Top prospects: Who are the next big stars?
Naturally, we're giddy to watch our heroes suit up for another run to October and anxiously anticipate the emergence of new superstars.
In this edition of my fantasy baseball preview, I'm going prospecting to review the new blood. The minor leagues are chock-full of budding stars anxious for their shot to become the next Ryan Braun or Matt Cain. You know the names of Jacoby Ellsbury, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes quite well, so I'll forego a review of their resumes.
The following list includes a few names that'll be familiar, some that'll force you to do a double-take and some relatively unheralded studs ready for a breakthrough campaign.
Break out the suntan lotion and the shades. It's time to set our sights on spring training 2008 and the battle for at-bats and innings.
Hitting Prospects
1. Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati
The deal that sent the resurgent Josh Hamilton to Texas paved the way for minor league superstar Bruce to lay claim to a starting job in 2008. Bruce won the 2007 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award, slamming 26 home runs with 46 doubles and 89 RBI, while batting .319 playing at three different levels. Great American Ballpark is one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the game (Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey, Jr. combined to hit 36 home runs there in 2007), which will help, of course. Given regular at-bats, there's no doubt this 20-year-old slugger will make some noise. Fantasy owners might see a sizable doubles total from him at the outset, but those will turn into home runs before long.
2. Colby Rasmus, OF, St. Louis
Rasmus generated huge power numbers for Double-A Springfield in 2007 and will have the opportunity to compete for the outfield slot vacated by Jim Edmonds this fall. Rasmus slammed 59 extra-base hits, including 29 home runs while driving in 72 runs. He also stole 18 bases for good measure with a robust .381 on-base percentage. He did strikeout 108 times, but his 70 walks indicate he's learning on the job. He's a future five-tool performer, and the clock may begin ticking as soon as the Cardinals report to Florida.
3. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay
Do you remember the furor caused by the Rays keeping Delmon Young in the minor leagues? Well, it's possible we see the same scenario play out again with Longoria, although Akinori Iwamura is prepared to move to second base in preparation for his arrival. Longoria batted .307 with 21 home runs and 76 RBI for the Montgomery Biscuits in Double-A before finishing the season with the famous Durham Bulls. In 31 games for the Bulls, he batted .269 with five home runs and 19 RBI. He's been called the "best pure hitter" in the minor leagues, and our own Ken Rosenthal says Longoria could have an impact similar to Ryan Braun's frightening 2007 campaign. Now, it's possible he opens the year in Triple-A (He had 104 at-bats there in 2007), but it won't be long before he begins to terrorize major league pitchers. Sportscasters will make the obvious name associations, but if it helps to highlight his performance on the field, so be it.
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| Colby Rasmus has put up big-time power numbers in the minor leagues and looks to do so in St. Louis sooner rather than later. (AFP / Getty Images) |
4. Kosuke Fukudome, OF, Chicago Cubs
The Japanese import will open the year in right field for the Cubs, but his versatility is intriguing. He's played both first and third base in the past. However, fantasy owners are most interested in his power potential. Fukudome averaged 29 home runs and 96 RBI during the four-year period from 2003-06, and comparisons to Yankees star Hideki Matsui have been plentiful.
5. Cameron Maybin, OF, Florida
He received a cup of coffee with the Tigers in 2007, facing Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens in back-to-back games. Welcome to the Show! Maybin made the ascent to Comerica Park after spending most of the year at Class-A Lakeland, where he batted .304 with 10 home runs, 44 RBI and 25 stolen bases. Maybin will battle Alejandro De Aza for the starting job in center field for the Marlins this year, and given his five-tool potential, he'll get every opportunity to win the job. Of course, the spacious outfield of Dolphin Stadium will keep some flyballs in the yard, but I anticipate a high number of doubles, triples and a ton of thefts.
6. Geovany Soto, C, Chicago Cubs
Expectations are high for Soto and the Cubs in 2008. He batted .389 in his late-season work, driving in eight runs in 54 at-bats. He raised eyebrows with his exceptional 2007 efforts with the Iowa Cubs, where he dominated opposing pitchers at a .353 clip, slamming 26 home runs, 31 doubles and 109 RBI. The Cubs have revamped the roster with the addition of Fukudome and expect full seasons for Alfonso Soriano and the power brokers in the middle of the lineup. Look for Soto to join those ranks from Opening Day.
7. Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati
He's got a name that'll stick in the minds of fans once they're introduced to him this season. Votto's primed to make a big splash in Cincinnati after winning the Southern League MVP award in 2006 and dominating Triple-A pitching in 2007. He batted .294 with 22 home runs, 92 RBI and stole 17 bases. The two issues facing him as he ascends to the next level are his struggles with lefties and the fact that he's a defensive liability. However, it's awfully difficult to look past his sweet swing, particularly when placed in a lineup alongside Dunn, Griffey and fellow prospect Jay Bruce.
8. J.R. Towles, C, Houston
Towles will undoubtedly receive an opportunity to push for the starting job in Houston this season. He batted .324 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI in 60 Triple-A games before getting the call to the big club. He generated a robust .375 batting average in 40 big league at-bats with 12 RBI. Most impressively, he struck out once. Owners in two-catcher leagues can play the waiting game and snag this future star in the later rounds.
9. Daric Barton, 1B, Oakland
This 22-year-old slugger is on the fast track to the big time, and his .347 debut in 72 at-bats (four home runs and eight RBI) portends to strong numbers in 2008. Barton batted .293 for Triple-A Sacramento with nine home runs and 70 RBI. He's your prototypical Billy Beane prospect, as he walked more times (78) than he struck out (69). The figure that stands out in his final 2007 stat line is his huge doubles total (38). He'll translate some of those hits into home runs as he matures.
10. Carlos Gomez, OF, Minnesota
Gomez was part of the package that shipped staff ace Johan Santana to the Mets. This 22-year-old statuesque outfielder has five-tool potential and could become a fixture in the Minnesota outfielder. He stole 12 bases in 15 attempts while appearing in 58 games for the Mets last year. He batted .281 with seven home runs (39 extra-base hits), 48 RBI and 41 stolen bases in 2006. His aggressiveness yields a high strikeout rate, but his potential is huge. He'll start the year backing up Michael Cuddyer and will see spot play and running opportunities out of the gate.
11. Andy LaRoche, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers
LaRoche will make a bid for a role with the Dodgers in spring training following a strong 2007 campaign in which he split time between Double-A and Triple-A Las Vegas. He batted .309 for the 51s, hitting 18 home runs while driving in 48 runs. Most impressively, he walked 39 times against 42 strikeouts. He struggled in his brief time with the Dodgers last year (he batted .220), but his time is coming.
12. Brandon Wood, SS/3B, Los Angeles Angels
Wood appeared on the radar before last season, but continued struggles at the plate in the form of a high strikeout rate and a need to shift positions kept him in the minors for most of the year. He batted .272 in 111 Triple-A games for the Salt Lake Bees with 23 home runs, 77 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Unfortunately, he struck out 120 times and committed 22 errors, as he adapted to his new home at third base. He was recalled in September and struck out six times in 12 at-bats. Versatile Chone Figgins will continue to start at third, which probably keeps Wood down in the minors to open the year, but this top prospect will break through sometime in 2008.
Others of Note: Reid Brignac, SS, Tampa Bay; Brandon Jones, OF, Atlanta; Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh; Wladimir Balentien, OF, Seattle; Felix Pie, OF, Chicago Cubs; Sam Fuld, OF, Chicago Cubs
Pitching Prospects
1. Clay Buchholz, Boston
Buchholz dominated during his late-season run in Boston. He rolled to three consecutive wins in his first three starts, including a no-hitter against the Orioles. Buchholz pitched to a strong 1.59 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, striking out 22 hitters against 10 walks.
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| Clay Buchholz threw a no-hitter in his short time with the Sox last season, so you can expect to see a lot more of him in 2008. (Dave Sandford / Getty Images) |
With the reporting date for pitchers and catchers looming, information about the health of Curt Schilling continues to trickle. The Boston Herald reported that Schilling's shoulder injury will keep him on the sidelines for the entire season. The Boston Globe reported Thursday that Schilling will not be available to the team until the All-Star break, regardless of whether he opts for surgery. Schilling posted a note on his personal blog to advise fans that he'd agreed to follow the rest and rehabilitation schedule set forth by the team. Surgery plans have been set aside for the time being.
The loss of Schilling puts Buchholz in the mix for the fifth spot in the Red Sox rotation. There's some concern that the Red Sox will need to monitor his innings to avoid fatigue concerns down the stretch. Buchholz is a four-category threat, as he takes a spot behind the potent Boston offense.
2. Homer Bailey, Cincinnati
Bailey arrived to Cincinnati with great fanfare last season, expectations put forth because of his minor league history and, well, his great baseball name. He pitched to a strong 3.07 ERA in 12 starts at Triple-A Louisville, fanning 59 hitters in 67 1/3 innings pitched. The lone blemish in his stat line was his high walk total. He'll need to cut his walk rate before doing battle in Great America Ballpark.
3. Gio Gonzalez, Oakland
Gonzalez made two trips through Chicago and will now compete for a role in the Oakland rotation. The left-hander knows how to work opposing hitters, producing a strikeout rate of 10.55 batters per nine innings pitched. Additionally, he fans 2.8 hitters per walk allowed, a stat that'll serve him well combined with the spacious outfield in Oakland. He hits the mid-90s on the radar gun and is destined for future success. Given the roster shuffling in Oakland, he may get his shot come Opening Day.
4. Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers looked overseas to find another arm for the rotation, and they found a gem in Kuroda. He positively eats innings, having completed 74 games in 12 seasons while competing in a hitter-friendly park in Japan. Certainly, there's some concern about the number of innings he's logged and the shift to the five-man rotation, something that certainly impacted Daisuke Matsuzaka down the stretch in 2007. If he can get past those growing pains, fans and fantasy owners will see an awful lot of Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito to close out games in 2008.
5. Adam Miller, Cleveland
The hard-throwing youngster was expected to crack the Indians' rotation last year, but hand and elbow injuries slowed his arrival. Miller throws in the mid-90s and has demonstrated great movement on his pitches in the past. He's been on the radar since 2004, when he reared back and hit 101 mph on the gun. The Indians are built to contend in 2008, but there's some uncertainty in the back of the rotation. If he can impress in training camp, hit his marks and leave his injury woes in the past, he's got tremendous strikeout potential and could be an impact pitcher behind a potent lineup.
6. Ian Kennedy, New York Yankees
He's the unheralded member of the new guard in New York (I shan't work the details on Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain). Kennedy amassed a record of 12-3 with a brilliant 1.91 ERA in three stops during the 2007 season. He already possesses a full complement of pitches and knows how to get an out. He likely begins the season in the minors and will do time in the bullpen, but he's a future front of the rotation stud.
7. Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati
As you may have guessed, the Cincinnati minor league season is fully stocked with players ready to ascend to the next level. Cueto possesses a dominant 97 mph fastball and has already developed four pitches at 21 years of age (He turns 22 on February 15). He demonstrated phenomenal control at Triple-A Louisville last season, striking out 21 hitters while walking just two en route to a dominant 2.05 ERA. The general belief is he may begin the season in the minors to build his strength and prepare him for a job in the rotation. Be ready to pounce upon his arrival, even in hitter-friendly Cincinnati.
Others of Note: Scott Elbert and Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers; Carlos Carrasco, Philadelphia; Luke Hochevar, Kansas City; Jeff Niemann and No. 1 draft pick David Price, Tampa Bay
Next: Off-Season Movers
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