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Keith Law Top 100 prospects

20. Angel Villalona

The Giants of the early 2000s were notorious for skimping on amateur signing bonuses, giving away first-round picks and doing little in Latin America. So when they paid over $2 million to sign Villalona just days after his 16th birthday in August of 2006, not only was it a surprise, it was a signal that the organization was committing to acquiring top-flight amateur talent. Signing Villalona was tantamount to getting an extra top-10 pick in the amateur draft -- perhaps better, since he could be in the organization for what would have been his senior year had he been an American-born prospect. Villalona himself is very physically developed, with an early-20s build even before he turned 16; while this will probably force him over to first base, it does provide for significant power potential. He has a quick bat and a fluid swing, and has shown the ability to use the whole field. He's a long way off and has only played five games above rookie ball, but the physical promise here -- a middle-of-the-order bat with a 40-plus homer ceiling -- is tremendous.

59. Tim Alderson

Alderson's an odd bird, working from the stretch even with no one on base. His fastball is already solid-average at 90-94 mph, with more velocity to come down the road. He pounds the strike zone and shows good command. His best secondary pitch is a hard curveball with tight rotation and a late two-plane break, while his changeup is a ways off. Alderson comes at hitters from a low three-quarter slot, and his arm is very quick, so the ball pops out of his hand and gets in on hitters quickly. He has some minor mechanical issues that will require work, including a slightly stiff front leg and a tendency to throw across his body to get deep to his glove side, but nothing that would prevent him from becoming a No. 2 or 3 starter in the majors.

74. Henry Sosa

Sosa has a live arm in a system that now has more than its share of live arms. He has a promising three-pitch mix, sitting at 92-94 and touching 97 on his fastball and sporting a power curveball in the mid-80s and a solid-average changeup with good arm speed. His control is poor and his feel for pitching is weak. He's too happy to try to overpower guys with heat rather than use his secondary stuff to put guys away. His delivery is odd with a dice-roller arm action and problems rushing his arm through, neither of which is conducive to good fastball command. He shouldn't move up quickly, but if he's given time he has a chance to be a No. 2 or 3 starter.

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.

0 recs  |  Comment 20 comments

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Oh yea and my job too...
EARTHQUAKE HIJACK!
Coming to you from the Land of Many Beers

by WalrusMan on Feb 2, 2008 4:25 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

OMG!
Jerome Williams just signed with the A's and predicted the Giants will pick Smoak 5th in the draft and then trade him for Crede!
"They invented the All-Star game for Willie Mays" - Ted Williams

by Cookyman on Feb 2, 2008 4:29 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

Re: OMG!
Are you sure it was Jerome Williams and not Fast Freddie Fitzsimmons?

by sharksrog on Feb 2, 2008 4:03 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Busted Tees is normally pretty lame
(attractive-in-an-accessible-way-but-in-reality-still-way-out-of-your-league model notwithstanding) but the one that's currently showing up--the "NEVER FORGET" Apatosaur--is some primo threadage.
"When Jackson Williams thinks of how many times Madison Bumgarner has tried to kill Tyler Walker..."

by multiphasic on Feb 2, 2008 9:45 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

hey....
shut up

I totally rock the green "your handsome" mirror image shirt.

Flossing a dead horse

by kenshin1 on Feb 2, 2008 4:37 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Busted Tees is normally pretty lame
I prefer T Shirt Hell.
Democracy is lovely but baseball is more mature. BVCE supports Manny Burriss and SF Dugout.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Feb 2, 2008 4:56 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
Hey everybody--tell us about your favorite moments as a fan--that's never been done before!
I got one word for you: "youneverknow"

by senorvegas on Feb 2, 2008 11:14 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
Theadjack:  UGLIEST PLAYERS IN GIANTS HISTORY

I'll take Willie McGee.

Rajai Davis: fast.

by Mike Benjamin Hit King on Feb 2, 2008 1:28 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
easy-   armando benitez.  for both the ugliness of watching him pitch and his actual physical appearance.
mcgee and benito tie for 2nd

by sam23 on Feb 2, 2008 1:39 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
Scott Munter.
Brian Anderson: I can has spot in Fresno 'pen?

by Anticon23 on Feb 2, 2008 1:49 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
Hey--breaking news!

Scott Munter just signed with Tampa Bay. Has anyone done a thead on that?

I got one word for you: "youneverknow"

by senorvegas on Feb 2, 2008 1:58 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
My head nearly exploded.
Brian Anderson: I can has spot in Fresno 'pen?

by Anticon23 on Feb 2, 2008 2:10 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
Thanks for the update... Guess what??? There have been rumors of Joe Crede coming to the giants too. Maybe I will start a thread. Also I cant wait to see Feliz wearing the orange & black on opening d...
Zito 2008=20 wins Mark My Words 12/18/07

by ACgiant87 on Feb 2, 2008 2:54 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
Julian Tavarez.
Democracy is lovely but baseball is more mature. BVCE supports Manny Burriss and SF Dugout.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Feb 2, 2008 4:04 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
you win ! I can't think of a single player in baseball that can match "Crater Face" and his two pirate earrings :-)
My adopted son Matt Downs. Because face it, everybody else was already taken by the time I got here.

by nvsfg on Feb 2, 2008 5:01 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
Donnell Nixon.  I don't really remember what he looked like, but he's related to Otis Nixon, so it can't be good.

by dmunk on Feb 2, 2008 11:15 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
I think "Old" Fassero should at least be a candidate.

There are people who would make the case for Reuter, as well. Though I thought he had a rather charming quality.

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM!

by howtheyscored on Feb 2, 2008 11:32 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
man, the ESPN article said it was posted (or updated?) on 2/1, and I didn't see any relevant diaries from that date

by kingofthacove on Feb 2, 2008 3:04 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Re: Keith Law Top 100 prospects
I am really upset Brian Sabean traded Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser for AJ Pierzynski.
"Why you gotta be cardin' my hos?" - Charlie Hayes

by stevieg on Feb 2, 2008 8:36 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

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