I will be doing one of these for each division. To qualify as a prospect, you must be 25 or under and have less than 40 innings pitched or 100 at-bats.
3B Chris Davis, MLB Texas Rangers
MLB Affiliate: Texas Rangers
Chris Davis could very well be a Top 5 prospect in the whole league - maybe even No. 1. Texas, after all, does have a great farm system and Davis lives up to it's reputation. The 22-year old third baseman is already in the majors and he is hitting home runs like nobody's buisness. He has six home runs in just 51 at-bats with the Rangers - do you know how many he would be on pace for if he played the whole season? He would have 78 in about 650 at-bats. That is serious power! His power has shown as he climbed through minor league ranks as well, hitting 74 with 233 runs batted in in 1,045 minor league at-bats. Davis also hit .302 during all of this time. Two sore spots though - one, he has a .235 average in the majors - disapointing. Second of all, his defense is terrible. He will miss the easiest plays at the worst times and when balls start getting hit harder at "The Show" he has already made an error in 14 games. Still, Davis will always be a candidate to hit 50 home runs when he is playing full-time, perhaps next year.
RHP Eric Hurley, AAA Oklahoma RedHawks
MLB Affiliate: Texas Rangers
I'll take a different view on this: Texas has terrible pitching and the farm system's top prospect lives up to their reputation. Hurley isn't terrible but most teams could do a little bit better than this for their top pitching prospect - an ERA of over 5.00 in Triple A ball during part of the 2007 season and this season. At this pace, I can't see him being that good in the majors but his lower level stats are just too good to tell already. Hurley had an ERA well under 4.00 before he went up to Triple A and he had a 19-11 record. One problem this 22-year old may have when he eventually gets to the majors is his tendency to go right after hitters. Hurley's goal is to strikeout the hitter or get him out another way - he isn't the type of guy that likes to throw waste pitches or anything like that. Maybe that explains the 26 home runs he gave up in 2007 or the 15 he already gave up this year. Still, Hurley could be decent, maybe a second or third guy on the Rangers rotation but a third or fourth guy on any other rotation
3B/SS Brandon Wood, AAA Salt Lake Bees
MLB Affiliate: Los Angeles Angels
Brandon Wood, a 23-year old player who has been up in the majors for stints in both 2007 and 2008, has 97 career major league at-bats (none of them good, however, he is hitting .134), and to be qualified as a prospect, you must have less than 100 MLB at-bats so Wood barely qualifies. Despite his poor average with the Angels, he is still a very good prospects. In his six seasons in the minor leagues (may seem like a lot but he started when he was 18-years old), Wood has averaged a .280 avg. with 30 home runs and 106 runs batted in every 600 at-bats. Not bad, right? Too bad his bad offense might slow him down a little bit - he has a career minor league fielding percentage of .921 and he will most likely be playing at that position once he is in the majors, full-time. His fielding percentage at shortstop, which is .956, isn't great either. Despite all of his offensive talent, his journy to being a full-time shortstop or third baseman could be tough. Chone Figgins will be the starter at third as long as he is on the team and Erick Aybar is expected to be the team's future. Wood will most likely get traded to a team where he can start daily.
RHP Jordan Walden, A Cedar Rapids Kernels
MLB Affiliate: Los Angeles Angels
Walden was recently inked to a contract with a $1 million signing bonus and I have a feeling that the Angels won't regret it. He was a 12th round pick of the 2006 MLB Draft and usually picks out of the ten first rounds don't mean much but Walden does. He is 5-7 with a 2.58 ERA along with 145 strikeouts in 165 innings of work with the RK league and the Single A league which he is in now. These are very good stats but not amazing or anything like that at such low levels. First, you have to remember that Walden just turned 20-years old this year. Second of all, the best is yet to come. He has tons of potential and he has a fastball that is constantly in the mid-90's and usually tops out at 98 MPH. That is heat. Walden has excellent stamina and started all 32 games that he pitched in his minor league career. He also has a good change-up. Walden could be a star pitcher in the MLB and maybe make a few All-Star appearences.
IF/OF Eric Patterson, AAA Sacremento River Cats
MLB Affiliate: Oakland Athletics
Eric Patterson, brother of fellow MLB player Corey Patterson, acquired in the deal that sent injury prone ace Rich Harden to the Cubs, has had a great minor league career so far, if only he could get into the majors soon and extend that success. Patterson is a 25-year old utility player and has played 2nd base, all outfield positions, and has the talent to play any position on the infield. He has great range, you can tell by his .977 fielding percentage in the minors or you may be able to tell by his great speed, and that is a different story. Patterson has 113 steals in three years of minor league ball, that equals about 40 steals a year. He has cracked 40 steals in two of those three years. His speed on the base-paths compliment his contact hitting and his surprising power for a middle-infielder. He has hit .303 with 46 home runs in right around 1,700 minor league at-bats. Oakland has a full outfield so Patterson will most likely be used at 2B when he gets called up since Mark Ellis isn't getting any younger.
RHP Trevor Cahill, AA Midland RockHounds
MLB Affiliate: Oakland Athletics
Too bad Brett Anderson just got traded, he would have been here instead of Trevor Cahill but nonetheless, Cahill is still an amazing pitcher. He has a whopping 20-8 minor league record in less than three seasons. Sure, it's low minor league ball, not that important but it looks like the A's got something special here. He has a 2.71 ERA in minor league baseball so far but the interesting part is how he kept improving as he kept going to higher ranks. He started with the RK AZL Athletics and went 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA then got called up to the A Kane Country Cougars where he went 11-4 with a 2.73 ERA and then he went onto the A+ and went 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA and now he is here at Double A, a 4-0 record with an 2.14 ERA along with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings. Cahill has 250 strikeouts in 222.2 career minor league innings. Oakland has a good repuation of developing star pitchers from their farm system and Cahill looks like he can continue that trend.
SS Carlos Triunfel, A+ High Desert Mavericks
MLB Affiliate: Seattle Mariners
Carlos Triunfel is just an 18-year old man (er, should I say boy) who was signed out of the Dominican Republic last year when he was 17-years old. He could be a great one. There are many things to like about Triunfel but the best thing?: His fantastic defense and his strong arm which helps Triunfel have one of the strongest throws in the minor leagues. Although Triunfel probably won't play shortstop if he gets called up by the Seattle Mariners (Jose LOpez is the shortstop of the future), he will probably play another infield position like third but his offense should definitely get him a starting spot somewhere. He is still developing but his stats aren't bad as a teenager playing in a pro league, a .276 average with over 20 steals in about 600 at-bats. Power will start to develop as he gets older and he'll use his speed to his advantage. Triunfel has advanced to the Advanced Single A class despite being only a teenager plus a thumb injury last year which was expected to slow him down - but it didn't. Look for him in the majors but 2010.
RHP Phillippe Aumont, A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
MLB Affiliate: Seattle Mariners
Phillippe Aumont, like Triunfel, was signed at a very young age. in fast, he was signed at age 18 after he got drafted 11th overrall by the Mariners in the 2006 MLB Draft. Aumont was graduating out of a high school in Quebec at the time and he looked like the real deal. This young Canadian born pitcher has a fastball that tops out at 97 MPH and consistently stays at around 94-96. Aumont is having a solid year with the Timber Rattlers this year, going 4-4 with a 2.62 ERA along with 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings. Out of the 12 games Aumont has pitched in the minor league, just six have been starts and six have been relief outings in which he collected two saves in. He has just average stamina so it will remain unclear whether he will be a starter or a closer. Aumont is a ground ball pitcher and pitchers like this usually have a lot of success although he also strikes out a lot of guys too. Despite all of the talent, The Mariners are going to want to let Aumont develop in the minors for a few more years so have an eye out for 2011.




Danica Patrck
Erin Carlisle

Comments (10) Add A Comment
Davis has been moved to first base for a while now and that is the only position he has played in his 15 in the majors. His defense is not terrible, as you state, he has made one error, but has also made some fabulous plays defensively.
A .235 average is not great, true. BUT 95% of power hitters struggle with average right away, Evan Longoria hit .234 in the month of May, so to say it is a weaknees is incorrect. He was a .300 hitter in the minors and has shown a knack for getting hits in key spots already.
Nickb23- It's a…
Arlington , TX
Total Comments (6130)
Hurley is not the best pitcher in the farm system, he is the most major league ready and in 4 starts in the majors had a 3.57 ERA before he got hurt.
The 2 pitchersaquired in the Teixera trade are actually both showing signs of higher potential.
Matt Harrison got called up and held the Angels to 2 runs in 7 strong and got the win.
Neftali Feliz is 20 and is already up to AA, he has hit 101 on the gun and blew threw A ball with 106 K's in 82 innings. He among many others, as the Rangers have drafted LOADS of pitchers have shown great potential.
Hurley has never been a good strikeout pitcher and looks to be a back of the rotation starter if some of the kids behind him are not traded stupidly like the great John Danks.
Nickb23- It's a…
Arlington , TX
Total Comments (6130)
Thanks for highlighting the Rangers, just thought I would sound off, sorry to intrude.
Nickb23- It's a…
Arlington , TX
Total Comments (6130)
No worries, nice to know your opinion
Detroit Steel
Detroit,, MI
Total Comments (477)
Actually Eric Patterson played some games in the majors already.
Dyhard:Homecoming…
Germantown, WI
Total Comments (32350)
"RHP Phillippe Aumont, A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers"
I need to get to a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game.
Dyhard:Homecoming…
Germantown, WI
Total Comments (32350)
Great blog...and I should be keeping my eye on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Beloit Snappers, as they play IN my state.
Dyhard:Homecoming…
Germantown, WI
Total Comments (32350)
I dont like your pick for Oaklands hitter or your pick for the Angels pitcher but they are still pretty good I just think their are better choices
Ellsbury Rocks
Boston, MA
Total Comments (1378)
Nick Adenhart-- a 21 year old righty rated high on baseball americas top 50 prospects who has a career 3.65 ERA in the minors and has great potential
Ellsbury Rocks
Boston, MA
Total Comments (1378)
he wold be my Angels pithcer and my A's hittter would be Aaron Cunningham who is 22 and has a career .303 BA in the minors
Ellsbury Rocks
Boston, MA
Total Comments (1378)
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