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2002 season Final Report American League West
Angels - Bobby Jenks (P) may have finally turned the corner. His powerful right arm has never been in question. Rather, it's always been an issue whether he could control both his pitches and his head long enough to become a dependable commodity. He was unquestionably the most dominating pitcher in the AFL, finishing with a 1.08 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 54 Ks and only 17 BBs in 41.2 IPs. Capable of throwing the ball 100 MPH, he instead generally kept his fast ball in the mid 90s; the resulting improvement in his command was obvious. Jenks also consistently retired batters with off speed pitches in the low 80s. He's still only 21, so the Angels can afford to bring him along slowly. If Jenks keeps his head together and stays healthy, he could be one of the best pitchers in the game in a few years ... Chone Figgins (2B) had a good reason for arriving late for the AFL season; the switch-hitting speedster was on the World Series roster for the champion Angels. Figgins didn't do much offensively in the AFL (.186/.222/.233 in 43 ABs), but playing time was sporadic. He's not a patient hitter and puts the ball in the air too much. Figgins may never be a regular at the major league level, but his blinding speed and ability to play both infield and outfield will give him some time in the bigs ... Nathan Haynes (OF) may also never hit well enough to earn a big league starting job, but the kid sure can play a nice center field. His offensive numbers (.254/.313/.322) were passable, and he finished tied for second in the league with eight SBs. But he needs to make better contact (an alarming 31 Ks in 118 ABs) and walk more often to take advantage of his speed ... Minor league journeyman Kenny James (OF) came to the AFL after his eighth minor league season. At 26, it's hard to consider the switch-hitter much of a prospect. He tied Haynes with eight SBs and doesn't strike out much. But he doesn't walk very often and has very little power ... Chris Bootcheck (P), one of Anaheim's higher ranked pitching prospects, started only two games and clearly wasn't healthy. The right-hander reached AAA in 2002 and will likely return to that level next year, assuming that his injury problems are not longer lasting ... Since spending the entire '99 season with the Angels as a Rule 5 draftee, Derreck Turnbow (P) has pitched only 34 regular season innings. It was good to see the 24-year-old right-hander healthy in the AFL, with good results. Working out of the bullpen for division-winning Scottsdale, Turnbow finished with a 2.42 ERA and 19 Ks in 22.1 IPs. He needs to return to a higher minor league level after spending 2002 in extended spring training, rookie league and high Class A.
A's - On first glance, it appears that the Chicago Cubs' acquisition of Mark Bellhorn, who smacked 27 HRs at the major league level last year, might be a one-sided deal in favor of the Cubs. But Adam Morrissey (INF), the player picked up by the Athletics in the deal, might soon tilt the balance in the other direction. The free-spirited Australian had an excellent AFL season, batting .371/.496/.552 with seven doubles, four HRs and four stolen bases in 105 ABs. He also walked more times than he struck out (27-25) and played solid defense at third base, second base and shortstop. His performance was quite a rebound and a confidence booster after a sub-par season in AA. Morrissey is a gritty, blue collar player who will fit in well with the fellow eccentrics making up the Oakland clubhouse ... Oakland ran three shortstops through the Phoenix Desert Dogs roster, with the first two players both having to leave due to injury. Former #1 choice Bobby Crosby (SS) made it through nine games before severely spraining his ankle. The right-handed hitter fielded well and batted .250/.368/.438. He's got good hands and a strong arm. The son of former major league infielder Ed Crosby is a fundamentally sound ballplayer who should move quickly through the Oakland organization, although he's blocked at both positions on the left side of the infield by Miguel Tejada and Eric Chavez ... Crosby was replaced by J.T. Stotts (SS), who did well in six games before breaking his finger. Stotts showed a nice ability to take a walk ... Freddie Bynum (SS) replaced Stotts, but didn't hit well at all in his 11 games. He had a strong season at Class A, so his AFL performance should be written off due to his late arrival and relative inexperience ... Former Yankee farmhand John-Ford Griffin (OF) has limited experience above Class A, but held his own in the AFL, hitting .265/.318/.402 with four HRs in 117 ABs. The left-handed hitter possesses a nice stroke. Griffin's name keeps popping up in trade rumors, so it's still uncertain where he will play in 2003. But he's a fine prospect who will probably start the year in AA ... Right-hander Shane Bazzell's (P) problem wasn't in keeping opponents from hitting (.185 OBA). Rather, he faced difficulties getting the ball over the plate, as he walked 14 batters in 18 IPs. Control has not been a problem in the past for the 23-year-old from Mississippi, so his AFL performance may have been more as a result of tinkering with his mechanics or working on a new pitch. Bazzell spent all of 2002 in AA. A return to that level is not out of the question ... Bert Snow (P) was just happy to be pitching again, as he's only thrown 18 regular season innings in the past two years. The 25-year-old right-hander matched that total in the AFL, finishing with a 6.00 ERA. Control was also a problem for Snow, as he walked 10 batters while striking out 17 ... Darvin Withers (P) was too inexperienced to be in the AFL, not yet having reached Class AA. It showed at times, as the right-hander totaled a 5.76 ERA and a .328 OBA. But Withers had some good outings, providing optimism that he could be a potential prospect with a probable move to AA next year. The most encouraging sign is his command, as he walked only seven batters in 29.2 IPs.
Mariners - Jamal Strong's (OF) game is all about speed, but he's got to show a little more pop before he can be considered a candidate for a major league starting position. The right-handed hitter batted .234/.359/.255, with his numbers being aided by 18 walks. He uses his speed to cover a lot of ground in center field. Strong stole eight bases, but was also thrown out seven times. His 2002 season with AA San Antonio was the first time in his career that he batted under .300 ... Ryan Christianson (C) is still regarded as a fine defensive catcher, but there is concern that his offensive skills are not developing. The right-handed batter hit only .237/.298/.329, albeit in limited playing time. In all fairness, Christianson had injury problems in 2002. He's still only 21, so watch how he performs in AA next year ... Greg Dobbs (3B) played only six games in Arizona, batting a trifecta of .286/.286/.286. The left-handed stick has hit well in his two minor league seasons to date, so it's too bad that AFL fans didn't get to see more of Dobbs ... Scouts really liked right-handed reliever Rett Johnson (P). His 5.19 ERA was skewed by a bad outing, but an 18-4 K/BB ratio tells a different story ... Clint Nageotte (P) is one of Seattle's brightest pitching prospects, and his brief stint in the AFL showed everyone why he's considered a future major leaguer. The 22-year-old right-hander, who has still not reached AA, pitched nine strong innings before being shut down for the year. He struck out 10 batters and walked only two ... Righty Aaron Looper (P) has been a powerful reliever in the Mariners system for the last couple of years, with a very good year at the AA level in 2002. His command was down in the AFL, contributing to a 6.43 ERA.
Rangers - Few players with only one professional season could be expected to do well in the major leagues. Mark Teixeira (3B) is one of those rare individuals that comes along only once every several years. He started out in spectacular fashion by hitting two homeruns on opening day --- one right-handed and one left-handed --- then repeated the same feat later in the week. He was competing with Tagg Bozied and Hee Seop Choi for the league homerun championship before pulling a muscle with two and a half weeks left in the season. Teixeira finished with seven HRs, as well as excellent batting numbers (.333/.437/.616). He also quieted concerns that he couldn't handle the hot corner by playing strong defense all fall. There's little question that Teixeira could step right into the Texas starting lineup in April and do very well. He'll be a star performer for a lot of years ... Jermaine Clark (OF/2B) was a late addition to the Peoria Javelina roster, with a primary goal of learning to play the outfield after spending his entire career as a second baseman. He seemed to adapt well to the new position, but also spent time back in the infield after injuries thinned the Peoria roster. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter batted .297/.403/.455 and led the league with nine stolen bases. Clark is a sparkplug at the top of the batting order with the ability to consistently get on base. He was not kept on Texas' 40-man roster, but went unclaimed in the Rule 5 draft. It's time for some team to give Clark a fair shot at contributing in the big leagues ... Gerald Laird (C) finished his first season with the Texas organization after three years in the Oakland system. He had a nice season in AA this year and may be the Rangers' catcher of the future. He didn't hit well in the AFL (.214/.276/.271), but, like most catchers on the crowded AFL rosters, did not play regularly ... Laynce Nix (OF) drew raves from scouts, even being compared to Pittsburgh's Brian Giles, before missing much of the second half of the AFL season with an injury. His skills have also been compared to those of Texas outfielder Rusty Greer. The 22-year-old left-handed hitter plays hard and has good baseball instincts. He batted only 40 times in the AFL, but hit .300/.349/.425. After a very good season in high Class A, Nix will most likely move up to AA in 2003 ... Southpaw Mario Ramos (P) was coming off a dreadful season in AAA, quite a letdown for the Texas organization after it acquired Ramos from Oakland in a January six-player trade. He redeemed himself with a good AFL season, finishing with a 3.92 ERA. His 31-12 K/BB ratio in 39 IPs was very good. Ramos doesn't throw hard, but is sneaky fast and consistently moves the ball around the plate. Chances are he'll return to AAA for another season, although a strong spring training could put the 25-year-old Texan onto the Ranger pitching staff ... Left-hander Derrick Van Dusen (P) was one of two players, along with Jermaine Clark, acquired from Seattle in the Ismael Valdes deal. At 21, he's still relatively young, with limited experience above Class A. It showed in his AFL totals (4.35 ERA, .296 OBA, 1.65 WHIP). --- Bill Mitchell Player reports
by team
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