Brewers top prospect list - Latest: MLB Radio and Prospectus

[IheartRYount]

Unless I'm incorrect the Brewers are next up on minorleagueball.com, I would imagine sometime today the list will be posted.

[deeswan]

They are next. Oakland was posted late last night (Wednesday), so I wouldn't expect the Brewers to be up before Thursday afternoon. Hopefully John hasn't decided to take a Christmas break now. I doubt it, as I know he's under a deadline to get the book to the publisher.

[DHonks]

I still think they have Daric Barton rated too highly. For a short, fat, unathletic DH with questionable power, non-existent defensive skills, and more character flaws than a typical Bruce Willis character, I have a hard time believing in him.

 

Pretty much the rest of the A's mentioned seem to be rated appropriately. Komine is someone fun to watch. Not many 5'5" guys who throw 93 mph.

[deeswan]

I still think they have Daric Barton rated too highly. For a short, fat, unathletic DH with questionable power, non-existent defensive skills, and more character flaws than a typical Bruce Willis character, I have a hard time believing in him.

 

IMO, Barton on pretty much any other team would be looked at as an "almost-bust" in the sense that he's really declined last year. Granted, he was only 21 at AAA, and last season was not consistent with his track record, but he doesn't really have a position and, at this point, doesn't hit with enough power to be an All-Star caliber 1B/DH. I think he gets a bit of a pass because he's one of Billy Beane's guys, which is fine. But at this point I'm skeptical that he'll ever amount to much.

 

DHonks, just wondering what the character issues are that you referred to. I haven't heard that about him. Do you have insider knowledge from the AFL?

[Matt Breen]

Quote:

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For a short, fat, unathletic DH with questionable power, non-existent defensive skills, and more character flaws than a typical Bruce Willis character,

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For a second, I thought you were talking about me -- but then you got to the character flaws part.

[Jim Goulart]

MiLB.com with a take on their pre-2006 minor league predictions for the NL Central and how they did:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp

[DHonks]

DHonks, just wondering what the character issues are that you referred to. I haven't heard that about him. Do you have insider knowledge from the AFL?

 

he qualifies as a train wreck. The AFL is a league where most players don't want to be there, but are willing to put off the offseason for a few weeks for extra money and to go the extra mile for the organization. Over time, they generally form a bond and come together as a team. Barton never formed any bond with anyone. He never showed any concern for his coaches, teammates, or the staff. He treated people like crap, and his on/off field demeanor was disturbing to say the least. About the best thing I can say about him is that he has a nice swing, and he has plenty of years to overcome his flaws. But if the bars, casinos, and whatnot were able to distract him in the AFL, when all of baseball was watching him closely, I find it hard to believe that he'll be going to bed before 7 am in the big leagues, giving it his all, and being a teammate to root for. I view him as a disruptive presence, and someone the A's will trade within 1 1/2 years of his arrival in the big leagues. Since they place an emphasis on character, it's quite possible he'll either give up on the organization (and demand a trade) or he'll get himself shipped off for his behavior. He's someone who possibly could be out of baseball by age 25, despite all of his talent and skills. I hope he grows up, I just don't see it happening. When I got to know guys like Huston Street and Ryan Howard, I knew they would make it in the big leagues. They're the kind of guys that organizations like. They have good skills, are good people, and work their butts off. I just don't see either of the latter two with Barton.

[Matt Breen]

Brewers are up today:

 

Link

[deeswan]

Kudos to John for using the older logo and the Laverne and Shirley picture. How many posters even know who Laverne and Shirley are?

[Blazer25]

Nice to see Mike Brantley get a mention.

 

He was my pick to click at the start of last season. I think he might be a sleeper to be a pretty productive MLB player.

 

Sort of a poor man's Grady Sizemore. Time will tell.

[splitterpfj]

I agree with his overall assessment of the farm system, two impact talents on the way, with arms that need to stay healthy.

[Rob]

If solome has a good year this year, will he finally jump up on some of these prospect lists? He seems to good to be so low. Maybe I'm overrating him, though.

[Katuluu]

Nice to see Cain getting some serious recognition for how good he is, and could be.

[brewmann04]

I am old enought to remember tues @ 830 after Happy days

[pogokat]

Good for cain...why does no one love charlie fermaint? I think Cain will put up similar numbers to fermaint in brevard next year...so i think fermaint should get more credit---he'll be an .800 ops cfer in Huntsville, which qualifies him as top 10 in my book (but not even top 20 in sickels)

[Katuluu]

I think Cain will put up similar numbers to fermaint in brevard next year...so i think fermaint should get more credit---he'll be an .800 ops cfer in Huntsville, which qualifies him as top 10 in my book (but not even top 20 in sickels)

 

My guess is it is probably because Cain put up over an .800 OPS at West Virginia, while Chuck only put up ~.740 at the same age. Me thinks you have your numbers switched for next year Pogo.

[pogokat]

brevard is like the grand canyon....

 

Cain is a better prospect than fermain---but not by much...Lorenzo will ahve about a .750 ops at brevard next year, while chuck will have about an .800 in Huntsville...

 

Fermaint is a very similar player...and underrated for some reason.

[deeswan]

One note, I know these are preliminary and won't exactly match what is in the book, but Gallardo is one of a very few A's this year. For reference, Hochevar and Matt Garza were both A- s.

[sbrylski]

If solome has a good year this year, will he finally jump up on some of these prospect lists? He seems to good to be so low. Maybe I'm overrating him, though.

 

I remember seeing a prospect list a year ago that had Salome number 4 in all of baseball, IIRC.

[pogokat]

Angel is a very unique ball player---because of his size, i'm not sure many know what to expect of him...he had the most power of any of the WV hitters this year, but without similar players in baseball, he's really hard to project...

 

don't forget thata he's coming off of injury as well...

 

if he hits 15 bombs in brevard next year with a .300 average, he'll be top 50..

 

edit: don't forget to vote in the top prospects poll!!!

[Matt Breen]

Quote:

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If solome has a good year this year, will he finally jump up on some of these prospect lists? He seems to good to be so low. Maybe I'm overrating him, though.

---

 

John Sickels has always been very wary of young catchers. He calls it Young Catcher Stagnation Syndrome or something like that. Many catchers, he has found, never develop as hitters in the upper levels. Usually the test comes around AA ball. If they succeed there, they are looking good. Whether this is true, I don't know. Otherwise, he's not always hot to tag young A ball catchers with high grades. Doesn't mean he doesn't, but not often.

[Matt Breen]

Quote:

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Nice to see Mike Brantley get a mention.

 

He was my pick to click at the start of last season. I think he might be a sleeper to be a pretty productive MLB player.

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Actually, Sickels nabbed Brantley as a 'sleeper' last April.

 

Brantley sleeper story

 

I love that Brantley is showing a good eye for walks this young.

[pogokat]

michael brantley got a huge amount of love around here all summer...i think i was the only one not constantly singing the guy's praises..

[Matt Breen]

By the way, here's Sickels' ratings changes over the last three years (listed 2007, 2006, 2005 ratings in that order):

 

Yovani Gallardo, RHP, Grade A/B/C+

Ryan Braun, 3B, Grade A-/B+

Will Inman, RHP, Grade B/B-

Lorenzo Cain, OF, B-/C+

Dennis Sarfate, RHP, C+/C+/B-

Manny Parra, LHP, C+/C+/B

Mark Rogers, RHP, C+/B-/B-

Mat Gamel, 3B, C+/NR

Hernan Irrabarren, 2B, C+/C+/B+

Steve Hammond, LHP, C+/NR

Angel Salome, C, C+/C+

Tim Dillard, RHP, C+/B-

Mike Brantley, OF, C+/C+

Zach Jackson, LHP, C/B

Vinny Rottino, UT, C/NR

 

The interesting thing is that pitchers are much more likely than hitters to get downgraded over the three years. I assume it's just result of the difficult nature of identifying and cultivating good pitchers.

[Jim Goulart]

Yet another Top 100 MLB list (Baseball Digest), compiled by five gentleman (with their individual lists included, and combined into an aggregate list):

 

Counting Down 100 to 51

 

Rogers 75 (pre-injury)

Inman 63

 

Counting Down 50 to 1

 

Braun 26

Gallardo 20