McCovey Chronicles: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Around SBN: MLB Hot Stove: blogging the rumors, trades, signings Bar-right-arrows

McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List: #5

Hb307-1_tiny by marcello on

1. Madison Bumgarner

2. Buster Posey

3. Tim Alderson

4. Angel Villalona

Conor Gillaspie, 3B, 21 - Drafted 2008, #37 overall.  Hit .419/.500/.697 with 38 BB and 22 K over 234 AB his junior year of college at Wichita State in 2008.  Hit .269/.352/.344 between Rookie Ball and Low-A in 2008 over 93 AB.  He torched the Cape Cod league, a wooden bat league, in 2007 with a .345/.448/.673 line, earning league MVP award.  Projects to hit for good average, a good OBP, and decent power.

Nick Noonan, 2B, 19 - Drafted 2007, #32 overall.  Hit .316/.357/.451 over 206 AB in Rookie Ball in 2007 with 18 SB and 3 CS in 2007.  Hit .279/.315/.415 over 499 AB in A-Ball in 2008 with 29 SB and 4 CS.  Survived an aggressive assignment to Augusta in 2008.

Roger Kieschnick, OF, 21 - Drafted 2008, #82 overall.  Hit .302/.373/.621 over 232 AB with 24 BB and 44 K his sophmore year of college at Texas Tech in 2007.  Hit .305/.407/.632 over 220 AB with 35 BB and 42 K his junior year.  Is hitting approximately .261/.368/.500 in the HWL.  He is a big, toolsy player who is considered to have not broken out yet despite his good college numbers.

Brandon Crawford, SS, 21 - Drafted 2008, #117 overall.  Hit .335/.404/.504 over 248 AB with 25 BB and 58 K his sophmore year of college at UCLA in 2007.  Hit .302/.394/.491 over 232 AB with 31 BB and 59 K his junior year.  He is another toolsy player considered to have not broken out yet.

Travis Ishikawa, 1B, 25 - Drafted 2002, #637 overall.  Hit .260/.355/.454 over ~2500 AB in the minors across all levels.  Broke out in 2008 with a .291/.382/.462 line in AA and a .310/.370/.737 line in AAA before hitting .274/.337/.432 in the majors.  He is also a great defensive firstbaseman.

Kevin Pucetas, RHP, 23 - Drafted 2006, #506 overall.  Over three seasons has thrown 342.2 IP, 300 H, 267 K, 69 BB, 17 HR, 1.08 WHIP, 2.47 ERA, and ~53% groundball rate across the three levels of A-ball.  In 2008 threw 125.1 IP, 115 H, 102 K, 27 BB, 6 HR, 1.13 WHIP, 3.02 ERA, and a 51% groundball rate in High-A.  He throws a high 80's, low 90's fastball, a fantastic change, a curve, and an in-progress slider.

Henry Sosa, RHP, 23 - Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2004.  Over three seasons has thrown 215.2 IP, 179 H, 238 K, 93 BB, 19 HR, 1.26 WHIP, and a 3.22 ERA.  His 2008 season was derailed early on when he tore his patella tendon.  When he came back he threw 56.1 IP, 62 H, 58 K, 18 BB, 6 HR, 1.42 WHIP, 4.31 ERA, and a 38% groundball rate.  He throws a fastball in the mid to high 90's, a curve, and a change.

Wendell Fairley, OF, 20 - Drafted 2007, #29 overall.  Hit .259/.388/.337 over 193 AB in Rookie Ball in 2008 with 26 BB and 37 K.  He has incredible tools with plus raw power and great speed.

Rafael Rodriguez, OF, 16 - Signed out of the Domincan Republic on his 16th birthday.  As Baggs has put it, "Rodriguez is big — 6 foor-5 and 195 pounds — and plays an athletic right field. He has a strong arm, is a good runner and projects to hit for power."

Testers - Ehire Adrianza, Skip Barnes, Justin Hedrick, Joseph Martinez, Brian Anderson, Thomas Neal, Clayton Tanner

Poll
Who is the Giants #5 prospect?
Conor Gillaspie
100 votes
Nick Noonan
99 votes
Roger Kieschnick
23 votes
Brandon Crawford
3 votes
Travis Ishikawa
23 votes
Kevin Pucetas
30 votes
Henry Sosa
25 votes
Wendell Fairley
4 votes
Rafael Rodriguez
28 votes

335 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

4 recs | Comment 162 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

Going with Noonan here

he has had pro ABs and seems to have good power. I will take the devil I know to the devil I don’t.

I am Cameron Wood and this is my son and business partner CW Culberson.

by camwoody on Nov 11, 2008 6:37 PM PST   0 recs

And it finally gets interesting.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Nov 11, 2008 6:37 PM PST   0 recs

I went with Noonan. Sosa’s another possibility, but his injuries this past year knocked him down a notch below Noonan for me.

Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly

by jcb9 on Nov 11, 2008 6:40 PM PST   0 recs

nooooooooooooooooooooonan

"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Nov 11, 2008 6:42 PM PST   0 recs

indeed

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Nov 11, 2008 6:49 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Went with Gillaspie. He’s a polished, college player from a solid program, so you’d expect him to move fast. He’s already shown a good eye and good plate discipline as a pro (albeit in a small sample size) meaning he stands out in the Giants organization. And he’s a 3B, probably our single weakest position as a franchise.

Anyway, I think there are lots of reasons to like Cocky McCockerson (thanks Baggs!) but for me I think it’s how close he is to being ready now plus the fact that he really looks like he’ll be able to get on base as a pro, two really, really big factors.

Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...

by Smoke on the Water on Nov 11, 2008 6:45 PM PST   0 recs

I’m kind of tempted to go with Kieschnick. I don’t know, I really like him. This one is hard. (That’s what she said!)

Noonan is probably the safe pick here, but I’m really just not that high on him.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.

by jponry on Nov 11, 2008 6:48 PM PST   0 recs

I haven’t actually chosen anyone yet.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.

by jponry on Nov 11, 2008 6:49 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

well, jeez, will you hurry the frak up?

some of us need to move on with our lives!

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Nov 11, 2008 6:51 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Okay, I’m going with my gut (Kieschnick)

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.

by jponry on Nov 11, 2008 7:02 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

gut fail

Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home.

by Lyle on Nov 12, 2008 7:14 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

This is exactly how I feel. I voted for Kieschnick, as much as I hate having to type his name.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Nov 11, 2008 6:52 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

too many consonants

Mr Keischnick, meat Mr Schierholtz.

Castillo got the DFA. Guestimate for Castillo DFA to come before the 2009 season = 2.

by kennv on Nov 11, 2008 8:19 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

meet Mr Teixeira?

Kyle Nicholson: the fyootch

by stealth snail on Nov 11, 2008 10:57 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

That’s what you said!

The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."

by WalrusMan on Nov 11, 2008 8:59 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I really don’t get all the Kieschnick love around these parts. He’s a good pick at #82, and he’s hitting nicely in the HWB, but he still has little defensive value and is a big question mark with the bat. I know you’re not a fan of Noonan, but what about Gillaspie? BA had Gillaspie at #23 and Kieschnick at #44. SaberScouting had Gillaspie at #26 and Kieschnick at #48.

..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.

by Cookyman on Nov 12, 2008 4:14 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

He’s not even hitting well in Hawaii anymore. .242 with 4 home runs and a stupendous 42 strikeouts in 95 at-bats.

by Evan on Nov 12, 2008 6:36 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

.243/.344/.476 with 5 home runs...

He also has five doubles and two triples, and has 16 walks for his secondary average.

Considering that the HWB is generally a not offensive league (although this year, there’s 11 players with .300+ averages, the most I can remember), I like what I see so far. Kieschnick is tied for second in home runs (Kyle Martin leads with 6), and is 9th in slugging percentage.

SFDugout.com is BACK! See the Top 50 Giants Prospects!

by BruteSentiment on Nov 12, 2008 12:41 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I went with Noonan

but I could see Gillaspie or Sosa here as well

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Nov 11, 2008 6:49 PM PST   0 recs

Wendell for Me. I believe in him!

Hasheem "The Beat" Thabeet or Brandon Jennings. A Warrior in 09.

by ejdacanay on Nov 11, 2008 7:04 PM PST   0 recs

went with kieschnick

although I almost picked fairley or gillaspie
While I think Noonan’s a decent prospect (and I love the name), I can’t bring myself to put him this high, since neither his upside or performance are particularly great. Kieschnick has the upside so I went with him, although I like Fairley’s approach a lot.

Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa

by raisingcain on Nov 11, 2008 7:08 PM PST   0 recs

Fairley over Noonan?

Fairley, 20 y-o, Rk league: .259/.347/.337, 19.2 K%, 11.9 BB%.
Noonan (2007), 18 y-o, Rk: .316/.353/.451, 9.7 K%, 5.5 BB%.

This year Noonan posted similar contact numbers to Fairley’s, but showed much worse plate discipline. On the other hand, Noonan hit for more power, was a better baserunner, and played two levels higher, even though he’s a year younger than Fairley. Fairley is more patient, but Noonan is pretty much as good as him or better in every other aspect of the game.

..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.

by Cookyman on Nov 12, 2008 4:36 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Noonan's strikeout rate

has utility player written all over it

waiting for 2011....

by Osama91w9 on Nov 11, 2008 7:26 PM PST   0 recs

Same for Villalona, I presume?

by Evan on Nov 11, 2008 7:33 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yes,

Let’s project a player’s ceiling by his first season in the Minor Leagues.

Proud adoptive parent of Tim Alderson.

by Anticon23 on Nov 11, 2008 7:37 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Vote Kieschnick!

I support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by Takimoto on Nov 11, 2008 7:32 PM PST   0 recs

Not getting the Kieschnick thing. How does he rank ahead of Gillaspie, for example?

by Evan on Nov 11, 2008 7:34 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

power potential whooo

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.

by jponry on Nov 11, 2008 7:45 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Sexy, sexy tools as well.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Nov 11, 2008 8:17 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

his upside is trememdous

I support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by Takimoto on Nov 11, 2008 8:44 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I feel the whooo, but the power is all he has going for him, right? Gillaspie has a big edge in contact hitting, speed, defensive ability, wood bat success, and having a cool name.

by Evan on Nov 12, 2008 6:44 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

had to go sosa

i think it’s a tie between noonan, kiesch, and sosa, and personally i’d rather have a pitcher then a hitter, so there ya go

Also known to haunt as theghostoftravisdenker and theaccidentalghostofsergioromo.

by theghostofjasonellison on Nov 11, 2008 7:37 PM PST   0 recs

I am in support of Gillespie here, slightly ahead of Ishikawa. yes, I said it

Todd Jennings: If he's on the DL, he can't suck as much, right?

by Speedforthewin on Nov 11, 2008 7:38 PM PST   0 recs

nice to have our first non-blowout

Which brings up the question, what happens in the event of a tie? Or at least a very close vote…

Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa

by raisingcain on Nov 11, 2008 7:44 PM PST   0 recs

Or more specifically, how close does it have to be for a tiebreaker?

Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa

by raisingcain on Nov 11, 2008 7:45 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Tiebreakers will be settled by whoever generates the most fake accounts.

by Evan on Nov 11, 2008 7:47 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I Would Be Happy To Break The Tie

But my pick would have to be Steve Hammond, and he is not given as an option.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

by Outside The Box Thinking on Nov 11, 2008 8:06 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I hate ties

but I think we all can agree that you come in handy when there’s no me.

Never Question the McCoven!

by Group Think on Nov 12, 2008 12:43 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

We’re going to set the closeness bar at 2% and if it’s that close we’ll have a runoff.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Nov 11, 2008 8:18 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Runoff?

We no need no stinkin’ runoff. One guy is #5 and one guy is #6 and McCoven moves on to #7.

by wilriv21 on Nov 12, 2008 1:34 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Something like this might be an option. We could just name them tied for #5 if they’re close enough and then move onto #7. I’m hesitant to name one of them the victor if they only have a few votes between them.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Nov 12, 2008 2:19 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Run-off

I think we should do a run-off. I wasted my vote on a third party Ishi.

Castillo got the DFA. Guestimate for Castillo DFA to come before the 2009 season = 2.

by kennv on Nov 12, 2008 2:27 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

yes on run-off

If 2 guys get a total of half the vote and are 2% apart, then we don’t know how the other half would have voted between those 2, and it’s close enough that it’s worth doing a run-off.

Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa

by raisingcain on Nov 12, 2008 4:17 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Gotta go with Conor…duh

Bill Mueller? I expect at least A-Rod type numbers from my son, Conor Gillaspie

by Gamer101 on Nov 11, 2008 8:02 PM PST   0 recs

Rodriguez

The odds are lower for him “making it” because he’s so far away, but if Noonan was on another team, would you trade Rodriguez for him?

Do you Wazzel?

by NeifiChicken on Nov 11, 2008 8:15 PM PST   0 recs

I would, yeah. Noonan is on the major-league track at a key defensive position. RRod is purely speculative at this point.

by Evan on Nov 12, 2008 6:45 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

my rank so far

1. Madbum
2. Alderson
3. Villalona
4. Posey
5. Rafael Rodriguez

Do you Wazzel?

by NeifiChicken on Nov 11, 2008 8:16 PM PST   0 recs

1. Bumgarner
2. Alderson
3. Villalona
4. Posey
5. Ishikawa

Ishikawa came on strong in 2008. He has power, is a run producer and plays a solid “D”. The signing of Josh Phelps should make for a fine platoon with Ishikawa. Hope as the season progresses that Ishikawa will continue his improvement and become an everyday 1b.

by wilriv21 on Nov 11, 2008 9:43 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I'm with you on this

Ishikawa had a super season in 2008 and proved that he deserves a shot at the 1b job. He showed good power and on base skills in Connecticut and Fresno and the defense is solid. He’s our only “true” first baseman. Given that he’s ready to produce at the major league level and none of the others is an overwhelming prospect, at this point anyway, Ish got my vote. He needs to cut down on the k’s and hopefully he’ll get more than 3 abs against lefties this year to show he can at least compete against them. But perhaps I’m overly optimistic of him going into 2009.

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Nov 12, 2008 12:51 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I like Ishikawa for the 6-8 range, but i think the community will have him around #10

Todd Jennings: If he's on the DL, he can't suck as much, right?

by Speedforthewin on Nov 12, 2008 6:50 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I think Ishikawa making it under 15 is nuts.

#1 JUDY STEFFES FAN
My favorite pie is (name of pie flavor)
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Nov 12, 2008 6:51 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Where would you put him, xan?

Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home.

by Lyle on Nov 12, 2008 7:17 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

After 15

Hector Sanchez: really getting tired of playing baseball in foreign countries...

by tedfordfan on Nov 12, 2008 7:41 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I dunno, Lyle. Probably between 15-20, maybe closer to 20? I’d have to think about it.

I love the resurgence that TI had last season but still, what’s his top ceiling? A league average 1B? I know we’re starved for hitting but that’s not top-10 prospect status to me.

#1 JUDY STEFFES FAN
My favorite pie is (name of pie flavor)
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Nov 12, 2008 7:46 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yup

I think people are missing on the positional adjustment for TI.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Nov 12, 2008 8:23 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, and theoretically, if you gave Josh Phelps and TI 500 PA’s in a season, would either one really separate himself from the other? And we got Phelps for nothing. Not a knock on TI, but I think his ceiling is pretty limited.

#1 JUDY STEFFES FAN
My favorite pie is (name of pie flavor)
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Nov 12, 2008 8:28 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

BBTF just did a ZiPS today for Phelps, he works out to: .273/.339/.457 OPS+ 106 over 400-something PA’s. Not bad for a free pickup.

Does anyone think TI will blow that away?

#1 JUDY STEFFES FAN
My favorite pie is (name of pie flavor)
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Nov 12, 2008 8:38 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I don’t think he’ll blow that away, but (a) he’s a pretty good fielder, which boosts his value quite a bit relative to Phelps and the other cheap fill-in first basemen who are generally available, and (b) he’s still young enough that he has a shot at getting better.

by Evan on Nov 12, 2008 8:42 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, I think if we go conservative (which is always good to do with a player like Ishikawa who we haven’t seen much of defensively in the majors) and call TI a +5 run defensive 1B he separates himself from a guy like Phelps some but nothing huge.

I’m not saying he’s worse or better than Phelps, per say, but I’m saying that I don’t think he’s a top-15 prospect in our farm system because if he shakes out in a best case scenario, he’s a league average 1B with a slightly above average glove.

I agree with your point B) to an extent, he’s young which goes in his favor but his development has been topsy-turvy and I think looking at his youth and expecting him to “potentially” get better could set some up for disappointment.

There’s a difference between TI and Phelps but it’s not that large and I just can’t see him being a top-15 prospect.

#1 JUDY STEFFES FAN
My favorite pie is (name of pie flavor)
Bay City Ball

by xanthan on Nov 12, 2008 8:48 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

To me, Ishikawa just isn’t what I think of as a “prospect.” I’m glad he’s still in the org and I’m optimistic that he can fill a position cheaply for us for a few years, but he’s as much a finished product as Schierholtz or Burriss or Bowker or Sandoval — more, really. So yeah, I’ll probably vote for him in the 12-15 range, but it doesn’t really make sense to have him on the list but not those other guys.

I know there’s a universally endorsed cutoff for prospect eligibility — 130 ab or 50 innings in the major leagues — but it’s arbitrary and anachronistic, and possibly pernicious, in that it permits Brian Sabean to consider Pablo Sandoval “proven” because he had a run of 145 good at-bats in the majors.

by Evan on Nov 12, 2008 9:05 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I don't think he considers him proven

I think Sandoval earned his chance to start with his great season. As we’ve seen before, just because you start at the start of the season you don’t keep it: if you don’t produce, you won’t keep the position.

I think it was prudent of Sabean to name Burriss and Sandoval starters, gives them a reward for doing well plus it’s not like you are trying to fill out the whole infield, you can focus on getting two players, one middle, one corner.

Adoptive parental unit of Kevin " 2007's Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.

"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Nov 12, 2008 9:25 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I don’t have a link handy, but there was definitely a quote at the end of the season in which Sabean said that Sandoval had proven he could hit in the big leagues, or words to that effect.

My problem here is that Sabean’s definition of a proven player is mathematically illiterate. It’s quite possible that Sandoval and Burriss could have extended hot streaks despite not being good hitters yet—in fact, I think it’s extremely likely that that’s what happened. Dan Ortmeier had a nice run of 157 at-bats in 2007; it wasn’t real. John Bowker was an outstanding hitter for his first 200 at-bats; the league and the law of averages caught up to him.

If you treat these guys like their major-league stats are real, you make mistakes in player evaluation, and you can screw up their development with premature “rewards” and hasty demotions.

by Evan on Nov 12, 2008 9:46 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, that’s my thinking, i’m really pleased with him, but in terms of a prospect list i don’t see him as being all that high. He’s obviously got a better chance of reaching his ceiling than anyone on the list, but i just don’t see a huge amount of upside with him. As you say, the best hope is that he’s an average 1B, which is still very valuable, but not much upside compared to the others.

The other players on this list, with the exception of Pucetas, all have much higher ceilings, and whilst most won’t reach their ceilings, i can’t really rank TI above them. To put it in other words, if you were offered Ishikawa in a trade, how many of the other players would you trade for him? I can’t say i’d trade any of them for him.

I do agree with Evan, that he’s a bit misplaced on a list like this, of course he’s still a prospect technically, but he doesn’t really fit with the rest of the players, so it’s difficult to place him. That of course is exacerbated by the fact that there’s no other reasonable prospects in the high minors, which means he’s rather or his own on this list.

Proud owner of the most boring Username! Alex Hinshaw: Now showing in a bullpen near you!

by GiantFan on Nov 12, 2008 12:52 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

It seems I was passed by a bit...

…that’s what a big test will do to you. I think that “potential” is overvalued. Ishikawa is very close to Major League ready. He’s not quite there, but the dearth of 1B talent puts him in line as the likely starter next season. I value players who have proven results and show improvement. I get that this was Ishikawa’s breakout season and that continued production at that level is not certain, but Iskikawa has hit upper minors pitching. I will tend to value more known quantities (such as ishikawa) higher than unknowns like RafRod, Kieschnick, crawford and fairley. How known Ishikawa is is up to debate, but I will put him around 8 based on what I have laid out. As for some of your points Xanthan, I believe that while his bat may not get much above average as the years go on, his glove will improve the first few years in the majors. I could see Ishikawa peaking at +10 defensively.

Todd Jennings: If he's on the DL, he can't suck as much, right?

by Speedforthewin on Nov 12, 2008 3:02 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I can't really rank Rodriguez

he still hasn’t even played yet. Really all you can base his rank off of is what those ESPN articles said about Dominicanand Venezuelan FA signings, which doesn’t give you much info. I wouldn’t rank him at all until at least next year.

by boonitez on Nov 12, 2008 5:16 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

This is where it gets tougher

Toss up bewtween Gillaspie and Noonan

I see the future, and it is Pablo

by CB30 on Nov 11, 2008 8:30 PM PST   0 recs

Agreed

I went with Gillaspie since he is closer to being ML ready.

Giants! Giants! HELP US GOD!

by j14 on Nov 12, 2008 9:09 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

27 Homeruns

between Conn, Fresno and SF. He may be best suited as a platoon 1st baseman, and left-handed pitch hitter. He’s “old” at 25 compared to the teens on the list thus far. A pair of converted catchers may steal all of his thunder, but he’s got a decent chance at contributing nice power and OBP next year. He probably has the best power potential out of the remaining choices. Well no. Rafa Rodriguez and Roger Kieschnick and maybe even Fairley could have a bigger potential. But, he’ll hit more dingers in the Majors in 2009 than any of those guys. His note above that he was drafted #637 overall doesn’t do justice to the fact it was a surprise and expensive signing that draft. I’m going away from the 2008 and 2007 draft/signing class and naming Travis Ishikawa my #5.

Castillo got the DFA. Guestimate for Castillo DFA to come before the 2009 season = 2.

by kennv on Nov 11, 2008 8:33 PM PST   0 recs

I went with Gillaspie, primarily because his pre-draft rankings and scouting reports were better than Noonan’s. Neither has really done enough in pro ball to make it clear who’s better.

I honestly do