Hernandez put up another solid season at High-A Myrtle Beach despite missing a month with a hamstring injury. The effects of that setback had a slightly detrimental effect on his numbers, but Gorkys still managed to hit .263 with 5 HR 42 RBI 20 SB and 75 runs in 100 games. When fully healthy, Hernandez has as much speed as anyone in the Braves' system and he uses it effectively on the bases. He seems to be discovering his decent power potential as well. Hernandez had 34 XBH in '08 and he has continued to improve his plate discipline, earning a 48 BB/79 K ratio. Defensively, the Braves are loaded with high upside outfielders, but no one in the system has as much top of the order potential as the 21 year old Venezuelan.
2009 Projection: Hernandez should be ready to return to his basestealing ways at AA Mississippi in April. Keep an eye on the stolen base totals, as his ability to wreak havoc on the basepaths is what sets him apart from other offensive talents in the Braves' system. Watch his power development as well. Hernandez has some power to the gap, and has some potential for growth left in his frame that could translate to double digit HR's down the road.
The Mets' affinity for young, toolsy international position players prompted the Mets to select this Puerto Rico Baseball Academy grad in the 2nd round this past season. Rodriguez played for the Mets' GCL affiliate and struggled mightily, hitting just .193 with 1 HR 20 RBI and a 10 BB/27 K ratio. Rodriguez has an athletic frame that projects to add more bulk as he matures. His bat speed is good right now, but is projected to be excellent and a source of future power production. Rodriguez is a good outfielder right now with vast CF range and a plus-plus arm, but as he gains size, he will likely be shifted to RF. Like many young international hitters, Rodriguez is a very aggressive hitter with a rudimentary knowledge of the strike zone. The Mets will assuredly take their time in shaping his tools in to productive skills
2009 Projection: Don't be surprised to see Rodriguez spend time at extended spring training before joining one of the Mets' short-season clubs (likely Brooklyn). The looming specter of J-Rod's plate discipline is the proverbial fly in his developmental ointment. Another thing to watch is his body size, as Rodriguez is just 18 years old and not finished growing. With increased weight comes higher Home Run totals, and with more Home Runs comes increased attention from fans and collectors. As it stands right now, Rodriguez's Bowman Sterling autographs are low-cost, high-reward investments going into the 2009 season.
This young southpaw emerged as one of the Angels' brighter young pitching prospects after a fine season at Low-A Cedar Rapids. Despite being the youngest pitcher in the Midwest League, Reckling compiled a 10-7 record with a 3.37 ERA and 128 K in 159 IP. At this stage in his development, Trevor is not an overpowering pitcher. His fastball sits at 87-92 MPH with good movement, but his frame has still yet to fully develop and there is some conjecture that he can add a couple of ticks to his fastball. The true out pitch for him, however, lies in a big bending curveball that some scouts have likened to Barry Zito's infamous yakker. Reckling controls this pitch very effectively and his change up has come a long way to also be a potential plus pitch. Because his offspeed stuff is so good, Reckling gets in trouble at times when he tends to lean on them too often. If he can gain some velocity on his fastball, he should be able to feel confident in establishing it more, making his curve and change much more effective pitches.
2009 Projection: Reckling should move to High-A Rancho Cucamonga to start the '09 season. The key for him will be to improve his fastball, while at the same time maintaining his success on keeping the ball down in the zone. Last season, Trevor was quite effective at this, inducing a GO/FO ratio of 1.73. The Californian League can wreak havoc on young pitchers who struggle with their locations. While he keeps the ball down, Reckling does struggle from time to time with pitching to contact. The added velocity on his fastball would help tremendously. If he does bump it up a couple of notches, Reckling has the potential to be a solid #2 starter at the major league level. If he doesn't, his ceiling shifts dramatically to a back of the rotation starter.
Bromberg had a solid season with Beloit, though it did not match up to the promise that his 9-0 stint with short season Elizebethton did in '07. Bromberg did not miss as many bats as hitters batted .262 against him (opposed to .211 last season). That said, Bromberg has a 90-92 MPH fastball with good movement and a power slurve that breaks in two planes and has the makings of a swing and miss pitch. He is working on a changeup, though it is a long way off from being a MLB quality pitch. Bromberg needs to improve his body as it is still a bit soft, though his frame should be able to add strength and his long limbs leave promise that his fastball could add a little more velocity.
Bromberg has an intriguing ceiling and he could be another quality starter for the Twins in the next few seasons. Expect him to start at High-A Fort Myers this spring.
Duda has a statuesque build, but thus far has been unable to harness his natural strength into tangible power production on the diamond. He has a natural line drive swing and he has a firm grasp of the strike zone, though he strikes out more than what is acceptable from someone who hit just 11 HR. Defensively, Duda has average skills at 1B and can also play in the OF corners if needed. He is not a threat on the basepaths, as testified by his 2 SB in 9 attempts. Long term, if he can discover how to generate more loft from his swing, Duda can realize a power increase similar to what Marlins OF prospect Bryan Petersen accomplished this year. If he doesn't, his chance to develop into a major league player dims significantly.
Patterson's upside has cooled significantly since his solid 2006 season where he hit 25 HR and had 86 RBI. Much of this can be attributed to a horrific injury that shattered his forearm when Patterson was struck by a pitch early in the 2007 season. Though he seems to have fully recovered from this injury, his power numbers have yet to return to their pre-'07 levels. Patterson has a compact, powerful swing that drives balls well to all fields. Defensively he profiles to be an average corner outfielder with below average speed. For someone of his power potential, Patterson does not walk very much and his unorthodox swing can be prone to prolonged slumps. Patterson's future is likely as a platoon player who can provide some HR pop off of the bench. Given his age of 26 in 2009, this is the best upside that Patterson provides. Expect Patterson to get a look with the big club at some point in '09.
Key Ryan Patterson Baseball Cards:
2006 Bowman Chrome Prospects Ryan Patterson
2006 Bowman Sterling Ryan Patterson
2008 Donruss Threads Ryan Patterson Gold Auto #/775
Intrigue abounds with this young prospect. Duffy has been nothing short of dominant since being drafted by the Royals in the 3rd round in 2007. He has a nice 90-93 MPH fastball that can reach 95 at times and could well add more velocity as he builds strength. Additionally, he has improved his power curveball and is no longer afraid to pitch inside to hitters. Duffy exhibited much better control this season walking 25 hitters in 86.1 IP.
A look at Norris' numbers would indicate that he had a mediocre season for AA Corpus Christi, but the bulk of his unsuccessful outings came prior to him being shelved in late May with elbow soreness. Upon his return, Norris pitched much better pumping in his fastball at 93-95 MPH and improving the bite Read the full story
Morrison made big strides with his plate approach this season hitting .332 with 13 HR 72 RBI and 38 doubles at High-A Jupiter. While his longball totals were nearly cut in half from last season, his walk and strikeout rates both improved. Morrison's employs a smooth left hand swing that can drive the ball to all parts of the ballpark prompting many baseball officials to believe that he can be a .300 hitter with 30+ HR power at the major league level. Morrison is an Read the full story
Oliveras was a 9th round selection in the 2007 draft out of Puerto Rico's baseball acadamy. The Reds are excited about his bat though it is early to tell just what it will produce at higher levels. From initial scouting, Oliveras has a line drive producing left-handed swing that could projectibly produce 15-20 HR power as he matures. Oliveras has average speed and profiles as a solid defensive LF. The Reds will likely take their time with Alexis, as his plate discipline and power are currently very raw and will take a long time to develop. Though he is projectible, he is far from a sure fire top prospect. Keep an discerning eye on his development.
2009 Projection: Oliveras will likely begin the '09 season at extended spring training with a short season stint at Billings likely. The plate discipline has to develop in order for Oliveras to progress. This season should give a better view of just what to expect out of him in the future.
Key Alexis Oliveras Baseball Cards:
2008 Donruss Threads Alexis Oliveras Gold Auto #/975
Bowden continued to ascend through Boston's farm system by pitching at three levels in '08, including his successful major league debut where he pitched 5 innings allowing 2 ER on 7 hits with 3 K's en route to his first MLB win. Bowden has three quality pitches including a low-90's fastball, big breaking curveball and fading changeup that all can be effective right now. Bowden has a solid and athletic frame that should handle a 200 inning workload easily. He is a bulldog on the mound who lives and breathes baseball. Bowden may run into Read the full story
Colina performed pretty well to the challenge of his first full season at Low-A Wisconsin. Given his age and long lean frame, it is conceivable to expect that Colina can add strength and power numbers as he matures. Colina has average speed though he doesn't use it as well as he can on the basepaths. He has a nice line drive swing and makes good contact, though he would be best served to work on extending counts and drawing more walks. Defensively, Colina has Read the full story
Corsaletti is the consummate baseball "grinder" who employs outstanding plate discipline, hustle, and a high baseball IQ to compensate for his mediocre skill set. Corsaletti began the season by repeating at AA Portland and performing quite well before being promoted to AAA Pawtucket where he struggled to replicate his success. Defensively, Jeff can adequately play each OF position, though his skills do not stand out at any particular position. He will never hit for much power and he doesn't have good speed. The fact that he plays for an organization that is chocked full of solid young outfielders doesn't help his cause either. Corsaletti would benefit from a change of scenery, be it by trade or Rule 5. Doing so would give him the opportunity to garner some much needed playing time. Jeff will be 26 next season, so this maneuver would need to happen soon.
Key Jeff Corsaletti Baseball Cards:
2008 Donruss Threads Jeff Corsaletti Gold Auto #/975
Exposito broke out nicely this season after injuries cut his 2007 season to just 30 AB. Exposito has a powerful and athletic frame that produces good power to both poles and he moves well behind the plate. Defensively, Exposito profiles as a plus catcher with a good arm and instincts. The typical Read the full story
Joba Chamberlain looks to be the next great New York Yankee's Pitcher. Joba has the kind of talent that doesn't come around often. If he stays healthy he has a very real chance at becoming a hall of fame caliber pitcher.<!--more--> Based on the skills that he has showcased during his first 124 Innings of MLB Big League Pitching he could excel as a closer, a started, or both - similar to John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley.
Joba has a huge fan following which has translated into huge hobby success. Joba Chamberlain Baseball Cards, Autographs, and Baseball Memorabilia have all skyrocketed in value, due to the long term investment potential of the items. Among his most popular cards are his 2007 Bowman Chrome Autographed Rookie Card, his 2007 Bowman Sterling Autographed Rookie Card, and his 2007 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Refractors.
2009 Projection: Hernandez should be ready to return to his basestealing ways at AA Mississippi in April. Keep an eye on the stolen base totals, as his ability to wreak havoc on the basepaths is what sets him apart from other offensive talents in the Braves' system. Watch his power development as well. Hernandez has some power to the gap, and has some potential for growth left in his frame that could translate to double digit HR's down the road. 
