Thursday, June 24, 2010

Power rankings Week 4 S16

1. Toledo (1) 1B Pedro Osuna, Toledo's latest toy is batting 100 points higher for Toledo than for Burlington. He seems to have found his place in the middle of the Holy's big bat offense. RATING 542.5 (-7)

2. New York NL (4) SP Shayne Nagy is suffering through his worst season to date only managing a 4.04 ERA and an 8-9 record. Expect him to turn it on late in the season and rattle off a number of wins RATING 514.875 (+7.65)

3. Chicago (2) Jose Blasco has flown under the radar in the Al Cy Young race. He's 15-4 with a sparkling 2.38 era and 110 SO through 159 innings pitched. He has been completely dominant on the mound this season.–RATING 502.25 523 (-11.75)

4. Madison (3) DH Casey Kaline needs just 2 homeruns this season to reach the 20/20 club for the 14th season. Missing it the last 2 seasons during a power outage. RATING 498 (-17.75)

5. New York AL (8) Personally you have to root for Yamid Martinez to get 2 more home runs so all the positional players on NY's roster with 100+ At bats can have 10 or more home runs. That would be quite a balanced feat for any team.
RATING 490.375 (+25.250)

6. Colorado (6) 3 out of the top 4 guys in batting average hit for the Mile High Club, Delino Frias, Lucas Martin, Robert Schultz. RATING 482.25 (+1.25)

7. Texas (9) –I'm not sure if Danny Young is eligible for NL ROY, but if he is he should be considered. A 15-3 record with a 3.13 ERA and 125 SO on the season. Not bad numbers and a good reason Texas is in the thick of things. RATING 470.25 (+11.25)

8. Vancouver (7). Top 4 in all offensive categories, but near the bottom in many of the measurable pitching and fielding ratings. With their talent this could be corrected quickly. RATING 441 (-34.75)

9. Louisville (5) – LF Edgar Nunez- as a rookie has amassed over 150 hits already on this season. If he pulls off 200 I think he would be hard to skip over for AL ROY. RATING 434.5 (-52.5)

10. Salem (11) CL Otis Trammell is playing his way out of a closer role. He is getting hit to the tune of a .329 OBA and is giving up almost 2 hits an inning for a Whip Hovering around 1.76. Not good numbers for a closer on a team deep in the heart of contention. RATING 414.25 (-6.375)

11. Memphis (12) Near polar opposite of Vancouver, There pitching in near the top of the league, but they can't buy a hit right now. RATING 386 (-17.5)

12. Kansas City (10) an injury to LF Al Astacio puts a hole in the Kc offense. His consistent bat will be missed for this season. I'm not sure he will recover enough to merit his $5.7M salary for next season. For this season the McCoy's bring in Veteran bat Bill Sodowsky to fill the void. RATING 374 (-47.5)

13. Colorado Springs (13)
CL Santos Cedeno has shown better form the last 2 weeks after a dismal outing against the NY Dolls. If he can hold form it should give CSP the boost they need for a playoff run.
RATING 367.75 (-29.5)

14. Philadelphia (19) –After spending 15 days in the minors to work on some issues Ronnie Gonzales returns to the pen. From my point of view, you are hoping for a miracle if you are leaning on Gonzales to provide your team much. RATING 354.375 (+13.125)

15. Salt Lake City (18) steadily climbing the power rankings. Leads the league in 2-baggers and making do with their makeshift pitching staff. RATING 354 (+56.125)

16. Columbus (14) Pitching seems to have picked it up a notch and if it continues might be the difference maker to winning the division. A tough road lies ahead as Columbus will need to plow through the NL West this next week. RATING 342.5 (-15.125)

17. St Louis (21) 2B Alejandro Perez has finally settled into the St. Louis Lineup. After 3 subpar seasons he is now batting almost .280 with 19 HRs. Numbers comparable to his Madison days. RATING 332.625 (+75.5)

18. Austin (27) RP Tito Hicks has been lights out outstanding this season. He has posted a sub 2 ERA all season and has a respectable 5-1 record.
RATING 311 (+80.25)

19. Cheyenne (15). SP Kiki Soto might be shelved for the remainder of the regular season with a shoulder injury. His presence will be missed on the top of the rotation. The Marmots brought up Santiago Almanza to fill the hole. Almanza is a 4 year veteran of AAA for a reason. RATING 301.75 (-37.125)

20. Florida (26) Pitchers Cecil Dale, Justin Harding, and David Bennett should be ready for be shipped back to the minors. Jimmie Day's days might also be numbered. All of them need to present less than 6 ERA's if Florida wants to play professional baseball this season. RATING 295.625 (+56.125)

21. Monterrey (22) – Pasqual Concepcion who has pitched for the veteran minimum the last 2 seasons signed a 1 year 1.4M extension. For this aging veteran I'm not sure what that thought was. . RATING 289.875 (+36.65)

22. Milwaukee (29) – 8 games over .500 at home but 13 games under .500 on the road. Need to get rid of that road whoa if they want to make a last ditch effort for the division. RATING 289 (+69.25)

23. Cincinnati (17) still holding on the NL North division, unless they can hold the parts together for a few more weeks it will be a tough road. Both Philly and Columbus have been underperforming and could give Cinci trouble. RATING 287 (-29.375)

24. Las Vegas (16) LF Del Prieto's long awaited return should be next week, his offense is sorely missed in LFV and they need him to come out swinging if they want to make any traction for the Wild Card race. RATING 265.875 (-69.5)

25. Washington D.C. (28) SP Trent Boone in 3 seasons has been one of the least predictable pitchers on the mound. He will either walk you or strike you out. A patient hitter seems to eat him up. Get him on a god day and he might just dominate the game. RATING 264.625 (+38)

26. Minnesota (21) the future is now in Minnesota as they promoted uber international prospects Jose Ayala and Jose Shinjo. To see how they handle the Ml. RATING 220.75 (+43.75)

27. Norfolk (20) SS Willie Tavarez is showing that last seasons's .270 10hr47RBI performance was a fluke. He is grounded back to earth batting .210 with 2 HR in reduced action. RATING 219.625 (-49.35)

28. Burlington (23) Frank "the tank" Davis makes his return visit to the Big League club. Where in his first call up he hit a dismal .150. Don't expect too much from Frank in his return. RATING 217.75 (-26)

29. Houston (24) Welcome back Steve McDonald who spent the past 2 weeks in the minors working on his mechanics. He should provide a consistent presence in the rotation or in relief. RATING 211 (-31.25)

30. Pittsburgh (25) Asking a little too much out of C Roy Parks this season. Parks has been a solid Defensive replacement, but has proven once again he's not a good fit at the plate as the everyday guy.–RATING 191.375 (-50. 825)

31. Durham (30). Working on being the worst pitching and fielding team in the league. They need to correct the pitching issues. Claiming Julio Vargas from Toledo is a good start to add a quality arm in the long relief. RATING 172.25 (-9.75)

32. Atlanta (32). Officially could be eliminated from the playoffs this week. Tragic Number is 17. RATING 119 (+.5)

Friday, June 11, 2010

NL EAST S16 DRAFT REVIEW

NEW YORK DOLLS

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

SUMMARY

2

86

Taylor Tremie

SP

Probably will not sign, Taylor is an extremely risky pick when you have no 1st rounders and pick at the bottom of the 2nd round. Tremie even if he did sign lacks ML pitches and has average splits. He is best suited to be a long reliever, or a 4A starter

3

118

Cliff Hogan

3B

Better suited for RF, He is an average hitter with above average speed, but struggles his good base running decision making. Not the kind of player that will make it out of AAA

4

150

Randy Lewis

SS

Good speedster and base runner, he has an above average contact driven bat, but will struggle with major league pitching. Look for him to find a minor league home in the outfield or 3B.

5

182

J.C. Cunningham

C

Solid plus bat, but some pop to knock them out of the field, but he is better suited to be just a DH and never take the field. Good pick in the 5th round if he can DITR his Fielding stats.

SUMMARY: The 2nd round pick up is either a huge mistake or a lucky break if they offer him a contract and he turns it down and they can collect a type D for next season. The rest of the draft was no hum for New York. Cunningham might have been their best pick, but in the NL he is useless unless they can teach him to catch.
GRADE: C-

Norfolk Trainwrecks

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

SUMMARY

1

6

Larry High

CL

Definitely the best reliever in the draft. His control and splits are other worldly. His forkball in projected to be one of the best in the league. His durability is not ideal for a reliever. Logic says you shouldn't draft a relief pitcher in the first 10 picks because you can always get one later. Not sure High is the exception to the rule, but he is pretty special.

2

60

Malcolm Rogers

C

2/3 time starting catcher. This guy seems to catch well enough to start any time he is able. His bat is also pretty special. You might be able to get 400 ab's a season out of his durability, but you can expect a .260 avg with 20+ hr and a well controlled pitching staff.

3

93

Birdie Edwards

RP

Classic ML reliever. His splits are average to above average and he features a solid fastball curveball tandem. He is a nice pick in the 3rd round.

4

125

Fergie Daniels

RP

Long Reliever with below average splits and poor pitch selection, he will spend his time in the Minors.

5

157

Gary Rueter

CF

NOT SCOUTED/ UNSIGNED

SUMMARY: High is the future closer in Norfolk, if they can afford to give him development time. Rogers is a player I love and envy Norfolk for getting in the 2nd round. He should be a solid ML Catcher for many seasons. Overall the they drafted great talent and filled their ranks for the future nicely.
GRADE: B+

Pittsburgh Pirates

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

Cur
Level

1

10

Dizzy Wynn

P

Fairly developed college freshman. He has all the tools a team looks for in a young pitcher, His Sinker projects to be near the top of the league along with his changeup. Add in a fastball which is above average and you have a solid arsenal to throw at batters; His control is awesome for a pitcher that throws in the mid-90's. He showed in college that he was not able to throw more than 80-95 pitches without wearing out, which might be a concern in the Majors

1

45

Eduardo Pena

P

Another solid college pitcher who projects to pitch 5-6 innings, he does have 3 plus pitches and great control. He lacks strikeout velocity and struggles at times against right handers. He could still translate well into a long reliever or a ML spot starter.

3

97

Bobby Joe Jenkins

SP

Great changeup and cut fastball, lacks control of the strike zone which might turn have turned teams off on an otherwise solid pitcher. His splits project to be major league level. Overall he is a great 2nd rounder.

4

129

Chad Blake

SP

Looking for 6.5M to sign which is a bit much for a college pitcher who does not translate well into the pro game. Better to save your money on this one.

5

161

Sal Hill

SP

Sal is a great 5th round diamond, average splits and low velocity will keep him out of the Major leagues unless something changes, but he will keep the heat off the minor league staff.

SUMMARY: Solid pitching rich selections, They players they pulled down should be able to fill a number of roles in the Pirate pitching ranks and could be give the future pitching a little shine to look forward too. With Pittsburgh drafting more established college arms they should be in the league in short order.
GRADE: A

Atlanta Braves

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

Cur
Level

1

2

Buck Smith

SP

Developed College pitcher who pitched great for St. Clair Community College posting a solid 11-2 record with a 2.12 ERA in 20 college starts Look for a guy who translates well into the Major leagues bringing 4 major league level pitches led by a great fastball. He should have hitters watching the ball like a house on the side of the road. His flaw might be learning to pitch to right handed hitting where he can be shaky at times...

2

56

Robinson Wolf

RP

Nice setup guy with great control and 2 ML level pitches. At UofP he led the league in saves with 14. He should be pitching in the majors in 3 seasons.

3

89

Pedro Contreras

CF

Another college player, but not as developed as I would like to see in a 20 year old. He projects to have great defense and above average speed and power. He also projects to bat no greater than .220 at the plate. He might slip into the majors as a defensive sub.

4

121

Dwight Dawkins

SS

All defensive collegiate players. Still a light year away from his defensive projections though. If he makes it someone will give a guy with his defensive chops a shot in this league. His defense is just that good.

5

153

Ernie Brignac

SS

Above average speed and running, but a below average bat and glove. He might serve as a 3B in the minors for awhile, but really is more meant for the college game than the pros.

SUMMARY: Went after established college players to allow them to move these guys into the majors sooner rather than later. They seem to score with all their picks in some way. O signing issues, 4 have major league potential and 2 should be able to contribute right away. A usually don't go for 1 tool players, but when that tool is elite defense I waiver. Atlanta got a number of those defensive studs a team needs.
GRADE: A-

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

AL EAST S16 Draft Review

Chicago Wolves

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

SUMMARY

1

25

Bryan Decker

SP

Mixed feelings on Decker's ML chances. He has great stamina and in the very least will eat a ton of innings in his time, but he will be a mixed bag on the mound with his average splits and makeup. He does bring with him a pair of good pitches in his Fastball and Slider. His velocity should make up for some of his hit ability on the mound; I think he should have dropped a little more in the draft.

1

51

Sandy Evers

SP

Junior College flamer, Evers constantly throws at 100+ MPH and harnesses 2 major pitches in his Forkball (best my scouts have seen) and his Curve. His control can be trying at times, but holy smokes he's throwing it 100+ MPH. That's a lot of power to harness. I love this pick deep in the 1st round.

2

80

Grady Powell

1B

Solid 1st baseman with a plus bat, but average understanding of how to swing the bat. He will put on the ball in play more times than not, but he has a tendency to hit it at players and create outs.

3

112

Toby Brooks

SP

Poor splits will keep him from making it out of the minors; he's a career minor leaguer that should eat many innings a season.

4

144

Willie Green

2B

He's fast, but does offer enough at the plate or in the field to earn a spot on the big league roster.

5

176

Luther Jones

2B

Mr. Average. He should average .265 with 12 hr and 35 rbi in the minors for his career.

GRADE: C+
SUMMARY: The bright spot might be taking a flyer on Sandy Evers. If he develops into a more polished pitcher and maximized his low control, you could have a great player on your hands for the future. The rest of the draft will be a wait and see if they even make the league in 4 years.

Burlington Ice Storm

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

SUMMARY

1

17

David Gardner

3B

Developed college 3B, he has issues with the strike zone and will whiff more than average, but what do you expect from your new power hitting 3B. He's a less powerful Ivan Spehrs. Not too bad with the 17th pick.

2

71

Virgil Rivers

RP

7M for a college reliever. He has 2 pitches and great control, but average to below average splits. He's not going to sign and that's for the best.-

3

104

Coco Neal

2B

He's fast with precision base running. His contact is also very good. At 5'6" and 172 LBs he has a DI football scholarship on the table. Those Wacky MAC teams and their love for undersized guys. 4.1M might be too steep for his talent.

4

136

Stuart Thurman

SS

6M for a college SS who can't field at the Major League level and can't hit at one either. See you next year on the collegiate diamond.

5

168

Rodrigo Johnson

P

Average splits without a solid go to pitch to dazzle the batters with isn't going to lead to much success on the diamond. He's a good pick up in the 5th round but most likely does not have a ML future.

SUMMARY: Gardner is the signature signing for the storm in this draft; everything that came after him is pure junk and was huge reaches for guys who will not sign. It will cost Burlington not only in the grade, but in the hole in the draft class as a result of so many no signs.
GRADE: C-


Washington Old School Warriors

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

SUMMARY

1

16

Antonio Vaughn

RP

Top end reliever with good control and splits He is very close to ML ready maybe 2 seasons in the minors with the right coaching and training. His biggest hang-ups are his lack of strikeout velocity and only 2 pitches in his repertoire. Sill should be a solid Setup guy.

2

70

Joe Hausmann

SP

Could be a huge minor league inning eater, he might get a ML shot, but has no staying power with only 1 plus pitch and an average curve to lean on. His splits tell me he will get rocked at times by hitter.

3

103

Fred Kramer

SP

See above basically the same guy but with more crappy pitches to chose from

4

135

Walt Harrison

P

NOT SCOUTED wants 1.9M so I assume signing issues.

5

167

Achilles Sheridan

SP

Junk splits on a minor league career pitcher.

SUMMARY: They did the right thing and targeted all College guys so they could get guys in the action quick. The problem is they only picked up one capable guy in the 1st 5 rounds; this was not a good draft for Washington.
GRADE: C-

Durham Bulls

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

SUMMARY

1

3

Emmanuel Horton

LF

Top end College Outfield. Horton hits with good contact and power and is lightning quick on the base path. He is a great selection at the top of the draft and should immediately contribute. Already in AA, he has suffered a huge injury with his back, which might cost him a season of development.

2

57

J.C. Leon

SS

Slick fielding college Shortstop, he can contribute a little at the plate, but his defense is #1 tool. Poor makeup might keep him from making it that far. It will take patience and training to get him there.

3

90

Bernie Manzanillo

SS

Average Hitter with above average speed, his defense will be a weak option at SS much better at 3B. Probably not suited well enough for the big leagues

4

122

Hal Holt

SP

Not enough natural talent to carry him out of the minor leagues. He lacks above average splits and better than 3 above average pitches. Great velocity though.

5

154

Davey Mahomes

CF

Great defender with solid contact and batting eye. He is also loaded with speed just struggles to turn that in to effective base running. Not a bad pick in the 5th round, but not ML caliber.

SUMMARY: Overall a successful draft. They picked up a future all-star and a good defensive Shortstop and Center fielder. Not a bad haul for the draft this season.
GRADE: A-

NL North S16 Draft Review

Columbus Horseshoes

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

Age

Summary

1

22

Damian Harden

SS

22

Has the speed and base running to succeed in the Majors, but his bat and defense are well short of the standard. He could field well enough to be a 3B, but couldn't hit well enough to serve anyone there. His only hope is to slip into the Majors as a pinch running specialist. Good luck with that. Poor 1st round selection

2

77

Pascual Ortiz

CF

18

Might be a better pick than Harden, but he still is a 1 tool prospect with his speed and baser running. His bat is a little crisper than Hardens, but overall he is probably not a fulltime major leaguer in Ryan.

3

109

Nolan North

RF

19

A speedy 1st baseman with some pop, but a poor batting eye and below average batting splits, He is probably going to be a miss in this draft and never become more than a minor league dreamer.

4

141

Danny Serrano

RP

22

3 average pitches below average control will limit his opportunities as a reliever. He might get a few injury replacement innings, but he is far from a consistent major league guy.

5

173

Lefty Gutierrez

P

20

He is a great right hand specialist, In college his 3 pitches held batters mystified at the plate, but in the Big Leagues his lack of velocity and inability against Left handers will destroy him.

SUMMARY: I don't think the team picks up 1 sure fire Major Leaguer. Everyone drafted will most likely spend their careers hammering it out in the minor leagues. They have to be looking back on this draft and wonder what went wrong. Time to replace the scouting and plan again for next season.

GRADE: D-

Cincinnati Ramrods

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

Summary

1

1

Roland Bryant

SP

Truly the best pitcher in this seasons draft. Cincinnati got their man to replace HOF'er Clarence Patrick whenever he hangs up his cleats. Bryant has plus control and splits. His stamina is among the league leaders and all 3 of his pitches should get guys swinging and missing. He might be one of the best pitchers the league has seen come out of the draft in a few seasons.

2

55

Buddy Thomas

SS

Defensive Stub, outside of fielding though he is not greatly gifted with a bat. He seems to understand how to hit, but does seem to have the natural talent to translate that into hits almost no power.

3

88

Miguel Cora

RF

Power hitting 1B, he is not going to hit for a high average but should sink 30+ homeruns a season in regular play. With limited defensive options, he may never get that chance.

4

120

Yamil Espinosa

C

College DH, with an average bat, not much chance he makes it into the league without clearer defined tools to offer a team.

5

152

Gerardo Hernandez

RP

Solid low end ML reliever, his below average control and lack of strike out velocity will make his great curveball pretty hittable at times. He might get a chance to show it in the league, but he has no long range future.

SUMMARY: The #1 overall pick translates into the best player in the draft, how that happens! Even looking beyond the 1st pick Cincinnati did a fine job with their picks getting guys with roles that need to be filled and should translate well to a NL team. Thomas will be a ML SS with his Defense. Hernandez is a great gem in the 5th round, in that he still has Ml possibilities.

GRADE: A-

Milwaukee Blues

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

Summary

1

18

Erick Seaver

CF

Slightly above average hitter and runner. Overall a stretch in the 1st round for a player who does not project to hit really well and fields in a position closer to Left/Right field. He was a big swing and a miss for Milwaukee in the 1st round.

2

72

Banjo Hammond

SS

NOT SCOUTED SEEKING Almost 4M in Bonus Money

3

105

Kenneth Woods

SP

I like This pick in the 3rd round. Woods has plus splits and3 above average pitches. He has poor control but still you sign him and hope he can get DITR on his control. Any prospect which has only 1 screwed up rating is worth signing just in case.

4

137

Logan Brooks

LF

Great speed and base IQ and a solid contact hitter, Brooks has little power and poor batting understanding. He makes an interesting prospect because of his great base running.

5

169

Pepper Franco

RF

Also considering a football contract. Franco dropped in the draft as a result. This guy is a burner on the base paths and has great contact and can hit right handers good enough to give him a major league look. He is a strike out machine who really is a poor fielder. Decisions decisions… in Milwaukee.

SUMMARY: Started out with a very weak 1st and 2nd round, but picked up a number of solid guys in the 3rd through 5th rounds that are flawed, but still have a pretty good upside. You have to take a chance on those high risk reward guys sometimes just in case a little magic happens.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia Balboas

Round

Pick

Player

Pos

Summary

1

21

Dwight Jameson

SS

Solid Defender and runner, Jameson should average 20+ stolen bases. He is an average hitter but still should be a solid major leaguer in his career. A poor makeup might make his minor league stay a little longer than the average 21 year old with his current skill, but patience will pay off on his fielding.

1

49

Arthur Ruffin

SP

4 good pitches and great velocity will make him a solid AAA pitcher, but his average splits will keep him from excelling to the Majors anytime soon.

1

53

Alex Gonzalez

2B

Mr. Average nothing special about him except he will not play 2B more like RF in the minors.

1

54

Rusty Ramsay

SS

Better defensively at 3B, Ramsay is an average overall player and should not excel much past AAA for long.

2

76

Omar Chavez

CF

Weak 2B option with an even poorer bat. If he had at least good base running with his above average speed, he might have some kind of hope, but nope.

3

108

Jeromy Scanlan

SP

Minor League inning monster, ML washout.

4

140

Theo Cooney

3B

Some power and an okay hitter but defensively better at LF than 3B. Not going to log much major league action either way.

5

172

Ira Rocker

2B

College rocket runner, he is wanting to stay in College to break some NCAA running records because he doesn't have much ML hopes though he does have great contact and speed to work with. Not worth 7M a season.

SUMMARY: The Balboas could have added so much with 4 1st round picks and they seem to fail at doing so. Jameson is not a complete failure of a player, but they really could have benefited with a more complete package with the 21st pick. The rest of the supplemental picks will most likely never pan out to be ML talent and were all big reaches for their talents.

GRADE: D+