Results tagged ‘ Lost and Found ’

Lost and Found: D-backs Prospect Chase Anderson

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

Lost: A ninth-round pick out of the University of Oklahoma in 2009, Chase Anderson impressed in his first two pro seasons, splitting his time between the bullpen and the rotation. Then he struggled in three starts in 2011 before missing the remainder of the year to rest a strained flexor in his throwing elbow.

Found: Anderson avoided surgery on his pitching arm and, aside from another month of rest starting last May, put together the best campaign of his four-year career. (In his second start back, on April 23, he fanned 10 over seven four-hit, scoreless innings.)

2012: 2.86 ERA — 21 G — 21 GS — 104 IP — 97-to-25 K-BB — .238 OPP .AVG at Double-A Mobile

So Anderson was lost, now he is found. Now, about the D-backs’ returns: Anderson, who turns 25 on Friday, throws an outstanding changeup and a very good sinker — and those two pitches are enough to put him in the back end of a five-man rotation. If he develops his breaking pitches — and stays healthy, of course — we could be looking at a very solid No. 3 starter. Given his successful run through the AFL (3.47 ERA in six starts, 26 K in 23 1/3 IP), Anderson is likely to break big league camp with the Triple-A Reno Aces but will be at or near the top of the list to get the call to Arizona in 2013.

(Jordan Megenhardt/MiLB.com)

Lost and Found: Halfway Done Identifying A Prospect in Every Minor League System

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

In  case you’ve missed one edition of the series, here is a complete list of those already done. Sixteen down, 14 to go.

Anything you want to see done differently with this, let me know in the comment section. 

Lost and Found: Red Sox Prospect Michael Almanzar, A Late Bloomer with A Long Swing

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

Lost: Signed out of his native Dominican Republic as a shortstop in July 2007, Michael Almanzar averaged 101 games played over the first four years of his pro career, 2008-11. But he also batted .229 overall during that span.

Found: In his fifth Minor League season (second in the Class A Advanced Carolina League) this year, the righty-hitting third baseman/first baseman Almanzar raised eyebrows by reaching base safely in 16 straight plate appearances in July. In total, he also did this:

2012: .300 AVG — .353 OBP — 48 XBH: 12 HR, 36 2B — 33-77 BB-K — 10-14 SB-ATT — 124 G at Class A Adv. Salem

So Almanzar was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Red Sox’s returns: Almanzar has long flashed tools, but he consistently showed his skills in ’12. He still hasn’t played at Double-A and will likely begin next season there, which isn’t huge problem given that he turns 22 on Dec. 2. Whether he reports to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox’s affiliate, is another conversation altogether. See, because it took Almanzar five years just to find himself, he will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 6 at the Winter Meetings in Nashville. To protect him from the proceedings, Boston’s brass would have to put him on its 40-man roster (which has only once vacancy at the moment) by next Tuesday, Nov. 20. If GM Ben Cherington and Co. elect to hold onto Almanzar, what exactly will they be keeping? A decent corner infielder with a potentially strong bat and gap-to-gap power. Potentially being the key word. Almanzar’s .195 batting average in the Arizona Fall League (entering his Surprise Saguaros’ season finale this afternoon) hasn’t completely quieted concerns about this lanky late bloomer and his still-too-long swing.

(Jordan Megenhardt/MiLB.com)

Lost and Found: Braves Prospect Juan Jaime

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

Lost: Originally signed by the Nationals as a 17-year-old out of his native Dominican Republic, Juan Jaime pitched in a combined 42 games over his first four seasons as a pro. Then he missed all of the 2010 and 2011 campaigns due to ligament-replacement surgery in his right (throwing) elbow.

Found: Jaime pitched in exactly 42 more games — all in 2012.  And he was good in most of them.

2012: 3.16 ERA — 18 SV — 51 1/3 IP — 73-33 K-BB — .173 OPP .AVG at Class A Advanced Lynchburg

So Jaime was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Braves’ returns: First, you may be wondering why a pitcher who couldn’t stay healthy for six years still had a job to go. This should answer that: Jaime can throw his fastball 100 mph. Can being the operative word. He has to be healthy to prove what he is capable of. He was just that in ’12, even if it was during his age-25 season facing Carolina League hitters three and four years younger than him. And as you can as see from his relatively high walk total, he still has some developing to do. The Braves appear willing to let him, having added him to their 40-man roster this week to avoid making him a Minor League free agent. Now his organization’s No. 18 prospect, Jaime will begin ’13 at Double-A Mississippi but could move to Triple-A Gwinnett quickly should he prove healthy and effective. If he is both of those things going forward, Washington may regret giving up on what appears to be the second coming of their own Henry Rodriguez, as Jaime could be a late-inning option in Atlanta by the latter half of next season at the earliest.

Lost and Found: Phillies Prospect Cody Asche

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

(Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)

Lost: A fourth-round draftee of Philadelphia in 2011, Cody Asche went from University of Nebraska product and legitimate Major League prospect to, well, disappointment, and in a hurry.

2011: .192/.273/.264 — 24-50 BB-K — 68 G at Class A Short-Season Williamsport

Found: For draftees who enjoyed nothing but success entering the pros, particularly those who never failed at the college level, changing their approach in the batter’s box would seem backward. So Asche stuck with what he knew in his first pro experience. That, plus the struggles of learning a new position (the Phils liked his bat so much that they moved him to a position, second base, that requires less development), resulted in those awful numbers you see above. So how did he achieve those numbers you see below? Asche learned in instructional league how to start his swing earlier and was returned to his natural spot at third base, which undoubtedly eased his mind at the plate. If not for Darin “Babe” Ruf’s season, Asche may have gotten more attention.

2012: .324/.360/.513 — 22-56 BB-K — 130 G at Class A Advanced Clearwater/Double-A Reading

So Asche was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Phils’ returns: To read the headlines is to believe that Asche is the “third baseman of the future” in Philadelphia. I wouldn’t go that far, given his 18 errors on the hot corner this season. (For what it’s worth, he’s played mistake-free defense in his first 19 Arizona Fall League games.) But the Phillies definitely like Asche’s bat. He will have to sacrifice strikeouts to hit home runs going forward, but he can also be a doubles machine that approaches the .300 level. Either way, he’ll be welcomed into the bigs, probably by the latter half of 2014.

Lost and Found: Nationals Prospect Nathan Karns

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

Lost: Nathan Karns, a 12th-round pick, signed too late to pitch in 2009, underwent shoulder surgery in 2010 and wasn’t cleared to take the mound halfway through the 2011 season.

Found: Let the numbers speak for themselves.

2012: 24 G — 18 GS — 11-4 W-L — 2.17 ERA — 116 IP — 148-47 K-BB — 2 HR — .174 .AVG at Class A Hagerstown, Class A Advanced Potomac

So Karns was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Nationals’ returns: What do those numbers imply? Health and the results of his remade mechanics. Nearing his 25th birthday this month and now Washington’s 16th-ranked prospect, Karns simply needs to keep his 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame on the mound. He has the above-average fastball and plus curveball to be middle-of-the-rotation starter (or late-inning reliever) in the Majors. He should begin 2013 with more of a challenge at Double-A Harrisburg, but he has the stuff to keep it rolling there.

(By Gary Darze)

Lost and Found: Blue Jays Prospect Sean Nolin

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

Lost: Sean Nolin had this unenviable scenario unfold in 2010: He was drafted after that Noah Syndergaard-Aaron Sanchez-Justin Nicolino trio in 2010 and, unlike each of those top pitching prospects, did not begin his career as smoothly.

2010-2011: 32 G — 28 GS — 4-6 W-L — 3.82 ERA — .262 .AVG — 149-41 K-BB – 129 2/3 IP at Rookie-level Bluefield, Auburn and Class A Lansing

Found: The sixth-round choice turned improved dramatically in his third pro season, doing many what many elite prospects do: upping their game against higher-level competition. His opponents’ batting average has decreased at each new level, including the .170 mark he held Eastern League (AA) hitters to this year, his restorative year.

2012: 20 G — 18 S — 10-0 — 2.04 ERA — .218 .AVG — 108-27 K-BB — 101 1/3 IP at Class A Advanced Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire

So Nolin was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Blue Jays’ returns: Soon to turn 23 and now Toronto’s No. 19 prospect, Nolin deserves to be in that Syndergaard-Sanchez-Nicolino group. His low-to-mid-90-mph fastball is a touch below Syndergaard’s and Sanchez’s, and his changeup is almost or about as good as Nicolino’s, which is saying something. The less-lauded lefty also has immense confidence in his curveball, while his slider has perhaps the greatest potential to improve. He should begin ’13 at Double-A, which puts him a full year ahead of his fellow farmhands in development. So he may actually be the first of the four to get to the Majors, and that’s where he’s headed.

Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com

Lost and Found: Yankees Prospect Jose Ramirez

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

Lost: Signed at 17 out of his native Dominican Republic, Jose A. Ramirez got through his first three pro seasons OK before hitting a wall at more advanced levels in his fourth.

2011: 21 G — 21 GS — 5.66 ERA — .292 OPP .AVG — 12 HR — 99-to-43 K-BB — 103 1/3 IP at Class A Charleston/Class A Adv. Tampa

Found: It sounds too simple, but the right-hander, who sports a plus fastball (mid-90-mph) and a potentially-plus slider and changeup, kept the ball down in the strike zone in ’12.

2012: 21 G — 18 GS — 3.19 ERA — .239 OPP .AVG — 7 HR — 94-to-30 K-BB — 98 2/3 1/3 IP at Tampa

So Ramirez was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Yankees returns: Now 22 and the Yanks’ No. 13 prospect, Ramirez is looking more and more like a member of a Major League rotation. He’s very likely two more full seasons away from that — and probably not more than a No. 3/4 starter when he gets there — but that’s a lot of value. Even in New York.

Cliff Welch / MiLB

Lost and Found: Orioles Prospect Mike Belfiore

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.

Lost: A first-round draftee of the Arizona D-backs in 2009, Mike Belfiore enjoyed a solid, if underwhelming, first full season in 2010. By 2011, however, it had become clear to Arizona’s brass that his struggles as a starter could be alleviated with a shift to the bullpen.

Ricky Bassman/MiLB.com

2011: 35 G — 8 GS — 5.92 ERA — .278 OPP .AVG — 17 HR – 79-to-57 K-to-BB – 79 IP at Class A Advanced Visalia

Found: Belfiore began 2012 back in the Cal League and in a relief role. He was then traded to Baltimore to complete a trade for infielder Josh Bell.

2012: 40 G — 0 GS — 2.71 ERA — .228 OPP .AVG – 4 HR – 78-to-26 K-to-BB – 66 1/3 IP at Visalia/Double-A Bowie

So Belfiore was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Orioles’ returns: Belfiore, who also relieved at Boston College, everyone can now agree is best suited for that role going forward. A dramatic dip in homers allowed and a significant rise in K/IP demonstrate this fact. The 24-year-old lefty, now the O’s 14th-ranked prospect, has the ability to command a plus heater-slider combo (and the opportunity to refine his changeup and curveball on the side) without worrying about going through an opposing lineup a second and third time. Does he have the stuff and mentality to close games in the Majors? Maybe, maybe not. This much is more certain: He will pitch in the big leagues and be useful there.

Lost and Found: Twins Prospect Max Kepler

Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post. The more obvious choices in Minnesota’s system include upper-echelon prospects Aaron Hicks and Kyle Gibson, who enjoyed bounce-back/healthy campaigns this year, but you have already heard of them. Have you heard of…

Lost: Max Kepler, a raw, speed-oriented outfielder, received an $800,000 bonus (a European record) to leave his native Germany at 16 in 2009, “hid out” in the Gulf Coast League at 17 in ’10 before playing short-season ball in ’11. He is the kind of guy that, scouts say, “looks good in a uniform.”

2011: .262 AVG, 15 XBH — 1 HR, 24 RBI, 23–to–54 K-to-BB ratio, 1 SB in 50 G at Rookie-level Elizabethton

Found: According to reports, Kepler has lost some of his speed but more than made up for it by flashing increased skills with the bat, leading some to believe that he can hit and hit for power. The Justin Morneau comparison has already been made.

2012: .297 AVG, 31 XBH — 10 HR, 49 RBI, 27-to-33 K-to-BB ratio, 7 SB in 59 G at Rookie-level Elizabethton

So Kepler was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Twins’ returns: I’m stretching it a little in saying Kepler was ever “lost.” More accurately, he is under the radar. We live in a world of baseball where guys like Bryce Harper and Jurickson Profar can get to the Majors before their 20th birthdays and Kepler, while he has a high ceiling too, is more of an old-school 19-year-old in that he probably has three to four more years of developing to do. He doesn’t have a defensive position yet (CF? LF? 1B?), and he is still learning how to play American baseball. As it stands, he is his organization’s 18th-ranked prospect. Time (in full-season ball) will tell whether he keeps moving up that list.

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