Photo by Alli

THE PROFILE

The Detroit Tigers selected Jacob Turner with the 9th overall pick of the 2009 draft. The 6'5 right handed pitcher was 7-2 with a 0.60 ERA the previous season for Westminster Christian HS. In 58 1/3 innings of work Turner struck out 113 while walking only 13. Despite being only 18 years old at the time Turner was instantly highly regarded as one of the Detroit Tigers top prospects.

THE TURNER ERA BEGINS
Due to our paper thin depth at starting pitching down on the farm, I immediately put Turner on my radar. With Lakeland being a short forty-five minute drive from Orlando I once again reordered my season ticket plan for the Flying Tigers. I was looking forward to getting a good look at the Tigers new prospect pitcher.

Last spring training in three innings, Turner walked three and struck out four without allowing any hits or runs. Turner then began the season in Low-A West Michigan which angered me geographically speaking. I believed a mid-season promotion was quite possible and was forced to watch from afar the first half of the season. As expected, Turner shined in West Michigan and the hype was real. After posting a solid 3.67 ERA and striking out 51 in 54 innings. Jacob Turner was now on his way to Advanced-A Lakeland.

I was looking forward to finally getting a solid look at Turner who was now in Tiger Town to finish out his first professional season. With that in mind, I thought I would take some time to fill the BYB community in on exactly what I observed while Turner was a Flying Tiger.

Poll

When SHOULD prospect Jacob Turner make his Motown debut?

9%

Immediately! Why pay for a free agent!

30 votes

88%

No sooner than 2012. Give the kid at least another season down on the farm

288 votes

1%

Prospect? What is that? Trade him, isn't that what we normally do with those things?

6 votes

324 votes | Poll has closed

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I have recently launched a spot on YouTube so I could post video clips from Lakeland Flying Tiger games. Not to big of a deal, I just wanted to share the link with the BYB family so y'all can take a look at some of the action down here in Lakeland.

The first installment features some video from (7/30) Friday nights game against Bradenton. The LFT won 4-3 and Jacob Turner got the win after pitching five innings of two hit ball surrendering just one run.

ENJOY

http://www.youtube.com/user/jayrc1321

While the most common area of concern is the offense or lack there of, the addition of another ACE is more important for the present and future of this franchise. Beyond Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer right now, my stomach is a little uneasy these days in regards to our starting pitching. The term quality start seems to be in hibernation mode and starters performances seem a bit like those chocolates in Forest Gumps candy box. Sure I'd love a quality short stop just as much as the next man. However, I'm a big believer that pitching and defense wins. Runs come and go, pitching however does not. With Dan Haren, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt all being dangled by their respective teams plucking one of them away feels so right.

THE NUMBERS:

Currently signed through 2012, Dan Haren is making $8.25 million in 2010, and $12.75 million in 2011 and 2012. The deal also includes a $3.5 million buyout if the team doesn't pick up the $12 million option year in 2013. Dan Haren currently sports a 7-6 record with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. His 119 strikeouts are also fifth most in MLB this season. Considering the fact that Chase Field is a "hitters park" the dimensions of Comerica Park would certainly work wonders on some of those numbers. Haren is also the only one to have currently been linked that the Tigers are scouting. 

The Houston Astros continue to dangle Roy Oswalt and are even saying that they will eat salary depending on what they get back in return. How lofty is Oswalts current contract?  The breakdown is as follows: He is earning $15 million this season and stands to earn $16 million in 2011. Oswalt has a complete no-trade clause and a $2 million buyout of a $16 million club option for 2012. This season Oswalt is 5-10 with a 3.32 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and 104 strike outs.

The leader of the pack is no doubt southpaw Cliff Lee. He is making $8 million and is obviously a free agent after this season. Lee is 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA, 89 strike outs and a 0.95 WHIP. 

Interested teams include a grocery list of teams. The Phillies, Twins, Dodgers, Yankees and Nationals have all shown interest in one or more of the above names.

EXACTLY WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?

The simplest answer to the above question is A LOT! However, the kings ransom that the above teams will ask for is well worth it. As much as I LOVE the idea of prospects, they are just as they are decribed...a "prospect"!  There is no telling IF Casey Crosby will ever stay healthy and make it to the show. Will Jacob Turner and Andrew Oliver develop into their projected ACE form? Only time will tell. For every Justin Verlander there are several Andrew Millers. Not being negative, just keeping it real! Dealing away a few "could be" prospects for an already established bona fide Ace just feels right. Just imagine the three headed monster of Verlander/Oswalt/Scherzer or Verlander/Haren/Scherzer down the stretch. Assuming that Rick Porcello bounces back next season, the addition would give Detroit one of baseballs top rotations for years to come. With that in mind, I quickly put together a list of prospects that might come into play...IF my wish comes true.

I would assume that any conversation for Cliff Lee would begin with either Jacob Turner, Andrew Oliver or Casey Crosby. A position player or two along the lines of Jeff Larish, Ryan Strieby, Wilkin Ramirez or Rawley Bishop comes to mind. As if that is not enough perhaps a lower level prospect like Brayan Villarreal, Luke Putkonen or Charles Furbush would likely accompany the pair/trio. That being said, Lee would cost the most.

Roy Oswalt would likely cost slightly less than Cliff Lee unless Houston were to pay a hefty portion of the remaining salary. 

Perhaps the best match up would be for Dan Haren as Arizona is desperate for pitching. I would anticipate they would want either Andy Oliver or Jacob Turner along with a reliever like Robbie Weinhardt or Jay Sborz and a position player like Ryan Strieby. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Chicago White Sox have a track record for making moves at the deadline as they acquired Jake Peavy last season. The Minnesota Twins also appear to be willing to part with prospects to add a bona fide ACE. A lot of what ifs, i know that much. All things considered though, it is something the Detroit Tigers should at least consider.

We decided to take the seven hour trip north on Friday to catch the game. Beautiful stadium and I was impressed with what I saw from Andy Oliver. Perhaps the only thing worse than the loss was listening to my girl talk shit the whole night because her BRAVES won. The tomahawk chop gets old fast!

 

Below is the link to photo bucket where some good and bad pictures from the game reside.

http://s940.photobucket.com/albums/ad246/jayrc_photos/

 

via web.minorleaguebaseball.com (Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com)

At just 17 years old, Brayan Villarreal was signed as a non-drafted free agent on October 25th 2005. The 6-foot, 23-year-old Venezuelan is quickly emerging as a top pitching prospect in the Detroit Tigers farm system.

THE BACKGROUND:
Villarreal began his first full season in Low-A West Michigan after missing a serious chunk of time due to Tommy John Surgery. Villarreal started, pitched in relief and even racked up a couple saves last year. He finished the season 5-5 with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. While his jaw dropping 10.3 K/9 ratio was perhaps his most impressive stat, the number 103 1/3 was even more important. For the first time in a long time Brayan was healthy. The fact that he was able to log over 100 innings was a step in the right direction. The results were icing on the cake. Brayan Villarreal was now once again a prospect.

THE REPERTOIRE:
Villarreal features a fastball with great late movement that sits regularly in the low 90s. On occasion he will turn it up a notch and touch as high as 95. His slider has been described by Baseball America as "the best slider in the system". Villarreal also recently added a serviceable change-up.

He works pretty quickly on the mound and posted a ground ball rate in the low 40's last season. Villarreal has made great strides aiming to improve on that ratio this season though. Out of last nights twenty one outs that he recorded, five were strikeouts and ten were ground outs.

WHAT HAS HE BEEN UP TO?
This season Villarreal was assigned to Advanced-A Lakeland. To simply state that he began the season on the right foot would be a gross understatement. In his first three starts (15 1/3 innings) Villarreal had 26 strike outs! To put it in perspective he was striking batters out at a clip of 15.3 / 9! To go along with that insane ratio was a 2-1 record and a 2.35 ERA.

While his numbers have become a bit more realistic, Villarreal is still on a tear. Last night he became the Florida State Leagues first seven game winner. His 72 strike outs are fifth most and he is tied for the eighth lowest WHIP at just 1.15. Through twelve starts he currently sports an ERA of just 3.33!

HIS FUTURE:
While last season command and control were his biggest issues, he is starting to settle down as evident by his respectable 2.8 BB/9 ratio. His biggest hurdle now is perhaps his size. While listed at 6 feet, I believe 5'10 is more accurate description. That being said, durability issues arise given his 5'10 170 lb frame. However, it is easy to over look that when you are striking out more than a batter an inning though.

Given the fact that there is no data beyond A ball it is hard to give a realistic projection. In other words, AA Erie should paint a much clearer picture of what to expect from Brayan Villarreal. At any rate, my gut feeling would be a ceiling of a middle rotation candidate if all goes well. With his amazing strikeout ratio and decent ground ball rate, worst case scenario would be a decent reliever. His numbers thus far are very encouraging and I would assume that Villarreal has also made a positive impression on the Tiger's brass thus far. 

Keep an eye on Brayan Villarreal as he continues to earn his stripes down on the farm.

via mlb.mlb.com

(photo by Mike Janes/Four Seam Images)

It is a severe understatement to simply say that rookie second baseman Scott Sizemore had big shoes to fill this season. Being the successor to many fans "TIGER" Placido Polanco is no easy task. Regardless, this season the 2009 Minor League Position Player of the Year stepped into the spotlight and was named starting second baseman. While many were sad to see Polanco depart (including me), there was a great deal of hype surrounding Sizemore. After splitting 2009 between AA Erie and AAA Toledo, Sizemore batted a combined .308 with 17 home runs and 69 RBI. In other words... expectations were high!

FAST FORWARD

After just thirty games the Scott Sizemore experiment (temporarily) came to a halt and the Detroit Tigers optioned him to AAA Toledo on May 16th. While it was a well known fact that his glove left a little to be desired, the career .296 slugger was predicted to have no problem with the stick. However, through those first thirty games Sizemore posted a pathetic .206/.297/.289 line. Adding salt to an open wound was his six errors and sporadic bonehead plays.

(SIGH)

So, what exactly has Scott Sizemore been up to in Toledo?

Since being optioned to AAA Toledo, Sizemore is batting .380 with 7 doubles, 1 home run and 7 RBI. Sizemore is also currently riding a thirteen game hit streak. Perhaps the most encouraging statistic is that he has yet to commit an error.

While I'm not exactly putting him on a bus to Detroit quite yet... these numbers are encouraging. The last few weeks have definitely been a step in the right direction for arguably one of the top position prospects in the Tigers organization.

Keep an eye on Scott Sizemore as he continues to earn his stripes down on the farm.

Bumped to the front page- David T.

Charles Furbush was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Louisiana State University. Furbush has been ranked as high as the third best Detroit Tiger prospect by baseball prospectus but is currently ranked near the forties. The 6-foot-5, 24-year-old south paw must not have received that memo though. This season in Advanced-A Lakeland Furbush is tormenting batters and reestablishing himself as a serious prospect.

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Rawley Bishop was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 19th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Middle Tennesee State University. Quick to sign his contract, Bishop played in 71 games for Oneonta last season and posted a respectable line of .282/.378/.439 earning him a NYP Mid-Season All-Star selection. The 6'4 twenty-four year old first baseman both bats and throws right handed. As a member of the Lakeland Flying Tigers this season, Bishop has been torturing Florida State League pitchers.

Continue reading this post »

 

Down on the Farm: 2010 Top Pitching Prospects

With the Minor League Season about to begin, the Down on the Farm series is set to resume. As a first assignment, I thought I would quickly highlight some pitching prospects to keep an eye on this season. My top position players to keep an eye on will immediately follow.

COMING SOON:

RHP Robbie Weinhardt
2009: Advanced A Lakeland & AA Erie
Stats 63 innings
1-2, 5 SV, 1.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
10.3 K/9, 3.6 BB/9

The relievers pitch repertoire consists of a low-90s fastball, a mid 80s slider and a slurvy breaking ball.

Weinhardt began his professional career in Advanced-A Lakeland last season with a twenty-plus-inning scoreless streak. Though still impressive, once promoted to AA Erie his numbers slightly elevated. However, Weinhardt followed with impressive performances in both the Arizona Fall League and Spring Training.

Weinhardt will begin this season in AAA Toledo.

LHP Daniel Schlereth
2009: AA Mobile/AAA Reno/Arizona
Stats 46 innings
1.01ERA, 0.00 ERA, 5.89 ERA
13.2 K/9, 9 K/9, 10.8 K/9
5.4 BB/9, 9 BB/9, 7.4 BB/9

Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks this off-season, Schlereth has perhaps the highest ceiling of our prospect relievers. Just how high that ceiling is though depends upon his command.

The southpaw features a mid-90s fastball and solid secondary pitches. Once he irons out his control issues he should help anchor the Detroit bullpen in the near future.

Schlereth will begin this season in AAA Toledo.

THE FUTURE:

LHP Casey Crosby
2009: Low-A West Michigan
Stats: 104 2/3 innings
10-4, 2.41 ERA 1.13 WHIP
10.1 K/9, 4.1 BB/9

After missing all of 2008 with Tommy John surgery, Crosby quickly made up for lost time and emerged as perhaps the Tigers number one pitching prospect.

Crosby’s fastball is clocked regularly in the mid-90s. He also features a slider and change-up.

The recipient of the 2009 Detroit Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award will begin this season in Advanced-A Lakeland.

LHP Andy Oliver
2009: Oklahoma State University
Stats: 88 1/3 innings
5-6 5.30 ERA 9.9 K/9, 3.5 BB/9

Oliver features a mid-90s fastball with great late movement and a change-up. Perhaps his only weakness is that he does not feature any breaking pitches. Unless he can develop one, he is a better candidate for the bullpen in my opinion.

The Tigers second round pick of the 2009 draft is slated to begin the season in AA Erie.

RHP Jacob Turner
2009: Westminster Christian HS
Stats: 58 1/3 innings
7-2 0.60 ERA 13 BB, 113 SO

The Tigers selected Turner in the first round (9th overall) of the 2009 draft.

Turners three pitch arsenal features a fastball that sits between 94 and 98 MPH. His repertoire also includes a slider and a change-up, all of which he has excellent command of.

This spring in three innings, Turner walked three and struck out four without allowing any hits or runs.

Turner will begin this season in Low-A West Michigan but I wouldn’t be to surprised to see him in Advanced-A Lakeland by seasons end.

INJURED:

RHP Cody Satterwhite
2009: AA Erie
Stats: 49 1/3 innings
4-6, 12 SV, 3.47 ERA, 1.48 WHIP
9.5 K/9, 4.9 BB/9

The flame-throwing late inning reliever has a fastball that regularly touches 95-98 MPH and solid secondary pitches.

His achillies’ heel thus far though has been his command as reflected in his walk ratio. Due to his delivery, he also has a tendency to leave pitches up in the zone causing his fastball to become hittable and his breaking balls to flatten out. In essence he is the right handed version of Daniel Schlereth.

It has recently been reported by Nick Underhill that Satterwhite will begin the season on the DL with a torn labrum. The injury "could be career threatening." Let’s all wish Cody the best of luck and a speedy recovery.

EARNING THEIR STRIPES:

After a solid season last year split between AA Erie an AAA Toledo, Josh Rainwater was very impressive this spring. In 8 1/3 innings he issued just one walk, struck out seven and allowed zero unearned runs.
Rainwater will begin the season in AAA Toledo.
 
With an ERA of just 1.82, Melvin Mercedes quickly emerged as a reliable closer for the Tigers rookie league last season. At just 19 years old, he begins this season in Low-A West Michigan.

Brayan Villarreal is coming off a solid season at Low-A West Michigan where he split the season as a starter and a reliever. Last year he went 5-5 with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Even more impressive was his 3 BB/9 and 10.3 K/9 ratios. Villarreal should begin the season in Advanced-A Lakeland as a starter.