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August 18, 2008

Future Shock

Monday Ten Pack

by Kevin Goldstein

Gordon Beckham, SS, Low-A Kannapolis (White Sox)
The eighth overall pick in June, Beckham didn't sign until last week, and he hadn't played for nearly two months, so a slow start could easily be excused. No excuses are necessary though (so much for the rust factor), as in his first weekend as a pro he went 7-for-11 with a double, a home run, four walks, and no strikeouts. Beckham has all the tools and abilities to be a star-level player, combining contact skills with above-average power, and just enough in the way of both speed and arm strength to become at least an average shortstop. Just as importantly, all of his skills are advanced enough to project a quick rise to the majors, and Beckham should be up in Double-A by mid-2009, if not earlier.

Dellin Betances, RHP, Low-A Charleston (Yankees)
The Yankees shelled out $1 million in 2006 to sign Betances, but injury problems have slowed his progress significantly. He pitched just seven games last year before being shut down with a sore arm, and the first two months of this year were filled with what can only be described as dominating wildness, as the six-foot-eight righty struck out 64 in 55 innings, while also walking 40. Then came another shutdown for some vague reason which was never called anything more specific than "a tired shoulder." The good news is that the off period lasted only a month, and Betances has put together his best run as a pro since returning, including a career-high 12 strikeouts on Saturday in just six innings. Since his return, he's whiffed 62 in 49 1/3 innings while allowing just 37 hits and, even more promising, walking just 18. Nobody has ever questioned his stuff or projection, and he just might finally be on track.

Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Low-A Augusta (Giants)
Sure, we just talked about Bumgarner last week, but what am I supposed to do when he strikes out a career-high 12 of the 21 hitters he faces on Friday in six shutout innings while giving up just two hits? What am I supposed to do when he has a 1.52 ERA and a K/BB ratio of more than seven to one? What am I supposed to do when in his last four starts he's fired 28 scoreless innings while giving up 17 hits, two walks, and struck out 35? Could you ignore him? I sure couldn't.

Michael Brantley, OF, Double-A Hunstville (Brewers)
Sleeper alert! Brantley has been buried all year on a Huntsville roster loaded with high-profile prospects, but all he does is keep hitting at the top of the Stars' lineup, going 7-for-12 over the weekend and extending his streak of scoring at least one run to seven games. Brantley's skills would have been valued highly twenty years ago, but in today's game they can cause confusion. A 21-year-old outfielder batting .330/.409/.416 at Double-A should be some kind of prospect, and Brantley has one of the best combinations of approach and contact skills around, drawing 46 walks this year while striking out just 22 times in 361 at-bats. He's also a well above-average runner, as evidenced by 25 stolen bases in 31 attempts. The only problem is his defense; he just doesn't have a good feel in center field, and every time the Brewers play him there, he quickly ends up moving back to left, as both his range and his arm are disappointing. Still, those offense skills have to be worth something no matter where you end up putting him.

Corey Brown, CF, High-A Stockton (Athletics)
I received a question in a chat recently asking if Corey Brown was a flop. It was a silly question at the time, made even sillier by Brown's weekend, as the 2007 supplemental first-round pick went 7-for-12, including a two-homer game on Sunday. That gives him 13 home runs in 142 at-bats since his promotion to the California League, and 27 overall as part of a combined line of .269/.345/.516. Yes, Brown has some gigantic holes in his swing, striking out a troubling 153 times in 442 at-bats this year, but at the same time he's more than made up for it by drawing 50 walks, having 53 of his 119 hits go for extra bases, stealing 13 bases without being caught, and playing a solid center field. He's basically Mike Cameron with average defense, and that's still a damned fine prospect.