Baseball of Tomorrow

Reid Brignac's off to one hell of a start

2006-04-13T14:41:00.000-04:00

In 6 games for high Class A Visalia, Brignac is batting .435, with a .519 OBP, .913 SLG, 1.423 OPS, with 3 HR and 11 RBI.

...Brignac could finally be poising for that breakout year that Rays' fans have been waiting for...

Scouting Report: Carlos Quentin

2006-04-11T20:01:00.000-04:00

By special request, I give you the Baseball of Tomorrow scouting report on Carlos Quentin.

Carlos Quentin, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Arizona Diamondbacks took Carlos Quentin, a Stanford product, in the first round of the 2003 draft.

Quentin, who put up a .396 AVG, .494 OBP, .630 SLG, and 1.124 OPS in his final season at Stanford, missed the 2003 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He came back strong in 2004, playing at two levels: Class A Lancaster and Class AA El Paso. In 65 games at Lancaster, Quentin posted a .310 AVG, .428 OBP, .562 SLG, and .990 OPS. In 60 games at El Paso, he batted .357 with a .443 OBP, .533 SLG, and a .976 OPS. Following a successful comeback season, Quentin started the 2005 season at Class AAA Tuscon, picking up right where he left off in 2004 at El Paso. In 136 games at Tucson, Quentin hit 21 HR and drove in 81 runs while batting .301 with a .422 OBP, .520 SLG, and a .942 OPS.

As evident from those numbers, Quentin is an all-around threat at the plate. He has good power with plate patience and discipline to match. Defensively, Quentin is a solid outfielder. Although he's spent time in centerfield, he's a better fit as a corner outfielder, as he doesn't have the speed or range to play in centerfield. On the basepaths, Quentin's neither a threat nor a liability.

With Luis Gonzalez and Shawn Green already occupying the corner spots, the Diamondbacks' have no room for Quentin. Quentin's ready for the bigs, but, with no room for him, the Diamondbacks sent him back to Tucson, where, on his second go-round, he should pick apart the Pacific Coast League pitching.

...The requester asked and suggested that I give ETA's and major league comparisons on my scouting reports. I don't really care for major league comparisons, but if that's what the fans want...

ETA: 2006
Major League Comparison: Magglio Ordonez

Some new affiliates

2006-04-09T17:57:00.000-04:00

Be sure to check out Reds Minor Leagues for anything you need to know about the Reds' minor leagues, Mariner Minors for anything you need to know about the Mariners' minor leagues, and Cubs Minor League Report for anything you need to know about the Cubs' minor leagues!

Mailbag: Brett Harper Lite, injury-prone prospects, and more...

2006-04-09T13:15:00.000-04:00

Along with the scouting reports, I've also fallen behind with mailbags. So, here's my first mailbag in a few weeks. I'll get it started with a question from Chad from Long Beach, CA:

What are your thoughts on Mets' prospect Mike Carp?

The Mets drafted Mike Carp out of high school in the ninth round 2004 draft. Following a solid 2004 campaign, Carp started the 2005 season playing for low Class A Hagerstown in the Sally League, where he started the season with a bang, hitting something like 10 home runs in 25 games. The Sally League pitchers quickly figured him out and he fell into a bad slump up until August, when he injured his wrist and missed the rest of the season. He's only 19 years old and has already shown power. Carp has a lot of adjustments to make. At this point, he's Brett Harper Lite in a system that already has Brett Harper. He's got a long way to go and a lot to prove.

Next question. theoneandonly asks:

What do you think will happen to Stephen Drew and Justin Upton when they are both ready? Will one of them get traded or will one of them switch positions?

It was pretty much assumed that, with Stephen Drew already ahead of him, Justin Upton would be moving from shortstop to the outfield, where his speed and arm are a better fit anyway. Upton's hurt right now (it's nothing serious) and will be missing another week or so. When he comes back, he will be playing in the outfield.

Moving on. Sam from the Bay Area asks:

What's your opinion of the Nationals' Justin Maxwell? This kid seems to be incredible gifted and smart, and have all the tools in the world, but he just can't stay healthy.

Smart's an understatement. Justin Maxwell could have went to Harvard but opted with Maryland instead. Best of all, he's just as good a ballplayer as he is smart. The latter end of Maxwell's collegiate career was riddled with injuries. The talent and potential is all there for Maxwell. If he can stay healthy, he can leapfrog to the forefront of the Nationals' weak system.

From one injury-plagued prospect to another, Justin from Kansas City asks:

Will Matt Campbell be a major league pitcher anytime soon?

That depends on what your definition of soon is. He's now 24 years old and he's not going to be getting any younger. The real question is what shape is his shoulder in? Will it hold up? Will he still have the same stuff that he did back at South Carolina? If Campbell returns to his college form, I'd say that we'll see him in the bigs sometime soon. If not, Campbell's always got hope as a left-handed specialist.

The last question is from Zach from Akron, Ohio:

Ryan Garko: Indians' future starting first baseman?

Ryan Garko's stuck behind a logjam right now. His defensive inadequacies limit him to first base or designated hitter, where the Indians already have Ben Broussard, Travis Hafner, and, likely at some point in the future, Victor Martinez. I don't know if Garko will be the Indians' future starting first baseman, but, with his bat, he will be someone's starting something, that's for sure. Garko's a lot like Josh Phelps, as they are both bats without a position.

That does it for this week's mailbag. If you have a question you'd like answered on next week's mailbag, use the link on the bottom right of the page to e-mail me and I'll do my best to get your question answered.

Scouting Report: Justin Verlander

2006-04-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

When I started Baseball of Tomorrow, I originally intended to do one scouting report a week, but as you can see, I haven't done one in almost a month now. Hopefully, with this scouting report, I'll be getting back on track.

Justin Verlander is going to be making his season debut tonight for the (so far) undefeated Detroit Tigers in Ameriquest Field/The Ballpark at Arlington.

So, without further ado, here's your scouting report on Justin Verlander:

Justin Verlander, P, Detroit Tigers.

In 2001, fresh out of high school, Justin Verlander entered the draft, but made it through unpicked. Three years later, with a dominating collegiate career at Old Dominion under his belt, Verlander entered the draft for the second time. Picked second overall by the Detroit Tigers, the 6'5" 200 lbs. hard-throwing righty didn't last very long in the draft.

Verlander signed too late to see any action in 2004. For Verlander, the 2005 season began in high Class A Lakeland, where, in 86 innings pitched, he allowed only 19 runs off of 70 hits, while striking out 104 batters. His impressive performance in Lakeland prompted the Tigers front office to call him up to the bigs. Verlander only appeared in two games for Detroit, starting and losing them both, before being sent down to Class AA Erie. At Erie, Verlander picked up right where he left off in Lakeland. Verlander toyed with batters in the Eastern League, giving up only 1 run off of 11 hits and 32 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.

Verlander is a dominating force on the mound. When he's on, he's able to throw his pitches with command, movement, and especially velocity. Verlander's repetoire consists primarily of three pitches: a live fastball, which clocks in the 90 MPH range, a sharp, biting power curveball, and an impressive changeup.

In the past, Verlander has had the tendency to overthrow in tight spots. While he didn't have this problem in his time spent in the minors last year, it was evident in his short stint in the majors that he was overthrowing. With some more experience, overthrowing shouldn't be a problem for Verlander.

Verlander will be making his season debut tonight. If all goes according to plan, Verlander will be a part of the Tigers' rotation for the 2006 season. With veteran Kenny Rogers giving them some guidance, Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman can be a championship-caliber 1-2 punch.

Loewen's mowin' (them down)

2006-04-07T22:11:00.000-04:00

Coming off of a phenomenal pre-season, Adam Loewen made his season debut tonight against the Reading Phillies (AA). He pitched 8 scoreless, one-hit innings, striking out 12 batters.

And they're off!

2006-04-07T13:44:00.000-04:00

Here are the highlights from yesterday's minors season opener:

Erick Aybar - 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI ...with Aybar, Wood, and Kendrick all in the middle infield, the Angels have a great problem to have...
Homer Bailey - 4.2 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Wes Bankston - 2-5, 2B, HR
Chad Billingsley - W - 5 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Ryan Braun - 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Jay Bruce - 2-5
Billy Butler - 4-8, 2B
Fausto Carmona - 4 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Cesar Carrillo - 4 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K
Jeff Clement - 2-4, 2B
Manny Delcarmen - 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Thomas Diamond - 2.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 2 K
Stephen Drew - 2-5, HR, RBI
Eric Duncan - 2-5, 3B
Yunel Escobar - 2-3, 2B
Dexter Fowler - 2-4, 2 HR
Ryan Garko - 2-4
Matt Garza - W - 5 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K
Carlos Gomez - 1-3, 3B
Alex Gordon - 2-7, 2B, HR, BB, 3 RBI ...nice minor league debut for Gordon...
Cole Hamels - 6 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 7 K
Howie Kendrick - 2-5, 2B, RBI
George Kottaras - 2-4, 2B, RBI
Andy LaRoche - 1-4
Cameron Maybin - 2-4, 3B ...another nice minor league debut...
Fernando Martinez - 1-5 ...the 17 year old phenom...

Eddy Martinez-Esteve - 1-4

Mike Pelfrey - 5 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 IBB, 6 K ...yet another nice minor league debut. This one will bring smiles to Mets fans...

Carlos Quentin - 2-4

Anthony Reyes - 6.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 0-4

Anibal Sanchez - 4.2 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Ian Stewart - 2-6, 2B, 3B

Troy Tulowitzki - 2-7, 2 2B

Chris Volstad - 4.0 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 K ...rough debut...

Brandon Wood - 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI ...making me eat my words, I see...

Delmon Young - 2-5

Justin Upton to miss two weeks, return as a center fielder

2006-04-03T23:19:00.000-04:00

Diamondbacks super prospect Justin Upton is expected to miss the first two weeks of the Minor League season after injuring his left shoulder this spring.

The injury isn't a big deal.

And when he does return to action, it will be as a center fielder.

It was only a matter of time before Upton would be moved to centerfield.

Read the rest of the article here.

The Curious Case of Sidd Finch

2006-04-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

He's a pitcher, part yogi and part recluse. Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style, Sidd's deciding about yoga -- and his future in baseball.

What better way to celebrate April Fool's Day than by reading George Plimpton's legendary article?

Francisco Liriano arrested on DUI charge

2006-03-31T18:24:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5460650) is reporting that Minnesota Twins' top pitching prospect, Francisco Liriano, was arrested and charged on a DUI charge last night in Cape Coral, Florida. According to the report, the Twins said that Liriano still could begin the season with the club.

Spring Training Updates: If Reggie Abercrombie was a college basketball team...

2006-03-29T15:53:00.000-05:00

I fell a little behind with the Spring Training updates... My bad...

From the action on Tuesday, March 28th, 2006

Reggie Abercrombie, RF, Florida Marlins - went 2-2. If Reggie Abercrombie was a college basketball team, he'd be the George Mason Patriots.

Josh Barfield, 2B, San Diego Padres - went 1-4 with a home run.

Fernado Cabrera, P, Cleveland Indians - gave up 2 runs off of 2 hits and 2 walks, failing to get an out. Ouch.

Manny Delcarmen, P, Boston Red Sox - gave up 1 run off of 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 3 in 1.2 innings pitched.

Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers - went 3-4 with a home run. Beast. B-E-A-S-T.

Anderson Hernandez, 2B, New York Mets - went 1-3. It looks as if he's got the 2B job in New York. (Cough) I called it.

Mike Jacobs, 1B, Florida Marlins - went 1-3 with a double.

Chuck James, P, Atlanta Braves - gave up 1 run off of 2 hits and no walks, while striking out 1 in 2 innings pitched.

Bobby Jenks, P, Chicago White Sox - gave up no runs off of no hits and no walks while striking out none in 1 inning pitched. Bringing his ERA down to a respectable 7.00!

Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers - went 1-3 with a double.

Jason Kubel, RF, Minnesota Twins - went 1-3.

Paul Maholm, P, Pittsburgh Pirates - gave up 3 runs off of 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 in 5 innings pitched.

Angel Pagan, CF, Chicago Cubs - went 2-4 with a home run.

Carlos Quentin, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks - went 1-4 with a double.

Chris Ray, P, Baltimore Orioles - gave up no runs off of no hits and no walks while striking out in 1 inning pitched.

Shane Victorino, CF, Philadelphia Phillies - went 1-2 with a home run.

Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals - went 2-4 with a home run.

Joel Zumaya, P, Detroit Tigers - gave up no runs off of 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 1 in 1 inning pitched.

It's time: BoT's Top 30 Prospects and Systems

2006-03-27T13:04:00.000-05:00

Minor League Crasher rule number 1: You can NEVER have too many top prospect lists!

Top 30 Prospects
1. Delmon Young, OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2. Justin Upton, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals
4. Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Jeremy Hermida, OF, Florida Marlins
6. Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Rockies
7. Francisco Liriano, LHP, Minnesota Twins
8. Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers
9. Lastings Milledge, OF, New York Mets
10. Justin Verlander, RHP, Detroit Tigers
11. Chad Billingsley, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
12. Brandon Wood, SS, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
13. Howie Kendrick, 2B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
14. Andy Marte, 3B, Cleveland Indians
15. Matt Cain, RHP, San Francisco Giants
16. Jeff Clement, C, Seattle Mariners
17. Conor Jackson, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
18. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals
19. Nick Markakis, OF, Baltimore Orioles
20. Mike Pelfrey, RHP, New York Mets
21. Chris Young, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
22. Philip Hughes, RHP, New York Yankees
23. Jon Lester, LHP, Boston Red Sox
24. Carlos Quentin, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
25. Daric Barton, 1B, Oakland Athletics
26. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Atlanta Braves
27. Cameron Maybin, OF, Detroit Tigers
28. Joel Guzman, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
29. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies
30. Billy Butler, ??? (DH, I guess...), Kansas City Royals

Honorable Mentions (In order):
Jonathan Papelbon, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Andy LaRoche, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins
Felix Pie, OF, Chicago Cubs
Carlos Gonzales, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott Olsen, LHP, Florida Marlins
Adam Loewen, LHP, Baltimore Orioles
Homer Bailey, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Joel Zumaya, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Anibal Sanchez, RHP, Florida Marlins
Anthony Reyes, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Neil Walker, C, Pittsburgh Pirates
Russ Martin, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
Ryan Braun, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers
Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Edison Volquez, RHP, Texas Rangers
Mark Rogers, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Adam Miller, RHP, Cleveland Indians
Dustin McGowan, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Erick Aybar, SS, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Top 30 Systems
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Florida Marlins
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
6. Minnesota Twins
7. Colorado Rockies
8. Milwaukee Brewers
9. Detroit Tigers
10. Atlanta Braves
11. Boston Red Sox
12. Cleveland Indians
13. Baltimore Orioles
14. Texas Rangers
15. San Francisco Giants
16. New York Yankees
17. Chicago Cubs
18. Kansas City Royals
19. Pittsburgh Pirates
20. Philadelphia Phillies
21. St. Louis Cardinals
22. Oakland Athletics
23. Toronto Blue Jays
24. Seattle Mariners
25. New York Mets
26. Chicago White Sox
27. Houston Astros
28. Washington Nationals
29. San Diego Padres
30. Cincinnati Reds

C-Gone and the Greek God of Stolen Bases? ...and more...

2006-03-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

From the action on Thursday, March 23rd, 2006

Brian Anderson, CF, Chicago White Sox - went 2-5.
Chris Denorfia, CF, Cincinnate Reds - went 2-4.
Manny Delcarmen, P, Boston Red Sox - gave up no runs off of 1 hit and no walks while striking out 1 in 1 inning pitched.
Joey Devine, P, Atlanta Braves - gave up no runs off of no hits and no walks while striking out 2 in 1 inning pitched.
Carlos Gonzalez, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks - went 1-3 with a home run. Hit the homer in his first at bat off of the first pitch.
Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals - went 1-2.
Joel Guzman, LF, Los Angeles Dodgers - went 1-4.
Conor Jackson, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks - went 2-3. What a great spring he's had.
Kenji Johjima, C, Seattle Mariners - went 1-3.
James Jurries, 1B, Atlanta Braves - went 1-2.
Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers - went 1-2 with a home run.
Paul Maholm, P, Pittsburgh Pirates - gave up 6 runs off of 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5 in 4 innings pitched.
Nick Markakis, LF, Balitmore Orioles - went 4-4 with 2 stolen bases. Wow.
Andy Marte, 3B, Cleveland Indians - went 2-4 with a double. Another good game for Marte.
Clint Nagoette, P, Seattle Mariners - gave up 1 run off of 2 hits in 2 innings pitched.
Chad Orvella, P, Tampa Bay Devil Rays - gave up 3 runs off of 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3 in 2 innings pitched.
Felix Pie, came in as a PH, Chicago Cubs - went 1-2 with a double.
Kelly Shoppach, C, Cleveland Indians - went 1-3. Shoppach is having a rough, rough spring.
Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Rockies - went 1-5 and stole a base.
Shane Victorino, RF, Philadelphia Phillies - went 1-5 with a home run.
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals - went 1-3 with a stolen base.
Joel Zumaya, P, Detroit Tigers - gave up no runs off of 1 hit and no walks while striking out 1 in 2 innings pitched.

Jackson with 2 jacks, Jenks gets hammered, Stern unstoppable, and more...

2006-03-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006

Chris Bootcheck, P, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - gave up no runs on no hits and no walks in 1 inning pitched.
Matt Cain, P, San Francisco Giants - roughed up for 8 runs off of 10 hits and 1 walk while striking out 2 in 4.1 innings pitched. Not the best spring for Cain.
Craig Hansen, P, Boston Red Sox - gave up 1 hit and struck out 1 in 1 inning pitched.
Conor Jackson, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks - went 2-3 with 2 home runs. Nice.
Bobby Jenks, P, Chicago White Sox - teed off on for 4 runs off of 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1 in 1 inning pitched. He's been getting pounded all spring. Bye, bye closer spot?
Kenji Johjima, C, Seattle Mariners - went 1-3 with a double.
Josh Johnson, P, Florida Marlins - gave up 2 runs off of 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1 in 3.2 innings pitched.
Francisco Liriano, P, Minnesota Twins - gave up no runs off of no hits and no walks while striking out 2 in 1 inning pitched.
Nick Markakis, CF, Baltimore Orioles - went 1-4 with a double.
Lastings Milledge, LF, New York Mets - went 1-2 with a double. Really having a great spring.
Angel Pagan, LF, Chicago Cubs - went 2-2 with a homer. A former New York Met. What a name he's got!
Jon Papelbon, P, Boston Red Sox - gave up 2 runs off of 5 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 1 in 5 innings pitched.
Carlos Quentin, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks - went 1-1 with a double.
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins - went 1-3 with a triple. Reports out of Florida are saying that he's won the leadoff spot in the Marlins' batting lineup.
Kelly Shoppach, C, Cleveland Indians - went 2-3. That brings his batting average up to .148.
Adam Stern, CF, Boston Red Sox - went 3-5 with a home run, a double, and a stolen base. Between the World Baseball Classic and Spring Training, he's having some pre-season!
Ryan Sweeney, RF, Chicago White Sox - went 1-1 with a double.
Edison Volquez, P, Texas Rangers - gave up 5 runs off of 5 hits and 3 walks in 2 innings pitched.
Josh Willingham, DH, Florida Marlins - went 1-2 with a home run.
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals - went 1-3.

Abercrombie on fire, Lester getting lit up, and more...

2006-03-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, March 21st, 2006

Reggie Abercrombie, CF, Florida Marlins - went 2-3 with a home run. His spring performance is opening some eyes.
Brian Anderson, CF, Chicago White Sox - went 2-4.
Josh Barfield, 2B, San Diego Padres - went 3-5 with 2 doubles.
Jose Bautista, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates - went 1-2 with a home run.
Jonathan Broxton, P, Los Angeles Dodgers - gave up no hits, no runs and 1 walk.
Fernando Cabrera, P, Cleveland Indians - gave up 1 run off of 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 1 in 1 inning pitched.
Ronny Cedeno, SS, Chicago Cubs - went 1-2 with a home run.
Nelson Cruz, LF, Milwaukee Brewers - went 2-2.
Manny Delcarmen, P, Boston Red Sox - allowed no runs off of no hits and struck out 2 in 1 inning pitched.
Greg Golson, LF, Philadelphia Phillies - went 1-2.
Jeremy Hermida, RF, Florida Marlins - went 1-4 with a double. Today's 1-4 brings his average to .186.
Mike Jacobs, 1B, Florida Marlins - went 1-3 with a triple.
Jon Lester, P, Boston Red Sox - got roughed up for 5 runs off of 5 hits and 1 walk in 2 innings pitched. Getting lit up again, I see.
Hayden Penn, P, Baltimore Orioles - gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2 in 3 innings pitched.
Carlos Quentin, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks - went 1-4 with a home run.
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins - went 2-3 with a double. Finally beginning to tap his full potential?
Taylor Tankersley, P, Florida Marlins - gave up 1 run off of 1 hit and 1 walk, failing to get an out.
Merkin Valdez, P, San Francisco Giants - struck out 1 batter in 1 scoreless and hitless inning of work.

Updates, updates, updates

2006-03-21T15:52:00.000-05:00

Monday, March 20th, 2006

Brian Anderson, CF, Chicago White Sox - went 2-4 with a triple.
Edwin Jackson, P, Tampa Bay Devil Rays - in 5 scoreless innings pitched, he gave up 1 hit, 2 walks and struck out 4. Maybe a change of scenery was all he needed, after all...
Angel Guzman, P, Chicago Cubs - gave up 2 runs on 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 1 in 3 innings pitched.
Joel Guzman, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers - went 1-4.
Rich Hill, P, Chicago Cubs - pitched 3 scoreless innings, striking out 5 and walking 3. Lights out.
Anthony Lerew, P, Atlanta Braves - allowed no runs, no hits and 1 walk in 1 inning pitched.
Russell Martin, C, Los Angeles Dodgers - went 2-2 with a home run. Putting together a terrific spring.
Nate McLouth, LF, Pittsburgh Pirates - went 2-3 and had a stolen base.
Clint Nagoette, P, Seattle Mariners - allowed no runs on no hits and struck out 1 in 1 inning pitched.
Felix Pie, CF, Chicago Cubs - went 1-2 with a double.
Anthony Reyes, P, St. Louis Cardinals - surrendered 3 runs off of 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3 in 4 innings pitched. That's a lot of baserunners...
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals - went 1-4.

Spring Training Update

2006-03-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

Now that we're back up and running (and by request), I've brought back the (usually) daily Spring Training updates. So, here's Sunday's update.

Sunday, March 20th, 2006

Brian Bannister, P, New York Mets - allowed 2 runs off of 2 hits and struck out 3 in 5 innings pitched. If Pedro does indeed miss some time at the beginning of the season, Bannister and his 0.64 spring ERA could be rewarded with a ticket for Queens, New York.
Jonathan Broxton, P, Los Angeles Dodgers - in 1 inning pitched, he gave up 1 hit and struck out 2.
Fausto Carmona, P, Cleveland Indians - gave up 2 hits while striking out 4 in 2 scorless innings pitched. Very, very, very impressive so far.
Ronny Cedeno, SS, Chicago Cubs - went 1-2 with a double.
Nelson Cruz, RF, Milwaukee Brewers - went 2-3 with a double.
Eric Duncan, 1B (played DH for this game), New York Yankees - went 1-1.
Joey Devine, P, Atlanta Braves - gave up 3 runs off of 3 hits and a walk in 1 inning pitched. Ouch.
Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers - went 1-2.
Kevin Frandsen, 2B, San Francisco Giants - went 2-3 with a double and a home run. Big game.
Jeremy Hermida, RF, Florida Marlins - went 0-4. Rough spring so far.
Anderson Hernandez, 2B, New York Mets - went 1-4. Now that Matsui is out of the picture of 3 weeks, it's up to Hernandez or Keppinger to step up.
Mike Jacobs, 1B, Florida Marlins - went 1-4 with a home run.
Kenji Johjima, C, Seattle Mariners - went 1-2.
Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers - went 1-2.
Andy Marte, 3B, Cleveland Indians - went 1-3.
Lastings Milledge, CF, New York Mets - went 1-4.
Scott Olson, P, Florida Marlins - threw 5 scorless innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out 1.
Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Rockies - went 1-2. On fire this spring.
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals - went 1-3.
Joel Zumaya, P, Detroit Tigers - gave up no runs and no hits while striking out 2 and walking 1 in 2 innings pitched.

Mailbag: Craig Hansen, Dan Meyer, and more...

2006-03-17T20:14:00.000-05:00

As another week's passed, it's time for another addition of Baseball of Tomorrow's mailbag. This week's mailbag starts with a question from Gunth from Plainfield, Massachusetts:

Is Craig Hansen ready to close in the major leagues?

Coming of out St. John's University, Craig Hansen was one of the big steals in the 2005 draft. He throws a 93-97 MPH fastball and a devastating slider, which was rated the best breaking ball in the 2005 draft. After pitching a total of 13 innings in the Gulf Coast and Eastern Leagues, Hansen got a taste of the majors.

To answer your question: With the Foulke/closer situation in Boston, I think that it's going to depend more on how badly the Red Sox need a closer than how ready Hansen truly is, although I think that he can hold his own at the major-league level right now.

A lot of people are writing off the Red Sox right now, but I think that Hansen, Lester, and Papelbon could change that.

Sam from the Bay Area, California asks:

What do you expect from Dan Meyer in the coming year and in his career? He plummeted to to #21 prospect in the Oakland A's team, but has looked solid in spring training.

The former first-rounder, Dan Meyer, was the centerpiece of the Tim Hudson trade last offseason. The A's had high expectations for Meyer in 2005, but he fell way short of them. Nothing went right for Meyer in 2005. He battled shoulder problems the entire year. His delivery and entire repetoire suffered as a result of the shoulder problems.

By last year's standards, Meyer's had a strong spring so far. He looks like he's beggining to return to his old form. From everything I've heard, he's going to start the season in Triple A. At this point, Meyer can't go anywhere but up.

The next question is from Chad from Long Beach, California:

Who is your candidate for R.O.Y in AL and NL this year, and possibly in 2007.

2006 American League Rookie of the Year pick: Now, I'm a big Delmon Young fan, and I think he's going to have a big year, but I think that Francisco Liriano will have a bigger impact for his team, so I'm going with Francisco Liriano.

2006 National League Rookie of the Year pick: Jeremy Hermida is the most talented of the contenders for the Rookie of the Year award. Let's be honest, though, Hermida's not going to get anything to hit in the Marlins. Prince Fielder, on the other hand, will be an integral of a contending (yes, I said it, CONTENDING) Milwaukee Brewers. So, my pick goes to Prince Fielder.

2007's tough to project because anything can happen between now and next year, but I'll give you my 2007 picks anyway.

2007 American League Rookie of the Year pick: There's a lot of guys that can step up in 2007. Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, Alex Gordon, Jeff Clement are a few names that come to mind immediately. As much as I like Wood, Kendrick, and Clement, I have to go with Gordon.

2007 National League Rookie of the Year pick: I don't want to come off as a homer... ah, what the hell... Mike Pelfrey.

Moving along, the next question is from Derek from Cincinnati, Ohio:

What is your outlook on the Reds next season?

With the Cardinals, Brewers, Astros and Cubs in the same division, the Reds are in one of the toughest division in baseball. At the major league-level, I don't expect much from them. I think the Ken Griffey, Jr. situation will be an interesting one to follow, though. Sadly for the Reds, the bleak outlook extends down to their minor league system, as well. Even though they have what is probably the worst farm system in baseball, there are a handful of guys in their system that I'm going to be following: Homer Bailey, Jay Bruce, Travis Wood, Travis Chick, and Joey Votto.

Next question -- Sam from Chicago, Illinois asks:

I have always been a big fan of the knuckleball. Which minor leaguer will step up and be the next Tim Wakefield?

The knuckleball is slowly going the way of the dodo. You're going to have a hard time finding high school and college pitchers that throw the knuckler because there is only one successful knuckleballer in the majors right now, Tim Wakefield, and also, frankly, who's going to get more notice from scouts: A rag-tag knuckleballer or an overpoweringly hard-thrower?

With that said, the only guy that comes to mind right away is Red Sox prospect Charlie Zink. Zink's not really even a prospect anymore. He's going to be turning 27 years old this year.

I'll wrap it up with a question from Matt from Staten Island, New York:

My friend seems to think that David Wright is the best player under 25 in the major leagues. He won't agree with me that Albert Pujols is the obvious choice. We often argue about it.

Who do you think is the best setup man in the American League?

At this point in their careers, It's clear that Albert Pujols is the better player. Keep in mind, though, that Pujols has five full seasons under his belt now. Wright, on the other hand, only has one season under his belt. Wright is also playing in a much more high-pressure atmosphere. There's also a chance that Pujols is older than he says he is. Even if you buy that Pujols' age is legit, he's technically not under 25 -- he's exactly 25.

As for the best setup man in the American League: Scot Shields.

That does it for this week's mailbag. If you have a question you'd like answered on next week's mailbag, use the link on the bottom right of the page to e-mail me and I'll do my best to get your question answered.

More Justin Upton? You bet!

2006-03-14T18:19:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting read from The Arizona Republic's Bob McManaman about Justin Upton's progress this spring: No end to Upton's upside.

Just some excerpts:

Justin Upton knew his time in the Diamondbacks' major league camp would be short-lived. It would be a matter of time before the young shortstop was reassigned to the minor league side to begin his development as a pro.

I should have mentioned that he was reassigned to the Diamondbacks' minor league camp -- it slipped my mind.

Just how long that development takes is up for debate. It could be a few years. It could be a lot less.

Sure, it could be a few years. It could be tomorrow... It could be never... Could's a weak word. It should be a year.

When shortstops Upton and Stephen Drew, Arizona's first-round pick in 2004, are deemed major league ready, the Diamondbacks will have a difficult decision to make.

"Hey Justin, you see that out there? That's centerfield."

Will one of the youngsters be traded for some top-notch pitching help?

Bob, Bob, Bob. Short answer: No. Besides, if they are really that desperate for pitching, Upton has been clocked at 94 MPH...

"I'll handle it. I'll be ready," Upton said,sounding like a grizzled major league veteran.

You better. You've got $6.1 million reasons to handle it.

Scouting Report: Justin Upton

2006-03-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

I've done a scouting report on Justin Upton before, but it was lost in the re-launch, so I re-did one.

Justin Upton, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks.

Before ever appearing in a professional game, high school phenom Justin Upton, the brother of Devil Rays' top prospect B.J. Upton, set two records. When he was selected with the first overall pick in the 2005 draft, Justin and his brother B.J., who was selected with the second overall pick in the 2002 draft, combined to become the highest drafted sibling duo in the history of the draft. After holding out for seven months, Upton signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who awarded him with a $6.1 million bonus, the largest signing bonus in the history of the draft, thus giving Upton his second draft record.

One would be hard-pressed to find a more advanced high school hitter than Justin Upton. Upton has a lightning-quick bat, exciting power potential, and outstanding plate patience.

He's a quick and smooth shortstop. Clocked at 94 mph off of the pitcher's mound, it's clear that Upton has a very strong arm. But, like his brother, it's accuracy that he has a problem with.

Upton ran a 6.23-second 60-yard dash last year. For those who can't make sense out of that number: It's the equivalent of going from home plate to first base, or from any base to any other subsequent base, for that matter, at an astounding 3.115 seconds. Obviously, Upton can fly.

With Stephen Drew, another blue-chip prospect, in the same organization and at the same position as him, and with his tremendous speed and arm, Upton projects best as a center fielder. Likening him to the pre-Cincinnati Reds Ken Griffey, Jr., many scouts and experts have said that the Arizona Diamondbacks could stick Justin Upton in the majors on Opening Day and he will hold his own. The more likely scenario, however, has the 18 year old 5-tooler in the majors no earlier than late 2006 or early 2007. Regardless of when he makes it the majors, Upton has seemingly no ceiling. He has all the makings of one of baseball's next elite players.

Giants' Martis no-hits Panama in WBC

2006-03-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

San Francisco Giant farm-hand Shairon Martis, who's playing for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, no-hit the winless Panamanian team in a seven-inning game cut short by mercy rules.

In 34 innings pitched in the Arizona League this year, Martis sported a 2-1 record, with an impressive 1.85 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 13.24 K9.

Mailbag: Mets' pitching, Jeff Clement, and more

2006-03-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

I'll get right into this week's mailbag, our first since the re-launch, with a question from Sam from Chicago, Illinois:

Who's got the bigger upside, Brian Anderson or Ryan Sweeney?

By letting go of Aaron Rowand, the White Sox have shown that they are very confident in Brian Anderson. The 2003 first-rounder has a good bat with the potential to put up a .300/25/75 line. He's also a good centerfielder with a good arm. If he stays healthy, Anderson is going to be a treat to watch out in centerfield at ~~Comiskey Park~~ U.S. Cellular Field.

While Brian Anderson was taken by the White Sox in the first round of the 2003 draft, Ryan Sweeney, who was a pitching prospect out of high school, was taken in the subsequent second round. As a former pitching prospect, Sweeney has a very good arm. He's got good bat speed and drives the ball to all fields. At ten home runs in three years, most scouts project Sweeney to be no more than a 15-20 home run hitter, although he's 6'5", still young, and has been a pretty good doubles hitter (you know what they say, minor league doubles turn into major league home runs).

Both Anderson and Sweeney need some work on plate patience. Right now, Anderson's got the bigger upside. That can change, however, if Sweeney has a big year in 2006.

The next question comes in from David from New Jersey:

If Pedro does go down early and the Mets are forced to bring up a pitching prospect from AAA, who is more likely to be brought up?

Alay Soler, Brian Bannister, Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber, or other?

Phil (yes, he prefers Phil) Humber is still recovering from his 2005 Tommy John surgery and won't be fully ready until June -- so you can cross him off the list. While I don't think the Mets will baby Mike Pelfrey, I also don't think they'll rush him. At the earliest, I don't see Pelfrey in Flushing until September. That leaves us with Cuban-defector Alay Soler, who's in his first year of pro ball, and Brian Bannister, who raised eyebrows with his very successful 2005 season. I think it goes to whoever has the better spring. Though, I'd also like to throw John Maine's name into the ring. Maine was one of the guys the Mets got in the Kris Benson trade. He could be the dark horse in this thing.

Our last question is from Steven from Tacoma, Washington:

How long do you see it taking for Jeff Clement to fully develop? A lot of people have him locked in as the offensive equivilant to either Jason Varitek or Jorge Posada (in their primes, obviously). I was just wondering how long you think it will take for him to reach that level.

I'd also like to see anything you have on Seattle's Adam Jones. Do you see him getting a call-up this season, and if you do, do you see it coming more in part because of his talent or Jeremy Reed's struggling?

There's been a lot of talk about Jeff Clement switching positions but this kind of talk is expected when you've got a young, phenomenal hitting catcher. I actually think he'll be better than Jason Varitek or Jorge Posada. He's not only an incredible power-hitter, but also an outstanding all-around offensive threat. Despite the rumors of him changing positions, Clement is actually a good catcher. He handles the pitching staff well and is good at blocking balls in the dirt. His arm, however, leaves a little to be desired. If all goes according to plan, we'll see Clement at Double-A by the end of this season and in Seattle by the end of the next. He's got what it takes to be one of the game's elite players.

Adam Jones really came into his own in 2005. Jones has a quick bat, allowing him to drive the ball the other way with authority. In the field, he's got one of the best arms around (clocked at 96 MPH off of the mound) and good speed. I think it's more his job to win than Jeremy Reed's job to lose.

That does it for this week's mailbag. If you have a question you'd like answered on next week's mailbag, use the link on the bottom right of the page to e-mail me and I'll do my best to get your question answered.

Re-launched

2006-03-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

The whole debacle with GoDaddy (they wanted me to pay them $150 to recover lost files) gave me the opportunity to re-launch the blog over here on Blogger.com. I think this will be a good move for Baseball of Tomorrow, as Blogger.com provides a much cleaner, more powerful, and more user-friendly blogging system.

So, again, I will be starting fresh. It sucks to have lost all of my past posts, from the commentaries and analyses on Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus's top prospect lists, to the mailbags, to the growing number of scouting reports, but what's done is done.

Oh, and, as you can see, I tweaked the design some.