MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Potent Potables - 5/4

Today's links circled their calendar last night as the Red Sox turned their season around...

• Freddie Freeman and Cody Johnson both struggled mightily to begin the 2010 season, but both of the Braves' top hitting prospects have begun to make adjustments to their advanced levels of competition, reports Bill Ballew of Baseball America.com.
• The Nationals still haven't decided if they are going to promote Stephen Strasburg before his next start, or at least they're not telling anybody, says Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
• Madison Bumgarner's velocity problems have been well documented, but Andrew Baggarly of Baseball America says that Bumgarner's arm is regaining its strength, and that the Giants' top pitching prospect could be on the rebound.
• Ted Berg of SNY.tv has a little background information on how Mets' INF prospect Wilmer Flores is progressing in the minors.
• Mike Stutes is getting used to his new role as a reliever, a move the Phillies made during Spring Training, according to Jim Salisbury for Baseball America.  The Phillies also sent two pitchers to the DL, including Mike Cisco, reports PhuturePhillies.com.
• It's tough to hit while looking over your shoulder, but Indians' C Lou Marson is figuring it out, says Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.  Marson has the job for now, but has top prospect Carlos Santana right behind him on the depth chart.
• The Red Sox are still hopeful for prospect Michael Almanzar after some mechanical adjustments to his batting stance, reports Alex Speier of Baseball America.com.
• Brendon Desrochers of MiLB.com has his minor league hitters and pitchers of the week, lists which include Mike Stanton, Bobby Borchering, and Kyle Gibson.
• Chris Heisey was promoted to Cincinnati to replaced the injured Chris Dickerson and got his first start last night, reports Tom Groeschen of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Heisey struggled, going 0-for-5 in the game, but got to celebrate walk-off style with his Reds' teammates anyway.
• Andrew Cashner has been dominant as a starter this season, but his background as a relief pitcher (in college) may be too much temptation for the Cubs to avoid, says Jeff Vorva of Baseball America.

Prospect Potent Potables - 3/23

• The Atlanta Braves hope that the movement on Mike Minor's fastball and his outstanding changeup are enough to off-set his lack of velocity, reports Bill Ballew for Baseball America.  Minor is the opposite of fellow 2009 draft pick David Hale, who has mid-90's stuff, but was a two-way player in college and needs much refinement.
• Gaby Sanchez may be winning the Marlins' first base competition, but don't expect typical first base production from the prospect, notes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.  Considering Sanchez is 26-years-old, has yet to win a starting job in the majors, and will likely be batting 8th to start the season, the Marlins will likely be happy with any production then can get.
• Jared Mitchell's 2010 season ended before it started, but the 2009 first-round pick out of LSU had been showing why the White Sox were so high on him, notes Phil Rogers in Baseball America.
• The hype that consumed Chicago Cubs camp early this spring has died, but that doesn't mean we won't see Starlin Castro again soon, reports Jeff Vorva for Baseball America.
• Jamie Ramsey of MLB.com gives us a little insight into the world of Reds 2009 Minor League Player of the Year Chris Heisey.
• Brandon Erbe may be heading back to the Orioles' Double-A affiliate in Bowie to start the 2010 season, but he's going to attack the league with his newly refined delivery, notes Roch Kubatko for Baseball Ameica.

Link: 2009 Season Review of Reds' Heisey

Doug Grey of Reds Minor Leagues.com has been doing season reviews of many players from within the Reds' organization throughout the off-season, complete with progress graphs from the start of the season until the end and spray charts with hit locations.  Today was Chris Heisey's turn to be broken down. 

Link: Francisco in Reds' LF Mix in Spring Training?

Unless Scott Rolen gets injured (always a possibility), Juan Francisco will not be playing third base for the CIncinnati Reds on a consistent basis any time in the next 2 years.  He is, however, one of a group of players vying for at-bats for the presently unoccupied spot in LF for the Reds in 2009, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Francisco, despite only 9 career chances in the outfield in his minor league career, has been playing LF all winter in the Dominican Winter League.  Francisco will be competing for playing time with Chris Dickerson, Laynce Nix, and Wladimir Balentien, as well as fellow prospects Chris Heisey and Todd Frazier.

Link: The Long Road for Chris Heisey

Here at MLBPW we have a soft spot for guys who came from Division III schools, so naturally we root for guys like Chris Heisey of the Cincinnat Reds who, as John Fay discusses for Baseball America, came from a small Pennnsylvania school and the 17th round to become a significant piece of the Reds' future.