Post by Anvil Chucker on Mar 25, 2013 16:06:25 GMT -5
Looking to trade some of my prospects for good young players (27 or younger). Email (kosmo@ObservingCasually.com) is probably your best bet.
Scouting reports are from Baseball Prospectus, copied ver batim. For those who might not be familiar with the scouting scale, it's a 20 to 80 (often shorted to 2 to 8, as in this case). 50 is average MLBer. 60 is one standard deviation above, 80 is three standard deviations above, etc.
SP Zack Wheeler (BP #5 overall)Position: RHP
DOB: 05/30/1990
Height/Weight: 6’4’’ 185 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2009 draft (Giants), East Paulding High School (Dallas, GA)
2012 Stats: 3.26 ERA (116 IP, 92 H, 117 K, 43 BB) at Double-A Binghamton; 3.27 ERA (33 IP, 23 H, 31 K, 16 BB) at Triple-A Buffalo
The Tools: 7 FB; 6+ CB; 5+ SL; 5 CH
What Happened in 2012: Wheeler continued on his path to the show without losing any of his prospect shine, showing major league-quality stuff at the highest levels of the minors.
Strengths: Excellent size/leverage; high-end arm strength; fastball works in plus-plus velocity range; very easy cheese; good late action to the arm-side; present curveball is plus offering and projects to be a true 7 pitch; heavy depth/tight rotation; slider plays above-average; can manipulate length; can feature very sharp slice; impressive secondary command; pitchability in addition to stuff.
Weaknesses: Delivery works despite some rough edges, but he doesn’t always finish; tendency to elevate and work up in the zone; fastball command isn’t sharp; changeup can get too firm and lose depth/action.
Overall Future Potential: 7; no. 1 starter
Explanation of Risk: Moderate risk; pitchability and stuff; already achieved success in the upper minors.
SP Taijuan Walker (BP #9 overall)Position: RHP
DOB: 08/13/1992
Height/Weight: 6’4’’ 210 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2010 draft, Yucaipa High School (Yucaipa, CA)
2012 Stats: 4.69 ERA (126.2 IP, 124 H, 118 K, 50 BB) at Double-A Jackson
The Tools: 7 FB; 6 potential CB; 6 CT
What Happened in 2012: After an impressive full-season debut in 2011, Walker jumped straight to Double-A in 2012, making 25 starts and blossoming into one the top pitching prospects in the game.
Strengths: Ultra-fast arm; impressive size/athleticism; from easy release, fastball works in the 93-97 range; pitch shows late action to the arm-side; can push velocity higher in bursts; curveball flashes plus and should develop into consistent plus offering; pitch features a tight rotation and heavy vertical action; cut fastball already plays as a plus pitch, with upper-80s/low 90s velocity and late glove-side slice; shows some feel for a changeup; high-end competitor.
Weaknesses: Arm action can get long; delivery can lose lower half/get arm-heavy; fastball command is fringe-average; can slip under curveball and lose the sharp break; can get slurvy and loose; changeup can get deliberate and lacks turnover.
Overall Future Potential: 7; no. 1 starter profile
Explanation of Risk: High risk; likely to be a major-league pitcher, but high-end ceiling comes with risk; needs command improvement; secondary consistency.
Fantasy Future: Has the potential to be a true top-of-the-rotation arm, with high strikeout ability.
The Year Ahead: Walker is far from a finished product, so he will need more seasoning in the minors in order to refine his command and improve his secondary offerings. With a potent fastball and a nasty cutter, Walker can often look more like a reliever who is starting than a true starter, so he will need to add more nuance to the arsenal by taking steps forward with the changeup and finding more consistency with the curveball. The total package could be a legit no. 1 starter at the highest level, but there is more work to be done before the Mariners can celebrate that reality.
SS Javier Baez (BP #20 overall)Position: SS
DOB: 12/01/1992
Height/Weight: 6’1’’ 205 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2011 draft, Arlington Country Day School (Jacksonville, FL)
2012 Stats: .333/.383/.596 at Low-A Peoria (57 games); .188/.244/.400 at High-A Daytona (23 games)
The Tools: Hit tool could be elite; easy plus-plus raw power; 7 arm
What Happened in 2012: Baez made his full-season debut and absolutely raked in the often-chilly, pitcher-friendly environment of the Midwest League, showing the ability to hit for both average and power.
Strengths: Bat speed is off-the-charts; hands are incredible on both sides of the ball; electricity in the bat; very loud contact ability; hit tool could develop into monster status; raw power is at least a 7 and could end up playing that high at full maturity; arm is a 7; actions at shortstop are fluid and easy.
Weaknesses: Wild approach at the plate; swings with violent intensity; taking hacks is putting it mildly; will expand his zone and chase; pitch-recognition skills have been called into question; needs to slow the game down; overplays; range at shortstop only catalyst in down-the-line position change; fringe 5 runner at present who could end up a 4 at physical maturity
Overall Future Potential: 7; all-star level player
Explanation of Risk: Extreme risk; plays the game with reckless approach; needs to mature to reach potential; could be very special or very frustrating.
Fantasy Future: If everything clicks, Baez could hit for both a high average and high power (30-plus HR) from a position on the left side of the infield. He could be a monster.
The Year Ahead: Baez will most likely return to the Florida State League, where his aggressive approach led to weak contact and missed bats in his limited run in 2012. Pitchers at that level are equipped to expand the zone and sequence their arsenal, and Baez is a very see-ball, hit-ball type of hitter, so he will need to gain maturity with his approach to hitting; develop a plan at the plate. The raw talent could make him one of the best prospects in the minors, as he has the type of loud tools that impact games. But his overall approach is loose and hyperactive, and will need to find a balance between intensity and field intelligence to move forward.
Scouting reports are from Baseball Prospectus, copied ver batim. For those who might not be familiar with the scouting scale, it's a 20 to 80 (often shorted to 2 to 8, as in this case). 50 is average MLBer. 60 is one standard deviation above, 80 is three standard deviations above, etc.
SP Zack Wheeler (BP #5 overall)Position: RHP
DOB: 05/30/1990
Height/Weight: 6’4’’ 185 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2009 draft (Giants), East Paulding High School (Dallas, GA)
2012 Stats: 3.26 ERA (116 IP, 92 H, 117 K, 43 BB) at Double-A Binghamton; 3.27 ERA (33 IP, 23 H, 31 K, 16 BB) at Triple-A Buffalo
The Tools: 7 FB; 6+ CB; 5+ SL; 5 CH
What Happened in 2012: Wheeler continued on his path to the show without losing any of his prospect shine, showing major league-quality stuff at the highest levels of the minors.
Strengths: Excellent size/leverage; high-end arm strength; fastball works in plus-plus velocity range; very easy cheese; good late action to the arm-side; present curveball is plus offering and projects to be a true 7 pitch; heavy depth/tight rotation; slider plays above-average; can manipulate length; can feature very sharp slice; impressive secondary command; pitchability in addition to stuff.
Weaknesses: Delivery works despite some rough edges, but he doesn’t always finish; tendency to elevate and work up in the zone; fastball command isn’t sharp; changeup can get too firm and lose depth/action.
Overall Future Potential: 7; no. 1 starter
Explanation of Risk: Moderate risk; pitchability and stuff; already achieved success in the upper minors.
SP Taijuan Walker (BP #9 overall)Position: RHP
DOB: 08/13/1992
Height/Weight: 6’4’’ 210 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2010 draft, Yucaipa High School (Yucaipa, CA)
2012 Stats: 4.69 ERA (126.2 IP, 124 H, 118 K, 50 BB) at Double-A Jackson
The Tools: 7 FB; 6 potential CB; 6 CT
What Happened in 2012: After an impressive full-season debut in 2011, Walker jumped straight to Double-A in 2012, making 25 starts and blossoming into one the top pitching prospects in the game.
Strengths: Ultra-fast arm; impressive size/athleticism; from easy release, fastball works in the 93-97 range; pitch shows late action to the arm-side; can push velocity higher in bursts; curveball flashes plus and should develop into consistent plus offering; pitch features a tight rotation and heavy vertical action; cut fastball already plays as a plus pitch, with upper-80s/low 90s velocity and late glove-side slice; shows some feel for a changeup; high-end competitor.
Weaknesses: Arm action can get long; delivery can lose lower half/get arm-heavy; fastball command is fringe-average; can slip under curveball and lose the sharp break; can get slurvy and loose; changeup can get deliberate and lacks turnover.
Overall Future Potential: 7; no. 1 starter profile
Explanation of Risk: High risk; likely to be a major-league pitcher, but high-end ceiling comes with risk; needs command improvement; secondary consistency.
Fantasy Future: Has the potential to be a true top-of-the-rotation arm, with high strikeout ability.
The Year Ahead: Walker is far from a finished product, so he will need more seasoning in the minors in order to refine his command and improve his secondary offerings. With a potent fastball and a nasty cutter, Walker can often look more like a reliever who is starting than a true starter, so he will need to add more nuance to the arsenal by taking steps forward with the changeup and finding more consistency with the curveball. The total package could be a legit no. 1 starter at the highest level, but there is more work to be done before the Mariners can celebrate that reality.
SS Javier Baez (BP #20 overall)Position: SS
DOB: 12/01/1992
Height/Weight: 6’1’’ 205 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2011 draft, Arlington Country Day School (Jacksonville, FL)
2012 Stats: .333/.383/.596 at Low-A Peoria (57 games); .188/.244/.400 at High-A Daytona (23 games)
The Tools: Hit tool could be elite; easy plus-plus raw power; 7 arm
What Happened in 2012: Baez made his full-season debut and absolutely raked in the often-chilly, pitcher-friendly environment of the Midwest League, showing the ability to hit for both average and power.
Strengths: Bat speed is off-the-charts; hands are incredible on both sides of the ball; electricity in the bat; very loud contact ability; hit tool could develop into monster status; raw power is at least a 7 and could end up playing that high at full maturity; arm is a 7; actions at shortstop are fluid and easy.
Weaknesses: Wild approach at the plate; swings with violent intensity; taking hacks is putting it mildly; will expand his zone and chase; pitch-recognition skills have been called into question; needs to slow the game down; overplays; range at shortstop only catalyst in down-the-line position change; fringe 5 runner at present who could end up a 4 at physical maturity
Overall Future Potential: 7; all-star level player
Explanation of Risk: Extreme risk; plays the game with reckless approach; needs to mature to reach potential; could be very special or very frustrating.
Fantasy Future: If everything clicks, Baez could hit for both a high average and high power (30-plus HR) from a position on the left side of the infield. He could be a monster.
The Year Ahead: Baez will most likely return to the Florida State League, where his aggressive approach led to weak contact and missed bats in his limited run in 2012. Pitchers at that level are equipped to expand the zone and sequence their arsenal, and Baez is a very see-ball, hit-ball type of hitter, so he will need to gain maturity with his approach to hitting; develop a plan at the plate. The raw talent could make him one of the best prospects in the minors, as he has the type of loud tools that impact games. But his overall approach is loose and hyperactive, and will need to find a balance between intensity and field intelligence to move forward.