Brewers Top Prospects now?

[pogokat]

I think they'll repeat Cain in High A...at least to open...i'm taking chuck fermaint as my previous example...though hopefully he doesnt inspire lorenzo to havee a lousy season

[Katuluu]

I'm assuiming you'd put Brantley in center and slide Gillespie to right? I can certainly see that happening. It's going to be an interesting winter, no doubt.

[colbyjack]

I don't think it would be that surprising to see Gillespie play CF. If the team drafted and is currently grooming LaPorta to play LF within a couple of years, Gillespie, and anyone else, is going to have to learn to play other positions. While he's not ideal for CF, I think he could more than hold his own out there (and there were a few reports from last year at Helena that he looked pretty good in CF).

 

In other words, it's his arm that restricts him to LF, not his wheels.

 

I too could see Cain repeating A+, although given the way that place surpresses power, I would prefer that he continue to move up. His batting average at least was respectable, as his overall numbers look as though they took a natural dip from the jump from WV to BC.

[colbyjack]

I thought this thread would be a good fit for this. Ben Badler of Baseball America recently broke down all of the catchers that were profiled in this past year's prospect handbook and how each one fared at throwing out opposing baserunners. You can make all of the excuses in the world you want, but the prospect whose name is at the bottom isn't very encouraging for a guy that supposedly has a cannon for an arm:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=586

 

It really is hard to imagine that Salome was only successful throwing out six runners in 46 attempts, a 13% success rate and nearly 19% lower than the league average. I know last year Salome had some issues with passed balls, and overall needed refinement defensively, and I remember someone else sharing his effectiveness, or lack of, throwing out baserunners earlier this year, but again I didn't realize it was this bad.

 

In Salome's defense, he did throw out 37% of baserunners a year ago, which according to this study would have placed him 5% over the league average and among the top 10-15 names on the list as linked above. Plus his arm has been arguably his best tool throughout his career, but this just adds onto how important those 50 games were that he lost due to suspension, as he clearly needs that time to improve in all phases of the game.

[wvpowerblkwel]

Guys, in watching LaPorta in WV this year, he is the REAL DEAL! I expect him to take the same fast track that Yo and Braun went on...no problem. I'm telling you, I realize it is only low A ball, but he has not been seeing much to hit, but he still finds a way to take the close to the zone balls, and spray them around the outfield, and the mistakes that are in the zone, and crushing them out of the park. There was one sequence in an AB about a week ago where 1st pitch, absolutely ripped a line drive foul into the stands that probably would've hit the wall if fair, second pitch drove into the buildings across the street from the stadium in left but foul, third pitch placed into the street in fair territory for a jackety, jack, jack that I think he really almost missed because it had some height on it. You would think after the first two pitches where his own players were watching in awe would've clued the sap on the mound in, that you don't want to go there!! I say, AA to start, quick to AAA, and unless the logjam at the top holds him down, he'll see the bigs at Sept call ups or at least start in big league camp spring of 09