When scouts watched Greg Golson in high school, many of them thought he would struggle to adjust to professional baseball.

That didn’t deter the Phillies, however, from making Golson their first-round draft pick in 2004 with the 21st overall selection, gambling on Golson’s potential five-tool package and unparallelled athleticism in his draft class.

But with the first-round pedigree and a $1.475 million signing bonus comes a spotlight and high expectations, and Golson struggled in his first professional season. He hit .264/.322/.389 with low Class A Lakewood in 2005 and owned a .260/.304/.399 career minor league line in 405 games entering this season.

"He’s a tireless worker and a good teammate," said Double-A Reading manager P.J. Forbes, now in his third season with Reading. "Something he talked about early with me is how he wanted to have a lot of fun this year and enjoy the game. So much had been written about him that I think, in his mind, he wasn’t living up to it. I think in his mind, he just wanted to go out, have fun and play. I try to remind him of that because thats what he told me earlier."

Whether it’s just a hot stretch or a signal of true improvement, the offensive output has been good for Golson this season. Through Monday’s games, the 22-year-old was hitting .331/.374/.503 in 175 plate appearances through 40 games for Reading, while his 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts are tied for second in the Eastern League.

[...] Continue Reading »

Radhames Liz turned in one of his finest performances, Mud Hens Michael Hollimon and Jeff Larish went deep, Jay Bruce had two more base knocks and Jeff Clement helped Tacoma slam Las Vegas.

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

When he gets ahead of hitters and uses all three of his pitches, Orioles righthander Radhames Liz (Orioles) can overpower any batter. Too often, though, he falls behind and has to come with the fastball. And his record prior to yesterday’s outing against Richmond (0-5, 5.12 through eight starts) give us an idea of how that’s worked out.

Regardless, the 24-year-old Liz had it working yesterday, throwing seven innings and allowing one unearned run on six hits and a walk. He struck out six. And despite his struggles, he’s pitched six or seven innings in each of his past six starts, striking out 36, walking 18 and allowing one home run in those 38 innings. Afterward, Liz explained the reason for his success to The Virginia Pilot:

[...] Continue Reading »

The California League had yesterday off.

Carolina League

Prospect Of The Day

Potomac (Nationals) lefthander Ross Detwiler has had his share of ups and downs so far this season. He hasn’t lasted more than six innings yet, but he still has slightly more than a strikeout per inning. Had he pitched one more inning last night, he would have gotten a win, but his line is impressive nonetheless, so we’ll toss him today’s honors.

Despite giving up four walks in four innings, Detwiler allowed just one hit, no runs and struck out a career-best nine batters. You would like to see a little more control, but anyone will take that whiff total any day.

[...] Continue Reading »

Zach McAllister dominated Greenville, Engel Beltre bounced back from a tough night, and Angel Villalona went deep again. 

South Atlantic League

Prospect Of The Day

Outside of one rough outing at hitter-friendly Asheville, Charleston (Yankees) righthander Zach McAllister has been nearly unbeatable. Just ask the Greenville Drive (Red Sox), against whom McAllister has made each of his last two starts. He tossed seven shutout innings against the Drive last Thursday and was just as dominant in the rematch last night. McAllister went eight innings, allowed one run on six hits, struck out six and walked none. His K-BB ratio for the year now stands at 49-7 in 57 innings pitched, while he ran his record to 6-2 and dropped his ERA to 2.05. 

[...] Continue Reading »

Michael Saunders is rising up the Mariners depth chart, Phillies righthander Carlos Carrasco was masterful against Trenton and Cubs righthander Jeff Samardzija struggled with the long ball in yesterday’s Double-A slate.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE
 
Prospect Of The Day
With Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentien graduating from prospects to big leaguers (presumably), Chris Tillman traded to the Orioles and Carlos Triunfel putting up a .642 OPS in the California League before he was suspended for disciplinary reasons, Michael Saunders could emerge as the top prospect in the Mariners organization. The toolsy center fielder is making a strong case with his performance for West Tenn, including yesterday when he went 3-for-4 with his 11th double and a walk. The 21-year-old Saunders is now batting .311/.370/.485 in 167 at-bats.

Prospect Nuggets
Since 1995, there have been 319 instances in which a major league pitcher has given up at least three home runs and was still credited with a win. In 2004, Tim Wakefield gave up six home runs against the Tigers, yet still came away with the victory as the Red Sox won 11-9, a record for the most home runs allowed by a pitcher earning the win since at least 1960. But usually giving up three home runs is not a winning formula, as Tennessee righthander Jeff Samardzija found yesterday. The Cubs farmhand allowed three home runs to Mississippi (Braves) batters, surrendering six runs in five innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Samardzija took the loss to fall to 3-4, while his ERA rose to 6.14 in 48 1/3 innings with more walks (32) than strikeouts (28).
 
What To Watch For
Righthander James McDonald is scheduled to pitch tonight for Jacksonville (Dodgers) at Carolina (Marlins).
 
EASTERN LEAGUE
 
Prospect Of The Day
The game of the day was in Reading, where Phillies righthander Carlos Carrasco was outstanding, but Trenton (Yankees) broke a 0-0 tie in the 10th inning for a 3-0 victory. Carrasco overmatched the Thunder lineup, going seven shutout innings with four hits allowed, two walks and nine strikeouts. Carrasco, who ranked as the top prospect in the Phillies system entering the year, now has a 3.44 ERA with a 59-22 K-BB ratio in 55 innings.

"The stuff’s there," Reading manager P.J. Forbes said. "He’s shown the flashes that he’s going pitch in the big leagues. We’re waiting to see the consistency that comes along with his stuff. He’s got three plus pitches, plus command and now it’s just a matter of him piutting it together every five days."

[...] Continue Reading »

Because we know it can be difficult to track the various prospect promotions and demotions on all 120 full-season minor league teams, we present a review of what’s happened in the last week, from May 10 through Saturday.

Braves: Promoted RHP Tommy Hanson to Double-A Mississippi.

Cubs: Demoted OF Kyler Burke (supp. 1st round, 2006) to short-season Boise and OF Ryan Harvey to High A Daytona.

Tigers: Promoted RHP Brandon Hamilton (supp. 1st round, 2007) to Low A West Michigan.

Royals: Promoted RHP Carlos Rosa to Triple-A Omaha.

Mets: Promoted RHP Brant Rustich (2nd round, 2007) to Low A Savannah

Yankees: Promoted RHP Mark Melancon (9th round, 2006) to Double-A Trenton and RHP J.B. Cox to Triple-A Scranton

Pirates: Promoted RHP Brad Lincoln (fourth overall, 2006) to Low A Hickory. He lost 2007 to Tommy John surgery.

Mariners: Promoted OF Denny Almonte (2nd round, 2007) to Low A Wisconsin

Blue Jays: Promoted OF Eric Eiland (2nd round, 2007) to Low A Lansing

Nationals: Demoted SS Stephen Englund (2nd round, 2006) to short-season Vermont

Stockton fans are feeling the fullest effects of the Athletics’ recent drafts, off-season deals and international signings. On Opening Day, the Ports had a dozen players who appeared on a Top 30 when our Prospect Handbook came out this winter. They were:

The Ports are atop the Northern Division of the California League with San Jose (Giants) at 29-16, and second-year manager Darren Bush said he enjoys sitting back and watching.

"It’s nice having guys that go out and compete," Bush said. "These guys are competitors more than anything. They try to out-work each other and push each other to get better. That’s fun to watch."

[...] Continue Reading »

Ben Revere and Oscar Tejeda are proving arriving late isn’t always a bad thing, Devin Mesoraco went deep for the first time, Jason Heyward keeps hitting, and Cole Rohrbough made his 2008 debut.

Midwest League

Prospect Of The Day

This may sound like a broken record, but Ben Revere had another three hits yesterday, his sixth straight multi-hit game. The Beloit (Twins) center fielder went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs as the Snappers overcame a late 5-2 deficit to knock off first-place Clinton (Rangers) 6-5. Revere’s RBIs came on a groundout in the third and a two-out single in the eighth that made the score 5-3. The only blight on Revere’s night was some misadventures on the bases, as he was doubled off 2nd on a fly ball in the sixth and was caught stealing 2nd in the eighth after his RBI single. Revere’s line now stands at .432/.483/.568 after 81 at-bats.

[...] Continue Reading »

Brett Gardner and Nate Schierholtz each drove in two runs, but neither outfielder’s team could manage victory. Jordan Brown and Gaby Hernandez returned from the disabled list and Taylor Teagarden went deep for the first time in Triple-A.

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Though his Yankees came up on the short end of a 5-3 game, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre center fielder Brett Gardner went 2-for-4 against Pawtucket yesterday, driving in two runs on a fifth-inning triple. His other hit was a single and he also racked up his 14th stolen base on the year, tying him with Rochester’s Denard Span and pulling him within one of the IL lead (held by Bernie Castro).

The lefthanded-hitting Gardner, 24, also struck out twice in the game, but he’s got a solid 25-32 BB-K ratio in 41 games, to go with .288/.387/.473 averages. And while he batted third for Scranton yesterday, Gardner has the prototypical leadoff hitter profile with plus speed and a sound batting eye. [...] Continue Reading »

California League

Prospect Of The Day

Lancaster (Red Sox) first baseman Jon Still started the season with four home runs in 15 at-bats. His pace slowed down some, but yesterday he dialed long distance twice as part of a 3-for-5 night. The home runs were his 11th and 12th on the year and he added six RBIs, but it wasn’t enough as Bakersfield (Rangers) held onto a late lead and won 10-9.

Propsect Nuggets

Third baseman John Whittleman did his part in the win over Lancaster, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI. That gives him 15 doubles on the year…Cedric Hunter went 41 games without a home run this season, hit his first on Sunday and followed up with his second yesterday. He finished the night 2-for-5 with two RBIs…Righthander Trevor Cahill was exposed as actually being human. He last five innings against San Jose (Giants), allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out six…Third baseman Ryan Rohlinger was responsible for some of that damage, going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs.

[...] Continue Reading »

Mariners correspondent John Hickey reports that 18-year-old shortstop Carlos Triunfel has been suspended indefinitely by the Mariners for what Seattle farm director Greg Hunter confirmed was a violation of team rules. Triunfel has been sent back to the Mariners’ extended spring training base in Peoria, Ariz., to serve his suspension, and he hasn’t appeared in a game since May 10.

Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.3 million in 2006, Triunfel advanced to high Class A High Desert in 2007, at age 17, where he batted .288/.333/.356 in 208 at-bats. Re-assigned there to begin this season, the righthanded batter was off to a  .263/.300/.342 start, showing the same terrific contact ability, but little of the power projected of him.

Triunfel has not homered in 485 pro at-bats—and has slugged an aggregate .361—but he hits the ball hard the other way and gets good backspin on the ball, suggesting to many evaluators that the power will develop in time.

Rangers first baseman Chris Davis abused more perfectly good baseballs, Carolina’s 1-2-3 hitters packed a powerful punch and Twins shortstop Trevor Plouffe had a three-hit night in yesterday’s Double-A games.
 
TEXAS LEAGUE
 
Prospect Of The Day
Chris Davis’ performance is getting louder with each swing. The Frisco (Rangers) first baseman went 3-for-4 with his Texas League-leading 11th home run and 11th double yesterday, raising his batting line to .323/.373/.587 in 167 at-bats. The Rangers reportedly will move Hank Blalock from third base to first base, but Blalock’s contract ends at the end of this season, with a $6.2 million club option for 2009, so the move shouldn’t impede Davis’ future ascension in the organization.
 
Prospect Nuggets
Max Ramirez also contributed to Frisco’s 4-1 victory over San Antonio (Padres). The 23-year-old catcher went 1-for-3 with a walk and his ninth home run of the year, bringing him up to .377/.450/.658 in 146 at-bats. Ramirez ranks first in the TL in both on-base percentage and slugging. The game also was the first Double-A appearance for righthander Tommy Hunter, who had a 3.55 ERA and a 50-8 K-BB ratio in 58 1/3 innings in the high Class A California League. Hunter handled the San Antonio lineup well, allowing one run in seven innings with no walks and four strikeouts . . . Corpus Christi (Astros) center fielder Mitch Einertson collected three singles in four at-bats in an 11-5 loss to Midland (Athletics) . . . Toolsy Tulsa (Rockies) center fielder Dexter Fowler had two hits and a walk in five plate appearances against Springfield (Cardinals). Meanwhile, Cardinals third baseman Allen Craig had his fifth conseuctive multi-hit game in a 3-for-5 night that included his 12th double of the season. [...] Continue Reading »

Rays correspondent Marc Topkin reports that Tampa Bay lefthander David Price, the first overall pick in last year’s draft, is set to make his pro debut Thursday with high Class A Vero Beach.

The 22-year-old Price, out since spring training with an elbow strain, recently completed a rehab stint at extended spring training. Because his contract negotiation went down to the signing deadline last year, Price did not suit up for a Tampa Bay farm club in 2007.

Rays center fielder Desmond Jennings, on the other hand, remains sidelined with injury, this time a sore left shoulder. The 21-year-old began the season on the disabled list with a back injury and has not yet had a chance to build on his breakout 2007 season. Jennings batted .315/.401/.465 with nine home runs and 45 stolen bases for low Class A Columbus last year.

And Giants correspondent Andy Baggarly has an update on injured righthander Henry Sosa: He’s working three-inning stints in extended spring in preparation for a full-season assignment, which appears imminent. Sosa, 22, had arthroscopic knee surgery in October, after completing a breakthrough season in which he went 11-5, 2.58 with 139 strikeouts in 126 innings.

Pirates righthander Brad Lincoln appeared in his first professional game last night in more than a year.

Lincoln, who signed with the Pirates for $2.75 million as the fourth overall selection in the 2006 draft, allowed one run in five innings for low Class A Hickory. He struck out three and had no walks.

Lincoln last pitched in 2006, when he threw 24 innings between the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and Hickory after signing. He missed all of 2007, however, after having Tommy John surgery that year in April.

At this time last year, second baseman Tony Thomas was increasing his draft stock with every game he played at Florida State. After leading NCAA Division 1 with 189 total bases, Thomas went from a fringy prospect to a top 100 draft pick, going 97th overall to the Cubs with the third pick in the third round.

Thomas, 21, hasn’t enjoyed the same offensive success this season with high Class A Daytona in the Florida State League that he had last year in short-season Boise, where he batted .308/.404/.544 in 214 plate appearances with 28 stolen bases in 30 attempts. This season, albeit in a less hitter-friendly park, Thomas is hitting .260/.311/.377 in 161 plate appearances with seven steals in nine attempts.

"The main difference is consistency with pitching," Thomas said. "Everybody from the starters to the bullpen is pretty good. In the Northwest League, you might have a guy who was dominant, and a guy who was just coming in to sweep up the mess. Everyone here has great stuff and is going to be around the plate."

Since the consensus among scouts is that Thomas’s fielding potential is average at best, he will have to kick his hitting performance up a notch, which he has the tools and pure hitting ability to do. But Thomas is also cognizant of how he can improve in the field.

"One thing is when I was turning double plays, I let my arms get all wide and long, and it was making me turn (double plays) a little slower," said Thomas, who is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds. "So now I’m keeping my hands closer to my body and turning double plays has been a little quicker. I have really long arms and sometimes I’d just let them go wild. Now I try to keep elbows close to body, which makes my transaction from the bag to first base a lot quicker."

Angel Villalona carved up Columbus, Neftali Feliz outdueled Jordan Walden, and a couple of lefty prospects in the SAL had tough nights.

South Atlantic League

Prospect Of The Day

Angel Villalona might be figuring out this full-season thing, in which case, SAL pitchers beware. Last night against Columbus (Rays), the big Augusta (Giants) first baseman finished a triple short of the cycle–probably not the last time that’ll happen–after going 4-for-5 with a double, his fifth home run of year and four RBIs as the GreenJackets cruised to a 13-2 victory. After hitting only .213/.273//325 in April, the top prospect in the Giants organization has hits in eight of his last nine games, with four home runs over that span. He’s raised his season line to .236/.289/.414 in the process.

Prospect Nuggets

On the wrong end of a couple of Villalona’s hits was Columbus lefthander Glenn Gibson (5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO), who took the loss to fall to 1-6 on the year … Rome (Braves) lefthander Jeff Locke also struggled again, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out seven but also walked five. Locke fell to 1-5 as the last-place Braves continued to struggle, losing their sixth straight … Right fielder Jason Heyward continues to be one of the few bright spots for Rome. He went 2-for-4 yesterday … Charleston (Yankees) catcher Jesus Montero went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs as the RiverDogs scored a big 3-1 win over Asheville (Rockies) in a battle between the SAL’s top two teams … Three Charleston pitchers (Noel Castillo, Chace Vacek, and Jonathan Ortiz) combined to throw a one-hitter in that game … Greenville (Red Sox) center fielder Ryan Kalish came off the bench in the fourth against Savannah (Mets) and proceeded to go 3-for-4 with a double and a triple … Indians righthander Jake Westbrook made a rehab start for Lake County (Indians) against Lexington (Astros). He gave up one run over 3 2/3 innings and was followed on the mound by righthander Ryan Miller, who stayed hot by finishing the game, tossing 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only four hits, one walk, and striking out eight. Miller improved to 7-0 on the season.

[...] Continue Reading »

Michael Hollimon hammered a pair of homers in a seven-bomb game for Toledo, Jay Bruce collected another two hits (ho-hum), Mitchell Boggs fanned 10 RedHawks and Chase Headley and Ian Stewart kept the extra-base hits coming.

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

Toledo second baseman Michael Hollimon (Tigers) led off yesterday’s game against Columbus with a home run off righthander Collin Balester (Nationals). It was only the opening salvo for the Mud Hens, who would homer three more times off Balester (5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 6 SO) and six more times in total. Hollimon (3-for-5, walk, two strikeouts) chipped in a second longball, his 11th on the year, in the eighth inning, going deep against Dennis Tankersley.

Hollimon’s teammate, first baseman Jeff Larish, doubled and walked twice in the game, but two other Mud Hens, catcher Nick Trzesniak and DH Timo Perez, connected for a pair of home runs apiece. The Toledo Blade offered the following on the "Slug" Hens:

Entering the game, Toledo was on pace to hit 245 homers. The most home runs in a season for the Mud Hens came in 1999 when they hit 176.

"It’s not often that you get this many guys in your lineup who can hit the ball out of the ballpark," said (Toledo manager Larry) Parrish, who belted 256 home runs during his major league career. [...] Continue Reading »

California League

Prospect Of The Day

Before last Thursday, Lancaster (Red Sox) first baseman Lars Anderson hadn’t had a home run in 14 games. Since Thursday he is 10-for-16 with two home runs, one of which he added last night with a 3-for-5 performance. He also knocked in two runs, giving him five in his last four games.

Anderson’s average has climbed over thirty points and his season line is now a respectable .277/.383/.484.

Prospect Nuggets

Lefthander Kasey Kiker tossed six innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out eight, but he was bailed out of the loss when Bakersfield (Rangers) tied the game in the ninth inning, only to lose in the bottom half…Lake Elsinore (Padres) center fielder Cedric Hunter was in the No. 3 spot last night and went 2-for-5 with his first home run of the season, two runs scored and three RBIs…Stockton (Athletics) Sean Doolittle knocked in a run, part of a 2-for-3 performance that included his 12th double of the season…A prospect matchup didn’t go quite as one would expect when San Jose (Giants) righthander Tim Alderson and Stockton lefthander Brett Anderson went head-to-head. Alderson pitched well enough and had plenty of run support to earn the win. He went five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five. Anderson wasn’t so fortunate. He last just 1/3 of an inning, allowing eight runs on seven hits and a walk. The lone out he recorded was a strikeout.

[...] Continue Reading »

The Red Sox announced that they will recall Justin Masterson from Double-A Portland to make a big league start on Tuesday against the Royals.

Boston will then send Masterson back to Portland after his start to make room on the roster for Triple-A righthander Bartolo Colon, who will start on Wednesday.

Masterson made his major league debut against the Angels on April 24, when he allowed one run and struck out four in six innings with four walks and two hits allowed. The Red Sox sent Masterson back to Portland after that start, and the results haven’t been so great for the 6-foot-6, 250-pound righthander.

On the season, Masterson’s overall numbers have been strong, with a 37-16 K-BB ratio, a 2.8-to-1 groundout-to-airout ratio in 38 1/3 innings and a 4.23 ERA.

Phillies center fielder Greg Golson went ballistic at the plate, Rangers lefthander Matt Harrison issued six walks but still threw a seven-inning no-hitter, Brewers right fielder Matt LaPorta had his standard great game and Red Sox righthander Daniel Bard looked impressive in his Double-A debut.
 
EASTERN LEAGUE
 
Prospect Of The Day
Greg Golson was simply a monster. Good things tend to happen when the Reading (Phillies) center fielder puts the ball in play, and that’s exactly how it went down yesterday. Golson, 22, had five hits in six at-bats, including his fifth home run of the season. He scored three runs, drove in five and even stole a base, his 14th in 17 attempts. Golson is now batting .331/.374/.503 in 163 at-bats. [...] Continue Reading »