Prospects

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A couple things I found on BaseballAmerica,thought you guys might like to see.

6. Landon Powell, c, Double-A Midland (Athletics)

The switch-hitting Powell has hit .431/.513/.759 this month with five home runs. But the most shocking stat is his pair of triples.


Anthony Recker, c, high Class A Stockton (Athletics)

A 2005 18th-round pick from Division-III Alveria (Penn.) College, Recker was a raw project when he signed. Two years later, the 23-year-old catcher has made massive strides. He's hitting .319/.402/.609 for the season and has been even better this month (.344/.432/.797).


15. Jeff Baisley, 3b, Double-A Midland (Athletics)

Thanks in part to a two-homer game on Sunday, Baisley blasted four homers last week while batting .444 and always plays a solid third base.



Trevor Cahill, rhp, low Class A Kane County (Athletics)

After pitching just nine innings in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League last season, the 2006 second-rounder joined the Midwest League in mid-May. And while he's been hit well (27 hits in 22 innings), Cahill is showing a 92-94 mph fastball and a plus curveball--the two main reasons he's whiffed 15 over his last nine innings.

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I am so glad to see a good 3B prospect in our system... gives me hope for who we'll deal next

I miss the Moneyball A's, where there was still a dominant hitter on our team for a while (Giambi, Tejada)...

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4. Matt Sulentic, of Born: Oct. 6, 1987

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5. Jermaine Mitchell, of Born: Nov. 2, 1984

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6. Javier Herrera, of Born: April 9, 1985

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9. Justin Sellers, ss Born: Feb. 1, 1986

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10. Trevor Cahill, rhp Born: March 1, 1988

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HOT

1. Daric Barton, 1b/3b, Triple-A Sacramento (Athletics)

Despite splitting time between his natural position of first base and the new-this-year third base, Barton has flat-out hit this season, his second with the River Cats. The 21-year-old Barton led all PCL batters in average (.680), hits (17) and runs (nine), while finishing second in doubles (five) and on-base percentage (.667).

If those credentials don't impress you, check out Barton's June numbers: .512/.549/.732 with 13 doubles.

Drafted as a catcher by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2003 draft--and subsequently traded to the A's for Mark Mulder--Barton has had his growing pains at the hot corner. An average defender at first base, Barton has committed nine errors in 17 games (.816) at third base.


20. Landon Powell, c, Double-A Midland (Athletics)

He didn't triple last week, but Powell did hit three home runs last week and he's now hitting .425 for the month.

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17. Trevor Cahill, rhp, low Class A Kane County (Athletics)

Cahill made one appearance last week, getting the win and striking out nine in six innings. In his last five starts, Cahill is 3-2, 3.00 in 30 innings. In his first five appearances he lasted six innings just once. Since then, he hasn't left before the fifth inning.

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2007 Oakland A's Top 10 Prospects
Compiled by J.P. Schwartz

2007 Season First Quarter Ranking Update 5-28-2007
#1 Travis Buck -- Preseason Rank: 1
(MLB) 35G .255, 6(2B), 4(3B), 5HR, 15RBI, 19BB, 32K

#2 Daric Barton -- Preseason Rank: 2
(AAA) 48G .233, 12(2B), 4HR, 28RBI, 29BB, 27K, 1SB

#3 Kurt Suzuki -- Preseason Rank: 4
(AAA) 45G .276, 8(2B), 3HR, 23RBI, 18BB, 36K

#4 Jeff Baisley -- Preseason Rank: NR
(AA) 44G .285, 15(2B), 1(3B), 5HR, 16RBI, 17BB, 37K, 1SB

#5 James Heuser -- Preseason Rank: NR
(Low-A) 3-2, 3.04ERA, 56.1IP, 20BB, 59K, .200BAA

#6 Jermaine Mitchell -- Preseason Rank: NR
(High-A) 42G .288, 3(2B), 1(3B), 1HR, 10RBI, 22BB, 39K, 4SB

#7 Dallas Braden -- Preseason Rank: NR
(MLB) 1-3, 6.41ERA, 19.2IP, 6BB, 15K, .269BAA
(AAA) 0-0, 0.75ERA, 12IP, 5BB, 12K, .205BAA
(AA) 1-0, 2.25ERA, 12IP, 3BB, 13K, .128BAA

#8 Danny Putnam -- Preseason Rank: NR
(MLB) 11G .214, 1HR, 2RBI, 3BB, 11K
(AAA) 9G .192, 2(2B), 2RBI, 5BB, 11K
(AA) 13G .327, 7(2B), 1(3B), 2HR, 15RBI, 5BB, 4K, 1SB

#9 Cliff Pennington -- Preseason Rank: 10
(High-A) 48G .262, 9(2B), 2(3B), 4HR, 22RBI, 34BB, 32K, 5SB

#10 Jason Windsor -- Preseason Rank: 9
(AAA) 5-3, 5.40ERA, 56.2IP, 25BB, 41K, .302BAA

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2007 Oakland A's Top 10 Prospects
Compiled by J.P. Schwartz

2007 Season First Quarter Ranking Update 5-28-2007
#1 Travis Buck -- Preseason Rank: 1
(MLB) 35G .255, 6(2B), 4(3B), 5HR, 15RBI, 19BB, 32K

#2 Daric Barton -- Preseason Rank: 2
(AAA) 48G .233, 12(2B), 4HR, 28RBI, 29BB, 27K, 1SB

#3 Kurt Suzuki -- Preseason Rank: 4
(AAA) 45G .276, 8(2B), 3HR, 23RBI, 18BB, 36K

#4 Jeff Baisley -- Preseason Rank: NR
(AA) 44G .285, 15(2B), 1(3B), 5HR, 16RBI, 17BB, 37K, 1SB

#5 James Heuser -- Preseason Rank: NR
(Low-A) 3-2, 3.04ERA, 56.1IP, 20BB, 59K, .200BAA

#6 Jermaine Mitchell -- Preseason Rank: NR
(High-A) 42G .288, 3(2B), 1(3B), 1HR, 10RBI, 22BB, 39K, 4SB

#7 Dallas Braden -- Preseason Rank: NR
(MLB) 1-3, 6.41ERA, 19.2IP, 6BB, 15K, .269BAA
(AAA) 0-0, 0.75ERA, 12IP, 5BB, 12K, .205BAA
(AA) 1-0, 2.25ERA, 12IP, 3BB, 13K, .128BAA

#8 Danny Putnam -- Preseason Rank: NR
(MLB) 11G .214, 1HR, 2RBI, 3BB, 11K
(AAA) 9G .192, 2(2B), 2RBI, 5BB, 11K
(AA) 13G .327, 7(2B), 1(3B), 2HR, 15RBI, 5BB, 4K, 1SB

#9 Cliff Pennington -- Preseason Rank: 10
(High-A) 48G .262, 9(2B), 2(3B), 4HR, 22RBI, 34BB, 32K, 5SB

#10 Jason Windsor -- Preseason Rank: 9
(AAA) 5-3, 5.40ERA, 56.2IP, 25BB, 41K, .302BAA

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Athletics Organziation Report

Barton, Cahill are premier talents in A's system

By Casey Tefertiller
E-mail this article
September 21, 2007 Print this article


Best Player: It was a roller-coaster season of streaks and slumps at Triple-A Sacramento for first baseman Daric Barton, with a remarkably hot June to mix with periods of mediocrity. Then the 22-year-old burst into the Pacific Coast League playoffs and emerged as a force, hitting four home runs in five playoff games to lead Sacramento past Salt Lake City and earn a call-up to the majors. During the regular season he hit .293/.389/.438 with nine home runs and 70 RBIs.

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11. Corey Brown, of, Vancouver Canadians (Athletics)
B-T: L-L Ht: 6-2 Wt: 210 Age: 21 Drafted: Athletics '07 (1S)
Brown played with Mangini at Oklahoma State and went seven picks after him in the supplemental first round. Brown's average sat at .207 two weeks into his pro career, but he made some adjustments and began to get to his power. He injured a tendon in his finger with a headfirst slide, forcing him to miss the final 12 games of the season.

Brown has plenty of bat speed and plus raw power, though he does it in unorthodox fashion. He hits from an exaggerated open stance and has lots of pre-pitch movement. It's a complicated load, though he repeats it relatively well. He tends to drift out on his front side and dive toward the plate, opening holes in his swing.

He swings and misses too much, but he has good pitch recognition, and if Brown tones down his approach, he might make more consistent hard contact. He's a solid-average runner but isn't light on his feet, and his center-field defense is below-average overall. His feel for the position, reads and routes are surprisingly raw given his college experience.

He has a solid-average arm that could play adequately in right field if he had to move.

"I think he can be an impact run producer," the first scout said. "Whether he can play center field is up in the air."

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
213 31 57 18 4 11 48 37 77 5 3 .268 .379 .545

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19. Trevor Cahill, rhp, Kane County Cougars (Athletics)
B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 195 Age: 19 Drafted: Athletics '06 (2)
We asked three different scouts to identify Kane County's best pitching prospect, and we got three different answers. One went for Henry Rodriguez, who touches 98 mph but still is trying to figure out everything else about his craft. One opted for Andrew Bailey, who has three interesting pitches and finished the year in Triple-A (but also is 23).

We went with Door No. 3: Cahill, Oakland's top pick (second round) in the 2006 draft, because he has the best chance to become a mid-rotation starter. His stuff is fringy to average across the board right now, with his two best pitches an 88-92 mph fastball with late sink and a slider that has his moments. But he's polished for a 19-year-old and matured as the season went on, allowing just six runs (never more than one in an outing) over his final nine starts.

Because his delivery isn't especially loose or effortless, Cahill may not have as much projection remaining as his youth and lanky 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame might indicate. Yet if he refines his changeup and command, he should continue to have success.


G GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG
20 19 11 4 0 2.73 105 85 38 32 3 40 117 .220

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17. Andrew Bailey, rhp, Stockton Ports (Athletics)
B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 220 Age: 23 Drafted: Athletics '06 (6)
Bailey had Tommy John surgery while in college but has made up for lost time, succeeding at two Class A levels in his first full season in 2007 and throwing in eight innings of one-run ball in a Triple-A cameo. A thick workhorse built along the lines of Joe Blanton and Brad Penny, Bailey has a chance to have three average-or-better pitches.

Bailey continued to wrack up strikeouts in his second professional season with a low-90s fastball made even more explosive by its late life. Bailey hides the ball well with a deceptive delivery and likes to work up in the zone with the fastball and complement it with an effective 12-to-6 curveball that still has room to be tighter.

Bailey has an 89-93 mph fastball and its heavy sink and boring action make it even tougher on hitter. He has a hard 12-to-6 curveball and a changeup that's deceptive despite being a bit too firm at 85-87 mph. There's some effort and head tilt in his delivery, which makes it difficult for him to hold his stuff into the late innings, which could make him a setup man.

G GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG
11 11 3 4 0 3.82 66 56 31 28 8 31 72 .239

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18. Richie Robnett, of, Midland RockHounds (Athletics)
B-T: L-L Ht: 5-10 Wt: 200 Age: 23 Drafted: Athletics '04 (1)

Robnett hit just .234 with six homers over the season's first two months before his considerable tools finally started to translate into production. He batted .290 with 12 homers over the final three months, set career highs in several categories and made the TL's postseason all-star team, as he raised his average more than 30 points from the beginning of June.

Robnett can sting line drives with a short, powerful swing, and he drew comparisons to Cliff Floyd for his ability to drive the ball. He has an all-or-nothing approach and still struggles with pitch recognition, but most managers thought with more at-bats he'll learn to shrink his strike zone and put the ball in play more often.

He also has a good arm and runs well, which translates in the field but not on the basepaths for the Athletics, who run less than any organization. Robnett played all three outfield positions for Midland.

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
490 73
131 39 2 18 74 34 130 4 3 .267 .316 .465

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19. Daric Barton, 1b, Sacramento River Cats (Athletics)
B-T: L-R Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 225 Age: 22 Drafted: Cardinals '03 (1)
For one 24-game stretch, Barton was perhaps the best hitter in the league. He collected a hit in 24 consecutive games in June, batting .490 with 14 doubles, two homers, eight walks and five strikeouts in 100 at-bats. He also was the most dangerous hitter in the playoffs, batting .550 with four homers as Sacramento won the PCL title.

Outside of those hot streaks, though, Barton hit a very ordinary .245/.357/.373 during the regular season.

Barton is very selective at the plate and his line-drive stroke could one day produce 30-plus doubles a year with a solid batting average. He looks to go the other way early in counts and doesn't have a lot of loft in his swing. He seems to get consistent backspin on the ball only to the opposite field, limiting his home run potential, which is average at best.

He never has made conditioning a priority, and Barton is a below-average runner and no better than an average defender at first base. His bat will have to carry him, and it may not be enough to make him a regular on a big league contender.

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
516 84 151 38 5 9 70 78 69 3 4 .293 .389 .438

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Kurt Suzuki, c, Athletics

After going from walk-on to 2004 College World Series hero for Cal State Fullerton, Suzuki went from establishing himself as one of the premier defenders in the minors to breaking into the big leagues just three years after he was a second-round pick.

A natural leader, Suzuki only got better defensively because of his outstanding work ethic. He now grades as an above-average defender, and while he probably won't hit for much power in Oakland, he controls the strike zone, gets on base and makes consistent hard contact.

"He survived baptism by fire and began to thrive," Athletics director of player personnel Billy Owens says. "He attacked learning the nuances of game-calling at the big league level. His overall blend of athleticism, average arm strength and line-drive hitting ability will make him a mainstay behind the plate.

"Offensively he uses a level compact stroke that is capable of spraying line drives around the diamond and eventually will have enough pop to accumulate extra-base hits and 15-homer type power. Defensively he is agile and quick with a solid-average throwing arm that will eventually lead to a higher percentage of throwing out runners."

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I'll be doing prospects updates on Jan 30th

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Cool cool... been curious about Cahill recently, is his ETA this season or next?