Minor League RamblingsFor the week of :
April 19, 2004

The first HOT - COLD Report
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Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

 

Who's Hot and who's Cold
April 19,  2004

HOT

 

  1. Calvin Pickering, 1B - Kansas City (Omaha, AAA Pacific Coast League) – It’s been quite a few years since Pickering’s name graced many top prospect lists. But omigosh, look at how this man is hitting --- .531/.610/1.594, with 11 homeruns in 32 ABs. You read it correctly --- 11 homeruns --- that’s eleven, it’s not a typo.  He’s on a pace to hit 154 homeruns, and still have time to club another dozen or so in a late season call up.  Seriously, I can’t see how Kansas City can keep him down on the farm much longer.  They need to find a place for him in the lineup to see if he’s really for real this time.
  2. Freddie Bynum, OF – Oakland (Midland, AA Texas League) – A position change is supposed to disrupt a hitter’s stride, especially one that didn’t come until the end of spring training.  But the affable Bynum has picked up his game a notch in his second swing through the Texas League.  After his first seven games, the new outfielder is hitting .438/.500/.531 with three stolen bases.  He’s still striking out too often (eight times in 32 ABs).  The speedy 24-year-old could add another 20 points to his average if he put the ball in play more often.
  3. Dan Johnson, 1B – Oakland (Sacramento, AAA Pacific Coast League) – The newest member of the “Moneyball” bunch could arrive in Oakland as soon as someone in the Athletics’ first base / DH triumvirate gets hurt or Billy Beane ends his fascination with Scott Hatteberg’s on-base percentage.  The left-handed stick is following up on his strong Arizona Fall League season with an even better AAA performance to date --- .341/.451/.829, five homeruns.
  4. B.J. Upton, SS – Tampa Bay (Montgomery, AA Carolina League – Believe the hype.  Upton is the next great shortstop in the game of baseball, and should arrive in Tampa Bay late this season.  He’s starting strongly in AA at .370/.433/.593.  Further motivation to move up quickly will come from Upton probably not wanting to play all season for a team called the “Biscuits.”
  5. Chad Tracy / Luis Terrero, 3B/OF and OF – Arizona (Tucson, AAA Pacific Coast League) – Tracy and Terrero are tearing up the PCL on their respective return visits to Tucson.  With the parent club carrying only three outfielders and Luis Gonzalez’s elbow just one bad throw away from a season-ending injury, these two men are down the road in Tucson just waiting for the phone to ring.  Their OPS totals are very similar, with Tracy at .400/.490/.650 and Terrero a vastly improved .472/.548/.750.  Tracy is still learning to play the outfield, while also seeing time at the hot corner. 
  6. David Wright, 3B – New York Mets (Binghamton, AA Eastern League) – The game’s second best third base prospect (behind only Atlanta’s Andy Marte) is off to a hot start for AA Binghamton.  Still only 21, Wright has already clubbed 10 doubles in 39 ABs.  He’s drawn five walks and has been hit by the pitcher four times (ouch!).  Wright’s numbers are solid at .359/.479/.692.  If he wasn’t so young, I’d project a late season call-up for Wright.  It may happen anyway.
  7. Brandon Claussen, SP – Cincinnati (Louisville, AAA International League) – The former Yankee southpaw is biding his time until the Redlegs need a fifth starter, then he should be in the Cincinnati rotation for a long time.  In the meantime, Claussen has yet to give up an earned run in 12 innings, while yielding only four hits and fanning 17 batters.
  8. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP – Colorado (Visalia, A California League) – This 20-year-old flamethrower will move quickly through the Colorado system if he keeps throwing like he’s done in his first two 2004 starts.  Jimenez has punched out 21 batters in 12 innings, while holding opponents to a microscopic .054 average.  That’s almost four times lower than the famed “Mendoza Line.”
  9. Gavin Floyd, SP – Philadelphia (Reading, AA Eastern League) – Floyd or Hamels?  Hamels or Floyd?  Who’s the future ace of the Philadelphia staff?  The right-handed Floyd is looking sharp in his first exposure to Class AA, giving up only two hits in 10.2 IPs while striking out 12.  He’s yet to give up a run.
  10. Dustin Hughes, SP – Kansas City (Burlington, A Midwest League) – No, he’s not a top-rated prospect.  But Hughes pitched the first eight innings of a no-hitter, which earns him a spot on this week’s HOT list.  Hughes’ other start wasn’t as good, but he still finished the week with an 0.60 ERA and a perfect 2-0 record.

 

COLD

 

  1. Joe Borchard, OF – Chicago White Sox (Charlotte, AAA International League) - Chronic injuries and an inability to control the strike zone have dropped Borchard’s prospect stock nearly as quickly as fellow ex-quarterback Drew Henson.  He’s beginning this season by hitting .190/.244/.286 with 13 Ks in 42 ABs.
  2. Dewon Brazelton / Ramon Ramirez, SP – Tampa Bay (Durham, AAA International League) / New York Yankees (Columbus, AAA International League) – Brazelton and Ramirez were the top two pitchers in the Arizona Fall League last season, but neither right-hander carried that success into the 2004 regular season.  Brazelton’s ERA stands at 9.00 after his first two starts and opponents have batted .394 off him, while Ramirez checks in with a 12.91 ERA.  He’s also given up three homers and walked seven batters in 7.2 IPs. 
  3. Winston-Salem hitters – Chicago White Sox (Winston-Salem, A Carolina League) – The Pale Hose sent four of their brightest offensive prospects to the Warthogs of Winston-Salem, but Ryan Sweeney, Brian Anderson, Pedro Lopez and Ricardo Nanita have combined to hit only .165.  Sweeney was especially impressive in big league spring training games at the young age of 19, so don’t expect this slump to last very long.
  4. Arkansas hitters – Anaheim (Arkansas, AA Texas League) – Casey Kotchman, Alberto Callaspo and Dallas McPherson are three of the Angels’ brightest prospects, but you couldn’t convince anyone in Little Rock right now.  The trio has combined for a.239 average.  At least catcher Jeff Mathis is raking (.333/.400/.472).
  5. John Van Benschoten, SP – Pittsburgh (Nashville, AAA Pacific Coast League) – Pittsburgh’s top prospect is struggling for the first time in his four-year career, coming out of his first two starts in AAA with a 9.64 ERA and a .386 opposition batting average. 
  6. Kevin Youkilis, 3B – Boston (Pawtucket, AAA International League) – The “Greek God of Walks” struggled after being promoted to AAA last season, hitting only .165. He’s not exactly burning it up this year, either (.194/.285/.250).  With not much power or speed to Youkilis’ game, I just don’t get the fascination with this guy as a prospect. He’s already 25 years old.
  7. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B – Texas (Oklahoma City, AAA Pacific Coast League) – Gonzalez started slowly in his first taste of AAA as a Texas Ranger farmhand (.138/.242/.138), but that didn’t stop the big club from calling him up when Mark Teixeira went on the DL.
  8. Scott Kazmir, SP – New York Mets (Port St. Lucie, A Florida State League) – After two seasons as a top prospect, observers are starting to show concern for the 20-year-old left-hander’s durability.  He’s gotten rocked in his first two outings, as opponents have batted .400 off him.
  9. Garrett Atkins, 3B – Colorado (Colorado Springs, AAA Pacific Coast League) – Colorado Springs, just like Coors Field, is supposed to be a good place for a hitter, but it hasn’t been for Atkins so far.  His numbers (.220/.283/.268) in his second trip to the PCL are very unfriendly.
  10. Marcus McBeth, OF – Oakland (Modesto, A California League) – The Oakland organization is starting to lose patience on the athletic McBeth, as he starts out the year hitting only .130/.200/.304.

--- Bill Mitchell
 

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