You’ve stumbled into the midst of a series on this year’s minor league All-Stars. These aren’t, part and parcel, the ones you’ll find on the various and sundry All-Star teams that will soon be squaring off against one another around the minors. Rather, these are the prospects who should be regarded as the luminaries of the minor leagues, at least according to this particular pontificator.
Last week, I cobbled together my Low-A All-Star Team, and if you’d like further ruminations on my methodology for making these selections you should go check out that article. I’ll wait here.
Otherwise, here’s my High-A All-Star ballot. And by “High-A,” I mean the best of the California, Carolina and Florida State Leagues…
Michael Lewis’ Moneyball and the fallout from the best-selling book have given rise to what some have deemed the great statheads vs. scouts debate. While some reactionary members of each camp have assumed their battle stations, by and large it’s a false argument.
“The goal is the same in either case–identify players who’ll help you win at the big league level,” said Joe Bohringer, amateur scout for the Seattle Mariners. “Both methods will help you make your evaluation.”
Every team relies on scouting of some kind. Scouting budgets and tie-breaking decisions may vary from team to team, but every club relies on scouts, in some form, to evaluate talent. Likewise, every team uses performance analysis to shape its decisions. Statistics are simply a record of a player’s performance. Even the most tools-informed scout on the planet won’t throw out results entirely.
Oftentimes injuries take a bit of time to affect a team. Statistics like MLVr and DLDL (dollars lost to disabled list) tell a part of the tale, but the Cubs/Cards game Tuesday night summed things up in a way that only a baseball play can. Ray Lankford ran a good route, as fast as he could, towards the ball that Aramis Ramirez dropped in for a double. The winning runs came racing home while Jim Edmonds watched from the bench. A groin strain kept Edmonds out of the lineup and away from a ball that he likely would have reached without drama. To further rub salt in the Cardinals’ wound, Edmonds popped out to end the game. The groin strain isn’t considered serious, but he will be limited for the next few games. It will be treated much like Albert Pujols’ hamstring strain, buying the center fielder rest as a DH when they head across Missouri this weekend.
The Marlins will push Josh Beckett back in the rotation to give his back a bit more time to heal. His normal side session was halted due to pain, but sources say that Beckett insisted that he stay on schedule with his throwing program. Cooler heads prevailed and he’s now scheduled to start Saturday. That start is in doubt, however. Beckett will need to prove he’s healthy in a side session Thursday or Jack McKeon is making noises that Beckett will go back to the DL. Beckett is remaining quieter this time around, but clubhouse sources say he’s growing more frustrated with the way he’s being handled by McKeon.
The White Sox unload Billy Koch. The Rockies’ injured outfielders are returning to action. Jose Reyes’ return gives the Mets some interesting lineup options. Justin Lehr tries to plug a hole in the Athletics’ bullpen. The Cardinals wrestle with a modest catcher surplus. These and other happenings in today’s Transaction Analysis.