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2003 season Final Report American League East
Orioles - For the second year in a row Baltimore sent one of the weaker crops of prospects to the AFL. Kris Wilken (1B) played the most among the Oriole position players, holding down first base for the champion Mesa Solar Sox. He hit .330/.356/.404, but the numbers were relatively light as he drove in only 10 runs. With only 16 career homeruns over four seasons, he's unlikely to have a major league future as a corner infielder. The switch-hitter will turn 25 next season ... The other hitters sent by the Orioles to the AFL, Gary Cates (2B), Pete Shier (SS) and B.J. Littleton (OF), were strictly utility types with weak offensive numbers ... Eli Whiteside (C) lasted only one game before leaving due to injury; he was replaced by Mike Seestedt (C), who played very little as the Solar Sox's third catcher ... Relievers Rodney Ormond (P) and Aaron Rakers (P) both did much better in their return trips to Arizona, with the latter being a force out of the bullpen for the Solar Sox. Rakers went 5-0 with a 1.96 ERA and a dominating 24-4 K/BB ratio ... Ormond fanned 16 batters in 13.2 IPs, while walking only five en route to a 3.95 ERA. Both Rakers and Ormond will turn 27 next year ... Tim Corcoran (P) really struggled with his command, walking 19 batters in 25.1 IPs; opposing hitters battered him for a .320 batting average, contributing to an 8.88 ERA. Corcoran was selected by Tampa Bay in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.
Red Sox - Although he played sporadically, Tony Schrager (2B/SS) was the biggest surprise among the Boston contingent, batting .381/.435/.587 with two HRs in only 63 ABs. He struck out only six times. Schrager could move into contention for a utility job with a strong AAA season in '04 ... Kelly Shoppach (C) demonstrated why he may be Boston's catcher of the future by hitting .281/.370/.516 with three HRs in 64 ABs ... Veteran reliever Bryan Hebson (P), who was acquired from on waivers from Montreal during the regular season, was effective in his second trip to the AFL. The big right-hander, throwing with a three quarters sidearm delivery, posted solid numbers (1.83 ERA, 18-3 K/BB, .171 OBA). The 27-year-old made his MLB debut in '03 ... Jeremy Owens (OF) has a nice mix of power and speed. The former Padres' farmhand hit .256/.316/.465 with three HRs and five SBs in 86 ABs ... Knuckleballer Charlie Zink (P) had a few good outings and struggled other days (not unusual for someone still relatively new to pitching), finishing with a 4.91 ERA ... Jerome Gamble (P) had pitched only 11 innings above A ball, so he was relatively inexperienced for the AFL. The 22-year-old right-hander posted a 6.33 ERA.
Yankees - Michael Vento (OF) put together a nice AFL season to bump himself up a notch on the Yankees' prospect ladder. The 25-year-old right-handed batter hit .343/.382/.647 with 12 doubles, two triples, five HRs and 26 RBIs in 102 ABs. He struck out only eight times. Vento is a "money" player; he'll never be a big star, but could thrive in a part-time role at the big league level ... Another New York prospect that performed better than expected was Dominican right-hander Ramon Ramirez (P), who finished with a 1.44 ERA and an astounding 25-2 K/BB ratio. Ramirez was consistently strong from start to finish. The 22-year-old will be given a shot to make the Yankees' bullpen in '04 ... Just coming out of Class A ball, 21-year-old Ferdin Tejada (SS) didn't get to play much for the Grand Canyon Rafters, and hit only .242./.265/.258 with one extra-base hit. But the native Dominican was hailed as one of the slickest fielding shortstops in the league ... Colter Bean (P) and Sam Marsonek (P) worked out of the Grand Canyon bullpen. Neither put up eye-popping stats, although Bean fanned 20 batters in 15.2 IPs. Bean was taken by the rival Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft.
Devil Rays - Tampa Bay sent the most interesting group of prospects to the AFL this year, perhaps even in the history of the league. Delmon Young (OF), the 2003 #1 overall draft pick, came in just after signing a contract with the Devil Rays, so his time in the AFL marked his first professional experience. The right-handed hitter, who had just turned 18, lived up to his reputation by batting .417/.451/.625 with seven extra-base hits in 48 ABs. It's quite likely that Young will make it to the big leagues before he turns 20 ... The other heralded top prospect, B.J. Upton (SS) saw limited action as a taxi squad player. He hit .214/.353/.214 in 28 ABs, but impressed coaches, scouts and teammates with his work during pre-game drills ... Another former #1 draft pick, Dewon Brazelton (P), made up for a lost season with a great AFL season. The big right-hander finished 4-0 with a 3.27 ERA, 36-9 K/BB ratio and .215 OBA in 33 IPs. Brazelton capped his season with a dominating performance in the league championship game ... Jonny Gomes (OF) made a name for himself with his stellar AFL performance, batting .295/.441/.705 with eight HRs, 10 doubles and four SBs in 88 ABs. He significantly improved his batting eye, drawing 17 walks while fanning 19 times. Gomes was an on-field leader for the champion Mesa Solar Sox ... Pete LaForest (C) saw limited action due to his time spent with the Canadian National team, but the left-handed hitter stroked four HRs in only 37 ABs ... John-Paul Davis (1B) never got untracked after a decent regular season, hitting only .229/.308/.371 in 35 ABs before shutting down early with a minor injury.
Blue Jays - Russ Adams (SS) was the most heralded prospect sent by Toronto; the 23-year-old North Carolina native showed good on-base skills and solid defense at shortstop. He hit .272/.362/.333 with three SBs in 81 ABs, striking out only eight times while drawing 10 walks ... Dominic Rich (2B) started slowly, then came on in the second half of the season to finish at .288/.310/.455. The left-handed hitter collected seven doubles in 66 ABs, but walked only three times ... Tyrell Godwin's (OF) numbers (.273/.325/.409) were about in line with his career stats to date. His on-base percentage has dropped at each level, so he needs to start showing the same plate discipline as earlier in his career when he debuted in short-season A ball with a .464 OBP ... Peter Bauer (P) and Cameron Reimers (P) both showed good command out of the bullpen, although both pitchers had a .300+ opposition batting average. Bauer was taken by Florida in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft ... Right-hander Jordon DeJong (P) had one of the strangest pitching lines in his 17 IPs. He held opposing batters to a .185 average and gave up only one homerun, but finished with a 7.41 ERA. DeJong fanned 18 batters while walking 11. --- Bill Mitchell Player
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