Promotions, promotions
August 13, 2003
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.
Recent Promotions
The most recent feature added to Prospect Alert, the “Recent Promotions” section of this report will inform fantasy owners of minor leaguers who were recently promoted to the big leagues. This includes any notable promotion, with a special emphasis put on those minor leaguers who were promoted for their first action in the big leagues. Each prospect will be rated using a five-star system, which will combine a prospect’s present (first rating) and future (second rating) potential. A one-star rating represents the lowest possible rank, while a five-star rating is the greatest. Obviously, these ratings should be compared only to other prospects, as it’s unfair to make comparisons to current major leaguers.
3B Garrett Atkins, Colorado Rockies ***/****
LHP Jimmy Gobble, Kansas City Royals ***/****
CF Ramon Nivar, Texas Rangers ***/***
RHP Chad Gaudin, Tampa Bay Devil Rays */***
RHP Jimmy Journell, St. Louis Cardinals */***
3B Brandon Larson, Cincinnati Reds */*
RHP Roy Corcoran, Montreal Expos */*
Quite a few names warrant attention on this week’s list, beginning with Garrett Atkins. Atkins will see sporadic action at third after his promotion to replace the injured Mark Bellhorn. Expect Atkins to steal some time from Chris Stynes, and he should begin to show some of the potential he showed in Triple-A Colorado Springs. After tearing up pitching in a hitter-friendly minor league environment, it is entirely possible that he could do the same in the majors, if given the opportunity. Remember, Atkins plays half his games in Coors Field, and his combination of minor-league performance and strike-zone judgment offers promise. Undoubtedly a name to watch, especially in NL-only and keeper leagues.
Jimmy Gobble has silently impressed many baseball types after taking over the rotation spot of injured RHP Jose Lima. In two quality starts against the Devil Rays, Gobble allowed one run, 13 hits, one walk, and struck out six in 12 innings of work. Initially, he wasn’t expected to be promoted at all, and after that he was only expected to start once. Only 21-years-old, Gobble has a very bright future ahead of him. Right now, it still isn’t a good idea to pick him up in single-season fantasy leagues, but he definitely has value in keeper leagues.
Ramon Nivar will be the everyday center-fielder for Texas, as the youth movement continues. Nivar has plenty of speed and was productive this year in Double-A, but he is making a big jump for a 22-year-old prospect. If he raises the average, Nivar would have value in AL-only leagues and deeper mixed leagues. Keep an eye on him for now, but don’t rush to pick him up just yet.
Chad Gaudin and Jimmy Journell are two of the more interesting recent promotions on this list. Guadin received some work in the bullpen, and is expected to be tried as a starter in the coming weeks. His future is as a starter, and it could be a very nice future. Gaudin, 20, threw a seven-inning perfect game earlier in the year, and is one of those pitchers that some scouts aren’t very high on. Quite frankly, he is exactly the type of pitcher that the A’s would love to have, and that should say a lot. Journell, on the other hand, is a reliever-turned-starter-turned-reliever. He is a great pitching prospect, and for now, he projects as Jason Isringhauser’s replacement at closer, whenever one should be needed. However, he has changed roles quite a bit over his college/professional career, so he could also end up as a front-of-the-rotation starter, or even as a premier setup guy.
Brandon Larson is the same old story. He puts up solid average/power numbers in Triple-A, but supplements that production with terrible plate discipline. However, he is still way too old for the minors, and isn’t a good long-term prospect. Come on, he’s already struck out 13 times in 23 at-bats since his latest promotion. Yet he is still viewed by some as a great young player with a bright future. Don’t waste your time hoping for things to change. If he shows anything to the contrary, this corner will change the tune on Larson. For now, however, he is the most overrated “prospect” – even the title is iffy – in baseball. Perhaps he should have a chat with Russell Branyan on the adverse effects of poor plate discipline.
Recent Demotions
Similar to the “Recent Promotions” section of this report, the “Recent Demotions” section will inform fantasy owners of major leaguers who were recently demoted to the big leagues. Only players recently considered “prospects” will be considered for this section, as older players don’t belong in this column. Each prospect will be rated using a five-star system, which will combine a prospect’s present (first rating) and future (second rating) potential. A one-star rating represents the lowest possible rank, while a five-star rating is the greatest. Obviously, these ratings should be compared only to other prospects, as it’s unfair to make comparisons to current major leaguers.
RHP Jason Standridge, Tampa Bay Devil Rays */***
1B Todd Sears, Minnesota Twins */**
There were very few demotions of significance in recent weeks, with the overall demotions numbering far fewer than promotions. Neither of these guys are top-notch prospects, but both could be decent players in the future.
Jason Standridge clearly has the higher ceiling. He is still extremely raw, and needs additional work in the majors. For that reason, it is very encouraging to see his demotion, and it would serve him well to remain in the minors for an extended period of time, certainly through the end of the season. Youth and raw talent are clearly on his side, and he could develop into a front-of-the-rotation starter. Then again, he does pitch for the Devil Rays.
Todd Sears appears as though he will never develop into anything more than a career backup, but hopefully he will get a chance with another team. The Twins don’t have the room to give him consistent playing time, and they’re already stacked with 1B/DH types throughout their organization. Sears could possibly start for another team, but he will need to travel elsewhere to even contend for a starting spot.
Productive Prospects
The “Stock Rising” list is back. In this feature, 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.
1. OF Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
2. 1B Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
3. SS B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
4. LHP Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies
5. C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
6. LHP Scott Olsen, Florida Marlins
7. 2B Josh Barfield, San Diego Padres
8. RHP Bobby Jenks, Anaheim Angels
9. 3B Andy Marte, Atlanta Braves
10. C Dioner Navarro, New York Yankees
With adequate feedback, next week’s column will be devoted to any questions that readers might have. Feel free to use the specified thread on the message board or the “comment” feature at the bottom of this thread for the best chance to have your question answered. Simply include your question, and leave your name if you’d like it to be mentioned. All questions will be answered, and they can cover any prospect-related topics.
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.
Posted by Richie Madden: Aug 13 at 7:52 AM
Fantasy Baseball 
Richie,
I love the column. I was wondering what your thoughts are on SS Bobby Crosby, Oak and OF Laynce Nix, Tex. I picked them up in a keeper league and I'm wondering what you think of them. In my estimation these guys should be everyday players in 2004 (Crosby at short if and when Tejada leaves town). Thanks and keep up the great work.
Chris,
Thanks for the comments. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner, but the whole power situation has gotten the better of things in this region.
I think Crosby makes for a great pickup in keeper leagues. He should make an impact in both the short- and long-term, which gives him added value over guys that won't be promoted for another few years. I fully expect him to step into Tejada's spot next year, and he should provide solid production. I like his power/speed combination, although his stolen base total will be limited in Oakland. Still, he has plenty of extra-base power for a middle-infielder (54 extra-base hits this year, including 19 homers), and the ability to hit for average. He draws enough walks, and his strikeout rate is a little higher than ideal (103 Ks in 422 at-bats), but has yet to cause any problems. With everything he has going for him (patience, average, power, speed), the strikeouts are relatively easy to overlook, and his plate discipline is acceptable. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if he has a 2004 campaign similar to Angel Berroa's season this year. Nothing spectacular at first, but a steady increase in solid production. Both players can hit for a solid average, and both have seen a recent surge in power.
Nix is an interesting prospect. He got off to a bit of a slow start, but really picked up his production and has been playing well over the last few months. One of the better prospects in the game, Nix could eventually help in all five fantasy categories, although he will never be a dominating player in any category. He should have an opportunity for consistent playing time next year, with Texas looking to shuffle most of the veterans out the door. He's still young and needs a little time to fully develop, but he'll be a solid producer with time, and could be a nice surprise next season.