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Will Clayton Kershaw begin the year with Great Lakes?


I am hoping to see Kershaw when he comes to Beloit, but baseball america says that he will likely debut the year at high class A. I don't understand this, Kershaw only pitched 37 innings last year, and he is going to skip a whole level when it will be his first full pro year? It doesn't make sense to me, that is just asking for arm trouble, IMO.

 

Also do any of you think that these guys will play in the MWL for their respective organizations?

 

Travis Snider of Toronto

Kasey Kiker lhp Texas

Jermaine Mitchell of Oakland

Whit Robbins if Minnesota

Chris Parmelee of Minnesota

Preston Mattingly ss LA Dodgers

Hank Conger c LA Angels

Milton Loo ss Cincinnati

Tyler Colvin of Chicago Cubs

 

These are just to name a few, but does anyone have an idea on who to watch in the MWL this year?

 

Thanks for the help!

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If Kershaw opens the year at high-A, 3B Josh Bell would be the best Dodgers prospect to open '07 in the MWL. He tore up the Pioneer League a year ago. Preston Mattingly may open the year in EST before the short-season leagues begin.

 

You should see Kiker at Clinton, who may be joined by Marcus Lemon and one of either Taylor Teagarden and Chad Tracy, both catchers drafted out of college. Lemon is a toolsy SS while Teagarden is a defensive-minded backstop and Tracy is an offensive-minded one.

 

Travis Snider could very well be the best prospect in the league. RHP Brandon Magee is expect to skip low-A, but he's another possibility from the Blue Jays organization (and he's a WI native). Brian Jeroloman is a lot like Taylor Teagarden in that he's hailed for his defensive skills behind the plate but doesn't do much with the bat.

 

Chris Parmelee is expected to return to Beloit this year, but if he hits well he may not stay there long. OF Joe Benson is also expected to return to Beloit. LHP Tyler Robertson is another Twins prospect to watch at Beloit.

 

Jermaine Mitchell should form an exciting Kane County OF along with Matt Sulentic and Larry Cobb. I believe Craig Italiano is expected to return to the MWL once he's healthy.

 

Drew Stubbs is the big prospect in the Reds organization to watch, but Loo is a pretty good call as well, at least between Loo and Chris Valaika, last summer's Pioneer League MVP, as Valaika is more likely to bump past a level. Sean Watson may return to Dayton. RHP Josh Ravin may front the Dragons starting staff.

 

Cedar Rapids could be loaded with talent. Hank Conger could open the year at Cedar Rapids, but he didn't get many ABs in Arizona last summer and may play short season ball. A name to watch is Korean signee Young-Il Jung, a RHP who could make his pro debut in the MWL. Fellow RHPs Sean O'Sullivan, Trevor Bell and Kenneth Herndon will be at CR as well. Infielders P.J. Phillips (younger brother of Brandon Phillips of the Reds organization), and Ryan Mount make the Kernels one of the more interesting teams to follow prospect-wise.

 

Since Tyler Colvin saw some time in the Cubs big-league camp this spring, I would be a little surprised if he opened at low-A. Former Notre Dame WR star Jeff Samardzija seems like a fairly good bet to be in the MWL. 2005 1st-round pick LHP Mark Pawelek should be at this level.

 

If Travis Snider isn't the league's best hitting prospect, Padres OF Cedric Hunter should be. He should be joined in the OF by Kyler Burke, another promising prep bat from last year's draft. The Padres aren't loaded with prospects, but Hunter is considered their best.

 

RHP Adam Ottavino and OF Darryl Jones of the Cardinals organization may return to the MWL.

 

Royals SS Jeff Bianchi is a player to watch for Burlington, and could be joined by OF Derrick Robinson, who will be one of the fastest players in the minors.

 

Keep an eye on Tigers OF prospect Gorkys Hernandez who is long on talent and is expected to start at West Michigan. Scott Sizemore should be one of the league's better hitters. Brennan Boesch was a teammate of Chris Errecart's at Cal, and was considered to be the better overall power prospect of the two.

 

The D-Backs have one of the best systems in baseball, arguably the best, so you won't see any of their top guys since they're all playing at AA or higher. If RHP Max Scherzer signs, he could debut in the MWL. Same goes for Brett Anderson, although as a prep pick he is more likely to debut in rookie ball. OF Gerardo Parra had a big year in the Pioneer League last summer, and RHP Brooks Brown was a first-round supplemental pick that was rumored last summer to be one of the players the Brewers were considering with their first-round pick.

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So Cordier, can't remember his first name, but he went to high school in Sturgeon Bay and was the highest drafted Wisconsin player since Washburn, is he going to be injured all year? I know he was with Burlington a little last year, but I thought I saw that he won't pitch again until 2008, is that accurate?

 

Thanks a lot CJ, this helps a ton.

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I don't think it does Kershaw any good to pitch at low A. His performance in short season ball was so phenomenal (like he may have had the best peformance of any minor league pitcher from his signing date on) that facing a lot of those same guys in low A is pointless. If he were to struggle facing advanced/college hitters early on, they can move him down. I think he probably has the "makeup" to skip that level and picth well.
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Kershaw's performance last year wasn't that much different from Inman's at Helena two summers ago, and I'm pretty glad the Brewers didn't skip Inman past WV last summer just because it seemed as though he dominated the competition and probably had the makeup to succeed against older hitters.

 

To me it's not so much about how they do, not with prep pitchers, but taking it slow as to not have them pitch too many pitches (and innings) early in their career. With every level they skip they also skip a level of pitch counts, assuming the Dodgers players development is similar to the Brewers and many other teams out there.

 

Time will tell, but I can't think of anything wrong with taking it slow with a young pitcher, no matter how advanced that pitcher may seem. Pushing a pitcher to me just never seems to be a good idea.

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RHP Adam Ottavino and OF Darryl Jones of the Cardinals organization may return to the MWL.

 

it looks like ottavino will be starting out in the FSL, but jones will be there. former first rounder tyler herron should be in the rotation along with blake king and possibly gary daley. jon edwards is also a possibility for the outfield.

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