BA Prospect Hot Sheet (2012)

[astrosfan76]

Well that tastes like piss in my coffee. 

He does have a chance over the next 3-4 weeks to show how much of an effect Lancaster really had.  The park is great for hitters, no doubt, but it's not abnormal for hitters to have better stats at home, either.  If he hits well at CC, maybe some of that criticism starts to go away.

[Uncle Charlie]

Plus, how many of those guys were first rounders?  He'll be fine. My guess is that Springer will likely struggle a bit at CC, but then he will adjust and be fine.

[moriartp]

Tropeano gets a mention in the team photo of today's hot sheet:

Astros RHP Nick Tropeano dominated the South Atlantic League in the first half, and though his ERA stood at 3.76 through nine starts for high Class A Lancaster, that actually places him a full run below the California League average. The 21-year-old Tropeano delivered two of his best starts of the season, striking out 11 against one walk and two earned runs in 13 innings, including a home start against High Desert, the highest scoring team in the league in one of the most offensive parks in the minors.

[astrosfan76]

Cosart earns honorable mention honors(?) this week.

Astros RHP Jarred Cosart recorded scoreless outings in three of his final five Double-A starts to earn a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he held the opposition scoreless through seven innings this week. The 22-year-old struck out six, walked two and allowed just three hits over seven innings, proof that he's recovered from the blister issues that sidelined him in July

Borchering found himself on the not-so-hot list after going .091/.200/.091 for the week with 10 K's.

My favorite writeup of the week goes to Shelby Miller, who made #9 on the list:

Around midseason, the Cardinals gave him a brief respite from pitching and made mechanical tweaks. Upon his return they instituted a rule forbidding him from shaking off the catcher's sign. The results have been night and day. Miller's 92-95 mph fastball velocity returned and his command sharpened.

Maybe it's not that uncommon for a minor-league pitcher to be forced to throw the pitch called (I really don't know), but I find it humorous that a: The Cardinals grounded him from shaking off the catcher and b: That his season turned around when he was grounded from shaking off the catcher.  I've read that they fixed his mechanics to the way they used to be, which I'm sure is a big part of his success.  But, they have to save him from himself in the process. 

[austro]

Maybe it's not that uncommon for a minor-league pitcher to be forced to throw the pitch called (I really don't know), but I find it humorous that a: The Cardinals grounded him from shaking off the catcher and b: That his season turned around when he was grounded from shaking off the catcher.  I've read that they fixed his mechanics to the way they used to be, which I'm sure is a big part of his success.  But, they have to save him from himself in the process. 

Redding disease.

[MusicMan]

Maybe it's not that uncommon for a minor-league pitcher to be forced to throw the pitch called (I really don't know), but I find it humorous that a: The Cardinals grounded him from shaking off the catcher and b: That his season turned around when he was grounded from shaking off the catcher.  I've read that they fixed his mechanics to the way they used to be, which I'm sure is a big part of his success.  But, they have to save him from himself in the process. 

He also started wearing garters.

[MusicMan]

Today's "Ask BA":

If we look at this from the perspective of which system has improved the most during this calendar year, then the Astros come to mind. They had one of the best drafts in June, adding Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers Jr., Nolan Fontana, Brady Rodgers, Rio Ruiz and Brett Phillips, among others. They also acquired 15 prospects in five trades in July, and while those deals added more quantity than true quality, Robbie Grossman, Marc Krauss, Joe Musgrove and Co. will help Houston climb up our organization rankings after we rated its system the 17th-best in the 2012 Handbook

[astrosfan76]

Santana with his mug in this week's team photo:

Astros RF Domingo Santana has legitimate pop, so his 20 homers this year aren't simply a product of playing his home games at high Class A Lancaster's launching pad. Santana, who just turned 20 on Aug. 5, belted two long balls this week, part of a .385/.484/.692 (10-for-26) showing.

[Reuben]

Today's "Ask BA", someone asked if DeShields was now a Top 25 prospect, pointing out that he's 2 years younger than Billy Hamilton and has better pop. Callis' reply:

I wouldn't run DeShields nearly that far up an overall prospect list, but there's no question that he's one of baseball's most improved prospects this season. After posting a .642 OPS in his first two pro seasons, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 draft has batted .288/.390/.430 at two Class A stops. He also has stolen 99 bases at a better success rate (85 vs. 81 percent) than Hamilton.

Hamilton is the better prospect, even if he doesn't stick at shortstop. DeShields can't change games to the same extent with his speed, but he's a plus-plus runner with obvious basestealing skills. While he has more pop than Hamilton, that's not really the focus of his game. DeShields has made strides with strike-zone knowledge and on-base ability this year, though he still can get pull-conscious and power-happy at times.

A center fielder in high school, DeShields shows good actions at second base and has smoothed out his infield defense. His arm is fringy and erratic, however, so he doesn't project to be more than an average defender at second base. It's conceivable that both he and Hamilton could wind up as big league center fielders, especially considering that Jose Altuve is one of the few bright spots in Houston.

[Uncle Charlie]

I wouldn't run DeShields nearly that far up an overall prospect list,:

Meh.  I'd put them about the same spot, with DDS a bit behind.  Sure, SBs can change games and DDS can do that...so do HR's.  They get on base at about the same rate.  Hamilton has shown a bit that he can do it at higher levels.

[jbm]

It is probably important to know how they get on base.  Sharply hit balls?  Weak infield dribblers?  What combination of each?  How will better pitching affect this type of contact?  Same with walks: how are they being drawn?  A good eye and pitchers who can't throw strikes?  A good eye and pitchers who must hit corners to avoid giving up solid contact?  In short, will capable major league pitchers respect more than just their speed?

Not to mention they may not end up being close on the defensive side.

I haven't seen much of either, but I'll be surprised if they end up with similar careers.  In other words, similar stats in the minors may mask important distinctions that separate them down the line.