Prospect Watch 7/3/08

Happy Independence day, y’all!

Fresno defeated Tuscon 6-3.

2B Eugenio Velez: 2 for 4, BB, 2 SB, CS (308/371/503)

SS Ehire Adrianza: 0 for 2, 2 BB, K (500/625/667, 6 AB)
Before everyone gets excited, the Giants have a history of promoting a young prospect from short-season ball as a stopgap for a few games. Last season’s Adrianza was Jeremiah Luster. This isn’t meant to be a knock on Ehire. It’s just that his promotion to Fresno is more one of necessity than merit.

SP Pat Misch: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 ER (4.70 ERA, 9.82 H/9, 44 IP)
Pat needs to misch more bats. (I am not ashamed.)

Connecticut defeated New Hampshire 4-3, winning its 6th game in a row.

CF-RF Ben Copeland: 1 for 2, BB, CS, E (4) (243/325/390)

C Pablo Sandoval: 1 for 4, K (250/294/313, 32 AB)

LF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 2 for 4, 2B, CS (305/390/382)
Eddy is hitting .441 in his last ten games, but only has two extra base hits in that span. He also collected five walks and struck out once. I’ve been very impressed with how he’s resurrected his hitting. I can’t remember the last prospect who hit in the EL with such consistency.

SP Ben Snyder: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 4 ER (8.64 ERA, 1.80 WHIP)

RP Ronnie Ray: 3 IP, 3 H, 3 K (9.44 H/9, 5.71 K/9)

San Jose squeaks by Bakersfield 7-6.

2B Brock Bond: 3 for 5, 2B (448/515/552, 29 AB)
Brock is a 5’10 switch-hitter who has hit in all but one of his games in the California League. It’s hard to judge a hitter with such a small sample size, but his hot streak has made me think about what it would take for me to put Brock in my top prospect list. He has played at both second base and third base, so he has some versatility. He has hit very well at Augusta (333/401/393), although at 22 years old, he was old for the league. But now that he is in the California League, he will be facing more competition around his age. He has shown good plate discipline in the Sally League with a 13/20 BB/K ratio. AT 5’10 he’s not exactly built for power, and I don’t think you can expect anything more than .100 isoP from him. His role then will have to be as a utility infielder/leadoff man. In order for me to consider him as a true prospect, I would need for him to maintain his OBP, maybe putting up a line of 300/400/400 at the season’s end. I don’t need him to steal a base every game, but 10-15 steals with a 75% success rate would be nice. And of course I’d like to see solid defense from both 3B and 2B. If Brock manages to meet those marks, I could see putting him in my top 40 list.

CF Dom Duggan: 3 for 4, 2B, K (250/297/357, 84 AB)

SP Jesse English: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 2 ER (1.17 WHIP, 9.36 K/9)
A rare poor start for Jesse as he raises his ERA to 2.47. Jesse works in the low 90s and has thus far been dominating younger competition. I would like to see him challenged in AA soon.

Augusta defeats Charleston 5-4.

2B Nick Noonan: 1 for 3, BB (302/331/452)

1B Angel Villalona: 1 for 3 (240/296/412)
No strikeouts? I’ll take it!

RF Thomas Neal: 1 for 3, K (264/343/414)

SP Gib Hobson: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 ER
Gib was drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 draft but missed all of the 2007 season with a shoulder injury. This is his first appearance in Augusta after having played two games in Salem-Keizer.

Salem-Keizer whomped Tri-City 12-5.

OF Francisco Peguero: 2 for 4, BB, K, SB
This is Francisco’s first game in Salem-Keizer after his demotion from Augusta. He is twenty years old.

CF Damon Wright: 2 for 4, 2B (241/328/370, 54 AB)
Damon been struggling of late, hitting .229 in his last ten games. A scouting report of him is here.

RP Trey Webb: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
This is his first appearance in Salem-Keizer after three appearances in the AZL. Trey is a 26 year old former short-stop who converted to pitcher this year. His highest level was AA where he hit 242/260/339. It was reported that he can hit 95 on the mound.

The Giants defeated the Mariners 9-6.

OF Wendell Fairley: 0 for 3, BB, SB (200/286/257, 35 AB)

C Johnny Monell: 1 for 2, 2B, BB, SB (353/450/706, 17 AB)
Johnny was drafted from Seminole CC in Florida last year in the 30th round. Last season, he hit 240/376/427 in the AZL. He is 22 years old.

Prospect Watch 6/12/2008

Fresno lost to Colorado Springs 4-2.

2B Eugenio Velez: 2 for 4, CS(4), PO
The hitting is encouraging, but Velez getting picked off negates any of his offensive accomplishments in this game. Eugenio MUST refine his SB skills in order for him to be a viable major leaguer. Moderated update: stop getting picked off dammit.

Connecticut defeated Trenton 3-0

DH Travis Ishikawa: 2 for 4, 2B, HR
Reputed to be excellent defensively, Ishikawa’s offense has stalled the last couple of years in AA. This year, however, he has hit to the tune of .292/.383/.472 while maintaining an excellent 32:41 BB:K ratio. Is this improvement for real? Probably. But he is still hitting a terrible .154/.297/.192 in 52 AB (SSS) against lefties. If he doesn’t improve against lefties, Travis may find his major league future short lived.

SP Joey Martinez: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Joey also had an 8:3 ground out to fly out ratio, which raises it to 2.39 for the season. He also struck out 47 batters in 71 innings. If he builds on todays performance and raises his strikeout ratio to a more respectable rate, he may have a future in the majors as a back of the rotation pitcher.

San Jose lost to Lancaster 8-4

SP Jesse English: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Another standout pitcher of the little Giants’ excellent rotation, Jesse has struck out 66 batters in 68.1 innings this season. He will turn 24 in September. It feels like Jesse’s been around forever, but that’s because he was reportedly kept in extended spring training due to anger issues. Jesse has always had the ability to strike people out on less than stellar velocity (I’ve heard high 80s/low 90s heat), but I have doubts as to whether he will be able to keep his walk rate down in AA. But because of his age, Jesse is another prospect who I’d like the Giants to promote aggressively.

Augusta defeated Asheville 4-3

1B Thomas Neal: 1 for 3, BB, K
An athletic first baseman (he was converted from the outfield), Neal followed up a terrific April with a terrible May in which he hit .217. It looks like he is raking again in June, as he boosted his season line to .265/.351/.429. He is still relatively young– he will turn 21 in August– and he has shown a propensity to take walk in a system that doesn’t seem to teach that skill very well. If his power develops and he continues his solid hitting in San Jose, he will rocket up prospect lists. As it stands right now, he is a top twenty prospect in the system.

RP Andy De La Garza: 3 IP, 0H, 0BB, 7k(!)
San Francisco seems to be very adept in finding pitching talent in the later rounds of the draft. Andy was drafted last year in round 18. A lefty at 6’4, he has struck out 49 batters in 45.2 innings this year while only walking eight. It’s only low A and Andy is already 23 years old, so take these results with a grain of salt. I’m going to wait to see how he fares in AA before I tag him as a legitimate prospect.

Comment starter: Who would you consider to be the superior prospect, Joey Martinez and his GB tendencies or Paul Oseguera who is slightly younger and left-handed? Or is it the secret special answer… neither?