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August 16, 2012

Prospects Will Break Your Heart

I’ve Been Thinking About….

by Jason Parks


I’ve been thinking about...Jurickson Profar. We’ve established that the 19-year-old is the top talent in the minors, and talk of a major league promotion is at the tip of many a lip within the industry. I’m all for the move, but my level of excitement is dependent on any developmental benefit of the promotion. Given his age and experience level, I’d rather see Profar playing every day in the minors than jump to the majors for the privilege of watching the rest of the team. That’s not to say that you can’t find value in such an experience, but if Profar is expected to be a major contributor to the major league squad in 2013, playing in the field and getting reps at the plate is more important than anything else. Voyeurism can only teach you so much. Of course, trading two weeks of minor league action for the major league experience isn’t going to retard Profar’s development.

The best possible situation would find Profar at the major league level, drinking in the experience while getting regular (semi-regular) playing time. I just don’t see this particular fantasy playing out without an injury to a middle infielder, as Profar isn’t going to steal at-bats from Andrus or Kinsler at this stage of the game. A utility role makes sense, but I do have concerns about Profar’s overall defensive utility; he has a very good glove with good actions, but he is still prone to the casual error and the postseason isn’t a good time to experience developmental pains. Don’t get me wrong: I love the kid’s skills. But I wouldn’t want to put an inexperienced teenager on the field in big games unless I was forced to. That’s just my approach. What would you do?

I’ve been thinking about...Kolten Wong. I receive a lot of questions about the diminutive second baseman, and in the last month, the general tenor has been more sour than sweet. I can understand why. In the first half, national voices sang his praises, and I suggested on multiple occasions and on multiple platforms that he had one of the best hit tools in the minors; at the time, Wong was hitting for average, showing surprising pop for his size, and looking the p

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<< Previous Article
Premium Article On the Beat: A Clubhou... (08/16)
<< Previous Column
Premium Article Prospects Will Break Y... (08/14)
Next Column >>
Premium Article Prospects Will Break Y... (08/21)
Next Article >>
The BP Wayback Machine... (08/17)

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