Prospect Discussion Thread

[Scorey1974]

Talk about your favorite minor league players HERE!

Post your favorite prospect you would like to see in Scorey & Rotochamps Universe

Talk about your favorite teams system and give us the secret knowledge you have been withholding....;)

[Scorey1974]

Here's some info I got off a website...

Contains all teams Top 40 prospects....

Some may be coming soon to the universe...

[Scorey1974]

Positional Rankings...

[Scorey1974]

and....the Future 500 list

[okeyokey]

I would like to see the newly drafted rookies on there respective teams

[philliez98]

Ryan Howard of the Phillies is tearing it up in AA ball. He has got 33 HR and only on July 6!

[mooseman74]

Wow....sounds like a Ron Kittle year! haha

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by okeyokey
I would like to see the newly drafted rookies on there respective teams

That probably will not happen for quite some time....untill these guys that just got drafted get some minor league experience....This was not a particularly good draft to insert players from.....Last season was a little different with guys like Delmon Young, Rickie Weeks, Ryan Harvey, Ryan Wagner, Jeff Allison, Tim Stauffer etc...

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by philliez98
Ryan Howard of the Phillies is tearing it up in AA ball. He has got 33 HR and only on July 6!

He is included in the list of Phillies prospects

[suppitty]

Daniel Cabrera at 183 or 193 on the positional rankings!!!!!
The list cant be updated because he's one of the leading candidates for rookie of the year in the AL. Make sure you put him in there.

[RotoChamp2]

Originally posted by suppitty
Daniel Cabrera at 183 or 193 on the positional rankings!!!!!
The list cant be updated because he's one of the leading candidates for rookie of the year in the AL. Make sure you put him in there.

Cabrera will be in the game, as he's currently on the Orioles 25-man roster.

[Scorey1974]

Cabrera was not exactly the highest rated pitcher in the O's minor league system coming into this season....But he has done a pretty decent job for such a young pitcher....and YES...he will be in the universe....The Future 500 list you are referring to was taken from a website.....If you rank 500 players you are bound to make some mistakes....:D

[egswanso]

Well, for Toronto...

Most of these guys would be on the 40-man, so i doubt they'd be any surprises here, but i'll still pontificate:

Any roster for 2004 should include all their 'BIG' prospects:

ss Russ Adams - former no. 1 draft pick and very controversial, i.e., whether he's a future star or a future role player. Opinions very highly.

sp David Bush - a great starting prospect, also just called up (Jays have hand alot of injuries this year)... good poise, good mechanics, great slider, and avoided any arm injuries. With Doc Halliday, Bush, and Dustin McGowen, the Jays could have a rotation on par with Zambrano-Prior-Wood.

rp Jason Frasor - came out of no-where to become closer when everyone else sucked it up. Dark horse for rookie of the year in 2004 if he keeps it up. Of course, Aquilino Lopez was great last year and sucked it up this, so he may go as quickly as he came. Also, take note of Vinnie Chulk, who's been pitching great this year... MUCH better then his numbers would have fortold.

of John-Ford Griffin
of Gabe Gross
Two 'lesser' outfield prospects, behind Rios, but still should be in the file, although neither is looking like a superstar at the moment. Their both only 24 though, so development should come.

ss Aaron Hill - drafted a year after Adams, one of them will end up moving. Adams has had some defensive problems, but so has Hill. Optimists see Adams & Hill as an excellent starting infield for the Jays in '06. Others see two backup/role players, who'll never be anything special.

rp Brandon League - flame-thrower, who needs to develop more pitches to make it in the majors. Stamina to be a starter, but not without a third pitch. Is having a great year, I believe, although i may be confusing him with someone else.

sp Dustin McGowen - top pitching prospect. Great stuff, great numbers - scouts and statheads agree he projects as a solid no. one. The catch? Injury. He hurt his arm this year and is out after a good start. But, he'll be back. Hopefully.

c Guillermo Quiroz - he's no Joe Mauer, but he is one of the best catching prospects not named Mauer. Capable of being a consistant 30 homer guy, but is struggling a bit this year.

of Alexis Rios - the Jays top hitting prospect, and promoted this year, def. has superstar potential: think dave winfield or juan gonzalez. Good glove in center, but needs to improve his plate disipline. Is getting a trial by fire in the majors and hasnt embarassed himself so-far.

and their filler/decent prospects:

1b Vito Chiaravolloti - at 23, he could be Delgado's replacement in a few years. Or he could just as easily fizzle out. Won the New York-Penn league triple crown in '03

of Simon Pond - he's not a prospect, but he did make the team (although an inability to hit his weight had him back in AAA. He's fungible, since he's not part of the future and his moment has likely now come and gone.

rp Vince Perkins - behind the Bush/McGowen level, but great hard slider. Needs to work on control before he's ready though. A minor league starter, he'll prob. end up in a ML pen, but he could be a solid cog in said pen.

rp Adam Peterson - another starter turned reliever, great fastball, good slider. Has had injury trouble though. Came up to Toronto very briefly and sucked it up, but cant judge him on that.

For THE scoop on the Jays system though, it's def. www.battersbox.ca., which is chock-full-of-information on every somebody/nobody/never will be in the entire system. It's a great site.

[Scorey1974]

Every one of those players are in the universe except for Vito Chiaravalloti...and I have been looking at him as a future addition....:)

[Khakhan]

Originally posted by egswanso
For THE scoop on the Jays system though, it's def. www.battersbox.ca., which is chock-full-of-information on every somebody/nobody/never will be in the entire system. It's a great site.

Does anyone know other great team specific sites? I'd like one for the twins especially.

[Sharpie]

EDIT-Nevermind just saw the notepad thing.

[Electricbassguy]

Nice! YOu have brad vericker. :-) He's my favorite.... he's more of a first baseman now though, not an outfielder. He's played only 1B/DH in Class A San Jose.

[Torborg4Rent]

I want freakin' MARK ROGERS, darn it. This draft was FINE.

Funny you mention Jeff Allison as a good product of the last draft, who is out wasted on oxicontins somewhere.

[Torborg4Rent]

Baseball America Top 10 Prospects... if you request a team, I'll put it. Here's the Twins.

Top Prospect: Joe Mauer, c

Age: 20 Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 230 Bats: L Throws: R
Drafted: HS–St. Paul, Minn., 2001 (1st round)
Signed by: Marc Wilson/Joel Lepel

Background: Growing up in St. Paul as a Twins fan just 10 minutes from the Metrodome, Mauer seemed destined to play for the hometown team. He was regarded as one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation and nearly followed fellow Cretin-Derham Hall grad Chris Weinke to Florida State. Twins scouts saw Mauer play more than 100 times as an amateur and ultimately chose him over Mark Prior with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. While Prior has become a star in the majors, Mauer isn’t too far behind. He won BA’s Minor League Player of the Year award in 2003 and is set to make his big league debut at 20 when he opens this season as Minnesota’s regular catcher. Mauer was a member of the U.S. team that fell short in the Olympic qualifying tournament, though he was inexplicably left out of the lineup in the deciding game against Mexico. His older brothers Jake, a second baseman, and Bill, a righthander, also are Minnesota farmhands.

Strengths: Mauer combines a picture-perfect lefthanded stroke with impeccable strike-zone judgment to generate high batting averages and on-base percentages. His natural approach and swing path lend themselves more to a batting title than a home run crown. He’s geared to hit line drives back up the middle and toward left-center. Defensively, Mauer had no equals at the minor league level. Some scouts say he’ll be the best receiver in the American League when he debuts in April. Despite his size—only Sandy Alomar Jr. is bigger among major league catchers—Mauer expertly blocks pitches with his soft hands and moves quickly on balls in front of the plate. Outstanding arm strength gives him a third present 80 tool on the 20-80 scouting scale to go with his bat and glove. Mauer has a quick release and puts his throws on the bag with uncanny accuracy; he nabbed 52 percent of basestealers last year. He’s a quiet leader who exudes confidence but maintains a low profile. The Twins wanted Mauer to become more comfortable at running a pitching staff, and he did just that. He runs better and has more athleticism than most catchers.

Weaknesses: Though Mauer has hit just nine career homers, Twins scouts insist he has the power to one day hit 35-40 in a season if he wants to. He showed signs of adding more loft to his swing in Double-A.

The Future: Most scouts give Mauer the nod over Devil Rays shortstop B.J. Upton as the best prospect in the game. The Twins cleared Mauer’s path to the majors by dealing all-star A.J. Pierzynski to the Giants in November. Mauer, who will bat seventh or eighth to start 2004, is an early favorite for American League rookie of the year. There’s no reason he shouldn’t develop into a perennial all-star.


TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG
Fort Myers (High A) 62 233 25 78 13 1 1 44 24 24 3 .335 .395 .412
New Britain (AA) 73 276 48 94 17 1 4 41 25 25 0 .341 .400 .453

2. Justin Morneau, 1b

Age: 22. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 205. Drafted: HS—New Westminster, B.C., 1999 (3rd round). Signed by: Howard Norsetter.

Background: Various injuries have hobbled Morneau since he signed as a catcher in 1999. The most serious was an intestinal virus that caused him to drop 20 pounds before the 2002 season, but last year’s broken toe couldn’t stop him from hitting a team-high .429 in spring training. He hit five homers in six games to lead Canada to second place at the Olympic qualifying tournament in November, earning a spot in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Strengths: Morneau has huge power, with a classic finish and natural loft to his swing. He generates easy pop and has the plus bat speed to drive good fastballs.

Weaknesses: Morneau struggled with offspeed stuff in the big leagues and will have to adjust. Morneau will be just adequate defensively at first base despite working hard to improve.

The Future: Morneau is likely to start the year at Triple-A Rochester, but should get at least 200-250 at-bats for the Twins between first base and DH. He should wrest the first-base job from Doug Mientkiewicz and bat cleanup for Minnesota in 2005.


Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG
New Britain (AA) 20 79 14 26 3 1 6 13 7 14 0 .329 .384 .620
Rochester (AAA) 71 265 39 71 11 1 16 42 28 56 0 .268 .344 .498
Minnesota 40 106 14 24 4 0 4 16 9 30 0 .226 .287 .377




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3. Matt Moses, 3b

Age: 19. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 210. Drafted: HS—Richmond, 2003 (1st round). Signed by: John Wilson.

Background: Moses rated as one of the best pure hitters among 2003 high school draftees. A routine physical after he agreed to a $1.45 million bonus revealed an irregularity in his heart. A 20-minute procedure patched a tiny hole and has permitted him to proceed with his career without concern.

Strengths: Moses consistently hits the ball squarely thanks to a sound, compact swing. Scouts liken him to Hank Blalock, and the Twins say Moses has all the components at the plate to develop power and move on the fast track in a similar fashion. Because he’s a baseball rat who loves to hit, he has advanced pitch recognition and solid plate discipline.

Weaknesses: A shortstop in high school, Moses was announced as a third baseman on draft day. He has impressed Minnesota by putting in extra work to improve defensively, but he’s still fringe-average in the field. His arm is average at best, and his throwing mechanics are inconsistent, leading to erratic throws. He has below-average speed.

The Future: Moses will move to low Class A Quad Cities this season. His bat is going to be special, and he should have little difficulty adjusting to pitchers at each level.


Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG
GCL Twins (R) 18 65 6 25 5 1 0 11 5 9 0 .385 .417 .492




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4. J.D. Durbin, rhp

Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 188. Drafted: HS—Scottsdale, Ariz., 2000 (2nd round). Signed by: Lee MacPhail.

Background: Nicknamed “Real Deal,” Durbin oozes confidence and personality. He was a two-way star in high school and also was recruited as a wide receiver. He made two scoreless appearances in relief for Team USA at the Olympic qualifying tournament.

Strengths: Durbin attacks hitters with a 94-95 mph fastball, which he can maintain deep into games, and a pair of deadly breaking balls. He uses a slurvy curveball, keeping his 87 mph slider in reserve. With a compact yet full-effort delivery, he’s able to repeat his mechanics and fill the strike zone with quality offerings.

Weaknesses: Some scouts doubt Durbin’s size and delivery will hold up in a starting role. He must continue to establish his changeup and build confidence in the pitch. More often than not, it comes in as a batting-practice fastball and gets crushed. He has to stay on top of his pitches to avoid flattening them out.

The Future: Durbin likely will be the Opening Day starter in Triple-A. He should make his big league debut in 2004, and the lack of a clear-cut closer in Minnesota could present an opportunity for him.


Team W-L SV ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO AVG
Fort Myers (Hi A) 9-2 0 3.09 14 14 87.1 73 35 30 22 69 .224
New Britain (AA) 6-3 0 3.14 14 14 94.2 102 39 33 29 70 .278




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5. Jesse Crain, rhp

Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 200. Drafted: Houston, 2002 (2nd round). Signed by: Marty Esposito.

Background: Crain preceded Reds top prospect Ryan Wagner as the closer at Houston, where he was an All-America shortstop/reliever in 2002. He didn’t allow an earned run until his final appearance of his junior season, and has been nearly as stingy as a pro. He pitched three scoreless innings for Team USA in the Olympic qualifying tournament.

Strengths: Crain dominates hitters with two plus-plus pitches, and his fastball is a couple of ticks better than Wagner’s. Crain tops out at 96 mph and usually deals at 92-94. His slider is a true strikeout pitch with vicious, late break. He repeats his delivery, throws strikes and manages to get good leverage despite his stature.

Weaknesses: Crain needs to be more consistent at driving the ball down in the zone. His changeup is just usable, but he doesn’t need it.

The Future: There’s no question Crain is going to get the ball with the game on the line. The only question is whether he’ll be a premium set-up man or a quality closer. The Twins believe he’s capable of either and could give him save opportunities this season.


Team W-L SV ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO AVG
Fort Myers (Hi A) 2-1 0 2.84 10 0 19.0 10 6 6 5 25 .154
New Britain (AA) 1-1 9 0.69 22 0 39.0 13 4 3 10 56 .099
Rochester (AAA) 3-1 10 3.12 23 0 26.0 24 10 9 10 33 .245




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[Torborg4Rent]

6. Jason Bartlett, ss

Age: 24. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 170. Drafted: Oklahoma, 2001 (13th round). Signed by: Lane Decker (Padres).

Background: The Twins have had little middle infield depth in the minors, and they addressed the problem in July 2002 by trading Brian Buchanan to the Padres for Bartlett. He has exceeded their expectations. While Twins scout John Leavitt projected Bartlett as an everyday big league shortstop, Minnesota would have been content with a utility infielder.

Strengths: Bartlett turns in quality at-bat after quality at-bat. He protects the plate well with quick hands and good bat control. While his tools aren’t overwhelming in the middle of the diamond, he has the arm to make strong, accurate throws from the hole and enough range to both sides.

Weaknesses: Though Bartlett has proven to be a table-setter, he doesn’t project to make much of an impact with his bat. A tick above-average as a runner, he led the system in steals but needs to improve his jumps and technique. He topped the minors by getting caught 24 times last year.

The Future: Guzman’s tenure as Minnesota’s shortstop likely will run out when his contract ends after 2004. After a full season of development in Triple-A, Bartlett is his heir apparent.


Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG
New Britain (AA) 139 548 96 162 31 8 8 48 58 67 41 .296 .380 .425




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7. Denard Span, of

Age: 20. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 170. Drafted: HS—Tampa, 2002 (1st round). Signed by: Brad Weitzel.

Background: Span helped Tampa Catholic win the Florida 3-A title as a junior after transferring from Hillsborough High (alma mater of Carl Everett, Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield). The Twins took him 20th overall in 2002 and signed him for $1.7 million late in the summer, delaying his pro debut until last June.

Strengths: Span is the fastest player in the system and has impact basestealing potential, though nagging ankle and leg injuries hampered him in 2003. He made encouraging strides in honing his leadoff skills. He shortened his stroke and cut down some of his natural uppercut, which improved his ability to hit grounders to the left side and let his speed turn them into singles.

Weaknesses: Span is still unrefined in most aspects of the game. His speed disguises many of his mistakes in the outfield; his arm is below-average. His approach at the plate doesn’t generate power, though the Twins say he’ll learn to drive the ball to the gaps as he matures.

The Future: The Twins understand Span will need time to develop into a premium leadoff man. He’ll play in low Class A this season and likely will need a full year at each level.


Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG
Elizabethton (R) 50 207 34 56 5 1 1 18 23 34 14 .271 .355 .319




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8. Jason Kubel, of

Age: 21. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 193. Drafted: HS—Palmdale, Calif., 2000 (12th round). Signed by: Bill Mele.

Background: Like many things the Twins do, Kubel has remained under the radar despite a productive start to his young career. He tied for second in RBIs and finished fourth in hitting in the high Class A Florida State League last year. He has been an all-star in each of his two full seasons.

Strengths: Kubel has a professional approach at the plate. He understands the strike zone and doesn’t chase bad pitches. He displays pop to the opposite field with good leverage and finish to his quick, compact swing. He hits lefties (.306) and righties (.294) equally well. He has prototypical right-field arm strength and is a solid-average outfielder.

Weaknesses: Kubel’s slugging percentage dropped from .521 in low Class A to .400 last year in the pitcher-friendly FSL. Selectively aggressive, he needs to make more quality contact to tap into his raw power. A below-average runner, he won’t be a threat on the bases.

The Future: Equipped with a strong, compact body, Kubel profiles as a poor man’s Brian Giles. He’s on the verge of a breakout season and will be Double-A New Britain’s everyday right fielder in 2004.


Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG
Fort Myers (Hi A) 116 420 56 125 20 4 5 82 48 54 4 .298 .361 .400




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9. Grant Balfour, rhp

Age: 26. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 170. Signed: Australia, 1997. Signed by: Howard Norsetter.

Background: The Twins have been one of the pioneers in scouting Australia, and Balfour and lefty Brad Thomas will pay the first dividends. After moving to the bullpen in mid-2000, the same year he pitched in the Olympics, Balfour filled a hole in the Rochester rotation last June. It was scheduled to be a brief stay, but he flourished and found a new role.

Strengths: Balfour operates with a lightning-quick arm and fills the strike zone with four pitches. He relied on his 91-94 mph fastball and his slider out of the bullpen. As a starter, he dusted off his curveball, which emerged as his best pitch, and a dependable changeup. He also has enough stamina to maintain his peak velocity deep into starts.

Weaknesses: There were doubts about how Balfour would hold up, even as a reliever, because of his slender build. The same concerns still apply because he never has worked more than 97 innings in a season. His control was a little shaky in the majors last year.

The Future: The Twins hope Balfour can handle the No. 4 slot in their rotation. If he can’t, he can fall back on a career in relief.


Team W-L SV ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO AVG
Rochester (AAA) 5-2 5 2.41 21 11 71.0 48 21 19 16 87 .188
Minnesota 1-0 0 4.15 17 1 26.0 23 12 12 14 30 .235




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10. Michael Restovich, of

Age: 25. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 225. Drafted: HS—Rochester, Minn., 1997 (2nd round). Signed by: Joel Lepel.

Background: Restovich ranked in the top five on this list from 1999-2003, but he took a step in the wrong direction when he repeated Triple-A last year. Though he hit .283 in a brief stay in Minnesota, the Twins were disappointed with his lack of power and sent him to winter ball in Puerto Rico, where his manager was Twins bench coach Steve Liddle.

Strengths: Restovich’s raw power is his calling card. He can hit fastballs a mile with his fluid, direct swing. He concentrated on making consistent contact and hitting the ball to right field last year.

Weaknesses: While he showed versatility with his new approach, Restovich needs to hit the ball out of the park and be a run producer. That won’t happen by inside-outing balls to the opposite field. His strikeout rates have risen as he has advanced. He’s just adequate as a baserunner and corner outfielder.

The Future: This is a pivotal year in Restovich’s career. With a crowded outfield in Minnesota, he appears headed for a third straight year in Triple-A. The Twins have turned down several trade inquiries for him, but a change of scenery might be best at this point.


Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG
Rochester (AAA) 119 454 75 125 34 2 16 72 47 117 10 .275 .346 .465
Minnesota 24 53 10 15 3 2 0 4 10 12 0 .283 .406 .415

[Scorey1974]

Thank you for all the info...but we already have the exact same info.....Rotochamp has the Baseball America handbook...and I have a membership to BA online

[egswanso]

Scorey, just a question: Do you use Baseball Prospectus's PECOTA projections to estbalish a baseline for prospects/others?

Research indicates they tend to be the most accurate.

[RotoChamp2]

Please don't post BA's top 10 prospects and comments here. Baseball America requires a subscription for those listings/comments to be viewed for a reason and it's not cool to go posting those around the web. If people want the info, they should buy the handbook or subscribe. Also, I'm sure that info has some sort of copyright and we don't need to be getting Clay and Ian in trouble by posting excerpts here on their boards.


Originally posted by egswanso
Do you use Baseball Prospectus's PECOTA projections to estbalish a baseline for prospects/others?

No, we don't used PECOTA projections from BP. I do use leading indicators to evaluate player performance and trends, but go about evaluating in a way that's a bit different from BP.

As for currently active players, I'm using a mix of my preseason projections and the current 2004 performance of players. As some players are overperforming right now, I use the full season projections to balance out and more accurately reflect a player's trend curve.


Originally posted by Torborg4Rent
I want freakin' MARK ROGERS, darn it. This draft was FINE.
Funny you mention Jeff Allison as a good product of the last draft, who is out wasted on oxicontins somewhere.

Ok, so add him in on your own. We're not putting him in.

Nice comment on Allison. Yeah, the guy had a problem with prescription drugs and he's working on getting past it. Give the kid a break. He's not even 20 yet and still has a chance to be a good major league pitcher. I'm sure you were probably an angel as a teenager.

Also, Scorey didn't say he was a "good product" of the last draft, but simply that he was projected as an impact player with a ton of upside. Many of the guy's in this year's draft aren't expected to be all that great. There is no Mark Prior, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, etc. that should rush to the majors.

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by Torborg4Rent
This draft was FINE.

Funny you mention Jeff Allison as a good product of the last draft, who is out wasted on oxicontins somewhere.

The draft was fine?....why don't you rattle off 10 names with their projected peak stats and when we may see them up in the bigs?....

Roto...I second what you said about Jeff Allison....We all have our problems....let's give the kid a break....

Quote from Jeff Allison...
"That money did change my life," Allison said. "I thought it would change my life for the better, but no, it changed my life for the worse so far. I'm going to turn it around now."

Sounds like a good plan to me....America loves stories of those who were once down and out and made it back from the trenches...This kid was ranked the #1 pitcher coming out of high school in 2003....So his story has yet to unfold....

one more thing....it's not oxicontins....it's oxycontins.....

[Torborg4Rent]

Stephen Drew, Jered Weaver, Mark Rogers, Justin Verlander, Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend, Homer Bailey, etc.

Those are all good projectable guys. Drew and Weaver are top-notch like Weeks (who is sucking right now, might I add) and Young.

One thing about this year's draft is that pitchers owned it. There are so many pitchers drafted this year that could be great. A better bunch than last year.

Verlander, Rogers, Niemann, Humber, Townsend, Bailey, Sowers and Elbert could all be top of the rotation guys. Who from last year can say that? Paul Maholm and Tim Stauffer, maybe Sleeth and Danks.

[Scorey1974]

Problem is...due to roster restrictions....we have no more room to add pitchers....:)

[RotoChamp2]

I'm telling you right now the high school kids aren't going in. You talk about the being projectable but have no idea what it takes to do accurate projections on these guys. I'm not wasting my time on those kids. Maybe for a roster next season.

As far as pitchers are concerned, they're not going in. We're already overfilled on pitchers and I'm not putting in guys with absolutely no minor league experience for guys that are a bit easier for me to project.

And I disagree that there were "so many pitchers drafted this year that could be great." Use that word "great" carefully...it's reserved for true greats.

Looking at first rounders:
2) Justin Verlander - good stuff, poor control due to an inability to repeat his delivery. Sounds like every top prospect that's fizzled out due to non-injury related issues. Could be good starter, could be a better bullpen guy, or he could be trash if doesn't pull it together.

3) Philip Humber - again, good looking stuff, but not consistent. Looks like he could be a workhorse, but need to see how he adapts to better hitters.

4) Jeff Niemann - Wasn't fully healthy last year, but has good velocity and a nasty slider. Raw changeup though and that's what seperates the boys from the men. Gotta see what happens once he's forced to use that changeup.

5) Mark Rogers - I mean c'mon, play some real competition. Here's a guy who did nothing but throw fastballs because the hitters couldn't catch up to it. His numbers were sick, but that's high school. There's a kid from Kennewick, WA who had a 0.87 ERA, but didn't get drafted till the 37th round. HS numbers don't mean anything in this game.

6) Jeremy Sowers - Your standard crafty lefthander, he'll look good in the minors for the first few years, but we'll have to see whether or not his stuff translates to success against better hitters in the high minors and/or majors.

7) Homer Bailey - Another HS kid with sick numbers. He's a two pitcher guy who knows more about throwing than pitching, but still is considered "polished" for a HS kid. Again, he needs to develop a change to get anywhere.

8) Wade Townsend - Another Rice guy, scouts say he'll be a closer because he doesn't have a changeup and barely has control of his breaking pitche. Also, his velocity good enough to let him survive in the rotation without a changeup

10) Thomas Diamond - Again a HS kid. Yet another who doesn't know how to throw a changeup, but he's got some sick stuff if he can harness it. That's a big "if" though, as it is with any prospect.

12) Jared Weaver - This Weaver actually has pretty darn good control, but his stuff isn't all that great. He's more about showing different looks than surviving off of pure stuff. The problem is, not one of his pitches is much above average at this point.

Ok, I'm bored with that now.

Nothing really stands out. You see this every draft. Tons of upside guys, but nothing of note.

And realize that the first round didn't feature a lot of pitchers due to a derth of talent, but, instead, because of a lack of talented position prospects. If given the choice between a pitcher or a position player of equal talent, teams will most often go with the pitchers.

Regardless, we're not loading the prospects from this year's draft in the rosters. You want em in, add em yourself. We have enough to do as it is.

[pittsmo]

If you are looking to add hitters into the game, could you please add some of the very few young hitters that the Pirates have in their organization.

I am waiting patiently for the roster so that I can turn around my beloved Pirates, haha. Anyways, they have tons of pitchers in the minors, but lack hitters...so throw a few in for me if you need hitters.

Some names:

Nathan McLouth
Javier Guzman
Brad Eldred
Jeff Keppinger
Rajai Davis
Jorge Cortes

I can throw out a few more names, but would just like some young hitters to work with.

Thanks a lot guys, keep up the good work.

[RotoChamp2]

Thanks pittsmo, we'll look into it.

At this point, we realize that a lot of people are itching for a release, so we're working on getting the hitting prospects done ASAP. Then we'll get the pitching prospects done. From there, we'll make additions/changes in following releases.

[Scorey1974]

Pittsmo...a review of your prospect additions:

Nate McLouth (http://minorleaguebaseball.com/players/view.asp?id=7130) is certainly worth adding.

Javier Guzman (http://minorleaguebaseball.com/players/view.asp?id=11898) seems like a pretty decent prospect.

Brad Eldred (http://minorleaguebaseball.com/players/view.asp?id=9763) is a decent power prospect although his K's outnumber his games played at this point...That kinda worries me.

Jeff Keppinger (http://minorleaguebaseball.com/players/view.asp?id=7236) is tearing it up at AA...with a .347 BA and an excellent eye...looks like a keeper.

Rajai Davis (http://minorleaguebaseball.com/players/view.asp?id=7421) looking very nice at A ball with an excellent battng eye and outstanding speed.

Jorge Cortes (http://minorleaguebaseball.com/players/view.asp?id=9248) is probably a fringe player with not much power or speed to boot....sports a decent .298 BA but that's about it.

Overall you have sent in some pretty good suggestions that definitely merit us looking at getting some of these guys in the game...Thanks for the input.

[pittsmo]

Thanks guys for looking into it.

I like Guzman just because he is just 20 and is a nice little shortstop. Would be nice to have him in the game and see how he does once he gets older.

McLouth is a solid prospect and Davis has really jumped on the scene. He should be moved up to AA, but the Pirates are reluctant to move anybody up.

On Eldred, my only argument with what you said (what you said is true) his K numbers have always worried me about whether or not he could contribute, but he has really gotten his average up this year. He is in the same boat as Ryan Howard in my opinion. Both are old for their respective leagues, if I'm right and I could be wrong, I think Howard has more K's and games played as well.

Keppinger isn't on anybody's prospect lists because he is said to lack tools, but he hits the heck out of the ball. He did at college and has at every level of professional ball he has played as well.

Yeah I'm not a huge Cortes fan, but I just threw his name out there because BA was pretty high on him, placing him 17 in the top 30.

A couple of other guys worth note might be Adam Boeve and Craig Stansberry. Boeve is old for Low-A and has been ripping it up this year, hopefully they move him up and find out if he can be a legit power OF prospect. Stansberry has put up solid numbers thus far and was even injured at the beginning of the year.

It would be cool to have Steven Lerud in the game, he was drafted in the 3rd round last year out of high school, but has just played in GCL so far this year, so it might be hard to project him.

Anyways, thanks for listening guys. I'm not rushing you or anything, but just saw that you needed hitting prospects and I know the Pirates NEED them big time, haha.

Take your time, I'm interested in seeing how many downloads your universe gets on the first day, haha. Keep up the good work.

[RotoChamp2]

Originally posted by pittsmo
Thanks guys for looking into it.
Speaking for Scorey, "No Problemo" :D


Originally posted by pittsmo
On Eldred, my only argument with what you said (what you said is true) his K numbers have always worried me about whether or not he could contribute, but he has really gotten his average up this year.


Originally posted by pittsmo
Yeah I'm not a huge Cortes fan, but I just threw his name out there because BA was pretty high on him, placing him 17 in the top 30.

Just realize that batting average means nothing when it comes to projecting minor league prospects. In fact it means near nothing in terms of projecting major league players either. Average is dependant upon too many things outside of the hitter's control to matter. In fact, a player with a career trend of poor averages having what appears to be a "breaktout yet" is often a player getting lucky with an overly inflated Hit% (that is balls put in play that fall for hits, not counting homers).

[Torborg4Rent]

Originally posted by RotoChamp2


5) Mark Rogers - I mean c'mon, play some real competition. Here's a guy who did nothing but throw fastballs because the hitters couldn't catch up to it. His numbers were sick, but that's high school. There's a kid from Kennewick, WA who had a 0.87 ERA, but didn't get drafted till the 37th round. HS numbers don't mean anything in this game.




Hey thanks for your scouting report on all the pitchers, because I've never seen any of anyone. I can bet I know more about this draft than anyone here does. Let me tell you something about Rogers (who in his brief stint so far in rookie ball has pitched 4 scoreless innings, given up 3 hits, 1 walk, and has struck out 8,) as I know I know more about him than anyone here. Rogers played some showcases over the summer last year and dominated competition. It's not his numbers that I ever pledged to be reasons why he is good or any of these high school guys. I know it's hard to project high school pitchers and their performance in the majors. Rogers has a fastball that can be anywhere from 90 to 98 MPH. If he can tone himself to throw more in the 98 scale, with his beast of a curve and developing circle change, he can be a very effective pitcher. You can say what you want about the competition he faced here in Maine, because it's true, we aren't that fantastic. But the reason he was drafted so high is because his pitches are fantastic and he showed in some of the showcases last year that he is the real deal.

So he threw all fastballs? Okay, so how many games did you go to? How many times did you see him pitch "all fastballs"? Because I'll tell you what, I went to 2 games (2 games more than you, I expect) and he threw his curveball almost as much as his fastball, maybe a little too much. In one game he threw 8 straight curveballs to 2 batters (struck one out, the other was tapped down the third base line in no-man's land, Rogers fielded it and had to throw off balance, threw it wild, and it led to one of the few runs he gave up in the season,) and that doesn't exactly sound like "a guy who threw nothing but fastballs because the hitters couldn't catch up to it."

Rogers is pretty much the reason I want you to put draft picks in the game, as Rogers is a taste of home. A home where we have no one else but Matt Kinney and Matt Stairs to cheer for since Billy Swift and Mike Bordick retired. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to play as some of the other players in this draft. Since March (with my Baseball America online subscription) I've followed everything they've put out on this draft, so I feel like I know more about these players than I do a lot of major leaguers and look forward to following this class.

I'm not "claiming" all of these guys are going to be great pitchers, I say some of them have the potential to be. A lot of them certainly have better chances to be stars than Jeffrey Allison or whoever from whatever team you have in the game.

[Scorey1974]

Torborg....ease up Mr. Mark Rogers expert......The database is full of pitchers...and we currently have no room to put anymore in....it's just that simple.....If Mr. Rogers is the real deal...then we'll soon find out....but until further review he will not be in the game....sorry to disappoint you....;)

[RotoChamp2]

Thanks for the opinion. You want the players in, add them yourself since your apparently more knowledgeable. I'm not saying you aren't, but I'm saying I don't care to project these kids as I'm spending enough time on the prospects.

I realize you want Rogers in the game, and I understand your reasons why. I'd also like to see Matt Tuiasosopo in the game, who hit a homer in his first pro at bat for the M's rookie league team. But I'm not gonna do it at this juncture.

Rogers may well end up being great, but as far as our roster is concerned you're gonna have to wait if you want us to put him in there. We're filled up with pitchers and it took us a long-*** time to narrow down to who we were willing to leave out of the game, due to the roster restrictions. Why would you want us to project him anyways? According to you, you apparently know more about the players in this draft than I do, so just trust your own knowledge.

As stated before, I'm done commenting on this draft.

[GM24]

Hey, what do you think of Cleveland 1B/DH Travis Hafner guys? Is he for real or not?

[RotoChamp2]

Originally posted by Crispy984
Hey, what do you think of Cleveland 1B/DH Travis Hafner guys? Is he for real or not?
Well, to be honest I like the guy quite a bit. However, he's already reached his prime (he's 27) and his season is a bit fluky.

He's showing improved pitch recognition and contact ability this year. His homerun rate isn't as high as last year, but he's hitting more doubles. Besides that, he's hitting at home just as well as he is on the road. Those are all great signs pointing to a legit campaign.

Also, he's been remarkably consistent this season, having hit .300 or higher each month with a steady BB:K ratio.

The few worry signs are his continued trouble with LH pitchers, though he has improved. He's by far a better hitter against Righties though. Also, his H% is a bit inflated, consider that's he's got a pretty low G:F ratio. Typically, grounders go for hits more often than flyballs do. So, you'll typically see H% go up (along with AVG) as the G:F goes up. In this case, Hafner's hitting more flyballs, but his H% is sitting around 37% (league average is typically 30 and each 2% points variance carries a different impact on the Batting Average).

Another downside is his power, which has declined each month of the season. However, he is hitting the ball darn good in July - so far.

Conclusion: At this point I'd suggest he's legit. If you're in a fantasy league you should not be ignoring him or his .947 OPS, which ranks him 22nd in all of MLB. But from a 1B/DH perspective, that's only 9th best at the position. He's not a star, but until I see otherwise, I'd think he could keep this up for another couple of seasons at least....though with a lower AVG (maybe .280-.300 which is still very respectable).

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by Crispy984
Hey, what do you think of Cleveland 1B/DH Travis Hafner guys? Is he for real or not?

Rotochamp gives you the long version....I will give you the short version....

He's a pretty decent young player....no superstar....but pretty good....:D

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by RotoChamp2
Speaking for Scorey, "No Problemo" :D





Just realize that batting average means nothing when it comes to projecting minor league prospects. In fact it means near nothing in terms of projecting major league players either.

Hey Roto...tell that one to Tony Gwynn...or how about the great Ted Williams....(if he were alive)....;) :D :cool:

[JasonBayDay]

Does anyone know how Hanley Ramirez is doing? I heard he's really fallen off.

[Scorey1974]

Here's Hanley:

Hanley Ramirez (http://minorleaguebaseball.com/players/view.asp?id=7288)

[Torborg4Rent]

Braves pitchers Jose Capellan and Jack Stevens are breaking out this year.

[Stu Cotts]

Originally posted by RotoChamp2
Another downside is his power, which has declined each month of the season. However, he is hitting the ball darn good in July - so far.

What's funny about this post is that almost immediately after RC2 made it, Hafner hit 5 home runs in two games.

He's right though, Hafner hadn't hit for power in a while.

I'm a huge Indians fan and a big-time prospect geek, and I think RC2's assessment is pretty accurate.

I can see Hafner settling in as a .290/.360/.500 hitter for a handful of years. He controls the strike zone well and hits a ton of doubles, both of which add to his value without big flashy home run totals. Hafner's really sort of a poor man's Jim Thome. He does all of the same sorts of things, but doesn't do any of them as well as Thome.

Hafner does struggle against left-handers, but I don't think it's a terminal problem. Besides, lefties make Ryan Klesko and Eric Chavez look like John McDonald and Rey Ordonez...Pronk's not the only star hitter who can't hit southpaws.

Keep in mind, though, he's 27. He's probably not going to develop much past where he is now.

Now, Grady Sizemore and Michael Aubrey...those two are the ones who are really gonna tear things up for the Tribe.

-Stu

[Mofoticon]

grady sizemore, franklin gutierrez, andrew brown, jeremy guthrie, francisco cruceta, corey smith, brandon phillips, jhonny peralta, ryan ludwick, kyle denney, fernando cabrera, dan denham, ryan garko, michael aubrey......those are all the indians top prospects... i hope most, if not all, are in the new update...

[Scorey1974]

Originally posted by Mofoticon
grady sizemore, franklin gutierrez, andrew brown, jeremy guthrie, francisco cruceta, corey smith, brandon phillips, jhonny peralta, ryan ludwick, kyle denney, fernando cabrera, dan denham, ryan garko, michael aubrey......those are all the indians top prospects... i hope most, if not all, are in the new update...

Most of these guys will be in the database