Fantasy Baseball Advice

Jered Weaver will not make his final start of the year because he doesn’t care about your H2H team.  Weaver ends the season with a line of 18-8/2.41/1.01/198.  If you throw out three bad starts, his ERA would’ve been 1.72 in 220 innings, but if if’s and but’s were candy and nuts no one would ever leave the bathroom.  Verlander’s gonna win the Cy Young, shizz is foregone.  Put it in an envelope and hand it to your mail carrier so he can steam it open and check it for cash.  Either way, let’s look at what Weaver did this year.  Mullet over, if you will.  Weaver was better last year.  Blunt is as blunt does right there.  His K-rate, xFIP and hair were all better.  His K-rate this year was right in line with past rates, if you exclude 2010.  For now, last year looks like the outlier for Ks.  Also, batters made contact with his pitches inside the strike zone at a higher rate than last year and hitters weren’t as fooled by pitches outside the strike zone.  In the end, he’s not going to be terrible in 2012; it’s just a repeat of 2011 seems unlikely, unless Superman circles the earth a few hundred times.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Ryan Zimmerman – Sitting out the last two games with a sore hamstring.  What’s this, the last few days of senior year and he’s already going to his safety school?  Play the games!

Alex Gonzalez – Left the game after aggravating his calf.  That’s the last time he says he likes his hamstring better.

Jose Reyes – 3-for-6 as he hit two homers yesterday.  That hit the spot in one of my leagues.  It was like the Kool-Aid man crashing through your wall and yelling “Oh, yeah!” then spackling the hole over because no one wants a giant hole in their wall.

Chris Capuano – 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 baserunners, 9 Ks.  Ended the season with a 4.55 ERA.  Crapuano was pretttay, pretttay mediocre.

Jeanmar Gomez – 4 2/3 IP, 8 ER.  Watching this game yesterday I felt like everyone screaming at Rocky to throw in the towel to save Apollo’s life.  Jesus effin’ Montero, they had to let Gomez give up eight earned with no lifeline?  Throw him a freakin’ bone and pull him from the G-d damn game!  Fantasy baseball:  When real life stress isn’t enough.

Asdrubal Cabrera – Done for the year.  Back date this to last Thursday when I thought he was done for the year.

Prince Fielder – 3-for-3, 5 RBIs and 3 homers.  Then the soon-to-be free agent, Prince, changed his name to a symbol — $.

Howie Kendrick – Left the game with a sprained wrist.  He’s day-to–Oh, yeah, today’s the last day.  Didn’t the season just start?  I’m sad.

Matt Joyce – 1-for-4, 3 RBIs and his 19th homer.  Member when he was the meow’s cat early in the season?  Oh, those were the days.  It was warm out!  You had more hair!  Okay, now for another friendly reminder — grab everyone on the Braves, Cardinals, Rays and Red Sox.  If there’s a one game playoff, you want to be the one with these guys, not the schmohawk you’re trying to beat.

Matt Holliday – Pulled from the game because of his injured middle finger.  Some of his owners might have a healthy middle finger for him.

Allen Craig – 2-for-3, 4 RBIs and a homer as he replaced Holliday.  Yeah, I’d even grab Craig for that potential one day playoff game.

Tyler Flowers – Hit two homers in the last two games.  It’s too late for this year, but please, White Sox, do the right thing and give him a chance to play.  I’m begging here.

Adam Dunn – 0-for-3 with 3 Ks, bringing his average to .159.  Elias Sports Bureau said there’s never been a player that hit less than half his weight until Adam Dunn.  Actually, they didn’t say that, but something that was heard around the Elias Sports Bureau compound, “Terry, in Human Resources, broke the previous record of seventeen with how many times someone’s blamed a fart on a ceiling fan.”

Justin Upton – After being hit in the head by a pitch on Sunday, he returned to the lineup yesterday and was hit in the face by a fly ball.  In the playoffs, Upton will wear a glove on his head.

Jarrod Parker – 5 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, 1 K.  Okay, start the hype machine for next year.

Mike Morse – For his 30th homer on Monday, Livan bought him a bottle of Cristal.  Yesterday, Morse hit his 31st homer.  For that, Livan gave him a lap dance.

Mike Napoli – Two homers yesterday vs. his old club, and specifically his old manager who never played him.  That revenge had to feel sweet for Napoli.  Remember, never get involved in a land war in Asia and never go against Napoli when pride is on the line.  He takes 28 homers, and even more remarkably, a .317 average into the final game of the season.

Ian Kinsler – 3-for-5 with a slam & legs to finally get him to 30/30.  This quest for 30/30 reminded me of an actor doing a movie for a paycheck.  30/30 is Kinsler’s Little Fockers.

Josh Willingham – 1-for-4, 3 RBIs and a home run.  That gives him 29 homers and 98 RBIs on the year.  This blew Rudy’s mind yesterday on IM.  “You see Willingham’s almost at 30/100?”  “Yeah, I saw.” “I have nothing else to say about that.”  “Neither do I.”

Ryan Lavarnway – With Salty and Varitek banged up, Lavarnway got the start and hit two homers yesterday.  Similarly to Tyler Flowers, I’d love to see Lavarnway get a starting job next year.  Do it for all of Ryan’s fans.  You know, the Lavarnwayians.  Who are not related to Damon, Marlon, Kim, Keenan, Elvira, Michael, Kyla, Bella, Shawn, Damien (have I mentioned Damien yet?), Daphne, Jolie, Bella, Nadia, Shawn Howell, Chaunté and Craig.

Marco Scutaro – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, home run, hitting near .400 in September.  What-what?!  Actually the what-what was what I just mentioned.

Chris Parmelee – 2-for-4 with a homer and in the same game Tosoni hit a grand slam.  Parmelee and Tosoni?  Sounds like rejected cast members of The Jersey Shore.

Delmon Young – 3-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 12th homer.  I feel like every year drafting Delmon is like falling for the ol’ banana-in-the-tailpipe.

Anthony Bass – 5 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 2 Ks.  Sweet… if I didn’t start Jeanmar and Blake Beavan.

Javier Vazquez – 9 IP, 2 ER, 5 baserunners, 9 Ks.  He only pitched this well to end the season because I dropped him in all of my leagues three months ago.  Oh, and I blame Steve Bartman too.

Emilio Bonifacio – 2-for-3 with his 40th steal.  I’m in the process of writing up top 20 recaps that will be on the site next week.  You wanna know one guy that really surprised me?  Steve Lombardozzi.  No, Random Italicized Voice, not Steve Lombardozzi.  Emilio Bonifacio.  Didn’t realize what a great year he ended up having.  I mean, I should.  I only wrote 1500 words a day about fantasy baseball for the last 6 months.  Imagine I wrote all of that in a spiral notebook.  You’d have me committed.  It’s all about the medium!

Jimmy Rollins – 3-for-5, 2 RBIs, 2 runs and a slam & legs.  Now has 16 homers and 30 steals.  You know, you could’ve done worse at shortstop.  Hanley comes to mind.  He would’ve been worse.  On a side note, I wonder if the Phils don’t want the Braves in the playoffs or they’re just doing the honorable thing by playing their regulars.  I’m guessing it’s the latter.

Joe Blanton – Will start the season finale for the Phillies, which will set up their rotation perfectly for Blanton to return to pitch Game 6 of the NLDS.

I said three days ago that Brian Wilson was probably headed for a DL stint.  And now he’s on the DL.  Confession:  I’m a time traveler!  And not for stocks or gambling Biff-style, I use my foresight for fantasy baseball.  To recap what I’ve been saying, I said three days ago that Brian Wilson– Wait, I should recap from a little further back.  Ramon Ramirez already has two saves, so that’s who I’d grab first.  Affeldt could get some saves, you just need to put up with his annoying duck.  Casilla may sneak into the picture, but I wouldn’t go deeper than one of these guys unless you’re very desperate.  Though remember closers can smell desperation and you’ll never get any saves like that.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Psyche!  Before we get into the roundup, I just wanted to announce that this afternoon there will be announcement. So this is the announcement’s announcement.  The pre-nouncement?  If you’ve been around the last three Augusts for our announcements, then this shouldn’t come as that huge of announcement.  But act surprised anyway, would you please?  Anyway II, the roundup:

Jordan Lyles – Was sent to Triple-A.  Hope he gets one of their TourBooks.  They have so many great coupons!

Alex Rodriguez – 0-for-5 as he returned from the DL.  Bee tee dubya, he has 13 homers on the year.  Where does he get drafted next year? Fifth round?  Sixth?  Hasn’t been drafted that low since he started hanging out with his cousin.

Eduardo Nunez – 1-for-4 with a steal.  More importantly, he played even as A-Rod returned.  Though, I wouldn’t count on that continuing.  Jeter DH’d yesterday, but he won’t do that every day.

Curtis Granderson – 1-for-4 with a slam & legs.  Now has 35 homers and 24 steals.  Is he in the MVP conversation at all?

Derek Holland – 3 1/3 IP, 5 ER as Holland gave his owners a Dutch oven.

Tyler Flowers – 2-for-3, 3 runs, has now hit in 6 of 7 games.  In one league where we lost Eli Whiteside (yeah, it’s a deep league; no, we didn’t get extra points for owning Whiteside because he sounds like herring), I added Flowers.

Ryan Braun – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI with his 25th and 26th steal.  He has no business stealing 26 bases, yet he goes out there and does just that for your fantasy team.  How sexy is he?  I want his swimsuit calendar.

Casey McGehee – 1-for-4 with his 9th homer.  Hasn’t really gotten hot all year, and I still wouldn’t say he is now, but he is hitting near .333 over the last week.  That’s McOkayhee.

Tim Hudson – 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 7 Ks.  I haven’t given Hudson much fanfare this year, so here goes.  With a 3.01 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, he’s been my most reliable starter on multiple teams and wish I owned him on every team, which is saying something since his Ks are pretty yawnstipating.  Thank you, Tim, for letting me love a non-strikeout pitcher.  Though, if you could ramp up the Ks, you’d be really awesome.

Adam Lind – Out with a sore wrist.  Should be able to return on Tuesday.  Canada waits.

Luis Perez – 6 IP, 0 ER, 1 hit, 2 walks and 4 Ks.  Late-blooming southpaw that ran up against a good matchup yesterday vs. the A’s.  I wouldn’t look at him outside of deep AL-Only leagues.  Could get some Ks, will probably get mollywhopped.

Frank Francisco – Scratched with a sore shoulder.  Well, stop scratching it!  Francisco has actually been decent recently, but if the shoulder’s a problem, it won’t matter.  Since Rauch is off seeing a giraffe doctor, Casey Janssen or Shawn Camp would see saves.

Rafael Furcal – Tripped over a rope and sprained his thumb.  He should’ve stuck with hopscotch.

Yadier Molina – 2-for-4, 3 RBIs and 2 homers, three this weekend.  This had to be more than just the wind blowing out at Wrigley.  I’m guessing the entire Molina family, including Alfred, was sitting behind home plate blowing.

Ubaldo Jimenez – 3 1/3 IP, 8 ER.  Um, dubya tee eff?  Last week I joked that Cleveland should raise the mound a mile above sea level, but I joke when I don’t think there’s any reason to worry.  Now, I’m kinda troubled.   Or troubaldo.  If he gets beat badly his next time out by the peasant Royals, might be time to discard.

Jacoby Ellsbury – Sat out with a back bruise after being plunked.  Eric Plunk, “Someone owes me a nickel!”

Ryan Lavarnway – 2-for-4.  Playing DH (do you play it?) which has me concerned.  If he only DHs then only pinch hits when Papi returns, will Lavarnway lose his catcher eligibility going into next year?  Probably moot since the Sawx will most likely let him start 2012 in the minors.  Cust pondering.

Craig Kimbrel – Recorded his 39th save.  Has 101 Ks, 1.72 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.  Member how Tony Gwynn used to watch hours of pitcher videos while eating donuts?  I think Kimbrel watched hours of a young Mariano.

James Shields – 7 1/3 IP, 7 ER vs. the Mariners.  Huh?  I feel like the box score had a typo.

Brandon Belt – 4-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 5th homer.  Great, wonderful, gronderful!  But he hasn’t been playing every day so you might need to platoon him in and out of your fantasy lineup for right now.

Casper Wells – 2-for-4 with his 10th homer.  As all of Casper’s fans boo.  BTW, on Saturday I went to this karaoke place and this one guy was awful so I stood near the stage and started booing him.  Loudly.  He got rattled and started messing up the words (worse), so I booed louder.  I got a kick out of it, but apparently he didn’t.  He threw down the mic, shouted “Oh, that’s it!” and charged after me.  Luckily (for me and my mustache), three bouncers got to him before he got to me.

Michael Pineda – 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks.  Before this game, I told someone in our fantasy baseball forums that I wouldn’t start Pineda again until he pitched well.  Well (stutterer!), this was a decent start.

Nick Blackburn – Left the game with a forearm strain.  Maybe it was straining to be a fivearm.

Ben Revere – 1-for-4 with his 2nd game in a row with a steal.  SAGNOF!

James McDonald – 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks.  McDonald was then replaced by Grilli.  I prefer the McGriddli.

Garrett Jones – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and a home run as he continues to stay hot with his 2nd homer in the last five games.

Joel Hanrahan – 2/3 IP, 2 ER.  Hanrahanananan is obviously strugglinginginging right now, but his season ERA is still at 1.76 so, ya know, don’t be ungrateful.

Carlos Quentin – Might end up on the DL with a sprained AC joint.  That sucks, humidity this time of the year is killer.

Peter Bourjos – 3-for-5 with his third homer of the weekend.  I’m telling you right now, there’s gonna be a sleeper post about him sometime in January and I’m gonna go cacacuckoo for him again next year.

Danny Espinosa – 3-for-5, 2 RBIs and his 18th homer.  Corspinosa is alive!  He tends to be streaky so if he’s out there, I’d give him another chance if you’re hurting with your middle infidel.

Ian Desmond – 2-for-5 as he also homered yesterday.  It must’ve been Zombie Day in Nationals Park.

Seth Smith – 1-for-2 with a slam & legs.  If someone asked me what’s the bare minimum you should get from your fifth outfielder in a 12 team mixed league, I’d say look at The Lisper’s Nightmare’s stats.

Ivan Nova – 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks.  Honestly, I don’t trust him.  This start was vs. the Twins who have Plouffe, the guy who sounds like the noise a turd makes when it hits the toilet water, hitting second.  If you’re chasing wins, I could see going with Nova, but chasing wins is a losing proposition. (<–Turn of a phrase point!)

Roy Halladay – 5 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 5 Ks.  Was lifted after a rain delay then Schwimer took over.  All I can say is thank God he’s no longer making movies.

Jimmy Rollins – Left the game with a groin injury.  Wouldn’t surprise me to see this be a DL stint since the Phils will just want everyone healthy for the playoffs.  As Jimmy gets older, maybe he should ease back a little to Strollins.

Ryan Madson – 2/3 IP, 6 ER on Friday.  Madson, the Phils already have one Bastardo in the bullpen.  Please.  Wasn’t used in a save situation on Sunday, which was then blown by Bastardo and followed by Lidge losing the game.  I think Madson will be fine, was just a big giant blip.

Matt Wieters – 6 for his last 12 and his 12th homer yesterday.  Pretty whatever season from him so far, but if he were to hit five homers in the last month plus, his season would still look a’ight with definite promise for next year.  He really needs a big last month though.  Either way, I’m still gonna go all in with him next year again, assuming he’s drafted late, which he should be at this rate.

Delmon Young – 2-for-4, 4 RBIs and his 2nd homer on the Tigers.  On the Twins, Delmon was happy, but on the Tigers Delmon’s all about business.

Bobby Parnell – Mets said Izzy will see some saves still, but then Izzy went out on Sunday and gave up one run and on Saturday he gave up 4 runs.  They say the 301st save is always the toughest.

I need to thank frequent commenter ltf for today’s lead. Tim Wheeler (COL, OF) has not been a highly touted prospect in the Rockies farm system – ranked number 21 overall. Since my Scouting the Unknown article written on June 1, 2011, he has hit 10 more home runs (6 weeks). With 24 home runs at Double-A and two multiple home run games in the last 10 days. Wheeler is positioning himself to skyrocket up the prospect ranking charts in 2012 while playing in the hitting friendly environment of his home park (Tulsa) and the Texas League. Is currently slashing .312/.392/.598 in 356 AB with 48 XBH (24 Hr) and 15 steals in 24 attempts with a 93:38 K:BB ratio. Keep a close eye on him, as the Rockies continue to spawn outfielders.

Tyler Skaggs | ARI | LHP (SP): Promoted to Double-A. First outing was poor at best: Gave up 5 runs, 10 baserunners (2 walks) and had 6 strikeouts in 4 innings. See Scouting the Unknown article for further details.

Drew Pomeranz | CLE | RHP (SP): Promoted to Double-A after rocking High-A with 95 strikeouts, 32 walks and a 1.87 ERA in 77 innings. Unlike Skaggs, Pomeranz’s debut went exceptionally well. Over 4 2/3 innings, he allowed one run (on a home run), 4 baserunners (1 walk) and had 5 strikeouts.

J.D. Martinez | HOU | RF: Check out the recent article by John Sickels detailing Martinez. Also see Scouting the Unknown article for further details.

Brett Lawrie | TOR | 2B/3B: Took batting practice last Sunday. A step in the right direction. We’re still looking at a mid-to-late August call up.

Alex Cobb | TB | RHP (SP): Will get the start on Monday (7/19/11) against the Yankees. He’s been very inconsistent when on the mound in the majors. Even with two wins and a sterling 3.41 ERA, I would avoid starting him on Monday.

Tyler Flowers | CHW | C: He was called up on 7/10/11 but has yet to see any playing time. This was expected. Nevertheless, if given playing time, he has the ability to hit 10 home runs over the rest of the season. Or kill your team’s average.

Logan Forsythe | SD | 2B: According to “unnamed sources,” Forsythe was recalled, again, on Friday to fill out the depth chart and fulfill the utility player role. Only in the deepest of NL leagues is he worth your time.

Brett Jackson | CHC | CF: Promoted to Triple-A on 7/15/11. Appears to be on track for a September promotion.

Jacob Turner | DET | RHP (SP): Jim Leyland stated that Turner’s chances of reaching the majors this year are a long shot. I would expect him to remain in the minors for this year and have every opportunity to win a starting job out of Spring Training. He has posted a 3.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 79/29 K/BB ratio over 100 2/3 innings at Double-A this year.

Zach McAllister | CLE | RHP (SP): Per Rotoworld (7/15/11), “Zach McAllister and David Huff are the prime candidates to be promoted from Triple-A Columbus to start for the Indians during Monday’s doubleheader.” I’d run far and fast in the other direction from these two options in all normal scenarios. However, they will be facing Minnesota. In deeper leagues, it would could be worth the stream start. I’d lean towards McAllister receiving the call.

The top 50 fantasy baseball prospects list aims to provide a list solely for fantasy baseball purposes. Due to fantasy baseball’s immediacy of statistical production, players are not necessarily ranked based on tools or projections far into the future, but instead, current production. Aspects taken into consideration are fantasy baseball’s positional scarcity, Razzball philosophies, scouting reports and personal biases.  There are highly touted names omitted from the Top 50 list that some might believe warrant a ranking. Before lamenting, please check the Honorable Mention section. The most notable omissions are likely from the Kansas City Royals; this is due to Dayton Moore’s Project 2012. Other prospects are either blocked, provide more real world baseball performance, need to repeat performance because of their pedigree, have GM’s avoiding Super-2 status or are rebounding from injuries.  The signings in the upcoming weeks and Spring Training could cause many players to rise or fall. Disputes, inquiries and general feedback is welcomed and encouraged.  To be included, I used MLB eligibility requirements — less than 130 ABs or 50 IP, though I’ve made a few exceptions where I felt it was warranted.

1. Domonic Brown – OF – PHI: With Jayson Werth in Washington, it’s Brown’s time to show off his five-tool potential. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown and Domonic Brown, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

2. Jeremy Hellickson – RHP – TBR: The trade of Matt Garza opens the door for Hellboy. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown and Jeremy Hellickson, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

3. Aroldis Chapman – LHP – CIN: Even as a reliever, Chapman has the ability to be helpful in the strikeout category, a la Carlos Marmol. For further details, see Aroldis Chapman, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

4. Desmond Jennings – OF – TBR: Even with new signings of Damon and Manny, Jennings could be in the majors in the spring. Does have injury concerns; value lies in speed. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown and Desmond Jennings, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

5. Jesus Montero – C – NYY: The Russell Martin signing complicates his ETA, however, Montero could be a dominating force much like Ryan Braun was in 2007. For further details, see Jesus Montero, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

6. Freddie Freeman – 1B – ATL: Only thing stopping Freddie is himself, or his Mark Grace type hitting upside. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown and Freddie Freeman, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

7. Dustin Ackley – 2B/CF – SEA: Sneaky speed and power for your middle infielder position, yes please! For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

8. Mike Moustakas – 3B – KC: What isn’t there to like about Moustakas? Dayton Moore’s 2012 plan doesn’t count. I have him below Ackley due to ETA concerns. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown and Mike Moustakas, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

9. Brett Lawrie – 2B/OF – TOR: Not sure if he’ll get the playing time, but has 20 home run power, much like Dan Uggla. If he plays more outfield, he’s only waiting for Jose Bautistia to return to his old self. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

10. Lonnie Chisenhall – 3B – CLE: He’s a poorman’s David Wright, so an Adrian Beltre clone works too. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

11. Simon Castro – RHP – SD: Maybe not be in the opening rotation, but Castro has a power fastball and a solid changeup to have success in the majors. Now let’s see some consistent control and we’ll all be happy. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

12. Zach Britton – LHP – BAL: Pitching in the AL East is a daunting task and the string of prior prized Orioles pitching prospects should make us cautious. Britton is a groundball pitcher though, which should be more helpful than Matusz and Chris Tillman who are flyball pitchers. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

13. Chris Sale – LHP – CHW: Quote my Chicago White Sox, 2010 Minor League Review, “[Sale's] [f]astball sits in low to mid 90?s – this may sit lower when he starts. He also throws a sharp slider and has a promising change-up. If Sale can maintain the 50% ground ball rate he had this past year when starting, he could easily be the AL ROY. Yeah, I said it.”

14. Danny Espinosa – 2B – WAS: Check out Grey’s Danny Espinosa, 2011 Fantasy Outlook for the best expectations of his 2011 season.

15. Michael Pineda – RHP – SEA: Shot up everyone’s charts this past year. A great fastball and drastic improvement of his secondary pitches makes Pineda an intriguing pick in 2011. He’s still going to be in Hellickson and Chapman’s shadow, could be a sneaky success story. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown, just know I wasn’t sold on him when I wrote that article and still not to the extent everyone else happens to be.

16. J.P. Arencibia – C – TOR: 25 home runs from my catcher spot, I’ll take the poor average. For further details, see Grey’s 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Top 20 Catchers and Scouting the Unknown.

17. Brandon Beachy – RHP – ATL: Could be this year’s Mike Minor while Julio Teheran (ranked 19th) becomes last year’s Hellickson (i.e. everyone just waiting for him to be called up).

18. Jordan Lyles – RHP – HOU: An innings eater who could be up 7.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 on a poor team. Not exciting, but should have the chance. Finished his 2010 season in Triple-A. Very close to making opening day roster. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

19. Julio Teheran – RHP – ATL: The new Hellickson. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

20.a. Matt Moore – LHP – TBR: I am putting Moore and McGee as 20a and 20b due to the fact they both could help in the majors at some point in 2011, Moore as a starter and McGee as a stud reliever. I like Moore’s upside more as he starts. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

20.b. Jake McGee – LHP – TBR: For further details, see 1/8th inch above. Throws a mid 90′s fastball and tops at 98 MPH.

21. Craig Kimbrel – RHP – ATL: Another Carlos Marmol and has inside edge on the closer job. Could put up 100 Ks in 70 innings.

22. Matt Dominguez – 3B – FLA: Comparisons to Jeff Cirillo and Mike Lowell make him intriguing. Slightly above-average defense with a solid hitting approach. Could he be another Melvin Mora? Possibly. Won’t hit for significantly high average but could provide deep league value.

23. Brandon Allen – 1B – ARI: Technically not a rookie, but I feel warrants a ranked position (he’s 19 at-bats from having rookie eligibility). Has great power potential deep in the draft. For further details, see Grey’s Brandon Allen, 2011 Fantasy Sleeper.

24. Kyle Drabek – RHP – TOR: The prized pitching prospect that Toronto received in the Roy Halladay trade. I envision him producing a 7.0 K/9 and a 3.2 BB/9 in about 100 innings in the majors.  Grey took a look at Drabek’s fantasy prospects when he was called up.

25. Brandon Belt – 1B/OF – SF: The resigning of Aubrey Huff significantly impacts Belt’s road to the show. Nevertheless, a player that strikeouts out as often as he walks with slightly above-average power (think 20 to 25 home runs) shouldn’t be repressed for long if Huff or Nate Schierholtz struggle. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

26. Trayvon Robinson – OF – LAD: I have to give props to Jason Grey as he alerted me to this name, and the fact that the Dodgers are struggling in left field. Robinson has great speed and slight power. Think 10/40 with a .280 average as ceiling over a full season.

27. Nick Weglarz – OF – CLE: If he’s healthy over a full season, has 20 to 25 home run power potential with a high OBP, Sickels’ think he could get 100 walks in a season. Doesn’t play great defense nor is there much room in the Indians’ outfield.

28. Kyle Gibson – RHP – MIN: Making stops at three levels of the minors, reaching Triple-A, Gibson is another innings eater like Jordan Lyles. The epitome of a Twins pitcher. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

29. Chris Carter – 1B – OAK: Great power potential but has struggled to hit advanced pitching and struggled during his major league debut. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown or Grey’s Chris Carter, 2011 Fantasy Outlook.

30. Casey Kelly – RHP – SD: Great upside, but might be nothing more than a number two starter on an average team. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

31. Alex White – RHP – CLE: More of a groundball pitcher than a strikeout pitcher. Throws a 91 to 95 MPH fastball with great sink, a splitter and slider. Threw 104 innings at Double-A in 2010, could be a midseason call-up.

32. Randall Delgado – RHP – ATL: The forgotten pitching prospect in Atlanta. Delgado has a mid-90s fastball, a potential plus curveball and potential plus changeup. Still young, turns 21 on February 9th and projectable (6’3” and 180 lbs).

33. Anthony Rizzo – 1B – SD: I don’t buy him playing in the majors on opening day, that and they signed Brad Hawpe to start the year. There are still some hitting mechanics he needs to work on. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

34. Wilson Ramos – C – WAS: Received in the Matt Capps trade to the Twins. Ramos is an underrated catcher who has plus “raw” power, good contact skills, and good defense. With Ivan Rodriguez aging, Ramos may get his chance sooner rather than later.

35. Rudy Owens – RHP – PIT: In my Pittsburgh Pirates, 2010 Minor League Review I stated, “This is who I am extremely excited about … Throwing a 88 to 90 MPH fastball, a changeup – his best pitch – and a ‘slurvy curveball’ doesn’t speak of a dominating pitcher. Baseball America calls him the, ‘classic crafty lefthander.’” That was the recipe for Travis Wood (who I conveniently cut out of that quote).

36. Tanner Scheppers – RHP – TEX: A mid-90s fastball and a power curveball, Scheppers was everyone’s favorite reliever to be called up in 2010. Never happened, but now everyone is expecting him to make the opening day roster. Has trouble with command but 10 K/9 potential and, as everyone knows, strikeouts are fantasy baseballer’s crack. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

37. Andy Oliver – LHP – DET: Quintessential pitching prospect, clean mechanics, low-to-mid 90s fastball, a cutter, a curveball and changeup. Pitched 22 innings in five starts for the Tigers in 2010. The Tigers have a shallow rotation and I could see Oliver helping out from day one.

38. Brent Morel – 2B/3B – CHW: Morel is the James Loney of a third base prospect; good defense, solid hitting, but lacking game changing power (e.g. 15 to 20 home run ceiling).

39. Hank Conger – C – LAA: With the way Mike Scoicia treats hitting catchers, I’m not sure Conger will get a long look. Statistically is a Joe Mauer-lite. Solid hitting, good plate discipline, but a lot left to be desired.

40. Dayan Viciedo – 1B/3B – CHW: Good power, doesn’t walk often and has below-average defense. Did have a successful 104 at-bats in the majors this year, but his 25:2 K:BB is scary. I don’t see him having great success in the near future, barring a lucky BABIP run. For further details, see Scouting the Unknown.

41. Scott Cousins – OF – FLO: Considered to have a high ceiling, second highest in the Marlins farm system behind Mike Stanton. Cousins has 20/20 potential, more realistically a 20/10 type player.

42. Zach Braddock – LHP – MIL: Should anchor a bullpen with John Axford. Throws a mid-90s fastball and a power/sharp slider. Great strikeout pitcher, career 11.8 K/9 in the minors (281 strikeouts in 214 innings).

43. Corey Luebke – LHP – SD: Throws a low 90 to 92 MPH fastball, a solid slider, and a changeup. Luebke isn’t a strikeout pitcher. Ceiling is a number three starter. Helps that he throws in Petco. Should get a shot before Simon Castro.

44. Ivan Nova – RHP – NYY: Personally, I think his 2010 in the majors was a mirage. You can’t pitch in the AL East with a 5.6 K/9 and a 3.6 BB/9 in the majors, or a 6.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 career numbers in the minor league. Nevertheless, he has the inside track at a rotation spot for the Yankees. For further details, see how the media bought into the same hype as J.A. Happ in 2009.

45. Tyler Flowers – C – CHW: A poor 2010 season, marked with a career low.283 BABIP, at Triple-A really hurt Flowers prospect status. Baseball America states he has “light-tower power,” and “strong plate discipline.” A.J. Pierzynski signed a new deal, so Flowers will have to play second fiddle for at least the next two years.

46. Mark Trumbo – 1B – LAA: Trumbo is having a hard time playing any other position but 1st with positive results. And Kendry’s there.  Trumbo has hit well in the minors, and was atop the minor league home run leader boards this past season. Then again, Brandon Wood hit at the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in the past. For further details see Scouting the Unknown.

47. Jeff Locke – LHP – PIT: A left-handed Jordan Lyles? Pretty darn close.

48. Jordan Walden – RHP – LAA: The last of the relievers with good strikeout potential (8.2 K/9 career in minors). Helps that he throws a “heavy 90 to 94 mph fastball … [and] a mid-80s slider.” Baseball America has already pegged him as late-innings reliever with “his power fastball/slider combo.”

49. Daniel Descalso – 2B – St.L: Average across the board, Descalso is a Felipe Lopez type MI with 10/10 upside.

50. Martin Perez – LHP – TEX: Much like Tyler Flowers, his 2010 season was disappointing. He did have a 9.1 K/9 rate, but combined with a 4.1 BB/9 and a .368 BABIP he was flirting with disaster. The upside, he did have a 4.24 FIP (nearly 1.50 point better than ERA) and a low LOB% of 62.6%. For further details see Scouting the Unknown.

Honorable Mentions
In no particular order: Eric Hosmer (1B, KC); Arodys Vizcaino (RHP, ATL); Jason Kipnis (2B, CLE); Mike Trout (CF, LAA); Fernando Martinez (CF, NYM); Lance Lynn (RHP, St.L); Jenry Mejia (RHP, NYM); Chris Marrero (1B, WAS); Jerry Sands (1B, LAD); Jeremy Jeffress (RHP, KC); Mike Montgomery (LHP, KC); John Lamb (LHP, KC); Danny Duffy (LHP, KC); Derrick Robinson (CF, KC); Christian Friedrich (LHP, COL); Michael Taylor (OF, OAK); Dee Gordon (SS, LAD); Grant Green (SS, OAK); Ben Revere (OF, MIN); Juan Francisco (3B, CIN); Mat Gamel (3B, MIL); Paul Goldschmidt (1B, ARI); Bryan Peterson (OF, FLA); Wilin Rosario (C, COL); Ivan DeJesus Jr. (SS, LAD); Zach Stewart (RHP, TOR); Michael Burgess (OF, CHC); Carlos Peguero (OF, SEA); Tony Sanchez (C, PIT); Nick Hagadone (LHP, CLE); Devin Mesoraco (C, CIN); Alex Liddi (3B, SEA); Jacob Turner (RHP, DET); Jaff Decker (OF, SD); Brett Jackson (CF, CHC); Chris Archer (RHP, TBR); Jarrod Parker (RHP; ARI); Derrick Norris (C, WAS); Yunesky Maya (RHP, WAS); Chris Withrow (LHP, LAD)

Chicago White Sox 2010 Minor League Review
Overall farm rankings according to Baseball America (2010)
2010 (19) | 2009 (16) | 2008 (28) | 2007 (26) | 2006 (14) | 2005 (12) | 2004 (20)

Record of Major and Minor League Teams
MLB: [88 – 74] AL Central
AAA: [67 – 77] International League – Charlotte
AA: [53 – 87] Southern League – Birmingham
A+: [81 – 58] Carolina League – Winston-Salem
A: [65 – 74] South Atlantic League – Kannapolis
R: [47 – 28] Pioneer League – Great Falls
R: [32 – 36] Appalachian League – Bristol

The Run Down
The White Sox minor league system played in a sandbox of disappointment in 2010. Their top prospect, Jared Mitchell, was out all of 2010 with a torn ACL; they traded their top pitching prospect (pre-draft) in Dan Hudson to Arizona for Edwin Jackson; their hyped catching prospect, Tyler Flowers, the prized piece in the Javier Vasquez trade, struggled all year; the other highly touted Cuban, Dayan Viciedo, showed some flashes of power in the majors but proved you can’t walk from Cuba to Florida; and Brent Morel showed enough potential to be an average at best corner infielder. With an aging team, the outlook of the future rests in some see-sawing prospects – Viciedo, Morel, Flowers – along with other high-ceiling prospects like Mitchell. The 2011 season might be the year that the White Sox actually utilize more than one prospect for the majority of the season. I could see Viciedo, Morel, and especially Chris Sale playing larger roles than expected. Flowers might have a mid-season call-up if he can thrive early in 2011.

Graduating Prospects
#13 (RHP) Sergio Santos

Arizona Fall League Players – Peoria Saguaros
Pitchers – (RHP) Anthony Carter; #27 (LHP) Charles Leesman; (RHP) Johnnie Lowe; (RHP) Henry Mabee
Hitters – #11 (C) Josh Phegley; #19 (SS) Eduardo Escobar. #1 (CF) Jared Mitchell

Players of Interest
Hitters
#2 Tyler Flowers | C | D.o.B: 1-24-86 | Stats (AAA): .220/.334/.434 | 346 AB | 40 XBH | 16 Hr | .214 ISO | 2/1 SB/CS | 121:51 K:BB | .283 BABIP
Flowers struggled mightily at Triple-A this past year, posting disappointing numbers across the board. His lone bright spot would be the ISO rate (.214 ISO). Prior to the 2010 season, Flowers’ hitting has been bolstered by pre-2010 career .358 BABIP, this year his BABIP was substantially lower (.283 BABIP) than his career rate. Marc Hulet of FanGraphs states, “When he’s swinging well, the former Braves draft pick shows plus power and takes a ton of walks (along with a lot of Ks).” BA concurs. The 24-year-old catching prospect didn’t create any believers this past year as A.J. Pierzynski signed a two year contract extension on the second of December. With a career slash line of .148/.343/.185 in the majors with 13 strikeouts in 35 at-bats, the 2011 Spring Training and early 2011 minor league season will have a large bearing on his future with the fantasy world. The upside; Bill James has him hitting .242/.347/.452 with 21 Hr, 519 plate appearances and 121 games.

#7 Dayan Viciedo | 3B | D.o.B: 3-10-89 | Stats (AAA): .274/.308/.493 | 343 AB | 35 XBH | 20 Hr | .219 ISO | 1/1 SB/CS | 78:11 K:BB | .365 BABIP
No one questions Viciedo’s ability to hit, they question his size and his lack of walks. According to Baseball America, Viciedo has “tremendous opposite-field power … can drive the ball to all fields … soft hands … average arm … helpless against off-speed … slow.” Marc Hulet says, “Veteran pitchers … will eat Viciedo alive … there is little point in throwing strikes to him. Defensively, the Cuban is a poor fielder at third base … [should move] across the diamond … He has the raw power for the position.” In 106 major league plate appearances during the 2010 season, Viciedo hit .308/.321/.519 showing he won’t be walking much, but the power is definitely there. See an old Scouting the Unknown article for more details.

#4 Brent Morel | 3B | D.o.B: 4-21-87 | Stats (AA/AAA): .322/.359/.480 | 490 AB | 52 XBH | 10 Hr | .158 ISO | 8/5 SB/CS | .385 BABIP (AA); .363 BABIP (AAA)
Has the ability to help the major league squad in 2011 as he plays good defense, line drive contact driven swing and has the power to hit 15 home runs a year. Borderline third baseman that has thrived due to high BABIP. His line in the majors (.231/.271/.415 in 70 MLB plate-appearances) suggests some moderate power, as does his minor league numbers this past year as he had success at Double-A and Triple-A (AA: .326/.376/.440 in 203 plate-appearances; AAA: .320/.348/.503 in 324 plate-appearances). Morel is boring, but could provide value in deep leagues. Could be a Casey McGehee or another Felipe Lopez.

#5 Jordan Danks | CF | D.o.B: 8-7-87 | Stats (AAA): .245/.312/.373 | 445 AB | 38 XBH | 8 Hr | .128 ISO | 15/6 SB/CS | 151:41 K:BB | .349 BABIP
Danks 2010 season was equally as disappointing as last year in which the 2009 Minor League Review stated “The little brother of John Danks, Jordan plays good defense, lacks power, and has many scouts see-sawing on his future. Some scouts believe he will be able to add more homers and power once he adds more bulk to his frame, while others completely disagree, noting specifically his sketchy swing mechanics … His strikeout rate is worth noting, but he walks a fair amount too. He kind of reminds me of Denard Span – had a lot of hype, loses favor, and then surprises later than expected. He is more of a darkhorse/sleeper after his dismal 2009 season.” After another poor year, Danks, who has been aggressively pushed, will need to rebound to gain any fantasy traction, let alone prospect hype for the future.

#14 Stefan Gartrell | RF | D.o.B: 1-14-84 | Stats (AAA): .255/.316/.448 | 534 AB | 48 XBH | 27 Hr | .193 ISO | 4/2 SB/CS | 152:42 K:BB | .305 BABIP
Gartrell has been compared to Jermaine Dye, as he has a solid frame with good size and strength. Baseball America also says that he has a “solid” swing with power towards all fields and erratic plate-discipline. John Sickels calls him a “tweener,” and that he could help in “2011.” He may get an opportunity if he keeps hitting in 2011, but I fear his batting average and lack of walks indicates he has peaked.

Pitchers
Chris Sale | LHP | D.o.B: 3-30-89 | Stats: 12.3 K/9 | 3.9 BB/9 | 23 1/3 IP | 1.93 ERA | 2.74 FIP | 1.07 WHIP | .8 Hr/9 | 5.8 H/9 | .278 BABIP
Those are his MLB numbers. Need I say more? Fastball sits in low to mid 90′s – this may sit lower when he starts. He also throws a sharp slider and has a promising changeup. If Sale can maintain the 50% ground ball rate he had this past year when starting, he could easily be the AL ROY. Yeah, I said it.

#16 Carlos Torres | RHP | D.o.B: 10-22-82 | Stats (AAA): 7.9 K/9 | 4.0 BB/9 | 160 1/3 IP | 3.42 ERA | 3.89 FIP | 1.22 WHIP | .7 Hr/9 | 7.0 H/9 | .264 BABIP
Has historically been mentioned by Grey and myself as a sleeper candidate. Torres then usually drops a deuce on our announcement with a line in the majors of 5.59 FIP in 42 innings while throwing a 7.5 K/9 rate and 5.6 BB/9 rate. Sounds like I should quit touting him. He throws a “heavy” low 90s fastball, a plus cutter – works good against lefties – a curveball and a changeup, according to BA. Might be better used as a reliever.

#22 Jhonny Nunez | RHP | D.o.B: 11-26-85 | Stats (AA/AAA): 7.8 K/9 | 3.4 BB/9 | 95 1/3 IP | 4.53 ERA | 3.47 FIP (AA); 4.35 FIP (AAA) | 1.42 WHIP | .8 Hr/9 | 9.3 H/9 | .321 BABIP (AA); .333 BABIP (AAA)
He’s a reliever that throws mid 90s fastball that peaks at 97 MPH, a two-seam fastball that sits in the low 90s and a power slider. Sounds like the perfect White Sox reliever.

Honorable Mention
Hitters
#19 Eduardo Escobar | SS | D.o.B: 1-5-89 | Stats (A+/AA): .277/.316/.393 | 570 AB | 43 XBH | 6 Hr | .116 ISO | 11/5 SB/CS | 111:32 K:BB | .352 BABIP (A+); .305 BABIP (AA)
Plays Gold Glove caliber defense but can’t hit — sounds a bit like another Escobar, Alcides. I have to say that Escobar should be looked at as a shortstop that probably will never hit much. Think Neifi Perez but with great defense.

#21 Christian Marrero | 1B/RF | D.o.B: 7-30-86 | Stats (AA): .270/.363/.383 | 488 AB | 38 XBH | 7 Hr | .113 ISO | 12/5 SB/CS | 85:72 K:BB | .311 BABIP
A light-hitting first baseman – there are only so many James Loney’s that the major leagues can handle. I vote for only one. Has good bat speed with an uppercut swing and looks to be a role player at best.

Pitchers
Andre Rienzo | RHP | D.o.B: 7-5-88 | Stats (A): 11.1 K/9 | 2.9 BB/9 | 101 IP | 3.65 ERA | 2.38 FIP | 1.26 WHIP | .4 Hr/9 | 8.5 H/9 | .360 BABIP
I couldn’t find any scouting reports on Rienzo, but in a pitching thin system a 11.1 K/9 rate definitely raises eyebrows — mine at least. He was “unlucky” (.360 BABIP), kept the ball in the park (.4 Hr/9) and had good control (2.9 BB/9). I think he might be a sleeper candidate to rise fast in the White Sox system.

#30 Justin Collop | RHP | D.o.B: 5-30-88 | Stats (A): 7.6 K/9 | 1.8 BB/9 | 154 1/3 IP | 4.26 ERA | 3.17 FIP | 1.30 WHIP | .6 Hr/9 | 9.9 H/9 | .342 BABIP
Throws a 88 to 93 MPH sinking fastball, a splitter, an inconsistent slider and sporadic changeup. John Sickels wanted him to improve his command and he did this past year. With a clean delivery and a good sinking fastball, Collop could rise fast in a pitching thin system. His 2010 season saw good command (1.8 BB/9), a decent strikeout rate (7.6 K/9) all the while being “unlucky” with a high BABIP (.342).

Gregory Infante | RHP | D.o.B: 7-10-87 | Stats (A+/AA): 10.4 K/9 | 4.0 BB/9 | 60 IP | 3.45 ERA | 2.64 FIP (A+); 2.10 FIP (AA) | 1.37 WHIP | .0 Hr/9 | 8.2 H/9 | .348 BABIP (A+); .364 BABIP (AA);
Helped by not allowing a home run in 2010 ( Career: .4 Hr/9), Infante showed value as a power throwing reliever. He has a 93 to 95 MPH fastball, very good curveball and an inconsistent changeup. Known to be erratic, Infante, at this point, is just worth a mention to keep on the radar.