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AFL names to know in 2006 10/09/2006 12:48 AM ETBy Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
The rosters are filled with top prospects, the future stars of Major League Baseball. The numbers are hard to refute. If you play in the Arizona Fall League, there's a very good chance you'll make it to the big leagues. Just who makes up this next generation? Everyone knows the big names, the elite Minor Leaguers, guys like 2006 No. 1 overall pick Luke Hochevar or 2005 first-rounder Troy Tulowitzki, likely the Rockies shortstop on Opening Day 2007. While they will get their due here, this team-by-team preview takes a closer look at the "lesser lights" of the AFL Class of 2006. Don't misinterpret what that means. If a team sends someone to the Arizona Fall League, it thinks he might have a future at the highest level. But the names highlighted here are the more intriguing ones, guys with something to prove, learning a new position or coming back from injury. That will be followed by a "top prospects" list, so none of the elite guys feel slighted. GRAND CANYON RAFTERS Brad Eldred, 1B, Pirates: Remember a couple of years ago, when Eldred hit 38 homers, including 17 in just 39 games in his first taste of Double-A? Or how about 2005, when he went yard 28 times in 75 Minor League games before hitting 12 more in 55 big-league games (though he hit just .221) before heading to the AFL and having a strong season? Then Sean Casey came to Pittsburgh and Eldred had to return to the Minors, where injuries kept him from all but 18 games this season. Now 26, this may be one of his last chances to show he can be a big-league slugger. Mitch Maier, OF, Royals: The former first-rounder (2003) has come a long way in the past year. He wasn't protected on the 40-man roster last offseason but wasn't taken in the Rule 5 draft. This past season, in a repeat of the Texas League, he hit .306 with 14 homers and 92 RBIs before being called up to the big leagues and added to the active roster. A good AFL could help land him a big-league job next year. Matt Miller, OF, Rockies: In 2005, Miller was another of those Rockies prospects who put up huge numbers in the bandbox that is Asheville's McCormick Field. How he performed this year would go a long way in showing what kind of prospect Miller truly is. He put up some more impressive stats in the hitter-friendly California League for most of the year, went up to Triple-A to help out for eight games (and hit .333), then finished up at Double-A Tulsa by batting just .229 over 27 games. As a college guy drafted three years ago, he'll have to be put on the Rockies' 40-man roster this offseason or be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, so he may have to prove himself again this fall.
Top prospects: Luke Hochevar, RHP, Royals; Neil Walker, C, Pirates; Joe Koshansky, 1B, Rockies; Nolan Reimold, OF, Orioles. MESA SOLAR SOX Chin-Lung Hu, SS, Dodgers: Anyone who's seen Hu play raves about his defensive skills. Those alone should get him to the big leagues. But he's also shown in the past he can swing the stick, carrying a .306 average into this season. He hit .254 in his first taste of Double-A, and a strong offensive showing by the Taiwanese infielder could help determine whether he's going to be a nice little glove guy up the middle or more of a complete package. Fernando Martinez, OF, Mets: So maybe he belongs in the "top prospect" category, but there's no doubt he's one of the most intriguing players in the league this year. He'll turn 18 on Opening Day -- Oct. 10 -- making him the youngest player in AFL history. The center fielder showed some serious glimpses in full-season ball, hitting .333 in 45 games with Hagerstown, though he missed a month. The Florida State League wasn't as kind (.193 in 30 games), but there's no place to go but up, and it will be very interesting to see how he fares against the advanced pitching in the AFL. Matt Moses, 3B, Twins: On one hand, Moses played the 2006 season at age 21. On the other, the 2003 first-rounder hit .249 with a .689 OPS. On one hand, he played 125 games, showing that the 2004 bulging disc that kept him out of action for more than three months is a thing of the past. On the other, he struck out 113 times and drew just 35 walks. Watching the MLB playoffs, Nick Punto is a good player, but the door is wide open for Moses to step through and become Minnesota's third baseman of the future. As a 2003 draftee out of high school, he'll have to be put on the 40-man this offseason. Top prospects: Philip Humber, RHP, Mets; Eric Patterson, 2B, Cubs; Troy Patton, LHP, Astros; Mike Pelfrey, RHP, Mets; Hunter Pence, OF, Astros; Kevin Slowey, RHP, Twins. PEORIA JAVELINAS Michael Aubrey, 1B, Indians: Since being taken 11th overall in the 2003 draft, he's seen several players move past him on Cleveland's depth chart at first base. He's played in a total of 42 games over the past two years because of a slew of injuries, most notably a back problem that could end up being chronic. In the few instances he's been healthy, he's shown he can hit, a big reason why he's on the Indians' 40-man roster. There's a logjam in Cleveland at Aubrey's position, but a good fall season could put him right into that mix. Joey Devine, RHP, Braves: It's been an odd career so far for the reliever, hasn't it? A college closer taken in the first-round of the 2005 draft, he made his big-league debut later that season and was even on the Braves' postseason roster (with less-than-optimal results). He spent a little time in the bigs in early April, then didn't come back up until September. In between, he missed a large chunk of time with back stiffness, went to extended Spring Training to work on his mechanics, came back with Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League in late June and moved up to Double-A in August. Then, when he came back up, he made eight scoreless appearances. Bob Wickman signing with the Braves means Devine doesn't have to worry about being the "closer of the future" for a year, but a good fall could put him in the mentoring program. Michael Garciaparra, 2B, Mariners: Taken as a surprise supplemental first-rounder in 2001, Nomar's younger brother appeared headed for "bust-dom." He hit .243 in 2003 and played only 73 games in 2004. In 2005, he hit .298, albeit in just 84 games, in the hitter-friendly California League, giving a first hint of any future. This year, he had two stints on the DL, but he also hit a combined .311 between Double- and Triple-A. Maybe he's only a utility guy in the future, but the very fact he's on this roster shows that he may have a future, something you might not have said in the past. Top prospects: Trevor Crowe, 2B, Indians; Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox; Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Braves PEORIA SAGUAROS Kory Casto, OF, Nationals: The important thing to note is the position. He played the outfield after being drafted in the summer of 2003, then moved to third in 2004 and has put up some solid numbers as the organization's top offensive prospect. But with Ryan Zimmerman fairly locked in at the hot corner in the big leagues, Casto began making the move back to the outfield -- left, to be exact -- in July for what likely will be a permanent move. Word is the Nats might have a hole in the outfield soon, so a strong AFL showing could put Casto in position to at least compete for a job next spring. Eric Duncan, 1B, Yankees: Duncan may be the poster child for not putting too much stock into anyone's fall league performance. He was the AFL MVP last year, which may have helped (along with a good spring) him move up to Triple-A rather than repeat Double-A after a subpar 2005 regular season. He hit .209 in 31 games for Columbus, then hurt his back, all while making the anticipated move to first base. He came back in June, back in Double-A, and while he batted just .248, he hit 10 homers and 15 doubles in 57 games while keeping the strikeout rate in check. The back issues cropped up again and he was shut down in late August before the Eastern League playoffs. Still, he's just 21 and he'll get another chance to show he's healthy and that he's got a very bright future. This time, though, no one will take too much out of how he performs this fall, which should work to his advantage. Gavin Floyd, RHP, Phillies: The way it was supposed to work was that Floyd and Cole Hamels would lead the renaissance in Philly. Floyd got there first in 2004 and looked pretty good in his debut, though his command was off. Then things went way off script. The command didn't come back the next year. He made seven subpar appearances in the bigs in 2005 and had a 6.16 ERA in Triple-A. A terrific Spring Training this year erased all of that and he won a job with the Phillies but promptly coughed it up by posting a 7.29 ERA and walking 32 in 54 1/3 innings. Back in Triple-A, he was better (7-4, 4.23 ERA), especially after the All-Star break (5-3, 3.57). He's just 23, so there's plenty of time for him to rejoin Hamels in the bigs. A good fall would help him move in that direction. Top prospects: Brett Gardner, OF, Yankees; Gio Gonzalez, LHP, Phillies; Chase Headley, 3B, Padres; Brendan Ryan, SS, Cardinals PHOENIX DESERT DOGS Wes Bankston, 1B, Devil Rays: Things have come slowly for Bankston since being a fourth-round pick in the 2002 draft. He spent two years in the South Atlantic League, but in his second go-round in 2004, he hit 23 homers and drove in 101 runs. He played in just 99 games in 2005 but spent most of that in Double-A and put up decent numbers. He began this season back in Montgomery and a new position (third base) and was fairly ordinary while missing six weeks with a strained oblique. The Rays decided to challenge him by sending him to Triple-A and back to first base. He responded by hitting .297 in 52 games, though with only a .774 OPS. As stocked as the Rays system is with young position players, they do not have a first baseman in Bankston's way. A strong AFL used as a springboard to next spring could put him in the running for that job in 2007, if Tampa Bay doesn't play the free agent market. Marcus McBeth, RHP, A's: A year ago at this time, McBeth had tossed his first 34 1/3 innings as a professional pitcher after spending three years as an outfielder. He got in four more frames in the AFL, allowing just one hit. A lot has changed since then. He spent most of the year with Double-A Midland this past season, and it appears that pitching suits him. McBeth saved 25 games and posted a 2.48 ERA while striking out 65 in 54 1/3 innings. He's gone from an experiment to having a chance. A good fall season could put him squarely in the A's bullpen plans in the near future. Jeff Niemann, RHP, Devil Rays: Ahh, the Rice pitching trio. Very talented, can't stay healthy. Two of the three are in Arizona, with Niemann's old teammate Humber in Mesa (Wade Townsend is on the mend from surgery). Niemann has had his own share of injury problems and didn't come back from offseason shoulder surgery until June. Once he returned, he quickly showed why he's the top pitching prospect in the Rays' system. In 77 1/3 innings, he had a 2.68 ERA, allowing just 56 hits (.202 average against) and 29 walks while striking out 84. Top prospects: Travis Buck, OF, A's; Brent Clevlen, OF, Tigers; Dustin McGowan, RHP, Blue Jays SCOTTSDALE SCORPIONS Jamie D'Antona, 3B/C, Diamondbacks: Not long ago, D'Antona was part of the Three Amigos with fellow 2003 draftees and up-and-comers Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin. Both of those guys are in the big leagues now. D'Antona spent his second year in Double-A. He bounced back by hitting .310 with 17 homers this past season to put him back on the map. After adding first base to his resume in the past, he's now working on becoming a complete utility guy. He spent a handful of games at the end of the season behind the plate and will continue to work on catching skills in the AFL. He's not on the 40-man roster, but you wonder if he can learn this new position, he may find his way on. Terry Evans, OF, Angels: Is he a late-blooming prospect or was 2006 a fluke? Coming into the season, Evans had spent parts of two years in the Midwest League and parts of two in the Florida State League with a .239 career average, a little pop and a touch of speed to show for it. He then hit .311 with 15 homers and 21 steals in 60 games in his third try with the Palm Beach Cardinals. A promotion to Double-A didn't stop him as he hit .307 with seven homers and five steals in 21 games with Springfield. Then he was included in the Jeff Weaver trade with the Angels. Did that stop him? No. In 52 games with Double-A Arkansas, Evans hit .309 with 11 homers and 11 steals. When it was all over, he had 33 homers and 37 steals as the only 30-30 man in the Minors. Is he worthy of a roster spot and protection from the Rule 5 draft? The AFL could determine that. Corwin Malone, LHP, White Sox: If it seems like Malone has been around forever, that's almost true. He was drafted back in 1999 and has had a variety of roles on the mound, as well as a variety of injuries. Back in 2001, he jumped onto the screen with a year that carried him to Double-A Birmingham. He hasn't left yet. After throwing 124 1/3 innings in 2002, he managed only 68 2/3 in 2003, missed all of the 2004 season ("Tommy John" surgery) and got back for 97 1/3 innings in 2005. The good news is that even though he's 26, his arm hasn't logged as many innings as you'd think. He also threw more than 150 innings this year, albeit with mixed results. But he is left-handed and kept lefties to a .229 batting average, something that could be intriguing for someone to give him a shot. He could be a free agent, but the White Sox keep bringing him back. If he looks good in the AFL, considering his southpawness, he'll find a job somewhere in 2007. Top prospects: Ryan Braun, 3B, Brewers; Kevin Frandsen, 2B, Giants; Fred Lewis, OF, Giants; Jerry Owens, OF, White Sox; Mark Reynolds, UTIL, Diamondbacks This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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