Sorry, I posted it a few days late. I promise the next one will be on time.
#49 Jeremy Jeffress, P, MIL - After getting suspended for 50 games at the start of the 2008 season for recreational drug use, it's definitely safe to say Jeffress is risky. If he didn't have drug problems the 21 year old would probably rank in the top-10 in terms of pure talent. Jeffress' fastball sits in the upper 90's with relative ease, and he also compliments his heat with a solid curveball and change up. If his secondary pitches don't improve, his fastball could make him a fantastic reliever. If all goes well, Jeffress could be a September call-up this year.
#48 Jhoulys Chacin, P, COL - The the 21 year old had a fantastic season in 2008, split between A- and A+. Chacin won a minor league leading 18 games and posted a sparkling 2.03 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. There really isn't anything too negative to say about Chacin, who posted a 64% groundball rate and struck out almost a batter per inning. The only concerns are that he was a little old for his level in 2008 and when he gets called up, Chacin will have to pitch in Colorado, which will probably kill his numbers. Chacin will probably spend most of 2008 at AA, however if he has another outstanding year the righty could compete for a rotation spot with the Rockies in 2010.
#47 Adrian Cardenas, 2B, OAK - The 21 year old is the highest ranked 2B on our top-100 list, which due to the scarcity of middle infielders who can hit, makes him quite valuable. In 2008, split between A+ and AA, Cardenas complied a line of .297/.366/.400 while hitting 5 homeruns and stealing 17 bases in 417 at-bats. Cardenas probably won't hit for much power, but his encouraging mix of speed and contact still make him valuable. He could be Oakland's starting second baseman by late-2009.
#46 Micheal Inoa, P, OAK - The 6'7 righty was the top international amateur prospect in 2008, signing with the A's for $4.25 million last July. Inoa is only 16 and hasn't yet thrown a professional pitch, but he does possess an enticing three pitch mix. His fastball sits in the low-90's with room for improvement as he fills out; Inoa's changeup and curveball are still developing, but that's to be expected for someone who could be a sophomore in high school. He'll probably spend most of 2009 in extended spring training and then rookie league; He shouldn't be in the majors before 2013.
#45 Lou Marson, C, PHI - Marson made solid strides in 2008, most notably with his plate discipline, increasing his walk rate to a whopping 17.2%, up from 11.4% in 2007. At AA in 2008, the 22 year old posted a line of .314/.433/.416 with 5 homeruns in 322 at-bats. Unfortunately, Marson struggles to hit flyballs, only posting 28% flyball rate last year; also concerning was his BABIP, which was an abnormally high .389, that number will almost certainly go down in the future. Marson has the makings of an impressive defensive catcher with solid offensive skills, if he can hit less groundballs he should be very good. There is a sizable chance that Marson could win the starting catcher job with the Phillies from Carlos Ruiz in spring training; even if he doesn't he should see regular playing time by mid-season.
#44 Logan Morrison, 1B, FLA - I already wrote a separate article on Morrison and Mike Stanton a few weeks ago, the entire thing can be found here. "Though he doesn't have the same kind of power as Stanton, Logan Morrison should be a star in his own right. Morrison hit .332 at A+ last year while striking out 80 times and walking 57 times in 488 at-bats last year in the offense-depressed Florida State League. The first baseman showed decent pop, hitting 13 homeruns and posting a .494 slugging percentage. Florida's first base position is wide open with the departure of Mike Jacobs. Morrison, who should start the season in AA has a chance to be a September call up in 2009 and a starter in 2010."
#43 Jordan Schafer, OF, ATL - Before the 2008 season started, Schafer tested positive for HGH and was suspended 50 games. He started slowly when he returned to AA, and there were concerns that he would lose some of his power; surprisingly his power numbers improved thanks to a fantastic second half of the season. His Isolated power (SLG%-AVG) jumped from .183 in A+, to .202 in AA; Schafer also increased his walk rate improving it to 14.8% from 8.3% in 2007. While his .263/.378/.471 line at AA doesn't look too impressive, the 22 year old greatly improved his underlying skills which should show next year when he gets to play a full season. Schafer will compete for an outfield job in spring training, but he'll probably spend at least the first quarter of 2009 in AAA.
#42 Mat Gamel, 3B, MIL - After a breakout year at AA, where he posted a line of .329/.396/.528 with 19 homeruns in 2008, and a trip to the Futures Game, Gamel ended his fantastic season with a September call-up. While he improved dramatically in 2008, Gamel still has a lot he needs to work on, most notably, his defense at third base is atrocious and he will probably have to move to an outfield corner, the 23 year old could also improve his plate discipline, he struck out 110 times while only walking 55 times. Gamel's BABIP was also through the roof at AA at a whopping .393, even if this number regresses to .350 (still extremely high) his batting average would end up around .280. While he appears to be the next great third baseman, Gamel still has a lot to work on before he can be successful in the majors, he could be up by mid-season.
#41 Phillippe Aumont, P, SEA - The 20 year old had a solid first professional season, going 4-4 with a 2.75 ERA in 55 innings at A- before getting hurt. The 6'7 righty has an incredible sinking fastball that sits in the low 90's, when he straightens it out, he can reach the mid to upper-90's-- this approach allows Aumont to rack up both groundballs and strikeouts. Aumont didn't start pitching until he was 14 so he is still quite raw and struggles with his control, there are also concerns about his elbow injury which could require Tommy John Surgery. Nevertheless, Aumont's upside is incredible, if he can develop secondary offerings, he could be an ace, he could also be Mark Prior, but right now he appears to be worth the risk. Assuming all goes well, the large Canadian should reach Seattle around mid-2011.
#40 Mike Stanton, OF, FLA - As I mentioned earlier with Morrison, I wrote a separate article about these two which can be found here. "Stanton was picked in the 2nd round or the 2007 draft. He possesses serious power which he showed off by hitting 39 homeruns at A- as a 19 year old. While he hit .293, Stanton struck out 153 times in 468 at-bats and will need to cut that number down as he ascends through the minors. The outfielder plays below average defense, however that shouldn't hinder him from reaching the majors. If he can improve his plate discipline, Stanton should be able to move quickly through the minors and become star in Florida's outfield for years to come."
Tune in again next Saturday, February 14th for #39-30.
Sources
FirstInning.com
Baseball America
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