Here at the Depot, we (primarily Nick) has issued the Yankees prospect list as the 9th organizational prospect report. Of particular interest to many Yankee fans is the dark horse centerfield candidate Austin Jackson:
The plus-defender continued to creep closer to the bigs in 2008, despite an August-to-forget in which he saw his strikeout-rate rise and his walk-rate drastically decrease. Because he has just average bat-speed, Jackson will need to continue to refine his pitch-ID and strikezone command in order to have continued success at AAA and above. In addition to making pitch-ID a tad more challenging, his average bat speed will likely prevent him from developing more than average power. While his offensive upside is somewhat limited at this point, Jackson has true game-changing potential in the field. He has solid range in center field and tracks the ball well to both gaps. More than capable of covering above-average ground, Jackson profiles as a plus-defender up-the-middle with the potential to be an average producer at the plate. He’ll likely start in AAA Scranton and could get a call as early as mid-season in 2009.
Keith Law Reports from the Southern California Invitational
Law mentions a few players we have mentioned before. Kieth breaks down SS Jiovanni Mier (CD's 8th ranked SS; 10/15/08) as a good defender who short on power. OF Jacob Marisnick (5th ranked OF; 11/11/08) was identified by us as being the best defensive outfielder available in this year's draft whereas Keith mention only his offensive capability in his notes. Marisnick has added some muscle and has improved his swing. Several other players are also mentioned Matt Davidson, Bryan Berglund, Tyler Skaggs, Jonathan Meyer, Matt Hobgood, Austin Wilson, and Beau Wright. Potential Orioles selection Tyler Matzek did not appear and is limiting his pitching to about 2 innings.
Minor League Roster News from Baseball America
Some notable names going through minor league transactions. LHP John Parrish is returning to the Orioles after spending last season as a starting pitcher for the Blue Jays. The hope for him being that he will be part of the revolving door that is sure to be the back end of the Orioles' rotation. Daryle Ward and Jacque Jones were signed by the Reds, which makes sense for their need of more power hitting and Dusty Baker's presence. Tanyon Sturtze is trying to make a comeback with the Dodgers, which may be a bad idea as they seem to have a pretty thick collection of bullpen arms at the moment. Sturze's starting days are most likely over. Eddie Guardado is a Rangers and Ken Takahashi signed with the Blue Jays. A potential favorite to win a role with the Nationals' big league club is Javier Valentin who will try to move his way up their meager catching depth chart.
Question/Comments?
Email us at camdendepot@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment