I was hoping some people could give me info on this guy. I've read in the gameday threads recently people talking a lot about him, but i was looking for more of what his upside and potential were. Also, do people feel his has a shot to stick at SS or do you see him eventually moving off of it because of his size? Thank you in advance for any insight you guys may have.

I'll admit, I'm still learning how to value minor league players and understand what it takes to move up a lot in the rankings. For example, over the past year I watched a guy like Jonathon Singleton make a huge push up most people's list after not being ranked in the top 100 at all. Gary Sanchez was another name I watched shoot up a ton, and Oswaldo Arcia to a a lesser extent. My question to everyone, who do you see as this year's version of those players?

I'll admit, I didn't really know who the guy was until last night. Reading the daily game thread and seeing everyone gushing over him, it piqued my interest. So I looked him up, he's a 19 year old (soon to be 20) pitching in A Ball. He had about 7 games in A Ball last year, and from what I'm reading, he was selected in the 38th round of the 2008 draft. The thing that really blows me away is the K/BB ratio. Last year, he had a 25/7 ratio, and this year already, he has a 24/3 in just 17 innings. So, if anyone can share any info on him, what type of stuff he has, ceiling, potential, etc, that would be great. Thanks!

My goal here is to find out of these pitchers which have the best stuff, and at their ceiling have ace potential. I haven't had a chance to watch most of them and for some that are from this year's draft, I really don't have ML numbers to go by, so any help would be much appreciated.

Casey Crosby

Tyler Matzek

Jacob Turner

Julio Teheran

Chris Withrow

Aaron Crow

Tanner Scheppers

Alex Colome

Mike Leake

Arodys Vizcaino

Zach Wheeler

Mike Minor

I need help in consideration of this trade. I'm in a league where you are allowed 8 keepers (6 + a class A and a class B),  plus 8 minor league keepers. Under the current rules, under 225 major league AB qualifies as a minor leaguer, under 550 AB or 180 IP as a Class A, and under 1100 AB or 360 IP as a class B.

Keepers:

MIguel Cabrera, Chase Utley, Evan Longoria, Grady Sizemore, Zach Greinke, Manny Ramirez, Tommy Hanson (A), Nelson Cruz (B)

Jason Heyward, Justin Smoak, Desmond Jennings, Martin Perez, Carlos Santana, Matt LaPorta, Dan Hudson, Chris Withrow.

My thing is, since I have so much major league ready OF help, and also Heyward and possibly Jennings coming this year, as well as an elite 1B, would it be smart to move LaPorta for Brown? What makes me nervous about doing so is reading the scouting reports last year saying LaPorta could have a Braun like impact (ok so it was CBS). Thanks for your help.

I know it's a little early to be looking to next year, but I'm just curious to get people's opinions on Mat Latos. He showed signs of brilliance in his short time in the majors, but also showed signs of being erratic which is normal for a 21 year old. I had a chance to watch him face my Braves twice and he looked very good both times. The walk total is a bit concerning, but he also is able to strike out guys. Pitching in Petco Park is a big advantage as well.

 

I've heard many reports saying he has ace stuff, and will end up a top of the rotation starter if he reaches his potential. My question is, from what you've seen from him in the limited number of starts he's made this year, do you think he will be able to make the adjustments next year to continue the path to eventually reaching that ceiling. Thanks for your input.

http://scottmerkin.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/09/dan_hudson_on_the_way.html

 

Daniel Hudson will be promoted to the major leagues by the White Sox, according to a report by MLB.com.

"When they told me, I did a double-take. They had to tell me twice before I believed them," Hudson said. "It's an awesome feeling. Just an amazing feeling." Hudson, a 2008 fifth-round pick out of Old Dominion, has blitzed through Chicago's farm system this year. Between four stops, he is 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 26 starts. At Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, he was 9-0 with a 2.02 ERA. Hudson has solid middle-of-the-rotation potential. He could become relevant in AL-only formats if given a spot in the rotation.

The guy flat out dominated at every level this year. Do you agree with the estimation here that he has the ceiling of a middle of the rotation starter, or does he have ace potential?

Diamondbacks pitching prospect Jarrod Parker will be shut down for four-to-six weeks due to a strained right elbow.

Parker paid a visit to an associate of Dr. James Andrews last week. He'll avoid Tommy John surgery, but probably won't resume throwing until late mid-September. The 20-year-old has a 3.68 ERA and 74/34 K/BB ratio in 78 1/3 innings at Double-A Mobile this season.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090811&content_id=6373040&vkey=news_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari&partnerId=rss_ari

http://startelegramsports.typepad.com/foul_territory/2009/07/smoak-to-triple-a.html

He was due for this because it seemed like he had nothing left to prove in AA. The only thing that held him back was the injury. I wonder how long it will be until he cracks the majors. Any guesses? With the continuing struggles of Chris Davis, I'm not sure how long they can keep him down, especially if they want to contend this year.

I was thinking about this last night, wondering if there was any direct correlation between how many swings and misses a pitcher generates per start, and the success that the pitcher has? Is there actually anywhere to go that lists these stats? On the surface, it would seem that most elite pitchers K alot of guys because after all, putting a ball in play has a chance to be a hit when a K doesn't. But also, usually pitchers who K alot of guys have the best stuff .

 

So if anyone could shed some light into this I would be grateful, and even provide some stats because I haven't been able to find any. Thanks.

If anyone can help me find some recent info on either of these guys regarding their injuries, that would be very helpful. I did a search, and all I could find was an article from Baseball America from about 2 weeks ago saying that neither has played a game since the end of May. I believe Smoak has an oblique issue, and Heyward an injury to his side? I'd like to know when either of these will be expected back, thanks.

I haven't heard much about this guy who seems to be in a middle of a breakout season for the Orioles AA Bowie team.

Current Stats:

.343 Avg   22 R   59 H   15 2B   10 HR   41 RBI   20 BB   38 K   .411 OBP   .605 SLG   1.016 OPS

His 10% BB rate and 19% K rate don't seem horrible for a power hitter.

I have to admit I haven't heard much about him, so I don' t really know about his future potential and where he fits into the Orioles plans. Can anyone provide me with some info on him, thanks!

After tonight's game, 1-4 with a Grand Slam, he now is hitting .302 with 10 HR, 32 RBI, and an OPS well over 1.000 in 132 AB. I went back through this site and saw that John Sickels had him ranked I believe #5 in the Houston system in 2005, and #8 in 2006. He called him a sleeper prospect and a possible Bill Meuller type. However, he never seemed to rank that highly overall as a prospect.

Looking at his minor league numbers, he never seemed to hit for much power, but always seemed to have great plate discipline, walking more than he struck out at each level.

My question to the community, is this breakout so far for real, and what should we expect from him going forward. Thanks.

 

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/06/03/tommy_hanson_braves.html

 

Saw it posted in the Glavine thread, but thought it deserved its own topic. Can't wait to watch him pitch for my Braves. I keep hearing all of these comparisons to the year Lincecum had in the minors a few years ago, but I'm really trying to temper my expectations on this one. It's been awhile since the Braves have had a pitching prospect this highly touted get called up.

I know he was struggling a bit on the Indians, but c'mon, it seemed like their plan all along was to see the kid fail. He would get the start one day, and then not play again for 3 days. He was also being flip flopped between 1B and LF. He was given a total of 42 AB to prove himself.

If they don't feel they have the AB to give him now, I can see that, but c'mon, the team is in last place and tanking fast, and it's not like Ben Francisco is doing much better. I think this is just another reason as to why Wedge and Shapiro are both going to be gone soon.

After seeing a post in the gameday thread about how well he did today and he's been doing, I decided to look further into his stats for the year. I know he was a top prospect at one point, but after struggling in the bigs last year on the Oakland, I haven't heard much from him since he was traded to Colorado and I think he had a mediocre camp and didn't make the Colorado roster.

Here are his numbers this year:  .344 avg  32 R  53 H  45 RBI  11 2B  6 3B  6 HR  18 BB  26 K  5 SB  1.037 OPS

My question is, is it possible he's finally turned the corner here? From when he was a top rated prospect, what type of projections for the numbers he might someday put up did scouts have for him?

So here we are a month and a half into the major league careers of Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill of the A's, and for the most part, it hasn't been pretty. Since both are 21 and never had much experience in AA or beyond, I've always felt they needed more time in the minors. The numbers thus far seem to agree with me.

Brett Anderson:

6 GS 0-4 31.1 IP  39 H  11 BB  21 ER  5 HR  15 K  6.03 ERA 1.60 WHIP  .289 BAA

Trevor Cahill (after today's start)

8 GS  2-3 41.1 IP  46 H  22 BB  23 ER  6 HR  14 K  5.01 ERA  1.65 WHIP  .269 BAA (+ today's 7 H in 2.1 innings).

 

I'm not sure what they plan to do with them either way since both should be on an IP restriction. At this point, should they just leave them out there to keep taking their lumps, or send them down to the minors to get more seasoning which seems to be needed?

I'm in a 12 team keeper league, 7 X 7 (Hits, Avg, Runs, RBI, HR, OPS, SB and ERA, WHIP, QS, HD, Save, W-L, K). We have an 8 man minor league roster, and minor league players must be called up once they reach 225 AB or 90 IP in the major leagues.

The keeper format is, you can keep 6 players, plus a Class A (under 550 AB or under 180 IP) and a Class B (under 1100 AB or under 360 IP), for a total of 8 players.

My dilemma is, I have Trevor Cahill currently in my minor leagues, and after tonight he is at 39 IP, almost halfway to the limit when I would have to call him up. Problem is, I already have a stacked pitching staff, and he's been pretty average this year (as expected) and I would prefer to not have to use him this year. I could do that and then keep him as a class A, but I also have LaPorta who I would probably prefer to keep or even Masterson.

I have a big hole at 2B (Jose Lopez) and someone offered me Orlando Hudson straight up for Cahill. Hudson doesn't seem to be cooling off since Manny went out, so maybe there is hope he can keep this up on his own. Should I do this deal?

Matt is off to a great start to the year so far. What has really impressed me is his K/BB and how he's managed to keep from striking out excessively which plagued him at the end of last year. I know before his trade last year and injury while playing for Team USA, people were saying he could be the "next Braun." That was dismissed after his horrible end to last year, but he seems to be back on track this year.

LaPorta's stats so far this year:

.400 avg 60 AB 19 R 24 H 3 2B 2 3B 5 HR 13 RBI 7 BB 5 SO .478 OBP .767 SLG 1.245 OPS

So I would ask, does anyone think he has a chance to be the "next Braun" this year? Cleveland is not getting much production out of Francisco in left, so it seems like it's only a matter of time before he gets the call.

For comparison, here are Braun's stats in 2007 while playing in AAA before his call up:

.342 avg 117 AB 28 R 40 H 12 2B 0 3B 10 HR 22  RBI 15 BB 11 KO .418 .701 1.119 OPS

They seem strikingly similiar to Matt's with the exception of Braun has double the at bats.

Thanks for reading.

After last night's 0-4 with 3 K's, his line on the season is now:

.140 Avg 43 AB 2 R 6 H 2 2B 0 3B 0 HR 4 RBI 5 BB 17 K .224 OBP .186 SLG

He is also now 2 for his last 32 with 15 Ks.

I know it's only a small sample size and he is very young and an elite talent, but when is it time to start showing concern over his performance or lack of. His BABIP is a pretty low .231, and he has a pretty decent LD% of 19%. However, the K/BB ratio is a little troubling.

Any thoughts?

I'm in a league that allows you to keep 8 minor league players at any time on your roster. You are allowed to keep them in your minors until they reach 225 AB for a hitter or 90 IP for a pitcher. Desmond Jennings is currently a free agent and I really want to pick him up. However, I didn't think any of these guys were less valuable than him, and thus I have a dillema. Should I drop one of these guys and pick up Jennings?

 

Trevor Cahill

Tommy Hanson

Justin Smoak

Jason Heyward

Matt LaPorta

Carlos Santana

Lars Anderson

Eric Hosmer

 

I'm not really looking for positional needs, just the best players available from a fantasy standpoint. Thanks!

I was thinking about both of these guys making the A's rotation, and wondering, what are their chances for success? Now obviously both are very good prospects, and have the stuff to eventually become front line starters. Both have also dominated in the minors to this point to some extent.

However, both of them have recently only turned 21. They have also only pitched in a handful of games in AA thus far. I'm sure both could use some more seasoning in the minors, but due to the A's current situation, they had to be called up now.

What does everyone think their chances of any type of success this year would be, and also, i can't seem to recall too many pitchers being called up at such a young age and thrown into the rotation. Are there past examples we can look at?

Also, who do you feel is better equipped to hold their own at this young age? Thanks for everyone's time.

Hi, sorry if this is a stupid question, I've only been folloing the minor leagues closely for about a year or two now. I would like to know, are there are any indicators of highly ranked or touted minor leaguers that they might be a bust at the major league level? I was thinking in terms of things like "makeup," poise on the mound, approach at the plate, etc.

I am anxious to hear everyone's opinion on this, thanks!

Hi, thanks for reading. I'm currently in a 12 team fantasy league head to head matchups with the standard 5X5 stat categories. I need help in figuring out who to keep out of these minor leaguers. I can only keep 6 to start the season. During the season, we have a 25 man roster and an additional 8 man minor leaguer roster. However, prior to the season, you can only keep 6 minor league players and then there is a minor league draft (players who were drafted in this years actual college draft will now be available in this draft).

Anyway, here is who I have on my roster, I need to choose 6. Please note, the reason I have so many is, I went out of the playoffs early, and cut some guys and picked up alot of minor league free agents.

Hitters: Jesus Montero, Freddie Freeman, Carlos Santana, Michael Burgess, Dexter Fowler, Austin Jackson, Matt LaPorta, Jordan Schafer.

Pitchers: Tim Alderson, Trevor Cahill, Brett Cecil, Neftali Feliz, Thomas Hanson, Jeremy Hellickson, Derek Holland.

 

I was thinking of going with: Fowler, LaPorta, Cahill, Feliz, Hanson and then one of Holland/Hellickson/Alderson but leaning towards Holland.

 

Thanks for looking and please let me know your thoughts.