Hunter Renfroe finished his amateur career with a bang. The 21-year-old outfielder was one of the top players in the college ranks, hitting a robust .345, with 16 home runs, at Mississippi State. The San Diego Padres were impressed. They took him with the 13th overall pick in the June draft.

Renfroe’s tool kit includes more than a lethal bat from the right side. He also has plus wheels and a gun in the outfield. Originally drafted out of high school by the Red Sox, he had pro potential at multiple positions, including pitcher and catcher.

Renfroe had a solid first professional season. In 43 games between Eugene and Fort Wayne he hit .271, with 20 of his 46 hits going for extra bases. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently posed a question to 12 hitters. It was a question that doesn’t have an easy answer. Given the subjectivity involved, it doesn’t even have a right answer.

If you could lead the league in any offensive category, what would it be?

Their responses — some less serious than others — are listed below in alphabetical order. Read the rest of this entry »

When Bo Porter was hired to lead the Houston Astros, one of his first moves was to add Dave Trembley to his coaching staff. The hiring was more than a young, first-year manager bringing on board a mentor. It was a case of loyalty rewarded.

The 61-year-old Trembley and 41-year-old Porter go way back. And despite the difference in age and backgrounds, they share important things in common. Each is hard-nosed: Porter played football at the University of Iowa; Trembley has spent three decades in the baseball trenches. Both are good communicators, well-versed in sabermetric concepts.

They also remember where they came from. Porter, who played parts of three big-league seasons, was the Nationals third base coach before coming to Houston. Trembley, who skippered the Orioles from 2007-2010 after 20 seasons as a minor-league manager, came over from the Braves organization. Along the way, they forged a relationship that led to a late-night phone call neither will soon forget. Read the rest of this entry »

Two years ago, Josh Bell did the unexpected. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs boldly drafted Bell in the second round, despite his proclamation — through a letter to all 30 teams — that he would be attending the University of Texas. The product of Dallas’ Jesuit College Preparatory School was committed to getting an education.

Much to the Pirates delight, he changed his mind. The powerfully built, switch-hitting outfielder was more than a promising student-athlete. He had as much raw talent as any player in the draft. Were it not for signability issues, he likely would  have gone in the top half of the first round.

Last season, Bell learned how to deal with adversity. Just 15 games into his professional career, he tore the meniscus in his left knee and missed the rest of the season.

Bell, who turned 21 earlier this month, is currently getting his schooling in the South Atlantic League. In 498 plate appearances with the West Virginia Power, he is hitting .280/.353/.455, with 37 doubles and 12 home runs. Read the rest of this entry »

Last month, I asked 10 big-league players if hitting is more of an art or more of a science. I posed the same question to Luke Scott. Not surprisingly, his answer was both thoughtful and interesting. Love him or hate him — the Tampa Bay Rays outfielder is outspoken, charismatic and controversial — Scott understands his craft. He also describes it in way that only Luke Scott can.

—— Read the rest of this entry »

The object of this article isn’t to compare Manuel Margot to Xander Bogaerts. That wouldn’t be fair. The latter is one of the top prospects in the game and just made his big-league debut. The former is playing short-season ball. There are other notable differences as well.

There are also notable similarities, which is why it is hard to write about Margot without mentioning Bogaerts. Each signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent at age 16 and excelled in the Dominican Summer League at age 17. Each proceeded to hold his own against older competition at age 18: Bogaerts in the South Atlantic League two years ago, Margot in the New York-Penn League this season.

Then there is the wow factor. The buzz surrounding Margot hasn’t reached Bogaerts proportions, but it’s definitely there. And it’s getting louder. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently posed a question to 10 players. It was a question that doesn’t have an easy answer. Given the subjectivity involved, it doesn’t even have a right answer.

What is the best stat to evaluate pitchers?

Their responses are listed below in alphabetical order. Read the rest of this entry »

That his pitching coach considered limiting the number of breaking pitches he could throw in a recent outing says a lot about Jake Thompson. It isn’t because the highly-regarded Detroit Tigers pitching prospect lacks quality secondary offerings, but rather that he needs to do a better job of establishing his fastball.

Drafted in the second round last summer out of Rockwall-Heath (Texas) High School, Thompson is currently honing his skills with the Low-A West Michigan Whitecaps. The 19-year-old right-hander talked about his development — including the fine-tuning of his multi-pitch mix — prior to his Aug. 9 start against the Lansing Lugnuts. Also weighing in was his pitching coach, former Detroit closer Mike Henneman. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently posed a question to nine players and three coaches. It was a question that doesn’t have an easy answer. Given the subjectivity involved, it doesn’t even have a right answer.

Should reputation and “fame” play a meaningful role in Hall of Fame voting, or should it be based almost entirely on statistics?

Their responses are listed below in alphabetical order. Read the rest of this entry »

Daniel Norris seemed intrigued when I suggested he might be the next Drake Britton. It is an apples-to-orange comparison — the latter underwent Tommy John surgery and Norris‘s worst malady has been a forearm strain — but the southpaws share notable things in common. For one, they saw their professional careers get off to slow starts.

Norris, one of the top prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays system, has gone 3-11, 6.19 since being taken in the second round of the 2011 draft. Two years ago, in high-A, Britton went 1-13, 6.91. He is now in the big leagues with the Red Sox.

The 20-year-old Norris is showing indications he may be ready to turn a similar corner. In his last two starts for the low-A Lansing Lugnuts, he has thrown nine scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts. More importantly, he has begun pitching with more poise and confidence. Norris talked about his development — including what he has learned from his struggles — late last week. Read the rest of this entry »