Top 100 Prospects Review (20-11)
20. LHSP Brett Anderson (Oakland Athletics)
Year In Review: Anderson was reputed as having the highest ceiling of any player acquired in the Haren trade, and he’s lived up to that billing. Anderson throws all of his pitches with average velocity and excellent control, but the most important quality is that everything moves down, sharply. Anderson had no problem with any of to the true outcomes, on his way to an excellent 80 Ks and 18 BB in 74 High-A innings to go with an excellent ground ball rate. Anderson has since been promoted, putting up one excellent start and two shaky showing in AA. Anderson shouldn’t face many obstacles on his way to becoming a front of the rotation starter for Oakland.
Prospect Status: Up.
19. Fautino De Los Santos (Oakland Athletics)
Year In Review: DLS has gone the opposite way of Anderson. He was hit rather hard early on, but perhaps that wasn’t really his fault, as he was shut down with elbow soreness at the beginning of May, and underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of the month. It’s the same deal as any Tommy John victim, you have to wait until he’s healthy and go from there. Until then, caution.
Prospect Status: Down.
18. CF Cameron Maybin (Florida Marlins)
Year In Review: Maybin has all the tools you can want, and most of the time the production has been there as well. The only question there has ever really been is his penchant for striking out. That has slowly improved this year:
April: 37 K in 109 PA
May: 35 K in 120 PA
June: 21 K in 109 PA
If this trend is a sign of things to come, watch out.
Prospect Status: Slightly up.
17. 2B Matt Antonelli (San Diego Padres)
Year In Review: Antonelli’s year hasn’t been nearly as bad as it looks, as he’s been victimized by a .230 BABIP. The average should be there, and the plate approach is as good as that of any prospect out there. The most distressing thing about this year has been the disappearance of the power surge of 2007. After 21 HR and 51 XBH in 629 PA last year, Antonelli has only 3 HR and 17 XBH in 373 PA this year. He should still be a very good offensive 2B, but the dreams of Antonelli being a 20-20 guy with a .400 OBP are likely dead.
Prospect Status: Down.
16. CF Desmond Jennings (Tampa Bay Rays)
Year In Review: Jennings missed the first two months of the year with a back injury, but since his return he’s picked up right where he left off last year. So far a legitimately four-tool player, Jennings can be expected to put up an average in the high .200s with an OBP in the high .300s. He has plus-plus speed (45 SB in only 99 games a year ago) and excellent defense. The only thing keeping Jennings from being the complete package is his power development. He had only 9 HR last year and only 2 so far this year, but scouts expect him to be able to hit roughly 20 HR a year. His floor is likely Jacoby Ellsbury, his ceiling is, say, Jose Reyes if he were a CF.
Prospect Status: Neutral.
15. 1B Joey Votto (Cincinatti Reds)
Year In Review: Votto hasn’t mashed, but a .290 EQA along with excellent defense from a rookie is good enough for me. Not much else to say.
Prospect Status: Neutral.
14. C Geovany Soto (Chicago Cubs)
Year In Review: Soto, on the other hand, HAS absolute mashed. A .287/.368/.526 line from a rookie catcher is absolutely unbelievable. What’s more is that he’s not a Victor Martinez or Jeff Clement type, Soto is a real defensive catcher. I had Soto far ahead of anybody else (BA: 47, BP: 37, KLaw: 32) and I still managed to underrate him.
Prospect Status: Up, graduated.
13. RHSP Wade Davis (Tampa Bay Rays)
Year In Review: Davis, like McGee, has suffered from a sudden loss of command at AA. Unlike McGee (knock on wood) he doesn’t have the excuse of ligament issues and stuff. After striking out 165 of 608 batters in 2006 and 169 of 625 in 2007, he’s punched out only 81 of 455 this year. That’s not good.
Prospect Status: Down.
12. SS Reid Brignac (Tampa Bay Rays)
Year In Review: Back-to-back disappointing Rays prospects, all right! I’m a firm believer that no matter how toolsy you are, there’s a point where you just have to produce, and Brignac is at that point. He’s certainly not producing like an elite shortstop prospect. His defense has improved to the point where you can definitely say that he is a shortstop, and he’s getting his share of extra base hits, but…
Prospect Status: Down.
11. 1B/OF Matt LaPorta (Cleveland Indians)
Year In Review: I’ve already broken down LaPorta’s year here.
Prospect Status: Slighly up.
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