Posted on 10 March 2009
H/W: 6-0 180 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 8/19/85
It took a while, but the M's finally signed their 1st round selection from the 2008 draft, Pitcher Joshua Fields. Last season, Fields made a strong case to the baseball world that he was the most dominant closer in college baseball earning 18 saves and striking out 63 hitters in just 37.1 IP for the Georgia Bulldogs en route to a trip to the College World Series. Fields has two dominating pitches, a 94-96 MPH heater and a devastating 12-6 curveball that could be the best in all of baseball very soon. Fields has the demeanor of a closer, he attacks hitters with his plus stuff and works quickly. He is loose-limbed and shows the durability to throw on back to back days. While his curve is nearly unhittable, his fastball is too straight and Fields has shown an inability to command it lower in the strike zone. Against the quick bats of the American League, this could be a major problem late in games, increasing his proneness to give up the gofer ball. Aside from that fact, Fields was widely regarded as the top closer in the '08 draft and one that is close to being MLB ready. In an organization like Seattle's that is welcome news.
2009 Projection: Don't be surprised to see the M's push Fields quickly. He could start at High-A High Desert or AA West Tennessee, but wherever he is, he is sure to move quickly. Last year, Fields averaged an insane 15.3 K's per 9 innings. While that trend is surely going to diminish somewhat, he should be able to average more than one per inning at each of his minor league stops. Watch the walk totals though, as Fields has been unable to average less than 5 walks per 9 innings in either of his collegiate seasons. Surrendering walks and being a flyball pitcher could prove disastrous down the road for this otherwise bright young closer. The M's don't have a surefire closer at this time as J.J. Putz now pitches on the East Coast. If no one steps forward this season, there could be a chance for Fields to do so at the end of the 2009 season.
Key Joshua Fields Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1199
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 09 March 2009
H/W: 6-4 205 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 1/27/87
The Detroit Tigers saw projectibility and two MLB-plus pitches when they selected the Ole Miss University hurler in the 2nd round of the '08 draft. Promptly converted to a late inning reliever, Satterwhite threw 20.2 innings at two stops earning 3 saves, a 3.92 ERA and a 13 BB/24 K ratio. Satterwhite has an explosive 95 MPH fastball with excellent late movement that moves in on the hands of RH batters. His slider has high upside with a violent two plane break, but he has had trouble commanding it at times. He has dabbled with developing a changeup, but it really hasn't taken as of yet. Satterwhite has a tall, broad frame that still has quite a bit of projectibility left, which leads some to believe that he can tack on some additional ticks to the velocity of his fastball. His inconsistent delivery and loose mechanics causes him to miss up in the zone quite a bit which makes him hittable and marginalizes his ability to induce groundball outs. This could serve as a problem at higher levels. The Tigers are quite enamored with the closer potential of 1st rounder Ryan Perry, and given Satterwhite's young age, there is still some possibility that he could be developed as a starter in the future.
2009 Projection: Satterwhite will get a nice dose of full season ball at High-A Lakeland this season. The Tigers would like to see him get better command of his off-speed stuff and would like for him to utilize his frame to throw downhill on hitters. His control numbers are the obvious things to watch, but keep an eye on his FO/GO ratio as well. If he can bump that up over 1.00 (it was 0.57 last season), he can rapidly become a dominant reliever. Relief pitching has been a thorn in the side of the Tigers for the past few seasons, but there is high hopes that the combination of Satterwhite and Ryan Perry could help this club shorten games and put more wins on the scoreboard.
Key Cody Satterwhite Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Playoff Contenders Auto SP #/90
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1199
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/322
- 2008 UD USA Auto Jersey #/275
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Posted on 05 March 2009
H/W: 5-11 175 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 2/26/89
Drafted in the 3rd round last year, Vasquez signed early and immediately put up some solid numbers at short season Low-A Johnson City, batting .317 with 4 HR 25 RBI 8 SB and 42 runs scored in 55 games. His fine performance earned him a promotion to Low-A Quad Cities where he promptly struggled, managing just 5 hits in 39 AB. Vasquez has power that belies his demure build. He generates tremendous torque with his quick right-handed swing that prompts some scouts to speculate that he can become a 20-25 HR hitter at the major league level. He has shown the ability to take a walk and work deep into counts, but his K rate is too high (69 K in 66 games) for someone with his average power numbers. Defensively, Vasquez has below average speed, but his sure hands and strong accurate arm mitigate errors and should allow for him to stay at the position throughout his development.
2009 Projection: Vasquez should get another shot at Quad Cities and should put up better numbers. Monitor the power progress and also his ability to mitigate his K totals. If he doesn't, he will see a precipitous drop in his batting average numbers. The Redbirds have slick fielding Pete Kozma tabbed as their SS of the future which could mean that Vasquez may need to move to 3B down the road. His arm and good instincts would make him a good fit, but the power would need to progress to a more acceptable level in order to ensure his long term viability at that position.
Key Niko Vasquez Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2008 Bowman Sterling
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1499
- 2008 Playoff Contenders Auto
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra TOTC Auto #/494
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Posted on 31 January 2009
H/W: 5-11 180 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 6/29/89
"Nails Jr." was selected with one of the Brewers' 2nd round picks in the '08 draft and, after signing quickly he put up some solid numbers at both of Milwaukee's short season affiliates hitting .271 with 5 HR 17 RBI 4 SB and 29 runs scored in 46 games. Cutter Dykstra is a slightly bigger and more powerful version of his father Lenny Dykstra. He has good hand speed that explodes though the ball generating surprising pop for someone of his stature. He is an aggressive hitter at the plate but, like his father, he has advanced plate discipline (26 BB/37 K) and a good feel for the strike zone. Cutter was a shortstop in high school, but his fringy arm and inconsistent play necessitated a shift to CF where his plus speed and athleticism serves him well. Dykstra is a tough competitor and intelligent player who, while proud of his dad's accomplishments, has a strong desire to make a name for himself.
2009 Projection: Cutter is ready for Low-A Wisconsin and his first full season of professional ball. One area to watch this next season is his SB totals. Last year, Dykstra was successful in only 4 of 9 attempts, but with his speed and intelligence, these numbers should drastically improve this season. Dykstra has the blend of plate discipline and speed to be a solid leadoff hitter with a little bit of pop. The Brewers have some talented OF in their system, but mainly they are concentrated on the corners (Lorenzo Cain, Caleb Gindl, Eric Fryer). If Dykstra can continue to hit for average and improve his stolen base totals, he should ascend quickly through this talented system.
Key Cutter Dykstra Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1199
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 16 January 2009
H/W: 6-3 215 lb. B/T: R/L DOB: 1/8/90
The Braves used the 40th selection of the '08 draft to select this first team All-American southpaw. The Florida high schooler had a dominant season pitching to a 12-1 record with a 0.41 ERA and 140 K's in 86 IP. He continued his quality showings with the Braves' GCL affiliate allowing just one earned run in 9.2 innings. Devall has a long, projectible frame that can add more bulk as he matures. Despite his size, Brett is not overpowering, but he does have excellent command of three major league quality pitches. HIs 90-92 MPH fastball has some sink to it and he mixes it well with a straight change that has good depth. His only breaking pitch at this point is a slurvy curveball that actually should develop into more of a slider. There is a lot of promise in this pitch and many within baseball circles think that it will become an effective outpitch for him. Devall has a fluid delivery that is mechanically sound and very repeatable. This should help to keep him from having pitching-related injuries and lapses in control. There is projectibility with DeVall, but some feel that his ceiling is a bit limited due to the fact that he doesn't have ace-like stuff. Nevertheless, the Braves are adept at scouting and refining young pitching talent and the chances of Brett becoming a quality #2 or #3 starter seems to be quite bright.
2009 Projection: After a brief successful stint with the Braves' GCL affiliate, DeVall should move to full season Rome for the '09 season. The main thing to watch with DeVall is his ability to dominate hitters at this lower level. The strikeout numbers are always a prime indicator, but keep an eye on his GO/FO ratio as well. He induced 1.86 GO/FO outs in his professional debut and, if he can keep this up, it will demonstrate that he is effectively controlling other hitters. The Braves have a stable of young quality arms in their system and DeVall is assuredly one of them.
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Posted on 01 January 2009
H/W: 6-3 195 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 10/4/89
The Red Sox shelled out an over slot $3 million to lure the two sport Sarasota HS star away from a University of Tennessee football scholarship. Kelly struggled at the Red Sox GCL affiliate before having some success at short-season Lowell. Kelly is a superb athlete with a big frame that should comfortably add more bulk in the future. Defensively, the son of former Yankee infielder Pat Kelly has above average range and a rocket arm that will play well at the major league level. The biggest question mark with Kelly's skill set right now is his bat. His size and strength projects that he will develop more power as he matures, but his productive sample size is too small to give an effective gauge at this time. There is loads of promise and potential in this young shortstop, and it will be exciting to see how it all plays out.
2009 Projection: Kelly has 130 professional AB's under his belt, but he may start the '09 season at extended spring training before heading back to Lowell. The Red Sox are chocked full of high upside SS prospects which affords them the opportunity to be more patient with Kelly. Keep tabs on his weight this spring, as it is quite likely that he will add some muscle over the next couple of years. Although they are quite happy with current SS Jed Lowrie, the Red Sox are aching for more power production from the 6-hole. Kelly's power production is an integral piece to his development. He has exhibited poor plate discipline thusfar and will need to shore up that area if he wants to vault over the likes of Yamaico Navarro and Argenis Diaz as the future Fenway shortstop.
Key Casey Kelly Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1199
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 20 December 2008
H/W: 6-1 210 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 2/12/87
The Blue Jays 2008 1st rounder had a very successful debut season excelling at three levels to the tune of a .333 BA with 5 HR 51 RBI and 29 doubles in just 69 games. His fluid, quick swing generates good loft and surprising gap power that could translate to 20-25 HR per season. Additionally, Cooper has impeccable plate discipline which should help him draw about 60-75 walks each season. While Cooper is adept with the bat, he is merely average with the glove and below average on the basepaths. The Blue Jays haven't had a first baseman this good since the days of John Olerud. Given his offensive upside, Cooper could carve out a similar career path.
2009 Projection: After excelling at three different Single-A stops, the Jays should feel comfortable about sending Cooper to AA New Hampshire for the beginning of the '09 season. Keep track of Cooper's power numbers this season as he should start to translate some of the doubles into HR's soon. Current Toronto 1B Lyle Overbay is signed through the 2010 season which should give more than enough time for the Jays' future first sacker time to develop.
Key David Cooper Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1199
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 19 December 2008
B/T: 6-4 215 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 10/24/89
The Royals continued their recent trend of drafting 1st round power bats by selecting Eric Hosmer with the 3rd overall pick. Hosmer signed late, but impressed Royals brass by rapping 4 hits in 11 AB at shorts season Idaho Falls. The consensus of many scouts is that Hosmer has the best bat in the '08 prep class. His balanced lefty swing is quick and projects to hit for above average power at the major league level. Contrary to many young, projectible power hitters, Hosmer has advanced plate discipline and a good mental approach to his at bats. On the defensive side, Hosmer's soft hands and good reactions play extraordinarily well at 1B. Baserunning speed will never be Eric's calling card. He has thick legs and below average speed that should clog bases as he gets older. Additionally, he has struggled to hit balls up and in on his hands with authority. Given his quick swing, he should be able to develop more torque to increase his hand speed to prevent himself from being jammed. The Royals recently acquired Mike Jacobs but make no mistake, the talented Jacobs is merely a stop gap that is keeping the 1B bag warm for Hosmer's arrival within the next few seasons.
2009 Projection: Hosmer's polished bat may take him to full season Low-A Burlington to start the season. While Hosmer should hit for a high average, the breadth of his future power production is still up in the air. Watch to see if he can produce 15 or more HR in his first season. Also, his other extra base hit totals will give a better idea of the power totals that can be expected from him in future seasons. The Royals are putting some quality pieces into their organization and their future as a contender in the A.L. Central is becoming more and more a reality with each passing season and successful draft. Hosmer's bat will play a big part in bringing the Royals franchise to prominence once again.
Key Eric Hosmer Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Auto #/699
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
- 2008 Team USA Baseball Auto #/249
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H/W: 6-0 180 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 8/19/85
