Prospects Chat With Ben Badler

By Ben Badler
August 7, 2009

Ben Badler: Thanks for stopping by. I'm heading out later this afternoon to watch Martin Perez pitch for the Rangers' low Class A club, so let's see what we've got here in the queue.

Nick (New York): Do you think that Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder will be the future 1st and 3rd baseman for the Orioles in 2010? Which of the two has more upside and what can O's fans expect out of their major league production?

Ben Badler: I've seen both, albeit briefly, and was more impressed with Bell. His defense has improved at third base, his pitch recognition is solid and his power is legitimate, even if it's showing up now more as doubles than home runs.

Jason (New York): I know its still early, but have you heard any recent news on Jarrod Parker? It can't be good news that he is going to see Dr. James Andrews.

Ben Badler: Just that he's most likely done for the year. It would be a shame if he had surgery. He had the best stuff I've seen in the minors all year.

Miller (Vegas): Is Tyler Colvin still a legit prospect? 4th outfielder or big league regular?

Ben Badler: Don't see enough plate discipline for him to be a starter.

Jeff (New England): Thanks for taking my question. Has Chris Carter now cemented himself as the A's 1B of the future? Or does the presence of Brett Wallace complicate matters?

Ben Badler: I think the A's will give Wallace a chance to play third base, probably moreso than most other organizations would. Even if Wallace does move to first base, the A's could slot Carter in at DH. Mostly I've been impressed with the degree to which Carter has cut his strikeout rate this year, which is probably a lot less common to do than people realize.

Joe (California): Hosmer or Freeman?

Ben Badler: I like both, prefer Freeman, who is only about a month or so older than Hosmer.

willy (pitt): Which player would you most want to build a team around: Evan Longoria, Tim Lincecum, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Greinke, or Bryce Harper?

Ben Badler: Longoria, and his steal of a contract makes it even better

John (Denver): What do you make of Juan Francisco's big week? Is he ever going to be the Reds 3B of the future??

Ben Badler: When you have more errors than walks, that's usually a bad sign. I don't see him playing third base and I think his approach is going to prevent him from becoming a good big league hitter.

Eric (Chicago): Besides Posey and Santana, who are the best offensive catchers currently in the minors that are good enough defensively to stick at the position? Are Norris and Castro the best of the rest?

Ben Badler: Norris, Castro and Tyler Flowers are all in that next group. And he's WAY down the ladder right now, but keep an eye on Carlos Perez with the Blue Jays' GCL team. He's probably the best Latin American prospect in that system.

steve (Boston, MA): Read the BA story on Rowdy Hardy becoming a submarine pitcher. do you think that move will help him reach the big leagues?

Ben Badler: Who knows, but it's worth a shot, and give him credit for making the change. I don't understand why organizations don't have a full-time coordinator in charge of sidearm and submarine-style pitching overseeing a sidearm and submarine program. Think about how many pitchers there are in the minor leagues who either have essentially no chance at a major league career or former prospects who can't hack it in the big leagues with an overhand delivery. It's obviously not getting them anywhere, so why not provide them with a specialized instructor and program to help them carve out specific roles in a major league bullpen?

Chupas (Dayton,OH): Who will get their call to the big league's first, Matt LaPorta or Nick Weglarz? And when? They have a high on base percentage, and Cleveland really likes these guys?

Ben Badler: LaPorta. Weglarz has outstanding plate discipline, but still has work to do at the plate. I think LaPorta's ready for the big leagues right now, although I was saying that in April too.

Andrew (Georgia): Compared to earlier in the season when he was really struggling, what do you think about Pedro Alvarez now?

Ben Badler: Same thing I said at the beginning of the season: expect a lot of strikeouts, but he'll draw walks and hit for plus to plus-plus power. Since he puts fewer balls in play than most players, he's going to have big years when those batted balls fall for hits and watch his OBP take a big dip when they don't.

Carl (Buffalo): Do you think Josh Thole will be able to stick as a productive major league catcher?

Ben Badler: Yes, I think so

nick (Rochester): Where do you think Chris Carter would slot when it comes to your top 100 list next year?

Ben Badler: I think it's just way too early to be making that call yet before we line up every prospect in baseball the way we do in the offseason. He should be in there, but exactly where is just hard to say at this point without going through our offseason process.

Mike (MN): It's too early to worry about Aaron Hicks, right? Hunt on the other hand, is his head destroyed at this point?

Ben Badler: Worried? I'm more excited than worried about Hicks right now. He's a five-tool player, a great athlete with a feel for the strike zone who is starting to get things going in a tough hitter's environment. Hunt? Well, it's never good when your walks look like they've been switched with your strikeouts. I don't know what's going on in his head, but he just doesn't have any control.

Marc (Philadelphia): The question plaguing most Philadephians—Brown or Taylor? I saw Brown in his first few games at Reading and all I can say this wow.

Ben Badler: Brown, who apparently is now going by Domonic instead of Dominic. I just don't see what's not to like about Brown. He's got five tools that mostly rate as 60s or 70s, either now or in the future, with advanced pitch recognition, and he's performed well this year. I like Taylor too, but Brown just looks like a high upside talent with lower risk involved than you normally get with five-tool players.

Greg (St. Louis): What are your thoughts on Tim Beckham's first season in pro ball? Surprised at the lack of hitting ability?

Ben Badler: Not surprised, since I saw him last year in the Appy League and he seemed to be a bit raw, but scouts who have seem him this year have expressed concerns about his defense at shortstop.

Greg (St. Louis): What are your thoughts on Julio Teheran? A top 50 prospect right now?

Ben Badler: Probably not. I love the stuff, but with his shoulder injury last year and how far away he is from the major leagues, I'm willing to be a bit cautious.

alan (PA): I hear you guys use physical comps on players all the time, like Johan Santana is a physical comp for Martin Perez. So, I ask you, who is your physical comp?

Ben Badler: Kimbo Slice

Tyler (Harrodsburg, Ky): Is there any concern over Michael Stanton's slump since being promoted to AA? His K rate seems to have climed to that of last seasons, however he isn't hitting for the same average.

Ben Badler: Not really. The strikeouts are a concern, but his raw power is an 80, he's a great athlete and he's shown progress in laying off pitches outside of the strike zone. Plus he's 19 in Double-A. I mean, heck, he's younger than Anthony Hewitt.

AJ (Tampa, FL): Is Wade Davis ready to pitch in the Tampa rotation right now?

Ben Badler: Not yet. The fastball is a plus pitch and the curve is plus at times, but he doesn't have a good third pitch and his command of his fastball and his offspeed stuff is below-average. When he gets behind in the count, that neutralizes his curveball as a weapon because it means hitters can gear up for the fastball. If the Rays brought him up as a starter, he would get hit around.

Ken (MLB Network Studios): Has Andrew Brackman been moved to the pen? Does he have a chance to pull a Daniel Bard?

Ben Badler: He's pitched in relief his last couple of outings. Given his circumstances I'm not ready to completely write him off, but I"m not optimistic.

Carl (Buffalo): Jeurys Familia or Julio Teheran?

Ben Badler: Teheran

Dave (Winnipeg): No Arencibia in that next tier of catchers?

Ben Badler: I don't see anything in his track record or his scouting reports to suggest that he'll ever get his OBP much higher than .300-.320 in the big leagues, which even for a catcher isn't enough to cut it.

Joseph (Fort Worth, TX): I wish I was going to see Marty Perez pitch today! Do you think the Rangers will jump him over Bakersfield like they did with Feliz, and is there any way we could get a write-up on what you see from him today? Thanks for the chat Ben!

Ben Badler: It's possible, though I don't know if they will do that and my guess is that they won't send him straight to Double-A. You can look for the report on tonight's start at some point next week if you're a subscriber.

Ben Badler: And on that note, I've got to head out to the park soon. Thank you as always for reading BA.