September Call-Ups
September 02, 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.
Due to severe non-site work overloads, several past editions of “Prospect Alert” have been delayed and/or skipped. I’m sorry that this has happened, and apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused, but it is simply beyond my control. Given that the minor leagues are now in the “playoff swing,” and that most of the promotions have been made, I will likely switch over to a more sporadic release of new editions, with that process likely to start in the coming weeks. Hopefully the normal schedule can be followed for the remainder of the minor league playoffs, after which there will simply be nothing to talk about. I plan on publishing some offseason reports, although the extent of these releases has yet to be determined. So, if you’re wondering why new reports are unavailable, it is simply because there is no information left to publish. Feel free to leave any suggestions at the bottom of the page as to what you would like to see in terms of offseason reports. As of now, a few possibilities are Arizona Fall League Updates, Organizational Farm System Reports, and Positional Prospect Reports. Any ideas/comments/questions on these or any ideas are more than welcome. Thanks for a great year!
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.
This month, the “Recent Promotions” feature will be in full gear, as most teams are currently promoting many of their young prospects due to September roster expansion. Keep a close eye on this feature, as we’ll cover all the names you need to know.
2B Brandon Phillips, Cleveland Indians **/*****
DH Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins **/*****
SS Bobby Crosby, Oakland A’s **/****
SP Jose Contreras, New York Yankees ****/****
1B Lyle Overbay, Arizona Diamondbacks **/***
RP Franklyn German, Detroit Tigers **/***
C Johnny Estrada, Atlanta Braves **/***
SP Mike Wood, Oakland A’s **/***
SP/RP Casey Fossum, Boston Red Sox */**
RP Chad Cordero, Montreal Expos */**
Plenty of big names got the call last week, and all of these guys have a chance to become household names in the future. Actually, all are/were amongst the top prospects in their respective organizations, either now or in the past. Phillips has a legitimate chance to develop into one of the game’s best middle-infielders, with a dazzling array of all five tools. Morneau is arguably the best pure hitter in the minors, and will produce in the majors in the near future. Crosby appears ready to replace Miguel Tejada in Oakland, and he has a nice power/speed combination with plenty of other tools mixed in. Contreras has been dominant at times, and could be a significant factor in the Yankees’ playoff push, if they are willing to trust him. Overbay has put in a ton of work at Triple-A since his demotion, reworking his swing in a short period of time. German is a flamethrower, and will develop into a dominant closer if he improves his control. Estrada was a bit old for Triple-A, but absolutely dominated there. Perhaps the Millwood trade wasn’t as lobsided as originally thought. Wood will attempt to fill a relief role with the A’s, but has not looked overly impressive thus far. Fossum has really struggled at the major-league level, but hopefully things will turn around. So far, the results are not encouraging. Cordero is another 2003 draftee that has rocketed through the minors. He could be the Expos’ closer of the future, which makes him worth watching.
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.
SP Danny Haren, St. Louis Cardinals */****
OF Ramon Nivar, Texas Rangers */***
Two of the better prospects in baseball, Haren and Nivar both have very bright futures in store for themselves. Given additional experience and a little more minor-league time, both should develop into solid major league starters.
Prospect Pulse
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. RHP Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
2. LHP Travis Blackley, Seattle Mariners
3. 1B Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
4. RHP Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians
5. OF Jeremy Reed, Chicago White Sox
6. LHP Greg Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers
7. OF Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
8. RHP Bobby Jenks, Anaheim Angels
9. C Dioner Navarro, New York Yankees
10. SS B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
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: Sep 2 at 4:24 PM
Fantasy Baseball 
I love your site and try to read it weekly. I play in a 75 man keeper league and I wonder what ever happened to Corwin Malone...I can't find any info on him since 2002?
Thanks for the comments, Dave.
Malone struggled with shoulder injuries to start the season, and spent most of the first half of the season on the Double-A Birmingham disabled list. As he was recovering from those injuries, he was actually included on the 8-man list from which the Rangers could select the PTBNL in the Carl Everett deal, but he was bypassed in favor of Anthony Webster, Josh Rupe, and Franklin Francisco. In addition to the shoulder problems, he also struggled with elbow injuries, and his performance struggled as a result. He finished with a combined ERA over 5.00, through various rehab starts and a short stint in Birmingham. His WHIP was well over 1.00, and his ratios were all poor.
To his benefit, however, the White Sox tinkered with his mechanics last season, in an attempt to convert Malone from a flamethower to finesse pitcher. As a result, his production suffered, and the injuries could have resulted from the new, less-familiar delivery.
Only time will tell if Malone can turn things around, but things have certainly been on the decline since his stellar 2001 campaign. He'll be one to watch, and he will be undervalued after a rough past two seasons, but his future as a major leaguer is iffy at this point.