#29 Jake McGee, P, TB - After starting off 2008 with a solid performance in AA, McGee injured his elbow in the second half and needed Tommy John Surgery; as a result he will be out for most of 2009 recovering. The 22 year old went 6-4 with a 3.94 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 77 innings at AA and had a shot to be a September call-up with the Rays. Assuming all goes well with his rehab, McGee will probably pitch in the Arizona Fall League in 2009 to help make up for lost time, he will probably open 2010 in AAA and could reach Tampa by mid-season.
#28 Eric Hosmer, 1B, KC - The #3 overall pick in the 2008 draft, Hosmer has an extremely advanced approach for hitting for a 19 year old. Unlike most high school hitters, Hosmer has excellent plate discipline to go along with his exceptional bat. His power is only average right now but he still has plenty of time to add muscle. Hosmer only got 11 at-bats at rookie league last year and will probably start there in 2009. He is extremely polished for his age and has a chance to move quickly through the system, look for him in a Royals uniform by 2012.
#27 Wade Davis, P, TB - Before Jake McGee's injury, he and Davis were practically identical; McGee was actually considered to have the edge because he was left handed and moved a little quicker through the system. Davis had a fantastic 2008 season, starting in AA where he went 9-6 with a 3.85 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 108 innings, he pitched at AAA during the second half of the season, going 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 53 innings. Davis should get a shot to crack the Rays rotation during spring training, at worst he should be up by mid-season.
#26 Tim Beckham, SS, TB - The 1st overall pick in the 2008 draft, Beckham struggled to transition from high school to pro ball, compiling a line of .243/297/.345 with 2 homeruns in 177 at-bats in rookie league. Obviously, it's way too early to write him off just because he had a bad start; in his prime, Beckham should hit around .300 with power and speed, and could be a dynamic lead-off man if he can get on base more. He will probably spend most of 2009 in rookie league, hopefully with better results, and could reach Tampa Bay by 2013.
#25 Jarrod Parker, P, ARI - A first round pick in the 2007 draft, Parker had a brilliant season at A-, going 12-5 with 117 strikeouts in 118 innings and only walking 33 batters. Parker's fastball sits in the mid-90's with good movement, he also has a plus curve and a solid slider which he can throw for strikes. He his currently 6'2, 175 pounds, so he may still be able to add velocity to his pitches; even if he doesn't, Parker should be a #1 starter who could make his major league debut as a September call-up in 2011.
#24 Tim Alderson, P, SF - Fun Fact: Of all of the high school pitchers taken in the 2007 draft, Alderson and Rick Porcello of the Tigers made their full season debuts at A+. Alderson dominated in the California league, the most hitter-friendly of all the minor leagues, at 19 years old, going 13-4 with a 2.79 ERA and 124 strikeouts and only 34 walks in 145 innings AS A 19 YEAR OLD! The 6'6" righty features a low-to-mid-90's fastball with decent life and a plus curveball which he commands excellently. Alderson should start 2009 in AA, and I wouldn't be surprised if he reaches the majors by mid-season, 2010.
#23 Fernando Martinez, OF, NYM - After signing out of the Dominican Republic as a 16 year old, Martinez has become one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory. Martinez reached AA in 2007 as a 19 year old and struggled against the older competition; in 2008 he repeated AA and put together a much stronger season, compiling a line of .284/.338/.429 with 8 homeruns in 385 at-bats. While his line doesn't seem overly impressive, we need to consider two factors, 1.) the Eastern League is murder on hitters 2.) Martinez played part of the year injured. There are a few red flags, Martinez has yet to play a full minor league season and is somewhat reluctant to talk a walk, striking out 73 times while walking only 27. The bottom line is Martinez can flat out hit, if he can stay healthy he will be a force to be reckoned with in the majors. look for him to spend most of 2009 in AAA and reach New York in September.
#22 Madison Bumgarner, P, SF - He and Alderson form a scary tandem of San Francisco pitching prospects and when you couple them with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez, the Giants could have a historic rotation in a few years. Bumgarner had a tremendous season at A- in 2008 going 15-3 with a 1.47 ERA, 154 strikeouts and only 21 walks 135 innings. The 19 year old lefty dominates with a mid 90's fastball that has great life which he can spot anywhere in the strike zone. His slider also has a chance to be a plus pitch but he almost never threw it in high school and needs to work on its consistency. If his secondary offerings continue to develop Bumgarner could blossom into an ace, if not he will be a light-out reliever. Bumgarner might start 2009 in AA, if so he could fight for a rotation spot in 2010.
#21 Matt LaPorta, 1B, CLE - the 23 year old was the talk of the town in the first half of the season hitting 20 homeruns and .288 in 366 at-bats at AA. A mid-season trade moved him to the Eastern League and he only hit .233 with 2 homeruns from that point forward. Nevertheless, a trade to an AL is probably the best thing for LaPorta, who happens to be an abysmal defender, as he can now be Cleveland's DH for the next 20 years. LaPorta could be up by mid-season.
#20 Dexter Fowler, OF, COL - Fowler successfully made the transition from athlete to baseball player during his breakout 2008 season. In 431 AA at-bats, Fowler compiled a line of .335/.431/.515 with 9 homeruns and 20 stolen bases. The 22 year old switch hitter finished off the season with a trip to Beijing for the Olympics and a September Call-up with Colorado, needless to say it was a busy year for him. Fowler showed great plate discipline striking out 89 times and walking 65 times. With Colorado's vacancy at center field, Fowler will get an opportunity to stick with the big league club in spring training and at worst, should be up by mid-season.
Tune in next Saturday, 2/28, for #19-10.
Sources
FirstInning.com
Baseball America
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