Scott Evans

Author: Scott Evans

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2013 Minor League Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 2 Comments

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (25) | 2011 (30) | 2010 (14) | 2009 (10) | 2008 (21)

2012 Affiliate Records
MLB:  [83-79] NL Central
AAA:  [67-77] Pacific Coast League — Nashville
AA:  [65-74] Southern League — Huntsville
A+:  [63-72] Florida State League — Brevard County
A:  [78-61] Midwest League — Wisconsin

Arizona Fall League Players — Phoenix Desert Dogs
Nick Bucci (RHP); Kyle Heckathorn (RHP); Johnny Hellweg (RHP); Jimmy Nelson (RHP); Hunter Morris (1B); Josh Prince (SS); Khris Davis (OF)

Graduated Prospects of Note
Jean Segura (SS); Michael Fiers (RHP); Taylor Green (1B)

The Run Down
Though he’s already graduated his prospect status, it’s impossible to discuss the Milwaukee Brewers’ young talent without mentioning Jean Segura, the prized piece acquired in the trade that sent Zack Grienke to the Angels.  Segura gathered enough at-bats (148) with the Brewers to earn rookie status, and thus, I cannot rank him here.  But in case you’re wondering, he’d be #1 — the 22-year-old has tremendous potential with the bat, and he figures be a well-above average hitting shortstop at the Major League level.  Sloppy defensive play is certainly a concern with Segura, but 15 homers and 30 steals will be valuable no matter where he plays.  After him, though, the still-are-prospects prospects of the Milwaukee Brewers are not quite as exciting.  Not to suggest that this is a particularly awful system — it’s flush with solid young arms, which is a wonderful asset to a ball club — but it sure lacks that pizazzy element we all so desperately desire.   

Top Ten Prospects
1.  Wily Peralta, RHP:  Peralta regressed in 2012 during his time in the minors, casting some concern over his prospect status, but the 23-year-old was quite good in six appearances with the big club last year, posting a 2.248 ERA, and a K/9 above 7.  He still looks like a future #2 or #3-type to me.  ETA:  2013

2.  Tyler Thornburg, RHP:  I wrote a brief scouting report on Thornburg during the season, so check that out here for a closer look.  The gist:  he’s an undersized flamethrower with a filthy change, a solid curve, and control issues.  If he can command his plus stuff, he’ll miss plenty of bats and could be a nice option in all fantasy formats.  ETA:  2013

3.  Johnny Hellweg, RHP:  Hellweg — the other dude snagged in the Grienke deal — is tall.  He’s 6-9 and he throws in the upper-90s and, at times, he’s utterly unhittable.  At other times, he struggles finding his release point and cannot locate the strike zone.  Projections for Hellweg vary from front-of-the-rotation starter, to high-leverage reliever.  Either way, he’ll be useful to the Brewers sometime soon.  ETA:  Late 2013

4.  Clint Coulter, C: Milwaukee took Coulter out of high school with the 27th overall pick in June.  And while the 19-year-old’s numbers weren’t quite mind-blowing during instructional league play, scouts have fallen in love with him nonetheless.  He’s a long way off, and it’ll be interesting to see how aggressively the Brewers choose to develop him, but it’s already fair to consider Coulter among the most promising catchers in the minors.  ETA:  2016

5.  Hunter Morris, 1B:  It’s tough to ignore 28 homers and a .920 OPS.  That’s what Morris did in 2012 in a full year at Double-A Huntsville.  His big year will surely earn him consideration for a major league job in 2013.  ETA:  2013

6.  Taylor Jungmann, RHP:  At 6-6, 210, Jungmann is a big righty with a power repertoire and good command.  As such, he’s a very safe bet to reach the bigs as an innings-eating mid-rotation starter, possibly more.  He’ll start 2013 at Double-A, and could certainly reach Milwaukee before year’s end if things go well.  ETA:  2014

7.  Scooter Gennett, 2B:  Gennett is praised for his outstanding hitting tool, and he projects as a .300 hitter in the bigs.  But with no immediate opportunity for the 22-year-old, he’ll spend the next year or two refining his defensive skills in the upper minors.  ETA:  2015

8.  Jed Bradley, LHP:  The 6-4, 225, power lefty struggled with command at High-A in 2012 — a year that was cut short due to injury and workload.  But like Hellweg and Jungmann, Bradley’s frame and arsenal should be enough to carry him to the bigs.  ETA:  2014

9.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2013 Minor League Preview: Oakland Athletics

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 2 Comments

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (26) | 2011 (28) | 2010 (12) | 2009 (3) | 2008 (27)

2012 Affiliate Records
MLB:  [94-68] AL West
AAA:  [86-58] Pacific Coast League — Sacramento
AA:  [64-74] Texas League — Midland
A+:  [56-84] California League — Stockton
A:  [67-72] Midwest League — Burlington (Beloit beginning 2013)
A(ss):  [33-43] New York-Penn League — Vermont

Arizona Fall League Players — Phoenix Desert Dogs
Gary Daley (RHP); Brett Hunter (RHP); James Simmons (RHP); Max Stassi (C); Grant Green (OF)

Graduated Prospects of Note
Jarrod Parker (RHP); A.J.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2013 Minor League Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 10 Comments

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (27) | 2011 (11) | 2010 (18) | 2009 (12) | 2008 (22)

2012 Affiliate Records
MLB:  [81-81] NL East
AAA:  [75-68] International League — Lehigh Valley
AA:  [76-66] Eastern League — Reading
A+:  [72-60] Florida State League — Clearwater
A:  [62-76] South Atlantic League — Lakewood
A(ss):  [30-46] New York-Penn League — Williamsport

Arizona Fall League Players — Peoria Javelinas
Jay Johnson (LHP); Tyler Knigge (RHP); Colby Shreve (RHP); Kyle Simon (RHP); Tommy Joseph (C); Cody Asche (3B); Zach Collier (OF)

Graduated Prospects of Note
Freddy Galvis (SS)

The Run Down
With an aging roster at the Major League level, the Phillies are a club that could really use some youthful talent.  Trades during the season opened up room for Domonic Brown in the outfield and added a bit of depth to their system, but their infield is ancient and rarely healthy, and their staff, while quite good, is also on the older side.  It’s definitely reasonable to expect that key Phillies will land on the DL in 2012, and it’s unfortunate, then, that their farm isn’t quite awesome.  They have some nice pieces and a little more depth than last year, but overall, this is a bottom-half system and it’s lacking in the high-impact department.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2013 Minor League Preview: Miami Marlins

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 10 Comments

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (28) | 2011 (29) | 2010 (8) | 2009 (2) | 2008 (14)

2012 Affiliate Records
MLB:  [69-93] NL East
AAA:  [73-67] Pacific Coast League — New Orleans
AA:  [70-70] Southern League — Jacksonville
A+:  [74-62] Florida State League — Jupiter
A:  [80-59] South Atlantic League — Greensboro
A(ss):  [44-13] New York-Penn League — Jamestown (Batavia beginning 2013)

Arizona Fall League Players — Phoenix Dessert Dogs
Michael Brady (RHP); Grant Dayton (LHP); Brian Flyn (LHP); Scott McGough (RHP); Jake Realmuto (C); Kyle Jensen (OF); Christian Yelich (OF)

Graduated Prospects of Note
Jacob Turner (RHP), Matt Dominguez* (3B);  Scott Cousins (OF)

*Now with Houston

The Run Down
While Miami fans cannot be pleased with the Marlins’ roster moves at the big league level, it’s tough to ignore the club’s improvement in the minor leagues.  Not only did system talent like Christian Yelich and Jose Fernandez explode with breakout years, but the organization added necessary depth via trades with Detroit and St.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2013 Minor League Preview: Cleveland Indians

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 9 Comments

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (29) | 2011 (7) | 2010 (3) | 2009 (7) | 2008 (19)

2012 Affiliate Records
MLB:  [68-94] AL Central
AAA:  [75-69] International League — Columbus
AA:  [82-59] Eastern League — Akron
A+:  [63-77] Carolina League — Carolina
A:  [71-68] Midwest League — Lake County
A(ss):  [30-45] New York-Penn League — Mahoning Valley

Arizona Fall League Players — Scottsdale Scorpions
Shawn Armstrong (RHP); Trey Haley (RHP); T.J.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2013 Minor League Preview: Chicago White Sox

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 9 Comments

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (30) | 2011 (27) | 2010 (23) | 2009 (16) | 2008 (30)

2012 Affiliate Records
MLB:  [85-77] AL Central
AAA:  [83-61] International League — Charlotte
AA:  [63-76] Southern League — Birmingham
A+:  [87-51] Carolina League — Winston-Salem
A:  [61-78] South Atlantic League — Kannapolis

Arizona Fall League Players — Salt River Rafters
Andre Rienzo (RHP); Santos Rodriguez (LHP); Salvador Sanchez (RHP); Taylor Thompson (RHP); Carlos Sanchez (2B); Andy Wilkins (1B); Trayce Thompson (OF)

Graduated Prospects of Note
Addison Reed (RHP); Jose Quintana (RHP); Hector Santiago (LHP)

The Run Down
The MLB Divisional Series are still raging and, for most, it’s a little early to start digging into 2013 previews of any sort.  Alas, we have a schedule to maintain here.  As usual, we’ll ease you into these team-by-team minor league previews, starting from the bottom, and working our way toward the more compelling organizations as we approach Opening Day 2013.  So, here we are in the cellar:  the Chicago White Sox.  And believe me, it doesn’t get any lower than this.  Perhaps, though, it’s unfair to bash the Sox for their lousy farm system.  Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and President Kenny Williams have consistently approached their organization from a MLB-first perspective — they don’t spend much in drafts and their player development systems are lagging.  But the White Sox aren’t ignorant to these flaws; they just don’t care.  They’re a principled franchise, and they’re reasonably successful in what they do and how they do it.  Frankly, I don’t endorse this baseball operations model — it kinda goes without saying that I’m a prospecty, build-from-within sort of dude.  But while I watch other organizations tiptoe the line between development-first and MLB-first organizational philosophies, I must admit that it’s refreshing to see Sox standing their ground, flippin’ the bird to all the Keith Laws out there.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The 2012 Razzball Prospect Awards Show

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 11 Comments

Okay, it’s more of a blog post than an awards show, but it’s still really effing prestigious.  Well, maybe it’s not prestigious either, but no one watches sports award shows anyway, and I think we can all agree that the ESPY’s would be much better if it were simply a short-form blog post.  I’ll be digging into team-by-team 2013 previews in the coming weeks, so what we have for you here is one last look around the 2012 Minor League Baseball action.  Enjoy.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Minor Accomplishments for Week 23, the Last of the Accomplishments

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 20 Comments

The Minor League Baseball season has reached it’s glorious culmination.  Well, actually, it’s not very glorious.  No, no one really cares who wins in the New York-Penn semis, or the International League title, or the Midwest League championship.  It’s just not that interesting.  Not even for me.  Sure, organizations do their best to instill winning attitudes throughout their farm systems, and I absolutely agree that’s important.  It’s why Jeff Luhnow is still tweeting crap like “#JETHAWKS WIN”.  Yay, Jethawks… It’s fun for the players, I suppose.  It’s fun for the small-town fans, too.  And it’s a small source of pride for player development types.  But that’s about the extent of it.  All that said, the various MiLB playoffs are still worth keeping an eye on, if only for the handful of real-deal prospects who’re performing on a slightly grander stage than usual.  So, to wrap up this year’s Minor Accomplishments series, I leave you with a brief rundown of what’s happening with some of the more notable prospects in their respective postseasons:

Mike Zunino | C, Mariners – The third overall pick this past June has been simply incredible since signing.  His dominance has continued in the Double-A Southern League playoffs:  Zunino’s blasted 3 homers and posted a .400+ AVG for Jackson.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Minor Accomplishments for Week 22

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 10 Comments

It’s been 29 years since we’ve had simultaneous 100-steal season in Minor League Baseball, but the wait is over, people.  Billy Hamilton swiped his 100th bag, like, back in May or something, and he finished up with 155 on the year.  He was joined in triple-digit land earlier this week by Delino DeShields, who ended 2012 with 101 stolen bases.  It was an outstanding year for the Astros’ 2010 first-rounder, one that would’ve drawn far more praise had it not been overshadowed by Hamilton’s record-breaking season.  The kicker here, though, was Delino’s pop — the 20-year-old hit 12 homers between Low-A and High-A, becoming the first MiLB player in history to collect 10+ homers while stealing 100+ bases.  The future is bright for this one.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Late-Season Top 20 Fantasy Baseball Prospects

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 13 Comments

Last Wednesday, I joined Rudy and Nick for the Razzball Baseball Podcast.  On the show, we counted down my top 15 prospects, but truth be told, I was fully prepared to discuss my top 20.  So, with the MiLB season winding down and all, I thought now would be a good opportunity to put the entire list out there in written form.  This is a preliminary ranking — I’ll roll out more official and specific ranks during the off-season, once the dust has settled and I’ve had a chance to gather more intel.  Please keep in mind that this list is limited to prospects still in the minors prior to September 1st call-ups.  Also, in the interest of not being too farsighted, I included only guys who’ll be making their impacts within the next year or two (which is certainly a matter up for debate).  Anyway, my top 20:

1.  Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers – Current Level: MLB Age: 19 – Five-tool shortstop projects to go 20/20 annually, and he’s certainly gifted enough to do more.

Please, blog, may I have some more?