Posted on 25 December 2008
H/W: 6-3 210 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 6/18/87
The former Stanford Cardinal backstop has been impressive since the Astros selected him in the first round of the '08 draft. After hitting .275 with 2 HR and 12 RBI at short season Low-A Tri-Cities, Castro bumped up his production in the Hawaiian Winter League hitting .333 with 2 HR 13 RBI and a solid 16 BB/22 K ratio. Long and well built, Castro has the ability to be an impact hitter with plus power and batting average at the major league level. He is one of the more athletic catchers in the 2008 draft class whose speed should not make him a liability on the basepaths. Defensively, Castro is a work in progress, though his improvements over the last year lead many to believe that he will develop into a solid average catcher down the road. Castro needs to continue to work on his defensive skills as well as his pitch recognition at the plate in order to become a special player.
2009 Projection: The Astros farm system is one of, if not the, weakest in all of baseball. Other top catching prospects like J.R. Towles and Max Sapp have failed to develop as quickly and completely as Houston would like. This bodes well for Castro who, despite his fallacies, may be Houston's best backstop. The HWL provided a big boost for Jason, who should begin the '09 season at Low-A Lexington. If all goes well he could move quickly. Keep an eye on his batting average and power numbers. The more that he produces in these areas, the quicker and more likely it will be that he will surpass the organization's other catchers.
Key Jason Castro Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1199
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 25 December 2008
H/W: 5-11 200 lb. B/T: R/R: DOB: 1/18/90
The Brewers added to their wealth of talented catchers with the selection of this young British Columbia native in the 1st round of the '08 draft. Lawrie's bat is his calling card as his strong hands and powerfully compact frame generates exceptional bat speed and pull power. Lawrie is a good athlete with above average speed and a hard nosed, aggressive approach in all phases of the game. The biggest question marks in Brett's game right now are behind the plate, where he is still quite raw in all phases. His arm is strong, but his footwork and release times need considerable work. Other scouts are concerned about his propensity to pull the ball and the fact that his open stance makes him vulnerable to pitches on the outer half of the plate. It will be important for Lawrie to demonstrate that he can drive balls to the opposite field as he progresses against more advanced pitching.
2009 Projection: Lawrie will be making his professional debut in 2009, likely with short season Low-A Helena in June. The Brewers, with Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy in their system, can afford to be patient with Lawrie, which is good because Brett has a lot of questions to answer in order to more accurately gauge his future as an elite prospect. Pay attention to his offensive numbers particularly his extra base hit production and BB/K ratio. Also, keep tabs on his defensive progress, is he able to throw runners out? Is he effectively blocking balls? Given the stiff competition in the Brewers organization, it will be integral for Lawrie to demonstrate that he can stay behind the dish.
Key Brett Lawrie Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/499
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 19 December 2008
H/W: 6-0 190 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 1/27/90
The Rays used the 1st overall pick of the '08 draft, along with $6.15 million on the best prep baseball player in the country, Tim Beckham. Signing his contract quickly allowed the Georgia native to play in 46 games at short season Princeton where he hit .243 with 2 HR 14 RBI and 30 runs scored. Beckham is as toolsy and projectible as they come, with a lightning fast swing that causes balls to jump off of his bat. A gifted athlete, his speed translates well to running the basepaths and to covering a good amount of range at SS. Given his great athleticism, Beckham is also quite raw in all aspects of the game and will need a few seasons to put everything together. Fortunately for the Rays, there is no need to rush the development of their newest blue chip prospect. Tim Beckham has a bright future and a cozy spot next to 2008 A.L. Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria waiting for him.
2009 Projection: The Rays may opt to keep Beckham at extended spring training before shipping him to short-season Hudson Valley in June, or they may challenge him a bit and give him his first full dose of full season ball at Low-A Bowling Green. Either way, there are many things to watch with the young Rays shortstop. How does the power progress? Is his plate discipline improved? Will he play well defensively at SS? If these questions are answered affirmatively, his future as a top-flight prospect becomes more compelling.
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Posted on 19 December 2008
H/W: 6-2 210 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 7/18/87
After a long and bitter contract negotiation, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally came to an agreement with the former Vanderbilt star after the August 14 deadline. Alvarez is a very polished hitter who already has a bat that is close to major league ready. His left-handed swing generates above average power and should hit for a fairly high batting average at the major league level. Scouts have praised him for the high level of energy and competitive drive that he brings to the ballpark every day. A broken hamate bone in his hand cut into Alvarez's '08 season, but he worked dilligently to get back on the field within a month of the injury. When he did return, Pedro struggled to produce the same consistent power that he had demonstrated prior to the injury, which has some baseball officials concerned about potential lingering power issues. Additionally, Alvarez's defensive tools at 3B are average across the board and some think that he will eventually need to make the switch over to 1B in the future. All told, the Pirates have to be ecstatic to finally land their highest draft choice since selecting Bryan Bullington with the 1st overall pick in 2003. All signs point to Alvarez being a much better player than Bullington, giving the Bucs hope that they will finally right the ship that has been sinking since the days of Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla.
2009 Projection: Given the fact that Alvarez signed a major league contract, it is reasonable to believe that the Pirates will promote him aggressively to High-A Lynchburg to start the season. Watch to see how his power numbers and plate discipline shape up early in the season. If things look good, the Bucs will bump him to AA at some point in the season. Adam LaRoche's future with Pittsburgh likely will not extend beyond the 2009 season and the Pirates would love to see either Alvarez or Adam's little brother Andy fill that position in the not too distant future. Expect Pedro in this lineup at some point in 2010.
Key Pedro Alvarez Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Auto #/499
- 2008 Razor Exclusives Auto
- 2008 Team USA Auto #/249
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Posted on 19 December 2008
H/W: 6-2 215 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 4/8/87
The Cuban-born University of Miami first baseman had a monster season in 2008 hitting .370 with 24 HR 70 RBI and 80 runs scored. Given that he didn't sign until the deadline, Yonder did not accrue many minor league AB's, but his stint in the pitcher-friendly Hawaiian Winter League rendered positive results, as he hit .304 with 4 HR 21 RBI and a 20 BB/23 K ratio in 29 games. Alonso has above average power that should translate to 25-30 HR per season in Cincinnati. He hits the ball to all fields and is very effective at working counts and drawing walks. Alonso has a thick barrel-chested build that he worked hard to tighten up before his final season with Miami. Defensively, Alonso is limited to 1B and his array of skills at that position are average at best. Though he has very good power to centerfield and leftfield, Alonso needs to continue to pull balls on the inner half of the plate instead of using an inside-out swing to spray them the other way. Once he does, his power numbers should increase significantly.
2009 Projection: Yonder's offensive polish and ticking MLB contract ensures that the Reds will promote him aggressively through their system. Expect Alonso to start at High-A Sarasota with a promotion to AA Carolina at some point in the season. The Reds are pretty set with Joey Votto at 1B, but given Alonso's offensive potential and limited defensive abilities, the Reds may decide to shift Votto to LF in the future.
Key Yonder Alonso Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Auto #/699
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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The former Stanford Cardinal backstop has been impressive since the Astros selected him in the first round of the '08 draft. After hitting .275 with 2 HR and 12 RBI at short season Low-A Tri-Cities, Castro bumped up his production in the Hawaiian Winter League hitting .333 with 2 HR 13 RBI and a solid 16 BB/22 K ratio. Long and well built, Castro has the ability to be an impact hitter with plus power and batting average at the major league level. He is one of the more athletic catchers in the 2008 draft class whose speed should not make him a liability on the basepaths. Defensively, Castro is a work in progress, though his improvements over the last year lead many to believe that he will develop into a solid average catcher down the road. Castro needs to continue to work on his defensive skills as well as his pitch recognition at the plate in order to become a special player.
