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2002 season Final Report National League East
Braves - Southpaw Jung Bong (P) pitched very well (1.50 ERA, .191 OBA), getting stronger as the season progressed. He generally threw in the high 80s and low 90s, and consistently kept batters off balance. Bong doesn't rank as highly as other AFL pitchers on the prospect ladder because of concerns with the command of his off-speed pitches. At 22, he will like move to Class AAA in 2003 ... Ryan Langerhans (OF) turned in a surprising performance this year. He's the type of player who doesn't display a lot of tools or inspire awe when on the field, but does his job in solid, workmanlike fashion. The left-handed hitter's final offensive numbers (.276/.413/.437) were quite good, especially his plate discipline. If the power continues to develop, Langerhans could turn into a nice corner outfield prospect ... Adam LaRoche (1B) didn't play much until late in the season. His stats weren't overwhelming (.250/.329/.389), but he's got a nice swing and a good attitude about the game; he also knows the value of taking a walk. LaRoche has played only 45 games above Class A, but he's already 23. 2003 will be a big season for the left-handed hitter ... Nick Green (2B) had a rough AFL season, striking out 35 times in 94 at bats while walking only four times. He's now 24 and coming off a AA season in which he hit only .239 ... Bryan Digby (P) came in from the Braves' Instructional League team midway through the season after having pitched only 10 games in 2002 due to injuries. He throws serious heat, consistently hitting in the mid 90s, and looked to be healthy again. Control has been a problem throughout his career; he walked seven batters in his 10 AFL innings (too small a sample from which to draw conclusions). Digby will be only 21 next season, so the right-hander's still a work in progress ... Buddy Hernandez (P) pitched better than his 4.12 ERA would indicate. While only 5'9", the right-hander can bring it. Batters hit only .214 against him and he fanned 29 in 19.2 IPs while walking only eight batters. After an excellent AA season in 2002, Hernandez would normally have been ready for the move to AAA next year, but he was selectedby San Diego in the Rule 5 draft and subsequently traded to Oakland ... Left-hander Horacio Ramirez (P) proved to be one of the AFL's better pitchers, starting nine times and finishing with a 2.55 ERA and .232 OBA. He struck out 28 and walked 15 batters in 35.1 IPs ... Kevin Barry got batters out fairly consistently (.235 OBA, 1.32 WHIP), but had a problem keeping the ball in the park, giving up four homeruns in 19 IPs.
Marlins - Speedy Chip Ambres (OF) was coming off a so-so season in Class A ball, but showed his considerable potential in the AFL. The right-handed hitter has good power, runs well and covers a lot of ground in center field. He sometimes takes bad routes to fly balls in the outfield, but has the speed to overcome mistakes. His plate discipline (11 walks in 90 ABs) was respectable. Ambres collected four triples and finished with an .800 OPS. Now 23, his 2003 season in AA will be an important one for the Texas native ... Jesus Medrano (2B) struggled in the AFL (.227/.280/.293, 18-6 K/BB ratio) after a solid AA season. He showed some pop late in the season with an impressive grand slam, his only AFL homerun ... Right-hander Brandon Bowe (P) was one of the more effective relievers this season, finishing with a 2.11 ERA and a 15-6 K/BB ratio in 21.1 IPs ... Nate Bump (P) demonstrated the ability to stay healthy in 2002, something that's been a challenge for him throughout his career. He started 20 games in Class AA, followed by another 10 games in the AFL. Bump doesn't throw hard, but moves the ball around the plate. For a pitcher without overpowering stuff, he needs to have better command (24-15 K/BB ratio). Batters hit .284 against him, but he was good at keeping the ball in the park, giving up only one homerun. Bump is already 26 and has been in AA for four straight seasons, so he needs to do something different in 2003 ... Closer candidate Mike Flannery (P) pitched 20 innings in the AFL, holding batters to a .250 OBA while striking out 12 and walking 10 batters. His command was better in his 2002 Class A season. Flannery was younger than many of his AFL counterparts ... Southpaw Todd Moser (P) was a late replacement from the Marlins organization. He didn't get hit (.176 OBA) and struck out 1 1/2 batters per inning, but gave up too many walks (12 in 14.1 IPs). Control has generally not been a problem for Moser during his four-year-career. He's already 26 and still in Class A, but because he's left-handed Moser still has time to prove his worth as a prospect.
Expos - Left-handed hitter Termel Sledge (OF/1B) was a pleasant surprise this fall and one of the few bright lights on a dismal Maryvale team. He tailed off towards the end of the season, but still hit .272/.369/.408 and showed surprising power, with eight doubles and three impressive homeruns. Even more impressive, Sledge walked as many times as he struck out (17 times in 125 AB). He'll be fun to follow as he moves up to AAA in 2003 ... Highly touted Josh Karp (P) was either on or off in the AFL. He finished with a 5.79 ERA, .285 OBA, 27-16 K/BB ratio in 28 IPs. Overall it was a good year for the Expos' 2001 first round choice, as he pitched very well in his first pro season. He'll move quickly through the Montreal (or San Juan?) system ... As one of three catchers on the Maryvale team, Scott Ackerman (C) didn't play enough to get into a groove, hitting only .264/.291/.321 and walking only two times in 53 ABs. He's around mainly for his defense, and will probably start next year in Class AA ... Scott Hodges (INF) spent most of his time as a utility infielder. In 82 ABs, he hit .268/.318/.368 while playing every infield position and even one game in the outfield. Hodges will soon turn 24 and is probably ticketed for AAA in 2003 after two years in AA ... Brandon Watson (OF) was a taxi squad player who didn't see much action. In 70 ABs, he hit .214/.222/.300. As a Class A player who had just turned 21, Watson was probably in over his head in the AFL, but should now be ready for a move to AA ... Pat Collins (P) showed good velocity out of the bullpen (19 Ks in 21.1 IPs), but walked too many batters (16). This was uncharacteristic of the 24-year-old right-hander after he had a very nice partial season in Class AA.
Mets - The Phoenix Desert Dogs roster included a strong contingent of players from the New York Mets organization ... Big right-hander Jeremy Griffiths (P) raised his prospect profile with an excellent AFL season. In nine starts, he compiled a 1.91 ERA with an impressive 25-5 K/BB ratio in 33 IPs. Griffiths is a strong, durable pitcher who throws hard, and could be an effective innings burner in the big leagues ... Left-handed hitter Craig Brazell (1B) showed impressive "light tower" homerun power. He saved the best for last, smacking three long balls on the final day of the regular season. His overall numbers were very strong (.293/.355/.586, eight doubles, seven homeruns in 99 ABs). He's seen limited time above Class A ball, so it will be interesting to see how Brazell does against tougher pitching ... Justin Huber (C) split time with tow other catchers, batting only 55 times and hitting .236/.344/.366. The native Australian spent most of the 2002 season at low Class A, so the AFL was quite a jump for him. There's something to like here, although his 18 Ks in 55 ABs are a concern ... Prentice Redman (OF) started the season as a defensive wiz, but wasn't doing much at the plate. The younger brother of Pittsburgh outfielder and AFL alumni Tike Redman started producing late in the season. He finished at .224/.268/.395, and showed that his bat's got some pop. His stolen base total was down (two in the AFL) after swiping 43 bases in AA ... Neal Musser (P) is a highly-regarded prospect who was used mostly out of the bullpen in the AFL. He threw better than his numbers (5.82 ERA, .277 OBA) would indicate. Musser was coming off an injury-plagued season in which he pitched only eight games, so being healthy was his most important accomplishment ... Phil Seibel (P) is a crafty southpaw who pitched well in the AFL ( 23 IPs, 3.13 ERA, 23 Ks, seven BBs, .209 OBA). Used primarily as a starter in his two-year career, he worked exclusively out of the bullpen in the AFL. Seibel could fill either role as he moves to AAA in 2003 ... Jake Joseph (P) saw limited action (14.2 IPs), got hit hard (.323 OBA) and walked a lot of batters (12 BBs).
Phillies - What can you say about Chase Utley (3B) other than the kid can flat out hit. The left-handed slugger followed a solid AAA season by batting .308/.354/.462, with four HRs, in 130 ABs. The biggest question about Utley is whether he'll be able to develop the defensive skills to play every day in the big leagues. Signed originally as a second baseman, Utley may now move back to that position after the Phillies' acquisition of David Bell. Another year in AAA might be necessary just to solidify his defense ... Russ Jacobson (C) was a backup catcher who hit well in limited time (.273/.333/.333), but with not much power or plate discipline. He hasn't hit at all in the minor leagues to date, so his defense will have to carry him ... Brian Hitchcox (2B) is a scrappy infielder who gets more out of his ability than he should. The left-hander hitter played a utility role in the AFL. His numbers weren't impressive (.254/.3319/.302), but he's a good guy to have on the team ... Jay Sitzman (OF) was a late replacement on the Grand Canyon roster, due in part to the fact that the left-handed hitter lives in the Phoenix area. Sitzman put together a quietly surprising season. He showed much better plate discipline than in the past, compiling a .419 OBP. He also drilled enough doubles to the gaps to bring his slugging percentage up to .421. Sitzman needs to make better contact to take advantage of his speed, as he struck out 20 times in 76 ABs ... Carey Hiles (P) is a small guy (5'10") who's been around minor league ball for a while, having just turned 27. He posted good stats in the AFL (2.37 ERA, .235 OBA, 15-5 K/BB ratio). Hiles could soon be an effective right-handed setup man for the big league team ... Eric Junge (P), acquired in 2002 by the Phillies from the Los Angeles organization, didn't pitch enough (seven IPs) to allow any judgments on his AFL performance ... Seung Lee (P), a big Korean right-hander with only two minor league seasons under his belt, got lit up in the AFL (6.97 ERA, .305 OBA, nine HRs). But there were promising signs, as his command was good (28-7 K/BB ratio in 31 IPs). Lee pitched most of 2002 in low Class A, so more experienced hitters obviously took him to school each time out. --- Bill Mitchell Player
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