MBBA hidden gems perhaps? (JL-Atlantic)

[bschr682]

Im going to be looking through the minor leagues and pointing out some of the players that could be the next wave of regulars in the mbba. Not necessarily star players as most of those guys have been pegged already. Some of these guys will be folks you never heard of. To be included here the player has to meet the following criteria:

1. No major league service time. If a player has that he's already a bit of known quantity.
2. 24 years old or younger. At 25 if a player hasn't had his shot at the bigs it starts getting dicey as to whether he'll ever have an impact. Not impossible obviously but not likely.
3. The player can not have been named to the MBBA top prospect list.
4. None of the rookies just selected in the draft will be on these lists. Its way too soon to see what these new guys will look like.

BALTIMORE MONARCHS

RF Bart Hood

Personally i see this guy as a LF not a RF but either way who should be an MBBA regular someday. Work ethic is a slight concern but perhaps his good intelligence will offset this and maybe even lead to some talent bumps. Hood has decent speed and should steal a few bases but it won't be a major part of his game. He's got above average contact and gap power skills which combined with his tendency to not strikeout should lead to a great OBP guy. Not much power to speak of but he will hit a few out. Overall there is a lot to like about Hood especially since he's only 20 years old but he was a 1st round pick so this should not be a huge surprise.

CL Kane Davis

I'm not sure this guy will be a closer in the bigs but he should make a good reliever. Not a flamethrower as he barely touches 90 but has a great g/b ratio so his success will depend on the quality of the defense behind him. He has two above average pitches which are almost fully developed already. Great movement right now and projects to have great control in the future. Not a strikeout artist but a quality bullpen contributor.

GREENVILLE MOONSHINERS

RF Kuan Liao

Wow where did this guy come from? Signed a minor league deal in '96 with Greenville. Not a lot of range but has a good arm and does not commit foolish errors out in RF. Outstanding work ethic which should lead to him developing his above average contact, gap and homerun power talent. Not a whole lot of speed on the bases but won't kill you either. This guy doesn't have all-star written on him but i can see him beeing a great #5 hitter on a contender.

CL Armando Sandoval

Sandoval isn't really a surprise as he was a high 1st round pick but after that initial coverage he has seemed to stall out. The young lefty has been traded twice already and is only 22. He projects to be a top-top reliever but has yet to reach his potential. Outstanding strikeout stuff with a nasty sinker that can touch 98 and then a wicked curve that should make all but the best hitters whiff at nothing but air. The only problem seems to be his control. He projects to have above average control but he is still having issues with the strike zone. If he figures that part of his game out he will be in an MBBA bullpen for a long, long time.

WASHINGTON BOBWHITES

LF Bob Russell

Russell went undrafted in '97 and Washington picked him up as a minor league free agent. Russell has top speed and combined with plus stealing ability and good base-running instincts should make for a dangerous man on the base-paths. Russell only has average contact but has plus gap ability. His gap ability combined with his speed should make him a triple's machine if given the chance. He's also a decent defender and is only 20 years old. His injury-prone nature is a concern but if Russell gets even a single contact talent boost while in the minors he'd make for a good outfielder. As he is I think he will end up in the big leagues on a bench somewhere but he could end up being a lot more.

SP Nacho Martinez

Martinez was the 4th pick in supplemental round 1 of the '97 draft and has been disappointing since. He was projected to have great movement and has developed that. He was projected to have great control and that is where he has fallen short. He throws a pretty good sinker and has a nice g/b ratio but his control problems are holding him back. Martinez has an outstanding work ethic but he is just not very intelligent. He's only 22 and i think if Washington would invest in him and spend some PP to up his intelligence, that Martinez could bounce back from his control problems and climb his way up to the MBBA. I doubt he will ever be worthy of that high of a pick but he still has a shot at the big leagues.

LOUISVILLE SLUGGERS

1B Freddy Leyva

Leyva has late-bloomer written all over him. He's only 23 and has outstanding intelligence and work ethic. He projects to have plus gap and homerun power but only average contact ability. Average to below-average defensively and no speed on the bases. If handled properly and brought through the minors at a slower pace I think his outstanding intangibles will lead to multiple talent bumps and this guy could be anywhere from a fringe bench bat at worst to a stud power hitter at best.

SP Bobby Kennedy

It was a little hard to find a guy for this list in Louisville's system but Kennedy is the choice. Kennedy has good stamina and above average control. He tops out at 94 with a decent fastball but his control and overall stuff need work. He has the intangibles that favor talent bumps and according to previous reports has already gained a few mph than he previously had. If he continues to get a talent bump here and there I think Kennedy at the very least can earn a spot in a bullpen somewhere. At the most he could be a viable 5th starter option in the future.

[recte44]

Hood- Love him. Former #1 draft pick, surprised he isn't in the top 100. Platoon split the "right" way, too.
Davis- Don't think he'll be a major league closer either, but with his success in the minors and his talent he'll be a good piece of a pen.
Liao- For an undrafted free agent, this guy IS a real find!
Sandoval- Once the 8th overall pick, it shows how little OOTP values relievers that he isn't ranked in the Top 100. He's certainly in my top 100.
Russell- Ick.
Martinez- Maybe a reliever, not going to make it as a starter.
Leyva- He'll need a miracle.
Kennedy- If he was 19 and not 23 I might be more interested.