The YIPS- Young Impact Players 2009

Becoming a true impact player in the MLB is a tough task to say the least. Ryan Braun, Jacoby Ellsbury and B.J. Upton are all great building blocks for their team, but who's next. True to my roots in minor league fan-hood I'll give YET ANOTHER LIST of the top, future impact players. Some are absolute saviors, other are just high end all stars.

1. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles (A)- Yes, Wieters again and again. Definitely the most valuable player on the Orioles before he's even had an at bat in 2009. Like Joe Mauer is El Capitan of the Twins, Wieters will lead the Orioles to a decent record. There's absolutely no flaws in his game--even his speed is decent for a catcher. He makes contact at the best rate in the minors, with only Brett Wallace and Buster Posey rivaling him. He's a super duper prospect, and through 437 career at bats his numbers have been absolutely insane: .354, 454 obp, .600 slg and 1054 OPS. Like Mauer, Wieters' defense is also a plus-plus asset.

2. Travis Snider, LF/1B, Toronto Blue Jays (B+)- Snider is exaclty what the Blue Jays need.  In 2008 the Jays couldn't buy runs with guys like Rod Barajas and Marco Scutaro getting regular at bats. But now with Snider and Lind pairing up with Rios and Wells, they don't look half bad. Snider is the power bat thatg the Jays are dying for, his .513 career slugging percentage and his .300 career batting average (in the minors and majors) are of infinite importance to Ricciardi's ball club. Bad timing has once again killed the Jays though. After the emergence of Jesse Litsch and Carlson they've taken two steps back losing Marcum and McGowan.

3. David Price, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays (B+)- I'd personally slot price in at closer, but the Rays seem intent on clearing a spot for him in the rotation. Niemann and Hammel are both out of options so it would be wise to start either of them and save Price for the empty Closer's spot. Anyway, Price is a very good pitcher. A Chamberlain slider, and a 94 mph cutting fastball are all he needs and uses. It'd be nice if he could get another pitch but if Kaz can survive on his two then Price can definitely on his two as well. If he's in the rotation, the Rays overtake the Yankees for best rotation in the AL. If he's in the bullpen the Rays beat out the Angels and Red Sox for best bullpen. Take your fuck'n pick you lucky bastards.

4. Trevor Cahill, SP, Oakland Athletics (B+)- The Athletics have a staff leader on their hands in Cahill. With such a young rotation featuring Gallagher, Eveland, Braden and Duchscherer, Cahill will provide the ace stuff they need. His hard, heavy, sinking fastball is one of the best in the minors, even over Volstad's. He has good finesse and is super polished. Through 238 innings pitched in his career, a Sabathia full-season, Cahill is 22-9 with a 2.68 era and 264 k's. For a sinkerballer he clearly strikes a lot of guys out. Think baby Brandon Webb.

5. Derek Holland, LHP, Texas Rangers (B+)- The Rangers are in serious need of starting pitching, especially with the recent implosion of "Feldman" in spring training. Holland is their savior and paired with Feliz the Rangers suddenly have a scary trio between Holland, Feliz and McCarthy. In four games started in the heavily-hitter-friendly Texas League in 2008, Holland pitched 26 innings with a .69 era and 29 k's verses only 14 hits and 6 walks. Yeehaw.

6. Chris Tillman, SP, Baltimore Orioles (B)- Tillman really caught fire in 2008 in AA. He threw 135 innings with a 3.18 era and 154 strikeouts. His stuff is good and the Orioles need an anchor to their rotation, badly. As of now the only other Orioles with decent stuff that are starting in 2008 are Guthrie and Albers, and neither make hitters shake in their booties. Arrieta is on his way as well.

7. Jhoulys Chacin, SP, Colorado Rockies (B)- The Rockies were just starting to develop a pretty sweet staff when Francis announced that he'll be lost for a year with the dreaded "shoulder surgery." Chacin has sparkling numbers in the minor leagues and through 44 games started he has gone 24-8 with a 2.41 era. There's no doubt that his era will shoot up at least a point in Colorado, but pair him with De La Rosa and Ubaldo Jimenez and you suddenly have a rotation in the Mountains.

8. Neftali Feliz, SP, Texas Rangers (A-)- Like Holland Feliz is extremely valuable to the Rangers. Perhaps stupidly, the Rangers have traded away their aces as if they had AIDS. Volquez, Danks and Galarraga have all been nasty with their respective teams. They'll hold on to Feliz. His heater is 94-100 mph and he's struck out an insane 250 guys in a career 198 ip while posting a 2.86 era. He spent 45 innings in 2008 pitching for the Texas League and posted a 2.98 era there--another nice sign for the Rangers.

9. Pablo Sandoval, CI/C, San Francisco Giants (B+)- Sandoval, brother of Angels' prospect Freddie Sandoval, wasn't really a top prospect before his breakout campaign between AAA and the MLB in 2008. Like the Jays the Giants are in absolutely dire straights offensively. Their friggin' OPS leader in '08 was Fred effing Lewis! Sandoval needs more patience but he's a career .303 hitter in the MiLB and a .345 hitter in the MLB. In 2008, at four different stops between the high minors and the Majors, Sandoval didn't post a batting average below .337. With Ishikawa at first and Molina/Posey locked in at catcher there's no telling where he'll play in 2008, but they'll definitely find a spot for the guy.

10. Jordan Zimmerman, SP, Washington Nationals, (B+)- The Nationals had arguably the worst rotation in the majors--maybe tied with Texas--in 2008. With Detwiler, Balester, Zimmerman and Lannan they plan to fix that. Zimmerman is 15-5 with a career 2.75 era in 187 innings pitched in the minors. He has ace stuff and has overtaken Detwiler as the Natties' top prospect. Both are superb athletes and once they work out some kinds in the deliveries, especially Detwiler, they'll anchor the Nats' pitching staff.

Young Guns in the Lone Star State

Ryan Kelley
The Baseball Chronicle
2/27/09


The Rangers are not known for pitching and ever since Nolan Ryan hung up his cleats they haven't had an ace. With all of their sub par seasons they've collected quite a few good pitching prospects and are going in to 2009 with one of the best offenses in the AL as well as--what could be-- a good staff. The Rangers have been known for trading away good pitchers before they make an impact in the majors. Armando Galarraga andJohn Danks would really help the Rangers out if they hadn't been traded. Below are the rankings of Texas's best young pitchers.

1. Derek Holland, LHP, (A-)- I give Holland the edge over Feliz simply because he has more polish and is now major league ready. His .69 era through 4 starts in the Texas League last year, a super hard league to pitch in, is almost unheard of. His career numbers are absolutely sparking-- 17-6, 2.59 era, 217 ip, 240 k, 168 hits. It's hard to say what's going to happen to the kid, he has the tools to be good but Texas has chewed up more than one pitching prospect in the past.

2. Neftali Feliz RHP, (A-)- Another top prospect, the 20 year old Feliz probably won't make the majors until late 2010. His stuff is absolutely electric and he throws a 97 mph heater. Like Holland he also pitched well in the Texas league. Through 45 innings he had 47 k's and a 2.98 era. His career numbers are intense with 198 ip, 250 strikeouts and a 2.85 era. He's a special pitcher and once he's MLB ready he'll blow Holland out of the water--thats saying something.

3. Michael Main, RHP, (B+)- Main, drafted out of highschool is a 5 tool guy that has been converted to a full time pitcher. Barely 20, Eminem dominated the midwest league with a 2.58 era through 45 innings and 50 strikeouts. His stuff is very good. He throws a 95 mph fastball and has a sweet 12-6 power curve. His most impressive stat is that he doesn't walk anybody, only 13 in 2008 in the midwest league (a fairly good number for a 20 year old). Out of these three he'll be the last to make the majors but he has the stuff to be nearly as good as the top two.

4. Guillermo Moscoso, LHP, (B)- Moscoso was a nice pickup for the Rangers from the Tigers. Moscoso was converted from reliever to starter in 2007 and has had great results. He pitched 34.2 innings with Detroit's Erie Sea Wolves at AA in 2008, struck out 50 and had a 3.12 era. In his career he's pitched 260 innings, struck out 2.78, sports an 18-10 record and has a pretty sweet 2.80 era. He has a little bit more to go but he may be Texas' sleeper.

5. Eric Hurley, RHP, (B)- Hurley had a rough 2008. He had a 5.47 era with Texas and a 5.30 era with the AAA Redhawks. However, some of that was probably due to injury as it doesn't match up with his career stats. He'll be out with surgery for 2008 so he'll be back in early-mid 2009. He's another guy that pitched well in the Texas League, again, being a great sign for the Rangers. In 2006 and 2007 went 10-3 through 125 innings pitched with 107 k's and about a 2.50 era. Hurley throws 92-95 mph fastballs and has a hard slider with good tilt. His changeup needs work.

6. Blake Beavan, RHP, (B-/B)- Beavan's stuff probably will strikeout a lot of major leaguers some day but right now he pitches to contact. His 96 mph fastball, good slider and solid change are all good pitches, but for one reason or another they get hit--probably because he stays around the strikezone too much. His delivery is exactly what scouts want to see and is very smooth. Now 20 years old, Beavan pitched 121.3 innings, struck out 73 and walked only 20 in single A in 2008. His era was a nice 2.37 and he won 10 games. He has the stuff to be very good and when he learns to pitch he could be a strikeout guy. Watch him rise through the system.

7. Martin Perez, LHP, (B-)- Martin Perez has a ton of potential and has already shown some good numbers at the extremely young age of 17. I've never seen the guy but I asked an Uncle of mine to give me the low down. He's a finesse pitcher at this point with a 88-92 mph and a strikeout curve. He's already added velocity to his curve and when he adds some more bulk to his 6' 160 lb frame he might get it close to the mid 90's.

8. Wilfredo Boscan, RHP, (B-)- A 2006 international signee, the 18 year old Boscan put up some nice numbers in 2008 in low A ball. He went 9-1, sported a 3.12 era and struck out 70 in 69 innings. He sports the standard 95 mph fastball and hammer curve for young piwer pitches. Like Moscoso he's young and raw, but with experience he could be pretty good. I see him in the bullpen in the future.

9. Kasey Kiker, LHP, (C+)- Kiker is small for a pitcher weighing in at a generous 170 and listed at a very generous 5'10." His 94 mph heat has been reduced to 88-92 which is scaring most scouts and it does the opposite to opposing hitters. Luckily Kiker is a fastball changeup-guy and has a very nice straight change that he places well--ie he won't have to rely on heat. His curve has a spike to it and could be pretty good with a little bit more work. In 2007 Kiker put up good numbers, a 2.90 era, 96 ip and 112 strikeouts. In 2008, his loss of velocity got him into some trouble and went 5-5 and had a 4.73 era. If he can rebound he could be a 3rd starter some day.

10. Tim Murphy, LHP, (C+)- Murphy was a former 2 way player with UCLA and has since been converted to a full time pitcher. He put up some promising numbers giving up only 17 hits in 32 an 2.3 innings, while posting a 3.03 era. He doesn't have a load of potential but he would probably be ranked near the top 10 for most teams. He's newly drafted so he has plenty of room to rise through 2009 and 2010.

Cop'n Some Z's- The Sleepy Teams of 2009

There are quite a few teams that have been using the Tampa Bay Rays/Oakland Athletics approach to reload and build a young and cheap nucleus. Many of these teams, like the Rays in 2008, are ready to compete with big spenders like the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets and BoSox. Below is a ranking of the best teams getting the least credit for how good they are--the teams that could explode in 2009.

1. Minnesota Twins (B+), 88-75, Justin Morneau, Scott Baker-- The Twins don't have a power rotation like the Yankees, Giants or Red Sox but what they do have is 5 or 6 number two and number three starters. In short, they're a well rounded team. Joe Nathan is still one of the top three closers in baseball and with Jesse Crain healthy they're looking pretty good bullpen-wise. their starting rotation deserves a B+ as of now. Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins and Kevin Slowey all have the potential to pitch 200 innings of Andy Pettitte ball. Baker was the best in 2008 and racked up some decent strike out numbers, in 172 innings pitched he struck out 141. Liriano is a wild car, and although he looked good coming back form surgery in 2008 his velocity was down and his breaking stuff was more tumbly than usual. Either way, Liriano is a special player and was Joba Chamerblain before Joba Chamberlain. Slowey, Blackburn and Perkins are all soft tossers that win ball games and racked up quality starts. None of them will blow you away, but with good fastball placement and their changes they get some wins and post a respectable ERA around 4.00.

The Twins' offense isn't too shabby either. Former uber-prospect Michael Cuddyer is back and ready to belt 20, while Delmon young seemed to come into his own (finally) in the latter half of 2008. In June and July 2008 Delmon picked it up and hit .321 and .326. Carlos Gomez needs to improve his whiff rate but he's a good weapon on the bases and can cover some ground in the outfield. Mauer is hands down the best all around catcher in both leagues both defensively, offensively and he posses the intangibles to win a ring. Already securing two batting titles, Mauer is looking Hall of Fame voters right in the eye, and theirs no doubt, as the teams leader, Mauer wants some wins in the playoffs. Morneau almost won his second MVP in 2008 batting .300 with 23 homers in 2008. His homerun numbers continue to decline but his doubles, strikeouts and walk numbers continue to increase. Jason Kubel is a nice DH and could hit .300 someday and belt around 20-25 homers. Alexi Casilla and Nick Punto are a good duo up the middle and although neither of them will impress you with their bats they'll definitely be a pesky presence. All and all the Twins look good and I'd be surpri sed if they didn't win 90 games in 2009.

2. Kansas City Royals, (B) 75-87, David Dejesus, Zach Greinke- Trey Hillman's Royals are suddenly a contender. Although they finished fourth in their division last year they did a good job developing their young guns. In the infield they're looking good. Alex Gordon and Mike Aviles will lead the way and both of them are plus hitters. If Gordon matures he could easily belt 30 bombs and maybe steal 15-20 bases. Aviles has always been a good hitter but was finally called up in 2008 and he responded well by hitting .325 with 10 homers in a shade over 400 at bats. The trio of Jacobs, Kila Ka'aihue and Ryan Shealy is a blessing in disguise and if Hillman can keep them all satisfied with playing time, especially Ka'aihue you could have a combined All Star easily. Callaspo is a decent fielder and can slap .300 as well. Their outfield looks pretty good and with Guillen, Dejesus and Crisp they've built a good top of the order punch. Crisp doesn't have much power and will barely it 10 homers in a full season, but his defense is very good and he can steal about 30 bases without getting caught. DeJesus is solid both in the field and at the plate. He is good for .280-.300, 10-15 hr, 10-15 sb and some good run numbers. He's a nice no. 2. Guillen is underrated and productive. Besides posessing a cannon arm in Right Field, Guillen hits 20 homers yearly. Mark Teahen will play some at second and the outfield. He's a nice guy off the bench and could it 20 homers in a full season. Billy Butler is still developing but hits the ball squarely with the best of 'em. He has the potential to win a batting title.

The Royals staff looks mightily improved as well. Greinke and Meche are very soli d pitchers now. Meche is an innings eat and a very productive one at that. Since coming to the Royals Meche has pitched 426 innings of 3.80 era - ball. Greinke came in to his own last year a

nd looked like a future ace (finally). He pitched 202 innings, won 13 games and struck out 183. Kyle Davies finally showed some promise and could be a nice number 3-- a 4.00 ERA and 200 innings is very possible. Former first round pick Hochevar has the makings of a good number 3, but still needs to develop. The 95 mph fastball-wielding Danny Cortes, a guy that posted naked pictures of himself on myspace, has the stuff to be a top pitcher on this staff and Bannister, if he bounces back could be a decent innings eater. The bullpen sparkles as well. Soria is one of the best closers in baseball, Farnsworth, Bale and Mahay are all good set-up men and Robinson Tejeda proved that he can pitch. All and all the Royals should be a .500 team in 2009. 2010 they could be playoff-bound.

3. San Francisco Giants, (B), 72-90, Fred Lewis, Tim Lincecum- The Giants are all pitching and with their projected '09 staff that's AOK. Lincecum proved that he can be the best pitcher in the bigs with his first CY Young. His stuff is the best in both leagues and that 97 mph heat and diving 12-6 curve can strikeout the best hitters. Matt Cain is super underrated and has the stuff to win 20 games one day. Randy Johnson and Jonathan Sanchez are both lefty-strikeout-machines. Johnson is old and needn't go more than 6 innings per start but he's still effective in the NL. Sanchez is blossoming but with only two effective pitches, a four-seamer and a 2 seamer he can get hit at times. Zito has proven to be the worst free agent signing in history but wasn't that terrible in 2008. He's been working out hardcore and could be a decent 4.50 era and 180 ip pitcher in 2008. Noah Lowry is back and has always been solid. Alderson and Bumgarner, two top pitching prospects (Bumgarner is THE top). The bullpen isn't lights out but Brian Wilson isn't half bad.

The offense was god aweful in 2008 and a slap hitter was their high OPS guy. Anyway the offense has improved for 2009. Pablo Sandoval is a very good hitter and would be a good fit for first base. Travis Ishikawa is going to start, somehow, and had some serious power numbers in AAA in 2009, belting 16 homers in 172 at bats. Bengie Molina is still a top 10 catcher, Fred Lewis is a solid player as is Randy Winn. Aaron Rowand is good on defense but isn't as good a hitter as he was in Philly. .280, 15-20 homers and a handful of stolen bases is pretty decent. Schierholtz is a very good hitter and has the potential to hit .300 with some power. He's hit .310 through 187 at bats in the majors. Velez and Burris are both simply speed and both have good range up the middle. All and all the Giants look good enough to NOT repeat their 72 win season in 2008.

4. Washington Nationals, (B-) 59-102, Guzman, Lannan- The Nationals were atrocious in 2009 and I saw flashes of the early 2000's Tigers. Lannan , Guzman, Dukes, Milledge and Flores all proved to be good players and looking ahead to 2009 look like a pretty nice group on offense. Zimmerman took yet another step back with a shoulder injury in 2008 but his potential is still there. I hope he works himself back into shape because he looks soft and overweight. Anyway the Nationals are looking pretty good for 2009. Milledge and Dukes could both go 20-20, Dukes even 30-20. Dukes went 13-13 through less than a half-season in 2008. Guzman is a solid shortstop and is good for a .280-.300 batting average with decent line-drive power. The signing of Adam Dunn has added a big bat to the lineup, and although he may not hit 40 homers like he did in Cincy, 30-35 homers and a good OBP are still nice assets to have. Willingham, even with the back problems, is a nice player to have. He can play the corners, man first and maybe even slot in as a catcher in emergencies. Zimmerman, hopefully making a comeback, still has 30 homerun power and plays sparkling defence. The young Jesus Flores looked prett solid in 2008 hitting 8 homers in a half season. His arm is good and if he continues to develop he could hit around .280 with 20 bombs. Kearns has fallen apart and is riding the bench in 2009, but as a plus defender, and a hitter with 20 homerun potential he's a pretty nice asset there (or trade bait). Anderson Hernandez and Alberto Gonzalez both went on hitting streets upon being traded to the Nats but neither are known for their bat and both can really pick it. All and all I'd give the offense a B.

The rotation was in shambles in 2008. Lannan and Odaliz Perez were the lone brightspots. Balester got his feet wet and as a solid prospect could put it together and win some ball games in 2009. Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler are both waiting for the call and both have good stuff and good track records. Detwiler was awesome in college but less impressive in his professional debut, posting a 4.86 era in A ball. His crappy delivery was to blame but the kid still throws 93-97 mph with an electric splitter. Zimmerman has a ton of potential and put up a 3.21 era and struck out 103 in 106 innings pitched in AA. Lannan is the Nats version of Paul Maholm and is a solid innings eater as long as he keeps his fastball low. He lead the starting staff with a 3.91 ERA in 2008. Scott Olsen is underrated, and although his ERA will go up after leaving the Marlins, his 88-93 mph fastball, change and slider are good enough to win some ball games and slot 200 innings yearly. Perez and Redding are gone but Martis, Mock, Detwiler and Balester shouldn't have a problem taking their place

The Nats bullpen, although rebuilt in 2008, looks pretty strong. Joel Hanrahan showed his 95 mph fastball and plus slider/cutter as closer with a 3.95 era, 93 k's in 84 ip and saved 9 after the all star break. Steve Shell is a nice setup/middle reliever and his funky delivery through opposing batters off in 2008. Shell posted a sexy 2.16 era through 50 innings. Garrett Mock is a good spot starter/middle reliever and he struck out 46 in 41 ip in 2008. Saul Rivera is solid but not great. Rivera will rack up some innings and provide some stability. Former prospect Mike Hinckley didn't give up an earned run in 14 September innings and looks like he'll fill the long spot in the bullpen. Detwiler and Martis could round it out as well. All and all the Nats don't look like they'll lose 100 again. A record approaching .500 in a hard division is possible though.

5. Florida Marlins, 84-77, Hanley Ramirez, Ricky Nolasco- Poor Marlins, just when the get another chance to make the playoffs *poof* fire sale. Its discouraging to see a team thats WON two world series since 1997 go through such trouble to retain talent. The ownership is crossing their fingers that a new stadium, sans the hornets' nests, will attract some fans. The Marlins are once again looking very solid. Hanley Ramirez, the player that forced Theo Epstein to quit, in disgust, after ownership forced him to trade him to the Marlins for Josh Beckett, is one of the best hitters/players in baseball. His play at short is stinky but a kid that can hit

30 bombs and steal 40-50 bases, all while batting .300 is hard to come by and is damn valuable. Dan Uggla is a good all around itter, kind of a Jason Giambi at second. He has some mental lapses on 'D, evident in the '08 All Star game, and is prone to hitting streaks and slumps (his second half was atrocious). Still Uggla is a top five second basemen and can hit about 30 homers and draw a ton of walks. Jorge Cantu finally got it back together and hit 29 homers at third base for the Marlins last year. Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida both have taken, Hermida especially, and both could hit 30 homeruns. Cameron Maybin, the former Eye of the Tigers' is a superb athlete. He hit .400 in September for the Marlins upon his call-up, and covers some serious ground in center. 20-20 is very in reach for the kid. John Baker, now 28, drew some ROY votes after batting .299 with 5 homeruns through a third of the season, all while playing a good catcher. He's not a power threat but a good average, OBP and 10-15 homers is pretty nice. Gaby Sanchez from UMiami was converted to first base from catcher and had a .917 OPS with AA Carolina in 2008. Hell play first. Overall I'd give the Marlins a B on offense.

The Rotation is looking damn good. Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, Chris Volstad and Andrew Miller are all good pitchers. Nolasco and Johnson are both aces when healthy, Chris Volstad is a superb prospect and posted a 2.88 ERA through 14 starts. If Sanchez makes a come back, his former no-hitter self could be a pretty nice number 3 and the young Andrew Miller, although not showing very much in the majors, has ace potential. A- for the rotation.

After losing Kevin Gregg the Marlins are closer-less. Matt Lindstrom and Leo Nunez both will get a shot in spring training with Lindy probably getting the edge. 22 year old Jose Ceda, the fruit of the Gregg trade is a hard thrower and posted a 2.08 era and 42 strikeouts through 30 innings with AA Tennessee has the potential to be the Marlins closer by 2010. Scott Proctor and Logan Kensing are both solid middle relievers. Proctor is a horse. Ryan Tucker is a nice prospect and could get a shot somewhere on the staff for 2009. The bullpen is their weakest aspect but is definitely passable.

Yankees' Farm Report- Spring Training 2009

With Spring Training under way as of February 25th the Yankees' are looking better than ever--talent wise. Prospects Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero, David Robertson, Christian Garcia, Dellin Betances and many others are lighting up the stage in Florida as I write this. Below is the most recent rankings of the Yankees' farm system. You'll notice that the Yankees aren't the top farm system in the Bigs but have some serious depth as well as some very good athletes...In parenthesis is the player's potential/prospect quality.

1. Jesus Montero C (A+)- Montero is as close to an A+ prospect as you'll find in the minors now and throughout the past twenty years. He's going to take over as a 35-40 homerun threat as Ivan Rodriguez retires. Scouts give him a perfect 80 for his power on the scouting scale. One scout Yankee's scout says he has an "A-Rod bat" which is a pretty nice complement for a young catcher. He'll probably move to first if he gains any more weight but he does have a rocket arm so staying at catcher is still a possibility. All he needs to improve is his footwork.

2. Austin Jackson CF (B+)- Jackson has a ton of range in the outfield and makes it to first in 4.2 seconds. His power has decreased sum as he shortened his swing in favor of contact. He hi .345 in 2007 and has averaged about 32 stolen bases per full season in the minors. He has an all around package but isn't spectacular at any one aspect of the game. Like McCutchen he's overrated because of his athleticism rather than his minors stats.

3. Dellin Betances RHP (B+)- For a guy that has been listed as tall as 6'9", is only 21 and throws a 93-97 mph fastball and an absolutely dominating knuckle curve Betances hasn't gotten that much press. He will soon. With Charleston in 2008 Betances pitched 22 games, 115 innings and struck out 135. His era was a solid 3.67 and he won nine games. His only minus is his breaking ball control which will improve with his delivery. He's learning a changeup with Nardi Contreras this spring.

4. David Robertson RHP (B+)- Robertson showed his stuff off after being called up with the Yankees before tiring and getting shelled. The potential is there though. The kid throws 92-96 with a hammer 12-6 curveball clocked at about 80 mph. In 30 innings with the big club he struck out 36, and in AAA he struck out 51 in 35 innings and gave up only 20 hits and his era was a sparkling 2.06. Hughes and Kennedy got all of the hype but Robertson may be the most ready pitcher for the majors in their system. He could be the Yankees' version of Papelbon once Rivera's arm finally falls off.

5. Austin Romine C (B+)- Romine is the son of former MLB catcher Kevin Romine and has some good genes to be successful. His arm is the best in the minors as a position player, not just catcher and runners are quickly learning to not test him. He gave up 18 past balls in 2008 so he needs some work behind the plate but his .300 batting average and nice line drive swing shows that his bat is maturing at a nice rate. He's still young and has some work but he is more major league ready than Montero at this point. He's a good all around player kind of like Lou Marson is for the Phillies.

6. Andrew Brackman, LHP, (B)- "Breakman" hasn't pitched a professional inning with the Yanks thus far due to a shredded elbow. Fresh farm surgery Brackman has looked pretty decent lately according to Yankees' coaches and my man Nardi Contreras. He won't throw 98 like he did in college but his 2 seamer that runs 91-94 and his riding four seamer from 92-96 are pretty darn good anyway. He also throws a nice knucke curve. He's huge at 6'8" but like B.J. Ryan, he may be more suited for a late inning set-up or closer's role. Could be a nice heir to Mariano.

7. Phil Coke LHP (B)- Coke was once a low-grade prospect for the Yanks' system before this year and has since turned into a fantastic reliever after being converted from a pretty-good-starter in the minors. Kind of what the Yankees' hoped Ohlendorf would do. Coke pitched 118 innings, struck out 115, had a 2.51 ERA and won 9 games with AA Trenton in 2008. His numbers as a reliever with the Yankees sparkled-- in 14.2 ip he gave up only 8 hits, 2 walks and 1 earned run.

8. Christian Garcia, RHP, (B)- Garcia throws a 92-95 MPH fastball with plenty of life and a sharp curve as well as a tumbling change. He was drafted right out of and was a victim of TJ surgery before dominating last year. In 49.2 innings pitched in 2008 he struck out 60 and had a pretty sexy 2.90 era. His stuff is good but he may be converted to a reliever due to his durability issues by the time he gets to the MLB.

9. Mark Melancon, RHP (B)- Melancon came back from TJ surgery and pitched extremely well in 2008. In AA he pitched 49 innings, struck out 47 and had a 1.81 era and had comparable numbers in Scranton. Melancon has some good stuff--kind of a Brett Cecil type. He throws 92-95 mph fastballs and a nice hard slider that runs about 80-84. His real plus is that he's super efficient and rarely pitches himself into a full count or an 8 pitch at bat. In his career he's only given up a little more than 6 hits per 9 innings.

10. Wilkins De La Rossa, LHP (B-)- Originally De La Rossa was an outfielder with a rocket arm, decent speed and a crappy bat. The Yankees converted him to pitcher in A ball and he has since been a fierce presence. He throws 92-96 and has two pretty sweet breaking pitches. He's a K machine like Betances and struck out 110 in 90 innings with Charleston in '08 and only gave up 60 its. At 6'0" 155 he's going to have to add some bulk to avoid being a glass-armed Scott Kazmir but as of now he looks pretty good.

Prospects With Power Tools

The Best Athletes in the Minor Leagues
2/27/09
Ryan Kelley



There's a lot of guys out there that can make it in the Bigs without many physical gifts beyond brains and eyesight- Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia are two very good examples. In the end however, I, along with most scouts, like to see a physical specimen. We like a guy with all 5 tools and a goody body. Below is a list of players that are physically gifted. How gifted? That's what the list is for...

1. Tim Beckham, SS, Tampa Bay Rays- Beckham was drafted out of highschool almost purely because of his body. If you want to talk about 5 tool players here's a damn good example. Beckham is as fast as diamonds are valuable and makes contact with the best of them. His .243 average in his first taste of professional ball isn't supporting the scouts raving about his ability, but he definitely will make the big ball club. It's always a crapshoot as to whether or not a super prospect will be a star, or even make their MLB team, but Beckham looks pretty close to a sure thing.

2. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles- Wieters again!? Yeseroo. Wieters has the best tools of any catcher in the minors and maybe even the majors (not counting Joe Mauer). He has a rifle for an arm, great range, good speed for a catcher and the best bat in the minors. He makes contact at an insane rate and flashed some serious power in AA in 2007. His career 1.054 OPS and .355 batting average in the minors tell Wieters' story.

3. Aaron Hicks, CF, Minnesota Twins- Hicks is one of the few guys on this blog that I haven't seen or met in person. I'm breaking my pledge and rating him here because he's just THAT GOOD. The Twins want him slotted in as an OF, but prior to the draft other teams considered him a pitcher because of his 96 mph fastball. His arm is a rocket, he has great speed and he has been compared to Darryl freak'n Strawberry with the bat. In less than a third of a season in 2008, Hicks hit .318, stole 12 bases and belted 4 bombs.

4. Jeff Samardzija, RHP, Chicago Cubs- Samardzija was Notre Dames version of the "Great White Hope" (as Jim Brown calls it) at wide receiver. Since his huge signing bonus with the Cubbies Samardzija has lived up to his hype. He hits 95 on the gun almost consistently and can dial it up to 97-98 when he wants to. He's a big dude, 6'5" and 220 lbs and he has great stuff. He throws a plus-plus four seamer, a good two seamer, a splitter and a low 80's slider and sometimes a catch-'em-off-guard-change as well. He posted a 3.13 era in AAA in 2008 and then dominated with the Cubs wielding a 2.28 era with 25 k's through 27 innings.

5. Jason Heyward, CF, Atlanta Braves- Heyward won't even be 20 until August 2009 and he's already got scouts mouth's watering. In single A with the Rome Braves, at age 18, he hit .323 with 11 homers and 15 stolen bases in about two thirds of a season. The kid has a super human body is a hulk at 6'4" 220 for a guy with his speed. Heyward is a lot like Elijah Dukes as an athlete, big, fast and strong but he absolutely does not have the asshole gene that Dukes has.

6. Andrew McCutchen, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates- McCutchen's career minor league stats aren't all that impressive- .284/.362/.415-- but I'd rather take a guy with that line that has McCutchen's body than a young Youkilis-bodied player that has hit .300 at every stop. He might be a little bit overrated but he's still darn good. He's been pushed far too quickly through the Pirates' system and they'll clearly make the mistake of sitting him on the MLB team's bench instead of letting him have a breather year in AAA.

7. Greg Halman, CF, Seattle Mariners- Originally I forgot about Halman until a friend of mine reminded me of his Heywardian talent and build. Like Hicks I haven't met Halman just because he plays too darn far away and I try my best to see and meet as many guys as I can, but generally miss the youngest ones. I talked to my uncle, who is a MLB scout, and he let me know that leaving Halman off of this list should land me in prison for 20-life. His stats are pretty darn toolsy, and he has a lot of power and some good speed. With the High Desert Mavericks in the California League in 2008 Halman hit 19 bombs and stole 23 bases (being caught only once) in less than a half season. He put up similar numbers with AA West Tennessee as well. Things that might get him in trouble at higher levels are his less than superb contact (.268 at A+) and his lack of patience which usually leaves him on pace for 30 walks a season. His patience isn't THAT bad, and its often the first thing that improves with age, then power comes.

8. Andrew Brackman, LHP, New York Yankees Brackman was a good basketball player at NC State and has shown that he has the stuff to play pretty well in the majors. The 6'8" beast has the body on a pitcher that scouts like to see, so his obvious need for elbow surgery didn't bother the Yankees when they decided to sign him out of college. The kid throws a fastball between 93-97 mph with plenty of sink. Really he throws 2 fastballs, a four seamer that rides and a 2 seamer that sinks. He also throws a tight knuckle curve that is a plus. His changeup currently reeks but is projected to be plus-plus with some work, and that won't be hard with the Yankees' version of Merlin, minors pitching coach Nardi Contreras.

9. Ben Revere, CF, Minnesota Twins- Revere is my favorite type of player. He makes great contact, he's fast and he plays good defense. In about half a season at single A Revere hit .379 and stole 44 bases. I'm no mathematician but I'd say that projects to be pretty effing sick-nasty over a full season. Revere isn't a big guy, barely 5'9" on his tippie toes, but he's a hell of an athlete/burner. Whats scary is, his small frame packs quite a wallup and may develop 15 homerun power by the time he gets to the majors. Think Ichiro jr.

10. Austin Jackson, CF, New York Yankees- Jackson turned down basketball to sign with the Yanks. He hasn't put his tools to good use yet, but he gets to first in 4.20 seconds (damn quick) and he did hit .345 at A+ in 2007. His dropoff last year in AA was almost expected as he's very inexperienced and only 21. If he can put it together in 2009 there's still hope that he's not Melky Cabrera part II.

11. Michael Main, RHP, Texas Rangers- A superb athlete, the kid, drafted out of highschool, was originally a two way player. The Rangers couldn't let his power arm go to waste though so they quickly converted him to a full time starter to allow him to concentrate on pitching. The kid throws a 98 mph fastball and an 80-85 mph Steve Karsayian power curve. His curve is already plus-plus and is his strikeout pitch--that's saying a lot when he also wields 98 mph heat. The kid looks so good that not even Texas can f*** him up. At age 19 Main had a 2.58 era and struck out 50 in 45 innings in single A. He's such a nuts athlete that he even stole 3 bases and batted .267 in 8 games in the field.

12. David Price, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays- Price is rated by most as the best pitching prospect out there and his body is exactly the kind I like to see on a prospect. Like Jay Bruce, Price has one of those soft (not fat), young, frames that has plenty of room to add muscle-- a stark difference from the overly swollen and muscle-packed frames of Travis Snider and Colby Rasmus. He's not rated the best prospect because he has Chamberlain stuff and could be the next Nolan Ryan but because he's a sure shot to be a great no. 2 or a good number 1. A healthy A.J. Burnett from the left side is a lot like Price. He's a 2 pitch guy, and both are plus-plus.

13. Neil Walker, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates- For such a quick and agile playe in the field its hard to believe Walker doesn't steal more than 10 bases a season. Still, Walker, a catcher-third convert has a rocket arm, covers a lot of ground at third and has the tools to hit for a lot of power. Unfortuntaly for him he'll have to compete with former top prospect Andy LaRoche and super-phenom Pedro Alvarez for the job at third. I personally would bench Jack Wilson and give him a try at third but what the ef do I know. Think of a healthy Brandon Inge.

14. Desmond Jennings, CF, Tampa Bay Rays- Jennings was torn up in 2008 but his '07 numbers tell the story. He stole 45 bases and batted .315 with a .401 OBP and an .865 OPS. The dude covers some serious ground in center and although his game is built around his superb athleticism the kid has good fundamentals as well. Jennings walked 45 times in a half season in 2007 and struck out just 53 times--an impressive number for a young hitter. Maybe a Carl Crawford.

15. Frederick Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves- Its strange to have a first basemen on a list of top athletes, but if you had to pick the most athletic first basemen in the minors to put on this list then Freeman fits the bill. Formerly a two-way player, Freeman was moved to first from third because of his stone hands. Anyway at age 18 he had an .899 OPS and batted .316 with 18 homers with the Rome Braves through 4/5 of a season. He'll shoot up this list if he can learn to field somewhat and the Braves will probably move him back to third in that case.

16. Brett Gardner, CF, New York Yankees- Quietly Gardner has climbed the Yankees' prospect ladder the last few years and ended up in the majors in 2008. Gardner is not a 5 tool guy, his arm is average and he lacks any sort of power-most of his hits are soft line drives. Gardner's true athleticism is his blinding speed and can get to first base in less than 4 seconds (wow). He convinced me that he deserves to stay in the majors not with his two game winning hits last season but the fact that he turned a dunk-in single into a triple because Jose Guillen took a split second too long to get the ball back in. He's very patient, almost too patient for a guy with no power, but if he can improve like he always does his second time around at each level then he could be a baby Juan Pierre. At the very least the bullet from Holy Hill, SC will be the top pinch runner in the AL.

17. Austin Romine, C, New York Yankees- The Yankees may not have the top farm with the departure of Chamberlain, Kennedy and Hughes but they sure have plenty of athletes. Romine was originally drafted for his defense. The son of former MLB catcher Kevin Romine has THE best arm in the minors among position players--not just catchers. He let 18 passed balls go by him in 2008, true, but he'll improve his work behind the plate with age like every other catching prospect. Runners will learn not to run on Romine just like they learned not to run on I-Rod in the late 90's. His also showed off his bat in 2008 and batted an even .300 with 10 homers in 2/3 of a season in the Sally League.

18. Trevor Crowe, OF, Cleveland Indiands- A top prospect Crowe is not but a top 50 prospect is a nice label. Crowe's minor league numbers aren't super impressive but he has shown that he has great speed, makes contact and has some pop. The lanky outfielder stole 45 bases in 2006 in only a little bit more than half a season. He has hit over .300 (.329, .323) at A+ and AA over the past two seasons and has shown that he can swat doubles with the best of 'em as well as a a few homers. He was on pace to hit 44 doubles in 2006 and 50 in 2008 and pronked 5 homers in only 146 at bats at AAA in 2008. A twenty home run guy? Probably not. A decent average, 10-15 homers and 20-30 stolen bases is very possible. Kind of like a Randy Winn.

19. Tyler Colvin, OF, Chicago Cubs- Colvin is a good lesson for scouts that draft purely on athleticism. The kid is quite the athlete but he swings at everything and doesn't walk. He hit .300, stole 17 bases, slugged .488 and hit 15 homers in about 4/5 of a season in 2007. He hasn't been disappointing by any stretch but he hasn't really shown that he's a Carlos Beltran either. Anyway Colvin walked a surprising 44 times in 2008, damn good for him, but has shown poor discipline every other year prior. Anway he's a pretty decent player and he looks like he could be a young Aaron Rowand.

20. Dellin Betances, SP, New York Yankees- Once again, the Yankees are loaded with athletic prospects. Betances is everything a scout wants to see in a young pitcher. He's tall, 6'9" and lean and has arms that are long and lanky. The kid has absolutely nasty stuff, throwing 93-97 mph fastballs and a filthy knuckle-curve. His control, his delivery and his change need work but that's a given considering he just turned 21. He has the body to start, but if the Yankees are ever desperate for a closer once Rivera leaves he, Melancon and Brackman could slide in to that spot pretty easily.

21. Elvis Andrus, SS, New York Mets- The Venezuelan with the Alabamian first name is an absolute Energizer Bunny. He stoled 54 bases in less than a full season in 2008 and hit .295 all while flashing some good line-drive power. He has silly-awesome range regularly with a Rf around 5.00 and a filthy zone rating, but he makes way too many errors (32 in 2008). He'll be at short for the Rangers in 2009, and as long as he softens those hands he'll be there for a while.

22. Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee Brewers- Escobar is already the best defensive shortstop in the minors but he has now added a nice stick to go with it. He hit a sparkling .328 and stole 34 bases through about 500 at bats in AA Huntsville in 2008. His OPS isn't great and his patience needs some serious imrovement so instead of rushing him to the majors in 2009 they should let JJ Hardy be and work with Escobar on plate discipline and maybe let his power develop a little more as well.

23. Dexter Fowler, CF, Colorado Rockies- The super thin Fowler is 6'5" and a whole lot of arms and legs. He's only 189 pounds but he generates a ton of power (for a skinny guy) with his legs. He is a 5 tool guy with speed, power, some good D' and some pretty good fundamentals. I actually didn't seek out Fowler, I met him at an autograph signing and the kid is cooler than lemonade and seems way too personable for young super-prospect-- Price and Samardzija are less than friendly/modest if you know what I mean. Anyway Fowler has flashed a pretty nice arm and had 8 assists with Tulsa in 2008. His stolen bases numbers have dropped somewhat, but his contact, patience and whiff rate have all improved over the last few years. The kid doesn't strike out that much and has shown some nice pitch recognition. I've watched him more than a few times in the last few years and can definitely say that he's going to be a nice MLB player--ESPECIALLY when he adds about 10-15 pounds of muscle (power).



24. Sean West, LHP, Florida Marlins- The 6'8" left hander weighing in at 200 pounds has a hell of a body for a pitcher. Like Betances, West is tall and lanky and features some good stuff. He walks way too many people but makes up for it with strikeouts and saavy. Through 100 innings at A+ he 2.41 era, 92 strikeouts and 60 walks. He can walk at that rate in the low minors but once he gets to AAA/MLB he'll have some serious problems unless he works the magic that Bobby Witt did.

25. Michael Saunders, OF (and 3B?), Seattle Mariners- Saunders is tall, fast and strong. He has a good arm, hits for power, makes good contact and can steal about 30 bases in a full season. What more could you ask for? He's not particularly adept at any one aspect of the game but at one stop or another he's either hit about .300, slugged around .480 or stolen 25 bases. There aren't any flaws in his game and the Mariners gave up on him playing third way to early--not ever placing him there after he was drafted. If he's that athletic how can he not figure out how to field a corner spot?

Just Missed

1. Brent Brewer, SS, Milwaukee Brewers- Brewer, the perfect name for his organization, is generally considered the best athlete in the Brewers' system, especially since he turned down a football scholarship just to join the Brewers. BB does a lot of thing right but too many things wrong. First of all, even though he has plus speed and great range, Brewer may be the worst fielding shortstop I've ever seen in person--even beating "Ol' Paddle Hands" Jesus Guzman. The dude made freaking 48 errors in 2007, yes I wrote 48, 4-8 errors in only 125 games. Yea he's that terrible. His bat hasn't woken up just yet, but when it does he could be a .280 and 15 homer guy at his best in the MLB. His speed is plus and he stole 42 bases after hitting 11 homers in 2007. The potential is there. Will he reach it? 50-50.

2. Michael Stanton, 1B/Corner Outfield, Florida Marlins- Stanton isn't a 5 tool guy and lacks both speed and patience. What he does have is an absolutely ripped body and some serious power. Like fellow prospect Brandon Wood he strikes out way too much and pulls tons of bombs. What's even nicer to see is his ability to pull Sammy Sosa and hit a homerun to the opposite field off the end of the bat (all wrist/forearm power)--a nice ability to have for the fastballs in AAA and the MLB. Still he's slow and isn't a good fielder even though his arm is pretty nice. The Marlins have pretty much given up on him as an outfielder and have moved him to first. Personally I would've left him in the outfield--his body isn't bad and if bulky Nick Swisher can play CF for half a season in the majors then Stanton can man RF in the minors.

3. Eric O. Young, CF, Colorado Rockies- Young's time in the infield is over and he's being trained in the art of fourth outfielder--something the Brewers should finally consider doing to Brent Brewer (and sending him to a Beer League). Young is basically Brett Gardner and is all speed. He strikes out way too much for a lead off guy, and his patience and high walk numbers won't last in AAA or the MLB as long as he's hitting below .300 and slapping 3 homers a season. Yes, he's related to the former MLB player Eric Young, but unfortunately hasn't shown to be at Dad's level. Still, he makes this list with his speed, his surprisingly good arm for a former second basemen and the range he's projected to show in the outfield. He has surprisingly good line-drive power for such a little guy as well.

4. Kellen Kulbacki, OF, San Diego Padres- The thin Kulbacki weighing in at a generous 180 lbs and being measured at a very generous 5'11" deserves his place on this list because a guy with a less-than-hulking frame, like Kulbacki's, mashing the way he does HAS to be a damn good athlete. KK had a 1.017 OPS, walloped 2o homers and hit .332 with the California League's Lake Elsinore Storm through a half-season in 2008. The kids bat is serious and he's way too underrated for a guy with that talent. The Padres are said to be prospectless by many of the top names at ESPN and whatnot, but they apparently haven't heard of this guy.

5. Adam Miller, RHP, Cleveland Indians- Like Jeffress, Miller is a flame thrower that doesn't miss as many bats in AA/AAA as I'd like to see. He reminds me a little bit too much of the young Matt Andersons and Mike McDougals that get rushed to the majors and start giving up bombs as soon as they throw their first 100mph heat. Anway, I can't be all that mean about a kid that throws 94-98 mph consistently and can dial it up to 100 when he gets loose. Miller has been groomed as a starter and part of that is because the Indians are already full of good, young relievers and just signed a top tier closer for 2010. I don't know, give it a try but I definitely can't give a very good endorsement for Miller before he learns to pitch.

The Best of The Rest- 20 of The Most Under Appreciated Players

With the huge gap between small market teams like the Athletics, Rays, Royals, Twins, Nationals and the Marlins and The Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Angels and Dodgers you get a lot of really good players on small teams that get overlooked. I love lists and rankings--if you haven't noticed this by now you must be blind... The following is a list and ranking system of the "best of the rest." The scores will be based on letter grades and each player will get their total points added up from the four categories and receive a letter grade (A,B,C etc...) The actually rank (1,2,3...) isn't how good the player is, but rather how "underrated" in comparison to their potential they currently are (in my opinion).You might think this rating system is B.S. and it is pretty simple, true, but I derived it from my own scouting technique that I used scouting amateur and college players for the USOC and it worked pretty well. Also, the grades in parenthesis mean (grade for current play/ceiling) ie what they are now and what they will be.

Rating System-

1. POWER- >10 hr (D/C-), 10-15 (C/B-), 15-25 (B-/B+), 25-35 (B+/A), >35 (A/A+)
2. SPEED- >10 SB (F/C), 10-20 (C/B), 20-30 (B/B+), 30-40 (B+/A), >45 (A+)
3. CONTACT- >.250 (F/C-), .250-.280 (C-/B-), .280-.300 (B-/B+), .300-.315 (B+/A), >.315 (A+)
4. FUNDAMENTALS- >30 K (A), 30-60 K (A-/B), 60-90 (B/C+), 90-120 (C+/C-), >120 (D+/F)
5. ONBASE- >.320 (D/F), .320-.340 (D+/C), .340-.375 (C/B), .375-.400 (B+/A), >.400 (A/A+)
6. FIELDING- Bottom 10 RFg (F/C), Middle 10 RFg (C/B), Top 10 RFg (B/A),
Bottom 10 ZR (C/D), Middle 10 ZR (C/B), Top 10 in ZR (B/A)

1. Alexei Ramirez, 2B/SS, Chicago White Sox (B+)- Ramirez is new to the MLB. A Cuban defector Ramirez came to the Sox as a backup last year but quickly made it known that he is a slightly lesser Ian Kinsler when he got hot during the summer. He walks at a poor rate, but at such a thin position 25 homers and 20 stolen bases is pretty damn nice.

2. John Baker, C, Florida Marlins (B-/B)- Not a top tier guy, Baker is a very solid option at catcher. A late bloomer, Baker didn't really put it together until 2008, but frankly if it wasn't for a slew of crappy catchers blocking him (Lo Duca, Ivan, Willingham, Treanor) he probably would've been in the majors by 26-- what I'm trying to say is his minor league stats have always been good. He hit .299 last year and belted 5 homers ina third of a season in such a tough-on-hitters park .280-.300, 12-16 homers and 60-80 rbi's over a full season sounds right.

3. Ryan "The Riot" Theriot, SS/2B, Chicago Cubs (B/B)- When you think of the top ten shortstops in the majors you don't usually think of Ryan Theriot. But frankly, the kid put up numbers that should solidify him in the top 7-10 cherry pickers. True, he only stole 22 bases in '08, but he hit a pretty sexy .307, had an OBP of .387, walked 73 times and struck out only 58 times through 580 at bats. To me, he's a near ideal lead off man, but to Pineilla for some reason he's an ideal #8 hitter. He hit 1 bomb last year and he only slugged .359 so his power isn't there and won't show up anytime soon but Theriot is certainly a very solid guy to have playing shortstop.

4. Ryan Spilborghs, CF, Colorado Rockies, (B/B+)- Spilborgh's line through 668 MLB at bats (about a full season)-- .302, 21 hr, 109 rbi, 16 sb, 34 2b, 6 3b and 80 BB. This guy isn't a super a superstar, but the speedster has the ability to go 20-20 and hit .300, all while getting on base nearly 40% of the time. I was miffed at the fact that the Rockies insisted on playing a guy with a sub .310 OBP (Wily Taveras) and a plain lousy player (Seth Smith) over a guy with an All-Star stat line. Another perk of Spilborgh's is his superb consistency, you'll get .290-.300, 15-20 homers and about 15 stolen bases through 500-600 at bats every time. Give this guy a shot already...jeese...

5. Pablo Sandoval, CI/C, San Francisco Giants, (B/A-)- If you've heard of Sandoval you're either a Giants fan or a serious fantasy baseball guy or even a scout. He's not well known, and wasn't a good prospect before 2008, but like Carlos Santana he came out mashing. in a fourth of a season he hit .345 and had a 118 OPS+. He was plain sick-nasty down the stretch and once he learns to walk/not swing at everything, aka the Robinson Cano school of batting, he'll be a contendor for the batting title. He'll be a Derek Lee type hitter.

6. Brandon Morrow, SP, Seattle Mariners, (B/A)- Alright, I know I didn't explain how I rate pitchers but you can probably take a friggin' guess based on my ratings for batters. Morrow is the fourth place winner of the quadruple uppercut that is Clayton Kershaw, Joba Chamberlian, Max Scherzer and Morrow. He doesn't get the hype that Kershaw, Chamerblain or even Scherzer get, and almost rightly so as Kershaw is Tim Lincecum jr. and Chamberlain is Jon Papelbon jr. but he still should be considered a future superstar. The kid throws 95-100 on his 4 seam and a 91-95 two seamer. He has a hammer curve to go along with those two sick nasty pitches as well. His control isn't great, but he does pitch well on the corners, he just can't always keep it close enough to the plate--which is much better than the Ian Kennedy approach (when in doubt throw it down the heart of the plate).

7. Nick Markakis, CF/RF, Baltimore Orioles, (B+/A+)- Okay, Markakis isn't super underrated, but for the type of player he is he deserves a lot more press. Ryan Braun, Manny Ramirez, Grady Sizemore and Matt Holliday all get a huge following and their own action figure, but Markakis has quietly become the best all around outfielder in the game. First of all, he can get to any ball hit within a mile of him, and he had 17 outfield assists (the league lead) last year. His defense is the illness. Also, he has hit over .300 over the past two seasons, and had a .406 OBP in and belted 48 doubles and 20 home runs in '08. His potential is the sky. 30-40 homeruns when he's in his prime? There's a very good chance. For now look for him to be a .300-.310, 25 hr, 15 sb, .400 obp and 100 rbi guy that plays superb defense.

8. John Lannan, SP, Washington Nationals, (B/B)- The poor guy really got a raw deal last year. He was thrown into a rotation that was in complete shambles, featuring not one decent starter between Odalis Perez, Tim Redding, Jason Bergman and a torn-up Shawn Hill. Lannan went 9-14, a very sub-par record, but he did receive the lowest run support in both leagues (barely 2 runs per game). His ERA was a very respectable 3.91 and he proved he could be an innings eater with his good first pitch strike throwing. He won't be a star, but teaming him with another consistent but unspectacular guy like Scott Olsen is a very good start for the Nats and may very well secure 25 wins between the two of them next year.

9. David Robertson, RP, New York Yankees, (B/A)- Chamberlain, Jackson, Montero, Hughes, Kennedy and even Melancon get all of the hype as far as Yankees' prospects go, yet my favorite is still Robertson (okay Chamberlain is my favorite and Montero second but I swear Robertson is my third!). The kid cam up last year as a middle reliever/set up guy and started dealing right out of the box. To give you an idea of how nasty this kids combo of stuff is, his career ERA in the minors is 1.24 and he's struck out 190 in 138 ip! He throws a 93-96 mph riding fastball, an awesome 12-6 curve and a decent change as well as a below average slider that he rarely mixes in. He hiccuped in the latter part of his callup but then finished strong in September, so to me, he looks like he should be the primary setup man for the Yankees in 2009...But what do I know?

10. Max Ramirez, C, Texas Rangers, (B/B+)- Its strange that Teagarden and Saltalamacchia get all of the fans' support when they aren't the type of player Ramirez is. Sure, Salty could hit 30 homers some day and TG could hit .300 and play stellar defense, but Ramirez has it all. His numbers in AA, with the coolest team in baseball, The Frisco Roughriders, were very videogame like. He had a 1.094 OPS, a .450 OBP, hit .354 and belted 17 bombs in less than a half season. Clement, Wieters and Salty get all of the hype, and Wieters definitely deserves it, but Clement and Salty have done nothing but fail in the majors. Ramirez deserves a long hard look at starter this year and for god sakes, move Salty to first already...

11. Adam LaRoche, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates, (B/B)- For some reason everybody thinks of LaRoche as a dissapointment. In AIM language I say WTF? A 29 year old that puts up 20-30 home runs and 90 rbi's yearly is no disappointment. Sure, LaRoche is one of the streakiest players I've ever seen, next to Robinson Cano for first place, and he slumps before the All Star break but then turns into Mark Texeira after it. Either way, LaRoche is a very sold all around player and .280, 25 homers and 90 rbi's sounds like LaRoche and that's nothing to scoff at.

12. Jose Lopez, 2B, Seattle Mariners, (B+/B+)- At such a thin position everyone just loves Utley, Uggla, Cano and Kinsler, but Lopez has quietly become the one of the best bargains out there. The Mariners are putting together a very good and very cheap team for 2009 and Lopez is a big part of it. The kid plays the game how it should be played. He plays solid defense, never strikes out (only 67 times in 644 at bats) and he makes good contact (.297 BA in '09). Outside of his low OBP, Lopez is an ideal second basemen, and is very good at getting his lead off batter to third after stealing second. He spanked 49 doubles and 17 homers last year and collected 89 rbi's so there is power there as well.

13. Hank Blalock, CI, Texas Rangers, (B-/B)- Blalock was once a top-of-the-heap third basement, good for a .280 batting average and 30 dingers. Now he's the oldest 28 year old out there, already have trouble with arthritis for god's sake. However, Ryan and the Rangers still realize that they have a very solid player when healthy. Blalock has slugged .508 and .543 over the past two seasons--some disappointment. His problem is his health, but it looks like he may finally be able to get 400-500 at bats in 2009 so keep an eye out for him.

14. Sean Rodriguez, 2B/SS, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, (C+/B+)- Wood and Aybar get all of the hype as far as the Angels' infield prospects go, but I think Rodriguez is the best. The fact that Aybar, a guy no different than Alberto Callaspo got the short stop job over Rodriguez is beyond me. Last year at age 22 Rodriguez was Jekyl and Hyde. In AAA he hit .306, had 21 bombs and a .397 OBP in less than a half season-- a big wow for a shorstop. Then, in the majors he hit just above the Mendoza line and looked more lost than a white guy in Algiers. At 23 he still has time to put it together, and if he can get his numbers even close to what he's done in the minors, a career .854 OPS, he'll be a top 10 middle infielder in no time. I would say that he tops out as a Stephen Drew type.

15. Mike Aviles, SS, Kansas City Royals (B/B+)- Like Ludwick and Baker Aviles was one of those career AAA ballers that finally got it together as an old man, (27 years old) in 2008. Its hard to make a name for yourself with such a crappy team, but with a career .297 batting average in the minors and the Royal's problems at shortstop I do wonder why he never got a shot before last year. Anyway in about 2/3 of a season the New York native hit .325, had 10 homers, slugged .480 and stole some bases. Although he showed he was prone to the bobble he has good range at short, and although he went get a Gold Glove he'll be in the top half of shorstops on defense. Don't expect him to replicate those 2008 numbers but .290-.300, 12-15 homers and 70-80 rbis is very possible...Pretty damn good from your shortstop.

16. Yadier Molina, C, St. Louis Cardinals (B-/B)- Suddenly catcher is fat position, full of talent. With Wieters, Mauer, Soto, Doumit, McCann, Martin, Martinez, Clement and others there are a lot of teams that are looking pretty darn set at backstop. However, after the top ten catchers there's a significant drop off--all of a sudden you have Gerald Laird, Josh Bard and Michael Barrett starting. The second youngest Molina is my favorite, and he plays the game how it should be played. He struck out only 29 times in 444 at bats in 2008 and hit .304. He didn't show too much power, slugging just .392 with 7 homers but his contact rate is among the top five for catchers. If it wasn't for his speed, or lack there of, he'd be a great 2 hitter, but for now he looks good in the 6 or 7 spot, driving home the doubles hitting Ludwick and Pujols. .390-.300, 10 hr, 60 rbi and 30 k's is my projection.

17. Jason Bartlett, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (C+/B)- The Rays themselves voted Bartlett the team MVP. At first glance you'll find yourself asking "why?" but when you watch him play you can see that he does everything asked of him and then some. He made 16 errors, not a fantastic number but played great all around defense, covering a lot of ground in Tropicana. His range factor and zone rating are usually in the top half of the league. On top of that he can steal bases (20-6 in '08), can bunt (5 sacrifice hits) and makes good contact (.286 with 69 k's). His OBP and power numbers went down, but if he can walk like he did in 2007 he could very well be a guy that gets on base 37% of the time. .290, 20-25 stolen bases, 60-80 runs, good defense and a low strikeout rate are what you should expect of Bartlett over a full season. A super bargain for the Rays, Bartlett is a great stop-gap to Brignac and Beckham.

18. Elijah Dukes, CF/RF, Washington Nationals (B-/A-)- Dukes isn't as overrated as he is hated. The Michael Vick of football has nasty potential though. In less than a half season Dukes hit 13 homers, walked 50 times and stole 13 bases. Oh and he has a hand cannon of an arm too. If he can stay out of trouble and put his tools to good use he could be hit 3o home runs, steal 20 bases and get on base close to 40% of the time. If you play fantasy baseball, watch out for him.

19. Lyle Overbay, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays (B-/B)- People have quickly forgotten how good Overbay was in 2006. He hit .312, had 22 homers and 92 rbi's in his first year with the Jays. Damn good numbers. He was a disappointment in 2007 but he showed flashed of 2006 in the second half of last year. After May he had a .399 OBP, and he's in the top five at fielding his position. A shoulder and elbow injury slowed him down and sapped in the first third of 2008 and that's what made his season kind of soft overall, but 50 doubles, .280-290 and 20 homers all with good defense is very possible for Overbay when healthy.

20. Brendan Harris, SS/2B/3B/1B, Minnesota Twins (C+/B)- Harris is so underrated his own team doesn't give him the respect he deserves. He has played good defense at SS, and in very sporadic play with the Twins he hit 7 homers and 12 the year before. He had a .443 sluggin percentage in 2007 and hit .286 with 8 sacrafice hits. If he got regular playing time theres absolutely no reason why Harris can't hit .280, 10 homers, 10 SB and play stellar defense. The kid can play every infield position sans catcher and pitcher and probably some outfield. A Mark DeRosa super utility guy, Harris deserves the starting job at short, especially over Punto, but over course he won't get it.

The Over/Under- Once Overrated Prospects That Are Now Underrated

This happens a lot. There's tons of a hype for an unproven prospect and then he slips up. After he "slips" suddenly he falls back into the abyss of minor league mediocrity- no press, no scouts no chance. Some of the time these prospects are totally toast but other times they had a hiccup and are now top prospects again.

1. Ross Detwiler, LHP, Washington Nationals (B+)- Coming out of college Detwiler had high expectations and rightly so--a left that throws 97-100 and wields a roger Clemens' splitter is pretty mouthwatering for most MLB teams. Then reality hit, the kid needs a lot of work before he can make it big. His mechanics were said to be his primary problem, of course not his stuff. His stiff-legged motion put too much pressure on his shoulder, tired him quickly and let the ball fly out of the strike zone way too often. His 4.68 ERA in A ball was certainly not what was expected by the Nats. But is Jordan Zimmerman really the best Nats' prospect? Even over this fireballer? No way. Dewiler went from tops to a mid-range prospect overnight, slipping fairly deep in fantasy drafts. THE KID THROWS 100 MPH WITH HIS LEFT HAND WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!? Detwiler will be in the bigs AGAIN in to time, maybe as a closer (I prefer him there) or a frontline starter. To be a start though he needs to add something offspeed to his 2 pitch repertoire although both of the pitches are plus-plus.

2. Justin "J.R." Towles, C, Houston Astros (B)- Unfortunately his name isn't as fun as I once thought (I thought it was Towels). Instead its pronounced "Tolls." Towles was a huge prospect for the Astros and was handed the starting job in Houston before last season. His performance was dismal and after posting an 864 OPS in the minors, and outside of a few hiccups routinely around 900 actually, he posted an OPS well below 700 batting below the Mendoza line. For this he's been all but forgotten by anyone and everyone but the Astros. The fantasy community has abandoned him and in my three leagues I picked him up off waivers (eve in the 20 team 40 player-roster leagues). Listen, he was disappointing last year but so is Justin Upton, Steven Drew was in his first year, Mauer was nothing to write home about and neither was Reyes. Simply put most prospects don't exactly start off on fire--it took Zach Greinke near half a decade to put it together. If Towles does what he's supposed to his ceiling will be 20 homers and .300 batting average. For now he'll probably hit about .280 and crack about 15 homers.

3. Kosuke Fukudome, CF/RF, Cubs (C+/B-)- Okay, we saw Fukudome play very well in the first half--walking a ton, making good contact and playing well in the outfield. If he can return to those numbers he can be a Kevin Youkilis--pre the power increase-- in the outfield. His second half last year was SOO BAD that he lost his job to Milton Bradley and maybe even Hoffpauir. Don't forget the guy though, he doesn't have a huge ceiling but he does have a potential to be a Mark Teahen with a good OBP-- .280-.290, 12-15 homers, 10-15 stolen bases and 80-100 runs.

4. Phil Hughes, RHP, New York Yankees, (B/B+)- Okay, Hughes pitched like a D- pitcher overall last year but when he was healthy he was B+. Its easy to forget that in 2007 he nearly threw a no hitter in his first-call up. He has an intense knuckle curve, as good as Mike Mussina's, a 91-94 mph fastball he places very well that usually sits around 92 and a good change and a cutter he's working on. The problem with Hughes has always been his health. He has a glass jaw and even cracked a rib, an injury only my grandmother could get, while pitching. If he can get to 150 innings or even 180 he could be a fantastic starter. Dan Haren and Cole Hamels comparisons may be asking too much but I think he's definitely in the realm of a Josh Johnson.

5. Ian Kennedy, RHP, New York Yankees, (C+/B-)- Kennedy has a low ceiling and if you've been reading my blog you've probably noticed I'm not his biggest fan. His stuff isn't great. He throws a 86-90 4-seamer, a decent 12-6 curve that he has no control over and a plus-plus Vulcan change. His placement was supposed to be his best weapon but he walked 26 guys in 39 innings last year. If he can get 1 more pitch or at least get some control over his curve he could be a young El Duque, or even John Lannan. He struck out batter after batter in the minors with that awesome change, but it doesn't look like he'll ever get more than 6k's per 9 in the majors. Still, a C+/B- fifth starter is always a hot commodity, even for the Yankees, the team that had Sidney Ponson, Darrell Rasner and Dan Giese starting for much of the year.

6. Andrew Brackman, RHP, New York Yankees, (B)- Man, the Yankees have a lot of dissapointments...Brackman would've went in the top ten in the '07 draft but with Scott Boras as his agent he slipped all the way to the Yankees. The 6'8" (he claims 6'9") hurler throws a 94-97 four seamer that has touched 99 as well as a 91-93 2 seamer with a lot of sink. He also featuers a 82-84 mph change, and a plus knuckle curve that has a lot of movement but is also hard for him to control. The kid got Tommy John surgery which was already expected so whats the problem? Well he has very little experience in baseball and spent a lot of his time shooting hoops for NC State. Still with stuff like that he may very well end up in the Yank's rotation or even River's ayre if Robertson and Melancon can't secure the role.

7. Chris Nelson, SS, Colorado Rockies, (B-)- Nelson broke his hamat bone in 2008 and as a result had a very down year hitting .237 and had a .670 OPS. The kid has a ton of power for a shortstop, bopping .503 and then .508 between his time in the Rookie League at 18 and A+. An eighteen year old that mashes a .670 OPS is a prize. He's been ranked as high as 26 by baseball America and as a youngin he still has plenty of potential to burn. Look for him to move to second/centerfield to remedy the whole Tulowitzki blocking him problem.

8. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies, (A)- We were just talking about the guy and here he is. Tulo is an incredibly talent, especially at short stop but he is prone to injury and prolonged slumps. We saw in 2007 a future star--a guy that plays Ozzie Smith defense (a range factor well over 5.00) and has the potential to his .300 and 30-35 homers. In his first full season with Colorado he had an 838 OPS, walked 57 times and hit 24 dingers in 155 games. He's sick nasty and look for his OPS to be near 900 as long as he stays healthy and matures. If and when he reaches his potential he'll be the best all around shortsop in both leagues (beating out Hanley with his super superb defense). Don't ever forget about this guy--you probably already have--BUT DO NOT

9. Troy Patton, LHP, Baltimore Orioles, (B-/B)- Out of highschool Patton was looked at as a future Mike Mussina/ace. Houston traded him and his scrapped arm to the Orioles, kind of a dirty move in hindsight, for Miguel Tejada. As soon as Patton got to Baltimore his arm nearly fell off and the poor guy needed serious should surgery.He's posted some awesome numbers in the minors. He had a 2.94 ERA and 102 k's in 101 innings pitched in single A, and then a 3.00 ERA with 69 K's in another 100 ip in AA. He strikeouts have dipped somewhat, and will probably level off around a Jeremy Sowers rate now that his arm has been converted to a Frankensteinian limb. Actually, Sowers is the best comparison I can think of. A back of the rotation for most teams but probably a 3 for the Orioles. A 4.00-4.40 ERA, 180 innigs, and 100 K's sounds like his peak.

10. Jake McGee, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays, (B+)- Poor McGee. Blah blah blah, David Price, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson are the future of the Rays blah blah blah--that's all McGee hears these days. The truth his McGee is just as good as price and BETTER than both Davis and Hellickson. A strikeout machine, leading AA in 2006, and a left-hander with good but not great mechanics McGee is a serious blue chip. He needed TJ surgery in 2008 and won't be back until 2009 but when he does make the majors you'll enjoy watching his Barry Zito curveball and his slider-like 91-95 mph fastball. To give you an idea of how insane McGee's stuff is, here's his line from 2006 in A ball- 134 ip, 3.04 ERA, 101 hits, and 171 yes, that's 171 strikeouts. He posted almost identical numbers in AA the next year. He has the potential to be a superb pitcher, not Tim Lincecum but certainly Scott Kazmir or even a Cole Hamels if every single thing goes his way.