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December 10, 2007

Future Shock

Athletics Top 11 Prospects

by Kevin Goldstein

Five-Star Prospects
1. Daric Barton, 1B
Four-Star Prospects
2. Trevor Cahill, RHP
Three-Star Prospects
3. James Simmons, RHP
4. Henry Rodriguez, RHP
5. Andrew Bailey, RHP
6. Corey Brown, OF
7. Jermaine Mitchell, OF
8. Javier Herrera, OF
9. Jerry Blevins, LHP
Two-Star Prospects
10. Josh Horton, SS
11. Sean Doolittle, 1B

Just Missing: Sam Demel, RHP; Grant Desme, OF; Gregorio Petit, SS

1. Daric Barton, 1B
DOB: 8/16/85
Height/Weight: 6-0/225
Bats/Throws: L/R
Drafted: 1^st round, 2003, Marina HS (CA)--Cardinals
2007 Stats: .293/.389/.438 at Triple-A (136 G); .347/.429/.639 at MLB (18 G)

Year In Review: The top hitter in the system recovered from his injury-hampered 2006 season to come on strong at Triple-A and cement his hold on the first base job with an outstanding pro debut.
The Good: Barton’s skills as a hitter are advanced far beyond his years. His plate discipline is flawless, and despite the fact that he works himself into deep counts, his plus bat speed and outstanding hand-eye coordination leads to effortless hard contact, as he consistently walks more than he strikes out. He has gap power now, and some believe that his four home runs in 72 big league at-bats is just the beginning of him transforming his high doubles totals into a higher home run number.
The Bad: Barton’s power is still the subject of debate, with scouts projecting anywhere from 15-30 home runs annually out of him. He’s an average first baseman at best, and not a very good base runner. His effort and his attitude have come into question, as he almost seemed bored at times in the minors, but one scout compared him to Hanley Ramirez in the sense that once he got to the majors, he finally shined.
Fun Fact: During his insane month of June, in which he hit .454/.500/.657, Barton had twice as many doubles (14) as strikeouts (seven).
Perfect World Projection: A number-three hitter who consistently puts up seasons in the .300/.400/.500 range and above.
Timetable: Barton’s big league September ended the revolving door at first base for Oakland, and he’ll be the Opening Day starter there and a solid contender for Rookie of the Year honors.

2. Trevor Cahill, RHP
DOB: 3/1/88
Height/Weight: 6-3/195
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted: 2^nd round, 2006, Vista HS (CA)
2007 Stats: 2.73 ERA at Low-A (105.1-85-40-117)