New York Yankees top 50 prospects

[rician blast]

Yes, commendable work by the Jacks, but I gotta break his stones anyway.

[BSN07]

Originally Posted by rician blast

Yes, commendable work by the Jacks, but I gotta break his stones anyway.

^ This

I enjoy his enthusiam and give him credit for his hard work.

I'm still bustin chops though

[jacksonianmarch]

Originally Posted by rician blast

Yes, commendable work by the Jacks, but I gotta break his stones anyway.

I wouldnt have it any other way. Keeps me sharp.

Also, for reference, some people may notice that I am leaving a few players off, notably Melancon, Cervelli, Pena and Dunn. All have made their debuts in NY, so I have left them off my rankings.

14. Christian Garcia, RHP, 24yrs old 2-0 0.71ERA 25.1IP 1.26WHIP 8.6K/9IP 1.4K/BB. This is the prototypicaly TINSTAAP player. Garcia has an arsenal to die for. He has the best curveball in the organization. He has the best changeup in the organization. He also has a fastball that can hit 98mph. The problem with this guy is that he cannot stay healthy. From cleaning out the elbow to Tommy John to a knee injury while recovering from TJS requiring surgery to once again cleaning out the elbow, the kid just cannot stay healthy. He looked very good, sans the walks (17 in 25.1IP), but nobody was hitting him. Not a soul. But he went down early with elbow surgery and SHOULD be healthy for 2010.
Strengths Has the best arsenal in the Yankee minors hands down. Plus, plus fastball, plus, plus curve. Plus change. And he has a huge 6'5" frame.
Weaknesses- He is Carl Pavano incarnate with the injuries. Also, not only is he injury-prone, but his command has suffered from the lack of experience he has.
Ceiling He has a ceiling to be one of the best pitchers in the league, hands down
Projection There is talk that he will be moved to the pen simply because he is allergic to any kind of workload. Also due to his age and the lack of mileage on his arm, it is probably for the best. If the pen works better for him and he can stay healthy, he will be an elite reliever, assuming he recovers with all his stuff post his most recent battle with the knife.
ETA- Depends on his health, but he's already on the 40 man roster, so if he goes to the pen, I expect him to be carving out a niche in NY by midseason.

15. Caleb Cotham, RHP, 21yrs old Negligible experience. Cotham was our 5th round pick from the 2009 draft as a DES and was a tough sign. But he is going to be worth it. He's a big framed pitcher with a very nasty FB-slider combination that has drawn the Joba Jr moniker from some in the scouting realm. The man also possesses a league average change and a good idea of the strike zone.
Strengths Being 6'3" and 215 pounds lends you a solid frame. He throws upwards of 95mph with the heater and has a knee-buckling slider .
Weaknesses He has minimal professional experience and the changeup will be the deciding factor between pen and rotation. He is also coming off knee surgery that blunted his college season, so we will need to see if he completely recovers from that
Ceiling If his change comes along, he can be an ace. In the pen, he's a closer type
Projection I think this kid has bullpen written all over him. His FB-slider combo is so far and away better than his change that he is probably going to be rendered a 2 pitch pitcher. And as a FB-slider guy, he could be a damn good closer if his command progresses
ETA He should definitely be in Charleston to start the yr and how fast he moves will depend on his role. The rotation is pretty clogged ahead of him, so he could get to the bigs by 2012 if he skips a couple levels over the next 2 seasons. If he gets converted to the pen, he could be an option come 2011.

16. J.R. Murphy, C, 18yrs old Negligible experience. Murphy was the Yankees second rounder out of the Pendleton school in Florida. Widely considered the best offensive high school player from the Florida High School system, Murphy was a bit of a late sign since he was an overslot signee. He played 9 games in the GCL and was a standout in instructs. Essentially, he is a raw catcher, but also has capability at 3b and LF if needed. He's essentially more of a pure hitter at this point, possessing an advanced eye for his age, good gap power, and solid contact skills.
Strengths- He's an advanced hitter for his age in almost all facets of the offensive game. He's got good speed and is taking well to the catcher's position for someone who hasnt played it regularly
Weaknesses- He is kinda a man without a position in this system. He's billed as a catcher, but the ranks are pretty deep in the Yankee system and defensively, he's nothing to write home about yet, although he is new to the position. His size will also make naysayers out of a few.
Ceiling- Scouts within the organization think of him as a similar hitter to 2008 draftee Corban Joseph, so .300, double digit homers, good OBP seems to be his ceiling
Projection way too difficult to tell
ETA From the sounds of it, Murphy impressed so much that he is likely to skip the short season leagues altogether for 2010, meaning a start in the SAL. If he were the only good catcher in the system, then I'd predict a pretty rapid rise through the system. But the ranks are really deep and I think he takes it one level per yr

17. Jairo Heredia, RHP, 19yrs old- Across 3 levels- 3-3 3.99ERA 38.1IP 1.30WHIP, 7.6K/9IP, 4.0K/BB. Heredia was as high as #9 on last yrs list prior to having an injury plagued season. And unfortunately, it was a shoulder injury that limited him this yr. No surgery was required, but he missed most of the season and when he came back, his FB was a tick or two slower. Typically, he sits in the 91-93 range, but when he came back his FB was in the 89mph range, which wont cut it as a previously billed top of the rotation starter. He still has the knee buckling curve and the plus potential changeup that is inconsistent, but the decrease in FB velocity has caused a decrease in the ratings for this promising kid
Stengths He has impeccable command of a very good arsenal. He has a plus curveball right now and has shown flashes of a plus changeup. With his prior low 90s velocity, he was a top notch pitching prospect
Weaknesses Shoulder injuries scare everyone away. And the drop in velocity is very alarming
Ceiling If the FB comes back this season, then his ceiling is as a #2 starter
Projection Really depends on the FB. If it doesnt come back, he could be a #4/5 kind of pitcher or a swing reliever. If it does, then he safely projects as a middle of the rotation starter based on arsenal and command
ETA He'll likely start 2010 in Tampa and be a quick move to Trenton if he shows up. How quickly he moves will depend on how good his stuff looks when he comes back

18. Graham Stoneburner, RHP, 21yrs old Negligible experience in 2009. The best name in the minors just might be the new Yankee sensation. Graham was a mid teens round draftee for NY as a DES and they were able to come to terms with him. And after instructs, they really are glad they did. He is a Clemson player and like his former Clemson teammate, DJ Mitchell, he is a sinkerballer. But he throws a lot harder. In instructs he was sitting in the 95-96mph range and he was untouchable. Throw in a plus slider and he was easily the biggest surprise out of instructs
Strengths Plus slider, mid 90s sinker with impeccable bite.
Weakness No changeup in sight will limit his rotation status. Also, he has very minimal pro experience
Ceiling- I think his ceiling is as a lights out reliever, be it set-up or closing
Projection- While NY loves to give all of these guys a shot at starting, I think his life will also be as a pen-man. And he'll be a good one so long as he continues to locate
ETA- He will likely be a starter in Charleston for 2010 and depending on his arsenal and control, he could move 2 levels in yr 1 a la Mitchell. If he moves to the pen quickly, he could be a big league option by mid-yr 2011.

19. Brandon Laird, 3B, 21yrs old A+ ball- .266/.329/.415. Laird is another one of those guys to take his stats with a grain of salt because he languished in the FSL. Still, he was top 10 in homers (13) and led the league in RBI (75). He was selected to go to the AFL, where he just mutilated the ball (.333/.406/.633 with 6 homers in 90ABs). The big question with him is whether he will become patient enough to crack the bigs with NY, cause his power is not under any sort of question at all.
Strengths- Light tower power for a kid who was younger than the league. Drafted in 2007 out of JuCo, he has slugged 48 homers in 2.5 seasons including enduring the difficult FSL.
Weaknesses He is billed as a 3b, but his defense isnt great over there and most think he profiles as a 1b. His contact skills are only average, although he did cut down on the K's in 2009. Also, he doesnt take walks well. Its not like he's a flat out hacker (40-ish walks for 2 yrs now) and at his position, he needs to be a total player to carve out a hole in NY
Ceiling Power hitting 3b in the bigs
Projection He could be anywhere from a Mike Cuddyer to a Ron Coomer. Difficult to say because he has shown improvements and did handle a pretty difficult hitters league. 2010 will be the barometer
ETA He'll be in a much better hitters league in 2010 in Trenton, which should make or break his progress. If he puts it all together like he is doing in the AFL, then he could put himself into NY's plans. But I see him as trade bait


20. Dellin Betances, RHP, 21yrs old 2-5 5.48ERA 44.1IP 1.69WHIP 9K/9IP 1.6K/BB. Betances continued to be an enigma in 2009 and finally underwent Tommy John surgery, something he has needed for about 2 seasons. After coming up with such promise, elbow woes and pitching motion woes have limited the seemingly limitless potential of this kid. He was still showcasing the mid 90s cheese, the nasty curve and the filthy change, but all were so inconsistent and his location was so off that he was a detriment to his team. Late season elbow pain prompted an exploratory surgery which showed the UCL to be swiss cheese, so he is out for 2010
Stengths 6'8", throws gas and has 2 pitches that look overpowering when they are on
Weaknesses Injury history, now out for 2010. Repeatability is a problem in his delivery leading to abysmal control
Ceiling- he has always had an incredibly high ceiling, and at 21, he still should.
Projection- I am slowly losing faith in this kid because he has fallen victim to both the injury bug and the stalling of development bug. Hopefully, this elbow injury was the reason for his stalled development and in 2011, he can come out and dominate
ETA He has always been a hit or miss kind of candidate. As of right now, its hard to even say he will make the bigs

[jacksonianmarch]

21. Jose Ramirez, RHP, 19yrs old GCL numbers- 6-0 1.48ERA 61IP 0.80WHIP 7.8K/9IP 3.3K/BB. Ramirez is a hell of a talent, especially at #21 in this system. Take this as one of the examples of how a system has improved their stock. This kid dominated the GCL at 19 yrs old. He throws mid 90s, 94-96mph easy, with a plus changeup already. He has great command of the strike zone as well. The curve is slow to develop at this time, but his strike zone command and 1-2 combo made hitters in the GCL look silly.
Strengths 19 yrs old, throws mid 90s with ease and has a plus changeup
Weaknesses He still hasnt hit the long season leagues and is lacking a breaking ball that he can rely on
Ceiling The good thing about having a great changeup already is that it is usually easier to teach a breaking ball than it is to teach a feel pitch like a change. His ceiling is as a top of the rotation starter
Projection another one of those TINSTAAP guys who still has a long way to go. But with his advanced arsenal and control, he should project safely into the middle or upper portion of a big league rotation. He's that good
ETA He should easily skip the short season leagues in 2010 and head right for Charleston. From there, I think he is going to find himself in a logjam, but should be big league ready by 2013.

22. Abraham Almonte, CF, 20yrs old- Charleston line- .280/.333/.391 with 36 steals. Almonte is an intriguing yet maddening prospect. He's a short switch hitter with absolute speed to burn as evidenced by the 36 steals in 41 chances. He has shown good gap power at times and a very strong knack for making good contact. The problem is, that he goes on streaks like you wouldnt believe. He'd have a 3 week stretch where he bats .600 then go 1 for 35 for the next week. He started to even out a little towards the end of the yr and he is starting to use his speed and his gap power to get some EBH (14 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers). He also went from being a SS prospect that couldnt field to one of the better CF prospects defensively. His range is uncanny and his arm is pretty damn good.
Strengths- Defensively, he's a ball hawk with a good arm. Offensively, he is a pest on the basepaths and is starting to hit for better average, a bit more power and is starting to take walks
Weaknesses- Very streaky, which renders his numbers pedestrian.
Ceiling- His ceiling is an elite defender in CF and a leadoff man in the big leagues, reminds me a lot of Chone Figgins
Projection- Difficult to say due to his streakiness. If he doesnt put together a complete season prior to his callup, then he might languish as a 4th OFer. His D and speed will get him to the show, the question is whether his bat will let him play it out as a starter
ETA Just repeated the SAL and improved, so he is headed for Tampa. He'll be a quick promote since the Yankee OF prospects arent clogging the way. I think he gets into the OF mix by 2012.

23. Kelvin Deleon, OF, 18yrs old GCL line- .269/.330/.438. Deleon was the big INTL FA signee in 2007, netting 1.5 mil to sign. His calling card is his light tower power and 5 tool potential. But when the yankees got him, they found a few holes in his game. For one, he was a tank in the OF, running routes that would make Johnny Damon look like a gold glover. He actually collided with CJ Henry a few yrs ago on a routine OF play and strained CJ's neck, knocking him out for a month. The OF situation has improved considerably since he signed. He also has the propensity to destroy fastballs, but cannot hit a curveball to save his life. Call him Serrano. Now, we just need to find Joe Boo for him so he can become a top prospect
Strengths The guy can hit the ball a mile, he has good speed, he has a cannon for an arm and is improving since his initial debachles in the OF.
Weaknesses- Still not a good routerunner but is improving and he really cannot hit anything with a wrinkle in it.
Ceiling- He has the kind of power and developing patience to develop into a middle of the order type of bat
Projection- Difficult to say because hitting a curveball is a pretty important need in the bigs. If he figures it out, he'll make it to the bigs as a starter for someone. If he doesnt, then he wont make it past AA
ETA They have taken the slow road with him so far, putting him in the DSL, then the GCL, so sending him to the NYP wouldnt be out of the question. But due to the dearth of big time OF prospects in the system, it wouldnt surprise me to see him in Charleston in 2010. After that, his ETA to the show depends directly upon his ability to hit a curve

24. Ivan Nova, RHP, 22yrs old- AA/AAA numbers- 6-8 3.68ERA, 139.1IP 1.40WHIP, 5.8K/9IP, 1.5K/BB. Ivan Nova is one of the more frustrating prospects in the Yankee system. He's got a 2 seamer that he can comfortable throw in the 94-95mph range. He has a plus curveball already and a plus changeup. He also has pretty good command of all three. The problem is, he tries to pitch to contact even though he has been told many times that being a K pitcher is better for him in the long run. He does have a good GO/AO ratio (1.7) which keeps the runs down and the balls in the park, but with his stuff, he should be striking batters out. A testament to his stuff, SD took him in the Rule V last yr and tried him in the pen. He did the same thing for them and quickly ended up back in the Yankee system. So, he is what he is. A guy with tantalizing, overpowering stuff who throws to contact. He did have a good yr in AA and ran into a bit of bad luck in AAA this yr. But overall, there is a reason why a guy with his stuff is so low in the rankings.
Strengths- The guy has a dynamite arsenal
Weaknesses- He doesnt use his arsenal like he should
Ceiling- He could be a top of the rotation starter if he changed his mentality, but thats more difficult than teaching a new pitch to a kid. He could be a middle to back end of the rotation starter if he stays as is. Or he could be a very good swing man
Projection- I see him getting his feet wet in the bigs as a MR and he will likely be dealt to some team that thinks they can turn him into a reliable starter
ETA- He'll debut at some point in 2010.

25. Jeremy Bleich, LHP, 22yrs old- A+, AA numbers- 9-10, 4.86ERA, 144.1IP, 1.51WHIP, 7.2K/9IP, 2.1K/BB. Bleich was the highest drafted player to sign out of the 2008 draft out of Stanford. He is a lefty with a 89-93mph fastball, a knee buckling curve and a very advanced changeup. He started in High A, where he had a lot of success. Finally was moved to AA where the results were absolutely horrid. The thought is that he just wasnt ready but they needed him to move up to accomodate DJ Mitchell, so they kept him there.
Strengths- Though the numbers tell you otherwise, he has good command of a pretty deep arsenal. He cuts the ball, he runs the ball, he backdoors the curve, he has a good change. He's the definition of a crafty lefty, although he does have power with that low 90s heat.
Weaknesses- He doesnt throw hard enough to profile at the top of a rotation and he needs to start avoiding the meat of the bat if he wants to make it to the bigs.
Ceiling- He reminds me of a Zach Duke kind of player. Guy who could give you a lot of mediocre to above average innings at his best, but be a pinata at times when he's missing. No room for error here.
Projection- I think regardless of his initial season numbers, this guy will be in the bigs somewhere. He's a lefty with a good enough arm and a plus breaking ball. He will at least be a lefty reliever if nothing else works. I do think he eventually cracks a big league rotation and I also think it will be with a National League team.
ETA- He'll be repeating Trenton. If all goes well there, he will likely be a midseason option come 2011.

[jacksonianmarch]

26. Wilkin de la Rosa, LHP, 24yrs old- A+/AA line- 5-5 3.17ERA, 96.2IP, 1.25WHIP, 8.7K/9IP, 2.1K/BB. One glance at his age and most people write him off. But De la Rosa took an interesting path to where he is. He was signed out of the Dominican as an OFer. He played 2-3 yrs in the minors before switching to the mound. He blew out his elbow shortly after converting to a pitcher and lost a yr to TJS. His first full yr as a starter was as a 22yr old in the GCL. Last yr, he dominated long season A and this yr he pitched well between High A and AA. Wilkin is a future reliever, but someone who possesses enough stuff to keep in the rotation for now. He throws mid 90s with the heater, capable of hitting 98mph. But he located better in the 92-93mph range. He also throws a wicked slider and a mediocre changeup. He is still pretty raw on the mound, even though he turns 25 in 3 months. But his arm is for real and that slider looks really good from the left hand side.
Strengths- Mid 90s heater and a lights out slider
Weaknesses- His command is shoddy at high velocities and his slider is hit or miss when it comes to location
Ceiling- His ceiling is as a high end reliever, if all goes right, he could close
Projection- I think he projects safely as a lefty specialist in the bigs with the capability of handling the swing role if needed since he can give multiple innings
ETA- He is likely to be kept in the rotation in Scranton this yr until they truly need to make a decision on his role. He is more beneficial as starting depth right now, but should there be a plethora of pitching depth in the system, he could be converted ASAP and be a major league option right now. He'll debut in some capacity in 2010.

27. David Phelps, RHP, 22yrs old- A/A+ line- 13-4 2.38ERA 151IP 1.20WHIP 7.3K/9IP, 3.9K/BB. Phelps jumped onto the scene in 2009 with a great showing and a significant improvement in stuff. A couple mechanical tweaks saw his FB sit in the 94mph range, up from 90-91mph. This is directly responsible for his really solid line. He also throws a plus slider and a changeup that he can locate. He is a strike-throwing machine who just pounds the zone on a regular basis.
Strengths- Mid 90s heat, plus slider, good changeup. Very polished and has very strong control
Weaknesses- Needs to prove he can maintain that velocity. He has never thrown this hard in his career, so he will need to prove that it wasnt some sort of fluke. Otherwise, he's a well rounded pitcher without a lot of weaknesses
Ceiling- Prior to 09, I would have said #4 starter with his fantastic control, but low 90s stuff and only one plus offspeed offering. But this yr, he's a potential #2 IMO. Hard fastball. Good slider. Good changeup. Impeccable location. And a good idea on the mound.
Projection- Depends on his fastball. If he maintains the 94-95mph fastball, then he projects pretty safely in the #2, #3 role in the rotation. If he doesnt, then he projects at the back of a rotation. He is one of the only pitchers in this list who truly doesnt project as a reliever right now since he has such good command, endurance, polish, etc. He's made for the rotation
ETA- He likely starts 2010 in Tampa again due to the logjam, but should finish 2010 in AA. He'll be a callup option in mid 2011.

28. Jose Pirela, SS, 19yrs old- Charleston line- .295/.354/.381. I like this kid. He was incredibly young for his league and had absolutely no power to speak of, but he had an advanced approach, showed above average speed, good bat control and a very good glove. He's one of the toolsy Dominicans that NY has signed over the past few yrs who has elevated himself to prospect status. Even though he hit no homers and his IsoPower was under .1, the SRs say that he should develop gap power.
Strengths- Good speed, good glove, good offensive approach. His power is expected to come in time, but he is not expected to have a lot of it
Weaknesses- no skill is rated at 60 or over for this kid and his power needs to improve to become anything more than a defensive replacement in the bigs
Ceiling- His ceiling is as a MLB average SS.
Projection- depends on how his power develops. I think he definitely makes the bigs for someone, but I think he needs a lot to go right for someone to give him the starting nod.
ETA- He goes to Tampa for 2010 and due to his age, will likely be a one level at a time kind of player

29. Kyle Higashioka, C, 19yrs old- SI numbers .253/.333/.332. The Yankees scouts LOVE this kid. They rave about his defensive abilities and his advanced approach to the plate. But this past yr, his numbers weren't very good. Granted, he was 19 yrs old and hasnt filled out, but the consensus in Yankee camp is that he will develop solid overall power and be an offensive catcher within the next few yrs. Until they change their mind, I need to keep him somewhat high on the list.
Strengths- He's already a polished defensive catcher with a cannon for an arm. He also has a very good eye and advanced plate discipline. Going by the SRs, he should develop solid power and be a very good offensive catcher, but yr 1 did not reflect that
Weaknesses- His scouting reports and his performance seem to have a big gap between them. This will need to be closed for him to become anything more than a defensive backup
Ceiling- Really difficult to say since the SRs say one thing and the numbers say another. Going by the SRs, we are talking about a very good all around catcher
Projection- Not able to give one as of yet, lets see how he does in long season
ETA- believe it or not, the yankee brass and scouts were impressed by his 2009 campaign. Enough to entertain moving him to Tampa and skipping Charleston for 2010.

30. Eduardo Sosa, CF, 18yrs old- GCL line .200/.280/.291. Sosa is a guy who has all the tools, but none of them showed up in 2009. He's got a rocket arm, lightning speed and showed a great bat in the DSL prior to this season. He actually started off well, but floundered in August to an OPS of .477 which skewed the numbers a bit. Regardless, the scouts are high on his tools, and at his age, you cannot give up on him. Actually, based on the SRs from the previous yr, he was in consideration for a top 10 slot prior to imploding down the stretch in 2010. Too bad. He'll get many more chances to show he can hang
Strengths- 5 tool player with a sweet left handed swing, a great arm, and lightning speed, he's another toolsy Dominican
Weaknesses- was exposed in the states and will need to show a better line than the one above to be useful to the yankees in the future
Ceiling- He has a very high ceiling, but a massive gap between his ceiling and his current. Some sites like to consider him a Lofton type athlete. That's high praise, but he needs to earn it
Projection- too early to tell. He could bomb out completely or he could become an All-Star or something in between.
ETA- Even though he sucked in 2009, he might start in the long season leagues in 2010. I think a safer bet is SI for 2010, but the OF bunch is thin, so he could move up.

[26 to 6]

What's DES mean? (#15 Caleb Cotham)

[jacksonianmarch]

Draft Eligible Sophomore. Meaning they passed on their last 2 seasons of college ball.

[26 to 6]

Gotcha.

[jacksonianmarch]

31. Bradley Suttle, 3B, 23yrs old- no line for 2009. Suttle is a wild-card. He was a highly touted pick out of the 2007 draft, even considered the best pure hitter in the draft by Peter Gammons. But injuries have slowed him. Leg issues slowed his first full yr in the minors, then a labrum injury ended his 2008 season. He had surgery, but as a type I diabetic, he was prone to complications. He developed an infection that caused the wound to not heal appropriately and essentially knocked him out for 2009. He figures to be ready to go come 2010.
Strengths- Has good power to all fields, has a good glove and switch hits
Weaknesses- Labrum surgery and its complications will likely limit him to 1B duties for the forseeable future. Also, losing a yr of development for someone his age is not good.
Ceiling- He had a very high offensive ceiling prior to his injury, but now, we'll have to see what kind of player he is post-surgery
Projection- Very difficult to say due to injury
ETA- He will likely be the 1b in Tampa for 2010 and go from there.

32. George Kontos, RHP, 24 yrs old- 2009 line- AA/AAA- 4-5, 3.15ERA, 71.1IP, 1.30WHIP, 8.0K/9IP, 2.1K/BB. Kontos had an up and down yr. He started the yr with an inexplicable drop in velocity. This caused him to improve his secondary stuff significantly. The changeup actually got to league average and his dynamite slider was locating even better. After having a good amount of success, a reason was found for his velocity drop. Forearm stiffness eventually revealed a UCL tear and he underwent TJS. The good thing is that he really made strides becoming a pitcher and if he recovers his mid 90s velocity, he can become a really nice piece. The problem is, he wont be pitching in 2010 in all likelihood
Strengths- When he is right, he throws a mid 90s heater, a low 90s 2 seamer, a plus slider and now has developed the change to being "average"
Weaknesses- He will miss all of 2010 which might undo the good that 2009 did for his secondary stuff and location. Also, he'll turn 26 in 2011, which is likely to be his first time back in games post surgery
Ceiling- With a mid 90s heater and a solid slider, he profiled as a reliever from the get-go, and a good one at that. But with the addition of the change, he started looking like he could be a good mid range starter
Projection- after major elbow surgery, projection goes out the window
ETA- he'll probably start in Tampa in 2011 and work his way back to SWB or even the bigs. If he's a reliever, then expect to see him in the majors in some capacity in 2011, assuming he recovers from surgery

33. Brett Marshall, RHP, 19yrs old- A line- 3-6, 5.56ERA, 87.1IP, 1.54WHIP, 6.2K/9IP, 1.62K/BB. Marshall was the pitcher from the 2008 draft with the highest upside. Mid 90s heater as an 18 yr old and a really nice looking slider/change combo. Well, 2009 was a mixed bag for him. He showed very solid velocity through innings 1-4. The problem was, his off-speed offerings were hit or miss and thus, he was hit hard at times. He had trouble sustaining his velocity past the 4th inning, which led to a lot of ugly lines as well. Regardless, he had shown progress until his last start in July when he ripped his UCL and required TJS. He will miss all of 2010
Strengths- Very young pitcher with a plus fastball and plus potential change and slider
Weaknesses- Many unfortunately. Now, he needs to recover from Tommy John. Also, he will probably not shed the short frame stigma either, since he's 6 feet tall. And, his off-speed stuff continued to be a problem as well as maintaining velocity
Ceiling- 96mph fastballs in 19 yr old with plus potential offspeed offerings make him a top of the rotation candidate. Recent TJS and control issues leave a large gap between current and ceiling
ETA- He will likely be in Tampa for 2011.

34. Damon Sublett, CF/2B, 23yrs old- A+ line- .270/.376/.416. Sublett was considered a top notch prospect in 2008, but an ankle injury limited his season and washed out a lot of his value. He started 2009 off slowly and his fielding woes led to a lot of offensive carryover. So, seeing as 2b is a pretty deep position, they moved him to CF. And he responded with an .857OPS as well as 8 SBs. He plays a passable D right now, but he has the instincts and the speed to lock down the position in the future as he gets more comfortable with it. He also has the eye and the contact skills to really project well for him
Strengths- Advanced approach, good speed, a good arm, and above average contact skills.
Weaknesses- The move to the OF drops his stock a bit and his power is gap power right now, which limits his value at his new position. He also seems to be injury prone, with lower body injuries for 2 yrs straight
Ceiling- He reminds me a lot of Mark Kotsay, above average contact skills in his prime, average or so power, above average speed and an accurate arm.
Projection- The position switch makes me think he projects as nothing more than a backup in the majors
ETA- He'll be in Trenton in 2010 and might be in NY by 2012.

35. Adam Warren, RHP, 22yrs old- SI line- 4-2 1.43ERA, 56.2IP, 1.04WHIP, 7.9K/9IP, 5.0K/BB. Adam Warren is an intriguing college draftee from 2009. He was drafted in the 4th round because he had a deep arsenal and a lot of polish. But a funny thing happened on his way to Staten Island. His velocity picked up. Now, topping out in the 96mph range, he has put himself into a legitimate prospect status conversation rather than filler talk. He also has 3 major league quality off-speed offerings in the slider, change and curve and great command of his arsenal.
Strengths- Great command of a deep arsenal and a new found increase in velocity
Weaknesses- He's a pretty solid pitcher, but his biggest weakness was power or lack there of. Now it will be a need to prove that his velocity bump wasnt a fluke.
Ceiling- I have always through of Warren as a potential #5, but with his velocity, I'd say #3 pitcher is his ceiling
Projection- Depends on the heater. If that heat stays 96mph, then I think he becomes a major league starter no question. If it doesnt, then he's a fringe guy
ETA- There is talk that Warren skips Charleston altogether. Regardless, he will definitely see High A in 2010 and might even make it to AA. He should be a fast mover

[Paradisecity]

Jacko,

Seek Sunlight.


Love,
Tom

[jacksonianmarch]

Why seek sunlight my friend. The moonlighting is beautiful

[Paradisecity]

I'm at the point where I hope you are plagiarizing, just so I'll know that you didn't go to all the trouble to write all of these yourself....

[jacksonianmarch]

I am not plagiarizing. I do take a lot of the intiricacies in velocity and what types of pitches they throw from pinstripesplus and a smattering from BA and BP.

[Paradisecity]

Originally Posted by jacksonianmarch

I am not plagiarizing. I do take a lot of the intiricacies in velocity and what types of pitches they throw from pinstripesplus and a smattering from BA and BP.

Sadly, I figured this...

[yankees228]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/1...o-moronta.html

I figured this was the appropriate thread for that bit of news.