Its always tough inheriting a farm system, not knowing instinctively which players are failed top prospects and which top prospects came out of nowhere, but in the end, that doesn’t matter. Since where they are now and what the team’s holes are, are what matters.
Shortstop looks to be one area of strength for the Kernels. While there are no obvious superstars in the mix, almost every level of the farm system seems to have a prospect that could see the majors. Seeing this during the season, Webb began using this currency to acquire Mitch Dalrymple (link) to shore up the outfield. But even with that trade, the Kernels organization is left with:
• The Veteran Alan Williamson
• 22 Year old Bill Kemp AAA
• 23 Year old Sidney Ballard AAA
• 24 year old Eli Alvarez (AA)
• 26 Year Old Gijs Osman (A)
• 19 year old Hal Thorne (A)
• 18 year old Earl Smith (R)
The downside to having a solid crop of mediocre prospects is that none are likely to feature into Des Moines’s future plans to eventually win the Heartland but at least its one area of the farm system that doesn’t need constant refilling.
Of these prospects, Bill Kemp has the greatest chance to make the majors, but he’ll likely be limited to utility infielder role. His greatest impact will likely be at 1B (where his defensive ability rates at 10) and not at SS (where he’s only a 5). The ability to play at 3B and in the outfield might mean he’ll have a little staying power when he reaches the majors, but he doesn’t project to do much with the bat, so he may find his way to UMEBA eventually.
Sidney Ballard projects to be of similar mediocrity at the plate but lacks the defensive versatility of Kemp so will have to have a dramatic improvement on offense for his major league dream to come true.
Eli Alvarez is another mediocre offensive prospect. Its hard to imagine him making it to the majors, especially with the Kernels renewed focus on making the playoffs. With a 3 contact and 2 HR power rating and not expected to improve, its unlikely that he will see any success against Heartland pitching.
Of the last three, Thorne and Smith have some promise, projecting to have better offensive production than the rest, but their relative young age means there’s a lot of time for this to change (for the good or the bad).
One thing is for sure, there isn’t a single prospect here that threatens Alan Williamson’s spot on the active roster and its likely that for Des Moines to make a significant improvement at this position, they’ll have to look outside the organisation for help.
