Panzram
05-27-2004, 03:42 AM
Feature Prospect: Zack Greinke, P, Royals
Born: October 21, 1983
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190
Bats/Throws: R/R
With Greinke set to be recalled to make his Major League debut on Saturday against the Athletics and Barry Zito, it is only appropriate to recognize his past accomplishments in the minor leagues. The sixth overall pick in the 2002 draft, Greinke has dominated in his short time in the minors. Highlighted by a 2003 Single-A campaign where he went 11-1 with a 1.14 ERA before a promotion to Double-A, Greinke's composite numbers coming into the 2004 season were excellent. He posted a 15-4 record and a 2.08 ERA in 151 innings pitched, 127 hits allowed, 21 walks and 121 strikeouts. Additionally, opposing batters hit just .226 off of him.
Greinke continued to pitch well in 2004 as he started at Triple-A Omaha, putting up overall solid numbers despite one rough outing. The Royals have been keeping him on very strict inning and pitch counts -- Greinke has totaled just 28 2/3 innings in six starts for Omaha, but he posted a 2.51 ERA. Continuing to demonstrate his outstanding control, he walked only six while scattering 25 hits and fanning 23. Those aren't at all bad numbers for a hitter's league, and his last start (6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) is an encouraging sign of his recent dominance that could carry over into his debut against the A's.
There has been much talk about whether the Royals have "rushed" Greinke to the majors. Even though it is an incredible accomplishment for a high school pitcher to make it to the big leagues less than two years after graduation, Greinke was considered the most polished arm in the 2002 draft, and he has proven those assertions to be true as he skyrocketed through the Kansas City farm system. The rotation spot is now his to lose, but chances are that he is in the big leagues to stay and that he will have a solid rookie season. The Greg Maddux comparisons are prevalent and may not be far-fetched.
David Wright, 3B, Mets
Viewed as the top Mets hitting prospect (with the exception of Kaz Matsui) going into the season, Wright has been tearing apart opposing pitching at Double-A Binghamton. He hit .270 with 15 homers, 75 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 466 at-bats for low Class-A St. Lucie in 2003, and he's on pace to blow those numbers away at Binghamton. In 145 at-bats this season, Wright has .338 and has left the yard seven times while driving in 23 runs. Flashing much more speed than in the past, he has already swiped 14 bags in 19 attempts, and has shown excellent plate discipline, walking 25 times (good for a .452 on-base percentage) while fanning on only 27 occasions. The biggest advantage for Wright in terms of making it to the big leagues as that he is first on the organizational depth chart and the Mets are simply waiting until they feel he is ready to face Major League pitching. With New York currently having difficulties with the third base platoon between Todd Zeile and Ty Wiggington, it would not be a surprise if Wright was handed the job by the end of the season.
Juan Dominguez, P, Rangers
After a 2003 Texas debut with mixed success in six appearances, Dominguez is in the process of earning another shot with the Rangers sometime very soon. Following four minor league seasons in which he put up a 3.25 ERA in 335 innings with 326 strikeouts, the Dominican native has been even better in 2004 for Triple-A Oklahoma. In eight starts with just under 50 innings pitched, Dominguez has compiled a 4-1 record with one complete game and a 2.72 ERA. He has given up just 35 hits while walking 18 and striking out 38. As the search for pitching help continues, he could very well be reinserted into the Texas rotation sometime soon have much more success than the 7.16 ERA he recorded in 16 innings for the Rangers last season. Meanwhile, he should continue to dominate Triple-A hitters while he waits for the phone call that could land him in Arlington for the rest of the season and beyond.
Brad Thompson, P, Cardinals
After going the first month and a half of the season without giving up a single run, Thompson's scoreless inning streak finally ended on Wednesday. He entered the season largely unknown after being a 16th-round draft pick in 2002, but he has entirely changed that perception after an outstanding start at Double-A Tennessee. Solid pitching performances didn't come entirely out of nowhere, as the 22-year-old was 6-3 with a 2.66 ERA last season in 71 total innings between Low and High-A. But his 2004 campaign has been unreal thus far. Thompson started the year with 50 scoreless innings, but that ended in his last inning during Wednesday's start when he "fell apart" and allowed a single run to cross the plate and raise his ERA to a whopping 0.18. In addition to his 7-0 record and two shutouts, Thompson's other numbers have been great as well. He has allowed just 28 hits while striking out 38 and, more importantly, has issued only six free passes. It will be interesting to see how Thompson pitches should he get a call to St. Louis, but, regardless, he is nearing at least a Triple-A callup as he looks to associate himself with the likes of Adam Wainwright on the depth chart of Cardinals pitching prospects.
Dallas McPherson, 3B, Angels
There is a chance that McPherson could be the next beneficiary of the countless injuries in Anaheim. He'd already been tagged as a possible replacement for Troy Glaus in 2005, but McPherson could very well move into the starting role for the Angels much sooner than that. The 23-year-old had a breakout season in 2003, splitting time between High-A and Double-A. He hit .310 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI and also stole 16 bases. McPherson has hit well in Double-A ball this year, posting a .297 average with 12 doubles, four homers and 23 RBI in 148 at-bats. If he continues to develop he'll loom as Anaheim's hot corner starter in 2005 and possibly even after the All-Star break this season.
Sleeper Prospect: Chris Seddon, P, Devil Rays
Seddon has never been too successful in the minor leagues in his first three professional seasons since signing out of high school in 2001. He has posted a cumulative 16-21 record with a 4.39 ERA in 263 innings. In those innings, he walked 128, averaging nearly one walk every two innings. But thus far in 2004, he appears to have harnessed his control, and the results have been exceptional. The 20-year-old began 2004 at High-A Bakersfield but only stayed there for seven starts. In those seven outings, he went 5-0 with just a 0.65 ERA in over 41 innings; he struck out 41 and, most importantly, walked just eight batters. That success called for a promotion to Double-A Montgomery, where Seddon was just as successful in his debut for the Biscuits this week. He pitched five scoreless innings and recorded the win, giving up just four hits and one walk, with six strikeouts. Knowing how badly the Devil Rays need of pitching help, Seddon could potentially find himself in a Tampa Bay uniform in the not too distant future.
Born: October 21, 1983
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190
Bats/Throws: R/R
With Greinke set to be recalled to make his Major League debut on Saturday against the Athletics and Barry Zito, it is only appropriate to recognize his past accomplishments in the minor leagues. The sixth overall pick in the 2002 draft, Greinke has dominated in his short time in the minors. Highlighted by a 2003 Single-A campaign where he went 11-1 with a 1.14 ERA before a promotion to Double-A, Greinke's composite numbers coming into the 2004 season were excellent. He posted a 15-4 record and a 2.08 ERA in 151 innings pitched, 127 hits allowed, 21 walks and 121 strikeouts. Additionally, opposing batters hit just .226 off of him.
Greinke continued to pitch well in 2004 as he started at Triple-A Omaha, putting up overall solid numbers despite one rough outing. The Royals have been keeping him on very strict inning and pitch counts -- Greinke has totaled just 28 2/3 innings in six starts for Omaha, but he posted a 2.51 ERA. Continuing to demonstrate his outstanding control, he walked only six while scattering 25 hits and fanning 23. Those aren't at all bad numbers for a hitter's league, and his last start (6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) is an encouraging sign of his recent dominance that could carry over into his debut against the A's.
There has been much talk about whether the Royals have "rushed" Greinke to the majors. Even though it is an incredible accomplishment for a high school pitcher to make it to the big leagues less than two years after graduation, Greinke was considered the most polished arm in the 2002 draft, and he has proven those assertions to be true as he skyrocketed through the Kansas City farm system. The rotation spot is now his to lose, but chances are that he is in the big leagues to stay and that he will have a solid rookie season. The Greg Maddux comparisons are prevalent and may not be far-fetched.
David Wright, 3B, Mets
Viewed as the top Mets hitting prospect (with the exception of Kaz Matsui) going into the season, Wright has been tearing apart opposing pitching at Double-A Binghamton. He hit .270 with 15 homers, 75 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 466 at-bats for low Class-A St. Lucie in 2003, and he's on pace to blow those numbers away at Binghamton. In 145 at-bats this season, Wright has .338 and has left the yard seven times while driving in 23 runs. Flashing much more speed than in the past, he has already swiped 14 bags in 19 attempts, and has shown excellent plate discipline, walking 25 times (good for a .452 on-base percentage) while fanning on only 27 occasions. The biggest advantage for Wright in terms of making it to the big leagues as that he is first on the organizational depth chart and the Mets are simply waiting until they feel he is ready to face Major League pitching. With New York currently having difficulties with the third base platoon between Todd Zeile and Ty Wiggington, it would not be a surprise if Wright was handed the job by the end of the season.
Juan Dominguez, P, Rangers
After a 2003 Texas debut with mixed success in six appearances, Dominguez is in the process of earning another shot with the Rangers sometime very soon. Following four minor league seasons in which he put up a 3.25 ERA in 335 innings with 326 strikeouts, the Dominican native has been even better in 2004 for Triple-A Oklahoma. In eight starts with just under 50 innings pitched, Dominguez has compiled a 4-1 record with one complete game and a 2.72 ERA. He has given up just 35 hits while walking 18 and striking out 38. As the search for pitching help continues, he could very well be reinserted into the Texas rotation sometime soon have much more success than the 7.16 ERA he recorded in 16 innings for the Rangers last season. Meanwhile, he should continue to dominate Triple-A hitters while he waits for the phone call that could land him in Arlington for the rest of the season and beyond.
Brad Thompson, P, Cardinals
After going the first month and a half of the season without giving up a single run, Thompson's scoreless inning streak finally ended on Wednesday. He entered the season largely unknown after being a 16th-round draft pick in 2002, but he has entirely changed that perception after an outstanding start at Double-A Tennessee. Solid pitching performances didn't come entirely out of nowhere, as the 22-year-old was 6-3 with a 2.66 ERA last season in 71 total innings between Low and High-A. But his 2004 campaign has been unreal thus far. Thompson started the year with 50 scoreless innings, but that ended in his last inning during Wednesday's start when he "fell apart" and allowed a single run to cross the plate and raise his ERA to a whopping 0.18. In addition to his 7-0 record and two shutouts, Thompson's other numbers have been great as well. He has allowed just 28 hits while striking out 38 and, more importantly, has issued only six free passes. It will be interesting to see how Thompson pitches should he get a call to St. Louis, but, regardless, he is nearing at least a Triple-A callup as he looks to associate himself with the likes of Adam Wainwright on the depth chart of Cardinals pitching prospects.
Dallas McPherson, 3B, Angels
There is a chance that McPherson could be the next beneficiary of the countless injuries in Anaheim. He'd already been tagged as a possible replacement for Troy Glaus in 2005, but McPherson could very well move into the starting role for the Angels much sooner than that. The 23-year-old had a breakout season in 2003, splitting time between High-A and Double-A. He hit .310 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI and also stole 16 bases. McPherson has hit well in Double-A ball this year, posting a .297 average with 12 doubles, four homers and 23 RBI in 148 at-bats. If he continues to develop he'll loom as Anaheim's hot corner starter in 2005 and possibly even after the All-Star break this season.
Sleeper Prospect: Chris Seddon, P, Devil Rays
Seddon has never been too successful in the minor leagues in his first three professional seasons since signing out of high school in 2001. He has posted a cumulative 16-21 record with a 4.39 ERA in 263 innings. In those innings, he walked 128, averaging nearly one walk every two innings. But thus far in 2004, he appears to have harnessed his control, and the results have been exceptional. The 20-year-old began 2004 at High-A Bakersfield but only stayed there for seven starts. In those seven outings, he went 5-0 with just a 0.65 ERA in over 41 innings; he struck out 41 and, most importantly, walked just eight batters. That success called for a promotion to Double-A Montgomery, where Seddon was just as successful in his debut for the Biscuits this week. He pitched five scoreless innings and recorded the win, giving up just four hits and one walk, with six strikeouts. Knowing how badly the Devil Rays need of pitching help, Seddon could potentially find himself in a Tampa Bay uniform in the not too distant future.