Cole Gillespie

[colbyjack]

I've been a big fan of Cole Gillespie ever since the Brewers drafted him. He was the first (and only) player/prospect who has graced my avatar, even if that was only for a brief time.

 

I know Jim has commented several times over the course of the season in the link report about how Gillespie has had a solid year, even if he wasn't hitting very well over the first several months. He has been hitting extremely well the last two months, and even if his season long numbers aren't anywhere near the numbers he put up last year at Helena (which would be hard to do), he should finish the season in a positive manner.

 

Here's his season long numbers:

.258/.376/.408

 

Here's his numbers from July & August:

.333/.443/.487

 

His slugging numbers over the course of the season are down, although that figure is largely tied into how many base hits he has had overall. His OBP has been solid all year long. Even with some sagging numbers, his SLG is still 28th best among FSL league regulars this year (his OBP is 12th best).

 

As I mentioned in the P50 blurb, he has also done a very good job improving his plate discipline as the season has wore on:

 

Month, BB:K:

April, 10:23

May, 18:21

June, 15:19

July, 16:10

August, 7:7

 

Leading to 66:80 overall, in 380 ABs, which is starting to even out and look more like the 40:34 ratio he posted last summer.

 

So don't jump off the Gillespie bandwagon quite yet, or at least re-familiarize yourself with the good season he is having in a ballpark and overall league that typically surpresses offensive numbers. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Brewers challenge him with a spot in the Arizona Fall League, and he seems to be part of an offensive wave that includes Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta, among others, that could be knocking at the big-league door in 2009.

[colbyjack]

I wanted to follow up my own post to point out just how good the OF depth remains in the system based on the representatives on the Power 50. I know a few years ago the OF depth was pretty dreadful, with the organization making it a point to address that situation. I think its safe to say that the team can start to address other areas (pitching) in the coming years when it comes to scouting and player development.

 

Left Field

Mat Gamel

Cole Gillespie

Matt LaPorta

 

Yes, I put Gamel in left field, because I do think at some point he is going to have to move off of third base, even if his defense does dramatically improve (hello, Ryan Braun). LaPorta may be Fielder's successor at first base some day as much as the Brewers made it be known that they intended to groom LaPorta as a LF for now. Gillespie did play CF a little last year in Helena, and is the best bet of the three to move to a different spot in the OF (keep in mind that Gillespie also played the infield in college, and while it isn't likely that he moves back to the IF, the possibility does remain).

 

Center Field

Darren Ford

Brent Brewer

Michael Brantley

Charlie Fermaint

Lee Haydel

Steve Moss

 

Again, yes I did include a player that currently plays a different position (Brewer), but I always felt that Brewer would eventually have to move to the OF. Definitely not something to worry about now, or for another year or two, and hopefully he proves me wrong and stays at SS where his value is definitely greater. Fermaint is slowly slipping away if Moss isn't already there, while Haydel is years away. This group I feel the least confident about, as Brantley to me probably isn't more than a 4th OF (nothing wrong with that), although Ford has offered a few surprises along the way despite slumping recently in BC.

 

Right Field

Brendan Katin

Lorenzo Cain

Steve Chapman

Caleb Gindl

Itaniel Arias Guzman

 

Katin has big-time pop, but hasn't been able to sustain a very high average and Ks a ton. Cain could play CF, and Chapman could play any of the three spots. Gindl and Guzman are obviously years away.

 

As always, not all of these guys are going to pan out, quite frankly they could all fizzle before they reach the big-leagues, but if the organization can manage to develop even 2-3 of these players, that is going to add to an already predominantly homegrown team.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm sorry but I'm not impressed. He's 23 in class A. Yes, he's gotten better as the season has worn on but part of that can be due to the better pitchers in that league having been moved up.

 

I wouldn't right him off just yet, but he's got to show me more to get me excited.

[kgbaseball]

He's only 2 years removed from college, so being at Brevard County isn't the worst thing in the world. Sure, you'd like to see him performing better, that's for sure. He should be a fast mover since he played a few years at college. Maybe AA will help him next season.

[homer]

Braun as a 22 year old in the same league: .274/.346/.438

 

Gillespie turned 23 on 6/20 but we'll say 23 for the season : .258/.376/.408

 

Identical OPS....and Gillespie skipped a level too. Never played a game of A ball. In retrospect, might have been a better move to start him in WV but with the OF logjam that would have been difficult.

 

I wasn't all that impressed with Braun last year either and was kind of surprised he was promoted mid way - his stats alone really don't justify it - but he really proved me wrong. I'm hopeful that Gillespie does too.

[Boy Jeenius]

It does look like he's a got a shot at being a prospect. I hope this convinces more and more not to get so excited over #'s put up by college players in Helena. If those are indeed true indicators for future success, then Lucroy and Wilson are the next Bench and Schmidt. On the other hand, Gindl's off the chart #s as an 18 year old in Helena should be more of a reason for optimism.

 

After looking at your comparing Gillespie's and Braun's #'s, it really makes Gamel's #'s look very impressive.

[agent39]

Brent Brewer is not moving off SS.

[gregmag]

Not to beat my own dead horse, but I agree that Brantley profiles as a fourth OF only if his power doesn't develop at all. He's 20; there's a better than decent chance, based on age alone, that he will develop some pop over the next two or three years. Ranking any prospect confidently is difficult when his eventual ceiling turns on such a major and unpredictable variable. You almost have to have a dual-tracked projection. Cain is kind of the same way -- if you look at him as a RF he's no starter as of right now, but if he develops some pop he easily could be.

 

Gillespie faces a big test next year. I think both his supporters and detractors have made good points here -- you can't fault him too much for being on the older side of prospectdom in the FSL, because of how old he was when he started, and you also can't fault his deflated numbers in that league/park. If he doesn't break out next year, though, his chances would seem to drop a lot.

 

Greg.

[colbyjack]

Gillespie is actually just one year removed from college. But I do recognize that he is somewhat older, but as noted, he did skip WV. I'm somewhat surprised that the Brewers didn't find a spot for him in Arizona or Hawaii this fall, although I wouldn't be surprised to see him eventually wind up in AZ as a replacement of some sort.

 

I recognized that Brewer is not moving off of SS anytime soon just above. This is nothing against Brent, just a personal opinion that I have held since way before the Brewers drafted him. To me he is more of a strider, which would make him more of a natural fit for CF, where I feel his defense could make an impact similar to Torii Hunter.

 

As for Brantley, I also recognize that he could develop some power, but right now he has none. Going from none to some isn't enough for me to believe he could be an everyday player at the MLB level, as we've had the same conversation countless times with Tony Gwynn Jr. His SLG is just far too dependent on how well he's hitting.

[dadofandrew]

Brantley is 20 with great plate discipline. If he continues, he'll be a starter at 22 or 23.

[pogokat]

i don't think a corner with no power at all would be what you want from a starter, al...

[SoCalBrewfan]

Gillespie is a good on-base guy, but with more line-drive power than HR pop so far, and those guys sometimes struggle to establish themselves in corner OF slots where teams prefer sluggers. Watching the current edition of the Brewers, it's pretty clear that they could use some more baserunners, but it remains to be seen whether they'll take steps in that direction. The common comp I hear for Gillespie is Matt Murton of the Cubs, at least as a hitter, and Murton has not quite been accepted as a full time player. (Some of that has to do with defense and baserunning I guess, but I don't know how much better Gillespie is defensively...I think he's faster and more athletic than Murton but I might be wrong about that.)

 

Most of the same comments apply to Brantley as well, but his skills are skewed even more toward OBP and away from SLG.

[brettac1]

Gillespie is a prospect. I think sometimes people underestimate just how hard Brevard is on a power hitter. Look at the line that Braun had there. You'd have to be an unbelievable power hitter to be able to go down and mash 30 bombs there.

 

I think he will have an excellent year in Hunstville next year. Granted, I've been on the bandwagon like Patrick since day one, but I think at worse he's a solid 4th OF in the Gross mold.

[colbyjack]

The common comp I hear for Gillespie is Matt Murton of the Cubs, at least as a hitter, and Murton has not quite been accepted as a full time player. (Some of that has to do with defense and baserunning I guess, but I don't know how much better Gillespie is defensively...I think he's faster and more athletic than Murton but I might be wrong about that.)

 

Murton would seem to be a good comp. Gillespie actually has drawn some pretty big raves from the Brewers front office for his defense. I remember Doug Melvin (or Reid Nichols, or Jack Zduriencik, I can't remember) making a comment last winter when talking with Jim Powell on Talkin' Brewers that Gillespie could be a Gold Glover right now at the big league level, the type of guy you won't have to worry about finding a place for on the field (which is why he played a little CF last year, but I think his arm -- after shoulder surgery a few years ago -- relegates him to left).

 

And he has decent wheels as well, swiping a few bags with fairly good success this year and last, and everything else I have heard about him, such as baserunning, seems to imply that he is very fundamentally sound.

 

I do understand though why some may be a little leery of him. Next year he definitely will need to pick up where he is poised to leave off this year. I'm somewhat surprised that the Brewers initially haven't found a place for him in either Arizona or Hawaii.

 

And I recognize that Brantley is young and has great discipline, but again, he has NO power at this point in time. It can't be simply assumed that he will develop power, which in my mind is the hardest tool to develop. I hope he does, but again, not many people thought Tony Gwynn Jr. was an everyday player as he ascended to the big leagues, and yes I do recognize the difference in ages vs. levels. And as pogo has pointed out several times before, Brantley doesn't have Gwynn's glove.