The Z-Meter 8/23/2009 – Long Time, No See Edition

The Z-meter tracks the story arcs of 25 top prospects (or players we just like) on their way to the bigs. It is named after current Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman, who made the transition from anchoring the University of Virginia to starring in MLB in one year.

Promoted:

Jordan Zimmermann: Syracuse Chiefs (AAA) to Washington Nationals (MLB)

Matt LaPorta: Columbus Clippers (AAA) to Cleveland Indians (MLB)

Daniel Bard: Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) to Boston Red Sox (MLB)

Mat Gamel: Nashville Sounds (AAA) to Milwaukee Brewers (MLB)

Fernando Martinez: Buffalo Bisons (AAA) to New York Mets (MLB)

Matt Wieters: Norfolk Tides (AAA) to Baltimore Orioles (MLB)

Antonio Bastardo: Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (AAA) to Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)

Andrew McCutchen: Indianapolis Indians (AAA) to Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)

 

Jhoulys Chacin: Tulsa Drillers (AA) to Colorado Rockies (MLB)

Alcides Escobar: Nashville Sounds (AAA) to Houston Astros (MLB)

 

Antonio Bastardo: Reading Phillies (AA) to Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (AAA)

Justin Smoak: Frisco Rough Riders (AA) to Oklahoma City RedHawks (AAA)

Madison Bumgarner: San Jose Giants (A) to Connecticut Defenders (AA)
Yonder Alonso: Sarasota Reds (A) to Carolina Mudcats (AA)
Pedro Alvarez: Lynchburg Hillcats (A) to Altoona Curve (AA)

Mauricio Robles: West Michigan Whitecaps (A) to Lakeland Flying Tigers (A+)
Josh Vitters: Peoria Chiefs (A) to Daytona Cubs (A+)

From the “What took you so long?” files, Alcides Escobar has finally been called up to the Brewers. He’s hitting .318 in the seven games he’s played so far, and has a stolen base and four runs.

Carlos Carrasco is in the black, literally and figuratively. After a horrible start at Lehigh, he was traded to the Columbus Clippers, and that has made all the difference, it seems. He has won all four of his starts, posted a 3.45 ERA (vs. the 5.18 he had when he left the Phillies Pharm), and continued to strike people out. Good on ya, Carlos!

 Mauricio Robles posted an ERA of 135.0 in his second game with the High Desert Mavericks, in just 1/3 of an inning. He’s really settled down since, allowing just one earned run in the past 19 innings, and none at all in his last two wins. Nice recovery, Mau.

The new guy is double-A slugger Deik Scram. I picked him because of his great name and stats, but then I started wondering where one gets such a great name. I peeked at the “Hometown” line on his MiLB player page, and saw that he’s from Arkansas City, KS. Hey! That’s ten miles from where my mom lives! And if you think th ename Deik Scram is funny, you’ll love this little fact: residents of the area pronounce it Ar-Kansas City. Yep.

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The top level. These prospects are in AAA in the prime of their youth, waiting for the call that will change their lives.

Wade Davis, RHP – Durham Bulls (Rays): 25 Games – 10 W – 7 L – 3.34 ERA – 59 BB – 129 K

Kila Kaaihue, 1B – Omaha Royals – .265 – 76 R – 17 HR – 54 RBI – 90 BB – 0 SB – .457 SLG – .867 OPS

Carlos Carrasco, RHP – Columbus Clippers (Indians): 24 Starts – 10 W – 9 L – 4.83 ERA – 43 BB – 139 K

Austin Jackson, OF – Scranton Wilkes-Barre (Yankees): .304 – 61 R – 4 HR – 55 RBI – 40 BB – 22 SB – .416 SLG – .781 OPS

Justin Smoak, 1B – Oklahoma City RedHawks (Rangers): .239 AVG – 20 R – 3 HR – 21 RBI – 28 BB – 0 SB – .356 SLG – .710 OPS

Travis Wood, RHP – Louisville Bats (Reds): 5 Games – 3 W – 1 L – 2.93 ERA – 14 BB – 16 K

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These guys also have the potential to skip straight to the majors, but may get promoted to AAA first.

 

Lars Anderson, 1B – Portland SeaDogs (Red Sox): .239 AVG – 45 R – 8 HR – 49 RBI – 54 BB – 1 SB – .357 SLG – .690 OPS

Carlos Santana, C – Akron Aeros (Indians): .286 AVG – 79 R – 20 HR – 86 RBI – 79 BB – 1 SB – .525 SLG – .934 OPS

 

Andrew Locke, OF – Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros): .335 AVG – 77 R – 19 HR – 103 RBI – 43 BB – 2 SB – .525 SLG – .909 OPS

 

Madison Bumgarner, LHP – Connecticut Defenders (Giants): 17 Games – 8 W – 1 L – 2.05 ERA – 28 BB – 66 K

 Jeanmar Gomez, RHP – Akron Aeros (Indians): 19 Starts – 10 W – 3 L – 3.06 ERA – 34 BB – 97 K

  

Kyle Drabek, RHP – Reading Phillies (Phillies): 14 Games – 8 W – 2 L – 3.39 ERA – 29 BB – 69 K

 

Pedro Alvarez, 3B – Altoona Curve (Pirates): .333 AVG – 34 R – 10 HR – 32 RBI – 24 BB – 1 SB – .571 SLG – .976 OPS

 

Eddy Martinez-Esteve, OF – Connecticut Defenders (Giants): .301 AVG – 53 R – 7 HR – 60 RBI – 44 BB – 1 SB – .432 SLG – .804 OPS

 

Deik Scram, OF – Erie SeaWolves (Tigers): .259 AVG – 68 R – 18 HR – 66 RBI – 56 BB – 9 SB – .495 SLG – .844 OPS

 

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These guys have vast potential but need to work out some kinks in A-ball before they can advance.

Ian Gac, 1B – Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers): .241 AVG – 49 R – 18 HR – 46 RBI – 28 BB – 1 SB – .453 SLG – .751 OPS

Yonder Alonso, 1B – Sarasota Reds (Reds): .303 AVG – 21 R – 7 HR – 38 RBI – 24 BB – 0 SB – .497 SLG – .880 OPS

Mike Moustakas, SS – Wilmington Blue Rocks (Royals): .253 AVG – 61 R – 14 HR – 77 RBI – 27 BB – 8 SB – .418 SLG – .714 OPS

Che-Hsuan Lin, OF – Salem Red Sox: .263 AVG – 69 R – 7 HR – 53 RBI – 60 BB – 23 SB – .370 SLG – .724 OPS

Josh Vitters, 3B – Daytona Cubs (Cubs): .237 AVG – 14 R – 2 HR – 15 RBI – 3 BB – 1 SB – .345 SLG – .604 OPS

Collin Cowgill, OF (injured) – Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks): .277 AVG – 39 R – 6 HR – 36 RBI – 29 BB – 11 SB – .445 SLG – .819 OPS

Mauricio Robles, P – High Desert Mavericks (Mariners): 4 Games – 1 W – 1 L – 4.05 ERA – 12 BB – 13 K

Tim Beckham, SS – Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays): .281 AVG – 53 R – 5 HR – 61 RBI – 32 BB – 10 SB – .408 SLG – .743 OPS

Ezekiel Spruill, RHP – Rome Braves (Braves): 18 Games – 8 W – 5 L – 1 SV – 3.06 ERA – 21 BB – 85 K

Brad Brach, RHP – Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres): 56 Games – 1.36 ERA – 3 W – 3 L – 31 SV – 11 BB – 78 K

Jamie McOwen, RF – High Desert Mavericks (Mariners): .336 AVG – 70 R – 7 HR – 74 RBI – 37 BB – 11 SB – .475 SLG – .867 OPS

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NCAA: Only used if a prospect in college shows really, truly, immensely, hugely inescapable potential.

Stephen Strasburg, RHP – San Diego State: 14 Starts – 13 W – 1 L – 1.32 ERA – 19 BB – 195 K

Strasburg was the #1 pick in the college draft this season, and has signed with the Washington Nationals.

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Prospects chosen from Diamond Cutter’s Top 25, Baseball America, and our trademark irrational sense of whimsy.

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The Z-Meter: 7/23/2008

The Z-meter tracks the story arcs of 25 top prospects (or players we just like) on their way to the bigs. It is named after current Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman, who made the transition from anchoring the University of Virginia to starring in MLB in one year.

Promoted:

Evan Longoria, 3B, Durham (AAA) to Tampa Bay Rays (MLB)
Luke Hochevar, RHP, Omaha (AAA) to Kansas City Royals (MLB)
Max Scherzer, RHP, Tucson (AAA) to Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)
Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Jacksonville (AA) to Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
Jay Bruce, OF, Louisville (AAA) to Cincinnati Reds (MLB)
Homer Bailey, RHP, Louisville (AAA) to Cincinnati Reds (MLB)
Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Springs (AAA) to Colorado Rockies (MLB)
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Sacramento (AAA) to Oakland (MLB)
Chase Headley, 3B, Portland (AAA) to San Diego (MLB)
Eulogio De La Cruz, RHP, Albuquerque (AAA) to Marlins (MLB)
Joe Koshansky, 1B, Colorado Springs (AAA) to Rockies (MLB)

Justin Masterson, RHP, Portland (AA) to Boston (MLB)

Jeff Samardzija, RHP, Tennessee (AA) to Iowa (AAA)
Luke Montz, C, Harrisburg (AA) to Columbus (AAA)
Wade Davis, RHP, Montgomery (AA) to Durham (AAA)

Antonio Bastardo, LHP, Clearwater (A) to Reading Phillies (AA)
David Price, LHP, Vero Beach (A) to Montgomery (AA)
Matt Weiters, C, Frederick Keys (A) to Bowie Baysox (AA)
Lars Anderson, 1B, Lancaster JetHawks (A) to Portland SeaDogs (AA)

Travis Snider, OF, Dunedin (A-Advanced) to New Hampshire (AA)

Ian Gac, 1B, Clinton (A) to Bakersfield (Advanced A)
Jhoulys Chacin, RHP, Asheville (A) to Modesto (Advanced A)

Josh Vitters, 3B, Boise (Short A) to Peoria (A)

No more call-ups this week, though we had one near miss. Several news outlets reported that Jhoulys Chacin was getting the hee-yuge call up from High-A Modesto to the parent club in Denver. Rumors that proved to be false. The Rockies had, instead, called up Juan Morillo. Chacin still rocks the party, though. He’s 5-0 in his latest gig.

We did have one promotion, however. Rays prospect Wade Davis made the move from Montgomery to Durham, and promptly won his first game there. His ERA still has that new-car smell, at 0.00, for now.

The only other news is that the trade that broke up the Huntsville Stars dynasty is finally starting to show some negative effects. LaPorta, Gamel, and Escobar all had sub-par weeks, though their overall numbers are still high. I’m off to Altoona tomorrow to see the Curve take on the Aeros, so maybe I’ll have some LaPorta photos and eyewitness news for you when I get back.

Let’s see who else is hot this week:

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The top level. These prospects are in AAA in the prime of their youth, and ready for the call that will change their lives.

Andrew McCutchen, CF – Indianapolis Indians (Pirates): .282 – 54R – 9HR – 37RBI – 25SB – 48BB – .417 SLG – .787 OPS

Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B – Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners): .265 – 54R – 5HR – 47RBI – 36BB – 2SB – .408 SLG – .761 OPS

Colby Rasmus, LF – Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals): .249 – 56R – 11HR – 36RBI – 15SB – 49BB – .395 SLG – .741 OPS

Nelson Cruz, RF – Oklahoma Redhawks (Rangers): .341 – 84R – 32HR – 83RBI – 21SB – 56BB – .709 SLG – 1.151 OPS

Jeff Samardzija, RHP – Iowa Cubs (Cubs): 6GS – 4W – 1L – 3.13 – 16BB – 40K

Luke Montz, C – Columbus Clippers (Nationals): .175 – 4R – 0HR – 7RBI – 3BB – 0SB – .246 SLG – .462 OPS

Wade Davis, RHP – Durham Bulls (Rays): 1GS – 1W – 0L – 0.00 ERA – 3BB – 6K

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These guys also have the potential to skip straight to the majors, but may get promoted to AAA first.

Kila Kaaihue, 1B – Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals): .307 – 59R – 24HR – 67RBI – 78BB – 3SB – .614 SLG – 1.080 OPS

Austin Jackson, OF – Trenton Thunder (Yankees): .297 – 61R – 9HR – 57RBI – 51BB – 15SB – .456 SLG – .832 OPS

Jacob McGee, LHP (injured) – Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 15GS – 6W – 4L – 3.94 ERA – 37BB – 65K

Cameron Maybin, CF (injured) – Carolina Mudcats (Marlins): .265 – 55R – 12HR – 38RBI – 43BB – 17SB – .461 SLG – .818 OPS

Elvis Andrus, SS – Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers): .286 – 57R – 1HR – 42RBI – 25BB – 38SB – .342 SLG – .685 OPS

Travis Snider, RF – New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays): .265 – 52R – 15HR – 60RBI – 38BB – 1SB – .463 SLG – .811 OPS

Antonio Bastardo, LHP (injured) – Reading Phillies (Phillies): 9GS – 2W – 3L – 3.11 ERA – 29BB – 39K

Matt Wieters, C – Bowie Baysox (Orioles): .333 – 13R – 3HR – 11RBI – 12BB – 0SB – .519 SLG – .938 OPS

Lars Anderson, 1B – Portland SeaDogs (Red Sox): .214 – 1R – 0HR – 0RBI – 1BB – 0SB – .286 SLG – .552 OPS

Matt LaPorta, CF – Akron Aeros (Indians): .283 – 58R – 21HR – 72RBI – 46BB – 2SB – .551 SLG – .939 OPS

Mat Gamel, 3B – Huntsville Stars (Brewers): .362 – 80R – 15HR – 81RBI – 40BB – 5SB – .586 SLG – 1.007 OPS

David Price, LHP – Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 5GS – 4W – 0L – 2.03 ERA – 10BB – 25K

Fernando Martinez, CF – Binghamton Mets (Mets): .290 – 36R – 5HR – 25RBI – 14BB – 5SB – .421 SLG – .752 OPS

Alcides Escobar, SS – Huntsville Stars (Brewers): .335 – 75R – 7HR – 61RBI – 22BB – 25SB – .438 SLG – .803 OPS

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These guys have vast potential but need to work out some kinks in A-ball before they can advance.

Ian Gac, 1B – Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers): .309 – 13R – 4HR – 18RBI – 8BB – 0SB – .485 SLG – .857 OPS

Jhoulys Chacin, RHP – Modesto Nuts (Rockies): 5GS – 5W – 0L – 1.69 ERA – 4BB – 32K

Rick Porcello, RHP – Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit): 19GS – 6W – 6L – 2.91 ERA – 28BB – 54K

Mike Moustakas, SS – Burlington Bees (Royals): .246 – 44R – 12HR – 43RBI – 27BB – 5SB – .403 SLG – .710 OPS

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Prospects chosen from Diamond Cutter’s Top 25, Baseball America, and my own irrational sense of whimsy.

The Z-Meter: 7/10/2008

The Z-meter tracks the story arcs of 25 top prospects (or players we just like) on their way to the bigs. It is named after current Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman, who made the transition from anchoring the University of Virginia to starring in MLB in one year.

Promoted:

Evan Longoria, 3B, Durham (AAA) to Tampa Bay Rays (MLB)
Luke Hochevar, RHP, Omaha (AAA) to Kansas City Royals (MLB)
Max Scherzer, RHP, Tucson (AAA) to Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)
Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Jacksonville (AA) to Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
Jay Bruce, OF, Louisville (AAA) to Cincinnati Reds (MLB)
Homer Bailey, RHP, Louisville (AAA) to Cincinnati Reds (MLB)
Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Springs (AAA) to Colorado Rockies (MLB)
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Sacramento (AAA) to Oakland (MLB)
Chase Headley, 3B, Portland (AAA) to San Diego (MLB)
Eulogio De La Cruz, RHP, Albuquerque (AAA) to Marlins (MLB)
Joe Koshansky, 1B, Colorado Springs (AAA) to Rockies (MLB)

Justin Masterson, RHP, Portland (AA) to Boston (MLB)

Jeff Samardzija, RHP, Tennessee (AA) to Iowa (AAA)
Luke Montz, C, Harrisburg (AA) to Columbus (AAA)

Antonio Bastardo, LHP, Clearwater (A) to Reading (AA)
David Price, LHP, Vero Beach (A) to Montgomery (AA)
Matt Weiters, C, Frederick Keys (A) to Bowie Baysox (AA)

Travis Snider, OF, Dunedin (A-Advanced) to New Hampshire (AA)

Ian Gac, 1B, Clinton (A) to Bakersfield (Advanced A)
Jhoulys Chacin, RHP, Asheville (A) to Modesto (Advanced A)

Josh Vitters, 3B, Boise (Short A) to Peoria (A)

Trading season officially began this week, as Huntsville Stars star Matt LaPorta was shipped out in a trade that landed C.C. Sabathia in Milwaukee. Fortunately, my man Joe Koshansky moved up to the bigs and is taking the place of an injured Todd Helton, which made room for another Huntsville hitter, shortstop Alcides “Matt” Escobar. As you can see, Alcides is super-hot as well, and belongs here.

On the other hand, as of this writing, Matt LaPorta had yet to take any cuts as an Akron Aero, as a thunderstorm swept through on the night of his expected debut. We’ll keep an eye out for his Cleveland-era stats.

Let’s see who else is hot this week:

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The top level. These prospects are in AAA in the prime of their youth, and ready for the call that will change their lives.

Andrew McCutchen, CF – Indianapolis Indians (Pirates): .286 – 51R – 8HR – 33RBI – 24SB – 42BB – .413 SLG – .785 OPS

Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B – Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners): .251 – 45R – 5HR – 40 RBI – 32BB – 1SB – .393 SLG – .735 OPS

Colby Rasmus, LF – Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals): .249 – 55R – 11HR – 36RBI – 13SB – 49BB – .401 SLG – .752 OPS

Nelson Cruz, RF – Oklahoma Redhawks (Rangers): .343 – 76R – 26HR – 73RBI – 18SB – 51BB – .689 SLG – 1.132 OPS

Jeff Samardzija, RHP – Iowa Cubs (Cubs): 3GS – 2W – 1L – 3.93 – 11BB – 15K

Luke Montz, C – Columbus Clippers (Nationals): .286 – 2R – 0HR – 7RBI – 2BB – 0SB – .429 SLG – .776 OPS

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These guys also have the potential to skip straight to the majors, but are more likely to get promoted to the top of this meter first.

Kila Kaaihue, 1B – Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals): .305 – 46R – 22HR – 58RBI – 60BB – 3SB – .622 SLG – 1.070 OPS

Austin Jackson, OF – Trenton Thunder (Yankees): .274 – 54R – 8HR – 52RBI – 44BB – 14SB – .433 SLG – .785 OPS

Jacob McGee, LHP (injured) – Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 15GS – 6W – 4L – 3.94 ERA – 37BB – 65K

Cameron Maybin, CF – Carolina Mudcats (Marlins): .265 – 55R – 12HR – 38RBI – 43BB – 17SB – .461 SLG – .818 OPS

Wade Davis, RHP – Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 18GS – 8W – 6L – 3.98 ERA – 40BB – 75K

Elvis Andrus, SS – Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers): .295 – 50R – 1HR – 37RBI – 22BB – 31SB – .351 SLG – .706 OPS

Travis Snider, RF – New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays): .272 – 44R – 13HR – 50RBI – 30BB – 1SB – .463 SLG – .811 OPS

Antonio Bastardo, LHP (injured) – Reading Phillies (Phillies): 9GS – 2W – 3L – 3.11 ERA – 29BB – 39K

Matt Wieters, C – Bowie Baysox (Orioles): .342 – 8R – 2HR – 4RBI – 7BB – 0SB – .579 SLG – 1.023 OPS

Matt LaPorta, CF – Akron Aeros (Indians): .288 – 56R – 20HR – 66RBI – 45BB – 2SB – .576 SLG – .978 OPS

Mat Gamel, 3B – Hunts ville Stars (Brewers): .372 – 71R – 15HR – 76RBI – 38BB – 5SB – .612 SLG – 1.044 OPS

David Price, LHP – Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 3GS – 3W – 0L – 1.42 ERA – 7BB – 18K

Fernando Martinez, CF – Binghamton Mets (Mets): .299 – 30R – 4HR – 21RBI – 10BB – 3SB – .431 SLG – .766 OPS

Alcides Escobar, SS – Huntsville Stars (Brewers): .327 – 64R – 7HR – 55RBI – 20BB – 22SB – .440 SLG – .797 OPS

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These guys have vast potential but need to work out some kinks in A-ball before they can advance.

Ian Gac, 1B – Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers): .320 – 5R – 1HR – 9RBI – 1BB – 0SB – .440 SLG – .773 OPS

Lars Anderson, 1B – Lancaster JetHawks (Red Sox): .319 – 54R – 12HR – 46RBI – 45BB – 0SB – .516 SLG – .928 OPS

Jhoulys Chacin, RHP – Modesto Nuts (Rockies): 2GS – 2W – 0L – 0.64 ERA – 1BB – 11K

Rick Porcello, RHP – Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit): 17GS – 5W – 6L – 2.60 ERA – 24BB – 49K

Mike Moustakas, SS – Burlington Bees (Royals): .244 – 40R – 12HR – 42RBI – 26BB – 5SB – .405 SLG – .711 OPS

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Prospects chosen from Diamond Cutter’s Top 25, Baseball America, and my own irrational sense of whimsy.

Captain Cheeseburger Breaks Up the Wonder Mat(t)s

Yeah, it’s a rumor, but I’m convinced it’s happening.

The incredible Huntsville duo of Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta will no longer have one another to kick around. LaPorta and his 66 ribbies will reportedly be infused into the Cleveland system as part of a trade for C.C. Sabathia.

The presence of the Wonder Mat(t)s has long fueled rumors that the Brewers’ trade bait would attract MLB sharks. LaPorta was always first on the list, but his equally talented teammates Mat Gamel and Alcides “Matt” Escobar have been mentioned as well. According to ESPN.com, neither of those Huntsville Stars will be included in the multi-player deal.

This could be just the beginning of the MiLB/MLB trade dance. It’s that time of the year. Check out this week’s Z-meter to see who ends up where.

The Huntsville Eight

(Earlier this week, one of our readers, a friend and fellow blogger, contacted me to ask about doing a guest post about one of the minor league affiliates of his beloved Milwaukee Brewers.  Since Huntsville clearly falls under the Bus Leagues umbrella, and Andrew is already a friend of the blog, saying “yes” was easy.

Reader contributions are always welcome.  To inquire about the possibility of doing a guest post, contact us at busleagues@gmail.com or onemoredyingquail@gmail.com.)

Hi, I’m Andrew. I was the one who brought you fine folks at Bus Leagues Baseball to the attention of the Wonder Mat(t)’s. But did you know that’s not all? It’s true!

For one thing, I’m one of the dudes at The Grand National Championships. But that’s neither here nor there, I’m just saying it to stroke my ego. Did you know that the Huntsville Stars have 8 prospects with Major League capability? And why I’m here is to bring them to you.

(Stats as of 6/20)

1. Mat Gamel (3B)
.367 14 HR 62 RBI .431 OBP .622 SLG

You know it’s rare to have a dude hitting .370 and not be within sniffing distance of a AAA promotion.* But Mat Gamel is just that man. His defense was so shaky last season that he seriously thought of quitting. Not to say that a .906 Fielding percentage is something that engenders confidence in his long term ability to third base? But it is a marked improvement over his 2007 at the hot corner. At 22, his bat is ready now, he just needs to consolidate his defensive gains. We’ll see him in September.

2. Matt LaPorta (RF)
.297 19 HR 58 RBI .411 OBP .610 SLG

Gamel may be the more complete hitter, but LaPorta has the power bat. His college experience has been able to get him from Gator Nation to the dominating Double-A level in 12 months. He is still raw on defense, but he’s improving rapidly. He’ll end up moving from right field, but he’s been more than worthy of his First Round hype. He’ll be in Milwaukee in September. 

3. Alcides Escobar (SS)
.333 6 HR 43 RBI .368 OBP .448 SLG 19 SB

Here’s where some intrigue is developing. Escobar is a vacuum-cleaner at shortstop, and his 19 steals come with 79% success rate. But he is developing power to the gaps (18 XBH compared to 21 last season)and nascent plate discipline (18 walks in comparison to 21). As a 21 year-old in AA? That’s just awesome. If he keeps improving on his plate discipline, he’ll be in Milwaukee sometime in 2009.

4. Angel Salome (C)
.349 7 HR 46 RBI .405 OBP .548 SLG

Coming off a 50-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, the power of the 5’7″ Salome was called into question. But as his 2008 statistics show? His gap power is legitimate. His defense is good in terms of the fundamentals, but he needs to improve the technical aspects on defense and he will never walk or strike out very often. He’ll displace Kendall sometime in 2009, but he’s engaged now. Sorry ladies.

5. Michael Brantley (CF)
.319 4 HR 32 RBI .400 OBP .409 SLG 19 SB

He 21-year old Florida native posesses the best plate discipline in the Brewers organization and is just a touch below Escobar in the wheels department. He has no power, and he is a tweener. (Defensively, he is best suited for left field or first base.) He’s got a Juan Pierre game with plate disipline.

6. Cole Gillespie (LF)
.272 9 HR 45 RBI .375 OBP .484 SLG

The Oregon State alumnus is somebody who plays above his tools. He has doubles power, excellent plate discipline, and excellent baserunning judgement for someone with average speed. His defense is solid and his arm is accurate as well. But with Braun locked up, the Kentucky Ninja Corey Hart being awesome, and LaPorta as the heir apparent? The 24 year-old Gillespie may be more trade bait than anything. 

7. Steven Hammond (LHSP)
7-4, 3.45 ERA, 88 2/3 IP, 33 BB, 78 SO

For a 26 year-old Long Beach State alumnus who is repeating a level for the second time, the veracity of his prospectdom may not be exactly the most sound. He has a deceptive devilvery which enhances an average fastball that touches 91. He’ll challenge hitters and keep the ball down, but as the walk total shows? He does lose his command. He may never be one of the top Brewer prospects, but he will get starts.

8. Omar Aguilar (Closer)
0-1 4.00 ERA 3 SV 9 IP 6 BB 7 SO

A recent promotion to AA has many in the Brewers organization excited. Aguilar was destroying Brevard County to the tune of 13 hits and 1 earned run allowed in 25 and 2/3 IP, and he can generate excellent velocity on his fastball, though his command is shaky. The stocky (5’11”, 227) native of Merced, California is currently off to a slow start, but the Brewers want a Joakim Soria for their very own.

Honorable Mention: Chris Errecart (1B)
.271 11 HR 28 RBI .343 OBP .510 SLG

An excellent power hitter, Errecart can play tag with the leftfield fence when he makes contact. But his plate discipline is marginal, and 64 strikeouts in 210 at bats is a scary proposition for the 23 year-old. Though I would not count him out, he has overcome back problems, and his power is real. Nevertheless, of all those who could be inflated from the awesome that is Hunstville?  Errecart would be the most logical choice.

I give you nine prospects, from the top of the pops to the next Ryan Garko. But that’s not the amazing thing. The amazing thing is that with all this talent? All the stars and studs in Huntsville?

They didn’t win the Division.

Yay.