SB Nation User Blog: RoyalJHWKR

Aaron Crow video from AFL

RoyalJHWKR — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:02:12 -0000

Aaron Crow video from AFL

Project Prospect has a 3 minute video up of Aaron Crow pitching Monday November 9 in the Arizona Fall League.

Mike Moustakas in the AFL Futures game

RoyalJHWKR — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:06:30 -0000

So I'm sitting here, waiting for my girlfriend to get ready for the evening and I remembered that the AFL futures game was on the MLB network. So with rum and coke in hand, I thought I'd chronicle Moose's AB's. Press play on the video if you'd also like to listen to a good song. Fucking took me 25 minutes to figure this motherfucker out.

Live from Surprise, AZ, home of the Kansas City Royals as well as the Texas Rangers. The play by play guy called this ballpark one of the "crown jewels" of the Cactus League.

At Bat #1

Moose, and may I say Moose? (He looks Billy Butler-esque) He grounded out to 1B in what would very likely be a single at least 60-70% of the time. For whatever reason, first bagger Brandon Snyder was WAY off the line when he picked up the grounder and tossed it to the pitcher covering first. One out, but not a bad out as it advanced the runner and would have likely been a single in most other situations. He was facing Tommy Mendoza of the Angels organization. It was the third pitch of the AB.

At Bat #2

I missed this one. I had to run to the god damned gas station to get something for my girlfriend. But according to the box score Moose had a single and later ended up scoring. According to the gameday however, Moose was facing Daniel Moskos and had a "sharp ground ball" into right field off a 92 MPH four seam FB. It was the first pitch of the AB. Also of note is that Moskos is a LHP selected 4th overall by the Pirates in 2007.

*Mike Leake, pitching for the East squad really has sharp breaking stuff. He struck out two in the 4th inning. His pre draft scouting report really looks accurate. To me he basically looks like Brian Bannister RIGHT now.

*Tanner Scheppers throws gas. He also works VERY fast. Physically he reminds me of Jeff Samardzjia. He touched 99 and was working in the mid to high 90s. Sharp 12-6 curve, not thrown for strike. Hate to use cliches, but Scheppers is electric like Tesla.

At Bat #3

Facing LHP Dustin Richardson out of the Red Sox organization. (Richardson is from Newton, KS) Grounds out to SS on the second pitch. Moose now has 3 AB's and has only seen six total pitches. That's the book on him so far. He really needs to see more pitches. The announcer (who claims he is from KS) says that many people from Netwon and Kansas state wide are watching Richardson pitching. He just went on an unusual aside there for a minute.

1B Yonder Alonso is now 3-3 with a double. He's making solid contact. The Reds have a good looking combo in the pipeline with him and Leake. And Heise, didn't know him before tonight.

Just spotted on the MLB Network ticker. "Brad Lidge will undergo surgery to remove loose body from his right elbow" WTF is a loose body inside an actual body? Am I on the wrong side of too many rum and cokes? No, I definitely saw that.

Moose has now been pulled for Carlos Rivero who just made a good pick and throw at the hot corner. I didn't notice any balls hit at Moose in his six innings.

*Danny Gutierrez is now in the game. He apparently has a lot of friends at the game with LOUD cheers at Surprise stadium. He strikes out his first batter with a curve in the dirt. Gets his second batter out on another biting curveball. Got a third K on yet another curve against Jemile Weeks. btw, I HATE saying struck out the side when batters reach base even though you K'ed three in the inning. Anyways, an extremely solid inning by Dan. At worst, he's pitching like an 8th inning guy. Too bad he doesn't love Jesus enough. Manny Pina = Yadier Molina?

The game isn't over yet, but Moose is out. And my girlfriend and her brilliant friends want to leave Brookside for some god forsaken bar in Overland Park.

One Fan's Vision for the Royals

RoyalJHWKR — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:24:53 -0000

I've had over a month off from the Royals now and have been mulling over some ideas. This is my vision for the Royals in the upcoming 2010 season. Bear with me if you're bored and/or interested in one fans ideal vision for his cherished franchise.

1B- Mike Jacobs / Billy Butler

Obviously Billy Butler is the man. He had a fantastic age 23 season with 50+ doubles. Its quite possible that a few of those doubles turn into homeruns and Billy will parlay his superb contact ability into a .315+ average. 2008 line 301/362/492 (UZR -6.24 2.5 WAR). 2010 prediction - 315/390/505, with him hopefully moving closer to average defensively. As for Mike Jacobs, he should be non tendered and Kila brought up in his spot on the 25 man roster.

2B - Alberto Callaspo

Given his minor league production, his offensive breakout this year wasn't as unexpected as some would have you think. However, as we all know his defense was atrocious, to the tune of a -7.8 UZR. So, some ideas.... With Billy being below average we need someone above average defensively to help cover some of the ground Billy can't. I move Callaspo to 3B where I believe he can be at least average defensively if not just a little better. If that doesn't work out, he can certainly be an atypical DH. He's under team control and cheap for the next few seasons, so he has value. So, with Callaspo moved off of 2B, who plays second? Betancourt could move to 2B, he might be average there. A healthy Aviles could likely play a slick 2B and if he could recapture even a decent portion of his 2008 offensive production then he could post a WAR between 2.5 to 3.5, which is incredibly useful. So, we can keep our fingers crossed for that because Aviles would be a cheap and potentially super productive in house option. Jeff Bianchi could potentially be ready mid season at SS/2B as well. Tug Hulett could also be useful, likely the pure definition of replacement level. A possible trade target could be the Phillies' Jason Donald who is said to project well above average defensively at 2B.

SS - Yuniesky Betancourt

Suck. Serious suck. This forum knows all about Betancourt's serious inadequacy. So, my vision clearly doesn't include Yuni. So where do you go from there? As previously said, Bianchi could be available midseason, but likely not. So what to do? Adam Everett is a free agent and would probably come cheap. Maybe one year for 1.5-2.5 million with a second year option. Even though his defense has declined somewhat in the last couple years, he would be eons better than what we currently have. An intriguing trade option could be to acquire Reid Brignac from the Devil Rays. Also, Jack Wilson has an 8.4 million club option with the M's and might be worth taking a look at if his option is declined. He's a longshot at best though, as he probably wants more dough than the Royals can stomach. He's probably one of the top two to three SS gloves in the game though.

3B - Alex Gordon / Mark Teahen

The most conservative and likely option is simply to move Callaspo to 3B. I have seriously soured on Alex Gordon. I'm not advocating cutting him or even trading him at this point while his value is at its lowest. In my estimation Alex Gordon seems to be an above average athlete so I propose that we move him to RF where his arm can remain an asset. With Teahen's precedent, moving Gordon to the OF isn't actually that drastic of a move. As for Teahen, I trade him for whatever young, high upside talent you can get, or simply non tender him. He's getting expensive, and isn't likely to be a part of a winning Royals team. He could still have good value in the NL or with a team with a glaring need at 3B. And to make my big splash in the offseason, I sign Adrian Beltre. With the depressed economy and his decreased power output, his contract demands will surely be much more reasonable than his currently expiring contract. My offer - $15 million, 3 year offer. With Teahen coming off the books and Olivo as well, in my plan we can afford this contract quite nicely. And we all know about Beltre's superb defensive reputation. This year he posted a 13.7 UZR, as well as a 2.3 WAR. While I know that is nothing to get super excited about, he did battle threw injuries much of the year. Over his last five or so seasons Beltre has averaged out to be about a 3 win player. Not too shabby. Chone Figgins would be another player to consider. What will he command on the market? I love the speed, and UZR rates him highly at 3B with a 14.5. He also posted a 5.9 WAR. So yeah he's coming off a career year. But at 31, with his athletic body he could age relatively well over the next few seasons compared to a lot of other players. He also walked 101 times last year so there's that too. He's basically THE PROTOTYPICAL lead off hitter.

C - Miguel Olivo/John Buck/Brayan Pena

Olivo had a good, albeit unusual offensive season. He is likely going to test free agency. He has a solid arm but well below solid ability at blocking balls. For what he's worth he will be too expensive for the Royals. In my humble opinion, John Buck should also go. Perhaps Buck is a better defender than Olivo slightly, but his impotent arm makes him otherwise ineffective behind the plate. His bat is slow and he is also racking up MLB experience so his 2010 paycheck will be considerably higher than what he is really worth. Therefore, Pena is promoted to the starting role and he will either sink or swim. I then promote either JR House or John Suomi for a cheap in house backup role. Unfortunately these moves are probably only a slightly better than replacement level, but what can you do? Great defensive catchers with above average offensive ability don't exactly grow on trees, so you do what you can with what you have and hope that you're drafting and developing good backstops in the minor leagues.

OF - David Dejesus/Coco Crisp/Mitch Maier/Josh Anderson/Jose Guillen/Mark Teahen

David Dejesus is what he is - an outstanding defensive LF and a pretty decent bat. His contract is good, so unless we get any really tempting offers you keep him. No brainer. I bring Coco back as well. Not on his option though. I buy him out and offer him an incentive laden 2 year deal. With his defensive ability and speed, and an average bat he is still very likely a 2.5-3 win player. I'll take that in CF. As far as RF, as stated before thats where I have moved Gordon. I dispose of Guillen somehow (in a perfect world), Teahen is traded, and Anderson and Maier come off the bench when necessary. This gives us a well above average defensive OF with Dejesus and Crisp. Certainly enough to compensate for your new league average RF in Alex Gordon. Defensively speaking at least.

So my main theme thus far is to do what we can to improve defensively, while giving our young talent a chance to improve offensively. This is nothing new, the Mariners did it last year and the Rays before them. It is now common knowledge that defensive ability is the new market inefficiency. It is also the cheapest and quickest way to improve your pitching as well. Pepper that approach along with a couple good free agent signings and you have a competitive team in the very winnable AL Central

Pitching staff

SP - Zack Greinke, Gil Meche, Luke Hochevar, Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies

RP- Joakim Soria, Juan Cruz, Roman Colon, John Bale, Kyle Farnsworth, Robinson Tejeda, Jamey Wright

Our top four pitchers will, barring injuries, get 180-200 IP next year. Zack is the man, and a healthy Gil Meche I think will rebound nicely. We will continue to find out what we have with Hochevar, and if he's failing at 100 IP or so, you move him to the pen for a change of scenery. Hopefully he harnesses his good stuff If Brian Bannister's trade value picks up at some point then you make the move, otherwise he's an okay 3-4 type pitcher. Kyle Davies' last chance is this upcoming year as he could be destined for the pen as well. If that is the case then we can certainly see if Tejeda really is onto something and give him a shot in the starting rotation. Free agents to consider - Philip Humber is listed as a minor league free agent. He's worth a flyer. Kelvim Escobar could be a good candidate. Justin Duchscher , Randy Wolf, Carl Pavano, Brad Penny and Brett Myers could all be very useful at the right price. Randy Wolf is especially attractive pitching form the left side. 2 years / 14 million?

As far as the relief core, Soria, Cruz and Tejeda are locks. Farnsworth is also unfortunately as well because of his contract. I predict Cruz to have a rebound year and Soria to be his useful brilliant self. Bale likely makes the team if he stays cheap and he can get LH's out. I say adios to Jamey Wright and Colon, promoting Carlos Rosa and Chris Hayes. And for another LH option I put Lenny DiNardo in the pen. DiNardo had a great year in the hitting friendly PCL striking out 127 and walking only 38. I don't know why he couldn't be a league average reliever. Aaron Crow could potentially pitch out of the bullpen later this year. Nothing earth shattering here, a few new roles and promotions, with no additional funding needed. I see a league average to slightly above average bullpen here. The only unusual thing I do with this bullpen is use Soria more. If he's not gonna start, we at least maximize the usage of our second best pitcher in a reasonable manner. Thats why I insert Soria into high leverage game situations and keep him on a 30-40 or so pitch count, seeing how far he can go whilst hoping for the Royals to notch another run or two. If he "closes" the game then fine, if not if he's used as a true fireman a la Dan Quisenberry. That way we squeeze out extra value by having him out there more often and pitching in the most important innings of close games. He gets 85-100 or so IP in my vision.

This is not a bad staff. With an improved defense I dare say that we are above average. I don't have a lot of numbers to throw at you but I hope my humble explanations support the case that we can make several minor moves and a couple free agent acquisitions and really improve this team. Our best bet is to do everything we can to improve anywhere we can defensively. In addition to that, we have to hope that another year of development for Butler, Gordon, and Callaspo reaps dividends for us offensively.

With all of this I am clearly being a realist. We're not a World Series caliber team. But ideally, we give ourselves a chance to compete in our own division efficiently. It lets us have another year of development in the minor leagues. Add in another good draft and we are slowly inching towards a very respectable farm system that David Glass utterly destroyed from the early 90's to mid 2000s. I also hire Hal McRae in some capacity as well for the final cherry on top.

I present now, your 2010 Kansas City Royals

1B - Billy Butler / Kila Kaaihue

2B- Mike Aviles / Willie Bloomquist / Alberto Callaspo

SS - Adam Everett / Mike Aviles / Yuniesky Betancourt

3B - Adrian Beltre / Alex Gordon

DH - Alberto Callaspo

C - Brayan Pena / JR House

LF - David Dejesus

CF - Coco Crisp / Josh Anderson / Mitch Maier

RF - Alex Gordon

SP - Zack Greinke

SP - Gil Meche

SP - Randy Wolf

SP - Luke Hochevar

SP - Brian Bannister

RH RP - Joakim Soria, Juan Cruz, Kyle Farnsworth, Carlos Rosa, Chris Hayes

LH RP - John Bale, Lenny DiNardo

Fearless prediction with this team in 2010

86-76

Optimism Abounds - Wil Myers

RoyalJHWKR — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:27:49 -0000

Optimism Abounds - Wil Myers

3rd round draft pick is currently batting .426 with 10 XBH's at just under 60 AB's. Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America should be drooling all over this.

Aaron Crow - Future Tommy John candidate?

RoyalJHWKR — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:37:29 -0000

Aaron Crow - Future Tommy John candidate?

I don't know if this has been brought up yet, nor can I attest to the validity of O'Leary's claims, but I came across this just now and thought I'd pass it along.

Just a few thoughts (MAJORS)

RoyalJHWKR — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:01:41 -0000

"Wee" Willie Bloomquist

The only thing I can say is "Wow!" I didn't see this coming, but without him we don't have 14 wins. Through Sunday's game Willie has drawn 8 BB's compared to just 6 K's. His OBP% stands at a staggering 462 with 4 XBH's in 43 AB's. He's also 3/4 in SB attempts. So what can we reasonably expect from him? Something along the lines of Esteban German's fantastic year several years ago with better defense?

"who's surprised? not me"

via www.mattspenandpaperheroes.com

Jose Guillen

Despite his inevitable peaks and valleys, I was relieved when Jose got off the DL. It looks as if he's not going to have his traditional slow start. Jose's quick stroke can be devastating, like his HR in today's game that put us ahead. Through 45 AB's Jose has 5 XBH's to go with a 360 OBP% Could we get the Jose Guillen, circa 2003-2007? Could he OBP 350 with 25 HR's? If he does, the Reales look more and more like AL Central champs.

Coco Crisp

To me, Coco brings a certain unquantifiable star quality to this lineup. He has the tantalizing speed and athleticism, making outstanding plays in CF look ordinary. But Coco has added an element this year that hasn't previously been a part of his repertoire - the walk. Coco now sports 17 BB's compared to just 12 K's. He is on pace to shatter his previous career high of 50. Coco is still only 29, and he could be primed for a career year in 2009. Coco is walking at a 15.7% rate, compared to his 7.6% career average. When you combine his age, athleticism, and great eye, nothing seems impossible. His BABIP in 2009 is at 273 (career 311). His BA should rebound slowly to his career norm of around 279. Bold prediction: 550 PA - 270/370/450 - Count me in. And in case anyone is wondering, Coco is down with the Twitter as well.

"shields, i'll see you June 4. You best not disrespect mah' Royals, man"

via nbcsportsmedia4.msnbc.com

Alberto Callaspo

I'm excited to get Gordon back as much as the next guy, but the saying goes "when one door closes, another opens". Callaspo finally got the opportunity, and he's made the most of it. Callaspo's current SLG is 570. Like.. for real... not a typo. And that is through 79 AB's. Some may claim small sample size, but, we're getting surprisingly close to significant sample size territory. Callaspo has socked 13 XBH's, including his first career HR. He's also K'ing only 5.3% of the time (8% career) and BB'ing 8.4% (7.6% career) Bold prediction: He's gonna hit 320/380/440 and become our #3 hitter. Hopefully his devious days are behind him, and he becomes one of the better offensive second baggers in the AL.

Billy Butler

Ryan and Frank have noticed, and so have we; Billy's 1B defense is looking good. He's now been used as a late inning defensive replacement, and he really does seem to have okay hands. As we all know, he's only 23, and I really think he could become an above average first baseman. In addition to the glove, I think Billy is primed for a breakout. He's BB'ing at 13.8% (7.8% career) Combine his young age, hitters pedigree, increased walk rate, and a 271 BABIP, he could be a mere days away from going on a huge tear. I wouldn't be surprised, and the Royalprospectsphere could finally take a well deserved exhale.

"i'm ready to break out like swine flu on the streets of mexico"

via kansascity.royals.mlb.com

Kevin Seitzer

What is there to add? Not much really. Plain and simple, we're walking more. We're only a month in, but based on that development alone I think he's earned a B+/A- rating. Way to go Seitz, good to see you back in the dugout 'ol pal.

Well this has been fun. Its easy to have fun writing these things and thinking about the Royals these days. And you know what, we've earned it. I'm on cloud nine right now as I can imagine a lot of you are. We're 25 games in and 14-11. We really look like contenders. And the best part, there is room for improvement. Hochevar's knocking on the door, Gordon's gonna return eventually, and we're already three games above 500. Things are looking up.

"I like a escalator, man, 'cause an escalator can never break. It can only become stairs." - Mitch Hedberg

Randy Johnson

RoyalJHWKR — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:55:53 -0000

I couldn't really fit this right into a fanshot. I just wanted to throw it out there, would Randy Johnson be a good fit for the Royals, and more importantly, would the price be right?

MLBTR report that the DBacks lowballed Johnson with a 2-3 million deal, while he reportedly might have settled for about 8.

So to cut to the chase, could one year of Randy Johnson at about 8-12 million push the Royals into serious playoff contention? Bill James already has us at 85-90 wins, with everything clicking perfectly. In the least it would be great to see him pitch in person for the first time. Dude is a serious pitching legend. And also, he would get his 300th win in Royal blue. Would it be crazy to offer an optional second year? Incentive laden contract? Just food for thought.

Randy Johnson in 2008

184 IP 3.91ERA/117ERA+ 173K/44BB 305 BABIP (303 career)

Thoughts? Rants? Raves?

David Glass, Evil Emperor. I absolutely love the photos in the KC Star online sports page.

RoyalJHWKR — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:38:23 -0000

David Glass, Evil Emperor.

I absolutely love the photos in the KC Star online sports page.

Jason Taylor - Prospect Review

RoyalJHWKR — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:54:21 -0000

Born: 1/14/88

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Position: 3B/1B

Royals Corner had this to say in its 2006 top prospects list. "Ask any two random scouts about what they think of Jason Taylor, and you’ll likely get two completely different assessments".

Taylor has been in the back of my mind ever since he was selected in the 2nd round in 2006. Like Jeff Bianchi, Taylor is someone with a lot of promise who has faced various problems. Bianchi faced injuries and Taylor with god only knows. But after his outstanding year in Low A ball, Taylor has returned to top prospect status.

As we all know, Taylor missed 2007. That was bad. Really bad. That was definitely a worse case scenario for a guy you take in the second round. Especially considering that he wasn't in the BA Top 200 going into the draft. By the way, can someone PLEASE tell me why he missed 2007? I've seen various rumors (drugs, work ethic, insubordination) but nothing conclusive.

Nonetheless, Taylor finally got the opportunity to play full season baseball on the banks of the MIssissippi River in idyllic Burlington, Iowa.* He did not disappoint. Taylor brought his bat and keen eye in posting a 242/372/418 for a 790 OPS. League OPS was 693. Taylor also posted a BABIP of 272 so it seems plausible that with better luck he would have likely broken the 800 OPS threshold.

*Taylor made his professional debut in 2006 in the AZL. He did mostly good but not great. He showed good on base skills but no pop in posting a 258/374/325 for an underwhelming 699 OPS. The League OPS that year was 727 and the team's 744. Very little power with only 9 XBH's in 177 PA's. And then came the mystery trouble.

Taylor looks to have three plus tools. Instead of hitting for average, I'm going to call his tool batting eye. I doubt this is too controversial. Taylor has shown exceptional patience at the plate. Taylor also possesses the power tool. He had 38 XBH's this year, including 17 HR's in the power deflated Midwest League. Taylor also has some wheels. He snagged 40 bases in 54 attempts, for a 74% average.

So with that, I see three above average tools. I know little about his fielding abilities. I've read reports saying he was both good and bad with the glove. It is worth noting that he was moved to first to accomodate Moustakas's move to the hot corner. And for the final tool, throwing ability, I also have no idea. But 3/5 ain't bad, ain't bad at all.

Given Taylor's production, tools, and age, the future looks bright for the former bad boy*. If he can hone his contact skills he could bump up to elite prospect status. And with his wheels, could Taylor play CF? Adrian Ortiz played CF for much of the year in Burlington until he was promoted. Is it plausible for a HS SS, moved to 3B in the pros, moved to 1B to accommodate the organizations top prospect, could possibly be a CF in disguise? Far fetched probably, but I'd love to get input about this and know if anybody knows examples of this happening anywhere else.

*Is this fair? I really hope someone knows exactly why he missed 2007. But bad boy Jason Taylor kinda has a nice ring to it? Maybe not.

Taylor isn't a sexy prospect like Mike Moustakas or Dan Cortes. He will likely never hit for a BA above 265-270. But with his keen eye, developing power, and outstanding speed, it shouldn't matter. Only time will tell, but if Taylor could utilize his athleticism and make a move to CF, Taylor could develop into something truly special a la Carlos Beltran.*

*I probably don't need a pozterisk at the end of my post, but oh well. In Low A Spokane in the NWL, Beltran posted a 270/362/433 with 10 SB's. Compare Beltran's 795 OPS in a 705 OPS league to Taylor's 790 in a 693 OPS league. I know I'm dreaming because Carlos was always a CF, but you know what, it never hurts to dream. Especially as a Royals fan. Baseball Powerball, keep on dreaming baby.

Poll

Is Jason Taylor a top 10 Royals prospect?

Yes

24 votes

No

50 votes

74 votes | Poll has closed

Mike Moustakas - Year in Review

RoyalJHWKR — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:02:40 -0000

As you all know, Mike Moustakas wrapped up his first year of professional baseball in Burlington, Iowa last week. It is safe to say that Mike got off to an extremely poor start in his first month of pro ball. His April line was a horrid 190/253/226, culminating in a 479 OPS. In addition to his hitting woes, Mike also committed a bevy of errors at SS. He was moved mid season to the hot corner after the Royals acquired SS Juan Rivera from the Dodgers in exchange for former whipping boy, Angel Berroa.

Needless to say it was not the debut that the Royal faithful were anticipating. However, it isn't uncommon for high school guys to have a similar acclimation to the harsh climate of early season baseball in the Midwest League. It is also worth mentioning that Mike was one of the younger players in the entire league, living outside of his native Southern California for the first time.

But in a true display of Ross Gloadian grit, our favorite Greek-American Royal rebounded from his dismal debut. If you throw out his first month Mike's overall season line comes out to a 348 OBP and 498 SLG for an 846 OPS. And even including the first month he earned an 805 OPS. This is especially significant considering the league average was 693. Mike also finished the year with a 291 BABIP, showing that his numbers are likely in line with what they ought to be. Mike also took 43 free passes as opposed to 86 K's. The strikeouts are a tad high, but nothing to be astounded by. It would be great to see a line in Wilmington next year of 60BB/75K's. That would show a good step forward in plate discipline.

However, the most impressive thing that Mike accomplished was his league leading 22 dingers. It is hard not to be thoroughly impressed with a 19 year kid leading the Midwest League in HR's. He looks to have all the power that he was billed with coming out of Chatsworth High.

It is reported that he is settling into the hot corner fairly well. It was written in this months Baseball America that at one point the Royals sent Joe Randa up to Burlington to help Mike get adjusted there. And for what its worth I got one opportunity to see Burlington play this summer and Mike seemed comfortable at third, and boy does he have a cannon for an arm. Mike looked like a prototypical Catcher, but I suppose that is a discussion for another day.

Also, for what its worth Mike excelled in the Midwest League while fellow 2007 draftee Josh Vitters was placed in the Low A Northwest League. To be fair Vitters did post an 863 OPS with 5 HR's there before earning 14 AB promotion to the Midwest League. Also, fellow Chatsworth High Grad Matt Dominguez posted an oustanding 853 OPS with 18 HR's in the slightly more hitting friendly South Atlantic League.

In all, 2008 was a success for the organizations top hitting prospect. He did pretty much anything you would want your top overall pick to do right out of high school. Going forward it would be great to see Mike hit the ground running in Wilmington next year, possibly earning a late promotion to Arkansas sometime in July or so.

"I'm looking at you, Alex Gordon"