Printer-friendly

June 15, 2012

What Scouts Are Saying

Pitchability Is My Middle Name

by Kevin Goldstein and Bradley Ankrom

Minor Leaguers

• Oswaldo Arcia is almost a forgotten man in the Twins system. The 21-year-old got off to a tremendous start in 2011 before missing time from elbow surgery, but he's returned with a vengeance, and his .314/.378/.525 line at High-A Fort Myers is among the Florida State League's best. “There's a lot to like about him,” said an American League scout. “He has some trouble with breaking balls, but he can hit and there's some power in that swing.” While Arcia is a bulky six-foot, 210 pound outfielder, his effort and skills in the outfield earned additional praise. “He's a good outfielder with a plus arm,” he continued. “He has great instincts, goes after balls and goes right to a spot. He just plays hard.”
   
• Failing to impress at Fort Myers is Arcia's teammate Levi Michael, the club's first-round pick last June. While the Florida State League is a challenge to any player, Michael's .216/.306/.291 line in 54 games is disappointing in any context. “He's a classic Twins college player who plays the game the right way, but he doesn't have any special tools,” said the scout. “If he doesn't hit, he's not anything, and he's just over-matched with the bat right now.”
   
• Another 2011 first-round pick disappointing in the Florida State League has been Milwaukee southpaw Jed Bradley. In a prospect-laden rotation with recently promoted Jimmy Nelson and fellow first-round pick Taylor Jungmann, Bradley has been plagued by inconsistency, putting up a 4.36 ERA in 12 starts with just 44 strikeouts in 66 innings. “I watched video of Bradley at Georgia Tech and h

  The rest of this article is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers. Not a subscriber? Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or use the buttons to the right to subscribe and get access to the best baseball content on the web.

  Cancel anytime. That's a 33% savings over the monthly price! That's a 33% savings over the monthly price! Already a subscriber? Click here and use the blue login bar to log in.