has to play 1B, Lamb definitely isn't good enough to be a big league regular. Even if he can play in the outfield, he might not hit enough. He has excellent contact and patience potential, but he has almost no power. He's solid against pitchers from both sides. His defense is good enough for the outfield everywhere except his glove, which will be an issue in either corner.
77. Byung-Hyun Martin, 1B/COF, Las Vegas: Martin looks like a solid player, but he doesn't stand out anywhere. He has good but not great power and contact potential and his batting eye should be solid, but he's only OK against pitchers from either side. As with Lamb, his glove is going to be a detriment in either right or left, and his arm accuracy could be a problem in right.
76. Sal Fryman, SP, Cheyenne: Even though he's already 22, Fryman still has a lot of developing to do to reach his potential. If he does, though, he could be a solid starter. He projects to have very good control, a very good changeup and decent ability against righties. He'll likely struggle against lefties, his slider is only OK and his other two pitches have below-average upside.
75. Julian Castro, SP, Boston: Castro has a lot of excellent attributes: control, velocity, stamina, health and his fastball. But his splits are very questionable, as are his secondary pitches. His slider is decent, but his curveball is mediocre and he doesn't have a fourth pitch.
74. Tex Fassero, 1B, Buffalo: Fassero is nearly a sure thing to be a productive major leaguer, but he's going to have a very clear role when he gets there: right-handed portion of a 1B or DH platoon. Fassero has excellent power potential, a very good batting eye and very good ability to hit lefties and decent contact potential. But he's almost clueless in his approach against righties. Even if he could hit righties, he couldn't play every day because his durability is poor. Defensively, his range and glove are good enough to play the field, but his arm is poor, even for first base.
73. Rigo Acevedo, RP, San Antonio: Acevedo may be limited in how many innings he can throw, but he should be solid when he can take the mound. He has excellent control and velocity, a very good sinker and a solid changeup. His splits aren't very good, but they project to be OK.
72. Antone Boyle, SP, Pittsburgh: Boyle has alternated between starting and relieving in the minors, and it's still up in the air what he'll end up as since his stamina isn't good. He does have very good control potential and two potentially very good pitches. He should be good against lefties and OK against righties, but his third and fourth pitches will both be below average.
71. Rich Beech, C, Minnesota: Beech is another player who will likely only be a backup or platoon player in the majors because he's just lost at the plate against righties. Against lefties, however, he's very good and he has an outstanding batting eye. His contact and power both project to be decent at best. Beech will call a very good game and has fine range and an OK glove, but his arm is below average in both strength and accuracy.
70. Clarence Jacobs, SP, Cheyenne: Jacobs has the potential to have very good control and velocity. His splits, while not good, both project to be decent. He has the potential for one good pitch, one decent pitch and two below-average pitches, which may be what holds him back.
69. Jake Smart, RP, Pittsburgh: Smart hasn't pitched well so far in his minor league career, but he has good potential. His control projects to be very good, and both of his splits should be good. He'll also have a very good curveball and a solid changeup with a usable fastball.
68. Denny Hubbard, RP, Montreal: Hubbard is very similar to Smart, just slightly better in several categories: control, velocity and his pitches. Hubbard won't be as good against lefties as Smart, but the rest of his advantages will offset that.
67. Wolf Lockhart, MIF, Pittsburgh: Lockhart's another player who would be much more valuable if he could really play shortstop, but his arm accuracy will ultimately force him off the position. The question is whether the rest of his defense develops enough for him to play center field or if he's limited to second base, which is more likely. Offensively, he only has one real weakness: a poor batting eye. Otherwise, he projects to have decent contact and good power and ability against pitchers from both sides.
66. Elmer Nixon, SP, Florida: On talent alone, Nixon would be higher on this list. He projects to have very good control and velocity, decent splits, two good pitches and two decent pitches. However, his stamina could limit him as a starting pitcher and his health problems will likely bite him at some point.
65. Howard Murphy, SP, Boston: Like Nixon, Murphy's stamina may prevent him from pitching deep into games very often in the majors, but his health isn't quite as poor. Murphy has decent control and is decent against lefties, though he's mediocre against righties and doesn't throw hard at all. His strength is his pitches: a very good sinker and slider, decent fastball and forkball and a usable curveball.
64. Doug Webster, COF, Cheyenne: Webster already has excellent contact skills and has the potential to get even better, and he's very good against righties. His batting eye, however, is only decent and he has mediocre power and is mediocre against lefties. He's got the range and arm to be a fine outfielder, but his glove is a bit below average.
63. Julius Parnell, LF, Richmond: The only area Parnell really stands out is his ability to hit righties, which has the potential to be outstanding. His projected contact and patience are just OK, and his power and ability to hit lefties are a notch below those. His defense should be just about average in left.
62. Aaron Blake, RP, N.Y. Mets: Blake is taking a slow route to the majors, but that means he should be almost fully developed when he gets there. He has the potential to have excellent control and very good ability against lefties, and he'll be solid against righties. He should have a very good fastball, a solid curveball and a usable changeup. He won't be a workhorse, but he'll be good for 70-80 innings.
61. Miguel Diaz, DH, Philadelphia: Diaz is limited because he can't really play the field and his durability will likely limit him to 120-130 games a season. Still, he should be a nice hitter. He has very good potential contact and power, and he projects to be at least OK as far as patience and his splits go. His pitch calling is bad and his arm is below average, but you could put him behind the plate in an emergency.
60. Gabby Diaz, SP, Boston: Diaz has the potential to be a real workhorse with his combination of stamina and durability, if he can be good enough that you want him throwing that many innings. His control only projects to be OK, and his stuff against righties is another notch below that. But he should be very good against lefties and could have two very good pitches, a decent third pitch and a usable fourth pitch.
59. Kevin North, 1B, Buffalo: North recently flashed his potential with a four-homer, 12-RBI game, but it's not his power that's the best part of his game. He projects to be an excellent contact hitter with solid power and a decent batting eye. He should be good against both lefties and righties, maybe slightly better against lefties despite being a lefty himself. Defensively, his range and glove will be below average while his arm is above average. His mediocre health may be an issue at some point.
58. Otis Combs, SP, Los Angeles: Combs only projects to have decent control and his splits aren't that good (although he's slightly better against righties), but his pitches may make up for it. He has the potential to have an excellent sinker, a very good curveball and changeup, a good forkball and a usable slider.
57. Jimmie Reyes, RP, Minnesota: Reyes could be pitching in the majors for several teams right now, but the Fatboys have a notoriously deliberate system. He already has very good control and has the potential for excellent control. His splits are only decent, but he has a fantastic sinker, complemented by a solid curveball.
56. Mateo Baez, SP, San Antonio: Baez projects to have good but not great control and he should be very good against lefties and OK against righties. He has the potential for one very good pitch, two good pitches, a decent fourth pitch and a below-average fifth pitch.
55. Craig Murphy, RP, Los Angeles: Murphy's best attribute is his control: It has the potential to be nearly flawless. He should be decent against lefties and good against righties. As far as his pitches go, he has the potential for one very good one and two good ones, as well as two below-average ones. He won't be able to pitch a ton of innings, and his health could be a factor at some point.
54. Theo Coleman, IF, Pittsburgh: Coleman's potential is a bit better than this but at 24 years old already, it's questionable how much better he's going to get. He has very good contact and he's decent but not really good everywhere else on offense. Defensively, he's a third baseman right now. With a bit more development, he could play an adequate second base, but he'll never be good enough to play short.
53. Guy Wise, IF, Albuquerque: Wise is another player who's almost fully mature at this point. He has solid contact and patience, but his power is below average. He should be solid against righties and pretty good against lefties. Defensively, he could either be a poor shortstop or a pretty good second baseman. His health could also turn into an issue down the road.
52. Greg Webster, C, San Antonio: Webster's an intriguing player. He has the potential to be outstanding, but his playing time will be limited severely by his poor durability. Offensively, he has very good contact potential and excellent power potential. His batting eye and splits should be good. Defensively, he should be above average everywhere except his ability to call a game, which will be mediocre.
51. Christopher Roth, 2B, Los Angeles: Roth's defensive growth appeared to stagnate during season 6, but it's already getting better this season. His continued defensive improvement is vital to him being this high on the list, because he has the potential to be an outstanding defensive second baseman. Offensively, he has a good combination of contact and power and it could still improve a bit. He also has a decent batting eye and is OK against righties, but he may struggle against lefties some.
50. Clark Murphy, RP, Las Vegas: Murphy's very old for a prospect and he's struggled mightily in his minor league career, but I can only assume that's because he's been run into the ground frequently, as is happening again this season. Even if he doesn't improve any more, he's got good control and two good pitches and his splits are decent, with his stuff working a bit better against righties.
49. Alex Rojas, RP, Richmond: Rojas has three great potential strengths: fantastic control, a fantastic curveball and very good stuff against righties. He should also be solid against lefties and he'll have a solid changeup. One big concern for him is his health.
48. Bob Flaherty, CF/2B, Minnesota: Flaherty has the potential to be a nice hitter at a difficult defensive position. He has good power and patience potential and projects to be solid elsewhere on offense. Defensively, he at least has the potential to be a good defensive second baseman. The question is whether his range and, especially, glove will develop enough to make him a solid center fielder.
47. Happy Magadan, SP, Nashville: Magadan's another low-stamina starter. He has the potential for very good control and very good stuff against lefties, but he'll only be OK against righties. He projects to have two very good pitches and two mediocre pitches.
46. Julian Santos, SP, Nashville: Santos may struggle to keep up with a big league rotation because of his stamina and durability, but he should have enough talent. He has the potential for outstanding control and solid splits. He also projects to have one excellent pitch, one good pitch, two decent pitches and one bad pitch.
45. Rigo Gutierrez, RP, Richmond: Gutierrez projects to be strong across the board. His potential is very good for his control, his ability against righties and his fastball and it's good for his ability against lefties and his curveball. The biggest question is how much he'll end up throwing his bad sinker and how much it will hurt him.
44. Reginald Kelton, DH, Albuquerque: As with Philadelphia's Miguel Diaz, Kelton is limited because he can't play the field and his durability will limit how many games he can play in a season, but his offense looks a bit better. He has the potential for very good contact and power, and his batting eye should be solid. He should also be good against righties, and he'll be fantastic against lefties.
43. Max DeLeon, C, Pittsburgh: Aside from a low durability that will force you to carry a solid backup catcher, DeLeon doesn't have a huge weakness. His offense should be above average for his position, as he has the potential for good contact, power and patience and he should be solid against lefties and OK against righties. Defensively, his range is bad, but his glove and arm could end up being about average and he can call a fine game.
42. Wilfredo Suarez, SP, Nashville: Suarez has the stamina to be a starter, but he may not have the durability to take the ball very fifth day. Still, his talent is obvious. His projected control is excellent. He should be solid against righties and very good against lefties, and he has the potential for two very good pitches, one decent pitch and a fourth usable pitch.
41. Davey Spiers, COF, Nashville: Recently promoted, Spiers has hit the ground running in the majors and should excite Twang fans by reminding them of former Nashville great Wiki Perez. Spiers' offensive potential is similar to what Perez was in his prime. He has the potential for fantastic power and excellent patience but only projects to be decent for contact and his splits. He's different from Perez in two places. One, he's not limited to first base as he'll be a fine defender in either corner outfield spot. Two, he's a huge health risk.
40. Joe Bacsik, SP, Philadelphia: Bacsik's spot on this list, and his career, could be in jeopardy as he's currently being run into the ground in AAA, making five consecutive starts at 0% rest. Assuming Bacsik gets some rest before suffering a devastating injury, he has the potential to be very good against righties and dominant against lefties. His control will only be OK, be he projects to have one very good pitch, one good pitch, two decent pitches and one bad pitch. He is another pitcher who may struggle to take the ball every fifth day with his durability.
39. Thurman Pearson, 2B, Syracuse: Pearson isn't going to be a star, but he definitely has the potential to be a solid regular. He has good potential contact, patience and ability to hit righties and his potential against lefties is very good. He doesn't have much power, though. Defensively, he should develop into a solid second baseman, with below-average range but an above-average glove.
38. Milt Dye, C, Los Angeles: Assuming he can stay healthy, Dye should be a very nice starter in a couple seasons. He has the potential to have very good contact, power and patience, and his splits should both be solid. Defensively, he's below average, but he certainly won't be the worst catcher in the league. He's pretty durable for his position, but his mediocre health will be the big concern.
37. Quilvio Rodriguez, RP, Nashville: If it seems like every other prospect is a Twang, it's not just you. Nashville has five prospects between 37 and 47 on this list. Rodriguez projects to have outstanding control and outstanding stuff against lefties, and he should be good against righties. He has two good pitches and three other decent pitches, but none of them are great.
36. Denny Abercrombie, LF, Buffalo: Abercrombie is one of those defensive tweeners. His range and glove aren't good enough for him to play second base, but they're much better than necessary to play left field. Fortunately, he doesn't need to be at second for his bat to play in the majors. He has the potential for very good power and patience and good splits, and his contact should be decent. The fact that his defense in left will be very good is a bonus.
35. Preston Bush, RP, Minnesota: Bush lost a year of development because of an injury in season 5, or else he'd be ready for the majors right now. Instead, he'll need to keep developing despite the fact that he's already 24. He still has the potential to have excellent control and excellent ability against lefties, although he'll only be decent against righties. He projects to have a fantastic fastball, a very good curveball and a usable changeup. His health has already affected him once and could be a problem again.
34. Jerry Borbon, 1B, Los Angeles: Borbon projects to have very good contact, power and patience, which is exactly what you want from your first baseman. He projects to have solid, and pretty even, splits. Defensively, his range and arm accuracy will definitely be below average, and his glove may not get all the way to average either.
33. Benito Alvarez, 1B, Richmond: Alvarez has the potential to have fantastic power, very good patience and good contact skills. He should be good against righties and solid against lefties. His range is the worst part of his defense; everything else at least has a chance to be about average. In addition to having slightly better offensive potential than Borbon, he has slightly better durability and health.
32. Willie Sanchez, C, Albuquerque: Sanchez's approach against righties is mediocre, but he should be strong enough elsewhere to overcome that. He has the potential for good contact and power and very good patience, and he should be excellent against lefties. Defensively, his range and arm strength will be fine, but his glove and arm accuracy will be weaknesses. He should be a fantastic pitch caller.
31. Ray Lyons, CF, Montreal: Already in AA at age 19, Lyons has a lot of developing to do to reach his potential, but that potential is quite good. He projects to have very good contact and good patience. His splits should be solid, but he doesn't have much power. Defensively, he has the potential for above average range for a center fielder with an average glove. He'll also be very dependable, with fantastic durability and health.
30. Harry Navarre, CF, Minnesota: Navarre would be higher on this list if not for the fact that he's out for the season with a torn hamstring that will cost him a year of development. Offensively, he projects to have solid contact skills and mediocre power and patience, but he should have a fantastic approach against both righties and lefties. Defensively, he has the potential for above-average range and an average glove in center. The question now is whether he still has time to reach that potential.
29. Brandon Roberts, RP, Minnesota: Roberts is quite old for his level, but he's still improving, which is the important thing. He has the potential to have very good control, very good success against righties and good success against lefties. For pitches, he projects to have a fantastic sinker and a solid slider.
28. B.C. Mota, SP, Philadelphia: Mota has some standout skills, but his pitches really threaten to hold him back. He projects to have fantastic control, even better stuff against lefties and very good stuff against righties. But while he has the potential for three good pitches, none of them are going to be better than just good. He also has questionable health, and it's led to injuries two seasons in a row now.
27. Tony Pascual, CF, Nashville: Pascual's value lies in his defense, which has the potential to be above average for a center fielder. His best offensive attribute is his batting eye, which projects to be excellent. He has the potential for good contact and solid power, and he should be good against righties and OK against lefties. Another problem for him is that he won't be durable enough to play every game, and his health could be a real problem.
26. Vic Martinez, 2B/CF, Richmond: Martinez is similar to Pascual in that he projects to play good defense and has solid but probably not great offensive potential. His best offensive attribute is that he should be very good against righties, and he'll also be good against lefties. He projects to have good contact and patience and OK power. His range should end up about average for a center fielder and his glove could develop to be well above average. He's also more durable than Pascual and has better health, although he's still not great in that department.
25. Bip Reagan, CF/2B, N.Y. Mets: Reagan projects to have good contact and fantastic power, but his splits are mediocre at best and only has a decent batting eye. He should be a good hitter in the majors, but not the dominant hitter he's been in the minors. Defensively, he has the potential to either be an averagish center fielder or a very good second baseman.
24. Cesar Nunez, CF, Syracuse: Nunez's contact and power potential are both a notch below Reagan's, but he's better just about everywhere else. Nunes projects to have very good power and solid contact skills with good splits and a mediocre batting eye. Defensively, his range and glove both have the potential to be above average for center field. He also should be dependable with fantastic durability and health.
23. Pete Kennedy, 2B/LF, Philadelphia: If Kennedy had better defensive potential, he'd be in the top 10-15 on this list. Unfortunately, he's either going to end up being either a very bad defensive second baseman or a very good defensive left fielder. Fortunately, his offense should be plenty good to play in left. He projects to have excellent power and patience and solid contact skills. He also should have a solid approach against righties and a good approach against lefties.
22. Orber Benitez, RP, Buffalo: It would be nice if his second pitch was better, but Benitez still has a very promising future. He projects to have fantastic control and stuff against righties and good stuff against lefties. His slider has the potential to be very good, but his fastball will only be OK. He'll be able to pitch a ton, as he has excellent stamina for a reliever and great durability and health.
21. Ted Barker, IF, Montreal: As with Lyons, Montreal has moved Barker through the system way too fast. He's already in AAA despite belonging somewhere in A-ball, so it's questionable how much time he'll get to develop before moving to the majors permanently. If he does reach his potential, he can be a very good hitter. He projects to have excellent power, a very good approach against both righties and lefties and solid contact and patience. Defensively, he should be fine at either second or third base once (if?) he finishes developing. The biggest concern for him is his poor health, which could make his path to fulfilling his potential even harder if he suffers a serious injury.
20. Carlos Guzman, RF, Minnesota: The opposite extreme from Lyons and Barker, Guzman is pretty much ready for the majors but is still in AA. Guzman has fantastic skills and very good patience. His power is good and could get a bit better. His approach against righties is mediocre, but he's good against lefties. Defensively, he projects to be almost exactly average in right field.
19. Brian Martin, RP, Buffalo: Like fellow European reliever Benitez, Martin would benefit from a better second pitch, but he's still very good. He projects to have outstanding control and very good ability against both righties and lefties. His fastball is already very good and could get a bit better, but his slider won't get much better than the decent pitch it is right now.
18. Jin-Chi Choi, RF, San Antonio: One of San Antontio's three consecutive No. 1 overall picks, Choi has below-average contact potential, but he projects to have outstanding power and a good batting eye. He should also be excellent against lefties and very good against righties. His defense projects to be pretty good in right field, and he should be able to play almost every game with his durability and health.
17. Roy Rodgers, RP, Pittsburgh: Rodgers is another of the surprising high number of prospects with health concerns, but he'll be very good if he can avoid serious injuries. He projects to have very good control, excellent stuff against righties and good stuff against lefties. His pitches are his real strength, though, as his slider/curveball combination could be almost as good as possible.
16. Alberto Bautista, SS, Minnesota: Bautista is one of the very few prospects who project to be a good hitter and a good enough fielder to stick at shortstop, although he certainly won't win any gold gloves there. He projects to have good contact, power and patience, and his approach should be very good against pitchers from both sides. Defensively, his range is the only thing that will be above average for the position, although he won't be much below average anywhere else
15. Ozzie Hawkins, SS, Minnesota: Hawkins is nearly a carbon copy of Bautista, but his bat looks to be just a bit better. His contact and power potential are both very good and his batting eye will be solid. He'll also have a decent approach against righties and a good approach against lefties. His defensive potential is pretty much identical to Bautista's.
14. Mac Garcia, RP, Nashville: The steal of the season 6 draft, Garcia is a very promising reliever who fell because of signability concerns. He projects to have excellent control, very good ability against righties and good ability against lefties. He has the potential for an excellent sinker, a good slider and a solid changeup. His durability should also let him throw a lot of innings.
13. Felix McDowell, 1B/LF, Cheyenne: McDowell's listed as a second baseman and that's where he played in rookie ball, but he's a first baseman or left fielder in the majors. That's not a problem, though, because he definitely hits like a first baseman. He projects to have excellent contact and very good power and patience. He should also have a very good approach against righties and a solid approach against lefties.
12. Dmitri Henderson, COF, Cheyenne: The middle of the Tackleberries' lineup will be in very good shape once McDowell and Henderson reach the majors. Henderson projects to have very good contact and power and an excellent batting eye. He should be very good against righties and good against lefties. Defensively, he'll be able to play right field, but his arm will be below average there.
11. Birdie Cornelius, SP, Nashville: That Cornelius is still this high on the list despite suffering a stress fracture in his elbow last season is a testament to how high his ceiling is. If not for the injury, he'd be in the top five. Still, Cornelius looks like a quality pitcher and there's a chance he can eventually reach his potential. If he can, he projects to have outstanding control, outstanding ability against righties and very good ability against lefties. He also has the potential for an excellent fastball, a good slider and two other usable pitches. Even if he doesn't get all the way to that potential, he should be a No. 2/3 starter, although he won't be a workhorse with his stamina and durability.
10. Einar Gandarilla, RP, Minnesota: The best Fatboy prospect, Gandarilla was a high-priced international free agent. He projects to have outstanding control, excellent ability against lefties and good ability against righties. He also has the potential for a fantastic fastball and an even better slider.
9. Cookie Tatis, 2B, Buffalo: Tatis has moved very quickly since signing as an international free agent, but while he could use some more development, he's probably ready to produce in the majors right now. He projects to have excellent contact and very good patience, and his power is OK. He should also be outstanding against lefties and solid against righties. Defensively, his range will be a bit below average for second base, but he'll be average or better elsewhere.
8. Bernie Espinosa, RF, Syracuse: Probably the best international signing in Gleeman World history, Espinosa is only 21 and still developing but will likely make his big league debut at some point this season. His best attribute is his outstanding batting eye, but he projects to be good to very good in each of the other four main offensive categories. His defense should be about average in right field.
7. Sparky Rando, SP, Florida: Another signability steal, Rando lasted until the 20th pick in the season 3 draft. He projects to have very good control, very good ability against righties and good ability against lefties. He has the potential for two very good pitches, a usable third pitch and a below average fourth pitch.
6. Chris Martin, SP, Los Angeles: Martin was an even bigger steal as the 26th pick in last season's draft. As with Rando, he projects to have very good control and ability to pitch to righties, although he'll only be decent against lefties. His pitches are better than Rando's, though, with the potential for a fantastic changeup, a good slider, a solid curveball and a usable fastball. While Rando and Martin both have very good stamina and solid durability, Martin's health is much better.
5. Tuck Stein, C, Buffalo: Just acquired this offseason in a trade with Chicago, Stein has the potential to be one of the best hitting catchers in the league, although his defense will be a bit below average. He projects to have very good contact and power and good patience. he should have an excellent approach against lefties and a good approach against righties. He has the potential to be a solid pitch caller, but he'll be below average everywhere else on defense, although he shouldn't be terrible in any area. His durability isn't great, but it's decent for a catcher.
4. Tony Guerrero, LF, San Antonio: The second first overall selection for the Sting on this list, Guerrero's probably the second-best pure hitter among AL prospects. He projects to have very good patience, excellent contact and even better power. He should have a good approach against righties and an outstanding approach against lefties. He could probably handle right field when he's fully developed, but his arm will be better suited for left. The only downside to Guerrero is that his health isn't good, so he's likely to encounter some injuries here and there.
3. Vinny Wang, SP, Buffalo: If Wang had better stamina and/or a fourth pitch, he'd be No. 2 on this list. Instead, he has to settle for being the AL's (and maybe the world's) best pitching prospect. He has the potential to have outstanding control and an outstanding approach against both righties and lefties. And while he only has three pitches, his fastball projects to be excellent, his curveball should be just a touch below that and his changeup should be good.
2. Livan Guzman, C, Philadelphia: When you find a superstar hitter who can play average to slightly above average defense at catcher and can stay in the lineup almost every game, you've found yourself one of the truly elite players. Guzman projects to have very good contact and power and a nearly flawless batting eye. He should be equally good against righties and lefties. Defensively, he has good range and a good glove and will call a solid game. His arm strength projects to be slightly above average while his accuracy should be average or a touch below.
1. Ronald Levrault, 2B, San Antonio: San Antonio's first No. 1 overall pick, Levrault has the best offensive potential of any player in the AL and he can also play a legitimate second base and stay in the lineup for every inning of the season. He projects to have very good contact, excellent power and nearly perfect patience. He should have a very good approach against lefties and a dominant approach against righties. On defense, his range should be at least close to average, and his glove, arm strength and arm accuracy all have the potential to be average or better for the position.
Team-by-team breakdown
Albuquerque Isotopes: 3 (Sanchez 32, Kelton 44, Wise 53)
Boston Red Sox: 3 (Diaz 60, Murphy 65, Castro 75)
Buffalo Europeans: 8 (Wang 3, Stein 5, Tatis 9, Martin 19, Benitez 22, Abercrombie 36, North 59, Fassero 74)
Cheyenne Tackleberries: 5 (Henderson 12, McDowell 13, Webster 64, Jacobs 70, Fryman 76)
Florida Cottonmouths: 2 (Rando 7, Nixon 66)
Los Angeles Hangars: 6 (Martin 6, Borbon 34, Dye 38, Roth 51, Murphy 55, Combs 58)
Las Vegas Armijos: 2 (Murphy 50, Martin 77)
Minnesota Fatboys: 10 (Gandarilla 10, Hawkins 15, Bautista 16, Guzman 20, Roberts 29, Navarre 30, Bush 35, Flaherty 48, Reyes 57, Beech 71)
Montreal Grand Orange: 3 (Barker 21, Lyons 31, Hubbard 68)
Nashville Twang: 8 (Cornelius 11, Garcia 14, Pascual 27, Rodriguez 37, Spiers 41, Suarez 42, Santos 46, Magadan 47)
Philadelphia Phenomenauts: 5 (Guzman 2, Kennedy 23, Mota 28, Bacsik 40, Diaz 61)
Pittsburgh Pug Dogs: 6 (Rodgers 17, DeLeon 43, Coleman 54, Lockhart 67, Smart 69, Boyle 72)
San Antonio Sting: 7 (Levrault 1, Guerrero 4, Choi 18, Webster 52, Baez 56, Acevedo 73, Lamb 78)
Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims: 4 (Espinosa 8, Nunez 24, Pearson 39, Griffith 79)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Power Rankings: Week 1, Season 7
Parentheses denote last week's ranking, current record.
1. (1, 17-7) New York Metropolitans
2. (2, 15-11) Minnesota Fatboys
3. (5, 18-6) Milwaukee Twindyans
4. (7, 15-9) Alburquerque Isotopes
5. (4, 14-10) Anaheim Anteaters
6. (3, 11-13) New York Yankees
7. (12, 17-7) Buffalo Europeans
8. (17, 16-8) Boise Mashers
9. (13, 13-11) Iowa City Comics
10. (6, 11-13) Boston Red Sox
11. (10, 13-11) Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims
12. (18, 12-12) Cheyenne Tackleberries
13. (19, 12-12) Madison Street Mifflin Boys
14. (15, 12-12) Sioux Falls Gunslingers
15. (22, 15-9) Richmond Roustabouts
16. (14, 15-9) Florida Cottonmouths
17. (9, 10-14) Nashville Twang
18. (28, 13-11) Washington D.C. Bureaucrats
19. (29, 13-11) Oklahoma City Twins
20. (11, 11-13) St. Louis Greys
21. (23, 12-12) Vancouver Vigilantes
22. (8, 10-14) Tampa Bay Devil Rays
23. (25, 11-13) Pittsburgh Pug Dogs
24. (26, 12-12) Chicago Jayhawks
25. (32, 11-13) Tacoma Downpour
26. (20, 9-15) San Antonio Sting
27. (30, 10-14) Montreal Grand Orange
28. (16, 8-16) Philadelphia Phenomenauts
29. (27, 8-16) Las Vegas Armijos
30. (21, 8-16) Monterrey Conquistadores
31. (24, 6-18) Los Angeles Hangars
32. (31, 7-17) Colorado Spring Silver Stars
1. (1, 17-7) New York Metropolitans
2. (2, 15-11) Minnesota Fatboys
3. (5, 18-6) Milwaukee Twindyans
4. (7, 15-9) Alburquerque Isotopes
5. (4, 14-10) Anaheim Anteaters
6. (3, 11-13) New York Yankees
7. (12, 17-7) Buffalo Europeans
8. (17, 16-8) Boise Mashers
9. (13, 13-11) Iowa City Comics
10. (6, 11-13) Boston Red Sox
11. (10, 13-11) Syracuse Fightin' Boeheims
12. (18, 12-12) Cheyenne Tackleberries
13. (19, 12-12) Madison Street Mifflin Boys
14. (15, 12-12) Sioux Falls Gunslingers
15. (22, 15-9) Richmond Roustabouts
16. (14, 15-9) Florida Cottonmouths
17. (9, 10-14) Nashville Twang
18. (28, 13-11) Washington D.C. Bureaucrats
19. (29, 13-11) Oklahoma City Twins
20. (11, 11-13) St. Louis Greys
21. (23, 12-12) Vancouver Vigilantes
22. (8, 10-14) Tampa Bay Devil Rays
23. (25, 11-13) Pittsburgh Pug Dogs
24. (26, 12-12) Chicago Jayhawks
25. (32, 11-13) Tacoma Downpour
26. (20, 9-15) San Antonio Sting
27. (30, 10-14) Montreal Grand Orange
28. (16, 8-16) Philadelphia Phenomenauts
29. (27, 8-16) Las Vegas Armijos
30. (21, 8-16) Monterrey Conquistadores
31. (24, 6-18) Los Angeles Hangars
32. (31, 7-17) Colorado Spring Silver Stars
Friday, May 23, 2008
AL West Preview: Season 7
Albuquerque (Season 6: 97-65, AL West Champions)
A .643 expected winning percentage tied Albuquerque for 4th best in Gleeman World in Season 6. And while a 2nd best 1078 runs scored was not a surprise, the 805 runs allowed certainly were - only 5 AL teams can point to a better number, and the Isotopes play in a hitters park. The final power rankings ranked this team 5th overall in the standings, and only a rude 2nd round encounter with the Fatboys dampened their seasons success.
In building on his season 6 success GM mitcho8 is going the road less traveled. Usually a team that has come close many times, but never close enough, choses to continue to ramp up when given the chance. You know the routine - increase payroll, trade away prospects, acquire veterans at all costs? Well, the Isotopes eschewed that path, and good for them. Walking out the door this offseason were 38 year old SPs Pascual Ozuna and Fernando Castilla, 33 year old 1B Jesus Reynoso and 35 year old ClA Tim Stark. Certainly a distinguished, if very old, bunch.
Replacing them are FA signees Butch Cintron and Max Manzanillo, both fantastic values, SS Omar Trevino via trade and a ton of prospects coming up from the farm: Nigel Chen, Glen Fowler, Michael Barrett and Osvaldo Cruz.
How will this team fare in Season 7? Well, they've already won a battle of sorts - their player payroll hovered right around where it's been for a few seasons now, and that has a great deal of value. We could also be seeing a glimpse of prospect Guy Wise in short order. In the end, I think the team is due for a small dip, a playoff appearance, yet ultimately more of the same.
Prediction: 93 wins, Division Champs
Cheyenne (Season 6: 80-82)
Life is certainly good in Cheyenne, as the payroll keeps going down and the wins keep going up. Falling just one win short of .500, Cheyenne placed 4 players into the All-Star game, all under the age of 30 (at the time anyways), then proceeded to welcome an almost entirely new cast of characters around them.
Meet: SS Hoss Bennett, RP Eduardo Castro, SP Vin Gipson, RP Milton Cameron (returning to the Show), RF Danys Duran, Stud 1B Dave Coles, SP Jay Brower, C Oswaldo Espinosa and finally and perhaps even leastly SS Buddy Hermansen. Whew.
While I won't go through and individually compare the new vs. the old, suffice to say that the old is highlighted by former Cottonmouth All-Star, now 35 year old and still FA (his agent is standing by the phone!) Matty Mitchell. This team is definitely getting better.
Prediction: 88-74, missing the playoffs by 1 game.
Los Angeles (Season 6: 66-96)
LA continued it's 5 season old tumble, landing on Route 66 at seasons end. Perhaps most concerning was the franchises still high $80 mm payroll figure for that season, leaving it well amongst the worst in the world when measuring by cost per wins. Usually when a team is mid-tumble, it does it's best to jettison payroll and rebuild. But instead, LA has chosen to.. well, I have no idea what they are doing TBH, but they are definitely doing something!
In regards to salary at least, season 7 is showing that the franchise is in rebuild mode, as the franchise set it's payroll at a record low $62 million. In other regards, it's been a mixed bag, but an incredibly busy bag, as the franchise swung 5 trades of significance this offseason in a somewhat confusing show of... well, decide for yourself.
Let's look at the Pittsburg trade. LA gives up a AAAA arm, and get's back Donald Lee., a player offered up for free by his former owner. Why was he offered up? How about a .686 OPS in Season 6, 3 trips to the DL in as many seasons (51 health), 3 years/$20mm remaining, and a 66 glove for a 2B. It's certainly got some upside, but for a 66 win team that should be cutting payroll and rebuilding, this expensive high risk acquisition is a little puzzling.
Or the Syracuse trade. LA dumps a bad contract (The pitches are a killer) includes a valuable CF for the trouble, and gets back 3 ML guys (2 making the min) none of whom appear to be more than just solid. This would be your standard "we are rebuilding" deal, LA gets out from under Estrella's contract - but in conjunction with the deal above and the deals below, it's a little hard to see where team management sees things going.
Take the Boise trade. LAA trades Keith Bryant, he of the amazing ratings, 30 IP limit and 400k salary, for a 31 year old catcher with a 59 PC and a 5.6mm salary. Add this to a $1 million dollar "acquisition" of 31 year old C Tony Dixon, who makes 1.5mm himself.
And lastly, we welcome 34 year old DH Charlie Stevens to the mix. While very pricey, and old, he does still have a good deal of pop in his bat. And while it didn't cost LA that great a prospect, I can't see why LA would want a 34 year old DH with some $18mm due?
Prediction: Welcome back to 75 win territory
Las Vegas (Season 6: 57-105)
Let the record show that we should probably not accept bosoxx05 back into Gleeman World.
And let the record show that new GM eliason kicked things off with a bang, signing three type B's (retaining all his own picks):Lewis Stephens, Eduardo Castillo, Scott Watkins, and a couple other FA's: D.T. Logan, Lawrence Bryne.
Combine the retention of the draft picks with non-harmful contracts and zero trades thus far, and we seem to have the makings of a good new owner. Welcome GM, and good luck!
Prediction: 69 wins, no trades until after the All-Star break (please)
A .643 expected winning percentage tied Albuquerque for 4th best in Gleeman World in Season 6. And while a 2nd best 1078 runs scored was not a surprise, the 805 runs allowed certainly were - only 5 AL teams can point to a better number, and the Isotopes play in a hitters park. The final power rankings ranked this team 5th overall in the standings, and only a rude 2nd round encounter with the Fatboys dampened their seasons success.In building on his season 6 success GM mitcho8 is going the road less traveled. Usually a team that has come close many times, but never close enough, choses to continue to ramp up when given the chance. You know the routine - increase payroll, trade away prospects, acquire veterans at all costs? Well, the Isotopes eschewed that path, and good for them. Walking out the door this offseason were 38 year old SPs Pascual Ozuna and Fernando Castilla, 33 year old 1B Jesus Reynoso and 35 year old ClA Tim Stark. Certainly a distinguished, if very old, bunch.
Replacing them are FA signees Butch Cintron and Max Manzanillo, both fantastic values, SS Omar Trevino via trade and a ton of prospects coming up from the farm: Nigel Chen, Glen Fowler, Michael Barrett and Osvaldo Cruz.
How will this team fare in Season 7? Well, they've already won a battle of sorts - their player payroll hovered right around where it's been for a few seasons now, and that has a great deal of value. We could also be seeing a glimpse of prospect Guy Wise in short order. In the end, I think the team is due for a small dip, a playoff appearance, yet ultimately more of the same.
Prediction: 93 wins, Division Champs
Cheyenne (Season 6: 80-82)
Life is certainly good in Cheyenne, as the payroll keeps going down and the wins keep going up. Falling just one win short of .500, Cheyenne placed 4 players into the All-Star game, all under the age of 30 (at the time anyways), then proceeded to welcome an almost entirely new cast of characters around them.Meet: SS Hoss Bennett, RP Eduardo Castro, SP Vin Gipson, RP Milton Cameron (returning to the Show), RF Danys Duran, Stud 1B Dave Coles, SP Jay Brower, C Oswaldo Espinosa and finally and perhaps even leastly SS Buddy Hermansen. Whew.
While I won't go through and individually compare the new vs. the old, suffice to say that the old is highlighted by former Cottonmouth All-Star, now 35 year old and still FA (his agent is standing by the phone!) Matty Mitchell. This team is definitely getting better.
Prediction: 88-74, missing the playoffs by 1 game.
Los Angeles (Season 6: 66-96)
LA continued it's 5 season old tumble, landing on Route 66 at seasons end. Perhaps most concerning was the franchises still high $80 mm payroll figure for that season, leaving it well amongst the worst in the world when measuring by cost per wins. Usually when a team is mid-tumble, it does it's best to jettison payroll and rebuild. But instead, LA has chosen to.. well, I have no idea what they are doing TBH, but they are definitely doing something!In regards to salary at least, season 7 is showing that the franchise is in rebuild mode, as the franchise set it's payroll at a record low $62 million. In other regards, it's been a mixed bag, but an incredibly busy bag, as the franchise swung 5 trades of significance this offseason in a somewhat confusing show of... well, decide for yourself.
Let's look at the Pittsburg trade. LA gives up a AAAA arm, and get's back Donald Lee., a player offered up for free by his former owner. Why was he offered up? How about a .686 OPS in Season 6, 3 trips to the DL in as many seasons (51 health), 3 years/$20mm remaining, and a 66 glove for a 2B. It's certainly got some upside, but for a 66 win team that should be cutting payroll and rebuilding, this expensive high risk acquisition is a little puzzling.
Or the Syracuse trade. LA dumps a bad contract (The pitches are a killer) includes a valuable CF for the trouble, and gets back 3 ML guys (2 making the min) none of whom appear to be more than just solid. This would be your standard "we are rebuilding" deal, LA gets out from under Estrella's contract - but in conjunction with the deal above and the deals below, it's a little hard to see where team management sees things going.
Take the Boise trade. LAA trades Keith Bryant, he of the amazing ratings, 30 IP limit and 400k salary, for a 31 year old catcher with a 59 PC and a 5.6mm salary. Add this to a $1 million dollar "acquisition" of 31 year old C Tony Dixon, who makes 1.5mm himself.
And lastly, we welcome 34 year old DH Charlie Stevens to the mix. While very pricey, and old, he does still have a good deal of pop in his bat. And while it didn't cost LA that great a prospect, I can't see why LA would want a 34 year old DH with some $18mm due?
Prediction: Welcome back to 75 win territory
Las Vegas (Season 6: 57-105)
Let the record show that we should probably not accept bosoxx05 back into Gleeman World. And let the record show that new GM eliason kicked things off with a bang, signing three type B's (retaining all his own picks):Lewis Stephens, Eduardo Castillo, Scott Watkins, and a couple other FA's: D.T. Logan, Lawrence Bryne.
Combine the retention of the draft picks with non-harmful contracts and zero trades thus far, and we seem to have the makings of a good new owner. Welcome GM, and good luck!
Prediction: 69 wins, no trades until after the All-Star break (please)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
NL West preview: Season 7
Anaheim Anteaters (105-57, NL West champion)
The Anteaters missed out on Don Masato, but they still had a very active and impressive offseason. Catchers Josh Wagner and Brian Wilson and pitchers Kevin Lee and Patrick Doster left via free agency and pitcher Jordan Holmes and shortstop Russ Lawson were traded to Tampa Bay.
In return for Holmes (who was very good for Anaheim last year) and Lawson (who wasn't), the Anteaters got all-world hitter and good defensive catcher Richard Maxwell. He can only give Anaheim 350-375 at-bats, but similarly durability-challenged catcher Donatello Paul can take most of the rest and Maxwell will be huge for Anaheim when it really matters: in the playoffs.
Anaheim also traded a couple prospects for pitcher Grover Rowand (who will make an excellent closer) and center fielder Byung-Hyun Yosida (who will allow the aging Fritz Rushford to move to left).
Anaheim dabbled in the free agent market as well, signing pitcher Sammy Manuel to slot in behind a very nice top three of Benny Molina, Kelvin Sullivan and Sal Roosevelt in the rotation and adding Jesus Reynoso to play first base.
Any pitcher in Anaheim's rotation can now turn in an excellent start and, even with corner outfielders Rushford and Alexander Stowers getting older, the only real weak spot in the lineup is shortstop. And the team has great depth, as Paul, Matthew Allen and Preston Grieve are some of the better backups you'll find and Louie Bonilla is a tremendous option as a fifth starter.
Prediction: 110 wins, NL Champions (losing to the AL Champ in the World Series, of course)
Boise Mashers (83-79)
The Mashers are only missing three significant players from last season's team: reliever Omar Benitez, "center fielder" Butch Cintron and catcher Joey Robinson.
Robinson was traded for catcher Will Carter and pitcher Keith Bryant. Bryant can replace much of the production Benitez provided and Carter can be nearly as good as Robinson, if he can stay healthy.
To replace Cintron, who was woefully miscast as a center fielder, Boise signed Tony Cortes, who is also not a true center fielder defensively but at least has more range than Cintron. The Mashers also signed a couple pitchers (Harry Rivas and Kareem Kipling) who are unlikely to be particularly good over the course of a full season.
Boise's best hitter is left fielder Jon Stowers and second baseman Doug Rueter is probably the team's best all-around players. The key to the team, however, may be pitcher Christopher Cook. He had a 3.30 ERA in six ML starts last season. If he can be even close to that good over 35 or more starts this season, that will give Boise a huge boost.
Prediction: 85 wins, wild card
Colorado Springs Silver Stars (56-106)
The Silver Stars got rid of a lot of pitchers from last season, none of whom posted an ERA below 4.00 and only two of whom were below 4.90. Unfortunately, the pitchers they added to replace them (Hades Roa, Benito Carreras, Rex Kirwan and J.C. Carroll) aren't that good either.
There are two reasons to see some improvement for Colorado Springs, however. The first is the trade for Chris Hall, who will replace Ron Black in the lineup and should definitely be an improvement offensively.
The second is the promotion of shortstop Max Walters. He should be solid offensively, and he'll mostly be replacing the at-bats of Billy Ray Benson and Chris McEnroe. More important, however, is his defense. Last season, Patrick Hartman and Juan Lopez combined to play 620 innings at shortstop and they made 26 errors and seven poor plays. With Walters playing shortstop every game, the team's defense should be significantly better.
Prediction: 60 wins
Tacoma Down Pour (51-111)
Tacoma's home park makes the team very difficult to read, but ultimately there's only one player on the big league roster who would start for most teams in the league: Brooks Zaun.
In the offseason, the Down Pour got rid of or lost a bunch of players who aren't very good. They didn't bring in any good position players, but a few of their new pitchers (Dicky Stargell, Dustin Harvey and Larry King could be decent).
A lot of Tacoma's success will depend on whether young players like Gene Tessmer and Gerald Griffiths get better. And a lot will depend on whether Tacoma wants to win as many games as possible or would rather gun for the highest pick possible again.
Prediction: 58 wins
The Anteaters missed out on Don Masato, but they still had a very active and impressive offseason. Catchers Josh Wagner and Brian Wilson and pitchers Kevin Lee and Patrick Doster left via free agency and pitcher Jordan Holmes and shortstop Russ Lawson were traded to Tampa Bay.
In return for Holmes (who was very good for Anaheim last year) and Lawson (who wasn't), the Anteaters got all-world hitter and good defensive catcher Richard Maxwell. He can only give Anaheim 350-375 at-bats, but similarly durability-challenged catcher Donatello Paul can take most of the rest and Maxwell will be huge for Anaheim when it really matters: in the playoffs.
Anaheim also traded a couple prospects for pitcher Grover Rowand (who will make an excellent closer) and center fielder Byung-Hyun Yosida (who will allow the aging Fritz Rushford to move to left).
Anaheim dabbled in the free agent market as well, signing pitcher Sammy Manuel to slot in behind a very nice top three of Benny Molina, Kelvin Sullivan and Sal Roosevelt in the rotation and adding Jesus Reynoso to play first base.
Any pitcher in Anaheim's rotation can now turn in an excellent start and, even with corner outfielders Rushford and Alexander Stowers getting older, the only real weak spot in the lineup is shortstop. And the team has great depth, as Paul, Matthew Allen and Preston Grieve are some of the better backups you'll find and Louie Bonilla is a tremendous option as a fifth starter.
Prediction: 110 wins, NL Champions (losing to the AL Champ in the World Series, of course)
Boise Mashers (83-79)
The Mashers are only missing three significant players from last season's team: reliever Omar Benitez, "center fielder" Butch Cintron and catcher Joey Robinson.
Robinson was traded for catcher Will Carter and pitcher Keith Bryant. Bryant can replace much of the production Benitez provided and Carter can be nearly as good as Robinson, if he can stay healthy.
To replace Cintron, who was woefully miscast as a center fielder, Boise signed Tony Cortes, who is also not a true center fielder defensively but at least has more range than Cintron. The Mashers also signed a couple pitchers (Harry Rivas and Kareem Kipling) who are unlikely to be particularly good over the course of a full season.
Boise's best hitter is left fielder Jon Stowers and second baseman Doug Rueter is probably the team's best all-around players. The key to the team, however, may be pitcher Christopher Cook. He had a 3.30 ERA in six ML starts last season. If he can be even close to that good over 35 or more starts this season, that will give Boise a huge boost.
Prediction: 85 wins, wild card
Colorado Springs Silver Stars (56-106)
The Silver Stars got rid of a lot of pitchers from last season, none of whom posted an ERA below 4.00 and only two of whom were below 4.90. Unfortunately, the pitchers they added to replace them (Hades Roa, Benito Carreras, Rex Kirwan and J.C. Carroll) aren't that good either.
There are two reasons to see some improvement for Colorado Springs, however. The first is the trade for Chris Hall, who will replace Ron Black in the lineup and should definitely be an improvement offensively.
The second is the promotion of shortstop Max Walters. He should be solid offensively, and he'll mostly be replacing the at-bats of Billy Ray Benson and Chris McEnroe. More important, however, is his defense. Last season, Patrick Hartman and Juan Lopez combined to play 620 innings at shortstop and they made 26 errors and seven poor plays. With Walters playing shortstop every game, the team's defense should be significantly better.
Prediction: 60 wins
Tacoma Down Pour (51-111)
Tacoma's home park makes the team very difficult to read, but ultimately there's only one player on the big league roster who would start for most teams in the league: Brooks Zaun.
In the offseason, the Down Pour got rid of or lost a bunch of players who aren't very good. They didn't bring in any good position players, but a few of their new pitchers (Dicky Stargell, Dustin Harvey and Larry King could be decent).
A lot of Tacoma's success will depend on whether young players like Gene Tessmer and Gerald Griffiths get better. And a lot will depend on whether Tacoma wants to win as many games as possible or would rather gun for the highest pick possible again.
Prediction: 58 wins
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