Pitching Prospect of the Day: Matt Barnes, RHP, Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K; potential plus-plus fastball; curveball with plus potential; changeup will be at least average. I’ve never been the leader on the Barnes bandwagon; I think he is a very nice pitcher, but not a top-of-the-line stud.
Position Prospect of the Day: Jacob Wilson, 2B, Cardinals (Low-A Peoria): 3-5, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI; four-year college player; limited room for progression; right-side-of-the-infield player; forced to prove himself step by step; .280/.340/.610 with 4 2B, 3B, and 7 HR in 82 Low-A at-bats.
Other notable prospect performances from May 1:
“The Good”
- Miguel Almonte, RHP, Royals (Low-A Lexington): 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K; fastball up to 95; changeup comes in at 82-85 and is thrown with really good arm speed and fade, which gives it easy plus potential; well-below-average curveball which may end up getting scrapped; slider at 81-83 has small break and is more of a weak-contact-creator than a bat-misser.
- Tyler Collins, OF, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K; advanced hitter; short swing; loud contact; gap power; average runner; high baseball IQ; tough to profile him as an everyday player.
- Edwin Escobar, LHP, Giants (High-A San Jose): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K; fastball can touch plus velocity; changeup with solid-average potential; developing breaking ball; shoving in the California league thus far; 25.0 IP, 14 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 37 K in five starts.
- Drew Gagnon, RHP, Brewers (High-A Brevard County): 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K; fastball sits in the low 90s; curveball has average potential; changeup has solid-average potential; plus pitchability.
- Eric Haase, C, Indians (Low-A Lake County): 3-5, HR, 3 R, RBI, K; work in progress defensively; solid-average raw power; bat speed only average; will be forced to prove himself at every level.
- Bruce Maxwell, C, Athletics (Low-A Beloit): 4-4, 2 2B, RBI, BB; plus power potential; compact swing; raw defensively; wait-and-see type of prospect; .284/.369/.419 with 7 2B and 1 HR in 74 Low-A at-bats.
- Kevin Plawecki, C, Mets (Low-A Savannah): 3-5, 3 2B, R, RBI, K; polished; excellent bat-to-ball skills; solid-average power potential; defense still a work in progress; .402/.462/.696 with 15 2B and 4 HR in 92 Low-A at-bats.
- Jose Ramirez, RHP, Yankees (Double-A Trenton): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K; plus-plus fastball; easy plus slider; solid-average changeup potential; injury history; will need to prove he can handle the rigor of starting.
- Chad Rogers, RHP, Reds (Double-A Pensacola): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; low-90s fastball with sink; short-breaking slider; fringy changeup; small frame; may be better served as a reliever long term.
- Seth Streich, RHP, Athletics (Low-A Beloit): 6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; four-pitch mix (fastball/changeup/curveball/
cutter); fastball can touch plus velocity; changeup has plus potential; curveball and slider are currently works in progress. - Taijuan Walker, RHP, Mariners (Double-A Jackson): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K; plus-plus fastball; cutter with plus-plus potential; curveball with plus potential; may eventually have to develop a splitter; front-line potential; 35.0 IP, 18 H, 6 ER, 20 BB, 39 K in six starts this season.
- Mason Williams, CF, Yankees (High-A Tampa): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB; toolsy outfielder; plus-plus speed; plus defender; hit tool has solid-average potential; below-average power; major makeup questions; not a blue-chip prospect for me.
- Julian Yan, OF, Rockies (Low-A Asheville): 4-5, 3 2B, 3 RBI, SB; plus raw power; good bat speed; has a tendency to speed the game up unnecessarily; plus arm; toolsy; very far from a finished product.
“The Bad”
- Adrian Marin, SS, Orioles (Low-A Delmarva): 0-4, 2 K, throwing error; unimpressive at the plate and in the field on the first night of the series that I’m watching.
- Gregory Polanco, CF, Pirates (High-A Bradenton): 0-3, 3 K; working to shorten load in swing; plenty of natural ability; gaining polish with every at-bat.
“The Ugly”
Tyler Naquin, CF, Indians (High-A Carolina): 0-4, 3 K; very deep load; has bat speed; mechanics do not allow him to get to any pitch on the inner half; be very cautious about him going forward.
Thank you for reading
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If being wrongly charged with a crime of which you're clearly innocent is a "makeup problem", then we're really defining "major makeup questions" downward.
He was observed driving at least 10 over the speed limit at 2:45am. He had alcohol in his system and decided to drive an automobile. He may have been below the legal limit, but unless he has a personal breathalizer or is otherwise privy to knowledge of his personal BAC, made a terrible and potentially lethal decision.
Lots of young people do, so I'm not saying that a guy who had a beer and drove a car can't be a baseball player, but the legal case is only tangential to the actions that lead to the concerns about makeup.
But you're simply incorrect that he was "released with insufficient evidence" -- that's what would have happened if he never had a BAC test, or for some reason the results were lost or spoiled.
Rather, he DID have a BAC test, and the results of that test conclusively proved that he was not driving under the influence as the law defines it (i.e., at least .08% BAC)
You're also flat-out incorrect about the DUI laws. The general rule is that any DUI in Florida, absent aggravating factors (such as manslaughter, serious bodily injury, or at least 2 prior DUI arrests), is a misdemeanor. And in order to *BE* a DUI, you have to have at least .08 BAC. There's no charge for adults over 21 driving non-commercial vehicles for misdemeanor "slightly impaired but not DUI".
Your assertion that "you don't need to exceed the legal limit to be guilty of DUI" is just not true as it applies to alcohol in Florida.
“He reportedly caused a few headaches for the Charleston staff and turned off observers with the way he carried himself on the field,†they wrote, while one NL scout said he has “got tools but needs to be humbled.â€
http://riveraveblues.com/2012/10/yanks-place-three-on-baseball-americas-top-20-sally-league-prospects-list-76956/
For me, analyzing a players makeup is solely looking at his baseball makeup. I want to see how he approaches the game, how he communicates with teammates, what his attitude is like while receiving instruction, and what his overall attitude is like.