The Bandwagon Starts Here : CBSSports.com Blogs

2010 Astros Organizational Preview Part 2: A+/A

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:49:05 EDT

Welcome to Part 2 of my Astros Organizational Preview. You can find Part 1 by either scrolling down or clicking this link... http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/5918557/20751099 , Part 1 details the minor league affiliates at the AAA and AA level. This, Part 2, discusses the players at the high A, Lancaster and A, Lexington, levels.

Lancaster JetHawks (A+)

Lancaster graduated a great class of hitters to AA Corpus Christi, who I discussed in part 1, and they'll receive a great class of pitchers from Lexington in 2010 (although both Jordan Lyles and Henry Villar will skip Lancaster to move straight to AA). Perhaps the best of this class is Ross Seaton , the Astros' #6 prospect according to BA. Taken by the Astros in the 2008 draft, signing of slot in the third round, Seaton has a ton of upside. He's projectable and athletic, with good stuff when he came out of high school. However, he didn't stand out in a terrific Lexington rotation, although I don't know if that's his fault, he had to pitch along side Jordan Lyles afterall. I was not impressed with Seaton's strikeout rate, although overall his numbers were solid. He's still young, but will be tested in the hitter's league of California, the best wy to get outs here: keep the ball on the ground, or even better, strike guys out! I'd love to see Seaton put things together at this level this year, while showing his plus fastball and breaking ball, he has top of the rotation potential, but he's a long way from that at the major league level.

Astros: Week 1 Preview

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 8:45:51 EDT

Post four on the day! Thirty minutes to gametime. I feel a little accomplished.

I got this idea last night to do a weekly preview of the games ahead. It would be simple, discuss the pitching matchups a little, predict a winner and so forth. Today, I am really started to get bored of writing, but in the future it may be more comprehensive, although it will likely be dropped, who knows? Anyways, let's take a look at the Astros' first week:

Monday:

Houston vs. San Francisco

2010 Astros Organizational Preview Part 1: AAA/AA

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:22:00 EDT

...On to my third post today. I absolutely love looking at a team's prospects, glare into the future and be optimistic. I check minor league box scores on, at least, a bi-daily basis. So, this post is devoted to previewing the four full-season minor league team's in the Astros organization. I will touch on all the key guys at each level. I'm especially excited about this Astros organization, which is already on the rise, because they have three of this year's drafts top thirty-three picks (8th, 19th and 33rd). Giving the Astros a big chance at rising even further. Here's a breakdown of Houston's AAA and AA affiliates. A breakdown of Houston's high A and A ball team's, Lancaster and Lexington, are forthcoming.

Round Rock Express (AAA)

2010 Baseball Playoff Predictions

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 9:16:59 EDT

As usual, if you disgree with my picks below, please let me know in the comments section. What do you disagree with? Who did I leave off? Who am I too optimistic about? Why do you feel this way? I'd love to get some back-and-forth with you about this. It's baseball season! I want as much baseball discussion as I can get. So, please comment.

American League

East: New York Yankees

I absolutely love the Rays (see below), however, I'm still going to pick the Yankees over 162 games... even if they're starting 0-1. They're rotation is great, again. C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte are all held over from last year's championship team and they've added Javier Vazquez and Phil Hughes at the back-end. Hughes is at least, at the very least equal to Joba, who was the third starter at the start of last season. Hughes features more upside in the rotation than Joba though... and I think he'll live up to it, this year. Vazquez was fourth or fifth in the NL CY Young voting last season (thank you Keith Law), this is his second time putting on pin stripes, hopefully they'll suit him better this time around, they should. The bullpen, as evidenced last night, could be messy. They've lost Hughes and Phil Coke from last year. However, Rivera and Joba are the 8th and 9th guys, 'nough said. The lineup is lightly weaker than last year. Question to those reading: Which set of hitters would you prefer? A) Curtis Granderson, Brett Gardner and Nick Johnson, or B) Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. The Yankees of course have a great team. However, I don't like that they aren't clearly an definitively better than last year... they might be slightly worse.

NL Central Preview--And Other Introductions...

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 9:56:52 EDT

Today is Opening Day! The real Opening Day, not the day strictly reserved for Yanks and Sox fans. Seriously though, what kind of a score is 9-7 in a battle between the aces of the "two best teams in baseball"--they're not, I'll tell you who is later in the day with my playoff predictions post. Anyways, today is a great day for every baseball fan. Thirteen teams square off, including my beloved Houston Astros. The Astros open the season with Roy Oswalt on the mound for the eighth straight year. He'll face the two-time defending NL Cy Young, Tim Lincecum and the offense deprived Giants. To top it all off, the game will be NATIONALLY TELEVISED (7PM ESPN2). Meaning everyone, incluing those in central New York, can enjoy this marquee pitching matchup.

Live Blogging Day 1 of The Tournament

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:19:36 EDT

I'm going to be watching the games anyway. So, I've decided why not jump onto this blog here--which I haven't looked at in months and jot down my thoughts. Worst case: I have some organized thoughts which I can share in discussions with my friends. We'll be arguing about these games and I'll be prepared. Best Case: Some college basketball fans come and join me at some point today and we begin an active. If you happen to drop by this page and read the above sentences, I urge you, please join me in discussion. This kind of comradery is what the tournament is all about.

Opening thoughts:

12:24

The Florida-BYU game is on with 16:30 left to go in the first. Florida is up 8 to 6. I've liked Florida's talent from the beginning. You can sift through my infrequent posts and read a quick blurb on the Gators, in which I penned them one of my underrated teams to watch. I love Chandler Parsons, Alex Tryus, Macklin, Walker and Boynton, all of whom average double digit points. I have picked the Gators in my bracket--however, I don't have them going any further.

Pre Spring Training Notebook: Part 1

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:16:46 EST

The Astros report--pitchers and catchers at least--to Kissimmee in eighteen days. This, along with some uninstigated optimism has my heart pounding for baseball season. My beloved Syracuse Orange[men] are up to #3 in the AP, they have only one loss, I have tickets to the 'Nova game and yet I cannot hold back my anticipation for spring training. That's right, not the actual baseball season, but SPRING TRAINING. Any of you baseball nuts, like me, will understand where I'm coming from. At the start of every season their is every reason to believe your team has a shot--I apologize for fans of: the Nationals, the Pirates, the Royals and the Blue Jays, for whom this is not true. I fully believe, despite a myriad of doubt coming from fans, experts and most everyone--other than the usually off-his-rocker Richard Justice (of the Houston Chronicle)--that the Astros will buck the consenus and prove to be a better than expected team. Essentially, my fellow Astros fans, there is reason to watch and follow along for the next seven+ months. It also occurs to me that I am still, undeservably so, in possession of the "writer's badge" for Astros coverage. So, I might as well begin chronicling the Astros' 2010 season, beginning on February 1st--one day before the LOST premiere.

Firing Up "The Bandwagon" 11/18/2009

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:45:13 EST

As usual we’ll start with a review of the teams already apart of my bandwagon:

Florida State (ACC) 1-0

Connecticut (Big East) 3-0

As always, let me know what you think below. Tell me what you think of teams already in my bandwagon. Tell me which teams are apart of your bandwagon. Try to guess which seven teams will round out my bandwagon. Let’s get some interaction going.

Firing Up "The Bandwagon" 11/17/2009

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:55:42 EST

Welcome back to The Bandwagon . Before I reveal the second team on my early/pre-season bandwagon, let’s first look at those teams already on it:

Florida State 1-0

As always, let me know what you think of my bandwagon picks thus far and be sure to include your own bandwagon picks at the bottom of the page; I’d love to hear your thoughts. Now are you ready for my next bandwagon team?

Connecticut 3-0

Firing Up "The Bandwagon" (11/16/09)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:12:35 EST

"The Bandwagon" is simple: throughout the season [college hoops] I will periodically name teams whose bandwagons I am officially jumping on (or off). These are teams I think of in high esteem, teams I think are on the rise, or are at least an interesting sleeper team. To start the college basketball season off right, I have choosen ten teams whose bandwagons am either starting or jumping on -- they will be released throughout the early part of the week. I will monitor the performance of these teams, and continuously reevaluate whose bandwagon I'm on -- and in some cases driving, right? To start the season off right, I am on the bandwagon of at least one team in each of the six BCS conferences. My pre/early season thoughts on each of these bandwagon teams will accompany their selection. Feel free (and please do) let me know what you think of my selections and post whose bandwagon you are on as well.

Schedule - Kind of

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:41:29 EDT

What happened to those player grades, eh?

Well, I got wrapped up in several other things and I am headed out of town on Monday. However, I will get back to those, eventually. I have really gotten back into prospect mode - what with the trade deadline and all. You say, Victor Martinez to the Sox. I say, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price to the Indians. Next pressing thing on my schedule is minor league reports for July, which may be a three or four parter depending on how I break it down. I will also cover the short season leagues thus far.

Astros Players Performance Grades, Midseason 2009

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:02:26 EDT

Stats, via Mlb.com , are as of July, 15th 2009. All grades were assigned prior to the All-Star game.

Catchers:

Ivan Rodriguez - C

At the start of the season, I think I could have predicted a line like this from Pudge - .245/.278/.397. Perhaps the batting average and on-base percentages are a tad low, but he's still providing better offensively production (sadly) than the Astros have been used to in recent years. Pudge has also belted seven homeruns along with scoring twenty-six runs and thirty RBIs. Rodriguez has also been Pudge behind the plate, and that always helps.

Astros Minor League Players of the Month: June

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:04:12 EDT

I have had this post sitting on my desktop for awhile and I am finally publishing it. This marks my first post in exactly a month and I apologize for that. I have some interesting topics coming up, however, and I hope to get on here more consistently. The Astros are .500, so let's celebrate the first half of the season.

A quick note about yesterday's Futures Game, which I watched in it's entirety despite a four hour rain-delay. The Astros' Chia Jen-Lo recorded the win, pitching one inning and striking out one, with the bases loaded and two outs. He was throwing in the low 90s with a good slider in the mid 70s. Jason Castro also looked impressive. He belted a hanging curve off a lefty to deep right field, scoring a three-run homer. He also threw out Luis Durango at third on an attempted steal. Durango had a good jump and the pitcher, Dan Duffy, was slow getting the ball to the plate but, Castro threw a strike down the third base line to nab Durango just in time. His arm is definitely a plus tool despite throwing out only three of fourteen would-be basestealers.

My Current All-Star Ballot

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:58:22 EDT

AL Starters:

C - Joe Mauer Min

How could it be anyone else?

1B - Justin Morneau Min

MLB Mock Draft 2009

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:30:23 EDT

Hello, welcome to my 2009 MLB Mock Draft. This is where I will try to predict every pick for the first several rounds. With the recent news of Kyle Gibson’s stress fracture and other stock changes, I have just completely remade my mock draft, before I even released the first version. I had originally planned to mock all the day one picks, the first one hundred and eleven. But, because I have had to change many picks, I am not sure I will be able to get that many done by the draft tomorrow. I will however, mock as many picks as possible and provide sufficient information on each pick. I will continue working on this and update it, as I finish each round. My goal is to predict 20% of the picks I mock. I hope those of you who read my write up enjoy, please comment, and come back tomorrow for my thoughts on the draft itself. Later in the week, I will be reviewing the draft, so look for that as well.

Astros Mock Draft

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:57:52 EDT

Hello all, I just participated in a mock draft on John Sickel’s blog, http://www.minorleagueball.com/ . For the whole mock draft I strongly suggest you go to his site and view the whole thing. He will be giving his input of each team’s draft there soon.

The way his mock works, is, he assigns each organization a “scouting director”, that person was responsible for their team’s picks. I took the role of Bobby Heck as the scouting director of the Houston Astros . I had four picks to work with: 21, 69, 100 and 111 – we drafted the entire first day, the first three rounds and corresponding supplemental round. Here is my input on each of my picks.

I went into the “draft” looking to capitalize on last year’s stellar draft. I wanted to come away with some upside arms and possibly some help up the middle, particularly at shortstop.

Astros' Minor League Players of the Month: May

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 1:47:16 EDT

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a wonderful near-summer. I am back on the blog after a bit of a hiatus. I recently started an internship at Syracuse University - oh yes, that's right, I'm name dropping... does this consider me an insider in matters pertaining to SU? Anyways, as a result I have been very busy; but I would like to get back on here and start letting all of you know what I think of the current state of sports. The MLB draft is also only a week away and I have to start getting people to view my blog in anticipation of my very ambitious MLB Mock Draft , which will have in depth analysis of all one hundred and eleven day one picks. If you are a baseball fan, but have never paid much attention to the draft, I think you would very much enjoy keeping at least one eye on it this year, and my coverage of the draft is aimed at everyday fans who don't know as much about the scouting and player development side of the diamond. I am also thinking about running a live blog the night of the draft, Tuesday June 9th at 6:00 PM. I would open a blog post when I come home from work that afternoon and would run updates throughout the night, this would also act as a forum, where the comments section would be devoted to discussion and questions. If you are interested in this, please leave a comment below. I will be mentioning this as I post new blogs throughout the week - please let me know if this is something that would interest you! Anyways, in the past I have failed to live up to promises on this blog, I think this is because I took on big projects - such as the top 15 prospects series - which were impossible to finish. Now I will be focusing on smaller posts on a variety of topics. Since I mentioned the top 15 prospects series, allow me to use this time to conclude it. I will not be finishing the top prospects series, sorry. I do, however, have the remaining lists, and if you ask, I could release those in one post, but would provide no analysis or explanation. Also, feel free to comment topic ideas you would like my opinion on, or ask a question you would like answered... especially if you have a question about the 2009 MLB Draft ! Anyways, without further ado, here is the second installment of the Astros’ organizational players of the month…

What I have to say about LeBron

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:59:19 EDT

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a wonderful near-summer. I am back on the blog after a bit of a hiatus. I recently started an internship at Syracuse University - oh yes, that's right, I'm name dropping... does this consider me an insider in matters pertaining to SU? Anyways, as a result I have been very busy, but I would like to get back on here and start letting you all know what I think of the current state of sports. The MLB draft is also only a week away and I have to start getting people to view my blog in anticipation of my very ambitious MLB Mock Draft, which will have in depth analysis of all one hundred and eleven day one picks. If you are a baseball fan, but have never paid much attention to the draft, I think you would very much enjoy keeping at least one eye on it this year, and my coverage of the draft is aimed at everyday fans who don't know as much about the scouting and player development side of the diamond. I am also thinking about running a live blog the night of the draft, Tuesday June 9th at 6:00 PM. I would open a blog post when I come home from work that afternoon and would run updates throughout the night, this would also act as a forum, where the comments section would be devoted to discussion and questions. If you are interested in this, please leave a comment below. I will be mentioning this as I post new blogs throughout the week - please let me know if this is something that would interest you! Anyways, in the past I have failed to live up to promises on this blog, I think this is because I took on big projects - such as the top 15 prospects series - which were impossible to finish. Now I will be focusing on smaller posts on a variety of topics. Since I mentioned the top 15 prospects series, allow me to use this time to conclude it. I will not be finishing the top prospects series, sorry. I do, however, have the remaining lists, and if you ask, I could release those in one post, but would provide no analysis or explanation. Also, feel free to comment topic ideas you would like my opinion on, or ask a question you would like answered... especially if you have a question about the 2009 MLB Draft! Anyways, without further ado, here's what I think about LeBron James...

Astros' Organizational Players of the Month

Sun, 03 May 2009 17:42:10 EDT

Astros’ Organizational Player’s of the Month: April

With the semester ending I am going to try and get on here more often. As a reminder I have top prospect lists for all NL teams, and some of the AL East, since the season has started I am not sure what to do with the rest. I may just release them without much analysis though, and obviously some would be outdated. I am looking forward to the MLB draft in June, and I will come out with a mock a draft, just not for another month. I only create one mock draft each year because once I make an impression on a pick; I tend to stick with it, like Zach Wheeler going to the Astros at number 21. Anyways, while I am meditating on blog ideas here is a new feature that I plan to become a once monthly feature: Astros’ Organizational Player’s of the Month. Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section, discuss players you feel I missed on, and any blog ideas you have would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Top 15 Prospects: Boston Red Sox

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 8:35:49 EDT

Boston Red Sox: Top 15 Prospects

Yes, welcome back to the top 15 prospects series. I have been looking into the 2009 amateur draft, and got motivated to get back on the prospect series. I would like to note that all of my rankings were made many months ago. So, if players have since left the organization, i.e. the rule 5 draft, I may not be on the ups of that. The ages of some players may also be a year off, as I did this late last year, and do not wish to look up the birthdates of a couple hundred players. However, I will do my best. I also have no idea how most of the players are doing this spring. This series is a continuation of the prospect series I started last October. So, it is each team’s top prospects, following the 2008 season, if you get what I mean by my wording. The series is targeted more towards casual fans, than hardcore prospect followers. I also value experience experienced, low upside prospects. MLL = minor league level last season – A+ is a high A team, A- is a low A team, A (no +/-) means the prospect played at both high A and low A levels last season, “a” is short season A league, and R is rookie league. Something else of note, that you will notice, is that I like to stay pretty objective and “professional” when writing capsules but, will break out of character, and display my own thoughts, and personality as well, especially when in parentheses. Enjoy, and please comment your thoughts.

Top 15 Prospects: Baltimore Orioles

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 8:04:05 EDT

Baltimore Orioles: Top 15 Prospects

Astros Sping Training Performance Chart: THREE

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:35:45 EDT

I must say, I have been uninspired by the last several games from the Astros. The pitching has been shaky, and the offense has not been much better, and in some cases this past weekend, much, much worse. Luckily for Houston, and us fans, spring training is not about the wins and losses but, individual performances . At least that is my opinion; spring is about the position battles, the young players getting a chance to showcase their talents, and aging pitchers we never thought we would hear from again – Russ Ortiz . Anyways, here is the latest spring performance chart, which I believe is an update from the past two games. Also, the list has expanded to thirty, which is where it should stay, since pretty much everyone in camp has played now, and players have left for the WBC. Enjoy, discuss. 1. Russ Ortiz RHP PR : 2 +1 Russ Ortiz retakes the top spot after a second straight superb, scintillating, sensational outing (I love alliteration). He has pitched five inning this spring to the tune of two hits allowed, a [home]run, a walk, while striking out six batters. Conclusion: Ortiz has looks downright filthy! 2. Chris Johnson 3B PR: 1 -1 Johnson only slips because of Ortiz’ performance on the mound but, he added a hit, and a couple RBIs today. For the spring Johnson is four for eight with two extra base hits (a double and a homer), a strikeout, and he leads the team with five RBIs. This blog is a place for bandwagon, and I am encouraging you all to jump onto my ‘START CHRIS JOHNSON BANDWAGON’. It is the revolution that will make Houston a legitimate contender in 2009. 3. Reggie Abercrombie OF PR: 13 +10 Abercrombie is six for eleven with three extra base hits, and ten total bases. He has scored once, and driven in another two this spring. Abercrombie has however struck out three times and committed an error. Abercrombie is easily my early favorite for the fifth outfielder position but, something tells me management is still leaning towards Jason Michaels , who has not performed this spring – thus far. 4. Jason Smith INF PR : 10 +5 Smith continues to impress me both on offense and defense. He has yet to give up an error, and has gone four for seven, with two extra base hits, two runs, and a RBI. 5. Matt Kata INF PR: NR Kata does not have an error at shortstop, and is three for four with a triple, homerun, two RBIs, and one strikeout. 6. Brandon Backe RHP PR : 3 -3 Backe already has one good outing this spring going two innings, allowing one hit, and striking out one batter. Tomorrow he will make his first start of the spring, and is looking to keep pace with Russ Ortiz as the top starting pitcher in Astros camp (how sad was that last sentence?). I am not sure whether the fifth rotation spot is best candidate wins, or, if the job is Backe’s to lose. 7. Miguel Tejada SS PR : 5 -2 Tejada has now joined the DR’s WBC team (along with A-Rod ) but, before he did Tejada put together another strong performance. Tejada went three for seven this spring with THREE extra base hits, and THREE runs scored. He has drove in two runs. Tejada seems to have things together this season which is a big plus for the Astros going into the season. 8. Drew Sutton 2B PR: 8 I am a Sutton supporter (hmm a little alliteration), and even though he is unlikely to make the team out of camp, he should see action with the Astros sometime soon (with Kaz slated as the second basemen, that is a bit of a guarantee). Sutton is four for ten with a walk and a strikeout. He has scored two runs, and logged six total bases. 9. Wesley Wright LHP PR: 11 +2 Wesley Wright has become Houston’s go-to reliever this spring. He has now pitched three innings, in three different appearances allowing zero earned runs (but, allowing one unearned). Wright has allowed three hits. 10. Darin Erstad OF PR: NR How is it that Erstad was previously unranked? Darin (the former Cornhusker punter and I are on a first-name basis) has gone five for ten this spring, scoring one run, while striking out twice, and walking once. His batting average is high, and he has the second most hits on the team (Abercrombie has six) but, his hits are not ‘timely’ hits. 11. Chad Paronto RHP PR: NR Paronto has flown under my radar. He has pitched three scoreless innings, two of them today, while allowing two hits, and striking out two. It is a shame that there are not many (if any) jobs available in the ‘pen. 12. Jose Capellan RHP PR: NR Jose is another guy who has flown under my radar (he is also another guy I am on a first name basis with). He has pitched two scoreless innings, giving up a hit, and striking out a batter. 13. Lance Berkman 1B PR: NR Berkman is starting to come into form, batting two for five with an RBI, run, and two walks. 14. Hunter Pence OF PR: 6 -8 Pence is now two for eleven (not encouraging) with three walks (encouraging!), and four strikeouts (not so encouraging). I like Pence’s on-base improvement but, I have to see some improvement on the hitting side, and I would love to see some power, it is early though so, I am not worried yet. On a side note, I wish I was on a first name basis with Pence but, alas, I am not. 15. Jose Valverde RHP PR: NR Jose was dominant in his inning today, pitching a scoreless inning, striking out two. For the spring he is has pitched 2 innings allowing two earned runs, a homerun but, striking out four batters. 16. Bud Norris RHP PR: 15 -1 Norris still has only pitched one inning, while striking out two batters. 17. Geoff Geary RHP PR : 17 Two innings pitched, and a hit. 18. Michael Bourn OF PR: 14 -4 Three hits in fourteen at-bats. Bourn has walked three times (like Pence, very encouraging), he has struck out twice, stolen two bases, collected two extra base hits, scored three runs, and driven in two runs. That stat line is littered and not just with adjectives… good spring thus far from Bourn. 19. LaTroy Hawkins RHP PR: NR Hawkins has pitched one scoreless inning, striking out a batter. He was also named to the USA WBC team in place of Joe Nathan . Congratulations to Hawkins for being named in the same sentence as one of the best three closers in baseball. 20. John Gall 1B PR: NR Were this list just about stats, Gall would be listed in the top ten but, he has zero chance of making the roster so, I feel that it would be a waste to list him earlier than this. He has however, put together a pretty impressive spring, though, hitting four for eight, and driving in three runs. 21. Samuel Gervacio PR : 18 One scoreless inning, giving up a walk but, striking out a batter. 22. Jason Castro C PR: NR Congratulations to Jason Castro for collected his first hit with the Astros (too bad it does not really count, since it is spring training). Anyways, his hit on Sunday makes Castro the catcher with the highest batting average . 23. Brian Moehler RHP PR: NR Two innings one earned run, two hits, and two strikeouts.

Astros Spring Training Performance Chart: TWO

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:39:18 EST

Welcome back to the Astros’ spring training performance chart, which is its new working title, I am open to suggestions though. Anyways, this second edition responds to the performances of the second and third spring training games. The list has expanded to twenty player’s who are performing well, and five who are not. Also, a bit of news, Jason Castro , Houston’s 2008 first round pick and top prospect made an appearance in the latest spring game; he went 0 for one playing from the sixth on. Also, Miguel Tejada will be playing in the WBC, flip-flopper, which will give more playing time to potential utility infielders like Edwin Maysonet, Tommy Manzella, Jason Smith , and Drew Sutton – of course we all know I would like Geoff Blum to be the utility infielder but, more on that when we get to the number one performer... which is just about now, enjoy, discuss. Astros Spring Training Performance Chart 1. Chris Johnson 3B Previous Rank (PR): 2 +1 I love Chris Johnson. A third basemen, who can field, and hit for average and power, YAY! [Cough] Cooper [cough] start him! [Cough] start him! Johnson has an OPS of 2.350 after three games, and leads the team with seven total bases in only four at bats… yeah, yeah, small sample size. I just like seeing this young guy hit. If Johnson can be a productive third baseman this year, it would allow Geoff Blum to fill in on the bench, and become the super utility guy. He would also give Houston a solid bat off the bench, something I feel they will be lacking if Blum starts. Anyways, I hope to continue writing Johnson’s name at the top of this list all spring - thus far he has been very impressive. I should note that even if Johnson has a tremendous spring it does not assure him the starting gig…also, what if Johnson is more Towles then Pence? 2. Russ Ortiz RHP PR : 1 -1 Ortiz only slips because of Johnson’s continued superb play. Ortiz pitched two scoreless innings striking out three batters in Houston’s first spring training game. I believe Monday will be his next appearance. 3. Brandon Backe RHP PR : Not Ranked (NR) Backe topped the other list yesterday but, answered right back with a solid two innings. He falls one spot below Ortiz because Ortiz seemed more dominant during his outing. Backe allowed one hit, and also struck out one for a very good first outing. I am very interested to see these two battle for the fifth rotation spot. It is good to see two quality candidates. 4. Roy Oswalt RHP PR: NR He’s only behind the other two pitchers because he is not fighting for a roster spot, and I figured I should focus on those types. Oswalt dominated the first inning of yesterday’s spring training game , striking out the side. However, he lost control of his curveball later in the outing, and allowed a couple of runs, still overall he performed very well – he only allowed one hit, and one walk despite the two runs. Oswalt will leave Astros camp to join team USA for the WBC so, he is unlikely to reappear on this list… unless he completely dominates the WBC! 5. Miguel Tejada SS PR: NR Here come the superstars! Tejada was one for two with a double, rbi and two runs scored batting fifth – his likely lineup spot for most of the season. Tejada will play for the DR in the WBC, which I think is good because it will give us an extended look at some younger players. 6. Hunter Pence OF PR: NR Pence did not log a hit but, he did have two walks and did not strikeout, he also stole a base. The two walks encourage me because I would like to see Pence play towards the top of the order. 7. Carlos Lee OF PR: NR Lee also did not log a hit but, he too walked twice, he did however strikeout but, scored two runs – admittedly the two runs scored make Lee’s stat line more appealing but, two walks from Pence is huge from my standpoint considering his usual poor discipline, and was one of the few highlights from today’s game. Lee will also be leaving for the WBC, playing for Venezuela. 8. Drew Sutton 2B/3B PR: 4 -4 Sutton has three hits this spring and has scored two runs as well. However, he has only played second, and third base, and I would like to see him at shortstop since he is auditioning for the utility job, which would require him backing up Tejada once every two weeks or so. Sutton should spend a good amount of time there since Tejada will be out of camp. 9. Mike Hampton RHP PR : 3 -6 Yes, six spots is a big drop, especially considering Hampton has not played since I ranked him third but, one, many players have been added to the list, as they have made their spring debuts, and two, the more I have thought about it, the more I disliked Hampton’s lack of command in his start. Hampton pitched two scoreless innings hitting the first batter and walking the next two. That is just too many base runners for my taste – Hampton also struck out two batters. 10. Jason Smith INF PR : 6 -4 RBI triple in the first game. Smith is also the only utility candidate to play shortstop, and not allow an error. 11. Wesley Wright LHP PR: 12 +1 Wright now has two innings pitched in relief, and an ERA of 0, he has allowed two hits, and one unearned run. 12. J.R. Towles C PR: 7 -5 Towles is still the only catcher with a hit – Humberto Quintero went 0 for three yesterday. 13. Reggie Abercrombie OF PR: 5 -8 Abercrombie has two extra base hits, two rbis, and five total bases, he should probably be higher ‘I have made a huge mistake.’ (What TV show?) 14. Michael Bourn OF PR: 8 -6 He is now one for five with a double, rbi, strikeout, walk, and stolen base. 15. Bud Norris RHP PR: NR Houston’s top pitching prospect threw a perfect inning which included two strikeouts. 16. Tyler Lumsden PR: NR Lumsden’s inning was also scoreless, and he struck out two batters but, he also walked a guy, and later picked him off. 17. Geoff Geary RHP PR : 9 -8 Geary still has one scoreless inning with one hit allowed. 18. Samuel Gervacio RHP PR : 10 One inning pitched, Gervacio allowed one walk, and struck out a batter. 19. Tim Byrdak LHP PR : 11 Byrdak is another one scoreless inning reliever; his included a walk, and a hit, so he falls after the previous four. 20. Mark Saccamanno 1B PR: 14 Saccamanno is one for four with a triple, run scored, and strikeout. However, his value his limited because he is not a suitable backup at third. He is very much like Mike Lamb . The Bad List 1. Gilbert De La Vara LHP De La Vara’s chances of making the team just got slimmer. De La Vara allowed two runs in one and two thirds innings allowing two hits, a walk, and a homerun blowing the save yesterday. 2. Sergio Perez RHP Perez allowed four hits which turned into four runs, two earned, in ZERO registered innings. However, Perez falls below De La Vara on this list because he [Perez] did not have a real shot of making the club out of spring training , and if De La Vara does not, he is out of the organization since he was chosen in the rule V draft. 3. Aaron Boone 3B/1B Two words: CHRIS JOHNSON! Going 0 for five thus far this spring also does not help. 4. Yordany Ramirez OF 0 for four with two strikeouts, Ramirez is falling far behind Reggie Abercrombie and Jason Michaels in competition for the fifth outfielder job. 5. Edwin Maysonet INF

Astros Spring Training Performance Rankings: One

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:04:06 EST

Performance Rankings in Astros Camp I am going to be honest with you, I am not really sure what this list measures. However, I am using it to describe who is performing the best in Spring Training , and ultimately you has the best chance of winning jobs for the start of the season. This is not a list of the best players in camp but, who is performing, and thus making the best case for themselves. I will update it fairly often throughout Spring Training. Enjoy, and discuss. Top 15 performers as of 2/26 11:46 AM EST: 1. Russ Ortiz RHP Two scoreless innings a walk, a hit, and three strikeouts, Ortiz is the new top candidate to join the starting rotation. 2. Chris Johnson 3B The homerun is not going to win him the job but, it should start to make him a serious contender. It is in Houston’s best interest for Johnson to win the starting spot, and Blum to return to the bench. 3. Mike Hampton RHP Two scoreless innings, he was a little shaky, hitting the first batter but, a couple more outings like this will put us fans’ minds at ease. 4. Drew Sutton 2B Sutton was the only player to log in multiple hits… so of course he is going to be high. 5. Reggie Abercrombie OF Two RBIs with two outs, Abercrombie is looking to win the fifth outfielder job over Jason Michaels . 6. Jason Smith INF RBI triple 7. J.R. Towles C Towles was the only catcher to log a hit yesterday. 8. Michael Bourn OF Good outing for Bourn, an RBI double but, also a strikeout. 9. Geoff Geary RHP 10. Samuel Gervacio RHP 11. Tim Byrdak LHP 12. Wesley Wright LHP All four of these relievers did not allow an earned run, Wright’s did allow one though - that’s why he’s last. 13. Tommy Manzella SS A hit for the defensive specialist but, he did give up an error. 14. Mark Saccamanno 1B/3B/DH 15. Darin Erstad OF/1B The final two guys with hits yesterday, they both went 1 for 2, Saccamano’s was a triple. 5 Guys whose stock is dropping: 1. Brandon Backe RHP Backe is now on the outside looking in. 2. Danny Graves RHP Four hits and two runs in one inning is not a good start to the spring for someone who has to really impress if he wants a job. 3. Aaron Boone 3B Johnson’s homerun has to start to level the playing field… sorry Aaron; you will always have that ALCS. 4. Jason Michaels OF It is not a problem that Michaels failed to log a hit but, Abercrombie, and Bourn both had good games and have taken the lead in the OF open spots. 5. Brian Bogusevic OF

Top 60 prospects for the 2009 mlb draft

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:48:12 EDT

You want some baseball info, fine; I’ll give you some baseball info. Here are the top 60 draft eligible baseball prospects for the 2009 amateur draft. As a disclaimer, I made this list by first creating my top 15 high school pitchers, college pitchers, college bats, and high school bats. Then I ranked those 60 prospects. So, this is not a true big board but, it is certainly a good working list. I do not have capsules on individual players but, I have put them into tiers, and analyzed the groups a little, enjoy. As far as the blog is concerned, I am working on some NBA stuff, and creating an Astros spring training power list… more on that later. As always, comments are much appreciated. Top 60 2009 MLB Draft Prospects 1. Steven Strasburg RHP San Diego State He’s the consensus top pick in the 2009 draft. He will become one of the top three pitching prospects when he’s drafted. 2. Alex White RHP North Carolina 3. Grant Green SS Southern California 4. Dustin Ackley 1B/OF North Carolina These are the next three prospects, all coming out of college. They will likely go between picks two and four in the draft, unless one of the two high school lefties goes ahead of them. 5. Matthew Purke LHP HS Texas 6. Donovan Tate OF HS Georgia 7. Kyle Gibson RHP Missouri 8. Tyler Matzek LHP HS California 9. Aaron Crow RHP Missouri/Independent League Purke and Matzek are the aforementioned lefties both have low 90s fastballs and advanced breaking balls. Tate has a ton of upside as a five-tooler but, has a strong football commitment to North Carolina. Gibson and Crow are the next group of college pitchers. Crow was picked by the Nationals with the ninth pick last year. 10. Andrew Oliver LHP Oklahoma State 11. Kentrail Davis OF Tennessee 12. Shelby Miller RHP HS Texas 13. Jacob Turner RHP HS Georgia 14. Robbie Shields 2B Florida Southern 15. Mychal Givens RHP/SS HS Florida 16. Matt Davidson 3B HS California A mixed group here but, any of these seven could go tenth after the top nine are drafted. Givens is an interesting player as he has garnered attention as a possible five-tool shortstop or as a pitcher with a 95 mph heater. 17. Mike Minor LHP Vanderbilt 18. Austin Maddox C HS Florida 19. Luke Bailey C Georgia 20. Zach Wheeler RHP HS Georgia 21. Josh Phegley C Indiana 22. Tanner Scheppers RHP Fresno State/Independent League 23. Kendal Volz RHP Baylor This group is filled with guys with who there are varying opinions. Minor, Maddox, Scheppers, Phegley, and Volz could all go inside the top 12 picks however; they could also slip to the back end of the first round. Bailey and Wheeler are the exceptions to that rule though, and should go between 18, and 23. Wheeler is currently the guy I am looking at for the Astros with the 21st pick. 24. Ben Tootle RHP Jacksonville State 25. Jason Stoffel RHP Arizona 26. Ryan Jackson SS Miami 27. Brian Goodwin OF HS North Carolina 28. Max Stassi C HS California Tootle and Stoffel are the two best pure relievers in the draft while, the latter three are position players who could be chosen ahead of them. Jackson is a defensive specialist who could jump ahead in the draft – like Jermile Weeks last year – Goodwin is the classic five-tool high school outfielder, and Stassi is the fourth elite catcher in the draft. The order of this group all comes down to taste. 29. AJ Pollock 2B/OF Notre Dame 30. Matt Graham RHP HS Texas 31. Keyvius Sampson RHP HS Florida 32. Robert Stock C Southern California 33. Alex Wilson RHP Texas A&M 34. Chris Jenkins RHP HS New Jersey 35. Jake Marisnick OF HS California The two college position players here (Stock and Pollock) are both rather polarizing. I know I just said there were only four elite catchers BUT, five could go in the first round, and Stock had a very impressive opening weekend. Pollock isn’t gifted with an abundance of tools but, he has excellent discipline at the plate, has speed, and most importantly delivers. I like him. The high school pitchers are all high upside guys, Sampson could go in the first twenty though, while the others will have to wait till the back end of the first or even supplemental round. Wilson plays for the best college team in the nation, and had a very good opening weekend, like Stock, he is a safe pick. 36. Ryan Wheeler 1B/3B Layola Marymount 37. Ryan Ortiz C/1B Oregon State 38. Daniel Webb RHP Northwest Florida State CC Nothing too special about this group, if one of them does rise into the first round it may be Webb, who was considered a first round talent last season but, dropped deep into the draft, and went to junior college to try and raise his stock while remaining eligible. Wheeler has some upside but, you can find first basemen with 25 homerun power later on. Ortiz is very questionable at catcher but, if a team thinks he can stick there, and the above five are gone he could be the sixth catcher in the first round… that would be something. 39. Jonathan Walsh 3B/C HS Texas 40. Beau Wright LHP HS California 41. Sean Black RHP Seton Hall 42. Chris Dominguez 3B Louisville 43. Brett Jackson OF California 44. LeVon Washington OF/2B HS Florida 45. DJ LeMaheiu SS/3B LSU 46. Bobby Borchering 3B HS Florida A seventh catcher? Maybe, Walsh is a terrific athlete, with a strong arm, and very good hitting ability. I think he is going to be a steal if he is not drafted in the first round. Dominguez has an enormous amount of power and a very strong arm from third but, is probably the biggest strikeout risk in the draft, and that will cause him to slip. Borchering is a switch hitter with good hitting ability from both sides. He is a good defender, with a good arm from third. 47. Devan Marrero SS HS Florida 48. Jared Mitchel OF Louisiana State 49. Blake Smith RHP/OF California 50. Ben Paulsen 1B Clemson 51. Chad Thompson HS California 52. Jiovanni Mier SS HS California 53. Brad Boxberger RHP Southern California 54. Ian Krol LHP HS Illinois 55. Jonathan Singleton 1B HS California 56. Colton Cain 1B/LHP HS Texas 57. Randal Grichuk OF HS Texas 58. Tyler Skaggs LHP HS California 59. Geno Escalante C HS California 60. Byran Berglund RHP HS California I bunched what would have been the last two groups. It filled with some high upside shortstops, high school lefties, and such. Marrero, Mitchel, Mier, and Boxberger have the best chance of moving up into the first round. Some of the high school pitchers in this group are the types to be taken in the supplemental round. There’s your top 60.

Super Bowl reaction - New Blog Format

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:21:50 EST

Hey everyone, I wanted to start out by introducing a new format I will be using on this blog. For awhile I have been doing the whole baseball prospecting thing but, that has been exhausting. So, I am now looking to reactions to the games/sport events I watch. These could be NBA games, College Hoops games, the Super Bowl [wink], etc. I will also mix in other "features", and am looking to bring back my "Bandwagon", which is where I pick a team that is looking hot, or on the verge of getting hot. I have all the American League prospect lists so, if you ask for a particular one, I will work on posting it for you. I may also slowly release them all anyway when I have the time but, those are no longer the focus of this blog. Anyways, thank you for dropping by, I hope to win some regular readers, as always, please post a comment, I really like the feedback, and enjoy discussing, or arguing topics with you, feel free to comment on anything related to the topic. For those of you who do not know, which I assume is most of you; I am historically a Packers fan. The 1996-1998 teams with guys like Brett Farve , Dorsey Levens , Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman , Mark Chumra, Desmond Howard , Reggie White , Gilbert Brown , Darren Sharper , Leroy Butler, etc. really got me into football, and is my favorite team of all time. However, since that time my love for the Packers has waned and I have picked up cheering got a couple of other teams: the Saints, the Bills, the Steelers, and of course I still root for the Pack. The Saints because I love Drew Brees , he has been my fantasy quarterback through thick and thin for a long time now. The Bills because I love Marshawn Lynch , and I am an upstate New Yorker, you have to give me the Bills as an acceptable team to root for. Finally, the Steelers, growing up my cousins were huge Steelers fans, and they rubbed off on me. I had a bit of an infatuation with Kordell Stewart much like the one I had with Billy Edelin when he was in a Syracuse uniform. However, since the Steelers win their previous Super Bowl three years ago, I had stopped paying much attention to them. The reason I tell you all this, is not so you can all question my fanhood but, to give you some background information before I tell you what my prediction was coming into last night's game. At about 1:00 in the afternoon yesterday, my friend David asked me for my prediction for the game. To be honest, I had not given it much thought, and after a few seconds I gave this answer, "The trace of a Steelers’ fan in me wants the Steelers to win, and I will root for the Steelers BUT , I do not see the Steelers' offense will be able to outscore the Cardinals, if they score three touchdowns." My official prediction was 21 - 17 Cardinals.

Top 15 Prospects: NL West

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:36:08 EST

Next Up: My National League Review, then onward to the American League which I would love to have done before Spring Training.

NL West Top Prospects Team Rankings I would just like to say that these Team Rankings are based on my top 15 prospect lists only, not the state of the organizations entire farm system. The numbers next to each team’s names is the amount of points they scored in my ranking system. The highest possible score is 150. It should also be noted that you cannot take the below “scores” and compare them to that of a NL Central or NL East team, this is because the scores are relative only to the other teams in its division. My next post will be a review of the top prospect lists of the entire National League, and there I will have a ranking of all NL teams. 5. Arizona Diamondbacks 44 Only Jarrod Parker made the top 25 list [below], although Daniel Schlereth would be one of the next three guys on, and he [Schlereth], along with Gerardo Parra made the second all-prospect team. This is, probably, the worst compilation of a team’s top 15 prospects I have ranked thus far. Only the top three prospects (Parker, Schlereth, and Parra) project to be productive major leaguers. It was only a few years ago when the Diamondback’s farm was one of the best in baseball but, since then, guys like Justin Upton, Chris Young, and Max Scherzer have graduated to the majors, and others like Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, and Greg Smith have been traded away, also they received no promising prospects when they traded Jose Valverde to the Astros – and Astros fans everywhere, including here on this blog, thank you – Juan Gutierrez is not a “promising prospect”. Luckily the Diamondbacks have a good young team right now, and do not need many more pieces, in fact, Schlereth, and Parker may be enough. That will give the organization a little time to improve the farm. 4. Las Angeles Dodgers 78 A tough ranking, I know. The Dodgers have three stellar pitching prospects in Scott Elbert, Ethan Martin, and James McDonald – not to mention Clayton Kershaw who just graduated to the majors in the later part of last season. They also have Chris Withrow, and Josh Lindblom, who both have the potential to become very good pitching prospects prospects. The Dodgers also have a couple of solid hitting prospects, as well, in Ivan DeJesus and Andrew Lambo. However, the Dodgers lack the kind of depth the Rockies, and Padres have. 3. Colorado Rockies 97 I love Dexter Fowler, who happens to be the best position prospect in the division. The emergence of Jhoulys Chacin gives the Rockies a second top five prospect (in the division). After those two, however, the talent level drops off a bit. Wilin Rosario and Mike McKenry are very intriguing catcher prospect, and Christian Friedrich is a future middle of the rotation pitcher. What sets the Rockies apart from the Dodgers is their abundance of high mid-level prospects. Such as: Eric Young Jr., Darin Holcomb, Hector Gomez, Chris Nelson, and Charles Blackmon. All of whom will never become big league stars but, most of them should be productive major leaguers at some point I their careers. I cannot, however, say the same about the Dodgers’ mid-level prospects, guys like Austin Gallagher, Josh Bell, and Cole St. Clair. 2. San Diego Padres 98 The Padres just edge out the Rockies for this spot. This is a little surprising, seeing as how I ranked the Padres best prospect, Mat Latos, the worst of any prospect ranked as his team’s best. However, the Padres have several other top tier prospects to add to the high upside Latos. Guys like Kellen Kulbacki, Kyle Blanks, Will Inman, and Cedric Hunter bolster that group. The Padres have the second most prospects in the NL West’s top 25 with seven prospects. The Padres also have an impressive group of mid-level prospects in players like Mitch Canham, Nick Schmidt, Jaff Decker, James Darnell, and Drew Cumberland. 1. San Francisco Giants 133 Without a doubt the Giants top the division. The Giants have eight of their prospects making the top 25 list, and seven of them made the First NL West all-prospect team. The Giants have a ton of top tier prospects, as I ranked five of them in the top ten in the division. The Giants also have good balance, with a couple of high quality pitchers in Bumgarner and Alderson, and a number of productive hitters in Nate Shierholtz, Nick Noonan, Buster Posey, and Conor Gillaspie. If you are interested in seeing a more in depth look for any of these teams, just check my archives, or go to my blogs homepage, and scroll down. NL West Top 25 Prospects 25. Conor Gillaspie 3B/2B SF I really like Gillaspie as either a third or second basemen with a high batting average, and at least solid defense. 24. Allan Dykstra 1B SD You have to like Dyksta’s bat with 20-30 homerun potential, and above average plate discipline. He also is not going to hurt a team defensively. 23. Henry Sosa RHSP SF Sosa has great stuff – with his 97 mph fastball and above average curveball – but the lack of command, and unimpressive numbers at his age and level concern me. 22. Andrew Lambo 1B/OF LAD I will admit, I may have him a little too low but, I do not totally buy into him as an outfielder yet. I also think his chance of being a bust is still high, and he has to shore up that 3:1 K to BB ratio. He is young, and has a lot of upside though, very high ceiling. 21. Cedric Hunter OF SD Maybe Hunter’s tools are a little too close to average to be higher than Lambo but, I think his bust potential is much lower, and I like his 1:1 K to BB ratio at the age of 20. 20. Matt Antonelli 2B SD I still like him. High walk rates – 1:1 K to BB ratio – above average defensively, 20-30 SBs a year, some power potential – could hit 20 homeruns, probably will hit somewhere in the 10-15 range. Very disappointing 2008, look for him to bounce back in spring training to become the Padres everyday second basemen in 2009. 19. James McDonald RHSP LAD Will Inman or James McDonald? McDonald throws a low 90s fastball, and a 12-6 curveball which he uses as an out pitch. He is major league ready, and will become a solid number four starter next season. 18. Kyle Blanks 1B SD Blanks hit 20 homeruns in 2008, and he still has more power in his tank. I may have him rated to low, like I did for Lambo – what is it with me not liking big power 1B/LF guys? He is a decent athlete for his massive size but, still below average defensively. 17. Will Inman RHSP SD I really like Inman, and like his 2008 stats better, I may have even over rated him because of them. Inman’s stuff is not very impressive throwing a 90 mph fastball, and low 70s/high 60s curveball, his stuff his pretty deceptive, though, and fools hitters – which is all that matters. I think his makeup, and pitchibility are enough to make him a number three starter. 16. Christian Friedrich LHSP COL I love this guy. He throws three major league average pitches in his fastball, cutter, and plus curveball, and also had a great debut to pro ball. 15. Wilin Rosario C COL Great defensive catcher with a strong arm – throwing out 46% of would be base stealers. Rosario also has some offensive upside with plus power potential, and hit well overall in the Rookie League last season. He has the potential to be an elite catcher. 14. Ivan DeJesus SS/2B LAD DeJesus is an above average offensive minded middle infielder. He has great hitting ability, with good plate patience, lacking power; he also has enough speed to steal 20 bases most seasons. 13. Ethan Martin RHSP LAD 2008 first round pick, Martin throws three above average pitches in his fastball, power curve, and splitter. He is very athletic for a pitcher, and garnered scout’s attention as both a pitcher, and third basemen. He has future number two written on him. 12. Kellen Kulbacki OF SD Kulbacki hit .300/.400/.500+ last season, and shows no signs of slowing down. Sure, he is nothing spectacular defensively, and will probably play left his entire career; his bat has been playing very well. Next season in double A will be a good measure of what he could be in the majors. 11. Nick Noonan 2B SF Great defender at second – his weak arm prevents will prevent him from playing short. Noonan profiles as a top of the order hitter, he has above average contact ability, and capable of stealing more than 30 bases a year, however, he really has to work on his plate patience. 10. Nate Schierholtz OF SF Schierholtz is an average corner outfielder offensively, and above average defensively, with a canon of an arm. 9. Mat Latos RHSP SD Latos depends on his plus mid 90s fastball but, is now starting to mix in his “knuckle” curve which grades as above average, or possibly plus, in the future. Statistically he was right on track in his half season last summer. Latos could be a top 5 guy – on this list – next season if he puts up good numbers over a full season in 2009. 8. Scott Elbert LHP LAD Elbert just edges Latos because he is major league ready, and has a better track record; however, Latos has the higher ceiling, especially if Elbert ends up in the bullpen for good. Scott still has top of the rotation stuff, with his plus fastball and slider combo but, due to injuries the Dodgers have him in the bullpen – for now. 7. Angel Villalona 1B SF Villalona is very young and very undisciplined – recording a K:BB ratio of 6.5:1 in 2008. However, he does have plus plus power potential, and has already started to show some of it but, his power numbers will rise, if he improves his discipline. 6. Tim Alderson RHSP SF Alderson has great command, and pairs it with a couple of plus pitches in his low-mid 90s fastball, and power curve. 5. Buster Posey C SF Posey is a plus defender, and has a lot of upside offensively. He will hit for a high average, and average power could develop eventually. He is a good athlete behind the plate. I had him as the number one pick in my mock draft back in June but, instead fell to number five. 4. Jhoulys Chacin RHSP COL I really like Chacin, he led the minors in wins in 2008. He throws a mid 90s sinking fastball, and plus changeup. He is a number two starter. 3. Jarrod Parker RHSP ARI Parker is the first of two pitchers on this list to possess a plus plus fastball. He throws his in the mid-high 90s, and has great command of it. He also throws a slider, curveball, and changeup, the first of which could be a plus pitch as well. 2. Dexter Fowler OF COL I really debated making Fowler the top guy in the NL West but, ultimately decided on Bumgarner instead. Fowler is a 5-tooler who plays exceptional defense, and will be a well above average centerfielder offensively, as well. 1. Madison Bumgarner LHSP SF Bumgarner, like Parker, throws a plus plus fastball in the mid-high 90s – and he could add a couple ticks of velocity still. It [his fastball] also has a ton of late tailing action. Bumgarner has also messed around with a couple different breaking pitches (curveball, and slider) but, as of yet none of them really stand out. Bumgarner has ace potential if he can establish his secondary stuff. First Team All NL West Prospects C Buster Posey SF

Top 15 Prospects: San Francisco Giants

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:08:00 EST

The Giants are the final national league team, finally! I hope you guys have enjoyed the first half of my Top 15 Prospects series, I know I have enjoyed writing it. This article will be followed by a divisional wrap up - probably sometime after Christmas. Then I will do some kind of special National League wrap up... I just do not know what exactly. I just know it will include a top 50 list, and I will probably rank each team against each other, I may have to break it up into a couple of different parts. Then in 2009 I will start the AL beginning with the AL East, and the Baltimore Orioles - here's a teaser, Matt Wieters is the top Orioles prospect.

As always, if you read the article post a comment - they can range from voicing your discrepancies with my list, mention guys I may have omitted, point out flaws in my list, talk about other prospects, when/where these prospects will play. Let's get some discussion going. Commonly Used Abbreviations:

Top 15 Prospects: San Diego Padres

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:47:28 EST

Sorry about another brief hiatus but, now my semester is officially over, and I should start cranking these things out again. Anyways I hope you guys enjoy. As always, if you read the article, I ask you to comment below. I really enjoy the interaction, and discussion we have had with the previous articles (such as we had about the Rockies, and Dodgers). Some things to consider discussing are your thoughts on how I ranked the following prospects and my opinion on each, or any prospects I may have left off – state your case for them, etc. It has been a lot of fun the past couple of articles discussing with you guys so, let’s keep it going… San Diego Padres Top 15 Prospects 1. Mat Latos RHSP Age: 21 MLL: A-/a/R The Padres’ top spot can be highly debatable; every guy ranked 1-5 has an argument for them to be the top guy. I picked Latos. An oblique injury prevented Latos from pitching more than 56 innings but, in those 56 innings he posted a 2.57 ERA, and struck out 69 batters. Latos throws an electric fastball, with some deception, that he throws in the mid 90s. He used to throw it in almost every count but, has since developed a “knuckle”-curve which he throws in the high 70s. His curve is still in development but, will be above average, and possibly plus in the future. Latos also throws a changeup, and slider but, both grade out to below average, and he rarely throws the slider. Latos is a top of the rotation starter, now that he has a second above-average pitch; however, he is also a few years away from the major leagues. 2. Kellen Kulbacki OF Age: 23 MLL: A I am really high on Kulbacki, as I was last season following the 2007 draft. He can flat out hit. Last season Kulbacki hit .304, with a .400 OBP, and .940 OPS. He also possesses plus power with 22 homeruns, and a slugging percentage of .540, while knocking 38% of his hits for extra bases. Kulbacki has above average plate discipline, and his K to BB ratio is closer to 1:1, than 2:1. His defense, and arm are just below average so, the most accommodating position for him is left field in the majors. He also has below average speed. Kulbacki should be an above average corner outfielder when he reaches the majors. 3. Will Inman RHSP Age: 21 MLL: AA The best things going for Inman are his command, mental makeup, and pitchability. He put up good numbers in 2008 pitching 135 innings, in AA, with an ERA of 3.52 while accumulating 140 strikeouts. Inman’s fastball is just average, throwing in around 90 mph, but has a deceptive delivery. Inman’s curveball is his best pitch; it is an above average to plus pitch which he throws in the high 60s to low 70s. The disparity in velocities between the two pitches can really throw batters off. He also will occasionally throw a below average to average changeup. Inman’s stuff profiles him more to the back of the rotation but, I think he has the makeup to be much better, probably a number three starter. 4. Kyle Blanks 1B Age: 22 MLL: AA I can not saying anything bad about his hitting. He ended the 2008 season with over a .300 BA, .400 OBP, .500 SLG%, and .900 OPS. He can hit, and he has plus raw power – and despite the 500 SLG% I am about to show you why it’s only plus raw power – however, his XBH% was only 30%, not terrible, but you would like to see more from a future middle of the order guy, Blanks hit 20 homeruns, though. His K:BB ratio was 90:51 last season which is also not bad – since his strikeout total is under 100, and the K:BB ratio is less than 2:1 – but, it is not going to receive my praise either. Blanks is a slightly below average defender at First Base, and his speed is below average. As I mentioned before Blanks should be a future middle of the order guy – especially with his OBP at .400+, and SLG at .500+. Blank’s biggest problem is that he will not start with the Padres with Adrian Gonzalez at first – as Gonzalez is a gold glove defender, and probably edges out Blanks offensively too – the Padres could try Blanks in left field but, I do not see him sticking there - think Adam Dunn when he plays defense. 5. Matt Antonelli 2B Age: 23 MLL: AAA I refuse to drop Antonelli any further. Yes, his 2008 season was abysmal - .215/.335/.322/.657 but, I am going to call that one disappointing year, and look at his 2007 numbers (when he was easily a top 50 prospect) .307/.404/.491/.894 with 21 homeruns, and 28 stolen bases. So, which is the real Antonelli? Well, I do not have the answers, but we will start find out when he goes to spring training in a few months. A couple constants for Antonelli are his high walk rates and 1:1 K:BB ratios. He is also a very athletic player, with the ability to play almost anywhere on the field (except shortstop and behind the plate), and he is above average defensively with a decent arm. Antonelli probably falls somewhere in between his 2008 and 2007 seasons. Which makes him an average second basemen, maybe more if his power numbers are closer to his 2007 campaign. 6. Cedric Hunter OF Age: 20 MLL: A+ Hunter’s only plus tool is his ability to make contact. He hit .318 in 2008, with an OBP of .362. His K:BB ratio was just about 1:1 – 47 Ks to 42 BBs. It is good that he only struck out 47 times but, he needs to take more walks, and bump up his OBP a few points – luckily he’s only 20. Hunter has some power but, it is mostly line drive power to his pull – which is the left side… in PECTO Park. His slugging percentage was .442 in 2008, and he did hit 11 homeruns. Hunter is average defensively in centerfield, with average speed (12 SBs), and a slightly below average arm. The hope is that Hunter can stay in center, despite his fringe arm, because he does not have the power to make him an above average corner outfielder. Hunter looks like a top of the order guy, especially if he can raise his OBP a couple of ticks. Hunter has a lot of upside because he still has a lot of time to develop better plate discipline, and possibly more power but, if he has to move to a corner his value will drop. 7. Allan Dykstra 1B Age: 21 MLL: A+ I really like Dykstra: 1. He is a 2008 draftee 2. He has plus power, with already above average plate discipline. I am convinced Dykstra’s bat will play at first in the majors. However, Adrian Gonzalez is there for the foreseeable future, and Kyle Blanks is next in line – and also has a higher ceiling. However, Dykstra is a better fielder than Blanks, and I believe he will be an average defensive first basemen by the time he reaches the majors. He also has a higher floor – in my opinion – and has better plate discipline than Blanks – Dykstra’s K:BB ratio was 1:1 in his pro debut this past summer/fall. I see Dykstra as an above average first basemen in the future. 8. Mitch Canham C Age: 24 MLL: A+ Canham is athletic, and should be at least an average defensive catcher when he finally finishes developing. That being said Canham is above average offensively, for a catcher. In 2008 he hit .285, with a .382 OBP, and .434 SLG%, his XBH% was 34%. Canham also hit 8 homeruns, and also struck out only 73 times, compared to 66 walks, and also stole a surprising 13 bases. Canham is a line drive hitter, which means he will not hit a lot of home runs but, will hit a lot of other XBHs. 9. Nick Schmidt LHSP Age: 23 MLL: INJURED IN 2008 Yes, Schmidt missed all of 2008 following Tommy John surgery but, a lack of depth on this list allows me to make him a top 10 guy. Schmidt is a big (6’5) lefty, he throws his fastball in the low 90s (90, 91 mph), he also throws an above average changeup, and a slider which still needs to be refined. Schmidt has good command, and that darn pitchibility thing (you know when a does not have great stuff but, still manages to put up big numbers, especially at lower levels). There is no way anyone could make an accurate prediction about Schmidt’s future but, I do not see any reason why Schmidt will be any less of a pitcher now that he is healthy. He certainly looks like a major league pitcher. 10. Jaff Decker OF Age: 20 MLL: a/R Decker is an interesting prospect. Taken in the first supplemental round of the 2008 draft, Decker hit .343, with a .513 OBP. He also showed some power, finishing the season with a .521 SLG%. He does not have much projection left power-wise, and will likely end up with only average, or maybe a little above average power. Decker plays centerfield but, he really does not project as one at the major league level, and has below average speed so, I am counting on a move to a corner, which diminishes his value. Decker has a plus arm – in fact he could make a switch to the mound, if he falls short at the plate, he throws his fastball in the 93-91 mph range with a good curveball, and good command. I have Decker pegged as an average corner outfielder, or fourth outfielder in the future. 11. James Darnell 3B Age: 21 MLL: a Darnell has a lot of power potential, and great overall hitting ability. He hit for an OPS of 1.044 in limited action last season after being drafted in June. Darnell has very limited range – but, he does have good hands, and fielding skills - and thus will likely shift to a corner outfield spot eventually. However, I do believe Darnell has the bat to be a productive player there. He has an average arm, and is not a threat with his speed. Darnell is very raw, and should move up this list pretty fast. 12. Drew Cumberland SS Age: 19 MLL: A-/R Cumberland is a high upside player. He has tremendous potential as a shortstop however, he is an inconsistent fielder, and may have to move to second, or centerfield – like B.J. Upton did. Cumberland hit well in 216 at bats last season. Finishing with a .296 BA, and .354 OBP, Cumberland has well below average power. Cumberland possesses plus plus speed, and has great base running instincts, as well as considerable range at short (or second, or centerfield). However, Cumberland is still a long way away, and I want to see the offensive numbers over a full year. If it turns out Cumberland will stick at short, and continues hitting at a high level, he will become one of the best prospects in this system. 13. Dan Robertson OF Age: 23 MLL: a A personal favorite, Robertson has a very advanced approach to the game in multiple aspects. In 302 at bats Robertson hit .377, with a .443 OBP, and .497 SLG%. He also ended 2008 with a strikeout to walk ratio of 1:1 (34:34), and stole 20 bases. He is above average defensively in centerfield. Robertson was taken in the thirty third round of the amateur draft but, has thus far out played a majority of the players drafted last June. Obviously it is too early to give an accurate prediction on Robertson, and I would like to see him play a full season before thinking about moving him into the top 10. 14. Matt Buschman RHSP Age: 24 MLL: AA You have to like the numbers Buschman put up in 2008. In AA Matt pitched in 148 innings with a 2.98 ERA, and struck out 118 innings. Buschman throws a sinker/slider combination but, his velocity max’s out in the high 80s. He will start 2009 in AAA but, will graduate to the majors if he can show last season was not a fluke, and his mediocre stuff will work at higher levels. His ceiling is not that high: a number four or five starter, or reliever but, the stats are tough to argue with. 15. Chad Huffman OF Age: 23 MLL: AA The numbers were there in 2008, Huffman hit .284, with a .383 OBP. However, he did not hit for much power; hitting nine homeruns, and finishing the season with a .419 SLG%, and .32 XBH%. Huffman is very limited defensively, which makes the power numbers all the more important. Huffman could/should be a very good role player, and likely bench outfielder, with a good bat. Strengths: After finishing the write-up on this system, I like it more than I did when I started. One thing I really like about this list is its diversity. The Padres have a really high ceiling pitcher in Latos, as well as a lower ceiling “sure thing” pitcher close to the majors in Will Inman. They have some high ceiling bats in Kyle Blanks, Dykstra, Darnell, and Cedric Hunter, as well as a couple guys with more polish in Kulbacki, Antonelli, Dykstra – he could be classified as either, and Mitch Canham, Cumberland is a bit of a wild card. Weaknesses: I do not think they have that one true number one prospect – instead they have a good number of top five guys… which is certainly not bad. I have Latos ranked number one, but he is still mostly projection, Kulbacki does not have the largest ceiling, and I am not sold on Blanks. Otherwise… good list. Next Up: San Francisco Giants, then the NL West Wrap up, then I conclude the National League with yet another wrap up.

Ok, Let's Talk About the Astros...

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:01:47 EST

Last night the Astros, once again, proved their commitment to slashing payroll; when they non-tendered Ty Wigginton, one of Houston's top batters in 2008, especially after Carlos Lee went down for the year. Wigginton was set to make between 7 and 9 million in arbitration, and the Astros were unsuccessful in trading him away so, they cut him from the team. Also non-tendered was fifth outfielder candidate Reggie Abercrombie.

What I am going to do in this blog post is: analyze each position for the Astros, and the contenders to take over certain positions. Then in the comments section I think we should all hash out some ideas, discuss who the best options are, and what is most likely to happen. Sound good? Good.

Pitchers: