Minor Notes: Eastern League players to watch – Part 2
Posted by Paul Bugala on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Part 2: Southern Division
This is the second half of a preview of the most interesting players likely to be on opening day rosters in the Double-A Eastern League.
Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Jose Tabata
Tabata came to the Pirates organizations in last year’s Xavier Nady trade. He left discipline issues and a .617 OPS (in 294 ABs) behind in Trenton and put up a .964 OPS (89 ABs, .412 BABIP) in Altoona. Tabata will be 20 years old until August 12.
Brad Lincoln
Lincoln was the fourth overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft. He sat out all of 2007 after Tommy John surgery. He showed great control in 2008, especially in 62 innings at Low A Hickory (0.89 BB/9). Lincoln’s change up may be the key to his success at higher levels.
Jamie Romak
Romak hit 33 homeruns in 584 ABs at High A Lynchburg in parts of 2007 and 2008. Whether that power translates to higher levels or he continues struggling to make consistent contact will determine the impact he can have.
Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles)
Chris Tillman
Tillman made the Erik Bedard trade look like a huge mistake by the Marines in 2008 by often dominating the Eastern League. However, the EL’s youngest pitcher struggled with his command at times (4.21 BB/9) and only made it to the seventh inning in one start. Tillman will work on his efficiency in Bowie, but may be the first promotion to Norfolk.
Jake Arrieta
In 2008, won a bronze medal in the Olympics, pitched in the Futures Game, and put up a 9.56 K/9 in 113 innings at High A Frederick. Of course, he also walked 4.06 per nine innings and yielded a 1.52 WHIP in 41.3 innings against lefties.
Bradon Erbe
Erbe is an easy-going life-long Orioles fan who rebounded in 2008 to put himself back among the minor’s top pitching prospects. Erbe led the Carolina League with 151 Ks, but was a little homer prone (1.25 HR/9). He could get even better as he grows into his 6’4” frame and masters his change up.
Erie Seawolves (Detroit Tigers)
Rick Porcello
Porcello is an efficient groundball pitcher who made strides with the location of his secondary pitches at Lakeland in 2008. The right-hander’s 5.18 K/9 seems low for someone with a 97 mph fastball, but Minor League Baseball Analyst tell us he was working on a sinker.
Ryan Perry
Perry was drafted out of Arizona in the first round of the 2008 amateur draft as a reliever. He throws the ball plenty fast, but could work on his pitchability. Perry’s 14.3 professional innings are not a big enough sample from which to draw conclusions, so Tigers and EL fans will have to wait and see how he develops. He’s impressing important folks this spring in Detriot’s big league camp.
Cale Iorg
Iorg was drafted in the sixth round in 2007 after spending two years away from baseball. He needs work on making contact (struck out 109 times in 376 ABs at Lakeland in 2008). Iorg has a particularly hard time with sliders low and away.
New Britain Rock Cats (Minnesota Twins)
Wilson Ramos
Ramos is an athletic catcher who caught 43 percent of attempted base stealers in 2008. He makes solid contact, but saw his strikeout rate inch up to 22.8 percent last year. Ramos is already on the Twins 40-man roster.
Danny Valencia
Valencia is a power-hitting third baseman who may not be in New Britain for long. He has been the picture of offensive consistency at four levels, but saw his strikeout rate spike at 26.3 percent in 266 ABs in the Eastern League.
Jeff Manship
Manship can throw his plus curveball for strikes consistently. The 14th-round pick out of Notre Dame saw his walks spike in 77 innings at New Britain in 2008. He projects as a back-rotation starter.
Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox)
Lars Anderson
Anderson probably won’t be in Portland for long, but there appears to be no reason to rush him. In 2008, Anderson quieted any speculation that his .921 OPS in 306 ABs in the hitter-friendly California League was inflated by putting up a .967 OPS in 127 ABs in the Eastern League. The sample size is very small, but the lefty had a little trouble against left-handed pitchers (.701 ABs) for the first time during his stint in Portland.
Josh Reddick
Reddick is an aggressive hitter and versatile outfielder how was cruising through the Red Sox affiliates until he reached Portland last year. After putting up a .745 OPS in 113 ABs during his first trip through the Eastern League, Reddick will work on his plate discipline and hope for better luck in 2009.
Junichi Tazawa
Tazawa jumped from Japanese amateur baseball to the States when he signed a three-year $3.3 million major league contract with a $1.8 million signing bonus in December. (Other major league teams offered him more than the Red Sox.) The right-hander has an advanced fastball/slider/curve/change-up repertoire and good command.
Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees)
Zach McAllister
McAllister put up a 1.83 ERA in 88.6 innings in the Florida State League with very few walks and lots of groundouts. The right-handers command came a particularly far way from 2007 (3.41 BB/9) to 2008 (1.23 BB/9).
Mike Dunn
Dunn has become a more aggressive pitcher since his move to the bullpen. The left-handers 11.51 K/9 in 65.7 innings against lefty hitters indicates he could be a valuable arm even if he doesn’t make great strides with his command.
Francisco Cervelli
Cervelli may be the Yankees’ strongest defensive catching prospect. He broke his wrist in a collision during Spring Training, but had a cup of coffee with the big club by the end of the year. Cervelli will return to Trenton to work on his hitting.
