New Power 50, 8/23

[Brew Man Dan]

Then Im guessing the Top Ten to be this:

 

Yo

Braun

Inman

Villanueva

Jackson

Jeffress

Gellespie

Rogers

Hurricane

Fermaint

 

Not neccesarily in that order, but those should be the ten if there are 6 pitchers 2 IF and 2 OF.

[SoCalBrewfan]

It would take a lot of convincing to get me to agree that Chapman is the 54th best prospect in the system. I'm not arguing he's top ten or anything...but 54?

[And That]

I'm not arguing he's top ten or anything...but 54?

 

He's in his third year of rookie ball, repeating in Helena. His strike zone management is going in the wrong direction (possibly from trying to drive the ball more). He also really doesn't have one particular tool that stands out, and he's been pushed out of center field a couple times. His hitting tools don't really project at a corner OF spot, which is why he (and similarily, Chuckie Caufield) needs to either refine his bat or refine his defense (or both) before he moves up. I think next year will be a big test for Chapman - he's going to have to make the A-ball team, and from the looks of it, be one of the guys that carries the offense there. I understand what you're saying - kid has a lot of potential - but I'm just not quite as sure of him as other guys.

 

Also, there's a fair degree of ambiguity between 35-60. Arguments could be made for almost any of those guys being anywhere else.

[SoCalBrewfan]

He's in his third year of rookie ball, repeating in Helena.

 

True, but he's a HS draftee, so still nearly the youngest position player on the roster, so I don't think that's a valid complaint. (Green is younger, and one delaCruz is almost exactly the same age.) In particular, had West Virginia not had the spectacular outfield options they do, Chapman might well have stayed there or been promoted midseason. (Certainly his small sample earlier wasn't impressive, though.) Caufield has two years and change on him, and Chapman still has an edge to the tune of 100 OPS points, so I don't see them as a close comparison. I think of Chapman as a CF prospect, though I honestly don't know a lot about his defense...as a corner guy it's harder for him to stick to be sure.

 

I don't really carry a torch for the guy...he just jumped out at me from the list of 51-60. (And I've often said that being 30 vs. 50 is just a matter of personal aesthetics.)

[PrimeTime955]

1. YO

2. Braun

3. Inman

4. Villanueva

5. Hurricane

6. Jeffress

7. Rogers

8. Jackson

9. Escobar

10. Salome

11. Gillespie

12. Fermaint

13. Gwynn

14. Cain

15. Sarfate

[And That]

Put it on the board!

[pogokat]

very agreeable list...i guess my ony complaint at this point is that brendan katin should be higher...he dominated Brevard and made it to AA his first full season...he's on pace to hit AAA mid year next year if he continues to hit...he's a top 20 prospect..

[molitor fan]

Great list as usual, thanks for your work

 

My question is why Cain is 13 spots above Gamel, considering that they have had similar statistical years. Cain is 9 months younger, but I think Gamel deserves a top 15 spot as well as Cain.

[LouisEly]

Here's 51-60:

 

So you're saying there's a chance... (for David Welch)

[And That]

My question is why Cain is 13 spots above Gamel

 

Cain has better tools across the board and really hasn't gone into a prolonged slump at the plate or in the field all year. Can't say the same for Gamel, whom I really like, but needs some consistency. Gamel has the talent to be a top-15 guy, he's just not there yet.

[And That]

i guess my ony complaint at this point is that brendan katin should be higher...he dominated Brevard and made it to AA his first full season...he's on pace to hit AAA mid year next year if he continues to hit...he's a top 20 prospect..

 

Katin strikes out a bunch... he's like a more powerful/less contacty version of Drew Anderson. Until he hits AA pitching well, I'm not going to bump him into the next tier of prospects.

[And That]

True, but he's a HS draftee, so still nearly the youngest position player on the roster, so I don't think that's a valid complaint.

 

The Helena roster is made up almost totally of college kids this year. My point was that most good prospects (especially hitters) don't repeat rookie ball.

 

What worries me is that Chapman sure had the chance to make the WV club this spring, but didn't. He also didn't make an impression when he was assigned there into the season a bit. Nate Yoho beat him out for a roster spot.

 

Caufield has two years and change on him, and Chapman still has an edge to the tune of 100 OPS points, so I don't see them as a close comparison.

 

The comparison is that both were moved out of CF because someone else stepped in. My point is, that's not a good sign.

[Mass Haas]

Nice job, Toby, but...

 

What worries me is that Chapman sure had the chance to make the WV club this spring, but didn't. He also didn't make an impression when he was assigned there into the season a bit. Nate Yoho beat him out for a roster spot.

 

You can't believe that. With Ford, Cain, and Brantley set as West Virginia's starting outfield, and Angel Salome set to DH twice a week when he wasn't catching, there was no room for a prospect like Stephen Chapman in West Virginia. That's exactly why a Nate Yoho-type player was assigned to the Power to be the fifth player in the OF / DH rotation.

 

Chapman will finish in the top three in MVP voting in the Pioneer League; he shouldn't be outside the P50, nor punished for his brief 3-for-17 Power stint.

 

Thanks, however, as always.

[homer]

I'd flip flop Villanueva and Jackson - CV is younger and has put up better numbers at AAA and in the majors. And I'm biased because of my man crush, but I think Cain should be a few spots higher - maybe even top ten.

 

Thanks for the update!

[pogokat]

Cain WILL be top ten, we just might have to wait until next year...

 

he's everything that steve moss isn't

[JohnBriggs12]

"Zach Jackson has better pure stuff than Capuano"?

 

Is that the same Zach Jackson I watched throwing 86-88 mph fastballs with no offspeed command earlier this year in Milwaukee?

 

There's probably 2 dozen minor leaguers in Brewer system who could be said to have "better stuff" than Capuano but I wouldn't put Jackson at the top of that list. Command of pitches is what makes a guy a major league pitcher not "stuff".

 

To rank Jackson ahead of Villanueva is a complete puzzle to me.

 

And once again what does Tony Gwynn have to do to get more respect?

[biedergb]

Quote:

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You can't believe that. With Ford, Cain, and Brantley set as West Virginia's starting outfield

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Well I think an argument could be made that Brantley was not "set" as the WV outfielder, but possibly beat out Chapman. Brantley was only drafted last year, and had 34 AB at Helena. Chapman spent all of last season at Helena, and was less than impressive statistically. But I don't think we would have been shocked in April to have seen Brantley slated Helena to start the season in Helena.

 

Hopefully, he turns this season (and possible Pioneer League MVP) into momentum and has success in full A ball.

[homer]

Quote:

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And once again what does Tony Gwynn have to do to get more respect?

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I think his spot is based on his ceiling. He probably doesn't have the potential that Cain, Fermaint, and Gillespie have. Frankly, I think he might make a case to be a few spots higher, but I don't think he's top 10.

[bork]

I can't remember a time when the Power 50 was so evenly distributed among the top 4 levels. 9 or 10 at each level and 5 or 6 top 25 at each level.

 

It's also strange to see Cain, Fermaint, and Gillespie as the top 3 outfielders now.

[jhpc12]

It's nice to see Corey graduate from the Power 50 after is long run.

 

Am I right in thinking that he is the only player that has been on the top 50 every week since the beginning. If so that is a complement to his dedication and desire to get better and your recognition of that.

 

Here's hoping that he has a long, rewarding, and gets as much respect over the up coming years with Brewers as he has received on the Power 50.

[pogokat]

i'll assume that krynzel has as well...

[biedergb]

Quote:

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This is the deepest prospect list I have seen in the brewerfan/net, power 50 era.

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To echo a statement that molitor fan wrote on the previous page. I was looking back at previous Power 50's. If you take our April 2005 list, we graduated or traded 9 of the top 14 prospects on that list. (Weeks, Hardy, Fielder, Capellan, Hart, Hendrickson, Eveland; traded de la Rosa and N. Cruz). Considering that mass exodus over 1 1/2 seasons, the fact we still have a quality 1-15 is impressive. A lot of players from the 2004-2006 drafts have emerged (Inman, Gallardo, Braun are the top 3 now). And we have other exciting prospects (like Cain, Fermaint) who have continued to impress and move up the chain. Obviously top picks like Rogers, Jeffress are high on potential alone right now, but that's what these lists are about. Add in the continued recovery of Parra and M. Jones, and it's like 2 new prospects have been added.

 

Then the middle ranks, have a handful of guys poised to replace the upper echelon if they progress well, like Steve Garrison, Mat Gamel, Michael Brantley, Andy Bouchie, Chris Errecart, and the Latin trio (Mercedes, Pascual, L. Ramirez).

 

Speaking of Mat Gamel, somewhere he was compared to DJ Clark who ranked as high as about 11 in the P50. In previous years, a guy like Mat Gamel would have probably been top 15 based on numbers and power potential, but he's not currently top 25 (on Toby's lists -- other posters would have rated him higher).

 

Obviously the top 3-4 will not be able to exceed the potential we had in Weeks/Hardy/Fielder, but it will be interesting to see where our organization ranks because of our depth and turn-around, in terms of Minor League Systems Rankings (by BA, etc).

[litesrn]

Just curious - do you "experts" see the team looking harder at middle infielders in the next couple drafts? It sure seems like there are "enough" pitchers (never enough, I know) and OFers already in the system, but it seems a bit thin on 2B/SS types to me.

[biedergb]

Quote:

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but it seems a bit thin on 2B/SS types to me

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I am no way one of the "experts" on this board, but I'll chime in because I've got a slow day at work...

Part of that is the fact that over the past couple of seasons we have promoted Billy Hall, Rickie Weeks and JJ Hardy as prospects. So I see 3 effects that has: 1) we graduated 3 very high quality middle infielders from the prospect ranks; 2) we have high expectations for other infielders as we compare them; to Weeks/Hall/Hardy; and 3) these positions are not seens as a need because of the presence of Weeks/Hall/Hardy.

 

Now Hernan Iribarren, Alcides Escobar, Mike Bell, Ryan Crew and the recently drafted Brent Brewer (although he may not stick in the infield) are the next tier of middle infielders. Also, things fluctuate pretty quickly. It was not too long ago we had only CF prospects and no "corner" OF prospects. That has changed. So I don't see the management choosing middle infielders over other players to fill a "need". They will very likely stick to their "best player available" philosophy that has stocked our system to date. A position to target is catcher as it seems hard to develop a good hitting catcher (we've drafted a bunch and have nothing to show for it yet ...)

[litesrn]

Thanks. Makes sense, and I should have mentioned catcher.