The Cleveland Indians have an intriguing system with some high-ceiling talent mixed in with some “safer” prospects. The system definitely boasts more depth on the hitting side than the pitching side. The front office has done a nice job of utilizing the draft, trade market and international free agency to build a solid farm system. Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier today, polite and Canadian and polite Marc Hulet published his 2014 organizational prospect list for the Cincinnati Reds.
It goes without saying that, in composing such a list, Hulet has considered the overall future value those prospects might be expected to provide either to the Reds or whatever other organizations to which they might someday belong.
What this brief post concerns isn’t overall future value, at all, but rather such value as the prospects from Hulet’s list might provide were they to play, more or less, a full major-league season in 2014.
Other prospect projections: Arizona / Baltimore / Chicago AL / Chicago NL / Colorado / Houston / Kansas City / Los Angeles AL / Miami / Milwaukee / Minnesota / New York AL / New York NL / Philadelphia / San Diego / San Francisco / Seattle / Tampa Bay / Toronto.
Nick Travieso had an up-and-down first full professional season. That doesn’t mean the Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect didn’t make great strides. The 2012 first-round pick learned a lot, which is ultimately more important than his 7-4 record or 4.63 ERA with the low-A Dayton Dragons.
Travieso celebrated his 20th birthday at the end of January, and he’ll head into spring training looking to improve on his 2013 campaign. He’ll do so with a better grasp of his mechanics, and full confidence in his plus fastball and swing-and-miss slider.
Travieso talked about his growing pains, and what he learned from them, late in the minor-league season. Read the rest of this entry »
The Reds system is thin on impact talent, as well as overall depth. The organization boasts a potential No. 1/2 starter but things drop off dramatically from that point. There are a lot of fringe-average regulars, utility players, No. 4 starters and middle relievers in the making. Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier today, polite and Canadian and polite Marc Hulet published his 2014 organizational prospect list for the New York Yankees.
It goes without saying that, in composing such a list, Hulet has considered the overall future value those prospects might be expected to provide either to the Yankees or whatever other organizations to which they might someday belong.
What this brief post concerns isn’t overall future value, at all, but rather such value as the prospects from Hulet’s list might provide were they to play, more or less, a full major-league season in 2014.
Other prospect projections: Arizona / Baltimore / Chicago AL / Chicago NL / Colorado / Houston / Kansas City / Los Angeles AL / Miami / Milwaukee / Minnesota / New York NL / Philadelphia / San Diego / San Francisco / Seattle / Tampa Bay / Toronto.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, J.R. Murphy isn’t going to be the New York Yankees’ starting catcher anytime soon. Not with Brian McCann inked to a five-year contract worth $85 million. But that doesn’t preclude Murphy from having a bright future, be it in the Bronx or elsewhere.
A second-round pick in 2009 out of a Bradenton, Fla., high school, Murphy has developed into an able backstop. The 22-year-old threw out nearly half the runners attempting to steal against him last year in the minor leagues. He also can handle the bat. In 108 games at Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .269/.347/.426, with a dozen home runs.
Murphy got his first taste of big-league action in September, getting 27 plate appearances. He talked about his development prior to a game at Fenway Park. Read the rest of this entry »
In its current state, the Yankees’ system is rather pedestrian, or middle of the road, when compared to the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball. The talent in the upper levels of the system underwhelmed in 2013 and many of the top prospects also dealt with significant injuries. The good news, though, is that the club has drafted extremely well and paired that with a strong international scouting presence, which made good use of their limited budgets. If a few of the lower level sleepers break out in 2014, this could turn into a Top 10, if not Top 5, system in short order. Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier today, polite and Canadian and polite Marc Hulet published his 2014 organizational prospect list for the Philadelphia Phillies.
It goes without saying that, in composing such a list, Hulet has considered the overall future value those prospects might be expected to provide either to the Phillies or whatever other organizations to which they might someday belong.
What this brief post concerns isn’t overall future value, at all, but rather such value as the prospects from Hulet’s list might provide were they to play, more or less, a full major-league season in 2014.
Other prospect projections: Arizona / Baltimore / Chicago AL / Chicago NL / Colorado / Houston / Kansas City / Los Angeles AL / Miami / Milwaukee / Minnesota / New York NL / San Diego / San Francisco / Seattle / Tampa Bay / Toronto.
Jesse Biddle is better than the 5-14 record and 5.3 BB/9 he logged last season with Double-A Reading. A lot better. As a matter of fact, the 22-year-old lefthander is on the verge of breaking into the Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation.
Biddle battled health issues in 2013. Diagnosed with whooping cough in April, he doggedly took the mound at less than full strength the entire season. In August, he toed the rubber with a case of plantar fasciitis.
A first-round pick in 2011 out of Germantown Friends School in suburban Philadelphia, Biddle has one of the best curveballs in minor league baseball. He also has a surprising role model. His stuff is that of a power pitcher, but Biddle is a big believer in the ways of Jamie Moyer. Read the rest of this entry »
Kyle Parker has a simple approach to hitting. The 24-year-old Colorado Rockies prospect likes to hunt fastballs, and when he gets one, he takes a healthy rip. Parker has power. He hit 23 bombs in Tulsa last year, and he’ll hit plenty more at Coors Field if he can fine-tune his plate discipline. The former college quarterback isn’t a hacker, but his approach needs honing.
Drafted 26th overall in 2010 out of Clemson University, Parker projects as a middle-of-the-order bat in either a corner outfield position or at first base. He‘s coming off a .288/.345/.492 performance in Double-A, and could easily hopscotch from Triple-A Colorado Springs to Denver by midseason. Parker discussed his game earlier this week. Read the rest of this entry »
