My inbox has become saturated with emails wanting to know about some of the players who just fell short of making our 2007 Top 100 Prospect List. Ask and you shall receive.
Here are fifteen players (listed alphabetically) who I had on the bubble of my own top 100:
Mike Carp, 1B, NYM: A powerful lefthanded hitter who was drafted in the 9th round out of high school two years ago, Carp has put up a .271/.368/.447 line in 995 professional at-bats between Rookie ball and High-A St. Lucie. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is also coming off a successful Hawaii Winter Baseball stint in which he hit .299/.361/.402 in the pitching-dominated league (97 at-bats).
Carp, 20, has 25+ home run power (17 in 2006, 19 in 2005) that will continue to surface as he hones his game. He could be a top 25 prospect by the time he graduates to the big leagues.
Tyler Clippard, RHP, NYY: Much of the hype around Clippard was brought to life following his August 17th no-hitter. The 21-year-old pitched exclusively at Double-A Trenton in 2006, where he maintained a 1.04 WHIP, 9.47 K/9, and allowed 14 home runs in 166.1 innings.
While the 2003 9th rounder missed a ton of bats last season, his walk and home run rates (2.98 BB/9, 0.76 HR/9) are a little concerning. Clippard looks like he will plateau as a middle-of-the-rotation starter. Expect him to rise around our top 70-80 next season.
Blake DeWitt, 2B, LAD: DeWitt primarily played second base during the fall in Hawaii. The 21-year-old former first rounder (2004) has hit .274/.334/.434 with 43 home runs in 1,340 minor league at-bats – mainly below Double-A (104 AA at-bats in 2006).
A lefthanded hitter, DeWitt batted just .216/.294/.289 in Hawaii after going .183/.241/.221 in Double-A Jacksonville. Look for the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder to spend all of next season in Jacksonville. If DeWitt ends up at second base, his 20+ home run potential could make him a solid middle infield power bat.
Gaby Hernandez, RHP, FLA: Acquired from the Mets in the Paul LoDuca trade, Hernandez, 20, made up for a rough April (1.66 WHIP) by pitching well in May, June, and July (combined 1.20 WHIP; 0 HR in 28.2 July innings) before he fell victim to a season-ending foot fracture.
Hernandez finished the season with an 8.63 K/9 ratio, 1.30 WHIP, and 0.53 HR/9 ratio in High-A Jupiter. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound righty doesn’t appear dominant enough to be more than a No. 3 major league starter.
Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP, COL: Expect Jimenez, 23, to crack the Rockies’ rotation at some point next season. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder split time between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2006 – he also had one major league start. He finished the season with a combined 1.36 WHIP, 8.90 K/9, and 0.53 HR/9 rate.
An international signee out of the Dominican, Jimenez has pitched 552.0 minor league innings (337.1 between Rookie ball and High-A; 214.2 between Double and Triple-A). After striking out 9.31 batters per nine and maintaining a 1.31 WHIP in the lower minors, he has put up a 8.51 K/9 and a 1.37 WHIP in the upper minors. Due to his high walk rate (4.29 BB/9 career in the minors), it’s a stretch to expect Jimenez to be more than a back-of-the-rotation starter, but he is very close to making a big league contribution.
Bryan LaHair, 1B, SEA: LaHair was the Mariners Minor League Player of the Year in 2006. That’s not saying a ton, but the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder does stand a chance to become an average big leaguer. LaHair has the athleticism to play first base or switch to a corner outfield position.
Still a bit of a raw prospect, after starting his pro career off as a draft and follow, LaHair, 24, pieced together a fine second half in Triple-A Tacoma (.327/.393/.525 in 202 at-bats). That stint included a streak in which he hit six home runs in six games. Look for LaHair to find a place in Seattle’s lineup by August. He’ll have some value in keeper and deep leagues before the year is done.
Chris Lubanski, OF, KC: A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story of first and second half performances, Lubanski, 21, has split time looking like the No. 5 overall talent the Royals thought they drafted in 2003 and playing like someone who doesn’t belong on a big league roster.
After putting up a .344 OBP from April to June last season, the 6-foot-3, 206-pound lefty had a .404 OBP for the remainder of the season -- .262 vs. .314 batting average for those of you still recalibrating. A .291/.355/.478 career minor leaguer (1,763 at-bats), Lubanski may turn into an above-average big league hitter, albeit quite a gamble.
John Mayberry, OF, TEX: Not in line to get many at-bats in 2007, Mayberry has the kind of power that could help owners in even shallow leagues down the stretch. Yes, he hasn’t played above Single-A, but he shredded his way through the Hawaii Winter Baseball League (.318/.388/.545 with 3 HR in 88 at-bats) and will push for big league playing time if he keeps up his torrid pace.
A 6-foot-6, 230-pounder out of Stanford, Mayberry, 23, hit .266/.356/.476 last season in Single-A Clinton. The two-time first rounder (28th overall out of high school; 19th overall out of college) hit 10 of his 21 home runs between July and August.
Brandon Morrow, RHP, SEA: Morrow really started growing into his frame during his sophomore season at Cal. When he pitched in the Cape the summer before his junior year, he was lighting up radar guns with 99 MPH heat. As expected, the 6-foot-3, 175-pounder is still learning how to harness his stuff. He’s going to be more of a project than most starting pitchers, but Morrow definitely has ace potential. Worst case, he will be a decent arm out of the bullpen.
After tossing 96.2 innings during the college season (he only pitched 25.0 in 2005), Morrow was limited to just 16.0 innings between Rookie ball and High-A last season – he struck out 17 batters (9.56 K/9) and maintained a 1.19 WHIP. The California native stuck out 9.03 batters per nine and maintained a 1.15 WHIP as a junior at Cal.
Jon Niese, SP, NYM: A 6-foot-3, 190-pound lefty, Niese, 20, struck out 9.45 batters per nine between Single-A and High-A in his first full professional season. So why wasn’t he in our Top 100? How about a 4.50 BB/9 rate?
Just a 7th round draft pick out of high school, Niese could emerge as one of the best lefties in the minors next season. If you like high ceiling lefties, Niese is worth a roster spot in formats that have deep minor league systems.
Chris Parmelee, OF, MIN: While the 2006 high school draft class doesn’t even begin to rival 2005’s, Parmelee, 18, could emerge as an elite talent. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound lefty hit .273/.369/.500 in 176 at-bats between Rookie ball and Single-A last season.
If he moves at an Andrew McCutchen pace, Parmelee could be a big leaguer by 2008. By then, the California native may already have 20+ home run power to go along with .370 OBP potential.
Ricky Romero, LHP, TOR: In line to be a big leaguer every since his dad trained him to predominately use his left arm, Romero, 22, will wind up being an effective starting pitcher for Toronto. I don’t really see the No. 2 ceiling that a lot of people talk about, though.
A 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, Romero has struck out 7.17 batters per nine and maintained a 1.26 WHIP in 158.1 minor league innings (91.0 in the low minors; 67.1 in Double-A). Look for him to crack the Blue Jays’ rotation as soon as 2007. If called up next, Romero will likely be less effective than Matt Garza was last year – Romero will be a middle-of-the-rotation starter.
Kurt Suzuki, C, OAK: The greatest catcher in Cal State Fullerton history – sorry Brent Mayne – Suzuki owns a .386 on-base clip over the course of his 992 at-bat professional career (616 low-level at-bats; 376 Double-A at-bats).
Expect the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder to force Oakland to strongly consider parting ways with Jason Kendall after his contract expires in 2007. Suzuki likely won’t ever be a 20+ home run guy, but he could get on base enough to maintain an 800+ OPS.
Scott Thorman, 1B, ATL: Thorman had 128 big league at-bats last season – three short of losing his rookie status – and hit .234/.263/.438 with 5 home runs and 11 doubles. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder hit .283/.466/.341 in 1,212 combined Double-A and Triple-A at-bats.
A first rounder taken out of high school (2000), Thorman doesn’t get on base at ton, but he could hit 15 big league home runs in 2007. If the lefthanded hitter winds up landing a starting job somewhere, he’ll be a worthy backup first baseman in shallow leagues and a decent starter in NL-only/deep mixed formats.
Eric Young Jr., 2B, COL: For those of you who play in leagues that give stolen bases a lot of value, this is your guy. Young Jr. (the son of Eric Young) led the minor leagues in stolen bases last season with 87 in 118 attempts – 73.7% success.
But his peripherals still show a lot of room for growth: .293/.397/.410 in 788 at-bats between Rookie ball and Single-A. Young Jr., 21, continues to impress after signing as a free agent out of high school. He’s still a wildcard but this is a speedster who could turn into fantasy gold.
Let me know if there’s anyone else who you think we’re looking over by dropping me an email at
adamwfoster@gmail.com.