Daily Notes: Watch Ben Sheets with Your Real Eyes

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Introduction to This Edition of the Notes
2. Notable Minor-League Games on MiLB.TV
3. Stirring Hyperlink: John Sickels’ Midseason Top-120 Prospects

Introduction to This Edition of the Notes
A Note to the Reader
The reader will note — if he has not done so already — that, owing to how the All-Star break has begun, there’s what one might call a “dearth” of major-league baseball today.

A Second Note to the Reader
The reader will also note that there’s a decided lack of coverage — in this edition of the Notes — a decided lack of coverage of baseball’s Home Run Derby Exhibition Grand Slam Show, Good Job, which is happening tonight.

Regarding the Lack of Home Run Derby Coverage
The lack of Home Run Derby coverage in this edition of the Notes — and, in fact, likely at this entire baseball internet site today — is not a commentary on the sort of entertainment value which the citizenry might derive from said Exhibition.

Regarding the Lack of Home Run Derby Coverage, Part II
The lack of Home Run Derby coverage in this edition of the Notes is a commentary on the lack of worthy analysis one might reasonably provide on same event.

With That Said
With that said, allow me to submit Mickey Tettleton as my Stone Cold, Iron Sheik Lock to win the 2012 Home Run Smash Explosion Derby Exhibition.

Notable Minor-League Games on MiLB.TV
A Note on How Minor-League Baseball Exists
While there is one might call a “dearth” of major-league baseball games, there is almost something like a full schedule of minor-league games today, many of which are available via MiLB.TV (link). Below are some notable those types of games (with parent club noted in parentheses).

Kane County (KC) at Wisconsin (MIL) | 13:05 ET
Kansas City right-handed pitching prospect and 19-year-old Kyle Smith, drafted out of a Florida high school in the fourth round of last year’s draft, is pitching professionally for the first time in 2012. His line so far between two levels: 18.2 IP, 75 TBF, 29 K, 6 BB, 0 HR, 14 H.

Great Lakes (LAN) at Dayton (CIN) | 19:00 ET
This is a Class A Midwest League game most notable for how, pitching for Great Lakes, is right-hander Dalton von Schamann, known to most as “Duke.” Von Schamann, 21, was taken in the 15th round by the Dodgers in the most recent draft. Here’s his line so far between four appearances at two levels: 12.2 IP, 46 TBF, 5 K, 0 BB, 1 HR, 10 H. Both Minor League Central and StatCorner suggest that his ground-ball rate has been around 60% through his four minor-league appearances.

Birmingham (CHA) at Mississippi (ATL) | 20:00 ET
Right-hander Ben Sheets, recently signed by the Braves, makes his second start for Double-A Mississippi. Here’s his line from that first start, against Seattle Double-A affiliate Jackson: 5.0 IP, 21 K TBF, 6 K, 1 BB, 0 HR, 5 H.

Stirring Hyperlink: John Sickels’ Midseason Top-120 Prospects
Regarding a Thing That Happened
A thing that happened, on Friday, is the author supplied a hyperlink to the readership that provided easy navigation to Baseball America’s midseason top-50 prospect list.

A Thing That’s Happening Now
A think that’s happening now is that the author is supplying a hyperlink to very similar sort of list — in this case, one curated by noted prospect analyst John Sickels.

Regarding the Location of the Aforementioned Hyperlink
Here is the location of that hyperlink.

Sickels’ Top-10 Prospects
Here — presented in the form of an internet table and with hyperlinks to all relevant FanGraphs player pages — are John Sickels’ top-10 prospects at the midway point of the 2012 season (accompanied, in this case, by Sickels’ preseason top-120 ranks):