New Top 20 Prospects column

by Jamey Newberg on Sep 3, 2009 8:31 AM CDT Comment 37 comments

The folks at MLB.com posted the latest installment of my weekly ranking of the top 20 prospects in the Rangers’ farm system this morning on the official Rangers website, www.texasrangers.com.

Here’s a direct link to the column:

http://dwarfurl.com/fc593

Please note that the column is set up to allow fan comments at the bottom of the page.

-- Jamey

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so, the Engel to AA thing

Are you on board with the ‘It was just a matter of covenience’ train of thought, or the idea that there’s more to it than that?

Look at the comments under Jeff Wilson's blog post on dallasnews.com. What a bunch of rocket scientists.- Keith Law

by Keynes on Sep 3, 2009 9:01 AM CDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Next year, could Gentry be the Rangers' version of David Murphy?

A ML-ready young guy in a package for a final piece?

Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D

by rooster on Sep 3, 2009 9:09 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

No.

by tyd3311 on Sep 3, 2009 9:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he could be similar (with slightly less value)

by BuckyB on Sep 3, 2009 2:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he keeps pitching the way he does, how much longer do you wait before sending him to Frisco?
And as for Main, its really encouraging what he did last night for Bakersfield. I really would love to see him in a Frisco or maybe even an Oklahoma City Uniform this time next year.

After Fuentes blows a save and an Angels loss to the Indians:
"Angels still in first place" - UCI Halo
"Hey you know who would have gotten those 3 outs in the 9th?
Darren O’Day." - FirebatM3
LOL

by hinduplaya on Sep 3, 2009 9:10 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

sorry

with Beaven I meant how much longer till you send him to OKC??

After Fuentes blows a save and an Angels loss to the Indians:
"Angels still in first place" - UCI Halo
"Hey you know who would have gotten those 3 outs in the 9th?
Darren O’Day." - FirebatM3
LOL

by hinduplaya on Sep 3, 2009 9:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

At best

I could see him starting next year in OKC.

But more I tthink they’ll get him at least 100 IP in AA before promoting.

"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks

by hightowersmith on Sep 3, 2009 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he has a good ST, he could start in OKC

I’d like to see him in OKC by mid May and then spend the rest of the season there.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.

"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Sep 3, 2009 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dunno...

His FIP (3.36) is even better than his ERA (4.06) at AA, so it suggests that he is pitching well. I can’t tell how much of it is due to luck. He has been lucky in that he has a phenomenally low HR/9 (.31 vs .89 last year) and LOB% (63.9% at AA vs 77.5% last year), but he has also been a little unlucky with a .330 BABIP that is inflating his .305 BAA.

My main concern with him right now is that his K/9 has dropped almost in half from 6.26 in A ball earlier this year to 3.34 in AA. Given his age (21 next January), I think there’s a good chance that they wait and see if he can raise his strikeout numbers at AA early next year…or at the least make him prove that his recent run of success is more than a hot streak.

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Sep 3, 2009 9:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think HR rates normalize as much in the minors

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.

"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Sep 3, 2009 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Too much variation between parks and leagues, I assume?

When you’ve got the Sally and Midwest playing like leagues full of Petcos and then the Cal League full of whiffle ball parks, I’d say it’d be hard to draw conclusions out of homer rates.

"You dont know much do you, Big Steve?"
--Finnerty.Fan on Aug 13, 2009 5:13 PM PDT

by WestTxAg06 on Sep 3, 2009 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not only that

But when you have a pitcher like Feliz going against guys that will never top AAA, you’re going to end up with some numbers that would look flukey in the Majors.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.

"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Sep 3, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Beavan

To his credit, he’s not pitching in front of a great defensive infield. But each time Ive seen him the guy has given up a ton of hard hit balls, some fell for hits and some got caught in the outfield.

I’d expect him to start in AA next year and hopefully raise the K rate some.

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Sep 4, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know it's silly...

…but I used to mix up Wilmer Font and Wilfredo Boscan so much that now I think of them as “Wilmeredo Fontan”

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Sep 3, 2009 9:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Wilmeredo Fontan

I think he rooms on the road with Neftali Perez.

Officially gay for Neftali Feliz

by RCCook on Sep 3, 2009 9:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wilmeredo Fuentes?

Alma para conquistarte, corazón para quererte, y vida para vivirla junto a ti.

by chrisR on Sep 3, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks Jamie

Where do you think the Ranger’s system ranks after this season? With Andrus and Holland graduated and several key guys taking significant steps back, are they still a top ten system? What do you think guys?

by ramjam36 on Sep 3, 2009 9:35 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd guess in the 5-10 range.

by Jamey Newberg on Sep 3, 2009 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Keep in mind that at this rate, Neftali will still be a rookie for BA purposes (sort of like David Price was last winter). Borbon, too.

by Jamey Newberg on Sep 3, 2009 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Will Neftali be the #1 prospect in baseball next spring?

I think you could make the argument for it. If he has a dominant run in the postseason, then does he become the favorite?

Who else are likely contenders? Matusz and Bumgarner cross my mind, but I don’t think either rises to the level of Feliz’s awesomeness right now.

"You dont know much do you, Big Steve?"
--Finnerty.Fan on Aug 13, 2009 5:13 PM PDT

by WestTxAg06 on Sep 3, 2009 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wonder where Perez will rank

Those 2 alone could guarantee the Rangers a top spot in BA’s rankings

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.

"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Sep 3, 2009 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Borbon's ranking will have gone way up with his production for the Rangers, imo

I imagine he’d be a top 20 or 30 player, right?

by BuckyB on Sep 3, 2009 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

One would think he'd have to be up there

"You dont know much do you, Big Steve?"
--Finnerty.Fan on Aug 13, 2009 5:13 PM PDT

by WestTxAg06 on Sep 4, 2009 7:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ellsbury was 13th in 2008

That was after his MLB debut where he came up and did great. Borbon had similar stats if not better in AAA and of course is doing great in his MLB debut just like Ellsbury did.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.

"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Sep 4, 2009 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Heyward then Feliz?

by BuckyB on Sep 3, 2009 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ahh, forgot about Heyward

You’d have to think that Feliz and Heyward would be the most likely candidates. However, I would hope that Feliz would get the nod for the #1 spot because of the awesomeness he’s displayed at the highest levels. Heyward is a stud, and I’m really looking forward to watching him play in the bigs, but so far Feliz has proved something that Heyward hasn’t.

"You dont know much do you, Big Steve?"
--Finnerty.Fan on Aug 13, 2009 5:13 PM PDT

by WestTxAg06 on Sep 4, 2009 7:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Imagine if ATL hadn't made the Tex trade.

Heyward and Feliz, topping their system and all of baseball.

by Jamey Newberg on Sep 4, 2009 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Randol Rojas

What’s the scoop on this guy? Impressive stats this season according to Jamey’s recent NMLR post:

The Dominican Summer League named 18-year-old Venezuelan righthander Randol Rojas the league’s Co-Pitcher of the Year. Rojas went 8-0, 0.80 in 12 starts and a relief appearance, scattering 42 hits (.170 opponents’ average, one home run) and six walks while fanning 48 in 67.1 innings and coaxing 1.85 as many groundouts as flyouts.

Was he a 2007 or 2008 signee?

G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....

by t ball on Sep 3, 2009 9:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He’s almost 19, I guess that puts him in the 2007 J2s?

Going only by numbers, the numbers are pretty. And I have so little guage for DSL pitching…

But this org isn’t shy about assigning teenagers to Stateside leagues if the stuff warrants it. Does he rank ahead of less statistically accomplished Spokane kids?

"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks

by hightowersmith on Sep 3, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I imagine he'll have a rotation spot in AZL next year

Not that it’s a good thing but missing on Purke means a guy like him gets innings and a rotation spot in AZL and if he does well there because he is a year older he could get a callup to Spokane as the season goes on.

by Hull Fan on Sep 3, 2009 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why do you hate Gomez?

Look he’s not perfect as he allows a lot of hits. Though part of that may be the field/league he plays in and the subpar defense. He also hits a lot of batters but he strikes out 8.3/9 and would probably put up much better stats if he wasn’t playing in baseball hell.

Kiker gets love, Gomez gets an honorable mention. Why?

by Hull Fan on Sep 3, 2009 3:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs