Compiled by Doug Krippendorf
December, 2002
Like a brewmaster patiently waiting for a fine beer long in the making, Caracas GM Ron Young got a taste of what might lie in the future in 2002. Indeed, for a brief moment it looked as though the young Polar Bears might compete, but injuries to OF Danny Bautista and P Carlos Hernandez, coupled with CF Mike Cameron�s terrible year, doomed the bears to a 69-93 finish. Still, that�s a sixteen game improvement on last year�s campaign.
STRENGTHS
The long-awaited arrivals of rookies Joe Crede, Cesar Izturis and Carlos Pena bolster an infield anchored by the steady Carlos Guillen. Aubrey Huff finally turned the corner in 2002 and will battle Pena for playing time at first. Young 3B Miguel Cabrera (.274, 43 doubles in High A) held his own against older competition in the Florida State league and is still on schedule to arrive in 2005. Hitting machine Victor Martinez (.336/.576/.417 in AA), one of only four �A� prospects in the Southern Division, may move Ramon Hernandez and Mike Matheny from behind the plate later this year.
Bautista, Cameron and Klesko give the Bears a solid outfield that youngsters Alex Escobar, who spent all of last year on the DL with a torn ACL, and Juan Rivera (.325/.502/.355) will have difficulty cracking. And Josh Hamilton, almost a forgotten man due to numerous injuries the last two years, could still someday surpass them all. Toolsy Jackson Melian showed signs of harnessing his talent in AA, but still has a ways to go. The recent acquisition of all-star Magglio Ordonez adds even more talent to the glut at OF/1B, freeing up some for additional trades down the road.
Matt Clement finally emerged as a frontline starter, fronting the talented but oft-injured duo of Tony Armas, Jr. and Carlos Hernandez. The Polar Bear�s second �A� prospect, Francisco Rodriguez, burst onto the scene in September and could greatly impact the pitching staff, especially if converted back to starting. Urbina, Hawkins and Carlos Zambrano comprise a solid but short bullpen with Jesus Colome still waiting to harness his potential down on the farm.
WEAKNESSES
The Bear�s many middle infield prospects either can field but lack punch (Maicer Izturis, Ranier Olmedo, Javier Colina) or may not stick at their positions (David Espinosa). The starting pitching is very thin with little if any help down on the farm. C Rob Bowen is lauded for his defense but struggled to hit .200 in the FSL.
OUTLOOK
Caracas should take another big step forward this year, possibly competing for a playoff spot if the pitching comes together. Their youth and large number of impact prospects augur an even brighter future.
OVERALL GRADE A-
Victor Martinez, C A
Francisco Rodriquez, P A-
Juan Rivera, OF B+
Josh Hamilton, OF B+
Miguel Cabrera, 3B B+
Jesus Colome, RP B
Juan Rincon, SP B-
Alex Escobar, OF B-
David Espinosa, 2B C+
Maicer Izturis, 2B C+
Jackson Melian, OF C+
Wilfredo Rodriguez, SP C+
Rod Bowen, C C
Javier Colina, IF C
Jose Salas, C C
Williams Figueroa C
After missing the playoffs by one game in 2001 (after also missing by one in 1999) the Panthers reached the Promised Land last season only to be swept by eventual champs Moline in the first round.
STRENGTHS
Florida GM Ron Cox has assembled a good mix of veterans and youngsters into one of the best teams in the SJL. Last year the Panthers posted the 4th best ERA and were 3rd in runs scored. The pitching staff is led by young Roy Oswalt and the recently acquired Roy Halladay, followed by the aging but steady Hideo Nomo and Andy Ashby. The infield of Palmiero, Alomar, Renteria and Lowell is showing its age a bit on the right side but is still strong. The outfield of Berkman, Lee and Hidalgo can hit but is suspect defensively. Octavio Dotel and Ramiro Mendoza anchor the bullpen.
WEAKNESSES
Although the rotation seems a bit short, thanks in part to the loss of Luke Prokopec for all 2003, the Panther�s main weakness is the farm system. Early in 2002 the Panthers traded some of their minor league talent to fill holes and keep up with the Skidmore-Hesses, but after obtaining Halladay for youngsters Aaron Heilman and OF Ryan Church, GM Cox issued his now famous statement, eerily reminiscent of Chief Joseph of Nez Perce fame, �I shall trade away prospects no more.� Unfortunately, much like the Nez Perce Indians in Chief Joseph�s time, there weren�t many left by the time he made the quote.
Young Aussie catcher Justin Huber is the best of the bunch, showing both power and patience at (.878 OPS) at single A at the age of 19 while impressing with his defense. He struggled in the AFL but was young for the league and probably tired after a long season of catching. An area of depth is 2/3rd base where Adam Morrissey, Marshall MacDougall and Danny Garcia all show some promise. McDougall posted an .860 OPS at AA while playing second, short and third and projects at least as a good utility IF. Morrissey struggled terribly at AA (.634 OPS while making an error every 4 games) but was one of the AFL�s most productive hitters (.371 with 4 HRs) in 105 ABs. He is just 21 and has a few more years to conquer AA, but his defense remains a question mark. The 22- year-old Garcia hit .271 with 34 doubles and 55 walks at high A. In the outfield, Termell Sledge can hit a little and run a little and draws tons of walks but doesn�t have the power to play full-time at the corners. He also turns 26 in March and has all of 80 ABs above AA.
On the mound, 19-year-old J.K. Ryu went 6-1 3.57 with 56 Ks in 53 IPs at short season A ball. Lefty Ryan Snare pitched well at high A, AA and AAA going 12-4 with a combined era under 3.30. He struck out 137 in 143 innings while walking only 40 and seems a major sleeper. Starter Wes Anderson and reliever Geoff Goetz combined to pitch but 22 innings due to injury, but both have shown nasty stuff in the past. The return of Anderson to his pre-injury production would give the system a major boost. Catcher Steve Lomasney just can�t seem to hit, posting atrocious numbers at AA. The 25-year-old will almost certainly find himself in the back section of the Prospect Handbook this year.
OUTLOOK
No matter what the state of the farm system, the Panthers are one of the best teams in SJL and should challenge Savannah for first place in the Southern Division this year. Although it�s doubtful that any of their prospects will make the majors this year (Snare is perhaps the most likely), there are several (McDougall, Morrissey, Sledge) who should eventually emerge as role players at the very least, and they may have a gem in Justin Huber.
Overall Grade C+
Justin Huber, C B+
J. K. Ryu, P B-
Ryan Snare, P B-
Danny Garcia, 2B B-
Marshall McDougall, IF B-
Adam Morrissey, IF B-
Wes Anderson, P C+
Termell Sledge, OF C+
Geoff Goetz, RP C
Luis Maza, IF C
Steve Lomasney, C C
Eduardo Figueroa, IF C-
Fort Lauderdale GM Manny Rosario continued to add quality minor league talent in 2002 while at the same time becoming the only team from the recent expansion to improve on its 2001 record, adding 10 wins.
STRENGTHS
The selection of Mark Prior with the first pick of the 2002 supplemental draft gives the Clementes (along with Mark Mulder) two of the best young pitchers in the game. If veterans Kenny Rogers and the recently acquired Kevin Brown can remain healthy, the rotation will be truly formidable. Rogers and Brown, however, are only signed through 2003, along with closer Jose Mesa. But the farm has a few good young arms who could be ready to replace them in 2004, including Jason Arnold, 23, who struck out 154 in 155 innings in high A and AA, and young J.D. Martin, who posted a 3.90 ERA in A ball at the age of 19. Highly regarded Corwin Malone, 22, regressed in 2002, walking 89 in 124 innings at AA (ERA of 4.71) and Mario Ramos, 24, just blew up, allowing 215 baserunners in 122 innings at AAA for a 7.40 ERA. Ramos did look better in the AFL, but Fort Lauderdale needs both to bounce back in a big way.
On the offensive side, the Clementes signed a bunch of vets through 2003, including Kenny Lofton, Brian Jordan, and Edgar Martinez. But again, there are kids coming up to replace them. Hank Blalock�s arrival was delayed this year but few doubt he will soon be a cornerstone of a good young infield that includes SS Jimmy Rollins, 2B Mike Young and 1B Derek Lee. Like Malone, Blalock, 22, also regressed last year but still managed to hit .307 at AAA albeit without showing the power of a year ago. 1B Justin Morneau, 21, could be pushing Lee in a few years after hitting .298 with 16 HRs in his first year at AA. Young SS Guillermo Reyes held his own at High A as a twenty-year-old and is reputed to be excellent in the field. SS Deivi Mendez, still only 19, had but 100 ABs due to injury.
The team�s best outfield prospects are Michael Restovich, 24, who batted .286 with 29 HRs in AAA, followed by Cody Ross, 22, (.280 with 19 HRs in 400 ABs at AA). Jason Werth, 23, showed some pop and some speed at AAA, but would be a lot more valuable if switched back to catcher. It was a lost season for Marcus Thames, 26, who missed time due to injury and struggled badly at AAA after dominating at AA in 2001. Speedy Dave Krynzel, 21, posted an OPS of .851 at high A but had difficulty making contact at AA. He stole 42 bases combined at the two levels. Abe Nunez added two years to his age and didn�t have a particularly good year at AAA, but could still be a major league OF. Tools goof Ryan Langerhans showed some signs of putting it all together at AA, but needs to develop more power.
WEAKNESSES
Like all SJL teams attempting either to build or to rebuild, there is little depth at the major league level. But that�s what expansion is all about. The Clementes are, however, currently saddled with a fair number of prospects who seem to have stalled in their development.
OUTLOOK
Although the Clementes will lose many of their vets to free agency at the end of 2003 they have a number of young major leaguers to build around and one of the deepest minor league systems in SJL, well-stocked with solid �B� prospects who should be arriving in 2004/2005.
Overall Grade B+
Hank Blalock, 3B A-
Justin Morneau. 1B B+
Michael Restovich. OF B
Cody Ross, OF B
Jason Arnold, SP B
J. D. Martin, SP B
Corwin Malone, SP B-
Mario Ramos, SP B-
Guillermo Reyes, SS B-
Jason Werth, OF B-
Dave Krynzel, OF B-
Marcus Thames, OF B-
Winston Abreu, RP C+
Abe Nunez, OF C+
Brian Reith, SP C+
Ryan Langerhans, OF C+
Andres Torres, OF C+
Randy Dorame, P C
Juan Pena, RP C
Luis Rivera, RP C
Jeff Goldbach, C C
Ruben Castillo, IF C
Nate Espy, 1B C
Deivi Mendez, SS C
Pappy Ndungidi, OF C
Adam Pettyjohn, SP C
Troy Cameron, 3B C
Keith Eberwein, 3B C-
Elpitiful Guzman, OF C-
After winning the Southern division title five straight years, the Whirlwind�s reign of terror finally ended in 2001 with an 83-79 record and a fourth place finish. The Dark Tower crumbled and fell, in large part due to expansion. Last season saw only a marginal improvement in record, but while Savannah, Florida and Miami have been sacrificing their future draft picks and young talent to reach the playoffs, Kansas City GM Nils Samuels, not unlike Sauron, has been busy laying the groundwork for yet another dynasty.
STRENGTHS
Although the roster is sprinkled with great vets like Thome, Pudge, Griffey, and Alfonzo, the rest of the team is very young and very talented. Aramis Ramirez, 24, who played hurt most of last year, joins Arod (still only 27) to complete the infield with Furcal, 24, and Felipe Lopez, 22, as backups. Down on the farm Antonio Perez continues his comeback from a broken wrist. 2002 wasn�t kind as he struggled at AA and was moved to 2nd base, but the kid is still only 21. Jason Kendall backstops Pudge behind the plate. The outfield is currently thin at the major league level with 22-year-old Austin Kearns, who showed good power and patience as a rookie, joining Griffey. Ruben Mateo, who seems to have been around forever but is still just 25, looked good at AAA for the first time since he broke his leg. On the farm, the Wind acquired BA�s Minor League Player of the Year Rocco Baldelli from the Carpetbaggers for P Mark Redman. Baldelli cruised through three levels hitting for average and power and flashing some speed, (a combined .330 with 28 doubles, 19 homers and 26 SBs). His strike zone judgement remained weak, especially at AAA (0/23 in 96 ABs) but that�s not surprising given he had never before played above A ball. He needs more time at AAA but should arrive next year. Shin-soo Choo, 20, displays all the tools of a great lead off hitter (.302/.440/.417 with 34 SB at single A) and should move up quickly. Wily-Mo Pena, 20, also shows great tools but struggled at AA (.255/.405/.330) with 126 Ks in 388 ABs. He was rushed to AA because his ridiculous contract calls for him to be on the major league roster this coming season, a jump that could harm him irreparably. Last but not least is rookie slugger Josh Phelps, who doesn�t have much in the way of a position right now but proved he could bash major league pitching just as well as he�s always done in the minors.
WEAKNESSES
It�s hard to pinpoint a real weakness on the Whirlwind but, with the loss of Zito (for 3 first round picks) the pitching is definitely behind the hitting. The Wind�s ERA ranked ninth in SJL in ERA in 2002 but that should improve as ace Kris Benson becomes another year removed from meeting Tommy John. Youngsters Brian Lawrence, Brandon Duckworth, Nick Neugebauer, Jake Peavy, Dan Wright and the surprising Denny Stark make up a deep young rotation loaded with talent. And we haven�t even mention Matt Ginter, Justin Miller and the disappointing Chris George. With most of these youngsters losing their rookie status last year, there�s not a whole lot left down on the farm. Lefty Mike Bynum missed much of the year but was impressive in the 74 innings he pitched at AA, surrendering only 53 hits and 14 walks with 64Ks. Another lefty, Rob Henkel, returned from two years lost to injury to post great numbers (145IP 109H 49BB 150Ks) between high A and AA, making the trade with Moline for C Mike Rose look damned good. Seth McClung struggled at AA (5.37 ERA) but is still highly regarded and bears watching. Jae Seo, 25, posted a 3.99 ERA at AAA, shows great control and should debut in the majors sometime this year.
There are few actual relievers on the roster but more than enough unused starters to make up for it. The salary cap will remain an issue with the presence of ARod and Thome.
OUTLOOK
Although the farm system is not as deep as some SJL teams, it contains several players with a great deal of potential. Couple these with the enormous amount of talented rookies and second-year men on the roster, ARod, and the ridiculous number of first and second round draft picks over the next five years that Samuels has accrued, and it�s safe to say Kansas City has more depth of talent than any team in the Southern Division. The fans of Savannah, Florida and Miami should enjoy their days in the sun; the Evil Empire shall return. It may just take another year or so.
OVERALL GRADE B
Rocco Baldelli, OF A-
Shin-Soo Choo, OF B+
Mike Bynum, P B
Rob Henkel, P B
Seth McClung, P B-
Jae Wong Seo, P B-
Antonio Perez, IF B-
Wily-Mo Pena, OF B-
Mike Tonis, C C+
Willie Bloomquist, IF C+
Felix Sanchez, P C
Dave Martinez, P C
Adam Everett, SS C
Francis Gomez, SS C-
As often happens, the Leones suffered a letdown in intensity and direction after their amazing championship run of 2001. The rotation rarely featured more than three major leaguers, forcing AAA pitchers to toss too many innings. Jermaine Dye, returning from a broken leg, started slowly while Moises Alou and Frank Thomas had poor years. GM Carlos Barrera began to speak wistfully of other sports and publicly pondered retirement. Despite a late run at the wildcard, Miami finished 85 -77, 25 games behind Savannah and 21 wins under last year�s 106 � 56 record.
STRENGTHS
The infield and starting rotation. Chavez, Tejada, Castillo and anybody make up perhaps the best infield in SJL. Maddux and Glavine again front Valdes and the recently acquired Livan Hernandez in a solid rotation. Good-looking rookie Runelvis Hernandez pitched well in 12 starts after making the jump from AA and could really add to the depth that was lacking last year.
WEAKNESSES
With the possible loss of Frank Thomas, Conine and Alou to free agency, the Leones are very short at 1B, C and in the OF. But their biggest weakness is an extreme lack of prospects, to either trade to fill holes as rivals Savannah and Florida do, or to build around for the future. Other than Hernandez, who pitched his way into the majors last year, only Darnell MacDonald, 24, who posted decent numbers in AAA (.289 BA, .443 SLG), and 27-year-old 1B Todd Sears, who did well in the PCL (.310 with 20 HRs), are close to contributing on the major league level and neither projects as a starter. Young Luis Torres pitched well in A ball but was injured much of the year, tossing a mere 46 innings. 3B Wily Aybar posted a deceptively low .702 OPS in high A. His batting eye and power numbers really weren�t bad in a pitchers league and he was younger than most of the competition. Ex-dipsomaniac 3B John Hannahan struggled mightily after being rushed to AA and again in the AFL. OF Daylon Holt found his power stroke in the California league but also struggled upon reaching AA.
But the most disturbing aspect of the Leones� farm system is the number of youngsters who simply vanish after a year or two. Cal Pickering, Rick Elder, Cody Nowlin, Ricardo Medina all weren�t heard from in 2002 despite the posting of their pictures on the sides of thousands of milk cartons. Young Jean Mujica had 5 Abs and then disappeared, and his parents are worried sick. In light of this disturbing pattern, should CSI-Miami be called in?
OUTLOOK
Despite the weaknesses detailed above, Miami still has a slew of all-stars that comprise a solid lineup and great rotation and could easily bounce back to better last year�s record. Much depends on the health of the veterans and GM Barrera�s ability to fill some of the team�s holes.
OVERALL GRADE C
Luis Torres, P B
John Hannahan, 3B B-
Willin Aybar, 3B C+
Todd Sears, 1B C+
Daylon Holt, OF C+
Darnell McDonald, OF C+
Jason Belcher, C C
Calvin Pickering, 1B C
Tony Mota, OF C
Chris Trittle, OF C
Forrest Johnson, C C-
Cesar King, C C-
Jackson Aquino, SS C-
Rick Elder, 1B C-
Ricardo Medina, IF C-
Cody Nowlin, OF C-
Jean Mujica, IF C-
After a fairly inactive inaugural campaign, Hurlers GM Rod Rebuck made a splash in the 2002 supplemental draft by taking expensive MVP 1B Jason Giambi with the third pick and then not playing him (a ploy that largely failed due to a lack of major league OFs.) Rebuck soon sent Giambi to the Pennsylvania franchise (who, in a move that defies comprehension, also chose not to play him) for rookie P Brett Myers, IF D�Angelo Jimenez and two first round draft picks. New Orleans also added prospects like Tim Hummell and Brendan Harris, acquired young CF Brad Wilkerson for P Brett Tomko, and added 1B Mike Sweeney and SS Omar Infante for P Colby Lewis and draft picks, giving the organization a much needed infusion of young talent.
STRENGTHS
Pitching, pitching and more pitching. The Hurler�s 2002 draft was almost entirely comprised of pitchers, many of them risky high school picks. Thus vets Jamey Wright and Joey Hamilton should be joined this year by Brett Myers (#2 prospect in the IL), John Patterson (3.23 ERA in limited ML innings), Matt Kinney and Dennis Tankersley, and possibly followed in a year or two by youngsters Gavin Floyd (#1 prospect in the Sallie league), Chris Honel (#7 in the Sallie league) and ninth round pick Jeremy Bonderman (#4 in the Cal league at the age of 19). Other prospects who could make an impact are Ryan Madson (16- 4 3.20 ERA in AA), Pat Strange (3.82 ERA in AAA), lefty Jimmy Gobble (3.83 ERA in AA), Jon Switzer (126Ks, 26BB in 103 IP in High A) and young Dan Denham. And don�t forget Jovanny Cedeno, finally back after two seasons lost to injury.
WEAKNESSES
Hitting, hitting, hitting (and fielding). Although Sweeney was a nice pickup, Rebuck�s own mother couldn�t be happy with the rest of the infield (although she does try to humor him): Sandberg and Lamb at third with Jimenez and part- timers Relaford and Menechino manning the middle. Luckily, there is some help in the minors in the form of 2B/3B Brendan Harris, who posted a .927 OPS in the Florida State league and didn�t fall off much in a short AA stint. 2B Shawn Boyd put up good numbers in the Midwest league but committed 40 errors in 127 games. Omar Infante is a defensive whiz but has hit 8 HRs in 1400 professional ABs. Still, he�s only 20 and certainly has time to develop as a hitter. In the OF, Brad Wilkerson (25) finally seems to have turned the corner but the health of Juan Gonzalez is always a question mark. With Roosevelt Brown (and possibly Benny Agbayani) heading for Japan, Eric Valent heading for AAAA oblivion, and Christian Guerrero posting a miserable .606 OPS at AA, Will Smith seems the only true OF prospect on the team and he couldn�t crack the Florida State league�s top 20. Jason LaRue is the only catcher in the entire system.
OUTLOOK
Although Rebuck has brashly challenged the other three expansion GMs to a race to .500, New Orleans would need a lot to go right to hit that mark in 2003. Despite a lot of good young arms, help is needed in the OF, middle infield, at catcher and in the pen.
OVERALL GRADE: B+
Gavin Floyd P A-
Jeremy Bonderman P B+
Kris Honel P B+
Brendan Harris 3B B
Ryan Madsen P B
Jimmy Gobble P B
Jon Switzer P B-
Jovanny Cedeno P B-
Fernando Rodney RP B-
Pat Strange P B-
Shaun Boyd 2B B-
Omar Infante SS B-
Wil Smith OF B-
Dan Denham P C+
Brad Thomas P C+
Nick Stocks P C
Nobuaki Yoshida P C
Tim Hummell IF C
Eric Valent OF C
Scott Chaisson RP C
A wildcard team in 2001, Savannah returned to dominate the Southern Division this year winning 110 games, 18 more than the second-place Panthers. The Baggers led SJL in scoring (by one run over Moline) and were second in ERA but were still unable to grasp the elusive Shoe, losing in the finals to Moline four games to two.
STRENGTHS
Barry Bonds and Randy Johnson (plus a decent staff and bull pen). The former is 38, the latter 39, but neither shows any sign of falloff in performance or a proneness to injury. Bagger�s GM Dan Skidmore-Hess has been able to consistently acquire major leaguers to fill prospective holes in both the lineup and rotation and so rarely gives ABs or IPs to AAA stumblebums.
WEAKNESSES
With Delgado gone, the lineup outside of Bonds appears aged and punchless. How much do Ventura and Biggio have left in their tanks? Can Varitek, Ibanez or Payton give Bonds adequate protection? Will Dave Roberts and McCracken sustain their surprising performances of last season?
For a team that lacked a pick in the first and second rounds, Savannah had a great supplemental draft in 2002. But almost all their prospects were traded away during the course of the season: Baldelli, Karp, Brendan Harris, Bronson Sardinha and Kevin Youkilis were dealt for Carlos Febles, Mark Redman, Burba, Westbrook, Sean Lowe and Miguel Batista. Had things gone differently in the World Series (where Savannah lost three 1 run games) these swaps would have certainly been worthwhile, but now the bridesmaid Baggers are left with little down on the farm, where SS John Peralta and young 3B Edwin Encarnacion are the best of the lot. Peralta (.282 with 15 HRs at AA) and C Greg Laird (.276 with 11 HRs at AA) are the only farmhands close to helping the big league club in the next two years. Encarnacion hit for average and power in single A and C Gil Quiroz was a pleasant surprise in high A as well, jumping briefly to AAA at the end of the season. OF/WR Roscoe Crosby missed the entire year due to injury. The minor league system is virtually bereft of pitching.
OUTLOOK
Savannah will go as far as Bonds and Johnson will take them. If either misses a substantial amount of time the Baggers will struggle. A good many players will become free agents after both the 2003 & 2004 seasons and it will be interesting to see how Skidmore-Hess replaces them.
OVERALL GRADE C
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B B
Jose Peralta, 2B B
Gerald Laird, C B-
Gil Quiroz, C B-
Wascar Serrano, P C+
Chance Caple, P C
Greg Miller, P C
Jason Bougeois, IF C
Brennan King, 3B C
Casey Ragowski, 1B C
Gavin Wright, OF C
Dernell, Stenson, OF C-
Roscoe Crosby, OF INC
Hopes were high in Sprocketland at the start of the 2002 season. The acquisition of Ben Sheets in the supplemental draft and the trade for Rob Nen, along with the arrivals of Steve Cox, Luis Rivas and Milton Bradley on the major league scene, all pointed toward a move to the sunny side of .500. But the injury bug bit hard as Rusty Greer, Bradley, Rivas, Mike Bordick, Garrett Stephenson and Wikki Gonzalez all missed significant time and the Sprockets floundered to a 74-88 record.
STRENGTHS
Pitching. Team Sprocket ranked sixth in the league in pitching last year with a 3.81 ERA. Jason Schmidt, Sheets, Aaron Sele, Kirk Rueter and the amazing Paul Byrd comprise a strong rotation that could have some depth if Stephenson regains his health. The pen is talented but shallow, with Steve Reed and Hasegawa setting up Nen. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of help down on the farm. Prospect Aquilino Lopez has a slight problem telling the truth (he added five years to his age last year) but his numbers as a reliever in AAA were excellent. He should add some depth to the Sprocket pen this year despite turning 27 instead of 22. Colby Miller put up solid numbers (3.78 ERA) in the Midwest league but is a long, long way from the bigs.
WEAKNESSES
Hitting. The Sprockets were second to last in runs scored (surpassing only Hagerstown). Although injuries did play a part, even when healthy there is little power up and down the lineup other than Albert Pujols. And the rumored loss of Steve Cox to Japan isn�t going to help. But there are some decent hitters in the minors, especially in the outfield where Jonny Gomes smacked 30 HRs in high A. He also showed some speed and drew 91 walks, but struck out 173 times, roughly 40% of his ABs. Speedy OF Jamal Strong struggled a bit in his first try at AA where his usually stellar OB% plummeted to .366. There are still questions as to whether his incredible lack of punch (he has hit only 46 doubles and 2 homers in 1300 professional ABs) will play in the majors. At best he looks like the second coming of Roger Cedeno, at least offensively. OF Matt Watson actually posted better numbers, again at AA, swiping 52 out of 64 bases, and appears to be a major sleeper. Chin-Feng Chen was moved to first base and hit for some power (26 HRs) in AAA but his overall numbers were a bit disappointing (.855 OPS in Las Vegas). His BB/K ratio was weak and he committed 11 errors in 97 games at his new position. Still, he is the only hitting prospect likely to see playing time in St Louis this year. Young 2B Ruben Gotay put up strong numbers (.833 OPS) in the Midwest league, but 1B Jason Botts faltered at High A and C Scott Heard still has yet to hit.
OUTLOOK
Remarkably, St. Louis has progressively added two wins to their record in each of the last 2 seasons (70-92 in the 2000 long season; 72-90 in 2001; 74-88 in 2002) so it would seem a mathematical certainty that they will win 76 games in 2003 and should make the playoffs in the year 2011. The farm system has a fair number of B prospects but has an extreme lack of pitchers and infielders.
Overall Grade B-
Jonny Gomes, OF B+
Ruben Gotay, 2B B
Aquilino Lopez, RP B
Chin-Feng Chen, 1B B
Jamal Strong, OF B-
Mark Watson, OF B-
Colby Miller, SP B-
Leslie Brea, RP C+
Scott Heard, C C+
Jason Botts, 1B C+
Byron Gettis, OF C+
Enger Veras, SP C
Nick Trzesniak, C C
Andy Gonzalez, IF C
Josh Kalinowski, P C-