Posted by Paul Bugala on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 11:06 pm

Part 1: Northern Division

Few options for your ever-dwindling entertainment dollar can match the value of Eastern League (Double A) baseball. In 2008, lucky fans living close enough to towns like Bowie, Maryland or Manchester, New Hampshire could grab a front row seat for the ascent of Matt Wieters or Travis Snider for around ten bucks a game.

The opening of minor league spring training is still weeks away, but it’s not too early to guess at which Eastern League players you’ll be hearing more about this year here at Baseball Daily Digest.

Akron Aeros
Carlos Santana
The eventual decline of Victor Martinez need not worry Indians fans much, since Santana came over from the Dodgers in last year’s Casey Blake trade. Santana was the California League (High A) MVP where he put up a .994 OPS in 2008.

Nick Weglarz
Weglarz is a 6’3”, 245-pound left fielder with significant power and a great batting eye. He doesn’t move particularly well, so he could join the crowded line of future first basemen in the Cleveland organization.

Beau Mills
The son of Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills has great power, but could stand to fine tune his hitting approach especially now that he’s moved from third to first base for good.

Binghamton Mets
Mike Antonini
The Mets may have found a diamond in the rough when they picked this crafty left-hander out of Georgia College & State in the 18th round of the 2007 amateur draft. His plus change-up and excellent command may separate the men from the boys in Double A.

Dillon Gee
Gee was also a find in the 21st round of the 2007 amateur draft. His excellent fastball command and ability to change speeds helped him notch a 1.33 ERA in four starts over 27 innings at Binghamton in 2008.

Tobi Stoner
Stoner was also a good mid-round pick (16th) for the Mets, just in the 2006 draft. His solid, if not spectacular, fastball and slider should help him improve on a 4.33 ERA in 79 innings at Binghamton in 2008.

Connecticut Defenders
Madison Bumgarner
In 2009, Bumgarner will succeed Matt Wieters as the premier Eastern League prospect. The 6’4” left-hander dominated the Sally League (Low A) with a 7.8 K/BB in 2008. His secondary pitches need work, but he has the talent to make the jump to Double A.

Buster Posey
Posey is a disciplined hitter with great bat speed who was the 2008 Golden Spikes winner as the top amateur player. His quick release (1.85 seconds from home to second base – 2.0 is average) and receiving skills should help him stick at catcher.

Tim Alderson
Alderson led the hitter-friendly California league with a 2.79 ERA through 145 innings in 2008. What Bumgarner lacks in polish, Alderson makes up and then some. That should be trouble for Eastern League hitters.

Harrisburg Senators
Bill Rhinehart
It’s hard not to pull for Rhinehart, a scrappy player who jumped from Hagerstown (Low A) to Harrisburg (Double A). Until Michael Burgess is promoted, his plus power and pretty good eye will help him anchor the Senator’s line-up. He’ll need a platoon-mate against left-handers before long.

Luis Atilano
Atilano has been in the pro ball since 2003, but 2009 should be his first appearance at Double A. He’s a fastball/change-up/curve guy who has to needs to work on this command to remain a starter.

Cory VanAllen
VanAllen has been slowed by injuries, but this lefty showed real promise when he worked a slider into his fastball/change-up mix. VanAllen hopes to show that a 5.13 ERA in 10 starts at Harrisburg last year was a fluke.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats
David Cooper
Cooper is a fantastic pure hitter with a short stroke and great bat speed who could join Travis Snider in the middle of the Blue Jays line-up for a long time. This 2008 first-rounder is awkward at first, so he’s lucky to be in an American League organization.

Brad Mills
Mills is a lefty with a great curveball and an average fastball. He owned the Eastern League through 32 innings in six starts last year, posting a 1.10 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.

Brad Emaus
Emaus is a versatile fielder and hitter who finish last year with a 1.119 OPS in 99 August at bats in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. He split his time between second base, third base and designated hitter, but seems likely to stay at second.

Reading Phillies
Michael Taylor
Taylor has great bat speed, but a Stanford swing that limits his power. The 6’6”, 250-pounder has a cannon for an arm, but doesn’t cover enough ground in left field and may be on his way to first base.

Drew Naylor
Naylor will likely take Carlos Carrasco’s place as the R-Phils ace. The 6’4” right-handed Aussie baffles hitters with a 12-to-6 curve, but struggles a bit against left-handers. He will represent his home country in the World Baseball Classic.

Edgar Garcia
Garcia has a blazing fastball, but has plenty of work to do developing pitches to compliment it. Right-handers tagged him for 1.40 HR/9 in 2008.