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Friday, March 20, 2009

Heyman: Braves’ Tommy Hanson is just one prospect creating a buzz this spring

Here’s a list of 33 more young ones who might be good ones. There’s a buzz about every one of these guys in spring ...

3. Gordon Beckham, White Sox shortstop. “Every time he comes up, he seems to hit a bomb,’’ says one scout. Last year’s No. 1 draft choice has played so well (seven extra-base hits, .625 slugging) that he moved himself into conversations about second base, even with the favorite for that position, Chris Getz (.364), playing very well there, as well. Looks like a gem.

4. Daniel Bard, Red Sox reliever. “The best fastball I’ve ever seen,’’ according to one scout. The pitch is 100 and “really takes off,’’ the scout said. “He’s also able to produce that velocity without much apparent effort,’’ another scout said. Likely to begin at Triple-A Pawtucket, even after a 0.00 ERA this spring with 10 strikeouts in seven innings, but he could be a weapon by midseason.

11. Trevor Cahill, A’s pitcher. “He’s got real good sink on the ball. He’s going to be a good ground ball guy,’’ one scout said. Makes for a tremendous one-two combo of young pitchers with a 2-0 record and 4.91 ERA this spring. “In a perfect world,’’ A’s GM Billy Beane says they’d send down Cahill and Anderson. But of course this isn’t a perfect world. The guess here is one or both make the team.

Thanks to Bay Jiass

Repoz Posted: March 20, 2009 at 12:16 AM | 36 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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   1. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: March 20, 2009 at 12:34 AM (#3109030)
The Mets are believed to have made Pedro Martinez an offer that's well below his $5 million minimum asking price ("I can assure you, we are not paying him $5 million,'' one Mets person said) and are unlikely to immediately boost their bid (believed to be $1-2 million, plus incentives) after Hernandez's latest professional effort.

I am fine with this. The Mets shouldn't be offering Pedro 5 million after last year.

Parnell is a big guy with a workhorse's build but I read somewhere that he loses velocity second time around and that's the reason for his mediocre minor league numbers. That may be a reason the Mets like his potential as a reliever.
   2. Gamingboy Posted: March 20, 2009 at 12:52 AM (#3109039)
8. Matt Wieters, Orioles catcher. Wieters (.367, .567 slugging) is very advanced at the plate and behind it for someone drafted only a year and a half ago, but cautious, smart Andy MacPhail will send him down for more seasoning. "He's impressive ... the real deal,'' one scout said.


8?


8!?!?!?!
   3. Perros Posted: March 20, 2009 at 12:54 AM (#3109043)
Eighth natural wonder of the world.
   4. Tripon Posted: March 20, 2009 at 12:55 AM (#3109046)
John Heyman is not a scout, and this article is half assed. I'm not sure why Clayton Kershaw is 12th, or why he's even on this list. He stopped being a prospect when the Dodgers decided to keep him with the team since July for good last year. From the article, you get the assumption that Kershaw isn't going to make the majors anytime soon, but he already got a rotation stop locked up.
   5. CFBF Hates Hyphens Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:04 AM (#3109055)
I like to think that Hanson and Heyward are going to be the anchors of the Next Great Braves Team.
   6. Hugh Jorgan Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:04 AM (#3109056)
but cautious, smart Andy MacPhail

Whaaaa, did I miss something.

And of course as noted by Gamingboy....#8 Wieters! Those half-arsed scouts, they surely don't know as much as us over here at primer...
   7. HGH Positive Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:35 AM (#3109076)
Gordon #1? That's a new one.
   8. Juan V is the mustard of your doom! Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:38 AM (#3109079)
This isn't a list of prospects. These are a few players Matt Wieters allows to perform.
   9. Gamingboy Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:00 AM (#3109087)
Eighth natural wonder of the world.


Yes, it is true, Matt Wieters personally fought King Kong for the title. They both fell off a cliff, and although Kong came up and swam away, we all know he was just running away from Wieters.
   10. SantoFan Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:04 AM (#3109089)
"14. Pedro Sandoval, Giants third baseman."

Poor Pablo Sandoval, the Rodney Dangerfield of Heyman's top 33.
   11. J. Michael Neal Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:04 AM (#3109090)
I like to think that Hanson and Heyward are going to be the anchors of the Next Great Braves Team.


I'm hoping they'll be the anchors of the first great Dearborn Sparkplugs Team, except that we're going to be called the Dearborn Wieters by then.
   12. Lassus: Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:16 AM (#3109098)
Yeah, ok, I'm getting off the Wieters meme now. Shark jumped.

Anyhow, I like the fact that the Mets are at least being MENTIONED in concert with Pedro. At least it's SOMETHING of a step in the right direction. It would be ridiculous to simply accept anyone's asking price, not just Pedro's.
   13. HowardMegdal Posted: March 20, 2009 at 03:42 AM (#3109121)
Anyhow, I like the fact that the Mets are at least being MENTIONED in concert with Pedro.

Don't be ridiculous. Livan Hernandez pitched five decent innings in spring training. He'll be the second ace.
   14. Esmailyn Gonzalez Sr. Posted: March 20, 2009 at 03:48 AM (#3109123)
Does anyone else think that Jon Heyman always makes his lists way too long? Top 33 Prospects? Top 25 overrated players? Top 15 managers most likely to be fired?
Next week...Top 77 catchers in baseball...
   15. CFBF Hates Hyphens Posted: March 20, 2009 at 04:06 AM (#3109125)
Next week...Top 77 catchers in baseball...

It's easier than you think. Just write "Matt Wieters" once and copy and paste 76 times.
   16. Milford Blatti Posted: March 20, 2009 at 05:30 AM (#3109131)
This isn't really a list of Heyman's top 33 prospects, right? It's just a list of 33 prospects "causing a buzz" at spring training. The numbers seem like a lazy way to avoid making it just a bunch of bullet points, like the end of the article. There's no indication anywhere, besides the numbers, that any of these prospects are viewed as any better than any of the others.

Besides, half the scout comments are "he's a good one."
   17. Drexl Spivey Posted: March 20, 2009 at 07:12 AM (#3109134)
On Brad Nelson:
"He's out of options and should make the team.
He's a fat lefty 1b. That's not what the Brewers need on their bench.

Tommy Hanson is a top prospect based on a great curveball. Who throws curveballs as their best pitch anymore? Zito, Sheets, Rich Hill? That's not a good list.
   18. Avoid running at all times.-S. Paige Posted: March 20, 2009 at 09:54 AM (#3109137)
on Porcello:

6. Rick Porcello, Tigers pitcher. Twenty-year-old with blow-'em-away ability looks like he's got a shot to stick in the iffy rotation, just like Justin Verlander did in 2006, especially with continuing questions about Dontrelle Willis (12.00 ERA; could he be released the way he's going).


Are the Tigers seriously considering starting him in the rotation at the beginning of the season? What would be his innings cap? And poor Dontrelle looks lost.
   19. Russ Posted: March 20, 2009 at 10:10 AM (#3109139)
The 2007 draft is going to live in infamy for Pirates fans... the list of guys taken after Moskos just gets more and more depressing...
   20. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: March 20, 2009 at 11:08 AM (#3109144)
Since it's Heyman, the big question for me is how many of these guys are Boras clients.
   21. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader Posted: March 20, 2009 at 11:12 AM (#3109146)
Don't be ridiculous. Livan Hernandez pitched five decent innings in spring training. He'll be the second ace.

Well, he was really spotting that 85 mph heater effectively.

Since it's Heyman, the big question for me is how many of these guys are Boras clients.

I like how Heyman gets pissy with Wade about denying the Pudge rumor. I kept waiting for Heyman to write, "But Scottie promised me!"
   22. flournoy Posted: March 20, 2009 at 11:38 AM (#3109159)
Tommy Hanson is a top prospect based on a great curveball. Who throws curveballs as their best pitch anymore? Zito, Sheets, Rich Hill? That's not a good list.


He is a top prospect based on a great curveball, a mid-nineties fastball, a 2.41 ERA between A+ and AA last year, 10.63 K/9, 3.13 K/BB, an 0.63 ERA in the AFL, and a 6'6" frame.
   23. Santanaland Diaries Posted: March 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM (#3109169)
Besides, the Braves would be ecstatic if Hanson have them Zito's A's career, or Sheets's career so far. Yeah, I wouldn't want either one right now, but it's not like they were busts.
   24. Crispix Attacks Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:31 PM (#3109250)
I thought his point was that there are supposedly only three pitchers who "throw curveballs as their best pitch", and therefore there's a slim chance that such a pitcher would become a major-league starter.
   25. Johnny Tuttle Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:36 PM (#3109258)
I know the Tigers push prospects too much, but the experience with Andrew Miller (admittedly not as polished a pitcher) should or could warn them about rushing Porcello this spring. It's not his fault that they failed to grub up more 5th starter candidates. Even the Jays "found" Clement and Maroth.
   26. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:38 PM (#3109263)
I thought his point was that there are supposedly only three pitchers who "throw curveballs as their best pitch", and therefore there's a slim chance that such a pitcher would become a major-league starter.

Except that I am pretty sure his slider his main out pitch, and he mainly works off his fastball.
The chances of any pitching prospect bombing is high. Having a good curve as an out pitch is not necessarily a disadvantage, though it might affect his chances. Before he broke out the slider, he had a very fb ratio, and had his issues with HRs in the minors too
   27. TerpNats Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:43 PM (#3109270)
Not for the first time (and probably not for the last), it's Jordan Zimmermann. Two "n's" at the end, not one like Ryan. Do you understand, Mr. "Heymann"?
   28. The District Attorney Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:44 PM (#3109274)
Not for the first time (and probably not for the last), it's Jordan Zimmermann. Two "n's" at the end, not one like Ryan. Do you understand, Mr. "Heymann"?
Maybe you should explain this to him by telegram.
   29. Chrysler Town & Country Slaughter (Walewander) Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:58 PM (#3109283)
Porcello's innings cap is apparently 150, whether in the majors or not. Zach Miner could be fine as a fifth starter, but Jimmuh, assisted by a press campaign by Lynn Henning, are really pushing for the kid to make the team. I think he'll end up going north.
   30. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:42 PM (#3109315)
"Maybe you should explain this to him by telegram."

Don't you mean telegrann?
   31. Johnny Tuttle Posted: March 20, 2009 at 03:54 PM (#3109383)
Do you think he sticks in the bigs?

I know others have done the leap from 20 themselves, but this seems really, really soon for Porcello.
   32. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: March 20, 2009 at 04:20 PM (#3109406)
I know others have done the leap from 20 themselves, but this seems really, really soon for Porcello.

Not to mention that, while he was good in the minors last year, he wasn't dominant.

The temptation is going to be there for AL Central teams to push their prospects this year, because the division is so crappy. An 85-win team could probably take it, and there are four teams in the division who have at least an outside shot at 85 wins.
   33. Kyle S at work Posted: March 20, 2009 at 04:25 PM (#3109409)
Not to mention that, while he was good in the minors last year, he wasn't dominant.

I agree with Kevin Goldstein's view on this. Porcello led the FSL in ERA as a 19 year old despite not being allowed to throw many breaking balls. He was pretty freakin' dominant last year.
   34. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: March 20, 2009 at 04:30 PM (#3109415)
I agree with Kevin Goldstein's view on this. Porcello led the FSL in ERA as a 19 year old despite not being allowed to throw many breaking balls. He was pretty freakin' dominant last year.

I dunno - I haven't seen him pitch, but to me, those peripherals say, "very good prospect", not "major-league ready".

I hope I'm wrong - I always like to see good young pitchers.
   35. Chrysler Town & Country Slaughter (Walewander) Posted: March 20, 2009 at 05:19 PM (#3109442)
He was told to work on other stuff. I think he could have been King more guys if that was the focus. And he also doesn't walk anyone.

Who knows? I think he'd do OK but I would at least prefer a 1/2 season at AA.
   36. Johnny Tuttle Posted: March 21, 2009 at 10:39 AM (#3109858)
Half the season in the minors would suffice to say that they're not rushing him. He is a highly polished pitcher, but I would expect an ERA north of 5 if he gets the call now.
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