National League Call-Up Report

Jason Michael Barker

On Monday we looked at the top call-ups in the American Leagueso it's only fitting that today we turn our attention to the Senior Circuit. Without further ado...

It's probably hard to tell who they are among all those young players, but the Marlins have a couple of new players worth watching. The first is catcher Ramon Castro, whose fabulous defense and strong throwing arm draw comparisons to former Marlin backstop Charles Johnson. Unfortunately, his bat can also be compared to Johnson's, and that isn't exactly a compliment.

He's also extremely slow on the basepaths, so he doesn't look to hit many doubles in the majors, and despite his size (6'3", 225) he hasn't shown home run power, although he did hit a career-high 15 this season at AAA. If, like Johnson has done later in his career, Castro can show some pop and draw a few walks, he should have value beyond his defense.

Florida has tried quite a few young starting pitchers recently, with mixed success. Next up is Michael Tejara, a smallish (5'9", 175) lefty with very good control. He had a very good year for AA Portland this season, going 13-4 with a 2.62 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 154.2 innings. He allowed just 137 hits and 45 walks in those innings, which works out to a respectable 1.19 WHIP.

In 425.2 professional innings (rookie ball through AA this season), he's struck out 393 batters and walked just 121, better than a 3:1 ratio, and although his strikeout rate is a bit low to predict huge big-league success, it's hard to find much else wrong with his numbers. It's a bit curious that he wasn't promoted to AAA any time this season since he finished last year at AA, but he's a good bet to sneak into the Marlins rotation next spring.

Lastly, the Marlins boast Julio Ramirez, a toolsy outfielder who has been compared to Andruw Jones. The one problem with that comparison is that Ramirez doesn't have Jones' great plate discipline and walk rates. This season at AA Portland, Ramirez drew just 39 walks and struck out 150 times in 568 at-bats. Last season at high-A Brevard City the numbers were very similar -- 147 strikeouts and 45 walks in 559 at-bats.

The thing scouts do like is his speed, which has led to big steals and triples totals, and for some reason I have a special affinity for players who post double-digit numbers in doubles, triples, homers and steals. Ramirez has done just that, with 20-12-13-71 last year and 30-10-13-64 this year. His walk rate is a problem, but with his other skills he only needs to improve it to respectability to be a useful player. A year at AAA might be in order.

If Ramirez needs to work on drawing walks, Montreal's Peter Bergeron does not. If you find that odd for an Expo prospect, there's a reason -- Bergeron started off in the Dodgers organization before being traded by (read: stolen from) Tommy Lasorda last season. The Expos have been looking for a leadoff man and another outfielder for awhile (you and I both know Wilton Guererro is not the answer), and Bergeron put up a .386/.454 season at AAA this year in his first exposure above AA.

He should eventually be an OBP machine at the top of the order, and his defense in center is good enough to push Rondell White to left, which would have a positive effect on White's health. An outfield of White, Bergeron and Vlad Guererro would be very productive next season, and affordable to boot.

How old is George Toca? The Mets claim he's 24 and a prospect, but rosters in his native Cuba claim he's actually 28, which clearly puts his prospect status in doubt. He's a good hitter either way, and has adjusted quite well to wood bats, but depending on his age he might either be a good bench player or a potential star.

Toca began the season at AA, where he hit .384/.584 with 32 walks and 20 homers in 279 at-bats, earning a promotion to AAA Norfolk. In 49 games at AAA he hit .357/. 500 with five homers, although his walk rate took a big hit, slipping to six walks in 179 at-bats. John Olerud is a free-agent at the end of the season, so it's possible Toca might get the job next spring. There's also been talk of moving him to the outfield in order to get his bat in the lineup, and depending on how he plays the next few years we should get a better idea about his age.

The Pirates are getting ready for next season by giving Aramis Ramirez another trial at third, and long-time prospect Chad Hermanson his first shot in the big-league outfield. Ramirez was rushed to the majors from A-ball last season, and was sent down to AAA after early struggles. The Pirates wisely decided to give him a full year there this season, and he responded with a monster campaign -- .425/.546, 21 homers, 35 doubles, 73 walks and just 56 strikeouts.

The bad news is that he made 42 errors at the hot corner, although some of that should be attributed to less-than-ideal minor league infields. Still, that's a ton of errors for anybody, regardless of the situation. The Pirates appear ready to give Ramirez the job next season, and hopefully his bat will make up for his glove.

Hermanson, on the other hand, seems to have solved his defensive woes after trials at both second and short in previous seasons. When he couldn't hack it in the middle infield, he was moved to the outfield and he looks to have figured it out, having made only three errors all season. He still hasn't figured out the strike zone, however, striking out 119 times to go along with just 35 walks. Hermanson is a big time power hitter -- he hit 32 homers this year and is only 21 -- and might wind up another "all-or-nothing" player unless he learns to be more selective at the plate.

The Rockies have had their problems with overrated players -- Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette and Eric Young, to name three -- but every so often the get one right, as is the case with Todd Helton and Larry Walker. Enter Ben Petrick, the top catching prospect in baseball. Petrick is that rare breed of catcher who combines speed, plate discipline and pop in his bat; basically, he's the complete offensive package, similar to Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall, and he's got a strong arm as well. His bat will flourish at Coors Field, and he should be the Rockies starting catcher next season and for years to come.

about the author

If you run into Jason Michael Barker, you may notice that he has a birthmark shaped just like Don Zimmer on his neck. Resist both the urge to giggle, and if from New York having it declared a national monument. Instead, mention that only a slight laser change will turn it into Ernest Borgnine at jmb@strikethree.com.

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