Prospect Alert
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Reader Response, Part II

Welcome to “Prospect Alert,” the informative new column with information regarding all aspects of the minor leagues. Throughout the course of this season, we will focus on minor leagues with the goal of informing fantasy players about the minor leagues. From player scouting to specific player breakdowns, this is the place to visit for top-notch minor league information.

Prospect evaluation can cover a wide variety of players and topics. To help eliminate some of the confusion in terms of prospects, it is best to break down a few prospects that readers have specific questions about. So, if you have any questions that you would like answered, feel free to drop a comment at the bottom of the page, and you will receive an in-depth answer in a future column.

Here are the questions for this week:

Not really a prospect since he is already a starter but I haven't heard much about Ramon Vasquez. Wondering what you can tell me about him.

Ramon Vazquez was acquired from the Mariners after the 2001 season. He is known for his defensive game, which is above-average and allows him to play second, short, and even third. The problem is that Vazquez hasn’t developed well offensively, which is a problem in fantasy leagues. His plate discipline is improving but is still a bit weak. He has problems hitting against lefties, and is often unable to protect the inside part of the plate. Overall, his power is weak, although it has improved this season. Vazquez focuses the majority of his power in the gaps, and is able to hit to all fields.

This past season has brought about an improvement in plate discipline, along with improved power and speed totals. However, his average has dropped, and his OPS has yet to improve. Overall, aside from the spike in steals and homers, Vazquez is just about the same player he has been in the past. His production over the past few weeks has suffered, which is worrisome for the future. SS Khalil Greene is much more talented offensively than Vazquez, and isn’t very far away from the majors. Greene hasn’t been overly productive this year, but will undoubtedly challenge Vazquez for the starting spot as early as next spring. Vazquez will likely be relegated to a utility role in the not-so-distant future.

I would like to know what's up with Prince Fielder.. and how he is developing. I know that his defense was suspect, but I was curious how far along he is in his development and if he will be ready by next year to make it to Milwaukee...

Prince Fielder has been excellent so far this year, hitting .311-7-26. His plate discipline has been impressive, with his strikeout and walk rates both rated as above-average for a hitter with his experience. Obviously, speed is not his top tool, but he hits well enough to make up for that lack of speed. His development is progressing well, and his defense isn’t too bad. Over the long run, he should end up as a slightly below-average defender.

The biggest unknown is where Fielder fits into the Brewers’ plans. There was talk of moving him to left field, but he was unable to play there in the instructional league due to an injured groin. It is possible that Richie Sexson will be gone in the next few years, but the organization will still be stacked with first base prospects. Fielder is good enough to beat them all out, but Sexson will pose a problem if he is still around when Fielder is ready for a promotion. Fielder turned 19 only two weeks ago, so he is still has awhile to go before reaching the majors. Given that he is currently in A-Ball, it is unrealistic to expect Fielder to make a legitimate major league contribution any sooner than three years from now.

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The “Stock Rising” list is back, and even more in-depth than before. I’ll list the hottest prospects in the game today. This is a new feature that will be tried out a little differently this week, and is similar to the ones featured in many team reports. One list will be created, and these lists will be based on performance over the season as a whole, with the emphasis on the past few weeks. Since performance usually has a great impact on a prospect’s “stock,” we’ll focus on those prospects who have experienced a recent rise in their net worth. This, of course, will represent each prospect’s total overall value to his organization, and how that value has changed due to recent performance. Hopefully these lists will help fantasy owners looking for a gem in keeper leagues, but be sure to check each prospect’s actual statistics after checking this list. These will be a nice guideline, but be sure each player fits your needs before making a quick acquisition.

It is important to note that this list is based primarily on overall performance this season, with the emphasis on the past few weeks.

STOCK RISING

1. 1B Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
2. 3B Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins
3. SP Zach Grinke, Kansas City Royals
4. OF Alexis Rios, Toronto Blue Jays
5. SP Jeremy Guthrie, Cleveland Indians
6. OF Byron Gettis, Kansas City Royals
7. SP Rich Harden, Oakland A’s
8. SP Blake Hawksworth, St. Louis Cardinals
9. 2B Chris Burke, Houston Astros
10. SP Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians
11. SP Joel Hanrahan, Los Angeles Dodgers
12. OF Franklin Gutierrez, Los Angeles Dodgers
13. SP Seung Song, Montrael Expos
14. 2B Josh McKinley, Montrael Expos
15. 2B Freddy Sanchez, Boston Red Sox
16. OF Gabe Gross, Toronto Blue Jays
17. OF Nick Swisher, Oakland A’s
18. 2B Alberto Callapso, Anaheim Angels
19. 3B Garrett Atkins, Colorado Rockies
20. SP John VanBenschoten, Pittsburgh Pirates
21. OF Dave Krynzel, Milwaukee Brewers
22. 1B Jason Botts, Texas Rangers
23. SS Andres Blanco, Kansas City Royals
24. OF Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
25. SP Kyle Davies, Atlanta Braves
26. C Kelly Shoppach, Boston Red Sox
27. OF Tyrel Goodwin, Toronto Blue Jays
28. 1B Larry Broadway, Montrael Expos
29. 1B Craig Brazzell, New York Mets
30. SP Shane Komine, Oakland A’s
31. OF Josh Kroeger, Arizona Diamondbacks
32. 3B Travis Hanson, St. Louis Cardinals
33. SP Vance Perkins, Toronto Blue Jays
34. SP Ervin Santana, Anaheim Angels
35. OF Steve Stanley, Oakland A’s
36. SP Edwin Jackson, Los Angeles Dodgers
37. 1B Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
38. OF Marland Williams, Arizona Diamondbacks
39. SP Chris Young, Montrael Expos
40. 2B Omar Rogers, Baltimore Orioles
41. SP Macay McBride, Atlanta Braves
42. OF Bob Malek, New York Mets
43. SP Brian Bullington, Pittsburgh Pirates
44. C Dioner Navarro, New York Yankees
45. 2B Esteban German, Oakland A’s
46. OF Bubba Crosby, Los Angeles Dodgers
47. SP Scott Ruffcorn, Chicago White Sox
48. SP Sandy Nin, Toronto Blue Jays
49. SP Sean Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates
50. OF Jeremy Reed, Chicago White Sox

Please leave any comments/suggestions/questions using the “comment” feature at the bottom of this page, or feel free to leave a message on the Fantasy Info Central message board. The more feedback provided, the better this column can be devised. In the coming weeks, look for an in-depth look at the league’s top prospects.

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