Arizona Diamondbacks Top-15 Prospects of 20 …
http://tinyurl.com/6q4web
For an overview of the process I use to grade players, the factors I use in
determining where a player ranks, and ther frequently asked questions, please
click here. All grades are subject to change based on any new information I
receive before the season starts. If you disagree, you can make your case by
contacting me.
You can find a full listing of each team's top prospect list in the Top
Prospects of 2009 Archive Page. Also, each team will have their Team Page
published when their top prospect list becomes available. Team pages include
team rosters, stats, payroll and front office information, past
Baseball-Intellect articles assocated with that team, and links to some of the
best sites associated with that team. We start with the Arizona Diamondbacks...
===============================================================================
1. Jarrod Parker | RHP | A+ Visalia | Age - 20 | Drafted - Round 1 (9), 2007
Fastball - 60 Now | 65 Future
Curveball - 40 | 45
Slider - 55 | 60
Change-Up - 40 | 45
Control - 45 | 55
Command - 45/50 | 60
Pitchability - 40 | 50
Final Grade - A-
Body Type - Parker stands in at around 6-foot-1, close to 190 pounds and has an
athletic and well-proportioned frame.
Stuff
Fastball - his best pitch and he can get it up to 98 mph, but is more regularly
thrown in the mid-90's...excellent command of the pitch...can manipulate it to
all four quadrants of the plate, adding and subtracting to it as he pleases.
Slider - some call it a curve, but it's more of a slider due to its velocity
(84 - 86 mph) and its trajectory (breaking away from right-handed hitters).
It's late breaking, but also inconsistent. Right now, it profiles as an above
average pitch with the potential to be plus.
Curveball - clocked in the high 70's...not thrown much, but the team wants him
to work on one...has solid depth and could become useful in the future.
Change-up - made great strides in the pitch's development...team made him focus
on his change-up development and he improved the pitch from a show-me type to
average...pitch has above average potential.
Mechanics - Tremendous, tremendous arm action...fast and whip like and a major
factor in Parker's velocity...very little wasted motion in his smoot and fluid
delivery...few weaknesses--can improve his consistency from pitch-to-pitch.
What Makes Parker Special - the combination of command and velocity, not to
mention his potentially above average secondary offerings.
Weaknesses - numbers not super-dominant (K% of 23.3, BB% of 6.6), but that
could be in part to Parker emphasizing his change-up for much of the year...a
little too hittable (.322 BABIP)...doesn't generate a lot of GBs (GB% of 44)
Best Case Outcome - Parker becomes bonafied No. 1 starter for the Diamondbacks.
More Likely Outcome - Parker straddles the line of a No. 2 and No. 3 starter by
mixing a few great years with a few ordinary ones...think Javier Vazquez. But
let's keep in mind: Parker is still a pitcher in the lower level of the minor
leagues that throws pure heat (the harder you throw, the higher the injury
risk). He's still a long ways off in reaching his potential but he's somebody
who could find himself on a fast track to the majors.
===============================================================================
2. Daniel Schlereth | LHP | Single-A South Bend | Age - 22 | Drafted - Round 1
(26), 2008
Fastball - 60 Now | 60/65 Future
Curveball - 60/65 | 70
Control - 40 | 45
Command - 45 | 50
Pitchability - 40 | 50
Final Grade - B
Body Type - Well built and strong...stands about 6-feet tall and weighs about
210 pounds.
Scouting Report
For a more in-depth take on Schlereth's overall stuff and mechanics, you can
read my profile on him from earlier this year.
He's a two pitch pitcher, but both pitches are already of the plus variety.
In fact, his curveball is already close to plus-plus status. Schlereth has a
violent wind-up, which is why he's viewed solely as a reliever.
Schlereth misses bats, generates ground balls, and makes centering the ball
very tough to do for opposing batters. Control is the biggest issue facing
Schlereth, but it improved by leaps and bounds in 2008 and he's hopeful it
won't regress back to pre-08' levels as a professional.
Schlereth didn't just improve his control. His K/9 increased, his fastball
velocity upticked by 1 or 2 mph, and he allowed less hits per nine innings.
Some of it of course was Schlereth simply maturing--growing up and becoming
a better and more consistent player in addition to adding some strength and
size to his frame.
However, Schlereth was also able to more consistently repeat his mechanics. A
minor change--the lowering of his hands--helped Schlereth correct a flaw in
his delivery where the arm would lag behind the body and the pitch would sail.
The change also put Schlereth in a more compact and together position.
Other changes to his mechanics also manifested from the lowering of his hands.
First, his arm action was shortened. By lowering the hands, Schlereth's arm
circle covers less distance. The shorter the arm action the better. I actually
think Schlereth was able to more efficiently load the scapula in 2008. The
07' version's arm was in constant catch-up with the body. In 2008 the arm was
in a much more ideal position to efficiently load and unload. That could be
one reason for the velocity increase.
Best Case Outcome - Schlereth becomes a dominant set-up man or closer in the
back end of the Arizona bullpen and makes his debut at some point during the
2007 season.
More Likely Outcome - Schlereth becomes a good reliever but suffers from spats
in his control that prevents him from reaching that next level.
===============================================================================
3. Gerardo Parra | CF | B - L | AA Mobile | Age - 22 | Signed - 2006 from
Venezuela
Contact - 45 Now | 55 Future
Power - 35 | 45
Discipline - 35 | 40/45
Speed - 50 | 50
Defense - 50 | 55
Arm - 55 | 55
Instincts - 45 | 50
Final Grade - B-
Body Type - Athletic build, relatively short...doesn't have a ton of room to
fill out, but there is some projection left
Hitting
High-contact hitter that improved his plate discipline this past season...his
BB% improved from 5.7% (combined numbers from Single-A South Bend and A+
Visalia) to 9.7% (combined numbers from Visalia and Double-A Mobile).
Contact skills are a result of his fast hands and a quick bat. Doesn't always
make hard, consistent contact, but his BABIP rates and relatively low K%
should be enough for Parra to hit for a moderately high batting average.
Power has yet to truly develop though it did take somewhat of a spike after he
was promoted to the AA level...has played in parks more suited for hitters...
high GB% and a lack of physical projection puts a cap on power potential...
mechanical inefficiency in which Parra's hips open up to soon also hurts
Parra's power (Source: Keith Law)
Defense - Less pressure on the bat to succeed in center field...can play all
three outfield positions...not a stand-out defender, but solid with a strong
arm and above average speed
Best Case Outcome - Shows just enough offensive ability to become Arizona's
everyday center fielder, where his bat has less pressure to succeed. Profiles
as a little below average at the position.
More Likely Outcome - Becomes a quality fourth outfielder that can play all
three outfield positions
===============================================================================
4. Bryan Augenstein | RHP | A+ Visalia | Age - 22 | Drafted - Round 7, 2007
Fastball - 50 Now | 55 Future
Slider - 40 | 45
Change-Up - 30 | 40
Control - 65 | 65
Command - 55 | 60
Pitchability - 55 | 55
Final Grade - B-
Body Type - 6-foot-5, big body with very little projection left
Stuff
Fastball - velocity has increased since he was drafted in 07', moving from
87 - 89 to 91 - 94. Can pin-point his fastball to both sides of the plate...
heavy fastball has lots of sink which helped in producing a GB% of around 60
last year...fastball can be too straight at times. His fastball from the 2008
Midwest League All-Star Game:
Slider - tightness and depth of slider has improved over the course of the
year...more vertical and less horizontal movement...another pitch he commands
very well
Change-up - a third pitch he can throw for strikes, but still very much in
development...the success he has improving his change-up could dictate whether
he stays a starter or not
Mechanics - Doesn't possess a power pitcher's mechanics...fairly slow to the
plate, but also very consistent in his ability to repeat his mechanics...has
an athletic background (father was a college basketball player) and that helps
Augenstein maintain consistent mechanics throughout the game
The ability to repeat one's mechanics is very important in terms of control.
Delivery is also very compact...he keeps everything close to his body, around
his core...keeps glove firm out in front of his chest to help maintain a
consistent release point. Low three-quarter arm angle helps in getting ground
balls
Strengths - the ability to generate ground balls...control is close to
plus-plus...maintains velocity deep into games
Weaknesses - K% is decent enough, but he would make me much more comfortable
if he could raise it a bit...BABIP against was very solid at Rookie Ball and
in Single-A, but got too much of the plate at times in A+ Visalia, where his
BABIP spiked from .290 to .361.
Best Case Outcome - A respectable No. 4 starter
More Likely Outcome - A very good set-up man out of the bullpen or a
respectable No. 5 starter
===============================================================================
5. Wade Miley | LHP | A- Yakima | Age - 22 | Drafted - Round 1 (43), 2008
Fastball - 45 Now | 50 Future
Curveball - 60 | 60
Change-Up - 45 | 50
Control - 40 | 45
Command - 45 | 50
Pitchability - 45 | 55
Final Grade - B-
Body Type - Stocky without much projection left...a durable frame
Scouting Report
For a more in-depth take on Miley's overall stuff and mechanics, you can read
my profile on him from earlier this year.
Miley has three-pitch repertoire: a fastball, curveball, and change-up. The
best pitch of the three is his curveball, which he can throw for strikes and
command to both sides of the plate. It has a nice two-plane break. The
fastball has good sinking action, but the command and velocity is inconsistent.
It ranges anywhere from 87 - 92. The change-up profiles as an average pitch
with solid fade.
Mechanically, Miley throws accross his body which I'm not a big fan of though
he does add some deception with the motion and it makes it easier for him to
throw his breaking ball on the outer half of the plate. However, the same
motion also hinders his velocity and hurts the command of his fastball.
While control has been an issue for Miley, he gets by because his curveball
gets a lot of swing-and-misses, while his fastball gets ground balls--a good
combination.
Best Case Outcome - Miley is able to improve his command and make mechanical
adjustments to increase his velocity, which would help him reach No. 4 starter
status or the long shot chance of a borderline No. 3 starter.
More Likely Outcome - Miley settles nicely into a reliever role or becomes a
quality No. 5 starter.
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