Brandon Larson: Is he for real?

[reenum]

I currently have Ensberg as my 3B, so all of you know I desperately need help.

Is Larson a viable option? I checked out his minor league numbers and they were solid. Still, I'd like to get all of your opinions.

[thehat]

Minor league numbers are often misleading, and I think Larson may be a flop again at the big league level. One of the things that troubles me greatly about Larson is the fact that it took him a long time to master each level along the way. First round pick in '97, opened at AA, got demoted to A for a year and a half, AA for another year and a half, and then what amounts to three full years at AAA. He'll be 28 next month. When factoring in his draft status, that's painfully slow progress, and not the type displayed by a bona fide prospect. I think he's better than the disaster of a year ago, but pretty limited overall. Book on him is that he has a real problem with even middling breaking balls, and his free swinging tendencies mean he won't see the fastballs he likes.

As far as recently promoted 3B's go, I'd much rather have Chad Tracy.

[d18Mike]

I currently have Ensberg as my 3B, so all of you know I desperately need help. Is Larson a viable option? I checked out his minor league numbers and they were solid. Still, I'd like to get all of your opinions.

If it makes you feel any better, I was in the same position and I picked Larson. I'm waiting to activacte him until next week if Ensberg continues to slump. Hard to believe Larson can be much worse.

I've read that he is

still

considered by many to be a top prospect. But as Thehat points out correctly, it has been slow plod through the minors.

[EricF]

Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I think Larson continues his hitting ways from AAA Louisville. He got in a groove there, and it should continue. He has absolutely nothing to prove at AAA; he tears up pitching there. So he should be a solid option at the MLB level.

[JOEG]

This is total JOEG speculation but being a right handed hitter as was Austin Kearns who of course got hurt and is our for a long time. Autin even when struggling was inserted 4 ths inbetween Junior and Casey/Dunn to break up the lefty run... I wonder if Larson will get that spot? If so thats a nice spot to be in as those three lefties are hitting the shitte out of the ball - just a thought