A couple weeks ago, we looked at the early-season progress of the handful of first rounders that had signed. This week, let’s shine the spotlight on a few players drafted after the first round that have gotten off on the right foot as professionals . . .

Ryan Wheeler, 1B
Diamondbacks (5th round)
Wheeler hit well at Loyola Marymount as part of a fearsome middle-of-the-order that also included outfielder Angelo Songco, a fourth-rounder for the Dodgers who was also off to a thunderous start before being promoted to the low Class A Midwest League. In college, Wheeler hit .319/.427/.547 and impressed scouts with his hitting ability and promising power as well as his patience and intelligent approach. His collegiate success has carried over to his professional debut. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is playing for the short-season Yakima Bears in the Northwest League. Over his first 126 at-bats, he is hitting .349/.468/.516 with seven doubles, one triple and four home runs.
[...] Continue Reading »

Casey Mulligan has been a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals. He’s a former catcher who has turned into an interesting prospect as a reliever. He’s 3-1, 1.13 with 70 strikeouts in 47 innings between low Class A Quad Cities and high Class A Palm Beach,

And as a side note, he’s done a one-man homage of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video during a Palm Beach Cardinals rain delay, even though he wasn’t even born when the song came out.

Getting traded is a part of the baseball business.

Everyone knows it, especially at this time of the year. But when you’re a 20-year-old prospect in low Class A, it’s not something that crosses your mind too often. Being part of a no-hitter probably doesn’t either, but righthander Hunter Strickland experienced both in a matter of days, first getting traded to the Pirates, then throwing six hitless innings in his organizational debut.

Strickland, a Red Sox 18th-round pick in 2007 from a Georgia high school, was enjoying a quality season in his first taste of full-season ball. Strickland went 5-4, 3.46 in 83 innings with Greenville, while his fastball was reportedly touching 94 mph in his last two starts with the Drive.

The Red Sox took advantage of Strickland’s rising stock, packaging him with shortstop Argenis Diaz to the Pirates to land big league first baseman Adam LaRoche. The move came as a shock to Strickland.

"It was definitely a surprise to me," Strickland said. "I had no idea. It’d never crossed my mind about me getting traded.

"I knew it could happen. But me and the guys in Greenville a couple weeks ago were talking, we were just like ‘somebody’s got to get traded sooner or later. There are just so many pitching prospects with Boston.’ It ended up being me. It took me by complete surprise, but I was excited about it." [...] Continue Reading »

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores won admirers last season for his impressive showing in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, in which he participated as a 16-year-old. A year older and wiser, the young Venezuelan hasn’t received quite the same fanfare this season as he competes in the low Class A South Atlantic League. Let’s view them side by side: 

Flores, 17, has maintained his lofty contact rate and his mediocre walk-to-strikeout ratio even as he’s moved up a grade. His average and power production, though, have trailed off significantly as he grinds through his first full season of pro ball. He signed with the Mets for the ninth-highest bonus, $700,000, of the ’07 international signing period.

A scout for an AL club took note of those hitting qualities while seeing Flores in action this season.

"Flores grew on me. He can hit," the scout said. "I don’t know how much power he’s going to have—and he’s a legit 25 runner with well below-average athleticism—but he has a knack for putting the barrel on the ball. And he shows plate discipline and pitch recognition at a young age. [...] Continue Reading »

This time: July 19-25
Previous installment: July 12-18

Numbers in parentheses indicate draft rounds. Visit our Draft Database for school and signing information. Subscribers can view scouting reports for many top picks as well as search for players by last name or state. Check out the Transactions Glossary for the key to deciphering the various inactive lists presented here.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Signed: RHP Scott Dohmann (Hiroshima (Japan)), C Alex Herrnberger (San Angelo (United))
Released: OF Derrick Walker
Traded: 2B Felipe Lopez to Brewers for RHP Roque Mercedes and OF Cole Gillespie
Placed on restricted list: 2B Manuel Ferrer
Recalled: 3B Ryan Roberts
Reinstated from DL: SS Yunesky Sanchez, OF Alfredo Marte

Atlanta Braves
Draft pick signed: OF Bobby Rauh (29)
Released: RHP Tony Armas Jr.
Voluntarily retired: OF David Berres
Recalled: RHP Tommy Hanson
Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Luis Valdez, 2B Brooks Conrad
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Stephen Marek, 3B Stephen Shults, 3B Wes Timmons
Reinstated from DL: RHP James Parr, LHP Francisley Bueno, LHP Lee Hyde, C Jose Camarena
Placed on temporarily inactive list: C Phillip Britton [...] Continue Reading »

Conner Crumbliss has always had to be worried about being sold short.

At 5-foot-8, 175 pounds, the former Emporia State star has had plenty of success, but he’s also encountered plenty of skepticism. But ever since the A’s drafted him in the 28th round last month, the second baseman/outfielder has been producing as the table setter for the short-season Vancouver Canadiens.

He’s hitting .303/.465/.440 with one home run and eight stolen bases in nine tries through 33 games and 109 at-bats. Crumbliss currently leads the league in on-base percentage and walks (34). 

Yancy Ayres, an A’s area scout stationed in Kansas, was responsible for signing Crumbliss. He had an inside track with Crumbliss, as Crumbliss was a freshman when Ayres last coached at Emporia State in 2006 before leaving to become an A’s scout. Crumbliss became the only four-year starter in Emporia State history and he holds the school records in hits, doubles and runs scored. But when it came time for the draft, Crumbliss was still uncertain whether he would even be drafted. Most scouts worried that he was too small to play pro ball. [...] Continue Reading »

The Padres were high rollers in 2008 when the international signing period opened on July 2, signing three 16-year-old players to bonuses of at least $1 million.

Now one of them–Dominican shortstop Alvaro Aristy–has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a metabolite of Nandrolone. The Padres gave Aristy $1 million last year.

Aristy, now 17, is the highest-profile prospect in the Dominican Summer League who has ever received a suspension after testing positive for steroids. When Aristy signed, international scouts said he was a glove-first player who had a ways to go at the plate. In 30 DSL games this summer, Aristy hit .183/.326/.279 with 22 walks, 35 strikeouts and five extra-base hits.

Major League Baseball also suspended five other DSL prospects (all pitchers) for 50 games for testing positive for steroids: Diamondbacks lefthander Jose Batista, Yankees lefthander Francis Moreta, Astros righthander Felix Ramirez, Cubs righthander Ramon Reyes and Mets righthander Derlin Soriano.

One expects a college draftee to have some success in low Class A, so on that level, it’s not surprising to find Dexter Carter leading the South Atlantic League in strikeouts. But Carter brings more to the table than just the advantages of age and maturity.

"He’s very driven," Carter’s pitching coach Larry Owens said. "He really works hard for us. He has really good stuff and a feel for pitching."

A 2008 13th-round pick by the White Sox out of Old Dominion, Carter entered the pro ranks coming off an utterly disappointing college season. Expected to be one of ODU’s aces, the righthander went just 3-4, 8.76 and saw his control abandon him, as he walked 33 in 37 innings. To be fair, he was hardly the only one to underachieve on that ODU squad, which opened the 2008 season ranked in BA’s preseason Top 25, then failed to make the NCAA Tournament. And so it was on that note that Carter entered pro ball, making his debut last summer for Rookie-level Great Falls. [...] Continue Reading »

Today’s Prospect Injury report is a little lighter than usual, though fewer players to write about in this section is always a good thing.

Jason Knapp, rhp, Phillies: Knapp’s power arm has led to 111 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings for low Class A Lakewood, but he’s had to give that arm a break as of late due to shoulder fatigue. While Knapp has collected strikeouts in bunches in the South Atlantic League, the 18-year-old’s ERA has been a bit erratic, along with his control. He’s averaging 4.1 walks per nine innings with a 4.01 ERA. In his last start on July 11 at Kannapolis, Knapp recorded just two outs before leaving the game with three walks, three hits, no strikeouts and six runs allowed. And from the unusual stat department: Knapp leads the minor leagues with five balks.

[...] Continue Reading »

This time: July 12-18
Previous installment: July 5-11

Numbers in parentheses indicate draft rounds. Visit our Draft Database for school and signing information. Subscribers can view scouting reports for many top picks as well as search for players by last name or state. Check out the Transactions Glossary for the key to deciphering the various inactive lists presented here.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Released: 1B Dan Kauffman
Recalled: 1B Josh Whitesell
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Bryan Augenstein, C Sean Coughlin, OF Alfredo Marte
Reinstated from DL: RHP Sean Morgan, LHP Taylor Sinclair, C Ed Easley, 1B Dan Kauffman, SS Ed Rogers, OF Ryne White

Atlanta Braves
Draft pick signed: RHP David Hale (3)
Released: SS Tyler Barnett
Optioned to Triple-A: LHP Jo-Jo Reyes, OF Gregor Blanco
Reinstated from DL: RHP Ryne Reynoso, 1B Ernesto Mejia

Baltimore Orioles
Signed: C Freuny Parra
Draft picks signed: LHP Aaron Wirsch (7), LHP Tim Berry (50)
Released: SS Jedidiah Stephen
Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Raul Rivero, RHP Tim Bascom, 3B Jolbert Cabrera, OF Brian Conley
Placed on 60-day DL: LHP Tim Berry
Reinstated from DL: RHP Brandon Erbe, RHP Jean Carlos Reyes, OF Kraig Binick
Reinstated from inactive list: OF L.J. Hoes

Parra appears to have taken a year off after being cut by the Yankees in February ’08. He originally signed with New York as a nondrafted free agent from Connors State (Okla.) JC in June ’07. [...] Continue Reading »

Carlos Torres struck out two batters and allowed one hit in his inning of work last Wednesday in the Triple-A all-star game. It was a fitting stage for the 26-year-old righthander, who seems to have put all the pieces together this season with Charlotte.

A 15th-round pick as a college senior by the White Sox back in 2004, Torres has gone 8-4 for the Knights while compiling an International League-leading 2.20 ERA. Only Lehigh Valley’s Carlos Carrasco (Phillies) has racked up more strikeouts than Torres, who has 96. And while Torres has walked 38 batters in 98 innings (3.5 per nine), he has balanced that by being stingy with hits (72) and home runs (three).

"He’s really had a great year," Torres’ manager Chris Chambliss said. "His fastball, cutter and curveball have all been real effective, and his control has been outstanding."

Though he didn’t throw his first Triple-A pitch until he was 25 years old, Torres didn’t lag behind because of a lack of stuff or because of a predisposition toward injury. Despite having a good arm, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander had shuttled back and forth between starting and relieving in his five pro seasons prior to this one. He spent all of ’07 in the bullpen, for example, mostly at Double-A. [...] Continue Reading »

Jairo Kelly, a switch-hitting shortstop from the Dominican Republic, has signed with the Indians.

Kelly, 16, is around 5-foot-11, 165 pounds with good rhythm and balance at the plate. Since the international signing period began on July 2, the Indians have also signed Dominican righthander Noel Cabral and shortstop Jorge Martinez.

Major League Baseball’s Department of Investigations has determined that Dominican shortstop Damian Arredondo, who signed with the Yankees on July 2, misrepresented his age and his identity, according to Sports Illustrated’s Melissa Segura.

Arredondo, who had presented himself as being 16 years old, is a switch-hitter with plus-plus speed and above-average tools in the field. Prospects who misrepresent their ages or their identities are subject to a one-year suspension from MLB. The Yankees won’t lose any money, Yankees vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman told SI.com, as the signing had been contingent on Arredondo passing his investigation.

BA correspondent Alex Speier reports that the Red Sox have signed shortstop Jose Vinicio for $1.95 million.

Vinicio, 16, is a switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic. BA subscibers can read more about Vinicio here.

After checking in on the preseason top prospects from each National League organization last week, it’s time to evaluate the progress of the No. 1 prospect from each American League organization.

Baltimore Orioles, C Matt Wieters: Unless Wieters stormed away with the American League Rookie of the Year this year a la Evan Longoria in 2008, there was no chance he could live up to the massive expectations placed upon him before he made his major league debut. The No. 1 prospect in baseball coming into the year, Wieters is hitting .259/.316/.407 in 117 plate appearances, though with his swing and ability to hit for power, expect those numbers to climb. Quickly.

Boston Red Sox, 1B Lars Anderson: It’s easy to look at Anderson’s .272/.366/.413 batting line in 79 games this year and wonder if something is wrong. The answer? Probably nothing. In 507 Double-A PAs in his age 20 and 21 seasons, Anderson has hit .285/.389/.448 with 31 doubles, 13 home runs, 73 walks and 120 strikeouts. He will have to show more game power in time, but the raw power is already there and he’s still one of the youngest players in the Eastern League.

[...] Continue Reading »

It’s been a little over a month since the 2009 draft went into the books. While the world waits to see how the negotiations between the Nationals and No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg pan out, 12 first rounders have already signed and 10 have made their pro debuts, and we thought we’d give a quick update on how those players are faring in their first tastes of pro ball.

No. 4. Tony Sanchez, c, Pirates: Probably the most debated pick of the first round (especially after the Pirates gave him a full-slot signing bonus of $2.5 million) Sanchez is the highest drafted player to have signed and made his pro debut so far, having signed just a few days after the draft. He made his pro debut with short-season State College on June 20, but his time with the Spikes turned out to be little more than a pit stop. Sanchez moved up to low Class A West Virginia before the end of June and has made 10 starts there. [...] Continue Reading »

Jordan Walden, rhp, Angels: Walden left his start on Monday with a strained right forearm, departing in the first inning without recording an out. Walden, 21, also missed a month earlier in the season with the same injury. Many times it’s a precursor to Tommy John surgery, though we don’t know yet what’s going to happen with Walden, whose ERA with Double-A Arkansas sits at 5.25 in 60 innings in the Texas League.

Angel Villalona, 1b, Giants: Villalona was supposed to represent the Giants along with lefty Madison Bumgarner at the Futures Game on Sunday. But Big V suffered a strained left quadriceps while running the bases on July 7 for high Class A San Jose. Villalona, 18, will be out for three more weeks. He’s struggled mightily in the Cal League, where he’s hitting .267/.306/.397 with just seven unintentional walks in 310 plate appearances. Then again, Villalona is two to three years younger than even the best prospects in that league.

Max Ramirez, c, Rangers: It hasn’t been a good year for Ramirez’s wrists. After missing two weeks in early June with right wrist soreness, Ramirez is now on the disabled list and rehabbing in Arizona with tendinitis in his left wrist. Ramirez has yet to play this month, but when he has played this year, the results have been nowhere near where they were last year. Ramirez, 24, is batting .238/.308/.332 in 56 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City. [...] Continue Reading »

The Cardinals have played a big league-leading 91 games to this point, illustrating that the All-Star break splits the season into asymmetrical portions. So the idea of the break functioning as the halfway point to the season is a bit of a misnomer. What the break does, however, is afford us a chance to catch our breath, as well as provide the ideal backdrop to evaluate the top rookies of the 2009 season. (We checked in during spring training with our preseason Top 25 Rookies.)

Let’s begin with the all-rookie team, something you’ll find in our most recent issue, which features Mike Stanton on the cover and a Top 100 Prospects update inside. 

C— Ryan Hanigan, Reds. 1B—Travis Ishikawa, Giants. 2B—Casey McGehee, Brewers. 3B—Gordon Beckham, White Sox. SS—Elvis Andrus, Rangers. OF—Brett Gardner, Yankees; Andrew McCutchen, Pirates; and Colby Rasmus, Cardinals. DH—Nolan Reimold, Orioles.

SP—Brad Bergesen, rhp, Orioles; J.A. Happ, lhp, Phillies; Scott Richmond, rhp, Blue Jays; Ricky Romero, lhp Blue Jays; and Randy Wells, rhp, Cubs. RP—Andrew Bailey, rhp, Athletics.

And on to the top 20, where an asterisk (*) denotes a lefthanded batter or thrower and a pound sign (#) signifies a switch-hitter. Click names to head directly to our player finder pages.

Performing in the major leagues was the only way Romero was going to shed his perceptions as an overdraft. And that’s exactly what he has done this season. Infamously selected one spot ahead of Troy Tulowitzki in ’05, Romero has put his plus offspeed offerings to good use this season, generating a fair share of strikeouts and groundouts. Romero has averaged a firm 91 mph on his fastball this season, but it’s improved command of the pitch, more than anything, that has made the difference. [...] Continue Reading »

We’re still not sure exactly where Cuban lefthander Aroldis Chapman is, but at least we have narrowed it down to a continent.

Chapman has taken the next step toward a career in Organized Baseball with the hiring of an agent, following his defection from the Cuban national team on July 1 while in the Netherlands for the World Port Tournament. Athletes Premier International trumpeted its "representation and marketing agreement" with Chapman in a press release on Monday.

[...] Continue Reading »

While Rockies righthanders Jhouyls Chacin and Esmil Rogers didn’t quite make our Midseason Top 25 Prospects list, they both were close, ranking in the 26-50 range. One American League pro scout said that they’re the two best arms in the Double-A Texas League this year. Rogers has since been promoted to Triple-A and is closing the gap between he and Chacin.

On the year, Chacin is 7-6, 3.43 with 80 strikeouts and 32 walks over 94 innings. On July 12, the 21-year-old pitched a no-hit inning at the Futures Game, featuring two strikeouts.

"He is a younger guy who really has a good idea of how to pitch," said Tulsa pitching coach Bryan Harvey, who has worked with both Chacin and Rogers this year. "He can command three pitches very well. He’s really ahead of his time. He knows how to change speeds, how to go in and out. He can use the fastball and changeup in any count. When you’re a guy like that, you’re going to go through the lower levels really quick and he’s even carried that into this level." [...] Continue Reading »