jacksonianmarch

Getting Brandon Wood will be difficult since he looks like the odds on favorite for their 3b position.

I think that a guy who plays defense enough to handle the position, which a guy like Martinez or Posada or other defensively challenged catchers do can make up for it with their offense. Martinez as a catcher is worth a TON more than as a 1b. Now, there are some guys who are so bad defensively that keeping them in the game hurts more than any offensive explosion. Martinez isnt that guy. He's bad behind the dish. But his bat more than makes up for it, and it replaces a black hole that was in the lineup for so long in Vtek.

Nick Johnson and his OBP are intriguing thoughts for any team. If he somehow made it to NY, he's replace Damon in the 2 hole.

As a catcher, he's top 5 in the game offensively. As a 1b, his OPS would rank behind.... Kevin Youkilis Mark Teixeira Carlos Pena Albert Pujols Prince Fielder Joey Votto Derrek Lee Adrian Gonzalez Miguel Cabrera Ryan Howard Kendry Morales Lance Berkman Todd Helton Justin Morneau Russell Branyan He's have been 16th in the game out of 30 teams, which is average.

26. Wilkin de la Rosa, LHP, 24yrs old- A+/AA line- 5-5 3.17ERA, 96.2IP, 1.25WHIP, 8.7K/9IP, 2.1K/BB. One glance at his age and most people write him off. But De la Rosa took an interesting path to where he is. He was signed out of the Dominican as an OFer. He played 2-3 yrs in the minors before switching to the mound. He blew out his elbow shortly after converting to a pitcher and lost a yr to TJS. His first full yr as a starter was as a 22yr old in the GCL. Last yr, he dominated long season A and this yr he pitched well between High A and AA. Wilkin is a future reliever, but someone who possesses enough stuff to keep in the rotation for now. He throws mid 90s with the heater, capable of hitting 98mph. But he located better in the 92-93mph range. He also throws a wicked slider and a mediocre changeup. He is still pretty raw on the mound, even though he turns 25 in 3 months. But his arm is for real and that slider looks really good from the left hand side. Strengths- Mid 90s heater and a lights out slider Weaknesses- His command is shoddy at high velocities and his slider is hit or miss when it comes to location Ceiling- His ceiling is as a high end reliever, if all goes right, he could close Projection- I think he projects safely as a lefty specialist in the bigs with the capability of handling the swing role if needed since he can give multiple innings ETA- He is likely to be kept in the rotation in Scranton this yr until they truly need to make a decision on his role. He is more beneficial as starting depth right now, but should there be a plethora of pitching depth in the system, he could be converted ASAP and be a major league option right now. He'll debut in some capacity in 2010. 27. David Phelps, RHP, 22yrs old- A/A+ line- 13-4 2.38ERA 151IP 1.20WHIP 7.3K/9IP, 3.9K/BB. Phelps jumped onto the scene in 2009 with a great showing and a significant improvement in stuff. A couple mechanical tweaks saw his FB sit in the 94mph range, up from 90-91mph. This is directly responsible for his really solid line. He also throws a plus slider and a changeup that he can locate. He is a strike-throwing machine who just pounds the zone on a regular basis. Strengths- Mid 90s heat, plus slider, good changeup. Very polished and has very strong control Weaknesses- Needs to prove he can maintain that velocity. He has never thrown this hard in his career, so he will need to prove that it wasnt some sort of fluke. Otherwise, he's a well rounded pitcher without a lot of weaknesses Ceiling- Prior to 09, I would have said #4 starter with his fantastic control, but low 90s stuff and only one plus offspeed offering. But this yr, he's a potential #2 IMO. Hard fastball. Good slider. Good changeup. Impeccable location. And a good idea on the mound. Projection- Depends on his fastball. If he maintains the 94-95mph fastball, then he projects pretty safely in the #2, #3 role in the rotation. If he doesnt, then he projects at the back of a rotation. He is one of the only pitchers in this list who truly doesnt project as a reliever right now since he has such good command, endurance, polish, etc. He's made for the rotation ETA- He likely starts 2010 in Tampa again due to the logjam, but should finish 2010 in AA. He'll be a callup option in mid 2011. 28. Jose Pirela, SS, 19yrs old- Charleston line- .295/.354/.381. I like this kid. He was incredibly young for his league and had absolutely no power to speak of, but he had an advanced approach, showed above average speed, good bat control and a very good glove. He's one of the toolsy Dominicans that NY has signed over the past few yrs who has elevated himself to prospect status. Even though he hit no homers and his IsoPower was under .1, the SRs say that he should develop gap power. Strengths- Good speed, good glove, good offensive approach. His power is expected to come in time, but he is not expected to have a lot of it Weaknesses- no skill is rated at 60 or over for this kid and his power needs to improve to become anything more than a defensive replacement in the bigs Ceiling- His ceiling is as a MLB average SS. Projection- depends on how his power develops. I think he definitely makes the bigs for someone, but I think he needs a lot to go right for someone to give him the starting nod. ETA- He goes to Tampa for 2010 and due to his age, will likely be a one level at a time kind of player 29. Kyle Higashioka, C, 19yrs old- SI numbers .253/.333/.332. The Yankees scouts LOVE this kid. They rave about his defensive abilities and his advanced approach to the plate. But this past yr, his numbers weren't very good. Granted, he was 19 yrs old and hasnt filled out, but the consensus in Yankee camp is that he will develop solid overall power and be an offensive catcher within the next few yrs. Until they change their mind, I need to keep him somewhat high on the list. Strengths- He's already a polished defensive catcher with a cannon for an arm. He also has a very good eye and advanced plate discipline. Going by the SRs, he should develop solid power and be a very good offensive catcher, but yr 1 did not reflect that Weaknesses- His scouting reports and his performance seem to have a big gap between them. This will need to be closed for him to become anything more than a defensive backup Ceiling- Really difficult to say since the SRs say one thing and the numbers say another. Going by the SRs, we are talking about a very good all around catcher Projection- Not able to give one as of yet, lets see how he does in long season ETA- believe it or not, the yankee brass and scouts were impressed by his 2009 campaign. Enough to entertain moving him to Tampa and skipping Charleston for 2010. 30. Eduardo Sosa, CF, 18yrs old- GCL line .200/.280/.291. Sosa is a guy who has all the tools, but none of them showed up in 2009. He's got a rocket arm, lightning speed and showed a great bat in the DSL prior to this season. He actually started off well, but floundered in August to an OPS of .477 which skewed the numbers a bit. Regardless, the scouts are high on his tools, and at his age, you cannot give up on him. Actually, based on the SRs from the previous yr, he was in consideration for a top 10 slot prior to imploding down the stretch in 2010. Too bad. He'll get many more chances to show he can hang Strengths- 5 tool player with a sweet left handed swing, a great arm, and lightning speed, he's another toolsy Dominican Weaknesses- was exposed in the states and will need to show a better line than the one above to be useful to the yankees in the future Ceiling- He has a very high ceiling, but a massive gap between his ceiling and his current. Some sites like to consider him a Lofton type athlete. That's high praise, but he needs to earn it Projection- too early to tell. He could bomb out completely or he could become an All-Star or something in between. ETA- Even though he sucked in 2009, he might start in the long season leagues in 2010. I think a safer bet is SI for 2010, but the OF bunch is thin, so he could move up.

Yes, he's so gay that he's gonna take that hot chick next to him back to his room and plow her for as long as he wants to. So f***ing gay.

21. Jose Ramirez, RHP, 19yrs old GCL numbers- 6-0 1.48ERA 61IP 0.80WHIP 7.8K/9IP 3.3K/BB. Ramirez is a hell of a talent, especially at #21 in this system. Take this as one of the examples of how a system has improved their stock. This kid dominated the GCL at 19 yrs old. He throws mid 90s, 94-96mph easy, with a plus changeup already. He has great command of the strike zone as well. The curve is slow to develop at this time, but his strike zone command and 1-2 combo made hitters in the GCL look silly. Strengths 19 yrs old, throws mid 90s with ease and has a plus changeup Weaknesses He still hasnt hit the long season leagues and is lacking a breaking ball that he can rely on Ceiling The good thing about having a great changeup already is that it is usually easier to teach a breaking ball than it is to teach a feel pitch like a change. His ceiling is as a top of the rotation starter Projection another one of those TINSTAAP guys who still has a long way to go. But with his advanced arsenal and control, he should project safely into the middle or upper portion of a big league rotation. He's that good ETA He should easily skip the short season leagues in 2010 and head right for Charleston. From there, I think he is going to find himself in a logjam, but should be big league ready by 2013. 22. Abraham Almonte, CF, 20yrs old- Charleston line- .280/.333/.391 with 36 steals. Almonte is an intriguing yet maddening prospect. He's a short switch hitter with absolute speed to burn as evidenced by the 36 steals in 41 chances. He has shown good gap power at times and a very strong knack for making good contact. The problem is, that he goes on streaks like you wouldnt believe. He'd have a 3 week stretch where he bats .600 then go 1 for 35 for the next week. He started to even out a little towards the end of the yr and he is starting to use his speed and his gap power to get some EBH (14 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers). He also went from being a SS prospect that couldnt field to one of the better CF prospects defensively. His range is uncanny and his arm is pretty damn good. Strengths- Defensively, he's a ball hawk with a good arm. Offensively, he is a pest on the basepaths and is starting to hit for better average, a bit more power and is starting to take walks Weaknesses- Very streaky, which renders his numbers pedestrian. Ceiling- His ceiling is an elite defender in CF and a leadoff man in the big leagues, reminds me a lot of Chone Figgins Projection- Difficult to say due to his streakiness. If he doesnt put together a complete season prior to his callup, then he might languish as a 4th OFer. His D and speed will get him to the show, the question is whether his bat will let him play it out as a starter ETA Just repeated the SAL and improved, so he is headed for Tampa. He'll be a quick promote since the Yankee OF prospects arent clogging the way. I think he gets into the OF mix by 2012. 23. Kelvin Deleon, OF, 18yrs old GCL line- .269/.330/.438. Deleon was the big INTL FA signee in 2007, netting 1.5 mil to sign. His calling card is his light tower power and 5 tool potential. But when the yankees got him, they found a few holes in his game. For one, he was a tank in the OF, running routes that would make Johnny Damon look like a gold glover. He actually collided with CJ Henry a few yrs ago on a routine OF play and strained CJ's neck, knocking him out for a month. The OF situation has improved considerably since he signed. He also has the propensity to destroy fastballs, but cannot hit a curveball to save his life. Call him Serrano. Now, we just need to find Joe Boo for him so he can become a top prospect Strengths The guy can hit the ball a mile, he has good speed, he has a cannon for an arm and is improving since his initial debachles in the OF. Weaknesses- Still not a good routerunner but is improving and he really cannot hit anything with a wrinkle in it. Ceiling- He has the kind of power and developing patience to develop into a middle of the order type of bat Projection- Difficult to say because hitting a curveball is a pretty important need in the bigs. If he figures it out, he'll make it to the bigs as a starter for someone. If he doesnt, then he wont make it past AA ETA They have taken the slow road with him so far, putting him in the DSL, then the GCL, so sending him to the NYP wouldnt be out of the question. But due to the dearth of big time OF prospects in the system, it wouldnt surprise me to see him in Charleston in 2010. After that, his ETA to the show depends directly upon his ability to hit a curve 24. Ivan Nova, RHP, 22yrs old- AA/AAA numbers- 6-8 3.68ERA, 139.1IP 1.40WHIP, 5.8K/9IP, 1.5K/BB. Ivan Nova is one of the more frustrating prospects in the Yankee system. He's got a 2 seamer that he can comfortable throw in the 94-95mph range. He has a plus curveball already and a plus changeup. He also has pretty good command of all three. The problem is, he tries to pitch to contact even though he has been told many times that being a K pitcher is better for him in the long run. He does have a good GO/AO ratio (1.7) which keeps the runs down and the balls in the park, but with his stuff, he should be striking batters out. A testament to his stuff, SD took him in the Rule V last yr and tried him in the pen. He did the same thing for them and quickly ended up back in the Yankee system. So, he is what he is. A guy with tantalizing, overpowering stuff who throws to contact. He did have a good yr in AA and ran into a bit of bad luck in AAA this yr. But overall, there is a reason why a guy with his stuff is so low in the rankings. Strengths- The guy has a dynamite arsenal Weaknesses- He doesnt use his arsenal like he should Ceiling- He could be a top of the rotation starter if he changed his mentality, but thats more difficult than teaching a new pitch to a kid. He could be a middle to back end of the rotation starter if he stays as is. Or he could be a very good swing man Projection- I see him getting his feet wet in the bigs as a MR and he will likely be dealt to some team that thinks they can turn him into a reliable starter ETA- He'll debut at some point in 2010. 25. Jeremy Bleich, LHP, 22yrs old- A+, AA numbers- 9-10, 4.86ERA, 144.1IP, 1.51WHIP, 7.2K/9IP, 2.1K/BB. Bleich was the highest drafted player to sign out of the 2008 draft out of Stanford. He is a lefty with a 89-93mph fastball, a knee buckling curve and a very advanced changeup. He started in High A, where he had a lot of success. Finally was moved to AA where the results were absolutely horrid. The thought is that he just wasnt ready but they needed him to move up to accomodate DJ Mitchell, so they kept him there. Strengths- Though the numbers tell you otherwise, he has good command of a pretty deep arsenal. He cuts the ball, he runs the ball, he backdoors the curve, he has a good change. He's the definition of a crafty lefty, although he does have power with that low 90s heat. Weaknesses- He doesnt throw hard enough to profile at the top of a rotation and he needs to start avoiding the meat of the bat if he wants to make it to the bigs. Ceiling- He reminds me of a Zach Duke kind of player. Guy who could give you a lot of mediocre to above average innings at his best, but be a pinata at times when he's missing. No room for error here. Projection- I think regardless of his initial season numbers, this guy will be in the bigs somewhere. He's a lefty with a good enough arm and a plus breaking ball. He will at least be a lefty reliever if nothing else works. I do think he eventually cracks a big league rotation and I also think it will be with a National League team. ETA- He'll be repeating Trenton. If all goes well there, he will likely be a midseason option come 2011.

What I meant is that Boras is not jumping at that right now. Unless the market crashes and every team needing corner OF help dissipates, then Boras wouldnt accept a deal like that. Holliday is primed for a 6+ yr deal at an AAV near $20 mil. And until he gets that, he isnt biting.

I'd wait to see what the Braves do with arbitration. I would really not be please with giving up a 1st round pick for a reliever that we may not even need

A 5 yr deal isnt getting Holliday, at least not right now.

Of course I would. And if that happened I would expect every self respecting Guardians fan to swarm the Jake and push it into the lake

Something is on the horizon if they are willing to deal one of their only stable forces in the OF. Also, I dont like the idea of him leaving. He brought a good attitude to this club

In past seasons, a few players signed within hours of the deadline passing. So today should be interesting. But the big boys, I expect to take a LOOONG time. Plus, Bay will absolutely get more AAV and yrs than 4 and 60. If thats all Theo is gonna go with him, then he's gone. But I have a feeling Theo has a 5 yr deal kicking around somewhere

11. Gary Sanchez, C, 16yrs old- No line. The 16 yr old Dominican catcher that NY bought for $2.5 million has to be close to the top. He is described as being the whole package. And in his instructs debut, he looked like it, smacking homers against people 5-8 yrs older than him. He is considered to be very similar to Montero, except he has very advanced receiving skills and a pretty clean throwing motion already. Strengths- The SRs on this guy describe a 16 yr old kid with plus power already (one scout described him as "light-tower" power). He has a knack for making solid contact and already has a good feel for the strike zone. He also has plus tools on the catchers end as well. Weaknesses Well, for one, he hasnt played any games of meaning in the minors, so these SRs may or may not correlate with his game-ready performance. Also, he's very young which is both a strength and a weakness Ceiling From the SRs, he sounds like a future AS catcher Projection No clue ETA different spin on ETA here. This kid is going to start state-side in yr 1, which is usually reserved for the best of the best prospects in the Yankee system (only Melky, Banuelos, Montero, and Tabata skipped the DSL in recent memory) 12. David Adams, 2B, 22yrs old A/A+ line- .286/.373/.443- Adams is a big guy playing 2b (6'2" 190lbs) and was a 2008 draftee out of Virginia. He was a "buy low" candidate since he was coming off a poor yr, but had put up 2 solid yrs starting college. And this yr, he delivered. He started off the yr in Charleston where he showed good contact skills (.290AVG) and a very advanced hitting approach (.385OBP) but not much in the way of power (0HRs, .394SLG). But he subsequently was promoted to Tampa, where he just exploded. Over 65 games, he hit 7 homers, slugged close to .500, and continued to show an advanced plate discipline (.360OBP). Overall, he had 40 doubles, 8 triples and 7 homers, 11 steals, and 61 walks in 132 games in his first taste of the long season leagues. Strengths Adams has good power for a middle infielder and finally started showing it as the season went along. He also has an advanced approach to hitting with a good eye. He plays 2b very well defensively and has made strides into becoming a top defender as he progresses Weaknesses He really doesnt have one blow away type tool. He's above average in a lot of categories, power, approach, average, speed, defense. Ceiling- He reminds me a lot of an Edgardo Alfonzo in his prime type player. Double digit homers, .280-.300+ hitter, 50+ walks and some versatility to be used between 2b and 3b Projection- with all of his above average tools, he should definitely be a starting 2b somewhere in the league. But with Cano locked in for a few yrs and Corban Joseph in the system with probably a bigger ceiling, I dont know if it happens in NY ETA If Cano wasnt there, Adams would probably be debuting in the majors as a Sept callup in 2010. Since Cano is here, Adams is probably going to go one yr at a time from here and should be knocking on the door, ie trade bait, come midseason 2011 or early 2012. 13. Eduardo Nunez, SS, 22yrs old- AA line- .322/.349/.433- Nunez is a guy who took awhile to arrive in the minor leagues. Always hyped by scouts and yankee brass alike as being a 5 tool prospect with great range, it took awhile for this kid to find his stride. After toiling in the minors for a few yrs with BAs in the low .200s, he finally broke through in 2008 with a .271 AVG and hit 6 homers in the back half of the season. That put him back on the prospect map. This season, though, puts him front and center on the prospect map for Yankee fans, because he is the most likely internal replacement for one, Derek Jeter. This yr, he hit .322 with 9 homers and stole 19 bases for Trenton. He has shown an improvement over the past 3 seasons in power, BA, OBP and OPS as well as defensively. Strengths- The power is coming, something he has shown in BP for years. He has seen a rise in his homer total as well as his EBH total for 3 yrs in a row. His average is rising, he is striking out less, and he is fielding better. All things pointing towards good things for this SS Weaknesses- He didnt really start playing well until he caught up to the league age-wise. Now, 22 in AA, he is just a yr under the average age which could have something to do with his physical and mental maturity, or it could just speak to him being overhyped. His approach to the plate has improved, but 22 walks is pretty abysmal and his BABIP was through the roof, so luck may be a factor. Ceiling- This kid has a huge ceiling (like a Hanley Ramirez type ceiling minus the patience) except he still has a massive gap between where he is now and where he could be Projection- Incredibly difficult when you dont have an easy path to follow. He's been both fantastic and maddeningly inconsistent in his minor league career, and this past yr could be just a blip on the radar or a true blue rise to glory. I think he definitely makes it to the bigs based on his glove and range and where he goes from there will be dependent on his bat. He could be an all-star or a backup defensive replacement. Too difficult to tell ETA- depending on when they need him, he could be in the majors in 2010, but I think he ends up as a Sept callup and bides his time in AAA until he either gets dealt or takes over for Jeter after 2011. sorry, gotta go. More to come

Nope you arent mistaken, once the season ended, he got 10/5 rights.

Buchholz' numbers actually were above average. They werent lights out. His OPS against was .728, which isnt great and his WHIP was right at the 1.4 range. Now, I agree that he showed flashes of brilliance out there. But if some people want to go by his overall numbers, then you really cannot fault them. 16GS 92IP 91H 43ER 13HR 36BB 68K 7-4 4.21ERA 1.38WHIP 6.7K/9IP 1.89K/BB

Also, you cannot buyout Magglio. The option vested, meaning he is on a 1yr $18 mil deal.

Montero played half the 2009 season in AA

He's 21 and is absolutely dominating each level he has been at. He's got more than one pitch, as I have profiled as well. Also, Wang made his hay in the 93-95 range which is about 1mph more on each end than McAllister. Also, feel free to be a wet blanket, this is a list of prospects with a brief SR. Thats it.

Guys, I am just listing the prospects and giving ceilings. Thats it. I am not quantifying their trade value or even assuming I am making accurate projections, which is what I said in most of the posts. Its simply a list of the top 50 prospects. I'll have more on the way

If he gets called up mid-season, I expect him to be inconsistent at first, kinda like Cabrera was when he came up with the Marlins. Probably BA in the .260 range with power. By the end of the yr, he'll have figured it out. He's THAT advanced. For reference, I have a story. There was a scout at instructs after NY signed him. He was 16 yrs old playing against guys in their early 20s, some playing as high as AAA. The quote was "Montero looks like he's playing wiffle ball with these pitchers." He was just so much better than everyone at such a young age that it was ridiculous.

Also, the ages I am using are the ages that they spent the majority of their 2009 season at 6. D.J Mitchell, RHP, 22yrs old Combined A/A+ line- 12-7 2.63ERA 140.1IP 2.63ERA 1.19WHIP 8.0K/9IP 2.8K/BB. This is a debatable spot since there are a lot of players who fit into the 6-10 range. Mitchell is a short framed sinkerballer who has a lot more to him than just the sinker. He was drafted in the 10th round of 2008 but signed too late to play, so this yr was his professional debut and boy was it nice. He started off by absolutely dominating A ball, so he was promoted to the FSL where he continued his dominance. He features a low 90s 2 seamer that is considered to be a VERY heavy ball as evidenced by the 2 homers he allowed ALL season and the ridiculous 2.89GO/AO ratio. But as his K rate would attest, he is more than just a sinkerballer. He mixes in a plus potential curveball and a changeup that is improving. Strengths He's durable, he throws an above average velocity FB, he has a deep arsenal, and he doesnt allow homeruns. Weaknesses While he does strike out his fair share, his jump to the FSL showed some trends that will limit his ceiling. While he did improve his GO/AO (3.13 in the FSL), his K rate dropped to right around 7. Ceiling If he keeps his strikeout form and gets that changeup to plus, he could be a #2 starter or a mid-level closer/top notch setup man. Projection I think we can see the way that NY is grooming this kid. As his level rises, his K rate drops and his GB% rises. I think he ends up as a setup man mostly because thats where teams like to put smallish players without lights out arsenals, but he could be a middle of the rotation sinkerballer. ETA 2011- He's a college player and he has already jumped a level. My guess is that he spends the next yr and a half mastering AA and AAA and finds his way into the yankee pen for 2011 and maybe starting thereafter. 7. Slade Heathcott, OF, 18yrs old Negligible experience in 2010. Slade is the Yankees #1 pick in the 2009 draft, and boy was he considered to be a good one. He's a 6'1" tank of a player capable of playing a lights out CF or throwing mid 90s cheese off the mound from the left hand side. The only thing I have for anyone is scouting reports since there isnt much game data to go off of. Strengths The prototypical 5 star draftee, although he is more advanced than most are at his age. Has very good power for someone his size, capable of hitting the ball to all fields. He has great range in the OF and a very powerful arm. His SR prior to the draft demonstrated an advanced approach to the dish as well Weaknesses 2 come to mind. The first is experience. He is a highly touted draftee in a franchise that puts more pressure on you than anyone else. He's already cracking top 10s and will be followed by most yankee fans. So the pressure is gonna be tough. Also, there are some personal issues that need to be raised. Apparently, his family is broken and in jail, but nothing has come up with Slade thus far Ceiling From the SR's, the sky is the limit. Sounds like a Grady Sizemore type, but we dont have any data to back that up aside from the draftee SR's and he has a LONG way to go. Projection too early to tell ETA too early to tell. He is slated for Charleston if all goes well in ST and how he does there will go a long way to granting an ETA for him 8. Arodys Vizcaino, RHP, 18yrs old NYP stats- 2-4 2.13ERA 42.1IP 1.16WHIP 11.1K/9IP, 3.5K/BB. Arodys is a beast at a very young age. He doesnt have a very big frame at all, standing at just 6 feet tall, but he has an arm on him. He was sitting 94-96mph while hitting 98mph late in the NYP league season while also showing a very good curveball and an improving change. The only issue with him is if he can stay healthy, which he couldnt for the whole NYP short season league. He went down with a back injury that they say is now fully healed Strengths Throws very hard for an 18yr old and has a plus curveball already. He also has good command at a young age Weaknesses His changeup will be the limiting factor in his role, either relief or starting. He's made strides, but it needs to be a lot better to get him away from a reliever's life. Also, his size and his injury history have a lot of people skeptical Ceiling If his changeup even gets to the MLB average range, then he could be an ace. In the pen, he'd be a future closer Projection There is a very good reason why prospect gurus use the term TINSTAAP (there is no such thing as a pitching prospect). Because of guys like this. He has all the goods. But he has such a long way to go and he has some warning signs (core body injury history, not the cleanest motion, small frame and lots of power) that make you be conservative. I think its likely that he suffers an injury that limits his potential. ETA Assuming everything goes swimmingly, he'll be in the bigs for good come 2013 9. Andrew Brackman, RHP, 23yrs old- A ball line- 2-12 5.91ERA 1.71WHIP 8.7K/9IP 1.3K/BB. Brackman is an enigma. He comes back from TJS and dominates for a month. They let up on the reigns for one game, he goes 8 innings of 1 hit ball and then falls of a cliff after that. His velocity was down, his curveball was nothing and he looked like he had suffered an injury. So they moved him to the pen and all of a sudden, he could locate again and the heat came back. The Yankee brass attribute his return to success to the fact that he isnt forcing the changeup in there. And from the sounds of it now, he is likely to stay in the bullpen. In terms of arsenal, when he is locating, he has a 1-2 punch that is very tough to hit. He's coming from his 6'10" frame throwing mid to high 90s and has a knee buckling spike curveball. Strengths His 1-2 punch of a hard fastball and spike curve as well as his frame is rare. Weaknesses where to begin. Repetition of his delivery has been a problem, although out of the pen it seems to be better. His lack of a third pitch makes him a pen arm. And health has to be a concern as well since he's so big and he's already had a major injury. Ceiling If he rights himself, he could be a top notch closer for any team. His combo of size, power and breaking ball could make him an elite closer Projection I think he becomes an above average major league reliever. IMO, he'll iron out his motion enough to be useful, but not enough to be trusted with the 9th inning ETA Now that he's in the pen, he's on the fast track. I expect him to plow through batters in Tampa and should be an option as early as the beginning of 2011. 10. Corban Joseph, 2b, 20yrs old A ball line- .300/.381/.418- I really like this kid. He's versatile, can play all over the diamond and has one of the sweetest strokes you will see for his age. This was his first taste of the long season leagues after being drafted in 2008. And he really showed up. He started off slow, but finished on a tear, hitting .337 with an .889OPS and all 4 of his homers after the break. He also walked 49 times in 100 games, showing off a plus approach at a young age. And, he doesnt have any holes. He can run (8SBs, 8 triples) well enough. He's improving on D. He can hit for average. And his power came along as the season wore on. Strengths The kid is a hard worker who centers the ball well, has good gap power that should translate into 20+ homer potential, has a very advanced approach at a young age, and is starting to play good D at multiple positions Weaknesses He is a smaller framed IFer at 6 feet tall and is going to find it hard to get through the system with David Adams ahead of him in the minors and Robinson Cano ahead of him in the bigs. Ceiling I have heard an Utley comparison previously, but I think that's way too generous since Utley's power is incredibly rare from a MIF. He looks like he could be a .300+ hitter with double digit homers and a very high OBP. Projection First of all, I see him breaking into the bigs with another team, cause the path is blocked. Second of all, I think he at the very least projects to be an average 2b with the chance to be much better than that. ETA If all goes well, he should be MLB ready by 2013, although the path is blocked

Gardner played 1/2 as many innings as Ellsbury. We arent talking about 30 games here. We're talking a half season. I am sorry Dipre. One of the biggest knocks on Ellsbury coming up was his route running. Highlight reel catches are not the only way to evaluate defense. Sometimes those highlight reel catches are the result of a bad jump or route.

Gardner plays better D, all the objective ratings say so.