MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Potent Potables - 7/13

• Chris Nelson has gone from highly touted prospect within the Rockies' organization to a player labeled as injury-prone on the verge of being a bust, but the 2004 first-round pick.  Finally healthy again, Nelson is back on the Rockies' radar and is having a bounce back season that has seen him improve his patience at the plate, reports Chris Jackson of MLB.com.
• Justin Smoak was undoubtedly the key piece received by the Mariners in return for Cliff Lee.  But given the reports that the Yankees had offered top prospect Jesus Montero, Bryan Smith of FanGraphs.com explains why the Mariners chose Smoak instead.
• Also mentioned among the Lee rumors was Brett Lawrie, who was drafted by Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik when he ran the Brewers' drafts.  The Brewers managed to hold on to their future second baseman who is elevating his prospect status despite being among the youngest players in the Southern League, says Guy Curtright for MLB.com.
• Despite the small sample sizes from the Futures Game, Harry Pavlidis of The Hardball Times couldn't help but take advantage of a rare chance to see prospects through the Pitch f/x microscope.  Pavlidis begins his analysis with the left-handed pitchers who participated in the game, including Christian Friedrich, Zach Britton, Mike Minor, Alexander Torres, and Phillippe Valiquette.
• Trevor Reckling is back in Double-A after a horrid start in Salt Lake City this season, and the Angels' hope is that being back in a pitchers' park will help the young lefty get back to pitching rather than throwing, reports Todd Traub of MLB.com.
• There are prospects galore on display at minor league all-star games, but Marlins' 3B prospect Matt Dominguez shined the brightest at the Southern League All-Star Game, says Matt Eddy of Baseball America.

Prospect Potent Potables - 3/29

Today's links are dressed in their Sunday best...

• Trevor Reckling has impressed recently in Angels camp, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
• Sergio Santos has had a long road to the majors, reports Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, and that includes a number of years as a hitter.  Santos was originally drafted as a short stop in the Diamondbacks' organization but has resurrected his career as a pitcher and now has a chance to be a part of the White Sox pitching staff.
• The St. Louis Cardinals sent down a couple of young players that may not be the most highly touted in the prospect world but had a chance to make the team nonetheless, says Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Those players were Tyler Greene and John Jay, both of whom will probably seem time in the Gateway City at some point during the 2010 season.
• The Reds are still letting their prospects duke it out for the final spot in their rotation, according to Tom Singer of MLB.com.  With Aroldis Chapman out of the mix, it's now down to Mike Leake and Travis Wood.

Prospect Performances - 3/7

We continue to get looks at prospects while they are still in big league camp.

• Aaron Crow worked two scoreless innings fo the Royals on Saturday in his first appearance in a big league uniform, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  The Royals also got a chance to see Rule V draft pick Edgar Osuna and prospect Blake Wood, each of whom threw a scoreless inning, notes Dick Kaegel of MLB.com.
• Add Fernando Martinez to the list of impressive rookies in Mets' camp.  F-Mart hit two homeruns in a 4-for-4 day against the Nationals, reports Marty Noble of MLB.com.
• Jeremy Hellickson made his Rays debut against the Yankees on Friday, and Kevin Gengler of RaysProspects.com has a pitch-by-pitch breakdown of the young righty's performance.
• Angels fans got to see two prospects in a row, reports Lyle Spencer in his MLB.com blog.  Tyler Chatwood and Trevor Reckling made back-to-back appearances, each throwing two innings.
• Recently acquired Mitch Talbot threw two scoreless innings for the Indians, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  Talbot, acquired in an off-season trade with the Rays, is battling to be the Indians' 5th starter.

Baseball America Organizational Reports

Baseball America does a great job profiling prospects in each organization in something they call their Organizational Reports.  Each article is short, and is typically about a lesser-known prospect, or one with a good story to tell, but they're full of good information for prospect lovers.  They released a number of them today, which I have linked here.  Viewing online requires a subscription, which I highly recommend, and for anybody who's a fan of this site, it's a must have, as we link to BA's exceptional work frequently.

• Jon Link was sent to the Dodgers in the Juan Pierre exodus, and is competing for a bullpen spot this spring.
• The Los Angeles Angels have a number of hard throwers in their organization, including Clayton Richards and Trevor Reckling.
• Introducing Brett Butts, who is flying under the radar in the Atlanta Braves organization.
• The Red Sox still have hopes for Ryan Dent.
• RHP Chia-Jen Lo has a chance to make the Houston Astros bullpen this spring.
• Michael Taylor talks about his three-team journey to Oakland this off-season.