MLB Prospect Watch

Notable Prospect Performances - 4/16

• Matt Hobgood turned in a positive start after a rough outing in his 2010 debut, reports Robert Emrich of MLB.com.  The Orioles' first round pick in 2009 (5th overall), Hobgood was thought to be a reach that high in the first round, and the Orioles were accused of making the pick for financial reasons.  The team insists Hobgood was the player they wanted all along, and they have a lot riding on his performance in his first full season.
• Tim Beckham made his 2010 debut, going 1-4 with a SB and 2 K's, notes Kevin Gengler of Rays Prospects.com.
• Kyle Drabek and Phillippe Aumont faced off on Wednesday for the first time since their off-season's were intertwined with the Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee trades.  But, as the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, the outing didn't quite live up to it's anticipated billing for two of the top pitching prospects in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' organizations.
• Jon Niese pitched in Colorado for the first time in his career on Wednesday, and according to Matthew Cerrone of Mets Blog.com, the Mets' pitching prospect let the altitude get to his head.
• Freddie Freeman continues his struggles in Triple-A, Talking Chop.com points out, as the Braves' first baseman of the future still has just one extra-base hit on the season.

Prospects Make 2010 Debuts

A couple of prospects made their season debuts, each with strong results:

• Brian Matusz clearly did not have his best stuff in his 2010 debut, but the good news for the Orioles is that even without it, he was still an effective pitcher.  Matusz battled through 5 innings against the Rays surrendering 5 walks, but was able to leave with a lead and get the win, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
• The Mets may have lost his debut, but Jon Niese at least gave his team a chance to win, notes Marty Noble of MLB.com.  The left-handed starter gave up 3 runs in 6 innings of work.
• The A's bullpen was given a boost by Tyson Ross and the 2 1/3 scoreless innings he threw in their series finale with the Mariners, says John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Prospect Potent Potables - 3/30

• The Detroit TIgers have announced that Alex Avila has made their major league team and will serve as the number 2 catcher, reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
• In another catching position battle, the Astros have decided to go with J.R. Towles as their starting catcher, sending top prospect Jason Castro to minor league camp, reports Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.
• The baseball world could get its first real glimpse of a switch-pitcher as Pat Venditte will travel with the New York Yankees today and could see his first game action against major league hitters, says Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
• Lonnie Chisenhall is quickly becoming the face of another Indians' rebuilding project, but that can't keep Tribe fans from getting excited about it, according to Vince Grzegorek of Clevescene.com's '64 and Counting.
• Jon Niese apparently helped his chances at grabbing the final spot in the Mets' rotation despite a rough outing, according to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.

Potent Potables - 3/25

March Madness may be back up and running, but the prospect world never takes a break.

• Jon Niese appears to be the front-runner for the final spot in the New York Mets' rotation, reports Marty Noble of MLB.com.
• Just because he's out of sight, doesn't mean he's out of mind.  Stephen Strasburg may be in Nationals' minor-league camp now, but he's still pitching, and in this case dominating, as Bill Ladson reports.  Strasburg struck out 9 batters in 4 1/3 IP, which are the types of lines we should come to expect as long as he is still facing minor league hitters.
• The cool demeanor displayed by Jason Heyward as he (and the rest of the baseball world) awaits the Braves decision on where he will start the season show us why they are so high on him in the first place, notes Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
• Giants SS prospect Brandon Crawford should start the season in Double-A, but as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports, it could be his last stop before arriving in San Francisco.
• The Tigers had a number of things to worry about during their time in camp, but that didn't distract coaches and front office personnel from taking notice of Jacob Turner every time he picked up a ball, says John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.

Link: Niese has Hurdles to Climb for mets' Rotation Spot

The New York Mets' inactivity in the starting pitching market this free agent season does not signal an automatic rotation spot for pitching prospect Jonathan Niese, reports Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News.  Instead, the front-runner for that spot appears to be Fernando Nieve, with Niese providing him competition in Spring Training.

Niese is recovering from a hamstring injury that has prevented him from pitching this winter.