Print
|
Print
|
© 2007 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved. |
|
Brewers' youth will be served 11/09/2007 10:00 AM ETBy Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
Before the 2007 season began, MLB.com took an in-depth look at every big league team's Minor League system. Now it's time to recap all 30 organizations, from top prospects to the recent draft class.
The folks in Milwaukee haven't had this much fun with baseball in a quarter of a century. And if the Brewers keep developing top players at this rate, the city could be set to enjoy its best run since a couple of guys named Aaron, Matthews, Spahn and Burdette were dominating a half century ago. The Brewers have put together one of the better farm systems in the game and you need look no further than their infield for proof. Throw in some of the pitchers that are coming along and Milwaukee could be making life difficult for their NL Central rivals for years to come. Here's a closer look at how some of Milwaukee's Minor Leaguers did in 2007. Organizational Players of the Year PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Ryan Braun, 3B: It didn't take a crystal ball to see where Braun was headed. He didn't stay in Nashville very long, but while there he was dominant. Braun hit .342 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs in 117 at-bats. Moving up to Milwaukee, he helped the Brewers stay in the playoff hunt until the end of September by hitting .324 with 34 homers and 97 RBIs. Braun is one of the favorites for NL Rookie of the Year.
Will Inman, RHP: Inman was 5-8 with a 2.97 ERA at Brevard County and Huntsville before the Brewers dealt him as part of a package to San Diego for reliever Scott Linebrink. Inman went 3-3 with a 4.17 ERA for San Antonio in the Texas League and was not close to being the Pitcher of the Year for either organization.
POSTSEASON SELECTIONS
Taylor Green, 3B: A third baseman did win this award, but it wasn't Braun. With Braun in the Major Leagues most of the season, the Minor League honor belongs to West Virginia's Green, who was third in the organization with a .327 batting average and 86 RBIs. He had a strong .406 OBP with a solid strikeout-to-walk ratio (65 Ks, 51 BBs).
Derek Miller, LHP: The former University of Vermont star was a 47th-round pick in 2004. Since joining the organization, he's made a steady climb, improving each season. He split time between Brevard County and Huntsville this season, going 10-6 with a 3.49 ERA, which was fifth best in the system. He tied Inman for the organization lead with 140 strikeouts and was 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 11 Southern League starts. Miller gets the nod because Yovani Gallardo, like Braun, spent too much time in the Major Leagues to warrant the award and because most of the other organizational pitching leaders were journeymen rather than legitimate prospects. Climbed the Ladder
Hernan Iribarren, 2B: The Venezuelan native continued his steady climb by registering several career bests at Huntsville, including hits (147), RBIs (53) and extra-base hits (39). He also batted .307. Though he isn't a huge run producer, Iribarren knows how to hit and get on base. The only knocks against him this season were the career-high 109 strikeouts he registered, a jump of 53 from his previous season at Brevard County.
Stephen Chapman, OF: Chapman finally began to blossom this season, his first in a full-season situation, at West Virginia. He hit .262 with 24 homers and 89 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases. Though he whiffed 137 times in 455 at-bats, his upside as a run producer pushed him up the ladder.
Brendan Katin, OF: Speaking of pushing your way up the ladder, Katin made the most of his opportunity in a full season at Huntsville. Though his average was an unspectacular .258, he did hit 24 homers and led the organization with 94 RBIs. His strikeout numbers, however, were worse than Chapman's. Katin struck out 163 times in 450 at-bats (once every 2.8 at-bats). But when you can produce runs, swings and misses aren't as much of a problem. If he and Chapman approach a combined 200 RBIs again next year at Nashville, it won't matter if they strike out 300 times. Kept Their Footing
Lorenzo Cain, OF: Cain moved from the South Atlantic League to the Florida State League and despite struggling at times continued to hold his place as one of the club's better outfield prospects. He hit .276 with a pair of homers and 44 RBIs, stealing 24 bases against tougher competition than he saw in the Sally League. How he fares next season at Double-A will be telling.
Darren Ford, OF: Ford split the season between the Sally and Florida State Leagues, though the move to Class A Advanced wasn't seamless. His .335 average with West Virginia droppped to .231 in 273 at-bats with Brevard County. What kept him on the ladder, though, were the 36 stolen bases he had in the FSL. He stole 67 bases overall in 2007 and 136 in the last two years. But until he figures out how to get on base more -- his OPB with Brevard was .317 -- he's just the second coming of Esix Snead.
Cole Gillespie, OF: The former Oregon State star had a solid first full season, hitting .267 with 12 homers and 62 RBIs at Brevard County. He drew 72 walks and had a .378 on-base percentage. He's also an experienced player, having won a College World Series title in 2006. Slipped a Rung Mark Rogers, RHP: It's not entirely fair to penalize a player because he missed a season with an injury as Rogers did in 2007. Even before he went under the knife in January, Rogers was more question mark than certainty, showing occasional flashes of brilliance but also inconsistency of mechanics. He's still only 21 years old, but frustration may be setting in. Rogers began throwing during the Instructional League in October and it is hoped that he'll be ready to resume pitching full time in the spring.
Charlie Fermaint, OF: The Brewers have many outfield prospects and a good showing by Fermaint would have separated him from the pack. Instead, he took a tumble, splitting time between the Florida State and South Atlantic Leagues. He began the year in the FSL and was abysmal, hitting .210 and striking out once every four at-bats before being sent down in June. He didn't fare much better in West Virginia, hitting .248 and striking out once every 4.3 at-bats over the final two and a half months of the season. Jeremy Jeffress, RHP: The numbers say Jeffress had a good season after beginning the year in extended Spring Training. He was 9-5 with a 3.13 ERA in 18 starts for West Virginia, but those numbers took on a different meaning when he was suspended for 50 games at the end of August after testing positive for "a drug of abuse." The kid can throw the ball 100 miles an hour, but his season was overshadowed by the suspension. On the Radar
E.J. Shanks, RHP: Shanks is a former Padres draft pick (2004) who spent two seasons playing independent league ball before signing with Milwaukee. He went 8-1 with a 2.31 ERA and an organization-best 19 saves this season while pitching in the Sally, Florida State and Southern Leagues.
Zelous Wheeler, 1B: The 5-foot-10 Wallace State Community College product hit .300 with 23 RBIs and a .398 OBP at Helena. With a name like Zelous, he deserves to be on the radar screen. 2007 Draft Recap
Matt LaPorta, OF: The former University of Florida slugger had a splendid first season as a professional, hitting .304 with 12 homers and 31 RBIs in 115 at-bats in the Pioneer and South Atlantic Leagues. It was a small sample but an obvious sign that he benefited from his senior year in school. With Prince Fielder a massive roadblock at first base, LaPorta's future, if he remains in Milwaukee, will be in the outfield.
Jonathan Lucroy, C: Lucroy carved out a reputation as a man who can handle the bat at Louisiana-Lafayette and did nothing to tarnish that image at Helena. He hit .342 with four homers and 39 RBIs to earn a place on the Pioneer League's All-Star team.
Eric Farris, IF: Farris was no less effective at Helena, hitting .326 with a homer and 34 RBIs. He fanned only 22 times in 239 at-bats while stealing 21 bases and hit .432 over his final 10 games, closing the season with an eight-game hitting streak.
Others of Note: OF Caleb Gindl (fifth round, Pace HS, Fla.) led the Pioneer League with a .372 batting average. He also had five homers and 42 RBIs. LHP Dan Merklinger (sixth round, Seton Hall) was 1-0 with one save and a 3.95 ERA in 13 games for Helena. He struck out 40 in 27 1/3 innings. IF David Fonseca (eighth round, Pierce JC, Calif.) hit .213 with 25 strikeouts in 127 at-bats in Helena. LHP Kristian Bueno (ninth round, Calallen HS, TX) was 0-6 with a 7.75 ERA in 13 games (six starts) in the Arizona League. LHP Efrain Nieves (seventh round, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy) spent the bulk of his time in the Arizona League though he made a pair of appearances in Helena. Overall, he was 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 games (seven starts), striking out 49 in 45 1/3 innings. C Eric Fryer (10th round, Ohio State) hit .209 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 139 at-bats for Helena. He threw out eight of 31 runners attempting to steal. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
|
