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2011 Minor League thread

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2011 Minor League thread 

Post#1 » by nykgeneralmanager » Fri Feb 4, 2011 5:46 pm

Its almost spring training time! This has been a wild off-season with missing out on Lee, Pettitte retiring, and the signing of a bunch of reclamation projects from Andruw Jones and Bartolo Colon to Freddy Garcia and Mark Prior. So lets focus on the one area that we know should be fun to watch this season...the minors.

The general consensus is that the Yankees have built a top 10 system, if not top 5 in a lot of scout's opinions. Once again, pitching reigns supreme in this system even though there are some top position player prospects.

My personal top 25 list
1. Jesus Montero - Not much has to be said about Montero. This is likely the last time he will make any type of prospect list as he is expected to break camp with the major league club. I wonder how often they will let him catch, especially if he is shaky to start the season. Everyone knows what to expect with the bat, but I can see fans giving him a short leash with his defense...and who knows how defensive struggles in the Bronx may affect his bat as he is trying to adjust to the majors at 21 years old. Regardless, he'll be a stud at some point.

2. Manny Banuelos - People can easily but Gary Sanchez here, but Banuelos is a favorite of mine. Still just a teenager (turns 20 in March), he had an interesting year last season. He didn't get on the mound for the first few months because of an appendectomy...the good news it wasn't a baseball injury, the bad news is it limited him to just 64 innings which slows down his development because of the innings limit that young pitchers must face. My guess is he will begin in Trenton, and maybe spend the entire year there. He is still so young there is no need to rush him, especially with the other guys who are further along in development blocking him as it is.

3. Gary Sanchez - People have claimed that he is Montero's bat mixed with Romine's glove. He may not be as good as Romine defensively, but you can't argue that his production was much better than Montero's at the same age. This kid just turned 18 a couple of months ago, and his bat can take him through the system pretty quickly. He should begin to enter top prospect in baseball conversations next season if he repeats what he did last season.

4. Dellin Betances - Should begin the season in AAA, but it might be AA if there isn't enough room at first. Either way, he will be in AAA at some point. Had an amazing season coming off major surgery when nobody really knew what to expect so soon, so he has raised expectations and brought himself back into the picture as a top prospect. You could argue he is a better prospect than Banuelos, but with his injury concerns, age (3 years older), and issues adjusting to his size, I think he would have to overcome a lot more to become an impact major league pitcher.

5. Andrew Brackman - I was so close to giving up on Brackman last season, and I'm glad I didn't. The time is now for Brackman, who just turned 25. He will be in AAA for sure and I expect him to get a shot in the majors this season. The one thing that always kept me hopeful about Brackman was that he had the stuff to pitch out of the bullpen if all else failed, so either way I expect him to have a major league career.

6. Slade Heathcott - He had a rough season to begin his pro career, but the tools are impossible to ignore. He has every single thing you would want in a baseball player that will make him a top 10 prospect in this system for the foreseeable future. I think we'll begin to see some serious progress from him this season for sure.

7. Austin Romine - He could be switched with Heathcott on this list because he is more advanced and at this point more likely to reach the majors but I don't think his ceiling touches Heathcott's. Romine didn't really take any major steps forward last season which was kind of disappointing, but he is still a good hitter with good defensive skills as a catcher. That will get him to the majors alone, the rest is up to him.

8. Adam Warren - There is nothing negative to say about Warren. He refuses to walk hitters (33 in BB in 135.1 innings), he throws in the low-mid 90s, and he is the definition of consistent. He also came from a great college program at UNC, so he really has it all going for him. Sounds like he'll begin the season in AAA, and don't be shocked if he gets the call even before someone like Brackman.

9. Hector Noesi - Another personal favorite of mine, he just flew threw the system last year starting in Tampa and finishing in Scranton, which is where he will likely begin this season. He didn't walk batters, he struck them out, and he kept the ball in the park. Just turned 24 years old so there isn't much more room for development, but I think he is good enough as is to get into the majors this year.

10. David Adams - Was having a tremendous season (.309/.393/.507) before going down early with a broken ankle that knocked him out for the rest of the season. Really an all around solid player that goes unnoticed in this system because the attention goes to Montero and the pitchers, but he isn't one to sleep on. Rumors were that if he was healthy, he would've been dealt along with Montero for Cliff Lee...but the Mariners didn't like anyone else to replace Adams in the deal. So was his injury a blessing in disguise? Depends if you would have wanted to deal Montero for Lee.

11. Corban Joseph - Really disappointed after he was promoted to Trenton where he hit just .216, but he will bounce back this year after suffering a broken hand towards the end of the season (maybe it happened earlier and brought his numbers down). A fantastic hitter who will have to develop a bit more power if he wants to play in the majors everyday.

12. Brett Marshall - Finally began to show signs last season, even though it was at the lower levels. This will be an important season for him that can make or break his prospect status. He has a ton to work with, 3 really good pitches and above average command...so I expect him to have a good season.

13. Brandon Laid - Could probably go higher on this list because he is almost certainly going to be in the major leagues, it just depends on the position and whether he will eventually become an everyday player. He has a monster bat that he showed off in Trenton last season, but he struggled after being promoted to Scranton. Sounds like he will play LF/3B/1B this season so that he can become a utility bat off the bench down the road.

14. J.R. Murphy - Had a much better second half of the season that gave me hope about his development and that is why I consider him a top 15 prospect in this system. When you consider the position he plays and the tools he has, you can't ignore him as a prospect especially since this was his first year catching. He is expected to see some time in RF and at 3B as well, so his future may not be behind the plate (smart idea considering Montero, Romine, and Sanchez may all beat him to the majors).

15. David Phelps - Had an awesome season last year, but I don't think he has much of a future with the Yankees considering the guys in front of him in the system and the fact that his stuff doesn't blow you away. He has really good command and definitely might get a chance because of his maturity and that he is further along in his development than some of the other guys. Who knows, he may pitch well and stick around.

16. Mason Williams - I liked him more than Culver when he was drafted and I still do, even with his rough 18 at bat stint in short season last year. He is an incredible athlete, similar to how Austin Jackson was before he put it all together.

17. Melky Mesa - My opinion on him changes often because he doesn't hit for average and he strikes out at such a high rate, so I don't think he'll ever have a role in the majors. Then again, he put up a season with 21 doubles, 9 triples, 19 homers, and 31 SB. So those numbers make you hold onto hope that he will develop plate discipline and explode, but its not likely at this point.

18. Graham Stoneburner - Had a really impressive season between Charleston and Tampa. His stuff isn't on the level as a lot of the other guys on this list, but you can't deny what he accomplished last season. How her performs this year in AA will be important as the competition gets stiff.

19. Bryan Mitchell - Has impressive stuff and is still young, those are the only reasons he remains on this list. His numbers weren't very good, but the raw talent he has gives him a high ceiling. He needs to work on his changeup as do most teenage pitchers (other than Banuelos, which is why he is #2) but he has everything else to work with. This could be an important season for him.

20. Cito Culver - A really good kid with a lot of talent, and still so young. People didn't really like the draft pick, but it is still way to early to tell if he is another Carmen Angelini or another Derek Jeter...so lets just hold judgment and see how he performs this season. Switch hitting shortstops with good tools and defense and high character aren't found everywhere.

21. Brad Suttle - Had a nice bounce back season last year, but being 25 years old hurts his prospect status. His bat may still get him to the majors but I don't have very high hopes.

22. Jose Ramirez - Had a nice breakout season last year and showed a lot of ability to strike guys out and didn't walk a lot of guys either. Still has a long way to go with his secondary pitches, but the young pitchers with potential just keep on coming.

23. D.J. Mitchell - Is at the higher levels now with a lot of the younger talent, so he has kind of fallen to the back of everyone's mind. Finished the year pretty strong in AAA, so we'll see if he can separate himself from some of the other guys this season, but that isn't likely considering the other talent.

24. Ramon Flores - He has a ton of talent, but he is still so young and has a ton of development left not just in terms of honing his skills but he has to physically mature. At this point he is just one to watch, but watch him closely.

25. Angelo Gumbs - I was very happy the Yanks signed him after the draft last year. He can easily surpass someone like Williams in the next year or two since he has that kind of ability, but lets see him produce first.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#2 » by Curmudgeon » Sat Feb 5, 2011 12:38 am

So, Nunez is officially no longer a prospect and is viewed as having "arrived?"
"Numbers lie alot. Wins and losses don't lie." - Jerry West
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#3 » by Pharmcat » Sat Feb 5, 2011 1:05 am

is this the year garcia gets it going?
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#4 » by Pharmcat » Sat Feb 5, 2011 4:07 am

btw nice list

but you will be editing it out soon as imo yanks will unload farm by deadline for a top sp
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#5 » by nykgeneralmanager » Sat Feb 5, 2011 4:44 am

Curmudgeon wrote:So, Nunez is officially no longer a prospect and is viewed as having "arrived?"

Depends, everybody looks at it differently. To me, we know what we have in Nunez so putting him on a list like this just takes up a space for a different player. If I did put him on there, he would be in the 8-13 range probably.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#6 » by Curmudgeon » Sat Feb 5, 2011 3:35 pm

nykgeneralmanager wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:So, Nunez is officially no longer a prospect and is viewed as having "arrived?"

Depends, everybody looks at it differently. To me, we know what we have in Nunez so putting him on a list like this just takes up a space for a different player. If I did put him on there, he would be in the 8-13 range probably.


That's an interesting evaluation. His minor league numbers don't jump out at you, but when he came up last year, he looked like he belonged. I would have ranked him higher, with the caveat that I'm not nearly as familiar with the players on your list as you are. Pitchers and catchers aside, if guys like Heathcott and Adams are better prospects than Nunez, then they must be pretty good.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#7 » by rappa » Sun Feb 6, 2011 5:16 pm

Pretty good list NYKGM. I see a few things I disagree with simply because I think you're a little too quick to judge on small sample sizes but here would be my list. I base my list off a mixture of performance/tools/potential/age in that order. In baseball AGE doesn't mean that much unless they've been in the system for many years. With guys like Brackman, his age is irrelevant as he didn't focus on baseball till he was drafted and then he got hurt so he is definitely a special case. Our top 5 is the same but after that we differ.

1. Jesus Montero - Enough said, got his feet wet in AAA at age of 20 and batted over .350 for the whole second half. I've seen him catch close to 25 games in AAA and he's just as good, if not better then posada the past 2 years. He's just such a big person that he looks different but as a former pitcher myself, a lot of pitchers LOVE throwing to huge targets.

2. Manny Banuelos - 19 years old, added some velocity last year, has great tailing action on his fastball and he commands it well. Has one of the best changeups I've seen in a long time and his curveball flashes plus but it's a tad inconsistent. Then again, you don't see any 19 year old pitching and actually dominating in AA and AFL. As NYKGM said earlier, his innings were low but he was sent to the AFL and Instructs so he ended up right around 100.

3. Gary Sanchez - More athletic version of Montero. Had an unbelievable debut, look for him to start in Charleston and become a top 15 prospect in the whole minors this year. Has NOW power with an advanced approach to the game and just turned 18. He has a cannon for an arm and great agility so many people forsee him as the future behind the plate.

4. Dellin Betances - Showed great mechanics and durability this year, all he needs to do is stay healthy and he will be a good one. The yankees acquire pitch f/x data on most of their minor leaguers and Betances peripherals translated to an above avg pitcher in the mlb right now. He is very very highly thought of in the Yankees front office and not just in scouting circles.

5. Andrew Brackman - I told everyone last year not to give up on this kid because when it clicks, just lookout. He is already a groundball machine and his velocity was 92-95 consistently as a SP at trenton. His curveball is filthy and he is commanding a changeup. Add in the fact that the ball is coming from an absurd angle due to his 7ft frame, if he can stay healthy and repeat his mechanics like he did in the 2nd half, he will be a top of the rotation pitcher.

6. Austin Romine - Had a very good first half and then struggled mightily in the second half. I believe this is attributed to his FIRST full season catching every-day. Before this season he split catching duties with another catcher and this was the first time he was the primary catcher. I think he will have a very good year this year now that his body knows what its like to catch a full year. Add in the fact that he plays in the worst hitting environment known as Trenton, I still have very high hopes for him.

7. Hector Noesi - Has performed at every level, commands 3 pitches and is still only 2 years removed from TJS. Once he sharpens up his curveball, he will be #3 starter in the mlb without a doubt. A consistent 91-94, he attacks hitters and doesn't walk anyone. I love his aggressiveness and his ability to mix speeds. Don't be surprised if he is one of the first guys called up as he's on the 40man.

8. Graham Stoneburner
9. Adam Warren

I figured to pair these 2 guys up as they both pitch primarily off their fastballs. Both of them sit rather comfortably in the 92-94 range and can bump it up to 95-96 regularly. They both command the absolute hell out of the pitch which I think is one of the main attributes needed to become a good SP. I put Stoneburner ahead of warren as he's still relatively new to pitching being a 2 way guy at Clemson but they can be flip-flopped. Both have premium stuff and performance to show for it, if one of them can develop a plus secondary pitch, look out.

10. Slade Heathcott - Absolutely love this kid, but he's still pretty raw. Of course his #'s won't jump out at you but he is a legit 5 tool player that was throwin into the fire which is low-a as an 18year old in his first taste of pro ball. It was a difficult assignment and he had his fair shares of up and downs but he showed every tool you can think of. He threw a guy out at 3rd base from the cf wall who was tagging from 2nd. ABSOLUTE CANNON for an arm, and he plays all out. Just think of a younger brett gardner but with every tool more advanced. I expect big things from him this year.

11. Brandon Laird - Way too low on NYKGM's list, this guy will be an average mlb player and you don't find many top 10 lists where one of these guys wouldn't be on it. He MASHED at trenton, which I noted earlier as being a hitters nightmare and he started off hot in AAA but cooled down. He had a very good AFL where he was learning to play all over. He could come up this year and be the utility guy we need to give a-rod/tex/gardner days off.

12. JR Murphy - Another guy who I expect to be in the Top 5 next year. He barrels everything up and was thrown into the fire with slade at low-a without any minors experience before. In his first year catching, he was adequate but it affected his performance in the 1st half. In the 2nd half, he tore it up with something like 9hr's and .310 ba, believe me this kid can rake! He is very athletic and I am hoping he builds on his momentum from last year.

13. Brett Marshall - Barely a year removed from TJS, he came back on a mission. He used the time off to figure out its not about throwing the ball as hard as you can but to command it with movement down in the zone. He has a filthy sinker thats sits 92-95 and an advanced changeup. The yankees let him go back to a slider and it was inconsistent but flashed plus. This is another kid with an outrageous work ethic and desire to succeed. I'm hoping he makes it to AA this year.

14. Bryan Mitchell - Last 5 starts in GCL he had a 1.5 era. Has absolutely devastating curveball and present velocity, 91-94 with room to grow. He has added weight since he signed and I'm predicting a breakout season from this kid. You just don't see such advanced curveballs at his age, last one I can remember was Hughes and he took a huge step forward in his 2nd year. Expect the same.

15. David Adams - Love this kid, was a 1st round talent that fell his junior year because he struggled with the expectations. Yankees fixed him up and he's been raking ever since. Not quite sure where he'd play up in NY but he is a very smooth fielding 2b and will be either a very good trade chip or utility guy.

16. Mason Williams - Skinny kid but has all the tools in the world. 18ab's in the GCL mean nothing, they were tinkering with his stance and they just wanted to get him some live action before instructs. I hope he starts in Charleston but who knows.

17. Melky Mesa - Has all the tools and has been shwoing progress every year. IF he can take that step forward this year as he did last against advanced pitching in AA, he will be way higher next year. This is definitely his make or break year but he was FSL Player of the Year for a reason so hopefully he continues to grow on that success.

18. Ravel Santana - 5 tool talent in the dominican, has performed already in the DSL and will make his stateside debut this year. Once people get a look at this kid they won't care the yankees don't have a 1st rounder this year because this kid would legitimately be a top 5 pick in this draft.

19. David Phelps - I love this guy, he has an above avg fastball and he commands it well, and on some days his slider is devastating. He will be up in NY this year whether is as RP or SP, we will see but this kid has good stuff, just not much upside. He is a finished product so thats why he's 19 on my list.

20. Cito Culver - This kid can play short with unreal instincts, great range and a cannon for an arm. He is a switch hitter so he might need some time to get accumulated from both sides of the plate but he is so young I think he is going to be good. When Billy Eppler tells me this kid's makeup is the best he's ever been around, I'll take his word for it.

21. Corban Joseph - Has hit everywhere he's been, minus the time at AA last year. He's still young and he has great hand eye coordination, the only question is where is he going to play?

22. Jose Ramirez - Still very young and has plus stuff. On any other year he wouldn't be this low but if you haven't noticed, this is by far the best the yankees system has been in a long time.

23. - Brad Suttle - Came on strong in the second half, batted over .320 with 10hrs especially with 3 in the playoffs so he has some momentum. Back to back years off due to labrum surgeries hurts him as a prospect but he is definitely an advanced hitter who can stick at 3b. Age with him is a non-factor, he just needs to stay healthy.

24. DJ Mitchell - still relatively new to pitching but has a great sinker. He will be a RP option this year unless one of his secondary offerings takes a step up. He was a 2 way guy at clemson as well so I still think he has decent upside and potential to grow even more.

25. Abraham Almonte - Make or break year for this kid, he has all the tools and will most likely start at AA. He was tearing the cover off the ball before he got hurt last year so lets see how he rebounds...


There's some difference between me and nykgm's but overall I'm gonna say the system has A TON of UPSIDE. I'm excited.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#8 » by Pharmcat » Sun Feb 6, 2011 10:06 pm

I do believe Cashman gets unncessary flak all the time

but the one move i still dont understand was taking brackman over cecil...brackman better pan out and soon as a SP
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#9 » by rappa » Sun Feb 6, 2011 10:19 pm

Well considering Damon Oppenheimer makes the picks, your beef should be with him and not cashman.

As for chosing brackman over cecil, I don't see the problem at all. Cecil is a #3 AT BEST and he was a closer in college. It's not common occurrence for a reliever in college to become an above avg sp in the mlb and in the first round, the yankees shoot for ceiling because it's easier to get a #3-5 later in the draft then it is to get a #1-2 which is what Brackman projected as at that time and still has the potential to get there.

You need to remember Brackman was a 2 way guy, and was coming off TJS. His developmental time is WAY behind that of cecil's but his ceiling is WAY higher then his. If he continues on the road he paved last year, he will be that much closer to becoming what they had hoped.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#10 » by nykgeneralmanager » Mon Feb 7, 2011 4:47 am

Excellent posts rappa, can't disagree much. Only thing is, you have Laird 11th and said I have him way too low, I only have him at 13 lol.

Just wondering, are you down on Corban Joseph? I agree he isn't on Adams' level, but I don't think the gap is as wide as you have it. I just think his bat will almost guarantee that he gets to the majors in some capacity, so a guy like that who can play a number of infield positions should be close to a top 10 prospect. Just curious to hear your thoughts on him since you obviously know what you're talking about.

I don't know much about Santana, looking forward to seeing what he can do.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#11 » by nykgeneralmanager » Mon Feb 7, 2011 4:51 am

Curmudgeon wrote:
nykgeneralmanager wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:So, Nunez is officially no longer a prospect and is viewed as having "arrived?"

Depends, everybody looks at it differently. To me, we know what we have in Nunez so putting him on a list like this just takes up a space for a different player. If I did put him on there, he would be in the 8-13 range probably.


That's an interesting evaluation. His minor league numbers don't jump out at you, but when he came up last year, he looked like he belonged. I would have ranked him higher, with the caveat that I'm not nearly as familiar with the players on your list as you are. Pitchers and catchers aside, if guys like Heathcott and Adams are better prospects than Nunez, then they must be pretty good.

Nunez was certainly a late bloomer. He was one of those guys that you expected to breakout every single season but never did, so at this point last year he was barely a top 20 prospect to some people who had given up on him (myself included). Then...he broke out :lol: .

Someone like Adams is a more complete player IMO, and Heathcott's all around potential is on another level than anyone in the system including Montero/Sanchez.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#12 » by rappa » Mon Feb 7, 2011 3:30 pm

NYKGM, thanks for kind comments. My apologies about Brandon Laird, I thought you had him at 18 but was mistaken. As for Corban Joseph, it's not that I'm down on him, its more of I feel he is trade bait / tweener. He was below avg defensively but made great strides at 2b last year to where he's at least playable there. I'm not quite sure he fits well at other positions unless his doubles power starts translating to hr's, which in case a move to 3b could be helpful.

In all honesty though, he has GREAT hand / eye coordination and barrels up a lot of pitches, but what else does he bring to the table? I value performance very highly when it comes to prospects and not tools so I might have him a little too low or it could just be the yankees farm system is really loaded with high upside players who have performed.

It's quite hard to put a # on these guys as some are at different stages of development and so forth but don't get me wrong, batting over .300 with 25+ doubles in the FSL, which is a huge pitchers league, is quite an accomplishment. If he can repeat those numbers in another pitchers haven at trenton this year then he will get moved up but right now he's all bat but with only gap power. He does have potential to move up with a repeat performance but if you want my honest opinion, I bet he will be a player in a trade this summer.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#13 » by nykgeneralmanager » Tue Feb 8, 2011 2:41 pm

Fair enough, I was just wondering if you had given up on him or something because he was so low...but then again being 20th in this system isn't really a knock.

This system is top 10, arguably top 5. Even with Montero going to the majors eventually this year, I think this system can get into the top 3 next year. The only guy this system may lose this season is Montero, so if other guys perform as expected it is possible.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#14 » by Curmudgeon » Tue Feb 8, 2011 3:30 pm

If Brackman starts out well in Scranton, or performs very, very well in Spring training, I would expect to see him on the roster. It's now or never for him at age 25 (or is it 26?), and if they are going to select a young pitcher to compensate, at least in part, for the loss of Pettite, Brackman seems to be the logical candidate.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#15 » by rappa » Wed Feb 9, 2011 3:32 pm

It is anything BUT now or never for brackman. His age means nothing, he wasn't fully focused on baseball till he was 22 and then lost a whole year due to TJS. It takes time for pitchers his size to fully develop, look at Randy Johnson. How old was he when he made it to MLB? 27? As I said, Brackman is a special case but he is definitely not make or break at all, his age is irrelevant. He's only had 2 years of development time, the yankees will still be patient with him, although you and some others may not be.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#16 » by Curmudgeon » Wed Feb 9, 2011 7:44 pm

Actually Randy Johnson came up age age 24. By Age 25 (in 1989) he has been traded from Montreal to Seattle and was in Seattle's rotation. In 1990 he won 14 games and was off to the races. And to my knowledge, Johnson never had Tommy John surgery, while Brackman has.

I'd love to see Brackman bloom late but he's no Randy Johnson.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#17 » by rappa » Wed Feb 9, 2011 9:39 pm

Randy was drafted in 1985. He didn't establish himself as a big league SP till 1990. Just because Randy was in the big's doesn't mean he was a good sp. In his first 3 seasons alone, he walked over 400 people. Yes, re-read that statement, in his first 3 seasons he WALKED over 400 people at the ML level. In todays world, you simply couldn't do that no matter how talented you were, you would be sent to the minors.

In New York you don't get the luxury of going through growing pains in the MLB, as you would in Seattle.So saying Brackman, who is only in year 3 of his development OVERALL and coming off a SIGNIFICANT injury, is make or break is just a foolish statement.

It took randy 3 years alone just to get to the MLB, and he never had a major arm injury and was never focused on another sport other then baseball. Some people don't realize just how much size can affect being a pitcher and affect the way hitters see their pitches.

They release the ball closer to homeplate giving the batter less time to react and they come from angles they have never seen before. It legitimately looks like the ball is coming out of the sky when facing brackman due to his size 6'11, wingspan, and the added height of the mound.

Trying to put together those moving parts in such a huge body takes time and the mere fact that Brackman was THAT much improved just 2 years off major surgery and never being fully committed to baseball, allows me to dream of what he could become.

So back to the comparison with The Big Unit, he didn't become the absolute stud until he was 29. He always had good stuff, but he didn't finally put it all together till 29 years old. At 27 he almost walked more then he struck out. The fact that Brackman has already displayed control only 1 year removed from TJS, it shows how athletic he really is and the sky is honestly the limit for him.

Some prospects require patience and he is definitely one of them so for you to give him an ultimatum is unfair. He is special in so many different ways whether its his size, 2 sports capability or his TJS, he is simply different then any prospect anyone has ever seen. I'm willing to give him 4 years of developmental time before I sour on him, but in my honest opinion, I think this will be the year he makes it and never looks back.
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Curmudgeon
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#18 » by Curmudgeon » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:33 am

Well, it makes no sense to draw parallels between Brackman and Randy Johnson. Two different pitchers, two different eras, apples and oranges. If Brackman even wins 100 major league starts (as opposed to 300+ for Johnson) I'll be astounded.

Geez, Brfackman is 25 and he hasn't even pitched in Triple A yet. Is time running out on him? Sorry, but it is.
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rappa
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#19 » by rappa » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:29 pm

Could you be more blinded by his age when the facts that are staring at you in the face?

You can say Randy is a bad comparison to Brackman simply because they have taken a different developmental path but in reality, there has been NO ONE to ever play the game that is like Brackman.

There has never been a 7ft pitcher who was a division 1 athlete in 2 sports, who needed immediate TJS when he was drafted. No one in the history of the game can compare to brackman and that is what makes him so special.

His age means NOTHING. The mere fact that you are basing you're "ticking clock" on is just foolish. He has had only 2 FULL YEARS, of developmental time. 1 of those 2 years was a recovery period in which it was his first time pitching in over a year. Last season he was fully recovered from TJS and he got stronger and better as the season went on and finished in AA in only his second year in professional baseball.

After year 4, if he isn't established in the MLB then you can start getting rowdy, but till then hold your horses and let the kid develop. It's people like you that don't allow prospects to flourish because your impatient and expect them to be finished products the second they step foot on the major league mound, when in reality its just another step in the developmental period.
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Re: 2011 Minor League thread 

Post#20 » by Curmudgeon » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:43 pm

Well, if he takes two more years to develop Brackman will be 28 when he gets to the majors. I think that is a little on the old side. It certainly detracts from his trade value.
"Numbers lie alot. Wins and losses don't lie." - Jerry West

"You are what your record says you are."- Bill Parcells

"Offense sells tickets. Defense wins games. Rebounding wins championships." Pat Summit

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