Future Rookies: Stealing Prospects Like Pirates

Let’s recap what a few Future Rookies have done recently. Jason Heyward is destroying the Double-A Southern League, posting a 1.215 OPS through 111 at-bats at that level. With his developing power, Heyward has to be the top fantasy prospect in the minors right now. Buster Posey has been swinging a hot bat, homering in three of his last five games while going 7-for-19 at the plate. Pedro Alvarez has multi-hit games in four of his last six contests, including 3-for-6 and 4-for-5 games. With a .947 OPS, Alvarez already looks too good for Double-A. Brandon Allen has hit homers in two of his last three games — he’s hit 11 HRs in 111 ABs with Reno. Carlos Carrasco is having difficulty with his new team after being traded to Cleveland in the Cliff Lee deal, allowing nine runs in 13 innings in his first two starts.

 
Featured Add – Hitter

 
Dominic Brown, OF, Phi, Age 21, Double-A

	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2009 A+	238	41	11	44	15	34	48	.303	.386	.517	.913
2009 AA	30	7	3	6	1	4	5	.333	.412	.733	1.145

One of the pieces to the proposed Roy Halladay-to-Philadelphia trade, Dominic Brown was instead sent to Double-A after posting a .913 OPS in the Class-A Advanced Florida State League. He’s already repaying the organization for refusing to deal him, with three HRs in his first 30 Double-A at-bats, including two dingers in a 3-for-5 day on Sunday. A five-tools player, Brown will be able to contribute to fantasy lines across the board once he establishes himself in the majors. He’s really developing into one of the game’s top prospects this year, and now that he’s reached Double-A and succeeding, he’s an easy suggested add for our column.

 
Hitter Performance Review (as of 8/10/09)

 

		AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Matt LaPorta	AAA	313	57	14	56	1	35	52	.297	.379	.514	.893
Last 10	AAA	38	2	1	7	0	4	6	.237
Justin Smoak	AAA	130	14	3	17	0	19	29	.208	.309	.323	.632
Last 10	AAA	36	2	1	5	0	8	6	.167
Brett Wallace	AAA	285	33	8	29	0	21	55	.284	.339	.421	.760
Last 10	AAA	40	5	2	6	0	4	11	.200
Buster Posey	AAA	81	15	3	12	0	12	14	.272	.362	.494	.856
Last 10	AAA	38	7	3	7	0	4	7	.316
Desmond Jennings	AA	383	69	8	45	37	48	52	.316	.395	.486	.881
Last 8	AAA	28	7	0	2	3	4	5	.286
Alcides Escobar	AAA	426	75	4	34	42	32	63	.298	.353	.411	.764
Last 10	AAA	37	6	1	3	6	6	3	.243
Brandon Allen	AAA	172	26	12	33	4	12	31	.297	.342	.564	.906
Last 10	AAA	40	5	3	7	1	2	9	.200
Michael Taylor	AAA	90	11	3	11	2	11	17	.256	.343	.400	.743
Last 10	AAA	39	4	1	6	0	1	5	.256
Mat Gamel	AAA	184	28	8	37	0	31	63	.272	.377	.484	.860
Last 10	AAA	34	2	0	3	0	6	14	.176
Kila Ka’aihue	AAA	364	68	14	46	0	83	77	.261	.397	.451	.847
Last 10	AAA	38	8	1	5	0	6	7	.237
Gaby Sanchez	AAA	267	44	11	41	5	32	40	.285	.365	.442	.807
Last 10	AAA	35	7	2	2	0	9	3	.286
Mike Carp	AAA	332	58	12	47	0	52	75	.265	.378	.446	.823
Last 10	AAA	37	5	2	7	0	1	7	.189

		AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Jason Heyward	AA	111	26	6	24	1	17	12	.405	.485	.730	1.215
Last 10	AA	34	10	3	6	1	4	3	.382
Pedro Alvarez	AA	147	26	8	24	1	18	41	.320	.389	.558	.947
Last 10	AA	38	6	2	4	1	8	10	.447
Carlos Santana	AA	342	73	20	82	0	71	68	.284	.407	.535	.943
Last 10	AA	36	7	1	10	0	8	10	.361

Former features Nolan Reimold, Andrew McCutchen, Josh Whitesell and Kyle Blanks have moved on to the majors. Jesus Montero is out for the year.

 
Featured Add – Pitcher

 
Tim Alderson, SP, Pit, Age 20, Double-A

	IP	ERA	WHIP	HR	BB	K
2009 A+	26.0	4.15	1.31	4	3	20
2009 AA	84.1	3.09	1.17	5	16	53
Aug 7	6.0	0.00	0.17	0	1	3

The Giants have done an excellent job drafting premier talent over the last few years. Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey (both featured in earlier editions of this column) are two of the finest prospects in baseball. Just behind them in the organization was Tim Alderson, a 20-year-old righty taken in the first round of the 2007 draft. When you’re a major-league organization that has these kind of elite prospects, it’s obvious what you should do. Trade one for Freddy Sanchez. Giants fans wish that was a joke. Alderson made his Pirates’ organizational debut at Double-A Altoona on August 1, pitching 5.2 innings of one-run ball. As a follow up, he threw six innings of no-hit ball in his most recent start, allowing just one walk on the day. I hope San Francisco gets an MVP-type season from Sanchez after trading this future ace. While broadcasters trash the Pirates for tearing down the ball club (one that was a perennial loser), this Sanchez-for-Alderson deal was the steal of the deadline.

 
Pitcher Performance Review (as of 8/10/09)

 

		IP	ERA	WHIP	HR	BB	K
Michael Bowden	AAA	103.1	3.40	1.20	11	38	74
Aug 5	AAA	3.0	18.00	3.00	0	3	4
Jake Arrieta	AAA	62.2	4.74	1.44	7	20	57
Aug 8	AAA	6.0	3.00	1.00	0	0	4
Jeremy Hellickson	AAA	23.0	3.91	1.13	1	7	22
Aug 10	AAA	6.1	2.84	0.79	1	0	5
Carlos Carrasco	AAA	127.2	5.29	1.35	16	41	123
Aug 6	AAA	7.2	5.87	0.91	1	2	5
Aaron Poreda	AAA	17.1	7.27	1.79	1	11	18
Aug 9	AAA	3.1	13.50	3.30	1	5	4
Hector Rondon	AAA	35.0	2.57	1.20	2	6	35
Aug 8	AAA	6.0	1.50	1.33	0	0	4

		IP	ERA	WHIP	HR	BB	K
Madison Bumgarner	AA	81.0	2.11	1.09	5	24	59
Aug 7	AA	5.0	3.60	1.40	0	3	5
Kyle Drabek	AA	78.2	3.66	1.27	8	26	58
Aug 8	AA	5.0	7.20	2.00	1	4	4
Jarrod Parker	AA	78.1	3.68	1.48	2	34	74
DL	AA	–	–	–	–	–	–
Jeanmar Gomez	AA	104.2	3.18	1.17	8	31	94
Aug 8	AA	5.2	1.59	0.88	1	2	7

 
Former features Mat Latos, Junichi Tazawa, Brian Matusz, Jhoulys Chacin, Kris Medlen, Derek Holland, Chris Tillman, and Tommy Hanson have moved on to the majors. Scott Elbert was sent back to Triple-A but hasn’t made any recent appearances there yet. Jarrod Parker is in danger of missing the rest of the season due to injury.

 
Before we go, we’re adding a new feature this week. Bryan Schubert (Cafe user Ninja BlackSox) brings us analysis of a low-minors player in a new segment called Digging Deeper. I love hearing from you guys, so e-mail fbcmailbag@gmail.com with any questions or comments. See you back here next week!

 
Digging Deeper

 
Christian Friedrich, SP, Col, Age 22, Class-A Advanced

	IP	ERA	WHIP	HR	BB	K
2009 A	45.1	2.18	1.10	2	15	66
2009 A+	54.2	1.32	0.95	3	18	70
August 10	6.2	0.00	1.13	0	3	8

The 25th selection overall in the 2008 draft by the Colorado Rockies had a rough pro debut in 2008. Friedrich began his career with eight great starts in Short-Season A, compiling a 2-1 record, 3.25 ERA, and 1.083 WHIP, striking out 50 over 36 innings while only walking 8. His promotion to Class-A Asheville was something he and the Rockies organization wanted to forget, or at least build upon (0-1, 7.50 ERA, 1.750 WHIP, 10 ERs, 7 BBs, but striking out 15 in 12 innings). What a difference an off-season makes! Friedrich got his revenge on the South Atlantic League with seven fantastic starts to begin the season in Asheville, with a small hiccup in his eighth, before being promoted to High-A Modesto. While the OVC product only made three starts after getting promoted to Modesto before missing about a month to irritation in his left arm, he has picked-up right where he left off in his last six starts, including another great outing last night. Friedrich should arrive on the Rockies sometime in 2010, but will probably not have a significant impact until 2011. There have been some questions on whether he can stay a starter, but from what we have seen from him thus far I think we can put those questions to rest for now.

 
R.J. White is a fantasy blogger at the sports site FanHouse. Check out his work both here and there, and feel free to talk to him in the forums, where he posts under the name daullaz.
 

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