Posted on 25 March 2009
H/W: 5-11 205 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 4/24/86
Shipped over from the Diamondbacks in the Dan Haren trade, Cunningham is precisely the type of player that A's GM Billy Beane loves. He pounded pitching at both AA Midland and AAA Sacramento to the tune of a .329 BA with 17 HR 66 RBI 15 SB and 86 runs scored. He recorded another 80 AB with Oakland, hitting .250 with a HR and 14 RBI. With excellent hand-eye coordination and a compact right handed swing, Aaron generates decent pop that should produce 10-15 HR per season at the major league level. His speed is above average and he uses it savvily in the outfield and on the basepaths, where he should average double digit stolen base numbers. Cunningham has shown solid plate discipline throughout his minor league career, though these numbers have eroded somewhat as he has advanced. At 23 years old, there is not too much room for further projection in Cunningham's game, though he has given enough reason to believe that he can be a fairly productive regular at the major league level.
2009 Projection: The trade for Matt Holliday has muddied the waters in Oakland's outfield scenerio. Aaron has had a solid showing this spring and has earned some serious consideration for a major role in either RF or CF. So have, however, Travis Buck, Ryan Sweeney, Rajai Davis, and Chris Denorfia. Being the youngest of this crop, it seems quite likely that Cunningham will be ticketed for AAA at the start of the '09 season, where he will stay until room is made for him by way of injury, non-performance, or trade. Cunningham has some upside as a future MLB regular, but the odds of him becoming one of those "lost in the shuffle" guys increases with every minor league AB.
Key Aaron Cunningham Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2007 Bowman Heritage
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Auto
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra
- 2008 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket Auto
- 2009 Topps
- 2009 UD Spectrum Auto
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Posted on 11 March 2009
H/W: 6-4 220 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 9/29/86
The former 2007 1st rounder had a solid season at AA Midland going 9-6 with a 3.51 ERA and 120 K's in 136 IP. The biggest asset in James Simmons' skill set is his impeccable command. Simmons surrendered just 32 bases on balls last season and allowed just 37 walks in 270 IP during his career at UC Riverside. James' best pitch is his low 90's fastball, which he locates well in all quadrants of the strike zone. He also has a slider, curve and change that are less effective offerings. Simmons tends to pitch to contact quite often and doesn't have dominant enough stuff to put away hitters at times. AA hitters batted .282 against Simmons last year and he induced a less than desirable GO/FO ratio of 0.92. The Athletics are keeping him as a starter right now, but his lack of a breaking pitch and ability to add velocity as a reliever may eventually shift him to the bullpen.
2009 Projection: Simmons is slated to pitch at AAA Sacramento this year with a possibility of earning some MLB innings at some point later in the summer. The A's are flush with better arms in their system (Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Vin Mazzaro, Michel Inoa, Gio Gonzalez) than Simmons', yet he could wriggle his way into the back end of the rotation as soon as next season. The PCL is a difficult place for pitchers, especially flyball pitchers. Watch to see if James can employ better movement on his offspeed pitches and induce more ground ball outs. If he can, he should be able to progress as a starter, and if he doesn't he may find himself eventually relegated to the role of middle reliever.
Key James Simmons Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto
- 2007 Bowman Sterling Auto
- 2007 Donruss Elite Auto #/624
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Posted on 21 February 2009
H/W: 6-1 225 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 9/27/86
Last season marked a coming of age for the A's 2005 3rd round pick. Mazzaro split time between AA Midland and AAA Sacramento earning a 15-6 record with a 2.74 ERA and 131 K's in 171 IP. A low 90's sinker is Vin's main weapon of choice accented well by a changeup and an improving hard curveball. Mazzaro's command was vastly improved as he cut his walks by more than half and his ability to induce groundballs (1.39 GO/FO) should play well at the next level. His sturdy build has shown good durability and health which gives the A's reason to believe that he could be an effective mid-rotation innings eater. One culpability in Mazzaro's game is the fact that he often pitches to contact which, when his command is off, makes him quite hittable. The transition to the hitter-friendly parks of the PCL proved to be a rude awakening for Vin, as he proved to be quite hittable (3-3 6.15 ERA .340 BAA).
2009 Projection: Mazarro will get to pitch some innings in spring training, but his real quest will begin back at AAA Sacramento where he struggled mightily late last season. Watch to see if he can re-establish his contol of the lower parts of the strike zone. When Vin is inducing groundball outs, he is very effective. Despite his struggles at AAA, his K rate jumped a little bit. If he is able to miss more bats, his transition to Oakland could come much sooner. He will be up at some point in '08, but his role beyond that is somewhat unclear. The A's have a plethora of high upside pitching talent that has yet to toe the rubber at McAffee Stadium. For Mazzaro, a repeat of his Midland numbers will put his name at the top of the list.
Key Vin Mazzaro Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2008 Bowman Sterling Auto
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Posted on 17 January 2009
H/W: 6-2 210 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 11/26/85
The former Oklahoma State star had a power packed '08 season hitting .266 with 30 HR 83 RBI 16 SB and 78 runs scored between Low-A Kane County and High-A Stockton. Brown is a stupendous athlete with awesome raw power and blazing speed on both the basepaths and in the outfield. His left-handed swing has considerable leverage and loft that can drive the ball out to any part of the ballpark. He is a solid CF with good instincts and range, but his cannon-like arm strength profiles better in RF. The chief liability in Brown's game right now is his dearth of discipline at the plate. Last season, Corey struck out a whopping 168 times in 134 games played. His struggles continued this fall in the Hawaiian Winter League where he accumulated another 33 in 28 games. Brown does get his fair share of walks (58 in '08) but his overagressiveness and pull-happy mentality will eat him alive at higher levels if he doesn't improve. The A's, though, are quite high on this young slugger and are willing to be patient with a player of Brown's high upside and 5-tool abilities.
2009 Projection: Brown should begin the '08 season with AA Midland, which should prove to be a make or break challenge for the 23 year old. Last season's tour of Kane County and Stockton afforded Corey the ability to play in hitter friendly environments against less experienced pitching. He will not have the same luxuries this year. Watch his BB/K ratio and batting average carefully. If he struggles early on, the A's may pop him back down to Stockton for some more work. There is a lot to like in Brown. He has the potential to be a 30 HR 20 SB guy at the major league level, but, if he doesn't change his approach at the plate, the specter of the strikeout threatens to relegate him to the Rob Deer and Pete Incaviglia annals of baseball lore.
Key Corey Brown Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/500
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Posted on 13 January 2009
H/W: 6-6 215 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 4/22/87
The A's stayed close to home to select the Oakland-born righthander in the 2nd round of the '08 draft. Ross had a so-so junior season at the University of California going 7-4 with a 4.25 ERA and 66 K's in 78 IP. After signing, Ross was sent to Low-A Kane County where he lost his only decision in 6 games, accruing a 4.66 ERA and a 5 BB/16 K ratio in 19 innings. A mid-90's fastball with heavy sink and a curvy slider are Ross' best offerings, but his changeup and curveball also show promise, especially against left-handed hitters. Ross has an imposing mound presence that is reminiscent of Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins. While he commands his pitches well, the A's would like to see his offspeed offerings develop a little more shape and depth. Also, his delivery is a bit stiff and upright which could lead to injuries over time. The A's have a good track record, however, with molding their moundsmen into top rate pitching prospects and, given a some refining, Ross has the ability to be one of their better ones.
2009 Projection: Tyson Ross should begin the '09 season at either Kane County or High-A Stockton. In his limited action, Ross was quite proficient at inducing ground ball outs (2.55 GO/FO), which will come in handy in the bandbox ballparks of the Californian League. Watch to see if the strikeout numbers go back up. Given his stuff, Ross should be able to maintain an average of one K per inning pitched. There has been some speculation that Ross could be developed as a late inning reliever if his offspeed pitches don't come around. However, his potential as a frontline starter, along with the abundance of quality pitching prospects in the A's system, should allow Ross to develop as a starter.
Key Tyson Ross Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/999
- 2008 Playoff Prime Cuts Auto #/249
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/699
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Posted on 11 January 2009
H/W: 6-4 215 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 6/27/87
The A's decided to address their bullpen depth with the selection of this Pepperdine alum in the 7th round of the '08 draft. The bulk of his professional work was done this past fall in the Hawaiian Winter League where he punched out 18 hitters in just under 10 IP. Hunter has an explosive fastball that sits between 92-95 with good movement. His curveball is a slurvy offering that that does not yet have the tightness and command to be much more than a "show me" pitch at this stage. Hunter has a max effort delivery which, when mixed with his imposing mound presence, can be intimidating to hitters. On the downside, he has struggled with establishing command of his breaking ball and his lack of a good third pitch causes him to become over-reliant on his fastball. The potential is there for Hunter to become a top-flight late inning reliever and, given the A's success rate in scouting and developing young arms, it seems fair to think that he has a bright future ahead of him.
2009 Projection: Hunter should get his first look at full season ball this year at Low-A Kane County. Pay attention to see how the A's decide to use him. He has the build and bulk to be a starting pitcher, but his stuff and mechanics of his delivery seems more fit for a reliever role. Command will be a key issue to watch for Hunter, as his BB/K ratio and GO/FO ratio will speak volumes about his ability to work effectively down in the strike zone. The A's have some good late inning arms in their system already with the likes of Hunter, Henry Rodriguez, Craig Italiano, and others. The first to establish a good feel for the role of closer will become the system's frontrunner to eventually replace Brad Ziegler.
Key Brett Hunter Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2008 Razor Signature Series #/1499
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Posted on 20 December 2008
H/W: 6-4 215 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 2/1/88
Anderson's first season as an Oakland Athletic farmhand was a smashing success as he pitched well at both High-A Modesto and AA Midland going 11-5 with a 3.69 ERA and a sterling 27 BB/119 K ratio in just 105 IP despite missing one month of the season pitching for Team USA in Beijing. The son of Oklahoma State's head coach Frank Anderson, Brett's biggest positive attribute may not be his low-90's fastball or 12-6 breaking curveball, rather, it may just be his extreme level of maturity and approach to pitching that he brings to the mound in each start. His clean mechanics and strong young frame projects to build more velocity potential and stamina as he ages. It's hard not to like Anderson's package of skills, he is the perfect yin to Trevor Cahill's yang. It would be nice to see him add a little more velocity to his fastball and his changeup is still a work in progress. All told, the A's couldn't be more pleased with the progress of their young southpaw.
2009 Projection: Anderson is still quite young and it would be no surprise if the A's opt to send him back to AA to start the season. Keep a close eye on Anderson's K rate. If it improves, it may well be due to an increase in velocity of his fastball and command of his changeup. Likely, he and Cahill will be developed at the same pace and the thought of them being the next Tim Hudson / Mark Mulder duo has to have A's fans excited.
Key Brett Anderson Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/549
- 2008 Donruss Threads Diamond Kings Auto #/315
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft
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Posted on 20 November 2008
H/W: 6-1 215 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 12/8/85
Donaldson was a throw-in by the Cubs in the Rich Harden trade, but the move to Oakland proved to be a renaissance as Josh hit .330 with 9 HR and 39 RBI in 47 games following the trade. Donaldson is the kind of polished, Moneyball-type college draftee that the A's love. He works counts effectively, but is aggressive with pitches in the strike zone, especially on the inner half of the plate. Defensively, Donaldson was a catcher in the Chicago Cubs system, though he almost exclusively playing 1B and DH in the Arizona Fall League. Donaldson played 3B at the University of Auburn, which indicates that he has the potential to be a solid fielding 1B at the major league level.
2009 Projection: This upcoming season will be an important one for Donaldson. He will almost certainly begin at AA Midland as will Stockton slugger Chris Carter (39 HR in '08). Watch to see where the A's decide to play each one of them throughout the season. This will speak volumes about what the future plans are for each one of these guys. If Donaldson can continue to be the hitter his was in the second half of the season rather than the first half, his 2007 Donruss Elite Extra autographs will be solid bargain buys.
Key Josh Donaldson Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/500
- 2007 Tri Star Auto
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Shipped over from the Diamondbacks in the Dan Haren trade, Cunningham is precisely the type of player that A's GM Billy Beane loves. He pounded pitching at both AA Midland and AAA Sacramento to the tune of a .329 BA with 17 HR 66 RBI 15 SB and 86 runs scored. He recorded another 80 AB with Oakland, hitting .250 with a HR and 14 RBI. With excellent hand-eye coordination and a compact right handed swing, Aaron generates decent pop that should produce 10-15 HR per season at the major league level. His speed is above average and he uses it savvily in the outfield and on the basepaths, where he should average double digit stolen base numbers. Cunningham has shown solid plate discipline throughout his minor league career, though these numbers have eroded somewhat as he has advanced. At 23 years old, there is not too much room for further projection in Cunningham's game, though he has given enough reason to believe that he can be a fairly productive regular at the major league level.
