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2002 season Final Report American League East
Orioles - The Orioles have one of the worst farm systems in organized baseball, and it showed in the quality of players sent to the Arizona Fall League ... Mike Fontenot (2B), who spent all of 2002 in high Class A, was probably the best prospect from the Baltimore system. The 22-year-old left-handed hitter is a scrappy little ballplayer who had a nice season (.280/.349/.400, two HRs). He's got good on-base skills and decent power for a guy his size (5'8", 178) ... Baltimore's top catching prospect, Eli Whiteside (C), was injured after playing only 10 games ... 24-year-old Tim Corcoran (P) has generally put up good numbers throughout his minor league career, although it took him about four years to get out of Class A. His performance in Arizona was fair (5.75 ERA, .268 OBA, 16 Ks in 20.1 IPs). It appears as if improvement of his command would help as prepares for a potential move to AAA ... Southpaw Eric DuBose (P) spent quite a few years in the Oakland organization after being selected in the first round of the 1997 draft. Now 26, DuBose is getting an opportunity from the Orioles to revitalize his career as a reliever. After a very good year at Class AA Bowie, DuBose was effective in the AFL, striking out 22 batters in 19.1 IPs while walking eight. His ERA was a nice 3.26. With his past experience, it's possible that DuBose could compete for a bullpen job in Baltimore next year ... Rodney Ormond (P) had a rocky season, with a 6.23 ERA in 17.1 IPs. He's already 25 and has pitched only one game above Class A ... Equally ineffective in Arizona was Aaron Rakers (P), another 25-year-old right-hander. He must be frustrated in the Orioles organization, as he's put in two and a half good seasons at AA without moving up ... Mike Paradis (P) was obviously working on something in the AFL. He was mostly successful in getting batters out, holding opponents to a .220 average. But he gave up 26 walks in 34.2 IPs, normally dangerous totals for a pitcher who doesn't throw much harder than 90 MPH. While his command's never been great, Paradis generally doesn't walk that many batters. He didn't have a great season in AA, but at the age of 24 it's time to see what the right-handed starter can do in AAA.
Red Sox - Kevin Youkilis (3B) came to Arizona after skyrocketing through the Boston system, jumping through two levels of A ball to AA. He hit consistently at each stop. His AFL numbers (.206/.339/.299) were down, but the 23-year-old right-handed hitter's batting skills were still evident, as he walked 19 times compared to 21 strikeouts ... Andy Dominique (1B/C) doesn't resemble a pro baseball player, looking instead like he wandered over from a nearby softball league. At 6'0", he looks like he's carrying more than his listed 224 pounds. But he's a catcher, so who cares. The right-handed hitter's got a quick bat and pulls the ball with power. Even though he's primarily a catcher, he didn't spend much time behind the plate in the AFL, instead splitting time between first base and designated hitter. Dominique hit .282/.300/.538, including a couple of long homeruns. He's a good contact hitter who doesn't strike out much (five times in 39 ABs), but he also walked only one time. He's already 27, so a major league future is questionable ... Justin Sherrod (OF) is a gamer. He hustles, plays hard and gets the most out of his abilities. He's an aggressive hitter who attacks the ball, yet appreciates the value of taking a walk. Sherrod led the league in triples with five while hitting .274/.384/.425. He struck out way too many times (36 in 106 ABs), so he needs to work on making better contact. Sherrod will be 25 soon; a move from AA to AAA is imminent ... Journeyman reliever Marty McLeary (P) has bounced around the Red Sox system for six years, splitting the last two seasons between AA and AAA. The 28-year-old right-hander pitched consistently well in the AFL, posting a 3.52 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He's not a hard thrower, but has good command ... Andy Shibilo (P) came over to the Red Sox from San Diego in the Alan Embree trade. He had a very good 2001 season at high Class A and pitched fairly well in AA this year. The 6'7" right-hander threw only 11 innings in the AFL. Opposing batters hit .273 off him, but he didn't give up a single walk.
Yankees - Drew Henson (3B) was much maligned in his second AFL season, with his overall performance down from last year. He still hit six homeruns, drew 19 walks and drove in 23 runs on a bad Maryvale team, and came on strong towards the end of the season. But in addition to never looking relaxed on the field, Henson struck out 40 times in 147 ABs. The former Michigan quarterback still has a world of potential. He'll return to AAA for more seasoning in 2003 ... It's surprising that Adrian Hernandez (P) was not selected in the recent Rule 5 draft after the Yankees left him off their 40-man roster. The native Cuban pitched effectively in the AFL. His numbers were strong across the board (.238 ERA, .177 OBA, 1.06 WHIP and 28 Ks in 22.2 IPs). After working as a starter during his three-year minor league career, the 23-year-old Hernandez may have re-invented himself as a relief pitcher. Look for Hernandez to be a strong candidate for a position in the New York bullpen ... Dave Parrish (C), son of former major league catcher Lance Parrish, hit much better in the AFL than in his three minor league seasons, checking in at .317/.359/.467 with three HRs in 60 ABs. He's also a good defensive catcher and has the size (6'3", 220) to be a formidable presence behind the plate ... Marcus Thames (OF) only stayed for a few weeks, but the right-handed hitter made the most of his time in Arizona. In six games, Thames hit .455 ... Jason Anderson (P) is a good prospect who had a very nice season, split between AA and AAA, in 2002. He pitched only 7.2 IPs and got hit hard in the AFL ... Even though he's already 26, Bryan Grace (P) has not yet reached AA. The former LSU pitcher put up an 8-6 record with a 2.86 ERA at high Class A in 2002. His ERA in the AFL was not great (5.60), but opposing batters hit only .262 off him.
Devil Rays - 2002 Minor League Player of the Year Rocco Baldelli (OF) was one of the biggest names coming into the 2002 AFL season. He didn't disappoint prospect watchers, hitting .316/.352/.376 and playing a very nice center field. The 2002 season was a whirlwind experience for the 6'4", 183 pound Baldelli, as he progressed through three minor league levels in a short period of time, finishing the year in Class AAA. The temptation to jump him immediately into the Tampa Bay starting lineup is there, but a half season back in AAA wouldn't hurt the 21-year-old Rhode Island native as he should improve his plate discipline and get a little stronger. But there's a future star here ... The Devil Rays must not have been impressed with what they saw from Jace Brewer (SS), as they removed him from their 40-man roster after he played 17 games in Arizona. The 23-year-old Oklahoma native hit .267/.270/.350, drawing only one walk in 60 ABs. Brewer has only played 39 games above Class A, so he'll probably return to AA in 2003 ... Tampa Bay's other shortstop prospect in the AFL, Mexican-born Jorge Cantu (SS), is three years younger than Brewer and has already played two seasons in AA. He doesn't have a lot of power, but looks to have better plate discipline. His final numbers were .246/.338/.328 ... Pete LaForest (C) played sporadically and never got into a groove (.167/.224/.222). But the French-Canadian had a strong AA season in 2002. Left-handed hitting catchers with power are a rare commodity. He'll turn 25 before spring and was added to the team's 40-man roster, so look for him to get a shot at the backup job in Tampa Bay ... John Benedetti (P) made the jump to the AFL from high Class A, and pitched okay in relief. The right-hander finished with a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings. His command was off (10-9 K/BB ratio), but control has not been a problem for him in the lower minors. More experience will help ... Steve Kent (P), who pitched the entire 2002 regular season with Tampa Bay as a Rule 5 draftee, was mostly ineffective (6.39 ERA, .330 OBA, 19 BBs in 25.1 IPs) in Arizona. He was subsequently released by the Devil Rays and re-claimed by Seattle, his original organization ... Lanky southpaw Mark Malaska (P) put together a strong AFL season, finishing with a 3.64 ERA, .234 OBA and 30-7 K/BB ratio in 29.2 IPs. He split 2002 between Class A and AA. Malaska wi'll turn 25 in January, so a move right to AAA next year is a possibility ... Closer Evan Rust (P) also divided his 2002 season between A and AA, but wasn't as effective in Arizona. The right-hander's command was part of the problem, as he walked 10 batters in 21 IPs and finished with a 5.14 ERA.
Blue Jays - Southpaw Scott Wiggins (P) was acquired from the Yankees mid-season for Raul Mondesi. It was mainly a salary dump from the Blue Jays perspective, but they also picked up a pretty decent bullpen candidate. The 26-year-old Wiggins pitched 21.1 IPs and saved five games for Grand Canyon. He tied for the league lead with six victories; his other numbers were very good (2.53 ERA, 17-6 K/BB ratio, .244 OBA). He stands a good chance of finding a spot on the Toronto roster next year ... Kevin Cash (C) was tired by the time he arrived in Arizona. After catching 122 games at AA and AAA, plus a short stint in Toronto, Cash was able to manage only 18 games before suffering a minor injury late in the AFL season. His final numbers (.197/.306/.279) should be discounted. The 25-year-old right-handed hitter will probably return to AAA, but could see time with the Blue Jays before the end of the year ... Shawn Fagan (3B) filled a utility role in the AFL for the Grand Canyon team. Playing sporadically, he hit only .211, but he drew 19 walks in 76 ABs. Fagan's plate discipline is the strongest part of his game. At 24, he's a long shot for a major league career, but a utility job isn't out of the question ... Gabe Gross (OF), who performed so well in the AFL last year, had a rough season in Class AA in 2002. The left-handed hitter battled injuries and started slowly. But he never lost his basic batting skills. The same thing happened in the AFL, as he struggled early in the fall before coming on very strong to rank as one of the league's top outfielders. His final numbers were very good (.281/.352/.465, eight doubles, three HRs), especially considering he had to dig himself out of a hole. The 23-year-old Gross appears to have regained his confidence and should be poised for a move to AAA in 2003 ... Michael Rouse (SS) went to the plate only 43 times, but finished with a respectable .347 on-base percentage and played well in the field. Rouse was recently traded to the Oakland organization ... Francisco Rosario (P) was ranked as one of the AFL's top pitching prospects coming into the season. But the Dominican right-hander threw out his elbow after two starts, and subsequently went under the knife for the infamous Tommy John surgery. --- Bill Mitchell Player
reports by team
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