Progress report on the Class of 2002

BOSTON (Ticker) -- With the 2003 draft less than two weeks away, it's time to check in and take a look at what the cream of the Class of 2002 are doing. Below is a top 10 ranking of how the the 2002 first-rounders have fared.

1. Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, Cleveland Indians

Selected with the 22nd pick out, Guthrie signed for a $3 million bonus but too late to play last year. After a cameo appearance in the Arizona Fall League, the Stanford product was the Opening Day pitcher for the Class AA Akron Aeros. He allowed three hits over six scoreless innings to win, 1-0, on a cold, raw night and has been one of the best pitchers in the Eastern League since. The 24-year-old Guthrie tossed a three-hit shutout in his fifth pro start and added a four-hitter three starts later. Through his first nine starts, Guthrie has gone 5-2 with a 1.56 ERA in a league-leading 57 2/3 innings.

2. Zack Greinke, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Greinke, chosen sixth overall, made it through only 11 innings over three levels last year after signing for a $2,475,000 bonus. Settling in with the Wilmington Blue Rocks at the advanced Class A level Carolina League this year, the 19-year-old Greinke has gone 6-0 with a 1.20 ERA in eight starts. He has allowed more than one earned run just once and has posted a 7:1 SO/BB ratio. The 6-2, 190-pounder allowed just three hits over a career-high eight innings in his most recent start, a 2-1 win over the Kinston Indians on May 14.

3. Bryan Bullington, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

The top overall pick, Bullington did not play at all last year due to contract negotiations. With his financial situation straightened out to the tune of a $4 million bonus last fall, the 22-year-old Bullington has been taking care of business with the Hickory Crawdads of the Class A South Atlantic League. The 6-5, 220-pounder has gone 4-1 with a 1.60 ERA in seven starts. He has allowed less hits than innings pitched in all but one of his starts and has afforded the opposition just a .170 average overall. A cool customer on the mound, the Ball State product consistently gets ahead of hitters and is never rattled.

4. Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers

Fielder, the son of former Detroit Tigers slugger Cecil, was taken with the seventh pick and wasted no time making his presence known in pro ball. He assaulted rookie level Pioneer League pitching, batting .390 with 10 homers and more walks (37) than strikeouts (27) in 41 games last year. With the Beloit Snappers of the Class A Midwest League this year, the 19-year-old Fielder opened with homers in each of his first three games and hit .447 over a 10-game hitting streak. Though mired in a 1-for-21 slump over his last eight games, the 6-0, 285-pound Fielder was hitting .307 with seven home runs, good for second in the league through May 19.

5. Royce Ring, LHP, Chicago White Sox

A power closer at San Diego State University, Ring was the 18th pick in the draft. After going 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA and five saves in 28 innings over two levels last year, Ring has met the challenge at Class AA this year. The closer for the Southern League's Birmingham Barons, Ring has allowed just one earned run in 20 innings, posting 10 saves and 27 strikeouts. The 22-year-old Ring has not allowed a run in his last 16 outings and has surrendered just eight hits over his last 16 innings. With runners on base, he has held the opposition to just a .121 average.

6. Scott Kazmir, LHP, New York Mets

While Kazmir has yet to post his first professional win, his 63 strikeouts in his first 38 2/3 pro innings can not be overlooked. The 19-year-old Kazmir, who fell to the 15th pick due to signability concerns, has been held to strict pitch counts and has gone more than four innings just once in his 12 pro starts. While he's been in there, the fireballing Kazmir has fanned 42 percent of the batters he's faced. Despite experiencing some shoulder stiffness recently, Kazmir fired three scoreless innings in his last start, lowering his season ERA to 2.61.

7. Nick Swisher, OF, Oakland Athletics

Swisher, the first of four picks by the A's in the first round, batted .250 in the short-season Class A Northwest League in 13 games after going 16th overall. This season, the 22-year-old Swisher has hit .314 with 33 RBI with the Modesto A's of the advanced Class A California League. The switch-hitting Ohio State product was second in his league with a .440 on-base percentage, drawing more walks (32) than strikeouts (31) and reaching base safely in 25 straight games April 17-May 18. The son of former big leaguer Steve Swisher has homered five times among his 18 extra-base hits, which were ninth in his league through May 19.

8. Jeff Francoeur, OF, Atlanta Braves

The 23rd pick in the draft, Francoeur had nine RBI within his first six games in the rookie level Appalachian League after signing last year. The 6-4, 200-pounder batted .327 with eight homers and 31 RBI in 38 games overall. With the Rome Braves of the Class A South Atlantic League this year, the 19-year-old has batted .302 with a .491 slugging percentage and eight steals in 43 games. Francoeur has come on strong of late, batting .542 (13-for-24) over his last six games.

9. Joe Blanton, RHP, Oakland Athletics

The second first-rounder by the A's, Blanton went 24th overall out of the University of Kentucky. After posting a 4.43 ERA over six outings -- three starts -- last year, the 22-year-old Blanton has been getting the ball every five days with the Kane County Cougars of the Class A Midwest League this year. Despite being saddled with a 2-6 record, Blanton has been solid on the mound. The 6-3, 220-pounder fired a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in the second game of a doubleheader against the Peoria Chiefs on May 2. His other win was the result of seven innings of two-hit, scoreless ball on April 11. He has lost all six of his starts when allowing a run. Overall, Blanton has sported a 3.42 ERA and walked just eight in 52 2/3 innings. His 50 strikeouts were tied for third in his league through May 19.

10. Matthew Cain, RHP, San Francisco Giants

Chosen with the 25th pick in the draft, Cain has allowed just a .210 batting average to the opposition since turning pro. After going 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in eight rookie level Arizona League outings last year, the Class A South Atlantic League's youngest pitcher allowed just one hit and struck out 10 over five innings to post his first career win in his debut on April 6. Though the 18-year-old has gone 0-3 since, he has continued to pitch well. Over his last three starts, the 6-3, 180-pounder has allowed just 11 hits and four runs in 17 innings but has not received a decision. Overall, Cain has posted a 3.15 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 40 innings.

 

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