Farm Hops: Season Finale Edition with Round Table

[pogokat]

The final Farm Hops of the season is up and it's really lond, so pace yourself...have a drink or two...then come here and discuss it with us

[molitor fan]

Thanks for the great job, which poster is Mike Loverude?

 

Excellent job by everyone involved.

[pogokat]

mike = socal

[Team Canada]

Ah, that makes sense. I was wondering that too.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

I think Brantley deserves some mention on the all organization teams. After the first month of the season, he hit .323/.429/.366. Thats pretty impressive for a 19 year old at single A. I really dont see any benefit to him repeating.

[colbyjack]

Brantley had a fine year, but who do you replace him with on the 1st & 2nd all-Brewerfan.net teams? The players represented all had better years than Brantley, a tribute to the depth of outfielders in the system (also discussed in the story).

 

I do agree with you though that he should not have to repeat low-A.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

I know he technically played left field but I would take the season he had over Gwynn's especially if you throw out that first month adjustment period. Throwing out the first month I would take his season over anyone except Gillespie and maybe Cain. I guess it is close all around, but I would have given Brantley a boost because he was particularly young for his level while the others were not.

[saget]

So will Cain start next year in AA?

[sbrylski]

Darren Ford wasn't mentioned at all. I know at this point he's behind guys like Cain, but how does he rank as a prospect? He of course has that great speed, but how's his defense overall? And he put up a solid OBP despite striking out so much. Could he potentially be a great leadoff hitter?

[pogokat]

Ford is behind Cain, but not far...He's a good prospect...He's the player that TGJ wants to be...

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Ford is behind Cain, but not far...He's a good prospect...He's the player that TGJ wants to be...

 

I can't see that. The only thing that really seperates the two in their Low A numbers are Ford's and Gwynn's better BB/K ratio.

 

And Gwynn has even shown improvement beyond that.

 

Now if you had said Steve Moss . . . .

[clancyphile]

Clancyphile's Sleeper: Tim Dillard

 

He's constantly pegged as a reliever, yet as a starter, he has shows remarkable durability. I think 2007 is going to be the year Dillard proves he deserves a shot at the 2008 Brewers rotation - and I think he is more likely than Gallardo, Jackson, or Eveland to be the guy called up if someone is hurt.

[sbrylski]

Quote:

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Ford is behind Cain, but not far...He's a good prospect...He's the player that TGJ wants to be...

 

I can't see that. The only thing that really seperates the two in their Low A numbers are Ford's and Gwynn's better BB/K ratio.

---

 

What about Ford's .387 SLG to Gwynn's .326. And 14 SB for Gwynn to 69 for Ford. I would say Ford is a better prospect than Gwynn was at this point.

 

If Ford can move up the ladder and get his SLG to settle in close to .400 and keep his OBP above .360, I'll be much more excited about him as a CF/leadoff guy than I am about Gwynn now.

 

How's his defense and where will he start next year, AA?

[pogokat]

he's a good defensive player and the fastest runner in the organization...he'll start in brevard...where he should have lots of doubles..

[homer]

Just out of curiosity....

 

Who do you guys think will represent the Brewers in the Futures Game next summer?

 

I'll say Inman and Cain.

[pogokat]

baring injury, i could see those two...could be salome also..

[SoCalBrewfan]

Ford might be the fastest guy in the minors, so he's certainly the fastest in the Brewers org. But he does have some work to do with the bat...his improvement was significant though, and he was in the mix for the 'most improved' category in the Farm Hops piece.

 

Ford is almost exactly three years younger than Gwynn, so Gwynn's '03 numbers in Beloit are at least somewhat valid as a comparison. Their OBPs were basically the same but Ford had more power and speed. Ford also has a ton of Ks, which might bode poorly for his future development, but then he's a fairly raw prospect who could well take another step forward. I'd take Ford '06 over Gwynn '03, but then I never thought much of Gwynn '03. Gwynn in '06 is a better prospect than Gwynn '03, though, with almost-decent offense one step below the majors...he'll certainly get some major league time as a reserve at the very worst...Ford on the other hand could still wash out and has to prove himself as he moves up the ladder.

 

To me, Ford has more upside than Gwynn right now but also has a much greater chance of having zero value...in three years he could look like Krynzel or he could be on the brink of being a major league starter like Pierre, Roberts, Pods, Taveras, even Corey Patterson if you're lucky (?!). To me the upside of either guy is somewhat limited though since those 700 OPS speed guys just aren't all that great unless their defense is truly superior. If Ford can be a 750 OPS guy (say .360/.390) with lots of SB and great defense though, he'll have a career...guys like this who can get their OPS into the high 700s will make a lot of money.

 

I don't see much chance that either guy turns into the upper-tier version of this player, the 800 - 850 OPS guys like Damon / Crawford / Cameron / Lofton (different mixes of OBP and SLG in there), but of course the younger you are the greater the uncertainty in any projections.

[LouisEly]

Mike Loverude

 

Hey SoCal, that sounds like a stage name for someone who "works in the valley" if you know what I mean...

 

Great job guys on the roundtable. I understand where you mentioned that your 1st & 2nd teams were based on production, not prospect status, but two questions/observations on my part:

 

1) Koonce & Alonso at 1B - if these are your top performing 1B in the minors, it means you're pretty thin in that department. But then again, considering your MLB 1B is one Prince Fielder, who isn't going anywhere anytime soon, it is definitely your position of least need. Any consideration of Chris Errecart here? I would have put Errecart over Chapman for OF also, but I can understand the Chapman selection.

 

B) Thatcher was very deserving for the bullpen, and Patrick Ryan did very well, but Steve Bray would've been my pick for the 2nd team, given he did it at a higher level (AA & AAA) and Ryan, at 23, is no spring chicken in low-A.

[colbyjack]

Clancyphile's Sleeper: Tim Dillard

 

clancy, I admire your determination, but Dillard is far from a sleeper, particularly since he was the Brewers minor league pitcher of the year in 2005. I know you'll use the angle that he deserves to be a starter, so I probably shouldn't even address this http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

 

Koonce & Alonso at 1B - if these are your top performing 1B in the minors, it means you're pretty thin in that department. But then again, considering your MLB 1B is one Prince Fielder, who isn't going anywhere anytime soon, it is definitely your position of least need. Any consideration of Chris Errecart here? I would have put Errecart over Chapman for OF also, but I can understand the Chapman selection.

 

I think Jim addressed the lack of first basemen in the system, but as you noted, with Fielder at the big-league level, first base really isn't that big of a weakness. It could be in another year or two when Prince is starting to creep towards those free agency.

 

I personally didn't consider Errecart as a first baseman since he played a lot of left field and filled in as the DH. In addition, he couldn't have replaced Chapman in the outfield since Chapman qualified as a centerfielder and Errecart would have had to jump over his own teammate in Gillespie in left or your personal favorite Drew Anderson. The outfields were aligned by their true position, not just taking the six best outfielders in the system (and I actually had Chapman ahead of Gwynn before the rest of the group wisely pointed out that Chapman was several levels below Gwynn).