Ask BA [Minor League Player of the Year]
With about a month left in the minor league regular season, who appear to be
the frontrunners for BA's Minor League Player of the Year award?
Nick Lucca
Horsham, Pa.
[Jim Callis]
I came up with four players who fit the criteria of being premium prospects
having excellent seasons. Listing them alphabetically, they are:
Rockies lefthander Jeff Francis,
Twins outfielder Jason Kubel,
Angels third baseman Dallas McPherson and
Devil Rays shortstop B.J. Upton.
John Manuel, who watches over the minors for BA, suggests that Rockies third
baseman Ian Stewart could be in the mix. Stewart is having
a fine year and could factor into the discussion, but he's in low Class A and
probably wouldn't beat out any of the other four guys, all of whom have
succeeded in Triple-A.
Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has huge numbers but isn't quite in the
same prospect class as the others. Mariners wunderkind Felix Hernandez is the
best pitching prospect in the minors, but his numbers aren't quite dominant
enough.
So that brings us back to Francis, Kubel, McPherson and Upton. Before Tampa
Bay promoted him to the majors, Upton was the top prospect in the minors. He
hit a combined .315/.410/.505 with 14 homers, 51 RBIs and 20 steals in 98 games
between Double-A and Triple-A. His defensive inconsistency (35 errors) is still
a concern, though he has the tools to be an outstanding defender.
Getting called up doesn't necessarily help or hurt his candidacy, as those of
us who select the winner have varying views on that.
My gut feeling right now is that Francis controls his destiny. In 21 starts
between Double-A and Triple-A, he has gone 15-2, 1.82 with a
179-25 strikeout-walk ratio in 139 innings. Opponents have batted just .184
with nine homers against him. Francis hasn't slowed down after moving up to
hitter-friendly Colorado Springs, and if he finishes strong I think he'll be
our 2004 Minor League Player of the Year.
--
If you're not have fun in baseball,
you miss the point of everything
--
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