Posted on 21 February 2009
H/W: 5-11 240 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 3/10/89
The White Sox outbid both the Yankees and Red Sox for the services of the 19 year old Cuban Native Dayan Viciedo. Viciedo was a 17 year old when he joined the Cuban national team and his blend of jaw dropping power and the ability to hit for a high batting average prompted Chicago to offer him a 4-year $11 million Major League deal. Viciedo is reported to have much more offensive upside than fellow Cuban defector and White Sox infielder Alexei Ramirez. Viciedo is built like a bull and, despite his size, is more athletic than expected. However, his weight is a major concern as he first reported to the White Sox at nearly 270 lb. There are questions about how his size will affect his ability to play MLB quality defense at the hot corner. He will be given a long look at spring training by Guillen, who is a stickler for good defense on his clubs.
2009 Projection: The clock is ticking on Viciedo's freshly signed contract, which means that the White Sox are firm believers in his ability to rapidly acclimate himself to MLB baseball. Chicago currently has Josh Fields in the fold as their starting 3B, but his inability to fulfill the promise and accolades levied upon him in the earlier stages of his career could diminish opportunities if his struggles to hit MLB pitching continues. Viciedo will get a long look this spring and the possibility of him breaking camp with the White Sox is a distinct possibility. Last season Alexei Ramirez broke camp with the big club without ever playing a minor league game. Viciedo has the same potential, but nearly 8 years Ramirez's junior, it seems more likely that he will get some seasoning at the minor league level.
Key Dayan Viciedo Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Playoff Contenders SP Auto
Posted on 18 February 2009
H/W: 6-0 175 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 9/7/87
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.
Key Gorkys Hernandez Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2007 Bowman Sterling
- 2008 Bowman Sterling Auto
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft
Posted on 18 February 2009
H/W: 6-3 215 lb. B/T: S/R DOB: 9/10/85
The Pirates former catching prospect continued his acclimation to the hot corner and established career highs in HR and RBI totals. Walker spent the entire season at AAA Indianapolis hitting .242 with 16 HR 80 RBI 10 SB and a combined 32 doubles and triples. Walker is an above average athlete who is well built with projectible power from both sides of the plate. He continued to make strides defensively last season cutting his errors down from 27 to just 19. He shows good agility and has drawn rave reviews within the organization for his extraordinary makeup and work ethic. The big bugaboo with Neil continues to be his substandard plate discipline. Last season, Walker had a dismal OBP of just .280 due in large part to his unacceptible 29 BB/102 K ratio. The Pirates still remain quite bullish about Walker's potential and are reportedly giving him an opportunity to compete with Andy LaRoche this spring for the starting 3B spot. There is enough upside in Walker's skill set to believe that he could well succeed in that challenge.
2009 Projection: This spring will be huge for the former '04 1st rounder. At 23 years old, Neil Walker is fast approaching the time where his development should be almost complete. The biggest thing to watch, of course, is the plate discipline. This alone is the main determinant of Walker's future success. His ceiling remains quite high and opportunities within the Pirates system should abound. If he struggles this spring, expect him to be shipped back to AAA for more seasoning before being called up later in the season.
Key Neil Walker Baseball Cards:
- 2004 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto
- 2004 Bowman Sterling Auto
- 2004 Donruss Elite Extra #/1343
- 2004 Fleer Hot Prospects Auto
- 2004 SP Prospects Auto #/500
Posted on 14 February 2009
H/W: 6-5 230 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 12/8/87
The monolithic righty took a bold leap forward as one of New York's top pitching prospects in '08 after going 14-9 with a 2.09 ERA and a stellar 21 BB/115 K ratio in 151 IP. McAllister throws a four seam and two seam fastball that reaches 93 MPH with heavy sink. His slider and change are potential plus pitches that he mixes quite well to induce groundball outs (1.48 GO/FO). His control has made impeccable improvements as Zach cut his walk rate to just 1.3 BB/9 IP. Zach has demonstrated himself to be very strong and durable at a young age, giving the Yankees reason to believe that there is room for him to increase velocity in the near future. Despite his laundry list of positive attributes, McAllister seems to pitch to contact more than he needs to, resulting in lower strikeout numbers and, while his BAA was a respectible .233, more disciplined hitters could have more success against him.
2009 Projection: A trip to AA Trenton should provide a sound indicator of just how good McAllister's stuff is against advanced hitters. If he is able to boost his velocity by a few ticks while still maintaining similar amounts of control, McAllister will rapidly ascend not only to the upper echelon of pinstriped prospects, but to the top tier of young pitching prospects as well. The Yankees have a host of good arms in their system (Dellin Betances, Mark Melancon, Andrew Brackman, Jario Heredia), but McAllister has the potential to surpass them all and be a mainstay in the Bronx within the next two seasons.
Key Zach McAllister Baseball Cards:
- 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto
- 2007 Bowman's Best
- 2007 Bowman Heritage
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra
Posted on 14 February 2009
H/W: 5-11 185 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 6/24/89
The Rangers' 2nd round pick signed just before the deadline in August and has yet to throw a single professional pitch. Ross features a 92 MPH fastball that has lively movement and sharp control. His slider and changeup show some promise as well, but they are still in their developmental stages. Though small in stature, Ross is a big time competitor who employs a bulldog mentality each time he takes the mound. Ross is quite athletic and agile on the mound, but his smallish size could affect his stamina as a starter. Going forward, he needs to establish better command and movement from his two offspeed pitches and put on 10-15 lbs. of muscle in order to remain a starter.
2009 Projection: The Rangers have the luxury of taking their time with Robbie as their system is loaded with high upside arms. With that in mind, it seems most suitable for Ross to start the season at extended spring training before heading to short season Spokane in June. Texas is bubbling with young southpaws (Derek Holland, Neil Ramirez, Martin Perez, Kasey Kiker). Ross has time to develop, but the challenge to distinguish himself from the group is a daunting one. Watch to see how deep into starts he goes and how well he controls the strike zone at the lower levels. If he struggles to command his off speed stuff, he may find himself becoming a reliever down the line.
Key Robbie Ross Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1499
Posted on 10 February 2009
H/W: 6-1 185 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 12/25/89
Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington has to be extremely pleased with the early returns from this 17th round selection. Jarek Cunningham torched GCL pitching for a .316 BA with 5 HR 22 RBI and 11 doubles in just 43 games. Cunningham has a strong body frame that quite likely is not done growing. His swing is fluid with a trajectory that will produce a lot of flyballs. His arm strength at shortstop is above average, but he struggles with his footwork at times which leads to inaccurate throws at times. As of now, his range at shortstop is acceptible, but there is some concern that he will grow out of the shortstop position and be forced to move to third base in the future. Cunningham showed solid patience for someone his age, but he seems to have a looping swing that has some holes that could be exploited by more advanced pitchers. He hasn't had strikeout problems yet, but it could happen down the line. Cunningham is one to watch this next season as a sleeper prospect in '09, especially if he can stay at shortstop.
2009 Projection: The challenges of full season competition awaits Cunningham as he should be heading to Low-A Hickory. There are two big challenges for Cunningham to address this season. First, he must shorten his swing while still hitting the ball with authority. Watch the BB/K ratio and, of course, his XBH totals. Second, Jarek must be able to stick at SS. The Pirates already have two power hitting 3B prospects in Neil Walker and top '08 pick Pedro Alvarez. There are several shortstops scattered throughout the organization (Brian Bixler, Brian Friday, Chase D'Arnaud, Jordy Mercer), but Cunningham has more offensive upside than any of them. A strong showing with both the bat and the glove this season should separate him from the rest of the bunch.
Key Jarek Cunningham Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/719
- 2008 Playoff Contenders Auto
- 2008
H/W: 6-1 185 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 1/14/87
