One thing the Oakland Athletics organization does not get enough credit for, thank to the media focus on its drafting philosophies, is finding diamonds in the rough. In recent seasons, the Athletics have found players in the bargain bin only to squeeze unexpected value from them. That list includes such players as Jack Cust, Shannon Stewart, Andrew Brown, Jack Hannahan, and Frank Thomas (version 1.0).

The same can be said for minor league players in the system… Now these players may not have a major impact like Cust did when he hit 26 homers in 2007, but minor league depth is vitally important for a franchise to be successful. As such, let’s take a look at some of the more interesting players the Athletics organization has added to its system via minor league free agency and the waiver wire.

At 6-1, 165 pounds, third baseman Jesus Guzman does not look like a slugger, but he currently has 18 doubles and 12 home runs in 276 at-bats for the Double-A Midland RockHounds. The 24-year-old minor league free agent pick-up is also hitting .355/.405./.565. Last year at High-A ball (albeit in the hitting haven of High Desert), Guzman hit .301/.370/.539 with 25 homers, 38 doubles, 102 runs scored and 112 RBI. Why did Seattle give up on this guy? The organization likely cut ties with him because his big 2007 came after two not-so-great seasons at Double-A. But that comes with a caveat because Seattle did what is becoming a disturbing trend. It rushed Guzman. He came to North America, after signing out of Venezuela, and was immediately placed in High-A ball at the age of 20. He then was pushed to Double-A the next season and he averaged about .258/.334/.388 for the next two seasons before moving back down to High-A ball and thriving.

Jon Zeringue, 25, has been a nice find for the A’s organization and has provided solid numbers for Double-A Midland since being picked up out of an independent baseball league last season. The former second round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks was, like Guzman, rushed through the minors and struggled with Double-A before being unceremoniously released. This season he his hitting .290/.383/.504 with 11 homers and 42 runs scored in 238 at-bats. He has a .340 average against southpaws and 10 of his 16 hits have been doubles.

Wes Bankston is a forgotten member of the Tampa Bay Rays’ ridiculous minor league depth. Drafted out of high school, the slugging first baseman hit .301/.346/.569 with 18 homers in 246 Rookie Ball at-bats in 2002. Two seasons later in A-ball, he slugged 23 homers and drove in 101 runs and sat amongst the Rays’ best prospects. Then injuries slowed his ascent and the organization experimented with an ill-advised conversion to third base. After a disappointing offensive season at Triple-A in 2007, at the age of 23, Bankston was removed from the 40-man roster to make room for a new wave of talent and was claimed on waivers by the A’s. Bankston is still struggling at Triple-A as his plate discipline has diminished along with his power but he is still young enough to recapture his past approach and secure a part-time Major League job.

From all appearances Brooks Conrad is a perfect fit for the Athletics organization. The former eighth round pick of the Houston Astros out of Arizona State University was never given a fair shake in the organization despite above-average offensive numbers as a second baseman, including 40 doubles, 15 triples and 24 homers in Triple-A in 2006. Conrad did not even sniff a Major League plate appearance in seven seasons in the Astros organization. His numbers are not looking so hot this season but Conrad could still have some value on a major league bench, in part due to his grinder mentality, if he can improve his average. He is currently hitting .227/.293/.446 with 13 homers in 242 at-bats.

Casey Rogowski is a former White Sox prospect. The left-handed hitting first baseman has always intrigued teams with his raw power and surprising base running skills for a 6-3, 230 pound man. He has stolen more than 15 bases seven times and surpassed 20 twice. However, he has only exceeded 15 homers once, although he is on pace to do it again this season and is currently hitting .273/.347/.444 with nine homers in 216 at-bats. Rogowski has also taken his fair share of walks in his career. He is yet another player who could eventually find part-time employment at the Major League level.

You don’t win big without taking a little risk and thinking outside the box, which is what these players represent. They won’t be superstars and some of them may never play at the Major League level for the Athletics but, as mentioned, the organization is one of the best when it comes to squeezing value out of other organization’s rejects and failed projects. These five players all possess the potential to join the likes of Cust and Hannahan at exceeding expectations.

Right-hander Danny Haren has been very good to the Oakland Athletics. Not only did he give them three seasons of above-average pitching, but he also brought first baseman Daric Barton and reliever Kiko Calero over with him when he was traded to the West Coast from St. Louis prior to the 2005 season. All three players have been key cogs in the A’s successes over the past three years, and Barton promises to be a mainstay in the lineup for many years (or until his trade value is at its peak).

Haren, along with minor league right-hander Connor Robertson, also brought the Athletics a plethora of talent when he was traded from Oakland to Arizona prior to the 2008 seasons. The booty obtained for the right-hander includes southpaws Dana Eveland, Greg Smith, Brett Anderson, first baseman Chris Carter and outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Aaron Cunningham.

Haren 6-4 W-L | 83.2 IP | 7.64 K/9 | 1.61 BB/9 | .234 AVG | 3.25 FIP
Eveland 4-5 W-L | 76.2 IP | 6.22 K/9 | 4.58 BB/9 | .234 AVG | 3.83 FIP
Smith 3-5 W-L | 74.2 IP | 6.75 K/9 | 3.25 BB/9 | .236 AVG | 3.86 FIP

Obviously, Haren, 27, has a proven track record whereas the younger Eveland, 24, and Smith, 24, do not. That said, you have to enjoy the fact Oakland turned one key part of its rotation into two key parts, keeping in mind how valuable young, affordable pitching is and how incredibly valuable young, affordable, left-handed pitching is now. Eveland has always had a little bit of a higher profile than Smith, who was always considered to be one of those ‘soft-tossers’ who can fool minor leaguers but would probably get lit up by the bigger, stronger Major Leaguers. So far, though, Smith is proving his doubters wrong in the post-Mitchell Report era. Eveland’s stuff is a little bit better than Smith’s, but the southpaw has always been compared to former Major Leaguer David Wells, and not in a fattering – sorry, flattering way. Basically with these three pitchers you have to decide if a No. 2 starter, or borderline No. 1 starter, is more valuable than both a No. 3 and No. 4 starter.

Robertson, 26, is a former 31st round draft pick who has settled into a bullpen role and is currently pitching in Triple-A Tucson. He has a 4.32 ERA in 41.2 innings. Robertson has allowed 33 hits and 18 walks to go along with 42 strikeouts. His stuff is average at best and he allows a lot of fly balls so his ceiling is limited to that of a 12th or 13th man on a Major League pitching staff.

Anderson, 20, is one of the top southpaw prospects in all of baseball and was considered an advanced high school pitcher when he was drafted. So far this season, in High-A ball, Anderson has a 4.43 ERA in 61 innings. He has allowed 62 hits and has walked 2.21 batters per nine innings (BB/9). He has also posted a rate of 9.59 K/9. Anderson’s ERA is a bit misleading as he pitched hurt for a little while before going on the disabled list in mid-May. If you subtract those three straight poor starts that included 19 earned runs in 11 innings, his ERA lowers to 1.98.

At the time of the trade, Gonzalez, 22, was considered the key player in the deal as the Diamondbacks’ top prospect. He has done nothing to disappoint since becoming an American Leaguer and he is currently hitting .262/.279/.452 in 42 at-bats at the major league level. Interestingly, of his 11 hits, Gonzalez has eight doubles. In fact, his first seven major league hits were doubles. Earlier in the season at Triple-A, Gonzalez batted .293/.351/.439 in 157 at-bats. He is still raw to some degree but loaded with potential.

Cunningham began the season on the disabled list but has been making up for lost time. The fringe major league starter (not enough range for center, not enough power for the corners) is currently hitting .291/.357/.417 in Double-A, with three homers and five stolen bases in 151 at-bats. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts, which are piling up at a rate of 27.3 percent.

Originally acquired by the Diamondbacks from the White Sox, Carter has settled into Oakland’s system nicely, with his combination of walks and home runs. He still has work to do to develop into a major leaguer, though. The power is undeniable but Carter needs to improve his contact rates. He is currently hitting .224/.342/.480 with 14 homers in 223 at-bats. He has walked 15.2 percent of the time but struck out at a rate of 31.8 percent.

The Oakland Athletics organization made some key trades in the 2007-08 off-season. A trade with the Chicago White Sox saw the A’s send one of its key offensive cogs north in somewhat of a surprising move. First baseman-outfielder Nick Swisher was traded to The Windy City for disappointing outfielder Ryan Sweeney and top pitching prospects Gio Gonzalez and Fautino De Los Santos.

Swisher’s trade was a bit of a surprise considering he was a young hitter locked into a reasonable five-year contract that runs through 2011 and includes an option at $10.25 million for 2012. That said, Swisher has struggled this season with the White Sox and is hitting only .228/.343/.386 in 215 at-bats. His slugging percentage is down 70 points from his career average. Maybe the A’s knew something the rest of us did not (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more)? Or maybe he is just having an off year. On the plus side, he’s still walking a lot (14.7 percent) and the club is in first place in its division.

Sweeney, a former second round pick out of high school, was in desperate need of a scenery change – and former Sox teammate Brian Anderson is no doubt envious of his good fortune. Sweeney, 23, is currently hitting .293/.353/.407 in 123 at-bats for his new club. Those obviously are not All-Star numbers but he has been a solid contributor for the organization.

Southpaw Gonzalez, 22, is currently biding his time in Triple-A Sacramento and gives the Athletics excellent starting pitching depth. If the club needed him, he could probably be at least a league average starter right now. Currently, he has a 5.71 ERA in 64.2 innings of work with 74 hits allowed and 35 walks. His numbers are a little skewed after he was roughed up in two of his last four starts for 17 earned runs on 20 hits in 8.2 innings.

De Los Santos, 22, was considered one of the biggest up-and-comers in 2007 after going 10-5 with a 2.65 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 122.1 A-ball innings. But he succumbed to Tommy John surgery after only five High-A ball starts after coming over to the Athletics. Gee… what a surprise. The White Sox organization has never traded (Mike) an injured pitcher (Sirotka) before. Luckily the track record for pitchers returning from the surgery is pretty solid.

Even with the injury, the trade seems to be in Oakland’s favor at this point.

The Oakland Athletics organization has received a lot of ink over its drafting philosophies, but Billy Beane’s trades tend to get overlooked. The general manager brought a number of highly-touted (and not-so-touted) prospects into the struggling minor league system this past off-season. As such, now is the perfect time to spend the week taking a look at how those transactions have worked out for the Athletics and the club’s trading partners.

Along with a couple larger trades, the Athletics made two smaller trades: one with Toronto and one with Atlanta. On Nov. 18, the organization traded super-sub Marco Scutaro to the Jays for right-handed pitchers Kristian Bell and Graham Godfrey. On Jan. 14, the Athletics sent oft-injured outfielder Mark Kotsay to the Braves for pitchers Joey Devine and Jamie Richmond.

In an effort to save some cash with the arbitration-eligible Scutaro, Beane sent arguably the team’s most valuable position player to the Jays. Yes, Scutaro, who was originally acquired by the A’s on waivers from the New York Mets, filled in admirably for the club’s injured infielders:

2004 filled in for injured second baseman Mark Ellis (123 games at 2B)
2005 filled in for injured shortstop Bobby Crosby (81 games at SS)
2006 filled in for injured shortstop Bobby Crosby (69 games at SS)
2007 filled in for injured shortstop Bobby Crosby (43 games at SS)
2007 filled in for injured third baseman Eric Chavez (36 games at 3B)

Scutaro has already proven his worth in Toronto this season. He has filled in for injured shortstop David Eckstein (21 games) and injured third baseman Scott Rolen (20 games). Scutaro has posted his typical offensive numbers with a line of .268/.356/.346 with two homers and five stolen bases in 179 at-bats.

Bell, 24, throws in the low- to mid-90s in the bullpen but has below-average command. After a good spring, he was assigned to Double-A despite posting a 5.33 ERA in the Florida State League for Toronto in 2007. Bell struggled for the A’s in Double-A and posted a 9.45 ERA in 11 games. He was then demoted to High-A ball in mid-May, made one appearance and was placed on the disabled list.

Godfrey, 23, was a starter in the Jays system but he has spent time as a swing man in the A’s system due to his lack of a quality third pitch to accompany his low-90s fastball and slider. So far this season in High-A ball, Godfrey has posted a 4.92 ERA in 56.2 innings. He has allowed 57 hits and 16 walks. Godfrey has struck out 45 batters but allowed six homers.

It was no secret that the A’s wanted to get rid of center fielder Kotsay and the organization found a taker in Atlanta. He rewarded his new club with a solid performance so far this season. Kotsay currently has a line of .294/.344/.435 with four homers and two stolen bases in 170 at-bats.

The Athletics, on the other hand, received a couple of interesting arms in return for Kotsay. Devine, a former first round pick, struggled with his command as a member of the Atlanta Braves and walked 22 batters in 20.1 innings over parts of three seasons. So far with the A’s, though, Devine has walked only seven batters in 22 innings. He has also struck out 28 hitters and allowed 16 hits. He has yet to give up a homer and could eventually move into the closer’s role if (and when) the Athletics trade current fireman Huston Street.

Richmond, 22, started his A’s career by struggling after being send back to A-ball to begin the year despite modest success at that level last season for Atlanta. He currently has a 3.79 ERA in 69 innings and has allowed 64 hits and just eight walks. The right-hander has struck out 48 batters and has induced two ground balls for every fly ball out.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft today and tomorrow, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Last week I looked at the National League’s first three rounds (plus the supplemental first round). Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key American League third round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Nick Barnese (Tampa Bay) had an encouraging pro debut in Rookie Ball but the youngster began 2008 in extended spring training, where he will remain until short season leagues get underway shortly after the draft.

Danny Duffy (Kansas City) began the year in extended spring training before moving up to the Midwest League in late May. He has made three starts and has struggled with an 8.49 ERA in 11.2 innings. He has allowed 16 hits and five walks to go along with 18 strikeouts.

Danny Carroll (Seattle) had a great start to the year before hitting the disabled list in late April. He was hitting .339/.413/.429 in 56 at-bats. Carroll had 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts.

Evan Reed (Texas), a college reliever, was shifted to the starting rotation by the Rangers. He is currently pitching in High-A ball and has a 4.64 ERA in 42.2 innings with 47 hits allowed. He has walked 24 batters and struck out 34. Reed made one emergency start at Double-A and did not allow a run in five innings.

Alan Farina (Toronto) began the year working as a tandem starter but that did not work out so he went back to strictly being a reliever. He was recently added to the disabled list, though. Before the DL trip, Farina had a 3.29 ERA in 27.1 innings. He allowed 17 hits and 13 walks. Farina also racked up 37 strikeouts.

Matt Harvey (Los Angeles) did not sign with the Angels and followed through on his commitment to the University of North Carolina.

John Ely (Chicago) is quietly having a nice season. The right-hander has a 3.96 ERA in High-A ball. In 63.2 innings, he has allowed 61 hits, 18 walks and has struck out 60 batters.

Sam Demel (Oakland) currently has a 3.33 ERA at High-A ball in 24.1 innings. He has allowed 18 hits and 14 walks. The former college reliever has struck out 35 batters.

Luke Putkonen (Detroit) has yet to appear for the Tigers this season and is currently in extended spring training. Angel Morales (Minnesota) and Brock Huntzinger (Boston) also in extended spring training.

Ryan Pope (New York) is currently on the disabled list, but he was putting together a nice season in High-A ball. He had a 2.81 ERA in 51.1 innings and had allowed 54 hits and only eight walks. Pope had struck out 36 batters.

Well that is it for a look back at the 2007 draft, so we now need to look to the future. And today just happens to be Draft Day… so head on over to BaseballAmerica.com, MLB.com or BaseballAnalysts.com for some excellent 2008 Amateur Draft coverage.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Last week I looked at the National League’s first three rounds (plus the supplemental first round). Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key American League second round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Will Kline (Tampa Bay) had an inconsistent debut after signing out of college and learned in the off-season that he needed labrum surgery. He should return in 2009. Grant Desme (Oakland) has yet to appear in the minor leagues this season. Matt West (Texas), Nevin Griffith (Chicago) and Daniel Rams (Minnesota) are currently in extended spring training.

Sam Runion (Kansas City) remained in extended spring training until the middle of May and was then assigned to the Midwest League. So far in 21.2 innings he has allowed 25 hits and five walks. He has an ERA of 4.57 and has struck out only three batters.

Denny Almonte (Seattle) spent some time early on this year in extended spring training. Since his activation, he has hit .213/.246/.344 in 61 at-bats in the Midwest League. He has two homers, two stolen bases and has walked 3.3 percent of the time, while striking out 43.1 percent.

First baseman Hunter Morris (Boston) spent the baseball season playing for Auburn University and attending class wearing a variety of MLB baseball team hats, including the Chicago White Sox.

John Tolisano (Toronto) led the Gulf Coast League in homers last season as a prep second baseman. This year, he has only one homer in a league where it is tough to hit the long ball. However, he has a line of .274/.350/.405 with 10 doubles and six triples in 190 at-bats. He has walked eight percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 20.4 percent.

Eric Eiland (Toronto) began the year in extended spring training and recently joined the Jays affiliate in the Midwest League. He is hitting .259/.379/.389 with four stolen bases in 54 at-bats. He has walked 16.1 percent of the time, while striking out at a rate of 30.8 percent.

Josh Horton (Oakland) is currently hitting .298/.400/.369 in 198 High-A ball at-bats. The middle infielder has yet to hit a homer or successfully steal a base. He has walked 14.1 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 18.5 percent.

Danny Worth (Detroit) is currently in Double-A and is hitting .251/.326/.402 with four homers and seven stolen bases in 199 at-bats. He has walked 9.2 percent of the time, while striking out 21.3 percent.

Austin Romine (New York) is in A-ball hitting .278/.317/.371 with one stolen base in 97 at-bats. The 19-year-old catcher has walked four percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 16.7 percent.

Tomorrow, Draft Day 2008, I will wrap up this mini-series with a look at the American League’s third round selections from the 2007 draft.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Last week I looked at the National League’s first three rounds (plus the supplemental first round). Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key American League supplemental first round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Outfielder Julio Borbon (Texas) was given a major league contract by the Rangers when he was signed and has shown that he has advanced skills. Currently playing at High-A ball, he is hitting .323/.369/.419 with one homer and 22 stolen bases in 198 at-bats. The left-handed batter is also hitting southpaws at a .375 clip. Borbon has walked 5.5 percent of the time and has struck out at a rate of 10.1 percent.

Brett Cecil (Toronto) has been on an even faster track than Borbon. Converted to a starter after being a college reliever, Cecil has thrived, although he has been slowed by shoulder soreness. The lefty is currently at Double-A, after beginning the season in High-A ball where he posted an ERA of 1.74 in 10.1 innings with two walks and 11 strikeouts. At Double-A, he has a 4.63 ERA with 22 hits allowed in 23.1 innings. He has struck out 23 and walked 10.

Sean Doolittle (Oakland) has one of the most surprising bats from the 2007 draft. Everyone knew he could hit, but there were serious questions about the first baseman’s power potential. Those questions have been quieted for now, as Doolittle is at High-A ball hitting .332/.420/.625 with 14 homers in 208 at-bats. He has walked 14.3 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 27.6 percent.

Shortstop Justin Jackson (Toronto) has come back to earth after a scorching April. The raw prep infielder oozes tools but his offensive game still needs polish and he is currently hitting .250/.382/.396 in 164 A-ball at-bats. He has stolen eight bases in 12 tries and is playing excellent defence. He has walked an impressive 15.9 percent of time, but his strikeouts are too high at 33.3 percent.

Matt Mangini (Seattle) was just promoted to Double-A despite average numbers in the California League. He was hitting .265/.376/.431 with six homers in 181 at-bats, certainly not eye-popping numbers for a corner infielder. He has walked 11.3 percent of the time and posted a strikeout rate of 28.7 percent.

Corey Brown (Oakland) has been as advertised as a raw college outfielder with tremendous power and high strikeout rates. Playing at A-ball, Brown has a line of .267/.363/.476 with eight homers in 191 at-bats. He has walked 11.9 percent of the time and has struck out at a rate of 34.6 percent.

Infielder Ryan Dent (Boston) is currently playing in extended spring training and should open the short season in Lowell when play begins in June after the draft. Lefty Nick Hagadone has been shutdown thanks to Tommy John surgery.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Last week I looked at the National League’s first three rounds (plus the supplemental first round). Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key American League first round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

First overall pick David Price (Tampa Bay) was slowed by an injury early this season and made his first appearance recently and pitched well: In five innings at High-A ball, the southpaw allowed no earned runs on three hits and one walk. He also struck out four. Not bad for a guy coming off a significant layoff. Price then out-dueled future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, who was making a rehab start. Price may not be long for the Florida State League.

Third baseman Mike Moustakas (Kansas City) is currently at A-ball and is hitting .239/.290/.400 with seven homers in 205 at-bats. He has walked 5.4 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 16.6 percent. Moustakas has hit .220 in the last 10 games but he slammed three homers.

Catcher Matt Wieters (Baltimore) was the player most Pirates fans were hoping for, and for good reason. So far this season in High-A ball he is tearing the cover off the ball with a line of .337/.432/.590 and 12 homers in 166 at-bats. He has walked 14.1 percent of the time and struck out 18.9 percent. Wieters is the top catching prospect playing in the minors right now.

Phillippe Aumont (Seattle) was considered a very raw Canadian prep right-hander but his talent was undeniable. He has been better than advertised so far this season in A-ball. He has a 1.50 ERA in 36 innings and has allowed 23 hits and 11 walks to go along with 35 strikeouts. At the rate Seattle promotes its prospects, Aumont should be on the move any day now.

Beau Mills (Cleveland) wowed scouts with his raw power in his final year of college, but he was also playing against lesser talents in the NAIA (as opposed to NCAA Division 1 baseball). He has struggled somewhat in professional baseball and is hitting .255/.361/.422 with five home runs in 204 at-bats at High-A ball. He has walked 13.9 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 20.3 percent.

Kevin Ahrens (Toronto) has made a smooth transition from high school shortstop to pro third baseman and is holding his own in A-ball. He is currently hitting .266/.341/.399 with one homer in 188 at-bats. He has walked 10.6 percent of the time and struck out at a rate of 24.9 percent. He also has 14 doubles and four triples.

J.P. Arencibia, the second of Toronto’s two first round picks, struggled in his junior year of college due to injuries but the catcher is right back on track in 2008. He has a line of .319/.344/.560 with 10 homers and 20 doubles in 207 at-bats. He has walked only 3.5 percent of the time, which could become an issue, and has struck out at a rate of 19.0 percent. His defence has also significantly improved and may be the second best catching prospect in minor league ball right now.

Texas has been cautious with Blake Beavan and he has responded with a 2.84 ERA in 38 innings. He has allowed 32 hits, along with only two walks and 16 strikeouts. Beavan has, though, allowed six home runs in a league where homers don’t come easily.

High school pitcher Rick Porcello (Detroit) slid to the Tigers due to signability concerns. The organization got a gem as a result. The right-hander skipped A-ball and is pitching at High-A ball. So far this season he has an ERA of 2.87 and has allowed 61 hits in 62 innings. He has rates of 5.43 K/9 and 2.17 BB/9 as a 19-year-old. Porcello was roughed up in his last outing but it was the fourth time that he had faced Dunedin in just over a month.

Aaron Poreda (Chicago) is a hard-throwing lefty who has held his own in High-A ball in 2008. He has a 3.08 ERA in 61.1 innings and has allowed 57 hits. He has posted rates of 6.02 K/9 and 2.35 BB/9.

James Simmons (Oakland) was considered an advanced college pitcher with a modest ceiling and that has held true so far in his pro career. He was immediately assigned to Double-A in his 2007 debut and he continued there in 2008 before hitting the disabled list. Currently, he has an ERA of 2.98 in 40 innings. He has allowed 37 hits and eight walks. Simmons has struck out 31.

Ben Revere (Minnesota) was considered an overdraft out of high school. He quieted some of those concerns, though, with a solid debut in which he hit .325 in Rookie Ball. Revere is again out to prove people wrong in 2008 as he is currently hitting .422/.462/.600 in 135 A-ball at-bats. The left-handed batter is also hitting .538 against southpaws. He has walked 10 times and struck out 10 times.

The New York Yankees selected 6-10 right-hander Andrew Brackman even though the organization knew he would need Tommy John surgery. He is expected to miss all of the 2008 season while recovering and should pitch again near the beginning of the 2009 season.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key National League third round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball. We are starting to get into a territory where the quality of picks really begins to think out.

Tony Thomas (Chicago) had an excellent offensive junior season at Florida State University and a solid pro debut in 2007, but his numbers are average this year while playing at High-A ball. The second baseman currently has a line of .269/.317/.401 with three homers and nine stolen bases in 182 at-bats. Thomas has walked only seven percent of the time and he has struck out at a rate of 25 percent.

Brian Friday (Pittsburgh), a Rice University grad, is showing the makings of a solid big league utility player, or possible starter. So far this season, in High-A ball, he is hitting .309/.388/.433 with one homer in 194 at-bats. Friday’s base running needs a little work as he has been successful in only 50 percent of his attempts (eight for 16). He has walked 9.8 percent of the time, with a strikeout rate of 16.2 percent.

Steven Souza (Washington), a prep third baseman, is holding his own in A-ball. He currently has a line of .266/.348/.392 with two homers and eight stolen bases in 79 at-bats, but he hasn’t played since May 6. He has walked 9.2 percent of the time, but has struck out at a rate of 32.9 percent.

Despite being drafted out of college, Jonathan Lucroy (Milwaukee) has moved relatively slowly and is currently playing in A-ball, where he has a line of .314/.389/.524 with eight homers and six stolen bases in 185 at-bats. The catcher’s bat appears ready for a promotion but his defence might be holding him back.

Lars Davis (Colorado), a Canadian catcher, has struggled offensively in A-ball. He is currently hitting .215/.277/.323 with three homers in 93 at-bats. Davis has walked 6.2 percent of the time, with a strikeout rate of 28.6 percent.

Right-hander Scott Carroll (Cincinnati) began the year in A-ball and posted a 3.75 ERA in 48 innings, with 50 hits allowed, 16 walks and 24 strikeouts. He was recently promoted to High-A ball and has made one start. Carroll allowed five runs in 5.2 innings of work.

Jameson Smith (Florida), drafted out of community college, has struggled with the bat in A-ball. The 21-year-old catcher is hitting .221/.357/.279 with no homers in 68 at-bats. The left-handed batter is only 2-for-14 (.143) against southpaws. He has as many walks as hits (15) this season.

Left-hander Eric Niesen (New York) currently has a 5.20 ERA in 45 High-A ball innings. He has allowed 52 hits. Niesen has posted rates of 5.60 K/9 and 3.80 BB/9.

Shortstop Brandon Hicks (Atlanta), drafted out of Texas A&M University, is showing surprising power with 11 homers in 148 at-bats. He has hit four in his last 10 games. He currently has a line of .257/.358/.588. He has walked 13 percent of the time, but struck out at a rate of 42.1 percent.

Matt Spencer (Philadelphia) has struggled to hit for average as a pro after signing out of Arizona State University. He currently has a line of .249/.300/.370 with four homers in 181 at-bats in High A-ball. Spencer has walked 7.9 percent of the time but has struck out at a rate of 22.4 percent.

The Mets just did not have a lot of luck drafting college relievers in 2007. Stephen Clyne (New York) currently has a 10.42 ERA in 19 High-A ball innings. He has allowed 26 hits and 10 walks.

Both Cincinnati and Arizona took interesting, young Puerto Rican infielders – Neftali Soto and Reynaldo Navarro – but both have been playing in Extended Spring Training so far this season.

For the next two weeks, in honor of the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft on June 5-6, I will be devoting my posts to a review of the 2007 draft. Today, let’s take a look at how some of the key National League second round picks are faring in their first full season in professional baseball.

Right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (Washington) is looking like the steal of the second round, having out-performed a number of higher-drafted pitchers so far. He posted a 1.65 ERA in 27 High-A innings before moving up to Double-A. He allowed 15 hits and eight walks. He struck out 31. So far in Double-A, Zimmerman has posted a 3.80 ERA in 21.1 innings. He has allowed 19 hits and 11 walks. He has struck out 20.

Third baseman Jake Smolinski (Washington) was drafted out of high school and has played both third base and second base in his pro career. He hit well in his debut (.305 in the Gulf Coast League) and earned a spot in full-season ball in 2008 at the age of 19. He is currently hitting .261/.338/.402 with four homers in 184 at-bats. He has walked 9.4 percent of the time and has struck out at a rate of 17.5 percent.

Despite a .296 average in his debut, Brian Rike (Colorado) has moved slowly for a college draft pick and is currently hitting .267/.393/.483 with 10 homers in 180 at-bats in A-ball. He has also stolen 10 bases in 14 attempts. Strikeouts are a concern as he has whiffed 34.4 percent of the time, but he has also walked at a rate of 15.1 percent.

The Marlins organization has to be pretty happy with outfielder Mike Stanton. The 6-5 outfielder will be 18 all season long and is currently posting a line of .273/.332/.494 with eight homers in 176 A-ball at-bats. Unfortunately, he is still raw and has struck out 35.8 percent of the time and walked only 5.4 percent. All in all, not bad for an 18 year old in full-season A-ball.

At 6-11, Scott Moviel (New York NL) towers over opponents at the age of 20. He has struggled in A-ball, though, with a 6.15 ERA in 45.1 innings. He has allowed 59 hits and has posted rates of 6.55 K/9 and 2.98 BB/9.

Eric Sogard (San Diego), 22, has moved quickly through the system and is currently hitting .320/.434/.412 in 194 at-bats at High-A ball. He has yet to hit a home run and he doesn’t steal a lot of bases so his value is tied directly to his average and his ability to get on base. So far, he has posted excellent rates by walking 17.5 percent of the time while striking out only 10.1 percent. He’s probably due for a promotion to Double-A.

Jess Todd (St. Louis), a college-reliever-turned-pro-starter, has been brilliant so far for the Cardinals organization. He began the 2008 season in High-A ball and posted a 1.65 ERA in 27.1 innings with 18 hits allowed. He posted rates of 11.52 K/9 and 2.30 BB/9. So far in Double-A, Todd has posted a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings with 13 hits allowed. He has rates of 7.54 K/9 and 2.38 BB/9.

Brant Rustich (New York NL) did not make his season debut until May 9 and has struggled at A-ball. The 23-year-old reliever has a 7.94 ERA in five games and has allowed two runs or more in three of his appearances. He has walked three and struck out three.

Despite posting a respectable 3.00 ERA in the Gulf Coast League in 2007, prep lefty Michael Watt (Los Angeles) has remained in extended spring training in 2008.