BA's 2004 League Top 20 Prospects

[Rex Hudler]

The Sox landed three players on the Southern LEague Top 20 Prospect list and just one on the INternational League list, sort of.......

SL
Brian Anderson #11
Michael Morse #16 (no longer with Sox)
Arnie Munoz #18

IL
Jeremy Reed #5 (also, no longer with Sox)

[Mohoney]

No real surprises. Basically, BA reinforced the guys that we have been hyping all year. However, everybody that is against the Freddy Garcia trade now has the fodder of using Morse's and Reed's rankings.

[Randar68]

Here's the entire top 20 list for the SL:


1. Andy Marte, 3b, Greenville
2. Joel Guzman, ss, Jacksonville
3. Rickie Weeks, 2b, Huntsville
4. Prince Fielder, 1b, Huntsville
5. Jose Capellan, rhp, Greenville
6. Edwin Encarnacion, 3b, Chattanooga
7. Anthony Reyes, rhp, Tennessee
8. Kyle Davies, rhp, Greenville
9. James Loney, 1b, Jacksonville
10. Josh Barfield, 2b, Mobile
11. Brian Anderson, of, Birmingham
12. Josh Willingham, c/1b, Carolina
13. Renyel Pinto, lhp, West Tenn
14. Freddy Guzman, of, Mobile
15. Dan Meyer, lhp, Greenville
16. Michael Morse, ss, Birmingham
17 William Bergolla, 2b/ss, Chattanooga
18. Arnaldo Munoz, lhp, Birmingham
19. Brad Thompson, rhp, Tennessee
20. Brad Nelson, of/1b, Huntsville

Here's a link to the Live Chat Will Lingo did as well. His was VERY short compared to some of the 3+ hour chats for some of the other leagues...

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/chat/041005wl.html

[maurice]

Originally Posted by Randar68

Live Chat Will Lingo did

I'm surprised he thinks Anderson is a corner OF (though he points out that others disagree). He nonetheless lists Anderson as the best OF prospect in the SL after only 185 ABs.

[Rex Hudler]

Originally Posted by maurice

I'm surprised he thinks Anderson is a corner OF (though he points out that others disagree). He nonetheless lists Anderson as the best OF prospect in the SL after only 185 ABs.

I have talked to a handful of scouts that think he will end up as a corner OF.

[Randar68]

Originally Posted by Rex Hudler

I have talked to a handful of scouts that think he will end up as a corner OF.

He has a RF arm but his bat becomes a plus-tool in CF as opposed to average at RF...

What about him makes him corner as opposed to CF? Instincts?

[Randar68]

Originally Posted by maurice

I'm surprised he thinks Anderson is a corner OF (though he points out that others disagree). He nonetheless lists Anderson as the best OF prospect in the SL after only 185 ABs.

I do think Hoover Met makes most CF'ers look slow or out of place. Remember that Rowand had a hard enough time fielding LF in the minors and particularly in AA... I'm still not comfortable with Rowand all the time, but he's a lot better than he was. Anderson has at LEAST equivalent speed to Aaron Rowand if not better when healthy...

[Randar68]

Originally Posted by Rex Hudler

I have talked to a handful of scouts that think he will end up as a corner OF.

I asked about your boy Spidale, but no answer...

[Rex Hudler]

Originally Posted by Randar68

I asked about your boy Spidale, but no answer...

I was reading the chat after the fact and thought about that. I am curious what he would have said about him. FWIW, Michael works hard to improve his throwing and is very sensitive to criticism about it. He was in the outfield throwing long with someone almost everyday. He just has an unorthodox motion.

Lastly, I don't have any confirmation on this, but I was told that he will work at 2B in instructs. I do know that toward the end of the year, he would take ground balls at 2B during BP on occasion. He was a SS in high school before being drafted.

[Randar68]

Originally Posted by Rex Hudler

Lastly, I don't have any confirmation on this, but I was told that he will work at 2B in instructs. I do know that toward the end of the year, he would take ground balls at 2B during BP on occasion. He was a SS in high school before being drafted.

We'll see if he'll be able to turn 2 from 2nd base. It's probably a better chance for him with the plethora of OF prospects plus Rowand/Anderson/Young all CF'ers...

[Rex Hudler]

Originally Posted by Randar68

We'll see if he'll be able to turn 2 from 2nd base. It's probably a better chance for him with the plethora of OF prospects plus Rowand/Anderson/Young all CF'ers...

I still think he is more of a 4th OF type anyway, so I am not sure any of those guys will really get in his way. They will likely either start, sit in AAA until they are able to start or be traded.