The Rangers decided to add to their 1B depth with the selection on the Californian prep slugger in the 5th round of the '08 draft. Clark Murphy performed quite well in his first professional action with the Rangers' Arizona Rookie League affiliate, hitting .358 with a HR 21 RBI and 7 doubles in 25 games. Murphy has a rock solid frame and fluid left-handed swing that has already demonstrated good power with wooden bats. His hands move quickly through the ball and he exhibits solid plate discipline (12 BB/19 K in 25 games). Though he is now fully recovered from his quad injury, Murphy still exhibits below average foot speed which should limit his defensive abilities to 1B as a pro. He has exhibited above average footwork and agility around the bag. His arm is more than strong enough for the position as he was an outfielder as a prep player. There are still some mechanical glitches to iron out in his swing. He has a little hitch that occasionally throws off his timing and affects his ability to make consistent contact. This should be something that is completely rectified, allowing for him to more effectively stay back on balls and tap into his considerable raw power.
2009 Projection: Murphy should start at full season Low-A Hickory with future All-Star 1B Justin Smoak beginning at High-A Bakersfield. The thing to watch in Murphy is his power numbers. The odds are good that he will increase his HR output this season, but will it come at the expense of his BB/K ratio? Murphy is stuck in an offensively loaded farm system with exceptional depth at the 1B and OF positions. Expect the Rangers to bring Murphy along at a prudent pace. If he continues to produce good offensive numbers, there is a good chance that he could be a valuable commodity when the Rangers start looking to add to their pitching depth. Given Texas' rapidly improving odds as a playoff contender, this could happen sooner rather than later.
The White Sox were elated to see the lanky Longhorn fall to them in the 5th round of the 2008 draft. Immediately after signing, Danks was sent to full season Low-A Kanapolis where he batted .325 with 2 HR 7 RBI and 10 runs scored in 10 games. He continued to impress during his brief stint in the Arizona Fall League hitting .302 with a HR 7 RBI and 3 SB in 18 games. Long and lean, Danks has excellent athleticism and speed that serves him well in CF and on the bases. Coming out of high school, Danks was projected to develop into a power hitter, but that skill never manifested itself during his time with the University of Texas. Instead, he employs a short, quick stroke from the left side which produces hits to the gaps and the occasional long ball. Danks allows for the ball to travel deep into the strike zone which gives him a little more time to see a pitch. As a result, his plate discipline is quite advanced and he feels comfortable working deep into counts. There is quite a bit of projectibility left in his frame and with some adjustments to his swing, he could become more of a power hitter in the future.
2009 Projection: Danks' build and overall game is almost identical to Cincinnati Reds prospect and fellow Longhorn Drew Stubbs. The White Sox will probably send him to High-A Winston-Salem for the start of the '09 season and if things go well, a move to AA Birmingham is by no means out of the question. Watch to see how Danks' game evolves this season. He is a player that could develop as a tall, athletic top of the order player a la Dexter Fowler or he could tap into his power potential and become more of a mid-lineup player that hits 20+ HR per season. Either way, Jordan has an exciting batch of skills that should continue to bloom over the next couple of seasons as he works his way to meet up with his brother, John, in Chicago.
Ryan pitched exclusively in relief for AA-Huntsville going 5-5 with a 2.52 ERA and 6 saves. He proved to be more hittable this season and his control was not as sharp as it was in his two stops in 2007. Ryan is not overpowering but his 90-92 MPH fastball has good late life down in the strike zone and his hard curveball and change rate as solid average MLB pitches. The sink on Ryan's fastball effectively induces ground ball outs. This season he induced his groundball/flyball ratio of 2.96 made him very effective Read the full story
VN:F [1.9.13_1145]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
Link To This Page
1. Click inside the codebox 2. Right-Click then Copy 3. Paste the HTML code into your webpage
Wow! Bumgarner blasted his way onto the prospect scene with an '08 season for the ages. Bumgarnerblazed through the South Atlantic League compiling a 15-3 record with a minuscule 1.46 ERA and 164 K's in 141.2 IP. Moreover, Madison showed impeccable control with only 21 walks and a .216 BAA. Blessed with a mid 90's fastball with good movement in on right handed batters, Madison also showed marked improvement in his off speed offerings, a hard curve and improving change. Bumgarner is a great athlete who can still grow into his young developing body.
After an '08 like that, it is hard to find areas in Bumgarner's game that need to improve. Better command of his changeup and a sharper bite to his sweeping curveball will enhance his effectiveness and efficiency. The young ace needs to locate his pitches down in the strike zone more as he showed some difficulty in forcing groundballs. Bumgarner is on the fast track to San Francisco and will likely start off the 2009 Season at San Jose. Expect a promotion to AA Connecticut at some point next season. Bumgarner is one of baseball's biggest and brightest future stars and joining a rotation with the two Tim's (Lincecum and Alderson) is cause for Giants fans to celebrate.
Key Madison Bumgarner Baseball Cards
2007 Bowman Chrome Draft Madison Bumgarner
2007 Donruss Elite Extra Madison Bumgarner Auto #/794
2007 Bowman Sterling Madison Bumgarner Auto
2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Madison Bumgarner Auto
2008 Donruss Threads Madison Bumgarner Gold Auto #/250
The Rangers decided to add to their 1B depth with the selection on the Californian prep slugger in the 5th round of the '08 draft. Clark Murphy performed quite well in his first professional action with the Rangers' Arizona Rookie League affiliate, hitting .358 with a HR 21 RBI and 7 doubles in 25 games. Murphy has a rock solid frame and fluid left-handed swing that has already demonstrated good power with wooden bats. His hands move quickly through the ball and he exhibits solid plate discipline (12 BB/19 K in 25 games). Though he is now fully recovered from his quad injury, Murphy still exhibits below average foot speed which should limit his defensive abilities to 1B as a pro. He has exhibited above average footwork and agility around the bag. His arm is more than strong enough for the position as he was an outfielder as a prep player. There are still some mechanical glitches to iron out in his swing. He has a little hitch that occasionally throws off his timing and affects his ability to make consistent contact. This should be something that is completely rectified, allowing for him to more effectively stay back on balls and tap into his considerable raw power.
