Rangers Top 15 Most Relevant Prospects
Everybody has their Top 10, 25, 40 or 100 prospects list. People love to rank prospects.
I'm not good at it. In my opinion, no prospect can be accurately ranked anywhere until he has success (or at least played) at the Double A level. Double A is the first real indication if a player has a chance to make it to the Major Leagues.
That said, here is my prospect list. This is not a list of the top prospects in the Rangers organization. Smarter people have done that. This is the Top 15 Most Relevant. What does that mean?
Well, you'll figure it out.
(All players listed must be a rookie going into next year)
1. RHP Eric Hurley - He made five starts for the Rangers this past season and four were pretty good. Losing him for three months because of shoulder problems might have been the biggest setback the Rangers had in 2008. People seem to be overlooking him but he's my Christmas "pick to click" in Spring Training.
2. C Taylor Teagarden - Still think Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be the Opening Day catcher. Still think the Rangers will give him the job and see what he'll do with it. But there are some that still believe Teagarden is the Rangers catcher of the future because of his advanced defensive skills.3. SS Elvis Andrus - He'll start the season at Triple A. The Rangers will watch him close. Could a major decision be a year away? Less than a year? Or like Joaquin Arias, maybe it will never come.
4. RHP Thomas Diamond - He is healthy. He is over Tommy John. He'll be ready for Spring Training. This will be a huge Spring for him.
5. LHP Derek Holland - He's coming to camp. He has everybody excited. Get ready for a classic Spring Training feeding frenzy. But he does not need to be in the big leagues yet.
6. RHP Neftali Feliz - Here's hoping the Rangers give him every chance to develop three pitches.
7. OF Julio Borbon - He won't be on the Opening Day roster. But 2009 should determine whether or not he's the Rangers future answer in center field and the leadoff spot. He hit .320 last season with 57 stolen bases between Class A Bakersfield and Double A Frisco.
8. Guillermo Moscoso - He is one of two pitchers acquired from the Tigers for Gerald Laird. The other guy, Carlos Melo, is 17. Moscoso has a terrific strikeout-to-walk ratio and pitch in the big leagues at some point next season.9. C Max Ramirez - He might deserve to be higher considering there's some who believe he could be turned loose in the designated hitter spot. But he definitely needs more Minor League time to refine his catching skills.
10. RHP John Bannister - This guy got everybody excited in the Arizona Fall League. He could win a spot in the bullpen.
11. RHP Tommy Hunter - Don't rush this guy. Don't compare him to Rick Helling. Give the guy a chance.
12. 3B John Whittleman - Here's the reality of Top Prospect lists. One day you are being compared to George Brett. The next day you're all but forgotten. The Rangers pushed this guy early and he's had some struggles. Now he's making the big jump to Double A at a position that just isn't very strong for the Rangers.
13. 1B Justin Smoak - The Rangers 2008 first-round pick has had all of 56 professional at-bats and everybody is already wondering what position Chris Davis will be playing in 2010. Let's see how quickly Smoak comes in 2009.
14. RHP Omar Poveda - He's a little farther along than some of the other big young arms in the lower levels of the Rangers farm system. He's sputtered a little bit at Bakersfield after mastering Clinton, now he's on the 40-man roster. It will be interesting to see if he can force his way to Frisco and make that big jump.
15. LHP Kasey Kiker - He has been in the system 21/2 years since being taken No. 1 in 2006. Same as Poveda. It will be interesting to see if he can get to Frisco and flourish. The Rangers like him of course but he has been passed by Holland.
It's always good when we throw our ideas out for players. Never know when the powers-to-be might listen!
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
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I'd love to see Hurley assert himself this spring and break camp in the rotation. The four starts he made prior to his injury were very promising.
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Teagarden is the future catcher, Salty may hit, but his defense really isn't defense. Bobby Cox really stuck it to us on this one if Salty really was the key to this deal. Harrison and Andrus are worth Tex alone, but i would like to see Salty dealt for a starting pitcher, someone who could help us next year. Teagarden has already hit better than Salt in his brief stay last year, surely he has earned the #1 job with Ramirez as backup catcher and right handed DH. Especially if Blalock is the left handed DH. Can Salty play third? If not deal him.
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If AA is the first real indication if a player can play then why do you laud the "organization" for acquiring low A ball players. Basically what we have done and continue to do is trade known quantities for unknown quantities. Very risky if you ask me. But here goes for the top 10:
1) Hurley, injured RHP prospect, sounds familiar.
2) Teagarden should be starter based on fall stats, hitting and defense already better than Saltalamacchia.
3) Andrus starting at AAA? Now who is rushing whom? The guy is only 19 or 20. If you aren't going to trade Mike Young then isn't a postion switch in his future? I say move him to second and Kinsler to third this solves your problems.
4) Diamond is rumored to be a bullpen pitcher at best. DVD, DVD anyone else remember that chant? If you have three top pitching prospects aren't you supposed to keep the top one for yourself if you are insane enough to trade the other two? Anyone on here think Diamond is going to be better than Volquez or Danks?
5) Holland rumored to be top pitching prospect. Heard that before, if he shows anything he is in the rotation by the end of the season or traded. Patience is something that we have preached alot about but not followed through with.
6) Feliz see #5 are we keeping our top pitching prospects now?
7) Borbon is future leadoff hitter and Centerfielder. He is a good player who didn't get put on the 40 man roster for no reason.
8) If Moscoso could pitch do you think the Tigers would have dealt him? The 17 year old is who they didn't want to give up and i heard someone recently say Double A is the real indicator if a player can play in the bigs.
9) Max needs to refine his skills but Salty gets the position and starts???? I like Saltalamacchia but he is the third best catcher out of Teagarden, Ramirez and himself. Ramirez is better defensively that Salty is right now. Can Ramirez play third?
10) We need starting pitching another Bullpen pitcher doesn't help us unless he is left handed.
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Is Salty considered a prospect still? After all, he is only 23--younger than Teagarden and Ramirez. I know he is not the defensive catcher yet, but remember his big league callup with Atlanta, and his time in Arlington, have hindered his defensive development as he has not been catching regularly. He deserves the shot more than Teagarded does.
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A 'prospect' is usually any player who hasn't lost his rookie status yet. This would make Teagarden, Hurley, Ramirez and Hunter still prospects while Saltalamacchia, Davis, Harrison and Madrigal are not.
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