2010 Prospect Updates

[Dojji]

That'd work too, but I'm pretty sure the Padres would rather their big offensive ROI not be a 1B -- Blanks is the guy they want at 1B longterm IMHO. If Lars went over as part of the best package that wouldn't stop 'em but there's other directions they'd rather go.

[Plumpamania]

I wouldn't package Lars and Kelley though or Bucch. Lets give them Westmoreland instead .

[riverside sluggers]

Damn dude, thats cold :thumbdown

[Chamomile]

Top Prospect Updates - May 3rd

 

Ryan Westmoreland - DL

Casey Kelly - 10.2 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 10 SO at AA

Josh Reddick - .187/.225/.413 (.638 OPS) at AAA

Lars Anderson - .338/.427/.622 (1.049 OPS) between AA and AAA

Ryan Kalish - .230/.381/.432 (.814 OPS) at AA

Junichi Tazawa - DL

Reymond Fuentes - .279/.359/.441 (.800 OPS) at A Greenville

Anthony Rizzo - .253/.343/.418 (.760 OPS) at A Salem

Jose Iglesias - .286/.351/.400 (.751 OPS) at AA

Derrik Gibson - .286/.353/.377 (.730 OPS) at A Greenville

 

Minor League Prospects Hitting Leaders (not already mentioned)

 

Juan Apodaca, 23 year old C - .355/.474/.548 (1.022 OPS) at AA

Will Middlebrooks, 21 year old 3B - .360/.435/.547 (.982 OPS) at A Salem

Oscar Tejeda, 20 year old SS - .364/.367/.614 (.980 OPS) at A Salem

Ryan Lavarnway, 22 year old C - .326/.381/.593 (.974 OPS) at A Salem

Daniel Butler, 23 year old C - .290/.429/.497 (1.025 OPS) at A Greenville

Ronald Bermudez, 22 year old CF - .323/.354/.597 (.951 OPS) at A Greenville

[ORS]

Lars hit his first AAA homer last night.

 

In Pawtuckett, he's hitting .267/.500/.533. He keeps this up for a couple of months and a Kelly/Anderson swap for Adrian Gonzalez might start to gain some traction with no other pieces involved.

[ORS]

Rizzo hit 2 last night, bringing his season line in Salem up to .260/.345/.479.

[ORS]

Rizzo, Middlebrooks, and Tejeda have all homered tonight for Salem. Middlebrooks and Tejeda both also have doubles.

 

Kelly went 5, giving up 2 runs (1 ER), stiking out 4 with 2 BB.

 

Greeville is a pile of bleh right now.

 

Pawtuckett did not play tonight.

[Chamomile]

Some Red Sox prospects have been making waves lately. Overall, here are their numbers.

 

Lars Anderson - .294/.455/.500 in 34 AAA at bats after hitting .355/.408/.677 in 62 at bats at AA

Jose Iglesias - .323/.365/.448 in 84 AA at bats (he drove in 5 RBI today on 3 hits)

Will Middlebrooks - .340/.419/.544 in 103 advanced A at bats

Oscar Tejeda - .328/.344/.552 in 116 advanced A at bats

 

Robert Coello - 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 24 strikeouts in 20 innings at AA

[Palodios]

Lars is still hitting those numbers? It'd be great news if he can continue hitting, and be ready for the Sox fairly early next season.

[Dipre]

Lars is still hitting those numbers? It'd be great news if he can continue hitting' date=' and be ready for the Sox fairly early next season.[/quote']

 

I think he's a part of any package for a hitter in mid-season, but that's just my line of thinking.

[jacksonianmarch]

I think so too. As good as Lars is, he is not what the sox need right now, and that is a middle of the order bat. Lars has the potential to be a middle of the order bat, but in the pros right now, he'd probably be a little shellshocked (as would most big name prospects first time through). I dont think the sox have time to offer an offense first position to a kid during a pennant run that they are currently losing. And while Theo has his value arguments, the sox time to do something is within the next 2-3 yrs while the core of their pitching is still in their prime and still under contract. Lars may be All-Star worthy by the end of that, but they need to make the lineup more dangerous quickly. And they do that by getting AdGon. I think the package goes a bit bigger than Kelly and Anderson. Then again, if Buch continues to put baserunners on in droves, the sox might try to move him before his stock drops and re-insert Wake into the rotation, grooming Kelly for a 2011 launch date

[Chamomile]

I dont think the sox have time to offer an offense first position to a kid during a pennant run that they are currently losing.

 

[jacksonianmarch]

You laugh, but tell me how Lars gets added into this lineup? For Youk? He's an all-star. For Papi? Even if Papi wasnt hitting, the sox would still need a middle of the order bat and they'd be more inclined to go with Lowell. For Beltre? Not while Beltre is still hitting well. The point is, he's blocked for this yr, and the only way for him to come up is to play 1 of 2 positions that are decisively offense first. And since most rookies struggle for the most part initially, it wouldnt make sense for the sox to make that move.

[example1]

Daniel Nava. When will this guy finally get his shot?

 

Cons:

--He's 27

--He was undrafted

--He's smallish (5'10)

 

Pros:

--Switch-hitting OF

--Ungodly hitter throughout his career

--Has adjusted flawlessly to all levels

--Was Baseball America's #1 independent prospect in 2007

 

I realize age is a factor to his success (especially in places like Lancaster), but in 3 minor league seasons he's had OPS's of .948 (A+), .991 (AA, A+), and .910 (AAA, 2010). In 4 minor league season's (counting independent league) he's amassed a .347/.443/.553/.996 line.

 

In 34 games at AAA this year he's got a .300/.393/.517 line.

 

He's not in the Soxprospects.com top 60 prospects, though I have a hard time believing that a lot of those players will have better minor league careers than him, even if he never gets to the 'bigs.

 

According to the SP.com podcast the hitting coach in Pawtucket says that he takes his swing from the plate to the batting cage and back with a consistency that he has never seen in any player. This kid has some obvious natural talent and for whatever reason he's been seemingly ignored for a long time. It's not like his numbers warrant it, so I can't understand why.

 

Anyway, if this season sucks in later months he's a player I would be interested in seeing. He could just be another Jonathan VanEvery, for all I know.

[jacksonianmarch]

A lot of prospect sites will put an age limit on their players. It's just how they function. Not sure if jsinger has an age limit

[example1]

A lot of prospect sites will put an age limit on their players. It's just how they function. Not sure if jsinger has an age limit

 

That makes sense, but it functions to keep him off the radar of a lot of fans. If he keeps hitting well I wouldn't be shocked if this guy gets a shot in Boston, yet few would be aware of his story. He's one of those bizarre tales of guys who just fly under the radar their whole career.

[Chamomile]

You laugh' date=' but tell me how Lars gets added into this lineup? For Youk? He's an all-star. For Papi? Even if Papi wasnt hitting, the sox would still need a middle of the order bat and they'd be more inclined to go with Lowell. For Beltre? Not while Beltre is still hitting well. The point is, he's blocked for this yr, and the only way for him to come up is to play 1 of 2 positions that are decisively offense first. And since most rookies struggle for the most part initially, it wouldnt make sense for the sox to make that move.[/quote']

 

I wasn't laughing at the idea that Lars doesn't fit into the lineup. I was laughing at how you said the Red Sox "can't afford" to do something because they're currently "losing a pennant race" in May.

 

I don't think you realize how funny it sounds to other people when you say stuff like that.

[SexyPillow]

i wonder what it would be like if the redsox SOMEHOW got heyward...

[jacksonianmarch]

I wasn't laughing at the idea that Lars doesn't fit into the lineup. I was laughing at how you said the Red Sox "can't afford" to do something because they're currently "losing a pennant race" in May.

 

I don't think you realize how funny it sounds to other people when you say stuff like that.

 

Might be funny to you, but to most reasonable people with an idea about baseball, the sox are in trouble. 6 games back of a playoff spot with two teams in your division that are decisively better thus far. The sox margin for error is slim

[Chamomile]

Might be funny to you' date=' but to most reasonable people with an idea about baseball, the sox are in trouble. 6 games back of a playoff spot with two teams in your division that are decisively better thus far. The sox margin for error is slim[/quote']

 

Oh, please. Last year, the Red Sox were the "decisively better" team at this point in a season. A few years ago, the Baltimore Orioles were the "decisively best" team in the division at this point in the season. Being 5 games back in the loss column in May is hardly a desperate situation. You win the pennant in September, not May. We've got more than 120 games left to go. Let that sink in... 120 games.

 

I don't think you realize how funny it sounds when you're the one claiming to be the reasonable person who "knows baseball" when you're claiming the Red Sox are in trouble because the other teams have been "decisively better" than them in May.

[Spudboy]

Kelly gave up 6 ER in 4+ today.

 

Sea Dogs were down 6-2 until Spears, Rizzo, and Navaro went yard in the 7th.

 

8-2 Portland in the 8th.

[jacksonianmarch]

Kelly is finally hitting a wall. All good pitchers need to face a wall at sometimes, and most managers would rather it happen in the minors. Hughes hit his in the bigs. Joba is hitting his now. Might be good for him to have that over with when he comes up

[ORS]

Interesting game. Kalish has been getting all he was due and more from BABIP over the last couple of weeks. He's up to a line of .930-ish with 13 SB and 8 HR.

[Spudboy]

Interesting game. Kalish has been getting all he was due and more from BABIP over the last couple of weeks. He's up to a line of .930-ish with 13 SB and 8 HR.

 

I'm watching the replay on NESN now. I missed the first 3 innings earlier.

 

Kalish has a week arm. Exposito does not.

[bsox0407]

Kalish has been called up to AAA

[Rdsxmbnt]

Kalish has been called up to AAA

 

Well deserved too. Shown good power (18 XBH in 150 AB), good plate discipline (28/21 BB/K), and speed (13-1 SB-CS). Really solid complete player. Good OF in Pawtucket too now with Nava, Kalish, and Reddick.

[Keeper]

Ryan Lavarnway is still mashing: .292/.390/.526, 13 HRs, 10 doubles, 48 RBIs, 45 runs scored in 246 PAs (57 games)

[Rdsxmbnt]

Top hitting prospects doing well (in no particular order):

 

Kalish, 22 (AAA), .314/.391/.461/.852. Having a really great year and certainly a rising prospect

 

Rizzo, 20 (AA), .254/.307/.448/.754. Very young for AA, has an .864 OPS in 75 AB in July

 

Anderson, 22 (AAA) .256/.348/.423/.770. On fire this month with 1.000 OPS in 60 AB

 

Lavarnway, 22 (AA) picking up right where he left off in AA with a 1.022 OPS in his first 18 AB

 

Vitek, 21 (SS-A) .286/.393/.411/.803, top draft pick this year, nice start to his young career in Lowell

 

Tejeda, 20 (A+) .315/.343/.469/.812 having a great rebound year. Great tools but needs to work on plate discipline. Still very young

 

Fuentes, 19 (A) .262/.318/.369/.687. First season in the minors and doing decently enough, was the top draft pick in 09. Having a terrible July but on the season is 28/30 in SB attempts

 

Middlebrooks, 21 (A+) .294/.354/.461/.815. Fairly disappointing first year in the bigs, was decent last year and is finally starting to put it together. Huge potential, I think he might be the next big prospect in the system

[Rdsxmbnt]

And as for the pitchers:

 

Kelly, 20 (AA) 79.3 IP, 98 hits, 70 K, 31 BB, 5.11 ERA. Despite some struggles this year Kelly is still a blue-chipper. One of the youngest players in AA, only his second season in the minors and K numbers way up from last year.

 

Pimentel, 20 (A+) 87.0 IP, 88 hits, 61 K, 27 BB, 4.45 ERA. Modest season from Pimentel this year. Was selected for the futures game.

 

Others such as Doubrout and Bowden have pitched well in AAA and in limited time in the majors.

 

System is heavily hitting dominated right now but signing top draftees Workman and Ranuado will add some very high upside pitchers to the mix.

 

One more hitter I want to mention:

 

Vincio 17, (GCL) .300/.333/.429/.762. SS international signing that got a 2mil bonus, just turned 17 and is already hitting well. Could certainly rise up the rankings quickly.

 

Excited to see what Ibarra can do also.

[Spudboy]

Excellent updates!

 

Now go for a swim at Buttermilk Falls.