CAC’s Midseason Prospects: 11-25
July 30, 2012 at 9:31 am by Ethan Purser under Atlanta Braves
Here are the write-ups for prospects 11-25 from our midseason prospects list. Here is the composite list. Once again, ages are as of midnight on June 30th.
11. Nick Ahmed | RH SS | 6’3”, 205 lb. | Age: 22
Ahmed’s performed fairly well in his first full professional season in High-A Lynchburg, hitting .274/.342/.419 with 6 homers, 31 doubles, and a 40/72 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 446 plate appearances. He’s shown surprising speed, as he has swiped 31 bags in 40 attempts. After having a very slow May, Nick has picked it up as of late, including a solid .300/.349/.450 line in July. His defense at shortstop has been passable but not spectacular, committing 20 errors in 545 defensive chances. Possessing only one true standout tool—his arm—Ahmed faces a bit of an uphill battle at shortstop, as his large frame leads to some concerns about his long-term position. At his current pace, do not be surprised if he makes it to the Double-A level by season’s end.
12. Matt Lipka | RH CF | 6’1”, 195 lb. | Age: 20
The slow-developing Lipka has hit a paltry .271/.335/.337 with 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 home runs in 229 plate appearances for High-A Lynchburg. As suggested by his low strikeout rate (14 percent), Matt is still making a good bit of contact and has boosted his walk rate (8.7 percent) from previous seasons. The Texan has not shown the greatest instincts on the bases, as he has been caught 6 times in 18 attempts. The transition to center field has been smooth, from all accounts. Lipka’s still all about tools/projection, and as a 20-year-old in High-A, that is perfectly fine. Some sort of standout statistical production would be nice, however. Until then, Lipka remains in the middle tier of Braves’ prospects and continues to carry huge boom/bust potential as a prospect. He is currently on the 7-day disabled list.
13. Kyle Kubitza | 3B; Bats: L Throws: R | 6’3”, 190 lb. | Age: 21
Kubitza’s first full-season assignment in Rome has been quite strange, as he’s posted a .232/.347/.403 line with 9 home runs and a 58/102 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 409 plate appearances. Kyle’s monthly splits are quite telling of how his season has progressed, as a .977 OPS in April, .687 OPS in May, .819 OPS in June, and .519 OPS thus far in July hint at the overall inconsistency with which he has swung the bat. Regardless of this streakiness, the Texan has shown both raw and in-game power, good patience, and has even shown some speed on the base paths (16 SB), although he is still quite raw in this regard (10 CS). His defense at third base has been iffy, collecting 17 errors in 175 chances. Kubitza’s shown some pop and patience—two aspects one likes to see early in a corner prospect’s offensive game, especially one coming from college—but has also shown a propensity to swing-and-miss in bunches. Monitor how he adjusts during his most recent funk, and look for him to make the move to High-A Lynchburg by next season.
14. Todd Cunningham | OF; Bats: S Throws: R | 6’0”, 200 lb. | Age: 23
2012 has been somewhat of a breakout season for Cunningham. After posting subpar numbers over the past two seasons, Todd is coming into his own in Double-A Mississippi, hitting .322/.372/.423 while posting a .370 wOBA in 379 plate appearances. His walk rate has slipped a bit from last season (6.3 percent), but he has built upon his reputation as a low strikeout/high contact hitter. The switch hitter has shown a noticeable platoon split over his minor league career and this season has been no different, posting a .783 OPS from the left side while posting a measly .663 OPS from the right side. Cunningham’s showcased his solid-average speed, swiping 16 bags in 22 chances. Todd has spent a majority of his time in center field, committing 3 errors and registering 2 assists in 128 chances. He will never be a big power hitter, so he will need to play superb defense in center field and get on base at a high rate in order to play regularly at the next level. Cunningham’s supporters believe he will be able to do just that; his detractors question the former part of the equation, along with the transition of the hit tool to the major league level. Look for Cunningham to continue his solid play at the Double-A level, and don’t rule out a promotion to Gwinnett by the end of the year. He will likely compete for a roster spot next spring.
15. Tommy La Stella | 2B; Bats: L Throws: R | 5’11”, 185 lb. | Age: 23
La Stella’s had a good, not great season in the Carolina League, putting together a .273/.366/.424 line with a 34/22 walk-to-strikeout ratio* in 328 plate appearances. Tommy has shown decent speed and savvy on the base paths, stealing 13 bases in 15 attempts. His play at 2nd base has not been awful in terms of errors—he’s committed 7 in 306 chances—but La Stella’s biggest concern on defense is his range, something that will not show up in his minor league statistics. He’s missed some time this year due to a recurring back injury. Considered one of the top pure hitting prospects in the system coming into this year, La Stella has not completely overwhelmed in his first full season. He has shown well above-average OBP skills, decent power production, and the ability to put the bat on the baseball consistently, but it would be fair to say that he was expected to produce a bit more based on his age versus the level at which he is playing and the skills he flashed in 2011. La Stella still remains a nice prospect, but his profile is starting to resemble that of an organizational piece rather than an everyday player. Monitor how he comes back from his latest injury and look for him to possibly see some time in Double-A by season’s end
*Not a typo.
16. Navery Moore | RHP | 6’2”, 212 lb. | Age: 21
The 14th round pick of the Braves in 2011, Moore has shuffled between starting and relieving this year in Low-A Rome. Between the two, he’s compiled a 4.15 ERA/3.52 FIP in 82.1 innings pitched with a 65/36 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Righties have posted a mere .589 OPS against Navery, while lefties have posted a much better .736 OPS. Moore’s mechanics are not incredibly deceptive, as he shows the hitter the ball at the bottom of his arm swing, a trait left-handed hitters can recognize and exploit easily. He possesses a low-to-mid 90s fastball that features a good amount of movement along with a developing slider and changeup. Moore had Tommy John surgery prior to college, so this should not be a huge concern going forward. The biggest issue Navery’s faced this season is a lack of control. In order to be successful going forward, he will need to work on this aspect of his game, whether he finds himself in the rotation or the bullpen. My inclination is to say that Moore will stay in Rome for the duration of the season in order to work out some of his control issues and to work on his secondary pitches, but I could be way off.
17. Brandon Drury | RH 1B/3B | 6’2”, 190 lb. | Age: 19
When looking at Drury’s raw statistical line from this season, it is easy to get discouraged at what is perceived to be a poor overall performance thus far in Low-A Rome. Indeed, Drury has managed a measly .220/.271/.312 line with 4 home runs and a 19/55 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 380 plate appearances. While this may seem putrid, Drury has battled to overcome a horrible first half to his season in which he hit .187/.226/.270. Drury has completely turned it around as of late, plowing his way to a .295/.367/.410 line thus far in the second half, during which he has showed massive improvement in every aspect of his offensive game, including his overall contact ability, plate discipline, and power production. While this is obviously a small sample, the trends are very nice to see. Brandon features a sweet swing from the right side and making contact should not be an issue as he climbs the ladder. I’ve observed a slight hip leak in Drury’s swing from time to time, but this should be an easy fix down the road if he/they choose to address it. Brandon has split the majority of his playing time between first base and third base—due in part to Kyle Kubitza’s presence in Rome—and his athletic frame should play very nicely at the hot corner. He features a nice arm and great instincts, but as is the case with most young players, Drury needs more repetitions at third. Monitor how he finishes this season, keeping in mind that he is currently the youngest player in Rome. Drury’s ceiling is quite high, and he remains a player who could jump up lists in the coming years. I’m already kicking myself for not having him higher on my personal list, for what it’s worth.
18. Cody Martin | RHP | 6’2”, 210 lb. | Age: 22
A 7th-rounder out of Gonzaga, Martin has excelled in High-A Lynchburg, posting a 3.02 ERA/2.92 FIP with a 118/32 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 101.1 innings pitched. Cody has shown no noticeable platoon split this season, as lefties have managed a .586 OPS against and righties have posted a .615 OPS against. Although Martin was a closer at Gonzaga, he has made 18 starts with 3 relief appearances this season, excelling in both roles. He even twirled this gem a few weeks ago. Cody has sound mechanics and possesses a solid four-pitch mix, but as Kevin Goldstein notes, his stuff is not as great as his numbers would indicate. He’s a solid pitching prospect and deserves recognition, but for now he profiles as a middle or back-of-the-rotation starter if he continues to climb the ladder as a starter. The Braves seem confident in his ability to start games, so monitor how he finishes the season in this role.
19. Joey Terdoslavich | 1B; Bats: S Throws: R | 6’0”, 200 lb. | Age: 23
We all know Terdoslavich’s story. 52 doubles in High-A—fifty-two! Pumped aggressively by the media as Atlanta’s third baseman of the future. Promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett straight out of the spring. All was good for “The Terd” . . . until he completely flopped in Gwinnett. In 215 plate appearances, Terdoslavich managed a .180/.252/.263 line with a 19/50 walk-to-strikeout ratio. While playing third, he recorded 22 errors in 130 chances. After suffering for nearly two months, Joey was demoted to Double-A where he has posted a much more reasonable .366 wOBA. While in Mississippi, Terdoslavich has spent a majority of his time at first base, the position he is most likely to play at the major league level. The switch hitter has always been a better overall hitter from the right side, and during this season alone he’s posted a .747 OPS as a righty as opposed to a .613 OPS as a lefty. Joey possesses pretty incredible raw power, but the amount to which he will tap into this power is still in question, as his hit tool remains raw and very unrefined. Terdoslavich is not necessarily young for his level in Double-A, and while seeing some sort of production is a good sign, it still does not take away the fact that he’s 23 and more than likely needs another year—maybe two—in the minors. With these factors in mind, Joey is looking more and more like a bench bat that can provide a bit of pop with little defensive versatility (1B/LF type).
20. David Hale | RHP | 6’2”, 210 lb. | Age: 24
In his first full year of starting, Hale’s performance has been quite erratic. His overall line is decent, posting a 4.39 ERA/4.27 FIP with a 95/49 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 112.2 innings pitched as a starter. As shown here, however, David has had a hard time translating success from start to start. While still throwing an inconsistent changeup, Hale has managed to fend lefties off quite well, holding them to a .623 OPS. Hale possesses a plus fastball (in terms of velocity) and slider, but both need refinement in terms of control/command. The Braves seemingly want to give the Princeton grad every opportunity to start as he climbs the ladder, a move that could be beneficial if he strings together some consistency with his performance and repertoire. It would not surprise me if the Braves pulled back the reins a bit on his workload, as he’s already surpassed last season’s innings pitched total. He’s also experienced some shoulder problems in the past, costing him the better part of a month in 2011. With this in mind, the Braves could choose to slot him in the bullpen to finish out the season, but this is just speculation.
21. Mauricio Cabrera | RHP | 6’2”, 180 lb. | Age: 18
Mauricio Cabrera is one of the most exciting arms in the system. Equipped with three potential above-average offerings, the 18-year-old Dominican right-hander has pitched exceptionally well in the Appalachian League, which is loaded with older college hitters. In 31.2 innings pitched, he’s posted a 2.84 ERA/3.80 FIP and has struck out 32 batters, walked 15, and allowed 22 hits. After signing Cabrera to a reported six-figure bonus in 2010, the Braves placed him in the Dominican Summer League in 2011. While his statistical results were not eye-popping, the Braves believed in him enough to skip the Gulf Coast League altogether, which is a testament to both his makeup and his raw stuff. When he makes a stop in Rome—whenever that may be—expect a full scouting report on him here at CAC. Mauricio could be a top-5 prospect within the next year or so. Follow this kid.
22. Jose Peraza | RH SS | 5’11”, 167 lb. | Age: 18
The other big name from the 2010 crop of international signees, Peraza has performed extremely well in his stateside debut. Beginning the season in the GCL, he hit .318/.348/.424 in 92 plate appearances with 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts. Noting his success, the Braves promoted Peraza to the Appalachian League earlier this month. In his 35 plate appearances with Danville, Jose’s shown decent contact skills, posting a .256/.326/.359 line while stealing 5 bases in 5 attempts. All reports rave about his defense, despite his 10 errors in 113 chances (error totals in rookie ball are not telling for a number of reasons). Jose offers a combination of defense, speed, and contact ability, and this is a nice package on which to build for an 18-year-old physically undeveloped shortstop that is knocking on the door to full-season ball. Peraza will more than likely spend the rest of the year in Danville, opening the 2013 season in Rome. Peraza’s another potential fast-riser in the system in terms of rankings.
23. Fernelys Sanchez | OF; Bats: S Throws: R | 6’3”, 200 lb. | Age: 18
Sanchez, the 16th round pick of the Braves in 2012, has been able to get into some games in the GCL after breaking his left fibula in March. He was considered a premium talent for the draft prior to this injury, and the Braves were excited to be able to draft the speedster on the third day of the draft. In the limited amount of games he has played, Fernelys has not particularly overwhelmed, hitting .171/.326/.200 in 43 plate appearances with an 8/19 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He’s split his time between right field, center field, and DH, but profiles best as a center fielder when he fully recovers from his injury due to his impressive speed, as he was clocked as low as 6.27 seconds in the 60-yard dash* in high school. Fernelys has struggled to find consistency with his swing from both sides of the plate. Sanchez obviously has a long way to go in all aspects of his game, but his ceiling is quite high. He’s going to take some time and will require a good bit of patience.
*This is ridiculously fast.
24. Justin Black | RH OF | 6’0”, 200 lb. | Age: 19
After being selected by the Braves in the 4th round of this year’s draft, Justin Black’s performance hasn’t necessarily jumped off of the page statistically. He has posted a .213/.341/.293 line with a homer and a 14/28 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 93 plate appearances for the GCL Braves. Justin has spent a majority of his time in center field, a place where his elite speed should flourish. Black is from Montana, and due to his inability to play ball year-round, he is still quite raw with respect to other players his age. The Braves seem to really like this kid, and given his impressive speed/power combination, one can easily see why they do. Justin is a bit older than a typical high school draftee, but this isn’t a huge deal. He’s still a special talent, one who warrants watching in the coming years.
25. Bryan De La Rosa | RH C | 5’8”, 200 lb. | Age: 18
One of my “personal cheeseballs” from this year’s draft, Bryan De La Rosa has had a rough go of it in his limited amount of plate appearances for the GCL Braves. De La Rosa’s posted a .214/.261/.310 line with a homer and a 2/17 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 47 plate appearances. Bryan registered pop times in the 1.7-second range at showcase events prior to the draft, and he’s shown off his arm in limited attempts, throwing out 30 percent of potential base stealers so far this season. Although it hasn’t translated to pro ball just yet, De La Rosa’s bat has the potential to be a plus tool, as he flashes nice bat speed in conjunction with a short, compact stroke. Perfect Game notes that De La Rosa had the tools to be a first-round pick. Bryan is similar to—comparison alert—Carlos Ruiz, in that he profiles as a plus defender with nice contact skills at the plate, but whose stature is a bit smaller than usual. Monitor how he finishes this season and see if his performance catches up with his scouting report. Confession: I really like this kid.
Players who just missed: Luis Merejo, Billy Bullock, Aaron Northcraft, Evan Gattis, Luis Avilan
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Drury has really bounced back from a horrible first half. Do you think he moves up to Lynchburg next year, or do they send him back to Rome? He’s still just 19.
BrianB,
I could see him moving to Lynchburg, yes.
Sorry to go off topic, but at this point I predict that our deadline move will be Kevin Correia. He’s a slight upgrade over Medlen, and he certainly better than Minor or Delgado at this point. Correia has asked out of Pittsburgh so I hope the price won’t be too high. I wonder what they would want for him?
I don’t see Correia as an upgrade over Medlin, Minor, or Delgado.
Me either. More importantly neither does his fWAR.
I hope this comment was for the laffs. Have you watched Mike Minor pitch at all this month?
So I was stalking Ben on Talking Chop and I noticed the following trade idea:
Beckett + Red Sox pay 1/2 of his salary remaining
For
Delgado+Spruill
Would not mind this trade idea at all. Get Beckett out of the AL East and the DH while enjoying the benefits of Turner Field and our OF Defense. Could be a pretty good pairing.
The Braves would go into debt trying to pay for Beckett’s chicken and beer.
Dislike.
He’s giving up more hits (and higher line drive percent) and getting fewer strikeouts per 9 than any season other than his real bad 2008. His Fastball velocity is also dropping. Looks to me like he is becoming more hittable.
The good news is he still has been worth 2.5 fWAR. He also bounced back from his 2008 season and might do it again. So I have to admit he is a little intriguing.
The reason I would just say no to Beckett is that he’s not as springy as he was in 2008 now that he is 32 instead of 28. So for the money and contract, he is not worth it. And the money might drop if we give up good prospects, such as aforementioned trade of Beckett + half his salary (roughly $8 mil season for 2013 & 2014) for Delgado + Spruill, but I would rather keep said prospects who have their future in front of them, so again the cost is not worth it to me.
Not saying he couldn’t be good again, but I think best case we get another “Huddy” – a really good pitcher who is no longer an Ace (but does possess the most important quality – “veteran presence”).
Bottom line: Beckett = Too much for the likely price (money or prospects).
Plus, we already have one Huddy, and he is chocked full of veteran presencey vibes, plus plus he’s got the x-factor of “grit,” so we have our quota of veteran presence and grit in the SP staff. (Secondarily, Hudson is still a good pitcher under a reasonable contract.)
Maybe if Beckett could pitch out of the bullpen? Veteran presence might be worth $8 mil and the loss of two top prospects out there when we are stuck with youngsters like Kimbrel holding down the fort. How is that guy supposed to function out there without a veteran presence? Call up Batista now! I mean that guy is in his 40′s. He’s just oozing presence. Sure fire World Series with that guy on the team…
WEAR IZ GATTUS??
Still think Lipka is rated too high and wondering why no relievers made the list.
Francoeursux,
We obviously went a bit “ceiling-heavy” on the rankings. Lipka’s a long way out and hasn’t really produced at a high level—I’ll give you that. But a kid who’s 20 in High-A who started focusing primarily on baseball just two years ago needs patience when looking at the statistical line. He has the potential (we can still talk about potential when looking at a 20-year-old in High-A) to have 4 above-average tools at a fairly demanding defensive position. He’s also shown improvement this year in a lot of different aspects of his game, which is really nice to see.
Re: relievers—again, we really like ceilings. Sure, the Luis Avilans/Jaye Chapmans/Billy Bullocks of the world are probably going to be major leaguers in some capacity, but the amount of value they bring to a team is going to be limited due to their confined roles (MR, LOOGY, etc.). That’s not to say teams don’t need or value these guys—they obviously do—but we felt a bit more comfortable ranking guys with higher ceilings above guys with lower ceilings, even if the chances of the higher ceiling guys making the majors are slim. The best prospect lists are the ones that are able to balance this equation, and prior to this year’s draft, we probably would’ve had a few more relievers on the list (Avilan & Bullock were in the “just missed” category). This year’s draft did a nice job of replenishing the high-ceiling talent in the system and this is what we wanted to reflect in the rankings.
Thanks for the comment!
I think you guys have done a tremendous job in your rankings and your notes.
In defense of Lipka :
You are right – he has been one of the youngest players at his respective levels the past two years. Last year at Low A, he was the 9th youngest player at that level and this year at High A he is the 7th youngest at that level. There is a high probability that next year, if he goes to AA, that he again will be one of the youngest players at that level. There is an article at Scout.com ( insider access ) that has various quotes from his coaches at Lynchburg. In summary, Bobby Moore says his defense in CF is “superb” – he was 2nd in the league in assists before going on the DL. Also, Luis Salazar says that they have been working with Lipka to increase his ground ball rate and bunting skills to better utilize his speed. I think it is often forgotten that Lipka has elite speed and is a true leadoff-type hitter so power is not his strength and by what the organization wants from him – it just is not a priority – so that could be an indicator of why his power numbers are not there.
Also, look at what comparable players, his age and draft status have done this year in the Carolina League : Tony Wolters ( 1.3 million bonus ) .260/.322/.378 and Jacob Skole ( 1.5 million bonus – 15th overall pick ) .185/.288/.260. By relative value ( Lipka – 800K Bonus ),.271/.335/.337, Lipka is performing well IMO. Yes , he does need to progress with his instinctual baserunning like you have said and he needs to get the OBP above .360 but all indications are he is moving in that direction. As it stands, he has had a solid year – certainly not paltry as described. Hope he comes off the DL soon.
Great points, jayhaybrave.
By paltry, I meant his statistical line wasn’t necessarily eye-popping—I definitely didn’t mean it as a slight given the strides he has made. I’m personally very high on Lipka and still think he has the tools to be a first-division center fielder down the road.
P.S. – I appreciate the prospect update. Interesting read.
Saw Kubitza play a bit at Rome. Surprisingly fast around the bases, not a good basestealer but moves quickly from first to third. I don’t know if his range is terrible at 3rd or if he just has no instincts, but he’s not getting anything not hit right at him. If he hits, I can see him make a move to the OF.
K26dp,
Thanks for the input. I’ve noticed the same thing with Kubitza—decent amount of foot speed, but a bit clunky in the field. He could probably play a corner OF spot, but that would really put a ton of pressure on the bat.
Drury has had one good season so far. He hit .198 in the GCL and around .200-.215 this year. I wish I could be as optomistic about a player that lacks any stand out tools. Where do you play him? He has no true position. I’m scratching my head on that one.
Surprised that Beckwith doesn’t get a mention. He’s working on his 2nd straight quality offensive season and is generally age appropriate for the level he is at.
Allan,
Beckwith’s admittedly hard to rank for me, personally. One has to hit at a ridiculously high level to be considered a prospect at 1B (TINSTAAFBP?). He has performed well statistically, but when I’ve seen him, he hasn’t shown anything to make me say “oh man, this guy’s going to be a major league regular in 2-3 years”. I could be wrong, though.
I agree with your spot for Nick Ahmed on this list, however, two things. First, have you actually seen him play defense? I have, over many games. I think if you’d had as well you’d change your mind about the “passable” comment. He has indeed made a number of what any objective observer would call spectacular plays. Ask his coaches how solid he is. Also, number of errors at this level is not a good indicator of defensive prowess. (Andrelton Simmons made 28 errors at Lynchburg last year. He also had a lower RF/G number than Ahmed does this year? 4.93 to 5.25.)
Second thing. About his speed. To those of us who’ve followed Nick his speed is not surprising. He’s always stolen a bunch of bases at every level and his times home to first have been exceptional.
Stephen Cerrato,
Thanks for the comment. I agree, errors aren’t the greatest measure of defense at that level (or any level, for that matter) for a number of reasons, but we don’t have a ton of other measurements at the minor league level we can use in order to summarize how he has played. I’m sure he’s made some spectacular plays—he’s an ultra athletic kid and I have noted his soft hands at short in the limited amount I’ve seen him in action—but number of “spectacular plays” isn’t really a great way to judge someone’s fielding. To the casual observer, Dan Uggla’s made plenty of spectacular plays, but we all know he’s beyond awful defensively. I’m not saying Ahmed’s awful in the field—he’s *far* from it—but as with errors, judging defensive prowess solely based on spectacular plays can be misleading. Just looking at the body, it’s hard for me to say that he will definitely be at short at the major league level. There’s a chance he will, but there’s also a chance he won’t. We’re not talking about Jose Iglesias here.
Coming into the year, I think the consensus on his speed was that it was in the plus range—maybe a tick more. The “surprising” quote was really in reference to the amount of stolen bases he has accumulated in such a short time, not necessarily his speed (that’s my fault with the wording there).
Thanks for stopping by and adding to the discussion—it’s very much appreciated!
Ethan,
Thanks for responding. You’re right about your comment about how individual spectacular plays do not provide a good barometer of overall defensive ability. I guess my point in throwing that in was to defend Ahmed as more than a mere “passable” defensive shortstop. You mentionned his plus arm being his only true tool. Then you added “soft hands” later, so I gather all that’s missing is range? This seems to be the knock….poor/averager range. I’m not sure I understand this. We’ve established he’s got plus speed, and that he’s athletic and quick. So why poor range? Statistics so far certainly don’t back that up. I think it’s his frame. People see his long body and can’t imagine him as a typical shortstop. I say, why not? I think his long arms and legs actually helps, not hinders his defense. That length, plus his speed and quickness, allow him to get to balls shorter guys just can’t reach. I’ve personally seen this time and time again. Anyway, time will tell where Nick ends up. I do agree his athleticism and instincts will make it possible for a switch to another infield or even outfield position.
Thanks for the conversation. Love talking baseball!
I’m happy to talk prospects too, Stephen! Yes, range is my biggest concern with Ahmed down the road. It takes some bigger guys a bit longer to get moving at their top speed than it does the smaller, more compact guys—Heyward’s a great example of this, in that he’s a super fast runner, but it takes him a few steps to get to his peak. He looks good with balls hit directly at him, but the ones in the 5/6 hole or behind second base are the ones that scare me a bit as he grows into his body. Best case scenario, he’s a 5 defensively at short. As for his future, I could see him becoming a Brandon Hicks-type player defensively, in that he can play every infield position in a pinch and be solid at each position. But as you said, he could move to the outfield down the road (there was some chatter about this before the 2011 draft). Time will tell w/r/t Ahmed’s defensive home, definitely. I will say, if I had to pick a guy who was going to have a 5+ year career in the bigs from this second group (11-25), it would probably be Ahmed.
Baseball America
The Youngest In Each League, Mid-Season Edition
Now that all of the 2012 draft picks who are going to sign have signed, it’s time to take another look at who are the youngest players in each league.
League Classification Median Age
American League MLB 28.7
National League MLB 28.7
International League AAA 27.3
Pacific Coast League AAA 26.8
Eastern League AA 25.1
Southern League AA 24.5
Texas League AA 24.6
California League HiA 23.6
Carolina League HiA 23.5
Florida State League HiA 23.4
Midwest League LoA 22.5
South Atlantic League LoA 22.5
New York-Penn League SS 21.8
Northwest League SS 22.0
Appalachian League R 21.2
Pioneer League R 21.9
Arizona League R 20.1
Gulf Coast League R 20.2
Dominican Summer League R 19.1
Venezuelan Summer League R 17.2
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
Rk Player BIRTH DATE TEAM AGE
*1 Manny Banuelos 1991-03-13 Scranton/W-B 21.35
2 Julio Teheran 1991-01-27 Gwinnett 21.48
3 L.J. Hoes 1990-03-05 Norfolk 22.37
4 Didi Gregorius 1990-02-18 Louisville 22.41
5 Randall Delgado 1990-02-09 Gwinnett 22.44
6 Henry Rodriguez 1990-02-09 Louisville 22.44
7 Tim Beckham 1990-01-27 Durham 22.48
8 Jose Iglesias 1990-01-05 Pawtucket 22.54
9 Xavier Avery 1990-01-01 Norfolk 22.55
10 Jenrry Mejia 1989-10-11 Buffalo 22.77
11 Jeurys Familia 1989-10-10 Buffalo 22.77
12 Rob Brantly 1989-07-14 Toledo 23.01
13 Chase Whitley 1989-06-14 Scranton/W-B 23.10
14 T.J. McFarland 1989-06-08 Columbus 23.11
*15 Deolis Guerra 1989-04-17 Rochester 23.26
16 Pedro Hernandez 1989-04-12 Charlotte 23.27
17 Matt Harvey 1989-03-27 Buffalo 23.31
18 Neftali Soto 1989-02-28 Louisville 23.39
19 Liam Hendriks 1989-02-10 Rochester 23.44
20 Phillippe Aumont 1989-01-07 Lehigh Valley 23.53
SOUTHERN LEAGUE
Rk Player BIRTH DATE TEAM AGE
1 Taijuan Walker 1992-08-13 Jackson 19.93
2 Zach Lee 1991-09-13 Chattanooga 20.85
3 Christian Bethancourt 1991-09-02 Mississippi 20.88
4 Chris Owings 1991-08-12 Mobile 20.94
5 David Holmberg 1991-07-19 Mobile 21.00
6 Matt Davidson 1991-03-26 Mobile 21.32
7 Matt Heidenreich 1991-01-17 Birmingham 21.50
8 Tucker Barnhart 1991-01-07 Pensacola 21.53
9 Hak-Ju Lee 1990-11-04 Montgomery 21.71
10 Jae-Hoon Ha 1990-10-29 Tennessee 21.72
11 Bobby Borchering 1990-10-25 Mobile 21.73
12 Gabriel Noriega 1990-09-13 Jackson 21.85
13 Billy Hamilton 1990-09-09 Pensacola 21.86
14 Francisco Martinez 1990-09-01 Jackson 21.88
15 Daniel Corcino 1990-08-26 Pensacola 21.90
16 Tony Zych 1990-08-07 Tennessee 21.95
17 Carter Capps 1990-08-07 Jackson 21.95
18 Ty Morrison 1990-07-22 Montgomery 21.99
*19 Nick Bucci 1990-07-16 Huntsville 22.01
20 Chase Shreve 1990-07-12 Mississippi 22.02
CAROLINA LEAGUE
Rk Player BIRTH DATE TEAM AGE
1 Cheslor Cuthbert 1992-11-16 Wilmington 19.67
2 Dylan Bundy 1992-11-15 Frederick 19.67
3 Hanser Alberto 1992-10-17 Myrtle Beach 19.75
4 Xander Bogaerts 1992-10-01 Salem 19.80
5 Carlos Sanchez 1992-06-29 Winston-Salem 20.05
6 Tony Wolters 1992-06-09 Carolina 20.11
7 Alex Monsalve 1992-04-22 Carolina 20.24
8 Ronny Rodriguez 1992-04-17 Carolina 20.25
9 Matt Lipka 1992-04-15 Lynchburg 20.26
10 Teodoro Martinez 1992-03-16 Myrtle Beach 20.34
11 Orlando Calixte 1992-02-03 Wilmington 20.46
12 Sean Coyle 1992-01-17 Salem 20.50
13 Odubel Herrera 1991-12-29 Myrtle Beach 20.56
14 Giovanny Urshela 1991-10-11 Carolina 20.77
15 Antonio Cruz 1991-10-07 Wilmington 20.78
16 Robbie Ray 1991-10-01 Potomac 20.80
17 Luke Jackson 1991-08-24 Myrtle Beach 20.90
18 Jason Adam 1991-08-04 Wilmington 20.96
19 Edward Salcedo 1991-07-30 Lynchburg 20.97
20 Heiker Meneses 1991-07-01 Salem 21.05
SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE
Rk Player BIRTH DATE TEAM AGE
*1 Carlos Tocci 1995-08-23 Lakewood 16.91
2 Rougned Odor 1994-02-03 Hickory 18.46
3 Jose Vinicio 1993-07-10 Greenville 19.03
4 Adalberto Mejia 1993-06-20 Augusta 19.08
5 Jorge Alfaro 1993-06-11 Hickory 19.10
6 Jose Fernandez 1993-05-20 Lexington 19.17
7 Gabriel Lino 1993-05-17 Lakewood 19.17
8 Luis Sardinas 1993-05-16 Hickory 19.18
*9 Braden Shull 1993-05-08 Lakewood 19.20
10 Eduardo Rodriguez 1993-04-07 Delmarva 19.28
11 Michael Fulmer 1993-03-15 Savannah 19.35
12 Zach Davies 1993-02-07 Delmarva 19.44
*13 Alberto Baldonado 1993-02-01 Savannah 19.46
14 Clayton Blackburn 1993-01-06 Augusta 19.53
*15 Brad Marquez 1992-12-14 Savannah 19.59
16 Jose Osuna 1992-12-12 West Virginia 19.60
17 Kyle Crick 1992-11-30 Augusta 19.63
18 Kevin Matthews 1992-11-29 Hickory 19.64
19 Jason Garcia 1992-11-21 Greenville 19.66
20 Trevor Story 1992-11-15 Asheville 19.67