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2003 season Final Report National League West
Diamondbacks - Scott Hairston (2B) remains one of the better hitting prospects in the minor leagues. He had another fine AFL season, batting .360/.412/.539 with four HRs in 89 ABs. He's probably ready right now to play at the big league level offensively, but his defense still leaves a lot to be desired. Hairston made nine errors in the AFL. The Diamondbacks willl undoubtedly start Hairston in Tucson in the hopes that his glove work improves enough to make him at least an adequate fielder ... Dustin Nippert (P) turned out to be a very pleasant surprise for the Diamondbacks. After spending all season at Low Class A in only his second pro season, the 6'7" right-hander proved to be one of the AFL's best hurlers and asserted himself as Arizona's most promising pitching prospect. He's got a fluid delivery and a knee-buckling curve ball to go with a mid-90s fastball. Nippert recorded 30 strikeouts in as many innings, walking only 12 and holding batters to a .234 average. Look for the Diamondbacks to move him aggressively through their system ... Arizona hasn't been hesitant about challenging 2002 #1 pick Sergio Santos (SS), who reached the AA level in only his second season out of high school. He came to the AFL primarily to work on defense but certainly didn't embarrass himself at the plate, batting .250/.308/.427 with three HRs in 96 ABs ... Josh Kroeger (OF) hit well at both High Class A and AA this season, but wasn't quite as successful in the AFL. In 75 ABs, the left-handed hitter batted .253/.349/.360. He's got good on-base skills, but needs to make more consistent contact. Kroeger turned 21 in August, so he's got plenty of time ... Like most AFL catchers, Chris Snyder (C) didn't get enough playing time to get into a good groove, batting .235/.322/.373 with two HRs in 51 ABs. He hit very well in High Class A, then struggled after a promotion to AA. He'll most likely return to that level to start 2004, and remains Arizona's top catching prospect ... Brandon Medders (P) performed very well out of the bullpen (1.46 ERA, 19-7 K/BB, .171 OBA, 12.1 IPs). He pitched all year in AA, so a move to AAA in '04 is likely ... Sidearmer Pete Sikaris (P) had trouble with his control, walking 11 batters in 10.1 IPs.
Rockies - Matt Holliday (OF) was off to a fast start in his second AFL season, batting .333/.408/.515 with three HRs and seven SBs in 66 ABs, before joining Team USA as a late replacement. The right-handed hitter will move to AAA in '04 ... Another strong hitting performance came from Brad Hawpe (OF), who went .276/.327/.480 with eight doubles and four HRs in 98 ABs. Hawpe had previously switched from first base to outfield because of the presence in Colorado of Todd Helton, and the question remains whether he has the range to patrol Coors Field's spacious outfield. Hawpe is expected to join Holliday in AAA next season ... Because of the presence of league leading hitter Richard Lewis, Jayson Nix (2B) didn't get enough playing time for the Mesa Solar Sox to prove much; the former first rounder batted .226/.281/.340 in 53 ABs. But he's rated as one of Colorado's top prospects and their second baseman of the future. He played the entire regular season in High Class A and only turned 21 in late August ... Scott Dohmann (P) performed the best among Colorado's three pitchers in the AFL (3.86, .186 OBA, 17-8 K/BB, 16.1 IPs), but he'll be 26 next season ... Justin Huisman (P) walked more batters (10 in 18 IPs) than he did all season in AA (seven in 62 IPs). He was generally able to get batters out, holding them to a .257 average. With the exception of 24 bad innings in his first taste of AA in 2002, Huisman's ERA has been below 2.00 at all four stops in the Colorado system. Keep an eye on him as he moves up to the AAA affiliate in Colorado Springs ... Chris Buglovsky (P) got hit hard (.346) and didn't dominate hitters (14-12 K/BB in 30.1), but he somehow managed to keep his ERA under 5.00. He's since been traded to Seattle in a swap of minor league pitchers.
Dodgers - Heralded prospect James Loney (1B), at age 19, was really to young to be in the AFL. But he held his own against older competition, batting .247/.371/.407 with three triples and two HRs in 81 ABs. His 18-17 K/BB ratio is superb for someone at his experience level. Loney is also a good first baseman. He should be a regular in Los Angeles by the end of the 2005 season ... Reggie Abercrombie (OF) proved to be an exciting, although still very raw, player in the seven games before he tore his ACL while attempting an over the shoulder catch in center field. He's an intriguing blend of power and speed, but still needs a lot of work on basic baseball fundamentals. The Georgia native will turn 24 next summer, but he's still a few years away from the big leagues ... Willy Aybar (3B) didn't play much before leaving in mid-season, batting .227/.261/.227 in 22 ABs. After two seasons in High Class A, the switch-hitter should move up to AA when he'll be 21 ... Aybar was replaced on the Scottsdale roster by Brennan King (3B), who has already played two seasons at AA even though he won't turn 23 until next year. King hit well in Arizona, batting .314/.415/.514 in 35 ABs. He's got potential ... Right-hander Jason Frasor (P), who pitched entirely in a relief role in High Class A and AA in the regular season, worked mostly as a starter in the AFL. He found the role to his liking, posting a 2.03 ERA, 24-11 K/BB and .216 OBA in 26.2 IPs. Frasor is already 26 and hasn't reached AAA yet, but that doesn't mean he can't still have a big league career ... Brian Steffek (P) was mostly effective in a relief role (3.52 ERA, .246 OBA), much better than the numbers from his first exposure to AA. He'll likely return to that level to start the '04 season ... Tom Farmer (P) and T.J. Nall (P) both put up numbers so unlike their career minor league totals that there's no need to mention them here.
Padres - Former independent league left-handed pitcher Matt Hampton (P) was effective in a relief role for the Peoria Saguaros. Opposing batters hit .321 against him, but he walked only two batters and struck out 22 in 19 IPs. That's far better command than he showed in AAA this year. At 26, he'll get a chance to make the Padres out of spring training ... Former first rounder Jake Gautreau's (2B) stock has dropped the last two seasons, but there were at least a couple of positive signs from his time in the AFL. Despite limited playing time (66 ABs), the left-handed hitter maintained respectable plate discipline (10-7 K/BB ratio) and smacked five doubles. After a disappointing year at AA, next season will be a key year for the 24-year-old Gautreau ... Jon Knott (OF) hit for power in the AFL (four HRs in 89 ABs) but not for average (.236/.299/.416). The 25-year-old right-handed hitter had a solid season in AA, but needs to make better contact as he advances through the system ... J.J. Furmaniak (SS) was a late replacement when Khalil Greene was scratched from the Saguaro roster. After an excellent partial season in High A and a decent showing in 31 AA games, Furmaniak didn't provide much offense in the AFL (.237/.328/.271). He played irregularly but, like Gautreau, showed good plate discipline. He's 24 and will probably return to AA ... Veteran minor leaguer Rico Washington (3B) hit .293/.318/.341 in 41 ABs. At 25, he's no longer a prospect ... Southpaw Cliff Bartosh (P) had a few good outings early in the season, but then got bombed by opposing hitters (.330 average). His 18-6 K/BB ratio was good. Bartosh was traded to the Detroit organization before the Fall season ended.
Giants - Todd Linden (OF) was the biggest name in the Giants' AFL contingent, at least until top prospect Merkin Valdez (P) arrived from instructional league as a replacement player. Linden hit well for the second straight Fall, batting .316/.380/.531 with four HRs in 98 ABs. The biggest concern is that he's not cutting down on his strikeouts. He'll probably return to AAA in '04 since the Giants picked up a couple of veteran outfielders during the off-season ... Valdez got into only four games, but showed enough stuff to come away as one of the league's brightest prospects. The native Dominican didn't walk a batter in 5.1 IPs ... Lance Niekro (1B) still hasn't shown an ability to hit for power; he batted .299/.337/.377 with only four extra-base hits in 77 ABs. Niekro will soon turn 25, and it's doubtful that he'll ever hit enough to play a corner infield position at the major league level ... Jamie Athas (2B/SS) also didn't show much power, but he's a middle infielder with the ability to take a walk. His numbers weren't overwhelming (.241/.365/.304), but he might have a future as a utility infielder ... Luke Anderson (P) continued his rehab from Tommy John surgery. While he isn't a hard thrower, Anderson posted decent numbers (1.93 ERA, .226 OBA, 13-4 K/BB, 14 IPs). He'll be 26 next season, but may need to return to AA for more work at that level ... Former first round pick Boof Bonser (P) had control troubles in the AFL, walking 18 batters in 26.2 IPs. He struck out 24 batters, but also gave up four HRs. Bonser was traded to Minnesota in the A.J. Pierzynski deal. --- Bill Mitchell Player
reports by team
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