LINE DRIVES: v1.0

Suddenly, San Diego has a launching pad for hitters.
(photo courtesy of Felipe M)

Felipe M

I'll be sharing my random thoughts on the MLB games from April 9, 2013.

SO MUCH FOR A PITCHERS' PARK

The Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 16-9 at Safeco Field.  The San Diego Padres won at Petco Park, scoring 9 runs.  We have been waiting in anticipation to see how the changes in dimensions at these two parks would alter offensive production.  Right away, we're seeing changes.

Taking a look back at 2012, only three times did we see teams put up nine or more runs, in one game, last year at Safeco (roughly once every 27 games).  The most runs that one team had accumulated in one game was on October 3, 2012 when the Mariners blanked the Angels, 12-0 (against Jered Weaver, no less).  The most combined runs at Safeco last season occurred on April 17, 2012 when the Mariners and Indians scored 17 total runs.  27 runs were scored between the Astros and Mariners last night.  

Petco was better last year: seven was the number of times teams had scored 9 or more runs in one game last year.  The highs came on September 16, 2012 when the Padres scored a season high at home of 12 runs and they and the Rockies accumulated 23 runs total in that game.  However, only their first game in 2013 and the Padres have all ready scored 9 runs in one game.  

One game does not make a full MLB season, but it's safe to say that after Tuesday's match-ups, both ballparks, in terms of offense, are off to a good start.  

ASTRO WOES

Speaking of the Astros, the 16 runs were the most they have scored since they scored 18 runs in August of 2010.  The Astros defeated the Cardinals, 18-4 in St. Louis.  In that game, none of the Astros hit a homerun in, but they did hit 4 doubles and 1 triple.  SS Angel Sanchez tallied 6 RBI.  This year, the Astros are 0-6 when scoring fewer than 3 runs.  They have all ready failed to score more than 3 runs in 75% of their games.  Bad sign.

METS AT PHILLIES

The Phillies' struggles in the starting rotation have been well-documented as Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay have not pitched up to par early this season.  Thankfully, they have Cliff Lee who pitched a great game against the Mets last night.  It also helped that the Phillies' bats came alive after being shutdown by pitching phenom, Matt Harvey on Monday.  

Unfortunately, it all came at the expense of Mets' pitcher Dillon Gee who had command issues all night.  So far this year, Gee has pitched 9 and a 1/3 innings and has the following stats after 2 starts: 5.8 K/9; 2.9 BB/9 AND HR/9; 12.6 H/9; 1.71 WHIP.  All of this while inducing  more groundouts than flyouts.  We've mentioned how well Gee pitched last season before being shut down for the year because of injury.  But that's the thing about pitchers like Gee.  He has potential to rack up the strikeouts, but deep down, he is a pitch-to-contact pitcher.  When pitchers like Gee don't have their best stuff and can't fight through it, they'll have nights like these.  Should be very interesting how he bounces back in his next start.  

NOW WE CAN START THE SEASON

Washington Nationals' 1B Adam LaRoche had zero hits.  Now he has two hits after his team beat the White Sox last night.  Both of his hits are homeruns.  Talk about an "all-or-nothing" approach.  LaRoche has always had a reputation for being a slow starter for his teams so it's not surprising that's he's off to the slowest of starts this year as well.  But he is struggling so bad that in the game where he hit 2 homers, he also struck out twice.  A deeper look shows that LaRoche, this season has been swinging for more strikes than in years past.  Of the 57% of pitches that are called for strikes, 24% have been of the swing-and-miss variety--his career average is 17%.  Only 12% of those pitches are actually called strikes because of foul balls--he averages 27%.  

So his timing, clearly, is not there yet, but getting back to his all-or-nothing approach, he's hit a lot more flyballs than groundballs so far this season so when he does make contact, he's looking to drive the ball into the air, but only 17% of his contact have been line drives (career line-drive% of 20%).  Because of this approach, he's suffering the worst Balls-in-Play% of his career (only 56% compared to a career 64%) and of those flyballs, 20% are not leaving the infield.  That's a lot of pop outs.  Will have to keep tabs on this guy and reconvene next week for an update.  

PICK YOUR POISON

If you can only have one closer on your team, who would it be: Carlos Marmol  or John Axford?

Outside of strikeouts, Marmol has struggled mightily with control and looks like he's pitching batting practice when he comes out of the bullpen.  Hitters have posted an OPS of 1.490.  Yikes!  It also doesn't help that Marmol is a flyball pitcher who can't produce outs via the flyout (most of his outs this season have come by way of groundouts).  His line-drive% against is 29% and it doesn't help that 27% of the strikes that he throws are put into play (above career average).  Obviously, hitters aren't being fooled or deceived by his pitches as Marmol only has a 13% in swinging-strike%.  And he gets ahead of the hitters more times than not.  55% of the time he throws a first-pitch strike.  32% of hitters see themselves down 0-2 in the count (much higher than his 2012 rate).  But as mentioned before, it's like he's pitching batting practice out there as these hitters, so far, are hungry when they see him out there--Marmol's contact percentage is a high, 80%!

And then there's Axford: he has a line-drive% against of 53%, OPS against of 1.828, a whopping 41% of his strikes are put in play (about twice his career average).  His contact% is much lower than Marmol's however and has a higher swinging-strikes% than Marmol (22%).    Only 19% of hitters see themselves at an 0-2 count.  However, he puts himself at a disadvantage by giving hitters a 3-0 count, 14% of the time (well above his norm).  

So of the two, who has a better chance to rebound?  The numbers are absolutely horrendous and I was trying to look for positives and couldn't find much.  If I have to pick one that is most likely to improve as the season progresses, it's probably Marmol.  At least he's getting ahead of the count more often than Axford.  Maybe it's a sign.  Or maybe it's not.  

And on that sour note...

#BrewersCubs thinking trade now: #marmolfor #axford straight up? #Tradetalk
— Felipe M (@pathological_h8) April 8, 2013

More MLB content is available here.  

MAKING THE PITCH: Houston Astros

Updated #Astros projection after RHP Jordan Lyles and RHP John Ely optioned to minors. mlbdepthcharts.com/2012/02/housto…
— Jason Martinez (@mlbdepthcharts) March 20, 2013

Felipe M

We take a look at the projected starting rotations and closer situations of every MLB team.  Of course, this will come from a fantasy perspective.  All cited stats are based on 2013 projections.  

To see our preview of the Tampa Rays, click here.

Now let's take a look (unfortunately) on the Houston Astros:

2013 PITCHING PROJECTIONS
Player	K/BB	K/9	BB/9	H/9	WHIP	HR/A
Bud Norris	2.49	8.75	3.52	8.70	1.36	1.11
Erik Bedard	2.25	8.28	3.67	8.21	1.32	1.01
Lucas Harrell	1.66	6.14	3.69	8.68	1.37	0.69

It's funny to mention Jordan Lyles as he was penciled in as the #4 starter earlier in the spring.  It's worth monitoring him because of his potential, but his numbers are somewhere in between mediocre and adequate.  He was projected to post a 1.36 WHIP so perhaps getting optioned to the Minors wasn't a bad thing.  

But trying to figure out this team is absolutely frustrating.  Their offense is terrible and their pitching staff is slightly better--that's not saying much.  Lucas Harrell is supposed to be the #2 pitcher.  At one point in the spring, he was actually competing for the #1 role!  Following Harrell is Phil Humber.  Humber's numbers were so bad, that I decided to keep him away from my Pitchers' Big Board.  I don't care that he's pitched a perfect game, I don't want him anywhere near my team.  That goes for Harrell as well.  For the sake of balance, both Humber and Harrell have pitched pretty well this spring.  So perhaps there's some hope for these guys; it won't happen on my team.    

Also not listed is closer, Jose Veras.  Aside from having to fend off other relievers (like prospect Jarred Cosart), Veras' career and projected numbers were so terrible, that I decided to not place his name on the "big board."  He has issues with control and high WHIP, but on the bright side, he can rack up the K's.  Proceed with caution.  

Barring setback or something unforeseen, Erik Bedard's expected to make #Houston #Astros' 25-man roster. #MLB
— Brian T. Smith (@ChronAstros) March 22, 2013

It is amazing that there was enough competition for Erik Bedard to not be named to the starting rotation until this week.  He is penciled in as the #4 starter.  He does come with baggage, however: injury history, decreased production, age, etc.  Nevertheless, his projection shows that he still can be an adequate, fantasy pitcher.  Currently, he's ranked between Ervin Santana and Ricky Nolasco on our "Big Board."  A deep sleeper if he can stay healthy and find a way to drop his walk rate.  

And yes, there's still an open competition for the #5 slot.  Brad Peacock has the pedigree and the spring numbers to best his opponent, Alex White. Somehow, Peacock worked his way from a predictable trip back to the Minors, to being on the verge of starting the year with the Big League club.  Unfortunately, he's projected to have issues with walks and finish with a WHIP of 1.40.  

Finally, Bud Norris is the opening day starter.  Besides the K/9, his numbers are not very impressive.  I have him stuck between soft-tossers, Jeremy Guthrie and Ross Detwiler.  

More MLB content is available here.  

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #15-11

 A lot of Mariners' players were on this list.  Seattle is looking
to get back to their "glory" days and are hoping that their
young, pitching prospects can lead them to success.
(photo courtesy of Felipe M)

Felipe M

15. James Paxton--SP--Seattle Mariners

• 2012 Outlook: "Dominant in 1st year of Minors.  Big League call-up may not be too far off in 2012."
• 2012 Achievements: #4 Prospect in Mariners' system as well as having its Best Curveball; #10 Prospect in Southern League.
• Conclusion: The Mariners are loaded with young, hot prospects and Paxton is one of them.  His Double-A numbers saw Paxton struggle a bit with control, but was still able to display dominance: K/BB 2.4; WHIP 1.31; H/9 7.7; BB/9 4.1; K/9 10.0.  Paxton was invitied to the Mariners' spring training camp, but it is very likely he will be returning to the Minors in 2013, but many scouts think he can be a top-of-the-rotation starter and a mid-season call-up would not be out of the ordinary.

14. Brad Peacock--SP--Houston Astros

• 2012 Outlook: "If he makes the A's roster, he can be the 2012 version of Brandon Beachy."
• 2012 Achievements: #4 A's prospect
• Conclusion: After performing well in the Nationals' system, he struggled mightily in Pacific Coast league last season post the following numbers: K/BB 2.11; K/9 9.3; BB/9 4.4; HR/9 1.1; H/9 9.8; WHIP 1.58.  He recently was traded along with Chris Carter to Houston for SS Jed Lowrie.

13. Jacob Turner--SP--Miami Marlins

• 2012 Outlook: "'Control artist' should make his way to the Big Leagues in 2012."
• 2012 Achievements: Started 10 games the Majors. 
• Conclusion: Turner was traded to Miami for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante as Detroit was stocking up for a playoff run.  Before being called up, Turner garnered 18 pitching starts in the Minors:  K/BB 1.95; WHIP 1.24; BB/9 3.3; H/9 7.9; K/9 6.4.  His MLB stat line looks like this: K/BB 2.25, WHIP 1.20; BB/9 2.62; H/9 8.2; K/9 5.9.  So very similar numbers, but slightly improved his walks in the Majors.  Turner's ticket to the Majors is his control and is projected to start in the middle of the rotation.  A concern is his low strikeout rate as many scouts and experts are starting to doubt his reputation as a potential, elite starter.  

12. Randall Delgado--SP--Arizona Diamondbacks

Seattle was also in pursuit of Justin Upton this offseason and
were willing to give up their promising prospects for him.
Instead, Upton will be playing in Atlanta with his
brother B.J.
(photo courtesy of Mike McCann's Field of Fotos)

• 2012 Outlook: "Might start the season in the Big Leagues depending if Tim Hudson is healthy."
• 2012 Achievements: Made 17 pitching starts for the Atlanta Braves last season.
• Conclusion: Delgado was dealt to Arizona in the Justin Upton trade. Very likely that Delgado will get a shot to compete for the back end of Arizona's rotation in spring training.  His numbers in Triple-A: K/BB 2.38; K/9 10.4; BB/9 4.4; H/9 9.0; WHIP 1.49.  His numbers for the 2012 MLB season: K/BB 1.81; K/9 7.38; BB/9 4.08; H/9 8.69; WHIP 1.41.  So clearly he needs to show he can improve his control and command, but has also shown dominance throughout his young career as well and that's why he remains such an enticing pitcher. 

11. Duane Below--SP--Detroit Tigers

• 2012 Outlook: "Might make the Tigers as team's 5th starter out of spring training."
• 2012 Achievements: Appeared in 27 games for the Tigers, including one pitching start.
• Conclusion: Posted solid numbers as a reliever last year.  His K/9 did dip to an ordinary 5.66.  Might start 2013 in the Minors as well. Triple-A stats: WHIP 1.30; H/9 8.4; BB/9 3.3; K/9 6.1; K/BB 1.84.  So it is noticeable that Below's strikeout rate has been dropping throughout his career as he continues to struggle with command and tries to improve his walks' totals.  

Prospects #20-16 are available here.

Prospects #10-6 are available here.

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #35-31

Felipe M

The following is a review of a list that was compiled way back in March of 2012.  "2012 Outlooks" are based on a summation of scouting reports (entering the 2012 MLB season) of each player condensed into a sentence or two for easier reading.

35. Joe Benson--OF--Minnesota Twins

• 2012 Outlook: "Future 20-20 player, but needs to raise contact rate and lower strikeouts."
• 2012 Achievements: N/A
• Conclusion: Benson struggled in 2012, but they can be attributed to hand and knee surgeries. Despite a down 2012, GM Terry Ryan is expecting Benson to compete for CF spot in 2013. Benson, however, is far away from ready. He has posted a career BB:K of .43 in the Minors justifying the concern over his patience. Also, Benson needs to show more efficiency when attempint to steal bases. As much as the Twins are high on Benson, his Slash Line seems to be that of a solid, but unspectacular player: .258/.351/.430/.782.

34. Jerry Sands--OF--Pittsburgh Pirates

• 2012 Outlook: "Strong finish to the 2011 MLB season, but might be heading back to Triple-A in 2012. However, as soon as a spot in the OF opens, he'll be the first one up for the Dodgers."
• 2012 Achievements: N/A
• Conclusion: After being traded to the Red Sox in the big Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez deal, the Red Sox traded him to the Pirates in the trade for Joel Hanrahan. Sands did manage to garner 23 at bats for the Dodgers last season (struck out 9 times). He has also proven to be a versatile defender, capable of playing anywhere in the OF and has even played at 1B, and a couple of games at 3B. His Minor League Slash Line is as follows: .289/.376/.562/.938 along with a BB:K of .56. He is currently listed as the 3rd RF in the Pirates' depth chart. 

33. Matt Adams--1B--St. Louis Cardinals

• 2012 Outlook: "Starting 1B for the Cardinals by 2013." 
• 2012 Achievements: #19 Prospect in Pacific Coast League
• Conclusion: Adams is a big guy with legit power. He garnered 86 at bats with the Cardinals last season and struck out 24 times. And then he was forced to have surgery to remove bone spur from his right elbow in August, but should be ready by spring training. Unfortunately, with Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter at the top of the Cards' depth chart, Adams' chance at the Big Leagues will continue to be delayed. Baseball experts and fans alike have been waiting in anticipation to see if Adams is the real deal. Power and production has been improving in the Minors since 2010 (from A-ball to Triple-A) and has show adequate patience, posting a BB:K of .60. Adams just needs an opportunity in the Majors to see if skills and abilities can streamline to the Big Leagues. 

32. Jonathan Singleton--1B--Houston Astros

Singleton showing off his big bat.

• 2012 Outlook: "20 year-old can hit for high average and high power."
• 2012 Achievements: Played in Arizona Fall League; #5 Prospect in Texas League; #2 Prospect in Astros' organization as well as the system's Best Hitter for Average.
• Conclusion: Singleton will have to be called up sometime in 2013, but the Astros have pretty much tried to defer having to call-up the young power hitter by signing Carlos Pena and even flirting with the idea of reuniting with Lance Berkman. In the Minors, Singleton has shown discipline (BB:K .70) and production (Slash Line: .291/.394/.470/.864). Reports have shown Singleton to compete for a spot in the Astros' roster in spring training, to projecting his call-up for September.  Singleton will be worth monitoring even in the Minors.

31. Adam C. Eaton--OF--Arizona Diamondbacks

• 2012 Outlook: "Shane Victorino-like. Might step in 2012 if somebody gets hurt." 
• 2012 Achievements: #12 Prospect in Pacific Coast League as well as the League's Fastest Baserunner and Most Exciting Player.
• Conclusion: Eaton did indeed get called up and filled in for a hurt D'backs' OF. He held his own in 85 Big League at bats posting a BB:K of .93(!), .259 batting average, and a .382 on-base%. He has a career .456 OBP%, .966 OPS, and a BB:K of .85 in the Minors. Despite all of the impressive numbers, Eaton is expected to compete for CF spot in 2013 and will most likely be on a short leash as he will be shipped back to the Minors at the fist sign of struggle. However, Eaton has shown flashes of his potential and despite the lack of size, he has show, thus far, that he can be a prototypical baseball player. 

Prospects #40-36 are available here.

Prospects #30-26 are available here. 

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #50-46

Felipe M

The following is a review of a list that was compiled way back in March of 2012.  "2012 Outlooks" are based on a summation of scouting reports (entering the 2012 MLB season) of each player condensed into a sentence or two for easier reading.

50. Jake Marisnick--OF--Miami Marlins

• 2012 Outlook: "Long-term, but can hit for power/average and is fast."
• 2012 Accomplishments: #2 Prospect for Toronto Blue Jays as well as Best OF Arm and Best Outfielder in their farm system; #11 and #9 Best Prospect in Florida State and Eastern Leagues, respectively. 
• Conclusion: Marisnick was traded to Miami in the trade that brought Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio, Mark Buehrle, and John Buck to Toronto. Marisnick posted decent stats in Hi-A Ball (.263/.349/.451/.800), but struggled in Double-A, posting Slash Lines of .233/.286/.336/.622). He did manage to steal 24 bases in 2012 proving that he is fast on the basepaths. However, Marisnick will have to have a better season in Double-A before the Marlins even think about calling him up to the Big Club. 

49. Gerrit Cole--SP--Pittsburgh Pirates

• 2012 Outlook: "Looked sharp in [2011] Arizona Fall League. Might make the Big Leagues by late 2012."
• 2012 Accomplishments: #2 Prospect and Best Fastball in Florida State League; #3 Best Prospect in Eastern League.
• Conclusion: If there was any more wonder as to why the Diamondbacks traded away prize prospect Trevor Bauer, Cole might have known something about Bauer that others might not have as both were teammates at UCLA and both were high draft picks in 2011. Should be interesting to see how both pitchers' careers will continue to connect with each other. Sort of similar to the 2012 NFL QB Class of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, etc. The Pirates are taking their time with Cole, but Cole is accelerating rapidly beginning his first year of Professional Baseball in High-A Ball and made one start in Triple-A in 2012. Last year, Cole posted dominant stats, but a BB/9 of 3.1 is a slight alarm. 

48. Matt Dominguez--3B--Houston Astros

• 2012 Outlook: "Ready to play in the Majors, but bat is suspect."
• 2012 Accomplishments: Best Defensive 3B in Pacific Coast League
• Conclusion: Dominguez came to the Astros via Miami in a trade that sent Carlos Lee to the Marlins in July. Dominguez actually was called up to Houston in September, but instead of battling pitchers, he was battling a sore wrist and a stomach ailment that sidelined him throughout the month. Dominguez had shown decent discipline in Triple-A, although power numbers were lacking. In the Majors, however, he did hit .284 with a SLG% of .477, but his BB:K of .24 and on-base% of .310 did not fully display the discipline he had showcased in the Minors. His glove has always been his ticket to the Majors and the Astros are content with giving him a shot at the hot corner this season. Needless to say, he needs to start finding a way to put the bat on the ball.

47. James Darnell--3B--San Diego Padres

• 2012 Outlook: "High average hitter with 20+ homerun power potential."
• 2012 Accomplishments: N/A
• Conclusion: Darnell spent most of his 2012 season on the DL with a left shoulder injury. Darnell had all ready proven that, despite power still in development, he can post a high contact rate and an even more impressive OBP%. The good news for Darnell in 25 games with the Padres, thus far, he has been able to display strong plate discipline. The smart money is to bet on Darnell to start 2013 in Triple-A, but has an outside chance of winning a bench role with the Padres. Either way, it's worth keeping an eye on Darnell throughout the upcoming season.

46. Trayvon Robinson--OF--Baltimore Orioles

• 2012 Outlook: "Had a great spring training session (2012), but will be sent to the Minors. Might come up later in '12."
• 2012 Accomplishments: N/A
• Conclusion: Robinson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Robert Andino in the fall. Robinson had a tough time in the Majors last season and was all ready struggling in Triple-A Tacoma with lack of plate discipline, power, and on-base%. He might be able to compete for a 4th OF spot for the Orioles, but it's highly doubtful. 

Prospects #55-51 can be reviewed here. 

Prospects #45-41 can be reviewed here. 

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #85-81

Felipe M

The following is a review of a list that was compiled way back in March of 2012.  "2012 Outlooks" are based on a summation of scouting reports (entering the 2012 MLB season) of each player condensed into a sentence or two for easier reading.

85. Anthony Ranaudo--SP--Boston Red Sox

• 2012 Outlook: "Will be ready to compete for rotation spot in 2013."
• 2012 Achievements: Pitched in Puerto Rican League in the fall.
• Conclusion: A nasty pattern has developed in Ranaudo's game--since A-Ball, his Hit and Walk rates have gone up while his K/9 have gone down. 2012 was no different as he continues to display command issues.  He's too young to give up on and standing at 6'7", 231 lbs., his big size might also be another reason for recent struggles as bigger pitchers tend to take a bit longer to develop.

84. Bobby Borchering--3B--Houston Astros

• 2012 Outlook: "Will be moved to LF.  Still has plenty of power.  Long-term prospect at age 20."
• 2012 Achievements: Played in Arizona Fall League.
• Conclusion: Borchering was shipped to Houston from Arizona for Chris Johnson.  At such a young age, he's already played at 4 different positions (LF, RF, 1B, and 3B).  The versatility is there, but Borchering has a few more seasons to go before he can make an impact on the big league team.  He has pretty good power potential, but is very impatient at the plate posting low on-base% and striking out once every 3 at bats.

83. Jeff Locke--SP--Pittsburgh Pirates

• 2012 Outlook: "Lefty with strong command.  Might make Majors by 2012."
• 2012 Achievements: Made 8 pitching appearances in Majors; #9 International League prospect.
• Conclusion: Locke has a propensity to be hittable, but reputation of having "strong command" followed him in the big leagues.  The low walk rate, high strikeout rate and decent WHIP that he posted in the Minors translated fairly well in the Majors last season.  He will most likely crack the Pirates' rotation.  If he does, he will make a solid, but unspectacular starting pitcher.

82. Liam Hendriks--SP--Minnesota Twins

• 2012 Outlook: "Control artist to compete for rotation, but not likely to make opening day roster (2012)."
• 2012 Achievements: Started 16 games for the Twins last season.
• Conclusion: Hendriks is your prototypical Twins' pitching prospect--solid strikeout rate to go along with a very low walk rate and displays good command on his pitches. However, his K/9 has been dropping at every stop in the Minors since 2010, so that's a concern. Also has shown to be hittable so he might depend on defense to make plays for him rather on his stuff.  In the 16 games he pitched for the Twins, big-league hitters were able to take advantage of him last season.  Regardless of his struggles, he more than likely has the inside track on the Twins' starting rotation next season.

81. Jarred Cosart--P--Houston Astros

• 2012 Outlook: "Ace potential, but could become a closer too."
• 2012 Achievements: Started in AFL's Rising Stars Game; #7 Prospect in Houston Astros' system along with organization's Best Curveball. #19 Prospect in Texas League.
• Conclusion: Cosart had the tough task in pitching in both the Texas and Pacific Coast League--two very hitter-friendly leagues. Predictably, his hit rate was high, but so was his walk rate (4.0 BB/9 in 2012).  K/9 rate was solid, but unspectacular. This could be attributed to the fact that Cosart has been working on keeping his pitches low in the strike zone.  Cosart has proven to be a groundball pitcher in his Minor League career.  Scouts have admired his raw talent, but the Astros would be content to see Cosart crack the Astros' roster in 2013 as their permanent closer. 

Prospects #90-86 can be viewed here.

Prospects #80-76 can be viewed here.

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #95-91

Felipe M

The following is a review of a list that was compiled way back in March of 2012.  "2012 Outlooks" are based on a summation of scouting reports (entering the 2012 MLB season) of each player condensed into a sentence or two for easier reading.

95. Jurickson Profar--SS--Texas Rangers

• 2012 Outlook: "Great strike zone recognition, but a couple of years away."
• 2012 Achievements: Played 9 games for the Texas Rangers; #1 Prospect in Texas League along with being named Best Defensive SS in TL.
• Conclusion: His great approach at the plate was evident in 2012 along with a high contact rate.  Has shown capable skills when it comes to getting on base.  Once he gets on base, he can be a major threat on the basepaths.  He may need to spend more time at the gym and try to bulk up a little, but Profar is on the right path to becoming a Major League regular.

94. Jonathan Schoop--2B--Baltimore Orioles

• 2012 Outlook: "Decent pop, but long-term player."
• 2012 Achievements: Added to the Orioles' 40 man roster; Played in Arizona Fall League where he posted stats of .270/.446/.429 and showed good approach at the plate; #14 Prospect in Eastern League; Best Power Hitter and Infield Arm in Orioles' system
• Conclusion: At 21, Schoop has a lot of growing up to do.  Since moving up from Rookie Ball, he has shown unimpressive power numbers and posted a pedestrian OBP%, while showing a mediocre approach at the plate.  On top of that, the O's are not sure what position he should ultimately play (has seen action at 2B, SS, 3B, and even LF). Despite all of his deficiencies, scouts are still fascinated by his potential and still believe that Schoop's power potential will eventually come to fruition.

93. Xander Bogaerts--SS--Boston Red Sox

• 2012 Outlook: "Power for SS, but at 19, he's still years away."
• 2012 Achievements: Red Sox announced that Bogaerts will join team in 2013 Spring Training; #1 Prospect, Best Power Hitter, and Best Athlete in Red Sox farm system; #2 Best Prospect in Carolina League.
• Conclusion: OPS keeps increasing as he moves up in class, justifying reports of his immense power potential.  He is tall, but lanky so body is not fully developed.  His approach at the plate is a small flaw. Despite the Red Sox inviting him to Spring Training, they have been adamant in moving Bogaerts very slowly through their system so he remains a long-term project.

92. Mike Olt--3B--Texas Rangers

• 2012 Outlook: "Impressed in [2011] Arizona Fall League, but still needs to work on contact skills."
• 2012 Achievements: Appeared in 16 games for the Rangers; #4 Best Prospect in Texas League as well as the league's Best Power Prospect
• Conclusion: Despite being called up, Olt did very little to impress anybody while with the Rangers. He had a decent 2012 in the Minors, boasting a BB:K of .603 and displaying the power that has scouts chirping. He also played in Dominican League with mediocre results (.256 batting average).  However, probably the biggest news of the off season was probably the Rangers' interest in acquiring Justin Upton from the Diamonbacks. Rumors had Olt being traded to Atltanta for #96 ranked prospect, Andrelton Simmons and in turn, trade Simmons to D'backs for Upton.  Then again, if Arizona wanted Simmons, they would rather just trade for him straight up, no?  Either way, look for Olt to continue to spend a majority of his time in the Minors next season.

91. Delino DeShields Jr.--2B--Houston Astros

• 2012 Outlook: "Very fast, but at 19, long-term prospect."
• 2012 Achievements: #6 Prospect along with being the Houston Astros' Fastest Baserunner; #12 South Atlantic League's Best Prospect as well as being the league's Fastest and Best Baserunner. 
• Conclusion: DeShields reminds me of Dee Gordon as both players' have above-average speed.  Father was former big leaguer, Delino DeShields so pedigree is there. Young Delino also showed a lot more patience at the plate in 2012. He will probably not hit for power, but can certainly get on base.  Baseball America predicts that he will have to eventually move to centerfield.  Wherever he plays, the Astros look to have their leadoff hitter of the future in their system. 

Prospects #100-96 are available here.

Prospects #90-86 are now available.