He has San Diego at #1, which really surprised me coming from KLaw

JJ Cooper wrote this really good piece on the Rangers changing their approach after meeting with pitching coach Alan Jaeger. Jaeger was one of the first guys to institute the extreme long tossing program.

"The fact that a team was willing to even meet with Jaeger was somewhat surprising. At the time, he viewed three or four organizations at most as "progressive." Those were the ones that didn't immediately laugh at the mention of Jaeger's ideas. Pretty much everyone else in Jaeger's eyes was a slave to the rules of limiting pitchers to throwing to 120 feet on a straight line.

Instead he found a team that was doing things entirely differently, with many pitchers airing it out to 300 feet and beyond. At the extreme, future big leaguer Alexi Ogando had to go from center field of one field to center field of another because his throwing program couldn't fit on one field."

It's for insiders, but I know they are running a 50% off special for a year subsrciption right now. I'll try to dig up the link.

#21 Elvis
#26 Neffie
#30 Dutch

Fantastic stuff on Guzman, Marte, and many more...check it!

From his semi weekly Prospects Chat

Kevin (Toronto): If you presume the first round June Draftees will all be signed which team has the best farm system? KC must have dropped with the promotions of Hosmer and Moustakas.

Jim Callis: I do presume that . . . J.J. Cooper and I talked about this in the podcast today, and it might be the Rangers or Rays.

"One scout I spoke to said Martin reminded him a lot of Jose Reyes. They're about the same size and have similar tools, though Reyes has more pure speed and plays shortstop rather than center field. Martin is gifted enough to make it to Texas before the end of the season and help the Rangers defend their Amercian League pennant."

From his write up on yesterday's Future's Game:

Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers
"Profar has been outstanding all year, hitting .270/.380/.488 in 69 games as the youngest (yes, even younger than Bryce Harper) player in the Sally League. On Sunday, he impressed in his very first at-bat, lining a triple off Kyle Gibson, a Triple-A pitcher who is as good as many big-league fourth and fifth starters. With well-above average defense including a very strong arm, average speed and power, a big-league-level approach, and fantastic makeup, he's the best shortstop prospect in the game, and before you ask, I'm well aware of what Baltimore's Manny Machado has done this year."

From the "Hot Sheet Chat" today...

Norm (Cleveland/Ohio): Hi Ben, In your opinion, how would you rank these minor league SS's? Cozart, Hamilton, Profar & Segura. I have an opening on a 30 player 100% keeper league and need an up & coming SS. Thanks.

Ben Badler: Profar, Segura, Cozart, Hamilton. Segura and Cozart could be solid big leaguers, but Profar's making a case as the best second-best shortstop in the minors behind Manny Machado.

Jack Helmuth (Brooklyn, NY): Have a good Leonys Martin comp? For a guy who has a 1.027 OPS and is running (all at AA) he doesn't seem to be getting much BA ink over the last month. Thank you.

Ben Badler: Don't have a comp, but I'm a big believer in Leonys Martin. Outstanding hitter with all-star potential.

Sam (Texas): Has the Rangers system climbed into the top 5 overall? New additions like Leonys Martin, Martin Perez bouncing back and progression by the likes of Profar, Erlin, Olt, Ramirez, Wieland etc has Rangers fans feeling pretty good.

Ben Badler: It's taken a step forward. Perez, Profar, Erlin and Olt are all better prospects than they were coming into the season, then you have breakouts of guys like Neil Ramirez and Joe Wieland and the addition of a premium prospect like Leonys Martin, yeah, it's a system on the rise.

"They ultimately lost to Augusta 6-5 in 11 innings, but the 18-year-old Profar showed off the wide range of tools that mark him as a big leaguer in the making."

"So while his walk rate still registers north of four per nine innings this season, Perez's stuff in the zone has been much more crisp this season than last. He's allowing far fewer hits (just 31 in 40 2/3 innings) and home runs (one) when batters do connect."

"Everything has been working," Wieland told SCnow.com. "I have been locating my fastball, staying down on the ball and staying out of trouble. I get a chance to put them away and that’s what I’m doing."

Christian Villanueva, 3B, Rangers (Low-A Hickory)
The Rangers have been one of the busiest teams in the international market, and they added to their foreign holdings by signing Villanueva out of Mexico in 2008. After an impressive showing in the complex league last year, the 19-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down in his full-season debut, delivering three multi-hit games over the weekend to lift his season numbers to .346/.404/.513 in 22 games. Despite his young age, Villanueva has a mature game, with outstanding defense at the hot corner and a quick line-drive swing with gap power. A bit on the small side, there are fair questions about how much power he'll develop down the road, but for now, he's a teenage third baseman with a 900+ OPS in the Sally League, so there's nothing to worry about yet.

Perez just turned 20 three days before Opening Day and is still the second youngest player in the Double-A Texas League, behind only Mike Trout. After his first two starts for Frisco, Perez sports a nifty 2.25 ERA, with nine hits allowed and a 12-4 SO-BB ratio . . .

Neil Ramirez, RHP, Rangers (Triple-A Round Rock): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K

"The first sign that something good might be happening this year came in the spring, when Jason Parks reported good things, and scouts in the industry had him suddenly touching 97 mph due to improved conditioning and a much cleaner delivery. His first start of the year proved the optimism was well warranted, as he struck out nine of the 17 batters he faced for High-A Myrtle Beach, and on Wednesday, he made an emergency start at Triple-A to fill in for Eric Hurley, who was placed on the disabled list earlier in the day with a viral infection. For Ramirez to simply hold his own would have been a significant accomplishment, but he did much more than that, as he fired six shutout innings while allowing three hits, striking out five and not walking a batter, with 50 of his 75 pitches going for strikes. Made all the more impressive, was that the start was against Triple-A Omaha, the Royals affiliate whose middle of the lineup features Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and 2010 Texas League MVP Clint Robinson. Ramirez's stuff was not only as good as his line, so was his poise according to reports from the game. Sitting at 92-96 mph with his fastball, Ramirez also flashed a plus changeup at times, but what was maybe most impressive was the in-game adjustment he made with his breaking ball. After struggling to miss bats or keep his normally hard-thrown curveball in the strike zone, he took some zip off the pitch in later innings to greater effectiveness. He's not going to stay in Triple-A, but in just one week, the 21-year-old has done more for his stock than any pitching prospect in the game."

Great stuff as usual from the Professor, and if you haven't already subscribed to Texas Farm Review, stop being a cheap ass and go do it...now.

"Vs. (RH): 93 (FB) pop-up *nasty life on the pitch.

As you can clearly see, Jackson has a very good present fastball, with impressive angle, zip, and some late movement. As the command improves and the overall strength allows him to carry the velocity deep into game, Jackson could end up owning a 65 grade fastball. "

"Alfaro's skill set has some similarities to Rosario's with an outstanding arm and raw power for his age."

"Texas signed him for $425,000, which appears to be a bargain given his development since signing. Perez has added weight and seen his fastball jump to the 88-93 range, with a max velocity of 95."

Good Stuff...

Over three scoreless innings Wednesday, Feliz throttled the Oakland Athletics with a fastball that kissed 98 mph, embarrassed two batters with backward-K curveballs, dropped in changeups at 90 mph and, for good measure, unleashed a new pitch.

The cut fastball Feliz is learning is, in the words of one scout sitting behind home plate, "unfair. Not Mo [Rivera] in his prime, but it’s a hell of a fourth pitch. He’s got the best stuff I’ve seen all spring."

This is just excellent stuff right here...

"It's the Rangers. I've loved the Rangers for so long. They haven't been to the playoffs since '99. They've gone through so much since then. I really couldn't miss this," he [added].

Some might find it short-sighted and immature to quit a job to watch baseball — especially in these times — but I'm with Boris. Fortunately, I don't have to quit my job to watch the World Series.

Excellent piece from Christina Karhl at BP...

The Call

The pity about this matchup is that it's zero sum: two teams enter, one team leaves, leaving one set of dreams and desperately nurtured ambitions thwarted and without consolation. So, the first game's a toss-up, but here's the thought that enough little things add up so that the Giants achieve the modest upset by jumping out to a 1-0 lead in a game with fewer than six runs scored between the two teams. The second game's outcome is similarly narrow, but let's say Wilson narrowly beats Cain in the game that gives us one of Hamilton's feats of strength while evening out the Series. Switching over to Texas, the Rangers handily win Game Three behind Lewis, but lose Game Four because Hunter's nice contribution gets wasted with some repeated relief shenanigans in the seventh and/or eighth innings. Then the Rangers take a 3-2 Series lead when Lee avenges his first-game loss while the Rangers open up a little on Lincecum, scoring at least four runs on the night. Which puts affairs back in San Francisco, and Cain evens things up with a masterpiece that puts us into a seventh game, which Lewis wins decisively as the Rangers win their first championship in seven games, while Lewis wins Series MVP hardware.

Which is ridiculously elaborate and unlikely, but better to go for the whole cloth, and however ridiculous all that is, the real point is that this should be a Series worth watching from beginning to end, the perfect conclusion to an exceptional postseason, and one so narrowly matched as to defy easy expectation. It's the payoff for fans of baseball, as well as fans of these two teams.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/prospect-bulletin/2010/2610456.html

Both pay links, really nice pieces...

Like Andrus, Profar is a treat to watch defensively.

"He's by far the best shortstop I've had here," said Hulett, who is in his fourth year managing Spokane. "His ability to go after balls and read hops—he's had some tough hops—and he's been able to come up with those plays, and of course he makes the spectacular play.
Profar currently stands 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds. While he doesn't project to get a lot bigger, he figures to add some strength to his wiry frame, and some of his doubles will begin to turn into home runs. Even with his quick hands and smooth actions at shortstop and his compact, line-drive swing from both sides of the plate, the thing that stands out most about Profar is his love for the game.

"There are other teams -- the Rockies and Giants -- also bidding for Cantu, the source said, but he asserted that the Marlins are well down the road with Texas, as long as the commissioner's office signs off on the financials of the deal."

Great piece at Baseball America...it is a pay link though...

"It was a very small thing," Kirkman said. "I was watching (Lee), and I watched the video of me. His front arm was a lot shorter than mine. I talked to Comstock about it, and we worked on it in the bullpen for a couple sides, and I got it to where I wanted it.

"He was one of the highlights of big league camp for me as far as guys you weren't expecting to make the club," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "He carries himself with an air of confidence. He looks the part.

"He always had a big fastball. He's got one of the best breaking balls in the system. If he continues on the direction he's on now, he could play a role for us."

Daniels didn't rule out a 2010 callup for Kirkman, who finished the first half for Oklahoma City with an 8-3, 3.30 record in 17 starts. His walk rate had edged to 5.2 per nine innings, and he singled it out as the No. 1 area he is attempting to address.

I'm not sure if this has been posted, but it is a fantastic interview with C.J...

DL: Do you pitch to contact as a starter more than you did as a reliever?

CJW: You know, I’ve never really liked that phrase, because I just throw to a zone. I can’t control if the hitter swings the bat or not. I’m looking at a particular guy, and let’s say that he’s a dead fastball hitter, inside. Well, I’m just going to throw him fastballs away, like over and over and over again. It’s not necessarily pitching to… I mean, yeah, he has a chance to hit that, if he compromises, but I don’t really think of it as pitching to contact as much as I consider it pitching to a zone, if that makes sense.

The thing is, I was a hitter my whole life. I didn’t really become a pitcher until I got drafted and so, for me, I still have that sort of hitter mentality of pitching against slugging percentage, like the low slugging percentages—controlling the bat head by keeping hitters off balance. That’s my No. 1 goal, keeping hitters off balance. It’s not pitching to contact, because to me that idea is so vague. You can throw the ball down the middle and people are going to whack it. That’s contact, but what does it even mean? It’s not good pitching; it’s really just throwing.

Pretty Awesome...only NYY have higher % at 85.9

2. Texas Rangers (79.6%)
As written in this spot in the past, it's time to abandon the thought of Tanner Scheppers as a starting pitcher. The Rangers are working him right now in order to get him innings and to get his changeup right, but after getting ripped for 11 hits in less than five innings last time out, his ERA as a starter is 5.84 and it might be time to give up on that notion. The Rangers already have one of the more terrifying bullpens around, but Scheppers has big league ability right now if he can focus on his fastball/curve combination in short stints. A longshot could be outfielder Mitch Moreland, who has been on fire at Triple-A Oklahoma, and could provide an extra bat off the bench.

Its a free link...check it out.

8. Martin Perez, lhp, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): The counting numbers (3-4, 5.46) aren't great. The ratios (9.5 K/9 IP, 1.80 groundout/flyout ratio) are better, as is his repertoire (three pitches all above-average at times) and age (just 19).

25. Tanner Scheppers, rhp, Rangers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): Few minor leaguers have an arm as good as Scheppers, whose fastball regularly reaches 98 mph in short stints. His slider has plus potential as well. He's looking more like a reliever, though, struggling a bit while getting stretched out since his promotion to Triple-A.

These updates are the main reason I subscribe to BP...just awesome daily info if you are a prospect rat...

Miguel Velazquez, OF, Rangers (High-A Bakersfield): 2-for-3, 2 HR (2), 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, K

With the Rangers have an outstanding minor league system, it's also a highly imbalanced one, as the amount of pitching talent far outweighs the position players. That said, they've found a bit of a breakthrough player in Velasquez, a 2006 draftee whose career got off to slow start because personal issues (including some disturbing brushes with the law) kept him off the field. A good hitter with average-to-plus power, the 22-year-old Puerto Rico native was one of the best hitters in the Sally League during the first half, and with last night's outburst, he's now hitting .323/.382/.548 in seven High-A games.

Suitor No. 8: Texas Rangers
The Rangers line up for a trade with Seattle extremely well if Texas has the ability to make a deal due to their financial considerations, and if the Mariners are willing to trade within their division. Corner infielder Chris Davis is hitting .349/.397/.542 at Triple-A Oklahoma, and while he's struggled in the big leagues twice, his bat could be the long-term solution to Seattle's first base issue. Seattle would almost certainly ask for Martin Perez, one of, if not the top, left-handed pitching prospect in the game, and Texas is a pitching-rich system that could also dangle top lower-level arms like righties Wilmer Font and Robbie Erlin to help sweeten the pot.

Chris Davis, 3B/1B, Rangers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB.

With ten hits in his last four games, Davis is now batting .349/.397/.542 for the RedHawks, but it's hard to figure out his trade value. Yes, he's been nothing short of fantastic in the minors, and at 24, he's not exactly old, but teams will still see a player who struck his way out of the big leagues not once, but twice, and sometimes having never been given the opportunity to fail can be better for one's perceived value than a track record like that.

Engel Beltre, OF, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 2-for-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI. Potential explosion alert; 8-for-14 with 13 total bases and just one strike out since arriving in Texas League.

Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers (Short-season Spokane): 3-for-4, 2B, R, BB, SB. Just 17 and holding his own in college-dominated league; gap power has been a pleasant surprise.

It sure is nice to see a legit position prospect in our system...

Engel Beltre, OF, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)
The term here is 'blossoming'. After hitting .331/.376/.460 for High-A Bakersfield, the best position prospect in the Rangers' system got his Double-A career off to a rousing start with a weekend that saw him go 6-for-10 with a home run. Just 20 years old, Beltre has no one massive tools, but his power, speed, defensive skills, and arm all rate as above average. Other than an impatient approach, there are no real weaknesses in his game.

7. Martin Perez, LHP, Rangers
Why He's Here: While the 19-year-old has had his share of ups and downs at Double-A, keep in mind his age, because the scouting reports remain stellar. If anything, he's figuring out how to harness stuff that has actually taken a step forward, as his fastball has been up to 97 mph of late, while his curveball and changeup remain highly advanced for his age. He's fired 12 shutout innings with 15 whiffs in his last two outings, and could be poised for a big second half.
Nitpicking: Perez has been losing the strike zone at times, with 34 walks in 59 innings. He'll always be a bit undersized, but with his stuff and arm action, it's a minimal concern at best.
Future: Perez's timetable may have moved back a bit, but he remains well ahead of the curve. A 2011 big-league debut isn't out of the question.

Very Good Read

A.J. Preller

Age: 33
School: Cornell University
How he got into baseball: He went to Cornell University with Jon Daniels and got the Rangers GM into baseball after joining the Texas front office in November 2004 after working in baseball operations with the Dodgers, Major League Baseball, and the Arizona Fall League. In the course of directing the club's scouting operation and acquisitions in Latin America, he uncovered much of the talent, including phenom reliever Neftali Feliz, that has pushed the Rangers' farm system to a high ranking among baseball publications.
Current Position: Rangers senior director of player personnel (Preller has shot up the organizational ranks and is now overseeing all scouting and has a hand in acquisitions.)
Why He's Ready: If there's a Jon Daniels, Part II, this is it. Preller has, as scouts would call it during the draft, "helium." His background is close enough to Daniels 'that there's a little worry that he's unprepared, but he adds in the scouting department seasoning that could get him painted with the still-derogatory "Stat Geek" tag. He also played a big role while working for MLB in beating Eric Gagne in a landmark arbitration case. The Rangers' success has been fueled in large part by players that Preller has his fingerprints on. Don't think that doesn't get noticed by the competition. There's some concern that he might not be fully ready for the big chair. "I wouldn't feel confident that he's ready to run an organization," said one current GM, "but I'd want to interview him and see if he impressed me enough with a plan."

Still stings like a bitch...