I really didn't pay attention to the WBC in 2006 but this year the WBC seems to have a different feel to it. This is a great way to get a look at some prospects that are playing for their respective countries or getting more PT as teammates left for the WBC. You can view a list of all the WBC roster here. The first major upset occurred yesterday when the Netherlands, lead by Sidney Ponson, beat Edision Volquez and the Dominican Republic 3-2. The USA beat Canada 6-5 in what was a very intense game as USA looked to avenge the loss in the WBC from 2006. Joey Votto was 4-5 with a double and HR for team Canada. The USA will take on Venezuela tonight at 8:00 pm on ESPN. Team Japan has a couple of interesting players, Yu Darvish (SP) and Norichika Aoki (OF), that are worth keeping an eye on. Most people have heard of Darvish but Aoki is an Ichirio type player, he has a won batting title and set the Central League record for hits in a season with 202 in 2005, that could become a viable fantasy option if he makes it to the MLB. The current global economic slump may lead to more Japanese players coming to MLB because the teams in Japan are owned by corporations that may be in desperate need of cash and sending Darvish, who claims he has no ambition to play here, to the Yankees for $100 million could sure up a balance sheet in a hurry.
Phillippe Aumont- Seattle Mariners (RHP), ranked #93 on Baseball America's list of Prospects, looked pretty impressive in his appearance against USA yesterday. You can view his Pitch F/X which shows his movement, velocity and location of his pitches here.
I know I am a homer but John Mayberry Jr, of the Phillies, is making the case to be the right handed bat to come off the bench for the Phils. In 8 games, he is hitting .292 with a SLG % of .625 while hitting 2 HR and 8 RBI. Mayberry came from Texas in a swap of minor league players and he played his college ball at Stanford. He has the distinction of being selected in the 1st rd twice as he failed to sign out of high school. He is a giant at 6'6 and 230 LBS and has the ability to hit some deep HRs as he hit a ball over Frenchy's Bar in left field at Clearwater yesterday.
Other News:
Peter Gammons raving about Marlins prospect Mike Stanton
USA Today Fantasy Chat with Ron Shandler
Article about Mets pitching prospect Jon Niese
Article about Joba and a mechanical flaw in his delivery
MLB.com on Orioles System
MLB.com article about Mike Stanton and Matt Dominguez from the Marlins
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Brett Gardner the next Ellsbury?
Brett Gardner is in the middle of a position battle with Melky for the CF position of the Yankees. I am very high on Gardner this season and long term for that matter. He potentially could be the lead-off hitter for the Yankees for many years to come barring Austin Jackson doesn't explode. While Jacoby Ellsbury is a fantasy favorite due to his extreme speed, as he is going #57 per Mock Draft Central's ADP, Gardner is not in the top 418! To compare these two speedsters I will break down their final season in AAA:
In 2007 Ellsbury played 87 games and amassed 363 ABs in AAA.
Avg: .298
HR: 2
R: 66
RBI: 28
BB: 32
K: 47
2B: 14
3B: 5
SB: 33
In 2008 Gardner played in 94 games and he had 341 ABs in AAA:
Avg: .296
HR: 3
R: 68
RBI: 32
BB: 70
K: 76
2B: 12
3B: 11
SB: 37
They both played in the International League so you would assume that the competition would be similar from 2007 to 2008. Gardner did K more but his BB/K ratio was much better at .92 vs .68 for Ellsbury. Looking at these 2 stat lines it is hard to say Ellsbury or Gardner will be the better fantasy option, but they are much closer then most people think. We will have to wait and see if Gardner can translate these numbers into MLB success, but given his skills, I believe he presents a very profitable end game pick.
They are similar is size as well with Gardner listed at 5'10 and 180 LBS and Ellsbury is 6'1 and 185 LBS. The both throw and bat from the left side.
Other News:
John Maine is a head case
Joba gets Shelled in outing
Interview with Stephen Strasburg
Strasburg has 16 K's and touches 102 MPH 7 times
Fantasy Pros 911 Article about Future Closers in the AL
Keith Law on Top Prospects
In 2007 Ellsbury played 87 games and amassed 363 ABs in AAA.
Avg: .298
HR: 2
R: 66
RBI: 28
BB: 32
K: 47
2B: 14
3B: 5
SB: 33
In 2008 Gardner played in 94 games and he had 341 ABs in AAA:
Avg: .296
HR: 3
R: 68
RBI: 32
BB: 70
K: 76
2B: 12
3B: 11
SB: 37
They both played in the International League so you would assume that the competition would be similar from 2007 to 2008. Gardner did K more but his BB/K ratio was much better at .92 vs .68 for Ellsbury. Looking at these 2 stat lines it is hard to say Ellsbury or Gardner will be the better fantasy option, but they are much closer then most people think. We will have to wait and see if Gardner can translate these numbers into MLB success, but given his skills, I believe he presents a very profitable end game pick.
They are similar is size as well with Gardner listed at 5'10 and 180 LBS and Ellsbury is 6'1 and 185 LBS. The both throw and bat from the left side.
Other News:
John Maine is a head case
Joba gets Shelled in outing
Interview with Stephen Strasburg
Strasburg has 16 K's and touches 102 MPH 7 times
Fantasy Pros 911 Article about Future Closers in the AL
Keith Law on Top Prospects
Monday, March 2, 2009
Baseball America's Top 10 College Prospects
1. Stephen Strasburg (RHP) - San Diego State
2. Grant Green (SS) - USC
3. Alex White (RHP) - NC
4. Dustin Ackley (1B) - NC
5. Kyle Gibson (RHP) - Missouri
6. Kendal Volz (RHP) - Baylor
7. Andrew Oliver (LHP) - Oklahoma St.
8. Mike Minor (LHP) - Vanderbilt
9. Jason Stoffel (RHP) - Arizona
10. Kentral Davis (OF) - Tennesse
The Nationals have the first pick in the upcoming draft and they would be nuts not to spend the $ to sign Strasburg who is being "advised" by Scott Boras. I will profile the draft later as it isn't until June.
Jeff Erickson, founder of Rotowire, conducts a radio show via blogtalkradio and every Tuesday he will have John Sickels as his guest for Prospect Tuesdays. Sickels is a leading authority on Minor League Baseball and his insight is valuable. You can find a link to the show here
Other News:
Article about Tim Linecum
MLB.com article about the Mets Farm System
Article about Red Sox prospect Junichi Tazawa
2. Grant Green (SS) - USC
3. Alex White (RHP) - NC
4. Dustin Ackley (1B) - NC
5. Kyle Gibson (RHP) - Missouri
6. Kendal Volz (RHP) - Baylor
7. Andrew Oliver (LHP) - Oklahoma St.
8. Mike Minor (LHP) - Vanderbilt
9. Jason Stoffel (RHP) - Arizona
10. Kentral Davis (OF) - Tennesse
The Nationals have the first pick in the upcoming draft and they would be nuts not to spend the $ to sign Strasburg who is being "advised" by Scott Boras. I will profile the draft later as it isn't until June.
Jeff Erickson, founder of Rotowire, conducts a radio show via blogtalkradio and every Tuesday he will have John Sickels as his guest for Prospect Tuesdays. Sickels is a leading authority on Minor League Baseball and his insight is valuable. You can find a link to the show here
Other News:
Article about Tim Linecum
MLB.com article about the Mets Farm System
Article about Red Sox prospect Junichi Tazawa
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Baseball America vs. Baseball Prospectus Top 100
Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus have released their top 100 list for 2009. I was surprised to see Brett Anderson ahead of Cahill on the BA list and that Cahill fell to #23 on the BP list (Anderson #24). I disagree with Colby Rasmus at #3 and I think he will be a bust. He is going to get playing time this season because Skip Schumaker is moving to 2B so we will see if he has any skills. Most of these names are well known except Netali Feliz who came to Rangers from Atlanta in the Texieria deal. The biggest knock against Feliz is that he pitches in Arlington which is a bandbox and inflates ERAs.
Baseball America:
1. Matt Weiters
2. David Price
3. Colby Rasmus
4. Tommy Hanson
5. Jason Heyward
6. Travis Snider
7. Brett Anderson
8. Cameron Maybin
9. Madison Bumgarner
10. Netali Feliz
Baseball Prospectus:
1. Matt Weiters
2. David Price
3. Madison Bumgarner
4. Pedro Alvarez
5. Travis Snider
6. Neftali Feliz
7. Rick Porcello
8. Colby Rasmus
9. Buster Posey
10. Jason Heyward
Baseball America Top 100 Prospects for 2009
Baseball Prospectus Top 100 Prospects for 2009
Other News:
-Matt Wieters hit his first HR of the Spring and he is hitting .429.
-Watch Brett Gardner of the Yankees who fighting for the CF position with Melky and Austin Jackson. He is hitting .500 with a HR and has stole a few bags. He could have some value with his speed especially if he is batting at the top of the Yankees order.
-This is the time to really watch Spring Training as the big guns are leaving for the World Baseball Classic and the prospects will get the bulk of the playing time. I will be covering the WBC when the games begin.
Interview by Baseball America with David Price
Article about Oakland A's power hitting 1B Chris Cater
Baseball America:
1. Matt Weiters
2. David Price
3. Colby Rasmus
4. Tommy Hanson
5. Jason Heyward
6. Travis Snider
7. Brett Anderson
8. Cameron Maybin
9. Madison Bumgarner
10. Netali Feliz
Baseball Prospectus:
1. Matt Weiters
2. David Price
3. Madison Bumgarner
4. Pedro Alvarez
5. Travis Snider
6. Neftali Feliz
7. Rick Porcello
8. Colby Rasmus
9. Buster Posey
10. Jason Heyward
Baseball America Top 100 Prospects for 2009
Baseball Prospectus Top 100 Prospects for 2009
Other News:
-Matt Wieters hit his first HR of the Spring and he is hitting .429.
-Watch Brett Gardner of the Yankees who fighting for the CF position with Melky and Austin Jackson. He is hitting .500 with a HR and has stole a few bags. He could have some value with his speed especially if he is batting at the top of the Yankees order.
-This is the time to really watch Spring Training as the big guns are leaving for the World Baseball Classic and the prospects will get the bulk of the playing time. I will be covering the WBC when the games begin.
Interview by Baseball America with David Price
Article about Oakland A's power hitting 1B Chris Cater
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sizemore vs. McLouth
In order to land Sizemore on your team you will need to use a top 1st round draft pick to do so. According to Mock Draft Central's average draft position (ADP), Sizemore is going #6 overall in 5X5 mixed leagues. I really don't think he is worth the pick when you can land Nate McLouth at #59 and the fact that you have to pass on Cabrera and Braun as well to get him. Let's look at last season's numbers and 2009 projections from BaseballHq.com:
2008
Sizemore:
AVG: .268 HR:33 RBI: 90 SB: 38 R:101
McLouth:
AVG: .276 HR:26 RBI: 94 SB: 23 R:113
2009 (Projections from Baseball HQ)
Sizemore:
AVG: .275 HR:28 RBI: 88 SB: 30 R:103
McLouth:
AVG: .282 HR:27 RBI: 98 SB: 19 R:102
The only category that Sizemore has an advantage is SBs and they are much easier to fill late in the draft as it a cumulative category unlike batting average which is a ratio over 600 ABs for these guys. I highly suggest that that you skip on Sizemore (who is out of the WBC due to a groin) and go with Cabrera or Braun and target McLouth in the 4-5th round. I am not saying that McLouth will be more valuable or score more total points then Sizemore but in relation to where they are getting drafted, McLouth is the better value. The only warning on McLouth is that his numbers dipped slightly in the 2H after Nady and Bay were traded and some wonder that he has no protection in the line-up. The Pirates have McCutchen, Moss, Pearce, and Pedro Alvarez which could provide some protection for McLouth in the near future.
Other News:
Johan may miss Opening Day with sorness in left elbow
WFAN interview with Mets top Prospect Fernado Martinez
2008
Sizemore:
AVG: .268 HR:33 RBI: 90 SB: 38 R:101
McLouth:
AVG: .276 HR:26 RBI: 94 SB: 23 R:113
2009 (Projections from Baseball HQ)
Sizemore:
AVG: .275 HR:28 RBI: 88 SB: 30 R:103
McLouth:
AVG: .282 HR:27 RBI: 98 SB: 19 R:102
The only category that Sizemore has an advantage is SBs and they are much easier to fill late in the draft as it a cumulative category unlike batting average which is a ratio over 600 ABs for these guys. I highly suggest that that you skip on Sizemore (who is out of the WBC due to a groin) and go with Cabrera or Braun and target McLouth in the 4-5th round. I am not saying that McLouth will be more valuable or score more total points then Sizemore but in relation to where they are getting drafted, McLouth is the better value. The only warning on McLouth is that his numbers dipped slightly in the 2H after Nady and Bay were traded and some wonder that he has no protection in the line-up. The Pirates have McCutchen, Moss, Pearce, and Pedro Alvarez which could provide some protection for McLouth in the near future.
Other News:
Johan may miss Opening Day with sorness in left elbow
WFAN interview with Mets top Prospect Fernado Martinez
WFAN interview with Mets top pitching prospect Jonathan Neise
Friday, February 27, 2009
Player Spotlight: Elvis Andrus
Elvis Andrus was born is Maraacay, Venezula. He bats and throws from the right side and is listed as 6'0 and 185 lbs. He was signed by the Atlanta Braves as a non-drafted free agent on Jan.26, 2005
The Rangers are so confident in Elvis Andrus that they moved gold glove SS Michael Young to 3B and Hank Blalock to DH. Andrus is a shakeydefender as he committed 32 errors last season in 109 games as Young has only committed 81 errors in 787 games at SS. They brought in Omar Visquel to teach this young lad how to catch the damn ball and toss it over to 1B. His biggest asset is his speed but he gets caught stealing a ton (maybe they should bring in Rickey Henderson).
In 2006 he hit .265 with 3 HRs, 50 RBI, scored 67 runs, and compiled a poor OPS of .681. He had 23 SBS but was caught 15 times (60.5%).
In 2007 he hit .257 with 5 HRs, 49 RBI, scored 78 runs, and posted a .673 OPS. He had 40 SBs and was caught 15 times (72.7%).
In 2008 he had his best season hitting .295 with 4 HRs, 65 RBIs, scored 82 runs, and had an improved OPS of .713. He did swipe 53 bags in 69 attempts (76.8%)
He seems to be getting better on the bases as he rose through the ranks and gained experience, but in 2008 Winter Ball he only stole 6 bags in 10 attempts in 50 games. In my opinion, he projects like Jason Bartlett with a little more speed. The question is how much opportunity will he get to run with that line up with a stadium that plays like a little league park?
Other News:
MLB.com discussing prospects in Spring training
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902043797922
MLB.com discussing prospects in WBC
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902253963187
MLB.com on Wieters
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200901223763510
The Rangers are so confident in Elvis Andrus that they moved gold glove SS Michael Young to 3B and Hank Blalock to DH. Andrus is a shakeydefender as he committed 32 errors last season in 109 games as Young has only committed 81 errors in 787 games at SS. They brought in Omar Visquel to teach this young lad how to catch the damn ball and toss it over to 1B. His biggest asset is his speed but he gets caught stealing a ton (maybe they should bring in Rickey Henderson).
In 2006 he hit .265 with 3 HRs, 50 RBI, scored 67 runs, and compiled a poor OPS of .681. He had 23 SBS but was caught 15 times (60.5%).
In 2007 he hit .257 with 5 HRs, 49 RBI, scored 78 runs, and posted a .673 OPS. He had 40 SBs and was caught 15 times (72.7%).
In 2008 he had his best season hitting .295 with 4 HRs, 65 RBIs, scored 82 runs, and had an improved OPS of .713. He did swipe 53 bags in 69 attempts (76.8%)
He seems to be getting better on the bases as he rose through the ranks and gained experience, but in 2008 Winter Ball he only stole 6 bags in 10 attempts in 50 games. In my opinion, he projects like Jason Bartlett with a little more speed. The question is how much opportunity will he get to run with that line up with a stadium that plays like a little league park?
Other News:
MLB.com discussing prospects in Spring training
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902043797922
MLB.com discussing prospects in WBC
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902253963187
MLB.com on Wieters
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200901223763510
2009 Spring Training Begins
With Spring Training starting, I thought it would be a great time to start posting on the blog. I plan on posting 3-4 times a week until the season starts and then I will pick up the pace. I have sent some emails around to popular websites attempting to get this blog added as a link on a major site (I will keep you updated). This winter I participated in a auction 6x6 league that had a 20 round minor league draft following the auction. I will detail each round and the best/worst picks as the other owners seemed very knowledgeable about Minor League players. I have added a link to the sidebar, Prospect Tube, which has You Tube clips on all the top High School/Minor League players. In the coming weeks I will be updating the play of the top prospects in Spring Training, providing list of the top prospects by position from a fantasy perspective, looking ahead to the 2009 amateur draft, providing player spotlights (which are detailed segments on a player), profiling the upcoming college baseball season, looking at how some of the top prospects finished 2008, and much more. If you have any suggestions please send an email.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
