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2004 season

Final Report
December 26, 2004

National League East

Braves - One of the true blue chippers in the AFL was Atlanta right fielder Jeff Francoeur (OF). "The Franchise" didn't disappoint, as he hit .283/.301/.404 and showed a powerful outfield arm. He needs to improve his plate discipline, as the enthusiastic Francoeur drew only two walks. But there's little doubt that he's a star in the making ... Brian McCann (C) didn't hit as well as in the regular season, but he was making the jump from High Class A and, like many catchers, was likely worn down from the long season. McCann batted .241/.279/.328 in a part-time role for the Grand Canyon Rafters ... Aaron Herr (2B) didn't see much action in the AFL and never got untracked, batting only .196/.240/.217. He's since been lost in the minor league Rule 5 draft ... Scott Thorman (1B) also didn't produce, batting only .269/.309/.308 with two extra-base hits in 52 ABs ... Lefty Macay McBride (P) turned in a nice 29/8 K/BB rate, but opponents clubbed him for a .348 average ... Zach Miner (P) looked decent despite finishing with a 5.92 ERA. He fanned 24 batters in 24.1 IPs ... Matt Coenen (P) got hit hard and had problems with his command.

Jeremy Hermida

Marlins - Jeremy Hermida (OF) was one of the younger players in the AFL, but the advanced competition didn't phase the 2--year-old left-handed hitter at all. He batted .265/.298/.523 with seven HRs in 132 ABs. Hermida has a beautiful swing and needs primarily to improve his contact. The Marlins are never afraid to move their prospects along quickly, so expect to see him skip quickly though AA and AAA next year. A September 2005 major league debut would not be a surprise ... Eric Reed (OF) didn't see a lot of action due to injuries; he was also sidelined him for much of the regular season. Reed showed off his plus speed by stealing eight bases without being caught. Reed is an intense individual who will never hit for power, but should have a career as a leadoff hitter type that makes the most of his speed and defense ... Josh Wilson (2B) also missed most of the fall season with an injury, although he remained in Arizona the whole time. Wilson combined for 15 HRs between AA and AAA this year, so he should be taken seriously as a power-hitting middle infielder  ... None of the four Marlin pitchers in the AFL did anything statistically to distinguish themselves, although Randy Messenger (P) impressed with his velocity and command.

Shawn Norris

Expos/Nationals - The last players to wear the uniform of the Montreal Expos were led by infielder Shawn Norris (SS), who played good defense at both middle infield positions and batted .291/.361/.384, with glimpses of emerging pop in his bat ... 2004 #1 draft pick Bill Bray (P) had a nice KBB ratio of 16/4 and generally impressed observers ... Jay Bergmann (P) also pitched well, posting a 3.80 ERA nad striking out 22 batters in 23.2 IPs ... Coming from Low Class A ball, Jerry Owens (OF) was relatively inexperienced, but demonstrated decent hitting skills, batting .270/.365/.311. The left-handed hitter has very little power and will have to continue to rely on his speed. He'll be 24 next spring, so it's time to jump a level to see whether he can handle AA ... Seung Song (P) has already changed organizations, as the Expos/Nationals apparently weren't impressed with the native Korean's AFL performance (6.49 ERA).

Brian Bannister

Mets - After sending David Wright to the Arizona last season, the 2004 AFL Mets didn't have the same quality level. Best of the bunch was Brian Bannister (P), who finished with a 3.77 ERA and an impressive 17/4 K/BB rate ... Brett Harper (1B) saw only limited playing time as a Peoria Saguaro taxi squad player, but demonstrated good power. Strikeouts are still a problem for Harper, but he's had less than half a year of experience above the Class A level. Harper batted .255/.309/.373 ... Wayne Lydon (OF) used his speed to leg out three triples among his five extra base hits. The left-handed hitter needs to get on base more often to utilize his speed, although he still managed to steal 14 bases while being caught only one time. He batted .284/.320/.371 ... Joe Hietpas (C) split time behind the plate with two other catchers, getting to bat only 48 times. He hit .313/.365/.375 ... Chase Lambin (2B), who replaced Jeff Keppinger on the Saguaro roster just before the start of the season, showed impressive power (four HRs in 66 ABs), but little other offense (.227/.278/.439) ... Two Met pitchers, Kevin Deaton (P) and Matt Lindstrom (P), both walked more batters than they struck out. Lindstrom held opposing hitters to a .236 average ... Left-hander Royce Ring (P) finished with a 5.28 ERA, 10/5 K/BB rate and a .263 opposition batting average.

Ryan Howard

Phillies - After hitting nearly 50 homeruns during the regular season, Ryan Howard (1B) was, of course, the big name from Philadelphia. He started strongly, hitting all three of his homeruns in the first week of the season. Howard tired after the long season, but still kept hitting for average despite. The big left-handed hitter smacked 14 doubles and finished at .331/.388/.515. His 40 strikeouts in 136 ABs is a little troublesome, but the fact that he kept his average up despite tiring was impressive. While Howard got in some work in the outfield, his only real position is first base, meaning he needs to be traded to another team soon since he's blocked in Philly by Jim Thome ... Chris Roberson (OF) is already 25, but was only coming out of High Class A. The right-handed hitting speedster showed good batting skills with a small amount of gap power, hitting .269/.333/.366. Roberson stole five bases, but was caught six times ... It might be easy to underestimate catcher Carlos Ruiz because of his size, but the 25-year-old Panamanian  has surprising power, good bat control and catches a good game. He batted .297/.409/.622 with eight extra-base hits in only 37 ABs. He'll have a good future as a backup catcher in the big leagues ... Buzz Hannahan (3B/1B) came to the AFL to prove whether he is capable of a big league career as a utility infielder. The 28-year-old Hannahan batted only .250/.295/.286 ...Keith Bucktrot (P) isn't a high profile prospect, but showed that he may be capable of being an end of rotation starter or long reliever. He was one of the champion Desert Dogs' most effective starters, with a 4.40 ERA and a .267 opposition batting average ... Veteran minor league Dan Giese (P) followed a strong AAA season with 16 decent relief outings in the AFL. The 27-year-old right-hander had a strong 24/8 K/BB rate in 22 IPs.

--- Bill Mitchell

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