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Saturday, November 06, 2004 |
Future Angels 2004 Top Prospects
Stephen Smith at Future Angels has his top prospects list out for 2004:
- Casey Kotchman, 1B
- Dallas McPherson, 3B -- who, incidentally, also won the Spink Award as Topps Minor League Player of the Year
- Steven Shell, RHP
- Jeff Mathis, C
- Erick Aybar, SS
- Ervin Santana, RHP
- Brandon Wood, SS
- Alberto Callaspo, SS/2B
- Joe Saunders, LHP
- Howard Kendrick, 2B
- Bobby Jenks, RHP, who's appeared on the 2003 and 2002 editions of this list. I e-mailed Stephen, who replied that three stress injuries and pins in his elbow to keep it from recurring have knocked him off the top ten.
- Steve Andrade, RHP (reliever) -- went 2-2 with a 2.44 ERA for AA Arkansas this year in 48 IP, a good showing for the hitter-friendly Texas League, and a 11.1 K/9 and 4.92 K/BB rates show great promise. I haven't asked Stephen, but I suspect this is a case where depth is pushing him off the chart rather than Andrade having trouble.
- No such thing can be said, however, for RHP Rich Fischer, whose 3-8 record and 9.57 ERA at AA Arkansas betray a pitcher who lost it, as does his 5.64 K/9 rate. Not sure what happened here.
- Chris Bootcheck, RHP: 3-8, 5.12 ERA in Salt Lake. Blecch.
Comments:
I'm not so sure about Brandon Wood. He was pretty... blah... at Cedar Rapids this season (.251/.322/.404), and wasn't much better in rookie ball. Personally, I would rate both Callaspo and Kendrik above him at this point.
And McPherson has got to be number one- no doubt about it.
And McPherson has got to be number one- no doubt about it.
No comment about Wood, as I don't know the particulars. Smith gives some caveats about league and age, so I'm willing to cut him some slack.
As to McPherson ranking above Kotchman, well, this contrarian view of McPherson from Wait 'Til Next Year makes for intereresting reading. (Here's a direct link to the story.) Essentially, he'll be a middle-of-the-order threat, but he's not likely to be even Hank Blalock.
As to McPherson ranking above Kotchman, well, this contrarian view of McPherson from Wait 'Til Next Year makes for intereresting reading. (Here's a direct link to the story.) Essentially, he'll be a middle-of-the-order threat, but he's not likely to be even Hank Blalock.
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