Perry's Top 10 AFL Prospects
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:48 am
Perry Van Hook is an NFBC Charter Member and a columnist with www.FantasyBaseball.com and he was kind enough to write our Arizona Fall League recap story for the first issue of Fantasy Sports Magazine this year. All NFBC early-bird signups will get a copy of that magazine later this month.
Perry has been kind enough to let me post tidbits of that story to tease the winter soul. Perry lives in Surprise, Arizona and probably saw as many AFL games as anyone out there, with his sidekick Don Drooker, of course. Here's his listing of the Top AFL prospects for fantasy teams in 2009:
1. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore: Wieters was easily the No. 1 player people wanted to see and he didn’t disappoint. The 6’5”, 230-pound catcher who was the fifth player taken in the 2007 Amateur draft, hit a combined .355 in 437 ABs this year at Class A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, with 27 HRs and 91 RBIs. Perhaps even more impressive, he had only 76 strikeouts during the year while taking 82 walks. The plate discipline continued in the AFL as Wieters hit .301 with an OBP of .407. While he had just one home run in his 20 games in the AFL (he played a total of 150 games for his first pro season), he received quite a compliment early in the season when one scout described him as “Mauer with power.”
2. Tommy Hanson, RHP, Atlanta: If the buzz was about Wieters when the AFL started, it was about Hanson by the time it reached the Championship Game. Hanson started the title game for the Mesa Solar Sox and pitched five innings, giving up one earned run on three hits and one walk while striking out eight. That came after a season of going 5-0 in seven starts with an ERA of 0.63 and a WHIP of 0.59 in 28.2 innings in which he gave up seven walks and struck out 49 batters. The 22-year-old, who is 6’6” and 210 pounds, throws his fastball in the 91-94 mph range. Hanson has been a real find for the Braves as he was drafted in the 22nd round in 2005 and now possesses an 86 mph slider and a devastating 75 mph curve. Last season at Class A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Mississippi, he was a combined 11-5 with 163 strikeouts in 138 innings, while walking only 52.
3. Eric Young Jr., OF, Colorado: I think it is fair to say that EY2 – son of the former MLB speedster – opened quite a few eyes in the AFL as he led the league in average (.430), Stolen Bases (20), Runs (37) and OBP (.504), while playing a very nice center field for the Champion Phoenix Desert Dogs. In addition, he had five home runs.
4. Tyler Flowers, C, White Sox: Acquired in early December from Atlanta in the Javier Vazquez trade, the 22-year-old catcher can use his AFL numbers to show that he belongs in the major leagues soon: a league-leading 12 home runs, .387 batting average, .460 on base percentage, and a league-leading .973 slugging percentage. He will give the White Sox a replacement for A.J. Pierzynski in a year or so and is a solid, solid prospect.
5. Jason Donald, SS, Philadelphia: In 2008 at Double-A Reading, this 24-year-old shortstop with a great arm had 37 extra base hits (19 doubles, 4 triples, 14 home runs) and stole 11 bases while hitting .307. In the AFL, he was second to Young with a .407 average and had 19 extra base hits (12-2-5) in just 25 games. While at the AFL, Donald also played some third base and second base to increase his value to the Phillies.
6. Rhyne Hughes, 1B, Tampa Bay: Hughes, a 6’2” 180-pound, left-handed hitting first baseman led the AFL in extra base hits (12-3-5) and drove in 27 runners in 27 games with a .394 batting average.
7. Logan Morrison, 1B, Florida: Morrison was another of the AFL’s stars this year, hitting five home runs and driving in 29 while hitting .404. The 21-year-old, left-handed hitting Marlins’ prospect hit .332 in Class A Jupiter in 2008, a leap forward in average, while hitting fewer home runs (13) but quite a few more doubles (38). He also stole nine bases and definitely bears watching.
8. Bobby Parnell, RHP, New York Mets: After a tough season at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A New Orleans in 2008, Parnell, a 6’4”, 200-pound, 24-year-old starter may have set an improved course in the AFL. In seven starts for the Peoria Saguaros, Parnell was 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, striking out a batter per inning. He’s definitely one to watch in 2009.
9. Mike Baxter, OF, San Diego: Baxter didn’t dazzle anyone during his first few stops in the Padres’ organization, even though he showed improvement, but his AFL campaign may cast him in a better light for 2009. The 24-year-old outfielder hit .402 in 22 games with an OBP of .495 and a slugging percentage of .634.
10. Andrew Carignan, RHP, Oakland: Carignan, 22, was the AFL saves leader with six, and in 11 games was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 18 strikeouts with only four walks. The 5’11”, 205-pounder went 4-4 last year between Class A Stockton and Double-A Midland (where he was selected to the Texas League All-Star game) with 28 saves and a 2.01 ERA. He had 84 strikeouts in the combined 62.2 innings, but 44 walks raised his WHIP to 1.37, which he later improved in the AFL.
Perry also talks about four players who were taken in the June amateur draft but appeared in the AFL:
1. Gordon Beckham, SS, White Sox: Beckham was taken 8th overall by the White Sox out of the University of Georgia. The 22-year-old infielder played 14 games at Class A Kanapolis and hit .310 with three home runs and eight RBIs before getting sent to play in Peoria. He started slowly in the AFL, but by the time the season had ended he had hit .394 with a .468 OBP and 10 extra base hits, three HRs and 13 RBIs in 66 at-bats.
2. Brett Wallace, 3B, St. Louis: A very accomplished hitter in college at Arizona State University, Wallace was taken with the 13th pick by the Cardinals. With no DH in the National League, it is most likely Wallace will be looked at as a corner outfielder, but anywhere that gets his bat in the lineup is a good position. In 54 games at Class A Quad Cities and Double-A Springfield this year, he hit a combined .337 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs. In 94 AFL at-bats, he hit .309 with six home runs and 24 RBIs.
3. Justin Smoak, 1B, Texas: The 6’3”, 200-pound, switch-hitting slugger was drafted No. 11 by the Rangers as a junior from the University of South Carolina. A late signing, the 22-year-old played in just 14 games at Class A Clinton, hitting .304 with three home runs. In just 51 AFL at bats (he started the season on the taxi squad playing only one or two days a week), he hit .353 with one home run.
4. Brian Matusz, LHP, Baltimore: Matusz was the fourth overall selection last June as a 21-year-old junior from the University of San Diego. At 6’5” and 200 pounds, Matusz is a very advanced pitcher for his age, throwing his fastball at 92-94 mph with an exceptional curveball – generally at 75 mph, but he can vary the angle and speed at will. He projects as a No. 1 or 2 starter, and while his AFL numbers didn’t dazzle, the 31 strikeouts in 26.2 innings with only seven walks confirmed his potential as a top starter.
Veterans like Clay Buchholz, Philip Hughes and Max Scherzer also pitched in the AFLand I'll let Perry talk about each of them if he wants. Thanks Perry and feel free to post any AFL questions here.
(Perry Van Hook is a columnist with FantasyBaseball.com.)
Perry has been kind enough to let me post tidbits of that story to tease the winter soul. Perry lives in Surprise, Arizona and probably saw as many AFL games as anyone out there, with his sidekick Don Drooker, of course. Here's his listing of the Top AFL prospects for fantasy teams in 2009:
1. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore: Wieters was easily the No. 1 player people wanted to see and he didn’t disappoint. The 6’5”, 230-pound catcher who was the fifth player taken in the 2007 Amateur draft, hit a combined .355 in 437 ABs this year at Class A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, with 27 HRs and 91 RBIs. Perhaps even more impressive, he had only 76 strikeouts during the year while taking 82 walks. The plate discipline continued in the AFL as Wieters hit .301 with an OBP of .407. While he had just one home run in his 20 games in the AFL (he played a total of 150 games for his first pro season), he received quite a compliment early in the season when one scout described him as “Mauer with power.”
2. Tommy Hanson, RHP, Atlanta: If the buzz was about Wieters when the AFL started, it was about Hanson by the time it reached the Championship Game. Hanson started the title game for the Mesa Solar Sox and pitched five innings, giving up one earned run on three hits and one walk while striking out eight. That came after a season of going 5-0 in seven starts with an ERA of 0.63 and a WHIP of 0.59 in 28.2 innings in which he gave up seven walks and struck out 49 batters. The 22-year-old, who is 6’6” and 210 pounds, throws his fastball in the 91-94 mph range. Hanson has been a real find for the Braves as he was drafted in the 22nd round in 2005 and now possesses an 86 mph slider and a devastating 75 mph curve. Last season at Class A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Mississippi, he was a combined 11-5 with 163 strikeouts in 138 innings, while walking only 52.
3. Eric Young Jr., OF, Colorado: I think it is fair to say that EY2 – son of the former MLB speedster – opened quite a few eyes in the AFL as he led the league in average (.430), Stolen Bases (20), Runs (37) and OBP (.504), while playing a very nice center field for the Champion Phoenix Desert Dogs. In addition, he had five home runs.
4. Tyler Flowers, C, White Sox: Acquired in early December from Atlanta in the Javier Vazquez trade, the 22-year-old catcher can use his AFL numbers to show that he belongs in the major leagues soon: a league-leading 12 home runs, .387 batting average, .460 on base percentage, and a league-leading .973 slugging percentage. He will give the White Sox a replacement for A.J. Pierzynski in a year or so and is a solid, solid prospect.
5. Jason Donald, SS, Philadelphia: In 2008 at Double-A Reading, this 24-year-old shortstop with a great arm had 37 extra base hits (19 doubles, 4 triples, 14 home runs) and stole 11 bases while hitting .307. In the AFL, he was second to Young with a .407 average and had 19 extra base hits (12-2-5) in just 25 games. While at the AFL, Donald also played some third base and second base to increase his value to the Phillies.
6. Rhyne Hughes, 1B, Tampa Bay: Hughes, a 6’2” 180-pound, left-handed hitting first baseman led the AFL in extra base hits (12-3-5) and drove in 27 runners in 27 games with a .394 batting average.
7. Logan Morrison, 1B, Florida: Morrison was another of the AFL’s stars this year, hitting five home runs and driving in 29 while hitting .404. The 21-year-old, left-handed hitting Marlins’ prospect hit .332 in Class A Jupiter in 2008, a leap forward in average, while hitting fewer home runs (13) but quite a few more doubles (38). He also stole nine bases and definitely bears watching.
8. Bobby Parnell, RHP, New York Mets: After a tough season at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A New Orleans in 2008, Parnell, a 6’4”, 200-pound, 24-year-old starter may have set an improved course in the AFL. In seven starts for the Peoria Saguaros, Parnell was 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, striking out a batter per inning. He’s definitely one to watch in 2009.
9. Mike Baxter, OF, San Diego: Baxter didn’t dazzle anyone during his first few stops in the Padres’ organization, even though he showed improvement, but his AFL campaign may cast him in a better light for 2009. The 24-year-old outfielder hit .402 in 22 games with an OBP of .495 and a slugging percentage of .634.
10. Andrew Carignan, RHP, Oakland: Carignan, 22, was the AFL saves leader with six, and in 11 games was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 18 strikeouts with only four walks. The 5’11”, 205-pounder went 4-4 last year between Class A Stockton and Double-A Midland (where he was selected to the Texas League All-Star game) with 28 saves and a 2.01 ERA. He had 84 strikeouts in the combined 62.2 innings, but 44 walks raised his WHIP to 1.37, which he later improved in the AFL.
Perry also talks about four players who were taken in the June amateur draft but appeared in the AFL:
1. Gordon Beckham, SS, White Sox: Beckham was taken 8th overall by the White Sox out of the University of Georgia. The 22-year-old infielder played 14 games at Class A Kanapolis and hit .310 with three home runs and eight RBIs before getting sent to play in Peoria. He started slowly in the AFL, but by the time the season had ended he had hit .394 with a .468 OBP and 10 extra base hits, three HRs and 13 RBIs in 66 at-bats.
2. Brett Wallace, 3B, St. Louis: A very accomplished hitter in college at Arizona State University, Wallace was taken with the 13th pick by the Cardinals. With no DH in the National League, it is most likely Wallace will be looked at as a corner outfielder, but anywhere that gets his bat in the lineup is a good position. In 54 games at Class A Quad Cities and Double-A Springfield this year, he hit a combined .337 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs. In 94 AFL at-bats, he hit .309 with six home runs and 24 RBIs.
3. Justin Smoak, 1B, Texas: The 6’3”, 200-pound, switch-hitting slugger was drafted No. 11 by the Rangers as a junior from the University of South Carolina. A late signing, the 22-year-old played in just 14 games at Class A Clinton, hitting .304 with three home runs. In just 51 AFL at bats (he started the season on the taxi squad playing only one or two days a week), he hit .353 with one home run.
4. Brian Matusz, LHP, Baltimore: Matusz was the fourth overall selection last June as a 21-year-old junior from the University of San Diego. At 6’5” and 200 pounds, Matusz is a very advanced pitcher for his age, throwing his fastball at 92-94 mph with an exceptional curveball – generally at 75 mph, but he can vary the angle and speed at will. He projects as a No. 1 or 2 starter, and while his AFL numbers didn’t dazzle, the 31 strikeouts in 26.2 innings with only seven walks confirmed his potential as a top starter.
Veterans like Clay Buchholz, Philip Hughes and Max Scherzer also pitched in the AFLand I'll let Perry talk about each of them if he wants. Thanks Perry and feel free to post any AFL questions here.
(Perry Van Hook is a columnist with FantasyBaseball.com.)