Baseball America is running their annual ratings of “Best Tools” from the big leagues all the way down to A ball. They poll minor league managers from each league to come up with their conclusions, so they can be pretty subjective. Managers are not scouts—not in most cases—so they can view tools a bit differently. Obviously managers care most about what shows up in games. Several Cardinal prospects tools rated the best in their respective leagues. They are:
- Mitch Boggs, Best Pitching Prospect of the Pacific Coast League
- Chris Perez, Best Reliever of the PCL
- Jose Martinez, Best Defensive Second Baseman of the Texas League
- Francisco Samuel, Best Breaking Ball of the Florida State League
I was taken back a bit with Boggs being rated the best pitching prospect in the league, but looking around the league it’s been a pretty down year for the PCL in that regard. Tim Lincecum took home that honor last year, and Jered Weaver the previous year before that.
In this week’s Hot Sheet, inexplicably no Cardinals were ranked, but Nico Vasquez and Daryl Jones were at least mentioned in the “Team Photo”. Nico hit .476/.500/.619 between two levels this past week, and Jones hit .346/.469/.692.
Curt Smith was named the Appy League Player of the Year. Not shabby for a 39th rounder.
The farm goes 3-for-6 tonight.
- Brian Barden went 1-3 with a walk. They’re playing for a Bronze for Japan right now as I write this.
- Bryan Anderson hit a rare homer.
- Josh Phelps went 2-4 and hit his 31st homer.
- Rico Washington went 2-3 with a walk.
- D’Angelo Jimenez 2-4.
- Clayton Mortensen was dusted up a little. He allowed seven hits (two for homers) and walked three over five innings. On the positive, he struck out six and had seven ground outs versus two air outs.
- Matt Scherer threw two effective innings. He walked one, allowed one hit and struck out two.
- Daryl Jones went 2-4 and swiped a bag.
- Brandon Yarbrough went 3-4 with a double.
- Casey Rowlett hit a three run homer for his only hit.
- Brett Wallace went 1-4.
- Justin Fiske had a solid performance in a game that could have playoff implications. The soft tossing lefty struck out eight batters and allowed one run in 6.1 innings. He struggled a bit with control, walking four batters. He gave up just four hits, all singles.
- Luke Gregerson and Marco Gonzalez didn’t allow a hit to close the door.
- Daniel Descalso went 2-4 with a double.
- Paul Vasquez doubled.
- Antoine DeJesus tripled.
- Brian Cartie went 2-4.
- Pete Kozma remains ice cold, hitting .115 in Palm Beach so far.
- Same old, same old from Blake King. 5.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K.
- Francisco Samuel walked the bases loaded and threw a wild pitch but managed to leave them stranded, striking out the last batter to end it.
- Thomas Pham tripled and struck out twice.
- Domnit Bolivar went 2-4.
- Nico went hitless, but he did have a sac fly. I’m not Hardcore Legend, but I heard a rumor that Nico saved a baby river otter before the game. He gave the little guy mouth to mouth and named him Squiggy.
- Liam’s favorite pitcher Jameson Maj had a decent outing. He struck out seven batters in five innings with no walks. Maj gave up two ER on five hits, including a HR.
- Dylan Gonzalez struck out four in two innings. He allowed a walk and a hit.
- Where has the Kenny we knew gone? Kenny Maiques walked two and threw two wild pitches. He gave up three earned runs and retired just two batters.
- Alex Castellanos continues to intrigue. He went 3-4 with a triple and is 6-10 with three XBH since being called up to Batavia.
- Chris Swauger went 3-3 with a double and a walk. He has a 1.067 in the month of August.
- Shane Peterson went 0-5 with three strikeouts. He’s hitting just .184/.344/.244 in August. Most alarming, he has 51 SO in 177 AB.
- Colt Sedbrook went 2-5 and was CS.
- Edwin Gomez went 2-4 with a double and two K’s.
- Thomas Eager didn’t have pinpoint command tonight but allowed a run on two hits. He struck out five and walked four.
- George Brown allowed a hit and a walk in three innings, and struck out one. He has a nice 37/8 K/BB ratio over 40.1 innings.
- Jarred Bogany doubled, walked and was caught stealing third.
- Yunier Castillo, Edgar Lara and Matt Rigoli had JCY’s only other hits, all singles.
- Rough defense tonight, they committed six errors. Two came from throwing errors by Castillo.
- Kevin Thomas allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out four.
- Carlos Gonzalez allowed two ER in one IP.
- Reynier Gonzalez allowed one ER on three hits and a walk, and struck out three.
Meanwhile, in the GCL Gary Daley didn’t retire a batter He allowed five earned runs, walked five batters and threw three wild pitches. That gives him a 4/28 K/BB ratio, 15 wild pitches and seven hit batsmen. He has an ERA of 25.00. I’m speechless.
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Like the 1B from Bull Durham, I think someone has put a hex on Castellanos’s glove…either that or he is playing with a skillet instead of a glove.
As for Team USA…what I wouldnt give to be Steven Strassburg’s agent!
USA beat Japan 8-4 for the Bronze.
Barden 0-for-4 with 1 Run, 1 BB, & 2 K’s.
Not too great of a finish for Barden
With Boras as his agent, any chance he falls due to signability, a la Rick Porcello?
Swauger seems this years version of Kingrey and Shorey, college senior OFs who are unspeedy, but swing lefty. Swauger has done a good job at Batavia.
In what could have been a tragic end to the river otter story, 8 women from the Lawrence University volleyball team who witnessed the event had to be rescued by the coast guard after throwing themselves into the river, also hoping for a mouth-to-mouth Nico encounter.
Swirls, its possible he’ll fall but its not likely he falls more than 1-2 spots. IMO, Strasburg is the best pitcher to come out of college since Mark Prior. Prior was the #1 prospect in the 2001 draft and he fell to the Cubs at #2 because the Twins went with the cheaper, though also the hometown boy, Joe Mauer. So there is a chance he’ll fall but probably not that far.
Drafting Strasburg is like signing Jake Peavy to a very very cheap contract. You just don’t pass on him. Money shouldn’t be a worry. He’ll get a major league deal and bonus that equal around 10 million, but it will be worth it.
Yeah, Strasburg will go one, one. I’m sure there are Mariner fans are actually rooting for their team to lose over getting him.
The Pickle (Niko vs Nico) hunger strike is over, as MILB is now listing Vasquez wtih the first name of Niko in their database…..so the debate in my eyes is over.
Its over b/c I am starving…..off to Culvers to get a double butter burger!
Mmmm. Culvers. Get some fried chicken while you are there.
Ah, the ‘ole River Otter trick. Niko uses that at dinner parties all the time. Which Gary Marshall sitcom character did he name it after this time?
Erik, you going to the quad city celebrity home run derby?
Nah, can’t say that I am. It’s like a 2 1/2 hour drive. The Ripper ain’t worth it to me. Niko might be, but not today.
I get a happy/painy feeling down the left side of my body just thinking about that double-butter burger.
Brett Wallace w/ a 3 run hr is first in aa
Hello Everyone!
I’m kinda more surprised that Motte or Perez did not get ‘best fastball’ than I am that Boggs got ‘best pitching prospect’. Also, I believe next year could be breakout years for Boggs, Garcia and Mortensen. I look back at Wainwright’s 2005 at Memphis and remember how unimpressive his numbers were. Sort of reminds me of Mortensen and Garcia this year. I think we’ve all underated Boggs. He may e the best of the three. And I hope someone in the organization can teach Motte a decent changeup. Wouldn’t that be fun?
Casey