Down On The Farm: Baseball America Hot Sheet Chat

Friday afternoons bring up the weekly Baseball America Hot Sheet chat, so let's get to some excerpts:

Larry W (Atlanta): Who has had the more surprising season, Devin Mesoracoor Brandon Belt? Which of the two has the brighter future?

J.J. Cooper: I'd have to say Mesoraco's is more surprising. In Belt's case he was a very productive college player who was thought to not be a great pro prospect--but that was all based on projection. He had hit wherever he'd gone. In Mesoraco's case, there was a multiple year track record of him struggling. Remember that he hadn't slugged .400 for a season in a three years as a pro. Belt provided to be a surprise because he's better than his college scouting report. Mesoraco is a surprise because he lived up to his high school scouting report after three years of struggles. Mesoraco has turned into a solid defensive catcher, even though Belt's a good defensive first baseman, I've got to go with the catcher having a brighter future.

Both Belt and Mesoraco have had breakout years this season, and are must adds in keeper leagues.

Be sure to check out John Sickels' article on Mesoraco over at Minor League Ball.

Zach (Saint Augustine): Thanks for the chat. Who's the best pitcher-hitter combo in the minors? Teheran and Freeman? Moustakas and Lamb? And please show some love for Britton and Machado! Also, what does Machado's ETA in Baltimore look like?

J.J. Cooper: I can't really put Machado in that group right now because we're talking about two entirely different things. When talking about Teheran-Freeman or Moustakas-Lamb (or Montgomery-Hosmer or Myers-Montgomery, the Royals are stacked) we're talking about players who have done it in full season ball. 

For me, I would go with the better bat, and right now, that is Mike Moustakas. But the fact that Freeman is in the majors makes it difficult. Teheran is better than Montgomery and should be a Top 10-15 prospect in 2011.

Ben (Leland Grove): Many experts remain bullish on Martin Perez, despite his frequent substandard starts this year. Is he just a case of being better than his numbers would indicate, or what?

J.J. Cooper: The stuff is still very good and he's so, so young for that league. If Perez spent the next two full seasons in Double-A figuring it out, he'd still young when he made it to the majors in 2013. And I'd expect to see him figure it out before then.

Perez is definitely a prospect who has struggled in AA this season. 2011 will be an important year for his prospect status.

MJ (Valpo): Matt Moore is not "top tier" for pitching prospects?!? He's now led ALL of MiLB in K/9 ratio for three years running, total K's two years running, and just turned 21, and will be in AA next year, at 21, NEVER been injured, and is a LEFTY! Aside from some wildness (which pitcher doesn't at his stage) what prevents him from being the #1 overall P prospect? Who's more dominant???

J.J. Cooper: You just brushed aside the wildness like it's no big deal. But if he's going to be a No. 1 starter (which you're talking about when you say the minor's best pitching prospect) you have to have excellent command. Julio Teheran didn't have that wildness at his stage (he's younger than Moore). Neither did John Lamb (younger than Moore). Neither did Jeremy Hellickson. The question with Moore has always been will be have enough control to use his oustanding stuff. For a while the answer was no, but now more and more the answer is becoming yes. He's a very good prospect, but if you asked me if I wanted the next 10 years of Hellickson or Moore, I'll take Hellickson.

Matt Moore is another in a long list of pitching prospects in the Rays system. He does need to work on his control, but unless the Rays deal him or another of their major league pitchers, they won't need Moore for a few years.