MVN - Most Valuable Network

Sunday Ranking Roundup

Every Sunday through the regular season I will take a look at how players on my Top 25 Prospects list are doing. I will take this chance to reflect on the list and make adjustments to the rankings as needed for players whose play warrants a change (better or worse). This look will include stats, analysis, and comparisons so as always any comments from you to let me know what you think are not only welcomed, but encouraged.

It was a rather quiet week for many of the top prospects while two of them were called up to the majors with not so impressive results. Here’s a look at how the top 25 are fairing after this week:

RNK	NAME	ORG	+/-	STATS
1	Alex Gordon	KC (MLB)		.162/.311/.284,2 HR,5 RBI
2	Delmon Young	TB (MLB)		.268/.287/.412,3 HR,13 RBI
3	Homer Bailey	CIN (AAA)		1-1,1.69 ERA,13 SO
4	Philip Hughes	NYY (MLB)		0-1,8.31 ERA,5 SO
5	Cameron Maybin	DET (A)		.313/.452/.597,4 HR,8 SB
6	Brandon Wood	LAA (MLB)		.000/.000./000
7	Billy Butler	KC (AAA)		.345/.436/.607,6 HR,23 RBI
8	Andrew McCutchen	PIT (AA)		.186/.247/.314,13 R
9	Chris Young	ARI (MLB)		.192/.250/.329,2 HR,10 RBI
10	Andrew Miller	DET (AAA)		1-3,4.76 ERA,18 SO
11	Justin Upton	ARI (A)		.359/.441/.590,19 R,4 HR
12	Adam Lind	TOR (MLB)		.273/.353/.455,2HR,8 RBI
13	Mike Pelfrey	NYM (MLB)		0-2,7.90 ERA,6 SO
14	Ryan Braun	MIL (AAA)		.329/.405/.740,7 HR,15 RBI
15	Evan Longoria	TB (AA)		.299/.421/.532,4 HR,16 RBI
16	Matt Garza	MIN (AAA)		0-1,2.84 ERA,18 SO
17	Yovanni Gallardo	MIL (AAA)		3-1,2.35 ERA,33 SO
18	Troy Tulowitzki	COL (MLB)		.203/.289/.338,8 R,8 RBI
19	Fernando Martinez	NYM (AA)		.242/.319/.339,9 R,1 HR
20	Carlos Gonzalez	ARI (AA)		.218/.250/.359,2 HR
21	Tim Lincecum	SF (AAA)		3-0,0.36 ERA,32 SO
22	Reid Brignac	TB (AA)		.312/.345/.494,13 R,17 RBI
23	Adam Jones	SEA (AAA)		.310/.372/.429,1 HR,9 RBI
24	Andy LaRoche	LAD (AAA)		.230/.293/.378,3 HR,8 RBI
25	Jay Bruce	CIN (A)		.302/.358/.512,13 R,9 RBI

(”+” = ranking increased, “-” = ranking decreased. Stats are all as of this morning.)

Since the Alex Gordon and Andrew McCutchen slump is now reaching almost a month, we will just move on to new information. It seems as if Gordon’s slump has rubbed off on the guy right below him on the list as Delmon Young saw a difficult week as his average drops from the .300’s down to .268 on the season. The top has also been unkind to another prospect.

Despite being called up to the major leagues this past week, Philip Hughes has seen better days after being roughed up a bit in his major league debut this past Thursday against Toronto going 4 1/3 innings, 4 earned runs, 7 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts as he picked up his first loss. While Hughes may not have had his dream debut it was certainly better than a lot of pitching performances the injury plagued Yankees rotation has seen this season. (Oh and I mentioned another prospect joining the big leagues this week too. Brandon Wood was called up and played his first game this past Thursday as well going 0 for 4. Nothing too exciting to report yet.)

I want to try to avoid repeating myself in this column, but I have to say the players with the biggest weeks were again Billy Butler, Ryan Braun, Justin Upton, and Tim Lincecum. I really don’t have anything else to say about these four other than they are off to incredible seasons.

MINOR DETAILS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

That brings us again to the Player of the Week award. It was a very tough decision between two men. While Billy Butler came very close to making it two weeks in a row, I had to give the edge to Arizona’s Justin Upton to had a very impressive week. This has to feel great for Upton and the Diamondbacks orgainzation after the disappointing first year in pro ball he had last season. So I leave you this week with a look at how Upton did since last Sunday:

NAME	AVG	AB	H	R	2B	HR	RBI	BB
Justin Upton	.522	23	12	7	1	4	9	2

Sunday Ranking Roundup

Every Sunday through the regular season I will take a look at how players on my Top 25 Prospects list are doing. I will take this chance to reflect on the list and make adjustments to the rankings as needed for players whose play warrants a change (better or worse). This look will include stats, analysis, and comparisons so as always any comments from you to let me know what you think are not only welcomed, but encouraged.

Last week was the very first edition of the “Sunday Ranking Roundup” and I received a lot of positive feedback regarding it. So as we continue on to week two, we saw a lot of positive improvements from many of the prospects on my list. While there are no ranking changes this week, here’s a look at how everyone is fairing through today:

RNK	NAME	ORG	+/-	STATS
1	Alex Gordon	KC (MLB)		.145/.242/.309,2 HR,4 RBI
2	Delmon Young	TB (MLB)		.304/.319/.493,3 HR,12 RBI
3	Homer Bailey	CIN (AAA)		1-0,1.76 ERA,11 SO
4	Philip Hughes	NYY (AAA)		2-1,3.94 ERA,17 SO
5	Cameron Maybin	DET (A)		.308/.463/.635,4 HR,7 SB
6	Brandon Wood	LAA(AAA)		.299/.392/.507,3 HR,12 RBI
7	Billy Butler	KC (AAA)		.322/.438/.576,4 HR,16 RBI
8	Andrew McCutchen	PIT (AA)		.132/.209/.184,6 R
9	Chris Young	ARI (MLB)		.189/.254/.340,2 HR,10 RBI
10	Andrew Miller	DET (AAA)		1-2,3.04 ERA,14 SO
11	Justin Upton	ARI (A)		.291/.403/.345,12 R,6 SB
12	Adam Lind	TOR (MLB)		.320/.320/.400,3 RBI
13	Mike Pelfrey	NYM (MLB)		0-1,5.06 ERA,5 SO
14	Ryan Braun	MIL (AAA)		.293/.379/.672,5 HR,11 RBI
15	Evan Longoria	TB (AA)		.302/.441/.585,3 HR,14 RBI
16	Matt Garza	MIN (AAA)		0-1,2.77 ERA,12 SO
17	Yovanni Gallardo	MIL (AAA)		2-1,2.65 ERA,26 SO
18	Troy Tulowitzki	COL (MLB)		.193/.281/.228,4 R,4 RBI
19	Fernando Martinez	NYM (AA)		.250/.341/.417,6 R,1 HR
20	Carlos Gonzalez	ARI (AA)		.224/.270/.379,2 HR
21	Tim Lincecum	SF (AAA)		2-0,0.00 ERA,28 SO
22	Reid Brignac	TB (AA)		.333/.373/.510,11 R,13 RBI
23	Adam Jones	SEA (AAA)		.333/.400/.470,1 HR,7 RBI
24	Andy LaRoche	LAD (AAA)		.254/.308/.441,12 R,7 RBI
25	Jay Bruce	CIN (A)		.333/.386/.603,13 R,6 RBI

(”+” = ranking increased, “-” = ranking decreased. Stats are all as of this morning.)

In only a week, many of the players who were struggling at the start of the season have now started heating up. While Alex Gordon and Andrew McCutchen are still having trouble getting their swings, other players surrounding them in the top half of the list are finally picking up their games.

Cameron Maybin, Brandon Wood, and Justin Upton have made the biggest increases while Billy Butler, Evan Longoria, and Ryan Braun continue to destroy pitchers. Maybin (who many of you know I am very high on) was hitting .231 as of last Sunday has now raised his average to .308 including hitting another homer and stealing four more bases. If Maybin can continue to hit like this, it shouldn’t be too long until he moves up another level in the Tigers organization.

Speaking of moving up in the organization, how much longer can the Royals keep Billy Butler in AAA? He bumped up all of his offensive numbers from a week ago including average, on base, homers, and also drove in another 9 RBI over the past week. Many other teams could defend keeping him in AAA, but considering what the Royals major league roster looks like, keeping Butler in AAA can only last so long. Sure Butler will get more time to work on things in AAA, but as long as they give him an everyday job (most likely at DH due to his defensive liability) he should be able to grow exceptionally. Butler will be a huge star in this league due to his bat similarly to the way Travis Hafner and David Ortiz are. He can hit for average and for power which is a scary combination.

There wasn’t too much change on the pitchers listed in the top 25. Philip Hughes was able to shave his ERA almost in half while Matt Garza continues to see limited action in Rochester only pitching a few innings per start. Mike Pelfrey received another start in New York and struggled a bit raising his ERA up from 3.18 to 5.06. Oh and don’t forget about Tim Lincecum who continues to be lights out in AAA for the Giants. This guy is going to be special.

MINOR DETAILS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Something new I am adding to the “Sunday Ranking Roundup” is a player of the week award. Even though I didn’t do one last week, I am retro-actively naming Tim Lincecum the week one winner. With that in mind, I leave you today with this week’s player of the week and how he’s done over the past seven days:

NAME	AVG	AB	H	R	2B	HR	RBI	BB
Billy Butler	.381	21	8	6	1	1	9	10

Belated Week Two Standouts

My week two standouts are a bit late, and they will certainly come as a gigantic shock. Without further ado:

Hitter - Ryan Braun - Nashville Sounds (AAA)
Let me know if you can think of anyone else who mashed three homers in a game in week two. Hot corner at Miller Park is ready for him.

Pitcher - Tim Lincecum - Fresno Grizzlies (AAA)
I am considering just copying and pasting his name every week until the Giants call him up. He is going to be automatic every time out. I will either copy and paste this for next week or I will give it up to someone else (call it the Nash Rule, as Steve Nash is going to be robbed of the MVP in 2007 just for the sake of not giving it to him three times in a row).

NL All-Untainted Prospects Team

As many of you may have realized by now, I am big on lists and rankings. I have decided to put together an “All Untainted Prospects Team” for both leagues comprising of the top prospect at each position (and here’s the key) who have yet to play any games at the major league level. So below is the National League team I have compiled of all the best who have yet to ever put on a major league uniform. As always let me know what you think and if I have missed anyone you think deserves to be on here.

C: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, ATL
Saltalamacchia is a strong switch hitting catcher with power and solid defensive abilities. It’s not certain whether or not he’ll stay behind the plate due to the explosion of Brian McCann in Atlanta, but regardless he has a big presence in the lineup and has the potential to hit 30 or more homers. Due to this the Braves will find somewhere to put him.

1B: Joey Votto, CIN
Votto is the top powering hitting corner infielder in the entire Reds system. Has good speed especially for a catcher turned first baseman. He has across the board tools but does still struggle a bit in his new position. Should be able to improve with practice in the minors just like he improved his approach at the plate last season.

2B: Blake Dewitt, LAD
Dewitt struggled a bit last season as he began adjusting to his new position while only hitting .251 between A and AA. But that aside, he does have the ability to hit for average and has power to all fields. After a little more seasoning in the minors he should be able to adjust to the new position and not let it affect his offensive prowess.

3B: Ryan Braun, MIL
Braun is a pure hitter who has a lot of power and showed it in AA last year posting .303/.367/.589 with 15 HR and 40 RBI in only 59 games. He is a liability in the field and may end up being moved to the outfield if the Brewers need despite having a hole at third with the often injured Corey Koskie. Braun would be a much better fit in the AL with the DH option.

SS: Elvis Andrus, ATL
Andrus made a pretty good first impression in his first pro season hitting .265 and 23 steals despite being one of the youngest players in all of baseball. His 23 steals were a nice display of his lightening quick speed, but even that can be overshadowed at times by his incredible game changing glove at shortstop. This kid has “future Gold Glove winner” written all over him.

OF: Justin Upton, ARI
Upton had a disappointing first professional year in 2006. While he can do very well, he didn’t do much to impress in A ball last season with .263/.343/.413. He has superior talent both offensively and defensively so his rating here is based solely on that. Upton also won’t be as highly touted in center because of Chris Young most likely holding down that position for many years to come.

OF: Andrew McCutchen, PIT
McCutchen is an exciting player with a stellar glove in centerfield. Despite his great defensive prowess, his impact bat may be his best skill. McCutchen has quick hands and a compact swing which produces a surprising amount of power for someone of his stature. He is a line drive hitter due to his quick bat speed and is able to hit consistently to all fields. Don’t be surprised to see him at the top of everyone’s list of top prospects going into the 2008 season.

OF: Carlos Gonzalez, ARI
Yet another outfielder for the Diamondbacks with power, speed, and a strong arm. Lacks discipline at the plate (104/30 strikeout/walk ratio in high A ball in 2006) that he can hopefully work out. Gonzalez has all the makings of a monster masher. You could end up seeing a .290, 30 HR, 120 RBI, 20 SB line from him in a few years.

DH: Jay Bruce, CIN
Bruce is a five tool player who can impact the game with his power bat, speed, and defense. He needs to work on his plate discipline and tends to struggle against lefties and off speed pitches. In addition he needs to learn to go the other way more often as he has proven to be a dead pull hitter. If he can learn these items the next few years and combine that with his current skills, he will be a monster in the hitter friendly Great American Ballpark.

SP: Homer Bailey, CIN
Bailey has all the pieces to be a number one starter for years to come. He’s tall with a big league frame with superb arm action. He has a 3/4 slot motion that allows him to stay tall along with two plus pitches (fastball at 89-97 mph and curveball 75-80 mph) which when he has working makes him virtually untouchable. Despite how excited the Reds are to have him in their rotation, they don’t want to rush him so he will probably start 2007 in AAA.

SP: Tim Lincecum, SF
Despite a small frame he surprisingly has one of the most exciting and dominating arms in the minors. He has a mind blowing sinking fastball (89-96 mph) and curve (77-80 mph) combo that is even more devastating due to his crazy delivery. There are questions about his durability as a starter due to his unorthodox delivery, but so far there haven’t been any problems.

SP: Yovanni Gallardo, MIL
Gallardo has a quick arm and consistent ¾ delivery, athletic build, and solid mechanics. His pitches are a fastball (86-93 mph), cut fastball (83-87 mph), curveball (72-77 mph), and a change (81-82 mph). Needs to continue to lower walks. The Brewers hope he can make an impact in the future as every other pitching prospect they have had seemingly fizzles out with injuries.

SP: Franklin Morales, COL
Morales is one of the most underrated pitchers in all of minor league baseball with a solid fastball (89-96 mph) and two very solid complimentary pitches that he has made great strides with. While Morales does have the unenviable task of someday pitching his home games at Coors Field, if he can continue to keep the ball down and embrace his 10.5 K/9 he should be a very good pitchers for the Rockies for years to come.