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2003 season Final Report American League Central
White Sox - Ryan Hankins (C) was learning a new position this year, but he didn't let the added pressure of working behind the plate affect his performance at bat. Hankins hit .347/.414/.547 with six doubles and three HRs in just 75 ABs. Even more impressive was his 20 RBIs. The 27-year-old right-handed hitter struck out only nine times ... Scott Bikowski (OF) didn't get a lot of playing time but made the most of his 41 ABs, batting .341/.413/.561 with two HRs. He's got a quick stroke that should allow him to adjust to better pitching at each level. The left-handed hitter will be 27 next spring, so a strong AAA season is needed for him to not earn the "career minor leaguer" label ... Neal Cotts' (P) AFL performance (4.64 ERA , 19-8 K/BB, .300 OBA) wasn't overwhelming, but he impressed scouts enough to keep on the radar after a fine AA season in '04. The southpaw lost his control in four big league starts this year, but he remains a possibility for a rotation spot next season ... Aaron Miles (2B), since traded to Colorado), hit .271/.286/.356 in the AFL, usually out of the leadoff spot for the Peoria Javelinas. He walked only two times in 59 ABs ... Gary Majewski (P) struggled with his command in his second AFL go-round, walking 14 batters in as many innings ... Mitch Wylie (P) posted a 3.22 ERA in 22.1 IPs, with 14 strikeouts and only five walks.
Indians - Kyle Evans (P) was one of the more effective starters in the AFL, with a 2.45 ERA, 18 strikeouts, eight walks and a .215 OBA in 29.1 IPs. He's a finesse pitcher who gets the ball across the plate; at 25, he's coming off a decent season in Class AA ... Luke Scott (OF) started the AFL season as a taxi squad player, but wound up being one of the league's more productive hitters as he got more playing time. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter batted .352/.403/.634 with four HRs among his 11 extra-base hits in just 71 ABs. He only moved to AA in mid-season, so he needs to get off to a quick start in spring training. As an added bonus, Scott is a quality individual ... Once rated as Cleveland's top minor league prospect, Corey Smith (3B) has seen his star fall in the last two seasons, although his numbers haven't really changed that much as he's moved through the system, rising to AA at the age of 21. His AFL performance didn't turn any heads, however, as he hit .238/.289/.343 with one HR in 105 ABs. He struck out 27 times ... Rodney Choy Foo (3B/2B) played a utility role in the AFL, batting .243/.316/.257. He had only one extra-base hit in 70 ABs, but collected seven walks. The switch-hitter just turned 22 and hasn't played above the Class A level, but he's not a top prospect ... Ryan Church (OF) hit well at the beginning of the season, but left after 15 ABs due to injury ... The other Cleveland pitchers assigned to the AFL, Todd Pennington (P) and Michael Hernandez (P), saw limited duty in Arizona.
Tigers - Major League Baseball's worst franchise didn't have much to contribute in the way of interesting prospects to the Arizona Fall League. Nook Logan's (OF) game is all about speed, and he stole five bases without being caught. The only problem is that he doesn't get on base often enough to take advantage of his best attribute. Logan improved his plate discipline in Arizona, drawing 13 walks, while hitting .227/.318/.309 in 97 ABs. He needs to put the ball in play more often, as the switch-hitter fanned 24 times. Still, he's an exciting, athletic player when he plays his game. He'll move to AAA in '04 as a 24-year-old ... Donald Kelly (SS/3B) was primarily a utility player in the AFL, batting .213/.296/.309 in 94 ABs. He's got good bat control and knows how to take a walk, so there's still a chance for a backup role some day. He'll be 24 next season and has had limited experience above Class A ... Max St. Pierre (C) returned for his third straight AFL season, and is regarded as a strong defensive catcher. It'll have to be his glove work that carries him, since he hit only .234/.308/.277. St. Pierre will move to AAA in 2004 when he'll turn 24 ... Former second round pick Preston Larrison (P) walked only six in 19.2 IPs, but he hit seven batters. When he wasn't dusting off batters, they hit only .239 against him. He struck out only seven, finishing with a 5.03 ERA ... Mark Woodyard (P) showed much better command, walking only three batters in 17 IPs. But opposing batters pounded him for a .333 average.
Royals - David DeJesus (OF) should now be regarded as a legitimate starting outfield prospect after his excellent AFL season. The left-handed hitter, looking stronger than last season, slugged six HRs in 90 ABs, nearly equaling his 2003 regular season total. If DeJesus continues hitting for power, it adds another element to his ever-increasing skill set. He hit .289/.356/.600 in his second AFL season, and stole six bases with only one caught stealing ... Byron Gettis (OF) is another fine outfield prospect from the Kansas City organization. While he didn't match the numbers from his 2003 season in AA, he certainly flashed his potential by hitting .241/.326/.405 with three HRs in 79 ABs ... Chad Santos (1B) also tailed off from his AA season, hitting only .219/.247/.329 in 73 ABs. He struck out 17 times while drawing only three walks ... Mike Tonis (C) was finally healthy in '03, getting in a full season in AA. He hit .250/.313/.317 in 60 AFL ABs ... Zach McClellan (P) pitched well in long relief, picking up four wins to go with a 2.77 ERA and 17-4 K/BB ratio and .223 OBA in 26 IPs. He had a good year in his second season in High Class A; at 25, he needs to move up to AA next year ... Ryan Baerlocher (P) pitched better than his 6.65 ERA would indicate. He struck out 19 batters and walked nine in 23 IPs, and had a couple of nice outings ... Jim Serrano (P) pitched in the AFL in 1999 and 2000 as a member of the Montreal organization, but his latest stint wasn't as successful. In 13 IPs, Serrano posted a 9.00 ERA, mostly due to the three long balls he gave up to go with eight walks.
Twins - Switch-hitter Terry Tiffee (1B/3B) has a very nice batting stroke but didn't hit for much power in the AFL, finishing at .305/.324/.381 in 105 ABs. The effective contact hitter struck out a mere seven times, but drew only three walks. With decent power to the gaps, he's looking like a Shea Hillenbrand-type hitter, which means he could carve out a decent major league career given the right situation ... Jake Mauer (2B) certainly isn't a premier prospect like his brother Joe, but the older Mauer has decent speed, knows how to take a walk, doesn't strike out much, and plays decent defense. He batted .306/.414/.327 with three SBs in 49 ABs for the Grand Canyon Rafters. He just turned 25 and hasn't made it to AA yet, but he could be a decent utility player in a few years ... Rob Bowen's (C) up and down minor league career was on the upswing this season, and the switch-hitter made it to the big leagues for a late season cup of coffee. In limited AFL duty, Bowen hit .300/.370/.575 with seven extra-base hits in only 40 ABs. He could slot in as Joe Mauer's backup in another couple of years ... Finesse pitcher Henry Bonilla (P) had some decent outings en route to a 3.86 ERA in 26.2 IPs. He walked only eight batters while striking out 13, a similar ratio to his minor league numbers to date. Already 25, Bonilla had a good AA season; there's a chance he could find work as a middle reliever in the big leagues in a year or so. Just get the ball across the plate and let your fielders back you up --- it's a simple formula ... Brian Wolfe (P) posted a good 15-3 K/BB ratio in his 17 AFL IPs ... Pat Neshek (P) is moving quickly through the Minnesota system, reaching AA in only his second pro season. He held opposing batters to a .242 average while fanning 14 and walking four in 15.2 IPs. --- Bill Mitchell Player
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