Prospect Report:
Prospect of the Year 2002

David Cameron

Last year we had three tremendous seasons from three remarkable talents. Hank Blalock, Josh Beckett, and Adam Dunn all would have made terrific choices for 2001 Prospect of the Year. All three are potential superstars at the major-league level who dominated each stop on their way to the big show.

This is not last year. Those who were big names this spring suffered through injuries, disappointing seasons, and in some cases, both. Nobody had what could be described as a truly dominating season. The kids at the top of the prospect charts are there on projection, not performance.

The 2002 Prospect of the Year award is designed to recognize an outstanding season by a potential all-star major-league player. Players over the age of 25 will not be considered for the award, regardless of their performance. While the contenders didn't always lead their leagues in all categories, they did establish themselves as legitimate major-league talents who played very well during the season.

I considered three pitchers and three hitters for the award. The five nominees who came up a little short all had outstanding seasons and are quality major-league prospects. Congratulations go out to all of them. On to the nominees...

Jose Reyes put an end to the talk about the lack of a true prospect in the Mets system. He made the jump to the Florida State League at just 19 years of age and turned the league on its ear. His .288 BA/.353 OBP/.462 SLG line is extremely impressive for a player of his experience in the FSL. His walk rate took a dramatic leap from last year and his power and speed continued at near-all-star levels.

Reyes spent the second half of the season in AA Binghamton, which alone is an accomplishment. His walk rate and power fell off, but he continued to hit singles and steal lots of bases. He's got a great future ahead of him if he can continue to improve his strike zone judgment. If the Mets hold off the urge to give him the job next year, he'll be a prime candidate for 2003 Prospect of the Year.

The only thing missing from Mark Teixeira's season is at-bats. He missed the first six weeks of the season with a wrist injury that threatened to shut him down for the whole year. Once he returned, however, he terrorized both the Florida State League and the Texas League. He combined to hit .318/.413/.592 between the two leagues, and his consistency was remarkable.

The jump to AA didn't slow Teixeira down at all, and his numbers actually improved after the promotion. His future position is a question mark, but his bat is definitely major-league caliber. He should be swinging the lumber in Texas as soon as next year.

Jesse Foppert exploded onto the scene a year after the Giants took him in the second round. He made the jump from short-season ball all the way to AA to begin the season and quickly became the best pitcher in the Texas League. Foppert is an example of the peripheral stats telling more of the story than wins and ERA. He finished with just 6 wins and a 3.79 ERA, but his 183 strikeouts were second highest in the minors.

He showed good command of a mid-90s fastball and a strikeout-quality slider. His home run rate jumped when he moved to the PCL, but it shouldn't be a concern for the future. Foppert will likely go through some adjustments next year, but he's one of the top right-handed arms in the game.

19-year-old southpaw Sean Burnett dominated the Carolina League in an unusual fashion. His strategy of inducing ground balls led to a 1.80 ERA over 155 innings despite just 96 strikeouts. His fastball and changeup are both quality pitches with his curveball a developing third pitch. His command is as good as any pitcher in the minors; he forces hitters to get themselves out and does it quite well. His strategy is questionable against better hitters, but Burnett clearly has major-league stuff and command.

The Marlins acquired Dontrelle Willis as one of three players from the Cubs in a salary dump back in March. Willis proceeded to make them look wise by having little trouble with the Midwest League. His 1.83 ERA wasn't supported by tremendous strikeout totals, but he was promoted to the Florida State League for the last month of the season.

His performance in five starts at high-A was nothing short of brilliant. He walked three and struck out 27 in 30 innings, lowering his ERA to 1.80. Willis is the most questionable major-league talent of the five, but his performance cannot be discounted.

Those five all had outstanding seasons, but all had shortcomings. Reyes, Burnett, and Willis did most of their work in A-ball. Teixeira missed a large portion of the season due to his wrist injury. Foppert faded down the stretch and was rather hittable the last month of the season. None of them were able to sustain consistent, dominating performances over the full five-month season.

That is why Victor Martinez walks away with the 2002 Prospect of the Year award. Martinez came out of the gate swinging and never slowed down. He led the Eastern League in batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. He spent 101 games behind the plate but still managed to produce throughout the year.

Martinez's plate discipline was impeccable and his power among the best in the minors. His defense is solid and he should be able to stay behind the plate at the major-league level. With his bat, he'll have little trouble establishing himself as one of the better catchers in the American League.

The 23-year-old has now won league MVP in back-to-back years, building on his 2001 Carolina League MVP. He's established himself as the Indians' catcher of the future and one of the premier backstop prospects in the game. It was certainly a banner year for Cleveland's farm system and no one demonstrates that better than Martinez.

For his accomplishments against AA pitching while playing the most demanding defensive position on the diamond, Victor Martinez is your 2002 Prospect of the Year.

about the author

David Cameron is well aware that your favorite prospect didn't win this year's award, and if he were not a thoughtful, compassionate man, he would have said "tough nuts." Complain anyway at dac@strikethree.com.