Prospect Report:
The Prospect All-Stars

David Cameron

Believe it or not, we're at the minor league all-star break, with only the two AAA leagues still going. In the all-star spirit, this week I'm naming the first and second team Prospect All-Stars for 2002. These teams recognize legitimate major league prospects who have had success in the first half of the year. These aren't necessarily the best prospects at their positions, but you won't find journeymen minor leaguers on the teams, either.

Catcher
1st Team: Justin Huber, Mets, Low-A
2nd Team: Victor Martinez, Indians, AA

Huber has been a machine for Capital City this year, ripping off a .331/.430/.551 line. He's third in the league in batting average, first in on-base percentage, and second in slugging percentage. He's also second in the league in extra base hits with 30. His walk rate is good though his strikeout rate is a bit high. He's going to have to make more consistent contact against high level pitching, but it hasn't been a problem so far. At just 19 years of age, the Mets have to be optimistic that they have found the kid who will help move Mike Piazza out from behind the plate.

Martinez has been nearly as good as Huber and is doing it against much tougher competition in the Eastern League. At age 23, he's an advanced hitter, posting a .313/.398/.525 mark and has solid defensive skills. His walk-to-strikeout ratio of 29/35 is exceptional and Martinez looks like the real deal. The Indians have to be pleased with his development, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Martinez fighting for a job in spring training next year.

1st Base
1st Team: Lyle Overbay, Diamondbacks, AAA
2nd Team: Josh Phelps, Blue Jays, AAA

Overbay hasn't gotten a lot of notice over the past several years, through no fault of his own. He's making people take notice this season, however, roasting the PCL to the tune of .340/.390/.521. He's not a superstar in the making, and at age 25, isn't a spring chicken, but he's done nothing but hit since the Diamondbacks selected him in the 18th round of the 1999 draft. His walk rate has never been great and it's only mediocre this year, but he doesn't strike out much either. He also doesn't have typical first baseman's power, but he's driven the ball more this year, with 28 of his 90 hits going for extra bases. He'll get knocked because Tucson is a great hitters park, but he's actually hitting better on the road than he is at home. He doesn't profile out as a major league all-star, but Overbay would likely be an improvement over 5-10 major league first baseman tomorrow.

Phelps makes the team at first base despite only playing five games there. He has spent most of the year at catcher but shoulder problems have caused the Blue Jays to move him to first base. Considering he hasn't thrown many baserunners out in nearly two years, the switch is probably permanent, which is unfortunate for Phelps' career prospects. However, he's shown he can still demolish a baseball. He's hitting .283/.368/.654 against International League pitching with a league leading 20 home runs. If the Blue Jays can find a spot for him on the field, he'll be in Toronto pretty soon.

2nd Base
1st Team: Dominic Rich, Blue Jays, High-A
2nd Team: David Espinosa, Reds, High-A

The unheralded Rich has been the best player in the Florida State League so far, posting a .356/.438/.504 mark with a terrific 36/39 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 284 at-bats. Rich is a tough guy to peg as a major leaguer because he doesn't have an outstanding skill besides getting on base. He doesn't have enough power (22 extra base hits) to hit in the middle of a line-up or enough speed (3-for-7 on stolen bases) to make a manager want to hit him leadoff. What he does well is get on base, and the Blue Jays need a few guys like him. He turns 23 in August, so Toronto will likely test him against AA pitching before the season is over.

Espinosa was drafted as a shortstop last summer but has moved permanently to the other side of the bag. At just 20 years of age, he's more than holding his own against California League pitching. His .275 batting average isn't that impressive, but a remarkable 48 walks leads to a .390 on-base percentage. He's also knocked 24 extra base hits, giving him a respectable .434 slugging percentage. Nearly one-third of his hits have gone for extra bases, so he's showing legitimate power at a young age. He's also stolen 18 bases in 31 attempts, so his speed is there but his baserunning needs improvement. The Reds have to be happy with their first round pick's progress so far.

Shortstop
1st Team: Brandon Phillips, Expos, AAA
2nd Team: Jose Reyes, Mets, High-A

Phillips is a no brainer, as he's filled the 10th spot on the Prospect Ten for a few weeks now. He's torched AA pitching and recently earned a promotion to AAA. If he can rediscover the patience he's showed in the past, he could be one of the best young shortstops in the National League as early as next year. There's not a lot this young man can't do.

Had I written this article two weeks ago, Reyes wouldn't have garnered much attention as his batting average sat at a weak .252. After a torrid finish to the first half, he's now hitting .288/.353/.462 as a 19-year old in the Florida State League. Reyes has improved his patience, drawing 30 walks against just 35 strikeouts, which was the one knock against him entering the season. He's shown power (27 extra base hits) and speed (31 steals, 11 triples). If Reyes can continue to consolidate the gains he's made this year, he'll be the best shortstop prospect on the planet a year from now. He's not that far away as it is.

3rd Base
1st Team: Chad Tracy, Diamondbacks, AA
2nd Team: Travis Chapman, Phillies, AA

You've probably heard of Chad Tracy by now, mainly because he's flirted with .400 for most of the year. I begrudgingly give him his spot on the team because I'm as tired of reading about him as you are. Well, that, and because he's not playing that well. Right, I realize he's hitting .383, so it's hard to knock the guy, but there are some definite flaws in his game right now. He's drawn just 16 walks, so his on-base percentage is .414. While he does have 31 extra base hits, 21 of those have come at home, in the very friendly confines of El Paso. Right now, he's mainly a singles hitter who doesn't draw many walks. That'll work if you're Tony Gwynn, but not too many people are Tony Gwynn. He's just 22 and in his first full year of pro ball, so there's time for improvement, but don't let people fool you into thinking he's major league ready.

Chapman hasn't gotten nearly the press that Tracy has but is outplaying him so far. While playing in the more pitcher friendly Eastern League, Chapman has hit .367/.453/.579. He's drawn 32 walks against just 28 strikeouts in 240 at-bats and 31of his 88 hits have gone for extra bases, so he has legitimate power. The knock on him is his age (24) and his defense, which may necessitate a move from 3rd base. Of course, this is almost the carbon copy argument that caused two organizations to trade Eric Hinske, and we're seeing how good a move that turned out to be.

Left Field
1st Team: Jack Cust, Rockies, AAA
2nd Team: Jonny Gomes, Devil Rays, High-A

Cust, like Phillips, has appeared on the Prospect Ten for most of the year and was a rather easy selection. He has nothing left to prove in AAA and deserves a major league job. Once he's handed a bat, he'll become one of the most feared hitters in the National League. The Rockies only excuse for not having him in Colorado is that they are saving themselves some money by delaying his service time. While true, it's also not particularly fair to Cust, who has earned a trip to the Show.

Gomes has burst onto the prospect scene with a huge season in Bakersfield. Overshadowed by more hyped teammates Rocco Baldelli and Josh Hamilton, Gomes has destroyed the baseball to a .304/.440/.634 tune. An 18th round pick in 2001, Gomes hasn't stopped hitting since he signed and doesn't show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. The only concern right now is the high strikeout number (77 in 227 at-bats), but that could be a product of his willingness to take a walk (43 of those). Gomes doesn't get the press other prospects do, but he's making a name for himself.

Center Field
1st Team: Carl Crawford, Devil Rays, AAA
2nd Team: Shin-Soo Choo, Mariners, Low-A

Crawford has split time between left and center, but has played mostly center field recently, where his range is best put to use. With other corner outfield prospects coming up through the system, Crawford is most valuable to Tampa Bay in center, so hopefully that's where they leave him. He started off the year on fire but has cooled down lately after a brief trip to the disabled list. Overall, his .313/.346/.502 line is excellent for a 20-year old in the International League. His problems controlling the strike zone make the idea of a promotion to the major leagues a poor one, but his physical abilities could add a interesting dimension for Devil Rays fans. Crawford should spend more time in the minors working on his plate discipline, but he's young enough to learn on the job if forced to. He's pretty comparable to Cubs wonderboy Corey Patterson.

Choo is basically the anti-Crawford. He has good physical skills, but the organization wants him to be more aggressive at the plate. He's hitting well in his first exposure to full season ball with a .313/.417/.431 line in the Midwest League. He leads the circuit in on-base percentage thanks to 36 walks in 232 at-bats. He hasn't shown much power yet with just 19 extra base hits, but not too many teenagers do. He still profiles as a 30-30 threat at the major league level and the Mariners are quite happy with his development to date.

Right Field
1st Team: Michael Cuddyer, Twins, AAA
2nd Team: Todd Linden, Giants, AA

Really, the entire Edmonton Trappers outfield could go here, with Cuddyer, Mike Restovich, and Mike Ryan all having monster seasons in the PCL. Cuddyer gets the nod, though it's close between he and Restovich. A converted 3B, his bat is ready for the big leagues, having posted a .338/.411/.657 mark in the first half. He's drawn 23 walks in 210 at-bats, so he could become more selective at the plate, but he's shown solid patience in the past. 30 of his 71 hits are for extra bases, and 16 of those are home runs, so he doesn't require much projection at this point. His bat is for real. If the Twins need to add a power hitter to the middle of their line-up in the second half, he should get a look.

Linden had a checkered college career that ended with him being a sandwich pick of the Giants last summer. So far, he's made a lot of teams look bad for passing on him. In his first year of full-season ball, he's hitting .314/.395/.435. The Paul O'Neill comparisons look pretty accurate, as he's a line drive hitter who gets on base and sprays the ball all over the field. He has 23 extra base hits, showing some more future power, and his 30 walks are a positive sign. Linden isn't that far from the major leagues and could be battling for a spot on the Giants roster next spring.

Right-Handed Pitcher
1st Team: Jesse Foppert, Giants, AAA
2nd Team: Jake Peavy, Padres, AA

Nobody has moved up the prospect lists this season like Foppert, who was a steal as a 2nd round pick in last year's draft. The Giants rushed him to AA where he blew away Texas League hitters before being promoted to AAA for his last start. In his PCL debut, he struck out eight while allowing just one run in six innings. The Giants have some terrific young pitching with Jerome Williams, Boof Bonser, and Kurt Ainsworth, but Foppert has flung himself right near the front of that group and will get serious consideration for a roster spot next spring.

Peavy has also spent the whole year on the Prospect Ten, so his appearance here is no surprise. He's dominated Southern League hitters with his control of three above average pitches. He's also watched three of his teammates get promoted from Mobile to the San Diego rotation, so hopefully he doesn't get discouraged that the Padres haven't looked to him yet. He's still got quite a bright future.

Left-Handed Pitcher
1st Team: Erik Bedard, Orioles, AA
2nd Team: Clifton Lee, Expos, AA

Bedard has only logged 56 innings for Bowie this year, but he's been superb when on the mound. He spent a few weeks in Baltimore at the beginning of the year, but the Orioles wisely sent him back to the minors to work on his craft. Bedard has posted a league leading 1.61 ERA, which isn't even close to #2 (Justin Wayne's 2.26). He's struck out 58 against just 26 walks and has allowed a ridiculously low 34 hits. Bedard has clearly established himself as the Orioles best prospect and one of the best southpaws in the minor leagues.

A little further down the Eastern League leaderboard, you'll find Lee's name and his 2.87 ERA. He's actually pitched much better than his ERA indicates, as he's allowed just 79 baserunners in 82 innings of work. The only flaw so far has been the nine homers he's allowed, but that shouldn't be a major problem at the major league level. His stuff is for real, as evidenced by his 98 strikeouts and just 22 walks. Lee, like Bedard, doesn't get as much notice as he should, but he's clearly one of the elite left-handed prospects around.

about the author

David Cameron doesn't get as much notice as he should either, but you don't hear him complaining. Well, maybe you do, in which case you should tell him to keep it down at dac@strikethree.com.

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