SB Nation User Blog: Asfan4ever723

Jemile Weeks....What do you think?

Asfan4ever723 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:23:23 -0000

He was the 12th overall pick in the 2008 draft. By most projections he was considered to be chosen in the 20's, a fringe 1st rd type. Then late draft, he became a high riser due to the lack of quality up the middle position players. But no one expected him to go as high as 12 and was considered an overdraft. If you ask most A's fans they preffered wallace or hicks. But A's were hesitant on Wallace defensive value and loooked at Hick's as a pitcher. Fast forward to the offseason and recently, Wallace /Hicks became top 50 prospects, Weeks took 10 months of rest/rehab from a hip flexor injury. So the pick of weeks was looking very questionable.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jemile%20Weeks&pos=2B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=457789

He was activated in late may and sent to the cal league. He has started his season with a 17 game hit streak and 5hr over that span of games. It is only a sample size of 70 ab's but there's already thoughts of being aggressive with a promotion to AA by mid seson. Especially when other picks like alonso, castro, wallace, g. beckham, smoak, etc have been doing well. High end projections of Weeks ive read could be a top of the order energizer orlando hudson, brian roberts, jimmy rollins (2b version) type. Of course low end, another pennington, quintanilla type A's fans are used to. With cardenas tearing up AA and probably the best 2b prospect in milb, how will they handle Weeks future position? So looking back at 08 draft updates was the area of the Weeks pick justified, would he go any lower if there was a re do?

http://mlbbonusbaby.com/2009/06/06/2008-draft-first-round-stats-update/

Vin Mazzaro

Asfan4ever723 — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:36:16 -0000

So i was reading this week BA prospect hot sheet. "Mazzaro doesn't have any outstanding pitches, but he throws strikes and keeps the ball on the ground, which is why he has a 2.38 ERA in 56 2/3 innings this year." There has been skepticism over his 08 texas league pitcher of the yr production since he struggled in 06/07. Has his 09 so far answered those critics and put him into top 100 prospect territory? So will the real vin mazzaro please stand up...is he closer to the 06/07 or the 08/09 version? I've read varying reports on bowden, who's gotten alot of prospect expert media attention, red sox has even made him untouchable in trade discussions. so how does mazzaro compare? Do both profile more than mid rotation types at best?

Also from the BA chat:

john (boston): michael bowden or vin mazzaro?

Ben Badler: Mazzaro

BP preseason top 11 writeup:

8. Vin Mazzaro, RHP
DOB: 9/27/86
2008 Stats: 1.90 ERA at Double-A (137.1-115-36-104), 3.49 DERA; 6.15 ERA at Triple-A(33.2-49-9-27), 7.52 DERA
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked

The Good: Some scouts rank Mazzaro's sinker as a tick above even those of Cahill and Anderson. It's a bowling ball of a pitch that sits at 92-94 mph, with one scout commenting, "I can't help but be reminded of Kevin Brown when he pitches." He has good mechanics and has made great progress in his command and control, while also showing a mature knack for getting hitters out even when he doesn't have his best stuff.
The Bad: Mazzaro lives off of that sinker, because his secondary pitches lag well behind. His slider flashes average at times but can also flatten out, while his changeup could use more separation in velocity from his other pitches.

Perfect World Projection: He's a mid-rotation starter.
Glass Half Empty: He'll work in the back end of the rotation.

CF prospect smackdown Borbon vs Brown

Asfan4ever723 — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:21:45 -0000

Both these players were among the better college OFs in the 07 draft and now looks like future CFs for the AL West teams around 2010-2011.

Julio Borbon Rangers:

Texas Rangers in 1st Round (35th overall) of 2007 amateur entry draft

leadoff type. speed, defense, not much power. top of the order energizer that could be a terror on the basepaths

mlb comparison: lofton/damon type

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Julio%20Borbon&pos=OF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=474865

Corey Brown A's:

Oakland Athletics in 1st Round (59th overall) of 2007 amateur entry draft

multi tool CF, but K's/contact issues. Sickles on Brown: "The former Oklahoma State star is quite toolsy, with outstanding raw power, good speed, and a strong arm."

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Corey%20Brown&pos=OF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=446395

mlb comparison: cameron

Matt Sulentic: stud or dud?

Asfan4ever723 — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:38:08 -0000

From the prospect experts out there, i'd like an opinion on matt sulentic. In his 06 debut he looked like one of the better pure hitters at the highschool level to come from that 06 draft. Some of the Top 100 publications even took notice and said he might have a chance to crack some lists w/ a good season. He destroyed the SS Vancouver league, but followed it up with an equally horrible low A kane county. Basically he fell of the prospect radar after that 07 season. 08 he held his own in the cal league but missed the last month + due to injury. 09 didnt start playing till mid-late april but as a 21 yr old in AA had done well IMO. Has he regained that status and put himself back on the map? What is his upside? Will his lack of power for a corner OF limit him?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Matthew%20Sulentic&pos=OF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=501991

21 yr old in AA.
struggles against lefties, destroys righties.
overall 8 walks in 98 ab’s…not good. but 7bb have come in the last 35.
speed/stolen bases- most surprising . he started the season late on april 21. he already has 10 steals so far
defense – last yr his coaches praised his improvement

Garland also has been impressed with Sulentic’s play in the outfield, noting that the youngster could “play in the big leagues now as an outfielder.”

http://international.league.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080627&content_id=424545&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

here’s his 06 draft report

Sulentic is a pure lefthanded hitter with power to all fields. He’s an average runner with a decent arm, and his instincts allow his tools to play up in all aspects of the game. Scouts love his makeup, perhaps more than any high school player in Texas. His chief drawback is his size. He’s built along the lines of Lenny Dykstra but is more suited for left field than center. Sulentic has played shortstop, and if a team believes he could handle second base he could get picked as early as the second round.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2006team.php?team=OAK

the rise of andrew bailey

Asfan4ever723 — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:10:20 -0000

So usually every season you have that rookie that comes of nowhere and surprises. Bailey was middling, fringe top 15-20 prospect in a deep A's system, who got blasted in AA as a SP. Got demoted to the bullpen and everything clicked. As a reliever, he dominated the rest of the season in AA, AFL/spring training. Yet he was still buried in the depth chart as a 24/25 yr old pitching prospect almost headed to AAA. Injuries to joey devine and other pitchers got him a spot as a long reliever. Fast forward to now, he's been in every situation needed, so far among AL relievers in Ks/IP and is talked about as a future closer. Not saying he'llbe like him, but i see a bit of papelbon a mid 90s fb, high 80s cutter, and a solid curve/slider w/ that bulldog mentality goes right at hitters. I'd be interested in a Sickles write up on him, his future role (maybe a return to SP or not)

http://espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=30096

Holy Grail Part II: Lastings Milledge

Asfan4ever723 — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:25:44 -0000

So if you've followed Beane's man crush going back 5 yrs now. The A's liked Milledge in that 2003 draaft,

So if you have followed Beane's man crush going back about 5 years or so, the A's have like this guy from the 2003 draft. He didnt quite make it to their pick and we had the honor of drafting future stars like Brad Sullivan, Brad Snyder, and Omar Quintanilla. Fast forward several years later, we experienced the never ending zito/harden/blanton/haren trade talks with mets during the deadlines and offseasons which never came into fruition due to the stubborn omar minaya never giving into the asking price of milledge. So this guy does have some milton bradley like issues but that has not prevented from acquiring similar players before. This is typical moneyball, exploit market inefficiences and attack when a stituation arises. Some might disagree, but i would take milledge over buck and sweeney. At worst, he's another OF option if and when holliday leaves via free agency or is traded. Milledge was demoted from nats due to some shaky defense and being late to team meetings. How ironic, his replacement is Elijah Dukes who's behavioral issues are even worse. So if the price is right, would you pursue milledge sort of in a buy low situation? Or maybe a swap for Barton who nats wanted this summer? Or dont even bother getting milledge if you are satisfied with the current OF depth?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Dukes

Here's Duke nice track record according to wiki:

In 1996, Dukes' father was convicted of second-degree murder. One year later, Dukes was arrested for the first time. Dukes has been arrested at least three times for battery, and once for assault.[6] According to court records, he fathered at least five children with four women between 2003 and 2006.[6]

Dukes has received anger management training.[6] When Dukes was traded to the Nationals, the team also hired an ex-police officer in the role of "Special Assistant: Player Concerns". This person accompanies Dukes everywhere to ensure that he keeps himself free of trouble.[6]

the phenom has arrived

Asfan4ever723 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:48:03 -0000

a couple write ups and video from A's beatwriters of his throwing session this morning. apparently, he'll spendind time in arizona extended spring training then head to short season Van in the summer. looks like he has a smooth delivery. this guy may either end up king felix part II or daniel cabrera, jr. the hype has definitely begun with his higher than expected rankings in the BA/BP top 100

the "beautiful eyes" comment from fake jairo was funny

also apparently another team offered $1mill more than the A's...guessing its rangers

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=21&entry_id=36736

http://baybridgebaseball.com/

the revival of the screwball

Asfan4ever723 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:45:16 -0000

This pitch has been extinct from the arsenal of pitchers for awhile now due to violent consequences and risk of injury. a marginal 24th rd lefty from texas tech became a decent prospect due to that one pitch, zoomed through the minors, then got injured. he was forced to dump the pitch due to further injury risks. now if you were a pitcher would you sacrifice throwing a screwball a handful of times if its the difference between solid mlb pitcher and AAA/bullpen filler? i ask this because dallas braden is attempting to do this, since his screwball has been rated as a true out pitch before. but has had mixed results on the AAA/mlb shuttle the last 2 yrs. would you take that risk if it meant solidfying an mlb roster spot ? already beaten the odds as a 24th rd pick, having played 1 season of div 1 college baseball, and playing for his mlb hometown area team. would you tempt fate?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/15/SPRF15UO4S.DTL

That pitch earned him notice in the minor leagues but after surgery in 2006 to remove scar tissue encircling his biceps tendon and a humeral defect that left the top of his arm with an unusual hollow, the A's asked him to stop throwing the scroogie.

"It's something I'm going to kind of petition for," he said. "That's the pitch that put me on their radar, but they wanted me to back off it because my injuries were so abnormal and they weren't sure what caused that. Then I bounced back so quickly they didn't want to stir anything up."

the rise, fall, and rebound of jerome williams

Asfan4ever723 — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:14:21 -0000

i dont know if this is a feel good story since he made his own mistakes, but an interesting situation to follow. it wouldnt surprise me if he does get a chance since their rotation is so influx and inexperienced. crazy it wasnt too long ago when williams, foppert, ainsworth were the future of this team...i guess it evened out since cumster, cain, bummy, alderson will actually live up to that hype.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090215&content_id=3831814&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

Williams got way too comfortable, and it cost him dearly.

His meteoric rise began in 1999, when he threw a no-hitter and hit three home runs in the same game as a senior at Waipahu High in Oahu, Hawaii. Shortly thereafter, the Giants made him the 39th overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft. Upon signing, he was sent to their Class A affiliate in Salem, Ore., and by August he'd already picked up a Northwest League Pitcher of the Week award.

Williams was off and running. High-A ball in 2000. Double-A in 2001. Triple-A in 2002. In April 2003, he arrived at The Show -- and put on a show.

Handed a spot in San Francisco's rotation, he went 7-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 21 starts. In 15 of those, he threw at least six innings. He allowed two runs or fewer 12 times. He became the fourth Giants rookie to start a playoff game since 1937.

Athletics pitching prospects

Asfan4ever723 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:31:10 -0000

Ok, so we all know the Athletics have some young talented arms.

Trevor Cahill

Brett Anderson

Vin Mazzaro

James Simmons

Henry Rodriguez

Fautino De los Santos

Michael Inoa

plus several relievers like Carignan, Demel, Bailey, Lansford, etc

Probably a few more I am forgetting as well. My question is, who do you think will fail, and succeed?

I think Cahill and Anderson will be all star perennial SP in the majors.

Henry Rodriguez will end up being a closer.

Simmons will be a solid back of the rotation starter.

De los Santos will be one of those pitchers who has all the potential in the world, but will never totally fulfill it.

Just my opinions. What are yours?