Brewers top 11 prospects according to Baseball Prospectus

[Ennder]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7105

 

Here are the rankings with the perfect world projection comments.

Five-Star Prospects

1. Matt LaPorta, lf - LaPorta's entire value comes from his bat, but he has the potential to be a classic No. 3 or No. 4 hitter for a first-division team.

2. Manny Parra, lhp - An above-average starting pitcher, possibly as good as a No. 2 type

Four-Star Prospects

3. Jeremy Jeffress, rhp - If Jeffress had a cleaner background, he'd rank No. 1 on this list. His arm is that special.

Three-Star Prospects

4. Cole Gillespie, of - One talent evaluator referred to him as "a right-handed Rusty Greer

5. Angel Salome, c - A hit-first, field-later big league catcher

6. Alcides Escobar, ss - An outstanding defensive shortstop, but the kind who hits .280 while somehow managing to keep his OPS below .700.

7. Mat Gamel, 3b - A solid everyday big league third baseman.

8. Caleb Gindl, of - An everyday corner outfielder who makes up for middling power with outstanding on-base skills

9. Luis Pena, rhp - A good set-up man.

10. Robert Bryson, rhp - Bryson's ceiling is considerable, but he's also far from it.

11. Brent Brewer, ss - Brewer is an all-or-nothing type of prospect who will either look like a star within the next couple of years or be off the radar

 

 

Edit: Title clarification - Toby

[Ralph Wiggum]

Has this guy seen Gamel field his position?

 

I thought all the reports said that Angel Salome has IRod-type defensive ability behind the plate?

[JoeHova]

I think the projections are best-case scenarios. Also, Salome has an I-Rod type arm, not defensive ability in general. Pudge had already won 2 MLB Gold Gloves by the time he was 21 (which is how old Angel was last year in high A ball).

[Ennder]

Has this guy seen Gamel field his position?

 

I thought all the reports said that Angel Salome has IRod-type defensive ability behind the plate?

"Gamel is a horrible defender who made 53 errors last year, followed by 10 more in 33 Hawaiian Winter League contests. It's frustrating to scouts, as he has the instincts and athleticism to play the position, but at times it almost seems that he has a case of the yips concerning his glove work"

 

Like JoeHova said, those are a best case type projection that I listed, one where he becomes at least adequate with the glove.

 

As for Salome this is what they said about his defense... " He's a poor defender who needs to dramatically improve his receiving skills and the accuracy of his throws, which are thrown off by poor mechanics."

[And That]

Gamel may or may not turn out to be alright at third base. The Brewers learned their lesson with Ryan Braun and won't push Gamel as hard, as fast even though he has the bat to warrant it. They've talked about keeping him at third base all year in AA. I assume that at the end of the year, they'll make a decision on whether or not Mat can stick there. If he can't, it is off to a corner outfield spot. Gamel's problems at third are almost identical to Braun's - poor footwork leading to errant throws possibly leading to mental wear. I don't know if the writer of that article has seen him play or not, but if you've seen him play, you'd know he has the talent (much like Braun) to play an adequate third base. It's just a matter of getting over the footwork hurdle. Gamel has a good arm for the hot corner, and his bat is vastly underrated in my opinion. He can be an average third baseman defensively. He could also be a very good third baseman offensively. He's third on my prospect list, with a bullet.

 

JoeHova's right about Salome's arm. It's off the charts. His other defensive skills, including throwing accuracy, blocking the plate and game calling, are all lacking. He should hit decently to well for a catcher, but unlike Gamel he's kind of chained to the position. He's so short and squat (a muscular squat) that his body type doesn't really play anywhere else on the diamond.

[Fear The Chorizo]

the Brewers have the luxury of giving Gamel a couple of seasons to develop at third base - if he doesn't show significant improvement, he could move to 1st or a corner OF spot, if and when free agency claims one of hart, braun, or fielder.

 

If he can't play 3rd, I think the most value Gamel can have with the Brewers is trade bait, packaged with other high minor league prospects who are blocked in Milwaukee by better players at their position. By the time Gamel would have a roster spot in the big leagues, he'll be approaching minor league free agent status.

[And That]

By the time Gamel would have a roster spot in the big leagues, he'll be approaching minor league free agent status.

He'll be eligible for the Rule 5 draft after the '09 season. If he's still in the organization at that point and still performing as expected without a call-up to the bigs, he'll be added to the 40-man roster. Minor league free agency doesn't apply to players on the 40-man.

 

[ILuvDaBush]

[The Grand Salome] should hit decently to well for a catcher

The young gent bats cleanup and DH's on his days off. Wouldn't decently be a bit of an understatement? He should hit well for a catcher, and could become an All-Star at his position if he can figure out the intricacies of his craft.