Sickels rankings are posted
by RangerMad on Dec 18, 2008 11:32 PM CST
90 comments
This deserves a fanpost. THREE A rated players!!!! A pitcher, firstbaseman and shortstop.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/
SYSTEM IN BRIEF:
The Rangers have three of the best prospects in baseball, several others who project as major league regulars, and a whole bevy of Grade C+ type guys, some of them breakout candidates for higher grades next year. I love the way they have run this farm system in recent years: they have mixed raw and polished talent in the draft, and have made a big push in Latin America. The Rangers are looking at every source of talent: college, high school, other countries, guys with tools, guys with skills. The result is a system with both depth and breadth, and the future of this organization is quite bright.
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Whoah
Andrus got an A-? Wow. That says a lot about how much Sickels must like him. I’m also surprised he’s Guillermo Moscoso so high and Blake Beavan so low, especially considering Beav still put up the numbers despite his loss of velocity.
And Eric Hurley all the way down at #20… KoK was right about Sickels ranking him low, if nothing else. That’s a bit too low IMO.
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
by lonestarJon on Dec 18, 2008 11:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
few things
1) im excited he had kennil gomez that high. i really think he jumps the most ofa ny prospect on our farm next year
2) wow. hurley is super low, but then again i mean he has the same (overall) grade as the #12 guy. and also since i value ceiling idk if i would have him over some of the guys above him but i expected him to be in the 15-16 range
3) if beaven doesnt regain that velo, does he deserve to be higher? eveidently sickles doesnt think its gonna come back
4) somewhat suprised vallejo is so low
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Dec 19, 2008 8:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hurley is too low
I’m not sure what concerns are out there about his health that would knock him down that much.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
by Gdawg on Dec 19, 2008 12:02 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Wow
Sickels list surprised me. Thought that Andrus would get a B+, never expected him to be in the A range. Beltre and his analysis on him (for a B) was good to hear, stating that he might have time to continue improving skills in order to reach the Five Tools (or to sickels, seven tools).
Hurley’s drop was surprising as well. Sickels was so high on him last year, and to see him drop all the way to a C+ was a shock. Last year he was a B+ I believe? Also, he believes that a change of scenery would be good for him…can’t we just give him a chance?
He likes Smoak better than Alonso and Hosmer. Love it
One of the high points of this list is how many times Sickels stated that one of our players is a breakout candidate. Basically, he states that Beltre, Main, Perez, N. Ramirez, Gomez (wow, he’s ranked low in our community rankings), Boscan, Font, and Wieland. Because of this, I’m already ready for next years list…
In Smoak We Trust
by Smoak Some on Dec 19, 2008 12:03 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Also, look at the comments...
One guy asked if Feliz, because of his ranking, is the second pitching prospect only behind Price. Sickel’s answer: probably….
Wow, he’s high on him…
In Smoak We Trust
by Smoak Some on Dec 19, 2008 12:07 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
scenery
yes, yes hell yes it effects him
throw him in petco and hes a servicable starter this year
same pitcher at TBiA = much higher ERA
thats how i read it at least
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Dec 19, 2008 8:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
wow
I almost cried.
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
by trza on Dec 19, 2008 12:10 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Real high on Gomez
Not a fan of Hurley at all…what a drop.
"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005
by Agreen07 on Dec 19, 2008 12:10 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
TT
5) Taylor Teagarden, C, Grade B: Excellent glove with power, could hit anywhere from .230 to .280 though
I’ll take a .230 avg with 25 HRs and stellar defense.
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
by RangerMad on Dec 19, 2008 12:14 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Yeah but
I’d also take a .280 avg with 25 HRs and stellar defense!!!
"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005
by Agreen07 on Dec 19, 2008 12:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
OBP >>>> SLG.
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
by lonestarJon on Dec 19, 2008 12:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
What makes you say that?
Slugging percentage is a very valuable tool.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 19, 2008 1:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Didn't say it wasn't
I’m just saying a hitter’s first and primary objective is to reach base, and therefore a player who has power but doesn’t hit much for average or OBP has limited usefulness.
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
by lonestarJon on Dec 19, 2008 2:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No. A hitter's first and only objective is to score runs.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 19, 2008 12:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well, chicken/egg
Gotta be on base to do that.
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
by lonestarJon on Dec 19, 2008 1:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Not if you hit a home run ;)
And slugging percentage kind of implies you reached base safely, no?
Slugging percentage is underrated if you really think that it is >>>> SLG.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 19, 2008 2:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
SLG is overrated
ISO is underrated.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
by Gdawg on Dec 19, 2008 2:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hitting a home run
Is getting on base. All four of them, in fact.
OBP = % of plate appearances where a batter doesn’t make an out
Getting on base = Not making an out
Not making outs: the most important thing for a hitter
"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky
by RCCook on Dec 19, 2008 6:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I understand this.
Would you rather have a guy who gets on base 35% of the time with a .400 slg or a guy who gets on base 30% of the time but has a .550 slg?
Not making outs is awesome, but what you do with those non-outs matters a lot, too.
And don’t give me that a hit is just as good as a walk, cause it ain’t. In some situations, sure, the result is pretty much the same. But in a lot of situations a single is a ton better than a walk. A double is nice, too. Don’t even get me started on how awesome home runs are.
Also I enjoy the way you explained OBP to me. It was fun. I really had no idea what any of this stuff meant. I always assumed [OBP] = [ERA of the opposing pitcher in day games]. Now I know, and knowing is probably some really complex fraction of the battle.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on Dec 21, 2008 10:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
home runs = rally killers
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
by Gdawg on Dec 22, 2008 12:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Heh, nice.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on Dec 22, 2008 12:57 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
…which is why runs scored is among the most important stats [ /Boston radio ]
by Brett Perryman on Dec 19, 2008 2:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Player-dependent...
On-Base Percentage measures the frequency that a player get’s on base, independent of the number of bases a player averages per at-bat. Slugging average— trust me, it’s an average, not a percentage— gives the average number of bases a player gets per at-bats, independent the number of walks or walks per at-bat. Therefore, whether OBP or SLG is more important depends on the “hidden” information not used in calculating each of the two metrics. That means it’s dependent on the player.
"Alright class. Now that I've explained how silly the theory of evloution is, and how it's impossible for a specie to change over time, let's refocus on the Bible. I'd like to direct your attention to Genesis. Okay, now here's how the snake lost his voice..."
by YourNameHere on Dec 19, 2008 3:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
But would you take .230 with 10-15 hrs?
25 hrs is a ton for a full time C.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 19, 2008 12:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
OK
lets meet halfway: .255 with 18HR.
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
by RangerMad on Dec 19, 2008 12:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, that'd be great.
But I’m not ready to guarantee he can post those kind of stats over a full season in the bigs.
He’s injury prone and he strikes out a ton.
If he can be a .250/.350/.400 guy, then that’s fabulous. I’d take that from a stud defender like him in a second.
But I don’t think that’s the slam dunk some seem to think it is.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 19, 2008 1:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Very interesting list.
Way too low on Beavan.
Way too high on Kennil.
Thought there’d be at least a few more B-‘s, but the A and two A-’s are freaking sweetness.
But a very nice list overall. Sickels does a pretty good job for a one man operation.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 19, 2008 12:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Sickels operation
i think him being a one man operation makes his rankings a bit of a wild card. But i like and respect his opinions.
Two things i like about his rankings, one is that he takes into account the risk of flame out with every player and then in turn accounts for players who are at the higher levels and who are almost guaranteed to be decent ML players. I also like how he has his own 7 tool system, it seems like that system takes into account both the statistical and scouting side of prospects. It also does a very good job covering what makes a good baseball player.
I like were he put Borbon in this regard. I dont think many people would have ranked him at 6 in this system, but he does. Borbon, to me, is almost guaranteed to have the starting CF job in Texas very, very soon, or at least a starting CF job somewhere in the ML by 2010. His floor is very high, but i dont think we give him enough credit for that, Sickels did a good job assesing that in his rankings.
Also, i really liked his note at the bottom:
" love the way they have run this farm system in recent years: they have mixed raw and polished talent in the draft, and have made a big push in Latin America. The Rangers are looking at every source of talent: college, high school, other countries, guys with tools, guys with skills. The result is a system with both depth and breadth, and the future of this organization is quite bright."
This is a very good anecdote on what has made this system so good, and what JD is always stressing when he talks about prospect aquisition. It never seems like we focus all are resources on one avenue of aquisition, we’ve done a very good job of spreading our money, resources and scouting personel over all areas
by blalock84 on Dec 19, 2008 12:29 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Borbon
I am starting to warm up to Borbon. He had a good ST and is adjusting well to pro ball. I just noticed that he had a .839 OPS in Frisco. If he has a good 2009 ST he could start off in OKC.
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
by RangerMad on Dec 19, 2008 12:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
why too high on kennil?
what about him do you not like?
by clark on Dec 19, 2008 12:30 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Beavan
Definitely too low on Beavan… even with the loss of velocitys, the control was too good to ignore… just imagine if he starts hitting mid to upper 90s again… WOW
Just love the Smoak love
But I have to disagree with the Andrus ranking, wayyy too high…. I hope I’m wrong though
by Baseball North on Dec 19, 2008 12:32 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
but if he doesnt regain the velo, is he yusimo pettit?
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Dec 19, 2008 8:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
pettit
still carried solid K numbers throughout his time in the minors. His velo has already ticked back up a bit. Those expecting him to pitch regularly at 95 and occasionally above will be disappointed, but then that was never a realistic scenario. But those fearing that he is now a guy who works at 87-88 regularly are too pessimistic. I could see him working consistently between 90-92, occasionally running a bit higher, and that’s okay.
by clark on Dec 19, 2008 9:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
wow
that was two separate thoughts. the first sentence was about pettit, whose lower level success was I think more about a unique delivery and decent control over his offspeed stuff for his age.
The rest of the stuff, about velocity, was about Beavan.
by clark on Dec 19, 2008 9:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I also like this comment
16) Wilfredo Boscan, RHP, Grade C+: Yet another breakthrough candidate. Low-A is gonna be loaded in ’09.
Who will be in the Clinton rotation?
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
by RangerMad on Dec 19, 2008 12:32 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
plus Miggie and Ocampo
Font could get assigned to extended and get a late assignment there…
by Goyogringo on Dec 19, 2008 12:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Brigham could also
be in extended and get a late assignment; he pitched Short Season in 07
by Goyogringo on Dec 19, 2008 12:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Low A is going to
be in Hickory next year? Right? So I guess we don’t want Beltre repeating the MWL. :)
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
by RangerMad on Dec 19, 2008 12:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Grades
Glad to see Feliz get the A, also glad to see Smoak/Andrus get the A-. After I saw the first 3 I got greedy and was hoping Holland got an A- as well but I guess B+ is pretty good. As some said above Beavan was too low and Moscoso was too high though I don’t really know much about the guy. I’m not big on Hurley at all but I gotta think KoK is the only one that would have dealt Hurley straight up for Moscoso about a month ago.
Bushe- you win with Smoak getting the A-, at one of these Newberg events we’ll get that drink taken care of.
by groundingout on Dec 19, 2008 1:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
what sold me on moscoso
was that he was the best pitcher in the minors (in basebll?) at swing and misses
what was that stat you posted zy?
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Dec 19, 2008 8:57 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
T_Ball
Missing bats
I’m really intrigued by Moscoso on that front. Only 15 pitchers in the minors had a higher K/9 than him last year, and none of them (save one guy in the DSL) had a better K/BB ratio. I want to see this guy in Frisco just to watch the Ks pile up.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________….
by t ball on Dec 8, 2008 12:08 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions 0 recs
by Goyogringo on Dec 19, 2008 9:18 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I luv this frickin list,
The top ten could be arguable on where they are ranked, but does it matter? I don’t think so. We are stacked with great players and the first wave of them started last year. This years crop of players could be just as good. Mosco or whatever his name is doesn’t excite me, but at least we got a descent prospect back for Laird.
Luv the three A grades. Elvis is great and can garner that grade. I thought Holland and Feliz were on the same level but I knew Sickels would do that seeing how Hollands only had last year to really become a dominant pitcher. Next year that grade should be an A if he is still a prospect.
The bloggerformelyknownasBigBaddBubbaJ
by NYTXFAN on Dec 19, 2008 4:33 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Felix #2 pitching prospect behind Price?
drool
I'm undefeated in fights. Have I been in any? No. Thats because people know my f'ing status. Don't mess with the elite. - Miles
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 19, 2008 7:48 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Fastball
does Feliz have the best one in baseball? Ive come to the conclusion that his is the best in the minors, but what about the majors? Where would it rank RIGHT NOW in the majors?
I still remember going to see his first start at Frisco, looking up to see “01” on the gun and just shaking my head.
by Michael Cave on Dec 19, 2008 11:13 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Joel Z
I’d imagine Joel Z (when/if healthy) has the best fastball in baseball. I know stadium guns boost mph, but he was hitting 104 with movement.
by groundingout on Dec 19, 2008 12:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well
I was then thinking there are many closers who may have a better FB, such as Papelbon sits mid 90’s with great control, but I don’t think thats fair to Feliz to compare him to a guy only pitching for 1 inning. I’ve never seen Feliz pitch in person, just various videos, so I don’t have any firsthand gun readings from him, but from reports I’ve heard the 100+’s but I’ve also heard him working in the low 90’s at times. That being said, when Feliz gets to the bigs, assuming its as a starter, I expect him to sit 92-95, with the ability to throw well into the upper 90’s, but thats because pretty much no starter in baseball actually sits 95-98. MC maybe you or others can comment on this, we all know he can hit 100+, but what does he actually sit at? How low does his FB get?
by groundingout on Dec 19, 2008 12:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I saw
him pitch 3 times. He topped out at 101, low in the zone. His FB had too good movement on it. It certainly was not high that often. He was working 94-98 most of the time. It seemed like each game he had that one errratic inning where his FB got away from him.
The most impressive thing about his FB is that he doesnt look like he is throwing hard. He was warming up in between innings and the gun had him at 82-84 then the first pitch of the inning, BOOM, 98. Same motion. He had the best fastball id ever seen in person and i saw beckett, colt griffin (should have been an OF), and scott kazmir in HS. I know that is lofty praise but it is the truth.
by Michael Cave on Dec 19, 2008 1:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Feliz
If he comes to the bigs and sits 94-98 with good command of it, and with the good reported movement, then yes, he has the best fastball of any starter in baseball. IOW, if you believe your own eyes then he has the best. Also, I was thinking about it today and Feliz should get a very high grade/ranking. Ya he doesn’t have command of three good offerings right now but he could have a rare top notch pitch. Think Santana change, Zito curve, K-Rod slider, etc. It may never get there but I can’t think of any other pitcher in the minors with a legit chance of having one. Price doesn’t have one, the only guy I can think of that might have a claim is Cahill.
by groundingout on Dec 19, 2008 2:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
100 mph fastballs
I’ve seen Bonderman hit 100 a couple times.
The Zumaya note is interesting- if Feliz winds up in the pen, I could see him being that kind of pitcher. Hopefully without the injury issues, of course…
"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky
by RCCook on Dec 19, 2008 6:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Many starters
have hit triple digits in their starts (Verlander hit 101 in the 9th during his no hitter), but almost none actually sits 94-98.
by groundingout on Dec 20, 2008 12:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
and I wouldnt even say that is the best part of his FB. It was has good life to if. I mean it is not a hard sinking a la Kevin Brown but it just has that little something that seems in the last 20 ft that seems to miss bats. My old pitching coach used to qualify stuff like that as just baseball good. He just imparts so much spin on the ball with his long fingers. Yes, he is not polished but he seems to have such a natural feel for pitching. I cant wait to see Holland pitch as i have no doubt that the worst case for Feliz is an elite closer. And last time I checked a dominant closer has a great deal of value.
I posit that he could be an average to good short man in the majors right now.
by Michael Cave on Dec 20, 2008 9:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No one does.
Only six guys had avg FBV’s of over 94 and none of them had 95 or above.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on Dec 21, 2008 10:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Really? Bonderman?
Hmmm… His avg FBV is usually around 92 or 93.
Was it one of those pumped up Fox guns from the playoffs?
That’d be my guess.
Bonderman throws hard, but 100mph is special and I don’t think he has it in him.
Could be wrong, of course.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on Dec 21, 2008 10:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Projected assignments?
Where do these 24 land next spring?
I remember recent speculation on this, if you have a link it would be much appreciated.
by Houston27 on Dec 19, 2008 8:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I have projected the 09 minor lg rosters
and have a top 90/top dsl prospect list here (I’ll updated them this weekend):
http://minormoosings.blogspot.com/
(in arcane Excel form)
by Goyogringo on Dec 19, 2008 9:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Good job
I think Hurley will make the Ml rotation with Feldman to the pen. Put Holland in AAA and Hyatt starting in Frisco. Just my 2 cents. I have you bookmarked.
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
by RangerMad on Dec 19, 2008 1:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
I could live without Nippert on the staff and if that happens it means Hurley will have had a great spring. I think if the Rangers feel Holland is ready they will start him to AAA. However, he only had 4 starts there and I’m not sure he is ready. I think they start him there and promote him quickly but the AAA option is just as likely. The other factor is that they might sign a Veteran to add to the AAA staff. You could also easily knock Mendoza out of the rotation to the bullpen too to make room for Holland.
by Goyogringo on Dec 19, 2008 1:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I get the feeling
from you and others, that if Holland and Feliz were to perform similarly, Holland would be promoted first. Why is that?
Is Holland viewed as the more complete pitcher? Is it because he is older?
by Houston27 on Dec 19, 2008 3:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes
Holland is ahead of Feliz. I believe Holland was a draft and follow JuCo pitcher. His ancillary pitching skills such as holding runners and fielding are ahead of Feliz. IMO, at this point Holland is about 6-9 months ahead of Feliz and he should reach the MLs late this year.
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
by RangerMad on Dec 19, 2008 3:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
His change
is already above average; BA had it ranked #1 in the system but that might be a tad high (see Poveda). His slider improved a lot this season after a change in his arm slot that the Rangers’ staff encouraged during the spring. So couple those things with his control and incr in velo (not to mention his work ethic, intelligence and mound presence) and he is closer. He was also a draft and follow guy so he brought with him more competitive exper than feliz.
by Goyogringo on Dec 19, 2008 4:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Just awesome...
3 A’s is crazy from Sickels. I did think there should be a couple more B- guys and was surprised that Kiker was still that high. Beavan and Hurley are the guys that stood out for me that were a little low imo.
It’s a very exciting time to be a Rangers fan. The next few years are going to be great with all these kids starting to come up this year and in ’10. This system is just loaded.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Dec 19, 2008 10:15 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Teagarden, Main
John’s comment on Teagarden is exactly what my one sentence synopsis would be. I think he’s right on target there. And though Fitt did mention Main’s good intstructs performance in passing, I think Sickels’ comment on him makes it clear that he’s been reading some of the good stuff Hindman, Parks, Cole, Newberg and Lucas have written.
by Brett Perryman on Dec 19, 2008 10:27 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
If Main performs
like say Parks and Joey M. think he will during the regular season, where do you see him slotting at? I would have said above Andrus before today however Sickels is very bullish on Andrus. That was the biggest surprise to me.
by Michael Cave on Dec 19, 2008 11:10 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well
there is at least a decent chance that Holland will have exhausted his prospect status at some point during the season, so that would clear out one spot if we’re talking later in the season. But if Main shows what observers saw in FIL, when, say, the BA midseason update comes out, I’d fully expect him to be in contention for that updated top 25 that they do. He would have the advantage of a more complete game than several of the other potential candidates. Unless you project Feliz or Smoak dipping, I’d say that would probably put him at three (and 3/4 if Holland is in the picture), probably a little ahead of Andrus, assuming Andrus continues the sort of improvement curve has has at the last two levels. Perez will probably be handled carefully early in the season, so I doubt that he will be able to make a big splash by midseason, at least in terms of numbers/performance. Same would definitely go for Font, who may be in extended until June. Beltre is really the only other guy who seems to have this sort of breakout potential, at least that quickly.
by Brett Perryman on Dec 19, 2008 11:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Holland
I doubt he exhausts his prospect status next year. 50 innings would mean most likely 8-10 starts at a minimum which would mean he would probably have to be up by the trade deadline. If that happens then either we have been hit hard with injuries or we have sucked so bad we are completely out of any race whatsoever.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
by bigsteve on Dec 19, 2008 1:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I hope you are right
There are going to be so many exciting pitching prospects going through Frisco this year.
by Michael Cave on Dec 19, 2008 2:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
With gas being cheaper
I’m gonna drive from Denton to see some games, especially Feliz.
by groundingout on Dec 19, 2008 3:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Ill be
there as well. Driving in from dallas a lot.
by Michael Cave on Dec 19, 2008 9:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yay! Paul Thomas has awoken.
" He throws it where he wants it, his breaking ball kept getting better and better and of course God gave him that special arm. He's great." ~ Neftali Feliz on Derek Holland.
by Kinslerhomer on Dec 19, 2008 1:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Our excessive homerism
awoke him. It’s actually kind of embarrassing that some from this blog are over there defending against any comment even slightly less than raving about the Rangers system or its prospects.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Dec 19, 2008 4:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Ya I know,
But he just really annoys me.
" He throws it where he wants it, his breaking ball kept getting better and better and of course God gave him that special arm. He's great." ~ Neftali Feliz on Derek Holland.
by Kinslerhomer on Dec 19, 2008 4:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Dec 19, 2008 6:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
+2
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
by lonestarJon on Dec 19, 2008 11:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
x
It’s actually kind of embarrassing that some from this blog are over there defending against any comment even slightly less than raving about the Rangers system or its prospects.
Yep
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 19, 2008 10:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
who's doing that?
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
by Longhorn on Dec 19, 2008 11:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
To be fair
some dumb things have been said and some other comments were misunderstood.
by groundingout on Dec 20, 2008 12:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
so question
does anyone think that iona * really * signed with the a’s because they are so much better at developing pitchers?
id think if he wanted to go with that angle he would follow in the footsteps of the last VERY highly thought of pitcher from LA and sign with the mariners…who was the last LA pitcher to star for the a’s? lol
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Dec 20, 2008 10:12 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Just think
…about all of the lies and misperceptions football recruits buy into from coaches. And just imagine adding the fact that these kids are in a different country and speak a different language – and are even two years younger. And in a lot of the cases they’re quite poor and would have no means to investigate things themselves. They are pretty much subject to whoever can convince them they’re their buddy and who can sell them a story, I’d think. And usually, they’re probably subject to whoever can win over the crook with connections to a kid’s family.
So yeah, I can believe that he was convinced something like that, but only because someone controlled information, etc.
by Brett Perryman on Dec 20, 2008 5:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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