Jeff Wilson takes a look at Justin Smoak in camp, with another over the top quote from Mel Didier:
Special adviser Mel Didier, who has been in baseball more than 50 years, said Smoak is a more complete switch-hitter than Mickey Mantle and Mark Teixeira were at this stage.
Wilson also reiterates that Ron Washington's intention is still to hit Michael Young second and that Joaquin Arias' arm looked "weak" yesterday.
T.R. Sullivan looks at Neftali Feliz and Derek Holland and their camp experience and has an odd warning from Washington on needing a breaking ball in the majors:
"Effortless free gas doesn't get Major League hitters out," Washington said. "You hang a breaking ball in the Minors and they pop it up. You do that up here and they lose it. It doesn't come back."
I guess he's referencing what everyone says about Feliz and his fastball?
Baseball America has their top 100 prospct list up. Seven Rangers make it, with Engel Beltre apparently coming in at 101.
10. Neftali Feliz
23. Justin Smoak
31. Derek Holland
37. Elvis Andrus
73. Taylor Teagarden
84. Max Ramirez
86. Martin Perez
Not to sound like a homer, but I think that BA looks pretty bad by not including Michael Main, considering some of the arms (Brad Holt, for example) who did make the list on the back end. Main made most other high profile lists, and while his big bullet point is his instructional league performance, he had an excellent season when he was healthy. Aaron Fitt is the person at BA who spoke with the most scouts on Main and he had him high enough on his Rangers top ten to make the list.
The other interesting note here is that the editors jumped Ramirez over several guys (Perez, Main, Beltre, Borbon) from the Rangers list to put him at 84 here. Clearly the powers that be at BA are higher on him than Fitt.