Posted on 03 February 2009
H/W: 6-2 165 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 4/4/90
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.
Key Javier Rodriguez Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Sterling Auto
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Posted on 03 February 2009
H/W: 6-2 205 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 5/22/89
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.
Key Trevor Reckling Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2008 Donruss Threads Auto #/875
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Posted on 19 December 2008
H/W: 6-5 240 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 9/14/87
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.
Key David Bromberg Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2008 Donruss Threads Gold Auto #/999
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Posted on 02 December 2008
H/W: 6-5 220 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 11/16/87
Walden split his first full season between Low-A Cedar Rapids and High-A Rancho Cucamonga finishing with a solid 9-8 record with a 2.76 ERA and 141 K's in 156 IP. Walden was quite effective inducing ground balls at a rate of 2.11 per flyout and his .213 BAA was remarkable considering that he pitched in leagues that are generally quite tough on pitchers. Walden's fastball is one of the best in the minor league sitting between 95-97 MPH, though it has touched 100 MPH on occasion. His offspeed pitches include a slider with slurvy action and late bite, and a straight change that is still developing. Walden's big strong frame suggests that he should be able to build more strength and endurance as he ages to handle 200 inning workloads with regularity. Walden has a lot of upside, though his control of his offspeed pitches still needs to develop in order for his fastball to be even more deadly. Walden is hands down the top pitching talent in the Angels' farm system and he has the potential to be a solid frontline starter within the next three seasons.
2009 Projection: Walden earned a promotion to AA Arkansas where he should remain for the duration of the '09 season. Watch to see if he can maintain his K rates while remaining effective at inducing groundball outs. If so, Walden should win 12-15 games and ascend to become one of the top pitching talents in baseball.
Key Jordan Walden Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/774
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Posted on 16 November 2008
H/W: 6-2 185 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 12/21/88
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.
Duffy does have some kinks in his delivery Read the full story
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Posted on 15 November 2008
H/W: 6-2 215 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 8/25/87
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
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Posted on 12 November 2008
H/W: 6-4 215 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 8/1/89
Wow! Bumgarner blasted his way onto the prospect scene with an '08 season for the ages. Bumgarner blazed through the South Atlantic League compiling a 15-3 record with a minuscule 1.46 ERA and 164 K's in 141.2 IP. Moreover, Madison showed impeccable control with only 21 walks and a .216 BAA. Blessed with a mid 90's fastball with good movement in on right handed batters, Madison also showed marked improvement in his off speed offerings, a hard curve and improving change. Bumgarner is a great athlete who can still grow into his young developing body.
After an '08 like that, it is hard to find areas in Bumgarner's game that need to improve. Better command of his changeup and a sharper bite to his sweeping curveball will enhance his effectiveness and efficiency. The young ace needs to locate his pitches down in the strike zone more as he showed some difficulty in forcing groundballs. Bumgarner is on the fast track to San Francisco and will likely start off the 2009 Season at San Jose. Expect a promotion to AA Connecticut at some point next season. Bumgarner is one of baseball's biggest and brightest future stars and joining a rotation with the two Tim's (Lincecum and Alderson) is cause for Giants fans to celebrate.
Key Madison Bumgarner Baseball Cards
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft Madison Bumgarner
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Madison Bumgarner Auto #/794
- 2007 Bowman Sterling Madison Bumgarner Auto
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Madison Bumgarner Auto
- 2008 Donruss Threads Madison Bumgarner Gold Auto #/250
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Posted on 11 November 2008
H/W: 6-0 190 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 2/22/83
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
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Posted on 09 November 2008
H/W: 6-5 230 lb. B/T: B/R DOB: 5/21/86
Matt Wieters had a special 2008 season earning the honor of Baseball America's MInor League Player of the Year. Wieters decimated pitching at both High-A Frederick and AA Bowie, hitting .355 with 27 HR 91 RBI and 89 runs scored in 130 games. Wieters has prolific power from both sides of the plate and his plate discipline (82 BB/76 K) is impeccable. Defensively, many scouts have said that he possesses the best package of skills in baseball. His leadership and game calling instincts are unparalleled as well. If there is any chink in Wieter's catching gear it is his lack of speed and the inherent injury risks attributed to over sized catchers (a la Joe Mauer). To Wieters' credit, his speed will not be a detrimental factor and he has had a clean bill of health throughout his baseball career.
2009 Projection: Wieters is ready to take over full time catching duties in Baltimore, but don't be surprised to see the Orioles send him to AAA Rochester to start the season. Ramon Hernandez is not a formidable roadblock for Wieters and he may be dealt at some point in '09. The O's would be prudent to wait until June to bring Wieters up, as this would ensure that they would not lose a year of free agent eligibility. Whether it is sooner or later, Wieters will be the most remarkable young catcher of this generation.
2009 Update: As predicted, Wieters began the season at AAA Norfolk and is slated to earn his promotion to Baltimore on May 30th. During his stint at Norfolk, the switch-hitting Wieters hit .305 with 5 HR and 30 RBI. With the emergence of Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold and the consistently fine production of Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and Aubrey Huff, the Orioles have several talented offensive players to serve as protection for the Georgia Tech alum. This is a team that is poised to make a strong second half showing in the A.L. East and Wieters will be one of the young stars leading the charge.
Key Matt Wieters Baseball Cards
- 2005 Upper Deck Team USA Matt Wieters Auto #/475
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Matt Wieters Auto #/799
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Matt Wieters Collegiate Patch Auto #/250
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Posted on 03 November 2008
H/W: 6-1 205 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 4/9/86
Peterson forced his way into the Marlins' outfield picture with a superb three-stop performance in '08. Peterson has a solid and athletic frame and a line drive swing that produced more leverage and power than he mustered in his entire career at Cal-Irvine which produced only 5 HR. This leap is noteworthy especially since his power increase had no effects on his base stealing acumen. Peterson is an above average Read the full story
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Posted on 03 November 2008
H/W: 6-3 210 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 1/20/87
- 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
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H/W: 6-2 165 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 4/4/90
