BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Prospect Hot Sheet: Prospect Hot Sheet: Aug. 13

Staff Report
August 13, 2010

You may have noticed that the Prospect Hot Sheet looks a little different this year. The content is the same, but we've partnered with Bowman Baseball to present Hot Sheet. So in addition to getting the skinny on which prospects are doing the most to help their stock, you can also get a glimpse at the baseball cards of some of baseball's best prospects.

As we have warned for years now, remember that this is not a re-ranking of the Top 100 Prospects. This is a snapshot of which top prospects are excelling and which ones are struggling right now. Stats cover from Aug. 6 through last night, Aug. 12.

Contributing: Ben Badler, J.J. Cooper, Matt Eddy, John Manuel and Jim Shonerd.

No. 1	JESUS MONTERO, C	YANKEES
Team: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (International) Age: 20 Why He's Here: .520/.556/1.000 (13-for-25), 6 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 4 SO The Scoop: When Montero was hitting under .220 early in June, many worried that he had suddenly regressed at the plate. But here we are halfway through August and Montero is right back where everyone expected him to be at the start of the year. He's hit .405 since the all-star break and is just a continued hot streak away from getting his average above .300 and his slugging above .500. But if you're looking for hope that Montero is putting it together as a catcher behind the plate, keep looking. He leads the International League in passed balls (14) and is throwing out 23 percent of basestealers. But if goes beyond that, because his reputation precedes him. Teams are making 1.28 stolen-base attempts per game—second worst among IL catchers with 30 or more games caught.
2010 Stats

No. 2	BRODY COLVIN, RHP	PHILLIES
Team: low Class A Lakewood (South Atlantic) Age: 19 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.00, 10 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 12 SO The Scoop: Colvin got the biggest signing bonus of any 2009 Phillies draftee, and he's playing like it this season. He tossed five scoreless innings in each of his first two August starts, improving his overall marks to 6-7, 3.17 with 108 strikeouts in 122 innings. Walks have been something of an issue at times for Colvin, but not in his last two starts, and he's getting his share of groundball outs. In other words, he's marrying efficiency with his power fastball, which sits in the low 90s and which he dials up to 97 mph when needed, even as late as the seventh inning.
2010 Stats

No. 3	MANNY BANUELOS, LHP	YANKEES
Team: high class A Tampa (Florida State) Age: 19 Why He's Here: 0-0, 0.00, 11 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 18 SO The Scoop: Had he been healthy all year, Banuelos likely would be in Double-A Trenton right now. His stuff and feel for pitching are too good for Florida State League hitters to handle. Banuelos is expected to finish the season in Tampa, where he has shown the ability to command and mix his pitches to keep hitters off balance. His latest start lowered his ERA to 1.64 with an impressive 56-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
2010 Stats

No. 4	MATT MOORE, LHP	RAYS
Team: high Class A Charlotte (Florida State) Age: 21 Why He's Here: 0-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 13 SO The Scoop: Last season's minor league strikeout king looks like he might be on his way to retaining his crown. The Rays lefty claimed the minor league strikeout lead with his 13 punchouts against Lakeland last Saturday, giving him 170 in 121 innings. But let's not forget that Moore started the year 0-7, 6.63 through early June and has been absolutely on fire since. He has a 1.82 ERA in his last nine starts covering 54 1/3 innings. He reached double-digit strikeouts six times in that span, fanning a whopping 83 hitters. And this is a guy who's still getting by more on his raw stuff than anything else. Just wait until he really figures things out.
2010 Stats

No. 5	CHRIS ARCHER, RHP	CUBS
Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern) Age: 19 Why He's Here: 1-0, 1.29, 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 SO The Scoop: We all know that wins aren't really the true measure of a pitcher's effectiveness, and minor league wins have as much value as a batch of sub-prime loans. But what Archer has done since being promoted to Double-A is still worth noting. In eight starts, he's 7-1, having recorded a decision in each outing. His one loss came in a game where he gave up one unearned run. Archer's peripheral numbers (27 hits, 25 walks, 44 strikeouts in 47 innings) aren't as impressive as his 0.58 ERA, but there's no doubting his stuff. At has best, Archer has two plus-plus pitches—a fastball that will touch 96-97 mph and a nasty slider.
2010 Stats

No. 6	JAMES DARNELL, 3B	PADRES
Team: Double-A San Antonio (Texas) Age: 23 Why He's Here: .478/.538/.957 (11-for-23), 3 HR, 2 2B, 8 RBIs, 8 R, 3 BB, 5 SO The Scoop: Darnell has managed to salvage his season with a strong second half. Since the all-star break, he's batting .300/.380/.486 (42-for-140) with six homers, six doubles and a 1-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio. One of the Padres' top position-player prospects, Darnell finally managed to break out of his funk at home. While his home-road OPS split remains stark—636 vs. 892 on the road—he mashed three home runs and a double in going 6-for-15 (.400) in four home games this week.
2010 Stats

No. 7

JULIO TEHERAN, RHP

BRAVES

Team: Double-A Mississippi (Southern)
Age: 19
Why He's Here: 1-0, 1.38, 13 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 13 SO
The Scoop: While fellow 19-year-old Jordan Lyles won the race to Triple-A, Teheran has made more progress this season. He ranks in the top 15 in the minors in both ERA (2.36) and strikeouts (144). Coming into the year the Colombia native had made just seven starts in full-season ball. This season, Teheran has breezed through two levels of Class A and seems more than ready to tackle Double-A.

Touched up for five runs in his first start for Mississippi, Teheran has been practically untouchable since. He completed 5 2/3 no-hit innings in start No. 2 and had allowed a mere two runs on eight hits in a span of 18 2/3 innings. And one could not ask for better peripherals. Teheran has 20 strikeouts, four walks and no home runs allowed in his past three starts.

2010 Stats

No. 8	ANDREW LAMBO. RF	PIRATES
Team: Double-A Altoona (Eastern) Age: 22 Why He's Here: .458/.536/.708 (11-for-24), 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 6 R, 4 BB, 8 SO The Scoop: Sometimes, you just need a fresh start. Lambo's career in the Dodgers system seemed to have stalled, as he was hitting .271/.325/.420 in 181 at-bats in his second full season at Double-A Chattanooga. Worse, he was suspended for 50 games in the season's first half for his second positive test for a drug of abuse. The Dodgers unloaded Lambo as part of their deal for Octavio Dotel at the trade deadline, and Lambo looks like he knows how to make a good first impression. He's riding an eight-game hitting streak and homered in back-to-back games last weekend. His stock has taken some hits over the last two seasons, but that could be mitigated with a strong finish in Altoona.
2010 Stats

No. 9	JEURYS FAMILIA, RHP	METS
Team: high Class A St. Lucie (Florida State) Age: 20 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.66, 13 2/3, 11 H, 1 R, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 18 SO The Scoop: Where has this been all year? Familia is one of the hardest throwers in the minor leagues, but when he pitches, balls have been been flying out faster than they've been coming in most of the year. Not so in his last two outings, his best two of the season. Familia still needs to develop a reliable breaking ball, and with nearly six walks per nine innings, his control has also gotten him in trouble this year. With his stuff and the effort in his delivery, the bullpen might be in Familia's future, but his most recent starts might be encouraging signs of progress.
2010 Stats

No. 10	DANNY DUFFY, LHP	ROYALS
Team: Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Texas) Age: 21 Why He's Here: 2-0, 1.50, 12 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 16 SO The Scoop: Did you really think it would be a Hot Sheet without a Royals prospect? Had Duffy been around all year, he'd likely have made many more appearances, as his already good stuff has gone up a tick this season. He's dominated the Texas League in his three starts there, posting a 22-to-4 strikeout-to-walk mark and a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings. If Duffy were in another organization, he'd likely be one of the team's top two prospects. In the Royals system, well, he's just another premium prospect in a crowded field of young talent.
2010 Stats

No. 11	KYLE DRABEK, RHP	BLUE JAYS
Team: Double-A New Hampshire (Eastern) Age: 22 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO The Scoop: Drabek certainly wasn't bad over the season's first three months, but he's been nearly untouchable lately. Since throwing his no-hitter on July 4, Drabek is 5-1, 1.64 in seven starts covering 44 innings. He's allowed just 24 hits in that stretch and has taken over the Eastern League lead in opponents average (.213) and ranks third in strikeouts with 110. And when batters do put the ball in play against him, it's often on the ground as he attacks the bottom half of the zone with sinking fastballs and changeups. Just three of the 18 outs he recorded against Bowie in his last start were on balls in the air.
2010 Stats

No. 12	MAT GAMEL, 3B	BREWERS
Team: Triple-A Nashville (Pacific Coast) Age: 25 Why He's Here: .462/.517/.692 (12-for-26), 8 R, 6 2B, 3 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 1-for-1 SB The Scoop: Around the Baseball America offices, we call it "prospect fatigue," and Gamel offers a textbook case. He has not established himself in Milwaukee in two trials, and now this year he takes part in his second full season at Triple-A. In Gamel's case, putting up solid numbers often isn't enough to keep him in the spotlight. When a shoulder injury caused him to miss the start of the season, Gamel slipped into the background. He's gaining prospect traction with a strong second half, as he's batted .379/.438/.629 with six home runs in 116 at-bats. He's still a liability at third base, but the Brewers are now playing him at first base and right field, as they face the possibility of life without Prince Fielder.
2010 Stats

No. 13	TYLER MATZEK, LHP	ROCKIES
Team: low Class A Asheville (South Atlantic) Age: 19 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 7 SO The Scoop: According to the teenage lefty, he completed six no-hit innings against Augusta using mostly his fastball. While Matzek's seven-strikeout performance speaks to the quality of that pitch, his five walks argue just as loudly that further refinement to his command is necessary. On the whole, Matzek has enjoyed a fine debut season, striking out nearly a batter per inning, but just as often he's fallen behind batters and lost them. He has walked five men in three of his past four starts, while averaging nearly six per nine innings on the year.
2010 Stats

IN THE TEAM PHOTO

Even when he's on a roll, Royals 2B Johnny Giavotella doesn't make it look easy. He's a rather stocky second baseman who is stretched to play the position. But he can hit, and weeks like this one (.522/.633/.739) help explain why he keeps climbing the ladder—there aren't a lot of second baseman who can hit like he can. Giavotella is hitting .392/.458/.574 since the all-star break . . . Triple-A Louisville has stormed to the top of the International League Western Division standings by winning 24 of 27 games following the all-star break. At the heart of the surge is Reds left fielder (for the moment) Todd Frazier, who went 12-for-26 (.462) last week with three doubles, seven RBIs, seven runs and five stolen bases in five attempts. When he wasn't hitting his way on base, the 24-year-old walked six times. In 105 post all-star at-bats, Frazier is batting .314/.395/.495, helping to make amends for a poor first half . . . Braves 1B Freddie Freeman continued his stellar season, going 11-for-28 (.393) with five doubles this week for Triple-A Gwinnett. Braves fans are already clamoring for the 20-year-old Freeman, now hitting .303/.366/.503 in 106 games, to come to Atlanta as quickly as possible . . . If Joe Torre needs a new relief arm to flog in Los Angeles—and by the looks of Thursday night's implosion against the Phillies, he does—then RHP Rubby de la Rosa, 21, might be the best option. He's emerged as one of the Dodgers' best prospects and has even moved into the rotation and made four excellent starts with for Double-A Chattanooga, the last three lasting seven innings apiece. As a reliever, de la Rosa worked with a 93-96 mph fastball that he throws for strikes and keeps down in the strike zone. He's not quite that firm as a starter, but he also hash a solid-average changeup and slider that both have good life . . . Several of the Giants' prospects with Double-A Richmond have lost luster this season while playing in the cavernous Diamond. That hasn't happened to OF Thomas Neal, who isn't posting his gaudy California League numbers from 2009 but is having another good season. He's hitting .349 so far in August and pounded six doubles during a 12-for-25 (.480) stretch last week, boosting his overall line to .296/.363/.442. Neal, 22, actually has hit lefties (.346) better than righties this season (.280) and profiles as a solid regular rather than as a star, but that's more than can be said of most of his Flying Squirrels teammates . . . Marlins 3B Matt Dominguez is best known for his glove work, but his bat's been showing some life lately. The 20-year-old had four multi-hit games this week for Double-A Jacksonville, finishing with a .393/.469/.679 (11-for-28) line with a homer, three doubles and a triple. He also drove in 10 runs this week, more than he did the entire month of July (six) . . . We were hesitant about heaping too much praise on Astros OF J.D. Martinez when he was whipping up on low Class A competition. But now that the 23-year-old has moved up to Double-A Corpus Christi, his performance carries more weight. He hasn't slowed down yet. Martinez hit .444/.464/.778 (12-for-27) this week, with two homers and three doubles, giving him a .337/.407/.495 line in 101 at-bats since moving up

NOT-SO HOT SHEET

• John Ely, rhp, Dodgers. Ely helped prop up Los Angeles' rotation in May and June, providing a 3.28 ERA over an 11-start stretch. The 24-year-old's luck did not hold in July, however, when he got tattooed 12 runs in five innings over two starts. This precipitated a demotion to Triple-A Albuquerque, where Ely pitched very well for two starts (and that's an understatement—he allowed five runs over 14 innings at home!) before the thrashing commenced. In his two most recent starts for the Isotopes, Ely has fanned seven in 4 2/3 innings, which is nice, but in that span he's allowed 16 runs (30.86 ERA) thanks to an array of 13 hits and eight walks allowed.

• Jemile Weeks, 2b, Athletics: Weeks' biggest downfall throughout his young pro career has been his inability to stay healthy. The Athletics' 2008 first-round pick has missed time in each of his three seasons, including two separate injuries to his left hip. Weeks, 23, returned to Double-A Midland's lineup from his latest DL stint in July and started out well enough. But his bat has gone cold since the start of August. He has just four hits since the calendar turned and hit .080/.115/.160 (2-for-25) this week.

• Henderson Alvarez, rhp, Blue Jays: Alvarez, 20, earned a Futures Game berth, largely on the strength of his repertoire and a 3-0, 0.37 start in April. He hasn't posted an ERA below 4.50 since April, though, and he's given up a ton of hits—135 in 109 innings overall and 21 in 13 innings last week. More troubling—zero strikeouts in his last two outings. He's just 8-7, 4.38 overall, with opponents batting .303.

• Edward Salcedo, ss, Braves: Scouts who have seen Salcedo play with low Class A Rome this year seem to come away saying the same thing: The tools and size are there, but it just doesn't look like he's played much. The Braves' $1.6 million signing hasn't shown much in-game ability with low Class A Rome, where he's hitting .195/.232/.331 with 33 strikeouts in 125 plate appearances. Things haven't been any better in the field, where he has 19 errors in 31 games at shortstop, though he doesn't project to stay at the position anyway.

MAN AMONG BOYS

Ever since he was selected out of Troy in the 25th round of the 2007 draft, Royals 1B Clint Robinson, 25, has plugged along, putting up solid if unspectacular numbers while climbing one level a year. But his promotion this year to the pitcher's house of horrors that is Double-A Northwest Arkansas has turned him into a Texas League star. Robinson has homered in five consecutive games, including a two-home run game at Frisco on Thursday night. Robinson can't run, but as long as he hits like this, it doesn't really matter—he is among the TL's leaders in almost every offensive category. It's hard to say how much of Robinson's production is helped by playing at Arvest Ballpark (his home OPS is 379 points higher than it is on the road), but Robinson has done well enough to earn a spot in Triple-A Omaha next year to figure that out.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

• Along with Todd Frazier, Reds RF Wladimir Balentien has helped propel Triple-A Louisville to a 24-3 record since the all-star break. The 26-year-old has smacked eight home runs, 10 doubles and driven in 25 runners since the break, while batting .400/.444/.800 (36-for-90).

HELIUM WATCH

• Yordano Ventura, rhp, Royals: Think international scouting is easy? No, of course you don't, but here's just another example of the difficulty of projecting international teenagers. The Royals signed Ventura when he showed a quick arm and was throwing 87-89 mph, but he's added strength, gotten his delivery more under control and seen his velocity skyrocket. Ventura now regularly throws in the mid-90s and has hit 98-99 mph in several outings according to multiple scouts who have seen him this summer in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Ventura, 19, also shows the makings of a solid curveball, and in 37 innings he's held down a 3.16 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 11 walks. Listed at his signing height and weight of 5-foot-11, 140 pounds, he's a good athlete who has added some weight since then but still is a skinny, small-framed guy, so the Royals will likely monitor his innings.

Baseball America, 4319 South Alston Avenue, Suite 103, Durham, NC 27713. | Follow us on: