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AL Report
Waiting for a chance: Top 10 minor-league prospects
Posted: Tuesday June 25, 2002 1:42 PM
Joe Crede is still waiting at Class AAA to take over the hot corner in Chicago. |
By Jason Grey, Special to CNNSI.com
You guys do a great job of giving me column fodder. Once it became known last week that my bullpen reports were the result of reader feedback, I was inundated with e-mails asking about various stuff this week. But most prominently I was asked about minor league prospects.
Everybody seems to love lists of things. Not sure if it is David Letterman's influence or what, but I remember a book in my childhood called The Book of Lists that was put out by the Guinness Record Book publishers in various incarnations, which I eagerly devoured. So I guess what I am saying is I am not immune to the fantasy populace's fascination with lists.
You want it? You got it. Here are my current Top 10 Prospects in the American League. The order of the players on this list is subject to change on a daily basis due to weather patterns, random fluctuation, lunar eclipses and my whims of the moment. The players constituting the Top 10 have stayed pretty consistent though. Don't get too hung up on the order. If you are currently in the majors, you aren't on this list.
1. Hank Blalock, 3B, Texas: My No. 1 from the preseason and still my No. 1 right now, although it appears he could be called up again very soon. I think the Rangers sent him down just as he was starting to find his groove. Despite some elbow trouble, the 21-year-old has hit .367 at Class AAA since his demotion. The fact he is this high in the organization at 21 is an excellent sign for his long-term success. He can do it all with the bat, though his defense is merely average and he isn't a threat to steal a base. Still, he is clearly the best prospect in the American League.
2. Carlos Pena, 1B, Oakland: I think he got his swing a little bit out of his element earlier this year, trying to hit more home runs while replacing Jason Giambi. He had a much more distinctive uppercut to his swing than I had seen in the past. Since his demotion, he has hit just .248 but his 21/35 BB/K ratio is still a hopeful sign. He has the ability to eventually be a Rafael Palmeiro-type hitter. He can eventually hit for average and power in the major leagues and I think spending the rest of the year at Class AAA will benefit him.
3. Michael Cuddyer, 3B/OF, Minnesota: I must admit it took me a little longer than some to come around on Cuddyer. But hitting the ball the way he has makes believers very fast. Two years ago I thought he was overrated. Not anymore. Cuddyer not in the Twins lineup only because Dustan Mohr and Bobby Kielty are performing way beyond what they should be. Cuddyer is hitting .335 at Class AAA, shown excellent strike zone judgment and slugged .651. You'd be hard pressed to convince me that he Twins wouldn't be better if he was playing everyday for them right now.
4. Joe Crede, 3B, Chicago: The White Sox have not really handled him well, calling him up and not really giving him an opportunity in the past. Hitting .310 with 16 homers at Class AAA and a 20/38 BB/K ratio solidify the fact that he has nothing left to prove against Class AAA pitching. The White Sox are tiring of Royce Clayton. Crede should be the White Sox third baseman for the rest of the decade.
5. Joe Borchard, OF, Chicago: I could flip flop Borchard and Crede on a daily basis, because Borchard has more talent and upside and Crede is more polished and major-league ready right now. Crede is also outperforming Borchard, who still has to learn the strike zone as his 26/63 BB/K ratio will attest. But hitting .276 with 11 homers shows he is not overmatched.
6. Josh Phelps, C, Toronto: He's hitting .282 with 22 homers at Class AAA. The only thing not to like here is the 74 K's and only 28 walks, but with the dearth of good hitting catchers in the American League, fantasy owners will take it. He could be up very soon as the Jays really start to reload.
7. Drew Henson, 3B, New York: Has the potential to be a star, but he could also be Russ Branyan. He has 86 K's against just 16 walks at Class AAA -- not a great sign, but he has tremendous power to all fields. I don't think he'll be a Branyan type, but more of a Richie Sexson type, and that is why he is on this list.
8. Mark Teixeira, 3B, Texas: On this list on hitting talent alone. After an early season injury, he is back on track in the Class A Florida State League, hitting .333 in his first 21 games. He should progress quickly.
9. Carl Crawford, OF, Tampa Bay: A lot of people are calling for him in the majors, but I think he would be better off playing at Class AAA for the full year. He's hitting .308 but has just a .347 OBP. He could use a little more work on his strike zone judgment. The power and speed are there, and there is no reason to start his major league service time just yet when he could use some more of the proverbial seasoning.
10. Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota: He's hitting .310 with a .408 OBP at Class A ball in Quad City. More impressive is the 38/26 BB/K ratio for this former No. 1 overall pick. We're not seeing a lot of power yet, but that can be expected out of such a young player who hasn't physically matured yet.
You'll notice a distinct lack of pitchers on this list. It wasn't by design, it just happened that way. The upper levels of the American League farm systems don't have a lot of great prospects to begin with. Most of the best ones are at lower levels, where their future is much harder to predict.
Jason Grey is the publisher of The Masters of Fantasy Baseball at www.mastersball.com, a free daily source for news, analysis, insight, and opinion. Their 2002 annual featuring strategy and player profiles as well as their 2002 projections for various game formats are available now. Mastersball.com is a member of the Tout Wars and Major League Baseball's experts leagues.
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